A Home Inventory

I've mentioned before that home keeping is not just about cleaning - the art of home keeping is keeping our homes safe and making them comfortable, so cleaning is merely one part of that process. There is one thing that has been playing on my mind recently after both my mum and my friend's homes have been burgled, and that is to protect ourselves in case of theft, fire or a natural disaster. We have take out home insurance, but if you expect to be compensated properly, you'll need to have a list of what is in your home and this is done in the form a home inventory. We've not done one ourselves yet, so that's what I'm planning to do today.

A Home Inventory helps you to keep a list of valuable items you have accumulated over the years and is extremely handy when you need to decide on a home insurance policy and even more important when you need to make claims on your home insurance. The thought that any of us could be affected by crime, a house fire or a natural disaster seems unbearable to think about. However, something such as a home inventory is fairly easy to put together considering what help it could be in various situations. It seems daunting at first to have to think about everything you own, but taking it room by room, it doesn't take too long. Here are ideas to help you put together a Home Inventory - you'll sleep better knowing that if anything was to ever happen, you are just that little bit better prepared to cope with it.

There are plenty of online home inventory software programmes you can download. They allow you to easily make a list with pictures that are linked to the list. These are useful if you find the idea of doing it yourself daunting. Try these examples below, or follow my steps on doing it yourself.

Creating a home inventory:

1) The easiest way to do your home inventory, is to start by using a digital camera. Go through your house room by room, taking pictures of the rooms,making sure you include general appliances, artworks, and furniture in the photos.

2) Don't forget the garage and to look in cupboards too, since it's easy to miss out valuable items such as collectible crockery or an expensive cutlery set. These must all be included in your inventory. If you have any specific items of value such as an expensive quilt, vintage dress (don't forget your wedding dress if you still own it), artworks, cameras or antique collections, photograph these separated.

3) Next comes the tedious part. You have to sit down, go through your photos and write down (or type of course) a list of all valuable items. Categorise your list by room, or you can also group things such as General appliances together. If you can remember write down the model, the amount you paid and where you bought these items. Even better, if you have receipts for any of your expensive items, keep these with your home inventory.

4) Once you have your list and your photos - you can either print them off or just save them to disk. Whichever way you do it, you will need to keep your home inventory in a safe place - as in a fireproof safe. Alternatively leave a spare copy at a friend or relative's home.

If writing or typing out a list isn't something you look forward to doing, you can make a videotape instead whereby you can walk through your house, videotaping as you talk through what the items are. But I know that I'd just be too embarrassed to talk on a videotape that might have to be seen by some stranger at an insurance company.

But that's all there is to making a home inventory. Now comes the important bit - you will need to remember to update your inventory list. The next time you make a substantial purchase, keep the receipt, and don't forget to add that item to your inventory. A good idea, is to add 'update inventory' to your list of things to do the beginning of the new year - especially if you might have been given a Christmas present of value. Alternatively add 'update inventory' to your spring cleaning list.

And while we're on the subject of keeping things safe, do remember that passports, birth and marriage certificates are valuable items that are a pain to replace, and are a definite target for burglars who sell them on the black market. These items always need to be kept in a secure place such as a fireproof safe. I'd also highly recommend that you make copies of these items (you can have them certified by a police officer if you like) and leave them with a relative or friend, this is extremely handy if ever you are travelling for instance and you loose your passport.

We shouldn't go through life paranoid about losing our possessions or being burgled, however things can happen, and doing something such as creating a home inventory is a simple step that will help ease a potentially stressful and emotional situation.

Thanks to Lesley for my award!

First Aid in the Home

So I went to see Mamma Mia last night - I really enjoyed it! The set and location is just gorgeous. I am seriously in-love with this blanket in the background of this shot! Every time it was in a scene I couldn't stop looking at it. I love red & white/cream.


Seeing the plaster on her leg in the picture take us nicely onto my post subject for today (well that's my excuse anyway to feature that picture in this post) - First Aid in the home. Coming from a family full of pharmacists I know that it really is essential to have some sort of a medicine/first aid case or container in a home, but it is so easy not to think of nasty things that can happen at home. I have to confess that as I write this we don't have a properly set up First Aid Kit at home... so this is something I'll be sorting out this weekend.


Health and safety is an important part of home keeping, so choose a place for your first aid kit carefully. It should definitely NOT be within reach of children - at all! A good place for instance is in the top of kitchen cupboard. Choose a space where you can also keep any other medication, vitamins and things such as matches. Then designate that cupboard as being out of bounds for kids and make sure everyone understands this. Even if you don't have kids, do keep this in mind if you have visiting friends or family with kids.



There are lots of ready assembled first aid kits available, but you could just as easily put your own one together. Go for compact, and make it portable so that you can take it in your car or outside if you ever need to. But even if you do opt for a ready assembled kit, make sure it includes everything on the list below and adapt it to your family's needs. So what do you need in a First aid kit for the home? Here are some considerations, a list of the basics as well as some natural remedies to add to your kit.


First check the specific needs of your household:
- If anyone in your family has allergies, asthma or any other specific health conditions make sure to discuss with your doctor or pharmacist about what medication you need at hand in case of an emergency and add them to your kit.
- If you have children under 12, make sure you include medications that are suitable for use on them. An idea is to buy coloured stickers from a stationary shop, and label all medication not suitable for children or babies with a red sticker but make sure everyone in your household understands this system. Or colour code medications this way specifically for different family members.
- Buy an up to date First Aid Manual to keep near your First Aid kit. If you panic and you don't know how to handle a situation, at least you can look it up to see what the best approach is


The Basics of a first aid kit should include:

• Adhesive dressings - Used for minor cuts and grazes and can be bought in boxes of various shape, size and types. These include waterproof, fabric, hypo-allergenic, antiseptic and for children there are character based sticking plasters. Keep at least one box in the first aid kit and another in a medicine cabinet as they are used frequently.


• Bandages - For protection of wound dressings. Bandages come in various sizes and types, the most common being crepe or gauze. Keep at least three of each sort in a first aid kit, these being triangular bandages (which are also useful in making slings) and roll bandages (which are rolled around dressings to provide support to injuries). Other variants include TubiGrip, which is a tubed bandage designed to support an injury.


• Cling film - Apply to serious burns liberally to keep the wound away from open air. This assists in pain relief and keeps burns from becoming infected. Seek immediate professional help after a serious burn has occurred.


• Cotton balls/wool - Wet with water, useful for cleaning wounds. Do not apply cotton wool directly to wounds as the fibre will become stuck.


• Cotton buds - Useful in cleaning wounds or removing obvious foreign bodies.


• Slings - A triangular piece of fabric used to support affected limb injuries. Two or more are needed.


• Sterile dressings - Non-adherent 'ouchless' dressings (some come with antiseptic added), gauze (light fabric squares used as dressings) and swabs (used to clean wounds). Keep lots of these.


• Tampons - Useful for stemming blood-flow from puncture wounds (animal bites) and if cut in half are extremely effective for relieving epistaxis (nosebleed ). .. if not a bit embarrassing.

Equipment

• Adhesive tape - Micropore, Transpore or Elastoplast. A roll of each type is recommended as it used to hold dressings in place, but has many other uses.


• Medi-Prep Wipes - Contained in small sachets and are useful to assist in the sterilisation of wound areas or with safety pins/tweezers for extraction of foreign objects.


• Disposable gloves - For the first aider's use only. Keeps your hands clean and prevents cross-infection.


• Frozen gel pack - Invaluable in reducing swelling/bruising. Place the cold pack in a cloth towel and apply to the injury. Frozen peas are also excellent for this purpose, as the packet will mould to the body. While this item is not actually kept in your first aid kit - it is a necessity2.


• Measuring cup/spoon - For the measuring of medication given to children.


• Scissors - For cutting anything - clothing, strips of gauze, dressings, tape.


• Safety pins - Vital in pinning slings, but can also be used to remove foreign bodies if sterilised3.


• Splints - Vital in keeping potentially broken digits or limbs in place. Small finger-splints and applicators are available for finger injuries4.


• Thermometer - For measuring body temperature. Various thermometers are available, the timpanic being most accurate. This is placed in the ear, but can be an expensive addition to a first aid kit. The oral digital thermometer is best. Reasonably-priced, it can be placed under the tongue or arm for a approximate temperature reading. Forehead strip thermometers are also available, but these are notoriously inaccurate.


• Tweezers - For the removal of obvious foreign bodies (splinters, bee-stings, etc).

Medication

Do not combine medicines and First Aid supplies. They can live in the same cupboard, but have a box of remedies seperate to your First Aid box. You really do not want to be sorting between your lozengers and cough medicines in an emergency. Important - when administering medication, read all labels, check use-by-dates and consult your first aid manual or a trained first aider/health professional.

• Analgesic tablets or capsules - Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Aspirin 5. For children, include some sachets of Calpol or other paracetamol-based suspensions. These are invaluable in reducing pain and fevers. Ensure you have some soluble analgesics too, as these are helpful for reducing the pain of throat infections like tonsillitis.


• Antihistamine cream - For insect bites and stings. Helps reduce the swelling and pain after being stung by a bee or wasp.


• Antihistamine tablets - To help reduce the effects of allergic reactions.


• Antiseptic solution - For instance TCP/Betadine. Helps to clean a wound of bacteria. Useful if the injury has occurred on something like glass or metal, which could lead to Tetanus.


• Calamine Lotion - For the relief of itch from sunburn or rash from insects/plants.


• Petroleum Jelly - Such as vaseline (alternatively, a water-based lubricant like KY Jelly). Assists in the removal of rings and so forth from swollen digits and has a variety of other uses6.

taken from the BBC h2g2 webiste

Natural First Aid

Here are some natural remedies to consider for your first aid kit or medicine cabinet All of the remedies are available at any well-stocked health-food store and by mail-order. Be sure to buy pure essential oils, not fragrance oils.

• Aloe vera gel: Cooling and healing, aloe vera (Aloe vera) soothes the inflammation of sunburn and common kitchen scalds and burns.


• Arnica gel or cream: Arnica (Arnica montana) flowers have anti-inflammatory and circulation-stimulating properties; the gel or cream is excellent for sore muscles, sprains, strains and bruises. Do not apply arnica to broken skin.


• Calendula-comfrey salve: The bright yellow-orange blossoms of calendula (Calendula officinalis) have astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) contains allantoin, a compound that stimulates the growth of new tissue and helps heal wounds.


• Chamomile tea bags: With its delicious distinctive flavor, chamomile (Matricaria recutita) makes a tasty tea. Gentle enough for children, chamomile has mild sedative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It promotes relaxation, relieves indigestion and, when applied topically, soothes skin irritations.


• Citronella-based insect repellant: Most herbal repellants contain citronella, a pungent citrus-scented essential oil distilled from an aromatic grass that grows in southern Asia. Herbal insect repellants work well, as long as they’re applied liberally and frequently (as often as every two hours).


• Echinacea liquid extract: Rich in immune-stimulating chemicals, echinacea (Echinacea spp.) can be used for any type of infection. Liquid extracts are the most versatile because they can be used both internally and externally.


• Elderberry capsules or liquid extract: Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is essential for stopping a cold or flu from ruining your vacation. The berries contain compounds that prevent cold and flu viruses from invading and infecting cells. If you’re flying or otherwise potentially exposed to viruses, taking elderberry is a good preventive. If you do come down with a cold or flu, taking elderberry can hasten your recovery time.


• Eucalyptus essential oil: A potent antibiotic and antiviral, eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) is excellent for treating colds, flus and sinus infections when used as a steam inhalation. Dilute with oil or witch hazel extract before applying to the skin, and do not take internally. Ginger capsules, tea bags and crystallized ginger: The antispasmodic and gas-relieving properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) soothe digestive upsets. Ginger also has been proven to relieve motion sickness better than Dramamine, the conventional drug treatment.

Taken from the Herb Companion website

Another important part of a First Aid Kit, is keeping it topped up. When you use something, put that item on your next shopping list. Keep a list of items in your kit, and when you do your yearly spring clean, check your first aid kit for out of date medications and things that need replacing.

Also, if you have children or intend to have children, why not take a First Aid course. There are lots of courses available all over so don't out it off. Hopefully you will never need it, but it will give you confidence to act in a situation where you need to think quickly. While we are on the safety of your household, do take the time to write down emergency numbers and keep them by the phone or on the fridge.

If you have pets, inform yourself about the methods of first aid that can help save you pet. Choking is a very real danger, so take a minute to read up about the Heimlich manoeuvre for pets here or search online specifically about your type of pet. Most vet's have an emergency number that you can call at any time of day - add that to your list of emergency numbers to keep near the phone.

Here are some great First Aid packs, kits and books that I've found online.

From left to right

Top: A very organised First Aid Kits devided by symptom with instructions about what to do, it's called Intelligent First Aid; An up-to date First Aid Manual by the St Johns Ambulance; A First Aid Kit for Pets

Bottom: First Aid especially for little ones by Medi bag; A homeopathc First Aid Kit from The Organic Pharmacy ; A compact Travel First Aid Kit

That's it for my post about First Aid in the home. I really intend to take this post of mine to heart and set up a well organised First Aid Kit in our home. I hope you will do the same, or at least check that you have everything you need. You cannot put a price on the safety of you and your family.
xxx