Annual Reminder for North Carolinians: Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries
Daylight Saving Time is ending this weekend, which means that we’ll turn the clocks back one hour and thereby gain an hour of sleep. But before you start snoozing, make sure you also take this weekend to replace the batteries for every smoke alarm inside your house.
The city of Fuquay-Varina issued a civic reminder to all of North Carolina on their website, reminding people of the importance of testing your smoke alarm. Some helpful tips are provided as well in case you need to replace your alarm’s batteries.
Some of these tips include knowing what kind of batteries your smoke alarm uses in the first place. For instance, alarms with non-replaceable 10 year batteries should be replaced completely if they starts chirping, as that indicates a low battery that will limit the alarm’s usefulness in the event of a housefire.
But a smoke alarm with any other battery only needs to be changed once every year, and this weekend is the perfect time to do so.
And finally, when replacing your smoke alarm battery it’s encouraged that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. These instructions are specific to the kind of batteries your alarm uses, so it’s vital that you read them first. The list of appropriate batteries can also be found on the back of the smoke alarm itself.
The whole process may be tedious, but they could save your life if, God forbid, your house ever catches on fire. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Association, the risk of death from house fires is significantly lower in homes with working smoke detectors than in homes with none.
To summarize, here’s what you should do with your smoke alarms this weekend:
- Check the manufacturer’s instructions or the smoke alarm itself to see what kind of batteries are needed
- If your alarm has 10-year batteries and starts chirping, replace the entire alarm
- If your alarm uses any other type of battery and starts chirping, replace the batteries as soon as possible
- Follow the specific replacement instructions provided by the manufacturer
7 Festive Games and Activities for a Memorable Holiday Party
Name That Holiday Song
All you need is someone with a phone full of great Christmas songs, ready to play DJ. See who can guess the festive songs first after hearing just a few notes. It’s a laid-back way to enjoy some post-meal fun.
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Never Have I Ever Holiday Edition
Give this timeless game a festive twist by asking questions like, “I’ve never regifted a present,” and find out what secrets your friends and family may be hiding. You can stick to the traditional rules where those who’ve committed the act take a sip of their beverage, or you can opt for a point-based system, with the winner receiving a holiday surprise as their reward.
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Present Stacking
Here’s a game that allows you to unleash your creativity. Wrap a selection of uniquely shaped objects, and the challenge is to see who can build the tallest stack of presents. Using fragile items in this game should be avoided for obvious reasons.
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Christmas Carol Challenge
Here’s a straightforward, no-fuss game that’s perfect a cozy home get-together or an office party. Gather everyone in a circle, and the game begins with one person singing a line from a holiday song. The person to their right then must continue with the next line of the song, and so on. You can choose from timeless classics like Jingle Bells or opt for a more contemporary holiday hit like Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You. While you might know the opening lines of these songs, it becomes quite a challenge as the game progresses.
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Best/Worst Gift
Distribute four slips of paper to each participant. Every guest is tasked with jotting down two positive Christmas gifts and two negative ones: one from their real experiences and one fabricated. Collect all the slips in a container and let the group take turns guessing which presents were genuinely given and which were made up.
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Saran Wrap Ball Game
Make a big plastic wrap ball stuffed with little gifts like mini liquor bottles, gift cards, candy, and cash. One person starts by unwrapping it, while someone else takes the dice and tries to roll doubles. The twist is that you can’t stop unwrapping until your neighbor rolls those elusive doubles, so the pressure’s on to keep the ball moving. Players get to keep all the goodies they uncover during their turn, so everyone’s in for some prizes. You can make it more challenging by requiring the person unwrapping to wear oven mitts.
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Celebrity
Here’s a fun party game you can enjoy with friends or family anytime, anywhere. You split into two teams, and each player writes down 5 celebrity names on pieces of paper. You take turns being the clue-giver. In round one, the clue-giver describes the celebrity without saying their name or nickname, and the team guesses. In round two, you can only use one word as a clue. Round three is like Charades, where you act out the celebrity without speaking. Keep score to see which team guesses the most celebrities correctly. It’s a great game for any gathering.
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