'Twas the holiday season, and all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
But outside the window, what did appear?
Two beady eyes - into the window they peered.
The new toys and gadgets, set out on display,
with no deterrents to keep the thieves away!

Poems are fun, but dealing with home theft is far from it. Don’t become a victim this holiday season. Follow these 5 helpful tips to prevent home burglary.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
When discarding boxes of large items, you are advertising the brand new gifts you own. These boxes double as a shopping list for criminals. As they cruise past your house, they can easily check out your inventory without looking inside. To help your house avoid their shopping list, place boxes of large or expensive items outside the morning of trash day.

Window shopping
Placing new items or electronics near windows makes for easy picking for thieves. Also, be sure to keep windows closed when you’re not home. Using blinds or curtains can help prevent your house from becoming a target for home theft.

Keep it de-light-ful
Hold on just a second before taking down those decorations. The bright lights and holiday cheer attract gazes from the whole neighborhood, so leaving up those decorations a little longer ensures an unofficial neighborhood watch program. As a bonus, the lights illuminate your yard keeping prowlers away.

Jingle all the way, to the bank
Did you recently receive a cash gift? Due to influxes of cash during the holiday season, your wallet became a fat target. Don’t wait to deposit your cash. Many outside ATMs are open, even on bank holidays. Getting it into the bank ensures that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

New Year’s resolution
Make sure you’ve insured your new belongings. Check your homeowner’s insurance policy for coverage limits on personal property to keep your new possessions covered. If your new presents exceed the policy limit, you can add specific coverage for your new gifts using scheduled personal property.  Large electronics, jewelry, or fancy heirlooms benefit from scheduled personal property coverage. This coverage will protect your belonging from theft, giving you peace of mind.

Keep your gifts safe and cash out of sight. Happy holidays to all, and to all a good-night!