Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and even Halloween … No holiday is immune to the spell of twinkling of lights. Since July 2009, we’ve written over 600 blog posts. It comes as no surprise that a large majority of them have centered around a holiday. If you are one of the many folks hauling out holiday lights this weekend, you’ll appreciate this round-up of 6 Popular Holiday Lighting How-To Blog Posts that we’ve accumulated throughout the years.

1.

energy-efficient LEDs. If that’s not enough to convince you, this blog post from 2011 gives even more statistics on the benefits of upgrading your holiday string lights. (Update 2015: This blog post is now part of Winning the Battle on Christmas Lights: Artificial Trees

4. Lights for a Holiday-Ready Home

6. Follow Pegasus Lighting’s board Inspiration | Holiday Lighting on Pinterest.

Outdoor lighting provides homeowners with the ability to make their property safe and easier to walk around at night. Not only will you feel more comfortable knowing what’s in your front yard, but you will also add visual appeal to your home too. If you want to improve outdoor safety through lighting, and at the same time add a little character to the outside of your home, then follow along to understand the potential upgrades you can make for outdoor lighting options.

Throughout much of the country, there's always the chance that a winter snowstorm could disrupt your best-laid plans. School can get canceled, and though it's less likely, you might even get the day off of work. But once you're left to your own devices, what do you do with the day?

Snow Day Activities

Suddenly have the day off? Looking to fill some time with the family? Here are a few ideas to help make the most of the opportunity:

The Classics. Since you already owe your day off to the snow, you may as well pay it tribute. Pull the sled out of the garage and find the best hill in town. Grab a friend and build a snowman. Find even more friends for a snowball fight. Flop on the lawn and make a snow angel. You're never too old to enjoy a good snowfall!

Build Snowcastles. Your beach bucket and shovel don't need to wait around in storage until summer. Take them outside and build a kingdom of snowcastles -- if the snow is wet enough.

Make a Rainbow. Fill spray bottles with water and a few drops of food coloring, and let the kids go outside to create their own artwork in the snow. There's no mess, and it's a great way to make the world your canvas.

Bake Cookies. If it's just too cold to be outside, make things warmer inside by whipping up a batch of homemade cookies or your favorite baked treat.

Indoor Snowflakes. Bring that snow day magic indoors by making unique snowflakes out of coffee basket filters. Simply flatten a filter, fold it in half at least three times over and use scissors to cut designs of your choosing. When you're done, unfold the filter and see your symmetrical snowflake!

Do a Good Deed. If the snow has piled up, chances are you know at least one neighbor with a snow-covered sidewalk or driveway. Chip in to keep the neighborhood safe by shoveling it for them.

When the Power Goes Out

Because snow days are called for inclement weather, there's always the possibility that conditions will force a few power lines to the ground. This is an especially serious concern if the storm includes a lot of freezing rain, which can accumulate on power lines and weigh them down.

If the power goes out in your neighborhood, be sure to follow these basic safety tips:

Look carefully for downed power lines. If and when you see one, don't approach it. Call 911 immediately to report the location.

Turn on your local radio and keep your smartphone active for emergency weather alerts. If circumstances are expected to worsen, you'll want to know in advance so you can make additional preparations.

Look after the well being of your neighbors, especially those who are older or disabled. Some homes may be without heat or the ability to cook at home.

Drive with extreme caution if you must go anywhere. A power outage in your area may also mean that nearby traffic lights are disabled, requiring motorists to be exceptionally alert.

If you're lucky enough to get a snow day this winter, make the most of it! And if you're tiring of the disruption, contact your local electricians to inquire about backup generators and other solutions for your home comfort.

If you own or manage apartments or offices, how can you tell whether your Beverly Hills electrician is treating you right? I’ve been providing electrical services to property managers and owners for over 30 years in the Beverly Hills and surrounding areas and have learned a lot about what they really need and want and how to treat them right. There are eight benefits that your electrician should provide you if are a property manager.

1) The electrical contractor should be easy to reach. A live person should always answer the phone during business hours. After hours, there should be an emergency number that you can call.

2) If you have an urgent electrical situation, your electrical company should handle it right away. Let’s say that one of your office buildings loses its exterior lights at 8 p.m. on Sunday night. You want an electrician who can fix it, whether it’s as simple as flipping on a circuit breaker or whether troubleshooting is needed to find where bare wires are touching. The electrical company should be large enough that it can send you experienced and knowledgeable electricians right away to get the lights back on.

3) Your electrician should quote you prices in advance of doing work. If you want something new installed, the electrician should be able to give you a price up front in writing once he’s seen the job. New installations include, for example, a new light fixture, a rewire of an apartment, an electrical panel upgrade, or installing any other new electrical equipment.

If there’s something broken, for example, an electrical outlet that no longer works, he’ll want to charge you per hour for troubleshooting. However, within about an hour, he should either have fixed it or have figured out the problem and be ready to give you a written estimate for fixing it.

4) You should be able to trust that the electrician has the judgment to give you accurate estimates. For example, the doorbell for one of your apartment units has broken. Even though door bells look small and simple, in this case, looks can be deceptive. Hunting for an electrical short or loose wire somewhere in the walls could turn into a larger project. Your electrician should have the judgment to realize this and give you an accurate estimate early on so that you can decide if you want to go ahead.

5) The electrician should act professionally with your tenants. Electricians should have a friendly, professional manner with tenants. They should also have the training to give information to tenants on a need-to-know basis, knowing what to say and what not to. For example, an electrician should start by saying something like, “The management company asked us to come out to get your power back on for you.” The electrician should know not to say, “The wiring in your apartment is scary. I’m going to recommend a rewire to the management before it burns down!”

6) The electrician should make sure that you know when the job is done. When the electrician finishes, he should check that everything works, clean up after himself, and if the tenants are home, let them know that the job is done. He should also tell you.

7) The electrician in Beverly Hills should keep you posted on the condition of the electrical in your units. Let’s say that you asked the electrician to add a circuit for a computer. He adds the circuit, but also notices that a bedroom has no smoke detector. Or the tenants might tell him that at night, when a hair dryer is turned on in the lit bathroom, the circuit breaker trips off. Without saying anything to the tenant that would obligate you to do electrical work, the electrician should give you a heads up.

8 ) The electrical office should provide you with accurate bills. Bills should arrive when expected with the detail needed to provide you with a clear accounting for the property owners. Paperwork should be smooth and simple, just as the electrical work should be smooth and complete. During business hours, an office manager should be available to answer any questions about billing.

If your electrician gets the job done, charges honest and reasonable rates, and offers you these eight benefits, you’ve found a keeper. Keep his contact information at hand and you’ll know who to call the next time you have an electrical problem.

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