At this time of the year, the weather in most parts of Australia is perfect to spend time in the outdoor spaces of your home. You can spend leisurely hours lounging around by the pool, or have BBQ parties in your outdoor kitchen, on the patio or deck. In short, you can make good use of these areas in the daytime as well as after dark.

This also means you will end up using some or the other electrical equipment and appliances there and this brings with it a specific set of challenges. In some cases, the falling dry leaves can also prove to be an electrical hazard in the outdoor areas of your home. The best way to avoid problems is to follow these basic outdoor electrical safety tips:

Just as you get the indoor electrical equipment and installations audited regularly, you should also hire an electrician to conduct a semi-annual audit of your garden and yard’s outdoor electrical fixtures. It’s best to get these checks done some time between Winter & Spring.

The next audit should be conducted between Summer & Fall. This helps reduce the chances of electrical problems surfacing out of the blue due and to temperature and weather fluctuations. While it’s best to call in a licensed and experienced electrician to handle the job, it’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for signs of electrical problems including:

When the electrical audit is being conducted, ensure that all your outdoor electrical equipment is stored & functioning properly.

Damaged or loose electrical wiring can prove to be a major electrical hazard and can be the cause of an electrical fire in your home; this is especially true if the wiring comes in contact with dry leaves or firewood that’s been piled up in the yard. Once the electrician gives you a complete report of the condition of the wiring, you should also make it a point to replace any wiring that’s loose or damaged.

Any water pooling in the landscaped areas of your home can prove to be an electrical hazard and can put your home and other outdoor features on your property at risk. The best way to prevent this from happening is to ensure that all the electrical switches, cords and connections are stored away and that they are in weather-proof casing; this ensures they don’t come in contact with any water sources.

Every pool and spa tub installation has some electrical wiring and fixtures such as pumps, underwater lights and power points etc. Ensure your electrician checks all these fixtures and that the electrical safety requirements have been met.

It’s a good idea to opt for a preventive electrical maintenance contract. As part of this contract, your electrician will check all the electrical installations in your yard and garden spaces. These checks help ensure that all these systems are in a good condition and that if any potential problems are noticed, they can be nipped in the bud.

Bring a bit of Henri Bendel’s “Hirschfeld Spectacular” into your home this holiday season. Join in the fun and enter Capitol Lighting’s Chandelier sweepstakes, and you could be the lucky winner of the magnificent Swarovski chandelier that is currently being featured in the holiday window display at Henri Bendel’s Fifth Avenue store in New York City!

Crystorama provides the lighting; Swarovski showcases the Elements; Henri Bendel creates the most dazzling holiday window displays; and Capitol Lighting presents the opportunity for a lucky winner to bring it all home for the holidays!

A lighting industry leader, Crystorama has teamed up with Swarovski to provide 16 chandeliers for the famed Henri Bendel holiday window display on Fifth Avenue. This year’s display, the “Hirschfeld Spectacular,” honors the late Al Hirschfeld, an American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars.  

Adding to the enchantment—Crystorama and Capitol Lighting/1800lighting.com are hosting a holiday sweepstakes for a Crystorama chandelier featuring Swarovski Elements.

Hirschfeld Spectacular at Henri Bendel  

The main window of the Henri Bendel flagship store has been transformed into the formal dining room of a classic New York townhouse in the midst of a holiday party.  The celebrated party guests-all Al Hirschfeld’s line drawings translated into three-dimensions—include: Carol Channing, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Jessica Parker, Liza Minelli, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Bernadette Peters, and Woody Allen.

At the center of the window hangs a large gold-plated Crystorama chandelier sparkling with Swarovski Elements.   The centerpiece of the atrium is Henri Bendel’s iconic two-story tree, covered in malachite.  Atop the tree is Al Hirschfeld’s Charlie Chaplin, also sculpted in three-dimensions, looking down at all who enter the store.

Fifteen Crystorama chandeliers with Swarovski Elements adorn the tree’s many branches.

The display will be up through January 2, 2014 and can be seen at the Henri Bendel flagship store located at 712  5th Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10019.

Chandelier Sweepstakes with Capitol Lighting

During Capitol Lighting’s “12 Days of Giving” social media campaign, the grand prizewinner will receive a Crystorama chandelier from the Maria Theresa Collection featuring Swarovski Elements.

Capitol Lighting will be announcing the contest on its Facebook page on December 12 with a photo featuring the chandelier prize. To enter, fans must “like” both the Crystorama and Capitol Lighting Facebook pages and “share” the announcement photo from Capitol Lighting on their own page and tag both companies; the winner will be announced on December 20, 2013.

  About Swarovski

Swarovski delivers a diverse product portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, Swarovski Crystal Business is famous for natural and created gemstones, fine jewelry and accessories, and dazzling light fixtures.

Now run by the fifth generation of family members, Swarovski Crystal Business has a global reach, with over 2 350 stores in about 170 countries, 25,135 employees and revenues of 2.38 billion Euros in 2012. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) and Tyrolit (abrasive), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group.

About Henri Bendel

Famous for his signature brown and white striped hatboxes and shopping bags, Henri Bendel became the first retailer with an upper Fifth Avenue storefront.  Henri Bendel continues to excite as a  “ A Girl’s Playground,” offering amazing gifts for the holidays and showcasing Crystorama and Capitol Lighting’s chandelier sweepstakes.

Henri Bendel, the “fearless innovator,” was a true pioneer in the world of women’s fashion.  He opened his first shop in Greenwich Village in 1895, supplying the city’s elite clientele with the peak of luxury.

The original townhouse façade of the Bendel Fifth Avenue building, including the Lalique art glass windows, has endured for over 100 years.  Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis petitioned the city of New York to grant the Henri Bendel Fifth Avenue store official landmark status in 1991.

About Capitol Lighting and 1-800Lighting.com

For more than 89 years, the lighting experts at the award-winning Capitol Lighting/ 1800lighting.com have helped customers find the perfect lighting fixtures and decorative accessories.   Capitol Lighting showrooms and their website 1-800LIGHTING.com satisfy all lighting needs, from contemporary wall sconces and traditional crystal chandeliers to table lamps, outdoor light fixtures and energy-efficient lighting – all at the guaranteed lowest prices.

For more information, visit Capitol Lighting, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.   Join in the celebration with Capitol Lighting during their “month long” social media event December 2-20. Enter the sweepstakes to be a contender for the Grand Prize.

One lucky winner is entitled to part of Henri Bendel’s “Hirschfeld Spectacular”:  Crystorama’s Swarovski Maria Theresa chandelier is the final prize and give-a-way for Capitol Lighting’s  holiday sweepstakes!  Like them on Facebook and be a contender.