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When did Christmas lights become so popular? BY METRO Festive lights are now everywhere come the holiday season. Private homeowners tend to hang the holiday lights out- side their homes around Thanksgiving week- end and keep them up through New Year's Day. Though it might seem like a tradition without a deep history, decorating a Christmas tree with electric lights can be traced all the way back to the 19th century. In 1882, Edward Johnson replaced candles, which had traditionally been used to briefly light Christmas trees, with lightbulbs. Johnson was a friend and colleague of the man who invented lightbulbs, Thomas Edison. At the time of Johnson's innovation, the high cost and rela- tive infancy of lightbulbs ensured the idea did not catch on. Although U.S. Presi- dent Grover Cleveland used electric lights to il- luminate a Christmas tree in the White House in 1895, it would be another eight years before General Electric would begin sell- ing Christmas light kits. Those kits cost $12 in 1903, which equates to several hundred dollars today. The first outdoor Christmas light shows started to become popular in the 1920s, and this is the same time when com- mercial sales of Christmas lights picked up. In the 1960s, GE's decision to begin manu- facturing Christmas lights overseas helped reduce the price of outdoor lights even further. This popu- larized the tradition of decorating home exteriors with string lights during the holiday season. Thankfully, that tradi- tion remains wildly popu- lar today. BY METRO Resolutions to get in shape, exercise more and eat healthier foods are popular each Janu- ary. Optimism reigns when making resolu- tions, but for many, the difficulty lies in keeping them. Individuals look- ing to get healthier in the year ahead can try these strategies to stay the course. Wake up earlier Getting up a half- hour earlier each day can have a substantial impact. That small amount of extra time can be devoted to medi- tation, deep breathing exercises or even some yoga stretches. Move around more frequently Many people with office jobs spend hours sitting in front of com- puters. A sedentary lifestyle can have an adverse effect on overall health. Set a timer or use a reminder on a fit- ness tracker to prompt you to get up and move around for a little bit every hour. Eat more vegetables Vague goals such as "eating better" are diffi- cult to maintain because there is no specific goal to achieve. Rather, a resolution such as eat- ing a fruit or vegetable each day at every meal is something measur- able. Vegetables can be hidden in favorite foods, such as desserts. Swap pasta noodles for spiral- ized zucchini as another easy fix. Stand straighter Posture tends to de- cline with age, AARP advises. This can cause the spine to lose flexibil- ity. Stretches to main- tain posture can help anyone stand straighter and improve long-term health. Add 'bursts' to your walk Researchers at the Mayo Clinic tout the benefits of interval training. While high- impact workouts may not be appropriate for everyone, adding little speed bursts to a daily walk can pro- vide significant health benefits. Aim for 30 to 60 seconds of rapid walking at regular in- tervals to shake up the workout. Drink more water Increasing water intake can help you feel fuller, thus reducing the likelihood that you will overeat. Gradually increase your water intake by adding a few ounces each day until drinking water becomes a habit. Take your workout outside Switch up your nor- mal routine by making use of the great out- doors to exercise. In- stead of 3 miles on the treadmill or elliptical machine at the gym, opt for 3 miles on a local hiking trail. Healthy resolutions are easier to keep when you have firm ideas and choose reasonable goals. 7 fitness resolutions that are easy to keep Fire safety protocols to keep in mind when holiday decorating BY METRO Decorating the in- terior and exterior of a home is a beloved holi- day season tradition in millions of households. Such decor makes it easy to dive into the festive nature of the season. Many people could not imagine a holiday season without decorat- ing their homes, and it's vital that celebrants do so safely. Fire safety is especially important during a time of year when string lights and potentially dried-out trees feature so promi- nently. These fire safety tips can help ensure this holiday season is safe. Buy the safest lights It might be tempting to buy the most inex- pensive lights, especially given all the extra costs already associated with the holiday season. However, safety should be the utmost priority when buying new lights. Testing laboratories such as CSA, Intertek and UL certify products to en- sure they're safe for use. Products that aren't cer- tified should be avoided. Proper use of lights and cords The packaging on lights will indicate if the product is intended to be used indoors or outdoors. It's vital that individuals decorating their homes with lights pay attention to these la- bels. Never decorate the exterior of a home with interior lights, and vice versa. Extension cords made for indoors also should not be used out- doors and vice versa. Be careful with candles Candles should only be burned when adults are in the room and should always be ex- tinguished before leav- ing the room or going to bed. When burning candles, place them on heat-resistant surfaces that are beyond the reach of curious kids and pets. Never place candles within arm's length of Christmas trees or houseplants, including poinsettias. Get exterior outlets and circuits inspected Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) out- lets are designed to pre- vent electric shocks and reduce the risk of elec- trical fires. Most areas now require new homes to be built exclusively with GFCIs, which are recognizable because they feature two buttons between the outlets. But older homes may not be equipped with GFCIs, particularly with exterior outlets. GFCI installation is not an especially expensive job, so homeowners should ask an electrician to inspect their interior and exterior outlets and replace non-GFCIs with GFCIs. No pinching the light cords Stringing lights can be a hassle, but cords should never be pinched in doors or windows or beneath interior and exterior furni- ture. Doing so increases the risk of damage to the cord, which in turn increases the likelihood of fire. Don't overload circuits Overloaded circuits pose a significant fire hazard. When plugging in lights, choose outlets that aren't already oc- cupied by devices and other electronics. If need be, unplug appliances such as televisions and devices while lights are on and plugged in. When decorating this holiday season, do every- thing you can to reduce the risk of fire in your homes. H8 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP 001 Homes | Advertising Section

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