I'm a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes. If you haven't had the pleasure of those comic strips, run-don't-walk to your local bookstore and grab one of the collections. You won't regret it and your family will continue to enjoy it for years. One of the sadder storylines Bill Watterson told was when Calvin's home was broken into and burglarized. He did a great job of eliciting the fear and vulnerability that Calvin's mom and dad felt after coming home to that scene. You feel like a stranger in your own home. And you have certainly lost all sense of safety and comfort inside those 4 walls. Of course Calvin was mostly concerned that they stole the television!

This is the time of year when many of us are hitting the road. Whether to head off on a skiing (or more likely - beach) adventure or simply visiting family and friends for the holidays, lots of us are going to be leaving our homes for a bit. Today I'd like to run through a handful of tips you can use to keep your home safe. These are some suggestions that can help you avoid that experience Calvin endured. The goal is for you to return home and find everything as you left it - including the presents under the tree!

The first thing you should be aware of is what you actually have in place now for home security. Quite often we purchase a new home that includes some sort of system and we never take the time to understand how it works or even IF it works. Whether you have cameras sprinkled around the home, motion sensors, entry-way sensors or whatever other items are in place, take a little time and figure out how they work. Since we are talking about a home you have just purchased, it is also just plain smart to have all the locks changed when you move in. You will appreciate the peace of mind.

Your home's appearance (from the street) is perhaps one of the more critical pieces of this security puzzle. We have all seen the movie scene where the "bad guys" roll past a house that has a handful of newspapers collecting in the driveway. Those obvious signs are a beacon to the sorts of people that are looking for an easy target. "The solution to this is as simple as stopping deliveries, mail and newspapers for the duration of your trip," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Peter Pietz. "I also love the presence of lights on timers and, if you can swing it, curtains that open/close on timers as well," he continued. Anything you can do to create that appearance of someone being home is great.

If you can't easily create that appearance, the next best thing is to get someone to be there for real. I have told numerous stories about my dear friends for whom I house/dog-sit when they are out of town. Part of that is, of course, to take care of my furry friends. But the other part is the peace of mind they enjoy knowing someone trusted is in their home each night. They can rest easy knowing all is well in the home (no leaks, wood stove is stoked, dogs are fed and in case anything goes askew, they have a presence in their stead. In my opinion, this is simply the best option out of all of these.

Your online social presence is another key factor in keeping the home safe and secure while you are gone. The number one recommendation here is to keep your trip to yourself on social media. I know, the idea of going somewhere on vacation and not making all of your (insert social media platform here)-friends jealous is challenging to comprehend. But trust me, you can do it. The more people to whom you brag about being gone, the more people (across the network) know your house is empty. Save your toes-in-the-sand-selfies for the day you get back.

Another of my favorite strategies for home security is your neighbors. Short of having someone living in your home, having someone's eyes a little more focused on it is a step in the right direction. We had one particularly awesome neighbor growing up and he (and his family) were always willing to keep an eye on the home while we were gone. He even scared the life out of my good friend Ken one day. Ken had stopped by the house to pick something up and our neighbor saw the strange car, walked over to the front door and gave Ken the scare of his life. That kind of personal security is nearly impossible to buy.

Traveling this time of year is simply part of the game. I bet more than a few of you are reading this while on vacation and the home you left is back down south. Take a few precautions and, honestly, make a pact with your neighbors to keep an eye out for each other. The peace of mind will be well worth it. See you on the slopes!