While the holidays are a time of great joy, they also demand great caution, especially when heading out for last-minute shopping.

Tens of thousands of car crashes occur in parking lots and garages annually, according to the National Safety Council, and that risk goes up during the holiday season, when shoppers are distracted by checking off their gift lists and running to get the best deals.

Distraction doesn’t just increase crash risk — it also makes you more vulnerable to crime. Parking lots and garages are among the top three locations for crimes, including aggravated assault, robbery and car theft, based on FBI crime data.

It’s easy to get swept up in the holiday rush, but safety should always be top of mind. Stay alert and remember these tips while you are out and about.

Parking Lot Safety Tips

• Focus on driving. Your main focus should be on safety, not finding a great parking spot.

• Keep it moving. Follow traffic signs inside the parking lot and avoid sudden stops, which could get your vehicle rear-ended. If you do stop, scan for pedestrians and cars before you accelerate.

• Park farther away. Areas close to the store are typically the most congested. Parking farther away will also decrease the odds that someone is waiting for your spot when you get to your vehicle. Just make sure the area is well-lit if you are shopping at night or early in the morning.

• Back into spots. Backing out of a parking spot is difficult and can be dangerous, especially when you’re between two large vehicles. Backing into a spot can make it easier and safer when it’s time to leave, just make sure to check that the spots are not marked “head in only.”

• Avoid road rage. Incessant honking, yelling and spot stealing can be aggravating, but try not to let your emotions get the better of you. Don’t escalate a frustrating situation, because you never know what the other driver will do. Be tolerant and forgiving and remember that the best response to someone who is driving aggressively is not to respond or engage.

• Make yourself visible. About 74% of pedestrian traffic fatalities occur when it’s dark outside, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wear bright clothing and walk in well-lit areas if you’re shopping early or at night. Walk on sidewalks and use crosswalks whenever possible. If you need to walk in the road, walk facing traffic. Before crossing in front of a vehicle, try to make eye contact with the driver so you know they can see you.

• Ignore your phone. Keep your cellphone in your pocket and resist the urge to look at it or answer.

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What To Do if Someone Is Following You to Your Car

• Use reflections as an early warning. Check store windows or car mirrors to confirm if someone is behind you without turning around.

• Leverage your car alarm. If you have a key fob, press the panic button before reaching your car to draw attention and deter the follower.

• Keep a barrier between you. Position shopping carts or parked cars between you and the person as you move.

• Stay alert. Put your phone away and scan your surroundings. Awareness is your first line of defense. Eye contact with people around you can be a deterrent as it shows you are paying attention.

• Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t ignore that gut feeling.

• Stay around other people. Head toward a well-lit, populated area or back inside the building.

• Have your keys ready. Avoid fumbling at your car door — this makes you vulnerable.

• Call for help/use your voice. Dial 911 or contact security immediately. If you can, share your location with a trusted person. If you feel threatened, loudly say something like “Stop following me!” to draw attention.

• Carry a legal self-defense tool. Pepper spray, personal alarms or tactical flashlights should be kept accessible, not buried in a bag.

Accidents happen. Learn what to do if you get sideswiped and what is considered a hit-and-run, and rest easy knowing you’re well-covered with auto insurance from AAA.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

The tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve didn’t start with the New York City ball drop. In fact, the earliest record of a New Year’s festival dates back to 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia, according to Britannica. It’s not just one celebration, however. With so much history, it’s no wonder that New Year’s Eve traditions have taken on a life of their own, spanning cultures and centuries to ultimately become what they are today — myriad rituals and superstitions used to ring in the new year right.

Whether you’re looking to bring forth some good fortune for the year ahead or want to know how to ward off any bad luck coming your way, these new year superstitions from around the world may be worth a try.

For Good Luck

Break Dishware

Frowned upon at any other time of the year, smashing a plate is considered good luck for the new year in Denmark. The basic idea is to break dishes on your loved ones’ front steps on New Year’s Eve, and the more shards you have the next day, the more well-liked you are. Better than a double-tap on social media.

Eat 12 Grapes

When it comes to good luck foods for the new year, this Spanish tradition is a popular one. The rules state that you must eat one grape at each of the clock’s 12 midnight chimes. But that’s not all. You must also ruminate on their importance while doing so. If you succeed, good luck is promised to you for the next year, but failure to finish your grapes when the clock stops chiming will result in misfortune in the new year.

Leave Doors and Windows Open 

Keeping your doors and windows open on New Year’s is said to let the old year out and the new year in. Sounds like a fresh start.

Hang Bundles of Onions

A bit reminiscent of hanging garlic to ward off vampires, the Greeks hang onions over their doors for the opposite: to let the good luck in. Why? In Greece, onions are symbols of prosperity as they sprout when ignored. After the onions have been outside, parents bring them in on New Year’s Day and use them to gently bump their children’s heads to wake them up.

Jump Seven Waves

Taking a leap into the ocean during January might not seem worth it — even for all the good luck in the world — but revelers in Brazil believe that good luck will come your way in spades for doing it. The tradition includes wearing all white, running into the ocean at the stroke of midnight and jumping over seven consecutive waves, one for each of the Umbanda divine spirits. If you partake, you also get one wish per wave.

Predict with Wax

Can wax tell the future? Folks in Germany seem to think so. Melt wax on a spoon and over a candle before dumping it into cold. As the wax morphs and shifts, different shapes mean different outcomes. While round globs of wax predict good luck rolling your way, sharp or spiky shapes predict hardships.

Throw Water Out the Window

In this Puerto Rico tradition, dumping a bucket of water out a window is done to drive away any lurking evil spirits.

Potato Predictor

As another good luck food for the new year, potatoes are believed to predict the financial future for the next year. The Columbian tradition is to put out three potatoes (any kind will do) under the bed of each family member. One of the potatoes should be peeled, one half-peeled and one unpeeled. The unpeeled potato symbolizes money, the peeled potato is a bad financial omen and the half-peeled potato signifies half-and-half. Each person must grab one potato without looking, and whichever one they pick predicts if they’ll have more money or more problems in the coming year.

Make a Lemon Pig

Pigs are a symbol of prosperity, so to bring that luck into the home, some have taken to making pigs out of lemons for their new year’s tradition. To make your own, use the lemon’s nub-end as its nose, add two cloves for eyes, cut ears at the top and toothpicks at the bottom for its feet. To ensure extra luck, place a coin in its mouth as well.

Wear Red

In Chinese Lunar New Year traditions — celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually landing between mid-January and mid-February — wearing red and using red decorations sweeps out any bad luck from the past year. The color symbolizes luck, happiness and celebration and is said to bring good fortune.

To Avoid Bad Luck

• No chores. Some say it’s bad luck to clean on New Year’s Day. What you do on New Year’s Day is what you’ll be doing all year, so choose wisely. This includes no sweeping, as it will sweep away your wealth.
• No hair washing. Washing your hair on New Year’s is said to wash away good luck. Is it bad luck to shower on New Year’s Day? Going by this rule, probably. We wouldn’t risk it.
• Steer clear of lobster, crab and chicken, as these animals walk backward or sideways, symbolizing moving backward.
• Avoid crying or speaking negatively to yourself and others to prevent those words and feelings from making their way back to you in the form of misfortune.

What’s your favorite New Year’s tradition or superstition? Let us know in the comments!

If you live in the Northeast, it’s inevitable: You’ll have to drive in cold and slippery conditions.

Winter driving requires special precautions. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that about 46% of crashes involving bad weather take place in the winter. And December through March can be an especially busy time for dead batteries, flat tires and vehicle extractions. (We’re here 24/7 to help!)

As motorists’ most trusted advocate, AAA is here to help keep you and your vehicle safe this winter. Check this guide throughout the season for winter driving tips.

Get Your Vehicle Ready

Before hitting the road, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is up for the challenge ahead. No list of winter driving tips would be complete without mentioning the importance of having a certified repair technician perform a thorough inspection of your vehicle. Find a AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility near you.

You should ask for checks covering each of the following areas.

Battery and Charging System

Have the battery and charging system tested by a trained technician, especially if your vehicle’s battery is more than three years old. Your vehicle will need a fully charged battery to start up during a cold snap.

“Even a good battery might lose up to 50% of its capacity when the temperature drops to zero,” said John Paul, AAA’s Car Doctor and senior traffic safety manager for AAA Northeast. “And even at 32 degrees, it can take up to 30% more power to crank over a cold engine.”

AAA members can request a visit from a AAA roadside technician to test their vehicle battery wherever they are and install replacements if necessary. Members also can visit AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities for battery tests and replacements.

Whether you check or a roadside technician does it for you, be sure that all battery posts are cleared of corrosion and all cable connections are tight.

“Many battery problems can be eliminated by cleaning the corrosion from the battery terminals,” Paul said.

Brakes

Have your vehicle’s brake system inspected by a certified technician as recommended by your car’s manufacturer. You can typically find these recommendations in your owner’s manual.

A brake inspection is needed if your dashboard brake light is illuminated or you notice pulsing, a steering pull, grinding sounds or other unusual noise when braking.

Coolant

Check the coolant level in the overflow tank when the engine is cold. If the level is low, add a 50/50 solution of coolant and water to maintain the necessary antifreeze capability.

“A 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water will protect your car’s engine to minus 34 degrees,” Paul said.

You can test the antifreeze protection level with an inexpensive tester available at any auto parts store. Check cooling system hoses for leaks, cracks and loose clamps, too. Any hoses that feel brittle or spongy when squeezed should probably be replaced.

Engine

Review your owner’s manual to see if your air filter needs to be replaced. Another way to check is to hold it up to a bright light. If light can be seen through much of the filter, it’s still clean enough to work effectively. If the light is blocked, replace it.

Some filters are made of opaque materials that don’t pass light. Replace these filters per automaker recommendations.

Don’t let a lingering check engine light go undiagnosed, and have a certified repair technician investigate any issues such as hard starting or stalling.

Inspect accessory drive belts for cracks or fraying, but stay mindful of newer serpentine belts, which don’t show obvious signs of wear but should be replaced every 60,000 miles or as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

Exhaust

Your vehicle’s exhaust system is important. It carries away carbon monoxide and other harmful gases produced by your vehicle’s engine.

Carbon monoxide is odorless and deadly. Have a certified repair technician check your exhaust system for leaks in order to minimize the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning. If your car is stuck in the snow and you have the engine running, open a window and clear snow away from the exhaust pipe.

Ignition

Damaged ignition wires, a cracked distributor cap or worn spark plugs can make starting difficult or cause a sudden vehicle breakdown.

“If the check engine light is flashing this indicates an engine misfire that could be a result of a malfunctioning ignition system,” Paul said. “Driving with a flashing check engine light will permanently damage the engine’s catalytic converter, and that’s a very expensive repair.”

Protect your wallet and avoid a headache by getting in front of potential trouble. Have your vehicle’s ignition system inspected by a certified repair technician.

Lights

Check the operation of all headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, emergency flashers and backup lights. Replace any burned out bulbs. Dirt and grime on headlight lenses can significantly reduce their effectiveness, and you’ll want your lights working properly to offset diminished visibility caused by winter storms.

“Cloudy headlight lenses can be polished back to like-new condition with specialized kits,” Paul said.

Oil

This is a year-round recommendation, but certainly worth attending to with the rest of your winter prep. Always have your oil changed per manufacturer recommendations. You should have your vehicle’s transmission fluid level checked at the same time.

“Synthetic oil is a benefit in every vehicle and will allow for quicker starts in very cold weather,” Paul said.

Tires

In areas with heavy winter weather, installing winter tires on all four wheels will provide the best traction. All-season tires work well in light-to-moderate snow conditions provided they have adequate tread depth. Examine tires for tread depth, uneven wearing and cupping. Uneven tire wear can indicate alignment, wheel balance or suspension problems that must be addressed to prevent further tire damage.

Tires with fewer than 4/32 inches of tread will have reduced traction in wet and snowy conditions. To measure tread depth, insert a quarter into a tread groove with the top of Washington’s head facing down. If the top of his head is not visible, your tires have at least 4/32 inches of tread and are fine for continued use. If you can see above the top of Washington’s head, it is time to start shopping for new tires. 

“To put it simply, worn tires in wet, slippery conditions are flat-out dangerous to you and other drivers sharing the road. Tires with lower tread depths can’t stop as quickly as those with proper depth,” Paul said. “Having tires in proper condition can easily be the difference between a serious crash, and a collision that never happened.”

In extreme climates, a set of winter snow tires or chains may be a wise investment.

Check tire pressure once a month before driving, when tires are cold. As the average temperature drops, so will tire pressures — typically by 1 pound per square inch for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Proper tire pressure levels can be found in the owner’s manual or on a sticker typically located on the driver’s doorjamb. The number molded into the tire sidewall is not recommended for normal operating condition. This specification is for a tire that is carrying its maximum rated payload.

“Cold weather can turn on tire pressure monitoring lights. Don’t ignore the light; have the tire pressure checked and corrected as necessary,” Paul said.

Washer Fluid

Fill the windshield washer fluid reservoir with a winter cleaning solution that has antifreeze components.

Said Paul: “Some window washer solution is rated to just 20 degrees. In cold weather, this solution can freeze and damage the washer system. Look for windshield washer fluid that protects well below freezing temperatures.”

Wipers

Wiper blades should completely clear the glass with each swipe. Replace any blade that leaves streaks or misses spots. Consider installing wiper blades that have a one-piece plastic beam frame or winter blades that wrap the metal frame in a rubber boot. Both designs help prevent snow and ice buildup that can interfere with blade-to-glass contact.

Get Yourself Ready

• AAA advises drivers to choose warm, comfortable clothing. Heavy garments and thick gloves are great outside but aren’t ideal for driving. A zip-fastened, lined jacket and a pair of thin leather gloves are good bets for winter driving. They’re warm, allow movement and are good inside and outside your vehicle.

• If you are transporting a child in a car seat, they also shouldn’t be too bundled up. The extra padding of a winter coat can interfere with the child safety seat harness. A light fleece jacket or even securing the child in the car seat and putting their coat on over them is a much safer solution.

• As you would before any drive, adjust your seat so that you are no closer than 10 inches to the steering wheel and you can clearly see the road. Check your mirrors, adjust if necessary, and adjust your safety belt so it sits low across your hips and across the center of your chest.

• Sunglasses are always good to have, especially to combat strong snow glare.

Winter Driving Safety Tips

• Don’t warm up your car in an enclosed space. Dangerous fumes can turn lethal in a hurry. You also shouldn’t drive if you’re fatigued. That’s a bad idea any time, especially when inclement weather calls for drivers to be alert.

• Keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full to avoid potential gas station lines, or a frozen gas line. And don’t worry about extensive engine warm-ups. They might make the cabin nice and toasty, but they aren’t necessary, even on the coldest mornings. “Once the car is running, you’ve dialed up your favorite radio station and your seat belt is fastened, drive reasonably until the engine comes up to operating temperature. It’s a more fuel-efficient approach,” said Paul.

• Don’t pull away until your windshield is completely defrosted and all snow is removed from your car. That includes the roof, taillights, headlights and side mirrors.

• Don’t let speed limits dictate how fast you travel. They’re set for ideal road and weather conditions, not slippery pavement. Along those lines, leave additional following distance. A good following distance on dry roads is three to four seconds behind the car in front of you, but six to 10 seconds is a good distance on ice and snow. Even if you have all-wheel- or four-wheel-drive, it will still take you just as long to stop as vehicles with rear- or front-wheel-drive. The advantage of all-wheel- and four-wheel-drive is that it’s easier to get moving on a snowy road.

• Moderate is the word to have in mind when accelerating, steering and braking. Watch the traffic ahead of you and slow down at the sight of brake lights, skidding vehicles or emergency lights. If you find yourself in a skid, look and steer where you want to go. Avoid slamming on the brakes.

• Avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy or snowy weather. It can get frozen and may not disengage.

• If you’re traveling across a bridge at the start of a storm, keep in mind that the surface will likely freeze before typical roads.

• Intersections can be especially slippery as ice thaws from the heat of idling vehicles. “Water on top of ice is a very dangerous situation,” Paul said.

• Lay off the cruise control. Summer will be here soon enough.

• Avoid unnecessary lane changes. Changing lanes increases your chances of hitting ice between lanes, which could cause a loss of traction and, potentially, a crash.

• Don’t power up snow-covered hills. It’s not easy for a vehicle to climb an icy road. If you’re stuck and you hit the gas, you may just spin your tires. If you must climb such an incline, try to get a little momentum going and let that carry you up. When you come to the crest, slow down and proceed cautiously, and slowly, downhill.

• Don’t try to brake on ice if you can avoid it. If you’re approaching an area and you spot ice, apply your brakes on clear pavement to reduce speed. “Black ice, sometimes referred to as flash ice, can catch even an experienced driver by surprise,” Paul said. “Black ice happens when a thin layer of moisture freezes on the roadway, and it can be very dangerous.”

• If you have anti-lock brakes, you can press hard on the pedal. It might vibrate a bit, but that’s normal. Vehicles with anti-lock brake systems allow drivers to brake and steer at the same time, possibly avoiding a collision.

• Do not send or read text messages, or engage in other distracting behavior.

Winter driving is difficult for all motorists, but particularly so for new and improving drivers. Learn to become a lifelong safe driver — in all conditions — with the AAA Defensive Driving Course.

Be Prepared for an Emergency 

Even if your vehicle is ready for winter and you follow all of the winter driving tips spelled out here, there is a chance you could be stuck with your vehicle for an extended period of time.

Be prepared for such a situation by carrying an emergency road kit with the following items:

• Mobile phone pre-programmed with rescue apps and important phone numbers including family and emergency services.

• Mobile phone car charger.

• Drinking water or sports drink.

• First-aid kit –including any necessary medication.

• Non-perishable food for humans and pets.

• Traction aids (sand, salt, non-clumping cat litter, traction mats).

• Snow shovel.

•  Blankets.

• Extra warm clothing (gloves, boots, hats, scarves).

• Flashlight with extra batteries.

• Window washer solvent.

• Ice scraper with brush.

• Cloth or roll of paper towels.

• Jumper cables.

• Warning devices (flares or triangles).

• Basic toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench).

Here are a few other tips to remember during such an emergency:

• Stay with your vehicle. It provides shelter and makes it easy for emergency responders to find you.

• Don’t try to walk anywhere, especially in a storm. You could lose track of your vehicle, and if you lost control of your vehicle in a certain area, other vehicles might do the same.

• Don’t push yourself too hard trying to get your vehicle out of the snow. Let a AAA roadside technician help. They do it all the time.

• Let others know you’re in distress by tying a bright cloth to your vehicle’s antenna or placing a cloth at the top of a rolled-up window. You can leave your dome lights on at night, too, which is another reason you’ll want to have your battery checked first.

• Check to see if your exhaust pipe is clogged. If it is, do not run your engine. Doing so could lead to deadly carbon monoxide flooding the cabin.

• If you’ve brought winter clothes, great. If not, don’t be afraid to use floor mats or other items in your car for warmth.

• If your exhaust pipe is clear, you can run the engine and heater for warmth but stay mindful of conserving fuel.

• If you’re embarking on a long-distance trip, check out weather reports or weather apps before you leave. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.

Ways to Enhance Your Winter Driving Experience

If you’re looking for advice on what makes a good winter ride, John Paul and Robert Sinclair Jr., senior manager of public affairs for AAA Northeast, are good people to talk to. They’re both expert test drivers who have first-hand knowledge of how various vehicles stack up with Northeast weather, and they both believe winter performance starts from the ground up.

What are the best cars for winter driving?

“A pickup is the ideal winter vehicle for my money,” said Sinclair. Besides the over-the-road prowess, a big roomy pickup is supremely comfortable.”

All-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles are helpful, too, especially when vehicles with these features also have higher ground clearance. Still, Paul added, the system doesn’t change physics — driving too fast for winter conditions will surely result in a poor outcome on the road.

As for vehicle weight, driving dynamics is more important to a vehicle’s winter driving prowess than its mass.

“A wallowy, poor handling vehicle in clear weather is going to be a lousy vehicle in bad weather no matter how much it weighs,” Sinclair said. “I’d rather have a light Volkswagen Passat with winter tires than a similarly equipped, much heavier Buick LaCrosse.”

Should you be using different gasoline in the winter?

Believe it or not, you already are.

Gasoline blends change with the seasons. The difference involves fuel’s Reid vapor pressure, a measure of how easily fuel evaporates at a given temperature. The more volatile a gasoline, the higher its pressure and the easier it evaporates.

Winter blend fuel has higher pressure because the fuel must be able to evaporate at low temperatures for the engine to operate properly, especially when the engine is cold. If the pressure is too low on a frigid day, the vehicle will be hard to start and once started, will run rough.

Summer blend gasoline has lower pressure. This prevents excessive evaporation when outside temperatures rise. Reducing the volatility of summer gas decreases emissions that can contribute to unhealthy ozone and smog levels. Lower pressure also helps prevent drivability problems such as vapor lock on hot days, especially in older vehicles.

The Environmental Protection Agency says conventional summer-blend gasoline contains 1.7% more energy than winter-blend gas, which is one reason why gas mileage is slightly better in the summer. The summer-blend, however, is also more expensive to produce, which is why gas prices tend to spike a bit at the start of the summer driving season.

The switch between the two fuels happens twice a year, once in the fall to winter blend, and again in the spring, to summer blend.

As a consumer, the main thing to understand is that there are real reasons for the switch from winter to summer blend fuel, even if it results in some pain at the pump.

What if you don’t want your car out in the snow?

Even the best winter driving tips aren’t enough to convince some drivers to take their prized vehicles out in the snow. Many store their cars in fall, before the worst weather sets in. Here are some tips to make sure you are doing it the right way.

Your AAA membership covers you with 24/7 roadside assistance. If you need us, request service quickly and easily at AAA.com/GetMoving.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

You don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy this puzzle featuring felines in history, culture and everyday life.

It’s the holiday season: Learn how to keep all your pets safe from potential holiday hazards.

The holiday season is a time for joy, celebration and spending quality time together. But amidst the heartwarming festivities, there’s potential for unexpected mishaps to bring your good cheer to an abrupt halt. From decorations gone awry to winter weather woes, here are five of the most common holiday insurance claims.

Home Accidents and Fires

The twinkling lights and cozy candles that bring so much joy during Christmastime can also pose a potentially dangerous fire hazard. Christmas tree-related fires, faulty holiday lights and unattended candles are common culprits of holiday home fires that necessitate insurance.

Safety measures you can take to avoid such an event include keeping your Christmas tree watered daily to prevent drying, ensuring all string lights and other electronic decorations have new batteries/are working properly and never leaving lit candles unattended.

Burglaries and Thefts

The festive season is unfortunately also prime time for burglaries and thefts. One in four Americans have been package theft victims, according to estimates reported by Security.org, and it’s likely that thefts will increase during the holidays with many families traveling to visit relatives or going on vacation.

To avoid having to file a claim for stolen possessions, invest in a reliable security system, use smart locks and join a neighborhood app like Nextdoor to keep an eye on thefts in your area.

Car Collisions

The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping combined with dangerous winter weather conditions make this time of year rife with the potential for car accidents. Slippery roads, distracted drivers and the rush to check everything off your list (and overall stress) can all increase the risk of fender benders and more serious accidents. It’s no surprise that auto insurance claims spike during this time – which could lead to a hefty rate increase if you don’t have the right coverage.

This holiday season, get to know the importance of defensive driving, schedule regular vehicle maintenance and make sure your current insurance policy can handle potential damages in the event of an accident.

Weather-Related Damages

Winter storms have a habit of ravaging the Northeast, and homeowners are often faced with damage to their property as a result. From frozen pipes bursting to roof leaks caused by heavy snowfall and flooding, insurance claims are filed for all kinds of incidents during the holiday season. Taking preventive measures such as winterizing your home and maintaining proper insulation can minimize the risk of weather-related insurance claims and keep your spirits bright.

Accidents at Holiday Gatherings

Celebratory gatherings with family and friends are a hallmark of the Christmas season, but they can also sometimes lead to accidents and injuries. Slip and falls inside or outside the home, kitchen mishaps and alcohol-related accidents are common during holiday parties and events, and you may find yourself filing liability claims to cover medical expenses and potential legal costs that arise. When hosting this year, make sure to create safe gatherings in addition to having adequate liability coverage so you can rest easy knowing you’re covered in the event of an accident.

While the holiday season is a joyful time, it’s crucial to be mindful of potential risks and take proactive measures to protect against unforeseen events. By staying vigilant and reviewing your insurance policies, you can enjoy a safe and merry holiday season.

Get A Home Insurance Quote

The simplicity of twinkling white lights during the holidays may be enough to get some of us into the holiday mood. Then there’s the rainbow-hued, Noah’s Ark-size and over-the-top musical light performances from eager neighbors who secure spirit in the heartiest of Scrooges for an entire six weeks. Whatever you’re feeling, these 2025 holiday light displays will help to spread a little faith, hope and joy to you and your family this year.

Find a holiday light display near you in the list below or jump in the car for a festive road trip.  

Holiday Light Displays in Connecticut

The Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven, a 31-year tradition, is a dazzling drive-through attraction with more than 100,000 lights and 60 animated displays. Rent a pair of 3D glasses for a next-level experience. Through Dec. 31. Admission is $10 per passenger vehicle, $25 for minivans with more than 15 people and $50 per full bus.

The Stonington Lobster Trap Tree is a magical large-scale art installation by local artists using recycled materials. Through Jan. 4. Admission is free.

Or find the biggest Christmas tree in the state at Glow Hartford in the Connecticut Convention Center. This dazzling, indoor holiday light display features one million lights in an interactive light garden, illuminated structures, a trackless “Glow-comotive” train and visits with Santa. Through Dec. 23. Admission: Adults (16-64), $34; children (5-15), $24; senior, military, veteran, police, EMS, $24.

Holiday Light Displays in Massachusetts

When it comes to Christmas lights in Massachusetts, Springfield’s annual Bright Nights at Forest Park is a drive-through extravaganza you don’t want to miss, featuring a Seuss Land section, as well as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa displays. Through Jan. 4. Admission: $27 per car, tickets must be purchased in advance.

Check out some displays in the neighborhoods around Boston, including Dorchester’s Adams Street, in the Fields Corner neighborhood, which is lit with a colorful spectacle of lights, including LED fireworks, blinking Christmas trees and flying angels, by the father-son team of Trong and Hoa Nguyen. Free.

Holiday Light Displays in New Jersey

Park on Briarwood Drive West in Warren, with only your parking lights on, and tune into 92.7 FM for Christmas in Warren’s music and lights performance. Its 14-year legacy of dancing lights, which are energy-efficient LED bulbs, is a true spectacle. Free.

Hop aboard a train ride through millions of lights in DiDonato’s Magical Holiday Express. Meet Santa and his elves in their workshop, share stories and chat with Mrs. Claus, and walk through a holiday village. Select dates through Dec. 23. Admission: $22.95 per person Sunday-Friday and $26.95 on Saturday.

Holiday Light Displays in New York

Nearly one million lights, plus illuminated Santas and snowmen, brighten the Keeler Christmas Light Display on Luigi Road in Putnam Valley, which was also a Season 11 contender in “Great Christmas Light Fight.” Kids can leave a letter for Santa as they walk through or buy a T-shirt with proceeds donated to local charities. Through Christmas, 6-10 p.m. Free.

The LuminoCity Festival transforms the 12-acre Eisenhower Park in East Meadow into a shimmering winter wonderland each holiday season. Through Jan. 1. Admission: Adults, $41.12; kids (4-12) $33.04.

Holiday Light Displays in Rhode Island

The MacDonald family, on Ellery Road in Newport, has decorated their home for Halloween and Christmas for more than three decades. The walkable yard display features dozens of lit trees, dioramas featuring scenes from “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and Santa’s workshop, as well as elves and Frosty the Snowman. Free.

Roger Williams Park Zoo, in Providence, has 3.5 million sparkly bulbs and nearly 100 structural elements in its Holiday Lights Spectacular. Starting in 2020 as a drive-through, the annual event has become a huge attraction that spans the zoo’s entire 40 acres. In the Wetlands Trail, visitors are completely immersed, with lights overhead and music playing. A surprising alien abduction of presents is new this year. “Every tree and bush in the rainforest area has lights on it,” said horticulture manager David Albaugh. “It’s so powerful to walk under the lights. They’re literally everywhere.” Through Jan. 4. $12-$14.

Sparkling Lights at the Breakers has become an ongoing tradition at this Newport mansion, where thousands of lights, trees, a 50-foot lighted tunnel and even illuminated sailboats adorn the majestic mansion grounds. It’s one of the most magical light shows in New England. Nov. 21-Dec. 28. Adult, $45; child (6-17), $14, includes mansion entry. Reservations required.

Save on holiday events and attractions with AAA Tickets.

Did we forget your favorite holiday light display? Add it to the list in the comments below.

Featured image: Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

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EPISODE SUMMARY

Are you ready to tackle home improvement projects but aren’t sure where to begin? In the Season 2 finale of Merging Into Life, host Sabrina Pierotti sits down with do-it-yourself renovator and creator Kat Sanders, who transformed an old cow shed into a stunning family home and built a thriving online business along the way.

From budget home decor ideas and interior design tips to the emotional side of creating a space that feels authentically you, Kat shares her journey in an episode filled with inspiration, encouragement and practical advice for anyone ready to roll up their sleeves and bring their dream DIY home renovation to life.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You don’t need a degree to create a beautiful home. Use these interior design tips to focus on how you want your space to feel. Whether your vision is calm, cozy or energized, build it from there.
• You will never regret starting. Simple upgrades, like applying DIY wall paneling or using peel-and-stick wallpaper, can spark joy and help you build the skills needed for bigger projects.
• Take your time. Live in the space to understand how you use it before rushing into major changes. The best design choices often come from patience and reflection, helping you avoid renovation decision paralysis.
• Beauty is important, but function is key. When planning kitchen renovations or tackling other complex areas, prioritize what fits your lifestyle rather than just copying a Pinterest image.
• Smart design doesn’t have to be expensive. Use budget home decor ideas, set a financial buffer for surprises, and try second-hand furniture styling to add character without breaking the bank.
• Errors are part of the process. Whether it is water-damaged flooring or common kitchen lighting layout mistakes, don’t let setbacks stop you. Every mistake is a lesson that makes you more capable for the next project.
• Confidence is built project by project. The more you try, the more you learn — and the more you realize you’re more capable than you think.

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:02] Sabrina Pierotti: So, if there’s one thing you should know about me it’s that I love everything home, and I especially love creating a space in my home that is warm and feels like me. And I also have to admit that I kind of love impressing my guests with my home decor. So, I have spent many hours watching HGTV. And one day I was watching a show, and I got really inspired over how impactful just wallpaper could be, not only on a wall but also on furniture. Because at the time, I had recently bought a very light wood bookshelf. By itself, it looked pretty flat and one of my biggest design inspirations are those mosaic tiles that you see in like Portugal or Italy. So, I bought a wallpaper with these blue mosaic tiles, and I put this wallpaper along the back side of the bookshelf and on the front of the drawers. And to this day, I get the most compliments on this bookshelf. And I have to say it’s one of the pieces in our home that I’m most proud of.

So, snuggle up and get those Pinterest boards loaded, because after this episode, you are going to want to revamp your space. Welcome back to Merging Into Life. I’m your host, Sabrina Pierotti, and in this episode of our Everyday Mastery series, we’re tackling one of the most rewarding and, sometimes, most frustrating parts of adulting, making your house feel like a home. Whether you’re dreaming of a kitchen reno, debating DIY versus just hiring somebody, or just trying to figure out which paint goes where and what color to choose. Joining me today is Kat, a home DIY creator who’s taken her own renovation journey and turned it into a platform to inspire others to take on projects with confidence and creativity.

Hi Kat, thank you so much for joining with me. I’m so, so, so excited for this chat today, because I’m such a lover of everything home. And as I’ve gotten older, I’m really, like, fully embracing that fact about myself that I love being home and spending, like, literally as much time as possible at my home. I want to start off by talking about your home. So, you’ve been renovating your beautiful home for the past 10 years, and it used to be a cow shed. I was on your Instagram looking at videos, and that skylight in your, like, living room-kitchen space is, oh my gosh, stunning — like out of this world. Did you have an experience with home design prior or is this something that you’re like, you know, what I just feel like I need to redo the space.

[00:02:42] Kat Sanders: So, I, well actually, this is the first big project I’ve ever had. So, I’ve, I was the sort of person that grew up looking at sort of interior design catalogs, like children look at toys. I was looking at interior design catalogs. I’ve always had an interest in it. So, yeah, it’s a big project, and we’ve been doing it about 10 years, and it’s still going. I haven’t finished.

[00:03:01] Sabrina Pierotti: You mentioned that when you moved into your home, the layout didn’t really work for your modern family life. So, what were those big things that you wanted to change, and how did you even start that?

[00:03:11] Kat Sanders: Yeah. So when we moved in, it was interesting, because it’s like your cow shed, and it was my husband’s grandparents’, and they really made it for themselves. So, it was great for them. And they were sort of an elderly couple, and it’s perfect for them. But it obviously didn’t work for us with a young family. So, the first thing that I really wanted to change was the amount of light that came into the property, because it was quite dark, and the major issue I had was we had this really gorgeous long garden, and you couldn’t see any of it from the house. So, we had a teeny tiny window on the room that was backed onto the garden and an old conservatory, but you couldn’t see any of the garden. And I think, when we had our first child, we sort of realized quite quickly that we needed somewhere where we could be, where I could cook, where we could see our children and also where we could see them in the garden as well.

[00:03:57] Sabrina Pierotti: So, where did you go for inspiration?

[00:04:00] Kat Sanders: I’m pretty sure I got all my inspiration from Instagram. You know, I run my own Instagram account and pretty much all of my followers are interested in interiors, and I follow pretty much only interiors accounts. So, I basically just had a look at what other people had done, and I sort of tried to make it fit for what I wanted, what would be practical, but also what would look good.

[00:04:19] Sabrina Pierotti: My husband and I are moving next summer. And we’ve lived in our current apartment for about 10 years by the time we move. And it’s like amazing that we’ve even stayed here this long, and we’re up-leveling and moving into like a totally new build. And I already know like what vision I want. Like I definitely want the decor to be what we were talking about earlier, countryside, specifically like French countryside. So, a lot of muted neutral colors and like natural materials like stone and wood. So, when you moved into this space, did you have a certain type of vision? Because when we look at your home, it’s very cohesive looking, which I love.

[00:04:58] Kat Sanders: To be honest, when I first moved in, no, I did not. And I actually made a lot of errors really in what I did. I don’t think a theme is necessarily vital. You’re making a space to live in that you love. And so, for some people, that will be, I want a cohesive theme, and I want every room to flow into the next one. And for other people, that isn’t the case. And that’s absolutely fine, because ultimately, you’re the person that lives in it. A lot of people think, oh, you’ve got to think of resale, and you’ve got to think of value and things. And that is a factor, but ultimately, you are building a home. So, it needs to work for you.

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[00:05:28] Sabrina Pierotti: What did your experience with that teach you?

[00:05:31] Kat Sanders: So, I know when I moved in, I definitely just sort of went gung-ho right into it, and I just sort of painted everything white. And even now, to this day, 10 years later, my hallway is still that same white, because I’ve just not got around to changing it. So, I do think living in a space for a period of time and feeling how you sort of live in that space is really important before jumping into making any sort of rash decisions and getting as much inspiration as possible from various sources. I will quite often come across a kitchen, and I think, oh gosh, I wish I did my kitchen like that. I love that. I wish I’d seen that before I did my kitchen. So, I don’t think you’re ever going to 100 percent get it perfect, but it’s got to be good enough, I think, good enough for you and how you live in your home. And for me, one of the most important things is feeling sort of a calm space in my home. I don’t want to come home and feel overwhelmed or overstimulated, because I’ve got three children, so that’s kind of how I sort of evolved my style was trying to create that in all the rooms in a cohesive way but trying to keep it muted and calm.

[00:06:30] Sabrina Pierotti: I like that you brought in like the emotion that you want to feel when you’re at home.

[00:06:34] Kat Sanders: I think that’s a really good place to start. Say, for example, in my living room, we’ve got like a really old fireplace. And so, I sort of had to, and that’s something you have to keep. It’s an original feature. You can’t get rid of it. So, you kind of have to build around what you’ve got. So, you’ve got to start taking what you’ve already got as well and try and build that into whatever it is that you want to create.

[00:06:50] Sabrina Pierotti: I love that. So, say somebody is like, OK, you’ve already sold me, like I am going to renovate my kitchen, or I am going to redecorate my whole home. A big issue is that people are very hesitant to just start.

[00:07:06] Kat Sanders: My mentality is, for most things, what’s the worst that can happen? What is the worst thing that can happen? Especially when you’re talking about minor things like paint. People are a bit scared, but we’ll put it on the wall. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s paint. Obviously, kitchens are expensive, so you do have to be pretty sure that you’re doing the right thing, but I think the kitchens are the hub of the home, and they can make such a difference to how you live in a space. So, we extended the house, and we now have, obviously, a bigger house. So, I mean, that would be my advice is what is the worst that could happen, really. And it will probably change the way that you live, in your home in a really positive way.

[00:07:42] Sabrina Pierotti: Yeah, absolutely. You just got to get started, and then it’s like, oh, this wasn’t that bad. Now, when walking into an empty, wide-open space that’s going to get renovated, it can feel very intimidating, which I think leads to that hesitation to just even get started. Do you have a formula, so to speak, of the best way to tackle a new space?

[00:08:04] Kat Sanders: Yeah, I would say that’s pretty similar to how I’d work. I would most likely pick a color, so it would be a color as a focal point, and then, I would build on there. So, like, you say, color on the walls, and then, perhaps flooring, and then, maybe, textures. But for me, a big thing is practicality as well, and I think it’s possibly because I’m a mum of three. Although I love beautiful interiors, I know that some beautiful interiors are just not going to be practical for me. I love marble, for example, but I’m not going get myself a marble worktop because I just know it’s not practical for me. So, a big thing for me is the colors and the textures, but also practicality. How are you going to use that space? So obviously it’s dependent on the room. But if you are, say, renovating a living room, where you’re going to put your TV. Don’t want the light shining on it from a window so that when you’re trying to watch the TV, you can’t see it, you can’t see the television. And if you’re talking about a kitchen, what things do you need in that kitchen in order for it to function? How far away do you want the sink from the cooker? All those sorts of things. And then, you’d slowly build up kind of an idea of where things are going to go in that space. But like you say, I think my starting point would be, if we’re talking things looking good, it’s always the color that I want to start with. And then I sort of build on that, yeah.

[00:09:12] Sabrina Pierotti: That’s such a good starting point. Do you have another, like, home reno hack that anyone can easily do just to like instantly elevate a space? If somebody just wants a quick refresh, what would that look like?

[00:09:25] Kat Sanders: So, if you wanted a really quick refresh, I think the quickest thing you could do to transform a room is a bit of paneling on the wall. And pretty much anybody can do it. It’s so easy. And actually, a lot of places now, a lot of places where you can buy the wood, they’ll actually cut it for you to size. So, you wouldn’t even necessarily have to have the right tools if you could measure the space and tell them exactly what widths and things you want it they’d be able to cut it for you, and then, all you’ve got to do is stick it on the wall, and it will it take you probably a few hours, and it would completely transform how a room looks. So, it’s a really good way to transform a space, but also, it’s quite traditional, I think. So, it’s not necessarily going to go out of fashion. There’s loads of wallpapers now that are paste-to–the-wall. So, I mean, I’m wallpapering at the moment. They’re paste-to-the-walls, and I’m just amazed at how quick it is. So, you just literally get it all over the wall, and then you can stick it right on.

[00:10:13] Sabrina Pierotti: Now, renovation can rarely go as planned, and I’m sure in your 10 years of experience, you have seen your fair share. Can you share a moment or two that something just did not go the way you planned, and what did you learn from it, and most importantly, how did you recover from it?

[00:10:30] Kat Sanders: One of the things that definitely didn’t, that didn’t kind of come out as how I envisioned was the lighting in the kitchen. I think when you’re renovating, you get really overwhelmed with just all the decisions that you have to make. And you just sort of end up with decision overwhelm and you sort of can’t make any decisions. And I remember the electrician turning up in our kitchen to put the spotlights in and I hadn’t thought about where they were going to go or how many they were gonna be. And I just sort of said, oh, you can decide. I thought, as the expert, the electrician, he’ll know how many lights to put in. He even does it every day and he just put way too many lights in. And sometimes I turn them on, I think, God, why did I do that? Why didn’t I think a little bit more about the lighting? It’s such an important thing. But again, at the time, I was overwhelmed. It’s something that I wish I had thought about and I wish I’d done it a bit slower. But when you are in the midst of a big renovation, it’s very difficult to keep on top of all these decisions all the time. But I would say, don’t forget your lighting. It’s a really important part of any room is how you’re going to light it and really doing that with intention, because I definitely didn’t do that. I have way too many spotlights in my kitchen. We’ve had a few instances with plumbing where I just laid in an oak parquet floor, and we had a plumber around for a reason, I can’t remember. And he for somehow there was a leak, and I hadn’t sealed this floor, and it had only been down a few days, and it just went all over this oak. It soaked because it wasn’t sealed it just soaked right into the wood, and I was pretty gutted about that but I had to just spend hours sanding, hours sanding it back to try and get the color back, and and try and remove some of the spots of water. And it didn’t do a perfect job. There are still spots of the water on there, but again, it’s not perfect but realistically it’s fine. No one else would notice but me.

[00:12:16] Sabrina Pierotti: Oh my gosh, I can only imagine how I would be. I want to talk about analysis paralysis and decision overwhelm. Have you learned how to be more decisive with your decision making over the past 10 years?

[00:12:29] Kat Sanders: You’ve got to have lists. You’ve got to have lists somewhere like on your phone or written down, because you do. Otherwise, you’re just going to miss something. Because, like you say, there’s just so many decisions to make. But yeah, I definitely think I’ve become a lot better at decision making. I’ve definitely become a little more confident in that kind of aspect.

[00:12:43] Sabrina Pierotti: Now, I want to talk about money, specifically a budget. Like, this is always a huge factor, as it should be. What are some ways that you’ve learned to structure your budget without compromising on style and quality? And is there a way somebody can figure out a good budget for a home rental or even just like a quick refresh of a room? Like, what’s a good starting point?

[00:13:07] Kat Sanders: Yeah, it depends how big you’re talking, but if you’re talking on a big scale renovation with extensions and things, the best thing you can do is get multiple quotes from multiple different companies. Don’t just get one and think that’s how much it costs, because the costs can vary hugely. It’s going to vary depending on area. It’s obviously going to vary depending on spec, but you’ve got to get multiple quotes, and then, once you’ve got multiple quotes, you’ve got to have a certain amount saved up but it is not part of that budget, because you will overspend in some way. There’s just, it always happens. Something will happen, something will go wrong, or you will decide on a change, and it will cost you more money. So, you’ve got to have that kind of safety net, I would say. But in terms of trying to stretch your budget, things that you can do yourself, you should do yourself. Even though it’s hard work and some of it’s boring. Like painting, obviously dull, it takes ages. If you’re painting white, it’s even worse, but you can save so much money doing it yourself. And one of the things that I’ve definitely got more into is getting sort of second-hand furniture. Because you can get really good, solid, good-quality furniture that is so much better than what you’d get like in a flat pack that you get delivered from the internet. Second-hand furniture can bring a lot of character, and it’s a really good way of stretching your budget, and charity shops are incredible for artwork and things like that. Most of my artwork is second hand from charity shops.

[00:14:25] Sabrina Pierotti: Now we kind of touched on this earlier, but one of the biggest takeaways of just doing something yourself is the confidence and just being proud of yourself. And one of my favorite projects that I’ve done here is I just bought like a basic bookshelf, and it just looked like very like bland. And so, I bought this like very pretty blue mosaic tile wallpaper, and I put it behind the shelves and like on front of the cabinet drawers. And it brought so much personality to it. And that’s one of the biggest things people compliment me on. They’re like, it’s such a good little hack. And that’s really the only, one of the only DIY things I’ve done in our home, but I’m so proud of it. How has DIY or just home renos and just the home that you’ve created for your family over the past decade, how has that shifted your confidence and just your overall mindset?

[00:15:18] Kat Sanders: Yeah, I definitely think it’s massively increased my confidence. I think I just sort of got to the point where I thought, well, there isn’t any actual reason why I can’t do this, that I can do this. So, and if I don’t try, then I’ll never know. And I grew up watching my dad do DIY. So, I sort of been in my life since I was little. And that’s how I suppose I learned a lot. And he did all the DIY in our home. And he is the person that I will ring if, you know, I don’t know how to approach something or has he ever done this? I’ll speak to him and ask whether he’s done it, and he’s helped me with loads of projects. But I think it’s also empowering. I’ve got two daughters, and I want them to see that women are able to do these things. There’s no reason why you’re not capable of doing these things, but it’s important for me that they see that as a role model, I suppose. Because I want them to feel confident that they can do anything that they set their mind to, regardless of their gender. But yeah, it’s definitely given me so much more confidence, and more than that, it’s actually given me a business as well. So, when I see my Instagram and the content that I create for other businesses and that’s given me a massive amount of confidence in myself as well, sort of standing in front of a camera, because I’m talking about something that a couple years ago would have been quite intimidating, but now it’s sort of like water off a duck’s back, I do all the time. But yeah, so my confidence is massively increased, my confidence. And I’m just really pleased that I actually picked up that paintbrush for the first time and did it, really.

[00:16:44] Sabrina Pierotti: That is so cool. How did your online community, which is very impressive by the way, kudos to you on that because that is so hard to build, how did that happen? Was it something that just organically you started to share and people started to be really interested in what you were creating or was it more intentional?

[00:17:04] Kat Sanders: It definitely started off organically, and then it just sort of spiraled and grew. And then, when I was on maternity leave with my third child, about 2½ years ago, I just thought, I’m going to take this really seriously, and I’m going to treat it like a business, which is what it is. And that was the point where I really started to really intentionally thinking about what I was doing and what I was posting. And that’s when I started making content for not just myself, but for other brands as well, which I don’t post, they post. So, that’s, when it was really sort of 2½ years ago, and I just thought, if I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it properly. And that’s when I thought, I think I also started putting myself in front of the camera rather than just perhaps my projects in front of the camera. And I think that probably helps perhaps with the algorithm and things like that, if they see a face there. But yeah, I was really, I mean, I’ve had it for years and years, so it’s been a sort of a slow build, but it’s really taken off for me as a sort of business project in the last sort of 2½ years. Because that’s when I decided I was going to like knuckle down and do it properly and actually take it seriously. Yeah. And I’m really proud, and it’s something I’m very proud of as well.

[00:18:05] Sabrina Pierotti: You absolutely should be. I see a future HGTV show in your future.

[00:18:09] Kat Sanders: Oh, imagine.

[00:18:11] Sabrina Pierotti: Now, as we start to wrap up the show, if there’s someone right now that’s listening that wants to start their first home project this weekend, what is the simplest advice that you can give and leave them with today?

[00:18:24] Kat Sanders: The simplest advice is, and I said it before, what is the worst that could happen? What is the worst that can happen? Very little things can be not fixed really. So, I would just give it a go. And if you’ve never done anything before, though I slated it a minute ago, flat pack furniture is a really great place to learn, because it’s a nightmare to put together, but you will learn a lot, because you’ve got to use a lot of tools, and then, like I said before, another sort and like you were saying wallpaper but wall paneling. They’re all really good starting points for really transforming a space if you’ve not done anything like that before. But the best advice I can give is what is the worst that can happen just give it a go really.

[00:19:01] Sabrina Pierotti: So good, Kat, where can people go and find you if they want to check out your space and learn from you?

[00:19:08] Kat Sanders: OK, so mainly, I’m mostly on Instagram. So, my Instagram handle is @thebarnrenovation. I am also on TikTok with the same handle, and you can find me at www.thebarnrenovation.com as well.

[00:19:19] Sabrina Pierotti: Amazing. Thank you so much. This has been amazing. And I am feeling motivated already to just to move and get this French countryside theme underway. Thank you so much for listening to Merging Into Life. If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’s ready to tackle their next home project. And since this is our final episode of the season, we just wanted to say thank you so much for joining us on this journey. We really hope that these conversations helped you feel more confident navigating everyday life one step at a time. If you enjoyed the show, do us a very quick favor, hit that like button, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’d love it too. It helps more than you know, and it keeps the good stuff coming your way. Thanks for being part of the ride.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

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RESOURCES

Merging Into Life

Kat Sanders, @thebarnrenovation

AAA Mortgages

AAA Homeowners Insurance

AAA Home Equity Loans

Using a Home Equity Loan for Renovations and More

How to Save on Home Renovations

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Want to Learn More? Drop Us a Note

*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

Big expenses come at us throughout our lives, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes planned. Regardless of the circumstance, you’ll need a way to finance these major purchases when they arise. If you own a home, your best course of action may be to do so with a home equity loan.

Home equity loans allow you to use your house as collateral and you can use the money for anything you like. Many people take out home equity loans to finance renovation projects that make their property more valuable.

What Are Home Equity Loans?

Also known as a second mortgage, a home equity loan allows homeowners borrow money against the value of their home.

Home equity is calculated by taking the current value of your residence and subtracting your outstanding mortgage balance. For example, if your house is currently estimated to be worth $500,000 and you still owe $100,000 on your mortgage, then you have $400,000 in home equity. Your loan will be borrowed against this total. Typically, most lenders will allow you to borrower up to 80% of the value of your property minus the first mortgage balance.

Home equity loans usually come with fixed rates. This means that home equity loans will be less expensive over the lifetime of the loan than financing your large expense via credit cards or other loan types. You may also be able to deduct the home equity loan interest payments from your taxes. We recommend consulting a tax advisor for personal tax guidance.

There is some risk involved. If you are unable to pay back the loan, the lender could choose to foreclose on your house. Therefore, you’ll want to be on sound financial footing before taking one out.

How Do Home Equity Loans Work?

Your home equity loan will be paid out in a single lump sum. This comes with its own pros and cons. On the bright side, you’ll have access to all the funds you need right away. But, since you’re not borrowing money as you need it, you’ll have to have a very good estimate of how much money you need to borrow from the start. If your home renovation project costs less than the amount borrowed, you’ll still need to repay the entirety of the loan, usually in monthly installments that begin soon after the money is available.

If you’re unsure of how much money you will need, you may want to consider a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Just like a home equity loan, a HELOC allows you to borrow against the equity in your home. But instead of receiving all the funds upfront, you can withdraw money as you need it. HELOCs function much like a credit card in that once you reach your credit cap, your balance will need to be repaid before you can withdraw more money.

What Can Home Equity Loans Be Used For?

Home equity loans do not need to be used on your home. The money can be spent on any big expense you need help financing, such as a wedding or business startup. One popular use for them is paying off credit card debt. Credit card interest rates are notoriously high. Paying off your credit card debt with funds from a low-rate home equity loan could save you a significant amount of money in the long term. It will also help consolidate your debt if you owe money on more than one credit card by allowing you to make just one payment every month.

Although funds from a home equity loan can be used for anything, it’s important to note that interest from these loans is only tax deductible if the funds are used on a home renovation project. Consult a tax advisor to see if your project is eligible.

(Note: The interest on the portion of the credit extension that is greater than the fair market value of the dwelling is not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Consult your tax advisor regarding the tax deductibility of interest.)

There’s another convincing argument for using the loan on your home: it is a great return on investment. If you use the funds to add an extra bedroom, remodel the kitchen or install a pool in the backyard, you’re increasing the value of your property, which you will own entirely once your mortgage is paid off.

Let AAA help finance your project with a low-rate home equity loan.

Renovations Worth the Money

So, which home equity loan renovations should you consider if you’d like to increase the value of your home? According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, these interior projects provided the best bang for their buck.

• 100%* — New steel front door
• 83%* — Closet renovation
• 80%* — New fiberglass front door
• 74%* — New vinyl windows
• 71%* — New wood windows

*of project cost recovered at house resale.

And these were the projects that gave homeowners the most joy. NAR calculated the joy score based on how happy homeowners were when the work was completed. Ten was the highest score.

• Added primary bedroom suite — 10
• Kitchen upgrade —10
• New roofing —10
• Bathroom renovation — 9.8
• Complete kitchen renovation — 9.7

Have you used a home equity loan to make home renovations? Tell us in the comments.

A home renovation, be it a single room or a complete overhaul, can do a wonder of good. Not only can you create a space with the utmost comfort and efficiency, but you can also significantly increase the resale value of your home.

But renovations are notoriously expensive and it’s easy to let them spiral out of financial control. Don’t let that happen. There are a number of ways to save money on your home renovation. Here are five strategies to consider.

Invest Some Sweat Equity

It will always be cheaper to do something yourself than pay someone else. The more of the renovation you can handle, the more money you’ll be able to save. Exactly how much of the project you can DIY will vary considerably based on your skillset and the scale of the remodeling, but even the least handy homeowners can find a place to pitch in.

The best places to focus on are the front and back ends of the projects that don’t require skilled, licensed professionals. For instance, most people are likely capable of doing some demolition work. Similarly, you might be able to handle some of the renovation’s finishing touches, such as painting or landscaping.

Two things to consider when taking on home renovation projects. First, if you have the willpower but lack the tools, you can usually rent them from hardware stores. This will prevent you from having to purchase items you may never use again. Second, if your project requires a permit, you’ll need it in hand before you start tearing down walls.

Do Your Own Transporting

If you’re not up for any home demolition work, you can get involved in your home renovation — and save some money — simply by driving. Retailers and contractors usually charge a material delivery fee for getting the necessary supplies to your house. You can eliminate this extra charge by picking up the items yourself. If you don’t have a vehicle large enough to haul the construction material and can’t borrow one, you can always rent a truck or trailer. While this may cost you a bit upfront, if you use it for a few trips, it can more than pay for itself.

Leave the Sink, Take the Savings

If you’re doing a kitchen or bathroom renovation, you may be tempted to move the location of the sink, bathtub or toilet. Unfortunately, this will be a costly move. Plumbing can often be one of the largest expenses in a home renovation. Not only will you need to pay for materials, you’ll have to hire a professional plumber to do the work.

Unless your heart is dead set on a design that requires moving one of these large features, keep them where they are and work your renovation around them. You may find that you can make other changes, like opening up a wall, that may yield greater results for a lower price tag.

Add Light Without Windows

Natural light is a big selling point with homes, but cutting a hole in your house to add a new or larger window can be pricey. You may find adding a feature such as a skylight or light tube, which funnels sunlight down into the living space, to be less expensive than adding a window.

But there are tricks to brightening a room without any construction. Painting the space bright white or eggshell will reflect more light around the room. Adding a mirror or two will do the same. Even something as simple as changing the lightbulbs can help. Full spectrum bulbs are designed to emulate midday sunlight.

Shop Recycled and Reused

Few savings methods are as effective as purchasing reused items over new ones, and this strategy can reap big financial rewards on your home renovation. Resale shops, salvage yards, material auctions and the like all sell new and gently used building supplies for a fraction of the cost of major retailers. You can also check selling sites like eBay to see what people are offering. You never know what you can find!

A great place to start your shopping is at a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The non-profit operates more than 900 of these locations across the country. Customers can purchase everything from appliances to building materials to furniture for below retail prices. Even better — all the money goes toward helping Habitat for Humanity continue its incredible work.

Whether you’re ready to do the work now or need a bit more time to plan, it’s always a great time to start saving.

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EPISODE SUMMARY

A mental health crisis doesn’t always manifest like a car crash. Sometimes, it appears as a slow unraveling caused by exhaustion, disconnection or a quiet, nagging sense that something isn’t right.

In this deeply personal episode of Merging Into Life, host Sabrina Pierotti opens up about her own recent health scare. She is joined by psychologist Vassia Sarantopoulou, founder of AntiLoneliness, to discuss how we can build lasting emotional resilience even when life doesn’t go according to plan.

From recognizing the subtle signs of emotional burnout to understanding the benefits of therapy, this episode offers powerful insights on how to sit with uncomfortable emotions. Tune in to learn how to move through a crisis — rather than just surviving it.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Burnout symptoms can sneak up on you. Detachment, exhaustion, brain fog and a loss of joy are major warning signs. Don’t wait for a total breakdown to start your healing journey.
• Your feelings aren’t “bad” — they are data. Sadness, anger and loneliness are not problems to fix; they are signals asking for care rather than suppression.
• The benefits of therapy are vast, but it isn’t one-size-fits-all. If your first therapist isn’t a match, keep looking. Finding the right fit can change your entire recovery process.
• Dealing with loneliness isn’t just about being physically alone; you can feel isolated in a crowded room. True connection starts with knowing yourself and reaching out from that grounded place.
• Self-connection is just as vital as social connection. True healing requires a balance of both time alone to reflect and time with others to feel seen, supported and understood.
• In a mental health crisis, don’t wait to feel ready for self-care. Your brain may resist rest, movement or joy, but these habits are the foundation of emotional resilience during hard times.
• Emotional resilience isn’t a fixed trait, it’s a practice. By accepting discomfort, checking in with yourself and giving your emotions space, you build the strength to rise again.

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:02] Sabrina Pierotti: The thing about life is that it’s hard, and it can be very scary at times. Things can either pop up out of nowhere that can totally derail your life, or it can be an accumulation of unprocessed emotions that can lead to a breaking point. I know for me personally, last year I went through a breast cancer scare where I literally thought I had breast cancer at 30. It was horrible, and it was a monthslong process of MRIs and biopsies. And at times, it felt like I was never going to come out on the other side. And I don’t mean to quote Kelly Clarkson, but it is true. Through my life’s most challenging moments, I have grown the most. Because of my breast cancer scare, I now know what it means to really, really take care of my health. And I also have a huge why to stay motivated with my health goals and to get into the gym. It is in our darkest days where resilience is built. Every time you fall, it is easier to get back up. So, my friend, face your life’s challenges with courage and your head held high. Acknowledge that, yeah, it is hard, but at the same time, know that you will become stronger because of it. Welcome back to Merging Into Life. I’m your host, Sabrina Pierotti. And today we’re talking about something that we all go through, but we rarely feel ready for, which is crisis. Whether it’s a job loss, a breakup, or just a slow unraveling of the plan we had for our lives, those curveballs can hit hard, and they can be painful. But luckily, our guest today is Vassia. Vassia Sarantopoulou is a psychologist, an educator, and founder of AntiLoneliness. Her work focuses on helping individuals and communities address perfectionism, loneliness, emotional resilience and burnout. So, thank you so much, Vassia, for joining me, and I’m excited to jump in. So, today, we’re going to talk about something a little tough, which is personal crisis. So, specifically starting and speaking to an emotional crisis, whether it’s mental health challenges or psychological challenges or emotional turmoil. What are some of the warning signs that someone might be in an emotional crisis or on their way to one?

[00:02:28] Vassia Sarantopoulou: Warning signs that can be signs of an emotional burnout, you don’t understand, but then one day you wake up and you feel, oh, I don’t like my job anymore. And last year, actually I loved it. But now I feel completely detached from my work and why I’m doing it. Also, the same thing happens with the joy and the meaning you feel in life. One day, suddenly you feel, nothing fulfills me. I am not happy with anything. Like I remember an example of a client that I had, and she came to me because she realized that at the end of the day, she would finish her project, but also her house chores, anything that fits under the umbrella of duty and responsibility, and then she would sit down to play with your children, and she would not feel anything. No connection, no joy. And she came to me in terror, like, oh my God, what is happening? Why I don’t feel any connection with my children anymore, and how I did not see that happening or coming to my life. So, that was what her sign, the detachment, the disconnection, the not feeling joy or happiness with what used to give us joy. Another mental symptom can be that fog inside our head. We’re struggling to remember something. We’re struggling to finish a project. We know that we used to finish that in one hour, but why that now does it take five? Another sign can be the physical manifestation. Like you, even though you sleep, you wake up and you’re feeling tired still. And you wonder, but why I had 10 hours sleep and still I don’t feel rested? There are many clients that come with burnout, and they tell me, I think I’m in a burnout the last year. And then when I tell them the symptoms of burnout, they say, Oh, then probably I’m in a burnout for the last five years.

[00:04:32] Sabrina Pierotti: In addition to emotional-burden burnout, what are some of the other common challenges that your clients come to you with?

[00:04:38] Vassia Sarantopoulou: I think we go to therapy for everything that we haven’t learned at school, and we should have. Like relationships. We didn’t learn anything about relationships at school. We go into adulthood, we meet our partner, we don’t know how to communicate any kind of loss, like grief. We never know about grief, we never hear about grief. Only when we reach, I don’t know, an older age, when we start losing our friends or our partner or our parents, then we know of this concept. And in loss, everything loss, I think loss is a big umbrella. We’re talking about any kind of loss, like moving to a new country. Loneliness as well. We lose a friend, or we lose a partner. People even felt shame to talk about loneliness.

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[00:05:26] Sabrina Pierotti: Why do you think there is so much shame around therapy?

[00:05:33] Vassia Sarantopoulou: So, from my perspective, I think the projections and biases we carry from the previous generation. I mean, even now, my mom doesn’t know what I’m doing. Every time she’s asking me, are you OK with money? Do you want me to send you some money? Because you’re a psychologist. OK, mom. The value that we put on therapy is different between the generations, and that’s one reason for this shame that we carry.

[00:05:57] Sabrina Pierotti: So what would you say to somebody who’s listening that has been considering therapy for a while, and they are just for all the concerns and fears and narratives that you just said, that’s the reason that’s holding them back from signing up for therapy. What would you say to that person?

[00:06:17] Vassia Sarantopoulou: Find a format and the person that suits you. You know, because when you’re 40, 50, 60, you don’t want to go to a therapist who is 25. You know, you feel like even life experience is different. So, find somebody who is at your own age. They know your own struggles. And connection is more important than mental health, per se, for you. So, choose whatever format or person that you feel more aligned and suits your style. I think that’s the first tip that I would give to them. But also, it takes a little bit of discomfort in the beginning, because it’s very new. All these self-perceptions, I’m not strong enough, I’m not strong enough, or I’m taking somebody else’s place. Because I’ve heard that also, you know, you have other people who struggle more. I don’t want to take their slot. All this self-abandonment and sacrifice is very much this pattern of this generation.

[00:07:17] Sabrina Pierotti: So, I actually had a therapist for the, she was my very first therapist for the first like six months. And we were just not clicking. Like I knew right away I was not really looking forward to going to therapy to see her. Like there were just signs along the way. And then a therapist like literally like popped into my life that was so exactly what I needed.

[00:07:43] Vassia Sarantopoulou: Just because you had one negative experience or not an aligned experience with a therapist, it doesn’t mean that everybody’s like that or every experience that you will have is like that. There’s so many different styles, different therapeutic approaches, modalities, personalities. Every therapist has their own personality.

[00:08:00] Sabrina Pierotti: Now, say somebody finds that perfect therapist, and they’re super happy. When it comes to actually healing, it can take a while. So, what does it actually look like when you’re in a therapy session?

[00:08:15] Vassia Sarantopoulou: What we do before we get into therapy is automatically we learn or we tend to escape the discomfort. You’re feeling sad, but you don’t want to feel sad, so immediately you call your friends, you go out and party. We think that these are negative feelings. We name them negative feelings, as if they are the bad, and we should have the good. But in reality, they’re not negative or positive, they’re just uncomfortable feelings. And what we don’t know is how to sit with them, because we feel scared. What if I sit with my sadness? And then I’m going to feel even more sad. However, the price we pay is that this escaping and pushing out of these feelings comes with loss of energy. Like when you push yourself to be happy while you’re really, really sad, that’s double the energy you need in order to go through your day. How can you be happy when you’re grieving, when you just broke up, when you lost a friend? You’re not happy, but you pretend to be happy. Your whole body is putting a performance, and that performance is costing energy. So, how to stay with that discomfort? It means, first of all, taking the negative connotation out of this feeling. It’s not bad. It’s not going to make you worse. So, first take out the fear of the feelings. And stop pushing and spending the energy that I can change that feeling. What I also explain to my clients is that your feeling comes from inside you. It’s a part of you. So when you say, I don’t want that feeling, actually, it’s like saying you don’t want a part of you. And we don’t do that. We love every part of you. Every single part of you is loved, worthy of love, worthy of attention, worthy of care. You shout at your partner or whatever you’re doing, well, that’s what we need to change, but not your anger. The anger is fantastic. We love it. What we need to do at that moment is to make sure that we’re not stepping into negative assumptions, self-criticism. Oh, I’m lonely. Maybe because I am a terrible friend. Yeah, I mean, if I was a good friend, maybe I would have friends by now, and probably my loneliness says that I am a very unimportant, boring or terrible person. So then that’s a different thing than the loneliness, per se. Loneliness is the feeling that says, hey, we need connection. Thank God we have loneliness that sends us this message.

[00:11:12] Sabrina Pierotti: And you’ve referred to a loneliness before as the pandemic of our era. What do you think people often misunderstand about loneliness, and why do people feel lonely even when they’re physically surrounded by people?

[00:11:27] Vassia Sarantopoulou: So, we have feeling lonely and being alone. One is a feeling, the other one is being. And we sometimes misunderstand these two. So, the reality, though, is that you can be surrounded by people and feel lonely. You can be all by yourself and feel very much connected and not lonely at all. That’s the paradox. So, it’s about feeling unseen, feeling disconnected. You can be sitting with your partner on the couch, watching a movie, and normally somebody would say, ‘Oh, they’re so connected.’ But you might feel very, very deeply disconnected and lonely in there, because there’s something in that connection that doesn’t work or hasn’t been working for a long time. So, that’s the main misunderstanding about loneliness.

[00:12:22] Sabrina Pierotti: Why is social connection imperative for personal healing? And how can we push through that reluctance to connect when we’re going through a really dark time?

[00:12:32] Vassia Sarantopoulou: I think when we’re going through a dark time, we both need me time and connection time. We do need to stay by ourselves. We need to figure out who we are. Because actually, the first step of recovering or healing from loneliness is not again connection with others, is connection with ourselves first. First, I have to get to know myself, because there are many people who live for decades without knowing who they are. So, first, I have to get to know myself, introduce to myself again, become my best friend, and then I can go out and water all these relationships that I have in my life, start new, or go back, revisit some of the old relationships. We are social beings. We’re wired for connection. We cannot live without connection. It doesn’t mean that we always need a partner. That’s far away from that, but we need to be seen. So, we definitely need to be seen to belong in order to have this healthy perspective of life. But especially in, as you said, the dark places of our life, we need both. We need to go and be by ourselves and then go out, meet our friends and then come back. Kind of do this dual process of in and out, both.

[00:14:04] Sabrina Pierotti: How can we best prepare ourselves for these big life changes without getting swept away by the emotions of everything?

[00:14:13] Vassia Sarantopoulou: We talked about acceptance. So, accepting that it’s not going to be glamorous. It’s not going to be smooth. Maybe we will learn new parts of ourselves in there. We’re going to be challenged. That’s part of the game. That’s not a malicious plan, you know, of the universe against us. It’s not. It’s just the human experience. And we just roll with it. So having this reminder, this acceptance, what we said before that maybe there’s a lesson for me to learn there and keep in mind also to be connected with yourself. It can be very overwhelming. So, come back to yourself, have a me time, a review time once a week, once a month, or both, where you can say, how was that week? How did I feel? What did I want it to do, but then I didn’t want? I didn’t do it, for example. Keep in touch with your own desires and needs, your own hobbies, your own values. You want to be a better father, for example? Have this review meeting with yourself and be like, oh, what kind of father was I? Why was I not present? Yeah, maybe because too much work, or maybe I’m a perfectionist. I want to do everything perfect. So, have this review meeting with yourself. Journaling helps. Asking for help. And when we get really overwhelmed, our brain goes into fight or flight mode. And in that mode, it convinces us that we don’t have energy for self-care. Your therapist, for example, said, you have to go and walk every day, yeah? That’s important. But then your brain, because you are in a survival mode, will say, Oh, I’m so tired today. Even though you didn’t do anything, you were just sitting the whole day and behind a computer. No, no physical strain, nothing. But it’s the brain, because it thinks that we need energy, in case things go worse, because we are in the fight or flight. It protects your energy. So, don’t listen to your brain and continue with these habits of self-care. That’s your sleep, that’s your diet, your exercise, breath-work.

[00:16:32] Sabrina Pierotti: Thank you so, so much for sitting with me and chatting with me. I am so glad and grateful for this conversation. Like, I love the society that we’re in where like mental health is a lot more open. However, we still have a lot of work to do in terms of really just normalizing it even more. So, and I have a feeling this episode and this chat together really did wonders in accelerating that. So, thank you so much. You are such a joy to talk to.

[00:17:04] Vassia Sarantopoulou: Thank you so much for the invitation. And I have a special gift for your listeners because I know how overthinking can take over sometimes, and we are just in a loop, ruminating, ruminating, and we cannot stop. So, I have just a one pager that they can print, and they can have next to them with seven ways to stop overthinking.

[00:17:23] Sabrina Pierotti: Thank you. Oh my gosh. I will definitely be using that, printing it out, putting it on the side of my desk.

[00:17:30] Vassia Sarantopoulou: We all need it. We all need it.

[00:17:32] Sabrina Pierotti: We sure do. Thank you so much, Vassia.

[00:17:34] Vassia Sarantopoulou: Thank you.

[00:17:37] Sabrina Pierotti: We covered a lot today, from identifying what crises look like to learning how to sit with it and sit with those painful emotions. And most importantly, how to move forward with resilience. These are topics that don’t always get space in everyday conversations, but they’re at the core of how we build emotional resilience and move forward when life doesn’t go as planned. If you’re enjoying the show, do us a quick favor. Hit that like button, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’d love it too. It helps more than you know and keeps the good stuff coming your way. Thanks for being part of the ride.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA, and or its affiliates.

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RESOURCES

Merging Into Life

AntiLoneliness

Vassia Sarantopoulou’s Overthinking Coping Kit

What Causes Burnout and How to Prevent It

Revive Your Mental and Emotional Health in the New Year

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Want to Learn More? Drop Us a Note

*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

A new cultural obsession seems to be taking over.

Suddenly, protein is everywhere: in the cereal aisle, in the frozen food section beckoning from a pint of ice cream and even snacks — protein chips are a thing now, too. With protein permeating the zeitgeist more lately, you may be asking yourself why.

Food trends are nothing new. There was the low-calorie era, then low fat, low carb and so on. It’s no surprise that a new fad has entered the chat. But it’s the way that protein is talked about that makes it different from the others. Instead of restricting, protein is all about more. The more you eat, the more muscle you’ll build, the more satiated you’ll feel and the more energy you’ll have.

So, is all this protein really necessary or just the latest gimmick? The short answer is kind of both.

Why Is Protein Good For Us?

Protein is an important part of any balanced diet, and eating enough of it helps our bodies in many ways.

Consuming enough protein on a regular basis helps to rebuild your muscles after strenuous activity. Paired with fiber, protein is also a great way to stay fuller longer as it increases satiety and, as a biproduct, may help weight loss management. Plus, our bodies use more energy to digest protein than they do for fats or carbohydrates. This increases metabolism and makes for more efficient calorie-burning.

Protein also plays an important role in our bone and heart health and is the building block for healthy skin, hair and nails.

How Much Protein Should We Eat Daily?

As an essential macronutrient, protein is found in every cell in the human body. To regulate these parts of our body, we need to consume enough protein to maintain the status quo. But status quo looks different for everyone.

The amount of protein you need will depend on your calorie intake, per Medline Plus. The recommended amount of protein per day for a healthy adult is 10% to 35% of your total calorie needs. This means that someone who eats 2,000 calories per day could eat  about 100 grams of protein.

Need help figuring out your protein intake? Try this protein calculator that gives basic protein intake recommendations from multiple institutions in one place.

Protein-Packed Foods to Prioritize

Not all proteins are created equal.

When it comes to eating a protein-rich diet, try to stick to whole foods, like meats (chicken, tuna and salmon can provide 25 to 27 grams of protein per serving), eggs, tofu, cooked beans or lentils. Nuts and seeds, like walnuts and sunflower seeds, are also good sources of protein per serving according to Medline Plus. Cottage cheese has had a resurgence in popularity for its high-protein content and ability to be mixed or added into pretty much anything from egg wraps to cookie dough.

With snack protein, like processed protein bars, beverages, chips or jerky sticks, the nutritional value leaves much to be desired. These types of products may have a good amount of protein per serving, but also have high sodium, sugar and saturated fat, making them less healthy than they may appear. 90.8% of foods with protein claims received a “less healthy” classification from the Pan-American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, according to Medical News Today. The same model also found that, “about one-fifth of these products had sweeteners, about one-quarter had high free sugar or saturated fat and over 50% had high fat or sodium content.”

The key is everything in moderation, however. If you love your post-workout protein shake, that’s OK — just swap it for a whole protein every once in a while.  

This content is for informational purposes only. Always consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or starting any new nutrition plan.

Tell us how you meet your protein quota in the comments!

The holiday season is a time for celebration and good tidings, but it can also present a specific set of worries if you have a pet. From tempting but dangerous foods to harmful decorations, there are lots of unsuspecting risks that could put your beloved furry friend in danger.

Whether you’re staying home for the holidays or bringing your pet along to a gathering, stay cognizant of these potential hazards to keep your pet safe this holiday season.

Decorations

Decorations can be mesmerizing to pets, and that’s part of the problem. Because it stays packed away for most of the year, pets are curious and more likely to tamper with holiday decor. Christmas trees, for example, are notorious for attracting curious kitties. In this instance, find a way to secure your tree to prevent it from toppling over and potentially harming your pet as a result. Avoid using breakable ornaments at the bottom of the tree and opt for shatterproof decorations.

Tinsel and ribbon are also irresistible for pets, but if ingested can cause serious intestinal blockages that may require surgery. Keep these types of decorations out of reach or avoid using them altogether. When wrapping presents, designate a wrapping room or area that’s inaccessible to your pets where ribbon and the like are safely stored away.

If using string lights indoors, make sure to tape down or cover cords to discourage any chewing, which could result in electrical burns or shock. Speaking of mood lighting – while balsam and cinnamon scented candles are a staple for the season, always place them in areas of your home that are out of reach from your pets to avoid a potentially dangerous fire hazard.

Holiday Plants  

Many traditional holiday plants, while lovely to look at, are toxic to pets.

Poinsettias, although less dangerous than commonly thought, can still cause irritation to the mouth and stomach if chewed. Mistletoe and holly are more harmful, leading to serious gastrointestinal upset or even cardiovascular issues. Lilies are particularly lethal to cats, even in small quantities.

If you have pets in your home, consider using artificial plants made from silk or plastic to decorate, or make sure any real plants are kept far out of reach from any curious paws.

At The Dinner Table

One of the most common holiday temptations for pets comes from the kitchen. Rich, fatty foods like turkey skin and gravy can lead to pancreatitis, a painful and potentially life-threatening condition. In addition, bones from holiday meals – no matter how big – can splinter and cause choking or internal punctuation, which could lead to bleeding.

Many pet owners are aware that chocolate is dangerous to consume, but what about raisins? How about xylitol? All of these ingredients commonly found in holiday sweet treats are extremely toxic and can cause liver failure, even in small amounts. To avoid any mishaps, make sure to inform your guests about the importance of not feeding table scraps to your pets, and keep snacks and sweets away from table edges where they could be stealthily snatched.

Travel Safety

For some, the holidays are synonymous with travelling, and if you’re taking your pet with you on the road there are some safety measures to keep top of mind.

When driving, put your pet in a secure crate or use a pet seatbelt. Never let your pet roam freely in the car, as sudden stops can lead to serious injury. Before you leave, double check that your pet’s pet ID and microchip are up to date with your correct contact information.

If you’re flying for the holidays, check with your airline for their pet travel policies and consult with your vet about how to make the trip as stress-free as possible.

No matter how diligent you are when it comes to your pet’s safety, accidents can still happen. In these unpredictable moments, a pet insurance policy through AAA can provide the ultimate peace of mind. With pet insurance, you’ll have coverage for unexpected vet visits and emergencies, ensuring that your pet gets the care they need without causing financial strain.

Talk to a AAA insurance agent about pet coverage options.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your puzzle playing experience. Good luck!

Whether you’re hosting holiday celebrations this year or have been tasked with bringing a beverage to the gathering, you’ve got plenty of options. From soda to eggnog, the drink selection should be as varied as the guests themselves, and since everyone’s got different tastes, it’s good to switch it up.

Choosing to make a mocktail adds some sugar and spice to the usual drink options — plus, they’re fun for kids, designated drivers and anyone who prefers not to drink alcohol.

Try your hand at shaking things up with these crafty mocktails this holiday season.

Blood Orange Cranberry Fizz

Makes two servings.

• 1 blood orange, for slicing
• 1/2 cup blood orange juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 can ginger beer
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• 6 fresh cranberries, for garnish

Add the blood orange juice and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the fresh thyme and stir for 2 minutes or until it slightly thickens, and all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a glass with ice, add the syrup, cranberry juice and ginger beer. Top with a blood orange slice and fresh cranberries.

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Fig Rosemary Spritzer

Makes six servings.

For the mocktail:

• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fig preserves
• 3/4 cup elderflower tonic
• Fresh figs and rosemary, for garnish

For the cinnamon vanilla maple syrup:

• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

First, make the cinnamon vanilla maple syrup by combining all ingredients in a measuring cup and whisking until combined. Next, add all mocktail ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the cinnamon vanilla maple syrup mixture. Cover and shake until cold and combined, then distribute among six cocktail glasses of your choice.

Spiced Pear Sour

Makes one serving.

• 2 ounces nonalcoholic whiskey
• 2 ounces pear juice
• 3/4 ounces lime juice
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• Orange bitters (to taste)
• Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker full of ice and shake. Pour into the glass of your choice and add the cinnamon stick garnish.

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Jack Frost Tini

Makes two to three servings

• 4 tablespoons vanilla frosting
• 2 tablespoons edible glitter
• Snowflake or other festive sprinkles
• 5 ounces coconut milk
• 3 ounces nonalcoholic blue curacao-flavored syrup
• 2 ounces 100% pineapple juice
• 2 ounces cream of coconut

Start by rolling the rim of two cocktail glasses in frosting, then dip the rim into the edible glitter and sprinkles. If you’d like, add some glitter to the bottom of the glass as well. Set aside.

Combine coconut milk, blue curacao syrup, pineapple juice and cream of coconut inside a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for about 5 seconds, then pour into your prepared glasses.

Sugarpomme Twist

Makes three to four servings.

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup elderflower tonic
• 2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 1/2 cups tonic water (chilled)
• 1 1/2 cups club soda (chilled)
• Pomegranate seeds, to garnish

Pour all ingredients, except for the tonic water and club soda, into a pitcher and stir. When ready to serve, add the chilled tonic water and club soda to the mixture so that it is perfectly bubbly and cold.

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, an initiative led by MADD. If you choose to drink this holiday season, or any time, do not drive intoxicated.

It’s been said that danger lurks around every corner. This is never more true than on the road. Crashes can, and do, occur on any street, regardless of location, condition and speed limit. But not all roads are created equal. While some may have danger around the corner, others have danger all around. All this danger can make for some hair-raising drives.

Roads can be scary for a variety of reasons. Some travel through hazardous terrain, while others are so flat and straight they become breeding grounds for speeding and unsafe driving. You’ll find dangerous roads from coast to coast, in crowded metropolises and areas so remote they’re difficult to access.

Here’s a look at some of the scariest, nerve-racking roads in America.

Million Dollar Highway, Colorado

Officially known as U.S. Route 550, local legend says Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway got its moniker after an early traveler proclaimed she’d have to be paid $1 million to drive it again. 

Winding through Red Mountain Pass in the San Juan Mountains, the roadway is undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking in the country. But those stunning views don’t come easily. You’ll encounter steep cliffs and hairpin turns as you climb the highway more than 11,000 feet above sea level. If that’s not unnerving enough, the road, carved into the side of the mountains, has no guardrails. Throw in some harsh Colorado weather and the occasional rock slide and you have one of the most dangerous roads in the country, according to a list compiled by USA Today.

U.S. Route 1, Florida

Florida doesn’t have Colorado’s mountains, but it does have another lurking danger: It’s one of roughly half the country’s states without a full ban on using a handheld cellphone while driving. That might help explain why a recent study found that 17 of the 100 deadliest roads in America were in the Sunshine State, the most in the country. The research, which looked at death totals from 2015 to 2019, found Florida’s section of U.S. 1 to be the country’s second deadliest road. In total, 87 people died there over that time.

Most of the route up the eastern coast is straight as an arrow, inviting drivers to reach dangerous speeds. The southern end, known as the Overseas Highway, connects the Florida Keys to Miami. It consists of miles and miles of bridge driving, something many people find distracting or unsettling.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Louisiana

At nearly 24 miles long, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway holds the Guinness World Record for longest bridge over water. Depending on how you feel about driving for a half-hour suspended over a lake, the causeway can be a thrilling or nerve-racking experience. When you get toward the middle of the bridge, where dry land is completely out of view, it will likely veer toward the latter.

Being surrounded by water also leaves drivers open to the elements: The causeway can become enveloped in fog so thick that police have to usher drivers across the lake.

I-4, Florida

Interstate 4 between Tampa and Daytona Beach was once found to be the deadliest interstate in the country, recording 1.41 fatalities per mile. One explanation for the road’s high incident rate could be its route directly through Orlando, one of the country’s premier tourist destinations. “What’s the first thing they do when they get off the plane?” Glenn Victor of the Florida Safety Council asked Fox 35 Orlando. “They rent a car that they’re not familiar with and they’re on their GPS, so they’re looking at the phone and their GPS which, of course, is a distraction while they’re driving.”

I-45, Texas

Some roads are innately dangerous because of how they were designed or the terrain they traverse. Others are dangerous simply because of how many drivers use them – and the number of ensuing crashes they cause. The congested Galveston to Dallas section of I-45, which runs through downtown Dallas, was recently named the deadliest road in America by Budget Direct. Citing heavy traffic and driver complacency, the company found I-45 averages 56.5 fatal accidents for every 100 miles of roadway.

I-10, Arizona

Interstate 10 spans the width of the country, stretching from Jacksonville, Fla., to Santa Monica, Calif., but it’s the roughly 300-mile stretch through Arizona that has proven most foreboding. The highway’s long straight stretches through the desert are hot spots of high speeds, aggressive driving, illegal passing and inattentive drivers. Nearly 500 fatalities were recorded on Arizona’s I-10 over a recent six-year period.

I-15, Nevada and California

The 181-mile stretch of Interstate 15 connecting Las Vegas and Los Angeles is a straight, well-maintained roadway, conducive to safe traveling. And yet, it routinely ranks as one of the country’s most dangerous roads.

The problem isn’t the road – it’s the drivers. Motorists often speed on I-15 while traveling through the openness of the Mojave Desert. The fact they are likely coming or going from the party city of Las Vegas doesn’t help either. One study found that nearly a quarter of the crashes occurring on that section of the I-15 involved a drunk driver.

I-285, Georgia

Atlanta’s I-285 is known as “The Perimeter” because it circles the city in a 64-mile loop. It connects all the area’s interstates and highways and, in doing so, welcomes an onslaught of traffic, including tractor-trailers. The combination of congestion, sharp turns, interchanges and large trucks has turned I-285 into a lethal stretch of pavement. In 2015, Vox calculated the road’s fatality rate at 3.5 per every 10 miles, which, at the time, made it the country’s deadliest interstate.

U.S. Route 17, South Carolina

Winding through forests, marshlands and oceanside towns, South Carolina’s Highway 17 is one of the most scenic drives in the southeast. But looks can be deceiving. The road is filled with an endless number of sharp, blind turns and narrow lanes. The area is also home as well as an abundance of wildlife, creating other potential driving hazards.

All told, U.S. 17 in South Carolina is one picturesque – but perilous – drive. In fact, one study named it the country’s most dangerous highway for summertime travel.

Dalton Highway, Alaska

The James Dalton Highway stretches 414 miles through the Alaskan wilderness from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, located on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. The dirt-and-gravel roadway was constructed in 1974 to help facilitate the oil industry and to this day is mostly used to transport oil.

The Dalton traverses through some of Alaska’s most treacherous terrain, including forests, tundras, steep grades and the Yukon River. Traveling along the road is so dramatic, in fact, it’s the focus of the hit television show “Ice Road Truckers.” But what makes the Dalton Highway particularly dangerous is its remoteness. There are only three towns along the entire route, which includes a 240-mile stretch without a single gas station or rest stop. Should something happen to you along the way, it may take a long time to get help.

Highway 2, Montana

Montana is the country’s fourth-largest state by size but has the eighth smallest population. This means you can drive for a quite some time before coming across anyone else. Open roads can lead to pleasant drives, but they can also be quite dangerous. Nowhere is this more true than on Montana’s Highway 2, which stretches east-west across the northern end of the state.

The roadway maintains a 70 mph speed limit, even as it winds through some mountainous regions. And while the scenic nature may be eye-popping, it also means you’re far away from the nearest help. In 2021, the median EMS call in Montana took a total of nearly 45 minutes. That number only gets higher when first responders have to travel to and from remote Highway 2.

Road to Hana, Hawaii

Driving around the islands of Hawaii seems like a journey through paradise, but be careful what you wish for, especially if you’re traveling along Maui’s Road to Hana.

The 52-mile road connects Kahului to Hana along the island’s rugged eastern shoreline. And though the highway offers picturesque views of mountaintops, lush greenery and crashing waves, the Road to Hana is far from a luxurious drive. Along the way, you’ll encounter a whopping 620 turns and 59 narrow bridges. The route requires such caution it takes motorists anywhere from two to four hours to complete. That’s why the Hawaii Tourism Authority recommends traveling with a permitted tour company instead.

Have you driven on any of these dangerous roads? Tell us in the comments below.

Life insurance is an investment that offers a safety net for your loved ones and peace of mind for you, but finding an affordable plan may seem a bit daunting. High cost is the reason why 42% of consumers have not purchased life insurance. But there are many ways to get a low monthly premium and still have the coverage you need.

These are four tips you can employ to help save you money on your life insurance policy.

Start Early and Lock In Rates

More Millennials and Gen Z are looking into life insurance, and that’s a good thing; one of the best ways to pay less for life insurance is to start as early as possible. Age is a significant factor in determining life insurance premiums, as the risk of health complications increases as you age. Securing a policy when you’re young and healthy allows you to lock in lower rates for the duration of your coverage.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Insurers assess your overall health when calculating life insurance premiums, and the results can significantly impact your rate.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, a balanced diet and the avoidance of tobacco products are key factors that contribute to lower premiums. In fact, being a smoker can actually double your rate in comparison to a nonsmoker.

Choose the Right Type and Amount of Coverage

Selecting a life insurance policy that best aligns with your goals is crucial, and sometimes a pricier policy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option for you. Typically, you can opt to purchase either a term or permanent policy.

While permanent life insurance benefits are available anytime and have intrinsic cash value, term life insurance often allows you to purchase more coverage for less money. Because of this, a term life insurance policy is ideal for those purchasing life insurance with a budget in mind.

Compare Quotes

Life insurance quotes can vary significantly among providers, so taking the time to “shop” and compare is time well spent when it comes to your wallet.

When looking, consider factors such as coverage limits and exclusions, the carrier’s financial strength rating and what living benefits the policy carries (benefits the policyholder can access before a health event or death occurs) before making your choice.

Being proactive in your search allows you to make the best, most informed decision, leading to a good amount of savings over the life of your policy.

Get a Life Insurance Quote

We’ve all heard the phrase “you can’t burn the candle at both ends” to symbolize what happens if we overextend ourselves by working too much without rest. But in an increasingly stressful world where Americans are working more than ever, it seems that lots of candles are already totally burnt out.

This unique type of stress has a name: burnout, or occupational burnout. It is an all-encompassing state of physical and emotional exhaustion induced by chronic workplace stress. Sound familiar? You bet. Employee stress has been increasing for over a decade and remained at a record high in 2022, according to a survey conducted by Gallup.

So, we’re all stressed. What now?

Burnout Symptoms

Identifying burnout is the first step in addressing it. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is categorized by, “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.”

What Causes Burnout

Several factors contribute to these feelings, often stemming from a combination of professional and personal circumstances. Professionally, high work demands, lack of control, insufficient support and unclear expectations can create a perfect storm for burnout to rear its head. Individual traits like perfectionism and an inability to say ‘no’ can also increase the likelihood of burnout occurring.  

Dealing With Burnout

Studies have shown that employees who experience workplace burnout have a 180% greater risk of developing depressive disorders, making it even more important to know how to decrease its effects.

When it comes to beating burnout at work, prioritizing self-care is a must to replenish physical and emotional energy. Establish a routine that includes plenty of sleep, nutritious meals and regular exercise. Taking breaks throughout the day can also prevent burnout by allowing moments of relaxation to create space between stressful tasks.

Learning to set clear boundaries between work and personal life can help, too. Establishing limits on the amount of time and energy dedicated to work-related tasks prevents work from pooling into other areas of your life and creating a false sense of urgency.

Of course, reaching out for support when you need it is never a bad idea. Discussing your feelings with friends, family or a mental health professional can provide valuable insights and coping strategies to help you manage and overcome the feelings of burnout.

How to Prevent Burnout

Experiencing burnout once is more than enough. To avoid feeling its effects again, there are a few things you can do. First, regularly assess your stress levels and overall well-being. Incorporating self-reflection into your routine, like performing daily check-ins on how you feel, can identify potential stressors before they escalate. Overcommitting to tasks, assignments and projects can lead to overwhelming stress, so be selective about the tasks and responsibilities you take on by developing the ability to say ‘no’ when necessary.

Burnout is a real and prevalent challenge in our fast-paced world. Recognizing its signs, addressing its root causes and adopting a proactive approach to well-being can help in navigating and preventing burnout once and for all.

Have you ever experienced burnout? How did you resolve it? Tell us in the comments.

Watch as AAA Roadside Assistance technicians share heartfelt messages of gratitude from our members.

AAA Northeast provides roadside service to millions of members every year. Hearing that we’ve made a difference truly makes our day, every day — and we thank you right back.

Do you have a story or a note of thanks to give? Share it with us on our new membership story page, Hey AAA!

Sneezing, coughing and fever are classic flu symptoms — but eye irritation can also indicate a viral infection. Don’t dismiss persistent redness, swelling, tearing or light sensitivity as just a cold or allergies.

With flu season here and other respiratory illnesses circulating, it’s important to stay attentive to early warning signs.  After last year’s record-high number of flu and respiratory illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control has a similar outlook for 2025-2026.

Routine eye exams offer important benefits — including helping detect issues that may relate to seasonal illness — so keeping up with your appointments matters.

AAA Northeast members in Rhode Island can sign up for both dental and vision insurance through Delta Dental of Rhode Island.

How Flu Affects the Eyes

The flu impacts your entire body. When your immune system detects the virus, it releases chemicals to fight the infection, which can lead to eye redness, itching, tearing and light sensitivity. Swollen sinuses may add to the irritation, and dehydration from fever can also leave your eyes feeling dry.

Relief for Irritated Eyes When Sick

When illness leaves your eyes feeling sore, dry or swollen, these simple steps can help soothe irritation and prevent further discomfort.

• Apply cool compresses to the eyes several times a day to reduce swelling. Use a washcloth soaked in cool water or cucumber slices placed directly on the eyes.
• Stay hydrated. Drink water and other clear liquids.
• Hands off! Rubbing your eyes will make the irritation worse.
• Use non-prescription lubricating eye drops to relieve the discomfort.
• Check all your medications. Some drugs, including decongestants and antihistamines, can dry out eyes.
• Don’t wait too long to see a doctor if you have eye pain. Usually flu-related eye irritation is mild and does not last long, but in some cases could lead to complications like uveitis, an inflammation of the eye’s middle layer. Symptoms include blurred vision, redness and eye pain and may require treatment.
• Sleep with your head slightly elevated to help drain your sinuses and reduce facial swelling.
• Some people who have the flu develop conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, which causes redness, itching and tearing. Antibiotic eye drops usually clear up conjunctivitis in a few days.

Preventing Eye Irritation

Taking a few proactive steps can go a long way toward reducing your risk of eye irritation, especially during cold and flu season.

• Get a flu vaccine.
• Be vigilant about hygiene. Keep tissues handy and use them to cover your face and nose when you sneeze or cough.
• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
• To reduce sinus irritation, try using a humidifier to keep the air damp.
• Talk to your doctor about adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Some studies suggest they may help reduce eye and eyelid inflammation. Good sources include fatty fish such as salmon or tuna.

Stay on top of your yearly vision exams and don’t wait to see a doctor if dry, itchy or watery eyes continue this flu season. Rhode Island AAA members can also sign up for affordable dental and vision insurance through Delta Dental of Rhode Island.