Lots of holiday lovers have already put up their Christmas decorations and made their home feel cozy with lights galore. I think we're all familiar with Clark's over crowded outlet and how that turned out. Don't be a Griswold and take in these tips to prevent holiday blow outs and fires.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Administration, over 156,000 fires happen during the holiday season. The first thing you can do to prevent you from becoming part of that statistic, check your chords. Don't just check the extension cords, you need to take a look at the lights, any plug in decorations, even things you don't use everyday like electrical blankets. If there's ANY fraying, get rid of it.

Read the manufacturer's instructions on your Christmas lights to find out how much your outlet can handle. Even getting one of those outlet extenders won't prevent a fire if that outlet can't handle all those amps. Make sure you know what each area of your house can deal with and don't go over that amount. You'll blow a fuse, or even spark a fire.

Candle flames are one of the biggest causes of holiday fires. We all love the Christmas Cookie scent from Yankee Candle, but if that gets knocked over by the crazy cat or a piece of paper flies over the top of it, your house will smell much worse than those cookies. Using a candle holder and keeping out of reach of kids will help stop disasters.

Fireplaces can give off sparks when you aren't looking and then up she goes. It can even take awhile before you notice anything because embers can bury themselves in your rugs or carpet and can burn up to 12 hours. Using a fireplace screen and fire-resistant hearth rug are ways to stay safe while enjoying the crackling of a warm fire.

Finally, keep your Christmas tree away from ANY heat source. Keep your wreaths and trees at least a foot away from heaters.

Keep all these in mind and you'll continue to have your neighbors look at your house saying "She's a real beaut."