Day-O!

Day-O! Me say Day, Me say Day-light Saving Time?

Sunday March 13th brought the start of Daylight Saving Time for 2011.

This occurs every year, whether we want it to or not - however not everyone participates as some jurisdictions don't bother with this custom, which would be fine by me.  Regardless, some of us experience a Daylight Saving Time (DST) drag (or DSTd) that could linger for weeks.

There are some preventative measures that we could take to lessen the effects of the one hour time change.

• Practice good sleep habits: Maintaining consistent bedtime and wake up times  - even on the weekends - will aid in the adjustment
• Control the lighting: Lighter evenings and darker mornings may make the change more noticeable and add to your tiredness or inability to fall asleep. Simple use of a little lighting or the curtains to your advantage to gradually get used to the change
• Keep meals on schedule and don't skip 'if you're not hungry'
• Get the kids/others on track: If the whole household is adjusted, it makes for an easier time of it

Keeping with the spirit of Treading Lightly, this time of year is a great time to remind us of taking care of a few simple but important items around the house.

• Change (or charge) the batteries in your smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarms - this should be done once a year, might as well do it the same time every year and make a tradition out of DST
• If you don't have a carbon monoxide detector, now is a good time to invest in one
• If you have a sump pump, check it and it's back up system (if it has one) as this time of year usually brings some thawing weather and the sump pump may be called into action soon
• Check your furnace and other home heating equipment - it's been a long winter and now is as good a time as any to do some routine maintenance
• Check the chimney and venting for changes or blockages, inside and outside
• Ensure all drains are free flowing, free of kinks and are emptying where they should
• Change that furnace filter (or clean the filter system)
• Clean the humidifier as necessary
• Remember to call a qualified heating professional if you encounter any difficulties or are unsure of anything

The origins of DST do have their roots in conservation of power resources by shifting the active hours of our activity to save on lighting and heating loads, but the success of this practice is controversial and many debate whether there are any benefits at all.

That's all, adjust well, and remember to keep those filters clean... Daylight come and me want to go home.