I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s worth reiterating — I’m a huge worrier. And there’ve been times when, after minutes of being in the car on the way to visit family or go a vacation, I need to swing right back home. Is the door locked? Did I leave a candle burning? Should I have left on a light in the house somewhere to possibly prevent a break-in? It’s not a great way to start a trip, let me tell you.
The oven and stovetops are a biggie to worry about, since it’s often hard to tell if they’re still on. And, well, that situation happens to all of us — you pull a cake out a minute or so before the timer goes off to see if it’s done, and then get distracted when you do the toothpick test. Your brain is focused on frosting at that point, not the oven.
It’s important to check, but it’s also important to check for everyone else in the house. Sad to say, but even the people we love can be ignorant to how dangerous a left on appliance can be.
Thankfully, I just learned about a new way to ease my mind and make me enjoy summer vacation to the fullest.
Nicole Dieker from Lifehacker wrote that the best way to make these outings more enjoyable is to make it a habit to snap a photo of your appliances before you leave the house — namely, the oven and burners.
Here’s why. Even if you’ve told yourself 100 times that the stove is off, you might doubt yourself by day two or three of your vacation. The brain is a funny thing, and images of last week’s tomato soup and Thursday’s roast chicken might enter your brain. Then the mental images of your house on fire will make you unnecessarily hyperventilate — especially if you have pets at home. Aside from befriending the neighbors and pestering them with a text (which is fine once, but probably just once), a photo of your stove that was taken immediately before you left your house is a good reminder that it’s off. If your trigger is the fireplace, feel free to snap a picture of that too. Just make sure it’s in your standard “leaving the house” routine.
So, next time you find yourself in a panic? Just look at your phone. Your camera feed will give you all the proof you need that everything’s safe and secure.
