When the power goes out, especially at night, isn’t it nice to be able to walk right over to the bathroom cabinet, kitchen drawer, garage, or wherever you keep your flashlight(s) and voila , let there be light!

Doesn’t always work that way, does it? Either the batteries are dead, extending the scavenger hunt in your Crown Point , Dyer , or Munster home for at least another ten minutes while you look for fresh batteries, or the flashlight isn’t there (now, when you need it most) to begin with. Maybe you have candles tucked away for these infrequent not-quite emergency situations. Again, are they still where you remember storing them? Do you remember where you stored them? Do you even own any candles?

Here are a few forethoughtful tips on ensuring you have ready and recharged access to illumination when the power goes down.

Store candles in plain sight. Many homeowners use decorative candles as part of their home décor. Dining room center pieces, fireplace mantle dressing, bath accents, you name it. Integrate candles in locations where you might otherwise place a vase of fresh flowers. Keep a multi-purpose lighter handy, but in a secure location away from children, instead of matches which require an ashtray or similar unsightly receptacle for cooling down after use.

Put a flashlight anywhere you have a sink. Under the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, powder room sink, and laundry room sink. That way you’ll have access to multiple flashlights in easy to remember locations. The only issue here is if you have children. Kids love flashlights. The easy solution is child-proof cabinet latches.

Like with the battery backup in your smoke detectors, replace your emergency flashlight batteries once a year. I suggest every holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Make it an annual part of decorating the house for the holidays.