Prepare for the worst by developing a fire escape plan and making sure everyone in your household knows what to do in case of a fire. Your plan should identify all available exits from each room and routes that lead from the room to a safe, open-air space. Designate a meeting space away from your house, such as a neighbor’s yard or a mailbox across the street.  It’s important that your exit routes do not lead to a closed-in area that would prevent escape away from your home, like a gated courtyard. It’s best that any gates or fences can be easily unlocked or unlatched from inside.  Make sure everyone in your household knows how to unlock or unlatch any doors, windows, gates, or fences. Routinely inspect any and all of these potential obstacles to be sure they will actually provide a means of escape in the event of a fire. Practice your plan every few months, including at night, which is when fires are most deadly since it’s more difficult to find a safe exit. When making an escape plan, take any handicaps or abilities into account. If you or someone in your household depends on glasses or hearing aids and will need them in order to find their way out, make sure they’re always on a nightstand or other handy spot. Make sure wheelchairs, canes, and other means of mobility assistance are by their user’s bed or easily accessible.  It’s best for anyone with mobility issues to sleep on the ground level of a multi-story home. Contact your local fire service’s non-emergency number and tell them about anyone in your household with special needs that should be kept on file. Stay as low to the ground as possible while you swiftly make your way to the nearest exit, especially if there is smoke in the area you’re located. Smoke inhalation can cause you to lose consciousness, and the freshest air will be closest to the ground since smoke and toxic chemicals rise. In addition, staying low below smoke will increase your ability to clearly see your escape path. Never open a door if the doorknob feels hot. That means there’s most likely a fire behind it, and opening the door will put you in danger and fuel the fire with oxygen. If your primary means of escape is blocked by a hot doorknob or other obvious sign of fire, find an alternate route or a window.  Use the back of your hand to feel doorknobs, rather than your palm. The thinner skin on the back of your hand is more sensitive to heat, so you’ll notice heat before getting burned. Open any doors you come across slowly and be prepare to quickly shut it in case you encounter fire or smoke. Even if you’re scared, it’s most important never to hide under a bed, in the closet, or anywhere else during a fire. If you hide during a fire, firefighters or other responders won’t know where you are. Try not to panic, and do your best to remain calm and make your way to the nearest way out of your house. If all possible exits are blocked, it’s important that you do everything you can to let any emergency responders know where you are. If you have a phone handy, call emergency services to let them know your exact location. Yell for help, shine a flashlight at a window, or find a light colored cloth or clothing item to signal out the window. If you are stuck in a room, cover all vents, close the door and put a towel, clothes, or anything on hand that can suitably cover any cracks around it. This will help keep smoke and fire from entering the room.

Summary: Have an escape plan and practice it. Plan around the abilities of everyone in your household. Stay low and crawl to an exit to avoid smoke inhalation. Feel doorknobs to see if they’re hot. Don’t hide in the event of a fire. Know what to do if your escape routes are blocked.


If you want an easy, day-to-day hairstyle , grab some bobby pins or small hair clips! Twist your hair in small sections about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) wide, and secure the sections with bobby pins or clips. Repeat this until all of your hair is secured. This creates an easy up-do great for all sorts of looks!  This is great for the office and casual looks. If you want a little volume, tease your hair as you pin it. In addition, you can pin back just your bangs instead of all of your hair. Use either to conceal your hair, if it is an awkward length. If you want a pulled-together look even on days when your hair won’t lay flat, simply rock a headband or a cool hat! You can choose from fabric, metal, or plastic headbands in countless styles and colors. You can also try all sorts of different hats, such as fedoras, baseball caps, and newsboy caps. You can adjust the placement of the band so it either sits on top of your hair or pushes your hair back.  For elastic headbands, pull the band over your head, and then pull it back over top of your hair. For plastic or metal headbands, slide the band directly on top of your hair. Headbands work great for casual and elegant styles. You can use a fabric headband in a bright color for casual looks, or purchase a metal headband with rhinestones for a formal style. In addition, you can also use bandanas or scarves in place of a headband. Simply fold up the fabric on the long edge so it is about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) thick, and tie it around your head. Double-knot the ends so it stays in place. If you are growing frustrated with flat spots, bushy sides, or persistent cowlicks, consider trying a wig or investing in extensions! Either option can provide you with a temporary solution as your hair grows out. However, wigs allow you to try out all kinds of different hair colors and styles. If you try a wig, simply place it over top your existing hair. You can easily clip in extensions at your roots, as well.  You can purchase these at beauty supply stores or online. Go with a hair piece that matches your hair color, or try a bold color. You can have some fun and experiment with different looks with both wigs and extensions.

Summary: Pin your hair back with clips or bobby pins, for an easy up-do. Throw on a headband or hat. Experiment with extensions or wigs.


This is much more expensive, but significantly lowers the number of steps needed to sound-proof a room. You install like normal, and it is specially made to absorb sounds and frequencies. Dry blown insulation requires that you attach a netting to the exposed wall, which catches the cellulose and holds it on the wall. It takes a bit more time, but it is doable by yourself without expensive equipment. All you need is a standard hopper. . Purchase it in bulk, then cut it to fit each panel of the wall. Slide it in place and attach to the back of the wall according to the manufacturing instructions. This is much harder to work with, and get right, but it can be cheaper and makes much less of a mess. To use it:  Wear a respirator at all times. Seal any electrical boxes with soundproof caulk.  Cut your insulation (R-11 fiberglass works well) with a utility knife. Screw backing boards, like 1/2 plywood, to the edges of the wall to provide a base for drywall nails. Attach the resilient channels, long metal bars, horizontally across the wall. Instead of installing the first sheet like normal then proofing and installing the second, simply apply the glue straight to the first sheet. Work in a zig-zag pattern, covering the whole sheet and then install it like normal. Afterward, continue on with the noise-proof caulking. Basically, sound is transmitted through vibrations, so touching walls will vibrate each other more than walls that don't touch. Decoupling is when you separate the walls to prevent sound transmission. Keep in mind that resilient channels are prone to failure, and is not specified by the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association, so be careful. You could also:  Float the walls or floor Isolating studs with joist gasket tape. STC is used to tell you how good a material is at soundproofing. A higher STC means it will do much better at soundproofing. Aim for materials with an STC between 30-40.
Summary: Consider buying "quiet rock" instead of normal drywall. Try installing the simpler, easier "dry blown" cellulose. Fill the cavity between the studs with a fiberglass or mineral wool insulation instead of damp blown cellulose Apply a single layer of drywall with soundproofing compound. Isolate or float your drywall off of the studs by using resilient channel or sound isolation clips. Understand Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings when choosing construction materials.