PLEASE READ!!! Important info about house fires!

One of my fave blogs, Young House Love posted this very important information.  I know after reading this story I realized how little my husband and I have done in case of a house fire.  Please follow the link to Young House Love and read the story of Melanie and her family who watched their 2000+ square foot home go down in flames in less than an hour.  Thankfully, Melanie and her family got out of the house safely.  After their experience, Melanie so kindly sent Young House Love a list of "must do's" for every homeowner.

1. Subscribe to an online data backup service (my external back up drive sat right next to my laptop in my office)
2. Keep passports in a safe deposit box
3. Take pictures of each room initially and update them as improvements are made (storing them somewhere offsite – like Flickr)
4. Take pictures and keep hyperlinks of all expensive purchases, including jewelry
5. Hire an architect (my dad in our case) or use floorplanner.com to document each floor layout along with precise wall/ceiling measurements, each outlet, light switch, crown molding, other trim, type of flooring, any unique items to structure of property
6. Put phones in a consistent place each night
7. Get fire ladders for any second floor bedrooms
8. Scan each photo and receipt, again keeping them offsite, or on an online data backup service
9. Do not be frugal with homeowner’s insurance. Spend the extra $50 per year for the most coverage