Author Archives: emilyharper

Emily Harper is a busy housewife, and is also an active member of the neighborhood watch. She is passionate about empowering families on ensuring safety by investing in home security technology. She worked in marketing but is now keeping her readers up-to-date with the latest security technology through writing. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her two sons, and a cat named Theodore. To contact Emily, please email emilyharper80@gmail.com or go to www.securityocean.com.

Guest Post: Peace Of Mind While Vacationing With Home Security

When you go on vacation, you want to make sure your home is safe. Many criminals in the area target homes that are not being occupied – it’s the primetime to get in and get out – with all of your valuables. Anyone who’s seen Home Alone can appreciate the value of a home security system – especially since not everyone is going to leave their child home to protect everything inside.

“There are some different home security systems that you can look into in order to provide security for you, your family and your home,” explains Erin Raub, Senior Editor at Safe Sound Family. Some of the most common systems include:

- Monitored systems

- Flood lights

- High pitched alarms

- CCTV security

Not all of the home security systems work all of the time – especially when you’re not at home to do anything about an intruder or a potential intruder on your property. Therefore you will want to choose your system wisely – and be sure that you have a backup system as well.

“While it’s always nice to live in a secure neighborhood with a security gate when you drive in and a neighborhood watch program that’s always looking out for things, life isn’t always that easy,” says Raub. “This means that you will have to take matters into your own hands – and find a viable solution for your home security.”

The monitored systems can either be hardwired to the phone systems or they can be wireless. Both have advantages and disadvantages. In the end, however, the one that is wired can be cut if the burglars know what they are doing – which means that your home is left vulnerable. When you have a monitored system, an alarm is triggered that goes to a call center. The call center then makes a notification to the authorities.

When you are on vacation and cannot make a call on your own, this is the kind of security that’s going to give you the greatest peace of mind. You want someone who’s going to call the authorities so you know that someone is headed out to your home to check things out. If you don’t have anyone going out to your home, you don’t really know if anything was stolen, damaged or otherwise tampered with. If you are on vacation, the monitoring company will also notify you so you are not left in the dark as to what’s going on with your home.

This isn’t to say that monitoring is the only system that you want in your home. Especially when you’re on vacation, if you can help it, you’d rather not have a burglar come close enough to your home to trigger an alarm that’s going to send people out to your home. Instead, you want to do what you can to deter the criminal from the very beginning.

While a dog barking can work in some cases, you may not have left your dog home alone when you’re on vacation. Instead, you may want to use flood lights and high pitched alarms to deter a criminal. If they get close enough to your home, lights will come on. As they get even closer and touch something, the high pitched alarms can start going off.

The CCTV security system, where you have closed caption cameras in place with a TV inside may not be the best security when you are on vacation, but many burglars will look for the cameras. If they see a camera placed anywhere on the home, they may skip your house simply because they don’t want to take the chance of being caught on TV.

Whether you’re going to the beaches, the mountains or anywhere else on the planet for your vacation, you want to be able to kick back and relax, knowing that your home is safe without you watching over it. Some kind of home security system is needed and it’s always best when you combine a few different types of security in order to get the maximum benefit.

You don’t want to get back from a peaceful vacation only to find out that your house has been broken into. It will make it harder to catch the culprit because you won’t know when it happened, which makes it harder for the authorities.

It’s best to invest in a home security system so you can set it and enjoy your vacation.

 

About the Guest Author: Katelyn Roberts is a family fun and safety enthusiast who contributes to a variety of blogs based on her knowledge and experience. She is always looking for new crafty idea and opportunities to enjoy with her family and friends alike.

March 8, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

Musings…

“Even if you were to study your own life in detail and relive each moment that you suffered, sweated and smiled beneath the sun, you would still never know exactly when you had been useful to someone else.”

-Paulo Coelho

Life is beautiful.

 

His words struck me.

His simple words filled with so much depth and meaning struck me. Perhaps it was the heavy truth in his lines, or the fact that I can relate to it… Or maybe both.

I’ve been like every other girl before while growing up. When I was young, I faced problems here and there. I thought then that I had the world in my shoulders—all alone, with no one by my side to help me with my troubles.

Perhaps that was the time I found solace in writing. I’m not exactly sure about the details now. Perhaps I’ve started writing even before then but I do remember that I found comfort in writing. It helped me somehow. It calmed me down, even just a little. I went out and did things I’ve never done before. But somehow, it felt like something was missing.

Then I met him.

James Harper was the one who finally brought a smile to my face. He was the one who silently told me that I wasn’t alone… That I’ll never be alone. He was the one who showed me that I was something wonderful.

And now, I really have something wonderful—my family. My husband, my two kids, and even my dog—they’re the ones I’m living for now.

James has always told me how he’d never be without me. I didn’t believe him at first, knowing that he was intelligent enough to do things on his own. But as I think about it, I couldn’t have done some things without him too. Perhaps we’re really balance each other out.

As I think about it more, Coelho was right. You’ll never really know how much you’ve been useful to someone, even if you try your best to find it out.

 

February 8, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

How I end up in Los Angeles?

I’m an Angeleno at heart. Though originally, I’m a Brooklyn girl, Los Angeles has never felt like a second home to me.

Before moving in L.A., I have been active in freelance writing. Back in my college days, I would win in essay writing contests, and even in rhetoric recitals. I believe that at that moment, I was drawn to do something I never thought I will end up doing – writing. I have published materials in magazines, while some, ranged from everyday photos. Bowling and musicals are the theme of my photography, which is why I pretty much stayed in bowling alleys and theater houses back then, taking random pictures of people or anything that catches my attention. Mostly, my photos are in black and white and embraced gestures of people. Below are some samples.

Bowling

Bowling alley at Maple Lanes

Merriam Theater

Merriam Theater, Philadelphia

Because of the new found feat, I took up classes in Focus Camera, a specialty school in Brooklyn, to hone my skills, and better my knowledge in photography. We had our first exhibit in Los Angeles County Museum of Art where I met the likes of Alan Maclean, Terry O’Neill, and Josef Hoflehner. The display was grand, and utterly a mimic of the self- aggrandizing, red carpet event. It was a privilege to have my work viewed, and appreciated by the public. A person, in the name of James Harper, approached me and said that mine were the best he yet had seen his entire life. I should have concurred since he’s an architect, if only he did not flash the killer smile, because I fell in love right away. We had several talks over some coffee, and the next thing I knew, he proposed, and asked me to live with him in Los Angeles where he promised me to build a house for the both of us, and move in, once I was ready to leave Brooklyn.

It took me a year to finally cement my decision, since I have to cater some activities in progress, just like my career in writing and photography. But after getting married to him, and adapting to L.A., the decision was all worth it. And on top of it, we had two, adorable sons.

November 3, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

Why Musicals don’t Suck?

It seems that musicals are starting to branch out from the confines of its theater houses yet again. Word has been going on for months that Les Miserablés, the third longest running musical on Broadway, has gotten a screen adaptation set to be released in December.

Movie adaptations of theater musicals have garnered mixed reviews through the years. Most of the movie-watching demographic of this generation—particularly the younger ones—are torn between calling movie musicals as “cheesy” and “boring,” or “art”.

The only recent (sort-of) musical that has actually garnered a cult-following was Disney’s infamous High School Musical, but it was only targeted at teens and not particularly at a large audience. At least, it brought back attention to the movie musical form.

In the last decade, movie musicals have appeared on box offices every now and then (aside from Disney animated films), like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Hairspray, the Phantom of the Opera, and Sweeney Todd to name a few. These movie musicals, despite winning numerous awards, aren’t exactly mega box-office hits.

Some say it’s the unrealistic portrayal of people suddenly bursting into song in the middle of a tense or dramatic scene that sets them off, saying that it breaks the flow of the story. In a non-movie musical, Glee is actually taking these turn offs into a good light. People are no longer suddenly bursting into song, but the songs are actually integrated into the story without breaking its flow.

Musicals aren’t cheesy and boring. If one tries to get past that notion, they will find that many musicals deal with a wide range of topics like identity, culture, war, and even death. Musicals aren’t about people acting then suddenly singing onstage just to show off their talents. It’s about masking these topics into a form and presenting it into a form that people can easily relate to.

October 15, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

About the Blogger: Emily Harper

I am you; you are me. You are the waves; I am the ocean. Know this and
be free, be divine.

Hello everyone! I am Emily Harper, the founder of Security Ocean.

My mission is to provide an essential, go-to site for households who want to ensure safety and security in their homes. Also, to bring moms together, and promote the online mom community.

Security Ocean chronicles my life as an active member of the neighborhood watch, while being a full- time mom to 2 sons. Because of the opportunities I gained in making the locality safer, I became passionate in reaching out to, and enlightening people about preventing crimes, and employing strategies while raising social interaction.

I worked in marketing before, until my husband went into military. His absence in the family circle made me vigilant, and more protective. This is one of the reasons why I joined the crime prevention program.

My sons, named Charlie, 12 and Scott, 10 are the love of my life. Between picking up toys and shuttling my sons to school and after school activities, you can find me typing away at my laptop on the kitchen counter.

Aside from text- heavy updates on security, precautions, or anything in between, I also want to be able to make a difference for the many moms in cities and towns, and burbs nationwide by providing them information with value, sharing them how I balance work, my interests, and motherhood in this crazy digital world, and perhaps more than anything, the camaraderie that helps get you through the long day.

Prior to blogging, I already have written to publications and websites in Brooklyn before moving in to Los Angeles. These include but not limited to: Nerve, Fence Magazine, Redbook, Wellesley Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Ladies Home Journal, the Onion, the Sun, and PBS.org.

Much of my day is spent writing posts, reading, and answering emails, and pretty much everything else one does when in an office, except that I have the privilege of staying at home, which means I could interact with my kids and Theodore, our cat, in between everything else. I love what I do and know how lucky I am to be able to do it. At the end of the day, Mozart’s music will be heard through the entire house.

October 10, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

How to avoid being burglarized?

How will you know if you’re already a target of thieves? Find out what they could be looking for to know how to avoid being burglarized.

1)     Profiling. Burglars count on routines to create this window where they could take advantage. Little changes in your routine can be a great deterrent for burglars who could be profiling you. This is the same knowledge we apply on our neighborhood watch, avoiding predictability.

2)     Looks Easy. Burglary is premeditated. If your house looks easy, you fit the plan. What makes your home an easy target? If the house has poorly maintained lawns and façade, or if a condo has simple door mechanism, it’s an easy target. A study suggests that 30% of burglaries occur without using force. Make your home look like a fortress or complex enough for burglars to think twice.

3)     The Getaway. Most of the time the heist is over before it began. Burglars count on swiftly easing through your home, getting the first thing on sight with the most value and take off.

4)     The People in your Neighborhood. Who are the people in your neighborhood? Take time to know. It pays to know. As USAonwatch.org, a neighborhood watch program, suggests that familiarity is a big factor among perpetrators. It is therefore logical for the solution to come from within the community.

5)     A Building Full of Strangers. With the boom of living in condominiums as a convenient, safe and secure way of living come a real risk, you are an easier target. If security is lax or easy to get around to, thieves can easily disappear with the high density of people coming in and out of your building. Get involved with your high-rise community.

6)     Crime of Opportunity. Sometimes it’s just an unlocked door and a burglar passing by, taking chance. Prevalent in buildings, where a false sense of security give you a tendency to be lax knowing that guards are downstairs doing their job. Do your part: lock your door, and close your windows.

7)     What’s inside? In that little amount of time, they know where to look. And that means from the safe to the sock drawer. Things of value lying around and easy to carry are the first ones to go.

It is a little dismal that there is an average of over 2 million burglaries happening all over the country. More dismal is the fact that it happens at home 66% of the time. Like most ills, prevention is our best cure. It’s good to know that little things that we can easily do daily can help prevent us from becoming victims.

September 26, 2012Permalink Leave a comment