As you light your holiday with shining stars and shimmering snowmen, be sure to decorate safely. For a happy – and safe – holiday, follow these tips from Nodak Electric Cooperative:

• Use lights approved for safe use by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
• Avoid overloading electrical outlets with too many decorations or electrical devices. They can overheat and cause a fire. 
• Never connect more than three strands of incandescent lights together.
• Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground- fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). 
• Always unplug electrical decorations before replacing bulbs or fuses.