Out with the old, in with the new. If you've got broken or frayed strands of holiday lights, now's a great time to recycle them and buy new ones, especially because lots of stores mark down lights after Christmas.

Rather than throwing them out, take your old lights and extension cords to Village Hall, which will recycle them for free. Residents can leave lights in the recycling canister in the lobby during normal business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

While you're at it, if your tree has been up for more than four weeks, it's time to take that down, too.

"Christmas trees - real or artificial - can be a significant fuel source if a fire occurs in your home," National Fire Protection Agency spokesperson Lorraine Carli said in a press release. "If you decorated your real tree right after Thanksgiving, it should be discarded the week after Christmas, not New Year's Day."

The National Fire Protection Agency and Underwriters Laboratories offer some tips for storing holiday lights safely:

1. Never pull the cord to unplug a device from an outlet, since it can damage the cord and even lead to eletrical shock.

2. Inspect each string of lights as you put them away. Throw out strands with loose connections, cracked sockets or frayed wires.

3. Consider buying a holiday light storage reel to keep lights from tangling in storage. You can also make your own using a wrapping paper tube or a piece of cardboard with a hole cut in the middle.

4. Keep lights in a dry place, such as a suitcase, to protect from water damage. Store away from kids and pets as well.