To keep pipes from freezing in the winter wrap any exposed pipes in heat tape and insulation and insulate any other pipes underneath your home or in your basement.
You can also keep cabinets open where pipes are exposed to let heat to those pipes and keep the faucets dripping.
If you have young kids or babies in the house put anything poisonous up high out of the child's reach if you must leave the cabinets open.
If you're gonna be away from the house longer than a few days then shut the main water supply off and leave the faucets open.
Also if there's any exposed pipes in the garage make sure the garage door stays closed and you insulate those pipes and apply heat tape the pipes as well.