Do I Need to be Careful of Poisonous Plants?

Now that spring has set in and we are spending more time outside with our family, it is important to review the potential hazards hidden in our gardens. In general, you should always talk openly with your children about the risks of eating any plant, except the ones in the refrigerator. For those of us with vegetable gardens, this lesson is particularly important as kids quickly learn that some plants are okay to eat right out of the ground. The best rule of thumb is to teach children not to eat any plant unless an adult they trust has specifically told them it was okay. Some parts of vegetable plants can still be poisonous, even if you world normally eat the fruit.

The following list is of poisonous plants that are commonly found in most backyards. Some are only irritating to the skin and others have the potential to cause death. For many of these it is best to avoid them in your yard and call poison control immediately if your child comes in contact with them.

1. Arum – potentially fatal.
2. Boxwood – all parts are highly toxic.
3. Calla Lily – irritant – causes burning in mouth, skin and eyes on contact.
4. Autumn Crocus – extremely toxic.
5. Daffodil – fatal in very large quantities.
6. Daphne – fatal especially if the fruit is eaten.
7. Delphinium – potential to be fatal if eaten.
8. Fox Glove – entire plant is poisonous, even if you just drink water from the flower cups. It has the potential to cause cardiac arrest.
9. Golden Chain Tree – seedpods can be fatal if eaten by small child.
10. Hellebore – potentially fatal.
11. Holly – berries can cause stomach problems if eaten.
12. Horsechestnut – toxic, but not fatal.
13. Hydrangea – can cause stomach problems if eaten.
14. Iris – entire plant is poisonous.
15. English Ivy – can cause severe stomach distress.
16. Lily-of-the-Valley – potentially fatal.
17. Mistletoe – potential for stomach upset.
18. Mountain Laurel – potentially fatal.
19. Nightshade – potentially fatal.
20. Rhododendron and Azalea – highly toxic.
21. Wisteria – can cause stomach upset.
22. Yew – toxic.

Find the best Auto Insurance for your Family

As parents we have to be particular careful with our family in the car. Especially as our kids grow and we are carpooling with their friends or even beginning to teach them to drive, safety skills and insurance quickly become a big issue!

As your needs change with the growth of your family, shop around for car insurance. When starting your car insurance rate comparison process, websites like www.carinsurance.com help make the process of discovering the best insurance at the best price, fast and easy. They provide auto insurance quotes for all 50 states and allow you to actually buy your insurance online. The site is easy to use and will save you both time and money.

An important notification from your friends at GEICO, advises auto owners, "A big part of our job at GEICO is providing safety measures to protect our consumers and prevent fraud. Now more than ever, we're spreading the word about what people can do to prevent their vehicles from being stolen...." Nancy Pierce recommended these steps to help reduce the chances your car will be targeted by auto theives:

1. Keep your vehicle locked at all times, even when driving and in your garage.
2. Never leave your keys in the car for any reason.
3. Park in busy well-lit areas.
4. Avoid leaving valuables in your car.
5. Install an anti-theft system.
6. Watch for the “bump-and-rob” trick where thieves carjack your car after a minor accident. If you do get bumped and feel threatened, drive to a populated area before getting out of your car and call the police on your cell phone.
7. Keep your registration in your wallet and your car’s title at home.
8. Know where you are going and be aware of your surroundings.
9. If a carjacker has a gun – give them the car – as it can be replaced, but you cannot!
10. Etch your car’s VIN number on the windows

What is an extra special gift for a child?

Buying a specific treasure item for your children while they are young is not only a special gift, but a potential investment in their future. A fun and potentially profitable example is buying silver coins. Long ago our dollars were actually backed by real money, real silver and gold. At that time gas was only 25-cents a gallon and you could buy 4 gallons of gas for a dollar – imagine that with today’s prices! Translating the relationship back then into silver, the same amount of silver today still buys that four gallons of gas. While the dollar has been devalued, real money like gold and silver has held its value far better than our current currency. Most people feel that prices go up over time, but actually it is the value of the dollar that goes down. Some investment experts recommend a portfolio should contain tangible assets such as gold or silver. Buying silver coins are a fun investment particularly for children because they can actually relate to the concept. While stocks and bonds are only pieces of paper to a child, silver and gold are fancy metals. If you are unsure how to proceed with buying precious metals, a company like Monex can help. They have been in business since 1967 and have helped more than one hundred thousand people with this type of transaction.

Mother's Day Thoughts

Celebrate Mother’s Day with these instant reminders of why it feels good to be a mom:

• The warm fuzzy head of a newborn snuggled in your arms.
• The excited giggle of your toddler as they play.
• Watching your naked baby waddle down the hall.
• The smell of your baby’s soft skin.
• Watching them walk off to their first day in kindergarten.
• The joy of when they make that first bike ride without training wheels.
• The songs they sing and make up as they go along.
• The silly things they say.
• The smiles and hugs at all the ages.
• Reading to your child all snuggled on the couch and later having them read to you.
• Hearing them sing in the shower.
• Watching their first performance.
• Overhearing the conversations with friends.
• Knowing that you have created the most amazing people on earth.

Happy Mother’s Day…. Enjoy!

Learning to Read

One of the first steps in learning to read is teaching letters. Help your child begin these important steps toward early reading with the following fun child learning games.

1. Start singing the alphabet song to your baby. Before you know it they will be singing it back to you! While the song will not actually teach your child letters, it begins the process of recognizing their names.

2. Begin by teaching the first letter of their name. Young children are very self-centered and enjoy anything that belongs to them. As the first letter of their name could become their letter, utilize this to help them recognize the letter in other places and matching the sound.

3. Take this a step further by growing the first letter recognition into name recognition. Label everything with their name and point out the letters. This will surely be the first word they learn to read, and the most important one!

4. Begin to point out words and letters in the environment, along within books. Explain the STOP sign and the Exit sign, let them look for them with you. Help them learn to recognize their favorite places and the words associated with them.

5. Be sure to always show your child both lower and upper case letters to help them learn both versions right from the start.

6. Try a letter of the week. Make foods that start with that letter and look for the letter as your drive around town. Make a special sign for the letter of the week and hang it on the wall.

7. Create letters out of unusual mediums, like blocks, play dough or if your brave, even food.

Ultimately make learning to read fun and avoid testing or drilling your child. Think of the activities your child enjoys and incorporate learning to read within their own passions.

How Did Father's Day Begin?

The origin of Father’s Day has an interesting story. While Mother’s Day has been around forever, Father’s Day actually began in the State of Washington by a woman named Sonora Dodd. She thought of the day while celebrating Mother’s Day in the year 1909. Her own father was named William Smart, who was a Civil War veteran. Mr. Smart was faced with the challenge of raising his family solo when his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child. On a rural farm in Washington State, he was a selfless single father of a newborn, plus the other five children. When Sonora became an adult, the impact of this sacrifice amazed her. A particularly loving and courageous man, his children held Mr. Smart in high esteem. In celebration of her father’s June birthday, Sonora organized a Father’s Day event on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. The craze caught on and has expanded into almost every American household.

Reward your own father with a special gift this year. Father’s are known for the goods they bring to the family, so a great gift idea is fathers day gift baskets of tasty foods. As they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!