Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Holiday Flower Fun & Cautions for Houstonians


Holiday Fun in Houston:
Holiday fun on a budget is still do-able. Ask your kiddos to help you find Christmas flowers to decorate your home or porch. Poinsettias start around $4 (larger arrangements are about $10) and add great color for the season. This also provides an easy photo opp for Christmas cards and photo frames for family members. Remarkably, poinsettias are not as dangerous for kids as they once were thought, although most experts advice watching your kids around all plants and holiday decorations.

"Poinsettias are often thought of as one of the most dangerous holiday plants, but research has found that a 50-pound child would have to eat 500 to 600 leaves to be affected," said Ward Upham, instructor of horticulture, forestry and recreation at K-State.

Closer to home, experts at Texas Children's Hospital have published a helpful tip sheet for decorating your home with children under foot. Texas Children's Hospital suggests: "Mistletoe and holly can be poisonous and poinsettias can irritate a child’s mouth and throat." The point is: put your holiday plants out of kiddos' reach or on a porch, where you're able to watch them closely. The holidays present plenty of hazards (Uncle Larry and his overpowering cologne not withstanding!) without inviting dangers for our kids.

A special thanks to the MOPS in the Heights group, which welcomed me today as a speaker. I truly appreciate your support.

Until the next nap time...

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