To Fry or To Bake? That is the Question

Oh the weather outside is frightful… Well, depending on when you read this, since Texas can’t decide whether it wants to be winter or summer. On any giving day it could be winter in the morning and summer by noon. If the weather could just change like that all year long and give us a break during the blistering hot summers, that’d be great. Hopefully we get some kind of, at least, cool weather for the holidays.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. To give thanks of course, but also for all the delicious food. Turkey (fried or baked), stuffing (or dressing). That’s always a debate in our house on what to call it), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and gravy over all of it. Well, maybe not the sweet potatoes. And then there’s all the desserts… Great. Now I’m starving.

Speaking of turkey, what do you prefer?  Fried or baked? Personally, I like the fried turkey. Here’s why, I don’t have to stay up all night long, basting the turkey to make sure it doesn’t dry out. I think I was scared from the turkey gone wrong in the movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. Someone did not stay up to baste that turkey is my guess.

There is a right way and a wrong way to fry a turkey. If you haven’t ever fried a turkey, make sure you are absolutely certain that you know how to do it the right way. Awful accidents have occurred when done the wrong way. Our good friends over at Paul Davis Emergency Services of Keller sent out an email talking about Holiday cooking safety. It also had a link to an article by Popular Magazine, “How to deep-fry a turkey without killing yourself" with just the right information on what to do, what not to do and how to clean up frying a turkey.

I highly suggest reading the article in its entirety before you get your turkey frying on. Luckily we have a couple volunteers to actually fry a turkey and be videoed while frying. Let’s have a big, warm welcome for Eddie and Jason. They are our turkey frying duo. Enjoy the video and remember, do your research and make sure you know how to fry a turkey the right way. 

Kirkwood Agency Annual Christmas Open House Mixer & Shopping Extravaganza!

It's that time of year again for the Kirkwood Agency Annual Christmas Open House Mixer & Shopping Extravaganza!

Join us for a night of fun, food, friends and shopping.

We'll have several vendors, including:
Young Living Essential Oils, Shawnee C Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, Miss Vick's Cake Balls and Rum Cakes, MK's Glam Shack, The Knot Salon, LuLaRoe Bates Boutique VIP Group, Threads of a Feather, Averee Grace Designs and Wine Tasting by Un WINED with Annie.

Make plans to stop by, we know it's a busy time of year, but you can get some Christmas shopping done and see some great people!

Door prizes every hour.

Adopt an Angel for local senior citizens.

Stop by Tangle Salon and Boutique next door for more Christmas shopping.

Who's Ready for the 2017-2018 School Year?!

Can you believe that it's almost time for school to start? Summer sure did go by fast. Summer as in summer vacation for the kiddos, not the weather...

With that being said, here are the start days and links to get your school districts 2017-2018 calendar:

Keller ISD starts August 15th

Northwest ISD starts August 28th

Grapevine Colleyville ISD starts August 21st

Southlake Carroll ISD starts August 28th

K-8th grade calendar

9th-12th calendar 

Fort Worth ISD starts August 21st

Have a great 2017-2018 school year! 

To all the 2018 Seniors, you are almost done! You can do it! 

Mosquito Season! The Season We All Look Forward To, Said No One Ever!

No one in the history of mankind has ever loved the sound of a mosquito buzzing around their ear or worse yet getting bit by one! I’m not sure how true that is but I’m pretty certain no one has ever loved the sound of a mosquito. Half the time you can hear them loud and clear but can’t see them until they’ve bitten you and then it’s too late. And aren’t they just so sweet to leave you a souvenir (or a few souvenirs) for you to deal with for the next few days… More than anything, they are the definition of a nuisance. 

There’s no real way to wipe them off the face of the earth. I know because I searched the internet longer than I probably should have and found nothing. However, we can protect ourselves as much as possible from them. There are sprays and lotions to protect ourselves but there are also ways to prevent mosquito activity. There are a few different plants you can have around the house, inside and out, that work as deterrents.

 

One thing I’ve always heard is to make sure there is not standing water in or around your house. Those are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. When I see that I instantly get itchy and want to dump it over which in most instances I do. Whether at my house or anyone else’s house. Birdbaths are among one of the standing water places I didn’t think about but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mentions birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, tires, buckets, planters, and trash bins are also breeding ground for mosquitoes.

 

Here’s a NOT so fun fact for you. The CDC put together this illustration for us to see the life cycle of a mosquito. For more information, visit there site at https://www.cdc.gov.

So what can we do to prevent getting bit? One of the repellents the CDC  suggests using is DEET. The higher the percentage the longer amount of time you’ll be protected. They also recommend to read the label on how to put it on correctly to insure that you are protected properly. Now it doesn’t say that if you use DEET that you are completely immune to mosquito bites unfortunately. And as for babies and small children it suggests not to use them on babies 2 months and younger. If you have a baby that young, make sure to dress them in clothing that covers as much of their body as possible. Also, never apply repellent onto your kiddos hands, eyes, mouth or places on the skin that are irritated or open wounds. If you are interested in using a repellent that is natural, click EPA to visit website for more information. 

While searching through the internet to find better ways to prevent these pesky mosquitos from hanging around the house, I came across an article from Rodale’s Organic Life, “8 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes Naturally”. Did you know that there’s a plant that is actually called, well… Mosquito Plant. The article said that, even though it’s called a Mosquito Plant (Citrosum) it’s the least effective plant when it comes to mosquito control. However, if it is the only thing around, it says you could crush the leaves on your skin to provide a bit of protection.

 

These are the other 7 plants:

Lemon Balm – keeps mosquito bites low but the plant can take over your garden.

Basil – it is toxic to mosquito larvae so it suggests planting it around any natural water sources.

Lavender – I’ve always known lavender to be a smoothly plant. Apparently not for mosquitoes (as well as moths and flies). They’re not big fans. It also says to rub the leaves on your skin to release the oils.

Peppermint – so this plant keeps adult mosquitos away and not only kills their larvae but also larvae of other species. It has to be concentrated to work the best.

Sage and Rosemary- for those of you who enjoy gathering around a campfire, Organic Life says to toss sage or rosemary into the fire. The smell it of either of them burning is not a pleasant one for mosquitos and other insect. The only thing is that you will have to stay near the fire.

Catnip- you have to be careful with this one. It works in 2 ways – a repellent for insects but also it attracts cats. So if you do not want to have cats hanging around, maybe try one of the other 7 plants.

 

I hope these options help with battling those pesky mosquitoes. If you or anyone you know happens to know how to wipe them out permanently we would love for you to share with us. 

 

Illustration by CDC

 

Kirkwood's Class Act for the Month of May is...

The last Kirkwood's Class Acts Teacher of the Month for the 2016-2017 school year is...

Mrs. Stephanie Worrell of Hillwood Middle School. Thank you for being there for our kiddos! You are greatly appreciated! And thank you to Mrs. Kathleen Eckert for letting us come in to present Mrs. Worrell with her awards.

Friends, if your child had a teacher, counselor, principal, etc... that has made a huge difference in their life, please lets us know. We will be taking a summer break but you can still submit your nominations to us for the 2017-2018 school year. Please send your nominations to Stephanie at stephanie.ekirkwood@farmersagency.com with the special educators name, school they are at and a brief summary of why you think they should be our next Kirkwood's Class Acts, Teacher of the Month. It does not have to be a teacher as Mrs. Worrell is one of the counselors at Hillwood Middle School.

AND to all teachers out there, if you are looking to shop around for a new insurance provider, we would love to have the opportunity to be one of the places you shop. Farmers offers discounts to educators! Who doesn't love a discount?

Come see us at Farmers Insurance, The Kirkwood Agency, where having the right insurance is NO accident!

Have a great summer!

April's Kirkwood's Class Act Teacher of the Month Goes To...

Congratulations to Mrs. Kelly King of Bette Perot Elementary. She is our Kirkwood's Class Acts Teacher of the Month for April!

She received a $100 Gift Card from Farmers Insurance, The Kirkwood Agency, $30 Gift Card to DeVivo Bros. Eatery, 30 minute massage from Tara Hayden, Licensed Massage Therapist, a $25 Gift Card to Out On A Limb Boutique and a personalized tumbler.

If there is/was a special educator who made a difference in your child's life, please let us know through a message or email Stephanie at stephanie.ekirkwood@farmersagency.com. Include their name, school they are at, and a brief summary of why you believe they should be the next Kirkwood's Class Acts Teacher of the Month. Help us give back to our local teachers.

They’re Not Trying to Hide, They’re Just Smaller

“In 2015, motor-vehicle-related crashes claimed the lives of 5,376 pedestrians—an increase of 9 percent over the previous year—and injured an estimated 70,000 people. Deaths among bicyclists rose by 10 percent, with motor-vehicle-related crashes taking 818 lives and injuring an estimated 45,000 bicyclists.” –National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -National Highway Traffic Safety Administration¹

5,376 lives lost in motor-vehicle related crashed with an estimated 70k people injured in the states in 2016… I don’t know about you but those numbers are outrageous to me. 1 life lost is too many but over 5,000 in one year, not to mention that number is higher than the previous year. And according to the Texas Department of Transportation2, “From 2015 to 2016, Texas motorcycle fatalities increased from 464 to 493 (6 percent), and crashes resulting in seriously injured motorcyclists increased from 1,902 to 2,006 (5 percent).”  Unacceptable, y’all...

Let’s talk about this issue, especially since May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. In an effort to raise awareness for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Texas Department of Transportation³ introduced the “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign. It cannot be stressed enough that as drivers we all need to thoroughly look before changing lanes because sometimes it can be hard to see a motorcyclist. Motorcyclists, stay out of blind spots. If you can see yourself in a side mirror, so should the driver. All drivers have the same rights and responsibilities as those on a motorcycle.

Even a minor collision with a motorcyclist can be fatal so keep an eye out for them. They don’t have airbags, or metal surrounding them to keep them safe. The only thing they have is a helmet but even a helmet sometimes isn’t enough.

Those of us who do not ride motorcycles need to know that motorcyclists aren’t trying to hide from us, they’re just smaller. Watch closely for them especially when you’re changing lanes.

Whether you drive a car, truck, motorcycle, 18 wheeler or even if you’re riding a bicycle, be more alert and less distracted. Let’s go back to the “Old times” and just drive. Just think of how many accidents could be prevented if we just had to drive and not be on our phones, doing our make up or as some of you may have read in a previous blog of ours, watch Netflix and drive… It is our responsibility as drivers to share the road with one another and always be aware of those around you, giving yourself plenty of space between yourself and the driver in front of you.

It seems as though motorcycle accidents are happening more often, especially in the DFW area. Maybe it’s because of social media where most everything is in real time. One thing I always think of when I see the news of a fatal accident, is that I hope they had life insurance. Although none of us like to talk about that possibility, having a life insurance policy does need to be considered, especially if you are a motorcyclist. A life insurance policy is so important for all of us, because if an unfortunate event happens, your loved ones will be taken care. Having a Legacy Gift, as we like to call it, will then give you peace of mind knowing your family will be taken care of.

Sharing is caring so let’s share our roads and watch out for one another. Let’s all make an honest effort to keep one another safe. 

Texas Department of Transportation #LookTwiceTexas video

1. https://www.nhtsa.gov/share-road-pedestrians-bicyclists-and-motorcyclists

2, 3. https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/statewide-news/09-2017.html