As you may know, the dentist, Julian, is a pilot and enjoys aviation.  He’s excited about Greenville adding another park because it will be right at the airport!  What a great way to inspire and educate children around the area – and have fun too!

A fundraising event, “Party Down for the Playground Hangar Party” will be May 24th at 7pm.  Live music, food and drinks are included.  Tickets are available online at eventbrite.com/event/2875439517

Ground breaking begins May 2012.  Learn more details at journalwatchdog.com/city/1426-fundraising-to-continue-as-grading-begins-on-downtown-airport-park-

Solution?  A quick rinsing with some water from the table will wash a good bit away.  Rinse after (or between) sugary or alcoholic drinks for a quick fix.  Of course brushing and flossing is best but not always available.

Delta Dental offers a step-by-step guide to proper brushing and flossing.

A few exerts:

• Establish a regular pattern for flossing so that you don’t miss any teeth.
• If you have not been flossing regularly, your gums may bleed and be sore for the first five or six days. As plaque is broken up and bacteria removed, your gums will heal and the bleeding will stop.
• Brush your teeth gently using short strokes. Apply just enough pressure to feel the bristles against the gums. If you are squashing the bristles, you’re brushing too hard.

Continue reading…

Insurance company Delta Dental outlines the most important things to consider when choosing your brush so your daily cleanings are most effective. Here are the most important guidelines to follow:

• Get a brush with soft bristles. Hard bristles can damage your gums and push back the gum line, making you more sensitive to hot and cold foods and drinks.
• When deciding between a powered and non-powered toothbrush, choose the one that will motivate you to brush properly. Neither type is better at cleaning your teeth, but most people prefer electric brushes because it allows them to be lazier and still get the job done effectively. (I am one of those people.)
• Get a toothbrush with a head about 1″ long and ½” wide. Larger brushes can be ineffective. So long as the brush can clean between one and two teeth at a time, you’re good to go.

Also, make sure you replace any brush as soon as the bristles start to fray. No matter how good that toothbrush was when you bought it, as soon as it starts to wear down it stops doing its job effectively.

Continue reading at Delta Dental:  How to select a toothbrush

If your in Greenville, that means Hollywood 20 on Woodruff Rd, or Cherrydale location.

If this unusually warm weather has you in the planting mood, go on-line and read about growing micro-greens. Easy and delicious and rewarding. You may find you will want to stock up on seeds and do this year round.

As you prepare your gardens and clean up your yards, think about Leaf Mold – most beneficial and easy to make for your beds.  Poke holes in black plastic bags, gather small leaves and chop up larger ones (I just mulch them with my mower), dampen, and seal in the garbage bag.  Set aside and within 6 months, the matter is ready to use.  Put on the garden 3” thick and it becomes a mulch; or work it into the soil as you work the ground.

In the fall just mulch the leaves and spread in the beds where it breaks down naturally and you can work into the soil in the spring.

As you prune your garden herbs you can make an all natural fertilizer. This is taken from Trail’s book, Easy Growing. Place some roughly chopped herbs in a bucket using the ratio of 4 parts water to 1 part herbs and stir well. Set aside but remember to stir several times daily for 3 days. Strain the herbs and either add to your compost pile or around any plants. You can spray the filtered water directly on leaves or add a few cups to your watering can and apply to the roots.  I have rosemary and sage to prune and will try this. I am a big fan of hydrolyzed fish emulsion but this looks like a great use of pruned plants before they go into the compost pile.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers these suggestions to promote healthier teeth:

• Offer only water or low-fat milk to your child, instead of soda or juice.
• Skip meals and snacks that pack a lot of added sugar.
• Allow only sugarless gum.
• Teach your child which foods can harm or help dental health.
• Practice proper dental hygiene among all members of the household.
• Ensure that your child receives proper dental care, starting at a very early age.

Via HealthDay (read more here)

Did you know you could be eligible to deduct your dental and medical expenses from your taxes?

Fox Carolina shares a great tip on the details of how to do just that:

Continue reading at Fox Carolina

Last year the Upstate Heart Ball raised over $263,000 to continue research and educational programs across the Upstate.  This include cardiovascular research and education, building awareness and understanding of the American Heart Association.

This year Dr. Thomas and staff are contributing an Italian ceramic table to the auction.  This was custom designed in Florence, Italy just for the event, including a small, token heart on one corner.

The Ball is Saturday, March 24, 2012.  To attend, donate, or learn more, visit the Upstate Heart Ball.

There are a few rules to saving that gorgeous amaryllis flower you received for the holidays.  I just wait til April and plant them in a sunny spot in my yard and watch them grow and bloom.  They require NO care in the yard!  And they grow large and stay straight and produce 4-6 large blooms on each stem!!

If you wish to have the amaryllis bloom next year for the holidays in your house, there are a few simple things to do.

1. Remove the flower stalk when blooms die. The strap-like leaves will begin to appear. At this time you may want to feed lightly.  Keep in a sunny window until outdoor nighttime temps remain above 50 degrees – and then move outside. Only water when soil is dry. This means when outside, lay pot on its side so excess rain water/irrigation water does not over water the pot.
2. The bulb will go dormant – even in the heat of summer! Remove the leaves (early August) when withered and keep the pot (on its side) in the sun. These bulbs do not require cold nor dark for their dormancy.
3. In early October, repot into fresh soil; use a new pot if needed. The pot should only be 1-2” wider than the bulb but deep enough for the root system. Remember only 1/3 of the bulb should be above the soil line. Bring indoors.
4. Watering ends the dormancy. But do so ONLY when the soil is dry – over watering rots the bulb.
5. Late October the flower stalk starts to appear, Move to a sunny location in the house and increase the watering a bit.