Education Archives - Page 5 of 6

Deep Frying Your Turkey For Thanksgiving?

Over the past few years the popularity of deep frying the turkey for Thanksgiving has rapidly increased. It is an absolutely delicious way to cook the bird, but probably the most dangerous. If your Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a deep fried turkey an oil free or electric deep fryer is a safer alternative to the conventional deep fryer. According to the National Fire Protection Association every year deep frying turkey accidents have accounted for 5 deaths, 60 injuries, 900 homes destroyed and over $15M in structural damage.

However some people love their outdoor deep fryer, here are some safety tips if you are using one of these:

Always read the manufacturers instructions first
Keep the deep fryer away from your house, never use it in the garage!
Make sure your turkey is completely thawed. If frozen, the turkey has too much moisture and hot oil and water don’t mix
Don’t fill the vat of oil too high, oil spilling over is the number one cause of fire
Don’t let the oil get too hot, it can just ignite if it reaches a temp that it too high
Never put out an oil fire with water! Use a chemical fire extinguisher
Always have your fire extinguisher close by.

Here is a great fried turkey recipe that turns out crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.

Make sure your home insurance policy is current, paid and insured to adequate value based on current replacement cost! Call us with any questions on your policy: www.mancuso-nowak.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is Your Car Battery Ready For The Winter?

Even though it is still fairly nice weather, the cold winter months are right around the corner. Now is the best time to prepare your car for the brutal weather of the winter. AAA of Southern New England stated that the #1 reason for car breakdowns during the winter is a dead or weak battery. How do you prevent this from being you this winter?

Car batteries usually have a life of 4 years. If your car battery is near the 2 year mark, start looking for signs of weakness. If you don’t remember when you last replaced the battery look at the letters and numbers on the battery. For example, Interstate Batteries have a code on the cover of the battery. The first letter stands for the month it was manufactured, A = January, B = February, etc. Then the following number indicates the year, 1 = 2011, 2 = 2012, etc.

Signs of battery weakness:

Your car is slow to start or it hesitates a little.
Your check engine light comes on.
Your fluids keep running low.
The battery case looks inflated. Swelling can be caused by excessive heat of the summer and cause it not to last long.
If your battery smells like rotten eggs…replace it!
With any of the above symptoms of possible battery weakness, you can have your car checked out by a mechanic. It is a good idea to have your car thoroughly inspected before the winter. If the battery is over 2 yrs old and you are questioning it going into the cold winter months, it might be a good idea just to replace it. Better safe than sorry!

Why We Wear PINK!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a special time of year to honor and remember those effected by this disease. And most importantly, remember early detection helps save lives! Find a health care facility that helps with early detection and make your appointment now. When breast cancer is detected early the 5 year survival rate is 98%. We have living proof at Mancuso-Nowak that early detection is what leads to beating breast cancer. Kelley Tyan, Tony’s wife, was diagnosed in 2008 and is now cancer free!

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women and 1 in 8 will get it during their lifetime. Here are the factors that increase your chance of getting breast cancer:

Age – Over 50 is the highest risk group
Personal History – If you have had breast cancer in one breast, it is a higher chance you could get it in the other
Race – Caucasian women are more likely to get breast cancer than other races
Family History – If a direct relative – mother, sister, father or child – has had breast cancer you are at increased risk and if the person was under 50 yrs old your chances increase more
Dense Breast Tissue – as found on a mammogram, can increase your chance of breast cancer
Harmful Gene Mutation – Namely in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. If you have family history of breast cancer get tested for this gene mutation.
Menstrual and Reproductive History – Early menstruation and late menopause increase your chances. Also having children later in life or never having children can also increase chances of breast cancer.

This is why it is time to find a cure! Kelley and Tony Tyan are part of the PINK Revolution, join us and support a local breast cancer organization:

Not So Spooky Books For The Littlest Goblins

October is the beginning of the holiday season and the holidays start off in a spooky way. To get the little ones ready for the big day read lots of fun, not too spooky books. These are some of our favorite Halloween books for the kids:

Spooky Wheels on the Bus by J. Elizabeth Mills – A fun holiday twist on the orginal Wheels on the Bus book. The bus fills up quickly with ghosts and gobblins. See which monster your little monster likes best.

A Very Witchy Spelling Bee by George Shannon – Cordelia loves to spell….in more than one way. She likes to spell words and likes to cast spells. See if this little witch can out spell the reigning champion of the Witches’ Double Spelling Bee.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson – The Witch runs into a problem when she loses her hat, bow and wand while flying on her broom. Thankfully 3 animals find the missing belongings and only want a ride on the broomstick as payment for returning the witch’s items. Is there enough room on the broom?

Halloween Night by Marjorie Dennis Murray – The Halloween version of The Night Before Christmas. Read about the witches, mummies and bats throughout the house.

*** The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano – Poor Spookley is shaped all wrong. He is square, not round like his friends. No one likes to be different, but this book shows how being different is sometimes better. Don’t judge a book or a pumpkin by its cover, it’s what is on the inside that really counts.

Enjoy the Halloween season with the kids and read lots of fun books!

*** Our Favorite Halloween Book!

Be Prepared! Storm Safety

September is National Preparedness Month and the 30th is National Prepareathon Day! Join FEMA and their quest to have our nation prepared for national disasters. The more we know, the better prepared we will be. In Massachusetts we have been voted as one the top 5 states to have a national disaster. So begin getting ready for a big storm now!

Preparation is the best way to be ready for a dangerous storm. Have a few flashlights with extra batteries, your cell phone with the charger, a battery powered radio. Keep all of your personal documents in a fire proof box in a readily accessible area. Make sure you have plenty of non-perishable food items, such as canned food, bread, peanut butter, crackers and lots of water. The American Red Cross suggests having 1 gallon of water per person per day. A first aid kit is essential. Find out exactly what to put in a first aid kit.

During a storm make sure to unplug sensitive electrical items such as computers and TV and microwaves (if these are possible to do easily). By disconnecting them you will prevent a power surge when the power comes back on, if you have lost power during the storm and do not have surge protectors. Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed. If you lose power your food will stay colder for a longer period of time, if they are not opened. If the winds are very strong stay away from windows as debris can come flying through. The basement is the best area of the house to stay in during particularly dangerous storms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

If the power goes out and you plan to use a generator, please follow specific safety instructions.

When surveying outside damage after a storm, always treat downed power lines a live and never touch them! Call your electrical company immediately. Contact your town/city for help with trees that are down in community areas, such as the street and on power lines. If your home has flooding, contact your electrician on what to do about before turning things on in the basement or area that was flooded. If your electricity is off for an extended amount of time bring your family to another family or friend’s house. Make sure everyone is safe.

After the storm call us with any damage that has occurred to your home or auto. Remember that flood and earthquake damage are not covered by your homeowners policy unless you add the respective endorsement/policy. Read our blog about what type of storm damage is covered by your policy,

Information on storm safety is from the National Grid.

Ordinance or Law Coverage, Why You Need It

On the basic Commercial Property Insurance Policy there is coverage for replacement cost value in the event of a loss. Most business owners assume that this will cover them if something occurs to their building/property. It will definitely cover the damaged part of the building, but many town ordinances state that if the building is damaged beyond a certain percentage the entire building has to be taken down. The basic commercial property policy does not cover the undamaged part of the building to be demolished or rebuilt. This is an enormous cost.

It is essential to add the Ordinance or Law Coverage endorsement to your commercial property policy to protect against having to pay out of pocket to take down and rebuild. It is important to remember when rebuilding that all new building codes have to be followed. New building codes may include updated electrical, sprinklers, elevators, etc. which are very costly.

Here is a good example of how a 50% loss from a fire could devastate a business owner if they do NOT purchase the Ordinance or Law Coverage. The building has a Replacement Cost of $1M and the fire causes damage to 50% of it in the amount of $500K. If the demolition and debris removal is $100K, the new up to code sprinkler system is $50K and a new by code elevator is now required which would be an additional $100K. The town building ordinance requires that the entire building be torn down when 50% or more is damaged. This brings the total for the loss to $1,250,000 where the basic property coverage will only pay $510K. That means the business owner has to pay $740K out of pocket!

The basic policy will only pay $510K for the loss when the actual cost to replace the entire building is $1M. The extra $10K payment is from the Increased Cost of Construction portion of the policy that states that there is Limited Coverage and the company will pay the lesser of $10K maximum or 5% of the buildings value. This Limited Coverage of Ordinance or Law is not enough to pay for an entire second half of a building to be demolished and then rebuilt.

The Ordinance or Law Coverage endorsement will let you schedule the specific costs for your building to replace the undamaged portion in Coverage A, the demolition cost in coverage B and the increased cost of construction in Coverage C. This endorsement is so important for both old and new buildings. Please call us with any questions regarding this endorsement or any of your insurance needs. mancuso-nowak.com

Safety Before, During And After A Storm

This past weekend there was a tornado in Worcester. The previous tornado was over 60 years ago in 1953 and was a category F4. Even though Sunday night’s tornado was only a category F0, there was still damage and power outages. Brushing up on what to do before, during and after a storm to keep safe is always a good idea.

If the power goes out and you plan to use a generator, please follow specific safety instructions.

When surveying outside damage after a storm, always treat downed power lines a live and never touch them! Call your electrical company immediately. Contact your town/city for help with trees that are down in community areas, such as the street and on power lines. If your home has flooding, contact your electrician on what to do about before turning things on in the basement/flooded area. If your electricity is off for an extended amount of time bring your family to another family or friend’s house. Make sure everyone is safe.

Information on storm safety is from the National Grid website.

Picture is from tornado on Sunday near Worcester Academy

Back To School, Making It Fun!

Here it is…the end of summer (sniff, sniff). Of course it is suppose to be a beautiful summer week, hot temps, lots of sun. Who wants to see it go? It is a harsh reality that all good things come to an end. But, just think of all the fun fall activities that New England has to offer. It is a exciting season coming up! With the end of summer comes the beginning of school. The start of school is a new beginning, a time to start fresh. So many new friends, new teachers, new challenges. As adults we can be excited, but it may take a little more convincing for the younger ones. Here are some tips to make the transition a smooth one.

Start the day off right. An awesome breakfast will make the day a bit more thrilling! Some of the most fun breakfast ideas are from Martha Stewart (don’t worry, they are not super fancy, they are kid friendly!). Who doesn’t like a layered breakfast parfait (sounds difficult, but it is so easy!)? You can even just layer yogurt with cereal and fruit. Very nutritional while also being fun to eat. If you have a bit more time to spend on making breakfast, you can use cookie cutters to shape pancakes or fried eggs. Other great ideas can be found here.

After a fantastic breakfast, start a first day of school tradition. One of our favorite traditions is to have your child hold up last year’s first day of school picture while taking this year’s first day of school picture. You can see how much your kids grow and change in just one year. Another creative idea we found on Pinterest is to buy a t-shirt in the size you think your child will be as a Senior in High School and have them wear it every year for a first day of school picture (then they can change back to regular clothes). So fun to see how they get closer and closer to fitting in it. If your child is excited about growing up, have them hold up a sign that says their grade and year with what they want to be when they grow up. It could stay an astronaut for 5 years, but that’s ok!

When they get to school there should be something special to look forward to at lunch. Once again cookie cutters will make everything a bit more interesting. Cut cucumber, zuccinni, bread, and fruit in all different shapes. Then have a dip like humus in a small container. They get fruit, veggies and grains all in one lunch! Cut up some leftover chicken for some added protein. Roll-ups are another kid favorite, with or without bread. Roll lunch meat with cheese and have crackers on the side. Or do the roll-up with flat bread. Martha Steward has more fantastic school lunch ideas.

Start off the school year on the right foot and the kids will be as excited as you are that they are going back to school ; )

Time to Get Healthy!

It is the summer and it is time to get healthy! The weather invites us to get outside and enjoy the day. Some great tips on how to improve your health this summer:

Find 30 minutes a day to be active. Chase the kids around the yard. Take a walk after dinner. Go for a swim. Mow the lawn (not a riding lawnmower!) and do yard work. On the weekend take a hike at a local park or mountain. It is much easier to be active in the summer. Check how many calories you are burning using this tool.
Eat local, fresh food. There are farmers markets in almost every town. Support local growers and eat healthy!
Drink more water! So simple and so effective. Next time you go for a snack or sit down to a meal drink a full glass of water. It will fill you up so you don’t overeat.
Have healthy snacks prepared from the night before. Having fresh cut up fruit in the fridge or at your desk is so easy to eat. Almonds in a baggie in your purse, car or desk drawer will give you a healthy satisfying snack ready when you are hungry. Don’t go more than 3-4 hours without eating or you will be famished and probably eat too much when you finally do eat.
Determine your stress triggers, and remove them. If sitting in traffic is stressful for you, go in to work earlier and take a walk or go to a coffee shop and relax. If going earlier is not possible find a stress relieving activity like yoga. Lowering your stress level will make you healthier and has been shown to reduce belly fat.
Get together with friends. Keeping fun and beneficial relationships active is important to your mental health. Have a cookout, go to dinner, go for a walk, go to a game, etc. Always better to share the fun with someone you like.
Treat yourself well and take care of your health. Staying healthy should be enjoyable!

Is Your Car Ready for Memorial Weekend Getaway?

Memorial Day signifies the beginning of summer. Everyone is ready to get back to the beaches and have cookouts. According to AAA, 88% of people are planning on driving to the fun on Memorial Day Weekend. If you are one of the many who are driving this week, make sure your car is ready for the trip.

– Check your Auto Policy. Is it active? Have you paid the premium? Do you have sufficient limits of liability? We recommend a minimum of $100K/$300K for line items #3, #5 and #12 on the policy.

– Have a tune up done on the car at least a week prior to departure. A tune up should find any issues with the car and make sure all fluids are sufficient.

– Check the tires. Use a pressure gauge to check the pressure. The recommended tire pressure is different for each car so check on the front door panel when you open the door or the owner’s manual.

– Know the cell phone laws in each state you will be driving through. Some states require hands free devices such as CT while other states don’t have a restriction such as MA.

– Have a windshield/dashboard GPS or a factory installed GPS, try not using a cell phone GPS as it is not safe to try to read a small phone while driving.

Have a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend! We will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day and re-open Tuesday May 27th at 8:30.

Mancuso Nowak

Category: Education