Take a look at our October newsletter!
FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE
ELKINSDENTAL.COM OCTOBER 2020
CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN
Here and Around the World
We love Halloween in our family and household. To us, Halloween is more than just an October holiday, and that’s shared with all of us — even at the dental office. Everyone is so excited when October comes around; I even start hanging up decorations at the beginning of September. One of my favorite decorations is something I made, our Halloween-themed stained glass. In fact, I put this up in the different operatories as early as I can to start the holiday festivities. Even as we get ready to celebrate Halloween this year, something I think is most interesting is how the holiday is celebrated and even viewed in different cultures around the world. A couple of years ago, I went on a business trip with a friend to China, and it happened to be right around Halloween. The trip itself was more-or-less strictly business for my friend. I tagged along with him because I’d never been to China before, and it was a good opportunity to explore the country. It turned out that a lot of the locals he was doing business with had always thought Halloween was an interesting holiday that we celebrate in the U.S. (It’s not something they celebrate in China). Then, while we were there, my wife sent me a picture of all our
kids dressed up in their costumes, and I was able to share that with them. It was really interesting to see their reactions: first, because of how many children I have, and second, because of all the different and weird costumes my kids had picked to dress up in that year. It was very similar to the interactions I had when I’d traveled to Spain after I graduated from high school. I was around 20 years old at the time, and I shared with the people there some of the traditions and fun activities we did for Halloween. In return, they told me some of their own traditions. Mostly, Halloween is a time to honor the dead and celebrate life for All Saints’Day. But, in Galicia, Oct. 31 is called“Noite dos Calacús” or“Night of the Pumpkins,”where people dress up and burn bonfires in celebration. Thinking back to these interactions and all these different celebrations also has me wondering what things will look like this year. When it comes to celebrating Halloween with our kids, I believe things will be relatively the same. I think we’ll take the kids around to go door-to-door trick-or-treating for candy, as long as social distancing is being practiced. They’ll be able to wear a mask, which might not be too different from any other Halloween, though, of course, it won't have the same effect as a costume mask. I think a lot of kids might have fun with the mask too — kids can dress up like doctors or, if they want to spook it up a bit, like zombie doctors. My hope is that this year will be the only year we have to worry about social distancing and masks for Halloween. By next year, hopefully COVID-19 won’t have such an impact on us, and we can get back to our normal lives, enjoying holidays to the fullest without the worry of the pandemic. I hope that your Halloween celebrations this year don't change too drastically and that however you do choose to celebrate, it’s a truly wonderful and happy Halloween!
–Dr. Elkins
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3 Fun Family Activities for Fall
THE BEST FALL SPICES TO BOOST YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH
It’s the season of fall spices. Pumpkin spice — which is actually a mix of many different seasonal spices — is a favorite, but it’s not the only one we should try this year. Seasonal spices are a fun way to literally spice up your meals, and many of them also have surprising health benefits!
has been shown to help reduce the pain and swelling associated with arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric may also help reduce inflammation in the brain, which has been linked to depression and Alzheimer’s. How to add more turmeric to your diet: Homemade curries are a great way to get a good dose of turmeric.You can also add turmeric to roasted vegetables or taco seasoning. SOMETHING FOR YOUR STOMACH: GINGER If you’ve ever drunk ginger ale on a plane to calm your upset stomach, then you’ve already experienced the healing properties of ginger. Ginger can be used to treat nausea, including nausea due to motion sickness and pregnancy. Studies show that ginger can also offer relief to cancer patients suffering from nausea caused by chemotherapy. How to add more ginger to your diet: There are many baked goods that call for ginger.Your morning coffee or tea could also benefit from a hint of ginger. These are just a few spices that are also superfoods! Do some research to discover the secret benefits of your favorite spices.
SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART: CINNAMON
Cinnamon can actually help lower your blood sugar levels, which is especially beneficial for folks with Type 2 diabetes. The Johns Hopkins Medicine website also reports that cinnamon has heart-healthy benefits. For example, studies show that cinnamon can reduce high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, thus decreasing the risk of developing heart disease. How to add more cinnamon to your diet: Sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal or plain yogurt for a warming boost of flavor.You’ll also find cinnamon in pumpkin spice, a seasonal favorite. SOMETHING FOR YOUR BRAIN: TURMERIC Recent research has found that turmeric can reduce inflammation. A compound in turmeric called curcumin
TeamMember Spotlight: Cheyenne Stallions Emmett Native and Dedicated Dental Hygienist
This month, we’d like to highlight our new hygienist, Cheyenne. We’re so excited to have her join us at Elkins Dental! Cheyenne graduated from Idaho State University this year and obtained her license in August. She is not only excited to join our group as one of our amazing dental hygienists but also can't wait to implement everything she’s learned to help our patients’ smiles.
-Kalie and Caryn Whether it’s her softball team or her Elkins Dental team, Cheyenne always works her hardest. We’re lucky to have someone as driven as Cheyenne working side by side with us! healed after treatment. Knowing that I did something to help improve their health, and seeing them get back to their optimum health, is very satisfying.” In her free time, Cheyenne enjoys spending time with her family, riding horses, or visiting her family ranch. She also loves to play softball; during a normal summer, you can catch her out on the field with her team. Cheyenne was able to shadow her hygienist to see what it was like from the viewpoint of a dental hygienist. After visiting the dental office a couple of days each week, Cheyenne fell in love with it and decided she wanted to become a dental hygienist. This choice led her to leave Emmett as she worked toward earning her degree. After four years of hard work, she’s excited and satisfied to be back in her hometown. Now, Cheyenne works to give people the smiles they deserve.“The best part about what I do is seeing the satisfaction on my patients’ faces after a cleaning or when they’ve
Cheyenne’s journey to become a dental hygienist started when she went to her dentist.“I was introduced to dentistry when I was little,” she remembers.“I loved my hygienist and how she treated her patients. She made everything personal, loved what she did, and had a great attitude. I was always interested in what she did, and whenever my siblings would go back with her, I wanted to go with them to watch and learn more about it. The more I thought about it, the more oral health piqued my interest.” Her interest stayed with her as she grew up, and in high school, she began to actively seek out ways to learn more. For her senior project,
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SPOOKY STRAWBERRY GHOSTS
Ingredients
Inspired by Candiquik.com
MOUNTAIN RANGES Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, we don’t have to go far to find mountaintop winter activities. If skiing or tubing is your idea of winter fun, Bogus Basin is just a short drive away, and heading to McCall makes a fun weekend getaway. ... AND RIVERS Not only are we surrounded by the Payette and Boise rivers, Idaho is also home to the deepest gorge in North America: Hells Canyon. Take that, Arizona! 1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate at 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove it and stir, then repeat the process until melted. 2. Lay out a sheet f parchmen paper. 3. One by one, dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate and set Directions • 16 oz white chocolate, chopped • 24 strawberries • 1 package mini dark chocolate chips
GOOD CHEER Beer lovers, rejoice! Idaho is the world’s largest hop producer, and more and more people are taking advantage of our agricultural bounty by opening breweries in the Treasure Valley. Share a few of these treasures with visiting family members and their only question will be “How did we not come here sooner?” 4. Before the chocolate coating fully cools, add three mini chocolate chips to each berry to form two eyes and a mouth. them on the parchment. Allow the extra chocolate to pool to form a“tail”effect.
Out-of-town relatives who are visiting for the holidays might wonder what makes Emmett so special. But we already know the Treasure Valley is full of gems — and we don’t just mean the rocks. Here are some additional reasons Emmett and The Gem State are great. WE’VE GOT SUNSHINE On average, we have 210 sunny days per year. Compare that to 144 rainy days in Portland and we can feel pretty happy about all our free vitamin D.
5. Let chocolate set, then serve your spooky snacks!
JOKES DAD When does Dracula respond to the name Daniella? When he’s at Starbucks. PHOTO CONTEST!
Why didn’t the mummy have any friends? He was too wrapped up in himself.
DID YOU KNOW?
THE HELPFUL GHOST THAT COULD
During this time of year (especially close to Halloween) everyone looks forward to carving a jack-o’-lantern. Whether you favor a traditional look or something a little more creative, we can all agree that carving pumpkins is a fun — though messy! — Halloween tradition.
Yet, did you know that jack-o’-lanterns weren’t always pumpkins?
This tradition started in Ireland, where people carved those well- known jack-o’-lantern faces into large potatoes and turnips. They would then place these carvings in their home windows or near their front doors (to scare away any evil spirits and Stingy Jack himself). Stingy Jack created the first jack-o’-lantern. According to legend, he is a spirit who was forced to roam the land with nothing lighting his way but a burning coal, which he placed into a carved turnip.
YOUR PHOTO COULD BE ON PAGE 4 OF THIS NEWSLETTER! We want to see your best photos! Please email your best shot to elkinsdental@hotmail.com with the subject line "Photo Contest." We can't wait to see what you've got! Submission deadline is October 20th.
Turnips, potatoes, and large beets — what the British used — started as the most popular vegetables for carving the jack-o’-lantern, but not for long. As the Irish traveled across the ocean to America, people found that pumpkins, a native fruit here, were the perfect fit for jack-o’-lanterns!
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. Halloween:
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
2. 3 Healthy Spices to Try This Fall
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4. Family-Friendly Halloween
Spooky Strawberry Ghosts
More Than an October Holiday
Movies You Can Watch Tonight!
Meet Our Newest Team Member!
1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617
Did You Know?
JoAnn's beautiful photo is this month's hand picked selection!
208-369-4532 Elkinsdental.com
THE BEST HALLOWEEN MOVIES ON DISNEY+ Family-Friendly Halloween Movies You Can Watch Tonight!
Frankenweenie’ This movie is a charming twist on the classic horror story! When a young boy loses his faithful dog, he uses the power of mad science to bring the pooch back to life. What follows is a strange and heartwarming stop-motion adventure about the love between a boy and his dog. Some scenes may be a little intense for young children, but“Frankenweenie”never becomes too scary for kids to enjoy. Hocus Pocus’ Max and his family have just moved from California to Salem, Massachusetts, when Max accidentally resurrects three evil witches. To save his little sister, Max must team up with his new crush and a talking cat to stop the witches’ reign of terror.“Hocus Pocus”does contain some truly frightening scenes, so it may not be appropriate for young children. However, the way this film balances comedy and humor makes it a perfect Halloween thrill for older kids. These are just a few of the creepy and cool Halloween movies streaming on Disney+. When you’re done with these, scroll through the catalog to find some more new favorites. Happy Halloween!
Pop some popcorn and break out the candy corn because it’s time for a spooky family movie night! Disney+ offers a treasure trove of Halloween movies with just the right amount of tricks and treats. Here are a few of the best Halloween movies you can watch on Disney+ right now. Halloweentown’ When 13-year-old Marnie and her siblings follow their grandmother home on Halloween night, they make some surprising discoveries. Not only does their grandmother live in Halloweentown, a place where monsters lead normal lives, but their whole family is secretly a bunch of witches! Marnie must learn to rely on the magic of family in order to save her grandmother and all of Halloweentown. If your family enjoys“Halloweentown,”you’ll be glad to know that all three of its sequels are also on Disney+!
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