FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE
ELKINSDENTAL.COM MAY 2019
CELEBRATING IMPORTANT EVENTS IN MAY
Mother’s Day and a Big Milestone
Several years ago, we started a tradition around Mother’s Day that stuck. Beth was at a workshop where she made a height-measuring board — a big board shaped like a ruler — and when she brought it home, we put it up on the wall and began marking the kids’ heights on it.The board now has measurements going all the way back to when the kids were really little, and it is a record of their growth.
Since the board isn’t permanently attached to the wall, the record has moved with us. It is proof that Evie was once very little and that Russell has grown at least 3 or 4 inches every year for the last few. At 14, he’s crossing over the 6-foot mark! It’s wild to look at the pictures of the two of us side by side and realize that my son is almost the same height as me. I imagine he’ll surpass me this year. My measurements are up there as well, though they stay the same every year. (They may even be getting a little shorter!) We have a lot of fun comparing the different heights and marveling at our kids’ journeys from toddlers to teenagers. The first time we measured everyone’s height, it happened to fall around Mother’s Day, so it’s something we’ve kept as part of the celebration. In addition to recording the kids’ heights, we also like to bring Beth breakfast in bed, and we take pictures of her and the kids together. We try to make it an easy day for her. We’ll make her dinner or go out to eat, but mostly, we try to make sure she gets a lot of time to relax and enjoy the day. It’s more about the quality time together celebrating this amazing woman than about a big event or gifts. We celebrate Beth and everything she does for our family.
Leila, Adam, Evie, Beth, Julianna, Jocelyn, and Russell
In the days leading up to our trip, we’re enjoying our time at home with our loved ones. Evie will soon be home for the summer, and we are eager to spend time with her after her first year at college.The other kids are eagerly (and sometimes, not so patiently) awaiting their own summer vacations. We’re getting more moans and groans from them when it’s time to go to bed.The weather is nicer, and it doesn’t get dark until almost 9 p.m., so their internal clocks are telling them that summer is on the way. I hope they’re right; I’m looking forward to getting outside too. We’ll get to take the jet ski we got last summer on some more trips, and we’re all looking forward to that. I wish you an awesome month filled with quality time with your loved ones. Now, go soak up the spring weather!
In addition to Mother’s Day, this May is also our 20th wedding anniversary. Our big celebration will take place this July. We’re traveling to Central and Northern Spain, beginning in Madrid and traveling further north. Beth has been practicing her Spanish and learning words that we’ll find helpful on our trip. We’re both looking forward to this trip and celebrating 20 wonderful years together. Happy Anniversary, Beth! Here’s to the first 20, and to many more.
–Dr. Elkins
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‘HEY, ALEXA!’
3 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help Get Your Kids Ready for School
Even though parents and kids everywhere are getting close to celebrating the last day of school this year, school day mornings are difficult no matter what season it is. Do you feel like you’ve run a marathon by 9 a.m. every day? Rest assured that you’re not alone. Mornings are often the most hectic and stressful part of a parent’s daily schedule. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive and popular device that can help take some of the pressure off your morning routine and get your kids to the bus on time: Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa! ALARMS OF ALL KINDS You can place an Echo Dot in your kid’s room and set an alarm that wakes them up to the weather report, a standard alarm sound, or their favorite tunes. You can also program Alexa to turn on a compatible bedside lamp so they wake up to light instead of sound, which offers a more calming way to wake up. If your kid decides to catch a few more z’s and ignore their alarm, you can use some of Alexa’s other features, like Drop In and Intercom, to start a two-way conversation or send announcements to all the kids’ rooms in the house.
REMINDERS AND LISTS Alexa can also help you check off items from your family’s morning to-do lists to minimize the chaos of weekday mornings. You can create reminders to pack lunches or grab homework, and then all you have to do is ask, “Alexa, what are my reminders?” She will run down the list, so you can hit the road early without the nagging feeling that you left something behind. MAKE IT A GAME “Out the Door” is an interactive Alexa game that turns getting ready for school into an adventure for younger children. Each day, kids are given a new superpower and have to defeat a different creature as they complete “missions,” which include tasks like brushing their teeth and getting dressed. It makes the process of getting ready for school exciting and gives kids an incentive to fulfill their responsibilities. If you don’t already have an Echo Dot, you can find them at most major retail stores. Make your mornings less stressful by starting with “Hey, Alexa” and going from there.
Sara’s Down-to-Earth Approach to Customer Service How She Contributes to Our Welcoming Atmosphere
-Kalie and Caryn that. Emma and Charlie like riding scooters and bikes.We just put our trampoline back up, but it’s been raining, and the kids are having the hardest time,” Sara says.They’re looking forward to warmer weather and getting outside. When they can, she and Jonathan head to the mountains to go on longer hikes, “6–12 miles at a time.”They have plans to go to Blue Lake in Cascade this summer to camp and go on shorter hikes the whole family can enjoy. Sara, we love having you on our team! Thanks for all you do to make our patients feel welcome! so enjoyable that they want to come back and bring friends and family with them!” she says. Outside of work, Sara enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, Jonathan, and their three kids: Tanner, who’s 12, Emma, who’s 8, and Charlie, who’s turning 5. “We like to go swimming and hiking,” Sara says. “Jonathan and Tanner do archery and golf, so I like to support
takes her patient-oriented role seriously. “I meet and greet patients and give new patient tours. My role is all patient-oriented. I enjoy people. My main skill is customer service, so this is the perfect job for me,” Sara says. She understands that the key to excellent customer service is being real. “I try to be down to earth, to talk to patients like I would my neighbors,” she explains. Sara has a background in customer service, but it was the people at Elkins Dental who made this the right place for her. “This is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. From the moment I got this job, I was in love with it.The people are amazing,” she says. Sara adds that “I enjoy my coworkers — all of them are just like family,” and the team welcomed her as one of their own from day one. On the job, Sara looks forward to meeting new patients and “making their first time here
Sara and Jon hiking to 20-mile Lake in McCall
As a patient coordinator at Elkins Dental, Sara’s role is all about making you feel welcome and comfortable from the moment you walk through the door. “I’m the first one to see you when you come in, and the last one to see you when you leave,” Sara says. She
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Inspired by PaleoLeap.com
Ingredients
SHRIMP SAUSAGE SKEWERS
Creole Seasoning Ingredients • 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1/2 pound cooked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
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. Heat your grill to medium-high. 2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for creole seasoning. 3. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, zucchini pieces, and sausage pieces, and cover them with the olive oil. 4. Add cre le se soning and mix well until all ingredients are c ver d. 5. Load up skewers with alternating pieces of shrimp, sausage, and zucchini until they’re full. 6. Grill skewers until shrimp are well-cooked (6–8 minutes). Directions • 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder • 1/2 tablespoon cayenne or chili powder • 1/4 tabl spoon dried oregano • 1/4 tablespoon dried thyme 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?”
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.
GEM STATE? WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE
Cops and Robbers Where: Emmett City Park/Gem County Recovery When: May 11, 2019
Garden Bros Circus Where: Expo Idaho When: May 24–26, 2019
LETTING THE LAUGHS OUT
Virginia gave Caryn the WIN in our office bracket challenge, narrowly
Ha ha ha! Oops, we couldn’t help it — May 5 is World Laughter Day! Laughter is the best medicine, as the Laugh Angeles Clown Doctors prove. These laugh-inducers visit Los Angeles schools, hospitals,
beating Kalie, with Heather finishing in third place!
and any place that needs an infusion of joy, and they bring it through laughter. Around the world, Laughter Clubs (yes, it’s really a thing) practice intentional laughter techniques for everyone’s well- being and happiness.
CONGRATS KALIE! Help us welcome the newest members of the Elkins Dental Family: Layne & Crew!
Laughter Day originated in Mumbai with Dr. Kataria. Dr. Kataria understood the health benefits of laughter; the act of laughing triggers the release of “happy” chemicals in your brain called endorphins. Laughing also increases circulation and reduces blood pressure. So go ahead — laugh. It’s good for you.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. May Is a Big One for the Elkins 2. 3 Ways Alexa Can Help Get Your Kids Ready for School Meet Our Team
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
3. Shrimp Sausage Skewers
4.
A Healthy Snack
1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617
Did You Know?
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM ELKINS DENTAL
208-369-4532 Elkinsdental.com
SNACKING What Is It Good For? There are many different opinions on the healthiness of snacking. Some people think of snacks as processed foods with high calories, but snacks don’t have to be junk food. Depending on what snacks you’re eating, and how often, these little in-between-meal bites can be highly beneficial or detrimental to your overall health. HEALTHY VS. UNHEALTHY SNACKS People snack when they’re hungry, but they also do it when they’re stressed, bored, or have a habit. When people snack on unhealthy junk food when they’re bored, the result is weight gain. An excellent way to avoid unhealthy snacks is to surround yourself with healthy alternatives.
Individuals who are crunched for time, have particular health conditions, are athletic, or are trying to lose or maintain weight all benefit from healthy snacking throughout the day. People who have high cholesterol or diabetes can better maintain their cholesterol and blood glucose levels if they eat frequently during the day. For athletes, snacking helps distribute the consumption of nutrients their body needs
throughout the day instead of all at once.This way, their energy levels stay the same instead of
Fill your fridge and pantry with whole grains, fruits and vegetables,
fluctuating with their meal times. If you find yourself in need of a quick bite, think clementines and almonds instead of chips and Pop-Tarts. You’ll still satisfy your hunger without jeopardizing your health or increasing your waistline.
and nuts and legumes. With those in your kitchen, you’ll have plenty of healthy options to choose from when you’re hungry. WHO BENEFITS FROM SNACKING? Depending on your weight, fitness level, and medical conditions, snacking throughout the day can be more effective than eating three large meals a day.
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