Summer is in full swing and so are kids’ parties, many of which will include bounce houses. What kid doesn’t love a bounce house? At Dagley Insurance and Financial Services many of us are parents of young children and the recent reports on bounce house injuries have definitely drawn our attention. What extra precautions can we take to make sure our kids are safe while having fun?

Show Me the Insurance

If you’re planning a party that include an inflatable, make sure that you ask the rental company for their insurance policy and if applicable, state inspections. Each state has different regulations, but you can find more information specifically for Texas at Texas Inflatable Operators Association. The site also gives you the option of searching for the company to verify that it is in compliance with state law. If the rental company waffles on providing you with insurance information or safety regulations, you might consider looking elsewhere as this gives insight into how seriously it takes safety.

Watch the Weather

It’s recommended that you remove kids from bounce houses when winds reach 20-25 miles per hour. A good rule of thumb to use is if flags or your clothes begin to flap in the wind, it may be time to reconsider bounce house play until the wind dies down.

Stake it To Me

The stakes should be made of metal and 30 to 40 inches long. Confirm the types of stakes used by the rental company or if you are purchasing an inflatable check the type of stakes that are included. In the most recent incident that occurred in New York a rental company was not used, but rather the bounce house was purchased by the parents. If a professional staked the inflatable, don’t pull the stakes out and re-stake.

Read the Rules

This may sound trite, but in this case being a rule follower can prevent injury to a child. Most bounce houses have the rules stitched to side of the inflatable. There should be a maximum occupancy listed. Follow the rules!

Being a Texas insurance agency, safety is a big issue to us especially when it comes to our children. Bottom line, bounce houses are not babysitters and although it might seem like an activity that you can just put up and let the kids go to town, it’s not. Be present and alert! We hope you and your family have a fun and SAFE summer!

Dagley Insurance & Financial Services is proud to support the Katy area charity, Zoey’s Angels and their upcoming Fun Walk, which will be held June 14^th at The Phoenix off of Westheimer in Houston.

Zoey Isadora Dockal was born June 14, 2011. Her sweet spirit left this earth just under six months later from complications due to treatment of a rare and malignant form of liver cancer.

During this time the Dockal Family received an outpouring of love and support from the Katy community, friends and family. It was following this time that they realized that many families who go through losing an infant after a lengthy struggle in the hospital do not have this support during or after their battle. They courageously created Zoey’s Angels with the goal in mind of bringing comfort to families who are currently or have struggled with infant loss following hospitalization at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Zoey’s Angels may be able to provide financial support with needs such as medical bills, burial expenses or other related financial burdens. The non-profit organization seeks to provide support to families through networking those in similar situations, educating families on potential organizations or avenues that can provide financial support and working with families to identify ways to honor their child during the grieving process.

The Zoey’s Angels Fun Walk is an effort to continue the Dockals’ mission to provide support for families in the future. Although the Walk itself has already reached capacity, you are welcomed to come out in support of Zoey’s Angels. There will be raffles, a dunking booth, crafts, an obstacle course, face painting and a photo booth.

The Walk will begin at 9:00 AM. At noon there will be a birthday cake celebration in honor of Zoey Dockal with a balloon launch at 1:00 PM.

At Dagley Insurance & Financial Services we believe that turning your own pain into good for others is one of the most courageous and selfless things you can do. It’s amazing to see the heart that this local family has for other families. For more information about Zoey’s Angels please visit their website www.zoeysangels.org.

Are you hesitant in having friends over for an outside barbecue because you have poison ivy, oak or sumac in your yard?  Removing it would be best to avoid itchy reactions from your guests and allow you to have that gathering without worry!

Now is the best time to remove that poison ivy, oak or sumac.  June through August is the flowering season.  While you can remove the plants any time of year, it is best to do it during the flowering season.  Here are some steps to help make it easier.

• If you are doing the job yourself, be sure you wear all the right protective clothing.  Long pants, full coverage shoes, socks, long pants, long sleeve shirt, breathing mask and goggles are recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration.
• Cut plants down and remove their roots as thoroughly as possible.  Treat the areas with proper herbicides to finish the job.  Don’t be discouraged if the plants come back the first time.  In some cases it takes more than one try to completely eradicate the plants.
• When you are finished, place all the plants and roots in plastic bags for disposal. DO NOT burn the poison plants as burning will release urushiol oil which is the substance that causes allergic reactions into the air.
• Wash your clothes separately from other clothes.  Also wash the garden tools you used to remove the plants.  Wash your skin with cool water to remove any oil that may have gotten on you.
• If you do have a rash, give your doctor a call to find out how to treat it.  If you experience any trouble breathing or can not control your itch, go to the emergency room.
• If your guests do experience an allergic reaction, don’t worry.  Your homeowner’s policy will have you covered for medical expenses under the liability section.

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Have you finally decided on a paint color for that bedroom you have wanted to update for some time?  You must be ready for the next step, painting!  Here are some tips to make painting a little bit easier.

1. Clean the walls. With a damp sponge, brush off all cobwebs or dirt that may have accumulated over the years. Be sure to get the entire wall and the trim. Make sure the areas are completely dry before starting the next step.
2. Tape the area so you do not get paint on the trim. Use a high quality painter’s tape so that it does not peel up the existing paint.
3. Prime the area. Even if there is already color on the walls, using a primer can prolong the life of the paint you are going to use.
4. Paint the edges of the walls with a paintbrush. Paint about 2 inches to give your roller a bit of fudging room.
5. Using the “W” method of painting, paint your walls one at a time. Using a roller, start at the top left and make a W shape without lifting the roller. Continue this way for the whole wall to prevent streaking.
6. Take the tape off the trim before the paint dries so it does not lift any of the paint.

Painting a room does not have to be a daunting task. Once you get started, you will fall right into step. Before you know it, your bedroom will look brand new and you will be itching to start on the next room, but please do not forget about safety when painting. Make sure the room is well ventilated and that you do not have any tripping hazards about. And of course, make sure your homeowner’s insurance is up to date so that you will be covered for any mishaps that may happen during your painting party!
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Texas ranked #7 on the list of Top 10 States for Dog Bite Insurance Claims with the average cost of each insurance claim at approximately $19,339. This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The CDC estimates that 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year and nearly 57 million households own a dog. While most of us would like to think that our pups wouldn’t bite a human, the likelihood may be slightly higher than you think.

It is for this very reason that we advise our insurance clients who are also dog owners to have Personal Liability Insurance in addition to their homeowners policy. Even the most gentle dog can become aggressive under certain circumstances. What can you do to prevent your dog from biting?

• Supervise your dog while with children
• Socialize your dog with people and other dogs – dog park, walks, etc.
• If visitors are near while your dog is eating or chewing, discourage them from interacting
• Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise
• Choose non-aggressive games to play with your dog

In addition to putting these tips into practice, discuss Personal Liability Insurance with your insurance agent. Not only is it the right thing to do for those around you, but to protect your family as well.

The Katy Seven Meadows Community is hosting Seven Meadows Splash Day on May 24^th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the community pool. Dagley Insurance is excited to sponsor the event.

If you been to Seven Meadows Community events then you know that it will be a blast for the whole family. There will be a DJ, dunk tank, water balloons, water guns and beach balls for family fun along with ice cream and hot dogs with all the fixings.

Be sure to wear sunscreen and look for the Dagley Insurance tent for fun giveaways and raffles.

If you like country music, you will love Justin Michael Bell’s new EP, Chasing a Song, released May 14th. Justin grew up under the Friday Night Lights of Katy, Texas – playing football, baseball and golf for KISD’s Morton Ranch High School. Upon graduation, Justin attended Sam Houston State University to play baseball for the Bearkats.

Justin suffered a rotator cuff injury that took him off of the baseball diamond, but gave him the opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming a country music artist full time. Currently, Chasing a Song is #148 on iTunes’s Country Album Chart. We are excited to support this Katy ISD grad as his following grows on the country music stage.

You can catch Justin Michael Bell performing at No Label Brewery in Katy, Texas on May 24th. For more information on Justin’s future tour dates and album, please visit http://www.justinmichaelbell.com/.

It’s May which means it’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  You may think, “I do not have a motorcycle, so this topic does not really pertain to me.”  On the contrary, it is very important for everyone – especially those who do not ride motorcycles to be aware of those who are out there on motorcycles.  Unfortunately, the statistics surrounding motorcycles accidents are much higher than anyone would like to believe.

According to the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11% of all motor vehicle accidents in the United States involve motorcycles.  Being aware of motorcycles on the road can prevent future accidents and help get that statistic down.

When you are driving anywhere, remember that motorcycles may be present.  Whether you are a fan of motorcycles or not, you will want to know the rules motorcyclists have to follow.  It is important that motorcyclists abide by the laws as well.  Similar to car drivers, motorcycle riders need to signal when they are turning.  They also need to have working brake lights.

When you are driving behind a motorcycle, remember to keep your distance.  Motorcycles brake differently than cars and may stop much shorter than you realize.  Once you see brake lights, be sure to drive cautiously as the motorcycle will come to a stop much quicker than a car would.

If you would like more information on motorcycle rules and regulations for the state, please call us.  We can give you all the information you need so everyone can stay safe on the road.  And if you are thinking of getting a bike of your own, we can help insure it for you.  Just let us know what type of motorcycle you are interested in and we can find the right insurance policy to fit your new lifestyle needs.

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Did you know that we have a local celebrity at our Katy insurance office? Marcus Henneke and his family were featured in this month’s Meadows Magazine, a publication that goes out to the Seven Meadows community in Katy, Texas.

Marcus Henneke is the Vice President of Property and Casualty at Dagley Insurance & Financial Services. He and his wife Deana have three beautiful children and are thoroughly involved in the Katy community. It’s no wonder Meadows Magazine chose to feature the Henneke family this month!

Marcus is certainly an excellent leader at Dagley Insurance and Financial Services, but after reading the article you’ll quickly realize the roles that he prizes the most are that of being a husband to Deana and a father to his daughter and two boys. The Seven Meadows community is blessed to call the Henneke Family ‘neighbor’.

Now that spring has sprung, you and your kids will most likely be spending much more time outside.  One of the more recently popular events that families have been engaging in is having evening fires in small chimineas or fire pits in their backyards.  Sitting around a nice fire can be a wonderful bonding experience between family members.  Roasting marshmallows, singing songs and just enjoying the beauty of the flames can really set a wonderful relaxed mood.

But having a fire can be a real safety hazard to your home and property if you are not careful.  Be sure you always follow the proper safety techniques when you have a backyard fire.  Check the weather to make sure it is OK to have a fire at the particular time you are planning it.  Certain weather conditions may stop you.  Rain of course is not ideal, but excessively dry days are not good either.  Dry weather can make it much easier for surrounding areas to catch fire.  Wind is also a deterrent.  You want to have a calm, relatively dry, but not too dry day.

Make sure your children know how to safely maneuver around a fire.  They should always wear shoes and never run around the area.  Also, let them know the dangers of throwing things into the fire without permission.  While it might be “cool” to watch some things burn, it is also dangerous in some cases.  Sealed bottles, fireworks, or similar items could explode causing embers to go everywhere.

If you have any questions about fire pit safety and how fires could affect your home, please call us.  We can review your homeowner’s policy and give you helpful tips to keep everyone safe this spring and summer!  Fire pits can be a lot of fun if they are used safely.

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