Smart tips for securing your Smart Home!

Nearly 70 percent of homes in the U.S. have at least one smart device—a speaker, security system or thermostat, for example—and about 12 percent of homes have multiple devices. While smart home technology has many benefits, it’s important to remember that these devices are susceptible to security breaches. Cybercriminals can use information from your smart home devices to determine when you are away from home or access your personal information.

To avoid being hacked at home, take the following steps to secure your smart devices.

1. Change all usernames and passwords. When you set up a new smart home device, change the username and password, as factory-created settings are easy for hackers to access. Use different passwords for each of your smart devices and keep track of them with an online password manager if needed.
2. Use a secure router. Many people use wireless routers that are provided by their internet service provider; however, it may be wise to purchase a router with enhanced security. Your router should have built-in anti-virus software or a built-in VPN to prevent cyberattacks and should be rebooted regularly for enhanced security.
3. Utilize two-factor authentication on your smart devices. The two-step authentication process on your smart devices requires you to verify your identification by email, text or PIN number before any changes are made. Multiple steps make it harder for criminals to access your personal data on your smart home technology.
4. Update firmware regularly. Firmware updates are pushed out to smart devices over the internet directly from the manufacturer (like when you update your phone with the latest features). Often firmware updates to smart home devices include security fixes; be sure to perform these updates in a timely manner.
5. Set up multiple networks. Many routers allow for a separate “guest” network, so create two networks in your home for increased security. Connect laptops, phones, and other devices that store personal information to your main network and connect smart home technology to your “guest” network.

Meet the Animals! Tips for Visiting A Zoo or Aquarium

Taking a trip to a zoo or aquarium is fun for people of all ages. Who doesn’t love watching monkeys swing from branches or seeing sea lions flip and dive in the water? If you’re planning a day with the animals, keep in mind these tips to make the most of your visit.

Check admission information. Before heading on your trip, confirm the operating hours of the zoo or aquarium. Given COVID restrictions, pay close attention to any visitor limits; you may be required to purchase tickets ahead of time. If you plan on visiting regularly, consider a yearly membership that will save you money in the long run.

Wear appropriate shoes. You can be sure that any visit to a zoo or aquarium is going to require a decent amount of walking. Wear sneakers or other comfortable walking shoes to keep your feet happy during your trip.

Pack snacks and water. All of the walking you’ll be doing during your visit is sure to leave you hungry and thirsty. Pack plenty of snacks with you to avoid any meltdowns, especially from young children, and don’t forget to bring your refillable water bottle. 

Review safety rules with children. Let kids know that climbing over barriers, banging on the glass walls and feeding the animals is not allowed. Remind young children to stay close to you and have a plan for what to do if they get lost.

Check for daily shows and events. Visit the zoo or aquarium website in advance of your trip to find a list of events you may want to attend, like feedings, speakers or shows. Plan your route accordingly to take advantage of as many as possible.

If COVID is keeping you from visiting the zoo or aquarium in person, try a virtual visit. Strategically placed web cams give you a great view of the animals and staff videos give a unique glimpse behind-the-scenes. What’s more, you can visit zoos and aquariums from all over the country and even the world!

 

Tips for Maintaining Heart Health

The heart is arguably the body’s most essential organ when it comes to your health. Beating around 100,000 times a day, the heart pumps blood to the entire body, allowing other organs to do their jobs effectively. There are many aspects to keeping your heart healthy, and it’s important to incorporate all of them into your daily lifestyle.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Making good food choices can go a long way in maintaining heart health. Opt for foods that are low in sodium and saturated fat, but high in fiber. Fill your diet with green, leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and low-fat protein, all of which provide nutrients to keep your heart beating strong. Be aware of your portion sizes and pre-plan your menu to ensure you are eating heart-healthy foods.

Make Exercise a Habit

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week for adults. Find an exercise you enjoy doing—whether it be walking, tennis, dancing, biking or any of the countless other forms of cardiovascular exercise. Schedule time to exercise in your weekly plans; hold yourself accountable by writing it down or taking a class.

Don’t Smoke

Smoking cigarettes can cause long-lasting damage to the heart. Smoking has been found to increase one’s heart rate and restrict major arteries, which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the body. Smokers also have an increased chance of having a stroke. The advice here is simple: if you smoke, take steps to quit.

Learn to Manage Stress

Excessive stress can be detrimental to heart health if it isn’t managed properly. People who are over-stressed often make poor choices, like overeating, drinking too much alcohol or being inactive for long periods of time. These unhealthy choices put them at an increased risk for high blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. If you are often stressed, find a stress reliever that works for you (yoga, connecting with a friend, etc.) and use it.

 

New Year’s Resolutions for a Safe Home

As you plan your resolutions for 2021, keep home safety top of mind! Often home safety to-dos get lost in the shuffle of everyday life and never end up completed. This January, create a detailed plan to tackle inspections and updates to ensure a safe home for your family. Get out your calendar; it is time to make a plan to keep your home safe in 2021.

• Change air filters. Air filters should typically be changed once every three months. If you have one pet, change the filter every two months, and if you have more than one pet or a family member with allergies, change your air filter every month. Since this is a regular task, make a note in your calendar now to remember to change the air filters on time.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should be tested every month to ensure they are in good working condition. Unless your detectors have long-life batteries, replace the batteries once or twice a year, which is usually recommended around daylight savings time in the spring and fall.
• Clean your dryer vent. Dryer vent pipes should be cleaned at least once a year for both safety and efficiency purposes. Block off an afternoon to complete this project yourself or make a note to call a professional to clean the vent for you.
• Conduct an electrical audit. Once a year, do a thorough check of all electrical components in your house. Look for damaged wires, check outlets and ensure your breaker panel is free of debris.

• Review your homeowner’s insurance policy. When it comes time to renew your homeowner’s insurance policy, do not just write a check and forget about it. Take the time to read the document and make any changes necessary in your coverage. 

• Prepare for emergencies. Update emergency contacts restock your first aid kit and make sure flashlights have working batteries. Do not forget to review and practice your fire escape plan with your family as well.

Six Tips To Reduce The Holiday Stress

Give Thanks By Giving Back

Amid the hardships of 2020, there have been shining examples of people putting others first all across the country. Local communities have come together to support each other during these trying times. With Thanksgiving at the end of the month, now is the perfect time to give thanks by giving back.

 

Treat someone to lunch.

Remember when your neighbor helped you clean up after that big storm? Or a teacher went out of his or her way to help your child? Surprise them with a gift card to a local restaurant or a delivery service to show your thanks. Not only will they enjoy a free meal, you’ll also be supporting a local business.

 

Send a card or write a note.

Go old school and get out a pen and paper to send a letter to someone for whom you are grateful. You don’t have to write a lot; even a small note of thanks can help to brighten a person’s day, especially when they aren’t expecting it.

 

Volunteer your time.

Time is the most precious gift we can give. Find a cause that is near to your heart and find a way to volunteer. Many socially-distant volunteer opportunities are available, like packing meals for food-insecure families, providing online tutoring and homework assistance, or checking in on senior citizens in your neighborhood.

 

Shop local and share on social media.

Small businesses took quite a hit this year, yet many rose above and continued to provide services and goods to their communities. Give thanks to the shops in your neighborhood and buy local this holiday season. Even better, share what you love most about them on social media to show your support.

 

Donate blood.

According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. This year in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that we should never take our health for granted. If you are in good health, show your thanks by paying it forward and donating blood for those in need.

 

Five Habits of Emotionally Healthy Families

In difficult situations, like the current COVID-19 pandemic, it can be hard to manage emotions for both children and adults. By focusing on the emotional health of your family, you can help each individual express themselves in a constructive way and forge a path forward to grow as a family. Incorporate these habits into your daily family life to build a strong emotional foundation.

 

1. Treat each other with respect. While everyone agrees that children should respect their parents, adults should also show that same respect back to their kids. Modeling this behavior at home will set up expectations for how kids treat others—and how they expect others to treat them—in the future.

 

2. Share feelings, both positive and negative. The family home should be a safe space for members to express what they are feeling, from happiness and excitement to anger and sadness. When it comes to the negative feelings, acknowledge them and then work together to find appropriate ways to address any underlying issues.

 

3. Seek out each other’s opinions. For each member of the family to feel valued, they should have the opportunity to express their opinions. This includes expressing their thoughts on mundane things, like what’s for dinner, and on big decisions, like a family vacation. Actively listen to all opinions and consider them (as much as you can) in your choices.

 

4. Celebrate the big accomplishments and small victories. Cheer on your family members as they succeed in their endeavors, whether it be a good grade, learning to ride a bike or a well-earned promotion. By recognizing your family members’ achievements, you can show your support as they build their self-esteem.

 

5. Accept each family member as they are. In a family, you see the best side of each member, as well as the worst side. Everyone has imperfections and makes mistakes. Showing your unconditional love to your family members will fill their emotional buckets and help your family grow in trust.

Inclement Weather All Centers Closing – Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Dear Apple Tree Families,

The National Weather Center has updated the status of Tropical Storm Isaias. It appears that the storm will increase speed overnight and will be a Category 1 Hurricane when it hits land. It is projected to reach the Hampton Roads area as a Category 1 and will not diminish in strength until approximately 8am tomorrow.

Due to the strength of the storm and potential threat for power outages, all Apple Tree Learning Centers will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday 8/4/2020.

Any summer camp events scheduled for tomorrow, such as the Game-On Bus will be rescheduled for next week.

Thank you for your understanding as we all prepare for this weather event.

Sincerely,
Apple Tree Kids Executive Team

Virginia Back To School Tax Free Weekend is August 7-9th!

The 3-day sales tax holiday starts on Friday, August 7 at 12:01 am and ends the following Sunday (August 9th) at 11:59 pm.

What is it? 

During the sales tax holiday, you can buy qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items, and Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax.

What items are eligible?

• School supplies, clothing, and footwear 
  • Qualified school supplies – $20 or less per item
  • Qualified clothing and footwear – $100 or less per item
• Hurricane and emergency preparedness products  
  • Portable generators – $1,000 or less per item
  • Gas-powered chainsaws – $350 or less per item
  • Chainsaw accessories – $60 or less per item
  • Other specified hurricane preparedness items – $60 or less per item
• Energy Star™ and WaterSense™​ products 
  • Qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use – $2,500 or less per item

Detailed lists of qualifying items and more information for retailers can be found in the 2019 Combined Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines.

Important News – Summer Camp 2020 Registration Forms – Due by June 11

We are so excited to blast off into Summer with “To Mars and Beyond!”

Summer Camp starts June 15th! As many of you are aware, the Governor has allowed our state to enter Phase 2 of the COVID-19 reopening process. All centers are still restricted with capacity allowances, limitations on summer camp programing as well as enforcing social distancing and good hand washing/hygiene practices in the classroom environment.

With that said, spaces in the Summer Camp programs will be limited. If your child’s center is full then we will try to assist families with openings at other Apple Tree locations nearby. Remember we have 4 locations in Chesapeake and 2 in Suffolk.

As of right now, we are not permitted to schedule field trips since there is no way to provide social distancing on the vans. Therefore, we have been working diligently with our vendors to provide the children the same field trip experience here at each center. Camp Calendars will be sent out on a monthly basis so that we can adjust the events for possible future fields trips as the Governor continues to make changes to the restrictions with each phase of reopening.

Attached you will find the forms that need to be printed, completed and returned to the center director by Thursday, June 11th. We are sending the forms out electronically to decrease the amount of contact as possible. The forms include:

1- In-House event permission slip
2- Sunscreen Authorization Form
3- June Activity Calendar (This is for you to keep)

All students ages 6 months old to 12 years MUST have completed forms on file in order to have sunscreen and participate in the events. Please make sure you return the forms by June 11th.

If you are unable to print these forms, please speak with a director for assistance.

Additional Phase 2 restrictions that we need to make you aware of:
1- Children 4-12 years old are allowed in group sizes of 20 with 2 teachers.
2- Children 3 years and younger are limited to a maximum of 12 individuals per group to include children and teachers.
3- Children and staff in childcare are not required to wear masks.
4- Parents who enter the building for any reason MUST wear a mask. Your temperature will be taken and you will be asked to wash your hands. If you are sick or show any symptoms of illness you will not be permitted to enter the building.
5- Curbside drop off and pick up procedures will remain in place.
6- Water play is limited to sensory tables. No pools or water features.
7- Outdoor play times are required to be increased throughout the day to allow for the children more exposure to fresh air.

We will continue to keep everyone posted as updates become available.

Thank you for your assistance and support during the pandemic. We appreciate all of our families and hope that everyone is continuing to stay well.

Sincerely,
Apple Tree Kids