Toxic Holiday Decorations – Stay Stylish but Safe this Season.

There is nothing more beautiful than bringing nature indoors for the winter holidays. But beware; lurking beneath the surface of all that natural beauty is an organic toxic brew.

When the halls are decked with real holly, Ivy topiaries flank the mantle, and mistletoe beckons suitors as they enter parlor…I could swear I hear reindeer and scraping on the roof.

But beware; lurking beneath the surface of all that natural beauty is an organic toxic brew. So please use caution when decorating with plant material from the garden or florist. As green, natural, and beautiful as it all, Best keep it out of reach of small children, pets and hungry guests. Many favorite holiday plants are poisonous: Holly berries, for instance, if ingested will cause vomiting, diarrhea, and could even explain the stupor Uncle Sal is in the easy chair. You can’t always blame the eggnog. Or your cooking for that matter. Ivy foliage contains saponins, which, if chewed on, can cause a burning sensation in the throat and gastronomical eruptions that could render the downstairs bathroom unusable.

And, though it could be that love is in the air, if your hunky neighbor begins to breath heavily, keels over in stomach pain and begins to vomit under the Mistletoe, it just might be an indication that swallowed a berry. And the heart palpitations could be caused be the sudden drop in blood pressure not the plunging neckline of your party dress. Many evergreen branches, barks, twigs and bittersweet are poisonous. Juniper berries, easily mistaken for the blueberries in that delicious pie, can cause digestive irritation or even kidney failure.

So next time your family complains of indigestion after a large holiday feast consider removing the centerpiece before enrolling in cooking school for next year.

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