(WBOY) — From balloons to certain flowers and treats, there are some common Valentine’s Day gifts that can pose a real threat to your significant other or people around them.
Foil Balloons
An “I Love You” or “Be Mine” shiny balloon might seem like the perfect last-minute gift for your Valentine; they’re readily available at most grocery stores, last longer than a regular balloon and are relatively affordable. However, Mon Power warns that foil balloons could also cause widespread power outages, if not handled properly.
Because the metallic coating is a conductor, an accidentally let-go foil balloon could cause outages and damage to electric systems. A release from FirstEnergy said, “Balloon related outages still happen more often than you would think— Last year, foil balloons were to blame for 102 power outages across FirstEnergy’s six-state service area” (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia).
If you do accidentally lose a foil balloon in a power line, FirstEnergy says do not try to retrieve it and report the problem to your local power company. The number for FirstEnergy is 888-544-4877.
Poisonous Flowers
If you plan to get your partner flowers, there are a few species that can be harmful to children and pets that you should be aware of.
Peace lilies can be fatal if eaten by a cat or dog, according to Dr. Scott Moore of the Fairmont Veterinary Hospital. Moore told 12 News in an interview that peace lilies are by far the worst plant for pets to ingest.
According to MyPet, other common bouquet flowers that are poisonous if eaten by animals include:
- Baby’s breath
- Bird of Paradise
- Carnations
- Daffodils
- Dahlias
- Daisies
- Irises
- Peonies
If you plan to have flowers in the home for Valentine’s Day, just make sure they are out of the reach of your pets.
Also, keep in mind that a number of foods including chocolate, sweets and many ingredients that you might have in a fancier dinner, such as garlic, onions and seasonings, are all toxic to animals.
Recalled Food
The last thing you want on Valentine’s Day is to give your partner food poisoning. Although it’s unlikely that the chocolates you got your Valentine have been recalled, it never hurts to double-check. Several sweet treats, including an IKEA chocolate cake sold with possible metal fragments in it and a JSJ cake with allergy concerns.
Allergies
If you are wanting to send a gift to someone you admire who you don’t know super well yet, you might want to avoid certain common allergens. The most common food allergies in the U.S. are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybean and sesame.
Additionally, someone who is diabetic may not be able to eat large amounts of sugar, and vegetarian and vegan people don’t eat certain types of candy, including marshmallows, Jello and other items made with gelatin.
