Almost anywhere it rains, it can flood. Even if you live in an area of that you think isn’t at risk, preparation is just as critical as with other types of emergencies.

At Blasingame Insurance Agency, we thought it would be fun to give you a little of the history behind Mother’s Day, as well as a few ideas to honor the special women in all our lives.

Your furniture and appliances, clothing, sports or hobby equipment, and electronic goods are all regarded as personal property. Like many people in Washington, you may own much more than you realize. Knowing what you own will help you determine whether you have enough coverage to replace your property in the event of a loss.

Proper maintenance can extend the life of your boat, reduce the need for costly repairs, and help ensure the safety of your passengers. Wash your boat regularly to prevent the long-term effects of environmental wear and tear. Routine waxing and the use of an anti-fouling paint can also help protect your boat from the elements. Consider using environmentally-safe products whenever possible!

When purchasing a trailer in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona or elsewhere, stay within recommended capacity guidelines. When determining capacity, remember to include the weight of fuel and accessories in addition to the weight of the craft.

Although they are often skippered by teens and young adults, boats are not toys. Both the craft and its operator must comply with all Federal and state requirements, no matter whether you live in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona or elsewhere.

In most places in the United States, Sunday, March 13, 2011,
is Daylight Saving, when clocks are moved forward one hour. We here at Blasingame Insurance Agency want to remind you it’s also a great time to improve your family’s safety.

Of course, because spring is a time for new beginnings, cleaning and organization around the house are very popular this time of year. If you’re ready to tackle that monumental chore, read on for some helpful information.

With the days getting longer and the weather getting warmer, we here at Blasingame Insurance Agency are starting to think about spring. (Or at least hoping that springtime is coming, anyway.) And whether spring arrives on time, we’ve got you covered with tips to get you ready for the season.

It’s exciting to receive jewelry from a loved one – or to give it as a gift. Not to mention romantic. But if you’re lucky enough to have some new jewelry in your Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona home this Valentine’s Day, you should take a few minutes to think about something you probably don’t find exciting or romantic: insurance.

Here at Blasingame Insurance Agency, we can’t really help you become a master negotiator when it comes to buying a car. But we can give you some things to consider when you’re looking around the lot – and when you’re trying to answer the age-old question of “new, or used?”

If you live or vacation where the weather gets cold and the snow starts falling, some people are content to cozy up next to the fire with a good book and concentrate on staying warm.

For others, though, it’s time to get excited – because it’s time to break out the snowmobiles and head to the nearest winter recreation spot. Of course, snowmobiling presents some dangers as well. And here at Blasingame Insurance Agency, we want you to make it home safely to Spokane and Spokane Valley after your day in the snow.

Millions of Americans will do some traveling this holiday season – the majority of it by car. Of course, winter weather creates a unique set of challenges on the roadways, whether you’re simply driving around in Spokane or headed to Spokane Valley. At Blasingame Insurance Agency, we’d like to help you enjoy your holiday season, so please take these winter-travel safety tips to heart.

You’ll no doubt hear the phrase “Happy Holidays!” about a thousand times over the next month or two. Here at Blasingame Insurance Agency, we’d like to change that a little bit: “Happy – and Safe – Holidays!”

For those RV owners who aren’t able to escape the winter weather in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona, or who are simply storing their RV for an extended period, it’s important to prepare for it. Just as with your home, a little maintenance now will go a long way toward preventing frustration – and expensive repairs – later.

Would you like to save $200 to $400 a year on your energy costs? That’s how much the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program estimates that homeowners can save by incorporating technologies to make their homes operate more efficiently.

Summer has ended, but there’s no need to fret here in Spokane and Spokane Valley. Blasingame Insurance Agency recommends some maintenance tasks to help ensure your home is ready for fall and winter weather in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona.

It’s a night full of treats for both kids and adults in Spokane and Spokane Valley. But a number of factors – including lots of people walking in the dark, the threat of wet and stormy weather, strangers coming to your door – mean that Halloween in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona can have some tricks up its sleeve.

Whether you’ve got a rowboat or a big cabin cruiser, we here at Blasingame Insurance Agency want to make sure you have the tips you need to keep your boat protected when it’s not in use.

When choosing auto insurance, you want thorough coverage for the best price. There’s a lot to think about when you’re choosing auto insurance. In some states, to license your car you must carry liability coverage for damages incurred by others if you cause an accident, or no-fault coverage to pay for medical and related expenses for you and your passengers caused by injuries from a car accident, regardless of fault; or carry both.

As many building owners across Washington know, the threat of high winds can be very damaging to windows, roofs, signs and other fixtures on the outside of a commercial building. Whether you rent or own your building you need to protect it from high wind events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or straight-line gusts.

Each year about 400,000 people are treated for injuries from lawn and garden tools, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Don’t let your landscaping efforts land you in the hospital! Follow these handy safety tips.

Just because you’re on vacation, it doesn’t mean you can stop thinking about safety. These tips will help you and your family get the most out of your trip – and help you get back to Spokane and Spokane Valley safe and sound.

Keep in mind that when you grill, you’re literally playing with fire. Thousands of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona residents each year learn this the hard way, suffering damage to their homes or even serious injuries in grilling accidents.

We’ve all seen the dramatic effect hurricanes, tropical depressions and other severe storms can have on the coast and even far inland – both the initial wind and rain and the floods that follow. But there are steps you can take to stay safe and reduce damage to your property in the event of any severe storm, whether you live in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona.

Whether you live in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona, or elsewhere, hail storms don’t last long, but they pack a real punch. Every year, hail causes nearly $1 billion in damages, mostly to repair roofs and cars. A single series of evening storms in North Texas in May of 2011 caused an estimated $200 million to $300 million in damages, according to one estimate.

Restaurant and foodservice owners across Washington know the importance of managing “the cold chain” and how seriously it needs to be followed to prevent food borne illnesses – something that can hurt your reputation and your bottom line.

To stay safe on Spokane and Spokane Valley streets, you need the right skills to control your ride, and the best safety equipment for just-in-case. Blasingame Insurance Agency wants you to be safe out there – so keep these helpful tips in mind when you ride:

Being on the water in your boat can be a real joy, but it pays to know what to do if you’re involved in an accident in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona, or if something happens to your personal watercraft (PWC) when it’s on shore.

Autumn in Washington means leaves are dropping and clogging gutters, and old branches and hedges need trimming. Whatever your crew maybe doing, it likely involves using a ladder. They need the right knowledge on how to safely use and work while up on the ladder.

Whether you own a Jet Ski, a small ski boat, fishing boat, or a 26-foot cruiser, knowing that you’re covered by the right insurance should give you the peace of mind to relax and enjoy every minute.

It’s happened. There’s water everywhere – in your walls, under your carpets and soaking into your belongings. Whether caused by a burst pipe, a broken water heater or flooding, there are things you can do immediately to salvage belongings and limit damage or loss.

You don’t have to be hit by a tornado to experience damage. Taking a little time to prepare could save you thousands of dollars and hours of clean-up.

At Blasingame Insurance Agency we recognize one of the fastest growing American pastimes is recreational boating. While many boaters cruise in sailboats and powerboats, personal watercraft (PWC) have become a popular way to enjoy the water too. Recreational boaters use them as tenders on larger boats, to water ski, commute and just for spring and summer fun.

As summer approaches thousands of teenagers will enter the workforce, many for the first time. It’s very important that business owners have a clear understanding of state labor laws and safety issues that apply to underage workers.

With Earth Day fast approaching, we here at Blasingame Insurance Agency thought it would be a good time to talk about preventative measures you can take to avoid harming the environment, in addition to carrying an insurance policy that provides coverage for fuel spills and pollution liability.

Buying, selling or insuring a boat in Spokane or Spokane Valley? First you’ll need to know how much your boat and/or motor is worth. Here are a few popular pricing guides as references.

Simple steps can lead to savings in your pocket. Spending less money is much easier than perfecting your tight turns at high speeds on a gravel road. Take a look at some simple ways to lower your motorcycle insurance costs for Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona riders like you.

Did you know the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers small businesses free, workplace safety consultations?

Insuring a condominium in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona is different than insuring a home. And the biggest difference is knowing where your responsibilities begin and end. That’s why it really pays to work with a knowledgeable insurance agent like Blasingame Insurance Agency.

In most places in the United States, Sunday, March 13, 2011, is Daylight Saving, when clocks are moved forward one hour. Regardless of whether Daylight Saving Time is recognized where you live, we here at Blasingame Insurance Agency want to suggest it’s still a great time to improve your family’s safety.

Avoid any delays and unexpected problems when you take your recreational vehicle or motorhome out for what should be a relaxing trip from Spokane or Spokane Valley. Follow some of our suggestions below, and consider investing in some maintenance and safety classes to help ensure happy travels across Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona and beyond.

Whether you are a professional cleaner making service calls, a farmer who needs to transport fertilizer or a long-haul trucker, it’s important to know where to find transportation news and information that applies to you.

Whether driving to meet customers or sending a fleet of vehicles out for deliveries, make sure your employees understand these safe driving tactics before they get started.

A comprehensive emergency management program is a necessary part of any business, and can help to limit employee or customer injuries, damages to property and help your business return more quickly to normal operations.

Your home may be worth as much or more than your retirement account. As a result, it makes sense to track your home insurance as carefully as you do your 401k.

Insurance might be a necessity, but spending lots of money on it isn’t. We here at Blasingame Insurance Agency know that you’d rather be mapping out your next destination instead of worrying about your bank balance, so read our recommendations below and start saving. If you live in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona, we can help!

One smart and effective way to protect yourself against identity theft in places like Inland Northwest and Pacific Northwest is to prevent it. If your identity is stolen, you’ll be able to lessen problems by acting quickly, whether you live in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California or Arizona, or elsewhere.

While we cannot control environmental conditions that cause slip hazards, we can certainly reduce the likelihood of falls through improved design, lighting and maintenance to increase awareness of and eliminate hazards. Here is some helpful information and additional resources all businesses can use.

Adopting certain management and operating principles can minimize or even eliminate products liability losses. Working these principles into your organization requires a systematic, coordinated loss control plan.

Rain, fog, sleet, snow, ice and wind…bad weather is the enemy of every driver in Washington. Blasingame Insurance Agency wants you and your employees to be safe. Even if you are satisfied that your vehicle and all of its components are in good operating condition, bad weather demands that you take a few more precautions before hitting the road.

How much you pay for insurance depends on many factors. Following the suggestions below may help you lower the cost of your classic car or collector vehicle insurance at Blasingame Insurance Agency in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona.

Slips and falls are the second leading causes of loss for business in Washington. And they can be prevented with a few maintenance and cleaning procedures.

Believe it or not, every state in the U.S. has some degree of risk from earthquakes, including Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California and Arizona. If you live in an area susceptible to earthquakes, make sure you speak with Blasingame Insurance Agency in order to determine whether you are covered, or if you should purchase separate earthquake coverage.

As many commercial building owners and contractors across Washington begin remodeling or construction projects, they realize the value in subbing out some of the work to skilled and technical professionals. But there are risks involved in hiring subcontractors.

Who doesn’t want to save money on homeowners insurance? For homeowners and renters in Spokane and Spokane Valley, you have options when it comes to lowering your home insurance costs.

Drivers ask the team at Blasingame Insurance Agency this more than just about anything else – how do you save money on auto insurance policies? There are a number of factors that go into determining the cost of your car insurance premiums, and Blasingame Insurance Agency has some helpful suggestions to help you lower your costs.

Slips and falls are the second leading causes of loss for business in Washington. And they can be prevented with a few maintenance and cleaning procedures. Most slips and falls are caused by the floor surface being too slippery from either moisture or from lack of friction due to built up debris in the surface.

As cold weather approaches in Washington, it’s vital that you protect your building’s fire suppression system so it not only does its job should there be a fire, but that it doesn’t do more damage by freezing up, bursting, and creating massive water damage.

If the unthinkable happens, we here at Blasingame Insurance Agency understand that your most valuable assets are more than just items on a balance sheet. That information is critical during a time of catastrophe. The following sites are additional resources to assist with preparing for and recovering from disaster.

The secret to selecting the right amount of insurance coverage? Simple – the more information you provide, the more easily Blasingame Insurance Agency can create a homeowner’s policy that’s right for you.