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How Holiday Traditions Bind Us
Ruby and Russell making cookies
CREATING MEMORIES WE WANT TO KEEP
wears holiday-themed fuzzy socks and makes time to decorate Christmas cookies. Ashley Bustamante also enjoys baking and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve. And Liana Carrozza gets a head start by putting up her family’s Christmas tree on Thanksgiving. Kyla Whitehead enjoys listening to her mother-in-law read the story of Jesus after Christmas Eve dinner, and watching the children sip hot chocolate. Sarina Sabatino and her family enjoy a “fry night,” where they deep fry and sample different foods on Christmas Eve. Traveling is another popular tradition. Rebecca Hertz takes a short vacation close to home (this year to Hutchinson Island) with her husband, and they will travel with their new baby boy this year. Meanwhile, Amber Waring celebrated at Orlando’s Margaritaville last year and gorged on
gorgeous charcuterie boards; this year, she plans to attend the Dolphins v. Packers game. Go Fins!
Every family has its holiday traditions. As readers learned last year, the Bruce family tradition is to burn our Christmas tree on Christmas Day in a huge backyard bonfire. It’s unusual, but it’s also a whole lot of fun. Another tradition we share comes from Ashley’s side of the family. She visited Austria, where her stepfather is from, in 1993 at age 10. There, the Austrian Angels bring presents on Christmas Eve instead of Santa Claus. In this telling, Baby Jesus is responsible for the gifts, but the angels deliver them on his behalf.
Whatever you have planned, we hope your holiday season is filled with warmth and joy, but we also know many people have bad memories of this time of year. Perhaps they had a family member who always promised to attend Christmas, but just as regularly failed to appear. Or maybe someone in their household had a habit of drinking too much during every gathering. Others must cope with spouses who spend excessive amounts on themselves while limiting gifts to others, holiday fights that ruin the day for the entire family, and awkward dinners filled with snarky comments. The list goes on. If you’re dreading this holiday season, it’s time to listen to that voice inside telling you something is wrong. We have too few years on this Earth to spend time with someone we don’t love or who doesn’t treat us the way we deserve. Instead of accepting miserable holidays as a “tradition,” break the cycle and do something about it. Our memories from the holidays stay with us our entire lives. So, make sure you’re spending the holidays with people who make you happy and give you a reason to smile. Our family wishes you peace, love, happiness, and lasting heartwarming memories. –Ashley and Chris Bruce
The Austrian Angels visited Ashley for the first time in 1993, and the tradition has continued.
Each year, they arrive when the kids aren’t looking. It’s just another way to keep our holidays unique and memorable. And passing these traditions down through generations only makes them more memorable. Unsurprisingly, the other attorneys and staff at our firm have many family traditions of their own. Leesha Newkirk’s family always
A Traditional Family Dinner
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Avoid a Blue Christmas Make the Best of Your Holiday Time-Sharing
continued from pg. 4 people’s data is compromised as a result. Understandably, when you first receive these scam emails, you panic because you think they are legitimate. But remember, USPS, UPS, Amazon, and FedEx won’t ask for personal information over email. A good rule of thumb is never to click on links in emails — even from the actual company. Scammers are very good at making their emails look authentic. Instead, go to the delivery company’s website and log in to your account. If action is required, you should see a notification in your portal. Alternatively, you can call the business’s customer service line to check if their email is authentic. Holiday Shopping Scams Businesses boom during the holiday season because more people buy their products and services. But this means potential scams can also increase, but you can do a few things to ensure your personal information and banking details are safe. You may see products online or advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok that pique your interest. But before you click “buy,” ensure the website is legitimate. Search for the product on a search engine to see if the same links appear. Carefully read reviews, look for website security credentials, and research unknown retailers before purchasing. It’s better to take extra precautions to ensure your information isn’t compromised. In addition, never use public Wi-Fi when purchasing items online. You’re more likely to be hacked when the Wi-Fi connection isn’t protected or in a secure network. Hackers tap into public internet sources and intercept your data through techniques like eavesdropping. Although it’s appealing to use public Wi-Fi because you think it’s free, it’s not. You pay with your personal information and data. If you or someone you know is a victim of fraud, report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online or by phone at 1-877-382-4357. For more information on scams, fraud, and identity theft, go to USA.gov/scams- and-frauds to learn how to protect yourself better.
Even under ideal circumstances, it’s difficult for many families to accomplish every task they want during the holiday season. There are gifts to wrap, plans to make, and big meals to cook. Fitting it all in can be stressful — especially when you have a time-sharing agreement with your ex. Not getting to spend every moment with their kids during the most family-centric time of the year saddens many parents. But you can reduce the difficulty with the right mindset. First, accepting that your holiday traditions will be different after a divorce is crucial. You don’t have to give them up entirely, but old timelines may no longer work, and many families have to choose which activities matter most. But while many people plan extra carefully to make up for limited time, things can always go wrong, and you’ll need to be flexible. Illnesses, traffic jams, bad weather, and delayed flights all happen. And while there certainly are some people who strive to make their exes’ lives miserable, these types of incidents are usually beyond their control. Anger won’t solve the problem, so try to assume the best and take it in stride. You’ll have a happier holiday. It’s just as crucial to maintain open lines of communication. If you’re dealing with a hiccup that will affect time-sharing, contact your co-parent to find a solution as soon as possible. It’s what you’d want in the same circumstances. Your communication should also extend to your kids. Especially as they get older, they’ll have opinions about how they spend the holidays. Maybe they’d rather skip a particular tradition, or perhaps everything you have planned is a bit much. It may hurt to hear they’d rather spend a day with their other parent, but proving you have their preferences in mind will strengthen your relationship. Finally, make the most of the time you have together — whether or not you have as much as you’d prefer. You have a choice between lamenting the things you can’t do and celebrating the things you can. Christmas can still be memorable if you don’t get to celebrate it on Dec. 25, and your holiday can survive a missed meet-and-greet with Santa. Put away the distractions and cherish the moments you have with your children because when it’s all said and done, the people you’re with are who make the holidays memorable.
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A Christmas to Remember Try These Holiday Traditions
Some families celebrate dozens of big and small holiday traditions each year. Others feel overwhelmed by the idea of creating them. In truth, anything can be a tradition — even something as simple as wearing pajamas while opening Christmas presents. But if you’re still feeling stumped, we’ve compiled a few simple ideas to get you started. Host a Christmas Movie Marathon Many families have favorite holiday movies they must watch every year. And you can become one of them! You’ll have plenty of choices, from annual animated favorites like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to black-and-white classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” There are also countless modern and comedic choices, like “Elf” or “Christmas Vacation.” Decide whether you want to go cute, sentimental, or funny, and queue up your favorite streaming service together. Bake the Night Away Christmas cookies factor into many holiday traditions because they taste great and allow everyone to work together. Don’t leave all the baking to a parent — get the kids involved! They’ll love helping
to measure and mix ingredients, and they’ll especially love the taste test. Along the way, they’ll acquire kitchen skills and create lasting memories. You can crank up the Christmas tunes and dance while you bake, let each family member pick a cookie type each year, or make a habit of building gingerbread houses. The goal is to have fun and make something delicious.
Get Creative with Ornaments
each year and hang it up; they’ll get much more excited to help decorate the tree.
A Christmas tree is much more special when your family members get to put their special touch on it. Fortunately, there are many ways to do so with help from your local craft store. Get some supplies, sit down as a family, and create ornaments with your own unique flair. The artistically challenged can try a different spin on this tradition by starting a Christmas ornament collection. Let each child select a new ornament
The most crucial aspect of your holiday tradition is that it’s meaningful for your family. Maybe the above traditions aren’t for you, and singing Christmas carols or wearing ugly Christmas sweaters suits you better. The secret is to find what you all love and stick with it. Traditions aren’t about what you do but that you do it together.
Winter Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
Kyla Whitehead, Liana Carrozza, Ashley Bruce, and Christopher Bruce attended the Mental Health Counselors Association of Palm Beach’s meeting at The Retreat in Lake Worth on October 14
Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
Ingredients
•
6 1/2 cups potatoes, cut into large chunks
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4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 sprig rosemary
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2 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, sliced
15-oz can diced tomatoes plus liquid
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 large carrots, cut into rounds 1/2 cauliflower, broken into florets
Milk, to desired consistency
Directions
1.
In a pot, boil potatoes until tender.
2. In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots, cauliflower, garlic, and rosemary and stir until softened. 3. Pour tomatoes into mix and add water. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, then remove lid and cook for 15 minutes until thickened. Stir in peas and simmer. 4. Drain and mash potatoes. Stir in milk to desired consistency. 5. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spoon hot vegetable mix into pie dish, then top with mashed potatoes. Bake until top is golden brown.
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Creating Holidays You’ll Want to Remember page 1
Coping With Holiday Time-Sharing page 2
Creating Your Own Family Holiday Traditions Winter Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie page 3
Protect Your Personal Data From Scammers page 4 ’Tis the Season for Giving —
We get busy shopping for Christmas gifts online and in-store during the holiday season. It’s the season that keeps on giving — but not for all. Scammers will devise clever ways to con you out of your hard-earned money. Some will take advantage of your generosity. So, as you scroll through shopping websites and wait for your gifts to come in the mail, be sure to protect yourself from scammers. Here are some tips. Holiday Mail Scams Shipping companies will give you updates and status on your items when you order something online or ship a package off. Although this tool is excellent for tracking where your orders are, scammers will send phishing emails pretending to be these shipping companies. These emails claim your package is lost or more information is needed to process your order or shipment. Some may have a webpage link for you to submit personal information. Phishing emails like these are all too common; unfortunately, millions of Not Stealing HOW TO AVOID HOLIDAY SCAMS
continued on pg. 2 ...
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