The
Digest
DeWittLaw.com
OCTOBER 2019
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KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE THIS HALLOWEEN
E very Halloween, parents around the country warn their children about something truly scary: poison, pins, and needles in Halloween candy. Fortunately, it turns out that these concerns are largely unfounded. Researchers who have looked into scares regarding Halloween candy have found they’re mostly hoaxes, with no evidence at all for the vast majority of scares. However, it is always better to be safe and take the necessary precautions. Follow these tips, and everyone will be sure to enjoy this spooky season. PLAN THE ROUTE AHEAD OF TIME If your children want to venture outside your neighborhood on Halloween, take a drive through the areas they want to explore in advance. With their help, you can plan a route so they won't get lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood. The quick drive will also give you an idea of which blocks have ideal sidewalks. If some lack walkways entirely, I recommend choosing another neighborhood or area for your trick-or-treating adventures. Neighborhoods without sidewalks require extra caution, especially with the high volume of people in the area. You can try out different routes to avoid densely congested areas on Halloween and keep your kids safe while going door to door. Many local police departments have a noticeable presence in certain neighborhoods on Halloween. Stick to these neighborhoods to help ensure a safe holiday. MAKE THEIR COSTUMES SHINE BRIGHT If your children love dark and creepy costumes, make sure they're still visible when it gets dark. With a little reflective tape or glow-in-the-dark sticks added to their outfits, you'll be able to see them from down the street! Ensure none of your kids are wearing oversized shoes or dragging accessories, as that will help reduce the risk of a trip and fall. USE SAFE FACE PAINT If your little Hulk prefers face paint, use nontoxic or natural products to complete their look. Many popular face paint brands contain unneeded parabens and petroleum-based
ingredients, but it is super easy to make DIY face paint! You can use simple, store-bought products like corn starch, flour, lotion, and food coloring. Regardless of the method you use, test the paint on your child's inner arm two days beforehand to make sure they will not have an allergic reaction and the paint won’t stain their skin. TEACH YOUR KIDS ROADSIDE SAFETY Test your kids to make sure they know the rules of the road. Some of the basics include using crosswalks and walking against the flow of traffic. Even if there is no oncoming traffic, make sure they know to only cross the street when the traffic signals allow. DON’T FORGET THE TREATS Allergies are a very real danger to children during this season. According to FoodAllergy.org, over 5 million kids under the age of 18 have a food allergy. Try to buy allergy-friendly candies for trick-or-treaters, like Mike and Ikes, Peeps, Skittles, Dots, and Smarties. However, it is important to remember that I don’t have any allergies, so feel free to drop off all your extra Snickers bars for my enjoyment! The urban legends of poison, pins, and needles in Halloween candy may still keep parents up at night, but tips like these will help ensure a fun and safe holiday. For more Halloween tips and tricks, visit KidsHealth.org.
Have a fun-filled and safe Halloween, everyone!
– Moses Dewitt
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Halloween is huge in central Florida. During the fall, the entire community is packed with spooky decor, fun events, and haunted sites! To make the most out of your Halloween season, here are two great trick-or-treating neighborhoods and a spooky place to visit with a haunting back story! BALDWIN PARK On Halloween, the former-Navy-base-turned-near-downtown- neighborhood is the place to trick-or-treat. In 2016, real estate website HomeUnion.com ranked Baldwin Park as one of the top-20 neighborhoods in the country for trick-or-treating. With some homes receiving over 2,000 trick-or-treaters on Halloween, it is no secret this is one of central Florida’s top Halloween destinations. With a high density of houses and easily walkable sidewalks, it’s easy for kids to visit many homes in one evening. The best times to go are from 6–8 p.m. Some houses will still hand out candy until around 9 p.m., but after that, most people shut off their lights. While there may be a plethora of little goblins, princesses, and Spider-Mans running rampant in Baldwin Park, parents have just as much fun as the kids! With outdoor magic shows and activities throughout Baldwin Park, the neighborhood is practically turned into a giant street party for all to enjoy! DOMMERICH ESTATES An older central Florida neighborhood, Dommerich Estates, does not have the high density of homes that Baldwin park offers. However, the neighborhood has embraced the Halloween spirit for decades. With street parties, haunted houses, and outdoor movies, this neighborhood loves Halloween. Known for putting on the best scary experiences for kids of all ages, trick-or-treaters young and old are sure to have a great time. HAUNTED ORLANDO — THE ANGEBILT An Orange Avenue landmark for 90 years and the premier hotel in Orlando for decades, when the Angebilt building opened in 1923, it was a near skyscraper as the tallest building in the city with 11 floors. According to reports, the majority of its paranormal activity happens below the first floor. An underground tunnel connects the Angebilt building to the Beacham nightclub, formerly called Tabu. Witnesses claim to feel demonic spirits down there, and ghosts have been seen and heard via EVPs (electronic voice phenomena). While our offices have been located in the Angebilt for over 20 years, no one has yet accused our attorneys of being demonic. THE BEST NEIGHBORHOODS FOR TRICK-OR-TREATING
DECORATE YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR OWN CREATIONS! FALL FAMILY FUN
The leaves are turning, the weather is changing, and the holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to bring out the fall decor! To make this season especially memorable for your family, create your own decorations with these fun ideas below. PINE CONE PAINTING Go on a family walk through the park to pick up a few fallen pine cones or take a quick trip to the store to buy a bag. Once everyone has their own hand-picked pine cone, grab a paintbrush and a few colors and have at it! For extra flair, add some fixings like glitter, beads, sequins, string, and more. LEAF PAINTING Take a trip outside with the kids to pick out some large, unbroken leaves, then head back inside and get creative! You can pull out the construction paper and paint trees, using handprints and “arm prints” as the trunks and branches. Paint the leaves you found to spruce up your trees or use them as decorations on their own. You can also use them for leaf printing or leaf pressing. FUN FINGER FOOD When you’ve got multiple friends and family members coming over and you need snacks, edible decorations are the way to go. You can get a little creative and make elaborate treats, or you can opt for delicious and easy-to-make finger foods with your kids. A good starting treat for your family is a batch of pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats. Add orange food coloring to the mix and get your kids to shape the treats like pumpkins before using a few pretzel sticks to make sturdy stems. THANKSGIVING CRAFTS Thanksgiving is only a month away, and your possibilities for holiday-themed crafts are endless with just a few supplies like paper, scissors, markers, and string. You can make turkey placemats, tissue paper trees, pumpkin garlands, paper pumpkins, or leaf mobiles to hang from the ceiling. Compile a list of ideas and have your kids pick out which craft they want to do first, then get to work together to create as many decorations as you want to display for Turkey Day. With these engaging craft ideas, the whole family will be eager to make their own decorations and show them off for months to come.
Several spooky walking tours around the city stop by the building, so check one out if you’d like to experience it for yourself.
These are just a few of the best places to visit this Halloween season. If you have any haunted spots or favorite Halloween- themed communities, let me know the next time you're in the office! I always love checking out the Halloween decor and the latest haunted areas.
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THE BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN MOVIES
‘HOCUS POCUS’ This 1993 Disney classic has captured the imaginations of kids for decades. It has everything a Halloween movie requires, plus so much more. It opens with three witches who have an elaborate plan to suck the youth from the children of Salem. It takes a gang of local kids and one immortal cat to save the day. By the end of this thrill ride of a movie, your children will both be enthralled by the tale and have learned a valuable lesson about the importance of family. These are just a few of our favorite family-friendly Halloween films that we think your kids will love. If you want to watch more, be sure to check out the “Halloweentown” series! It's another great set of movies that will delight your kids for years to come.
Many families struggle to find the perfect Halloween movies. What is going to keep kids engaged but not terrify them? Have no fear; your Dewitt-approved spooky movie list is here! 'GHOSTBUSTERS' This Halloween classic is perfect for the whole family. From "There is no Dana. Only Zuul," to "Your girlfriend lives in the corner penthouse of Spook Central," the movie is filled with one-liners that will have your children howling with laughter. The special effects will also keep them engaged in the dramatic moments of the movie, and you can reminisce about how great you thought they were when you watched it for the first time! 'GOOSEBUMPS' 2015 If you loved the classic "Goosebumps" book series or the tv show as a kid, you'll love this movie. It's packed with all the spooky stories you can handle from the books and even has a cameo from the author himself, R.L. Stine! You can also take this opportunity to talk about the classic monsters you loved as a kid with your children. The movie has modern special effects, but like the famous tv show, it balances the spooky well, creating a family-friendly film.
MOE'S MUNCHIES
BREAK TAKE A
CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FRUIT
This super easy and fun way to create homemade treats provides your kids with a healthier and more delicious alternative to packaged industrial candy. As a bonus, making it is an awesome Halloween activity for your family to enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
•
1 package melting chocolate
• Assorted dried fruit, including apricots and mangoes
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. 2. Place a large, heatproof mixing bowl on top of saucepan so that no steam can escape. Place melting chocolate in mixing bowl and double boil until melted. 3. Dip half of each piece of fruit in chocolate before transferring to a parchment- lined baking sheet to rest. 4. Let cool for 10 minutes until chocolate solidifies. 5. Place in school lunches, serve at parties, and indulge in a few for yourself.
Inspired by Food Network
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THIS ISSUE
Safety Tips for Halloween
1
Fall Crafts for the Whole Family
2
The Best Neighborhoods for Trick-or-Treating
2
The Best Family-Friendly Halloween Movies
3
Chocolate-Dipped Fruit
3
3 Strategies for Helping Grandkids Pay for College
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OF YOUR GRANDCHILD’S EDUCATION DON’T LET MONEY GET IN THE WAY
grandparent’s 529 savings plan are considered student income and could hurt your student’s eligibility for financial aid. If you choose to fund through a parent’s 529 savings plan, which doesn’t count as student income, you lose control over the funds you contribute. PAY THEIR TUITION. Not everybody has $20,000 just lying around, but if you do, using it to pay for your grandchild’s tuition isn’t a bad way to spend it. Normally, annual financial gifts that are exempt from the federal gift tax can’t exceed $15,000, but payments toward someone’s tuition, for any amount, are not taxed. Keep in mind, however, that the money can only go toward tuition, not toward other college Even if you don’t have thousands of dollars to give, you can still help your grandkids look for other opportunities to save. There are thousands of available scholarships, grants, and programs to help students pay for college, and helping them look online and in your community can go a long way. College could be your grandchild's first stop on the path to achieving their dreams. You can be a part of that journey by making sure money doesn’t get in the way of that. expenses like room and board or textbooks. HELP THEM FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE.
College expenses aren’t what they used to be. What used to be affordable to any student with a part-time summer job now can take years to pay off. If your grandkids want to go to college, the cost of education should not be a barrier to their future. Luckily there are ways that you can help ease that financial burden. INVEST IN A 529 SAVINGS PLAN. There are no limits on age, income, or monetary contributions attached to this college savings account, and contributions are tax- deductible in some states. Just like a Roth IRA, the earnings grow over time and can be used tax-free for qualifying expenses, like tuition and room and board. There are a few downsides, however. Funds from a
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