Check out our latest edition!
OCTOBER 2023
How My Coworkers Were Involved in My Happiest Failure MEET THE PETS OF PRESTON!
J.M. Preston, Attorney - Mimi
One thing you may not know about me is that I love to foster animals. I’ve been involved in animal rescue for a couple of decades, and the most rewarding part of that work has been fostering. I get to provide a safe place for an animal for a temporary period (puppy snuggles included) before they find their forever families. Over the years, 15 foster dogs have come and gone. I loved them all, but I didn’t keep any of them — that is until lucky No. 16 broke my streak. October is Adopt a
the office wanted to live vicariously through her, and we loved hearing all about her search for the perfect match for her family. I learned through Nicole that DMDR had an upcoming adoption event, and I decided to go (just to pet the dogs, not adopt any, of course). Well, you can probably all guess what happened. I fell in love with a beautiful boy and simply had to
a temporary home. I’d done it 15 times before. So, we agreed to foster him, and I braced all the kids for the fact that this was a temporary circumstance. We would not be keeping this puppy! Of course, all the kids loved the goofball of a puppy. That was expected. What I didn’t anticipate was how much Winchester would love him. Winchester and the foster puppy got along like peas and carrots. They were inseparable. They snuggled together and played together … Winchester even took the puppy on walks by grabbing the leash in his mouth and walking him around the yard. Winchester has me wrapped around his little paw, so my resolve quickly weakened. It was only a matter of days before I realized that this puppy
Dianne Lyman, Estate Settlement Department – RJ
adopt him. We named him Winchester, and he brings our family so much joy. Shortly after that, Tiffany, the head of the Word Processing Department, also adopted a dog (Roger) through DMDR. I really thought that our trio of DMDR dogs would be the end of the story, but boy, was I wrong!
Shelter Dog Month, so I can’t resist telling the story of my “failure.”
Jeronima Cedillo Martinez, Estate Settlement Dept. & Word Processing – Tunia (top) & Meraxes
The adventure of adopting this dog
started a few months ago, and it didn’t even start with me. It started with Nicole. Many of you know Nicole because she has worked in just about every department of Preston Estate Planning over the years. Recently, Nicole adopted the absolute cutest puppy (who she named Diego) from Del Mar Dog Rescue (DMDR). Several of us in
Jennifer Knight, Attorney – Winchester & Ouija from Del Mar Dog Rescue
A couple of weeks later, I learned that
Diego’s sibling needed a temporary foster home. Although I was not in the market for another dog (Winchester was still adjusting, after all), I knew that I could provide
Kate Lazarevich, Filling Department – Domino from Baja Paws Rescue
Sydney Joyner, Filling Department – Brandy & Roxy from SoCal Weimaraner Rescue
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Final Bills – We thought of that too!
THE SILENT PARTNER PROVISION ENSURES SEAMLESS PAYMENTS WHEN YOU PASS
One of the reasons you created your Life Plan was to ensure things are easy for your family when the time comes for them to execute your wishes. So, it’s only natural that one of the most frequent questions we receive is whether your Trustee will have the ability to pay your final expenses (e.g., your final bills, your funeral expenses, etc.). If this question has been plaguing you, allow us to ease your mind. Your Trustee won’t have to pay those expenses out of their own pocket. Not only is the Trustee required to pay your final expenses before making any distributions to your beneficiaries, but the Silent Partner Trustee
provision that we recommend to all of our clients also makes your Trustee’s job that much easier!
When you have a Silent Partner Trustee, you’ll never have to serve as Trustee alone. That means you’ll always have a safety net (someone who has the immediate authority to step in to help you) during your life if you have an emergency. It also means that your Trustee will be able to pay your final expenses out of your bank accounts without having to wait for a Death Certificate. This is just one of the ways that your Trust protects you in both life and death.
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belonged to our family, and we made it official by formally adopting him. His name is Ouija, and he’s one failure I’ll never regret.
One of my favorite things about this adventure (besides my new family members) has been bonding with all of my coworkers over our love of animals. In honor of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, I thought it would be fun to share the Pets of Preston. But we love all animals, so we couldn’t limit it to dogs. I hope you enjoy all of these photos as much as I do!
Jessica Wilcox, Concierge - Chloe and Penny - Potter League for Animals, Rhode Island
Jessica Giuliani, Attorney – C.C from San Diego Humane Society and Parker from Helen Woodward Animal Center
P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about DMDR, please visit DMDR.org.
Amie Keller, Word Processing – Ira
–Jennifer Knight
Nicole Yeomans, Concierge – Diego & Chico from Del Mar Dog Rescue, Roxina from Poway family
Tiffany Main, Word Processing Department Head – Roger from Del Mar Dog Rescue
Shelley Steffenhagan, Notary – Beastie, Belle & Rona
Jesa De Leon, Attorney – Balto, Gordie & Jax
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Does it always seem like your kids get a burst of energy right before bedtime? After a jam-packed day, your child’s pent-up stress and energy will likely spike when it’s time to head to bed. The key is implementing a consistent bedtime routine to help them transition into sleep mode. Try therapeutic techniques to soothe your child for a full night of shuteye. Squeeze ’em tight (add pressure). Just like you would swaddle a baby, you should wrap your kids up like tiny burritos! When you add pressure that squeezes them tight, your child’s tactile and proprioceptive senses are activated, which creates a sense of calm and relaxation. You can Unlock the Secrets of a Calming Bedtime Routine
Solution on Pg. 4
also do this with weighted blankets, tight cuddles, or by tucking them in nice and snug with pillows placed around them to add more pressure.
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
Get them warm and cozy. Warmth is another
element that can increase calm and signal bedtime!
Inspired by TheModernProper.com
Put their blankets in the dryer so they’ll have them nice and warm when it’s time to lie down. Additionally, you can give them a warm
Ingredients
• • • • •
2 sticks butter, divided
• • •
2 tsp garlic powder
drink with a straw, as the warmth not only relaxes them but the straw also encourages sucking motions, which are incredibly soothing for children.
1/3 cup flour 5 cups milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb bacon, chopped and cooked 8 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, divided 4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
•
Create gentle movements. Repetitive and rhythmic movements like rocking back and forth generate vestibular input for the nervous system. This will help your children feel comfortable and ready to sleep! You can try these motions by rocking them on a yoga ball for a few minutes, reading a bedtime story in a rocking chair, or sitting with them in a porch swing or hammock right before bed. Turn the screens off. We already know that looking at screens harms our sleep, so why would that be any different for children? Decrease screen time as the day advances and completely turn off any screens at least two hours before bedtime. Not only do you want to cut these harsh lights, but you should also add comforting ones! Unwind in dim lighting as the day ends, and place lava lamps or a night light in your children’s rooms to help soothe them. Also, adding a white noise machine or playing calm music can do wonders!
•
• •
1 lb macaroni, cooked 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
•
2 tsp salt
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1 stick butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until fully absorbed in butter. Whisk in milk slowly. 3. Once sauce thickens, stir in cream cheese and shredded cheese until melted, reserving 1 cup of each shredded cheese. Add seasonings, bacon, and jalapeños before removing from heat, then combine pasta and sauce. 4. In a small skillet, melt remaining butter and stir in panko. 5. In a greased baking dish or skillet, add macaroni and top with panko and remaining cheese. Bake for 30–40 minutes and serve warm.
Combine these therapeutic methods to create the perfect bedtime routine that will have your energetic kiddos in bed without a hitch.
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PrestonEstatePlanning.com
12396 World Trade Drive, Ste. 301 San Diego, CA 92128
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Inside 1
Meet Our Team’s Adorable Animals
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Your Questions, Answered: How Your Trust Handles Final Expenses
Tips to Soothe Your Energetic Kids Before Bedtime
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
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Personalized Vacations With AI
AI-Enhanced Travel: Your Secret to the Perfect Itinerary
The feeling of excitement for an upcoming vacation can quickly turn into one of stress. After you purchase your ticket or plan your travel, you may feel so burnt out that scheduling day-to-day activities for said vacation feels impossible. Thankfully, helping you create an itinerary is where AI thrives. So, how do you use AI to help you plan a trip? The first step is to craft a prompt that will get the best response possible. To do that, ask your preferred AI platform questions in your native language. AI understands many languages, and your grammar and syntax when asking questions matter when looking for perfect results. The more grammatically accurate your sentence is, the more artificial intelligence can help you.
Next, you need to be as specific as possible. Include all relevant information about your travel party when asking it to make plans for you, including if there are any kids, elderly travelers, pets, dietary restrictions, interests, or priorities because those factors will impact the results it gives you. You should also tell the AI software when it misunderstands you or gives you results that don’t match what you want. AI, like ChatGPT, uses large language models (LLMs) to learn from the person interacting with it, so the back-and-forth of providing feedback helps it pinpoint your specific interests to give you better information.
Rome with activities in less crowded areas that are accessible to elderly travelers.”
Finally, double-check any of the information AI gives you. Most platforms can only access information available before 2021, so certain attractions, restaurants, parks, or other itinerary items may not exist anymore. Want to give AI travel a go? ChatGPT isn’t the only site you can use to plan your itinerary! You can try any one of the following AI software specifically created for travel: • Tripnotes.ai • RoamAround.ai • Curiosio.com
For example, you can provide this prompt: “Make me a travel itinerary for seven days in
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