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The Bledsoe Firm JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551 DECEMBER | 2023
Simple Steps to Upgrade Your Cooking Skills UNLEASH YOUR INNER CHEF
If you’ve eaten at a restaurant in the past few months, you may have noticed that prices have increased. Even fast-food restaurants have raised their prices, making previously affordable options prohibitively expensive. A meal that used to cost $5 now costs over double digits, and it doesn’t look like the prices will go down any time soon. This has made many Americans look to start cooking at home, allowing them to discover a passion they didn’t know they had while saving money. If you don’t consider yourself a chef and are worried about cooking meals for yourself and the family, put your concerns aside. Anyone can learn how to cook! Remember, you don’t have to compete for the prestigious MasterChef trophy in front of Gordon Ramsay; you just have to make a delicious meal others will enjoy. Here are some tips to help you improve your cooking skills, add diversity to your weekly menu, and keep the kids entertained while you’re in the kitchen! Find recipes that interest you. If you don’t already have a passion for cooking and rarely watch cooking shows on TV, walking into a grocery store to pick up fresh ingredients for a meal can be daunting. You might not even know where to start! Buy a cookbook written by a prominent chef or search for recipes on cooking websites to find dishes you want to make. Then, write down
the ingredients and head to the store. Understand your first couple of trips to pick up ingredients may be more costly as you buy seasoning mixes and other ingredients you’ll use more than once.
Break out of your comfort zone. When you go to a restaurant, they give you a menu with various items. But we usually bounce around a handful of our favorite dishes when we cook at home. Think outside the box and try cooking international dishes you don’t usually make. You could even take it a step further by researching a meal you would like to try from every nationality around the world — who knows, you may just discover a new favorite food! Get the kids involved. Cooking isn’t something that you have to do on your own. You can get your entire family involved! Ask your kids what they would like for their weekly dinners before grocery shopping, and let them pick out the ingredients. Once it’s time to start cooking, assemble your crew and give them each a responsibility. They’ll have a great time and feel involved in the cooking experience. It’s possible that encouraging your kids to cook will ignite a passion in them that propels them toward a successful career. Don’t let the high costs of eating out at restaurants bring you down! By developing a love of cooking and discovering some dishes you greatly enjoy, the kitchen will quickly become your favorite room in the house. You may even develop your skills enough to feel comfortable cooking holiday dinners in the future for your family. If you have any delicious recipes you think I should try, I’d love to hear about them the next time we speak! —John Bledsoe
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5 Must-Have Tech Gifts for Christmas 2023
As Christmas shopping gets increasingly hectic, knowing what to get for the tech lovers in your life can feel impossible. New devices
sunrises, Bluetooth speakers, and gentle morning wake-up calls. For a sleek design, try the Loftie Clock with its all-black look. For a faux sunrise to fill the room, go for Philips HF3670/60 SmartSleep. Self-Cleaning Water Bottle These days, everyone is carrying around their oversized water bottles. Let your tech-lover be ahead of the curve with a self-cleaning water bottle! These innovative bottles use UV-C LED technology to sanitize the water and the inside of the bottle regularly. The LARQ Bottle PureVis is a popular choice, as it also can keep beverages cold for 24 hours. UV Phone Sanitizer Did you know your smartphone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat? This year, grab a UV phone sanitizer for yourself and your loved ones that can remove 99.99% of bacteria. The PhoneSoap Pro can clean your phone and other small items with its sleek design. Pet Camera With Treat Dispenser Do you know a tech lover who also dreads leaving their furry friend home alone? A pet camera strapped with a nifty treat dispenser might be their favorite gift of 2023! A small surveillance camera allows pet parents to keep an eye on their fur babies, and Petcube’s Bites 2 also lets them dispense a small treat to keep their pets happy.
and gadgets hit the market daily, and following tech trends might not be part of your daily routine. Fortunately, 2023 has brought some standout innovations anyone would love to unwrap on Christmas Day.
Noise Canceling Headphones
Considered a modern staple, noise-canceling headphones are the perfect gift for a special someone who needs a break from the chaos and a way to focus. You can find a variety of headphones in different price ranges, so staying within
your budget is easier. However, if you want to splurge, Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are an excellent choice with crystal-clear sound and over 20 hours of battery life.
Smart Alarm Give the gift of a good night’s rest and a peaceful morning! Smart alarms have been a popular gadget this year, with features like white noise sound, artificial
DON’T LET YOUR EX RUIN THE HOLIDAY SEASON
Set boundaries. You must establish clear boundaries with your ex and communicate these boundaries clearly and consistently. This may mean limiting communication or setting aside specific times for visits with your children. Seek support. Don’t be afraid to contact friends, family members, or a therapist during this difficult time. It’s vital that you have a supportive network to lean on. Involve your attorney. If you cannot effectively communicate with your ex or resolve conflicts on your own, consider routing communications through your attorney’s office to help facilitate communication and resolve disputes.
Follow the custody agreement. If you have a custody agreement, follow it to the letter. This will help ensure that you and your ex can spend time with your children during the holidays. Seek legal guidance. If your ex is consistently violating your boundaries or causing problems for you and your children, it may be necessary to seek legal guidance. A divorce attorney can help you understand your options and protect your rights as a parent. Don’t let your ex ruin the holidays for you and your children. Seek support and take action as needed to protect your and your children’s well-being.
The holiday season is a time to gather with your loved ones and enjoy the festivities. This isn’t always easy if you are actively divorcing or have recently divorced your spouse. They may be miserable during the holiday season and want nothing more than to make you just as miserable as they are. It’s a tale at least as old as the story of Santa Claus. But what can you do? As a divorce attorney, I understand the holiday season can be difficult and emotional for individuals going through a divorce. It’s not uncommon for one spouse to try to ruin the holidays for the other, which can be especially frustrating if your ex won’t leave you alone. Here are a few things you can do if you feel like your ex is ruining the holidays and won’t give you space:
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W ord S earch
A WEAPON IN THE HANDS OF ABUSERS A restraining or protective order is one of the main tools our society gives people to handle abuse from a specific person. The court uses the order to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. However, there’s a dark twist to this concept that we call the “Revenge Restraining Order” at our firm. Because we specialize in Orange County and Southern California divorce and family law matters complicated by narcissism, borderline personality disorder, and other mental illnesses that are often at the root of these sorts of devious ploys, it’s something we are unfortunately familiar with. Though we’d rather nobody ever had to deal with this, our experience has given us the wisdom to help our clients who have been the victims of a revenge restraining order respond with expert strategies. Those seeking a real restraining order genuinely want to protect themselves and fear the other party will harm them. A revenge restraining order is something an abusive person seeks to hurt the other person, knowing inwardly that no court order is really needed to stop the person they are trying to harm. It’s a common tactic of narcissistic abuse and a way for the guilty party to play the victim. Some might argue that if someone is truly innocent, it shouldn’t matter if someone gets a revenge restraining order against them. That’s hardly true. If your abuser is successful in their ploy to get a revenge restraining order, at a bare minimum, they’ll be able to tarnish your good name. Many people will just assume the worst about someone with a restraining order. It gets even more devious from there. A psychopathic or narcissistic person could even try to do worse, like stalking and following you before calling the cops. That way, it looks like you’ve stalked them and violated the restraining order! You could end up arrested and in jail. So, how do you protect yourself? First, document everything you can as soon as you suspect you could be the victim of something like this. Then, get in touch with our firm as quickly as possible. We’ll provide you with the help you need. REVENGE RESTRAINING ORDERS
Chimney Christmas Gifts Igloo Mistletoe Ornament Parka Reindeer Sleigh Snowman Wreath Yuletide
CHICKEN, LEEK, AND BLUE CHEESE PILAF
Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
INGREDIENTS
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2 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup brown basmati rice 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
breasts, chopped 1 leek, thinly sliced 2 zucchini, thinly sliced 1 cup frozen peas 4 walnut halves, broken 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
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1 bay leaf
1 tsp grapeseed oil 2 skinless chicken
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DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot, add water, rice, bouillon powder, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat oil and stir-fry chicken over medium-high heat until just cooked. Remove from pan, then fry leek until soft. Add zucchini, stir-fry for a few minutes more, then add peas. 3. When the rice is cooked, add it and any liquid from the pot to the vegetables. Return chicken to the pan, then cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in walnuts and cheese and serve hot.
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Inside
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How to Turn Your Kitchen Into a Culinary Haven
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Give the Gift of Innovation This Christmas Tips to Keep Your Ex From Ruining the Holidays
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Your Guide to Revenge Restraining Orders Chicken, Leek, and Blue Cheese Pilaf
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Why Your Muscles Shake During a Tough Workout
THE SURPRISING SCIENCE BEHIND YOUR SHAKY MUSCLES
Imagine you’re running through a basic exercise routine. You feel good, so you push yourself harder than usual — and your muscles suddenly start shaking! Every athlete has experienced
try a full set. That’s because your body is adjusting to the new motions at a cellular level.
Simply put, when you start a workout, your muscle fibers tell your muscle cells whether to contract or relax — and those fibers can get tired of doing their job. When one fiber becomes fatigued, your body adjusts to rely on another. Trying something new (essentially, asking your fibers to give new directions) can confuse your body and delay the tradeoff, making your muscles shake. 3. Am I pushing myself harder than I ever have before? When you amp up the intensity of your workout, your body will often do more muscle fiber “tradeoffs” than usual because you’re demanding more output. When too many tradeoffs happen at once, that can make your muscles shake. Muscle tremors aren’t always a bad sign. If you’re trying a new exercise or pushing for improvement, they’re part of the learning process! However, if you’re struggling with exhaustion or dehydration, or you think you’re overworking yourself, shaking can be a red flag. Consider reducing the intensity of your workout or taking a rest day. When in doubt, discuss the issue with a physical therapist, especially if you’re recovering from an injury.
that moment of panic when tremors hit. But have you ever wondered why your muscles shake? The answer is more
complicated than you might think.
Shaking muscles can mean at least three things: You’re underprepared for your workout, pushing yourself too hard, or breaking new ground and building muscle! To figure out which option explains your scenario, ask yourself these questions. 1. Did I drink plenty of water today and get at least seven hours of sleep last night? If not, your muscles could be shaky because of dehydration or fatigue.
2. Am I doing a new exercise? If you’ve never done a jump squat or bench pressed 200 pounds, you’ll probably feel shaky the first time you
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