IzLegal Illustrated
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Setting Goals for the Future
Knowing you want to set goals for yourself is a great start, but figuring out how is another strategy entirely. You may have tried setting goals for yourself for years, but perhaps they’re not coming together in the way you want. It’s important that you find the purpose of your goals, which is why many people use the SMART method of goal-setting. Some of you may have heard about this method before. It’s used for creating goals in both business and personal settings. A SMART goal is s pecific, m easurable, a chievable, r elevant, and t ime-bound. Specific Your goal is clear and concise. It’s easy to communicate to others, who can hold you accountable or help you achieve the goal. Measurable Give yourself steps to follow as you work toward your goal. At the same time, track and evaluate your progress so you can correct yourself along the way. Achievable The goal might not be easy to accomplish, but you’ve thought about it and have the resources, ability, and confidence to achieve it. Relevant Your goals make sense to you, both personally and in business. They have real value and will influence you, your family, or your business. Time-bound You know when you want to achieve your goal. You have a date written on your calendar that you can use for motivation. My goals rest pretty heavily on my family. Providing for them both emotionally and financially has become crucial to my life. I want to be there for them in every way I can, so I manage my time
No, I’m not crazy. We’re entering the fourth quarter of 2018, and it may be the best time to start thinking about the goals you have for your future. It’s never too late to start thinking about how you’re going to achieve your goals in life, but waiting until the very last minute to choose your objectives might not be the best way to approach them. Life goals take serious thinking so you can mentally and physically prepare for the changes you’re going to make for yourself. Most people choose new goals in early January or late December, but I think getting an early start can help you create and maintain them. Many New Year’s resolutions fall short within the first couple weeks of the new year. By deciding what you want now, you’re giving yourself plenty of time to think your goals through so you know where you want them to go in 2019. “My goals rest pretty heavily on my family. Providing for them both emotionally and financially has become crucial to my life. I want to be there for them in every way I can, so I manage my time to give them the best of me every day.”
to give them the best of me every day. I’m all about finding the quality of life through time; it’s imperative to me, especially nowadays, with social media and cell phones threatening to take away so much of our time, which can be better spent with the people around us. It’s important to put more emphasis on ourselves and our families. Be with them in the now. I think goals should reflect this. Keep your family in mind while you’re setting your goals. They could even become your motivation! Set some time aside this quarter and think about the goals you have for yourself. What do you want to achieve this upcoming year?
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HAVE A FUN AND SAFE HALLOWEEN! Even the Most Frightening Ghouls Need to Be Careful
restrict movement. If your child wears a mask, make sure they can see out of it properly.
“Daniel Izquierdo came recommended by people I’ve met at the FIU College of Law, and he met up with me to discuss my case and options immediately. We were able to work out a resolution with the state, and I regained my peace of mind. Traffic clinics could be a solution for some, but my case needed some extra attention, and not a different office paralegal each time I returned a call. Mr. Izquierdo always called me himself and remembered the details we talked about, even three months after discussing them. We were able to avoid further legal action against me, and Mr. Izquierdo made sure I followed up with the court’s orders to get my misdemeanors taken care of. Thanks, Daniel.” safety tips. Teach kids to look both ways before crossing, use crosswalks and traffic signals, cross streets on the corners, and never run across the street. Making eye contact with drivers before walking in front of their cars is also a good way to make sure the driver knows the child is there. CHOOSE SMART COSTUMES Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without costumes! They should be fun, but you can also make them safer by following a few simple guidelines. Add reflective tape to candy bags and costumes and wear light colors to stand out in the dark. Buying or making the right-sized costumes is also important. If they’re too large, they create a tripping hazard, and if they’re too tight, they can
Happy Halloween, you goblins, ghouls, witches, and spooks! It’s that time of year again when kids and adults alike can dress up and roam the streets as their favorite heroes, frights, or princesses. While kids are eager to show off their outfits and fill their pillowcases with sugary treasures, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential dangers on Halloween night. PRACTICE STREET SAFETY Make sure your kids understand basic road safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, “Children are more likely to be struck by a vehicle and killed during Halloween than any other day of the year.”
MAKE A PLAN Before heading out to trick or treat, create a plan and discuss it with every member of your family. This ensures that if someone in your group wanders off, they’ll know where to look for you or where to go. In case you’re separated, label your child’s costume with your name, address, and phone number. If your children are old enough to trick or treat without adults, make sure that their cellphones are charged and on them at all times, and schedule regular check-ins.
Before heading out for some good old-fashioned trick-or-treating, take the time to go over basic
HEAR WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING
“I worked with Mr. Izquierdo on my husband’s DUI charge. This drinking and driving charge really shook up our family because it was the first time any of us had ever had any sort of legal problem. I met with several other lawyers and always felt like I was being sold a bill of goods, but it was apparent from the beginning that Mr. Izquierdo knew exactly what he was doing and took charge of the situation before it was too late. He was honest and straightforward and answered all of my questions, even at odd hours. I thank him so much for getting the charges dropped and getting our lives back to normal!”
“Mr. Daniel was recommended to me by a friend at a former law firm. I would not hesitate to use him again in the future, and I will recommend his services to everyone who I come across in need. He’s an extremely humble man and, from what I can see, the most honest attorney I’ve ever worked with. I love the fact that I could get in contact with him whenever I needed, and he did not exhibit any kind of attitude whatsoever. He’s definitely a hardworking man, and it shows.”
–Shelly H.
–Anabelle
–Satisfied Client
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YOU DON’T KNOWWHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO Accepting a Plea Deal Leads to Heavy Consequences
All of these and many other misdemeanors carry severe and life-altering consequences. Individuals who accept the pleas are suddenly faced with difficulties becoming a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and obtaining a professional license or getting a job. They could also get expelled from school, be unable to receive a loan, or be prevented from renting an apartment. If you’re charged with a felony, you will get a public defender at arraignment and will probably be given a plea offer. Accepting an offer can lead to extremely severe consequences that can follow you for the rest of your life. Have you had adequate time to think about the evidence? Do you know how the plea will affect you if you have a professional license or if you aren’t a citizen? These are the types of questions you should ask yourself.
If the State offers you a plea deal to close out your case arraignment, it might be better if you don’t take it. At times, the plea can seem better than a full charge, especially when the case is serious. However, most people who want to avoid going to court might accept a plea bargain without considering the full consequences of their actions. When the State does offer you a deal, it creates a significant problem in misdemeanor cases, where you’re not guaranteed a public defender. It’s incredibly distressing knowing that defendant after defendant accepts pleas on an almost daily basis, not knowing the weight of what they’re doing. Defendants will accept guilty pleas of DUI, possession of marijuana, petty theft, disorderly conduct, or driving with license suspended.
Understanding the depth of the problem is the first step to avoid it. Even if you don’t want to go to court, keeping your record clean may be well worth the fight. Talk to an attorney after you’ve been charged with a misdemeanor to save you from these difficulties.
Laugh Out Loud
Homemade Marshmallows As we enter the height of s’mores season, consider upgrading those store-bought marshmallows to homemade ones. For a colorful treat, you can easily add food coloring to this recipe. Ingredients
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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3 packages unflavored gelatin
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1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
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1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
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Powdered sugar, to coat
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1 cup light corn syrup
Instructions
4. With an electric whisk on low speed, slowly whisk syrup into gelatin mixture. Switch speed to high and whip for 15 minutes, until very thick. Fold in vanilla after whipping. 5. Dust a nonmetal baking dish with powdered sugar and spoon mixture into dish. Smooth mixture, top with more powdered sugar, and let stand uncovered overnight.
1. In a mixing bowl, combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water. Let sit while you make the syrup. 2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water until the sugar dissolves. 3. Raise heat to high and bring syrup up to 240 F, using a candy thermometer to check for temperature.
6. Cut into squares, decorate, and serve.
Inspired by foodnetwork.com
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INSIDE this issue
1
Happy New Year!
2
Trick-or-Treating Safety! Hear What Our Clients Are Saying
3
Settling With a Plea Bargain Homemade Marshmallows
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The Surprising Origins of Trick-or-Treating
The History of Trick-or-Treating WHY THERE ARE KIDS ON YOUR PORCH ASKING FOR CANDY
11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave way to trick-or-treating in mid- 20th-century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season!
All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins.
As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?” Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this tradition of candy and costumes. Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated the dead and the goddess of fruit and trees (not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at the end of our summer; and the Catholic
Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits leaking into our world, young men donned flowing white costumes and black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about. The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the
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