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DECEMBER 2023
How My Family Spreads Holiday Cheer NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS For many Americans, the holiday season is all about giving. Unfortunately, many people struggle to make ends meet and don’t have much to give. If you read our last newsletter, you learned about the good charitable organizations do for our society. But you don’t necessarily have to donate to a nonprofit to help others. In November 2020, my wife found a way to give back to others that completely changed our outlook on the holiday season. There was plenty to worry about during the pandemic. People were losing their jobs and wondering how they would afford their rent or mortgage payments, let alone a holiday feast. My wife realized that many people would be without the means to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, so she posted on a local Facebook group asking if anyone needed a turkey or any assistance for the holiday. It didn’t take long for over 100 people to reach out. We knew we couldn’t feed 100 people alone, so my wife contacted our friends for help. Without hesitation, they sent money and offered to assist however they could. We bought the food and then spent a day delivering turkeys and side dishes to people around town. After Thanksgiving ended, we assumed our little fundraiser had officially concluded. COVID-19 started to improve over the next 12 months, and people returned to the workplace. But once Thanksgiving appeared on the calendar again, my wife began to hear from people in need, wondering if we were doing a Thanksgiving fundraiser again. She wanted to help but didn’t want to go to her friends asking for more money. We probably wouldn’t have many friends left if we kept doing that! Instead, she put together a charity bake sale at our home. All proceeds would be used to help those in need.
The turnout was absolutely crazy! People came from all over town to buy what we put together. Within four hours, we sold out of everything. She raised a lot of money and helped as many people as she could at Thanksgiving. However, we still had money left over, so she contacted the same Facebook group to see if anyone needed help for Christmas. Once again, we received many requests. We spent the next few weeks buying gifts and other Christmas necessities for others. People would say their 5-year-old really wanted a skateboard, and we’d pick it up for them. Another family needed new children’s clothes, so we spent a morning picking out new clothes. One family even asked for a Christmas tree, so we went to Home Depot one night, picked out a good tree, and delivered it to the family’s doorstep. It’s been a wonderful experience, seeing the joy on so many people’s faces. I feel incredibly blessed to have been involved in a very small way, helping others in need. I realize not everyone has the time to take on something like this. But there are many small ways to help those in need in our communities. I hope every one of you has a wonderful holiday season this year and that you can spend time with your loved ones. And if you have a minute, don’t hesitate to spend a little time helping someone in need.
–JM Preston
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New Plans for Our Life Plan Membership
This year, we are pleased to introduce a better process for paying your annual Life Plan Membership invoice. Instead of mailing us a check or calling our office with your credit card information, you will now be able to quickly pay your invoice online.
1) Credit Card
2) ACH Credit Transfer (secure payment through your bank account)
To ensure this process is as easy as possible, we will send two emails to all Life Plan clients.
You can also set your annual Life Plan invoice to “Auto-Pay,” so you don’t have to worry about making the payment each year.
The first email will be sent at the end of December and will contain information on how the new process will work. There will be no payment link in the first email.
This new process is designed to create efficiencies, reduce overall costs, and keep the Life Plan Membership affordable.
Thank you for entrusting us with your estate planning needs. If you have any questions or require assistance with the new payment process, please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are here to assist you every step of the way.
The second email will be sent at the beginning of January and will contain a link to pay your annual Life Plan invoice online.
Once you click the payment link, you’ll have the convenience of choosing between two secure payment options:
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Outdoor Survival Tips Every Winter
Sports Lover Should Know
Whether you love to hike, ski, snowboard, or simply live in a cold climate, you
Solution on Pg. 4
need to learn how to protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia. You never know when you might be caught outside in frigid temperatures! Here are a few tips to remember in case you find yourself in a dangerous situation. 1. Find or build a wind shelter. Icy wind can slice through even the warmest
winter gear and quickly sap your body heat. If you’re stuck outside in an urban area, you can shelter behind a wall. Some survivalists even recommend emptying a large trash can and climbing inside
Homemade Eggnog Inspired by AheadOfThyme.com
until the weather dies down because plastic is a great insulator. (Fun fact: Winter cyclists wear plastic “socks” over or under their real socks to protect their feet from the cold.) Trees can provide a natural wind shelter in the wilderness, or you can build a snow cave in a snowy, treeless area. Pile the snow around you into a drift, then burrow inside to protect yourself from the wind. Dig all the way to the ground if you can, and block most of the entrance to your cave with whatever you have on hand — a backpack, pine boughs, or more snow. 2. Protect your lungs from the cold. Breathe through your nose and cover your mouth with a scarf or other clothing. These steps will warm the air you breathe, prevent shortness of breath, and keep your core temperature up. 3. Melt snow before you eat it. You might be tempted to eat snow if you feel thirsty, but this can have a dangerous effect on your body temperature. Instead, melt the snow into water before consuming it. Ideally, you have a water bottle or canteen with you. Fill it with snow, slide it inside your jacket, and wait for your body heat to melt the snow. These tips aren’t a substitute for the basics like staying home in bad weather, wearing layers, packing survival gear, and learning to build a fire. But they can help you stay warm until help arrives!
Ingredients
• • • •
3 cups whole milk 1 tbsp vanilla extract
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2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
For topping •
3 eggs, room temperature
4 egg yolks, room temperature
Whipped cream Ground cinnamon
• •
• •
1/3 cup sugar
Extra nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
Directions 1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and vanilla, swirling occasionally until it starts to steam. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt for approximately 5 minutes until the mixture is thickened. Slowly add milk and whisk to combine. 3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring for about 6 minutes. 4. In another large mixing bowl, place heavy cream and nutmeg. Strain egg mixture into the cream and cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When chilled, fill a glass with eggnog and top with whipped cream, cinnamon, and extra nutmeg!
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Brightening Holidays, One Act of Kindness at a Time
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Online Payments Are Here
3 Tips for Surviving Freezing Temperatures Homemade Eggnog
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Discover the Most Enchanting Christmas Towns in the US
Explore America’s Most Magical Christmas Towns
FROM SNOWY VILLAGES TO YEAR-ROUND HOLIDAY CHEER
Solvang, California A slice of Denmark right in sunny California, Solvang brings endless holiday cheer, especially with their annual Julefest. Pronounced “Yule- fest,” this month-long festival takes place every December and features picturesque events, including a ballerina-filled tree lighting ceremony, visits from Santa, culinary delights, traditional Danish celebrations, and much more! Woodstock, Vermont During Woodstock’s Wassail Weekend, you’ll find the town in peak Christmas mode, where you can experience parades, horse-drawn carriages, carolers, and the Billings Farm, a local favorite of the season. Stroll down Main Street to witness an idyllic Christmas spot filled with cozy small-town shops and restaurants. North Pole, Alaska If you ever feel like celebrating Christmas in the middle of summer, we know the perfect
It may be too late for less spontaneous travelers to start planning a Christmas vacation. But that shouldn’t stop you from planning next year’s holiday journey! The good news is you don’t need to venture to another continent to find a Christmas wonderland. There are countless picture-perfect Christmas towns across the country. Make your next Christmas trip feel like a Hallmark movie at one of these festive towns! Leavenworth, Washington Many have dubbed Leavenworth the most Christmas-centric in the U.S., and it’s easy to see why. This Bavarian-style village experiences nearly 96 inches of snowfall every year, and they certainly don’t hold back when it comes to the holidays. The town lights up and decorates almost 21 miles, where you can find reindeer farms, carolers, gingerbread competitions, and Christmas markets. Every step of the way offers an Instagram-worthy photo opportunity!
destination. North Pole, Alaska, offers Christmas decor and festivities year-round! Here, you can get up close and personal with Santa’s reindeer, meet the man himself, and enjoy the snow that covers the entire town. Be sure to check out their ice sculpture competition, which features artists from all over the world! Ready for the Christmas celebration of your dreams? Start planning your next holiday vacation at any of these destinations, and we promise your dreams will most definitely come true!
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