800 South Washington St., Afton, WY 83110 (307) 885-4337 | www.drlivingstondds.com
December 2018
Life With Livingston Dental
e G e n
Snow in Southern California
When someone asks me about the best gift I’ve received, I think back to when I was a young man spending my first Christmas away from home. I was on my mission, based in Southern California, and for a boy from chilly Canada, this was about as foreign a winter as I could have. There was no snow, no freezing temperatures, and none of the seasonal activities I was used to. On Christmas morning, I prepared for a quiet day. My family had sent me some thoughtful and useful gifts, including a tie and an apron. At about 10 a.m., the phone rang. It was another member of the church, Brother Dufrane. “Elder Livingston,” he said. “What are you and your companion doing?” “If you’re not going anywhere, I’ll be over in five minutes,” Brother Dufrane said. “I have a surprise for you. You’re going to love it.” About five minutes later, we heard a car horn honking. Brother Dufrane drove a small, powder-blue Datsun pickup — about five missionaries were all it took to tilt it over. We went outside and saw the pickup with something large in the back. “Hang on,” Brother Dufran said. He jumped out and got into the back of the pickup. We noticed there were a couple of coolers back there. “Okay, I have a surprise. But first, you have to close your eyes,” he told us. “Does this “Right now, we’re sitting and having breakfast,” I told him.
before with Brother Dufrane after church. “Tell me about your winters in Canada,” he said. I shared my best memories of winters growing up: Christmases spent on toboggans, warming up with hot cocoa after a chilly, laughter-filled day on snowmobiles, and making snowmen and forts in the yard. It was clear that Brother Dufrane had thoughtfully acted on that information. As missionaries, we got to call home and visit with our families two days out of the year — on Mother’s Day and Christmas. We were away from home, and yet with the gift of snow that day, home felt a little closer. It was one of the best gifts I ever received. I don’t remember much else about that Christmas, but I know no other aspect could top the snowball fight we had on a warm California day.
sound weird or what?” I thought. But we obliged and closed our eyes.
To our extreme surprise, we suddenly felt something cold hit our jackets, then our hands. We opened our eyes and saw that the coolers were full of snow! He was throwing snowballs at us! Brother Dufrane had picked the snow up from a ski resort the day before. We ran over to the pickup, and Brother Dufrane took the coolers out and set them on the ground. A rare Southern Californian snowball fight ensued. We grabbed handfuls of the snow and hid behind trees and bushes, flinging it across the lawn. Our hands soon became ice cold, but we didn’t care. It was the best thing I could have asked for. As I stood out there, amidst flying snowballs on a Southern California Christmas, I recalled a conversation I’d had a week
1 Livingston Dental
Stop Donating to Scammers
How to Spot Fraud This Holiday Season
really are speaking to a representative from a legitimate charity, they will direct you to a secure avenue where you can give without worry.
During the season of giving, charities receive a much-needed rush of donations as people open their
FEELING PRESSURED? WALK AWAY. A lot of charities set goals they want to reach before the new year, but even groups that are hoping to raise a certain amount of money know better than to pressure donors into giving. Donations should always come from the heart, and it’s a bad sign if someone insists there’s a deadline for giving. As the Better Business Bureau says, “Responsible organizations will welcome your gift tomorrow as much as they do today.” ONLY GIVE TO REPUTABLE CHARITIES. Do some research before donating to charities. Look up any prospective charity on Charity Navigator at CharityNavigator.org. This service flags “high concern” organizations suspected of fraud and ranks how reliable established charities are. Even legitimate organizations can be misleading about how they spend their donations. A good rule of thumb is to avoid organizations that spend more than 25 percent of donations on salaries or administrative costs. There are many amazing charities and organizations that do good work. Stay vigilant to make sure you are bringing joy to the world and not falling for a criminal looking to make a quick buck.
hearts to others. Unfortunately, criminals are all too willing to abuse this goodwill. According to a report from the Justice Department, Americans over the age of 60 lose over $3 billion a year to scams and fraudsters. As charity scams reach their peak, here’s what you need to do to ensure your donations aren’t lining the pockets of criminals.
NEVER GIVE BY PHONE OR EMAIL.
Charities regularly reach out to past and potential donors through traditional mail, email, phone calls, or text messages. This means fraudsters will mimic their approach with less noble intentions. Because it’s impossible to
determine who is on the other end of a call or email, you should never hand over your credit card information to strangers. If you
5 Tips to Keep Headaches From Ruling Your Life If you’ve ever experienced a bad headache or migraine, you know how frustrating it can be, especially when it prevents you from spending time with friends or doing activities you love. While there’s not always a surefire way to make them disappear completely, making some modifications to your lifestyle can reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches. TAKE NOTE OF TRIGGERS You may have noticed certain behaviors set off your headaches. Are they things you can remove from your lifestyle? Chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, and aged cheeses are all food triggers for some people. For others, stress and inconsistent sleep schedules can be related to headaches. If you haven’t started tracking your headache schedule, it can be a helpful tool to find out if there’s anything that’s a trigger for you.
FIND YOUR INNER CALM Being told to relax might sound like the most impossible advice to anyone who suffers from migraines, but stress is often a headache trigger. So if you can find ways to decompress before those frustrations boil over into forming a headache, it might help reduce the severity and frequency of your pain. Taking five minutes a day to sit quietly can be beneficial, and you might find it helpful to use a meditation app like Headspace. Yoga can also help the body and mind relax and reduce some of the tension you might be carrying without even knowing it. FIND AN EXERCISE YOU LOVE Exercise is something that could also reduce the severity and frequency of headaches. The feel-good endorphins you get from physical activity can help ease head pain, and getting into better shape could target some of the causes behind your headaches.
Did you know that Livingston Dental has a staff dedicated to help you manage and maybe even get to the root of your headaches? Shelbi is a TruDenta therapist trained in diagnosing and treating headaches and jaw pain related to dental issues. Her treatment plans incorporate massage therapy, cold lasers, and alpha stimulation, to give you headache and jaw-pain relief. Livingston is one of the only dental clinics in the state to provide TruDenta, and our office is eager to help educate others about the life-changing effects this treatment can bring. Call our office today to learn more and see why many of our patients — and our dentists — are fans of TruDenta.
2 (307) 885-4337 | www.drlivingstondds.com
Winter in Wyoming
Celebrating With Seasonal Activities
A horse-drawn sleigh ride is another way to experience Wyoming’s nature in all its wintertime glory. Some day trips wind through the National Elk refuge and offer a chance to see more of the wildlife that’s out and about this time of year with the comfort of blankets and warm drinks. For winter fun that will get the whole family smiling, not much beats an exhilarating ride down the mountain. Sledding and skiing are such classic thrills whether you go down the slope at the end of your block or head to a tubing hill, like the one at Grand Targhee Ski Resort, which offers reasonably priced fun — $10 for a full day of tubing.
Winter in the Star Valley highlights the magical place we call home in a different way than the other seasons. As the snow falls around us, here are a few ways you can get outside — with several layers on, of course — and enjoy the frosty Wyoming weather. The landscape of white provides opportunities to enjoy our state by ski, sled, and sleigh. Bison still roam the valley, and while Old Faithful continues to spout a steady stream in Yellowstone, there are only a few ways this time of year to reach her: by ski, snowmobile, or snow coach. Skis might be the most active way to get there, and a trip on a snow coach offers a more leisurely, but still adventurous, option. You’ll likely see bison either way. Some folks enjoy making evening visits, when the dark sky gives way to spectacular views of the stars. For an adventure off the beaten path, dog-sledding trips, ranging from several hours long to overnight guided trips, recreate the rush that drivers on the Iditarod must experience. While taking in the beautiful snow-dusted trees and miles of open space, learn about the wildlife and wilderness that we call home. Some of the guided tours make time for a stop at Granite Hot Springs, where everyone gets a rest — dogs included — and human participants warm up in the naturally heated water.
Puzzle Time! 30-Minute
Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
Inspired by Good Housekeeping
• 1/2 cup heavy cream • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cored and sliced • 1 leek, chopped • 1 medium onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
Directions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter into warm oil. Add onion and leek, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 10–12 minutes. 2. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cauliflower, broth, and cream.
Snowstorm Tradition
Gratitude Holidays Snowflake Snowman
Candle Cookies Decorations Family
Simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. 3. Using a blender, purée in batches until smooth. 4. Top servings with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of pepper.
Travel Winter
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800 South Washington St., Afton, WY 83110 (307) 885-4337 | www.drlivingstondds.com
Inside
The Best Christmas Gift
Scammed for the Holidays Manage Your Migraines
Winter Favorites in Star Valley 30-Minute Cauliflower Soup
Holiday Decoration Tours
Christmas Tours Get Away and Be Festive This Holiday Season
RANCH CHRISTMAS IN JACKSON, WYOMING Jackson, Wyoming, takes its frontier culture to the next level during the Christmas season. All year, the city proudly displays four elk antler arches, but around the holidays, they are lit up with white string lights and flanked by snow. The Christmas decorations and lights surrounding the archway make for a Western-themed holiday pulled right out of a John Wayne classic. For holiday admirers looking for a unique spin, Jackson has you covered.
town in January, June, or even October. Embracing its unique name, the town boasts a museum, holiday shopping center, and a Christmas theme park. In a moving tribute, the town’s residents also write responses to children’s letters to Kris Kringle himself. It’s impossible to avoid holiday cheer in this town. DISNEY WORLD’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC What better place to celebrate the most magical time of the year than in the most magical place on Earth? Walt Disney World’s halls are decked to the max with a parade, gingerbread homes, strings of lights, and festive parties. Plus, costs to visit Disney World can be cheaper during the Christmas season, so keep an eye out for a vacation steal.
There’s nothing quite like the magical lights of the holiday season, and some destinations in the U.S. have perfected the craft of holiday decoration. If you’re looking to get away this December and still engage in seasonal festivities, add one of these places to your must-visit list. NEW YORK CITY’S ROCKEFELLER CENTER New York City is an iconic location for Christmastime. The scene is like a Hallmark card: Ice-skating lovers whiz past miles of twinkling lights underneath an exceptionally tall and amply-decorated tree. The tree is specially selected by Rockefeller Center’s landscaping crews, who scout out trees years in advance. It remains lit from November to early January, so you have plenty of time to check it out. 4 (307) 885-4337 | www.drlivingstondds.com
YEARLY YULETIDE IN SANTA CLAUS, INDIANA
This one’s for the Christmas lover. If you can’t make it out to Santa Claus, Indiana, this holiday season, you can still celebrate Christmas in this tiny Midwestern
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