Check out our February newsletter!
FEBRUARY 2026
GIVE US A CALL! 303-922-4304 federalbenefitsmadesimple.com Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M–F
HEALTHY, WEALTHY,
& WISE
1 Denver Federal Center Building 45, Entrance E-9, Room 1050 Lakewood, CO 80225
THE ART OF BEING A FRIEND
Staying Close Even When Life Gets Busy
It’s the text in the middle of a busy day that makes you laugh, the person who convinces you to get out of the house, the conversation that starts with “you’re never going to believe what happened,” and the comforting support of someone who truly knows you. When I think of a friend, I think of someone I can share things with. Not just interests and activities, though those are precisely what make friendship fun, but someone who is willing to listen to me and be by my side in good times and bad. It’s these relationships
As kids, we seem to hang out with almost anyone, but in adulthood, we’re looking for people who match us in our belief structures, politics, and general preferences. We become more particular about the people we allow into our lives. I’m lucky to have friendships that have lasted since I was really young, and have some newer buddies as well. Many of my good friendships today are with neighbors and other parents that started organically as we hung out during our children’s sporting events or school trips. I’ve found that when friendships are strong, they survive. Last year, I dropped an old high school friend a birthday note on Facebook. We hadn’t seen each other in 35 years, but figured out we lived close by. We met up for dinner and picked up where we left off, even after all these years. You can make new friends in the most surprising situations. I recently flew to Hawaii and ended up having a conversation with the man next to me. He lives in Colorado Springs, so he isn’t far from where my family and I live. I was asking him questions and learned that he’s about the same age as my daughter and new son-in-law, who are considering moving to his area. We decided to exchange numbers and have already been texting. He just sent me a meme the other day that was absolutely hilarious. I wasn’t setting out to start a friendship on that flight. I was just willing and open to a conversation when the chance presented itself. All of this is to say that friendship is one of the most rewarding relationships, whether old or new. Being intentional, open, and present helps keep those bonds strong. And, when you surround yourself with friends, you’ll never be without a shoulder to cry on or a meme to crack you up just when you need it most.
that are a vital part of life, right to our core. February is International Friendship Month and a good time to renew old relationships and be open to discovering new ones. Your friends are the ones who can help you get out of your head when something’s on your mind. We won’t always step up and say, “I’m having a tough day because I’m feeling X, Y, and Z,” but we can say “I get it” to a pal and help them work through it. I count on my friends a lot. They’re the ones who pull me out of a tired funk, go out together, or do something fun. It’s hard to imagine my life without them.
Just like anything that matters, you have to be intentional about your friendships to keep them strong. I touch base with my friends; my best friends and I talk or text regularly, we exchange memes, jokes, and just say stuff to brighten each other’s days. And I make it a priority to maintain those relationships. As we get older, being intentional in and about our friendships becomes even more important because it gets harder as we age. Families fill much of our time, running the kids to sports, attending their events, not to mention working on our careers and all the other things that keep us busy.
–Jeremy Rafferty
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A Global Dinner Adventure Awaits Cook the World
Step 2: Cook up some fun. Now it’s time to bring the world to your kitchen. Gather your ingredients, play music from the country you’re exploring, and assign roles. One person can chop, someone can stir, and someone else can handle the playlist (very important). Kids love getting hands-on, and it’s an excellent way to help them learn about teamwork, creativity, and patience. Talk about where the dish comes from, what people might traditionally serve with it, or how it’s eaten in that culture. Before you know it, your kitchen will smell like another part of the world. Step 3: Eat, share, and celebrate. When the food hits the table, make it special. Light a candle, add a little decoration, and let loose. Take that first bite together and talk about the flavors. What’s
Are you tired of the same spaghetti night or pizza delivery? It’s time to shake things up and turn dinner into a family adventure. Instead of hopping on a plane, grab your aprons and “travel” the world through food. Each week, choose a country, find its most famous dish, and cook it together. No passports required! Step 1: Choose your destination. Begin your journey by selecting a country that excites everyone. Maybe your kids are obsessed with anime (hello, Japan!), or you’ve been craving something spicy from Mexico. Every culture has a dish that tells a story, like Italy’s cheesy lasagna, India’s vibrant butter chicken, and Greece’s fresh tzatziki and gyros. Choose one that feels doable and prepare to embark on a new flavor adventure.
new, what’s surprising, and what’s delicious? Create a “family food passport” where you write down the country, the dish, and everyone’s rating or favorite moment. It’s a great way to remember your culinary travels. Step 4: Keep the journey going. Once you start, it’s hard to stop! Turn this into a weekly or monthly family ritual. Each dish brings a new story, a new skill, or a fresh memory. You’ll end up with full bellies and a collection of shared experiences that span the globe.
Bon appétit!
Benefit Planning Made Simple for Your Agency INVEST IN YOUR TEAM
Last year tested federal agencies like never before, with deferred resignations, early retirements, staffing changes, and tight budgets that reshaped the workplace. After the uncertainty of 2025, the new year presents agencies with the opportunity to refocus on the most valuable investment they can make: their people. At Federal Benefits Made Simple (FBMS), we’re here to help bring clarity to the complex world of federal benefits, guiding your employees through retirement planning, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) strategies, and health care options so they can make informed decisions about their future. Our seminars not only fulfill the Office of Personnel Management’s expectations for you as an agency leader to provide retirement education to your team, but these presentations also
Cost-of-Living Adjustments. But we go beyond simple explanations or just reviewing the required material.
Once we help your employees understand all their benefits, we’ll assist them in making those benefits work for them. Whether they need advice on how their health care will interact with Medicare once they retire, or they have specific dreams they want to save for in their golden years, we can help them understand all their options. As an agency, you likely had to adapt to numerous changes in 2025 and preserve precious resources while trying to provide some confidence to employees who were facing significant uncertainty. Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of agencies, but we’d like to give you the tools to support your people. Your team is unique, and at FBMS, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We offer flexible formats and can deliver this training in-person at your office, remotely, or as a hybrid of the two. Our presentations fill up quickly, so we encourage you to call us to schedule the right training for your team, no matter where you are in the U.S. If you want to learn more or schedule a training session, call Jeremy at 303-922-4304 or email our team at Info@FederalBenefitsMadeSimple.com.
help empower your people at every stage of their careers.
We provide comprehensive benefits webinars to agencies nationwide, offering employees a complete blueprint for a successful retirement. We cover all the essentials like pensions, health benefits, insurance options, survivor benefits, FERS supplements, and
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THE SERVICE DOG THAT CHANGED A CHILD’S LIFE Trained to Protect
The family of JJ, a preteen troubled by debilitating seizures, was struggling to manage his condition and allay its devastating effect on his learning and well-being. They tried numerous treatments and therapies, but nothing worked well enough to stabilize JJ’s health. Then, JJ’s community stepped up in a way that changed his life forever. Military veterans at Sun Outdoors, an RV community where JJ and his family live in Sarasota, Florida, learned about the difficult situation his family faced and took the initiative to help.
matched JJ with Ezra, a dog trained to detect oncoming seizures and provide emotional support. Ezra is a Czech shepherd, a Central European herding breed known for intelligence, alertness, intuitive ability, and loyalty. A service dog’s sense of smell is more powerful than any machine and can detect changes instantaneously, likened to a live-in medical alert system. They can also be trained to notice anxiety or discomfort and offer comfort and companionship, interrupting potential panic attacks by calming their human companions. With training by Julie Madison of Top Tier K9, a professional dog-training company, Ezra learned to detect seizures by using his ability to sense subtle changes in scent or behavior. He was also taught to alert JJ and those around him before any visible signs of a seizure appeared, allowing a few crucial moments for JJ to take medications to curtail the seizures and ensure he was in a safe place. Ezra’s presence led to striking improvements. Not only did JJ experience a sharp decline in seizures, but the entire family felt less uncertainty and fearfulness. As the story of JJ and Ezra demonstrates, bonds between animals and humans can yield near-miraculous benefits.
Enter Ezra, the service dog.
The veterans reached out to Canines for Heroes , a Sarasota-based nonprofit founded by Mark LaFlamme. As a highly decorated Air Force veteran of three combat operations in the Middle East, LaFlamme knew firsthand the challenges of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); two of his fellow officers succumbed to the pain and took their own lives. As a way of coping with their loss, LaFlamme set out to help others by giving them access to the healing power of trained service dogs. Canines for Heroes has years of experience matching service dogs with individuals in need. So, Mark LaFlamme and his wife, Sandra,
Train Your Brain!
MOUTHWATERING MINI CHEESECAKES
INGREDIENTS
• 12-oz package vanilla wafers • 16 oz cream cheese, softened • 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 21-oz can cherry pie filling
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In two 24-cup miniature muffin pans, line each space with a paper liner. 3. Using a food processor or resealable plastic bag, crush vanilla wafers into a fine crumb. 4. Press 1/2 teaspoon of crumbs into each paper liner. 5. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. 6. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top. 7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. 8. Cool completely in the pan. 9. Top each mini cheesecake with about a teaspoon of cherry pie filling before serving. Enjoy!
Inspired by AllRecipes.com
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Give us a call! 303-922-4304 federalbenefitsmadesimple.com FAX: 303-416-4358 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M–F
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PO Box 260787 Lakewood, CO 80226-0787
Federal Benefits Made Simple, an E.A. Buck Company (FBMS), is an independent financial services firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. Insurance products are offered through the insurance businesses FBMS and E.A. Buck Financial Services. FBMS is an Investment Advisory practice that offers products and services through Buck Wealth Strategies (BWS), a Registered Investment Advisor. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. FBMS is not affiliated with or endorsed by the US government or any governmental agency. MAS is not affiliated with FBMS, E.A. Buck Financial Services, or BWS. FBMS, E.A. Buck Financial Services, and BWS are affiliated by common ownership. In California, we are known only as E.A. Buck Insurance in all solicitations of insurance. CMP-64436 - 1/26
INSIDE THIS ISSUE page 1 Why We All Need a Buddy page 2 Explore Cultures Through Family Meals Empower Your Workforce in 2026 page 3 Meet the Canine Hero That Warns of Seizures Mouthwatering Mini Cheesecakes
page 4 The Birth of Suburban Life
LEVITTOWN AND THE RISE OF SUBURBIA A Revolution of Residential Design
In 1947, a stretch of potato fields on Long Island started growing something new. Instead of potatoes, the land was transformed into thousands of identical houses, each built in just a few days. The development was called Levittown. To the families moving in, it must have felt like a miracle. To those watching from afar, it looked like the future. Before Levittown, the suburbs were mainly for the wealthy. Places like Shaker Heights in Ohio and Riverside in Illinois offered quiet streets away from the pollution and overcrowding of the city, but working families couldn’t afford to live there. Levittown was different. The developers, Levitt & Sons, treated home construction like an assembly line, and crews efficiently knocked out house after house. At their peak, they finished dozens of homes a day. Housing was in high demand at the time. With veterans returning home from World War II and the baby boom beginning, cities were running out of space. A Levittown home sold for around $8,000, which was within reach of families using GI Bill loans. The single- story houses came with stoves, televisions, and a small yard for
barbecues. It wasn’t luxury, but it gave the families who moved there a chance to live their version of the American dream.
Soon, the development became its own world. Swimming pools, baseball fields, and shopping centers became places where families ran into neighbors on Saturday mornings, which felt new and full of possibility. But that possibility wasn’t a reality for everyone. Racist sales policies barred Black families from buying homes, even when they qualified for loans. The suburb also reinforced older ideas about gender. Women who had worked during the war felt pressure to return to domestic life, stay home, and care for the kids while their husbands commuted to work. For all its promise, it was still a product of its time. Even so, Levittown launched a new style of living that transformed the landscape of American life. Other developers copied the model, and before long, new neighborhoods stretched toward the horizon. Rows of identical houses became symbols of stability, and the dream of a better life moved to the city’s edges.
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