Make a List, Check it Twice

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Make a List, Check it Twice December 13, 2011   Every year at Christmas, I promise myself to not spend money on presents like I did the year before. I have the best intentions and I put a limit on the amount I will spend on each person. And just as sure as I make the promise, every year my intentions go out the window. This year I have finally decided why this happens. I wait too long to shop. By the time I make it to the mall, I have only a few weeks to shop, wrap, and deliver. So I am always in a panic and I get to the point that I don’t care what it costs, I will buy anything if I can just mark Dad off my list. In fact, I think I have this problem with birthdays too. Okay, I am serious this time; I will not make this mistake next year. I promise to plan ahead. I promise to not overspend. I promise to relax and focus on what the holidays are all about – overeating and family! Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Learning About Healthy Travel

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Learning About Healthy Travel November 2, 2011   In college, a group of my friends went to Cancun, Mexico for spring break. One friend fell, hit her head, and had to be flown immediately to the nearest hospital. On the same trip another friend got extremely severe sun poisoning and the pictures of her skin will be burned into my memory forever. (No pun intended!) And finally, another friend became violently-ill with flu-like symptoms. Originally, I was furious that my parents wouldn’t allow me to go on the trip, but when I heard all their stories, I was relieved. I don’t know that I was prepared to travel to another country on my own, just yet. Of course, we can attribute most of these happenings to teenage carelessness. Nonetheless, traveling abroad can be overwhelming and hard on your body if you aren’t prepared. Take this week’s quiz and test your knowledge on healthy travel. Read more on this topic here…   Britney Kirsch Account Manager

A Flair for New Fare

Visit our Website Past Newsletters A Flair for New Fare October 11, 2011   1988. This year was prominent for me because it’s the first year I have very strong memories. I watched my first love scene (Dirty Dancing), my first horror movie (Nightmare on Elm Street), and Charlotte’s Web taught me about death for the first time. But out of every memory I have from 1988, nothing – and I mean nothing – will ever compete with the horror I felt when my Dad made me eat liver for the first time. I can still see it, smell it, and taste it. In fact right now, if I close my eyes, I can hear my Dad say, “You will not get up from that table till you finish your dinner. Just put ketchup on it.” I could smell it and was certain that I would get sick if I put it in my mouth; – and that’s just what I did – everywhere. As the crocodile tears poured from my eyes, I sobbed, “I knew I wouldn’t like it!” I still can’t stand ketchup being anywhere near meat because of the liver incident. But I have always been thankful that my parents exposed me to so many different foods. There was even a year we went to a different ethnic restaurant every month. I would never wish liver upon my worst enemy (although I have heard people actually like it) but I hope that everyone explores out of their food comfort zone every once in a while; It can make for some unforgettable memories! Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Tips to Tame Housework

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Tips to Tame Housework June 28, 2011   Growing up, I only watched a few episodes of “Bewitched” but a scene where she twitches her nose and the house magically becomes clean has stayed in my memory for years. Hollywood is filled with extraordinary superheroes and magic powers. Yet, at the end of the day I don’t want x-ray vision, the ability to fly, and I definitely don’t want to read people’s minds! I want to twitch my nose and have everything organized and clean. There always comes a point in the month when my drive home from work is accompanied by a sharp twinge of anxiety. I know those dishes will be waiting for me, just staring at me until I clean them. I can’t escape to the bedroom because the suitcase from last week’s trip will be begging to be unpacked. Usually heading home at the end of a work day is a time to relax, but not when you have loads of laundry to be washed and folded, counters to clean, and dishes to do. It’s days like today that I want to keep on driving past my exit to anywhere but home. I have twitched my nose after walking into my messy closet countless times. Although I know it’s ridiculous, it doesn’t change the fact that I would give just about anything to have that power. If you’re like me, juggling a busy life with zero superpowers, read this week’s communication! Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

A Cluttered Home Leads to a Cluttered Mind

Think of your messy house as a metaphor for the state of your emotional health.  Mess and clutter often lead us to feeling stressed or panicked.  At the very least, looking at the buildup of stuff can sap your energy after a long day at work, with the kids, running errands, etc.  A clean and organized home can lift your mood and keep you on track towards meeting your life goals.

Most people’s reactions to a messy home go one of two ways.  Either they attack the entire mess with gusto or they simply sink to the couch – defeated, exhausted, and irritated with themselves for letting it get this far out of control.

Instead of finding yourself defeated, focus on taking steps towards a clean and organized home. Break down your area into quadrants (or rooms if they are manageable enough).  Taking small steps vs. larger ones will help you get an area clean and keep it that way.

Create a schedule of tasks.  There will be tasks you do daily, like hanging up your clothes or putting dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher.  Other tasks will be more sporadic but need to be included on the list.  Listing out your activities will help you plan cleaning around your life but will also help hold you accountable for your space.  As an added bonus you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment every time you check something off your list!  Following your list on a daily basis will help you create more permanent good habits that will make keeping your home clean a breeze.

Simple Storage and Organization Solutions

• The office supply store is your best friend.
• Drawer organizers aren’t just for work.  Use them to create order out of a drawer of random kitchen utensils.  Use them in the bathroom to organize hair ties, makeup, and other miscellaneous items that often end up at the back of the drawer.
• Put your mail in one place.  Pick up an inexpensive paper holder to categorize bills, catalogues, personal correspondence, and things to file.
• Use clear bins to hold things that usually create clutter.  Cluster batteries, lightbulbs, and other house supplies in one drawer.  Use another to hold ipods, headphones, extension cords, chargers, and other electronics that aren’t used on a daily basis.
• Label your shoe boxes if you keep them so you always know what you have.
• Specify a box for wrapping paper, ribbon, tissue paper, boxes, and cards so you always have a go-to place for gift needs.

Safeguarding Your Home

The following articles from Reader’s Digest offer an interesting look at tips for safeguarding your home:

13 Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You

8 More Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You

~MINES HealthPsych Team

How to Babyproof Your House

Visit our Website Past Newsletters How to Babyproof Your House June 20, 2011   I may be biased but I think my Grandma is the epitome of “Grandma.” She’s absolutely one of a kind and I have been so fortunate to know her as a child and even more-so as an adult. Growing up, she baked cookies and pies from scratch. She played the piano while we sang Christmas carols. She would even sew all of the grandkids matching outfits for different holidays. It was always pure joy at Grandma’s. Although I love my Grandma with all of my heart, I accepted something about her very early in life; not only is she the epitome of a “Grandma” she was also the epitome of a worry-wart. I use that in past-tense because after 9 grandchildren she has eased up a bit. I was the first and I can remember being incredibly frustrated as Grandma inspected every single piece of our candy we collected at Halloween. It would literally take hours while she searched every wrapper. In fact, my very first memory I have in life is of her scolding me while I was playing near an outlet. She’ll tell you I had my fingers in the outlet, but I bet I could have been looking at it and she would have lost it. Yet, her worrisome qualities were hard not to love; it only validated how much she loved us and wanted to protect us. I am guessing they didn’t have outlet covers back then because if they did my Grandma would have been the first to buy them! To protect the ones you love read this week’s articles for tips on baby-proofing every room in your house. Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Household Chemicals: Safe Use, Storage, and Disposal

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Household Chemicals: Safe Use, Storage, and Disposal June 13, 2011   Freshman year of college I drove home nearly every other weekend. Although it was a four hour drive, I needed to get my laundry done, spend time with my family, and eat something besides pizza! I honestly couldn’t tell you if there was a laundry room in my dorm let alone where it was located but at some point I took some of my Mom’s half-used laundry products. It’s not that I didn’t know how to do my laundry, it was more like I was so poor I didn’t want to spend the money on detergent. This would actually be more cost-effective than driving home every other week even though gas was only a whopping $1.29/gallon then. Sigh. As soon as I returned, my good intentions went out the door. I never did find the elusive laundry room. So the bleach and detergent made a temporary home in the trunk of my car. A few weeks later, I discovered the power of bleach. One day I opened my trunk and instantly regretted transporting half-used bleach. I thought it would be safe, I mean it had a child-proof safety cap for goodness sake. How did it open? Regardless, the bleach crept out of its bottle and changed my grey upholstery to neon puke. I guess I had never poured bleach directly on anything or tried to use it on anything but whites. To this day I am terrified of using it. If I have to bleach towels, I wipe out the entire washing machine before putting in another load. I am guessing other people have discovered the power of bleach – hence the safety cap! This week’s communication includes a household chemical and safety checklist! Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Protecting Valuable Records

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Protecting Valuable Records June 6, 2011   I think it was around 1997, and it was Christmas time. My Dad told my sister and I to go wrap Grandma’s present in the garage. The box was about 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide and what seemed like 1,000 pounds. After trying to turn it several times, we gave up and decided that this present would have one side left unwrapped. We couldn’t help but wonder why on Earth my 5-foot-tall Grandma was getting a present that weighed more than she did. What was this hunk of steel? My Dad explained to us that this was a safe that would protect all of Grandma’s important belongings if there happened to be a fire at her home. Just like my Dad to be practical and this may have been the most sentimental, practical gift he had ever given; after all, it would be holding her sentiments! Ever since that day, I occasionally wonder what I would grab if a fire was threatening to engulf my possessions. I don’t have a fireproof safe but I have put all of my important documents in one area to quickly grab in case of an emergency. This week’s communication gives you a checklist of valuable records that you may want to gather in one place for safe keeping. Please join us for June’s theme, “Household Help,” and explore ways to keep your home safe and manageable. Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Putting First Things First

With the most recent financial crisis that has effected so many in the world along with rising gas prices, food prices, and an onslaught of global catastrophes, many are stepping back and taking a close look at their financial management or lack thereof, and making long overdue changes.  People are cutting back – reducing credit card debt, building savings accounts, increasing food and water storage, and just being better prepared for a rainy day that, if history is an accurate predictor, will most certainly return one day.

One area of preparation that is all too often overlooked is maintaining a current will or trust.  It has been said that the two certainties in life are death and taxes, and even though it’s not pleasant dealing with either of them, we need to be prepared for both. If something happened to you tomorrow, heaven forbid, do you know where your hard-earned assets would go? Do you know where you would want them to go? If you do know where you would want them to go, has it been properly articulated in a will or trust?  If the answer to that last question is no, the chances of your assets ending up where you want them are not very good. In fact, it’s quite possible that your assets could end up precisely where you don’t want them to go.

In the United States, the law typically defers to a decedent’s wishes of where his or her assets are to go as long as those wishes have been properly communicated through a will or a trust. However, the law contains default provisions for situations where a person dies without a will or trust and these provisions are called intestacy statutes. These statutes may vary from state-to-state, but the gist of these laws is that the state decides who gets your assets based upon family relationships. The type of familial relationship a person has with the decedent will determine what, if any, assets that person will receive, regardless of what the decedent would have preferred. And if you think about it, it only makes sense. There has to be a standardized “plan B” in the event someone dies without a will, otherwise how could it ever be decided where a decedent’s assets would go?

With that said, everyone is capable of having a will or a trust. Without going into the differences between the two, having a current will or trust is your way of ensuring that the things you’ve worked so hard your entire life to acquire end up going where you want them to go. That may be to those you love the most (i.e. family and friends), it may be to a favorite charitable organization, it may be to a church, a school, or a museum. Where you decide for your assets to go is not as important as making sure your wishes are fulfilled and having a current will or trust is the best way to make that happen.

The most ideal way to create a will or trust is to hire an attorney to do it. There are general attorneys and those who specialize in probate law who can help you with this. However, if funds are currently too tight and you either can’t afford to pay an attorney or don’t want to pay an attorney to do this, many jurisdictions allow you to create what is called a “holographic will.” A holographic will is a will you create yourself. To do this, you simply hand-write your will on a piece of paper, date it and sign it. Standard wills require witnesses signatures attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature, but a holographic will does not. The important thing with a holographic will is that the testator informs individuals close to him or her that the will exists and where it is located, so when the testator dies, it can be found and applied.

If you get nothing else out of this, the one point you should take home is that everyone needs a will or trust and almost everyone is capable of having one, regardless of a your financial situation. The key is that you begin the process now.

Wade Hardie, JD, MBA
MINES Corporate Counsel

Protecting Yourself Against Medical Errors

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Protecting Yourself Against Medical Errors February 23, 2011   Hospitals can be a place of blessings, hope, miracles, fear, and sadness. There are not many more places on Earth that harbor such a wide array of emotions as a hospital does. Due to many life events in my family I have spent a lot of time in hospitals. I can vividly recall, when I was 10 years old, the despair and cries from my family when the doctor announced that my young cousin most likely wouldn’t make it. At 13 years old, I spent days, hours, and months in a hospital with my family hoping everyday that my Aunt would recover from her accident. At 14 years old, my mom and I drove across the country to watch my Grandpa fight and eventually win the battle of esophageal cancer. At 16 years old, I slept on the floor all night in the hospital waiting for my mom to deliver my precious little brother. The list goes on and on. In all of my time in hospitals, I think I have learned two extremely important lessons in life: First, life is a delicate and incredible gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted; and second, ALWAYS ask questions when it comes to you or a loved one that is facing a medical situation. Asking the right question has saved someone I love, and when you are dealing with your health, there really is no such thing as asking a stupid question. Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager