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Even after the Holidays it can be a stressful time surviving visits with family.  For some, visits can last a while and big family gatherings can lead to more anxiety.  It’s easy to set high expectations for this time of year since being with the family is supposed to have happy, peaceful, and cheery overtones.  However, this can also cause us to overextend ourselves which inevitably can result in stress, resentment and/or frustration.  Here are a few tips to surviving the extended time with family:

• Don’t set expectations – this can lead to disappointment if a family member is not living up to what you envisioned or if the schedule you wanted to follow is not going as planned.
• Focus on the true reason for the company – don’t get caught up in the menus, shopping and entertaining.  This is when you need to enjoy spending time with those you love and be grateful.
• Accept family members for who they are – people’s values, opinions and ideals can change over time. Focus on what you have in common with each other.
• Forgive one another – if you do get into an argument forgive each other and agree to move forward.

How do you handle extended visits with family?

For information on effective ways to manage institutional and individual portfolios nationwide, or to shop for real estate visit First Preston HT. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Whether you plan to host a last minute soiree or have been planning one for weeks, there are some helpful tips to keep you stress free reduce your stress levels.  I have been planning to host my own party for a few weeks now and here are some helpful tips I live by:

1. Menu Planning – Two or three weeks before your event sit down and make a list of everything you want to make for your party including food, drinks or any party favors or decorations. Opt for dishes that can be made ahead of time.
2. Grocery Shopping – Depending on what you are preparing, buy all ingredients a week before hand. If you leave anything off the list you still have plenty of time to get it.  Also, buy more than you think you will need (double recipe batches); you don’t want to run out of food for your hungry guests!
3. Baking and Cooking – For the recipes that can be made in advance, start preparing these a few days ahead of time. I made a few different items each night which means I won’t be rushing to get everything done the day of the event.
4. Presentation – We eat with our eyes first so make sure your food is presented on beautiful platters, cutting boards, serving trays or some other creative fashion to create a beautiful spread of food and drinks.

Guests will be impressed with your soiree and how calm and collected you are as a host.  More importantly you will enjoy being the hostess with the mostess as you are able to enjoy your party along with your guests.

In an age where it seems almost everything we need done these days can be accomplished via a phone app or the internet, why shouldn’t this be true when searching for a house to buy?  Thanks to technology, it is!  Several different digital tools make this process easy and allow you to hunt from the comfort of your couch.  Here are a few digital tools to check out:

• Mortgage Calculators – there are several apps or websites that breakdown all the details of a mortgage based on interest rate, term of the loan and property value. Karl’s Mortgage Calculator, which is free, is online.
• Home Search Locators – BidSelect, Zillow, Trulia, and Redfin all allow you to search digitally for a property based on different search criteria. Some of these websites also offer smart phone apps.
• Sex Offender Lists – If you have children this is especially important to consider when buying a home. There are now two major sex offender registries that can be accessed digitally online.

For information on effective ways to manage institutional and individual portfolios nationwide, or to shop for real estate visit First Preston HT. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Thanksgiving is this week and before you know it Christmas will be here.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season with traveling, cooking, shopping, and parties to attend.  But it’s important to make time for practicing gratitude – taking time to reflect and being thankful for what you have in your life.

Recent studies have shown that people who practice gratitude regularly experienced stronger immune systems, more optimism, lower blood pressure, better quality sleep, and are happier.  Simply taking time out of each day to reflect on what you are grateful for, be it big or small, can help you to slow down and be present in the moment.

I personally have gratitude for time with family and friends, my sweet pit bull, my faith in God, warm summer days and big kale salads.  What are you grateful for this holiday season?

If you live in a house it’s time to start preparing for the cold weather ahead and winterize your home.   Ensuring you have accomplished the listed points below can aid in keeping you warm, dry and also help avoid home disasters that can wind up costing lots of money to fix.

• Insulating water pipes: Purchase insulation covers at your local hardware store and cover all exposed pipe with insulation.  It’s also a good time to make sure you know the location of your main water line turn-off valve is in case of an emergency during the cold weather months.
• Furnace inspection: Before the cold weather sets in, fire up your furnace to make sure it is in good working condition. Check for loud sounds and a lingering bad smell once you turn it on.
• Seal doors, ducts and windows: Check for cracks to identify where cold air may sneak into your house. Use insulation material to seal door and window cracks.  Inspect ventilation ducts for heating that could be escaping and running up the heating bill.
• Leave the heat on: If you plan to leave your home for any extended period of time during the cold weather months, make sure to leave your heat on (it can be set lower).

For information on effective ways to manage institutional and individual portfolios nationwide, or to shop for real estate visit First Preston HT. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.