Make The 2020 Census Count For You

It’s almost time to stand up and be counted. 2020 census forms will be mailed or delivered to every residence in the U.S. and Puerto Rico this March. Here’s what you should know about it: It’s the law. The Constitution requires that the government count every resident of the U.S. every 10 years. Responses are mandatory, but are confidential and used for statistical purposes only. It’s short. It should take only 10 minutes to answer the 10 questions. It’s providing temporary jobs. The government is hiring hundreds of thousands of census workers to complete the task. Call your local census office for employment information. It’s important. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states and to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. It benefits your community. When you fill out the form, you’re helping your community determine what resources it needs. The data is used to make funding decisions on things such as schools, hospitals, job training centers and emergency services in your area.

Resolve To Follow These Fitness Trends In 2020

The American College of Sports Medicine has ranked the top fitness trends for 2020 based on a worldwide survey of fitness professionals. Make a New Year’s resolution to incorporate these trends in your family’s fitness program this year:  Educated and experienced fitness professionals. As the fitness market becomes more competitive, consumers are realizing the importance of working with professionals who have been certified through accredited health/fitness educational programs.  Strength training. This was once the domain of bodybuilders, but it’s now an essential part of a complete physical activity program.  Children and obesity. This is the year to reverse an alarming trend of rising obesity rates by getting overweight kids involved in exercise.  Personal training. As more personal trainers are educated and certified, they are becoming more accessible to a greater number of people.  Core training. This training specifically emphasizes strength and conditioning of the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back.  Special programs for older adults. Fitness facilities are offering more exercise programs for active older adults. Get your parents involved now!  Sport-specific training. High school athletes are now training during the off-season to prepare themselves for their specific sports.  Pilates. This form of exercise that targets the core of the body has become a mainstay of most fitness facilities. If you haven’t already done so, try it this year to increase your flexibility and posture.

I want to redecorate our living space, but I don’t know where to begin.

You can makeover your living space with these simple decorating tips: 1. Change your color palette. You can choose neutral and earth tones, such as whites, tans, beiges, and golds. A room of monotone decors appears more spacious. And you can dress up a room with white walls, a white sofa, and white or glass coffee tables with accented throw pillows, colorful table runners and placements, and decorative rugs. 2. Soften the lighting. Lighting adds warmth and drama to any room. A lamp or sconce lighting will provide more warmth and mood than overhead lighting. In your rooms, place your lamps and lighting arrangements so that they form a triangle of light in the room. 3. Rearrange the furniture. Try moving your sofas away from the wall. You can place two sofas in “V” formation with tables behind them. Or you can arrange the sofas so that they’re parallel to each other. Placing a rug between them creates a conversation area. 4. Create a focal point. Select a special focal point in your room: a piano, piece of art, picture, or floral arrangement. Make sure to hang your art and pictures at eye level. (Many people hang them too high.) 5. Create warmth. You can transform your dining room by adding lamps on each side of the buffet. Be sure to choose tall, sleek lamps to add drama to your dining area. 6. Experiment with ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment with light, color, and furnishings. Use your own personality and charm to create the living space you’ll enjoy entertaining and spending time with your family. If you are in the market for a buying or selling a home and need competent and caring representation, please call me at 206-226-0565.

Thinking Positively Can Make You Healthier

How you approach life can affect your health, according to several studies by medical professionals. Positive people tend to have fewer health problems and live longer lives than pessimists. The good news is if you’re not typically the bubbly type, you can learn an optimist’s skills to help improve your health and how you feel. How to do it: 1. First, determine the things that make you feel the happiest. It might be spending time with positive friends or favorite family members, walking the dog, or watching a funny TV show. Helping others tends to help you feel better too. 2. Next, schedule one of those things in every day’s agenda. Make it a necessary part of your day. 3. Focus on positive thoughts. When a negative thought arises, pause and find a way to spin it to the positive. Even if you don’t believe it at first, just thinking it or saying it aloud can affect your outlook. For example, change “No one wants to talk to me” to “I’ll find a way to talk to others at least once today.” 4. Make being healthier a priority. Exercise boosts your mood and has been proven to reduce stress, which can increase negativity in your life. A healthy diet makes your body and mind feel better, making it easier to be positive. 5. Avoid negative people. Nothing sidetracks a positive day like someone who always has something negative to say. It won’t happen overnight, but after practicing positivity for a few weeks you’re sure to have a better outlook.

Free Trial? Maybe Not!

The next time you sign up for a free trial offer, be sure to read the fine print. While these offers can be a great way to try out a product, you might be agreeing to buy additional products and services if you don’t cancel within a specified time. It’s called the “negative option feature,” and it requires the customer to cancel or opt-out of a recurring charge for future products. While it’s not illegal, some questionable online merchants pre-check the consent box or bury the details under terms and conditions, making returns difficult. If this has happened to you, you’re not alone. A Visa survey showed 29 percent of American consumers have been victims of this option. The Better Business Bureau says it has received thousands of complaints from people who learned the hard way by signing up for online trial offers for acai berry supplements, detox products, teeth whiteners, free government grants and debt consolidation services. Best advice? Before you buy, read the offer carefully, pay attention to pre-checked boxes and check out the business at www.bbb.org.

Russell Wilson Quotes To Live By…

“I truly believe in positive synergy, that your positive synergy gives you a more hopeful outlook.” –Russell Wilson “When we are battling with something, or struggles, or at our highest point as well we want somebody to there for us and to say well done. That’s Jesus!” –Russell Wilson “My dad used to wake me up at 5:30 in the morning and hit me ground balls and tell me, don’t be afraid to excel. Don’t be afraid to be great.” –Russell Wilson “My thing is, and I’ve always been this way – to get to know as many people as I possibly can on a personal level, so that way, when you get on the football field, you’ve got your buddy right beside you and you’re ready to go.” -Russell Wilson

How To Help Kids Save Money

All adults know that money doesn’t grow on trees, but that’s not necessarily true for kids. Help your kids, grandkids, or other children in your life tuck away their extra nickels and dimes for a rainy day. 1. Bank it. Encourage kids to decorate four separate piggy banks – one each for Saving, Spending, Investing, and Giving – to help teach about setting money-related goals. Investing money will be used for future investments and Giving money can be donated to a charity of the kids’ choice. 2. Offer an allowance. Assuming you are helping your own children save money, provide a small allowance so there is something to put into the piggy banks. Give the allowance in small bills or coins so kids can physically hold and drop equal amounts of cash into each piggy bank. 3. Make goals. If there are certain things kids want to buy, or if they are expected to save a certain amount of money toward larger items such as bikes, explain that they’ll need to use the Saving piggy bank to collect the needed money. And, if they choose not to spend money out of the Spending piggy bank right away, they’ll be able to buy the items they’re saving for faster. 4. Go shopping. When you go to the store, let the kids take their Spending money with them. If they want to buy something, count out change in the store. Feel free to remind them that, if there is something more expensive they’d like to buy, they’ll have to continue to save for it – and they’ll reach their goals faster by moving Spending money into the Saving piggy bank. However, if they want to buy something, that is their choice as this is their money.

Gift Funds to Buy a Home Makes for a Gift That Keeps on Giving

Can I use a financial gift from a friend or relative as a down payment on buying a home? Yes. In fact, one out of four first-time homebuyers uses a gift to make the down payment. Tax law allows gifts of up to $14,000 a year without tax consequences to the giver or recipient. (The amount may be adjusted annually so check IRS publication 950 for the current figure.) You could get a gift from two parents or two friends (for $28,000) without paying a gift tax. Using a gift for a down payment allows you to buy the home even if it’s not Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved. The best advice is to contact a well-connected REALTOR® and discuss this subject before you start looking for homes. My lender John Porter at Mortgage Masters is glad to help and can answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to call him at 206-954-8736 or john@mortgagemasterwa.com For more information and some tips to avoid costly mistakes when buying a home, ask for my Free Consumer Report called “4 Quick Ways To Buy A Home With Little Down.” I’ll send a copy right to you.