Service For Life!

“Insider Tips For Healthy, Wealthy & Happy Living…”

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Holiday Dangers For Children

 With families gathering, special occasions and all the delicious treats, the holiday season creates precious memories that can last an entire lifetime.  Unfortunately, the emergency rooms become part of the tradition for too many kids.  Watch out for these dangers: 

v Poisonous plants like mistletoe, poinsettias and holly are commonly used for holiday décor, but they should be kept out of the reach of kids.  Plant poisoning symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes.  If you have any suspicion of plant poisoning call your doctor or the National Poison Center: (800) 222-1222.  And, yes, that’s a real phone number!

 v Alcohol poisoning of children is common during the holiday season.  Parents often host parties where alcohol is served and the kids imitate the adults.  Small amounts of an adult beverage can make a kid “drunk” and in danger of injuring themselves.  Remove all empty and partially finished cups as soon as possible to keep them away from small hands.

 v Food poisoning can also pose a potential threat to children.  Practice food safety by washing hands, dishes, cutting boards and utensils with particular care toward items that come in contact with raw meat or poultry.  Refrigerate leftover food quickly to avoid contamination. 

v Choking and swallowing hazards are everywhere during the holidays.  Tree ornaments, icicles, tinsel and small toys can be partially swallowed and end up blocking the child’s airway.  If it is small enough to get inside a small child’s mouth, it is too small to leave out. 

v Cuts, skin irritation, or eye damage can be caused by the needles of holiday trees, angel hair (made from spun glass) and ornament hangers.

No one wants to remember a trip to the emergency room over the holidays.  Being aware of fire hazards, increased accidents during busy shopping times, and watching for the dangers listed above should help you and your family have a safe and happy holiday season.

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Know Someone Having Trouble Paying Their Mortgage?
Please tell them not to work with their bank or sell their home without my Free consumer guide, “28 Facts Every Struggling Homeowner Should Know.”  My exclusive report will explain all their options to avoid foreclosure and improve the situation fast.  Just call 1-800=660-0747 anytime, to request a copy for a friend.

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Here’s A Free, Valuable Resource
If you’d like to receive a FREE List of gorgeous homes, personally researched to meet your individual requirements
with no obligation whatsoever, please call us at 1-800-660-0747.
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Thank You!  Thank You!  Thank You!

Thank You! Thank You!

Thanks to all of our clients and friends who support our practice and graciously referred us to your friends and neighbors! Rather than pester people with unwanted calls and visits, We build my business based on the positive comments and referrals from people just like you. We couldn't do it without you!

Exotic Vacation - Just Like Home

 Do you dream of vacationing next summer on the beaches of Hawaii?

 Can you imagine yourself climbing the mountains in Alaska or swinging to the tunes in New Orleans?

Or, would you love to go to Europe if you could only afford it? 

The Internet has caused an explosion of “vacation exchange” networks where you can leverage your own home for the vacation of a lifetime without paying more than your current cost of living.  Here’s how it works:

 You can stay in a beautiful property on the ocean, in the mountains or even in a foreign country by swapping a stay in your home for a stay in someone else’s home and save thousands on lodging costs. 

Websites like www.homeexchange.com have international listings in more than 140 countries around the world.  You can do some limited searches to find potential homes or pay a small monthly fee to access all the homes in the exchange network.  They guarantee you will find a home exchange partner in the first year or the second year is free. 

Other services offer help finding vacation or second home where someone doesn’t have to swap homes with you at the same time.  This can increase your chances of finding what you want.  If that sounds like a fit for your family, look at the program at this website: www.thevacationexchange.com.

If you want to enjoy a longer stay or sabbatical, the site www.4homex.com has that search feature.  They also allow you to look for luxury homes, family homes, seniors and singles.

 Where have you always wanted to travel but thought it was beyond your budget?  Maybe this idea is the perfect solution to combine the adventure and excitement of travel with all the conveniences of staying in a home.

 

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Are You Our Client Of The Month?

Every month we choose a very special Client Of The Month.  It’s our way of acknowledging good friends and saying “thanks” to those who support me and our business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business. 

You might be our next Client Of The Month too! 

 

Internet Webs Family Together

If relatives live far away or children are grown it is hard to keep in touch with the extended family that means so much to us.  There are now dozens of great sharing tools online that can help you stay connected with your loved ones.  Try a few of these family-linking tools: 

¨  History is easily shared with www.myheritage.com, www.geni.com, or even Facebook with applications like www.familybuilder.com. To research family history, try: www.ancestry.com or www.familysearch.com.

¨  Photos no longer need to be handed around the kitchen table to recall the good times you have shared.  Leading the pack is www.flickr.com  where you can share memories captured in pictures.  Other sites to explore are: www.snapfish.com, www.keepandshare.com and www.photobucket.com.  

¨  Reunions are made easier with sites like www.family-reunion.com.  Find tips for planning the perfect family event at www.reunionsmag.com, www.familyreuniontips.com and www.familyreunion.com.

¨  Multifunction sites like www.myfamily.com, www.familycrossings.com and www.familydetails.com allow you to stay connected with event calendars, a family blog, a family address book, photo and video sharing, settings for privacy, social media integration, mobile apps to access anywhere, and extensive archive ability to keep your family memories safe.

“Who Else Wants To Win
Movie Tickets For Two?”

What animal has the most taste buds? 

a)      Shark       b)   Elephant       c)   Catfish      d)  Giraffe 

The answer is c) Catfish.  They have taste buds both inside their mouth and on the outside of their body.  Combined, catfish actually have more than 20 times the number of taste buds as humans. So, let’s move on to this month’s trivia question. 

Which U.S. National Park had the most visitors in 2010? 

  a) Great Smoky Mountains  b) Yellowstone  c) Grand Canyon  d) Yosemite

 Call Us At 1-800-660-0747 OR Email Us At serviceforlife@athenspro.com
And You Could Be One Of Our Next Winners!

Thanks For Thinking of Us!

Did you know we can help you or any of your friends or family save time and money when buying or selling a home?  Thanks for keeping us in mind with your referrals…and spreading the word about our services.

Real Estate Corner…

Q. How can I make my home appear larger without remodeling?     

A.  There are many tricks to fool the eye and make each room in your home to appear larger than its actual dimensions.  Try a few of these tips: 

Use mirrors to reflect the focal point of your room.  The mirror will give the space depth, echo the beauty of your focal point and reflect light to make the room much brighter. 

Lighting will expand the look of the space too.  If you don’t have ample sunlight, add some lighting fixtures along the outside perimeter of the room to add color and focus attention in the distance. 

Coordinate the color of furniture to blend with the soft, light hues of your wall surfaces.  The monochromatic color scheme avoids the choppy look of contrasting colors and opens up the space. 

Clear the clutter from the room.  Having fewer things that could distract the eye makes the room seem more spacious.  Narrow your décor items to only the things you love.  Without the excess clutter, you will have a relaxed, open area that appears inviting and roomy.

If you have any questions, or need capable and trustworthy representation, please call us at 1-800-660-0747.

THANK YOU for reading our Service For Life!® personal newsletter. We wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you. Your constructive feedback is always welcome.

AND…whether you’re thinking of buying, selling or financing real estate, or just want to stop by and say “Hi,” we’d love to hear from you…