Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 2, 2014

B3

 

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 2, 2014 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


THINKING OF 

SHRINKING

It’s not just the economy - there are lots of reasons 
that people choose to downsize. It could be 
retirement, a recently emptied nest, or just plain 
”maintenance fatigue.” Whatever the reason, 
plan your new lifestyle carefully. 
When you search for a smaller home, don’t 
forget that Location is still the key ingredient. 
Even if you don’t have kids or they’ve flown the 
coop, a good school district and proximity to 
public transportation and recreation are still the 
best bets for retaining value. 
If this will be a retirement move, think about 
the future and seek out homes on one level, or at 
the very least, with the master bedroom on the 
ground floor. For practicality’s sake, at least one 
bathroom should be handicap-accessible or easily 
remodeled as such. Even if you don’t think you’ll 
need it later on, your visitors might appreciate the 
convenience.

 If downsizing to you means less maintenance, 
you may be tempted by town home or 
condominium living, but be aware of ”hidden 
costs,” like annual or monthly homeowners 
association fees. Check recent association 
meeting reports to see if there is a building 
renovation planned, as you could be hit with an 
assessment fee in the future, too.

 There are a lot of considerations in advance of 
your move, so ask an agent for more advice and 
enjoy your new lifestyle!

Legal Steps to Take When 

Facing a Dementia Diagnosis

Pasadena Chamber to Host Third SIP-tember: 

a Celebration of the Cocktail 

August 15th through September 25th

Maria Shriver knows the devastation of 
Alzheimer’s disease firsthand. Her beloved father 
Sargent Shriver, founder of the Peace Corps and 
one-time candidate for Vice President of the 
United States, died of the disease in 2011 after 
being diagnosed in 2003. Often called “the long 
goodbye,” Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 
five million Americans and its prevalence will 
continue to grow as the population ages. Shriver 
recently reported for NBC.com on the five things 
Alzheimer’s or dementia victims should do once a 
diagnosis has been confirmed, and she is spot on: 

 1. Execute powers of attorney and advance 
medical directives. These allow for the designation 
of a trusted person or persons to make financial and 
medical decisions before cognitive impairments 
worsen.

 2. Create an estate plan. If you do not have a 
written plan that designates how your assets will 
be distributed upon your death, you need to create 
one. If one exists, check it over for any necessary 
updates to beneficiaries or the addition of any 
assets acquired after the original plan was made. 

 3. Create an asset preservation plan. Asset 
preservation is usually critical for those diagnosed 
with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. 
An estate planning attorney and/or a financial 
planner can help preserve assets for future long-
term care.

 4. Communicate. Once diagnosed, you should 
have a conversation with your family about your 
decisions for your care. Let them know where 
important documents are stored. As part of your 
legacy planning, we can help you capture and pass 
on your own story and wishes for your loved ones 
through a special recording we provide for each of 
our clients.

 5. Do it sooner rather than later. Alzheimer’s 
and other dementia diseases are progressive 
illnesses, so prompt action is necessary to ensure 
protection for you and your loved ones. 

More information and inspiration on dealing with 
Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases can be 
found at MariaShriver.com.

Visit www.GarlettLaw.com or call my office at 
626.355.4000 if you’d like to schedule a time for 
us to sit down and identify the best ways for you to 
ensure your legacy of love and financial security 
for your family.

Marc, a local attorney, father, and Court Appointed 
Special Advocate for Children (CASA) is on a 
mission to help parents protect what they love most. 
His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024.

Pasadena Chamber to Host Third SIP-tember: a 
Celebration of the Cocktail August 15th through 
September 25th 

 64 drinks will compete to be named the favorite 
during six-week SIP-tember Cocktail Bracket 
Challenge at restaurants and lounges throughout 
Pasadena

 Pasadena, CA- Patrons get to decide which 
cocktail is Pasadena’s favorite during SIP-tember: 
a celebration of the cocktail in Pasadena. From 
August 15th through September 25th, local 
restaurants will serve cocktails that will be paired 
against each other in a competition. 64 cocktails, 
ranging from drinks specially concocted for 
the competition to margaritas and sangria, will 
begin the competition that will last six weeks and 
culminate in a live taste-off of the four drinks that 
win their bracket.

 Brackets will be unveiled on the Pasadena 
Restaurant Week website on Wednesday, August 
6th at 2pm. Which drinks will be paired against 
each other in competition? The 64 cocktails 
competing in 32 brackets will be available for 
viewing at the Pasadena Restaurant Week website 
at www.pasadenarestaurantweek.com/vote on 
Wednesday, August 6th.

The first challenge will take place over two weeks 
and pit 32 pairs of cocktails against each other. 
Each week following the winners will be paired 
head-to-head with another winning cocktail 
until, on September 25th, the four finalists will be 
matched in a live tasting during the annual Taste 
of Pasadena hosted by the Pasadena Chamber of 
Commerce at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Voting 
in the cocktail bracket challenge goes live on 
Friday, August 15th.

Complete participant and cocktail information 
will be posted at www.pasadenarestaurantweek.
com.

SIP-tember kicks off with a citywide cocktail party 
to celebrate the 102nd anniversary of the birth of 
America’s first celebrity chef and Pasadena’s own 
Julia Child. Coinciding with Happy Hour, the 
Julia Child Pasadena Cocktail Party on August 
15th will take place in participating SIP-tember 
restaurants all over Pasadena, culminating in a 
citywide happy birthday toast at 7:00pm. Patrons 
will be encouraged to dress for a 1950s, 1960s or 
1970s era cocktail party.

 `SIP-tember: a celebration of the cocktail is 
presented by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. 
The City of Pasadena and Trusted Choice Agents 
of Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena are generously 
sponsoring the event.

 The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic 
Association is a professional business organization. 
Since the earliest days of Pasadena, the Chamber 
has played a major role in the development of this 
internationally renowned city. Since 1888, when 
the organization was founded as the Board of 
Trade, the Chamber’s primary purpose has been 
the enhancement of both the business climate 
and the quality of life in Pasadena. The Pasadena 
Chamber of Commerce serves 1500 members.


Wait up Twitter!

I can’t keep up with Twitter. Sound familiar? 

 In order to appreciate Twitter, you have to know how 
to slow it down and filter out the noise. Categorizing 
users into “Lists” helps you organize the people or 
topics you follow. 

 You can create your own lists or subscribe to a list 
created by someone else. When you click on the list, it 
will show a stream from only the users on that list.

To create a new list, go to your main profile page 
(you’ll find that by clicking on “me”). Select “Lists” 
under “More” in the top bar navigation. “Create new 
list” and decide if this is a public or a private list. If you 
make it public, other people can see it and subscribe to 
it. Add users (@name) to your list, then test it. Select 
your list (under “More). Only the recent tweets from 
those users will show up. 

You can also subscribe to a list created by someone else. 
For example, if you go to the L.A. Times Twitter page, 
click on their lists. Often a newspaper will create lists 
of their writers and editors. When you select a list that 
someone else has created, you have the opportunity to 
subscribe to it and the list will be added to your main 
profile. 

 About MJ: MJ and her brother David own HUTdogs, 
a creative services business that specializes in Internet 
Marketing strategies and Social Media. They offer 
social media management services and help their 
clients build a strong on-line presence. “Like” them on 
Facebook for trending news in social media, internet 
marketing and other helpful tips, 

www.facebook.com/hutdogs. 

Sign up for their upcoming classes, webinars and 
presentations at:

www.hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule

 * thecreative entrepreneurby Lori Koop, Business Coach 
A few weeks ago, an entrepreneur client confided 
that she felt like a failure. She sighted the diverse career 
path she had traveled over the years as evidence. She was 
about to embark on a new venture, and she was fighting 
it. The thought “I shouldn’t be changing career directions 
again” was stopping her dead in her tracks.

 The truth is creative people (and I’ve never met an 
entrepreneur that wasn’t) are curious. 

 They explore and experiment. Their work histories 
are diverse... but that doesn’t make them “bad.” The only 
thing that makes them “bad” is us. Because we are saying 
they are. 

 In the book Refuse to Choose, Barbara Sher talks 
about multiple interests and suggests that we not deny 
them. That we make room to do all the things that we feel 
passionate about. 

 What I have seen, and experienced myself, is as I have 
followed my heart (as opposed to “logic”), I have gotten 
closer and closer to my true self, my ideal career and true 
happiness. My non-linear, diverse path has led me to 
coaching. It is a beautiful fusion of all I’ve learned and 
loved up until now. Even positions I had labeled “a waste 
of time,” at the time. Nothing has been wasted. The good, 
the bad and the ugly have landed me in this moment, 
doing work I love. As I continue to be guided by my 
heart, I will remain on my right path. 

 And it will be the same for my client. And for you. 
Follow what excites you. It may not look “logical.” Others 
may disapprove. Does it feel like the right thing? Every 
path, every step, is unique. No one knows yours but you. 
Give yourself permission to be true. No one else can.

 LORI KOOP, helping creative entrepreneurs prosper. 
Schedule a complimentary session: www.LORIKOOP.
com or call 626-836-1667. (Location: 49 S. Baldwin 

 
Be the boss of you.
Start your own business.
Learn how...
www.LORiKOOP.com
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