Idaho Family Magazine October 2013

FREEOCTOBER 2013

CHILDREN’SRooms

With decorating savvy,everyone can win

Anthony, Juliebelle, Lauren & Lucas

Want your child’s photo on next month’s cover? Check inside for details!

IT’S HARVEST

TIME!How to get your family involved

SOCIAL

EssenceTeaching mannersto young people

HALLOWEEN

MemoriesSome scary, some not

� October 2013 | Idaho Family Magazine www.idahofamilymagazine.com

M A G A Z I N E

IDAHO

Contents October 2013

Volume 1, Number 3

PublisherSterling Media Ltd.

EditorGaye Bunderson

[email protected]

Sales & MarketingMelva Bade

[email protected]

Sales ManagerSandy Jones

Graphic DesignDenice King

ContributorsRebecca Evans, Amy Larson,

Beth Markley, Rebecca Maxwell, Mike McGreaham, Heather Robson

and Irene Woodworth

Distribution AssistantsDoris Evans

and Shawna Howard

Idaho Family Magazine, published monthly by Sterling Media Ltd., is committed to providing readers with informative and entertaining information to help them in maintaining healthy families and positive lifestyles. It is distributed throughout the valley as a free publication. Idaho Family Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements or opinions expressed by editorial contributors or advertisers. The acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services or information. Idaho Family Magazine does not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express written consent of the publisher. Reader correspondence and editorial submissions are welcome. Idaho Family Magazine reserves the right to edit or reject all materials submitted. All rights reserved. Copyright 2013 by Sterling Media Ltd.

Features

Halloween MemoriesSome scary, some not

10

Social Essence: Go far with good manners 6

Columns

Departments

In Each EditionEditor’s IntroOctober offerings

Family Events Calendar:Family friendly activities & events for October & early November!

1� & 13

3

In the Community: Harvest activities

4

Manic Mothering: Misadventures in baking

�0

Good manners can have global importance 9 Irene’s Insights:

Personalize a child’s room18

Legally Speaking: Family values and legacies

��

Ronald McDonald House: Beds, meals and solace

16

Kids’ Education: Be hands-on

14

Family Togetherness: Set some goals

�1

All in Good Taste: ‘Fall Vegetable Salad’

8

www.idahofamilymagazine.com Idaho Family Magazine | October 2013 3

EDITOR’S Intro Halloween isn’t all that October offers

I‘m going to make an assumption, dangerous as that can be, that all our readers are aware of the fact Hallow-een is in October. While that’s fact, this is opinion: Halloween is fun. I always enjoy it, even though I never dress up in costumes and never get any trick-or-treaters at my little house. My mom likes to decorate her home for all occasions, though, and there’s always a display of benign ghosts, goofy pumpkins and harmless fake snakes starting in early October.

I also like the mazes, hayrides and caramel apples that are available at this time of year.

The downside of Halloween is that it is the unofficial end of reasonably comfortable weather and portends colder things to come. The end of October is also a harbinger of up-coming end-of-year holidays. In some stores, Christmas displays are already starting to gather dust.

I thought, however, I would take this opportunity to talk about lesser known holidays during the month of October, some of which are family-relevant and some of which are just nonsensical, such as Oct. 2’s Name Your Car Day.

Here are some very meaningful holidays that pop up, or have popped up, this month:• World Teachers Day — Oct. 5• World Smile Day — Oct. 7 (let’s all do it every day!)• Fire Prevention Day — Oct. 9• Evaluate Your Life Day — Oct. 19• Making a Difference Day — Oct. 26

We’ll overlook Moldy Cheese Day,

which fell on Oct. 9, and Count Your Buttons Day, which is on Oct. 21.

Along with specifically designated days, October is also the month marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Diabetes Month (a disease nearing epidemic proportions in the U.S.), Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, and Cookie Month.

I know cookies don’t carry the same measure of importance as the other issues, but give them their due. When I said some of the holidays are family-relevant, I was really thinking of the importance of cookies in our lives. We all know that the smell of cookies bak-ing in the oven evokes scent memories that really matter.

There’s also the quirky designations such as Sarcastic Month.

Then, along with designated days and all-month awareness programs, there’s special weeks — seven whole days set aside for something worthy or worthless. Get Organized Week took place during the first week of Octo-ber; and once again, the importance of keeping our homes, offices and other places safe and intact popped up during Fire Prevention Week, which was the second week of the month. This year’s emphasis was on preventing kitchen fires.

Just for the heck of it, why not grab a calendar off the Internet and do something noteworthy with your fami-lies on some of these significant and not-so-significant days and weeks. No need to get too serious with an issue like domestic abuse, but fire safety is a

topic that could launch some worth-while discussions. Dictionary Day on Oct. 16 could allow everyone to learn one new word.

I would suggest eating a great meal on World Pasta Day on Oct. 25 and just laughing about Plush Animal Lover’s Day on Oct. 28. Not every-thing has to be serious, right? It’s a tough world. Celebrate the offbeat stuff.Inside this issue

Our writers have contributed some excellent reading material this month, including Heather Robson’s piece on harvest-time activities for families; Irene Woodworth’s decorating tips for personalizing a child’s bedroom; and Rebecca Maxwell’s article on getting involved in your children’s education. Beth Markley tackled a timely topic: baking cookies!

We also have stories on:• The Idaho Ronald McDonald

House, a place where parents with sick kids comfort one another.

• Social Essence, where young people learn courtesy and other social skills that will serve them well for a lifetime.

Please peruse our pages for much more.

Also, don’t forget to send me your family-related calendar items. My email address is [email protected]. n

Gaye Bunderson, Editor

Cover Child of the MonthIdaho Family Magazine is holding a Cover Child of the Month contest. Your child — or children — could be featured on our cover, just like the children on this month’s cover. Send photos to me at [email protected]. All photos sent should be high quality, meaning clear not blurry, and high resolution of around 300 dpi. They must also be in color; no black and white photos will be accepted. They need to be vertical, not horizontal. Photos should be of the child only, with no adults. Please also provide the child’s name and age, parents’ names, and the community the family lives in. Only the first name of the child will be printed, and all other information will be kept private. All photos received will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and a winner will be selected.

On the Cover: Anthony, Juliebelle, Lauren & LucasPhoto courtesy of Amanda Allard Photography

4 October 2013 | Idaho Family Magazine www.idahofamilymagazine.com

IN The Community Harvest activities for the whole family

By Heather RobsonIn our fast food culture, we often

overlook the importance of being connected to our food. The stronger your connections with your food and where it comes from, the more likely you are to eat healthy, whole-some meals … the more likely you are to feel gratitude and even won-der over where those foods came from … and the more likely you are to build a strong family culture.

Think of the levels of connections…

Fast food: A stranger hands you a highly processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-deficient meal that you scarf down on the go. You have almost zero connection to the food other than that you’re eating it. It’s empty, unhealthy, and ultimately unsatisfying.

Semi-homemade: You buy a boxed dinner at the grocery store and heat it up. Maybe you read the label and chose a meal without added preservatives. You’ve taken a step closer to your food. Still not great, but you’re more involved.

Home-cooked meals: You hand-select ingredients and prepare a meal from scratch. You are absolutely in control of the ingredients you use. This meal is much more likely to be nutritious and tasty. You’re

also more likely to expect your fam-ily to sit down and enjoy such a meal together.

Farm-fresh meals: You buy in-gredients direct from a farmer either through a farmer’s market, through a Community Supported Agriculture program or right from the farm. Now not only are you making a home-cooked meal, you’re preparing it with ingredients grown and raised by someone you’ve met.

You can ask about farming prac-tices and actually see where the food was raised. You’re getting fresher food, which is usually tastier food and more nutritious food. And

you’re supporting your local econo-my. The only way to build stronger connections with your food than this is to grow it yourself —also a good plan.

We live in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, which means that you’re never more than an hour’s drive from farm-fresh produce, eggs, dairy, and meat. And there are plenty of opportunities for you and your family to take advan-tage of this wonderful fact right now during the fall harvest.

Pick your own vegetablesYou-pick opportunities start at

farms all around the valley in June, when the first berries and cherries begin to ripen. And they last through October, when apple picking and pumpkins are the highlight.

Taking your family to pick their own pumpkins is a great tradition to start. And it gives you a way to be-come familiar with some of the local farms and what they offer.

Some options for pumpkin picking include:

• The Farmstead on Eagle just south of I-84. The Farmstead has a corn maze, a hay maze, and several other fun activities for kids. You can also take a hayride to the pumpkin patch and pick your own pumpkin.

• Linder Farms on Linder Road between Columbia and Lake Hazel (look for the big red barn). Another farm with lots of fun activities for families, including a corn maze and a petting zoo. You can explore their 20-acre pumpkin patch and find just the right pump-kin for you.

• Cabalo’s Orchard and Gar-dens south of Kuna on King Road. This is a working farm and orchard. When you visit their pump-kin patch, you might also be able to pick apples, buy fresh pressed apple cider, and buy seasonal, natural dec-orations for your home. Be sure to ask about their full growing season.

There are many farms in the area that allow people to select for purchase their own pumpkin by walking through a patch and picking out their favorite. (File art)

www.idahofamilymagazine.com Idaho Family Magazine | October 2013 �

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Throughout the spring and summer, you can visit Cabalo’s for a variety of fresh-grown produce. You can even order a naturally raised turkey for your Thanks-giving celebration.

• Spyglass Farms on Linder just south of Victory. Spyglass Farms also offers a pumpkin patch. If you visit their pumpkin patch, ask about their Community Supported Agriculture program. It’s a great way to enjoy locally grown produce while building a relation-ship with a nearby farm.

These are just a handful of places you can begin your adventure with locally grown Idaho foods. When visit-ing a local farm, always call first, or check the farm’s website for their hours of operation.

Take a farm tourMany Idaho farms are also willing to give tours if

you just call and ask. Taking a tour of a farm gives your family a way to learn even more about how local food is grown.

Depending on the farm, you might learn a little bit about how farmers grow vegetables or care for or-chards, or you might get an inside look at what it’s like to raise sheep, goats, or pigs.

A few farms that welcome family tours include:• Willow’s Edge farm on Deer Flat Road east

of Locust Grove. On this farm tour, you’ll learn about caring for large animals, you’ll learn about heri-tage breeds and why they’re important, and you’ll even get a chance to feed the horses. Tours are given on a fee basis.

• Vogel Farms on Robinson Road north of Deer Flat. Visit Vogel farms to shop in their gift shops, see their green houses, and learn more about their naturally raised meats.

• Wissel Farms on Lake Lowell and Middleton in Nampa. This farm has been in the family since 1911. They offer a Community Supported Agriculture program and tours of the farm.

The availability of crops and tour options can change from season to season, so when it comes to touring a farm, always call ahead to learn about fees, hours of operation, and if necessary, to make a reservation.

Visiting local farms to pick your own vegetables, to learn more about food grown in Idaho, and even to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture program are all good ways to deepen your connection with the food you eat … and that will promote better health, stronger family ties, and a stronger economy. Everybody wins. nHeather Robson is a local freelance writer and author. She has a passion for healthy families. You may send her questions and comments at [email protected].

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SOCIAL Essence Etiquette isn’t just for the upper crust

By Gaye BundersonStrong social skills push people

of all ages to the forefront at work, school, club meetings — anywhere humans gather for a common pur-pose. Since 2003, Susan Evans of Eagle has taught good manners and other self-presentation arts to young people through her company, Social Essence.

Evans received her etiquette certification through the American School of Protocol in Atlanta, Ga.

and studied at Etiquette Survival in Pleasanton, Calif.

“I’ve always loved to work with children,” she said. “I got involved with Big Brothers-Big Sisters way back in high school.”

Evans offers the following com-portment classes for the younger set:

• Modern Manners for Kids, first through fifth grades — In-cludes dining skills and table man-ners, phone etiquette, making and keeping friends, and the protocol of properly introducing people.

• Image Development for Girls, sixth through tenth grades — Etiquette, dining skills, fitness, poise, fashion and makeup.

• Image Development for Boys, sixth through tenth grades — Table etiquette, posi-tive social demeanor, grooming and sportsmanship.

Each group learns the value of re-specting others. In the Image Devel-opment classes, the emphasis is on helping young people — at an age when they may struggle with self-confidence and self-esteem — feel good about themselves, Evans said.

She also offers:• AP (Advanced Placement)

Etiquette, tenth through twelfth grades — A co-ed college and job prep course teaching inter-view skills, communication and self-presentation skills, and wardrobe, dining and general social skills.

• Treasure Valley Cotillion, fourth through twelfth grades — Dance instruction and social etiquette for both boys and girls.

Robin Charlesworth of Boise has enrolled all of her three children in one or more of Evans’ classes and said that, after some reluctance and foot-dragging, her son ultimately found the cotillion enjoyable.

“The boys don’t want to do it, but then they come back and say, ‘Wow, we got to dance and talk with girls.’ They think it’s going to be this horrible thing, but the way Susan does it, it works really well. They go around and dance with every girl in the room. The boys don’t get a chance to feel awkward. The way it works it builds their confidence. By the time it’s over, they want to do it again — girls don’t bite,” Charles-worth said.

“Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go.”

~Margaret Walker, American poet and writer

A group of young girls celebrates finishing the first day of table manner and other etiquette lessons at Social Essence. (Courtesy photo)

Social Essence 2013-2014 Course CalendarAP Etiquette – A College and

Job Prep Workshop (includes dinner) — Saturday, Nov. 16 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Arid Club, Boise

Treasure Valley Cotillion – Social Dance Etiquette and Ballroom Dance Instruction — in season from December – March. Starts Thursday, Dec. 5

Modern Manners for Kids – Grades 1 – 5 — Starts Tuesday, Jan. 14

NEW! Women’s Image Development Workshop in February TBD

IMPACT! Imaged Development for Boys (middle and high school) — Starts Monday, March 31

IMPACT! Image Development for Girls (middle and high school) — Starts Tuesday, April 1

For exact times, locations, cost and other information, visit www.socialessence.com.

www.idahofamilymagazine.com Idaho Family Magazine | October 2013 �

She said that as a young woman, she attended The John Robert Powers School, and the etiquette she learned there helped her in various circumstances throughout her life. She felt it important that her own children learn the same skills.

“I moved to the South, and if I hadn’t had that training, I don’t know what I would have done. Then I moved to Boston, same thing. If I hadn’t had (man-ners and etiquette training), I would’ve come off as the country bumpkin from Idaho,” she said. “Susan goes over handshakes, and at the end of every cotil-lion, moms go through and shake hands with the kids. It teaches them to talk with adults and be comfortable with them, to not be invisible but be self-confident.”

Evans likes all her students to speak well, but she’s not a stickler for absolutely seamless English. Popular idi-oms and everyday vernacular are all right with her, as long as the youngsters steer clear of off-color language.

Participants in her manners courses include all so-cioeconomic groups, and Evans said parents who send their children to Social Essence can generally be divid-ed into two categories:

1. Parents who want to give their kids an edge up in life.

2. Parents who want her to “fix” something in their child, such as some issue of misconduct.

Asked what she thinks is the most common courtesy blunder people make these days, she said: “We are a society of instant gratification. We have no patience; we want instant results. Adults too. We’re pushy. ... Be considerate of others.”

Evans worked for many years as a manufacturing engineer at Hewlett-Packard and was one of the first

women at the company to hold such a position. She later worked in marketing. Throughout her career, she traveled to many foreign countries and learned a lot about cultural differences in manners, especially where women were concerned.

She still works to stay on top of anything new where proper decorum is concerned.

“I continue to do research,” she said. “Manners are always evolving.”

For more information, visit www.socialessence.com. nLook for Good manners can have global

importance on page 9

Two boys, Ben and John, learn table manners at Social Essence. Such manners will help them present themselves well in many social situations throughout their lives. (Courtesy photo)

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By Gaye BundersonA former student of Social

Essence courses and cotillions, Kaitlin Charles now lives and works in Hong Kong. While back home in the Treasure Valley recently, she answered the following questions about the global value of learning good table manners and other rules of etiquette.

Q. When did you take Susan Evans’ Social Essence classes, and which ones did you take?

A. I signed up for Susan’s Treasure Valley Cotillion course during my sophomore year of high school. I enjoyed the course so much that I signed up the following two years and also attended her AP Etiquette for High School class.

Q. What do you feel was the most valuable thing you learned?

A. Growing up in Boise, people are very relaxed about table rules. I honestly didn’t see the importance of knowing which fork to use until I moved to Hong Kong. In an in-ternational city, it is of immense im-portance to have an understanding of dining etiquette. Expectations for table etiquette vary by region and what is considered acceptable in one country can be interpreted as very offensive by those of another.

Q. What are you currently do-ing professionally?

A. The first year I lived in Hong Kong I worked for the American Chamber of Commerce, assisting in planning events to host govern-ment officials, foreign leaders, prominent academics, and business people. The second year, I complet-ed an internship with Ogilvy, work-ing on international campaigns for brands like Shangri La Hotels and American Express. I am currently finishing my MBA in international business and am in the process of starting my own business.

Q. How did manners and social etiquette benefit you in the job market?

A. Susan’s classes taught me that social etiquette goes far be-yond table manners. It also includes the ability

to make those around you feel comfortable and to make a dy-namic and positive impression within seconds.

In today’s job market, networking and interview skills are extremely impor-tant. A good re-sume may get you in the door, but

you won’t secure the job without the social skills to ace your inter-view. In Susan’s classes, I learned not only how to create a polished resume, but also how to make a positive impression on the people I meet every day, which expands my job opportunities and prepares me with the interview skills required to secure the job.

Q. Did the things you learned through Social Essence benefit you as you visited other coun-tries, and in what ways?

A. Absolutely, when one is travel-ing, you are a guest in that country and it is important to respect the country’s customs even if you don’t understand them. As I mentioned above, a gesture that is seen as be-nign in one country can be consid-ered very rude in another.

For example, in Asia it is very rude to leave one’s chopsticks in their rice bowl (especially stick-ing straight up) as this is how food is offered to the deceased. In the US, I doubt anyone would notice where one places their chopsticks. Taking the time the learn a little about the customs of the place you are visiting beforehand can make locals much more welcoming dur-ing your travels.

Good manners can have global importance

Kaitlin Charles has used the skills she learned through Social Essence to help secure a job, to make a positive impression on people and to flourish in a foreign country without seeming inconsiderate of that nation’s customs.


HALLOWEEN Memories Tricks, treats and scary talesBy Amy Larson

The smell of the inside of a plastic mask and a pillowcase full of sugared loot is enough to take a person back a few decades to those magical Halloween nights when kids ran around the neighborhood, unsupervised for the most part. Be-ing handed a homemade popcorn ball or caramel apple with M & M’s or multi-colored sprinkles affixed was one of the brightest spots of our year, and no one even thought of whether or not they might be laced with anything of a suspicious nature.

Every group of neighborhood kids has its spooky stories, and we were

no exception. One of ours involved a wooded lot with a tiny, rundown shack in the middle of it. We never saw the owner come in or out of it, but some nights an eerie glow could be viewed through the shack’s windows. We made up stories about who might be living there: definitely one person, an old man or a wom-an, and very possibly a witch.

The best story about the place was a classic that got told and re-told for years, about the sap from the trees. Supposedly a neighbor, overcome with curiosity, ventured into the woods to find out what he could about the shack’s owner or own-ers. As he walked, thick, yellow sap

collected on his clothing, hair, and eventually his eyes and nose. The man, according to legend, never emerged from that wooded lot. It was said that he was still in there somewhere, dead or alive.

Scary tales like that surface this time of year.

My friend Dorinda told me that one Halloween, there was a big, rough-looking guy down the street who had imposing wrought iron gates and “No Trespassing” signs all over his yard. When trick-or-treaters discovered that he had dressed up like a gorilla and was handing out cans of soda and full-sized candy bars, Dorinda was too afraid of him to go up to the gate, let alone take candy from a gorilla.

Kim, another friend, counted only about 30 Halloween visitors at her door one year. That’s when she decided to bump things up with chocolate bars. Now she and her family get over 200 little ghosts and goblins.

“I always wanted to be THAT house,” said Kim. “I think we’ve made it.”

She adds, “And I’m not above bribing kids to love us.”

While there’s an ongoing discus-sion about how old is too old to trick-or-treat, many have a non-judgmental attitude that says, “If you can dress up, you can get candy.”

Not everyone is this liberal about the age limit.

My friend Phil, a famously tall man, was prejudged at the Hal-loween door. He often got funny looks from homeowners, who com-mented, “Aren’t you a little old to be doing this?” Only 12 or 13 at the time, Phil quipped, “Hey, 18 isn’t too old!”

Dressing up might get a little technical in the often-crisp Idaho weather. There’s nothing more dis-appointing than having your Pretty Princess costume smooshed by a big winter parka, and having the royal (File art)


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footwear covered up by clunky snow boots. Veterans of many an Idaho Halloween know that the most prac-tical costumes for outdoor display come with a little room for a jacket on the inside.

Some adult guardians of the candy aren’t going to give up the goods for nothing, demanding more than just a costume and an age prereq-uisite. One lady from Heyburn told a brother and sister at her door, “If you want some candy, you’re gonna have to show me a trick.”

The children sang a song together, and then the brother did a perfect cartwheel on the woman’s front lawn. She generously rewarded both children.

These days, we’d never dream of setting our younger kids loose in any neighborhood in the dark, ‘safe-ish’ or not, but we can still provide them with a good old-fashioned Halloween by thinking back to what we did in our childhoods, and then tweaking it.

Halloween parties can bring added unity to the neighborhood and to the families throwing them as they scheme over the scariest decorations on the block, and plan for yummy party food. Bonfires, hot cider, hay bales, roasted pumpkin seeds, and eat-the-cake-donut-off-the-string games all have their place as memo-ry-makers.

At our house, we had our own tra-ditions, in that I as the mother sorted through the kids’ candy “for their own good,” subtracting a chocolate bar here and there, “just in case it was poison.”

“It’s because I love you,” I assured them annually.

The kids knew the ropes, and grew to accept my sorting methods as a type of yearly fee in exchange for birthing them. It was only fair. I tricked them, and I got a treat. nThese days, former electrical contractor Amy Larson is now a writer, editor, and book coach, helping new writers throughout the Treasure Valley turn their ideas into finished manuscripts. In her spare time, she explores her beloved Idaho.

1� October 2013 | Idaho Family Magazine www.idahofamilymagazine.com

M A G A Z I N E

IDAHO

CALENDAR of Events3

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Columbus Day

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Sweetest Day

The Idaho Botanical Garden is hosting its Sixth Annual Scarecrow Stroll, which will continue through Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to dusk each day. The event is free for Botanical Garden members; $5 for non-members; and $3 for seniors and children between the ages of 5 and 12. Animal-themed scarecrows will be seen throughout the garden.

Scarecrow Stroll Continuing through Friday, October 18

A pageant for girls up to 18 years of age will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, at Nampa Civic Center, 311 Third Street. Contestants will be judged on Halloween theme wear, formal and beauty wear, and an on-stage intro; prizes will be given. This pageant is part of the Miss Idaho Supreme Pageant program. To register, email Kara Kerber, pageant director, at [email protected] or visit the Miss Idaho Supreme Pageants Facebook page.

Miss Idaho Supreme PageantSunday, October 20

Children are invited to investigate the Science of Music at the Discovery Center of Idaho, 131 Myrtle Street in Boise, on Saturday, Oct. 19. Presented by DCI and the Boise Rock School, the event will include laser light and a crafts program for the making of musical instruments. Children in grades 1-3 may attend from 9 a.m. to noon, and children in grades 4-6 may attend from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $25 for DCI members and $30 for non-members. For more information visit www.dcidaho.org

Discovery Center of Idaho Science of Music Saturday, October 19

A local sports organization for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, Upward Sports, is holding its Flag Football & Cheerleading Awards Celebration from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Boise First Community Center, 3852 N. Eagle Rd. The event is free, and there will be music and other entertainment. Upward Sports holds sporting events for children throughout the year — including basketball, soccer, flag football, and cheerleading — and interested parents may inquire at www.idahosportsfoundation.org.

Upward Sports Tuesday, October 22

Disney on Ice will present Rockin’ Ever After, an all-star lineup of favorite Disney characters performing scenes from Disney-Pixar movies such as BRAVE, Tangled, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. Shows will take place Oct. 17-20 at Taco Bell Arena, 1401 Bronco Circle on the Boise State campus. Show times are as follows: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17; 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18; 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19; and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20. For ticket information, and to purchase tickets, visit TacoBellArena.com or call (208) 426-1766.

Disney On Ice – Rockin’ Ever AfterThursday, October 17 through Sunday, October 20


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November 2013Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridaySunday Saturday

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ThanksgivingFirst Day of Hanukkah

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Veterans Day

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General Election Day

CALENDAR of Events October - NovemberPlease send family-related calendar

items to [email protected].

Children are invited to explore Halloween special effects, glow in the dark fun, vapors and other “haunting stuff ” at the Discovery Center of Idaho, 131 Myrtle Street in Boise, on Saturday, Oct. 26. Children in grades 1-3 may attend from 9 a.m. to noon, and children in grades 4-6 may attend from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $25 for DCI members and $30 for non-members. For more information visit www.dcidaho.org.

Discovery Center of Idaho – “Boo!” Event Saturday, October 26

Zoo Boise will host its annual Halloween event, tentatively set for Saturday, Oct. 26. The zoo will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m. Costumed characters will pass out candy, and there will be costume contests for all ages, as well as games, pumpkin patch photos, and face painting. General admission prices are $7 for adults; $4.25 for children 4-11; and $4.50 for seniors 62 and over For more information, visit www.zooboise.org.

Boo at the ZooSaturday, October 26

Thunder Mountain Line is hosting train rides to a pumpkin patch on weekends through Oct. 27. Additional activities include a kiddie hay maze, bounce house, games, trick or treat houses, and pumpkin gardens. Each train ride is 1.5 hours round trip and includes one free pumpkin with each paid ticket (costs vary depending on executive class, first class, or standard class fares). Trains leave the station at Horseshoe Bend at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required. For more information, visit www.thundermountainline.com.

Thunder Mountain Line - Pumpkin LinersWeekends through Sunday, October 27

GEMSET (Girls Exploring Math, Science, Engineering & Technology) is set for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Discovery Center of Idaho, 131 Myrtle Street in Boise. The event is specifically for girls in grades 4-6. Cost is $40 for DCI members and $45 for non-members. For more information visit www.dcidaho.org.

“GEMSET” Saturday, November 2

A college and job prep workshop called AP Etiquette will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Arid Club in Boise. For more information, visit www.socialessence.com or call Susan Evans at (208) 631-0576.

Etiquette Workshop Saturday, November 16

The Piano Guys will perform a “Home for Christmas” concert at Taco Bell Arena Tuesday, Dec. 17. Tickets for the event went on sale on Sept. 23 and cost $25, $45, $55 and $65. The Piano Guys are a Utah-based classical-pop group. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TacoBellAr-ena.com or call (208) 426-1766.

Home for Christmas Tuesday, December 17 Final Kick Events will host a Hot

Chocolate Run beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Reid Miller Park in Eagle. There will be a half-mile Kids Fun Run/Walk and a 5K Run/Walk. For entry fees, registration times, and other information, visit www.finalkickevents.com.

Hot Chocolate Run Saturday, December 28


KIDS’ Education How to participate in your child’s education

By Rebecca MaxwellWith summer officially over, the

school year is now well under way. Children and teens are hopping on the bus each day to go to school, and, hopefully, keeping up with their homework.

All parents want to see their chil-dren do well in school and succeed academically. However, parents may not be aware that the single most important factor in their child’s aca-demic success is something that they have power over. The most signifi-cant ingredient is the parents them-selves and their level of involvement in their children’s education.

A large number of research stud-

ies have demonstrated that paren-tal involvement in their children’s education has a critical impact upon how well a child does. According to the Partnership for Family Involve-ment in Education, children with family members who are involved in their academic life are more likely to get higher grades and test scores, have better attitudes towards school, and are likely to be better behaved in the classroom. Furthermore, their children are more likely to gradu-ate from high school and go on to higher education. New York Uni-versity’s Child Study Center asserts that children with involved parents are also absent less frequently.

Teachers themselves can attest to the value of having parents in-volved in what is happening in the classroom with regard to their kids. Ainsley Boan, the choir and guitar instructor at Hillside Junior High in Boise, sees a large difference in student achievement with involved parents versus those who are not involved.

However, the benefits of getting involved in your children’s educa-tion goes way beyond the classroom walls. Boan states that when parents get involved, their kids start to see the value of education and learn the importance of hard work. Plus, just by talking to their kids about higher education, parents can motivate their children to continue their education after graduating from high school, whether it is attending college or tech school. Parents who do this are teaching their kids the importance of learning, says Boan.

Even though it is critical that par-ents get involved in their children’s education, in reality it is often dif-ficult. Most parents are constrained by working full-time and the chal-lenges and stresses of life. Not every parent has the time to get involved in their children’s school life. Never-theless, the good news is that par-ents have many options available to them in order to get involved. Boan says that parents can engage in their children’s education just by simply asking their kids about how their day went and asking them about what is happening at school.

Technology has made getting involved in education even easier. According to Boan, every school in the Boise School District has School Fusion pages. These are classroom websites where teachers are encour-aged and required to keep their pages updated with homework as-signments and their due dates.

Studies confirm that children do better in school when parents are actively involved. It can be as simple as engaging in a conversation with a child about his or her school day, or utilizing technology to remain up to date with what is going on in a child’s classroom. (File art)

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This way parents can check these websites whenever they want to find out what assignments their child is working on, plus get the dates for various extracur-ricular activities like sports games and concerts. Other teachers like to send out daily or weekly emails about what is happening in the classroom and the school in general.

On top of that, schools in the Boise School District use what is called Infinite Campus for their grade books. Teachers keep Infinite Campus updated with grades for each student and then parents and students can check that from home. Parents and students can also see what assignments are late or missing. Even if parents do not have computers or Internet access, students in the Boise School District are given agenda books so that they can keep track of homework assignments and the dates of upcoming tests. Students are encouraged to write in these and parents are encouraged to check them on a regular basis.

There are many other possibilities for getting involved in children’s education. Parents can meet with teachers, volunteer their time, help out coaches, vote in school board elections, participate in parent-teacher associa-tions, get involved in school concerts and sports, and attend back-to-school events and parent-teacher confer-ences.

Ultimately, the most important aspect is that parents are involved in some way. Children will reap huge benefits both inside and outside the classroom by having parents who show concern about their education. nRebecca Maxwell is a freelance writer from the Boise area. She has been writing articles and blog posts since 2008 about a variety of topics, includ-ing parenting and education. She has also been published in Idaho Magazine. She may be contact-ed through her website at http://rebeccasmaxwell.blogpost.com. 10

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RONALD McDonald House Offering the comforts of home to worried parentsBy Gaye Bunderson

Every family experiences its trials, and all parents deal with children’s illnesses from colds to chicken pox. But some parents must endure far more difficult childhood maladies, including premature birth or pedi-atric cancer. Many of those parents avail themselves of the services of the Ronald McDonald House in Boise while their children undergo care at a local hospital.

“Families are stronger when they are together,” reads the home page at www.rmhidaho.org.

Mindy Plumlee has been executive director of the Ronald McDonald House in Boise for 12 years.

“We work with families in crisis,” she said.

The local Ronald McDonald House, located at 101 Warm Springs Ave., hosts 500 to 600 fami-lies every year, providing bed and bath facilities, meals and emotional support.

“We have volunteers who are great listeners,” Plumlee said. “Families come from all around. They’ve left their support network at home, so they support one another, and that’s a unique kind of support.”

Among the many volunteers who offer hands, hearts and ears to the families at Ronald McDonald House are Mardene and Harold Dowdy. They just started their sev-enth year of service there.

“It’s a heartwarming feeling to be able to help others. We try to meet their needs and support them with lots of love. We just try to have good listening skills and read between the lines,” Mardene Dowdy said.

It is a somewhat common miscon-ception that the majority of parents staying at Ronald McDonald House have children requiring treatment for cancer. In fact, according to the nonprofit’s 2012 Annual Report, premature births topped the medi-cal conditions that required hospital stays, with 37 percent. Only 5 per-cent of children whose parents were

staying at the House were undergo-ing cancer treatments.

Because all of the pediatric spe-cialists in Idaho work in Boise, it requires families to come from all over the state to obtain medical care for their children with serious illnesses; that can require a lengthy stay. There is no financial criteria for determining eligibility to stay at the House. All families, regardless of their financial status, may stay there. The only stipulations are that the hospitalized child must be no older than 18, and the family must not re-side in Ada County. The family must also have a medical referral from a social worker, physician, nurse, or patient coordinator at one of the city’s two major medical centers.

“We ask for $10 a night, but it is not a requirement; 80 percent don’t pay anything,” said Plumlee, ex-plaining that the families are gener-ally undergoing financial strains as it is, with travel expenses to Boise, health care-related costs, and occa-sionally even being away from work for an extended period of time.

The operating budget for Ronald

McDonald House is met through fundraisers and individual do-nations. (Financial information is available at the House in the “Home Matters” newsletter near the front desk.)

“We raise and spend our own money,” Plumlee said.

People who would like to make a contribution to the work of the Ronald McDonald House may visit www.rmhidaho.org, where there are a variety of charitable opportuni-ties listed. Spare change may also be placed in the containers at all McDonald’s outlets in the area.

Ronald McDonald House in Boise has 17,000 square feet of space, 19 rooms, a comfortable living room with a piano and fireplace, a backyard play area, a kitchen, and laundry rooms.

A 24/7 operation, the House func-tions with five full-time paid staff as well as its large volunteer base. Volunteers are drawn from service organizations, businesses, churches and individuals such as the Dowdys.

Mardene Dowdy said there are even opportunities for young people.

Mindy Plumlee has been the executive director of the Idaho Ronald McDonald House for 12 years. Here, she sits on the bench near the entranceway to the House at 101 Warm Springs Ave. in Boise. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)

www.idahofamilymagazine.com Idaho Family Magazine | October 2013 1�

Harold and Mardene Dowdy just launched into their seventh year as

volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House. Mardene answers phones in the reception area, and Harold serves

as a handyman. (Photo by Gaye

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“They can come in, both boys and girls, and they can bake cookies or other dessert of some kind, or get a group together and make a meal for the families. Also, there’s lots of events where we need additional help, or a little bit of yard work that can be done. I tell the boys, ‘Don’t be scared, it’s not too hard,’” Dowdy said.

Plumlee said families staying at the House sometimes remain lifelong friends and supporters of the facility.

Throughout her years as executive director, she has witnessed what she calls “the best situations ever,” where things turn out well for the children who are struggling to survive and for the parents who are pulling and praying for them. But she has also seen situations were a young life has been cut short.

It can take a certain mindset to remain steadily in-volved like the Dowdys.

“It’s just something we feel deeply in our hearts about,” Mardene Dowdy said. “It gives back to you. You’re giving, but it gives back to you also. ... The house is just fabulous for families to be there in a way where it’s a home away from home.”

Area entertainment and sports venues, including Zoo Boise, the Discovery Cen-ter, Meridian Speedway and area movie theaters, frequently contribute free tickets to the House for families’ use.

“They’re able to do the everyday nor-mal things they would do as a family,” Plumlee said.

McDonald’s Corp. owns the name Ronald McDonald House, and the local facility is licensed by the global entity — there are 330 Ronald McDonald Houses

in 28 countries — but the Boise site isn’t required to report to corporate headquarters or follow corporate guidelines. However, said Plumlee, McDonald’s Corp. is a great resource for information and affords opportuni-ties for networking with other sites.

Dowdy offered a reminder for people to consider the work of Ronald McDonald House

throughout the year.“At holiday time we see a tremen-

dous amount of giving,” she said. “Kids don’t pick a time to be ill, and it’s the in-between times when you have to remember there is a need all year round.” n

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IRENE’S Insights Boy receives surprise room makeover

By Irene WoodworthI have been highly

honored to update and decorate children’s bedrooms throughout my career. I feel as though I have been a “child advocate” in a way that as-sists children with their tastes, colors and decorating styles. Each child is very special and has his or her own personality, which may not match the parents’ or even their siblings’ decorating colors or styles.

I often advise parents that if they honor their sons’ and daughters’ tastes, the youngsters will likely want to have their friends come to visit and play in “their” rooms rather than go to their friends’ rooms and perhaps be unsupervised.

If you don’t like your child’s taste or colors, you can always close the door.

We were referred by one of our clients to do a special birthday gift for a blended family with four boys under 10 years old. The oldest boy was going to have his 10th birthday and his mother thought it would

be a perfect oppor-tunity to give him his own bedroom

makeover. It was a room that looked very outdated and as though it were a guest bedroom for someone else. It didn’t look like

a very active boy lived there. We started with a color consulta-

tion. The bedding recently pur-chased had a very active sports theme of skating, BMX cycling and snowboarding. He chose the pre-dominate colors of greens, with ac-cent colors of indigo blue and gray to match his bedding. He told me he knew he needed the color green to help him calm down and relax in order to sleep in his room. I thought this was very insightful of him to realize how calming the color green could be.

We had an architectural feature challenge with a soffit in part of the ceiling. We decided to give him a

stripe on the soffit near the ceiling line and continued it throughout the walls. It actually blended into the room’s décor and gave a sense of action and movement in the room with a specific blue color.

The parents had ordered two posters that matched his bedding for his surprise makeover. They also told me their son liked the license plate picture of the United States by Aaron Foster and the retro Route 66 type of décor. We purchased just a few accessories to finish this look. We were able to find some very unique lamps with rocks in the lamp base that provided an outdoor look. Then we were able to redesign and update the room just to fit this very active boy.

He was so surprised and happy that he could hardly wait to have his friends come over and check it out. He told me something I will never forget: “This now feels like my own room and not someone else’s room!”

The bedroom of a boy who was marking his 10th birthday was redecorated in a style that more closely represented his tastes and interests. The photo at left is the “before” shot, and the photo at right is how the room looked after some paint was added, along with items that captured the boy’s enthusiasm for snowboarding and BMX cycling. (Courtesy photos)

Irene Woodworth, “Idaho’s Color Lady,” is the creator and CEO of RedesignBoise.com, “Changing Rooms...Changing Lives!” She is a national award-winning interior redesigner, color consultant, instructor and motivational speaker. She enjoys taking walks with her family and Taylor, their little dog.


Tips to personalize a child’s bedroom1. Discover your child’s tastes. If you are unsure, ask them what

kind of things they enjoy the most. Boys commonly like various sports themes. If they are not athletic, perhaps they have an interest in music, insects, astronomy, fishing, water sports, or vintage decor or sports cars, etc. Girls on the other hand may enjoy dolls, butterflies, fairies, gardens, birds or small animals. Boys and girls both like special cartoon or story-book characters.

2. What type of activities will take place in this room be-sides sleeping? Will they need a desk to do homework? How about a play area or an imagination area or chair? (Most kids love “bean bag” chairs besides a regular chair for a desk.)

How much storage will they need besides a closet for their toys and interests? Will they be sharing a room with another sibling or having sleepovers with their friends? Will you need another bed? If space is an issue, sometimes a trundle bed that gets stored under the regular bed is a wonderful space-saving idea for guests.

3. Once you figure how you need to theme the room then you will be able to get your colors chosen and accessories purchased. Paint color is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to get an updated look for a room. You can opt to paint an accent wall for the bed wall and complementary colors for the rest. Or you can choose lighter tones of the accent-colored wall.

If you are on a budget and a “do-it-yourselfer,” you could go thrift store or garage sale shopping and find gently used furniture and unify it with the paint colors. You could paint headboards, dressers, an accent desk chair or night stands in some of the colors of your themed room. You could also change out the drawer pulls in a variety of colors and styles available in stores or online. They have a way of adding a cus-tom look to a bedroom. If you have an overly active child, use calming colors with smaller accents of brighter colors.

4. Do you have an artistic child? How about painting a section of one wall from the floor to the chair rail (three feet) in chalkboard paint instead of the traditional paint? This way your child can sit on the floor and draw on their chalkboard wall. Chalkboard paint now comes in any color besides black or green. Another idea is to only paint the front drawer facings on dressers or storage cabinets in chalk paint. This will be a nice surface alternative for a child who likes to draw.

5. You can use your child’s name or initials to really person-alize his or her space. There are oversized letters or name plaques you can use to decorate a child’s room. Options include wall decal art to initials that can be painted or decorated; these can be found at vari-ous craft stores.

6. If you need more inspiration, look online. Online resources can be used to spur your imagination; however, remember to include the personal accessories and décor to match the personality of your child.

These tips will ensure a happier child who can enjoy, dream, study, visit and sleep in his or her very own personalized space. n

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�0 October 2013 | Idaho Family Magazine www.idahofamilymagazine.com

MANIC Mothering Take two days, break rules, make cookiesBy Beth Markley

First, soften a cup of butter. Be-cause somebody said on a cooking show once that using melted butter instead of softened butter makes for harder cookies, avoid melting the butter in the microwave. Instead put two sticks of butter in a large bowl and set aside until it’s softened. This step should only take a couple of hours.

Two days later cover up the butter and put it back in the fridge when you realize you don’t have any eggs … or time to make cookies.

Buy the eggs, and also some va-nilla, since you can’t remember if you have any (you do). Return home to discover someone has raided the stash of chocolate chips. Don’t scold anyone. It was probably you. You can scold them for eating the marshmallows you bought to make Rice Crispy treats, because you KNOW you didn’t filch the marshmallows. Yuck.

On your next daily trip to the grocery store, buy freeze-dried camp food, a bike pump, shampoo, then hit your forehead with your palm when you’re driving home because you forgot the chocolate chips.

When you finally have all the ingre-dients in one place, preheat the oven to 375. Screw what the cooking show said: melt the butter in the micro-wave. Mix it with sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Take a break from the cookie making-activities to load the dishwasher and make coffee. You want to be able to enjoy baking in a clean kitchen, and hav-

ing a cup of coffee with your warm cookies.

Read the paper with your cof-fee. Holler at the kids to grab their laundry. Holler at them for trying to sneak chocolate chips out of the bag on the counter. Remember you were in the middle of making cookies and get back to it.

Ignore the part of the recipe that says to sift the flour and baking soda and salt in another bowl and set aside. Who wants to wash another gigantic bowl that won’t fit in the dishwasher just for sifting together the dry ingredients? Just pour the flour, etc. on top of the egg, butter and sugar mixture. Use a fork to mix it together as best you can, be-fore mixing the dry and wet ingre-dients together so nobody later gets a mouthful of baking soda in their cookie.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients and pour in whatever chocolate chips you have left. Spoon little lumps on a cookie sheet and bake.

This first batch will burn. Be glad you didn’t put all the

cookies in at once. You need this reminder to set the timer. Remove the next

batch of cookies in 10 to 12 minutes.The smell of chocolate chip

cookies on a Sunday morning will serve to wake your teenager. It is closing in on noon, after all. Use the leverage of a warm chocolate chip cookie for brunch to have him strip the sheets off his bed and gather his laundry.

Spend a moment basking in the glow of your kids’ gratitude.

They’re so happy to have cookies for breakfast they

might just wash the cookie sheets you left stacked by the sink.

Either that or your loving husband will. Whatever.

You need to sit down with a cookie and a cup of coffee.

Baking’s exhausting. n

Beth Markley is a humor writer and fundraising consultant who lives in Boise with her husband and two sons. She publishes weekly stories about her misadventures in parenting in her blog, Manic Mumbling at www.manicmumbling.com.

www.idahofamilymagazine.com Idaho Family Magazine | October 2013 �1

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FAMILY Togetherness Set goals for shared family timeBy Rebecca Evans

Most of us feel less like family members and more like transportation specialists or event planners. There is an art to balancing family life when most of the time is spent in the car shuffling from one event to the next, or we barely see one another as we rush by to the next activity. With school under way and routines increasingly in place, this is a great opportunity to create some goals that you want for your family:

1. Establish REAL family time. “Family time” holds many definitions. As a coach, I often find myself guid-ing parents who are laden with guilt over the concept that they do not have enough time with their children. Take a breath. This is YOUR definition.

What does family time look like to you? Family time might mean a com-mitment to eating one meal together every day or sitting down to dinner as a family twice a week. Every fam-ily has different needs, responsibilities and commitments. REAL family time need not be a Hallmark Moment, but instead it is something that offers fam-ily members grounding and continu-ity. Use this as a time to establish that foundation for your family and you.

Keep in mind that “creating time” is really just designing a new habit — us-ing the time you already have a bit more productively.

2. Create a monthly team meet-ing. To work as a team is often the central idea of successful families. But you cannot work as a team if you do not think like a team. A monthly team meeting is a great plan for success.

This is a meeting place where you can establish family goals, discuss concerns, trouble-shoot challenges and focus on the success of the team. It matters not if you have toddlers or college-age kids or live-in parents — team meetings of-fer everyone residing together a chance to connect and focus on developing a critical life skill: teamwork.

Continued on page 23

From eating to exercising, doing things as a family can be planned in advance to guarantee everyone is on the same page. (File art)

�� October 2013 | Idaho Family Magazine www.idahofamilymagazine.com

LEGALLY Speaking Family values count when creating legacyBy Mike McGreaham

Last month we discussed ways to transfer wealth to our children. We also met Tom and Sally Ray. Tom is a cardiologist and Sally recently returned to work as a realtor. Both are in their late 40s. They have two teen-age children, Jane and John, and a net worth of $2,300,000. Their wealth is expected to reach $9,000,000 in less than 10 years.

The Rays asked me to assist them in creating a legacy for their family. They wished to leave their children more than just financial wealth; they wanted to provide them with lessons and val-ues to help guide their lives after Tom and Sally are gone. They also wanted to provide some asset protection for the inherited wealth in case their children encountered some difficulties during their lives, such as drug abuse, lawsuits, bankruptcy or divorce.

To create their family legacy, the Rays shared with me what is important in their lives and within their family. For them, their family values included professional achievement, academic excellence, a spiritual home life, social contribution, financial responsibility, community involvement and devotion to family. We began designing their legacy plan with a customized, com-prehensive revocable living trust for both Tom and Sally and transferred all their assets to the trusts so that probate would be eliminated and the trustees could maintain control of their prop-erty upon death or incapacity.

Inside the revocable trusts we cre-ated a lifetime trust for each child that springs into effect when the surviving spouse dies. This type of trust provides the greatest amount of asset protec-tion and guidance for John and Jane throughout their lives. A professional trustee, along with a relative as a co-trustee, serves as the “gatekeeper” of the trusts. The trustees have ultimate discretion when and how to release the money in the trust to the children, and are guided by instructions and values that Tom and Sally draft into the trusts.

Once both Tom and Sally die, the estate is divided equally into each child’s lifetime trust. The trusts allow the trustee to distribute trust income and principal to a child for their health, education or maintenance, so long as they are living by the family’s values. If a child gets into drugs, gambling or has other problems, the trustee can turn off the “spigot” and refuse to distribute assets from the lifetime trust until the child shapes up, cleans up and gets back on track. Meanwhile, the trust allows the trustee to “redirect” the trust’s assets to assist the child by paying for the counseling, drug testing, therapy, etc. necessary to help the child get back on their feet.

The Rays included extensive guide-lines and values for their children in each lifetime trust. For instance, they directed that their trustee may assist a child by distributing income and/or principal out of a trust for:

• A down payment towards purchas-ing and furnishing a home.

• A down payment towards pur-chasing or establishing a business or professional practice.

• Travel to foreign countries for cross-cultural experiences and educa-tion.

• The reasonable expenses of a first wedding and honeymoon.

• Expenses while a child’s a full-time student maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA.

• Expenses while a child is pursuing an educational, scientific or charitable goal which is in the best interests of the child and the public, and which makes the child a productive member of society.

• Living expenses if a child becomes disabled and is prevented from being a productive and self-supporting mem-ber of society.

• Expenses or income replacement if a child is occupied in full-time caregiv-ing for family members such as chil-dren or other relatives and that obliga-tion precludes the child from earning a living (a stay-at-home parent, for example).

• Supplemental income and expenses if a child is employed full time in an occupation to which he or she devotes at least 35-40 hours of work per week or is pursuing a career full time which is low-paying but socially productive, such as a missionary, teacher, artist or musician.

• Any other extraordinary expense that is in the best interests of the child.

Additional language ensured that the trustee would consider the future probable needs of the child, and would help educate the child on the long-term tax advantages of retaining funds inside qualified plans, IRAs and such.

The Rays’ goal was to set up their es-tate plan so that the wealth left to their children would not be a burden or negative influence, but would provide a positive structure with incentives and directions to enable Jane and John to make the most out of their lives.

By using lifetime trusts with detailed instructions, values and guidelines, the Rays succeeded in protecting their hard-earned wealth from their chil-dren’s “inabilities, disabilities, creditors and predators” and have provided their children with invaluable guidance and financial support that will create a legacy to benefit their descendants for generations to come. n

Michael W. McGreaham is an estate planning attorney at Moffatt Thomas in Boise. He may be reached at (208) 345-2000 or by email at [email protected].

www.idahofamilymagazine.com Idaho Family Magazine | October 2013 �3

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3. Restrictions bring balance. Sometimes it is easier to just let the television chatter in the background or the use of cell phones for texting at mealtimes linger. We forget that bal-ance requires limitations, and teach-ing our children to discipline their habits with restrictions, especially when it comes to technology, will help them with developing clear boundar-ies later in life.

Set some clear boundaries to help bring balance to your family. This might look like technological “down-time” during a certain period of time. It might mean a definitive curfew for your teen on the weekend or limiting chatting on the phone for your tween. Keep in mind that as a parent, the best way to teach is by example, so if you establish a “zero texting at the dinner table rule,” you need to adhere to it as well. Restrictions are almost the opposite of creating new habits, they are really creating “unhabits.”

4. Use car time wisely. Travel time in the car is a resource that often goes without reward. One of the first things that I suggest to families who are “trapped” in a car for shuffling moments is to shut off technology

in the car. This is not meant to push the driver of the car over the edge, but instead to help teach great cop-ing skills for life. Often, car time has turned into “blind and blank” time when it can be used instead to have a conversation, listen to inspiring music together, read or journal (not the driver, of course) or simply sit in reflection. Car time can be used to bring into light a conversation that might be awkward face-to-face, but is manageable side-by-side in the car.

If you are a frequent solo driver, this time can be tapped to listen to a motivational podcast, learn a new lan-guage or simply “be.” Think of your time in the car as moments that bring you balance.

5. Family fitness goals. Fam-ily fitness is something that I highly recommend, but it must be ap-proached with caution. This requires a subliminal, almost Ninja, approach to helping your family live a lifestyle that is healthy. DO NOT MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT that you are establishing family fitness plans. Instead, I recommend that you decide what you want for your family and start living it.

For example, if you want to walk together as part of your fitness plan, just begin walking and invite your family to come along. This is great if you have a pet that needs a daily outing. You might remove the salt shaker from the table or pre-serve plates in REAL portion sizes. Invite family members into the process of healthier living by asking them what they want to do to get in better shape or have more energy. The idea behind a “Family Fitness Plan” isn’t to create ONE MORE THING that we HAVE to do, but instead just LIVE IT.

Family matters. This is the corner-stone of our community. This is the unit of one of the most important teams we will ever participate in. In an effort to become a team, to bond as a family, we need to think like a team member while we live out our lives together. nRebecca Evans is an author, empowerment coach and mo-tivational speaker. She lives in Idaho with her three sons, pugs and guinea pig and seeks peaceful gems in the in-between moments of life. You can connect with her at www.innerelement.com.

Family togetherness continued from page 21

Makes 36 cookies3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter3/4 cup sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 large egg1/2 cup raisins, chopped finely1/4 cup sliced natural almonds, for the ears4- 30-inch black licorice laces, cut into 4-inch lengths, for the tails3 ounces semisweet chocolate mini chips, for the eyes

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, set aside. In another bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually, add sugar, beating until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract, then the egg.

Reducing the speed, gradually add one-third of the flour, until mixed, add another third and another third until blended. Knead in the finely chopped California Raisins. Half the dough, flatten into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, chill for 2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll about 1 tablespoon, shaping the dough in an oval. Gen-tly pinch bridge of the nose to form eye sockets. Place two sliced almonds at top of each piece of dough, and place two mini chocolates for the eyes below the ears, pressing them gently into the dough. Place the mice on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing the mice 2 inches apart.

Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Insert a wooden skewer about 1/2-inch into mouse’s round end. Remove the skewer and insert the curved length of licorice for tail. Cool on rack. When the cookies are cool, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week. (NewsUSA)

No Eek, No Squeak Cookie Cuties

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Idaho Family Magazine October 2013

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