The Front Porch

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Our Emotional Support

Dog Vader

As Assistant Editor of The Front Porch Magazine since its inception in October of 2016, I have had the privilege of featuring a unique story about Marley Park residents on the cover of every issue. Sometimes people come to me with story ideas. Most of the time, I approach them and ask if they’d be open to being featured.

This month marks the first time in the magazine’s history that I couldn’t find a story to feature on the cover…and to be honest, I’m feeling bad about it. Of course, I realize that many who receive this magazine may not take the time to read the articles. However, over the years, I’ve gotten so much positive feedback from those

who do, that I feel like I’m letting you all down by not featuring a Marley Park neighbor this month. As a busy mom and REALTOR®, it hasn’t always been easy to seek out interesting people, approach them about sharing their stories, and, most of the time, write the story myself. In fact, it is usually a struggle for me to fit this in every month…but until now, I’ve always managed to pull it off! To those that do read the articles I’ve written and shared over the years, thank you. It means a lot to know that through this magazine, I’ve been able to share the most amazing stories about Marley Park residents and to help neighbors get to know each other just a little better.

I’m hoping this month is just a blip in the radar and that I can resume sharing wonderful stories about our diverse array of neighbors next month. However, I could really use some help from you all. If you have a unique story to share or know someone else who might be open to sharing theirs, please reach out! I know there are more amazing stories out there and I’d love to get to know more neighbors so I can continue the work of connecting people within the Marley Park community. After all, “The only way we will love our neighbor as ourselves is by getting to know our neighbors, even in the midst of our differences.” ~ Eric

Overby

Wishing you a beautiful April. See you on The Front Porch!

Christie Giannetto | Assistant Editor | The Front Porch Magazine

Welcome to the April edition of The Front Porch magazine!

Cutest Kid Contest

Do you have the cutest kid or grandkid in Marley Park? Would you love to see them on the front cover of The Front Porch to show all your friends and relatives? Well now is your chance!

Send in a high resolution photo of your child (or children) to info@estrellapublishing.com and the winner will be featured on a future cover of The Front Porch. The winner will get extra copies to share with family and friends, PLUS a $100 gift card to Carousel Arcade Bar located in Westgate Entertainment District, where you can treat yourself to a parents’ night out.

Now for the rules:

• One entry per family

• Winner will be chosen by a member of our editiorial staff

• Entry grants Estrella Publishing legal printing rights

Yum Yum

To help ring in spring and celebrate the possibilities of citrus, try this standout Lemon Loaf starring Sunkist lemon juice and zest, ideal for brunch, dessert or an afternoon treat.

Ingredients

Loaf

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Zest from 2 Sunkist lemons

Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Zest from 1 Sunkist lemon

Directions

* Preheat oven to 350F and line your 8 x 4” loaf pan with parchment paper.

* Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add in your eggs one at a time and vanilla extract. Into a smaller bowl mix together your flour, salt and baking soda. Alternate adding your dry ingredients with your sour cream. Fold in fresh lemon juice and zest and mix until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

* Bake in oven about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together until smooth.

* Remove loaf from oven and let cool completely before topping with glaze.

Stress

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and obesity. Most of us are familiar with these as major risk factors for heart disease. But what about stress? Is there a connection between stress and heart disease? Not all stress is bad but chronic stress associated with a medical condition or feeling pressured over a long period of time can be, explains Dr. Mark Callesen, Chief Medical Officer for Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

“Chronic stress can lead to impaired cognitive function, increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. It can also impair the body’s immune system and exacerbate any existing illnesses,” says Callesen

Research shows that chronic stress can increase inflammation, and inflammation is linked to high blood pressure and lower HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) which can harm the heart. Chronic stress can also increase the risk for heart disease in more subtle ways. “When you’re constantly stressed, you tend to not sleep well,” adds Dr. Callesen. “You’re also more likely to

eat high-fat, high-cholesterol foods or engage in other heart-damaging behaviors such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol or using drugs. By both defusing stress and managing the unhealthy behaviors it triggers, we can help minimize our body’s heart-damaging reactions to it.”

Want to turn your chronic stress around and help protect your heart in the process? Dr. Callesen recommends these five simple tips:

• Focus on the things you can control: This helps us to stay positive and laugh more. Laughter has been found to help reduce artery inflammation and increase “good” HDL cholesterol.

• Exercise: One of the best ways to melt away stress and lower your blood pressure is through regular physical activity.

• Practice mind-body techniques: Meditation, yoga and tai chi activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the brain and body.

• Strengthen and maintain relationships: Having a strong support network can reduce your stress level and help you take better care of yourself.

• Take a break from electronics: You can’t escape from stress when it follows you everywhere. Unplug from your phone, computer and TV, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.

If you’re struggling with stress, Dr. Callesen suggests talking to your primary care provider to discuss treatment options for treating high blood pressure or sleep issues or getting a referral to a mental health professional. Most importantly, realize that stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone, even the experts.

“I absolutely get stressed, but doing something active helps me to relax,” says Dr. Callesen. “I find walking my two dogs, Emmett and Stella, helps me to decompress. It forces me to get outdoors and all three of us sleep better at night.”

For more information, visit https://www.jfcsaz. org/. This article was submitted by Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

Combatting Depressive Feelings

As promised in last month’s article, Blessed AND Depressed, I’m back with 6 ways to combat depressive feelings:

1. Start a gratitude journal by writing down 3 things each day for which you are grateful. It’s all about perspective! If you want a more structured approach, visit ThePsychoeducationAcademy. Thinkific.com for a free GLAD exercise.

2. When negativity comes in, redirect your attention to the positives in your life. Look back at your gratitude journal for reminders. Take some deep breaths and picture the positives in your life or some other scene that makes you happy.

3. If you’re a person of faith, you can pray for positive thoughts, redirection or some other relief and tell the devil to get behind you.

4. Ensure that you’re physically doing what you can to fight depression. Make sure you’re getting the right number and type of calories, drinking plenty of water, exercising and getting adequate sleep.

5. Talk to someone about how you’re feeling. Maybe a different perspective or a more objective look at the situation can help you reframe things in a more positive–or at least less negative–way.

6. Get out of yourself by helping someone else, like going on

a mission trip or volunteering at a soup kitchen, disabled veterans’ association, homeless shelter or other agency that helps people who are struggling. This can also serve as a reality check, reminding you of the good in your own life.

For more ideas, search “depression antidotes” on www.doctorbellingrodt.com. If you’re depression has you thinking you don’t want to be alive anymore, seek immediate medical attention by dialing 911 or dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 24/7/365.

DISCLAIMER: Material is for informational purposes and not intended to be a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed professional. Material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with written permission of Dr. Bellingrodt.

Submitted by Jennifer Bellingrodt, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

Legal Advice

NON-STRESS PAY ON DEATH DESIGNATIONS

To avoid probate, beneficiary designations work well for accounts and real estate, if you are leaving assets to a few people or charities.

Without a beneficiary designation or trust, you can avoid probate only if the assets do not exceed $100,000 of real property, $75,000 in personal property (cash, accounts and tangible personal property), or you do not expect more than $5,000 in wages in the year after your death.

For accounts, there several terms used: pay on death pay on death (or “POD”) or transfer on death (or “TOD”). For IRAs and 401ks, the terms “designated beneficiary” is used.

Financial institutions do not use the terms POD and TOD interchangeably. If you use one of the terms and are told that the bank does not have that type of designation, then ask for the other type of designation, or even ask whether any beneficiary designation is available.

Remember never to list a minor on a designation for POD, TOD or IRA type account. A minor cannot receive more than $10,000 in a year without a court conservatorship; which is more costly than a probate and distributes the funds when the child reaches 18. In such cases, a revocable trust and Will are more effective and less expensive.

Sharon Ravenscroft, Esq., The Cavanagh Law Firm, PA, Sun City and Phoenix offices, (623) 815-7451 or Sravenscroft@CavanaghLaw. com. Sharon’s practice focuses on Wills, trusts, probate and trust administration. For more information www.sharonravenscroft.com

Spring Cleaning

As you’re doing your spring cleaning, how about taking inventory of your family’s prescription medications: Do you have expired prescriptions you no longer need? Many fire and police stations will accept medications for safe disposal.

It’s also a good time to organize a list of the medications in your family’s medicine cabinet, in case there’s a medical emergency, according to Danelle Readinger, Emergency Services Director at Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear.

“What if you or a family member were rushed to the hospital, would a loved one be able to provide a current list of your medications to first responders or the Emergency Department? What if it was your child or parent? Would you know the names and dosages of their prescriptions? How about any non-prescription medications?” she asks.

“It’s important to know, because not having this information may cause a delay in care, as paramedics or hospital staff try to confirm current medications before providing that information to the physician. A lack of up-todate medical information may lead to avoidable medication errors or adverse drug reactions,” said Readinger.

Health care professionals from Abrazo hospitals throughout the Valley say that keeping your list of medications and health history

up to date can help patients avoid adverse effects from dosing errors, omissions, duplications and drug interactions. This applies to you, along with your spouse and children, and it’s a good idea to ask your parents to do the same, especially if you may be called to assist them with a health crisis.

Some of the important things to keep track of include:

· Medications, including name, dosage and whether it was completed or is ongoing.

· Medical history. This may include chronic conditions or recent illnesses.

· Allergies to medications and foods and the type of reaction.

· Vitamins, supplements, and other over-thecounter items, and dosage.

· Other pertinent health information, including immunizations.

There are some common sense ways to help keep this information: Each time you make a change, note the date. Ask your pharmacy (or pharmacies) to print out a list of medications filled in the last year. And make sure someone in your family or circle of friends knows where you keep your medications list.

Submitted by Abrazo Health

Home Sweet Home

The biggest challenge in the housing market right now, and likely for years to come, is how few homes there are for sale compared to the number of people who want to buy. That’s why, if you’re thinking about selling your house, this is a great time to do so. Your house would be welcome in a market that has fewer homes for sale than it did in the years leading up to the pandemic.

According to the latest Monthly Housing Market Trends Report from realtor.com, “There were 65.5% more homes for sale in January compared to the same time in 2022. This means that there were 248,000 more homes available to buy this past month compared to one year ago. While the number of homes for sale is increasing, it is still 43.2% lower than it was before the pandemic in 2017 to 2019. This means that there are still fewer homes available to buy on a typical day than there were a few years ago.”

Fewer homes for sale means buyers have fewer choices than they did prior to the pandemic—

and that frustration is leading some to give up on the homebuying process altogether. But with mortgage rates sitting lower than they were at the peak last fall, more buyers are willing to come back into the process—they just need to find homes to buy. This is welcome activity for the spring market, especially if you’re thinking of selling your house.

With a renewed interest in buying a home for many, the New York Times (NYT) reports, “Home buyers are edging back into the market after being sidelined last year . . .” So, if you want to take advantage of a sweet spot in the market, this spring could be your shot. The housing market needs more homes for sale to meet the demand of today’s buyers. If you’ve thought about selling, now’s the time to connect with your local real estate specialist and get ready for you to make a move this spring.

Submitted by Christie Giannetto | REALTOR® | REAL Broker

Reading Readiness

When parents instill a love of reading in their children from an early age, it increases their oral language skills and vocabulary knowledge, which helps to build a solid foundation for later reading ability. In addition, focusing on key early literacy skills during the preschool years can help parents and teachers identify potential indicators of learning challenges so early intervention can be provided. Beyond developing early language and literacy skills, reading may also increase a child’s ability to understand the emotions of others - a critical life skill that leads to empathy and compassion.

Dr. Maria Shaheen, senior director of early childhood education at Primrose Schools, provides five tips to help parents encourage a lasting love of reading in their children:

1) Introduce language as early as possible - even before birth. Speaking and reading to your baby during pregnancy establishes voice recognition and promotes cognitive development.

2) Make reading a regular part of bedtime routine. Reading books should be a favorite

bedtime activity. With daily “tuck-in” stories and snuggling together at bedtime, infants and young children begin to associate reading with comfort, warmth and security.

3) Offer a wide variety of stories. This can include nursery rhymes, poetry, nonfiction and fiction from many genres, as well as books that celebrate a wide range of cultures and diverse characters.

4) Help children discover the magic of books for themselves. Books can help young children understand their own feelings when characters face similar life events, so parents should pick topics their children may be curious about.

5) Make reading a fun learning experience. Preschool children can create books with their own stories about things they do with their families. Parents can also play silly word games that help children play with sounds, such as rhyming games or tongue twisters.

Starting a reading routine throughout daily life models for children the importance of reading as a way to gain information and valuable life skills, explore new worlds, encourage imagination and have fun.

Samurai Sudoku

This samurai sudoku puzzle is a great way to engage the brain and help develop logic skills. To solve this Samurai puzzle use standard sudoku rules for every 9x9 grid: each digit from 1 to 9 can only appear once in every row, column and 3x3 box. Good Luck!