Surprise Living

Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor

623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive

623.398.5541

info@EstrellaPublishing.com

All contents © 2010-present day Estrella Publishing LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or part, without written permission from Estrella Publishing LLC is prohibited. Estrella Publishing accepts freelance contributions, there is no guarantee that materials will be used or returned. Some content is provided by Brandpointe. Estrella Publishing is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Advertisers. Estrella Publishing reserves the right to restrict all advertisement to their proper classification and to edit or reject any copy at its sole discretion. Neither this publication nor Estrella Publishing is an agent of or in any way affiliated with the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association, or any of their respective affiliates. This publication has not been approved by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association in any way.

From Me To You...

There are so many things to watch on TV nowadays. I hesitate to even use the word TV, as most people watch on their phones or tablets instead of using a traditional box in the corner of the living room. We switched from cable to streaming services a few years ago as a cost cutting measure, but with every new channel that has to be added to the subscription list and the unlimited wifi package we needed to handle all the extra data we are using, I am not sure how much money we are actually saving here.

I find myself scrolling and scrolling along, trying to pick the program or film I will commit my time to - and the amount of choice is baffling. As a child (I am going to date myself here) I had a whole three channels to choose from and those were only on for part of the day. Sunday afternoons were devoted to classic movies, Some Like It Hot, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers or The Pink Panther. I loved watching the stories unfold and the actors bumble towards a happy ending. That was the whole afternoon, family gathered together, concentrating on just the screen in front of us. Now family movie

night consists of trying to find something that appeals to everyone, hunting across platforms for a free version. It is $25 on Amazon but Netflix has it for free this month! Then snacks have to be obtained, someone invariably puts popcorn in the microwave, and finally we settle down to watch. By that I mean everyone whips out their cellphone and scrolls or plays games during the film.

I tried to introduce my kids to the classics but they didn’t enjoy them in the way I once did; let’s face it, their idea of a classic is Finding Nemo or The Princess Diaries. One movie we do all agree on is The Princess Bride, a wonderful combination of action, adventure, fantasy and romance. It has something for everyone and if you get a chance to bring your family together I highly recommend it. Just make sure they put their phones away first!

Catherine Uretsky Editor, Surprise Living Magazine info@estrellapublishing.com 623.398.5541

Eat Well

Improve your lifestyle just in time for summer by making smarter choices and simple swaps when it comes to snacking, meals and fitness habits. To help you get started, registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., offers a few practical suggestions on ways to continue enjoying the flavors you love while also sticking to your overall wellness goals.

1. Start swapping your snacks now “Chips and guacamole may seem like the perfect warm-weather pairing, but those high-carb dippers can add up fast, possibly making energy levels tank,” said Kirkpatrick.

Instead, keep the healthy fat that guacamole provides, but swap out the dipper. For example, the new Quest Hot & Spicy Protein Chips pack plenty of the flavor and crunch that you want in

a snack, without a ton of carbs. They can even add to your protein content for the day, with 19 grams of protein per bag.

2. Take advantage of seasonal produce

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy all the bounty that nature has to offer. Salads are the perfect meal when tasty, fresh local produce becomes widely available and backyard gardens start producing. Swap the romaine you used all winter for arugula, and switch out the dried cranberries you were piling on for hempseed or shredded radishes.

3. Make simple lifestyle changes

Better health can start today by following new wellness routines. Start by eating more colorful veggies and fruits every day, focus on better sleep - aim for seven hours a night - and start moving more whenever possible. Start today and get your fitness level up by signing up for a short race, or spend time swimming, cycling or walking outdoors with friends and family.

HVAC Help

As many homeowners experience higher-thanaverage utility costs, simple HVAC upgrades and routine maintenance can help reduce cooling expenditures by improving system efficiency. Before setting the thermostat to cool, homeowners should try these cost-saving tips:

* Replace filters and clean vents: HVAC filters help keep dust and debris from being recirculated throughout a home. When these filters become too full, they can limit airflow and cause the blower to work harder. Maintaining a filter replacement routine can help improve efficiency and extend the life of the HVAC system. Routinely cleaning the grates of the air vents will also help to maintain efficient airflow.

* Schedule preventative maintenance: The Indoor Air Quality Association estimates that routine HVAC maintenance can reduce annual heating and cooling bills by as much as 30%. Establishing a routine of scheduled service prior

to the hottest and coldest times of the yearwhen HVAC systems are used most - will ensure equipment is in peak working condition and can even help to reduce costly repairs over time.

* Cover windows: Window coverings of nearly any nature will help to reduce solar heat gains, especially when installed in south-facing rooms. But for the greatest energy reduction, homeowners should opt for insulated cellular shades certified by the Attachments Energy Rating Council which can reduce solar heat that enters through the windows by as much as 60%.

* Inspect and seal

ductwork: An HVAC technician can inspect the ductwork throughout a home and evaluate the system’s air supply and return balance. Airflow imbalances could be a sign of damage, loose seals or even that the ductwork isn’t sized correctly.

* Update the thermostat: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that the average homeowner could reduce their annual heating and cooling bills by as much as 10% by using a programmable thermostat to reduce HVAC demands overnight or while away from the home.

* Utilize Inflation Reduction Act savings: With higher-efficiency HVAC equipment homeowners can reduce their heating and cooling costs by as much as 50% compared to low-efficiency systems, helping homeowners see a reduction in their energy bills while lowering their environmental impact. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has made the transition to highefficiency systems, including heat pumps, even more affordable by offering tax rebates up to $2,000 dependent on household income. IRA incentives can also be combined with local and manufacturers rebates to further increase costsavings.

Beauty Sleep

If you’re looking to improve your skin’s appearance, ask yourself: What are you doing for your skin while you’re asleep? Because about one-third of your day is spent sleeping, make the most of that valuable time by taking proactive steps so you can wake up with smoother, firmer, healthier-looking skin every morning.

“When you sleep, skin cell turnover rates increase, and your skin repairs itself from the day’s damage. But there’s more that you can do to help your skin while you’re sleeping,” says Dr. Joshua Zeichner, board-certified dermatologist. “By using a retinol serum at night, you can enhance the activities that are already naturally occurring. This can help your skin look its best when you wake up in the morning, and with continued use, improve radiance, texture and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Here are tips to revamp your nightly skincare routine so you’ll get the amazing results you want.

* Make sure to thoroughly remove dirt, grime and makeup

It’s vital to take time to cleanse your face before bedtime, removing all traces of makeup before applying serum and/or moisturizer. Otherwise, dirt, oils and makeup residue will be sitting on your skin all night long. After cleansing your face, use a retinol product that will refresh your skin overnight.

* Don’t neglect your pillowcases

If you’re going to press your face against a pillowcase for 6-8 hours every night, wouldn’t it be ideal to make sure yours are really clean? Wash your pillowcases frequently in hot water so you’ll be sleeping on a clean surface each night. Consider buying extra pillowcases so you can swap them out almost nightly. Your skin will thank you.

* Moisturize your bedroom, not just your face

If you have dry skin or live in an arid climate, it may benefit your skin to use a portable humidifier in your bedroom. Keeping your bedroom’s humidity levels between 40-60% will help your skin naturally absorb more hydration overnight, while you’re (literally) getting your beauty sleep.

Following these steps, you’ll soon see the results - a healthier, more youthful complexion that you’ll be happy to wake up to every morning.

Legal Advice

NON-STRESS PROBATE WITH A WILL

The Last Will and Testament is the document that allows courts to re-title accounts and assets which are in your name (not a trust) and which do not have a beneficiary designation.

If you are leaving assets to adults (not minors), then you can use beneficiary designations and avoid probate. A Will is still a good idea to have as a backup for any account without a beneficiary; either because a beneficiary was not listed or a financial company lost the beneficiary designation. If your spouse has children which are not also your children, the Will also can assure that your spouse’s half of the community property goes to you. Otherwise, intestate laws apply and your spouse’s children will be entitled to one-half of the community property and one-

half of your spouse’s sole and separate property.

Be sure to keep your Original Will, because using a copy requires a formal court probate hearing. Evidence proving the Will was not revoked is needed when the original cannot be located. Wills need two witnesses and a specially worded affidavit so the Will can be probated without a hearing. A handwritten Will does not need witnesses or a notary if all of the dispositive provisions are in your handwriting and all pages are originals.

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.

those bugs under control.

Submitted by Sharon Ravenscroft, Esq.

Men’s Health Month

June is Men’s Health Month, a reminder that annual exams and screenings may find potentially serious issues early, when your chances for treatment and a cure are better.

Men’s health issues don’t affect only men; they have a significant impact on everyone around them. People may not seek care until it is too late, and men often ignore signs of health issues. Your doctor may recommend various types of screenings based on age, family history and lifestyle choices. In general, some of the most important exams men should be getting are listed below.

Top health screenings for men

· Cholesterol – High cholesterol may increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. It has no signs or symptoms, so it’s important to get it checked to know for sure.

· High blood pressure – High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs. Be sure to get it checked regularly.

· Diabetes – Getting checked for diabetes can help prevent heart disease and stroke. Monitoring your blood glucose may also prevent damage in your eyes, kidneys and nerves.

· Colorectal cancer – If you’re 45 or older, your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy. For a less-invasive alternative, you may opt for a stool-based screening every year. Ask your doctor what he or she recommends.

· Prostate cancer – At age 50+, men with average risk should talk to their doctor about whether to get screened for prostate cancer. If you have a higher risk, such as a relative who had prostate cancer, talk with your doctor beginning at age 40.

· Skin Cancer – Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Be sure to report any unusual moles or changes in your skin to your doctor.

· Lung Cancer – More than 80% of people who have lung cancer get it from smoking. If you smoke, the best way to lower your risk is to quit and ask your doctor if you need a screening.

These are just some of the most common health screenings that men should consider in order to keep their health on track. Your doctor may still recommend other screenings, tests or exams depending on your health risks, lifestyle and other relevant aspects of your overall health.

Abrazo Health offers free online health assessments can help you identify issues and areas to discuss with your doctor. Visit abrazohealth.com/health-assessments for information on diabetes, colorectal cancer, heart health and more.

Submitted by Abrazo Health

Yum Yum

Father’s Day Bacon Kebabs

Ingredients

RELISH

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon toasted

sesame oil

½ teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger

½ teaspoon light brown

sugar

Kosher salt

BACON AND ASSEMBLY

Vegetable oil (for grill)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons tabasco

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon Sriracha

½ pound thick-cut bacon

Lime wedges (for serving)

Directions

Step 1 - Toss scallions, chile, lime juice, oil, ginger, and brown sugar in a medium bowl to combine; season with salt.

Step 2 - Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Oil grates. Combine honey, tabasco, vinegar, and Sriracha in a small bowl; set glaze aside.

Step 3 - Thread bacon onto 6–8 skewers, folding back and forth in accordion style, and grill over indirect heat, turning every minute or so, until browned and crisp, 10–12 minutes. Baste with reserved glaze, turning every 30 seconds or so, until lacquered and slightly sticky, about 3 minutes (move to an even cooler spot if needed to keep glaze from scorching). Serve bacon with relish and lime wedges.

Step 4 - Do Ahead: Glaze can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

Get Over Yourself

Our thoughts are everything. They are always with us, and they drive our feelings and behaviors, NOT the other way around. Even when a feeling seems instantaneous, it’s always provoked by a thought. Always. The thought may occur in a nanosecond in the supercomputer that is our brain, but there’s some form of information processing that occurs before feelings and behaviors show up.

A self-limiting belief is a particular type of negative thought with painful emotion attached to it that we use against ourselves like a weapon to limit ourselves. Self-limiting beliefs are based on old scripts we’ve developed over time. They live in the subconscious. They are what I call the “Subconscious Bubble Gum” that serves as rules to live by in our minds. To add insult to injury, self-limiting beliefs drive the negative automatic thoughts (NATs) that live in the conscious mind, those pesky thoughts that pop into our heads and keep us from greatness or accomplishment.

Self-limiting beliefs come from our core beliefs, so it’s very important to discern what your core beliefs are. The purpose of core beliefs is

to make sense of our early experiences. Unfortunately, core beliefs are generally black-and-white statements that are often not helpful.

So, why are these experiences so powerful? How do they have such a hold on us? Because they generally first occur during childhood, these experiences are some of the first ones we have, which means they set the standard for our view of the world and ourselves in it.

Early experiences are particularly powerful if they occur between the ages of 2 and 6 when we spend most of our time in a brainwave cycle known as Theta, which is the same state that a person is in when they are hypnotized or meditating. This is a state of hyper-learning, wherein we are very open to suggestion, which means we are easily influenced by information coming in from our environment. That information can turn into programming over time, especially if it’s reinforced by our experiences.

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

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.

Adolescent Mental Health Crisis

In the years following the pandemic, many people are struggling with their mental health, but according to a recent report from the CDC, teens are faring the worst. There are many driving forces behind the current mental health crisis. Social media makes the current generation feel pressured to be a certain way and achieve certain things in life. They do not yet have a filter to understand that what is portrayed online and through social media is not always real. The good news is that there appears to be less stigma around teens reaching out for mental health services than in previous decades. “Our clinicians often report that their new clients were encouraged to start therapy by their peers. This, in addition to schools focusing on mindfulness strategies and coping skills and more celebrities opening up about their use of therapy, continue to decrease the stigma around mental health,” says Melissa Baker, Director of Integrated Health for the JFCS Glendale Healthcare Center.

Telling the difference between normal teen angst and signs of anxiety or depression

All people experience anxiety and depression. When it becomes chronic, it’s no longer temporary and gets worse over time. To a parent, teen anxiety could look like perfectionism, a sudden drop in grades, or changes in behavior.

Behavioral health experts say listening is the best way to recognize normal angst and when it may be more. Teens often come right out and tell adults they’re not doing well.

What steps should parents take if they’re worried that their teen might be experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts?

If there is an urgent concern about someone thinking about suicide, call the Suicide Hotline at 988. If you believe someone is an active danger to themselves, call 911. If there is no immediate concern, talk to your teen about their feelings and don’t dismiss them. Monitor their social media, medications, and safely store (lock up) items they could use to harm themselves, such as firearms, medications, chemicals, and alcohol. Contact a local mental health professional for assessments and support services and follow through with any appointments.

What else can parents do to help a young person’s mental health?

According to Rachel Wahle, JFCS Director of Case Management and Health Navigation Services, the best thing parents can do for their child’s mental health is to talk to them and ask questions. “Encourage them to tell you how they’re feeling and really listen to them. We tend to want to fix problems for our kids, but that can make them feel like we aren’t listening or taking them seriously. Instead, offer to talk through and brainstorm ways they can move forward. Work together to come up with options and possible solutions. This will increase their ability to analyze and problem-solve independently as an adult, instead of relying on others to be the fixer.”

Submitted by Jewish Family & Children’s Service. For more information about medical, behavioral and counseling services for adolescents, visit https://www.jfcsaz.org/

Money Matters

If you save and invest for decades, you’d like to know you can retire without financial worries. Nonetheless, you still have to be aware of some threats to a comfortable retirement — and how to respond to them.

These threats include:

• Inflation – Even a mild inflation rate can seriously erode your purchasing power. In fact, with just a 3% inflation rate, your expenses could double in about 25 years. So, if you’re going to rely on your investment portfolio for a sizable part of your retirement income, you will need to own a reasonable number of growth-oriented investments, such as stocks or stock-based funds, whose potential returns can equal or exceed the inflation rate.

• Excessive withdrawals – Once you retire, you should establish a withdrawal rate for your portfolio — an amount you can take out each year and still feel secure that you won’t run out of money. Your withdrawal rate should be based on several factors, including your age at retirement, the size of your portfolio and the amount of

income you receive from other sources, such as Social Security. A financial professional can help you determine a withdrawal rate that’s appropriate for your needs.

• Market volatility – The financial markets will always fluctuate. When you’re still working, this volatility may not be such a problem, as you have years or decades to recover from short-term downturns. But when you retire, you don’t want to have to sell investments when their price is down. To help prevent this, you can tap into the cash in your portfolio, assuming you have enough to cover several months’ worth of living expenses.

• Unexpected costs – You had them when you were working, and you’ll probably have them when you’re retired: the furnace that breaks down, the car that needs a major repair, and so on. But if you’ve established an emergency fund containing a year’s worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid account, you may be able to “ride out” these costs without jeopardizing your investment portfolio. Be sure to keep these reserves separate from your typical day-to-day accounts to avoid the temptation of spending your emergency money.

• Health – Retirees may face more health concerns than younger people, and those concerns often come with larger medical bills. That’s why it’s important to maximize the benefits from Medicare or your Medicare Advantage plan. Also, if you contributed to a Health Savings Account (HSA) while you were working, and you haven’t depleted it, you can use the money in retirement.

Retirement can be a pleasant time in your life — and you’ll enjoy it more if you’re prepared for the challenges that face all retirees.

Submitted by Wayne Polk, AAMS, Financial Advisor, of Edward Jones

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!

are on our website www.EstrellaPublishing.com