Carly Dorendorf | San Diego Homeowner | December 2022 Digital Newsletter

Vol. 9 Issue 12

Presented By Carly Dorendorf

TRAVEL TIME Mount Hood Oregon

Give Kindness

T

he holiday season is the perfect time to give back to those around us. While volunteering at a soup kitchen or caroling at a senior citizens’ home are wonderful acts of kindness, smaller good deeds can go just as far during this busy time of year. Why not work some of these sweet ideas into your daily life? People will appreciate your positivity more than you could ever believe.

Mount Hood, Oregon is regarded as a major winter sport destination with five awesome ski resorts. Each resort has its own appeal, such as luxurious lodges, night ski areas, and trails for every level of snowboarder and skier. The mountain also has well-maintained paths for snowshoeing and snowmobiling while taking in the beautiful forest wilderness. For a less intense but just as fun activity, visitors can sled or tube down the mountain. A family favorite is cosmic tubing at Skibowl’s Snow Tube & Adventure Park, an event complete with blacklights and fireworks.

Source: travelportland.com/region/mount-hood

Write notes of thanks. Whether it’s to troops overseas, a teacher in your child’s school, an elderly relative far away, or simply your own spouse or child, a handwritten letter expressing your thankfulness will be cherished in this era of texts and emails. Even a small post-it note stuck to a school assignment or in a lunch box or briefcase can brighten someone’s day.

Make it or bake it. A special meal for a loved one, a crockpot left at your elderly neighbor’s front door, or homemade cookies mailed to your son or niece away at college will bring lots of cheer. If you know someone who’s not well or who is alone during the holidays, dropping off a meal could make a real difference in their life. Even better, eat the dinner with them so they can enjoy some togetherness and conversation.

Give your time. This can mean something as simple as putting your phone down to listen fully to a friend, or it could mean taking an elderly parent for a scenic drive or to the grocery store to help with shopping. Or give your time by volunteering at a food pantry to help sort donations, at a special needs school, or at a local park to help keep it clean. Other ideas: Read someone a story, shovel someone’s driveway, or clean someone’s room for them. Even giving someone close to you a hug can have huge benefits for both of you.

Help a stranger. It could be as easy as sharing a smile to help boost the mood of someone at the store or giving a compliment to a someone at work. The smile you get in return will help you both feel better. Give a nice tip to a delivery person or wait staff.

Send small holiday gifts to the mailman, the sanitation worker, or a school janitor. It’s the surprise presents that often mean the most.

Pay it forward. If you’ve ever benefitted from someone ahead of you picking up your tab at a drive-thru, you know how happy it can make you feel. And most likely, you want to return the favor by picking up the tab for the person behind you. Other places to pay it forward: vending machines, laundromats, restaurants, and toll booths.

Some people also like to leave coupons at stores for other shoppers. Little things can really brighten someone’s day! And no matter, what, be positive this holiday season and into the new year.

Think before you speak. Hold off on writing negative comments or bad reviews. Find something positive to say when others are being less kind.

LIFEWISE

Top Tech Gifts Looking to make a big splash at the holidays this year? Check out these new tech innovations that are sure to make you the best gift giver of the season. That is, if you can bear to part with these goodies once you’ve got them.

We all want to stay in shape but sometimes being stuck at a computer can slow us down. This year, give the gift of fitness that actually fits right underneath a desk. Mini elliptical bike pedals can turn your desk chair into an exercise machine. Just start pedaling while seated and then track your progress online. Rather count your steps? Small-size treadmills that can fit by your desk allow you to walk in place while on calls. Another cool fitness item to be on the lookout for in the near future: Bikes that have tires that never need to be inflated. That’s right, technology now exists to create bike tires that never go flat and never need to be pumped up. How’s that for improvement?

After all that exercise, it’s time to hydrate. And there is no shortage of smart water bottles on the market. Some remind you to drink more water based on what you’ve consumed that day. A message will appear on your phone and the bottle will glow when you need to sip. There are also UV smart water bottles that will purify water and sanitize the inside of the bottle, eliminating bacteria and germs.

If traveling is in your future, you may want to put a smart suitcase on your list. When paired with your phone, these tech-savvy suitcases will follow behind you at the airport. No more lugging, well, heavy luggage. Of course, you’ll also be able to track your bag with your phone (which you can also charge inside the suitcase) so your checked bag won’t end up in last and found.

FLAVORFUL

No holiday tech gift list would be complete without one item that has a screen. Soon to arrive on the market: extra-large size television screens that fold up and disappear into the floor, ideal for smaller and sleeker living spaces. Looking for something a bit more practical? How about a large frame that instantly shows famous artwork from around the world or photos from your phone in a gallery style presentation. Imagine staring at a Van Gogh one day and your own photography the next. Happy shopping!

APPLE CIDER CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

4

boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 ¼ lbs. total)

Season chicken with salt and ground black pepper.

Dust with flour.

1 ½ cups

apple cider or unfiltered apple juice

1 tbs

all-purpose flour

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until golden brown, turning once. Remove from skillet.

2 tbs

olive oil, divided

1 medium

red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 cloves

garlic, finely chopped

1 large

Granny Smith apple, sliced

1 tbs

fresh thyme

to taste

salt and ground black pepper

GoodNes.com

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Stir in onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Stir in cider, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan.

Add chicken back to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn chicken over; add apple and thyme to skillet. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

JUST LISTED

10555 Palm Row Dr. Lakeside | CA 92040

NOW PENDING

0 Lomita Rd. | El Cajon, CA 92020

INTEGRITY ALWAYS. CLIENT FIRST. SOLUTION FOCUSED.

Carly Dorendorf Realtor®

619.277.2883 Carly.Dorendorf@exprealty.com CarlyDRealtor.com @The.Dorendorf.Real.Estate.Team DRE #01955730

HELPING YOU FIND HOME. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by Prime Source & DLP • 480.921.0511 • PrimeSourceAZ.com