Our principals (l-r): Steve Bisher,Tom Condon, Jason Wade, Donna Hecht
www.chbwcpa.com A website you can use!
After tours and consideration, my husband is supporting the idea of me doing one year of homeschool preschool with Eloise before sending her off to a year of preschool next year. I truly believe that my child isn’t meant to go to school every day at three years old. She can learn at home with me, her sister, and other friends who are also at home. We will go on daily adventures. We will take walks and take trips to the zoo. We will paint, count, trace letters, and, most of all, have fun. She enjoys learning, and how wonderful that there’s an option for me to teach her these things. I’ve researched and know close friends who have homeschooled their small children. There are so many great resources for school materials and curricula. They are available for purchase or they can simply be made at home. I’m excited to spend a year with Eloise. It will be nice to have a daily schedule, plan outings, and learn together. I’m sure, like anything, there will be challenges, but the fact that I get to teach my girls at home during these early years gives me great fulfillment. They are the brightest people I know, and when the time comes for lotteries and waitlists, I will be thankful I got to spend one more year with them, just us, being a mama with my babies and letting my kids be kids.
CALCULATORS We provide a library of financial calculators to help you begin planning your financial future – from forecasting your retirement options to estate planning and mortgage planning. Interactive calculations, dynamic graphs, and fully customizable reports are just a few features provided with our calculators to support thorough financial planning and a sound decision-making process. Though not a substitute for advice and information provided by a qualified professional, our calculators offer a good starting point to a secure future. Auto Loan Calculator – Use this calculator to view the total interest and total payment for a car based on the loan amount, years of payments, and annual interest rate you enter. Business Succession Strategy – Use this calculator to help determine which business succession strategy may meet your needs. Buy-Sell Agreement Calculator – Use this calculator to help determine which buysell agreement form may meet your needs. Cost of Health Care in Retirement – Use this calculator to estimate the costs of health care during retirement. Debt Consolidation – Consolidating our debts into a single loan may decrease your monthly payments or shorten the time it takes to pay off the debts. Use this calculator to help determine if debt consolidation would benefit you. Debt Payoff Optimization – Paying off debt early can reduce total interest paid. Use this calculator to help determine the way to optimize payments of your debts. Disability Income Needs – Use this calculator to help estimate how much disability income protection you might need. PLANNING TOOLS Our website also offers articles and presentation materials on a variety of topics including: Estate Planning Basics Basic Retirement Planning Buying a Home Disability Insurance Basics Charitable Giving Caring for Your Aging Parents Asset Protection 529 College Savings Plans Business Plans
184 W. C arleton Road, Hillsdale, Michigan 517-439-9331 | w w w.chbwcpa.com 21
Pet Talk By Melissa McCance
Considering a small mammal as a pet? Read on! When you want a furry pet but the care and space requirements for a dog or cat do not mesh with your life, think about small mammals like gerbils, hamsters, rats, mice, guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, and chinchillas. Once solely wild animals, those now kept as pets are captive-bred and dependent upon their human owners for food, shelter, company and protection.
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Each of these animals has its own characteristics and care needs—one is not just like another! Hamsters are nocturnal, which means they don’t fit well in household with early bedtimes. Some, like rats and gerbils, do best when housed with another of their
kind. In fact, rats are highly social and should not be kept singly. The gerbil needs an exercise wheel without openings to avoid catching that long tail! Because of their many natural enemies, these animals are subject to stress from sources like larger household pets and high levels of noise and activity. Owners can help with this by locating their pets’ cages in quiet spots away from high traffic areas of the home, especially at first. Chinchillas in particular are very susceptible to stress, and it’s recommended they be kept by adults only. Unfortunately, many people think of small mammals “easy” pets, meaning little care or attention and no vet visits. Wrong! Because they spend a lot time in their cages, their homes must be the correct size, supplied with proper bedding and have regular, thorough cleaning. Gerbils need enough litter for digging because they like to burrow for shelter. Besides an exercise wheel, hamsters should have things to climb on and crawl through for exercise. Pine and cedar chips are toxic to rats and should never be used for bedding. Although it’s common to see cages for these animals with wire mesh floors, solid flooring is much kinder to their feet. Also, be aware that temperature extremes can be fatal, so make sure your pet’s home isn’t located in a drafty or cold area, right by a furnace vent or where it’s exposed to full sun. Dampness can be dangerous for some species. Animals require appropriate, high quality food for good health, so be sure to research what is right for your little housemate.
i fary gardens
welcome to the world of FANTASY....
Fairies are playful, jovial creatures that enjoy a good prank and will frolic about with glee in your garden when you’re not looking. Fairy gardeners can surely expect to awaken to mysterious disarray in their gardens after a night of mischievous fairy dancing. Fairies are also symbols of good luck and prosperity. Fairies are often said to dwell in fragrant herb gardens to ensure that herbs will flourish and protect humans from illness, danger and stress. Herb gardens were essential in ancient times as they were sources of medicine and culinary delights. If you are ready to invite a sweet little sprite into your home, we have some suggestions for making a fairy garden that will be sure to delight even the most hard-to-please fairies in all the land.
ocation is everything in the real estate market, even in the miniature world! Fairies and other magical wee folk have long been fixtures in fables, myths and ancient folklore. Long since medieval times, mystical fairies have flitted across gardens world wide. Fairies are magical miniature creatures of good will that bring luck, prosperity, and good health to the chosen few whose gardens they inhabit. 66