For example, some Upland, Diamond Bar, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, Montclair, Covina, Ontario, San Dimas, La Verne Walnut, Glendora, area residents are interested in the idea of a charitable trust because it can reduce the tax burden on the overall estate. In other cases, of course, the individual is simply looking to do good with his or her money. No matter what your reason, your Upland, Diamond Bar, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, Montclair, Covina, Ontario, San Dimas, La Verne Walnut, Glendora, trust lawyer will be responsible for outlining for you the applicable rules and regulations for bequeathing your money or property in this way.

Estate planning laws differ from state to state, and possibly even from county to county. That’s why, if you live in California, it’s in your best interest to hire a trust attorney from the same area. An experienced trust attorney in the greater Upland, Diamond bar, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, Montclair, Covina, Ontario, San Dimas, La Verne Walnut, Glendora, area will be well-versed in the requirements for where we work and practice.
Requirements for Setting Up a Charitable Trust

One of the first requirements of a charitable trust is blatantly obvious: you must have something to put in the trust, whether it is money, real estate, or some other form of property. Also pretty self-evident is the fact that the trust must demonstrate a charitable purpose.

Additionally, a trustee must be named as the person who will oversee and administer the trust, and beneficiaries must also be named. The beneficiaries are those who will benefit from the trust. The beneficiaries must meet certain criteria in order for the trust to be considered “charitable.” Your trust lawyer will work with you to ensure you are fulfilling this obligation by making sure you don’t name a for-profit business as the beneficiary, for example. Likewise, it is improper for a charitable trust to benefit a private individual.

To ensure you are setting up your charitable trust within the confines of the law, work with Upland, Diamond bar, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, Montclair, Covina, Ontario, San Dimas, La Verne Walnut, Glendora, attorney to create a plan that’s right for you. To get started, please call our law firm at (626) 283-5093 and ask if you qualify for a Free Family Wealth Estate Planning Session with the mention of this article ($750 value).

Single Adult: Time to get serious about health care directives and make sure you have the right documents in place so that someone can help you in a medical emergency. Otherwise, your family may be barred from accessing your medical records, speaking to doctors or making important decisions on your behalf if you can’t speak for yourself. This is especially important for college-age adults who may be traveling this summer without mom or dad.

Married With Children: If you don’t have an estate plan, it’s a good idea to get one before you head out of town. At the bare minimum, you’ll want a will, possibly a trust, health care directives and guardians named who could raise your minor children if something tragic happens to you. Don’t assume such accidents on vacation are rare, either. Do a quick Google search and you’ll see how they devastate families every single year.

Business Owner: Have you ever thought about who would run your business, access bank accounts/important documents or call the shots if something happened to you while you were out of town? Even if you were temporarily incapacitated, keeping your daily operations going would be a challenge. It’s never fun to think about, but make sure you have the right plans in place to keep things running smoothly, no matter what happens.

Snowbirds: If you are retired and spend the summer in a different state, your legal documents may not work as planned in an emergency. Ideally, you’ll need two sets of documents to ensure your will, trust, etc. is compliant with the laws of each state. Also, if you own property in multiple states, talk to your attorney about how to avoid probate. There’s nothing worse than a family dealing with the expenses and delays of the probate court in multiple states to settle the affairs of a loved one. These are just a handful of suggestions for anyone leaving town, but there may be additional planning steps you’ll need to take based on your unique personal or business situation. Talk to your attorney and find out how to check these tasks off the travel “to-do” list before you hit the sand!

The Letter of Intent is along the lines of a personal letter, rather than being a more formal legal document. It is used to supplement the special needs plan in order to provide additional information.

Uses for the Letter of Intent
• Parents often use it to address wishes that they have which don’t really fall under the purview of legal requirements.
• This document is also useful for addressing information about your child that is subject to change. While various other special needs planning documents tend to be more static, the Letter of Intent can be changed out as the information in it needs to be updated.
• Finally, a Letter of Intent is used to discuss topics that are just too lengthy to include in the special needs trust.The letter is typically addressed to the people who will be caring for your child once you are unable to fulfill that role. When the time comes, your attorney will share the Letter of Intent with the child’s caregivers, as well as with the trustee. They can use the letter to help interpret your desires and to help follow through on the wishes you have for your child.

Where to Get the Letter
Your special needs attorney in Upland can help you draw up your Letter of Intent as a supplemental piece of your special needs trust. You may also wish to download a template for organizing your thoughts. A nice one is available at http://www.specialneedsanswers.com/moi_order.asp. As with any online resource, be sure to have your attorney review the document and offer advice and recommendations.

Friendly reminder: Sunday is Mother’s Day. Do with this what you will .

I do hope you can make her (and the other mothers in your life) feel special this weekend. Or, if she’s no longer with us–that the other mothers in your life felt blessed.

Look, I normally dislike "Hallmark Holidays", but there really is something very beautiful and right about honoring mothers (and fathers too). They deserve more than a one-time, greeting-card-fueled day, of course … but at least it’s an excuse for all of us to open our eyes to the vital work of Mommyhood.

Spring is funny sometimes, isn’t it? It can heighten the sense that everything is bursting with newness and life … or, well, it can sometimes make things feel worse.

And I KNOW that our clients and friends face the same "junk" every season — doubt, fear, worry. And finances can play such a big role there. (By the way–this is something that even the wealthiest among our clients *still* deal with.)

Don’t believe the hype that having more zeros in your bank balance eliminates all of your problems.

Instead–pick up, pray, do what you need to do to dust off the detritus of fear and doubt … and step into what you were made to do.

That’s my shot in the arm for you today.

And while I have you, I wanted to encourage you to make the space to "step up your game!" It’s something business owners are routinely encouraged to do … but it works for families too.

Rowel Manasan’s
Take A Positive Step Towards Playing a Bigger Game
I’m not very handy around the house.

But I’ve embraced my all-thumbs ways, and have learned to see why this "deficiency" enables me to think bigger, and grow wealth for my family.

Look, admit that most things you cannot do (with apologies to the very "handy" among us): You probably aren’t going to redo the roof on your house. You likely don’t have a clue how to knock down a wall to open up the downstairs. If the potty stops working and the plunger and Drano don’t work, you’re calling the plumber. Likewise, you pay someone to work on your car because you either don’t know how to or you’d rather have a professional do it.

But one of the common messages which even the wealthiest among us often find themselves adhering to is: "Do it yourself to save money." Don’t hire a maid, don’t go out to eat, don’t pay someone to do your yard. Do it yourself and save money.

Baloney.

I say: "Outsource everything you can and focus on building your wealth!"

Oh, and it’s not only good for you, it’s good for the world economy. It’s called "comparative advantage" and it’s why you aren’t a landscaper. Or a plumber.

Some people have the time or the motivation to do things other people would outsource. I know plenty of men that just like to change their car’s oil. But I also know people too busy (and productive) to mow their own grass. So you have to decide what aspects of your life are worth outsourcing.

For families and mothers, there’s plenty that you perhaps *shouldn’t* outsource: raising your children, engaging with charities, loving your spouse (!). But there’s likely to be plenty of tasks which sap your energy, drain your productivity (in the home AND in your work pursuits) and can be successfully handled by an hourly earner.

Personally, I hope to make it possible that I’m so productive I have to outsource just about everything. Said differently: I want to just work, help clients, and pay people to do just about everything else for me.

What about you?

Probate Tip #1: Hire an Experienced Probate Attorney in Los Angeles and San Bernardino
It may be tempting to navigate probate alone, but a good probate lawyer will be able to make the entire process more efficient. The attorney’s expertise will guide you steadily in the right direction and keep you on track for closing probate as quickly as possible.

Probate Tip #2: Notify Creditors Quickly
Part of the probate process is making creditors aware of the death. As long as the probate is open, creditors can come looking for payment, which can significantly slow down process. Instead, it is better to get everything lined up as quickly as possible to be able to move on to the next phase.

Probate Tip #3: Get an Appraised Inventory
As the executor works with the estate, he or she should be creating an inventory of its assets and getting appraisals when appropriate, whether on personal effects, real estate, or other assets. The courts may need to be involved with the process, so discuss it with your Diamond Bar and Upland probate lawyer.

Probate Tip #4: Don’t Miss Deadlines
There are specific deadlines set for when documents need to be filed. Missing these deadlines will lead to the need for more court appearances (i.e. time, hassle and more money), as well as keeping probate open—and the estate vulnerable—for that much longer.

Probate Tip #5: Keep Accurate Records
The creditor claim period can vary from state to state, which another excellent reason to work with a local probate lawyer in Diamond Bar and Upland. Once this period has ended, the executor will file the final report and accounting. Having these numbers ready to go and double checking them for accuracy helps get the estate closed faster.

There’s no doubt that seeing an estate through probate offers some stress and potential confusion. A good probate lawyer in Diamond Bar and Upland will minimize this stress, and utilizing these simple probate tips can get the estate and all those connected to it through the process that much faster.

For a lot of people, a business is their biggest asset. Certainly, you want to make sure it’s protected–no matter what happens.  By planning now, you can help ensure that your business will go on to survive without you instead of falling apart because you’re no longer at the helm.

Step One:  Choose a Successor for Your Business

This was already mentioned in the event that are planning to retire, but other situations can arise in which you are unable to continue to head up your business.  Having someone you trust lined up who is prepared to take the reins should it become necessary will ensure your business stays running during an otherwise chaotic time.

Step Two:  Share the Knowledge

All too often, the business owner is the only person who is privy to all of the information it really takes to make the business run.  If you’re keeping everything “in your head,” how can your employees keep things running in your absence?  It’s time to gather up operational information that others may need should they be forced to step in and fulfill your role.  This doesn’t mean you need to share trade secrets with every employee; it just means that you should at least have a good blueprint for how things work that is accessible to the person or people who will need it if the time comes.

Step Three:  Know Your Assets

It’s a good idea to understand the overall value of your business.  Creating an inventory of assets is a good start in this process.  In today’s age, many assets are not even tangible items but are digital in nature—such as web properties, online accounts, and more. Talk to a professional if you need help assessing your assets.

Step Four:  Work with an Diamond Bar Attorney

To solidify your ideas and ensure that you are planning within the scope of the law, you’ll want to sit down with a business planning attorney here in Diamond Bar who is familiar with local laws and regulations.  Your attorney will help you draw up legal documentation that provides direction for your business when you are no longer able to retain control.  It also helps to establish your true intentions and limit the amount of challenges others may face later down the road.

If you’re ready to get started creating such a plan for your business, call our Diamond Bar business planning law firm at 626-283-5093 and ask to schedule a complimentary planning session with the mention of this article ($750 value).

How’d your taxes end up? Do let us know if that process sparked anything you’d like us to talk over with you — it often does. We’re not just here for you to plan for catastrophe, after all!

Because as we work with families, we do spend a good amount of time sorting through beneficiary decisions and attitudes about life, money and the values which parents seek to pass on.

But one of the more difficult tasks for me is when I meet with a family who doesn’t have the confidence they wish they would have about how their children would handle finances, down the line.

At the point of making these decisions, we can put into place a whole range of mechanisms which will ensure that financial assets are properly distributed, when the time does come.

But wouldn’t it be great if our children had the experience and self-control to handle money, starting at an early age?

That’s why I’ve put together some pointers for you which will help your family raise children who "get it" when it comes to money. This is a great post to pass along to your friends and family, I think – because it’s an issue which we receive many in-person questions on, and can be somewhat controversial and difficult.

And, of course, I’d love your thoughts (as usual!)…

Manasan’s "Money Talk" For Children
As Americans try to spend less and go on a budget this provides an opportunity to teach the next generation financial principles they may never have seen in the prosperous years they have been alive. Here are ten principles for teaching children about money:

1. Talk about money. Every time money is involved, parents have a chance to teach their children the values and analysis behind their actions. Money should never be the primary topic of discussion, but it is one of the most important topics through which we communicate our wisdom and values to our children. Every purchase, investment, or donation can be a time to teach your children something about your values.

2. Talk openly about money. Parent makes a mistake when they keep information from their children. The only way children learn what is a good deal and what is too expensive is by the experience of what their family earns and what items cost. Hiding this information robs children of the financial education they need.

3. Talk factually about money. Many parents have strong emotions about money based on their childhood experiences. These emotions are always transmitted to children. Instead of helping children, they can cripple children from growing to make sound financial decisions.

4. Require chores; pay for optional work. Everyone in the family has to help complete the work that needs to be done. If you want to pay your children, only pay them for optional work they can choose to do or not to do.

5. Provide children an allowance they can make real choices with. Talk about money is important, but children need real-world lab experience to understand the consequences of their decisions. Consider giving them an allowance large enough so that they can purchase some of their own needs. Then continue to give them honest advice, and help them ask the right questions to make wise decisions based on their values.

6. Help children prioritize purchases. Ask them if this purchase is better than other purchases they are considering making.

7. Help children comparison shop. Help them consider issues such as cost, quality, and convenience.

8. Require children to wait before making large purchases. Adults should wait at least a month whenever they are making a large purchase. Children shouldn’t be expected to wait that long. Here is a good rule of thumb: Children should be required to wait as many days as they are old in years before being allowed to make a large purchase (over a week’s allowance). There is always tomorrow…and over half the time they won’t remember what attracted them to it in the first place. Developing this habit will help make them resistant to impulse buying.

9. Don’t use money as a punishment. Your priority should be helping to give your values to your children, not buy their outward behavior.

10. Don’t loan your children money! If their desired purchase is something they should be saving for, let them save for it. If you want to buy it for them for the value of the experience, buy it for them. The principles are "If they want it, they have to save for it. If you want them to have it, you will buy it for them." Loaning your children money for items they want teaches them they aren’t responsible and they don’t have to prioritize.

Some may disagree with all of these admonitions–I don’t intend to become a "parenting guru" in my spare time–but I do hope that, at minimum, this will help you be thinking about how your wishes get passed down.

Give us a call if we can serve you in any way: (909) 843-6427

This allows you to feel confident in what you’re doing, as well as minimize the time spent on the task at hand.  Both you and your lawyer will benefit from clear, concise communication, and if anything is missing, it will be considerably easier to discover and remedy the situation up front.  A Diamond Bar trust and estates lawyer would advise you to consider all of these things in preparation for your meeting.

First, compile a list of your assets and liabilities.  Doing this in advance, rather than waiting to be directed by your estate planning lawyer can save a fair amount of time.  Again, if you’ve overlooked something, the attorney will likely be able to point it out, but you won’t have to go through the basics in your meeting time.  Some of the assets and liabilities you’ll want to include are:

• Any bank accounts.  Having recent statements is a great way to go.
• Investment accounts
• Stocks and bonds
• Life insurance and Annuity policies
• Deeds for properties you own
• Retirement plans
• Business partnerships or LLC interests
• Money owed to you
• Personal effects
• Loans and credit

It is also helpful to determine in advance who will inherit your estate.  While an estate planning lawyer in Diamond Bar can help you determine candidates, this is a very personal choice. Along similar lines, it makes sense to determine who you would like to take on specific roles in managing your estate.  For example, who will you name as guardian for minor children, who do you entrust as the executor of your estate, and who will have your medical power of attorney?

Fortunately, we live in the Information Age, which means that whether you live in Diamond Bar or New York City, you have access to the same information that can help you prepare in advance for a meeting with your estate planning lawyer, rather than having to wait around (and pay for) directions on how to get started.  The result is a more streamlined process and a stronger sense of control over the planning of your estate.

As you probably have gathered by now, I post these weekly notes because I sincerely desire to offer my experience and expertise to the family issues which too often become rushed in the midst of trial. I read every response, and I’m so grateful to be connected to a group of families who are so committed to one another, and so responsive. Keep ‘em coming…

And, of course, I’m always grateful for your referrals–they’re the lifeblood of our firm. While many lawyers spend an arm and a leg for expensive advertisements, we’ve found that our BEST advertising is the relationships we maintain with our clients and friends. No, I’m not averse to advertising our services–it’s simply that friends who are referred by our clients turn out to be our best kind of clients.

So, thanks for your continued referrals!

This week, I’m continuing the series started last week, and will give you some insight into what to look for when you check out a nursing home facility in person…

Manasan’s Long-Term Care Guide (Part 2)
You’ve narrowed down your list, and it’s time to take a closer look at the options.

Good news: you don’t need to schedule your visits in advance. If you show up during regular business hours, you should be able to meet with an administrative staff member, who should be able to answer all your questions.  But you may also want to set aside time to tour a second time (in the evening or on the weekend), simply to see if there is a drastic difference in the atmosphere of the facility or the care being provided.

Lastly, it is very important to tour at least two facilities so you can see the difference in the physical facility and the staff.

While you are touring the facility, pay attention to your gut feelings.  Ask yourself:

• Do they seem to genuinely care for the residents?
• Is the facility clean?
• Are there any strong odors?
• Is the staff friendly?
• Do I feel welcome?
• How long did I have to wait to meet with someone?
• Did the admissions director ask about my family member’s wants and needs?
• Do the staff seem to get along with each other?

Put on your radar, and listen and observe. You want to be sure that the facility is giving proactive care, not just reacting to crisis.

And you’ll want to be armed with some questions, so here are a few examples of the types of questions the staff should be able to answer:

• How do you ensure that call lights are answered promptly, regardless of your staffing?
• If my father is not able to move or turn himself, how do you ensure that he is turned and does not develop bedsores?
• How do you make sure that someone is assisted with the activities of daily living like dressing, toileting and transferring?
• Can residents bring in their own supplies?
• Can residents use any pharmacy they wish?
• How many direct care staff members do you have on each shift? Does this number exceed the minimal number that state regulations require, or do you just meet the minimum standard?
• What sources of payment do you accept?
• How long has the medical director been with your facility?
• What is your policy on family care planning conferences? Will you adjust your schedule to make sure that I can attend the meeting?

While touring each facility, make notes and

Don’t Neglect Expert Help.

In addition to finding the facility you like best, don’t forget that you need expert legal assistance as part of the planning process. Without proper planning and legal advice from an experienced firm, many families needlessly squander their life savings on long-term care, and unnecessarily jeopardize their own care and well-being, as well as the security of their family.

If we’re able to help you with this process–great. If not, we’re happy to point you in the right direction, to ensure you’ve got an experienced advocate working on your behalf.

Far too many people assume that their families would make the choices they would want in an emergency.  Yet everyday we hear stories of adult children, siblings or other relatives battling during a health care crisis over “what their loved one would have wanted” in that situation.

The Terry Shiavo case is a great example of this. At the young age of 26, Shiavo suffered sudden cardiac arrest and slipped into a permanent a vegetative state.    She never documented her wishes about things like feeding tubes, life support and long-term quality of life, leaving her family to battle for years over these questions in court.

Her husband eventually had her feeding tube removed claiming, “That’s what she would have wanted”. But was it really? We’ll never know because Terry didn’t make her healthcare wishes known to her closest family and friends.

But it’s not enough to just tell someone about your wishes.  You need to clearly document your preferences, too.  Remember, emotions can run high during a health care crisis, and it might be hard for your loved ones to stop life support when they desperately want you around.  Having your wishes spelled out in writing helps make these types of decisions easier for your loved ones, especially in cases when other family members don’t agree.

So in honor of National Health Care Decisions Day, I encourage you to start tough conversations with loved ones about your personal medical preferences for medical or long-term care.  Here are some important questions to consider:

·      What are your thoughts on feeding tubes, life support and other artificial life saving devices?

·      Is there any type of medical care you would NEVER want?

·      If you were permanently disabled or incapacitated, what things would contribute or take away from your “quality of life”?

·      Who do you trust to make important medical decisions if you are unable to speak for yourself?

·      What are your thoughts on nursing home vs. in-home health care?  Who would you trust to manage your long-term care?

These are not the most fun conversations to have, but they will help to ensure that your most personal wishes are honored in a true medical emergency.  Talk them over with loved ones and get something in writing that spells out your wishes and the care you want if something happens to you.  If you have questions, talk to your attorney and get something in writing before an unforeseen emergency strikes.

QUOTE:

Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder …

- Henry David Thoreau

Keeping critical documents safe and accessible

In case of a fire or an immediate evacuation order, could you quickly find all of your important documents? If you’re  like most people, your birth certificate, marriage license, insurance papers, mortgage and retirement fund information are in several different places.

Not only could this cause problems for you in an emergency, if they are needed by your family at a difficult time, their search could be difficult and frustrating. According to New York Life Insurance, the best way to store critical documents is to keep them in a fireproof cabinet or safe.

Divide them into categories and mark each one clearly in case your family has to locate them on your behalf. Include:

* Key contacts: phone numbers and addresses for family, banks, life, home, auto and health insurance providers.

* Identification documents: birth certificate, adoption papers, a copy of your driver’s license, Social Security card, marriage licenses or civil union certificates.

* Emergency information: whatever would be needed if you became seriously ill or injured, such as living wills, care proxies, beneficiary forms, IRAs, 401(k)s, last will and testament, trust documents, burial instructions, cemetery plot and deeds or prepaid cremation documents, military discharge papers, funeral home preferences and information for obituaries.

* Insurance policies: life insurance policies and documents, health and accident IDcards and claim records, mortgage insurance policies, annuity statements and documents, beneficiary forms and long-term care policies.

* Financial paperwork: your checks, bank statements, mortgages, auto and other loan information, credit card statements, appraisals of valuable items, rental or lease agreements, investments, real estate deeds or titles of ownership, and last year’s tax returns.

Review the information with those who would need access to it.

This wonderful food will help you live longer

Wouldn’t it be nice to discover a food that reduces your risk of death from heart disease, infectious and respiratory diseases and, in fact, reduces your risk of death from all causes?

This wonder food exists, and the good news is that you don’t have to wait for it to be produced. It’s available to everyone and available right now.

It’s called fiber, but not just any fiber. The fiber from grains is what offers the magic of a longer life. That’s a proven fact.

The National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study shows that fiber from grains has the strongest association with reduced mortality. The fiber in vegetables and beans was far less effective, and the fiber from fruit had no life lengthening qualities.

This was just one of the studies in 35 to 40 years of research on grain fibers. The largest study, by The National Cancer Institute, compared the fiber intake of 219,123 men and 168,999 women ages 50 to 71.

Over a 9-year period, those in the highest grain fiber group were 22 percent less likely to die of any cause.

Calories build body fat, not the foods they come from

Some dieters think they lose weight by not eating bread. Others skip high-fat foods like ice cream, and some dieters don’t eat meat.

Now, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dieting by limiting certain types of foods is pointless. New studies show it’s the number of calories you consume, not where they come from, that determines the amount of body fat you lose or gain.

In the study, young, healthy men and women were deliberately fed about 1,000 excess calories a day for 56 days. Their diets varied in the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

While participants on a low-protein diet lost a few more pounds than those on a normal or low-fat diet, body fat in all three groups was about the same at the end of the study.

The study suggests that it doesn’t matter very much whether a diet is high or low in fat, carbohydrates or protein, it’s calories that build body fat. Doctors say this is an important finding: weight gain depends primarily on excess calories, regardless of the composition of a meal.

Study subjects on low-protein diets had a detrimental effect from the study. They had a reduction in levels of lean body mass, which is not healthful. Typical U.S. protein consumption is 15 percent. The government says it should be 17 to 21 percent of total daily calories.

Study subjects whose diets included 15 percent to 25 percent protein had an increase in lean body mass.  During the study, they all lived at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. Physical activity was controlled and participants were monitored to make sure they ate all the food they were given.

Researchers at UCLA Center for Human Nutrition urge doctors to focus on fat reduction rather than on weight loss when treating patients with obesity.

The trendy terrarium can be a colorful garden under glass

Gardeners who can’t wait for their outdoor projects to blossom are taking a new tack for bringing greenery and flowers into their homes.

They’re building terrariums. The trend has prompted garden centers to show them off and to stock appropriate materials, containers and plants.

Even people who famously lack a green thumb can be successful terrarium builders. These gardens require minimal care and even thrive on neglect. After they’re planted, all you do is give them a little water every few weeks and keep them out of direct sunlight.

Glass bowls and containers are typically chosen for terrariums, but the plantings will be successful in almost any kind of container. You can even use a bell jar or tall glass jar with a fancy cover. A covered unit works just fine and requires even less moisture.

Terrariums need no drainage, so skip the pots with holes that you use for container gardening or houseplants.

At the garden center, buy five 2- and 4-inch pots of baby plants like mosses, ferns, jade, kalanchoes, African violets, palms, snake plant and peperomias.

With the new popularity of terrariums, greenhouses are growing genetically small plants.

Start with a 12-inch-wide, 6-inch deep glass bowl. Buy small bags of horticultural gravel, activated charcoal, potting mix, wood chips and 5 small plants.

Wash and dry the container. Place a half-inch layer of gravel for drainage on the bottom. Sprinkle a few pieces of charcoal over it to prevent souring. Add a layer of potting soil 2 to 3 inches deep, leaving at least 1 inch below the rim of the container.

Before setting a plant, soften and spread the root ball and open it up a little in the middle for good root growth. Place the five plants in the potting mix and sprinkle with wood chips in places. Don’t cover the soil entirely.

Add decorative accents like seashells, tiny ceramic animals or an elf.

Put a few drops of water around each root ball.

Avoiding messy paint cans

When you dip your paintbrush, you usually wipe the excess against the side of the can. Before you know it, paint is dripping down the side of the can. The little groove around the rim gets so full of paint that it splatters everywhere when you hammer the lid back on.

Avoiding the mess is easy. Just wrap one or two rubber bands around the can from top to bottom, going across the middle of the can opening.

When you fill your paint brush, just tap it against the rubber bands and the excess paint will fall back into the can, according to the Readers’ Digest book, Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things.

Intelligent products dominated  the Consumer Electronics Show

“Smart” was the keyword in advertising for many products shown at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Panasonic was drawing attention to its Smart Viera-branded televisions: Samsung proclaimed, “The Future of the Smart TV is Now;” China’s Hisense offered “The first mobile Smart TV;” and LG Electronics asked, “How Smart is Your 3D?”

Appliance manufacturers offered smart washers, dryers, refrigerators and fitness devices with brains to be proud of. Remote control electronic devices were also very smart, as were tablet computers and smartphones, says USA Today’s Edward Baig.

He tells us that smart electronics take user interaction to the next level. Increasingly, smart TVs and other devices rely more on natural user interfaces: touch, gestures and voice. Apps are also critical.

All kinds of smart devices were shown in Las Vegas. Coming soon, the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale. It tracks your weight, body fat and more, and uploads the data to FitBit.com, where the user can access the information.

Wii U comes with a tablet-like controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Depending on the game, your point of focus is the TV screen, the controller or both.

How to become a better list maker

The infamous to-do list can be one of your best time-management tools, or it can be a source of anxiety. It depends on how and where you make it.

Choosing the right medium is one factor. A notebook can do the job for a simple list, but for a more complicated list that includes various categories, some people use computer programs such as LifeBalance by Llamagraphics. Others like having their list handy on a tablet computer or smart phone.

An app called Remember the Milk, for the iPad, lets the user sort and prioritize tasks and set reminders of due dates, financial matters and home duties. It can call up all tasks involving a “bill” or a “call.”

Business consultant Daniel Scocco recommends having the list in front of you all day. It keeps you moving forward to the next task, but only after taking a break. Breaks, he says, are essential for keeping creativity high.

He also recommends noting things you don’t want to do, such as frequently checking email.

Assign a priority to each task and tackle them in the order of importance. Important tasks should be at the top of the to-do list.

Life coach and author Sasha Cagen advises clients to put more tasks on their lists that they actually enjoy.

Julie Morganstern, a New York expert on time management says effective lists are limited to specific tasks that can done fairly soon.

Each task should include a time allotment, such as one hour. There is no point in putting more tasks on the list than you can realistically do in one day. Put the rest on another day’s list.

Group tasks by where they’ll be done, such as office, home, or while running errands.

Good Idea! Have your home inspected before you list

Most homeowners do well at making the house look nice by painting, cutting the grass and fixing anything that breaks.

But, a home that is ready for sale has to have more than just a pretty face.

Before you list, consider spending a couple of hundred dollars to have your home inspected by a professional. He can spot conditions that cost little to repair now but could put off prospective buyers.

Angie Hicks (Angie’s List) says people are too busy with their lives to deal with prevention. Her recommended inspectors report that, typically, they find one or more conditions that the homeowner didn’t know about.

Inspectors often see do-it-yourself or handyman repairs that were done improperly and are unsafe. Electrical and plumbing work are two of the most common building code violations.

Heating and air conditioning systems are examined and recommendations made. Homes of all ages benefit from exterior maintenance to keep moisture from creating issues and concerns.

People who don’t have the time or inclination to crawl about the attic, basement or crawlspace should know that these are some of the hundred or more large and small areas a home inspector examines.

Inspectors frequently uncover problems completely unknown to the homeowner. One inspector noted that a bathroom exhaust system was sending so much moisture into the attic that the 2x4s above it were rotting away. He recommended that a roof vent be installed in the area. That solved the problem.

Another inspector discovered that because of a slow plumbing leak, the frame supporting a toilet had almost disintegrated. The whole toilet (and anyone on it) could fall into the crawlspace at any time.

Fixing the big problems before you list can make your home much more attractive to a buyer.

Visit the American Society of Home Inspectors (ashi.org) to find an inspector in your area.