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I cannot think of anything more unfair than a child with a life threatening illness or having to constantly go to or stay at the hospital! The anguish the parents feel or how siblings sacrifice their own lives for their sick family member is something I hope I never have to experience as a parent. But it is something too many families deal with on a daily basis. A lot of times, that means no birthday parties - one of the biggest things a kid looks forward to all year! That is why I love volunteering with Make-A-Wish and Icing Smiles. You are probably familiar with Make-A-Wish but maybe not Icing Smiles. They are similar to Make-A-Wish, but Icing Smiles focuses on the cake. That is where I come in. They aim to provide sick kids or their siblings with a custom cake to provide a temporary escape from worry and create a positive memory during a difficult time. They realize that a cake is a luxury for a family battling an illness. Since delivering their first cake back in 2010, they have now donated over 7,000 cakes. I love being able to create a dream cake for a child. Something as simple as cake batter and icing can become rather grand and bring a smile to a sick child's face.
My name is Carie Tindill and I started Cakeitecture Bakery over 4 years ago and really found my passion in life! My undergraduate degree is in Architecture and my Masters degree is in Construction Management. So that is where my professional career started - in the architecture and construction world. Baking and decorating mixed with architecture and construction may sound like a strange combination, but this collective experience combines together well and makes for great cakes. We made our first Make-A-Wish cake 2 years ago and it was one of the best feelings I have had in my professional career! The little girl's name is Melanie and she was battling cancer. I found out she loves the Little Mermaid and would soon be heading to DisneyLand to meet her in person. The Make-A-Wish volunteer gave me free reign to create whatever we wanted. Melanie loved it so much she wouldn't let anyone cut the cake at first. Her parents finally convinced her to keep the top tier and let them cut the bottom tier. I was so proud that what we made brought happiness and joy to her! I wanted to keep doing just that - making kids happy!!
I love being a "Sugar Angel" and we now donate up to 6 cakes a year. But that is just how we, ourselves, are involved with these two great organizations. If you would like to get involved with Icing Smiles you can visit them at http://www.icingsmiles.org and become a "Sugar Angel" yourself or you can donate to their cause. To get involved with Make-A-Wish visit them at http://wish.org/ to see all the ways you can get involved. You can visit us at http://www.CakeitectureBakery.com/ or at www.facebook.com/CakeitectureBakery.
Thanks for helping "Bake A Difference!"
Carie Tindill, Owner and Lead Designer
"Blending the Art of Cake with the Art of Design"
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The second quarter of 2015 has begun and along with this, spring is around the corner. This is the time of new beginnings, of growth and the realization of dreams. Students are preparing for graduation and the move onto college, yard and home improvement are being planned, and many folks are going on their dream vacations. Spring always finds me ready to be in motion, going in many directions, and thriving on the days as they get longer. Many wonderful events happen in the spring. Among these are some of my favorites; Blintzapalooza, Procession of the Species, Arts Walk and the Women's Leadership Council Power of the Purse event. In March, I get to stock up on blintzes for the year at the Temple Beth Hatfiloh. I'm hoping that friends from out of state will join us for Arts Walk and then the Procession of the Species the weekend of April 24th and 25th. On May 8th, I am hoping to have at least two tables of friends and associates join me for the Power of the Purse event. It is the main fundraiser for the Women's Leadership Council Giving Circle. I have been involved with this wonderful organization and event for over 4 years now. Their mission statement is "We positively impact the lives of women and children in our community by promoting self-sufficiency and financial stability through philanthropy and community service." and this really resonates with me. Over these past four years, we have supported many mature and returning students via scholarships to attend South Sound Community College. The Power of the Purse event is fun and a good excuse to dress up and have a great time networking and making new friends, while supporting a wonderful cause. If you are interested in joining the excitement, let me know.
On top of all of these wonderful event opportunities, spring is also the time I enjoy playing during my down-time. I love to get out and do some biking, paddle boarding, and camping. Go out and enjoy the green that the rain brings and the sun when it appears!
Nancy
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Actions come from decisions. Today' decisions effect tomorrow. Where you are today is a result of conscious and unconscious moments in your life. Special Olympics, a movement that has improved so many family experiences with their special child can be traced back to a decision by Joseph Kennedy, and his daughter Eunice's reaction to it. The very wealthy Kennedys, unlike many families of their social class, did not exclude their "special needs" child from the family. Eunice and her sibling interacted and were part of each other's lives. In the context of today, it was limited and some of the care given was questionable. I propose that, for that generation and social setting, it was exceptional. Eunice Kennedy Shriver was motivated to do more and help others like her sister, to live a life of inclusion and participation. Joe Kennedy's "minor" decision, imperfectly acted on, to include his special needs daughter, started a movement that continues today.
An argument can be made that part of our National Park system may not be here if it was not for Teddy Roosevelt deciding that being of weak body was not acceptable. He was well off and could have just lived a life of ease and leisure. Instead, he decided that exercise and fresh air were the answers and he headed west. It was the start of his love affair with nature and all things wild. The establishment of the National Park system occurred during his presidency.
Even your small decisions have an impact. Do not underestimate your decisions to take action or not. To take one more action to get the job done right, to take a class, go to a meeting, reach out to a mentor, ask a question or not, will have an effect. Your small decisions have a forward motion effect. The pay it forward "currency" here is your life. Your decisions influence your options, your legacy, and your intentions. This article that you are reading happened because at the age of 10, I decided that I had thoughts that were worthy of sharing. That started me on the path of learning how to communicate and learning from others. My first step was becoming an avid reader and a seeker of knowledge, both in and out of the classroom. A small decision at the ripe age of 10 is still affecting me today. What decisions have you made? What is the next decision you will make?
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Spring is a time to play outside and enjoy the fresh air and nature. A few years ago, we rediscovered our bicycles. Our bikes aren't anything fancy. They are just your basic ten speed street bikes, designed and used for recreation. We enjoy the local paved streets and bike trails of Olympia or biking around vacation spots such as Chelan, Hood River and Portland.
Here in Olympia, we can quickly get to the Chehalis Western Trail and head north toward Woodard Bay or south toward Rainier. So far, we have started at various points along the trail, but have not actually travelled the complete trail. I will be surprised if we ever do, as we are just not that hard core. We tend to ride by time not distance and loop ourselves back to our cars. We also enjoy cross trails that are available locally that can take you from downtown Olympia to Lacey. If you wanted, you could easily bike from Eastside Street to the movies on Martin Way via bike trails. We also have a good network of bike lanes available on our streets.
While we are in our home town, we bike mainly on the paved trails, rather than the streets. When we are traveling to Portland, Chelan, Hood River, or other towns that we like to tour, we bike the side streets. While riding, we find ourselves admiring the architecture, gardens and the eccentrics of the neighborhoods. We once found a toy horse hitched to a ring on a side street in Portland, a mermaid on a balcony in Bend, and also a very tall lifeguard tower on another street in Bend. While touring Hood River, we found a wonderful out-of- the-way bakery, and in Chelan we found a cool little park. While in Portland, we happened upon a tasty diner. You just never know what you may come across when you are truly just riding and observing for relaxation.
We have biked around Point Defiance and I would like to do that again this spring. Riding around and watching the flowers come into bloom, and then a sunset dinner at Anthony's sound like a perfect Sunday outing. We will probably tour the Washington Historical Society exhibit "Living in the Shadow", and visit the Tacoma Art Museum's "Western American Art Gallery" in the morning. I find visiting museums in the morning more enjoyable as there tend to be fewer crowds and the docents are more enthused about the subject on hand. Life is good. Play outside and explore your local area, perhaps on a bicycle! We live in a magical place with fantastic people, geography and history. Enjoy it.
Sincerely,
Nancy J. LaPointe
MBA, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®
Financial Planner, Wealth Manager,
Investment Adviser Representative
NAVIGATE FINANCIAL
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23... Percentage of millionaire investors who say their biggest investing mistake was failing to adequately diversify their portfolio.*
17... Percentage of women believed to be on target to retire comfortably.**
26... Percentage of men believed to be on target to retire comfortably.**
*deVere Group
**Financial Finesse
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Upcoming Complimentary Educational Seminar
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Investment 101 Educational Seminar
Presented by
Nancy J. LaPointe
Wednesday,
April 22, 2015
6:00-7:30pm
Jessica Jensen Law Offices
2604 12th Ct SW
Suite B
Olympia, WA 98502
You and your friends are invited to attend an exciting educational seminar opportunity! This presentation will cover the ins and outs of the market and investing, specifically geared toward the novice. We will discuss the main differences between the types of financial products such as bonds, stocks, mutual funds, REIT's, IRA's, annuities, etc...
This would be a great opportunity to share this beginner information with others that you know that have been interested in learning/investing, but didn't know where to start.
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Mid-West Mom's Helpful Hints
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Remove Stickers from Glass... What were the manufacturers thinking when they put that sticker on the glass? Don't they know how hard it is to get off? When soap and water doesn't work and you don't want to ruin a fingernail or risk scratching delicate glass with a blade, try a little WD-40. Spray it on the sticker and glass, wait a few minutes, and then use a no-scratch spatula or acrylic scraper to scrape the sticker off. The solvents in the WD-40 cause the adhesive to lose its stickiness.
Remove marker and crayon marks... Did the kids use your wall as if it was a big coloring book? Not to worry! Simply spray some WD-40 onto the marks and wipe with a clean rag. WD-40 will not damage the paint or most wallpaper (test fabric or other fancy wall coverings first). It will also remove marker and crayon marks from furniture and appliances.
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Referrals are always appreciated! |
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If there is someone in your circle whose name you'd consider sharing, please know that:
- We would contact them only with your permission and in whatever way you would feel most comfortable
- Your financial situation is held in the strictest privacy in my office, and we would provide the same level of confidentiality to anyone you refer here
- Anyone you refer to us will receive the same level of service and customized attention to their specific financial goals that you enjoy
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