D.L. Jones Home Team - January/February 2022

D.L. Jones Home Team - January/February 2022

602-677-4130 • DLJonesHomes.com January/February 2022 North Valley Pride

SCIENCE SAYS KINDNESS KEEPS US HEALTHY

Plus, 10 Kind Habits to Adopt!

Hi, friends! I hope you’ve had a wonderful New Year’s. After reflecting a little bit on our world in 2022, I started thinking about kindness as well as its impact on us as human beings. I don’t know if kindness is lacking more than ever, but I do think that kindness is just as necessary as ever. If you’ve ever had an act of kindness lift you out of a dark place, then you know that random acts of kindness are just as necessary as ever. Amazingly, I found that research suggests that kindness has positive effects on both our physical and mental health. Finding Peace in Kindness A 2019 study in The Journal of Social Psychology found that people who performed kindness activities for seven days saw a boost in happiness. The degree to which their happiness increased was directly correlated to the number of acts of kindness they performed. “Performing acts of kindness has measurable impacts on our mental health by increasing the neurotransmitters in the brain that make us feel satisfied and overall good: serotonin and dopamine,” Rachel Slick, LCSW, a behavioral health clinician at UCHealth, told Very Well Mind . “Random acts of kindness toward others can increase oxytocin, which is a hormone that makes us feel connected to each other and that we can trust each other.” Put simply, kind acts produce chemicals that have a profound impact on our mood and overall happiness. While being compassionate and kind to others may not solve all our problems, they can act as a chemical override to everything that makes us feel bad in our everyday lives. Because of these proven benefits, some psychologists recommend volunteering or community service as part of a treatment plan, especially for decreasing overall anxiety and depression. How Being Kind Helps You Live Longer Research shows that kind people tend to live longer for one main reason: lower cortisol levels. While kindness can boost certain positive hormones, kindness can also help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, according to the journal Integrative Psychological and Behavioral

Science . People who practice a kindness mindset have up to 23% lower cortisol levels than the average person, decreasing risk of inflammation, weight gain, high blood pressure, and heart disease. 10 Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness Of course, these studies don’t encapsulate what acts of kindness really are about — showing compassion to others. That’s why I want to clarify that this article isn’t about kind vs. unkind people. In life, we all can miss opportunities to be kind without realizing it. (To be kind to others, we have to be a little compassionate with ourselves too!) To miss fewer opportunities, I wanted to share a few ideas and a couple of my favorite acts of kindness that Dennis and I try to do on a regular basis. Even in the middle of a busy day, you might be surprised that taking the time to engage in kindness can change a bad day into an extraordinary one.

1. ‘Pay it forward’ at a drive-thru. I love my husband, Dennis, for many reasons — his spontaneous generosity is certainly one of the reasons. In addition to ordering his usual grande triple-shot black Americano, he will often tell the barista to add the order total for the car behind him. We both have variations of “DL Jones” on our license plates, and one day, we received a phone call from a couple who wanted to thank him for buying their drinks. To our pleasant surprise, a few months later, they were ready to look for a new home and became clients!

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6. Volunteer for a great cause. Think of local issues about which you really care. From animal shelters to Habitat for Humanity, there’s a ton of ways to give back to your community for the causes you’re most passionate about. 7. Know an exhausted parent? Offer to help! Many parents are still catching up on their “me” time after the lockdowns and hybrid/full-time at-home school year. You might not know just how deeply appreciated your offers to babysit, play games with the kids, and/or provide food or snacks can be. 8. Donate gently used clothing. Speaking of animal shelters, blankets and towels are often especially needed there! 9. Check in with a family member or friend. Maybe you haven’t talked to them in days, weeks, or years — either way, catching up with people and seeing how they’ve been handling these times might be the perfect way to reconnect in the new year. 10. Thank somebody. Go out of your way to thank someone, like a colleague, friend, or a family member. You may want to write them a letter or see them in-person to thank them for their influence or involvement in your life. The way you thank them is up to you. As long as your “thank you” means something special to you, it likely will to them too. Filling our lives with kindness is very rewarding and also healthy! Using a slang term that I do not use every day, Kindness is pretty rad, friends!

2. Cook and/or bake for people you care most about — or someone in need. Personally, cooking and baking are some of my favorite pastimes. When people at church or in my community have experienced a major life event like a death in the family, birth, or medical situation, I like to personally deliver meals whenever possible. During COVID-19, I couldn’t take home- cooked meals to people’s homes. Instead, I took a lunch of sub sandwiches to the fire department where our assistant’s husband is captain. I thanked them for their hard work as first responders and essential workers. Apparently, my homemade cookies vanished quickly, which certainly put a smile on my face! 3. Share your wisdom and become a mentor. You might not see yourself as a natural teacher or mentor, but there may be someone in your life — a young person, new co-worker, or friend — who could greatly benefit from your guidance. If a person doesn’t come to mind, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a great mentorship network for kids in need of positive influences. 4. Leave a $10 gift card in your neighbors’ mailboxes. Starbucks, Dutch Bros, or a nearby local coffeehouse are great choices! Whether you sign your name or not, this can be a great way to “pay it forward” for your neighbors and spread a little cheer nearby. 5. Praise a local business. Did you enjoy a meal at a local restaurant recently or get an excellent haircut? Especially after the pandemic, leaving them a positive Google rating makes a huge difference!

–Lisa Jones

January is National Hobby Month, and since it falls at the beginning of the year, now is the perfect time to try something new! Hobbies add variety to your life and ensure you aren’t just living to work, so to speak. The best way to find a hobby you enjoy is to be open to new things. Whether it’s gardening, reading, drawing, running, fishing, crafting, or even beekeeping, finding something in which you find pleasure is important. Here’s why! Hobbies are stress relievers. Hobbies offer a healthy escape from your busy lifestyle by keeping you engaged in something in which you find pleasure. Instead of just relaxing on the couch and turning off your mind for a bit (which is totally acceptable sometimes), hobbies allow you to remain mentally productive while winding down at the same time. Hobbies also provide eustress . Believe it or not, one type of stress is deemed beneficial: eustress. If you aren’t overly stressed and are feeling a little under- stimulated, a hobby can provide activity for both your mind and body to keep you feeling excited about life and ready to take on new challenges and adventures.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A HOBBY Skills That Enrich Us

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New Year’s Eve has come and gone, and now that the champagne is finished and the decorations are put away, it’s time to buckle down and work on those New Year’s resolutions. The only problem is ... your resolutions for this year and last year are the same. Change is tough; you’re not alone in being unable to stick to your resolutions. This year can be different, if you want it to be. Here are some tips to keep you on track. Have a specific goal. Many resolutions are vague — along the lines of “exercise more” or “eat healthier.” That’s too ambiguous to inspire motivation, and vagueness leaves room for excuses. Make your goal more concrete to allow you to measure your success. Specific goals could include going to the gym three times a week, being able to bench a certain number of pounds, or only indulging in fast food once a month. Make your goal realistic — if it’s too drastic or difficult, it’s easier to give up. For Real, This Time How to Keep New Year’s Resolutions

Easy Chocolate Truffles LISA’S KITCHEN

This chocolate truffle recipe isn’t just simple and delicious — it’s completely customizable with unique toppings! It’s sure to be your Valentine’s favorite this year. INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lbs (4 1/2 cups) milk chocolate, melted (110F/45C) • 1 cup whipping cream • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with plastic wrap and set aside. Place melted chocolate in a medium bowl. 2. In a 1-quart saucepan, scald cream. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Beat chocolate with an electric mixer. 3. Stop the mixer and pour cream over chocolate all at once. Continue beating, cleaning sides and bottom of bowl with rubber scraper until mixture is smooth and well-blended (no more than 1–2 minutes). 4. Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate 6 hours until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares and serve immediately. Store in the refrigerator. Notes: If round truffles are preferred, omit the 8-inch pan and chill mixture in the bowl until firm. Shape into balls with a small scoop and place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Dip in chocolate or roll in unsweetened cocoa, chopped nuts, or coconut.

Hobbies offer a social outlet. Some hobbies involve group activities, such as bowling, sports teams, book clubs, and even wine tasting. Connecting with others offers the social support humans depend on to lead a healthy and fruitful life. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find some great friends who share the same passions as you! Hobbies develop patience. When you take on a new hobby, you are tasked with learning something new. Whether you’re practicing a new instrument, learning a different language, or figuring out how to make jewelry, a learning curve is involved. Building new skills takes patience, a very important attribute for success. Finding a hobby that suits you may take some exploration and trial and error, but it is all in good fun! Make it your goal to try something new or learn a new skill each month until you find something that sticks. Once you do, you’re sure to find that hobbies are both enjoyable and enriching!

Have a plan. Bad habits are hard to break; change won’t come about naturally. Consider how you’ll structure your day around your resolution and what obstacles you might face. When will you go to the gym, and what will you do if that time is interrupted? How will you plan meals to avoid spontaneous drive-thru visits? Write down what you want to accomplish and everything that might stand in your way. Then, figure out how you’ll deal with them before they happen. Start small. On Jan. 1, you’re probably enthusiastic about your resolution and ready to hit the ground running. Not so fast — doing too much too soon is a classic mistake. It’s okay to be excited, but working out until you’re sore all over or constantly eating salads you dislike will turn your resolution into a chore that you’ll want to avoid. Start with light workouts or replacing some of your carbs with veggies. Once you get the hang of that, you’ll be ready to scale up slowly. Using these guidelines, you’ll make lasting changes that extend beyond February. Get 2022 started off on the right foot, and next year you’ll be ready to make a whole new resolution — and keep it.

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Say Hello To Our 2021 Success Story — You! FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS, THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING DL JONES

3122 W Steinbeck Drive 14007 N Kendall Drive #B 40423 N Acadia Court 42424 N Gavilan Peak Pkwy. #49104

1548 N Laurel Greens Court 40825 N Barnum Way 40505 N Lytham Court 40011 N Panther Creek Court 3569 WAshton Drive 2150 E Alameda Road #1300 28427 N 68th Avenue 42045 N Crooked Stick Road 40031 N Curie Court 1085 Pine Ridge Drive 42925 N Livingstone Way 286 N 155th Avenue #3 48129 N 15th Avenue 42421 N Anthem Creek Drive 41914 N Harbour Town Court

40601 N Republic Way 9408 W Briarwood Circle 3983 E Herrera Drive 22274 E Stone Crest Court 41332 N Rolling Green Way 40920 N Wild West Trail 39616 N Rolling Green Way 2417 W Shadow Glen Court 40522 N Copper Basin Trail 2508 W Feather Plume Court 5974 W Calle Lejos Drive 12491 W Gentle Rain Road 3656 WMuirfield Court 11618 W Boca Raton Road 2734 N Plum Hollow Drive 25222 N 40th Lane 5184 W Karen Drive 26803 N 24th Avenue 16680 W Saguaro Lane 23107 W Bunker Peak Road 39520 N Hillerman Way 3683 WMcCauley Court 39531 N White Tail Lane 39922 N Peale Court 3340 WHonor Court 39807 N Wisdom Way 14625 N Kings Way

14145 N 92nd Street #2080 41509 N Laurel Valley Way 3154 E Wahalla Lane 42402 N Back Creek Way 4120 W Bradshaw Creek Lane 43409 N 49th Lane 2728 W Plum Hollow Drive 1312 WWayne Court 41704 N Shadow Creek Way 40707 N Bell Meadow Trail 929 E Irvine Road 36215 N 29th Lane 1615 WMorse Drive 43311 N 44th Avenue 3648 W Bryce Court 15634 W 182nd Avenue 1776 WOwens Way 3749 WWhitehawk Court 3434 E Baseline Road #225 40614 N Columbia Trail

2730 WWayne Lane 14818 N 38th Street

41714 N Signal Hill Court 9450 E Becker Lane #2019 2361 N Turtle Hill Court

1805 WWayne Lane 1868 WMorse Drive

40314 N Bell Meadow Trail 40817 N Prestancia Court 2361 WTurtle Hill Court 17017 N 12th Street #1133 33200 Canyon Road 40902 N Noble Hawk Way 3635 W Links Drive 3959 N 151st Lane 41638 N Emerald Lake Drive 1939 W Kuralt Drive 2450 Preddy Lane 1820 WMorse Drive 42128 N Anthem Springs Road 28637 N Moonstone Way

1873 WMorse Drive 18422 N 29th Avenue 2234 WMonona Drive

41614 N Panther Creek Trail 19820 N 13th Avenue #261 42114 N Mountain Cove Drive 39816 N La Cantera Court 2734 W Plum Hollow Drive 39726 N High Noon Way 7814 N 29th Place

40835 N Majesty Court 3550 WMagellan Drive

14945 W Indianola Avenue 9819 E Roadrunner Drive 41026 N Prestancia Avenue 21710 W Roosevelt Avenue 41716 N Emerald Lake Drive 2250 E Deer Valley Road #12 3139 N 37th Drive 16545 E Gunsight Drive 35210 N 30th Drive

2865 WWalden Way 42103 N Astoria Way 7732 WAgora Lane 3038 WDaley Lane

2205 Gold Rush Lane 40513 N Territory Trail

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Dennis & Lisa Jones

Home trends change as the years do. As we begin another year, use interior designer predictions to elevate your home’s style with ease. Bring the outdoors in. Stay Stylish With These 3 Easy-to-Try Design Options 2022’S BIGGEST DESIGN TRENDS

Thanks to the chaos we’ve experienced since 2020, many design experts are looking to create spaces that are calm, welcoming, and grounded. Enter one of the biggest design trends of the 2020s: neutral, natural elements. Here are some easy ways to bring nature inside and boost your home’s look without overspending. The obvious option is to add more houseplants. And plants don’t have to be difficult! Consider your home space, first. How much light do you get? Is it a dry or humid home? How likely are you to remember to water a plant? Bring these concerns to your local nursery, and they will help you find the perfect leafy friend(s) to fill your space. Easy, Affordable Ways to Embrace Nature in Your Home

More home designers are relying on natural

materials, like cotton and clay, and opting for softer, natural approaches to spruce up a space. You can try this by incorporating plants into your living space. Adding pottery and soft blankets can go a long way, too!

Round it out. Modern styles often take a sharp, elongated edged approach, but in 2022, designers believe rounded features are more comforting to us. You can create this in your space by adding round pillows to your couches, swapping out for circular or oval- shaped rugs, or hanging up rounded frames for paintings or pictures.

Then, opt for pieces that won’t decay. When choosing new decor for your home or when updating your knickknacks

for the seasons, look for wooden or natural items that don’t have a life cycle. Fake plants, wooden statues and picture frames, and piles of stones or vases with rocks can bring the richness of the great outdoors into your home with little effort and can be reused each season.

Balance work and life. As the world embraces a work-from-home lifestyle, experts predict our spaces will reflect a clear division between work and home. Look for ways you can separate your office space from your home, potentially by designing it differently than the rest of your space.

Now, look to your backyard! If you have a big pine tree that produces pine cones each year, don’t let those go to waste! Baskets or vases filled with pine cones can be great fall and winter decor pieces, while lots of clever crafters have made wreaths, scent diffusers, and other fun items with pine cones found in their yard. Just be mindful of what you take from nature. Don’t take anything of value to the ecosystem, and don’t grab items from state or national parks. Finally, utilize windows. Part of embracing natural design elements is letting nature do the talking! Focus your design in each room around windows. For instance, fix plant displays near windows or hang bird feeders in trees you can see through your windows. If you really want to get cozy with the outdoors, consider installing a skylight! To find more inspiration, take a walk and discover how Mother Nature has designed her space. Bring those ideas into your home and enjoy the comfort of the great outdoors within your own great indoors.

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5 Tips for a Romantic Desert Picnic TAKE YOUR VALENTINE AND ENJOY

THE WILDERNESS IN STYLE! With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the cooler weather is also a beautiful time to get outdoors in Arizona. There are plenty of amazing hiking spots in the Valley of the Sun, which means there’s also plenty of amazing picnic spots! Here’s the best tips for setting up an impressive, even romantic desert picnic in 2022. No. 1: Pick a trail with plenty of gorgeous views. The key to picking an impressive picnicking spot is picking a place you’ll want to stay for a while. Maybe you’ll pick the very top of a trail, or maybe you’ll pick a comfortable spot along the side of a mountain trail. Either way, AllTrails and TripAdvisor are great websites to research trails for all preferred hiking difficulties! No. 2: See a star-filled sky at a dark sky conservatory. Picnics aren’t just for the daytime. Take a hike in or near a dark sky conservatory. These areas are chosen to limit “light pollution” and preserve Arizona’s most brilliant starry skies for generations to come! And these unique parks make amazing, romantic spots for a date. No. 3: Pack your food for success! Mason jars are going to be your best friend while packing your picnic. Not only are they resealable, but they’re cheap and will stay cold in a

cooler. Also, don’t forget that food can cause other foods to get soggy. Salads and sandwiches should have their wet ingredients (i.e., tomatoes, etc.) packed separately. Keeping your bread and lettuce crisp and crunchy will feel extra gourmet in the middle of your nature picnic! No. 4: Don’t forget some cozy decor. While real candlelight isn’t recommended, electric tea lights can still make your dawn, dusk, or nighttime picnic feel elevated and classy, like a five-star curated experience. Also, don’t forget to bring plenty of blankets and a pillow or two to stay cozy and warm, depending on the time of day and weather! You might consider some music you want to play, too. No. 5: Bring dessert. If you want to make your meal feel complete, don’t forget something sweet. It could be a fruit tart, homemade s’mores bars, Lisa’s easy chocolate truffles (page 3), anything! It’ll be the perfect way to end your picnic. Don’t let our gorgeous winters disappear without making some new memories — especially on a holiday dedicated to some of our most memorable connections. We wish you best of luck on your romantic picnic planning!

With High-Quality Recipes on TikTok BECOME A CHEF IN 60 SECONDS OR LESS

Getting recipes and food advice from strangers on the internet has never been easier, and the preferred recipe-gathering platform right now is TikTok because it’s fast and convenient. Unfortunately, that’s not always a good thing. If you’re wondering how to sift through all the bite-sized videos to find the best recipes, follow our guide to TikTok! Where to Start On the TikTok app, click on the “Discover” tab, and from there, you can search for any recipe. You can even search accounts using this tab if you know a specific creator. If you’re looking for something that just looks tasty, use the hashtags #TikTokCooks and #Recipes to see what has made it to the front page! Avoid Fake Recipes Some TikTok creators film satirical, “clickbait” videos making outrageous dishes that were never tested or even intended to be eaten. The best way to avoid this is by paying close attention to the video. Is the creator using ingredients not normally put together or that have conflicting tastes? Are they making exaggerated comments or facial expressions over a simple dish? If you still aren’t sure after questioning the video, then check the creator’s account for other content they’ve made. If they regularly

make other satirical videos, you can probably assume their newest viral hit is also fake. Sometimes looking at the comments will help, but the comments could also play into the joke. Find Real Recipes The easiest way to find accounts that will share real recipes is to look for a blue verified check mark by their name. But some creators who share authentic recipes aren’t verified, so to make sure these are real recipes, listen to their instructions. Do they tell you what they are making? Do they share ingredients, measurements, cook time, and further instructions? TikTok also created a recipe button on cooking videos, which will help list out ingredients and directions. This will make it easier for you to get all the details on your new favorite recipe. Accounts to Begin With If you’re just starting your TikTok culinary journey, check out @Newt , who makes learning recipes fun and easy. He cooks a variety of dishes that are both educational and entertaining. Also check out @CookingWithShereen , a professional recipe developer who makes gourmet cooking at home easy. Happy cooking!

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Take a Break

TRY THESE 3 ORGANIZATION TECHNIQUES! RECOMMENDED BY PROFESSIONALS

If you’re looking to reorganize your home this winter, you’re in luck — we think you’ll like these highly impactful and trendy organization strategies, collected from organizing professionals! No. 1: Stylish Fridge Organizers During lockdowns, more people started cooking at home — and their fridge turned into a madhouse as a consequence! In 2022, efficient and attractive food storage will continue to be a major request for organizers. “Spice organization is a common request,” says Britt Blackwelder, owner of organizing service The British Way. “I’ve been converting a lot of spice cabinets to spice drawers — things are easier to see and access, and you don’t knock all your spices over when you try to grab the one in the back.” Not to mention, clear and sealed storage containers (instead of storing in original packaging) make cooking and snack-hunting much easier! With proper and efficient food storage, you’ll keep your food fresher for longer, as well as make yourself more aware of the contents in your pantry and fridge. No. 2: Personalized Entryway According to Lee Crowder, national director of design and model experience at Taylor Morrison, entryways are still in high demand. Make your cubbies, bins, lockers, crates, and hangers personalized for every individual so they keep things organized! Labels, color coding, and even photos can do a great job of keeping peace and getting everyone out of the house more efficiently. No. 3: Closed Storage Makes a Comeback Closed storage isn’t all filing cabinets and media consoles, says Marissa Whitley Tago, interior

BLANKET CARNATION COLD EMMYS

FOOTBALL GARNET JANUS MITTENS

PARADE RESOLUTION SNOW WORKOUT

designer and owner of The Whitley Co. While open shelving will always be popular and never goes out of style, closed storage is growing in popularity again because it can reduce the visual clutter that results from spending so much time at home! Add lidded baskets and boxes underneath side tables and sofas to give style and functionality to your storage solutions. These strategies can make a huge impact on your daily organization at home — give them a try!

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Finding (and Creating) Kindness in 2022 Inside

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Why Hobbies Are Important

Easy Chocolate Truffles

Lisa & Dennis Jones

Stick to Your Resolutions — For Real, This Time

3668 W. AnthemWay, Ste. B-158 • Anthem, AZ 85086 602-677-4130 • DLJonesHomes.com

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Thank You for Choosing DL Jones in 2021 Add More Nature to Your Home in 4 Simple Ways! The Hottest (and Easiest) Design Trends of 2022 Valentine’s Day Special: Set Up an Impressive Desert Picnic

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Learn How to Cook With TikTok

3 Trendy Organizing Strategies, Recommended by Pros

Take a Break

Thanks for Attending Our Client Appreciation Event!

You Were the Life of the Party! CLIENT APPRECIATION EVENT WAS AWILD SUCCESS

The DL Jones Home Team is happy to say that our Client Appreciation Event, held on Saturday, Nov. 13, was a wild success! Dozens of our clients participated, and we were thrilled to welcome them into our office for the first time in a LONG time! The event truly felt like a holiday reunion party — Lisa prepared the food herself, and although the pandemic has kept many people physically apart, we were thrilled to see many of the family members we call our clients all together. From singles, couples, families and family pets, everyone was invited to attend our event and receive free family photos! We hired a professional photographer for the day, providing free high-resolution digital photos at no charge to our clients. We can’t wait to do this again soon. Thank you for all your support, which made this event possible! Published by Newsletter Pro • NewsletterPro.com

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