Gold Star Taxes Inc.

Gold Star Taxes Inc.

DECEMBER 2020

(517) 437-4646 GOLDSTARDIRECT.COM BEYOND THE NUMBERS

It Wouldn’t Be the Holidays Without No-Bakes, Gift Giving, and ‘A Christmas Story’ WILL YOU TRY MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIE?

Referral TV Winners This Past Tax Season

Hey there, it’s Saul and Robbie wishing you a merry early Christmas! When our kids were growing up, Christmas Eve in our house was kind of like what New Year’s Eve is for most people. It was one of the few days the kids were allowed to stay up late. We spent hours watching movies (typically “A Christmas Story” on repeat all day long), playing games, eating cookies, and waiting for the clock to strike midnight. When it did, it was present time! Watching the kids tear into their gifts was always fun, and it was nice to sleep in on Christmas morning, too. As they got older and moved out of the house, that tradition changed, but we kept some of our others. One of our favorites is our annual effort to give back.

Here’s a good one: Peanut Butter-Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients •

2 cups sugar 1/2 cup milk

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3 cups rolled oats 1 cup peanut butter 1 tbsp vanilla extract

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1 stick unsalted butter 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 pinch salt

Kody Rubin

Shane and Stephanie Lockwood

Directions 1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to a boil. Let it boil for a minute, then remove the pan from the heat. 2. Add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt to the pan, and stir it all together. 3. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Then, use a teaspoon to scoop balls of dough onto the paper. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 30 minutes until they’re hard and cool. 4. Chow down on your cookies! They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you make these cookies, let us know what you think! No-bakes always make us nostalgic, but the truth is that these days, our kids are all grown up and don’t always make it home for Christmas. Michael lives here in Michigan, but Myranda is out in Colorado, and Ashley, our youngest, moved to Alaska earlier this year. It’s going to be strange after years of big family gatherings, but we’ll make it with phone calls. Even spread out across the country, Christmas is still Christmas, and it’s one of the best days of the year.

Vonda Cekander

Tyler Gonshorowski

Every December, the two of us put our heads together and find a family going through a hard time who could use a bit of help for the holidays. Usually it’s a friend or acquaintance who is down on their luck. Once we choose someone, we go out and buy toys, gifts, cards, and whatever

Richard and Patricia Hawkins

Richard Lambright

Randy and Lisa Lane

Paul and Carie Shepherd

else they might need to make Christmas feel special. Then we wrap the presents up and drop them off anonymously. It’s our small way of spreading the holiday spirit and giving back to the community. Apart from that, my personal favorite part of the holidays is definitely my mom’s no-bake cookies. She’s been making the sweet oat, chocolate, and peanut butter rounds since I was a kid, and she almost always drops off a plate on Christmas. Over the years, Robbie and the kids have made them a few times, too, but I’m not much of a cook so I’ve never mastered it. Still, we thought we’d share a recipe with you.

Thomas and Sabine Young

From our family to yours, Happy Holidays!

• 1 –Saul and Robbie Giminez GOLDSTARDIRECT.COM

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Building a snowman is one of the most picturesque winter activities, which is why snowmen have become a wintertime cultural icon. A snowman appeared on the very first postcards, was the subject of some of the earliest photos, and even starred in silent movies. Frosty may be a happy snowman now, but his ancestors have a much more varied — and sometimes dark — history. NOT JUST A CORN COB PIPE AND BUTTON NOSE THE SURPRISING HISTORY OF THE SNOWMAN

CREATING THE PERFECT SNOWBALL FIGHT With No Snow at All

The Middle Ages Snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages. They were

An old-fashioned snowball fight is the epitome of winter activities. But if snowfall is lacking or it’s just too cold to venture outside and hurl freezing balls of ice at each other, don’t let it dampen your spirits. You can create and orchestrate your own indoor, snow-free, and entirely safe snowball fight. Make Your Snowballs While craft stores sell large white cotton puffs that look like snowballs, they’re too light to get any good velocity behind them. Instead, make your own “snowballs” with just a few materials in four easy steps: 1. You’ll need a pair of scissors, several pairs of cheap white nylon stockings (one pair can make about 10 snowballs), and a bag of polyester fiberfill, like Poly-Fil, or use the stuffing from a few old stuffed animals you no longer want.

constructed with deep thought and great skill because, during a time of limited means of expression, snow was a free art supply that literally fell from the sky. These artistic feats were popular winter attractions for well-to-do couples who wanted to get their fix of temporary art. Snowmen were often created by famous artists, including 19-year-old Michelangelo who, in 1494, was commissioned by the ruler of Florence to sculpt a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard. The Miracle of 1511 In Brussels in 1511, during six weeks of subzero temperatures called the Winter of Death, the city was miraculously adorned with hundreds of snowmen. The spectacle told stories on every street corner — some political and some demonstrating anger with the church, many too risque to speak of. For the people of Brussels, this Miracle of 1511 was a defining moment of artistic freedom. But when spring came and the snow thawed, the Belgians were left with damaging floods. The Schenectady Massacre Not all snowmen have an innocent history. In 1690, former Fort Schenectady in upstate New York was home to a remote Dutch settlement, which was under the constant threat of attack. Soldiers guarded the gates at all times because they were frozen open, but during a blizzard, they left a pair of snowmen to protect the gates while they sought shelter. That’s when 200 French Canadian soldiers and Native Americans approached. Naturally, they were unfazed by the snowmen and ruthlessly invaded the settlement. Building a snowman seems like a simple and charming activity, but after learning about its surprising history, you might find those piles of snow seem a little more complicated and a lot more meaningful than before.

2. Stuff a handful of the filling down into the end of one stocking leg and tie a knot, creating a round “snowball.”

3. Make another knot after the one you just made, leaving a little space between the two knots.

4. Cut between the two knots to snip off a tied-off snowball. Repeat these steps until you have at least a few dozen, but if you’re patient enough to make 100 or more, you’ll have ample supply for a substantial encounter. How to Play There’s really no “right” way to have a snowball fight. It’s often just about who can hit whom the most, but if you want to turn it into a measurable competition, divide your group into two teams and distribute the snowballs evenly between them. Then create boundaries for each team by laying down masking tape across the room. Teams must stay on their side of the line at all times. Set a timer for however long you’d like the fight to go on, and at your signal, teams can start hurling snowballs across the room at one another. When time is up, gather and count the snowballs on each side, and the team with the fewest snowballs is the winner! A crafty indoor snowball fight can be a lot of fun for people of all ages, not just kids. Best of all, the crafting part is something you only have to do once, and then you have a stock of snowballs for every winter to come.

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Ah, the holidays. It’s a time of sweet treats, family, and giving back — and sometimes giving a little too much. When it comes to the perfect holiday gift, many people spend too much money. The average American spends nearly $1,000 on gifts during the December holidays alone! 3 GIFT-GIVING TIPS That Won’t Kill Your Savings

list. If you still feel the need to do something for them, send homemade cookies or a handwritten note instead of purchasing something. This limits how much you actually have to spend! Think beyond store-bought or expensive items. Sure, everyone wants this holiday season’s “it” item, but sometimes the best gifts don’t even come wrapped under the tree. Instead, look to your own talents as a clue to what you should give. If you’re a great crafter, create something unique for the people on your list. If you can offer the gift of time, provide a free night of babysitting for your friends with kids or an experience at the local theater. These gifts have a bonus factor: Recipients love the gift when they open it, and they love it when they get to use it! Set a budget — and stick to it. Setting a holiday budget ensures you only spend what you can afford. It also narrows down your search. If you choose to buy your neighbor something, but they aren’t your top priority, set their budget at a lower level, like $25–$50. If you have a sibling who has had a rough year and you’d like to make their holidays a little brighter, bump their budget up. This narrows the focus of what you’re looking for so you don’t stumble into something you can’t afford. Ultimately, it’s the spirit of giving during the holidays that makes them so rewarding. With a little ingenuity, you can be generous and avoid the stress of excess debt come January.

It’s possible to cut back and make it to January without major debt. Here’s how.

Check your list — twice! The list is going to be your secret weapon to tackling the holidays with your savings still intact. Start by writing down the name of every person you’d like to get a gift for. Now, with the exception of your immediate family members, narrow the names down to your top five — top 10 if you’re really popular. Now, place the names of the people who didn’t make the cut into a second

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FRUITCAKE

TAKE A BREAK

Ingredients

1 inch above each side to form “handles.” 2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and sour cream. 3. In a second bowl, combine fruit, nuts, and 1/4 cup flour. 4. In a third bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, zest, and sour cream mixture. Then, add remaining flour and salt. Mix, then add fruit mixture. 5. Pour batter into lined pan. Fill up a separate loaf pan halfway with water. Bake both pans in oven for 1 1/2–2 hours or until a skewer leaves the cake clean. 6. Use “handles” to remove cake from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving.

• • • • • • • • • •

1 tsp baking soda 1 cup sour cream

3 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice, chopped 1 cup nuts of your choice, chopped 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 stick butter 1 cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9x5- inch loaf pan with greased baking paper. Ensure the piece running the length of the pan stands

• 3 GOLDSTARDIRECT.COM

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12 N. Howell, Hillsdale, MI 49242

INSIDE 1

Try Saul’s Favorite Christmas Cookie

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Craft a Snow-Free Indoor Snowball Fight The Surprising History of the Snowman 3 Fool-Proof Ways to Pay for the Holidays Without Going Broke Not Your Grandma’s Fruitcake Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed

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A DRIVER’S GUIDE TO SAFE HOLIDAY TRAVELS Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed

On Sept. 24, 2019, more than 2.5 million people passed through TSA checkpoints at airports across America. On the same date this year, those terminals saw just 826,316 travelers — a nearly 70% drop. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Americans have been thinking twice about air travel, and this holiday, millions of would-be flyers will set out on road trips instead. Road tripping is a great way to avoid contact with a lot of people, but it can also be dangerous, especially in winter weather. Fortunately, you can take several steps to keep your family safe. Getting your car checked before you go, for example, can save you a lot of hassle on the road, as can investing in a set of snow tires. It’s also smart to take precautions such as letting a friend or family member know your route, predicted arrival time, and where you plan to stop for gas along the way. Apart from that, one of the best things you can do is pack an emergency kit. AAA sells premade kits through outlets like Amazon, and you can find a basic kit with things like jumper cables, ponchos, rope, batteries, pliers, zip ties, and a first-aid kit at pretty much any Walmart or sporting goods store. You could even save a life by adding a few more essentials to your kit, like a blanket, snacks, and an extra cellphone charger.

At this point, you’re almost a safety black belt. But to take your kit to the next level for winter driving, there are three more little-known items you should stash in your trunk: a shovel, a bag of sand or cat litter, and an extra bottle of windshield wiper fluid. If you get stuck in a snowbank, the shovel will help you dig your way out without risking frostbitten fingers. The sand or cat litter will boost your traction if you sprinkle it around your wheels in an icy spot, and the extra wiper fluid will make all the difference if you run out during a snowstorm.

Once you’re prepared, crank up the Christmas carols and get driving!

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