Category: Lifestyle

Your Guide to Spring Cleaning

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Spring marks a time in which most people get serious about cleaning for one day and participate in spring cleaning. 

The earth has come to a point in its orbit where the days get longer and warmer, and for many people across the nation, that means it’s time to clean! Spring cleaning is a day in which millions of Americans put on their latex gloves, cleaning apron, and an old shirt they got at a work event which is now dedicated to getting dirty, and meticulously clean their home. Here is your guide to spring cleaning.

  1. Ceiling fixtures. 
    Fixtures such as ceiling fans or lights collect dust and we normally forget to check these overhead. Take this time to dust these fixtures with a cloth or a vacuum with a brush nozzle.
  2. Walls.
    You may think that dust only covers horizontal surfaces, but you’d be wrong. A close look at a wall and we see that they are not perfectly smooth, they have ridges and crevices to which dust can attach. Dust also carries a charge and can stick statically to walls. Wash away the dust with a sponge and some dish soap.
  3. Floors.
    You can protect your floors from another year of wear and tear with the proper finishing. Use a floor cleaner that both cleans and shines to give your floor the preservation it needs.
  4. Fridge.
    Food spoils and leaves behind a foul odor. Take the time to remove everything in your fridge and give it a good wipe-down with soap and water. (You don’t want to use any tough cleaning chemicals as you run the risk of contaminating your food.)

A proper home insurance policy will ensure that your home is protected against covered damages. Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for all of your insurance needs today!

Tips to Get You Organized for Tax Season

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Tax season may be everyone’s least favorite season, but it’s one that most of us have to deal with and these tips will help you get on top of things. 

Every tax filer’s situation is unique, but all taxpayers have a similar experience. This is because the IRS demands that you give them certain information from nearly everyone. You may think the happiest thing about taxes is Taxman by the Beatles–and that may be true–but filing taxes does not have to be an ordeal that makes you want to pull out your hair. If you are prepared and organized, filing your taxes can be tolerable. Here are a few tips to get you organized for tax season.

  1. Don’t Forget Social Security Numbers
    If you file your own taxes, you can skip right down to #2. If you drop off all of your paperwork to an accountant’s office, make sure that your social security number is in there, as well as your spouse’s if you file jointly.
  2. Use Taxes to Reduce Taxes
    Homeowners get a way to reduce what they will pay to the IRS by claiming real estate taxes as a tax deduction. If you use an escrow account to pay for your annual real estate taxes, your Form 1098 will tell you the amount. There are also local state and income taxes that you may deduct as well.
  3. Income Tax
    In order to be ready for tax season, you will need your Form W-2–sent out in January–which is normally provided by every employer you had the previous year.If you’re an independent contractor, the company for which you worked should send you Form 1099-MISC.

Brace yourselves: tax season is coming. For all of your general insurance needs in California, be sure to contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency. We are more than happy to help you get the coverage you deserve!

Cooking Resolutions You Can Make to Change Your Life

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Now that the feasting season is over, you should make new changes to your kitchen-based lifestyle that will change your life for the better.

Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, and New Years are all holidays on which we stuff our faces and go a bit overboard with calories. But now that these holidays are over, and you made resolutions to eat healthier, you can turn to the new chapter of your dietary habits. Here are a few cooking resolutions you can make to change your life for the better.

Cooking Resolutions

  1. Prepare Everything on Sunday
    Plan your meals a week ahead. This means buying your necessary groceries and doing some basic prep work. Cook potatoes and grains, wash and trim your vegetables, and stash everything in clear containers. When the weeknights come around, you may be surprised to find how much time you save during the busy nights.
  2. Sharpen Your Knives
    Nothing is more annoying than trying to cut anything with a dull knife. It squishes the food and leaves it looking sad and depressed. Purchase a quality knife sharpener to take away the dullness of your blades and make slicing as easy as cutting through butter.
  3. Try a New Recipe Once a Week
    Cooking the same thing every day can become taxing and outright boring. Go on YouTube and cook one new recipe every week. There are many channels that are dedicated to cooking, so find one that you like and subscribe for more delicious recipes.
  4. Snack on More Vegetables
    Instead of eating Fritos or Cheetos, snack on carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, bell peppers, and other vegetables. Remember, your brain craves sugar and may not be hungry.

If we can ever help you in any way, please contact your Stromsoe Insurance Total Protection Team.  Our team is here to make sure you and your family have the proper insurance protection, serving all of California.

Helpful Thanksgiving Travel Tips

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time where we travel to spend time with our beloved family. But how do we travel without the stress of travel?

The Thanksgiving holiday is undoubtedly in the top 2 of the busiest travel days of the year with notorious transportation delays, infinite traffic, and travel interruptions and annoyances nearly everyone faces. With a bit of planning and foresight, you can  decrease the amount of stress you will face at the airport on Thanksgiving day and head home for the holidays with a smile on your face. Regardless of your plans, you’ll be thankful you read these helpful Thanksgiving travel tips.

Plan Ahead

Nearly of all the stress one gets while traveling is due to poor planning. Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away and you still have plenty of time to plan everything. Have a plan on how you’ll be getting to the airport, know where your passport is before the hour of your flight, and make a checklist to help you pack everything you need.

Choose Better Days

If you have not bought your ticket yet, don’t purchase on just any day. Fly out Monday, Tuesday, or even on Thanksgiving morning to get the best deals possible and to avoid all the potential congestion that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving brings. On the way back, crowds reach their peak on Sunday morning and afternoon.

Travel Light

Checked bags usually cost extra, depending on whether you chose a good or bad airline (avoid Delta). It’s good if you can fit everything you need in one bag and one handbag to move as fast as possible. The worst thing to be at an airport is to be that person who is holding up the line because you packed all the unnecessaries. Tips: don’t wear a belt, and have easy-to-remove shoes!

Do you have the correct health insurance plan for any trips or accidents you may have on the way to the airport? Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for a tailored policy to suit you in California.

It’s Flu Season. Take the Necessary Steps to Stay Healthy.

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time where we travel to spend time with our beloved family. But how do we travel without the stress of travel?

The Thanksgiving holiday is undoubtedly in the top 2 of the busiest travel days of the year with notorious transportation delays, infinite traffic, and travel interruptions and annoyances nearly everyone faces. With a bit of planning and foresight, you can  decrease the amount of stress you will face at the airport on Thanksgiving day and head home for the holidays with a smile on your face. Regardless of your plans, you’ll be thankful you read these helpful Thanksgiving travel tips.

Plan Ahead

Nearly of all the stress one gets while traveling is due to poor planning. Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away and you still have plenty of time to plan everything. Have a plan on how you’ll be getting to the airport, know where your passport is before the hour of your flight, and make a checklist to help you pack everything you need.

Choose Better Days

If you have not bought your ticket yet, don’t purchase on just any day. Fly out Monday, Tuesday, or even on Thanksgiving morning to get the best deals possible and to avoid all the potential congestion that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving brings. On the way back, crowds reach their peak on Sunday morning and afternoon.

Travel Light

Checked bags usually cost extra, depending on whether you chose a good or bad airline (avoid Delta). It’s good if you can fit everything you need in one bag and one handbag to move as fast as possible. The worst thing to be at an airport is to be that person who is holding up the line because you packed all the unnecessaries. Tips: don’t wear a belt, and have easy-to-remove shoes!

Do you have the correct Auto Insurance coverage  for any accidents you may have on the way to the airport? Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for a tailored policy to suit you in California.

Tricks for Better Halloween Treats

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Halloween is a great time for our kids to be kids, but it’s also a great time for us to teach them some important life lessons. 

Who doesn’t love Halloween? A time in which we get to dress up as our favorite character and hang out with our friends and family. As children, we would go house to house and shout, “Trick-or-treat!” After collecting a pillow’s case worth of candy, we’d head back to our house and start consuming at an alarming rate. Only a few hours later, our bodies–injected with more sugar than it knows what to do with–react and we head straight for the bathroom and spend the night hugging the toilet. To avoid from having your children do the same, take these Halloween treat safety tips.

Halloween Treats Safety Tips

Say Yes to Candy (at Least Some Candy)

This is a great time to teach your children about some important life lessons that will stick with them for a long time. Everything in moderation and the concept of “delayed gratification.” If they eat only a bit of candy at a time their candy will last longer into the year, as opposed to eating all their candy now and having it last only a few days.

Tiny Treats for Tiny Tummies

Children don’t understand their digestive limits yet. Their eyes are way bigger than their stomach, and the repercussion of sugar consumption is lost upon them. Make sure that if they’re young, their portions are small to keep them healthy.

Kids will be kids of course, and there’s only so much you can do to keep them safe. Do you have the correct health insurance plan for the current and future needs of your children? Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for a tailored policy to suit you in California.

Insurance Agent: Stromsoe’s Insurance App

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

With Insurance Agent right on your phone, accessing our insurance services has never been easier as you can do it with the tap of a button. 

Easy, Quick, Secure. More than easy access to our agency, our Insurance Agent app has the tools you need to be prepared before, during and after something happens.

Our app is the easiest way to connect with us and has great tools to share & update the information that helps us customize your coverage to fit your needs. Use our secure smart tools to create a home inventory in minutes, detail an accident, and capture & store your policy info. Convenience at your fingertips… “I” is YOUR personal insurance icon!

Home Inventory Made Simple
Easy, Quick & Secure – Create & update Home Inventories in minutes. Click and Capture the contents and value of your personal property on your smartphone. Click and Share reports to ensure proper insurance coverage, file a claim, or update estate & tax info. Having a Home Inventory report gives you peace of mind, sharing your report helps us customize your coverage to fit your needs.

Auto & Accident Help on the Spot
Accidents happen. Quickly contact your agent or insurance company. Capture details you need to file a claim with your iPhone. Set-up today, and car info automatically loads into accident reports. Share with family drivers so everyone is prepared.

Apps are here to change the world and make your life as easy as possible. And now with our best insurance services in the palm of our hand, you can provide claims as easy as texting. Get it for the iPhone here and the Android here. And if you want to talk over the phone, you can do that too! For all of your insurance needs throughout California, you can contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

How to Save Money on School Supplies and Survive Back-to-School Season

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

You may be dreading to go back to the supermarket filled with countless screaming kids and clueless parents, but back-to-school season is upon us.

Prepare yourselves: Back-to-school season is coming. For some of us, school supply shopping is almost as gruesome as Game of Thrones. Stores filled with parents walking as aimlessly as the White Walkers, children running around as crazy as the Wildlings, and employees trying to keep it all together, like the Men of the Night’s Watch–almost wishing to utter the words, “My Watch Has Ended.” Alas, you have to get your kids their supplies to help them have a successful school year. Crayons, markers, glue, rulers, pencils, pens, binders, and folders can add up pretty quickly. Here’s how you can survive the onslaught of back-to-school season and save money for your child’s school supplies.

1. Begin by looking inward. Perhaps money is tight, so looking around your home for supplies is a good start. People often store notebooks, unsharpened pencils, scissors, and all sorts of things that could save you mean.

2. Don’t wait! As soon as you gain access to your child’s school supplies list, go the supermarket. You’ll avoid all the drama of a real-life Game of Thrones episode mentioned earlier, plus the prices may be cheaper as demand hasn’t risen yet.

3. Buy in bulk. To reduce the price even lower, shop at stores like Sam’s Club or Costco (if you have the membership, of course). Those deals are hard to beat, and if you have more than one child going back to school–or to stock up and save next year!

Children are expensive and while you always want to give them the best, teaching them ways in which to save is something they’ll be thankful for when they leave for college and have to eat Ramen every day. Don’t forget that for all of your insurance needs throughout California, you can contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

 

How to Make Delicious Cherry Lemonade Popsicles

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Create delicious cherry lemonade popsicles with this incredibly simple recipe. 

The best part about popsicles is how easy they are to make! The hardest part about making them is having to wait for them to freeze. But if you’ve practiced the virtue of patience, you know that delayed gratification is about the sweetest thing there is in life–especially when you made them the night before a hot summer’s day. Buying them at the supermarket may be easier, but they don’t taste the same: enjoying what you’ve created and waited for has that extra kick to it which will make these popsicles the best part of summer. Follow this simple popsicle recipe so that you can make these delicious cherry lemonade popsicles.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Freezing time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Makes: 6 popsicles

Ingredients

  • 1⅓ cups water
  • ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
  • ⅓ cup of lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 5 limes)
  • 1 Tbsp of maraschino cherry juice
  • 6 popsicle molds/sticks

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, heat the water to near boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Boiling water’s molecules are vibrating much faster and can dissolve things much more quickly than cold, or room-temperature water.
  2. Let it cool for a few minutes, then stir in the lime and maraschino cherry juices.
  3. Divide the mixture between the 6 popsicle molds. Add popsicle sticks and stick them in the freezer until it has frozen (at least 3 hours). Just before you serve them, run the popsicles under hot water to release them from the molds.

We at Stromsoe Insurance Agency hope that you enjoy these cherry lemonade popsicles and that they refresh you when you most need them. (If the day is hot enough, send some of them our way!) And don’t forget that for all of your insurance needs throughout California, you can contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

3 Ways to Protect Your Skin From the Sun

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

How do you protect your skin from the giant star in the center of our solar system?

Do you think 93 million miles is far away enough from something to have no effect on you? Normally, you’d be correct. But when that thing is 4.4 nonillion pounds (or a four followed by THIRTY zeros) and also induces nuclear fusion at its core, you’re going to feel a little heat. While the sun’s rays may feel good, they’re no friend to your skin. The sun produces ultraviolet rays which are harmful to your cells and give you wrinkles, age spots, and they’re the top cause of skin cancer. Poetic, isn’t it? The thing that we depend on for life can also take it away. Is there a way to stop this? Luckily for us, science has pulled through again and offered a solution to this problem! Here are three ways to protect your skin from the sun.

How to Protect Your Skin From the Sun

  1. Wear sunscreen every day in all weather conditions and every season. We know it may sound like overkill, but ultraviolet (UV) rays penetrate through clouds and penetrate deep into your skin to cause slight mutations in your DNA, which could lead to cancer.
  2. Wear sunglasses with total UV protection. Unless you want searing pain in your eyeballs, you can’t apply sunscreen to them. Quality sunglasses will do the trick and block the harmful UV rays from damaging your eyes.
  3. Check your skin regularly and spot for any weird spots, growths, and freckles; they could be a sign of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is a very serious problem you should not take lightly. It’s important to protect yourself from it as much as possible. Do you have the correct health insurance plan for your current or future needs? Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for a tailored policy to suit you in California.