December Newsletter

What do you want to find under your Christmas tree?

I asked some of the team at Apollo what present they would like to find under their Christmas tree this year and here’s what they said:

Deanna Dekker, Insurance Consultant – I would love to find an Instant Pot – Electric Pressure Cooker under my tree as I have started cooking new recipes to maintain my new healthy lifestyle.

Paula Cobbs, Insurance Service Representative – I would be so excited to wake up on Christmas morning and find a vintage Nancy Drew book from the 1930’s under my tree,

Bill Obelmito:, Insurance Consultant – it would be awesome to find a pair of headphones that allow me to watch TV without disturbing anyone. Mainly because my wife, daughter and grandkids make too much noise and I can’t ever hear the TV!

Jessica Santana, Sales Support Specialist – I love to be surprised on Christmas morning. Big or small, the thought that went into picking the gift is what really matters. My biggest joy is watching my kids faces light up as they’re opening their presents–that’s my gift–their happiness.

Christina Rittenhouse, Receptionist – I really enjoy the excitement of watching my friends and family open their gifts. However, it would be fun to get a mixer so that I can bake with my nieces and the gift will bring us many happy memories and delicious treats!

Steve Arguello, Insurance Consultant – The best present would be to have my mom who lives in Massachusetts with us at Christmas.

All of us at Apollo hope you get what YOU want under your Christmas tree!

Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays

The holidays are here and with it bring the promise of a beautifully decorated house with a pile of brightly wrapped presents tucked under the tree brimming with ornaments. But not everyone is as fortunate. And to help those in need, or those who have suffered a financial hardship, and can’t afford to enjoy a lavish holiday season, there is the Adopt-A-Family program. Most cities have one or you can check with a charitable organization, such as the Salvation Army or even reach out to one of the armed forces to adopt a military family in need.

This year, Apollo Insurance Services is adopting two families through the Chino Neighborhood House. The Chino Neighborhood House is a non-profit, charitable organization that provides food and clothing and other necessities for families in the Chino Valley. We’re excited to shop for the families, each with three children that need clothing and some other goodies that they had on their wish list. We’re hoping to have all the presents wrapped and under their trees before Christmas. We also hope to have the opportunity to meet the families and wish them a safe & healthy New Year with the prospect of a fresh start and memories of a delightful holiday season.

Wishing you & yours the joys of the season and hoping you will also consider to Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays this year.

Stay on Top of Holiday Spending

The Holiday season is a great, yet expensive time. All the decorations, parties, cards, cookie baking and gifts for everyone on your list add up. Studies have found that almost 80 percent of Americans overspend on holiday purchases. Here are three tips to help keep holiday spending on track:

Create a Budget for Holiday Spending

Creating a budget specific for holiday spending is a great first step to avoid overspending. Whether you’ve been saving up to buy gifts or if you’re going to use a portion of your existing spending budget, make sure to determine how many gifts you want to buy and how much you want to spend on each gift. Be sure to leave a little room in the budget, in case you forget a gift or get invited to a gift exchange.

Use Credit Cards Wisely

Using credit cards for holiday purchases can be a great idea for some people, particularly those who have a rewards-earning card or are trying to build their credit. However, you should make sure you have a plan to pay off the card balance without incurring any unnecessary fees. If you plan to use credit cards for your holiday spending, make sure your post-holiday budget leaves some room for making payments.

Be Careful Not to Overdraft a Budget

Holiday shopping can be a frenzy-especially if you’re shopping in a large mall or trying
to take advantage of multiple sales. Having a budget is a great first step, but if you’re using a debit card, you’ll also need to be aware of your account balance and any daily spending limits.

Happy Shopping!

Buttery Snowball Cookie Recipe

It looks and tastes just like the holidays – this delicious, melt-in-your-mouth recipe of butter cookies with pecans shaped into snowballs and dusted with powdered sugar.  All we can say is yum!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter and powdered sugar until creamy
• Add the flour, vanilla, salt and chopped pecans. Mix well again.
• Chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll the dough into 1″ balls. Place on a non-stick baking sheet. These cookies will not rise or flatten, so they can be placed relatively close together.
• Bake for about 10 minutes. Don’t allow the balls to brown. This will ensure they  are buttery soft!
• Immediately roll the cookie balls in powdered sugar.
• Allow the cookies to cool completely and then roll them in powdered sugar again.

Stack them on top of each other so they look like a pile of snowballs and dig in!