OH X-MAS TREE!

Just joking! I still say Merry Christmas! But to those whom are of other faiths,

Happy Holidays!

All joking aside, it's that time again and this weekend will probably be one of the busiest weekends for finding the perfect tree. Luckily, I finally figured out how to PICK THE PERFECT Christmas Tree and am sharing what I learned with you!

Realizing that Scotch Pine and Douglas Fir are most popular because they are nicely shaped and retain their needle retention, many of us like the Spruce although they lose their needles quickly. Regardless of which you choose here is a little helpful tip.

Check for freshness by bending needles. They should be springy. If they break, the tree is not fresh. Bounce the butt of the tree on the ground. If needles fall off, the tree is dry. The bottom of the tree stump should be moist and sticky. The tree should have a good green color, a nice fragrant woodsy odor, be dense and have sufficient limb strength to support the ornaments planned for it.

Cleanliness: The tree should be free of foreign matter such as vines, moss, and lichen.

Shape: The butt of the tree should be clean under the lowest group of branches and cut smoothly at the bottom. There should be a full, symmetrical shape, with branches trimmed to taper toward the top.

Until the tree is to be placed in its indoor location, keep it in water in a shady area outside. Cut two inches off the bottom to help water absorption. Indoors, place the tree in a well-secured stand with a water well. Add water each day.

Happy Holidays 

from

M & A Legal Management

and be on the look out for our holiday wine tips....ooohhh my favorite!

6655 W. Sahara Ave Ste B200

Las Vegas, Nevada 89146

(888) 449-5841

www.MillersLegal.com

I'm leaving the United States! And I've got just the way to bypass the lines at immigration and customs!

With the Holidays fast approaching, many of us will be traveling, some of us will even travel out of the country and that's often exciting....until the return trip and re-entering the U.S. 


What if we told you there is a way (a completely free way) to bypass the lines at immigration and customs when re-entering the U.S. at select airports—and all you needed was your smartphone?

The secret is no secret at all, but a downloadable app available to both iPhone and Android users via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that allows users to enter their passport and travel information, submit it electronically, and generate a receipt to show at customs and immigration checkpoints. It's calledMobile Passport and its technology eliminates the need for traditional forms and line waits. The catch is...there is no catch. The app, launched in 2014 by Airside Mobile and Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) in partnerships with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is free to download and free to use. Entirely separate from the paid Global Entry program, Mobile Passport boasts a speed and ease that has Global Entry users eating its dust.

For now, use of the Mobile Passport app is limited to U.S. citizens holding a valid U.S. passport, as well as Canadian citizens with a valid Canadian passport. Five airports are currently a part of the program: Atlanta (ATL), Miami (MIA), Seattle (SEA), Chicago (ORD), and San Francisco (SFO). The goal is to have at least 20 airports accepting the app over the next year.

Once the app is on your phone, there's nothing left to do until your plane lands back on U.S. soil at one of the participating airports. When you turn off "airplane mode," open the app, complete the steps, and you'll have your immigration and customs clearance ready before even stepping off the aircraft. The profile includes the traveler’s name, gender, date of birth, and country of citizenship. According to CBP, the process is simple (a claim we can vouch for): travelers complete the “New Trip” section by selecting their arrival airport and airline, take a selfie, and answer a series of custom declaration questions. Once the traveler submits the form through the app, the traveler will receive an "electronic receipt with an Encrypted Quick Response (QR) code," which expires four hours after issuance. Travelers then bring their passport and mobile device with their digital bar-coded receipt to a CBP officer to finalize their inspection and be welcomed back into the United States. Voilà.

- Cynthia Drescher