I was shocked last week when my mother-in-law asked me about our plans for the holidays. What, only 49 shopping days until Christmas? It was just Halloween! But as the post-Halloween candy comes into the office, I feel the inexorable pull of the close of the year. And it gets me thinking about all the things I had hoped to accomplish this year.

Remember back to January. Had you made any New Year’s resolutions? Was one of those resolutions to get your financial house in order? If so (or even if not) and you haven’t taken care of your estate planning yet, you’re in luck because you can join me at my upcoming Estate Planning for Parents workshop this Saturday or Sunday 11/14 or 11/15 at the Little Gym in Sausalito.

One mom who came to our last workshop said “Thea taught me a ton about wills, trusts and probate. I now know how to plan for my daughter.”

The workshop is free and free childcare is provided so you and your spouse or partner can learn this important information while your kids have a great time playing in the gym. And one lucky family will win a one-year membership in the fabulous new California Academy of Sciences.

Please spread the word, but reserve your seat first because space is limited. Click here to register.

Let’s face it: between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, it’s tough to get anyone to think about anything other than the holidays. So this is probably your last chance in 2009.

My baby Rory Jane turned 1 over the weekend. It’s hard to believe, and the time went even faster with our second child. Please join me in wishing her Happy Birthday! You can see more photos on my business’s Facebook page by clicking here.

I will never forget the first night I stayed out late with the girls after becoming a mom. I was having a wonderful time but was starting to feel anxious about being away from Fiona. My friends and I were saying our goodbyes in the parking lot of the restaurant where we’d had dinner and my cell phone rang. As soon as I picked up I heard the howling baby in the background. Apparently Barrett had been trying to reach me for quite some time and I hadn’t heard the ringer in the crowded restaurant. When I got home and took her in my arms, her desperate crying stopped almost instantly. And I was overcome with the question – what would happen to her if something happened to me?

I realize that I see things through the lens of my profession, but I’ve talked with enough parents to know that this is a really common worry. I have one client who was so concerned about this issue that before working with me, she would not go out on a date with her husband in the same car if it was raining.

Limiting activities that would otherwise enrich our lives is not the answer. What is the answer is putting in place a plan that will make sure our kids are safe, loved and protected no matter what, so that when this worry comes up, we can tell ourselves that we’ve done everything we can to take care of it. And from there we can enjoy ourselves without guilt or further worry.

In my upcoming Kids Protection Planning Workshops on September 19th and 20th, parents will learn 7 Easy Steps to alleviate this worry. If you haven’t already taken care of this, please join me. And feel free to pass this along to your friends and family, but make sure and reserve your spot first as we only have room for 10 families on each date. Click here to register and for more information.

Wishing you health, wealth & happiness,
Thea

p.s. Remember there’s only room for 10 families on each date and we had to turn people away from our July workshops. So register here today.

Fiona started her second year of preschool yesterday. Our little “caterpillar” is now a “butterfly.” She is so excited and so ready for something more, but it’s bittersweet for me. Where on earth did a year go? How did she get so big and “grown up?”

Filling out the paperwork, especially the Emergency Contact list, has got our Kids Protection Plan on my mind. If you have kids, do their schools and caregivers know exactly what to do in case of emergency? Do the people on your emergency contact list have clear legal authority to take care of your kids if something happens to you? If you aren’t sure, you are a good candidate for our Kids Protection Plan, which we are now offering a la carte. Go to www.TheaKPP.com to learn more and order our newly updated Free Report on Kids Protection Planning, which is jam-packed with simple, practical steps you can take to make sure your kids are safe no matter what.

This is Barrett, Thea’s husband, sneaking in a quick birthday wish…

For those that don’t know, Thea has six brothers and is the second youngest sibling. You might think that with a track record like that, her mom and dad might have given up on the idea of having a daughter. But they didn’t and 40 years ago today they had a girl. And I am so very grateful. I love you, honey.

The lucky winners of this past weekend’s workshop’s random drawing for a one-year membership in the fabulous new California Academy of Sciences are:

Lynelle and Dick Cameron!

Congratulations, Lynelle and Dick!!

And thank you to all the great parents who took the time out of your busy lives to learn how to take control of your finances and protect your family and your assets!

It’s been a rough week. Rory has been going through a “developmental sleep disturbance” as our pediatrician termed it and we’ve all been bleary-eyed. I was actually hoping that it was an ear infection so we could treat it with antibiotics and be done with it. Strange what you hope for when you’re tired. It’s a good thing she’s so cute, poor little thing.

Speaking of kids, by popular demand, we are now offering our Kids Protection Plan á la carte. As you may know, our Kids Protection Plan is designed to totally protect children’s physical well-being in the event something happens to their parents.

A primary reason parents with young children plan their estates is to protect their children in the unlikely event of premature death. It is standard practice for parents to nominate permanent guardians to care for their children until they become adults at age 18. But there is an often-overlooked issue that, while unlikely, is certainly possible. You can read more about this risk in the article I posted earlier this year by clicking here.

It’s surprisingly easy to put in place a plan to avoid this risk and give you peace of mind. We take care of all this for our clients with a Kids Protection Plan. And we are now offering Kids Protection Plans á la carte!

Our á la carte KPP includes nominations of temporary guardians, nominations of permanent guardians, medical powers of attorney for minor children, instructions to guardian form, wallet cards and a “fridge page.” This is a great package for families with young children who want to make sure their children are physically protected if something happens to them who might not have the budget to do a comprehensive estate plan right now. Contact Paula at PWoolley@TheaLaw.com or (415) 451-0123 for more information!

I hope all you moms had a great Mother’s Day last weekend. We have 1 gift certificate left for a mani-pedi at the fabulous Pampered Girl Salon in San Francisco in our Mother’s Day promotion. In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re offering a no charge, no obligation Family Wealth Planning Session and a gift certificate for a Mani-Pedi to a limited number of qualifying new clients who book an appointment in May. Contact Paula at PWoolley@TheaLaw.com and ask for Thea’s Mother’s Day Package!

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re offering a no charge, no obligation Family Wealth Planning Session ($750 value) and a gift certificate for a Mani-Pedi to a limited number of qualifying new clients. We have 3 gift certificates left, so contact Paula at PWoolley@TheaLaw.com or (415) 451-0123 and ask for Thea’s Mother’s Day Package!

Well, before a break this summer, that is. Our last Kids Protection Planning workshops before a break this summer will be held May 2nd and 3rd at the Little Gym in Sausalito. (We’re planning a special event in July, but more to come on that later.) We all know that estate planning is something that families with young kids need to do because if something happens to the parents, so much more than money is at stake. We also know that estate planning is the kind of thing that if it can be put off, it often is, sometimes indefinitely, and that parents with young children are busy with a capital “B”. Inertia or, if you’ll forgive the plain-speaking, procrastination is generally the largest obstacle.

Common sense suggests several ways to overcome procrastination and it just so happens that our workshops use two of these strategies, including:

1. Breaking goals down into manageable steps — The workshop is free and free childcare is provided. How manageable is that?

2. Rewarding yourself when you take action – Every family will receive gifts worth $750 and one lucky family will win a year’s membership to the fabulous new California Academy of Sciences. How rewarding is that?

So many people put estate planning on their To-Do List and yet almost three-quarters of the population has not done it. Please forward this information (see the “Share/Bookmark” link below) to your parents’ groups and friends and family with young kids and tell them to make reservations now to learn how to protect their families and their assets. Click here for more information and to register.

Thank you for your help!

Wishing you health, wealth and happiness,
Thea