“Keeping Up With the Grandkids” Program Gives Technology Review
When your grandchildren talk about their Blackberries, do you think of a fruit dessert? When they say they’ve been spammed, do you think they’re eating a meat dish? Do you wonder how they can carry on a full phone conversation without ever saying a word?
If it seems like the technology of your grandchildren is leaving you behind, this Extension program will help you catch up. Join us on Thursday, January 20th at 12:00 noon at the Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th Street on the fairgrounds in Garden City. Dave Dunn, Technology Specialist with K-State Research and Extension, will take a look at today’s technology– computer, cell phones, digital cameras and more.
A simple soup meal for $3 per person will accompany this lesson for those who are interested. Please RSVP and make your lunch reservation by Wednesday, January 19 at the Finney County Extension Office, 620-272-3670.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Subscribe to the comments for this postWhat counts as 1 cup of fruits and vegetables?
I’m participating in the Small Steps to Health and Wealth Online Challenge, a national Extension educational program coordinated by Rutgers Cooperative Extension in New Jersey. This free 6-week personal challenge event began yesterday. (You can still enroll in this personal challenge program THIS WEEK at http://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/. Join me!) This event encourages participants to focus on behavior changes that simultaneously improve their health and personal finances- 5 health and nutrition habits and 5 financial habits each day.
Eat 4 Cups of Fruits and Vegetable Daily
The first health habit in the SSHW Challenge is to eat 4 cups of fruits and vegetables each day. A one-cup amount is easy to measure with juices and cut up pieces of fruits and vegetables. But how about whole foods, or differently shaped pieces? Here’s a chart to help you track what amounts to one cup of a variety of fruits and vegetables:
FRUIT
- Apple- 1 small or 1/2 large
- Banana- 1 large, 8-9 inches long
- Grapes- 32 seedless grapes
- Orange- 1 large (3.5-inch diameter)
- Grapefruit- 1 medium (4-inch diameter)
- Peach- 1 large
- Pear- 1 medium
- Strawberries- about 8 large berries
VEGETABLES
- Broccoli- 3 spears (5 inches long)
- Raw leafy greens- 2 cups
- Carrots- 2 medium long carrots or 12 baby carrots
- Corn- 1 large ear (8-9 inches long)
- Celery- 2 long stalks (10-11 inches long)
- Potato- 1 medium
- Tomato- 1 large fresh tomato (3-inch diameter)
For more information on what counts as a serving of any food group, check out the charts at MyPyramid.gov.
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
New Year’s Resolution: Reduce Debt
Are financial changes on the top of your New Year’s Resolution list? If so, you’re not alone! Here are some thoughts on reducing debt in the new year.
Reduce Debt with PowerPay
Use the power-pay principle to reduce debt more quickly. Make a list of all your debts and prioritize them in order of interest (highest to lowest) or in order of the number of payments until payoff (fewest payments at the top of the list.) Continue to make payments on all debts while concentrating on the one at the top of the list.
Once the first debt is paid off, add that payment amount onto the next debt on your list. Follow the same procedure when the second debt is paid off.
Using this method, you’ll end up making larger and larger payments on the debts on your list. You will not only reduce the number of years you’ll make payments, but you will also save thousands in interest if you follow this principle until you are completely debt free. However, keep in mind that for the power-pay debt reduction process to work, you must stop charging any new debts in the meantime.
You can design your own debt repayment plan and work with other financial calculators at the PowerPay website created by Utah State University Extension Service. Just create a user name and password and log on to do your calculations and save your personal information. Their extensive Education Center also includes lots of other helpful financial information. Check it out and resolve to reduce debt this year!
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Keep resolutions with Small Steps to Health and Wealth Challenge
This is the time of year when many people make resolutions to improve their lives during the coming year. Eating better, losing weight, exercising more, paying off debt and saving money are often on the list of desired changes. Where people often fail, however, is in taking daily actions to achieve those resolutions. That’s where the online Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ Challenge created by Rutgers Cooperative Extension can help.
This free six-week program, open to anyone who enrolls online, will be held from January 16 to February 26. Go to
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/ to set up a user name and password and download a simple one-page user’s guide with instructions about how to participate. The SSHW Challenge is based on 10 daily recommended practices– five that involve health and nutrition and five that involve financial management. Each is worth ten points for a maximum of 700 points per week.
Five Health & Nutrition Steps Each Day
The five daily health and nutrition practices in the Small Steps to Health and Wealth Challenge include:
- Eat at least 4 cups of fruits and vegetables
- Get at least 30 minutes of exercise
- Drink water or unsweetened beverages instead of sugary drinks
- Walk 10,000 or more steps with a pedometer
- Learn something new about health and nutrition
Five Financial Management Steps Each Day
The five daily financial practices in the Small Steps to Health and Wealth Challenge include:
- Save a $1 bill (or more) and/or pocket change
- Invest $5 or more per day (including automated retirement savings plan deposits)
- Track money spent throughout the day
- Eat lunch prepared at home rather than eating out
- Learn something new about personal finance
The last item- learning something new about both health and finance- can be accomplished by visiting websites, attending seminars, or by reading, listening to, or viewing media reports.
Track Your Progress
As users enter their personal data in the SSHW website, they will see their point totals for each day of the week and for each of the ten activities described above. They’ll also see a bar graph that compares their personal progress to the average scores of everyone else who is participating in the Challenge.
Start Small- Take Steps to Health and Wealth
Doing even a few of the ten recommended daily practices is a great way to get started on the path to better health and increased financial security. Want to keep your resolutions and improve your life in 2011? Join the Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ Challenge!
Source: Dr. Barbara O’Neill, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service
“Knowledge for Life” provided by the Finney County Extension Office and K-State Research and Extension.
Noon program on St Catherine Sleep Center
Attend the January Extension Knowledge at Noon program to learn more about the St. Catherine Hospital Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Disorder Center. LaDonna Sauer will explain the process of sleep disorder testing and the other services offered in southwest Kansas by this specialized medical center.
Knowledge at Noon, sponsored by the Finney County Extension Office, will be Thursday, January 6, from 12:05-12:55 pm at the Finney County Public Library, 605 E. Walnut Street in Garden City. The public is invited to attend this free program. Bring a lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided.
For more information on the Extension Knowledge at Noon programs, please contact the Finney County Extension Office at 620-272-3670.
