FCS December 2023

FCS December 2023

FCS December 2023

December 2023 Edition

Family & Consumer Sciences
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December 2023 FCS Newsletter

DATES
December 2
“Christmas  in the American Colonies” with Eddie Price
December 19
Holiday Program
December 25-29
Office Closed
January 1
Office closed
January 15
Office closed
January 16
Homemaker Lesson Training - Owensboro
January 16
Homemaker Council
January 17
Homemaker Lesson Training - Henderson
January 31
Ag Expo

December recipe:  Loaded beef stroganoff
Tune into WBKR 92.5 every 3rd Monday around 8:10am to hear our SNAP assistant, Catherine Dowdy, talk about the monthly recipe.

Keep an eye out for updates on the 2024 SNAP calendar. Food + Nutrition Calendars should be available soon at the Daviess County Extension Office!

Christmas in the American Colonies
Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
Daviess County Extension Office
Featuring Award-Winning Kentucky Author Eddie Price
Fee: $10
Stop by the Extension Office to purchase tickets

Holiday Program
Holiday-themed Crafts and Recipes
Come learn some neat gift and snack ideas for the holidays.
Participants will get to make some creative gifts and enjoy holiday snacks.
Tuesday, December 19, 10:00 am—noon
Daviess County Cooperative Extension Office
Class number is limited.
Call to sign-up starting December 1st.  270-685-8480

Save the date and watch for more information on
Soups and Stews Class  February 6, 2023

Insulating to Save Money and Energy
Source: Hardin Stevens, senior Extension associate,
University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, October 2023

During the cold winter months, we all want to keep our homes nice and warm. At the same time, we do not want to break our budgets doing it. Properly insulating your home can save money on heating and cooling costs. It will also be energy efficient and conserve resources.

The basic purpose of insulation is to keep the hot air in during cold months and cool air in during hot months.

According to the Department of Energy, insulation is all about heat flow. Heat will seek out cooler places to flow into until there is no longer a temperature difference. Since warm air is lighter than cold air, it will rise until it finds areas of the home that are unheated such as an attic, basement, garage, or the great outdoors. Therefore, experts recommend you properly caulk and seal your windows and doors.

“To maintain comfort, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system and the heat gained in the summer must be removed by your cooling system,” according to Energy Saver a division of the Department of Energy. “Properly insulating your home will decrease this heat flow by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat.”               

There are many types of insulation on the market and many factors to consider when you are thinking of installing some in your home. R-value refers to a material’s insulation resistance rating to heat flow. The higher the material’s thermal resistance, the higher the R-value which means the better the material’s insulating effectiveness. You should also think about how insulation affects your indoor air quality, its costs and ease of installation.  To determine the right amount of insulation for your home and the climate in your area, talk to an insulation contractor.       

Insulation can be made of different materials such as fiberglass, cellulose, foam boards, foils, and even used blue jeans (see the Recycled Insulation program links below).

By properly insulating your home, you can save money and conserve utility resources year-round and for many years in the future.

References:
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/insulation
Recycled Insulation program of blue jeans
https://news.ca.uky.edu/article/uk-denim-drive-helps-recycle-more-900-blue-jeans-0
https://hes.ca.uky.edu/news-story/blue-jeans-go-green
http://hes.ca.uky.edu/news-story/uk-denim-drive-collects-more-11000-pairs-jeans

HOMEMAKER HAPPENINGS
Lesson for the Month

Clubs plan their own holiday celebrations
Roll Call
December is the holiday season. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Thought of the Month
“Small cheer and great welcome make a merry feast.”  —William Shakespeare

Lesson Leader Training
The February and March Homemaker Lesson leader training will be Tuesday, January 16 at the Daviess County Extension Office and Wednesday, January 17 at the Henderson County Extension Office.

February Lesson at 10:00am: Self-Care and Self-Pampering
March Lesson at 11:00am: Healthy Eating Around the World

The Daviess County Extension Homemaker Council will meet following the lesson trainings at 12:15pm on January 16.

Thank you!!
A big thanks to all Homemakers and friends who helped out with the Harvest Festival and Goodfellow Soup Day. Your time and effort were greatly appreciated!