May 2024 Edition

Family & Consumer Sciences
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FCS May 2024

DATES
May 4
Derby Day
May 7-9
KEHA State Meeting
May 12
Happy Mother’s Day
May 18
Farmers’ Market - Beef Month
May 21
Extension Open  House
May 27
Memorial Day- Office Closed
June 11-14
4-H Camp
June 16
Happy Father’s Day
June 19
Juneteenth Holiday - Office Closed

FARMERS’ MARKET
Be sure to stop by the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 18 and visit the Extension booth. We will be celebrating Beef Month with samples of a beefy recipe.
The market is open every Saturday 8am to noon and beginning in June it will be open Tuesdays 8am to noon and Thursdays from 4-7pm.

Open House
Join the Daviess County Cooperative Extension for our Open House event!
Meet the staff, learn about our programs, register for door prizes, enjoy food, and have fun with hands-on activities! Bonus: WBKR will be live on location.

May 21 5-7 pm

Free food, free tshirt, giveaways, recipe samples, WBKR live, Hands-on activities

HOMEMAKER HAPPENINGS
Lesson for the Month
Understanding and Preventing Suicide—A Family and Individual Development Lesson
Roll Call
In May we celebrate mothers. Share a favorite memory with your mother.
Thought of the Month
“Every life matters.  Be like Mother Nature and love everyone without judging.”              —Debasish Mridha

Foyer decorations:  Maceo will be decorating for May

Save the Date:  Homemaker County Annual Meeting, August 6, 2024

Homemakers will be delivering pillow cases to the Center For Courageous Kids on June 12, 2024.
We will be leaving from the Extension Office at 9am.
Please call the Extension Office to let us know you’ll be joining us: (270)685-8480

Heartland of Kentucky Quilt Show
Hardin County Extension Office, Elizabethtown, KY
September 20, 2024 9:00 to 5:00
September 21, 2024 9:00 to 4:00
Admission $6
For information: Deb Hancock 276-206-5199

Homemaker Lesson for 2024-2025 are available on the website and at the Extension Office

May is Blood Pressure Awareness Month:  Prevent High Blood Pressure with a Healthy Lifestyle
Source: Katherine Jury, Extension specialist for family health

Maybe you have heard that high blood pressure runs in your family, or your doctor has mentioned that you should watch your blood pressure. Regardless of why you are interested, you can take steps each day to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. You can help prevent high blood pressure, also called hypertension, by making healthy choices on a daily basis.

Choosing to eat a variety of healthy foods, including lots of vegetables and fruit, is a great first step. Additionally, choosing foods rich in potassium, fiber, and protein and lower in salt and saturated fat are good for heart health. For many people, making these healthy changes can help keep blood pressure low and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Being physically active is another great lifestyle choice that also is proven to help lower and manage blood pressure. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get at least two and a half hours of moderate intensity exercise every week, such as brisk walking, bicycling, or other forms of cardiovascular exercise. Another way to think about it is planning to incorporate about 30 minutes of activity per day, 5 days a week. Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day.

Certain habits also increase your likelihood of having high blood pressure, such as smoking and drinking alcohol excessively. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for all forms of heart disease. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit. Limiting your alcohol intake also can help your blood pressure. For heart health, men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day. Women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day. Habitually getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night is another way to manage blood pressure and increase your overall health.

If these lifestyle choices seem overwhelming, choose one area to begin. Your local Extension office has many resources to help you make healthy choices one small step at a time!

Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/prevent_manage.htm

Small Steps to Saving
Source: Nichole Huff, Ph.D.; Assistant Extension Professor,
Family Finance and Resource Management        

Saving money may seem intimidating, especially if past budgeting attempts were frustrating or felt unattainable. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends putting 20% of your monthly income into savings. They suggest following a 50-30-20 ratio with your budget after taxes: 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. If that number seems unrealistic for your budget, consider other ways to save money that may work better for your family.

First, work to pay off any debts that you have, especially those with high interest rates like credit cards or consumer loans. Then, stop buying things that do not fit in your budget. Instead of paying interest toward a credit card, put that money into a high-yield savings account and earn interest instead.

To become a more successful saver, initially set short-term specific savings goals such as for concert tickets or a vacation. When you have a plan for your money, it can motivate you to cut out unnecessary purchases and stick to your savings plan to reach your goal faster. Successfully saving for small purchases can build momentum as you establish larger savings goals like a car, a house, a child’s education, or retirement.

Set up automatic transfers to your savings account each payday. This ensures that you “pay yourself first” before any nonessential spending. Additionally, put a portion of unexpected or additional income into savings, such as from tax returns, gifted money, or bonuses.