January - 2009 Volume 1
Cooperative Extension Service Warren County
14 Railroad Street Williamsport, IN 47993
Consumer & Family Focus
Warren County Extension Homemakers
765-762-3231
Purdue University is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action Institution
INSIDE THIS NEWSLETTER
Hi! Did you have New Year’s Resolution or two in mind for this year? Did they center on getting in shape or losing weight? Many of us make these resolutions but don’t have a plan to follow to be successful. No matter what resolution you made, think about your plan to achieve it. Put those steps in place so you can be successful. Break your plan down into those small pieces that are achievable and pat yourself on the back when a step is completed. Any change that we want to make in our life takes time to become routine. If you slip back into your old habits, well, remember it was a habit. You are starting a new, better one. Posting those changes you want to make in a visible place will help keep them in the forefront and be a reminder of the goals you want to achieve. Get a buddy to help encourage you. Remember that change is hard but with perseverance and determination you can do it.
Shirley Says Portion Control
Women’s Program’s
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Jean Akers Extension Educator
Excuse List NOT to Exercise
See how your excuses not to exercise stack up against the rest of the country. A 1994 poll by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports found the following as the top excuses as to why people do not exercise.
How to Get to a Healthier Weight
Reaching a healthier weight is a balancing act. The secret is learning how to balance your “energy in” and “energy out” over the long run. “Energy in” is the calories from the foods and beverages you have each day. “Energy out” is the calories you burn for basic body functions and physical activity. Losing Weight – You will lose weight when the calories you eat and drink are less than the calories you burn.
Source: mypyramid.gov A great source for dietary information.
When asked why they didn't exercise: 40 percent said they didn't have enough time. 20 percent said they get enough exercise at work or home. 15 percent said they can't exercise because of health problems. 12 percent said exercise is boring. 10 percent said they're too old. 9 percent said exercise isn't necessary. 7 percent said they're too tired.
Shirley Says
I’d like to pass on the days and times that the Pine Village food pantry is open - the second Tuesday 5:30- 7:30p.m. and second Saturday sun 9-11a.m of each month. Are you sewing an was out and looked beautiful on the new snow. outfit you’ll be modeling in the style show during Home & Family Conference? Call Jean or I for Jean Akers, our Extension Homemaker Advisor, the application form, due May 15, 2009. Please has forwarded the Thank You note to the club presidents from our Christmas family. Doesn’t it call us if you have any questions on any of the just make your heart sing to bring joy to others. scholarships. A CHEERFUL HEART IS A CONTINUAL FEAST. Jean accomplished the impossible. She found speakers for the four programs at the Warren We still have several Warren County E. H. cookbooks to share as gifts. Tippecanoe County County Learning Center, that the E.H. council and clubs are sponsoring. We are proud to be a part Extension office has five blue state cookbooks of the communities Educational Programs. left. This month may be too cold for many of us, but look at the calendar, spring is only two months away. For a few days the Encourage any Warren County high school senior to apply for our $500 scholarship. I was thrilled when one of Adams E.H. called for information for a granddaughter.
Dates to
Remember:
IEHA Scholarships
The Indiana Extension Homemakers Association will offer eight (8) $500 Career Advancement Scholarships to Indiana homemaker 25
Feb. 5 State Focus Day Feb. 15 First Time Award Applications Due to the County Feb. 16 DR Nominations & State Officer forms due March 1 Career Advancement Scholarship applications due to county office. March 5 Extension Homemaker Council 7:30 @ Extension Office March 5 Club Presidents: Please submit names for the County Officers and/or the committee members at meeting. March 25 Spring District Meeting, Montgomery County
years of age or older, due by March 1. Warren County Extension Homemakers are offering one $500.00 scholarship to a Warren County Senior. For more information on how to apply for both of these scholarships, please contact the Extension Office, 762-3231.
Hint: Clean your windshield with equal parts of rubbing alcohol and water: spritz and wipe clean with a soft cloth.
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Indiana’s Leading Causes of Death (2006)
For both men and women
Heart Disease – 13,154 Cancer – 11,862 Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease - 3,140 Stroke – 2,959 Accidents – 2,283 Alzheimer’s – 1,626
Watch Your Portion Sizes!
The amount you eat or drink plays an important role in your energy balance strategy. You may be eating more than you realize. Some common food portions can equal the amount that is recommended for the whole day. For example, one bagel may weigh up to 5 ounces, which equals the entire day’s allotment of grains for someone on a 1600 calorie MyPyramid Plan.
Source:
http://www.in.gov/isdh/reports/mortality/2006/ graphs_sas_pdf.pdf#page=1&zoom=75,left,top
2008 Family Impact Seminar
The 2008 Family Impact Seminar was held on November 17th at the Indiana House Chamber in Indianapolis. The topic this year was “The Burden of the Unbanked in Indiana.” The event is sponsored each year by the Consortium of Family Organizations (COFO) of which IEHA is a member. There were sixty in attendance including legislators. The speakers and their topics were:
A good way to see how big your portions Jeanne Hogarth, program manager for consumer education and research, really are is to measure the size of bowls, Federal Reserve Board, Washington D.C. glasses, cups, and plates you usually use. “Pathways to Financial Access: Helping Families Connect with Banking Services” This can help you choose sensible portions. To see what 1 cup, ½ cup, or 1 Melissa Koide, Deputy director for the Asset Building Program, New America ounce of some different foods looks like, Foundation, Washington D.C., “Building visit the food gallery and find some of Financial Stability: Policies to help Families the foods in each group that you eat.
Source: Check out mypyramid.gov for more information
Access Reasonably Priced Financial Services.”
Where Electronic Aggression Happens
Text messages 16% Web Sites 23% Chat Rooms 25% Email 25% Instant Messaging 67%
A panel of Indiana Legislators, Representatives Sheila Klinker and Woody Burton and Senator Sue Errington, responded to the speakers’ comment. The Family Impact Seminars provide expert, nonpartisan information on a family related topic of the legislator’s choosing. We encourage Indiana Legislators to consider the effect of new laws on Hoosier families, in the same routine manner that they consider the effect on business and industry and on the environment. Karen Dezarn Assistant Program Leader, Purdue Extension
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Source: cdc.gov
Earned Income Tax Credit
One of the largest benefit programs for working taxpayers is also one of the most overlooked tax credits. It’s called the Earned Income Tax Credit and, as the name implies, it’s for people who work for a living but don’t make a lot of money. IRS estimates that up to one in four eligible taxpayers fail to file and claim their credit. You may qualify if your income was under $41,646 last year and you, or your spouse, had income from wages, self-employment, farming, or, if under the minimum retirement age, from disability retirement benefits paid under an employer plan. The amount of your EITC could be as much as $4,824 depending on how much you earned, your filing status, whether you have children, etc. To get the EITC you earned, you must: 1) file a federal income tax return and 2) claim the EITC. Many communities have volunteer income tax assistance sites or local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers, which will compute your EITC and prepare your return without charge. To locate a volunteer site, call your community’s 211 or 311 number for local services or call the IRS at 1-800-906-9887. Locate an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in the blue pages of your telephone directory. Source: irs.gov
Providing educational opportunities, current resources and a network of support to position all women for success in the agriculture industry through skill development, confident decision making and personal well being is the vision of the team. Listed below are two upcoming programs.
Women in Agriculture Programs
Annie’s Project
Geared to Farm Women’s Needs
Becoming an effective farm business partner is the focus of Annie’s Project. The course takes the real life experiences of an Illinois farm wife and shares them with other farm women who want to learn more about a crucial and complex business environment, their own farm. Annie’s Project will be offered in six Thursday sessions, beginning February 19 through March 26, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm (EST) at Warren County Learning Center in Williamsport. Topics covered: Human Resources and Time Management Business and Marketing Plans Risk Management Financial Records Legal Issues, and Current Resources Each learning session will have short presentations, extended discussions, and hands-on activities. Annie’s Project costs $75 per person, and class size is limited. Registration needs to be made by February 5th. For more information or to register, call the office or check out the following web site:
http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/wia
Women in Ag Conference February 4‐5
The mission of the Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference is to meet the needs of women in agriculture by addressing the personal, family, and farm issues that affect their lives, their families, and their farm businesses. This year’s conference will be held at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, IN – February 4‐5. Check out the website or call our office for more details and conference registration: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/wia
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