Happy December! We have made it to the 12th month of the year. I hope you all are doing well and are fairing the

cooler weather. December brings many things to celebrate; Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are just a few. This is

the time of year to invite family and friends to spend more quality time together, to reflect on all of things we are thankful for, and to plan for the new year! If you have any interesting ways of doing these things and would like to

share, please let us know!

November was a busy time for us here at the Extension Office, as I am sure it is the same with each and every one of

you. The Annual Fall Bazaar was well attended and we had several vendors! Thanks for your continued support in this

endeavor. Sherry Butcher did an amazing job as the coordinator. We have continued our Sewing Days, Keys to Em-

bracing Aging, Keys to Great Parenting, and Small Steps to Health and Wealth programs. Holiday Treats was such

a fun program! We had over 40 people attend that two session program and learned how to prepare unique snacks for the holiday season. Please join us this month for any of these programs that are continuing. FCS Extension also started a

new program with the participation of Estill County’s FCS Agent, Thays Flores , Cooking Around the World. We had a

great time learning about Panama and tasting delicious foods. If you missed the first session, the next one will be on December 14 at 10 am and 5:30 pm.

Also, many people have inquired about an educational tour to The Glitz in Versailles. We have two dates, December 6 & December 12. The van will be leaving at 9:30 on both days. This trip includes lunch and a tour of their antiques shop and

information of their business. Please call the Extension Office to sign up. This trip costs $29.50 for your meal. Please

write a check or have the correct amount, as they will be very busy. If you have already expressed interest and are no longer interested in going, please let me know!

Family and Consumer Sciences Extension

News !

A Message From Your Pres ident !

Hello ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are doing well. I want to say that our

Bath County Fall Bazaar turned out good. There were plenty of vendors of different products and plenty of good food

for sale. I am sure a lot of Christmas gifts were bought.

Our Extension Homemakers membership has grown some, and we appreciate everyone for helping in trying to sign up more members. We had four people who attended the Licking River Board meeting, and we discussed projects that

each county was doing and the ones that are in the planning stages of new projects. I want to take a moment to Thank

all our Homemakers for all there help with all our projects. We do a lot and when I started writing all of them down, wow. Great job ladies! I believe the Farmers Market did pretty good this year and are still open until December 22. So

take advantage of all their gift ideas and food.

Well, we are starting the Christmas Season, and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New

Year. This year we will be doing more projects and programs from the Extension Office and I look forward to seeing what is in store. Please feel free to give me a call if I can help with anything or if you have some ideas for projects or

programs. 859-585-0082 Lois Ginn

Special points of in-terest:

Dues are due ASAP!

The Extension Office will

be closed from Decem-

ber 23– January 1!

Happy New Year!

Bath County

Cooperative Extension

Inside this issue:

KEHA News 2-3

DIY/KP Recipe 4

Beating Financial Holi-

day Blues

5

Adult Health Bulletin 6-7

Healthy Choices 8-

10

Craft Day Camp 11

De-Stress During Holi-

days

12

Nicole Gwishiri Bath CEA for Family and Consumer Sciences

Page 2 Building Strong Families for Bath County

KEHA News !

Happy birthday to all of

you who have birthdays in the month of December!

Jenny Adkins

Diana Chambers

Cathy Cope

Betty Harmon

Mary Sue Helphinestine

Mary Ann Lewis

Margaret Manley (November)

Michelle Ray

Lisa Rogers (November)

Eileen Stewart

Etta Mae Stewart

Glenna Whitaker Please send in your birthday so that you may be recog-

nized!

Ever want to travel the world just to taste the wonder-

ful food? Want to do something different? Join us for

our new program! The SECOND country we will be ex-ploring will be Zimbabwe! We will explore their culture,

habits, prepare the food they eat.

When: December 14

Where: Bath County Ag Center

Time: 10 & 5:30 pm

Call the office to reserve your spot!

The ninth session of Keys To Embracing Aging

is on knowing stress management and reliev-

ers. These sessions are open to all ages, have

been so much fun, and we learn a lot.

When: December 7

Where: Bath County Li-

brary

Time: 10 am

Bring a friend or share with someone think

may be interested!

Join us for this new pro-gram for children! This program focuses on the child, birth to kindergarten, and teaches them skills to prepare for kin-dergarten. We will read a sto-ry, eat a snack, complete a craft or activity, and play with other children! When: Decem-ber 8 Where: Bath County Library Time: 10 am

Join us this month as we celebrate the ending of a semester of

programs! Parents and kids will be able to play with each other

(inflatables, party games) as we head into the holiday season. If

you know of any parents who would like to participate in this free

program, please encourage them to come!

When: December 12

Where: Owingsville Elementary School

Time: 5:30 pm (dinner) - Program starts at 6

There will be childcare services available! Parents attending ses-

sions will get a chance to win gas cards, iPads, and more! Free

program!

This new program addresses the issue of how we interact with health and wealth Participants will learn 25 behavior change strategies that can be applied to improve both their health and person-al finances. We will create something for the holiday sea-son. When: December 18 Where: Bath County Ag Center Time: 5:30 pm

Have you heard of the fa-mous “The Glitz” Antique Shop and Restaurant? Have you wanted to go but haven’t been able to? Well here is your chance! We will be tak-ing the van on two separate days, December 6 and 12, to view this sight that must be seen! When: December 6 & 12 Where: The Glitz (meet at Ag Center) Time: 9:30 am (reservation is for 11 am) Cost: $29.50 for meal Call the Office if you want to sign up by December 4! Spots are limited!

Page 3

DECEMBER 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Farmers Market (8a)

2 Farm-ers (8)

3 4 5 6 Glitz Field Trip (9:30a) Ex. Off. Scrapbook Club (10a) Ex. Off. Sharpsburg Country (11:30a) Terry & Kathy’s

7 Keys To Em-bracing Aging (10a) Bath Co.. Library

8 Farmers Market (8a) Ex. Off. Pastime Play-dates (10a) Bath Co. Li-brary

9Farmers Mar-ket (8a) Ex. Off.

10 11 Sewing Day (9a) Ex. Off. District Board Meeting (6p) Ex. Off.

12 Glitz Field Trip (9:30a) Ex. Off. Keys to Great Parenting (5:30p) Owings-ville Elementary

13 Harpers & White Oak (10:30a) Ex. Off. Bethel Nite Blue Licks

14 Cooking Around the World (10a & 5:30p) Ex. Off. Salt Lick (12p) Ex. Off. Slate Valley (5:30p) Indian Creek Restau-rant Country @ Heart (6:30p) Ramsey Build-ing

15Farmers Market (8a) Ex. Off.

16Farmers Market (8a) Ex. Off.

17 18 Small Steps to Health & Wealth (5:30p) Ex. Off. Hill-N-Dale (6p) Ex. Off.

19 20 Day Camp (9a) Ex. Off.

21 Jr. Home-makers (5p) Ex. Off.

22Farmers Market (8a) Ex. Off.

23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 For the winter months, if school is cancelled ALL FCS/Homemaker programs held at the Extension Office will be cancelled! Call the office if you aren’t sure.

Supplies

Glass jars

Artificial snow Hot glue gun and glue

Assorted mini Christmas trees and snowmen Spray adhesive (optional)

Glitter (optional)

Krylon Glitter Blast (or white spray paint)

Directions 1. Remove lids and spray paint with glit-

ter or white paint. (you can also spray

the trees and snowmen with adhesive spray and then shake glitter on)

2. Hot glue your trees and snowmen to the lids. (also, glue the canning lids

together.

3. Fill jars with a little snow. 4. Screw lids on. Shake.

Page 4 Building Strong Families for Bath County

Try It Out ! Kentucky Proud Recipe!

DIY: Check It Out ! Waterless Snow Globes

Have you ever stressed about how to provide a fun holiday experience for your children or

grandchildren without breaking the bank? Decorations, gifts and food expenses add up

quickly.

When thinking about expensive holidays, people often think of Christmas. However, many

other holidays can be expensive as well. For example, Halloween is the third most expen-

sive holiday, after Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Although Halloween does not involve

large gifts or family events, the costs of costumes, candy and decorations can require big

spending. To avoid this financial strain, it is important to plan for holiday expenses

throughout the year and to adopt new, lower-cost traditions.

Develop a budget for upcoming holidays

The best way to reduce impulse spending is to develop a budget that includes clear expec-

tations for travel, food, entertainment and gift-giving expenses.

Make a list of everyone who will receive a gift as well as all items that will cost money

during the holiday season. Some items often forgotten include gasoline, babysitter

fees, eating at restaurants more often and so on.

Some people enjoy giving gifts to nonfamily members, but they are often forgotten when making a budget. These people include teachers, babysitters, hair styl-

ists, etc. Consider handwritten notes expressing thanks or appreciation rather than buying gifts, when possible to reduce your spending costs.

Divide your budget into necessary items (needs) and luxuries (wants). For example, gasoline is a needed expense for traveling, eating out at restaurants while on

the road is an extra expense that can be avoided if needed. Dividing your list will help you save for all necessary expenses and you might even have enough extra

money left over for a luxury item.

As part of your budget, determine how you will pay for each item. Paying with cash will help avoid unexpected spending. Paying with a credit card without keeping

track of spending may be tempting, but don’t forget the bill that will have to be paid. If paying with layaway, look out for hidden fees and be sure to budget for any

interest added.

Once a budget is made, it can still be hard to follow. In-store sales are tempting, but making impulsive purchases, no matter how small, can add up quickly. Carry a

copy of your budget with you, and be sure to follow it while in stores.

It can be helpful to budget for holidays that occur together. Several holidays occur during October, November, and December, leaving little time for financial recovery.

Combining holiday expenses for all three holidays together can ensure that you are not caught off guard.

Reference: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/moneywise/agents/downloads/moneywise-newsletters/volume5/v5-i10-MoneyWise-newsletter.pdf

Source: Alex Elswick, Extension Associate for Family Resource Management; University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Page 5 Beating the Financial Holiday Blues

Autumn is a time when we can reflect and nurture ourselves. It is also a time to gather, store, organize and wind down from sum-

mer’s high tempo. Author Sara Avant Stover offers some suggestions for self-care during the fall months of the year:

1. Allow yourself more time to rest. Try to go to bed a little earlier or wake up a little later. If these are not possible, try to take a

short nap during the day.

2. Take a quiet walk through nature.

3. Let yourself cry when you need to.

4. Drink a cup of warm decaffeinated tea or milk before bed.

5. Use essential oils in your home or bath. Sandalwood or geranium are good options.

6. Light candles or a fire inside. Or even better, sit at a bonfire outside with friends. Release whatever you need to let go of into the flames.

7. Drink warm or cold water with fresh lemon first thing in the morning.

8. Let go of relationships, thoughts, situations and beliefs that are holding you back. One idea would be writing a letter to someone or something you are ready to let go

of. Record the things you learned, the unsavory pieces as well as the blessings that you will carry with you as you move forward. This letter is for your eyes only. Do not

hold back! Write it all down. When you are done, burn the letter as a way to release.

9. Build stability in your body and clarity in your mind through yoga or meditation.

10. Massage warm sesame oil into your head or hair around your ears and face. Then work downward to your feet. Pay extra attention to your belly and the soles of

your feet. Use long strokes on your legs and arms. Use circles on your joints and belly. Relax and breathe deeply for ten minutes while the oil sinks in. Take a hot shower

or bath, washing the oil off with a gentle soap. This helps to ground, warm and calm you during an otherwise cold and dry season. It draws toxins out of the tissues and

into the blood stream for elimination.

11. Make the nightly ritual of writing down all the things that you are grateful for from that day. If you sleep with a partner, share your lists with each other.

12. Create a list of things you will say YES to. For example, sleep at least eight hours a night. Take a quiet bath a few times a week. Go for walks outside even it’s just for

ten minutes a day. Have some quiet time. Eat simple wholesome foods. Meet up with friends a couple times a week. Totally unplug one day a week.

Taking Care of Yourself During the Fall Months

Page 6 Building Strong Families for Bath County

Page 7

Page 8 Building Strong Families for Bath County

Page 9

Page 10 Building Strong Families for Bath County

Page 11

I hope this holiday season brings joy, warmth, and happiness to

your lives. I am so thankful for the time I get to spend with you all,

either in person or in spirit, and I hope that your days are peaceful.

If there is anything you need or want us to do, please let your county president, Lois, or I know. We are here to help!

I look forward to seeing you throughout this month and into the

new year. Best wishes, safe days and nights, and share a little love

with others!

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, and Happy

Kwanzaa to you all!

Nicole Gwishiri

Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for Bath County

For many, the holiday season brings an increased sense of family responsibility and additional feelings of stress. It may

seem like the holidays are more work than enjoyment with numerous family gatherings and long lists to be done. This is

not uncommon.

Handling holiday stress is hard. However, if you follow these healthy stress techniques you can minimize the stress that

accompanies the holidays. You may even find yourself relaxed and enjoying the holiday season.

Forget perfection. The holidays do not have to be perfect or the same as last year. It is ok if you have a little clutter

in the house or dinner on the table a few minutes late. You cannot do it all. As families grow, traditions often change

as well. Do not sweat it. Instead, focus your energy on enjoying the time spent with loved ones.

Reach out. If you feel overwhelmed, ask for help. Accepting help and support from those who care about us can help

ease stress. You may just need to ask. Helping others and volunteering your time is always a good way to lift your spirits as well. Nothing shows the spirit of the

holidays better than helping others.

Set aside differences. Try to accept family members and friends for who they are. Set aside past matters for a later time. Understand, others may say things

or get upset if something goes wrong but chances are they are feeling holiday stress too.

Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other holiday rituals. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That will

help prevent last minute scrambling to buy overlooked ingredients.

Stick to a budget. It is easy to be swept up in the holiday shopping madness. Before you go shopping, know how much you can afford for gifts and food. Then

stick to your budget.

Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Do not try to squeeze in more holiday than you can han-

dle. Friends and family will understand if you cannot join in for every party or gathering.

Take care of yourself. Prioritize your needs and feelings. Maybe that means spending just 15 minutes alone without distractions to reduce stress and clear

your mind. Physical activity can also help boost energy levels leaving us feeling better and improving sleep.

Do not dread the holidays. Instead, use these tips to prevent the stress. Learn to recognize your holiday triggers, such as financial pressures or family demands, so

you can prepare for them before having a meltdown. With a little planning and some positive thinking, you can find peace and joy during the holidays.

References:

American Heart Association. Holiday Stress? Try Our Top 5 Tips for a Heart-Healthy Holiday Season

De-Stress During the Holidays

Bath County Cooperative

Extension

2914 E. HWY 60

Owingsville, KY 40360

Phone: 606-674-6121

Fax: 606-674-6687

Email: ncgw222@Uky.edu

Teaching. Research.

Extension.

We’re on the Web!

Bath.ca.uky.edu (Facebook) Bath

County Cooperative Extension,

Bath County Agriculture, and

Bath County 4-H