STRENGTHENING OKLAHOMA FAMILIES

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Community and Social) and providing ideas on how to excel through these upcoming months. Read about each pillar for tips and tricks for your seasonal journey.

1 Dec Jan STRENGTHENING OKLAHOMA FAMILIES Family and Consumer Sciences News Jumpstart the Season with a Reason This month we are breaking down the six pillars (Purpose, Physical, Emotional, Financial, Community and Social) and providing ideas on how to excel through these upcoming months. Read about each pillar for tips and tricks for your seasonal journey. Purpose Use this holiday season to discover your strengths and shine like a star. Are you the organizer and planner? Are you the best at choosing gifts? Do you bring people together? Are you the jokester at family reunions? Are you a magical chef? Whatever it might be, use your strength to your advantage to make your life easier. At the start of each week, spend a couple of minutes by yourself and create a list of what you wish to accomplish before the upcoming weekend. Your list can include anything from meal planning to work tasks to planning a family vacation over the New Year holiday. Check off what you ve accomplished as you go so you can visually see your achievements. If there is anything left, put it on your list for the next week. Keep focused and meet your goals one step at a time. Physical You need to stay physically healthy, especially this time of year, because you can t afford to be sick right now. Here are some tips: *Remember to set aside time for exercise, even if it s just a walk with your dog or neighbor. *Don t overdo the sweets from all the holiday treats. *Focus on making handmade, healthier goodies. *Cut back on sugar, use whole wheat flour, and try out different recipes with fruit in them to get your vitamins and antioxidants. *Despite your busier schedule, you want to make sure you don t give in to the fast food industry, even if it seems like the easy way out after a long day. If you don t already, this is great time of year to start meal planning and/or meal prepping. Planning ahead never hurts. Spend Sundays planning out each meal for the week and making sure you have all the necessary grocery items. *If you have extra time, start cooking. You can freeze or refrigerate meals for a quicker, healthier option on those nights that are extra busy. *Don t neglect sleep. Getting plenty of rest can help you recover from the busyness of the holidays. Tulsa County Extension Office Address 4116 E. 15 th Street Tulsa, OK Phone Michelle.Bonicelli@okstate.edu Website Social Media Facebook:TulsaCountyOSUExtension Twitter: twitter@osuextension72 In this issue: Jumpstart the Season with a Reason (continued) Embrace Laughter Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are the Best Gifts for the Environment OHCE News & Updates If you receive the monthly newsletter by mail and would like to receive it by , please call Roxanne at Receiving it by would greatly reduce our printing and postage expenses. Thank you!

Emotional Emotional wellness is not just about making sure you are happy all the time, but rather being aware of what you are feeling and how it is affecting your other pillars of well-being.

Consider taking 10 minutes of your lunch break to meditate, become aware of the emotions you are feeling and to focus on what is happening around you. Relax and take deep breaths during this time.

2 Emotional Emotional wellness is not just about making sure you are happy all the time, but rather being aware of what you are feeling and how it is affecting your other pillars of well-being. This month, be sure to schedule an appointment for me time every day. Consider taking 10 minutes of your lunch break to meditate, become aware of the emotions you are feeling and to focus on what is happening around you. Relax and take deep breaths during this time. You can write down what you are feeling, whether it is positive or negative. Before bed each day, try to reminisce on the day and focus on what you are grateful for. Make it a goal to be more aware of your emotions. Financial It is important to keep your finances under control during the season of giving. So that everyone is on the same page in your household, discuss a budget for the holiday months. This sets limits and can help prevent overspending on gifts, food, vacations and decorations. Here are some tips on being frugal throughout the holiday season: *Gift a service instead of spending money for example, offer to mow/shovel your parents or grandparents yard for a month. *Gift homemade items sew or knit something with all the random fabric scraps and yarn lying around. Baked goods are always a much appreciated gift as well. While you are in your creative mode, use this time to teach your kids a new skill and bond with them, all while saving money. *Gift card promotions often times, restaurants or businesses will offer gift card promotions such as Buy this $25 gift card and get a free $10 e-gift card. Take advantage of promotions like these, making two gifts instead of one. *Plan your big holiday meals now and make a shopping list. Keep an eye out for when these items go on sale to snag a deal! Community Have you thought about how you re going to give back to the community this holiday season? Volunteering for your favorite local organization is always a great idea. Donating to them, if you have the means, is another great option. Can t spare cash? Consider participating in winter cleaning where you purge your home of items you don t use and donate them. This is a great way to de-clutter your home while helping someone in need. Another way to get involved in your community is an act as simple as offering to watch your neighbor s pet (at no charge, of course!) as they travel. Social Planning ahead is crucial this time of year and can prevent stress later on. Here s a list of things to get started on early: *Create a holiday card mailing list. Consider sending digital cards. *Write down gift-giving ideas and keep an eye out for when these items go on sale. *When it comes to gifts for neighbors or close friends, consider baking something homemade now, freezing it and delivering it later. *Get your guest room guest-ready. *Don t forget to plan family time. This is a time of year to make memories, so set time to go sledding, look at lights, visit Santa in the mall, see a holiday play, watch a movie together and anything else you love doing together as a family. Plan ahead this year and save yourself some stress later on. Source: thrive.ok.gov 2

Embrace Laughter The positive effects of laughter can last up to 45 minutes lowering stress, reducing depression and helping your mind and body heal.

Embrace laughter and improve your sense of humor with these tips: Look at television or movie comedies that make you laugh.

3 Embrace Laughter The positive effects of laughter can last up to 45 minutes lowering stress, reducing depression and helping your mind and body heal. Researchers actually recommend at least 15 minutes of laughter each day to help improve your heart health. Are you getting your daily dose? Embrace laughter and improve your sense of humor with these tips: Look at television or movie comedies that make you laugh. Research shows that you experience increased blood flow while watching funny movies. Act like a kid and try not to take yourself so seriously. Spend some time with children and try to pick up their carefree and playful attitudes. Children love to laugh and they can make you laugh, too. Unwind after a stressful day by reading the comics, a joke book or humor online. About 20 percent of all laughter is in response to jokes. Get with family and friends and host a game night party or go to a comedy club. Laughter is contagious, and you re sure to laugh more with friends and family. In fact, people are 30 times more likely to laugh when other people are around than when they re alone. Humor yourself. Laugh at yourself and watch your stress disappear. Find humor in the things that frustrate you. If all else fails, fake a laugh and you will reap the same benefits as you would from a real laugh. Need more reasons to laugh? Optimists laugh more often and are healthier than pessimists. Smiles are free and easy to give away. Males are the leading producers of humor, but females laugh more often. Laughter produces activities in cells that attack viruses and tumor cells, so frequent laughers are generally healthier. Laughers look younger than frowners. Frequent belly laughing gives your lungs a cleansing effect, similar to deep breathing. It is easier to laugh than frown. It takes 72 muscles to frown and only 14 to laugh. Humor increases energy, and with more energy, you can perform activities you might otherwise avoid. Laughter is an aerobic activity it provides a workout for your diaphragm and increases your ability to use oxygen. Telling a joke connects you with other people. Laughter produces endorphins, the body s natural painkillers that provide a general sense of well-being. Belly laughs are equal to an internal jog providing good cardiac conditioning, especially to individuals who aren t able to perform physical activity. Humor helps you keep things in perspective. Sources: American College of Cardiology; Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service 3

this festive season than any other time of the year. In fact, we tend to generate as much as 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year s.

4 Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are the Best Gifts for the Environment Tis the season to be wasteful? While wrapping paper flies through the air as children tear into much-anticipated gifts, and special foods are prepared for a holiday feast, Americans are generating a whole lot more waste during this festive season than any other time of the year. In fact, we tend to generate as much as 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year s. This waste is not only wrapping paper and cardboard boxes, it also includes electronics such as old computers and cell phones that are long forgotten when their most up-to-date replacements have been unwrapped. With holiday parties in full swing, it is likely your household is creating more-than-normal food waste as well. It s really easy to get caught up in all of the fun and festivities of the holiday season, but it s so important to keep in mind the impact we re having on the environment, said Lynn Malley, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension assistant specialist, solid waste management programs. Although it s just a few short weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year s, the amount of waste we create has a significant impact on our world. Research shows that extra waste is about 25 million tons of trash, or about 1 million tons per day. That number is significant, especially considering the limited number of acres available for licensed landfills. Consider these facts for a moment: About 2.65 billion Christmas cards are sold each year in the United States. That s enough to fill the area of a football field 10 stories tall. If every family sent just one less card, that could conserve about 50,000 cubic yards of paper. Reusing just two feet of holiday ribbon results in about 38,000 miles of ribbon saved. Considering the earth has a circumference of 24,901 miles, that would be plenty of ribbon to tie up this planet with a festive bow. And another thought to ponder is if every family in the United State wrapped just three gifts in reused materials, that simple act would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. Malley said another option to reduce waste, especially during the gift-giving season, is to give memberships to a local museum, amusement park, a state park or health club. Sometimes the best gift of all is simply the gift of time. Trips to the park, hikes around the lake or a picnic will create memories that will long outlast the latest toy fad, she said. Other ideas that are fun, as well as good for the environment, are gardening tools, seeds or decorative flower pots. For those individuals whom you find it hard to buy for, give them a service such as raking leaves, shoveling snow, painting the porch, babysitting or house cleaning. If you must send holiday cards, do so via to help eliminate paper waste. When it is time to wrap gifts, think outside of the box and use old posters, newspaper comics, maps or even material left over from a previous sewing project. When receiving a gift, be sure to save the ribbons and bows. This season, after the gifts are opened and all the trash have been disposed of, think about the gift you can give back to our planet, Malley said. Make a plan on how you can reduce, reuse and recycle. This will be the best gift of all and will have a lasting effect. Source: 4

THIS AND THAT from PAT The Holiday time is upon us and we are busy getting everything done on time. Thanksgiving is over and it won t be long until Christmas.

Our Holiday Luncheon is always fun and a time of fellowship. Our thanks to Coe Ann Patton and her committee for a great send-off for the Holiday. If you are traveling I wish you a safe journey.

5 THIS AND THAT from PAT The Holiday time is upon us and we are busy getting everything done on time. Thanksgiving is over and it won t be long until Christmas. Gifts to be finished or purchased and wrapped. Decorations to put up and the tree decorated. Don t be so caught up in getting ready that you forget what Christmas is really all about. Our Holiday Luncheon is always fun and a time of fellowship. Our thanks to Coe Ann Patton and her committee for a great send-off for the Holiday. If you are traveling I wish you a safe journey. This is a time for families to be together whether they are small or large in number. Before we know it, the time for the Winter Business Meeting on January 19 th will take place. Eastside Group is the hostess for this event which will be potluck. I have come to the conclusion that electronics, especially laptops, are beyond me. I am still struggling with my accounts but hope to have it resolved very soon. I can only hope it will be solved before the Yearbook is printed. Some of our members have lost loved ones in the past few months and our prayers will be with them during what can be a difficult time of the year. Blessings and Peace in the Christmas Season, Pat Holiday Luncheon donations to the food pantry at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church Everyone is asked to bring an item for the church food pantry. Suggestion of items they need: CANNED GOODS, Vegetables, fruit, tuna, soup and peanut butter, shelf stable milk, 1/2 gallon of juice and cereals. Family Issues Update: DONATIONS at the Holiday Luncheon: Thanks to all who have taken the time to show your love to the children. The boxes will be labeled to help us place the items in the right box. The copy of your list will help us make the report the total. Thank you, Clara Perkins WHAT S HAPPENING December: 6 11:00 am Holiday Luncheon and Installation of officers. Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, 7903 E. 15th Street 25 & 26 Extension Office Closed January: 1 Extension Office closed 12 10:00 am Board meeting 13 10:00 am Saturday Workshop "How to write and submit an Award Winning State Report!" 15 Extension Office closed 16 10:00 am Membership Committee meeting 12:30 pm Leadership Development Committee meeting 2:00 pm Cultural Enrichment Committee meeting 3:00 pm Healthy Living Committee meeting 4:00 pm Resource Management Committee meeting 19 10:00 am Business Meeting, Hostess: Eastside, Recognition of committee chairs for :00 am Leader Lesson Training for Feb, Mar, Apr & Owasso Assembly of God Church 9341 N. 129 th E. Ave, Owasso Tulsa County is the host, send 2-3 representatives from each group to arrive early to assist with directions, greeting, etc. ***All events will be held at the OSU Extension Office unless noted. *** Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE), consists of eight groups that meet in and around Tulsa. The groups meet once a month, at various times. Some groups meet in member s homes, others meet at libraries, churches or community centers. To start or join a group in your neighborhood or community, call the Tulsa County OSU Extension Office at

OHCE Holiday Luncheon Date: December 6, 2017 at 11:00 am Theme: Cookies for Santa Location: Memorial Drive United Methodist Church 7903 E. 15 th Street, enter from the back parking lot.

Here are some suggestion of items they need: CANNED GOODS, vegetables, fruit, tuna, soup and peanut butter, shelf stable milk, 1/2 gallon of juice and a variety of cereals.

the OHCE-TC scholarship. Thanks especially to Michelle Bonicelli and Cindy Crowley for their donations for the raffles.

6 OHCE Holiday Luncheon Date: December 6, 2017 at 11:00 am Theme: Cookies for Santa Location: Memorial Drive United Methodist Church 7903 E. 15 th Street, enter from the back parking lot. Everyone is asked to bring an item for the church food pantry. Here are some suggestion of items they need: CANNED GOODS, vegetables, fruit, tuna, soup and peanut butter, shelf stable milk, 1/2 gallon of juice and a variety of cereals. Tulsa County Extension Office 4116 E 15 th Street Tulsa, OK OHCE UPDATES ~ Coe Ann Patton, Chair From the Scholarship Committee: Thank you to all who contributed items and made donations for the OHCE-TC scholarship. Thanks especially to Michelle Bonicelli and Cindy Crowley for their donations for the raffles. Kudos to Kathy Erwin for a great event and to Dorothy Swindler for her incredible assistance. Our next fundraiser will be at the Bunko-Bingo Day in March. We are asking each chapter to donate an item for a Craft Walk. Make it something fabulous, so players will want to win it! I hope each chapter is continuing to collect money at the monthly meetings. Let s continue to support the educational goals of our members and their families. Thanks for everything! ~ Evelyn Williamson Michelle Bonicelli Family and Consumer Sciences Educator Tulsa County OSU Extension Service Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, genetic information, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. The Director of Equal Opportunity, 408 Whitehurst, OSU, Stillwater, OK ; Phone ; eeo@okstate.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity. Any person (student, faculty, or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based on gender may discuss his or her concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with OSU s Title IX Coordinator Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. This publication is printed and issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Vice President for Agricultural Programs and has been prepared and distributed at a cost of 000 cents per copy.

101 Extraordinary, Everyday Miracles

101 Extraordinary, Everyday Miracles Copyright April, 2006, by Kim Loftis. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kimloftis.com 828-675-9859 Kim@KimLoftis.com Sharing and distributing of this document is encouraged!