Recent Posts
-
I can’t tell you how many times I have been walking on a sidewalk and had to move over so someone wouldn’t walk into me. I find myself wondering what are they doing that is so important and interesting on that phone. A sidewalk crash usually results in minimal injuries; however, crossing the street with your…
-
Each day millions of children spend a good part of the day away from home in a child care facility. It’s important to keep them healthy and safe both at home and while they are away from home. One of best things you can do is to learn more about the connection between health and the indoor…
-
Last spring I had the opportunity to visit Holland when the tulips were blooming. It was beautiful! My journey began in Vienna. My husband gave me a single tulip. With the tulip along for the ride, we started our journey. The first stop was in western Austria. Not a tulip in sight but beautiful primroses.…
-
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the eco-friendly messages that seem to be everywhere. My philosophy is to start where you are right now and take a few steps forward at a time. Below are five tips to help you become a greener consumer. Reduce your consumption. This is one of the easiest ways to become…
-
Health problems and laminate wood flooring are back in the news. The cause of alarm centers around formaldehyde, a known-carcinogenic, that is used in some pressed wood products like laminate wood flooring. Formaldehyde is found in a variety of home and consumer products. It is used in plywood, particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), wood floor finishes,…
-
I recently discovered that even door locks need regular maintenance. This weekend my key would not open the deadbolt on my back door. Having broken off a key in the lock several years ago, I knew better than to force it. With my limited fix-it knowledge I grabbed the screwdriver and took the doorknob off.…
Posted in: Housing -
Every January we recognize the winners of the Radon Poster Contest. This year there were four winners in Georgia. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who entered. The posters were great! A special thanks to Southern Radon Reduction who provided prizes for the winners. The posters do a great job of increasing…
Posted in: Healthy Housing -
Radon is a dangerous gas that may be in your home. It is easy to test your home for radon. Learn more about testing from this informative blog written by fellow UGA Extension bloggers – Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon can be found in any home. The only way to…
-
If you want to give gifts that promote healthier and greener living, the first thing to do is consider the recipient. Are you giving something that person really wants or can use? Don’t stress about gift giving. Have fun finding that special gift for everyone on your list. Below are some ideas. Gifts that promote recycling…
-
For the next few weeks people and leaders around the world will be talking about climate change, emissions levels, and renewable energy sources (i.e., hydroelectric power, wind, solar, geothermal, wood biomass, ethanol, biodiesel and waste biomass.) Two of the top energy users – the United States (U.S.) and China have made several positive steps towards…
-
This past week some fellow UGA Extension bloggers and I had the opportunity to share our blogging experiences and challenges with other professionals at the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) conference at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. It was fun and insightful! Extension has a long history of reaching out to…
Posted in: Blogging -
A few weeks ago when I was in Springfield, Illinois for the Housing Education Research Association (HERA) conference I had the opportunity to visit the Dana-Thomas House. This is an amazing house! It was built from 1902-04 for Susan Lawrence Dana, a forward-thinking socialite. She gave Wright a “blank check,” which is reflected in the…
Posted in: Frank Lloyd Wright -
Do you feel ill whenever you are in your house, but feel fine when you stay in a hotel or at a friend’s house? There could be something in your house that your body is reacting to. Mold is often the named culprit; however, it isn’t always mold. To determine what is causing your health concerns you…
-
Researchers say laughter is good for your health. Go out and laugh this weekend! Bilingual Opinions Hearty laughter may lower your blood pressure, increase your heart rate, reduce stress, ease muscle tension, improve your breathing, boost mental function, and burn calories! Imagine nurturing your body and mind with all of these health benefits when you…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
A UGA class is building a Tiny House and learning many things along the way. Follow their progress @ https://tinydawghouse.wordpress.com/. tinydawghouse We talked briefly in class today about the major considerations for roofing and siding materials for our tiny dawg house. The 6 main realms of concern are: cost, energy efficiency, carbon footprint, weight and…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
I recently returned from visiting Glacier National Park. It was beautiful, despite the smoke from the wildfires in the air. Even though I grew up in Montana, this was only my third visit to the park. What can I say, Montana is a big state and I live in Georgia now. Glacier Park was designated a…
-
I recently visited Montana where over 86,000 acres have burned or are on fire. This year in the United States, about 7.2 million acres have been impacted by wildfires. That’s an area about five times the size of Delaware. It’s easy to see that the smoke from the fires in Montana, Canada, and surrounding states…
-
When I hear people talk about low impact living I always think of the 1970’s British Comedy The Good Life, or Good Neighbors as it was known here in the United States. A couple decides to escape the commercialism of life and become totally self-sufficient in their home near London. It’s entertaining to see their successes…
-
Managing waste is a major issue for countries around the world. When I am visiting somewhere one of the first things I look for are recycling containers. If they are easy to find, then that place is usually doing a better job encouraging people (tourists and residents) to recycle. In Malta I didn’t encounter many…
-
While in Malta I had the opportunity to see several locally grown foods. I visited an eco-friendly family farm that grew tomatoes in a greenhouse. After growing season they sterilized the soil by flooding the greenhouse and allowing the heat of the sun to kill the pests. This farm, like most farms in Malta, is small.…
-
Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Malta to present a paper on healthy housing (definition of healthy housing) at the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) conference. It was a great conference, with researchers from around the world sharing their research and insights into issues that impact individuals and families around the world.…
-
I may have brought bedbugs home from my vacation. What an awful souvenir! I travel a lot, but this is the first time I have had an encounter with bedbugs. Maybe staying at all those convents and monasteries in Europe instead of five star hotels protected me from these unsavory pests. In reality, bedbugs can be…
-
Memorial Day is a time to remember all of the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. I grew up in rural America, where each year members of the American Legion firing squad visit all of the small country cemeteries. Prior to Memorial Day the American Legion Auxiliary members place small…
-
Spring is a great time to celebrate the earth in all its splendor. There is truly #NoPlaceLikeHome. Celebrate today and every day. I have a hard time picking my one favorite place, so I am sharing a collection of some of my favorite places. More info on the NASA Earth Day celebration.
-
Today I am celebrating World Home Economics Day in Malta at the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) conference. This is a day to focus on Home Economics Literacy. This year the theme is “Sharing Food: Healthy and Sustainable Choices.” Home Economics, or Family and Consumer Sciences as we refer to this profession in the…
-
For most of us, our home is, or will probably be, our largest financial investment. And, if you are anything like the average financially savvy American, then you are likely looking for ways to cut down on cost and make the most out of every opportunity to save a few hundred dollars here and there. As…
-
Saturday is Valentine’s day. Have you come up with a great gift idea? It is a good time to remind those you love to live greener by giving them a greener gift. Below are some are eleven gift ideas for your greener Valentine’s day. Include some information from your Cooperative Extension office about starting plants from seeds.…
-
Every year 72,330 women die from lung cancer. Lung cancer has killed more women than breast cancer since 19871. Of those who survive, only 18% survive five years2, meaning lung cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of all cancers for women. So, why is it that only 1% of women consider lung cancer…
-
My New Year’s Resolutions are a few days late, but I’m not stressing over it. My resolution is to relax and not stress about minor things (like a late blog post). This year I encourage you to focus your goals on relationships, your health, and the health of the world. Below are resolutions I suggest…
-
During the holidays Americans produce excess amounts of trash, much of which comes from holiday entertaining. In 2012, Americans generated around 251 million tons of trash. That’s 4.38 pounds per person per day! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) we are recycling 34.5 percent of what we throw away, which is much higher…
-
I have always enjoyed gifts – both the giving and receiving of them. According to researchers, I am not alone. Gift giving is an important part of human interaction and psychologists say that the givers often reap the biggest psychological gains. When someone takes time to thoughtfully select a gift for me, it means so…
-
Does your home have “curb appeal?” October is a great time to stand on the curb and check out the condition of your house. Are the spiders taking over the front porch? Does it need painted around the windows to keep the moisture out? Are there loose shingles? Is the sidewalk cracked? Are the gutters…
-
Not even 10 years ago, a home with solar panels was a relatively rare sight. But recently an uptick in local and federal incentives as well as some advances in the technology has made them more popular than ever. This is why homeowners of all types are now looking to these panels as the next…
-
It’s the last long weekend of summer. Take time off from your daily labors. Here are five things you can do to celebrate the long weekend. 1. Learn what Labor Day is all about? Do you know anything about Labor Day, other than the fact that you get Monday off? Take time to learn more…
-
It’s interesting what you can learn from the past. Last year when I was in Austria I saw a very interesting way to heat a room. We were staying in Mariastern Abbey in Hohenweiler, which is in western Austria, near Bregenz (on Lake Constance). The abbey was built around the 16th or 17th century and was once a castle.…
-
In 2013 there were 16,655 reports of children under 6 exposed to poisons that are easily found in our homes. In most homes you can find batteries, laundry detergent, medications, household cleaners, pesticides, gasoline, and paint, along with other household products. Many of these products, especially those that look like candy, can poison children. In…
-
You could be adding to the pollutants in your home with the cleaning products you use. Studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show levels of several common organic pollutants are two to five times higher inside homes than outside. These indoor pollutants come from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from a variety of…
-
Lead is a highly poisonous metal that can have serious health effects, especially for children under the age of 6. It only takes a small amount of lead to severely affect their mental and physical development. Lead-based paint and lead contaminated soil are the most common sources of exposure. House paint in the U.S. no…
-
Mold is all around us. It grows on any organic substance, as long as there is moisture and oxygen. You can’t eliminate all of the mold and mold spores in your home, but you can reduce mold by controlling moisture. Mold can trigger allergies or asthma attacks in children and adults, so it is important…
-
We spend close to 90% of our time indoors, much of which is spent in our homes where we are exposed to a variety of contaminants and allergens that can trigger asthma attacks. In the U.S. almost 25 million people are affected by asthma. This includes about 7 million children. The asthma triggers in your…
-
Where did you walk today? Think about all the places your feet have been in the last 24 hours and then imagine the contaminants found in those places. Every time you walk into your home with your shoes on you are tracking in the contaminants you encountered throughout the day. About 30 to 40 percent…
-
Compared to adults, babies and children have a higher breathing rate and less developed lungs. This means babies and children can be more susceptible to environmental damage to the lungs than adults, like in the case of radon. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. It’s a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that…
-
Injuries in the home are the number one killer of children in the U.S. Most of these home injuries could have been prevented. An example is single-use laundry detergent, also known as Laundry pods. They are convenient to use, but can be very dangerous to children. What can you do to make your home safer?…
-
Children are more likely than adults to fall victim to hazards in your home. Relative to their body size, children breathe in more air and consume more food than adults. They also spend more time close to the ground where contaminants lurk and there are lots of things to chew on. This means they are…
-
Oh, to have granite countertops adorn your kitchen! They are the dream countertops for many people who are building a new home or remodeling their current home. The quality, appearance, and even status, attracts many people; however, another element of granite countertops has come to the forefront in recent years – radon. When concerns about…
-
Having fun in Jacksonville, Florida while learning more about radon. You may not think that’s something you need to know about. Not true! You need to pay attention and take action. Radon is a radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is found in EVERY home regardless of type…
-
It is always important to provide opportunities for children to spend unstructured time with nature. Here is a book I suggest for parents, grandparents and those who are concerned about our children Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods. The book looks at the concept of nature deficit disorder. The theory is that our…
-
Today I was walking across campus and someone almost walked into me because she was so busy texting she was barely staying on the sidewalk. We live in an exciting and changing world. Ninety percent of adults have a cell phone and81% of cell phone users are texting or receiving texts. Texting isn’t evil or…
-
Springtime in Georgia is magical. The wisteria winds through the trees along the roads and in wooded areas. It looks like a ribbon of purple intertwined among the trees. The sweet heady scent floats through the air. A thing of beauty to all but those with allergies and those who know how that wisteria is…
-
Everywhere I look it is says Spring! The trees are blooming, there are daffodils everywhere and almost everyone is sneezing. This time of year always reminds me how important it is to treat nature well. Earth Day is almost here. Over the next several weeks we will be posting reminders about the importance of enjoying…