Cooperative Extension
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You found a house that fits most, or maybe even all, of your requirements. Great, now it’s time to hire a home inspector to ensure the house is structurally sound and safe to live in. Although not always required, a home inspection is highly recommended. The cost of a home inspection will vary, but…
Posted in: Housing -
Many of us are spending more time in our homes. During this time, you could be thinking about ways to make your space cleaner, including the indoor air you breathe. What first comes to mind to most people is indoor plants. But before you head straight to the plant nursery, there are a few things…
Posted in: indoor environment -
Every year, the holiday season brings joy, fellowship, and an extra 1 million tons of waste per week to our landfills. Yes, you read that correctly: Americans create an additional 1 million tons of waste per week during the holiday season. No matter what your holiday season may look like, you can help tackle this…
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The holiday season is a joyous time to gather with family and friends. It can also be a busy time of gift shopping, preparing your infamous green bean casserole, or hosting extended family and friends. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, your pets, who many times are part of the family, may…
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Gift giving is an uphill battle that only seems to intensify with age, especially when shopping for older adults. Buying for those who are not able to buy for themselves takes some creative thinking. Here are some ideas to get you started. Connect them to a local senior center and financially contribute to their outings…
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The recent tornadoes across the southern states impacted thousands of individuals, families and businesses, especially in Georgia and Mississippi. Returning home can be emotionally and physically challenging. The most important thing is to take care of yourself and your family. Children are especially vulnerable and will benefit from establishing a routine, or “new normal.” You…
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With Halloween coming around the corner there are plenty of scares around every turn. People all around the neighborhood are decorating their homes to look frightening and spooky to prepare for the holiday, but what if I told you that your house could easily be the scariest around? What could make your house the spookiest…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Learn more about how you can reduce the health risks associated with radon, carbon monoxide and asbestos in child care environments. Childhood diseases and injuries associated with unhealthy environments cost us $54.9 billion annually. This includes lead poisoning, neurobehavioral disorders, asthma, childhood cancer and accidents in the home. Because of their size, stage of development…
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Have you ever thought about what you bring into your home on the bottoms of your shoes? You may be tracking in insect fragments, lead dust, pesticides, pollen, pet hair, fungal spores, cigarette ash, or even human skin flakes. Now think of your children playing on the carpeting you just walked across. Since they are…
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Everyone can carve out 5 minutes each day to keep yourself and your family healthy. You may need to make trade-offs, but it will be worth it. Here are five things you can do to make your home safer and healthier. Program the poison control number (1-800-222-1222) into your cell phone. Inspect your door locks and…
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Composting is a fun and easy way to live a little greener and boost the nutrient value of your soil. Start with a compost bin. This can be stationary or rotating. The key is to periodically turn the materials inside to aid the decay process by providing oxygen. The more the bin retains heat and moisture, the…
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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.…
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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…
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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 -
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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbPnYXeBGk What can you do to make your home…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Guest blogger: Gabrielle Walters, CHES, MPH and Radon Educator with The University of Georgia Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics. ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ St. Patrick’s Day is a day that began as a way to celebrate the work of St. Patrick in Ireland and has now turned into a…
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I recently attended a great conference at Fort Valley State University (FVSU). The theme of the Under One Roof Housing Conference was “Seniors: The New Majority.” Did you know that by 2020 almost 20% of our population will be over-65? It’s those famous “Baby Boomers” who are increasing the numbers at such a rapid rate. …
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What can you do this year to show your love for both your “Valentine” and the earth? The first thing I think of is to REDUCE consumption. Just don’t give anyone anything this Valentine’s Day. Of course, if you choose this way to green your Valentine’s Day you may end up celebrating by yourself in…
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Every year over 1 million people are accidentally poisoned. Many poisonings can be prevented by using and storing household products safely. For more information on ways you can reduce chemicals in your home and make your home safer check out the UGA Extension website, where you will find helpful tips and green cleaning recipes.
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Your children are at a greater risk of exposure to environmental hazards than you. These hazards exist where they live, learn and play. Children engage in “riskier behaviors” than most adults. Two big “environmental risky behaviors” children engage in are: Crawling across floors that can have a number of different contaminants on them Putting toys…
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Have the grasshoppers, beetles, ticks and other insects taken over your yard and garden? Get rid of them using a natural way – get Guineas! Back home on the ranch there are several Guineas that wander freely around the house and farm buildings and there are few, if any, grasshoppers. To keep the Guineas from…
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This past week I saw a cool green roof on the Pittsburgh Convention Center. I was in Pittsburgh for the Galaxy IV conference, which is a joint meeting of Extension Professionals. I was impressed with Pittsburgh. It is a nice city to visit and the green roof on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC)…
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Today, September 1st is my parents’ wedding anniversary. This year they would have celebrated 60 years of marriage. Sadly, my Dad passed away earlier this year during the cold winter months. He is missed, but we do have lots of wonderful memories. One of my fondest memories is of Dad planting trees, just like his…
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Rain rain go away, come again another day. Better yet, go west to where the wildfires are burning. We have enough rain here in the southeast! As of August 18, Atlanta had received 46 inches of rain. Compare that to 25 inches at the same time last year. With all that rain comes mold. The most…
Posted in: Healthy Housing -
Get ready to feel really good about young people. This video is a snapshot of Teens As Planners (TAP) a service-learning and dropout prevention programing developed and implemented by UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Through TAP youth have the opportunity to grow and become caring contributing members of society. The teens in this…
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Here comes company… It is a given fact that every one of us has visitors in our home throughout the year. Sure, some of us entertain more than others, but whether we like it or not we all have the occasional house guest. If it’s not family visiting during the holidays, then it’s the delivery…
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Back home in Athens I ventured out to the UGA Trial Gardens Open House. As always, the gardens were amazing and retiring professor Dr. Allan Armitage leading the garden tours was entertaining. The UGA Trial Gardens are essentially a giant research lab located on the Athens campus and open to the public. They were started…
Posted in: Sustainability -
Recycling seems to be a part of everyday life for most Europeans. I saw large recycling bins along the roads in Spain, France, Germany and Austria. All of the containers I saw required people to separate their trash (i.e. glass, paper, cans, etc.). Interestingly the university in Spain where the conference I attended was held did…
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Walking and visiting Europe seem to go hand-in-hand. It is a wonderful exercise, especially when you get to wander through Park Güell in Barcelona. I am sure I walked more in one afternoon at the park then I do in a week back home in Athens, Georgia. From the metro, or underground, I walked up…
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Are you an “energy vampire?” If you live in an apartment in the central part of the building you may be sucking energy from neighboring flats. In Hungary people who live in the central apartments are referred to as energy vampires. (In the U.S. this term has a slightly different meaning.) The European Union…
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I just finished watching Bill Moyers’s interview of Biologist, mother and activist Sandra Steingraber. This made me stop and think about how I approach my life as an activist, my life as an educator, my life as a Change Agent. in the video Ms. Steingraber discussed how we all have a different set of skills…
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This week I participated in an informative blogging workshop taught by Tara Dunn for the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension. She did a fantastic job of helping all of the participants develop blogs and better understand and use online communication. Blogs are a great way to share research and…
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Have you ever considered how resilient your house is to damage from natural disasters? I am talking about things like flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, straight-line winds, and even droughts. I am attending a workshop put together by LSU Extension that focuses on how we can create homes that are more resilient to the disasters that…