January - February 2024
Strengthening Oklahoma Families
Pottawatomie County
Make food choices that support growth and development
As a parent or caregiver, many decisions must be made regarding children, including what to feed them. It’s critical to ensure children eat enough food to support optimal growth and development but also to help them develop eating behaviors that can inhibit the development of obesity and related chronic illnesses in childhood and adulthood.
Life's Essential 8
Improving and maintaining cardiovascular health, or CVH, can help you enjoy a longer, healthier life. Better CVH also has been associated with decreased risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia and other major health problems.

Life’s Essential 8 outlines a few easy steps you can take to live a healthier lifestyle.
 
We Need Your Input!
Your input for the
2024 Community Health Survey
Points the way to better health outcomes for everyone in Pottawatomie County!
Join a local OHCE group and enjoy
programs that help make Oklahomans
 be their best.
If you are missing or looking for a social network, OHCE may be what you need.
Have access to practical educational resources, learn new skills or crafts and participate volunteer and
 community service projects.
Contact the OSU Extension Office for more details, or check out the events listed here!
"Styling Through the
 Decades"

OHCE District Meeting
March 7, 2024
Harmony Baptist Church
Atoka, OK
$25 Registration Due
to Angie Hudson, OHCE County Treasurer
or OSU Extension Office
By February 10, 2024
*call for Car Pooling Arrangements *

Tips for the New Year

Focus on the present. 
Unhappiness often derives from our inability to control the past or future.
Treat yourself better. Cut the criticism and negative self-talk and talk to yourself as you would your best friend.
Get involved. Join a book club, sign up for a yoga or pottery class or attend a place of worship.
Bring in nature. Put wild flowers in a vase, plant a mini herb garden to put on your windowsill or display interesting rocks or shells in a vase.
Change Your Idea of Organized!
  1. Shed the idea that you are either organized or not, that you have it together or you don't. Organizing is an ongoing practice, which means you're never done.
  2. Find a spot that causes you the most stress or wasted time. Get five boxes (or grocery bags or laundry baskets). Label each with one of these categories: donate, trash, recycle, shred, and other rooms.
  3. Store like with like. Once you have cleaned out, put back and thrown away what doesn’t belong. Store things that go together … together! 
  4. Get creative with containers. Make sure you are using the right size and the right type. Not everything belongs in a plastic tote.
  5. Put a label on it. 
  6. STOP paper clutter—unsubscribe! Open mail and shred immediately! 
  7. Even the most organized people have a utility drawer! Make your drawer work better by fitting it with small containers that bring order to loose bits and pieces.

Better Homes and Gardens; January 2020
Quick Winter Vegetable Sides
These recipes were featured January 23rd as part of the Exercise and Eats Series!
OSU Extension in partnership withe the PoGo Fruit and Veggie Up Coalition.
Contact the Extension Office at 273-7683
or sonya.mcdaniel@okstate.edu

Please notify the OSU Extension Office if you need any special accommodations while attending any of our events and activities
14 days prior to the event

Family & Consumer Sciences helps communities,
families, youth and individuals address issues of health, wealth and well-being through research-based Extension education and programs that are proven to work.

Oklahoma State University, as an equal opportunity employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Oklahoma State University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate based on race, religion, age, sex, color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or veteran status with regard to employment, educational programs and activities, and/or admissions. For more information, visit https://eeo.okstate.edu.