family

Have a Healthy Valentine’s Day!

As we look towards February to begin, many people are still working hard on their New Years Resolutions – reaching goals such as eating healthier, spending less, and being more present with family and friends. But with Valentine’s Day around the corner, expectations of fancy meals, an abundance of candy, and expensive gifts to show love could impact your New Year’s Resolutions. This year, consider healthy, inexpensive ways to spread love and kindness. Something as simple as a homemade card can create a smile and make someone’s day brighter! Plus, what better way to show someone you love them, than by supporting their health!

Put a healthy twist on your Valentine’s treats with these ideas:

  • Make your own chocolate covered strawberries (and other fruit) – use dark chocolate for added health benefits!
  • Cut fruit, cheese slices, sandwiches and other snacks into a heart shape strawberries, watermelon, and other fruit cut into the shape of a heart on a wooden skewer.
  • Spend time as a family making homemade cards to take to local hospitals, senior centers, or whoever you’d like!
  • Cook a homemade pizza or pancakes in the shape of a heart!
  • Create Valentines trail-mix at home with ingredients such as pretzels, freeze dried strawberries, almonds, pink and red m&ms, and whatever else you’d like!
  • Make your own candy instead of buying, which allows you to control the ingredients and sugar content
  • For Valentine’s Day parties, consider taking a snack like yogurt-covered raisins, trail mix, or fruit cups instead of candy. Or skip food entirely and send colored pencils, stickers, or a mini puzzle.
  • If you’re going out to eat, share a meal to both save money and control portion sizes, or stay home and cook a meal together.
  • Spend quality time together playing board games, taking a walk, sunset or sunrise picnic, volunteering together, or DIY spa night.
  • See if there are any holiday themed community events happening near you. Our local library always has special themed reading time and activitiesup-close picture of a bowl of trail mix, including pink and red candy, goldfish, and pretzels. With a pink scoop.
  • Do something unique, like create a family time capsule or commit to only giving handmade gifts

Sources:

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-covered-strawberries/b8b85c58-e5b3-405a-889f-9e997996738d

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/healthy_valentines_treats

https://extension.usu.edu/createbetterhealth/blog/healthyvalentinerecipes

Written by: Zoie Clay, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Lawrence County

Reviewed by: Alisha Barton, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Miami County

Nurture Your Nest: Room by Room Wellness

With cooler weather around the corner, our time spent inside our homes will continue to increase with the Fall and Winter months. We spend most of our time at home and work, so it makes sense the surroundings of our home can directly influence our mood and wellness – both physical and mental. Air quality, structure and design, neighbors, and accessibility can affect the impact our homes have on our health. There are many things we can do to ensure our homes support our health and wellness, such as checking the batteries in smoke detectors, clearing up clutter, testing for lead, and creating more time for family.

This September the OSU Live Healthy Live Well team is hosting a four-part webinar series that explores how we can nurture our homes to nurture our mind, body, and soul. Each session will focus on a different area of the home and how to nurture that area to feel your best!promo image for Wednesday wellness webinar series with dates for the 4 webinars, and the image shows a welcome mat that reads "home sweet home"

Week 1: From Sheets to Showers: Wellness in the Bed & Bath

Prioritize rest, mindfulness, and personal care by creating a supportive bedroom and bathroom environment. Learn practical tips to create a more calming, health-focused start and end to each day.

Week 2: Nurture Your Nest: Creating a Kitchen that Cares for You

Explore ways to help ensure your kitchen and pantry are working for you and your lifestyle. Learn tips and strategies to create a space that cares for you and your needs so you can enjoy your food preparation and dining experience more!

Week 3: Wellness for Family Life: Inside and Out

Discover how to transform your family and outdoor areas into a sanctuary of wellness for the whole family by creating healthy, connected spaces. Learn about simple changes and habits that support connection, movement, play, and overall well-being – both inside your home and out.

Week 4: Nurture Your Nest: Managing Your Home Workspace

Focus on ways to create a more functional, supportive home workspace – whether for remote work, studying, or household management. Learn strategies to organize better focus, reduce stress, and support tasks like managing finances, schedules, and important documents with ease.

Sessions are every Wednesday in September from 12:00 to 12:30pm. All sessions are free, but registration is required. Register today at go.osu.edu/lhlwwebinars

 

Written by: Zoie Clay, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Lawrence County

Reviewed by: Alisha Barton, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Miami County

Family Check-Ins: A Simple Way to Strengthen Communication

Families are busy. Between work, school, and activities, it’s easy for families to feel disconnected, even while living under the same roof. But strong families are built on small, everyday connections. If you’re looking for a simple way to make sure everyone feels seen and heard, try adding family check-ins!

Communication and connection is important for a family. There are many different ways to implement a family check-in and it’s important to decide what works best for your household. Here are some simple ideas to try:

  • Rose, bud, thorn game: best part of your day, hardest part of your day, something you’re looking forward to.
  • 1 word feeling check: share how you are feeling in 1 word.
  • Best & worst: share the best part of your day and the worst part of your day.
  • High, low, ha: best part, worst part, something that made you laugh

Cartoon drawn families on house papers

When you choose to implement check-ins is up to you. You can do this at the dinner table, driving in the car, or even at bedtime. If you want to do a more structured check-in, you could try a family meeting. To see the most success with check-ins, remember to keep them low-pressure, be honest with one another, and celebrate the good stuff! Family check-ins might feel small, but over time, they can make a big difference. It’s all about creating space for connection — a few intentional minutes to pause, listen, and remind each other: “You matter here.”

Written By: Erin Ruggiero, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

Reviewed By: Holly Bandy, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

Going Mad for Pancakes this March!

healthy pancakes topped with fruit

While pancakes have probably been a part of your mornings for as long as you can remember, these tasty mouthfuls of goodness have quite a history of their own. Did you know that pancakes may have been around since the stone age?

In honor of the religious season of Lent, some people may abstain from eating animal products like butter, eggs and milk. Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday has traditionally been a day of celebration prior to Lent, where people would use up these ingredients by making foods such as pancakes in order to prevent waste. Today, Fat Tuesday wraps up Mardi Gras and is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday each year. There are many traditions surrounding the history of this season including king cakes, parades, parties, masks and of course pancakes!

While it is fun to indulge during your celebrations, try giving your pancakes a healthy twist by making them with whole grains or nuts. Whole wheat flour, oat flour, or almond flour can give your pancakes a kick of nutrients traditional pancakes lack. Rather than loading your stacks up with traditional syrups that often contain considerable amounts of sugar, try topping your flapjacks with fresh fruit (natural sugar), nut butter or plain yogurt.

Utah State University Extension suggests replacing oil with applesauce or mashed avocado and adding flaxseeds or chia seeds for a boost of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Costing around just $2.00, this recipe is also wallet healthy!

Healthy Breakfast Pancake Recipe 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup oats, blended
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 mashed banana

Directions:

  • In a blender or small food processor, finely blend oats (or use flour if this isn’t an option).
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the blended oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, yogurt, honey, vanilla, and mashed banana.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (be careful not to overmix).
  • Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease it with cooking spray or a little oil.
  • Pour batter onto the skillet for each pancake and cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes until golden brown.
  • Serve with fresh fruit, nut butter, or a drizzle of honey for a healthy topping.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, meal time is a great way for families to stay connected. However, busy schedules can often make it difficult to eat together. Don’t limit your routine to just dinner plans. Breakfast together can be just as rewarding especially when you consider families who eat together three times a week enjoy health benefits such as lower rates of obesity, depression, and substance abuse. Consider getting children involved in the meal preparation too. Pancakes are the perfect anytime meal to mix, measure, stir, and flip!

Author:  Heather Reister, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Butler County.

Reviewer:  Daniel Remley, Extension Field Specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences Nutrition/Wellness

Staying Active During the Winter Months

During the winter months, the colder temperatures and fewer daylight hours often keep us bundled up inside. However, it is important to make sure we still make time to stay active. Moving our bodies and keeping our family active majorly benefits everyone’s physical and mental health! Plus, just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun!

It is crucial to incorporate some movement into your days during the winter for various reasons. Exercising helps boost your immunity, which is important during cold and flu season. Additionally, in the winter months, people may experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression caused by shorter days and less daylight. Physical activity and movement have been proven to lower the risk for depressive disorder and boost moods. No matter the time of year, let’s ensure we care for our bodies and minds and stay active to care for ourselves!

Here are some ideas for keeping yourself and your family active this winter:

  • If it is not too cold – play outside! Make sure to monitor the weather and dress in layers while still enjoying fresh air and sunlight. Remember even in the cold it’s important to hydrate. Even helping a neighbor shovel snow is a great way to increase your activity levels while helping your community.
  • Visit your local fitness center or recreation center! Join a local indoor sports league or see if a local center offers exercise classes.
  • Move your way at home! You do not have to leave your home to be active – find movement in your everyday activities. For example, cleaning the house, playing with your pets, or playing games that require movement (Twister, Charades, building an indoor obstacle course, or hopscotch with tape on the floor). Even having a family dance party in the living room is a great way to move your body and increase your heart rate.
  • Utilize digital resources! There are SO many online physical activity communities and resources that are high quality and free. Here are some free, online resources:
    • YMCA’s YouTube channel has an assortment of workout videos for all levels, ages, and topics.
    • Yoga with Adriene’s YouTube channel has hundreds of yoga routines ranging from strength training to meditation to yoga for kids.
    • Senior Planet from AARP has live fitness and wellness classes plus an online library with a variety of videos from Tai Chi, Balance Matters, and strength training.

Writer: Zoie Clay, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Lawrence County

Reviewer: Alisha Barton, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Miami County

Food Safety While Gift Giving for the Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, it’s a great time to share gifts with your loved ones. If you’re considering giving the gift of food, there are many options, including subscription boxes, home-delivered groceries, and homemade treats. However, when sending food gifts, it’s important to prioritize food safety to keep your loved ones safe.

The most crucial step when giving food as a gift is to communicate with the recipient.

  • Ask about any food allergies or aversions they may have.
  • Find out if they will be home when the food is delivered so they can refrigerate it promptly. Perishable items or cooked meals can cause food poisoning if left out for more than 2 hours. Bacteria that lead to food borne illnesses multiply rapidly when food is in the “danger zone,” which is between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C).
  • Let them know how the food should arrive. Perishable items should arrive frozen, partially frozen with visible ice crystals, or at least at refrigerator temperature (40°F (4°C) or below when measured with a food thermometer). If the food arrives above 40°F (4°C), it should be discarded.
  • Ensure they understand how to store the food. All perishable items should be placed in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible.
  • Consider providing safety tips for preparing and cooking the food, as well as advice on storing leftovers.

When gifting homemade canned goods, it’s essential to follow proper guidelines. Adhere to Cottage Food laws when gifting home-canned items. A Cottage Food Operation refers to a person producing non-hazardous food items in their home, such as baked goods, jams, jellies, and fruit butter. Home-canned foods are items that someone has canned for their family’s consumption. It is not advisable to share foods that do not appear on the Cottage Food list. Home-canned foods can carry risks, such as botulism, a severe illness caused by a toxin produced in improperly canned items.

There are many non-perishable food items that are a great option for gifts. Below are some low-risk food gift ideas and recipes you may want to try.

Gift from the Kitchen Recipes

As the holiday season approaches, gifting food can be a delightful option, but it’s important to prioritize food safety. Make sure to follow the tips above to keep your family and friends safe this holiday season.

Author: Megan Taylor, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences/4-H Youth Development, Union County

Reviewer: Jennifer Little, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Hancock County 

Protecting Your Peace this Holiday Season

 

The holidays are often considered a time of joy, gatherings with friends and family, and festive cheer. However, the pressures of gift-giving, social events, and expectations can sometimes take a toll on your mental health and steal the joy of the holiday season. According to the American Psychiatric Association, almost 9 in 10 adults report concerns about stress during the holiday season.

If you’re experiencing increased stress or struggling with your mental health during the holidays, know that you are not alone. It is common to feel a mix of emotions during this time. Here are some tips to help you protect your peace this holiday season.

  1. Set realistic expectations and embrace imperfection – Holidays often highlight the gap between expectations and reality. Whether it’s the pressure to plan a holiday party, a forgotten gift, or trying to meet everyone’s needs, remind yourself that no celebration is truly perfect. Focus on connection and enjoyment and creating meaningful moments over perfect events.
  2. Family time that works – Families can be both a source of joy and stress during the holidays. As you prepare to spend extended time with your immediate and extended family, prioritize your mental health. Give yourself permission to miss some events and not engage in every conversation. When possible, limit your time or take a break from the gathering by going for a walk, calling someone you enjoy talking to, or spending time alone.
  3. Practice self-care – it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and forget to look after yourself. Take time for your favorite activities, maintain your routine, get enough sleep, and say “no” to extra commitments. Scheduling time each day to read, meditate, or go for a walk improves your sense of well-being and reduces stress.
  4. Ask for help – if you know that this time of year can be difficult, make a plan to protect your peace. Lean on your safe friends and family and talk to your primary care provider or mental health provider. If you are having mental health crises, call or text 988 – Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Your mental health and peace are just as important as your physical health. Take time to find your peace amid the hustle and bustle in order to enjoy a balanced and fulfilling holiday season.

Written by: Laura Halladay, Family and Consumer Sciences Program Specialist, Ohio State University Extension

Reviewed by: Kate Shumaker, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Holmes County

Family Story Time

How many times your family end up telling stories when everyone gets together? It’s probably more often than you think.

Interestingly, November is National Family Stories Month. As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving and recognize our Veterans in

November, telling stories is a wonderful way to keep your family history alive. Let’s take a look at a few ways to tell your story.

Personal Bedtime Stories – Share stories with children from when you and other family members were their age. Stories like these can help children realize that older family members may be more like them than they think and relate to them better.

Stories of Objects – Often our family history includes special objects. Sharing the stories of those items – how they came into your family and traditions that include them can prevent this bit of history from being lost over time.

Family Tree – Build or draw a family tree when a large group of family members are together. Allow each family to add their information to the tree. Add ancestors back as far as you can. The “tree” structure helps children see where they and their traditions come from.

Get Cooking! – Make a family recipe together. Gather multiple generations in the kitchen. Telling stories of making the foods together and the importance of the food to your family and culture.

Picture Time – Break out the photo albums, the slides, the old video tapes, and film strips! Who are those people? Document names, dates, and locations whenever possible. Pictures, slides, tapes, and other film deteriorate over time. Digitizing these items not only protects them for the future but it also makes them easy to share.

The stories of our families, society, cultures, and nation are still being written. Start new traditions. Make new memories. Take more pictures. What will your story be?

Written by: Kate Shumaker, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Holmes County

Reviewed by: Laura Halladay, Family and Consumer Sciences Program Specialist, Ohio State University Extension. 

 

We Are a Family

Adults and kids sitting in the grass

While working on my new house, I took a moment to be mindful and present, I looked around at everyone working outside, all family and friends, thinking how grateful I am for such an amazing family who is willing to help me succeed as I take the next step into adulthood. Family can look different for everyone whether it is blood relatives or a “chosen family”. Some common types of family units are nuclear families (2 biological parents), single parent families, stepfamilies, childless families, extended families (other relatives raising children), adopted families, and grandparent families. Every family structure has its unique advantages and challenges. If you are part of a family that is raising children, the bottom line is providing a nurturing environment where kids can feel safe, loved, and encouraged to be themselves. Think about your family, in what ways did those around you support you? Family is very important to our health from infants to adults and can impact development socially and emotionally.

            Environment can influence families as well, whether it is stressing surrounding money, custody issues, health problems, or behavior problems. Disagreements are normal for families and stress can provide a great opportunity to implement changes in communication and priorities as a family to bring balance back to the household SCAN notes. Families are a foundation and provide us with so many important life skills, social skills, and opportunities to grow. Joy Rouse at Iowa State Extension mentions that strong families share characteristics such as making appreciation known, spending time together, and talking about issues small and large. Depending on the ways you and your family express appreciation and communicate to one another may be different than your own, so keep that in mind when trying to express gratitude. Today, I challenge you to think about what family means to you, and three people you consider your family. What are ways you can encourage and support them?

Sources

Rouse, J. (2021, April 10). Build a Strong Family to Benefit Children and Adults. Iowa State University Extension. https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/build-strong-family-benefit-children-and-adults

SCAN. (2013, September 5). Family Stress. https://scanva.org/parent-resource-post/family-stress/

Writer: Alexus Masterson, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Muskingum County, masterson.98@osu.edu

Reviewer: Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University, Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.edu

Find more wellness using your “sick” days!

Summer is in full swing and it’s not too late to take some time to enjoy the season. Whether you take the morning or afternoon off, a day or two, or the entire week, time away from work offers benefits for you and your employer. While surveys show paid time off is more important to employees than many other benefits, millions of Americans are not taking advantage of this benefit. When I wrote a blog a few years ago, I was shocked to learn a 2018 U.S. Travel Association survey found American workers had 768 million days of unused vacation!

As someone who has NEVER lost a day of vacation, I have a hard time understanding why someone would not use their time! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my job and I get along well with my co-workers and colleagues, and sometimes I just NEED a day off! I realize not everyone is fortunate enough to work for a company who offers vacation, sick, holiday, or some other form of paid time off. This presents challenges for folks to take time away from work due to lost wages, fear of losing their job, and possible lack of support from their co-workers and their employer. Many workers feel they have to work even when they are legitimately sick due to these worries.

three friends

I have been under a fair bit of stress this year with building a new house and some work duties that I have chosen to undertake. Up until this past year, I had only ever taken sick time for actual medical procedures for my family or myself and the rare unplanned sick day. This year I have been using my “sick” days to help preserve my mental health. In fact, on Wednesday this week, my daughter took the day off from her summer internship and came home. My mom is back from Florida for the summer and my niece and sister-in-law are off on Wednesdays. They all planned to meet for lunch. Since I hadn’t seen all of them together in almost a year, I decided I to take Wednesday afternoon off to spend the latter part of the day with them. Instead of taking vacation time, I requested “sick” time. Spending time with them was great for my mental health.

Happiness sign

Mental health has not historically been something people talked much about, especially in the workplace. Over the past several years, mental health has finally come to the forefront of discussions about overall health and well-being. Some mental health conditions are more debilitating than many physical ones. Much of my daily work relates to health, so I am aware of how much our mental health, or lack there of, can impact our ability to meet expectations and complete our work. I have been struggling with motivation, especially the past few weeks, due to the extra stress in my life this year. I typically don’t feel too overwhelmed or stressed, but this year the stressors have and continue to make me feel this way. I knew taking some time to be with my family would be good for my heart and soul, which in turn would help my mental health, AND it did just that! To be clear, I am fortunate to work for an organization that supports employees caring for all aspects of their health and well-being. My supervisor is also supportive of me using my “sick” time to help me remain well. She models taking time off, and not feeling obligated to “check-in” while away, by letting us know who we can contact for problems or questions while she is out of the office. Again, I know not everyone has this luxury.

So, if you have accumulated paid time off, be sure to plan accordingly to take some time away from work. If you don’t get paid time off, do your best to take some time to care for yourself outside of work. With summer heating things up, get out and enjoy some warm weather activities, or if you prefer cooler temps, plan to use your time in a couple months. Feel free to share your tips for getting away from work.

Written by: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County, barlage.7@osu.edu