FACES NEWSLETTER. Welcome. Handing Germs to Friends is Not a Nice Gesture! Family and Consumer Science. March/April 2015

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1 FACES NEWSLETTER Family and Consumer Science March/April 2015 Welcome Peggie L. Garner County Extension Director Contact Us: NCCE-Onslow County 4024 Richlands Hwy. Jacksonville, NC (910) (910) Fax edu Handing Germs to Friends is Not a Nice Gesture! It s important for everyone especially kids to be aware that unwashed hands can add up to lots of germs (and illnesses) for family, friends, neighbors and even unsuspecting strangers! Remind kids of the many people they come in contact with in a given day such as: Classmates and teachers at school Children they babysit for, or fellow workers at afterschool jobs Friends, family and relatives they visit People they see at sporting events, playgrounds, places of worship, or in other community gathering places. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. If germs are passed to any of these people chances are they may pay it forward unknowingly by passing germs along, too! That s why handwashing is critical today and every day. Let kids do the math by seeing how many germs and potential infections can add up in a single day.

2 Computer Cleaning - Hotspots for germs in the office Think about all the public surfaces you touch on your way to work railings, door handles, coins and tokens, cash machines, elevator buttons and more. Then, when you get to your destination, washing your hands probably isn t the first thing you do. Instead, you probably grab a cup of coffee and turn on your computer. If you power up before you clean up, all the germs and bacteria that commuted with you are transferred from your hands to your workstation. Ugh! And then, if someone else sits down at your computer, you ve got all the germs that tagged along with them, too. Before you begin, remember the two golden rules of computer cleaning: Be sure the computer is off before you clean any part of it keyboard, monitor screen, mouse, printer or housings. Never spray cleaner directly onto any part of the computer. Spray it onto a cloth, and then gently wipe. Keyboard: Clean the keys with a cleaning wipe or a cloth sprayed with an all-purpose cleaner. Make this the first thing you do every morning before you turn on the computer. To remove the dirt, dust and other debris that gets caught between the keys, turn it upside down and shake gently to dislodge the particles. An air duster is also a great aid in removing all these bits and pieces that get lodged inside the keyboard. Mouse: It s also a good idea to clean the mouse before the start of the workday. Use a cleaning wipe or a cloth sprayed with all-purpose cleaner. Cash Flow Written by Dr. Carolyn Bird, AFC You likely associate this term with businesses. A Cash Flow Statement tracks the movement of money through the business over a period of time. You might be thinking but I don t own a business. Well, yes you do. You are in business to fund the needs and wants that you and your family have now and will have in the future. Now that you know you are in business you will want to take a purposeful approach to managing your money. As we discuss cash flow statements you will see that a spending plan or budget is a preferred financial planning tool for individuals and families. Let s set the Cash Flow Statement period to be a month. In this case, a Cash Flow Statement will show how much cash is on hand on the first of the month; this can be either the remaining cash carried forward from the previous month or some type of income that was received on the first of the month. Then over the next 30 days any cash received during the month will be added to the beginning balance. Now you have beginning balance plus cash received. But you will also spend money during the month and all money spent during the month must be shown as a subtraction on the Cash

3 Flow Statement. This is similar to the method to maintain a transaction record for a checking or debit account. When the end of the month arrives you determine how much cash remains by using this formula: Beginning balance (cash on hand on the first of the month) + cash receipts spent whether it is every two-weeks or once a month. Schedule some time to explore setting up a spending plan. A spending plan can be a great asset in keeping your family business on track to meet its goals. Making Smart Choices When Eating Out = cash on hand at the end of the month. So, you might be thinking that this sounds a little like a budget or spending plan. Well, yes and no. The Cash Flow Statement and the Spending Plan both show the flow of money coming in and money going out. But there is a big difference between these two documents. Can you guess what it is? The Cash Flow Statement is an objective record of the flow of cash into and out of an entity. The entity could be your business or your family s bank account. The Cash Flow Statement is a historical record and not a forward planning tool. It reports what actually happened. And that is great, but a Cash Flow Statement will not help a business or family plan where to spend their money or how to spend their money in ways that support meeting goals. Businesses use a business plan to map out how to meet their goals. For families, a spending plan (or budget) is a key document that assists in staying on track to accomplish goals. And, your spending plan can be developed for whatever period makes sense for how you receive income and pay bills As we finally watch the arrival of spring we may take the time to go to the restaurants that offer outdoor seating. That is always a favorite thing of mine especially after working in the yard on a Saturday. Here are a couple of things to remember when eating out if you are trying to make healthy choices. v Choose foods that are baked, grilled, broiled, or steamed. v Avoid cream sauces. v Choose menu items high in fruits and vegetables. v Choose whole grains. v Order low- fat or fat- free dressings. v Choose low- fat toppings like salsa or fat- free dressing instead of sour cream, butter or cheese. v Order sandwiches with mustard instead of mayonnaise. v Order dressings, gravies, or sauces on the side.

4 v Ask your server to request for your meal to be prepared with no added salt or fat. Choose the right size v Take part of your meal home. v Order an appetizer as an entrée with a friend or family member. v If you order a dessert, share it with a friend or family member. Eat Smart at buffets v Start with a salad and load up on plenty of fruits and vegetables. v Use a small plate. You will probably still fill it up but at least it will be a lot less than if you use a regular sized plate. v Go easy on the pasta and the potato salads. Going out to eat with family and friends is fun. We all know that eating at home usually saves money, you can have better portion control, there can be less fat, etc. Eating out does not have to be so negative. It can be a nice treat and doesn t have to blow your waist -line. We have Rain Barrels! Rainbarrels are available. These roughly 50-gallon food-grade barrels come complete with screened inlet, brass faucet, and 1.5-inch overflow outlet. The cost is $50 for a ready-made unpainted barrel. Rain Barrel handout & 2015 order form: ls2.pdf ls2015-flyer-lh.pdf For more information contact our office.

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