Volume 7 August 2007

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Welcome to TAKE-A-MOMENT!

The Take-A-Moment newsletters strive to provide quick-to-read content to improve and enhance the quality of life at home and in the work place...for when you can "take-a-moment" from your hectic schedule. Take-a-Moment is provided by the Louisville Area Cooperative Extension Agents. When you have "more-than-a-moment" visit our web site for expanded articles, article archives, sign-up and contact information, and links to other web sites of interest.

("Netiquette" statement is at the end of this email, see below.)

Did You Know...?

C O N T E N T S

Stain Removal --  Diesel Fuel Odor
Financial Fitness --  Using Credit Counselors To Get Out Of Debt
Family Life -- Helping Children Come to Grips with Prejudice and Hate (Part 2)
Nutrition & What's Cooking -- Eliminate Spoiled Food & Odors
Home Tips --  Tips for Packing Away Your Summer Clothes
Ways to Wellness -- Increase Your Resilience
In The Work Place -- Stress Busters

STAIN REMOVAL
DIESEL FUEL ODOR
stainremoval@take-a-moment.com

Dry cleaning will remove and this is the best choice. But you can pre-treat items with pre-wash product that contains petroleum distillates- such as Shout or Spray-N Wash and launder with detergent formulated to remove dirt and odors such as Surf or Dash.

No endorsement of companies or products mentioned is intended
nor criticism of companies or products not mentioned implied.

FINANCIAL FITNESS
USING CREDIT COUNSELORS TO GET OUT OF DEBT
finances@take-a-moment.com

Families with massive debts sometimes use credit counselors to help them begin to eliminate this problem. Like other service sectors in our society, there are several possibilities for credit counseling agencies.

These tips may help you choose the best helper for your debt situation.

First, check out the agency's fees. Ask if the fees are voluntary.

If possible, choose an agency that will let you voluntarily pay what you can afford.

If an agency has a set-up fee of more than 50 dollars and monthly fees exceed 25 dollars, choose another firm.

It is helpful to choose an agency that also offers educational help and budget counseling to help you avoid future debt problems.

You may want to visit the National Foundation for Credit Counseling Web site at http://www.nfcc.org for help choosing a credit counselor. Through its member agencies, the NFCC sets the national standard for quality credit counseling, debt reduction services and education for financial wellness.

It is important to realize that you and your family can perform many of the services provided by credit counseling firms such as negotiating lower interest rates, consolidating debt and budgeting.

FAMILY LIFE
HELPING CHILDREN COME TO GRIPS WITH PREJUDICE AND HATE
familylife@take-a-moment.com

CONTINUED FROM LAST MONTH…

What are some specific suggestions for teaching children positive attitudes?

 First, show children love and respect by words and actions. No one can care for others if he has not experienced it himself. Hold a family meeting and set a few family ground rules for ethical, respectful behavior.

Second, do not be afraid to be firm, reasonable, and consistent when discipline is needed. Children learn about justice and fairness first from parents.

Stay tuned in to your child’s day-to-day life, though without micromanaging. If your child makes a biased comment or acts dishonestly, take action immediately to correct her behavior. If she knowingly violated a rule, use a consequence that relates to the misbehavior. Avoid physical punishment. Firm, strong words and a denial of privileges will usually accomplish the same thing without physically hurting your child, which adds resentment to the shame of doing wrong. Remember also that children sometimes need time to change their behavior. Be patient and repeat the rule if your child honestly forgets what you have taught.

Third, talk plainly about issues of ethics and bias that come up in your child’s or family’s life. An incident of bullying might occur at school. A neighbor makes a prejudiced statement. Racial stereotypes or sexist jokes might appear on the media. Discourage or even prohibit your child from watching or listening to programs that feature hateful, prejudiced performers or topics. Open communication helps promote understanding. Take your child’s questions seriously and make time to answer thoughtfully. No question is stupid or hilarious. No concern should cause your child embarrassment or shame to discuss. Make your answer clear and short. Use words your child understands. If you make a mistake, don’t be afraid to admit it. No one is perfect and no one is completely free of bias.

How can families combat prejudice and hate within their community?

Parents or primary caregivers are clearly their children’s most important role models for positive attitudes toward all people. However, prejudice and hate grow where communities permit unjust situations to occur. Families can make a difference by being models of action. Write a letter to the newspaper, a television station, radio program or the city council. Bring up a school issue with the site-based council, parent-teacher organization, principal, or district superintendent. Paint over ugly words of graffiti. Protest the appearance in your community of a performer known for biased content. Hook up with other residents who think the same way and take action to change a bad situation for an impoverished neighborhood. If possible, work for more employment opportunities. A caring community, with networks of relationships and civility, is less likely to produce hateful, violent youth who devastate lives by going on shooting sprees.

All of us have a stake in bringing up children to be fully human. Even infants recognize differences between family members and strangers. Toddlers notice differences in skin color and begin to imitate actions of the important adults in their lives. As they acquire language, preschoolers delight in classifying items into groups. To them, people are fascinating. They come in many different colors, sizes, shapes, voice sounds and abilities. It is our challenging task to help children and youth see and enjoy the rich differences of the world’s inhabitants. Let us do our best to ensure that the world becomes a safe, wonderful place for all children to grow up.

NUTRITION & WHAT'S COOKING
ELIMINATE SPOILED FOOD & ODORS
whatscooking@take-a-moment.com

Food may spoil and leave a foul odor when summer storms cause power outages, or refrigerators and freezers otherwise malfunction. How long spoiled food remains in the unit will affect difficulty to remove the odor.

Following these tips will help you effectively eliminate many food spoilage odors.

• Thoroughly wash the entire refrigerator or freezer with hot soapy water. Next, use a solution of two tablespoons of baking soda per gallon of water, or a mixture of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach in a gallon or water. Use a small brush for tight corners, seals and rack pegs.

• Never combine chemicals because you may create deadly fumes. For example, never mix ammonia and chlorine bleach because this will produce toxic gases.

• After washing, unplug the unit and leave the door open to let it air and dry out.

• Be sure the door is positioned to keep a child from entering the unit and closing the door. Removing the door is the best way to prevent a suffocation tragedy.

• If the odor persists after airing a refrigerator or freezer, move the unit into direct sunlight to air out some more. Again be sure the door is fixed to prevent children from becoming trapped inside the unit.

These practices may help if airing doesn’t eliminate an odor problem.

• Put a container of activated charcoal, open bag of “odor controlling” kitty liter, or several paper plates filled with baking soda or fresh ground coffee inside the unit.  Charcoal briquettes are not as effective.

• Check with an appliance or hardware store for commercial odor-removing products.

• Pack each shelf with crumpled newspapers lightly sprinkled with water. Close the door and let it operate for several days. If this procedure seems to help, but some odor remains, repeat the process.

• It may be impossible to remove an odor that has permeated insulation, particularly fiber grass insulation in older units. You may want contact a service company about replacing the insulation.

• Some common household items can remove other odors in the home. These include activated charcoal, baking soda, cat box filler, coffee grounds, tomato juice, vanilla extract, and fabric softener liquid or sheets.

• Put an unwrapped bar of soap in dresser drawers and stored suitcases to keep them smelling fresh. Store unwrapped bars of soap in a jar in the bathroom to maintain a fresh, clean aroma.

HOME TIPS
TIPS FOR PACKING AWAY YOUR SUMMER CLOTHES
hometips@take-a-moment.com

Summer ends earlier in some parts of the country than in others. But when the days start to get chilly, it's time to think about putting away the summer clothes.

1. Wash or dry-clean everything—even if you think the item is clean. Any "invisible" stain left in a garment can darken and set, causing permanent discoloration. In addition, any food residue left in the garment may attract bugs that can harm the fabric.

2. Make any needed repairs. Take care of things like missing buttons, broken zippers and split seams so garments will be ready to wear come springtime.

3. Do not iron or starch items before putting them away. Ironing may set any pale or invisible stains, making them impossible to remove when they show up next spring. As for starch and fabric finishes—they may attract hungry insects that are looking for a food source.

4. Store garments in a cool, dark, dry and well-ventilated area, such as a cool closet or airtight chest. Too much heat can cause fabrics to yellow. Too much moisture can promote mildew.

5. Avoid garage and basement storage areas. Emissions from the garage or furnace may produce fume damage, which shows up as discoloration on the fabric. Basements tend to be damp, which may cause mildew and/or a musty smell that can be difficult to remove.

6. Put hanging garments in a cloth or canvas garment bag or cover them with an old sheet. This will protect them from light and dust. Avoid plastic bags; they hold moisture.

7. Use padded hangers to prevent creases and distortion.

WAYS TO WELLNESS
INCREASE YOUR RESILIENCE
wellness@take-a-moment.com

Have you ever witnessed how some people experience a tragedy or traumatic event, “bounce back”, and grow from it, while another person could have a similar experience and become angry and bitter?   What is the one factor that could be the difference between these two responses?   It is resilience. Resilience can be defined as the psychological and biological strength required to successfully master change.  It has been said that change is the only constant.  Resilience is positive adaptation to change.  What can we do to more fully develop our personal resilience?  Here are some brief strategies:

* Count your blessings.  It was once said that one could not be grateful and unhappy at the same time.
* Keep your spiritual life strong.
* Nurture your relationships with family and friends.
* Take care of your finances. 
* Get your house in order.
* Be physically active.  It improves your sense of well-being.
* Spend some time alone for reflection and growth.
* Find ways to enjoy your work.  Like your job and you will never work a day in your life.
* Play more.  Smile often.  Laugh heartily and, always tell those you love that you love them every day.

Source:  Carol Whipple, Extension Specialist for Family Health, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

IN THE WORK PLACE
STRESS BUSTERS
workplace@take-a-moment.com

• Do something physical

• Leave the situation to calm yourself

• Breathe

• Share your troubles with a friend you trust and respect

• Write in a journal

• Read form an inspirational source

• Take a cold shower or a hot bath

• Eat nutritious foods

• Get plenty of rest

• Catch negative stress as soon as possible

• Laugh often!