Volume 7 May 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.

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Did You Know...?

C O N T E N T S

Stain Removal --  Hard Water Effects Stain Removal & Cleaning
Financial Fitness --  Health Savings Accounts
Family Life -- Parenting Wisely in a Frightening World
Nutrition & What's Cooking -- Eat Right, Be Active
Home Tips -- Cleaning the Refrigerator Condenser Coils
Ways to Wellness -- May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month
In The Work Place -- Tips to Feeling Good

STAIN REMOVAL
HARD WATER EFFECTS STAIN REMOVAL & CLEANING
stainremoval@take-a-moment.com

Since water makes up 99% of the washing and rinsing solutions in the laundry process, water hardness is a major consideration.  It is directly related to mineral content, primarily calcium and magnesium. These substances, when present in sufficient amounts, can create cleaning problems. Water hardness is measured and reported in degrees of hardness per gallon of water. The terms soft, moderately hard, hard, and very hard are used to describe water hardness.

Moderately hard, hard and very hard water contain minerals in sufficient amounts to require treatment. Untreated water makes
cleaning more difficult and encourages the depositing or re-depositing of dirt onto fabrics. Kentucky has moderately hard to hard water.

Follow there laundering suggestions when you have moderately hard, hard or very hard water:

• Use detergents rather than soaps
• Increase amount of detergent used. Some products are formulated for moderately hard water. Some give guidelines for hard water usage.
• Some detergents contain "builders" that tie up hardness particles allowing detergent to perform better in hard waters. Some detergents also contain water softening substances.
• Consider installing a water conditioning system with hard and very hard water.
• Soften wash and rinse water with a packaged non-precipitating water conditioner.

FINANCIAL FITNESS
HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
finances@take-a-moment.com

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by Public Law 108-173, the "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003," signed into law by President Bush on December 8, 2003. Health Savings Accounts will change the way millions meet their health care needs because they are designed to help individuals save for qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-advantaged basis.

Any adult who is covered by a high-deductible health plan (and has no other first-dollar coverage) may establish an HSA. Tax-advantaged contributions can be made in three ways:

1. the individual or family can make tax deductible contributions to the HSA even if they do not itemize deductions;

2. the individual’s employer can make contributions that are not taxed to either the employer or the employee; and,

3. employers sponsoring cafeteria plans can allow employees to contribute untaxed salary through salary reduction.

To encourage saving for health expenses after retirement, individuals age 55 and older are allowed to make additional catch-up contributions to their HSAs. Once an individual enrolls in Medicare they are no longer eligible to contribute to their HSA.

Amounts contributed to an HSA belong to the account holder and are completely portable. Funds in the account can grow tax-free through investment earnings, just like an IRA.

Funds distributed from the HSA are not taxed if they are used to pay qualified medical expenses. Unlike amounts in Flexible Spending Arrangements that are forfeited if not used by the end of the year, unused funds remain available for use in later years.

For more information go to: http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/about.shtml

FAMILY LIFE
PARENTING WISELY IN A FRIGHTENING WORLD
familylife@take-a-moment.com

Once again, people around the world are wondering how a young American could suddenly turn into a raging killer, gunning down 32 innocent people before taking his own life. Many are asking, “What could have been done to prevent this person from carrying out such an unspeakable act?”

At the same time, parents – and those who are thinking about becoming parents – are no doubt wondering if they have the know-how and the wisdom to help their children develop into emotionally healthy, intelligent and mindful adults. “I love my child. Isn’t that enough?” they might ask.

Sadly, love alone is not enough in the sometimes toxic social environment of the world today. Love can blind parents to the dark, secret universe in which some children live, aided by their electronic devices and unfamiliar friends. Parents must, therefore, first learn to be more mindful of their own strength and calmness. When they gain this understanding, parents can become more objective about their children. They can recognize them for who they really are. Parents can then come to understand that each child has a unique temperamental makeup, with strengths and weaknesses.

The greater concern for parents – and for the community of educators that surround children – is the child who is temperamentally difficult. If the child has been diagnosed with an emotional disability, he or she is even more likely to be affected by a socially toxic environment.

Although no one has all the right answers for parents, experts do recommend certain techniques for working positively with temperamentally difficult children. The key, most say, is knowing how to effectively manage negative behavior early in a child’s life. For the child who is constantly demanding and prone to throwing temper tantrums, it is crucial to set clear rules and enforce them with strong but nonviolent consequences every time the rules are broken. Calmness and self-control on the part of the parent is absolutely necessary. Consistent enforcement of consequences over time convinces the child that the parent has the authority in the family, not the child. Other difficult behavior that persists over time, such as being frequently outraged, withdrawn, slow to warm up to people, defiant, inattentive, or aggressive, may raise a “red flag” for parents and call for special courage and strength in handling that behavior.

Helpful steps for working positively with temperamentally difficult children include:

• Observing and analyzing the child’s behavior and having insight into his or her temperament.
• Developing the ability to feel and see things the way the child feels and sees them.
• Maintaining an active, positive approach to the world and to the child.
• Listening to the child with interest, fostering a habit of sharing thoughts and feelings so that when the child is older, he or she will be less likely to retreat into a dark, secret world.
• Frequently engaging the child in active play of his or her choice in an effort to build an interest in being social.
• Seeking support and insight from community resources early in the child’s life.

Remember, the amount of material wealth a family possesses does not matter nearly as much as the amount of insight, sensitivity, perseverance and social support from the environment when it comes to dealing with any child, especially the temperamentally challenging one.

NUTRITION & WHAT'S COOKING
EAT RIGHT, BE ACTIVE
whatscooking@take-a-moment.com

With summer approaching and children soon to be out of school, why not set an active stage with your children from the start so that they get the physical activity they need.

Healthful Eating Basics

• give kids a healthful variety of foods. Allow them to choose what and how much to eat from what you offer
• tune into hunger cues. Teach kids to eat when they’re hungry, not just because it is a habit, like snacking in front of the TV
• cancel your family membership in the clean plate club. Eat until you’re satisfied, not overly full
• make sure everyone eats breakfast. Offer quick options such as whole grain cereal, yogurt, fruit, low-fat milk and 100% juice
• keep snacks such as cut-up veggies, fruit, and whole-wheat crackers upfront in the fridge or cabinet so they’re easy for kids to see and grab

Size Matters

• buy single-serving sizes of chips and cookies, or portion your own into re-sealable snack bags
• when you eat out, split the fries, onion rings or dessert among the whole family
• serve beverages such as soft drinks in small glasses
• let you kids see you enjoying small portions

Keep Active

• set a screen time budget-allot kids one to two hours per day to spend on TV, video games or fun time on the computer-their choice!
• devise an after-school action plan-brainstorm with your children to create a “Top 10” list of activities to get them on their feet-and away from the screen-after school
• click it off at meal times-a “no-tv” policy during family meal times

HOME TIPS
CLEANING THE REFRIFERATOR CONDENSER COILS
hometips@take-a-moment.com

Remember your refrigerator when you are doing your spring cleaning. Most refrigerators have the condenser coils located underneath the refrigerator. These coils work best when they are free of dust and dirt. You might be surprised how fast a large amount of dust accumulates on these coils.

First remove the toe plate that is in front of the coils. Use your vacuum cleaner and remove the dust from the coils. A brush on a long handle or wire handle can help loosen the dirt that is beyond the reach of the vacuum cleaner hose and tools.

Once you have cleaned your refrigerator, it will operate more efficiently and use less electricity.

Mark your calendar to clean it again in 3 months. Regular cleaning will make each cleaning easier and help keep your utility bill lower.

Source: Dr. Suzanne Badenhop, Extension Specialist for Family Resource Management,
University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture

WAYS TO WELLNESS
MAY IS SKIN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
wellness@take-a-moment.com

Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells. It is the most common form of cancer in people. The most common cause of skin cancer is getting too much sun. A sunburn damages the skin cells. Years of constant damage to the skin can lead to abnormal cell changes. These abnormal cells can result in cancer.

Staying safe means learning 3 important words: avoid, protect, and apply.

AVOID the sun during the hours of 10 o’clock in the morning until 4 o’clock in the afternoon. The sun’s rays are strongest during those hours. Avoid tanning beds and sun lamps. Tanning beds and sun lamps contain very high levels of UV rays.

PROTECT your eyes by wearing protective sunglasses, your face and neck by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and your arms and legs by covering those areas with lightweight clothing.

APPLY sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. The higher the SPF the lower the risk of getting a sunburn. Apply sunscreen even if you plan on getting into water. Reapply the sunscreen after being in water or sweating, even if the sunscreen is water and sweat proof.

Source: University of Kentucky, Youth Health Bulletin, May 2007

IN THE WORK PLACE
TIPS TO FEELING GOOD
workplace@take-a-moment.com

Learn to say “no” to things you don't want to do.

• top using such phrases as “I can’t,” “yes, but.” They feed into depression. Use more honest words like “I really don’t want to,” “I haven’t the time.”
• Keep things in perspective. Ask yourself – “Will this matter in one hour, one day, one year?”
• Stop blaming the past. We know life is unfair; some people are privileged, some people have handicaps, diabetes, depression, some have had violent, cruel parents. No one chooses their load – we need to accept our past and move on – use action to rid yourself of bad feelings and depression.
• Gain support from others by networking – being “connected” to others. When we get involved we can get a lot of energy (called synergy) from other people.
• Develop stability. Focus on keeping some things stable in your life (i.e. living in the same house or area, keeping old friendships, going to the same church, etc.). This will give you security.