4-H Activities Calendar

Friday, January 29, 2016

Thinking about Gardening



This is the time of year when seed catalogs start arriving at my house.  I'm really not much of a gardener (shhh, don't tell the folks at the Cooperative Extension office!) but I do love growing some herbs for the kitchen.  Basil, mint and oregano are my favorites.

Here's a fun idea for starting seedlings in biodegradable ice cream cones:
http://www.designmom.com/2013/02/starting-an-edible-garden/



Also, here's a great publication from NC Cooperative Extension to get you started growing herbs: http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/growing-herbs-for-the-home-gardener

And lastly, NC 4-H has some great resources for youth gardening.  If there's interest we can even start a gardening 4-H club.  All we need is an adult volunteer leader and at least 5 kids.  http://www.growforit.org/


Tuesday, January 19, 2016

To Do Lists

Here's the latest 4-H Newspaper Article:

Did you make a To Do list today?  I did.  Most of us know that planning helps make our lives run more smoothly but do we always use those lists to work to our best advantage?  Julie Morgenstern, an organizing and time management expert suggests waiting to check your e-mail until 10:00 each morning.  That way you give yourself a couple of hours to get some important items checked off the to do list before getting sucked into the “land of the world wide web.”

I had used the same paper planner system for about 25 years but now use a combined method.  Now I utilize Google calendar along with a paper to-do list.  The #1 rule is to have everything in one place (I take my calendar and spiral-bound notebook everywhere I go).  This means using 1 calendar for everything – work, personal, activities of your children and spouse, birthdays – everything.  It also means that instead of posting sticky notes all over your desk, refrigerator or car dashboard you should put all of your notes in one place - your planner or calendar or notebook or smartphone. Either way the concept of keeping everything in one place holds true.

Here's another point – set some personal goals and put those on your daily To Do list as well.  For example:  Let's say you'd like to update the landscaping of your yard.  Make a list of all the things you'd need to do in order to accomplish that.  The list might include reading books about landscaping, pricing plants and fertilizer, talking with your family about a plan, finding time on the calendar to do the work, and purchasing the necessary tools.  Spread out the work of such a project by making a plan and then include tasks on a daily basis to help you reach your goal of a lovely new yard.

Planning is for everyone and is a great skill to teach young people.  The book “What Do You Stand For, A Kid's Guide To Building Character” states that kids can learn to become responsible by getting organized.  “Buy or make a daily planner and learn to use it.  Once you form the habit of using a daily planner effectively – jotting down important notes, marking due dates, keeping to-do lists, writing down goals – you'll find that you no longer “forget” about upcoming tests or long-term assignments.”  Sit down and talk with your kids about their schedule for the week and help them establish their own calendar and planning system.  I find that most teenagers want to use their smart phones these days.   Help them plan around after-school practice and play time, assist them in making a plan for completing a school project, and help them organize their time in order to get their homework done in a timely manner. 

“Simply put, planning means figuring out ahead of time how to do something so you can proceed efficiently.  Planning is purposeful and deliberate.”


Good luck, happy new year, and happy planning!

Find It Here!

So, you may have noticed that there hasn't been a Jackson County 4-H Newsletter in some time.  I've been sending emails, posting on Facebook, and updating the 4-H Activities Calendar on Google but believe I'm not getting the information to everyone.

I've been wanting to make this blog the central place for information for some time now but have been waiting to "make it perfect."  I don't really know much about blogging and wanted to make a plan and then blow you all away with the amazing things at this blog!  In the meantime I've been the unintentional keeper of the information about 4-H activities and others don't know what's going on.  That changes today!  (it may not be perfect but by golly I hope you'll understand)

I hope you'll stop by here often to look at the 4-H Activities Calendar, read about upcoming activities, learn about volunteer opportunities, and read about youth development topics.

Please let me know what you think.

~Heather
Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development

p.s.  If anyone out there has tips and tricks to share with me about blogging I sure would appreciate it if you'd share.