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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Live Smart Ohio

Better Lives. Stronger Communities.

Good-bye Clutter!

Research has shown that there is a downside to living and working with too much clutter. It can cause emotional stress, conflict between household members, and distraction. Clutter can waste time and money. It can affect indoor air quality and increase accidental falls and trip hazards! On a positive note, there is also research that […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Roseanne E. Scammahorn, PhD, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Darke County and Melissa J. Rupp, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fulton County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • pixabay

REFERENCES:

  • Burckhardt, C. S., & Anderson, K. L. (2003). The Quality of Life Scale (QOLS): reliability, validity, and utilization. Health and quality of life outcomes, 1, 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-1-60
  • Carter, S. (2014). Clutter… does it produce chaos or creativity? Live Healthy Live Well Blog, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved on August 11, 2020 from https://livehealthyosu.com/2014/01/04/clutter-does-it-produce-chaos-or-creativity/
  • Green, D. (2012). Christmas and clutter. Live Smart Ohio blog, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved on August 11, 2020 from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/green-308osu-edu/christmas-and-clutter/
  • ICD: Clutter Quality of Life Scale (CQLS) (ND). Retrieved on August 11, 2020 from https://form.jotform.com/50614991787165
  • KatiesKottage, (ND). How to Declutter your Home. Retrieved on August 10, 20020 from https://katieskottage.com/declutteryourhome/
  • Michelich, K. (2017). Is your stuff creating stress? Live Smart Ohio blog, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved on August 11, 2020 from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/michelich-1osu-edu/is-your-stuff-creating-stress/
  • Scammahorn, R. (2020). My Downsizing Adventure, Live Healthy Live Well Blog, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved on August 10, 2020 from https://livehealthyosu.com/2020/07/20/my-downsizing-adventure/
  • SpareFoot, (ND). Self-Storage: Everything you need to know. Retrieved on August 10, 2020 from https://www.sparefoot.com/storage.html
  • Treber, M. (2020). Taming the paper monster! De-clutter part 2. Live Healthy Live Well Blog, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved on August 11, 2020 from https://livehealthyosu.com/2020/06/18/taming-the-paper-monster-de-clutter-part-2/
  • University of Georgia, (2015). Healthy Homes: Dealing with Household Clutter, Circular 1067. Retrieved on August 10, 2020 from https://katieskottage.com/declutteryourhome/
  • University of Illinois Extension, (ND). A Home for Every Item. Retrieved on August 10, 2020 from https://web.extension.illinois.edu/clutter/ahome.html
  • University of Illinois Extension, (ND). Clear the Clutter. Retrieved on August 10, 2020 from https://web.extension.illinois.edu/clutter/clearing.html
  • Vohs, K., Redden, J., and Rahinel, R. (2013). Physical Order Produces Healthy Choices, Generosity, and Conventionality, Whereas Disorder Produces Creativity. Psychological Science. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797613480186

Fall Vegetable Gardening for the Win

If you have never grown a fall vegetable garden before, now is the time to start. Some of the common benefits of planting a fall vegetable garden include: Many Ohio vegetables grow well in cooler weather Insect and disease pests may be less compared to earlier in the growing season A few vegetables like collards […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Melissa J. Rupp, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fulton County and Amy Stone, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Powers-Barker, P. (2020)

REFERENCES:

  • Handling covid-19: Guidance for community gardens. (2019, April 21). North Carolina State Extension. Retrieved 07/08/20 from https://fcs.osu.edu/sites/fcs/files/imce/PDFs/COVID/OSU_Community%20Gardens_COVID-19_042120.pdf
  • Grow what you know. (2018). Ohio State Insights. Retrieved 07/08/20 from https://insights.osu.edu/food/recipe-gardens-work-you
  • Powers-Barker, P. (2020). Gardening as a self-care practice. Live Smart Ohio. Ohio State University. Retrieved 07/10/20 from https://go.osu.edu/gardenselfcare
  • Powers-Barker, P. (2020 updated). Planting a fall vegetable garden. Ohio State University. Retrieved 07/08/20 from https://u.osu.edu/powers-barker.1/2019/07/24/planting-a-fall-vegetable-garden/
  • Voyle, G. (2012). Fall vegetable crops for your garden. Michigan State University Extension. Retrieved 07/08/20 from https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/files/E3172_-_Fall_Vegetable_Crops_for_your_Garden.pdf
  • Woods, A. (2017). A walk in the woods. Live Smart Ohio, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved 07/08/20 from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/woods-485osu-edu/a-walk-in-the-woods-2/

Gardening as a Self-Care Practice

Self-care can be as basic as daily routines like brushing your teeth or staying hydrated by drinking enough water. While it might be easy to list daily tasks that support personal care such as eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, and connecting with others, it is not uncommon that stressful times can upset a self-care […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Roseanne E. Scammahorn, PhD, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Darke County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Powers-Barker, P. (2020)
  • Stone, A. (2019)

SOURCES:

  • Dockrill, P. (2016). Just looking at photos of nature could be enough to lower your work stress levels. Science Alert. Retrieved 06/16/20 from https://www.sciencealert.com/just-looking-at-photos-of-nature-could-be-enough-to-lower-your-work-stress-levels
  • Elrer, E. (2019). Will you give me some tips on how to propagate houseplants from cuttings? A Question of the Week. University of New Hampshire Extension. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://extension.unh.edu/blog/will-you-give-me-some-tips-how-propagate-houseplants-cuttings
  • Ensle, K. (2012) Mindful eating for better health. Rutgers, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Retrieved 06/15/20 https://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/message/message.php?p=Health&m=221
  • Jo, H. Song, C., and Miyazaki, Y. (2019). Physiological benefits of viewing nature: A systematic review of indoor experiments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (23): 4739. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6926748/
  • Kennelly, S. (2012). A scientific reason to stop and smell the roses: A new study suggests people are happier when they take time to appreciate the good things in life. Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley. Retrieved 06/16/20 from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/a_scientific_reason_to_stop_and_smell_the_roses
  • Pollinator Week: Pollinators, Plants, People, Planet. (2020). Pollinator Partnership. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week
  • Powers-Barker, P. (2017). Infused Water with Ohio Local Foods, Ohio State University Extension, Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5363
  • Roudabush, C. (2020). Self-Care for Youth and Families. South Dakota State University Extension. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://extension.sdstate.edu/self-care-youth-and-families
  • Schmidgall, V. (2018). Mindful Monday: Try the “Five Senses” Mindfulness Exercise, Physical, Wellness Tips & Wellness Articles. University of Vermont Medical Center. Retrieved 06/15/20 from https://medcenterblog.uvmhealth.org/wellness/physical/mindfulness-mindful-monday-exercise/

Mindfulness in Childbirth

I gave birth for the first time in August. Being a first-time mom, I was nervous and anxious about childbirth. Our hospital offered a course about childbirth that my husband and I attended. They covered topics like when to know when you are in labor, the stages of labor, what things to expect, strategies for […]

WRITTEN BY: Katie Schlagheck, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties

REVIEWED BY: Bridget Britton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Carroll County

Self-care for the Caregiver

Caregivers often have self-imposed expectations, pressuring them to feel they should be able to handle every situation that they encounter with little or no support or assistance. There is this tremendous pressure to “do it all,” taking care of children and aging parents while maintaining a career and the home. Instead of having a sense […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County, Scammahorn.5@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Kellie Lemly, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Champaign County, lemly.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • sarcifilippo from Pixabay

SOURCES:

  • The Caregiver Toolbox: Guide to Independent Living - http://www.coaaa.org/cms/images/docs/guides/COAAA_Caregiver_Toolbox.pdf
  • 10 Tips for Family Caregivers - https://caregiveraction.org/resources/10-tips-family-caregivers
  • Care Community - https://caregiveraction.org/forum
  • Defining The Help You Need - https://caregiveraction.org/defining-help-you-need
  • Depression - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
  • Strategies for Coping with Caregiver Stress - https://www.agingcare.com/articles/strategies-for-coping-with-caregiver-stress-135916.htm

REFERENCES:

  • Area Agency of Aging (2018). The Caregiver Toolbox: Guide to Independent Living. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from http://www.coaaa.org/cms/images/docs/guides/COAAA_Caregiver_Toolbox.pdf
  • Aging In Place (February 2020). Caregiver Burnout. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.aginginplace.org/caregiver-burnout/
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). 10 Tips for Family Caregivers. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/resources/10-tips-family-caregivers
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). Care Community. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/forum
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). Defining The Help You Need. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/defining-help-you-need
  • Caregiver Action Network. (2020). RESPITE: Time Out for Caregivers. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://caregiveraction.org/respite-time-out-caregivers-part-1
  • National Institute of Mental Health, (2018). Depression. Retrieved on April 17, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
  • Sollitto, M. (October 2019). Strategies for Coping with Caregiver Stress. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.agingcare.com/articles/strategies-for-coping-with-caregiver-stress-135916.htm
  • Smith, M. (October 2019). Caregiver Stress and Burnout. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/caregiver-stress-and-burnout.htm

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