Carrie T. Brazeal FCS Agent

06/26/2023

12/16/2016

Signing Off....

I have decided to ring in 2017 without Extension....my last official day is Dec 31. I know that's a Saturday but, in my line of work, Saturday is usually a work day. :) After 37 years, 35 of those years in Collin County, it's time for me to find new challenges.

I have had an amazing career filled with lots of opportunities. I have met some wonderful people and worked with some of the best in their fields. My life is so much more rich because of all of this.

There's no way that I can begin to thank everyone....there's not enough space on FB for that! But please know that I appreciate everything that all of you have done.

There's no doubt in my mind that whoever comes to this position wll take things to a new level. It may take a few months...Extension can be slow to hire... so just be patient. I'm leaving all kinds of lists of my partners, resource people, etc. I know that you will continue to support Extension and our mission.

This page will be disabled on Dec 31 but find me on my personal FB page....Carrie T Brazeal. Some of you are already there!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! See you in 2017!

Carrie

12/12/2016

Making the Holidays Safe
Source: The Nemours Foundation

Family gatherings, special traditions, delicious treats — the holiday season may be the most wonderful time of the year, especially for kids. Unfortunately, for emergency room doctors it's also one of the busiest.

Learn how to protect your little ones from some common holiday dangers, so you and your family can enjoy a season that's happy and healthy.

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Make the holidays fun and healthy by learning how to protect your kids from these common hazards.

12/08/2016

Money Saving Holiday Tip

Need a gift for someone hard to buy for? A photo collage or album filled with memorable photos, either from the past or taken throughout this year, can make for a heartwarming gift. It takes a little time to pull together, especially if you're trying to find old family photos, but it's worth it. There are several online resources to print photos at very reasonable prices or try your local retailers and compare prices. Since most people now only have digital photos, having hard copies in one place that you can easily access would be great. My kids did a collage for us a few years ago and it's always been on my desk at home. Every time I'm at my desk or walk by, I see it and smile.

For more tips, check out

69 gift card bonus offersDecember 7, 2016 By Bryan Chavez Leave a Comment‘Tis the season for gift cards! Check out our round-up of more than 65 gift card bonuses. Gift cards are not just for giving— buy some for yourself and pocket the bonus.

12/07/2016

Gifts from the kitchen
Source: Penn State Extension, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences

Home preserved foods make thoughtful gifts to share with friends or neighbors. Use them to express appreciation, as a hostess gift, or to remember a shut-in.... However, keep in mind there are risks involved in giving home preserved foods.

Another way to give safe gifts is to give a frozen product such as a frozen pie, cake, or cookies. Freezer jams can be made quickly and retain a fresh fruit flavor.

Another option is to make a “mix in a jar” by layering the dry ingredients for a quick bread into a jar and attaching the directions for baking it to the outside.

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Home preserved foods make thoughtful gifts to share with friends or neighbors.

12/06/2016

Money Saving Holiday Tip

The shopping season is in full swing! I finished about 95% of my shopping...I just have to get stocking stuffers. How about you?

For those of you who plan ahead, the period right after the holidays is the perfect time to check over your budget and make plans for the new year. Set aside a few minutes after New Year's to analyze your spending. You'll want to find out how you did, if you stayed within your budget, if there were places that you could have cut back, etc. Making a few notes right after the holidays will help you plan for the 2017 holiday season.

This is also the time to start planning a credit card payoff strategy. if you used plastic to finance your festivities. In a perfect world, you wouldn't have put anything on your credit card that you couldn't pay off in a month. But if you went overboard, commit to a payment plan that eliminates your balances within the next three or four months. You don't want to still be paying holiday bills while celebrating July 4th!

If you're really savvy and have the storage, the days following Christmas are also ideal for getting a jump start on purchasing decor and wrapping paper and bags for next year. Of course, that's only if you've budgeted accordingly.

For more ideas, check out

Find out how you can better manage your money and build wealth. Learn more about topics like budgeting, investing, smart shopping, credit cards, and debt.

12/05/2016

5 ways to de-stress and help your heart
Source: Harvard University

Constant stress — whether from a traffic-choked daily commute, unhappy marriage, or heavy workload — can have real physical effects on the body. It has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including mood, sleep, and appetite problems — and yes, even heart disease....

Breaking the connection requires both learning to deal with stress and managing unhealthy habits. These five simple tips can help you do just that.

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Constant stress — whether from a traffic-choked daily commute, unhappy marriage, or heavy workload — can have real physical effects on the body. It has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including mood, sleep, and appetite problems — and y...

12/02/2016

Money Saving Holiday Tip - Know When to Stop

When your list is finished and you've checked it twice, it's time to stop shopping. Know when you're finished and avoid stopping by a store "just to see what they have." This can lead to making poorly planned purchases and blowing your budget.

If you get the "itch" to shop a few days before Christmas, you might want to save specific shopping such as stocking stuffers for then. That way, you're still operating within your budget and purchasing something you actually need while fulfilling the urge to be part of the holiday hustle and bustle. By planning purchases and shopping when you're done, you'll be spared that holiday hangover when Janaury rolls around.

Check out more tips at www.moneycrashers.com

Find out how you can better manage your money and build wealth. Learn more about topics like budgeting, investing, smart shopping, credit cards, and debt.

12/01/2016

Healthy Eating During Winter Gatherings for People with Diabetes
Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Winter is a season of holiday celebrations, football playoffs, and other occasions when family and friends get together over meals and snacks. For people with type 2 diabetes, it can be a challenge to stick to a meal plan. Mouth-watering options such as honey-baked ham, buttery mashed potatoes, and sweetened yams are popular for festive dinners, while chicken wings, cheesy nachos, and chips are among the favorites at football play-offs and other gatherings. However, you don’t have to completely avoid all of your favorite foods. The key is to make a variety of healthy food choices and limit portion sizes.

Follow these tips from the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) to help you eat healthy during gatherings throughout the winter season...

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Winter is a season of holiday celebrations, football play-offs, and other occasions when family and friends get together over meals and snacks.

11/30/2016

New Guidelines Urge Diabetics to Move More: They should do light physical activity every 30 minutes, not every 90 minutes
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus

People with diabetes need to move more often than previously advised, new guidelines say.

To improve blood sugar management, people with diabetes should do three or more minutes of light activity every 30 minutes during prolonged periods of sitting, such as working on a computer or watching TV. This is especially true for those with type 2 diabetes, according to the latest recommendations from the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

These light activities include: overhead arm stretches, walking in place, leg lifts or extensions, desk chair swivels, torso twists and side lunges.

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11/28/2016

The Teen Brain: 6 Things to Know
Source: National Institute of Mental Health

Did you know that big and important changes are happening to the brain during adolescence? Here are 6 things to know about the teen brain...

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A fact sheet outlining how a teenager’s brain grows, matures, and adapts to the world. This fact sheet also briefly covers the teen brain’s resiliency, onset of some mental illnesses, and sleep patterns in teens.

11/23/2016

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with family and friends. For those of you who plan ahead, be sure to practice food safety best practices when preparing your meal and storing leftovers afterwards. Check out the this link:

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USHHSFS/bulletins/1745731

Thanksgiving isn't until tomorrow, so why are we already talking about leftovers? Because your leftovers plan should start right after Thanksgiving dinner ends!