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Saturday, March 7, 2015 An Advertising Feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

Jamie Hancock Garden Column – 2 Seven simple tips to help babies adjust to daylight saving time – 3 How to cut clutter and take back your home – 6 Find the kitchen sink you will never throw away – 8 Using green building techniques – 9 TCJ Pin of the Week – 10

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Living and gardening in our community Jamie Hancock

jamiehan@ksu.edu What is a community garden? Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service describes it this way. “A community garden is typically one piece of land, which is gardened collectively by a group of people.

In addition to providing fresh produce, community gardens beautify neighborhoods and help bring neighbors closer together. They have been proven as tools to reduce neighborhood crime—particularly when vacant, blighted lots are targeted for garden development. Community gardens also provide safe, recreational green space in urban areas with little or no parkland, and can contribute greatly to keeping urban air clean.”

History Community gardens first appeared in Detroit in the 1890’s. Social groups and reformers used the gardens to teach good work habits to the unemployed. In World War I, community gardens were promoted by the government to increase and expand the food supplies in our nation. The United States School Garden Army was started and a several million children enlisted along with 50,000 teachers who received curriculum materials. Thousands of volunteers also helped in these gardens.

The Great Depression in the 1930’s gave rise to community gardens as a means for the unemployed to grow their own food.

Many local, state and private agencies provided land for gardens. Over 23 million households produced garden products valued at $36 million in 1934 alone.

(University of Missouri Extension). World

War II encouraged Victory Gardens with a campaign to grow your own food, enjoy recreation, and improve the morale of the nation. Community gardens had a rebirth in the 70’s with rising inflation, urban abandonment, and a desire to know your neighbors.

Benefits Today, young parents are becoming involved in community gardens in greater numbers because they want to grow more healthful foods for their families, promote family togetherness, take a bite out of crime, and increase recreation and exercise in a nation of growing obesity. Civic and social and senior organizations are seeing the need for more fresh food to be made available locally and are donating land, and labor for this task.

Types of community gardens There are many shapes, sizes, and types of community gardens. It depends on the land, the number of people to work the land, the resources available, the purpose of the garden, and someone to organize it into a garden. Churches often create gardens to grow produce to donate to food kitchens and missions. Neighborhoods use city or private lots divided into plots.

Other gardens have individual plots for personal consumption and a common area that all members care for to grow food to give away or sell to support the needs of the garden (tools, mulch, seeds, tilling etc.) School gardens are becoming extremely popular to expose young people to nature and educate them using practical, hands-on methods. Recently, I listened as a school dietitian expressed her surprise that the students recognized the change in the vegetables at lunch when the growing season ended and the cafeteria had to return to vegetables shipped in from other countries. They had learned that fresher vegetables grown locally had much better flavor. There is a big push to find farmers willing to grow vegetables and fruits lo-

cally and to sell them to schools, hospitals, and restaurants.

Starting a community garden 1. Get friends and neighbors involved. It takes about ten families to sustain a community garden. Hold monthly meetings to develop plans and make progress on the garden.

2. Forming a garden club is another way to start up a community garden. Hold meetings, assign duties, determine the purpose and expected outcomes of the garden.

3. All gardens need an administrative structure. Rules need to be established, reviewing applications, making plot assignments, collecting dues (if any), paying water bills, and resolving conflicts.

4. Finding land with water is essential.

It may be a meter and come with a bill. It may be that the land owner is willing to donate the water or reduce the fees for the water.

5. The land may need to be leased and it may not.

6. Liability insurance may be necessary if the land owner does not have any.

7. Get the soil tested. It may need to be

HANCOCK continues on 4A

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Seven simple tips to help babies adjust to daylight saving time Brandpoint

Adults are not typically affected by daylight saving time, but the change can turn an infant’s world upside-down. Many parents worry that springing ahead just one hour will cause chaos to their little one’s sleep routine.

A whopping 77 percent of parents with kids ages 4 and younger are concerned with daylight saving time affecting their children’s sleep patterns, according to a recent Pampers survey, and 59 percent dread the disruption to their children’s sleep schedule more than they dread tax season.

“Many parents experience anxiety about modifying sleep schedules for the upcoming time change,” says “The Sleep Lady” Kim West, a leading child sleep expert, licensed family therapist, and author of “Good Night, Sleep Tight.” “Infants 5 months and older have more established sleep patterns, so by taking a proactive approach, you can help them adjust well so you both can get quality rest without frustration.”

Daylight saving time officially occurs this year at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8th. To help you and your child navigate this transition seamlessly, West offers her best tips:

1. Make napping a priority One of the best things you can do to help your child cope with the time change is to make sure they are well-rested before it occurs. A well-napped child will handle the change in routine better than a tired child.

2. Select a transition method For kids 2 and older, change your clocks before you go to bed and begin to adjust your schedule the next day. Parents should follow their daily routine according to the new time on the clock, but in reality, everything will be pushed ahead one hour because of the time change. For example, if your child naps at 1 p.m., it will actually be noon. The beauty of this method (and the spring time change vs the fall): if you have an early-rising child, they should wake up at a more acceptable hour!

For babies or those younger children who have trouble with change, a gradual schedule migration is best. Start by making a 30-minute adjustment to all meals, snacks and naps. Stick to this schedule for three days and then add another 30 minutes so you are fully adjusted to the fullhour change.

3. Keep baby’s diaper dry Having a dry diaper is key to ensuring that a little one sleeps through the night.

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Stock Photo/Brandpoint

Time change can affect children’s sleep patterns and precautions can be taken to help them.

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Hancock: How to get started Continued from 2A amended before planting.

8. Plan the garden lay out.

Challenges There are challenges with anything we do. Community gardens are not an exception. Management, maintenance, skills, supplies, water, and participation are just a few but, with good people and determination most challenges can be met and

concurred.

Help for you to get started The Shawnee County Extension Office has been developing a Community Garden Network over the last several years to support the many existing community gardens and to help new gardens find resources to get started. If you are interested in learning more you are invited to our networking meeting on March 14, 2015 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Shawnee

County Extension office, 1740 SW Western Ave., Topeka, Kansas (behind the Expo Centre).

We will also be hosting a hands-on community (or personal) garden training on May 9th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the garden at the Southern Hills Mennonite Church, 511 SE 37th, Topeka, Kansas (behind the church). This training will allow you to learn about seeding/planting, weeding techniques, watering, mulching, harvest-

ing, food safety and much more. Wear a hat and come join us!

For more information contact jamiehan@ksu.edu or call (785) 232-0062 ext.

104 Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

Note: Spring Lawn Care with be presented by the Master Gardeners at the Topeka/Shawnee County Public Library at 7:00 PM on March 19, 2015. Come, learn, and ask questions.

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Time: Helping children adjust to time change Continued from 3A Pampers diapers provide up to 12 hours of overnight protection and are up to three times drier than ordinary diapers, helping to avoid unnecessary night-waking and to ensure a well-rested baby who quickly adjusts to time changes. Visit www.pampers.com to learn more.

4. Beware of screen time At least 30 minutes before bed, make sure there are no bright lights or screens around your child. These lights interfere with the necessary melatonin production to make your child sleepy and therefore will cause bigger bedtime struggles.

5. Use black-out shades Controlling the light in a room can help your child adjust and sleep better. If you

do not already have them, consider installing room-darkening shades to block out light during sleep hours.

6. Wake up to light Expose your child to bright sunlight in the mornings during this transition by fully opening the shades. If it’s pleasant outside, consider taking a morning walk.

Exposure to natural light first thing in the morning will help to reset his internal

clock more quickly (and yours, too).

7. Be flexible Some children will adjust immediately while others will need a gradual transition.

Be as consistent as possible, but be aware of your child’s sleepy cues and make this transition slowly if necessary. Some children will need a few weeks to fully adjust, so listen to your parental instincts.

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Stock Photo/Brandpoint

Box up the clutter to take back your space.

How to cut the clutter and take back your home Brandpoint

You’ve reached your breaking point.

You’ve tripped over the same thing in the living room too many times. Now you’ve picked it up to finally put it away and you realize - you have nowhere to put it. You have too much clutter in your home. So what do you do? How do you decide where to start so you can reduce the clutter in your home and make your walkways safe once more?

Getting started is easier than you think.

If you want to take control of clutter, get a few boxes - start with one for each room in your home and begin organizing one room at a time.

Begin this initiative by removing everything on top of your cabinets, tables and in bookcases, and then place it all in a box, says Keith McCleary, academic director of Interior Design at The Art Institute of York - Pennsylvania. If there are other random accessories in the room, remove those, too. Keep just the basic furnishings.

Now sit with the room in its simplest form for a short time.

“In room design, make good decisions about what you choose to put in the room and, often more importantly, in what you choose to leave out,” McCleary says. “Simplicity and clean lines make a room feel

livable, and that’s what it’s really all about: comfortable living.” Think about the kind of focal point you’re trying to create. How should you orchestrate this space and show off your special pieces in terms of size, scale, color and texture?

After a day or two has passed, go back to the box and look for items that define your personality, or will be noticed by guests visiting your home. “Ask yourself: when is enough, enough?” says McCleary.

“Each piece of furniture in the room can function to complement. Accessories and works of art should contrast.”

When you look at your well-designed room, you should see positive elements, as well as appreciate the possibility for negative space by removing unnecessary pieces that don’t add to the design composition.

Interior design students at The Art Institute of York - Pennsylvania are taught to help their clients step back and ask themselves: Is it finished now? You can err when you go shopping and purchase nice pieces for your home, because before long you may have accumulated too many of those nice things. Take a hard look at some of those things you don’t really want or need; it might be time to share that stuff with your local Goodwill.

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Clutter: Help clutter disappear Continued from 6A Sometimes, you might think you have to keep memorabilia or outdated gifts from Aunt Ethel in your home all the time. “Not so,” says McCleary. “It’s perfectly acceptable to remove those items when you do your box exercise.” If you get a call from Auntie when she plans her next visit, head to the attic and put those old Beanie Babies she gave you when you were a fanatical collector decades ago on a shelf in your den - temporarily. She’ll be happy for the

gesture. When she leaves, feel free to put them back in the box of memories until her next visit.

After you complete this exercise in each room in your home, you’ll notice that the clutter has disappeared. Now you can recognize how attractive the remaining items are in that same space. This initiative takes determination and focus, but when you’ve completed the exercise, your focus can be on the lovely space you’ve recreated. To learn more about The Art Institutes schools, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

De-cluttering can take a lot of time and effort. If the thought of de-cluttering overwhelms you, don’t be afraid to ask for help! A professional organizer can help you assess your organizational needs, design a plan of attack and assist with the sorting process. Working with you, a professional organizer can help keep you focused and on task and make the task less daunting.

Why de-clutter?

 Sell your home faster – de-cluttering is listed as the number one way to sell your house quicker.  Decrease your stress and calm your mind – a de-cluttered environment has a soothing effect.  Spend less time looking for misplaced items.  Breathe easier – eliminating clutter can also eliminate dust.  Make more time for fun – spend less time cleaning and more time in fun!

Sheryl Blue – Professional Organizer Blues Moon Professional Organization

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Find the kitchen sink you will never throw out

By Dustin Lemmon Special to The Capital-Journal

When it comes to buying a kitchen sink there are so many options and designs to consider it can be a difficult just deciding where to start.

A sink buying guide from ConsumerReports.org suggests you first look at a sink’s functionality before you become locked on a particular style or design. That more expensive sink with an eye-popping look may not provide you with the best performance, they note.

With that in mind before you settle on a particular style of sink first figure out some of the basics. Do you want one basin or two or three? What about the material? Do you prefer stainless, cast-iron or perhaps a granite composite? These are important factors to consider before deciding between that classic look of a farmhouse sink or the smooth appearance of an undermount sink.

Let’s start with the number of basins.

When you have more than one basin it allows for more options, but also requires more plumbing and space. The best thing to do is measure the amount of space you have for the new sink. For instance, if you have less than 23 inches in width, you may be limited to a single basin.

Amanda Sharp, Showroom Consultant at Ferguson in Topeka, said one of the most popular sinks today is a two-basin with a low middle divider.

“It’s easier to wash your cookie sheet pan or pizza pan,” she explained. “It’s

Double basin undermount sink

easier to flip that around without getting water everywhere.”

She noted that the tall divider has become less popular as most people use their sinks for rinsing and their dishwasher for cleaning.

Doug McCollum, a construction specialist with Winston Brown Construction of Topeka, said it’s important to consider whether you will use the sink for cleaning or just rinsing.

“Most people these days don’t do dishes in a sink anymore so why do we have two basins versus one large basin,” he said, adding if you do rinse you’re likely to want a garbage disposal, too, which is something to consider when picking out your sink.

Material

So what type of material do you want for your sink?

Sharp said your three main choices are stainless steel, granite composite or castiron (porcelain and ceramic). All three are quite durable, she noted.

Stainless steel can be a bit noisy and susceptible to scratching if you don’t buy a quality gauge, Sharp said. A higher end stainless steel sink is probably going to run about $700-$1,000, she estimated. Stainless can be installed on top of the counter, or as an undermount.

Composite and cast-iron sinks are quite resistant to chips, scratches and heat and will last for a very long time. Composite sinks – a combination of crushed stone and acrylic resin – often come in a matte finish.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY WINSTON BROWN CONSTRUCTION

Two single basin undermount sinks Cast-iron sinks come in a wide variety of colors, and it’s the color choice that usually determines the price, Sharp said.

They can also be quite heavy, so it might not be something you want to install on your own.

If you prefer a vintage look, porcelaincoated cast iron can be found in antique or second-hand stores. These types of sinks tend to be heavy and usually sit on top of the counter. Make sure your countertop is properly installed and supported, before installing one of these.

Style

Here are some sink styles to consider: Farmhouse sink: Also known as an apron-front sink, it is unique for its open front, which isn’t covered up by the countertop or cabinet doors. These tub-like sinks typically have a wide, rectangular basin and offer a very traditional country look hence the farmhouse name.

Undermount sink: Just as the name indicates these sinks are mounted underneath your countertop so you have no lip where the countertop and sink meet. They look great with soapstone, marble or granite countertops and are typically made of stainless steel.

Drop-in sink: This sink is sort of the opposite of the undermount, featuring a rim that sits over the countertop. Compared to other sinks they are easy to install and remove. Drop-in sinks also provide many options, as they come in round and square varieties.

Each of these sinks require a certain amount of space, particularly an apron-

PHOTO PROVIDED BY WINSTON BROWN CONSTRUCTION

front sink. Make sure your area is wide and deep enough to accommodate the sink you choose. Also, make sure to take a look at your plumbing. Ideally, the water inlet to the sink area should be low to the ground, offering the best rise over run when it comes to draining the sink and dishwasher. However, if your pipe is higher up on the wall, you might want to avoid a deeper sink, or consider having the area re-plumbed, before installation.

Another consideration for sinks is your faucet. Make sure to acquire the type of faucet you want to use prior to installation of the sink, in order to have the holes drilled into the countertop and installed properly into the new sink.

Sharp said the most popular faucet right now is a tall gooseneck, which provides plenty of space and a stylish look. Popular faucet finishes include shiny chrome, stainless steel and oil-rubbed bronze.

You’ll want the finish to compliment your countertop and to match the pulls/knobs on your cabinets and drains.

If you have a dark countertop, you’ll probably want an oil-rubbed bronze faucet, Sharp noted, and if you have a white or lighter colored countertop, you might want to go with stainless steel.

McCollum said touchless or no handle sensor faucets are also becoming very popular, but warned that they can be a problem if you have a furry friend climbing around your sink while you’re away.

“You have to be careful because cats can turn those on, too, if jump up on the countertop,” he said.

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Using green building techniques

By Linda A. Ditch Special to The Capital-Journal

A remodeling project or new home construction is the prime time to consider adding a bit of green to the process.

Not the color, but using environmentally friendly materials and products in your home. This concept is a high priority for many homeowners, whether to save on energy costs, protect the environment, or both.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), sustainable construction became popular in the 1970s when high oil prices increased the demand for energy efficient products.

Today, homes built or remodeled with green concepts seek both to save money on energy costs and to reduce the home’s impact on the environment.

The NAHB offers a certification process for builders and remodelers covering sustainable constructions practices. Mike Pressgrove of PDQ Construction was the first NAHB Certified Green Professional (CGP) in the Topeka. He said, “Most people associate green building with big solar panels on houses and things like that. If they don’t see that happening, then green building isn’t happening. But there’s a lot more to it.”

Pressgrove pointed out the construction methods and materials going in to houses today are much more efficient than just 10 to 20 years ago. Many modern building concepts were initially created as the energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly, money-saving products of the past, which in time became the norm. “Moisture barriers on houses. Better insulation. More efficient mechanical systems. Standards have changed so much, they are phasing out the old, less-efficient systems.”

The goals for green building include:  Natural resource conservation by using water-saving fixtures and appliances, such as tankless water heaters, duel-flush toilets, and high-efficiency

dishwashers and washing machines; planting drought-tolerant landscaping; installing rainwater-collection systems; and building with engineered wood or wood alternative products, sustainable lumber, and longer-lasting materials.  Better energy efficiency and savings by building tighter insulated homes, installing insulated windows, and using energy-friendly lighting fixtures and appliances, plus high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, such as geothermal. Energy efficiency also includes site design to position a house on a building lot in such a way to increase heating and cooling efficiency.  Improved indoor environmental quality. Many products used in the home emit gasses and chemicals into the air, such as paints that give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, which are toxic. Green building practices use low-VOC products (commonly paint and carpeting), formaldehyde-free finishes, and efficient HVAC systems to decrease the amount of chemicals in the inside air.

Green building is a concept that still has yet to catch on in Topeka. Ryan Passow of Passow Remodeling is another area Certified Green Professional. He said most people look into green building because they are interested in caring for the environment and saving natural resources. However, after some research, they often change their minds.

“It’s the upfront expense that isn’t popular,” he said.

Many sustainable upgrades to a home require a larger outlay of money in the beginning, with the costs being offset over time in energy savings and durability. Pressgrove also acknowledged price can be a factor in people choosing green options over the conventional. He said, “I don’t know if they aren’t seeing the big picture and what it can save them in the long run.”

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Stock Images/Metro Creative Connections

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The Topeka Capital-Journal Pin of the Week Follow all of The Capital-Journal Pinterest boards – www.pinterest.com/tcjmedia/ Thin Mint Truffles Ingredients: 1 9-ounce package thin mint girl scout cookies (or Keebler grasshopper cookies) 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 (12 oz) Bag Guittards Green Mint chips (or green candy melts) 5 oz white chocolate chips 1. In a food processor pulse the thin mint cookies until they are fine in consistency.

2. Blend together crushed thin mint cookies and softened cream cheese. You can mix them by hand, or I used my kitchenAid mixer.

Source: therecipecritic.com

3. Roll the mixture into tablespoon sized balls and set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow them to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to harden. This will make them easier to roll in the melted chocolate.

4. Melt the green mint chips in the microwave stirring 30 seconds at a time being careful not to overcook. Roll the balls into the melted chocolate to coat and place them to harden on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. For the white chocolate drizzle, melt the chocolate 30 seconds at a time until melted.

Spoon the melted chocolate into a plastic baggie and cut a tiny slit in the corner and drizzle the chocolate over the top of the truffles. Store the truffles in the fridge until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Six Sisters

To get more information on this project and others, visit The Topeka Capital-Journal’s At Home Living – Yummy in my Tummy Pinterest board.

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Service Directory

Service Directory

Boost your brand, product or service with an ad in the service directory! At Home Living is read by home owners, buyers and sellers across the Topeka and surrounding area. To place your ad contact your MultiMedia Sales Consultant or 785.295.1125.

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Green: Home energy audits can lead to savings Continued from 9A Passow noted people often have different ideas as to what green building means. He said, “What is it anyway?

There are so many differences. People will want sustainable, fast-growing lumber, but it has to be trucked across the country to get here, where local lumber uses less energy in transportation.”

Understandably, the easiest time to incorporate green building practices into a home is when the house is first built. However, a remodeling project

also opens up the possibility for adding in some green elements. For example, windows can be replaced with more energy-efficient models, as can HAVAC systems and water heaters.

For homeowners interested in lowering costs and making their home more environmentally sustainable, Pressgrove suggested they look into a home energy audit. He said, “There are companies that can do an energy efficiency test on your house. It’s a relatively inexpensive test and they can tell what you need to change to save money and energy.”

To learn more, the US Department of Energy’s website, energy.gov, has a lot of information on green building, including how-to instructions for a doit-yourself energy audit. The Topeka Home Builders Association has a list of Certified Green Professionals on their website, www.thba.com. Just click the more info link on the home page, and then scroll down to the Certified Green Professionals link. Anyone on that list could help you figure out your green home options.

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