Shopbrazos January 2013

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19 tips to get your kids eating healthy all year long 19 tips to get your kids eating healthy all year long January is National Blood Donor Month January is National Blood Donor Month Rockcrete Foam insulation keeps bills down across the Brazos Valley Rockcrete Foam insulation keeps bills down across the Brazos Valley JANUARY 2013

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January 2013 Shopbrazos

Transcript of Shopbrazos January 2013

Page 1: Shopbrazos January 2013

19 tips to get your kids eatinghealthy all year long

19 tips to get your kids eatinghealthy all year long

January is National Blood Donor MonthJanuary is National Blood Donor Month

Rockcrete Foam insulation keeps billsdown across the Brazos Valley

Rockcrete Foam insulation keeps billsdown across the Brazos Valley

JANUARY 2013

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SHOPBRAZOS.COM

WHAT’S INSIDE

page thirteenpage thirteenPeople can donate blood about every 56

days, or six times per year.“People can donate blood about ev“People can donate blood about ev

page sixpage sixNowadays, lasagna can include hazelnuts,

butternut squash, zucchini and more.owadNo

nut squash, zucchini and mor

ON THE WEB

Jenny Downing (979) 731-4660

Internet Sales Director

[email protected]

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Internet Marketing Consultant

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Editorial

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Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictlyprohibited. Opinions expressed in the publication are those of the authors anddo not necessarily represent those of the management of the publication.

©2012 GATEHOUSE MEDIA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

page eightA 2,744 square foot home, for example,will have a heating and cooling bill of lessthan $45 a month with foam insulation.

A 2,744less

than $45 a month with foam insulation.of

than $45 a month with foam insulation.

/shopbrazos

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ROCK-CRETEROCK-CRETELike Us OnFacebook!

Let me, Greg Pruitt show you

how. Over 2000 happy customers now

use less electricity. My customers laugh

at utility bills during summer and

winter. You can too.

Foam Insulators1-888-FOAM-HOMe

(362-6466)Office: 936-399-4674Greg: 979-229-3493

www.rock-cretefoam.com

Your product Rocks!That is what a recent customer of Rock-Crete Foam Insulators had to say. He saidhis bill went from $380.00 to $145.00. That’s over 62%. Hi, I‘m Greg Pruitt, withspray foam we can reduce your utility bills from around 30% to 70%. With our sprayfoam in your attic, we reduce the summer attic temp by around 55 degrees. Cool inthe summer and Warm in the winter, Rock-Crete Foam Insulators, insulation thatpays you back!-888 FOAM HOME

We insulate mobile homeunderbellies and homes

up off the ground!You will be amazed at the

comfort and savings!

Got propane for Heat?Many customers have higher bills in the winter than summer!We can help you by stopping your heat from going to the atticand out to the yard. It is called the chimney effect. Spray foamstops it and saves you money on your winter bills. Keep yourheat and hard earned dollars at home. Warm in the winter/Coolin the summer! Make this the last time you insulate your home.

Are you tired of high electric bills?You can do something about it!

When youINSULATE

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reduces your temps,and your bills,typical savings

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KIDS EATING RIGHTSHOPBRAZOS.COM

Nutritious19ways toget kidseating

nineteen

1. Noodle funKids love noodles. Skip theRamen, and pack sesamenoodles for lunch. They’rejust as good cold as they areroom temperature: Com-bine 3 cups cooked spa-ghetti, 1 cup shreddedcabbage, 2 choppedgreen onions, 1/4cup soy sauce and 2tablespoons each ofpeanut butter, ricevinegar and oil.

2.Who movedmy fruit?When fruit was put in

a colorful bowl in schoollunchrooms, sales increased

by 104 percent.The message

— makefruit vis-ibleandat-trac-tive,

MorguEFIlE

and kids will eat it. Thisworks at home, too.

3. Cool trickPlace 3 tablespoons sug-

ar, 1 cup half and half and 1teaspoon vanilla in a quart-size zip-top plastic bag. Seal.Place that bag in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Layer ice androck salt in the gallon bagand seal. Toss back and forthuntil it’s ice cream.

4. Eat your colorsAdd these colorful and su-

per-nutritious fruits and vege-tables to your diet:

Red for lycopene: To-matoes, cherries, cran-berries, watermelonand raspberries.

Orange and yellow forbeta-carotene: Sweetpotatoes, pumpkin, car-rots, bell peppers andcantaloupe.Green for vitamin C,lutein and indoles:Broccoli, spinach, greenbeans, kiwi and greenapples.Blue and purple for an-thocyanins: Blueber-ries, blackberries, pur-ple grapes and prunes.

5. Kids’ toolsCreate a kids’ utensil drawer

or basket with easy-to-use andkid-friendly cookware.

6. Cool lunch bagsGet a fun insulated lunch bag

that allows you to pack coldfoods. We love the bags fromBuilt and Kid-Konserve.

7. Draw itGet a chalkboard and let your

kids write the menu on it eachnight. They’ll learn about foodand meal planning and get a lit-tle spelling and writing practice,too.

8. Remember milkConsumption of milk de-

creased by 35 percent when fla-vored milk was eliminated fromschool lunches, according to theMilk Processor Education Pro-gram, resulting in a decreasein calcium, vitamins D and A,and protein — key nutrientsfor kids. A little sugar may be asmall price to pay for nutrientskids don’t get elsewhere. Plusmilk, even when it’s flavored, iscaffeine-free.

SToCK.XCHNg

By Jill MeltonSpecial to The Eagle

Here are a mish-mash of ideas to get your familyeating better. The one thing they have in common?They get kids involved. Sometimes the simplest ofideas will get kids excited.

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.COMKIDS EATING RIGHT

9. Try sushiFor a quick dinner bet-

ter than the drive-through,try sushi. Try the Californiarolls or crunchy shrimp rolls,where everything is cooked.Sushi is made fresh daily atmost supermarkets and islow in fat and nutritious.

10. Better thansodaMake fruit ice cubes and

serve with club soda or ina cup on their own. Puréedwatermelon, blackberriesor any other juicy fruit willwork well.

SToCK.XCHNg

12. Add proteinFor an easy breakfast,

make a waffle sandwich.Layer two frozen toastedwaffles with cheese and hamfor a high-protein breakfastthat will last longer than thewaffles alone. Better yet, addmilk.

8-ounce glass.

15. Use chopsticksKids love a challenge, and

chopsticks are definitely it.In addition to teaching coor-dination, it slows kids down,forcing them to eat mindful-ly and savor their food. Re-member, it takes the stom-ach 20 minutes to signal tothe brain that you’re full.

16. Seal itwith a kissIf your kids would rath-

er have sugary cereal thanoatmeal, try topping theoats with a Hershey’s Kiss.They’ll still get the benefitsof the whole grain oats.

17. Pod luckServe edamame, the green

soybeans that come in a podand are served in Asian res-taurants. Kids will love get-ting the beans out of thepod, which will occupythem. Plus, they’re veryhealthy.

11. Low-fathealthy granitaMake some nutritious fro-

zen treats and get the kidsinvolved, too. Freeze juicein a shallow pan. Let kidsscrape it with a fork into aslushy, icy treat. Voila, youhave granita!

MorguEFIlE

13. After-schoolsnackKeep nutritious after-

school snacks easy and ac-cessible. Hummus is a greatone; pair with carrot sticksand pita bread.

14. Almond milkIf your kids have a prob-

lem with dairy products,give almond milk a try.It has a mild, nutty fla-vor that works greatwith cereal or on itsown. It’s made fromground almonds andcontains no cholester-ol or lactose. It comesin a variety of flavors,is low in calories andfat and high in vita-min D, E and B12. It alsocontains 45 percentof the daily valuesfor calcium in one

WIKIMEDIA CoMMoNS

SToCK.XCHNg

18. Breakfastrule No. 1Make breakfast a fiber

opportunity. Buy wholegrain breads with at least3 grams of fiber per slice,or cereals with at least 4grams per serving.

19. Straws,straws, strawsGive a kid a fun straw

and anything will be morefun to eat. Let them usestraws to slurp soup and evenice cream.

SToCK.XCHNg

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RECIPESSHOPBRAZOS.COM

Special to The Eagle

We all grew up eatingpretty much the same la-sagna — ground beef, redsauce, cheese and noodles.As delicious as it is, thatlasagna is so last century.With a little inspiration,

today’s cook takes the ba-sic idea of lasagna andchanges, adds and sub-tracts to create somethingnew. Nowadays, lasagnacan include hazelnuts,butternut squash, zucchiniand more. Some lasagnasdon’t even require noo-dles, while lasagna rollsare made without the tra-ditional rectangular bak-ing dish.Just about everyone

loves lasagna, which is onereason it shows up so of-ten in casual entertainingmenus. Another is thatit lets the host cook justone large item. Bread andsalad from the store round out themeal.Bring your crew together around

a favorite that’s the same, but differ-ent. With more recipes for lasagna,there’s more to love.

Lasagna with CheddarCheeseYield: 10 to 12 servingsPrep: 25 minsCook: 105 minsFor the meat sauce:1 pound lean ground beef1/2 pound Italian sausage1 cup chopped onion1 Tminced garlic1 cup dry white wine2 T tomato paste2 T chopped fresh parsley1/2 t crushed red pepper1 can (15-ounce) crushed tomatoes in

purée

For the béchamel sauce:1/4 cup butter1/4 cup all purpose flour1/2 t salt1/4 t pepper1/4 t ground nutmeg3 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk12 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles3 cups shredded aged Cheddarcheese

To prepare meat sauce, brownbeef and sausage in a large skilletover medium-high heat about 10minutes, breaking into small piec-es. Spoon out most of the fat. Re-duce heat to medium. Add onionand garlic; saute 5 minutes. Addwine; bring to a boil. Reduce heatand cook, stirring occasionally, untilwine is nearly evaporated. Stir in to-mato paste, parsley and crushed red

pepper. Stir in crushed tomatoes.Bring to a simmer; reduce heat.Simmer until sauce thickens, 10 to15 minutes.To prepare béchamel sauce, melt

butter in a medium saucepan overmedium heat. Whisk in flour, salt,pepper and nutmeg. Cook and stirfor 1 minute. Gradually whisk inmilk. Cook and stir with whisk untilthick and bubbly, about 10 minutes.Cool 10 minutes.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread 3/4 cup meat sauce in bot-tom of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.Place 4 sheets of lasagna cross-wise in pan over sauce, overlap-ping slightly. (The sheets will notreach all the way across the pan, butthey will expand as they bake.) Topwith one-third of the meat sauce(spreading evenly to cover noodles)and then one-third of the bechamel

sauce. Top with one-third of thecheese. Repeat layers (starting withnoodles) twice.Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 min-

utes, covering loosely with foil dur-ing the last 10minutes if top brownstoo much. Let stand 15 minutes be-fore cutting.

VARIATIONSItalian-Style Lasagna: Substitute

Parmigiano-Reggiano for the Ched-dar cheese. Substitute 2 teaspoonsdried basil and 2 teaspoons driedoregano for the parsley.French-Style Lasagna: Sub-

stitute Comté (French Gruyère)cheese for the Parmigiano-Reggia-no. Substitute 1 tablespoon crusheddried rosemary for the parsley. Useground pork instead of the Italiansausage.

—Recipes by Wini Moranville

Breaking traditionHow to makethe lasagna welove even better

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.COMRECIPES

VegetarianLasagnaYield: 8 servingsFor the filling:2 T olive oil8 ounces mushrooms1 garlic clove, crushed2/3 cup diced onion1/8 t nutmeg1/4 t salt1 t dried oregano1/4 t black pepper10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach,thawed and drained1 lb. frozen chopped broccoli,thawed and drained1 pound low-fat ricotta cheese2 cups shredded part-skimmozza-rella cheese1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

To assemble:4 cups vegetarian marinara sauce9 to 12 whole-wheat lasagnanoodles, cooked until al dente anddrained1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degress F.To prepare filling, heat olive oil ina large skillet. Add mushrooms,garlic and onion and sauté untilsoft. Add nutmeg, oregano, saltand pepper. Remove from heatand stir in spinach, broccoli and

cheeses.To assem-

ble, spread 1cup marinarasauce on bot-tom of a rect-angular bakingpan. Add 3 or4 lasagna noo-dles, overlap-ping if need-ed. Top noodleswith one-thirdof filling. Pour1 cup marinarasauce over fill-ing and sprinklewith one-thirdof Parmesancheese. Repeatlayering twice—noodles, filling,sauce and Par-mesan cheese.Cover light-

ly with foil andbake 45 min-utes or untilcenter is hot.—Recipe by Di-ana Randolph,

Drummond,Wis.

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SHOPBRAZOS.COM

SHOPBRAZOS

.COMROCKCRETE FOAM INSULATORS ROCKCRETE FOAM INSULATORSSHOP

BRAZOS.COM

Rock-Crete Foam Insulators,Inc., in North Zulch can savesavesahomeowners or businessesmoney on their heating and airconditioning bills while block-ing out airborne pollutants, theowner said.

Greg Pruitt, who owns Rock-Crete with his wife DiannePruitt, said they first broughtfoam insulation to the BrazosValley area eight years agowhen they opened Rock-Crete,at 28555 Pleasant Grove Road.Rock-Crete can install foaminsulation on new and existinghomes, barns, shops, garages,restaurants and other build-ings.

“We’r“We’r“W e considered the pre-mier home foam insulation andthe go-to people for hard or oddapplications,” Pruitt said.Pruitt said with a proper airconditioning system, foam

insulation could reduce a heat-ing and cooling bill by about70 percent for a new home and30 percent or more on an exist-ing home. A 2,744 square foothome, for example, will havehaveha aheating and cooling bill of lessthan $45 a month with foaminsulation.

Rock-Crete works closelywith an air conditioningsource, and can help customersget set up with the right type ofair conditioning, he said.

“Any time you are uncom-fortable or paying for yourcomforcomforcomf t, Rock-Crete can solveyour problems,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt was formerlyerlyer a home-builder for almost 20 years, sohe is knowledgeable of the en-tire building process of a home.Pruitt encouraged people tovisit with him beforbeforbef e construc-tion begins on their homebecause he could help themsavesavesa money. The savingssavingssa on anenergy bill, along with building

Foam insulation saves money on yourheating and cooling bills during the year

By Shauna LewisThe EaglEaglEa e

materials not used when foaminsulation is used, often meansthe cost of upgrading to foaminsulation is a “break even” ornominal charge, he said. Pruittcan also provide inforinforinf mationon a $2,000 builder’s rebateprogram for homes built abovecode in 2012 and 2013.

Rock-Crete’s prices arecompetitivecompetitivecompetiti and often less thanother foam insulation provid-ers, he said, and unlike somecompanies, Rock-Crete hasa quality control program toensure that customers get theamount of foam that they payfor. All foam insulation install-ers are Rock-Crete employees,and are insured.

How foam insulation worksPruitt said the problem with

most homes is the “chimney ef-fect,” in which warm or cool airgoes into the attic and outsidethe house. Foam, when applied,seals offoffof every nook and cran-ny,ny,ny while fiberglass cannot.

“Once you seal the attic, youlose that chimney effect,”effect,”ef hesaid. “It’s the No. 1 problemwith homes, and we fix it.”In the summer,summer,summer when an atticwithout foam insulation would

be 140 degrees, it would be 77to 85 degrees with foam, hesaid. In the winter,winter,winter an attic thatwould be 30 degrees withoutfoam insulation would be about65 degrees with it.

Foam insulation also sealsthe building against airbornepollutants, including dust, al-lergens, odors and other pollut-ants, according to Rock-Crete.

Foam insulation allows airmanagement to be designed sothat the indoor air quality ishealthier than outside air.Foam insulation is also en-vironmentally friendly. Itcontains no ozone-destroyingchemicals and its high effi-effi-efciency allows buildings to beheated or cooled with the leastpossible consumption of thenatural resources required toproduce energy.

Education and more inforinforinf -mation

Pruitt is available to speakfor free at luncheons andevents about foam insulationand the chimney effecteffectef onhomes. For more inforinforinf mationon Rock-Crete, visit www.rock-cretefoam.cometefoam.cometef or call 1-888-269-9949 or 979-229-3493.

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PACK A BETTER LUNCHSHOPBRAZOS.COM

Lunch box loveways to packa better meal

MorguEFIlE

Special to The Eagle

Ready tothink out-side thePB&J?From wrapsto home-made chips,lunchtime possibil-ities can go far beyond the ex-pected servings. Here are ourfavorite ways to liven up lunch:

Wrap itWraps travel well, can be

made the night before andaren’t messy. Here’s the per-fect wrap formula — somethingcreamy (mayo, cheese spread,hummus, ripe avocado), some-thing crunchy (lettuce, carrots,red bell peppers) and some pro-tein (ham, turkey, beans).

Stuff itStuff pita bread with chicken

salad; cashew butter and banan-as; hummus and vegetables; orham and spreads like artichokeand spinach or baba ghanoush.

Carry itInvest in a reuseable lunch

tote. They’re insulated to keeplunches cool and cut down onwaste.

Dip itHigh-protein hummus andbean dips are perfect for scoop-ing up with pita bread, carrotsticks, broccoli or asparagus.Combine 1 can garbanzo beans(drained), 1 garlic clove, 2 table-spoons lemon juice and 1/4 cuptahini in a food processor andpulse until smooth and creamy.

Cup itInvest in 2- to 3-ounce plas-

tic soufflé cups with lids to packpeanut butter, salsa and otherdips and dressings for kids. Fora great sandwich side, make asimple cucumber or carrot saladand pack it in a cup. Don’t for-get to include a plastic fork.

Crunch itSomething salty and crunchy

is a must, and it doesn’t have tobe fried. Baked pita bread, tor-tillas, wontons, poppadoms andsweet potato chips are healthieroptions.

Prep itMake everything except

the sandwich the nightbefore.

Freeze itFreeze water or juice

overnight, and the nextmorning place the fro-zen drink in the lunch-box to keep the rest ofthe food cool.

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SHOPBRAZOS

.COMSTAY HEALTHY

By Danielle BraffSpecial to The Eagle

Getting through a winter with kidsusually means endless hours of cud-dle time while they nurse their colds,flu and other illnesses. But while cud-dle time is nice, it’s even better whenyour child isn’t accompanied by vom-it, snot and other not-so-fun stuff.Scott Goldstein, MD, a pediatri-

cian with the Northwestern Chil-dren’s Practice in Chicago and fatherof three children between the agesof 2 and 8, shares his top 10 secretsto keeping his kids and his patientshealthy.

Wash your handsThis is the best way to prevent the

spread of germs. Wash your handswith soap or hand sanitizer as oftenas possible – especially before and af-ter meals, after using the bathroomand after being around children.

Get a flu shotThis is the only proven way to pro-

tect yourself against the flu. You andyour family should get flu vaccinesevery year because the strains in thevaccine often change annually.

Exercise, exercise, exer-ciseIt helps boost your immune sys-

tem. There are lots of fun ways foryour and your children to exercisein the snow: shoveling, building

snowmen, dragging a sled up a hill,skiing and ice-skating. You shouldalso sign your children up for a fit-ness class such as gymnastics, bas-ketball or dance.

Eat healthyThis goes without saying year-

round, but a balanced, healthy dietwill keep kids’ immune systems func-tioning at their peak level.

5-4-3-2-1 ruleEach day, you should eat five serv-

ings of fruits and vegetables, drinkfour servings of water, eat three serv-ings of low-fat dairy, watch two hoursor less of TV or movies, enjoy onehour or more of physical activity.

Healthy sleep habitsHow much sleep does your child

need? As much as it takes for himnot to seem tired. If you have trou-ble getting your child out of bed inthe morning, or if your child is hav-ing meltdowns after school and inthe evening, he may not be gettingenough sleep.

EncouragereadingCold days are a good time for you

to read to your child or for you to en-courage her to read to you. Readingis much healthier for the brain thanwatching TV or playing video games.

Stay home

If your child is really feeling sick,keep him home. Sick kids in schoolsor activities spread their germs toothers. Plus, if your child isn’t feelingwell, he should be home resting. Awell-rested child will get better fasterthan one who is running around allday at school.

Get a check-upSometimes, the well-child visits get

lost in the sea of sick visits. But well-child visits are an important timefor your pediatrician to make sureyour child is growing and developingwell – and also to vaccinate againstsome of the major causes of pneumo-nia and meningitis, which are morecommon in the winter.

Get outsideThere is no reason not to take your

kids outside, even when the temper-ature drops to the teens or 20s. Tryto have some outside time every day.This will naturally lead to more exer-cise and less screen time.

Keep sick days at bayA pediatrician’stop tips onwinter health

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NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTHSHOPBRAZOS.COM

By Erika EnigkSpecial to The Eagle

There’s a way for peopleto save lives without spend-ing any money or evenmuch time. If helping oth-ers was on your list of res-olutions for this year, con-sider giving blood. January

is National Blood DonorMonth.

According to redcross-blood.org, January is typ-ically a difficult month tocollect blood donations be-cause of winter weather andbusy post-holiday sched-ules. But the need for bloodis always there. There is no

artificial source of blood; itmust come from humans,according to Harvey Schaf-fler, executive director ofdonor marketing at theNew York Blood Center. Inaddition, blood doesn’t lastforever, and it’s needed ev-ery day in hospitals acrossthe country.

How to save a lifeElectron microscope image showing human blood, This image shows red blood cells,several white blood cells, lymphocytes, a monocyte, a neutrophil and many smalldisc-shaped platelets.

January is National BloodDonor Month

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SHOPBRAZOS

.COMNATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH

RequirementsBlood donors must be at

least 110 pounds and in gen-eral good health, Schafflersaid. Age limits vary by statebut are generally around 16and older. People can donateblood about every 56 days,or six times per year. Thosedonating platelets can do somore often.

The processDonating blood takes

about 15 minutes from startto finish, Schaffler said. Do-nors fill out a registrationform and are given a shortQ&A about their medical his-tory. Their temperature andblood pressure are taken,iron levels are checked, andthen they give their pint ofblood.For each donor, there are

new, sterile materials, andblood is quickly replenishedby the body, so the risks areminimal, Schaffler said.“The only thing you can

get from donating blood isa great feeling that you’rehelping somebody,” he said.Platelet donation takes a

few hours and has a differ-ent process.

Don’t waitunfortunately, blood cells

have a limited shelf life. De-pending on the component,that shelf life varies from 42days for red blood cells tofive days for platelets. Manytimes, after a disaster suchas 9/11 or Hurricane Ka-trina, well-meaning peoplewill rush to give blood, creat-ing a supply too large to use.organizations like the New

York Blood Center have tomanage their supply care-fully, making sure to collectenough but not collect somuch that some of the sup-ply has to be thrown away.Schaffler encourages peo-

ple to donate at their leisure.Hospitals need a supply ofblood every day for all typesof patients, and regular do-nations will give them a bet-ter chance of doing moregood.“You don’t have to wait un-

til there’s some public trag-edy, because every day,there’s a private tragedy,” hesaid. “You shouldn’t just waitfor a newscaster to tell youthere’s a need for blood.”

Where to goMany people donate at

blood drives organized bytheir work-places,houses ofworship, orthe sites oforganiza-tions theybelong to.others vis-it specialdonationsites, atwhich do-nors canstop in any-time. Tofind a blooddonationsite in yourcommu-nity, vis-it ameri-casblood.org or doan Internetsearch.

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MONEY TIPSSHOPBRAZOS.COM

By Wynne EverettSpecial to The Eagle

Along with health-related reso-lutions, most Americans resolve tomanage money better in the newyear. This means spending less, sav-ing more and getting the most out ofyour household finances.To make that resolution a reality,

you’re going to need a plan you canwork throughout the year. Checkout these strategies suggested by theUniversity of Wisconsin CooperativeExtension office:

Step oneFigure out your net worth. Make

a list of everything you own and itsvalue. That’s the amount of mon-ey you’d get if you sold it now, notwhat you paid for it. The list should

include your home, car, retirementplan and other investments. Thenmake a list of everything you owe,which includes the balance on yourmortgage, car loans, student loansand other debts. Subtract your debtsfrom your assets to figure out yourworth.

Step twoFigure out your monthly expenses.

Add up how much you spend eachmonth. Along with your monthlybills for housing, utilities, food andother bills, don’t forget to includeexpenses like entertainment, coffee,hobbies and other little items thatadd up fast.

Step threeMake a monthly expense plan.

Write down what you plan to spend

on each item and category on yourmonthly expense list. The idea hereis to limit yourself as realistically asyou can. Once you get a look at whatyou are spending, you’ll probably seethe places where cutting is possible.Be sure to write this plan down andkeep it somewhere where you can seeit as you spend money each month,but write it in pencil. You will proba-bly want to make adjustments as themonths go by and you see where youoverestimated and underestimat-ed what you manage. Be sure to adda category for savings to your plan.Make paying yourself part of yourmonthly expenses.

Step fourPlan ahead. Some expenses won’t

show up on your monthly spendingplan, such as vacations or gifts. Plan

to set some money aside for theseitems.Step fivePrioritize paying your debt. Make

paying down what you owe — par-ticularly any credit card debt — atop priority of your spending plan.

Step sixUse your plan every month. Re-

member to balance your checkbookevery month and refer to the spend-ing plan when you’re paying bills ormaking purchases. Keeping up withthe details will become habit after afew months, making it easier for youto stay on top of your finances. Al-so, once you begin to see your planworking and your savings grow-ing while your debt is shrinking, thesatisfaction will inspire you to keepgoing.

Make frugal resolutions

Tips for managing your money better in 2013

Page 14: Shopbrazos January 2013

FOODSully’s Sports Bar & Grill1037 Texas Ave.College StationTuesdays & Thursdays, 3 pm - 12 am69¢ wings & tenders

Los Molcajetes Mexican Food725 E. Villa Maria Rd., Ste. 100

Mondays, 4 - 9 pmTwo enchiladas any style with rice

and beans for $5.99

Good Time Charley’s201 S. Main

BryanMondays, 3 - 9 pm

$4 half order quesadillas

DRINKSHarvey Washbangers1802 Texas Ave. S.College StationWeekdays, 3 - 6 pmHappy hour

Carney’s Pub & Grill3410 S. College Ave.

BryanWednesdays, All Day

$1.50 wells

Koppe Bridge Bar & GrillBoth College Station

locationsWednesdays, All Day

$1.75 pints

Casa Rodriguez300 N. Bryan Ave.BryanTuesdays, 5 - 9 pmKids eat free from kids menu withpurchase of adult meal

C&J BarbequeAll three Bryan and College Station

locationsWednesdays, 5 - 9 pm

1 kids meal from kids menu,with purchase of adult meal of

$6.99 or more

Ninfa’s Mexican Restaurant1007 Earl Rudder Frwy.

College StationTuesdays, All Day

Kids 12 and under eat free withpurchase of adult entrée

KIDS EAT FREE

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