Scotland County Health Department / Home Health Agency

12/22/2025

12/22/2025

Merry Christmas from us at the Scotland County Health Department. The workers have been busy decorating their doors. Please let us know your favorites!!!

12/16/2025

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12/16/2025

Weekly Word, Put fun on the list.

Put fun on the list, what a good idea. What's fun, what makes us happy during the holidays? What's memory worthy? I suppose it starts with finding things we enjoy and making them happen and I believe it revolves around the people we love. Here's a list of things maybe you haven't heard of or thought of lately.
Make new traditions, like designating December 1st as new Christmas PJ day and you'll have your December movie attire and include a family movie night/slumber party!
Learn about the different Christmas traditions from around the world, it's interesting and you'll find their must do's, everything from surfing to roller skating and piñatas!
Celebrate Sinterklaas on Dec 6th, a Dutch tradition where children put shoes (they may use their wooden clogs) by the fireplace or doorway the evening of the 5th. Upon waking, they find little sweets and treats tucked in the shoes, typically cookies or chocolate coins- unless they have been bad and earned coal instead.
Germans have an advent candle wreath with 4/5 candles, and each one has meaning and a time to be lit. The English have crackers, (they look like a large paper firecracker), these pop and the contents are jokes or treats. There are many fun traditions we can enjoy or even make our own.
Maybe start a journal where each person in the family records the best thing that happened to them the previous year. After several years It's fun to reflect on the good things that has happened to everyone. Sometimes the best things become comical, especially our perspective at the time.
Keep crafts or puzzles out on card tables all month for easy access.
As a family, buy gifts for someone less fortunate or pick up cans of food and take to the food bank.
If you have lost someone special, buy an ornament relating to them (tractor, heart...) as a keepsake commemorating their life. You can buy that same ornament for each of your children and put the someone special's initials and the date on it. When they are grown, they will take these memories to their homes.
Organize a themed gift swap with family or friends, the theme can be anything: coffee's, wine, BBQ Sauces, baseball... even gag gifts.
And finally, let the celebrating begin on Christmas Eve, have special games, food and drink, something special makes it merry, like, pretzel reindeer, marshmallow penguins or red Grinch punch with green sugar coating the rim of the glasses. Festive is fun, let's make memories!

12/16/2025

Check the size!
When shopping for WIC-approved food items, the container size is important. For example, when the WIC Approved Food List states a half gallon container of lactose-free milk is allowed, you won’t be able to use benefits to purchase a 52 oz container of lactose-free milk.
Unsure of the approved size? The WIC Approved Food List is located at https://health.mo.gov/living/families/wic/approved-food-list.php and on the WICShopper app.
Comment here or contact your WIC local agency if you have questions!

12/16/2025

At 2 1/2 years old, most children can:
• Say about 50 words. Wow!
• Say two or more words together, with one action word, like "Doggie run."
• Name things in a book when you point and ask, "What is this?"
• Say words like "I," "me" or "we."
For more information about developmental milestones, visit https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/30-months.html.

12/09/2025

Managing holiday stress

Be realistic, yes, you can do 483 things a day during the Christman season, but should you ? Choose shortcuts you'll be happy with. I love wrapped gifts but they are time consuming so gift bags have become my friend. If there's time I'll wrap one for each kid- maybe. The day before Thanksgiving or Christmas we grab pizza or eat light (AKA get your own and by the way, do you really need to eat today, you can make up for it tomorrow! ). I also ask people to bring food, maybe things I dislike making, someone will like. Share the fun, even Santa has elves!
They say decide what you want the holidays to feel like (the feels are what we hold on to), maybe festive, peaceful, connected or Grinch-like. Whatever, let that help you navigate the things you do or don't do. Reflect on prior Christmas memories to find the things you enjoyed the most and make them happen. Playing games used to happen spontaneously at our house so now I plan game nights- with fun and easy finger foods. Get rest and schedule down time. Watch a favorite Christmas movie, take a nap, take a long bubble bath- anything that has no purpose, only your enjoyment.
Plan ahead and prioritize, making lists of what must be done, what you'd like to do and what you'll save for, "only if I have time."
Break it down, many holiday tasks require lots of steps. Gifts for example, you choose who to buy for, what to buy, do the buying, and wrap the gifts, hopefully you have an elf. Simplify when you can, great gifts can be duplicated. I like to give event gifts like a gift card for a meal, one for an event (the Bridgeview in Ottumwa has comedians, concerts and rodeos), and one for dessert. In theory I could repeat this for everyone easily.
The bottom line is don't live up to your high expectations. Don't do more than you can or should. Get organized, enjoy the season, be kind, smile, hold the door and spread cheer when you can. Leave the Grinch for movie night.

12/08/2025

Looking for a quick and easy weeknight side dish? We've got you covered! Try these baked cauliflower tots, which are full of flavor and good for you, too! Find the recipe at https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/baked-cauliflower-tots.

12/08/2025

that breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma? It's true! Breastfeeding your baby can also lower their risk of having:
• Ear infections.
• Lower respiratory infections.
• Diarrhea and vomiting.
• Childhood obesity.
• Eczema.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Childhood leukemia.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
For more information on the health benefits of breastfeeding, visit https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/breastfeeding-benefits.

12/02/2025

Cleaning Hacks,

Who can't use tips that make an easier job out of cleaning? Organizing things in your head makes the work go faster. Attack in 2 steps, first get things put up and out of the way then do some deep cleaning. It might be a good time for a special podcast or music playing in the background, how about setting a timer at the beginning of a dreaded task to see how much you get done before the timer goes off. That adds a twist that makes it a little less mundane while hurrying you along. If you have time, cleaning on Wednesdays and Thursdays leaves the weekends free for family and fun.
Are you familiar with that orange rust colored buildup on pans, if so, dip the cut side of a potato in baking soda and scrub the pan, it is supposed to remove the scum. Fingerprints on stainless steel appliances should come off easily with a little elbow grease and rubbing alcohol on a rag. For cabinets, or any woodwork, mixing 1 part lemon oil, 1 part vinegar and 1/2 part olive oil is great for cleaning, conditioning and polishing it, first make sure they are not dusty.
A good hack for ceilings uses a damp, high nap, paint roller on an extended rod to dust, it's easy to get cobwebs and all. To avoid taking down curtains too much, shake them on the rod frequently and run a vacuum up and down them. If you have pets, wearing rubber gloves to rake over upholstery helps gather pet hair. Have you heard of taking a pillowcase to encase a ceiling fan blade along with all its dirt? Just swipe the blade on both sides with the pillowcase and you have saved yourself a mess. Dryer sheets clean baseboards and help repel dust, who doesn't love that idea! Sprinkling baking soda on carpet, upholstery and beds help freshen them, just let it set a while before vacuuming.
Moving to the bathroom, I should tackle it first as I like it the least, I have started using liquid soap only, to avoid the soap scum- and it really helps. You can keep a dish scrubber, the ones that can be filled with detergent (1/2 dawn and 1/2 vinegar), in the shower and clean after a shower while everything is wet, maybe even while you are in there. And glass shower doors, aren't they the worst?! Dipping the cut side of a lemon in baking soda and rubbing them is supposed to help, I hope so.
The bottom line is, clean sooner rather than later for an easier and quicker job. Using a caddy with all your supplies as you move from room to room is a time saver. Never leave a room empty handed, rarely is everything in its place, so when coming and going, take a handful with you. We can't escape cleaning but we can try and make it less painful!

11/25/2025

At two years old, children may begin to:
• Hold something in one hand while using the other. For example, holding a container and removing the lid.
• Try to use switches, k***s or buttons on a toy.
• Play with more than one toy at a time, like putting food on a toy plate.

For more information about developmental milestones, visit https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/2-yeaFor more information about developmental milestones, visit https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/2-yea .html.

11/19/2025

Skip the takeout prices and make your own stir fry at home! We love this recipe!
https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/stir-fry-vegetables-and-beef