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Diaper Bag Checklist

Madison VanRavensway
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Diaper Bag Checklist

Before I begin let me just say this is not the end all be all “everything you need” diaper bag checklist. This is absolutely my bare minimum list for leaving the house with 2 children. I have a three year old who is somewhat potty trained and an 8 month old. This is my list that works for me and if you are looking for ideas I think it will help you too! I also do not repack or go through it often. If the kids go up a size or I see we are out of diapers that’s when I will repack. However, I try to just periodically throw more diapers in to be safe.

A photo of (almost) everything we carry in our diaper bag!

1. Clothes- I have at least 4 things for each child- pants, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, and socks. Currently Jensen also has a sleeveless shirt, and since it is cold weather still both kids have jackets packed that will cycle out come late spring. I also have a hat that fits the baby.

2. Snacks, anything that’s portable and can last a while works. I keep 5-6, simply because I don’t want to have to worry about my bag every trip- I set it and forget it for a couple months at a time.

3. Entertainment- the baby is big on toys, my older boy is less so. We have board books so they are easy to disinfect. We also have a Water Wow book because the older one finds them fascinating. Plus a couple sheets of stickers and a coloring book to stick them on.

4. Diaper trash bags- these may not seem essential, but I’m not a fan of stinking up my loved ones houses with poop diapers. So if we are visiting someone I like to throw the stinky diapers in the green bags pictured that contains the smell. Dollar tree carries them and they are so helpful!

5. Feeding essentials- I have a little container for formula that I can premeasure formula into that makes it super easy to make bottles on the go. It is not pictured above. I also carry baby spoons, a mesh bag just in case, a real bib and a slew of disposable bibs. The disposable bibs and spoons are also Dollar Tree finds and great to have on hand! I also carry a bottle of water to make bottles or fill the water wow pen I mentioned.

6. Of course- diapers/pull ups and wipes. I also have an extra pair of undies for the big one. I keep them in a gallon zip lock bag because it makes them so much faster to grab when I’m trying to change a squirmy child.

I throw my car hand sanitizer in my bag anytime I am in a store or somewhere out and about, although I will likely add sanitizing wipes as soon as I can find some. Depending on where we are going I also grab some baby puffs as both kids enjoy them, but it’s not something I deem essential for every trip. I also don’t carry a changing pad, I have one that lives in my car. I do not change the boys in public bathrooms because of germs. However, a changing pad is always a good idea!

Scott County Cooperative Extension Helps Area Residents to “Live Well”

Tammy Teague
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Raising kids, eating right, spending smart, living well—that’s the theme of a national Living Well Campaign that is being promoted by the Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, both at the national level and here in Arkansas. The goal of the Living Well Campaign is to provide people with the education and information they need in order to “live well.”

The Scott County Cooperative Extension Service offers all kinds of information that will help families achieve a positive, healthy lifestyle,” says, Debbie Miller, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Scott County. “Whether you are trying to manage your diabetes through meal planning and exercise, make decisions about health care and insurance, or get tips on effective parenting techniques, Extension probably has a research-based answer.

To make every month a “Living Well Month,” consider these tips.

1. Engage children in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Adults need at least 30 minutes of physical activity. Besides participating in sporting activities, turn on some music and dance. Be creative by assembling an obstacle course or using hula-hoops. Start planning a garden. Take a walk or bike ride in your neighborhood. Walk Across Arkansas is a walking program that starts this month. Get Fit classes are also offered in Waldron.

2. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. The average adult human body is approximately 60 percent water, which is found in muscle, blood, brain, bone, etc. Water regulates every living cell’s processes and chemical reactions. It transports nutrients and oxygen. Water helps to maintain normal bowel habits and prevent constipation. Limit the amount of soda and fruit drinks consumed daily.

3. Eat a variety of healthful foods. Be sure to have plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables every day. Most people need at least 4 ½ cups to meet the daily recommendation. Have a glass of 100 percent juice or sliced banana on cereal for breakfast, enjoy raw vegetables with dip to accompany a sandwich at lunch and have a sliced apple for dessert. At dinner, steam some vegetables and prepare a fruit parfait with yogurt for dessert. Try a new fruit or vegetable. See www.choosemyplate.gov for more information about nutrition for yourself and members of your family. Choose MyPlate​www.choosemyplate.gov ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information.

4. Read, read, read. Go to the library and check out books. Keep the mental stimulation flowing throughout the year regardless of your age.

5. Check out parenting, finance, nutrition and/or food preparation articles published online at UAEX.edu.

6. Maintain a healthy home. Be sure your smoke detector is working correctly and test for the presence of Radon. Help manage allergies and/or asthma by cleaning and vacuuming regularly to reduce allergy triggers in the home. Avoid accidental poisonings by keeping medications locked up, and cleaning agents and other poisons out of reach of children.

7. Keep your family finances in check. Track your expenses and update your budget regularly. Eat at home often because meals outside of home usually cost more. Plan your menus and use the coupons to help plan your menus. Use leftovers as the basis for another meal.

Top Areas To Keep Clean in Your Home

Resident News Network
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Top Areas To Keep Clean in Your Home

We all know that regularly cleaning our homes is crucial to maintaining them. However, it’s still common for homeowners to pay so much attention to the larger sections of their property that smaller areas or items become overlooked. When this happens, germs, bacteria, and dirt are left to further collect—creating an unhealthier environment than you even realize. These are some of the top areas to clean in your home that, all too often, go ignored.

Windows and Curtains

The window areas in a home are essential to providing natural light and a homey aesthetic. Unfortunately, they’re also the number one place for dust and debris to collect. In fact, due to the textures of their materials, fabric curtains and windowsills can gather more of these particles and hold onto them over time. So, washing them regularly is one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality.

The Baby Crib

You also want to be sure you’re frequently cleaning your child’s crib if you have one. Often times, this item goes unnoticed because it’s both difficult to clean and not perceived as a threat. But when allowed to collect dust, cribs can also present a breathing hazard for your child. Fortunately, there are several effective and timely strategies to clean a wooden crib. Not only is this practice healthier for your baby, but the furniture piece itself will hold up much longer as a result.

Door Knobs and Light Switches

Another of the top areas to keep clean in your home are your door knobs and light switches. Whether we notice it or not, we touch these items every day and deposit grime from our hands onto them. Because of this, they’re a prime breeding ground for germs and illnesses alike. Additionally, after we touch them, we’re also spreading these germs to other areas of the house. Regular disinfecting procedures can halt the growth of bacteria and make your home much healthier.

Ceiling Fans

Make sure you also keep your ceiling fans in mind. Because they’re always over our heads, they can be incredibly easy to forget about—making them another place where dust can gather and stay. When you turn these fans on, millions of dust pieces get carried throughout the room. As such, keeping this area under control can help you reduce the amount of dust on other surfaces.

Trash Cans

If there’s any place you must prioritize above the others, it’s certainly the trash can. The trash can is home to more germs than any other part of the house, and this number only grows as the days pass. Therefore, disinfecting it after you take the garbage out is the best way to fight illness-causing bacteria. Cleaning your trash can on a regular basis can also help cut down on the unpleasant smell surrounding it.

UPDATE: AAA Moves Dates of Regional Baketball Tournaments; Allows District Tournaments to Be Played

Resident News Network
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UPDATE: AAA Moves Dates of Regional Baketball Tournaments; Allows District Tournaments to Be Played

In a move that can best be described as the year of 2020-21, the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) released a statement approximately one hour ago announcing that it has moved regional tournaments back one week that were originally scheduled to be played next week. The move by the AAA will allow districts to complete their tournaments that had been cancelled by the conferences in some cases.

Click on the AAA logo to read new schedule for regional tournaments (Resident Press)

For member schools of the 3A-4 conference and their players and fans, the action by the AAA alleviates their concern over the controversial decision by the conference to cancel the remainder of the tournament and send the top four season finishers to regionals. The conference made the decision to cancel the remainder of the district tournament on Wednesday of this week with a forecast of temperatures rising above freezing on Friday and into the 40s on Saturday. Fans and their teams have not understood why the conference seemingly rushed on Wednesday to cancel the tournament rather than wait until at least Thursday or Friday to make the decision.

In another controversial aspect of the decision to cancel, the 3A-4 administrators voted to cancel the tournament when the top four seeds had no reason to vote to play and possibly jeopardize their seedings or entry into the regional tournament. For a majority vote of the six remaining teams in the tournament, the five and six seed schools needed both of them to vote for playing and at least two of the top four seeds to vote to play. In reality, that would never happen. Today’s action by the AAA remedies both situations and places the seedings and the entries into the tournaments back on the court to be decided.

The 3A-4’s decision to cancel the tournament and now the following AAA directive to reschedule also puts schools in the regional that are members of another conference in a position to now wait a week before they can play. In short, the 3A-4’s decision affected not only their schools but others as well. This is similar to the AAA’s decision to allow all schools to be eligible in football playoffs, and the resulting effect was for the entire state to wait a week for three schools across the state to play first round games who would not have qualified for the playoffs.

Resident Press reached out to the AAA today but was unable to reach anyone at their office. A recording announced that their office was closed due to inclement weather.

As soon as more information is known regarding the new dates for the remainder of the 3A-4 tournament, Resident Press will update you with the latest information.

AAA Moves Basketball Tournaments

Megan Hecox
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AAA Moves Basketball Tournaments

Press Release:

North Little Rock – The Arkansas Activities Association will be moving the Regional Basketball Tournaments, the State Basketball Tournaments, and the State Basketball Finals back one week to allow conferences to finish their regular seasons and tournaments. Due to the amount of COVID-19 cancellations during the regular season, a conference tournament may be needed for correct seeding into the regional and state tournaments. Schools and conferences will need to check the updated deadlines for submitting their final seeds to the AAA. The AAA is committed to finding the most equitable solution when dealing with COVID-19 related no-contest and with unprecedented weather conditions that prevent the timely completion of the season.

New Tournament Dates

Regional Tournament Dates:

1A, 2A, 3A, & 4A – March 3-6

State Tournament Dates:

1A, 2A, 3A, and 5A – March 8-15

4A and 6A – March 9-13

State Basketball Finals:

March 18-20

Fire Destroys Waldron Apartments

Tammy Teague
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Fire Destroys Waldron Apartments

Around 10 p.m. on the evening of Thursday, February 18, the Waldron City Fire Department was dispatched to the scene of a multi-dwelling structure fire on Elm Street.

According to Waldron City Fire Chief Ken Overturf, the single-story, multi-family unit housed four families. “We were on the scene within three or four minutes, and the fire was already coming through the roof in several places.” Chief Overturf speculated that the fire started somewhere in the attic.

The four Garden Walk apartments were deemed a total loss. There were, however, no injuries.

The Red Cross responded and aided the displaced families. There is a donation site set up at Current Church, 1022 Hwy. 71 N. in Waldron for those affected.

How To Salvage Valuables After Flooding

Resident News Network
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How To Salvage Valuables After Flooding

A flood is a devastating experience that many homeowners must navigate before their residence is safe to reinhabit. Between the damage to the home and the risk of fungal growth, it’s easy to forget just how crucial the first 48 hours are for preserving your possessions. Here’s a look at how to salvage valuables after flooding to protect everything you’ve worked so hard for.

Prioritize

The first step in returning your items to their previous conditions is to prioritize the things you are attempting to preserve. Many items offer a limited window of opportunity for recovery after a flood. Focus on the documents, objects, and photos that cannot be easily replaced. Sentimental and heirloom items should also receive special consideration.

Air-Drying

After cutting off the source of the flood, you want to air-dry as many of your things as possible. If the weather allows for it, open your windows and spread items out to dry. Placing items in sunlight or running a hairdryer over them might cause more harm than good, so it’s best not to explore those options.

Documents

There are many places where water damage can strike your home, but it’s a safe bet that flooding will hit wherever you keep your essential documents and records. You can salvage many vital documents from flooding if you quickly remove them from sitting water. Remove staples and paper clips, spreading each page out and allowing them to dry. For documents where this isn’t possible, try to spread the pages and place absorbent papers between them.

Photos

Most photos taken today are backed up digitally, but many homes have older photographs in physical albums that aren’t backed up. The best way to recover pictures is to rinse them in clean water before placing them on a towel or hanging them with clothespins to air-dry. It’s vital that you keep the photos from touching any dry surfaces until the recovery process is complete.

Cold Storage

Dealing with the ramifications of flooding may not leave enough opportunity to save everything within the first 48 hours. A tip for how to salvage valuables after flooding is to place items that are lower on the priority list into cold storage. This allows you to begin restoration efforts on your own time. Cold storage prevents mold from growing and can stop the ink from running off the page. After the urgent items are handled, you can then double back to what was placed in cold storage.

Ways To Celebrate Buying a Home

Resident News Network
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Ways To Celebrate Buying a Home

You’ve signed the mortgage papers, moved in all your boxes, and maybe even popped some bubbly—but the celebration doesn’t have to stop there. If you are looking for more ways to celebrate buying a home, think about the memories you want to create in your house. The point is to have a good time whether you want to fill the place with all your favorite people or all your favorite things.

Getting off on the right foot after buying a house is pertinent. Kickstart life in your new place properly with these memory-making tips that will make you feel right at home.

Throw a Housewarming Party

A timeless way to commemorate the purchase of your new home is by throwing a party. A housewarming party fills your new home with good memories and positive vibes to last a lifetime. Even if you are social distancing, you can host a virtual housewarming event to allow your loved ones to see your new place. Once you decide on a date and time, send invitations by mail or via the internet. Sending invitations is also a wonderful way to announce you have moved.

Top Tip: Use treats like baked goods or candies to invite neighbors to your housewarming party. Get to know everyone on your street!

Update Interior Rooms

Bring a modern design to your living room with ergonomic furniture, a full entertainment system, or contemporary artwork. Never negate your style and preferences when choosing pieces to include in your home. Whether it’s a television or sectional you’ve had your eye on for a while, purchasing something new is a great way to celebrate buying a home.

Take Photos in Front Of Your Home

If the photos you saw—and shared with some friends and family—before you bought your home are the only ones you have, you might celebrate moving in and unpacking by taking additional pictures. Take photos you want to share with friends and family online. Include a photo of the household standing somewhere significant such as:

  • in front of the house
  • in the yard
  • on the porch
  • in front of the fireplace
  • near a window with a beautiful view
  • on the couch
  • around the table

Check Out Your Neighborhood

Schedule time to explore your new neighborhood and the greater community. If there are sidewalks near your house, you can take a walking tour. Get in the car and go on an adventure to find out what kind of things there are to do near you. You can also use the internet to discover the location of nearby parks, restaurants, and event venues.

Buying a new house is a life event. Include your friends and family in your big moment by hosting a party or taking photos. Settle into your space by upgrading the decorations and exploring your community. No matter what type of neighborhood or house you move to, you can find a plethora of ways to celebrate buying your home.

Timepiece: Downtown, the Happening Place

Tammy Teague
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Timepiece: Downtown, the Happening Place

By Dr. Curtis Varnell

Downtown was where it was happening; especially on Saturdays.  Everyone from the surrounding countryside congregated down main street or around the centers of the small towns that dotted the River Valley.  The parking meters were paid up, every slot occupied with people wandering up from scattered lots blocks away.  A few enterprising individuals parked their cars along main the night before, ensuring they had an open spot on the weekend.

It was a shopping day and a time to visit with friends.  Old men sit on benches scattered along the street talking about old times and spitting chewing tobacco into nearby spittoons.  People wandered into and out of the courthouse, conducting business or checking out books in the basement library.  On the corner, a Pentecostal preacher had his Bible opened while he extolled the passer-by about the good life. 

Business in the stores was brisk.  Each store specialized in particular needs and carried every imaginable product within their specialty. Western Auto, Ben Franklin’s, and Sterling’s catered to those needing appliances, household goods, and toys.  Other stores contained furniture, clothing, and hardware.  Generally, several grocery stores were open and customers lined up to purchase twenty-five-pound sacks of flour plus quantities of sugar, coffee, and lard.  If money was sufficient, purchases might include boxed cereal, pet milk, peanut butter, fruit, fruit, and hard-candy.  Many of the customers raised much of their own food supplemented by government commodities.

For some, it was a day to visit the doctor whose office was located above the drug store, allowing one-stop medical care for the ill.  There were brisk sales of campho phenique, Carter’s liver pills, castor oil, Pepto-Bismol, milk of magnesia, and B.C. powder.  Teenagers hang out at the soda-fountain below waiting on a soda or just visiting.

For a quarter or less, the same kids, plus many adults, would head to the theater for an evening matinee or wait till nightfall to take the entire family to the drive-in.  Westerns and horror shows were the genre of the day and I can still remember a few of them.  Other kids just cruised the streets in their cars, going from one end of town to the other.  Some sit out on their cars at the dairy queen, just hanging out.

Saturdays are just not the same.  Most small towns are deserted on the weekends. The stores, if not boarded up, are closed by noon.  People do their shopping in the huge shopping centers at the edge of town.  Those stores offer the big sale items but, if you want the basic nuts and bolt items, you have to drive fifty or more miles to a city.  More people than ever are shopping on-line and never even have to leave their homes. 

Charleston, Paris, Ozark, Dardanelle, Mansfield, Booneville, and others are trying to revitalize their downtowns.  I hope for success.  We may have the conveniences but we lack the quality of community life of my forefathers.

Boaters Reminded to Unplug When Trailering Vessels

Tammy Teague
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Boaters Reminded to Unplug When Trailering Vessels

Anglers and hunters and other boaters who use the state’s waterways are being reminded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division of a new regulation that took effect Jan. 1, 2021, requiring all boat drain plugs to be removed before and during trailering of vessels to and from access facilities on lakes, rivers and streams.

This includes plugs for live wells, ballast tanks and the like.

There are a couple of exceptions to the regulation, however. Fishing tournament officials may submit a request to the AGFC Fisheries Division for written permission to allow for the transport of fish to an offsite weigh station. All tournament participants must be given a copy of the permit. Also, transportation of baitfish is allowed in compliance with Code 26.27 of the AGFC’s Code of Regulations.

A similar boat plug regulation was already in place in 21 other states to help stop the spread of aquatic nuisance species, and the new AGFC rule was part of an extensive list of regulations recommended by the Fisheries Division and approved by the Commission in 2020, to take effect beginning Jan. 1.

Aquatic nuisance species such as silver carp, giant salvinia, zebra mussels and others continue to spread across waterbodies in Arkansas, and the AGFC has as its mission a responsibility to put mechanisms in place to slow the spread. The boat plug removal regulation is one of many actions the AGFC has undertaken recently.

But the AGFC notes that at the end of the day, all boaters in Arkansas (including recreational boaters) can have the greatest impact on slowing the spread of aquatic nuisance species to other waterbodies in the state. Please help with the simple removal of any plugs from a boat that holds water before leaving a boat ramp parking lot.

Also, along with unplugging when trailering your boat, remember also to clean, drain and dry your boat after visiting a lake, river or stream to stop the spread of invasive species to another waterbody. 

To submit paperwork for the fishing tournament exception, email Fisheries Biologist Jeff Buckingham at jeffrey.buckingham@agfc.ar.gov. Note that certain requirements must be met to qualify for an exception.

The updated Code 37.10 of the AGFC’s Code of Regulations reads:

All aquatic vessel drain plug(s), including, but not limited to, bilges, livewells, baitwells and ballast tanks, must be removed before and during trailering of vessel to and from waterbody access facilities.

EXCEPTIONS:

  1. Fishing tournament officials may submit a request to AGFC Fisheries Division for written permission to allow for the transport of fish to an offsite weigh station. All participants must be given a copy of the permit.
  2. Transportation of baitfish is allowed in compliance with Code 26.27.

It is a Class 1 penalty for violation of the new regulation.

Click here to get a downloadable copy of this year’s Arkansas Fishing Guidebook and Arkansas Trout Fishing Guidebook.

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