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gifts wrapped in fabric scraps, recycled paper, raffia, and homemade embelishments

It’s the holiday season, and many of us like to celebrate this time of year by decorating our homes and gathering with friends and family to enjoy fellowship, food, and gift giving. But it is also a time of increased household waste. These tips can help you have a more sustainable holiday.


A bowl of Mediterranean Salad.

The Food Factor: Mediterranean Salad

May 21, 2024

This Mediterranean Salad makes a great meal or side dish.

Closeup of a dial on a pressure canner.

Home Canning Q&A

May 17, 2024

Home canning is an economical way to preserve the bounty of your garden. This Q&A may answer some questions for you, whether you’re new to canning or you’ve been canning for years.

A woman stands behind a kitchen counter with a variety of foods displayed.

Tips to Manage High Blood Pressure

May 15, 2024

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a significant risk factor for heart disease. However, healthy lifestyle choices can reduce or eliminate your risk.

A plate of PBJ Nachos

The Food Factor: Slammin’ Graham PBJ Nachos

May 9, 2024

These simple five-minute peanut butter and jelly apple nachos are the perfect treat!

White flowers blooming on a tree.

Tree of the Month: Southern Catalpa

May 7, 2024

We’ve talked about a few trees this year. We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about how to identify different trees! 

Largemouth Bass Fish

Six Common Fish in Mississippi

April 30, 2024

Fishing is a common pastime in the South. In fact, 4-H fishing clubs are one of the fastest growing 4-H clubs in Mississippi! Do you know the different fish species?

A cucumber leaf with disease lesions rests on a hand.

MSU Extension Plant Diagnostic Laboratory: How Can It Help You?

April 25, 2024

Did you know the Mississippi State University Extension Service has a laboratory that is designated to diagnose plant diseases and nematodes? Yes, it does! Learn how the Mississippi State University Extension Service Plant Diagnostic Laboratory and its scientists protect the crops that provide our food and fiber along with other home and garden crops.

Box Turtle

Box vs. Snapping Turtle

April 25, 2024

Snapping turtles and box turtles. Very different in many ways. 

Several types of plastic and other waste surround a green chasing arrows emblem.

How to Reduce Plastic Waste

April 22, 2024

Whether you recycle or not, you probably are familiar with the “chasing arrows” emblem found on plastic products. But many consumers don’t know that this symbol denotes only the type of plastic an item is made from, not its ability to be recycled. Check out these tips that can help you reduce your plastic waste.

Herb Container

Four Container Garden Combos

April 17, 2024

By Chloe Evans

If you love the idea of adding beautiful landscape features to your yard but don’t know where to start, container gardening is an easy way to make a statement and limit costs! To make it even easier, we asked the host of Southern Gardening, Dr. Eddie Smith, to curate a variety of container gardening combos for you to choose from. 

When following the thriller, spiller, and filler combination rules, container gardening can be achieved by anyone. For clarity, a thriller grabs attention with color and/or height. A spiller adds length to the...

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About Extension for Real Life

Extension for Real Life is a product of the MSU Extension Service’s Office of Agricultural Communications.

That’s a long way of saying we are professional communicators who get to talk about food, families, 4-H, flowers, and farming for a living.

Blog content is created by a core team of communicators, including Susan Collins-Smith, Ellen Graves, Natasha Haynes, Qula Madkin, Michaela Parker, and Jonathan Parrish. But we get by with a lot of help from our friends in Ag Comm and Extension!

You can reach us at 662-325-2262 or extreallife@msstate.edu