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Extension for Real Life

Description

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

  • Dunes with grass appear in the foreground with the sun shining on the blue waters of the Mississippi Sound at Graveline Bayou in Jackson County.

    From the Field: Managing Stress

    Take a deep breath. It’s December 1.

    The year is almost over, which feels impossible.

    Your “To Do” list may cover several pages. Your calendar may be full.
  • Bud vases filled with greenery, holly berries and roses

    How to Make a Christmas Bud Vase

    With Thanksgiving celebrations behind us, we’re beginning to decorate our homes for Christmas, and calendars are filling up with Christmas parties. That has everyone thinking about hostess gifts, parting gifts and thoughtful gifts for friends.

    Our floral design specialist Jim DelPrince has an easy, inexpensive bud vase that can meet all those needs. He’ll show you how it’s done.
  • Colorful turkey

    Happy Thanksgiving
  • Several varieties of lettuces grow in a raised bed.

    From the Field: Growing Your Own Food

    I have a confession to make: I have garden envy.

    This week I took a walk and stumbled upon this delicious looking plant.
  • Several rows of fruit including apple slices, tangerine segments, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes and a pear are arranged on a white platter in the shape of a turkey.

    How to Make a Fun Fruit Appetizer for Thanksgiving

    Need a healthy snack to keep everyone out of the kitchen while you cook on Thanksgiving? Or are you interested in skipping the cheesy contribution to the office party? Then check out this fun and easy fruit platter you can build in just minutes. If you have kids, you might get them to build it for you, and even snack on the fruit while they work!
  • Close-up photos showing a side-by-side comparison of a red ladybug with black spots on a green leaf and an orange Asian lady beetle on a green leaf. (Photos by Canstock and MSU Extension Service)

    From the Field: Beetles Invasion!

    If you live in a wooded area, it’s likely you’ve already noticed: THEY’RE BAAA-AACK!

    Every autumn Asian lady beetles start seeking shelter, and, given the lack of convenient caves around, wind up trying to overwinter in Mississippi homes.
  • Invasive fire ants crawl over a mound of soil. (File photo by MSU Extension/Kat Lawrence)

    Fire Ants: The War Continues
  • Close-up of a fall decorative basket with pine cones, pumpkins, gourds and artificial flowers and grasses.

    How to Make a Fall Decorative Basket

    If you want to freshen up your fall décor or add a new piece to the mix, this project is for you. Our MSU Extension Service floral specialist Jim DelPrince shows you how to make an easy and pretty basket to hang on a wall or door.
  • Two women stand while holding award plaques at the Mississippi Forestry Association annual meeting.

    From the Field: To the Forest

    We are excited to shine a spotlight on the Mississippi Forestry Association! They just concluded their annual meeting in Biloxi. Hurricane Nate almost interrupted, but the event was pulled off without a hitch!
  • a thumbs up symbol for remembering to say thank you while trick or treating.

    Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips

    Halloween brings back all kinds of memories from my childhood. From uncomfortable masks to itchy, thick face paint, not all of my brilliant costumes turned out as well as I had imagined. When I got too old to go out, I loved to answer the door and ask the kids to demonstrate skills related to their costume. 
Mississippi State University Extension 130 Bost Drive Mississippi State MS 39762

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