We’re heading into the holiday season and while most like to celebrate with family and friends, all of this socializing can create conflict. In an age of 60-inch flat screen TVs, iPods, cell phones, twittering and texting, face-to-face communication can be difficult. In addition, we all have an image in our minds of how the holidays are supposed to play out…especially adolescents trying to figure out who they are and what their role is in the family. On today’s Sound Living: putting technology second and family first during holiday gatherings.

The menu for Thanksgiving…turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie with whipped topping…is pretty standard. But, how do you prepare and serve such a large meal? On today’s Sound Living: taking a meal from the planning stage to the dinner table.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. In addition to buying gifts, most families will also be buying and preparing traditional holiday foods…turkey, ham, breads, pies and that “special” dish everyone looks forward to. K-State Research and Extension nutrition educator Sandy Procter says food offers families a great opportunity to connect during holiday gatherings. On today’s Sound Living: the many roles food plays in the holidays.

It’s never too early to start shopping for the holidays. Although that may sound like a retail slogan, it’s really the advice of a K-State Research and Extension family financial management specialist. Carol Young says buying gifts before the holiday rush reduces stress and helps to control spending. On today’s Sound Living: easing the financial and emotional stress associated with holiday shopping.

46 million Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis…and there are millions more who have this chronic disease, but haven’t yet been diagnosed. Arthritis was one of the focuses at the National AgrAbility training workshop attended by K-State farm safety specialist Kerri Ebert. On today’s Sound Living: some steps to help manage the effects of arthritis.

It’s fairly common for people in their 20s and 30s not to worry too much about saving for retirement. But waiting until they enter their 40s, 50s or even 60s to start saving, is a strategy that could force them to live on less income during their post-retirement years – which can often be 20 years or more. Marilyn Bischoff, an Extension family economics specialist at the University of Idaho, offers advice on saving for retirement during each decade of our lives.

Teenagers are known for making changes. It might be their hair, how they dress, or what they eat. Some teenagers decide to eliminate meat from their diet and become a vegetarian. But, there are a variety of vegetarian diets and before parents react to the change in eating habits, K-State Research and Extension nutrition specialist Sandy Procter says they need to know their teen’s definition of vegetarian.

According to data collected by the U.S. government, there are nearly 96 million unmarried and single Americans. When you break that down, 61% have never been married, 24% are divorced and 15% are widowed. And, probably 100% of them are totally confused about dating. K-State family systems specialist Charlotte Shoup-Olsen says being emotionally prepared is one of the keys to dating successfully after a divorce or death of a spouse.

The U.S. economy is starting to show some signs of improvement, but will the recession have a lasting impact on Kansas farmers, consumers and entrepreneurs? The director of the Kansas Ag Innovation Center at K-State, Vincent Amanour-Boadu, says our Midwestern values may have prevented Kansas from feeling the full effects of the recession.

During the 2007-2008 school year, 3,641 Kansas students dropped out of school. That’s about 10 students per day or one every 2.5 hours. Kansas DropINs is a collaborative organization committed to seeing all children in Kansas graduate from high school ready for the next phase of life. On today’s Sound Living: K-State Research and Extension youth development specialist Elaine Johannes explains how Kansas DropINs will help Kansas youth get their high school diploma.