February Calendar of Events:

Every Friday – Kerrville Farmers Market downtown

2nd

: Groundhog Day

2nd

: Super Bowl Sunday

7th: First Friday Wine Share @

Yeo-Bo’s Café

7th: Kiwanis pancake supper @

Tivy H.S.

7th: Family Game Night @

KROC Center

8th & 9

th: Hill Country Gun

Show @ Hill Country Veterans Center

9th: Trivia Night @ Basement

Brewers

10th: Commissioners Court

13th: Hill Country Economic

Summit @ HCYEC

13th: Galentines Day @ Old

Ingram Loop

14th: Valentine’s Day

14th: Family Movie Night @

KROC Center

17th: President’s Day – County

Offices CLOSED

20th: Bird Trivia Night @ Pint &

Plow

20th – March 2

nd: Early Voting

21st: Family Game Night @

KROC Center

21st – 23

rd: Master Spa Show @

HCYEC

22nd

& 23rd

: Texas Gun & Knife Show @ HCYEC

24th: Commissioners Court

29th: Leap Day

29th: HC Swap Meet & Market

Days @ HCYEC

29th: Leap Day Relay 1/2k, 5k,

10k @ Schreiner University

29th: Chili in the Barn (Hunt

Garden Club Fundraiser) @ Bridget’s Basket

29th: Kerrville Ducks Unlimited

Dinner @ HCYEC

Kerr County Newsletter Vol. 7, No. 2 February 1, 2020

Healthy County Programs 2020!

In 2020, eligible participants in pooled counties will have the opportunity to earn $15 Boomer Bucks for each of the four Healthy County challenges. Benefit-eligible employees can participate in the following challenges:

Winter Blues & Running Shoes: January 13 – February 23 County vs. County: March 23 – May 17 Reach the Beach: June 8 – August 2 Fall into Fitness: September 14 – November 8

All challenge information is available on the healthy county portal.

Please note: Once you sign up for a challenge, you are automatically entered into the challenges.

Don’t Forget about the COUNTY INCENTIVE - EXTRA PAID DAY OFF IN 2021

Commissioners approved to continue the Kerr County Employee Wellness Incentive Program that will be tied to our existing Healthy County Program through TAC. Requirements to qualify for the Extra Paid Day Off:

1. Complete 3 out of 4 Healthy County Sonic Boom Challenges. The first challenge started Monday, January 13.

2. Schedule your annual physical exam and have your doctor fill out an Annual Physical Verification form (obtain from HR). Turn the completed form in to HR to record completion of this requirement.

You must complete both requirements to receive the Extra Paid Day Off in 2021.

How Are Your New Year’s Resolutions coming along?

Have your New Year’s resolutions gone by the wayside? It's never too late to turn things around; you just need to know how to do it.

Step 1: Re-evaluate Your Goal. Unreasonable resolutions can actually set us up for failure. For example, if you resolved to eat only all-natural foods in the New Year, but then you slipped at a dinner out with friends, you might be tempted to throw in the towel entirely. Instead, revise your resolution, and focus on eating fewer processed items and more natural food.

Step 2: Identify the Culprits. Getting back on track can be really overwhelming if you're not sure exactly where or why you went off track. Here are some common offenders, plus easy fixes...

~ Too tired to cook a healthy meal at the end of the day, and find yourself turning to bad choices? Fill your fridge with make-ahead meals or stock up on healthy frozen dinners and meal starters.

~ Is snacking on the wrong stuff your biggest problem? Keep healthy snacks on hand when you're at work and try not to bring trigger foods into your home.

~ Not sure where you're going wrong? Little bites here and there could be adding up without you noticing. Effective immediately, write down everything you eat; calorie counts too. Once you get into a rhythm, it'll be like second nature. There are phone apps and food journals to help you, or you can jot everything down on a notepad, and keep it with you always. Review your food log at the end of day, and you're likely to spot the sneaky culprits.

Step 3: Put Yourself Back on Track. As in NOW. It's so easy to say you'll start again tomorrow... or next Monday... or after Valentine's Day... Next thing you know, that 2020 resolution becomes your 2021 resolution. You don't need a New Year to have a new start, you can get back on the eat-better bandwagon this very minute. And if you have a slip tomorrow, oh well! Just get right back into your smart-eating habits. Perfectionism is so 2019...

February National Awareness Month

African-American History

Month

American Heart Month

Children’s Dental Health

Month

Eating Disorders Screening

Program Month

Ethnic Equality Month

Wise Mental Health Consumer

Month

Women’s Heart Health

Heart Health: Dark Chocolate

Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd

. According to folklore, if

it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then

spring will come early; if it’s sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see

it’s shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will

persist for six more weeks!

Dark Chocolate is good for your heart. Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure. Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots. Eating dark chocolate may also prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Ingredients: 25 special dark Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped 25 mini pretzels 25 dark chocolate M&M’s Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. 2. Place pretzels on cookie sheet. Top each with one unwrapped chocolate kiss. 3. Bake 4 to 5 min or until chocolate begins to soften, but not melt. Remove from oven; top each with 1 M&M. Be sure to press it down a bit to set into the chocolate kiss. 4. Cool completely. This takes about 2 hours in normal room temperatures. To cool quickly, refrigerate until chocolate is firm. NUTRITION INFORMATION: Serving size 1 pretzel bite: 31 calories, 1.2g fat, 1mg chol, 4.6 g

carbs, 14g sodium, 0 g protein, 0 g fiber

Skinny Dark Chocolate Kisses

Wear Red. Raise Your Voice. Go Red on National Wear Red Day® The American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative, Go Red for Women, is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.

It’s no longer just about wearing red; it’s no longer just about sharing heart health facts. It’s about all women making a commitment to stand together with Go Red and taking charge of their own heart health as well as the health of those they can’t bear to live without. Making a commitment to your health isn’t something you have to do alone either, so grab a friend or a family member

and make a Go Red Healthy Behavior Commitment today.

National Wear Red Day: February 7, 2020