2013 New semester--welcome!

 WHEN did that happen?  I feel like 2012 FLEW by. 

 

 I really have enjoyed being a table leader at MOPS for the first time and am blessed to be able to do it again this year!  What a blessing to be able to minister to and befriend all the ladies at my table and be going through the SAME struggles and life stage as them!  MOPS has truly been a blessing to me, I was just saying last night on facebook that I can't believe the NUMBER of friends have made from MOPS alone.  Add that to friends at church and I am one FRIEND filled person and I can thank the Lord for that.  Thank you ladies for making my MOPS experience one a great one!

 

If you are a new mom joining us for the first time--

 

 

   It's rather hard to look up a new group and then just show up, kids in hand, and just introduce yourself, throw yourself out there and just socialize. I know how that feels, I was there last year! 

 

 But that does go rather well with our "PLUNGE" theme for the year.  We are SO glad to have you ladies and I know you will take home a wealth of knowledge and friendships from MOPS. Come expecting to laugh, cry, chit chat away, listen, learn, craft, discuss, pray, and MOST of all------ drum roll please--------  be CHILD FREE for 2 hours!  We NEED that time away, I love that we can trust our moppets workers and take full advantage of the time they spend with our kiddos.  We are moms and we NEED that time away and connection with other moms. 

So thanks for joining us! 

Here are 2 helpful things:

*Next mops will be January 23rd. 

*if you haven't already paid for this semester:    Please keep in mind that you don't need to pay the international fee, but you do need to pay the $50 local fee.  Most if not all of that money goes to the child care.  If you have any other questions  regarding what your money is covering, please see our leader, Rachel W.  or you can comment any questions to me and I will pass them along.


Today we enjoyed a "LOVE"ly message from our very own Lori W.   (excuse my pun ) . She taught about the true meaning of the word love and what it means to love courageously.  I really enjoyed it and actually have never thought about love quite in the ways that she challenged me too!  Here are the discussion questions that she passed on to me, to pass on to you.  Read, ponder, pray, and discuss amongnst yourselves! :

Discussion Questions


Make sure to lift each other up in prayer – either today in your group, after the meeting, and/or throughout the week.  We all can use some courageous love in our lives from those around us!

1. What is one area that is easy for you to love and express love in - And what is one area where you want/need to step out of your comfort zone and choose to love courageously? (ie - Where will you put aside your fears, your doubts, your anger, offenses, and other things . . . to love as Christ loved us . . . and as God the Father loved Him?)

2. What gifts/strengths has God put in your life that you can use to courageously love others and pour out God’s love with?

3. Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Courage is like love; it must have hope to nourish it.” In order to nourish courageous love in your life . . . where are there areas that need hope?  (in your marriage, with raising your kids, other relationships, difficult issues or people, etc).      

*** Francis Frangipane said -  “Any area of your life that does not glisten with hope reveals that you are believing a lie & is a stronghold of the devil." Once you discover what the lie (ungodly belief) is  – give it to God and ask what He has to say about it.  His truth will replace those lies and bring hope into that area of your life . . . freeing you up to be more courageous – in love, obedience, and more!  Do that this week for those areas you mentioned.

4. Do you feel like you “know” (experientially/relationally) God’s love for you?  Why/How do you know (or why not)?  How do you view God’s love? (ie - like a Father, brother, savior, distant relative, a judge . . . limited, have to earn it, abundant,

Christmas party!

MOMS!  I am so looking forward to the upcoming Christmas party!

 Our next meeting will be Decemeber 19th and will be our annual festive party!  Please come with am empty belly, as we will all be enjoying a bountiful amount of food... we will have music and games and a great time socializing!  I don't know about you, but I have never eaten so many goodies in all my life, that cookie exchange has left me 5 lbs heavier I'm guessing.  It was such a great time, you ladies all pulled through with LOTS of yummy cookies and goodies and it was a great time had by all. THANK YOU!

Please keep in mind the following:

* $5 gift:  Please don't go under or over this limit.  We need to be respectful of all moms, so of course, if this is a problem please let your table leader know and we can arrange something.  Please bring a gift that you would like to receive yourself!

*Don't forget to let your moppetts workers how much you truly appreciate them. After all, it's they that allow us to get together and enjoy our mom time in peace.

*Everyone is asked to bring something to share for breakfast. mmmmm I can't wait!

Until then, lets's remember the real reason for the season.  Jesus Christ!  Let's not only remember this, but SHARE it with someone else . Let a fellow mom know, let your kids know how important it is to share this with their friends.  Sing songs in praise and worship to the Lord and thank Him for the gift of his son sent to us that gives us this beautiful reason to celebrate.  Talk about the nativity and find ways to celebrate every day, not just on Christmas.  And as Diane shared with us last week, remember to have FUN with your kids! If you choose to play Santa Claus in your home, do it without shame, remembering that we don't have to be overly spiritual at the holidays.  Christ wants us to live life and live it to the FULLEST.   Have FUN!  Get on the floor and play with your kids, chase them around, make crafts, just PLAY!  But let them know that Jesus of course is the real reason we celebrate!

Homemade Laundry soap in 8 minutes for .06 cents a load!

I have been wanting to post about this for a while, so now I am.  Do you know what I am SO EXCITED about?  Laundry detergent!!!  WHY, you ask?  Because I home make it, it saves me about $100 a year and it takes about 8 minutes to make!  You will do a load of laundry for only 6 cents!!!  I have been home making my own detergent for a year now and I have never been more pleased.    

the # 1 question:  Does it clean as good as the top leading brands?  And my answer is YES!  It DOES!  
#2 question:  Is it safe and gentle for my baby and children's delicate skin?  And my answer is YES! It IS!  You just purchase the most gentle soap that you wish and use that.
I am not saying that it's not being a good steward of your money to buy premade detergents.... but for my family, it's a way to save hundreds and use that money towards paying off debt and much needed things.  It costs about $6 to get your initial supplies. 

All supplies you need are found in Walmart or your favorite grocery store in the laundry isle
Supplies:  
1 box borax
1 box Arm and Hammer Super washing soda (NOT baking soda!!)
several bars of Fels Naptha soap, Ivory, or Zote... or some other soap if you wish
measuring cups
a cantainer with a lid
a cheese grater or potato peeler


STEP 1:  Grate a whole bar of soap into a bowl with a cheese grater or potato peeler.  This is the longest you will spend on this project and takes about 5 minutes.  This is a GREAT step for older kids to help with.

What is Fels naptha you ask? This is the original laundry soap
and gets the tough stains out!   

STEP 2:  Measure out 1 cup each of borax and washing soda
STEP 3:  Mix very throughly for about 3 minutes with the soap shavings
STEP 4: Put in a container with a lid and store a measuring cup in it.  Use 1/4 cup per load

That's it!  Add a pretty label and store by the washer.  How much simpler can that be?  Come on moms, I know you have 8 minutes to spare, and you won't be dissapointed.  This will NOT ruin your clothes I promise.  

$6 Christmas wreath

Here is my first ever craft inspiration for you ladies and guess what?  I ONLY do crafts that I can afford and I can always find a craft to do and find all the materials at the DOLLAR STORE!  Everything for this project was found at the $ store except my trusty glue gun.  Never separate a girl from her glue gun!  I love it, seriously.  You can make an easy and beautiful wreath like this for only $6 total and make it for Thanksgiving OR Christmas, just change up the colors.  I bet no one else will have a completely homemade wreath looking THIS awesome for only $6!  Here's a tutorial from start to finish on how to make it!

Step 1:  Purchase *2 rolls of wire ribbon, gold and red, *a naked woven reed wreath, *glue sticks (yes they are at the $ store too in a big pack!), *green decorative reed grass, *2 packages of Christmas painted fruits, pine cones and berries.  (you may even be adventurous and make these yourself...lower the price by another $2.00!)

STEP 2:  cut off the long, hard stems from the green reed grass.  bundle up the loose pieces.  Starting glueing is the hardest part, but once you get the hang of it and start tucking the grass around the wreath, it will get easier.  Glueing as you go, wrap the grass around the wreath leaving spaces in between.  

STEP 3:  unravel and glue one end of the ribbon to the wreath.  Make sure you don't let it bunch up as you wind it around.  You won't need hot glue until you have it all wrapped around the wreath.  Make the ribbon go OVER the grass. The grass peeks through and gives it a unique look.  Hot glue the end to the wreath.

STEP 4:  Hot glue the accent fruits, pine cones and leaves on, varying them along the bottom.  After they are dry, puff out the leaves and branches for fullness

STEP 5  HOW TO MAKE A BOW:  Unravel a whole roll of the red ribbon and gather it in your hand like you would folding a paper fan.  It will be as big as the loops are long.  Loop it back and forth in your hand about 6-7 times.  Leave about 6 inches unlooped.  Pinch the ribbon in the middle.  Take the hanging piece and wrap it tightly around the middle of the loops.  Hot Glue the end of the middle and snip off excess.  Fan the loops out to make a pretty bow.  Then hot glue the center of the bow onto the top of the wreath.

The Finished result!  Enjoy your wreath and save it for years to come :) I hope you enjoyed my tutorial!  

Thankful

I have come away so encouraged from MOPS  lately.  I'm excited to see what God is doing, how he is growing me through new relationships and boundaries, and giving me the opportunity to serve is amazing!  

I am excited to announce that we have a guest blogger joining us soon from Albuquerque, NM who just happens to be my one and only sister, Rebekah.  God has put this Godly woman into my life as a sister, encourager, confidant and friend.  She has 3 children and a lot of wisdom to share and just happens to be on steering for her MOPS group.  I am going to be featuring an article written by her for some encouragement for you ladies!  More to come, please stay tuned!


That time of year is upon us--wait a second, didn't we JUST finish Halloween? It doesn't even seem like it's all about fall anymore, but all about Christmas already all around us. Pretty much every store I go into my 2 year old pulls on my sleeve while pointing his chubby finger and there is no quieting him as he yells in his high pitched voice "CHRISTMAS MOMMY!  LOOK!  CHRISTMAS!"  I am so excited this year to share the true story of Christmas with my son.  Also in a future post, I will be giving ideas for cute advent calendars.  I'm making mine this week and I'm so excited about it.  All of our MOPS kids are at a prime age for explaining why we celebrate. They soak things up like a sponge.  For now, lets focus on Thanksgiving!

I am so very very thankful to God for giving me the new relationships that I have made.  I have been stretched beyond what I thought I would be to relate to women who are not exactly in the same exact situations as me.  Stepping out into steering was intimidating at first, but very quickly, God has allowed me to pour into other's lives and I am thankful that He has done that!  I am thankful for a group of moms that understand and sympathize with me when I am having a rough day.  Where else can you go to be with a group of ladies for 2 hours and discuss why your clothes smell like mildew, why your house is a mess, how your week has been, how to potty train, and what are you cooking for dinner that night?  It's so encouraging and for THAT I am thankful.  What are you thankful for about mops?  

I have a GREAT example of how you can plunge into relationships this year!  My husband is deployed. We have been married almost 8 years and literally have spent 2 Thanksgivings together.  This year, one of my table members invited me and my son over to her house to spend the day with her for Thanksgiving. I just got such a warm feeling inside, it was great.  Christian love at it's finest. This is what mops is all about.  Just a challenge going out to you ladies to think about possibly opening your home to a lady that doesn't have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving.  You won't regret it, I promise!  

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Fall Recipes

Need some inspiration for fall recipes?  Try these!

Apple and Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats (ground in food processor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
2 tablespoons apple sauce
2 tablespoons rolled oats
1 apple (peeled, cored and chopped)

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Mix the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter and apple sauce in another bowl.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
4. Mix in the rolled oats and apple.
5. Heat a pan and melt a touch of butter in it.
6. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and cook until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Flip the pancake and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cooked diced chicken breast

2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook tortellini in a Dutch oven according to package directions, using 1 can broth instead of water.  Add soup and remaining ingredients, stirring well.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until thoroughly heated.

Serves 6 ( 1 1/3 cup servings)

Fall Pork Dinner

1/4

cup packed brown sugar

1

tablespoon firm margarine or butter, cut up

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2

small acorn squash

1

small unpeeled red cooking apple

1/3

cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix

1/2

teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8

teaspoon pepper

5

saltine crackers, crushed

1

egg white or 2 tablespoons fat-free egg product

1

tablespoon water

3

boneless pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick (3/4 lb)

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside. Cut squash into 1/2-inch rings. Cut rings in half; remove seeds. Cut apple into chunks.
• 2In shallow dish, stir together Bisquick® mix, seasoned salt, pepper and cracker crumbs. In another shallow dish, mix egg white and water. Dip pork into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture.
• 3Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in skillet 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until coating is brown.
• 4Place pork in ungreased 8-inch square or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Arrange squash and apples around pork. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until squash is tender and until pork is no longer pink in center.

Fall Fall Fall!

Fall is such a fun time of year, I love love it!  I just wanted to write and give you ladies some inspiration to decorate, curl up under a nice cozy blanket with a fall drink, do a fun fall craft with your kiddos, and give you some fun fall activities to do with your kids!  

From my poetry days long ago:

 Warm sunlight, yet cold faces

Pumpkin carving and potato sack races

Turning leaves and cherry pie

Delightful aromas, wood smoke filling the sky

Daylight fading faster, nights becoming long

The soft spooky call of an owl's song

Colors soft and warm filling the skies

Fall arrives as the last of summer dies

Decorating for fall is SUCH fun.  One of my favorite things to do is go down to the basement and bring up my big box o' fall decorations, turn on some Michael Buble music ( i love his music!), and decorating every room in my home.  

If you are low on finances, here are some SUPER cheap things you can do.  These are pictures from around my home and they ALL come from my favorite place... the dollar store!   

Decorate all around your home with dollar packs of leaves over door frames, on the kitchen table, on top of your tv.  Set out cute bowls of dollar store candy corns.  Make cheap displays on top of bookshelves and table tops of pumpkins, gords, pine cones, baskets.  purchase a pack of 3/ $1 battery tea light candles that flicker and place them all around your home and inside pumpkins:                            

 

My husband's biggest love language is acts of service.  He loves it when he comes home to a clean house that smells warm and cozy.  This is a GREAT idea for fall to get your home smelling like a picture in a magazine and it's totally cheap!  

*You can pick up a big jar of cinnamon (or even cinnamon sticks) at the dollar store. 
*cut and peel orange skins... the more you use, the more it will smell.  
*sprinkle cinnamon on top of orange peels.  About 1/2 TBS. should do it.  Bring to a rolling boil and continue to simmer as long as you want.  Will make your house smell DEVINE!

*You can also reuse the peels.  Simply drain and refrigerate until the next use!


Another great way to show your husband or family  some support after a long day's work:  FOOD!  Food is the way to anyone's heart... right?  Here are some YUMMY fall treats that I'm dying to have right now. To keep this post shorter, I'm adding these onto the recipes tab at the top of the blog.  Simply match up the photo and it will be located there for you.
                                                         

Stay tuned for a big blog post on some fun fall crafts for your kiddos and some fall time activities you can do as a family!