Register for MOPS 2014-2015 Now!

Ladies,

We are looking forward to another great year of MOPS!  After a great first year including lots of yummy breakfasts, great speakers, and, most of all, new friends who are traveling on the same journey, we are excited to start our next MOPS year this fall.

What is MOPS?

Learn more about MOPS by reading our post What Is MOPS?

Register

Click to register for MOPS 2014-2015.  

The cost again is $110 for the WHOLE year, which comes out to $7.85 per time OR $3.92 per hour for your kids to be watched. 

Please sign up as soon as you can so we know how many people will be attending and how many workers we need for the kids!

As always, PLEASE email and let us know if you have trouble financially affording this! We want you here!  klarson159@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

Doldrum Busters

Chris Howard shared some wonderful ideas with us this morning about what to do on those days or weeks that you feel cooped up in the house and the kids are looking for something fun to do.  Try these out with your kids and add your own ideas below!

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FIESTA-Mexican night, Italian night (make your own pizzas) decorate placemats

LUAU/BEACH PARTY (don't forget the beachball) 

Daddy celebration (balloons, poster decorated, special dessert)

½ bdays

GET TOGETHER WITH SOMEONE AND THEIR KIDS* combat isolation

HAVE ANOTHER FAMILY OVER

MOVIE day at home (don't forget the popcorn) and snuggle!

PUT A TENT UP, or make shift one and “camp out”; s'mores in the microwave if no fireplace (kids love to see marshmallows grow in the microwave!)

Talent show/ put on a play

PLASTIC BALLS-kids run and parents try to hit them with the balls or vice versa.  Laundry basket-basket ball

Make masks out of paper plates and construction paper glued to the plate.

Leave your own ideas in the comments below! 

Working Out at Home and Other Healthy Tips

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We were excited to kick off the New Year talking about getting fit and healthy.  Carrie and Matt joined us and shared some great advice for starting and maintaining a lifestyle that incorporates exercise and overall self-care.  Below are some highlights Carrie has provided for us from the morning. 

 

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Starting Up 

 

Remember that you don't have to go crazy (and shouldn't!) when starting an exercise routine.  Even if you start slow, you'll still make progress. 

 

My favorite workout DVDs 

 

Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred (this is what I started my weight loss journey with)

Kelly Coffey Meyer

(she has many great DVD's, and I really like her kickboxing ones.  Most of hers are 30 minutes or less which I really love)

 

Some of my Favorite Healthy Lifestyle Sites

Young and Raw

Facebook Group to join to learn great recipes for Green smoothies

Juicing:

Juicing for Health

Juicing Vegetables Facebook Page

You can find Matt on Facebook HERE. 

 or check out his website at www.youregoingtosweat.com

 

Exercises to try at home (using nothing buy your own body)

 

Chair Squats

Squats

Lunges

Burpees (don't worry, no one ever likes these, but they do great things for your body!)

Stockings On (lunge to one side and "pull your stockings up")

Tina Turner (dance around like a maniac!)

Bottom Line

 

Remember to make small changes and not to expect big changes at first.  The more you can incorporate exercise and small changes into your normal, every day routine, the better your chances of success.  

Thank you Matt and Carrie!  We loved having you (and are only a teensie bit sore!)

Cookie Exchange Recipes

Our cookie exchange is one of the greatest meetings of the year, because not only are we celebrating the season by learning awesome decorating tips (thanks to Cassi), we are also getting our sugar fix by sampling some amazing cookies!

Following are everyone's recipes so we can remember for future years.

Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes

Kelle's Chocolate Peanut Butter Delights

Jessica's Neiman-Marcus Cookies

Carla's Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Rods

Shayna's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chris' Chocolate Goo

Courtney's Holiday M&M Cookies

Erin's Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cassi's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amy's Sugar Cookies (cut-out cookies)

Veronica's Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(add only 1 egg, use 1 cup butterscotch chips and 1 cup milk chocolate chips)

Elizabeth's Monster Cookies

Julie's Oatmeal Scotchies

Abi's Peanut Butter Blossoms

Kara's White Chocoalte Dipped Oreos

25+ Family Mealtime Conversation Starters

Today at our MOPS meeting we talked about using meal time as a time to connect with our kids and make meaningful moments out of something we already do each day.  Amy from creativekidsnacks.com showed us some fun and healthy meals to make with our kids as tool to teach them new things, explore our creativity, and connect with them.

Our table activity was to generate questions we could use as conversation starters around the dinner table, at lunch time, or any time we are together as a family!  We wrote these questions on popsicle sticks and placed them inside the jars we decorated together.

Let's see what we came up with as a group!  Add these to your jar if you're missing any!

Mealtime Conversation Questions

1. What was your favorite thing we did today?

2. Say something kind about someone at the table.

3.  If you could be an animal, which kind would you be, and why?

4.  If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

5.  Name 3 good table manners.

6.  Tell us something you learned today.

7.  How could we show God's love to someone today/tomorrow?

8.  Sing a verse of your favorite song.

9.  Name 3 people in the Bible.

10.  What is your favorite thing / least favorite thing on your plate?

11.  What is one thing that made you feel frustrated this past week?

12.  Name 3 people you're thankful for.

13.  Tell Dad what you did today.

14.  What was the best / worst part of your day?

15.  Who did you play with today and what is your favorite thing about them?  (Could be a friend or a toy)

16.  Did you notice anyone else doing something kind today?

17.  Name something new you'd like to try sometime.

18.  What is something you'd like to do as a family this weekend?

19.  What animal would you love to own as a pet?  Why?

20.  What should we get [person with an upcoming birthday] for their birthday?  Why would they like that?

21.  What do you think our pet was thinking today while we were playing?

22.  What do you love most about Mom / Dad?

23.  What is your favorite thing to do with Dad / Mom?

24.  Name one thing you're good at.

25.  What is your favorite book / animal / movie / bible story / toy / holiday, etc. and why?



What are your favorite mealtime conversation questions?

Beth Moore 1 Day Conference (Simulcast) at Harvest Lake Zurich

Beth Moore 1 Day Conference (Simulcast) at Harvest Lake Zurich

Living Proof Live starts Saturday, September 14 at 8:00am and ends at 3:15pm. Tickets are $25.00 by Thursday, September 12th and $30.00 at the door which covers one full day of music and worship; sessions led by Beth Moore; continental breakfast, box lunch and snack; and opportunities for fellowship with other women from the community.

For more information and to register, click HERE.