April’s MOPS Family Picnic July 30, 2008

Well, in going through my Inbox, I discovered the pictures emailed to me of the MOPS family picnic back in April.  Can you tell it was a bit chilly that day? Maybe during these next few hot days you can look back and remember when you were longing for the warmth of summer!   You can click on any of the pictures to see them larger.

More Homemade Facial Masks July 30, 2008

Here are some low cost, natural ways to give yourself a facial.

Homemade Facial Masks

Apple Zinger Facial Mask (oily/acne-prone skin)
Take 1 medium-size apple, grated fine, and 5 Tbsp honey.
Mix well, smooth over skin and let sit for 10 minutes.
Rinse off with cool water.

Cool as a Cucumber Yogurt Mask (normal/oily skin)
Puree ½ cucumber in blender, mix in 1 Tbsp plain yogurt and apply to face.
Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse well.

Honey Mask (oily/blemished skin)
Massage a small amount of slightly heated honey onto skin.
Wheat germ may be added for its abrasive action, proteins and nutrients.

Creamy Avocado Mask
Mash 1 Tbsp ripe avocado, add ½ tsp honey and mix. Stir in a little almond meal until creamy.
Apply to clean skin, leave on for 15-20 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.

Firming Facial Mask
Whisk together 1 Tbsp honey, 1 egg white, 1 tsp glycerin and enough flour to form a paste (approx. ¼ C). Smooth over face and throat.
Leave on for 10 mins. Rinse off with warm water.

Banana Mask (firming mask)
Mash up a very ripe banana. Add just enough honey to make a soft pulp. Apply over face and hair. This is such a great firming mask that aging stars have been known to use it.

Lemon/Egg Mask (oily skin)
Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Apply to face avoiding the area around the eyes.
Leave on your face overnight or, if during the day, for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Oatmeal Facial (oily skin)
Make a creamy paste of oatmeal and water. Apply to face and let dry completely. Remove by very gently rubbing off with your fingers.

Peach Mask (dry skin)
Mash a fresh peach and mix with enough warm olive, peach kernel or almond oil to form a spreadable paste.

For more homemade beauty recipes, visit
www.free-beauty-tips.com/homemade.html

Remember the Important Things July 30, 2008

I hope my children
Look back on today,
And see a mother
Who had time to play.

There will be years
For cleaning and cooking,
For children grow up
While we are not looking.

Author Unknown

What’s for Dinner? Pork Cutlets with Balsamic-Honey Glaze July 19, 2008

This is a simple easy way to dress up pork cutlets–though I often use it with boneless pork chops (a pork loin I have the butcher cut into slices for me). It is from Woman’s Day from September 1, 2003.

 Pork Cutlets
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
¼ c. honey 

Sauté pork, remove and keep warm.  Add vinegar and honey to pan, cook until syrupy.  Drizzle over the pork.

How Much is Too Much? July 16, 2008

Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message) Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God-you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration-what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body. You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

 

Let’s talk children and organized activities. How much is too much and which ones are right for your children?

 

Who could need us more, but our children? Who could be more powerless than our children? They need us and trust us to do right by them. In our hearts we truly want our children to have the best of everything. The problem arises when what we think is “best” for our children is different from what their Maker designed.

 

My two oldest children love books and movies, drama, giving speeches, and music. Looking back, I can clearly see how many years I wasted trying to make them participate in the activities all the other kids were doing. 

 

My youngest son makes up creative stories, and then he and his friends act out these adventures with their Beanie Babies. How sad it makes me now to think of those countless hours he spent mindlessly maneuvering around the basketball court, following coaches orders. I forced him to sign up-”for socialization and exercise,” I told myself. I realize now he could have received both by running around the front yard with his friends, leading them on fanciful adventures. 

 

In forming our children, God did not create empty vessels, making it the parent’s job to fill them, to form their personalities, and to insert creativity or skill into their brain. Rather, God designed our children and turned them over to us to mold into the shape He’s already crafted. We need to become students of our children and discover their unique shapes. We also need to give them time to be children and not fill up every spare moment with planned activities.

 

Questions to ask yourself:

• Why am I signing my child up for this activity?
• Am I doing it so my child won’t be left out?
• Have I asked God His thoughts?
• Does this activity fit in with my child’s natural talents?
• Does this activity accomplish peace in our household? 

© TriciaGoyer By Tricia Goyer, author ofGeneration NeXtParenting

Games Preschoolers Play July 14, 2008

by Stephanie McIver, MOPS Mom 

Here are some games your preschooler will love to play. They may have discovered some of these games on their own. Others you can look forward to in the future. These games will bring your children hours of enjoyment. They will bring you hours of exhaustion and massive clean-ups. Please note, try all games at your own risk!

1. Babies and toddlers are especially fond of this game. It’s called, “Roll, Roll, Roll the Toilet Paper”. Once this game gets going it’s hard to stop until the end. One advantage to this game is that Mom gets to join in on the fun when she plays, “Roll, Roll, Roll the Toilet Paper Back”. 
2. This game requires almost no setup and its fast and easy. It’s called “Rip a Page Out of a Book.” A variation to this game is to use a magazine, although most kids will tell you, it is not quite as fun.
3. This game can be a little costly but it worth the extra money. It’s called, “Empty the New Shampoo Bottle into the Bathtub.”
4. Another neat game is called, “Pull the Cord out of the Outlet That Controls the VCR”. One great benefit of playing this game is that when it gets plugged back in, the family can enjoy the blinking VCR clock.
5. This game brings out the artistic talents in your child. It’s called, “Spit out Half Dissolved Chunks of Cocoa Puffs in a Unique Design on the Carpet”. A wise Mom would play a follow-up game called, “Here’s the Rag. Go Clean it up!”
6. Here’s an idea for some bath fun. This game is called, “Break the Soap into Tiny Chunks and Try to Fit Them Down the Drain.”
7. A great game to play right before company is called, “Grab Some Tissues, Tear Them Apart and Throw Them in the Air”. A fun variation to this game is to use tissues from the trashcan.
8. A game for those crafty kids is called, “Put Tape All Over the Rocking Horse”. This game works best when small pieces of tape are used. It is also best to make sure the tape sticks well to the surface. To do this have your child run their finger firmly along the length of the tape. Believe me, it will never come off!
9. This game helps your child with their gross motor skills. It’s called, “Fling Your Trash in the General Direction of the Trashcan”
10. Another fun game your child can try is, “Pile a Bunch of Toys in the Doorway”.
11. This is a good game for those children who like to help. This game is called, “Help Clean Out the Paint Cups in the Bathroom Sink”. For this game to work you need to put at least 5-6 squirts of hand soap into each paint cup (the more soap the better) and then dry the (so-called) clean cups with a white or beige guest hand towel.
12. This is a favorite game of babies and Moms alike. It’s called, “Race to the Trashcan and Try to Put Some Trash in Your Mouth.”
13. Here’s a fun outdoor game. This game is also good for those artistic types. It’s called, “Get Some Mud and Rub it on the Screen Door”.
14. “Grab the Cat,” is a great game for all those animal lovers out there. For best results, encourage your child to grab the tail.
15. This is a favorite game for kids all around the world. It’s called, “Grab a Toy From Another Child”. This game works especially well when played with a brother or sister.
16. This is a great Mom-pleaser. It’s called, “Lock the Bedroom Door”. Your child will really enjoy this if his motor skills aren’t really coordinated to play “Unlock the Door”. 
17. A great game to play at bedtime is “One More Story, One More Hug, One More Kiss and Don’t Forget to Blow Kisses From the Doorway.” The later in the evening it gets, the more fun your child will have playing this game.
18. This game is a good way to pass the time in the car with a baby. It’s called, “Scream in the Car Seat.” Most Moms like to play a game simultaneously called, “Sing and Clap”. Some Moms with good coordination can play a game called, “Reach Your Arm Backwards and Try to Entice Baby With a Toy”. All games come to a halt when baby falls asleep from exhaustion.
19. This game is simply called, “NO”. To play this game have your child say the word “no” after everything you say. The louder your child can do this the better. See how long you can keep this game going. 
20.  And we can’t forget everyone’s favorite, “Scream in the Store”. This game works best if your child screams for no apparent reason. Encourage onlookers to watch. A great variation of this game is, “Scream in the Restaurant”.

What’s for Dinner? Pasta With Spinach July 12, 2008

A garlicky spiniach tossed with pasta in a ricotta sauce means a healthy meal in no time!

Ingredients

• 1 6-ounce package fresh baby spinach
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 T red pepper flakes (This seems high, you might want to try less and add some if you want more zing.)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions
1. Put spinach in colander through which pasta water will be drained. Cook pasta according to package
directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and leave in colander with spinach.
2. In pasta pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; stir 30 seconds or until
fragrant. Pour pasta mixture back into the pot. Stir in ricotta, salt and pepper.
3. If creamier texture is desired, stir in reserved pasta water.

Make-Ahead

• Pasta can be cooked ahead, tossed with oil and kept in the refrigerator for a few days. To make this dish just heat pasta in microwave and toss with the rest of the ingredients.
• Make it Faster–use fresh rather than dry pasta

Preparation Time: 2 minutes Cooking Time: About 10 minutes
Ready In: About 15 minutes Servings: 4

“But I Have To Yell To Be Heard” July 9, 2008

Do you find yourself yelling sometimes just to be heard? Does the yelling frustrate you but you feel there’s no other way? We find that parents often yell when they don’t have a plan. Some parents don’t know how to fix a problem with their kids so they become louder, thinking that the intensity created through yelling will have some kind of positive effect. It doesn’t work.

 

Motivating with harshness can keep children in line or get them to accomplish a task, but that method damages family relationships. In Jeremiah 10:24, Jeremiah prays, “Correct me, Lord, but only with justice—not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.” In the end, it is closeness that provides parents with teachable moments and the relaxed enjoyment of family life. Yelling and harshness discourage trust, essential to help young people learn valuable principles about life.

 

You might be saying, “Wait a minute! My kids won’t obey unless I get angry.” If that’s true, then maybe you’ve trained your children to respond to your anger as a signal that it’s time to obey. Kids are smart. They know they can wait until the last minute before responding. They’ve figured out how many warnings you’ll give and they recognize the tone of voice that says you’re ready to deliver a consequence.

 

One solution is to teach children to respond to a different cue. If yelling is the sign that you mean business, then change the cue to a more constructive signal. If you teach your kids that you’ll back up your words sooner, without anger, then your dependency on anger to get things done will decrease.

This parenting tip comes from the book, Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

Pizza Popcorn July 6, 2008

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ quarts popped popcorn
• 1/3 cup butter
•  ½ tsp. Oregano
• ½ tsp. Basil
•  ¼ c. Parmesan
• ½ tsp. Garlic salt
• ¼ tsp. Onion powder
•  ¼ tsp. salt

Directions: Place popcorn in an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2in. baking pan. Melt butter in a small saucepan; add remaining ingredients. Pour over popcorn and mix well. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

What’s for Dinner? Taco Salad July 5, 2008

This is a differnt flavor from most Taco Salads. I really enjoy it, so I thought I’d share it with you.

1 lb ground beef
½ envelope dry onion soup mix
¾ cup of water
lettuce
1 large tomato, cut in wedges
1 small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup sliced olives
4 oz. cheddar cheese
1 6 oz. pkg corn chips/tortilla chips

Brown beef in skillet, drain some (but not all) of the grease.  Sprinkle soup mix over meat; stir in water.  Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.  In salad bowl, combine lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, olives, and cheese; toss well.  Place lettuce mixture on individual plates.  Spoon on meat, top with corn chips.