Waxhaw MOPS is local chapter of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), a international organization for all moms of infants to kindergartners, providing an opportunity to meet other moms and make the journey of motherhood together. For more information about MOPS International visit www.mops.org
MomSense: Bold • Loving • Sensible – equips moms to embrace their mothering instincts and develop their own parenting style while navigating through the myriad of daily mom decisions. Most women wonder:
How do I decide what to do when I really don’t know what to do?
Should I trust my intuition?
With so much available information, how do I discern what’s best?
What are the most important family values?
Developing a mothering strategy is somewhat like playing a game — and this year’s theme is appropriately game related. Have fun being a mom! Playing games involves being bold and taking risks, loving those in the game with us and being sensible while figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
Just as in real-life, sometimes in games, unexpected, “chance” events occur, abruptly changing our paths. We must regroup and determine our next steps. Sometimes we follow the instructions of “experts.” Sometimes we follow the advice of trusted friends. Sometimes we decide our “house rules” work best for our family. Teaming together with other moms is a great strategy. Relying on a spouse or mentor can help us play more effectively. And, most of all, developing a strong God-Sense is essential for mothering. Growing as a mom through the analogy of game playing assures every mom gains confidence in her abilities as a mom.
Central United Methodist Church Central Kids Spring Consignment Sale Join us Saturday, March 13th 7:30am - 12:00pm & 12:30pm - 2:30pm ● 1/2 Sale Starts at 12:30 ●
Life on Planet MomThis Friday: Navigating Unsafe Relationships This week our MOPS curriculum is covering an important topic. While it may be that none of you in our group are in unsafe relationships, we don’t want to over look the possibility of a mom that is hurting in silence. This information is also beneficial to those looking to help others who are in unsafe relationships. God has given us a desire to be in relationships, but abusive or unsafe relationships can take many different forms, so it’s important to keep ourselves, our families and our friends safe. We have another service opportunity if you're interested. Some moms in our MOPS group are collecting baby clothes for some area teen moms. There is no teen MOPS anywhere in the area, so we're trying to reach out to them.If you're interested we have:~one mom who needs 3-6 month boy clothes (& bigger), ~one mom who needs 6-9 month boy clothes (& bigger), ~and one mom who needs 2T to 3T boy clothes (3T for summer stuff). If you'd like to help, bring clothes to the next MOPS meeting (next Friday). We'll have a place for you to leave them.
Also, one of our MOPS moms Jill Graham is sharing about an important ministry she is involved in. From February 17 through March 28, our community will be one of 212 cities in 45 states, 5 Canadian provinces, and Denmark joining together to host the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history -- the 40 Days for Life campaign.40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:
* 40 days of prayer and fasting * 40 days of peaceful vigil * 40 days of community outreach
For more information you can visit http://www.40daysforlife.com/charlotte
One of our MOPS moms saved around $175 in one trip shopping for groceries. Another MOPS mom regularly snagged items for less than $1. Another MOPS mom saved up to 90% on a single item during a grocery trip. What's the secret?
COUPONS!
Here are some common excuses people have for not couponing & the responses to those excuses:
"I don't have time. It just seems like a lot of work to save $0.75." - Clipping coupons does not take that much time. A single coupon insert can be gone through in under 5 minutes. Most grocery stores, like Giant Eagle, will double coupons that are $0.99 and less. Target accepts manufacturer coupons in addition to their own store coupons (you can use 2 coupons for one item). Spending 5 minutes once a week and then saving tens of dollars (at least) at the store is a good deal! The Grocery Game takes a lot of the work out of coupon clipping by matching up coupons with sale for you! You can even get a free trial. Cancelling is a no-hassle process.
"I only buy generic, so I don't have a need to clip coupons." - It's easy to purchase name brand items for pennies when using coupons. You can even come out cheaper than buying generic! The key is to use coupons when there are sales (watch your local ads) and you can sometime walk out of the store with FREE items.
"I don't get the Sunday paper." - You don't have to get the Sunday paper to start using coupons. Redplum is a coupon circular that is distributed in our mailboxes each week with the Giant Eagle sales ad. Occasionally Proctor & Gamble's Brandsaver is included in this, but not always. Smart Source is included in the Sunday paper. There are also numerous coupon sites where, if you have a home printer, you can print out coupons to use when shopping. Most stores accept Internet coupons just as they would a clipped coupon. Below you can find links to popular coupon sites:
and don't forget to visit manufacturer's websites (Pillsbury, Nestle, etc). They usually have coupons for printing available. If they don't, writing an asking if there are any they can mail you is not a bad idea. Most companies are willing to give you some in order to get your business.
If you do get the Sunday paper, or buy it every once in a while for the coupons you should check out The Sunday Coupon Preview. It is a website that lists all the coupons that will be in the Sunday paper from week-to-week, even alerting us as to when no coupons will be in the paper (this happens just a few times a year).
* These sites will list sale offers and then share the coupon you can use in order to get the best bargain. They mainly list the following stores: CVS, Giant Eagle, Target, Walgreens, Walmart. These sites even give you the links to Internet coupons and sometimes have links for FREE products and samples from major manufacturers!
Thanks to Chippewa MOPS blog @ http://cefcmops.blogspot.com/copied with permission
This was so good we had to track down the secret ingredients - so now you know. (served at our January 29th meeting) by Elaine Beaumont
2 lb tater tots 1/2 c chicken broth 1 1/2 c chopped ham 1/2 c chopped onion 15 oz 4 cheese alfredo sauce 1/2 t pepper 1 1/2 c sour cream
Place tater tots in casserole dish. Mix together all other ingredients and pour over tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (longer if more crispy top desired. Enjoy!
Thanks to Chippewa MOPS blog @ http://cefcmops.blogspot.com/copied with permission
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 pkg yellow cake mix 3/4 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
Combine the first five ingredients. Transfer to a greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Top with walnuts. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Anyone interested in being in the freezer meal club?
What is it you may ask?
- 4 participants that want a months worth of meals in their freezer for an average of $7 per meal
How does it work?
- participants plan menu usually through email
-each participant chooses 4 recipes that are "all in one" entrees that your family loves
-shop and prepare your recipes at your own home at your own convenience in disposable foil pans with cooking directions, that are ready to stick in the oven straight from freezer/frig (you prepare 4 of each recipe, one for each participant)
-meet for the swap at a central location, which only takes 15 minutes, leaving with 16 meals for your freezer with directions on how to cook
Who do I contact about joining?
Cindy Barlowe 704-243-0851 or cindybarlowe@yahoo.com
