Thankful

And here we are. Two weeks and a day until Thanksgiving! How did that happen?! In case you may be panicking and stressing out right now, let's just stop for a moment together and take a deep BREATH. Regardless of whether you will be spending time with friends or family, having a large gathering or small, eating a traditional feast or not, this is a time to count the MANY blessings from God that surround us all daily. No family is perfect and while it may be hard at times to all "get along", I pray for God's love and peace to be with each one of us as we start this holiday season. I pray we recognize that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. God bless you, mamas.

 

Words of Wisdom

 

 

Our Beautiful Messes

Erin's Laundry Pile

 

Erin's Garage

 

Sarah's Shoe Basket (She says even with a "system," things don't always work out just right) :)

 

Sarah's Bathroom (Her caption read "When mommy says she can't play cars because she has to take a shower...." Isn't that SOOOO precious?!!

 

 

Something Yummy





Rachael's Overnight Monkey Bread!

16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls (I use Rhodes)
1 (3-ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

The night before place frozen rolls in a well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while it’s rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Crockpot365 Mashed Potatoes

I made these last year and they are incredible! Just made them in the pot, no slow-cooker to keep warm.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is amazing. But 1 tip---roast (bake) the sweet potatoes in the oven. Individually wrap 4 tightly in foil and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. (Place on foil-lined baking sheet because the sugars may ooze out) :)

COSTCO Pumpkin Pie

In case you haven't had one, they are very tasty! I will be buying one this year for the small gathering we are having at our house, along with a pre-ordered, (pre-cooked) turkey and gravy from Central Market. No guilt, no fuss! :) Oh yeah, and using paper plates!! Keeping it simple.



Welcome, Fall!

 

Hello everyone! So I am not a gardener. Maybe when my kids are a little older. But I am always SO thrilled to see this lovely tree (a maple of some kind....???) become utterly breathtaking all on it's own come fall. And I didn't have to do a thing! :) Aren't the trees AMAZING right now? And how about some of these incredibly sunny days we've had? What a blessing they have been. I hope you have been able to take some time to feel that fresh fall breeze, smell the crisp air, stomp and play in the leaves, and talk about God's amazing creation with your kids. Even when the days are gray, I am thankful for those clouds providing a perfect backdrop for the bursting pops of color on the trees everywhere.

 

 

I wish everyone a super fun and safe Halloween this week.  Looking forward to seeing your beautiful smiling faces at our next MOPS meeting on Wednesday, November 6th.

This post's BEAUTIFUL MESS brought to you by:  My kitchen sink :)

 

Words of Wisdom



 

 

 

 

Something Yummy

How much do you LOVE pumpkin???? I DO, so if you don't, I apologize in advance for going nuts with all these pumpkin recipes. I promise to work to include more main dishes, healthy snacks, veggie side ideas etc.....but my sweet tooth always gets the better of me!!! :)

 

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes These ARE actually healthy. I doubled the recipe, and used 2 eggs instead of the whites. I also used 1/4 C brown sugar instead of the honey and added 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice to go along with the cinnamon. Delicious topped with a thin layer of pure maple syrup.

 

Easy Pumpkin Muffins I usually add 1 egg to the ingredients and have also used a spice cake boxed cake mix instead of the yellow cake mix, for even more pumpkin flavor!

 

Pumpkin Bread This recipe by Bobby Flay of the Food Network. I do miss that channel now that we don't have TV.

 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Sound amazing. I think you could halve the recipe.

 

World's Best Chicken Ha! A main dish! You MUST try this. Thank you Jen Rainey for the recipe.

 

-Hannah Dal Maso, MOPS Publicity

 



A Beautiful Mess!

Laundry Pile :)

Hello lovely MOPS mamas! Hannah here. I am very excited to be writing my first official post for the 2013-2014 year as your publicity chair! What a wonderful theme we have this year---A Beautiful Mess! Pictured above is just one of the many messes you'll find around my house these days. Since having our third child, "mess" has certainly grown into a new term all together. It isn't always easy, but I am trying so hard to let things go and do the most important work of mommyhood: playing with my kids! Will you join me as we embrace our messes, and together discover what it means to be content right where we are at! :)

My goal is to write a bi-monthly post on our non-MOPS Wednesdays. The content will vary but a couple things I would like to include regularly are inspiring quotes (don't you just love those?!) and recipes (YUM!).

So let's get things started!
  
Words of Wisdom

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson


Meet New Mom, Kris!

1. Tell us a little about your kiddos.
Gigi is 2.  She is spunky, a natural people person, empathetic and funny.  She has moderate - severe hearing loss and wears hearing aids and that is helping immensely. People comment on her gorgeous super curly hair. Jojo is 5 months and everywhere we go folks comment on her happy smiley demeanor.  She is a laid back joy and lights up when Gigi plays with her. 

2. What do you enjoy about being a mom?
Being a mom is like being filled with love over an over again every day and no matter how much you spend that love always feeling full. :)  My girls make me laugh, bring me joy, make me think about my life and have created a great bond between my husband and me as parents.  They help me see God in this world every day.

3. If you had some kid-free time to yourself, what would you do?
I love spa days and dinners out with my girlfriends. I used to love dancing and pool and might try those again some day. :)

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Dessert - especially with cream cheese. And Chipotle chips.

5. Do you prefer coffee or tea?
Diet coke.

6. How do you de-stress?
I watch trashy television or talk to my hubby or best friends.

7. What is the messiest room in your house?
Our bedroom because I never get to it since no one sees it.





Something Yummy


 In my opinion, there is always room for a little dessert!! :)

Betty Crocker Apple Crisp

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/apple-crisp/3715a45c-3c00-430c-bbe2-9865f9013238

Snickerdoodle Blondies

http://www.myownsweetthyme.com/2010/04/secret-to-soft-snickerdoodles.html
 
 

    

Meet our Mom of the Month, Jenny! (MOPS Coordinator)

What is your favorite thing to do with your husband?
Just my hubby? We like to go to movies at Cinebarre (no kids and they serve
you while you watch a movie) and we also love to have a nice dinner out. The
Loft and Five in Edmonds are a couple of our favorite date night spots.
 
When are you most relaxed and what are you doing or not doing?
I am most relaxed when I am getting a massage or when I am curled up reading
a book (that hardly ever happens)!
 
How do you wear your many hats and keep things in harmony?
I don't always keep things in harmony... But I do try to strive for balance.
When our family seems like life is going just a bit too fast or crazy, my
husband and I try to take stock and see if we need to cut something out.
Balance and quality of life are important to us.
 
What is it like being a mom to two boys? 
I LOVE it! My boys are kind, silly, and creative guys. We have a lot of fun
together and they love their Mommy! This is a very sweet season of life.
 
Is there any parenting or marriage advice you received that was particularly
helpful?
Treat each other kindly, laugh often, and err on the side of grace.
 
What does your family like to do together?
We're big fans of parks - and for my boys the BEST parks also have train
tracks so you can watch the trains go by. We are often spotted at the
Edmonds Marina Park (or as my oldest named it when he was little, the "Train
Boat Park") on a day off from school. 
 
What are some parting words for your fellow mamas at MOPS?  
Oh... I get teary just thinking about it! I have loved the past 4 years in
MOPS and my life is forever changed by it. Thank you for helping me feel
confident in my parenting, for being my friend, for helping me know I am not
alone, for praying for me and my family, for supporting me through some hard
times... and for cheering me on in this next chapter of life.  God has truly
blessed my life through MOPS and I know he will continue to pass that
blessing on for many more years and mommies to come! I am so proud of our
MOPS group and I will keep in touch!!

Playdate Etiquette

Have you ever thought about playdate etiquette? 

We all have our expectations about how one should conduct themselves while in another person's home, or in our home.  Have we thought about how our toddlers should emulate our values of being a polite guest or gracious host?

First of all, none of us would like it if someone came over and starting going through our drawers and shelves and pulling things out... or getting on our ipad or phone and asking for our password to check our email.  You would kick them out of your house!  So, I think it is fair to say that when a toddler has all of their toys descended upon by a child or children, they are likely to get a little defensive and well, some toddlers, quite angry.

Here are some ideas when hosting a playdate:
1)  I think it is fair to say your child's lovie or favorite toy are off limits from other children.  You could tell your child ahead of time that you are going to put these away for after the playdate.  Keep them in a "safe place" so your child knows where to find it once everyone has left.  (This is if you know that your child will be particularly upset about sharing this very favorite item.) 
2)  Have your child help you pick up a few toys before your guests arrive.  Have them pick up the number of the age they are... for instance, if your child is three, have them pick up three toys.  This teaches your child the value of preparing for guests, being hospitable, having pride in your home.
3)  Have an easy and healthy snack for children during the playdate.  Explain your rules of keeping the food at the table.  It will make clean-up much easier.
4) Relax, make you and your girlfriend some coffee and offer a snack.  Enjoy the children playing and hopefully you can get in a few sentences to catch up!
5)  If children are fighting over a toy, leave them for a minute and see if they work it out.  If a child is being very unjust, intervene by: a) putting the toy in time-out, b) having children take turns (Amy gets it for a minute, then Jenny gets it for a minute) c) separate the children to different rooms for a break to play by themselves.  Above all, with siblings and friends, make playing together a privilege.
6)  If you have naptime or need your mommy break, let your guest know before arriving, for example say "we can do a playdate from  10am to 12pm". 

When a guest at a playdate:
1)  Bring a snack or drink to share!
2)  Teach your child to say please and thank you and manners of not jumping on furniture and keeping food contained in the eating space.
3)  Clean up after yourself and your children when you leave.  Teach your child the value of leaving a place better than you found it.

Thank your host for hosting, do not stay longer than two hours unless previously agreed you will stay longer.  Two hours is enough time for a host and her children to have friends over.  Obviously, if you want to have a long playdate, discuss ahead of time.  If it is a long summer day and you want to have lunch and sprinkler time outside, keep it going!

Happy Spring! Tulips in Bloom!

Looking for a fun family time that is very Springy?!
Check out The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival!

http://www.tulipfestival.org/

We went last year and it was fun.  A great photo opportunity, too!  I would recommend bringing your own picnic lunch to have with your family.  It is a little crazy in the tents.  If you have toddlers that like to run off, well... just bring your own lunch and have it outside on a blanket.
We went to Tulip Town.  It was good, we may check out another site this time.  Bring cash for parking as well.  Follow the line of cars when you get off the exit and you will find a bunch of farms.  Enjoy!

Playgroup TOMORROW, Thursday, March 21 at NCPC!

Are you at home on Thursdays with little ones looking for something to do? Join us in the Fellowship Hall at North Creek Presbyterian Church (The church is located 621 164th St SE; Mill Creek) on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of each month from 10:00-11:30am for a drop in play group for kids 6 years and under and their parents or caregivers. We will have different play stations, a craft area, snacks, coffee, and a short group time at the end. The adults can chat while the children play. It is free and open to anyone so pass on the information to your friends!

Thank you for your consignment donations! Sale starts TOMORROW, Thursday, March 21!

Thank you to Brooke Yule for organizing and donating garage space for our most recent fundraising effort: To consign items with proceeds to benefit our MOPS group.  Thank you to Brooke and Erin for tagging all of the items for sale... a labor of love!
Thank you to those of you who donated items!  We received about 260 donated items for the sale.  WOW!

The sale is scheduled for tomorrow Thursday March 21st, Friday March 22nd and Saturday March 23rd.  Most of items are half price on Saturday.  Sale will be held at the Gold Creek Church in Mill Creek.  All items that our mops group does not sell at this sale we will put in the Monroe-Snohomish sale in April.

Link to Just Between Friends sale website:
http://www.lynnwood.jbfsale.com/

Meet March's Mom of the Month, Melanie

Meet our Mom of the Month, Melanie.  She is a giving member of our MOPS who has a shining personality and warm heart.  She has a heart for Mary's Place and recently helped by organizing the Easter Egg stuffing at our last meeting.  Presenting Melanie, read on to get to know her a little bit...

Thank you for all of your efforts with Mary's Place.  How did you get started with helping Mary's Place? 

 

Kate was the Outreach coordinator the year before me (my first year at MOPS). She introduced us to Marty, the director of Mary's Place. When Marty spoke about Mary's Place, I knew I wanted to become the next Outreach coordinator. Marty is very inspiring and I was super excited to work with her.

 

What is your favorite part about helping the women and children of Mary's Place?

 

I emailed Marty to tell her we had 1200 Easter eggs and 65 buckets ready for the kids. This is her response email and it is my FAVORITE part of what we do!:

"Amazing! The Easter Bunny will be sure to find every boy and girl at our shelter! We love our MOPS moms! You insure that all moms regardless of their income, address, past or present circumstances look like a hero in their child's eyes. Thank you for lifting them up so nobody has to feel let down. You are the angels we prayed for.  Thank you for being the answer to our prayers,  the encouragement we needed and the love we hoped for. Thank you Melanie for bringing hope, renewing dreams and reminding us we are not alone! MARY'S PLACE LOVES YOU!!!" ...talk about tears of joy coming down my cheeks!

 

Are there any words that encourage you as a mother?

 

"It's bedtime!!" Oh wait, that's probably not what you meant! I like this simple quote about life and I try to live by it, "Smile more than you cry, give more than you take, and love more than you hate." We also have a mantra at our house, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

 

Who is your mentor?  Who do you admire?

 

I would have to say I admire my dad, John. He isn't my biological father but he adopted my sister, Genesis, and I when we were young. He and my mom divorced when I graduated from high school. John has always been there for my sister and I, no matter what. He has also helped raise my (awesome) step-mom's two girls. I mean, any man who is willing to raise four teenage girls deserves a medal! John is an amazing dad and grandfather!

 

If you could be any movie star, who would it be and why?

 

Christina Applegate!! I would love nothing more than to be Ron Burgandy's co-anchor, Veronica Corningstone, in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy".  Although, a close second would be Robin Wright-Penn. I would equally love to play Buttercup in, "The Princess Bride". In any given week, I can usually find one or two conversations where a quote from either movie is relative! It's a gift!

 

What do you do to give yourself a mommy break? What relieves your stress?

 

I relieve stress by working out at the gym. I don't particularly like working out at the gym, but I do enjoy the results! I also volunteer at 'Homeward Pet Animal Rescue'. I LOVE my volunteer work at the shelter. You will either find me in the dog room cleaning kennels or you may spot me out and about in Woodinville walking all sizes and breeds of adoptable dogs! Helping these homeless dogs has become my passion.

 

 

What was your occupation prior to being a mother?

 

I was a waitress and bartender for over ten years. I was happy with my profession. Serving isn't for the faint of heart! I had a great job and I was making great money. During that time, I realized I had a good eye for photography. I have taken black and white film photography classes and I'm now working on going all digital. I bought myself a beautiful digital camera! I'll be honest, I'm terrified to use it! So far, I have taken it out of the box and put it into my camera bag. I've had it for about two months! I am good at what I do, but I think I'm afraid at failing, so I haven't even tried. I so desperately want to pick up this camera and start shooting. I will. I will.

March and Easter Activities

Is Easter in March?  Yes, it is!!  March 31st.  If you are looking for some family fun Easter activities, this is a great link for you.  It includes many Easter egg hunts around the north end. 

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080320/NEWS01/663850000

What are some of your favorite Easter traditions?  If you have some you would like to share, I would love to post.  

I want to connect Christmas to Easter for my children.  Is there anything that you do to connect these two significant holidays?  I have heard creative ways such as:
1) Save branches of the Christmas tree and making them into a cross for Easter. 
2) Plant ashes from a burnt branch with new bulbs for Spring.
Here are some of my ideas:
3) Plant spring flowers and clean up dead flowers in the garden with your children and talk about this season of celebrating Jesus' death and resurrection.  Talk about new life and how God brings new life back into plants and nature all around us.
4)  Make an Easter themed ornament for the Christmas tree, perhaps a blown egg or something to symbolize Christ's death and resurrection. 
5)  Bake cross or Easter themed cookies and talk about how we can bake special things to honor Christ at his birth and during Easter.
6)  Decorate a little tree with Easter ornaments.
7)  Read the story of Jesus' birth and death and resurrection during this month.

Meet our Mom of the Month, Jamie!

Meet our mom of the month, Jamie!  She is a mom to an adorable son and sweet daughter...  Grant is 3 years old and Grace is 18 months.

What is the best advice you received when becoming a mom of two children?
Sleep when the kids sleep!

What do you do to relax?
A hot bath!

What is your favorite easy dinner recipe?
I love to put a roast in the crock pot with a bag of Lipton Onion
soup.. It cooks on high for 4 - 5 hours and is tender and juicy.

How did you and your husband meet?
I met my husband Justin in Olympia, WA when I was working as a receptionist and Justin was the company's UPS sales manager. The shipping manager asked Justin out for me (without me really knowing what he was up to)! Luckily (for me) Justin was planning to ask me out anyway! It will be 9 years since our first date on February 26th.

This is Melissa speaking...  I would like to apologize for the delay in getting February Mom of the Month out... my computer had a virus and it is finally "working" although it feels like it is on dial-up.  It is slowly chugging along.  All the fonts are ancient looking.  Guess our computer is still in the works as I write this.  Hopefully it will be feeling better soon! 

10 Things Guys Wish Women Knew about Men

Thanks Jenny for sharing this interesting article with our group last week!

Here is the link:
http://powertochange.com/sex-love/knowmen/

Hope everybody had a great Valentine's Day. 

As for us, we don't go out to dinner on Valentine's Day... a few years back after waiting for sushi for an hour and a half Valentine's Day, we realized that going out to dinner is best the day before/day after/following weekend of Valentine's Day!  It's quiet and cozy after the Valentine's rush! 
Hey, any excuse or holiday to get chocolates and flowers is fine with me.  I amost drove out to the store and bought myself a box of chocolates...  I tried to make Valentine's heart cookies with my three year-old only to discover that there was no baking soda (my three year-old dumped it out in the sink).  My little one was napping so I couldn't go to the store.  I put the bowl of mostly made cookies in the refrigerator until I got some baking soda.  The next day I tried to reconstruct the cookies to no avail.  They were a crumbly floury mess.  Probably just as well, I didn't need to eat all of those yummy cookies!

Calzones for Dinner!

Going to try this recipe for dinner, I think it sounds great for a cold and sunny day.  I never realized how easy it is to make your own dough.  Easy and cost-saving and you know what is in your food!  I like that!
I have been making homemade pizza dough for a few months now... I am going to try calzones tonight, I will let you know how it goes!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/real-italian-calzones/
What are your favorite recipes on a cold night?

One thing I want to be thankful for today:  Today, as my three year-old observe a squashed (and dead) worm on the ground, she said, "Mommy, can you pray for it?"  I prayed for the dead worm and then she said, "I want to pray for the worm now!"  So, I let her have it.  It was precious.  Moments like these I am thankful for...  like when your child voluntarily and randomly says "I love you, mommy"... makes up for those moments when you want to tear your hair out during a toddler tantrum.  God must know we need these moments as mothers.  What is one of your favorite moments with your child?  One of those moments you say "Okay, this is all worth it."  Take some time and thank God for that moment.  Doesn't hurt to pray for more of them.

MOPS Playdate at Brooke's House NEXT Wednesday, January 30th

Come and join the fun with you and your tots!  Catch up with your fellow mamas while your children play!

Where: Brooke's House (for privacy, see email circulating from Hannah that includes her address)
When: January 30th at 9:30am
Brooke's phone: 206-795-1504

Please email or call Brooke to let her know how many people to expect.  Thanks!

Meet our January Mom of the Month, Brooke!

Thank you Brooke for taking time out of your busy day to answer these questions so we can get to know you better!  As many of you heard, Brooke is going to be a MOPS Coordinator next year.  She is also hosting a MOPS playdate next Wednesday, January, 30th! 

Tell us about you and your family...

My immediate family is myself, my husband Bruce, my 2 ½ year old Libby and our dogs Nellie (French Bulldog) and Tuffy (English Bulldog).  My family is all local (mom, brother, sister, in-laws, nieces and nephews) and my husband’s mother lives in Seattle so with all that, there is a lot of large family gatherings. 

How did you meet your husband?

My husband and I actually met on match.com.  I’m still surprised that I met him that way.  After we met we learned we had one of those Harry Met Sally stories at the end of the movie where they say “and we never met”.  

We were on a date one night near Greenlake, and he said “I used to live around this area, let’s drive by my old place”.  As we drove, I told him about how I used to housesit for a good friend for long stretches of time in the Greenlake area. Turns out Bruce and my friend were next door neighbors.  She had warned me that there were several guys living next door who liked to throw big loud parties, but they were cute and seemed nice.  For several years I house sat for weeks at a time in the house right next door to where my future husband was living.  “And we never met.”

What are you most proud of?

My daughter of course.  The family we have built and our commitment to her and our marriage.
She is our miracle.  Due to some medical issues, doctors gave me less than 40% chance that I would ever get pregnant as well as have a successful pregnancy.  After extensive fertility treatments, I did get pregnant.  The doctors said their goal was to get my pregnancy to 26 weeks.  Anything after that was bonus.  I made it 38 weeks!  Libby is my personal proof that god works miracles.

Tell us about your pinterest crafting and projects... what are some of your favorite creations?

I LOVE PINTEREST! And yes I actually do many of the things I pin.  Most recently my favorite creations are converting a hallway closet into a Kitchen/playroom for Libby, and making Libby a chalkboard table from an old coffee table.

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

You know your child better than anyone.  Trust your instincts not necessarily what all the “guidebooks” recommend.

 What was life like before you had children? Can you tell us about your career?

I got a lot more sleep on the weekends and I got to go to the bathroom in private.  As far as my career I spent the first 9 years out of college working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for injured workers.  Then I changed course and was a Call Center Director for a 12 state area of the American Cancer Society.  I loved that job, but at that time, I needed to make more money than a nonprofit could afford, so I spent the last 5 years (prior to being a stay at home mom to Libby) teaching Leadership and Management skills at Premera Blue Cross.  Being Libby’s mom though is the best and hardest job I have held. 

What types of things relax you?

Being near water relaxes me, whether a beach, a boat or a bathtub.  It’s the best medicine for eliminating stress for me. 

Welcome January 2013!

A new month, a new year, so many exciting things ahead of us...! 
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and if not, I hope you can start fresh this year.  I wish you wellness for you and your family.
I am going to try this recipe tonight for chicken and dumplings.  Looks like good comfort food for these cold winter days....
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/11/homemade-chicken-and-dumplings/
Cheers to a new year and new beginnings!