Car Activities for Little Kids!

During our last meeting we discussed the importance of play time. If you're not the keenest on playtime with your kids, you're not the only one. Lindsey shared this great quote she found that hit home with a lot of us:

"Playing with children doesn’t have to be hard, but for some reason, I get it in my head that there’s a certain way I’m supposed to be doing it. Then I question my abilities as a mom and wonder if I’m doing it right. The truth is, my kids want me more than anything else. They don’t care if my story lines are a bit awkward. They don’t care if I’m not very creative. They care about me. And your kids… what do they want more than anything else? You guessed it: you." from Embrace the Moments

To go along with the "play" theme, Hope had a great craft for us: magnetic car activities! The coolest part is all of these can be created with a minimal budget (hello, dollar store!), and with little supplies. It's all about getting creative.

Magnetic Car Activities

The main tools you'll need to create some fun magnetic car activities are: a tin cookie sheet, popsicle sticks, glue, magnets, and whatever fun stuff you have at home!

Using foam, magnets, and popsicle sticks, you can make some great learning tools to help stimulate your child. They also make cute foam "kits" at places like Micahel's and Hobby Lobby with things like these turtles. They'll make for fun puppets! 

 

For the learning sticks, utilize both sides of the stick. On one side put the shape, and then put the color on the other side! Along with magnets, you'll also need velcro. 

The little turtles are a cinch to make. Just get the kit, and start gluing them together! Kids will have fun with these "puppets" in the car! 

We also made popsicle stick puzzles! These are AWESOME! Print out whatever photo you'd like to make the puzzle out of (keep them on the smaller side, so they'll fit on the sticks), cut the whole picture out, mod-podge it on both sides, then using a razor, slice through the sticks. Easy peasy! 

And here's the final product! 

Awesome craft, right? And it needs to be said: several of these pieces can be choking hazards, so please keep a close eye on your kids, especially if they're little! 

If you want some more ideas, here are a few sites to take a look at that have great games to play in a hotel room or on an airplane:

The Rules of Motherhood
Learn with Play at Home
It's Always Autumn
A Creative Princess
Life Through My Eyes 

If you have any good, easy, mess-free crafts, let us know about them! 

Date Night in a Jar

For our craft during our February "love" meeting, we made date night jars! This was a super easy project, so even if you're not very crafty, or short on time, it's something you can still make quickly.

What you need:
A mason jar (or whatever jar you want)
Popsicle Sticks
Decor (washi tape, chalkboard paint, sharpies, stickers, etc.)

How you do it:
Decorate your popsicle sticks however you'd like, and then write the date idea on each stick. Then, the next time you're in a date-night rut, pull out a stick and do what's listed! Variations can be: dates with your kids, chores for your kids to do, family dates, adventures to go on around the area, new restaurants to try when you hear that ever-so-lovely "what's for dinner?" phrase, etc.

We'd love to hear your date-night ideas (or any other ideas) in the comments!

The Five Love Languages (February's Meeting)

It seemed only natural that a few days after Valentine's Day we talked about love. Not the mushy, goo-goo eyes kind of love, but more about ways you can keep your love tank full. Parents are extremely busy these days, and taking care of little ones often leaves little time to be adults and to remember why it is that you fell in love. The thing is, everyone loves differently, and that's where the 5 Love Languages comes into play.

The Five Love Languages:

Gary Chapman created the concept of the 5 Love Languages, and it's taken off by storm, mostly because of how accurate it is. The five love languages are:

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

You may look at that list and know immediately where you or your partner land, but just in case it's all a little bit foggy, here's a broken down version of each love language:

Words of Affirmation
Actions don't always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, "I love you," are important – hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten. Kind, encouraging, and positive words are truly life-giving.

Quality Time
In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, "I love you," like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there – with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby – makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful. Quality Time also means sharing quality conversation and quality activities.

Receiving Gifts
Don't mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous – so would the absence of everyday gestures. Gifts are visual representations of love and are treasured greatly.

Acts of Service
Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an "Acts of Service" person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: "Let me do that for you." Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don't matter. Finding ways to serve speaks volumes to the recipient of these acts.

Physical Touch
This language isn't all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face – they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive. Physical touch fosters a sense of security and belonging in any relationship.

Take the Quiz and Discover YOUR Love Language!

And here's the best part: there's a quiz you can take that will tell you what your love languages are. It's fast and easy to take, and once your partner takes it too, that will hopefully help both of you to understand each other better. This isn't a way to fix things in your marriage, but it is a way to get back to the basics and help you connect with your husband more.

We also watched these fun videos during the meeting—it was a fun way to introduce the love languages, and it was especially useful if you're more of a visual learner! 

 

Our First 2016 Meeting: Talking about Safety

Welcome back, MOPS mamas! We kicked off our 2016 year with an excellent first meeting. The topic for the day was safety, which is always a scary and intimidating thing to talk about, but Paige Slocumb from Safe Alone presented everything not only in a simplified manner, but she was hilarious and had the whole room roaring with laughter more often than not. Plus, we all walked out knowing more than when we sat down.

I'm actually really sorry I didn't record her presentation, because it was that good. If you missed it, have no fear, because I think we're going to try getting her back for a Mom's Night Out later this year.

 

So what did we talk about? Paige discussed three main things:
1. Don't be a target
2. Have a plan
3. Trust your instincts.

Keep reading for some of the highlights, just so you can have a little insight into safe-guarding your home, yourself, and your loved ones.

First things first: keep your phone on you at all times! Your phone is literally your lifeline if you're in danger and need help. If you don't have a phone, how can you call for help?

Be alert and aware of your surroundings. If you can see a predator, he can see you. He's far more likely to go for someone not paying any attention than to go for the woman with children who is aware of her surroundings.

Women's intuition is a very real thing. If your gut is telling you something, listen to it!

If, by some chance you are in danger, the absolute worst thing is if you're taken to a second location. Don't let that happen! If someone is dragging and pulling you, get down on the ground. It's much harder to move "dead" weight than it is to pull someone up on both legs. 

If you're in danger (and this goes for kids, too), don't just scream, "HELP!!" or "NO!" Instead, scream, "CALL 911." (Of course, scream whatever you can when you can, but telling people around you what to do will immediately state that you're in danger and in need of help.)

Another tip for kids: we always tell them what not to do (stranger danger, etc.), but are we telling them what to do? Tell them to run and get away from whatever situation they're in.

When you're home: do not open the door. Unless you've specifically asked someone to come over, what are the chances that you're going to invite a stranger into your home. Just don't open it! If you're expecting someone to come over—the cable repair guy, the pest control guy, etc.—ask a girlfriend to come over for coffee just so someone else is in the house with you. (Not sure of who to ask? Post something on our MOPS FB group and see if anyone is free. You may make a great friend that way!)

Program the Georgia State Patrol into your cellphone: *477



This was just a very brief overview of what she discussed. If you were at the meeting, we'd love to hear what main points you took away from her talk.

Let's Get Creative, Shall We?

I don't know about you, but between all of the rolls I juggle as a woman—wife, mama, cook, house cleaner, butt-wiper, organizer, chauffeur, and the list could go on, and on, and on—I don't find much time for myself. The problem with that is that in order to flourish as a woman, it's essential to make time for my happiness.

Creativity plays a huge roll in this, so during our second meeting we rolled with the creative theme and busted open boxes of colored pencils and started coloring. In case you didn't know, "adult coloring" is totally trendy now, so while you're toddler is scribbling outside the lines, you can relax and keep things nice and orderly on your paper.

Did you miss the meeting and want to color your own page? 

Here are the pages we used: Today Is Going To Be Awesome and Hello, Lovely!

While everyone colored, we watched a MOPS video on creativity. One part that really struck a chord with me is when the woman mentioned that it's vital for us, as moms, to discover what makes us happy, and go for it, especially in the presence of our children. They see and absorb so much of our lives, that it's good for them to see us taking time for ourselves.

I also loved what Lindsey said about finding your own creative spark. Not everyone loves coloring, or drawing, or anything artistic. You may love organizing, or working on spreadsheets. Whatever it is that floats your boat and lets you recharge, then do that. We work hard as moms, and sometimes by the end of the day you're left feeling completely drained. Shoot, you may be drained before the clock strikes 9 am, and before you've even managed to have a chance to pour a cup of coffee. Take a few minutes to figure out what you love to do, and then work to make that happen. Ladies, fill your cup with creativity!

While we're on the topic of getting creative, we also had our first craft of the year: we made our name tags! I personally love the way they turned out, and the chatter around the room sounded like everyone else liked them, too. Don't worry—if you missed the meeting, we made extras, so there's one waiting for you to put your name on it!

A couple housekeeping things:

1. We're working on our first fundraiser and we're selling shirts! If you'd like one to wear around town (or in your home, or while you drop the kids off at preschool), bring $20 (cash only, pretty please) with you next week so we can get a shirt ordered for you!

2. Check out this schedule for which table is in charge of bringing what type of food, just in case you forget.

I think that's all for now! We can't wait to see you at our next meeting! 

So ladies, tell us all about how you find your creativity—what do you to do make you happy?

The First Meeting!

I know this is almost a week late, but can we just talk about how great our first meeting of the year was? There were so many new moms joining us, and it was wonderful seeing faces from last year around the room, too. Actually, we had so many people, we're adding another table to the mix next week!

After we all dropped the kiddos off (the next meeting will go a bit smoother since everyone will be in the system), it was time to grab some food. The spread, provided by the steering team was great, and I saw several moms sneaking in some seconds (totally acceptable, by the way)!

Next week the blue table is bringing savory and the orange table's bringing something sweet. (Want to know when your table's in charge of bringing something? Check here!) And you guys, seriously, it doesn't need to be the best dish you've ever made—we're moms—we get it. I've totally been the one who's shown up with donut holes or chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A. But on that note, we also discussed taking a vote for the best dish and then having that recipe featured in the next week's newsletter!

Once the meeting kicked off, Lindsey shared a bit about what this season and our MOPS group is all about. To paraphrase (and I actually wish I recorded her, because I truly felt like standing up and clapping afterwards):

Every one of us has an individual spark that drives us, and we all have something that each other needs. There are so many different ways to parent; you may cloth diaper or use disposables. You may make your own organic baby food from scratch or buy it premade. You may let your kid run around naked while the mom next to you does five loads of laundry a day. In other words: we're all completely different. We parent different, and we have different ideas about everything, but we have one thing in common: we're all moms and we all get it!

The coolest part about MOPS is that it's a group just for us. It's a group where we all understand where you're coming from, and we're all here to support each other with your walk in being the best mom that you can be. God chose you to be a mom, and He knew what your life would be like right now, dirty diapers, tantrum-throwing toddlers and all. But when you come to MOPS every other Wednesday, you get a two-hour break to just breathe. You get a moment to just have a break and be around other women who get where you're coming from, and that is pretty darn nice. 

After her message it was time for some table ice breakers in the form of Jenga! I don't know what happened at your table, but our table had a pretty fun time getting to know each other. (Fun fact: half of the moms at the Pink table can't whistle!)

We're really excited about this year, and I hope you are, too. There a lot of fun things planned: play dates with the little ones (because we know you want out of the house just as much as the kids), mom's night out (because getting out of your spit-up stained yoga pants* and having some grown-up time is always a lot of fun), and several other fun activities throughout the year, so keep an eye on the weekly newsletter for more information and upcoming dates.

We can't wait to see you again next week :)

*You can definitely still come in your spit-up stained yoga pants (been there, done that), don't let that stop you from joining us!

Last MOPS meeting of the 2014-15 year

Our last meeting was full of good food and fellowship. Lindsey came to share a little about her ministry, Cooking for Christ. She had a Biblical message designed for women through her cooking demonstration. Learn more about her ministry at https://cooking4christ.wordpress.com
We will miss our meetings over the summer, but look forward to seeing each other again in the fall. Meeting dates soon to come!!!

April 22 meeting

Tian Foss from The Rainbow House came to share about car seat safety. It was an informative meeting and we had many questions answered. They even volunteered to check to ensure our car seats were installed properly. We enjoyed brunch and meeting with fellow Moms.

You won't want to miss our next meeting on May 13. It will be our last meeting before summer!

April 8th Meeting

We enjoyed our time together this morning! Lindsay gave a devotion and led us in a craft. Breakfast was delicious and the fellowship was delightful. If your new to MOPS or new to the area, please feel free to check us out! 

March 11, 2015 Meeting

We had a great time this MOPS meeting working on an Easter craft. Our MOPS coordinator, Lindsey Hopkins, shared a devotion, part of her testimony, and led us in the craft. We went home with a beautiful canvas to hang in our homes! Our next meeting will be April 5th and will be our last craft meeting of the 14-15 year!

Even two baby-wearing mamas had a chance to enjoy painting!

Service Project: Gifts for the children at The Methodist Home

November 5, 2014 MOPS Meeting

At this MOPS meeting we had a speaker from The Methodist Home share with us. Elizabeth arranged this wonderful service project so that we could bless some children in need. The women of MOPS bought items off 2 children's wish lists in order to help them have a Merry Christmas this year. We also wrote Christmas cards thanking The Methodist Home cabin leaders for their service in caring for these children, as well as sharing Christmas wishes and blessings through cards to the children of The Methodist Home. What a way to get into the Christmas spirit and bless others!

October 16 Meeting

This was a great meeting full of info about women's health! Jessica started off the meeting with her "My Mess" story & shared that she has been convicted to start praying for her husband specifically, not just the family as a whole & the situations that they may be facing.

 

Then Laura Callaway, MSN, CNM, came to speak to us about women's health. She shared about being a Midwife and what a Midwife does ( http://ourmomentoftruth.midwife.org/). She also spoke about our general health and how important exercise and diet are for women. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women ( http://womenshealthresources.nlm.nih.gov/ )! We also got the new guidelines for pap smears and mammograms (www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/screening.htm, http://ww5.komen.org/breastcancer/breastselfexam.html).

www.midwivesofmacon.com

www.spkbd.com

After Laura gave us all that great info we go with our tables to plan for Trunk or Treat on the 30th! We are so excited to see what everyone comes up with!!

 



Fall Crafts & Tatas

What a fun meeting today!  Fall is in the air y'all and I am loving it!  Thanks to everyone who came out today and who wore pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness!

At the meeting, Alecia spoke about one of her recent "messy" days, about how our perspective and attitude can be our own worst enemy, and how God's goodness and grace will always win out if we are open to Him leading us through our day.

Juanita planned an awesome craft for us, and even though she couldn't be with us (feel better soon!!) everyone had a great time creating a cozy candle hurricane.  They all turned out so cute and (along with so many pumpkin goodies on the breakfast table) really helped welcome in the harvest season.

Judy Mason, owner of Color Me Pink, a boutique here in WR, came and spoke with us on breast health and daily care, and about the sizing and wearing of bras.  She was so friendly and humorous, and was great at answering all of our questions about "the girls".  I'm pretty sure we all looked down our shirts at some point to see if our bras were fitting well. 

 

 

Our play date is coming up on October 19th at the Twin Oaks pumpkin patch in Forsyth.  An Evite with details will be mailed out soon.  Also, don't forget to be talking with your tables about our upcoming Truck-or-Treat on October 30th.  And, remember to let us know if you are coming to our MNO on November 1st (a Truth Be Told party!).

September 18th Meeting

It may only be September but fall was definitely in the air for our meeting this week. We had 36 ladies including 3 first timers ready to sample lots of yummy pumpkin flavored treats and who doesn't love a good bagel lathered in cream cheese. We learned that sometimes the biggest messes can come from the smallest suspects with Laura Terry's my mess story on fleas.

Next we heard from our guest speaker, Pastor Matt Walls. He provided us with valuable insights on fostering a positive identity in our kids. He warned us not to try and create miniature versions of ourselves. Instead we need to allow our children to grow into who God created them to be. We need to avoid merely creating good rule followers, but help them embrace our family values so that they can learn decision making skills. A great mental picture he offered was giving our kids as much freedom as possible by creating a garden of yes with a tree of no. He certainly left us with plenty to ponder.

It was announced that through some amazing donations and a match from MOPS that we were the #1 fundraising team for the Caring Solutions 5K. Then, we ended the meeting finishing up our tote bag crafts that were so much fun we couldn't contain it to just one meeting.

Don't forget to join us for our MNO at Southside's Student Center Sept. 27 at 7. We'll be floating away with movie night and fun snacks.

Our next meeting will be Oct. 2 at 9:30. Moppets is available at 9:15. Be sure to get there on time for a chance to win a prize with our on time drawing

September 4, 2013 Meeting

Can you believe it's already September? This week's meeting was full of fun! Thirty-eight ladies (4 newcomers!) were in attendance. Steering team member Amanda Pena started out the meeting with her "My Mess" story. We then put Warner Robins MOPS labels on bottles of water to be taken to Caring Solutions Pregnancy Center. The Center gives a bottle of water to every lady who comes in for a pregnancy test, & having our label on the bottles that we donate helps to get the word out about our MOPS group. We're here for Moms!

Next, we were updated on the fall consignment sale. Thanks to everyone's help & participation, we had a very successful sale! Mark your calendars for the spring sale, March 7-8, 2014! Krista then led us in a crazy "dig-to-the-depths-of-your-purse" game. Talk about some surprises. Sixteen credit cards in one purse?! Really!? Four pairs of sunglasses in one purse?! A million coupons... a woman's purse is a scary place! Congrats to Daisy Table for winning this round.

We finished out this meeting with a fantastic craft, led by Juanita Larson. Canvas bags decorated any way you wanted! We had so much fun creating something both super cute & super functional. Please join us for our next meeting, Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 9:30. Moppets is available at 9:15. Remember to arrive on time so you are eligible to participate in our on time prize drawing.

August 21, 2013 Meeting

Our second meeting was a huge success! We had 37 moms present with 3 of those being first time attenders. To kick off the meeting we shared in delicious food and delightful conversation. This week following announcements and prayer our "my mess" story was provided by Lindsey, our co-coordinator. We then turned our attention to our guest speaker, who also happens to be our fabulous mentor mom, Leslie Giddens. She provided us with her inspiring testimony about finding the beauty in our messy lives and assured us that even seasoned moms like her have "messes". She also demonstrated that no matter how old your children become, they still need mom!

This meeting also provided us with a fun craft. Juanita Larson, our go-to crafts mom came up with a creative and cute name tag craft for us that would allow us to express a little about ourselves. Using scrapbook paper, stickers, ribbon, etc., we made personalized name tags to wear at our meetings.


Please join us for our next meeting, Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 9:30. Moppets is available at 9:15. Remember to arrive on time so you are eligible to participate in our on time prize drawing!

First Meeting of 2013-2014 MOPS Year

What a great first "Beautiful Mess" MOPS meeting we had for the 2013/2014 year! We had a total of 37 moms present including 7-1st timers!  We started the meeting out with the Steering Team giving their cardboard testimonies followed by our Coordinator, Krista Scarborough giving her "mess" story about looking for the "sweet spot" in our children. Our guest speaker, Mrs. Laura from Caring Solutions (our MOPS service project) came and shared a few testimonies of moms they have come in contact with thru their work at Caring Solutions. Also, our mentor mom, Mrs. Leslie Giddens attended and shared with the group the upcoming "Day of HOPE" event, which will be September 21, 2013. We would love to have several teams (groups of 5) present for this event. More information will be shared once it gets closer to time. Also, the MOPS consignment sale is coming up in just under 2 weeks! For more information go to http://warnerrobinsmops.blogspot.com/p/consignment-sale_21.html

Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next MOPS meeting August, 21, 2013. Drop off starts at 9:15 for our little ones and the meeting will start promptly at 9:30. We will have a "On Time" drawing so make sure you are not late.....we wouldn't want you to miss out on anything!

-Juanita Larson