Mops Newsletter Nov 08

La Crescent

Notes and News BETTER MOMS MAKE A BETTER WORLD.

Volume 2, Issue 2

November 2008

Celebrations! Five of our MOPS moms have welcomed new additions to their families in the past two months. Check out these new MOPPETS! Chloe Rose Wieser (daughter of Emily and Ben)

Benjamin David Vonk (son of Beth and David)

was born on Sept. 12, 2008, at 11:41 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and measured 20 1/2 inches long. Jonathan Martin Holub (son of Heather and Marty)

was born on Oct. 8, 2008, at 11:27 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and measured 19 1/4 inches long.

CONGRATULATIONS to Theresa Campbell, now Theresa Coogan, for her recent marriage to Dan Coogan on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008. We wish you many wonderful years with your husband!

was born on Sept. 2, 2008, at 8:44 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and measured 19 inches long. Audrey Bea Skaudis (daughter of Amanda and Darin)

was born on Sept. 9, 2008, at 8:45 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs. and measured 20 3/4 inches long.

Upcoming Events 

MOPS ON NOV. 20, DEC. 4, AND DEC. 18.



GIANT MOPS PLAY DATE AT THE FAMILY RESOURCES CENTER IN LA CROSSE ON THURSDAY, NOV. 13 FROM 9 TO 11 A.M.



2ND ANNUAL MOPS FUNDRAISING AUCTION DURING OUR DEC. 4 MEETING

Inside this issue:

was born on Sept. 28, 2008, at 12:45 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs. and measured 20 3/4 inches long. Elizabeth Karen “Ellie” Witcik (daughter of Elizabeth and Mike)

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS 7th Becky Kiesau 11th Maggie Kowalski 19th Heather Johnson

CELEBRATIONS!

1

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

2

FIND GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS AT THE AUCTION

2

DON’T MISS THE GIANT MOPS PLAY DATE

2

MENTOR MOMS’ CORNER

3

IMPORTANT RESOURCE NUMBERS

3

CHEAP BIKES AND HOMEMADE BABY WIPES

4

Recipe of the Month: Caramel Apple Bars Ingredients: 1 c. packed brown sugar 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened 1/4 c. shortening 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 4 1/2 c. coarsely chopped peeled tart apples (3 medium) 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 (14 oz.) bag caramels

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Mix brown sugar, butter, and shortening in a large bowl. Stir in 1 3/4 c. flour, the oats, salt, and baking soda. Reserve 2 cups of the oat mixture; press remaining oat mixture into ungreased 9x13 inch pan. 2. Toss the apples and 3 Tbsp. flour; spread over mixture in pan. Heat caramels over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted; pour evenly over

submitted by Beth Vonk

apples. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture; press lightly. 3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. For 36 bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 36 servings Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 50 minutes

Find Great Christmas Gifts at our Auction on Dec. 4 Our MOPS meeting on Dec. 4 will include an exciting auction as a fundraiser for our group. Last year the auction was a huge success, and many of the moms went home with treasures as well as great gifts for family and friends. Last year the auction was held in March. This year the auction will be on Dec. 4 to provide a great way for our moms to do some Christmas shopping.

Because the auction is a fundraiser for our group, we are looking for donations from businesses or individuals who would like to contribute their products, time, or services. Examples could include handmade items such as quilts, scarves, hats, or jewelry; gift baskets; home business donations (such as items from Pampered Chef or another company); or a gift certificate for services that one provides, such as photography, home

decorating, fitness training, cake decorating, etc. Feel free to be creative. Please bring your donations to the Nov. 20 or Dec. 4 MOPS meetings. In addition, e-mail Maggie Kowalski at [email protected] to let her know what you’re planning to donate. Also, consider placing a minimum bid and retail value on your item or service. Thanks for your help with the auction, and happy bidding!

Don’t Miss Our Giant MOPS Play Date on Nov. 13 You won’t want to miss our all-MOPS giant play date at the Family Resources Center in La Crosse on Thursday, Nov. 13 from 9-11 a.m. Join us for a fun time with other moms while the kids play with a great selection of toys.

Page 2

Family Resources is located at 1500 Green Bay St. in La Crosse. For more information about the services offered by Family Resources of La Crosse, check out their

website: www.laxfamilyresources.org

Volume 2, Issue 2 Mentor Moms’ Corner: Organizing Tips from an Unorganized Woman By Lisa Cravillion I confess. I am a rabid list writer, and a rapid list loser. I plan and plan, and scribble lists, notes, reminders, then I usually lose them. This is VERY frustrating for me. My dear mom is quite organized, and for whatever reason, I didn't inherit her abilities with that, or with sewing (rolling eyes and remembering the failed apron attempt in 8th grade Home Economics). Fortunately I did inherit her goofy sense of humor, cooking skills, and now finally a bit of a green thumb, but that's another story. When people find out how many kids I have, they usually say, "You must be so organized!" Ha! Not so! I tend to be very easily distracted, and what happens is that instead of doing what should be done, I spend a lot of time thinking about things, jotting them down, and spinning my mental wheels. This past year I decided to organize my purse. I love big bags and I cannot lie. My biggest, shiniest bag is

black with big buckles. While it looks great and I get teased a lot about it, I don't like digging in it for my mints or cell phone or whatever. Diving into the black hole can be frustrating, so I went on eBay and found a marvelous purse organizer. Now everything has its place. I love it. Best of all I can transfer the organizer from bag to bag in seconds. In my purse organizer I decided to place a cheap-o planner from the Dollar Store, as well as a small notebook, three or four pens, mints, cell phone, wallet, lip gloss, and reading glasses. The idea behind the planner was to use it whenever someone talked to me about upcoming events. It has helped some, and keeping the small notebook in the purse has been great, too. Now if I would only remember to check the purse planner and transfer information to the main calendar in the kitchen. Since I spend a good amount of time on the computer most days, I decided that it would

be good for me to have electronic reminders, too. I figured it's impossible for me to lose a desktop computer, so it's feasible that having reminders on said computer may be useful. To that end, allow me to share one of my favorite computer reminder programs. LetterMeLater.com is a fantastic free service that allows me to compose email reminders to myself to be sent at later dates. I created a free account, then proceeded to write myself various reminder emails. I made a few Letter Me Later notes to remind me of library book due dates and things like that. (Let me just say how sobering it is to have a large library fine... grrrr!) I created a free separate gmail account for use with this service, then set the email account to forward all mail to my main account. Voila`! Works like magic. Regardless of my ineptitude, I hope my tips might actually work for others. Enjoy!

Important Resource Numbers Life can be tough, and we all need people who will offer a listening ear, a hug, or a word of encouragement in difficult times. We hope you find MOPS to be a safe place where you can share the struggles in your life. In addition, here are a few resources that others have found to be helpful:

Focus on the Family offers free Christian counseling on all family-related issues. (800) A-Family (232-6459) www.focusonthefamily.com

Dave Ramsey offers financial wisdom and sound advice for getting and staying out of debt. www.daveramsey.com

Catholic Charities of La Crosse provides a variety of support and counseling services to our region. www.catholiccharitieslax.org (608) 782-0710

Birthright of La Crosse offers support and confidential help in crisis pregnancies. www.birthright.org (608) 782-0373

Page 3

“WHEN PEOPLE FIND OUT HOW MANY KIDS I HAVE, THEY USUALLY SAY, ‘YOU MUST BE SO ORGANIZED.’ HA! NOT SO!”

La Crescent MOPS Notes and News BETTER MOMS MAKE A BETTER WORLD. La Crescent Evangelical Free Church 1675 County Road 6 La Crescent , MN 55947 Coordinator Maggie Kowalski Phone: 507-482-6378 E-mail: [email protected]

Check out our blog! LaCrescentMOPS.blogspot.com.

How to Find a Cheap Bike And now, the long-awaited information about how to find a cheap bike. Just ask Leo “Frenchy” Chaput, who rescues old bikes and fixes

them up to sell. He lives at 615 Main St. in La Crescent. Feel free to stop by his house or call him at (507) 8956094.

Recipes for Homemade Baby Wipes Recipe #1: Cloth Wipes submitted by Erin Donahue 2 cups water 1 dime-sized squirt of babywash 4 drops lavender essential oil 2 drops of tea tree oil (discourages mold and bacteria growth) Optional: 1 or 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract, especially helpful for battling yeast!! Watch for skin sensitivities, and if you suspect a sensitivity, omit the tea tree and lavender and GSE. For no-sew wipes, cut 6 inch x 6 inch squares of fleece. For flannel or sherpa wipes, one may want to hem the edges. I take an empty disposable

wipes container, put as many wipes in there as will fit, and pour the wipes mixture in. You can also put wipes in a wipe warmer if desired. There are many ways to use cloth wipes. Some moms keep their wipes dry, put the mixture in a water bottle, and squirt wipes as they use them. Whatever works!! Recipe #2: Paper Wipes submitted by Katie Mudd 1 2/3 cups water 2 Tbsp. baby wash 2 Tbsp. baby oil a roll of paper towels, cut in half Note: I use Bounty Select-ASize paper towels. When purchased in bulk, the cost is

greatly reduced. To begin, find a round, plastic canister with a tight lid. I found a good one at Target in the food storage aisle. Next, pour the water, baby wash, and baby oil into the canister, then swirl to mix. Next, use a freshly sharpened knife (not a serrated/bread knife) to cut the roll of paper towels in half. Dip the straight edge of the roll into the solution for a few seconds, then turn the roll over and leave the roll jagged-side-down in the solution for several minutes. Before using, remove the cardboard tube. Pull wipes from the middle of the roll and tear off as needed.