Printable MOPS Newsletter

Everyone should have received their newsletters electronically at the first of the month. I missed the last meeting, so you didn't have printable versions available to you. If you would like to print one from home I have them uploaded now.  (Sorry for the delay! This has been a crazy month!) These are designed for 11x17 landscape printing. Don't forget to find us on facebook and twitter to catch new blog entries or posts. Also, subscribe to our feed so that you can see when we add new info! Blessings!

Sponge Grunge

While flipping through my monthly issue of Nutrition Action from CSPI, I took note of their cover story "Safe at Home".  The article focused on keeping  your kitchen clean - including dish cloths, sponges, sinks, cutting boards, refrigerators, counter tops, freezers, microwaves, and dish washers. But the DIRTIEST thing in  your kitchen is probably your sponge. Microbiologist Manan Sharma was interviewed in the article and said sponges are so dirty  because "They come into contact with food residues that can build up in them and that provide nutrients for bacteria and other microorganisms to grow." The article also points out that sponges are left in damp areas causing them to be wet. This only encourages conditions for germs to multiply. "A safe kitchen is a dry kitchen."

So, what to do? Rinsing and squeezing a sponge under running water alone won't do much for you. Microwave a WET sponge for one minute, and you will rid yourself of the majority of germies. (Please don't put it in the microwave if it has metal.) An alternative to the microwave is your dishwasher. 

WikiHow has other great step by step instructions on cleaning sponges. But, if you want to avoid sponges all together, just keep a fresh dish cloth out at the beginning of the day and toss it in the hamper in the evening. Just remember not to use a sponge as your "final wipe" of a surface.

Consistency

If you are calm, you are consistent, and you always do what you say you're going to, you will earn their (your children's) respect and trust.

Dr. Kevin Leman

If you are reading along in MomSense, we are in chapter six about consistency. Yikes... This is an area I could use improvement in. With my husband working a swing shift (12 hour shifts alternating between days and nights with an added hour and a half of driving time), we have a hard time finding a balanced schedule. While most little ones are getting ready for bed, my son is just getting to see his daddy for the first time that day. We have a late dinner, and little man gets to bed later than I would like or later than nights when daddy is working his night shift, and it is just my little guy and me. Some nights my son really tests me with his strong will wondering if I will follow through with the punishment I've threatened. Sometimes I don't. Or sometimes we end up going to the park even though I swore if he didn't take his "no thank you" bite during dinner he wouldn't get to go that night. On my end I recognize that it is very important to follow through with what I promise - whether it is reward or punishment. he needs to have a routine that he can trust just like he can trust in my husband and me. Now that's convicting!

Questions we will go over in discussion are from pages 85-86.

• Describe a time when it was difficult for you to be consistent in a parenting situation:
• How did your child respond to you?
• Share with other moms any struggles you have regarding consistency in your parenting practice, and ask a good friend to check in on this with you regularly to see if you're getting better at following through.

Hand Washing

 

Unfortunately, sickness comes along with cooler weather. The BEST way to prevent illness is to teach our little ones the importance of hand washing. 

 

This year there was a global handwashing day designated to bring awareness to the importance of washing hands. Check out globalhandwashingday.org for some fun stuff and important information put together in honor of celebrating that day. Don't forget to make everyday a global hand washing day. Here are some good tips from washinghands.net to teach the kiddos:

1. Apply Solution and Scrub for at least 10 Seconds
2. Scrub back of hands, wrists, between fingers and under fingernails
3. Rinse your hands
4. Turn off water lever using elbows
5. Dry

 Little Acorn Learning has some songs that your little ones can sing while they wash to ensure they wash them long enough and remember all of the steps.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
See how clean my two hands are
Soap and water, wash and scrub
Get those germs off, rub a dub
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
See how clean my two hands are

Wash, wash, wash your hands
Get them nice and clean
Wash them on top
Wash them on bottom and fingers in between
Wash, wash, wash your hands
Get them nice and clean
Wash them on top
Wash them on bottom and fingers in between

Two little hands
So clean and so bright
This is my left
And this is my right!
(do this one more than once to meet your 20 seconds!)

Tops and Bottoms, Tops and Bottoms (Rub tops and bottoms of hands)
In between, in between (rub fingers inside on both hands)
All around your hands, all around your hands
Makes them clean, makes them cleank

And lastly, a video advertising SoftSoap® but more importantly a fun reminder for children to remember to wash their hands. Cute for the little ones.

Traditions

For many families, the holidays go hand in hand with memorable traditions. Many of them are passed down through several generations. Other than having the iconic turkey for Thanksgiving lunch, I couldn't think of any real tradition that we had. So, who is to say I can't start one? Here are some fun ideas I found on the web that I thought I would share.

Gratitude Rolls

 

I love this idea from beautyandbedlam.com. Each guest for dinner writes a few things they are thankful for on small sheets of paper. They are baked in rolls and passed around during dinner. (A sort of fortune cookie if you will.) You can use pre-made crescent roll dough or follow their recipe for  homemade butter horn rolls.

Gratitude Trees

This is a similar idea from Green Jello. Cut out leaves of paper to hang on a "tree." Each guest writes something to be thankful for to hang on the tree. Keep the leaves for future Thanksgivings.

Book of Thanks

This is another cute idea from Eighteen25.com. Have a book ready for all of your guests to write their blessings with a photo from that day including everyone. Add to it every year. Wonderful heirloom!

So what traditions does your family have? Do you plan on starting any new ones?

RESPECT - People are Getting on My Nerves

If you missed Teri's devotion on respect, no worries, we've got the bullet points. We all tend to get on each other's nerves because we all have had different experiences. Inevitably there will be conflict. So what is the best way to approach someone who is getting on your very last nerve? (ie the infamous White Van...) Let's just look at the Bible for some guidance. Teri's given us these tips using the acronym RESPECT.

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:17

R - Remove Self. Stop focusing on yourself and let God take control.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10

E - Encourage Praise. Lift others up. Speak goodness into them.

Rejoice always, pray continually

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

S - See the person through God's eyes. We are all working through salvation. Ask Him to reveal their struggles.

P - Pray. Ask God to bless them.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 

Romans 12:14

E - Expect less of others. God is our Provider.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 

2 Corinthians 9:8

C - Close your mouth.  

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalms 141:3

 ¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
 ³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. ¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 ¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3

T - Tap into the heavenly realm. Have a heavenly perspective. When human emotions flair up it can be hard to have a heavenly perspective.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  

Colossians 3:2

Practice respect every day. Step into the heavenly realm.

November Calendar

Check out this month's calendar! Please let us know if you have an event you would like to add.