Sibling Pictures Wanted

In preparation for our November 5th speaker on Sibling Rivalry, we are collecting pictures of siblings. Please send us a picture of either you and your sibling(s) or of your children. You can send pictures to upcmops@gmail.com  Thanks!

Part-Time Job Opportunity

The Camp Manager for Young Life Beyond Malibu is looking for a part-time admin. He thinks that this would be a great position for a stay-at-home mom - it'd be 20-30 hours and pay between $12-$14/hour; days and hours are flexible. If you're interested, his email is rduyker@beyondmalibu.younglife.org. 

A Beautiful Mess

This year's theme is A Beautiful Mess: Embrace Your Story. So what does this mean? Here's some great reminders for us.

When life gets messy, remember to…

•Surrender to the mess, it will eventually get cleaned up

•Breathe through it

•Praise it.  Life’s challenges and messes can be great character builders and can help to deepen your faith.

•Grow from it.  Life’s messes often offer great learning opportunities.

•Embrace it and have fun.  Getting messy and letting go can be liberating.

•Nourish your soul by turning to those things that bring you joy.

And a big thanks to Angela for sharing some thoughts on how we can embrace one another's stories and build community together. Angela shared that a friend had once told her that she found that women were more open and vulnerable with her when she wasn't wearing any makeup. Being real with one another is essential to building authentic and meaningful community.

Here is the MOPS conversation with Momastery's, Glennon Doyle, that Angela also referenced today. Click HERE to read it. 

MOPS Begins Tomorrow!

It’s almost here!  MOPS begins on Tuesday, October 1st, and will meet from 9:30-11:30 in Geneva Hall. Geneva Hall is located on the second floor at the top of the main stairs. There will be signs and people to help you find your way!  Below you will find some information that you might find helpful for the first day.

 

PARKING-

Parking can be a challenge at UPC.  Here are some ideas of where to park:

• 47th Street Lot (north of the main UPC building on 47th and 15th)
• 15th AVE NE Lot (west of the main building across 15th AVE NE)
• Underground Garage (enter off 16th AVE NE) under the Larson complex
• Street Parking on 15th AVE NE (this is metered parking on the street)

If you are able to carpool, this is a great way to hang out with a friend before MOPS, too!

 

CHILDCARE-

Last week you received an email with a room assignment for your child/children. If you are unsure about which class your child should be in, please talk to Debbie, a UPC staff member, who will be available in the halls to answer questions tomorrow morning. Children may be dropped off in their classrooms beginning at 9:20.

 

REGISTRATION FEE-

We will be collecting registration dues at our first meeting on October 1st.  The fee is $125 for the year. Checks can be made out to UPC.  Scholarships are available. Please contact Sarah for details.

 

WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN GENEVA-

Stop by the Welcome Table to find your table assignment. Your table leaders will be at your table eager to greet you.  Don’t forget to bring your appetite—warm breakfast will be waiting for you!

 

STAY CONNECTED-

• EMAIL us at: upcmops@gmail.com
• SUBSCRIBE to our blog for access to speaker podcasts, mom resources, and other MOPS information! Visit us at www.upcmops.blogspot.com and click on SUBSCRIBE TO UPC MOPS
• JOIN our Facebook group: MOPS at UPC (private, closed group)

We’re looking forward to spending Tuesdays together. See you tomorrow morning!

Our First Meeting

Our first meeting is right around the corner!  We can't wait to see you on Tuesday, October 1st from 9:30-11:30am.

MOPS SUMMER

MOPS PARK PLAYDATES

Join us Tuesday mornings 10-11:30am

Stop by, or pack a lunch and stay the whole morning

June 18 @ Matthews Beach Park

49th Ave NE & NE 93rd St

July 2, 16, 30 @ Dahl Park

7700 25th Ave NE

August 6 & 20 @ Northacres Park & Spray Park

12718 1st Ave N

September @ View Ridge Park

4408 NE 70th St

UPC MOMS MORNINGS OUT

Thursday 9:30-11:30am on July 11 and August 1

Enjoy a morning out as our team of CFM Interns have fun with your 2-year-old through 5th grader. Cost: FREE

Registration: coming in June www.upc.org

UPC DAY CAMP

This year we will explore what it means to be Livin' in God's Backyard... how we find God at work everywhere we go... By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Preschool Day Camp

9:30-12:30 at UPC

Children 3 years old through entering 1st grade

Cost: $55

Elementary Day Camp

9am-1pm at Woodland Park

For entering 2nd - 5th grade

Cost: $65

Entering 6th Grade Camp

9am-1pm at Woodland Park

For entering 6th grade

Cost: $65

Registration required. More information can be found at www.upc.org

Making Mealtime Meaningful

Anne Marie Canlis, member of MOPS and SELAH, whose family owns Canlis restaurants, shared insights from her personal research and theology of food course. Her spiritual and poetic presentation highlighted not only eating real foods rather than processed, but also how to interact at the dinner table in order to build relationships and share in fellowship. She shared resources and provided practical ideas to create rituals for families.

Citing her research, Anne Marie said that family dinners are a greater protective factor than church attendance and good grades at school. But it is not just dinner, but what happens at dinner that makes difference. The tables with complex conversations, family narratives, and story telling were the most effective. She shared ideas to broaden invitations to conversations for small children:
* Instead of asking open-ended questions (which are hard for children to answer), share your own thoughts or insights as a way to invite a response. Examples include:
      - "I was thinking of you today..."
      - "I had a hard morning... (tell your story). What about you?"
      -  "I saw a bird this morning flying to its nest..."

Anne Marie also expressed, "Mealtime is a divine opportunity to inspire gratitude."Rituals like having each person go around the table to share something they are grateful for can be the start of the blessing for the meal. 

Resources:
Good Reads
- The Stories That Bind Us by Bruce Feiler, March 15, 2013, New York Times
- Surprising Power of Family Meals by Miriam Weinstein
- Supper of the Lamb by Robert Capon
- In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen
- Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen
- Food Rules by Michael Pollen
- Cooked by Michael Pollen
- The Rituals of Dinner by Margaret Visser
- A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg
- The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler
- The Everlasting meal by Tamar Alder
- How Children Succeed by Paul Tuft

TED Talks
- Mark Bittman: What's Wrong with What We Eat
- Ann Cooper talks school lunch
- Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food
- Jonathan Foley: The other inconvenient truth

Children's books
Pancake, Pancake by Eric Carle (great for realizing sources of simple foods around the house)

Table Aids for Mealtimes
- Table Topics - Family
- Kid's Chat
- Melissa and Doug's Family Dinner Game
- DIY - Make your own! Have each family member come up with 10-20 questions. Type them up, cut it up and keep it in a mason jar close to the table. Bring it out for dinner parties or guests to keep it interesting - maybe even have the guests write some to keep your question collection growing.

Accessory Exchange

This Tuesday, April 30, we will host an accessory exchange and gym play date in Larson Hall. Toys for the kids to use and light snacks will be provided. You bring accessories (jewelry, shoes in good condition, hats, belts, scarves, etc.) that you no longer wear and take home some new ones. See you at 9:30 on Tuesday!

Parenting in Metaphors

Deborah H. Anderson, family care specialist, minister, teacher, mom, and author, gave a thoughtful and engaging talk on parenting. Cutting through the clutter of parenting advice, Deborah simplified many parenting philosophies and childhood topics. She stated the goals of parenting are to end up with independent, responsible, well-adjusted, flexible adults. Suggesting a process of observing, instructing and guiding that incorporates all parenting philosophies, Deborah highlighted some key ideas that address many parenting issues:
- Emphasizing the child is not alone and "we are a team" 
- Being thoughtful about creating enduring, generational change
- Using a metaphor for describing a situation and then applying the same principles to parenting
- Using a "Thinking Chair" rather than a timeout - to give the child time to process what was wrong, what needs to be done to fix the behavior, and what can be done to avoid it in the future

You can find more information at her blog: onewiththerootbeer.blogspot.com. Check out more great tips by listening to her talk, available by clicking the link to the right. 

Get Outside!

Nancy Blakey, author of 5 activity books including 101 Alternatives to Television, parent educator and motivator, gave insightful, humorous, and personal accounts of the meaning of outdoor play for children. Not only affecting physical components of a person's development, it also impacts emotional and spiritual aspects. Children need unstructured playground time, to develop their own methods of dealing with boredom, and an opportunity to have a "wild corner" where there are few rules and lots of open-ended time to play, think, and move. 

Check out her inspirational talk by clicking to the link on the right. You can also find more of Nancy's insights at mudpiemamas.com. Mudpie Mamas is also on Pinterest, with lots of ideas for your family!

images from Amazon.com

Healthy Living

Tamara Atkins gave a great talk about women's health on March 19. 
Check out her insights by clicking the link on the right.

Saving Money by Couponing

Kelli Heys, stay-at-home mom, mother of 3 and joint owner of a construction company with her husband, shared her insights about how to coupon to save money. Kelli reports saving about 60% on average through using coupons and aims to spend $300-$400 each month for groceries & household items (diapers, cleaners, soaps, sundries, etc.) She explained the difference between types of coupons, as well as store deals/savings programs, where to find coupons, and her process for using coupons each week. You'll want to click on the link to the right to hear her talk in full, especially when she outlines specific ways to use each store's reward program and offers a "golden nugget" about Target.

Kelli's Coupon Rules & Guidelines
* Always get a raincheck if the store is out of the product
* Stack coupons - use a manufacturer's coupon + a store coupon for the same item + sale on the item
* Stock up for 3 months for shampoos, soaps, etc., 1 month for canned foods
* Buy produce in season and freeze when you can
* Overage - when the coupon value exceeds the item amount; Wal-mart allows you to apply the amount to your other purchases
* Coupons usually cycle 3 months at a time

Where to Find Coupons
* Buy a Sunday paper on Saturday from the dollar store; if there are good deals on items you buy, buy 3-5 papers so you have extra coupons
* Tuesday circular - Red Plum, Smartsource Ads in the mail
* Online: Smartsource.com, redplum.com, coupons.com, Facebook (like their product/page)
* All You Magazine
* Store booklets/mailings
* Coupons with receipts or on the back of receipts
* Coupons on the products themselves
* Manufacturers - look on their website, contact the company directly to let them know you like their products

Online Blogs/Coupon Resources
* couponconnections.com
* hip2save.com
* thriftynwmom.com
* couponmom.com
* Kraftfirsttaste.com
* couponing101.com
* livingrichlyonabudget.com

Process
* Collect coupons throughout week and buy newspapers on Saturday
* File by date in box/file bin/binder
* Meal plan based on coupons and sales (Saturday/Sunday) 
* Cut out coupons that will be used
* File into coupon clutch by store along with shopping list (specifying item, size, original price, coupons to be used, where to purchase it)
* Shop (Kelli amazingly shops at 6am Sunday morning) - no kids

Marriage & Parenting

Dr. Steve Call's engaging and meaningful talk on marriage and parenting highlighted the similarities between marriage and parenting in terms of attachment, consistency of response, and availability. Drawing from research, personal experience, and experiences of people he's worked with, Steve brings real-life examples and approaches to everyday situations that we might find ourselves in with our children or spouses. He also emphasizes the soothing ability play has in calming anxiety for both children and adults. Check out his talk in the MOPS Speakers box to the right.

Marriage: Stayin' Alive with Shari Gaffney

Full of joy and vitality, Shari Gaffney shared her heartfelt and wise insights into building and maintaining a strong marriage. She urged if you do only one thing for your kids, nurture your marriage; you can give no greater gift then to provide an awesome place for them to thrive as well as a give them a wonderful picture of marriage. A helpful acrostic for remembering her key points:

ALIVE

A - Always date
L - Lighten up & Laugh a lot
I - Invite & Invest
V - Value & Respect
E - Enjoy

Click on the link to the right to listen to her talk for February 5, 2013.

Suggested Resources by Shari Gaffney:

• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman and Nan Silver
• Fit to Be Tied: Making Marriage Last a Lifetime by Bill Hybels and Lynne Hybels
• The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller
• The Good Girls Guide to Great Sex (And You Thought Bad Girls Have All the Fun) by Sheila Wray Gregoire

Raising Book Lovers with Christina Dudley

Award-winning author and speaker, Christina Dudley, shared her insights on helping nurture the love of reading in our children. Hilarious and self-deprecating, Christina shared personal experiences, as well as tips for raising book lovers and reasons to emphasize reading as your child grows.

Tips for Raising Book Lovers by Christina Dudley
1) Model
2) Believe reading is reading - encourage reading of all kinds
3) Make time to read at least 10-15 minutes/day
4) Make it easy on yourself - get rid of books you don't enjoy
5) Dissociate reading with bedtime
6) Involve other voices - books on tape, relatives reading aloud on tape
7) Books are part of a balanced road trip diet.
8) If you can't beat them, join them. Get books that relate to your kids' interests.
9) It is never too late to become a book lover.

Click on the link to the right to listen to her talk (January 29, 2013).

And if you'd like to check out any of her books or learn more about her, Christina has her own website: http://www.christinadudley.com

  

January 29 - Visitor's Day

January 29th is Visitor's Day. Register ahead of time, especially if you need childcare ($5/child), and join us for delicious food, hear a great speaker, and enjoy some fellowship with other moms. Our guest presenter is Christina Dudley, author and speaker, who will share her insights in developing a love of literacy with our children. 9:30-11:30. Click the "Contact Us" link for more information or the register link on the right of the page. See you there!