Foothills MOPS - Arvada, Colorado

Scrumptious Ice Cream & Candy Shop

2012-02-23T12:49:00.002-07:00

Our MOPS group is so thankful for the sponsors that have so graciously supported us this year. One of those sponsors is the Scrumptious Ice Cream & Candy Shop in Olde Town Arvada.

Scrumptious has delicious "all good" ice cream. They strive to use as many all-natural ingredients as possible and all of their ice cream is made in the store. They also have lots of candy in bulk or wrapped - both old, nostalgic candy as well as new, cutting-edge candy.

Not only does Scrumptious sponsor our MOPS group, they are also allowing us to take our Spring Kids Candy Shop pictures there for the 2nd year in a row. If you haven't been there yet, it is a great location for photos. Exposed brick walls, wood floors and candy! My girls got their pictures there last year and they turned out AMAZING.

Next time you are in Olde Town Arvada, make sure you pop in and get some ice cream. I am sure the kids won't mind. :)

Meal Ministry - Tips for Planning and Dropping off Meals

2012-02-03T21:57:00.001-07:00

Does the idea of bringing a meal to another mom make you nervous? Don't worry - we will be bringing you tips and ideas to make the whole process easier.

Please remember that bringing a meal is an expression of your love and support of another mom, not a competition for best kitchen skills. :)

Tips for Planning the Meal

Double the meal you are already making for your family

Do this on a regular basis and freeze the second portion. You will have a freezer full of meals for your family and to give to others. This eliminates the rush when a meal needs to be brought during a busy week.

Have easy sides on hand:
- Frozen garlic bread or rolls
- Canned vegetables
- Frozen cookies or cookie dough
- Frozen sides (e.g. green beans w/ soy sauce, sesame seeds, garlic -- just add water and heat)
DGL’s are the first contact for a mom in need. DGL’s should keep track of the following:
- Dates meals are needed
- Meal schedule (can set up according to your preference - email, takethemameal.com, etc.) Please copy Megan on all schedules so she can fill in any gaps with other moms as necessary
- Food allergies
- Size of family
- Any additional needs

Tips for Dropping Off the Meal

Take food in disposable containers
- Examples: Ziplocs, foil pans or Gladware. They come in all shapes and sizes and are inexpensive enough that no one minds giving them away. Best of all, the recipient won’t have to worry about returning dishes.
Bring a complete meal - {& bring extra if you can}
- Think about a meal you’d feed to your family...Entree, side and veggie. And no nursing mom I know (or their kids or husband for that matter) turns down dessert! :) Remember to include kids in your portions. I remember being so grateful that we had enough food not only for dinner, but for lunch the next day as well. It was one less thing to worry about, and as a nursing mom I was starving those first few weeks. Having extras was appreciated!
Arrive on time
- As in, don’t bring dinner by at 8pm. I don’t know about you, but I like to eat a little earlier than that. If you find that your weeknights are just too busy to make an extra dinner, try taking a meal over on the weekend. Or, do your prep the night before and just assemble and deliver the next day. Sometimes it’s simplest to bring the meal by in the mornings before their kids (and yours!) hit the wall & nap-time. Just make sure to communicate with the mom for what works best for both of you.
Leave on time
- There’s a lot to chat about, I know. After all, your friends just had a new baby, and you’re eager to hear all the details. But, keep in mind that they might be slightly exhausted (and hungry!). Now is not the time for a two hour visit. Ooh and aah over the baby, chat a little, and then politely excuse yourself and leave the family to enjoy the delicious meal you’ve just prepared! (If you have your kids with you, you may consider leaving them in the car and just running the meal in quickly.)

These tips were compiled by Megan K. Thanks, Megan!

FREE Preschool Fair at APEX

2012-02-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Looking for a preschool for next year? The Apex Park and Recreation District is having a FREE Preschool fair on Wednesday, February 8th from 11am-2pm. At this fair will be a variety of preschools from Arvada and the surrounding area.

The fair is located at the Secrest Youth and Teen Center at 6820 W. 66th Ave.

Please call Laina at 303-403-2555 for more details.

FCC MOPS Meal Ministry

2012-01-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

One thing (among many) that I love about MOPS is the commitment of our group to bring meals to moms who could use a meal due to a new baby, severe illness, surgery or other unforeseen circumstance.

I have been on the receiving end of this ministry twice now (once in 2009 when Bree was born and again last fall after undergoing surgery) and not only did it greatly bless me, it blessed my entire family. I strongly believe in this ministry and so I am excited to see our group have a formal coordinator for this ministry this year. Megan K. will be our coordinator and I know she is going to do a fabulous job!

The purpose of Foothills MOPS Meal Ministry is to show Christ’s love to our fellow moms in times of need through providing meals for them and their family.

As the Foothills MOPS Meal Ministry formally begins we will be sharing some insights and tips on meal planning, recipes and the ins and outs of bringing meals to fellow moms. Keep an eye on the blog for ideas and feel free to submit you own ideas to Megan using our Contact Form.

As I looked around the room at our meeting this morning and saw so many cute preggo bellies, I can see I'd better not delay in posting all the wonderful tips that Megan has put together so far. Stay tuned!

Love and Logic Course - Arvada Covenant Church

2012-01-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

MOPS and Arvada Covenant Church are sponsoring a 6 week Love & Logic course starting this Thursday, January 19th, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.

The cost of the course is $30, plus $5 for childcare each week.

If you are interested in attending, please call Karen at 720-962-5472.

Arvada Covenant Church is located at 5555 Ward Road in Arvada.

Hope you are having a great week so far!

Next MOPS Meeting - January 10

2012-01-06T22:40:00.003-07:00

Our first meeting of the 2012 year is coming right up! We will be meeting on Tuesday, January 10th.

We have a great speaker lined up. Lauren Runyon is a former MOPS mom and she will be speaking to us about being transparent.

We will be having a hot breakfast provided by the Parcheesi, Pictionary and Chutes & Ladders tables. Come hungry!

Our raffle will be for a CPR class and certification. If you have any questions, please email Brittany H.

Dues are due for our third quarter. Please bring your checkbook, cash or credit card to pay $28 dues and $5 hospitality fee (total $33).

IMPORTANT: If you have a Ladybug who is three, they will be graduating up to the Kangaroos class. All other children will be staying in their respective classes. Any questions, contact Michelle K or send us an email at mopsatfoothills@gmail.com.

Christmas Craft Ideas

2011-12-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to keep the kids occupied in this last week before Christmas? Here are some fun Christmas craft ideas for preschool or early elementary children.

Each picture is clickable and will take you to the original website or blog for more information or instructions on how to complete the craft.

Thumb Print Christmas Lights

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Christmas Tree

Source: meetthedubiens.com via Amber on Pinterest

Handprint Rudolph

Source: meetthedubiens.com via Amber on Pinterest

Christmas Tree Ornament

Source: ahomeschooljourney.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Snowglobe

Source: whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Candy Cane Reindeer

Source: chadamberhiggins.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Homemade Handprint Ornaments

Source: onceamonthmom.com via Amber on Pinterest

Snowflake Ornament

Source: playathomemom3.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Handprint Tree

Source: ucreatewithkids.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. I look forward to seeing you at our next MOPS meeting in January!

Next MOPS Meeting - December 13

2011-12-11T14:59:00.001-07:00

Our next meeting is this upcoming Tuesday, December 13th, at 9:30 a.m.

The Steering Team will be providing appetizers and desserts to enjoy while we make a craft and exchange our cookies.

Don't forget to bring your cookies for the Cookie Exchange! (One dozen) We will provide boxes for you to bring your cookies home. If you have a cookie catastrophe or can't find time to bake, feel free to pick up your favorite store-bought cookies.

If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping, make sure to bring some cash for the Express-O boutique and our raffle. Express-O boutique will feature various handmade items from different countries that FCC has ministries in. Our raffle this week is a wonderful tray complete with hot cocoa mixes and mugs which would make a great gift!

I'd also like to encourage you to bring something for the Moppets workers to show appreciation for the wonderful care they provide our children. Just some extra cookies or a card would make them feel special. We couldn't do MOPS without them!

Here is the list of the workers in each room:

Bunnies (under 1): Holly P., Sarah M., Marge F., Dolly W.
Turtles (12-18mos): Rebecca M., Michaela H.
Caterpillars (18-24mos): Dorianne D., Sami W., Anna L.
Ladybugs (2): Dana B., Amy C., Rebekah L.
Kangaroos (3): Robbyn S., Gabe H.
Eagles (4+): Tammi B., Cami L.

Looking forward to seeing you this Tuesday!

Thanksgiving Craft Ideas

2011-11-21T22:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a few fun craft ideas to do with your preschoolers this week. :)

Thankful Turkey

Source: crafts-for-all-seasons.com via Amber on Pinterest

Color by letter

Source: reading-with-kids.com via Amber on Pinterest

Turkey Handprint Craft

Source: growingkinders.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

TP Roll Turkey

Source: busybeekidscrafts.com via Amber on Pinterest

Mayflower Handprint Craft

Source: frymanfour.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

November 8th MOPS Meeting

2011-11-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Our next MOPS meeting is Tuesday, November 8th.

We have a wonderful speaker lined up for you - Janna Widdifield. Janna has spoken with our group in previous years and she always has great tips on how to make holidays fun and meaningful for your children. You won't want to miss this!

If you want copies of some of the ideas Janna will be sharing with us, you can print the documents below:

Janna's blog is Mustard Seeds. If you visit, be prepared to be inspired!

After Janna is done sharing, we will be packing our boxes together for Operation Christmas Child.

Red & White Holistic Health Care Center

2011-11-05T22:08:00.000-06:00

Another MOPS sponsor I would like to bring to your attention is Red & White Holistic Healthcare, which is owned by our own Jill Morian.

Red & White specializes in:

Allergy Elimination/Acupuncture
Chinese Medicine
Massage

Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 9AM - 6PM and one Saturday a month (with some holidays excluded).
Address: 5150 West 80th Ave, Bldg B. Westminster CO 80030
Phone: 303-429-HEAL (4325)
Email: jill@red-white.net

Operation Christmas Child

2011-10-30T22:45:00.002-06:00

We will be putting together our boxes for Operation Christmas Child at our next meeting - November 8th. We will pack the boxes together during the meeting.

We will be packing 25 boxes, so the supplies you bring will be going in all of those boxes. Each table is responsible to bring three boxes to pack. Please make sure they are a standard-size shoe boxes. The ages of the children who will receive these boxes range from two to fourteen, so keep that range in mind while you shop. The Dollar Store and Walmart are great places to find a lot of these items for a good price.

Please note, the lists are not all inclusive, so don't let it limit you!

Monopoly & Parcheesi: School Supplies – pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

Pctionary & Chutes and Ladders: Toys – small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky, etc.

Candyland & Sorry: Hygiene Items – toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloths, etc. **we have 50 toothbrushes that have been donated**

Checkers & Scrabble: Other – T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), puzzles, hard candy, bubble gum, etc.

DO NOT INCLUDE: used or damaged items; war-related items (i.e. toy guns, knives or military figures); chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items (i.e. snowglobes, glass containers); aerosol cans

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jenn Polson at jennylynn234@aol.com.

Foothills Trunk-or-Treat

2011-10-27T22:36:00.000-06:00

Foothills Community Church has their annual Trunk or Treat tomorrow night (Friday, Oct 28), from 6:30-9:00 in the church parking lot.

8270 West 80th Ave
Arvada, CO 80005

There will be a lot of candy and a lot of cool trunks. Our MOPS group will also be having a bake sale in the foyer.

We hope to see you there!

(No scary costumes please.)

Witches' Tea

2011-10-20T21:19:00.000-06:00

There is a fun event coming up that I thought you all should know about. Erin V.'s So Lovely Traveling Tea Room is having a "Witches' Tea" at the Cheesecake Therapy in Olde Town Arvada.

When: Sunday, October 23rd at 12 Noon and again at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Cheesecake Therapy at 7401 Ralston Road, Arvada.
Cost: $20/person

There is limited seating available, so please call Cheesecake Therapy at (303) 940-2530 for reservations.

Witch Hat and attire encouraged.

I had the pleasure of attending an event put on by the So Lovely Tea Room last spring, and it was an enjoyable time with delicious (and adorable) appetizers, desserts and tea. This one looks like a lot of fun too!

Announcements from 10/11/2011

2011-10-11T15:11:00.000-06:00

Here are the announcements from the October 11th meeting:

Foothills Community Church will be having their annual Trunk-or-Treat on Friday, October 28th.
Our MOPS group will be having a bake sale during the Trunk-or-Treat on the 28th. If you can donate treats (individually wrapped), they can be brought to the church kitchen on Thursday or Friday late-afternoon. We also need moms to volunteer to work the bake sale (1 hour shift). This is a good way to meet other moms from our group in a fun way! Let Brittany know if you didn't get a chance to sign-up at the meeting and would like to help.
Butter Braid forms will be collected at our next meeting (October 25th). Our goal is sell 100. We will not be selling Butter Braids in the spring so be sure to stock up for the year. They will be delivered at our November 8th meeting, just in time for the holidays!
At our next meeting (October 25th), we will be having a raffle for a $100 gift certificate for a company that will print your favorite photo(s) to canvas. Brittany will be bringing in a sample that she has had made through the company. What a beautiful way to decorate your home!
We will be participating in Operation Christmas child again this year. Each table will be responsible for 3 boxes and a specific type of item. More information to come.
Directory Information is not given out to our MOPS sponsors and is not allowed to be used for mailing lists and such.
The speaker at our meeting on October 25th will be Paula Valenta, who will be talking about relationships. If you have a question you would like Paula to address, you can email them to Allison @ alispeedboat@yahoo.com (All questions will be kept anonymous.)
Woodrow Wilson Academy (94th & Wadsworth) is having a clothing swap on Saturday, November 12th from 9-12. It is open to the community. There are mostly kids clothes (infant-size 10), but also some women's and a little men's. Anything from soccer cleats to jeans to pajamas to costumes. The only rules are:
- Clothes need to be in good condition (no rips / stains) and nice enough that kids could wear it to school.
- Leave what you don't need -- please pre-sort by size.
- Take what you need - bring your own bags/boxes.
- If your clothes are left at the end of the swap, they will be donated to a local charity. If you would like to take them back home, that is fine, but you will need to gather them yourself. This year's charity is Haven's Hope, which is located in the lot of Foothills Community Church. Haven's Hope provides basic living items and mentoring for women and children who have been in abusive situations.

Fall Craft Ideas for Kids

2011-10-05T22:14:00.003-06:00

My daughter loves to do crafts. Since I have a hard time coming up with creative ideas on my own, I am so thankful for the internet (and especially Pinterest) to help me find some inspiration.

Here are a few fun-looking crafts I've found that could be done with preschool / early elementary children. Each image is linked to the website so that you can click on them to find the instructions or additional information for each craft.

This first one looks pretty easy - I plan on incorporating it as a writing/art project for my 1st grader in the next week or two.

Source: teacherbitsandbobs.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

I love crafts that involve capturing a child's hand print.

Source: thecraftycrow.net via Amber on Pinterest

Perfect for a child learning their letters.

Source: totallytots.blogspot.com via Betsy on Pinterest

Easy "knuckle-printing" pumpkins.

Source: 1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I have seen a few adorable Thanksgiving crafts around. I will try to remember to post those next month!

Happy crafting!

Announcements from 9/27/2011

2011-09-28T23:08:00.001-06:00

Here are the announcements from our 9/27/2011 meeting.

Dues will be due at the October 11th meeting for our 2nd quarter ($28). This pays you up through the end of December.
The speaker at our next meeting (October 11th) will be Lauren Runyon. She will be speaking on transparency.
The speaker at our meeting on October 25th will be Paula Valenta, who will be talking about relationships. If you have a question you would like Paula to address, you can email them to Allison @ alispeedboat@yahoo.com (All questions will be kept anonymous.)
At the next meeting (October 11th), we will have Butter Braid order forms. We will only sell Butter Braids for two weeks. Order forms will be collected on October 25 and the butter braids will be delivered at our November 8th meeting so that you have them in time for the holidays.
For our next meeting, we will be having a hot breakfast. Your DGL will contact you if your table is due to bring food.

Next Meeting - September 27

2011-09-24T15:19:00.000-06:00

Our MOPS group is off to a great start! The last two meetings have been a lot of fun reconnecting with returning moms and I am excited to see so many new members as well. Welcome, welcome!

A few reminders:

Family Pictures
Family Pictures will be October 14, 15 & 16th. There are still a few openings available on Friday afternoon, Saturday afternoon and on Sunday. You can contact Brittany or sign-up at the next meeting.

$50 gets you a half-hour photo shoot. It also includes five digital photos of your choice with the printing rights.
Each additional photo is $5.
Location will be the park by Excel Academy off 86th & Simms.
The photographer will beEmily RC Photography.
She will be shooting with a partner.

Raffle
We will be raffling an adorable Halloween bag with handmade embroidery, created by Michelle. All proceeds from the raffle go toward our own MOPS group. Aren't these adorable?

Meeting Information
This meeting we will have two members from our group sharing their testimonies. We will also have a craft where we will be creating refrigerator magnets. And lots of time to talk amongst our tables, which I know we all love!

Brittany Heckenberg - Real Estate Agent

2011-09-23T23:35:00.000-06:00

One of our MOPS sponsors is Brittany Heckenberg. Brittany is a Real Estate Consultant with Keller Williams and specializes in all of your real estate needs, including:

First Time Home Buyers
Buying a Home
Selling Your Home
Investment Properties
Property Management
Short Sales / Pre-Foreclosures
Bank-Owned Properties

Brittany has a website at BrittanyH.com and you can also "like" her on facebook at Brittany Heckenberg Keller Williams. You can also reach Brittany at (303) 877-2641 or BrittanyH@KW.com.

Chile Relleno Casserole (Colorado Cache Cookbook)

2011-09-05T10:23:00.002-06:00

4 - 7 ounce cans whole, mild green chiles
1 pound Monterey Jack Cheese
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
dash of black pepper
4 cups grated mild Cheddar cheese (1 pound)

Makes 8 servings (Or one full 9x13 casserole dish - plenty for more than 8)

Slit chiles lengthwise on one side. Remove seeds and drain. Slice Monterey Jack cheese into 1/4 inch thick slices and place inside chiles. Place stuffed chiles in an ungreased 3 quart baking dish. Mix eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper well, and pour over chiles. Sprinkle top with grated Cheddar. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Charmingly Petite

2011-09-02T22:46:00.000-06:00

Our first MOPS sponsor that I'd like to bring to your attention is Charmingly Petite.

Charmingly Petite is owned and operated by Michelle K. and offers personalized machine embroidery services and handmade items. Custom orders are her specialty.

Michelle has a special just for our MOPS moms at her Etsy shop. Use coupon code "fccmops2011" for 15% off of your next order!

You can also "like" Charmingly Petite on facebook for additional specials, coupon codes and to see the latest projects Michelle has created.

FCC MOPS Sponsor Information

2011-09-02T22:29:00.000-06:00

Hey MOPS friends! Do you have a home business that you would like to promote with your fellow MOPS moms? For only $35, any mom registered with our group can advertise their business with our local MOPS group for the year. This includes:

A slide in a powerpoint that will be displayed as moms are arriving to the MOPS meeting.
A blog post highlighting your business.
A link in the blog's sidebar for the entire MOPS year.
An ad in the MOPS newsletter (sent out via email to all moms registered with our group)
We'll "like" you on Facebook.

If this sounds like something you are interested in, please contact Brittany (our fearless fundraiser).

Also, if you know of a business that would like to advertise with us, they can receive the same benefits listed above for only $50. Contact Brittany for more details.

First Meeting

2011-08-22T22:53:00.000-06:00

Our first meeting is tomorrow morning! How did it get here so fast? With school starting up, it totally crept up on me.

Location: Foothills Community Church - Arvada, Colorado
Date: Tuesday, August 23rd.
Time: 9:30 a.m. (You can start dropping your kids off at 9:15 a.m.)

We will be having a delicious hot breakfast, provided by your Steering Team and Mentor Moms. So come hungry!

Meal Planning

2011-06-09T23:11:00.000-06:00

Food Your Way has a humorous blog post on the Top 10 reasons you shouldn't plan a weekly menu. A few of my favorites are:

9. You like to spend your free time staring blankly at the pantry trying to come up with dinner ideas. It’s like a hobby.

3. The grocery store is your “happy place” and you like making extra trips to pick up last-minute ingredients.

1. You like to use the excuse “We don’t have anything to eat” as a reason to go out to dinner.

I am sure we all LOVE to make extra visits to the grocery store with our preschoolers in tow. And I know I have used reason #1 a time or two...or a hundred-something.

I'll admit that I am a recent convert to the concept of making a meal plan for our family. When I first heard about meal planning, I had all kinds of excuses as to why it would never work for me, such as "too much work" or "I am not good at schedules" or "I don't like to cook".

Well, I am still not a fan of cooking, but making a meal plan has been so good for our family and it makes dinnertime run smoother!

When I have a plan for dinner, I no longer open my cupboards and fridge at 5 p.m. with a feeling of desperation. We are saving money by dining out less. We are eating healthier by eating at home rather than hitting the nearby McDonalds. And, to my husband's delight, it has also encouraged me to branch out on my meal repertoire to try new recipes.

Here are a few meal planning tips that work for me:

Don't feel like you need to plan an entire month's worth of meals. I currently am doing just one week at a time and I find this helps me from feeling overwhelmed.
Be sure to check your calendar when planning your meals. Do you have a busy afternoon on Wednesday but your morning is free? Make Wednesday's dinner a crockpot meal so you can do most of the work in the morning.
We usually eat our leftovers for lunch in the following days, but you could also schedule a "leftovers dinner" for a casual dinner during the week.
Make a list of ingredients you need for the week. Check your pantry for items you may already have and shop for the rest. Having all the ingredients for your entire week of meals is a great incentive to actually want to cook.
I like to brown extra ground beef or cook extra chicken breasts for dinner to use in another dish later in the week. This saves time and work for the later meal.
I have two ready lists of recipes saved on my computer. One is meals we know we like or that are our go-to meals. The other is recipes we want to try, often ones I have bookmarked on the internet. When I make my meal plan, I simply open up these lists and plug in a few recipes from each.
BE FLEXIBLE. Don't be afraid to move the meals around to a different day if something comes up.

If you need some inspiration to get started, seven thirty three has a cute meal planner available for free download.

Meal planning has made such a difference for our family. On the weeks where I actually put together a meal plan and let my husband know about it, he gets excited because he knows there are some good dinners in his future. And we both are happy about the money we are saving and that we are eating healthier.

Do you have any meal planning tips?

May ALL MOPS Event – Kids Clothing Swap

2011-05-16T20:41:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, May 17th) is the last ALL MOPS event for this year.

Event: Kids Clothing Swap
Date: Tuesday, May 17th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Fitness Center of Foothills Community Church

Bring whatever kid items that you are done with and want to get rid of and take home some new-to-you stuff!

Upcoming (Last) MOPS Meeting - May 10

2011-05-06T14:32:00.001-06:00

Next Tuesday is our last MOPS meeting until August. We hope to see you there!

Early registration for next fall is still going on. If you register through next Tuesday's meeting, you will get a small discount on the MOPS International Fee. Additionally, early registrants will be entered into a drawing for a $50 King Soopers Gift Card! The MOPS International Fee is currently $21.95. You can pick-up registration forms from Amber and Allison at the check-in table.

(The MOPS International Fee is transferable to any MOPS group, so even if you think you may be moving to another area over the summer, it can transfer to your next group.)

Upcoming (4/26) MOPS Meeting and May ALL MOPS Event

2011-04-23T17:01:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! Our speaker at next Tuesday's meeting will be Paula Valenta. Paula is a wife, mother and a former MOPS Mentor Mom. Her topic will be Finding your Voice.

Also, save the date for our last all MOPS Event on May 17th at 7pm. The Passion Fruit Table is planning a Swap Meet for Baby/Kid items. So start saving all of the baby clothes, kid clothes, books, toys, etc. that you want to swap. Location: TBD.

Lastly, registration forms will be available at the next two meetings. Register early for the MOPS 2011-2012 year and there could be something special in store for you. There is also a small discount in the registration fee if you register early.

April - Upcoming Events Around Town

2011-04-14T19:26:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of the free (or cheap) upcoming events in the Denver area.

Rocky Mountain National Park - FREE days

Date: Saturday, April 16th through Sunday, April 24th
Where: Rocky Mountain National Park, west of Estes Park, CO
When: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Hours are for Fall River Visitors Center. Park is open 24 hours)
Who: Family Event
Cost: FREE!

Denver Museum of Nature and Science - FREE day

Date: Sunday, April 17
Where: 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver
When: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Who: Family Event. Just need to show your Colorado ID.
Cost: FREE for Colorado Residents!
Note: A fee still applies to IMAX films or Planetarium shows, but the exhibits are all free.

Denver Botanic Gardens - FREE Day

Date: Friday, April 22
Where: 1005 York Street, Denver
When: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Who: Family Event
Cost: FREE for Colorado Residents!
More Information: Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver Art Museum - Día del Niño/Day of the Children - FREE Day

Date: Sunday, April 24
Where: 100 W 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver
When: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Who: Family Event.
Cost: FREE
More Information: Denver Art Museum

Baskin-Robbins - 31¢ Scoop Night

Date: Wednesday, April 27
Where: Baskin-Robbins (Participating locations)
When: 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Who: All Ice Cream Lovers
Cost: 31¢ a scoop
More Information: 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins® helps honor America's firefighters. Baskin-Robbins is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation™ (NFFF). Participating stores will reduce prices of ice cream scoops to 31 cents*. At some locations, you may also have an opportunity to make a donation to your local fire charities.

Transforming a Picky Eater Into a Healthy Eater

2011-04-08T17:38:00.000-06:00

Transforming a Picky Eater Into a Healthy Eater - that is the topic of our upcoming MOPS meeting on April 12th with speaker Joann Bruso.

I am thinking I will have to take a lot of notes at this meeting since I have two picky eaters at my house. (Actually, three, if I add myself to the household's picky eater count.)

Looking forward to seeing you there!

April All MOPS Event - Paint Your Own Pottery

2011-04-04T12:20:00.000-06:00

Come out for an evening at Into the Fire, where you can paint your own pottery! The studio fee of $4 will be collected at the next meeting (4/12/11) to reserve your spot, so please RSVP by then.

When: Tuesday, April 19 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Where: Into the Fire - 7409 Grandview Ave Arvada, CO 80002

The cost of the pottery at the studio ranges from about $4 (for coasters) and up. This is separate from the studio fee and can be paid at the event.

They have idea books you can look through, stencils you can use and lots of pretty examples if you need extra inspiration like I (Amber) often do. I made some coasters last year and they turned out quite well. :)

March All MOPS Event -- Mom's Swap Meet

2011-02-28T03:41:00.000-07:00

When: Wednesday, March 09 from 07:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Where: Red Theatre - 8270 W 80th Ave Arvada, CO 80005

Gather any clothes, maternity clothes, jewelry, books, purses, shoes etc. that you don't wear or want to wear anymore and come swap them at the March All MOPS event. It's sure to be a great time. Even if you have nothing you want to swap come and meet some other moms and enjoy a night of fellowship and snacks.

Requested items: maternity clothing

We ask that you not bring any household items or items that could spill (perfume, shampoo). Thank you.

Supply Lists

2011-01-12T14:24:00.001-07:00

We are running low on some supplies. If you have been a member of FCC MOPS since the beginning of the year and not brought in your supplies here is the list again. Please bring your supplies to the closet at the back of the red theater.

If you joined FCC MOPS after the month of October, please refer to the MOPPETS Supply list and bring your items to Robin when you drop your child(ren) off.

MOPS 2010-2011 Supply List

We DO NOT expect COSTCO sized supplies

1. 16oz Solo Cups

2.12oz Coffee Cups

3.1/2 Gallon of Juice

4.Coffee (1 of each): Regular & Decaf

5.1 Pkg of Large Heavy Duty Paper Plates(no styrofoam)

6.1 Small Box of Individual Flavored Coffee Creamers

MOPPETS 2010-2011 Supply List

1. 1 Box of Baby Wipes

2. 1 Box of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

3. 1 Package of Construction Paper

4. 1 Roll of Paper Towels

5. 1 Box of Ziplock Bags (either gallon or quart size)

Family Goal Setting Resources

2011-01-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Simple Mom Network: www.simplemom.net
- click on downloads tab (all downloads are FREE):
- Goal Setting Questions for 2011
- Daily Docket
- Master Weekly Checklist
- 20 Questions for a New Years Eve Reflection
- Master Grocery List
- explore other simple 'mom' partners: simple bits (dinner/meal planning), simple homeschool, simple kids and simple organic (on right-hand column).

Book: Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider (editor of the Simple Mom Network).

A Holy Experience: www.aholyexperience.com (spiritual living - thankfulness)

I recommend subscribing via e-mail to these two blogs...it gets delivered right to your inbox, usually a little something every day or every other day. It's easier than going to the bog and getting sucked in blog time-warp that leads you to another blog and another, etc...These are two of my VERY favorite. Enjoy!

preschoolers-chore-chart

January All MOPS event

2011-01-10T03:43:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, January 13th, the Clementine table is hosting the All MOPS event. Wine and Cheese at Amber Johnsons house. An E-vite was sent out last week, if you did not receive the e-vite, please let your DGL know. See you there!

MOPPETS workers

2010-12-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of our MOPPETS workders and the room w/ ages that they work in. Please remember to bring Christmas/Thank you cards to the meeting on Tuesday to show our workers your appreciation.

MOPPETS Workers list:

Bunnies (babies - walking): Holly , Nancy, Marge, Abi, Sarah

Turtles (walking - 18m):Kelly, Sami

Caterpillars (19m- 2 yrs): Irene , Michaela

Ladybugs (10/2/07 - 10/1/08): Amy C , Dolly, Rebekah L

Kangaroos (10/2/06 - 10/1/07): Amy M , Rebecca M

Dolphins/Eagles (10/2/05 - earlier): Tammi , Dana, Joanna

Cookie Exchange & Recipes

2010-12-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

: Rudolph's Christmas Sugar Cookies

image source here

I know that a lot of you have already gotten together with your tables to make cookies for the cookie exchange, but incase you haven't like me (i'm such a procrastinator), here are some links to favorite cookie recipes.

Martha Stewart Favorite Cookie Recipes

BGH All-Time Favorite Cookie Recipes

The Perfect Pantry's Favorite Cookie Recipes

Christian Literature for Kids & An Online Storytime

2010-12-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post these two links for a while now. I hope that you find them useful.

Christian literature for Kids ages 0-8 Here you can find some suggestions for good christian children's books.

Barnes & Noble Online Storytime A new book is read aloud online each month. This month's book is the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Read by the author. It does help to have a good internet connection.

Crockpot Stuffing Recipe

2010-11-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Take a little bit of the work and shave some time off of all of the hard work and love that goes into making Thanksgiving dinner.

Crockpot Stuffing Recipe

Source: Taste of Home

Thank you Megan K.

Good Article...

2010-11-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

I thought this article on being a young mother was interesting. Brings things back into perspective...

Birthday Calendar pdf's

2010-10-26T14:51:00.000-06:00

Ladies,

Here are the pdf's of the calendar pages for today's clipboard craft. If you would like other ideas for your clipboard below are also some links.

Calendar Pages:

January/February

March/April

May/June

July/August

September/October

November/December

Links:

http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2010/08/travel-clipboard-chalkboard-tutorial.html

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/altered_clipboard/

http://scrappinbeckyb.blogspot.com/2010/10/altered-clipboard-message-center.html

http://www.thehybridchick.com/2009/07/its-school-time-altered-clipboards/

http://simplifychristmas.blogspot.com/2008/07/altered-clipboards.html

Please let us know how you use your clipboard or if you have a link to share.

Glowing Jack O'Lanterns

2010-10-23T14:32:00.000-06:00

I have started collecting my glass jars after they are emptied and had piled up quite the collection, but I didn't really know what I wanted to use them or some of them for until I saw this tutorial. It is a quick, easy, and inexpensive craft to add a little festive spirit to your home this halloween.I made these jack o'lantern jars with my 22 month old and my husband so this was a great family craft.. The only thing that I did differently is that I used green, black, and orange tissue paper. You can find the tutorial here and some other creative modifications of the same idea here.

Apple Bread

2010-10-18T02:00:00.000-06:00

Operation Christmas Child

2010-10-14T02:05:00.000-06:00

Here is the information about this year's Operation Christmas Child Service Project that was shared at the 10/12/10 mtg.

Table Responsibilities: You are only responsible for one category. If you would like to buy additional items that is okay too.

Passion Fruit & Crimson- Toys + 2 boxes

i.e. Small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky, etc.

Sapphire & Clementine- school supplies + 2 boxes

i.e. Pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

Cocoa & Jade- hygiene items + 2 boxes

i.e. Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

Sugar Plum & Champagne- other + 2 boxes

i.e. Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewlery, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

Do NOT Include: used or damaged items, war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures, chocolate or food, liquids or lotions, medications or vitamins, breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers, aerosol cans

Additional information:

-All items can be purchased at the dollar store or other retail location.

-Bring items to MOPS on November 9, 2010, we will pack boxes during the mtg.

-If you would like to pack an additional box with your family or table, please do.

-We will categorize items into boy/girl and age groups (2-4, 5-9, 10-14) before packing boxes.

-The $7 shipping cost per box has been donated.

-Please write a card or little note from your table to include in 2 shoe boxes.

You can find more information at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ or email Michelle at michelleklepper@gmail.com subject Operation Christmas Child.

Love Actually

2010-10-14T02:00:00.000-06:00

When was the last time that you wrote your husband a love note or hid one for him to find?

Do you struggle to come up with creative yet inexpensive date night ideas? Or maybe you can't remember the last time you went on a date with your husband for whatever reason.

Love Actually to the rescue! I browsed through this blog and found that it has some great ideas. Simple, inexpensive, and fun! Ideas for date night at home and ways to add a little something back into your marriage.

October All MOPS Event

2010-10-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

The October All MOPS Event will be October 30, 2010 at 10am. The event will be held at Cottonwood Farms. Admission is free. There are $3 wagon rides, if interested. Cottonwood Farms, http://cottonwoodfarms.com.

Picture Fun!

2010-10-13T06:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at MOPS, I told you about a site that I use to edit my pictures called Picnik. Below is an example of a picture that I have edited to put on MaKenna's blog. On this picture I edited the exposure, the temperature, and applied the orton-ish effect along with some text.

Picnik is a free photo editing site. You can purchase additional editing features and creative elements for a small yearly fee. To try picnik you do not need a username and password but if you do choose to register, picnik will keep a few of your most recent edited pictures for you to access at a later time. I heard about picnik from reading i am momma hear me roar and homemade by jill. Both of these blogs have wonderful videos and tutorials on how to use picnik not only for your pictures but also for gifts and craft ideas. I have provided some links below to get you started just like I did.

http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/2010/06/photography-tips-part-1.html

http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/2010/06/photography-tips-part-2.html

http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/2010/06/photography-tips-part-3.html

http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/2010/07/photography-tips-part-4.html

http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2010/06/bridal-shower-gift.html

http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-make-printables-without-photos.html

Apple Nachos

2010-10-13T05:09:00.000-06:00

This recipe was recommended at Pickle's Pickles by Megan K. It looks like a very simple snack that our kiddos (and us too) will love.

FCC MOPS Bible Study

2010-10-05T02:00:00.000-06:00

: image from amazon.com

Forgiveness: Breaking the Power of the Past

Just 1 hour

Just 6 weeks

Just come as you are - no homework

10-11 am

Wednesdays @ FCC

October 13th - November 17th

$15 covers book and childcare

Free yourself from your painful fast.

Propel yourself into being all God intends you to be.

Break the hold past hurts have over you.

If you have any questions, contact Laura Shaffer @ davidtshaffer@juno.com

Tater Tots Breakfast Casserole

2010-10-04T09:01:00.000-06:00

50% off Anderson Farms Fall Festival 2010

2010-09-27T09:05:00.000-06:00

I was looking at http://www.milehighonthecheap.com/ and saw an abstract of http://www.savvysource.com/psn/web/localSavings/index/cityId/61849. Here you can purchase a Family 4-Pack to Anderson Farms for $24. To learn more about Anderson Farms Fall Festival click on the link http://www.andersonfarms.com/FallFestival/index.php

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

2010-09-27T08:45:00.000-06:00

Easy Applique Project

2010-09-23T03:37:00.000-06:00

I decided to make my dad a golf towel with an appliqued initial and then on top of that embroider his last name. I thought that I would take some pictures to show how easy it is to do. I have only started sewing over the past 6 months so I had no idea how easy it is to make your own appliques.

Potato Casserole Supreme

2010-09-21T03:55:00.000-06:00

[caption id="attachment_565" align="aligncenter" width="428" caption="click on image to enlarge"][/caption]

Broomfield Residents...

2010-09-21T02:53:00.000-06:00

Baby Welcome Program for Broomfield residents

The Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library would like to tell you how happy we are to welcome your new baby as a member of our community. The Children’s Library wants to invite you to receive a few special gifts as part of our Baby Welcome Program . If you are a Broomfield resident and have an infant age newborn to 1 year, (12 months), please contact the Children’s Library to reserve your Baby Welcome Program gift packet. Each packet of free materials includes a book, bookmark, gift bag, baby t-shirt and library related informational flyers.

Supplies are limited, proof of residency required.

Funding provided by the Broomfield Library Friends.

(Information provided by Jill Morian, Darling Doubles Member)

Passionate Homemaking

2010-09-15T09:16:00.000-06:00

Do you struggle with meal planning and multiple trips to the grocery store? I would love to say that I have this role of wife/mom mastered but unfortunately that is not the case. Rarely do I just make one large shopping trip or plan a weeks worth of meals much less a months. Megan Kreitzberg just shared this link with me today, and just a glance will have you inspired to simplify your grocery shopping and start meal planning.

Chilies Rellenos Bake

2010-09-13T02:00:00.000-06:00

[caption id="attachment_554" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="click on image to view larger"][/caption]

Fall Family Pictures!!!

2010-09-10T11:12:00.000-06:00

[caption id="attachment_547" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="image used with permission"][/caption]

Family pictures will be Oct 9th & 10th and Oct 16th & 17th. Location is TBD. Pictures will be $50.00 and you will be able to pick five images and each additional image is $5.00. Thirty minute time slots will begin at 9 am and end at 4:30 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. MOPS moms will have the opportunity to sign up at the first MOPS meeting on September 14th. After the 14th, picture signup will be open to families outside of MOPS.

The photographer is Adrienne Schafer. You can view her work at her website http://www.recapphotography.com/. Brittany Heckenberg says "she (Adrienne) is wonderful with children!"

Mom-ology: The Art and Science of Mothering

2010-09-07T05:59:00.000-06:00

Mom-ology: The Art and Science of Mothering is this years MOPS theme. It will cover four essential elements of being a mom: core, finesse, circle, and grandscape. Below is a picture of the mom-ology.org website provided for each MOPS International mom. MOPS International has provided community forums, blogs, articles, and other information relevant to being a mom. When you register with MOPS International they will send you a login and password. Check it out!

Impossibly Easy Ham and Swiss Pie

2010-09-07T05:32:00.000-06:00

Click on the recipe to view a larger version.

Organizing and Providing Meals

2010-09-01T06:49:00.000-06:00

Do you ever organize meals for a friend who just had a baby or a family in need? Maybe you have been asked to provide a meal for a mom at your table. Leah Casagranda shared a website with me that I think will be helpful to all of us who said "yes" to the previous questions.

Food Tidings

Unfortunately, I didn't hear about this site until after I had sent out an email to a list of women organizing meals for one of my friends who will be having a baby very soon. I can't wait until next time I am in charge of organizing meals for someone in need so that I can use Food Tidings. Leah says "it is very easy to track, plug in the dates, etc. and everyone is easily on the same page."

The Best Breakfast Casserole

2010-08-30T15:36:00.000-06:00

Cheesy Chile and Egg Bake

2010-08-30T10:10:00.000-06:00

It's Flea Market Friday at Arvada Presbyterian Church!

2010-08-12T03:28:00.000-06:00

On Friday, August 20th, All Precious Children Preschool will be hosting a community Flea Market right here at Arvada Presbyterian Church! The sale will be held in the parking lot from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. We are currently offering 15' x 12' slots/spaces for $30.00 each or $50.00 for two spaces. These areas may be used for garage sale items, Mary Kay products, Discovery Toys, handmade jewelry, crafts, books, business advertising, information booths, you could even purchase a spot to sell a car! Get creative! Take advantage of this end of summer, “last chance” opportunity to clean out your garage and earn some extra cash!

Booth spaces will go fast! Please contact Dr. Mernie Rosenberg at 303-422-3463 x 16 ormrosenberg@arvadapc.org to reserve your space and for more information.

Come to sell or come to shop!
All proceeds directly benefit All Precious Children Preschool

All Precious Children Preschool admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to the students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of it's educational policies,. admissions policies, scholarship programs and other school administered programs.

Home Management and Organization

2010-06-29T11:27:00.000-06:00

Ladies, I'm not sure if you are anything like me, but summertime sometimes distracts me from cleaning and keeping the house organized. So, I thought it might help to review Leah Casagranda's presentation on Home Management. Plus, I picked up Absolutely Organized by Debbie Lillard at the library. Below are the slides from Leah's presentation. I hope this is refreshing and motivating. Maybe the heat will keep us inside long enough to follow some of these strategies and tips.

Belleview Adventure Park, Train, and Zoo!

2010-06-13T14:55:00.000-06:00

Join us this Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at

Belleview Adventure Park, Train and Petting Zoo!
5062 S. Inca Dr.
Englewood, CO 80110 US

We will be meeting on the East side of the park by the airplane. The best way to find the parking lot is to head east on Belleview and then turn left onto S. Inca Dr. The parking lot will be there on the lefthand side of the street. Again, this is a big place, so let's try to meet-up at the airplane.

WHAT TO BRING: I have heard that the creek is going to be your kids' favorite part so bring/wear swim stuff or at least a change of clothes. You will also want $1 bills for the petting zoo and the train (each a dollar per person). Bring a lunch so that you can stay as long as possible and enjoy all the fun this park has to offer! Feel free to offer other suggestions in your RSVPs.

May Featured Business Ad

2010-05-15T13:42:00.000-06:00

First FUN and FREE MOPS event of the Summer

2010-05-12T14:55:00.000-06:00

Where:

Littleton Historical Museum
6028 Gallup Street
Littleton, CO 80120 US
View Map

When:

May 18, 2010 from 10:30 am until 12:30 ish

Details:

Littleton Historical Museum is part indoors and part outdoors and includes a working farm and blacksmith shop for kids to see. Meet outside entrance the museum (unless it's cold or wet, then we'll meet up just inside) at 10:30. We will explore the FREE museum and then walk across the parking lot to Ketring park to eat sack lunches around noon. I'm not sure what the park conists of other than grass, so you may want to have a picnic blanket in your car in case there are no picnic tables. Contact Brynn Wennen for more information or questions.

MOPPETS Workers

2010-04-29T02:08:00.000-06:00

Bunnies:

Holly Patterson (lead)

Nancy Patterson

Marge Farmer

Karen Noland

Turtles:

Joanna Van Essen (lead)

Amanda Barnes

Caterpillars:

Irene Mesenbrink (lead)

Abi Hegarty

Ladybugs:

Tammi Barnes (lead)

Amy Christiano

Tania Morrison

(Dana Barnes)

Kangaroos:

Amy Metz (lead)

Kelly Nelson

Dolphins/Eagles:

Diane LaManna (lead)

Rebekah Lamb

Michaela Hegarty

Ralston House Wish List

2010-04-28T13:34:00.000-06:00

Financial Donations

Gift cards/certificates (Target, King Soopers, Costco, Safeway, Walmart, Sam's Club)

Canister Vacuum cleaner with attachments

Batteries (AA and 9-volt or rechargeable batteries and charger)

Outdoor storage shed (contact Ralston House for details)

Bottled water

Canned Pop

Coffee K cups

Anti-bacterial soap & hand wipes

Kleenex, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper

Spanish Language children's books

Announcements 4-27-10

2010-04-28T13:28:00.000-06:00

Food Thank You- Planet Feed Me, Planet Hugs and Kisses, Sleepy Planet

Next/Last Meeting- May 11th picnic theme, testimonies and ice breakers

Pictures should be ready in time for the next meeting. Please contact Brittany Heckenberg with any questions.

Summer park and activity dates are in your newsletter. We will be sending out an evite for each of these events.

Registration for next year is now available. You may register this meeting and the next meeting to take advantage of the reduced registration rate of $21.95 instead of $23.95. Only available through the end of May.

Ralston House Wish list is available on the blog. If you'd like to donate, bring to the last meeting and we will deliver it to Ralston House.

FWN is compiling a cookbook. Recipes can be submitted at www.typensave.com, contributor name: You, Login: foothills2010, Password: a28da (Each recipe entered will enter you into a raffle for a brand new Kitchen Aid mixer!)

MOPPETS room assignment sheets are available at the check in table and also on the blog

Foothills Women's Network Cookbook

2010-04-28T13:15:00.000-06:00

Colonial Living History Day- Free Event

2010-04-28T12:59:00.000-06:00

Don Mosley's Talk from 4-13-10

2010-04-15T10:10:00.000-06:00

In addition to the information our speaker provided, Ralston House has many helpful resources and links on their website. One of their listed links, Stop It Now!, includes some great and reassuring articles. If you feel a little overwhelmed or discouraged thinking about your child's safety but need more information, I'd encourage you to check out their articles. The site has specifics for preventing child sexual abuse in your church, including addressing safety with members who are known to have sexually abused children in the past. Guidelines for choosing a school or other program for your kids, age appropriate and concerning behaviors, and handling having a sex offender in your neighborhood are among the multiple other topics you can find there.

We want to make sure you have as many questions about the subject of protecting your child answered as possible and are hopeful that thought and discussion will continue. There are several links above to further your information, but if you have other questions about protecting your children, please Email Laressa McCormac and she will work on getting answers and posting an anonymous Q&A. The sources of questions will not be shared with anyone else in the group.

Listen to Don Mosley's (Ralston House) talk here.

Announcements from 4-13-10

2010-04-15T05:41:00.000-06:00

Food Thank you –Planet Meltdown, Planet Laundry, Planet Clean-up

Food Next Meeting – Planet Feed Me, Planet Hugs and Kisses, Sleepy Planet

Next meeting – April 27^th Joel and Julie Thomas

Last meeting May 11^th

^{Picture Sign Ups are still available - please contact Brittany at 303-484-8517 Photo fundraiser details… April 23-25, beginning at 9:00a. 30 minute time slots, Carol Butts Park, 94^th and Sheridan. www.briankraft.com}

^{Final All MOPS Event for the Year- April 20^th 10:00am at Hammond’s Candies (I-25 and 58^th) with a picnic at Robbie Ferrufino (74^th and Carr) following. RSVP with Rachel Lopez-Paxson at 720-480-3527 at Planet Hugs and Kisses}

^{Registration is open for next year. Pick up a registration form at the check in table. An email will also follow.}

^{Ralston House Wish List located on back of announcement page. If you’d like to donate, bring to next two meetings and we will deliver to Ralston House}

^{FWN is compiling a cookbook. Recipes can be submitted at www.typensave.com}

Contributor name: your name

Login: foothills2010

Password: a28da

New Mom Event – If you are new to MOPS this year and would like to meet some other new moms, join us on Tuesday April 20^th, 7 pm at Panera at 77^th and Wadsworth.

Counselor info:

Michelle Willix: 303-579-0860 Healthy Pathways Counseling Services

Jolleen Miller 720-352-7608

Don’t forget to check our blog for updated MOPS information, speaker podcasts, meeting notes, fun parenting ideas and more:

www.fccmops.wordpress.com

Spring Pictures- Location and Information

2010-04-15T01:40:00.000-06:00

Pictures will be taken at Carol Butts Park

Brian Kraft Cell Phone: 720-352-1148

Carol Butts Park

4201 West 94th Avenue

Directions

From: 92nd & Sheridan

East on 92nd

Left on N Raleigh St.

Left on W 94th Ave.

Look for Brian by the North or West edge of the Lake

Haute Tots Spring Children's Consignment Sale

2010-04-09T05:52:00.000-06:00

Family Photographer

2010-04-05T05:00:00.000-06:00

We are now opening up the family pictures to anyone that maybe interested in getting those done. If you know someone that maybe interested, please pass this email onto them.

Brian Kraft will be taking family pictures April 23, 24 & 25th from 9 am to 4:30 pm all three days.

Here is a link to his work

www.briankraft.com/MOPS/BrianKraftPhotography-Family2010.html

Pictures are $50 which includes five images of your choosing and each additional image after five is $5.00

We will be taking pictures at Carol Butts Park located at 4201 W 94th Ave, if the weather changes on us and gets bad we will be taking photos at the Fitness Center at Foothills Community Church. Brian has backdrops and lighting to accommodate that need.
Currently these are the time slots available:
Friday-9:00 am; 9:30 am; 1:00 pm; 2:00 pm; 2:30; 3:00; 3:30
Saturday- 4:00 pm
Sunday- 9:00 am; 10:00; 11:00; 11:30; 1:00 pm; 1:30; 2:00; 2:30; 3:00; 3:30 4:00

You can email or call me at your convenience.

Thanks,
Brittany

April Free Days/Events

2010-03-31T06:07:00.000-06:00

Information courtesy of Colorado Parent

Spring Break: Embrace!
Embrace! inspired fun at the Denver Art Museum begins March 27 and continues through April 4. Free general admission for youth 17 and under throughout the week. Crawl through Tobias Rehberger’s interactive bungee maze, add your favorite expression to Rupprecht Matthies’s word soup, explore your creativity with special art projects, and more! Spring Break: Embrace! begins March 27 and continues through April 4. Find more information by visiting us at denverartmuseum.org or calling 720-913-0048.

Easter at Heritage Square
Come and spend Saturday April 3rd at Heritage Square and celebrate Easter. There will be fun events for families and children of all ages. Every venue at Heritage Square will be handing out Easter eggs with candy (Kids - Bring your Easter baskets!!). We will also have a live Easter bunny to greet the children and also for photo ops. There will be 1 large Easter Egg hunt all around Heritage Square with eggs hidden in and out of all the buildings and amusement rides! April 3rd is also the annual grand opening of The Amusement Park at Heritage Square.

8th Annual Arvada Kite Festival
Beautiful kites, special events, jumping castles, face painting, balloon animals, prize drawings and more! April 10, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Robby Ferrufino Park, 74th Ave. & Carr Drive. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 720-898-7400. www.arvadafestivals.com

2010 Mountain Area Earth Day Fair
Celebrate Earth Day 2010 at Evergreen Lake During this year’s Earth Day Fair, the Evergreen Alliance for Sustainability, or “E.A.S.-Y”, will help our Mountain community understand sustainability in its full definition of the “triple bottom line” which includes: the environment, social networking, and economic stability. Join us at Annual Earth Day Fair from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, April 18 at the Evergreen Lake House, 29614 Upper Bear Creek Road. Shuttle Parking is available at the Wolf Creek Recreation Center. Admission is free and open to all ages.

If you know of any additional events, please post a comment.

April All MOPS event

2010-03-31T05:29:00.000-06:00

Mark your calendars for April's All MOPS event hosted by Planet Hugs and Kisses.

What: Free field trip to Hammond's Candy plus picnic at Robby Ferrufino park

When: April 20th

Time: Hammond's Candy 10:00-11:30. Tour starts at 10:30

Picnic at Robby Ferrufino park Noon-1:30. BYOL (Bring your own lunch)

Questions: Contact Rachel

March Featured Business Ad

2010-03-24T04:45:00.000-06:00

All MOPS event this Wednesday!!

2010-03-22T13:32:00.000-06:00

Mark your calendar for a night of sweets and fellowship at Cheesecake Therapy. This all MOPS event will be hosted by Noisy planet. Please RSVP to Megan K. ASAP

When: March 24th (This Wednesday)

Time: 7pm

Where: Cheesecake Therapy in Olde Town Arvada (7401 Ralston Road Arvada, CO 80002 - (303) 940-2530)

Reminders

2010-03-19T14:29:00.000-06:00

Our next meeting is this Tuesday. Here are a few reminders:

1- At the meeting we will be having a mixer and tie dying one shirt for our oldest child or only child. If you have an infant and would like to tie dye an onesie , please bring one to the meeting.

2- Dues are will be due at this meeting.

3- Sign up for our spring pictures fundraiser and pay to reserve your spot.

4- Bring your magazine orders. They will be collected. If you sell five or more magazines, you will receive a Starbucks giftcard.

5- Sleepy, Noisy, and Forgetful Planets are up for food.

Comedy Night with Ken Davis

2010-03-19T14:17:00.000-06:00

The Hope House of Colorado supports teen moms in the Denver area. The Hope House is having a comedy night on March 25 at the Soiled Dove Underground. For more information or to donate to the Hope house, click the following link: Hope House of Colorado :: Hope House News.

Countdown to Kindergarten

2010-03-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

Here you can find the list of 25 things that your child needs to know before entering kindergarten.

Countdown to Kindergarten

The Strong Willed Child

2010-03-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Listen to Brenda Kaker's talk on The Strong Willed Child here.

Below are Brenda's book recommendations:

The New Strong Willed Child, Dr. James Dobson

Aaron's Way: The Journey of a Strong Willed Child, Kendra Smiley

The Key to Your Child's Heart, Gary Smalley

The Five Love Languages of Children, Gary Chapman

Parenting the Strong Willed Child: The Clinically Proven Five-Week Program for Parents of Two- to Six-Year-Olds, Rex Forehand and Nicholas Long

Announcements from 3/9/10 mtg

2010-03-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Food Thank you – Planet Cleanup, Planet Feed Me and Planet Hugs and Kisses

Food Next Meeting – Sleepy Planet, Forgetful Planet, Noisy Planet

Next meeting – March 23rd – craft and mixers

Mark your calendars for a night of sweets and fellowship at Cheesecake Therapy! Noisy Planet is hosting the March All MOPS event March 24th at 7pm. See Megan K to RSVP and for more details. Email Megan here.

Packs of Hope has expanded to Denver, for more information of Packs of Hope visit their website at www.packsofhope.org . If you or your small group would be interested in helping process these packs please contact Julie Jaeke or email Julie at here.

If you were still planning on donating to the upcoming Haiti trip, donations can be dropped off at the church through Thursday, or contact Kim Francis

If you are interested in more of a leadership role in MOPS, whether it is as a Discussion Group Leader or Steering Position, please join us for coffee and an informational meeting this Saturday morning, March 13, 9:30-11am. Call Erin to rsvp and for meeting location.

For more information on the magazine fundraiser, please contact Brittany Heckenberg

Photo fundraiser details… April 23-25, beginning at 9:00 am. 30 minute time slots, location to be determined. Payment is due to reserve your spot. www.briankraft.com

Cici’s pizza night/day – join us today for this MOPS fundraising opportunity. Make sure you mention that you are with FCC MOPS as you hand your receipt back in

Don’t forget to check our blog for updated MOPS information, speaker podcasts, meeting notes, fun parenting ideas and more: www.fccmops.wordpress.com

Announcements from 2/23/10

2010-03-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Food Thank you – Noisy Planet, Planet Meltdown and Planet Laundry

Food Next Meeting – Planet Cleanup, Planet Feed Me and Planet Hugs and Kisses

Next meeting – March 9th – Brenda Kaker – The Strong Willed Child

Reminder - The next all MOPS event will be hosted by Planet Sleepy and will be a Family event! Please join us Sun., Feb 28th from 4-6pm at the D-Note in Old Arvada for Baby Boogie! Cover is free but, bring money for pizza and drinks. See Tricia Nance for more info and to RSVP for this event. An evite has gone out for this event

The Feb. newsletter is available at your tables and on our FCC MOPS Blog

Please let us know if you will have extra children for the last meeting in March, so that we make sure we have adequate number of MOPPET teachers. This is spring break for many schools.

For more information on the Spain student hosting, please contact Stephanie Fritz

For more information on our Haiti Drive please contact Kim Francis

For more information on the magazine fundraiser, please contact Brittany Heckenberg

Don’t forget to check our blog for updated MOPS information, speaker podcasts, meeting notes, fun parenting ideas and more:www.fccmops.wordpress.com

At your local library...

2010-03-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

at least if you have a Jeffco library account. Did you know that you can visit some of Denver's museums for free? It is called a culture pass. The Jefferson County Public Library has a select number of passes available each day for its patrons to use. To see your choices of museums click here. It will also tell you how many passes are available and the days they are available. I have taken advantage of The Wildlife Experience and the Butterfly Pavilion and I was able to invite up to three friends to accompany me for free.

Magazine Fundraiser

2010-02-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Magazines orders/renewals can also be purchased online in addition to the brochure/order form that was passed out at the previous meeting. The website and our online code is provided below. Email Brittany if you have any questions.

The website is http://store.gafundraising.com

NO WWW !!!

Our online store ID is 869537

Spring Pictures Fundraiser

2010-02-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Spring pictures will be taken by Brian Kraft. The dates will be April 23, 24, & 25. The cost will be $50 and that will include a 30 minute session and 5 pictures of your choice on CD. Additional pictures are $5 each. You can view a slideshow of Brian's work here. (It does take a little while to load so please be patient.)

Sugar Scrub

2010-02-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Many of you have requested the recipe for the sugar scrub that we made at our Christmas meeting. After talking to Angie (our creative steering member), here it is...

~2 parts sugar to 1 part sunflower oil

~Color drops (your preference)

~Scented oil drops (your preference)

All materials except the Sunflower oil can be purchased at Hobby Lobby or Michael's. Sunflower oil can be purchased at your local grocery store.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2010-02-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've heard a lot of moms talking about homemade laundry detergent. I know that I have also been interested in how to make it so I thought I would find some recipes online that might be helpful.

The Simple Dollar gives a detailed tutorial with pictures including the itemized cost of ingredients for liquid detergent.

The Duggar Family has a recipe for both liquid and powder detergent plus a few tips and a fabric softener recipe.

If you make your own laundry detergent, please share your experiences and recipe with the rest of us.

How to Survive Sorrow in this Season

2010-02-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Pat Runyon spoke at the FCC MOPS meeting on February 9, 2010. Her topic was "How to Survive Sorrow in this Season." If you would like to listen to Pat's talk, click here.

Janna Widdifield 1.26.10

2010-02-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

If you missed the last MOPS meeting or you would like to listen to Janna again, just click here. There is a slight delay at the beginning of the podcast but just give it about 40 seconds or so and the talk will begin. Also, here are the tutorials from the meeting. You can also read more about Janna at her blog http://mustardseeds.typepad.com/my_weblog/. Please feel free to share your ideas and the creative ways that you teach your children about Jesus and also celebrate the Easter season.

Hosanna Palm Tutorial-1

He Has Risen Rolls-1

Palm Sunday Coloring Sheet

Congratulations!

2010-01-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

We would like to congratulate Cara and George Jakab. You may remember that Cara Jakab spoke at one of our previous MOPS meetings this year. Cara and her husband had been trying to adopt two children from Haiti. Along with the many other families that have received their adopted children as a result of the earthquake, the Jakab's are now parents to a young boy and girl. You can read more about the Jakab's journey here.

February Featured Ad

2010-01-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

1-26-10 mtg Announcements

2010-01-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

Food Thank you – Planet Feed Me and Planet Hugs and Kisses

Food Next Meeting – Planet Forgetful and Planet Sleepy

Next meeting – Feb. 9 – Pat Runyon “How to Survive Sorrow in this Season”

Prayer request slips are in the pencil pouches and can be dropped off at the drink table

January all MOPS event was hosted by planet Laundry. What a great time!

The next all MOPS event will be hosted by Planet Sleepy and will be a Family event! Please join us Sun., Feb 28th from 4-6pm at the D-Note in Old Arvada for Baby Boogie! Covers is free but, bring money for pizza and drinks. See Tricia Nance for more info and to RSVP for this event.

Bear Valley MOPS clothing sale. See back of flier for more information

MOPS is partnering with Foothills Community Church in support of Heartline Ministries, Haiti. There will be a benefit concert at the Marqis Theatre in Denver on Sunday, January 31^st from 5-9 pm. More information can be found at http://www.sodajerkpresents.com/show/detail/26859 and will be available on our mops blog at fccmop.wordpress.com

Jan/Feb Featured Business Ad

2010-01-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

January All MOPS Event

2010-01-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

The all MOPS event hosted by Planet Laundry will be a craft night! Come to the Fitness Center on January 23rd from 6:30pm-11:30pm. We will provide drinks and snacks. Work on a project (beading, cropping, card making, etc.) or just come for fellowship and fun!

Haiti Relief Benefit

2010-01-18T03:34:00.000-07:00

What: A benefit concert to raise money for orphans in Haiti through Heartline Ministries

When: January 31, 2010 from 5-9pm

Where: Marquis Theater (directions)

Cost: Donation only