Trick or Treating - at Madison House

It's time to Trick or Treat Time

We would love for you to join us

When: Fri, Oct 29th
Time: 9:30- 11:30am
Where: Madison House Retirement Center
12215 Ne 128th St, Kirkland, WA 98034

*A group of us will be there at the start, if you decided to go later, only trick or treat on doors with pumpkins.*

Tuesday October 19th

This week Marlene Shirley was back to give us some practical tips for making it through the holidays healthy. She came last year and gave an awesome 12minute workout for moms. And I hear rumor that several moms still use it.

Her very practical tips were this:

1. Eat before you go - this way you wont fill up on all the other party food
2. Decide what you are going to eat before you go
3. Drink HEAVILY!! - water that is, it will make you feel full and it helps digestion & flushes out toxins.
4. Be conscious of what you're eating. Don't visit in the same room the food is in .
5. Don't make food your focus, make people your focus.
6. Portion control. Be sensible.
7. Good old fashion self control

She also gave us some great exercises we could do in our own home. I took pictures but decided these were pretty self explanatory & wouldn't post the pics.

Wall sits - can add weights as you do these for bicep work
Planks - work up to a minute, strengthens your glutes, core and arms.
Push -ups
Squats - add weights if you like for more of a workout
Lunges
Sit ups
Bridges
Mountain climbs
Jump rope - this is so good for you & gets your heart rate going
Burpees

***Do these exercises in 3 sets with 8 reps each time***
She also teaches a class on Tues & Thurs at Cedar Park from 6-7:15am - no childcare - FREE

New MOPS

Well MOPS is underway and already we are having so much fun!

Our name tags are the cutest ever!!! And our table decorations are simple but fun. This year is promising to be a great year. A few pictures from our last meeting.

Are you joining us this year? You can still come, don't miss out on all the fun this year.

History Heroines

Foreign Language Freshman Biology Brainiacs

And each table has a creative Bible verse that goes along with the name. Clever!

Aren't these the cutest name tags? The pink & blue spots indicate the number of children and boy/girl.

New Year

Fall is here and for me Fall is like a whole new year. School starts, new schedules & activities, the leaves start falling and MOPS starts again.

MOPS begins this Tuesday Sept 21st.

The theme this year is Momology - the Art & Science of being a mom. I love it!! This year already promises to be a great year.

See you Tuesday!

The Path to Eternal Life, Paved in Marinara

This fun kid storie was taken from my cousin by marriage, Tiffany, who writes a cool blog over at Still Seeking Sanity. I had to share it.


I was a bit flabbergasted last night at dinner when Grant announced to me, "Mommy, if you eat tomatoes, you go to heaven!"

Wait... what?!?

I asked him. "Who told you that, sweetie?"

"Sissie did." And he looked right at her.

I did my best to hide the look that must have been struggling to cross my face. She held up her finger, and I waited for her to finish chewing the bite that was in her mouth. Her head tilted to one side, her body language telling me that she knew exactly what he was talking about, and she wasn't at all ashamed about the lesson she was teaching her poor, innocent, gullible little brothers.

I kept waiting.

"Mom, I told them not to eat the little red berries on the pokey bushes. And if they did, they would die, and then after they die they go to heaven."

OK, that makes sense.

Yes, we have several huge holly bushes, and they still have berries on them. Sometimes it's hard to convince three year old boys not to eat things. I guess Emma did her best.

We're gonna have to work on some spiritual teachings around here, though, lest the boys actually start to believe that salsa saves.

Laundry Detergent Recipe

This recipe makes one 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent.
**laundry detergent has no smell** But the smell isn't what cleans your clothes


1bar of Fels-Naptha soap
1/2 Cup Borax
1/2 Cup Washing powder
1 5gallon bucket & lid

You can find all the ingredients at Fred Meyers on the laundry soap isle, well except the bucket, that you get at Lowes or Home Depot

Grade the whole bar of soap. Melt in 4cups of water on the stove.
Pour into the bucket
Add the Borax and the washing powder
Fill the bucket to the top with water - lukewarm or Hot
Let sit overnight


Use 1/4 - 1/2 cup of soap per load.
*The detergent will look like gel with a little liquid, use the gel & liquid when measuring each load*

Mt. Dew Cake

This is one of the most Moist cakes I have ever made. You will not be disappointed.

1 box Lemon cake mix
1 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 can (12 oz) Mt. Dew
Powder Sugar (optional)

In mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Beat on medium for 2Min's.
Pour into greased & floured bundt pan.
Bake 350 for 45-50 minutes
Cool for 10 mins before removing from pan, dust with powder sugar if desired.

**submitted by Gina Detlor**