Let's get healthy!

One of our mom's provided some wonderful information on how to get more HEALTHY in the upcoming year! Here are her notes!

Why do people want to exercise? There are four main reasons:

To lose weight
To get more fresh air/have more energy
To set a new workout/fitness goal
To improve general health/longevity

If you have not been following a regular exercise regime, don’t start out with unreasonable goals! I gained between 50-60 pounds with each of my pregnancies...and once I was able to workout again, IT WAS REALLY REALLY HARD! I had to force myself to start with small goals. After an aerobic base was established, like running 1 mile three times per week, then I could increase the duration and difficulty of my workouts.

Remember that if you are exercising to lose weight...it’s got to be a diet + exercise combo. And you may gain weight (i.e. muscle mass) before you lose any pounds...because muscle weighs more than fat.

3500 calories burns 1 pound. On average, your body burns about 2000 calories a day. So for example, if you cut your daily caloric intake by 500 calories via diet and exercise, it will take around 7 days to lose 1 pound (500 calories/day x 7 days = 3500 calories).

How do we as busy mothers fit in exercise? Well, there is no easy answer...it takes personal determination. Just like you make time every week to go to the grocery store for food or do the laundry for clean clothes, you have to prioritize to exercise. It might have to be a DVD workout if your husband travels a lot. It might have to be at an odd hour of the day so you have childcare covered. But bottom line, making time to exercise happens when you decide to make it a priority. There are days when it just won’t happen...and that’s ok...start with small realistic goals (i.e. I will workout once this week) and go from there.

NOTE: I would be happy to answer any fitness/diet/exercise questions that our moms have...I am not an expert, but I have been able to make it a priority in my life...and sometimes that can be the most difficult step for some women!

Mark Bittman's Favorite 15 Basic Ingredients

You can't cook and eat good food without a well-stocked kitchen!

Grains
You can't have too many varieties. I think quinoa (keen-wa) is the grain of the future--great-tasting and easy to cook. Bulgur cooks in a flash and is delicious for breakfast; oats are a staple; a few kinds of rice add flexibility. Pasta is a grain, but it's highly processed, so reserve it for treats.
Beans
Buy an assortment of dried and canned. If you can find frozen beans, grab 'em. Use beans for snacks, sides, as a base for meals. High in carbs and protein, low in fat, cheap, and versatile, beans are a cornerstone of the modern kitchen.
Olive Oil
Extra-virgin is preferable, easy to find, and much less expensive than it used to be. Use it for everything. Don't worry about country of origin; producers ship bulk oil everywhere, so labeling isn't worth much. If it tastes good, and costs around $10 a liter, use it. You may also want peanut, grapeseed, canola, or corn; look for cold-pressed--not chemically extracted. And it doesn't hurt to have some butter once in a while, either.
Long-Keeping Vegetables and Fruits
Carrots, celery, lemons, and limes keep at least a week. Potatoes (white and sweet), onions, garlic, and dried chiles keep even longer. Frozen vegetables like spinach, peas, and corn keep more or less forever.
Fresh Herbs
You can't have them all, but buy one every week or so to add spirit to your cooking. Cilantro and mint are easy to find; in the summer basil, dill, and rosemary are abundant. Even parsley--so often taken for granted--can make a huge difference when chopped and added in real quantity to salads, grains dishes, and sauces.
Spices
Buy the ones you like; they keep at least a year. Fanatics buy whole spices, and toast and grind them as they need them, and this really is ideal, but in general preground spices are fine.
Vinegar
Sherry vinegar is the most versatile and best for the money; balsamic is popular and sweeter. Good cider, rice, and wine vinegars, are also fine standbys.
Soy Sauce
Look for brands (such as Kikkoman) that contain only soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria; that's how real soy sauce is made, and it's great stuff.
Parmesan
From Italy, please. It's the easiest way to add complex flavor to pasta and rice dishes, and much more.
Dried Fruit and Nuts
There's nothing better for snacking, and they're useful for cooking. Store nuts in the freezer (they keep longer). Don't forget about nut butters.
Eggs
Fast, inexpensive, and protein-packed.
Bacon
Store it in the freezer and use it for beans, grains, and vegetable dishes. An ounce or two goes a long way.
Canned Tomatoes
Indispensable. Wonderful for sauce, but you can add them to any soup or stew you like. Pre-chopped tomatoes make life a little easier.
Sweeteners
Sugar is fine in moderation, but maple syrup and honey are far more flavorful.
Dried Mushrooms
Especially porcini and shiitakes. Soak them in hot water until soft, then add them to anything.

Three Calorie-Cutting Tips for 2013:

1) Swap out flavored drinks (juice, soda, and alcohol) for water. A good guide is to drink half your weight in ounces each day. So if you weigh 140lbs., you should be drinking 70 ounces of water every day.

2) Eat out less! It’s much easier to control portion size when you eat at home.

3) Look at your dinner plate...it should look like this:

50% vegetables (high in fiber + water, which will fill you up with very few calories)

25% protein

25% carbs

Two of my go-to websites for good healthy recipes and exercise-related articles:

www.realsimple.com
(I really like the “5 Easy Dinners” feature in each issue, also available online.)

www.runnersworld.com
(Great info for runners at all stages.)

Couponing 101

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We began our meeting today with great EXCITEMENT as we look forward to the new year as MOPS mommies! We had several different ladies speaking on several topics to help organize our lives including couponing, crock-pot cooking, fitness, and central message centers for our homes. I will be posting our talks on here so people can refer back......to encourage us as moms......and to help those of you who were not able to make it this morning!

First we have Couponing 101. I did this talk myself because couponing is something that I just love, that I have gotten good at over the years, that I have tried at and failed at, and tried at again, and now I have a system. I want to preface this by saying that there are MANY different methods to couponing. This is only one. Feel free to use any ideas that you get here and change them up to make them work for the family God has given you. Do not be overwhelmed! If you have never done this before couponing can be SCARY....but just change a couple of things that you are doing and you wil lstart to save money.....and pay yourself! I consider this part of my job as a stay-at-home mom. I do this all on Sunday afternoons when the kids are sleeping. Then I shop Sunday nights when my husband can watch the kids. So, it is just me, my cart, my basket, my coupons, my list and my ads. Simple huh?


 If you would like more information on how I
coupon, feel free to follow my blog at www.bekkielynn.blogspot.com

1. Get a newspaper

a. In order to save the most money, subscribe to the weekends-only version  and have it delivered to your home. You will save more money having this delivered than getting it every week at the store.  The few dollars that you spend on it will be gained back every single week.

b. Remove the coupon sections from the paper each Sunday, along with ads for the following stores: Sunflower Market, Pro’s Ranch Market, Target, Walgreens, CVS and Kmart

c. Each Monday, your mail carrier should bring you an ad. section that will include ads
for Smiths and Albertsons. Sometimes extra coupon packs are included so remove
those as well.

2. Cut all coupons that you will use.  Do not waste time on coupons that your family will not use. (children love to cut coupons if you just tell them which ones!)

a. Find a method of organization for your coupons. For tips on how to make a book like mine, go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-organize-coupons.html

b. Organize the coupons right away so you will not be overwhelmed in the future. My large categories include: Dairy, Center Aisles, Meats, Fresh items, Medicines, Pets, Cleaning, Frozen and Misc. (each large category is then broken down into smaller categories for easy access in the store and while making a list)

c. Whatever organization method you use, make sure the coupons are easily seen (such as in a picture album or baseball card album, as opposed to a box), so you can quickly grab the coupons you need, and can also tell quickly when a coupon is about to expire

3. Go through the ads that you have collected for the week and using a dark marker, circle
items in the ads that are GOOD DEALS for the week.

a. Doing this, you will be able to easily compare prices within those stores to get the best deals. Ads are competitive: ie. When Pepsi is on sale in 1 store, it will likely also be on sale in about 3 other stores. You can easily choose the best price per unit.

4. Make an ORGANIZED grocery list. For more detailed information, go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-make-organized-grocery-list.html

a. Divide your list into the sections of the store (same sections as your coupons)
b. Go through the ads and write down the deals on your list including the EXACT item name, the price per unit (ie. $.99/lb), abbreviation of the store this is found at and a symbol as to whether you have a coupon for this item.

i. Example would look like this: Diet pepsi, 12 pack (4/$11- CVS) * (star means coupon)
ii. Make up abbreviations that will save you time and that YOU UNDERSTAND

5. Go through your (now organized) coupon book and pull out any coupons that are expiring,
match your ads for sale items and other items that you know that you need that week. Pull
out those coupons and put them in a separate envelope that you will bring with you to the
store.

a. Write down those coupon items to your master list, making sure to label it with a star, or your symbol

6. Make a meal list for the week, using the ads for inspiration (ie. If ham is on sale, make sure
and use ham as one of the recipes for the week)

a. Go through the recipes for the week and add any other needed ingredients to your
master list

In my opinion, you will save the most time price matching at Wal-mart. I have a Wal-mart
Neighborhood Market near my home, which is comparable in quality to Smiths or Albertsons. But,
now you can do one-stop shopping as Wal-mart will match prices from all competitors in the area.
My Wal-mart will match:

Walgreens (amazing deals on non grocery items)
CVS (always the best deals for milk!- when on sale, buy 4-5 gallons at a time and freeze it!)
Sunflower Market (amazing deals on produce)
Pro’s Ranch Market (also amazing produce deals)
Kmart
Target
Smiths
Albertsons

For detailed information on HOW to price-match, using some organizational strategies I have employed, go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/11/money-saving-monday-walmart-price.html

For ANOTHER couponing method (that I used to use quite successfully before I decided price-matching was best for our family) go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-maximize-coupon-savings.html . This is the method found at www.couponmom.com

*Do not be overwhelmed. Go step by step. In the beginning this method will take you a few
hours a week….but those hours will save you HUNDREDS of dollars each week and then month.
Carve out time each week to get it done. Eventually you will get good at doing your method
of couponing and it will not take as long. When you go to the store using this method, in the
beginning it will also take you longer….so try to go at a time when your hubby or a friend can
watch the kids. Eventually you will be able to take a couple of kids along, but it does complicate
things!

Feel free to comment or email me for questions. I love helping! GOOD LUCK!

Raising G-Rated Kids in an X-rated Culture

My daughter is 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. This year, she has been given some internet/research assignments for school. This has made me very nervous.....type in the wrong thing (which is easy to do for a child who does not spell very well yet) and you never know what will pop up on the screen! Then you begin thinking about the online predators and you might just want to throw the computer out the window altogether.

Parents would be wise to spend time with their children on the computer and teach them how to research, give them a list of websites that they are allowed to browse etc. and also be WITH them as they begin learning to navigate the computer. However, they are going to eventually have time when you are not going to be there 100% of the time. So, how do we protect these innocent eyes and hearts?

One of our MOPS members gave this article to me about this very subject and I would like to share with you the good resources that it contains. These are several excerpts from Pastor Keith Missel on his series "Winning the Battle for Purity."

Here are a list of Internet Resources:

Covenant Eyes: www.covenanteyes.com - This is primarily an internet accountability service (where history is emailed to someone), but they have recently added filtering.

Safe Eyes: www.internetsafety.com - Protects your family from harmful online content and keeps you informed of all web activities

Be Secure: www.bsecure.com - The recipient of PC Magazine's Editor's Choice Award for parental controls software

My Kids:  www.mykids.com - Provides both an internet filtering and numerous other internet tools for parents

Plugged In:  www.pluggedin.com - Focus on the Family- Sharing a light on the world of popular entertainment (music, video games, movie reviews and more)

Clear Play:  www.clearplay.com - A new type of parental control where you can personalize the playback of your movies by simply selecting content types you want edited from your movies (ie. violence, sensual, vulgarity, blaspheme, bloodshed, etc.)

**

I believe that with this filtering process, we must turn over our children, once again, to the Lord in prayer. He will give us wisdom when we need it most. He PROMISES that in His Word. As our kids get older, things like this can really make a parent fear....however, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of PEACE!

How do I use Pinterest?

There has been a lot of talk of "Pinterest" this year and we realized that while some are known addicts users, others may not yet understand how to use it. So, I thought I would provide a tutorial on how to use this amazing  addicting dream-inducing informative website!

First of all, what is pinterest? Taken from their website:

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. (you will also be able to find lots of MOPS crafts and recipes, and duplicate them yourself for later use) (italics mine)

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

**Gotten you excited yet?

So, how do I sign up?

1. Simply go to www.pinterest.com and request an invite. Invites usually take about 1-2 days before they are delivered to your inbox. You will need a valid email address to sign up.

2. Once you receive your inbox invitation, pinterest will then walk you through exactly what you need to do to get started. It will try to identify your areas of interest....so start thinking about what types of things you enjoy doing. They could be gardening, sewing, MOPS crafts, new recipes, frugal ideas, things that make you laugh, crafts to do with kids, easy, healthy snacks.......the ideas are endless. Once you think about what categories you would like, you will create boards with those category names.

3. You need to now "follow" people. Pinterest takes your areas of interest and matches you up with people (they are very smart like that). You can choose to "un-follow" anyone at any time by simply hitting "un-follow" on their boards. It will also give you a list of people that you may know....ie. people that you are friends with on facebook. **I would advise that you immediately add our craft coordinator to the people that you follow. She has a "MOPS crafts" board with some incredibly good ideas pinned!

4. Once you have your boards (and you can always add more later), you will want to start pinning things onto those boards. You can do that one of two ways. You can go onto the main pinterest site and scroll through all the different people that you follow and you will see lots of cool things listed. The other way to pin is directly from the internet. If you are reading your favorite blog and the blogger puts a great-looking french toast recipe, all you do is "pin it" and it will go to your pinterest board.

*Yes, but how DO I pin? You need to install the "pin it" button and you will find that on the first page of pinterest.com under the tab "goodies." I have linked it HERE. This goes directly to your scroll bar at the top of your page. Once it is installed, you need only to push that button to pin something and it will open up pinterest. You choose your board, and then whala, it is pinned!

I know this seems like a lot of information, especially for new pinterest users. You may even think "yes, but is it worth it?"

In my opinion, it has been a wonderful resource for me. I LOVE having a place to have everything organized. I love going to my folders when I want to find something quickly....to give me ideas on how to make my house a haven and a home.

Can you get carried away? Absolutely. In everything, use BALANCE. That is all you need! It would be a great shame if we spent all our time on a site like this gathering ideas, to the detriment of time with our husbands and children. Do not make your hubby and kids jealous of the computer.

That said, it truly is a wonderful resource that I am sure that you will love for all the ideas and inspirations that it brings. Please message me if you have any problems. For all the good that Pinterest is, it is not extremely user-friendly in the beginning!

Antiquities Opportunity

Another MOPS group in the area is doing an Antiquities Fundraiser. I had the opportunity to do this with my first 2 children a few years ago in Ohio. Because of our move, and because I had a third child, I did not think I would ever have the opportunity to get my third son's picture to match the first two.

Here are examples of the Antiquities photos. Sorry they are not the best quality as I took picture of pictures that are hanging in frames in my home.







The way it works is, you pay $10 and you receive a beautiful 10x13 picture (the one of both children was the 10x13). That $10 goes directly to the MOPS group that is doing the fundraiser! (Win-win situation!) The company, of course, takes lots of additional pictures and you will then have the opportunity to buy a package. I was THRILLED to find out that both times I did this it is a LOW PRESSURE sale. The sales people do NOT pressure you into buying the package, which is part of the charm. You can take it or leave it. The first time I did it I left the package. Th second time I did it, I bought a package.

The company provides ALL the props and ALL the costumes. You simply show up to the location with your child or children and they do it all......you can have input into the props as well. For example, I really wanted my son to hold the guitar. The costumes will fit any child up to age 18 as well.

The MOPS group doing the fundraiser will be doing the pictures in October. If you are interested, leave me a comment on the private FB page and I will give you more information. I chose to write a blog about it because I am so thrilled with these pictures and I wanted to talk about it in length.