John Branyon performs "The Three Little Pigs...in Old English"

John Branyon provided comedic entertainment at this year's MOPS Convention!

Momsense....bold, loving and SENSIBLE

Momsense....bold, LOVING, and sensible

Momsense....BOLD, loving and sensible

~Fine and Fit~

10,000 Steps Each Day

What does it mean to be sedentary? If you work in an office and sit most of the day, but have active pursuits outside of work, where do you fall in the spectrum? A general guideline is that we should all strive to take 10,000 steps each day. Ten thousands steps is almost five miles based on the average stride length of 2.5 feet. Sedentary individuals take approximately 1,000-3,000 steps a day, which is anywhere from .5-1.5 miles.

To measure how many steps you’re taking each day, try using a pedometer. Many models are very inexpensive and they just clip right onto your clothing. For accuracy, choose a pedometer that you can program to measure your daily distance based on your stride length. (Instructions on how to measure your stride length will be included.)

If you find that you’re falling well short of the recommended 10,000 steps, don’t feel that you have to make huge…um, strides to get to the 10,000 mark. Make an effort to add a couple of hundred steps every few days and work toward your goal slowly but surely.

There are many ways to increase our number of steps. Here are just a few:

 Take a walk with your partner, child, or friend
 Walk the dog
 Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
 Park farther from the store
 If you live in town, just walk to the store!
 Get up to change the channel
 Window shop
 Plan a moms’ walking get-together
 Walk over to visit a neighbor
 Go outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding
 Wander around your home instead of sitting down while on the phone

The weather is perfect for walking outside right now. Take advantage of it!

Jacque Butler is the owner of JB Fitness in Glenwood, Iowa. http://www.jbfitnessiowa.com/
For tips on fitness & nutrition, you can follow JB Fitness on Facebook.

Butterfly Bounty....Creative Snack and Craft!

 

 

4 stars based on 32 reviews

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Total Time Needed:

30 Minutes or less

Whether you're packing a snack for a trip to the park or making a treat for your preschooler's playgroup, these fluttery friends are sure to charm. The bags can be filled with any snack, though a mix that offers a blend of colors and shapes makes for a more interesting butterfly.

Materials

• Clothespins
• Glitter glue
• Glue
• Googly eyes

• Small crackers, dried fruit, trail mix, or your choice of snack items
• Snack-size ziplock bags
• Pipe cleaners

Instructions

1. For each bag, decorate one side of a clothespin (we used glitter glue). Glue two small googly eyes near the gripping end of the clothespin and let the glue dry.
   
2. Put small crackers, dried fruit, trail mix, or whatever else you'd like into a snack-size ziplock bag until it's about half full. Seal the bag, cinch the middle with your fingers, and clip it with the clothespin.
   
3. Fold down the tips of a 4-1/2-inch length of pipe cleaner, then bend the entire piece in half. Clip the pipe cleaner in the clothespin.
   

Happy Grandparents Day!

GRANDPARENTS

Few can bring the warmth
We can find in their embrace,
And little more is needed to bring love.
Than the smile on their face.

They've a supply of precious stories,
Yet they've time to wipe a tear,
Or give us reasons to make us laugh,
They grow more precious through the years.

I believe that God sent us Grandparents
As our legacy from above,
To share the moments of our life,
As extra measures of His love.

~Author Unknown~

5 Fun Ways to Celebrate Grandparents Day

Grandparents' Day is a relatively new national holiday (President Jimmy Carter declared it so in 1978), but is an important tool for fostering the grandparent-grandchild relationship. And don't feel limited to honoring your own relatives—you can show appreciation for other grandparents whose family lives far away!

1. Have a sleepover. Grandparents' Day eve is a great time to let grandparents and grandchildren enjoy an over-night together – either at their house or yours! Pop some popcorn and rent a movie, or break out the board games. A large age difference can be bridged over a game of checkers.
2. Let the kids create some original art for the grandparents in their lives. It will no doubt find a place of honor on the wall, and will be a treat for the kids when they get to visit. You can also make your own Grandparents Day cards.
3. Start a regular Grandparents' Day tradition. Make a trip to the ice cream shop, or out to the pond with a couple of fishing poles. No matter how simple, if you make it your regular, special activity together, it will grow in meaning to grandparents and grandchildren alike.
4. Let the kids do a little time travel by interviewing their grandparents using this tool. They'll likely be amazed by how different life was when the "greatest generation" was children!
5. Create Brag books! These days, pictures are usually saved on your hard drive.  This can make sharing photos with grandparents difficult, especially if they don't know, or don't care to learn how to use the latest technology. Make it easy for them to enjoy all of these great, captured memories by printing the images you have saved.  Then take it a step further, and organize the pictures into Brag book or photo album.

...from iMom

MomSense....Highlights of this year's theme!

Why Mops? From VeggieTales

Labor Day - Mom Style!

Celebrate this Labor Day by knowing you have the best job ever- being a mom! Please see the following job description from SuperKids~

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.

Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three sec onds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.

When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

A Concert in Your Backyard! - FREE EVENT THIS SATURDAY!!

During the summer, the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance brings FREE concerts to Marana on a monthly basis!! I've gone to a couple in the past and have really enjoyed the fun, relaxing atmosphere.  Each month spotlights different genres of musical, which is an excellent way of exposing your children to different cultures around the world!  It's also a fantastic way to establish community!

The concerts start at 7pm, but you can come and go as you please.  Whenever we go to the concerts, we typically stop at Subway for sandwiches or pack a picnic dinner around 6pm and then head out to the park.  This gives the kids time to run in the grass or throw a frisbee around.  We have a nice picnic dinner and the kids shake and dance until they have nothing left in them! (Sometimes I've even had them go to the concert in their pajamas!) When they get tired, my kids just lay down on our blankets and count the stars.  And then, it's home to bed!

The flier says that it is located at Crossroads Park...but it's not in a location you can see from Silverbell.  There is a big grassy area located behind Wheeler Taft Abbet  Library....that is where the stage is set up.  So, parking by the library is best!  I have seen people sit on blankets spread out on the grass, couples comfortable in chairs, and have even seen people dining on their card table, with glasses of wine! So, come as you please and be entertained!


Details for THIS Concert:

September 10th - 7pm @ Crossroads Park - Free Admission
7548 N Silverbell Rd

The Grind
GRIND is a Tucson Arizona based variety band that also plays amazing orignal material.  Grind plays in many clubs, as well as weddings, corporate and private parties throughout the southwestern U.S.  GRIND's play list includes a wide range of songs encompassing hits from Journey, Bryan Adams, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Pink, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Brooks & Dunn, Gretchen Wilson, The Commodores, Shania Twain, Pat Benatar, Michael Jackson, AC/DC, Paramore, and many more

For more information, visit www.SAACA.org

Momerisms -- In Memoriam

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "TheHokey Pokey", died peacefully at age 93.

The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.


(taken from www.squidoo.com/momerisms)

12 Pre-Schooler Activities...from iMom

Tape Shapes: Using Masking tape or colorful painters' tape to make outlines of shapes on your floor. Have your child name the shapes they see displayed. Next, call out shape commands like, "Jump to the rectangle," "Skip to the square," "Dance to the circle."  You could have them walk the outline like a tightrope to practice their balance.  If the weather is nice, take this game outside and use chalk to draw the shapes on the sidewalk or porch.

Shades of Color: Teach your child that there are varying shades of their favorite colors using a glass of water and food coloring. Add a drop of food coloring to the water and stir. Ask them what color it is. Then add another drop.  Ask, "Is it still green? Yes, but it's a little darker."  Continue to add one drop at a time, stir and reinforce that the color is getting darker.  Repeat this activity with another color. Throughout the day point to different colors around the house, outside, or while running errands.  Ask if the colors they see are dark or light.  

Contact Paper: Child plus glue equals big mess!  Instead, use contact paper and pre-cut collage materials (i.e. magazine and newspaper clippings, feathers, felt, leaves, and colored paper).  Have them create their own masterpiece by placing items on the sticky side of clear contact paper. Place another piece of contact paper over the collage, cut into rectangles and send hand-made bookmarks to grandmas  

Sock puppets:  You can stop hoping your dryer will cough up the matching sock and put that lonely white tube sock to good use! Pull out the washable markers and googly eyes for this childhood staple.  All you need is some fabric glue (just because it sticks a little better) and some felt or other leftover fabric. Cut out eyes, nose, ears, mouth, mustache, and any other facial features you fancy. Use pipe cleaners for an elephant trunk or deer antlers. Try pompom balls for a bunny's tail or mouse ears.  Or help your child learn emotion by creating "happy," "sad," and "mad" faces on their puppets.  Have them retell their favorite story using their puppets.  

Spin the Bottle: Place puzzles, board books, or favorite toys, in a circle.  Put an empty water bottle in the center. Have your child spin the bottle!  Then read or play with whichever toy or book the bottle points to.  The true fun of this activity is in the spinning, so don't be surprised if your little one doesn't let you read for too long before he wants to spin again.  

Seek and Find Soda Bottle: Cut a slit in a 2-liter soda bottle and insert several small items. Be sure to keep a list of all of the items for your own record. Then fill with birdseed and tape the hole closed.  Enjoy watching your child move and shake the bottle to find all of the items you hid. To make it a little harder for your older ones, set a timer and see if they can find them all before the buzzer goes off! Recycle this project by dumping contents into a bowl; fishing out the items amidst the bird seed, adding new items to the soda bottle and pouring the birdseed back in.

Bag of Tickles: Sit with your little one and scour your old magazines for images of body parts. Cut them out and glue them to a sturdier material, like cardstock paper. Place the body parts in a bag or bowl. Take turns pulling a card and tickling each other! Your child will enjoy the opportunity to make you laugh while learning their body parts.   

Child Twister:  Cut two sets of shapes—one large set (8" or so) and one small set (2" or so)—out of poster board. Tape the larger set of shapes just a couple inches apart on the floor. Put the smaller set of shapes in a bowl or bag.  Next, have your child look through magazines for images of body parts—think chin, lips, hair, toes, etc. Cut them out and put them in a separate bowl (or use the ones from the "Bag of Tickles" activity).  Randomly pull a body part card and a shape from the bowls and have your child make his move.  See how many additional poses he can manage before he falls over.

Fishing Game:  Tie a piece of yarn to the end of a small, wooden dowel.  Attach a small magnet to the other end of the yarn. Cut fish out of construction paper and attach a small paper clip to each. For the added affect of water, tape blue construction paper to the floor.  Have your child stand on the shoreline and catch the fish that are "floating" in the water.

Dinosaur Excavation: Stash dinosaurs in couch cushions, in the bottom of a dryer or hamper that's full of clothes, in a canister of dry noodles, in a sock drawer, or peeking out of a mound of dirt in the backyard. The idea is to get them digging and hunting.  Young children may need some help.  Draw them a map, or leave a trail from one stop to the next to keep them on task. Dinosaurs can be replaced with any other treasure your child will be eager to find—think jewelry, cars, sea shells, rocks or wrapped candy. Just make sure to keep any choking hazards out of reach of little hands.

Obstacle Course: Make this as long as you can to expend excess energy on rainy or too-hot days this summer. Some ideas:  Create a tunnel by placing couch cushions between two rows of chairs, then crab-crawl through the maze. Have your child either crawl, ride a tricycle or indoor push car as they weave in and out of table legs.  Roll over the top of your exercise ball (with your help) or have them roll it down the hall and back. Do ten jumping jacks. Make a line on the floor with tape, or a jump rope and have them jump over the line in zig-zag formation from one end to the other.  Jump thru hula hoops.  Hold one pillow in each hand and have them run "thru" the pillows.  Somersault from one doorway to the next. Throw a soft ball or beanbag into a basket.  Run in place or twirl while singing the ABC song.  Stack telephone books end to end and create a balance beam for them to walk across (Note: wrap the phonebooks with butcher paper to keep little feet from slipping). Make sure they have a finish line to cross at the end!

Pudding Paint: This is a great porch activity, especially if there is a hose nearby. Prepare instant vanilla pudding according to package directions.  Separate into 3 or 4 dishes.  Add food coloring to each and stir. Put old clothes or just underpants on your child and let him paint himself.  For a more dignified approach, tape paper to a table or the floor and let him create his very own edible masterpiece!

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