Mom's Night Out - February 11, 2011

More details to come but mark it on your schedule now!

Mom's Night Out
February 11, 2011
April William's House
6 PM to ???

Baby Shower for A Women's Concern - Saturday, March 19 at 6 PM

Please join us for a baby shower in honor of A Woman's Concern Pregnancy Resource Clinic! The purpose of this baby shower is to help supply the center with necessary baby items for women and children in need. AWC provides "physical, spiritual, emotional, medical and material needs through counseling, support services and education" during a crisis pregnancy situation. Jenny Summers, director of AWC, will talk about AWC's mission & client stories.

Below is a list of most needed items; gift cards and monetary gifts are welcome as well and please bring all gifts unwrapped.

Please take a moment to RSVP to the shower; if you are not able to attend but would like to provide a gift, please let Becky or I know and we will be glad to pick that up from you.

Please help to bless and support this amazing organization!

NEEDED:
Baby Hygiene products: shampoos, lotions, oil, powder, q-tips, alcohol swabs, diaper cream, Vaseline, grooming kits (we need several of these), thermometers
-Bottle Brushes
-Nursing pads
-Feminine products, (pads, panty liners, tampons)
-Lotions/Body Wash for new mothers, finger nail polish, hand cream
-Layettes, boys and girls
-Onsies (all sizes, we particularly need larger sizes: 12-18 mo, 18 mo, 24 mo
-Packs of socks, newborn all the way through to 2T
-Sleepers, boys and girls
-Baby Clothing, preemie up to 2T, both boys and girls clothing, all seasons
-Hats and gloves, for infants up to 2T
-Welcome Baby Cards, unisex or boys/girls cards (we like to include these cards with their gifts)
-Flannel receiving blankets
-Wipes
-Diapers, all sizes (we've recently have been serving clients with older babies/children. Sizes 2, 3, 4 are in high demand.
-Baby Bibles or Children's Bibles--it would be great to include a Bible in with newborn gifts when we give items to new mothers.
-Rattles/teething toys

Needs for the Clinic:
-K-Cups for Keurig (this offers free coffee to clients in the waiting room)http://www.keurig.com/shop/k-cups/all-k-cups

Because of you ...

... MOPS & Beyond has reached out to our community this year by

• raising $110 towards Sheila Cole's salary as she continues to reach out to parents through A Women's Concern through Membership Donations
• purchasing over $180 in gift cards for a local family and A Women's Concern clients
• giving $120 to the Parenting 101 class at A Women's Concern for a Mom's Night Out in December 2010

And this is just the beginning!

With the $10 membership donation, $5 stays within the group to help a fellow mom and $5 go towards A Women's Concern's Sheila Cole.  Then all the change collected at the meetings goes towards purchasing gift cards for A Women's Concern!

A baby shower and future outreaches are scheduled so the giving continues!

Thanks ladies!!

MOPS & Beyond: Loving Your Man - MOPS & Beyond meeting on Thursda...

MOPS & Beyond: Loving Your Man - MOPS & Beyond meeting on Thursda...: "Loving the man in your life is a wonderful, challenging thing! As married, engaged, or dating moms, we want to learn how to love them comple..."

10 Ideas: Surprising Ways to Increase Romance

10 Ideas: Surprising Ways to Increase Romanceby Sabrina Beasley

Romance is an interesting word. It conjures up all kinds of thoughts for both men and women: candlelight, soft music, longing looks. Some might even think of a walk in the park or a bike ride together. But no matter how you see it, romance is really the act of wooing one another; it's a longing to be with someone and acting in such a way that makes that person desire to be with you.

For many couples, romance is easy before marriage—there were no kids to distract, no pressures of finances to fight over, no annoying habits to live with. After marriage, these things start to eat away at your longing to be with your spouse. Desire is a key part of romance, so the act of wooing doesn't work very well if there is none. Perhaps you've grown distant in your relationship and you spend more time with friends and the children than you do with each other.

These 10 ideas will help bring back the desire you enjoyed as a couple early on in your relationship. But they have nothing to do with mood lighting or lingerie. These suggestions will give you back the romance you've lost by making your character more attracted (and attractive) to your spouse.

1. Communicate. As simple as it seems, you need to talk to each other. You may be thinking, But I talk to my spouse all the time. I'm not talking about discussing family business. When I say "talk" I mean dream together, share your thoughts, expose your feelings instead of keeping them to yourself. It's important to turn off the television or put down that magazine and look into each other's eyes while you converse. Really listen and understand. If your spouse is distracted, then ask him or her to carve out 10-15 minutes just to catch up.

If you do this regularly, you will start to see your spouse with depth and color. You'll begin to appreciate his or her ambitions and desires. You may think you couldn't possibly learn anything new about your spouse, but husbands and wives are humans who change and grow. What are the ways your spouse has grown lately? What new things has he or she learned? Why not find out? It will be the best 10-15 minutes of your day.

2. Keep short accounts and extend forgiveness regularly. Nothing will ruin a desire to be with your spouse faster than resentment and bitterness. In return, it also ruins your spouse's desire to be with you. Fights are going to happen in marriage; there's no way around it. But you can choose to handle these conflicts in the right way and build up your marriage instead of tearing it down.

In Ephesians 4:31-32, the apostle Paul exhorts, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

We have the power to forgive because Christ forgave us, and He gives us strength through the Holy Spirit. As you let go of harbored hurts, you will be free to love your spouse, no matter how many mistakes he or she has made. And as a result your mate will love you even more.

3. Live selflessly. As followers of Christ, we are called to be servants (Galatians 5:13). This not only applies to the church body and our neighbors, but it also applies in marriage. Since we live so closely to our husbands and wives, it's easy to forget that we are called to serve them as much as anyone else. As a matter of fact, your spouse may be the most important person in your life (other than Christ) to serve.

As you put your husband's or wife's needs above your own, you will find that you argue less, feel sorry for yourself less; your children will be more secure and happy; and you will find greater fulfillment as you watch your spouse enjoy the fruits of your kindness. Jesus said if you want to be great, you must be the servant of all (Mark 10:43).

4. Use words of affirmation regularly. The tongue is a powerful tool. James 3:6 tells us that the tongue has the ability to defile the whole body and set on fire the course of a man's life. In the same way, a critical attitude can make or break a marriage.

Instead of pointing out all of the ways your spouse regularly disappoints you, start to look for the positive attributes. Take the opportunity to express your heartfelt appreciation. By giving a little praise, more of your mate's good qualities will stand out, and in addition, you will find your spouse's heart growing larger toward you as he or she feels more appreciated and adored.

5. Never stop saying, "I love you." A woman at one of FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways was ecstatic because her husband told her, "I love you." This couple had been married more than 25 years, and the last time that phrase left his lips was on their wedding day. "I told her once," her husband said. "I figured that was enough."

The words "I love you" never grow old—your wife or husband needs to hear them regularly, especially when you've had a fight or he or she has disappointed you in some way.

6. Laugh together. Marriage isn't just a business deal. You have the opportunity to be best friends if you're willing to invest in the relationship. Do you remember all the fun things you did together when you were dating? Stop reminiscing about those memories from the past and create some new ones.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." Play games with other couples and be on the same team. Watch a comedy together, and then go have ice cream after the show. Turn off the TV and tell your favorite jokes. If you're ready for a change in your marriage, make room for a little laughter in your schedule.

7. Tame your thoughts. I've heard it said that the most sexual organ in the body is the mind. If your mind isn't in the mood for love, then nothing will be. Women especially have a difficult time enjoying sexual intercourse if they are emotionally unprepared. Even men will find it hard to enjoy if they feel emotionally detached from their spouses.

The cure is to control your thought processes. Women, while you are intimate with your husband, think of him, not your laundry or the things you have to do the next day. Men, don't think of sex as a purely physical event. Talk to your wife; think of her and not the models you saw in television commercials earlier. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit gives you the ability to control your thoughts, so choose to have thoughts that uplift and focus on your spouse.

8. Pray together. Spiritual intimacy is more important than physical intimacy. Many couples have regular sexual activity, but are not intimate—they miss out on the soul, the person your spouse is underneath the flesh. Christ is the bond that makes marriages strong and sturdy.

By praying together, you begin to have a deeper respect and admiration for each other spiritually. When the spiritual part of a relationship is sturdy and strong, that lays the foundation for a healthy physical intimacy. For more information on this topic, order Two Hearts Praying as One (Familylife Today™ Audio CDs) by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.

9. Check your expectations. If you find that your spouse is continually disappointing you, it may not be his or her actions; it may be your expectations. Everyone comes into marriage with a set of unspoken rules about life. "Husbands should always …" and "Wives should always … ." These rules are based on conclusions we've made watching our own parents and other couples that we admire.

There is nothing wrong with goals and objectives, but it isn't fair to create unspoken expectations for your spouse and then get annoyed when they aren't followed. If you will stop assuming and start communicating, you'll become less irritated and a lot more in love with your mate.

10. Never say the word "divorce." Marriage is a covenant that is made to last until death. That may be hard to believe in a culture where divorce is commonplace, but the Word of God is very serious about the promise of vows between man and wife (Matthew 19:3-9).

I've heard many couples use the word divorce as a way to threaten and control his or her spouse, such as, "If you don't stop ... I'll divorce you." But what this person may not understand is that a threat only plants seeds of fear and mistrust in your marriage. If you choose to handle conflict in this way, your spouse can become afraid that you're going to leave and find it difficult to trust you. These feelings then lead to bitterness and isolation.

Instead, tell your spouse that you will never leave. Assure him or her that you meant the vows that you took on your wedding day. Although there may need to be changes in your marriage and even marriage counseling, let your husband or wife know that you are willing to work things out because you made a promise to your spouse and to God to stay in the marriage as long as you both shall live.

If you will practice these 10 ideas regularly, I guarantee a more romantic marriage. Romance is more about wooing than getting what you want, and a loved spouse will love you back. Don't wait until it's too late to begin practicing these principles. Start today.

Five Keys to Your Man's Inner Heart - FamilyLife.org

Five Keys to Your Man's Inner HeartDennis Rainey

Are you a student of your husband?

Are you immersed in a process of learning what pleases him most?

Did you know that your husband—and most men—view romance through different lenses than most women? To confirm this, the next time you are in Bible study or Sunday school class, divide the men and women into separate groups and ask them to answer the same question: "What is something romantic that you would like your spouse to do for you?"

I'll guarantee you that, if they are honest, the men will focus on physical intimacy: "Dress up in a sexy negligee," or, "Meet me at the front door without any clothes." The women, however, will say things like, "Take me to a romantic, candlelit restaurant," "Spend time talking with me," or "Sit in front of a fire together and cuddle." Men are generally motivated by sight and touch, while women usually want to develop a relationship.

Meeting your husband's romantic needs involves more than understanding the differences between men and women. It also means remembering what pleases him. And it means sacrificing your own needs to meet those of your husband. Barbara and I have learned the hard way that selfishness and romance do not mix well.

I'd like to help you become an even greater student of your husband. This article can't teach you everything you need to know. You've got to carefully investigate the real thing. But here are five keys to help you know where to look for the deeper answers.

He needs your sincere respect

One of the deepest needs a man has is to be respected by his wife. Notice, I said it's one of the deepest needs. There are others, but your respect—or lack thereof—impacts his view. Respecting your husband includes listening to him, not simply hearing the words that come out of his mouth, but taking what he is saying seriously. If Barbara listens to me when I express a desire that I think is important for the family or the children, but never acts on what I have said, she has not shown me respect. It does not matter what the reason might be for her to ignore what I told her; it still hits me in the stomach. If she were to do this frequently, it would have definite consequences in our relationship and in the bedroom.

Another way to respect your husband is to honor him for what he is doing to meet the needs of the family. Showing gratefulness to a man is like feeding him his favorite meal. It is a feast to his heart and soul. Even if he is doing a poor job in some areas, there must be something he does well—providing for the family through his job, keeping the house clean, or perhaps leading the family in devotions.

He needs to feel sexually needed

Your husband wants you to be the receiver of his love in a way that communicates affection and warmth to him. It's best when you do this within the full blown perspective of being a woman, being feminine, not becoming masculine, but being the affirming arms of the love of God for your husband.

I will never forget an encounter with the young wife of a seminary student. She came up to me after I had spoken in a class for wives about how they could communicate love to their husbands, and she began to giggle.

"We were driving home the other night from youth group," she said (her husband was a youth pastor). "I turned to him and I said, 'Sweetheart, what would really encourage you to be a man of God?' There was a moment of silence, and finally he said, 'Well, it would really encourage me if I came home from class one afternoon and found you at home with no clothes on, welcoming me home.'"

The wife giggled again and asked, "Do you think he really meant it?"

I said, "I don't know. Maybe you ought to try it!"

Now, isn't it interesting that this man who has immersed himself in the study of the Scriptures answered his wife this way? You would think he might want a set of theology books or some time with a great man of God. No, he wants time with his wife, alone, just to be affirmed sexually.

This is a powerful picture. Your husband's sexuality is so much a part of who he is that it affects virtually every part of his life. The wise woman understands that her man longs to be needed sexually by her. If you really want to get to the bottom line for men, and you really want to express love to your husband in a powerful way, just express to your husband that you need him sexually.

He needs your adventurous companionship

When Barbara and I dated in the summer of 1972 in Dallas, you would have to say it was an intense relationship from the start. We went out 52 out of 55 days, and we missed those three days only because I was sick! Although there was no sexual involvement of any kind, we enjoyed plenty of romance. We did all sorts of things together—picnics, hikes, long drives, late night talks sitting outside her apartment … no two dates were the same.

We've had some great highlights in our years together since our wedding on September 2, 1972—a trip for our tenth anniversary to New England in the fall to view the foliage, a getaway at a cozy bed-and-breakfast inn, a trip to the hill country of Texas … I could go on and on.

For us romance has always been spelled a-d-v-e-n-t-u-r-e. On one of our dates I asked Barbara, "Out of all the adventures and romantic times we've had together, what has been your favorite?"

I wasn't surprised by her answer: "Our honeymoon."

Now I know that's not true for some folks. But for us it was an all-time memory maker. I won't bore you with the details, but I took weeks to plan a two-week honeymoon in the Colorado Rockies. We camped, hiked, explored the magnificent Rocky Mountains, fished, took tons of pictures, and stayed in a cabin next to a roaring river.

She loved our time together because it was an adventure with plenty of time for just the two of us to talk and share our thoughts and our dreams.

His sexual satisfaction

Your husband is a sexual creature made in the image of God. Many wives misunderstand this. They think the male sex drive is something dirty. They wonder if God holds His nose every time a man initiates. Why do some women think this way? Because, in all likelihood, they fail to remember the male sex drive is God's idea.

I'm not surprised that this gift which God intended to use as a means to draw husbands and wives closer, Satan twists to drive them apart. Most men, for example, find initiating the sex act one of the riskiest ventures he could ever make. Why? Each time he initiates sex, he risks rejection.

When a man is rejected often enough, he typically internalizes his anger, his hurt, and his disappointment until such time when the rejection drives him to one of several reactions—none of them are good. Either he will give up on the relationship, he will seek alternative sexual outlets such as pornography, or he might compromise his wedding vows by pursuing female affirmation elsewhere.

Can you see how a wife has the power to affirm or to wound her husband? Let me add, when she affirms him she brings joy to her heavenly Father, too. Isn't that powerful? When you embrace your femininity and affirm your husband's sexuality, you are an agent of blessing. I'm convinced that as you meet your husband's God-given sexual drive along with other keys in your relationship—your husband will be a satisfied man.

A final encouragement

Our enemy does not want husbands and wives to be intimate—sexually or otherwise. In fact, everywhere we turn, innapropriate sex is celebrated: on television, in the movies, in popular music, in advertising, and especially on the Internet. Satan serves up a powerful counterfeit in order to keep couples from enjoying God's good design for sex.

This is why Barbara and I implore you to try something you may not have done before. Consider praying together about your sexual relationship. Pray that God will be honored in your marriage bed. Ask God to give you the wisdom and strength to be selfless as your meet each other's needs. The Holy Spirit can guide you and lead you to be a better lover.

Really? Absolutely!

Why not pray softly and give thanks for your husband during the "afterglow." What finer moment to say, Lord Jesus, thank you for this man You've given me. Thank you for what we have just enjoyed together. Thank you for him. Thank you for his love and for his trust in me as a woman.

There is something about prayer and asking the Holy Spirit into your relationship that invites a selfless attitude, one that truly seeks to put the other person first. As you are sensitive to God's Spirit, you will become more sensitive to your spouse—even when it sometimes means denying yourself.

God longs for you and your husband to learn how to please each other and experience this incredible act of oneness that He reserved for marriage. How do I know?

Have you read Song of Solomon lately?

Taken from Simply Romantic Secrets. Copyright© 2003. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Romantic Words For Your Valentine - FamilyLife.org

Romantic words for your Valentineby Jennifer Dyer

This article originally appeared on FamilyLife MomBlog on February 12, 2009.

The other day my husband said one of the most romantic things I'd heard in my entire life: "Go lie down or take a bath. I'll do the dishes."

My Romeo has also been known to bring swoons to my knees with statements such as, "You look like you need a Starbucks break. Why don't you get away for a few minutes?" Others of my favorites include: "Why don't we get take-out? Let me vacuum that for you. I have chocolate," and, "Do you need help with the laundry?"

It's pretty obvious from the above paragraph that I have a fabulous husband and that he understands my love language. Acts of service, as defined by Gary Chapman in his book The Five Love Languages, make me feel the most loved. Chocolate is a powerful second. Understanding and acting on the way your spouse feels loved and expresses love are two powerful ways to strengthen your marriage.

So, in the interest of Valentine's Day and romance, I thought I would share some romantic words to try out on your Valentine:

1. Nothing. This is a favorite of most men, I'm told, especially when the words kept silent are of the "I told you so" variety. Sometimes silence is truly golden.

2. "You are my hero." The success of Star Wars and the entire superhero film genre proves why this one works. Men want to be heroes.

3. "I respect you." Men long for respect the same way women do for love.

4. "Thank you." All humans long for appreciation, so if he does something, even it it's little, make sure you express your appreciation.

5. "Let's go to bed early tonight." Does this really need any explanation? I thought not.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Read more posts like this on FamilyLife MomBlog.

Romancing Your Man - FamilyLife.org

Check out this great link of ideas on how to romance your man this Valentines Day!

11 Rules on Marriage You Won’t Learn in School

11 Rules on Marriage You Won’t Learn in SchoolHere’s some practical, counter-cultural advice on how to make marriage work.Dennis Rainey

For many years, e-mails have circulated the country with the outline of a speech attributed to Microsoft founder Bill Gates titled “11 Things You Will Not Learn in School About Jobs.”  It turns out that Gates never wrote these words or delivered the speech—it was all taken from an article written by Charles J. Sykes in 1996.  And it really doesn’t matter that Gates wasn’t involved, because the piece does a great job of unmasking how feel-good, politically-correct teachings have created a generation of kids with a false concept of reality.

I thought I’d not only pass on these rules, but also make a few of my own—on marriage.

First, here are the 11 rules of life that you won’t learn in school:

Rule 1: Life is not fair—get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will not make $60,000 per year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping—they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault.  So don't whine about your mistakes; learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents’ generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you “find yourself.” Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. 

Sage advice. 

After reading this piece, I was inspired to take a crack at something I’d been chewing on:  “11 Rules That You Won’t Learn in School About Marriage.”

Rule 1: Marriage isn’t about your happiness.  It’s not about you getting all your needs met through another person.  Practicing self-denial and self-sacrifice, patience, understanding, and forgiveness are the fundamentals of a great marriage.  If you want to be the center of the universe, then there’s a much better chance of that happening if you stay single.

Rule 2: Getting married gives a man a chance to step up and finish growing up.  The best preparation for marriage for a single man is to man up now and keep on becoming the man God created him to be.

Rule 3: It’s okay to have one rookie season, but it’s not okay to repeat your rookie season.  You will make rookie mistakes in your first year of marriage; the key is that you don’t continue making those same mistakes in year five, year 10, or year 20 of your marriage. 

Rule 4: It takes a real man to be satisfied with and love one woman for a lifetime.  And it takes a real woman to be content with and respect one man for a lifetime.

Rule 5: Love isn’t a feeling.  Love is commitment.  It’s time to replace the “D word”—divorce—with the “C word”—commitment.  Divorce may feel like a happy solution, but it results in long-term toxic baggage.  You can’t begin a marriage without commitment.  You can’t sustain one without it either.  A marriage that goes the distance is really hard work.  If you want something that is easy and has immediate gratification, then go shopping or play a video game.

Rule 6: Online relationships with old high school or college flames, emotional affairs, sexual affairs, and cohabiting are shallow and illegitimate substitutes for the real thing.  Emotional and sexual fidelity in marriage is the real thing.

Rule 7: Women spell romance R-E-L-A-T-I-O-N-S-H-I-P.  Men spell romance S-E-X.  If you want to speak romance to your spouse, become a student of your spouse, enroll in a lifelong “Romantic Language School,” and become fluent in your spouse’s language. 

Rule 8: During courtship, opposites attract.  After marriage, opposites can repel each another.  You married your spouse because he/she is different.  Differences are God’s gift to you to create new capacities in your life.  Different isn’t wrong, it’s just different.

Rule 9: Pornography robs men of a real relationship with a real person and poisons real masculinity, replacing it with the toxic killers of shame, deceit, and isolation.  Pornography siphons off a man’s drive for intimacy with his wife.  Marriage is not for wimps.  Accept no substitutes.

Rule 10: As a home is built, it will reflect the builder.  Most couples fail to consult the Master Architect and His blueprints for building a home.  Instead a man and woman marry with two sets of blueprints (his and hers).  As they begin building, they discover that a home can’t be built from two very different sets of blueprints.

Rule 11: How you will be remembered has less to do with how much money you make or how much you accomplish and more with how you have loved and lived.

Pass on “The Rules” to a friend who will enjoy them!

Copyright ©2010 by FamilyLife, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, www.familylife.com.  All rights reserved.

Loving Your Man - MOPS & Beyond meeting on Thursday, February 3 at 9:30 AM

Loving the man in your life is a wonderful, challenging thing! As married, engaged, or dating moms, we want to learn how to love them completely!

Bring your ideas, a friend, and your kiddos as they have awesome things planned while we enjoy our 'me-time'!

See you then!

Facebook Event

Zion Community Church
3261 Zion Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823
814-383-4161

Bellefonte Youth Center Need Your Help!

The Bellefonte Youth Center is in need of items to continue to reach out to the youth in Bellefonte.  This center has helped my foster children in a great way with meals and friendship before they came into my care.  Collections will be accepted at any MOPS meeting :)

Items needed:

Cleaning supplies:  window cleaner; toilet cleaners; oil soap; mop; broom/dust pan; toilet brush.

Craft supplies:  markers; construction paper; scissors; tape; paint; paint brushes; feathers, etc.

Food supplies:  paper plates; cups; paper towels; ketchup; hamburger helper; tuna helper; taco-making items; juice; water; Gatorade; drink mixes; tea; snacks, like granola bars & fruit snacks.

Other items:  board games & computer games  

Furniture:  If you have furniture to donate, please contact Don Walters (355-0296).

MEETING CANCELLED for January 20, 2010

With weather alerts for this afternoon and tonight, MOPS & Beyond meeting will be cancelled tonight.  The meeting's topic and speaker has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 17 at 7 PM.

Safe safe and warm!

Sarah Tevis

M&B Coordinator

Pink Dryer Lint: Talking about Myself

Pink Dryer Lint: Talking about Myself: "Sometimes I discover that I'm talking aloud to myself. Perhaps I hope that by vocalizing my thoughts outside of my head I might have a..."

Free Redbox Codes

Don't you love movie nights in with the kids. 

Wear your pjs, pizza and popcorn - its even better when the movies are free.

Redbox has released 2 new codes valid for Free Movie Rentals. Enter codes: WXM52MD and/or XXR3N4Z for your Free rentals. These Free Redbox 1 night DVD rental codes are valid thru 2/28/2011.

Here's a few more codes to try

CHANCEMONOP - Redbox and McDonalds have partnered up to give away 1 million FREE Redbox rentals. This code will stop working after it has been used 1 million uses.

DVDONME – once per card, no expiration date.

REDBOX

WALGREENS

DATE124

CLIMB5

BREAKROOM

 Remember, each code is good once per card.  So I take my debit card and my husband's.  I rent one movie free with a code listed above with my debit card and then do a second transaction renting another movie with the SAME code with my hubby's debit card.  Doesn't matter it is the same checking account - just that the debit card numbers are different.  So instead of 9 free movies with the codes above, it can be 18!

Soccer Shots of Central PA

Soccer Shots is a program offered to children 3-8 that meets once a week at daycare centers, schools, and parks throughout the city to introduce your child to soccer! Our Soccer Shots instructors are energetic and enthusiastic, are great teachers, and love working with children. We not only teach soccer skills, but also work on improving balance, coordination, and agility with the kids. Soccer Shots also uses the sessions to teach children important concepts such as teamwork, sharing and respect. 


Winter Session Begins soon!  Check it out at http://soccershots.org/centralnorthernpa/

Cleaning For A Reason

CLEANING FOR A REASON http://www.cleaningforareason.org/
If you know any woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women. It's our job to pass the word and let them know that there are people out there that care. Be a blessing to someone and pass this information along.

Great information. You may not know someone going through chemo, but someone on your email list might.

THURSDAYS Meeting - Preparing for the Unknown: Family & Estate Planning

Hey gals! Looking forward to a great meeting this coming Thursday night. I'm happy to learn more about preparing wills, etc. This is a major item I need to check off my to do list. 
Husbands are welcome to attend along with any friends who would benefit from this. Childcare is provided for children of all ages.

If you can, please bring a snack/drink to share.

If Bellefonte Area School District cancels evening events due to weather, our meeting will be cancelled. Check Facebook and our blog, www.mopsandbeyond.blogspot.com, to confirm cancellation.

See you on Thursday!

Sarah

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A Thank You Note from Shelia Cole from A Women's Concern

Zion Community MOPS & Beyond,
Thank you!  Your kindness and generosity has blessed me so much!  First let me say a personal thank you for your contribution to my ministry at AWC.  And on top of that, all of the gift cards for the PIP 101 Group and blessing them with the monies for a very nice Christmas dinner.  You are too kind.  God Bless You All! 
- Sheila Cole

Notes from Pampering Day

We had a great meeting on Thursday, January 6.  Check out what was shared below:

Quick Tips: 

• Tricia recommends the Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel for those surprise zit attacks.
• Gena raved about her new hot air curling iron.  Its a hair dryer and curling iron in one that can give her curly hair nice waves.
• Janet introduced us to DHC, a skincare line based out of Japan.  Become a Facebook fan to see weekly deals.  With every order you receive 4 free samples.  

Jennifer Goodwin, our guest speaker, suggested some wonderful ideas:

• Find a great shampoo and conditioner for your hair type.  Consider going to Sally's Beauty Supply.  They have great products for a cheaper price than the salons.  But check out the salons for After Christmas Clearance on gift packs (I scored a full Paul Mitchell Shampoo & Conditioner with finisher for $10).
• Purchase a Clarifying Shampoo to super clean your hair from all the products you use.  Once a month would be good idea.
• Fish oil and prenatal vitamins are great for hair health.
• For hair color, the box brands from the grocery store are just fine.  For more bang for your buck, check out Loreal at Sally's Beauty Supply.  You can purchase the creme and conditioner separate that will last two uses as the same cost of one box at the grocery.
• To keep hair healthy, get a haircut every 4 to 5 weeks to keep hair the same length. If growing your hair out, get a haircut every 6 to 8 weeks.
• Check out websites to help you find a great new hairdo -
• www.dailymakeover.com
• http://www.visual-makeover.com/face.htm
• Empire Beauty School offers a wide range of services for a low, cheap price (http://www.empire.edu/cosmetology-schools/pennsylvania/state-college).  My 2 daughters and I can go for a hair style, manicure, and facial for $30 total!  A great mommy and daughter date!

Questions for Jennifer?  Email her here!  Thanks Jennifer!