Mom In Progress

If you and I go waaaaay back, like pre-Mom In Progress, you've heard me talk about this before. If you're new to Mom In Progress, don't be surprised when I talk about this particular event year after year after year. The Harvest Festival is without exaggeration one of my top five favorite things to do each year. Last year we invited some friends who had never gone before and it just so happened that it was like winter in mid-October. Literally, snow was falling and little fire pits were lining the farm trails. Now if you've never been to the Littleton Historical Museum, let me start with a word picture for you. This sprawling farm and exhibition center is located on 39 acres in old Littleton and is bordered on one side by Ketring Lake and on another side by a monastery. The working farm is actually split into two time periods: 1860's and 1890's where you will find carefully preserved buildings, live animals, and beautiful gardens along with the exhibition cent

“ You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?' ” ~ George Bernard Shaw  This week has so many opportunities in store... remember to dream big and share love and joy with the world!

"Many waters cannot quench love; rivers  cannot wash it away..." ~Song of Songs 8:7

If there is one thing that just drives me crazy, it's when my kids don't eat what I serve them. This annoyance is elevated when I pack them a healthy lunch only to have almost the entire thing come home with them at the end of the day. (It probably feels worse because I rush to do the lunch packing in the morning... not exactly their fault.) Although I've given some blog time lately to what to pack a lunch IN, I haven't done much in the way of discovering fun options for eating. Kids love things that not only taste great but look good too. Aren't we all this same way? And there is no doubt this takes some creativity and initiative (it's clearly easier to glob some PB and J on a couple pieces of bread). So I decided to start rummaging through my kitchen to find what I already have stocked in my cupboard plus what tools I already have  and combining it with a bit of creative, mommy flair. Here are few things I came up with: The Snacky Lunch: pack crackers, pep

I hope this is a great way to say "good-bye" to summer and "hello" to fall! Enjoy these great pictures that I captured a few years ago on a hike on Kenosha Pass.

You are going to find so much encouragement when you visit Mom Life Today - it's a compilation of encouragement for moms at every age and stage! Here's a link to " How To Connect With Your Child In the Car Pool Lane ". If you are already feeling overwhelmed with your school year schedule, this article will encourage you to make the most of every minute!

This year I have taken over coordinating volunteers for my daughter's elementary school - it is a fun way to get to know teachers and staff, students and parents all the while making our school a great place to be. It also happens to be an extraordinary amount of work. You offer adults the opportunity to volunteer, you stock the database, you find leaders to take on  specific events, you communicate and over-communicate, you work harder to get volunteers, you try again to get volunteers, you threaten to cancel events if you don't get enough volunteers... but seriously... it's tough to get volunteers! If you have kids in school, this is what you need to know: everyone has something to offer! Everyone has time to help with something. No excuses. When you have kids in school, you need to find a place to make a difference. If you are the PTO point person for recruiting volunteers, you need to show your families how important it is that they help and then thank them and enco

One word: FOLDERS. They can be manila or bedazzled, but you need them to keep up with the sheer amount of in-coming paperwork! If you have more than one child in school, you need one for each child and perhaps one for special activities that have an excessive amount of paperwork. Although many activities are going more paperless, there are some things that just can't be avoided. Before you end up with a cluttered mess on your counter or desk, invest in a few inexpensive folders to makes things more manageable.

Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a month supply of free Nest Fresh Eggs courtesy of Hidden Villa Ranch . The more I talk to busy moms, the more I realize breakfast for dinner is a favorite meal for families! It's quick. It's inexpensive. It's healthy, hearty, and tasty! September is Better Breakfast Month, and I've started thinking of all the wonderful breakfast treats we enjoy in our home. Eggs are a must and I've come to find that this is one of those grocery store items that you really must spend the extra on. Have you ever taken an inexpensive "generic" egg and cracked it next to an organic, cage-free egg? You can actually see the difference! Then cook it up and eat it - you'll never go back. In preparation for this blog, I selected Nest Fresh brand eggs for my family and they are absolutely a delicious, top-quality egg. Of course, beyond eggs you've got breads, pastries, cereals, meats and fruits - all of which c

"Never eat more than you can lift. " -- Miss Piggy Miss Piggy from Wikispaces Words of sheer wisdom for starting another week...

We decided to do an experiment today with static electricity.  We used balloons and rubbed them on our head to create static and then used the balloon to pick up pepper.  We also rubbed the balloons on our head and attached them to the wall.  We timed how long they stayed up…most dropped within about 15 minutes or so.  We also brushed our hair and then used the brush to pick up pieces of tissue paper.  The kids really enjoyed it.  We talked about if it would be strong enough to pick up our car or maybe a doll and tried a few different things.  Lots of learning and lots of fun! Step 1 rub your head. Use the balloon to pick up the pepper. Draw funny faces on the balloons and then repeat step 1. Step 3, attach them to the wall. Next experiment, brush your hair, step 1. Step 2, use the brush to pick up the tissue paper.    Thanks for a great week, Michelle!  Moms, don&#

We decided to do a smelling experiment today that was very quick and fun.  I picked several different things for them to smell and put them on a cotton ball.  We took turns smelling the cotton ball and passing it around.  I used: vanilla, garlic, vinegar (the least popular), mint, and cinnamon.  We loved the cinnamon, that was the favorite.  It was funny hearing the kids guesses on what the scents were.  Isaiah said about garlic, “Smells like Daddy’s garlic bread!” and Ayla commented that the mint smell was gum!  Gotta love it!

This is by no means original, but it is always fun to talk about plants drinking the water and how they need it.  Isaiah is really into experiments lately, so it was a lot of fun!  He predicted it would grow bigger and drink the water.  They enjoyed seeing the celery turn colors. Isaiah did a great job pouring the cups full of water, while Ayla liked adding the food coloring. Here is what our experiment looked like.

My son loves to do experiments so this week we decided to see if an egg would sink in water.  It sank.  We talked about how the egg is heavier, or more dense, than the water.  Then we got another cup and added salt (a lot) and saw it float on top.  We then got a cup of water and filled it half full of salt water, then put the egg in, and then added salt water to the top.  The egg was in the middle of the cup.  It was a great way to talk about salt water being heavier or more dense than the egg and see how it works.  Very easy and fun. 

My son is really into science experiments lately, so our latest one was if we could melt crayons by the heat from the sun.  We used some older crayons and peeled the wrappers off, picked out some cookie cutters, and stuck the crayons inside.  I laid them on a foil covered cookie sheet.  This was a great success.  The first day the one side was more melted than the other side, so we brainstormed hypothesis about why, concluding that there was more sun on that side.  We also discovered that the fat crayons we had took longer to melt.  These actually turned out great, and would make fun beginning of the year gifts for teachers. What a fun idea to get us started for the week, Michelle! I can't wait to try this. ~ Jenna

Moms, I know you are always trying to be the best mom you can be. Guest blogger, Michelle Lee is going to give you some easy science experiments to do with your kids this week! All of them are personally tested with pictures to prove it! You'll love watching your kids as they learn through simple science this week using every day items like balloons, food coloring, and crayons! Happy Experimenting! ~ Jenna

Meet Michelle Lee... She is a good friend of mine and super mom! You are going to love all of her fun and entertaining posts all next week. Here's how she describes herself: "I am a former Kindergarten teacher, now a SAHM of two great kids!  My husband and I have been married for almost 10 great years.  My family is passionate about following Christ and all that entails.   I love scrapbooking, baking, reading, going on walks, and most of all playing lots with my kids.  We are always growing and learning in many different ways as parents, and I like to enable my kids to grow with me as well." You can find her blogging at Always Growing , tweeting on Twitter ( @mochellysue ), or hanging out on Facebook . In "real" life she resides in the Denver area, so I guess you could find her there too! Next week you will not want to miss all of her great "teach while you have fun" ideas that she's mom-tested with her own two kiddos!   Here she is with

All I can say is "shame on us" for never having been to Heritage Square... until last weekend. I don't know if I always imagined it being farther away or what, but I hope I can save you from the same mistake. Our first trip to Heritage Square in Golden couldn't have been a more perfect experience. We arrived just before the ticket sales opened on Monday - Labor Day. I was expecting a big crowd, but was pleasantly surprised to see that we were one of only a handful of cars in the parking lot. Now I can't guarantee that the weather will be as perfect as ours was, but it was the perfect day. There were high clouds, a light breeze, and temperatures in the mid-70s... just glorious by any standard. Our first adventure was the alpine slide - and a first it was! None of us (yes, not even the hubby and myself) had been on an alpine slide before. It's not exactly a bargain at $7/person per ride, but it was truly memorable. (Kids under 6 ride for just $3.) The views

Now that I have two kids in school, it means two drop off time and two pick up times. It also means having little windows of time that I don't want to waste. I realized this about ten minutes before I had to leave to get my preschooler. I had accomplished all of the "big" things I need to get finished, but I just couldn't waste those precious minutes! Here's my own personal brainstorm of things I could do in 10 minutes or less... feel free to comment and leave your own ideas! fold a pile of laundry sort through the week's mail clean off and wipe down my kitchen counters wash the miscellaneous dishes in the sink dream up something wonderful for dinner (ie. browse my cookbooks) call a friend (or text three friends!) empty small household trash cans into larger trash and take it out do a mini-clean in the bathroom do a "sweep" of the floors and move all toys/shoes/etc. to their proper places take a plastic grocery bag out to the car and get a

The headline on the front page of the Sunday Denver Post this week was " Spoiled System ." I spend a lot of time talking here about food - growing it, buying it, and eating it. Most moms are trying to do their best to feed their families healthy and delicious meals. For some, the price of food can be a significant factor in what they choose to purchase. If you've watched the popular documentary Food Inc. , you may find yourself questioning all edibles  you purchase and consume. If you are already addicted to processed, high fat, high sodium, high sugar foods, maybe you'll just shrug your shoulders and say, "oh well." Either way, the ramifications of what we consume reach far beyond our own dining room tables. What we purchase can and will change the way corporations produce our food. If we demand more fresh fruits and vegetables, properly fed cow and chicken products, and organic options, the supply will arise. In fact, some believe that as demand grows, t

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."   Martin Luther King, Jr.    Mommy friends, I hope you all get to enjoy a relaxing day with your family! (Make someone else change a diaper if you have to.) Happy Labor Day!

Here's a picture I took this week. As much as I find myself peeved by the sheer number of bugs in my backyard, I couldn't help capturing this little guy on film. God's creation always inspires me! Mommy friends, I promise more" mommy topics" next week! Any other PTO moms out there? Let's talk about getting organized, excited, and making a difference!

"As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me." ~Psalm 55: 16-18 Pray today! Have you prayed for your husband? Your children? The teachers and staff at your child's school? The checker at the grocery store? God will show up when you talk to Him.

I'm not sure... I think it has something to do with spending too much time behind the computer. Or too much time making copies and creating spreadsheets or something... These last couple of weeks have been totally uninspired. Oddly, it's also been very productive. I painted my kitchen. I hung new curtains. I added new tile to my back splash. I cut down a tree. Oh yeah. I cut down a tree. Sure I had a friend come by with his chainsaw, but that does not discount the fact that I initiated to project and managed to cut, bundle and stack all that wood in a matter of a few hours. None-the-less: uninspired . What's a girl/mom/wife to do?? Okay. I'm sidetracked. Now I'm concerned you don't believe I cut down a tree. I am feeling the need to provide proof. Here it is: For the record, still uninspired. Help please!

Women all over Colorado will unite in a show of unity, support, and triumph on October 3rd! The fight against breast cancer is being fought all over the country, but you can show your support during the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Denver. There will also be events in Aspen and Colorado Springs - as well as across our great country and around the world! When women unite, great things can happen. There are so many ways to make a difference. Find out how you can join a team, make a donation, participate in an event, and much more! If you don't already know someone who has been affected by breast cancer, someday you will. Join the fight and support the pursuit of a cure.