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 cente…

“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, peppero…

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 encoura…

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 can make am…

"Never eat more than you can lift. "
-- Miss Piggy

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't forget that you can find Michelle at Always Growing whenever yo…