Month: April 2010

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.“-Ben Franklin

I am very excited to announce that I am getting started with regularly scheduled phone seminars again. In fact, I will start tomorrow afternoon – Wednesday April 28. But don’t worry if you can’t make it, the call will be recorded and available for you to listen to at your convenience and there is no charge.

Since I’m in the middle of kitchen remodeling I’m thrilled at the timeliness of tomorrow’s topic being: “Recharge Mom”

I’ll admit, taking time for mom, taking time for me is a subject I’m not particularly comfortable with or knowledgeable about. Too much false guilt, I guess. I don’t know why I think I’m supposed to be some sort of robot that works and works and never stops to take time for a little rest, relaxation or even a little pampering.

Now I can honestly say, I’m not sure where this false belief comes from, but I notice in scripture that Jesus often took extended time away to spend time with the Father. He needed to get away from the crowds frequently, I assume he was very tired and needed to get recharged. Why does our 24/7 culture tell us otherwise? Am I any different than God incarnate if I am made in his image?

Do I think life can’t go on in the family if I’m not there to do the work or overseeing all the activities, meals, appointments, baths, etc? Maybe your idea of recharging doesn’t fit within your budget constraints. Does recharging have to take money? Does recharging require time away from home? How much time does it take to recharge?

How often should we recharge? What are the benefits of recharging for myself and for my family? These are just a few of the questions on my mind, maybe you have others.

But this will be our lively topic of conversation with well known speaker and author, mom, and wife, Cindy Rushton tomorrow. We will be talking with Cindy in the afternoon during some children’s nap time.

Plan to carve out a little time to listen in! The call or the recording is free and available 24/7 to you and your convenience.

Remember, the background noise is muted out so your house doesn’t have to be quiet.

Here is the Contact Information:

Join Cindy and I in a Live-Online CHAT/Seminar:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444  The only cost is for applicable long distance charges, if any)

Call ID: 38181# PIN: 1# (Or your Talkshoe PIN)

OR: Live on line:  http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com/chat. You just go to this page and you can see the chat and click to hear the workshop stream live. No need for a password or code. It is easy AND free!

Time: 5:30 ET, 4:30 CT, 3:30 MT, 2:30 PT Date: Wednesday April 28 Topic: Recharge Mom Guest Speaker: Cindy Rushton with Marilyn Moll

Ed Note: As an older mom, I can tell you it is very wise to involve the little ones in household activities when they are very young and want to help. Here is how one young mom is achieving this goal.

NORWEX IS NOT ONLY SAFE FOR KIDS, IT GETS KIDS INVOLVED!  By Rebekka Parry

It has always been one of my goals to get my kids involved with weekly chores around the house. Learning responsibility and the importance of doing a good job are priorities for our family. But how that was going to actually work out practically, I wasn’t sure! Then Marilyn introduced me to Norwex microfiber, and the light bulb came on! Now I could assign small duties to my young kids without worrying about buckets of water and chemicals! The following are some practical ways that Norwex can be a family affair:

1. The telescopic mop handle adjusts in height! It can adjust small enough for an eight or nine year old to use. You can start teaching the technique of mopping early!

2. The dry superior mop pads are useful even without the mop! I have my five year old son using them to wipe down my wooden stairs by hand. They also work well on the hardwood that is not covered by my area carpets.  They come in two sizes, I have the smaller one for maneuverability around carpets and hardwood floors.

3. Kids can learn the consequences of their actions by helping to clean up. When my four year old decided to write with a crayon on my kitchen floor, I had him help me scrub it off with the antibac wet mop pad.  Again this wet mop pad comes in two colors.

4. The antibac microfiber mitt is a great way to get even the smallest child excited about helping! Just slide that “big blue paw” on, and show them how to wipe down chairs and railings! The best part is—whatever those little fingers touch, they dust!

5. The antibac enviro cloths come in different colors! You can help your child feel the special part he or she plays by letting them pick their own color. Then work side by side cleaning the bathtub, wiping counters, cleaning the fridge, washing windows, or dusting. Let them “own” the cloth and the responsibility of a job well done!  (You can invest in a four pack or individually.)

Ed Note: Rebekka Parry is proud momma of 4 children ages 5 and under, three boys and 1 girl, so far and a family friend from when we lived in Pennsylvania.

Cleaning has never been easier, safer, or faster!

Purchase all the Spring Cleaning Pack, one Enviro, one dust mitt, and one window cloth

for just $41.99 (reg. $46.48)

Use and Care Info:  To care for your cloths, simply wash with a dot of dish soap and rinse very well under running water.  Once a week, or when needed throw into the washer with lint free items.  Be sure to NEVER  use bleach or fabric softener which destroys the fiber properties.   Tumble dry or hang to dry.  Avoid drying with towels or other high lint items.

Visit my blog for Kitchen Remodeling Updates and Pictures:  www.marilynmoll.com

Request a Norwex Catalog:  Email me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com

Copyright 2010 Marilyn Moll and Laura Coble, All Rights Reserved.

The simple phrase, “Getting Back to Basics”,  has been going through my head since I have been setting up my camp kitchen with “basics” and while I was concocting the elk stew melange earlier this week.

Basics, in my mind, are learning basic cooking skills such as sauteing, stock making, baking, yeast bread baking, roasting meat, basically cooking from scratch.  Basics are good to know in an emergency and as part of a family preparedness plan.

Not surprisingly, basics are often quite economical and budget friendly ingredients and recipes.  Basics are ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, vegetables, fruits, bread, and cheese.

Basic vegetables in a pantry would include potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and celery.

Basic fruits in my house are based on what is in season.  Right now strawberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, and oranges were on sale at my grocery store so that is what I bought.  Here is the complete Master Pantry List that I work from when re-stocking basics.

If all this back to basics cooking sounds a little too complex and confusing to you I discovered there are numerous websites that enable you to list what items you have on hand and then generate useful recipes to try out.  Check out http://www.recipematcher.com/ which enables you to type in a list of ingredients on hand and then select the type of cuisine you are trying to prepare such as breakfast, American, Mexican, Chinese, side dish, healthy, Vegetarian, Crock Pot or 30 Minute Meal, etc.  Voila, recipe suggestions are listed.  This will definitely be a handy website for my menu planning in the weeks ahead.  A google search will locate other similar sites.

Now that Spring has officially arrived,  I challenge you to clean out your pantry, fridge, and freezer to make room for putting aside some of the bounty of this coming years harvest.  You might even want to do some pantry planning and overhauling.   Are you Prepared?