Welcome new subscribers to the "JustForMom" newsletter. My apologies for the delay in the newsletter this week; we have had a loss in the family. I will do my best to get the next issue out on time.

Something new to check out this week is the Just For Mom Foundation web site- www.theJustForMomFoundation.org. Please note, that we will not post the business grant applications until early next year and the site is still under construction.

Have a great month!

"A special day filled with cheer
Needs to last throughout the year;

A candle, a smile, a winter land theme,
To take us to places that we've never seen;

Our loved ones all near,
A time of year that's so dear;

For last are our memories,
Since our time may draw near;
To cherish each moment,
And be happy we're here!"

-Tara Paterson

Our time here is so precious and sometimes we forget this during the other ten months of the year. In the past few days and months, neighbors endured a tragic accident in their family when a sibling and her young daughters were hit by a drunk driver; countless men and women are losing their lives daily to protect our freedom; and my husband lost his grandmother.

We are all prone to taking things for granted - and it will happen again once this season has passed - but each time one of us makes an effort to remember- we are all in this together, the closer we come to making a difference.

Next year when you make your New Year's resolutions - as we all do - think about committing to being more patient, a little kinder, more giving, more supportive, more affectionate, more accepting of who you are - because it truly is in giving that we receive what we need. If you offer more patience, you will be given more; if you show your child or husband more support, guess what? You will receive it back tenfold.

Remember each day to- live in this moment and offer love, support, and kindness wherever you can. You will thank yourself for it!

For additional JustForMom articles, click here!

A classified advertisement is submitted by a work at home mom sharing her own product or business opportunity; or advertisements that are geared towards moms! To learn more or see the rest of the Classy-fieds, click here!

"The little things are most worthwhile-a quiet word, a look, a smile."
- Margaret Lindsey

Quiet…not one of those words in the busy mother’s vocabulary, except perhaps if spoken on those auspicious occasions of thirty seconds before the school bell rings and your two children are arguing about the effect of gamma rays on Mars, but haven’t yet brushed their teeth. It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose.

Quiet…it’s one of those interesting words that changes with the volume of your voice. Go ahead, try it with a variety of emotions: frustration, pleading, anger, as a threat.

Like most things, we often don’t appreciate them until they are gone. Like quiet…for example. We all need it from time to time, just to put things in perspective. Like now, I’m sitting here alone, listening to Pachebal’s Canon in D as I write. The house is empty, the neighborhood still around me. For a brief moment, all is at peace in the world. Quiet such as this is truly a meditative, serene state. But it is unlikely that it will last forever, and moreover, do I really want it just yet? I have to smile when I answer, no. Even as much as I seek these quiet times, the satisfaction of them is short-lived. Why?

Because the quiet also reminds me of the joy I have discovered in the beautiful chaos of having a viable family and life with it’s crazy schedules to keep track of: friends in and out, band practices in the basement, deadlines to meet, crafts all over the dining room table, concerts and activities to attend, and voices yelling through the house asking another family member for help…whether that be homework, a chore, or more toilet paper for the bathroom.

Too soon, these times, whirlwind as the seasons changing, are but a wonderful memory that are hopefully planted in the fertile, exuberant minds and hearts of your children. And, with any luck, they too will remember in their moments of quiet as they grow older, the rich splendor of a family that lived and loved each other to its fullest.

Today, let me appreciate the quiet as much as the chaos.


Pamela Johnson is an award-winning author, proud of her Midwest roots. A stay-at-home mom, she writes both fiction and non-fiction and believes that with each dawn comes a new day of potential and possibility. Learn more about Pamela at www.pamelajohnson.net.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

This cake will remind you of autumn trips to the apple orchard and biting into fresh, sweet fruit.

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1/2 cup brown sugar in small bowl; cut in 3 tablespoons butter until crumbly. Stir in sunflower nuts. Press onto bottom of greased 9-inch round cake pan. Arrange apple slices on top. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter in mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Add flour mixture alternately with milk until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).
3. Spoon batter over apple layer; spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts (1 serving):
Calories: 380
Fat: 15 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Sodium: 360 mg
Carbohydrates: 59 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Land O Lakes, Inc. Find this recipe and over 14,000 other delicious recipes at CooksRecipes.com - Recipes for Every Cook!

Quiet

"Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose." -Elisabeth Kubler- Ross

Webster's Dictionary Definition:
Being in a state of repose; still; calm; motionless.

Our thought:
My quiet place is-

• Holiday Recipe
• Gift Ideas for Kids
• Site Review
• Inspired Parenting Tip #6

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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
-Ted Geisel (Dr. Suess)

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"Touching Each Mom’s Life, One Mom at a Time!"

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Tara Paterson:
tara@justformom.com

~MOMs~~~
~CORNER~

This is the place where we like to thank the contributors of this newsletter. Without all of the moms out there who work hard to make a difference, we wouldn’t have this opportunity!

Forty Going on Ten
by Lucie Bouchard Antoniazzi

Today is my fortieth birthday! I’ve gotten many calls this morning from family and friends wishing me a happy birthday and asking me how it feels to turn forty. I really don’t feel any different, and I certainly don’t feel forty.

My age has never bothered me. I was brought up by two wonderful people who were never bothered by their age. They are still healthy and young at heart, and they look younger than they are. They taught me to set goals for each phase of my life and strive to meet those goals, and that is how I’ve lived my life.

(click for full story)

Inspired Parenting Tip
by Dr. Caron Goode

Turn to physical activities to cope with stress and promote good health.

Explore for yourself and your child such activities as yoga, dance, and stretching. Participate in sports. Remember, children who see parents exercise are more likely to be physically active themselves.

To learn more about becoming an Inspired Parent, visit InspiredParenting.net.

Francie Kelley's "Wake Up & Go To Sleep!"

If you are looking for music to listen to with your little ones and you are looking for something different from the typical kiddie CD, look no further. "Wake Up & Go To Sleep!" by Francie Kelley is a children's CD that breaks away from traditional, sleepy lullabies to bring you original lyrics and fun musical sounds that kids will love.

With song titles like "I Know a Little Girl," "Song of Life," and my four year old son's favorite, "Jammin' in My Jammies" how can you go wrong?

This would be a great CD to play in the evening, right after bath time and before bed time. There are just enough faster paced songs for kids to dance to and release their last little bits of energy, but enough slower songs to mellow them out before heading off to bed.

My Favorite Part: If you are in a particularly 'cuddly' mood, I recommend Track 5, entitled Happiness. Listening to this song made me want to grab my kids, cuddle under a blanket with some hot cocoa, and just enjoy their company. This was a powerful feeling considering we listened to this track in the car while it was still 100 degrees outside.

For more information or to purchase, please visit www.franciekelley.com.

Is there a children's CD or DVD you would like to see reviewed? Email us at education@justformom.com and let us know.

T' was the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey

T'was the Night Before Christmas has been adapted to a Thanksgiving story. A school bus full of children visit a Turkey farm the day before Thanksgiving. In the end, the children save turkeys from their Thanksgiving-day fate. To read a review of this book, click here!

Banana Pops, click here!

Cornucopia of Ideas



You can do many of these and use them as Place Cards at your Thanksgiving dinner or just a few for fun!