June 2003

Homemaking Skills

“Square foot gardening” was taught with PowerPoint presentation by Nancy, a self-taught gardener.  It was very motivating and the sisters had lots of questions answered.  Some secret lawn recipes were given also.  A light potluck salad dinner was served along with dirt cups for dessert.  1/2 chocolate pudding & 1/2 whipped cream mixed and put under crushed Oreos and topped with gummy worms.

July 2003

Service/Fellowshipping

Ward Humanitarian project.  We supported our Ward Neighborhood Party at our Park.  Everyone was invited to attend this potluck gathering.  It was great to meet new neighbors and old.  We had set up a donation box to fill and sent the items to Primary Children’s Hospital.

August 2003

Service/Food Storage

Lisa  and Shawna organized and had us put together school kits for needy children.  The school bags were sewn ahead of time by sisters volunteering their sewing skills.  We put them together assembly-line style.  We had a table of recycled craft ideas and then made our own craft from donated denim pockets.  We put magnets on the back and puffy painted the fronts to put on our fridge or for our children’s locker.  We also enjoyed some interesting and tasty Food Storage treats such as Bean salsa, Pinto Bean Fudge, canned fruit/powdered milk smoothies, etc.

 

Service

Stake Humanitarian project.  Mary from our ward made three beautiful quilts for our ward to finish.  We then watched a video on how Humanitarian aid is distributed through church services worldwide and how our lives can be blessed thru serving others.  Following was a light potluck lunch.

October 2003

Personal Development/Self-Reliance

We held Super Saturday from 9-3pm.  We had 7 different types of crafts: 

Decorated canvas bags

Framed cotton temple press

Stacking blocks with “Love One Another”

Three trees with touching story

Bath salt ornament

3 ft. Reindeer

Holiday/Memory plates

There was also a Scrapbook/Finishing craft Area and

Three free classes: 

Candy making Class—learned how to make delicious candies for the approaching Holidays.

Tree Skirt Class—learned how to make and sew a tree skirt for our Christmas trees.

Preparedness Class – we learned about Water storage and complete our own 72-hour kits and then we assembled our own 72-hour food kits (optional) in foil pouches for $8 each. 

*****For craft descriptions & pictures see Super Saturday Craft Page.

November 2003

Spiritual Development

We had two vans carpool downtown on a Sunday morning to attend the live session of “Spoken Word”.  It was very spiritual and a first time experience for many.  Afterwards a group photo was taken.  We hope to do this again during the Christmas season so we can see the temple lights and hear the uplifting Christmas carols.  We would go to the practice session held Thursday evenings.

December 2003

Physical and Emotional Health

We had our first Annual Progressive Dinner.  We split everyone up in different groups (to get the sisters to mingle) and then carpooled (due to cold weather) to three houses to visit and eat our favorite foods (Soups, Salads, Appetizers). Back at the church we had a special musical program with a few Christmas songs included.  We felt how blessed we are and recognize the Lord’s blessing in our lives.  Cheesecakes were served and a small craft “Believe” was handed out letting the sister know that we believe in what they are doing and recognize their efforts in all things great and small and are grateful for their service.  No child class was provided since we had to leave the church building.  This was very successful and the sisters enjoyed the time to get to know each other better at the homes.  We are working on a recipe book to hand out to the sisters in March.

January 2004

Self-Reliance: Emergency Preparedness and Education

Maralin Hoff a.k.a. “The Earthquake Lady” from Utah State Department of Emergency Services came and spoke to us for free on Emergency preparedness topics.   She gave an earthquake demonstration, lots of good information along with practical and useful tips on how we can become better prepared.  Husbands were encouraged to attend.  Also, our Emergency Preparedness Leader, Sarah, gave out the current list from the cannery along with the year’s upcoming canning dates.  We plan on making “pot-holder” first-aid kits for our next craft.

February 2004

Physical and Emotional Health: Exercise and Nutrition

Mindy, our ward fitness expert, taught us about “Flex, Fitness, Food and Fun”  We learned a general view on Nutrition and made health and fitness goals.  We learned how to improve our exercise routines and then ended with a healthy and delicious low-fat dessert - Fruit kabobs on skewers with fruit dipping sauce and water to drink.

March 2004

Literacy: Written histories and testimonies and

Physical and Emotional Health: Feeling gratitude and recognizing the Lord’s blessings

A very special dinner and dessert with a program titled *“Sow the Seeds of Sisterhood.”

This is still being talked about months later!  I have a complete printout of the whole thing, including the dinner served.  We started with dinner that was provided (not potluck) and as the sisters were finishing we started our program.  Four sisters, dressed in costume, each got up in turn and talked about the life stories of the first four Relief Society presidents.  We then sang “As Sisters in Zion” and each sisters was given a packet of Sunflower seeds with the program on it.  *Because of all the requests on this, I’ve added another page with all the details.                            ***** See “Sow the Seeds” Page! *****

April 2004

Marriage and Family Relations: Family Home Evening

Aimee, who served an internship for Church Magazines came and taught us ways to utilize “The Friend” & other magazines in our homes.  She also told us a few fun facts about how the Church selects and puts together articles for the magazines.  We then had personal experiences from several sisters in the ward as to how they use the church magazines in their home for Family Home Evening nights.  Each sister was in a different part of their lives.  Examples: no children, young children, older children, etc.

May 2004

Service: Community Service project and Service to neighbors

We had our Annual Service Auction (see April 2003) with a Humanitarian project organized by our Ward Humanitarian Specialist, Rachel.  We did the service project first in an assembly-line style and made hygiene kits for needy people in Utah.  Sisters had donated either monies or things needed to put in the hygiene kits ahead of time.

June 2004

Cultural Arts: Understanding other cultures

In lieu of Enrichment Night we encouraged our sisters to attend the special Adult Fireside that month given by guest speaker, Daniel Rona.  He is an American/Israeli Jew who became Mormon and gave wonderful insight into the history and cultural aspects of the place where Christ lived while on Earth.  He is the only LDS licensed guide and tour operator in Israel.  The title of his fireside was “Walking in the Savior’s Footsteps”

July 2004

Homemaking Skills: Cooking food

We learned how to do Dutch Oven Cooking by Dori and her father with delicious samples and then had a mini-class on OAMC or Once-A-Month-Cooking.  Recipes from the Dutch Oven Demo were given out and there was a huge turnout for this event.  OAMC is something you may have always done in your life in some small way or another.  It can save you around 15 hours each month and has served me as a short-term way of “Food Storage” you might say.

August 2004

Personal Development and Education

Identity Fraud Protection by was taught by Jason, a Police Officer in our ward.  We also had a mini-class on Internet Safety by Gwen who taught us how to protect ourselves and our children while on the internet.  We last learned from Jason again how to protect ourselves through self-defense moves and heard enough stories to make us walk to our cars in pairs.  Root beer floats were served as refreshments. 

September 2004

Homemaking Skills: Home Organization

We had a special guest speaker, a professional organizer, come and teach all the tricks and tips on organizing our homes, offices and lives.   52 women came to this which is almost double what we normally have come!

October 2004

Personal Development and Education: Developing Talents and Creativity and

Cultural Arts: Fine Arts and

Strengthening Relationships: Communication

Women’s Retreat!  We had a relaxing, rejuvenating and renewing weekend (Friday night thru Saturday) at one of our sister’s cabins close by.  We served dinner and had a special guest speaker come with a slide projector presentation (using the Gayla Prince booklet) and teach us the meaning behind the painting of the Ten Virgins and then we ate junk food and played games till the wee hours of the morning!  We had a Christmas craft available in the morning, served breakfast and then played the Color Code game.  Nobody wanted to go home!  :)  We sang “As Sisters in Zion” before heading out.  Nursing infants were OK to come.  Everyone mixed, mingled and had a wonderful time!

November 2004

Physical and Emotional Health: Nutrition and Stress Management

Spiritual Topic on Stress Management

Class taught on Nutrition and Disease Prevention by a registered and certified dietician in our ward.  We thought it was a good idea to have this taught before the holidays.  I was actually down with the flu that night but everyone said it was great.  Dessert of low fat apple crisp with light whipped cream.

 

December 2004

Spiritual Development and

Strengthening Relationships: Communication

We will have our second Annual Progressive Dinner and end up at the church for dessert and a special spiritual music program put together by our super Relief Society President.

We will also plan a separate night to carpool to hear the rehearsal of Music and the Spoken Word by the Tabernacle Choir.  They practice all the wonderful Christmas music this time of year.  Afterwards, we’ll go out for hot cocoa and/or walk around to see the temple lights.  The live session of Music and the Spoken Word conflicts with our Sunday church schedule.

**Please feel free to email me if you’d like more information on any of the ideas/projects listed and I’ll be happy to send you all I can.  It’s impossible for me to put everything on just one website.  :)

Young Family Fun Pages

Marriage & Family Relations

A presentation was given by Lisa on the various and inexpensive things we can do together as a family in the state of Utah.  A handout was given with many pages of ideas on what to do during the summer, places of interest to see, etc.  Fun snack/dessert ideas to make with children, from Family Fun magazine, were given as refreshments. 

Below are a list of “Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment” activities our ward has done in the past.  If you would like copies of the handouts or more photos/descriptions just email me. :)

Service/Homemaking Skills

We held a Service Auction.  The sisters donated services (such as free babysitting, homemade bread, cookies, voice lessons) and homemade crafts to be auctioned off.  A list was given out so the sisters could tally their points and bid on different items.   You received points for doing your visiting teaching, attending the temple, reading scriptures, saying prayers, having FHE, giving service, being a nursery leader, singing in the ward choir, etc. 

April 2003

May 2003

September 2003

Contact Information:

Email:  karenmareeyoung@msn.com