LDS ideas Archives - Page 25 of 27

Feature Friday-Sugardoodle

May 29, 2009 By Michelle Barneck 6 Comments

The Feature Friday for today is Melanie from SuGarDooDle. I was introduced to Sugardoodle when I was called to YW Presidency and it has truly been a lifesaver for me! If you are LDS and have not been introduced to this site you are going to die! There is so much amazing stuff on this site that you will have to see it to believe it! Melanie collects fabulous ideas on everything from Clip Art to Sharing Time Ideas to Boredom Busters for the kids. If you are familiar with Sugardoodle, DO NOT TURN BACK!! While doing this feature I found pages that I had not even seen before in my 1.5 year relationship with this gem of a site. Maybe you will find something new too!

Now, for a little about Melanie the mastermind behind it all…She started teaching piano lessons when she was 14 years old and loves music. She also LOVES to go on walks! Melanie’s least favorite thing to do is mate socks. She needs my trick! Does anyone out there like to mate socks?! Melanie is a sweetheart and has truly been a pleasure to work with. She is a teacher by day and I cannot believe she can keep up with this site while working!

Here we go with some highlights and keep in mind this is only the tip of the iceberg!!

VT gift ideas – I am always trying to think of a cute little something to bring along each month. Well, no more thinking thanks to this page!I heart these Photo clips.
What a fun little gift for a birthday or an I’m thinking of you (on the 30th of the month 😉 ).

FHE Index – Yep, Monday comes around every week and there you are scrambling to get dinner on the table and a lesson/activity/treat ready. How about just hop on the internet and hit print. Yay!
Gospel Themed Lesson Plans (Melanie does these with her children during the summer break) –
Becky, you are going to freak when you see these!
These wonderful little kits contain all you need to teach your children on a spiritual and secular level. They combine messages in the funniest and cutest ways! How about Jonah/Oceanography or The Creation/Solar System. Love it!

Video Clips-Can’t wait to check these out!

Youth Activity Ideas – Wait, you mean I don’t have to come up with these on my own when my Beehives stare at me with blank faces? Sweet.

Craft Ideas

Wait, did you say Soccer Jersey Quilt? Do you mean I can make something out of all those old Jerseys that my hubby won’t let me throw away? Am I dreaming?

Thanks for the super compilation of ideas Melanie! You are now entered in to the Hall of Fame as Tipper of the Week!

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Decorate Your Flip Flops/Seaside Cupcakes

May 26, 2009 By Michelle Barneck 5 Comments

Summer is on the horizon! It is time to put away your boots and break out your flip flops! I am a big flip flop fan and have them in every color. So, why not add a little flair to your flip flop wardrobe and decorate them. Personalize your flip flops into something great that only you have! This is a great activity to do with girls of all ages. You get to be creative and it is really easy! As long as you can tie a knot you can make most of the flops shown here!

We did this for a Young Women activity and had about 20 girls making them all at once. We bought flip flops for $1 at Michael’s and brought all sorts of things to decorate with including: water balloons, fabric, ribbon, beads, buttons, silk flowers, glitter glue, hot glue, river rocks, etc.

These were made by hot gluing ribbon wrapped around the straps and then hot gluing flowers on in the middle.

It was so fun to see what everyone came up with! I think the water balloons and the fabric were definitely the most popular. All you do is tie them on with a knot (be sure the knots are all on the outside and do not touch your foot) and then scoot them close together on the strap.

For the fabric flops, cut the fabric in strips about 1 inch by 6 inches. You want them long enough that you can tie them around and in a knot, but then you can vary depending on how fluffy you want them. Test a strip to make sure you have the length you want before cutting them all! Then just keep tying them on in knots until you get the look you want.

One of our YW got creative with the supplies. It was fun to see what everyone came up with.

To give the activity a message we gave a thought at the end with quote from Elder Holland on Appropriate Sunday Dress and how we should not look like we are on the way to the beach. Then, we read the footprints poem and gave them a bookmark with the poem on it.

We decorated with a Hawaiian luau theme. Please keep in mind that I found out I would need to do refreshments like 4 hours before the activity. (The other leader was going out of town and could not find anyone home to drop them off with.) I forgot to take pics of most of it, but here are a few.

I froze silk flowers in circle tupperwares full of water to have some fancy floating ice. There were limes in the bowl too, but they sunk.
Did you know that cucumber water is fantastic too! I kid you not! Put a few slices of fresh cucumber in a pitcher of water and try it. It is amazingly refreshing! I had it at a Bridal Fair at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

I tied a belt with shells on it around the punch bowl for a little extra flair.

This was a totally off the wall idea because I needed to figure out a treat that I could make with what I had at my house. They are supposed to be little bears lying on the beach. Thankfully most of the YW got it right off.

Items needed for Bears on the Beach Cupcakes:

Cupcake liners (I used the foil ones)
Chocolate cake mix and ingredients to make it
Vanilla frosting
Blue food coloring
Sticks of gum (I had Extra Bubblegum)
Teddy Grahams
Graham Crackers

Prepare the cupcakes as directed on the cake box and let them cool. Mix a few drops (I used like 10 because I wanted it pretty bright) of food coloring with the frosting and frost the cupcakes. Crush some graham crackers in a Ziploc to use as sand. I put it on a small plate and dipped the top of the cupcake in it. Unwrap the gum and cut each stick in half. Secure a piece of gum to each cupcake by putting a little drop of frosting on the back. Place a dab of frosting on the back of the bear and place it on the gum “towel.”

Ta da! If only they were as relaxing as a real trip to the beach!

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21 Day Journaling Challenge

May 19, 2009 By Michelle Barneck 3 Comments

Join me on my quest to make it a habit to write in my journal every day! On Sunday, I taught a lesson (YW Lesson 19) on keeping a personal history which made me realize how important it really is. Especially because I have a terrible memory! I want to leave something behind that my children on down the line can read and know about experiences and feelings I had. It will help them get to know me better, but also may help them with something they will go through.

I challenged the girls in my class to write in their journals every day for 20 days so it would become a habit. I gave the Young Women a handout with the following quotes:

Click on image above to see YW handouts

“We urge our young people to begin today to write and keep records of all the important things in their own lives” (“The Angels May Quote from It,” New Era, Oct. 1975, p. 4).
“I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through the generations. Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us and as our posterity read of our life’s experiences, they, too, will come to know and love us. And in that glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted” -President Kimball

I also included this list of questions for the days when they are having a hard time knowing what to write about.

Click on images above to see YW lesson 19 handouts

There are tons of lists of questions out on the World Wide Web to give you sources of inspiration. I googled “personal history question jar” to get mine. I have a little container I keep word strips of questions in so I can draw one when I need a starting point. I wanted to give the girls in my class their questions in a jar so they could do the same, but I ran out of time and my trash day is Thursday so I did not have enough baby food jars by Saturday (Those small salsa jars would work great too). I was going to spray paint the lids, fill the jars with questions, and attach the quotes with a ribbon.

http://www.handmadecardsandgifts.com/USERIMAGES/journal%20jar1.jpg

I found this one when I googled journal question jar and selected images. I love the canister and recipe idea!

So, come one come all and join me on this quest! We will leave our descendants more than a few old boxes to rummage through. We will leave a legacy of thoughts, feelings, experiences and testimonies.

Here’s how we will do it. If you are with me, blog about it (that holds us somewhat accountable, right?) and include the adorable button I created below in your post so others can join in on the fun too! Then, come back here and leave your comment with the link to your post. I will be checking up on you! ;)Here’s the ironic part. I just realized that the challenge will end on my birthday June 9th! What a great way to top it all off! Woo hoo!

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Gift Idea for Volunteer Temple Babysitting

May 4, 2009 By Michelle Barneck 1 Comment

I am over the Beehives in my LDS ward and for a Personal Progress experience they can babysit for people attending the temple for free. I have a sweet girl from my class, Sarah, who has done babysat for free at least four times (which I know is more than she needs to complete the project). We try to call her for paid jobs too, but it only seems to work out when we are going to the temple.

Jordan River LDS Temple

We offer to pay her every time, but she will never take it. I am so thankful for her service and wanted her to know that I appreciated it without taking away from her service experience. I figured a small gift with a good message would be a good way to show my appreciation.

I went to Deseret Book because I knew they had these cute chapsticks for under $2. They have them with all different messages. This one is the mutual theme for this year 1 Timothy 4:12.

I thought this silver YW necklace was cute and it was only $5.95!

I wrapped them up in a bag with a thank you card telling her how she was an example of the believers in charity (like in the theme). I had every thing for the bag on hand: a clear treat bag, ribbon and leftover easter ribbon filler.