Teaching YW Budgeting

lds.org

Choice and Accountability #7 talks about learning to budget.  Let's face it!  Girls will get money and then spend it on movies, make up, and fun stuff.  Most of them will pay their tithing (Yay!).  As a teen, I earned my babysitting money and spent it without much thought about tomorrow.  After all, as a teen - tomorrow is a long way away...until you are a Senior  Laurel and facing college or a mission.

A great Personal Progress activity is to have them learn to budget.  This is my form but there are some great others out there for your use.  I will add their links at the end. 

YOUR FINANCES:

1.  What do I do to earn money?

2.  How much do I earn or how much is my allowance?

3.  What do I spend the money I earn on?

4.  How much do I save and where do I put my savings?

5.  Do I owe anyone money?  How much?  Am I paying off my debt?

6.  What do I spend only on myself and what do I spend on others?

7.  What skills am I developing to help me earn the money I need to meet my future goals?

8.  Do I keep a financial record?

BUDGET:

Budget For:________________________________

                                   Month/Year

Income                                                       Planned                           Actual         

Wages/Salary (after taxes) -

Other Income -

TOTAL  INCOME

Expenses:

Church Donations -

Savings -

Food -

Rent -

Utilities/Cell Phone -

Laundry -

Fees -

Transportation -

Insurance -

Medical -

Clothing -

Other -

When my daughter left for BYU, we paid her tuition, books, and meals.  For extras, she had to earn her own way.  It was a wonderful experience for her and she has become a very frugal and thrifty mom today.  She was amazed at how much of her paycheck went to taxes and there is the never-ending saving of quarters for the washer and dryer!  This activity can be added to a lesson on tithing and fast offerings as well as meal planning or shopping.

Choice and Accountability #7:  https://www.lds.org/young-women/personal-progress/choice-and-accountability?lang=eng

A 3 month budget planner from Mormon Share:  http://www.mormonshare.com/lds-clipart/personal-progress-choice-and-accountability-value-experience-7-handout 

A funny lesson taught by Bill Cosby to his son on the Cosby show:  http://www.imom.com/mom-life/mom-management/money-a-lesson-in-finances-from-bill-cosby/ 

Pillow Talk

We had a really rewarding service project for the YW combined with the Relief Society.  We got the ladies together to make "Comfort pillows."  Many female patients experience discomfort after surgery for cancer, mastectomy, or even pacemaker placement.  We got the ladies together to sew and stuff pillows and then make small, washable pillow cases for them.  We had a group cutting and ironing as well as one group sewing, YW stuffing, and ladies closing the pillows.  The YW then placed a tag of love and encouragement on each pillow.  The pillow was then bagged and placed in a box for shipment to a local charity.  I have seen these done both as small rectangular pillows as well as heart-shaped pillows that fit under the arm.  The sisters brought their fabric scraps for donation and we purchased all the batting that was necessary.  We called our activity a "Pillow Talk" night.  We made pillows, visited, and had munchies.  This is a great activity to get your Relief Society Sisters and YW together and a great YW Value Project.  It is a terrific way to involve the Laurels that are transitioning into Relief Society.  It can also be an easy sewing night and camp craft.  You can get in touch with your local cancer society, charity, or hospital to find out what the need is in your area.  They are very cute and such a useful item!

Pillow Instructions:

1.  Cut 2 pieces of washable material, 8" x 12".  (Use something strong and soft like cotton.)

2.  With right sides facing, sew 3 sides with a 1/4" seam leaving open one of the smaller ends.

3.  Turn the pillow right side out.

4.  Stuff the pillow to the point of being firm without over-stuffing.  The pillow should be squeezably soft.

5.  Turn the remaining open end and top stitch it closed.

Pillow Case Instructions:

1.  Cut two pieces of washable material, 9" x 13", or fold a piece of material to form a 9" x 13" pattern.

2.  With right sides facing, sew 3 sides with a 1/4" seam, leaving one of the shorter sides open.

3.  To hem the open end, turn fabric under 1/4", then turn it again 1/4" to form a hem and sew across the open end of the pillow case.

4.  Turn right side out and place over the pillow with the pillow edge that was stitched closed at the bottom of the pillow case to hide the seam.  

The Card:

ESPECIALLY FOR YOU!

This "Comfort Pillow" was made for you 

The Women of the XXX Ward of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are 

sending you this special pillow to comfort you and let you

know that we care

We pray you are healthy again very soon!

XXXX Ward Young Woman and Relief Society

The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints

c/o XXXXXXXX

Reservation Quilts Service Project

If you are looking for a service project for your YW, the Lakota Pine Wood Indian Reservation in South Dakota is the home of the Oglala Sioux Indians.  The residents of this reservation are living dire poverty and in extreme weather conditions.  The Friends of the Pine Ridge Reservation has many drives and service projects available for YW.  The reservation needs school supplies, blankets, coupons, books, arts and craft supplies.  Raising needed items or sewing/knitting/crocheting some of their requested items would make for great Value and service projects. http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/

Our small group of Laurels made quilts last week to send to their Baby Shower.  They learned how to put the quilts together and tie them.  They were excited to know that they were helping these babies with a worthwhile project and enjoyed each others' company, talking and laughing.  (My pictures of the girls working on the quilts were lost but I have the finish product to show.)

Necktie Skirt

Guest Blogger: Allison from ABitterKnitter.blogspot.com

Greetings!  I'm Allison, and am the daughter of the author of Value-able Ideas.  I'm a new mom and a knitter and am guest blogging today to share about a necktie skirt I made several years ago.

When I was a Young Woman, I had a friend who had a skirt made of neckties and it was the thing.  Everyone knew about Linné's necktie skirt!  As a young newlywed, I made one for my younger sister, who was then a Mia Maid.  She wore it until she graduated from high school and then continued to wear it to the single's ward.  And everyone knew about Crystal's necktie skirt!  Want one?  Sure... here's how:

Materials:
Neckties.  A bunch.
Ribbon 1.5" or wider.  Enough to go around your waist with some to spare.
Zipper.  I used one 8 inches long.
Hook and eye
Sewing machine
Thread to coordinate with ribbon and zipper. 
Yardstick or tape measure.

Step 1: Collect neckties.  This necktie skirt is made using 18 normal neckties.  Some of these ties belonged to my dad, some to my husband, and some were bought in thrift stores.  (I had a friend in the single's ward who joked that she was going to make one by collecting ties from guys she promised to wait for while they were on missions.  Hey, however you want to get your ties is up to you...)  18 neckties made a skirt that is about a size 8, but the size is very adjustable.  Just use more or fewer neckties.

Step 2: Pick the order. Pick out the ties you're sure you want on your skirt and decide which ones you want next to each other.  I didn't want ties that were too similar in colour next to each other, but that's just me.  Line your ties up in the order you want them to be in.  You may end up using more or fewer ties before you're done depending on how big your skirt needs to be.

 Step 3: Sew neckties.  For this step you'll need a sewing machine and thread.  I used black thread as it coordinated with the ribbon and zipper.  Take your first two ties and put them one on top of the other with the fronts together.  Line up the sides of the ties so that the tops of the Vs match up.  (Is there a technical term for tie anatomy?)  Sew the two ties together close to the edge.  I sewed as close as I could to the edge without going off and used a narrow zigzag stitch to better hold together the weight of the ties.  Make sure you sew up almost two feet.  (Well, that's for a skirt that comes down to your kneecap.  I'm assuming you want a modest skirt.)  Then open up those two ties, line up your third tie and sew that one.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  ♫ Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me... ♪
 

Once you think you have enough ties, "try on" your skirt by wrapping it around your waist.  Make sure the bottoms of the ties are where you want them to be for the right length of your skirt.  If it goes all the way around your waist, you're done and ready for the next step.  If not, keep adding ties until it goes all the way around and the ties touch or overlap by part of a tie.  If more than a full tie overlaps, remove ties until only one or less than a full tie overlaps.

Step 4: CUT.  It is better to make it too long at first than to make it too short!  Using your yardstick or tape measure, measure up from the bottom where two ties meet.  Start by measuring up two feet and place a pin.  Do this several places around your skirt.  Then cut from pin to pin.  Now that things are more skirt shaped, wrap it around your waist again and hold the two open sides together.  If it's the right length, stop here and move on to step 5.  If it's too long, figure out about how many inches need to come off, re-measure, re-pin, and re-cut.  When it's the length you want, move on to step 5.  (If you find that you have too many ties around once it is then length you want, remove ties as described in step 3 until the right number of ties remain.)

Step 5: Add the waistband.  Take your ribbon.  Fold it in half along its length.  Line it up along the top of your skirt, letting it hang off the edge by about an inch or so.  Sew it along your skirt, folding the edge over to the inside of the skirt.  (I sewed it with the right side out, sewing both the inside and outside down at the same time.)

Step 6: Add the zipper. Line up your two open sides the same way you lined up all the other ties, with the right sides of the ties facing each other.  Sew them together leaving about seven inches unsewn at the top.  Sew in your zipper.  (For more information about how to sew in a zipper, go to Google and search for "how to sew in a zipper.)

Step 7: Add a hook and eye. Just like the instruction says.  Add a hook and eye at the top.

And voilá, you're finished!  Wear with pride!  Next week, learn how to knit a pair of value-striped socks.  (Kidding!)

This project helps meet the requirements for the following Young Women Value Experiences: Divine Nature Value Project, Knowledge #2, Integrity Value Project.

An Amazing Service Project

Artist:  Greg Olson

We have a severely developmentally disabled young woman in our ward.  We have watched her grow up through the years and when she reached YW age, we looked for ways to include her and have the girls come to know her.  Another ward in our Stake had a similar situation and following their example, we asked the girls if they would be willing to earn her Young Womanhood Recognition Award in her behalf.  What a marvelous experience this was!  One of the Laurels spearheaded the work as a Laurel project, keeping track of who did what and when it was completed.  It was a two year labor of love. Each of our girls took on extra Personal Project Value Experiences and Projects so that E could earn her Medallion.  Each Sunday, our Laurel posted a chart with our progress.  It was such a blessing in all of our lives!  Our YW in Excellence last year was an experience beyond words as we watched E, with the help of her father, walk slowly up to the pulpit and receive her Medallion.  The Spirit so strongly testified that these girls had done something of great love.  We are so grateful for the girls who gave so much of themselves and when they meet E on the other side of the veil, I am sure she will thank them for their efforts and they will thank her for teaching them Christlike love.

Ten Value Project Ideas

Any new task or desire to change can be made into a Value Project.  Is your YW taking Spanish in High School for the first time?  Is she learning to play a new piano piece for a recital.  Set the goal and count it.  Much of our lives revolves around goal setting even if we do not realize it.  Here are some more ideas:

1.   Organize a blanket drive for an animal shelter.
2.   Learn a sport as a spectator or participant. (Do you know what it means to be "in the pocket" in football?)  Take up jogging, yoga, surfing, etc.
3.   Participate in a school event for band, drama, choir, dance.
4.   Read a classic novel (Something you have not read before.  Must be 10 hours and a short synopsis-not a school assignment.)
5.   Get involved in a local election as a volunteer.
6.   Adopt a highway or street.
7.   Work as a tutor at school.
8.   Make a YW or Ward cookbook.
9.   Help organize care packages for the troops.
10.  Research colleges for after graduation. 


deb

Great Service Project Idea

A Christian based group of women have begun a project to make dresses for little girls in orphanages in Africa made out of pillowcases. It began with a few women returning from a mission in Malawi and has grown to include donations throughout 49 states in the US. These dresses are being distributed in 13 countries across Africa. What a wonderful cause!! Young Women can do this! This is a great idea for a Tuesday night (or multiple Tuesday nights) activity. It's purpose is to provide Hope and a sense of Individual Worth to girls throughout Africa. See the full info at http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/. This would also make a wonderful Value Project.

deb