Great Ideas

I found a couple of blog sites that have some terrific  ideas that are very adaptable to YW.  Check out these creative ladies:  Room Mom 101 and  My {Creative} Place . 

Once Upon a Time....

 
Lesson 4 of Manual 3 in entitled:  "Preparing to Become an Eternal Companion".  As a supplement to this lesson, the resource guide recommends a talk given in the General Young Women's Meeting from April 2010, "Your Happily Ever After" by Elder Uchtdorf.  Such a wonderful talk!  What a great lesson supplement!  Some supplemental material just lends itself to great visual aids and this one certainly does.  There are times when the visuals can overpower the simple beauty of the lessons of the Gospel.  I found myself running amok with ideas for handouts and visual aids.  It is the testimony given by the Holy Ghost is what is will touch their hearts and simple is best.  I tried to make a handout that they could carry with them (Lipsmackers lip glosses) and think about the choices that will come their way in the next few years. 

Something fun!

Check out wordle.net to use their "word clouds" to make great handouts for your class.  I did one last weekend for the lesson on Living the Gospel Daily by using the 13th Article of Faith.  I made one today of the YW Theme for an example.  The size of the word on the picture is determined by the number of times it is typed on the paper.  The more times you put down FAITH FAITH FAITH, etc., the larger the word FAITH will appear in the "cloud."  Many combinations and several fonts and colors are available.  It will break up multi-word phrases hence the use of "works" instead of "good works."  It can then be printed for your YW and placed in a frame or used as a handout of some form.  It is fun to just play with!

Birthdays?

I am always looking for new ways to celebrate birthdays in YW and try to do something new each year.  In an effort to be creative, I decided to try to make a candy bouquet.  These look like such fun!  I think I really overdid the two I have pictured and will go smaller for the next ones.  These are quite large (1 ft. x 8 in.)  I would like to use milkshake glasses and think they are the perfect size.  I see them everywhere except when I want to buy one!  This was  my first effort at this idea.  They were so easy and I am a little excited about how they turned out.  Both bouquets took about an hour to put together in total.  I purchased just about everything at the Dollar Store, even most of the candy! Almost everything else I had at home such as curling ribbon, craft sticks, and skewers.  I noticed for the first time that I could choose a "color scheme" of candy wrappers.  Who knew?

Happy Holy Days

Artist:  Simon Dewey

One of the most wonderful things about the Holiday Season is that our thoughts tend to turn outward.  We begin to look for ways to do for others by giving gifts both tangible and those not so tangible.  Most of our gift giving comes from the heart in one way or another, our desire to make another happy and know of the love we have for them.  In YW, we begin to think of Service Projects to help our girls understand the blessings they enjoy and the blessing of giving of self.

1.  Check with the local homeless shelter.  Many serve Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners and often more than one.  Often, a youth can serve dinner and not miss their own family tradition.  Many of my YW who have participated in this over the years, found it very rewarding.

2.  The Salvation Army often has holiday dinners and needs volunteers for serving and decorating.

3.  The United Way and local food banks ALWAYS needs their stocks replenished and never more than at the holidays.

4.  Invite a couple of military men, far from home, to your home.   Check with the Armed Services YMCA to have a sailor, Marine, or soldier with you for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.


5.  The local Parks and Recreation Department in your area may have some holiday crafting and get-togethers for children during the holidays and can use extra hands.

6.  Adopt-a-Family through your Ward or city Volunteer Agency.

7.  Help collect for the local Toy Drive.

8.  The local Ronald McDonald House will have something special for pediatric patients at Christmas and will need volunteers.

9.  The American Red Cross is gathering cards for their "Holiday Mail for Heroes" project to distribute cards to servicemen and veterans.  (Must be postmarked no later than Dec. 10.  Check out redcross.org for more info.

10.  There are many ways to volunteer during the holiday.  Your Bishop certainly knows of families in need at Christmas.  For community opportunities, just Google "volunteer opportunities" and the name of your city or larger local community.

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  Matt 25:40

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

I went to the local grocery store to get some very large, shiny apples for our lesson on Physical Health and Preventing Disease.  After washing and polishing each apple, I placed a sticker on it that said, "An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away."  (My photography skills are seriously lacking!)  I taught a class of Laurels who are beginning to understand how harried the life of a young woman can be.  As college approaches, we discussed how, oftentimes, without Mom to always be there, we neglect our health....So much to do...so little time!  Jobs, school, dating, homework, institute/seminary, and recreation often leave us exhausted and prone to illness.  We discussed care of our bodies with exercise and nutritious food, the spreading of germs, and the need to try to get adequate sleep.  I gave them each a list of items would they need in their dorms or rooms that would help them maintain their health and care for themselves without the family medicine chest.  We talked about the need to care for their bodies as the time would soon come for them to bear children.   The next few years of their lives hold many great experiences and lessons and will bring on a period of great change and decision in their lives.  It is fun to anticipate their future with them and try to help them prepare with these very practical lessons. 

A Wish for You

A Wish Bracelet is made by placing a bead on a piece of thread and tying it to the wrist.  When the thread breaks and the wearer notices it is gone, the wish made will come true.

Our lesson this Sunday was on Holding Fast to the Lord's Standards.  At the end of the lesson, I teamed the girls in pairs and had them choose a faceted bead in their favorite color.  They then placed the bead on the thread and helped each other tie them on their wrists.  I told them my wish for them was to hold onto the standards the Lord had set and to live worthy of the Temple, always seeking a "higher ground."  When the bracelets broke and they noticed it, I wanted them to stop and look at what they were doing that very moment, remember our lesson, and take stock in their actions.  Were they living up to that wish?  Were they living the standards the Lord had set? 

They thought it was a fun idea and wondered how long their Wish Bracelet would last.  (Not long, I think!)  It's a fun way to tell them what you believe they can do, what they are worthy of, and what they should aspire to.  It is my wish that you.......


deb