Simple Neighbor and Teacher Christmas Gifts and other Handouts...

Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm all about the simple projects or just simplifying life in general to  still get my creative-fix in but to have enough time to hold down the fort at the same time. I've been having fun putting together some fun yet useful items.

 Our "Soda-lighted" to know you- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's for our home and visiting teaching families this year.  Loving the A&W Root beer as our reindeer body! I saw these made up with Coca Cola with the little bottles of soda, figured it'd just as cute in a big daddy body of our family and "Noble Favorite A&W drive-in owned" root beer.

We made up a ton of these "We Wash You a Merry Christmas" quick neighbor, school/church/activity/dance/piano teacher, coach, bus driver...pretty much anyone simple Christmas item from our family, so useful and who can't use some hand soap this time of the year with all of the colds/flus going around?!

Put 60 odd some of these Primary Children Birthday Items Together.  The theme for this coming year of 2013 is "I am a Child of God" so we picked up color crayons when school started for way inexpensive as part of our hand out for the year of..."No matter what COLOR, shape or size, we are all children of our Heavenly Father and created in his image." Then they get a picture of the Savior and of course a ticket to go visit the Bishop for their candy bar of choice for their birthday.

Made these up for our Primary Teachers appreciation hand out this year with 7-Up.  "Seven Reasons why you are up on our list of Christmas Favorites this year"....For Primary Purposes our seven we used were: Patience, Love for Our Primary Children, Dependability, Preparation, Teachings, Learning and Growth and Example.

Prayer Related to a PB & J Sandwich

I'll just let the pictures explain the thinking concept and process of this little "attention getter" I used for one of my sharing times awhile back focused on the theme of Prayer.  An easy lesson anyone could use for their own children for Family Night as well.

I had became a bit forgetful on the process and steps of making a PB& J sandwich- so with the help of the children they instructed and corrected me as I put the four steps of making my sandwich together.

God is our Father and we are His children; because we are not in His presence, He has given
us a way to talk to Him. Just as we make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich in a certain way and order, Heavenly Father has given us a way to pray to Him.

The Cutest Mousey Reverence Poem

For a sharing time, I found this great little poem on reverence from a past "Friend" issue.  Then found the perfect little mice for each of our primary children, that they were able to actually put in their pockets while the poem was read.  Thanks to Halloween time, the mice (sticky toys used for trick or treating/Fall festival treats) were easily found at Target.  I love the poem!

What If…?
By DaLee C. James

If a mouse would ride to church

In your pocket on this day,

What might he tell his family

That he heard you do or say?

Would he tell them you were reverent,

And you listened to your teacher?

Or would he say he’d never seen

Such a noisy creature?

Would he tell them how he loved the songs

You sang so sweet and clear?

Or would he groan from all the talking

That entered in his ear?

Could he take a little snooze

As you walked nice and tall?

Or would he scream with panic

As you galloped down the hall?

Would the little mouse get seasick

From the tipping of your chair?

Or would he feel safe and cozy

As you quietly sat there?

Would the chapel be a reverent place?

The sacrament the same?

Now tell me, would the little mouse

Be really glad he came?

If a mouse would ride to church

In your pocket on this day,

What might he tell his family

That he heard you do or say?

[illustration] Illustrated by Mark Robison

DaLee C. James, “What If … ?,”

Friend, Sep 1996, 22

Popcorn Analogy

     “The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ”

Just as a little kernel of corn when popped can grow into the tasty treat of popcorn for us to enjoy, our love for our Savior can grow if we learn of Him and His goodness from reading the Book of Mormon and scriptures. Yummy popcorn is so good that we want to share it with others just as we will want to share the happiness and joy of Jesus Christ we gain from reading the scriptures.　

2 Nephi 19:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Family Home Evening Carmel Corn Recipe:

(Adult supervision required)

1 Cup butter (2 cubes)

1 Cup light Karo syrup

2 Cups Brown Sugar, packed

1 Can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

Pinch of Salt

1 1/2-2 Cups popcorn (measure un-popped popcorn, before popped)
* I ended up using quite a bit more popcorn as there was plenty of extra camel to go around.

Combine all ingredients except popcorn and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly (this burns easily, so make sure you stir constantly) until it reaches a soft ball stage don't over-cook. (For a soft ball stage, Pour a half teaspoon caramel into a 1 cup measure with ice water and mold into a ball. When it holds it shape, but is still very soft, it's done). Pour over popped corn. Cool on 2 large parchment-lined cookie sheets (or lined counter top.) Pull apart and store in air-tight bags.

Enjoy!

Popping air-popped pop corn is always best with a helper and a taste tester!  I had been wanting to test out this Carmel corn recipe from a family relative Susanne for awhile and I found the perfect opportunity.  I incorporated it into my sharing time lesson and provided the kids with a little sample in a Dixie plastic cup, then encouraged them to go home and make it with their own families for FHE.  I brought the air popper and did a little demonstration and analogy (found above) with just the plain pop corn for sharing time with the kids, it went over well and kept their attention to the fullest, they were all so intrigued- it was cute.

There is Safety...

March 27, 2011

 
 
I took a take off of this cute little traffic light cookie that I saw awhile back on a cute blog somewhere out in the blog sphere...only there's were home made cookies on a stick with frosting holding the m & m's a top.  Mine were simple store bought cookies dipped into chocolate melts (due to the lack of time this busy weekend, I did initially try to squish a popsicle stick in between the sandwich cookie vanilla cream in attempts to dip the whole cookie to coat in chocolate BUT too many of the cookies were cracking as I squished the popscicle stick in.) So these were simple and easy, Josh and I made them Friday in literally 10-15 minutes while we kept Brooklynne happy hanging on my leg stuffing the un needed colors  of m & m's down her throat. Anyways, when I came upon the idea awhile back I knew that they would fit perfect into this week's primary outline for sharing time.  I typically enjoy giving my own take on the outlines while of course making sure all of the important points and lessons are taught and discussed with the children. Today after a few lucky children got to drive (on Brooke's little scooter car) through orange saftey cones to a large stop sign, at the end we found some of the prophets direction and word strips to form new traffic signs and a new STOP sign to keep us safe in life to lead us from our modern day prophet: Thomas S. Monson back to Jesus and Heavenly Father.  As they listened to six different primary hymns (each one relating to a different principal/directions from the prophet i.e. reading scriptures, prayer, temple, word of wisdom, tithing, and family home evening- the class with the direction (which was a picture) got to place it on the road on a selected blank road sign shape on our road which was made up on on the board with a picture of the prophet at the beginning and Jesus at the end of the windy road.  Then they would place their word on the large stop sign that we turned around to form our new large prophet saftey sign which ended up being "Follow The Prophet Don't Go Astray."  I had a good time with today's lesson and I only hope and pray that the children took something away from it and know how important it is to strive to always follow our prophets words.  Here's the quote I added to the hand outs from the outline, maybe the idea can help or aid some of you readers to incorporate it into other lessons or even family home evenings some time.

"Just as road signs and traffic lights keep up SAFE and WARN us of danger ahead, the prophets directions are like these because Heavenly Father PROTECTS us and BLESSES us when we follow them."