activity days: secret service mission

I found another great activity days idea over at the fickle pickle blog. I love when others make my calling so much simpler. I changed things up a bit to simplify and the girls LOVED the activity.

The idea was to send each girl on a mission to do secret service for seven days. I affixed fun labels I printed using a sheet of white address labels to 6x9 manila clasp envelopes. In the envelope I inserted:  

• Ms. Fickle's downloadable sheets--one of service ideas and the other explaining the mission and a tracking sheet--found here.
• a new pen
• a bag of Pop SECRET microwave popcorn. 

We took turns reading the secret service ideas, and the girls (on their own) decided they wanted to assign numbers from one to five to each task based on how difficult they thought it would be. I thought it was a great idea. Anything that included the phrase "without complaining" received an automatic five rating. :) I seriously wanted to laugh every time.

 I told the girls that at the end of the week, they could pop the popcorn and invite their family members to gather together and talk about their "mission accomplished."

Activity Day Leaders: to make your calling simpler too, I included a download of the labels I used for the manila envelopes. Print them out on Avery 8250 (or compatible) white address labels. They measure 1" x 2 5/8" and come 30 labels to a sheet.

Enjoy!

activity days: bookworm club

I was able to read a lot this summer. More than I ever have in a three month period.

And my favorite bookmark held my place in each and every book. 

I know it's nothing fancy, but I purchased the ribbon on my first trip to NYC (and it quickly became one of my favorite places in the world!). The shop was Tinsel Trading--an amazing place and always on my list of "must shop here" places on my subsequent trips. The buttons are by Making Memories, where I worked as education manager and a designer for four years. It was an awesome job and a great company to work for. Yep, I'm just a little sentimental that way. Or maybe it's just "mental." :P

I thought making ribbon bookmarks would be a simple and doable project for my 9-year-old activity days girls. Then I saw Rebecca's Cooper's back-to-school reading logs she created for her little ones, and it all came together. Love when that happens.

digi artwork: Rebecca Cooper  fonts: Lobster 1.4 ; Century Gothic

I started by creating a simple invite using Rebecca's artwork. Love this little row of books. I get a lot of great ideas from Rebecca's blog, simple as that. She is amazing--really.

When the girls arrived, they each shared their favorite book and briefly told why they like it.

Next, we made bookmarks.

SUPPLIES:

ribbon--5/8"-7/8". I chose a variety of red ribbon to remind the girls to Read. Every. Day.

buttons--different sizes so they can be layered.

crochet thread--I use this for everything, but especially for tying tags onto things and stringing items together. It's a good weight and inexpensive.

needles--thicker embroidery needles work best since you'll be threading crochet thread. I pre-threaded the needles because I didn't want to have to do it when it came time to sew our bookmarks.

DIRECTIONS: Cut ribbon 15" long. Fold in half, spreading slightly at the bottom. Trim bottom edges of ribbon at an angle. Layer buttons about 1/4" from top (folded edge) and stitch in place, leaving tails on each end of thread. Tie tails in double knot (right over left, left over right) and trim.

So simple it probably doesn't warrant directions, but I always like to know the little details instead of having to figure them out.

Thank you to my cutie model, Rachel Ostler.

To finish up, I used Rebecca's bag toppers for gummy worms (I re-sized them for smaller cellophane bags) and told the girls they could only eat them while reading. I'm sure each and every one of them listened. ;)

The best activities are always simple and fun.

activity days mother/daughter activity

We had a very successful Mother/Daughter activity on Friday night. The theme was "spring picnic" and it was simple and enjoyable.

A light dinner was served--rolls, meat and cheese, potato salad, fruit, chips and a yummy variety of cookies and bars.

My assignment was to make a favor for the girls to take home. I chose button cover ponytail holders.

 

I love how they turned out. They were simple to make, but a bit time consuming. I made 45 sets, plus extras for Ella and her friends. They saw me making them and asked it I would make some for them. I let them choose the fabric they wanted and they were so excited.

For games at the activity, the girls and their moms did sidewalk chalk art, played freeze dance (Rachelle and Denise have got the moves! Owww!). Moms tend to get a little crazy when it's just the girls. :)

For the craft, there was a station for writing love notes to mom or daughter--so cute--and another for designing and coloring a cutout of toes and flip flops. The girls loved this activity! It was simple and fun--my favorite kind.

Marina drew the outline, colored some samples and set the girls loose with markers. I brought home some extras and Ella spent hours coloring them. I got a copy of the original and Marina said I could share!

 

Download your own flip flops here. Thanks, Marina! 

mother's day activity

I know I've mentioned "activity days" in a couple of blog posts, but I never announced it's my new calling in the LDS church. Actually, it's an additional calling. I'm still also the Relief Society Family History Specialist which also makes me a board member. For activity days, I meet with a group of nine-year-old girls twice a month and we do activities to teach them skills and strengthen their testimonies. It's been so much fun. I have a great group of girls and Ella loves when they come over.

When I got the call, I had to think about it before answering. I've learned how much I can handle and was concerned about adding one more thing to my schedule. As I thought about it, the impression came very clearly to my mind, that Ella wants a big sister more than anything. Having eight older girls around would be a great way to expose her to siblings-of-sort. I called Wes and said, "Youbetcha."

I remember being promised very clearly in the beginning--when we knew we would be adopting Ella--that the Lord would help us and make up for any shortcomings in raising her. I can see now what that meant. I just keep doing my best and her needs are met. It happens every time. I'm so grateful.

For Mother's Day the girls in my activity days group made a mini banner to celebrate and surprise their mothers by hanging it somewhere in their home. The one pictured is the one Ella made. I love her writing and of course there's a rainbow and flower. She draws them all the time--along with bees and butterflies.

We also filled out this Mother's Day newspaper page from Martha Stewart.com.

Simple and fun. I'll share some of the other projects we make.

marshmallow pops tutorial :: by ella and kate

So simple a five year old can make them!

Step 1: Put a marshmallow on a sucker stick.

Step 2: Dip the marshmallow about half way in a cup of melted pink candy melts.

Step 3: Add an M&M to the top (optional, but very cute!)

Step 4: Add sprinkles (over a BIG bowl, they bounce). The girls liked the ones with the bunnies.

Step 5: Stand up straight and let chocolate dry. ( I put wheat in a deep bowl and we stuck the pops in. For a large number of pops, use sheets of styrofoam instead.)

Great job, girls! You deserve...a marshmallow pop!

Ella and I made these with nonpareils sprinkles for her preschool class. They look darling packaged up in a plastic candy bag and tied with pink grosgrain ribbon.

We're going to make them again for Activity Days next week. I think the girls will love it.