LDS Youth Carnival

In my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) the youth participate in an activity every week. Yesterday my husband and other leaders put together a carnival for the all the youth (ages 12-18) in our ward. My husband said it was a lot of fun so I wanted to share the idea with you.

Each group of youth put together a station for the carnival. The leaders were in charge of running the stations while the youth participated in the various activities. Some of the stations were:

WHITE TICKETS

*Scripture chase

*Seek: scripture question game

RED TICKETS

*Donut eating contest

*Bean bag toss

*Target practice

*Dunk tank

*Basketball

At the beginning of the activity the youth were told what "prizes" they could have for the number of red or white tickets they collected. The youth received red or white tickets for each of the activities they participated in. The youth didn't know, but the object was to collect as many white tickets as you could. One leader was the "devil" and he would trade the youth red tickets for their white tickets. Another leader was the "holy ghost" and he would try to encourage the youth to collect as many white tickets as they could.

At the end of the night the youth were told that the "prizes" they won for the red tickets could not be taken with them when they "died" and those with only red tickets were in spirit prison (which was about 3/4 of the group). And those who had "prizes" for white tickets were able to take those with them when they died.

The youth loved this activity and I heard that none of them left and they were all engaged! Way to go!

Clothing: spend or save

This is another article for my Building Zion workshop.

"Clothing- Save or Spend? - summarized from realsimple.com

You always want to be careful with how much you spend on clothing, but when you have some money to go shopping, it's important to think about what items may be worth investing in a higher quality than others. Better fit and craftsmanship and higher-quality materials cost a bit more, but you'll save in the long run, as you won't be spending twice as much buying new, cheaper clothes every year.

• T-shirt - SAVE. Because they're worn close to your body and are washed more often, t-shirts don't get a very long life. Look for shirts that fit you well and that don't look too flimsy or clingy.
• Jeans - SPEND. You can almost wear jeans any time, anywhere. It's a good idea to splurge on one or two good pairs of premium denim-it has a nice dark wash and with a good amount a stretch will fit better and be more comfortable than a cheaper pair.
• Bra - SPEND. Bras can affect the look and comfort of your outfit more than any other item. Spend the time and money to make sure you have a good bra that fits you wonderfully.
• Black pants - SPEND. Black pants are timeless, and a high-quality pair can last years, while a cheaper pair will start to show wear and tear much sooner.
• Jacket - SPEND. One very good jacket makes a great throw-on to upgrade a basic outfit.
• Trendy Items - SAVE. This includes anything with patterns or seasonal colors. Patterns and colors go in and out of style, and there's no reason to invest in clothing that will feel out-dated in a year.
• Dress - Spend. Not a casual sundress, but a nice, basic go-to dress for any occasion. It's nice to have one light-colored and one dark, like black, deep brown or jewel-toned.
• Evening dress - SAVE. Don't pay full price. you won't get much wear out of it.
• Evening bag - SAVE. For something that will be seldom used, it's not worth splurging, even for a special night.
• Raincoat - SAVE. Something utilitarian, basic and soundly-priced will be wonderful. Although it may be worth the money to go for a nice water-proof trench coat if your' living in a rainy climate. You'll look nice and it will never go out of fashion.
• Winter coat - SPEND. Find a good fit made from high-quality fabric that will with stand heavy wear and won't wrinkle. To test for wrinkles, grab a handful of fabric and squeeze hard for 20 sec. If it stays crumpled, that's an indicator of what is to come."

Hair care tips

Here are some great hair care tips from my Building Zion meeting.

"To moisturize dry hair, saturate in virgin olive oil. Wrap with a warm towel and leave in for 20 minutes.

For hair with static electricity, rub a dryer sheet in it. It smells great too.

When you don't have time to shower and you have oily hair, try patting baby powder on your roots.

To add shine to your hair, rinse your shampoo out with cold water.

For smooth, soft and shiny hair, condition with white vinegar."

To see my post on make-up basics click here.

To see my post on skin care tips click here.

Make-up basics

This is yet some more wonderful advice from my Building Zion Relief Society activity.

"MAKE-UP BASICS - The Streamlined Makeup Kit- summarized from realsimple.com

Streamline your overstuffed makeup bag & stick to these basics. A few brushes will help. But in some cases a cotton swab (or a finger) will do.

*Mascara - No matter your hair color, use black mascara. It will define your eyes and make you appear awake.

* Foundation - A full face of foundation can feel heavy, so touch up only those areas where your skin tone is uneven.

*Concealer - Choose a concealer that give medium to full coverage in a shade that's close to your skin tone.

* Blush - To choose the right color for a subtle look, find a shade that's similar to the inside of your lip.

* Eye Shadow - A neutral shade acts as a base and will instantly brighten eyes. Use one with a bit of sparkle for more festive look.

* Lipstick - Try a moisture-rick formula so your lips don't dry out. (The inner-lip trick for choosing blush works for lipstick shades, too.)"

Here is a website I found on how to apply eyeshadow & picking colors.

What are your make-up tips? Share with us!

Skin care tips

Some more great information from the building Zion Relief Society meeting!

"SKIN-CARE TIPS

*You should always wash your face and put moisturizer and SPF on every morning. The air is full of pollutants and toxins that all affect your skin. The sun can damage are skin even on an overcast or rainy day. The SPF helps with that. You can often find it your foundation or moisturizers.

*For those of us who have oily skin, any kind of plain yogurt on the whole face for 15 minutes can help.

*For people with dry skin a mask made of a tsp of kelp powder, 1/2 tbs of honey, and 1/2 tbs of aloe vera gel for 15 minutes can help that problem.

*Large pours can be a problem. Making a mask of lemon juice and orange juice and applying it in an upward and outward motion should do the trick.

*Dark circles under the eyes are often a pain. Putting an ice cube on the dark area will tighten and firm it and with a little concealer it should look great!"

What are ideas you've found and/or use?

Shopping tips

To go along with yesterdays post, Weekly Meal Planning, here is more from the Building Zion Relief Society meeting.

"BUY ONLY WHAT YOU NEED AND CAN AFFORD

Before grocery shopping, write a list for the items you nee.d It only takes a few minutes to plan a week's worth of dinners and lunches. SUrvey your pantry and refrigerator for the items you need and stick to your shopping list. Avoid putting other things in your cart that catch your eye. Be a smart shopper and use a shopping list.

* Try buying an extra canned food item each tie you go grocery shopping for your food storage.

CHECK THE ENTRIE SHELF

Grocery stores will often place the higher priced items at eye-level. Consumers choose more items to buy from eye level. So look at the top and bottom of the shelf for potential better bargains. Try to buy generic, no mane brands when possible. Especially for staples such as flour, salt, etc.

AVOID CONVENIENCE ITEMS

Don't purchase items that are convenience items, such as prepared vegetable or pre-made sandwiches. These items are more costly, an you are better off buying your own ingredients and making them yourself.

DON'T SHOP ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

Don't shop when you are hungry. People tend to buy more, and a larger amount of the things they don't need when they are hungry, so always shop with a full stomach. Also, prepare to dress more warmly, since supermarkets are often cold, because the cold temperatures actually makes you hungry so you buy more!"

Well, it is Friday so it is my last post for the week. I hope you all have a terrific and fun weekend! Remember the Scentsy Buddy giveaway ends Sunday night at midnight. The winner will be announced on Monday's blog post! Be sure to spread the news and invite your friends to join!

Weekly meal plans

A few years ago, I attended a Relief Society meeting where we were taught to build Zion in ourselves, our marriage, our families and our communities. They gave us great ideas for dates, holidays, cleaning and raising children. I want to share all of their wonderful information with you.

"5 quick tips for successful menu planning:

1. How often

Decide how often you want to visit the supermarket, whether it's once a week, every two weeks, or once a month - ultimately it will depend on your schedule, and your family's needs.

2. Number of meals

Work out how many meals you will need in that time frame. Remember to take into consideration main meals, side dishes, dessert drinks, eating out, special occasions, expected visitors, and left over nights. You may want to have a simple list of meals for the week ahead, but rather than assigning a day to each of them, you can choose something from the list depending on your daily schedule. However, if you prefer to be more organized, you could write down exact meals for each day of the week.

3. Menu rotation

You may choose to write up two weeks worth of menus, or you could opt for a month's worth. Remember to leave a few nights blank when you can try out new recipes, or have leftovers, You should also take into consideration the seasons, so that you can buy produce when it is cheaper, and fresher, and include more soups and stews for winter, or salads for summer etc.

4. Dietary requirements

Use menu planning to help you meet dietary requirements, for example including more fish each week, or eating more vegetables each day. To keep your menu varied, try using broad categories as the basis for your menu plan, such as:

Poultry, Fish, Pasta or rice based, Vegetarian, Red meat, Beans, Eggs or cheese.

5. Shopping list

Write down exactly what you will need by using a meal planner and shopping list, perhaps based on categories such as dairy, frozen foods, grains/pastas/cereals, canned goods, drinks, fruit and vegetables."

This is what I am currently doing. My husband and I sit down and discuss what we want to eat for the upcoming week. Then we write down what we need to buy and go shopping. Here is my meal calendar that we keep on the refrigerator.

Here are some websites that I found and I think they will be useful to you:

To see the food guide pyramid and nutrition information click here!

To see what fruit and vegetables are in season click here!

Printable grocery lists here!

Online menu planner here!

Weekly meal planning

Two years ago, I attended a Relief Society meeting where we were taught to build a Zion in our ourselves, our marriage, our families and our communities. They gave us great ideas for dates, holidays, cleaning, raising children, etc. And I want to share their wealth of knowledge with you! Here is their advice on weekly meal planning...

"5 quick tips for successful menu planning:

1. How Often:

Decide how often you want to visit the supermarket, whether it's once a week, every two weeks, or once a month - ultimately it will depend on your schedule, and your family's needs.

2. Number of meals:

Work out how many meals you will need in that time frame. Remember to take into considerations main meals, side dishes, dessert, drinks, eating out, special occasions, expected visitors, and leftover nights.

You may want to have a simple list of meals for the week ahead, but rather than assigning a day to each of them, you can choose something from the list depending on your daily schedule. However, if you prefer to be more organized, you could write down exact meals for each day of the week.

3. Menu rotation:

You may choose to write up two weeks worth of menus, or you could opt for a month's worth. Remember to leave a few nights blank when you can try out new recipes, or have leftovers. You should also take into consideration the seasons, so that you can buy produce when it's cheaper, and fresher, and include more soups and stews in winter, or salads for summer etc.

4. Dietary requirements:

Use menu planning to help you meet your dietary requirements, for example including more fish each week, or eating more vegetables each day. To keep your menu varied, try using broad categories as the basis for your menu plan, such as:

Poultry, Fish, Pasta or rice based, Vegetarian, Red meat, Beans, Eggs or cheese.

5. Shopping list:

Write down exactly what you will need by using a meal planner and shopping list, perhaps based on categories such as dairy, frozen foods, grains/pasta/cereals, canned goods, drinks, fruits and vegetables."

This is my version of weekly meal planning. I write down a week worth of meals on my calendar that is on my refrigerator. I write down the ingredients that I need and go shopping. I like having 7 meals written out, but we can eat them whenever we like during the week. My mood changes a lot!

I found some helpful websites you should visit:

To see when fruits & veggies are in season click here!

To see nutritional needs click here!

For weekly meal planner template click here!

For an online meal planner click here!

For printable grocery lists click here!