Welcome to the County Fair...

Or rather the YW Excellence Fair! Just got back from a presidency meeting where we began planning our YWIE night (2 weeks away....yeah I know what you are thinking and I agree...). This year we have focused on planting valuable seeds and since its the fall we are harvesting those seeds so we thought having a "county fair" themed night would be fun. Complete with games and food...it sounds like it will be a fun night...I will be sharing my ideas as I prep for my part of it (which is media...or rather more of the publicity and signage stuff along with the games) So keep an eye out for future posts (and pictures if I remember to take my camera this time!)

Modesty Statement

This statement and photo has been circulating around the net for some time now but I have felt inspired to post it on my blog as a reminder on how important modesty is and the effects it has on everyone. While I don't often agree with some of the things Emma Watson has done, I have to commend her on this statement she has made concerning modesty:

"I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder." - Emma Watson

LDS Young Women: Planning with a Purpose

Here is a great post that I saw on Vickie Hacking's blog that I just had to share with all of you. I think it is a great reminder for all of us to really remember why we were called and what our goal is as a YW leader. Enjoy!

LDS Young Women: Planning with a Purpose: We all know that we are called as Young Women leaders - not to entertain these girls, but to teach them. Sometimes we forget that our mid-w...

Great Video...

I just saw this in a news letter from Jenny Philips that would go great with either lessons 35 or 36...check it out if you haven't already!

Let's talk about dating....

Hello everyone...sorry for the delay...everything seems to be working just fine now...what a crazy weekend it has been. So I am finally posting some of lesson 35 from the YW Manual 3 handouts that I used for my lesson (still working on one...road signs are giving me a lil trouble but hopefully that will be up soon). 

To being my lesson I brought in some cookies for an object lesson. Now these were not just any cookies. They were my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. This recipe makes a huge amount of cookies (like 12 dozen depending on size) so I took a about a 1/4 of the dough and I added half a bottle of curry...followed by half a bottle of cumin, then, not to be out done, I added 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of salt. Yes, I intentionally meant to do this!  Of course I then added some chocolate/white chips to it. 

 Don't these cookies look YUMMY?!? Guess again...it was a good thing I had some glasses and water near by. The looks that my fellow leaders and the girls had were priceless!!! I have been dubbed mean and am no longer trusted with food in my lessons (see the peanut lesson on consecration and sacrifice.. 28 i think).

These cookies were made into an analogy of dating...some guys look good on the outside but on the inside..they are not so great or there are a lot of "cookies" in the world...some good and some bad....which one do you hope to find?

So for some things that I used for my lesson, I used a picture that was circulating a lot on the net lately and came from sugardoodle with the saying "if this ain't your castle...you ain't my prince" and of course the castle being the temple.

Another resource I used was the mormon messages for youth "Chastity: what are the limits?"  For handouts I used a road map (which is the one I hope to have up soon), a talk given by a former bishop in our area (Click HERE for word doc.) and then I gave them a bag with a good cookie that had a treat topper with the saying what kind of cookie do you want?

Click HERE for pdf-4 to a sheet

Sorry for delay....

Been having some internet connection issues so I am posting from my phone...so that is why there is nothing new. Will try again forties and hope to have better luck.

One Of Those Days....

Did you ever have one of those days (OK weeks) when you are trying to put together a lesson that you have to teach THIS coming Sunday? This is where I am...I have to teach the lesson on Dating Decisions...I have been preparing for weeks and have been praying for inspiration but alas I have felt blank. We have only a few girls who are of the age to date and the rest of them are just newly Mia Maids or Beehives (we are a small group so we all meet together). So I am trying to figure out how to bridge that cap so that it is beneficial for everyone who is there. *Sigh* 

Any ideas from those of you that have already taught this lesson? 

*UPDATE* I have finally come up with a handout idea...will be posting it tonight (as soon as I get it created...i have it drawn up just not ready). I am also going to give my girls a handout that I was given when I was in YW's so I don't have a copy of it to share but I will type of the signs that are on it (its a road map) and create a pdf of it as well....Oh and I have also decided to include the article from the additional resource manual of the talk in the Liahona titled "Advice on Dating for Young Women" bu the YW General Presidency...


So I am off to a good start but still am drawing a blank as to my outline...*sigh*

Fun Idea

I just have to share this idea that I found on sugardoodle while I was surfing for some ideas on personal progres (since that is what we are doing for our mutual activity tonight). Anyway, I saw this idea and I am so wanting to make one (at least for myself) since I bought my first sewing machine. *Gasp!* Yes, I know...how can I be a young women's leader and not know how to sew, right? Unfortinately it is true...but I am hoping that since I am now the proud owner of one, I will put it to good use and this idea is perfect for me!

So what is this idea you ask? Its a personal progress book cover...or really holder...you can find this idea and directions HERE.


So I finally made my personal progress book cover and here is what it looks like (the outside fabric is glittery...that is why it looks like there is a bunch of white stuff on it!)