Relief Society Birthday Ideas

Hey ya'll!  This is a picture of a Relief Society celebration I helped to decorate with my good friend.  She had a huge collection of clown figurines.

1980's Relief Society Dinner with the "Big Top" theme.

The tables had balloon bouquets and were dressed to look like "under the big top."  We always had new people in our Decatur, AL ward so it was really nice to have a spotlight table where new sisters were asked to showcase some of their favorite things on a little table to help us get to know them.  

March is RS birthday time, so for those of you wanting Relief Society birthday ideas, check out my Relief Society Pinterest Board.

Do you have a Relief Society or church Pinterest board?  Let me know because I really would like to follow more of them. 

Luau Party

If you wear a flower on the left side of your head you are single.  If you wear it on the right, you are taken or married.

Games to Play:  
limbo
hula hoop contest

Ambiance:
paper sack lights (weighed down with sand and can use tea light candles with battery operated tea lights)
Hawaiian CDs for background music (found several at the Dollar Tree for a buck each)

Fun Activities (depending on the crowd):

• Sew simple bathing suit sarongs (find a good pattern and try it out)
• Make a candy lei:  Materials - small candies of any kind, plastic wrap (colored preferred) and curly ribbon.  Spread the wrap out on a table about 3 ft. long and lay the candies down the middle of the wrap.  Carefully close the wrap around the candy and in between the candy, tie a curly ribbon to close and to create the candy lei.  Knot and tie at the ends with more ribbon.
• Watch "Johnny Lingo" or "The Other Side of Heaven"

The Spread:
Make Hawaiian Haystacks or Pearly Shell Chicken Salad served with Hawaiian rolls and Hawaiian Punch, (or pork and teriyaki chicken on rice).

Festive Fruit Basket Liners

When I was a teenager we made larger versions of this cute little basket liner for church fruit baskets we helped deliver (using Christmas material of course).  I have given many, many cookie plates and gift baskets throughout the years.  The cookie plates are something my extended family did for each other.  My favorite thing to receive on a cookie plate was Aunt Janice's divinity.

I like to fill my gift baskets with things like homemade mocha fudge, freezer cookies, banana bread, and candy, fruit, and nuts.  Baskets can be found at stores like Hobby Lobby.  The dimensions for making a pattern of a small basket are 15 x 12.5 inch rectangle, with corners cut out so that you have a long flap of 8 x 4 inches and a shorter flap that is 5 x 3.5 inches.  Happy Giving :0)

Fragrant Vintage Ornaments

Satisfy your handcrafting urge by making Fragrant Vintage Ornaments.  Though mostly made from items in your pantry, these ornaments are not edible.  This recipe makes about 12 ornaments.  They can be used for tree and package decorations, bookmarks, necklaces, pins, and/or drawer fresheners.

First combine 1 cup of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves and 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg with a whisk in a medium size bowl.  With hands, work 3/4 cup applesauce and 2 tablespoons of Aleene's Tacky Glue and mix with hands 2 to 3 minutes to make a mildly wet dough.  If it is too dry and another tablespoon of applesauce.  If it is too wet add a little more cinnamon.

Divide ball into four balls and knead dough like Play Doe.  Keep the other balls of dough covered with a damp cloth until you work with it.  This is a good time to pass out dough to as many as 8 children by dividing into 8 pieces.

Placing the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll or pat to 1/4 inch.

Take off the top plastic and cut dough with cookie cutters.  When doing this project with children, cookie cutters with few corners works best.

As long as the dough has been well kneaded and not rolled too thin, the dough should be easy to peel away and reused.  The cutouts can be gently peeled off the plastic and placed on a cookie sheet.  I like to line my sheet with parchment.

Using a straw, make a hole at the top of the ornament, but not too close to the edge.  Place in an oven no more than 200 degrees for 2-4 hours, turning over halfway through.  Or place in a sunny window on a cooling rack turning over time to time to ensure even drying.  This could take up to 4 or 5 days.

When ornaments dry, you can insert ribbon--cut to 22-inch lengths--through hole and tie ends into a knot.  Tie another length into a bow around first ribbon near ornament top.  Ornaments can be decorated with opaque paint markers found in arts and crafts stores, if desired.  I used white Puffy Paint to make it look like royal icing.

Retro-Christmas Stockings

The first time I saw this idea was when my Aunt Phala brought one for each family at my Grandma's annual Christmas party.  These are what I call Retro-Christmas Stockings.  When I was still a newlywed, my husband's mom gave each of her children's family's one of these stockings. Growing up, he and the other siblings got at stocking each year and his mom would put their name on a slip of paper at the bottom of it so that they wouldn't get mixed up (seven children in the family).  I'm not sure of the actual history, but it seems they come from the Depression Era.  If you're thrifty, you use old, (clean) knee-hi pantyhose (stockings as we called them), however, I buy the cheapo new ones.  Then in each "stocking" you place

• about a cup of mixed nuts (in their shells--very pretty)
• an orange, couple of tangerines, and a red and green apple (I like the smaller apples)
• Christmas candy (something that won't melt!)
• and a small gift or two (could be a handmade ornament for the family tree, or for an individual, socks, gloves--a tie for men or missionaries, scarf for a woman, small toy for a child)

Distribute the items evenly throughout the stocking.  Then tie with curling ribbon.  They can be made assembly line fashion and generic so that each family gets the same thing, or you can make them by males and females each sex getting the same items.  Or if you do them for your own family members like I do (five in all), I make the small gift a little more personal.  This is also a nice gift for visiting and home teaching families and employees or coworkers.

Candy Cane Reindeer Ornaments

Reindeer Ornaments would make cute table centerpieces for parties or to decorate side and coffee tables.  I like to decorate my tree with them and then give the reindeer out to visitors (especially children).  You need mini red poms for the nose, mini googly eyes (I could have gone up one size on both), and brown pipe cleaners.  Also Aleene's fast drying craft glue keeps the eyes from sliding, and don't forget the box of candy canes!  This is a pretty good project for kids.

First cut a pipe cleaner in half (unless you want really big antlers).  Making sure the candy cane is in the middle of the pipe cleaner half, twist the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane crook.  Then fold the pipe cleaner in 45 degree angles about two or three times (more for larger antlers).  Put a bead of glue on the back of the antlers behind the twist so that the antlers stay on tight.

Next glue a pair of googly eyes to the candy cane making sure they touch each other.

Add a red pom for a nose.

Setting each into a cup is a good way to help them dry safely.  If you made your antlers large, they can lay flat on a table.  Now read Imogene's Antlers by David Small (hilarious!  He also wrote George Shrinks):

Company's Coming: Organization

Just because you have four chairs, six plates, and three cups is no reason why you can't invite twelve to dinner. ~Alice May Brock

About a month ahead of my holiday celebration, I write a list of everything on my menu including snacks and appetizers.  I prepare what I can in advance. I take my list every time I go to the store so I can buy a little at a time.

Next I survey the furniture situation such as chairs for seating.  I just bought a couple of charming, smallish, sturdy chairs from an antique shop for $10 each!  That was for less than the nearby "thrift" shop was selling miscellaneous chairs.  They are perfect for a tight fit in my small dining room, and I have future plans to use one in a corner of a daughter's room and the other to hold a stack of pretty towels in my bathroom--so they serve double duty.  (Coming from a large extended family, I also learned that it is okay to use the piano bench and dressing table stools for seating as well--just tuck them on the side of the table that won't show up in photographs).  I have an enclosed front porch that will serve as overflow for my living room.  Investing in a nice patio set pays off during times like these.  I'll throw a few extra cushions and pillows as well as warm throws.  If it's chilly, I can heat up the porch with a small space heater I use for camping.

I've also been doing major house cleaning which I usually do every spring and fall.  This helps me get ready for the holidays.  Not only did I find a ton of stuff inside to take to the Jimmy Hale Mission thrift store, but outside as well!  I did part of my holiday baking all day Saturday, had a daughter make a huge pot of chili, and kept the menfolk well-fed as they cleaned up the clutter in the shed and around the house removing a boat, a 24-ft. above-ground pool, and leftover construction materials!

This is a good time to have a honey-do list prepared so my honey knows exactly what needs doing.  Some repairs require professionals like the Whirlpool repairman I've got to call tomorrow to fix the weird sound in the dishwasher and the ice maker in the fridge that's gone kaput.  If your husband isn't so handy around the house, ask friends if they know someone who is, that does this professionally.

I want to enjoy my Thanksgiving and I'm not real fond of turkey (I'm a chicken gal), so I plan on ordering a turkey.  Bojangles does a fried turkey, and the local BBQ joint has smoked turkeys.  The deli my eldest works at makes huge pans of dressing with chicken meat.  Turkey and dressing are the two things I really stress over.  Mrs. Smith's will take care of desserts, served with Cool Whip. I love Knorr turkey or chicken gravy.  I have a recipe that adds herbs to this packet and it is the best, easiest, no-fail gravy!

"Tastes Like Boston Market" Gravy

1 (1.2-oz.) pkg. Knorr Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix

1/2 t. chopped fresh sage

1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme

1/4 t. pepper

Prepare gravy mix according to pkg. directions, stirring in 1/2 t. chopped fresh sage, 1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme, and 1/4 t. pepper before bringing to a boil.  Proceed as directed on the package.  Yield:  1-1/4 cups.

I've recently discovered Stone Mountain canned vegetables, and the peas are way better than Le Seur and way cheaper too!  A tradition from my own growing up is the brown and serve rolls and plenty of jellied cranberry sauce--what could be easier?  And if I'm feeling up to it, I'll make some candied yams and a vinegar slaw that's to-die-for.  Mashed potatoes and green casseroles are stand bys as well.

For a small gathering, I plan on using real dishes so I've had to made sure I have enough silverware, cups, plates, etc.  The day before is a good time to plan on doing some light cleaning and dusting in places where guests gather and in the bathroom.  I recently spruced up the bathroom with new rugs, a shower curtain, and pretty towels.

For entertaining, we'll have the video game system ready in one of the bedrooms, and fun DVDs to watch.  I also like to keep some autumn inspired magazines and small books around.  My favorite autumn book is by the artist Susan Branch.

Festive background music, scented candles, something cool to drink (or cocoa in a crock pot if it's really cold), and a few light snacks such as homemade Snack Mix are perfect for guests as they filter in.