Review: Statesman Ties

I was so excited when Statesman Ties contacted me to do a review for them!  They make state and country themed ties!  How fun is that?  I have a brother serving a church mission in Idaho currently, so I took the opportunity to order a custom tie for him as a gift! 

You can choose from 15 US States and 53 countries, some of which are available in skinny style as well as.

Each tie has an added special feature of a message added to the back of the tie!  You can add 2 lines of up to 21 spaces to the back of the tie for an additional $4 to the $32 cost of the tie.

The ties are of good quality and they come covered in a plastic sleeve (as pictured).

This would make a great gift for the missionary in your life, though they would also be great for military members and frequent travelers.  A token of somewhere they have been, or the place they call HOME! 

I can’t wait to give my brother his gift!  I hope to see some more states and countries available in the near future, as well! 

RECEIVE 10% off your FIRST ORDER with the code ElderBeeston

Follow On Social Media:

Instagram:  Instagram.com/StatesmanTies
Facebook:  Facebook.com/StatesmanTies

Disclaimer:  I received a personalized tie free in exchange for an honest review of this product.  All opinions are my own.

Field Trip #215 Friday Blog Hop–Philadelphia, PA

Blog Hop designed to share 'FIELD TRIP' related Blog Posts(does not have to be a 'home school field trip', can be any trip to any place with your children!)

**NOTE:  Before linking up please review guidelines HERE!

We went to Philadelphia, PA to attend the open house of the new LDS temple that was recently built.  For a short time after a temple is completed, before it is dedicated, it is open to the public for viewing.  It’s a great opportunity to learn about the LDS faith and why temples are significant to them. 

If you are near Philadelphia, the open house goes through September 9th.

You can see pictures of the inside HERE

It was a really nice day (HOT, but nice).

French Toast Easter Bake with Free Printables #Hallelujah (created by My Computer is my Canvas)

This week I have a great Easter Breakfast recipe to share with you, courtesy of My Computer is my Canvas!   This looks super YUMMY and I can’t wait to make it with my kiddos next Sunday!

In an effort to use a basket full of fresh backyard eggs, Colette from My Computer is My Canvas started experimenting with a French Toast Bake Recipe that has quickly become a family favorite. Plus, with Easter just around the corner and the #HALLELUJAH Initiative gaining steam, she recently related each of the ingredients to the Savior; making this recipe not only a great Easter-Eve Lesson, but also a delicious Easter Morning Breakfast Tradition!

To get started, print off the Scripture Scavenger Hunt PDF and let your kids dive into the New Testament to learn more about the Savior as they fill in the blanks to complete the recipe! A couple of the scripture clues are a tiny bit tricky, so be sure to use Page 2 to find extra clues.

Next, it’s time to get baking!! After many attempts with this recipe (and fails) – Colette finally identified the perfect bread for her French Toast Bake... bagels! They are soft AND dense which allows them to effectively soak up the egg mixture and maintain their shape for soggy-free baking. A fun twist to this might be Cinnamon

Swirl bagels or even gluten-free ones for those intolerant.

From there... just follow the recipe! Cut bagels into 1⁄2” cubes, make and beat the egg mixture, then pour over the bread.

Be sure to recruit your kids to help you, they’ll have fun making the recipe with the clues they found! Colette likes to mix the cubes and egg mixture in separate bowl to make sure the bread gets well coated – in fact, for that step, she relates how the tempest was raging and the Savior calmed the storm... so get those cubes tossing and turning like a ship at sea! As noted in the image above, this is a “make ahead” recipe and it should be refrigerated overnight. This allows extra time for the bread to adequately soak up the egg mixture. Then, before baking, prepare a brown sugar crumble and “spread” it across the top, just like the Palm Branches were spread for the Savior as he entered Jerusalem! (Crumble recipe included on the cards.)

Colette has included lots of printables for us... recipe cards in 3 sizes + an easy to print PDF to do the Scripture Scavenger Hunt with our families!

The final step? Take a picture of your family making it, baking it or eating it and share it on Social Media with the #HALLELUJAH! If your on Instagram tag @colette_mycanvas and @Cgroveacademy so we can see you having fun!

Visit Colette at My Computer is My Canvas, she has lots more great printables!

Easter Advent FREE Printables (Created by @SugarBeeCrafts) #HALLELUJAH

Hi Everyone !  I’ve got another great Easter themed printable for you this week!. I’m so excited to be able to share this inspirational holiday posts to help your family celebrate this amazing Easter season and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I want my kiddos to get a deeper understanding of the holiday, and so I am SO excited to try out the new Easter Week Activity Advent from Sugar Bee Crafts. 

It is an advent (because my kiddos LOVE advents and opening something each day in anticipation) of activities to do the week leading up to Easter. Everything you'll need in way of cute printables and outlined activities has already been prepared ­ it doesn't get much easier than that.  

Your biggest preparation will be putting together the eggs. I used sticker numbers, but a sharpie marker will work just as well. You will need 8 eggs, numbered 1­8. You will open them in reverse order, starting with egg #8. We simply used a stick from our yard and tied the eggs to it with twine. Most plastic eggs have holes in the top ­ I used a large needle to get the twine threaded through those holes.  

Activities range from journaling as a family to watching an online video to baking treats and delivering them to a neighbor. It is focused on learning more about Jesus and His teachings and the events that led up to Easter Sunday.

You can find all the materials in the FREE printables EASTER WEEK ACTIVITIES ADVENT found HERE. Simply print out the advent, cut the strips apart, fold them up and put them in the coordinating numbered eggs. There are also cute quote printables, journaling pages, and more.

PS, for the treat activity, you can find detailed instructions as a printable, and then photo step-by-step HERE: Resurrection Rolls   I hope you look forward to this coming Easter Week as much as my family and I are ­ I can't wait!! I know that we will be able to more fully understand Easter and gain a deeper love for it and Christ as we do.

As we go through our activities, I will be sharing our celebrations on my social media channels and using the hashtag #Hallelujah so you can follow along with others as well. Tag @SugarBeeCrafts and @CGroveAcademy so we can see how you use these freebies with your family and celebrate with you!

I am going to have a slightly different set up, so be sure to follow me on Instagram so you can see it!!  Here is a sneak peek of my advent:

I finished my advent:

I drew on the envelopes with my Cricut Explore One and then put some washi tape on the bottom.  I used pictures of Jesus from this photo pack, a few also came from this pack.  This photo pack would also be a great option!

I made the frame at a craft day at church back in November.  I used it for Christmas cards in December/January, I hung paper hearts in February and had shamrocks hanging previous to this!  It’s a great addition to my mantle!  You can get that FREE banner too! 

“HE LIVES” FREE PRINTABLE EASTER DECOR (Created by @PagingSupermom) #HALLELUJAH

This is my first post in a series of #HALLELUJAH posts this month in celebration of Easter and Jesus Christ (the true meaning of the season). 

Easter is such a special holiday for my family, and today I wanted to share a little bit about why I love Easter, but also I have rounded up some fabulous resources to help make your Easter celebration beautiful, meaningful and totally easy to pull off!

Here is a past post I made with ideas we implemented in the past for a Christ Centered Easter. 

Another incredibly easy way to bring that Easter Spirit to life in your home is to create this “He Lives” banner. Using this free printable template created by PagingSupermom.com you can create this banner in a snap.

TO MAKE:

All you need are six pieces of white cardstock, scissors, twine or ribbon, and a printer. Print, cut and string the pennants then hang it on your mantle or over a window to enjoy.

Paging Supermom also created a whole packet of coordinating decor for your Easter table. These pieces would also be perfect to dress up your Easter brunch or dinner table or even use them for an egg decorating party or egg hunt. The templates include instructions, and most of the pieces are multi-purpose so they’ll be easy to incorporate with your family’s traditions.

My favorite part are these Scripture Strips that can be used as napkin rings (or as labels on water bottles). Have everyone take turns reading their scriptures out loud to tell the Easter Story. There are 12 scriptures in all, and the same scriptures are also on round scripture tags. If you will be having less than 12 people, you can use these round tags to supplement by tying the additional scriptures onto glasses or flatware. You could also put the Scripture tags inside of the eggs in your Easter hunt or tie them onto items in your children’s Easter baskets and have the kids look them up!

Check out this video if you want more Easter inspiration and a closer look at Paging Supermom’s beautiful Easter table. I hope these ideas will inspire you to create a beautiful and inspirational Easter celebration for your family this year. If you share photos of your festivities, use the tag #Hallelujah. Happy Easter!

You can download these printables HERE, They are FREE for NON-COMMERCIAL USE.

I want to thank Paging Supermom for sharing these wonderful printables and allowing me to share them with you!

Please check back each week for more #HALLELUJAH

Please be sure to share photos of your festivities with tag #Hallelujah and @PagingSupermom  and @CGroveAcademy so we can check them out!

Tools & Sources

2-inch Circle Punch

Mini Hole Punch

The BEST Scissors

4-inch Lollipop Sticks

White/Gold Twine

Napkin Fabric JoAnn - Quilter’s Showcase in Peach Polka Dot (SKU 14691364)

Gold Binder Clips

Mini Clothespins

White Square Dishes

Gold Flatware (similar to shown)

Lemonade Bottles

White & Gold Globe

19-inch Christus Statue

FHE Lessons for September

I know that I have been providing lessons each week that go along with what the Primary themes are.  However, with General Conference coming up the first weekend in October I have felt that instead of providing lessons to go with the Primary themes, I would encourage each of you to watch or listen one talk from last conference each FHE from now until Conference as a family and talk about it.

There is a Facebook group called 30 days of General Conference that suggests one talk a day to read, this would be a great way to pick which talk you’d like to cover as a family, by reading one each day yourself!  It’s a great goal and I know that by doing so, you will be better prepared to receive the messages given this coming conference.

A few that jump out to me, that I would like to suggest for your consideration are: (I have also listed expansion ideas for each).

Filling Our Homes with Light and Truth – You could have your children draw a picture of your home, and together list ways to fill your home with truth and light

The Family Is of God – You could have your children draw a picture of your family, and take turns saying nice things about each member of the family.

We’ll Ascend Together – Make lists of ways that we can help one another in the home and better keep the spirit in the home.  Bear your testimony to your children about temple marriage, and/or qualities that you admire in your spouse and/or them.

Choose to Believe – Talk about choices we make in life, give some examples.  Bear your testimony. 

Therefore They Hushed Their Fears – Share experiences when you might have been afraid, have children share as well.  Discuss how Heavenly Father can help dispel fear.

The Music of the Gospel – This talk would go well with an object lesson of dancing with and without music!

Blessings of the Temple – Visit the temple (if there is one nearby), bear your testimony of the temple, and/or have your children color a picture of the temple

The Sabbath is a Delight – with the call from the First Presidency to better observe the Sabbath, this would be a great one!  Talk about ways that you as a family can improve your Sabbath observance and make goals to do so!  . 

You can find the previous FHE lessons in a downloadable format HERE, Oct-Dec still to come!

2015 Primary Themed FHE Lessons

UPDATE:  I did not get October up, I'm sorry.  Check out these FHE lessons to help educate your family about the dangers of Pornography!
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER
UPDATE:  Now includes through AUGUST, more to come!
UPDATE:  NEW COVER and LINKS only per page to avoid copyright infringement 1/6/15
Some kind soul for the last 2 years has compiled FHE lessons based on the primary theme of each year. We have used these for FHE and I looked and looked on the web for a 2015 version; but, to no avail.  So, I decided it was my turn to give back!  Since 2015 is just around the corner and I only decided today to do this, I have only January at this time.  I will be adding the entire year over the next few months (don’t worry February will be posted in time!).




The link will be updated as I add to the lessons.  Here is January to start you off!  Check back soon for updates!  Click on the picture to go to the document!
Enjoy!  Please feel free to share!  But please link to this post and not the link itself!  Thanks! 

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#HeisTheGift #ShareTheGift

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

I’m taking the rest of the week off!  Workbox Wednesday and Field Trip Friday will return after the New Year!  Links are still live from last week if you want to link up!

Please Vote For Me - You can vote daily now through Dec 29th!

LDS Homeschool Conventions (2014) and Resources

Latter Day Saints Home Educators – Home Education Conference in Virginia Beach:  May 22-23, 2014

LDS Homeschool Conference in Provo, Utah:  August 8-9, 2014

National LDS Home School Association

Support Groups – State-wide

Liahona Homeschool Support Group – California
Started in 1988 by Diane Hopkins to provide an organized opportunity for LDS homeschooling families in Orange County, California, to meet together.

LDS Homeschooling in California
Site includes a number of ways to communicate, including an email list and list of support groups. A conference is also planned.

Latter-Day Saint Oregon Home Educators Assocation
Serving Mormon families in Oregon and Washington.

Washington State Latter-day Saint Family Educators
We are a non-profit organization set up to help parents educate their children according to the desires and wishes of their heart.

LDS Homeschoolers in Maryland - This group is for members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who homeschool their children (or are considering homeschooling) in Maryland (or adjoining states).

S.H.A.R.E. of Southern Nevada
Email Loop: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharehs
Networking LDS and like-minded homeschoolers in Southern Nevada, with area groups in Moapa, Henderson, East Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, West Las Vegas and a Teen group.

LDS Pahrump Homeschoolers – Nevada
This group is for those homeschoolers in the Pahrump, Nevada area who have chosen to raise and teach their children in the home. LDS and like-minded families are welcome to share in our passion for teaching our children. This group hosts weekly co-op which can include social activities, idea sharing, classes, field trips, regular Mom Meetings to lend support, brainstorm ideas for future co-ops, make decisions that involve the group etc. We will share local resources with one another as well as be a support to one another in our shared passion for educating our children.

Beehive Academy – New Mexico
Latter Day Saints (LDS). Serving Albuquerque and surrounding area. Twice monthly meetings for group activities, including service projects, holiday activities, field trips, presentations, and social activities. Visit http://www.lds-nha.org/support.html#nm.

Love-At-Home, NOVA LDS Home Educators – Virginia/Maryland
Loudoun County | Fairfax County | Prince William County | Fauquier County | Frederick County (MD) |
A group of Latter-Day Saint Home Educators. They coordinate and share ideas and events. This includes such things as social events; field trips; and unit studies.

Know of any other LDS groups or resources?  Comment below and I’ll add them to the list!

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Developing Christlike Attributes

3 Nephi 27:27
…Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am.

The youth theme for this month is Becoming More Christlike.  The topic I taught on today was “How can I become more Christlike?” 

I really felt that the message portrayed was important for all of us, so I decided to share it as my post for this month. 

If you go to the Young Women’s Lesson for the month of October in the Come Follow Me Manual, you can get a list of scriptures, and talks, etc…

However, the most important aspect of this lesson, I felt was taken from the Preach My Gospel, Chapter 6 (pages 115-126).

It’s my challenge to each of you to study this lesson!

At the end of the lesson is a self-assessment (p.126). I encourage you (as I did my girls) to take the self-assessment, and to ponder in your heart and mind which attribute you would like to work on.

Then, using the Preach My Gospel, read up on that attribute, answer the questions and record in your journal.

If you have a young woman in your home, this would make a great 10hr project and would be great to work on together as mother and daughter.  It can also be a Family Home Evening lesson, or family or spouse project.

Make sure to also read the Ideas for Study and Application on pg 124, including companion study suggestions (if you are doing this together with someone).

Keep in mind the following (from pg. 123 of Preach My Gospel):

*  Learning to be like Christ is a lifelong pursuit
*  You follow Christ’s example- develop His attributes – one action and decision at a time.
*  Changing to become Christlike requires exercising faith, repenting, keeping covenants, receiving an increased measure of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. 

I’d love to hear your experiences!

*Also posted at Latter-Day Homeschooling Blog

YW September Lesson–Being in the World, but Not of It.

Okay, I didn’t create this one, but I wanted to go ahead and share what I’ll be using for my lesson this week.

I set out to create something, but found this and well it was perfect enough and much easier to use (than to make something).

It was taken from the blog A Little Crafting, she has lots of printables from past young women lessons (which can be used in the new curriculum) as well as a few for the current program.  Check her out!

Why is Chastity Important? Young Women Lesson, August: Marriage and Family

I made these wallet cards for the girls to keep with them and help them remember their ultimate goal! 

*They have the Laie, Hawaii Temple on them, since we are in Hawaii.  I can not guarantee, but will try to make other temples by request…..however, they will not be available until the 17th at the earliest. 

I laminated them so they will hold up! 

Right click and SAVE AS for JPEG or

For PDF version click HERE

Washington DC Temple PDF Version

What does it mean to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ? Young Women’s Lesson, July: Ordinances and Covenants

Here is the handout I made for this lesson, I added in some things NOT in the lesson outline.  But the thought of “His image in your countenance” kept coming to me as I thought about the meaning of taking his name upon us.  Then I found the talk by Elder Lynn G. Robbins from the April 2011 Gen. Conf, where he talks about the difference between “to do” and “to be”. 

I plan to play the Janice Kapp Perry Song, “His Image In Your Countenance” during the lesson as well. 

the rest of the lesson will follow the outline, using Mosiah 5, watching the clip by President Monson (Standing alone) and talking about the importance of names.

UPDATE:  It was pointed out to me that I had put the wrong name for credit to this quote.  Thank you to my reader who brought this to my attention.  I have fixed it.  It is now correct!  (7/25/14)  I apologize to those who have used this with the wrong name, not quite sure how I got that wrong…chalk it up to human error.

How the Priesthood Blesses Me–June YW Lesson

Just a simple handout….it has a spot at the bottom for the girls to write their thoughts on the matter and to remember and record an instance in their life that they remember being blessed by the priesthood.

Right click and save to print OR click HERE for a PDF

Interactive Book of Mormon Stories-- Giveaway

Keeping our little ones quiet during Sacrament Meeting can be a bit of a struggle sometimes.  I know that I try to provide church related materials for them to use during Sacrament, something to keep them busy, but something to also remind them of why we are there.  I am so excited to be adding the Interactive Book of Mormon Stories Vol 1 & 2 to our Sunday Bag! 

I’m even more excited to be able to offer two sets of Vol 1 & 2 as a giveaway to all of you great readers!

The Interactive Book of Mormon Series was created by Natalie and is available for purchase in her Etsy shop as downloads for $9.99 ea or $17.99 for the set.

Here are some videos showing Volume 1 and 2 in action!

There is a variety of ways you can put these together to best fit your family. 

How else do you help keep your kids reverent during Sacrament Meeting?  Share your ideas and mark it in the Rafflecopter Entry Form to enter the giveaway!  Other entry options are also available !

Good Luck!!

Contest ends 4/17 at 12:00AM HST, winners will be posted here and notified via email Contest is also posted on Latter Day Homeschooling Blog a Rafflecopter giveaway

YW March Lesson–What is the Atonement?

Here is the handout I have for my lesson coming up the first Sunday of March.  Wanted to share.

I’ve also been using the book recommended on The Red Headed Hostess Blog by Anthony Sweat and John Hilton III titled The Big Picture.  It’s a GREAT resource and I highly recommend it.  It is available as an ebook with the FREE app by Deseret Books called Deseret Bookshelf (for apple and android devices).

Not just for youth leaders, I recommend it if for youth and parents alike!  (or anyone really, for that matter!).

YW Feb Lesson–Why Do the Choices I Make Matter Handout

This handout goes with the talk “Be a Guardian of Your Virtue” referenced in the lesson outline by Elaine S. Dalton.

Another great quote that goes with this lesson:

President Spencer W. Kimball –

“We hope we can help our young men and young women to realize, even sooner than they do now, that they need to make certain decisions only once. … We can push some things away from us once and have done with them! We can make a single decision about certain things that we will incorporate in our lives and then make them ours—without having to brood and redecide a hundred times what it is we will do and what we will not do.

“… My young brothers, if you have not done so yet, decide to decide!” (Ensign, May 1976, p. 46; italics added.)

YW lesson–Godhead–Who am I?

I was recently called to Young Women’s as a First Counselor and I am soooo excited! 

I made some hand outs for my lesson this week with the new curriculum, that I thought I would share.  I know it’s the end of the month, but maybe you can still use it!  I teach earlier in the month for February.

*The quote in the handout is from the video clip.  This handout was made with My Memories Suite Software with images from What Goes On kit by OGREN

Also, I love this idea from the Red Headed Hostess of ‘Passing and Writing’, and decided to use it, but with a different talk.  I took an excerpt from the talk You Matter To Him by President Uchtdorf.

*This handout was made with My Memories Suite Software

And then for their weekly assignment I printed an excerpt of President Uchtdorf’s talk on Happily Every After, with a note to write their own idea of what they want their happily ever after to be.  You can get that HERE

*To print the other two images click on the image to enlarge, then right click and save image, then print.