Apples to Apples

Today I made a display table outside the Relief Society room to encourage building up the food supply since it is the theme of the month. As you can see, it was complete with the cannery order forms for people to take at will. Next week I will be collecting all the orders and we will be going to the cannery on November 4th. This will be the first time in around six months. I told them in the Provident Living Minute that I am expecting a lot of participation this month. I think I laid it on thick last week when I told them that I want us to be faithful and do what the prophet has commanded in building a food supply.  

When I spoke to them during the Provident Living Minute, I passed around the sign up, gave them canning recipes for apples since they are in season, with a reference to D&C 89:10-11 where it talks about eating fruit in its season and then testified that as we preserve our food in its season, we are obeying the word of wisdom.

Then I read them the scripture passage I had attached to the recipe cards I handed out (sorry I don't have a picture of that, however you can find the recipes here). And passed around a can of the dried apple chips from the cannery for them to try. Some of them had never tasted them before and had asked me about them during the "don't forget the treat" Provident Living Minute. So I decided to let them have some. They LOVED it!

Hope this loads you with more fun and happy living ideas. Till next time, have a wonderfully PROVIDENT life!

This weeks handout

This week I will be doing a display of clear canisters I use in my cupboard to display whatever canned goods I have gotten from the cannery to encourage cannery sign ups. These canisters are labeled using my labeler. I also canned applesauce and apple pie filling last week that I will put on the display table w/ the canisters just outside the R.S. room. I will be passing around apple recipes to encourage people to take advantage of the apple harvest that is in abundance here, along with the cannery sign up. Have a Provident week!

October Theme-increase your food supply

I die cut these at our local craft store, Ben Franklin. If you use paper you buy there, the die cutting is free. I took paper I had purchased there already from my scrapbook stash and found a die cut box that was small enough to fit 2 on an 81/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock. Used pattern paper to repeat saying over and over on and cut them out to fit across the side of each box. I had this decorative ribbon and jute on hand and stuck a carmel and 5 candy corn in each one. My project loving 9 y.o. helped me assemble them using sticky dots, we put a little filler paper in and the candies and tied them up real cute. The two red ones have sugar free candies in them for the diabetics in our ward. This helps them to set them apart from the others. 

       The note on the front says: Increase your food supply and don't for get the Treats!

Fun time to be creative and use fonts you  never get to use ;-) This idea is to remind people that what we have on hand should be the things that we will daily use and fun foods we eat, we will enjoy even more in an emergency. Such as Chocolate chips. Hot cocoa from the cannery. Granola bars (s'more flavor of course!) and many other fun, quick and easy foods.
    
 Hope this gets the creative juices flowing. You could also just pass out mini candy bars with the attached saying or a few candies in tiny plastic baggies found in the cake decorating isle. Don't spend a lot of money!

72 hour kit handouts

Well, I finally got myself organized in my Provident Living calling after much heartfelt prayer. I wanted to know how to magnify my calling better and inspire the people in our ward to be constantly thinking about ways to keep their families prepared. I decided to post these things specifically for my sister since we share the same calling, although miles and miles apart. I didn't even think about how it could help other people in the same calling for me to have prayed about it on my own.  I hope you can get inspired by the things I share. That will make it all worthwhile. As the needs are different in every area, don't be afraid to pray about inspiration for your individual wards and branches. I'm so enjoying my calling and hope this changes up your perspective a bit.  This is not my regular every day blog, it is especially for projects and calling info. so it will not be updated quite as much as my family one is. The following is what I did for the handout in Sept. My theme for the month was 72 hour kits. I bought fun fall paper from our local michaels and used that for every handout for fall. Just an added touch. I want everything I do to either be little or no money invested, after all...what is the fund for your provident living calling?!

From my old paper route I had a ton of rubberbands and bought the cheapest box of garbage yard bags I could find. Punched out the scallop edge with a stampin' up! punch and sticky dotted the layered papers together. With 9 y.o. help, I had them finished in a jiff!

the lighting is terrible today, so I had to use the flash. The phrase on the spoon says:

Here's the "scoop" update your 72 hr. kit!

This photo is just to show the folded 1/2 sheet I had copied and cut in the library that tells the steps to take in updating a 72 hr. kit. Here is what it says, you can copy and paste it into a word document and use it as you please...change it around as you see fit:

Steps to take in updating your 72 kit :

                                                             (Updates should take place every 6 mos.)
1. Replace all food & water that is not fresh and has or will expire before the next scheduled update.
2. Ensure medication and vitamins are not expired and replace if
   necessary.
3. Update clothing if needed, making certain it fits properly, and change
   diapers sizes for babies (if needed).
4. Double check that documents and credit cards are up to date.
5. Replace Batteries and ensure they are charged & flashlights function
   properly.
6. Label your kit with the date so you know when it was last updated.
7. Mark your calendar for next update.



After teaching a class a year ago on 72 hr. kits and making sure you update them once every six months to a year, I decided to pass out reminders. This handout was for that. After I handed it out, I told them to let me know if they were needing a list for starting a 72 hr. kit. There is so much online information, you have to weed through it and decide which one is right for your own family. I just give them a basic list and tell them to think of other things they may need by actually using their kits on a campout some time. If you would like a copy of my end product list, let me know and I will gladly send it to you. Leave a comment including your e-mail address. Happy Living!!!