I wanted to share the details of a Christmas party I helped plan for our ward's Relief Society. In case anyone needed any Christmas party id...

A mortar and pestle is the perfect no-tech, natural way to mix spices, grind medications, and make sauces. Here is how to use one.

Our Christmas party this past year was fun! We had a waffle bar breakfast, a craft for the children, a few families lips sinked to some fun Christmas songs, sang a few Christmas songs together (wit…

About a month and a half ago, Paul came home from a church meeting and mentioned that the bishop (what we call the leader of our congregation) had asked if I would be willing to head-up the committee for our ward Christmas party this year. My first reaction was "No way!" but after some consideration of the fact that if I didn't do it someone else would have to and as I started to think about the other potential people in the ward to head the committee I realized that I was a very reasonable candidate since I have the fewest kids, I am a SAHM who-while busy-has enough time to tackle such a responsibility, my calling as gospel doctrine teacher isn't all the demanding, etc. So I said I would do it. I got really lucky in that I had an AMAZING committee of women who helped me put everything together and had super ideas and input. One of my committee members - my friend Hailey - pretty much took on all the decor herself when another committee member had to back out due to a surgery. We went with a loose Polar Express theme (tickets for invitations, a "believe" sort of message, and a train set for decorations) and it turned out really well. Hailey came up with beautiful centerpieces and arranged everything so beautifully. We were able to get 5 6+foot live trees for $15 each which we decorated with Christmas lights and then gave away at the end of the night. There is an older couple (actually, they really aren't all that old but all their kids are grown so that is what I really mean) in our ward who have beautiful Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes and they did a great job with all the kids. I was all about delegating for this party so I asked our Primary President to print Christmas coloring pages and order small boxes of crayons (like the kind you get at restaurants) for Santa to give out rather than candy canes since we had Santa come before dinner and I wanted the kids to have something to do before the food was served and not spoil appetites with peppermint sugar sticks. Clara did much better with mom and dad in the picture with her. I may look put together in this picture but I seriously was running all night long managing food levels and making sure the little program we put together happened, etc. I literally dashed from the kitchen and tore off my apron to take this picture, then headed right back in. Paul was such a huge help and played with Clara and engaged with our friends all night while I was all frazzled. We had a good turnout - we were planning for 350 and by my estimate (based on numbers of chairs that we put out) we had almost 300. The main dish was Barbeque Beef Brisket (my mom's recipe that she got years and years ago when we lived in St. Louis, MO from a guy in their ward who my mom always describes as "a bachelor"). It is SO easy and SO yummy and my mom has made this probably over a hundred times, especially when we have large dinner parties. I'm including the recipe at the bottom of this post. I pre-ordered 90 pounds of brisket from Costco (a full crate of meat actually) which meant that I was charged $3.99/lb instead of $5.99/lb (which is what they sell individual briskets for). Then we farmed out the cooking of the briskets along with the ingredients and recipes to various ward members since we needed a number of ovens but we wanted uniform results. It worked out great. We also had baked mac & cheese from Costco's deli - I seriously love this stuff but this was the one thing we had too much of, although my estimates weren't too far off. I bought 30 pans of it and we ended up with 6-8 leftover I think. For vegetables we had orange-ginger glazed roasted carrots and french green beans tossed with lemon juice, butter and sea salt. There were also rolls and for dessert we set up a table with hot chocolate and cupcakes. The cupcakes (chocolate/chocolate and white/white) were just from Safeway (a local grocery store) but they were actually quite good and I had ordered old-fashioned peppermint sticks to stick in them so that they would be "North Pole Cupcakes" and that made them look extra fancy. One of the families in the ward brought this incredible toy train set up for part of the decor which gave the kids something fun to look at before and after dinner. The Young Man in the blue jacket is Evan and he is our home teacher and made sure that the train kept operating in the event that little fingers derailed it. I had so much amazing help and I couldn't have done it without some of the women in the photos above. A number of people spent Saturday morning at the church helping to decorate, my committee members worked so hard getting things together beforehand, and we had such great help in the kitchen getting all the meat sliced as it was received and making sure the serving tables were never empty. It was EXHAUSTING being in charge of such a large event (remind me to never, EVER agree to taking on this responsibility again) but I was very pleased with how the evening turned out and that there was such a feeling of friendship and love and Christmas at the party. Barbeque Beef Brisket 5 lbs. brisket 2 tsp garlic salt, divided 2 tsp celery salt, divided 2 tsp onion salt, divided 2 tsp sugar, divided 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce SAUCE: 3/4 cup brown sugar 20 oz. hickory flavored barbeque sauce Moisten meat with Worcestershire sauce. In a little bowl, mix 1 teaspoon each of the garlic, celery, and onion salts, with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Rub in dry ingredients. Marinate overnight. Repeat process with the remaining spices the next morning. Place meat in aluminum foil allowing plenty of room for meat to steam inside. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour for each pound of meat. Remove from oven and tear away foil. Pour off broth. Pour sauce over meat. Return to oven uncovered and bake one more hour at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and slice to serve. * All of the briskets we cooked were actually between 8-10 pounds - you just need to make sure to increase the amount of your sauce and spices accordingly.

Today I'm sharing all the details from our church Christmas program we put together a few weeks ago! It includes the script, the props, and all the details from the night.

The Christmas Crib outside Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, last year (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019) SERVICE of NINE LESSONS and CAROLS Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, 3 p.m. Sunday 20 December 2020 The Fourth Sunday of Advent Welcome (and important notes): 1, Please wear your facemask throughout this service; 2, Please leave your name and number (to be used for contact and tracing purposes only); 3, Please listen to, but do not join the hymns; 4, Please leave from the back seats first, without gathering in the church. Opening Hymn: 177, ‘Once in royal David’s city’ (CF Alexander; melody, HJ Gauntlett). Bidding Prayer: (Canon Patrick Comerford) Beloved, be it this Christmas Time our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels; in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger. Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child; and let us make this Church, dedicated to Mary, his most blessed Mother, glad with our carols of praise: But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world; for peace and goodwill over all the earth; for unity and brotherhood within the Church he came to build, and especially in this our land, Ireland: And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed; the sick in body and in mind and those who mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; all who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love. Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself has taught us: Our Father … Carol 1: 155, Ding Dong! merrily on high (George Ratcliffe Woodward; melody Thoinot Arbeau). Lesson 1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. … All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee … to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. Carol 2: 135, O come, O come, Emmanuel (tr John Mason Neale; melody, Thomas Helmore). Lesson 2 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Carol 3: 133, Long ago, prophets knew (F Pratt Green; melody, Piae Cantiones). Lesson 3 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’ Carol 4: 174, O little town of Bethlehem (Philips Brooks, melody arranged by Vaughan Williams). Lesson 4 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. Carol 5: 160, Hark! the herald-angels sing (Charles Wesley and George Whitefield; music, Felix Mendelssohn). Lesson 5 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Carol 6: 164, It came upon the midnight clear (EH Sears, traditional melody, Arthur Sullivan). Lesson 6 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Carol 7: 158, God rest you merry gentlemen (English traditional). Lesson 7 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every first-born male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’ Carol 8: 152, ‘Come and join the celebration’ (Valerie Collison). Lesson 8 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout … Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God … And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ Carol 9: 149, Away in a manger (WJ Kirkpatrick). Lesson 9 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age … At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Hymn: 162, In the bleak mid-winter (Christina Rossetti; music, Gustav Holst). Collect and Blessing: The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. O God, who makes us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of your only son, Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him, when he shall come to be our judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, grant you the fullness of inward peace and goodwill, and make you partakers of the divine nature; and the blessing of God Almighty, + the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen. Hymn: 172, O come, all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles), translated, Frederick Oakeley; melody John F Wade. Part of this afternoon’s retiring collection is being divided among a number of agencies and funds supported by the parish. They include: The Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal Fund, Christian Aid, the Leprosy Mission, Limerick Protestant Orphan Society, Rathkeale No 2 National School, and the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG). Christmas Eucharist: Thursday 24 December: 6 p.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin (Tarbert); 8 p.m., Castletown Church (please note revised times). Christmas Day, Friday 25 December: 9.30 a.m., Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton; 11 a.m., Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale. Sunday 27 December (Christmas 1, Saint John the Evangelist): 11 a.m., United Parish Service, Rathkeale (Morning Prayer with Siobhán Wheeler, Parish Reader) Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org Material from the Book of Common Prayer is copyright © 2004, Representative Body of the Church of Ireland.

As ward activity committee members, it can be difficult to come up with unique ideas for the ward Christmas party year after year. Here are some ideas for making this December's event an enjoyable experience for members of all ages.

We were put in charge of our church or ward Christmas party this year. We needed to plan something with families and have it be for around 250 people. I immediately got on the internet and found on Sugardoodle a list of suggested Ward Christmas Parties. One caught my eye since we had just been in charge of the Pioneer Trek this summer and that was Christmas in Nauvoo in 1843 posted by Paige Moore. Christmas of 1843 was the last Christmas that Joseph Smith was alive and he recorded in his journal being woken up that morning by carolers and that he and his wife Emma hosted a dinner for 50 in the Nauvoo Mansion and that they had music and dancing all evening. It not only had the theme idea but it had a list of assignments for the various committees and a program and facts about old Nauvoo, Illinois. The first thing I wanted to add was a horse and carriage for the evening to set the stage for old Nauvoo. I had just used this wonderful company this fall for a Miss Utah County parade event so I contacted them and we got their Vis a Vis Limousine carriage. The carriage company, Burch and Sons is located in American Fork, Utah and they have a huge collection of wonderful carriages. There was a line-up for carriage rides all evening. One of my close neighbors was asked to play the prophet Joseph Smith. He even grew his hair out and styled it like Joseph's was styled in 1843. A costume was rented from Hale Center Theater. Nauvoo was famous for the beautiful brick homes the people built while they lived there so we printed out large rolls of red brick on paper and decorated the various "stores" we had around the church building. Different organizations in the ward were assigned to be in charge of setting up and running their "stores" and the Young Women organization went over the top with their charming Scovil Bakery. One of the leaders even brought over this charming cupboard. They made snowflakes and hung them from the ceiling. You felt totally transported as you entered their room. They were asked to have gingerbread cookies for the children to decorate but they took it a step farther and decided to create a bakesale and donate the funds they raised to needy families. I love the wooden cash box they had in their bakery. This charming tree was lit and in the corner with a darling banner hung above it. They even turned the chalkboards in the room into windows in the bakery and hung lights around them. You are looking out through this window! Isn't this an adorable idea. The round tables were set up with plastic tablecloths for the decorating of the gingerbread cookies. We printed off whitewashed wood planks for the Stoddard Tin Shop. Here the children could come in and make a punched ornament or necklace. You could hear the pounding of little hammers down the hall. The kids really loved this one too. These cute guys were all dressed in period clothing and having a great time showing off for the camera. The Red Brick Store was famous in old Nauvoo and we had the Elder's Quorum set it up like a store with barrels of peanuts and candy. Here you could bring toys and clothing and gently used items for the needy and drop them off. Back in 1843 large church meetings were held in "The Grove" or out under the cover of trees as there were no large church buildings. Here the children played pioneer games. Our postmaster was here to help people write letters or emails to the many missionaries we have from our ward serving around the world. One of those is my son who is serving in Seoul, Korea. The Bishop's Storehouse was a place where you could make donations of food in Old Nauvoo which would be shared with the needy so we had people bring food and products the Food and Care Coalition in town need to help the homeless. The Nauvoo Mansion was built to house guests and visitors in Nauvoo. We printed off stone blocks on paper to create an entry for it. The Mansion was the cultural hall or gymnasium at the church. And the stage was Joseph's room where he was seated writing in his journal. He was so great - he stayed in character the whole evening and children said, "Joseph is here, Joseph is here!" They wanted to be up on stage by him. We set up 24 long tables in a fan pattern and the tables were covered with red tablecloths and a wonderful roll of burlap. Each set of tables had 3 silk wreaths and 2 glass hurricanes and one metal and glass hurricane with artificial snow on the bottom of the hurricanes. The candles of course were electronic. The burlap ran down the serving tables too. I created two tall urns with evergreens and artichokes and lemons. All candles have to be battery operated in the church building for fire codes. You can see the tables beginning to fill up. We also set up chairs around the edges. Every seat was used. It was the best attended ward party we have had. You can also see a child standing up on the stage next to the desk. How adorable is that? We asked everyone to come in period clothing - at least no jeans for men and no pants for women. It really added to the atmosphere. The ward provided holiday ham and turkey and fresh rolls from Shirley's Bakery. Every family was asked to bring their favorite holiday side dish or dessert. The tables were stuffed with delicious food. As a follow up invitation, we sent out this "How to arrange a Christmas Dinner" published in 1847. It is fun to read through and see the traditional dishes mentioned. I don't think anyone brought turnips, boiled onions or dressed celery! My niece Shaunna did the designs for both invitations, the signs for the shop doors and the brick, wood and stone walls. She was a fabulous help! We had a group of carolers wandering down the hall. After dinner we had a short program that was included on the site I referenced. We added to it with a song that our Joseph (Del Moody) wrote about Emma and then he stood at the end and bore witness to Jesus Christ citing Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24 "This is the testimony, last of all. that we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the father." It was so powerful after the song about Emma and it brought tears to many eyes. These were our actors playing Porter Rockwell and one of the military officers who were part of the program. The choir sang several numbers in the program and the Young Women sang "Go Tell it on the Mountain". Many said it was the best ward Christmas Party they had ever been to. I hope if you need to do a ward party, and choose to do Christmas in Nauvoo, that this will give you some ideas and inspiration. Incidentally, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was also published on December 19, 1843. I had researched the costumes of the period and then I went production by Hale Center Theater in Salt Lake this year. Their costumes really followed the time period with their hairstyles featuring the sausage curls, the waistcoats and morning coats for the men and the women's dresses with lower and pointed waistlines . It was fun to see how they would have actually dressed up for a party in 1843. I will be posting this with Tablescapes Thursday Seasonal Sunday Weekend Wrapup

I was in charge of the Christmas Party last year at my church. I thought I'd share a few ideas of what we did. It was simple, but full of the spirit of Christmas. We featured the Nativity figures that were there the day that Christ was born as found in the New Testament. I …

So by disbanding the ward activities committee, our ward was left at having the Elder's Quorum in charge. Of course they are great guys, but...

I was recently released from my absolute most favorite calling ever- Primary chorister. It was a very SAD day : ( But thank goodness, I got called to serve in the Primary Presidency. I <3 my primary kids so much! I am so glad I still get to see their smiling faces and feel their sweet spirits! The Primary was asked to put together a program for our ward Christmas party. Having served as Primary chorister for 5 years, I had been responsible for many Christmas programs and wanted to do something a little different this year. This is what we came up with. It is written for one family to act out. We are using all the different auxiliaries to perform the different musical numbers. I am so excited to see how it turns out! It is about a child who feels she would have liked to have been there in Bethlehem to witness the Savior's birth so she could know for herself if it is true. She then discovers though, that through prayer and faith, she can know today of the truth of the Nativity story, Click Here to download the full Program And of course, I couldn't put together a program without throwing one of my songs in there. This one I actually wrote years ago, but as I was writing the script for the program, I knew it was just what we needed. Click here to download the song "If I Had Been A Child Then" (Play to listen to a sample of the song "If I Had Been A Child Then")

A night in Bethlehem is a very spiritual evening for ward members and their families. Each person will leave with a true feeling of Christmas and a joy of the birth of the Savior. Families are noti…

Easily customize 'Night Snowfall' Party invitation design with your text and photos. Download, print or send online with RSVP for free!

This was a night like no other. In and amongst all the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations it was so nice to walk into this humb...

As ward activity committee members, it can be difficult to come up with unique ideas for the ward Christmas party year after year. Here are some ideas for making this December's event an enjoyable experience for members of all ages.

While unloading my car , preparing for "A Night in Bethlehem" ward activity....I noticed that we have finally received a little fall....in the parking lot no less....Beautiful still the same. I was asked to prepare one of the "tents/booths" for...

She is a wife to one very large monster and also a mother to three small witches. The Everything Housewife lives part-time in The Realm of Halloween

Do you ever want to play a fun family game? Or want to let a group of kids play on their own? Then this a great game for them. Charades are a great way to share some laughs, have everyone involved, and not have to buy a new game. The problem I seem to run into is coming up with items that are simple enough for all ages to be involved. Fear not! I have made a great list of simple items for your children to act out as a family or the kids on their own. You can even simply download the list at the

How to plan an EPIC White Christmas Party for upcoming holiday party on a small budget. This complete party plan includes decorations, menu and other ideas!

originally, my son’s legs were standing in for the front pair…

Other Supplies here: https://www.chalkcouture.com/knickoftime/products And more antique Christmas music pages. These would be perfect for some crafting projects. Silent Night Hymn I'm unfamiliar with this song, but it looks lovely and I love the fancy font used for the title. This one is from the same antique hymnal. Away in a Manger Hark the Herald Angels Sing Joy to the World There are SO many projects you can make with this Joy to the World Hymnreusable silkscreen stencil, like pillows, using

A page of Victorian sheet music, originally published in the July 1, 1886 issue of the Young Ladies' Journal. The arrangement is called "The Pompadour Galop" and was composed specifically for the publication by James Fitzgerald. You can download the high-res 6" x 9" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here. Victorian sheet music is from my personal collection. All digitized work by Victorian Trends.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Free for personal use only. Please link back to VictorianTrends.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Okay, my husband and I were actually put in charge of the Farmington Ranches 4th Ward Christmas Party - TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO! I figured ...

Today I'm sharing all the details from our church Christmas program we put together a few weeks ago! It includes the script, the props, and all the details from the night.

Happy Holidays! Scattergories via Zoom has been a fun way to connect with family and friends during the pandemic. . In prep for a Christmas when my fam will be celebrating in our own homes on Decem…

Our Church Christmas Party was very unique and alot of fun! Our Relief Society President put together a video of the event. https://animo

We are taking a journey around the world to explore the Christmas musical traditions of 6 different countries.

For my birthday my kids all made the meal and my husband provided the dessert. I decided the least I could do was to set the table. I wasn't thinking of blogging about it but as I got it put together, my husband told me that it was so pretty that I should take pictures for my blog. I chose my beautiful white embossed square plates with lavender chargers and my fancy silver plated flatware. I just love the shape and design of these plates but wanted a little touch of color. A little dark punch of purple was added with napkins and goblets. The goblets are dark amethyst with a clear twisted stem. I had the centerpiece put together with some pink flowers (not the best) when my friend Monique stopped by with a purple flowering plant for my birthday. The pink flowers were quickly moved off the table and replaced with a much prettier flower that fit in perfectly. Talk about timing! I just gathered some purple accessories from around the house to accent the center of the table. A purple organza table topper anchors the centerpiece. My son made a deboned whole chicken (which he deboned himself) that was stuffed with ham and peppers and onions with mustard and herbs which he learned on his mission for our church in Argentina, his wife made an artichoke dip, my other daughter in law and my son made a savory monkey bread style appetizer with homemade roll dough which she stuffed with a piece of pepperoni and a piece of mozzarella, then rolled in butter and parmesan and parsley. My oldest daughter made incredible, rich creamed corn and my younger daughter made a baked Havarti cheese ring with biscuits. It was so much fun to eat all of their wonderful creations and realize that they had done this for me! That afternoon my good friends Annette and Wally and their daughters Hannah, Grace and Esther stopped by and gave me some fun gifts they found in an all purple store in San Antonio Texas. This was on a little card they gave me from the store: Purple Profile You are a purple person if: You are imaginative, sensitive, artistic and sophisticated. You have noble ideals and a keen appreciation of the cultural You are alert, demanding, foresighted, confident, resourceful, spontaneous, and highly independent. You take delight in the beautiful, the gracious, the sensitive, but maintain an attitude of critical appraisal. In love you seek to attain a magical quality and refuse to settle for anything else. You refuse to be "swept off your feet" unless genuineness and integrity can be absolutely ascertained. You are active in the support of things you believe in, and are concerned with the pursuit of truth and other human values. You take chances and believe that you must do so to make the most of what life has to offer. Purple is an exclusive color, mystical in quality, blending the two extremes of the spectrum, red and blue. Traditionally, purple represents splendor, dignity, royalty, rank and wealth. Purple is a unique color, and it is a truly unique individual who holds it dear. I think a lot of it fits!! It was such a great birthday! Thanks to all of my family and friends who made it so great. I will be partying this week with Tablescapes Thursday Feathered Nest Friday Sources: Plates - Tai Pan Goblets - Spiegel catalog (years ago) Tablecloth and topper - homemade Chargers - Z Gallerie Silver plated flatware - Horchow Napkin rings - Bloomingdales Home Purple mercury glass and candlestick - Home Goods Candle - Home Goods

If your ward is anything like mine, the Nativity program put on by the children of the Primary at the annual Ward Christmas Party is a highlight of the season! Some years, the script seems like it might have been lifted from “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” others you may notice the absence of […]

Yep! We are crazy. My pal Jessica and I pulled off a crazy, insane ward Christmas party this last weekend. We couldn't have done it without Molly, Christian, Randy, and Colby... that's for dang sure. And there were a lot of others that made Saturday go off without a hitch and I'm so grateful for their help. Jess had been working on some grand ideas and apparently I was her "Yes Man." I'd always end up smiling and say OK! She'd call me or text me and ask what I thought of this or that and it was fun, fun, fun. We had almost given up on doing a lighted ceiling, but then our dear friend Jen came to the rescue. Jessica and Jen were talking at the gym and we learned that Jen was going to do something similar for their ward party and told us we could borrow anything we wanted from them. Their party was gorgeous... all white, cream, brown... so elegant. I loved it. We got all of the their stuff and then added some color (and even more tulle and lights). I wish we had brought in even more color, but it wasn't necessary. It all ended up fantastic. -Here are a few photos from the night- The center is a giant hoop Colby constructed for me that we wrapped with a straight strand of lights and some icicle lights. This photo from Pinterest was our inpiration. It sat right over our dessert table. Then we had tulle and lights and garlands coming off of that creating that tented effect. It took a while to figure out our system, but once we had it figured out we just got it up. I couldn't stop giggling the whole night. It was making me so happy to see it coming together. A couple more views before anyone got there. I wish I had taken a picture directly below that center ring so you could see how pretty it was from below. I'm still kicking myself for not remembering to do that Saturday night. The dessert table was my next favorite. We made a bunch of random treats and then people brought cakes that we added to the mix. There was a ton of sweet stuff to eat and it was a big hit. We got treat bags too so everyone could take some home with them. A few members of the YW presidency made all the random treats. The little snow backdrop was behind the musicians. We had a little trio come... piano, violin, and voice. It was beautiful. I loved all the banners and garlands we had around... These tomato cage trees were inspired by Pinterest. (I still need to get my cages out of my garden and clean them up so I can have some at home.) The rest of these are various table decorations we made/borrowed. It was a grand party. We all ate like kings, enjoyed a little nativity by the primary children, some other great musical entertainment, and a special night to celebrate the season. Something else that made it fun was we had the young women serve everyone their dinner, which ended up pretty great too. We weren't trying to out-do anyone or win any competitions. We just wanted to make it feel special. We decided since the YW of our ward were only in charge of one party and it was the Christmas one, we would make it fantastic and festive.

Our ward family history committee, consisting of youth and adult consultants, planned this ward activity for all ages. Held on a Thursday evening it took the place of the combined activity for the…