Proclamation to the World

I love the Proclamation and since it is a big part of this months V.T. lesson, I decided to make it Pink for Valentines Day and for the month of February. Click on this link and you can download it there.  Enjoy!  Katie
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/57771560/1/Proclamation%20to%20the%20World%20in%20pink?h=92c839

My Favorite Things (actually blogs) "Valentine"

My granddaughter spend the night at my home last night and she is a little singer.  She takes vocal lessons and was singing some songs for me.  Who would have thought she would bust out singing..."Raindrops on Roses, and whiskers on kittens..." you know the song from the Sound of Music... My favorite things?  Well that has been swooshing around in my mind all day and I thought I would go back into my favorites and look at the folder called "My favorite blogs".  I have many but a few stand out and especially because Valentines Day is coming up.  OK... here are a few of my favorite blogs that have some cute Valentine things to do and see:

• The Toymaker http://www.thetoymaker.com/TOYLISTNEWSLETTERS/1TMN02-12/1TMN02-12.html This is the link to the Valentine page
• Elegant Word art http://elegantwordart2.blogspot.com/
• Creative Breathing http://creativebreathing.blogspot.com/search/label/Valentine%20Crafts
• Free Pretty things for you http://www.freeprettythingsforyou.com/category/freebie-images/ If you love vintage things like I do, you will love this link because off to the right of the page are a ton of other cute vintage links.
• Tater tots and Jello http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/02/great-ideas-25-last-minute-valentine-ideas.html
• The Polka Dot Chair http://www.polkadotchair.com/2011/02/happy-valentines-day.html
• Food Art Party http://foodartparty.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentines-day-freebie-cupcake-wrappers.html

I guess this is enough for now.  I love to share fun blogs, and I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do.  Have fun and Enjoy!  Katie G.

February 2012 Visiting Teaching Message

Can you believe that I finally created a project of my own?  I am going Visiting Teaching tomorrow and wanted something cute to go with this darling little journal that I bought from Hobby Lobby today. for $2.50 each, to give to the sisters that I visit teach.  So... I thought a bookmark would do the trick, and save the page that they last journaled in.  I think you will be able to see the tie in that the journal has with the message, which I have posted the link to on my http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com blog. Click on the image to enlarge it, then right click and save as (a particular file on your computer) and then you can print from there.  .

 .Enjoy and Happy Valentine Day!  Love, Katie G

Valentine Bingo (2 different sets of cards, pictures and numbers

So why would I be posting Valentine Bingo on my Visiting teaching surprise blog?  If you are a mom and help out at school, then you will like this post. 

My daughter called me and told me that she was going into both of her children's school classes to help with their Valentine parties.  She wanted to play Valentine Bingo with each class.  So... I wanted to help her and came up with some cute Bingo cards. 

I found the darling basic Valentine Bingo Card template on a blog called "The idea Room" and here is the link to the template and the directions: http://www.theidearoom.net/2011/02/valentine-bingo-cards.html 
I took the blank template and added my own numbers on the "Numbers Valentine Bingo" game.  There is a blank card so that you can use it to make your own, that I found on at the idea room website, at the first link.  Here is my link that you can download these if you like: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/buatbm6up3mafwz/d9eg7yeqKD


For my Grandsons class, some of the children don't know their numbers up to 24, so I decided to take the basic template from the idea room and put my pictures on the cards.  I found it difficult to find enough images that looked good together, so I just found RED images, and made them pngs, and added them to the bingo cards.  I think they look darling.  I created These two cards, as well as I have all the objects and a blank card for you to create as many different combinations as you like.
They are located at this link in my dropbox, but will only be up through the end of February 2014, so get them now.  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y5lficrbmgi8sjv/VcG25YU0Zz

Please do not ask me to customize more cards for you, because I do not have the time, but I think that you can do it yourself.  Save the images to created a page for you to use as the caller page, or print off each different picture image, to show the kids as the calling card.

I have to give some kudos to the blog that I mentioned that I got the template downloads from, The idea room.  You should go to that blog because it has so many darling ideas of fun things to create.  Take a tip from me and go visit it.  Best regards, Katie G

Valentine Day

I have found some really great links for cute Valentine crafts, gift ideas, decorations, etc. and just had to share them with you.  None are my own idea this time, but great ideas none the less! 
·        http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-crafts-cards-gifts-decorations/
·        http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/2011/02/very-cute-valentine-ideas.html
·        http://boutiqueit.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentines-day-handmade-gift-round-up.html
·        http://www.letsentertain.net/lets_entertain/valentines-day/
·        http://www.marthastewart.com/296689/valentines-day-clip-art-and-labels/@center/276967/valentines-day
·        http://thechildrensnest.blogspot.com/2010/01/loving-these-adorable-and-yummy-ideas.html
·        http://www.favecrafts.com/master_images/Valentine's%20Day/Valentine-Craft-Blogger-eBook.pdf
·        http://www.pumpkinsandposies.com/free-printables.html

           ENJOY!!!!  Katie G.

LDS Resource links

I was helping out my husband for a 5th Sunday lesson that he is presenting to the ward, and I happened upon a great site that had lots and lots of LDS resource site links. Originally I began writing them down for him, but I realized that all of you would love to know about these sites as well. Some of them I knew about but others were new to me. I have activated the links so if you just click on the link, you should be magically whisked away to that site. Aren't you excited? I was, and so you now can enjoy it too..... so here they are:

LDS Media Library http://lds.org/media-library/images?lang=eng
LDS Newsroom http://newsroom.lds.org/
MLS Companion Database http://web.mac.com/marlo.steed/MemDbase/Welcome.html
Build Zion.com LDS Leadership items http://buildzion.com/index.php/LDS-Items
US Family Tree genealogy tools for descendancy surname research (9 generations for free or 15 with paid subscription) https://www.usfamilytree.com/
Create your Genealogy Fan Chart https://createfan.com/
Mormon.org – Our People,Our Values, Our Faith, Visit us and Facts http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng
Youtube Mormon Channel http://www.youtube.com/MormonMessages
BYU TV http://byutv.org/
Youth https://lds.org/youth?lang=eng&X-Forwarded-Scheme=https
Seminary Music Sound Tracks http://lds.org/cm/display/0,17631,6611-1,00.html
Church Music http://lds.org/cm/welcome
Church Magazines https://lds.org/magazine?lang=eng
Friend Dedicated to Children ( games, Stories, videos, coloring pages, etc.) http://lds.org/friend?lang=eng
LDS Store online ( Gospel Study, Garments and Temple Clothing, Home & Family, Music, Media and Art, Serving in the church) http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategories1?langId=-1&storeId=715839595&catalogId=10557
LDS Church News http://www.ldschurchnews.com/home
Church Publications in Compressed Audio Format http://lds.org/mp3/newarchive/0,18615,5249-1,00.html
Gospel Library http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2b6f3c7ff44f2010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD&locale=0

I know that there are many more, but these are the ones I have recently found. It would serve you well to go through these links and see what the church has created for our study, spreading the gospel, and general resource help for us. Katie G.

Hands, Hearts, Mouthpiece and Watchcare

I have many LDS women all over the world email me about some of the ideas I have on my two Visiting Teaching blogs. It is so fun to realize that my blogs are touching everywhere in the world and women all over the ward are reading them! Recently one sister wrote me, and I thought I would share that email, because I shared some ideas of how she could put together a Visiting Teaching Conference using the topics of Hands, Hearts and watchcare.

Katie,
I am a new R.S. President and have poured over the Internet for weeks looking for an idea for a visiting teaching seminar. There has been nothing that has jumped out at me or touched my heart in a way that would help me to inspire the sisters in my ward to be an extraordinary visiting teacher. I want to teach the importance of their calling in being the heart, hands, and voice of the Lord as they give "watch care" service in their visiting teaching responsibilities and stewardship. I want to show "what love can do" as they minister to their assigned sisters. Has your ward done a visiting teaching seminar? What have they done to inspire your sisters in this work? Our seminar is held during the third hour on Sunday. So I don't have a lot of time to inspire them in the importance of their calling. Any ideas or help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

thank you,
Diana

Dear Diana,
Why don't you use as a theme "Visiting teachers are the "heart, hands and mouthpiece for watchcare" or something similar, because you could do as a little take home... sugar cookies in the shape of hands with a heart on the top of the hand, also in a sugar cookie, or since all the Valentine candies are out, you could put a valentine heart on top of the hand shaped sugar cookie. So that is the treat. Ice or glaze the hand shaped sugar cookie in white or very pale pink, and the heart cookie on top, in pink frosting or glaze or a heart shaped candy like a sugared jelly heart. "The word mouth piece, ties in because you eat the cookies!

This link will take you to a book mark from Pres. Uchtdorfs talk about your hands are his hands: http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/2010/05/your-hands-are-his-hands.html

Obviously the cookie is just a fun little handout and the theme and message is the most important. Visiting teachers are the heart and hands and mouthpiece of the the Lord, because without them, how could all of the needs be met? The Relief Society President could only do so much, and if she doesn't hear about what is going on with all the individual sisters through the Visiting teachers, then she cannot minister to their needs. Since you are doing this on a Sunday, maybe you could split the lesson into three categories:
1. Heart
2. Hands
3. Mouthpiece

1. One member of the Presidency could focus on The "HEART" being touched or turned through the monthly Visiting Teaching spiritual message. It is a message that is supposed to touch the HEART, of your sisters and designed to provide a spiritual uplift. Many women who are inactive or nonmembers, are willing to receive the message and it might just be the only spiritual message they get for a whole month, or until Visiting Teachers come again the next month.
2. Someone else can focus on the "HANDS" and what they can do in serving those we Visit Teach. Stories can be shared of the service that was provided through the willing hands of sisters this past year in your ward. A song comes to mind....I have two little hands and part of the lyrics to that song go "... during all the long hours til daylight is through, there are plenty of deeds for my two hands to do".
3. The R.S. president could close with her message focused on the importance of Visiting Teaching getting done each month, that the sisters are the "MOUTHPIECE" and how vital the V.T.reports are to her in order to take care of the needs each sister has. She could give examples of times that she didn't know about the needs of some sister in the ward, but thanks to faithful V.T. she was informed and the sisters needs were met.
On my blog, I have some messages about Helping Hands... Your hands are His hands, and such. I don't have time to go through the blog and look them up for you, but they are there and there are some good handouts as well. http://visitingteachingtips.blogpspot.com and my other blog that has mostly handouts is http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com Hope these ideas help you. Please let me know how things turn out for you. Hope all goes very well.
Best regards,
Katie G.