New Website!!

I wanted to give an update that I have a new WEBSITE now!! This blog will stay up and running as long as possible.  I am noticing that some links won't let you download right away.  If you need to access a file please follow the prompts to ask for permission.  It will automatically send me an email, I'll approve it and then you'll get an email with the file you're able to download.  I am hoping to go through all my old links and update them so you won't have to do that, but it does take time so please follow the prompts until then.  I check my emails regularly so I should get back to you ASAP.  If you need a file quickly the best way to reach me is through Instagram.  While you're there I'd super appreciate some support with a follow!  You can find all my latest links including my LTK, Tik Tok and more HERE!

If you have time to pin, share, mention my blog or Instagram posts, etc. it really does help so much and makes a big difference.  Thank you!!

If you'd like to stay up to date on all things RuthAnne Strong please head on over to ruthannestrong.com, I'll still share all the fun we had over here and hopefully even more!! Recipes, Bake Shop recipes, handouts, church lessons, parties, family updates, traditions and more! Thank you so much for supporting me and my family!

Activity Days Surprise Birthday Party

I know I have quite a few followers that are Activity Day leaders, and lets be honest that's one of my dream callings!  My cute mom serves in the Activity Days in her ward and I am so jealous of those girls.  We all know my mom gives 110% to anything she decides to do.  So to help out those followers that are leaders for Activity Days, and to let me live vicariously through you all I want to share my moms latest (most adorable) activity!  

She started the activity by meeting in the Primary room as they usually do, we had already set up the party in the Relief Society room.  After they did their usual introductions and everyone had arrived the other leaders turned the time over to my mom.  She acted like she didn't know it was her turn and that she forgot to plan anything.  The girls were shocked because come on it's my mom! haha She went on to say that they could clean the church for their activity.  The girls were so bummed that they had to clean for their activity, my mom told them to start all together in the next room (the Relief Society room).  When the girls walked in they were so surprised and excited-and glad to be doing something other than cleaning the church! haha

In lieu of little birthday presents given on each girls birthday my mom thought it would be so fun to throw a surprise party for all of them at the same time!

She had all the traditional birthday things.  The Warners love to have a candy guessing game at almost every party!  It's super simple to do, just fill a jar with candy and make sure you count the candy as your filling and then tie with a ribbon.  When everyone walks in to the party have them guess how many candy is in the jar and write down their guess with their name.  As the party is going on step away and see who got the closest, the winner gets the jar full of candy.

The cute cupcake box (from Hobby Lobby) she used for the numbers with the cake walk, but she even wanted to use it for prizes for the games.  It made a perfect decoration too!

She decorated with bubblegum confetti (genius and found at Dollar Tree) and balloons.  Simple and adorable!  The theme was perfect for Activity Day age girls 8-11!  

If you'd like to learn more about Activity Days you can click HERE!

No party is complete without favors!  My mom filled these adorable clear pails (Walmart in party section) with some super cute goodies:  donut ring (from Hobby Lobby), cupcake container (Walmart during Easter) filled with M&M's, chapstick (Dollar Tree), lollipop (Amazon), Zebra gum (Dollar Tree), party blower (Dollar Tree), pencil, Birthday notepad (Walmart with printable made by my sister Brittany), candy bracelet (Dollar Tree), hair band/tie (Dollar Tree), and Frooties (Zurchers).

She had the table set for them to play a few games and enjoy a little treat later on.  

My contribution to the party was making the cutest little birthday cake and cupcakes.  To find my post full of the recipes I used you can go HERE!

She even had a fun photo booth for the girls to take pictures and just have fun with.  

She put up sprinkle wrapping paper (Hobby Lobby) as the backdrop and the Happy Birthday banner (Dollar Tree).

She found these adorable props, including the Happy Birthday crown at Dollar Tree.

Silver streamers found at Zurchers were the perfect thing in the middle of the table with those adorable confetti bubblegum!

They had cupcakes and ice cream, she used the little ice creams in the plastic cups with the wooden spoons for easy serving and clean up.

Happy Birthday cake topper found at Zurchers.

She played Happy Birthday Bingo that my sister made with 

the cutest little cupcake erasers as markers.

They also played music while they did the cake walk (like musical chairs but with cupcakes), and they were each able to color a cute little coloring sheet!  Find all the printable on my sisters Teachers Pay Teachers account HERE!  Make sure to follow her, she does the cutest things!

I loved that she kept it easily within budget and was able to find the cutest things for such a good price.  Her tip is to find things at Dollar Tree that have multiples that cut the cost, and always make sure you are using a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby! 

I would say it was one of the cutest activities she's done to date!  Wouldn't you!?  

Remember to find the printables my sister made, go HERE!

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Maggie The Well-Mannered Turkey

To finish up on my Mom's Manners Matter Feast with her Activity Day girls I wanted to share all the cute printables and the manner story we created.  This would be a perfect short story and activity for your kids or nieces and nephews before the big feast tomorrow!  

We blew up a big colored copy of the turkey clipart we were using on all the printables and printed out some feathers to correlate with the story.  

Maggie the Well-Mannered Turkey is all about a turkey named Maggie that didn't always have the best of manners.  She started learning about manners and realizing just how important they actually are, and once she learned a new manner she got a colorful new feather.  She ended up realizing how important and needed manners are and how they made life so much more colorful!

If you plan on reading and demonstrating this to a group my mom had a genius hack!  Place your tape on the feathers and then cover with wax paper.  It makes it super easy and quick to just remove the wax paper instead of worrying about all that tape once you're ready to hang them.  I also numbered hers and colored in the different feathers on the copy of the story so it would be easy for her to know which one was next. 

We wanted the story to relate to the girls some way so we created a little worksheet that they could use to help them learn and practice the specific manners they needed to work on individually. 

The line at the top of the page is perfect for the kids to write in their name.  Then they can write on the feathers which manner they need to work on, and color the rest of the page to their hearts content.  

If you wanted to give a treat along with it my mom found these adorable colorful feather suckers here in Utah at The Chocolate Covered Wagon, but you could even give a bag of M&M's, Skittles, or any candy that is colorful.  It would be so cute to give a little chocolate turkey wrapped in colorful foil!  If you're interested in the actual feather suckers she found at a local candy shop you can find them included with the Turkey holder HERE or HERE!  If you're on a budget like me, you could always make your own with a feather mold for suckers or chocolate.  These turkey sucker molds are adorable too!

Attach the tag that you can find down below and you are set!

My mom made a little mix of some yummy snacks which would also be perfect as a favor attached with the tag, she filled them in the cutest little turkey holders she bought on Etsy.

Here's a little peak in to how it all went for her.  She said it went so well and the girls loved it! 

I'd like to note that I did not create the clipart so I'm unable to share it below.  It is a turkey clipart that I bought online, printed on lots of different colored papers.  But I can share where I got it!  Click HERE for the Turkey and feather clipart I used!

Find more from here Activity Day Manners Matter Feast HERE!

Finally find all the FREE printable goodness below:

Maggie the Well-Mannered Turkey Story-HERE

Make Life Colorful with Manners-HERE

Well-Mannered Turkey Worksheet-HERE

Credits Page

Manners Matter Feast

Congrats to the cutest Sherry and Kathy on being the winners of my Favorite Things Giveaway!  Winners have been contacted and will be receiving all their fun things within the next few weeks.  Thank you so, so much for everyone who entered.  Stay tuned for more fun giveaways in the future!

My Mom is seriously the cutest, most creative lady I know.  If you've followed this blog for any amount of time you probably already know that.

She is currently serving as an Activity Day Leader in her ward and of course rocking it.  She just had the most adorable Manners Matter Feast and I'm so thrilled she's letting me share all the details.  This doesn't just have to be for Activity Days either, my older sister is the Primary President in her ward and was going to do a few of these things with her Primary, it would also make a perfect and easy family night leading up to Thanksgiving!

She started her Manners Matter Feast with a story to introduce the topic.  We couldn't find one we liked and that fit the theme and purpose of the activity so I made one up!  You can download the story at the bottom of THIS post.  She blew up the turkey we were using and used colored paper for the different feathers, and added the feathers along with telling the story.

The story is all about a turkey named Maggie that finds out how manners make life more colorful. 

She gets a new colored feather every time she masters a manner.  To go along with the story I made a worksheet that they could hang in their room to remember what manners they should be working on.

Here's one I made for an example.  They could color the feathers the different colors they liked and add the specific manners they need to work on, on each feather. 

Hopefully reminding them that manners really do matter!

My mom said this was a huge hit and the girls loved working on this page.

My mom found the cutest, colorful feather suckers that fit perfectly in her little turkey stand.

 

I made a tag to remind them of the story when they took home their little treat.  You can find the free download for these cute little tags at the end of this post!

Next came learning some table manners. 

She found the cute place mats and Manners Matter packet at Dating Divas!

She also found the cute little turkey treat holders on Etsy from Jessicas Prints HERE!

She filled these cute turkeys with a fun fall mix of marshmallows, candy corn, M&M's, Honey Nut Cheerios, pretzels, and Swedish Fish.

She went over some Table Manners Do's and Don'ts to prep the girls for their feast ahead.  She found this sheet from a church idea book that she has had for years.  If you know where it came from please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

My mom even made the cutest paper turkey full of popcorn!  She told them she had been working in the kitchen and cooking it all morning! ;)



Then to setting the table!  My mom already had it set as pictured above.  She then taught the girls how to set the table-perfect for Thanksgiving Day prep!

Then came eating!  She had mini pudding cups, turkey slices, rolls, veggies, fruit, chocolate covered popcorn, and chocolate rice krispy treats with a white chocolate drizzle.  We tried to stick with either brown or colorful foods to go along with the theme!  

We can't quit this super easy and addicting white chocolate popcorn!  I tossed in some regular M&M's to add that pop of color!  Find the recipe HERE!

The girls were told to use their manners while having their feast. 

The girls absolutely loved it and learned so much about manners.  At the end of the activity they passed out the feather suckers (find more about those HERE) and gave back the worksheets they had done earlier.

You can find all of the other info on her Manners Matter Feast and the FREE printable for the Make Life Colorful with Manners Tag-HERE

Credits Page

Here are some links you may be interested in:

-Chocolate Turkey Sucker/Candy Molds-HERE

-Burlap Table Runner-HERE

I have all the Maggie the Well-Mannered Turkey Story printables including a copy of the story, worksheet and tags in this post HERE!  And don't forget manners really do matter!

This post may contain affiliate links, all opinions are my own.