Family Reunion Helper

Shoe Box Floats for Your Family Reunion

January 30th, 2012

It seems everyone is making “shoebox floats” for their Mardi Graw celebrations and it got me thinking- how about a shoebox parade as a family reunion activity.

A shoe box float is just a shoe box flipped over with the lid attached to the back to form a backdrop. These boxes are then decorated like a parade float.

To decorative your shoe box float gather objects such as glitter, buttons, costume jewelry, feathers, sequins, tissue paper, scrap paper, small shells or rocks, tinsel, foil, markers, paint, crayons, photos, pipe cleaners, buttons, dolls or action figures, or small toys.

Place the large part of the shoebox upside down and attach the lid of the shoebox at one end. Paint the boxes, or cover with paper and decorate.

Choose a theme for your shoebox float parade. At a family reunion, you could ask participants to decorate their float to represent themselves- a great “getting to know you” activity or assign each family an ancestor to research and then decorate their float to represent that ancestor.

Rules you might want to consider for your shoebox float parade:

1. Do not place the shoebox on a piece of cardboard larger than the shoebox.

2. Do not create a diorama float using the inside of the box.

3. Float dimensions: The shoebox float must be made of a cardboard shoebox no larger than 13” x 9”. A completed decorated float should not exceed 15 inches in height..

Of course, you’ll want to give out a few awards for the “Most Beautiful”, “Most Creative Use of Materials”, “Judges Choice” and Most Unique floats.

I found a great website for step by step instructions for shoebox floats that might be helpful.

http://blog.mardigrasoutlet.com/2011/02/create-mini-mardi-gras-parade-float-out.html

When planning your 2012 family reunion consider a shoebox float parade and see just how creative your family can be.

Aunt MO

Tags: family reunion ideas, family reunion parade, shoe box, Shoe box floats, shoebox float
Posted in Family Reunion Fun, Family Reunion Ideas, Parade Floats | No Comments »

Glow in the Dark Volleyball

January 20th, 2012

Anything you can play on the dark with glow sticks and black lights is sure to be a huge success at your family reunion or party.

Played in the dark, the net, ball, out-of-bounds line and related equipment come alive with the glowing magic of glow sticks, bracelets, tape and black lights!

You will have to do some advance planning and gather the following equipment for your glow in the dark game.

Purchase glow in the dark tape to wrap around volleyball, beach ball, plastic play ball or purchase a real glow in the dark volleyball available at Family Reunion Helper.

Buy lots of glow bracelets. You will need them for the net and for everyone to wear. Glow bracelets are pretty inexpensive- a hundred for under $10.00 in the Family Reunion Helper store. Glow sticks are also fun to hang on the net.

You can rent black lights for about $10.00 a day but we found black light strips at Walmart for under $20.00 which included the light bulb and stand. We only needed two lights to light up our small gym.

Other black lights as are available. Tape to the wall for added fun. Don’t forget extension cords for all these lights.

Ask family members to wear white t-shirts for extra fun. Some will forget but it won’t interfere with the game. Most shirts that are 100% cotton will glow in the dark under black lights.

You can play glow in the dark volleyball using just glow sticks but adding black lights really gives the game an illuminating boost!

For refreshments serve glow in the dark lemonade- the secret to glowing food is tonic water (diet tonic water works too). It contains quinine, and guess what happens when you expose quinine to black light yep, it glows! Tonic water can have a bit of a bitter taste to it so use as little as possible. Hint: Serve glow in the dark Jell-O by replacing some of the water with tonic water.

“It’s better to illuminate than merely to shine.”

Aunt MO

Tags: black light volleyball, famiily reunion fun, family party, Glow in the dark, glow in the dark. family reunion games, volleyball
Posted in Family Reunion Fun, Family Reunion Games, Games | No Comments »

Six Fun Ideas for Your Reindeer Themed Christmas Party

December 14th, 2011

Magic Reindeer Food

When you sprinkle magic reindeer food on your lawn on Christmas Eve, it leaves a glittering path–and a sweet treat–for Rudolph and Blitzon and their friends.

Make a bag of Magic Reindeer food for each family that attends your party or as an inexpensive stocking stuffer for each child.

Package this simple recipe in zipper food storage bags, and add a free printable gift tag containing the Magic Reindeer Food poem to make Magic Reindeer Food easy to make–and to give.

Magic Reindeer Food Recipe

In a large bowl or container, mix:

1/4- 1/2 cup uncooked oats
1/4 cup red or green sugar crystals
Small sealable bag
Magic Reindeer Food poem (You can find a free printable of the poem at Magic Reindeer Food Poem)

Package Magic Reindeer food in small food storage bags or holiday gift bags.

HINT: You can use craft glitter in your magic reindeer food but colored sugar crystals (as used for cake decorating)are safer for other animals or birds that may ingest it.

Reindeer Noses

Another fun reindeer games party favor is a bag of reindeer noses.

I wanted the perfect gift for you-
But couldn’t decide just what to do.
I almost sent you a dozen roses-
Instead here’s a bag of…
reindeer noses

Reindeer noses are simply seven brown candies such as “Whoppers” and one red candy (to represent Rudolf). I used sour cherry candies for my red nose. You may find a free printable of the reindeer nose poem at Reindeer Noses Printable

Log Reindeer Centerpieces

Log reindeer are the perfect project for your centerpieces. Simply reuse scraps of wood and timber from your woodpile, drill a few holes, and glue it all together. You’ll need a few thicker logs for the body and head; long, thin sticks for the legs, and pronged branches for your reindeer’s antlers. Add bow, bells or tinsel to complete your project. After the party you can give away part of your herd as prizes or save them to give as neighbor gifts.

Reindeer Cupcakes

Bake cupcakes according to package directions and frost generously with chocolate frosting. Top with pretzels for the antlers, a Nilla Wafer for the face, white frosting dots for the eyes, back pearl sprinkles or black icing for the eyeballs, and brown and red candies for the nose.

Santa Pancakes

HINT: We made the pancake base of our Santa pancakes before arriving at the party. Because they are a little time consuming we began decorating them in advance. We noticed that the whipped cream started getting soft and didn’t look as cute. Solution- get more help with the decorating so that you can make them on the spot.

Reindeer Games

We used the “Minute to Win It” format for our “reindeer games”. We divided into four teams- team Rudolf, team Blitzen, team Dasher and team Donner and competed in 8 different challenges. We projected a countdown clock on the wall so that everyone could join in the drama as the seconds counted down. For more information on Minute the Win It games check out the following link.

http://familyreunionhelper.com/blog/2011/10/minute-to-win-it-party-2/

Tags: log reindeer, Magic reindeer food, reindeer cupcakes, reindeer noses printable poem, Reindeer party invitations
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Tips for Successful Christmas Caroling

December 12th, 2011

Gathering your family together for Christmas caroling or a family sing-a-long can make your family party fun and fairly fuss free. Of course the most important element of your musical party is the music and you can download a free copy of caroling lyrics at www.familyreunionhelper.com. Consider these helpful tips when planning your family caroling party.

Choose your caroling route. My family went caroling on Christmas Eve. Mom would choose 3 or 4 families that she knew would enjoy a caroling visit and she always made a few goodies to give them. (Perhaps as payment for listening to us sing off key) We would complete our caroling at a local nursing home. Many of the children were reluctant to sing at the nursing home but as the years have gone by caroling at the nursing home has become one of their most talked about memories of the season. HINT: If you visit a hospital or a nursing home, ask for permission ahead of time to make sure your visit comes at a good time and that they can accommodate a large group.

Caroling will be successful if everyone has the same list of carols. One song sheet for every 2-3 carolers is plenty. Specify how many verses you will sing of each song. To build your song list you can type and print your own caroling sheets or make copies of the family reunion helper caroling book by clicking here- caroling song book. The book is designed so that you only have to print off the music that you will use for your caroling such as- Santa songs, snow songs or spiritual songs etc.

Choose songs that are short, easy to sing, and fun. You should plan on singing 1 or 2 songs per house and end with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.

Jingle bells, cymbals and drum sticks are an easy way to make your caroling fun. Carolers that are too shy or just don’t want to sing can participate by keeping the beat with drum sticks or shaking the bells to the beat.

If caroling outside dress for the weather. When sending out invitations for your caroling party be sure and let your guests know that you’ll be caroling outdoors so they can bring their hats, gloves and scarves. A fun party favor for your party could be hand and toe warmers.

You can dress things up by asking everyone to wear a fun Santa hat or reindeer antlers.

At the end of your caroling party meet back at your house or rec hall and provide your carolers with bowls of chili and mugs of hot chocolate and marshmallows or cider. You can keep your refreshments warm in slow cookers while you’re caroling.

If you are looking for a little Christmas caroling inspiration check out this amazing seven year old, Rhema Marvanne.

Rhema Marvanne

Tags: Caroling ideas, Caroling song book, Caroling tips, Christmas caroling, Christmas music, family Christmas party
Posted in Holiday Family Fun, Music, Party Fun | 1 Comment »

Top Ten Tips for Great Family Reunion T-Shirts

November 24th, 2011

Ideal bulk clothing for your family reunions

Family reunions are a terrific way to vacation and spend much needed quality time to reconnect with far away relatives. They can be difficult to organize considering schedules and distances, so it is nice to have a keepsake to remember these rare events and good times. Here are some tips to ease the process of making souvenir t-shirts.

Tip #1- Design a family logo

Reunion t-shirts often include basic information like the date and place of the event, the family name, a fun phrase, and a logo. Why not relieve some of the stress of planning the event by asking an artist in the family to design a logo for the reunion. It can be a lot of fun for a child or teenager to be the one who designs the t-shirts for everyone. You can find some great family reunion quotes at

http://familyreunionhelper.com/blog/2011/04/family-reunion-quotes/

Tip #2- Wear shirts of different colors to identify sub-families or generations

It is a cute idea to have each separate sub-family or generation wear a different color t-shirt, and possibly a different design as well. This can be helpful for more distant relatives in figuring out exactly who everyone is, and it is a smart tool for younger children to figure out the family tree.

Tip #3- Design T-shirts round your reunion theme
It is more fun to dress up the t-shirt logo to a theme. If
the reunion is a destination weekend, make a design of a road sign with the mileages to the towns of each family from the event location. Say it is a circus theme; make a circus sign, with the details of the date and family slogan, etc. If it is a beach location reunion, make a family tree logo out of a palm tree or write different family names on seashell logos.

Design for Mafia themed reunion

Dinosaur theme T-shirts

Tip #4- Use a “family togetherness” themed T-shirt

It could simply be a family togetherness theme. One side of the t-shirt can be the event logo, and on the back can be the names of the family members, or it can be a fun list. For example, "You know you’re a [family name] if…," followed by a list of "family-isms." The possibilities are truly endless!

One blank t-shirt that is easy to print on and is also guaranteed to please every member of the family is the Gildan G200 6.1 oz. Ultra Cotton T-Shirt. It is a very breathable 100% preshrunk cotton that also has moisture-wicking properties. It is available in sixty-six colors and eight sizes ranging from S-5XL. This unisex t-shirt has comparable varieties available in women’s, youth, and extra large tall sizes.

Tip #5- Consider climate and weather conditions when designing your reunion T-shirts

For chillier event locations or reunions in colder months, this Gildan ultra cotton t-shirt is also available with long sleeves in men’s and women’s styles with several color and size options.

For the more eco-conscious family, the Anvil OR420 Men’s Organic T-Shirt is 100% certified organic cotton. The cotton fabric is also preshrunk. It is available in fifteen colors and eight sizes ranging from XS-4XL. Available for the whole family, this Anvil t-shirt has comparable styles for women and youth. These t-shirts are also easy for printing, adding to the family reunion fun.

Tip #6- Decorate T- shirts as a reunion activity

It can be tough to find activities to fill in the weekend, especially if it rains, so why not decorate the t-shirts while at the reunion. This is an especially entertaining activity for children where they can bond with cousins they might not see often. You can download a copy of the family reunion t shirt template to color at your reunion at

Fun T- Shirt Idea

All you need are some fabric crayons, puffy paints, and other fun decorating supplies.

Tip #7- Create DIY Sandpaper T-Shirts

A new trend in DIY t-shirts is coloring on sandpaper with crayons, then ironing to the t-shirt. All that is required to seal the design is a run through the dryer. Follow this link to find complete instructions for “sand paper” T-shirts.
http://alphamom.com/family-fun/crafts/sandpaper-printed-t-shirt/

Tip #8- Design sports themed T-shirts using “Raglan” t-shirts
For families who have sports activities planned, such as softball, kickball, football, or other games, raglan t-shirts are a great option.

Raglan t-shirts are known more commonly as "baseball tees," with their diagonally sewn shoulders that allow for more upper-body movement. To plan for games, make t-shirts in two different colors for opposing teams, and put last names and a number on the back.

These could be the individual’s first or last name, a nickname, or any family name, and any number such as the year the person was born, or simply the year of the reunion. The Anvil 2184 ¾-Sleeve Raglan Baseball Jersey is 100% preshrunk cotton with moisture-wicking properties and contrasting colors on the body and sleeves. It is available in an adult unisex variety in eight colors and five sizes ranging from S-2XL. It is also available in youth sizes, so the children can participate in the athletic activities. And try some baseball caps or visors for added fun and a better distinction of teams. The baseball caps and visors can be a lot of fun to decorate right before the game with team names.

Tip #9- Think “outside” the box

Don’t wait for your “summer” reunion to make family
t-shirts. Consider designing shirts for other family get-together such as Christmas or Easter or a 50th anniversary celebration. Any time your family gathers is a great time to make t-shirts as a remembrance of the occasion.

Tip #10- Tote bags and t-shirt quilts

Tote bags are also a lot of fun to make for family members for reunions. It can be a nice gesture to have guest bags ready for each reserved room at the hotel. These bags can be filled with the pre-made t-shirts for the weekend, brochures of activities in town, candies and other local foods, and a family related project like a book or letter of life updates. The BAGedge BE002 Non-Woven Promo Tote is a nice choice for this bag. Its dimensions are 14.75"w x 14.5"h x 2.75"d, so it is a perfect fit for these items as well as other souvenirs that may not fit well in luggage on the journey back home. It can be a lot of fun to decorate before distributing. It is also available in nine colors, for a perfect match to the family style.

Another fun idea is to make a patched quilt of t-shirts. Each family can bring a few of the same pattern that represents their own household. At the party, everyone can exchange the designed t-shirts, and make their own quilts with the other designs while at the party, or after they go home. Either way, it is a fun keepsake of a meaningful reunion. Follow this link for step by step instructions for making a t-shirt quilt.
http://quiltbug.com/articles/Tshirt-quilts.htm

Family reunions are special and memorable events that are cherished by all who attend. Over the years, the T-shirt has become the popular and enduring keepsake item of any successful family reunion. A great resource for reunion t-shirts is www.shirtsinbulk.com By creating a family reunion T-shirt you not only create a keepsake item that can be worn to remember a fun and fantastic reunion, but also creates family unity at the event itself. Try any of these ten tips for a guaranteed "t-riffic" reunion!!

Tags: familly reunion themes, family memories, family reunion fun, family reunion shirts, famiy reunion t-shirt ideas, t-shirts, top ten family reunion t-shirt
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Black Friday Shopping- a Family Event

November 17th, 2011

For our family, Black Friday shopping is a Thanksgiving tradition as rich as turkey stuffing or pumpkin pie. We wake before the crack of dawn the morning after turkey day and start hunting down Black Friday bargains.

I know that many of you are shaking your head in disgust right now- for many people staying up late or getting up in the wee hours of morning seems ridiculous to you. I’ll be the first to admit that you have to be a little (maybe a lot) crazy to get up early and be standing in a long line by 5 a.m.- in the cold, and the psycho crowds, but for me, it’s not about the bargains out there or the money I might save- it’s about the family memories we make.

In our family we enjoy remembering the time Uncle Lee almost got trampled (Well, not really but it makes a better story) by a mob of frenzied shoppers fighting over Furby pets.

We loved the year Sears gave out free $10.00 gift cards to the first person in line and we all came out with our purchases and hadn’t spent a dime of our own money. My daughter still has the slippers she bought that day and wears them proudly.

Then there was the year we stood in a freezing cold Staples line and they brought everyone hot chocolate. The hot Styrofoam cup kept our hands warm while we stood in line and talked and laughed about how stupid it was to be standing outside in the freezing cold at five in the morning.

One year our main priority was to hit the huge sock sale at Fred Meyers but when we entered the store we found it overflowing with bargain sock shoppers that we left without purchasing even one pair of socks.

For the Wells family, Black Friday is an event and a rite of passage for pre-teens as they hope to be included in the early morning shopping spree.

My brother Lee, Uncle Steven and I are the instigators of the craziness and last year we took Black Friday Shopping to a whole new level with an “Application to Go Black Friday Shopping With Aunt Mo & Uncle Lee” form. This was a tongue-in-cheek questioner that those who wanted to go shopping had to fill out. (A copy of this form can be found at the end of this blog.)

My brother, Scott, added some “over the top” fun to the event by organizing all of the ads for Black Friday sales in a crate with hanging file folders. He was adamant that we return all ads to their specific file location so that everything stayed organized. (Of course, all his organizing was only a ploy to be accepted as a member of our Black Friday shopping team.)

Here’s some things we’ve learned to help us have a successful shopping trip:

Make a plan. Decide in advance which stores have the best bargains for the most shoppers in your group.

Leave your coat in the car and anything else that makes it difficult to maneuver through the store.

Beat the system by shopping in teams. We always separate into teams and go after items that we want. One person (usually Uncle Steve) always heads for the check-out line so we don’t have to waste so much time waiting in line to check out.

One final note to store and shop owners- please don’t ruin Black Friday shopping by opening your doors a week early and calling it a “pre Black Friday” sale. It seems that stores are opening earlier than ever and some have door busters slated for the day before Black Friday, letting you shop after Thanksgiving dinner. I guess you’d say I am a purest- I like Black Friday where it’s supposed to be- the day after Thanksgiving, very early in the morning and surrounded by my family- at least those that filled out a Black Friday shopping application.

Aunt MO

Application to Go Black Friday Shopping With Aunt Mo & Uncle Lee

Black Friday shopping is a very serious business. It is a great honor to be part of Aunt Mo and Uncle Lee’s Black Friday shopping team. If you would like to be considered for a spot on the our Black Friday shopping team please fill out the following questioneer and give it to Aunt Mo or Uncle Lee by 6:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day. We have very strict guidelines and take our Black Friday shopping very seriously. We will notify all successful candidates by 9:00 PM that same day. Good luck!

NAME ____________________ AGE ______

1. How many times have you been Black Friday shopping? ___________________________________

2. Are you an experienced Black Friday shopper YES or NO

3. What time will you go to bed Thanksgiving night? ________________________________________

4. Do you push the “snooze” button when your alarm goes off? YES or NO (We don’t want to wait for you)

5. What will you be shopping for? ________________________________________________________

6. Name three stores you would like to shop at? List in order of importance.

1.__________

2. __________

3. __________

7. How much cash will you bring with you? _______________________________________________

8. Do you have a credit or debit card? YES or NO (We do not allow those who use checks as they slow us down)

9. What do you feel is a good price to pay for a Hot Wheel car on Black Friday? __________________

10. Are you willing to stand in line while others shop? YES or NO

11. How fast do you run the mile? _________________________________________________________

12. How many pounds can you bench press? _______________________________________________

Please attach one letter of reference to this form.

Thank you for applying to be part of our Black Friday team. We will contact you by 9:00 PM Thanksgiving night.

Tags: Black Friday family fun, Black Friday humor, Black Friday Shopping, Black Friday shopping tips
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Music For Your Family Reunion Slide Show or Video

October 30th, 2011

Creating a family slide show or video is fun and with all the tools available surprisingly easy. Whether you’re reunion is being held at a resort or at a casual retreat, there’s no better way to take a stroll down memory lane than with a reunion slideshow or video presentation.

We’ve been making and showing slide shows at our family reunions for years now and have witnessed for ourselves the evolution of the slide show from the old photo slides and projectors to power point and movie maker presentations projected on wall sized screens.

When making your slide show don’t make it too long-15 minutes is about right and you stretch it to 20 minutes if you keep your background music upbeat and catchy.

Be sure y0u include at least one photo of every member of your family. Review the photos you plan on using to be sure you aren’t featuring one dominant person in your presentation.

Through the years we have come to realize the importance of the music used as background music behind the photo presentation. Music has the powerful ability to set the tone of your slide show and evoke strong feelings of good family memories.

When making a family reunion slideshow or video you have to be able to put aside your own music preferences and select music that Grandma will enjoy (and can understand the lyrics) and music your teenagers will be able to bear. I prefer upbeat music for most of my slideshows with one slow, sentimental song to really cement the memories.

When I thought about writing this blog I wondered what I could do to help a slide show makers job a little easier. I decided that perhaps a list of good slide show background music might be helpful. So listed below are some of the good old music “standards” we have used in our family slide shows throughout the years. Just click on the song picture to download it for your presentation.

A good opening song might be “These Are My People” from Rodney Atkins.

“This is where I come from
Were givin’ this life everything we got and then some
It ain’t always pretty
But its real
It’s the way we were made
Wouldn’t have it any other way
These are my people”

“Firework” has a great message about how we are all important and can light a the world light a firework. But it also has a catchy, upbeat tempo and your family will probably sing along with it.

If you want to feature Grandma and Grandpa in your slide show consider using Josh Grobin’s “You Raise Me Up” as tribute to these great people in your lives.

There was a time when I was making a lot of slide shows and “We Go Together” from the movie Grease seemed to be a great song for the end of the slide show. It is upbeat and gets across the message that we’re family and “We Go Together”.

My family loves swimming and watersports so our family slide shows always include a lot of “water” pictures. More often than not I look to the “Beach Boys” for good background music for these kinds of pictures.

“Let Them Be Little” by Billy Dean or Lonestar is a great song for showing baby pictures or pictures of the “early” years. With the right pictures this song will bring tears to the Moms and Dads in your family. Of course there is also “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers and “Sunrise Sunset” though I think these last two songs have been over used.

It’s pretty hard to beat Rascal Flatts “My Wish” for sending out a powerful message to your family. Be careful to not use pictures that will make people laugh when they see it- you don’t want their laughter to cover up the beautiful lyrics of this song.

“But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.”

“Voices” by country artist Chris Young, is about all the things we hear from our family and how we hear their “voices” as we go throughout our lives. Be sure to check out his music video of the song for some great family reunion video ideas. http://www.cmt.com/videos/chris-young/538509/voices.jhtml

You could say I’m a little bit crazy
You could call me insane
Walkin’ ’round with all these whispers
Runnin’ ’round here in my brain
I just can’t help but hear ‘em
Man, I can’t avoid it

I hear voices
I hear voices like
My dad sayin’ quit the team
And you’ll be a quitter for the rest of your life
Mama tellin’ me to say a prayer
Every time I lay down at night
And grandma sayin’ if you find the one
You’d better treat her right
Yeah, I hear voices all the time

If you have lost someone dear in your family during the year since your last family reunion you my want to include a segment of pictures of them in your slideshow using Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as background.

For more current music substitute “My Way” for Brad Paisley’s “When I Get Where I’m Going”.

“Yeah when I get where I’m going
There’ll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I’ll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah when I get where I’m going
Don’t cry for me down here”

And if all else fails and you just can’t come up with a song you can always use “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. It may have been overused but you just can’t beat it’s catchy beat and meaningful lyrics.

“All of the people around us they say
Can they be that close
Just let me state for the record
We’re giving love in a family dose”

When I started doing family reunion presentations to civic and church groups it became necessary for me to get a projector that would project large images on the wall. My projector isn’t fancy with a lot of bells and whistles but so far it’s been just perfect for what I need it for. A projector like mine may be just the thing to show your side show on for your family reunion.

If you’re going to make a slideshow for your reunion, make sure you budget enough time to put together a good production. Don’t underestimate your show’s ability to influence people’s overall impression of your family. Sharing and reliving memories is a powerful thing!

Aunt MO

Tags: family history, family memories, family reunion fun, family reunion music, family reunion pictures, family reunion slide show, family reunion songs, family reunion video
Posted in Family Reunion Ideas | 1 Comment »

Have You Heard the Family Reunion Song

October 29th, 2011

A few years ago I wrote blog about the ten best family reunion songs. http://familyreunionhelper.com/blog/2010/04/my-top-ten-family-reunion-songs/ Heading the list was a little known song called “Family Reunion” from Teresa Jennings and Plank Road Publishing. Teresa and her crew gave me permission to feature the song on our family reunion website and since then many visitors to the site have listened to the song and become addicted to it’s catchy hillbilly sound.

You can listen to this song at http://www.familyreunionhelper.com and you can download it http://www.mootoobmoosic.com

Our family has had a lot of fun with the reunion song. One year we assigned a few people from each family group to learn the song and then sing it at our family reunion. Many of the performers dressed up in Hillbilly attire and sang it with a twang. It was the highlight of the reunion and soon everyone at the reunion was singing along. It’s easy to learn and easy to sing but if you’re looking for a serious family reunion song this is not it.

Since writing that family reunion music blog a new song has come to my attention. It’s from country artist Chris Young and is called “Voices”. To get the full effect of the song you need to watch the music video "Voices" Video.

“Voices” would be a great song choice for your family reunion power point, video or slide show.

Tags: chris young, family memories, family reunion music, family reunion song, Voices
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Taking Family Reunion Photos

October 21st, 2011

Family reunions are a great time to take a family photo. We have very few family group photos that look perfect- maybe we don’t even have one perfect picture. It’s so hard to get everyone looking in the same direction, smiling and not squinting. It seems that if you get the children looking at the camera their parents are looking at the children but no matter how difficult a family reunion photo may be to take, you’ve just got to do it- old family photographs are a treasured part of any family history and it won’t be long until the pictures you take today become a cherished part of your family memories.

You can always hire a professional photographer but unfortunately for us, most photographers don’t like to travel to the locations we have our reunions and so we are left with “Do-it-yourself” family reunion pictures. Here’s some things we’ve learned over the years.

Take pictures earlier in the day and at the first of your reunion. Children haven’t gotten dirty, or sunburned and no one has spilled their food or drink. If you’re camping, take pictures the first day before everyone’s hair has gone flat and make up has worn off.

Get the light right- The middle of the day is a difficult time for pictures- The light is harsh and unflattering. Because it’s coming from overhead you will get a lot of light on top of people’s heads, but their faces are not going to be lit. For shady locations it won’t matter as much, but for photos out in the open, before 10 AM or after 2 PM is better, if that fits in your reunion schedule.

Choose a spot free of such distractions. A tall row of shrubbery or a colored wall makes ideal backdrops. People say, “I’ll just photo shop that.” But think of the time and headache you’ll save if you just “clean it up” before you take the photo.

Try taking your shot from atop a ladder, bench or table. If you shoot from an elevated position, it’s easier to get everyone’s face, even if people are standing behind one another.

Various small groupings of family members can be very nice to have for the future. You can consider having an all girls picture, all boys picture, and an all children picture etc. Try making your pictures “action” shots- besides making interesting pictures they’re a lot more fun to shoot.

Grandma will want to have a picture of her and Grandpa with all the grandkids for their Christmas photo card.

A fun, new photo trend is photo boards. Cut holes in a piece of plywood to accommodate old frames and let family members pose in family groupings. The effect is that of family photos hanging on a wall. You may want to put wallpaper on your plywood “wall” or paint stripes or dots and hang decorations to give it a more “homey” look.

Putting hands or props outside the frames give a fun 3D effect.

Hand held frames can also be fun remembrances of your reunion. Have a variety of frames available and let family members organize their own family groupings.

Set aside some time for photos of family members in their reunion theme costumes. It’s usually easier to take smaller family groupings and helps with identifying family members.

My favorite family reunion photo tip is to use paper plates to help in identifying family members. Give everyone a paper plate with a number on it. Take a “paper plate” picture then remove the plates and take another picture. After printing the two pictures you can list family names using the numbers on the paper plates- #1- Jane Moyer, #2 Clint Holmes etc. Hint: Don’t let anyone move after you’ve taken the first photo with the paper plates.

And finally, use a digital camera! You may delete more images than you keep but going digital allows you to snap as many pictures as you want and then do simple editing later and print only the best photos for keepsakes.

When it’s all said and done, the only thing you have left of your family reunion are the memories you’ve made and the pictures you’ve taken so- “Say Cheese”!

Aunt MO

Tags: family frame pictures, family history, family memories, family photo tips, family pictures, family reunion ideas, family reunion photos, photo boards
Posted in Family Reunion Ideas | No Comments »

Squirmy Halloween Party Ideas

October 10th, 2011

You may already have your own “spooky” and “scary” Halloween party traditions but how about adopting a few new traditions that will make your guests- SQUIRM! Keep in mind, these a “family friendly” squirms hopefully nothing will be too scary for the kiddos in your family.

When I think of things that make me squirm I think of bats, worms, snakes and spiders- all typical Halloween creatures. Oh, and what about eyeballs- Sure to bring on a squirm!

It’s a Halloween Party!
Today’s the day we’re going to make you SQUIRM!

Date: ___________

Time: ___________

Place: ___________

Snakes, witches, and bats galore – Let’s see what this Halloween has in store. Bring your family for a night of Squirms!

Decorations-

A few old brooms decorated with bows and lights makes for a fun entrance to your party. Wrap plastic snakes around the broom handle and spiders in the bristles.

Silhouettes make decorating easy. You can purchase spooky silhouettes or easily make your own using black paper such as teachers use for bulletin boards. Put silhouettes in windows for a fun Halloween decoration- you want your guests to start Confused smile “squirming” with fright before they even get to the door.

Don’t want to make your own silhouette- the cat pictured is actually a Martha Stewart Halloween Witch Silhouette Window Cling. This image clings to glass or mirrors and can be reused year after year.

SQUIRMY TRICK-

Squirmy Vampire Soap

You will need a small jar, laxative tablets (over the counter product at pharmacy), rubbing alcohol, soap and water.

In the jar, crush one or two laxative tablets and add a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Rub some of the mixture on your hand and allow to dry. Then wash it off with soap. The soapy water will turn bright red!

NOTE: Do not eat or drink this solution.

What happened? The laxative contains a substance called phenolphthalein, which turns bright red when mixed with an alkali base like soup.

HALLOWEEN TREAT-

Squirmy Peanut Butter Eyeballs

Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
½ – 1 pound white chocolate candy coating
Small bag of M & M’s or Skittles
Tube of red decorator frosting

1. Blend peanut butter and butter until creamy. Add sugar. Continue beating until it comes together and is about as thick as thick cookie dough. When well blended shape into 1 inch balls and put in the fridge on waxed paper to chill until firm. (30 minutes)

2. Melt the white candy coating in the microwave. Microwave in 60 second intervals stirring at the end of every minute until candy is smooth and creamy. Dip peanut butter balls in the candy coating and place back on your waxed paper. Immediately press a candy on top to make an iris. Place back into the fridge until set.

3. Using the tube of red decorator frosting make red squiggly blood vessels.

HINT: Since taking these photos we have found that to clean your eyes up a bit, use a paring knife to cut the excess candy coating from the eyeball- it will give your eyeball a cleaner look.

HALLOWEEN GAMES to make you Squirm

Worms in a Pie

You will need gummy worms, whipped cream and aluminum pie plates. Place gummy worms in the bottom of the pie plate and then cover with whipped cream. On the word “go” players try and eat as many gummy worms as they can find in the cream. You can award prizes for the most worms found or most worms found in a time limit. For extra fun, blindfold the contestants.

Bouncing Eyeballs

Take a ping pong ball and decorate with markers to look like blood shot eyes. Then get plastic pumpkin or party cups. Now give each child an eyeball and place the plastic pumpkin or cup at the bottom of stairs or across the floor. Have each player toss or bounce the eyeball down the stairs or across the room. The goal is to see if their eyeball bounces into the pumpkin. You can give a prize to those that get it in the pumpkin. Also for young kids, you may want to place paper cups together and have each cup worth a prize.

Speaking of “eyeballs”…

SCARY STORY to make you SQUIRM-

The Legend of White Eyes

I didn’t write it nor do I know where it came from- maybe it really is a true story and came from the pages of my history book. I’ve heard a lot of scary stories when I’ve been camping but this is the only story that made me scream- I hope you scream too.

Advance preparation- besides practicing the telling of this tale you will need to take a ping-pong ball and cut it in half. Color a small dark dot on each half with a permanent marker. These will be your "white eyes". Keep them concealed in a closed hand. When the time is right, pop them on over each eye. (You may customize place names in your story to suit the occasion) NOTE: I would wait to tell this story until the little ones in your family had been tucked into bed.

There on that side of the lake (point) is where this story took place. As you all may know, the area around here was a busy place 100 years ago due to the Gold rush. Miners turned this whole region upside down in a quest for GOLD!

Greed can be a dangerous thing, especially where Gold is involved. To find more gold meant faster production, and digging deeper underground. It also meant sacrificing safety, but they didn’t care because there were a lot of foolish men around looking to make their fortune.

One day an underground mine collapsed with 16 men still waiting to come up from a full day’s work. Hour after hour went by as they awaited their rescue. The conditions were terrible. It was pitch-black dark, and very hot, dry and dusty down deep in that shaft. The men collected droplets of water that seeped down the tunnel walls in an attempt to satisfy their dying thirst. Days went by and still no rescue. To stave off hunger, they ate rats, mushrooms, and eventually… their dead co-workers.

(Throw a log on the fire for dramatic effect! Poke away at the embers.)

Despite their hopelessness, they scraped away at the rock and debris to try and dig their way out, confident that others would be digging from the surface as part of the rescue attempt. They dug and they dug, day after day, frantically hoping to see daylight from the surface. The days stretched into weeks, and then from there, the few men left alive lost track of time, and started losing their minds.

An eternity later, the survivors finally broke through, and made two very surprising discoveries. One: there was no search party. The mining company had abandoned the mine, and simply walked away. And two… all that time underground had affected their eyes… Their eyeballs were all white, except for an itty bitty black pupil. And they could no longer tolerate sunlight.

Being left for dead was bad enough. Turning into some sort of White-eyed freak was too much. They snapped. In their rage they made a pact to hunt down every man who abandoned them in that old mine. And soon after, mysterious instances of men being killed in the mountains around here started.

The locals at first thought it was a bear or a cougar doing all the killing. The victims were usually found mauled, bloody and torn. But; closer examination showed the teeth marks on the bodies… were from human teeth!!

(Throw log on the fire!)

One by one, those white-eyed freaks killed off every miner, and any other man they could find in this area. And to this day, you won’t find any mining around these parts. Keep in mind this all happened 100 years ago. You’re probably wondering what happened to those white-eyes?? They should all be gone now due to old age, or at least that’s what they thought… until a few weeks ago. I heard on the radio, they found a hiker mauled on that trail on the backside of the lake. And on that dead man’s neck… human teeth marks!!!

Heed my words, kids: As long as you’re close to the fire, the light will scare ‘em away, but if you need to go into the dark… (pop in the ping-pong ball props)

BEWARE of the WHITE-EYES!!!!

Aaagghhh!!!!

SQUIRMY SONGS-

Road Kill Stew
(Tune: "Three Blind Mice")

Road kill stew, road kill stew.
Tastes so good, just like it should.
First you go down to the interstate.
You wait for the critter to meet it’s fate.
You take it home and you make it great.
Road kill stew, road kill stew.

Squirmiest Song Ever

Nobody likes me; everybody hates me;
Guess I’ll go eat worms.
Chorus: Long, thin, slimy ones; short fat juicy ones;itsy, bitsy, fuzzy, wuzzy worms.

First you get a bucket; then you get a shovel;
Oh, how they wiggle and squirm.
Chorus

Next, you pull their heads off, then you suck their guts out;
Oh, how they wiggle and squirm.
Chorus

Down goes the first one, down goes the second one;
Oh, how they wiggle and squirm.
Chorus

Up comes the first one; up comes the second one;
Oh, how they wiggle and squirm.
Chorus

Everybody likes me; nobody hates me!
Why did I eat all those worms?
Chorus

Chop up their heads, and squeeze out their juice,
And throw their tails away.
Nobody know how I can survive
On worms three times a day!

Sneakers
(Tune: "Auld Lang Syne")

Should old worn sneakers be thrown out;
Or stink upon a shelf?
Should holey, moldy, gym socks walk
To the washer by themselves?
My smelly shoes, so torn and rank;
How comfortable to me!
My gym socks match them perfectly;
Let’s my piggies wiggle free!

Halloween Party Jokes

Q: What do you call a ghost in a torn sheet?
A: A holy terror

Q. What do you call a witch who lives at the beach?
A. A sand-witch.

Q. What do you call a witch’s garage?
A. A broom closet.

Q. What is a Skeleton’s favorite song.
A. Bad to the Bone.
Q. Why can’t a Skeleton Lift Weights?
A. He’s all bone and no muscle.

Q. What is a Mummie’s favorite type of music?
A. Wrap music!

Q. Why don’t mummies take vacations?
A. They’re afraid they’ll relax and unwind.

Slime Recipe

I was going through some old family reunion papers and found this fun recipe for Ooey Gooey Gax- some people call it “slime”. Kids love Gax/slime and it’s a perfect party craft especially if you’re outside.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons white glue
2 Tablespoons water
3-4 drops food coloring
1 Tablespoons Borax – usually found in the laundry detergent section of your grocery store
Plastic bag for storing Gax

Directions:

Mix 1 Tablespoon of Borax powder to 1 cup warm water. Stir until all the powder has dissolved. This makes sodium borate.
In a smaller separate bowl, mix 2 Tablespoons glue and 2 Tablespoons water and stir well.
Add 3 drops of food coloring to the glue/water mix and stir.
Add 1 Tablespoon of the sodium borate to the glue/water mixture.
Stir and let sit for a few minutes and then it will be ready to play with.
Place in an airtight container (Bag).

Hints: Don’t leave Gak on fabric, vinyl or wood. Do not eat Gak. Make a batch of Gak before getting to your reunion so you know how it works.

This recipe only makes a small batch.

To make Glow in the Dark Slime: Add several drops of glow-in-the-dark paint during the mixing in stage 1.

The cute graphics you see on this page may be purchased from-

http://delightful-doodles.com

Hope you have a Halloween party that makes your family squirm!

Aunt MO

Tags: halloween decoratoions, halloween food, halloween games, halloween party, slime recipe, spooky stories, squirm, white eyes spooky story
Posted in Holiday Family Fun | No Comments »

Shoe Box Floats for Your Family Reunion

Glow in the Dark Volleyball

Six Fun Ideas for Your Reindeer Themed Christmas Party

Magic Reindeer Food Recipe

Tips for Successful Christmas Caroling

Top Ten Tips for Great Family Reunion T-Shirts

Ideal bulk clothing for your family reunions

Tip #1- Design a family logo

For chillier event locations or reunions in colder months, this Gildan ultra cotton t-shirt is also available with long sleeves in men’s and women’s styles with several color and size options.

Tip #8- Design sports themed T-shirts using “Raglan” t-shirts
For families who have sports activities planned, such as softball, kickball, football, or other games, raglan t-shirts are a great option.

Raglan t-shirts are known more commonly as "baseball tees," with their diagonally sewn shoulders that allow for more upper-body movement. To plan for games, make t-shirts in two different colors for opposing teams, and put last names and a number on the back.

Black Friday Shopping- a Family Event

Music For Your Family Reunion Slide Show or Video

Have You Heard the Family Reunion Song

Taking Family Reunion Photos

Squirmy Halloween Party Ideas

I was going through some old family reunion papers and found this fun recipe for Ooey Gooey Gax- some people call it “slime”. Kids love Gax/slime and it’s a perfect party craft especially if you’re outside.

Search

Categories

Meta

Links

Magic Reindeer Food Recipe

Ideal bulk clothing for your family reunions

Tip #1- Design a family logo

For chillier event locations or reunions in colder months, this Gildan ultra cotton t-shirt is also available with long sleeves in men’s and women’s styles with several color and size options.

Tip #8- Design sports themed T-shirts using “Raglan” t-shirts For families who have sports activities planned, such as softball, kickball, football, or other games, raglan t-shirts are a great option.

Raglan t-shirts are known more commonly as "baseball tees," with their diagonally sewn shoulders that allow for more upper-body movement. To plan for games, make t-shirts in two different colors for opposing teams, and put last names and a number on the back.

I was going through some old family reunion papers and found this fun recipe for Ooey Gooey Gax- some people call it “slime”. Kids love Gax/slime and it’s a perfect party craft especially if you’re outside.

Search

Categories

Meta

Links

Tags

Tip #8- Design sports themed T-shirts using “Raglan” t-shirts
For families who have sports activities planned, such as softball, kickball, football, or other games, raglan t-shirts are a great option.