A Brigham Young University Student Journal
With this unusually warm weather, spending time outside is a great way to spend time with your family. Eating together means being together—when people share a meal, they get a chance to relax and converse. Provo and Orem have lots of great parks to choose …
“[C]hoose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). I’m not sharing this scripture because it is my favorite, or because it changed my life when I memorized it in Seminary. …
During the Christmas holiday, my sister- and brother-in-law made the wonderful announcement that she was pregnant! They gave my mother-in-law a book and written inside was a due date for when the book should be read to a new grandbaby. However, they had yet more news. Another book was revealed, announcing that there was not one, but two babies to be expected. My sister-in-law is having twins!
I cannot wait for the arrival of two new little nephews, but now my mother-in-law is a bit stumped on what theme to choose for the baby shower she is throwing. To help her out (and any mother-to-be who is expecting twins), I did a little Internet research on cute baby shower themes for twins.
Peas in a Pod
When I first started brainstorming ideas, this theme came up first, as it is pretty popular. Due to its popularity, there were many cute ideas that came up while I was searching. There were ideas for green decorations, cakes, cupcakes, cookies covered in frosting peas, and fun games including pinning the pea to the pod. It also has the great quality of being a gender neutral theme. At first, this theme might be overlooked because it is used so often, but it comes with a lot of ideas all ready to go.
Noah’s Ark
In the scriptures the animals came two by two, just like my little nephews. This theme makes decorating super easy because all you need isa boat and lots of paired animals. Themed food might be a bit more effort, but cupcakes with animals crackers on them would be cute. Also a gender neutral theme, Noah’s Ark could generate lots of cute and creative ideas.
Dear Stance: Studies on the Family readers, Good morning! Making your own frames can add spunk and color to your space—whether you live in a home, a rental, an apartment, wherever! You can even alter frames to make them unique. Check out 10 ideas below . . …
These bran muffins are the easiest breakfast-on-the-go! They are so delicious and so filling, and don’t even need anything to go with them (although they are delicious with butter or jam). The best part? The batter literally lasts 30 days in the refrigerator so you …
President’s Day has come and gone. Maybe you roasted hot dogs on the grill with your family? Maybe you lit a few sparklers? You probably didn’t sit in the library for hours researching why you were celebrating. But learning can actually be fun and can bring your family together. Some of my favorite memories with my family involve us learning together. Whether we were looking at museums in D.C. or reading our favorite stories out loud to each other, learning was always a big part of family time.
Here are a few fun ways you can learn with your family:
Do a scavenger hunt in a museum.
—Ashley Smith, Stance
Did you have a good weekend? I did. I’m one of those crazy people who actually enjoys Valentine’s Day. Weird, right? It’s because of my mom. Growing up, my mom made sure that we knew that she loved us on Valentine’s Day. Every February 14th …
Everyone likes a good show, and going with your family is even better. A simple way to spend time with your family this week is to go to a movie with them. It doesn’t have to be all that fancy or expensive either—in Provo, Utah, …
There are many types of family traditions. There are religious traditions, seasonal traditions, celebratory traditions or just plain fun traditions. Whatever kind they are, all family traditions have one thing in common—they unite us. The best way to strengthen family relationships is by spending time together, and traditions can play an important role by helping families remember to take time to appreciate one another.
Most of my family’s traditions revolve around two things: outdoor activities and food. In the part of Oregon where we live we have the sweetest berries. Every summer we make a point of going berry picking, taking advantage of a beautiful day, and then going home and enjoying the deliciousness together. Another annual tradition we have is on the day after Thanksgiving we go to the Christmas tree farm to chop down our tree. No matter what the weather is like, we go traipsing all over the farm looking for that perfect tree. It’s always a fun and sometimes muddy outing that ends with stuffing a giant tree through the front door and warming up with steaming cups of hot chocolate.
Taking the time to do these things together has strengthened our family relationships. We laugh and joke together and cherish these fun moments. Families can also develop weekly and daily traditions. Whether it’s family prayer or game night, children remember and are shaped by these wholesome activities.
Elder L. Tom Perry said, “If we will build righteous traditions in our families, the light of the gospel can grow ever brighter in the lives of our children from generation to generation.”
When we prioritize family traditions, we are prioritizing each other and the treasured relationships we have. It’s never too late to start a new family tradition or rekindle old ones. Take some time today for family and traditions.
—Allie Hamilton, Stance
Today is the day—St. Valentine’s Day, that is! Whether you love it, despise it, are indifferent to it—it is here and we might as well live it. Many people think of Valentine’s Day in the romantic sense. I think that’s why so many people are bitter …