Speed Plan Your July Family Reunion in 20 Minutes

All around the world family reunions will be celebrated from May to September. Family reunions are a haven for nurturing children, mothers seeking mutual support, fathers seeking camaraderie, teens seeking identity and genealogist and family historians. 

While family reunions are vital to the survival of this basic unit of society many career minded people and domestic workers just can't seem to find the time to pull it off.  Do not despair.  I've been there! And what have I learned? The fact is you can plan a successful and memorable family reunion just 6 to 8 weeks in advance. Here are a few tips to make your reunion event a most memorable one.

Speed Plan Your July Family Reunion in just 20 minutes.

What You'll Need.

1. A Mobile Phone (with texting capability and a stopwatch app.)
2. A Note Taking App
3. Family reunion planning checklist (like Fimark's Family Reunion Planner.)
4. A family contact with a large backyard (call them and establish best date and time) or... 
5. An all you can eat banquet restaurant (with a private room)
6. Family History Video/ Slideshow (Consult the family genealogist for content of history video or show pictures or video of all special events provided by each family.)
7. Some no cost entertainment ideas  (see Fimark's Family Reunion Planner.)

Now create a group text message to be forwarded to all family contacts.
"We're speed planning a family reunion this summer
Date - Location - Time." 

If your holding the event in the back yard include the following message. "Bring a dish and drinks to share and also a chair"

Make sure the person on the grill supplies charcoal, foil, meat, bread and condiments. Bring extra drinks early.

Entertainment and Activity Ideas

Create your own outside entertainment with games and perhaps a talent show. (See Fimark's Family Reunion Planner for inspiring ideas.)

Read Set Go!

Synchronize your stopwatch app and hit the start button
Make the phone calls and send a group text message. Those who reply within the next 5 minutes with doable ideas will be considered.

Put the suggested date, location and activities, down in your notes. Ask the family to vote on their favorites within the next 5 minutes.
The first three or four to respond can be considered as members of the family reunion committee. The date, location and activities most favored are written in stone. Now send out the invitation

Calculate the Cost

A wise man once said, "Who would build a tower without first sitting down and calculating the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" If your reunion is at a restaurant consider how much to charge each family member.  Consider an all-you-can-eat food bar to cut down on menu and ordering complications. Within the next 5 minutes send them a menu complete with costs and have them bring the funds to the restaurant to keep things simple.

Want more practical money saving reunion planning tips? Get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app complete with checklists, themes, survey taker, activity ideas, itinerary and more. Everything you need to plan a memorable family reunion.

How To Speed Plan A July Family Reunion

Whether you're in the US of A, Canada, France or the UK, summer is just around the corner. No time to dally. If you're planning a family reunion this year it's time to kick it and get that ball rolling!  Here are a few tips to make your reunion event a most memorable one.

Speed Planning Your July Family Reunion

If you read the last three articles we discussed the process of speed planning. Speed planning is the process of considering the essential elements of planning an event and getting them down in stone within 15 minutes. Here's what you need to speed plan your family reunion.

1. A Phone (preferably with texting capability)
2. A notepad (digital app or paper and pen)
3. Access to a family reunion planning checklist (follow suggested link in this article)
4. A few family contacts (three or more will do)
5. A large backyard or available park or outdoor recreation area
6. An all-you-can-eat banquet restaurant (preferable with a private room)
7. Family History Video/ Slideshow movie (Consult the family genealogist for content of history video or show pictures or video of all special events provided by each family)

Now create a group text message to be forwarded to all family contacts.
"We're speed planning a family reunion this summer
July 20__." Where, when and what activities would you enjoy?

Synchronize Your Stop Watch App

1. Those who reply within the next 10 minutes with doable ideas will be considered.
2. Put the suggested date, location and activities, down in your notes.
3. Ask the family to vote on their favorite date and activities within the next 5 minutes.
4. The first three or four to respond can be considered as members of the family reunion committee.
5. The date, location, and activities most favored get written in stone.

Calculate the Cost

A wise man once said, "Who would build a tower without first sitting down and calculating the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" That said, consider if the suggested activities are financially reasonable and feasible for all households involved. Read previous articles for more speed planning ideas and methods.

Checklist, Activities, and Ideas

Need a family reunion planning checklist? Looking to get inspired?  How about some ice breaking jokes and activity ideas. Get the Fun Family Reunion Ideas Book

Fun Family Reunion Ideas

In Depth Family Reunion Planning Book

Want practical money saving reunion planning tips? Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Keepsake and Guidebook. Family reunion planning at it's best. Everything you need to plan organize and manage a family reunion event. Scores of fun family activities. This complete family reunion event planning guide is a workbook and keepsake heirloom for generations to come. The reunion guide includes a timeline planner, checklists, budget list, themes and associated itineraries and dinner programs. 

The keepsake features include a signature of ownership page, an event details page, an event planning journal and a family recipe compiler complete with sections to record the history behind the family recipe. Other keepsake features include an heirloom record, family tree worksheets, and other genealogy worksheets. The reunion planning workbook includes planning tutorial for individual planners, groups, and committees. There are recommended games and activities, itinerary, survey letter and luncheon/dinner programs. Worksheets also include site evaluation, possible locations and activities, committee organization and departmental worksheets. Recommendation: Get the print copy for keepsakes, recording recipes and notes and the PDF copy to print the digital worksheets.

Family Reunion Planning App

Get the complete family reunion planning checklist and vital event planning tips using Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app. This app has everything you need to plan a memorable family reunion. Themes, activity ideas, itinerary and more. See details here.

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20 Fun Ways To Reduce Energy Costs While Entertaining

Brenda and I braved the summer by reducing our air conditioner usage. We enjoyed some of the warm afternoons by the reservoir. We learned that the heat is more bearable when you're busy walking, talking and listening to music. As the days get cooler it's a time to count costs while considering creative ways to cut costs when entertaining the family.

Here are a few for starters.
1. Use candles, night lights or low voltage lamps (Makes things more cozy)
2. Older laptops and desktops are a powerful light source and act as space heaters
3. Use solar power for daytime power usage
4. On colder days cook in the morning or early evening at sundown to warm the house up
5. Make canned dinners and lunches in jars to reduce energy consumption
6. Cut down on gasoline usage by riding a bike...
7. Taking more walks
8. Shop online while making use of  free shipping offers
9. Invest in an energy efficient flat screen TV and enjoy movie nights at home (You'll also save on gas, increase car and battery life, reduce emissions and mileage.)
10. Enjoy more candle light date nights at home

While we are constantly on the look out for ways we can simplify and cut out needless costs we realize that there are times we owe it to ourselves to enjoy some quality entertainment, recreation and pampering. That said, the next budgeting task at hand is to estimate the cost of entertainment and recreation expenses when planning a family night or family reunion.

1. Keep the itinerary simple
2. Hold the event in a park or large home with plenty of yard space
3. Let the professionals in the family provide entertainment
4. Swap recipes and have a pot luck banquet dinner
5. Use home made DIY decorations
6. Use DIY game supplies
7. Print your own flyers, invitations and banners
8. Send invitations via email or social network
9. Buy bulk supplies at the lowest costs available online using free shipping offers
10. Use candles to light low light areas in the evening

Family reunion planning requires making and sticking to a practical budget. One of the most gratifying benefits is that you can finally put your experience and skills to work planning and organizing the event. When planning a family reunion during the fall and winter months allow your children to participate.  Children can be given hands on training to create a budget list, calculate funds needed, maintain a ledger and roster and consider creative ways to increase funds in the reunion treasury. as said one of the best ways to increase funds is to cut back. So how can you reduce costs and save funds when entertaining the family?

Fimark's new Family Reunion Planner Social for Google users  provides a ready made family reunion spreadsheet which lists invitees names and contact information, counts the number of households, RSVP status, estimates event costs and calculates event fees. It's a great way to keep track of T-shirt orders and survey results for each attendee. The spreadsheet is in Google docs format located on the Reunion Planner interface.

You can create a short survey form with personalized survey questions and submit it via email to all invitees in Google file share and collect survey results as they are submitted in real time over the Google Drive network. The results are sent directly to your Google Docs family reunion spreadsheet. Read more here.