How To Plan An Intimate Family Night

It was an enchanting evening. A night where friends bond with family and actually become family. Over 30 friends and family attended. Hot dogs on the grill, The sweet and tangy scent of baked beans and buttery popcorn fill the air. Smiles all around.

The movie was a look back at how the family has grown. Scenes from special events over the past three years including reunions, showers, wedding receptions, talents shows, outdoor activities, achievements, we fondly remembered those gone but not forgotten and enjoyed a special video = celebration of new life and those privileged to act as host.

32 lounge chairs spread across the lawn under the stars,  Hot spiced apple cider warm our hands as the movie of our lives plays on the outer wall of the shed in the backyard. A gentle cool breeze blows as we nestle under the stars  It was one of the most cozy intimate scenes I have ever enjoyed and I encourage all families and family reunion planners to put this on their family activity schedule. Movie night under the stars. A night to remember.

What You'll Need
1. Video of all special events over the last three years or so
2. Video projector and amplified audio device
3. Movie screen
4. Plenty of blankets
5. Grill and cookware
6. Hot dogs, sausage, grilled fruit, chili, beans, popcorn and warm cider
7. Condiments and napkins
8. Cups plates, saucers and flatware
10. Outdoor lounge chairs

The key to making this a special night is simply to plan a movie night in early autumn.out of doors in simply dishes like spicy chili, baked beans with bacon and onions,  pineapple slices right off the grill and hot apple cider as well as an intimate family video. What could be better for a warm and cozy family movie night.

In It To Win It

While I don't like change, I do like learning new things, winning people over,  and the rewards of a job well done. That said I am willing to try new things, taking a fresh look at life and see life from a different perspective if it means getting better results for all involved.

I find that discovering new lands, people, culture, foods and exotic species adds zest to life. Lately I've been learning many new things about life, history and the human condition while researching, producing and directing a new film presentation for my upcoming family night gathering. No this is not just any weekly family night. This one actually includes several different families all under one roof sharing an evening meal and video entertainment together. Why so many families?

As Brenda and I travel the Maryland circuit teaching and being taught, we develop meaningful relationships that last. Our way of keeping in touch is by having family night gathering once every few years. These events encourage mutual support and provide an exchange of guidance and wisdom needed during these challenging time. Our prime objective is to inspire strong family ties, teach kindness and consideration and preserve family and community cohesion. How can we do all that in one night?

After presenting our first film feature we have an open forum. We discuss what we saw, how we felt about it and lessons taught. We ask the right questions to stimulate thought and emphasize comments of practical value.

Successfully building a happy family begins with attitude. An attitude that is contagious. An attitude that inspires. That says I Am In This To Win It.  To aim at being successful as a husband, father, wife and mother. To win the rewards of deliberately sharing mutual filial and loyal love.

To win it requires a trustworthy proven training system, regimen and priority mind set. A life guide, if you will - Personally I find the books of Genesis, Exodus and Proverbs provides the ideal lesson plan that lays the ground work for building a close knit loyal family that stands the test of time.

Here are a few of My Life lessons
Learn and maintain humility - It's a constant process that never ends. If you think you're humble you're probably not.
Live a simple life. Only then will you discover who your family members really are.
Avoid getting caught up in corporate politics and competition, it will only distract you from what really matters - Loving your family from the inside out.
Put some love in it. (Make basic principle of love manifest in all you do.)
Remain united no matter what or who tries to pull you apart.
Cling to hope, celebrate love, honor one another
Take time to look back and cherish fond memories
Take time to look ahead and build new ones
Live in the moment, learn from the past, plan for the future
Save time, save money, save mementos and put away something for the unforeseen
Build resilience and accept challenges
Learn the joy of giving
Celebrate achievements of the heart
Teach your young to feel - To express honor, respect and appreciation
Reward good behavior - Inspire to reach greater heights
Take pride in the challenges you've met and the obstacles you've overcome
Value practical experiences - Reject fantasy and folly.
Quote words of wisdom to your family everyday
Express love for each family member when you end the day

On family night we all come together to enjoy an exciting and inspiring video presentation filled with lessons about family life, love and creation itself.  Last week Brenda, my video editor and respected movie critic, put her stamp of approval on the video feature presentation - The Book of Genesis.   That means the show will go on!  Genesis contains many stories about close knit families who sacrificed much for the sake of loyal love and preserved themselves alive in the process.When she's excited about a presenting our work I am assured that we finally have something worth presenting. While this special event is a mainstay in our bi-annual routine the fact is family night should be enjoyed every night. And that's another story soon to come...

Looking for some family fun winter vacation activities everyone's bound to enjoy?
http://familyreunionplanners.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

Something else new. Starting January 2015 I will include in each post an excerpt from our book Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Keepsake, my reunion event planning eBook, which is also part of Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social Web App.

Get more info at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYVwNPDrOVw

If you have any questions about the content of this article contact Mark at fimarkhome@gmail.com

Happy Sunday Evening

Happy Sunday evening to you. I hope each of you are having a cozy relaxing night with your loved ones. It's a coconut cake and warm coconut milk night for us. What ever you do, just keep putting some love in it. http://familyreunionplanners.blogspot.com/2013/11/put-some-love-in-it.html

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.