Fimark's Genealogy Presentation Awards February 2014

The Fimark Genealogy Presentation Awards feature of our family reunion planning blog presents creative, artistic  presentations from professional and amateur genealogy researchers, family reunion planners, artists, crafts-persons  and interior designers. Monthly winners are determined based on creativity, uniqueness and professionalism.
This months winning entries are:

The Heirloom Family Tree in a Glass Dome

Create a unique family tree using a random assortment of family keepsakes in a delicate glass dome.

Learn how to make this heirloom using a random assortment of family keepsakes, from a grandfather's spectacles to a baby's first spoon, takes on a cohesive, deliberate look that's both attractive and timeless when encased in a delicate glass dome. The little tree is a lightweight branch, then spray-painted matte gold and held upright with epoxy.

Voted 5 stars and one Like by Fimark's Genealogy Presentation Awards.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/124693483406817684

For more ideas see More Suggestions below.

The Family Tree

This gorgeous quilt incorporates old family photos and an ancestral diary. It was made by Eileen Campbell. Quilts like this can be made from photographs printed on cloth. 

Voted 5 stars and one Like by Fimark's Genealogy Presentation Awards.

http://www.pinterest.com/fimarkhome/genealogy-presentation-awards/

Both these presentations are ideal for family reunion genealogy presentation tables and reunion fundraisers.

More Suggestions:
When I saw these presentations my creative juices started flowing. In minutes the cup runneth over!.  I quickly entered by Zazzle craft shop and started tinkering with ideas on how to make my own  Family Tree Glass Dome. There are so many ornamental personalized keepsakes featured that would look great hanging from the family tree. It is a great place for making  keepsake gifts like watches, necklaces, ornaments, keychains, stamps and photo buttons. Visit our Zazzle page at http://www.zazzle.com/zzibcnet*/

Pinterest Black Friday Consumers Consortium

Brenda and I are planning a big family night event in January 2014.  It was in 2011 that we took advantage of the after holiday sales and used deeply discounted materials to make props for the dinner theater play.  We saved about 50% on materials that season. 

Lesson learned: If you're planning a few events next year this is a reminder to take advantage of Black Friday the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be using a rather unique approach to bargain shopping. We're getting help from our reunion planners group on Pinterest this year. 

Right now as I write this blog and for the next 10 days pinned request is circulating among Pinterest users.  "Pin The Best Black Friday Deals Ever Board". That's the request that rang out early Tuesday morning to over 1100 followers of my Back Friday Pinterest board. 

The Details

The pin lists specific products I'm searching for. Things like a flat screen TV and Blue Ray player. I want top of the line, well rated quality products at the cheapest Black Friday price. No I don't want to read all the circulars of hundreds of stores. Just tell me what you've seen and pin it or link to it in your comments. 

It goes without saying everyone wants to get the absolute lowest price on products sold online and in local stores and so do I. But finding the absolute lowest price ever is another story. That's where fellow pinterest board readers will come in handy. It's a great way to exchange recommendations and show off your online bargain hunting savvy.

Pinterest's Black Friday Consumers Consortium

When you think about it online shopping has come a long way compared to internet bargain hunting a decage ago. Now there is an ever growing frugal shopping movement complete with consumer reviews, product ratings and the ability to search multiple stores at once. I call it a "Frugal Consumers Consortium". And now the movement is hitting Pinterest boards and I intend to take advantage of it. So when it's time to take a coffee break  turn on your monitor, connect to Pinterest and help me find the absolute lowest discount on my shopping list? See what's been pinned so far at...

http://www.pinterest.com/fimarkhome/best-black-friday-deals-ever/

Big Thanks! See you at the boards.

Pinterest Family Reunion Planning

Granted I am routine oriented. So I prefer to follow the same pattern in my daily chores and weeks itinerary. But when it comes to preparing family reunions complete with entertainment, dinner recipes, crafts and genealogy presentations, I like to try out new things.

Take meals for example. If you're like me you may not want to serve the same menu at every family reunion. Serve dishes everyone enjoys, but add something exotic and new on the side. So how will we settle on the main course menu? Pinterests family recipe boards. http://pinterest.com/fimarkhome/family-recipes/

So I'm planning a family reunion or as we like to call it, family night. Brenda and I throw a few ideas on the table. We're talking about heritage and getting to know our history. The idea of reciting pieces of history on cards comes to mind. Then we decide to reenact parts of the narration in the form of skits. So how will we get ideas for period costumes? Pinterests history and genealogy boards are a great place to start. http://pinterest.com/tracemag/i-love-genealogy/

We may even decide to do all of this out of doors.If we do it would be nice to prepare a few imaginative outdoor games for the kids. So where will we go to get ideas? Pinterest. As a matter of fact http://pinterest.com/fimarkhome has a great pinterest board that features just about everything you need to throw a great family reunion event.

At the close of the event we want to gather all the family together and recite a move that will strike at the heart and remind everyone what a precious bond we have. Something picturesque that speaks of our past, fond memories and serves as an affirmation of loyalty and union. Finding such a poem is no easy task. But there's bound to be special place that lists them all just for you. Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/fimarkhome/family-reunion-poems/

At some point it will be time to get the word out. The question is what route will we take? Will we mail out flyers? Send invitations by email or via Google+ and Facebook? Well it just so happens that there's an app for all of that. And yes, it's featured on a Pinterest board. http://pinterest.com/fimarkhome/family-reunion-apps/

Pinterest features Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social. A cloud based social web app with scores of family reunion planning tools ideal for family reunion planners on and offline. Here are just a few features:

Reunion Planning Checklist and Worksheet
5 Reunion Themes
Printable Reunion Poems
Reunion Supply Price Comparison
T-shirt Roster (Spreadsheet)
T-shirt Designer and Ordering System
Printable Flyers and Invitations
Banquet Dinner Reception Hall Finder and Review
Reunion Activity Ideas
Attendee Registration Database (Spreadsheet)
Invitation Creator with RSVP Stats

Planning a family reunion? Don't have Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app yet? Get it at this summers discount special. List Price $49. Now $39 for a limited time. You save $10 dollars. No coupon code needed. For more information about the family reunion planning app click on the link found on this blog page or go to profiles.

Making Family Night A Hit

1. Family Night - A Big Hit
2. Making It All Work
3. Surprise Surprise
4. Food Glorious Food

Family Night - A Big Hit
This is an exciting time of year for me and Brenda. We are planning our annual Family Night with family and friends of the family. We started this traditional gathering in order to celebrate family values, present good parenting ideas and connect closer with our youth while giving them an opportunity to reveal their hidden talents, interests and their more mature side. 

Since the very first annual Family Night it's been anxiously anticipated among families in several groups in our community. 

It's amazing what gathering purely for the sake of connecting can do to the spirit of a child. Often teens distance themselves due to misunderstanding what a busy schedule of hard-working parents can do to them. This often leads to unspoken heartache and disappointment, making the parents job even more difficult. But when family members come together to prepare for Family Night doing what they all love doing most wounds quickly heal.

Making It All Work
Four key factors to making this work for each family member are:

1. Get the youth involved in the planning, writing and organizing process. 
2. Make sure there are plenty of eats the young folk and parents like and allowing them to clown around while taking snack breaks each hour or so. 
3. Set up the show in dinner theater fashion. 
4. Have the participants serve meals and soft-drinks to the older ones so they can connect with them in a special way.

One of the biggest hits of a our semi-formal family night affair is the Talent Show. Every second is savored and parents are proud of whatever their children do. Another hit is a well prepared drama complete with dignified comedy, cuteness and bitter-sweet situations.

Surprise Surprise

This years event will feature a movie taken of lasts years Family Night drama with added footage and a slideshow segment of all our kids growing up from infancy. 
To add some snap and surprise there's sneak peak "guess who" footage of the parents when they were the same age as their children. 

The folks were thinking about getting warm and staying warm throughout the coming winter months. Coats, jackets hat's, caps, scarves and gloves are on the top of the list. Brenda's even started knitting again. 

I decided to feature an adventurous knitting class scene in the drama. How could I knitting class scene possibly be exciting and adventurous.? We pulled it off. 

Read about the history of knitting and weaving and you'll see for yourself what a fascinating journey this artistic way of life has taken from the days of old to our time. According to the reviews the knitting scene went off quite well and now folks are seriously considering having a weaving/knitting class of their own once or twice a month.

Read about the history of knitting and weaving and you'll see for yourself what a fascinating journey this artistic way of life has taken from the days of old to our time. According to the reviews the knitting scene went off quite well and now folks are seriously considering having a weaving/knitting class of their own once or twice a month.
Read about the history of knitting and weaving and you'll see for yourself what a fascinating journey this artistic way of life has taken from the days of old to our time. According to the reviews the knitting scene went off quite well and now folks are seriously considering having a weaving/knitting class of their own once or twice a month.


Food Glorious Food

What inspires good spirited merriment better than a good hot meal. Depending on the season and economy we either have a potluck meal presentation where all the invited guests bring a dish or we will have it catered. Frankly they seem to prefer the variety in potluck banquet style dinners. 

Fimark's new Family Reunion Planner Social application soon to be released will feature a Family Recipe Collector via a Pinterest app. You can share recipes, get recipe ideas and comment on them. 

Take a sneak peak at some of the recipes that will be featured at http://pinterest.com/fimarkhome/family-recipes/

Planning and Decorating
We get our planning and decorating ideas, music and supplies and gift ideas browsing online stores around this time to take advantage of Black Friday Week specials. 

Happy Family Reunion and Family Night Planning!

Mark and Brenda

The Family Reunion Book is now 40% off. Was $29, now only $16.99
http://astore.amazon.com/family-reunion-20/detail/1461124239

Family Reunion Supplies - Get up to 55% off during Black Friday Week
http://astore.amazon.com/family-reunion-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=6

Family Night Theme Music just 0.99
http://astore.amazon.com/family-reunion-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=2

Remembering To Give Back

Nature survives based on the principle of procreation, duplication and restoration. We survive based on the principle of giving back. That said, what ever we glean we replace or restore so that when taking, all is not used up, lost or discarded.

Harvest season leads to a season of restoration and a season of planting in order to Harvest once again. As we pick, prune, weed and replenish top soil we are rewarded for our hard work.

 Family members have long held to the tradition of giving back to fathers and mothers so that they are able to see good for all their hard work. We give back by handling them delicately in their golden years and instilling confidence, honor and love as they age.

The Giver is The Receiver

We are both the giver and the receiver. The taker and restorer. The user and replenisher. As such I certainly am in good company. Most of my readers have in some way given back to me and Brenda for our efforts to inspire, entertain and provide practical guides and tools to families the world over. It is gratifying to see thousands of users spending precious time making use of our event planning tools and tips. But most gratifying of all is when you the reader take those 3 seconds to say "I like this" and leave a comment or two that lifts our spirits so much that we fairly bust with more creativity ideas, tips and tools. In other words you're giving back makes us give you even more. Giving back is usually an easy touch and go process. 3 second opportunities to give back are available anytime and anywhere.

Giving Back Opportunities
This concept of giving back reminds me of my recent visit to my Pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/fimarkhome/pins. You'll notice today that the most prominent pin is our book Fmark's Family Reunion Planner. Why so high in the page of pins? Because Pinterest users took the time to give back. Over 22 users liked the book in just three weeks. 77 user repinned the book to their own Pinterest page. Brenda and I can honestly say we see good for all our hard work.

Giving Back On Amazon.com
Still there is a dilemma when it comes to how users give back by way of recommendations, comments. likes and support of our resource. For example, over the years Google Wallet users have rewarded Fimark Home Online resources and books with a good star rating, we still enjoy the #2 ranking spot for keyword "Family reunion planner" on Google search engines. So what's the dilemma?  On Amazon.com our most esteemed users seem to hesitate rating and reviewing the reunion planning book. This has baffled us of late considering the fact the we get so many positive reviews elsewhere. That said we invite you to visit our Amazon.com page at goo.gl/gVsY6 and take 3 seconds to rate our Book Fimark's Family Reunion Planner. Thanks for giving back.