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.
It's that 'get warm and cozy' time of year. A time for breaking out the sweaters and knitted caps. A time to watch the wind curl a splendid bouquet of autumn's rich beauty, tastes and scents and feast on the fruit of harvest season.
A well tended fall garden gives up so much harvest that after baking and canning for the winter it's time to think about using nature's lovely seasonal remnants for craft ideas.
That said, while many crafters begin the season planning creative scrapbooking projects, others are eagerly making use of falls natural effects to produce magnificent decor for home, parties and festivals. Unlike any other season, autumn gardens provides more natural decorative materials ideal for the home.
Here is a short list of natural materials and supplies you can start collecting to use for your next DIY home decor craft project.
1. Acorns
2. Apples
3. Cinnamon Sticks
3. Dried Fruit
4. Dried Oak Leaves
5. Dried Sentenia Grass
6. Dried Wheat Stalk
7. Dried Tree Branches
8. Gourds
9. Pine Cones and Needles
10. Tumbleweeds
11. Foam Rings
12. Glue Sticks and Gun
13. Mason Jars
14. Flat vases
15. Small Stones and Pebbles
Here are a few fun fall craft decor ideas you can do yourself using the above material list.
1. Make an acorn, pine cone and leaf reef.
2. Make a glowing mason jar decoupage using electric candles and maple leaves.
3. Decorate apple spice and cinnamon candles with dried grass, wheat and flowers.
4. Make colorful patterns with lintels in mason jars.
5. Make beautiful dry wheat stalk and tree branch centerpieces
Enjoy beautifying your home while adding that special touch of rich spicy and earthy essences of autumn's bounty all season long.
Want something to write home about? Why not throw a party? An autumn/fall season themed party. Family fall fests are the reason to bring family together and feast on your autumn garden of delights.
So you're planning a family fall fest and want it to be the absolute best fall fest ever? There are seven keys to making your fall festival a success. The keys are revealed in my recent weekend experience while throwing a fantastic fall fest bubble show.
It was a crisp sunny day. Benches and colorful flowers lined the restful parklike setting on the lawns of the JHU office field. Gigantic moon bounce play sets filled the spacious grassy yard with splashes of fun festive colors. It's the annual Fall Fest staff appreciation day at Johns Hopkins University. A day of celebration and a veritable JHU family reunion.
This story really began when I got the idea to start handcrafting my own bubble wands. first was the bubble spray wand. It sprays hundreds of bubbles in seconds with one gust of wind. Then I designed the hoop wand that creates giant tube shaped bubbles and large bubble balls. My next creation was the tri-ring shaped wand that generates strong, long reptilian shaped bubbles and large bubble clusters.
Hoop Bubble Wand
Multi-Spray Bubble Wand
Tri-Ring Bubble Wand
By 3:30 pm families and their children began to spring from the office building doors and parking lots bursting with sounds of excitement and awe. Wow! Ooh! Yeah! The family fun begins. That said, a fall fest should provide plenty of exciting child activities.
Brenda and I set our bubble gear for our biggest bubble show to date. And what a show it was. Scores of kids came running from all directions to see the spectacle of glistening bubble clusters, gigantic gleaming crystal spheres floating in the air. Amazed adults stopped by to eyeball the bubble floats and try out our circle of brightly colored bubble wands. Before we knew it there was a tactile hands on affair with bubbles flying everywhere, long tube bubbles and wonderful breezy bubbles sprays all in use by young children, pre-teens and the young-at-heart.
Our tubs of bubble juice quickly became frothy tubs of soap suds as kids and parents dipped and shook and wiggled their bubble wands desperate to create their own bubble formations. Laughter and cheers filled the air. Everyone was living in the moment.
As the DJ played our favorite tunes, children could not resist dancing, prancing, running and jumping while reaching out to catch every flying bubble in sight. It was enchanting and wonderful to behold. A fall fest at it's best.
When planning a fall fest add a special touch with seasonal decorations. Rent an outdoor venue with plenty of space to rip roar and run. In addition to bubbles and high wind bubble wands throw up some kites and have a face painting booth. Hey rides are fun for the whole family.
Here are a few more tips to make your fall fest the best ever.
1. Have a DJ present fun festive family oriented music
2. Serve hot dogs, fried chicken and plenty of drinks
3. Rent two or more moon bounce play sets
4. Hire a professional Bubble Master
5. Serve apple cider, nutmeg and pumpkin pie
6. Decorate with leaves, dry arrangements, cinnamon sticks, hay, squash and pumpkins
7. Include outdoor games such as the great bubble chase, bubble race and bubble toss.
Living in the Baltimore Washington area? Want to add the special touch to your festival or family event? Contact Brenda at 443 813 0865 and ask how to book an Angelo and Marie's Fantastic bubble show.
September has a way of conjuring up nostalgia, laughter and warm memories of days gone by unlike any other month of the year. May this September be one of those months for you and yours. What will make this September extra special?
The astronomical fall 2015 begins on Wednesday, September 23. this often begins fall season events including arts and craft shows, my personal favorite - bubble shows for kids, street fairs, music and food festivals as well as beer and wine tasting.
Like Golden Leave
No doubt, after a long three day vacation weekend you already have some golden moments to remember. But as time passes by it can be hard to hold on to the details of even your most prized memories. Like the golden leaves of autumn scattering to the wind the names and nicknames of old friends and cousins, the places and subtle details of a special event may seem to slip away and drift far from your reach. How can you remember that kind of September?
Tell The Story By Narration
Don't just take pictures. One way to recapture the moment is in stories. Take a video and audio recording of the day. Enhance the visuals with narration and stories that focus on the details of that day like the smell of Auntie Emm's apple pie and uncle Herman's peanuts roasting on an open fire. a funny thing that happened or a joke that made you laugh so hard you almost fainted. Add narration on the spot or a few hours or days after the event. Don't delay. The longer you wait the more details may be lost.
Include Descriptive Sounds
Remember to include the sounds and voices around you when recording. The sound of children playing, birds cooing, the rustle of the nearby stream, The crackle of cooking butter topped popcorn. The ocean.
Music has a way of setting up the mood and creating the atmosphere. Add the music of the day and you're practically there reliving the moment as if was yesterday.
Use Slow Motion
Enhance parts of the video by recording in slow motion so you can savor every second and make time stand still if only for a moment. This month "Try to Remember That Time In September" with video, sound, music, slow motion and narration. When it's time to look back you'll be so glad you have this virtual time capsule to recapture, relive, reminisce and as the song goes, remember the time of September and, ...follow.
Want to make and record more family memories? Planning a traditional family reunion, a black tie family night ball, a family food fest, or an anniversary family dinner just got a whole lot easier with Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app. Plan, organize and manage your family reunion in just a few days. Get more information on my profiles page.
Soon families throughout the United States will enjoy a much needed three day weekend of rest ending on Labor Day which falls on the first Monday in September.
While some go all out in celebration of the meaning and intent of the Holiday others take advantage of the long weekend for rest and refreshment or enjoy rejuvenating activities to break the monotony of a laborious routine. This articles focuses on the latter. So how can you make the most of a three day weekend vacation?
Making The Most of Your Weekend Vacation
While many enjoy longs weekends throughout the year Labor Day falls on a Monday and is held near the end of the summer season, this gives workers the opportunity to take a long weekend that ends with Labor Day. How will you be spending this time? Activities often include picnics, barbecues, and swimming.
School students view the long weekend as an opportunity to have one last chance for summer fun before hitting the study books and the weather starts to change from summer to fall. Adults may consider this weekend a time to exhale and recharge the batteries.
Many families spend at least one day of their weekend at a theme park or go camping. Others spend the weekend on a stay-vacation. Not leaving the home or town the live in. Other fun stay-vacation activities may include visiting the local zoo, museum, dining at local restaurants or enjoying entertainment at a movie or dinner theater. Checkout the three day weekend chart for great activity ideas.
3 DAY WEEKEND ACTIVITY IDEAS
DAY 1 - Enjoy a picnic, camping, theme park, visit museums or local zoo. Take in a jazz or cultural festival opera or dinner theater. Catch up on your reading or your favorite movies. Watch or take fun family activity video. Visit a farmers market or enjoy fruit and vegetable picking. Have a yard sales and soak up the sun. Go out and fly a kite, fishing or boating expedition.
DAY 2 - Set aside a few hours to learn about and document your family history. Speed plan a family reunion on the next three day weekend. Do some bargain hunting. Catch non-perishable foods, craft, office and party supplies sales and stock up for the winter and upcoming family gatherings.
DAY 3 - Order out or dine at a local restaurant. If you're out of town plan to return home early enough to prepare for the next day and then relax. Wind down and put your feet up for a few ours before retiring to bed. Looking for something to do with the kids outdoors. We had a blast last month at the park. After hand crafting our own uniquely designed bubble blowers we hit the parks and put on some amazing bubble shows. The wands and bubble juice performed beyond our expectations. For wands and bubble juice that is easy to make read our crafting blog... http://funfamilycrafts.blogspot.com/2015/09/how-to-make-bubble-juice.html
Bubble Blowing Videos
For bubble blowing inspiration check out our park side bubble blowing videos here... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5-JEdmMCANtgn4Qp5K84w.
Reducing Costs Increasing Savings
Parents and grandparents of school age children also make use of the Labor Day weekend to acquire much needed school supplies and clothing ad drastically reduced cost by taking advantage of local and online school supply Labor Day sales.
Regardless of the activities you choose make it your goal to allow the family to relax and rejuvenate for days ahead.
For more indoor and outdoor family fun activities consult your copy of Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Keepsake book, eBook or the event planning web app.
A great way to kickoff the festivities held the first day of the reunion event is by arranging a Meet and Greet. The purpose of the Meet and Greet is to provide an opportunity to say a decent hello to all arrivals, give the huggers in the family a time to embrace and allow for relationship building with newly engaged, married and adopted family and friends in a relaxed atmosphere,
How ToHostA Meet and Greet
It's best to start off by introducing new ones including new born children to the family.
While mingling will give the family at large the opportunity to get to know new guests it helps to feature some ice breakers as well. One way we've done this is by playing a friendly game. The "Getting to Know You" game. This game is played simply by having the newest family members stand in a line and asked a few simple questions. You may wish to give each player a copy of the list of questions hours or days before the game is played so they won't feel put on the spot.
7Good"Getting to Know You"Questions
If you were to describe yourself using only three words what would they be?
What is your most outstanding quality?
Tell us one thing people would never guess about you.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
What sports do you play?
What is your favorite dinner dish?
What is your favorite dessert?
It's also a good idea to review the itinerary and point out a few exciting features of the program that will encourage all to participate.
Challenges of Meet andGreets
Some of the challenges of the Meet and Greet is getting everyone to the venue in time.
Some miss this event as they intend to arrive the next day and stay for a few hours before heading back home. After a long drive to the hotel some may need to rest before dressing up and going to a social event. While this is typical of some attendees how can you get most of the arrival to attend the Meet and Greet?
GettingBetterResults
To get better support and attendants arrange to have the Meet and Greet later in the day or evening. Put it on the Itinerary and mention some of the opportunities the event will provide. For example; "Hug and hold the newest and youngest member of the Smith clan." "Welcome Uncle Ben's beautiful bride, Shelly." "Meet greet and enjoy a wonderful seafood buffet." Find a few good reasons that build anticipation and many will come to meet, greet and kickoff a memorable family reunion event.
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Are you planning an event within the next three to four months? Not sure where to start or how to get the ball rolling? There's an app for that. Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app can help you plan the following family celebrations, club and community events in no time at all.
Anniversary Party
Food and Culture Fest
Fundraiser
Genealogy Presentation Gathering
Graduation Party
Group Cruise Vacation
Homecoming
Honorary Awards ceremony
Pot Lick Picnic BBQ
Talent Show
Traditional Family Reunion
Download planning and organizing checklists, budget lists, edit itineraries, get suggested themes and activities, event programs, suggested floor plans and more in this step by step event planning tool.
Plan just about every event of the year with one app. Need family fun inspiration? There's an app for that. Get inspired with Fimark's Family Reunion Planning Social web app.
