When serving in the Stake YW we focus our efforts to help Ward YW leaders. They have so much to do and that's not an exaggeration. Last year for our Ward leaders we presented them with a planner. It was given to help them ease their burden in planning then in turn they could focus more on their young women. Many of them liked what we had. Here's a version for this year in our Etsy Shop.

We tried to think of how each month would look for a ward leader and then incorporated it into a calendar. It helps that we've been ward leaders so we know what it's like to plan and carry out. Here's an example of one month.

 Some choices are already matched and made. For example -

• Come Follow Me principles are listed on each month (CFM = Come Follow Me)
• Sunday Lessons section to list who and what will be taught
• Personal Progress Values are assigned to a month (coordinates with Come Follow Me)
• Strength of Youth standards are assigned monthly (use for mutual opening exercises, talks, etc) 
• Leadership Lesson Topics from Church Handbook are assigned monthly (optional topics too)
• Bishopric Interviews space is listed each month to track YW interviews 
• PP Project Evaluation times are scheduled into certain months
• Presidency Meetings purpose summaries are listed and space for notes
• Conducting for Sunday and Mutual (space for names is included)
• Mutual Activities space is provided for organizing 
• List Lines for extra dates, notes, needs, info, or other reminders
• Infographic summaries for Class Presidencies, Agendas, and Personal Progress
• Reminders of things to do are put throughout the year (Camp, Conferences, etc)
• Notes pages that are blank are included
• Newsletter template to send out to parents is included too

Compact and concise. So much information in so simple a format. But there's more too.

Everything's here to get you started and make your life easier in 2015. (It may even help you with the rest of 2014) Go to our Etsy Shop if you're interested.

Extreme weather storms are going through parts of the US right now causing disaster in its wake. It makes me think of this FHE lesson - Let's Go Get Our Emergency Kit we've done in the past. It has scriptures that tie into things needed in an emergency kit. I've included an outline for FHE too. It might be a useful FHE to do this month.

I've also included a YW Personal Progress Activity for Knowledge #7. It can be done on a mutual night and then the girls can go home and give the FHE lesson to their families as part of it.

This doesn't stop the storms but it gives a sense of peace, especially for children. They don't feel so helpless. And even if everything including emergency kits or food storage are destroyed we can go to the Lord in confidence, asking for mercy, knowing we did all that we could. I hope none of us are effected and that we can serve those who are. Be safe.

Adversity is so tough. We all have our fair share, things tailored for our progress. Here is a FHE lesson, Bittersweet Adversity, about the necessity of it in our lives. It includes a lesson, object lesson as well as printable candy wrappers.

I serve in the Stake YW so I get to do lots of training and help ward YW presidencies. For those who are in YW I worked a tie in to Personal Progress Value Experience - Faith #3. This includes a YW Activity night outline. It could be something a class presidency might like to do. 

Tell us what you think or how it turned out for your family.

Life's a little slower for us. Yesterday the Rainbow Maker and I did a little art project. Here's how her's turned out. 

It's the Church's 2014 Mutual theme, here with my design. I wanted to see how this type of design would turn out with it. It's a hand drawn, ink drawing and I kind of like it. I did my print on watercolor paper and watercolors. She did here's on smooth art paper and markers.

Here are the values with the design. You can print them off on colored cardstock or white and color them.

And because some of you aren't in YW here is a blank one to use. This might work for youth to color in during General Conference and put a quote in the blank section. Or maybe something for Primary. You can tell us how you thought to use it.

I did a post last year around this time on my personal site, Shannon's Studio, but thought I'd share it here. It's a Young Women's Personal Progress Divine Nature Value Experience #3. Wow, that was a mouth full. This value experience doesn't have to be done on Father's Day, but it might be a nice incentive. Read more about it HERE.

This weekend I did some Personal Progress training. I decided to try and make it a little interesting and came up with this graphic art for the presentation. Since my hard drive died a month ago I've gotten new software that makes interactive PDFs a breeze to make. So I thought to myself, self, you could do an interactive personal progress pdf. And that's what I did. 

If you click on the word(s) it should take you to information about the topic. Some sections are general and you may have to scroll to find the answer, others are more specific. It doesn't contain all that there is to know about Personal Progress but it's a basic overview. Even if you're not a young woman or in YW (maybe you're a parent or aunt) this will help explain the program to you. 

Hope this improves your day in some way. All we ask is that you tell us that you downloaded it below.