I’m going back to school! Extremely excited and honored to be taking the Intermediate Foundations course with the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) as an ambassador this fall.

It’s the perfect next step in my family history journey! My baby is starting kindergarten and I’m ready to put my self-taught family history skills to the test. Time to see how they measure up against genealogical standards. I’m also eager to strengthen my knowledge base and add to my tool bag of tricks – lots of brick walls to break down still!

Why now? Let me explain with a little background.

How I got started with family history

My formal genealogy training consists of two family history courses for religion credit from Ricks College in the early 2000s. From there I became the most passionate do-it-yourself learner. I found myself a mentor in my great aunt who tasked me with searches for photos and newspaper articles. Read more about those early days here.

Always moving forward, I have learned on the go – gathering resources from RootsTech, books, webinars, family history libraries, and anyone who would answer my questions.

“My family tree has been my classroom, and my brick walls are my syllabi.”

Leaning into my strengths – social media and journalistic research – has served me well! I have a Bachelor’s in Communication and completed coursework for a Master’s in Marriage Family Human Development. These definitely gave me a tremendous head start with my research skills!

Over the past five years, I’ve established myself as a resource for social media-based family history and every-day family history. Both topics I love and teach/share often about. But I am always looking at what is next in my genealogy journey. What skills do I need to develop/polish as I continue discovering and sharing family history?

What’s Next for My Family History Journey

Lately, I’ve felt the call to dig deeper and formalize my genealogy training. I’ve been learning as much as I can get my hands on – it’s time to put my DIY research methods to the test and see how they measure up to industry standards! That’s where the Intermediate Foundations course with Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) comes in! It’s part of SLIG Fall Virtual 2022.

When I read the course description, I knew it was my next step:

“Students who select this course already have some experience in genealogy, either self-taught or from a beginner’s course. They’re looking to enhance their research skills from home around their busy schedule but still receive an in-depth, institute-intense course, and build on their existing knowledge and experience. The course will expand their ability to find and analyze intermediate record types such as local and federal land, military, immigration, and naturalization, and find the underlying laws. They’ll also learn how to conduct research using best practices and following genealogical standards.”

Here’s what I am excited about:

• The class meets once a week virtually via Zoom while my children are in school. Get myself some snacks and treat myself to a weekly afternoon of family history learning? Yes, please!
• I’ve scratched the surface of looking at military, immigration, and naturalization records, but I haven’t even touched local and federal land records. I’m currently stuck on a Roser ancestor in New York and have some records I’d like to look at more critically. This will be an ideal opportunity to learn/polish skills to help me do that.
• The course is hands-on. I’ll get to practice my skills on original records.
• There’s professional feedback and networking opportunities in class and the private Facebook group. Often in my research, if I get stuck on a question – I go to social media Facebook groups or Twitter chats and cross my fingers for help. No need to cross fingers for this course! Help is provided!

Speaking of help and teachers, I am looking forward to learning from all of these experts during the Intermediate Foundations course.

• Annette Burke Lyttle, MA
• Angie Bush, MS
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
• Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
• Gena Philibert-Ortega, MA, MAR
• Kimberly T. Powell
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
• Michael L. Strauss, AG
• Rich Venezia

Classes start September 8th so there is still time to register! As of August 1st, there are still seats available for SLIG Fall Virtual for the following courses: Intermediate Foundations, Advanced Hispanic Research, Overcoming Record Loss, and Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum. Registration is available here.

I am excited to share this next family history adventure with you! I love that I will be able to learn from the comfort of my own home and further my own family history research at the same time. It’s all about taking that next step forward!

As part of the class, I get to choose a personal family history project to apply my new skills to. Stay tuned for more on that! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for monthly updates.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear about your recent family history adventures in the comments or on this social media post! What discoveries have you made lately? Are there tools/educational opportunities that have helped you? And if you have attended SLIG, any tips for this first-timer?!?

The post Going back to school with the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s true!  Research indicates that children who know more about their family tree are more resilient in the face of life’s challenges. You can read more about the study from Emory University in 2010 here.

With more time together at home, I am looking forward to drawing my family closer together. My friends and I have created 28-pages of EASY family history activities. Designed by the Kindred Press, it is chock-full of printables and simple activities. I am excited to do these with my own children.

In addition, I will be updating this post with more of our family’s favorite ways to make family history part of our day to day life at home. Let me know if there is an idea you want to hear more about and I will do a separate post!

Exploring your family tree at meal time

I’ll never forget this easy tip I learned in a parenting class. If you want to make a habit stick, attach it to something you are already doing everyday. That’s meal time! Especially with self-isolation happening around the world, family meals are an ideal time to connect and draw closer to our families. Here are a few of my favorite family history at meal time ideas.

Question Jar

It can be as simple as a mason jar with strips of paper! Write down or print out questions about your family or your ancestors. It may be fun to make a custom jar just for family history! You can use the same tutorial I used for this jar – easy for anyone to do! Or – if you want something already done for you – this Table Talks game is fun! We played a similar game at an extended family dinner. We were laughing forever over the question of who would play each of us in a movie.

Ancestor Birthday Dinners

If you have a Family Search account set up, you can access all your ancestor’s important dates in a calendar here when you are logged in. Don’t have a Family Search account yet? Go to Family Search and sign up for one – it’s free! Check out who has a birthday this month and celebrate them. Get out the birthday candles, balloons, and cake and share stories about the ancestor.

Family Recipes

What are you favorite family recipes from when you were a child? Were there meals you had for holidays or special occasions. Make that meal together and share your memories. Call Grandma and Grandpa and ask about their favorite recipes, too.

Special Place Mats/Table Cloth

Where does your family spend a lot of their time? At the kitchen table! Why not make it double as a learning center. All you need are a clear plastic table cloth and paper learning materials. Print out timelines, pictures, stories, maps – the possibilities are endless. This way, while your children are eating their cereal in the morning, they are also learning about their family. Win/win!

Family History at Bed Time

Chatbooks

Do you have any scrapbooks or chatbooks? (If not, perfect time to start making them! Chatbooks is very use to use!) Children love hearing about their own history and looking at pictures of themselves. I am using this downtime to create several more chatbooks with my kids.

Family Stories

Every night by boys beg for stories! Lately, they have been wanting to hear stories about when my husband served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Costa Rica. Share stories about your own life and ancestor stories, too!

Family Songs

Are there songs that have special meaning to your family? I remember my Grandma Kimball singing Skidamarink to me as a child. It’s a fun and silly song that I sing to my kids now, too. Reach back to your childhood and share some of those favorite songs as you put your kids to bed.

Tuck-in Time

One on one time is so important with our children. We have instituted Tuck-in Time at our house. Each child has a different day of the week when they get their “night.” On their night, they get to stay up later and do an activity with mom and/or dad. This can be reading more books, playing a game, etc.

Story Quilt

I love this quilt that my grandfather handed down to me. It is a story quilt! It has photos from his childhood. It also has squares that represent holidays, memories, etc. Each one is meant to prompt a question. What was Christmas like when you were a child? Did you go to football games? What did you do for the 4th of July? Beautiful family heirloom and great for snuggling up and telling stories!

Family History in the Home

Journal Time

Have you been journaling during the Covid social distancing? We are literally writing the history our descendants will be reading! Right now we are loving the Loom Connection Journals. My daughter and I take turns writing in the journal. It’s a great way for us to connect. The journal is full of prompts to get us started!

Ancestor Wall

Do you have pictures of your ancestors hanging in your home? Drop me a link in the comments – I would love to see! When our children see these people regularly, they are bound to ask questions about who they are and what their lives are like! I have a friend who rotates her ancestor pictures based on holidays. Veterans at the 4th of the July, women for Mother’s Day, men for Father’s Day.

Quote Board

Lately I have been going through the Memories pages on Family Search to find quotes from my ancestors. What are the inspiring things they have said that may inspire my family?

Temple Pictures

We love having pictures of temples around our home. Family Search has a page dedicated to finding out what temples your ancestors attended if they were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is fun to explore with the kids!

Stay tuned for our favorite family history tech and games! What are your favorite ways to do family history with your children and teens?

The post Family tree exploration activities for children and teens – Part 1 appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s no secret that our family are HUGE fans of The Leonardo (see blog posts here, here, here, and here . The Leonardo is one of our favorite things to do in Salt Lake City, Utah. We love it so much that our kids are getting a family membership from Santa for Christmas.

This year we are focusing more on EXPERIENCES than things. And The Leonardo is chock full of educational and fun experiences for everyone – from my preschooler up to my 4th grader.

Earlier this month we spent an entire Saturday afternoon exploring the new exhibits – Flight and Where Children Sleep. Engaging, interactive, and just plain fun are a few words I would use to describe the exhibits.

What makes The Leonardo so magical for this mama is that my kiddos are having so much fun that they don’t even realize they are learning. Math, perception, physics, empathy, geography, diversity … we touched on each of these topics during our last visit without even popping open a text book.

The Leonardo caters to all different learning styles. From hands-on and tactile to the book/fact lovers like me! The exhibits also change throughout the year so there’s always something new to discover.

Now here’s the fun part. If you are like me, you are scrambling for last-minute gifts for Christmas right now. A family membership to The Leonardo would be perfect – you can get a year long membership for six people for only $105! Plus use the gift code TP7650 and you get an extra month free. It’s easy to order online.  I am so excited for my kids to see their membership Christmas morning!

I received a family membership to The Leonardo as part of this post. We’ve been fans for years so I’m excited to share the museum more with you in 2017! 

The post Family Time at The Leonardo + Discount Code appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

(Two chances to win family passes! Check it out on below and on my Instagram page! )

My kids are quite vocal about their love of animals. They get it from their Dad! Although I am kind to animals, my kids just can’t get enough of them. Spring is one of their favorite times of year because that means Baby Animal Days!  This year it is May 6th and 7th courtesy of Utah State University Botanical Center.

This will be our third your attending. We go – come rain or shine! My kids do not let me forget it.

Here’s a sneak peek from my friends at My Mommy Style into what is in store for you at Baby Animal Days! You can see just how excited Lily is to check out the baby animals at .24 seconds. She’s the in the red coat holding the baby chick.

This year there are TWICE the number of baby animals. Come meet baby pigs, goats, lambs, ponies, calves, baby chicks, rabbits, and maybe even a yak!

Don’t miss out on the other fun activities as well – horse rides and miniature train rides. Your first ride on both are covered with your ticket! We spent several hours at Baby Animal Days last year and my kids still talk about it.

Along with the baby animals, there will also be food vendors and craft activities for the children.  I know my children are excited for the train ride!

Here is a schedule of the events so you can make sure you don’t miss your child’s favorites!

When: Friday, May 6, 3-8 PM  &
Saturday, May 7, 10 AM-6 PM

Where: Utah State University Botanical Center
875 South 50 West, Kaysville, Utah 84037

Friday
3:00 PM Sheep Shearing Demo
3:30 PM Wild Wonders Show
4:30 PM Scales and Tales Show
5:30 PM Sheep Shearing Demo
6:30 PM Wild Wonders Show
7:30 PM Scales and Tales Show

Saturday
11:00 AM Sheep Shearing Demo
12:00 PM Scales and Tales Show
1:00 PM Wild Wonders Show
2:00 PM Sheep Shearing Demo
3:00 PM Scales and Tales Show
4:00 PM Wild Wonders Show

Here’s a link to directions from I-15 if you are unfamiliar with the area.

Avoid lines and buy tickets in advance. Use the code blog5 to get $5 off a family pass. Buy tickets here. 

See you there! Remember to enter to win below and on my instagram page! Two chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Family time at Baby Animal Days in Kaysville + Giveaway! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

What was it like being an extra on the set of Just Let Go?  (Read more about the movie and worldwide premiere on September 28 here)

Definitely a bucket list experience and I am thrilled that I was able to share it with my daughter. The best advice I can give to someone wanting to be an extra is this: be ready when they need you and be precise at following directions. Your time as an extra is repetitive, but  oh so worth it if you enjoy watching the film process. I was enthralled with everything that I got to see on the set of Just Let Go.

The night before the shoot, you will typically get a phone call/e-mail  telling you what time to arrive and what to wear. For Just Let Go, we brought darker colored church attire. It is a good idea to bring a back up outfit or two in case wardrobe needs you to change. As a general rule, avoid anything that has words or logos on it. My daughter, Lily, loved hair and makeup!

There is a lot of down time as an extra so bring a book to read. For my daughter, I brought a notebook full of activities to keep her busy. Do not rely on your cell phone to keep you entertained! You’ll want to keep your cell in airplane mode or even better – completely off. Nothing’s worse than a cell phone or sound from a social media post going off in the middle of a scene.

As a blogger, I was able to have my cell phone on set to take pictures of myself and my daughter. Definitely double check with the person in charge of extras about the photo policy for the set. Sometimes there are certain restrictions or a timeline of when photos can be released. As an extra, you are a silent observer and you want to make sure that you aren’t interfering with the process.

Sit back and enjoy the process! It was fascinating to watch the director, the camera man, the talent, and everyone else at work. There are so many details that go into making a movie! We spent the entire day filming the court room scene from various angles.

Get to know the other extras. I loved worked with my good blogger friends Lindsey and June (read her review here). So fun to meet Adam from Studio C as well! He is just as hilarious in real life and you’ll catch a peek of him as a lawyer in the court room scene.

Here are a few more pictures from my time on set.

My experience as an extra on Just Let Go is one that I will never forget. From meeting Chris Williams and Henry Ian Cusick to watching the movie magic happen, I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll have more opportunities with inspirational films like this in the future. These are the stories that need to be told and the heroes that we need to look up to. I hope you’ll join me at the world-wide premiere on September 28th! 

The world premiere of Just Let Go takes place September 29th at more than 400 theaters around the country. Along with the premiere, you’ll experience a live event with musical performances by Ryan Innes and Lincoln Brewster. The event will be hosted by Delilah and Henry Ian Cusick as well as Chris Williams will be in attendance. Get your tickets by clicking here before they sell out – this an event that you won’t want to miss!

The post Behind the Scenes as an Extra for #JustLetGoMovie appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Pinch me because so much of August was a dream month for me! Sitting down with these like-minded ladies in the Utah Governor’s Mansion reaffirmed to me that uplifting and promoting families is the best possible thing I can be doing right now. These bloggers are passionate about family and being with them brings me hope that there is so much we can do to share the good! Keep reading because we have an exciting announcement to share with you!

I was lucky enough to get to sit by my good friend Carol Rice of Family Storytelling at the luncheon. This woman understands the vital role of the family in our society and I am happy to stand beside her in promoting families. It is so important that our voices as mothers are heard.

This quote by Henry B. Eyring sums up how I feel about writing about the family.

“You ought to find something that you love so much that when you don’t have to think about anything, that’s what you think about,”

And it is so true! I’m thinking about how to cultivate my daughter’s love of reading or how to help my preschooler better pronounce words he is struggling with. I’m pondering how to best my support my mom who just broke her leg. I’m cheering for a woman from my home ward who just led a group of youth to help families in Fiji (Check out the details of the trip and the post that made me tear  up here.)

But even more than that, I am thinking – How can I help other families? What can I share that might make another mom’s day a little easier? Today I am so EXCITED to be sharing with you the annual Uplift Parenting Conference put together by First Lady of Utah Jeanette Herbert.

It’s coming up on Saturday, September 19th, and you do not want to miss out! Tickets are $15 a person or $25 for a couple. I’m hooking you up with a $5 discount code to make it even less! Just type in Taralyn2015! Get your tickets here.  Tickets are LIMITED so hurry and get yours TODAY! 

Let me tell you a little more about it! Uplift Families is the official initiative of Utah’s First Lady and a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing resources for parents that can improve parenting skills and keep children safe from negative societal influences. It was my pleasure to hear about it first-hand and you are going to love the resources available on the web-site. From TIPS videos to an incredible database of easily searchable articles, this site is a gold-mine for parents looking for answers.

Photo Courtesy of www.EnjoyUtah.org

  Remember, tickets are limited.  Get your tickets here and remember to use the discount code Taralyn 2015. Join me and we will uplift our families together.

The post Uplift Family Conference + Special Discount Code! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Getting my family outside playing together and enjoying the sunshine is a top priority this summer. Our day at the Get Messy Get Clean Festival at Thanksgiving Point fit the bill perfectly.

Whether my children were creating and popping massive bubbles (you’ve got to see the video HERE) or planting an herb garden in pots they decorated themselves, they loved every minute and begged to stay longer. I had Annie’s cheddar bunnies and Justin’s almond butter packets to snack on, so I was happy to oblige!

What I loved most about the festival was the message that as a family you can get messy and get clean in a way that is healthy for your body, the planet, and even your pets!

Target brought together so many of my favorite brands – Mrs. Meyers, Justin’s, Ella’s Kitchen, KIND, Hyland’s, Annie’s, and Yes To – and introduced me to a few new ones as well – Ecoscraps, Paddy’s Bathroom, Freshpet, and Angie’s. All the brands believe products should be #madetomatter and that is something I can get behind as a mom.

Here are a few of the the things that we learned (or relearned!) at the festival that I am excited to make even more of a priority in our home.

1. Get in the garden. The Ecoscraps play tables made from recycled materials were a huge hit with my three year old. He dug in the tables for at least half an hour while his siblings were at the bounce houses.

Kyler is exactly the same way in our garden at home. Whether he is planting or harvesting, this boy loves to be in the dirt. Added bonus if he finds grasshoppers or roly poly bugs! Here’s my secret if you have picky eaters like me, they are much more likely to eat the fruits/veggies if they have grown them themselves! Plus this study is food for thought, playing in the dirt could help children be smarter – check it out.  Gardening is the perfect skill to teach your little ones.

2. Know what you are eating and where it comes from. This goes hand in hand with the gardening. Help your children make the food choices that are best for their bodies. At our house we adore Annie’s macaroni and cheese. It is a staple!

3. Start ’em young. Kids gravitate toward what they are used to. Start when they are young with habits that are good for their bodies and the environment. For example, my daughter loves eating what we call “Mac and Peas.” I make up a box of Annie’s White Shells and Cheddar and add frozen peas in while the noodles are cooking. She will not eat macaroni and cheese any other way now! Score for veggies!

4. Make it fun. Mary Poppins has it right – a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down! My kids loved the Mrs. Meyers hand-washing stations throughout the festival. Lemon Verbena and Lavender were the favorite hand soap scents from our family. When we are washing up, we like to sing the ABCs. It’s an easy way to know that we are washing long enough (and hopefully thoroughly enough, too!) Combining good-for-you products with sustainable habits and fun activities is a win for the whole family!

5. Do it together. My children watch EVERYTHING I do. And that means that they are often repeating the same actions. If I am out in the garden and enjoying the fresh air, my children are most likely right by my side. Whether it is blowing bubbles or visiting the local animal shelter, do it together and make healthy habits as a family! When my daughter was in kindergarten, we declared the school break our “summer of service.” We had a blast picking up litter on hiking trails and collecting pop cans to recycle.

This year was the first Get Messy Get Clean Festival by Target and I hope that there will be many more! Find out more about the Made to Matter brands here. 

This post is sponsored by the #GetMessyGetClean Festival. All opinions and fun are my own! 

The post Five Ways to Raise a Sustainable Family + #GetMessyGetClean Festival appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Now that is school is out it’s time to start thinking of how you will keep your kiddos busy this summer. While they can certainly play outside, there will be days where it will be miserably hot. A great place to visit that will keep them cool and entertained is Discovery Gateway!

We’ve already made our first visit to Discovery Gateway this summer. As you can tell from the picture above, it’s been one of our favorite things to do in Utah since Lily was a baby. And that’s one of my favorite things about Discovery Gateway – there is something for all ages. On our latest trip, we arrived at opening and didn’t leave until 4 pm. The kids loved every second of it!

Be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post as well as check out some tips of how to get the most out of your visit. But first, here’s a little about this fun museum!

Discovery Gateway children’s museum is located in the Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City. Discovery Gateway offers 60,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on fun. You can explore their engaging workshops, programs, and exhibits that invite the whole family to create, learn, and play together!

Exhibits Include:

• The Garden- A 30-foot beehive greets visitors to The Garden, an exhibit where children and adults work together to keep things “buzzing.”
• Kid’s Eye View– In the Kid’s Eye View exhibit, children can explore the big, wide world on a kid-sized scale.
• Story Factory- From classic stage to modern multimedia, the Story Factory exhibit offers visitors numerous ways to explore telling a story.
• Media Zone- Anchor the evening news or report the weather using the green screen in our Media Zone exhibit that takes visitors behind the scenes.
• The Studio- The worlds of the artist, scientist, and engineer combine in this hands-on creative space.
• The Terrace- Put your rescue skills to the test as a pilot, paramedic, or commando.

Now, we’ve been quite a few times and we’ve learned a few tips along the way about how to get the most out of your day.  Ready for some insider tips?!?!?

1.  Be on the look out for good deals! When we went last Friday, this was the best deal out there!  Loved saving 37 percent off my tickets!

2. Be there when it opens so that you can sign up for the extra classes before they fill up. They do put out additional sign-up sheets for the later classes around noon so you will want to check back in before you have lunch. These classes are one of my favorite things about Discovery Gateway. From counting fun with octopus art projects to learning about and creating their own Matis masterpieces, the classes are fun, up-beat, and educational. Our favorite day to go is Friday, because there are three different classes offered during the summer. It is the perfect way to break up the day. Check out all of the classes and times here. 

3. Take a sack lunch to enjoy at their picnic tables on the bottom floor by the entrance. I put string cheese and frozen gogurts in a small insulated bag and they were perfect for lunch time. Food and drink is not allowed in the museum so plan for snack times/meals down at the picnic tables.

4. Establish expectations before you enter the museum. My children are ages 7,5, and 3 and all love different exhibits. Before we got out of the car, we made a plan to rotate who chose the next exhibit to visit. We would stay at each exhibit for 30 minutes or until the person who chose decides it is time to go. This seemed to work pretty well for us. We also made the rule that you had to be able to see Mom at all times.

5. Ditch the purse/diaper bag and wear a backpack. I put our lunches, my wallet, changes of clothes, etc. all in a backpack so that I would have my hands free to play with the kids. This made it so much easier than having to keep track of a purse. You need both hands free to take fun videos like this of the Hurricane Simulator.

For more details about our favorite exhibits, check out this post. 

Giveaway Time!

I am excited to be giving you the chance to win a 1-year family membership for 4! This is a $115 value!

Enter using the rafflecopter widget below. You must be a Utah resident to win. Giveaway ends 6/22/15. Good Luck!

Disclosure: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment or shipment. I was not compensated to participate in this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post contains affiliate links. 

The post Tips for getting the most out of your visit to Discovery Gateway + Family Membership Giveaway & Discount Tickets! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

This weekend is your last chance to see the Body Worlds exhibit at The Leonardo in Salt Lake City. I took my family earlier this year and it was fascinating. Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life left me with a greater appreciation for how the human body works.

This latest exhibition from physician and pioneering anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens showcases the body in all stages of life.  Seeing all of the different organs, vessels, and muscles and how they intricately work together was incredible.  This exhibit and others like it are currently showing in America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

“I hope for the exhibitions to be places of enlightenment and contemplation, even of philosophical and religious self recognition, and open to interpretation regardless of the background and philosophy of the life of the viewer,” said Gunther von Hagens of the exhibit.

After careful consideration, I decided to take my children to the exhibit.  My son and I had gone to the Animals Inside Out exhibit at The Leonardo and it had been a great learning experience for us both. Before our visit, we talked about the things we would see and the appropriate museum behavior.  Here are a few of the other things we did to prepare.

Start by checking out child-friendly web-sites (like Kids Health) about how the body works. This will give you an idea of your child’s interest and readiness for an exhibit like Body Worlds. KidsHealth.org has animated films that talk about how different systems in our body work – like this one about bones. Their site has a variety of quizzes, activities, movies, articles, and word finds about how the body works – from our heart to our brain.

You can also download and print off the educator’s guide for grades 5-8. This includes worksheets, activities, and frequently asked questions that were adaptable for my young  children.

We arrived early to the museum and parked at the Salt Lake Library to give the children a chance to get their wiggles out on the walk over.

At the exhibit itself, we went through at our children’s pace. We stopped at the exhibits that interested them most and read some of the facts for them. Some exhibits they wanted to linger at and others they didn’t stop at which was perfectly fine. They had a lot of questions and it was a great way for us all to learn about how our bodies work.

After the Body World’s exhibit, we had a blast checking out the rest of the exhibits in The Leonardo. The art area on the first floor is always a favorite. The variety of materials could easily amuse my children for hours.

Lily’s favorite exhibit was learning about aerodynamics on the second floor. After about an hour of trial and error, she made some great discoveries!

Her first experiment:

I love what she discovered about this origami bird and nest. I was fascinated that the bird always ended up in the next as well! Her last experiment:

Kyler spent almost an hour tinkering with all the gadgets in the building area.

Make it a family date this weekend at The Leonardo before the exhibit closes. There’s something there for all ages. It has become one of our families favorite places to visit. You can get tickets for Body Worlds for $9.95 with the code ARCHES here. Be sure to check out when Body Worlds will be in your corner of the world at their web-site.

The post Last Chance to See Body Worlds at The Leonardo appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Is your life as crazy-busy-run from one lesson/meeting/event to the next as mine? I was talking to Nicole Carpenter, creator of MOMentity, about how I feel like I am putting out fires in my life instead of  building my dream life. I jump from one crisis to the next maintaining our family life, but never quite creating the life I want for my family. Sound familiar to anyone?

So how do  we move from maintaining to creating? One way I have learned is through meaningful traditions and family routines. As I’ve mentioned before, my family does much better when we tie these traditions to something we already have to do every day. Prime example = meal time! Everyone has to eat! Confession time, in year’s past we have not been perfect about our scripture study together as a family. Sad, but true! For example, our mornings sometimes resemble a jumble of looking for shoes, gobbling up French toast, and running out the door just in time.

In my head, I’ve envisioned us snuggled up together on the couch reading scriptures or them coloring printables from LDS.org as I read inspirational things to them that will strengthen them during the day. That just hasn’t happened every morning! So this year we are doing our family scripture study at the breakfast table and I am so excited to introduce you to a book that has made it so much easier! This book is perfect for busy families and can be used a meal times, in the car, or even as part of your bedtime routines (which we have ended up doing a time or two!)

Nicole Carpenter has created an amazing book, 52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family, that is PERFECT for a year’s worth of daily devotionals. The book includes:

A new theme for each week

Scriptures to read together

Quotes from Latter-day prophets

Discussion questions to get you thinking

The book is divided into four sections: Value Lessons, Life Lessons, Gospel Lessons and Holiday Lessons. From there it is divided into 52 gospel topics Tithing, Good Works, Temples, Talents, Divine Worth, etc. Each week has scriptures, quotes, discussion questions, and additional resources to go along with theme.

I love that this is one way that I can improve our scripture study this year. So far, we are doing the five minute devotionals in order, but I definitely plan to switch it up depending on the needs of my family that week. I already have Week 42, Temples, book-marked for the week of the Payson Temple Open House. Each week is a gold-mine of spiritual nuggets. I love that Nicole has included videos that can be looked up online, supporting conference addresses, and well-known quotes like this one:

I plan on laminating some of my favorite quotes and scriptures from the week to put under our clear table cloth for the kids to read during the rest of the meals.

52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family is one of my favorite books that I have added to our family’s collection this year. Simplifies my life and helps me to create more of the family culture that I desire! You can find Nicole’s amazing book on Amazon.com at 52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family! Right now it is #1 Best Seller!

I have a little surprise for you! I am giving away one copy of the book to a lucky reader! Enter in the rafflecopter  below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are your favorite family traditions?

How has scripture study worked best for your family?

I received a copy of this book for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.

The post 52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family + Giveaway! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s my first year going to Roots Tech in Salt Lake City and I am so excited! Roots Tech has been on my radar for a few years as the largest family history event in the world. As a blogger and a wanna-be genealogist, this conference combines many of my interests. There’s something incredibly special that comes from knowing and sharing our personal and family histories.

At our Sunday night dinners with extended family, we have been playing family history jeopardy (leave me a comment if you want the details!)  As we retell our favorite family stories and even sing a few of the silly songs that have been passed down through the generations, I am thrilled to watch my little ones drink it all in.

Have you seen the amazing list of speakers and entertainers lined up? Former first lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna Bush Hager are keynote speakers along with Donny Osmond. The opening social features one of my Youtube favorites Alex Boye and the One Voice Children’s Choir. My daughter and I were recently in the World’s Largest Living Nativity with Alex Boye and it was amazing!

As if that is not enough, the closing social will feature David Archuleta and BYU’s popular Studio C. I am excited to be participating in the Family Discover Day on February 14th with my daughter. As a child I remember being fascinated hearing my family’s stories and I want my daughter to feel the same way.

With over 200 classes over the 3-days, there is sure to be something for everyone interested in family history. There are a variety of pass options available for one day to three day.  I am excited to be giving away a 3-DAY PASS to one of my lucky winners!

 The 3-day pass to Roots Tech includes the following

• over 200 classes

• Keynotes

• General sessions

• Getting started classes

• Expo hall

• Evening events

Enter in the Rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Details:

• Must be 18 years old to enter.
• Giveaway ends January 30, 2015 at 12:00 am.
• Winner will receive a certificate with instructions and code good for one 3-day pass to RootsTech 2015 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, February 11-14, 2015.
• If winner has already purchased a ticket they can get a full refund. Instructions are included in the winner certificate.
• Winner has 24 hours to respond to e-mail or a new winner will be chosen.

Find out more about Roots Tech and get your passes here.

Are you a family history fan like me? (I would love to read your cool stories in the comments!)

The post Giveaway for 3-day pass to #RootsTech! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s no secret that our family loves visiting The Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake. We first discovered The Leonardo as part of the Salt Lake Connect Pass and it has since become a favorite. All the sophistication of an adult museum with the interactive elements of a children’s museum.

This month we are excited to go to Body Worlds – more than 200 plastinates—real human specimens preserved through Dr. von Hagens’ invention, the remarkable process of Plastination. The exhibit closes February 16th so you will want to get tickets soon! You can get a $4 off coupon here.

Be sure to check out the educational resources provided by The Leonardo to prepare your children before you go. I took my 5 year old to the Animal Inside Out exhibit last year it was definitely a learning experience for both of us! We went through the exhibit at his pace and he learned a lot! He also loved the water exhibit which is still there. The hands on experiments are perfect for elementary school children.

The Leonardo has definitely enriched our family education over the past few years. Lily loved the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit. She even won second place in her entire elementary school’s Love of Reading contest for the project she did on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Be sure to get your $4 off tickets before Body Worlds closes February 16!

Have you ever been to The Leonardo?

What is your favorite museum exhibit that you have experienced?

The post Experience Body Worlds at The Leonardo + Coupon Code! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

This year I was finally prepared for the Halloween candy aftermath! I was up before dawn with my trusty Scotch Thermal Laminator and Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches (these have been worth their weight in gold this year!) making Halloween candy math games and studying candy experiments. If we’re all going to be on a sugar high the day after Halloween – we may as well learning something while we are at it!

My quick work did not disappoint. All three children (ages 3-7) had a blast doing Halloween math games and Halloween candy experiments. It easily held their attention this morning and was completely adaptable to each of their grade levels.

First up was candy graphing with M&Ms and Skittles as pictured above. I used this 2 inch printable graphing paper from Classroom Jr – perfect size for candy counting! And then I laminated those babies so that we can use them again next year! Before we started graphing with the M&Ms, we each guessed which color we would have the most of. The winner – orange! Interesting, huh?

After the graphing, we took a math break and did some candy science. We attended the BYU Chemistry Magic Show a few weeks ago and the kids loved it! (PS if you are in the Utah County area in October – you’ve got to attend!) I knew that doing our own candy experiment would be a hit.

I gave each child a small glass of water and instructed them to a put a skittle or M&M in the water. We then guessed what we thought would happen and eagerly watched to see if our guess was correct.

They correctly guessed that the color would come off of the candy, but they were so surprised when the letters, S & M, floated to the top. Definitely candy magic!

We also discovered that the skittle reacted much more quickly with the water than the M&M did.

And here’s another shot of the S floating to the top. Very cool when you are a five year old!

Next up was more laminated fun with M&Ms. I laminated these quick and easy math pages from the Mama Miss. Both my kindergartner and second grader had fun figuring out different ways to add to a certain number with their candy pieces.

Surprisingly, my kids didn’t gobble up all the candy. They were having too much fun doing the Halloween math games! I think having access to their candy in the morning and having fun with it helped to dull their immediate need to devour the entire bag like some years.

One aspect of this post-Halloween learning time that I loved was that my kindergartner began making up his own games. If you remember from my Halloween Pumpkin Learning Activities post, this boy loves to make patterns! Perfect way to use those M&Ms and Skittles again!

We had so much fun together this morning and I am thrilled to have them laminated for next year. I’m sure we will use them throughout the next week or so and then save them for next year (or the next time we have an influx of candy!)

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

How do you handle the Halloween candy in your house?

The post Four Ways to Use Up Your Halloween Candy – Math Games & Candy Experiments! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

(Be sure to enter our Spring 2015 General Conference GIveaway. Over $400 in prizes including gift cards to Deseret Book, Sweet Salt Clothing, and Thrive Food Storage! Ends 4/1/2015)

In the last six months, I’ve thought a lot about what I want my children to learn from General Conference. In April, I posted many of our conference traditions. This year’s conference weekend will similarly be full of cinnamon rolls, updating 72-hour kits, and creative printables, but I especially want to hone in on one specific goal. That goal is teaching my children to recognize and follow the prophet’s voice.

There are many amazing resources available, but I’d like to share with your the ones that I found on lds.org. Here are a few of the things we are doing to better follow the prophet in our home.

1. Listening at meal times. I still remember an audio quiz I took in high school seminary. Our teacher played clips from general conference and asked us to write down who was speaking. He then played clips from popular music, TV shows, and movies and asked us again to write down who was in the clip. Sadly, I did much better on the pop culture part than the church part! That has always stuck with me!

One easy way to help your children to physically recognize the voices of general authorities is to play them often in your home. We literally have General Conference talks at our finger tips. Play a talk from April’s session at meal time, even if it is just a clip and talk about who said it and what it means.

2. Utilize prime real estate. Put the word’s of the prophets up around your home. One of my mom friend’s says that she has quotes taped to her cupboards, to her children’s doors, and even to the wall in front of the toilet! The more your children see and read the words, the more likely they are to remember them! We’ve done this this year with The Family Proclamation to the World. My Clear Plastic Tablecloth has gotten a lot of use! You can also put quotes under the table cloth for memorization.

I also did a search on Pinterest for free General Conference printables and found quite a few that I liked to print and laminate. (Putting this Laminator to use!). You can see some of my favorites on my General Conference Pinterest Board (along with other great ideas to help you prepare for general conference!). Above is one of my favorites from Mimi Lee Printables. You can find it here.

3. Play online games. My kids love playing games online. Why not use them to help get ready for conference! These matching games will definitely help with facial recognition if your child plays them during the next few weeks leading up to conference.

4. Take a tour of conference center online. There are child-led video tours of all the buildings on temple square. At two-minutes length, these videos would be perfect for a devotional or family home evening to familiarize children with what they will see conference weekend!

5. Subscribe to the Friend or view it online. There are articles in the Friend each month written by the general authorities along with the many activities and stories. My daughter reads at least 20 minutes a day for her school homework and the Friend provides perfect reading material while exposing her to the words of the prophets!

6. Make it fun. All three of my children love the general authority matching cards from the Friend (pictured at the top of the post). Even my three year old enjoys pointing at the cards and asking, “who is that?” I love hearing him try to pronounce Elder Uchtdorf and talk about the man who flies planes! 

7. Set up a writing and drawing station in the weeks leading up to conference with printables produced by the church. If you use up those printables before general conference, worry not! There are many more resources put out by church memories available to print out as well! You can check out some of them below!

I hope these ideas help your and your family to prepare to listen to the prophet’s voice. The more we listen to and heed the prophet’s voice ourselves, the more our children will as well.

Here are more resources put together by my talented blogger friends to help you prepare for general conference!

We hope that our activities and ideas will help to enrich your family’s General Conference experience! For more ideas and recipes, check out April’s General Conference round up for 13 additional posts!

Preparing for Inspiration

Quiet Time with Doh Vinci

General Conference Bingo

General Conference Yearly Calendar

General Conference Personal Progress Scavenger Hunt
General Conference Journal Cards
General Conference Fun Scratch Off Cards

General Conference Packet with Temple Memory Matching Printable

General Conference Journal for Moms

General Conference Fun Bags

What are your favorite conference traditions?

Be sure to enter our Fall Conference Giveaway going on through 9/27/14!!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

The post Resources for Teaching Children about Following the Prophet + 10 Preparation Ideas #ldsconf appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Confession: I’ve been collecting children’s books since I was in high school. As a child I loved reading – scratch that – I was obsessed with reading. I carried a book everywhere I went. Now that I have children of my own, I want to pass that same passion for reading on to them so I am always on the lookout for new books for our children’s library.

When I was introduced to the interactive children’s book – Pictivities by Meg and Corbin Frost – I knew it would be a hit with my little ones. This board book is the first to completely capture all three children’s  (ages 7,5, and 2) attention simultaneously. Those of you with young children know how difficult that can be!

The Pictivity books are designed to generate interaction between reader and child by linking pictures to words and actions. On each page there is a picture button that shows an object, animal, or person. Each image is also linked to an action. You prompt your child to touch the button and then you both say and do the action together. My children absolutely loved this and were immediately engaged.

The book was pure delight for the whole family. The simplicity of the interactive pages created a fun, family-centered reading time that we all enjoyed. One thing that I have noticed since my oldest began reading is that how much she enjoys a book directly affects how much she reads. This is the perfect book for creating that base memory of reading equaling fun. My children loved the book so much they begged my husband to read it again.

Pictivities is currently one of the top five most popular children’s books on KickStarter. Meg and Corbin are raising funds to produce the first run of books before Christmas. This would be the perfect gift under your little reader’s Christmas tree! By pledging $10, you can get this adorable book by Christmas. Pledge more and they have other delightful prizes in store!

Pictivities is currently halfway to its fundraising goal with only 16 days left! Do yourself a favor and support this great move forward in children’s literature while getting a little Christmas shopping done as well! 

I received a copy of this book to review. 

What is your favorite children’s book?

What do your children ask you to read again and again?

Have you funded a project on Kickstarter before?

The post Pictivities – An Interactive Board Book that My Children Love! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

I just got back from a week-long visit to my sister, the lovely Cambria from Live to be Inspired. She moved across the country to Pennsylvania and just had her first beautiful baby girl! I was spoiled with dozens of newborn snuggles – in between making meals and doing tiny, adorable laundry, of course.

On the last day of our visit my sister decided that she was up for a road trip. We made the drive to Gettysburg and had just enough time to see the highlights of the historic city. Here are our top five recommendations if you only have a day or a few hours in this amazing place!

1. David Wills House

Many of the museums close between 4-5 pm, but we were able to spend about 45 minutes at the The David Wills House. This was perfect to help us get our bearings of the city! The Civil War refresher course was definitely needed as well. With several interactive exhibits and short films, it easily kept the attention of my five year old nephew. Plus we were able to get maps and brochures to help us navigate the rest of Gettysburg.

Seeing the room Abraham Lincoln slept in and must have pondered the Gettysburg address in was awe-inspiring. There is something uniquely special about learning history in the places where it actually occurred. I could scarcely imagine the more than 50,000 soldiers descending upon this tiny town, much less losing their lives there. The statistics were astounding and the accounts of brother vs. brother, friend vs. friend where heart-wrenching.

2. Gettysburg National Military Park

My father, the history officiando who we had on speed dial during our trip, highly recommends beginning your visit at the National Park Service and Museum for the Gettysburg National Military Park. We arrived after hours so we were out of luck! But if you do have time, the Gettysburg Cyclorama is an excellent way to see the scope of the battle before going out into the fields.

You could truly spend hours walking the paths, but with evening approaching we spent a few quiet moments on the ridge across from the cemetery admiring the beauty of Gettysburg and feeling humbled by what took place there.

3. The Soldiers National Cemetery 

We crossed the road to the Soldiers National Cemetery – something I definitely did not want to miss as part of our evening in Gettysburg. My sister paused at the entrance with her little boy to talk about silence and respect for the soldiers and what took place there. It was a sweet moment to witness. It is important to teach our children facts and dates, but it is just as vital to teach them the morals and feelings that encompassed such events.

As you walk the paths of the cemetery, you truly get a feeling of treading on hallowed ground. The sacrifice of each man buried there became very apparent and embedded in my heart.

4. The Pub & Restaurant

To round out our visit to Gettysburg, our last stop was dinner. As we poured over restaurant recommendations in the area, we all agreed that we wanted to eat somewhere unique to Gettysburg. Hoping to find a place with a touch of history, we discovered The Pub & Restaurant in Historic Lincoln Square. Right across the street from the David Wells House! Our request to eat out on the patio gave us a perfect view of the history-steeped establishments on the square. Be sure to have quarters on hand for the parking meters around the square.

I love dining family style so we selected several appetizers and a pizza to share. The food was as amazing as the surroundings. The fresh baked Italian bread smothered in cheese and flavored with garlic was a favorite as well as the Southwest egg rolls with an avocado dipping sauce that stole the show. The Caprese pizza was just as much a crowd-pleasure with its fresh spinach, house Bruschetta mix, and mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Feast your eyes on the ooey-gooey yumminess!

5. Child-Friendly Gettysburg

Our visit to Gettysburg was relatively child friendly. With more time I would do the junior ranger program for children at the Visitors Center. The interactive programs allow the children to experience for themselves what it was like to be a soldier in the Civil War by handling equipment, documents, and uniforms from the era (in a safe and age-appropriate manner, of course!)

While I was at the David Wills House, I picked selected a board book, The Story of Abraham Lincoln for my children’s souvenir. My children are ages 2-7 years old so it was right on their level of reading and understanding. It is available for purchase at the store or you can order it ahead of time to prepare your children for their visit to Gettysburg. My five year old nephew and I talked about Gettysburg in a simplified manner on the ride there and I think that it helped to pique his curiousity.

My evening in Gettysburg was just enough to whet my appetite for a return visit. While I am grateful for the brief time I had to walk the hallowed paths, I am eager to return to places of such historic significance. There is so much we can learn from our past and pass on to our children!

Have you been to Gettysburg?

What is your favorite historical place that you have visited?

What historical place is on your bucket list to visit?

The post What to see in Gettysburg if you only have a day! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

I became a journalist because of my high school choir teacher.

Seriously.

One of my first newspaper assignments was a column for the opinion page on the controversial editing of the movie Titanic. I buried myself in research about whether it was legal for people to buy edited copies of the movie. I filled my opinion piece with supportive facts and unknowingly took a very unpopular stance amongst high school students.

At the next staff meeting, letter to the editor after letter to the editor was read about how I was not only wrong, but also naive, stupid, and a myriad of other immature high school descriptions. I was crushed and wondering what I was even doing in a newspaper class.

My next class was choir and I was a little surprised when my teacher pulled me aside. He spent the next five minutes praising my journalistic writing and my bravery for taking an unpopular viewpoint. That was a turning point for me. Because Dr. Lee cared to take the time to bolster my fragile journalist ego, I decided to give newspaper writing another try.

I continued writing for the high school newspaper and received a full-tuition scholarship to write for the university newspaper the next year. I thrived under incredible teachers who believed in me and transformed from a shy freshman to editor in chief to the first student newspaper adviser. Journalism became my passion thanks to a choir teacher who encouraged me to stick with it.

Now that I have children of my own, I understand even more the importance of teachers who are passionate about their jobs. I adore my daughter’s first grade teacher and the efforts she goes to to make learning fun and exciting for the children. I was thrilled to learn of Office Depot and Adopt-A-Classroom’s Teachers Change Lives program. The two organizations have partnered to raise awareness about teachers, and all they do in the lives of their students. Adopt-A-Classroom is a nonprofit organization that helps connect donors with teachers to enhance the learning environment for students

I have many friends who are teachers and know that they spend money every year out of their own pocket. Like my friends, there are teachers across the country doing innovation things in the classroom to help our children. Office Depot is highlighting several of these teachers stories. I selected two of my favorites to share with you.

Estella Pyfrom uses her Brillant Bus to give students access to technology. She used her life savings to build this bus to help bridge the digital divide. She has recently been featured as one of CNN’s heroes.

Cassie Cox is a teacher at an alternative high school in Utah. This is the last stop for students before dropping out. Cassie is a former drop out who went on to earn her Masters Degree, and wants the same for her students. She gives them a second chance, and a new way to look at learning.

You can donate to the teacher highlighted in the video, or a teacher in your local community. Just follow these easy steps:

How to Donate to a Teacher
Go to Teachers Change Lives website
Click on the teal “Donate to a Teacher” box on the Teachers Change Lives website, which will take you to the Adopt-A-Classroom website
Follow the corresponding steps from there

How to Register Your Classroom as a Teacher
Go to Teachers Change Lives website (http://clvr.li/1emq4KF)
Click on the red box that says “Register Your Classroom,” which will take you to the Adopt-A-Classroom website
Follow the corresponding steps from there

Do you have a teacher who inspired you in school?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post Teachers Change Lives appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

This year is flying by for my family! In the blessed chaos of carpool, homework, lessons, and play time, my husband and I are constantly on the look out for new ideas and resources to help improve our family. In just under two weeks, I will be attending the Live Well Utah hands-on workshops put on my Utah State University Extension.

If you are looking for a date night or a girl’s night out, come have fun with us! Join us for a night out with entertaining presenters, food and door prizes. Choose from four hands-on workshops about food, finances, gardening and family. Everyone will leave with fun take-aways. Now I have to decide if my husband and I will go true date night style together or divide and conquer to take advantage of all the great ideas!

You will love the venues! I attended a Summer Soiree at the Conservation Garden Park and I loved their Education Center. Thanksgiving Point is one of our regular hot spots to go to as well!

Here are the details for the event!

Live Well Utah | Conservation Garden Park | West Jordan, UT

Feb. 19 from 7 to 9 PM | $10 per person

Register Here

Live Well Utah | Thanksgiving Point | Lehi, UT

Feb. 20 from 7 to 9 PM | $10 per person

Register Here

My lovely readers can get $2 off by using the promo code UTAH. 

All of the presenters have been featured on Studio 5. Can’t wait to hear their tips! Here is the line up for the workshops:

Teresa Hunsaker – Make Your Meals Easy, Economical and Elegant

Amanda Christensen – 6 Tools to Crack Your Money Code

Jerry Goodspeed – How to Start Your Vegetables Early Indoors

Dave Francis – Fun and EZ Science for Kids and Families

For more information check out the event website.

Now for the fun part, I have two tickets to give away to my lucky readers! They are good for either location.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lily loves to measure and pour so when I saw this science project that was simple and easy – I knew we had to do it!

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