Find JOY this Season with Personal Progress

Find JOY this Season with Personal Progress

Any Way You Slice It . . . Personal Progress Tastes Fulfilling

Any Way You Slice It . . . Personal Progress Tastes Fulfilling

Take a Moment-O This Week for Personal Progress

Take a Moment-O this week for Personal Progress.

Time To Refine . . . Personal Progress

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Time to Refine . . . VIRTUE
Start a new value experience today!
"The color of virtue is gold because gold is pure. It shines. It is soft, not harsh or brash. It is precious. Gold must be refined. As you live a pure and virutous life, you will be refined by your life's experiences, and as you "trust in the Lord" (Proverbs 3:5) and draw closer to Him, He will "Make [your] hearts as gold" (Roger Hoffman, "Consider the Lilies"). As we call for a return to virtue, we would like to ask all young women, their mothers, and their leaders to complete this additional value experience". -- Elaine S. Dalton

Gold VIRTUE pencils purchased at Deseret Book 7 for $2.99.

Return to Virtue

It has been my pleasure to spend this week with our ward young women at Heber Valley Camp http://www.hebervalleycamp.org/. We were especially honored (as the first group of the summer) to participate in High on a Mountain Top A Banner Is Unfurled -- the raising of the gold flag representing virtue. As you may know, enormous flags representing the Young Women values line the entrance to the camp.





















The lovely, inspiring, Young Women General President Elaine Dalton addressed the 2300 young women in attendance. She explained her inspiration for the new value and its color, called for a return to virtue, shared her testimony, and promised that a virtuous young woman can change the world . . . will change the world.
















We closed waving gold ribbons and singing High on the Mountain Top. The Spirit bore witness to me of the truth she spoke. The young women we serve are strong, compassionate, and unyielding to unrighteous influences. They will change this world as they prepare it for our Savior's second coming. It is an honor for me to associate with them!

Do Something EGGstraordinary with Personal Progress

Do Something EGGstraordinary with Personal Progress!

Stick To It (Lipgloss Stick)

Personal Progress . . . Stick To It
Attached lipgloss stick 3 for $1 at Target.

What Are You Working On Lately?

This candy jar has each young woman’s name on a piece of paper (we include the leaders, too). Each Sunday, the young woman conducting opening exercises draws a name from the jar. The one picked tells us what experience or project she is currently working. Rewarded with a piece of candy! They get the point -- always be working on something. Thanks to our ward YW Presidency for this fabulous idea that helps keeps the YW who have completed the program involved.

Sweet Accomplishment! Candy Bar Poster

Thanks Jeannie R. for this fabulous idea for a candy bar poster! Jeannie's original poster incorporated other fantastic items like:

You are a joy (Almond Joy) to work with in YW.
You blew (bubble gum or bubbles) us away with your hard work and knowledge of the gospel.
You always knew the reason (Riesen) you needed to get things done.
You were always rolling (Rolo or Tootsie Roll) along in your progress.
You were never a dud (Milk Duds).
No one can Snicker (Snickers) at you.
Now Skittle (Skittles) on along helping others out.
Be that great example by showing them the way (Milky Way).
Go forward and shine because you were always mint to be a star (mint, Starburst)

Put Your Heart Into Personal Progress

Put Your Heart into Personal Progress!

"The Original Quick Release Lollipop Mold!" can be purchased from Sweet Creations at http://www.lollipopmolds.com/. They also have flavoring, sticks, and bags. These molds are so fun and easy to use! Spray the molds with a non-stick cooking spray. Place molds on a sprayed flat surface (marble slab or new, flat cookie sheet work nicely). Place clip over tabs of mold and insert sucker stick between tabs.

Hard Candy Recipe:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup white corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon flavoring*

food coloring

Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in small saucepan. Cook on medium high to 300 degrees (hard crack). Remove from heat and let cool to 275 degrees then add flavoring and food coloring. Stir until blended. Pour into molds (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Allow to cool until candy is set.

Remove clip from mold then remove mold from lollipop.

I have also found flavoring, sticks, and bags at Roberts, Michaels, and WalMart.

*use 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on concentration of flavoring

Get the Lead Out!

C'mon Get the Lead Out! and work on Personal Progress. Thanks Dee for submitting this cute idea!

B'Chic Mechanical Pencils purchased at Target 6 for $2.99.

Personal Progress Rewards

The color of each basket and its contents correspond with the color of a Young Women Value. When a Young Woman completes a Value Experience or Value Project she gets to choose her Value Reward. Rewards include lip gloss, lotion, bubble bath, bath gel, bath fizz, pens, pencils, highlighters, stickers, candy, gum, locker accessories, picture frames, nail polish, nail files, note books, cd covers, magnets, picture clips, etc. When we started this program, we let each Young Woman "catch up" and choose a reward for each item she had complete. Loot bags were needed that first night! Most items were purchased at a dollar store in packages of 2,3,4 or more. Candy and gum are the least expensive -- but lip gloss and bath gel are the most popular! White, yellow, and purple are the most difficult to find -- so keep an eye out for them!

My Daughter HATES Personal Progress

I don't understand how she can hate something that I love so much. She's 14. When I was her age, I loved personal progress. My parents never had to coax me to work on it. I just did it, enjoyed it, and had meaningful experiences with it. Naturally, I thought she would be the same. Her first six months in Young Women, I didn't bother her about it. She did nothing. The next year-and-a-half I reminded, encouraged, rewarded, begged, sat and did it with her . . . but it's just another box to check, a chore that mom wants her to do. My prodding wasn't helping. I decided to stop nagging and let her choose to do it on her own. Now, six months later, nothing has been accomplished.

This weekend I started with "you know, Personal Progress brings you closer to the Savior". Nice try. Sunday morning I suggested (admittedly, I announced) that it was time to work on Personal Progress. She threw a fit -- whined like my 3-year-old and dragged herself across the floor to her room to get the book. All she needed to do was write in her journal about her Individual Worth #4 experience (she participated in a school band concert) . After 20 minutes of whining and 3 minutes of silence she brought it to me to pass off. Her journal stated "I wanted to quit band, but my mom wouldn't let me. Now I'm a better flute player."

I think I'm most heart-broken because she doesn't want to be like me.

Five Reasons to Love Personal Progress

Five Reasons to Love Personal Progress (Jan Pinborough, New Era, Nov 2006, 32-36). My favorite article on Personal Progress. This booklet is half-page size with 6 pages -- the cover + 1 page for each of the five reasons. I typed the entire article.













(1) Because It Can Change The World; (2) Because It Can Change You; (3) Because You're So Busy; (4) Because It Leads You To The Temple; (5) Because It Can Help You Reach Your Dreams.

#3 is kind of tricky -- you think you're too busy to do Personal Progress. In reality, it helps you take time in your busy life for the things that are most important to you.

I tried to pick a favorite -- but can't. All are inspiring!!

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=4aea35c4ceeae010VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD


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Highlight Your Day

Highlight Your Day With Personal Progress. Attached a small highlighter purchased in the dollar bins at Target.

Inch By Inch

Achieve Your Personal Progress Goals Inch By Inch. Attached a ruler-themed pencil purchased at Oriental Trading Company.

Jolly Good Time

Have a Jolly Good Time Doing Personal Progress. Attached a Jolly Rancher hard candy.

Get Hooked

Get Hooked On Personal Progress. Attached a small bag of Swedish Fish candy.

Love

Love Personal Progress. Attached a heart-shaped candy lollypop purchased at Oriental Trading Company.

Make Time

Make Time for Personal Progress. Attached a candy watch.

Pencil In Time

Pencil In Time for Personal Progress. Attached a pencil inscribed with the annual YW theme, purchased at Deseret Book.