perpetual positive propulsion packet

a few years ago, our family made a care package for the missionaries in our area at Christmas/thanksgiving time.   we did that every year for around 200 young people for (i think four) years.   it was such a great project!   we so enjoyed it.   we got help from others and were able to even get some donations from stores.    then, i moved. . . i no longer had the resources  the help or the sponsors i had worked so hard to get.   i do not give up so easy.   last year, living in a travel trailer, my daughter and i made a care package for the two missionaries in our ward.   this year, we have just continued as we could to make this book for as many as possible throughout the year.   i decided that i should share this book for anyone who wants to make one, twenty or two hundred for a college student, spouse, serviceperson, missionary, etc. . . or just for yourself.
i used a little 16 page book, literally, 8 pieces of paper folded in half with a cover.   

the first page was this poem and the paragraphs under it.   

GRATITUDE ATTITUDE

When an attitude of gratitude

is the thing that you've begun

you'll find that more than gratitude

is the thing that you have won

gratitude begets a thinking

that is higher than the trees

it points your thoughts to heaven

and tends to bend the knees

you'll find your spirits lifted

and your feet some off the ground

when you look for every blessing

the One who blessed you will be found

-KaRee Ogden

our family has used gratitude to carry us though the hardest of times. We name something everyday that we are grateful for. It has to be something new or a new reason to be grateful for something every day. We have written some of the things we are grateful for in the book but hope you will find lots of wonderful things and reasons to be grateful every day.

We've included some positive thoughts for you as well. We all have some days that are better than others. On those not so grand days, remember how much you are loved, find your gratitude, look for some positive thoughts. Add your own positive thoughts so you perpetually have positive propulsion.   

on every page, we wrote the things we are thankful for on the edges of the pages.   we used the list on thankful everyday for our list because, well, it is our list.

then, on every page, we wrote a positive quote from some of these sites.  i love the last one especially, last site and quote actually.

http://www.ldsfacts.net/mission6.htm

Think enthusiastically! Talk enthusiastically! Act enthusiastically! If you are not really enthused, act as if you are, think as if you are, and you will be! --Glen L. Rudd

That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased. -- a favorite saying of Heber J. Grant

Self-discipline is doing what you know you should do when you do not want to do it. -- President N. Eldon Tanner

Keep trying, be believing, be happy, don’t get discouraged, things will work out. -- Gordon B. Hinckley

Your attitude will determine your altitude. -- Anonymous

http://www.themissionofmoms.com/p/favorite-missionary-quotes.html

Don’t count your days—make your days count.
Elder Jay Jensen

God is very serious about joy in the lives of His children. - Neal A. Maxwell

All crosses are easier to carry when we keep moving. - Neal A. Maxwell

Meekness is knowing who you are and
not having to prove it. - Anonymous

The greater part of happiness depends on our disposition and not on our circumstances. -
Martha Washington

http://thinkpositive30.com/blog/tag/daily-positive-thought/

One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself. – -Leonardo da Vinci

You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every thought we think is creating our future.
– Louise L. Hay

Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.~ St. Francis of Assisi

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/inspirational

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
― MahatmaGandhi

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
― ThomasA. Edison

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh,the Places You'll Go!

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
― NeilGaiman, Coraline

It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
― GeorgeEliot

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
― TheodoreRoosevelt

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― WinstonChurchill

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.”
― MayaAngelou

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!”
― AudreyHepburn

“Peace begins with a smile..”
― MotherTeresa

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
― RalphWaldo Emerson

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― MargaretMead

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alicein Wonderland

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
― MartinLuther King Jr.

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
― RobertLouis Stevenson

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
― St. Francis of Assisi

“Try a little harder to be a little better.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." 
— Fred Rogers

of course, we added stickers and decorated it.   in some of the packets, we added some kind of fun thing.  the packages have changed over the years. 

after my original posting of this, my friends asked where the pictures were.   so i added pics and thought i'd give a bit of background on how to organize a project like this.

the first year, was just my sister, mom, grandmother and i.   i contacted the president of the mission and asked permission and about any guidelines etc.
we gathered what we could on a limited budget and put them in brown paper sacks.   we had little toys, candy, cookies.   just small stuff.   we used a room in the church and spread out all the bags and went down each row of bags dropping one of whatever we had in the bag.   the next person went behind with another item dropping one of each in the bags and so on.

the next year, i asked my ward for help and was able to put some bigger snack items in the bag.   i had gathered things the whole year so i was able to get some bigger things, school supplies at walmart were great.  i used the lds.org website to ask for help at a stake level as well.   i had my sister ask for help in her ward.   we tried to spread the word a bit more.   with each year, we gained more experience and more support.   we had volunteers sewing Christmas socks for our project and the local food bank.  it was nice being able to work in conjunction with another group.   it really helped us gain support and volunteers.

then i put my pta years to work and asked the local lds businesses for help.   one of the deseret book stores let us put up collection jars.   the missionary store donated socks for 200 missionaries!   there was, of course, a tag that said where the socks came from and we sent a picture of the finished product to associated stores so they could use it for advertising.   we had people giving money and products to the project.   the stake primary pres wanted the kids of the stake to get involved in the service project so she had each primary assemble a small package that we put into it.   it had a toothbrush, a small toothpaste and a cute poem that said it was from the primary.   the young women put together positive thought book one year.   the elders quorum asked what they could do for the next year.   the relief society gathered packs of gum, so i didn't have to.   it was great, a lot of work, but great.   

here are a few more ideas for things that we put in our packages over the years.   some can be homemade, others require investment.   for instance, we purchased the fabric for scarves from the money raised by the deseret book jars.   they required work on our part to cut and fringe but they were a fun thing to do.

small toys like balls
gum
cookies
candy
jerky
snack packs of anything
tictacs
granola bars or mix
hot chocolate mix
travel sized toiletries-
toothbrush and paste
tissues
lotion
scarves
hats
bracelets
keychains
zipper pulls
magnets
small flashlights
sewing kits
first aid kits
positive thought books
bookmarks
homemade postcards or greeting cards
stamped envelopes
pen, pencils
notebooks
stickers
highlighters
post it notes
pencil toppers
pencil sharpeners
erasers

a few last tips for any project.

start early if you can but it doesn't take much to do something small.

get help.  recruit as many people as you can.   understand that if you get help, they may not do things exactly the way you want.   so with help, you give up total control.   but when you give up total control and get other people helping, you get more ideas, more time, more hands.   give people choices of how to help.  some have money, some have time.   accept both if you can.   delegating what needs done frees you up to do more.   usually, people want you to tell them what to do.   have a list of things people can do and just say, here are your options -
   

assembly lines are definitely your friend.   even with the books, i write one part, my daughter writes something, my son writes part.   you can see in the pictures that we laid out the socks or bags and just went down the line adding one of what we were carrying to every place.   it makes it go so much faster.   we reserved the gym for an entire day in order to get them put together.   if you don't have that kind of space, like we didn't for some years, do the best you can with what you have.   

   

 don't worry about things being perfect.  something will go wrong.    don't tell anyone and they probably won't even notice.

i built this project like i built my husband's business.   a little at a time.   looking for new resources    asking for help again and again.   start with what you have and work from there.   just work your way up.   i once had a salesman ask me how i expected to build a business without putting something out first.  i explained that i had already built a business without investors.   i have never had that kind of backing.  i just started with what i had and put some of what came out of it into the next thing.  be patient.   work your way up and out.   be happy with what you do have, with what you can do, make the most of it.

go take on the world, change your corner of it, extend your reach a little at a time and make a difference there.    

little update here - i have decided to print some instead of handwriting them.   there is just too much to do this time.   i found instructions on how to print a book when you don't have a handy program to do it, (like i don't have)   thought i would share - https://help.gnome.org/users/evince/unstable/print-booklet.html.en

i believe #11- according to my own conscience

i believe # 11

i claim the privilege to worship, believe, think, speak, live, act according to the dictates of my own conscience and allow all men, the same privilege, let them worship, believe, think, speak, live, act how where or what they may.

too often we wait for others to give us the right to live as we believe is correct.   i wait no more.   i lay claim to these privileges.

i will worship God.   i will not hide it or be quiet or shy about it.  i will give Him credit for all things, rely on Him, trust in Him, follow Him.   most of all, i will love Him.   because i love Him, i will love others, every one.
i will believe in what i perceive to be true, to be good, to be of value.   i will believe in things that others may not understand.

i will think as i please.   i will learn as much as i can.   i will think about anything i want to think about and i will not limit myself because others think differently.

i will speak my mind.   i will speak up for my beliefs, values, rights.   i will not be silenced because it is unpopular or considered politically or socially incorrect.  i will not be silent just because other do not want to hear what i have to say.   i will not be silent just because others may disagree with me.   i am not afraid of others not agreeing with me.   i know that we do not all agree on everything.   i am fine with that.

i will live as i believe is correct.   i will live according the values, morals, beliefs, and codes i see as right for me and my family.   i will raise my children to the best of my ability and teach them what i believe to be right.   i will live in a way that reflects my beliefs.   i will always try to be a better person every day.

i will act as i believe is correct.   i will do those things that i think are the best for me, my family, my community, my country, and my world.   i will not act different to my beliefs just because other may not agree.   i will be silly, goofy, weird, fun, brave, helpful, stalwart, compassionate, empathetic, opinionated, quiet, loud, strong, meek, proud, humble.   i will act according to what i believe to be best.

i will not push my beliefs on others.   i am willing to discuss and share and exchange ideas.   i will not force anyone to live according to conscience.    i will vote according to what i believe is best for me and my country .   that may be seen as limiting others.   i expect others to vote according to their belief system as well.     that is each person's right.   i will accepting and tolerant of others beliefs.    even if i speak against what others see as good, i do not dislike the person.   i do not have to agree with what others believe.   others do not have to agree with me.   we can disagree and still be respectful of each other.   we can disagree and still love each other.   i do not have to argue my point.   i do not have to fight.   i do not have to defend my beliefs and will not make other defend theirs.

aragog pinata

for my tomboy's princess's harry potter birthday, we decided to make pinatas.
we were short on time since i was studying and going to school for the last few weeks before my 2 big tests.   so, not awe inspiring but we had fun all the same.   i mean, it's going to get beat to death so it doesn't need to be pretty.    no one in germany had ever been able to smack a pinata so it was a "big hit".

ok, basic pinata making needs - a beach ball or large balloon is easiest, (but in a pinch, a large bowl will do), flour and enough water to make a loose paste, and torn up newspapers, and some string or thin rope to tie it up with.   don't forget to put a rope inside the paper mache to tie the pinata up with.

we use a couple different techniques.  

 first dip the paper on one end and run it through the paste gently pulling it through your fingers to get rid of the extra paste, then place on the form.

after a layer or so of that. we either lay dry paper over the already wet layer or smooth some paste right on the former layer and then lay dry paper over that.

make sure your crossing yourself with paper and not running in all one direction.   try to get even layers and not thick in one spot and thin in another.   if your using bowls, you will need to do 4 or 5 layers so it's thick enough to stand on it's own.  if it's too thin, just throw it back on and put more on then let it dry.    it should pop off fairly easily.   if you use a flexible bowl, you can flex it a bit to get the form to pop off better.    

once you have both sides of the form done, and dry, and off the forms, you can stand them together and start papering them together.  i used string to tie it together so i could use it to hang it as well.    as you are connecting them, don't forget to put your candy in before it's sealed up.   also, keep in mind that it's a pinata and not a decoration, you want to be able to break it.   i made one for my mom's office party one time that they had to take a hammer to it.   oops.   that was evidently too many layers.

since we needed some foes to fight with our harry potter party, we figured aragog was nice and easy .   it's just a big round body with 8 legs.   we balled up some paper and attached it for the head and taped together some tp rolls for the legs.  we cut down the center and rolled them smaller and then used masking tape to keep them rolled and to attach them to each other and the body.   then we put a layer over that.

we used a quick layer of paint and called it a aragog.   the point was to swing your "wand" at the spider and call out a spell to take it out.   there you go - harry potter pinata!   super easy and super fun!   they might want to try arania exumai but i'm sure bombarda, protego, reducto,  incendio
and a dozen others will do the trick as well.

owl from hogwarts

for my tomboy princess's birthday, we had a harry potter theme.   of course, we had owls deliver the invites.

i am without all of my fun tools here so these are done with nothing more than scissors, markers, and a paper punch.   

super easy!

i cut the paper in half long ways and half short ways.   each little piece was folded in half and i tore a basic horned owl shape.   i tore them because i liked the fuzzy look of it better.   i started near the top and tore a slight curve, then the top of a triangle to form the ears, continue with the rounded head to around where the ears form.   then go back out to form a larger oval for the body.   a flatter bottom is better for making them stand up.   they are in no way the same or even or even always round.  

still folded, i punched a hole for the eyes as far in from the fold as the punch would reach and a little above the center point of the head.   

i punched as far in as i could from the fold and from the outside at the bottom to make cutting points for the feet.    still folded, cut a zigzag between the bottom holes for the talons so your owl can hold onto the invites.  
still folded, cut a small upwards slit toward the eyes but not through them.   that forms the beak.  while it's still folded, push the beak out from the body a little so you can draw a little outline down the edge on both sides.

 the rest is just decoration.     now you can unfold it!
 i used little piece of plastic i found in the house to color with a marker and "stamp" circles around the eye holes.   you could draw them, cut a stamp from a potato or piece of those foam floor puzzles, or just look though the junk drawers and tool boxes for something to stamp with.  

the wings are just half of a tear drop.   the breast feathers are just slanted lines.

to get your owl to hold onto the invites, first fold the little zig-zags out to the front.    roll the invites up fairly tight, (between a pencil and marker sized), and slip it though the little holes at the bottom.   try to flair the talons over the top as much as you can, but it is just paper so be careful.   i ripped a couple.

 the owl will stay curved with the roll in it's feet.   i pushed the bottom between the feet forward a bit and folded the bottom outside corners back a bit so it will sit up.

 the invites are just a quarter of a piece of paper and i had the princess write them up since my computer was down and i couldn't print any.   they looked great.   you could rip the edges and then lightly touch them to a hot burner for a darkened edge.   you can soak the paper in coffee first to color it and then just wrinkle it up if you want a more worn or parchment look.

this is super easy and definitely kid friendly to make.   it requires no special equipment or skill.   it took us an afternoon to do them all.    of course, i had to foul a few up first experimenting with how to do it.