The Enrichment Cottage

by: Valerie Jackson

We did a quilted wall hanging in our ward last year. We designed a Personal Enrichment Goal program (based on the Pursuit of Excellence) and each month when the sisters completed at least 6 goals they received a pattern for a quilt block.  By the end of the year, they had 12 seasonal blocks, one for each month of the year.  This year we did the same thing, only we are doing wooden Nativity pieces.

Next year, I hope to do the “Reflecting the Light of the Lord” program.  At the end of the year, each participant will receive a beautiful painting. You can check the details out at www.lilieslane.com .

The past two years, we have made up our own goals (based on the Pursuit of Excellence).  The quilt block patterns my HFPE leader found and got copyright permission to use them for this purpose.

Although participation dwindles throughout the year (30 to 15 to 6) the sisters still love it and have asked us to continue it.

I have done 2 of these nights in the past few years of being HFPE counselor.

The first one was a flyer with clock clipart that said, “Short on time? Long on projects?” (with a clipart picture of a lady working on a quilt”). The rest of the invite told when and where etc to work on their unfinished projects as well as a couple crafty things to do that night. I did it simply, but I bet you could adapt the “long” part somehow. Maybe the clock part could have a long piece of paper that is pulled out with the nights specifics on it or something.

We had the unfinished project theme in October, so we had the sisters bring novelty type foods for refreshments. Just the food theme alone was enough to bring the sisters out! We had kitty litter dessert, puppy chow, a vegetable basket shaped like a flower basket (veggies cut like flowers on skewers) etc. It was a fun and laid back night.

Good luck
~Leanne in Michigan~

We did a night kind of like this and we called it building a lasting legacy we had a quilt. sisters came and worked on family history , scrapbooking and tole painting projects we had different tables set up and snacks at each table to munch on while we worked. Good luck!

Jen-Utah

Movie Reviews
Book Reviews
Make Ahead Mixes
Christmas Candles
Candy cane candle holders
Have a women’s retreat
Volunteering In The Community- where to go, etc.
Have a slumber party at a sister’s home and make homemade pizza & do scrapbooking
Oil Painting
101 Sunday Activities- off site link
Ceramics
Folk Art Painting
Macramé
Victorian ornaments
Homemade facials
Have a class on pregnancy, postpartum, nursing, and so on
Learn how to do scrapbooking
Homemaker’s Road Rally
How to make a soufflé
Make a Thanksgiving table centerpiece
Learn to make lollipops
Learn to make candy
Make a Family Home Evening Notebook with new ideas, etc.
Make a wheat window box
Make a family flag
Learn how to can your fruits, vegetables, etc.
Have a class on creative school lunches
Have a class on family home evening with small children
Or as young couples
Creative decorating with storage, including food storage
Spring cleaning the inside of your home
Enriching your green thumb
Budgeting your money
Homemade hair treatments
Manicures & Pedicures
Color analysis
Parenting with love
Salt- the many uses of
Creative crafts to do with young children
Ways to decorate a terra cotta pot
Flowered swags (In The Deluxe Edition)
“Cool” Summer Meals
Sunny Delights (A class about nothing but lemons)
Homemade Potpourri (In The Deluxe Edition)
Handmade Sachets
Homemade Piñata’s
How to make your own baby food
Make a light bulb snowman ornament
A class on Creating A Peaceful, Loving Atmosphere In your home
Cooking With Oreos
Child Safety
Stenciling
Stamp Gala-a class all about rubber stamps (In The Deluxe Edition)
My Fair Lady-a class on how to be more refined and learning etiquette
Fast, Easy Entertaining
Chocolate Festival-March is National Chocolate Month
Tea Time Treats
Ribbon Weave Easter Baskets-instructions soon to come!
Easter Holiday Recipes
Potpourri Pies
Crayon Wreath (In The Deluxe Edition)
Mornings!-a class on quick morning clean-ups
Berry Delightful-how to make you own homemade syrups from berries
Long term financial planning
Have a flower/herb seed exchange
Cooking Tips
Make Ahead & Freeze Meals
Children’s Haircuts
Learn to make porcelain dolls
Decorating T-shirts
4th July Pillow Wreaths
Homeschooling
Learn how to make a braided rugs
How To Make Scented Stones (In The Deluxe Edition)
Teaching your children to cook
Child Development-the stages they go through
101 Ways to cook hamburger
Crockpot Cooking
Family Reunions & Newsletters
knitting
Facial Steambaths
Tatting
Decorating with baskets
Smocking
Make homemade children’s toys- wooden blocks etc.
Class on Edible Flowers
How to plant and take care of perennials
How to make stuffed animals
How to make throw pillows
Learn basket weaving
How to Crystallized Flowers
Photography
Coloring black and white photos
Kitchen linens- hot pads, etc.
Class on Vanilla Hints
Last year we placed a basket in front of the RS room and collected gifts for a special Foster Family in the community. I, being the RS President, found the family and in November we wrapped the gifts the night of our Home Family and Personal Enrichment Meeting.
Contributed by: Perry ( Lakeland Ward) Florida
How to Make Scented Rocks (In The Deluxe Edition)
Lamp shades
Upholster Your Own Furniture
Make your own couch and chair slip covers
Understanding Menopause
Safe and Effective Dieting
Raising children alone
Gourmet Cooking
Preserving & maintaining Your Wedding dress
Depression
Using coupons to cut costs
Wheat cookery
Perfect pies
Dutch oven cooking
Microwave cooking
Snacks
Quick breads
Yeast breads
Foreign foods
Sourdough cooking
Pastries
Getting your wash really clean
Picture framing
Houseplant care
How to balance a checkbook & bank statement
Creating a history of your home
Teaching children to work
Energy saving tips
Restoring furniture
Organizing your housework
Crazy quilts
Learning about new sewing aids available Pattern making
We had fun with a taffy pull. -Kathy Blanchard
A sound scavenger hunt. -Kathy Blanchard
Taking care of your pets. -Kathy Blanchard
How to take care of your Dutch ovens. -Kathy Blanchard
Fun family rainy day activities. -Kathy Blanchard