General Conference Weekend

We love us some General Conference weekends around here.

Prior to Conference weekend, I happened upon an article in the Ensign about how to help younger children get excited about and get some out of Conference. Mona is almost 3, and I just became really excited about the fact that she might get some of it this year. I really tried to plan way in advance for conference this time. I decided to try a few things out. One thing I did was make "Apostle bags", which are floating around Pinterest, and which I think are great. 

So there is a toy, game, or treat in each apostle's bag. The idea is that the child gets the bag when the face on the bag is speaking. Mona actually did repeat every single apostle's name and really understood that those men were speaking on the television, too. I chose to work with plain old brown paper bags due to the face that if my two year old saw all the goodies, I don't think she'd be able to wait until that apostle on the bag got up to speak. What I didn't anticipate but should have, however, was that once my two year old knew goodies were in the bags, she would open all of them at once, being so excited. I didn't mind actually, they really kept her occupied for the whole of conference. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on these so I used toys I had been storing in the basement that she hadn't played with in forever, and I bought only a few snacks and that was it. Oh, but I also made a flannel board and bought a little felt farm set for it on Amazon, which was $12 (rip off, no?) but the flannel board was FREE (awesome, yeah?)! I had a canvas and some brown flannel and a stapler. It took like 5 minutes to make and I'm so happy to report that Mona adores playing with it. I'm sooo proud of my successful, quick, craft!

Here she is with it this morning:

Here's Mona this afternoon with it:

Cutie patootie.

I also just felt like making a bunch of good food AHEAD of time and now I plan to do that every conference. It was so nice to whip out a yummy casserole for dinner and have a menu already planned. I made these chocolate chip scones Saturday morning and they were our breakfast with eggs and bacon for the weekend.  Yeah. Its like cookies for breakfast...only with bacon and eggs. I love being an adult.

And really, can I just say, I am a big fan of packing up toys that never get played with and rotating them when current toys get boring. Love the extra space it provides, and the toys are like new to Mona, and its free besides. And to have it coincide with a weekend of trying to listen to hours of conference while wrestling 2 kids just worked out so beautifully. I think I've declared General Conference weekend as "new toy weekend" as well. 

I have to admit, I didn't try to make conference resonate with my 9 month old. 

But Holden was amazing and slept through most of the sessions and snuggled for the rest. Love my sweet little man!

Anyway, there's my conference preparation report. As for conference itself, it is always one of my most favorite times of year. I love reading the addresses as part of my scripture study every day over the next six months, until the next one. This year, just after listening to the speakers, I can say that my testimony has been strengthened. This year's conference especially bolstered my knowledge that I am a daughter of God. I'm so grateful to be a woman in His church, and to understand the role I play in building up the kingdom.