Kids Crafts: Build your own Family Tree!

Some kids are back to school already and some are still basking in the warmth of summer! No matter where you are, take a break from the sunshine and make some memories with the kids while you still have time. Though we’re partial to documenting your legacy online with Family.me… we’re always up for a fun DIY to get the kids involved. Below are some creative ideas for family trees, and they are so easy!

 

The “Palm” Tree – adapted from House of Hendrix‘ “Tree of Gratitude”

House of Hendrix
Source: House of Hendrix

What You’ll Need:

  • Paint (Green & brown)
  • Alphabet letter snacks
  • Glue
  • Paper

Start by sorting and organizing all the letters to spell out all those special people in your family. Then, have the kids use their forearms for the tree trunk by lathering it with brown paint and pressing to the paper, and do the same with green paint and their palms. Lastly, add the alphabet names and some decorations with some glue, and you’re DONE!

 

3-D Family Tree – Adapted from Pikadilly Charm‘s Paper Bag Fall Tree

Pikadilly Charm
Source Pikadilly Charm

What You’ll Need:

  • Brown paper lunch bags
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Paper (Fall colors)
  • Photos of your loved ones

Your family will “stand” out with this easy paper bag sculpture. Simply cut the brown paper bag in a fringe-like manner and twist. Then, embellish the colored paper (leaves) by gluing small photos of your loved ones and attaching them the the brown paper bag as shown in the picture. It’s easy, fun and also will be a perfect decoration for the upcoming Fall months!

 

Family Tree in a Cup – adapted from Children’s Ministry Magazine

Source: Children's Ministry Magazine
Source: Children’s Ministry Magazine

What You’ll Need:

  • Green construction paper
  • Markers and crayons
  • Scissors
  • Yarn
  • A hole punch
  • Foam cups
  • Clay
  • Twigs or branches

First, firmly press clay in the bottom of the foam cup and insert the twigs so they’re securely standing upright. Next, cut out large leaves from the green construction paper, one for each member of your family. Then, draw your family members accordingly / write their names on each leaf. Hole-punch the top of each leaf and tie them to the twigs with the yarn. Embellish the “pot” as you see fit and your your family tree is complete!

 

Of course, the best option for keeping a growing family tree all in one place is Family.me 😉

Family.me User Satisfaction Survey

FamilyMeUserSurvey

We’re so excited to be working on the next version of a fresher and better Family.me! But first, we need your help to  do it. All registered users of Family.me should have received an email link to a satisfaction survey over the last few days.

If you got this link, please take just a couple of minutes to fill this out and tell us about what you enjoy most about Family.me and what you’d most like to see within the site in the future.

One lucky survey taker will even win a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card!

We’ve posted the Sweepstakes rules below and are so looking forward to your feedback. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

_________________________________  

 

FAMILY.ME SURVEY – VISA GIFT CARD SWEEPSTAKES
OFFICIAL RULES AND CONSUMER DISCLOSURE

No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

You have not yet won. A purchase will not improve the chances of winning. Restrictions apply.

SPONSOR: This sweepstakes is sponsored by Family.me, 115 W. California Blvd., Suite # 220, Pasadena, CA 91105 (“Sponsor”).

ELIGIBILITY: This sweepstakes is open to any individual who is a permanent legal resident of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older as of August 6, 2015, and in possession of either a valid social security number and/or a valid U.S. personal tax identification number.

Officers, directors, and employees of Sponsor; members of these persons’ immediate families (spouses and/or parents, children, and siblings, and their spouses); and/or persons living in the same households as such persons (whether or not related thereto) are ineligible to enter this sweepstakes.

PROMOTION PERIOD: Entries will be received beginning August 6, 2015 through August 31, 2015.

HOW TO ENTER: Each eligible person may enter the sweepstakes by completing the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MYZQGF8 (the “Survey Website”). Each eligible person may enter only once. Entries are not transferable or assignable. Entries that are incomplete, garbled, corrupted, or unintelligible for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer or network malfunction or congestion (including, without limitation, at Sponsor’s servers, the Survey Website servers, and/or any other entity’s servers), are void and will not be accepted.

WINNER SELECTION: On September 7, 2015 the Sponsor will conduct a random drawing from among all eligible entries received. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to extend the entry period if an insufficient number of eligible entries are received or if no eligible entries are received. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all respects.

REDEMPTION: The winning entrants will be notified by e-mail and required to respond with a valid shipping address. Winning entrants must agree to the terms of these Official Rules and may be required to provide proof of eligibility. If a potential winner cannot be reached, or does not provide proof of eligibility, or does not agree to the terms of these Official Rules, the Sponsor will award the prize to an alternate, randomly-selected eligible entrant. If a potential winner fails to provide a valid shipping address within one week of being notified via e-mail, the Sponsor may, in its discretion, award the prize to an alternate, randomly-selected eligible entrant.

ODDS: One prize will be awarded. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries.

PRIZE: Each winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card, valued at $50 USD. The prize package may not be transferred or assigned or redeemed for cash. No prize substitutions may be made, except by the Sponsor, which has the right to substitute the prize for an alternative prize of equal or greater value. Any taxes on the prize are the sole responsibility of the winner.

USE OF INFORMATION: Once submitted, entries will not be returned. All entrant information, including e-mail addresses, are subject to the Sponsor’s privacy policies.

RELEASE: Entrants understand that the Sponsor is not liable for injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising from participation in this sweepstakes or acceptance or redemption of the prize. By participating and winning a prize, the winner releases the Sponsor, its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and agencies, and their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability with respect to the prize won and participation in the sweepstakes.

APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTES: This sweepstakes is subject to all applicable United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to any principles of conflict of laws. If the controversy or claim is not otherwise resolved through direct discussions or mediation, it shall then be resolved by final and binding arbitration administered by Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc., in accordance with its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures or subsequent versions thereof (“JAMS Rules”). The JAMS Rules for selection of an arbitrator shall be followed, except that the arbitrator shall be experienced and licensed to practice law in California. All disputes arising out of or connected with this sweepstakes will be resolved individually, and without resort to class action. The Sponsor is not liable for any consequential, indirect, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for attorneys’ fees.

WINNER’S NAMES: For the winners’ names, send an e-mail to pr@family.me, with the name of the sweepstakes and the specific sweepstakes period in the subject line. All e-mail requests must be received no later than two (2) months after the stated end date of the particular period referenced.

General Conditions: This sweepstakes is subject to these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it (or its authorized designee) finds to be: (i) tampering with, as applicable, the entry process or otherwise with the operation of the sweepstakes (including, but not limited to, the use of automated computer programs or any non-human mechanism, entity, or device), or the Survey Website, or any web banner ad related to the sweepstakes; (ii) acting in violation of these Official Rules; (iii) acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, harass, harm, mislead, or defraud any other individual or entity; or (iv) found to be otherwise in violation of law. Any person attempting to defraud any of the entries or in any way tamper with the sweepstakes or the Survey Website will be ineligible to win a prize and Sponsor will seek all remedies available to it, including, if appropriate, filing appropriate complaints with legal authorities. If, for any reason, the sweepstakes or the Survey Website (or any portion thereof) becomes corrupted, or is not capable of running as originally planned, or does not allow the proper playing of the sweepstakes and processing of entries in accordance with these Official Rules, or if infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, actions by entrants, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes, in the opinion of the Sponsor, corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the sweepstakes or the granting of a prize or any component thereof, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual implicated in such action and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the sweepstakes or any portion thereof and to conduct the drawing and award the prize from all eligible, salvageable entries received (if any), prior to and/or after (as appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor, or otherwise in a manner that is fair and equitable as determined by Sponsor. In case of a dispute over the identity of an entrant who submitted a winning entry, at Sponsor’s discretion, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address account associated with that entry will be deemed the entrant. The “authorized account holder” is deemed the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, service provider or other on-line organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Said owner must comply with these Official Rules and, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, may be required to provide proof of ownership of the e-mail account.

 

 

Family.me Presents: Your Craziest Family Vacation Stories!

Photo credit: Jaunted.com // National Lampoon’s Vacation
Photo credit: Jaunted.com // National Lampoon’s Vacation

 

Summer is in full swing and you know what that means, family vacations! Hands down, the most popular “favorite family memories” posted to our “MemoryTrees” are family vacations. Whether it’s a road trip or a camping trip, memories are guaranteed.

 

No one does family vacations better than Chevy Chase and his wild family adventures in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” series. The classic film series provided viewers with a laughter-filled adventure as the Griswolds were thrown from one hilarious misfortune to another while driving across country. Tomorrow’s release of the series’ new spinoff film “Vacation” had the Family.me team reminiscing about our own vacation memories, and we were inspired to reach out to our Facebook followers and ask them to share their craziest family vacation story with us. Here are a couple of our favorite stories:

 

“My parents took me and my sisters to Disney World one year. Being rebellious young teenagers, my older sister and I complained, bickered and were overall very disrespectful to my parents. After a huge fight between them and us, we decided to run away from the hotel, taking with us our little 7-year-old sister. Not having any capability to get very far, we ran away to the other side of the hotel and camped out in the parking lot for a little while. My parents eventually found us, gave us a “Come to Jesus” meeting and, after that, we ended up having a very nice trip.”

– Melanie H.

 

“I almost died on a boat with my family in Florida (OK, slight exaggeration), but I was sitting on the front/bow with my legs dangling. I was about 12 years old. My uncle driving the boat hit coral and we got stuck teetering as big waves hit us over and over. Me and my sisters just had to hang on for dear life until the Coast Guard could rescue all of us.“

– Melissa B.

 

FamilyVaca_2015
Photo Credit: Vacation The Movie// National Lampoon’s Vacation

 

“We decided to take a drive to Carmel. Unfortunately for us, my dad has no sense when it comes to directions and even less sense when it comes to asking someone for help. We drove for 13 hours only to get a Burger King drive through meal before we headed home. I have no idea where we actually ended up, but it certainly wasn’t Carmel.”

– Kristine K. 

 

Whether it’s getting completely lost together or a childish day at Disney World, family trips are definitely unique! Family.me loves hearing these crazy stories that our readers share with us. With all of the humor that the National Lampoon series brought us, we are definitely looking forward to seeing the new spinoff Vacation, and cannot wait for its release on July 29!

 

Tell us below! What’s your most memorable family vacation?