Easter Fun with the Family
Easter crafts make the holiday a together time.
By Dian Thomas

Story of Easter with Family Easter Egg Hunt Fun
Learn about the symbols behind the traditions of this holiday and a fun idea for an Easter Egg hunt.
By Dian Thomas

Entertaining the Grandchildren
Here is a myriad of ideas of how to make your time with your grandchildren more fun, more meaningful and more memorable.
By Dian Thomas

Memorable Meals for St. Patrick's Day
How to add a bit o' Irish magic to St. Pat's day.
By Dian Thomas

St. Patrick's Day Centerpiece
Holidays are a great time to bring fun and variety into your life.
By Dian Thomas

Healthy Lifestyle from China
People in China play in the parks like only little children do in America.
By Dian Thomas

Weight NO More
More than half of the adult population in the USA struggles with being overweight.  After losing more than 100 pounds, Dian Thomas answers weight loss-related questions from a Meridian reader.
By Dian Thomas

Presidents' Day as a Special Day to Reflect
Celebrate Presidents' day with treats befitting the holiday--cherry tarts and Lincoln logs.
By Dian Thomas

Send an Edible Heart and a Kiss for Valentines
If you like paper Valentines, you'll love edible ones even more.
By Dian Thomas

The Adventures of a “Slow Reader”
"If you have never had a problem reading, writing, or spelling I know it would be hard for you to understand what it really is like."  Here's a view from the lowest reading group.
By Dian Thomas

“I Can't Read” and the Angels in My Life
“ I love the Chinese Proverb that says, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”  That is what happened when I went to college.”
By Dian Thomas

Don't Forget the Snacks in your New Weight Loss Year
Healthy snacks are an important key to losing the extra pounds that came on during the holidays.  Here are some great ideas.
By Dian Thomas

Rose Parade: Passport to Creativity
Here's a look at the imagination and detail that goes into creating this magnificent and unique parade.
By Dian Thomas

Great Idea for New Year
Just as you finish up Christmas, New Years is only a week away. Here are some fun ideas to help you ring in the New Year.
By Dian Thomas

Holiday Breakfast Special
I love to find a recipe that can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Here's one that fits the bill.
By Dian Thomas

Remembering Favorite Christmases
The Christmases you remember most are the ones from the heart.
By Dian Thomas

Christmas: A Time of Special Traditions from Around the World
Christmas today is the sum of customs observed for so long that their origins may have been forgotten.  Take some time this year to discover the meaning of your Christmas traditions and start a new tradition or two.
By Dian Thomas

Europe has Delicious “Fast Fresh” Foods
Forget McDonalds, Europe is brimming with little shops that can serve yummy food  just as fast.
By Dian Thomas

Utah Leads the World in Senior Games
When you are young, you almost seem to be in good naturally.  When you are older, a little more is required.
By Dian Thomas

Out with Reading History Books and In with Traveling to History
Traveling is a way of taking in knowledge at the speed of light.
By Dian Thomas

Graveyard Cake
One of my favorite cakes for a great Halloween party is a graveyard cake.  It is fun to make and great to eat.  Everyone will enjoy making this haunting treat!
By Dian Thomas

High Adventure at the Hole in the Rock
The pioneers spent six months traveling across terrain in Southern Utah that was so treacherous that even Jeeps got stuck on the trail.  Join Dian in a harrowing desert adventure.
By Dian Thomas

Bringing “Lights, Camera, Action!” Home to Play
A home gets transformed into a television studio for a day, with good times had by all.
By Dian Thomas

Selling Educated Worms
As a child, Dian and her brother got a great idea for earning some summer spending money.
By Dian Thomas

Looking for Rising Suns
These economic concerns may be beckoning us to a new way of life.
By Dian Thomas

Utah State Fair Brings Families Together
Try an outing close to home!  States and counties across the nation have fairs about this time of year, and you're invited.
By Dian Thomas

Brighton — First LDS Girls Camp gets a Makeover
Any girl who lived in Salt Lake Valley and went to Brighton Camp will never forget the experience—and now the grand old lady is sprucing up.
By Dian Thomas

If Weight Loss is Your Game, Here are a Few Tips
For you that have been regular readers of my column, you will know that I am on a journey to lose at least 100 lbs and, yes, I would be very happy with more.
By Dian Thomas

Staycation—A New Way to Vacation
Beat the cost of gas by doing something new—vacationing right by home.
By Dian Thomas

Salt Lake Leads the World in Bridge Building
With cutting-edge technology, 12 new highway bridges have been built and placed in Salt Lake in just a few months.  Dian stayed up all night to watch one bridge be destroyed, while another was slipped into its place.
By Dian Thomas

Time to Wok Up to Chinese Cooking
In celebration of the Olympics, Dian teaches us how to make some traditional Chinese dishes.
By Dian Thomas

New York: A City Full of Changes
In the twenty years since Dian first worked in New York, the Church has blossomed into a beautiful diversity.
By Dian Thomas

New York City: Just a lot of Little Neighborhoods
Take a walk with Dian around the block by the temple in New York City.
By Dian Thomas

Taking the Ride of a Lifetime
An intrepid group of bicyclists pedal across Iowa and celebrate friends and family along the way.
By Dian Thomas

Celebrating Forests and Pioneers
A trip through a remote Utah wilderness teaches a young girl about the suffering of some of the Utah pioneers.
By Dian Thomas

Life as a Ranger Kid
Growing up in a ranger station in Southern Utah offered an idyllic existence and was the springboard for a lifetime of exciting adventures.
By Dian Thomas

Seeking Excitement on Two Wheels
Looking for a form of exercise you can be passionate about may be no harder than remembering your childhood adventures.
By Dian Thomas

The Forbidden City Rolls Out Olympics Welcome Mat
Forget what you've heard about Beijing being the "Forbidden City."  Beijing's doors and hearts are open wide to welcome visitors to the Summer Olympics.
By Dian Thomas

American Youth Capture the Hearts of Chinese
Latter-day Saint teenagers recently entertained the people in China, showing a face of America that is rarely seen in far-flung Chinese villages.
By Dian Thomas

Exploring China through Adventurous Cuisine
From boiled chicken feet to roasted duck heads to turtles with their shells and claws, the Chinese can make a delicacy out of anything that has legs.
By Dian Thomas

Celebrating a Traditional Chinese Wedding
A rare opportunity to attend a traditional Chinese wedding provides a glimpse into Chinese culture for one Latter-day Saint.
By Dian Thomas

Adult Recess — Amazing, Inspiriting,  and Fun
An American abroad discovers one way that elderly people stay young and healthy.
By Dian Thomas

Adventures in China
One way to count your blessings is to count your windows. 
By Dian Thomas

Camping Out for Breakfast
If you want to get your toes wet in the camping experience, start with the top of the morning — a hearty, homemade breakfast. 
By Dian Thomas

Getting Organized for an Outdoor Experience
When it comes to having a great experience outdoors, it definitely helps to be organized.  When you have things organized you have more time to enjoy the outdoor and the people you are sharing the experience with. 
By Dian Thomas

It's Time to Be Outdoors
Take a few minutes to think about what nurtures your soul and be sure to get that on the calendar.  It will make the hard things a lot easier.
By Dian Thomas

Treasured Friend and Treasured Recipes
People are like an encyclopedia, filled with information but not often opened.   Here is the story of one human encyclopedia, along with a recipe she shared along the way.
By Dian Thomas

Dream Big and Work Hard
We all have Mount Everests in our lives.  Are we going to climb them, or are we going to sit back and enjoy the view?
By Dian Thomas

Dreaming Adds Spice to Your Life
If you have a dream, go for it.  Always remember that dreams don't make noise when they die.
By Dian Thomas

Ready, Set, Grill
If you have lived in the Snow Belt, you are most likely ready to get out the grill and fire it up for some delicious meals. Whether you grill meat or vegetables or even pineapple, you can't go wrong. Here you will learn some of your options so that as soon as it warms up you can clean off your grill or pick up one that will have you saying, “Ready, set let's grill!”
By Dian Thomas

Nothing Better than Sourdough
If you made your sourdough starter last week, here are recipes to show you what to do with it.
By Dian Thomas

Sourdough Bread — A Mormon Tradition
Delicious sourdough bread — always a favorite and a winner out-of-doors — was the principal bread of the hardworking men and women who built the West. You, too, can enjoy its heartiness and flavor.
By Dian Thomas

Make Easter Baskets and Bags
This week, bunnies and chicks abound in festive decorations. Here are simple instructions that will allow you to make bunny bags out of paper lunch sacks, and bunny or chick baskets from toilet paper rolls. These are great projects for parents and kids to do together.
By Dian Thomas

Make Your Own Easter Egg Tree
If you like Christmas trees and find that they bring a special feeling into the holiday, you will love the Easter egg tree.
By Dian Thomas

The Machine-Sewn Swimming Pool
With a little creativity, two children learn that it's possible to make a swimming pool with a sewing machine.
By Dian Thomas

How to Fly First Class through Life
Looking at life through a different lens offers a whole new world of opportunities.
By Dian Thomas

Coloring outside the Lines
Sometimes the brightest colors are ones that appear in unexpected places.  You can enrich your life's tapestry by coloring outside the lines.
By Dian Thomas

Give a Super Kiss For Valentine's Day
If you are still looking for something special for your Valentine, look no further. And if your Valentine's Day celebration is all ready, read on for a way to celebrate President's Day this year.
By Dian Thomas

Sharing Your Heart with Others
Valentine's Day is a special time to share your heart with others. You can do that in many ways. Here are two that are sure to please.
By Dian Thomas

The Joy of Making Creative Valentines
Whether you tell people you love them, send them a card, or do something special, here are some Valentine's Day ideas that perhaps you have not thought about. These are done with food, but you can use the same ideas and create sentiments that are not so caloric.
By Dian Thomas

Celebrating the Food of the Super Bowl
No matter when you gather around the television to watch the Super Bowl, a lot of people are even more excited about the football food than they are for the game itself.
By Dian Thomas

Make a Snow Dome While Enjoying the Adventure
If you have a fair amount of snow and some kids who like adventure, you will not want to miss this. I loved what I learned and I love the adventure that a few scouts and I created right in my backyard.
By Dian Thomas

Winter Picnics to Warm the Heart
When it's so cold outside that most people are huddled indoors, some adventurous souls pack picnic hampers for outdoor adventures without mosquitos or ants.
By Dian Thomas

Big Successes are Accomplished by Many Small Steps
A successful television personality reveals that her biggest success was not in front of the cameras, but in front of her refrigerator.
By Dian Thomas

Twelve Ways to Make Dinner Fun
Take an unorthodox approach to dinnertime. With a little creativity and imagination, family members can make mealtime a time of laughter, closeness, and good memories.
By Dian Thomas

Christmas Memory Magic
Christmastime is "the most wonderful time of the year," as the Christmas carols remind us. And with imagination and ingenuity, it's easy to add a little magic to your family's memories of this most special holiday season.
By Dian Thomas

Giving Gifts of Money
Money gifts can be unmemorable, but here are some ideas that will create memories that will last. If you use a little ingenuity, your dollar gifts can actually have sentimental value.
By Dian Thomas

The Top Ten Things I Have Learned in the Past 30 Years
If you make a list of things you have learned, you can use that list to remind you of the lessons in life you may have forgotten.  You can also use the list to prompt your gratitude for the miracles of life.
By Dian Thomas

Turkey Reruns to Make Your Mouth Water
Although Thanksgiving is now behind us, enough turkey fans are eying turkey reruns that you can find bargains on turkey at many local markets.  Once you have had the initial turkey dinner, you will still have lots of delicious meat to prepare some terrific turkey dishes.
By Dian Thomas

The Great Outdoor Thanksgiving
It is time to make those final plans for Thanksgiving. Most people will roast their turkey in the oven but if you have a little adventure, good weather, and a little time you could consider some outside alternatives.
By Dian Thomas

Grilling All Year Round
For some unknown reason, food cooked on the grill just tastes better. Don't let a little cold weather (or even a blizzard) keep you from cooking adventurous meals outside all winter long.
By Dian Thomas

Make Your Meal an Adventure!
It's truly amazing what you can do on an outdoor outing if you just have the right ideas. Two favorite off-the-wall ideas are Backpack Chicken and Car Manifold cooking.
By Dian Thomas

Halloween Decorations Provide Seasonal Fun
Decorations bring the spirit of fun, excitement and celebration to Halloween festivities. Halloween is a time to build lasting memories of fun times with family and friends.
By Dian Thomas

From the Wasatch Mountains to Nova Scotia, Canada
Stop today and plan that special drive, walk, or bike ride into nature.  It is so easy for the beauties that are all around us to slip away while we find ourselves at home with stacks of paper all around us — or dishes piled up in the sink that call us to spend our days in a mountain of suds.
By Dian Thomas

Dutch Oven Cooking for Cash or for Fun
Dutch oven cooking not only leads to delicious meals, but it can also lead to delicious money. All over the American West, there are festivals that have cook-offs where there is money for the winner.
By Dian Thomas

Carving a Jack-o'-Lantern House
Your pumpkin art doesn't have to be a standard pumpkin-head design.  With a little ingenuity, you can create a pumpkin house, complete with a potato car for ghostly transportation.
By Dian Thomas

Get Wrapped Up in Aluminum Foil Cooking
What is it about aluminum foil that makes food taste so good?
By Dian Thomas

Dutch Oven Basics
Cooking in a Dutch oven is much like painting by number. If you follow the basic rules you will turn out the most incredible dish time after time after time.
By Dian Thomas

Fall Cookouts in the Backyard Can be Delicious
Even when summer is over, you can still bring the fun of the season into your own backyard.
By Dian Thomas

Backyard Barbecues for Autumn
For many, autumn means one thing — time for fun and adventure outdoors. If you can't go away, do not despair.  A great adventure can be experienced right in your backyard.
By Dian Thomas

“Three P’s in a Pod” for Stress-Free Living
We cannot choose whether we face challenges, but we can choose how we deal with difficulties. Here is formula that will help you face your challenges with a smile on your face.
By Dian Thomas