It’s that time of year again! The evenings start to cool down, families start their back-to-school routines and the memories of summer start to fade. That’s why this time of the year is perfect for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival! Taking place in the parks of beautiful Provo Canyon, the festival is a family-friendly event that caters to the enjoyment of all ages while you sit back, breathe in the crisp mountain air and soak in some great entertainment!

Storytellers of all types (puppetry, music, juggling) from all over, gather together during this scheduled weekend to share their various stories. But these aren’t just “stories,” these are performances. Each storyteller is so animated, vivacious and passionate about their tale that it comes through with so much emotion. They’ll have you doubled-over in laughter, tearing up or in awe with amazement; you’ll feel as though you were just lifted up and transported to another world.

This year from September 2nd – 4th, the Storytelling Festival will take place in Orem and Provo, UT.

Cherish Bound, a proud sponsor of the event, is selling discount tickets from their website.  Be sure to purchase yours now and plan on spending the weekend with your family and friends for an event you’ll soon make a tradition!

And for more information, check out SassyScoops’ preview and review of last year’s festival.

If you have never been to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, plan on it this summer. I was a little hesitant to go not knowing what to expect, but I am here to tell you that it was one of the funnest date nights we have had in a while! My husband described it as being better than a comedy club because they take you on a roller coaster of emotion. One minute you are laughing and then you take a quick turn to heartbreak. It is amazing how storytellers can draw you in and make you feel a part of their lives in such a short period! When we returned home well after 11 p.m. it was like we had some sort of euphoric runners high. We were both wide awake and so, well, happy.

I was so pleased to meet Carol Rice, the President of Cherish Bound. From the minute I met her she had this wonderful glow about her and you could tell she was completely at home at the festival. She was so excited to share the experience with us, and now I know why! Storytelling has such a power. It takes a moment in time that could be lost forever and through its writer or teller is transformed into an outpouring of her soul, truly a walk in her shoes. Capturing these moments and treasured family tales is what Cherish Bound is all about.

The Storytelling Festival comes around a couple of times a year, but Cherish Bound is here with an entire line of amazing products to help you find, capture and share your story anytime of year. They truly do have something for everyone whether you want to document the lifetime experiences of your ancestors (or yourself) or just get a conversation started at the dinner table.

One of my favorite ideas from Cherish Bound is the tribute book from the family collection. With Mother’s Day coming up what could be a more beautiful way to show your love and honor your mother than to express to her the intangible gifts she has bestowed. My siblings and I made Tribute books for both my mother and father and they were by far some of the most treasured gifts. They are proudly displayed in their front room for all their guests to see.

Another product I wish I had known about earlier is the Birth to 18 Months book from the early childhood collection. I really tried to keep a journal throughout pregnancy and wanted to document my son’s birth story but quickly became frustrated with the details and gave up on the part where I was in labor. I did not even document my feelings about his birth! Pitiful, I know. The Cherish Bound Story Starter covers the first 18 months of life and truly is a must for every new parent. It breaks it down for you and helps you know where to start. Carol the owner of Cherish Bound shared this insight into the early childhood story starters, “even when you’re writing in hindsight the Story Starters bring the memories back
like it just happened.  I wrote a book for my kids using that exact Story Starter when my “baby” was 8 and using it I remembered things I hadn’t thought about in years.” So it is never too late!

All in all, I am truly joyful that I was a part of this review. I was exposed to the amazing and powerful art of storytelling for the first time and got to meet Carol who encourages  me with her mission to capture those inspiring and timeless tales one family at a time.

So now that you are all motivated, what better way to start than with a fun GIVEAWAY!

You can win your very own Family Yearbook with the story starter and book from Cherish Bound by commenting on this post!

This Story Starter is filled with ideas for writing about every member of your family, your favorite pastimes, foods and activities from the year. It will help you identify trends and celebrate the “everyday” of your family.

For the chance to win this giveaway you must:

-Comment on this post once

-For 5 extra entries tweet about this giveaway

-For 10 extra entries facebook about this giveaway

-For 15 extra entries blog about this giveaway

Good luck! This giveaway ends Friday, March 12th at midnight!

THE GIVEAWAY WAS WON BY CRYSTAL AND IS NOW CLOSED.

To be honest when the Sassies were invited by Carol Rice of Cherish Bound to my first Timpanogos Storytelling event, I had no clue what to expect.   I know several of the other Sassies had been to prior events and enjoyed them immensely but I had no experience to speak of.  Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised as was my family.  If you assume your tweens and teens wouldn’t be interested in hearing stories anymore, you would be completely wrong.  The storytellers are animated, lively, and invite you into their lives to the point you feel like you were actually there.

That is why the Sassies are so thrilled that  company like Cherish Bound exists.  You can turn your own memories into stories for your family to enjoy for years to come.  They provide you with the tools to help create amazing family books with stories to tell for generations after you.  With Spring, Mother’s Day, and even Father’s Day fast approaching, think of all the memories you will be creating.  Capturing those memories is what Cherish Bound is all about.  Taking your quality family time and allowing that to be shared over and over again.  You never know what will be important to them in the future.  Even a simple car ride with their father can create an amazing tale 50 years later.

Telling stories sparks old memories, new thoughts, and most importantly a conversation amongst friends and families.  Find out what conversation the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival sparked in the Sassy’s review on Wednesday!

It’s cold outside, but next Friday the Sassies will be warming up from the inside-out at the Timpanogos Storytelling concert “Stories to Warm The Soul” featuring Donald Davis and MaryGay Ducey.

Have you been to a storytelling event yet?  If not, you are missing something amazing.  Surely you’ve seen the billboards and heard the buzz… storytelling festivals are popping up all over the country.  Over the last year, several of us have been invited by Cherish Bound (a company that helps you tell your own family stories) to learn more about this fun form of entertainment.  Carol Rice, Cherish Bound’s Founder and President has said, “Storytelling is just something you have to experience!” and we found out that she’s right.

Story is something that speaks to us all – we all love a good narrative, don’t we?  Maybe your favorite form of story is TV, movies, a good book, your favorite blogs, or just hearing about your friend’s experience looking for a car… whatever it is, we’re all wired to enjoy a good story.  But can you imagine one person on a stage taking an entire audience on a journey with nothing more than their voice and a perfectly crafted story… imagine the time flying by as you laugh, reminisce and maybe even cry a little with the storyteller.  It’s kind of like magic and if you can imagine that… you can imagine how much you will enjoy the concert.  No doubt you’ll come away from the concert thinking a lot about your own stories – that’s where Cherish Bound comes in and next month we will be telling you a lot more them.

The Friday night concert that we will be attending is just part of a full week of events put on by Timpanogos.  The Midwinter Conference is the sister to the popular summertime festival and they will hold classes, workshops and concerts of all kinds (if you’re a teacher you can even get credit for attending!).    You can check out more information about the entire conference here.

Hopefully you’ll join us at the Friday night concert… bring a date or your whole family (recommended for 8 and up) or grab a friend and make it a girl’s night out.

And now for the Giveaway for the Friday Night Concert!

Leave a comment telling us you’ll be there and we’ll pick one of you for a free ticket!