Posts by Bekah Banihashemi
Inspired through Others
Do you get inspired by other people? A new year is the perfect time to set your own goals, be motivated by the goals of others, and encourage the people around you to reach their goals!
Last weekend, I got the opportunity to support my hubby through his first marathon! The training wasn’t how he expected with two different stints of stress fractures on each foot. But, he pushed through! He may not have gotten his ideal time for his first marathon, but he finished it and I was able to be there to support him at the finish line! Now, I wouldn’t go far enough to say he inspired me to run a marathon…but seeing someone so close to me accomplish something so big and important to him was really neat to be apart of! I hope that someday he gets to support me in such a big bucket-list accomplishment!
How to find inspiration through others:
- 1. Don’t compare!
Don’t allow others’ goal setting and accomplishments make you insecure. Use what others are doing to push you and energize you to reach your own ambitions.
- 2. Set clear intentions!
Be clear and distinct with what you want to achieve.
- 3. Make a plan that follows those intentions!
“Direction, not intention, determines your destination.” – Jeff Vines
Making a plan allows you to see step-by-step how to reach your goals. You make it easier to see the end goal when you break it down.
- 4. Don’t give up!
There may be will be trials and tribulations when working to reach a new objective. But DO NOT GIVE UP! The time and hard work will be worth it in the end!
Who inspires you?
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Healthy Winter Soups to Warm You Inside & Out
Winter has settled in and this year in Northern California we are having the first really cold winter in years. The days are cold and the evenings are colder. It seems overwhelming day after day to come up with healthy and hearty meals to feed the family. I love cooking a big pot of soup and serving it for dinner on these wintery nights. Add some delicious crusty wheat bread, cornbread or high fiber bran muffins and a big salad and you have the perfect meal. Not only will your family love any of these four soups below…your budget will love the low cost and you will be supporting your new year’s resolution to eat healthier in 2016. Here are 4 of the Growing Weisser family’s favorite winter soups.
Italian Kale and White Bean Soup
https://www.growingweisser.com/2014/03/11/italian-kale-and-white-bean-soup/
Skinny Vegetable Minestrone Soup
https://www.growingweisser.com/2015/12/17/skinny-vegetable-minestrone-soup/
Smoked Paprika Chickpea and Chard Soup
https://www.growingweisser.com/2015/10/13/smoked-paprika-chickpea-and-chard-soup/
Vegetable Delight Lentil Soup
https://www.growingweisser.com/2013/12/04/vegetable-delight-lentil-soup/
What are your favorite winter soups?
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Who likes Giveaways??
Are you or someone you know preparing for baby?
I have been doing A LOT of research on Baby Items for our registry. It was quite a fun surprise to get an email for a giveaway that includes some of my favorite registry items including the Tula Baby Carrier and the 4Moms Playard! Not only are these items some of my favorites but they are also some of the top rated brands and products today! Here are just a few of the items that are included in the giveaway! The link to enter is at the bottom of the post!
1 Year of Diapers & Wipes from Seventh Generation (www.seventhgeneration.com)
If there’s one thing babies need a lot of, it’s diapers! That’s why Seventh Generation is giving the winner a year of ’em (plus wipes, too). Made with 0% bleaching chemicals in the core. Free from fragrances and lotions, and clinically proven to be gentle on skin.
The Land of Nod Dream Nursery (www.landofnod.com)
Your baby’s nursery isn’t just a regular room- it’s a home for your little one that you’ll want to create with care, tenderness, and a maybe even a little magic. This gift card to The Land of Nod is that fairy tale passport. From furniture to bedding and decor to handmade toys, the stylish and high-quality products from The Land of Nod will help you build a nursery that feels unique and yes, quite magical.
4MOMS Breeze Playard (www.4moms.com)
Playards are hard to use. The breeze is easy. It opens or closes in one step. Just push down on the central hub to open and pull up to close – the latches are automatic and there’s no tricky sequence of steps. It’s a breeze. Fold it and you’ll …
Spread Christmas Cheer with JOY
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! And, now you can spread Christmas cheer with Christmas decor! A few months ago, we introduced my Bani Banners on the blog.
Now, you can order a Christmas banner to add to your decor!
There are 3 fabric options available:
Green Snowflakes
Olive Swirls
Red & Gold Polka Dots
This season, you can get JOY on your banner. There is also one available that says NOEL in the Olive Swirls! See the listing on the A Line & A Lighthouse Etsy page!
If you would like a custom order, please contact me on my Etsy account!
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Oh Christmas Card, Oh Christmas Card…
It’s that time again – the time to make your Christmas card and receive many in the mail! So much fun! But, I have found that a lot of people are unaware of how many options you really have for personalized photo Christmas cards. The most common place that I know of is Costco- Easy and Affordable. And, don’t get me wrong- I LOVE COSTCO! Unfortunately, many other people do, too, which means that you run the risk of using the same template that 50 of your closest friends may choose! Today, I am going to give you a list of some other options to try this year if you feel like branching out!
**Click on the names in the list to go directly to their Christmas card sections!**
1. Costco
Range: $34.50 for a set of 50 cads making each the cost $0.69 per card
Additional sets of 25 cards is $17.25 (still $0.69 per card)
PROs: Great templates, You can create your card online and pick them up at the store which cuts down on Shipping Costs
CONs: Many people use Costco for their Christmas cards
Check the in-mail coupons for potential discounts and deals on Christmas Cards
2. Shutterfly
Range: $0.89 for 12 to $0.40 for 225+ (Cheapest option) to $3.99 for 1 to $1.98 for 201+
PROs: Numerous templates, Site is easy to use, There is ALWAYS a discount!, 100% satisfaction guarantee, Free and unlimited storage of your photos, Offers mailing services and envelope upgrades
CONs: Large logo on your card
Current discount:
Save 50% on orders of $149 or more.
Save 40% on orders of $49 – $148.
Save 30% on orders less than $49
Enter code: CYBERSAVE (Ends Tomorrow! Check later this week or next for new discounts!)
Free economy shipping on orders of …
Read MoreTraveling on a Budget
We have had a lot to be thankful for in the last week, specifically for Ashkon getting two more residency interviews! However, these travel plans had to be made in less than a week which always increases prices of tickets, rental cars, etc. These expenses don’t have usual places in our budget which means we have to be creative when it comes to other travel expenses, like food to cut down on costs.
Today has been our travel day – 5 hour flight with a 2 1/2 hour drive all starting at 4am. It’s been a long day but we were prepared for it knowing that we wouldn’t have the time to stop for food and didn’t want to spend the extra money for it. So, even though it made for a heavier start to the trip, we packed a picnic for our day! Here’s how we survived our long travel day without spending money on food or drinks:
- Our PACK-iT is always a lifesaver when it comes to traveling! We brought veggies and cheese that have stayed cold for hours!
- We brought our own water bottles empty (Nalgene and Camelbak are our favorites) so we could refill them throughout the day.
- We packed our shaker bottles for our protein shakes to keep our nutrition goals even when out of our routine
- Lots of Snacks – fruit leathers, almonds, popcorn and more!
Happy traveling for for this Thanksgiving Season! See how much money you can save by doing a little extra planning 😄
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Read MoreBaby On The Mind
You may not think that it is baby season but to all the mamas who deliver in the Spring (what is often known as Baby Season), Baby is definitely on her mind. We just finished our Baby Registry and it was quite the feat. I love researching, but there are so many options when it comes to baby it was hard to find the “right” answer for a lot of items. I also love supporting small, creative businesses -their products can usually be found online and not always in stores so it was important for me to find an online registry that I really enjoyed using so I could add that creative touch to our registry. And, I did!
We are using BabyList Online Baby Registry – www.babyli.st – and here are a few reasons why I have liked it!
- Easy to Use — As overwhelming as registering for baby can be, a difficult online registry is the last thing that a mom-to-be needs! BabyList is clear and concise and has made it really fun to find some unique gifts to add to our registry.
- Link for Other Registries — I was able to link my Store Registries like Buy Buy Baby and Target onto my BabyList registry so that they are all in one place! Great for friends or family that may not be as tech savvy – all the info for your baby registry can be found from one link!
- Organized — I am able to organize every item that I add to my BabyList registry to make it easier for me to see what we have in each category as well as for the shopper
- Awesome App — BabyList has a great app so I can add things right from my phone! The app and website are
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
We LOVE pumpkin! I like my healthy breakfasts- scrambled eggs, oatmeal, homemade granola. But, every once in a while, I really like making a “Fun Breakfast” aka not as healthy but still delicious 🙂 Like, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls! So, I figured fall would be the perfect time to try making pumpkin cinnamon rolls! They taste really good, and, also have a great consistency! I gave you the recipe as I originally made it (when I was not living in the US, which made it difficult to sometimes get certain ingredients). However, I have also given a few slightly healthier substitutes for some ingredients! Hope you are enjoying your fall with all the delicious pumpkin goodies out there! Maybe this one will be added to your favorites 🙂
INGREDIENTS (Adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie: The Healthy Dessert Blog)
Makes approx 12 cinnamon rolls
- 1 TBS yeast
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2 TBS of sugar
- 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar (Or you can do 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/8 tsp pure stevia extract)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (See homemade recipe below)
- 1/4 cup of butter (or 4 TBS melted coconut oil)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Approx 5 TBS whole-wheat or all-purpose flour (So the dough does not stick when kneading)
FOR THE INSIDE
- 3 TBS sugar
- 1 TBS cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- Dash salt
HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE (Adapted from Annie’s Eats: Making Your Day Taste Better)
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
Mix all together.
DIRECTIONS:
Warm the milk in a small bowl. You want it warm, but not boiling (Approx 110 degrees). To test …
Read MoreFun Fall Crafts for Kids
Crafting with kids is so much fun! These ideas are so great and simple – and each had a bonus learning skill! The girls really enjoyed doing these crafts and they were fun for me to do with them, too!
- Baking Pumpkin Muffins
WHAT YOU NEED:
Pumpkin Muffin Baking Mix from Trader Joe’s (we used Gluten-Free)
–The box called for Eggs, Water and Oil, as well–
Chocolate Chips
Mixing Supplies
Muffin Tins
This project was very simple because we started with a mix. All we had to do was add Eggs, Water and Oil. The girls learned how you crack eggs, about washing hands after cracking eggs, and mixing amounts. They also got to stir which was fun! We practiced our counting when stirring, too! After their Mamae filled the muffin tins, the girls got to drop 2 chocolate chips into each muffin. While we waited for the muffins to bake, we started on our next craft!
2. Pumpkin O’s Bracelets
WHAT YOU NEED:
Pipe Cleaner
Pumpkin O’s
This craft practiced the girls’ COUNTING (and snacking :D).
After looping the pipe cleaner at one end, the girls put 20 O’s onto their bracelet – practicing their counting throughout the project. 
Once the 20 O’s are in place, tie off the end of the pipe cleaner to the looped end to make a bracelet. And, don’t forget to POSE with your new jewelry 😉
3. Pumpkin Stamping
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 Small Apple
Yellow and Red Washable Paint
Green Washable Paint
White Craft Paper
Cut a small apple in half to make the pumpkin stamp. Then for each piece of the apple, slice a triangular slit in the middle of the first half and do the sam on the other half to create a handle.
LETTER LESSON – Practice letters by …
Read MoreDoes Your Closet Need a Fall Cleaning or an Upgrade on a Budget?
We have been talking a lot about how to have a healthy mind and body. I think most of us know that clutter can be a real negative influence on the health of our mind and body. We often get distracted during these next few months. During the fun activities of the holiday season it becomes so easy to put many important aspects of life on hold (especially cleaning and organizing) until the busyness calms down (or should I say IF the busyness calms down). This year, don’t let that happen! Let’s be more prepared for the fun of the holidays by freeing ourselves from the stress of clutter. Or, maybe you were very successful with your Spring Cleaning this year and you have been waiting to upgrade your closet. Finding a great deal can be good for your health, too! There are fun ways to clean and organize your home and I am going to share one of those ways with you today!
ThredUP is the name of my recommendation for de-cluttering your closet and/or improving it on a budget.
“thredUP is the easiest way to save money on great Women’s and Kids’ clothing brands and sell clothes for cash. We’re like a consignment store, but simpler. On thredUP you can refresh your entire wardrobe online without ever leaving your house.”
Browse thousands of like-new clothing items, which we’ve hand-selected and certified for quality. You’ll find all your favorite brands discounted up to 90% off, year-round.
And, when you’re done with clothing, simply fill up a thredUP bag and put it on your doorstep. thredUP covers the shipping, and pays you for every item we can sell to other families.
Our goal is to make your life just a little bit easier.
- We eliminate the stress of deal hunting