Tidbits
Israel Adventures continue
Our Fall bucket list for October has come to an end, but the adventures continue at home and for Kerry and Rick in Israel. Here is the latest scoop from their travels:
We made it through the border crossing between Israel and Jordan. We enjoyed seeing Mt. Nebo and a city called Madaba.
Mt. Nebo is referenced in the Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 34. Madaba was once a Moabite border city, mentioned in the Bible in both Numbers and Joshua.
That night, we watched the sunrise over the Petra mountains and woke up early the next day to hike through the ancient city of Petra.
The Nabatean kingdom was established here approximately 9,000 BC. Petra is located near Mt. Hor, where Moses’s brother Aaron passed away.
…
Becoming a Gardener-on my Bucket List Forever
I grew up with a mom, grandma, and auntie who were all amazing gardeners. I thought it would be something that I would naturally inherit. Flower gardens, vegetable gardens and trees of all kinds bring me great JOY. I love being outdoors and I love gardening….BUT my life is VERY FULL of relationships that require my time. I therefore have not been very successful at keeping my garden as beautiful as I would like it to be.
God has graciously given me two friends who are FANTASTIC gardeners-one by training (she is a Master Gardener) and one by experience (she could literally run a nursery business out of her home). So I have been given the gift of consultation and time. Both of these amazing friends have offered to help me repent my borders and help me redesign my backyard. I couldn’t be more excited. I love watching talented people share their expertise and passions especially when they align with my interests and my passions.
We went to a spectacular Nursery to see many varieties of plants that would do well in my yard. We have had a few planning sessions and in a few weeks we will drive back up to a fabulous nursery and buy the plants. I am outrageously excited!!!
So if you have a dream and you have friends who have a gift for something you want to learn about….tap their resources, enjoy the blessing of friendship and you just may be able to have a dream Bucket List item come true!!!!
Here are some of the beautiful plants we plan to buy and plant in my backyard.
Here is my faithful friend who is helping me with my garden…
Here are my new pruning shears. 
Here is the back corner where we will begin our …
Farm to Table Dinner with Dear Old Friends
Bucket list items that involve getting together with long ago friends are often very difficult to implement. So, when about 8 girlfriends from our Elementary and High School days found a date that worked, we put it on our calendars and a beautiful afternoon and evening of food, fellowship and fun ensued.
I offered to come over the day before to the beautiful location where we would be gathering. My friend, who was hosting had a menu planned and the two of us went to town. We shopped at a lovely Farmer’s Market and visited a few specialty shops in her town to find just the right ingredients. We prepared all the parts of the meal that could be done the day before and then we went on a lovely walk and talked until bedtime. We did have a delicious meal together that first night but with the anticipation of all the “farm to table” food that we would be preparing and eating the next day we kept that dinner fairly simple. The next morning we arose early, dashed out for the last minute items we needed and began our preparations. We had so much fun cooking together.
As the saying goes…”A picture is worth 1,000 words” so here is our story in pictures…
The appetizers were local cheeses, farm fresh vegetables and fruits and an artichoke bake. For dinner, we made unique salads with figs, melon, herbs and a lemon thyme dressing, a caprice salad with fresh heirloom tomatoes, a lemon herb baked salmon and hot sourdough bread form a local bakery. Dessert featured fresh peach, berry cobbler. We had a glorious time feasting on delicious and nutritious food and reminiscing about “the good ole’ days”
Bucket list item checked off the list-new memories made and wonderful times of …
Read MorePack Early for a Grand Adventure
One habit that I have tried exceptionally hard to accomplish is packing early before an adventure so that the last few days before I leave can be less stressful. When you pack early, you have time to check, check and double check. I keep a running list of a few things that I need to add to my carry-on right before I leave. I make sure to order the foreign currency I need and get some US dollars as well. I check with the airline I am traveling on to make sure I am within the weight limits. I have a luggage scale that I use throughout the packing process.
I sort my clothes and place in Eagle Creek compression packing sleeves. This helps me stay organized when on the type of vacation where you are moving from one hotel to another. Shorts and capris go in one pouch, swim suits and cover-up in another, shirts go in a separate pouch etc. The hardest part for me is deciding how many of each item. My rule of thumb is if I know I have 3 days at at least one hotel…I can do laundry so I can take less shirts and tops. I also use clear zipper pouches for all my accessories so they are easy to find. I love Stasher bags. Although they are marketed for food storage, they are great for storing things that are in containers that might spill like lotions, face creams, shampoo etc.
The end result of packing early is rest and calmness in the days before the trip.
So for my next trip in less than 2 weeks, I can rest assured that I will not be running around like a chicken with my head cut off the few days before we leave.…
Read MoreOctober Challenge
Hey, friends! Happy October.
Can you believe we are at the last 90 days of 2019? I mean, CRAZY right?
We want to finish this year strong and set the stage for the year to come so we were thrilled when we saw that one of our Instagram besties was doing a fun challenge. First off, you need to follow @todaysthebestday seriously great content and such a good reminder to find the BEST in your own life journey while doing life with others!!!
So…the challenge. You can find all the details HERE
This challenge is all about living your days with intention, finding joy in every day, and making memories. What I also love about this challenge is we are being encouraged to do this with OTHERS. I don’t know about you, but I am in such a stage of live where I have to be super intentional about making time for others. It is so easy to just take the kids to school, run errands, workout, pick kids up, do homework, make dinner, repeat. But that’s not living. It’s just doing.
We really want to strengthen our relationships as part of this challenge. Of course, a big part of that will be spending that intentional time with your own family, but I love the idea of inviting others along to do this challenge alongside you or beside you! Us sisters don’t see each other as much as we’d like, so this challenge will be a great way for us to do something together. In fact, this is the very reason we started this blog! To stay connected in each other’s lives, while also connecting with YOU and others around us.
We would love for you to do this challenge with us. We will be sharing daily posts with the …
Read MorePrime Day Deals
What we will be buying this Amazon Prime Day 2019, along with our family favorites that we recommend.
I’m wearing my Blue Light Shield glasses as I write this list. They have made a huge difference in screen related headaches and eye strain. Use code “livewell2019” at checkout for 25% off.
- Home/Kitchen
Insta Pot (over $70 savings!)
Aaron’s favorite Insulated Water Bottle
Power strip surge protector with USB ports
If you like to read in bed like we do, this is a great reading light.
Weighted blanked for better sleep
Extra long lightning cable
Amazon Fire Stick
- Beauty/Body
Rachel’s favorite aluminum-free deodorant is an extra 15% off with coupon
Rachel’s favorite sun hat
Silk pillowcase is a must for healthy hair and skin
Clarisonic Mia cleansing brush
- For baby/kids
We love wooden toys, and these wooden building blocks look amazing!
Lots of Graco products on sale! This is our favorite carseat for forward facing kids.
Have an event planned where you want to bring baby? Grab these ear protection headphones.
Favorite glass food storage containers.
- Health
I’ve been seeing these new Kind Protein bars at the stores and really wanting to try!
We are all about adaptogens from our favorite wellness store, but these Four Sigmatic Mushroom drinks have been getting a lot of hype from healthy people I like to follow.
Cloth resistance bands plus an extra $2 off with coupon.
Hope you enjoy this list of some of our favorite things on sale during this deal.
Did you shop? Let us know what you grabbed for a great deal!…
Read MoreConnecting Through Motherhood – MOPS
This year, I decided to join a MOPS group. MOPS stands for “Mothers of Preschoolers” but it is really for moms of preschool age children and under. MOPS has been such a blessing for me not only to give me a two hour window every other week to remember what it is like to have a conversation without being interrupted by my little ones but also to be encouraged in motherhood with a group of amazing women! By stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new, I was able to meet new friends, talk through motherhood struggles and get ideas for how to get through different stages of child rearing, and hear some amazing teachings from many Christian women.
Here is some of the encouragement I was given from these great teachers…
Maria Goff gave us a CHARGE for our lives in motherhood from Ephesians 4:1
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
reminding us that we must live each day with NO COMPARISON.
She taught us that HOSPITALITY is not about how you set your table but how people feel about sitting around your table. It is more about the condition of our HEARTS, not the condition of our HOME.
Melanie Dale taught us about what
Mo Isom taught us how to SUFFER WELL, that our worth as a Mom is not in our ability to make life look picture perfect.
She encouraged us to HAVE COURAGE because God has already overcome the world.
“Adversity (in motherhood) is inevitable but is is also used in …
Read MoreDeep Connection
At the end of the day I am usually exhausted. My bandwidth for emotional connection or anything extra is usually run dry. Life with two toddlers is quite busy, especially those days where one is napping all day and I don’t get much of a break. Today is not one of those days, that is why I actually get a chance to write. So the ability to connect on a deep level with the Lord, with my husband, with friends,is not always the most appealing thing when all I want to do is binge on some netflix in my pajamas and eat some popcorn… But I have found that deep connection and meaningful conversation and investing in relationships is still so important. Even when you feel like you have nothing to give. Usually those meaningful conversations and times of emotional connection end up filling you up. So what can seem so daunting and like the last thing on the list can actually have the ability to give you energy and the capability to accomplish more, be more, and feel like a completely different person. Connection speaks to our hearts, it speaks to our minds. It draws us out of those places of complacency, of tiredness, of for lack of better words laziness. It calls us to discover more of who we are, what makes us tick, what gives us energy, what fills us. It makes you a better you. So why is it so hard to get there… You just got to do it. Call a friend, even when you feel inundated with mom life and all you have to talk about is your kids. Go out with some mom friends, even when you feel like your social skills are lacking due to toddler land and chaos. Spend some …
365 Things Every New Mom Should Know-Passion Perspective Introducing Linda Danis
A few years ago, Growing Weisser started a new “tradition” called “Passion Perspective”. “Passion Perspective” is a unique way to share a glimpse into the lives of some intriguing people who are pursuing their passions. In the past, we featured guests that have a true enthusiasm for the work they are doing. Our “Passion Perspective” posts included exclusive interviews to introduce you to many of our favorite friends who are on a journey of taking their passions and turning them into small businesses. We will share insights including the steps they took, the challenges they faced, and the blessings that have come into their lives and the lives of others.
This week we are featuring Linda Danis, an expert on “All things MOM”! She is one of the most devoted moms I know. Not only is she dedicated to her own children and now grandchildren, but she loves mentoring young moms and has a passion for encouraging women in their lives and in their faith. This interview is wonderful and her book, 365 Things Every New Mom Should Know would be a perfect gift for Mother’s Day!
I know you well, Linda, but can you tell our readers a little bit about
yourself?
I love being a mom! I have been married for 33 years and have four
children who are all in their 20’s, my youngest is in college. I have also
entered the wonderful world of being a grandparent with twin 2-year-old
granddaughters and another on the way. Raising my kids has been my main job
and ministry for the past three decades which means I have worn many
different hats over the years… PTA president, Moms in Touch leader, Team
mom, Sunday school teacher, Bible study leader, and Carpool driver
extraordinaire. I wrote this book in my …
New Beginnings in Parenting
Grace… that’s the one word I have to keep reminding myself of… Grace. I am not going to be perfect. Just like my kids are not perfect, even though we wish they were… I have to let myself make mistakes as a parent and not think that one thing will ruin their existence. Parenting is not a formula. It is a relationship. It is a process. It is taking one day at a time. It is a gift. It is a blessing. But it will also bring out things in you that you never knew existed. Because it is a challenge. Because it is hard. Because it is exhausting. And because it is a responsibility. But your kid was created for you, just for you, so that you could learn, grow, explore life, teach them, love them, nurture them, and direct them. But just as they are learning about life, so are we as their parents. They come into the world without anything. We become parents without a set of perfect skills or any prior experience. We take our little babe home from the hospital and think we should have it all figured out. But each day, each step, each stage, we get to learn and grow together. So that is where grace comes in. We have to give ourselves space to learn through all the experiences just as we want our kids to keep learning and growing through their mistakes and successes.
How can we engage in growth as parents:
- Read books
- Listen to podcasts
- Talk to other moms
- Don’t say yes to everything
- Ask for advice from parents that have gone before you
- Have fun with your kids. Get on their level
- Give praise, to yourself and to them
- Give time to your kids. And Make time for