Tidbits
Mom Hacks for Easter
Easter is coming up next week! Busy mom life gotten in the way of your desired Pinterest worthy ideas? Don’t stress – here are some tips and tricks to having a great, simple, and still adorable, Easter!
CARROT BAGS
If your time is limited, but you want to do something cute for your kids’ buddies or classmates – this is perfect for you! These bags are so cute! All you have to do is fill them with an orange treat (Goldfish, Cheddar Bunnies, Orange M&M’s), tie them off, add a cute label and you’re set!
EASTER BASKETS
Find cute containers or baskets that can be used after Easter. These are $1 at Target and I plan to use them for toy organization and storage after they are filled with some fun Easter goodies.
Tip for Easter Baskets
Fill Easter baskets with things your kids NEED, not just candy and trinkets.
Clothes and shoes for the warmer weather, an Easter outfit (that can be worn throughout Spring and Summer, too), new school supplies, a craft idea with all the supplies that will give you and your child some quality time together!
Check out some of our favorite (and always simple) ideas to have a super fun, Jesus-filled Easter!
https://www.growingweisser.com/2017/04/05/what-easter-is-really-all-about/
https://www.growingweisser.com/2017/04/04/easter-craft-to-share-love/
https://www.growingweisser.com/2016/03/09/planting-jelly-beans-in-home-grown-easter-grass/
https://www.growingweisser.com/2017/04/14/easter-egg-ercise-get-your-bunny-tails-moving/
https://www.growingweisser.com/2017/04/05/donut-forget-jesus-on-easter-the-empty-tomb/
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Onward and Upward
It is hard to move on.
It is hard to let go of things we love, even when we feel a tugging on our heart strings to move in a different direction.
This past year (not just 2018…2017 too) has been hard. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is harder. I don’t know if it’s age, or my oldest being in Kinder, but it hasn’t been an easy time. We are happy and healthy and very blessed, yet still, I felt the need to make a change.
So I did.
After 4 incredible years as a Fit4Mom instructor, I said good-bye to a job I loved and a community I cherish. As bittersweet as this change has been, I know I did it for the right reasons. For my family.
No, I don’t know what is next, but sometimes we have to take that first step in to the unknown to see what is coming. To be ready to be used by God. To grow. To find a new purpose. A new passion.
I didn’t always feel this way. Growth is hard. And, yes change is scary. But always worth it. In this season of “what’s next?” I have peace knowing that God is in control. I am so grateful that alongside my fitness job, I have been building an incredible opportunity for my family with my #BlessinginaBox community. I am able to offer health and wellness solutions to families, while also helping families cast a vision for more time and financial freedom. I have met so many incredible people and I am learning valuable life lessons as I create a business focused on serving others. I love that my own journey to make an extra income for my family can impact others at the same time! …
Read MoreWhen we say YES!
What happens when we say YES to opportunities in our life? You will never know unless you step out a take a risk. I am so thankful each time I meet a new friend and say YES! Yes to possibilities…YES to trusting…YES to serving together…YES to believing in the potential I see in the heart of others……..
I am so thankful for all my friends, new and old, that God has blessed me with in my lifetime. I am thankful for stepping out and opening my heart and my home to encourage others in their quest for life and fulfilling their passions. When you link arms with friends and work together toward a goal, you never know how much you will be blessed. Today we had our second Gogo Grandmothers Holiday Boutique. A few dear friends and I joined together to share our resources to raise money for a great cause and I came away so full of joy and a vision. Gogo Grandmothers ministry will be so grateful for the proceeds that will go to help purchase maize and fertilizer for the gogos (grandparents in Malawi) as they plant their gardens to provide food for their grandchildren. Check out the new website www.gogograndmothers.com. You too can join in our passion by learning about the ways you can put your love in action during this holiday season. Here are some pictures of our event and the fun we had serving together.
So BLESSED by the YES!!!
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Out with the Old, in with the new
After a blissful free summer, sometimes school and fall can hit you like a slap in the face. School, homework, practice, holidays right around the corner, and the days getting shorter. But… I guess it is good to have a reality check and get back into the swing of things. I think this time of year is the perfect time to set some intentions, try new things, reorganize your priorities, and get after it!
Keep an organized Calendar. Whatever it is, phone, planner, chalkboard, be consistent. And make sure you add new things when they come up.
Choose one new thing that challenges your mind. Try something new. A class, book, hobby, writing, job, side biz… Whatever it is, challenge yourself to broad your horizons, even if its just a little bit. Just don’t be afraid.
Keep the most important things the priority. Set your intentions. Know yourself. Do the most important things first. Life tends to just roll right through if you aren’t intentional with your time.
Choose a time of the week. Chose a time of the week where you are going to get organized, plan out the week, make lists, set goals, and get after life.
Don’t be afraid to try new systems. Don’t get stuck in the old ways. If you want to try something new like meal planning or a new grocery list app or a new online ordering system, do it. If it works for you, great, if not, stop. But you will never know if you don’t try.
It is okay to say no. You do not have to do everything. Say no, and don’t feel guilty about it. You can only handle so much.
Get rid of a few things. Look at your closet or your space, …
Read MoreChange…….
Change is in the air…
The weather has been changing…Indian Summer, hurricanes, heat waves 
Schedules are changing…..School has begun
Our home has been changing….the remodel is almost completely done and I am ready to get my life back. One last refinishing job in the kitchen-floors will look like new.
Over the past many months, I have had time to reflect on my life and what I want it to look like moving forward. I want to be a person who is flexible and always willing to change, to grow and to become a healthier person-emotionally, physically and spiritually. A few weeks ago, my mind was captivated by a teaching we heard at church about “hurried sickness”. How many times am I in too much of a hurry to take a bit more time to really listen to that friend? Do I ask questions that help open up that lonely heart, to connect deeper, to offer kindness and compassion. I do not ever want to miss an opportunity to help a person in need. Part of the change that I want to see happen in my own life is to SLOW DOWN and take more time to really appreciate all the blessings I have in my life. I want to finish strong, leave a lasting impression and really make an impact on others. So for me that change is going to require me to discipline my time and leave more room for margin….room for the unexpected. I actually want to plan for the unexpected so that I can be fully available for the cool opportunities God opens up for me in my life. One of the blessings of hanging out with my grandkids is watching them enjoy every second of life with awe and wonder.
Starting today, I have an opportunity …
Bekah’s Summer Update: The End of One Thing and the Start of Something(s) New
This has been quite a significant summer for us at the Bani Bungalow 🙂
We all survived intern year (Year One) of my hubby’s Pediatric Residency at UCSF Fresno. After one week off, we quickly started another year, but now we are that much closer to completing another step of this medical journey.
We found out that the newest addition to our family is a BOY.
He will be our second and are anxiously awaiting his arrival and seeing how Sophie likes being a Big Sister. This will be the 10th grandchild in our family making it a tie at 5 girls and 5 boys 🙂
We celebrated 5 Years of Marriage.
We did a mini celebration at the Underground Gardens here in Fresno (never stop exploring your home – you never know what cool adventures you will find!) and we will be doing a trip in a few weeks to Napa. Stay tuned for a post on how to do a Napa trip on a budget!
And, our happy girl continues to be HAPPY 😀
She is so curious and explorative. She loves trying new things and doing as much as she can on her own. She is a full on walker and is saying so many new words! And, she is such a girl. One of her newest favorite things is to put on her sparkly Minnie Mouse platform shoes and wear them around the house while she plays (Thanks for the hand-me-down, Cousin Mikah)!
As summer is coming to an end, always remember to CELEBRATE – big things, small things, victories, overcoming fears, trying new things and the people that you are surrounded by! Use these last few weeks of summer to not be overwhelmed by the coming year and everything you need …
Read MoreFresh Harvest Vegetable Marinara Sauce
This is the FIRST OFFICIAL recipe I have cooked in my new kitchen!!!!
We still have a few little repairs that need to be finished before it is completely done, but I can start creating new recipes and get back into my love of cooking now that I don’t have to cook in my laundry room anymore. It has been a LONG 8 months.
One of my distractions while waiting on the kitchen to be finished has been tending my vegetable garden…..Having a vegetable garden is fun and rewarding. The challenge is to use up the produce as it fills up the kitchen. So I decided to be creative and see how many of the vegetables from our garden I could use up in one recipe. I combined our garden veggies with a few things added from our local farmer’s market and cooked up a batch of vegetarian pasta sauce.
Ingredients
2 Tbs olive oil
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
6 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley
3 cups spinach
10 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 (28 oz) cans organic crushed tomatoes
I washed all the vegetables and starting with the onions, I cut them each into chunks and used my Cuisinart to finely chop each vegetable one type at a time. I put a large pot on medium heat and added 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots and saute until vegetables are soft, 5-10 minutes. Stir regularly so vegetables do not stick. Chop the basil, parsley and spinach and add to the large pot and stir another 5 minutes. Add 2 cans of organic crushed tomatoes and fresh tomatoes that have been chopped into chunks in the cuisinart. …
Read MoreReal Relationships through Tangible Connection
Do you find yourself connecting with people through looking at your social media feeds?? This may be a way to know about their life, to see what they are up to, but its not real connectedness. It almost feels like an empty connection. It is a awareness without the heart and soul connection. We were created for relationships, togetherness, and real relationships.
When was the last time you shared a coffee with someone, went on a walk with a friend, had a real conversation. Or are you stuck knowing people through the phone or internet? It is hard. We are all busy doing different responsibilities, activities with our families, theres not much room. But we can make space. Make it a priority to spend time face to face with people. Do an activity together, go shopping, run errands together, pick up kids together, invite people into your home.
In the book Craving Connection, the authors invite you to
- “Embrace the desire God has given each of us for connection
- Invest in meaningful relationships, right where God has you
- Become the friend you wish you had
Creative Ways to Memorize Scripture
It’s summer! Kids are out of school! That means 3 months of no learning, right?? Hate to break it to you kids, but not exactly! Summer is a great time to focus on some of the things that may get put on the back burner during the craziness of the school year, like memorizing Bible verses! Even if there is an emphasis in your house to do this all year round, use the summer months to try some more creative ways to get those verses ingrained in your kids! It is so important to communicate to your children the importance of memorizing Scripture, hiding it in your heart and filling your mind with God’s Word! Make it fun, and make it a family activity! Set goals of when to learn each verse and spend time at meals or when you are getting ready for bed to practice each part of the verse you have learned that week!
1. MUSIC
- Seeds of Character by Seeds Family Worship – Word-for-Word Scripture songs
- Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture – soothing, sleepy music based on Scripture
- Meet the Rizers – upbeat and very current, your kids will love them!
- Bear Hug Band – focuses more on character development, but has some Scripture in their songs
- Scripture Songs by Grace Evangelical Church
- Fighter Verses Songs – Word-for-Word Bible verses set to music specifically chosen to help believers to fight the fight of faith
- Steve Green: Hide ‘Em In Your Heart Vol 1 & 2 – throwing it back with Steve Green (We listened to him when we were young) but still a classic with straight Scripture put to song; Great for kids!
- GT and the Halo Express – Another that we listened to as kids – learn 100s of straight Scripture
The Importance of a Mom-Squad
Becoming a mom is SO exciting. More than exciting–LIFE CHANGING!
A lot of that time is such a blur. The long nights, early mornings, so many questions about how to do this “mom thing.” But what I do remember is the community of other moms that got me through. I literally would not be the mom I am today without them.
There is nothing more important than finding your community. The other moms who hold your hand through the hard days and jump and celebrate the good days. Who laugh at the crazy stuff that happens (literally you cannot make this mom stuff up) and encourage you to when it seems like the rough seasons and stages are NEVER going to end!
There is no manual for life as a mom, no map to navigate your way through. That’s why you need moms who have been there, moms who ARE there, and moms who will be there. You need someone who has your back. You need a mom-squad.
Friend-wise, becoming a mom has been the best thing to happen in my life. I cannot even tell you what a blessing my friends are in my life that I’ve met since becoming a mom. They are always there for me, and we are better together. We have so many adventures!
If you are a new mom, or still looking for a community my best advice would be to just GET OUT! Go to the park, join groups, find things you are interested in and go to events, just get out of your comfort zone! It is so worth it. I have made so many incredible friends on this journey of motherhood and I KNOW I could not do this without them.
The BEST part about this is we aren’t just friends …
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