Tidbits
Get Out & Get Refreshed – Summer Version
Are you bored by your schedule and routine? Are you in a rut? Sometimes all you need is to get outside or get out of your routine to get a little refreshment! Here are five fun (maybe NEW) ideas to do just that:
1. Try a New Activity with Friends
A few friends and I have recently been planning to attend a “Paint Nite.” There are paint studios all over where you go and get a step-by-step process to all paint the same picture (and it usually includes wine which is a bonus for many!). We are really excited to go be crafty, spend some quality time together, and try something new – and we get a canvas painting out of it, too! Rachel recently tried the “Ladies Night Out” at her local rock climbing gym with friends! There are so many fun, inexpensive ways to find refreshment.
“Learning something new is a fabulous way to be refreshed. When work can grind you down, something about learning a new activity thrills the soul. It reminds you that the world is bigger than your desk and your to-do list.” John Ortberg
2. Go on a Date somewhere you have never been!
Try that new restaurant you have always been wanting to go to; Find a local, free activity; Go somewhere in the city you have never been; go to a movie in the park; find a yoga event in the park; go to a new exercise class with your spouse or find a video online (try YouTube!)
Join a Yoga Challenge! We are currently doing #BackToBackbendsChallenge on Instagram with @kinoyoga @beachyogagirl and @aloyoga for the month of July! Find the challenge on my profile @bekahb623 to join!
3. Go on a Walk, Run, Hike or Bike Ride; Go to a new …
Read MoreFourth of July Fun!!
http://www.zingerbugimages.com/backgrounds/july_4_collage_flag_and_fireworks.jpg
How are you going to celebrate our independence with your family? First of all you should look at this Fourth of July Facts Post to share some facts of our history with your family. But what are some fun and patriotic things to do? Here are a few:
Fly your Flag (rules and regulations of flag: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagcode.htm)
- Make sure you follow the rules of how to take care of your flag
- See the above post to learn about the meaning of the colors
NYC Releases Synergy
Sights, sounds, smells, synergy…. the incredible energy of Manhattan…..to spend a week strolling the streets, exploring the districts, the subway, the waterways, the incredible diversity in the architecture, seeing skyscrapers, museums, memorials……absorbing all that the city offers would take a lifetime. Each day as the people of New York City awake and begin their crazy complicated city lives, there is a powerful release of synergism-the interaction of elements that when combined, produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements.
I loved every second of my time in New York and can not wait to go back. I had forgotten how much of American history and rich culture has its roots in NYC and the surrounding area. Discovering how the new traditions have grown up around the historic buildings and districts was fascinating. I was captivated by the architecture of the buildings and the museums that held mass quantities of incredible art and artifacts from cultures around the world. I loved the sense that the people of Manhattan are working together to make their city a safer and more ecologically friendly place. I stayed with my sister and nephew near Central Park and began each day walking by the beautiful park where locals and tourists go to spend leisure time walking, running and biking. It is incredible to comprehend that 12 million people are hustling and bustling about in Manhattan each day. They work hard, exercise hard, play hard and although the sense is that people that live in NYC are driven and always on-the -go, we met genuinely nice and extremely helpful people wherever we went. I loved hearing the stories about young passionate people using their talents and entrepreneurial skills to pursue their dreams. We met bakery shop owners who had learned how …
Release Your Priorities
I constantly struggle to find time for myself or the things I think I need or want to do. I have been working for a while on getting organized and prioritizing my day to maximize what little time I have. I think, “once I find the perfect formula of daily activities I will be more productive.” Although this is true, I’ve lost sight of the one thing that needs to be first and foremost in every day and every thought–God’s plan for my day and God’s plan for my life.
How fitting that as I’ve been struggling with this a perfect song came on the radio today. This is why I love Air1 Positive Hits radio–the lyrics of God’s love and promises for our lives reminds me of his perfect plans for me.
The song that I heard today was, “First, ” by Lauren Daigle. Here are the lyrics:
Before I bring my need
I will bring my heart
Before I lift my cares
I will lift my arms
I wanna know You
I wanna find You
In every season
In every moment
Before I bring my need
I will bring my heart
And seek You
(chorus)
First
I want to seek You
I want to seek You
First
I want to keep You
I want to keep You
First
More than anything I want, I want You
First
Before I speak a word
Let me hear Your voice
And in the midst of pain
Let me feel Your joy
I wanna know You
I wanna find You
In every season
In every moment
Before I speak a word
I will bring my heart
And seek You
(chorus)
First
I want to seek You
I want to seek You
First
I want to keep You
I want to keep You…
Release Your Excuses
I am sharing this exercise from a leadership group that I am in. I mentioned last month about the value of being mentored, and I still highly recommend that you have someone in your life that can challenge you to reach out of your comfort zone.
1. START
Write down one thing that you feel you are struggling with in life.
Something you fell you can’t do or can’t master.
Begin your comment with “I can’t…”
(For example: “I can’t keep my office clean.” “I can’t wake up early.”)
2. RE-WRITE
Now, re-write your comment. Replace “I can’t” with “I won’t.”
3. REFLECT
How does that new statement make you feel?
4. RELEASE
Now do you see how what you thought was a result “I can’t keep my office organized,” is actually a CHOICE that you made not to do something. It’s time to release your excuses and take full responsibility for your results and actions.
Stop saying “I can’t.” Start saying “I won’t.” Then take action to release your excuses and fix it!
I would love for you to take on this challenge with me. Please write one of your “I won’t” statements in the comments and share how you are going to release the excuse and change that won’t into a will!
…
Modify Ink – Allowing a Creative Release For All Types REVIEW
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about an amazing company that we discovered at Build Your Blog Conference 2015 named Modify Ink! I just received my order yesterday – “US Map” – and the product is such great quality! The colors are bright and vibrant, which I love! The process is fun, too! Once I chose the design that I wanted, I was able to customize all of the colors with solids, patterns, bright and muted colors; there were so many options! I could also customize each individual section of a print. I decided to stay simple with a coral background and off-white text. I love how it turned out! I feel like, even though I wasn’t the one who created the design, I still had a part in creating the artwork! Here is a picture of my final print!
I am planning to frame my print and use it to mark the places my husband and I travel to in the United States! I am excited for my print and my new project, as well as, using Modify Ink for future decor! Great artwork, easy to use, and an amazing, innovative idea taking digital print images to a higher standard!
Stay tuned Growing Weisser Followers for an EXCLUSIVE COUPON CODE for Modify Ink COMING SOON!!
The original post about Modify Ink is below!
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It’s time to release the idea that YOU ARE NOT AN ARTIST! You may not be able to paint, your idea of a self-portrait may be a stick figure, or your clay lion may look like a worm. But it doesn’t matter because with Modify Ink EVERYONE can be an artist!
“We want everyone to
have the ability to customize art, to create
art, to collect art, and to love art.” -Modify Ink…
Passion Perspective Giveaway Winner and Bethany’s Birthday Tribute
Thank you for participating in our Passion Perspective celebrating the launching of Bekah’s Etsy shop A Line & A Lighthouse. We hope you have all taken the time to visit her Etsy shop and are considering who you would love to bless with a gift of a Bani Banner.
We are happy to announce the winner of the Giveaway…………Kelly Hyder-Hanlon….and what a fantastic winner she is!!!! Congratulations…..Bekah will correspond with you to give you the details of how to redeem your coupon!
Today we have another important event to celebrate…..today is Bethany’s 29th birthday! We want to honor her this day. She is such a precious part of our family and we all owe so much to her for how she encourages each one of us to be the BEST we can be in our life as we celebrate each day.
Rachel’s birthday message: “Happy Birthday, Bethany. I am continually amazed, inspired, and challenged by you. Your posts are filled with love and a deep understanding of God’s word and his will for our lives. You are such a blessing to me!”
Jessica’s birthday message: “Happy birthday Bethany! Your joy and enthusiasm for life makes everyone around you want to live life to the fullest. Thank you for encouraging me and pointing us to Jesus. I hope you have a wonderful, much deserved birthday! I love you!”
Bekah’s birthday message: “Happy birthday Bethany! I hope this is the start to your best year yet! I’m so glad that we’ve been only a few hours away instead of countries between us for the last few months! I admire your faith and your courage and how much you care for others…and I love that we still match by accident all the time! Love you “twin”! Happy birthday!”…
Read MoreHow to Order Your Bani Banners! Passion Perspective Day 3
Welcome back to Day 3 of our Passion Perspective, sharing Bekah’s journey of developing Bani Banners for her new Etsy shop called A Line & A Lighthouse.
For those of you who did not have the privilege of reading about Bekah’s new Etsy shop in the first 2 days of our Passion Perspective week, you can access both post by clicking these links.
Day 1
Day 2
Bekah’s BANI BANNERS are handmade decor pieces to accent a baby or child’s room! Bani Banners are completely customized – You choose the fabric and felt colors for the letters of the name or word(s)!
This unique gift originated as a name banner but can also be hand-crafted for room or home decor or a party decoration (Baby Shower, Bridal Shower, Wedding, Holiday, or Special Event with words like …“Home”, “Love”, “Play”, “Sisters”…)
Today we will walk you step by step through the ordering process for your Bani Banner!
Go to Bekah’s Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/ALineAndALighthouse
TO ORDER YOUR BANI BANNER:
1. Choose the Quantity of Banners
Choose the Quantity of Banners needed from the drop down menu on the Right.
Need new decor for your child’s room?
Gammie Kerry thinks this is the BEST gift idea for Grandmothers to buy for their grandchildren or to celebrate the birth of your friend’s grandchild.
Have some baby showers coming up?
This is a perfect gift that is unique for Mommies and fun for children to have as they grow up!
Need that crafty touch for your party?
Have a theme for your party?
Order a Bani Banner!
2. Choose the Number of Hearts needed (1 HEART PER LETTER IN NAME)
Choose the Number of Hearts needed from the drop down menu on the Right located under the Quantity of Banners drop down menu.
If …
Read MoreBekah’s Journey of Developing “Bani Banners”
Join us today as we follow Bekah’s journey of creating her first product, Bani Banners in her Etsy shop, A Line and a Lighthouse…….
Bekah’s story begins…
“My original passion that inspired Bani Banners, aside from loving to create anything and everything, was becoming an Auntie! I wanted to combine my oldest passion of creative crafting with my newest passion of being an Auntie to make something special for my nieces and nephews – Bani Banners emerged! The name, Bani Banners, came later (actually inspired by my husband) once I got my new last name, BANIhashemi! 🙂 The name, A Line & A Lighthouse, was recently inspired by the two symbols that represent the two most important things in my life – God and my husband.”
She continued her story of how she came up with her idea and what steps she took to make it a reality…
“I thought of the idea and created the idea for Bani Banners on the second round of babies in our family- when two new nieces and a new nephew arrived all within 2 ½ months! I really just had the idea and used my nieces and nephews as guinea pigs 🙂 I loved how the baby name banners turned out so when my friends started having babies, I began making Bani Banners for them too! I made so many Christmas gift Bani Banners that I decided it was time to open my own Etsy shop, something that I have considered for years now with various ideas, but finally decided that Bani Banners would be my product.
What sets A Line and a Lighthouse apart from other DIY craft ideas?
Kerry says, “I am an avid crafter and have been sewing for almost 50 years….and although I always love anything my girls create, …
A Line and A Lighthouse-Passion Perspective
Our Passion Perspective for this month is featuring our very own Bekah Banihashemi and her journey of developing her ETSY shop, A Line and A Lighthouse and creating her first product, BANI BANNERS.
Today we will be getting to know a little bit more about Bekah…..
Bekah has always loved doing all types of crafts. She became an expert scrapbooker (her reason-“my mom jokes that I got tired of waiting for her to do my photo album scrapbooks. Since she was so busy by the time she had me- the 4th child- I just decided to make my own”) but with the expensive cost of supplies and the increase in technology, she now loves making photo books! Since becoming a wife, she has really begun to enjoy cooking and finding healthy recipes! Bekah’s love for gift giving combined with her passion for creating, designing and her creative flair inspired her first product, Bani Banners.
Bekah’s 3 sisters are the charter members of her fan club, here are their words of encouragement:
Rachel: “Bekah’s creativity comes straight from her heart and is evident in all she does. I love the way she can make an idea come to life and puts her own unique style into a finished project.”
Jess: “I am inspired by Bekahs thoughtfulness and genuine care for others. Her sweet spirit is evident to everyone around her. I admire her gifts and talents and how she is using them to bless others.”
Bethany: “Bekah is an all around rock star. Not only is she creative and crafty, but she is loving, compassionate, and giving. Mix those things and you get someone who is always thinking of others, making people feel loved, and really cherishing who people are on the inside. She pays attention to the details and …