Our Favorite Phone Apps
Is your phone a crazy tetris puzzle of different applications and notifications? Or are they organized and easy to find? Regardless of what kind of phone you have or how full your storage may be, we thought it would be fun to take a little time to let you know what some of our favorites are! So if you need to try anything new or consolidate some of yours… let’s take a look. Of course, we all use FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM because those are just the go to’s.
Rach
- iBooks
- Disneyland app- Which one of us do you think goes to Disney alot? 🙂
- Storybots
- Cartwheel
- Podcasts
- BabyNursing
- Amazon
- Target App’s Cartwheel
- Pandora
- Spotify
- Zulily- HAVE YOU EVER SHOPPED HERE? IT’S GREAT!
- Focus on the Family- GREAT PODCASTS
- FamilyLife- GREAT PODCASTS
- FitBit
- Shopping Apps for Mobile Coupons – Sprouts, Joann, Michaels, Hobby Lobby
- Nike+ Training- GREAT WORKOUT APP
- Etsy- TOO MUCH CUTE STUFF
Bethany
- Spotify
- Picstitch- PIC COLLAGES!
- Remote (for Apple Tv)
- Target
- Amazon
- Groupon
- Marco Polo- LEAVE FRIENDS VIDEOS!
- First5App: GREAT DEVOTIONAL
Kerry
- WAZE
- AccuWeather
- Holy bible (Youversion)
- Focus on the Family Daily broadcast
- Family Life today
- Jesus Calling
- KP-Kaiser or any healthcare app. SUPER CONVENIENT
- Fandango
- Zulily
- Cartwheel
- Safeway
- Trip advisor
Any new ones you want to try??
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Read Moreexchange jealousy for joyfulness
I received an email today that seemed so relevant with the topic of GROWTH we are talking about this month. It was from Jordan Lee Dooley, an author, speaker and founder of SoulScripts. I follow her on instagram and she gives such encouragement and speaks Truth through her life experiences and through her joy for life.
Speaking of joy for life ^^^ 😀
I thought her email was pretty spot on with how we can grow away from jealousy so I wanted to share it with all of you…It is entitled “my #1 tip to overcoming jealousy”…
“If you’re anything like me, i can bet that you probbbbbably struggle with comparison from time to time.
okay, okay, let’s be honest here.
if you’re anything like me, you probably struggle with it a lot of the time.
but what is comparison, really? where does it come from?
i think so much of comparisons is rooted in jealousy.
ick.
i hate that word.
but recently i’ve been putting a little trick into practice and i want to share it with you.
cool? okay, cool.
so here’s my #1 tip for anyone struggling with JEALOUSY:
consider what you are jealous of in your friend or acquaintance. Is it her family? Her hair? Her success?
Identify the root of the issue. And, then, replace it with something about her that brings you joy. Is it the advice she gives? Her creative ideas? The way you guys can laugh like crazy together?
When I begin to envy my friends in any way, I try not to wallow in that feeling but instead remove the jealous thoughts and replace them with joyful truths.
i also try to remember that if i were to trade that one thing I’m jealous of, I’d also have to vie …
Read MoreBooks for Growth, our favorites.
I love to read, but as a mom of littles and in a home that seems to always have something to be done or to clean up, reading has not been fitting into my life like it once could.
Reading can be such a source for growth, whether it is for personal growth, spiritual growth, or even growth for your mind to be at peace, to get lost in a different world, or to be engaged in a stage of life you are currently in.
Here are a list of some of our favorite books that have brought each of us growth in different times of our lives…
KERRY
Desiring God by John Piper
Growth was learning that God desires my delighting in Him, not doing things for Him, just being with Him and finding joy in relationships
Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen
I loved the reminder that we do not have to strive to please God or prove ourself to earn His favor
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
a Biblical based response to the current culture’s desire to believe there is no evil and no hell
RACHEL
Greater by Steven Furtick
Learn how to dream bigger and ignite God’s greater vision for your life
High Performance Habits by Brendan Bouchard
Developing six habits for success
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Living a life of meaning and connection instead of perfection
JESSICA
Love Unending by Becky Thompson
On marriage in the midst of motherhood
Life Giving Table by Sally Clarkson
Using the table in your home as a place of discipleship
BETHANY
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
A book on changing your perspective on thankfulness
Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning
Stretching our view on trust and what God has for us in trusting Him
Love Does by …
Read MoreHappy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas!!
The Growing Weisser family is blessed with a long legacy of pretty spectacular moms. One of those, of course, is our mom, Kerry!!
We are so blessed by you, mom. This one’s for you!!!
From Rachel:
I am so blessed by your example as a mom and a friend and a woman of God. Whenever I strive to be those things it’s your example I think of. You love care deeply for others and your family ADORES you. Thank you for always loving and supporting me, especially on my own motherhood journey!
From Jess:
Our mom is someone I strive to be like; she is genuine, caring, always thinking of others, and a true friend. I’m blessed when I get to be with her and love how much she loves my husband and my kids. I’m honored to call her Mom.
From Bethany:
I love my mom because she is the most faithful, steadfast, and encouraging person I have ever met. And I feel so blessed to have her as my mom, always in my corner, cheering me on, loving me, praying for me, steering me the right direction. Now that I am a mom I value her devotion to her daughters, her constant love, and the time she gives us. She is one in a million and we are so blessed. Now my son and soon to be daughter also at the benefit of her love. I aspire to be a mom like her!
From Bekah:
Mom,
I am so thankful to have you as my mom, my kids Gammie and a friend! You are the best listening ear and Truth giver. You are generous and kind and always thinking of others! I love you so much! Happy Mother’s Day!
We …
Read MoreGrowth and Gratitude
Gratitude is an essential part of health. Gratitude affects your relationships, your health, enhances empathy and reduces aggression, helps you sleep better, improves self esteem, increases mental strength and resilience.
Gratitude for what you HAVE and where you are NOW is an important part of growth. We need to appreciate our blessings and reflect on where we are so we can plan and dream about where we want to go.
A great way to cultivate gratitude is by journaling. Either in the morning, or in the evening as a reflection on your day.
Here’s something I’m working on – once you have that gratitude practice and are regularly cultivating and attitude of gratitude, what practices or behavior can you adopt to GROW and get BETTER?!!
*****
One way to grow is to watch other people. Study people that you respect and notice their daily habits and practices. Think about what they are doing on a regular basis that are helping them grow. Are there some habits and practices that you could model in your own life? Start small. Consistency is key!
Be willing to change. Chances are, if you want to change, you MUST change your habits. Growth requires being willing to try new things. Oh and get ready to fail. A lot! It’s part of the process!
With that willingness to change, you need to stop making excuses. If you don’t like where you are, only YOU can change it!
LOVE YOURSELF. Feeling good inside will make it more likely that you approach the world and others with feelings of happiness too! Here’s where the gratitude comes in again. You might not be exactly where you want to be mentally, physically, spiritually, but finding things to be thankful for – including what make you YOU – will give you …
Read MoreBlender Banana Bread
I am a close personal friend of simple recipes. Blender Banana Bread? SOLD!
This original recipe is from The Baker Mama we added the flaxseed meal and chocolate chips.
Gather your ingredients:
3 overripe bananas
2 cups Oatmeal (I LOVED the results of using our bag of Coach’s Oats from Costco)
2 TBS Flaxseed Meal
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Soda
(extras: 1 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg, chocolate chips and/or walnuts added to top)
Bake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add ingredients to blender. I recommend adding the bananas and eggs to the bottom, then adding the other ingredients on top.
Blend all ingredients (except chocolate chips and/or walnuts) in a powerful blended. Blend until combined.
Grease a loaf pan and add all the ingredients. Top with chocolate chips and/or walnuts.
Bake at 350 degress for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool. ENJOY!!
The girls had a lot of fun taking turns adding ingredients, then watching them combine in the blender.
The banana bread was soft and moist, and the chocolate on top was a fun treat.
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5 Directives to Develop Strong Character and Grow in Relationships
A very famous writer and well known orator was known for his commitment to helping encourage people in self development and interpersonal relationships. He was a brilliant man, known for his courage and passion for spreading good news. One of his letters was written to a group of people in Corinth that he had taught over the years. He had committed to helping them thrive in spite of hard times. Over the years, they had stolen his heart and he was passionate about seeing them conquer their enemies from within and from without. He wanted them to work on a few character development exercises before he arrived for his last visit. He reminded them about how they had become new in Christ. He challenged them to “not waste their sufferings”, because suffering connects us with others in a way that no other experience can. He encouraged them to take comfort by looking above the layer of clouds that overshadows people when they are suffering. He talked to them in this letter about how God equips each one of His followers to be free of the chains of their past. He taught them about a God who would be a father to them-a good an generous father. He explained to them about personal generosity-sharing their gifts and talents with others who have needs. And he addressed their comparison thinking which was a big factor in their strife and sufferings. He sent them this letter so they could work on a few things before he arrived so he would not have to make his visit a confrontational and discouraging visit. He ended his letter with 5 directives…..
- REJOICE
- BECOME MATURE
- BE ENCOURAGED AND COMFORTED
- BE LIKE MINDED
- BE AT PEACE
HOW WOULD YOUR LIFE BE DIFFERENT IF YOU FOLLOWED THESE DIRECTIVES?
How …
Read MoreGluten Free Berry Coffee Cake
We had our leadership celebration brunch today and this gluten free berry coffee cake was a hit!!! I adapted the recipe I found on mygluten-freekitchen website and added a little extra cinnamon for fun. Once again I used the “Mama’s Almond Blend” Gluten free flour2 cups good quality gluten-free flour blend*
1 tsp. xanthan gum (omit if your flour contains xanthan already)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
2 cups fresh or frozen berries
TOPPING
1/3 cup gluten-free flour
3 Tbsp. salted butter, softened
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp finely chopped almonds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9″ deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
COFFEE CAKE:
1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt until blended.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla.
3. Alternately add in the buttermilk and the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix only enough to blend together, don’t over-mix. Batter will be very thick.
4. Spread batter into a greased 9″ cake pan or pie plate.
5. Place the berries one at a time over the surface of the cake batter, gently pushing down into the batter.
TOPPING:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, and sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly and butter pieces are pea-sized or smaller. Stir in cinnamon and finely chopped almonds.
2. Sprinkle topping over the batter as evenly as possible.
3. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Serve …
Gluten Free Apple Carrot Muffins
I love the spring because of the beautiful blossoms on the trees and all the flowers that are blooming. I love that our family has many birthdays to celebrate in the spring and early summer. I especially love to celebrate new life and this spring we are anticipating our 11th grandchild. We had a “Sprinkled with Love” baby shower this past weekend to celebrate Bethany’s baby girl due in July. I will post about the baby shower later in the week. So there has been lots of baking in my new kitchen over the past few weeks. Today I experimented with a few Gluten Free recipes.
Tomorrow I have a leadership team “end of the year” celebration of encouragement and thankfulness. A few of the gals on our team are gluten free so I thought I would have some fun and try a few new recipes. This recipe was fantastic. I researched Gluten Free mixes to save time instead of making my own blend like I usually do. I found an almond based blend called “Mama’s Almond Blend” on Amazon. I really liked the texture of this flour for these muffins. They do take a lot longer to bake than regular flour muffins. Give this recipe a try-you will love them!
Ingredients
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil
1/3 cup mashed very ripe banana
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1 sweet apple, finely grated
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 heaping cup (packed) grated carrot
2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup + 2 Tbsp Gluten Free Flour Mix (I used “Mama’s Almond Blend”)
1/4 cup raw walnuts (chopped) …
Sprinkled with Love Sugar Cookies
We are in full on “SPRINKLES” mode!! This weekend is our Sprinkled with Love Baby Shower to celebrate Bethany and the soon-to-be newest girl addition to the family! We are so excited!!
I decided to try a fun new Sugar Cookie recipe that looks so pretty and delicious for the shower! Probably the most fun part of the process was that Sophie wanted to be my “helper”. She may have been a little more excited to eat the cookies than to bake them but it was pretty special for me to share my passion for baking with this cutie 🙂
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
Sprinkles for Rolling (I used 1/2 cup of Rainbow Sprinkles)
Parchment Paper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until dough is formed.
- Pour sprinkles onto a plate to create a flat layer. Roll dough into bowls and then roll into the sprinkles until covered. Set on the cookie sheet and slightly flatten each cookie ball.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and let them cool for 15+ minutes (I was surprised how long it took these cookies to cool. Do not remove them from the parchment paper until cooled.)
Makes approx 20 cookies
We love to hear when you try the recipes we post! Leave a comment here or on any of our social media accounts 🙂
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