Become a Better You
Sometimes the thought of learning or changing one more thing is overwhelming, but growth, maturing, changing can be a really important part of the process of life. We can always been gaining more information, different perspectives, insight, advice in so many things in our lives. There is nothing wrong with seeing something around you and wanting to grow or move more towards that. You just have to keep it in check. Is that desire something tangible, doable, and good for you, or are you stuck comparing yourself to someone else? So keep your growth in check so you can grow to become a better you, not become someone else. You are the best you you can be. That doesn’t mean you are done where you are today, but do the best you can for each day, and you will continue to grow and become more excellent in who you are.
What are some fun ways to grow?
- What is your trade? Read books and articles in that field
- Focus on what you are thankful for and the good things
- Listen to podcasts
- Teach your kids about something new (you may learn from it too)
- Talk to people, become good at asking questions
- Be a good listener
- Set goals and intentions
This past weekend I got to go to a Fit4mom Training to grow in my group fitness instruction skills. I loved the time I got to spend with my team, and the things I learned. I never want to stop learning and growing to become a better teacher and leader in Fit4mom. 
All in all, just pick one or two things that you can focus on, and watch yourself grow. Feel the change happening by taking a little more focus and intention. And write things down so you can reflect …
Read MoreMom 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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Growth through hardship — Your Great Hands
Life shattered on this empty floor
I’ve tried so hard to simply keep it
I know there must be something more
I’m here now to turn it over; complete surrender
Into Your great hands, I will place my trust (ohh)
When I cannot stand, You will lift me up (ohh)
Every failure, every fear, every step that led me here
All I am, into Your great hands (ohh)
To loosen my grip and let go
But really all that I am risking
Is perfect
Food Science – St. Patrick’s Day Themed
This week is Girl Scout Week, where we celebrate the birthday of Girl Scouts by participating in different activities each day. I love being a part of Girl Scouts, and being a leader for my daughters.
One of the activities to choose this week was to do a food science activity.
I found an activity for “Leprechaun Sand” that looked fun, simple, and I had all the ingredients on hand. PLUS, it is holiday themed, so MOM WIN!!!
You can find the original post here along with fun questions to ask the kids during and after the experiment.
Warning: This activity is really messy. And you do use green food coloring, which stains. So I recommend washing hands immediately following your fun with the sand!!
You will need:
baking soda
vinegar
green food coloring
droppers
a baking pan (with sides to keep the liquid in)
aprons or play clothes
First, pour out the baking soda into the pan. We used A LOT and probably could have used more! Add the vinegar to a bowl or cup and add the food coloring. Use the droppers to slowly add vinegar to the baking soda.
(This took a REALLY long time, so eventually I just slowly poured the vinegar over the baking soda). Don’t use too much though, you want the mixture thick enough to play with. That’s what make the “Sand!”
The girls had a lot of fun with this and it was very easy for me to set up!
Mom approved!!
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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 MoreSharing the Real Meaning of Easter with your Children and Grandchildren
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The whole Christian faith is based on Easter
Easter is a season when we reflect on the suffering, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is impossible to reflect upon Easter and all of its hardships without letting it reflect in and through us. The beauty of the Lenten season is that it encourages the development of a humble heart. In Lent, we are invited to look deeply inside, identify what is impeding our ability to follow Christ along the path of humility, and ask God to help us begin to make changes.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in
me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
We have always used the resurrection eggs help our children and grandchildren understand the true meaning of Easter. If you have never used Resurrection eggs to tell the Easter story to your kids, here is the link to purchase a set of eggs or you can make them yourselves. To buy them click here Resurrection Eggs. To make your own, click here DIY Resurrection Eggs.
Here are some other great resources for Moms young and old to use with their kids or grandkids to prepare them for Easter.
http://familylifetoday.com/program/making-preparations-for-easter/
http://familylifetoday.com/program/creative-ideas-for-easter/
This year I thought it would be fun to try something new. I found a wonderful resource called The Easter Story Egg, www.StoryEgg.com is the website. This year I purchased an Easter Story Egg for each of my daughters to use with their children.
Here is the creator’s explanation of this tool….
“The Easter Story Egg™ is a tradition that celebrates the true meaning of …
Read MoreInstant Pot Greek Chicken
I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and have just been too busy to try it. FINALLY with the nudging and encouragement of Bethany, I experimented with my first creation in the Instant Pot. We loved the result and I will be experimenting with many more ideas for my Instant Pot in the future. This recipe was easy and quick. I did learn you must factor in about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to warm up before your allowed timer starts to count off the cooking time and you must add about 15 minutes for the Pot to cool down and release the steam. Fortunately I had that extra time as I was waiting for my hubby to get home from work.
So here is my first Instant Pot recipe….
Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken-boneless, skinless breasts or thighs
½ red onion
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 green pepper chopped into small pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup chicken broth
Saute the vegetables in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. You can use the sauté mode in the Instant Pot or saute on the stovetop.
Place vegetables into your Instant Pot, if you sauteed them in a pan over the stove. Place chicken on top of vegetables.
Sprinkle seasoning on chicken.
Pour jar of marinated artichoke hearts on top of seasoned chicken.
Pour lemon juice and broth on top of all.
Place top on Instant Pot and secure for cooking.
Press Poultry button and set for 15 minutes. The Instant Pot takes about 10 minutes to heat up, 15 minutes to cook …
Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna
This vegetarian Mexican casserole is a show stopper. Combining all the delicious flavors of an enchilada casserole with the unique flavors of roasted vegetables makes one of the best Mexican dishes. Using mozzarella cheese adds a flare and thus the name…Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna. I first tasted this at a friend’s home and she was eager to share her recipe. I made a few healthy adaptations and viola…..
Ingredients
4-5 cups butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into cubes
1 red bell pepper , chopped into cubes
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa (we used Pace)
12 corn tortillas, 6 inch diameter
1 ½ cups greek plain yogurt
1 bottle Trader Joes enchilada sauce
1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Prepare the vegetable filling:
- Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
- Put butternut squash on a roasting sheet pan and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Let it cool slightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and chopped red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder, and saute the vegetables and spices on high heat until charred just a bit. Mid-way through, add corn, then rinsed and drained black beans. Add roasted butternut squash Add more salt if needed. Add more chili powder or cumin, than indicated in the recipe, if needed.
Assemble the casserole:
- Use a casserole dish either 9×13 or 11
A Grandmother’s Love
I have wrestled for 8 years with the nagging question of “what is so extraordinary about a Grandmother’s Love?” I absolutely loved being a mom and embraced every opportunity to pour into my daughters through encouragement, training, teaching, correcting and sometimes disciplining. But there is some indescribable difference about my role as a grandparent. I look at my role as “Gammie” as a mentorship role model. I am more focused on careful instruction and showing great patience and less focused on commanding obedience and monitoring accomplishments. I have more time to come alongside each of my grandkids and more time to listen to their hearts. I also have more wisdom to discern what really matters in the long run and can focus on developing their character. What that looks like on a daily basis was described by a speaker I heard this weekend who was sharing about her relationship with her grandma. She used this relationship with her grandma as a model of discipleship. There were two simple things her grandma did that had a significant impact on her confidence and her ability to persevere through the hard times.
Grandma would sit and watch her dance…..find out what your kids or grandkids are passionate about and take the time to show them that you are passionate about watching them do what they love to do.
Grandma would walk toward her and meet her everyday right where she was…..encourage your kids or grandkids by meeting them right where they are and giving them the best you can offer.
Loving my grandkids is a joy. Knowing that my love has the power to shape their character, build their confidence and ignite their faith is a privilege that I will embrace until the end of my days.
A few principles I …
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day from the Growing Weisser family!
Here are a few of my favorite Valentines……..
So adorable-little Garrett!!!
Rachel, Mikah, Ellie and Hanna fill our hearts with joy!
Adorable Hanna and Mikah …Love and hearts everywhere!
Fun and spunky Sophie who gets the award for #1 BEST big sister to Hezi!!!
Precious Hezi and his new smile!
Jorde having yummy bowl of ice cream!
Zeke making Valentines.
Reese and her new bicycle.
Calvin is always a happy boy.
My sweet husband had these gorgeous flowers on the counter for me this morning. I gathered with some wonderful girlfriends to make homemade bagels that I am giving my sweet husband for his Valentine’s day treat.
The following Valentine is my absolute favorite…
Love is in the air…it’s Valentine’s day!!!
This Valentine is sent to each one of us from God!!!
Read it and believe it..it will change your life!!
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