Get More ZZZ’s
It is Summer Sizzle Week 5, and this is a good one! We are focusing on GETTING MORE SLEEP!
Chances are, you don’t get enough sleep. In fact, most Americans don’t!
Lack of sleep can lead to many health risks including adding pounds to your waistline and taking years off your life!
So what can we do about it?
Get more sleep of course! And not just more sleep, BETTER SLEEP!
- Stick to a routine – plan to get in bed or start relaxing around the same time each night. This is a great time to read a book or put on a podcast. I recommend this “Science of Sleep” podcast!
- Turn off the lights! – If you are like me, you likely watch TV or read books on your phone or kindle device before bed. The light from these devices actually can interfere with melatonin production, which helps control sleep and wake cycles. Use the dimmer function or night shift on your phone!
- Consider what you eat! – are you choosing foods to nourish and fuel your body? Healthy eating and water consumption plays an important role in your sleep!
- Exercise – Consistent exercise is important, but try not to exercise too close to bedtime. If that isn’t possible, cool down after your workout with a relaxing yoga routine!
- Wake up early – This seems counterproductive to getting more sleep, but actually, a better morning routine sets the stage for a better day. And a better day will help you feel less stressed, more relaxed, and better prepared to stick to your bedtime routine to get more zzz’s!
Try tracking your sleep for the next week. If you need any help getting better sleep, staying asleep, or fueling your body right be sure to comment or contact us. We …
Read MoreSuccotash
A great way to cook up some of your favorite vegetables is with a succotash twist. Enjoy this easy showstopper recipe with whatever meat you can grill up on your BBQ. Serve this up with some shredded BBQ chicken made in a crockpot-recipe coming next week…….
- 2 TBS coconut oil or olive oil (if you want a touch of coconut flavor, use coconut oil)
- ½ diced onion
- ½ diced bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 TBS paprika
- 1 TBS tumeric
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 stalks of corn (corn cut off)
- 1 tomato
- 1 zuchinni
- 1 TBS cumin
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Saute the onions, bell peppers, and garlic
- Add paprika, tumeric, and cilantro. Cook for 3 minutes
- Add the corn, tomato, zuchinni and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the cumin and chiken broth and bring to a boil
- Add the parsley, salt, and pepper at the end.
What is one of your favorite side dishes to serve at your summer BBQ?
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Recharge Your Summer with a Bucket List
We have made it through the holiday weekend of summer! What are you going to do for the rest of your summer? Here’s an idea to recharge your creativity for fun summer plans!
Have you made a summer bucket list? Have you been working through it? If you have, look back through it and add activities that you have thought of or heard of from friends that you haven’t done yet. If you haven’t made one, do it now! There is still plenty of time to do all the things that you have always wanted to try – fun activities in your community, trying new restaurants, free summer events, crafts, home adventures and more!
Here is a fun way to put up your Bucket List to see what activities to plan for the rest of summer!
All you need is…
1. Your Summer Bucket List
2. A Magnetic Strip
Find it on Amazon for a great price at the link below!
Three by Three Magnetic Strip Bulletin Board, White
3. Fun Paper
Try JOANN Fabric, Michaels, or your local craft store for packs of scrapbook paper…
…Paper Source…
…Amazon, too!
Fancy Pants Designs Burlap and Bouquets Decorative Tags, Large
4. Colored Pens or Sharpies
Sharpie 75846 Fine Point Permanent Marker, Assorted Colors, 24-Pack
5. Paper Punch to make shapes like the one below- Optional
Uchida – Clever Lever Xtra Giga Craft Punch-Merchandise Tag
And, it’s so simple! Write out your Bucket List activities on your paper. Use the magnets that come with the Magnetic Strip to post up each bucket list item. Mount your strip in a place where you will see it everyday and often! Then, get working on your list! You will feel so accomplished at the end of summer with a lot of fun memories and recharged …
Read MoreAcai Bowls
Fourth of July is a fantastic time to gather with family and friends. We had a wonderful celebration yesterday with a parade and swimming and lots of delicious food. If you are craving a sweet and refreshing afternoon treat but do not want to spoil your dinner….make these delicious and nutritious Acai Bowls. We whipped up a batch after a long afternoon swim and everyone just loved them.
Ingredients
2 Sambazon Acai frozen packets (from Costco)
1 ripe banana (easiest if you have frozen it before hand)
½ cup water
2 scoops (¼ cup) vanilla protein powder
½-1 cup frozen berries
granola
bananas
fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries
flaked coconut
Allow the frozen Acai to thaw just a bit or run the frozen packets under warm water for a minute. In a Vitamix or powerful blender combine Sambazon Acai, frozen banana, water, 2 scoops (¼ cup) vanilla protein powder and frozen mixed berries.
When smooth and well blended and very thick, spoon into bowls. Top with granola, sliced bananas, berries and coconut.
ENJOY!!!!!
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What do you know about the Fourth of July?
The Fourth of July is coming quickly upon us. Barbecues are being planned, fireworks are being purchased, and travel coordinating is in the works. It is time to celebrate! But how much do we really know about the holiday we are celebrating? Yes, I am sure we all know we are celebrating the independence, freedom, and birth of our country… but I am sure there is a little more to the story. So with a curious mind, I decided to do some research.
Historical Facts:…
Read More4th of July Crafts and More…..
I love 4th of July! I love seeing the American flag waving, being reminded of the amazing freedom we have, and seeing the red, white and blue worn proudly! There are such fun crafts to decorate for your 4th of July celebration or to make apart of your day! I am sharing with you some of my favorite 4th of July crafts from fellow blog friends! Since food can be art, I have added some delicious 4th of July food ideas to make your treat SPARKLE! Check them out below…
1. Handprint Flag or Footprint Flag
2. Free Printables Compilation put together by The Dating Divas!
4. Red, White, and Blue Mason Jars
6. 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats from Lil’ Luna
7. Red, White, and Blueberries
10. Check out some of our Growing Weisser Crafts…
Use these Memorial Day crafts and Snacks for your 4th of July Celebration!
Red, White & Blue Felt Garland to make your 4th of July decor complete!
Take this fun Christmas decor post and use it with 4th of July Fabric to make a Fabric Garland!
Hope your 4th of July is full of fun, great food, and creative crafts! And, don’t forget what it’s all about…
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
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Read MoreBerry Cobbler-Best Red, White and Blue Fourth of July Dessert
This is my absolute FAVORITE summer dessert is this berry cobbler that I make each summer with berries that I have picked in Brentwood. this summer, I missed the berry picking days because we had a wonderful family gathering for a wedding. So this summer I will use the organic berry blend from Costco. So take my word for it……..For a delicious and nutritious summer dessert try making an olalliebery/blueberry cobbler. We will be having a wonderful afternoon barbecue with family and friends to celebrate the 4th of July. I enjoy these times of fellowship, the beautiful weather and some competitive corn hole games. We will eat delicious bbq turkey burgers, chicken apple sausages, orzo salad, and a green salad with watermelon and feta cheese and I will make this cobbler recipe for our dessert. I baked it in a 9 x 13 pan and when it was cool, I will decorate it like an American flag with blueberries for the stars and sliced strawberries for the stripes. 
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
Fruit filling
8 cups olallieberries fresh or frozen (mine were fresh picked out in Brentwood and then frozen)
2 cups Maine blueberries (I used frozen)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ cup butter (¼ of a cube) cut into small pieces
Topping
2 cups oats
1 cup flour
½ cup wheat germ
¾ cups brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter
½ cup coconut oil
In a large bowl, combine the thawed berries with ¼ cup each brown sugar and white sugar. Add the 3 Tablespoons flour, fresh lemon juice and nutmeg. stir gently until combined. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with …
Read MoreGet Stepping!
This week in our Summer Sizzle challenge we are focusing on tracking our steps.
Tracking your steps is a great way to keep yourself active and motivated to move your body. Setting a daily goal reminds you to move around and look for opportunities to “Get Stepping.”
It can be as simple as parking your car a little further away from the store, taking the stair instead of the elevator. For you moms, play WITH your kids instead of watching. Make plans with friends to go walking or hiking. Listen to podcasts while you walk to fill your mind with positive and uplifting things or to learn new information. Walk around when you are on the phone (this is one of my favorites!).
Most of the members in our family use a FitBit to track their steps. This is nice because it syncs with your phone so you don’t have to have your phone with you to track your steps. The new iPhones come with a health app that automatically tracks your steps, but only when you are moving WITH your phone. My husband uses this app to track his steps on his work day because he keeps his phone on his belt attachment. I use Map My Run on my run days to track mileage and I like that it shows you your route and gives you updates every mile!
Whatever app or step tracker you use, I love the idea of staying motivated to move your body.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein
How do you track your steps? What is your daily goal?
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Great summer dessert: Blonde Brownies
I love to bake. Growing up, we always had baked goods ready for guests and parties. Besides the famous “Weisser Cookies”, blonde brownies were the other favorite from the renowned Baby Bear Stew Cookbook, sold on our website. But for now, we will let you in on a Baby Bear Stew specialty. So here is another one of the family favorites.
Blonde Brownies
- ⅔ cup melted margarine
- 2¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2¾ cup flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional
- 1½ cup chocolate chips
- I love to bake. Growing up, we always had baked goods ready for guests and parties. Besides the famous "Weisser Cookies", blonde brownies were the other favorite from the renowned Baby Bear Stew Cookbook. (Baby Bear Stew will be sold here soon). But for now, we will let you in on a Baby Bear Stew specialty. So here is another one of the family favorites.
- Blonde Brownies
- photo 2
- Ingredients:
- /3 cup melted margarine
- /4 cup brown sugar
- eggs
- /4 cup flour
- /2 tsp baking powder
- /2 tsp salt
- cup chopped nuts (optional
- /2 cup chocolate chips
- Directions:
- Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter
- Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar
- Add the eggs
- Sift dry ingredients and add. Stir until well blended
- Add the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares like brownies.photo 1
- Bethany Signature48
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Be The Person…..
Wondering how I would fit writing a blog post into this already very BUSY day…..I quickly glanced at my Facebook to see if a friend’s granddaughter had been born yet and saw on her wall this incredibly inspiring quote from one of my favorite authors…….Jennie Allen.
Here are Jennie’s words that prompted this beautiful artwork that she posted. “I hear from so many of you that you wish you had deeper relationships or more encouragement in your life or people who made you love Jesus more. Guess what team– we are it! We need to be the good friends, the mentors, the dream releasers, the cheerleaders! (Thanks @embersherman for the art.) Who has been that for you? Now it’s your turn. Ask someone to coffee and go be the person you wish was sitting across from you.”
Today I had the privilege of attending two events with incredible women. The first was a summer bible study with about 20 women in my community that want to share time together and grow in their walk of faith. Some of these women are long time friends and some of them are new friends. All of these gals are women I would trust with my heart, women who are wise and would be willing to listen to my story and be a faithful and true kind of friend. The second event was a gathering of friends who have known each other for over 20 years. We have celebrated major life events together-having babies, raising children, attending graduations, planning weddings and welcoming grand babies. We have cried together and felt compassion for one another during times of stress, loss and hard life circumstances. We have walked together through conflict and sorrow. We have protected one another, served together, worked on projects together and …
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