Posts by Rachel Spoelhof
Rachel’s Summer of Adventure
This was a Summer for memories! We had such a blast traveling, enjoying the sun, swimming, and more!
We really focused this Summer on swimming. We are so blessed to have a community pool in walking distance, and we spent many of our days practicing our swim skills. Taking 3 kids to the pool is no joke, but these girls are amazing!
We participated in our library’s Summer Reading Program and this mama really enjoyed all the prizes – especially the free kid’s meals!
I didn’t burden myself with too many expectations of projects, but we did take advantage of a few fun afternoons to craft, learn, and play. We are really enjoying our Kiwi Crates – and had many days of fun with our crate all about flight!
This Summer I started a playgroup for local moms to have a chance to get the kids together to play and the moms to socialize. We had many fun events and the popsicles in the park was one of our favorites!
We took a family road trip to Gammie and Poppa’s house for the July 4th holiday and had a BLAST at “family camp.” We swam, played, BBQ’d, hiked, and even road a train! The girls are great travelers and can’t wait to do it again.
I continued to teach my classes at Fit4Mom, and I was able to fill in for many extra classes while other awesome mamas took vacations. It was fun to teach at new locations and meet all of our amazing moms!
A big highlight for me this Summer was so relaxing and fun adult time! I took a moms only trip with my favorite girls to Palm Springs!
I was invited to an exclusive leadership retreat with my Blessing in a Box team to Arizona. It …
Read MoreHealthy Meals in the Summer Heat
Anyone else melting in this heat? I sure am. And it can make sticking to healthy meal plans tricky.
I have 2 tips to make things easier for you and your family.
TIP 1: MEAL PLAN and MEAL PREP
Spend one day with the AC on and get all your baking and cooking done!
I roast veggies, made cookies, and prepared easy to grab snacks.
Lots of healthy superfood shakes
Then use your crock pot or make lots of fresh meals that don’t require the oven!!
TIP 2: Get creative
Make just a few meals and stretch them to as many meals as possible. This will support less evenings in the kitchen and longer days outside or at the pool.
I made a large crockpot of Bolognese and stretched it 3 or 4 nights – over pasta, over salad, “meat” ball sandwiches, and pizza sauce.
Last week I added our Mexican Summer Salad to a bowl of spinach and crock pot salsa verde chicken!
The freshness really accented the crockpot meat and it was perfect for the heat.
TIP 3: Get outside and BBQ!!!
Make meals fun and involve the whole family!
We hope that you have enjoyed our tips to highlight communication in your family during playtime and during meal time!
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Relationships Are Meant to Be FUN!
Relationships are FUN! Sharing time, laughter and memories is a JOY!!
It can be easy to get caught up in our own schedules and our own struggles, but that is when it is most important to look for those connections with others!
I have made a personal goal to make more connections this Summer! I created a Facebook group to get other moms together for playdates and memories. I am guilty of waiting to be invited to things, so I decided to be the INVITER–To set up times for connecting and playing and not allowing myself any excuses not to get out and HAVE FUN!!
We’ve had a few events so far and it was a blast to see so many people I truly care about! It feels really good to connect with others! So far we’ve had a park day at the splash pad, attended a free library event, and visited the local children’s museum followed by sno cones!!
My challenge for you this Summer is to proactively seek relationships and connections. Start a group. Pick a regular day or meeting spot–just connect and create a place for friends new and old to be together. See what fun you can have!!!
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Creating Excitement Around the Table
Meals with little ones can be a struggle. Trying to get the kids to eat, teaching manners, trying again to get them to eat…it is exhausting.
I have found that cooking meals together creates more excitement around the table.
It might seem simple, but thinking of the cooking as a learning and bonding experience brings that attitude to the meal. Rather than seeing the frustrating and annoying things happening at the table, you see the meal you worked on as a family AND chances to teach and learn and grow together as a family!
I find that cooking together also creates an excitement to EAT the meal. PRAISE THE LORD! A meal the kids actually want to eat!!
Cooking together is also a great time to practice counting, measuring, taking turns, sharing, listening, and all sorts of fun learning experiences!
How do you create excitement around meals for your family?
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Sharing YOUR Favorite Things With Friends
Summer is a great time to share time with friends. School is out, schedules are simplified, and the days are long. Fill those long days with friends and simple activities!
I am working on having more of an open home – inviting people over more often. I decided to host a couple events this week, and it was SO fun!
In the past, I have felt nervous about having people over. I get in my head, “my house is small, I’m not good at decorating, where will the kids hang out, what will we do, do I feed people?” The reality is, people LIKE to be invited to things and hang out with friends! I had the idea to host little get togethers with a theme – that way I feel like I clearly communicated what I would provide for the moms and kids, and it made me feel more comfortable having people over.
I focused on things the girls and I love and made it fun! Clearly, it isn’t “Come over and critique my decorating skills.” (wink!!)
We hosted a SHAKES AND SWIMMING day. It was a BLAST! The kids had so much fun and I was able to share things I love with friends and my girls right by my side the whole time. I have such a heart to share how my life has been impacted physically and financially the past couple years, and getting to do that alongside my girls fuels my passion for helping other moms do the same!
I would encourage you to share YOUR favorite things with your friends. Pick activities and things you like and invite others along. Picnic and Popsicles, Sandwiches and Swimming, Play at the park…So many moms are looking for friendship and just need a gentle nudge or push …
Read MoreTips For Moms: Taking Care of YOU
I know as moms we often come last. Ok, in reality, we ALWAYS come last. But it is so important to take time for you! Taking time for you and putting parts of yourself first make you a better mom!
This is going to look different for everyone, so come up with a few priorities.
Health, for our family, is a non-negotiable. If you aren’t taking care of your health it will make all the other parts of yourself difficult to manage. Our family has always been healthy, but in the past 2.5 years we have taken steps to take our healthy living to the next level. By fueling our bodies with nutrient dense shakes, phytonutrient greens and fruits, and adaptogens to help our bodies manage stress – combined with a vitamin and mineral rich system to help our body rid itself of toxins. This has truly changed our health in so many ways. We have access to convenient meals, snacks, and drinks on the go. Fueling our bodies better has helped us to have the energy to truly enjoy every moment of life as a mom (both the good and bad). We are so passionate about helping moms in all stages of motherhood fuel their bodies better and gain energy so they can feel their best and be the best version of themselves for their family!
Once you have your health in order you will find that you have the mental clarity to prioritize other parts of your life that need extra attention.
If connection is important to you, make play dates, mom’s nights, and date night a priority in your schedule.
If you value exercise, find the right place that you can combine your love of fitness with your family and childcare needs. I have loved …
Read MoreThe 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 …
Read MoreLesson I’ve Learned as a Mom: Don’t Compare
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparison as a mom.
Momin’ ain’t easy!!!
And during those moments (days…years…) of despair there is bound to be someone doing it better. It’s always out there. On Facebook, Instagram, etc. “Perfect moms” with “perfect kids.” OH PLEASE!! That doesn’t exist. Social media is what we CHOOSE to show. Please remember that!
Don’t COMPARE.
Also, PLEASE don’t judge!!
Let other moms make mistakes. Let other moms make different choices!
You know what is better than comparing? LOVING, HONORING, PRAISING other moms. If you see a mom doing a great job, compliment her! Maybe ask her her secret. (Chances are you just caught her on a good day…but you never know).
Making mistakes is cool. It means you are trying.
But you don’t have to fail alone!!! Reach out to your mom tribe. Ask for advice. We might not have the answer (do we ever?!!!), so then we can cry or fist bump over our shared misery!!
It IS just a season. There are seasons when we feel like we are getting in our mom-groove, and season when we can’t seem to get a single thing right.
That brings me to another point: SEASONS. The moms you think have it all might just be in a different season than you. They might have different priorities than you. I’ll be honest, I don’t know HOW moms can look put together. EVER. I don’t even feel like I remember how to wear clothes I might actually care about more than their function – “Can I workout in this? Can this get dirty? How many times can I wear this before someone notices I’m wearing the same outfit day after day?” BUT maybe those moms are really into fashion and that is THEIR THING. Their …
Read MoreHappy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day from Growing Weisser.
It filled my heart with so much joy to see our social media feeds flooded with pictures of happy moms and families yesterday.
While we celebrated with all of you, we also want to acknowledge those of you who have lost a mother, or are struggling with infertility or loss. We know some of these struggles all too well, and the sadness that comes with it. The heartache when something seems like the right timing, and wondering where God’s plan is in all that. We don’t have the answer, but we do know that God’s plan and His timing are perfect. We know that He has plans for you even when you can’t see in the darkness.
We also know that “mom” can mean so many things. It is so amazing to me that mom can mean step-mom, birth-mom, adoptive-mom, foster-mom, and spiritual mom to name a few. So cheers to ALL the moms, however you define it, whatever your role. We cherish you and thank God for you.
Happy Mother’s Day.
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Mom-Must Haves: Learning DVDs
There are SO many options when it comes to fun learning shows. Personally, it can be quite overwhelming! One of my favorite ways to navigate all the choices is to ask trusted friends. I want to be that trusted friend for you and share a two of our MUST HAVE learning DVDs that are worth the investment.
Signing Time is one of our family favorites. I took my first daughter to signing classes at the library when she was a baby and instantly fell in love. I started borrowing Signing Time DVDs from the library to try them out and they were a hit. I loved how Signing Time Rachel used different teaching methods to teach the signs: I do, you do, and songs. It really helped the signs stick, and we still sing the songs to this day!
We loved it so much we own all the Baby Signing Times, Signing Time 1 and 2 series, PLUS since my girls are a little older now we got the Treeschool program too!
Our other favorite DVD series is Preschool Prep.
We love to watch the sight word videos, colors, numbers, and letters. These videos really sink in. My 5 year old knows most of the sight words, my 4 year old knows a lot, and even my 2 year old can recognize a few! We have some sight word books that go along with the videos and the older girls were able to read them on their own just by learning the basic sight words!
What about YOU? What are your favorite learning programs that you have tried?
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