Posts by Rachel Spoelhof
Things We Love – FIT4MOM
A short while after I had my second daughter a former co-worker friend of mine contacted me. She, like me, had also been a teacher and, like me, decided to stay at home rather than return to teaching after the birth of her first baby. She raved about a Mommy and kid stroller fitness program she had joined called, Fit4Mom. She told me she was planning to become an instructor, and I should do it too.
She invited me to attend a class with her in San Diego. I went. I loved it. I immediately returned home to find out all about classes where I lived.
I attended for my free week, and knew THIS was where I wanted to be. I started with the intention of someday becoming an instructor, and a few months in I received my teaching certification!
I have been teaching classes now for almost 3 years, while breastfeeding, a third pregnancy, breastfeeding again, and now pushing 3 big girls around in my BOB stroller. Thankfully, one is now at school most days, so pushing 2 kids is a piece of cake!
I love Fit4Mom and their motto of “Strength in Motherhood.” It is truly a place of fitness, fun, and strength. It is where you will find your tribe, community, and have the opportunity to thrive as a mom alongside other strong moms!
Visit the Fit4Mom blog to find classes near you, read motivating blog posts, and join the community whether you are a member or not! If you don’t have classes in your area, I highly suggest you find out more about starting your own franchise. It is such an incredible program and there are moms everywhere looking for this type of community to find their place!
I also highly recommend the podcast, “…
Read MoreDate Night Ideas AT HOME
If you are a mom or dad of young ones, like me, it might be hard to get out for date nights as often as you would like. Or maybe you are more of a homebody, trying to save money, or wanting to plan a GIRL’S NIGHT in!
Whatever your situation, here are some great ideas to spend time with your special someone at home on Valentine’s Day.
FOOD IDEAS:
Make a fun, easy dinner
Cook together
Cook something new, or a fancy dinner you don’t usually make, but really like!
Order in!
Have an indoor picnic
DESSERT and DRINKS:
Do a beer or wine tasting
Make ice cream sundaes
MOVIES:
Watch the first movie you ever watched together
Watch movie and make popcorn (pick the movie the day before so you don’t waste date night time picking a flick)
PLAY:
Play a game for 2 – Puzzles, Card Games, Boggle, Scattergories, Carcassone, Settlers of Catan
Play video games.
Trivia Game – How Well Do You Know Your Partner, How Well Do You Know Me?, Newlywed Game
ACTIVE:
Do a home workout together
Put the kids in the stroller and go on a walk around the neighborhood. But talk about YOU, not the kids!
Do yoga together
Do Karaoke. Seriously. YouTube “Karaoke Songs With Lyrics” and get singing!!
Do this silly couples challenge: Try to go all the way around your spouse without touching the ground. It’s really funny AND requires you get very close. Should start some sparks as you laugh!
ROMANTIC:
Look at your wedding album. Share your favorite moments.
Plan a date night for the future.
Plan a trip together. 
Share your favorite thing about the other person. See how many things you can list!
We hope you enjoy this list and use some of …
Read MoreHow Do You Show Up?
This week we have had an emphasis on LOVE and SELF LOVE! Loving yourself is at the core of everything. Believing that you are worth love and knowing every day that you are loved by God should be like oxygen for your body, mind, and soul.
I love this quote by Charles Bukowski, “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.”
Isn’t that a concept?
Love yourself first. If we don’t love ourselves first, we don’t feel our best, we don’t give our best.
This affects EVERYTHING: how we show up in our daily lives, how we love others, how we treat others, how we interact with our children,
So here’s my challenge for you this month. Take a look at how you are showing up. It starts with you. It starts with love.
What is one way you can love yourself better?
Is it the way you talk to yourself when you look in the mirror? Is it the way you fuel your body? Is it how you prioritize yourself and time for you?
Share ONE THING you plan to do to love yourself better so you can SHOW UP with your BEST SELF in February in the comments!
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DIY Personalized Photo Valentine
This is my daughter Ellie’s first year in school, so our very first Valentine’s Day exchange is coming up. I wanted to attempt something special, and then take Ellie to the store to pick out Valentine’s as a back up. My attitude towards Pinterest projects is I love them if I can confidently complete them.
So, I got to Pinning. There were a lot of great ideas, but sometimes I get frustrated with Pinterest because a Pin takes you to the wrong link, only a photo, or a post with no tutorial!!
I decided to do the photo card where you pose the child to look like they are holding a lollipop, so when you add the REAL lolipop to the card, it looks like they are presenting their friend with a GIANT lollipop!
I found a lot of adorable DIY photo Valentine’s, but only one with a tutorial and it required an application (Google Photo) that I don’t have. A little searching on Google, and I found I could do everything I needed with the Apple application, “Preview.”
DIY Personalized Photo Valentine:
Step 1: Take your photos
We tried a few different poses so I could pick a favorite. I ended up liking 4 of them, and used them all so there would be a variety of cards to give her classmates.
Step 2: Add text
On an Apple computer, open the application, “Preview.” I recommend duplicating the photo before editing so you have an original copy of the photo and a second to edit. Once the photo is open in Preview, click the icon that looks like a brief case to show “markup toolbar.” Click the “T” to add a text box. Write your text. Change the font, size, and color to your liking and move around on …
Read MoreShow YOU Some Love!
I just love this time of year. Spirits are high. There is HOPE as we prepare for a new year with new goals.
Want to know a secret to make it last? Show YOU some love.
That’s right! Celebrate your strengths! Celebrate your relationships. Celebrate your efforts. Celebrate YOU!!!!
You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the God of the universe. Yes, YOU!! Praise the LORD!!! He made you, so don’t you think YOU deserve to be loved and cared for? “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
Here are a few important ways to show YOU love:
Take care of your body. Fuel it right, and get moving!
Do things you love. EVERY DAY!
Rest. Your body needs time to recoup. Pick a favorite way to find peace and rest in each day.
Love others! Give back. Serve. Be a light in someone else’s life. Be the person that smiles and tells them they are beautiful.
Tell yourself you are beautiful. Remember that verse? You are fearfully and wonderfully made!
Spend time in the WORD. Fill your heart and mind with God’s truths.
Build relationships. Be with other people. Especially other people that lift you up!
Sing, Dance, and LAUGH. It is good for the soul.
What are your favorite ways to take care of YOU? How do you show love to that beautiful amazing self?
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Fail. Learn. Grow.
We fail. It’s part of our nature. Part of learning. Sometimes we fail small. Mostly, we fail big.
Maybe you are failing at something right now. I know I am.
But here’s the secret:
It’s only FAILURE if we give up.
Are we going to choose to learn and grow from a fail, or do we let it define us? When you are defined by a fail–that’s FAILURE.
It’s a few weeks into 2017 and chances are you aren’t living up to all your expectations. Maybe you’ve already failed at a few of your resolutions/goals. I’m here to encourage you. I’m here to tell you to keep moving forward.
Failing is part of the journey. When you go big, there are more opportunities to fail, but there are also so many opportunities to GROW.
“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
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Small Changes, Big Results
This year I am focused on progress. I love that quote, “Progress, not perfection.” This is the year of looking at my life, my journey (not comparing myself to others) and making small changes, big results.
There are too many opportunities to compare or set ourselves up for failure with unattainable goals or unspecific resolutions. “I want to be a better mom” means nothing without an action plan. A clear definition of what “better” looks like, for me being more PRESENT can be achieved with action steps.
Last week I started a new habit. I made a small change to wake up extra early and do devotions and my workout in the morning before the girls wake up.
When I evaluated my daily habits, I realized I do so much to be home with the girls: balancing passions/teaching/working/etc, but I wasn’t really THERE. Do you know what I mean? I felt like I was saying, ” not right now,” “after I finish this,” “after my workout,” TOO MUCH and I wanted to be more fully present.
Instead I want to say:
“Yes, I can play with you.
Yes, let’s color.
Yes, we can go to the park.”
It’s hasn’t been easy making this change, but I’m LOVING IT. Not only do I feel more present, but I have way more energy in the morning and I’m having FUN!!
This week we made 2 play dates after school, something before I was less willing to do because I NEEDED that nap time for a break and time for me. Now, with this new schedule, I’ve had time for me and I can focus more on quality time for the girls.
I encourage you to do the same. Look at your life/day/habits currently. What is one area you need to work on?
Happy New Year 2017!
Sitting down this New Year’s Eve to write this post and reflect on the blessings of 2016.
We welcomed 2 new babies into the family, making our Weisser Grandkids 9, celebrated Kerry’s 60th birthday, and have grown individually and as a family.
Looking forward to 2017 we wanted to share our visions and goals for the year.
Kerry
“In 2017 I want to focus on making wise choices regarding nutrition, fitness, my commitments and my spiritual growth. I hope to incorporate more intentional STILLNESS and prayer and find more balance in my life.
Rachel
“In 2017 I want to focus on JOY and STRENGTH. I want to live with a joyful heart. I want joy to be at the root of all that I do and say. I want to honor my body with good fueling foods and exercise, not be afraid to push myself harder and further, and surround myself with people that build me up and challenge me to keep moving forward.
Bethany
“In 2017 I want to focus on being GROUNDED. Being grounded in truth, in confidence in Christ, in my strength in the lord, in my new role as a mom, in my supporting role as a wife. I want to live from the core of who I am and not get distracted by things that do not align with who I am. I want my foundation to be solid so I am not wavering. I want to live with an energy and abundance that overflows from the life I have been called to. I want to be focused in the spiritual mental emotional and physical aspects of my life to stay on the path of who I want to be.”
Bekah
“In 2017 I want to focus on PEACE- peace in a crazy schedule resident …
Read MoreA Time to Believe
Christmas is a season of wonder and joy. The simple pleasures of this season fill my heart with so much happiness. I love spending time starting new and keeping old traditions, and making memories with the people I love.
One of my favorite traditions is family time at Disneyland. It is truly a magical place during this season and a great way to celebrate all things Christmas. While we were there this past week we watched the holiday firework spectacular, Believe! The word that inspired this post.
BELIEVE in Christmas.
B is for BIRTH. The true reason for the season is the Birth of Jesus, the Newborn King. If you look closely at this story, you can see that all the magic and joy of the season truly comes from his birth – the angels singing and proclaiming his coming, the gift giving from the Wise Men, the star, and the wonder of a king coming not as a man sitting on a thrown but as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger. Share the story of Christmas with your family in fun ways like, Star From Afar or our favorite Christmas Story Advent Calendar.
E is for ENJOYMENT. Look for ways to enjoy this season and make memories. Find events in your local community and start new traditions with your family or pass on traditions from your childhood to your children!
L is for LIGHTS. Put up lights on your tree, in your house, on your house, then plan a fun family adventure to walk around your neighborhood and look at lights. This is a great way to get outside and enjoy time together. As you walk around talk about what it might have been like for the Wise Men to follow …
Read MoreEasy Homemade Ornament Craft
Looking for a last-minute easy gift or just a fun craft to do with your kids? This easy homemade ornament craft was super fun and quick to make.
I was able to purchase all the supplies, make, and deliver all in the same day. I realized last minute (typical me) that we hadn’t made Christmas gifts for our Daisy troop. I make a quick stop at JoAnn’s (with lots and lots of coupons in hand) and found all the supplies I needed.
Supplies:
Clear Glass Ornaments
Pom Poms
Sharpie Paint Pens
I wasn’t able to find cute Christmas pom poms, so the girls helped me sort the variety bag. We made piles of all the red, green, and white pom poms then divided them evenly among the 6 ornaments. The girls really enjoyed putting the poms in the ornaments. It was a fun motor skill/math activity.
The next step was writing on the ornaments. I prepped the pens according to the directions on the pen, then looked on Pinterest for a really easy font to copy. Handwriting is not one of my skills, but I’m pretty good a copying, so having a visual helped!
I let one side of the ornament dry before I worked on the other side. I kept it simple and wrote the girl’s name on one side and our troop name on the other side.
And easy peasy, DONE!
Let us know if you try this craft! If you post on social media tag us @growingweisser!
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