Organizational
Revive Your Bank Account
Ashkon and I just finished a 9-week study in Financial Peace University (FPU). FPU is Dave Ramsey’s principles of how to care for and handle your money in God’s way. We learned a lot about Emergency Funds, getting out of debt, investing, buying and selling homes and so much more! I loved that his teachings were based on the Bible and what God tells us about money! We finished our class with a lesson on giving. “The Great Misunderstanding”, as Dave calls it, is when we follow his steps and actually build wealth, we are prone to hold on to it more tightly. Antoine Rivaroli says, “There are men who gain from their wealth only the fear of losing it.” Our money is all God’s anyway and he asks us to give back our first fruits of 10% (even though it is all His already!!) Why does He ask us to GIVE? Dave says, “Giving moves you to become less selfish and less selfish people have more of a tendency to PROSPER in relationships and wealth. Because we are designed in God’s image, we are happiest and most fulfilled when SERVING and GIVING…You will never have financial peace until you learn to manage your money with an open hand.”
“Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later!” -Dave Ramsey
This process takes discipline. We have so many things being thrown in our faces that we are told we “NEED!!”. However, we show maturity when we learn to delay gratification and when we can not buy everything we WANT (not Need). I would encourage anyone and everyone to take this class! Whether you are young and just married and figuring out money or you are older and feel like you have your routine of …
Read MoreSaved by Smart Planning
Today I took my girls to Sea World with some friends. We loaded up my awesome van–even took my friend and her daughter–and drove down to San Diego. We had an amazing time.
I have learned a lot taking these small trips to fun places with my girls and I feel like I have finally got a good system down for saving time, money, and sanity when doing trips with kids. Here are a few of my tips:
1. Carpool – save on gas, split parking, and enjoy the time with another adult!! (That is something so precious in this stage of life). I LOVE my Toyota Sienna van and we recently put the two big girls in the back row together. They love it, and it easily frees up one of the captain’s chairs and our removable 8th seat for guests if and when we need it.
2. Pack your own food – I treated myself and my friend to a Starbucks for the drive, but other than that purchase I spend $0 today (not including gas). I pack lots of snacks, lunch, more snacks, water, and I ALWAYS bring my own treats for incentives. I like to occasionally reward good behavior with a little treat and they come in handy for unexpected wait times (such as our 1 hour wait today in the hot sun to redeem our passes! yikes!). I also try to pack the kid’s favorite meals and snacks to let this day be all about easy fun. Their favorite snacks are fruit snacks, pirate booty, raisins, freeze dried fruit, and pouches. They love lollipop so I usually throw in a dumb dumb lollipop for them.
3. Along the same lines – Pack your own treats! Like I said, little treats can be great incentives …
Read MoreGet Out & Get Refreshed
Are you bored by your schedule and routine? Are you in a rut? Sometimes all you need is to get outside or get out of your routine to get a little refreshment! Here are five fun (maybe NEW) ideas to do just that:
1. Try a New Activity with friends
A few friends and I have recently been planning to attend a “Paint Nite.” There are paint studios all over where you go and get a step-by-step process to all paint the same picture (and it usually includes wine which is a bonus for many!). We are really excited to go be crafty, spend some quality time together, and try something new – and we get a canvas painting out of it, too! Rachel recently tried the “Ladies Night Out” at her local rock climbing gym with friends! There are so many fun, inexpensive ways to find refreshment.
“Learning something new is a fabulous way to be refreshed. When work can grind you down, something about learning a new activity thrills the soul. It reminds you that the world is bigger than your desk and your to-do list.” John Ortberg
2. Go on a date somewhere you have never been!
Try that new restaurant you have always been wanting to go to; Find a local, free activity; Go somewhere in the city you have never been; go to a movie in the park; find a yoga event in the park; go to a new exercise class with your spouse or find a video online (try YouTube!)
3. Go on a walk, run, hike or bike ride; Go to a new park with your kids
Spring is here which means the sun is shining (at least down in So Cal :D)! It can be so refreshing to just enjoy the …
Read MoreNew Uses for Old Things
I love Real Simple’s book “869 New Uses for Old Things” – it is so fun to find ways to use what often times seems like “junk” in your home. Here are a few of their fun ideas that will make you say, “Why didn’t I think of that!”
Paper Towel Tube
USE TO: Tame a tangle of computer cables; Ward off wrinkles in a silk scarf – wrap it around a tube; Dispense plastic bags – Stuff them in a tube (stashed in a drawer) and pull out as needed; Preserve remnants of gift wrap – Wind them around the tube and fasten with a rubber band or just roll them and slide them in the tube.
Q-tips
USE TO: Make a quickie cosmetics kit for a tiny evening bag. Dip cotton swabs into eye shadow, concealer, and lip gloss. Roll them up in a plastic bag and go; Polish crevices in silver pieces; Extend the life of batteries in a cordless phone, cell phone or laptop – Clean the battery contacts with a swab dipped in alcohol; Touch up paint in tight corners, or apply stain in the ridges of architectural details
Tennis Ball
USE TO: To open a stubborn jar lid without straining, slice a ball in half, use the rubber lining to grip the lid, and twist; A halved ball is a great way to remove a warm bulb that has just burned out; Add resistance to jumping jacks and lunges with weights made from tennis balls filled with pennies (about 3/4 pound each) – make a small slit in a ball, insert the coins, and seal with duct tape or Super Glue; Cut dryer time for a bulky comforter by tossing a few balls in with it; To relieve neck tension, tie two balls in …
Read MoreRenewal in 2015
Happy New Year to all our faithful followers and to many new friends who I hope and pray will join us in our journey in 2015 to share, learn and apply more deep-rooted wisdom into our lives to help our growing families. This year we are going to have a theme for each month and in January we will be focusing on renewal.
Some people are totally committed to making New Year’s resolutions each year. Our family had a tradition of making a family crest each New Year’s Eve. We discussed the values that were important to us and how we could improve in the future. We colored and cut and pasted on a poster board and created a fun family project that had lasting meaning for all of us throughout the year. This was a way to set up a foundation for RENEWAL in the year to come. It reminded our family of the character qualities that were important to our family as a unit and gave us some goals to help us make a difference in the lives of others during the new year. (Click on the link making a family crest for details of how we made our family crest and try making one for your family.)
This year my husband and I talked a bit about what could make a significant difference in our lives as we entered 2015 and and bring us a sense of RENEWAL- a fresh start, a positive way to refocus. We decided to embark on a “read through the bible in a year” plan. There are many ways to go about this commitment but we decided to try a method that we discovered while visiting our eldest daughter’s church, Fusion Christian Church. We have been trying for the first 5 days …
Read MoreShopify Store is Up and Running
Christmas is 10 days away and many people are dashing out the door to get their shopping done! Dash no more! We have a great gift idea ready and waiting for you and those you love! The Growing Weisser Store is open for business. This holiday season we are featuring the Baby Bear Stew; A Family Heritage Cookbook in our store. Simply sign into the store and you can purchase right from the comfort of your home. Order in the next day or two and we will get your cookbooks to you before Christmas, otherwise they will arrive ASAP. Over the past two weeks we have been featuring the story of Baby Bear Stew and some of the unique recipes inside this treasured cookbook, so go back and read all about it. To order, click here or use the “our online store button” on the sidebar of the blog?
Merry Christmas and blessings to you this holiday season!
Love from all the Growing Weisser girls!
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Communication-Being an Effective Leader
Today Bethany and I spent our Veteran’s Day at a fantastic Leadership Conference called Catalyst. Catalyst is a one day or two day event where a community of like minded people who LOVE the church and want to become more effective leaders in every aspect of their lives gather for encouragement and teaching.
Everyone of us has a leadership role somewhere in our lives-we might lead people in our job or in our family, in our community or in our church. Being an effective leader involves communicating clearly and learning how to motivate people to join in.
One of the speakers, Craig Groeschel, talked about the four qualities of effective communication. He began with a quote from George Bernard Shaw- “The single biggest problem in communication lies in believing that it has taken place.” Craig challenged us to remember that just because we say something, doesn’t mean the people we are saying it to are hearing or understanding us. We need to bear in mind that often times people do not think like we think, see what we see or care as deeply as we care. But in light of that, we can become better leaders if we recognize our responsibility and are willing to do our part. Here are the four qualities of effective communication that I learned today. They can be applied to our lives in our leadership roles as well as in our day to day lives.
Be CONSISTENT in my values, my vision and my direction. Be true to my values in how I live my life because values communicate what I stand for. My vision is expressed in my purpose and works itself out in my life as I discover what I am here for. My direction is demonstrated in my life by where …
Read MoreAll Things Pumpkin-Harvest Snacks
Sweet treats abound during this time of year, so I thought it would be nice to share an easy Harvest Snack Mix idea that is savory and sweet and fun to have around when friends stop by for a visit. I gathered up all the ingredients at my favorite store-Trader Joe’s. I mixed up a batch and already took a few bags full to friends.
In a large bowl mix
4 cups of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin “O’s”
2 cups peanut butter pretzels
1 cup pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds
1 cup unsalted roasted almonds
2 cups pumpkin flavored granola
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
Mix together in a bowl and serve.
I bought some clear treat bags and filled them with Harvest Snack Mix, tied them with an orange ribbon and took one bag to a party for a fun hostess gift and dropped the other one off as a surprise for a friend.
It is really nice to have a special treat ready to serve with very little preparation time needed. Take a trip to your local Trader Joe’s, Sprouts or try your local grocery store and see what fun pumpkin flavored snacks you can find to combine for your own creative version of Harvest Snack Mix.
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Memories Trunk
School is back in session! Sometimes you may be planning a mini party on the inside when this time of the year rolls around; in other moments, you may enjoy reminiscing on the fun family times from the summer or even think about the previous year and how your child has grown. A memories trunk is a fun craft to keep your child’s memories organized on the inside and the outside. It is also budget-friendly if you are willing to take the time! I decorated my trunk as a wedding gift that I gave to my now-husband with our engagement photos. Right now it is being used for storage, but eventually, when we have more space, I would love for it to be filled with memories of our love adventure! I am also now inspired to find one for each of our children in the future!
What you need:
Vintage Trunk
Paint and paintbrushes (Optional)
Stencils (Optional)
Photos
Mod podge
Embellishments (Optional)
How to:
1. Buy a trunk! It definitely took patience and determination to find a trunk in good shape for a reasonable price. But, I eventually found a great trunk at a thrift store for $60!
2. You may want to paint your trunk. My trunk started as a forest green color. I decided to paint the base of it as a more neutral color that would match better in our home. The top I painted purple to be more unique.
3. Embellish! Use stencils to put your child’s name. Find creative ways to spell our your child’s name – I used old typewriter keys, that I found at a swap meet, to spell out a phrase and date on my trunk.
Put photos on the top of your trunk from your child’s first day of school each …
Read MoreMuffin Mania-Back to School Secrets
School is back in session and moms everywhere are adjusting to the early morning routine. Making lunches, serving a healthy breakfast, helping everyone get dressed for school and making sure all necessary items are in the backpack are just a few of the essential tasks that must be completed each morning. I remember a few secrets from school days that helped our family stay organized…
1. Lay out the childrens’ clothing the night before, including hair accessories, socks and shoes.
2. Organize the childrens’ backpacks the night before, making sure important papers, books and especially any permission slips or notes to be signed by a parent are completed. Get the sports/ dance/ music/art bags filled for after school activities.
3. Grab the brown bags or special lunch boxes the night before and fill with everything except the sandwich and place in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do in the morning is make the sandwiches.
4. Plan and prepare some healthy breakfast options so you are not rushed or stressed in the morning. Breakfast is a very important meal and a special time to connect and talk together and pray before everyone goes off to face their busy day.
I love to bake muffins and it is amazing how many delicious and nutritious foods you can add to a muffin. Muffins can be made ahead of time (they keep well for a few days in the refrigerator or for weeks in the freezer). Serve with fruit, yogurt or scrambled eggs for a super charged breakfast. They can also be wrapped and placed in their lunch boxes for a healthy snack.
Here are a few really YUMMY, kid friendly, adult craved muffin recipes:
Triple Berry Muffins
2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon …