Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Operation Clean and Organize: Organizing My Bathroom Shelves and Walls

Revolution of Love - Operation Clean & Organize(logo_oco_main_1)It has been a long time since I’ve done a Operation Clean and Organize post! As family and long time readers know, I am always on a quest to tame my mess. In 2012 I was working on a number of home improvement projects but in 2013 I got a little side tracked when Brian got cancer and our focus turned to survival and family time. Now things have eased up with Brian being healthy and the kids being a little older so I can go back to focusing on getting our house in order.

I have to admit that something is happening within in me. It used to be that I could turn a blind eye to the piles of junk and the crap shoved on shelves. I sort of zoned it out. But now, it’s bugging me. I mean, driving me nuts bugging me. I’m sick of the disorder and the interior chaos it is causing me. And I just want to purge and organize. I don’t know what it means. Maybe I am finally growing up. Maybe I am having some kind of spiritual epiphany. Maybe it’s a sign of an upcoming apocalypse and the end of the world as we know it. (Cue REM.)ย  Whatever, I just know I’ve got to seize the moment while it is still strong. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Shortly before I cam became pregnant with Matthew, we were able to remodel our home to convert our garage into a third bedroom. It included a bathroom that I love. Unlike our other bathroom, it is fresh, bright and clean. Well, except for this narrow shelving section next to the tub. I use it to hold to towels, toiletries, hair accessories etc.

Revolution of Love - Organizing bathroom shelves - oco_bathroom_beforeHowever, over time it had become a catch-all of random junk. (Don’t ask me why there are tinker toys in there.)

I have been following Mystie Winkler over at Simplified Organization (more about that in a bit) and one of her mottoes is for everything to have a home. So I went through the piles of junk and got rid of trash, gave away what I no longer used and found a spot for what I did use. The results? Drum roll please…

Revolution of Love - Organizing the bathroom (oco_bathroom)The photos are not great because the lighting was bad but you get the idea. Order!

ย Revolution of Love - Organizing the bathroom - oco_bathroom2I used bins and containers I found at Target to hold my stuff. One has products, another hair accessories, blow dryer, etc.

Revolution of Love - Organizing the bathroom - oco_bathroom3Confession time. Along with having hoarding tendencies I am also a sucker for a sale and clearance items. I may or may not have actually bought a cute baby item before I was even married because I knew one day I would use it for my own baby. (To my credit, years later I did use it for my child.) This wall organizer is one of those sale items that have been sitting in my closet forever.

Revolution of Love  - Organizing the bathroom - oco_bathroom5I finally hung it and used it for my necklaces and bracelets. I added a couple of S-hooks to the very top to add a few more items.

revolution of love blog - ba_4_15In the 80’s, it was the style to wear hairbands with huge hair. I’ve sorta tamed the wild hair (no more hair sprayed mile-high bangs!) but I still love me a hair scarf whether it is out of style or not. I can’t follow trends. Mama ain’t got no time for that!

Revolution of Love  - Organizing the bathroom - oco_bathroom4Now I keep my scarves here. This handy little holder was given to me as a gift from one of my coworkers. (Do I admit that it was from a job that I left 14 years ago, which mean this holder has been sitting in a closet for 14 years…no, I won’t admit it. That’s just plain creepy.)

Revolution of Love  - Organizing the bathroom - oco_bathroom6I am a sucker for colorful paper beads bracelets. These have been made by women in Africa trying to better their lives and their family’s life. Some of these I have bought at Costco during their fair trade product fairs and others I purchased from Outreach Uganda. (Wife to hubby: “It’s really more of an act of charity that I buy these bracelets. We are helping feed African children!” Hubby: Insert eye roll.)

Revolution of Love - Organizing the bathroom -oco_bathroom7They sit on my bathroom sink along with these cute yet inexpensive little bird jewelry holders.

ยฉ revolution of love blog - phfr_89a3I found them at The Farm, an organic farm in nearby Salinas, CA.

ยฉ revolution of love blog - phfr_89d1They have amazing produce and…

ยฉ revolution of love blog - phfr_89d2A collection of country life goods. I don’t go there often but when I do, I always find a little treasure. If you are ever in that area, stop by and take a look. ๐Ÿ™‚

revolution of love - Organizing Bathroom Shelves & Walls - oco_bathroom_logo

So that is one of the projects I competed over the summer. When everything is orderly and tidy,ย  it brings me such peace. It’s far form perfect but it is a big improvement. No more scrambling around and yelling, “Where is my !@#$ hair dryer! I’m late! UGH!” Now I know exactly were my hair dryer is and I MAKE SURE to return it to it’s proper place when I am done. I’m constantly reminding myself to just put it away, right away! Leaving things laying around is a hard habit to break and I know I need more than just a few Before and After moments to keep my house in order. I need an attitude readjustment!ย  This is where Mystie comes in with some guidance. I was reading her blog and she wrote:

Iโ€™ve always been a slob by nature, and Iโ€™ve been actively combating that tendency for 7 years now.

Sometimes I even think thereโ€™s hope. I want to share what Iโ€™ve learned along the way, moving from thinking that housecleaning was a waste of time to trying to keep the house decently in order. Though Iโ€™ve always been a slob, Iโ€™ve also always been a planner and a list-maker. My problem wasnโ€™t not knowing what to do. My problem was not caring.

I have learned to care. It is better to care. It does matter. It is good work.

I could make a plan, but I then I would rebel against it. โ€œYou canโ€™t tell me what to do!โ€ my inner two-year-old would scoff at my written list, โ€œWho made you the boss?โ€

Add five kids to the mix, and the problem becomes not only my own lack of desire to follow a good plan, but also the fact that life doesnโ€™t actually happen according to my plan when I do want it.

These are my struggles, and I know Iโ€™m not alone. So I write to share what Iโ€™ve learned, hoping to help others not only know there is a way out of the frustration, but also that they are not alone.

I provide not just another housekeeping plan to try, but a paradigm shift. I want you to see

— that your work matters.

— that your attitude matters.

— that you can tame your inner fussy two-year-old.

— that there is a way out of chaos and frustration, even though it isnโ€™t easy or once-and-done.

I want to show you how to turn your frustration into momentum, your chaos into growth, and your plans into actions.

A slob by nature? She loves planners and lists but didn’t care about cleaning. That is so me! Do you see why I love this girl?? Go read the rest of her story here.

So in upcoming posts, I will share with you about her course I’m taking and how my progress is going. It is not about spending money and buying lots of matching bins and label makers (although I would have liked that too) ๐Ÿ˜‰ but it is about keeping it simple, tidy (even with messy family life) and changing the attitude so you learn to love what must be done. Genius.

Okay, my time is up and kiddos need to be fed so I’ll stop here.

Have you been working on organizing lately? If not, what it the one area you’d love to tackle? Do tell. ๐Ÿ™‚

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads Letterboxd, Spotify or Instagram. ๐Ÿ˜‰
PPS โ€“ This post may contain affiliate links.


31 Days of Gratitude (Day 26 & 27): Meal Planning & Family Time

The 31 Days of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 26 – 27 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

I’m crawling to the finish line of this 31 day challenge. This post is a twofer. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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logo_meal_plan

Yesterday I was really slacking in the cooking department. (Sandwiches for dinner anyone?) BUT I am feeling domestic today so I am making up for it. I’ve got a chicken in the slow cooker for dinner and granola in the oven for tomorrow’s breakfast. While those are cooking I’d thought I’d post my menu for the week and Link-up with Nell at Whole Parenting for Week Eats.

Monday

Slow Cooker Rotisserie-Style Chicken, Wild Rice & Green Beans.

Tuesday

Breakfast Dinner

Wednesday

Slow cooker Lentil and Kale Soup & Salad

Thursday

Leftovers (If there aren’t any leftovers, we’ll have a chef salad or grilled cheese.)

Friday

Chili Beans and Corn Bread

(After trick or treating a nice bowl of chili sounds cozy.)

Saturday

Homemade Pizza and Greek Salad

Sunday

Enchilada lasagna (I still need to post that recipe), pinto beans, veggies, salsa and guac.

I’ll be hosting dinner for my in-laws and, if all goes well, my parents too! They’ll hopefully be driving up from So Cal to spend a few days with us. This is my go-to company-is-coming meal.

Knowing that I will be getting a hug from my parents and spending time with them in just a few days, well, that makes me very, very grateful!

Thanks to Nell for hosting the link up!

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd or Instagram. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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For more 31 Days of Gratitude, visit the home page here.


31 Days of Gratitude (Day 17): Decorating Our Home for Fall

The 31 Days of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 17 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

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After a long, hard week the kids are off school today and I have no appointments, meeting or errands so I get to stay in the house the whole day! I am sooo grateful for that because I need a day off.

Besides catching up on housework, I promised the kids they could help me decorate for Halloween/Autumn. We dug out the decor boxes in the shed and made the home look fall festive. After reading about Bonnie’s Autumn in the Home blog hop and reading Amanda’s A Glimpse into our Home: Fall Edition, I was inspired to get my butt in gear and not do what I usually do every year – wait so long to decorate that I give up trying since the season is over. I’m also linking up with The Fisk Files for her Fall Decor Link-up. (Well if I can get this post done in time. There is literally less than an hour until the link-up closes. It depends on how many interruptions I have. ;-))

The front door of our house gets our scarecrow family, pumpkins and the wreath we bought when we first moved into our house nearly ten years ago!

The front door opens up to our entryway and living room. I was unsure about hanging the plastic leaves garland but the kids loved it, so it stayed.

We bought the Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern years ago at Disneyland. (It is next to a family photo of us in Disneyland.) It went well with our favorite Peanut characters in costume.

This is the top of our entryway shoe shelf. Technically the turkey is Thanksgiving but I thought it was appropriate since October is my 31 days of gratitude. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Our pumpkin guys near the front door.

This is about as “spooky” as the little guys can stand. (Even thought they watch watch scenes with Darth Maul with no problem.)

Our indoor scarecrow.

To the left of the entryway is our library/front room/my desk area. Above our bookshelves I added a few leaves to the decor what was already there.

Our cross and Charles Dickens collection with random leaves.

To the right of the front door is our little prayer table. It pretty much stays the same year round (except for Christmas).

In the family room, next to the dining table, we have a second prayer spot. We decorate this one according to the season.

We first put up the card with the boys names for Lent but it worked out so well we kept it up. The name on top is our prayer leader of the day. This helps minimize the brawls over who gets to say their intentions or lead prayer first. ๐Ÿ˜‰

In the kitchen, I put away the blue and light colored bowls and bring out the bowls and plates with reds and golds.

Revolution of Love Blog - fall_dec_14I got these cute little Fall plates for the kids.

These are small touches but it really made a difference and added a coziness to the house. All we need is the smell of pumpkin donuts in the kitchen and we will be set! I’m grateful for the free day that allowed me to spend time with the kids in our home.ย ย  After the last few days of stress and busyness, it was a balm to my soul. For that, I am especially grateful.

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd or Instagram. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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For more 31 Days of Gratitude, visit the home page here.


Pinterest Party & Link-Up (vol 29): My Powersheets Vision Board

Welcome to the RoL Pinterest Party. Join me every 2nd and 4th Tuesday as we link up and share how we made, cooked, baked, crafted, planned, organized, followed or created one of the pins on our Pinterest boards OR share something original that others can pin onto their boards.

Not on Pinterest? No problem. Link-up your own creation to inspire us so we can pin in to our own boards. It can be a recipe, sewing project, Catholic craft, homeschool project, organizing/ homemaking tip, themed birthday party, whatever you’d like.

Don’t have a post ready? The link-up will be open for 10 days so there’s still time. Plus, feel free to link up a new post or an older post that hasn’t had much traffic lately. ๐Ÿ™‚

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The inspiration for this post…

Photo Credit – Lara Casey Shop.com

You can find me on Pinterest here – http://www.pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/.

The pin for this post is here.

If you’ve been reading my last few posts, you know I have been working on Lara Casey’s Powersheets. They are basically a series of worksheets that help you to focus on what is most important to you in life and what you would like to accomplish. They gives you the tools you need to draw up a plan and follow through on making those things happen.There is nothing “magical” about Powersheets; the same way there is nothing “magical” about a StairMaster. Both can sit in the corner and gather dust. However, if you get off your butt and workout on either, transformation is inevitable. ๐Ÿ™‚

This kind of set up is perfect for me because I am scattered and unorganized and always doing too many things at once and seemingly never accomplishing anything. The powersheets have helped me to focus on what matters most in my life. It has also motivated me to dig deeper and look into myself. One sheet had me listing my fears and it was a fear in itself to voice those things, let alone document them on paper. But it has been a productive process and I am already feeling at peace. Life is still crazy and hectic but at least I feel like I am making baby steps towards handling it better and bringing some much needed order into my life and our home.

One of my favorite steps in the process was putting together a Vision Board of the things that motivate me and fill me with joy. It was recommended that we make a Pinterest Board to add things that inspire us. I started one this week here. I also wanted to create my own board with photos I’ve taken that I could print off and hang up by my desk or in the kitchen. This is what it looks like.

The photos remind me of the things that inspire me – Faith, Love, Family, Home, Nature, and Creativity.

What kind of things inspire you? Do you have an inspirational board on Pinterest? Leave the link in the comments so I can check it out.ย  ๐Ÿ™‚

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Now it’s your turn.

1. Choose your creation, share about it and snap a photo if you can.

2. In your post, link back the original blogger/idea, rather than your Pinterest pin. That way credit goes to the proper person. ๐Ÿ™‚ (But feel free to add your Pinterest profile link so we can follow you!)

3. Add a link back here so others can play along.

4. If you want to use it, here is the html code for the logo:

<a href=”http://www.revolutionoflove.com/blog/?p=2157″><img title=”Revolution of Love Blog – Pinterest Party &amp; Link-up” src=”http://www.revolutionoflove.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pinterest_2_medW32-300×240.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”240″ /></a>

5. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address.

The link up will be active for 10 days. Have fun!

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd or Instagram. (It’s set to private but I’ll approve you.) ๐Ÿ˜‰

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.



Posted. The Most Clicks of All Time.

Hey guys, I’m trying to keep myself busy until Brian has his surgery in 2 weeks so you’ll probably see more posts from me as blogging tends to calm me.ย (Also on that note, join me in prayer tonight as Brian attends a healing Mass at a local Marian conference. We are praying for his physical, emotional and spiritual healing and for strength to endure the weeks ahead.)

I was supposed to post this on the first Tuesday of the month. I’m a little late but not too late to link up with Sarah over at Amongst Lovely Things. The theme today is Posted. The Most Clicks of All Time.

The post that had the most clicks ever on the blog is Baby-proofing the Fireplace Area.

I originally posted it in July of 2008 and then updated the post in March of 2012. It was so sweet to see photos in the post of the boys from years back. They recalled sweet memories. Andrew’s was taken on our deck when my brother Rob and his (then) new bride visited us from So Cal. The photo of John-Paul was taken at the house of the boys’ speech therapist. Lastly, the photo of Matthew was taken at the Pebble Beach resort where Brian and I had a lovely over night stay. Sigh. Who would have thought a simple instructional post would evoke such memories. ๐Ÿ™‚ See the post and photos here.

Have a great weekend. (And thanks for the continued prayers.)

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. ๐Ÿ˜‰