How I Use My Blessed Is She 2018-2019 Mini Liturgical Planner

By bobbi
July 27, 2018
24 Comments

UPDATE: This post is about the 2018-2019 Blessed Is She Planner, which has sold out.

The new 2020-2021 Academic Planner (Aug 2020 – July 2021) is now available for pre-sale at a reduced price. Order your planner in the regular size or mini size in the Blessed Is She Shop: Planners. However, the information below is still useful for ideas of how you can use your planner.

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Last year, I shared with you how I set up my 2017-2018 Blessed Is She planner. I’m excited to be here once again sharing, but this time with my MINI Blessed is She 2018-2019 Liturgical Academic Year Planner. For the last two years I have been using the regular sized (8 x 10) Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner and although I loved it, I preferred it to be a little smaller and easier to take with me out of the house. So when the smaller size (6.25 x 8.25) came out, I was ecstatic. I finished setting it up and am eager to start using it next week!

Although there is no need to decorate your planner, I love to add a little color and embellishment to make it my own. (The inner 8 year old in me still gets giddy with cute stickers.) 😉

Inside the front cover there is a pocket for loose items such as papers or letters. (Remember those?!) I added a photo of my family for a little inspiration to remind me that I am working at being more organized because it makes our family life run smoother. (Confession: I’m actually naturally scatterbrained and unorganized. I use a planner to combat that and bring a little more order into my life.)

In the prayer section I added a little washi tape for color.

After the prayer section I added once of my favorite prayers – Come Holy Spirit – and my current favorite invocation – Jesus, I trust in You.

For my calendar, I like to color code my items. Green is school or lessons. Orange is medical appointments. Pink or Red is special occasions or something I need to attend.

Washi tape and stickers add color and clarification. For example, I “shower” my soul with Confession on First Saturday. I chose one day (the 17th) to may my monthly bills. I mark violin lessons and birthday dates, etc. 🙂

As I explained in my last goals post, because I am a little scatterbrained and I love making goals to help me stay focused and organized. Otherwise, the days just slip away from me and I feel like I’ve been busy but haven’t really accomplished much. I explained how I make big goals and then divide those into bite size actions.

If you are just starting out on making goals, then I recommend you keep it simple and concrete. Chose one thing in each area listed in the BIS planner. Then make sure it is a tangible action and not too vague. For example, for your “faith focus” you may want to write down pray more. That’s a great goal but a little vague. Get more specific. Instead you could write… I will set my alarm 10 minutes earlier to read the Scripture and daily devotion. Or on the my commute to work I will turn off the radio and pray the rosary. Or while I am nursing the baby at 3pm (or 3am) I will pray the Diving Mercy Chaplet. Get it? Be specific.

Next, at the beginning of the month I brainstorm all the things I need to do that month. Later I can assign those items to a specific week or day.

Lastly, I can add the prayer intentions that are on my heart that month. (And if you’re wondering, I refer to my immediate family – hubby and kids – as my fam. Mi familia is my extended family – parents, siblings, etc.) 🙂

The weekly spread is where I will be spending the most time. I like that I can see the week at once and if I don;t finish Monday’s items I can just keep working on them Tuesday. I also love the boxes that allow me to check off items as I finish. (I’m a lists girl!) At the end of the day it is great to not just focus on the to dos and didn’t dos but to be thankful for the good that happened and record it in the gratitude section.

Now, the only drawback about getting the mini is that in order to keep it small, you have to give something up. The mini doesn’t have the same weekly overview – meal planner, grocery list and notes section – as the large planner. Plus, it does not have the daily hourly schedule. This is how I modified my planner to make up for that.

For my menu, I simply used the last line in each day’s list to add the dinner meal of the day.

In my planner I usually use magnetic bookmarks to hold my place. This year I wanted to try a clip on bookmark. I couldn’t find one that worked well until I found these Write and Erase Spiral Slide-In Bookmarks from Avery. I ordered a pack from Amazon and at first they seemed too wide and definitely way too long. However, I simply cut off the bottom of the bookmark to make it shorter. Then I realized that it could also help me to solve the daily schedule issue.

While I did not always need a daily hourly section like the larger size planner had, there were some busier days when it would be really helpful. I decided to make my own hourly schedule. I was going to just paperclip it to the page but now the bookmark is a perfect spot for it! I simply made one in Word, printed it out, cut it to size and washi taped it to the bookmark. I keep extras in the back cover pocket for the days I need one and skip it on the days I don’t.

I also made a printable with a notes section for anything I needed to jot down, such as items to add to my shopping list or info to add to my bullet journal. The “notes” title is a little off to the right so I could add a sticker. (#nerd 😉 ) I washi taped it to the opposite side of my bookmark.

If you want to print out a copy for yourself, I made them available in my Google Drive folder. Here is the Daily Schedule and here is the Notes Section. Then you can order the same bookmark or simply us a paper clip to add it to your weekly section. (Note on the bookmark: It is a bit loose since the insert tab is shorter than the length but so far it hasn’t been a problem.)

Lastly, in the back of the planner if a notes section with lined pages and another back pocket. Love it.

Well, that is the basics of the planner. If you use a section differently than I do, please share it with me. I love to get new ideas!

UPDATE: I walked through my planner on Instagram. You can find the planner story in my highlights here.

Planner Supplies

(NOTE: Revolution of Love is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I purchased these items on my own and am sharing my honest opinion about them.)

I am constantly asked what kind of pens I use or where do I get my stickers. I have a whole post answering those questions here – My Favorite Stationary, Pens, Stickers and Planner and Hand Lettering Supplies.<.span> However, here are a few relevant items from the post.

Erasable Pens

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When I write in my planner, I MUST be able to erase. I used to use pencil until I found these awesome erasable pens. I have three sizes:

The thicker Pilot Frixion Colors Erasable Markers. I like these for my bullet journal but not so much for my daily planner. I prefer a thinner point.

The thinner Pilot FriXion Pencil, 0.7mm Ballpoint Pen, 12 Colors Set. (Also available in the 24 pen set.) These are great.

However, my favorite for my daily planner is the thinnest version – Pilot Frixion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm, 10 Colors Set.

(One note: It has been said that the ink of these pens disappear in extreme heat but the ink will reappear if book is placed in the freezer. I have never had an issue but I also don’t live in extreme heat.)

Colored Pens

If you don’t want to use erasable, these are my favorite regular thin pens. – Staedtler Color Pen Set, Set of 36 Assorted Colors

If you don’t need as many as 26, this 20 pack of Staedtler pens is nice and it comes with a cool plastic case that can stand.

Pen/Pencil Cases

I’m (almost) embarrassed to tell you how many pencil pouches and cases I have! 😉 You can find them in stationary stores, the Target school section (I got a cute R2D2 one last year), cosmetic sections (yes, I’d rather have a bag of pens over a bag of makeup) or find something online. Here are a few of my favorites I ordered on Amazon.

Weapons of Mass Creation Pouch – Love this. It’s available in three sizes. 🙂

I just purchased this summery Primrose Hill Nautical Birds Collection Cosmetic Pencil Case. So cute!

I use this Designed for Arrangement pencil case as a little traveling pen/pencil holder when I need a variety of pens and office items to take out of the house.

Spiral Bookmark

Avery Spiral Slide-In Plastic Bookmark Dividers – These are the ones from above. They come in a pack of three.

Magnetic Bookmarks/ Bookclips

London Magnetic Bookmarks – These little book magnets are cute ways to mark my pages. 🙂

Harry Potter Page Clips (I bought these at Target but they sell the double pack on Amazon.)

I LOVE these Star Wars book markers. I change them around my planner to suit my mood. (Darth Vader hangs out by the Mondays. Han by the Fridays. 😉 ) You can find them at HappyHelloCo at Etsy.

Charms

Tiny Saints Charm – (Pictured with last year’s planner.) We have lots of these cute saint charms on backpacks and adding my patron saint (also patron of mothers) to my planner seemed appropriate. 🙂

Monthly Sticker Subscriptions

I re-live my childhood by continuing my sticker collection. I use them to decorate my planner, bullet journal, snail mail and more. These are two monthly sticker subscriptions that I love.

Pipsticks – There are two different subscription packs: Kids and Adults Pro Club. The Classic Pro Club pack includes 15 sheets of stickers, 1 postcard and 1 quote card. Cost is $14.95. The Pro Club Petite pack includes 7 sheets of stickers and 1 mini quote card. Cost is $9.95.

Stickii Club – There are three different subscription packs for you to choose from: Cute/ Retro/ Pop. Each pack includes 5 or more sticker sheets, 1 bag of sticker flakes, and sometimes an extra stationery item. Cost is $10 a month.

Planner Stickers

You can pick up booklets of planner specific stickers at many places. I have found my best luck at Michael’s and the Target Dollar Bin. I also use stickers planner from Lara Casey and BohoBerry.

Washi Tape

Washi tape can be found at most stores that carry stationary, including Target. I usually wait until Michael’s puts them on sale or clearance or use one of their weekly coupons. You can also order cute washi on Amazon.

I hope you enjoyed this overview! If you’d like to purchase the MINI Blessed is She Liturgical Academic Year Planner or the regular size, now is the time before they run out! Plus, right now there is free shipping on orders over $25. Can’t beat that!

Planner Goodies Giveaway

If you are already using the planner, I hope you have as much fun as I have been! And to make it a little more fun, I am doing a giveaway to celebrate my birthday month (August.) What better way to celebrate another year of life than with some fun planner goodies! (I told you I was a nerd.) 😉 You can enter using Rafflecopter. The prize is a package of planner goodies including – the Primrose Hills pencil case listed above, rolls of washi tape, planner stickers, a magnetic bookmark, page clips, pencil, and a Frixion pink erasable pen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UPDATE: Thanks to all that played along! Congrats to the winner Holly and the (added) second place winner Kristen. 🙂

Good luck and happy planning!

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, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉

PPS – Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Friday Favorites & Link-up (Vol 13)

By bobbi
July 20, 2018
No Comments

Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to Friday Favorites (a link-up posting every 1st and 3rd Friday.) I’m glad you could join me! Here are this week’s favorites. 🙂

Since I have seven faves, I’m also linking up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

(Note: Revolution of Love is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Also, there are Target affiliate links in this post.)

~ 1 ~

This Week’s Fave Emotional Support

Family, Friends and our Online Community

It has been a stressful month. First there is the ever present worry about my mom’s cancer and some health setbacks she had this week. Now Brian is due for his yearly cancer testing/scan, so I’m naturally worried that his cancer doesn’t come back. Plus, it seems like so many little things are going wrong that in themselves are minor, but all at once are a pain.

Thankfully, I am surrounded by prayerful and supportive family, friends, as well as an online community, that is constantly supporting my mom, my family and me. My mom was deeply moved when I told her how many people have messaged me that they are praying for her and offering rosaries or Masses for her. And this isn’t just immediate family or friends we know, but people who follow me on social media and have gotten to know about me and my family online.

I have gotten numerous messages that started out with “you don’t know me but…” It brings tears to my eyes just typing that. It is so beautiful that there is this community and sisterhood of believers ready to support one another and pray for one another, even if we don’t know each other in real life. The joy that knowledge brings is a tiny foretaste of heaven and the Body of Christ loving one another as brothers and sisters. I love it.

And that support has allowed my next fave…

~ 2 ~

This Week’s Fave Make Me Smile Moments

Time with Family

The prayers of everyone has just filled my heart with the boost I need to be strong, trust in God and look for the joy amidst the worry. It allows me to cherish the moments I have with my family and to make memories together because life is short and precious.

~ 3 ~

This Week’s Fave Evening Entertainment

Pixar Movie Fest

Speaking of family time, Bella may have inherited my love of Disneyland but the boys inherited my love of movies. This summer, after our evening family prayer, we cuddle on the couch to watch (part of) a movie together. We have been working through the Pixar Collection. I logged the ones we’ve competed in my bullet journal. Tonight we’ll finish Finding Dory. 🙂

~ 4 ~

This Week’s Fave Catholic Bracelets

My Saint, My Hero

Long before John Stamos got into the picture, I have admired the lovely bracelets of My Saint, My Hero. I first purchased the Forever One Mr & Mrs Blessings Bracelets to share with Brian and the Wave of Prayer bracelet in aqua. (Although, I think that color is no longer available.) When I went to the Blessed Is She Wild Retreat, I received the “Breathe” bracelet, which was very appropriate because I was stressing out big time that day. LOL.

I love the mission of My Saint, My Hero. It is “to bring faith, hope and purpose into everyday life.” They promote the fact that “God is real, prayer works and love heals.” Plus their products are “wearable blessings, crafted in love and prayer and empower women through meaningful work.” Their hope and “prayer is that these pieces help awaken souls to live in the presence of God and know: ‘I am true. I am good, I am beautiful. I am blessed.'” How awesome is that?

Since my birthday is next month, I am adding either the Empower Seed of Life Bracelet or the Stellar Blessings Ocean Blessings Bracelet to my wish list. 😉

~ 5 ~

This Week’s Fave Music Playlists

My mom asked me to make her a playlist of inspirational music that will motivate her to fight her cancer. I made this “I Can Do It” playlist for her. To be honest, I have been listening to it frequently this week! Above is the Spotify link. Or if you use Apple Music, as I do, here is that link – https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/i-can-do-this/pl.u-WabZZkAfmgVjv.

When my mom is not in the mood to fight and she just needs to cry out to God for strength, I made her this “Jesus, I Need You & Praise Music” playlist. Above is the Spotify link. The Apple Music link is – https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/jesus-i-need-you-praise/pl.u-NpXmmr3IB5XPp

~ 7 ~

This Week’s Fave Summer Top

Photo credit: Old Navy

Old Navy’s Relaxed Bubble Sleeve Tops

Old Navy is a great place to find casual clothes whether you are the mom or the daughter. Bella found some cute tops and shorts (with the coveted 5″ inseam instead of the standard skimpy 1-2″) in her small size and I found these cute tops in a larger size (they have up to XXL in the store.) These tops are summery and can be worn off the shoulder or, as I opt, on the shoulder. I have the navy stripe and the white one pictured above. Although, they are on sale right now so I think I’ll grab another (or two.) 😉

~ 7 ~

This Week’s Fave Social Media/Blog Award

A Knotted Life’s Sheenazing Awards

Way back when blogs were actually a common thing, Bonnie at A Knotted Life started the Sheenazing Awards to promote readers’ favorite Catholic Blogs. These days, there aren’t as many bloggers but (almost) everyone is on social media. Bonnie is bringing back the Awards to promote the best in Catholic social media – from bloggers, vloggers, instagrammers, podcasters and more.

I loved voting for my faves and finding new favorites when the results were posted. Click over to A Knotted Life and cast your vote by Saturday, July 21. So fun!

Okay, that’s it for now!

Those are my favorites of the week! What have you been enjoying?

Have a great weekend!

Are you ready to link up?? Here are the rules.

1. Create a post with your Friday Favorites.

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

3. If you want to add the logo to your post, here is the html.

4. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address. The link-up will be open for three weeks. Have fun!

An InLinkz Link-up

How I Started Setting Goals & My Mid-Year 2018 Goals

By bobbi
July 9, 2018
No Comments

It has been awhile since I’ve posted about my goals and before I jump into sharing my mid-year goals, I thought I’d give you a little background into how I got into goal making in the first place.

Myth: I’m not a goal setting type of person.

Back in the summer of 2014, I first heard about Lara Casey and her Powersheets and making goals as a way of living your life. It all seemed foreign to me. I was a stay at home mom with four kids ages 3-12. I was just trying to make it through the day with my sanity intake and maybe a clean load of laundry. I imagined goals as something for women who were entrepreneurs, or authors writing a best seller or travelers saving for a trip to Paris. I didn’t fit into any of those kind of categories.

But as I read Lara’s thoughts about making goals, I realized that goals can be lofty things, but they don’t have to be. For a postpartum mom, her goal may simply be to get an extra hour of sleep. Then as some time passes for that mom and she exits the fog of new mommydom, she can focus on expanding to different goals. Later, when her kids are at school, her ability to explore new avenues will open different goals int her life. Her goals move and expand with her life as needed. I love that it is not a one size fits all but a tailor made process, whether you’re single, married, have babies or grown children.

I’m too busy to add goals to my list of things to do, not to mention that I suck at resolutions.

The thought of adding one more item to my to do list was overwhelming. However, I came to see that it was more of a re-prioritizing the different areas of my life and focusing on making the most of the time I had to do the work God had placed before me – namely, being a wife and mother. It was more than a lofty resolution, it was working towards a way of positively living my life. Lara Casey explained it this way:

Goals can be overwhelming if they are not connected to what matters. They can make life busier. I don’t want a new to do list for my life; I want a clear, meaningful path. I want to know I’m living with intention and purpose instead of living by accident.”

Yes, yes and yes. I swear life is going by faster each day and sometimes I feel like I wasted the day without really getting anything done! Goals help me prioritize so I get the essentials done and not just fill my day with busy work.

I don’t even know what kind of goals I would make.

At this point I saw the value of making goals but I didn’t know what kind of goals to set. Using Lara Casey’s Powersheets really helped me to focus on the “big” goals of my life. She asked where would you like to be a year from now, ten years from now, or at the end of your life. Well, at the end of my life I hope I can say that I… loved God and lived my life for Him, had a healthy and loving relationship with my husband, raised godly and kind children, developed lasting friendships, made creativity a part of my daily life and made a difference in the world by sharing God’s love with others. You know, little things like that. 😉

I don’t know where to start to make my goals happen.

Next, I took those big goals (that will take me lifetime to complete) and broke them down into smaller goals and then broke those down into bite size things I can do each day. It helps to keep it specific and not vague. Example, instead of choosing “eat healthier” or “drink more water,” I’ll pick specific ways to do that. For example, cut up carrot stick and cucumber slices for a container in the fridge and grab them instead of chips for a snack. Or set the hourly alarm on my phone or watch and drink a cup of water when the alarm goes off. Even if I don’t always accomplish that, doing a little bit well is better than doing nothing.

Do goals really help?

When I reviewed over the goals I made at the beginning of the year, there were some I had to change because I accomplished the goal. That was such an amazing feeling! Then there were other goals that were still works in progress. No worries. I would simply keep working at them during the second half of 2018.

My Mid-Year 2018 Goals

For me, I preferred to divide my goals into five main areas of my life. I am a daughter of God, wife, mother, homemaker and woman. I have my main “big goal” and then I broke those down into mini-goals that will help me reach it. Here are some specific things I want to work on over the next month or so.

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Goal #1: I want to nurture my relationship with the Trinity, seeing God as a loving Father, Jesus as my brother and the Holy Spirit as the One who inspires me and pushes me to share God’s love with others.

Mini-Goals:

Return to my morning prayer walks – When the kids started their summer vacation, I gave up my usual morning prayer walk that I used to do once I dropped them of at school. But by the end of June, I was missing it like crazy. It was such a source of peace, getting rid of stress, and drawing closer to God. I needed to go back to it! The only way I can make it happen to is to wake up an hour earlier and take my walk while the kids are sleeping and Brian is getting ready for work. It means no sleeping in but so far it seems worth it. I will continue it for a month and see if it is still worth it once the novelty wears off. 😉
Make moments of quiet – I am the type of person that likes noise during the day. I’ll have a favorite playlist or the radio on, or the TV playing or I’m binge watching a show while I do laundry. That is fine but I feel like God is calling to take some time out of the day to turn off the noise and just be quiet and talk with Him.
Spiritual Reading – I love to read but 99% of the time I’ll grab the a novel. Yet, I have a huge pile of spiritual books I want to read. So I’ll make one of my reading times each week a spiritual read.
Confession – Mark the calendar and go every first Saturday.

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Goal #2: To be a loving wife and continue to nurture my friendship and relationship with Brian.

Mini-Goals:

Talk Time – Brian and I chat all the time but sometimes we need time to talk and catch up on things that go deeper. I’ll make sure that one night a week we have time to sit and talk without the TV on.
Date nights – Having time by ourselves to go out and have fun has been really important to us. I’ll continue to make sure we schedule once a month and try to up it to 2x a month.
Daily act of kindness for Brian. – I haven’t done this in awhile but I’d like to be intentional about this once again. It was such a positive thing for both of us. (For more info, refer to – 25 Acts of Kindness for your Husband.)

* * *

Goal #3: To be a strong and loving mother who helps her children love God, be responsible and feel loved and part of a happy family.

Mini-Goals:

Spend more time with the boys one on one. – Bella and I often have our girl outings but I’d like to spend more time with the boys, particularly cooking, playing, working on projects, reading aloud or watching a movie together. Summer is the perfect time to chose one or two activities a week.
Update the chore chart. – We always update the chores in summer to add more responsibility. I have to work on not “just doing it myself” because it is faster and I can do it better. I need to let go and let them learn how to do more around the house, even if it’s not perfect.
Life lessons for Bella – Now that she’s starting her junior year, that means Bella needs to learn/practice more life lessons like how to drive (what?!), balance a checkbook, shop for dinner on a budget and cook the meal. (Heck, I’m still trying to learn that.)
Make a flexible schedule – Although I love the carefree days of summer, there does need to be some coordination to make sure we don’t miss any summer classes and that we best plan which days work for fun outings. Plus, I don’t mind the kids’ having screen time but a time limit it a must (or we’d ALL be vegged out in front of a screen.)

* * *

Goal #4: Run an organized home because when things run smoother it brings greater peace in our family life.

Mini Goals:

Update our monthly budget and keep a daily log of spending. – I had been doing better with this, but lately have gotten way off track. Time to reign it in.
Continue with the purge and fill 1-2 bags a week with unused or outgrown items.
Weekly meal plan and update “Favorite Meals” reference list. – I am always stumped on what to make for dinner so meal planning is a must. Plus the boys want to help cook so we need to update our meal list.

* * *

Goal #5 – Be a well-balanced woman who has her own interest and pursuits and isn’t afraid to challenge herself.

Mini-Goals:

Get up before kids 5x a week to do my morning beach walk. – Continue working on my #rol100milesin100days challenge.
Continue to track weight, blood pressure and blood sugar to make sure I stay in the normal range.
Write more – Spend 15-30 minutes a day writing (or studying about using better writing skills) whether it’s in my journal, blogging or working on a Blessed Is She assignment. Post to the blog 1x a week
Build my online community – I love my circle of online friends and my best connections seems to be with IG/Instastories. Post more there and perhaps try out IGTV.
Build my IRl life community – Having online friends is great but I miss my in real life friends. This summer I’ll call up some old friends I haven’t seen in awhile. Plus I’ll develop my budding friendships with the local Blessed Is She group.

Since I’m using Lara Casey’s goal making system, I purchased her 2018 Powersheets, although they are currently sold out. However, you can use her online 2018 goal series and follow the whole process using your own notebook. That is what I did last year. I never bought the Powersheet and instead I answered all the questions and made the inspiration boards and used my bullet journal. You can see how I did it here.

Although I love Lara’s system, you don’t have to go through her series! You can think of your own goals and steps to make them happen.

Now that I have my goals set, I wanted to add them to my planner. This year I switched from the full-size Blessed Is She Planner and got the mini-sized Blessed Is She Planner instead.

I love that there is a monthly goal section! It is divided into five areas of a woman’s life – faith focus, personal, family, work and fun. It matched well with my five areas of life and I filled in each with my goals. I am ready to make some progress! 🙂

What about you? Do you make goals? What is the one thing that you really want to work on this month(s)? Do share!

Friday Favorites & Link-up (Vol 12)

By bobbi
July 6, 2018
No Comments

Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to Friday Favorites (a link-up posting every 1st and 3rd Friday.) I’m glad you could join me! Here are this week’s favorites. 🙂

~ 1 ~

This Week’s Fave Bathing Suit Company

Photo credit: Swim Ricki

Lime Ricki Swimwear

After weeks of grey, gloomy weather I am ecstatic that today I finally see blue skies! It was hilarious to walk around town and hear various people talking about today’s “heat wave,” which means we’ve hit 75 degrees. Now before you send me hateful death threats, know that to go from 55 degrees to 75 degrees in a day does make it seem like it is hot. Although, after spending a week in the high dessert of SoCal, I firmly believe that people who live in constant summer heat will not spend a moment in purgatory because they have suffered enough.

Anyway, my point is that the warm weather means we can also bring out the bathing suits and not have to wear a jacket over them. Getting trunks and swim tops for the boys is as easy and walking into Target but finding something for your teen daughter is a purgatory in itself. Everything is too low cut in the chest, too high cut in the leg or there’s just not enough material in the first place. Sigh. We wanted to find something that was cute and modern but still modest. (Although modest is a relative term since some families prefer totally covered up swimwear. We wanted a happy medium.)

Thankfully, we found Lime Ricki Swimwear.They have so many cute designs and cuts. Bella got the Blooms tankini (pictured above) and paired them with boy shorts similar to these The suits are pricey but we found them worth every penny.

~ 2 ~

This Week’s Fave Toy

Tevelo Marble Coaster

When the boys are tired of playing outside and mom doesn’t let them have their iPads, they rediscover forgotten toys. One of this summer’s favorites has been the Trevelo Marble Coaster. Thankfully, my oldest was able to help his younger brothers put it together because I got a headache just looking at the directions. After that they had fun taking it apart and making their own creations.

~ 3 ~

This Week’s Fave Reading Incentive

The Local Library Reading Rewards Program

Our local library participates in the iRead Summer Reading Program and it has been a great incentive for the boys to read over the summer. They have a log book and mark every 15 minutes of reading they complete. For every ten hours of reading completed, they get a prize. Today they went in and collected the prizes they earned so far – toys, puzzles, as well as free ice cream and pizza. The boys loved it and I love that it takes little pushing from me to make them pick up a book.

~ 4 ~

This Week’s Fave Treat

Dolphin Cookies at Cafe Carmel

After a walk around town and our visit to the library, I let the boys stop at one of their favorite bakeries and get a dolphin cookie. (I may or may not have also picked up a slice of chocolate covered cheesecake to share with Bella.) 😉

~ 5 ~

This Week’s Classic Kids’ Movie

PeeWee’s Big Adventure

With summer here we have been enjoying family movies nights after family prayer. We take turns picking out movies and on my days I’ve been choosing movies I remember watching with my younger brothers and sisters. Last week we watched Homeward Bound. This week I chose Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure since I just saw another mom on IG post that it was their summer movie pick. At first they were a little weirded out asking, “What’s wrong with this guy? Is he a kid or a man?” After explaining what a man-child was that it was all just for fun, they got into it and were belly laughing by the end. It brought back so many funny family memories. (Right now the movie is available free on Amazon Prime.)

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This Week’s Fave Goal Making Tool

Lara Casey’s Powersheets

Now that June is over and July is here, it was time for me to review my goals and change a few things for my mid-year goals. I was happy to see that a few of my smaller goals were accomplished and it gave me a chance to work on some other areas of my life. The whole reason I got into goals (which seemed totally foreign to my life at first) was the discovery of Lara Casey’s Powersheets a few years back. Her philosophy of doing what matters and working within the elements of your vocation and season of life, made goals not only feasible but desirable. I have since been a fan and love the changes it made in my life.

I won’t get more into it here because I wrote a separate post all about it that I’ll be posting on Monday morn. 🙂

Okay, that’s it for now!

Those are my favorites of the week! What have you been enjoying?

Have a great weekend!

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Online Daybook/ Currently/ 7 QT: June 2018 Review

By bobbi
July 4, 2018
4 Comments

RevolutionofLove.com - logo_online_daybook_1

Happy 4th of July! I’m taking advantage of little down time to get his post up. 🙂 I am linking up with Ann @ In Residence for Currently and with Kelly @ This Ain’t the Lyceum for 7 Quick Takes.

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Grateful for…

Our country and our freedom.
Our military and all those who give their lives to protect our freedom.
Dates with my Sweetie.
Family time.
Summer fun and relaxing moments.
All the little things in life that we take for granted (until it’s gone.)

Praying for..

Our country and peace throughout the world.
My mom and the health issues/cancer she’s dealing with.
Many special intentions from family and friends, especially those carrying heavy crosses.
Those fighting cancer, illness and mental health issues.
For the poor, oppressed and refugees.
All pregnant moms (especially family members), those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
The souls in purgatory, especially family, friends and those most forgotten.

Pondering…

It’s been a roller coaster month, first with just all the hectic end-of-school activities, change of our summer plans and worrying about my mom’s health. When I found out that her cancer came back, it hit me hard. Normally, I cry and grieve and then I’m over it and can move on and get to work. But this time I was in tears at the drop of a hat for days. When it was time to pack and hit the road, I was dragging my feet. When we finally left and about an hour into the drive I realized I had left one of our bags at home. It was not an essential bag but I just broke down and sobbed…for hours. It had nothing to do with the stupid bag but everything to do with not wanting to see my mom sick. I wanted to be with her at Lake Tahoe walking a trail and laughing at one of her jokes or jumping on rides at Disneyland on one of our girls’ weekends away. I didn’t want to see her sick on the couch and have to face the reality that my mom could die. Intellectually, I know we are all going to die one day but there is a difference between a vague notion and the very real presence of a sinister cancer trying to steal the one you love.

Thankfully, by the end of the trip and after celebrating her birthday with so many family members and friends, I felt at peace. Mom was still mom and she’s still here fighting. This new setback with the blood clot situation should have me in tears again but I think I’m cried out at the moment. Oh, I still have stress and worry but praying and keeping myself busy is keeping me sane, even though I am not able to be at my mom’s side. I don’t know what the next few months hold for us but I pray for the strength to trust in Our Father and to hope in His merciful love. In the meantime, I want to make the most of the time I have with the ones I love and not waste time on matters that don’t mean much in the end.

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Family Chit Chat…

If you are following me on social media, you have probably seen the updates I have been posting. As of this morn, she has not had the clot draining procedure yet because the tumor is causing the blockage and severe pain. Her doc is consulting with the oncologist to see what’s the best options for her right now. Hopefully they’ll have a course of action by the end of the week. She is in a tricky predicament so your continued prayers are most appreciated.

Also, a big thanks to all of you who signed up for the 54 Day Rosary Novena. We have all the slots filled and I actually added more days for those of you who still wanted to sign up. It is a GREAT comfort to my mom to know she is being surrounded by your prayers.

Photo credit: My SIL Maria (Photo is missing my sis, BiL and 9 various nieces and nephews, but we’re a big clan none the less.)

Visiting…

First on June’s agenda was to change our traveling plans. Normally, my mom and dad go with us to our yearly summer trip to Lake Tahoe but with my mom’s health situation, we canceled our trip and went to SoCal instead to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Eight out of nine siblings were there (unfortunately one of my sisters’ kids were sick so she couldn’t make it) but my other sis Elena from Virginia flew in with family to be there. Along with numerous close family members, we were able to surround my mom with lots of love and support.

Celebrating…

The 4th of July with an early 2-mile walk for my #rol100milesin100days walking challenge, a breakfast date with my sweetie, outside play with the kiddos (hoping the fog will clear and we’ll see some blue sky!) then a BBQ dinner and apple pie for dessert. Yum.

Wearing…

A professional manicure! I used to always have the ugliest broken, unfiled nails but ever since my sister talked me into getting my first professional manicure a couple months ago, I’m hooked. I now hate having ugly nails! Heck, I even bought my first pair of rubber gloves to wear while I washed dishes. I felt rather girlish and I liked it. 😉

Loving…

I love looking over the month’s memories! Including these:

June Memories – Meeting up with fellow Blessed Is She Team member Susannah Spencer while she was visiting California. // Enjoying our schools’ Mini-Olympics with my three favorite athletes. // Taking Brian out for a birthday date at Lalla Grill. // Traveling to SoCal to celebrate my mom’s birthday with a big party/family reunion before she starts her cancer treatment. // After playful days, I love Friday movie nights and special treats, although some movies are the boys’ fave concert with TobyMac. 😉 // I went to our first local Blessed IS She Brunch in a couple years and had a great time with the lovely ladies. I closed the month out with a BIS girls night to see Chef (one of my fave movies) in an outdoor theater (although next time I take an extra blanket!)

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Baking…

I’m not big on baking but I have a huge bag of carrots (thanks, Costco) in the fridge and I thought it would be fun to make a carrot cake. When the boys found out they were eager to help me. (Well, except for one son who prefers to sit on the couch with his iPad and cheer us on instead.) 😉 I’d like to try this recipe.

Classic Carrot Cake: Clean Eating & Guilt Free by Amy’s Healthy Baking.com

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Reading…

Finished… (Reviews coming soon.)

One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler (Spoiler alert – looved it!)

(For Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Reading Challenge category – A memoir, biography or book of creative fiction.

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The Great Alone

For Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Reading Challenge category – A book by a favorite author. I loved Hannah’s book The Nightingale and was looking forward to this one. (Spoiler alert – my fave book of 2018 so far!)

Up next…

Go Bravely by Emily Wilson

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The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer (I want to finish the book before watching the upcoming movie. See below.)

Watching…

(ON TV)

We were so happy for the start of one of our Masterpiece Mystery faves – Endeavor. (Although, definitely not with any kids around.)

We’ve been binge watching Brooklyn 99 and just started season 3. It’s hilarious. (Also, no kids around.)

Continuing on our rewatching Psych binge. Starting season 4.

(ON YOUTUBE)

I am really looking forward to watching the movie adaptation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society! It will be available in the US on Netflix on Aug 10. Note: This trailer an also be used as a “Downton Abbey cast spotting” drinking game. You’re welcome. 😉

(MOVIES)

Incredibles 2 – The Incredibles was definitely one of my fave Pixar movies so I was eager to see the sequel. I may not have loved it as much as the first, but it was fun and there were moments when I laughed out loud. The kids all gave it two thumbs up.

Jurassic World 2 – Jurassic World 2 rehashes all the same old story lines of previous Jurassic Park movies so not much is new, but we enjoyed the movie nonetheless. It’s definitely a fun summer popcorn flick with nothing too deep. However, I’d be very cautious about bringing young ones. Scary and gruesome for kids. I left my two youngest (sensitive 8 yr old & and adventurous 7 yr old ) and let Andrew (11) attend with me and Bella. He did close his eyes for the dino eating bodies scenes so know your kids before deciding. I give it 3.5 – 4 stars. 🎟🍿📽❤️

Listening to …

AJR – Burn The House Down

And I’m still loving this one.

Mikky Ekko – What’s It Like Now – 4/10/2018 – Paste Studios – New York, NY

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Added to my Praise and Worship playlist…

Right on Time by Mary Castner

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Added to the boys’ playlist…

Austin French – Freedom Hymn

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Recent Posts:

Posts have been sporadic with all the family activities but there are some posts being work on,including:

How I meal plan.
Artist Spotlight featuring Rose Harrington Art
How to find time to pray in a busy day.
How I use my new Blessed Is She Planner.
More Friday Favorites.

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Around the blogosphere…

Here are some posts I’ve been reading…

Untouchable People, Friendships, & Love by A Knotted Life
Where we find Happiness, the Grace to keep going, and the Answers to our Pain by Catholic Wife, Catholic Life
Liturgical Living at a Glance: July 2018 by Carrots for Michaelmas
Oh to be so bold by The Fisk Files
Choosing Your Battles Wisely by Modern Catholic Mom
A Look at Gaudete et Exsultate by Blessed Is She Blog
St. Josemaria Escriva: Embracing the Ordinary by Blessed Is She Blog

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Family picnic time. 🙂

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So that’s what I’ve been up to lately. What about you? What’s currently happening in your life? Any book, movie or TV show recommendations? Do share.

Have a great week!

PPS – * Disclaimer: “Revolution of Love.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.”