Random fall photo. 😉

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Quick Takes

It has been a busy week and I have a writing deadline I should be working on but my brain is not cooperating so instead I’m going to have a little blogging fun. Since I have a bunch of posts half written in my draft folder, I am going to have a Link-up Palooza today and link up with as many of my favorite ladies (Jen, Cari, Gina, Nell, Jenna) as I can in this one post! The first link-up is with Jen for 7 Quick Takes. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear her on Lino’s show. I just may have to resubscribe to Sirius radio to get these great shows.

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Theme Thursday

I am linking up with Cari for this week’s Theme Thursday (on a Saturday.) The topic was brick. The first thing that came to mind is the brick fireplace in our house. I always dreamed of having a house with fire place and a mantel that I could decorate during the seasons and hang Christmas stocking during the holidays but when we moved into Brian’s grandma’s house, I found that there was no mantel. Instead it was just a wall of white jagged brick. (Hence, my most viewed post – How to baby proof the fireplace area.) However, there is one big blessing that came with the brick wall – this painting of the Blessed Mother, Baby Jesus and I am assuming John the Baptist.

My mother-in-law grew up in Austria and was a young girl during WWII. This painting hung in their home and during the bombing and the subsequent loss of their possessions, this was one of the few items they were able to save and bring to the states later when they immigrated. She has since had it cleaned, restored and framed and gave it to us. I’ll gladly live with this brick wall as long as it houses this beloved family treasure!

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Embrace the Ordinary

I am linking up with Gina for Embrace the Ordinary. Yesterday, I was in the kitchen with my “helper” Matthew and at one point he hugged me and said, “You are my best buddy, Mama!” Aw, that deserves a kiss. (I’ll try to remember that the next time he is driving me crazy. 😉

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Week Eats

I’m linking up with Nell for Saturday’s Week Eats.

Sunday – Paleo Beef Stew

Monday – Slow cooker BBQ chicken with broccoli slaw

Tuesday – Turkey Meatloaf, brown rice and green beans

Wednesday – Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls with Lime Quinoa (I’m not a fan of quinoa so I’ll probably use leftover brown rice from Tues.)

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Tuna melts & tomato soup

Saturday – Homemade pizza and Greek salad

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tl;rl: November

Last month I completed the October 31 Days Writing Challenge with my 31 Days of Gratitude. I posted (almost) every day of the month (that last week was a killer.) I am linking up with Jenna for tl;rl and sharing my  7 favorite posts of the month.

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October 1, 2014 – 31 Days of Gratitude (Day 1): Feast of St. Therese

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October 7, 2014 – Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 31) and 31 Days of Gratitude: Love of Fall and Pumpkin Donuts

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October 9, 2014 – 31 Days of Gratitude (Day 9) & {pretty, happy, funny, real} (vol 89): A Day on the Farm

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October 12, 2014 – 31 Days of Gratitude (Day 12): Leaving the Bubble and Seeing God’s Beauty in Creation

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October 17, 2014 – 31 Days of Gratitude (Day 17): Decorating Our Home for Fall

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October 24 & 25, 2014 31 – Days of Gratitude (Day 24 & 25): The Grace of the Cross (An Update on Brian)

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October 28 & 29, 2014 – Weigh-in Wednesday: Sharing Health Goals: Review of Fitbit Flex & 31 Days of Gratitude (Day 28 & 29)

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Pinterest Party

And since it’s been all about link-ups today, join me for the November Pinterest Party Link-up. Share your creative posts – a recipe, craft, project, parenting or marriage tips – anything we would want to pin to one of our Pinterest boards. It can be a new post or an older post that needs a little traffic. The Link-up is open through the end of November. Have fun!

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Wow, you made it all the way to #7. You rock. Join me next week when I’ll be telling you about the new Blessed Is She Advent Journal and hosting a give-away! In the meantime, have a blessed weekend!

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. 😉