Hey guys, happy October!! I’m currently out of town right now attending the Blessed Is She Team Retreat but I wanted to make sure this link-up was ready for you on October 1st.
During October many bloggers participate in the Write 31 Days Challenge. I’ve participated in the past three yearsbut this year I am unable to join. Instead I’m making a more realistic challenge for myself – post once a week in the month of October.
If you’d like to join along, you are more than welcome! This is the chance for you to clean out your draft folder and finish up those posts you started but never finished. Or it is the opportunity to share about a subject that has been on your mind lately. Each Sunday of October I’ll have the new link-up and available for the remainder of the week. For more details and instructions, see below.
I look forward to visiting your blogs and reading your posts over the next month.
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.”
In other words, if you click on my affiliated links and make a purchase, I get a small compensation that goes towards keeping the blog online. Big hugs to those who click and help support the blog! xoxo 🙂
September is speeding by and today is the first day of Fall! This time of year always feels like a fresh start to me, even more than January 1st. After the care free days of summer, I am ready to get back into a routine of school and fall activities. At this point I also like to re-evaluate the goals I made at the beginning of January. Some goals still need work. Some goals were accomplished, so I can focus on a different area. Taking some time to review helps me to make the most of these last months of 2017.
I like to divide my goals into five main areas of my life – as a daughter of God, wife, mother, homemaker and woman. 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 God, especially my prayer life.
Why this goal?
I love God but I want to love Him more deeply and more faithfully because I am His daughter and He has done so much for me.
Starting Steps:
Pray the Morning Offering as soon as I wake. (No checking emails, news or social media first.)
Spend time in morning prayer – During my morning beach walk, I’ll listen to the readings of the day (using the iMissal app) and listen to the Blessed Is Shedevotion of the day (using the “speak” feature on my iPhone) and pray all/part of the rosary.
Intentional prayer/ sacrifice during the day – When doing household chores, especially those I dislike the most (I’m looking at you, laundry) offer the chore up for a special intention.
Night prayer – Finish praying the rosary (if not completed in the morning) and do a night exam.
Mass – Add one daily Mass each week.
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Goal #2: Nurture my relationship with Brian by spending more one-on-one time with him, being more appreciative of all he does for us and treat him with greater respect (not like he’s my 5th kid.)
Why this goal?
I want to be a loving wife and show Brian how much I appreciate him. Our time together will help us reconnect, nurture our friendship and keep our marriage strong.
Starting Steps:
Talk Time – Sometimes I am doing so much in the evening to prep for the next day, I don’t give Brian my undivided attention to just chat and catch up. I’ll give him that time in the evening before we turn on the TV to watch something.
Date nights – We currently go out once a month but now that Bela is older and can babysit more, I’d like to up it to every other week or at least 2x a month.
Daily act of kindness for Brian. – I haven’t done this in the last couple of months but I’d like to be intentional once again. It was such a positive thing for both of us. I’ll print out the list I made and add it to my planner for inspiration. For more info, refer to – 25 Acts of Kindness for your Husband.
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Goal #3: Give the kids more one-on-one time, both with homework and at play. Also give them more responsibility and challenge them to grow as a young person.
Why this goal?
Spending more quality time together will strengthen our relationship and have fun as a family. As their mom I am responsible to help them become more productive, to work as a team and to resist being lazy and self-centered.
Starting Steps:
Get all of my work done by 2:00 PM so I have the afternoons free to help the kids with homework. – That includes leaving the phone alone.
Update the after school chore chart. – I want to include Bella with this and spend time giving her more life lessons (cooking, doing laundry, balancing a checkbook etc) since she’ll be going away to college in a couple years. (gasp!)
Plan weekend outings or family time unplugged.
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Goal #4: Improve my homemaking by spending less, decluttering what we already have and using my time wisely, especially in regards to meal planning.
Why this goal?
When our home life is tidy and organized there is much more peace.
Starting Steps:
Update our monthly budget and keep a daily log of spending.
Return to daily 15-30 minute declutter/ organizational task.
Update recipe binder and make a “Favorite Meals” reference list. – I am always stumped on what to make for dinner each week so if I had a list of meals that worked well for dinner I could have a little more variety.
On Sundays, meal plan for the week. – This is especially important because if I am in the throes of homework or after school activities, I can’t be worried about “what should I cook tonight?” When it’s planned, the guesswork (and added stress) is taken out.
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Goal #5 – Continue to work on improving my health; nurture creativity with photography and hand lettering; challenge myself to be brave when I am out of my comfort zone.
Why this goal?
Physically, to be healthier and present in my family’s life. Creatively, being creative brings me joy. Mentally, I’ll feel more myself and less like I am hiding the real me.
Starting Steps:
Physically: 5x a week morning walk at least 20-30 minutes.
Physically: Add 2x week strength training. – I need to start by looking up program/videos for beginners. Any suggestions?
Physically: Continue daily water, vitamins and weekdays in bed by 11 PM. – Not staying up late is soo hard for me!!
Creativity: Return to my photography challenge. – See what I’ve done this year so far on Instagram with #rolphotochallenges.
Creativity: In evenings work on handlettering drills while watching TV.
Mentally: In social situations do something out of my comfort zone. – I’m sort of an extroverted introvert when I’m around strangers so I sometimes feel like I don’t show the “real” me.
I’m using Lara Casey’s goal making system and broke everything down into monthly, weekly and daily tasks. I may not get everything done but even a little progress is still 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!
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.”
In other words, if you click on my affiliated links and make a purchase, I get a small compensation that goes towards keeping the blog online. Big hugs to those who click and help support the blog! xoxo 🙂
Many special intentions from family and friends, especially those carrying heavy crosses.
Those fighting cancer, illness and mental health issues.
For the victims of natural disasters, especially for our friends living in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
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…
On Saturday I was a foul mood. It started for no particular reason, but I just felt like I was tied up in knots. My patience was low and everyone was getting on my nerves. Then all these negative thoughts started creeping into my mind. Thoughts that made me doubt myself and my abilities as a daughter of God. It had been a long time since I battled that voice and it made my foul mood worse.
Later that evening, we attended the Saturday Vigil Mass and I knelt before Our Lord in the Tabernacle and asked Him to bring peace to my soul. I asked Our Lady Undoer of Knots to unwind the knots of my heart. During Mass the celebrant talked about 9/11 and read the prayer said by Fr. Mychal Judge, the Catholic priest that died while serving his fellow New Yorkers on 9/11. As the celebrant said the words, I repeated them and prayed them to Our Father and the darkness that was in my soul lifted and I felt at peace again. I was able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist ready to love and serve Him once again. Thanks be to God.
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Around the House…
We are back in school mode so there are lots of backpacks, lunch boxes and homework papers scattered around.
Family Chit Chat…
Thank you for all your prayers for Brian. In August, he had his yearly cancer testing and the bloodwork and CT scan both show no signs of cancer. Praise God! We appreciate all our prayers and words of support!! <3
It was a double birthday month! Here we are in 2009 and eight years later in 2017 John-Paul and I are celebrating our birthdays together.
In August the boys were back in school, Bella was back to high school and I was back to writing. 🙂
The Blessed Is She Team Retreat in 2016
In the next few weeks I have a couple trips planned. I’ll be flying to Wisconsin to attend the Blessed Is She Team Retreat. Last year was such a wonderful time and I can’t wait to do it again! You can follow along on Instagram with #BISteamretreat. 🙂
As I mentioned on Friday, I just registered for the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Women’s Conference on October 14th in Pasadena. And I’m bringing my mom with me! I can’t wait. I attended the conference Kendra and Micaela hosted back in 2015 (it was a blogging conference then) and it was such a time of personal and spiritual growth – I wrote all about it here. I am blessed to attend again this year and it’s even better since it’s open to all Catholic women. If you are going, let me know so I can look for you there! 🙂 You can also follow along on Instagram with #stjoanconf. 🙂
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In the Kitchen…
I am in the process of finishing my recipe binder and doing a post about how I meal plan. Now that summer is over and homework/ after school activities season is here, I have to be more diligent about planning ahead since my afternoons are a little chaotic.
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Reading…
I finished these books over the summer and am almost done writing reviews:
The Big Sick – It’s been a slow movie month for me and I was only able to see one movie, which was The Big Sick. The movie is based on the real story of how actor Kumail Nanjiani’s (playing himself) met his wife Emily. They fall in love but problems arose when their cultures clashed, as well as other issues. They broke up but then Emily became gravely ill and Kumail’s word turned upside down. He had to navigate his way through his feelings and the strained relationship with Emily’s parents and his own family. While this movie could be considered a romantic comedy, that was only part of the story. It was also a drama as Kumail struggled to define his life and what he wanted to do with it, which contradicted his strict Muslim family and their expectations. I enjoyed the movie – both the lighter comedic moments and the more dramatic thought-provoking scenes, although be cautioned that it is rated R. There is a lot of strong language and characters live a secular lifestyle, hook up and have sex, although there is no nudity or anything graphic. I rate this 3.75/4 out of 5 stars. (Parental note: Rated R for language including some sexual references .)
(STREAMING MOVIES)
Lion – I really wanted to see Lion on the big screen but it wasn’t playing at my usual theater so I had to settle for watching it on Netflix. Lion is based on the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley’s. At the age of five Saroo accidental left his family when he rode a train that took him over 600 miles away from his small village to the busy and dangerous streets of Calcutta. He tried to get back home but instead found himself homeless and in danger of being taken by adults who wanted to do him harm. Eventually he found shelter in an orphanage and was adopted by a loving Australian couple. Twenty years later, Saroo remembered bits and pieces of his childhood and becomes obsessed with tracking down his family using Google Earth. I loved the movie and by the end I was literally sobbing. It was incredibly moving. There were a few slow scenes in the middle but the ending more than made up for it. One of my favorites I’ve seen in the last year. I rate it 4 out of 5. (Parental note: While your older kids may enjoy this movie, there’s a scene where homeless children on the streets are being abducted, one can assume, for evil reasons. Later an adult Saroo is shown in bed with his girlfriend. There is implied sex and kissing but nothing graphic. Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sensuality.)
(TV)
Brian and I also just finished the second season of Breaking Bad and have been discussing the development and (moral decline of some characters) and how their actions affect other people. We’re looking forward to starting season 3. (Warning: This is rated MA. The network mutes out the language or blurs inappropriate things but the streaming does not. So be careful where you watch it.)
Did you watch the Defenders? Did you like it? Brian and I loved it!
I have been loving Beth’s #TeachableTuesdays on Blessed Is She Facebook Live on Mondays at 10:00 AM PT. I just watched her video on the Postures of Prayer and found it so helpful!
Listening to …
Added to my walking playlist…
Silver by Waxahatchee
Up All Night by Beck
The World Is on Fire by Council
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Added to my praise and worship play list. I’m still building it up so if you have a suggestion, let me know. 🙂
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.”
In other words, if you click on my affiliated links and make a purchase, I get a small compensation that goes towards keeping the blog online. Big hugs to those who click and help support the blog! xoxo 🙂
This Fall is a busy (and fun) time for me and I’ve just added one more anticipated event to the calendar. Today I registered for the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Women’s Conference on October 14, 2017 in Pasadena, CA. Yay! Not only will I be there but my mom is joining me too! Double yay!
CWMNCA in 2015
I attended the CWBNCA conference that Kendra and Micaela hosted back in 2015 (it was a blogging conference then) and it was such a time of personal and spiritual growth – I wrote all about it here.
Then last year they changed it to a women’s conference so any Catholic woman could attend, not just bloggers. I wasn’t able to attend then but this year doors opened and my awesome hubby said he’d watch the kids and gave his blessing, so I’ll be there. That fact that my mom was available and willing to join me makes it all the more special!
If you are free on October 14th and can head on over, you really should! The day will begin with morning Mass celebrated by Fr. Matthew, OSJ, who has a daily radio show on Immaculate Heart Radio and happens to be Micaela’s little brother. 🙂 Micaela will be MCing and speakers include Blythe Fike and Kendra Tierney.
For more details about the conference, click over here. To register, click here.
I do hope you can make it. If you plan to attend, let me know so I can find you and say hi! If you see me and my mom, come on over and say hi! See you then. 🙂
Back in the beginning of summer I started my second annual 100 miles in 100 days challenge. Today marks day 77 and so far I have logged in 90.5 miles. 🙂
I was excited to see a number of other friends join me in the walking challenge!
I was lucky to do many walks along the ocean but once Bella went back to high school and I was home with just the boys (they don’t return to school for another 2 weeks) I could no longer walk alone at the beach.
Instead, I’ve improvised and walked up and down our long driveway while the boys ran laps around me. 😉
By the end of June I was walking steadily, logging in many 2 mile days. However, all that walking was also causing some pain my my right heel. I had to give it a rest for a few days and buy some new shoes. It is feeling better now, although it hurts again when I walk barefoot (I’m always barefoot in the house.) I’m getting used to walking in shoes at home, which has been weird but doable.
The walking has also motivated me to be more diligent about the food I eat. I’ve traded items like regular rice for cauliflower rice. Or will use low fat cheese instead of full fat cheese. Or I’ll only eat a small piece of enchilada but have a big salad.
I still had a few I-fell-off-the-wagon days but for the most part I have been doing well. Plus, when I do indulge it eventually leaves me feeling a bit sick and sluggish. I can’t eat junk food like I used to, which is actually a good thing. 😉
My blood pressure has been good with lots of deep breathing going on when I feel myself stressing out!
I’m not sure if I mentioned earlier, but before during those six years when we had trouble conceiving and lost two babies in miscarriage, I was diagnosed with insulin resistance. I changed my diet and randomly monitored my blood sugar to make sure they stayed within a normal range. For the last month or so, my blood sugar during the day has been fine but my waking blood sugar has been higher than normal despite all the walking and better eating. The doctor started me on specific supplements to help with my levels and we’ll see if it helps.
In the meantime, I am also still working on losing weight. I hit a plateau so I changed up my eating again and I’m finally seeing the numbers slowly decrease. I’m actually only 3 pounds away from a weight I haven’t seen since my 20’s. I still have a loooong way to go but it feels good to see some progress.
So in a nutshell, I am plugging away – walking, eating better, and trying not to reach for chocolate when I am stressed. That’s been a hard lately, especially with Brian’s health situation but I’m working on it.
What about you? Any health goals you are working on? Goals reached? Areas you struggle with? Do share. 🙂
Thank you for all your prayers for Brian. In August, he had his yearly cancer testing and the bloodwork and CT scan both show no signs of cancer. Praise God! We appreciate all our prayers and words of support!! <3
