Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

February Fun: Letter Writing, Love Notes (& Free Printable) and Prayers to the Holy Family

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February is here and in my mind, I can’t help but think of it as a month of Love, when I especially show other people that I care about them, whether it is my husband, child, a friend or a stranger in need of an act of kindness. There are a few things I like to do to share that love. Here are some of them.

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Letter Writing

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Ever since I was a kid, I loved writing letters and having pen pals. I would collect stationary and stickers and well, fast forward a couple decades and not much had changed.I still love stationary and collecting stickers.

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That’s right! There are sticker clubs for adults! Just check out Pipsticks. When you sign up, you can get an envelope of stickers to decorate your planner, bullet journal, note cards or use them as treats for your kids. It’ll make your inner 10 year old squeal . 🙂

Although I love technology and always have my iPhone on me, I still love to write a love note to Brian or slip a note of encouragement to one of my kids or send a note in the mail to a friend. It may be a kindness to them but it is also beneficial to me because I love the sound and feel on pen scratching paper. It is a balm to my soul.  🙂

So imagine my excitement last year when I found out that February is the International Correspondence Writing Month (known as InCoWriMo.) Participants take this pledge:

“I, [insert your name], clearly see the benefits of InCoWriMo participation, not only to me personally, but also to those who will receive my correspondence. InCoWriMo is a beneficial endeavor and worthy of my full attention. I hereby pledge to hand-write and mail/deliver one letter, card, note or postcard every day during the month of February.”

 

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It was so much fun last year! Although, I have to admit that more often than not I was writing notes every three days and mailing them at once BUT I still sent out 29 notes (thanks, leap year) in February. I am joining again this year and made my bullet journal spread to mark the letters I write. If you want to know more about #InCoWriMo, visit the main site or Kara’s great round up of info. If you want to know more about writing letters in general, check out my previous post – The Joy of Letter Writing: 5 Favorite Things about Snail Mail.

Love Notes

For those who aren’t up to writing 28 pieces of mail, maybe this idea would work better.RevolutionofLove.com - love_notes_1

A couple years back when Brian came home after his cancer surgery, I really wanted to let him know all the little things I loved about him. So I made a list of 14 things I loved about him, then I made little love notes I could fill out and leave for him the 14 days before Valentines. I would leave them on his night stand, on his laptop, taped to the bathroom mirror. It was a little something to remind him each day of why I loved him. The idea went so well, I repeated it every year but instead of 14, I do the six days leading up to Valentines Day.

If you really want to kick things up a notch, you could pair these love notes with acts of kindness. For some inspiration read my previous post – 25 Acts of Kindness for Your Husband.RevolutionofLove.com - love_notes_2

I also wanted to do something similar for my kids so I made a different version to let them know what I love about them.

If you’d like to do the same, you can find the love notes printable for the hearts here and for the mama and baby owl here.

God Is Love

Lastly, because God is the source of all love, as a family we try to live that love out in our faith and in our prayer life. In the evening, when we sit down to eat dinner, we say grace, which includes each of us saying a prayer intention. That is followed by a litany of our family saints. (St, Joseph, St. Anne, St. Isabella, St. Andrew, St. John-Paul, St. Matthew, our baby saints Victor and Joseph, St. Michael for our military and policemen, St. Florian for our fire fighters, St. John Vianny for priests and religious, St. Gerard for pregnant moms, St. Peregrine for those fighting cancer, and St. Junipero Serra for our petitions.) Lastly, we end with an invocation that matches the Church’s monthly dedication.

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Photo credit: churchpop.com

January was the month of the Holy Name of Jesus so our invocation was – “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.”

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Since February is the month of the Holy Family, we now say a simple – “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we love you.”

It’s a small way that we foster a love of God and our faith. In doing so, it helps us to have the right attitude in sharing that love with others around us, especially since we are six non-perfect humans living together as a family. We need all the help to be loving than we can get! 😉

What are ways you like to show the people in your life that you care about them?

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, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉

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 🙂

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Book Reviews and the 2017 Reading Challenge

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This post has been sitting in my draft folder for over a month and since it is the last day of January, I feel like it was finally time to sit down and get it done! 😉

I never posted the books I read the last couple months of 2016, so I’ll do that here. Then I’ll share about my reading goals for 2017.

 

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What Alice Forgot

  • Author: Liane Moriarty
  • Length: 488 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley Books; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012)

Amazon Summary:

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over—she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

My Thoughts:

I first heard of Liane Moriarty when I read her book Big, Little Lies. I was so completely engrossed with it that I picked up What Alice Forgot for a plane ride. While I did not love it as much as the first book I read, Moriarty still managed to keep me guessing and wondering and not wanting to put the book down until I figured out what would happen next. It was intriguing to see how a couple could go from being madly in love to being so different and hating each other in a mere decade. I was wary of how the book would end but I was pleased by the way the story was wrapped up. I rated it 3.5 stars out of 5. (Parental warning: The book is definitely written within a secular worldview. There is language and adult subject matter but nothing explicit.)

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Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity

 

  • Author: Rachel Anderson
  • Length: 240 pages
  • Publisher: HEA Publishing (June 12, 2015)

Amazon Summary:

Home for the summer, Samantha Kinsey is ready to step into her role as pseudo-nanny for her two favorite charges. But when she realizes she’ll be playing chauffeur more than playmate, her summer outlook quickly turns from fun to bleak. That is, until she meets Colton McCoy–a genuine, hard-working cowboy, who’s as set in his ways as he is handsome. Although he claims he doesn’t need any spontaneity in his life, Sam’s determined to help him find it. But she’ll soon discover that cowboys are about as easy to change as wild mustangs. 

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity is about an adaptable girl and a not so adaptable guy. It’s about learning to accept people for who they are and realizing that sometimes who they are is exactly who they should be.

My Thoughts:

This is the third installment of Anderson’s Meet Your Match series. I enjoyed books one and two more but this was still a fun and quick read. Like a Hallmark movie, this is something you would read when you want a sweet romance without too much drama or questionable material. It is perfect when you need a nice distraction to warm the heart. I give it 3 stars out of 5.

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

  • Author: Betty Smith
  • Length: 528 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (May 30, 2006); Original book published in 1943.

Amazon Summary:

The beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness — in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

My Thoughts:

I’ve watch the movie version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn a number of times and often wanted to pick up the book and read it. I’m glad I finally did because it has definitely made my top ten favorite books list. While there is sadness to the story and within the trials the characters have to endure, it is treated with such honest emotion, you can’t help but be touched by its simple beauty. The characters are never portrayed as back and white but, like people we know in real life, they have good qualities and weaknesses. Smith masterfully explores universal emotions that touch the human heart. It is no wonder that this book has stood the test of time and still remains a favorite to so many readers today. I rate this 5 out of 5 stars. (Parental note: There is some adult subject matter.)

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The Christmas Shoes

  • Author: Donna VanLiere
  • Length: 144 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin’s Press; Reissue edition (November 9, 2001)

Amazon Summary:

Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they’re gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe….

Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his marriage. He has lost sight of his wife, Kate, their two daughters, and ultimately himself. Eight year old Nathan has a beloved mother, Maggie, whom he is losing to cancer. But Nathan and his family are building a simple yet full life, and struggling to hold onto every moment they have together. A chance meeting on Christmas Even brings Robert and Nathan together-he is shopping for a family he hardly knows and Nathan is shopping for a mother he is soon to lose. In this one encounter, their lives are forever altered as Robert learns an important lesson: sometimes the smallest things can make all the difference. The Christmas Shoes is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives.

My Thoughts:

To complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge  I needed a book I owned but hadn’t read yet so I looked through my book shelves and found this book I bought at a garage sale. I thought it would be the perfect short read during the Christmas holidays. I was vaguely familiar with the plot but forgot that a main character was sick in the book. So while I was supposed to be wrapping Christmas presents, I instead was crying my eyes out over a mom fighting cancer. (Cancer is one of my tear triggers.) However, there was still a lesson to be learned and a happier ending to one of the storylines so I was pleased that I read it. I rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Completing the 2016 Reading Challenge

One of my goals for 2016 was to watch less TV and read more. I pledged on Goodreads to read 12 books in 2016 and I smashed that number by reading 30 books. Yay!

I also completed the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. Here are the books I read for each category.

Starting the 2016 Reading Challenge

I am doing the 2017  Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge this year and I pledged on Goodreads to read 24 books in 2017.

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There are two challenge categories to choose from and I will be doing the “Just for Fun” one.

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If I finish that and am feeling ambitious, I may tackle some of the “Reading for Growth” categories as well.

Now I just need to make a list of the books I want to read this year. I have a few in mind but I’d love your suggestions as well! 🙂

What you you be reading this year? Or what do you recommend?

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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: “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 🙂

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Online Daybook / 7 QT: January 2017

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od_logo_quiet2Grateful for…

  • Hopefully, that my blog is working now. (It was down for a few days.)
  • A break of warm sunshine after weeks of rain.
  • All the much needed rain.
  • The love of family and friends.
  • Food on the table, a roof over our head and material blessings we often take for granted.

Praying for..

  • Many special intentions from friends.
  • Our divided country.
  • The unity of all Christians.
  • Those fighting addiction and mental illness.
  • Victims of violence, racism and abuse and for the conversion of their oppressors.
  • For peace in the heart of all men/women.
  • 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…

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The need of sisterhood. Over the month of January, Blessed Is She has sponsored the prayer pledge where we’ve pledge to start the new year right and take time to pray every day in January. There is a daily prayer prompt for inspiration and members of the Blessed Is She team took turns each day to do InstaStories on Instagram showing you how we incorporate prayer into our daily lives and to lead Live Prayer in the evening at 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET. I led twice this month and I was touched by how many ladies sent messages and prayer intentions. They were grateful to be in solidarity with us and each other. They opened up about their struggles in hopes that we would join them in prayer to God.

Yesterday morning I gathered with other moms at the kids’ school to pray the rosary together. It has become a weekly activity and I can’t tell you how beneficial it is to my soul to stop and pray with like minded sisters. It means a lot to know that they are praying for me and I am praying for them. When I am feeling lazy and think about all the other stuff I need to get done in my day, I am tempted to skip it but knowing they are there gives me that nudge to put in the extra effort. I am always thankful that I did. So whether we find out community of sisters online or in your own backyard, I do hope you are able to connect with other women who can support you and pray for you. And if you need someone to lift you in prayer, you are always welcome to leave a comment or email me at rol(at)revolutionoflove.com and I’d be happy to add you to my prayer list. 🙂

 

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Around the House…

I haven’t been able to work a lot on my decluttering list since Brian has an extra work project that I have been helping him with and it has taken up my free time. However, I have been working on one of my other 2017 goals and letting the kids cook with me in the kitchen more. Granted there have been some days when I had to ban them out of the kitchen because I seriously just needed to get the meal done ASAP but most days, I let them join me.

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My master chef.

Yesterday was Matthew’s turn and when Brian came home from work, he ran to the door and excitedly exclaimed that it was his day to make dinner with me that night. Brian smiled and whispered to me that he guessed dinner will take an extra half hour or so. Well, maybe 15 minutes. 😉 Truthfully, Matthew actually really did help with getting veggies washed and some easier prep done.  At least I’ll have two sons who will feel comfortable in the kitchen. The other son has little interest in domestic work so I still need to work on him. 😉

 

Family Chit Chat…

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On a field trip with John-Paul.

Life is busy but going well. We’re half way done with the school year and the countdown for summer vacation has begun. It seems a little early to be excited about swimming and trips to Lake Tahoe but John-Paul has been praying each evening that Grandma would be well enough to come to Lake Tahoe with us this year. (Last year she was waiting to have her surgery to remover the cancer.) So far my mom is doing well, and we pray she continues that path.

Speaking of cancer, next week (on Monday 1/30) Brian goes for his cancer testing to make sure he is still clean. I can’t help but nervously hold my breath as I wait for the test results. Frankly, it’s damn scary but I’m trying to not let it take over my thoughts and instead leave it in God’s hands. Your prayers for Brian (and my sanity) will be appreciated!

 

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In the Kitchen…

Dinner has been a little ho-hum lately. I’ve reached that point where I am so tired of cooking the same handful of meals each week. I need to look though my recipe book and find some old favorites I haven’t tried in awhile. What’s some of your top go-to meals? Maybe I’ll discover a new favorite.

 

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Reading…

Okay, I seriously need to sit down and write a post about my 2017 reading list and review the last few books I’ve read, which includes these…

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

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The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

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Lady Maybe by Julie Klassen

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Haley and Christy at Fountains of Carrots.com are reading this book next for the FofC book club so it is next on my list too.

The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery

 

Watching…

(MOVIES)

lalaland

My first movie of 2017 was La La Land. I’ve got to admit that I’m not a huge musical fan. I have some favorites but I wouldn’t count musicals as a favorite genre. I went into La La Land with some trepidation and when the opening sequence began with a full on scene of people leaping out of their cars to sing and dance, I thought, “Oh, no, what did I get myself into?” Luckily, it took only a few minutes to win me over and get my feet tapping. I landed out loving the movie and all the nods to old school Hollywood. The music was infectious and I’m listening to the soundtrack as I am typing here. My only complaint is that while I loved Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in their roles, their singing was less than stellar considering that it was a musical. I’m guessing their star power trumped their musical abilities. With that said, I still loved the movie even though I was hoping for a Hallmark happy ending (and didn’t get it.) (Parental note: Rated PG-13 for language. The main characters live together but nothing is shown.)

(TV)

The usual faves including: This Is Us, Speechless, Big Bang Theory, Lethal Weapon, Designated Survivor and American Housewife.

Sadly, we just finished two shows. (Sad, because I didn’t want them to end!)

We finished  The Crown this week and I’m missing it. The acting, cinematography and costumes were top notch and I highly recommend it. (Parental note: Rated M for mature but I thought it rather tame for an M. The only thing I can recall is a couple bare butt shots at the beginning of the show.)

In my last Daybook, I had just started watching the show The Man in the High Castle. The premise was interesting and Brian thought some of the alternate reality scenes were weird but he both enjoyed it and I LOVED it. I thought it was well done, well acted and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait for the confirmed Season 3, most likely in late 2017.  (Parental note: Rated M for Mature. There is some violence, language, brief nudity and a sex scene towards the end of season 2  that we fast forwarded through.)

Next up on the list is Victoria.

 

Listening to …

The latest added to my playlist – Your Heart Is a Weapon by POP ETC.

 

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Recent Posts:

I finished all my End of the Year Recaps, including:

I finished Lara Casey’s 2017 Goal Setting Series and posted about it here:

Lastly, for my fellow planner lovers there’s – How I Use a (Blessed Is She) Planner and a Bullet Journal

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Pinned…

 Lenten Journal by Blessed Is She (These journals are on sale until Sun 1/29.)

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The Jesus Tree by Do Small things with Love.com

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Penmanship and Beginning Creative Lettering Guide Sheets by Creative Lei.com

Around the blogosphere…

Here are some posts I’ve been reading…

 

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I’ve been participating in the Dogwood Photography 52 Week Challenge and these are my photos so far.

Week 1: Rule of Thirds (Basically, keep your subject out of the center.)

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When the storm winds blow, the palm trees dance.

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Week 2: Straight out of the camera, no editing.

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Signs of Spring

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Week 3: Land

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I shot this with my iPhone but the subject matter was so pretty, it still came out nice. 🙂

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Week 4: Mirror

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Two of my favorite bracelets on a mirror.

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

I’m linking up with Kelly for  7 Quick Takes. (Technically the link up doesn’t start until tomorrow so I’ll add the link then.)

Have a great week!

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: “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 🙂

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How I Use a (Blessed Is She) Planner and a Bullet Journal

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I have been a planner and journal lover since I was a little kid and learned how to staples pieces of paper together to make my own journal. In the winter of 2015, I switched from a traditional planner to a bullet journal and fell in love all over again. I had no intentions of going back to a regular planner. However, when Blessed Is She came out with their gorgeous liturgical planner I was really tempted to give it a try but didn’t want to give up my bullet journal.

As I debated about it and reviewed over the bullet journals I had filled over the year, there was one thing that bothered me. I loved looking back at my monthly logs, various lists and journal entries but I really had no need to go over all my daily To Do lists. They were taking up space.

That’s when I decided to use a traditional planner to keep track of all the appointments, To Do lists, grocery lists and such that I didn’t want to keep for the future. For my bullet journal I would keep all my monthly logs, monthly reviews, journal entries, workshop/podcast notes and the things I wanted to keep for the future. Here is a peek at how I set it up. First, here is my planner.

Blessed Is She Planner

UPDATE: This post is about a previous Blessed Is She Planner. That planner 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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My Blessed Is She planner has a traditional calendar, which I prefer.

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The weekly overview has my Sunday brain dump/TO DO list, meal planning, grocery list, prayer intentions, weekly goals and contact list. There is also a color key to keep track of daily goals (ie. prayer, drinking water, exercising, etc) but I’m not using it at the moment since I have a larger tracker in my bullet journal.

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On Sunday night, I sit down and do a brain dump, literally writing down everything in my head that I need to get done in the future. Then I go back and mark which days that task should be assigned. I leave blank the items that can wait until the important stuff is done.

When I plan my weekly meals, I use a post it to jot down food I need to eat up that week and meal ideas. Then I look over my schedule for the week and see which meals can be cooked when. Once I assign a meal a day, I can toss the post it. And if I do need to update the menu, my pens are erasable so no problem. 😉

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In the weekly schedule page, I keep track of the places I need to be or work I have to do.

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There is a space for the things I must get done that day. I color code my schedule. Purple for work and errands, green for school, orange for speech therapy and doc appointments and pink (or red) for activities to attend.

Then I take the items from my earlier brain dump and assign them to their days. If I have a long list of errands, I just add it on the schedule.

At the end of the day I check of my must do’s, if I took care of myself and two or three things I’m grateful for (that I later add to the gratitude log in my bullet journal.)

My Bullet Journal

Next up is my bullet journal. I use the Leuchtturm2017 Medium Sized Hardcover journal. I prefer graphed but there are also lined and dotted versions. I talk about why I chose this journal here.

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I started a new book for 2017.

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The index and key.

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For the new year, I completed Lara Casey’s Goal Setting Series. (I blogged all about it here.) Instead of filling out her powersheets, I used my bullet journal. Here are some sample pages.

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My saint of the year. (I used Jen’s Saint Name Generator to find one.) My word of the year – Simplify. (I explain how I chose this word here.)

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My inspiration board. (I wrote more about that here.)

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On the fifth day of the series, I finally decided on my goals for 2017.

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After my goal section, came my lists such as my house project list and movies to watch.

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My movie log of the movies I’ve watched.

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My list of TV shows to check out.

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My book log for the books I’ve read.

RevolutionofLove.com - planner_bujo_jan_17_uLast year I started a separate bullet journal for reading where I keep greater details such as book challenges, lists of books to read and character notes and book quotes.

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After my lists I have my faith and inspiration section.

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I have things like favorite quotes.

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I don’t need a list of liturgical feast days since I have one in my BIS planner but I added a confession log.

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And a list of spiritual books I’d like to read this year.

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After that I have other information such as Important notes, pen pal addresses, and podcast and workshop notes.

In my monthly section I have…

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My monthly title page.

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Monthly challenges such as Plan with Me Challenge, Rock Your Handwriting Challenge and the 52 Week Dogwood Photography Challenge.

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When I review my day at night, I mark off it in my monthly tracker if I completed my goals of the day. I printed this tracker from Bohoberry.com.  It is free to those who subscribe to her Tribe Resource Library.

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Next is my Fitbit tracker log.

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Monthly spending log.

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Monthly blogging calendar.

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At the end of the month, I add highlights of the month. Here is a sample from September 2016.

I’m two weeks into January and so far it has been going really well but it will take a few more months to see just how much I like using both systems. I’ll keep you posted!

Daily/ Nightly Review

If you are not used to planning, pick a time that works for you. Maybe it is in the morning or while the kids nap in the afternoon or on the train going to work or at night. I wrote previously:

Some people like to do their planner review in the morning before the day starts. Since I’m not a morning person, all my energy in the morning is focused on simply getting myself out of bed, ready and my four kids fed and off to school by 7:40 AM. Yeah, a morning planner review if not happening. For me, an evening review after all the kids are tucked in bed and kissed good night, the dishes are done and the next day’s lunches are made…this is my me time to unwind.

This still holds true. In the evening I take some time to say my night prayers and write in my prayer journal and then review over my day and planner. If I’m beat, I keep it short. If I have energy and am feeling creative, I’ll draw in my bullet journal while Brian reads or while we watch a TV show. The main thing is to make sure I use it every day and I write everything down. (Or I WILL forget.)

It used to be that if I couldn’t decorate my bujo and make the page pretty, I wanted to wait until I had more time. I’ve learned to forget about it. Just get the info down. Besides, that is the essence of a bullet journal. Short and easy to use. I just happen to use a decorated, hybrid version. If I have time to make it pretty, fine. But if I don’t, it doesn’t matter. Just. Get. It. Done.  😉

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UPDATE: The 2018 Blessed Is She Liturgical Calendar Planner (Jan – Dec 2018) is now available to order here.

 

For those interested in bullet journaling or want more info on how and when I plan,  you can find my other bujo posts here: How I Use My Bullet Journal and How I Use My Bullet Journal – Spring 2016 Update.

Lastly, I always get emails and messages asking where I bought my supplies, so here is the info in advance.

 Staedtler Color Pen Set, Set of 36 Assorted Colors These are my favorite regular thin 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.

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

The even thinner 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.)

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

Star Wars Tattoo Flash Nylon Pencil Case 8 x 4in – When I wrote this post, this pencil pouch was sold out. I am adding the link anyway in case they get more or you find another Star Wars style you may like. 

YOUSHARES 120 Slots Pencil Case – I use the above Star Wars pouch for one set of erasable pens that stay with me and my planner in my purse. The other pens and pencils I keep in this larger case that stays at home. I bring it out when I have time to decorate my bullet journal.

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

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Photo credit: Jane’s Tiny Things

I just found these and added them to my planner – Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from Jane’s Tiny Things. So cute!

 

 

 

 

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

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Tiny Saints CharmWe have lots of these cute saint charms on backpacks and adding my patron saint (also patron of mothers) to my planner seemed appropriate. 🙂

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Photo credit: LuckyDuckDesigns. – I purchased this bullet journal pen holder from this great etsy shop. I love her holders and have a few designs. I also recently found this shop that sells journal pen holders. I ordered one but haven’t received it yet.

Luke’s Diner MugJust for fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although, this mug from FawnlyPrints is my current fave.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed this peek into my planners. If you have a question I didn’t cover, just let me know. 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: “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 🙂

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2017 Goal Setting Series Part 4 & 5: My 2017 Goals

I am working on Lara Casey’s 2017 Goal Setting Series. Here is my reflection of Parts 4 & 5 of 5.

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PART 4: Uncover Intentional Goals

In Part 4, Lara asked us to review over what we’ve written so far, write out some goal ideas and then check to see if the goal ideas are rooted in what matters most. As she puts it:

The idea here is to SIMPLIFY your life, not to give yourself a new to-do list of random things that sound good. Be intentional about what you decide to spend your time on this year, with your own unique gifts and talents. How you spend your time is how you spend your life. Check each of your goal ideas to see if it’s worth spending your time on.

Read more here.

The sentence “How you spend your time is how you spend your life” really hit me!

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I added it to my bullet journal as a reminder. Then I brain stormed and jotted down a long list of things I want to have as goals. I sifted through it and crossed out things that were good but not necessarily right for me in this season of life. I took to heart Lara’s words:

You never know how long you have left here on this earth to love others and use what you’ve been given to grow good things. Life is to short and too meaningful to coast through. The good you do today has the potential to change generations. That’s why uncovering good goals and having a clear focus is so important. Otherwise, you may spend your time lost in distractions. Lost in Instagram. Lost in the chase for perfect, or significance, or approval, or whatever it is that has been holding you back from really living. You may find yourself restless, knowing deep down that there’s more to this life.

Read more here.

Part 5: Make It Happen

Now it’s time to gather all my notes and narrow down my main goals and answer the prompts Lara provides for each goal.

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GOAL 1: Nurture my spiritual life and relationship with God.  I’ll do this by spending 15 minutes of prayer in the morning and a 10 minute night exam. During the day, turn my mind towards God, converse with him and offer up each chore or little cross for a person who has asked for prayer.

Why? To always have God at the center of my life and to deepen my love for Him. I want his will to be my will and motivation.

The positive effect taking action on this goal may have on my life and others: I will have a stronger and deeper relationship with Our Lord. I will be more aware of the importance of my vocation as a wife and mother. I will be more open and capable or helping out those God has placed in my life.

How will I feel at the end of this year having made progress in this goal: Hopefully, more at peace, grounded in faith and more charitable with others.

Starting steps:

  • When I take my morning walk, I’ll listen to the Blessed Is She daily devotion on my iPhone (using the speak text function,) reflect on it, then pray the rosary (or at least a couple decades.)
  • During the day when I am doing mundane chores, I will do it in a spirit of love for a special intention.
  • In the evening, I’ll reread the scripture of the day that I listened to earlier  and write down any thoughts or insights in my prayer journal. I’ll close by doing a short examination of conscience, ask God for forgiveness then thank Him for two things I’m grateful for that day.

How I will know I accomplished or made progress on this goal: Spending time in prayer with God or reading Scripture will come more naturally and not be such a struggle to quiet my easily distracted mind.

Encouraging words: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes 5:16-18

How I will celebrate at the end of 2017: I have to think more about this but my first thought was to attend a retreat. I’ll work on this one some more.

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GOAL 2: Nurture my marriage with Brian. I will work on this by doing a daily act of kindness for Brian and be faithful to our monthly date nights.

Why? To be a loving wife and show Brian in concrete ways that I love him and appreciate how hard he works for me and the kids. Spending time alone allows us to reconnect, nurture our friendship and helps keep our marriage strong.

The positive effect taking action on this goal may have on my life and others: A stronger marriage, which benefits us and the kids, and a stronger friendship with each other. This especially helps us weather the tough times when they hit.

How will I feel at the end of this year having made progress in this goal: I’ll be a happy wife (which will give the family a happy life.) 😉

Starting steps:

  • Read over my 25 Acts of Kindness for Your Husband post.
  • Print it out in a size that will fit into my bullet journal.
  • Schedule a date night for January using one of the restaurant gift cards we have.

How I will know I accomplished or made progress on this goal: I’ll see “that look” Brian gets when his heart is filled with love for me. (insert blush) 😉

Encouraging words: “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together.” – St. John Chrysostom

How I will celebrate at the end of 2017: This seems out of reach but I would love to spend a night away at a nice hotel with Brian.

 

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GOAL 3: Give the kids more one on-on-one time with me in work, play and prayer. This includes after school during homework, play time with me on the weekends and being consistent in our family night prayer.

Why? To be a good mother that loves her kids and spends time with them and is not always “too busy.” I want to teach them about their faith and how to love and serve God in their young lives.

The positive effect taking action on this goal may have on my life and others: A closer family life and an environment of love within our home. (Albeit noisy, but loving.)

How will I feel at the end of this year having made progress in this goal: I’d be happy that I am taking my vocation as a mom seriously and spending more quality time with my kids.

Starting steps:

  • Make a weekly meal plan that matches out weekly schedule, such as crock pot meals on days when we have sports or speech therapies. Keep meals simple on those days.
  • On mornings when I have more time, do what dinner prep I can (ie. wash the lettuce for salad or chop the veggies for soup) so the dinner making hour is not so hectic.
  • On the days we have an easier afternoon schedule, let the kids take turns cooking with me. It sometimes stresses me out but they love it.
  • There’s more things popping in my head but I don’t want to overwhelm myself. Baby steps and one step at a time.

How I will know I accomplished or made progress on this goal: More peace in the home, especially in the hectic hours of after school and before dinner. 

Encouraging words: “Let us love one another as God loves each of us. And where does this love begin? In your own home. How does it begin? By praying together.” – St. Mother Teresa

How I will celebrate at the end of 2017: Plan an end of the year family outing TBD.

 

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GOAL 4: Cultivate an orderly home run on a balanced budget. Right now I am dealing with two problems – too much spending and too much stuff in our house. I want to simplify and get rid of the things we aren’t using or have outgrown so someone else could use them instead. (Not super easy with my slightly hoarder-ish tendencies.)  I also need to curb the impulse spending, which is not helping the clutter situation. It’s a vicious cycle.

Why? To bring order into our home so I am not stressed out by the mess and chaos. To be better stewards of the blessings we have.

The positive effect taking action on this goal may have on my life and others: When things are organized our family life runs so much smoother and there is more peace. We’ll be able to save more when we budget.

How will I feel at the end of this year having made progress in this goal: I am messy by nature but when I force myself to organize, clean, and plan, I am much happier and at peace. I will also be thankful that I have been able to help someone else out by passing on items they could put to good use.

Starting steps:

  • Sit down and review our spending over the year. Make a budget based on our spending. Figure out what excess spending we can cut out.
  • Make a master list of each room and what decluttering I can do to simplify our home.
  • Each week choose a small task to check off the list, even if it’s 10 minutes of dumping junk out of a drawer or driving that bag of baby clothes to the charity drop off. (I chose one thing a week instead of each day because I want to be realistic. If I have a free morning to do more than one, that’s great but not expected.)

How I will know I accomplished or made progress on this goal: I won’t see a pile of junk everywhere I turn. Our checkbook won’t be in the red at the end of the month.

Encouraging words: “Live simply so others may simply live.” – Ghandi

How I will celebrate at the end of 2017: Take some of the money we saved and donate it to a charity we choose as a family.

 

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GOAL 5: To take care of myself physically, spiritually and mentally. I already took care of spiritually, in goal 1. For physically, I want to get into the habit of taking better care of myself through the basics – walking, water, vitamins and better food choices. Mentally – being creative is usually my outlet, whether it is writing a post, taking a photo or decorating my bullet journal.

Why? Physically,  I want to be alive and healthy for my children and husband so I can be an active part of their lives as they grow up. I want to be a good steward of the life God has given me and not take it for granted. Mentally, so I can be a happy wife, mother and friend.

The positive effect taking action on this goal may have on my life and others: I will be healthier, physically and emotionally, and have more energy to keep up with my family.

How will I feel at the end of this year having made progress in this goal: Like a new woman. 😉

Starting steps:

  • On Monday through Friday, after I drop off the kids at school, take my 30 minute morning walk. If I can’t walk in the morn then do an after dinner walk for 20 minutes.
  • Keep my blue water jug with me all the time. Fill it up once in the morn and once in the afternoon to get at least 8 glasses.
  • Remove the Christmas cookies and candies from the kitchen so I’ll stop being tempted to nibble on them.
  • Put my vitamins in a 7-day container so it is easier for me to take them each day.
  • Do one creative act each day, even if it’s just posting a photo to IG or jotting a few ideas down for a future post.

How I will know I accomplished or made progress on this goal: In the evening when I review my planner, I’ll mark off my progress and keep track of how much I walk in my monthly tracker in my bullet journal. By the end of the year, I should see improvements in my general health and energy levels.

How I will celebrate at the end of 2017: Hopefully the healthier habits will also mean some pounds have been lost so I will treat myself to a new Christmas outfit, if it’s in the budget. 😉

Well, there are my 5 goals of 2017! It may seem daunting to someone else but I know I won’t be doing all this at once. I’ll be working on a couple of things and get it down pat before I move onto another step. My minutes, hours and days are going to pass whether or not I act. I may as well get something accomplished while I’m here living. 😉

If you want to take a step in making some goals that suit your life, I strongly encourage you to follow Lara’s series. I’ve heard from so many people that have made progress following her guidance. I believe the Powersheets are sold out now but you can still follow her blog series.

I also got Lara’s book Make It Happen at Christmas so I will be reading that and maybe tweaking my goals lists as I learn more.

So, what is one thing you want to work on this year? Share it in the comments and I will pray for you and your progress. Please say a pray for me! 🙂

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: “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 🙂

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