Operation Clean & Organize: Master Bedroom (Part 1) Meets {p, h, f, r} – vol 51

By bobbi
November 9, 2012
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**Taming the procrastinating, ADD, mess cat within me.**

MEETS

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Before I get into any photos, let me give you a little background…

Why the Bedroom? – For a long time the “master bedroom” has been on my list of organizing projects to tackle but it has been low on the list of cleaning priorities because no one really spends time in there during the day or when company is over. However, this week Leila at Like Mother, like Daughter gave us a challenge for this week’s {pretty, happy, funny, real}. I went back and read her original post about cleaning the master bedroom entitled The Reasonably Clean House: Did you guess that we’d start in your bedroom? She beautifully explains why we should start in the bedroom:

The reason is simple, but profound. Your home has many areas that express family life, but your bedroom expresses the foundational relationship between you and your spouse — the inner sanctum where the sacrament of your marriage is consecrated and continually renewed with the conjugal gift.

If it weren’t for the intimate aspect of your commitment, your family would not be. God has ordained it so. It was that way from the very start. It has always been that way. It always will be that way.

That reality should be expressed in your respect for this physical place, for your body, for the body of your husband. Your first steps should be to make the room — the bed and the places for your clothes — truly orderly. (Read the rest here.)

A Little Sanctuary – As I was reading this I thought about Brian and all he does for me and for the family. He works so hard and puts up with all our craziness and although he never shows it, I know there are times when he just longs to be able to sit and read or write or pray in quiet. I wanted to make an area in our bedroom where he could do that. So with that in mind, I started my quest.

Déjà vu – Back in June when I wrote a post about NFP and Hallie’s challenge to make a Rockin’ Love Nest, I worked on clearing our bedroom up. The corner of my room holding the baby’s unused crib was my biggest problem. It looked like this in June.

{real}

Then I put everything away and it looked like this.

Fast forward a few months, and we had all the carpets in our house cleaned except the master bedroom. (The carpet was still new in this room so didn’t need cleaning yet.) That meant that everything from the other rooms went into our bedroom. That was a month ago yet the corner of the room still looked like this as of yesterday morning.

I figured that the only way to stop my habit of using the empty crib as storage/dumping ground was to get rid of the crib. Matthew didn’t sleep in it anymore and I didn’t see any babies coming in the near future (did I just tempt Murphy’s Law?) so I put everything away and took the crib down.

I then moved Brian’s small desk in front of the window where there is a view of our tree and the mountains surrounding our little valley. I added to the corner the small shelves (that used to hold video cassettes…remember those?) and the extra chair that sat at the opposite end of the room.
Here is the result.

{pretty}

{happy}

I love all the little details that helped add to the corner.

I placed on the wall two picture frames I bought at Target ages ago. They have been waiting in my closet for me to get my butt in gear. In the first one I placed family photos.

In the second one I put a couple of my Instagram photos. (Unfortunately, I made note cards with my favorites and this is all I had left.)

I also added Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I put some of Brian’s books on one shelf and mine on the other. (We have a ridiculous amount of books in our house but that’s another project.)

On top of Brian’s shelf I made him a little prayer corner with his favorite icon of St. Joseph, our icon of Our Lady that has accompanied us to the hospital at the birth of each of our children, the little rosary holders we received at our wedding and a fragrant candle that smells like autumn.

I am so happy with the results, but nothing could have given me greater pleasure than to hear Brian gush over the room. Anyone that knows Brian, knows he is not a gusher. I usually get a “that’s really nice” and that’s it. But he was really surprised and so pleased. He went on and on. Later that evening I heard him telling Bella, “Did you see how Mom fixed up our room? Doesn’t it look nice??” I couldn’t help but smile. It made it all worth the blood, sweat and tears to get there.

{funny}

I admit, it wasn’t an easy project. The worse part was at the half way point. I needed to leave and attend John-Paul’s parent teacher conference at school and I knew if I broke the momentum it would be hard to get back into it. (It’s like cleaning out your closet and once you move everything to the top of your bed you wish you never started the project in the first place. LOL.)

Plus, it was hard to clean when I had to stop every five minutes to check on the kids. JP kept himself relatively busy but Matthew was in rare form – he scribbled on a wall, dumped out cabinets, danced on the table, climbed into the dishwasher and broke a glass on the sink, spilled milk all over the floor, wrote on the tv with a crayon…just to name a few.

I also heard JP say, “No, no Matty!” which is my cue to see what mischief he is into. As it turned out he also found a new place to play. He was brushing his teeth IN the sink.

I could not figure out how he got in there! We have a low step stool for the boys to step on to wash their hands but it is too low for him to get that high. I put him down and watched him as he climbed up again. He was able place his toes on the small borders of the cabinet and hoist his chubby little body up onto the sink. I’ve got a future rock climber.
So that is this weeks’ edition of OC&O and {p, h, f, r}. I still have more to do in the bedroom but I’ll save it for next week. In the meantime, I’ll be heading to confession tomorrow. I chalked up a fair amount of cussing, anger and impatience in the last 24 hours. 😉

PS – (11/10/12) This morning I received an email from Leila that said in part:

“Great job on your bedroom! You really transformed it, and I LOVE the prayer shelf on the bookcase. What a thoughtful touch!

I wanted to let you know that I would comment on your post, but I just can’t sign in to do it. There are so many posts, and so many of those ANNOYING verification things (that keep not working), and having to SIGN IN is the last straw. Just. Can’t. Do. It….”

LOL, a big thanks to Leila for her kind words. But I wanted to let you know, particularly the others who have emailed me about not being able to comment, that I am in the process of moving the blog over to WordPress. I hope to have the new blog up in a couple weeks, depending on how much free time I can squeeze out of my day… yeah, you better make that a few weeks. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by! xoxo!

PPS -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. 😉

Prayer After An Election

By bobbi
November 7, 2012
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Source

Here is a prayer from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website.

After Election Prayer

God of all nations,
Father of the human family,
we give you thanks for the freedom we exercise
and the many blessings of democracy we enjoy
in these United States of America.
We ask for your protection and guidance
for all who devote themselves to the common good,
working for justice and peace at home and around the world.
We lift up all our duly elected leaders and public servants,
those who will serve us as president, as legislators and judges,
those in the military and law enforcement.
Heal us from our differences and unite us, O Lord,
with a common purpose, dedication, and commitment
to achieve liberty and justice
in the years ahead for all people,
and especially those who are most vulnerable in our midst.
Amen.

Operation Clean and Organize: Vol 16 – The School File

By bobbi
November 6, 2012
1 Comment

**Taming the procrastinating, ADD, mess cat within me.**

With three kids in school, every weekday afternoon we have a barrage of school papers coming through the door – homework, project assignments, permission slips and completed schoolwork. I would find them scattered all over – on my desk, on the dining room table, on the prayer altar, or worse, in Matthew’s hands. I decided I needed a file to keep everything in one spot.
I went to my home away from home, Target, and found just what I needed. I purchased a Greenroom Eco hanging file folder and folders.

I already had a bunch of green hanging files I could use.

I then labeled the folders and placed them in the file.

Now when the kids come home, they empty out their backpacks and each paper goes into its proper file. Completed homework that we don’t need for future reference/studying goes in the recycling bin. (A few select art projects go in a larger scrapbook/file that they can keep.)
I also love that the file it portable so whether Brian takes it to the dining room table to work with the boys or I take it to the family room to fill out paperwork, it can easily be moved. I also clipped a sheet of notepaper to the front and jot down any projects we need to be working on and when they are due.
This was a simple project but it has already made a huge difference!

Now I just need a way to organize all the backpacks, lunchboxes, school jackets etc in the front door entryway. I am seriously considering buying one of those preschool locker sets that the boys have at their schools. It may not be the usual house decor but it would make things so much neater! If you have any other suggestions to keep it in order, PLEASE let me know! Thanks!

Catholic Woman’s Almanac (11/5/12) – Vol 3

By bobbi
November 5, 2012
2 Comments

Hosted by Jenny at Suscipio.

Moments of Gratitude…
~ For my morning walk alone on the beach. (I only get the chance to do this on Mondays and Fridays.)
~ For a home with running water and electricity.
~ For blocks, puzzles and Pocoyo that kept the little boys quiet while my hubby and I had an in-house morning date.
Beauty in the Ordinary…
This may be TMI, so be forewarned, I am touched when God’s grace is poured out during Phase 2 (fertile stage) of NFP and instead of being resentful of what we “can’t” do, my hubby and I are able to really connect and have fun together despite the challenges of being faithful to God at times.
From the Kitchen…
I have carrots, zucchini and celery that I need to use up so I think I’ll make a pot of minestrone soup. My sister gave me a recipe about a year ago and it is soooo good. I’ll post later if I remember.
Praying…
~~ For all the souls in purgatory, especially for family members, friends and those who are most forgotten.
~~ For a baby boy named Jason who is very sick and in the hospital.
~~ For all our pregnant friends and for those who are trying to conceive or who have suffered a miscarriage.
~~ for the poor, the sick, the lonely and those suffering from addiction.
Pondering…
As I was walking on the beach this morning, I could see numerous sets of footprints in the sand but there was one set that was apart from the rest. It reminded me of the poem/ story Footprints in the Sand. I thought of how often God has carried and lifted me in my life, whether it was something serious or the mere daily grind of motherhood. He is always there and always patient with me as I am trying to learn the lessons He is teaching me. I pray for the grace to practice that with my own children… to be instructive, patient, and to know when to let them walk on their own and when to carry them in my arms.
Reading…
The same as last week.
The Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen.
Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss (Currently out of print but hopefully will be reprinted soon.)
The Imitation of Christ.
Around the House…
You’ll find Matthew climbing every piece of furniture in sight. It annoys and amazes me at the same time.
Listening to…
The bubble machine and the boys giggling as they are trying to pop them.
Working on…
Updating my blogging binder. Notes include – “Make posts with a little more “meat” and less photos of the kids and the beach.”
Posts I’ve Starred in Google Reader…
The Morning Offering at The Holy Cloak – Brian (my hubby) started his own blog on the spiritual life. His posts are infrequent but I do love what he rights. (Although I may be a bit biased. 😉
I’m Going to Try at In the Heart of My Home – Elizabeth shares an honest and heartfelt post about her study on The Mission of Motherhood.
A Challenge! Make *Your* Bedroom Beautiful and Useful at Like Mother, Like Daughter. Leila gave a challenge for this week’s {pretty, happy, funny, real}. I’ll be participating!
Items I’ve Pinned…
~~ On my “Catholic Love” board – This saint and souls altar. I’m updating our prayer altar for the month of Nov to do the same.
~~ On my “What’s Cooking in the Slow Cooker?” board – Balsamic chicken. Looks so tasty!
~~ On my “What’s Baking” board – Turkey Cupcakes Cute!!
Plans for the Week…
~~ Finish the Christmas school project we are working on for underprivileged children.
~~ Finish the prayer altar.
~~ Work on cleaning the bedroom.
Captured…
From my walk this morning…

I know you are probably tired of seeing photos of the Pacific Ocean but the weather in Cali has been unseasonable warm this weekend and when I went to walk this morning I skipped the usual trail above the beach. I had to walk on the sand. My iPhone didn’t quite capture the breathtaking beauty of God’s creation but you get the idea. Only problem is that I was so busy snapping, I didn’t allow enough time to escape a big wave and my walking shoes and part of my pants were drenched. Oh well. 🙂

Have a wonderful evening!

TV Talk: Bob Duncan’s Weight Loss

By bobbi
November 3, 2012
2 Comments

This is a completely random post for RoL, but back in Jan 2012, I made a post referencing the episode of “Good Luck Charlie” where PJ tries to get his dad Bob Duncan to exercise and lose weight. His motto? “Less bacon and more shakin’.”

Since then I’ve gotten a number of hits from people searching about “Bob Duncan’s weight loss” since the actor Eric Allan Kramer has definitely been losing weight and building muscle.

Source: imdb.com

In July 2012, the Toronto Sun posted an article about Eric and his oblivious weight loss. Here is the article.

‘Good Luck’ star muscles up by Toronto Sun.com (7/28/12).
LOS ANGELES – Whatever will the writers at Disney do with a suddenly buff and fit Eric Allan Kramer?
The University of Alberta drama alum and son of Calgary Stampeders offensive tackle Roger Kramer was hired three years ago to play the part of the goofy, overweight, hapless father, Bob Duncan, for the hit teen show, Good Luck Charlie.

With his comedic chops and cuddly big-man size of 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, Kramer’s pest control owner character was often the butt of some very funny jokes.
Especially since Kramer plays a father to four cute kids on Good Luck Charlie, the No. 1 rated scripted series on cable television.
The mere sight of him standing in his Bob’s Bugs Be Gone pest control suit next to star Bridgit Mendler, who plays his wise-cracking teen daughter Teddy, elicited guffaws.
But as of January, the 50-year-old started going back to the gym and watching what he ate.
And his character Bob Duncan was becoming less of a sight gag.

“Before everybody’s eyes, I started changing,” Kramer tells QMI Agency. “And I don’t think they saw it coming.”
It was while filming the third season last fall that the former gym rat noticed he had put on a lot of extra weight and that his knees were killing him as a result.
“I had really bottomed out. Being a single dad with a full-time show, I had stopped paying attention to myself,” said the actor, who rose to fame after his hilarious portrayal of Little John in the 1993 film, Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

“At the start of the season, I was limping around with knee problems and felt really old and weak. When I looked at myself on the show, I didn’t recognize myself. I actually said, ‘Who is that guest star?’ and that’s when I said, ‘Holy crap! Time to get back to the gym.’ ”

Kramer was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., but was raised in Edmonton, where his father still lives after retiring from the Canadian Football League. The actor said his body’s beautiful change has been gradual, but noticeable. It started with consistent visits to the gym, four times a week, where he does a combination of weight training and cardio. His diet was modified from “anything goes” to smaller, lighter meals spaced properly throughout the day.

“The writers started coming up to me, saying, ‘Hey what’s going on? We wanted to write a joke about your physique and now we can’t,’ ” Kramer said laughingly.

With a 35-pound weight loss by the end of the filming season, Kramer had gone from flab dad to fab dad. In fact, his newest publicity photos make him look more like a muscular Mr. Clean than a couch potato papa. His body was so different that writers were forced to explain his weight loss on the show. The final shows were just taped and the Season 3 finale airs Aug 26.

“It was too noticeable to ignore,” he says.

Rest assured, the comedian is still playing Bob Duncan as funny.

“We’ll be explaining the change in the end cliffhanger. There’s still plenty about me to laugh about since as you see me get skinnier, I actually get balder,” he says jokingly.

News that yet another season of Good Luck Charlie has been ordered has Kramer feeling great about his life. Not only is he back to the weight he was while starring in some productions of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the 1980s, he’s also beginning to direct some of the Disney episodes. He directed one this past season that was difficult to produce.

“It was an episode with indoor hurricanes and you have to figure out how to pull that off, it was a nice challenge,” he said.

Good for you, Bob/Mr. Kramer!

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Blog Archives

Operation Clean & Organize: Master Bedroom (Part 1) Meets {p, h, f, r} – vol 51

Prayer After An Election

Operation Clean and Organize: Vol 16 – The School File

Catholic Woman’s Almanac (11/5/12) – Vol 3

TV Talk: Bob Duncan’s Weight Loss