Five Favorites (Vol 13) & What We’re Reading (Vol 5): Catching Fire, Advent & Holiday Planning

By bobbi
November 20, 2013
4 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Hallie’s Five Favorites and Fave #4-5 is linked to Jessica’s What We’re Reading Wednesday. Enjoy!

~ 1 ~

Movie Nights – Catching Fire

Last year I finished reading The Hunger Games a couple weeks before the movie was coming out. I was so excited to see the movie that although I was getting a fever and (unknowingly) coming down with the flu, I was there in the theater during the opening weekend. I purposely did not read the second book Catching Fire until closer to the movie release so I would would be completely hyped up for the movie. Well, I finished the book last night at 1:30 AM and just purchased tickets to tomorrow night’s showing. Now I just have to figure out a way to get all the kids in bed and Brian okay with me sneaking out for a couple hours. 😉

NOTE: Technically, Catching Fire is what I have also been reading, but I didn’t include it since I didn’t review it. Others have done that better than I could. 🙂

~ 2 ~

Chevron Print Sash Bag

Source

The website Jane.com has so many cute etsy finds on sale and I particularly love this Chevron print sash bag that is 50% off ($24.95) for the next 12 hours. I am really, really tempted to buy it but it is not in the budget right now, especially with our Disneyland trip coming up next week. I don’t know…I may have to hint to Brian that it would make a great Christmas gift but he has to act now. LOL.

~ 3 ~

ABFOL’s The Holiday Planner

Source

You know how much I love a cute planner and A Bowl Full of Lemons is one of my favorite organizing sources so I was excited to see Toni’s new Holiday Planner. The downloadable sheets are great for keeping track of (and budgeting for) Christmas.

What We’re Reading

~ 4 ~

The Advent Christmas Planner

Source

Speaking of planners, to also keep track of the spiritual aspect of Advent and Christmas, I downloaded and have been reading Catholic Icing’s e-book The Advent Christmas Planner. Anyone who has browsed Laci’s website knows that it is ground zero for any kind of Catholic craft you may have in mind. This is what Laci says about her book:

“This whole ebook has been designed to help the average mother actually execute living the liturgical year at home during the Advent and Christmas seasons rather than just dreaming, filling Pinterest boards, and then becoming overwhelmed.This ebook was written to help you actually accomplish the things you’ve always wanted to by integrating it into your life.

This ebook integrates all the religious aspects of celebrating Christmas with all the practical stuff us mothers also have to take care of this time of year. From stocking stuffers to Jesse Trees, from Advent Saint celebrations to gift budgeting, from meal planning to Epiphany door blessings- it’s all in one easy place for you. No searching all over the internet, or picking from this book and that book…

Love that! I was a little leery at first because some Catholic books frown on any kind of Christmas fun before the actual Christmas day. Whereas I am one of those people that officially listens to Christmas music every day since the day after Halloween. So not decorating or not putting up our tree until Christmas was not going to work in our house. However, I knew this e-book would be good for me when Lacy says:

“If you really want to celebrate Advent and then Christmas, Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. But you don’t want to look like a scrooge, or make your kids hate being Catholic because the Advent season is not fun and festive. What you want to do is replace all the empty stuff this time of year with feast day celebrations and rich traditions that the whole family can enjoy!”

Well, I can certainly can do a better job at incorporating the Catholic feast days into our Advent/Christmas activities and Laci’s suggestions are just the motivation I need to make it happen. I won’t be doing everything at once but I’ll be picking just a couple things we can do to start new family traditions. Lastly, the book also has a number of printable organizer pages (which will go great in my Christmas planner from above). 🙂

The e-book is normally $12 but right now it is on sale for $10 if you order before Advent starts. 🙂

~ 5 ~

The Parish Picnic

The other day someone ordered the book The Parish Picnic from our old website and I had completely forgotten we had it! So I took out my copy and gave it to Brian to read to the boys during their nightly bedtime stories. The boys were intrigued with the story of Caleb and his two best friends and how he would solve his dilemma at the parish picnic. I heard groans of “Awww” when Brian shut the book half way through and said, “To be continued tomorrow night.”

The Parish Picnic (Book One of the New Illustrated Catholic Children’s Series) is a heartwarming story about friendship, self-sacrifice and the love of Christ. It was written by Carmen Marcoux (Catholic wife, mother of nine and author of Arms of Love and Surrender) with her husband James. Together they have authored the first of a series of books aimed at the younger reader. The book is beautifully illustrated by their daughter Rebekah.

The Parish Picnic is a celebration of our Catholic heritage and the life we share as the family of God. 🙂

You can see a preview of the book here.

I still have a few copies left of the book so if you’ d like a copy, you can place an order here. They cost $16.95 but I’ll mark it down to $14.95 and include shipping. 🙂

BONUS FAVE – FREE BOOKS!

~ 6 ~

I just saw that the new novel by Erin McCole Cupp called Don’t You Forget about Me is free on Amazon (Kindle) until Nov 21, 2013. It is listed as a “Catholic thriller.” I just downloaded a copy. 🙂

Okay, that’s it for now! Thanks to Hallie and Jessica for hosting!

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 or Instagram. 😉

7 Quick Takes (10/4/13): Downton Abbey Season 4 Preview Edition

By bobbi
October 4, 2013
No Comments

Today I am linking up with Jen for 7 Quick Takes.

It’s been a busy week and as I mentioned yesterday, I was having a difficult time coping, but I am feeling much better now and have a free 1/2 hour so let’s get to it!

~ 1 ~

Well, fellow Downton Abbey lovers, it’s that time of year again when we lament that the UK gets to see Season 4 before we do and we figure out ways to watch it online or read all the UK blogs with season details, unless you are like me and try to avoid all spoilers at all costs! I do however, enjoy the teaser trailers I have been seeing.

~ 2 ~

When I saw the preview trailer from PBS Masterpiece, I was happy to see that Mary is grieving. Not that I am glad that Matthew is gone, (I am still shaking my fists over that one!) but when I was seeing the news about the casting of new love interests for Mary, I was afraid that she (and we) would not be given time to grieve the loss. Her struggles makes it more realistic.

On the plus side, there is no more Bates in jail prolonged drama and plenty of Team Anna&Bates secret looks and stolen kisses. 😉

~ 3 ~

Check it out for yourself.

~ 4 ~

Here’s another trailer from ENTV

~ 5 ~

We have to wait until Jan 5th for season 4 to air in the US but in the meantime, you can watch this preview of Masterpiece’s The Paradise, which starts on Sunday, Oct 6.

The preview reminds me a bit of Mr. Selfridge… since it was a period piece set in a retail shop. Let’s hope that this one is better. Mr. Selfridge was a disappointment to me. I like Jeremy Piven but he didn’t seem the right cast for this role and I hated that ALL the characters (including the married once) had no power to keep their pants (or corsets on.) Well, I’ll be hoping for the best anyway. 😉

~ 6 ~

Check out the trailer.

~ 7 ~

What did you think?? Are you excited? I can’t wait. 🙂

Oh, and don’t forget to enter the contest to win a free copy of Small Steps for Catholic Moms OR A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms here. The drawing is on Wed, Oct 9. All you have to do is tell me which you prefer. (And you get an extra entry if you tell me you like(d) RoL on facebook.) 🙂

Have a great weekend!

Daily Devotionals for Catholic Moms (& A Give-Away)

By bobbi
September 25, 2013
17 Comments

I’m linking this post up with Housewifespice’s What We’re Reading Wednesday. 🙂

***

How are you at morning devotions and prayer time? Frankly, it is an area where I’ve always struggled. Brian has a contemplative nature. He loves moments of quiet when he can spend time alone with God. I am the opposite. I love noise. I cannot be in a quiet room. (Maybe it’s because I grew up with 10 other people in our home.) I usually always have the stereo playing or the TV on… although I could do with less of the rambunctious boys’ LOUDNESS. 😉 Needless to say, quiet time in prayer is not something that comes easily to me and probably many people. We have to work at it.

Lately, however, all this working on being more disciplined has meshed into my spiritual life as well. I finally tweaked my schedule so I have a 15 minute block of quiet time for prayer in the morning. That time is pretty constant, so it’s rare that I have to miss it. I begin with a short prayer, read out of my devotional book and then talk to God and journal my thoughts. (Writing things out always help me think things through.)

There are many lovely devotional books out there, but I need something very simple…short and sweet. I don’t like flowery words and deep theological discussions go over my head. I need something that speak to me right where I am…in the middle of dishes, diapers and dirty laundry. That’s why I love reading these two books.

Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act is a daily devotional. Each month is dedicated to a specific virtue. (For example, this month is Diligence.) Each day has three elements – A quote or Scripture, a brief prayer and and Act you can do to put your faith into practice. It is perfect for moms who are short on time but it is “meaty” enough that you can also spend more time meditating on the quote. The prayer in the book can be used as an opening line to God and you continue to converse with God for as long as you’d like. For moms who are well developed in their prayer life and want something a little longer, I’d recommend pairing it with a spiritual book that deals with that month’s virtue.

I have a copy of the original Small Steps and friends have wanted to buy a copy but it was out of print for awhile. Thankfully it back in print with a new cover and available for purchase.

My other favorite book is the newer book from Lisa Hendey (of CatholicMom.com.)

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul is also a daily devotional. It is divided up into 52 weeks. Each week focuses on one saint. There is a brief biography, lessons we can learn from the saint, traditions of their patronage, two saint-inspired activities (one for mom and one for your children), a weekly prayer to say as a family and one or two questions to ponder. There is also a scripture verse for each day of the week to mediate on. This book rocks. It is rich with information and the prayers are beautiful.

When I first started reading it, I was torn about trading in one book for the other but I have found that both work well for me. I use the Saint Book at the beginning of the week. On Mon, Tues, Wed I read through the chapter and meditate on the lessons etc. By Thursday I only have the daily scripture/prayer left, which is short, so from Thurs to Sun I pair that with the daily devotion of the Small Steps book. I also ask the ‘saint of the week” to pray for me. Working with both books has worked fine for me.

A last note, although these are geared towards moms, a single person (or even a dad) could read them just as well, particularly the saint book. On days when you are given a task that has to do with your spouse or children you could apply it to a co-worker, a friend or family member instead.

Finally, because I love these books so much, I am giving a copy away on the blog! To enter just leave a comment and tell me which book you’d rather win – Small Steps for Catholic Moms or a Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. Want an extra entries? – Like RoL on Facebook. (Just leave a comment letting me know you did or have already) and/or tweet about this give-away. 😉 I’ll pick a winner in two weeks on October 8th. Good luck!

(For next week’s post, I’ll let you know which Catholic books for women my Mom’s Group will be reading for our book studies.)

Have a great day.

7 Quick Takes (9/6/13): Prayer, Discipline and Foyle’s War

By bobbi
September 5, 2013
2 Comments

I’m linking up with Jen today for 7 Quick Takes. 🙂

~ 1 ~

Pray for Peace – You’ve most likely seen these already but in case you haven’t, I’m posting it here. The Holy Father has called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria. It is on Saturday, September 7. I think I will fast from my phone/computer/camera. Hopefully I can make it 24 hours. 😉 But seriously, whatever level you can do, we should all be joining in!

~ 2 ~

Prayer Request – Speaking of prayer, please say a prayer for my little guy Matthew. He has an issue with his legs – he is pigeon toed and has relatively severe bow legs. His tibula bone (particularly on his left leg is facing outward instead of forward. Usually in time, it will rotate but he is going to be 2 1/2 and it is still pretty bad. So now we need to take him to a pediatric orthopedic up in Stanford (about 2 hours north of us) to get an evaluation done. We are hoping he will not need surgery. So an extra prayer for my little guy is much appreciated!!

~ 3 ~

Quiet time – Speaking of Matthew, with Bella and Andrew back in school and John-Paul going three days out of the week for a few hours, Matthew and I have more time alone together. After dropping JP off at preschool we’ll often go make a visit to the Chapel. It’s good for him and definitely good for me. Sometimes I get so busy with day to day living I forget to just stop, quiet myself and be in the presence of Our Lord. Amazingly, Matthew is quiet and just sits/kneels with me patiently. Quite the opposite of how he acts with his brothers at Sunday Mass!

~~ 4 ~~

Slackers Unite – Along with spending a little more time in quiet before God, I could also use a reboot in the discipline department. That is why I was intrigued when I read Jen’s post about doing an online book discussion of the e-book 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life. I clicked over and read the intro of the book, not expecting much. Then I read this section:

Who is this book for?

You have trouble following through.

You get overwhelmed by huge projects.

You start strong, but your passion fizzles out.

You are super-disciplined in a few areas of your life, but you have one or two pet areas that you just can’t get under control.

You check out 10 different books on discipline and organization from the library, but return all of them late.

The last one had me laughing out loud. Yeah, that is so me. This summer I was in super slacker mode and as I mentioned on Monday, September 1st is my Jan 1. My drive to improve my problem areas is strongest right now. I pulled out my planner and got back into using it (cuz if I don’t write it down, I don’t remember it!) and I am ready to work on a little discipline that doesn’t burn out in a day or two. I downloaded the e-book and will be joining in the discussion. If you are interested, join us!

~ 5 ~

Bday Wishes – Bella’s birthday is coming at the end of the month. She is going to be 12! She loves the music from the Broadway musical “Newsies” so I thought I would give her a Newsies themed party. The poster is my base. Colors could be black, white and red. Any other suggestions??

~ 6 ~

Foyle’s War – Are you a Foyle’s War fan? Brian and I have been watching Foyle’s War of PBS for years and were ecstatic when the show was coming out of retirement and picking up where it left off. Season 7 starts on Sunday, Sept 15 on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery. If you’ve never watched it before and like period dramas or mysteries, you should check it out on Netflix.

~ 7 ~

Okay, it is an hour past my bed time (and you wonder why I need a book on discipline) and I can barely keep my eyes open so I better stop here. Have a great Friday!

UPDATE: At midnight last night I could not remember what the #7 Take was supposed to be. Now in the light of morning, I remember!

I wanted to join Suscipio in their 3-2-1 Fantastically Fun Friday Link-up without the link-up! Whether you are a blogger or a non-blogger, just answer the 3 questions in their comment box. This week Angela is hosting. Here is my contribution:

3 Things I’m Thankful For
~ When my little guy hugs me from behind and says, “I wub you, mama.” Swoon.
~ For the upcoming weekend and having everyone home.
~ For packages in the mail with sweet surprises.

2 Things in My Purse That Don’t Need to Be There
~ A 1/2 of string cheese that’s hard as a rock
~ A roll of scotch tape. (My 4 year old would disagree. He is always accidentally tearing a page in one of the books he’s always carrying around. He likes me to fix it immediately, not when we get home. 😉

1 Thing I Love, Love, Love to Eat
~ It’s a tie between a BBQ Turkey Burger or Taco Salad. Yum.

Thanks for hosting, Angela!

Okay, now you can have a great weekend. 😉

What We’re Reading Wednesday – Vol 3

By bobbi
August 6, 2013
6 Comments

I’m linking up with Jessica over at Housewifespice.com for What We’re Reading Wednesday.

Before I read the featured book of this post, I saw the trailer for the upcoming movie City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments). I was intrigued with the idea of supernatural demon hunters and a seemingly ordinary girl who could see the invisible hunters and the demonic activity that other normal humans could not. I decided to read the book and see if it was any good.

I will admit that I enjoyed the adventure and suspense of hunting down demons but there were too many negative points to make it worth it. I debated between giving it one or two stars on GoodReads because there were moments I was swiping the screen in a hurry to see what would happen next and other times I was rolling my eyes at the writing.

From a Catholic point of view, there were definite problems, most notably, that the characters are fighting a war of good vs evil with demons, yet God is viewed as non-existent at worst or disinterested at best. I also hated the plot twist at the end, so all in all, it was a let down.

The following week I read a positive review from The Curt Jester/Jeff Miller about Mysterious Albion (Vatican Vampire Hunters) (Volume 1) by Paul Leone. Vatican Vampire Hunters?? Wow, sign me up! (To read, not to hunt.)

Here is the Amazon description:

Lucy Manning just wanted an ordinary life. But surviving a vicious vampire attack has put the young American in the middle of a holy war between a secret society of vampire hunters loyal to the Catholic Church–and an ancient and powerful vampire queen who has awakened from a long slumber with dreams of blood and conquest in her demonic mind.

Lucy may not want to do battle with a ruthless, eternal evil, but evil has other ideas….

While other vampire books may make vampires seem attractive, there is no mistake that in this book vampires are evil and closer to being demonic. Lucy’s world is turned upside down when her friend is attacked by a vampire and Lucy barely escapes. Lucy is eventually recruited into a secret society of vampire hunters operating unofficially for the Catholic Church. She goes from an inexperienced novice to a skillful hunter fighting a devastating war.

I enjoyed the description of British locations and culture and I loved the suspense and the battle scenes and the integration of the Catholic faith. However, it was not the slightest bit “preachy.” On the contrary, it seems completely natural, even for non-religious people, that when you are dealing with evil/demonic creatures, the Catholic Church provides the big guns.

The only negatives were a few plot aspects that seemed confusing (ie. Why was a vampire killed with holy water at the beginning of the story but holy water wasn’t used on any of the others?) and there is a bit of language. Lucy can be praying to God in one scene and then dropping some f-bombs in a battle scene. So be forewarned if you’re sensitive to that.

I still gave the book 5 stars because I couldn’t put it down while I was reading it and now that I’m done I can’t wait for book 2. 😉

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: entertainment

Five Favorites (Vol 13) & What We’re Reading (Vol 5): Catching Fire, Advent & Holiday Planning

What We’re Reading

7 Quick Takes (10/4/13): Downton Abbey Season 4 Preview Edition

Daily Devotionals for Catholic Moms (& A Give-Away)

7 Quick Takes (9/6/13): Prayer, Discipline and Foyle’s War

What We’re Reading Wednesday – Vol 3