Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Catholic Woman’s Almanac (5/14/13) & Theme Thursday: Mom (a few days late)

 

Hosted by Suscipio

Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful for

  • My hubby
  • Being a mom
  • The love of family
  • Laughter
  • God’s grace

 

Beauty in the Ordinary…

Since Sunday was Mother’s Day, I received homemade gifts from the kids. It was so sweet to see their excited faces as I opened up the treasures they made me. And the feel of their little arms around my neck as they hugged me brought tears to my eyes.

 

In the Kitchen…

  • M – Chicken Cacciatore
  • T – Enchiladas
  • W – Breakfast Dinner
  • TH – Grilled chicken and mango salsa
  • F – Leftovers
  • S – Meatball subs
  • S – Dinner at in-laws

 

Praying…

  • For all moms
  • For nuns/spiritual moms
  • For all women who love and nurture God’s children
  • For moms dealing with an unwanted pregnancy
  • For women suffering from infertility & the ache of longing for a child
  • For moms who have lost a child
  • For those whose moms have died

 

Pondering…

“A married woman must, when called upon, quit her devotions to God at the altar to find Him in her household affairs.” – St. Francis of Rome

 

Around the house…

We had two sets of visitors this weekend, so the house actually looks tidy right now. (Shocker, I know.) Although, I was driving myself insane cleaning up beforehand!  I admit, there were numerous things shoved into closets to accomplish that. I told Brian that  it is ridiculous that I have to kill myself to get the house decent enough to have company over. And it’s funny that there is a sense of peace that comes with having everything tidy and in its place. I suspect that is why they say cleanliness is next to godliness. Whereas mess causes me inner turmoil! I have been spring cleaning and purging but it is slow going. Plus now I have to tackle those closets of death that I cannot walk into or can barely close the doors. Say a prayer for me! 😉

 

Reading…

My Bible

A Message of Hope: Confessions of an Ex-Satanist by Deborah Lipsky

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (That’s a re-read.)

 

Listening to…

Imagine Dragon’s album Night Visions

 

On My DVR…

  • Hallmark’s The Confession, The Voice, The Middle , Arrow, Grimm…

 

On the blog…

I’ve been on a blogging break this last week. I have just been so busy with home life, school events and other things that I haven’t had time to post. I’ve also been going through a “I’m tired of blogging and I’m going to quit” phase but I think that is normal for all bloggers at different times. Instead of shutting it down, I simply stepped away and forced myself not to link up with Hallie, and Jen and Cari. (Although I just realized it is not too late to link with Cari. :-)) It’s been good for me. Not having the self-imposed pressure of having to get a post done is freeing. There are also days like today, when I am just itching to type and touch base with you. So you won’t hear from me much for the next week or two but I may pop in occasionally. After things settle down a little more (May and June are always super busy) I know I’ll be missing blogging and having a creative outlet  like crazy and I’ll be back with a renewed spirit.

Also, for all of you who have commented recently, forgive me for not answering back. I read everything you write and I love hearing from you! 🙂

 

Posts I’ve Liked on my Bloglovin

  • Dishin’ It Out by suscipio4women.com (Tips for praying while doing housework. Also the source of my pondering quote.)

 

Pinned…

 

Plans for the Week…

This week I have on my schedule a school party, kids’ well check appts, a Mom’s night out (woohoo) and family confession.

 

Captured…

I just realized that this is the last day to link-up with Cari’s Theme Thursday: Mom. So my captured photos are my submission as well. 🙂

I wanted to post a photo of me with my mom but she’s old school and not keen on personal photos posted on the internet. I found this one where you can’t really see her but you know she is there holding me up. I like this photo because it is reassuring to know that although she is not in my day to day life (living 400 miles away from me) she is still there offering her support and love from afar.  I know she is only a phone call (or plane ticket) away and it is reassuring just hear her voice and hear her laugh over a funny story. I owe so much to her – she taught me how to love, how to laugh, how to persevere,  and how to see God in all things and to trust Him above all else. Thanks, mom. I love you.

* * *

This was taken on Sunday during our Mother’s Day outing. I am incredibly blessed… blessed to be the mom of these four precious children. They may drive may crazy at times (and I them) but I couldn’t imagine my life without their sweet smiles, loving kisses and infectious giggles. 🙂

Have a blessed week!

Oh, and don’t forget to link-up here for this week’s Pinterest Party! (It can be an old or new post.) 🙂

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Pinterest Party & Link-up, Vol 3: Organizing the Boys’ Closet

NOTE: I goofed up my dates since April had 5 Tuesdays. I posted this last week although it should have been posted today, the second Tuesday of May. So I edited the link-up. It’s open for another week. I look forward to reading your posts! 🙂

Welcome to the new RoL Pinterest Party (formerly Making It Count.) Join me every 2nd and 4th Tuesday as we link up and share how we made, cooked, baked, crafted, did, or created one of the pins on our Pinterest boards.

Not on Pinterest? No problem. Link-up your own creation to inspire us so we can pin in to our own boards. It can be a recipe, sewing project, Catholic craft, homeschool project, organizing/ homemaking tip, themed birthday party, whatever you’d like.

Don’t have a post ready? The link-up will be open for a week so there’s still time. Plus, feel free to link up a new post or an older post that hasn’t had much traffic lately.

* * * * *

As you may recall, about a year ago I started trying to organize my messy, disorganized, borderline hoarder home. I actually completed a few cool projects like fixing up my bookcase and DVD shelf but while last year was the year of homemaking, 2013 has been the year of survival. One road bump after another has left all my organizing projects forgotten. I am lucky to have dinner on the table and clean underwear in the drawers. It left me disappointed in myself but I realized I had to suck it up and deal with the fact that grand schemes were not going to work. I kept thinking of Brian’s advice to “just do a little bit every day.” Then I read Dorian’s original Pinisher post and she basically said to lower your standards, take one small step towards actually doing something and then embrace imperfection. Hmmm… that’s liberating, my friend.

So on Saturday I looked around to see what little bit  I should do that day. As I looked around the house and pondered, Matthew walked into the room with his tight high water pants and shirt that refused to cover his belly. The poor guy just turned two but he sort of skipped over his size 2T clothes and needed to go right into size 3T. That was it. I needed get rid of the small clothes and find the old 3T’ clothes of his brothers.

I had been really good about storing the kids’ baby clothes once they grew out of them but with three little guys close in age  and size, it got out of hand. I had various clothing items and sizes shoved in spare drawers and mixed up in plastic bins. So I went through all the clothes and put the ones that don’t fit any of them into plastic bins and labeled them. (Although I don’t think we’ll be having any more bambinos, I’m not going to give away all the clothes just yet.)

I browsed Pinterest for some closet organizing inspiration. One pin lead to this site with lots of samples.

I couldn’t do anything fancy but three items really helped. The first was a hanging closet extender such as the Honey-Can-Do HNG-01816 Chrome Adjustable Hanging Closet Rod.

Second was a hanging shoe organizer such as the Honey-Can-Do SFT-01240 10-Pocket Hanging Shoe Organizer. (The one I picked up was actually from Target.)

Lastly, I liked the size organizers I saw at iheartorganizing.blogspot.com. I liked the idea of having the clothes organized by size rather than by person.

I found these simple ones (Baby Buddy “Size-It” Closet Organizers) on sale so I picked some up.


Amazon also has other cute ones such as the Sugarbooger Baby Closet Dividers in Peek-A-Boo Blue.


The Happy Closet Baby Closet Dividers come in lots of colors and patterns, such as these polka dot ones.


Although the boys play clothes and underwear went into their dresser, I hung up their other items in the closet with the double rods and size labels.

Those labels are especially great for new moms that need to sort all the new baby clothes they receive as gifts, particularly when they are in different sizes. They are also perfect to keep track of bigger sized clothes I find on sale or clearance that Andrew can wear as he grows.


It took me a good portion of the day to get everything sorted and put away in between distractions (you know, like feeding my children) and it may not seem that exciting or pinworthy but it was so satisfying knowing I was able to get it done. So Brian and Dorian were right. Lower expectations. Small and simple steps. Embrace the imperfections.

Not to mention, Matthew is much better dressed these days. 🙂

 

* * * * *

Now it’s your turn.

1. Choose your creation, share about it and snap a photo if you can.

2. In your post, link back the original blogger/idea, rather than your Pinterest pin. That way credit goes to the proper person. 🙂 (But feel free to add your Pinterest profile link so we can follow you!)

3. Add a link back here so others can play along. Here is the html code:

<a href=”http://www.revolutionoflove.com/blog/?p=2157″><img title=”Revolution of Love Blog – Pinterest Party &amp; Link-up” src=”http://www.revolutionoflove.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pinterest_2_medW32-300×240.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”240″ /></a>

4. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address.

You have a week to post your link, so if you can’t get things done by Tuesday, no worries, put it up when you can. We’ll be here. Have fun!

* * * * *

Also, I’m not sure if this is legal in blogland but I linked up with Dorian for The Pinishers. (I guess I’ll find out if she kicks me out. ;-)) Last week’s theme was  HOME. This week the theme is ADVENTURE. 🙂

Lastly, you can follow me on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/. 🙂

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The Pinishers – Food: How to Choose Ripe Fruit

It’s the last day of  The Pinisher link-up but I made it. I’d say that was appropriate for a link-up catering to procrastinators.  😉

Okay, here is some back ground info first. Last week I got an email from the infamous but sweet Dorian Speed (I’ll admit I was a little star struck.) She was apologizing  because she started a Pinterest link-up without realizing that I was already doing the Pinterest Party on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays. I was touched that she’d even give me the time of day. LOL. I told her not to worry since she does hers every week I only do mine twice a month. Readers of the blog could always link on both to share their post with more people if they’d like. I was also excited that I’d have the opportunity to link up with Dorian on my off weeks as well. This week’s Pinisher topic if food. Perfect. 🙂

I was shopping at Trader Joes yesterday and I wanted to try a few new fruits, or rather, fruit I’ve eaten at a restaurant or a friend’s house but I never bought myself. I had in mind kiwi and mangoes. However, I wasn’t sure how to figure out which ones were ripe. I wrested my iPhone out of Matthew’s hands, who was none too pleased that I paused his Blue’s Clues, and searched Pinterest for a “ripe fruit guide.” I found a pin of this article –  How to Choose the Best Fruit in the Produce Section: A Guide for 15 Common Fruits.

The three products I was concerned about at that moment were…

“Kiwi: A kiwi is ripe when it gives slightly when pressed. Those that are too hard will not be sweet, while those that are too soft or shriveled are spoiled.”

 

“Mangoes: Finding a ripe mango can be tricky because they can be yellow, red, green or orange in color. Those that are ready to eat will usually have a yellow hue and should be slightly soft to the touch. Ripe mangoes also have a sweet aroma near the stem end.”

 

“Watermelon – Choose a firm, heavy watermelon with a smooth skin — and be sure it has a well-defined yellow area on one side. This is the spot where the watermelon has been resting while ripening, and if it’s not there it means it may have been harvested too soon.”

 

I followed the guide and brought my chosen fruit home. I haven’t opened the mango yet but I did sample the watermelon and the kiwi.

The watermelon was easy to cut open and was tasty, although not as sweet as they will be in another month or so.

 

I wasn’t quite sure how to peel the kiwi so I googled around and found this link and video at HowToPeelAKiwi.com/. (I’m serious. That is the actual web address.) Anyway, I did as they instructed: cut off the ends, made a slit, then worked a spoon underneath the skin and removed the peel. Viola!  It’s funny how such a small, simple thing can make me feel accomplished. One day I may even tackle a pineapple that doesn’t come from a can. Baby steps. 😉

Okay, get your creative mojo flowing because Tuesday is the next Pinterest Party Link-up here at RoL. Dorian’s Pinisher link-up is the same day and the theme is “Home.” I’ll work on something homey this weekend so I can link with her too. Wait, am I allowed to link-up a link-up? Maybe not. Either way, see you back here on Tuesday! 🙂

Oh and you can follow me in Pinterest here – http://pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/. Leave your link or handle in the comment box so I can make sure I’m following you too. 🙂

 

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Theme Thursday: Play & {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 65

This week is a mash up as I link with Cari’s Theme Thursday and Like Mother, Like Daughter’s {pretty, happy, funny, real}. Cari’s photography challenge is PLAY. There’s plenty of that at our house.

{pretty}

Mama likes to play with her camera in the backyard.

Sunny skies.

 We have a lot of ice plants on our property.

{happy}

I love the glee on Andrew’s face.

It bugs me that I didn’t frame the photo properly but I love Andrew’s crooked grin. 🙂

 Andrew tried to grab John-Paul into the photo but he was not interested. In the meantime, Matthew in the background wouldn’t get off his Big Wheels long enough to get into the shot.

Bella is happiest when she is drawing.

Here is one of her creations.

{funny}

When the cat’s away the mice will play.

It was a little too quiet so I went to investigate and found Matthew helping himself.

His shirt was rather prophetic.

{real}

On rare occasions there will be peace and quiet and no mischief afoot.

Brothers playing quietly together. Blessed moments indeed.

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Theme Thursday: Sky

This week Cari’s photography challenge for Theme Thursday is the sky. I love the themes that take me outside so this was a fun one. I hope you enjoy. 🙂

The view from my deck (with the neighbors’ houses cropped out.)  A cloudy sky on a windy day.

The view from the Mission. The sun is trying to break through these clouds.

The view from my morning walk. (Looking at this is the incentive that gets me out the door.)

The view from a friend’s garden. Looking at the sky from under this blooming tree.

I wanted a photo of the sun setting so last night on the way to the market to get meds for my sick kids, I took a quick detour and snapped this photo. I have one of just the sunset but I like the way the tree branches sort of frame the sun.

I needed that five minute of calm after taking care of sick kids the last few days. Say a prayer that we are well soon. Another child got the bug (he showered me in his sickness as I was holding him late last night.) Lovely. I tell ya, motherhood is not for wimps.  The worse is that I woke up this morning feeling sick. No bueno! So while I may live in a pretty place, I still have my little crosses too. 😉

Thanks to Cari for hosting!

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