Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

{pretty, happy, funny, real} – vol 52: The Dry, Frizzy Hair Edition

 

I have been enjoying watching fellow bloggers link up with Fine Linen and Purple’s What I Wore Sunday. They have embraced their femininity (the skirt/dress wearing puts me to shame) without sacrificing their cuteness and individuality. Then yesterday I read Dwija’s post Why I Stopped Not Caring and Started Wearing Concealer. Both struck a chord with me because I have had many of the same thoughts. (Even though I still haven’t bought any much needed concealer or started wearing skirts…yet.) What I have done, however, is get a rein on my crazy hair.
The other day a friend was complimenting my hair. She didn’t believe me when I told her that before I discovered hair product, I had an unwanted fro. (I have the 8th grade photos to prove it but you’ll never see those here!) She wanted to know what I used, which made me think that there might be other fellow curly haired gals that want to know. So this week’s {pretty, happy, funny, real} is the Dry, Frizzy Hair Edition.

{funny}

About a year ago I was complaining to my sister that I hated my Christmas tree hair do. “Huh?” you say. You know, pointed on top and then it flairs out like a triangle. I felt like Gilda Radner and that character she played on SNL.

{real}

My sis BC told me I had to get a real haircut and stop just chopping off the bottom of my hair with dull scissors twice a year. With a heavy sigh, I searched for a hairdresser that knew how to handle curly hair. God answered my pleas and sent sweet Joyce into my life. She gave me a good cut with long layers and new hair products that took me from this….

(The bright flash highlights the dried mess. My hair is actually much darker.)

 

{pretty}

 

TO THIS…

(Don’t you love photos that make you look 10 years younger than you look in real life? 😉

 

Although I am more likely to wear my hair pulled up, I like that I can wear it down without being embarrassed!

 

{happy}

Even with a good cut, I must wear product. Every curly head is different but these are the ones that make my hair the happiest.


Infusium 23 Repair & Renew Leave In Treatment

This stuff has been in our thick haired family for years. I use it for day to day leave-in conditioning.
On extra special days I’ll use a pricier leave-in treatment that replenishes my hair. It is a thicker oil so a little goes a long way and it smells nice.

Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Styling Treatment
Which ever treatment I use, I also have to use this…

TIGI Catwalk Curl Collection Curlesque Curls Rock Amplifier

This works well for me because it is not so stiff that I have rock sold hair but it is strong enough to give me hold for a day or two. I just make sure to NEVER brush out my hair (refer to the {real} photo). I only use my fingers.

(If you have super long hair and need to brush after a shower, get a wide toothed nylon bristle brush like this. Comb it once when you get out of the shower, put on product with your fingers and don’t comb again.

You can air dry but I find blow drying with a diffuser on medium heat gives me the best results if I plan to wear my hair down. When your hair starts getting frizzy, or if you’ve slept on it, you should be able to just wet your hand a little and gently run it through your hair or add just a touch more of your hair product.

Well, that is what worked for me. If you have other products that have worked well for you, please share them!

Have a great day!


Making It Count Tuesday (Vol 5): Tyler Florence’s Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup

Welcome to Making It Count Tuesday, (now known as Pinterest Party) which is every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Originally hosted by Sarah and Pam, it’s new home in now here at RoL.

If you are new to Making it Count, you simply start with any one of those fabulous ideas you’ve found online. Then, do it. Make it. Cook it. Create it. Take it from the screen, give it life and let it bless your world. When you’re done, snap a photo, write about it and share it with us.

Make your time online count!

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I was originally planning to post about my Instagram/Postal Pix project for this week’s Making It Count but I used it for my Operation Clean and Organize post instead.

So today I am posting about a new recipe I tried. I was in the mood for soup and since Brian was feeling under the weather I thought chicken soup would be perfect but I wanted to do something different from the “normal” chicken soup. I was browsing through recipes online and came across Tyler Florence’s Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup. I remembered watching him make it on Food Network and he has the recipe here along with a video clip from the show. However, I also have his great cookbook Dinner at My Place and it has a slightly different version of the recipe.


I used the ingredients listed in his cookbook, which includes milk and fresh bread crumbs. You can also find that version of the recipe on Tyler’s website.

The only change I made was for the meatballs. I used 4 low-fat chicken-apple sausage and ½ a pound of ground turkey. (I froze half of them.) Once the meatballs were made, the rest of the soup was super easy to make and everything smells sooo good.

Here is the finished product.

I added a small grilled sandwich to go with it.


Brian loved it. I believe his exact words were, “I could eat this every night!” I wouldn’t go that far, but this will be a regular in our family meals list!

*****

Now it’s your turn.

1. Choose a tutorial, recipe, or idea that has inspired you. Do it and blog a little about it. It doesn’t have to be elaborate — we just want to see what you’ve been up to!
2. In your post, link back the original idea whenever possible. We want to be sure that cool idea credit is given to the proper person. Please do not link to Pinterest. Linking to the original blogger insures that proper credit is given where it’s due.
3. Make sure you link back here somewhere in your post so others can find us and play along.
4. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address. Don’t forget to use your own original photo (not someone else’s!) as your thumbnail image.
You have a week to post your link, so if you can’t get things going by Tuesday, no worries, put it up when you can. We’ll be here.



Catholic Woman’s Almanac (10/22/12) – Vol 1

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Hosted by Jenny at Suscipio.



Moments of Gratitude
With a change of schedule and a couple kiddos under the weather, I landed out going to Confession, ½ hr of Adoration and Mass alone on Saturday evening. That quiet time away was just what I needed. Lately I have been feeling God calling me to quiet down and draw closer to Him. It was just the spiritual recharge I needed, especially as I am trying to make the most of this Year of Faith in my spiritual growth.
Beauty in the Ordinary
It has been a rainy day today and one of my favorite sounds of nature (besides the crashing of the waves and the wind rustling in the trees) is the sound of rain. Rain always reminds me of God’s grace washing over his loved ones.
From the Kitchen
I’ve been trying to clean out the freezer/fridge and with the leftovers I’ll make chili beans, pasta salad and chicken-apple sausage links. (Tomorrow for Making It Count Tuesday I’ll post about what I originally made with those sausage links.) 🙂
Praying
Praying that Brian will feel better and to get rid of the bug he’s been fighting, for all the pregnant mams out there, for all the mamas at heart who are trying to conceive a child and for a special intention.
Pondering
How I stumbled onto Suscipio. I originally was at Priceless Fishers then I clicked onto a link to find out more about The Catholic Child’s Teaching Bible, which then led me to Suscipio and the Catholic Women’s Almanac. I had seen the CWA on a few blogs but never knew where it originated. I have been clicking around and have added the blog to my reader. Some great reading!
Reading
I love Jane Austin and Jane Eyre so when I came across the author Julie Klassen, who had the same love, I thought I’d give her historical romance novels a try. I just finished The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and The Apothecary’s Daughter. Now I’ve started her first novel The Lady of Milkweed Manor. When I finish that one I’ll post a review of what I read so far.
It takes me a lot longer to get through non-fiction books so I am only ½ way through The Popcak’s Beyond the Birds and The Bees.
For my spiritual reading am using The Imitation of Christ.
Memorizing
Brian’s cell and work phone number. LOL. I know it sounds crazy but I am so used to speed dialing or clicking his name on my iPhone that I never punch in the actual
numbers!
Catholic Women Bloggers to Encourage
My sister (because I am missing her so much!) – Barefoot and Sometimes Pregnant
Colleen’s Green Grass Besides enjoying her blog, I love her mad photography skills. 😉
Captured

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Jesus beckons.




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{pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 48 / 7 Quick Takes (10/12/12) Mash-Up: Preggers Boom, Words of Love & Target-aholics

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~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~


AND

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Time for a Friday evening {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up/ & fave Instagrams of the week.

– 1 –



{happy}



It’s Beginning to Feel A Lot Like… – We’ve had our first rain of the season this week and it was wonderful! It has become tradition that once the first rain comes I listen to Christmas music and drink a cup of hot chocolate in anticipation of the holidays to come. I love it!

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– 2 –



{pretty}



Blue Heaven – The day after the storm the sky was so pretty as the clouds moved out and the sun broke through the freshly washed land.

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– 3 –



Biological Clock Ticking? – I’ve got baby on the brain. No, no, I am not expecting, and frankly, Brian and I believe this may be the end. Of course, one can never say never with God. But I have been thinking about it more. Normally, when I talk to people (not other Catholic families who already have a lot of kids but acquaintances or strangers) they are surprised that we have four kids and tell me how my hands must be full, blah, blah, blah, blah. (Bella and I say this often in Hotel Transylvania style. 😉 The other day we met a woman we know from church. She is a retired pediatrician and had 5 kids of her own. After we chatted, she said she was happy that we had 5 children…I corrected her and told her we only had 4. No worries! She said we should have another baby because we are such a wonderful, holy family etc. I smiled because to this sweet grandma, anyone under 45 was still considered young, despite my bones that creak in the morning and the new wrinkles and dark circles I’m finding under my eyes.
A few days later we had our carpets cleaned by a great local company and the guy, who I am assuming was about our age, was asking about our kids and if we were going to have any more. When we said we weren’t sure but didn’t think so, he said we were still young and should have another! He had eight of his own and said it was hard work but worth it. I told Brian if one more person tells us we should have another baby we may have to pray about whether or not God is trying to tell us something. LOL

– 4 –



Baby Boom – I may also have baby on the brain because there is a preggers boom in blogging land! Now, of course whenever you get a group of practicing Catholic mamas together, you are bound to have a number of overlapping pregnancies but it seems like every week another blogger (or two) is announcing the blessing of a little one growing in them. By the way, that reminds me to offer congratulations to Jen, Hallie, Jenna, and the recently announced Dawn. (I could also add Betty and Karianna but they are either farther along or on the home stretch.) Okay, who’s next? (And stop looking at me.)

– 5 –



{funny}



Touché – In the meantime, my little climber Matthew continues to scale the furniture. It has become a game to him. His latest is to climb up on the TV stand and sit in front of the screen. Literally. Usually he then calls, “Mama!!!” and when I walk in he either laughs and say, “Ge Dow” (get down) or he shakes his finger at me and says, “No, no, no.”

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Although on this day Pocoyo came on the screen and he was too absorbed to repeat to me all the things I usually tell him.




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That look says, “You know, Mama, if you were really mad at me you’d stop taking photos and laughing about it on your blog.”



– 6 –



Mother of the Zombie Apocalypse – There is nothing sweeter than hearing your kids say their prayers. There is often also a touch of humor as they are still getting the correct wording down. The other day Andrew was praying the Hail Mary and I just caught the end which sounded more like dialogue in a zombie movie…”Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for our innards now and we are deaf.”

– 7 –



He Sounds Like Buckwheat from Little Rascals – In the past, since Andrew and John-Paul were both speech delayed (and A. having borderline apraxia) I would long to hear them say the words “I love you.” The other evening as I was kissing them goodnight Andrew said, “I love you, Mommy” and John-Paul echoed “I lub you, mama!” I was moved to tears. As I kissed them and told them to have sweet dreams I got JP’s signature, “Otay, mama!”

– BONUS TAKE 8 –



{real}




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Like Mother, Like Son – Speaking of John-Paul, he is usually my shopping buddy but I think I created a bit of a shopping monster. Everyday this week when I took him to school, as I turned off the highway to go towards his school he would yell from the backseat, “No, no! Go Target!” Every day. This morning he was off from school and I told him he had to get dressed so we could run errands. He exclaimed, “Go Target, Mama!” Yes, we were going to Target. Brian looked at us quizzically and I explained that he loved to go shopping at Target. He just shook his head and prayed under his breath, “Save us, Jesus.” One Target-aholic in the family is enough.
Have a wonderful weekend!

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{pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 47 / 7 Quick Takes (10/5/12) Mash-Up: Heat, WTH Gas & Zombies

round button chicken



~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~


AND

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Time for a Friday evening {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.


– 1 –



{happy}




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I Love You, Fog – This morning Brian worked the early shift and he told me I could go out and take a walk at the beach. It has been awhile since I’ve taken that trail. It started out foggy but then it warmed up and the sun came out. Although I am not complaining about the fog! I was soo happy to see it return after this week’s heat wave!

– 2 –




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Daddy Long Legs – My hat goes off to all those people who have endured the summer heat for three long months. We had a heat wave in Carmel (with the hottest day hitting 90 by the coast) and we barely lasted three days. Although I was a major grouch able to remain incredibly cheerful, the kids were like zombies on the couch begging for cups of ice. I was hunting high and low for shorts that would fit the boys since it was never hot enough all summer to buy any new ones. I finally found some in a box of too small clothes and for three days the boys looked like retro basketball players with their too small, short-shorts. We are so cool-weather spoiled, it is ridiculous.

– 3 –



{happy}




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Spoiler Alert – Remember when I was telling you about Ryan Charles Trusell and his publication Ora et Labora et Zombies? Well, we got the next two letters this week and Brian and I were so happy! Well, at first we weren’t though, because it caused a little ruckus in the house. After I told Brian about the novel and encouraged him to read with me, he became intrigued and got into the story too. So the other day when he got the mail and found the envelope he was excited to open it right away. I told him it had my name on the envelope so it was actually my mail to open. (Okay, so I was teasing him a bit.) I told him he could read it first but he knows the rules – he can’t give me any spoilers or tell me what happens. Well, later I asked him how the next installment was and he said, “It’s getting good! So-and-so does such-and-such…” Nooooo! He broke the only rule he had. Now he knows he is not allowed to read the upcoming installments until I a have read it first. LOL.

– 4 –



{funny}




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Here is a sample of things the boys do in the room with me, while I am on the computer. There’s nothing quite as fun as leaping from couch to chair, especially if you happen to land on your brother.

– 5 –



{real}




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WTH! – After my walk this morning I went to go fill up my car with gas. I could not believe how much the prices have jumped up in just a week! It is flippin insane! The guy who got gas before me paid $136. That is a huge tank and huge bill!

– 6 –



Monkey See, Monkey Do – Speaking of WTH, speech therapy has been going well for Andrew and John-Paul. Andrew still needs a lot of work with the blends and clarity in general but we are making progress. JP is not as bad and has been saying words clearly and making short sentences now. I knew he was making progress when he came into the room exclaiming, “What de heck!” Now he says it all the time. Brian just gives me that look that says, see what you’ve taught him. I don’t get it. I was proud that I was able to control my language to not say “what the hell” in front of the kids. I guess we better stay away from the holier homeschool groups for awhile.

– 7 –



I was debating whether the next take should be about a new soup recipe I tried (that Brian loved!) or about all the awesome church feast days in October. However, I just looked at the clock and realized I am late starting dinner. We are having homemade (lower fat) mac ‘an cheese, ham steaks and broccoli. Yum! So I’ll save those other takes for later.
Have a great weekend!

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