Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Friday Favorites & Link-up Vol 3: Lent Edition & #7QT

I’d love to make Friday Favorites a regular thing so I’ll be (attempting) to post it every 1st and 3rd Friday. I’ll keep it a link-up so you can join along if you’d like. Okay, here are this week’s favorites: Lent Edition.

(Note: Revolution of Love 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.)

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This Week’s Fave Meme

 Farewell, Sweets

via GIPHY

As a family we give up sweets for Lent. It is day three and I’m already Jonesing for some chocolate. It’s going to be a looong Lent. 😉

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This Week’s Fave Retreat

Pray More Lenten Retreat

Lent is the perfect time to stop, recharge my spiritual batteries and abide with HIM. Being able to attend an online retreat at my own pace is priceless so I registered for the Pray More Lenten Retreat, a self-paced online retreat. (And it is literally priceless. You pay what you can afford.) Speakers include Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck, Fr. Thomas Quinn, Beth Davis (of Blessed Is She), Allison Gringras (of Reconciled To You), and Dr. Scott Powell. Will you be joining me?

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This Week’s Fave Praying Tool

Blessed Is She Lent Journal

I have been using BIS journals since they started years ago, so I am a bit biased about how amazing they are. I love them and always get so much out of using it. (FYI, the journal is sold out but the digital version is still available.)

Although I am using the BIS Lent journal, there have never been so many great options! There is also Elizabeth Foss’ Above All, authored by a number of lovely Catholic ladies. There are many other Catholic blogs and communities offering Lenten resources to make this a holy Lent.

 

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This Week’s Fave Journal for Kids

Selah: A Prayer Journal for Kids

I love the Blessed Is She Selah journal that I use when it’s not Advent or Lent. Now there is a companion journal for your kids!

BIS just released Selah: A Prayer Journal for Kids. I love that it is gender neutral so I can buy it for my boys to use during Lent.

 

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This Week’s Fave Spotify List

Lent Season

Along with sweets, I have also given up the radio/secular music for Lent. Instead I will listen to podcasts or praise and worship/ Christian music. I made a Lent playlist to get me started. Some songs are upbeat and some are mellow but they all turn my heart to God.  I’d like to add more songs so if you have a favorite song or Lent playlist (or Catholic podcast) you think I might enjoy, please share it with me in the comments or social media. (You can find me at all the usual hangouts @bobbi_rol.) Thanks! 🙂

 

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This Week’s Fave Books

I am also adding some spiritual reading. These are the first two on my list.

Praying With a Pen Paperback by Mary Beth Weisenburger

AND


Little Sins Mean a Lot: Kicking Our Bad Habits Before They Kick Us by Elizabeth Scalia

 

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This Week’s Fave Prayer Place

Mission Chapel


This morning I had a full schedule and was debating whether or not I should go to Mission Chapel to pray my morning prayers. Everything in me wanted to skip it, rationalizing that I wouldn’t get all my stuff done in time. But I could feel Our Lord tugging at my heart… “You can’t spare 15 minutes of your 24 hour day to sit with me?” Sigh. I couldn’t say no. I went into the Chapel and apologized for my reluctance.

I read through my BIS Lent journal/devotional and poured my heart out to God. I was surprised to realize I had been in there for over 1/2 an hour and Benediction with Jesus in the monstrance was about to happen. That prayer time touched my heart so deeply, I walked out in tears. God was moving in me in ways I would not have experienced today had I skipped that morning prayer time. I had to rearrange my schedule a bit but it all worked out in the end. So the next time God tugs as t your heart, listen. 🙂

Well, that’s it for now! What have you been enjoying this week?

And don’t forget to enter the contest to win these two 11×14 prints from Welcome Bee.

 

Lastly, I’m linking up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

Have a great weekend!

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. 😉

Are you ready to link up?? Here are the rules.

1. Create a post with your Friday Favorites.

2. Add a link back here so others can play along.

3. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address. The link-up will be open for two weeks. Have fun!



Artist Spotlight: Welcome Bee (& A Giveaway)

To celebrate Mardi Gras/ Fat Tuesday/ (Almost) Valentine’s Day for Catholics, I am bringing back Artist Spotlight (formerly called Spotlight Saturday.) In this series, I feature someone and their creativity – whether it is a crafty mama selling her creations on etsy, or a Catholic artist bringing beauty into the world or a blogger spreading the light of Christ through her (or his) words. I think it will be a great way to support the people who are making the word a little brighter with their God given talents.

Today’s featured artists are Cora and Julie from Welcome Bee.

I’ve been a fan of the Welcome Bee Shop for a couple years now. They sell prints (digital and hard copies), cards, journals and more. I always keep an eye on their Instagram feed because they’ll sometimes have limited item products available for purchase.

I still love this Fruit of the Spirit canvas I bought two years ago.

Their products are lovely and the packages arrive in the mailbox with extra touches that brighten your day. 🙂

Happy Mail indeed!

I wanted to learn more about these lovely ladies so I was excited when they agreed to do an interview for the blog. Without further ado…

Cora and her mom Julie. // Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you start your company?

My mom and I started our company after mass one day in January of 2015. My son was about 5 months old and I had been longing to spread my creative wings and grow stronger in my Catholic faith. My mom had been homeschooling through the Divine Mercy homeschool and had longed to find a creative outlet where she could include her Catholic faith. I had been living in Florida and she lived in California. I happened to be visiting and we went to daily mass, where we heard a beautiful homily about being beacon of Christ light to all around. We left mass, looked at each other and said yes! But how? After talking about different ideas we thought about how our family had started making family Christmas cards after my sister Faith passed away. It was a way to bring Christ’s light to our friends and family during the season of Advent. We knew in our hearts we wanted to bring light to others through greeting cards. It soon grew to prints, wood pieces, crosses and canvas.

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

What is the inspiration behind the name “Welcome Bee?”

Welcome Bee comes from welcoming all to see, feel and know Christ! Bee comes from my maiden name and my mom’s married name “busby” (pronounced buzz bee). After my mom got married her family started giving her “Bee” trinkets and her collection soon grew. We then found that the Bee is a symbol of Our Blessed Mother and just knew we wanted to combine the two! Our logo is also done in blue for the Blessed Mother.

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

Cora, being a busy mom, making art and running a business, how do you juggle it all?

It has not been easy to juggle the vocation of marriage, motherhood and artist but I know I can’t do one with out the other. I have my husband and family there with me to help me juggle it all! It is also a HUGE help and blessing to be able to do this with my mom. We balance each other out, we’re best friends and we help each other out when one is working on a project and needs a little extra help around the house.

 

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

Julie, how has this experience been to work with your daughter in something that you both love?

It’s been a dream come true, really. To share this passion with my daughter is a true blessing! She gives me confidence and she can just “read” me. She knows when to push me and when to bring one of my grand sons in for a snuggle to pick me up when I’m struggling. I had no idea that God has this plan in mind for me and it’s just so exciting!

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) pieces of artwork you’ve created?

(Cora) One of my favorite pieces of art is actually apart of my new collection that will be launched by the end of February. It combines the beautiful history of our Catholic faith with the growth that I’ve had as an artist.

(Julie) One of my favorite pieces of art is an angel that I drew to represent my daughter, Faith, who is an angel herself in heaven. It was my very first drawing on our first batch of stationery.

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

Any advice for someone who feels the desire to be more creative but is not quite sure where to start?

(Julie) I would say, “Follow your heart, the Holy Spirit, that little voice inside that’s telling you to start…Pray about it (lots) and then…just start! God will guide you in your creative endeavors! Give Him the glory all along the way!

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

What projects are you working on right now?

(Cora) I am currently working on a very special project that God has been calling me too for the last few months. It is a beautiful combination of our blessed Catholic faith and the hard work and growth of my art. I will start to release the finished project in the next few weeks! My mom is working on expanding her gorgeous greeting card line! She comes up with the sweet sayings on the outside and inside of each card and pairs it with the most beautiful little illustration!

Photo credit: Welcome Bee Shop

Any last words?

Thank you so much for inviting us to do this giveaway! It brings such encouragement to have such a beautiful and creative Catholic women’s community. God bless!

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A big thank you to Cora and Julie for participating! To share the love we have an awesome treat for a lucky winner courtesy of the Welcome Bee Shop! You can win not one but two 11 x 14 prints. You can keep them both or share one with a friend.

Prize 1 (Frame not included.)

Prize 2 (Other pictured items not included.)

To enter, use Rafflecopter below.  The contest will end Saturday, February 24. I’ll announce the winner on the 25th. Have fun and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. 😉


Online Daybook/ Currently/ 7QT: January 2018 Review

RevolutionofLove.com - logo_online_daybook_1

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od_logo_quiet2Grateful for…

  • A fun weekend with my love and little ones.
  • A mom-daughter day out with new haircuts.
  • The beauty of spring.
  • My family.
  • Workmen who fix the broken parts of our home.
  • All the little things we take for granted like a warm bed, running water and food on the table.

Praying for..

  • Many special intentions from family and friends, especially those carrying heavy crosses.
  • Those fighting cancer, illness and mental health issues.
  • For victims of abuse, hatred or injustice and for the conversion of their perpetrators.
  • For the unemployed to find work.
  • 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…

Today I happened to write the Blessed Is She devotion for the Mass readings of the day. It was just what I needed to hear because I am ready for a spiritual reboot. I made sure that going to confession was added to my Saturday schedule. It is very easy for me make excuses not to go to confession but I can tell the difference when I go beyond a month. It’s like I am running on spiritual fumes. Eventually, I had to make it a habit to go once a month and add it the family calendar so the kids old enough to attend know it is a normal part of our Catholic life. So if it’s been awhile since you’ve gone to confession, I encourage you to take the plunge as we begin Lent next week! Are you feeling nervous? I’ll be especially praying for you. Even if I don’t know you by name, God knows and He’ll know the prayers are meant for you. xoxo

 

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Around the House…

The purging and spring cleaning continues. Last week I focused on the kitchen. This week is supposed to be the bathrooms (God help me) but my schedule is so packed, I don’t think I’ll be home much. Sigh. It may have to get bumped to next week.

 

Family Chit Chat…

January Memories – We welcomed 2018! // We celebrated the Epiphany with Coldstone ice cream. // Bella got her braces off. Yay! // I returned to my morning prayer beach walks after a looong absence. // I went on a date with my Sweetie. // We rejoiced that Brian’s cancer test came out clean. Blessed be God! // I started Bible journaling for the first time. // I started purging and spring cleaning the house. // I practiced my hand lettering.

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revolution of love blog - od_logo_kitchen

In the Kitchen…

I was craving wonton soup the other day so I made my easy Trader Joe version. I took photos so I can post the recipe next week.

Here’s a preview.

 

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revolution of love blog - od_logo_sights

 

Reading…

A Man Called Ove

The Other Side of Fear: How I Found Peace by Hallie Lord

Next in line…

Frankenstein

(For Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Reading Challenge category – A Classic I Haven’t read Yet.)

And for Lent…

And of course since next week starts Lent (what the what?!) I will also start my Blessed Is She Lent Journal.

I was also thinking of adding a spiritual book such as this…

Little Sins Mean a Lot: Kicking Our Bad Habits Before They Kick Us by Elizabeth Scalia

 

Speaking of Lent, I just heard about the online Lenten Retreat at PrayMoreRetreat.com and I’m seriously thinking of signing up.

Watching…

(MOVIES IN THEATERS)

These are the movies I’ve seen since I last did my Online Daybook posts in August. (#blogslacker) Most of these I haven’t seen  in months so I will just give a few thoughts since I don’t really remember all the details.

Victoria and Abdul – Now that I am watching BBC’s  Victoria, it is fascinating to see a story about her unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim during the later years of her life. It was a sweet story with a bit of quirky comedy. I usually like to compare the movie to the actual history, so I found this article from History vs Hollywood interesting –  Victoria and Abdul (2017). (Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language.)

Thor: Ragnarok – I’ve enjoyed previous Thor films but they weren’t favorites of the Marvel big guys. However, I thought this one was definitely the most fun and humorous and I loved Kate Blanchett as the villain. The DVD/Blu ray comes out on Feb 20 just in time for date night. 😉 (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material.)

Coco – I went to see this with my family last Thanksgiving and I honestly didn’t think I would like it very much. I went in skeptical and came out loving it with all my make up cried off. Strong messages of family, caring for our elders and remembering our dead. You will have to clarify with your kids Catholic teaching regarding the after life and praying for departed souls. Also, a few scary-ish parts for the youngest of your littles. (Rated  PG for thematic elements.)

Wonder – I really enjoyed the book and the movie was sweet, heartwarming and family friendly. Everything works out a the end and some bullies are reformed. It may seem a little unrealistic at times but it is a good food for thought, especially when talking to your kids about bullying, the dignity of life and the value of all God’s children. (Rated PG for thematic elements including bullying, and some mild language .)

Star Wars: the Last Jedi – What can I say? I watched it three times and can’t wait for the Blu-ray to come out. That doesn’t mean it didn’t have it’s flaws – The Rey looking into the mirror scene was weird, the Casino scene dragged, I wish the guy characters would have been as strong as the female ones, and I’m not sure if I like Rose, to name a few. However, there was much more that I loved including Princess Leah, Rey and Kylo fighting together, Luke’s scenes at the end, to also name a few. You either love it or hate it. (Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.)

I, Tonya – I went to the movies last week and this was the only movie playing (that I was willing to watch) at the time I was there. Now, I’m old enough to vividly remember watching Tonya and Nancy skate and all the drama that went with it. I found the movie to be fascinating and incredibly sad. It gave me a whole new appreciation of Tonya Harding and why she was so rough around the edges. Margot Robbie’s transformation into Tonya was incredible. Kudos to her. However, the movie is on the darker side with a lot of language, scenes of domestic abuse and some sexual content/brief nudity so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you don’t mind that or don’t mind looking away.   (Rated R for pervasive language, violence, and some sexual content/nudity.)

Next in line I hope to watch the WWII movie The Darkest Hour, along with some other Academy Nominees that I haven’t seen yet. Although, there were a couple of movies nominated that I don’t even recognize. Lol.

 

(TV)

As I mentioned last week, I finally started Season 1 of Young Queen Victoria. I don’t know what took me so long. I am really enjoying it! I’ll jump into Season 2 as soon as I am done.

On Sunday we also watched the Super Bowl episode of This Is Us. Wow, this show always tugs at the tear ducts but they were were really working on overtime tonight. I. Can’t. Even. Imagine. I hugged Brian and all the kids extra hard the next morning!

 

Listening to …

Added to my playlist…

Rely by Flor

Mourning Sounds by Grizzly Bear

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Added to the boys’ playlist…

I Just Need You by TobyMac

I also enjoyed hearing the story behind the song.

 

 

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revolution of love blog - od_logo_blog

Recent Posts:

It’s funny that I blogged very little last year and was thinking about quitting all together but then something happened in the new year and the posts started flowing. These were posted in January.

2018 Reading Challenge and A Review of the 2017’s Book Reading

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My 2018 Word and Saint of the Year

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She Who Believed: The Blessed Is She 2018 Lent Journal

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Friday Favorites & Link-up Vol 1 & 7QT

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The Blessed Is She Bible and Bible Journaling Tools

Friday Favorites & Link-up Vol 2 & 7 QT

 

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From the Archives

In time for Valentine’s Day…

RevolutionofLove.com - love_notes_1

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

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And in time for Lent…

Lent Activities for the Home

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RevolutionofLove.com - When We Are Carrying A Cross Not Meant for Us (cross_W)

Lenten Update: When We’re Carrying a Cross Not Meant for Us

 

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Pinned…

I’d like to try this for a Friday in Lent – One Pan Mexican Quinoa by Vegan Heaven

 

Around the blogosphere…

Here are some posts I’ve been reading…

 

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RevolutionofLove.com - od_logo_captured_2

It was just snapped with my phone but… Morning glory.


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

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.”


Friday Favorites & Link-up Vol 2 & #7QT

I had so much fun last week with Friday Favorites, I’m back again, although a little later in the day than expected. Here are the things that I am loving this week. 🙂

(Note: Revolution of Love 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.)

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This Week’s Fave Charity

Children of Compassion

For the last couple of weeks my boys have been raising money for Children of Compassion, which helps orphaned and disabled in Africa get a Catholic education. What I loved about the experience  was that it was more than a nameless charity. The boys had a number of Facebook Live sessions in the classroom where they met, talked and sang songs for the kids in Africa. When a financial goal was met and another scholarship was paid we knew the child’s name and saw their picture. It brought the experience to life and gave heart to the boys’ charitable endeavors.

Today, after finding sponsors to donate money (thank you, generous givers if you happen to be reading this!) they ran a mile to complete their fundraiser. It was a great way to end Catholic schools week! (I love this charity so much I’ll be writing more about it in a separate blog post.)

 

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This Week’s Fave Old School Activity

Letter Writing

This month is International Correspondence Writing Month (known as InCoWrMo.) For the last couple of years I have participated in the #InCoWrMo challenge in which I pledge to mail or give one letter, card or note to someone every day this month. With Valentine’s Day and numerous family birthdays in February, I’ve got a head start, which is good because except for Christmas cards, I haven’t sent out much mail this year. (Although I am happy that my Catholic pen pal group has recently turned one year old!)

mail_vs_emailSource: Unknown

But this month is my chance to make up for it! Do you want me so send you a note saying hello? I’ll send a short note/card to the first ten readers who email me their mailing address {rol (at) revolutionoflove.com} or you can DM me on social media. (I’m on all the basics @bobbi_rol.) I’m ready for some happy writing!

 

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This Week’s Fave Book

A Man Called Ove

Last week I asked for recommendations regarding which classic book I should read next from a list of unread titles. The most votes went to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and second place to Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I added both to my 2018 Reading List. However, I took so long to decide and check out the book, I started reading A Man Called Ove since it was already on my book shelf. I’m halfway though and really enjoying it so far. I will tackle Frankenstein once I’m done. (And thanks for the recommendations!)

 

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This Week’s Fave Catholic Item/ Print

Love Endures by Welcome Bee

February is here so it’s time for Valentine decor in the house. I bought a pretty frame on clearance last year but didn’t have a 11×14 print to go inside it until now. Welcome Bee is having a sale so I picked up this Love Endures print. It’s perfect!

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This Week’s Fave Snack

Kirkland Organic Nacho Cheese Multigrain Tortilla Chips

It’s Super Bowl weekend so you know what that means… the big party game! Yeah, I’m not much of a sport fan unless it’s the Packers (gotta root for hubby’s fave) so I won’t really be watching the game. However, I will make sure there’s plenty of tasty treats! In the chips department we’ll forgo Doritos and instead have these delicious new organic nacho cheese chips from Costco. Warning: grab a few then close the bag or else you won’t want to stop. (Ask me how I know.) 😉

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This Week’s Fave Kid-Friendly Song

Witness by Jordan Feliz

When I am in the car I usually listen to SiriusXM Alt Nation but it’s not always kid friendly so I stick to the Christian station when they are in the car. My boys love Jordan Feliz and they were all excited when his new song Witness came out. They ask to listen to it every time they come into the car. Luckily, I like it too so that’s ok. 🙂 

 

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This Week’s Fave TV Show

Young Victoria

Okay, so I’m super late to the game. Victoria, Season 1 has been sitting in my DVR for a year. When Season 2 started recording I figured I’d better get going. I don’t know why it took me so long but I’m a few episodes in and I’m loving it. I hope to finish Season 1 soon so I can catch up on Season 2. If you’re watching too, did you like the second season as much (without giving spoilers!) 😉

Okay, that’s it. What have you been enjoying this week?

If you’re a blogger, I’d love for you to link up.

And if it’s before Sun, Feb 4, then link up with Ashley for January’s Five Favorites. (She has a give-away going on too!)

If you post about 7 favorites, link up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

Source: CBS/Big Bang Theory

Have a great weekend and enjoy the big game!

 

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, 😉

Are you ready to link up?? Here are the rules.

1. Create a post with your Friday Favorites.

2. Add a link back here so others can play along.

3. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address. Have fun!



Friday Favorites & Link-up Vol 1 & 7QT

It’s been another busy week and I needed a break so I thought I would do a short but fun post with my Friday Favorites. Here are the things that I am loving this week. 🙂

(Note: Revolution of Love 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.)

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This Week’s Fave Anticipation

Hints of Spring

It’s been rainy the last few days but there are signs of spring around as tiny buds are showing and a few are beginning to bloom. I can’t wait until March so I can start planting flowers on our deck garden.

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This Week’s Fave Lotion

“Happiness” Aromatherapy Lotion

For Christmas I received a new lotion called Happiness from Bath and Body Works. It has Bergamot Essential Oil, which creates a sense of well being and Mandarin Essential Oil, which helps improve mood. I’ve gotta admit, I think it works! I love the fresh, citrusy smell and so do my boys. Each of my three little guys came up to me (at different times) and hugged me and said I smelled really good. So either this stuff is great or… I normally smell like crap. 😉

 

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This Week’s Fave Book

Harry Potter

For the last three months my Reading List has been dominated by the Harry Potter series. In November I read the first book for the first time. After that I couldn’t put them down until I finished them all. (I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to wait a year between books.) Today I officially finished all the books (and the movies) with plenty of tears shed in between. After so much HP, I am not sure what book to tackle next!

I want to do a classic I have yet to read and looked over Modern Mrs. Darcy’s suggestions and have narrowed it down to either Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy or The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. Any suggestions on which one to pick?

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This Week’s Fave Catholic Item

Photo credit: smallthingsgr8tlove

“To Jesus through Mary” Rosary Pouch

I bought this cute canvas rosary pouch from smallthingsgr8love on etsy. This would be a great little gift for Valentines or in an Easter basket.

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This Week’s Fave Comfort

The Sisterhood/Brotherhood of Prayer

This morning Brian is going for another one of his big cancer tests. He’s taken this test three times in his life so far. The first time is when they first found the cancer. The second time was when the cancer came back after his surgery. The third time they didn’t find cancer but on that same day his dad had a stoke and was changed forever. Sooo this test has very unhappy memories for our family!

Cancer is such a roller coaster ride. Even when it is gone, you can never feel fully “free” from it since there is the constant testing to make sure it hasn’t returned. It is a good thing so it can be detected early and dealt with but it also makes it harder because you’re constantly thrown back into “what if” mode every time a test date approaches.  In the meantime, I am thankful for the prayers of my family and friends who pray not only for a positive outcome but for our family to not let fear overtake our hope and faith in God. I am so thankful to all of those lifting us up in prayer. May the end of this test be filled with joy and thanksgiving.

UPDATE: Brian’s procedure/testing went well and the doc said everything looks great. No signs of cancer. Blessed be God!

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This Week’s Fave Learning Tool

Home Organization

In January, after the holidays and all the excess, I always get the itch to purge, simplify and organize. These two books have been my reading material and motivation.

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living

and

A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living

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This Week’s Fave Challenge

Organized Simplicity Challenge (Jan 22 – Feb 2 2018)

To put what I am learning into action, I have joined Stephanie Wood Weinert’s #organizedsimplicity Challenge. She is following the Organized Simplicity book (above) and has a Facebook Group for participants to follow along. Full disclosure, I can never seem to get all the work done on the days assigned since there are some days I am not home at all but I do what I can.

Katheryn Whitaker is joining Stephanie and the other day on an IG Live she said three things that really stuck with me. Paraphrased:

  1. Strive for better not perfect. Even if only a small amount of progress is made, it is still better than when we started.
  2. Purging is a process. We’re never really “done” because as time passes our family’s needs changes and the purge continues.
  3. When you have order in your home, you leave space in your heart for Christ.  (I especially love that one.)

There’s more I want to share but I’ll save that for later in a separate post. 🙂

Okay, that’s it for this week. I’d love to hear what your favorites are this week. I added a link-up for anyone interested.

And if you happen to list 7 favorites, you can also link-up with awesome Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

Then go and link up with one of my favorite bloggers, Ashley for January’s Five Favorites. I’m so excited! I didn’t realize she was still doing Five Favorites. Plus, she is also doing an awesome give away!

Happy Friday!

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, 😉

Are you ready to link up?? Here are the rules.

1. Create a post with your Friday Favorites.

2. Add a link back here so others can play along.

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