Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to Friday Favorites (a link-up posting every 1st and 3rd Friday.) I’m glad you could join us. 🙂 Here are this week’s favorites…

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This Week’s Fave Evening Activity with my Boys

Read Aloud

For years, I have been hearing about Sarah MacKenzie’s Read Aloud Revival. I’d see numerous photos on Instagram with little ones all nestled on the couch with their mama reading childhood classics together. I have to admit that I’d roll my eyes and was slightly jealous of their perfect little kids listening intently. My boys would read picture books with me when they were little but now they are too independent and rambunctious to sit and listen to me read. Then a strange thing happened. During Lent I wanted each of my boys to read a saint book. One of my sons chose Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of Auschwitz but there were some words he didn’t know and he didn’t understand the meaning of the paragraph. I told him to sit down next to me on the couch and we’d read the paragraph together. I explained what it meant and read some more. His two brothers saw us and they sat on the couch next to us. As I sat there reading aloud to them it hit me, wow, my boys are the kind of kids who would sit and listen to me while I read them a story. I had to stifle a tear.

The following day after our evening family prayer, I picked up the book about Maximilian Kolbe again and asked the boys if they’d like me to continue reading. They all ran to the couch and sat down. The next day and we did the same as well as the day after that. So started our entrance into the world of the Read Aloud Revival. And I love it. (With that in mind, any suggestions for our next book? My boys are 6, 8, & 10)

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This Week’s Fave Homework Assignment

I Dream of Being A Priest

When my six year old had a school assignment to write about something he’d like to dream, I thought for sure he’d write about being a football player. I was happily surprised when he chose a priest instead. Although, his little mind still struggles between the two. I overheard this conversation the other day.

Matthew: “I don’t know if I should be a priest or a football player.”

His brother: Can’t you be both?

Matthew: “But the games are usually played on Sunday and I’ll need to say Mass. That’s a problem.” (LOL. Love that.)

His brother: “Just pay football first then when you turn 30 and are too old, join the seminary.” (My little planner has it all worked out for him.) 🙂

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This Week’s Fave Drink

Orange Spice Herbal Tea

We have been having the strangest weather here on the Central Coast of California. Normally we would be well into spring with an occasional shower but instead we’ve had countless cold, gloomy and/or rainy days. (It’s pouring as I type this.) I don’t remember ever having the heater on in mid-March. (I know, I’m a California wuss that thinks 50 degrees is cold but that’s besides the point.) As such, it makes me crave a hot drink but I don’t like coffee or tea. I’ve been trying to break that pattern by getting myself used to the taste of tea. Recently I tried Simply Balanced Orange Spice Herbal Tea from Target. It smells so good (actually, it reminds me more of autumn) but the taste is pleasing and warms me up on cold mornings. They just may make a tea drinker out of me yet!

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This Week’s Fave Outdoor Activity

Deck Gardening

With the aforementioned rain, when a gorgeous sunny day arrives, I seize the opportunity to work on our deck garden. For years I suffered from a “black thumb.” I would plants flowers and herbs and inevitably forget to water them and end up with a collection of dead plants. Over the years I have gotten better (not to mention making my boys go out to water) and now I love working on our deck, planting flowers, herbs and a few small vegetables. I haven’t reached the point of having a “real” garden but for now, this is good. Just looking out my window and seeing all the colorful blooms fills my heart with love for God, Our Creator. I love it!

I also saw that Lara Casey has a series about gardening (for newbies and pros.) I’ll be reading along and using some of her advice. Lara is also running an awesome gardening give-away. Check it out here.

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This Week’s Fave Easter Basket Ideas

Sports Rosaries

Photo credit – SpunSuggr

The Catholic Sistas posted their 2018 Easter Basket Ideas with Coupon Codes on their blog. There were a lot of great Easter basket suggestions for boys and girls. With a house of boys (and one teen girl), I especially loved the Lego rosary and this sports rosary from SpunSugrr. Matthew has already requested it for his Easter basket. 🙂

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This Week’s Fave Magazine Cover

Captain America

Photo Credit – EW.com

I enjoy reading Entertainment Weekly to get all my movie, TV and entertainment news and the latest issue features 15 different covers – all Marvel characters from the upcoming Infinity War movie. (woohoo!) As I opened up the mailbox I felt like a Lotto player waiting to see if her numbers were chosen. I really wanted to get the cover with my favorite super hero. I may have yelled a little cheer when I pulled out Captain America. (My apologies to the grandma next to me that I startled.) When I brought the magazine home, the kids noticed the cover (but they aren’t allowed to read it) and they all decided that Cap looks better with a beard because now he looks like Daddy. I agree! #teambeardedmen 😉

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This Week’s Fave Reading Material

Catholic Graphic Novels

Speaking of comic book heroes, I’ve been collecting Catholic graphic novels featuring various saints. I remember back in the 80’s reading comic books about Mother Teresa. Pope John Paul II and Maximilian Kolbe. I loved reading them and was excited to find new graphic novels available for my kids to read. In an upcoming post (hopefully next week) I will review the novels and share links where you can buy them. 🙂

Those are my favorites of the week! What have you been enjoying?

Have a great weekend!

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