~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

• The fog rolling out and the sun shining.
• The sounds of the kids’ laughter as they play outside.
• A few moments to myself to write.
• Our little home that is a haven from the turmoils of the world.

Praying for..

• My mom and her fight against cancer.
• For Brian’s CT results and his upcoming appointment to see if he is still cancer free.
• All those suffering from illness, especially those with terminal a disease.
• For peace in the hearts of men and an end the senseless violence.
• All those who have asked for my prayers.
• 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, friend and those most forgotten.

Pondering…

The other day I was balancing my checkbook and when I was done I went out for my walk to keep on top of my #rol100milesin100days challenge. As I was walking I was thinking, why is it that I am walking every day but not losing any weight? And why is it that we’ve made a little extra money lately but I barely have enough to pay the bills? I had a sneaky suspicion that my guesstimating about how much I was spending and how much I was eating may be a little off from reality.

So this week I updated my monthly spending log. Then I started writing down everything that I put into my mouth. Suddenly it became apparent why mama was losing money and gaining weight. All those “insignificant” purchases here and there were adding up just as all those little nibbles here and there were. Sooo, that meant I had to get back to keeping track of what I eat and what I spend since both seem to be trigger marks that I love to indulge in. Ugh.

I was reading a blog post about a woman who was trying to curb her spending habit by making a wish list in her bullet journal. When she had the impulse to buy something she wrote it down and let a few days pass and a few dollars save up. Then when she had some extra money, she looked at her list to see if she really wanted an item on there or if the urge to buy had passed. I like that idea and may do the same. As for food, I am noticing that I always seem to screw up around 4 pm when I get the munchies. I started making sure I have baby carrots, red pepper slices or grapes on a plate in the kitchen counter to munch on. It’s not as tasty as chips and guacamole but such is life. 😉 Do you have any tips on eating and spending less??

 

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

Summer life is still busy but I have pockets of time to work on projects. I have been taking one small cleaning project a week. Last week I put up a new book shelf and filled it with books that were overflowing our current shelves. The week before I tackled the corner of my bedroom that still held a baby table and random junk. I cleared that out and made a large pile to donate to charity. This week I will tackle the kids’ bathroom.

 

Family Chit Chat…

For those who were asking, my mom’s surgery went well and she is recovering nicely. She has an appointment later this week with her oncologist to figure out the next step in her cancer fight.

Meanwhile, Brian had a CT scan on Friday to make sure his cancer has not returned. We haven’t gotten the results yet but he has an appointment with his oncologist on Thursday so we’ll know by then. I appreciate the prayers! I always dread these appointments and worry a little about “what if.” I’m trying not to think about it!

The other day I was looking at a photo of the boys from four years ago. They look so young! Especially, since I feel like they have gotten so much older this summer!

See what I mean? Big boys! I don’t know how I will feel when they are teens. (I’m still in shocked that Bella starts high school in a couple weeks!) Anyway, this month the boys have been busy with swimming and next week they’ll attend Vacation Bible School.

In between there is a lot of playing outside, visiting the library and of course playing Pokemon Go! We went to Target to get school supplies but we were delayed in the parking lot as we tried to get two critters in our car. The bottom two pictures were taken in Monterey where the boys were excited to find their first Pikachu. At least it has gotten us outdoors more. I’m sure the excitement will last for another week or so then the novelty will wear off. 😉

 

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

Monday: Roasted Chicken, artichoke pasta salad and green beans.

Tuesday: Kale ravioli, chicken sausage and asparagus.

Wednesday: Fajitas, pinto beans, 5 minute salsa and salad.

Thursday: Leftovers.

Friday: Minestrone soup and grilled cheese.

Saturday: Meatball sandwiches and salad.

Sunday: Eat out.

 

~ 4 ~

Reading…

The Summer Before the War

I’ve read Chapters 1-9 of The Summer Before the War. I stopped and waited for the book discussion over at Planned But Not Scripted. Are you it reading too? If so, add your comments on their blog post. I just did!

This week I will read the next section (and maybe just finish it ahead of schedule.) 😉

East of Eden

In the meantime, I started (and finished all 600 pages, woohoo!) East of Eden. I’ll share more about it at the end of the month when I review my July reads.

Next I am reading…

The Bronte Plot

What are you reading?

 

Watching…

(ON TV)

One of our favorite British detective shows in Endeavor. I think we have one more episode left in our DVR.

Brian and I have been watching the BBC mystery/thriller Thirteen about a young girl who escaped after 13 years of captivity. The last episode is next week and we can’t wait to see how everything is wrapped up. (Parental note: This is rated MA. Language and adult situations.)

I am also two episodes into the BBC show The Crimson Field. I’m really enjoying it so far and there are so many familiar faces. It is available for free on Amazon Prime Video. (Parental note: I think this is rated TV-14. Adult situations and some battle field gore.)

 

Listening to …

I never get tired of this one – All We Ever Knew by The Head and the Heart.

 

~ 5 ~

Recent Posts:

I haven’t posted much except for a week of book posts!

• Making A Reading Bullet Journal
• Book Reviews for 2016 – Part 3: June
• Summer 2016 Reading List

 

From the Archives:

 July 2015 –Homemade Coconut Granola (One of my favorite things to make!!)

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July 2014 – The Top Ten Theme Songs of My Life

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July 2013 – When He Wants to Fix It and You Just Want A Hug

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July 2012 – Making It Count (Vol 2): Mama & Me Journal

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July 2011 – Catholic Baby Shower Ideas

~ 6 ~

Pinned…

Photo Credit: Productive & Pretty

 

Around the blogosphere…

-> Dear Lonely Mom; You Are Not Alone by Real Catholic Mom mom.com

-> Read this, not that: Books about marriage by Like Mother, Like Daughter

-> Your Rights During a Miscarriage by Elizabeth Ministry/ Better than Eden

-> MOVIES: “THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS” by Hell Burns

-> Pray for Peace with me by Positively Imperfect

-> Bullet Journal for Busy Families with Candace Madera by Boho Berry

 

~ 7 ~

We get a lot of fog in July but the walks are still pretty.

The summer fruit is amazing!

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

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

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, 😉

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