Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

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Tag Archives: five favorites

Five Favorites (Vol 9) & What We’re Reading Wednesday (Vol 2)

We’ve got a lot of linking today for one small post.

This is Day 3 of Jen’s 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge.

This is linked to Hallie’s (guest hosted by Grace) Five Favorites

Lastly, Fave #4 is linked to Jessica’s What We’re Reading Wednesday. Enjoy!

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New School Supplies

Fall may still be a couple months away but it seems a lot closer with all the back to school supplies in the stores. As a kid, picking out new school supplies ranked up there with opening Christmas presents and decades later that hasn’t changed. Happily, my daughter shares my enthusiasm for journals, notebooks and cute pens. Bella and I went to Target the other night and we were giddy picking out new school/ office supplies. It was a lovely mother daughter bonding moment. 🙂

~ 2 ~

Photo Challenges

I love those daily photo challenges you see on Instagram and Facebook and I’m currently participating in two – #fmsphotoaday on Instagram and #31dayfunphotochallenge on Facebook.

A friend of the family, Carole, created the FB one so I made the cover shot for her. 🙂

Here are a few other photos I’ve posted so far.

Day 1: Black & White (As long as he stays out of my house we’re good. 😉

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Day 2: Something that starts with the first letter of my name – Brian & Beach.

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Day 5: Tiny – It is amazing that a tiny round piece of gold can hold so much meaning.

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Day 10: My Favorite Color

 

~ 3 ~

My Kindle

Our house is filled with books on numerous book shelves and I do prefer to read non fiction books in paper back so I can highlight and make comments in the margins. However, when I read fiction it must be on my Kindle (or Kindle app on my iphone) or I’ll never get any reading done. I love that I can read a few pages on my computer or my Kindle then open the app on my phone later in the day and it will sync to where I left off on my other devices. I don’t have big chunks of time to sit and read so I fit in a few pages when I can. And if I’m reading a “I-can’t-put-this-down” book then you’ll see my reading on my phone as I’m folding laundry and stirring spaghetti sauce or scrubbing the shower. (Who am I kidding? I cant remember the last time I scrubbed the shower, but I digress.) The point is I love having my current reads at my fingertips at any time!

 

~ 4 ~

What I’m Reading/ Fave Book of the Week: Angela’s Song by AnneMarie Creedon

I love my reading list on GoodReads.com and I have been trying to alternate reading a “regular” fiction book and a Catholic fiction book. Since I did Austenland last week, this week it was Angela’s Song by AnneMarie Creedon, available in paperback or on Kindle.

Amazon Description:

Angela ‘Jel’ Cooke is a widow and mother of three who stays busy so as not to have to face the fact that her marriage was damaged and her husband, Devin, died before it could be repaired. Her good friends realize that no amount of home made lasagna, volunteering at church or late night games of Yahtzee can heal Angela from past regrets. When she meets Jack, the teacher of a class she is taking, he challenges her to face her demons. What follows is the poignant, yet often hilarious saga of how Angela overcomes her guilt and learns to love herself and others.

Many of the stories I read have a lot of action and tension that forces me to keep turning the page but that wasn’t the case with this book. There wasn’t a big, dramatic story arc but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There was an easy pace of getting to know Angela and her story and watching a romance unfold. There were times when I thought Jack, the boyfriend, was a little too perfect but then again, he reminded me a lot of my hubby, just an unbelievable man of God. The writing is well done and this is a great novel for those who like their books to be very “Catholic.” Catholic elements and teaching were entwined throughout the story. For some that is a good thing, for others it’s a turn off.

Personally I could go either way but I will say that some of what was written was speaking to me directly. I happened to be reading the end of the book after I had an argument with Brian. As I was sitting there reading one of the character’s words about marriage and sacrifice and carrying the cross, I rolled my eyes and muttered something like, “Yeah, but wait until the honeymoon is long over…” As I kept on reading the Holy Spirit was at work and the words touched my heart I could see how silly and selfish I was being by staying angry at Brian. I swallowed my pride and apologized and in the end was happy to make up with him. 🙂 If a book could do that, that’s pretty good. That gave it a grade of 4 out of 5 stars. Go check it out.

 

~ 5 ~

“Angela’s Song” Playlist

Author AnneMarie Creedon gets major kudos for creating a playlist for her book on Spotify. It contains all the songs mentioned in her book – from Frank Sinatra to Lady Antebellum to Black Eyed Peas. Pretty cool.

Have a blessed day!

PS – Don’t forget the Pinterest Party Link-up runs until Aug 6 and you can use a new or old post. 🙂

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Five Favorites: Hair Edition

~ 1 ~

My daughter Bella has long wavey hair that tends to get dry and a little frizzy. My hairdresser used It’s A 10 Miracle Leave In Product after giving her a haircut and her hair looked so pretty and healthy. When she wants to wear her hair wavey (which, actually, isn’t often) I spray some on her damp hair, comb it through with my fingers and twist random sections of her hair and then let it air dry. Afterwards I gently run my hands through her hair to loosen the twists and he has lovely long waves. (The kind of hair I always wished I had!)

 

~ 2 ~

Ironically, she does not like her hair wavey. She likes it smooth and straight. I bought a basic flat iron for about $35 and although it worked well enough, her straight hair never lasted beyond a day or two, regardless of the hair product we used with it.

Then while visiting my family I borrowed my sister’s expensive $150 Ultra Chi Flat Iron for Bella. It was like magic. Her hair was silky straight with the right product (see below) and it lasted for days. We both loved it but I didn’t want to spend the money. After waiting a few months Ulta finally had their Ultra Chi flat irons on sale (I got the cute chevron design with a free tote bag) and I was able to use my store points to get the price closer to $80. It was still a chunk of money (for us) but I don’t regret it at all. It does a great job and saves me time not having to straighten so often. And saved time is priceless. 😉

 

~ 3 ~

We tried various hair straightening products and our favorite is hands down Matrix Sleek Look Iron Smoother. It works wonders. (If I have time later I’ll add some before and after photos. :-))

 

~ 4 ~

This favorite is posted for Rebekah. 99% of the time, I am wearing my hair up, usually with a scarf or head band. In last week’s Theme Thursday photo challenge we had to do a self-portrait and my hair was up, as normal. She said she loved the hair band I wore and asked about it. So here you go, Rebekah! It is a crocheted hair band that I purchased last year at the mall. (I think Claire’s?) I haven’t seen them again since then, which is a sham because I love it. I especially like that it is made wide on the top (with the flower on the side) and very narrow at the bottom.

I did, however,  find a similar one on Etsy at the RoseJasmine store.

~ 5 ~

Lastly, I was going to share the magic that a good professional cut can do and the hair products that work for my crazy, frizz ball curly hair but I already posted about that last year. So instead of repeating myself, go visit the original post. Let’s just say, here is the before and after!

Thanks to Hallie for hosting!

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Five Favorites, Vol 6: Old Movies, Spring Accessories & Humor

As I mentioned yesterday, the stress of the no water situation, sick kids, and that little kitchen fire had me on my last nerve but now that the water is flowing, the kids are cleaned off and the smoke has cleared I can spend 15 minutes thinking of my five favorites this week.

~~ 1 ~~

Spring

 

When my soul needs a little uplifting I go outside and breath in the beauty of God’s creation.

 

~~ 2 ~~

TCM

 

Source

Brian and I love classic movies and the Turner Classic Movies channel keeps a steady supply going. There have been a lot of great ones on lately and the other day they had on one of my top 10 favorites playing – 1946’s The Best Years of Our Lives starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Harold Russell. It is the story of three servicemen who return from war and must adjust to civilian life. I especially love the relationship between Homer and his fiancee Wilma. He lost his hands in the war and feels he needs to break up with Wilma so she can find someone else. The scene where he finally confronts her and shows her what it would be like to take care for him if they were to marry makes me cry EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Go watch it.

 

~~ 3 ~~

Flats

 

I am not a heels type of girl. The tallest heel I wear is when I put on my running shoes (not that I ever actually run, mind you) instead of my converse. I’m barefoot (or in socks) at home and in flats out of the house. I was so happy when I found these comfy and cute Women’s Claire Scrunch Flat from Payless last year. Since they are having their Bogo’s buy one, get one ½ price sale right now, I just picked up two more pairs in navy and nude.

 

~~ 4 ~~

Cute Totes

 

If a new pair of shoes didn’t perk up my week then a new bag certainly did. I got this cute summer-inspired Nine West Bayshort Tote on sale at DSW. It makes me want to head over to the beach and stroll the boardwalk.    


~~ 5 ~~

Funny Videos

 

Last week on my Facebook page I posted that Dove Real Beauty video with the forensic artist drawing how women see themselves vs. how others see them. Now there is a parody video about how men see themselves. While not all men are like this, I have met plenty who are. 😉

Thanks to Hallie for hosting! Go on over and enjoy a lot more.

Oh, and don’t forget to link up your post at the RoL Pinterest Party. You have until Monday night. (4/29/13) 🙂

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Five Favorites, Vol 5: Organics, Zombies & Nuns

I’m joining supermama Hallie at Moxiewife.com for this week’s Five Favorites.

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Avalon Organics Lotion

It may be spring, but my skin is still suffering from winter dryness. Avalon Organics Lavender Hand and Body Lotion has worked wonders. I love it.

 

~~ 2 ~~

New Catholic Mom Blogs

I love when I come across a new Catholic mom blog but it’s especially fun when I know the person writing it. My friend Amy started a blog called Cheap and Natural. Her tagline is: Discovering new and healthy ways to parent, eat, and live on a budget while being mindful of God’s creation and intended purpose. My favorite post so far? Household Tornado – Part 1: Prevention. (Hint it has nothing to do with the weather and all to do with messy toddlers!) Amy is sweet, smart and striving to be holy yet very down to earth. Go check out her blog and tell her I said hi. 😉

 

~~ 3 ~~

 Catching Fire

Last week I started rereading The Hunger Games and a couple days later I saw the new trailer for Catching Fire. I can’t wait to see the movie in November. (For any non Hunger Games fans, make sure you read the book BEFORE you watch the movie. You’ll get so much more out of it.)

 

~~ 4 ~~

The Walking Dead

Brian and I have been looking for some new shows to watch on Netflix and a number of people recommended The Walking Dead and Mad Men. We started watching Mad Men and I hate to say it because I know a lot of you are fans, but I just don’t get the hype. We got through two episodes and all we could muster is “Eh.” Maybe we should have waited to get more into it but it’s hard to get past the fact that everyone seems to have “I-can’t-keep-it-in-my-pants-itis.” So thanks, but no thanks.

On the other hand, The Walking Dead has sucked us in. I normally will not watch slasher movies but since the ones being slashed here are not humans, I went ahead and gave this a try. Wow. Now, this is a gripping show. It is certainly not for the squeamish (a few times I had to say to Brian, “Close your eyes, Sweetie”) but the storyline is gripping. So far we have seen about 4 episodes of season 1.

Any other past shows you can recommend?

~~ 5 ~~

Catholics Who Know Their Bible & Sisters Who Rock

Source: Dominican Sisters of Mary Facebook Page

Okay, I saved the best for last. Brian was flipping the channel and came across the Christian game show The Great American Bible Challenge and imagine his surprise to find the Dominican Sisters of Mary as contestants. They not only won the game, they then won the semi-finals and are now on to the finals. (Date yet to be determined.) Way to go, Sisters! 🙂

Here’s the intro to the team.


 

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Five Favorites, Vol 4

 

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Flor Larios

One of my favorite etsy artists is Flor Larios. I love her colorful, Mexican style. I have this cross hanging up in my kitchen. I wanted to get my newly engaged sister one for the kitchen of her future home so I bought her this one since she and her fiance have a devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

 

Here is some of her other artwork I’ve purchased.

(Photo Credits: Flor Larios.)

~~ 2 ~~

Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers

I picked up a box of these crackers at Costco on a whim and the family and I fell in love with them. Even my picky Andrew enjoys them. Add a little hummus or slice of low-fat cheese and you have snacking deliciousness. Plus, they also happen to be Gluten -free if that is a concern for you.

~~ 3 ~~

The Voice

Source

While I am snacking on my cracker goodness, I like to watch The Voice. In the past I have watched two or three seasons of American Idol but it got old, especially after Simon left. And now that Nicki Minaj is on it, I certainly won’t watch. (I like to relax in the evening, not be annoyed.) I saw the first season of The Voice but let the other seasons pass. Then the other night I was came upon the show again and was hooked. All the singers are actually talented. I like the two new judges and the playful banter between all the judges is fun to watch. It’s a nice little diversion from the busyness of life.

~~ 4 ~~

Inside Out Bag

I saw this bag being modeled on Instagram by Karianna over at CaffeinatedCatholicMama.com (who sells Thirty-One Products) and I couldn’t wait to order one. I had been looking for a simple bag that size and the colors are so spring-ish, it’s perfect. The fact that it is reversible is an added bonus!

~~ 5 ~

Succulent Plants

I love that we live in such a green area. I love taking photos of gorgeous spring flowers. I’d also love to plant flowers and herbs in the spring. What I don’t love? That I forget to water my plants and garden every freakin year and my lovely flowers die and my luscious herb garden soon becomes a bed of dried herbs. I finally gave up the gardens for now and instead invest in nice succulent plants that are forgiving of my forgetful nature. I just picked these three up at Trader Joe today. Score one for Bobbi Green Black Thumb.

Thanks to Hallie and sweet Baby Charlie for hosting!

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