Life Lately

I have finally caught up with my life and it feels really good. ~whew~ I needed a breather after the back-to-school rush of it all. Our family has hit a stride and as long as I can keep my act together and continue to fold and put away the kids laundry we should be okay.

So tons of wonderful things have been happening. Birthdays, the Blessed Is She team retreat (which deserves its own post, really), cooler weather in my neck of the woods, and all the little things that make life so great. So this is a bit of a highlight reel type post, but first let's start with a song. Catchy with depressing lyrics:



Second:
Ben lost his first tooth, right at bed time last week. He was so excited and we were so exhausted that we went to bed at the same time as the kids. In the morning Ben was disappointed because the Tooth Fairy hadn't come but Daddy saved the day. As Ben was eating breakfast Travis passed the kids room, still dark at 6:15am, and caught something out of the corner of his eye. He told Ben and L this and they immediately *knew* it *was* the Tooth Fairy and she *hadn't* forgotten him, she just didn't know that we'd be up already and he was her very last stop. So all's well that ends well.

He lost his second tooth after much wiggling, pushing, pulling, and apple eating at breakfast on Wednesday of this week. Big sister L was an active participant in getting it out (and I think caused him some pain, too. : /  )


Third:
Funny story: Last week the new Hatch Prints tote came in the mail. When I pulled it out of its USPS packaging it looked like this:

 And Ben asked, "Is it garlic bread?!" This kid looooooves garlic bread so he was pretty sure it was the best mail day ever.

He was unimpressed and uninterested when he saw that it was actually this awesome bag, but I was incredibly happy.

Currently it is holding: library books, LuLaRoe leggings, wallet, diapers, wet wipes, baby toys, and a pouch filled with rosary, kleenexes, pens, chapstick, and lipstick. It's gotta work hard at this house.


Fourth:
Baby Tee started pulling himself up to kneeling. And then he figured out crawling, abandoning The Worm to master the official crawl. He has great confidence and found his way to the bathroom for his first time to play with the toilet paper. Within two days of that he was pulling himself to standing and within a week he took his first "cruising" steps.

With all these accomplishments comes the need to constantly yell at people for leaving the bathroom and basement doors open and a little (or a lot) of sentimentality and mourning as my baby gets older.


Fifth:
Jofis is wearing big boy undies all through the day. I waited until he was well past three and interested, making potty training super easy. I bribed him with candy for pee and sorbet for poop and in no time he was good to go. I am down to one in diapers again and it is awesome.

Jofis is also becoming a master story teller. He will passionately tell you "ooooky" stories about ghosts and ditches (witches) and big, big, big scary monsters. He acts things out and illustrates size with his arms and hands. His face is incredibly animated and he gleefully smiles when he gets to the really juicy parts. In short, it is adorable.


Sixth:
Last week was a lot of fun for liturgical feasting. Michaelmas (the feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael - the archangels) was celebrated wholeheartedly. The kids and I read about St. Raphael in the Book of Tobit at breakfast becuase I couldn't quite remember what was up with the fish. Inspired by Molly's clever post about St. Michael's leggings, the girls and I wore our own leggings.  

Inspired by Haley's blog name and book Feast! we dined on roasted chicken and carrots for dinner with cake topped with blackberry compote for dessert. As Ben ate he asked, "Am I making the devil mad by eating blackberries?" eager to bring a bit of consternation to the guy.

When I was in college my chaplain was Fr. Gary Caster - a wonderful priest, preacher, and friend of St. Therese. He instilled in my friends and I a deep love of St. Therese and so October 1st cannot pass without some roses and something to honor my friends - Therese in Heaven and those on earth. I didn't get the chance to make something French for dinner or decorate rose cupcakes (like Tracy's - hers were gorgeous!)  but while all but the baby were with friends or family Travis and I ate Five Guys burgers and fries for dinner so I still call that a win.

Seventh:

St. Francis' feast day was this week of course and to celebrate our water heater broke and we had to buy a new one. We are following Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps so fortunately we had the money in savings to pay for it, but it's a big purchase. It seemed like a fitting day for it to happen.

In what I would describe as a parenting win, though, my school aged kids climbed in the car at pick-up and asked what we were going to do to celebrate St. Francis' feast. I had not even thought about it but it seems that I have established a precedent in our home: feast days = a special dinner, dessert, or activity. This has been my goal the whole time - for my kids to love living out their faith - and so we brainstormed on the way home. In the end spaghetti in honor of Francis' Italian heritage and cut out cookies shaped like animals were the winners. 

We used dogs, dinosaurs, butterflies, Easter bunnies, and Halloween bats and cats. Afterwards I found our Thanksgiving turkey; I'll have to remember that one for next year. 

So that's it. A pretty good couple of weeks. And now I'm off to link up with the wonderful Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum. Have a fun weekend, you guys! :)

Seven Quick Takes for Your Friday Afternoon

1 - Ahhhh... The Head and the Heart have a new album and this is the new single and I just love it all. (Remember the time Blythe interviewed her brother Kenny - the pianist in THATH - for my blog? It was a good one.)


2 - So who watched Kathryn's Blessed Is She workshop, Raising a Holy Family: Toddlers Through Teens last night? I was so excited to see it - Kathryn has spoken at my parish's mom group before and she was amazing. Her wisdom, her humility, her Texas twang - all of it! Unfortunately I had to miss it...


3 - ... because of freakin' Hand, Foot, and Mouth. Two of my boys have it now and I'm sure Jofis will come down with it, too. I'm holding out how that Baby Tee, the girls, and Travis and I will be safe. For some reason this strand is taking down adults, too, and with school and back to school events beginning next week for half of this household I really hope it's all said and done asap.


4 - But back to happier things and Kathryn... I'm throwing a Star Wars themed birthday party for the boys later this month. Basically I am just gonna do what Kathryn did for her Star Wars themed party. Why re-create the wheel, right? I did just buy this Darth Vadar costume (affiliate link!), one in small and one in medium. It will serve as birthday presents and Halloween costumes, and it will end hours of fighting to our days! My boys love Darth Vadar, not Han Solo, not Finn, not Chewie. Darth Vadar. Oh well.


5 - Here's a quick tip: Got beer you don't like? Use it to cook your stew meat or roast in. It has worked for us every time. In fact, the more we hate the beer the more we love the gravy!


6 - One perk of being a blogger is being able to send flowers for free to a friend as part of a company's incentive. It's true - and you can think what you want of me. I was so grateful
to FTD for sending me this gorgeous bouquet of flowers and letting me send some love to Nell with the same arrangement. She has been a great blogging buddy - she cheers me on and gently corrects and directs when needed. She has opened her heart and home to me and has done so much in service to Blessed Is She and Catholic bloggers everywhere.

So thanks, FTD, for allowing us to #connectbetter. ;)


7 - Last but not least, Kelly's 7QTs today is so good: What To Do When Your Child Won't Stop Staring at a Person in a Wheelchair. I thought it was super helpful.

Instagrammers you should follow, In This House of Brede, and a few other bits and bobs

1 - I heard this song on Lark Rise to Candleford, hunted it down, and taught it to my kids. It's a fun song to sing, though my husband thinks I'm nuts and typing it all out makes me feel really lame.


2 - Two years ago this August I ran a series called Instagrammers You Should Follow and highlighted the IG account of Anna Hatke. If you didn't begin following her then you really should now. Each summer she and her girls return to the storybook Italian village where her family's roots are. Sometimes her husband, author and illustrator Ben Hatke, comes too but this year it's just the ladies. And the pictures are gorgeous and magical. Follow her.


3 - And while you're over in Instagram land, I am also going to recommend you follow my friend Shana. She's just a mom and a wife and a woman who loves Jesus. She also happens to have a great sense of humor.

The funny thing is I never knew Shana before but I knew OF Shana. She was like a legend, a demi goddess. In high school one of my best friends was LB. Her older sister's best friend was Sarah. Sarah mentored LB and me a bit through a Christian youth program and we both thought Sarah was so cool. Shana is Sarah's older sister and everyone thought Shana was outrageous and amazing and the. coolest. person. ever. Ever.

So enough about 16 year old Bonnie and 21(?) year old Shana. She's pregnant and funny and lovely and real now. You can follow her here.


4 - A few months ago a friend mentioned a brush to me and encouraged me to buy one off Amazon. "It's great for detangling wet hair," she said, and I will admit I did not believe her. I think she sensed that so she bought one for me and she was 100% correct. The Wet Brush is fabulous. It's not as great on dry hair, or at least not on my dry hair, but on wet hair it is better than the combs or picks I had been using. I love it for me and my girls. (That's an affiliate link above so if you click through and buy one I'll get a small kick back at no charge to you.)

 5 - Last night I stayed up until midnight so I could finish the book In This House of Brede. I enjoyed reading the novel tremendously and I sorta saw the end coming but when it got there I was... disappointed. Now let me do my best River Song impression:

Spoilers. ;)

I'm assuming that if you're still reading this take you have already read the book and so I won't be ruining the ending for anyone. So here goes: They get on a plane?! That's how it ends?! With them getting on a plane?! No. (head shake) No. (head shake)  No. (head shake)

I think I wanted to see them there, in Japan. I wanted it to end with Phillipa looking out into the Japanese gardens or something. Maybe that would be tidy, but it felt tidy having Penny and Donald there watching them board. And I don't really understand why McTurk went with them. hmmm... If you've read it what do you think?

PS - I did love Cecily and how she made her choice and how her prayer was answered. That was wonderful.

6 - One week from today I'll be leading a Blessed Is She workshop on Building Intentional Community. I'll be sharing what I've learned from leading, founding, attending, and belonging to various groups, ministries, and gatherings over the years. Personally, I found it to be difficult to find where I fit in as an adult and while I definitely haven't figured it all out I have gotten some things right while learning from few mistakes I've made along the way.

I think this workshop will be really useful if you are looking to join or form a ministry / book club / mom group / young adult group OR if you are already actively involved in one. If you signed up for the BIS Membership you will already have access to the workshop but if you aren't a member you can still watch. To sign up for the Membership click here or to pay the $15 and sign up for the workshop click here.

7 - Finally, I wish I could hug the world. The refugees, the LBGT community, the black community, police officers, and now the people of Nice, France. How can such a beautiful world have so much pain and ugliness? I don't have any answers but I promise that I am trying to become a better person and I'm trying to raise my children to be good people - the kind who fight for justice, who stand up and speak up, who are merciful and loving. And in the meanwhile I am praying with my very heavy heart.
Jesus, I trust in You. Come, Lord Jesus.+

Recipes, IEP Prep, Mercy, Scripture, and Fiats - 7QT

1 - Let's start off with a song, shall we?



or maybe you'd prefer this one



L prefers this one. She loves the little dance he does (and so do I, really.)


2 - We have a lot of food allergies in our home and I have tried out a lot of recipes over the years. Just to review, JF and JP do not eat dairy, eggs, nuts, wheat, or tomatoes; Ben cannot have nuts; and I am currently dairy-free for Tee's sake. In case you're in a similar boat here's some recipes that some or all of us have enjoyed recently:

Easy Dairy Free Scones
I made these with blueberries and a clementine glaze the other day - delicious!

Easy Biscuits
Use water instead of milk for dairy free. I even substituted GF flour and added some herbs and they were still really good.

The Healthy Gluten-Free Life Cookbook (affiliate link)
This cookbook has been wonderful! I have tried so many online recipes which have been failures and so often allergy cookbooks don't cover all our bases. But this one has 200 recipes that are dairy, egg, soy, and gluten free. I can easily not use nuts for some but even with the ones that are based on nuts this book has been just awesome and I just had to share.


3 - Speaking of special needs (because I definitely think of the boys food allergies - especially JF's deadly allergy to dairy - as special needs), we are getting ready for JF going to Kindergarten next year and addressing his special needs. Our older kids are at our parish school but because of JF's apraxia he will need services that he can only get at our excellent public school. We're working with both principals to hopefully do a dual enrollment so he can have the best of both schools. At the encouragement of a friend of mine, who has spent many years advocating for her son, I made up an info sheet to pass out at JF's upcoming IEP meeting. I think it's such a good idea that I wanted to share an example in case it might be of help to anyone else. I used PicMonkey to make the section titles and then used Microsoft Publisher for the rest, but Word would work just as well I think.

4 - Earlier in the week I spoke live on Facebook, talking about a really wonderful video called Mercy is Greater, the book Beautiful Mercy, my fears, God's mercy and how I am supposed to live that out, and why I decided to start memorizing Scripture. Knowing that I was going to be sharing some personal stuff I was pretty nervous, which shows a bit in some slight rambling.

You can watch the Mercy is Greater video here, and you can go to my blog's Facebook page to watch the 12 minute video of me. And if you want to follow along and join me in memorizing Scripture please do. I will mostly be posting on Instagram, and mostly as a way to keep myself accountable to my goal of daily reading a chapter of the Bible, doing spiritual reading, and working on my memory verse.


5 - My nerves (and the tears) in the video meant that I forgot to mention something.

I wanted to say that my friend, Heather Renshaw, has been a major influence in my understanding the importance of Scripture memorization. Heather frequently peppers her conversations with Scripture. It's something I noticed while recording The Visitation Project with her (and maybe you've noticed to when you listen) and I've seen that same act in Facebook conversations and in offline conversations, too. She has used Scripture to bring hope, comfort, and praise into so many situations and often in situations where I didn't know what to say but Heather did because she has so much Scripture tucked in her heart. I see that as mercy in action.

The two verses I have memorized so are: Galations 5:22 and Philipeans 1:6. Look them up - they're good.


6 - Maybe you saw already, by the last Breakout Speaker for the Finding Your Fiat Conference was announced - Sr. Clara from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

We have so many great speakers coming - it's an incredible line-up. I hope you can join us and be there, too. To learn more and buy your ticket visit our website.

7 - I don't really think these were so quick so I'll just end here with a big THANK YOU to Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum for being hilarious and for hosting the link-up each week.

The Seven Quick Takes that took a Month to Write

As always, thank you to Kelly for hosting!!!

1 - The plan was to post these quick takes a couple of hours ago. Instead I spent over an hour trying to search for the song to begin this epic post. And by "trying to search" I mean I was actually watching clips of The Graham Norton show on YouTube.


2 - But here is the song I was looking for. Warning to Mary of letlovebesincere: if Ryan Adams makes your ears bleed do not listen to this.


I heard this song once on the radio last year. I don't know how I finally found it, but I know it took a long time. The other day I was driving and it suddenly popped into my head and I had. to. listen. to. it. My husband hates it but I can't get enough. Anyways, thank you, YouTube, for the History tab which led me back to Valerie June.


3 - Today I made a mistake:
Volunteering to cover a 1/2 hour of an adoration time slot.

Our parish has adoration throughout the day on Fridays, immediately following the all school Mass and with Benediction at 3pm. Parishioners attend and classes come over through-out the day, K-8, to spend time with our Eucharistic Lord. However, during the kids' lunch time they are sure to have people signed up to be in the pews. I volunteered to take 11:30-12.

My kids' behavior really wasn't that bad (they're 2, 3, and 5) and if we had been the only people in the church I wouldn't have minded at all. But when others are there - well, it's probably just not a good idea for us to be there. I know I wouldn't mind if a parent and children came in while I was praying but I also know how much the silence means to me.


4 - A couple weeks back I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. So now I'm on a special diet (don't tell anyone about the small Butterfinger Blizzard I got on the way home from Adoration today) and have to do finger pricks 4x a day. One of the most interesting things I have learned is that, at least for me, sugar is not the enemy so much as the carbs found in bread, pasta, milk, and even popcorn. It's a bit of a blessing that I can still enjoy some chocolate candy (in small amounts and only following a good bit of protein) since I really have to limit my beloved baked goods.

But if all this means a smaller baby - I'm in it to win it. (Shooting for 10lbs or less. Because that's what a small baby means to me.)


5 - Confession: I began this post weeks ago. But that's okay. Here's a friendly reminder: gonna order something from Amazon? Use my link (or click on that little button in the sidebar) and I'll earn a small referral fee at no cost to you. It's what buys Christmas presents in these parts - no joke - so thank you for helping our family.


6 - SO. Thanksgiving. James survived yesterday and will hopefully survive today. Mostly this, and the intense pain happening in my S.I. joints / hips, is all I can think about.

I know Thanksgiving = casseroles and things filled with butter or covered in cream of something soup to most people. But any more, to me those things are just death threats. Ugh. I hate food allergies.


7 - My kids love using our fireplace. They will haul the wood in, and build it up, and then sit with me and / or their daddy to take it all in. It's the sweetest.

And in case that sounds just too perfect, here's a look at the family room mess. :)


Take care, everyone! See you in Advent!

iTunes, Zombies, and 27 weeks: 7QT

1 - Let's start things off with a little Matt Maher, shall we? I love me some Matt Maher music and this song is a really powerful one for me. It's true that I'm a sucker for a good crescendo-ing bridge but this song is more than that, too.


2 - So the big news at my house is that The Visitation Project is now available on iTunes. This is kinda crazy to me because... it's iTunes, which is like legit and it's where people go for podcasts and now I'm there with Heather and Rebecca.  You can search for us and everything! Isn't that crazy? Here's what we look like when you find us:

3 - In other news around the house, we are getting really pumped because Marie Miller is coming to town!  She'll be performing at a couple of local schools and hold a family friendly concert in the evening. I know I have some local readers so if you're in the area and want to come, well you should because I promise you she is an amazing performer.

4 - So there's a couple of things I would love to see, one of them in theatres now and others coming soon enough.
The Martian
Sherlock Special
Mockingjay Part 2
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

What's looking good to you? Anything I'm missing on this list?


5 - And speaking of zombies, Travis and I are finishing up the latest season of The Walking Dead on Netflix. (Like literally, I'm watching the season finale as I type) I've always followed Cari's recap posts on the current season for two reasons:
#1 so I stay up to date on what's happening.
#2 I need all the surprises taken away so I don't have nightmares.
Don't you just love it when Morgan says, "Because all life is precious, Daryl." Love.


6 - I'm 27 weeks pregnant, you guys. Twenty-seven weeks. That's almost 30 weeks, and 30 weeks is almost 40 weeks, and 40 weeks is baby-birthing time. This kind of math is making me nervous.


7 - In case you didn't know, Kelly has some great stuff going on to celebrate Seven Quick Takes. There's a few gift packages you could win (and one of them includes a Basic blog consultation from me). Since Kelly is the one who is keeping this 7QT party going do stop on over and give her some love: comment, link-up, you know. :)

Thrilling things you'll want to know, aka Seven Quick Takes

1 - It's been a long time since I've started one of these Seven Quick Takes with a song so I thought I'd come back with a sugary pop bang:

Judge away but I love this song and can't stop listening to it. You can feel bad for my husband, it's okay.


2 - I finally got my hands on a copy of As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes. It was a delightful book - especially if you know and love The Princess Bride. As soon as I was done I picked up the novel The Princess Bride, which I've read before but it's a treat to re-read.


3 - I've been working on show notes for The Visitation Project. There's some new episodes up, the one on Forgiveness has my stubbornness on full display.

4 - I'm part of a wonderful group of friends at our parish. These are couples who are funny, kind, and love their faith.  Twice a month the men get together and do boy, I mean manly things. (Last month they made a Bat signal... like Batman.... while drinking beer and also talking about NFP.) The women get together once a month for a bit of wine, a bit of conversation, and a bit of faith formation. Last month was awesome  with Kathryn Whitaker Skyping in and to share tips for running your home with less stress - so good!- and this month our associate pastor, a priest from Uganda who is here getting his doctorate in education, spoke about the strengths and weaknesses of the Catholic Church in America - also so good! What awesome things do you have going on at your parish?

5 - I began watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix. I had seen some of the episodes before; I think I watched the whole first season or two on tv but then things got a little rocky for me and I bowed out. I started watching again after so many people recommended it to me while I was on bed rest, and I'm liking it. Especially now that we're out of Neverland.

6 - I also started physical therapy. I've never done PT before and I must say that so far I love it. I have horrible pain in my lower back and hips - something I've had with most of my pregnancies and something that just keeps getting worse. My midwife recommended me to a local PT place that specializes in women's care and I really like the woman working with me. My problem: poor posture and lots and lots and lots of tense muscles. I got a 30 minute massage today and it was called therapy and it was amazing.


7 - Please consider this a friendly reminder that I'm an Amazon affiliate so if you are planning on doing any Halloween shopping online you can begin here, clicking on the image in the sidebar, and I'll earn money at no extra fee to you. It's incredibly helpful to our budget (hello, school uniforms!) and Travis and I really appreciate it whenever any of my readers do that for us. So thank you.

And now a big THANK YOU to Kelly for hosting every week. Make sure you head on over to This Ain't the Lyceum because she's got a wonderful give-away running right now. Good luck to you on winning it!

The day I did the Amazing

It was a feat most woman would not dare to do. An adventure so epic even myself - especially myself - just a mere five years ago would have thought it improbable. No: Impossible.

"What was it?" you ask.

Well friends, I'll break it down.

First, while five months pregnant, on a hot summer day, I loaded up all five of my kids - aged 7, 5, 4, 3, and 2.

Second, we went to Hobby Lobby. All of us. With only their ridiculously small carts that can only fit the 2 year old in the basket-kid-seat-thingy, and the three year old in the main basket of the cart.

Third, we took a bathroom break. It was our first destination at the store and I was able to fit the cart, myself, and the three other kiddos in the smallish one room, sorta dirty bathroom. Everyone went potty, everyone washed their hands, and the baby had a diaper change.

Fourth, we shopped and got all the supplies needed for a bridal shower I held for my sister-in-law. No one cried and everyone was cheerful.

Fifth, we looked at the Christmas decorations (because it's still July so that makes sense). Glass ornaments were ooohed and ahhhed over and nothing broke. Nothing.

Sixth, we stood in front of an entire wall of pumpkins and I chuckled as James kept running his eyes floor to ceiling while waving his arms in big, open circles and saying, "Pumpkins. Pumpkins." He was in total amazement.

Seventh, we went through the check-out and no one asked for candy.

Moms and dads, if you are reading this and intimidated by the thought of taking your one or two, or three or four kids shopping I just want you to remember this: if I can make it at Hobby Lobby with 5 kids, no accidents, no shouting, and no tears you can too.

I'm gonna link this up with Kelly's Seven Quick Takes since I broke it down into seven steps, and now I'd like to make a little announcement:

Seven Reasons I Prefer Being a Mrs. Mom

When I was growing up there were two types of moms: the ones I was instructed to call by their first names and the ones I was expected to call by "Mrs. + Last Name." As a child and even as a teen I saw the First Name Moms as the fun moms, the cool moms, the moms who would let us get away with stuff. Interestingly, as a child and a teenager I saw the Mrs. Moms as the reliable ones, the moms who asked about my grades and extra curriculars and were always proud of me when I did well. To be honest, I felt safer in those homes, even if the looseness of the other homes seemed a bit more fun.

As my friends and I began having children I started to see that it was not just a phenomenon of my youth, but even among my friends and acquaintances there were First Name Moms and Mrs. Moms.

photo credit: via photopin (license)

What I found even more surprising was that the it seemed to work that the moms would decide what their kids would call other moms, usually without asking preferences. I guess that's a parenting style?

But if anyone ever does ask I tell them to call me "Mrs. Engstrom" or at least "Mrs. E." This isn't a backhanded way to try to get my friends to comply with my preferences, but I thought I would share the seven reasons why I prefer being a Mrs. Mom.

1 - I am your friend, not your child's.
Are we friends? Great! Call me Bonnie. But even the teachers at my kids' schools and the nurses and doctors who have cared for my family will call me Mrs. Engstrom because I'm not friends with them. I'm not friends with your children either. They are friends with my children and should call them by their first names but they should call me Mrs. Engstrom.

The only time I make exceptions for this is with godparents. There should be an intimacy with godparents that does not exist with other non-family member adults.


2 - It makes me an authority figure to children, someone they should obey and someone they can come to for help. 
This is surely heavily influenced by my own experiences, but the Mrs. Moms were always the ones I trusted most as authorities. Just as a police officer or teacher would be obeyed and someone a child knows they can go to for help, when a child sees me as an authority it makes it so much easier to keep him safe.


3 - It honors my marriage.
Being Mrs. Engstrom communicates a lot of information. It lets people know that my husband, our kids, and I all go together. And honestly, because I so love and respect my husband, it thrills me to known as his wife. Our marriage is a happy one and any time it can be acknowledged makes me feel like the luckiest woman on earth.


4 - It distinguishes between adulthood and childhood. 
A friend of mine grew up in the 1950's and shared with me that when she was young one had to accomplish something in their life before they were considered mature enough to call their elders by first names. Marriage or a college degree were the basic standards, though I believe returning from military service or building a successful career were also acceptable. I am quite drawn to the practice, to acknowledging the difference between the two stages of life but also acknowledging when a person stops being a child and becomes a man or woman.


5 - It makes sense with my husband's job.
My husband is a teacher and is known as Mr. Engstrom or Mr. E. There are plenty of times when we are out together and run into ones of his students. As our children age and their friends become his students it just makes good sense that we are Mr. and Mrs. Engstrom all the time, not just during school hours and on school grounds.


6 - It shows respect.
If we were to meet the president, queen, or see our doctor or priest we would not refer to any of them by their first name. We would respect their title and call them by it: Mr. President, Your Majesty, Dr. Smith, Father Thompson. By calling all adults Mr. or Mrs. we are automatically communicating to our kids that they should be respected, while teaching them a societal standard.


7 - I'm not a cool mom.
Nor do I want to be. I want kids to have fun at my house, while playing with my kids, but I never want them to think that I don't have standards and expectations for them. I would much rather let them know that I will always have cookies and fresh fruit for them, but never beer. I can be counted on to get them safely to and from events, but I won't be okay with them going to a house party. Parenting children is not about being friends or being liked - it's about being someone who will love, nurture, provide and care for. That's not cool, but it's what I want.


So there's my reasons. I'd love to hear if you're a Mrs. Mom or a First Name Mom and why. In the words of Pat Benatar, hit me with your best shot.

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A little catch up 7QT

Linking up with Kelly because she's the best.


1 - This song is on repeat at my house. Travis is not amused, but also can relate. Except I always went to Perkins with my friends - no Waffle House in Central Illinois.


2 - Thank you to everyone who came by last week and joined the link-up. It was so great having you here! I'm way behind on visiting all the blogs who linked up, but I will visit! Promise.

And thank you, too, for all the congratulations on the new baby. We really appreciate your prayers and your joy in our growing family.


3 - The good news is that my morning sickness has really backed off a bunch. I still have some crazy food aversions that suddenly jump start morning sickness-like feelings but that just makes me think I'm having a girl.

(I'm really hoping for a girl. I have a girl name all picked out. I can use those super cute, adorable clothes one more time. Travis hopes we have another girl and that she becomes a nun so he doesn't have three weddings to pay for.)


4 - I'm trying to do small things for low cost to keep me from feeling bad about the fact that I haven't been able to tackle as many things on my Summer To Do list as I had wanted. So I:

Took Teresa's dresser, moved her clothes to a cubby system that fits perfectly in her closet, and placed it under the mirror in the living room. It's supposed to have an entryway feel, which sorta works.

The top drawer currently holds swimming suits, towels, sunblock, goggles, beach towels, and swim diapers. In the winter these contents will be switched with the contents of the bottom drawer: gloves, hats, mittens, scarves, and the like.

The middle draw is where the diapers and wet wipes are kept because I no longer use a changing table - just the floor. The kids tend to wear the same pajamas and clothes until they're too dirty to be worn again. During the night the clothes are stored with the diapers, during the day the pj's are here. The living room is so much tidier because of this system!

The end table had been under the mirror, holding the book basket, but it was moved to the other end of the sofa:

From this angel it looks really full.... because it is really full. I promise things are shoved up against each other, and probably if I moved that rocking horse out it would be better, but the kids like to sit on it while they watch tv so it will stay. I do like having the end table - super handy.

The bookshelf was given a little sprucing up, and some more breathing room. I like it better this way - with empty space.

Many of the children's books that were in the living room were moved to the family room. My mom gifted me this oak bookcase, which I love and is really handsome. So far so good!

5 - I've been loving reading all the Edel posts and hearing from my friends how the conference went last weekend. When I attended Edel in Austin last summer it was such an amazing experience for me

Finding God in Shrimp and Grits
What a Great Party Can Teach You about Women in the Church
Edel is Like Fairy Dust and Other Revelations
The Edel Gathering Part I and Part II
Edel Gathering Recap
#edel15: My Family Survived on Frozen Pizza While I Ate Grits

That last link is to Kelly's blog This Ain't the Lyceum and it also includes a link-up for all the other posts. I wish everyone who wanted could have been there (I wish I could have been there!) but for various reasons it just wasn't meant to be, but I'm so happy for the women who were able to get away - who were able to dance and pray and chat and laugh and eat food they didn't prepare or have to clean up. I know Edel fills a need and I'm so grateful to God that Jen and Hallie are willing to put in all the hard work to make it happen.


6 - I picked up In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden and though I'm only 30 pages in I am really enjoying it. My friend Nancy gave me a copy, so shout out to Nancy for being so wonderful and generous!

7 - For those of us who need simpler, less expensive events, much closer to home I am so happy that Jenna, the founder and Fiat-ess of Blessed Is She has started organizing BIS Brunches. Hopefully you're already reading and finding encouragement in the daily devotionals, but did you know there are also regional Facebook groups? In them we chat, share prayer requests, discuss the devotions, and have started planning the brunches.

Right now there are brunches planned in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana but more are in the works. A Blessed Is She Brunch is such a great way to form community with our fellow Catholic women, and to do it in a way that is centered on Christ.

7QT - "Here It Goes Again"

A big Welcome! to everyone looking for this week's Seven Quick Takes link-up and many thanks to Kelly from This Ain't the Lyceum for letting me host this week. I hope you all feel at home here.

I usually start things off with a song, so let's jump right in.


1 - It's been more than two years since I've featured this song, but now is the time to bring it back. Long time readers and friends will hopefully remember what this means.


2 - If you're new-ish around here, well I don't want to leave you in the dark so I'll just tell you: 15 weeks today = due date of January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.


3 - This just may be why I was thinking about Marian names and asked Facebook for more ideas. There were some pretty good ones, too!


4 - It may also be why I've been drinking lots of Dr. Pepper and eating lots of McD's french fries, salads with Kraft Caesar vinaigrette dressing, and Jimmy John's Italian Nightclub sandwiches. It's also why just the thought of eggs, milk, lunchmeat, pickles, olives, salsa, tomatoes, and cheese slices made me gag for the last 3+ months.

God bless Travis for stepping up his game and being okay with cold cereal for dinner.


5 - It's also why I spent the last few months napping and sleeping in and laying around and not really blogging much at all. Morning sickness, it's a bummer.


6 - Badly stained, collapsing, expired, or just doesn't work any more - so it was with a lot of our infant items. Since most of our baby stuff was seven years old and had been well used by five kids we got rid of it.

So now I'd like to get some feedback from you guys. We have an extra crib and crib mattress but I'm hoping for a Moses basket to keep near the bed for the first few months (while we figure out just where in the world we can fit a crib in our 3 bedroom home with 8 people). I was looking at this one by Badger, but if anyone has any reasonably priced suggestions please let me know.

We also need a new highchair and (eventually) a booster seat so I was thinking of going with Summer Infant Delux Infant Booster. Thoughts?

Infant car seats are super expensive! Geesh. I want something light and would prefer something small (lots of carseats!), but maybe we'll go with this Cosco one. I know we're talking about my baby's safety, but I really don't want to spend $100+ on something that will be used for a few months, although these are affiliate links so maybe I'll get enough Amazon credit that I can buy whatever I want. ;)

And finally, every time I see one of my friends with a muslin blanket I feel even more affirmed in my judgement that swaddle blankets of 7 years ago were a joke, especially for my 9, 10, and 11lb babies. These new blankets are so big and lightweight and lovely. I'd like three.


7 - We have had some traumatic birth experiences in the past and so I would really appreciate prayers for a healthy, 8lb baby and an easy labor.


Thank you everyone for joining me today! If you're new here please feel to join the gang. You can get the posts via email, with Feedly, or with Bloglovin'. I'm most active on Facebook, but I also like to hang out on Instagram, and I always do Twitter chats when the latest episode of The Visitation Project airs Sunday nights.


And now it's your turn! Please, link up!

An InLinkz Link-up

A 4th of July 7QT - with a playlist for your holiday

1 - Need a 4th of July playlist? Well, if country music is your thing then you'll love this one. These are the songs we'll be listening to tomorrow.


2 - We've got a big day ahead of us for the 4th of July. The German potato salad and red, white, and blue rice krispie treats are made and ready for a full day of train rides and petting zoos at the park, parades, grilling, drinking, family, and fireworks. One of my favorite parts, though, is that Travis' family (who we'll be with) always stands for the flag when it passes. I told you before, we're a bunch of patriots.


3 - In case you're still trying to decide what to bring to the nation's birthday party here's some suggestions of offerings that are good and safe for people with gluten, soy, egg, nut, and dairy allergies. Sorry to self-promote, but potlucks and dinner parties always make me so scared for my boys. No one wants to end their holiday with anaphylaxis.


4 - One year we actually did this:

But not this year.


5 - In the past I've listed of things I love about America and traditional 'Merican things.I thought it would be fun to do it again. So here goes:

superheroes, strawberry pretzel salad, Johnny Cash, homecomings for members of the armed forces, Netflix, potlucks, Chinese take out, fireflys, kiddie pools, national parks, the Little House on the Prairie books, comic con, country music, sparklers, baby showers, cold beer in a bottle, Texas queso, redwood forests, bonfires, s'mores, Kateri Tekawitha, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Fallon, Longmire, westerns, John Wayne, Joan of Arch WWII posters, The Walking Dead, Bottlecaps candy, McDonald's french fries, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Superbowl parties, hats at the Kentucky Derby, libraries, family pizza nights, splash parks, the Declaration of Independence, blogs, DIY, This Old House, father of the bride speeches at wedding receptions, people who use clothes lines, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, Pinterest, my kids running around in the backyard as they spray each other with the garden hose.


6 - I'm already a day late and a dollar short with this, but that's what happens when I make time for napping instead of blogging. Thanks, Kelly for hosting and for being on the ball!


7 - Happy 4th of July, everyone. God bless America and may He protect and bless our troops.

7QT - Lord Huron, Little House, & my name in 1930

Happy Friday, all! Thank you, Kelly, for hosting Seven Quick Takes each week.


1 - Lord Huron is my latest kick. Their whole Strange Trails album sounds great to me, and maybe will to you, too. If you like The Head and the Heart or The Mavericks then I think you will. :)


2 - David L won the American Sniper giveaway. Congrats to you, David! :)


3 - If you missed the first two episodes of The Visitation Project you can find them in the archives here. If there's something you'd like to hear us discuss on the show please let us know! Our next episode airs Sunday night at 9:30 CST. You can listen live here or you can tune in at 88.3 FM.

And let's just take a moment to say: Isn't it funny that I have a legit radio show? I'm still wrapping my mind around it and waiting for Heather and Rebecca to approach me and say, "Thanks for giving it a go. Here's your consultation prize."


4 - I took the little quiz from Time "Find Our What Your Name Would Be if You Were Born Today."

According to Time, Bonnie was the ranked the 169th most popular name in the US the year I was born (early '80s). Therefore, if I were born today my name would be Gabrielle.

In 2000s my name would be Ashleigh, in the 1990s it would be Rachelle, and in the 1980s it would not be Bonnie but Maribel. What?

My 1940s name is the lovely "Sybil" and my 1930s name deserves a huge WTH because its "John." My 1920s name was almost a fabulous "Alice" but they spelled it with a 'y' so I think it's dumb instead. Sorry if you're name is Alyce.


5 -  I finished the last two Little House books in the last two days. I had never before read them and really, really enjoyed them. Reading about Laura and Almanzo's courtship was so interesting to me and I was so excited every time he'd pop up at her home. But the books ended sadly, even though I know they went on to live happily in Missouri. The loss of their son, poor Mr. and Mrs. Boast wanting their baby because they couldn't have their own, the debt, the illnesses, the house with that suh-weet pantry burning down...

The stories have actually really impacted me and I have spent a lot of time thinking about how the family and I can live more simply. I'm pretty sure the answers are: Get Rid of the Internet and Purge the House. However, I could be wrong (my family hopes I am, and really so do I!) but it's something for me to continue to think on. I'm wondering if anyone else feels the same.


6 -  The Little House books were for my own pleasure but now I'm reading Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan with my book club. I'm bringing it on the plane with me today and will probably be awkwardly laughing on an otherwise silent plane. :)


7 - I'll be speaking in Rochester, MN tonight at the Brew-Ha-Ha gala for St. James Coffee. My old friend Brian works for the Catholic coffee shop and I'm so excited to visit the location and see what it's like. So far what I've heard has sounded great! Good coffee, speakers and Bible studies, open to the public, an Adoration chapel - I'd like one in my neck of the woods, please.



PS - I'm really excited to be part of a special initiative called The Credo Project. The bloggers who are part of it love our Catholic faith and want to share it with our readers. We are therefore putting buttons in our sidebars that link to the website Catholics Come Home. If you have a blog and want to join us in sharing what we believe as Catholics, please grab a button and join us! You'll see mine is already sitting pretty to the right. :)

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<a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/discover-a-beautiful-faith/"><img border="0" src="../../albums/u394/mollymakesdo1/Credo 125_zps1hqqgd4w.jpg"/></a><br/>



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<a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/discover-a-beautiful-faith/"><img border="0" src="../../albums/u394/mollymakesdo1/Credo 200_zpsxwqrjnzu.jpg"/></a><br/>

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<a href="http://www.catholicscomehome.org/discover-a-beautiful-faith/"><img border="0" src="../../albums/u394/mollymakesdo1/Credo 300_zpsuk8tac7y.jpg"/></a><br/>

(With many thanks to Molly from Molly Makes Do and Kendra from Catholic All Year for creating the buttons for The Credo Project!)

Seven Shows to Watch on Netflix

Travis and I are always tired at the end of the day and the one thing we want to do after the kids are in bed is to sit and barely think about anything.

So of course we watch tv.

A couple weeks ago I suggested the movie Chef, which I really enjoyed, but I've actually been compiling a list for a few months of shows and movies I have enjoyed and wanted to suggest to you. These aren't reviews and I obviously don't know exactly what you are sensitive to and how sensitive you are to it, and keep as a frame of reference that a short list of my favorite movies / shows are:

3:10 to Yuma
Sherlock
Jane Austen novel adaptations
Doctor Who
Life
Friday Night Lights
Silver Linings Playbook
The Walking Dead

So westerns, period pieces, zombies, crazy people, BBC stuff, Riggins, and a zen guy who loves fruit.

Not your cup of tea? Then you can probably safely pass these all up.

Sound good?  Then let's get started!

I didn't like the novel Jane Eyre when I read it in high school and I've never cared about any of the film adaptations I've watched before but this one was perfect. The spooky parts were spooky, the writing was fabulous, the locales were perfect, and the acting was superb. Michael Fassbender's portrayal of Mr. Rochester made me finally understand the character. Mia Wasikowska was perfectly perfect. And the moors were great. (I've watched it about three times in as many months.)

I am a sucker for a good Jane Austen period piece movie and this baby delivered. Death Comes to Pemberley was better than the novel, I thought. Matthew Rhys was an excellent Mr. Darcy. Clara, I mean Jenna Coleman was perfect as Lydia. And I love Anna Maxwell Martin and she did a wonderful job as Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. (She's also really great in The Bletchley Circle, which is also on Netflix, fyi.) The story is a great who-dunnit but is even better because I love the Darcys and good manners.

Turn. Oh dang. We just plowed through the first season of this AMC show and we loved it. It takes place during the American Revolutionary War and it's really cleverly written and very interesting. The character Anna Strong drives me crazy, but I love Caleb Brewster so it kind of balances out. The main character in the show is Abraham Woodhull and he's not perfect though he is very well acted by Jamie Bell (who plays St. John Rivers in Jane Eyre). I also really like how they use a lot of music in the show - songs that are appropriate to the period are often sung or performed, but the theme song sounds a lot like The Walking Dead, as a complete aside.

Broadchurch is probably not for everyone. It takes place in a small coastal town in Britain and centers around the death of a boy and the investigation that follows. I didn't predict any of the twists and I found it to be well written and well acted. It was a bit suspenseful, but not too much so (too much suspense gives me nightmares), and another great who-dunnit. Also, David Tennant is the lead so a big yay for Doctor Who fans everywhere. If you have watched The Bletchley Circle and you enjoyed it I do think you'll enjoy this one.

If you liked Broadchurch then you'll like Hinterland. This show a lot like Wallander or even Sherlock at its more intense moments, except this show is a bit creepy and makes Wales seems really, really creepy. I loved it. It's intense, smart, edgy, and its characters have a lot of back-story and dimension. Great writing and wonderful acting.

(Okay, totally cheating and throwing this in here. If you like mysteries / detective shows that aren't as flashy as Law & Order and you like westerns, but not so much these Brit shows I'm telling you about then you should watch Longmire. Travis and I both enjoyed it. A lot.)

And now for something totally different: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. For very different reasons than Hinterland  this show is not going to be for everybody but I thought it was hilarious. The theme song has been stuck in my head for over a week now. The show is almost silly, the characters are kooky, and the cultural jokes are often spot-on and really funny. The show pokes fun at everyone, which I appreciated, so no one can feel like they're being ganged up on, and overall I think the show just exists to make us laugh. If you liked 30 Rock you will enjoy this.

I love Good Eats because it combines useful information, delicious food and drink, and campy humor. This is a show I think the whole family can watch and everyone will enjoy - science, humor, recipes, history - it's all there!



Okay, another cheat:

Begin Again was on Netflix for awhile but is no longer so you'll have to go to your local video store to find this one, which is what we did because I was binging my way through Doctor Who for the third time while it was online. Travis picked this one up and brought it home to me after a long rough day, thinking it looked like a movie I would like. He was right.

The movie is about a singer-songwriter (Kiera Knightley) whose musician boyfriend (Adam Levine) breaks up with her, leaving her stranded and alone in New York City. She finds her friend (James Corden) which leads to a washed-up producer (Mark Ruffalo) hearing her perform. And in between it all some really wonderful things are said and the right people end up with the right people and I just really enjoyed it.


Okay. Enough. Thank you so much to Kelly for hosting the link-up. Have a great weekend, everyone!

7QT: I'm talking movies, music, and gardening

Many thanks to Kelly for hosting! And if any of you are still in need of a good planner, Kelly's is on sale this week for 15% off! Click on over and grab a copy of The Best Laid Plans.


1 - This isn't the first time Walk the Moon has provided my 7QT song. This one is so catchy and poppy and happy. The campy video reminds of the ones MTV showed in my childhood, like Aha and Peter Gabriel and I don't know who else. Who else? Who am I missing?


2 - If you are a godparent, mom, dad, grandparent, hospital employee, NICU and PICU graduate, uncle, aunt, music lover, all around nice person: LISTEN UP!

JJ Heller is a really, really wonderful musician and she's doing something awesome. This month she is giving away digital copies of her lullaby album, I Dream of You. Her hope is that NICU and PICU parents and employees with download the album and then distribute it to all the moms and dads who are watching their babies fight the good fight in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units.

This is especially powerful to me since it was JJ's song My Savior's Love Endures that I sang over JF during his NICU stay. I've written about it before, but that song helped me love on my son, keep hope in my heart, and  pray when words failed me. One of my awesome readers even arranged for JJ and Dave to perform it when they were in my area for a concert.

The music is really beautiful and even if you're not a NICU family your kids will love it. Hey! You could even tuck the cd in their Easter baskets. When you buy it please give what you can to support JJ and her generosity, but if you are doing this for a NICU please know that this is for free for you!


3 - Speaking of Easter baskets... I've got a little giveaway going on. I was able to review the new Veggie Tales Noah's Ark movie with the bonus of getting a dvd and some toys to give to a lucky A Knotted Life reader. The movie was super cute and my kids loved it. If your family loves Veggie Tales then you should definitely give it a go and enter for a chance to win.

After a couple of viewings I asked my kids, "What's your favorite part of the movie?" to which they said, "When it rains." I thought that was really cute, but I think that's their way of saying it's their favorite song.


4 - Last year of St. Joseph's feast day Travis grilled out and we all drank beer - you know, things St. Joseph would probably enjoy doing if he were alive today. This year was cold and Travis had to work so instead I made chocolate chip cookies for the feast day. Our JP enjoyed a few, Travis - whose confirmation name is Joseph - enjoyed a few, and Ben took a bunch in to his class to celebrate. The kids and I also dropped some off for my dad.

Okay, I ate one, too.


5 - Any readers who live in Missouri? I'll be sharing JF's story this weekend at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Pilot Grove, MO following the 4pm Vigil Mass. There will be a light supper and the whole event is donation only, but it's a fundraiser for the parish school so you can be generous.

Will any readers be there? I'd love to meet you if you come! Please come up and introduce yourself and let me know in the combox if you're planning on it!


6 - If you're looking for a movie to watch this weekend do yourself two favors:
#1 don't watch Exodus: Gods and Kings.
#2 do watch Chef.

Chef stars Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, Robert Downey Jr. and a few other recognizable faces and it's streaming on Netflix. There's some language and a couple of innuendos but overall I thought it did a great job of being a really sweet movie while still being fun and about real stuff.

(And that recommendation is why Netflix did not seek me out to write endorsements and reviews for them in exchange for a free subscription. ahem.)


7 - Spring is in the air so let's talk gardens.

The older I get the more I grow from just liking the idea of having a garden and pretty flowerbeds to actually enjoying the work of having a garden and pretty flowerbeds. I am itching to get outside, clear out the dead, lay down fresh mulch, and plant some annuals!

This year I'm hoping to till up some earth and plant some veggies and turn one of the flowerbeds into a sort of garden, maybe with some oregano and basil. It's on the side of the house where the garden will be and it's not really visible to anyone so it doesn't have to look gorgeous, just nice enough.

I didn't get any bulbs planted last fall and so I'm not going to have any pretty daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, crocuses, or the the like which is bumming me out, but I'm hoping my butterfly bush and hydrangea will come back this year and make up for the lack of spring flowers.

What about you? Do you have a green (or green-ish) thumb? What are your plans?

7QT - Downton, crying, and mugs

1 - Ellie Holcomb's "Marvelous Light."


2 - Thank you for all the warm well wishes and excitement surrounding the new radio show I am co-hosting with Heather and Rebecca. I'm excited and really nervous and would appreciate your prayers. And if you haven't yet, make sure you find us on Facebook so we can keep you posted on updates since most stuff has to stay top secret right now.


3 - Last night I finally was able to watch the season finale of Downton Abbey. If you haven't watched it yet jump to #4. ....... Okay, for the rest of us: Carson! Wasn't it so great when he proposed to Mrs. Hughes?!  And I really thought they would do something at the end so Tom would stay because I really don't want him to leave. Maybe next season will start off with him and Sybie coming back from the US. He's just so good and that is needed. I

 really loved Lord Grantham and Tom going to Edith and letting her know that they know about Marigold. So sweet. (And who cast Marigold? Someone who had a favor to fulfill, that's what I think.) I hope Edith finds love again, and I hope Mary does too, as long as it's someone who makes her less of a jerk. I'm so tired of Mary being a jerk to Edith.

The whole Bates and Anna and the dead scumbag thing feels like the song that never ends. I hope the married couple skipping away at the end of the episode brings about two things: an end to that tiring story arch and a baby.

Finally, didn't you love how the family responded to Mosley and Baxter when they explained how they had visited all those pubs? They were so touched and proud and I cried.


4 - I actually am crying a lot lately. So there's that.


5 - A painter immortalized the last meal of 600 death row inmates, as PBS shares. Her paintings, and the broken lives they symbolize, will break your heart.


6 - I always appreciate when someone on the outside publishes a piece respectfully written about the Catholic Church and acknowledges the hypocrisy that can come from the government and some liberals, so I am a fan of the Wall Street Journal's A Fight to Keep Catholic Schools Catholic.


7 - These mugs are great, aren't they?

They come from here, if you're interested (not an affiliate link, just something I liked)



Thank you, Kelly, for hosting again. Have a good weekend everyone!

7QT - these are never quick

1 -Happy Valentine's Day!


2 - I'm going to start by introducing you to Chris, a man with whom I attended high school. Then, we both ended up studying English lit and writing at the same small liberal arts college. Chris has moved from a very non denom / evangelical background to Anglicanism and often writes about American culture, music, and faith at his blog Post Consumer Reports. Also, he made himself into a meme.

Okay, is that super funny to me just because I know him or is it just super funny?

Anyways, Chris just wrote a couple of posts about True Love Waits and the whole abstinence until marriage culture that exists in evangelical circles and was widely discussed on the internet a few months back. Perhaps what I appreciate most is that he didn't jump in on all the yelling back then but has thought about it a lot, gathered insights from his female peers, and then wrote of what he knows - not on the whole of the movement. Anyways, I thought I'd share his post because it gave me an excuse to share his meme and because I thought it was well done.

True Love Waits: What my youth pastor did right


2 - Back to Catholic-y things.

Matthew Kelly and the folks at Dynamic Catholic want to make sure you have the Best Lent Ever.  It looks really fabulous and I'm excited to do it this Lent. Check out the website and consider signing up.

And if that doesn't sound like your thing, maybe you'll like the Blessed Is She Lenten journal. It's another great resource to help you get in Scripture and and spending time in prayer. The journals have all sold out but you can download and print one off for yourself. Lovely.

I was really happy to chat with my friends Christy and Haley for their latest Fountains of Carrots podcast. We chatted about lent and how we do it in our homes and I had a lot of fun. JP makes an appearance as well. Take a listen!


3 - Earlier this week I made some bagels and shared a picture on Instagram. If you're looking for a good bagel recipe I strongly recommend this one. Mary Kate shared it with me and she was right - it's delicious. In fact, my second batch is rising right now.


4 - Recently I noticed two unusual occurrences. The first is that on days when I wear pj's, don't brush my hair or teeth, and do not shower I get an incredible amount of work done. Cleaning the bathrooms, putting away the laundry, answering emails, sorting paperwork, mending clothing, even reading to the kids - all of this is done when I look rather gross. I think it's because when I get myself ready for the day I feel like I need to DO something, and that definitely does not mean scrubbing toilets.

The second thing is that if I am going to put away laundry then I cannot use a laundry basket. If I fold the clothes right out of the dryer, piling them on the top of the dryer, then they actually get folded. Then I gather them in my arms - not in a laundry basket! - and carry them throughout the house, putting them away. It gets the job done in minutes, rather than the clean clothes sitting rumpled for days or even weeks.


5 - Today was my first day on thyroid medication. I actually feel better already - is that even possible? I don't know, but this was one of my first steps towards health and I'm excited for what may happen.


6 - Here's some of my favorite links from the week:

Art is not weight-lifting: Why the Beck vs. Beyonce comparisons are unfair and wrong (and lazy!)
This Beck and Beyonce mash-up will cure your Grammy woes
Okay, Hozier, I'll take you to church
The Lady who followed me home
When repentence looks like a shower


7 - In honor of Valentine's Day here's one of my absolute favorite Fulton Sheen quotes.