Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Friday Favorites (Vol. 26)

It has been two years since I’ve touched my old blog and I’m not gonna lie; I miss it! It’s nearly three years since I’ve done a Friday Favorites and I’m feeling nostalgic, so I decided to post a new Friday Favorites. Enjoy!

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This Week’s Fave Tote

By Queen & Pearl

Bella and I discovered the company Queen & Pearl at the Blessed Is She retreat in February. The company mission states: “Inspired by the pious queenship and charity of St. Margaret was created to share the Beauty of the Church in order to inspire a lifestyle rooted in faith and of bold femininity.”

We both loved these small corduroy totes that can be held with a small handle or used as a cross-body tote. They are super cute and, costing only $20, affordable. I purchased the red one, while Bella purchased the green one. (The third choice was black.)

They are the perfect size for around town or to carry items for Mass or visiting the Adoration chapel. Check out the totes and their other products. There’s sure to be something you’ll love.

 

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This Week’s Fave Book

A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Kathleen Beckman

In 2023, my word of the year is “fight” because I particularly felt God calling me to study more about (and live a life of) spiritual warfare. I started with Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the Modern-Day Battle Against Ancient Evil by Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, an excellent read. I had a few spiritual warfare books on my “To Read” list, but was keen to apply it to family life, so I chose A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Kathleen Beckman. I found the book to be informative and useful, especially as a parent. I highly recommend it.

Although, I will say that I purchased books about spiritual warfare and prayer book Prayers of Deliverance a couple years ago, but put them aside. It was just too heavy for me at the time and it’s a topic not be be taken lightly or studied for mere curiosity. My heart was not ready to receive the message. However, this year it is ready and willing to fight in a deeper way.

(Note: MaryRuth Hackett recently interviewed Kathleen Beckman on her podcast Parenting Smarts and they talked about her book A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare. You can listen to it here.

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This Week’s Fave Exorcist Priest on Social Media

 
Msgr. Stephen Rossetti

As mentioned above, Msgr. Rossetti wrote Diary of an American Exorcist and has done an excellent job of bringing the battle of spiritual warfare to the laity. He has a blog and is on all the major social media platforms. I watch him on Instagram and he discusses various topics and offers monthly online deliverance sessions where you can pray along in your home.

I also use his deliverance prayer app from the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal daily. I pray the Parent’s Prayer and the Binding Prayer every morning before the kids go to school and the Perimeter Prayer every night. I’ll admit that at first the prayers seemed a little over the top, but I’ve seen a difference in our family, in my prayer life, and living in this world today, we can use all the spiritual protection we can get.

 

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This Week’s Fave Recipe

Greek Pasta Salad

Summer is approaching and this Easy Greek Pasta Salad from SpendwithPennies.com is a perfect pairing for grilled chicken or on it’s own for a veggie option. I used a little more feta and a little less pasta than listed so it would have more of the Greek dressing. Yummy!

 

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This Week’s Fave Planner Accessories

 Pilot Frixion Erasable Pens

 

Anyone who knows me here also knows that I love the Blessed Is She planners. I prefer to add some color (and stickers) to mine and I’m often asked which are my favorite pens to use

I love to color code in my planner, but I must also have the ability to erase. A few years back I discovered Pilot’s Frixion Erasable pens and fell in love with them. They work great and are easy to erase. I’m never without them! The larger pack have a variety of colors, but they are a little pricey. There are smaller, less expensive packs available too.

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

Have a great weekend!

PS – We can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify. 😉

PPS – (Note: Revolution of Love is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.)

 


Our Favorite Advent Family Activities 2021

(This is the 2021 updated version of last year’s Advent post. 🙂 )

 

Happy Advent 2021! Whether you’re being minimal this year or doing all the things, I hope it’s a time of reflection, peace, joy, and drawing closer to God. Here are some of our favorites (and a few new things) that we do for Advent.

Advent Prayer Tables

We have two main prayer tables/shelves in our house. This one is by the front door. Here we add the nativity scene (purchased at Costco) and our Advent wreath. When the kids were younger, our thin Advent candles would always topple over or break. I finally bought pillar candles. It was the best decision, since these have lasted years. The wooden Advent sign I bought years ago from Rakstar Designs.

This prayer spot is in the family room. Last year we added this new gorgeous Holy Family print from Heart of Iesvs.

I am obsessed with it! So beautiful! To hang it up, I bought wooden magnetic frames from Amazon. It was super easy to put together and I think it looks great. (You want to buy a frame that is slightly bigger than the width of your print.)

This year we added the Jesse Tree from The Stump of Jesse shop at Etsy. And…

 

This St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer card from Redeemed and Free at Etsy. And…

The Baby Jesus manger with “sacrifice straw” from the 2021 Advent Liturgical Box from Catholic All Year.

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The Advent Calendar 1

Revolution of Love Blog - advent_calendar_pic_1Along with our Advent wreath, our Advent calendar has been a staple since the kids were little. Each day we have a rotating “prayer person of the day” who is in charge of leading the family evening prayer. During Advent, that person also gets to open the next box in our Advent calendar. We started this tradition years ago to take the focus off what we want to get, and instead, practice doing for others. We call it an Act of Love Calendar because we show our love for Jesus by sharing that love with others.

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advent_calendar_pic_2WI use the children’s printable Advent calendar from Loyola Press. I cut up the calendar and put the little paper squares into the corresponding day. In the morning we read the act of kindness and complete it that day. At dinner time, we each take a turn sharing something about our day. During Advent I’ll sometimes ask if anyone wants to share about their act of love and they explain how they held their tongue or helped someone out at school. The sharing helps us to see how we can apply our faith into the daily fabric of our lives.
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Advent Calendar 2

Last year we purchased these beautiful Names of Jesus Advent cards from Lara at Jesus Advent Calendar.com. We loved using them and put them back up this year.
The package comes with everything you need to set it up: 24 beautifully hand designed cards, 24 natural wood pegs, 4m long natural jute twin, a handy bag to store the pegs, and a sturdy box to keep it safe every year. Lara sends an email with corresponding Scripture readings and thoughts about each name. It’s been a great addition to our Advent activities.
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A Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

Revolution of Love Blog - A letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa) - letter_baby_jesusW

This is another oldie but goodie. We’ve done this activity for many years and now it’s a family tradition for each of us. Instead of having the boys write the traditional letters to Santa, I put together a simple form letter that I could print off and give them to fill out. We decide on a spiritual activity we’ll work on during Advent as a gift to Jesus, who we will pray for during Advent and what presents we hope to get to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. When they were done, they folded up their letters and put them in their shoes for St. Nicholas to deliver to Baby Jesus. (In years past we’ve also placed them inside the stocking we have hanging for Jesus.)

If you’d like to print of a copy of the Letter to Baby Jesus, it can be found here. Also, I made a second version for those who don’t want the Santa aspect. It can be found here.

For the full post, click here – A Favorite Advent Tradition: A Christmas Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

 

An Advent Letter to Jesus for the Teens and Adults

This year, I used the same concept as the kid’s letter, but made a simple version for a teen or adult to use. You still choose some spiritual (or corporal) act you’ll offer to Jesus. You choose someone to pray for during Advent and instead of asking for a wrapped gift, you can write down what you are hoping to receive from Jesus this Christmas season. (ie. Peace in your heart, the ability to forgive someone who has hurt you, healing (physical or mental), etc.) You can download a PDF of the letter here.

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Jesus in the Manger

For years we used a paper version of Baby Jesus in a manger, but we saved up and found one we liked in the EWTN shop. We wait until Christmas morning to put out Baby Jesus. Meanwhile, during Advent we have a little basket of tan pieces of yarn (used as straw) that family members can use to fill up Baby Jesus’s crib. They put a piece in the manger whenever they make a sacrifice or do an act of love for Our Lord.

Then on Christmas morning we put Jesus in the manger and sing Him Happy Birthday and celebrate with presents and cake.

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Magnifikid’s Daily Advent Prayers

My favorite Advent family devotional/ prayer book is the Magnifikid Daily Advent Prayers from Magnificat. For each day of Advent there is an introductory prayer, an excerpt from the day’s Gospel reading, and intercessions. It is ideally for ages 7 and up, which makes it simple enough for our youngest to understand, yet it is meaty enough for the tween, teen and adults to get something out of it. The artwork is lovely and as an added bonus, it can be used year after year since it has different Sunday readings for the various cycles. I love it!

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Advent Journals

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I am a big fan of the Blessed Is She Advent journals. If you still want to buy one, each copy now comes with a digital download so you can start reading before your book arrives.

This year, the book is extra special to me since I am one of the authors of the devotional. I wrote the reflections for Week Four on the Holy Family.

 

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

Plus, this year they have one for kids as well. Matthew is eager to work on his.

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Sunday Missals

Photo credit: Every Sacred Sunday

 

I love the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal and have been using it for a number of years.

Bella and I use the ESS Missal, but Brian and the boys prefer to use the St. Joseph’s 2022 Sunday Missal. You cannot beat the price – under $3!

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Feast of St. Nicholas

 

St. Nicholas was born in the 3rd Century to a wealthy and devout family. His parents died when he was young & Nicholas used his inheritance to help those less fortunate. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) at a young age. Under the Roman Emperor, he was persecuted for his faith and was imprisoned. He was later released and became known for his generosity and works of wonder, particularly protecting children and the innocent.

More Catholic American families are adopting this feast day that is popular in European countries. Normally children will put out their shoes or hang stockings the night before. As mentioned above, our family also adds into the shoes the letter to Baby Jesus so St. Nicholas can bring it to Him.

While the kids are sleeping I’ll add a few small treats into the shoes – chocolate coins, candy, a small treat (like a mini Lego set or football cards) and a religious item such as a holy card, rosary or Tiny Saints charm.

You can find a lot of activities and printables at St Nicholas Center.org.

 

This year I found these amazing book marks from The Stump of Jesse and these beautiful prayer cards from Avery and Company Shop. The family loved them so much, I bought more for stocking stuffers.

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Spirit of Giving

Advent is perfect time to give of your time, talent, and treasure. Some charity activities have been modified to cope with the pandemic, but we have been able to collect food for the homeless and fill shoe boxes of goodies for the Box of Joy ministry. (Pictured above.) The kids did extra jobs around the house to pay for the items we purchased. (Tip: I buy extra school supplies and crayons when they are crazy cheap during back to school sales to fill Christmas boxes.)

We also give to the Falge Farm Worker program that brings food, supplies, and Christmas presents to migrant agricultural workers on the Central Coast of California. They are out in the fields doing back-breaking work in all conditions – cold, heat, smokey skies, even a pandemic – so giving back to them is a joy. We always sponsor one boy and one girl. This year we added a family as well.

We also try to bring a little cheer to the people in our community, such as our delivery people who bring countless boxes to our door, so I don’t have to go out shopping.

Every morning I leave a basket of snacks and drinks on the porch. Last year I added hard to find Covid items for them. It’s a small thing, but it gives them (and me) joy. 🙂

Those are some of my favorites Advent family activities! What are some of yours?

Have a great weekend!

PS – You can follow Revolution of Love 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. 😉

 


Friday Favorites: Coffee and Fall Faves (Vol. 25)

I rarely post on the blog anymore, but I was feeling nostalgic for Friday Favorites. I posted in on Instagram, but I’m including all the links here. Here are this week’s faves. Enjoy!

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This Week’s Fave Drink

Catholic Coffee Heavenly Roasts

I’m not a coffee drinker, but Brian is, so I purchased some Catholic Coffee Heavenly Roasts for him. He likes dark roast so he tried St. Michael the Archangel and St. Padre Pio. He loved it!  The saint inspired names and packaging is lovely and would be a great Christmas gift for a coffee lover.

Photo credit: Catholic Coffee

And although, I don’t drink coffee, I bought the beautiful matching prayer cards. 🙂

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This Week’s Fave Coffee Mug

Cup of Joe from Reform Wellness

What’s the perfect cup to put your new Catholic coffee? In this Cup of Joe mug from Reform Wellness. Another great Christmas gift idea!

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This Week’s Fave Pumpkin Flavored Food


Lightly Spiced Pumpkin Spread from Trader Joe’s

I love Trader Joe’s and always find interesting food there. I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but I select a few things every fall to get into the seasonal spirit. I tried their Pumpkin Spread and it was very tasty. It is advertised as a compliment to a savory dish. I used it on my wheat toast and it is was okay, but then I added a slice of turkey breast to it, and it was delicious. And the jar is so cute you could pair it with a homemade (or bakery bought) loaf of bread as a hostess gift.

 

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This Week’s Fave Flower

Marigolds

I also stopped at Trader Joe’s today to pick a couple bouquets of marigolds for the feast of All Souls Day. A few years back, we started the family tradition of visiting our local cemetery to pray for the people buried there.

I gave each of the us a small bouquet of marigolds.

Then we’d each choose people to pray for – from soldiers, religious, teens, young children, to ordinary men and women. Some of the kids kept the prayers pretty simple – others brought a book with prayers for the dead.

You can read more about this and how we also build a Catholic version of the ofrenda, which also included marigolds, in my post: How We Celebrate Dia de los Muertos, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day as a Catholic Family.

 

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This Week’s Fave Catholic Ministry Anniversary

 

 Feast Day Boxes 3rd Anniversary

We are big fans of the Feast Day Boxes monthly subscription program. Their ministry has really helped us to incorporate liturgical living into our everyday lives. From food to religious items, each box takes us on a journey to another part of the world and opens our eyes to new-to-us Catholic customs. (You can see the reel of items we received in our boxes over the years on my Instagram feed.) Feast Day Boxes celebrated their third anniversary this month and we send them big congrats and thanks!

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

Have a great weekend!

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify. 😉

PPS – (Note: Revolution of Love is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.)

 


How I Use My Blessed Is She 2021-2022 Liturgical Planner

 

Normally I’d write my new planner post in August, but since Blessed is She added an extra month in this year’s academic planner, I’m setting it up a month early. And it’s not a moment too soon since I have numerous things to plan now that Covid restrictions have been loosened and traveling and school activities are back on the schedule.

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

I’ve been using the Blessed Is She planner since Day 1. I’ve switched to various sizes (sometimes mid-year) depending on my season of life. Blessed Is She has three options for us this year: the Standard size, the Mini-size, and the new perfect bound (non spiral) Mini-size. Last year I used the larger Standard size since we were all home-bound. However, this year I am returning to the Mini, specifically the perfect bound. I just love the portability! I need something I can throw in my tote for appointments and meetings and this does a great job.

I like making the planner my own by adding decor. I always add photos of my family to the inside cover of my planner.  They are my inspiration to strive for harmony and order, and they motivate me to conquer my messy tendencies. When there’s some order in the house, it brings more peace into our busy family life.

I also wanted to add a photo of St. Joseph, since he’s my saint of the year, but since the Holy Family has been working alongside of St. Joe, I added all of them in there.

I like to color code the items in my planner. For years I’ve been using five goal categories so I use five basic colors to correspond. Red (Daughter of God) is for spiritual activities such as Holy Hour, Confession, special Masses, Retreats, etc. Orange (Wife) are things like date nights. Green (Mom) are school events, violin and piano classes, after school practice, play dates, etc. Blue is a combo of Homemaker and extended family – work on house projects, shopping/errand days, or activities with extended family members. Purple (Woman) is for me – work outside the home, girls night out, self- care, etc and for BIS (Blessed Is She) activities with other women.

There is a small key on the bottom of my calendar page. It may seem complicated, but I’ve been using the color code so long that it is now natural to me.

After the monthly view, there is a goals page for three main areas: faith, family, and fun. I take some time to think about the things I want to accomplish this month. I find it best to pray about it first. Then I try to be specific and schedule it. For example, in my faith, I’d like to deepen my love of God. As a means to do that I will do a weekly Holy Hour and Monthly confession, which I listed in my goals. Then in my monthly calendar, I scheduled those days and keep them just as I would an appointment.

I use the following notes page as my monthly brain dump. I write down the things I know I have to get done that month. Then I schedule those things on my weekly calendar.

For the weekly view, I divide each day into two sections. The first column is my To Do’s. I use the second column as a schedule for appointments or activities.

Each day has a series of five dots. These are habit trackers. You can chose what you want to track – prayer, exercise, water. You can use all 5 dots for one thing (like cups/jugs of water) or use each dot for a different item. For me I use the dots for the following – morning prayer, water/hydration, vitamins, walk/exercise, bed on time. (I have a lot more leeway on that one since it is summer right now.) Because I am at the beginning of the my planner, I color coded it, but as time goes by I’ll just use one color. And to be honest, on busy weeks, I just leave them blank. It’s okay to use what helps you and to cut back, when you feel overwhelmed.

If there is a day when I have a lot of out-of-the-house activities I will use Erin Condren hourly schedule sticky notes.

There is a space from 6AM to 10PM, although I cut off the bottom part since I didn’t need the evening spaces.

Photo credit: Knock Knock

If I need more space for To Do’s, then I’ll use one of these Knock Knock To Do Sticky Notes and add it to the weekly page.

I also use the weekly spread to keep track of activities or meals for the liturgical year. I subscribe to the monthly Feast Day Liturgical Boxes and the Catholic All Year Liturgical Living Box.

After opening up our boxes (it feels like Christmas!) I take out my planner and mark the days we’ll be celebrating. Below the dinner section of the day, I add the meal, dessert, or activity and the feast/saint we’re honoring. It makes things a lot easier when I am planning the week’s meals and activities. Otherwise, the day may slip by and I’ve forgotten the special meal or activity. (Ask me how I know 😉 )

Other features include a year at a glance page, a notes section in the back, an elastic band closure, and (added bonus) – a pen holder!

There are a lot of great planners out there, but I love all the Catholic aspects in the Blessed Is She planner. The theme of this year’s planner is the Litany of Trust written by the Sisters of Life.

Each month has a line from the Litany to pray about…

…and reflection questions to ponder.

Other Catholic elements include a list of feast days, how to make a Holy Hour, how to pray the Rosary, and an Examination of Conscience.

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Your Questions Answered

Whenever, I post photos of my planner on Instagram, I’ll often get the same questions. Here are the most common ones with my answers.

I have the larger Standard-sized planner. Any tips for using it?

Last year I used the larger planner. You can get tips from my previous post – How I Use My Blessed Is She 2020-2021 Blessed Is She Planner. The planner looks a little different, but it has the same basic features.

What kind of pens do you use?

 

When I write in my planner, I MUST be able to erase. I used to use pencil until I found these awesome erasable pens a few years ago – Pilot Frixion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm, 10 Colors Set. I have been using them ever since.

There are various sizes available on Amazon, such as this larger pack of  Clicker Erasable, Refillable & Retractable Gel Ink Pens, Fine Point, Assorted Color Inks, 15-Pack Pouch. I have also seen single colors at Staples and Michael’s.

(One note: It has been said that the ink of these pens disappear in extreme heat, but the ink will reappear if book is placed in the freezer. I have never had an issue, but I also don’t live in extreme heat.)

Where do you get the planner stickers in you planner?

My favorite regular planner stickers include the Happy Planner sticker pads. You can find them at Amazon or craft stores like Michael’s. They are expensive so I wait until they go on sale or I have a coupon/ gift card.

Photo credit: Bloom

I also found some cute year round stickers from Amazon like these bloom daily planners New Holiday Seasonal Planner Sticker Sheets – Over 250 Stickers that cost about $10.

Photo credit: Zicoto

However, I just discovered these – Aesthetic Greenery Planner Stickers – 1100+ Stunning Gold Foil Design. Talk about happy mail! They come in a cute cardstock envelope and there are So. Many. Stickers. You get 12 sheets of monthly themed stickers and another 13 sheets of various planner stickers. They are so lovely! Most remarkable is the price. All of that for only $13! Sorry if I sound like an infomercial, but the sticker collecting nerdy girl inside me is geeking out. 😉

Where do you get Catholic planner stickers?

I love these Catholic planner stickers from Blessed Is She. So pretty!

The other day I received the Catholic Planner Sticker Set from the kind and generous Jessica of the Sweet Little Ones Shop. Talk about a Catholic treasure trove! The planner pack has so many pretty Catholic stickers for the liturgical year, as well as saint quotes, Scripture, and much more. The set has 70 2×2 stickers, a 5×7 Liturgical Living Calendar print, and the option of adding square rosary stickers. I’m so pleased with them and the other goodies from her shop!

Photo Credit: Un Corazon Que Arde

I love these Catholic planner stickers from Un Corazon Que Arde. I ordered the first and third sheet since the middle one was in Spanish. They are so pretty!

Photo credit: Oh Hello Paper & Gifts

Oh Hello Paper & Gifts has numerous planner stickers that anyone can use, but she also has a sheet specifically for Catholic planners. What I like about these is that they are small, so they’re perfect for Mini-sized planners!

I asked on Instagram for suggestions of shops that sell Catholic planner stickers. I have not tried these shops myself, but they were recommended to me. Go check them out! (Note: There are numerous shops that sell single Catholic stickers. I was looking specifically for paper planner stickers sold in a sheet or package.)

Do you have a favorite shop for Catholic planner stickers? Let me know!

Where did you get the planner book marks I saw on your Instagram?

I like to use magnetic book marks, such as these…

…and cute paper clip book marks such as these. (Note: I love these, but the shorter metal loop of the paperclip pops out just a bit. I’d wish it had been straight as the other loop is.)

The perfect bound planner comes with a ribbon bookmark. However if you are using one of the spiral bound planners, then I highly recommend the Avery Spiral Slide-In Plastic Bookmark Divider. It can be used full size with the regular planner.

If you have a mini planner, you can easily cut off the end as I did in the photo above. They come in a pack of three, colored red, yellow, and aqua blue.

Where did you get the Catholic washi tape?

This awesome Catholic washi tape is from Tisa Mui Co. Right now some of the products are sold out, but if you sign up for the newsletter you’ll know when the are restocked.

When do you find time to decorate and update your planner?

Ideally, I try to do it on Sundays. I go over the week’s schedule, make my meal plan, my grocery list, and plan out my week (with room for unexpected changes.) I listen to music or watch a favorite movie to make it more relaxing. If I can’t do it on Sunday, then I’ll take time on Monday morning instead, but it is usually more hurried.

How do you keep yourself motivated to use your planner?

This is part of the reason that I decorate my planner. I’m more likely to use it when I put a little extra time into decorating it. Plus it calms me and brings me joy to add a little personality to the blank pages. But, honestly, there are weeks when I don’t have the time or energy to do anything with it and I’m okay with that. Plus, some people hate all the busyness of stickers and washi so decorating is definitely not a motivation for them!

Whatever your preference, I recommend keeping your planner close. For me, I keep it open on my desk or in the kitchen because I must write things down or I just forget. This way I can jot items down when they come to mind.

If the planner isn’t within my reach, I make a note (audio or typed) on my phone. Later (usually in the evening) I add those notes to the planner. The more I do this, the easier it is to keep the habit of using it. Plus, when I don’t do this, something inevitably falls through the cracks and that’s just no bueno!

I also try to see the spiritual side of writing things down and planning my day. My life can get busy and I can get stressed over it, but saying the prayers in the planner and repeating the lines of the Litany of Trust reminds me that I have one life and I don’t want to waste it getting stressed, or being disorganized, for that matter.

A planner won’t magically change my life, but it can be used as a tool to help me be a more efficient wife, mom, friend, and daughter of God. And if it looks cute as it’s doing that, all the better. 😉

Well, I think that covered the basics! If you have the Blessed Is She planner, which version do you have? What’s your favorite feature or best planning advice/hack/accessory? Let me know!

Happy planning!

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, 😉

(NOTE: Revolution of Love is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I purchased these items on my own and am sharing my honest opinion about them.)


Our Favorite Advent Family Activities 2020

I think we’re all ready for the joys of Advent and Christmas! Whether you’re being minimal this year or doing all the things, I hope it’s a time of reflection, peace, joy, and drawing closer to God. Here are some of our favorites (and a few new things) that we do for Advent.

Advent Prayer Tables

We have two main prayer tables/shelves in our house. This one is by the front door. Here we add the nativity scene (purchased at Costco) and our Advent wreath. When the kids were younger, our thin Advent candles would always topple over or break. I finally bought pillar candles. It was the best decision, since these have lasted years. The wooden Advent sign I bought years ago from Rakstar Designs.

This prayer spot is in the family room. We added this new gorgeous Holy Family print from Heart of Iesvs.

I am obsessed with it! So beautiful! To hang it up, I bought wooden magnetic frames from Amazon. It was super easy to put together and I think it looks great. (You want to buy a frame that is slightly bigger than the width of your print.)

 

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The Advent Calendar 1

Revolution of Love Blog - advent_calendar_pic_1Along with our Advent wreath, our Advent calendar has been a staple since the kids were little. Each day we have a rotating “prayer person of the day” who is in charge of leading the family evening prayer. During Advent, that person also gets to open the next box in our Advent calendar. We started this tradition years ago to take the focus off what we want to get, and instead, practice doing for others. We call it an Act of Love Calendar because we show our love for Jesus by sharing that love with others.

* * * * *

advent_calendar_pic_2WI use the children’s printable Advent calendar from Loyola Press. I cut up the calendar and put the little paper squares into the corresponding day. In the morning we read the act of kindness and complete it that day. At dinner time, we each take a turn sharing something about our day. During Advent I’ll sometimes ask if anyone wants to share about their act of love and they explain how they held their tongue or helped someone out at school. The sharing helps us to see how we can apply our faith into the daily fabric of our lives.
 * * * * *

Advent Calendar 2

This year we purchased these beautiful Names of Jesus Advent cards from Lara at Jesus Advent Calendar.com.
The package comes with everything you need to set it up: 24 beautifully hand designed cards, 24 natural wood pegs, 4m long natural jute twin, a handy bag to store the pegs, and a sturdy box to keep it safe every year. Lara sends an email with corresponding Scripture readings and thoughts about each name. It’s been a great addition to our Advent activities.
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A Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

Revolution of Love Blog - A letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa) - letter_baby_jesusW

This is another oldie but goodie. We’ve done this activity for many years and now it’s a family tradition for each of us. Instead of having the boys write the traditional letters to Santa, I put together a simple form letter that I could print off and give them to fill out. We decide on a spiritual activity we’ll work on during Advent as a gift to Jesus, who we will pray for during Advent and what presents we hope to get to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. When they were done, they folded up their letters and put them in their shoes for St. Nicholas to deliver to Baby Jesus. (In years past we’ve also placed them inside the stocking we have hanging for Jesus.)

 If you’d like to print of a copy of the Letter to Baby Jesus, it can be found here. Also, I made a second version for those who don’t want the Santa aspect. It can be found here.

 

For the full post, click here – A Favorite Advent Tradition: A Christmas Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

 

An Advent Letter to Jesus for the Teens and Adults

This year, I used the same concept as the kid’s letter, but made a simple version for a teen or adult to use. You still choose some spiritual (or corporal) act you’ll offer to Jesus. You choose someone to pray for during Advent and instead of asking for a wrapped gift, you can write down what you are hoping to receive from Jesus this Christmas season. (ie. Peace in your heart, the ability to forgive someone who has hurt you, healing (physical or mental), etc.) You can download a PDF of the letter here.

 

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Jesus in the Manger

For years we used a paper version of Baby Jesus in a manger, but we saved up and found one we liked in the EWTN shop. We wait until Christmas morning to put out Baby Jesus. Meanwhile, during Advent we have a little basket of tan pieces of yarn (used as straw) that family members can use to fill up Baby Jesus’s crib. They put a piece in the manger whenever they make a sacrifice or do an act of love for Our Lord.

Then on Christmas morning we put Jesus in the manger and sing Him Happy Birthday and celebrate with presents and cake.

 

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Magnifikid’s Daily Advent Prayers

My favorite Advent family devotional/ prayer book is the new Magnifikid Daily Advent Prayers from Magnificat. For each day of Advent there is an introductory prayer, an excerpt from the day’s Gospel reading, and intercessions. It is ideally for ages 7 and up, which makes it simple enough for our youngest to understand, yet it is meaty enough for the tween, teen and adults to get something out of it. The artwork is lovely and as an added bonus, it can be used year after year since it has different Sunday readings for the various cycles. I love it!

 

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Advent Journals

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I am a big fan of the Blessed Is She Advent journals. If you still want to buy one, each copy now comes with a digital download so you can start reading before your book arrives. Or you can get the audio version of Maranatha on Amazon for less than $5.

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

Plus, this year they have one for kids as well. Matthew is eager to work on his.

 

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Sunday Missals

I love the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal and during this year of Covid, it has been especially helpful, whether we are attending Mass virtually at home or at an outdoor Mass.

Bella and I use the ESS Missal, but Brian and the boys prefer to use the St. Joseph’s 2020 Sunday Missal. You cannot beat the price – only $1.99!

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Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas was born in the 3rd Century to a wealthy and devout family. His parents died when he was young & Nicholas used his inheritance to help those less fortunate. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) at a young age. Under the Roman Emperor, he was persecuted for his faith and was imprisoned. He was later released and became known for his generosity and works of wonder, particularly protecting children and the innocent.

More Catholic American families are adopting this feast day that is popular in European countries. Normally children will put out their shoes or hang stockings the night before. As mentioned above, our family also adds into the shoes the letter to Baby Jesus so St. Nicholas can bring it to Him.

While the kids are sleeping I’ll add a few small treats into the shoes – chocolate coins, candy, a small treat (like a mini Lego set or football cards) and a religious item such as a holy card, rosary or Tiny Saints charm.

You can find a lot of activities and printables at St Nicholas Center.org.

Photo credit: Somedaysaints.com

Last year we got an extra special treat – Kids Adoration Journal and Tote Bundle from Someday Saints.com. Technically this is for kids ages 7-12, which is great for my boys, but the rest of us over that age loved it too, so we all got one! When the kids were younger, they also loved watching the DVD Nicholas: The Boy who Became Santa with their feast day dessert.

 

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Spirit of Giving

Advent is perfect time to give of your time, talent, and treasure. We can’t do activities with other people (like singing carols at a nursing home) but we have been able to collect food for the homeless, purchase items  for the local migrant workers, and fill shoe boxes of goodies for the Box of Joy ministry. (Pictured above.)  The kids did extra jobs around the house to pay for the items we purchased. (Tip: I buy extra school supplies and crayons when they are crazy cheap during back to school sales to fill Christmas boxes.)

We also try to bring a little cheer to the people in our community, such as our delivery people who bring countless boxes to our door, so I don’t have to go out shopping.

Every morning I leave a basket of snacks, drinks, and Covid items (toilet paper rolls, hand sanitizer, etc.) for them. It’s a small thing, but it gives them (and me) joy. 🙂

Those are some of my favorites Advent family activities! What are some of yours?

Have a great weekend!

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