Listen to Your Mama

Yesterday's Gospel reading, the wedding at Cana, is one of my favorites:

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” 

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.  

And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from — although the servers who had drawn the water knew —, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

 Beautiful right?  Here are a few reasons why this passage affects me on such a deep level:

1. It is a rare portrayal of Christ's personal life.  He was with His family.  With His friends.  Before He was a public figure.  And He was celebrating a wedding.  Two thousand years later, thousands of miles away, this is something we still do.  It reminds me of His human nature, which I so often forget.  (Might I add that if you have a significant other that doesn't like to go to weddings, this could be a great motivator: "Even Christ went to weddings!")
2. What a beautiful tribute to Christian marriage.  This is a common reading at weddings for a reason.  As a single Man, Christ Himself is not often associated with marriage, but here He is, celebrating the union between a man and woman.  Not only that, He is so moved by compassion for the bride and groom who ran out of wine that He turns the water into wine so that the celebration may continue.  Obviously He believed that it was worth celebrating late into the night! 
3. It perfectly explains Catholics' reverence for the Blessed Mother.  In his homily yesterday, the priest said, "Perhaps the Blessed Mother knew Jesus better than He knew himself. He thought He wasn't ready for His public ministry. She knew otherwise."  Mary did not disappear from the story of our salvation the moment Christ was born.  Here she is, the mother of an adult Child, still guiding Him in God's plan.  Mary asked, Jesus obeyed.  That's why we seek Mary's guidance and intercession.  A dutiful Son in eternity, Christ will deny His mother nothing.  Mary also leads others to Christ.  How hauntingly powerful are her words, "Do whatever He tells you."  Yes, Mama, I will.   

Linking up with Marian Mondays:

What I Wore Sunday: Breastfeeding-Unfriendly

Dress: LOFT | Jacket: Gap
Leggings: unknown | Boots: Bare Traps   David worked last night and this morning.  He also has a work meeting this afternoon.  So the ONLY Mass time we could make was 11:30 and I had to meet him there.  If you didn't know (or couldn't assume from my blog name), I have a hard time getting out of the door at all, much less on my own.  The only reason we are 10 minutes early to Mass every week is because of my very organized, very patient husband.  Even with my mom's help this morning, we were running late.  So I had about two seconds to throw on an outfit.  It came out great for not having much thought put into it, right?   Oh yeah, except for the little fact that it's not breastfeeding-friendly.

 Oops.

Lucia was great the first half of Mass, until she started pulling on my chest, clearly hankering for some milk.  It all began to spiral downwards from there. 

Skinnier Mandi brought to you by the Perfect Health Diet.  

More details on this in the weeks to come.

I'm linking up to Fine Linen and Purple's What I Wore Sunday linkup.  Check it out for more church attire inspiration.

What I'm Loving Lately: ibotta

I recently got a new app, ibotta, that I believe will revolutionize coupons.  I don't use the word "revolutionize" lightly, but this is one of those things that is at the same time so clever and so common sense. If you already coupon, this app is for you.  If you don't coupon because you don't have time, are confused by the process, etc., this app is especially for you.  

Here's how it works:

1. You open the app.  You will see many "offers" for difference grocery products.

2. If there are any products you are interested in (you usually buy them, would be interested in trying them, etc.), click on them.

3. There will be a variety of "tasks" to do to earn money off that product.  Some of the tasks include: watching a short video (usually a commercial for the product), taking a one question poll, posting about the product on Facebook, etc.  Most take only a few seconds, watching a video may take slightly longer.  From what I've done so far, it seems most tasks are worth $0.25 off and most items have 3 tasks (so $0.75 total off the product).

4. Once you complete the tasks, buy the product.  You can even scan the barcode with your phone while in the store to check to make sure the product qualifies for the offer.  

5. After you check out, you take a picture of your receipt through the app and scan the barcode of all the qualifying products.  

6. Within 24 hours (usually, it's only a few minutes) you will get a verification email telling you that your purchase was confirmed.  The money will go into your Ibotta account.  Once you earn at least $5, you can have it deposited to you Paypal account.

Why it's wonderful:

You don't even need to complete the tasks before you make your purchase! 
The other day, I bought shampoo on sale and when I got home checked Ibotta and realized it was one of the items on there.  I completed the tasks and uploaded my receipt.  I earned $1.25! You can't get money back for coupons that you left at home or found right after you got home from your shopping trip!

You don't need to bring anything with you.  
 If you want to check to make sure you're getting the right product, you might want to have your phone to scan the barcode, but you would probably already have your phone on hand anyway. (I don't, my husband has a smartphone and I do not, so I do all the "work" at home.)  You don't have to worry about clipping coupons or remembering to bring them.

The offers are personalized.
You have the option to give each offer your see a thumbs up or thumbs down.  As you use offers, they are replaced with new ones and the new ones are chosen based on your preference.

Can be used in addition to coupons.
Yep, even if you already have a coupon and/or the item is on sale, you can still earn with ibotta!  This might mean that after the money deposits in your account, some items could be free or very close to it!

It's free.
This isn't some kind of coupon program that you have to pay to join (if you didn't know those are out there, they are! What a ripoff, huh?).  Simply register here and then download the app on your phone for free.  There is an Apple and Android version. Then start earning!

If you are interested in signing up with ibotta, I would love if you would do so through my referral link.  I earn $1 for each new referral.  And guess what? Once you join, you can refer to your friends and earn that way as well!  (Two ways to earn, how lucky!)

 

Ramblings & My Favorite Recent Reads

(feel free to skip my ramblings)

I know that I've shared previously on this blog my dream of writing a book, but it's been a while and probably only 30 people even knew my blog existed at that time.  Anyway, it's a huge dream for me.  I'm not really sure what kind of book I would like to write, but maybe fiction, or maybe a memoir, or maybe a non-fiction book about the treatment of Mexicans in newly US territory after the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.  (I published a paper on the topic in undergrad and find it fascinating, plus I have ancestors that fit in that category.)  

Anyway, this post isn't really to discuss my literary ambitions.  The fact is, I might not ever get to that place, because I can't even think about what to write on this little ol' blog.  I have about twenty half-written blog posts in my drafts, but none of them are really calling to me to be finished today.  I can't think of anything interesting that's going on in my life that would spark a blog post, except for the fact that David got another job rejection recently and I already filled my quota of depressing, un(der)employed, financial stress posts for the next decade with this one. 

So instead, I'm going to some of favorite recent internet reads.  Enjoy!

Recent blog loves:

I was recently asked to share my favorite fashion bloggers.  My two favorites, and the only ones I follow with any regularity, are Kendi Everyday and The Evangelista.  They are both modest (The Evangelista is Catholic and her blog is an even mix of Catholicism and fashion - and you thought the two didn't mix!) and wear items that I can actually see myself wearing (nothing too outlandish).  I also love to find inspiration from Fine Linen and Purple's weekly What I Wore Sunday link-up and this list of Catholic Fashion Bloggers.

My child, I love you. - One of my favorite blogs, it's a beautiful and inspiring portrait of motherhood (with seven children, there's a lot of blogging material!).


Wellness Mama - David and I (well, and Lucia by proxy) are embarking on the "Perfect Health Diet" - no sugar, no carbs except white rice and potatoes, no processed foods - and Wellness Mama is a huge resource for recipe ideas and health information.  Aside from food, she also has great DIY non-toxic cleaners and health product posts.

The OT Mama - I case you were wondering, OT stands for Occupational Therapist, not off topic, which is what I always think when I first see it.  She hasn't updated her blog in a while, but The OT Mama Facebook page is a "must like".  She's always posting interesting articles and products and activity ideas for little ones.  I love when her posts pop up in my news feed.


Favorite recent posts:

Borderline Crunch at Cartwheels and Windmills - totally could relate to accidentally becoming a crunchy mama.

Falling down the stairs to meet Mary at From the Heart - love pieces like this that help me relate to the Saints in everyday ways.

Love Languages at She Breathes Deeply - Mandy's thoughtful post on motherhood and lovely description of her daughter.  Posts like these are why I first started following her (and she was one of the first bloggers I followed) and she just doesn't write enough for my liking these days.

Preach always. If necessary, use words. at Elizabeth Ester. Who doesn't love a good conversion story? This post includes two! Plus some wisdom for those of us who long for the conversion of our loved ones.


Other places on the internet:

Is Sensory Processing Disorder the New Black? - Super interesting article about the effects of diet on children.  Discovered it through The OT Mama (see above).

Special Team - A few months old, I just stumbled upon this article.  These young men fight the stereotype that teenaged boys (and especially jocks) are jerks.  They are anything but.

Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice? - The Evangelista linked to this piece.  I'll admit, I rarely read an entire article this long (what can I say, I'm busy), but the level of forgiveness it portrays is captivating.  Would you forgive your daughter's murderer? Would you fight to get him a reduced sentence?

Guest Post at NFP and Me: When Contraception Fails

On Saturday afternoon, I was trying to nap when Lucia was napping and started thinking about the reactions women get to "unexpected" pregnancies.  Which made me think about how society views contraception as fail-proof.  Which made me sad.  I sad down and wrote probably one of the fastest posts I've ever written, and since it's a little outside the realm of my regular topics, I sent it off to Kate at NFP and Me to see if she was interested in posting it.  It's up at her blog today, so obviously she found some merit in it.  Here's a sneak peak:

I recently noticed that when a woman announces an “accidental” pregnancy while using some form of contraception it is assumed that she did something wrong that caused the contraception failure.  You know the arguments.  She must have forgotten to take a pill or took it at the wrong time of day; she didn’t wait long enough after her hormonal injection for it to take effect, etc.  I have yet to hear the assumption that a contraception method failed WITHOUT USER ERROR.  But the fact is, no form of contraception works 100% of the time even when used 100% correctly...continue reading at NFP and Me