¡Viva Cristo Rey! {WIWS}

Have you ever felt a Saint pursuing you?  His/her name keeps coming up in things you read, conversations you have?  You feel this pull toward him/her?  I've heard many times that your patron Saints choose you, not the other way around.  If you've experienced something like this, I'd love if you'd share your story with me.

I've been feeling that way for a while about Bl. Miguel Pro.  I first heard him name learning about the Mexican Revolution in a Mexican history class in college and he's been following me ever since.  This weekend was the last straw.  He was part of the Cristero movement, whose battle cry was ¡Viva Cristo Rey! (Long live Christ the King!).  Yesterday was his feast day (the anniversary of his death) and today is the Solemnity of Christ the King.  Everywhere I turn, I've been hearing his name.

Ok, ok, I'm giving in.  Bl. Miguel Pro, I get it!  I know that you are calling me for something.  I'll be on the lookout for a book on your life and will be listening for what you have to say.  If anyone has read anything about him or has some great resources to share, I'd love if you'd point me in the right direction!

Here's what I wore to celebrate Christ the King:

  jacket: Ann Taylor | pants: LOFT | shoes: Maurice's

Linking up with What I Wore Sunday.  Head over for more church attire inspiration.

Free Stuff, Feast, and Marriage First #7QT

 

 

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I opened my email a couple of weeks ago to this: 

In the spirit of the unexpected, Personal Creations is sending a special gift to some of the bloggers we feel go above and beyond to capture life's beautiful moments. We asked our team who their favorite bloggers were, and Messy Wife, Blessed Life was among the first named. We know you work hard to live in the moment with your family, and share that with the community you've built. We want to send some of that joy and love back in your direction by creating a personalized gift for you.

I've been blogging for over three years and I've had people tell me a handful of times that my blog is one of their favorites.  My first response is always, "Can I send you a list of the blogs I read because you obviously have never read any truly good blogs?"  It's just so surreal that anyone even reads what I write, much less likes it.  And then someone wants to send me something free because they enjoy my writing?  I'm absolutely blushing.  It's time like these that I feel like maybe, someday, I'll be able to fulfill my dream of writing a book.

Anyway, here's what I chose from Personal Creations:

Stemless wine glasses.  I've loved stemless wine glasses for forever and these ones are even monogrammed.  Truth be told, I've used these babies nearly everyday since I got them.  Not sure if it's because I love the wine or the glasses so much.   

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Feast! is out!  My sweet friend Haley (of Carrots for Michaelmas fame) has a new fabulous ebook out all about celebrating the liturgical seasons.  She sent me a copy before it was released and I'm loving it!  It has recipes, reflections, and practical ideas for celebrating the seasons and feast days.  As a newbie to liturgical living, it's the perfect introduction without getting overwhelmed.  I know there are some great online sources for all the feast days, but I appreciate that this is one resource with many ideas throughout the year.  I think I'll be sticking pretty closely to the feast days Haley mentions for this first year before I start adding some additional feast days that are important to us, with the exception of Lucia's name day which we actually celebrated last year.

Believe me, the above description of the book does not do it justice at all.  It's better than I can adequately explain.  It is currently for sale for $4.99 until Thanksgiving Day.  Also, it would be so perfect to start this book now with the beginning of Advent and the liturgical year.  You can read more about it and get your copy here. 

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We seem to have a good day - trying day - good day - trying day pattern going on around these parts.  I guess this is an introduction to the terrible twos?  It really hadn't reached unbearable or anything like that (although in the moment, it sometimes feels that way), but it's pretty difficult to see my sweet, happy girl become so agitated.  She's such a small child with such big emotions, I can't imagine how tough it is on little ones.  She has a great vocabulary, which seems to help keep the frustration at bay as she can often express her thoughts, but when she gets too upset, she can't seem to form words at all.  I've never been particularly patient, but it's been really helpful to try to put myself in her place and empathize with her than to focus on how her behavior affects me.  

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I have two giveaways going on right now and both are pretty universal in appeal.  And I think both can help make the holiday season a little more joyful.  Click here to enter to win a $50 or $25 credit from Insoles and Beyond.  And click here for my giveaway for $150 credit to Minted for holiday cards or party decor.  Both giveaways end Sunday.

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I am working on a post of religious stocking stuffer ideas for toddler and would love your input.  If you have some ideas to share, click here to go to a fancy form to submit your ideas.  If I get the post up soon, I may decide to do a few more with some other age groups. 

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Anyone know of an easy Thanksgiving craft or two for toddlers?  We've loaded up on Thanksgiving books from the library but I'd love to do a craft as well, especially one that deals with the thankfulness part of the holiday and not just the turkey part.  I like this idea from Molly Makes Do, but Lucia isn't really understanding enough to be able to tell me what she it thankful for.  Is she just too young for something like this?

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What do you do to put your marriage first?  Recently, David and I have been snuggling on the couch after Lucia goes to bed and catching up on episodes of our favorite show, The Amazing Race.  I've also started the book For Better Forever.  After the miscarriage, I'm starting to realize why the statistics for divorce are so high after losing a child.  David and I are nowhere near divorce and our marriage is still solid, but I still notice a...distance? there and can imagine if there were other circumstances that complicated it or if we hadn't had such a good marriage to begin with that it could have really wedged us apart.  

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Yes, we're talking about Christmas cards, but only because I want to give you some! {$150 Minted Giveaway}

I'm sorry, I don't like to start into Christmas before Thanksgiving but I have a giveaway, so maybe you'll forgive me???  This year Lucia will be two for Christmas and much more aware so I want to make sure that we start the tradition of observing Advent, a season of expectation and preparation before Christmas.  In order to appropriately do that, I want to get the Christmas "chores" done ahead of time - the shopping and the logistics - so that we can spend those four weeks focused on family and faith.  No hustle and bustle.  No consumerism.  No holiday stress.

One of the to-dos I have to cross off before Advent starts is Christmas cards.  Minted.com will be helping me help one of you cross that off your list as well with a giveaway for $150 Minted credit.

Minted is one of my favorite photo card websites because everything is absolutely gorgeous and very high quality.  I got Lucia's first birthday invitations from Minted as well as the decorations for my sister-in-law's baby shower and I will be getting my Christmas cards this year there as well.  Let me show a few of my favorites so you see why Minted is a go-to for our family events:

I only use religious cards and it's fairly hard to find them on photo card sites.  Or if you can find them, they usually aren't very attractive.  All of Minted's cards are aesthetically pleasing and there are several religious options!

There are even non-photo cards if you weren't able to get the kids to pose for that that perfect family picture this year:

Ok, now let me tell you about the feature that makes me the most excited ever for Christmas cards this year: Yearline.  

It's like a Christmas letter with your highlights for the year, but with pictures.  So basically, I don't have to decide between all the darling pictures I've taken of Lucia this past year.  Well, I still have to decide, but I don't have to choose only one. 

If you are planning a holiday party, Minted also has gorgeous invitations, decorations, and the like.  Glancing through it all, I want so badly to host a little holiday shindig.  With Lucia's birthday so close to Christmas, I kind of doubt I'll be doing December holiday parties in the future, but when we get a bigger home, I'll definitely think about a New Year's or Epiphany party in early January. 

Now that you have a little taste of what you can win, click here to be directed to the entry page.  Good luck!

Did I just say, "I might go for a run?"

Last week was a big week for me; I had a new important first.  That's right, mark it on your calendars, Mandi... got her first pair of shoe insoles. 

Ok, not as exciting for you as it was for me???  Maybe you've been wearing fancy insoles for years and I am so behind on the times, but I was really excited when Insoles and Beyond contacted me about a review and giveaway.  I've always wanted to buy nice insoles, especially since I experience a lot of back pain, but I definitely was a bit of a doubter - would they make enough of a difference to justify the cost?  If you're not a runner (and I am not), they aren't really necessary, right?  This was my chance to find out.

Insoles and Beyond sent me a pair of Sof Sole Airr Orthotics for Women.  As soon as they arrived in the mail, I couldn't wait to put them in my shoes to wear on my daily walks with Lucia to the park.  To be honest, the first time I wore them, they felt a bit uncomfortable.  Over the next few days though, each time I wore them, they felt increasingly better.  I'm chalking up the initial discomfort to the fact that I wasn't used to actually having arch support (or any support, really).  I'm never going back to the teensy tiny, no arch insoles that come with shoes.  Not ever.  You can't make me! 

I would love to be able to compare the Sof Sole Airr Orthotics to other insoles for you or tell you what exactly I like about them, but because I am an insole newbie, I can't really do that.  All I can say is that they are great, great enough to make me actually consider taking a jog or even running *gasp*.  

What I can tell you with a bit of detail is that I cannot recommend Insoles and Beyond enough.  It is a family run business, which in my experience usually means great customer service and attention to detail, and Insoles and Beyond is no exception. The online store has a wide variety of insoles that are categorized by need (arch support, flat feet, running shoes, etc.).  If you need more help figuring out an insole, use the contact information to get some additional one-on-one help choosing the best insoles for you.   Also, domestic shipping is always free!!!  

As a little aside, I know the holidays are coming up and while good insoles are probably not the most romantic or fun gift, they certainly are thoughtful, especially for a runner or someone who is constantly on their feet.  

Purchase a pair from Insoles and Beyond during the month of November and get 5% off your entire order with code MANDI5.  Or enter to win a $50 or $25 credit here.

I was sent a copy of the above mentioned insoles in order to facilitate this review. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are 100% mine. See Disclosure Policy.  

This week, I'm thankful for..

...our new church.  When we joined our new parish this summer, it was in the process of building a beautiful new church.  This past weekend, the first Masses were celebrated there and I was overwhelmed by the classical beauty of our church.  The Saint statues that lined the sides, the traditional altar perfectly prepared for Latin Masses, the columns and classic architecture.  I am most thankful for the altar rail, where I was able to receive the Eucharist on my knees, humbled before the Lord.  To read more about what our parish community means to us (and to see what I wore) see my What I Wore Sunday post over at Fine Linen and Purple.

...our local libraries.  I requested a dozen (or more) Thanksgiving/thankfulness books for Lucia and I to read together this month.  This is my first attempt to do something season/topic inspired with her.  Not sure if she'll be into it yet, but I have to start sometime.  If we find some favorites, I might just have to write a post sharing them but in the meantime, check out Molly's list of books for Thanks-vember.

...feeling the creative bug.  I'm hoping to get to the craft store to buy some supplies for a few December crafts.  The three I am planning: a paper link advent wreath (in liturgically appropriate colors), a St. Lucia crown, and biblical/saint peg dolls.  I'm 100% certain I can successfully do the paper links (we've been doing those since preschool, right?), fairly sure about the St. Lucia crown, and hopefully optimistic but somewhat scared about the peg dolls.  I can be crafty at times, but not very artistic.  Do you have any crafts you are working on or have in the queue?

...books!  I'm reading For Better Forever, Worthy: See Yourself as God Does, My Name is Mary Sutter, and Haley's soon-to-be released ebook, Feast! Real Food, Reflections, and Simple Living for the Christian Year.  Save your pennies up, folks, because Feast! is good.  So good.  I've never really done much to celebrate the liturgical year at home, but it was a goal of mine this upcoming year and Feast! makes it seem less daunting and more doable.  If you want to see what I've recently finished, you can check out my book reviews in 140 words or less or even snoop on my bookshelves.

...my almost two-year-old!  I'm so proud of the loquacious, kind, and creative young person Lucia is becoming.  I'm also thankful for good friends to celebrate her birthday with us.  She's going to be having a Mickey Mouse party - just a simple affair at the house, but I'm super excited!  We were going back and forth about doing it at all because our place is small and we can't plan a party in a park in December, but we decided to just do it here.  I had looked into rec centers but it was a bit pricey and David wanted to be able to offer beer to the adult guests (I think he's looking forward to it as an adult get together while kids just happen to be playing underfoot). 

...almost finishing my holiday shopping.  I have/ordered Lucia's St. Nicholas presents, name day present, and Christmas gifts for all the children in our family/friends.  I still have to find something for most of the adults.  This year I've been trying very hard to patronize small businesses, especially work-at-home moms.  For some small business gift ideas, check out this post.

...friends to spend Thanksgiving with.  This will be the 3rd (out of 4) Thanksgiving since we've been married that we've spend away from family.  It's still difficult to be so far away, but we've started to think of Thanksgiving as a time to spend with good friends and and Christmas as a family holiday.  This year, we are going to the home of one of David's coworkers.  We are so blessed by a wonderful community through David's school.

...my Lilla Rose customers.  When I signed up to be a consultant in July, my goal was to make enough money to sponsor a child in an impoverished country.  In my first month of selling, I made enough to sponsor for two months, went on Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, and decided to sponsor an elderly person instead.  I now sponsor Juan Jose, an 86 year old living in Ecuador who enjoys helping to raise his grandsons.  If you know a woman or little girl who would love some new hair pretties for Christmas, check out my Lilla Rose page and help me help Juan Jose. 

...the warm weather.  It will be a little cooler today, but the last few days have been shorts and sun dress weather!  In mid November!  I miss many things about Colorado (and many people there) but the weather?  Don't miss that at all!