What to Give Up for Lent When You Already Gave Everything Up

Every year around this time you start to hear chatter of what people are giving up for Lent.

And, every year, I'm all

I'm sure it's just my melancholic side, but I see everyone else doing things (like eating out, buying fancy coffees, going on vacations), and I feel like my life is already one long, long Lent. Like I said, I'm  a melancholic with a flair for the melodramatic.

Let's see.

Sleep: check..gave that up 12 years ago when I had my first kid.

Gluten: check....gave that up 3 years ago.

Sweets: check....gave that up a few years back when I started turning into some crazy health food freak.  (okay, we do eat sweets on occasion, but even then they are healthy, homemade sweets made with things like coconut flour.  And, it seems pointless to give up something you don't eat very often anyway)

Junk food: check..see above

Eating out: check, check, check.

Unnecessary spending:  check, check, check, check

Sleeping on a bed: check...I actually sleep on a mattress on the floor.

Showering by myself; check

Heat: check (okay, we do have heat, but we keep it at 62, so it's always way cold in our house).

TV: no cable, check (although we do have Netflix)

Smartphone use: oh, that's right, I don't have one, nor any other mobile device that one can use to check email at any place. 

But, of course I haven't given everything up.  I still live a life full of comforts.  There IS always something left to give.

The three traditional parts of Lent are prayer, fasting and alms giving.  So, this year I'm encouraging myself (and everyone else in the family) to do something in each of those three categories.

Prayer:

We're going to add morning prayer from the Divine Office.   This can conveniently be found online for free, at any time, making my mom's book obsolete (sorry, Mom).    I'm also going to add in some spiritual reading.  Ben is reading chapters from the Scott Hahn Study Bible (Genesis, Revelation and the 4 Gospels).  So, I'm going to try to join him for some of that.

Fasting:

This is where the traditional "giving something up" comes from.  In the past, I've done things like giving up sweets or giving up junk food, but that's not really fair, because we don't eat those things on a regular basis anyway.  Plus, I've come to realize that *I* really shouldn't give up food items for Lent.   Food and I have a complicated relationship and it's just not the best for me.  We already eat a fairly simple and healthy diet, anyway, so there really isn't much left to give.  My kids would be thrilled to give up vegetables, but I told them that is not an option .  Of course, we'll give up meat on Fridays, but beyond that, I'm not planning on doing anything food-wise.

So, I thought long and hard about what to give up and decided that I'm going to give up watching Netflix  alone.   I don't watch a ton of TV, but I've gotten into the habit of watching in the bedroom while nursing Elsa to sleep for a nap or at night and then sometimes watching at night.  So, I'm going to give up watching during those times, and only watch if I"m watching *with* someone (usually Ben).   So, this way I will pray or read more when I'm nursing Elsa and will actually get more work done in the evenings. I have work I'm supposed to be doing for this online gift shop, but it's incredibly boring and they don't pay me enough to really motivate me.  But, I still should do it.

Alms giving

Well to start, we're going to give alms.  For real.  Sad to say, our charitable giving has been rather non-existent these last few years.  To put it bluntly...we *were* the charity, while Ben was in law school. But now, we're back into middle-class life, so we need to look at our charitable giving and figure out what and how and where we can give. It still might be the widow's mite, but it's better than nothing.

But, I also need to give more than actual alms.  Alms giving can include the giving of time.  So, I'm going to give my patience to my family and stop yelling.  I'm going to read more stories to my kids and cook more eggs for my husband.   I'm going to give more to my house by cleaning it a bit better.  I'm going to be bit more cheerful with less huffing and sighing when it comes to nursing Elsa or dealing with her multiple nocturnal awakenings and general clinginess during the day.

So, what are you doing for Lent? Do share...pretty please.  I really want to know.

(Linking up for What are You Doing for Lent)

Health, Housekeeping, Holiness, Hippos and Holmes

1.

Health

Eat for Heat: the Metabolic Approach to Food and Drink

by Matt Stone

This book is written in an extremely casual tone (warning..even contains some vulgarities) and Matt Stone is not a doctor and makes no claims as such.  That said, this book makes a ton of sense, in some ways.  It's basically a recovery book for people who have ruined their metabolisms following different health diets (paleo, vegan, low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie, eating disorders.) and rails against the commonly accepted advice to drink half your weight in water a day.  Which when you think about it is fairly ridiculous, because no other animal drinks that much water.  The gist of the book is that that you need to have the correct blood concentration for proper health (proper balance of water and salts/minerals) and that many people in the name of health are drinking too much water, consuming not enough salt and their blood is chronically too dilute which lowers their metabolism. 

Some of his advice is really crazy (he even advocates drinking SODA), but if you can get past that and see what he is really advocating (consuming fluids and foods with a proper balance of salt/sugar) it starts to make more sense, health-wise and you can implement the strategies while still following a whole foods lifestyle.

I definitely think we are a beverage-obsessed culture...coffee, tea, soft drinks, water bottles...many people find themselves unable to do anything without some sort of beverage in hand and all that fluid consumption may not be the best. 

Matt Stone advocates using your own feelings of health and wellness to gauge how much you should be drinking, instead of blindly chugging down water just to get a certain amount in each day.  Whether you agree with him or not, it's a quick, casual, easy-read and gives any health-obsessed person something to chew on.

2.

Housekeeping

No Time to Clean

I posted yesterday about cheerioes on the bathroom floor, so it seems appropriate that I'm reviewing this book today. 

I picked this book at the library on a whim and it has some good information in it.  I hate cleaning and I especially hate cleaning schedules, so this book caught my interest.

It has some really practical advice..keep cleaning supplies handy, clean as messes as they are made and ways to eliminate the need to clean and cut down on messes in the first place.  I especially like how he talks about keeping cleaning supplies handy and just cleaning whenever you notice a mess or  notice something needs doing   I like how he doesn't talk about schedules or making Saturday- bathroom cleaning day, Monday-dusting day, Tuesday-mopping day.  That doesn't work for me, instead he talks about building cleaning into your daily routine and keeping supplies handy so you can do it as you go along in daily life.  I suspect that his ideas and tips are things that people who are naturally neat and organized do anyway...but the rest of us have to be told what to do. 

For example. I think I need to buy some more small brooms and dustpans and start keeping them around the house, so we can sweep quickly when needed.  Or, I can keep magic erasers handy in every room to easily clean marks off the walls or doors whenever i notice them.

3,

Holiness

Holiness for Housewives: And Other Working Women

I'm reading this as part of a group to which I belong.  It's not something I would normally read, but so far, I am finding it to be inspiring and encouraging.  The language is a bit dated (I think it was originally written in the 50's), but it manages to be both practical and spiritual.  Overall, it is a great spiritual guide that helps you incorporate prayer into daily work

4.

Hippos

The Hiccupotamus

Switching to non-fiction now, this is a cute, fun little book and my kids love it. Even the big ones...enjoy it! And, it's fun to read out-loud, which is important to me. I hate reading boring book out-loud. 

5. 

Holmes

So...SHERLOCK  Season 3 is airing on SUNDAY!!!!!!!

I can't wait!!!

Linking up with Hallie for Five Favorites and Jessica for What We'r Reading Wednesday.

(Disclaimer: Contains affiliate links.  Buy and make me smile!)

Five Favorites

1.

Internet fundraisers for a fellow mama in need.  

Many of you are probably already familiar with Dwija over at HouseUnseen, but if you're not, Dwija has 5 children (the youngest just celebrated her 1st birthday) and is about 18 weeks pregnant with her 6th.  This last pregnancy has been rife with problems, starting with subchorionic hemorrhages and then 3 weeks ago premature rupture of the membranes...which is quite serious for such a little baby.  But, amazingly enough, baby is still alive and well in there, even without all the amniotic fluid he (yes, they just found out it's probably a boy) needs to grow.   So Dwija is on bedrest to try to keep baby inside and healthy and growing and once baby reaches viability-(24 weeks in Aug.) she will be admitted to the hospital and have to stay there UNTIL birth. So, as you can imagine, they have a hard row to hoe.  In the midst of all that, Dwija's laundry room is not very functional...I don't know all the details but apparently she doesn't have a dryer (AND she cloth diapers..I.can't.imagine), plus her washer leaks or something and they have to empty big buckets of water every time she does a load of laundry (with 5 kids including 1 baby in cloth diapers).  Oy vey!   So, Cari at Clan-Donaldson set up a wonderful fundraiser to help Dwija get a new, functioning laundry room...which I daresay they really, really need.   So, you can read more about the fundraiser and learn how to donate here. 

2.

Sei Bella leave-in detangling and smoothing spray. 

I love this stuff, for my girls because it de-tangles and for me, because it actually does tame the frizz.   It makes my hair feel really silky and shiny and helps it not look so frizzy when it's really humid.

3.

Ice, ice baby

The lowly ice cube.  Yes, the ice cube.  It provides hours of cooling summer fun for babies.  First they have to catch it as it slides across the floor, and then then can have fun sucking on and getting all wet and cold as it melts.  Hours of entertainment here. 

4.

Matlock

For some reason, I just love old Detective series.  Ben and I just discovered Matlock the other day.  Matlock is a brilliant Criminal lawyer played by Andy Griffith.  Anyway, we've only watched one episode so far, but I'm looking forward to watching more!

5.

The claw pencil grip

Awesome for kids who have trouble learning how to hold a pencil correctly.  I got these for John, and it made a huge difference and as I was having a lot of difficulty teaching him to hold a pencil without fisting it.

Now, go see Hallie for more Five Favorites.  

Catholic Woman's Almanac (a day late)

Today, I am linking up with Suscipio for CWA...just one day late.

Today I am:

Praying for:

....all those affected by the tragedy in Boston yesterday.   Such unspeakable horror...there is real evil in the world.

...and of course for Ben's job search..always praying diligently

....various friends

Pondering:

...homeschooling curriculum for next year.  We're going to be switching over to Mother of Divine Grace for most things, except we will keep Math U See for math, and probably do Apologia for science and Sequential Spelling

...Also wanted to give a shout-out to the good people over at The Book Samaritan.   They are a wonderful Christian organization which helps provide homeschooling materials to families in need.  So, if you are in need of materials or have extra books or materials to donate, please consider contacting them.

Reading:

...a fluff mystery book.

 .... Ben got  this for me for Kindle when it was offered for free one day..  He knows how much I love mystery books and how much I hate mice (musophobia, anyone), so celibate mice are the best kind of mice as far as I am concerned.  I'm only on chapter 8, and, so far, I have no clue why the book is named that, as there are no mice mentioned as of yet.  

Thanking God for:

...mostly good health for our family.

Wandering:

.... a new blog I've been enjoying. Carrots for Michaelmas.

In the kitchen:

...my new favorite treat. Black bean fudge.  Mix up 2 cans of black beans (drained) with 3/4 cup coconut oil, 3/4 cup coco, 1 1/2 cups of sweetener (to make it healthier, use coconut sugar), 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt.  Whirl everything together in a food processor or blender until smooth, spread in a pan and let harden into fridge.  It doesn't get too, too hard, but hard enough and is a delicious, silky, smooth treat.   And, it's full of goodness like beans and coconut oil.

What I Wore Sunday

It's Sunday again...time for another edition of WIWS.  I love doing these link-ups..they keep me motivated to dress a bit nicer for Mass.

Anyway, if I look tired in these pictures, it's because I was up for like 2 hours in the middle of the night last night.  What kept me up you might ask?  Babies?  Sick kids?  Oh no..nothing as mundane as that.  This was a wake up scared and freaked out in the middle of the night because you watched a thriller before bed.   Last night, Ben and I watched Along Came a Spider, which was actually pretty good, if not a bit too violent.  Super surprising (to me anyway) twist the end..so that's always fun...until I woke up scared in the middle of the night and suddenly every normal house noise was SURELY the sign of an intruder.

I can't complain too much though...because on Friday night Ben watched Fireproof with me...which I'd been wanting to see for a long time, just because of all the brouhaha about it in certain circles.  For all the people raving about it, I actually didn't think it was very good.  The dialogue was forced, the plot was extremely predictable and the acting wasn't that great either.   Surely,Christians can do better than that. 

Anyway...what was this post about..oh yeah... WIWS.  This isn't actually what I looked like during Mass.  During Mass this morning, most of my shirt was covered up with Elsa in my Maya Wrap sling and nursing cover, because I nursed/wore Elsa most of the Mass so she would sleep through it.    Don't have a picture of that though. It worked beautifully until the Amen, when she woke up with a start and spent the rest of Mass trying to pull her siblings' hair and snatch my glasses.    

Shirt: thrifted

Skirt: Slade Clothing

Shoes: Given to me

Belt: amazon.com

Don't let that innocent looking face fool you.

.

Elsa's Dress: hand me downs

\Glasses: Zenni Optical

I couldn't decide whether it looked better with or without the belt.  I ended up wearing the belt during Mass..but I'm not so sure.  Looking at the pictures, I'm still undecided.   What do you think?

And, do be sure to check out everyone else's outfits at Fine Linen and Purple.

Have a Blessed Sunday!

Five Favorites

1.

,
The BBC Period Drama...Call the Midwife.  I'm in the middle of watching Season 1 on Netflix, and am highly enjoying it!  It's about a young, newly qualified midwife who moves into a convent (thinking it's a hospital) in the East End of London (an impoverished area).  Highly entertaining..and lots of great birth scenes...but even better it offers some great insights into love and life..and there are some really profound moments.

2.

-Super, easy-peasy, flourless peanut butter cookies.  The recipe is a cinch..just mix 1 cup peanut butter, 1 egg and 1 cup sugar.  Form into balls, flatten with a fork at and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  So, so, so easy and yummy and good. 

Not my cookie...I found this picture on morgue file.  My cookies don't last long enough to take a picture.

3.

Amelia's super secret, super easy, versatile, mix and match marinade/sauce.   Except it's not a secret anymore because I'm about to share it with you.  Aren't you sooooooooo excited!  I use this sauce on chicken and rice all the time and I always make it a bit differently and it always tastes delish.

The general gist is to mix 1 part acid (vinegar or lemon juice) with 1 part condiment (ketchup or mustard) and 1 part sweetener (honey or molasses).   Add in various other spices like salt, curry, pepper and you have an awesome marinade for chicken and rice.   Just pour it over your chicken while cooking and it imparts a delicious flavor and keeps the chicken really, really moist. 

4.

The cooling rain on a hot, humid, sticky day in Fl.  

I almost let out a huge Hallelujah when I walked out of Publix today and felt the drops. 

5.

Upcycling old jeans into cute, little purses.   Yes..I made this.  Aren't you proud of me?

Now, go visit Hallie at Moxie Wife, swoon over pics of her newborn and see some more favorites.