Five Favorites

Joining up with the lovely Hallie Lord at Moxie Wife for Five Favorites.

1. 

Bella Single Scoop Coffee Maker.  Around here, Kohl's sends out these $10 coupons every once in awhile, so between using that coupon and a store sale, I ended up paying less than $10 for it.  It is so nice.  Doesn't use coffee filters or anything, and I can use it for loose leaf tea or even loose, dried herb.    It's quick, it's simple and even Heidi knows how to use it..and there is just something so sweet about your 11-year old daughter making you a cup of coffee. 

2.

With Easter right around the corner and all....chocolate truffles are my absolutely, #1, top favorite candy.   Hint, hint..to anyone who wants to get me Easter candy!

3.

Zulily.com

'Nuff said.  They have some great deals here!  

4.

These boots!  Probably because I'm in Fl and can't wear boots, 'cause you know it never gets colder than 70 degrees.  So, I'm super jealous of all these mom bloggers I see posting pictures of  them in their boots.

5.

Or these..'cause I've always wanted a pair of real cowgirl boots.  And, I love red!

Now, go visit Moxie Wife for my 5 Favorites!

My 25 best excuses for always being late

Hi, my name is Amelia and I am punctuality-challenged.

It's so bad that when we pull into our destination, the first thing my kids always ask is "Are we late?".

I didn't used to be this way.   BK, before kids, I used to pretty much always be on time.    Even EARLY on occasion.

I know, I know...those of you who know me IRL, in real life, are probably picking yourself up off the floor right about now.   But, it's true. I used to be relatively, on time for things.

Then those pesky kids started popping out and demanding things and well..now, we're perpetually late.

Here's why..

 1. I can't find my keys.

 2. I can't find my cell phone.

 3. I can't find my glasses...which are sitting on top of my head.

 4. I remember at the last minute that we need to bring water bottles and have to fill them.

 5. ..or snacks, and I have to get them.
 
 6. ..or someone's homework/assignment and we have to find it.

 7. Someone can't find their shoes.

 8. ..or their piano books, or their binder, or their equipment, etc.,
etc., etc.

 9. No one heard me the first 50 times I yelled loudly called in a cheerful tone Time to go, put your shoes on.

 10. We walk outside and I realize for the first time that someone has their shirt on backwards

 11. ...or their shorts.

 12. And that same someone thinks wearing clothes the right way is just some silly custom and I spend 5 minutes arguing on why we shouldn't wear our shorts inside out and backwards.

 13. I realize as we are walking out the door that certain children have not yet brushed their hair today and it looks like a rat's nest and simply MUST be brushed before we venture out in public.

 14. A certain someone decides that the 15 minutes before we have to leave is the perfect time for a marathon nursing session.
 
 15  And then that same someone needs a diaper change after marathon nursing session.

16. Someone simply MUST finish whatever super, important, absolutely vital thing they are doing and if they don't finish it before we leave, THE WORLD WILL SURELY END.

17. Someone put on their dress shoes to walk to the park...or their sneakers to go to church.

18. Someone is suddenly STARVING and needs a snack.

19. As we're walking out the door, I realize that someone's clothes are dirty or stained and need to be changed.

20. We walk out the door and realize it is cooler than we thought and need sweaters/jackets.

21. We walk out the door and realize it is warmer than we thought and we will roast in jeans and long-sleeves.

22. Someone decides to ask A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION, just as it's time to leave.

23. Everyone has to go to the bathroom, at the same time...and we only have 2 bathrooms.

24. We MUST check the mail before we leave. 'Cause, you never know...this just might be the day that we get a letter informing us that we've just inherited $100,000 dollars from a long-lost wealthy relative..but we have to make the reading of the will by tomorrow or we lose everything. Hey..it could happen.


25. I got lost...even though I've been there before...and even though I have a GPS...because I'm also directionally-challenged.

 So there you have it folks. If we show up late...pick one of these excuses and you'll have the reason why!


 

What I Wore Sunday... St. Patrick's Day Edition.

Welcome to WIWS...the St. Patrick's Day Edition.  Notice..that I AM wearing green.  So is Elsa.  I'm not Irish at all, but I grew up in RI, which is heavily Irish and Portuguese..and anyone who dared to venture out without wearing green on St. Patrick's Day was vulnerable to pinching.  And,  I hate being pinched...and pinching babies is just mean...so to protect ourselves, we all wear green!

Besides, Ben is partly Irish, so my kids are like 1/4 Irish or something...

Sorry, it's so dark.  Our camera was out of batteries, so Heidi used the Ipod. 

Guess how much this whole outfit cost!!!!!

Are you ready??

$2!!!

Shirt:  On clearance from Wal-Mart for $2.  Cha-ching!

Skirt:  Given to me from my sister when she joined the convent, many, many, many moons ago.  Like..back in 1998 or something.   So, yeah...that skirt is super old.  I've worn it when I was skinny and in college..and.also while .umm..not so skinny..due to pregnancy or being post-partum.  It's a great skirt..and has held up well to all the stretching.   It actually doesn't even look all that worn. I have no clue where my sister got it from.  Before she joined the convent, she was a shop-a-holic...so I inherited all sorts of great clothes when she entered.  Most of which no longer fit..at all.

Shoes:  Stolen from Payless.

Ha!  Gotcha!

They weren't really stolen.  Here is what happened.  Over a year ago, I ordered a pair of new shoes online.  Then like an hour later, I got Buyer's Remorse and felt guilty and was all we can't afford them so I called the company and cancelled the order.

Then 2 weeks later, this package, containing the shoes, shows up in my mail.  So, yet again, I find myself on the phone with customer service.  I was expecting them to send me a return packing slip so I could send them back, but they didn't.  They said that they did see the order as being cancelled, but since it was their mistake just to keep them or I could drop them off at a local store if it was convenient.  Since, the whole reason I had bought them online in the first place is that shopping at the local store is definitely NOT convenient, I kept them.

Elsa's Outfit:

Sundress:  Handmade and given to us by Aunt Alison!  Thanks Aunt Al!

Tights:  Not sure.. they might have been one of the few things I've kept from the older girls, or they might have been in a bag of clothes handed down to me.



And, that is What I Wore Sunday!  Go visit the ladies at Fine Linen and Purple for more What I Wore Sunday.

7 Quick Takes Friday...in honor of Pope Francis

So, I realize I'm a little late to the party..but I just wanted to blog about how excited I am that the Church is no longer Popeless.  So, joining up with Jen at Conversion Diary, this 7 Quick Takes Friday is in honor of our new Pope!

1.

 And, not only do we have a pope...we have an AWESOME Pope, who took the name Francis! Francis! After St. Francis of Assisi. After one one of my favorite saints! Hooray! I come from a family of Franciscans...my sister is a real, actual, live, Franciscan Sister (she's not just my sister, but she is a Sister.)  Technically, she's not a nun..not sure why..but apparently there is some sort of difference between nuns and Sisters...so whatever..she is a Sister.

Future Franciscan Sisters in the making. ;)

 And, my parents are part of head of a lay Franciscan order...Franciscan-ness runs in the family. So, even though Pope Francis is *gasp* a Jesuit, we're all very excited about his chosen name.

2.

This guy is HUMBLE.  And humbleness is great.  And, humble people make the best leaders!  Stories abound..he rode the bus with the cardinals,   He went back to his hotel himself to settle his bill.  When he was living in Argentina as a cardinal, he took public transportation, lived in a tiny apartment and cooked his own meals.  

3.

This picture!   Which is from an Argentinian article about the Pope before he was Francis. And look..there is a mother, *gasp* breastfeeding in very close proximity to our future Pope.  And, he isn't horrified or disgusted..he's just sweetly kissing the feet of the the baby next door.   

And, while everyone always jokes about politicians kissing babies, I've never actually see a modern day one do so!

4.

And, he did this! 

In 2008, on the Holy Thursday, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio(Pope Francis) washed the feet of 12 recovering drug addicts at a rehabilitation center in Buenos Aires, Argentina(in this Pic).
As Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he showed compassion for the victims of HIV-AIDS and in 2001, visited a hospice to kiss and wash the feet of 12 AIDS patients.

True disciple of Christ!!! To be more precise True Vicar of Christ!!! True Alter Christus!!! Catholic church, Feel proud of Pope Francis!!!
True disciple of Christ!!! To be more precise True Vicar of Christ!!! True Alter Christus!!! Catholic church, Feel proud of Pope Francis!!!

5.

And while he was Cardinal Bergoglio he said this:

 “In our ecclesiastical region there are priests who don’t baptize the children of single mothers because they weren’t conceived in the sanctity of marriage,” Bergoglio told his priests. “These are today’s hypocrites. Those who clericalize the Church. Those who separate the people of God from salvation. And this poor girl who, rather than returning the child to sender, had the courage to carry it into the world, must wander from parish to parish so that it’s baptized!”
Bergoglio compared this concept of Catholicism to the Pharisees of Christ’s time: people who congratulate themselves while condemning others.
“Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit,” Bergoglio said.

6.

His Father was an Italian immigrant...which makes him a half-blood Italian.  Just like me!  But, he's from South America..our first American Pope!

7.

And, then of course, there is this meme..which is so, so popular on Facebook and always makes me smile.

God Bless Pope Francis!

Now, go see Jen for more Quick Takes!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ..everything Green

I love link-ups, so today I'm linking up with Cari over at Clan Donaldson  for Theme Thursday--Green and the lovely ladies over at Like Mother, Like Daughter for Pretty, Happy, Funny Real.  

Every picture has something Green (in honor of upcoming St. Paddy's Day)_..and shows something pretty, something happy, something funny and something real.

In the interest of full disclosure, I don't have one drop of Irish blood in me...my husband does however..so I do by marriage.  As the story goes, he even has an ancestor with a sordid past in Ireland..but we won't talk about that, because that is his story to tell..not mine.  Besides, I promised not to reveal all our family secrets to all of bloggy-land. 

{pretty}

A pretty picture of the swamp...with lots of beautiful green ferns! 

{happy}

Well, we're super happy about the new Pope..but I don't have a picture of that... never-mind one with green..so instead I'll just show this picture, because this was a happy day in Household Bentrup.  Especially for the mama..because I WON, our miniature golf game and I'm just immature enough that I still like to gloat if I win!

{funny}

Not exactly sure what Greta is doing in this picture..but it's a funny picture..with loads of green grass.  You can thank the law school's sprinklers for that super green grass..they come on every night at 3 AM...rain or shine!

{real}

This is John's favorite activity.....digging in the dirt.  You can see just a bit of a green bush in the background.

Now go visit Cari and Like Mother, Like Daughter for more great link-ups.

Five Favorites vol. 1

Joining up with Hallie at Moxie Wife for Five Favorites on a cloudy Wednesday morning.

1.

My pillow.  Yep, dorky as a favorite five, but, so, so, so comfortable.  I used to get neck pain from sleeping..but no more!

2.

They're not much to look at, but they taste, so, so good.  My recipe for homemade, gluten-free, peanut-butter patties (or tagalongs) made with both milk and dark chocolate.   I'm keeping the recipe a secret..for  now.

3.

Melaleuca Oil.  I'm fighting some sorta of allergy/cold congestion and bit of Melaleuca Oil rubbed on my nose/over my sinuses really helps.

4.

I LOVE this salt.  I cook EVERYTHING from scratch, so we don't eat hardly any foods that already contain salt.  I add this liberally to everything..and it makes everything so yummy!  Plus, it's healthy!

5.

Magnesium Oil...because I love getting my vitamins (er...minerals) while I sleep.   I spray this on at night before bed and it does help me sleep better. 

No go visit Moxie Wife, for more 5 Favorites.

Catholic Woman's Almanac..in which St. Anthony hangs in our crib

Linking up with Suscipio for CWA..a Day Late and possibly a Dollar short as well. Scroll down to see St. Anthony hanging in our crib.

 Praying
...currently doing a super, long, with Latin,  St. Joseph novena for Ben to get a full-time job by the time we need one. Poor St. Joseph..I feel like I'm always hounding his ear...I'm sure he's sick of me by now.
 ...for all the Cardinals at the Conclave..especially the Cardinal from Chile who I "adopted"
...for numerous friends suffering from numerous health issues.

  Reading
...nothing worth mentioning...a total fluff, entertainment book.
...The American Frugal Housewife. This was a free kindle book from like the 1800's. For some reason, I derive a great deal of enjoyment from reading old-fashioned housekeeping books. Plus, I've always wanted to know how to make a feather fan out of turkey feathers.

  Wanting to Read
...Baby-Led Weaning. Elsa turned 6 months old yesterday, so we "just" started giving her tiny tastes of food. I tend to skip baby food and just start with table foods..but I hadn't actually read THE BOOK yet.

  Wandering .
..over to Camp Patton. I just discovered this blog and have been enjoying it immensely. The writer/owner, Grace, has 3 children that are remarkably close in age. My children are all spaced fairly far apart, so I tend to have this fascination with families with closely spaced children. Plus, I just really enjoy her writing and humor..it's a fun blog.
  Wondering
...about the next Pope
...what happened to my nice, happy, content babe. It seems that overnight, she turned into this wicked grabby girl that whines and cries if she can't grab and mouth everything in sight.

  Trying
...a new recipe for Morning Glory muffins. Gluten-free of course. They have coconut, dates, carrots, apples, and almonds in them.

  Capturing
...those baby blues. Notice the toe photo-bomb! Classy..huh?

...St. Anthony hanging in our crib.  Go here  if you want your very own St. Anthony doll to sleep in your crib.

And go visit Suscipio for more CWA.