2015: A List of Good Things

I sound like Martha Stewart, don’t I? Well, given that we’re seven days into the new year…and it’s a bitterly cold day here..but sunny…so yay…

I wanted to share five very good things.

(As opposed to, you know, five very bad things, because who really needs to be dragged down?)

Granted, these are my good things…but they are entirely adjustable to fit your needs! Guaranteed! Okay, not guaranteed.

I. Choosing saints for the New Year

I know a lot of families do this and I am thrilled that we finally did. (You still can, you know! There are no rules to doing this!) We didn’t use an online saint generator because, well,  sometimes you get a very obscure saint. “St. Ethelbert, huh? Um…okay…” Instead, my daughter Cate wrote down a ton of our favorites and threw in some others that she saw on the shelf.

The result was very interesting! For example, St. Katherine Katharine Drexel for my 17-year-old son?!  It turns out that she was very wealthy, and could be just the person to help him discern his…spending.

(He works a ton and has quite an income. Just wish he’d use it to buy me a couch! ; )

Here’s the whole set of our 2015 saints:

• My husband picked St. Francis of Assisi. (“It’s a sign!” I wailed. “We’re meant to stay poor!”) 

• I got St. Teresa of Avila, a personal fave already.

• Joe (17) picked St. Katharine Drexel.

• Jem (15) picked St. Kateri Tekawitha, and we’re still trying to figure that one out. She was shy like him, maybe? Shy yet courageous?

• Cate (14) picked St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and that one really gave us pause for reasons I’ll leave up to you. 

• Felicity (12) picked St. John Bosco. She was like, huh? And I was like, yes!

• Angela (10) got St. Christopher, and I promptly pulled this book off the shelf.

• George (5) picked St. Helena. “A girl?” he complained. “Mother of an emperor!” I said.

• Francis (2) got St. Pope John Paul II. Is that not sweet? My heart. It melted. 

Finally, we picked St. Clare as the patroness of our family. Another saint who gave up everything! Is this yet another reference to our living simply?

II. My Christmas Gift to the Family

Having an iPad again makes me feel warm and fuzzy! It doesn’t help my memory, though.

The truth is, we continue to live frugally because my husband is still getting back on his feet. It’ll be three years in February since he lost his job! Anyway, times are hard for everyone and we are all of us getting by. Even the rich have to “get by” in their own way.

It’s just a different kind of battle.

This is one of the reasons why I’m doing freelance work with Netflix. One of the perks was an iPad mini (!) and as you may recall, I lost my first iPad to an unfortunate accident. Now, an iPad mini isn’t all that expensive, really, but it was not–could not–be in our budget.

And it makes me so happy to have one again!

But how is this a good thing, you ask? Rather, why are you including it in this discussion? Because along with the perks of having an iPad come all the temptations of yet another device. So I’m just going to throw this out there for you: sometimes you have to say “no” to knowing it all and rather, say “yes” to knowing Him.

It takes a ton of willpower, I’ll tell you that, but I’m leaning heavily on my Magnificat app.

(Irony noted.)

(Hey, it’s a really great app!)

III. A Really Good Movie that You Should Watch

That said, sometimes you just need a really good movie and boy, do I have one to recommend!  If you like drama & tension & really fine acting (and if you don’t, what’s wrong with you?!), you will love Paul Walker in Hours.

And yes, I’m going out on a limb by promising that.
 

IV. More sex, says the husband! And he’d be right.

Did I get your attention with that heading? I’m sorry, but sometimes you have to be blunt to drive home your point.

I’ve tried to tackle this subject once or twice before, (here and again here), but I’m bringing it up again because it’s so, so important. Put your husband at the tippy top of your list! Make it one of your resolutions and pray for the grace to be less…busy. 

Trust me, your husband and marriage and family will thank you!

If the momma husband ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy!

Here’s a bonus take-away tip: Try waking him up in the morning instead of, you know, the same old “right before bed” routine. Try it! He’ll like it! You will see.

Stepping away from this {blush} topic now.

V. Health and Wellness for the New Year

Are you meeting all/some/any of your fitness goals so far? I am on Day 7 of my 2nd Whole30 and so far, so good! I haven’t slipped.

Seeing his face was even better than having a slice of cake! Well, kind of.

This despite temptations like chocolate cake and popcorn. Oh, how I miss my buttered popcorn!

I am down five pounds since I started (Don’t tell the Whole30 folks! You’re not supposed to check!) but even better than that is how I feel, which is great. Oh sure, I have the same old problems that I did before–like feeling insecure about stuff I read on Facebook and disagreeing with my teens over this & that–but I’m grateful that food’s not my go-to solution.

A glass of carrot-apple juice, because man can’t live on chocolate cake alone.

Not for the next 23 days, anyway. ; )

And that’s it for now, though it’s probably enough! What’s one of your good things for 2015? I’m an inspiration glutton and would love to hear.

With love  & blessings & lots of green smoothies,