Prayer Schedule-Work in Progress

Here is a general prayer schedule that I have been trying to do:

Morning offering along with praying for whoever and whatever I am inspired to pray for.

9:30 Prayer with Angelboy and Pumpkingirl (if she is so inclined.)  We read about the saint of the day on catholicculture.org then we pray the morning liturgy of the hours or another prayer that would preferably have to do with the feast day.  These are usually suggested on the sidebar with the page about the saint.

12:00  We pray the Angelus before lunch.  Sometimes we forget and just do it whenever we think of it.

Naptime-I read blogs or write on my own which I suppose could count as spiritual reading since most of what I read is Christian/Catholic housewives and others. 

7:30 is family prayer time with the rosary or another prayer.

Before bed-My husband and I read and/or say a short prayer together.

Other-I try to pray whenever I am nursing though this can be difficult as the baby is easily distracted from the task at hand and have been having to wrestle with him a bit.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

From Julia's daybook...February 8, 2010

Outside my window...it is snowing.

I am thinking...that I wish I had more time to write on my blog.

I am thankful for...the fact that we made it to visit my Dad in the  nursing home yesterday.  The roads were a bit slick on the way back so I am also thankful we made it back home o.k.

I am wearing...jeans, blue three quarter sleeve cotton shirt with v-neck and black courderoy blazer.  Perhaps a bit more dressed up than normal because I had an appointment this morning.

I am remembering...how we sang "Yes Jesus love me" yesterday and how Dad joined in.

I am going...to go grocery shopping to night.

I am reading...The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule.  It is basically about encouraging creativity in your family and being creative with your kids through various means. There are a few good ideas I might try.  I like the idea of a fabric basket.  This is a basket with different pieces of cloth with varying textures, etc.  Sounds simple enough.

I am hoping...that I can make a shopping list and possibly get some menu ideas together before we go shopping. 

On my mind...how I need more time to get things done especially those things that I enjoy doing and help me to feel good.

From the learning rooms... working on polishing up a writing assignment.

Noticing that...the baby is occupied so I can continue writing.

Pondering these words...The same thing that happened last week will probably happen again next week.  You can anticipate what will happen and think about how you will react or you can keep reacting in the same way you always have.

From the kitchen...Spaghetti for supper. 

Around the house...I straightened and dusted my upstairs bookshelf this weekend.

One of my favorite things...Getting away by myself to plan homeschool, prayer time, family schedule, etc.

From my picture journal...

Christmas presents!

For more day books go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/.

Very Doable Exercise Routine

These are my goals for a basic exercise regimen:

Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week in the afternoon. If the weather is bad I stay in and dance around to music while kids are napping and otherwise occupied.  Many times the baby is up to watch me though. 

Strenght and stretching exercises 3x per week in the early morning.

Strengthening and toning exercises include: push-up type exercises (until I can do actual push-ups), a few simple pilates exercises, and crunches. 

For stretching I basically get up, sit on the floor, extend my legs to the front or side, sit with my legs crossed, reach over with my arm,  move any way that I feel like stretching.   The main thing here is to get up and start moving in ways that stretch and strengthen my body.  Pretty simple.  Now I just have to stick to it.

Seven Quick Takes Vol. 10

1.  I am going to do 7QT's today even thought I said last week that I wouldn't do the Mr. Linky group stuff unless I wrote two posts of my own.  I did not get around to doing anything other than The Simple Woman's Daybook this week but I am going to do 7 QT's anyway.

2.  We have been relying more heavily on convenience foods this week.  I have been spending a lot of time on house work and once again too much time reading blogs. Convenience foods this week have included:  frozen burritoes with added salsa and shredded cheese, pizza with homemade crust (relatively fast and easy), and Burger King hamburgers.  My goal is to be more organized next week. I will make a menu this weekend for next week. 

3.  One of the cleaning projects I accomplished this week was to clean off the mantle and the top of the entertainement center this week.  I tried it the way that Leila of Like Mother, Like Daughter recommends in this post.  She takes everything off of the surface that you are going to declutter so that what you put back is placed there deliberately, not because you are used to seeing it there.  I have tried this a few times and both times I did not put everything back to where it originally was.  It truly helped me to declutter the surface better than I would have otherwise.
4. Wild Flowers and Marbles is another one of my favorite blogs.  Jenmack shows pictures of things like a newly cleaned desk and a newly organized room.  There is nothing like looking at the results of someone else's hard work to organize to inspire yourself to do the same.

5.  I think I'm going to try and get out of the house alone for a few hourse tomorrow morning.  There's nothing like getting out of the house by yourself to improve your perspective.  I need to make this a regular thing.  It's always difficult to break out of the inertia of the routine. 

6. I basically wrote qt's  1-5 yesterday and I am currently at the library finishing this post.  See, I did get out of the just like I said I would and I am finishing what I started yesterday. 

7.  Well I'd better get going. I would like to stay a little longer but I am expected at home. 

For more quick takes go to Jen at Conversion Diary.

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today.. from Julia's Daybook

Outside my window...A consistent, pretty snowfall with some moderately chilly wind.

I am thinking...about how I get bent out of shape about things that may mean nothing as little as an hour later.

I am thankful for...I am never thankful enough, thanfully there is God's mercy and forgiveness.

I am wearing...Blue jeans, light blue t-shirt husbands green hooded sweat shirt with rip in the cuff.

I am remembering...how I felt hopeless about something this morning that I now feel hopeful about.  Emotions are fleeting.

I am currently reading...Frequent Confession I read a little at a time when I get the chance.  Last I read it talked about three kinds of examination of conscious: general examination--reflecting on your actions and thoughts for the whole day; particular examination--examining how well you are doing with a particular weakness or virtue; and continual examination-- throughout the day asking where is my heart at now?  A periodic attitude check so to speak?  I think that is the jist of it.

I am hoping...To get to the grocery store today.

On my mind...(but not as much as it should be) My dad in the nursing home.  He hasn't been doing as well as he had been.  He's having delusional thoughts.  Could be dimentia or he needs an adjustment to psychiatric meds. 

Noticing that...It's still snowing and it has gotten quite windy.
Pondering these words..."Paul's conversion reminds us that a sincere change of heart is essential for the spiritual progress of individual Christians as well as for full unity among them.  Only by a change of attitude and behavior toward one another can Christ's disciples remove the obstacles to such unity."  -John Paul II  Thinking about how this applies to marriage.

From the kitchen...Made scones this morning.  Not sure what's for supper.  I'd like to go to the grocery store tonight but Angelboy has a concert so I don't know if I'll make it.

Around the house...Got my kitchen tidied after lunch as is in my new daily routine.

One of my favorite things...Sushi

From my picture journal

Delicious chocolate mousse cake that we order for Christmas from the local co-op. 

Thanks for reading!.  Go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/  for more day books.

Seven Quick Takes Vol. 9

1. I have been writing on my blog a lot this week.  Meanwhile I have probably been neglecting other things like working on getting organized.  I need to pick my blogging time and stick with it.

2.  When I started this blog I was afraid of getting comments because then I knew people were seeing what I was writing.  When I started getting a few comments then it was so exciting that when the comments stopped coming that it was let down.  Not that I ever got that many comments, but...

3. I have been trying to write more of my own posts and do less of this Mr. Linky group stuff.  I decided that I will have the option of participating in one group blog acrivity for every two posts that I write on my own. The group stuff is fun, but I don't want it to be the majority of my posts.  I'm not exactly sure why that is.   Could someone put it into words for me?

4.  I started this blog in December of 2006.  I didn't really start writing regularly until the past few months so it's not llike I have a lot to show for a blog that has supposedly been around for the last three years.  I started writing thinking that I would write about my own conversion back to the Catholic faith.  I haven't done a lot on this but that's o.k.  I'll just keep writing and see where it all goes. 

5.  One of my favorite blogs right now is Like Mother, Like Daughter.  Leila writes a lot about cooking, housekeeping, and crafts with a dash of Catholic Spirituality, common sense and humor.  I am always blown away by her creativity and skill.  I really don't have the writing skill to give it the description it deserves.  You'll just have to go and look for yourself.

6.  My two-year-old has truly become a terrible two.  She is really quite awful at times.  We consistently put her in her room for tantrums and we may be acutually seeing a decrease in bad behavior as a result.  However, it does seem that any progress being made is very gradual.  It's hard to beleive that anyone could be as stubborn as this girl--except myself of course.  The battle of wills has begun!

7.  Speaking of gradual improvement, I have been working on a schedule using suggestions from A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot.  Even with just the beginnings of a schedule I am seeing improvement in the running of my day.  The key is to keep tweaking and improving.  Perseverence and consistancy are key! 

Thanks for reading my quick takes.  For  more quick takes go here.

Knowing When Enough is Enough

It's difficult to know what to do with people you love who have a lot of chaos in their lives, and therefore, bring a lot of chaos into your life.  It seems there comes a certain point when all you can say is enough is enough.  They are not doing you any good by knowingly, or unknowingly, trying to get as much as they can from you; and you are not doing them any good by giving them more help than they need.  This only results in having them become overly-reliant on you for your support when they should be learning to take care of themselves.  There comes a point when you have done all you can do for them.  The only thing you have left to give them are your prayers. The rest is up to them to provide for themselves.