Party Planner

My sweet boy!

My sweet little boy is going to be 2 years old on Friday! Wow! Two years of my life just flew by in a flash!

So now comes prepping for a party. We're keeping it simple, only close family and friends over, but there is a lot to do. First thing is trying to get the house clean! Hubby and I both work and it is difficult to keep the house clean...especially with a toddler on the loose. 

We also have to plan food and drinks and that ever so special birthday cake! Last year I baked cupcakes and decided it was too much of a hassle to bake again this year, so were gonna do a store bought Mickey Mouse cake. Granted, my prudent heart balked at the $26 price tag, but my baking and icing skills are rather minimal...and my grandmother insisted that her great-grandson have a Mickey Mouse cake. 

I also have to plan everything around nap-time. Richard can get pretty cranky if he doesn't get his nap, so I have to make sure he goes down for his nap at noon and is up by 3...like toddlers ever really follow a schedule. 

Yes, the house is still a mess and we'll be cleaning our little hearts out up until 5 minutes before the doorbell rings, but the food is all planned out. All we need to do is order it. 

I'm looking forward to celebrating the life of my son. He has brought such joy to our lives and while he will probably not remember it, I still want to make sure it's a special day for him. 

Lenten Fail

This is me...failing at my Lenten fast 3 days in. Yup, it's true. I have thrown in the towel. 

I'd given up coffee for Lent before and I thought that I could do it again. However, there is one really big difference: I now have a son! A two year old as a matter of fact!

Richard still co-sleeps with us, and most nights he sleeps very well. But this week he has been awake from about 2am-5am three out of the past five nights. As he was tossing and turning last night, I was staring up at the ceiling thinking to myself, "I am definitely going to need coffee in the morning or else I am going to bite someones head off and lose my job". 

So, what am I going to do now? I have been complaining about my prayer life recently, and I think now is the time to focus on that. I am going to make a conscious effort to pray every day, even if it's just a Hail Mary. I am also doing the meditations based on Saint Therese of Lisieux. I think it is early enough to salvage Lent and still make it meaningful and fulfilling. 

How is Lent treating you so far?

Lent: Day 1

Lent has officially begun! Already I am feeling the struggles! Not only am I struggling with caffeine withdrawal, I am also struggling spiritually. 

The readings on Ash Wednesday condemned acts of hypocrisy; worshiping in public for the sake of being seen and admired. It kind of brought up one of the questions that people discuss/debate about every year on Ash Wednesday; should people wear their ashes all day while in public, or wipe them off? Is it prideful to post Ash Wednesday selfies? 

Last year, the USCCB encouraged the faithful to post selfies with their ashes and they got a bit of a backlash from some who thought that the bishops were encouraging hypocrisy. After all, didn't the reading state that we should pray in private?

Well, here are my two cents: I think it all depends on the person. Yes, there are probably people who pridefully show off their ashes to put forth a facade of being holy and devout. However, I display my ashes with the intent of showing others that the Christian faith is alive and active in an otherwise secular world. 

There is an overall tone in today's society that faith, especially the Christian faith, but all faith in general, is no longer relevant in today's society. I sport my ashes to say that my faith is a huge part of who I am and has an impact on my everyday life and decisions. I cannot practice my faith in private,. I have to practice it every day in everything that I do. 

It is not my intention to appear 'holier than thou'. It is my intention to show the world that the Christian faith is alive and Christ is alive! Take it or leave it. 

I have had a number of spiritual struggles for the past couple of years and I am feeling pretty guilty about them. I plan to go to confession within the next couple of weeks and hopefully get my spiritual life back on track. I really need it. I just need to remember that God is loving and merciful and He loves me no matter what. 

So, the first couple of days of Lent have been a bit of a struggle...and I really shouldn't say struggle...more of an inconvenience. Let's face it, fasting is not exactly fun. But I am certainly hoping that I will show a marked improvement within the next 6 weeks! 

How is Lent treating you thus far?

Lent with the Little Flower

It's that time of year. Yup, Lent begins on Wednesday, that great day when we get ashes placed on our forehead and people then get to remind us that he have dirt on our heads. I love the reactions when I tell them that it is Ash Wednesday and that it's supposed to be there.

Even though I will be giving up coffee for a whole 40 days (give or take), I am really looking forward to Lent this year. I am hoping to utilize it as a time of penance and renewal so that I can get my life centered back on God. I wanted to focus my Lenten meditations around Saint Therese of Lisieux because I am drawn to her simplicity. She is such a beautiful person and I admire her and her family very much.

Now, I hated reading her book, Story of a Soul. I thought it was way too sweet and flowery, but that was a popular literary style for the day. I almost turned my back on this saint, until I read The Hidden Face of Therese. There is so much more to the spirituality of Therese that meets the eye. I was also introduced to her mother, Zelie, who was canonized this year!

I have a feeling that this Lenten season is going to be full of growth, which is something that I sorely need. I'll be doing a Lenten blog series, my first blog series ever, sharing my meditations and ideas as I dive into The Little Way. I hope you all will join me!

What are you doing for Lent? 

February Goals

January is now at an end and it is time to set up some goals or February. I didn't do a very good job keeping my January goals, but I did manage to keep some of them.

Honestly, I could have fulfilled all of my goals if I wasn't so lazy, so I only have myself to blame. Hopefully I will have more motivation this month!

Now, February is going to be a little more hectic than January. My son's 2nd birthday is on the 26th and I have a little party that I need to plan and prep for. It's not going to be too big, just some close family over, but there is still a lot to do.

Also, Lent starts on February 10th and I'm trying to prepare for that. I still haven't figured out what I want to give up quite yet, though I am leaning towards giving up coffee...though I may change my mind!

Here are my goals:

1) Finish planning for Richard's party and make sure nothing is left to the last minute.
2) Prepare for Lent so that it will be a season full of penance and renewal.
3) Purge Richard's toys...I guess that could be considered part of party prep, but it needs to be done.
4) Reach 80 Likes on my Facebook page. (I'm currently at 75.)
5) Improve my prayer life and keep God at the center! (I'm hoping that Lent will help me with this.)

It is certainly going to be a busy month! What do you have planned?