7 Quick Takes Friday {vol. 5}

Linking up with Jen again this week...check out all the other wonderful peeps linking up with her!

{1}

Monday we had an extra special, yet fun and simple date night.  On Easter, Jim's aunt gave us a little basket with some peeps, jelly beans, and candy.  I saw the peeps and remembered an idea I saw on Pinterest last Easter of making holiday s'mores with peeps.

Jim had class late in the evening.  I left him a sticky note on the door if he was looking for a quiet, romantic night to enter at his own risk.  I led him into our bedroom where he was greeted with this on our bed...and another love note explaining it all.

Then we put on our comfy, fuzzy robes and began roasting peeps over our stop top.

Clearly my husband likes to play with fire.

THIS is how to properly roast a peep.  He didn't believe me.

And this was our end result...not too bad! Some Diet Canada Dry in fancy wine goblets and a few peeps for decoration to keep the Easter celebration going (cause Easter is a season, not just 1 day:)

--- 2 ---

Recently, I did a very thorough clean out of my closet and re-organized everything.  When I was perusing around on Fine Purple Linen last week I noticed they had a need for a guest post on closet organization.  Be sure to check them out for my guest post!  It should be up today...take a look and enjoy:)  Let me know what you think and if you have any great organizing ideas to add!

--- 3 ---

I've got a few ideas brewing for some upcoming posts: Why we are going organic in the bedroom (NFP stuff ;-), why Pope Francis makes me uncomfortable (in a good way though!), and how sometimes I hate being wrong.  One in particular is on how much I strongly dislike when my husband calls me out on stuff.  Let's just say there were 2 evenings this week where I was a. hot. mess. And in a totally loving, but firm way, he called me out on all of it.  Okay, I know VERY childish.  I'm kind of a stubborn personality who combined with being at times judgmental and not always taking criticism very well, can = drama.  Of course I'm glad he called me out on some attitudes/behavior that was not very kind/loving but it just doesn't feel good in the present moment.  But thankfully when you're married to someone who is not just concerned about telling you what you want to hear, but rather helping become a saint and get my sorry butt into Heaven someday, in the end that's why I know I married him.  More thoughts on this at a later time...

--- 4 ---

In the 'About' section of my blog, I state I'm a lover of books!  For real.  When I get some money or a stipend from giving a talk.  I happily spend it at the local Catholic bookstore or Barnes and Noble.  Recently, I have been making way through this little gem.

 Do you ever read a book that just totally excites and revives you??  That is this for me.  It is all about the digital revolution and the new media technology, and how/why it is so critical for the Church to take advantage of these new methods to continue reach out, teach, and change the world all in the name of Jesus.  I'm feverishly taking notes and dog-earring the page.  It's got me thinking of new ideas to start in youth ministry in our parish next year too like creating a blog for youth ministry written by our youth leaders, myself, and full of relevant articles/media for parents and teens alike...not to mention to do some major over haul on our youth section on the parish web site.  And a few other things too...
It's also giving me ideas of how to use this platform (my blog) as an avenue for sharing my faith, like creating a guest post series (Why I'm Catholic? or something similar).

This book is written by all sorts of people with all sorts of stories, experiences, and ideas of how this 'new media' needs to be a focus for how we as Catholics continue to share the joy and truth of the Gospel message.  A good read for folks in ministry and all of us trying to lead souls to Christ.

--- 5 ---

Watch. this. video. http://vimeo.com/62832170# (silly blogger wouldn't let me upload the video, oh well:)  Joe Castillo is a sand artist who was at the National Catholic Youth Conference in 2011.  The teens I took loved his work...SUCH amazing talent, and what a neat way to help foster prayerful reflection! 

--- 6 ---
This picture is quite true for me. 

I'm a very temperamental sleeper; the kind that sleeps in ear plugs and complains if the room is not total darkness.  One of the hardest things getting used to is that I'm married to a bear.  Not only does he snore, ladies and gents, he snores LOUD.  I'm ashamed to say I have had to resort to kicking Jim under the covies letting him know he woke me up yet again.  Or sometimes poke him and let him know his noise pollution has woken me up again.  Maybe putting up with this will be my get-out-of-Purgatory free card?? One can hope! ;-)

{7}

Our Easter picture...down by the river.  Actually it was a very fancy river front restaurant, but still nonetheless, down by the river:)

Be sure to keep celebrating the joy of the Easter season!
And don't forget this Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday...Jesus, I trust in you...or at least I'm trying to get better at it :)