Little Happies -- Is the Pope Catholic?

Hi, fraaands! And welcome back to the happiest little link-up there ever was. :P

I has a thought. 

While I love, love, LOVE reading all your Little Happies each week (like, seriously, LOVE), I was wondering how all of you Little Happiers felt about doing the link-up only once a month... ? Not that we don't have things to be happy and grateful for every week, but I'm thinking spacing them out a bit would just cause Little Happies posts to be even more of an explosion of happy, since you'll be saving them up all month. And it'll make it easier to participate, since you won't be scrambling to put a post together each week.

I really want your honest thoughts here, folks! So shoot me a comment and let me know what you think. While we're sorting this out, let's still plan to do a Little Happies link-up next week. Thanks in advance for your input! 

Now, on to the good stuff...

--one--

A board game called Is the Pope Catholic!?! The Catholic Nostalgia Game.

A kind older parishioner donated the game to our youth group, so obviously that meant I had to try it out first before letting the teens play it.

You know it's going to be good when the introduction reads:

This game is dedicated to the "survivors" of the Catholic Church and the Catholic educational system which existed prior to and shortly after Vatican II. This game offers practicing Catholics, "fallen away Catholics," and those Catholics somwehere in between, the opportunity to re-experience those "golden years" of pagan babies, May Crowining processions, sin, Saturday afternoon confessions, meatless Fridays, sin, Baltimore Catechisms, ruler-battered knuckles, and sin... all of which led us to become "soldiers of Christ and heirs of heaven." Although the stated goal of this game is to become the "Pope," the underlying purpose is to look back, resurrect a memory or two, and perhaps find some humor and healing for that period in our lives.

I kid you not, that's the premise of the game. Crazy hilarious, right? 

Even better, there are sin cards that cause you to lose a turn or go back several spaces and grace cards that gain you advantages. You have to read one for yourself to believe it.

This game is the bees knees. It had me in stitches last week as I played it with my friend and fellow youth minister, Jeff. 

And for the low low price of $50 ('cause apparently it's a collectable now), you too can be the owner of this ridiculously perfect Catholic nerd game.

--two--

source

Two words: Oprah Chai.

But not that sissy stuff they make at Starbucks. No, you MUST buy a few ounces of the loose leaf version at Teavana and make an extra strong brew for yourself. If you like spice, especially cinnamon, you'll love this liquid treat!

--three--

TWINS! No, just kidding. Just me and me again.

I'm pretty sure a major headband obsession has just kicked in. I bought those two beauties above at Francesca's last week and I just ordered two even cuter ones from Monroe & Harlow a few days ago. A fun, easy, and affordable accessory -- what's not to like? :)

--four--

Have you ever snuggled under a Vera Bradley throw blanket before? Oh my goodness, they're the softest, cuddliest fleece blankets you'll ever own. I bought my second one last week as a treat for making it through my youth ministry mission trip and have been laying under it ever since. 

I know they're a little pricey, but here's my expert tip: click on the "sale colors" tab and pick your favorite from there. It knocks off $20 and makes it much more affordable. I know, $30 is still a bit steep for a fleece blanket, but you just have to touch it to believe it: it's waaay worth it. And who doesn't love a cute Vera Bradley pattern? They make great gifts too! Just go for it. 

--five--

This black maxi dress.

I bought it a few weeks ago and have rocked it several times since. It's plain, but oh-so-flattering. The material is heavy enough to feel sturdy but light enough to wear all summer long. 

Even better news: it's currently on sale! Plus, Old Navy is running an online only 20% off sale until Wednesday, so if you like it, I say go for it! It'll look cute on you.

Oh, just a side note -- you may be tempted by the other cute colors, but from all the reviews I read, apparently the colorful ones show every bump and jiggle and imperfection. So stick to the black, unless you don't care about that stuff. And to that I say, more power to ya! ;)

---

That's all for this week. John and I are headed off to NYC tonight for a little vacation before my vacation time resets. We'll spend the week chillin' with his aunt and uncle, seeing several shows (including Once on Broadway!), probably eating too much, and just enjoying some free time as tourists. I've got a scheduled post coming your way on Thursday, but other than that, things will likely be quiet from me for the next week.

Catch you all on the flip side.

Have a lovely week, loves!

An InLinkz Link-up