One of my favorite things about the internet is having more people to talk about books with. And I love the reading challenges from my favorite writers and bloggers that pop into my inbox at the beginning of January. Except, I'm never on the ball enough to get going on January 1. So here we are mid-January and friends, I am finally ready! Welcome to the CathLIT reading challenge. Get it? … [Read more...]
Looking for Marmee: Childhood Trauma, Cancer, and How Little Women Changed Our Lives
If all goes as planned, on Christmas Day my mother and I will show up at the movie theatre with my six-year-old and eight-year-old daughters to see Greta Gerwig’s new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. It will be exactly twenty-five years (to the day) since I watched the 1994 film with my mom when it opened in theatres. This upcoming cinematic rite of passage has … [Read more...]
Carrots 2019 Small Business Gift Guide (with Coupon Codes and Giveaway)!
I get asked every year about whether I can offer a gift guide so here I am again! This year I'm only including products from small businesses so that any sales made will benefit artisans and their families. One of the ways we can make changes in the world is by voting with our wallets. I haven't included any links to the site that can get anything to your doorstep in 48 hours (you know the … [Read more...]
When Jesus Gives You a Dog: Ode to Olaf
Wednesday morning our beloved Goldendoodle, Olaf, followed one of the children outside but must have run off instead of following them back into the house. He was hit by a car and died almost instantly. I saw it happen out the window out of the corner of my eye and screamed. Daniel ran outside to scoop him up and try to rush him to the vet. But the sweet little puppy was already gone. He … [Read more...]
Beyond Magnolia: The Carrots Guide to Waco
My family has lived in Waco a total of 9 years (5 in the college years and then 4 years since our return to Texas!). Since we first moved here in 2004, so much has changed. Waco has recovered from decades of struggle and grown by leaps and bounds during our time here. It has become a destination town! I get asked all the time for recommendations of what to do during a trip to Waco and now with … [Read more...]
The Molly Weasley Method of Home Decorating
After my recent house freakout (We need to move! Wait! Nevermind, I love this house!), I’ve spent a good bit of time rearranging and tweaking our home. I’ve thought about what we need in each room, what improvement would make it what we need to be able to fit a six-person homeschooling family into this 3/br 1/bath 1250 sq ft house for the next few years. I’ve been reading about the concept of … [Read more...]
Fall Reads 2019 (So Many Books!)
Since I love chatting about books, I’ve been trying to share our family’s current reads on a regular basis here on the blog. (This post contains affiliate links. If a sale is made through an affiliate link, I may be compensated but all opinions are my own.) Lately I Finished…: The Life-Giving Home by Sally Clarkson Sally Clarkson continues to be my go-to voice on motherhood and … [Read more...]
October 2019: Liturgical Living at a Glance
I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope … [Read more...]
When Enough Is Found Through Your Own Front Door
I’m not moving. "Um, okay. I didn't think you were," you might say. The funny thing is, as of a week ago this statement would have been a huge surprise to me. Because I had this idea, see. Two weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night and decided we needed to buy a new house. One bathroom for six people is too hard. Three bedrooms and no where to host guests? Impossible. … [Read more...]
What I’d Tell My Past Self on My 34th Birthday
It’s my birthday weekend. I’ll be 34 on Sunday. I don't think it feels much different than 33. Will 35 feel different? It sounds more serious somehow. Birthdays always make me feel like doing some reflection. What have I learned? How have I grown? What has surprised me about life this year? I think if I could tell my younger self something, Haley in her early 20s, it would be this lesson: … [Read more...]
