I woke up this morning sick as a dog, so I thought I'd share a little something from the archives. Our 16-month-old is just now at the stage that these tips are applicable (she loves looking at pictures of babies in utero and hearing about her baby sister) and if I could add one more thing it would be to get your toddler a baby doll and engage them in lots of imaginative play: changing the baby's … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2013
Herb Gardening Tips for Beginners
Happy Monday! Today you can find me over at Mama And Baby Love chatting about herb gardening :) It’s still wintry and chilly outside, but it’s time to start planning for your Spring garden. And for those of us in the deep south, spring gardening is already in full swing now that we’re had our last frost (fingers crossed!). If you’ve never tried out your green thumb before (and even if you have) … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 44
This sweet pea is taking her upcoming role as big sister very seriously. It is the most precious thing. In the Liturgical Year: Thank you to all the wonderful bloggers who linked up with our Lenten Little HolyDays link up! Great ideas and inspiration. How is your Lent going? Praying a daily Rosary was definitely a good choice for my lenten discipline. My other discipline was to stop yelling … [Read more...]
Catholicism: Empowering Women for 2000 Years (Part IV: “My Body Isn’t Broken,” The Church and Contraception)
Another post about birth control, Haley? Really? It's true. Sorry, folks. But I think Catholic teaching on contraception is really crucial to understanding the respect for womanhood that the Church affirms. This is Part IV of this series, so be sure to read about how Marian doctrine, the Catholic understanding of vocation, and the female saints and doctors of the Church empower women before … [Read more...]
Catholicism: Empowering Women for 2000 Years (Part III: Female Saints and Doctors of the Church)
So we’ve talked about how Marian doctrine taught me to celebrate my womanhood and how the Catholic idea of vocation honors women. But I want to share with you how learning about the saints and doctors of the Church taught me to love the diversity and strength of women in the communion of saints. In Part II I shared how before converting to Catholicism, I felt that my gifts didn’t fit in … [Read more...]
Our Pirate Turns Four!
I love my kids and I love to celebrate their birthdays, but we keep things super simple: homemade cake, family party with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and baby cousin, just a few gifts. And they absolutely love it. Perhaps if I were the Martha Stewart type, planning a giant party would be a fun thing, but as things are, I think it would stress me out, overwhelm my kids, and be out of our … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 43
What a week. What. a. week. I know it's been quiet over here and it's not just because I'm starting to feel that third trimester fatigue approaching. I am emotionally exhausted. As I mentioned last week, my best friend's mom passed away unexpectedly and my heart has been so full of sorrow for her family. That grief was present along with all the joy of our Benjamin's fourth birthday (which merits … [Read more...]
Holy Time: Lent and Cleaning Up My Whiny Soul
(Please join us in the Little HolyDays Lenten Link-Up by sharing your posts about this liturgical season. Linky below!) “I CAN’T do it! It’s TOO HARD!” whined my then 3-year-old son as he sat in the middle of his messy room and cried at the idea of having to clean up the toys, books, and stuffed animals scattered everywhere. Maybe I’m asking too much, I thought. He’s clearly overwhelmed. … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 42
It is this precious little man's birthday today. I can't believe it was four whole years ago that I was birthing him. Because he's my firstborn, his birthday always causes me to reflect on this transformative journey of motherhood. We spent a special mother-son day together yesterday doing whatever the birthday boy picked: an IMAX movie with popcorn and Sour Patches (hence the sour face … [Read more...]
A Letter to My Former Self On the Day I Became a Mother
On the eve of my firstborn's fourth birthday... Dear Former Self, You think today is memorable because you’re recovering from the Great Gatsby-themed college graduation party you threw last night and looking forward to a trip to see Radiohead. But that’s not why you’ll remember this day in May for the rest of your life. The funny thing is, the reason today is memorable won’t even occur to … [Read more...]
