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...]
Can You Pray the Rosary with Little Kids in the House?
This post is sponsored by Chews Life. Mothers of young children are always being told how important the Rosary is as a spiritual devotion to help them raise holy families. And I totally agree. The Rosary is powerful! It is amazing. The problem is, the Rosary is hard to pray when you’ve got lots of little folks waking up before dawn and not leaving you with a quiet moment until everyone … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: October 2015
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...]
Beauty for Your Family Altar: A Review and Giveaway of the Sacred Art Series {Sponsored Post}
This post is sponsored by the Sacred Art Series from Bloomfield Books. All opinions are my own. I love to fill our home with sacred art. It's important to Daniel and I to create an environment of beauty for our kids. And we want there to be images in our home that help them learn about our Christian faith. We have tons of great and beautiful picture books about the saints but when it … [Read more...]
Roasted Barley and Rosary Beads
(by Daniel) I got into brewing beer a few years back. It’s a fun process and the results are almost always drinkable. We’re fortunate to have a great homebrew store in town with very knowledgeable staff. I often talk to them about different ingredients and techniques. Once, I asked one of these guys about malting barley myself, a process that involves sprouting the raw grain and then roasting it. … [Read more...]
Praying with Your Feet
Sometimes I make the mistake of separating my spiritual life from my vocation as a wife and mother. I see my children as distractions from prayer and spirituality, rather than an opportunity to love God. On a particularly trying morning with a very fussy infant at church, I spent almost all of Mass outside holding my crying baby and watching Mass through the door. Afterwards, I lamented to a … [Read more...]
Getting to Know Mary (And a GIVEAWAY from Trendy Traditions! NOW CLOSED)
Daniel and I both agree that getting to know the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most grace-filled aspects of our conversion to Catholicism. It was not so long ago that the idea was absolutely unfamiliar to me. I grew up in the Protestant tradition which, in my experience, completely ignored the Mother of God except during Christmas time when we were sure to mention that she was “just a regular … [Read more...]
The Big Ol’ Catholic Reading List
Ok, so it’s not that big and it’s definitely not in the ballpark of comprehensive (would that even be possible?). But, in response to a reader’s request for resources on Catholic teaching, Catholic motherhood, Catholic blogs, and books that influenced our decision to convert, here’s…well, something. It's off the top of my head with a couple suggestions and notes from Daniel. I would LOVE your … [Read more...]
October: The Rosary
Each month of the year has a special emphasis in the Church Calendar and October is dedicated to the Rosary. Growing up Protestant, I was taught to be concerned by ‘rote’ prayers which lead to spiritual dryness and to instead use my own words in order to be more ‘authentic’ and ‘genuine.’ Yet, as I have been exposed to ancient prayers, I have found them not rote, but rhythmic, and not dry, but … [Read more...]
