Let me set the stage for you...I'm eating BBQ (amazing BBQ) in the Austin airport with a couple of other Edel attendees (psst! Did you hear the announcement!?) feeling excited to go home and see my family and super sad that Edel is over. One of the gals at the table had been one of the vendors at Edel. We strike up a conversation as I gather my belongings and we wait for our flight to board. As … [Read more...]
In Which Daniel Reviews a Book on Sewing (and a Giveaway!)
My lovely friend Nicole Bennett, blogger of Gidget Goes Home and creator of The Motherhood and Jane Austen Book Club, wrote a fantastic ebook on the basics of sewing--something I want to learn to do. It's called Sewing School 101: Simple Tips to Get You Stitching. I've been so excited to share the book with you, but...it's hard to vouch for a book on sewing when you know less than nothing … [Read more...]
The One Weekly Planner I Use: Mama’s Notebooks Giveaway!
This is what it looks like when I sneak out of the house to plan out the week and write while Daniel handles bedtime. Chamomile tea and Mama's Notebooks. Also my laptop, but I start with the notebooks so I know what I need to tackle first. Maybe it's because I'm a visual learner, but if something is out of sight....it doesn't exist to me. Which is why keeping a calendar on a phone app has never … [Read more...]
Welcome to My Little Oratory (And a Giveaway!)
I know we’ve been talking a lot about books lately, but there are so many good books coming out of the Catholic blogosphere right now! Cari Donaldson’s Pope Awesome, Jen Fulwiler’s Something Other Than God, Sarah Mackenzie’s Teaching from Rest, and now The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home by David Clayton and Like Mother Like Daughter’s Leila Lawler (and illustrations by … [Read more...]
Do You Have Things? Do You Need a Bag for Those Things? (A Giveaway from Drawstrings!)
So excited to be hosting a great giveaway today from Drawstrings by Wanda Styrsky of Re-inventing Mother! Wanda is a faithful Carrots reader and an all-around lovely gal. Wanda recently started selling her handmade bags and they are beautiful. She chooses the cutest fabrics and I can personally attest to the fact that they are sturdy and well-made because this adorable bag has survived … [Read more...]
I Bribed My Children With LEGO So I Could Read This Book (and a GIVEAWAY so you can read it, too!)
I've never pre-ordered a book. But when Jen Fulwiler's spiritual memoir Something Other Than God was available for pre-order on Amazon, I went for it. I've been a devoted reader of Jen's blog Conversion Diary for years and I've followed her process of writing and re-writing and then teaming up with an amazing publisher (Ignatius Press!) to release this story. But when my copy finally arrived, I … [Read more...]
Kindred Spirits and Literary Fun (And Audrey Eclectic Giveaway)
I'm a bit bookish. It's not a secret that I love all things Anne of Green Gables and all things Austen (yes, even Fanny Price). And no matter how many times I read Little Women, I will get all teary-eyed because it's just so wonderful. So when I saw an etsy shop with gorgeous original art and saw Anne and Diana's familiar faces and the Dashwood sisters and Marmee and her four girls, I jumped for … [Read more...]
Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candle Giveaway Winner and Special Discount
Just popping in to announce that Erin York won the Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candle's Easter Egg votive giveaway! Congrats, Erin! And thanks to everyone who entered! Toadily Handmade is offering 10% off to Carrots readers (because you're awesome!) until the end of the month, so if you didn't win the giveaway but have to have some Easter Egg votives, use the coupon code CARROTS to get the special … [Read more...]
More Than Chocolate Bunnies: Simple and Fun Kids’ Easter Basket Fillers (And Easter Egg Votives Giveaway!)
Ever since we began observing the liturgical year, we do it up big for Easter. After the 40 days of Lent, it’s time for the biggest party of the year in celebration of the Resurrection! We try to find ways to help our kids understand the Christian Year and having simple meals during Lent and then really celebrating with food and gifts for Easter helps them learn to participate in those seasons. I … [Read more...]
Preparing for a Child’s First Confession (And Giveaway)
I don't know the first thing about how to prepare a child for the Sacrament of Reconciliation which is why I'm glad there's people like Kendra who are a few years ahead of me in the journey of motherhood and know what they're doing. And, because she's helpful like that, Kendra wrote a book about it! AND IT'S AWESOME. And she sent me one to give away! Hurrah! The crowd goes wild! My oldest child … [Read more...]
