We're halfway through December and this is the first TWM I've had time to put together! I feel like we're still recovering from Thanksgiving travel. Speaking of Thanksgiving... We had a lovely time with family in Florida. We snuggled our friends' babies. And we even went to the beach....because Florida. Then we drove for two days to get back to TX. Why is the trip home … [Read more...]
The Carrots (Last Minute) Christmas Gift Guide!
A gift guide? Less than two weeks before Christmas? That's how things roll around here this year. Last year I was ON THE BALL and we did all family gifts on St. Nicholas Day on December 6th so that we could just relax during Advent and get geared up for the 12 Days of Christmas. This year, not so much. Thanksgiving travel really added the crazy to our pre-Advent time. So here I am two weeks … [Read more...]
Your Blog Post Wasn’t About Me and Other Illogical Complaints of the Internet
image source I used to see a lot of strong opinions and challenging ideas shared online. Now, I see more watered down posts full of caveats as the author apologizes for what they’re about to say. And I get it. Because unless you try to address every possible variation in situation, someone is going to be offended. And you’re going to hear about it. It gets exhausting. But you know what? … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: December 2015
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 having them all in one place is helpful to you, too! And I pinned all of the following resources on a December Liturgical Living pinterest board for your convenience! As always, remember not to get overwhelmed. You … [Read more...]
Why Advent Should Terrify You
image source Every year since I was a little girl, my mother and I go to a sing-along of Handel’s incredible masterpiece, the Messiah, during Advent. We bundle up, grab our music scores, find a seat with our fellow altos, and sing our hearts out. If you’ve never really listened to the Messiah you must do it this Advent. It begins with the words of the biblical prophets foretelling the coming … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 143
I know it's been awhile, y'all, and I'm sorry it's been so quiet around here! There's been a lot going on and in addition to all that my brain has needed a little break. I always seem to need to slow down as Advent approaches and get refreshed with some quiet space. I've got a list of things I want to write about and it's a mile long, but I've just needed some quiet. As I've been working … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 142
"Don't climb on the gravestones, Lucy!" "I just want to hug them when I pray for da souls." Baby girl getting some serious prayin' done at an old Catholic cemetery we found to visit on All Souls Day. My kids really look forward to visiting a cemetery on All Souls to pray for the dead. They also enjoy that Halloween candy is discounted when we're still celebrating Hallowtide two days … [Read more...]
5 Things That Make Mothering a Little Easier
I've shared before that while mothering is by far the most exciting role I've ever undertaken, it doesn't come easy to me.....at all. After feeling very successful in school and career pre-kids, the tasks of homemaking weren't just thankless but difficult. I am an extreme P when it comes to the P vs. J part of the Myers-Briggs personality test. That means keeping my home organized is not a … [Read more...]
Hallowmas with Harry: What Harry Potter Taught Me About Death and the Communion of Saints
“ And in many ways, all of my characters are defined by their attitude to death and the possibility of death.”- J.K. Rowling Hallowtide, the three days of All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day (or Hallowmas), and All Souls Day, is an ancient part of the Christian Year. Before becoming Catholic I thought of Halloween as morbid and I couldn’t understand how to celebrate All Souls, or the Day of the … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: November 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...]
