Sometimes when I write something heavy (ahem, Sunday's post), I get emotionally worn out and need to follow it up with something light and fluffy. And since I neeeeever manage to do link-ups because I'm a last-minute procrastinator and can't get my act together in time to participate, I thought I'd get all fancy and join in with Jenna's #FiveFaves. It wasn't until after I'd made my list that I … [Read more...]
Rob Bell’s “Tribe”, MacLaren’s Pub, and the Homeless Guy I Have (Almost) Nothing in Common With
My 22-month-old daughter had made it through most of evening Mass, but after receiving Communion I was holding her in the back of the church so she could wave to her favorite statue of St. “Shoesoff”“ (Joseph) and kiss his “feetsies.” She waved and beamed to the parishioners walking back to their pews. “Hi!” she grinned at an unkempt man wearing an old military coat and multiple bandanas around … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Jumpstart Change In Your Life
Do you read Olivia at To the Heights? You should! I've been an Olivia fan for awhile and when she recently posted the Total Life Overhaul series at her blog (so good!) I knew I needed her to guest post and share about the simple but wonderful ways her family has sought order in the chaos while they transition into parenthood. Enjoy! -Haley The kitchen table was sticky from stray honey that had … [Read more...]
Go Cajun with a Shrimp Remoulade Recipe for Mardi Gras!
Need a good idea for Mardi Gras food? Daniel's family lived in New Orleans for several years when he was growing up and the culinary tradition of that fair city is still strong with him. Tonight we celebrated his sweet mom's birthday with some delicious gumbo and shrimp remoulade. Then I realized how perfect it was for a Mardi Gras meal and wrangled him into typing up his recipe! Seriously, so … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 118
Welcome to This Week’s Miscellany, the weekly feature at Carrots where I share photos, quotes, links, and whatever strikes my fancy! "You're invited to a treehouse picnic! We're having fern salad in an old drawer!" It's been a fantastic, busy, crazy couple of weeks. Hence the lack of TWM last Saturday. You'll forgive you when I tell you that not only did my friend Colleen and I host … [Read more...]
Valentinesy Reading from Carrots
It's almost Valentine's Day. I'm not going to write a whole post about the whole 50 Shades of Grey thing because it's all been said, probably much better than I could say it. So I'll leave it at this: domestic abuse is not sexy. Glamorizing domestic violence is not ok. You know what is sexy? When your husband stays up late to help set up for the Daddy Daughter Dance in the Parish Hall, even … [Read more...]
The Isolation of Food Allergies and The Gift of Hospitality
Today you can find me over at Kitchen Stewardship chatting about how to host families with food allergies and how to be a helpful guest: "Whatever the cause (or causes) may be, food allergies seem to be everywhere these days. If no one in your immediate family suffers from them, you probably know someone who does. When my oldest child was diagnosed with food allergies, it wasn’t the end of … [Read more...]
9 Ideas for Observing Lent with Kids: Holy Heroes Review (and free coloring books for you!) {Sponsored Post}
This post is sponsored by Holy Heroes. Is it just me, or is Lent painfully early this year? I feel like I'm still recovering from Christmastide. On the other hand, I'm a big Lent fan. I love that the Christian Year offers us a time set aside to clean house. And no, I'm not talking about my dusty baseboards, although that would be a good thing to tackle during Lent, too. I'm talking about our … [Read more...]
Friday Fashion Frivolity: Gwen, Warrior Princess, and a New Box from Stitch Fix
Every so often, we chat fashion at Carrots. I hope it feels like going shopping with a friend, but not having to try on jeans....or leave your couch. Yesterday Daniel came home early from work to watch Baby Gwen so I could be on Jennifer Fulwiler's radio show on SiriusXM (I was a little nervous, but she's such a good interviewer that she made me feel comfortable right away). And then we had a … [Read more...]
You Don’t Have to Go to Grad School (to have a life of the mind)
“If you quit this program, you’ll become intellectually stagnant,” warned a professor, and fellow mom, who was urging me to finish my art history grad program instead of stay home with my 18-month-old son. After graduation, almost all of my college friends went on to grad school. I took two years off while my husband Daniel finished his degree and we had our first child. It never really occured … [Read more...]
