How reflecting on the Visitation taught me that it’s okay to let myself be loved. Fra Angelico – Visitation “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” Luke 1:39-40 It had been another long day. I had been working from home for a few months, and my oldest was acting particularly three in response to our new routine. I had lost my patience and snapped at him more than I should have. I cried in frustration and lashed out at everything and everyone. I convinced myself that these outbursts belonged on ..read more

Are we helping or hurting mothers by perpetuating the idea that they must “do it all” to be considered “Supermoms”? I am a wife and mother to three little boys. I work from home full-time with minimal outside help. I (kind of) run a blog and its social media accounts. I plan and cook all of our meals and keep the house tidy. I’ve pumped and donated 700 ounces of breast milk in four months. I try to maintain a social life by spending time with friends. I try to make my marriage a priority. I attend Mass every Sunday and try to make sure I squeeze a daily rosary into my routine. Upon hearing ev ..read more

This Catholic Mama is back and ready to muse! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve spared any of my time for my poor, neglected blog. I knew I needed a break, but I did not intend for that break to last the better part of a year. To be honest, I watched the months fly by and promised I would write that email, finish the ebook, start the marketing course I paid for over a year ago, and then…I would begin to think. I’d think about everything I had to do to care for my babies. I’d think about work and the laundry list of tasks I had to complete to ensure I was doing my job to the best of my ability ..read more

How a Word of the Year generator inspired me to live courageously for 365 days. My Word and Saint of the Year for 2021: Courage and St. Joan of Arc. New Year, New Me? I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. In my youth, I had planned and dieted and set lofty goals with the best of them. And every year, I would be left feeling disappointed in myself for not achieving whatever goals I had imposed on myself. Then December would roll back around, and the cycle continued. After converting to Catholicism, my focus shifted to setting penances and goals for Lent and living as liturgically as possibl ..read more

Advent is supposed to be a peaceful time of preparation for Christmas. But what happens when the pressure to create traditions and live liturgically start to make your heart anything but peaceful? This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclaimer here. Brace yourselves: Advent is coming. If you spend even a little time on Catholic social media, you’ve no doubt seen the never-ending posts and stories about everyone’s plans for liturgical living during the season of preparation. Wreaths and candles. Mary on the Mantle. St. Nicholas Day goodies left in wee shoes. Devo ..read more

Feed your whole family with this stunningly simple and extremely delicious Italian favorite! My absolute favorite part about Italian sausage and peppers is how there is literally no wrong way to make them. Want them with no sauce at all? Pop your meat and veggies on a baking sheet and bake to perfection. Want your sausages served over pasta? Cut those puppies up! Want to serve them on rolls? Leave the links whole and go for it! (Just don’t forget the provolone cheese!) Want them with lots of yummy sauce to dip your sandwich in or to pour over pasta? Then this crockpot recipe is for you! Pri ..read more

My step-by-step guide to creating a lovely Middle Earth-inspired nursery that will grow with your Little Hobbit. As I near the birth of my third baby, it only seems fitting to show you how I created a Lord of the Rings nursery that has grown to accommodate not one but three little hobbits! I struggled for years on how to bring touches of Tolkien’s ground-breaking fantasy world into my home. I’ve often turned to Tea with Tolkien for inspiration on Hobbit decor and how to throw fabulous parties in honor of Bilbo and Frodo’s birthdays. I haven’t thrown a Hobbit Day party due to one reason or an ..read more

A small stack of my favorite Catholic books from my collection. A collection of the best books about Catholicism to inspire you to live your faith authentically and passionately. Y’all, I m so excited to be talking about two of my all-time favorite things: Catholicism and books! In this case, specifically, the best books to learn about Catholicism! What could be better, right?? I converted to Catholicism on April 19, 2014. My journey to the Church was long and arduous, but it was the greatest decision I ever made. Even seven years later, I am still constantly learning and growing in my Faith ..read more

One of my favorite Flannery O’Connor quotes by Pink Salt Riot. Be kind to everyone, including yourself. When was the last time you were kind to yourself? Can you recall a recent moment where you gave yourself some grace? Do you remember the last time you acknowledged your value? When was the last time you criticized yourself? Can you recall a recent moment when you gave yourself a hard time over your flaws and imperfections? Do you remember the last time you laid the blame for every problem at your own feet and despaired at how ill-equipped you were to handle those problems by yourself? If the ..read more

The Final Chapter of My Story of How I Converted to Catholicism. My first Eucharistic Congress after I started RCIA. This was the exact outfit I wore when I received the Sacraments of Initiation. Welcome to Part III of my conversion story! If you have not read Parts I and II yet, head over to my last two posts and catch up on my journey from Agnosticism to Catholicism. Last Week, On “How I Met Your Mother (Church)“ Let’s dive right back in, shall we? I had abandoned whatever shreds of faith I had left and settled for agnosticism in the heat of trauma and turmoil. Comfortable, self-serving agno ..read more