Anthony dishes (haha) all about grits and grit. Grit is “courage and resolve” or “strength of character.” Watch and listen. Today’s episode is all about perseverance, grit, and endurance. Basically all things that are tough for me but Anthony has already habituated. I read a book about grit and tracking how it affects people years ago and a few things stuck out to me. // grit is a greater indication of long-term happiness in life than socio-economic status, family of origin, or IQ // grit is learnable! and you can always try again to keep developing it. It’s an ongoing formation My big comfor ..read more

Who wants to come to a zoom meeting and bake bread with me? I’m NO pro but make one kind that’s really easy, pretty well. Okay, email me and let me know so I can give you the zoom info & password! wholeparenting @ gmail. We’ll do it in about 2 weeks when you’ve had time to accrue your supplies. All amazon aff links! My book I love: Bread in 5. But you can use just the recipe here. I love the book because it teaches you a lot that I can’t! Here’s your supply list // Yeast Flour (my fav is King Arthur but whatever you have will work) Salt (i love coarse kosher but whatever you have is fine ..read more

It’s not just because of the global pandemic and my heart is broken for families who have lost loved ones, suffered greatly mentally, economically, and emotionally. It’s actually something I struggle with regularly: discouragement. Like a wave, it sometimes washes over me and I feel trapped under it. Other times, it is pulled away from me and I see my wet feet but know I’m fine, that it’s an ongoing high tide & low tide. Discouragement can touch on any number of topics for me, and maybe for you, too. Body image, energy levels, bodily health, overcommitting and disappointing people, how im ..read more

I’m behind! I’m behind! Apologies. Even in an era of pandemic, I was able to hop over to a local church (Our Lady of Lourdes) to live-record a talk for the young professionals crowd. It’s about finding and meaning while pursuing our little v vocation. It starts at about 100 minutes. But don’t skip past Vespers! WATCH + LISTEN Also, two podcast eps and I’m late sharing them! The first is a full run-through of Liturgy of the Hours. Anthony at his best! It’s a fun packed 40 minutes to learn how to pray it, what is happening in this enormous book, and a real encouragement. The one that’s coming o ..read more

We talk about something super interesting to me today: learning to like (more) the person whom you already love. Youtube ep here and podcast here. Anthony came up with this topic and I was delighted to talk about it, largely because I think people assume that once you’re married, you just like each other more and more. Not true. Besides love being an act of the will, it’s also a habit we have to practice over and over again. Part of my sharing on the episode focuses around that we can *only* control ourselves and how we respond to our beloved. We can’t try to make them change or do something ..read more

  In our newest ep of ye ole Hermit + His Wife (youtube, anchor app) we talk about our prayer lives, how they’ve grown and changed, and where we are at with our marital prayer life, too. The biggest surprise for me for this episode is Anthony’s observations of my changes since working with Blessed is She (almost 6 years old!). I went from being pretty head-heavy in my faith to now really desiring a relationship with God. These changes can’t happen with the flip of a switch. Loads of grace, the community of writers and the team I work with, and a husband who has always encouraged me ..read more

This blog started as a parenting blog in 2010. Now ten years later, I rarely blog but mostly micro-blog on instagram, or now, blab with my husband on our podcast/youtube. But really, my heart for parents with little kid(s) hasn’t changed. When I started sharing more about my parenting struggles and consolations, it was, in part, because lots of parenting websites made it sound like a task that could be conquered, mastered, a skill you learn and then apply. Like any other field or area of practice. But as I say in the latter half of today’s episode, most of parenting starts with disciplining my ..read more

  We are now deep in podcast//(video youtubing it) land. Anthony’s big quote from this one? “God doesn’t want a set of accomplishments, He wants you.” This episode is a wee over 20 minutes and tells the stories of our discernment of vocation–both marriage and our jobs. I never get tired of hearing how Anthony had a winding road through the diocesan seminary, FSSP major seminary, then a hermitage, then an insurance company, teaching high school Latin, and meeting me in law school. Mostly I delight on the law school part! But something that’s struck me throughout the years is that if Antho ..read more

How is your global pandemic? How’s the work situation, school situation, hopes & dreams situation? We have friends who have been really sick and family whose businesses have no revenue. These are challenging and scary times. None of my feelings about it all are linear, either. One morning, I’m a pro distance-learning mom. That afternoon, I’m crying and sweating. Maybe you’re on a rollercoaster, too. So what have we done? Anthony and I started a podcast because I need to laugh and he’s allergic to the internet. It’s called “the hermit + his wife” and we’re streaming it on YouTube and where ..read more

The good news is that you guys really love handmade sewn things from my little shoppe. (That’s pronounced “shopp-ey” according to my sister.) Almost all the dresses are out! One of the caps is out! A bunch of the bibs are down to just one set! The leggings are flying! If you’re still in the perusing market, what’s left is here. I’m so grateful, you guys. My shoppe is this in between-place for me. I see lots of small makers who have built an empire of outsourcing their production, or they work full-time with kids in childcare sewing and produce the most gorgeous things! I sew in the cracks of ..read more