"Sharpening the Saw" is Stephen Covey's 7th Habit. You can see ALL of his Habits of Highly Effective People HERE. So here's the hard question: How do I go from feeling low low down (as in: last night I hit a wall) to feeling like Yes! I got this?! In a word, my weekly holy hour. (Okay so math is NOT my strong … [Read more...]
Ready, Set…Redemption! A Begin-Again Guide to Advent (Part II)
I fear I got a bit carried away last Friday. I was so happy to be blogging again that I lost track of the original intention—which was, a post on Advent preparation—and veered madly down the path of family updates. Forgive me. Part I was an appetizer—my begin-again at blogging after a 3-month hiatus. Part II, please God, is the meat and … [Read more...]
Father’s Day for the Fearless Wife: Seven Things to Do for Your Husband
When I asked my husband what he wanted for Father’s Day, he went into full curmudgeon mode and said, “Nothing! I don’t believe in supporting fake over-commercialized holidays.” Oh, how I love a man with principles! But respectfully? I disagree, and was incredibly pleased, to say the least, when he agreed to sneak away with me to a waterfront … [Read more...]
Stranger Things & Scary Smartphones: How a Hit Netflix Series is Helping me Parent [infographic]
Part I of a 3-Part Series on the Need to Establish Smartphone Monitoring, including (but not limited to) a Stranger Things list of what NOT to do Hey friends, I'm collaborating with Scott Reddler, a software developer and father of three from Florida, to bring you this series on a series (i.e. Stranger Things) and the need for open … [Read more...]
MuTu and You: an Endorsement
As I type this, I am sitting straight in my chair—no slumping for this momma, as you’ll soon see why! Here is the view from my workspace: Beautiful, no? We went over the river (pictured above) and through the woods...Thanksgiving was at Grandma’s. Cathy and Doug (aka Grandma & Grandpa) are wonderful cooks. I ate and drank it … [Read more...]
Going Places: a Midlife Reflection & Modern Map Art Review
Once, for Christmas, my four sisters and I drew names for a gift exchange. My sister Mary was surprised, I think, when I told her the "boring" gift that I had in mind: an atlas. I wanted an atlas. Because I wanted the world. To this day, I love maps and traveling, but am not {currently} at a stage in my life when I can go very far. … [Read more...]
A Prayer for Parents who Worry too Much
Or: On Being Intentional About What We Watch Yesterday I woke up feeling fretful—about my kids, about their safety...and so I did something that almost always helps: I drank a fifth of vodka and went back to bed. (Totally kidding! In truth, I’m currently taking a break from booze.) What I did do was go to daily Mass, and while there I … [Read more...]
Sacred Space: (Or) How to Keep your Brain from Completely Exploding
August is amping up, is it not? I hate to say it, but with BACK-TO-SCHOOL! looming in the back at the front of our minds, the last two weeks of this month can be pretty much a wash. Well, you know what? It doesn't have to be this way. I have spent most of my summer fighting the many mental lawn gnomes that try their pint-sized best to drag … [Read more...]
{Selfish} Gains
I'm being somewhat tongue-in-cheek with this blog post's title, because I have to admit that the more improvement I make in achieving some of my goals, the more I tend to obsess about them! It's a win-win-lose scenario: 2 Steps Forward (i.e. logging 15,000 steps, making a great new recipe from the Trim Healthy Mama book, reading two more … [Read more...]
On Having (or not Having) an Addiction-Filled 4th
In a nutshell: The food & the booze are meant to give glory to God but can become an addiction when used as a means to an end. How's that for a happy 4th of July blog post? :-) This morning I went to confession face-to-face. "My mom died two months ago," I began. "My dad is dying and my son leaves for the Marines in two weeks. … [Read more...]
