Happy Saturday folks, the winner of last week's giveaway is at the bottom! If you are a fashionable celebrity who reads this blog, you're probably aware of last Monday's Met Gala. For the rest of us, the Met Gala is a yearly red carpet/costume party thing where famous...
An Easy, No Mess, Kid-Friendly, Not-Crafty-Mom-Friendly, Last Minute Advent Wreath and a Guide to the Upcoming First Week of Advent
Advent starts tomorrow! And that means tonight is Catholic New Year's Eve, so break out the champagne! If, like me, you are not quite ready to, um, get ready, I thought I'd share this quick and easy Advent Wreath that is our go-to every year now. We've had lots...
Do Catholics Need the Elf on the Shelf?
I had every intention of not wading into the Elf on the Shelf debate, because it's really not a matter of faith and morals, and is therefore something about which good Catholics are free to make their own choices, and follow their own consciences, and disagree. But...
Five Ways My Phone is Helping Me Be a Better Catholic
Our phones, right? We use them for all the things, but also maybe feel like we shouldn't be? As much? Ever? I'm all for balance and temperance, but in our concern about the pitfalls of our phones, it's easy to lose sight of the GOOD that's to be had from those...
Catholic Indulgences: what they are, when they are, and why you should care (as of the 1999 Manual of Indulgences revision of the Enchiridion of Indulgences)
Indulgences! So much opportunity, so much confusion and misinformation. And that's just among Catholics. It's really difficult to even find any information at all online about the most recent version of the Manual of Indulgences, a 1999 revision that replaced the 1968...
Stuff I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: including calendar explanations and errata, crazy plans, and other fun announcements
First off, I have to say how excited I am that anyone other than me wanted this calendar. I just can't believe how many of you have purchased it and are looking forward to starting off the new Catholic year on December 3rd and observing the feasts and the fasts. And...
All Saints' Day Costume Backlash: only neat and tidy saints need apply?
Hey guys. 👋 I'm still not back. The book is coming along, but there's still a ways to go. But. I got this mailbag question via email and answered it via email, and wanted to share it here, just in case any of you are facing the same criticisms. I really hope...
How We Discuss Imperfect Heroes with Kids
Happy Columbus Day! This is not a feast of the Catholic Church, of course, but it's a national celebration (at least it WAS a celebration, now it's more like one-more-excuse-to-be-mad-on-Facebook) of a Catholic person with admirable qualities and great failings, both....
A Beginner’s Guide to Dissent: the extended version
Disagreement with Catholic teaching is something that saints and heretics have in common. The great St. Paul himself, we read about in today's first reading, was a dissenter and debater. But the difference between the saints and the heretics has always been in how...
Where Do Pets Go When They Die?
Mailbag time! The Question: Hello, my name is Mollie and I am a big fan of your blog. I lost my pet of 17 years this weekend and I am struggling with the thought of breaking the news to my seven year old son this afternoon. We have been preparing him for her passing...
The Pope Francis Conversation . . . or, Go Talk to Your Father, it’s His Feast Day
Hey Guys. Today is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. In light of current events, it seems especially important to remember what we celebrate today. According to Pope Benedict: This is a very ancient tradition, proven to have existed in Rome since the fourth...
The Year of Mercy Family Challenge
It's the Year of Mercy! But hopefully you already knew that, as I've been meaning to write this post since, um, November. We've been making an effort to be mindful of the Year of Mercy in our home, and we came up with a Year of Mercy Family Challenge to go with it....
Pro-Life is Complicated, and How You Can Help
Last month we had the unfortunate anniversary of Roe v Wade. Many cities, including my own Los Angeles, hosted Walks for Life, but our family wasn't there. We weren't there because we were at a funeral, for a baby named Emily Rose Marie. We are fortunate enough to...
Women’s Work: Do I Ever Feel Guilty About Not “Using” My College Education?
Mailbag time! The Question: Hi Mrs. Tierney, My name is Sanasi and I am a 21 year old university student. I stumbled across your blog when I was looking for more Catholic blogs to read in my free time and it's kind of weird, but I feel like I see so much of...
The Blessed Virgin and the Blasting Out of the Baby Jesus
When I was expecting my second baby, lo those many years ago, my oldest would happily tell anyone in earshot that the new baby was going to "blast out" of mommy sometime soon. He also thought that maybe it was going to be a baby elephant, "like Dumbo." He was wrong ....
Liturgical Living for Beginners: An Our Lady of Guadalupe Play Date, with help from me and CCC
This is a sponsored post. See my disclosure policy. I had such fun last spring putting together a St. Patrick's Day play date that I decided to do another one . . . this time for the upcoming feasts of St. Juan Diego on December 9th and Our Lady of Guadalupe on...
Why My Daughters Are Not Altar Servers
Mailbag time! A few weeks ago, I argued that learning traditional homemaking skills in an all-girl environment was beneficial for my girls. I'm back today to support something for just the boys . . . the question: I had a question about your kids and altar serving. I...
How to Advent, in three steps
Advent is less than two weeks away . . . are you ready, TO WAIT? Advent is a beautiful time of year. But for those of us attempting to live the liturgical year in our homes (at least a bit) it can be a tricky season to get right. Sometimes it feels like whatever we...
Over 150 MORE All Saints Day Costumes for Kids: and all the winners of Catholic Costume 2015
Another excellent year of Catholic Costumes y'all. I just love the variety. Here's a look at how the Tierney kids' costumes turned out this year . . . I had all but given up on a costume for Mary Jane and I. Then, the morning of our homeschool group All Saints...
Praying for the Dead With Children
November is the Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. If you aren't in the habit of hanging out in cemeteries and praying for the dead with your kids . . . well, you're really missing out. And so are your kids. AND so are the dead. As Christians, we believe that the...
The Second Annual Catholic All Year Catholic Costume Contest {now with even MORE prizes}
Last year's costume contest was really cool. I loved seeing all the great Catholic costumes you good folks and your kids can up with. So . . . even though I'm not sure the world needs any more of my All Saints Day costume posts, I decided to do it again. And, as it...
On Being a Missionary to Your Extended Family
Mailbag time! Here's one about how we maintain our family's religious practices on vacations with friends or family members who aren't living their faith the same was we do. -question- Hi, Kendra! My question for you has to do with traveling. We currently travel a...
What If I Can’t Afford to Send Them to College?
Mailbag time! It's the million dollar question for big Catholic families: How can we keep having them, if we don't know whether we can afford them? - question - Hi Kendra, I feel a little silly emailing someone I have never met such a personal question, but I've been...
How to Raise Good Little Catholics
Something I get asked about quite often is what we're doing with our kids to help to raise them to have an understanding of and an appreciation for our Catholic faith. It's a tough question, but a very important one. Whether our kids are homeschooled, or go to...
What to do With Unwanted Sacramentals
It's mailbag time! I've received this same question from a number of different readers. So, perhaps you've been wondering about it as well. -question- Dear Kendra, I am cleaning up the house and happened upon some mail that I wanted to ask you about. Namely, ever...
Four Reasons I’m NOT Boycotting the Forty Companies on that List
Planned Parenthood is yucky. I hate that they exist. I hate that they use lies and doublespeak to prey upon the most vulnerable among us (the women AND their babies). I was not one tiny bit surprised by the latest Planned Parenthood scandal. Sad, yes. But not...
Maybe We CAN’T Talk About NFP Without Giving Offense
It's NFP awareness week. A quick glance at my header will tell you where the husband and I fall on the ol' sliding scale of fertility/NFP competency (but just in case it's: high/low). This is a mommy blog. This is a Catholic blog. This is the PERFECT place to be able...
Living the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in the Home. . . with Frankie
It's easy to sometimes feel like motherhood isn't compatible with true Christian works of mercy. After all, not many of us are able to manage the kind of charitable activities that our sisters called to single life or religious vocations might be able to do. I have...
Exactly How to be a Good Catholic
Knowing just what is required of faithful Catholics can be confusing. Especially in this time of blogs and social media. Blogs can be a really great way to learn about our faith, but it's easy for bloggers (even yours truly) to make it seem like particular practices...
Pentecost is Coming: Celebration Ideas and Free Printables
Before Pentecost can happen, of course, we have to have the Ascension. The kids and I will be observing Ascension Thursday by flying from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. to meet up with the husband who is there for business all this week. It seems somehow fitting to be...