Summer birthday season is happening around here. I've shared some of these photos on social media, but since not everyone is on there, I figured I'd get them on the blog here too. And since the Princess Bride Quote food pun food tags proved pretty popular with you...
Another epic Hooley at the Tierneys' is in the books. I shared some photos and videos on Facebook and Instagram . . . and you guys had some questions. So even though it's St. Joseph's Day, I shall attempt to answer all your St. Patrick's Day party queries here. What...
Okay, here it is you guys. Finally. I have been having exasperating computer issues that have been a drain on my already limited blogging time. But I just know you guys have been dying -dying- to know what I think about The Force Awakens and whether or not it's a good...
Lulu's "Pie Pedjus" second birthday party was last weekend, but it's taken me all week to get this post written because I fell hard down the rabbit hole of picMonkey + Jane Austen. But more on that later. First, for the party . . . Lulu is a big, big fan of the...
This is a sponsored post. See my disclosure policy. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Did I mention we throw a St. Patrick's Day party? I DID? Once or twice? Well, this year's Hooley was last weekend, and it was our biggest. party. evah. A very fine time was had by all,...
Happy Laetare Sunday all! Here's what we wore. Obviously. Me: ModCloth dress (I really love their stuff. I have an affiliate link, over on the right sidebar next to the comments, if you want to check them out.) Old Steve Madden shoes. Lulu: Hand me down smocked dress,...
This is a sponsored post. See my disclosure policy. It's March! Spring is in sight (at least in California), we are mostly in the swing of Lent (however much that's possible, anyway), and around the Tierney gaff, it's time to get super excited for the upcoming...
Jack, my oldest, said of his baby sister the other day, "I think she's probably tied for the third best baby who ever lived. Jesus and Mary were probably better, but she's got to be at least tied with St. John the Baptist for third." Now, I don't have any way to...
I'm not sure why, but back early in my mothering journey, when it began to look like I was going to end up with more kids than, well, than I had previously realized was even POSSIBLE . . . I latched on to birthday parties as The Thing I had to maintain to make it Not...
On Sunday, Frankie turned three years old. You can imagine his excitement. We threw him a Little Monster-themed birthday party. Here's how it went down. THE DECOR Red tissue balls and green hanging fans, fabric circus bunting, a mini monsters banner, a homemade...
Frozen. It is like crack cocaine, only animated. And with singing. I saw it with the kids. I noted that the plot didn't, strictly speaking, make any sense and that the girl ended up with the wrong guy. I thought I'd just carry on with my life. Frozen-free....
Another Hooley at the Tierneys' is in the books. We are so grateful to our family and friends who spent the evening with us. It was the best. You rock. To those of you who were not here: You should have been. Come next year. It was really fun. Please look at these...
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles . . . The Princess Bride is my favorite childhood movie. And unlike all the other movies from my childhood, I never had to go diving for the remote in horror as I tried to...
Intrigued? You're going to have to wait for it . . . (Jenny, you may want to just skip this whole post, but especially the end.) Bobby and Gus have birthdays that are two weeks apart, and all the same friends and all the same interests, so for the last couple of...
Frankie is two. Look out world. (Oops, that wasn't a question. Sorry.) He's still not talking a whole lot, so his brothers and sisters got to pick the theme of his party and they picked: Moustaches. When I started looking around online for ideas, I found a lot of...
The first I ever heard of Michaelmas was in Pride and Prejudice and Middlemarch and other olden-timey English books. Apparently, it was one of the four days during the year on which servants were hired and rents were collected, so it comes up a lot in books....
As a parent, I want to figure out how to pay enough attention to each child so that he knows he is precious and valued, but not so much that he ends up an entitled brat. Fortunately, we have enough kids that I think it would be really, really hard for us to err...
Yesterday, I told you why I like backyard birthday parties best. Today I'm telling you exactly how I do it. Step-by-step. And you get to see all the photos from Anita's fourth birthday party, held last Saturday in the Chicago backyard of my in-laws (who are awesome,...
I love backyard birthday parties. That's what we had when I was growing up, and that's what we throw for our own kids now. Anita jumping for joy at her 4th Birthday Party, held yesterday in the lovely Chicago backyard of my generous in-laws (we're visiting for the...
update: now includes photos from today's celebrations! A Very Happy Fourth of July to You and Yours! The kids all had new duds for the occasion, thanks Gramma! Please don't let the freedom FROM religion types convince you that the founding fathers were on their side....
--- 1 --- Two weeks ago, I had a quick take about how the internet can bring out the worst in people. But this week, oh THIS week, the internet has brought out the best in us. The fundraiser that Cari is running for Dwija is hands-down the awesomest thing I have been...
If you remember my review here, you'll know that I really enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. It's smart and exciting, the writing is clever, and the characters make the right choices when faced with moral dilemmas. It even manages to...
Seriously.  And don't try to pretend like you already knew.  Unless, like me, you have kids who use the 1963 Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism for school.  In which case, like me, maybe you found out that Pentecost is bigger than Christmas in front of your first...
Exactly as I had always planned it and in no way because I totally forgot about it, today you get a recap of Lent . . . And there will be prizes. Extra prizes. So keep reading.I had a big list of stuff that I wanted to try doing or not doing for Lent, but...
Alleluia and Happy Easter! We had a triumphantly adorable Easter, so I thought I'd try one of these what I wore link-ups to share. And hey, today there are THREE! Thanks to Camp Patton, The Practicing Catholic, and Fine Linen and Purple for hosting....
I've been posting photos from the last couple of days on the Catholic All Year Facebook page, but I know not everyone who reads the blog is on Facebook. Â So while I'm waiting for my hot cross buns to rise, I figured I'd put the photos up here too. Â Happy Holy...
As the end of Lent comes in to sight, I like to focus on one of my favorite things about this time of year: saying the word Triduum. Seriously, how great is that word? It's right up there with trousers, gubernatorial, and ladle. ...
Happy regular ol' day between two feasts! Today I want to share some photos from the Hooley and also share why we have parties (aside from the obvious reason of us being pretty cool). Â The husband and I got married, went on our honeymoon, and then immediately moved...
--- 1 --- Two of my boys can say they were named for a Pope, but only one can say that a Pope was named for him. (Sorry Gus!)  When Gus was a toddler, a priest once remarked to me,"If you didn't want him to give you trouble,you probably shouldn't have named him...
The Solemnity of St. Joseph is coming up soon (March 19th), so I thought I'd share how we celebrate this very welcome feast in the middle of Lent. When I was in high school, one of my best friends was from an Italian family. Â Mrs. Vitale is an uh-mazing cook (if...
It's a funny thing about leprechauns. Â If you don't believe in them, they seem to leave you quite alone. Â For twenty-four years I didn't bother with leprechauns, and they didn't bother with me. Â But then I married into a south-side Irish family, and I learned about...
If you usually read my blog, you'll understand how much of a challenge "quick" takes are for me.  Let's see how I do . . . --- 1 --- Happy Chair of St. Peter! In this house we celebrate the fasts AND the feasts, so we always look forward to the feasts in Lent, and...
If you're like me, you like your husband. Â You like getting dressed up. Â You like eating food. Â You like general adorableness. Â And being waited upon. Â And little bells. Â But if you're like me you do NOT like sitting in traffic on a Saturday night (seriously, what is...
This post is one in a series of Catholic Toddler Letters. To see more, click on the tab above. Last week, Adam from Equipping Catholic Families asked Frankie, What kind of things does your family do during Lent, Frankie? Dear Adam, Thanks for introducing me to your...
 Our dear sweet Betty turns NINE next week, and to celebrate she wanted a Snow (Princess) themed birthday party.  We ended up getting some great bargains, since on January 1st anything with a snowflake on it goes on clearance to make way for the swimsuits and Easter...