It's a solemnity and a Meat Friday, I hope you're celebrating today! I posted last week with some celebration ideas and free printables for the feast of St. Joseph. But I had to pop back in today to share one of my ALL-TIME favorite poems. We read it for St. Joseph's...

The Prayer Books Are Back, Baby! (With free printables!)
The three little prayer books are fixed, approved and currently available for next day shipping with prime! New and improved, now with correct Sign of the Cross pages! They've got the Frankie stamp of approval. Here's my very professional announcement video: You're...
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...
I Have Some Things to Report: Part II (a skull fracture)
And now back to the continuing saga of what we've been doing for the past seven months. In Part I (here) we learned that I don't yet have a good grasp of what goes into to painting a room, despite having painted like . . . thirteen of them now. Also, that breaking...
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...
A Pride and Prejudice 2nd Birthday Party to Ardently Admire and Love
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...
When There Is So Much to Fear
Mailbag time: What to do when it all seems like too much . . . (and if you make it to the bottom there's news and shopping, yay!) The Question: Hi Kendra, I found you blog a new months ago and have so enjoyed going through your old posts and soaking up all the...
So I Hear There’s This Movie . . . Star Wars?
It's supposed to be a big deal. 😉 It's kind of all the small people in my house can talk about. Overshadowing even THE BIG MOVE . . . on team kid, at least. They have watched the trailer only four hundred and sixty seven times. Gus and Bobby have November and...
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...
Our Father Who Art in Stop Hitting Your Sister: praying with regular kids
If the figurine genre has taught us anything, it's that children love to kneel reverently and piously recite their prayers. But if your children happen to not be figurines, maybe they sometimes complain about saying their prayers. Maybe sometimes prayer time turns...
Sneaky Peeks at the Hundred Year Old House and the Brand New Shop
I was going to wait to show you guys this hundred year old house until we had, ya know, bought it. But . . . I got tired of waiting. It is the best of houses and the worst of houses. Living room: Yay! Kitchen: Boo. Schoolroom: Yay! Mummified Rat: Boo. And it's still...
Seven Quick Takes of Chatting and Catching Up
Let's be random and rambling today, shall we? 1. My drafts folder is empty. I wrote and scheduled about two months' worth of posts before I had Mary Jane. Then, since she was born, I've been writing about one new post per week, to mix in here and there, and that's...
Guardian Angels and Goings On
There's been quite a bit going on in the world and this country and my house. Interesting stuff, exciting stuff, disappointing stuff. It's been a while since I updated everyone on the goings on around here. And I figure you're just dying to know how the Tierneys feel...
Them's the Rules: Part II (Seven Quick Takes)
Here we go on the second installment of . . . Them's the Rules! Wherein I share with you our family rules and things I say one hundred times a day, with images I made in a weird fit of graphic design-themed nesti-ness the day before Mary Jane was born. Here's Part I,...
Them’s the Rules: Part I (7 Quick Takes)
Remember way back when I wrote that post on Living the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in the Home (with Frankie)? Well, it just happens to mention one of our Family Rules: Don't take your pants off without a plan. In the comments of that post, Annie asked if I...
Everything I Ever Thought About Homeschooling, Schoolish Free Printables . . . and anything YOUR heart desires
The school year is upon us! I figured it might be nice to have all the schooling-type posts in one place, and I made some new schooling-type printables, and now there's a way for you to get a custom printable . . . made just for you. Yay! :: The Homeschool Posts ::...
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...
The Thing About Being Pregnant: Summer of Psalms
When Kristin from the blog Vine of Plenty asked if I'd be interested in participating in her Summer of Psalms project, I knew which psalm I wanted to choose before I could even click reply. It had to be psalm 139. 13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;...
Reflections, Printable Prayers, and Movie Reviews About Anxiety (andthe thing I'm trying not to be anxious about)
Here are some Friday Seven Quick Takes for you . . . on a Saturday. 1. I'm at Blessed is She today, reflecting on Matthew 6:25-34. You know the one . . . Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you...
Twelve Free Father’s Day Printables
Since Father's Day is coming up, I thought I'd make a batch of free Father's Day printables, using a few of my favorite Father's Day quotes. I hope you like them, and I always love hearing how you use them! As with all my printables, you are welcome to right click on...
Using PicMonkey to Make Word Art
We're out of town, so I thought I'd take this week to share with you some of the tips and tricks I use on PicMonkey to make this blog prettier. This is installment four of four, also see Lesson 1: Using PicMoney to Make Good Photos Great and Bad Photos Pretty Good,...
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...
Mother’s Day Printables and a Five Second Movie Review and Big News and Quotables and Links and Winners and What We Wore Sunday
The Winners This giveaway has turned out to be my favorite one ever. If you haven't been back over to read the comments . . . do it. They are so, so, so sweet. I wish you could all win. I really do. But instead, I just let random.org pick me five winning...
How Could Jesus Have TWO Daddies? Explaining the role of St. Joseph to young children.
Today is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. And I just happen to have a mailbag question that is particularly well-suited to the day. Let's get to it, shall we? the question: Dear Kendra, Hi! First, I enjoy your blog very, very much. I am on my way into the Catholic...
Our Triduum in Photos
It's still Easter today! Happy Easter! Let's jump in the ol' T.A.R.D.I.S. and take a look back at the Triduum, just for posterity's sake, shall we? And let's, um, go backwards. 'Cause, why not? In case you missed it in all the hubbub yesterday, here are all the Easter...
A Little Peek Inside Our Easter Baskets (hint, it's mostly books) PlusGift Ideas and New Easter Printables
Happy Palm Sunday! Hosanna! Easter is one week away! Just in case you haven't finalized your family's Easter baskets, I thought I'd give you a glimpse of what is going to be in ours' this year (and yes, I pretty much JUST took care of all of this) . . . I've been...
Solemnities are NOT for Being Solemn: What They Are, Why They Matter, and New Free Printables for the Solemnity of St. Joseph
Tomorrow is the feast of St. Joseph, and it's a biggie. St. Joseph's Day on March 19th and the Annunciation coming up on March 25th are both solemnities. Note for 2017: Because March 19th falls on a Sunday this year, the celebration of St Joseph's Day is officially...
Idle Threats, the Miracle of Waffles, St. Patrick’s Day Printables, and a Winner
I don't do these family glimpse posts as much as I used to, because I tend to share that stuff on the Catholic All Year Facebook page and on my Instagram account now. But I forget that not all of you are all those places. And I share different stuff on Facebook than I...
Irish Songs of Drinking and Rebellion for Kids (with free playlist and printables)
I grew up listening to showtunes and pop music. I am still pretty partial to both. But, ya know, ya get married and are introduced to whole new worlds you never even knew existed. Like Irish Folk music, for instance. I wasn't aware of any such thing until I met my...