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 one of four. PicMonkey is an online photo editing and design site. The basic version is free, but you...
It's the last installment of homeschool week on the blog. For earlier posts see here and here and here. Today we'll be looking at some obstacles to homeschooling, and how to overcome them, if you feel like homeschooling is something you'd like to try. The question: Hi...
Shopping for little kids has always been pretty straightforward and easy around here. New stuff, gifts, hand-me-downs, all work great. Especially since someone invented adjustable waistbands -- GENIUS. But then, sometime around nine or ten years old, things seem to...
It had been many, many years since I had read The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoesby Du Bose Heyward, when we got it out of the library last year. And I was like, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, children's book from 1939 about how to become the Easter Bunny!" Because,...
It's mailbag time again. Today we're going to discuss managing unruly children in your home . . . when they're not (exclusively) yours. The Question: Hi, Kendra! I enjoy reading your blog, and I find your posts on discipline and family culture particularly...
So, this whole Netflix sponsored post thing is really supposed to be a LOT more kid-focused than mine are. Mostly, I prefer to hide from my children and watch Netflix streaming on my own. So I've been writing about what I watch when the kids aren't looking, or what we...
Today's mailbag question is near and dear to my barfy little heart . . . illustration from Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever Question: Kendra, I know you're all pregnancy icky, so you're probably not the person to complain to, but I need some...
Lent is nigh, you guys. It is NIGH. Hope you're ready. If you're not, I might be able to help . . . with some recommendations, and some free printables, and a contest. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? Because before Ash Wednesday, comes Fat Tuesday (aka...
Dear Lady Who Commented on My Instagram Photo, I can't remember your name, because I deleted your comment very quickly. I don't usually delete comments, but I just didn't want a whole big thing to get started. I had a party to plan. The photo was this one . . . of the...
I've written before about why and how we homeschool. But, recently, as we go about our daily routine, I keep noticing odd little things that I really like about homeschooling. I don't think any of these would be a very good reason to have decided to start...
I have a backlog of great mailbag questions I got during and since the ol' hiatus. So, here's another one. The idea that I might be overburdening my kids with responsibilities around the home is something that I have definitely worried about myself, but, so far, what...
Can you believe it's Sheenazing Award season again!? Time really flies, 'eh? Anyway, I am honored to have been nominated in a few categories this year, alongside some really terrific blogs. And Blessed is She was nominated as well! Please head over to A Knotted Life...
I've already written about how we are planning a more simple and a more toy-free Christmas than we've had in the past. Not because we are AGAINST toys but because we have reached the natural conclusion of a few years of more mindful toy-buying, more discerning...
I am so, so late to jump aboard the Once Upon a Time train. Not as late as I was for Doctor Who, I guess. But still, Once Upon a Time has been on the air since 2011, and I only started watching it last month. I had heard of it. I knew Haley liked it, but . ....
-- 1. Pumpkin Picking -- We had Frankie's birthday party last weekend and the husband has been out of town this week, so our first chance to get pumpkins was Thursday. I suppose it's just as well, because I've learned the hard way what happens when you carve pumpkins...
Alright. The big capsule wardrobe reveal is here. And, yes, I know how silly this is. But, really, I can see why the internet is abuzz with capsule wardrobes. We are a people living under the yoke of luxury. Even those of us who aren't rich. We don't know when to...
Blind obedience is a tough sell these days. If you're anything like me, it's going to take a lot to even convince you that it's not utterly WRONG, let alone a virtue to be cultivated. In our culture, the concept of obedience has fallen out of favor. We are hesitant to...
I got this mailbag question a week or so ago, and responded to it. Since then, my Cryin' Babies Go To Bed post was shared on a parenting forum, to GREAT misunderstanding, confusion, concern, and general unpleasantness. Sometimes I kind of forget that my blog is...
In my excitement over your generosity towards Bonnie's fundraiser for Fulton, I decided to make an entry for Fulton's mom Kelly's lip-sync battle at This Ain't the Lyceum. (That whole sentence was kinda name dropp-y.) Anywho, watch it, thumbs up it if you don't hate...
So, are you totally sick of this mailbag thing yet? No? Good. Because I have (at least) one more (so far) that I want to share with everyone. Jessica asked me about something near and dear to my heart . . . the Little Flowers Girls' Club. She's thinking about starting...
G'day, strangers! And a very warm welcome to Answer Me This . . . the internet's favorite virtual cocktail party* in which I ask six totally random questions and we all answer them and get to know each other a little better. Isn't that nice? *this statement may not be...
All this week, I've been sharing my replies to reader emails and Facebook messages. Today is the Lightning Round! Seven questions, seven answers. These are questions I've chosen because they are seven of the topics about which I get asked most frequently. Let's do...
It's been a Week of Feasts at Casa Tierney. Wednesday was the Optional Memorial of St. Bridget: You say "Optional Memorial," I hear "Excuse to Par-tay, Swedish-style." Or, I should say, my personal made-up Swedish-style. Since I am not Swedish and don't actually...
Ahoy, you landlubbers! And a very warm welcome to Answer Me This . . . the internet's favorite virtual cocktail party* in which I ask six totally random questions and we all answer them and get to know each other a little better. Isn't that nice?*this statement...
As you may recall, I recently did a series of interviews with the members of my family. In the comments, some of you requested that I let one of them interview ME. And, even though I kind of already interview myself (and all of you) every Sunday . . . I figured, why...
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. A secret known only to everyone who knows me in real life and all the people who like Catholic All Year on Facebook but no one else. Sometimes I put the Bumbo on the table. Okay, maybe it would be more shocking coming from...
Okay folks, we're going to ease into this trip recap thing, because unlike some people, *I* went to Lourdes and developed a bit of a medical condition. It seems silly to complain about, especially on the day when Nella announced that her cancer is back, which is much...
My Day in the Life post inspired a lot of comments, and a lot of questions. So, I'm starting an occasional series called How We Roll to answer them. I would say that my children are very independent, compared with the general population of two to...
Updated! (now even MORE stuff at the bottom) Welcome to Answer Me This, a new Sunday link-up here at Catholic All Year. If you missed the big introduction post, here's a quick recap of the rules: I ask you questions, you answer them. You can answer in the...
I have once again been honored by a Liebster award, that most flattering of all chain letters. This time by Tammie of TTE Designs. I'm trying to talk her out of some of her amazing handcrafted jewelry for my upcoming Mother's Day giveaway, so here goes . ....