Happy, Holy Mama

This week is not just Ash Wednesday, it's not just Valentine's Day, it's also the100th episode of the Happy, Holy Mama Podcast, AND February 14th is also the 20th anniversary of the passing of my first husband, Joey. It is a FULL week! So as I was reflecting what I should talk about on the podcast this week, it seemed super obvious to me to share more of my love story with the Lord. And like most...

If you were a teacher in a brick-and-mortar school or professor in college you would have designated time when you would prep your day, prepare the rest of your week, do research, grade papers, and receive students questions either via email or in person.  However, as homescholers we have the added obstacles of toddlers and babies underfoot, laundry that needs to be changed over, meals that need t...

How often do you confess not making enough time for prayer? Or lose your cool around the state of your home? Not look up when your kids are talking to you or rush them through something so you can get back to what you'd prefer to be doing?  In today's episode I'm going to share my own personal experience with each of these areas and how I found peace and healing through learning how to turn them i...

How often do you feel embarassed by, ashamed, or resentful of by your past? Have you ever noticed how your behavior changes here and now when your thoughts turn to things that have happened in the past?  Have you ever noticed the impact of being focused on the past is having on your life here and now? Especially in sneaky ways, like how it's hard to receive compliments or believe your husband when...

Ever wonder why you have a hard time letting something go?  For example you have at thought like: I can't get anything done! And then suddenly you see half finished or not-started projects everywhere? Which, of course, leads to further hamster wheel thoughts like: I can't follow through. I can't do what I want to do.  We're not where we should be. This is how you get stuck in a loop of negative th...

If you were a teacher in a brick-and-mortar school, then you would be required to take classes on a regular basis to continue your education, grow and build onto your skills, and learn the newest techniques and strategies to provide the best experience possible for your students and for yourself. And yet, there has never been such a continuing education program for homeschoolers, let alone Catholi...

Are you using the past as evidence for what's possible in your future? Do you self-sabotage your New Year's resolution and quit in the first few weeks? Do you set goals or just take a bunch of actions that have a common theme? Then get frustrated when you don't produce different results?  In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the mindset that keeps you stuck and how to step into the mi...

If you find yourself getting bogged down in the to-dos, attitudes of kids, and starting to feel disconnected to the true meaning of Christmas, then I'd like to invite you to take a small pause with me in the middle of this busy day to find rest and peace with Mary in the manger. In today's special Christmas episode of the Happy, Holy Mama podcast, I'm going to walk you through a short meditation w...

Does it feel like there's a tension inside of you between being self-sacrificing, 'offering up' your suffering and self-care? Like maybe those two things don't mesh and, because it's so confusing, then you might be hesitant to do either one?  At least, not well.  Let alone joyfully. That's what I'm talking about in today's podcast episode. I'm sharing with you some beautiful insights that were the...

Because I have met SO many women on Consult Calls who tell me on that they worked right up to Christmas and then went back to school immediately after the New Year, I feel that what happened in our kitchen this week was worth sharing in hopes of helping you prevent that for yourself this year, if it's not what you truly want to be doing. ​​​​​​​ In today's podcast episode I'm going to share a conv...

While we all intellectually know that our Christmas won't be perfect, somewhere inside most of us are still striving for a version of perfect.  We want a plan. We want it organized and done ahead of time. We want to know where we're going and what's going to happen. We want to plan for all contingencies so no one is disappointed and we can all go home happy.  This is as far from the first Christma...

One of the reasons you feel overwhelmed and bogged down with a million decisions each day is because you're not giving your brain enough space to think outside of those times (those times exist, I promise), in order to creatively problem solve in the moment. And because this happens over and over, then you may have begun believing that you don't know what to do, because it feels like you're consta...

It's Thanksgiving week here in the US and this can feel like the beginning of a needlessly busy season.  It's so hard to feel grateful, peaceful, satisfied, and accomplished when there is so much to do and in the back of your mind you're worrying about what your mother-in-law might say about your home, children's behavior, or offers her unsolicited opinions about homeschooling. If Thanksgiving, or...

Are you one of the MANY mamas struggling with feeling tired all day, going for that afternoon cup of coffee to keep going, and mamas struggling with secondary infertility? If so, today's episode of the Happy, Holy Mama Podcast is just for you. Deeply Faithful Catholic, homeschooling mama, and Functional Medicine practitioner Rita Johnson and I had a fantastic conversation about living out our Cath...

Communication not your strong suit? Do you get frozen and tongue-tied when your kids ask you a million questions? People please and say Yes to everything, even when you'd prefer not to, because you don't think you know what to do? If this, today's podcast is going to give you the #1 thing to STOP doing right now to improve your communication not only with your children on a homeschool day, but als...

Even if you don't consider yourself a 'fearful' person, there might be ways that fear is sneaking into your life and you're just not aware of it's presence or effect it's having in your heart and home. In today's podcast episode, I'm going to share where fear actually comes from - and it's not political parties, Halloween, homecoming dresses, the pope, or your children. I'm also going to share som...

Washing dishes through hidden, bitter tears is not how you want to end the day.  However, since it's the only moment you get to yourself you take your time, even though it's past your bedtime. Bedtime is such a fluid phrase for you, it doesn't actually mean the same thing day to day, even though you'd prefer it to. But that would take mountains (of laundry) getting up and putting themselves away....

If we could just get our work done, THEN we could take a break. THEN we could get something done. THEN I can breathe and maybe even enjoy my kids. But you don't get your work done. You don't breathe and you're not enjoying your kids or your relationships as much as you'd like. If your current line of thinking, which sounds a lot like this before that , isn't working for you, then today's episode i...

Do you worry about your kid's lack of motivation? Have a rambunctious teenager who has passions, but no goals? Worry that they won't end up where they should, based on their current trajectory?  You just want to make the right decisions, help them have their best possible future. It would be nice if you could shortcut some of the hardship and learning curves you may have had to face on your journe...

We're fairly early on in the school year, which is about when most homeschool moms start to question the plans they started off with. Or maybe you're realizing that you never really had a plan in the first place and you'd like to get something established.  Something doesn't feel quite right, isn't flowing the way you wanted it to, or flat out isn't working at all.  Self doubt and confusion creep...

Do you get frustrated when your kids don't say thank you or when they expect things to appear as if out of nowhere? Do you find yourself feeling sad, helpless, or even resentful that they seem entitled and/or ungrateful? Instead of staying stuck in those negative emotions that come up around your children's attitudes, I want to invite you to listen to today's episode of the Happy, Holy Mama Podcas...

Does it feel like your mood, worth, and even your value is tied up in how productive you are? Like if you could just get more done, then you would finally feel better? If this sounds like you, then I have a fantastic friend I want to introduce you to today in my episode, Being More Productive with Kelsey Pasquarell! Kelsey is going to share with you SO much goodness and wisdom from the work she do...

If it felt easier (not that it was  easy , but maybe easier than it feels right now) to homeschool when they were little and now it's feeling hard because they're older, then today's episode is for you.  Even if your kids are still little and it's feeling difficult to trust yourself to know what's best for them, today's episode is for you, too. In fact, there are so many areas that we lack trust i...

It's the beginning of a new school year and I cannot tell you how many times I get asked: I'm thinking about homeschooling this year, what curriculum do you recommend? Or, I've been homeschooling for a while and I'm thinking about switching it up, what do you recommend? Okay, FIRST off, this is 100% dependent on what the goal is for your homeschooling journey.  If you plan to send your kids back t...

It's been another long homeschool day and you're looking forward to when your husband is done with work so you can get a break. After a quick rundown of how the day went and what to expect from now until dinnertime, you pass off the littles to your husband on your way out the door to drive the bigs to their afternoon activities (something you've been looking forward to all day, because it feels li...