Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Work

Last updated on: March 19, 2013 at 1:04 pm By Sarah Babbs

This is post number 2 in the “No More Mommy Wars!” series of guest posts that I’m hosting this week, and will be returning to the week after Easter. Today’s post comes from the wonderful Molly of Molly Makes Do, one of my absolute favorite blogs to peruse for inspiration and ideas. Welcome and many thanks Molly! *********************************************************** We’re all back in school, sitting in adjacent desks with spindly metal legs and pressed wood tops. We’re each being... Read more

No More Mommy Wars: A Series

Last updated on: March 18, 2013 at 9:35 am By Sarah Babbs

Hello friends! Do you remember when I wrote this post a little while ago? It was a hard post for me to write, and an even more difficult story to have lived. Something struck me, however, when the comments started rolling in. It was some version of the popular phrase, “You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Yep. Sums up how others will react to our parenting choices, no matter what they are. So I decided to... Read more

7 Quick Takes Friday – A Pope, A Sale, and Books

Last updated on: March 15, 2013 at 11:06 am By Sarah Babbs

Hello, hello friends. I haven’t gotten it together enough to do a QT in a while, so bully for me this week. What a week it’s been! We have a Pope, and I love him already. 7. Pope Francis! He’s a Jesuit from Argentina. Woah. Apparently he’s very humble, devout, and eschews pomp and circumstance as much as possible, preferring simplicity, much like his namesake, St. Francis Assisi. My favorite meme: 6. What really won me over was hearing him... Read more

Learning from Lent

Last updated on: March 13, 2013 at 8:55 am By Sarah Babbs

You’re looking at the newest occasional contributor over at the lovely Catholic Exchange! I’m so excited to have the opportunity to work with all of the great people over there. Today I’m writing about how Lent, and in particular fasting, can help us break free from addictions. “We all have our own suffering, and all but the holiest among us also have something that we turn to when we should be turning to God. For me, food. For others: drugs,... Read more

Conclave and Facebook

Last updated on: March 12, 2013 at 11:00 am By Sarah Babbs

Today begins the Conclave! People always go nuts over the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and it is truly magnificent to behold. But, when we saw the chapel, I was immediately drawn to the back wall, where the above image, titled The Last Judgment of Christ, is painted, encompassing the entire wall. All I know is, I wouldn’t want to be a cardinal charged with the mighty task of choosing the next sucessor of Peter, all the while facing an... Read more

Birthday Fun, Papal Lapbook, and Snow White

Last updated on: March 5, 2013 at 5:07 pm By Sarah Babbs

So, how was the chicken? Good, right? I know. I’m feeling pretty awesome, because I made a New Year’s resolution to actually use some of the hundreds of recipes I pinned on Pinterest. And I have. I’ve made about 12 or so new recipes from Pinterest in the last couple of months. Some good, some not quite as good. But mostly good. I should start a board for the ones I’ve tried and liked. Yeah. I’m going to do that.... Read more

Best Chicken Ever

Last updated on: February 26, 2013 at 2:40 pm By Sarah Babbs

So, I made this chicken. I found it on Pinterest. So good. Here’s what I did: 1 crock pot 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (the ones I used were about 50% thawed) 1 small bag baby carrots 10-15 fingerling potatoes (or 6-8 small red potatoes) 1 bottle fat-free zesty Italian dressing basil, oregano, red pepper flakes 1/2 cup parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Spray the crock pot with cooking spray. 2. Squirt some italian dressing into the crock pot. 3.... Read more

Some Thoughts and My Birthday

Last updated on: February 19, 2013 at 2:46 pm By Sarah Babbs

I’ve been thinking a lot since my post last week. Many of you gave me a lot to think about, a lot to chew on, both in the comments and in private emails exchanged. I appreciate it so much. I did want to clarify a couple of things though, that might have seemed unclear in the post. 1). I don’t hate spiritual motherhood. I really don’t. It’s a truly beatiful thing to behold. Look at Mother Teresa, and all of... Read more

A Hologram of Motherhood

Last updated on: February 14, 2013 at 11:30 am By Sarah Babbs

Spiritual motherhood is stalking me. I’ve tried to file a restraining order, but she keeps showing her ugly mug around here. My women’s group is studying Edith Stein, one of the female saints who wrote the most about it. Then she shows up within the pages of Colleen Carroll Campbell’s book My Sisters the Saints, which I read and reviewed recently. This excerpt in particular gives the beautiful truth of spiritual motherhood: “Not one of them (Teresa of Avila, Edith... Read more

Chisel Blows

Last updated on: February 12, 2013 at 11:45 am By Sarah Babbs

I’m sure everyone who reads this blog (and doesn’t live under a rock) has heard that Papa Benny is retiring at the end of the month from the Papacy. Big stuff. First abdication since 1415 or something like that. I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time talking about it, because there are much more intelligent and eloquent people than I talking about it, so I feel like it would be white noise, for the most part. I... Read more