Note: I wasn’t paid or otherwise compensated for this post; all opinions are my own. Ask any working mom which regular chore is the bane of her existence, and the answer is often, “Making dinner!” It’s so hard to work a full day, drag yourself home, and then jump right into dinner preparation — especially if you have several little ones and/or are pregnant. Sometimes the husband will help, but let’s face it, most men aren’t able to prepare anything other... Read more
I have a love-hate relationship with my breast pump, and pumping in general. I love the fact that it allows me to express milk for my baby to drink at daycare since I can’t nurse her myself. I hate having to hook my breasts up to a machine and “milk” myself 2-3 times per day. I feel like I should be mooing and chewing cud the entire time. I’ve pumped for all six of my kids (which means I’ve spent... Read more
Last June, an article appeared on the National Catholic Register that denigrated daycare. Although it was titled “The Truth About Daycare,” it contained anything but truth. In fact, it was a poorly written article containing several blanket assumptions supported by misleading evidence (many of which were pointed out on the article’s post at NCR’s Facebook page). What annoyed me the most about the article was the insistence that kids in daycare are being “raised by strangers.” I see this argument often, especially in... Read more
I’m nine weeks postpartum with baby #6 on earth, newly returned to work after maternity leave, and… feeling an itch to start blogging again?! (Yeah, I don’t get it either.) So, stay tuned for some new (and long overdue) content! Read more
This is going to be a political post. Originally I meant to keep this blog free of political discussion, but I think this is a subject that is important for Catholic women, especially Catholic women pro-lifers, so I am putting it here instead of my personal blog. If you are as sick of politics as I am, feel free to skip this post. But this needs to be said, in my opinion. Today a story broke regarding an audio recording... Read more
Attention U.S. working moms! If you make LESS than $47,476 annually and are classified as exempt (salaried), your employer will be required to pay you overtime as of December 1, 2016. (The previous threshold was a little over $27,000 annually.) You can read more about these new regulations here, but here are some key takeaways: If you’re already non-exempt, these new regulations will not affect you. If you’re exempt but making over $47,476 annually, these new regulations will not affect... Read more
Isn’t the above picture great? One of these days I need to get around to ordering a portrait of St. Gianna from Portraits of Saints for my home. (What a great shop – I love their images!) [Update: I finally did order one last year (2017), and now it hangs in my kitchen!) It’s the feast day of this blog’s patroness, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, and the one-year anniversary of the launch of this blog! St. Gianna, pray for us!... Read more
Today is Day 1 of the Novena to St. Gianna! Won’t you join me in prayer? The novena ends on St. Gianna’s feast day, April 28. © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / , via Wikimedia Commons God, our Father, You have granted to Your church the gift of Gianna Beretta Molla. In her youth she lovingly sought You and drew other young people to You, involving them, through apostolic witness and Catholic Action, in the care of the sick and... Read more
If one of your Lenten commitments this year is to pray more with your kids, or to pray more as a family, then I have a wonderful resource to share with you. 77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids by Jerry Windley-Daoust, and published by Peanut Butter and Grace Media, is an excellent resource for families of all shapes and sizes. It has suggestions for incorporating different spiritual practices into your family prayer life, labeled by age-appropriateness. The three categories are... Read more
This is an “off-topic” post, but I was reminiscing about my favorite Christmas gifts the other day, and I thought it would be fun to share. -1- The first gift I remember being absolutely thrilled at receiving was given to me when I was 6 or so. I think it was from my grandparents, although one of them might have been from my parents, too. I was given a Peaches N Cream Barbie doll and a Barbie Corvette. I never expected... Read more
The Catholic Working Mother
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In