Happy Easter plus a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Have you ever heard that as a family vacation is not really a vacation, but it is a trip? I wholeheartedly believe that, and I have totally embraced it! Even though it's not gonna be all spas and relaxation, a family trip is still something so special, and I love them too! Embrace the trip, and enjoy the trip, knowing that you are creating memories for your kids, spurring on bonding between siblings, and exposing them to new environments that can be meaningful to them later on! In this episode, I go through some of the things we try to do when planning trips with our family like where we stay, how we plan our itinerary, and how we help even adult-focused environments be very fun for our kids. I also share about our lightbulb moment of discovering "vacation mode" when we were on a trip to Hawaii with four little kids and just trying to survive it all!Stay tuned for a couple more practical episodes before we start our "sticky conversations" series with Stefani Blackwell!

Join me for a few announcements and LOTS of tips. Our family has done so much travel through the years, and we have learned what works for us in the car and airplane. Hear about what works for us for entertaining different aged kids, organizing your stuff, keeping babies happy and more. Next week I will share about overall travel tips for when you are away from home. Talk to you then!

Alleluia alleluia! He is risen! Happy Easter, friends! I hope you're enjoying an octave of celebrating and rejoicing in our risen savior!Tune in for an announcement about what is to come in the podcast!

As we continue through Lent, we ask God to shine a light on the ways He wants us to grow, and a big way is letting go of the sins that weigh us down. As we journey through Holy Week, we ponder in particular the way the fact that Jesus wants to take our sins from us and bear them Himself. It is so humbling to realize that we cannot fix them ourselves, but when we give our sins over to the one who loves us, we are able to find freedom, peace, and salvation.In this episode, we focus in on glutton and lust. What it is, how it shows up in our lives, what virtue we can run to in response to this sin, and practical tips to help us shed this sin from our lives.Practical tips from this episode for combatting gluttony:Taking note of what we eat every day in a non-judgemental way, then evaluating afterwards what habits are healthy and which are notSlowly breaking down unhealthy habits through small stepsLooking to Bl Carlo Acutis as an example of moderationPractical tips from this episode for combatting lust:Immediately turning to prayer during times of temptation--specifically the rosaryRemoving environmental factors that may lead to temptation like not sleeping with the phone next to your bedLooking to St. Joseph as an example of chastity

As we continue through Lent, we ask God to shine a light on the ways He wants us to grow, and a big way is letting go of the sins that weigh us down. This episode focuses in on greed. We focus in on what this sin is, how it shows up in our lives, what virtue we can run to in response to this sin, and practical tips to help us shed this sin from our lives.Practical tips from this episode include:For the last part of Lent, find something you can say no to buying and instead give the money awayLook at your expenditures and notice the purchases you have made that have been unnecessaryLook to soon-to-be-Saint Pier Giorgio for inspiration

As we continue through Lent, we ask God to shine a light on the ways He wants us to grow, and a big way is letting go of the sins that weigh us down. This episode focuses in on sloth. We focus in on what this sin is, how it shows up in our lives, what virtue we can run to in response to this sin, and practical tips to help us shed this sin from our lives.Practical tips from this episode include:Start small building in daily habits of self-denial and discipline every dayRead Atomic HabitsConsider Proverbs 31 and imagine yourself as the woman describedLook toward St. Paul as an example of diligence toward God's mission

As we continue through Lent, we ask God to shine a light on the ways He wants us to grow, and a big way is letting go of the sins that weigh us down. This episode focuses in on envy. We focus in on what this sin is, how it shows up in our lives, what virtue we can run to in response to this sin, and practical tips to help us shed this sin from our lives.Practical tips from this episode include:Pray lectio divina on Romans 12:9-21Pray for the ability to forgive! A phrase to repeat daily is "I forgive ________ for ________. God please bless him/her."Look toward St. Patrick as an example of forgiveness

As we continue through Lent, we ask God to shine a light on the ways He wants us to grow, and a big way is letting go of the sins that weigh us down. This episode focuses in on envy. We focus in on what this sin is, how it shows up in our lives, what virtue we can run to in response to this sin, and practical tips to help us shed this sin from our lives.Practical tips from this episode include:Praying specifically for those of whom you're enviousTaking a step back from social mediaSeek out those around you whom you can serveLook toward Elizabeth, Mary's cousin as an example of charity

As we begin Lent, we ask God to shine a light on the ways He wants us to grow, and a big way is letting go of the sins that weigh us down. This episode focuses in on the mother of all sins: pride. We focus in on what this sin is, how it shows up in our lives, what virtue we can run to in response to this sin, and practical tips to help us shed this sin from our lives.Practical tips from this episode include:Meditating on Jesus with His crown of thornsNightly Examen prayerLitany of HumilityThe Jesus PrayerWorking at someone else's pace, even if that is slower than yours

For Lent, we are starting a new series about the seven deadly sins! Sound scary? This episode reminds us that we don't need to be afraid of sin. Jesus calls us away from sin for our good, but He doesn't intend for us to have to do it all by ourselves. Together we will learn about each of the deadly sins so that we may live the abundant life Jesus wants for us!If you find yourself being convicted by the messages in these episodes, praise God for His care for you. He doesn't want you to be a slave to this sin and He longs to save you from it! Get to confession as soon as you can, and lean on the Lord in prayer to take you out of it!