+J.M.J.+ Birth is a school, and I learned so much about myself, my family, and birth when we welcomed Isaac on to the outside on October 19th, 2022. My Guess Date On evening of the 18th I was exactly 40 weeks. I was feeling a bit emotional, a little crampy, and even anxious. I was [...]
+J.M.J.+ Here are some wonderful resources for both adults and children that we use during this season of preparing ourselves to welcome Jesus at His birth! A Manger for Jesus We purchased a little wooden crate at Hobby Lobby which we fill slowly with yarn "hay" throughout Advent. Whenever someone offers a sacrifice, does a [...]
It's been years since I did a day in the life post on here, even though its something always requested when I ask for blog post ideas over on my Instagram. I decided to finally remember to take pictures throughout a day. This day was during my 37th week of pregnancy with this baby, alongside [...]
There is something almost taboo about emergency birth plans or packing a simple transfer bag among many homebirthers. Oftentimes people cite a fear that if they "plan" for an emergency it is more likely to happen. I don't mentally find preparing for an emergency any different than wearing a seat belt when I am in [...]
I feel like i have gone through the same few waves of recovery after each full-term birth, that eventually culminates in us finally returning to more normal routines postpartum. Here is what that has generally looked like for me, personally. I will come and update this after this next baby when things are fresher in [...]
Every year now, my girls and I look forward to them choosing a saint to dress up as for All Saints Day. Our parish has a party, as does our homeschool co-op. Even if we didn't have those events, I still think dressing up as saints for the feast is a wonderful way to get [...]
Here we are, beginning another school year. Philomena is in second grade, and we are so excited to dive in. I primarily use the classical Catholic curriculum Mother of Divine Grace School (MODG). It is a very beautiful, gentle curriculum with incredibly age-appropriate expectations. The entire program is wonderfully suited to growing families as well, [...]
+J.M.J.+ After a long Advent full of anticipation and preparation, our family is so ready for Christmas come December 25th! In trying to make our home and domestic church mirror our actual church, we celebrate the Christmas season with full force, trying to make each day special. I find it helpful to map out Christmas [...]
+J.M.J.+ I had never been to a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass until just a few years ago; neither had Ethan. It had never been a part of either of our family's traditions growing up. When Ethan was no longer a teacher with a great Christmas break schedule and we were far from family living in [...]
+J.M.J.+ We use Mother of Divine Grace as the base of our homeschool, with just a few swaps. I discuss Mother of Divine Grace and classical education in this post found here if you are interested in reading more. Here is a roundup of what we are using for First Grade with Philomena this year. [...]
The Natural Catholic Mom 