Catholic Pick-up line song

Honestly, this is just too cute NOT to share!

"The Catholic Pick-up Line" song by David Casper

Thy Will Be Done

Those words, those four tiny words, have the potential to change your life.

Thy Will Be Done

Think about it for a minute. How much more at peace would the world be? How much more peace would you find in your own soul by just meditating on those four words? Thy will be done.

At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. Are you searching out God's will for your life? It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, stylish or plain, working mom or stay at home mom. The rest is just keeping up with the Jones's if you aren't truly led to it by God's will. The foundation to our lives is, or at least it should be, God's divine will. You'll never find more happiness and peace than you'll find in God's will.

So, have enough trust in our Heavenly Father to look past what society tells us to wear, how many children society tells us to have, how much money society tells you that you must make in order to be happy. Look past it all, look through it all, set it all aside and just pray, "Thy Will Be Done." Be strong enough to recognize that not only can you NOT do this life by yourself, you aren't MEANT to do this life by yourself. I dare you.

When you're scared, stressed, frustrated, exhausted...you will find your solace and refuge in those four words.

You are loved by an Almighty God.

I Cook All Day Long

WAIT! Come back. It's not one of those posts. I promise. And, try as I might to be Supermom, I'm not one of those moms either.



Can I be real with you for a moment?



I love my vocation as a mom, a wife, a Christian Catholic. I really, really do. But it's hard. I mean really, really hard. Sometimes I get depressed, frustrated, lonely. Lonely? Yeah. You'd be surprised at how easy it can be to get lonely when you're days are surrounded by sticky, busy, noisey, precious, beautiful little people. Motherhood is a vocation of giving. Constant, selfless giving. You find pockets in your soul that you never even knew existed beforeyou became a mother. Motherhood shapes your whole being, ready or not. You must nourish your soul, lean on your faith, and pray like your life depended on it ('cause it does).

So, back to my heroic stamina and how I cook "all day long" (cough, cough).



I don't know if you've ever noticed, but right around 4:30 or 5:00pm, children tend to get a little crazy. A little? Okay, a lot. Funny thing is...that's, inconveniently, the same time that we all head to the kitchen to get dinner going. Ready or not

I found myself totally resenting dinnertime and may or may not have fed the boys cheese, cracker, and pepperoni "sandwiches" for dinner because the thought of trying to cook another meal with the baby screaming on my hip and the boys going crazy in the living room made me want to plum throw myself a temper tantrum.

My solution: I cook whenever I can.

I can often be found fixing dinner in the kitchen around 10:30 am. It's the calmest part of my day. The boys have had breakfast and their morning snack and Margaux goes down for her morning nap. I get dinner ready and I stick it in the fridge. That way, all I have to do is the last minute stuff during the "witching hour" later on. Then maybe I'll get a salad ready while the boys eat lunch. You get the idea. It eliminates a lot of stress. And best of all....we actually get a meal for dinner. Not cheese and crackers.


What are your tricks and tips for getting dinner on the table during the chaos of a busy family's afternoon? Please share!

Here's a picture of us on Sunday at Margaux's baptism. It was a very special and very beautiful day!

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The fight against Cabin Fever: Support the Cause!

Most of the northeast is snowy. Really snowy. This isn't new to us, we're used to it. Let me just say...that doesn't make it easy. I'm from New York. I can drive through a snow blizzard without wincing and I can't help but laugh when folks in the south close down schools for 2 inches of snow (hear me roar?). Wanna know what makes me tremble with fear? Being locked up in a house with children suffering a bad case of cabin fever. THAT makes me want to run and hide.

The kids get crazy, crazy, crazy.

Mommy gets crazy, crazy, crazy.

One boy is tossing around my freshly folded laundry while the other boy is making some horrid noise that's supposed to sound like a dinosaur. over. and. over. again. Let's be honest, it sounds like a dying goat and, great, now the baby's awake. Clearly while I'm quickly picking up the laundry that the 2 yr. old threw around and the baby's screaming, said 2 yr. old thinks this is a great opportunity to dump out a crate of toys and the 3 yr. old is now whining for juice and a snack. And, oh yeah, the baby is still screaming.

Don't pretend this hasn't happened to you.

....this has happened to you...right?

As much as I pray for patience and that "cheerful countenance" that Psalm 31 is always talking about, I'm only human. Sometimes, I'm not so cheerful, and sometimes I get a little crazy. My life is crazy. It's beautiful and extremely blessed, but it's definitely on the left side of sane. In the most amazing way, of course.

During moments like that one detailed above, I need something to redirect the boy's excess energy and I need it QUICK. Below are a few things that I use to {quickly} redirect the kids when I can tell that they're getting to the point where the symptoms of cabin fever are about to take over my rosey cheeked cherubs and turn them into...well, something else. Something else entirely.

1. Puppets. I got these for the little hands in my house. They're inexpensive (about $10 for the set) and they work. I keep them up in the cabinet and they only come out during "emergencies", so it's exciting for them since they don't play with them on a daily basis. It's like Christmas!

2. Paint. Okay, I know paint is messy. But in my experience, the messier an activity is, the more excited they'll be and the longer it'll keep their attention. Crayola washable paint is very, very washable. I promise. I have big sheets of paper that I tape down to the kitchen floor and let the kids create their own little masterpiece. Then I just mop up the floor whenever I get to it. No harm done. This masterpiece was created during one of "those" moments. It kept their attention for about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Tissue paper stained glass window. I haven't tried this one yet....but it looks pretty awesome.

4. Snow play. Obvious, right? Get the kids outside, fill up some water bottles with water + food coloring and let them "paint" in the snow. Make yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy the quiet, or maybe, if you have the energy (and I won't blame you if you don't) start tackling Mt. Laundry.

...don't act like you don't have a Mt. Laundry.

Book Review!: Travelers Along the Way by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R

Fr. Benedict Groeschel has a way of connecting with "ordinary" people in a way that makes you feel like you already know him. He's easy to listen to and watch on EWTN and his writings are always enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed his book, "Travelers Along the Way," because it was easily accessible and easily read. As a busy mom and wife of a growing family, I enjoyed being able to read on of his glimpses, as he calls them. Each is only about four or five pages and includes an inspiring tale of someone who did something, said soemthing, or acted in a certain way that had an impact on Fr. Groeschel's life. These aren't all miraculous "things." Many are quite ordinary. It's up to us to find God within the ordinary relationships and situations of our daily lives.

Fr. Groeschel tells us about the men and women who have shaped his life. Some of them were saintly men and women found in seminaries and convents. Yet, surprisingly, many were not. Many of them were "normal" people. Not saintly in the least. Just normal. How refreshing that a "normal" person just like you or I could impact this wonderful man's life as the "...tiny little Sister of Charity from the Convent Station, New Jersey, who taught in our Lady of Victory School in Jersey City, Sister Teresa Maria," who first told Fr. Groeschel as a young boy, "...your going to be a priest."

The Catholic Company is also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

I received this book for free from The Catholic Company for this review. See my side toolbar for more information on purchasing this great book!

Simple Woman's Day Book

Outside my window... Bright, Sunny, Snowy, 10 degrees.

I am thinking...of not much. Just enjoying the peace and quiet that God has granted on this lovely day. You see, all children are napping. at. the. same. time.

I am thankful for... my faith. Without it, we'd be lost.

From the learning rooms... We have to get on track. We have to get on track....I think I can, I think I can....

From the kitchen... vanilla pudding pops with chocolate chips and banana pudding pops with butterscotch chips for the wee ones. Homemade chicken fingers for dinner and I need to get a loaf of bread going.

I am wearing... Khakis, long sleeve black shirt, and (you're not going to believe this) leopard print UGG style slippers. Zac picked them out. Not me.


I am creating.. I've got a quilt for Quilt For Kids going right now.

I am going... No where. It's a wonderful thing.

I am reading ... The Choice by Nicolas Sparks, Travelers Along the Way by Father Benedict Groeschel, and the BFG by Roald Dahl.

I am hoping... that we don't catch that icky stomach bug that's been going around. So far, we're the only family that hasn't gotten it yet. YET.

I am hearing... the exhaust fan downstairs. It's the only thing that keeps Margaux asleep for longer than 15 minutes at a time.

Around the house... laundry. laundry. laundry. Major organization needs to take place, too. Also, we're working with these charts on Biblical character training. I'm not really one for charts and systems, but I'm finding these to be easily integrated into daily life. I find myself screaming, "NO!", "STOP THAT", "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" a whole lot less. For that reason, I'm in love.


A Picture I Thought of Sharing...

Oh yeah, I'm turning into "THAT" mom. First little pony tail!!!!

Homemade Burger Buns

WARNING: If you're on any kind of diet, do not, I repeat- DO NOT continue reading this. All attempts to cut back on carbs will be completely destroyed. I promise.

Having three children, 1 vehicle, a modest budget, and just an overall sense of independence has really encouraged me to learn to do things for myself. That is, to make more things homemade so that I don't have to depend on running to the store multiple times a week, 'cus who has time for that anyway? I know I don't. So, my latest venture has been bread. Remember this post? It was my first ever post here at The Humble Homemaker and it chronicled my miserable attempts at making bread. Go check it out if you're in need of a good laugh.

I gave up for a while. Like a year. But I'm back and I've had some really great successes! My pride and joy thus far has been these babies:

Puffy little clouds of Yum, and as you can see, they're not at all brickish like my first attempts at wheat bread back in January '10.

Here's the recipe. They'll make you rich and famous, I swear.

...well maybe not rich, but definitely famous. At least within your family.

Ingredients:

1 C. milk

1 C. water

2 T butter

1 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

5 1/2 C. Flour

1 packet (or 2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast

1 egg yolk

1 T water

Directions:

1. Combine milk, 1 cup water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to come together. Knead dough on floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions (a little larger than a golf ball). Make tight balls by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching at the bottom. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute to relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand to about 3-4 inches. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for about 10 minutes, OR if not continuing on with optional step #5, bake about 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top.

OPTIONAL:

5. Whisk together egg yolk and water. Brush egg wash on rolls and bake for another 5 minutes for a shiny finish.

Let cool completely (or slather with butter and eat) and hide. Seriously. If you don't hide them, they'll disappear within minutes. They're that good. QUICK!

TIPS:

-Sprinkle with some seasoning along with the egg wash. I did italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Yum.

-Try 4 C. Flour and 1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat flour. Still very fluffy and just a tad healthier.

-The egg wash it totally optional and is only for cosmetic purposes. I forgot to do this step once and they were still amazing.