Welcome!

If anyone knows the unique joys and challenges of being a Catholic mom today, it’s Faith & Family magazine editor Danielle Bean and Catholic columnist Elizabeth Foss.

Now they’ve put their combined experience into Small Steps for Catholic Moms — a 365 devotional designed to encourage busy women to take small steps every day to grow their faith and put it into practice. A thought-provoking quote from a saint, a prayer to focus the day, and a simple action you can take … day-by-day, step-by-step.

Order your copy today!

Small Steps Podcast Updates

Elizabeth Foss and I had the privilege of talking with some lovely podcasting women about Small Steps for Catholic Moms recently.

Lisa Hendey had us on Catholic Moments, where we talked about not just the book, but also the tricky business of balancing work and family life.

And Pat Gohn chatted with us on her popular podcast, Among Women. We read passages from the book and reflected on some of the entries togther.

It is always such a blessing to talk with Catholic women about these subjects that are close to all of our hearts. I hope you will take the time to check out these podcasts as well as other recordings by Lisa Hendey and Pat Gohn. The work of these two women has been such a blessing and encouragement to me as a Catholic mom, and I just know it will bless you too.

Yay! We’re on Kindle!

My dad, a college professor and natural-born bibliophile, has been talking up his recently-acquired Kindle Wireless Reading Device lately.

He’ll proudly tell anyone who will listen about how he bought the e-version of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica for 99 cents, for example.

He’s really enthusiastic about this nifty new reading tool and I don’t blame him. When I got a chance to check out his Kindle in person last week, I was impressed. The “pages” are pleasant to look at and the device is easy to use. Besides, the fact that that it can hold up to 3,500 titles is tempting for any avid reader.

Even cooler still, though, was using his device to look up the e-version of Small Steps for Catholic Moms.

That’s right … Small Steps for Catholic Moms is now on Kindle!

I am especially excited that this title is available in a portable version because I think its content is especially conducive to on-the-go, take-it-with-you reading. With just a page per day, with small do-able suggestions for reflection, prayer, and action, this is just the thing for busy moms to have on an e-reader.

But you don’t have to own a Kindle to enjoy the e-version of Small Steps for Catholic Moms. I recently installed a Kindle app on my phone that allows me to make purchases and read books from the Kindle store. My phone is an Android, but similar apps are available on iPhones, iPods, and iPads.

I am honored that Circle Press has chosen Small Steps for one of its first Kindle titles. I hope this e-version of the book will make its contents even more widely available to Catholic moms who can benefit from it.

Check it out for yourself!

A Day Hemmed in Prayer

Blogging mom Robina shares some thoughts about Small Steps for Catholic Moms today:

This book’s Think, Pray, Act daily ponderings are the perfect opportunity for a mom who has limited introspective quiet time to read words that inspire, motivate and encourage a DAY of obedience, kindness and love laced in Faith in Him.

I don’t make it to this nook every morning, but the ones that where I do tend to be more joyful and fruitful. As I now make this book part of my morning prayer routine, it solidifies that “A Day Hemmed In Prayer Seldom Unravels”

Read the whole post.

Thank you, Robina! We’re thrilled to hear the book is a blessing to you!

Home at Last

Here’s a sweet little scene I happened upon over and over again and in many different ways during my weekend at the Rocky Mountain Home Educators Conference.

I met so many wonderful moms living out the faith in their families in so many different and yet beautiful ways. I was honored to share Small Steps for Catholic Moms with them and see the book and journal blend seamlessly into their bundles of babies, bags, books, and other “stuff” of Catholic living.

Finally, I thought. There’s the book … right where it belongs.

More Small Steps on The Christophers

You can hear the second part of my interview on the Christophers Closeup podcast with Tony Rossi.

We had a great chat about how moms can find balance between their need for a spiritual life and their family’s very real physical and emotional needs for THEM. There’s even an excerpt on the blog, if you’re not the podcast type …

But don’t miss this! You can also qualify for a drawing to win a FREE copy of Small Steps for Catholic Moms just by sending an email. Go to the blog for all the details!

Heading to Denver

I’ll be in Denver this weekend, speaking at the Rocky Mountain Home Educators Conference.

I will also be signing and selling copies of Small Steps for Catholic Moms and its companion journal and meeting many of the very cool people I have gotten to know online through the years … and that means YOU.

Will you be there? I would love the opportunity to meet you!

Small Steps on Christopher Closeup Podcast

I had the pleasure of speaking with Tony Rossi about Small Steps for Catholic Moms and ways to achieve balance between accomplishing daily duties and maintaining an active spiritual life.

You can check out the first part of the podcast here.

The Most Important Thing

After being away for the day yesterday, today hit me rather hard.

Laundry and other household jobs had piled up, but it was my children who — having keenly felt my absence yesterday — seemed to pull at me the most.

From the moment I got out of bed, they pelted me with questions, needs, and requests:

Can we go to the library? Can I have some juice? Will you tie my sneaker? When can we go to the lake? What’s for lunch? Where are my blue shorts? When does camp start? Are you going to the store today?

Tired from my own work, I wasn’t exactly up for it. I was tempted to be ungracious.

No, I wanted to say. Not now. Maybe not ever. Please, just give me some quiet. Give me some space.

I was feeling just this way as I lugged a load of wet laundry to the clothesline this afternoon when 3-year-old Daniel stopped me.

“Mama?” he said, his dark brown eyes focused on me with earnest. “Wanna see my snakey?”

“Is it very far away?” I hesitated.

“No,” he answered cheerfully as he took my hand and pulled me toward a large white pail in the yard.

I left the laundry basket in the grass and followed him. Then, as the two of us sat in the sun, peering into a muddied pail together, I saw his snakey. It had bright black eyes and a small pink tongue that flicked at me curiously. Daniel’s small hands clung to the edge of the pail as his eyes peered over its edge, smiling at me.

Sometimes, I thought, the most important thing a mom can do is to let go of it all … and go to see the snakey.

Thank You to Dawn By Design!

So I know some pretty awesome people online. And sometimes I get to meet these pretty awesome people in real life at conferences and such. And sometimes these pretty awesome people are pretty awesomely talented and generous and they offer to do things for me, like “pretty up” my book blog.

Which is just what my friend, the super-awesome, super-generous, super-talented Dawn of Dawn by Design offered to do for Elizabeth and me.

Doesn’t it look lovely and Small Step-ish here?

If you agree, I hope you’ll send Dawn some love at Dawn by Design (where she offers all kinds of cool, creative stuff for absolutely free) and follow her on twitter so you won’t miss any of the cool stuff she gets into in the future.

A BIG thank you to Dawn from Small Steps!

Win a Free Copy of Small Steps

You can enter to win a free signed copy of Small Steps for Catholic Moms in a giveaway hosted by Sarah Reinhard at CatholicMom.com this week.

Entering is free and easy — Don’t miss out!