Peace Be With Me
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Faith on Wednesday, December 07, 2011
“Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That’s one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!” Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Mr. Grinch, you and me both.
It may very well be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the nosiest. All is not calm, as much as I had hoped it would be. All is not quiet. There’s so much busyness even though I’m militant about keeping... READ MORE
Sunday Morning Scramble
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Faith on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Any parent knows Mass with defiant toddlers, wiggly preschoolers, and teething babies can be anything but peaceful.
Yet, even though celebrating Mass with little ones underfoot may sometimes leave something to be desired, you are being spiritually fed. And so are your children.
“[Baptism] places an indelible mark on the soul and opens the child to receive spiritual graces,” explains Melanie Bettinelli,... READ MORE
Kindness Is Contagious
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Just me on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Several months ago, I was getting ready to pull out of a parking lot when I noticed a mom with her minivan’s side door open. I saw that she was trying to mop up a lake of juice from her car with only two napkins. I was in a hurry and thought of just pulling away.
Thankfully, I paused long enough to consider the times I’d been stranded with a mess and no arsenal to clean it up with, and so I put my... READ MORE
10 Simple Birthday Ideas
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Homemaking on Friday, April 15, 2011
Growing up, my mom always made a big deal about my brothers and my birthdays. There was cake to be sure, usually a rainbow bouquet of balloons, and a gift or two.
But that’s not really what they made our birthdays so special. It was the way Mom made you feel, the way she’d serve a favorite breakfast, or tuck a secret birthday card beneath your pillow for you to find before you went to bed on your... READ MORE
The 30 Day Plan
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Homemaking on Friday, February 25, 2011
Katie Conner, a mom of six, used to dread dinnertime until she started practicing once-a-month cooking (OAMC), a cooking method also known as bulk or freezer cooking that involves setting aside a day or two to cook a month’s worth of meals and then storing them in the freezer.
“It never fails. My kids all get crabby starting at 5 o’clock. For awhile I just thought I didn’t like to cook, but I realized... READ MORE
Empty Yourself
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Faith on Monday, February 07, 2011
“Excuse me, ma’am?” a teenager invades my deep thoughts as I stand stewing over what brand of canned black beans will provide the best nutritional bang for the buck. Organic or not?
I glance in his direction. He’s clad in all-black, his shoulders are slumped, and his hands are stuffed deeply in his pockets.
“Yes?” I say.
“Do you have a quarter to spare?” He takes one of his hands out and opens it... READ MORE
A Baby's Best Start
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Family on Wednesday, January 19, 2011
In my BC (“before children”) days when I was still a full-time working girl, I was on the staff of a regional women’s publication. When my boss (whom I also considered a friend) asked me to do a write-up on a pro-choice event, I declined, explaining that I was pro-life and refused to promote anything that was in direct conflict with my belief system.
I’m not sure how this would have panned out had... READ MORE
Come One, Come All!
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Homemaking on Friday, December 03, 2010
Just as the Samaritan woman reaches out to a thirsty stranger who reveals himself as Jesus (John 4:4-42), we, too, are called to share our Catholic homes with others by living a life of hospitality and to open our doors and our lives to others.
And what better time to extend a warm welcome to others than during the Advent season?
One holiday tradition I’ve embraced that lends itself to hospitality... READ MORE
6 Tips for a Happy Marriage
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Marriage on Thursday, October 14, 2010
Seven years ago I was a blushing bride dreaming of her happily ever after. After enduring a rigorous marital boot camp at my church’s Pre-Cana program, I thought I knew a lot about love and marriage.
I knew squat.
Here are six things I’ve learned (mostly the hard way) since my days as a blushing bride.
1. Keep a sense of humor. For our sixth anniversary, my husband Dave and I took what we thought... READ MORE
For the Love of Dog
Features | Posted by Kate Wicker in Family on Wednesday, September 29, 2010
When I was 17, I lost my first close family member. Her name was Sweetness. She was a honey-hued yellow Labrador Retriever who had been underfoot in our family home for nearly a decade.
Mourning the loss of a dog isn’t an acceptable excuse for truancy, so the day after we put our beloved family dog to sleep due to a lung tumor, I tried to pull myself together and headed to school. Most of my friends... READ MORE
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