Happy, Holy Mama

Merry Christmas, my beautiful sister in Christ!!  Today I'm making a bold claim: that most homeschool issues are not academic issues at all, but parenting and behavior issues.  Even when learning challenges are present, what feels most painful day to day is often the behavior that feels out of your control. I share why unwanted behavior can pull us into a blame-shame cycle, how it impacts your heart, and how that directly impacts how you're showing up with these beautiful children that God has gifted to you.  We talk about free will, boundaries, connection, and what it really means to serve Jesus in the Calcutta of your own home. This episode is about slowing down, protecting your heart, and learning how to respond to your children as the best version of yourself…especially in the middle of meltdowns, resistance, and hard moments.  When you begin to put relationships before tasks and focus on forming the person before the student, everything starts to shift. Grab your earbuds and join me here at the beginning of Christmas Week for: A Catholic Homeschool Mom's Guide to Putting Your Life in Right Order, Part 2: Unwanted Behavior Get an ENTIRE YEAR of Catholic Life Coaching Support for your Homeschool Mama's heart and lifestyle HERE for over 60% off!  Limited time, only available until December 31, 2025.

BIG NEWS!! Happy, Holy Mama's Annual Membership tier is now available to the public for the first time ever! Get an entire year of Catholic life coaching support for your mama's heart, mindset, time management, emotional regulation, behavior management, and SO much more for just $297! Click here to take advantage of this limited time offer HERE! ***** There are three major areas of life that seem to trip up every Catholic homeschooling mom at some point, if not everyday: time management, other people's unwanted behavior (especially our kids), and our own self-doubt.  These are each such important topics that have tremendous impact on the experience of the mother, that I've decided to create a three-part podcast series that breaks each of those struggles down in to simple, practical lessons that will help you make real change, without feeling overwhelming. Whether you're brand new to homeschooling or you've been doing this for years, this first episode gives you both fresh insight and gentle reminders for your heart that will directly impact the way you steward the time God gives you each day. You'll hear practical ways to stop spinning in frustration, take ownership of what's actually yours to manage, and choose the next best step with intention and hope.  Why are we taking the time to dive into these topics at the close of the calendar year? Because the new year is when you begin setting goals and making new plans for the second semester and beyond. You'll be able to do that more effectively if you've taken the time to think about your major pain points before you sit down to set goals.  These three episodes will help you start putting your life in Right Order for the new year, but also enjoy the last three weeks of this year, especially the Advent and Christmas seasons so much more deeply with peace and presence.  Grab your earbuds and join me for: A Catholic Homeschool Mother's Guide to Putting Your Life in Right Order, Part 1: Time Management.  

Every year on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, I'm drawn back to the day I entrusted my life, and then years after that, my business to Jesus through Mary. That simple offering has shaped the way I understand love as the foundation of a peaceful, joy-filled life, especially in the daily moments that feel anything but peaceful. In this episode, I share the lessons I've learned from staying close to Jesus through Mary, lessons that have carried me through those everyday frustrations we all know too well.  Like the mornings when the kids won't wake up on time and school gets pushed later and later.  Or the constant bickering that keeps you putting out fires instead of doing what you hoped to do.  Or the chores that never seem to get done the way you want them done, leaving you hovering instead of living.  Those are the moments that seem so small, yet they're the very moments that can steal your peace and drain you if you aren't being fueled by love. Mama Mary's example of acceptance, surrender, generosity, and trust can completely transform the way you move through days like that. If you're tired of feeling stuck in discouragement or resentment during the hard moments, this episode will help you see them differently.  Grab your earbuds to join me for today's podcast episode that I pray will leave you with a renewed sense of hope, and a clearer path for how to live the mission that God has placed on your heart to raise and educate your children at home in: Fulfilling Your Mission: Lessons from the Immaculate Conception. Click here for details for the Happy, Holy Mama Membership.

As we step into Advent and the first days of a new liturgical year, I've been reflecting on how this season invites us to slow down, simplify, and refocus on the Lord.  Stepping into this season also brings up something I see constantly in coaching and in my own home: distraction.  Our kids wander off, lose focus, read a book instead of doing chores, or get sucked into the chat box during an online class instead of paying attention to the teacher. And nothing sends a homeschool mom through the roof faster than when your kid isn't doing what they should be!  But what I've come to understand, through a lot of prayer, trial, and humility, is that when I'm going ballistic, I'm the one who's actually distracted.  I'm distracted by an ideal. Distracted from the here and now.  Distracted from my real work.  Grab your earbuds to join me for a powerful episode where I'm going to share some strategies to help you and your kids to focus more, but of course deep down, we are going to be talking about how to calm down. How to refocus. How to listen. How to create compassion and connection. And how to step into the mission that God has placed on your unique heart to raise and educate these children to become great saints one day.  Join me right now for: How to Solve the Problem of Distraction.   Swap out your unwanted thoughts with 30 more powerful ones HERE! Come work with me for 20% off with code HAPPYNEWYEAR . Click HERE to apply that code (ends December 1, 2025)

As we head into a season full of special occasions, extended family dynamics, and old patterns, I've been thinking a lot about boundaries, forgiveness, reconciliation, and what it actually means to be self-sacrificing.  We all need better boundaries, especially with the people outside our immediate home during the holidays, because boundaries are vital for protecting our peace.  But so often, boundaries feel bad because we confuse protecting our peace with being selfish.  We get told to "offer it up" and "serve others," and while those are beautiful invitations, how we go about doing that matters just as much as the actions we take In today's podcast episode I explore the difference between harboring a grudge and simply being guarded, the distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation, and why you can forgive someone fully and still not want them present in certain spaces of your life. And how setting healthy boundaries to protect your peace can be an act of unconditional love. Because Christ calls us to unconditional love, not servitude.  Self-sacrificial love is intentional, it bears good fruit. If the fruits of your actions are guilt, shame, resentment, or emotional turmoil, that's a sign you might be acting sacrificial, not being sacrificial. And we talk sort through it all in today's value-packed episode! So, if you're wrestling with grudges, navigating historically hard family dynamics, and dreading the upcoming holidays (or even just homeschooling today), then grab your earbuds and join me for: Boundaries, Forgiveness, and Being Self-Sacrificial.   Celebrate the Catholic New Year with me! Use the (case sensitive) code: HAPPYNEWYEAR to take 20% off the Monthly or Lifetime Membership tiers of Happy, Holy Mama HERE!