Hearth of Mary

Are you baffled as your children come up to you, yet again, exclaiming "I'm bored!"You respond, "But you have so many toys to play with, how could you possibly be bored?"Well, that just might be it. Research shows, there comes a point at which more toys does our children a disservice! There are too many options, they come across decision fatigue as they figure out what they want to play with. Thus, no decision is ever made.But, we can change their environment to encourage them to play more, to have greater focus, and greater satisfaction in their play. And that change is:Less toys!Links can be found in the show notes: hearthofmary.com/episode12/One Spot a Day Challenge Sign UpToys that encourage creative play:Building toysblocks, LEGO, magnatilesDress upScarves, hats, bandanasDolls and characters (people and animals)VehiclesKitchen itemsparticularly plates, utensils, bowlsBalls and outdoor toysArt suppliesToys to de-clutter:BrokenAdvertisement freebiesKid's meal toysDuplicatesToys that play by themselvesSpecific use toysPassing fadsTV show and movie charactersToys that annoy you or are uglyBig toys those don't get used often enoughA special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

In this episode I speak with Chappell Oates, a professional organizer by trade and passion. She has worked with countless families to help them de-clutter, de-own, and organize their chaotic and clutter filled homes.Leaning on her past experiences, she shares with us her systems she uses to de-clutter her clients' homes and how we can implement these systems in our own in our home to create long lasting transformations.You can find Chappel Oates online at:chappelloates.comFacebookInstagramFurther show notes can be found at hearthofmary.com/episode11 A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

The master bedroom is the place in which our family first began. It also is our place to unwind and reconnect with our spouse after a long day. And with something as important as connection with our spouse, we should be putting the utmost importance on how we see our room.Our room should not be left to become the 'catch all' clutter monster (like mine has) nor the children's jungle gym. It is a place that should be left for the most important relationship in the household.Our marriage!In today's episode, Kathryn and I discuss how we can set up our master bedroom as the 'holiest room' of the house and why it's important.Shownotes are at hearthofmary.com/episode10You can find Kathryn at:BlogInstagramTwitterPinterestLive Big Love Bigger: Getting Real with BBQ, Sweet Tea, and a Whole Lotta JesusOne Spot a Day Challenge Sign Up A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

Many mothers lament the fact that they can't 'get in' a daily rosary, or make it to adoration and daily Mass, or even just get 10 minutes to themselves for some extra prayer. But, we all have time to pray! We just need to pause and take a look at what it means to pray within our vocation. Our vocation as mothers!We are all called to be before God, then to do for God. And in this, we are called to be contemplatives. But, not contemplatives in the sense that religious nuns are! No! We are called to be contemplatives in that we are always before God within our very duty of the moment.We then will be before God in our very act of doing for God.Offer all of your work to God. In this, our very little duties that we fulfill each day are themselves a prayer.ALL of our dishes, cleaning, child care, e-mails, work, teaching, cooking, whatever it may be, is a prayer.It's a great paradox, living holy the duty of the moment.The more we offer our actions to God, the more united we become to God. And yet, the more united we are with God, the more often we offer up our duty of the moment for God.So let us start small, offer up your actions for God when you remember. When you don't remember, that's okay. The more you do it, the more often you will remember in the end.The hope is, that we will have offered up the majority of our life to God when the time comes to pass to eternity.Resources and quotes: www.hearthofmary.com/9 A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

Today I’m speaking with Megan Hjelmstad (@Positively__Imperfect) about prayer journaling. We discuss what prayer journaling looks like and how you can use it as a simple tool to build a stronger relationship with God.Prayer journaling doesn't need to be as complicated as we often make it. Megan takes us on her own journey with prayer journaling from the awkward teen stage to the more mature, but still learning, adult stage. She teaches us the beauty in only writing down key points as bullet points or even using the "Pirate Prayer". ARRR! Ye matey!Listen in to today's podcast to take the fear and overwhelm away from prayer journaling, so you may comfortably use this tool to grow your relationship with God.You can find the shownotes for this episode at www.hearthofmary.com/8Resources to get started mentioned in this episode: (All Amazon links are affiliate links. This means I will receive a small commission on any purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!) Laudate App (Iphone) (Android)An Ignation Introduction to PrayerBlessed is She Lenten DevotionalOther miscellaneous links mentioned:A School of Prayer class (in Colorado)In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to HeartMadonna House Apostolate Megan's endometriosis story and resources A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

We love our children, more than anything. And we hope that every moment of their life they are aware of our great love for them.But sometimes our words tear them down rather than show our love.Listen in to bring awareness to one way in which you may be tearing your children down. After all, you can't stop the behavior if you are not even aware of it! You can find the show notes for this episode at www.hearthofmary.com/7Instagram: @HearthOfMary A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

We create new year's resolutions and words of the year to drive ourselves to perfection. However, it almost seems like only the lucky few are the ones still working toward their goals... even though it's just January 14th.So, what exactly differentiates the lucky few from the multitude? What do they do that keeps them working toward their goals and keeps them continuously growing?(All Amazon links are affiliate links. This means I will receive a small commission on any purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!) They build habits.Anyone can build habits and it's not as hard as you previously thought.In his book Atomic Habits, Clear teaches us how to build habits using the four laws of habits.Make it obviousMake it attractiveMake it easyMake it satisfyingListen in to today's podcast to hear what these laws mean and how we can easily implement them into our daily routines.I know you're busy, I am too. That's why I'm sharing with you what I thought were the best points out of Atomic Habits. But, if I have left you hungry for more I highly recommend you read the book yourself. You can find it here. You can find the show notes for this episode at www.hearthofmary.com/6 A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

In today's episode you will learn the key differences between setting a goal oriented new year's resolution and picking a word of the year. See why I think the word of the year is the best route to go in this new year in order to encourage your ongoing growth toward sanctity!And stay tuned to hear what I picked for my word of the year for 2020!Jennifer Fulwiler's word of the year generator: https://www.wordoftheyear.me/Let me know what you think about my word of the year and share yours (or your new year's resolution) with me on Instagram or on the blog! You can find the show notes for this episode at hearthofmary.com/5 A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

Empower your inner minimalist by replacing the myriad of impulse buys with fewer educated purchases. So, join me and learn how to determine your child's "schema"; that you may make laser focused decisions on what gifts to purchase for their growth and development. And of course, receive a few gift recommendations for your 0-12 month old baby.In this minimalist baby gift guide you will learn to discern which toys serve you and your children best. Kiss the toy clutter goodbye as you only purchase and keep what is most valuable to your child's development. You can find the show notes at hearthofmary.com/3Below are my top 6 toys for the minimalist baby.(All Amazon links are affiliate links. This means I will receive a small commission on any purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!)Stacking CupsBooksMother Goose books (These books are a similar size to the one we have next to Therese's potty)The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear (I did not mention this book in the podcast. We just got it for St. Nick's feast day and Therese loves it!)Lamaze Lightning Bug/FireflyHousehold GoodsVarious patterned clothing, scarves, and pillowsMetal BowlsCooking UtensilsSilicone StrawsMusical CubeXylophone/GlockenspielRead more about elimination communication.Read more on strewing. A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

Maria joins us today to discuss how she used her Instagram community and the One Spot a Day challenge to tackle the clutter that was destroying the peace in her home.You can find Maria on Instagram @molinandco and on etsy.The show notes can be found at www.hearthofmary.com/1 A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

This episode will show you exactly what it means to sacrifice a sacrifice and how we can use this practice to obliterate the mom guilt that is destroying our peace. And once you determine what is running you dry, try it out! Sacrifice that sacrifice as an offering to God.The show notes can be found at hearthofmary.com/2The inspiration behind this episode comes from He and I (affiliate link), a book of interior locutions received by Gabrielle Bossis. My words are by no means perfect and this episode could have been more eloquently said by many other people. However, I am sharing this message with you despite the many faults I see within it. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10) A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.

In this introductory episode, I discuss how the Hearth of Mary podcast helps parents just like you and I to create a peaceful Catholic home.But I can't do it alone! I need parents like you to share your expertise with our Hearth of Mary village. If you would like to share your knowledge on the show, please contact me in one of two ways.Direct message me on Instagram here. Or fill out the form at www.hearthofmary.com/guestYou can find the show notes at hearthofmary.com/zero A special thank you to the Jesse Stratton Band for the music.