— 1 —

Lent is coming and I have a book that’s hot off the presses.

And guess what? It’s only $1.99.

So go to your local Catholic bookstore (or one of the many other places you’ll find it, if you don’t have a store locally). Parishes receive bulk discounts, depending on the quantity they order, and can call 800-325-9521 to speak to the sales department at Liguori about that.

— 2 —

Mary Moments are back! Thanks to Fr. Jay Finelli’s support, I’ll be producing a weekly Mary Moment segment on the iPadre show. This week: 3 reasons I love Our Lady of Lourdes. Listen to the whole show for a fabulous summary of the story of Our Lady of Lourdes, too.

— 3 —

What’s your favorite game app? I share three of my kids’ favorites in this week’s Tech Talk.

— 4 —

Remember how I promised a full review of Strategies for a Tech-Savvy Classroom? It’s up over at CatholicMom.com.

— 5 —

It’s hard to believe that Daria Sockey has been blogging at Coffee & Canticles for a year already!

In honor of her one year anniversary, she has a pile of giveaways related to the Liturgy of the Hours. Go on over and enter.

While you’re there, be sure to wish her well!

— 6 —

In case you missed it the other day, I’m giving away a ton of books. You can enter as many times as you qualify for until February 21.

There are new titles by Christopher West, Mark Shea, Lisa Hendey, and Anthony DeStefano, among others.

So what are you waiting for? Enter!

— 7 —

Been a big week for the Tooth Fairy around here:

Visit Betty Beguiles, our lovely sub hostess, for more Quick Takes!

— 1 —

In my inbox this week:

— 2 —

That, my friends, is the long-awaited, much-anticipated cover art for my upcoming book, Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless.

It is the first book I ever wrote (not counting the book on taking care of your Cabbage Patch Kid from about second grade).

It has not been the first book to be published. But it remains my first book, at least in my mind.

Thanks to Jim Hunt, who not only captured exactly how I feel about this book. That cover prepares you, I think, for what’s inside. (The title does, too, really.)

— 3 —

I am surprised at just how emotional I felt when I look at this cover.

The book…it’s a reality.

It’s really happening.

People are really going to buy it and read it.

Wow.

— 4 —

The official “street date” isn’t until April 1, no foolin. (Couldn’t resist, sorry.)

I’ll admit, it was a project that had me laughing. I still laugh about this book.

Me? Write a book like this?

Not only does God have a sense of humor, so do those Pauline sisters.

— 5 —

I’ve seen some of the endorsements and let me pause right here.

Folks, I am humbled. Period.

Downright humbled.

— 6 —

It seems appropriate that this work I do, which puts me out in front of everyone, reminds me, again and again, of how I am not doing any of it alone.

I have, first and foremost, God to thank. And, in close second, my husband, who has never doubted or hesitated to support me and encourage me and make me laugh.

Any of y’all who are my “fan”? Thank you.

For those of you who have graciously endured my ranting and railing, thank you.

And, last but NOT least, those of you who keep me supplied in things chocolate, coffee, and humor, DON’T STOP.

— 7 —

You okay with seeing it one more time?

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

— 1 —

Good news! I’m going to be attending the Behold Conference in East Peoria, IL, on March 10! It’s quite a line-up going on over there: Kate Wicker‘s the keynote speaker and Jennifer Fulwiler, Hallie Lord, and a host of other people I stalk follow enthusiastically will be in attendance.

I’d love to meet you if you’re going–let me know! You can register at their site and if you’re in my neighborhood, let me know and we’ll carpool. :)

— 2 —

I haven’t set any resolutions for 2012, though I’m reminded that Lent is coming at the end of February. That’s always a good time to resolve and succeed (or fail, as the case may be), so I think I’ll play copycat to Danielle and wait.

One thing I did do, though, as I have for quite a few years, is select a patron for 2012. Thanks to the Saints Name Generator, I was given…St. Matthias the Apostle.

He’s the patron of alcoholics (current and reformed), carpenters, and tailors. His feast is May 14.

And what’s his tie to me this year? I’m not completely sure, but I’ll be incorporating him into my conversations this year.

— 3 —

Speaking of Lent…my newest book is out and available!

Welcome Risen Jesus: Lent and Easter Reflections for Families has one page for each day of Lent and the first week of Easter. Every day features sections for Think, Act, Fast, and Pray, designed to help your family work together to embrace the spirit of Lent to lead you to the joy of Easter.

Find it from your local Catholic retailer, your favorite Catholic online retailer (Aquinas & More and the Catholic Company are two of my favorites, though they don’t have it available just yet), Liguori, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

— 4 —

And, while we’re on the topic of writing, exciting news: Welcome Baby Jesus and Welcome Risen Jesus are being released in Spanish!

Pardon me for being a wee bit excited.

And very, very humbled.

— 5 —

Have you seen ImmaculataArt.com? Here’s a little sample of a piece I really love:

I first “met” the artist, Nellie Edwards, a few years ago through some work we both did over at Catholic Exchange.

You can purchase prints on canvas or on paper and there are also greeting cards available.

— 6 —

I’m a big fan of good fiction, and that makes me a huge fan of the Catholic Writers Guild‘s Catholic Arts & Letters Award. This is the second year for awarding it, and I’m looking forward to it.

If you’re interested in applying, do check it out — you only have until January 31! Update: You have until February 29 to apply (thanks to Ellen Gable Hrkach for correcting me).

— 7 —

The other day, I was reading about no-poo, which is basically using baking soda and apple cider vinegar in place of commercial shampoo. I found myself, in the midst of my reading, forwarding it to a friend (who will laugh when she reads this) and suggesting that I might try it.

My husband thinks I’m a little crazy.

In the category of not-so-crazy, I am barely restraining myself from buying My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking, by John Besh. After hearing all about it on Catholic Foodie episode 126 and thinking about the clips he played, I’m thisclose to breaking my standing “no buying books” resolution to buy it. Because, after all, it’s a cookbook. Which is different than a novel or a nonfiction book. Right?

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

— 1 —

Not only did I find my Advent wreath this week, but I set it up.

AND we have USED it.

— 2 —

In case I’m not the only person just getting started on Advent halfway through, I thought I’d host something fun next week…a link-up (or “carnival” to those of us who remember the days of such bloggy fun) of Advent wreaths.

This is inspired, in part, by the people who keep sending me messages with pictures of their Advent wreaths and my book.

For example, I received this from Larissa Hoffman this week:

Know what that book at the end of the table is?

Welcome Baby Jesus, by yours truly.

Talk about humbled.

So I was inspired: let’s have an Advent Wreath Carnival! We’ll exchange links, post pictures, and have all sorts of fun.

Let’s CELEBRATE Advent, shall we? Hope you can participate!

— 3 —

Part of what inspired me to actually find my wreath (which involved a special trip to the attic of our old house) was the encouragement of Greg and Jennifer Willits.

I had a chance to talk to them on Tuesday afternoon during their radio show, The Catholics Next Door.

It was great fun and yes, I’m feeling a lot like this about it (still):

— 4 —

Speaking of things that excite me, check THIS out:

That’s my newest book, Welcome Risen Jesus: Lent and Easter Reflections for Families. I don’t even have blurbs for it yet, but I have my author copies in hand. (The marketing of pamphlets/booklets is far different than what’s done for “real” books, I’m finding.)

Best place to buy it? Your local Catholic retailer. If you don’t have one, consider Liguori (the publisher), Aquinas and More, or The Catholic Company (though, admittedly, they don’t have it for pre-order). Or, yes, Amazon. But let’s keep our Catholic friends in business first, shall we?

— 5 —

Want a free book? OF COURSE you do!

And it’s not just any book…it’s Ellen Gable’s new book, Stealing Jenny, one that should come with a warning label. You still have today to enter to win one of the five Kindle copies we’re giving away at CatholicMom.com.

But wait…there’s more! Over at Amazing Catechists, the amazing Lisa Mladinich has organized a giveaway that lasts for ten days, and we’re only halfway through. Be sure to enter each day!

— 6 —

Speaking of Amazing Catechists, my latest column is up: Immacu-what?

I was standing at the front of the class, fresh out of Mass. I’d like to say it was a room of fresh-faced fifth graders, but the truth was, we were all tired.

I asked them who had been at Mass.

A few hands went up.

“And why were you at Mass? What were we celebrating?”

“Advent!” They were triumphant. They were confident. They were sure.

And they were WRONG.

Read the rest at Amazing Catechists.

— 7 —

And this post wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory mancub picture:

He’s trying to walk and he’s almost succeeding (with or without something to push). Maybe I should quit pushing him down every time he stands up: it’s just making him stronger and more determined (and goodness, we don’t need any more strong wills in this house!).

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

1. It’s less than the cost of a cup of coffee. It’s only $1.99, whether you buy it from your local Catholic bookstore, the publisher, or Amazon.

2. It’s sure to make you smile at some point during Advent, even if you tend to be a stressball in the four weeks before Christmas. I mean, come on: look at that cover! (Credit goes to Wendy Barnes, not me, for all the beautiful artwork and design.)

3. It’s perfect for the whole family and you can do it TOGETHER. Or, alternatively, you could do it separately. :)

4. You get one chance at Advent this year: why not commit to something fun, easy, and achievable?

5. It makes a great gift, whether for your child’s PSR teacher, your best friend, or your grandkids. And hey, you can always justify a gift to yourself, too! :)

Leave me YOUR reason, and I’ll enter you to win a copy of Welcome Baby Jesus!

To find out, then, that she posted a review of Welcome Baby Jesus was delightful (though putting a number on how many days til Advent is a little…SCARY…to me).

It’s also very humbling. (She’s one of my favorite authors, after all.)

Karen says, among other things,

Because Sarah doesn’t talk down to kids, there’s enough substance in the “Think” sections for us adults, so they work at varying levels for the whole family. We can all be challenged by such questions as, “When we are asked to do work we might consider ‘servant’ work, how do we respond?” (Ummm, I think I’ll be taking yet another look at my attitude toward laundry this Advent.)  For very young children, the “Think” passages could be shortened or skipped — head straight to “Pray” and “Act” with the littlest ones.

Thanks, Karen! It’s not too late to get your own copy, and I’d especially encourage you to send some business to your local Catholic bookstore (it’s no cheaper on Amazon than it is anywhere else).

-1-

It.

Is.

Finished.

(Well, the Ugly First Draft is, anyway. Including sidebars.)

-2-

Now that I’m done with my Ugly First Draft of this manuscript (it’s a Catholic guide to pregnancy–more details when we have more to talk about and it’s not so, well, ugly), I need to clean my house.

(My husband is probably reading that and having a moment of jumping-up-and-down. Though, bless him, he has never said a word.)

-3-

A couple of weekends ago, our parish hosted Frank Runyeon, who I had never heard of but who, it turns out, is a quite famous and critically-acclaimed Hollywood actor.

Runyeon performed “The Sermon on the Mount,” followed by “Hollywood vs. Faith: The Other Three Beatitudes.”

Here’s an excerpt:

We really enjoyed ourselves and I highly recommend these performances. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was great and thought-provoking, in a fun sort of way.

-4-

Hey, according to my calendar, it’s almost October, which means Advent is just around the corner.

That makes it the perfect time to order Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families, don’t you agree? In fact, go a step farther. They’re priced at $1.99 and parishes get quantity discounts if they order through Liguori (I don’t know the details of that, so be sure to call Liguori). Talk to your DRE or your pastor and get some copies for all the families in your parish.

I mean, how can you resist that cover?

(I have Wendy Barnes to thank for that. And I have thanked her. Consider this more thanks. She is amazing!)

-5-

While I’m plugging stuff, let me plug something else we discovered in the last week:

Gooney Bird Greene is, near as I can tell, the coolest thing I’ve read since Pippi Longstocking (which I need to acquire for our read aloud pile). And there are a whole host of other Gooney Bird books…we only read the first one! Yay!

We’re still plugging along with Junie B. Jones. We actually dug through all the shelves of moved-but-not-organized books and found all the ones appropriate for reading aloud (such as, joy of joys, The Black Stallion and a pile of others from my own youth and recent YA reading).

My six-year-old regularly asks me to read aloud to her. We almost always read during breakfast, after school, and in the evening before bed (depending on the day). And you know what? It’s waaaaay better than anything on TV.

-6-

Speaking of things I love for my kids, have you seen Horseland? (And look! It’s on YouTube!)

We discovered it because we put our DirecTV on hold for a few months and have been trying out Netflix.

My girls (ages three and six) have watched all the episodes in season one at least ten times each. My husband and I discovered, by accident, that it’s produced for CBS.

We’ve found it to be pretty good all around, and not just because we’re a tad bit obsessed with horses.

-7-

This makes me smile:

That’s my three-year-old, in safety goggles, a black tutu, and a cheetah-print skirt. She was swimming, in case you were wondering about that face. I just managed to catch her with my phone before she was off to something else.

You’ll find more Quick Takes over at Conversion Diary!

-1-

I’m on deadline.

(Have you taken my survey yet? The one I begged about yesterday?)

-2-

For my latest book project.

(Have you taken my survey yet? The one I begged about yesterday?)

-3-

It’s almost done.

(Have you taken my survey yet? The one I begged about yesterday?)

-4-

I’ve written all the chapters (in a “boy are they UGLY” kind of way), but there’s still some work to be done.

(Have you taken my survey yet? The one I begged about yesterday?)

-5-

I have some small sidebars to compile. It WILL be finished, though, before the weekend. And then I will send it to a handful of trusted critique partners.

(Have you taken my survey yet? The one I begged about yesterday?)

-6-

Against my better judgment, in a fit of weakness, I sent it to the person who agreed to do the foreword. I’m trying not to think about that too much, lest I start screaming–joy that she will be involved in this project, terror that she’s seeing something so unedited and unready for viewing.

(Have you taken my survey yet? The one I begged about yesterday?)

-7-

Now excuse me. I have some surveys to compile and sidebars to write. :)

The full round-up is hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary!

I’d like to include some information about bedrest, depression during pregnancy, mothering alone (i.e., single parenting), mothering multiples (i.e., twins), pregnancy after abortion, stillbirth, and unexpected (surprise) pregnancies.

If you have experienced any of these situations–or anything else that might be relevant to buyers of a book that’s a Catholic guide or handbook for pregnancy, please help me!

Could you take a few moments and complete the survey I’ve put together?

My thanks, and my promise to share more with you in a few months, once the editorial team has had a chance to make everything pretty and nice and marketable. :)

-1-

This week we celebrated Mary’s birthday. That’s Mary the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin. My homegirl.

Yeah, what’s a birthday to her?

But to us? Well, WE have every right to celebrate!

And celebrate we are…with prayer AND giveaways!

Over at CatholicMom.com, we’ve put together NINE DAYS of giveaways–a novena of giveaways, complete with an actual novena.

Don’t worry about jumping in late…your prayers are never wasted. Don’t waste any time, though, getting over there for today’s giveaway, sponsored by On This Day Designs! Be sure to check in every day until the 16th, too, because there are books, jewelry, rosaries, embroidered goodies, and more books coming!

-2-

About a year ago, I bought Meredith Gould‘s The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Every Day.  I justified purchasing it because I was planning to use it for research for my book which is due out in March.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Catholic Home, and I was excited to hear that Meredith has put together a study guide for it.

The study guide‘s free and, from what I’ve been able to see so far, a wonderful accompaniment to the book.

-3-

Speaking of the book that’s due out in March, I think it’s safe to share some information. And the fact that people I really admire tell me they’re getting copies of it for early review and blurbs.

An author friend told me recently that it’s nerve-wracking when people start getting early copies of your book.

I smiled, but I really had NO CLUE.

With Welcome Baby Jesus (and Welcome Risen Jesus, which is due out at the beginning of the year), I didn’t have this to worry about, in part because of the booklet format and publication cycle.

But Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless is going through all the traditional hoops. I wrote it last summer, edited it this summer, and sit here biting my fingernails as good friends and writing colleagues and heroes tell me about getting their copies.

I haven’t even seen copies of it! Is the cover pretty? Is there a picture of me pulling out my hair? (Did my three-year-old take said picture?) Is it good? (Because I didn’t think so until we had thrashed through the editing process. And then I only liked it grudgingly.)

Oh, and do you think I’ll be able to get my kids to try out some of the neat ideas I shared in it?

Um, wait. I’m not supposed to admit that… :-)

-4-

Don’t you love that subtitle? A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless

I’m going to have to do some working to get it memorized, but I gotta hand it to those Daughters of St. Paul: they captured exactly what I wanted to get in the title!

-5-

You know who else gets me?

Jeff Young (aka Catholic Foodie).

Every time I listen to his show (except for my Mary in the Kitchen segment), I drool.

His latest episode is no different. Maybe it’s that I love pizza. A LOT. And that I have found my inner Southerner in my passion for crawfish and southern eats.

The part about Mama cooking love into her food? What part of that doesn’t make you think of Mary?

My Mary in the Kitchen segment is a reflection on Mary’s birthday, taken in large part from a column I wrote a couple of years ago for Faith & Family Live.

-6-

In other news, I had to buy new socks this week:

-7-

This is a snapshot of the week via Twitter. See if you can feel my pain/amusement/horror/joy:

(Click to enlarge. And yes, he IS now pulling himself up. AND crawling. AND smiling like crazy.)

Stop by to see Jen at Conversion Diary for all the fun that is 7 Quick Takes Friday!