(beginning today at an internet near you)

You can win books!

You can participate in a cute and funny contest!

Did I mention winning books?

Would you like to win this fabulous collection of Catholic Mom books, each signed by its author?

Of course you would. For your chance to win, go to CatholicMom.com and share the funniest (or most effective!) way you manage to get five minutes alone.

Because five minutes is all you need to “do” Small Steps for Catholic Moms. You can do this.

And you can even win a free copy of the book to get you started, five little minutes at a time.

The Small Steps Blog Tour begins today, with the awesome Lisa Schmidt at the Practicing Catholic. Thank you, Lisa!

The rest of the tour is scheduled as follows:

October 2 – Rachel Balducci at Testosterhome
October 3 – Ginny Sheller at Small Things
October 4 – Barb Szyszkiewicz at Franciscan Mom
October 5 – Grace Snow at Uncommon Grace
October 6 – Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things
October 7 – Pat Gohn at The Back Porch
October 8 – Ginny Moyer at Random Acts of Momness
October 9 – Christine Johnson at Domestic Vocation
October 10 – Martina Kreitzer at Catholic Sistas
October 11 – Simcha Fisher at I Have to Sit Down
October 12 – Elizabeth Scalia at The Anchoress

I want to thank our lovely blog hostesses and the very nice folks at CatholicMom.com for organizing this whole tour and being so darned encouraging and supportive as we work to get word out about Small Steps for Catholic Moms. I hope you will participate in the tour, enter to win (multiple ways, multiple days!), and begin your journey toward a closer relationship with Christ … one small step at a time.

I am so happy to see this popular book back in print and available for pre-order:

Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act.

Since its original publication years ago, moms of all ages and stages of life have told me how much they have enjoyed and *needed* this book as a support in their daily prayer lives. That makes my co-author Elizabeth Foss and me very happy because that is exactly why we wrote it.

We know that a mother’s days are unpredictable and time for sit-down prayer can be sporadic, but we also know that every mother needs a daily connection and a real relationship with her Creator. We were made for Him, and we will be restless until we rest in Him.

Big changes happen with small steps.

This book is designed to be imminently do-able, even for moms in their very busiest seasons of life. Just “think” “pray” and “act,” in one page a day, and you will find yourself growing stronger in virtue and closer to Our Lord.

This popular book has been out of print for over a year now, and copies have been hard to find. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to pre-order your new copy today!

Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act.

If you wonder if you might need a writing coach, ask yourself the following questions:

— Do I need help defining my goals in writing?

— Do I have a writing project that has languished for years because I am not sure what to do with it?

— Have I always wanted to explore the field of professional writing, but am not sure where to begin?

— Do I have writing goals that I have not achieved?

— Do I need some help improving my grammar, sentence structure, or spelling?

— Do I have lots of writing ideas, but no follow through?

— Could my writing benefit from thoughtful, honest, and constructive feedback from an experienced writer, editor, and author?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then a writing coach might be a good fit for you.

Let’s find out what Write Away coaching services can do for you.

Through a series of fortunate events, Ambrose recently upgraded to an iPod Touch and his younger brother Stephen inherited the ancient artifact known as his former iPod nano. Win, win!

But these boys do not enjoy the same listening privileges, and so this morning I was tasked with approving the songs that were on the 14-year-old’s device for 11-year-old listening. Bob Marley, okay. Cars soundtrack, okay. Usher … well, I don’t know.

“He doesn’t need that,” Dan told me on the phone when I asked his opinion. “Just take it off.”

When I told Stephen this news, he did not argue, but he did mention that the song in question was one of his favorites and he was disappointed to lose it. To educate myself, I looked up the lyrics and for good measure, opened the video on YouTube so that I could hear the song as I read the words.

I didn’t need to do that, though. Because upon hearing the music, 6-year-old Daniel immediately appeared at my side. And he was singing every single word of the lyrics from memory. With finger-pointing, microphone-miming, and hip-shaking.

But if I stop then just know that imma bring it back,
Never quittin’ on believin’ that.

“Oooooh, I LOVE that song!” Gabby called from the next room.

And then the final words seemed especially fitting.

Gonna push it to the limit, give it more.

I give up. No, I don’t. But I’m not winning this thing.

I just know you won’t want to miss out on this beautiful way to remember Benedict XVI and his legacy of service and love.

Catholic Digest’s commemorative edition, Benedict XVI: Faithful Servant, Courageous Pope, is a stunning, 8″x11″ – 56-page, special tribute that includes vivid photography, celebrated moments from the life of Pope Benedict XVI, and reflections about our beloved Papa, including farewell letters and drawings from children! This commemorative edition is a gorgeous and inspiring keepsake.

At only $4.95 this booklet is a bargain and it would make a great Easter gift for yourself or anyone you love. Order your copy today.

I feel compelled to look up this video, show it to my children, and say, “NO.”