One of the great things about being the mother of a large family is that there is always someone to hand the baby to when you need a few minutes to get something done. One of my little girls is the ‘go-to’ second mum in the house and she delights in being her little brother’s first choice!

I think it’s fair to say that over time we have grown apart from nature and what we sometimes forget is, we are part of it. Nature is not a place we visit or something we look at from afar: it is home. And with Spring edging closer, now is a perfect time to think about how we can connect to nature.

Career fulfilment is when you find a career that balances your interests and your skills and combines your passions and your strengths. Having a sense of fulfilment with your career can lead to overall satisfaction and happiness with your job.

As a child, one of the first things I often heard people mention about Lent was to ask the question, “what are you giving up?” Random strangers or people who never seemed to talk about anything else to do with matters of faith, would suddenly speak about what they were ‘giving up.’ And the default was always chocolate and sweets!

At this time of year, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner we may find our thoughts are turning to things romantic! Whether or not you’re a staunch believer in the usefulness of Valentine’s in promoting love and affection, or you simply think it’s another money making racket, it’s hard to ignore the cupid’s arrows, cuddly teddies and heart shaped confectionery. All the typical Valentine’s paraphernalia!

How many times did you hear the phrase “practice makes perfect” growing up? I know I certainly did. Especially anytime I struggled with something; playing an instrument, learning spellings or algebra, speaking a new language. Something about it never sat easily with me though. What if I didn’t know the best way to practise?

As I write this blog, I am aware of the bin men on the road moving up and down and emptying the huge rubbish accumulated over Christmas. I also see the postman trudging through the snow to offload the letters and parcels for all my neighbours on the street.

But when I talk about culture here, I’m referring to the beliefs and attitudes that permeate our homes - our own unique family culture that sets us apart and binds our family together. Here are 3 ways to begin building the culture in your family.

Sometimes I ask myself the question: am I happy to live an ordinary, normal life? To be an ordinary person? Happiness, defined as “an emotional state characterised by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment and fulfilment”, is something I think we’re all after.

Ordinary shepherds who were working in the fields around Bethlehem were the first people to receive the angel’s announcement of the birth of a Messiah.

Ordinary shepherds who were working in the fields around Bethlehem were the first people to receive the angel’s announcement of the birth of a Messiah.

Hands up if you’ve started your Christmas shopping? Even if you’re the last minute type, I can almost guarantee you’ve got a list somewhere - even if it’s only in your head! You may even have managed to add a bottle of Shloer or a jar of cranberry sauce to the weekly shop.

Our next Overnight Getaway is just around the corner and preparations are underway for another fantastic weekend! The theme this month is “What am I afraid of? Strong Roots, Brave Voice: Living with Virtue in a Complicated World” and we’re thrilled to welcome Alex Loewe as one of our speakers.

In the Catholic tradition, we believe we are never alone in our faith. There is a union between all the faithful but in a sense, that word “union” is too poor. So the Church uses the word “communion” - a union of love essentially, between all those in the Church.

Welcome to our literary series on the blog “What’s on Our Bookshelf?” where we’re delighted to share our reading recommendations with you. Whatever your genre of choice, we’ve tried to include something for everyone.

We are all pretty familiar with the power of friendship; the joy of empathy and shared interactions, the exchange of experiences with someone who knows us, time spent together for laughter and tears. But what happens when our friends begin to see the world through a different lens than we do?

Things are busy here at Hearts+Minds as we prepare for our next Overnight Getaway! The theme for the weekend is “Discover what makes YOU come alive and do it!” and we’re so excited to welcome Gretta Mohan to speak to us about how exactly to do that.

Years ago, when I started out on my teaching career, I heard the phrase “education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” Although it has been attributed to the great Irish poet, W.B. Yeats, there’s actually no definitive proof that he ever said it.

In this drama of life, we often cast the feeling of envy in the role of villain. “The ulcer in the soul, or the pain we experience at the good fortune of others” is how Aristotle the famous Greek philosopher saw it.

Although it seems like every supermarket in the country is trying to sell us something for the “back to school” rush, some of us are still clinging to the summer holidays with a tight grasp!