This summer, I conducted an experiment around HABITS in my house.

Instead of assigning the kids daily chores, I gave each of them a list of habits. And I did this for ALL of my kids, from age 15 down to 4.

The habits included: ✅Exercise ✅Prayer ✅Reading ✅Cleaning/Yardwork ✅Music Practice ✅Life Skills

So, that's what we did. We did it imperfectly, but looking back, I can tell that something important shifted in my home, and I made some headway teaching my children that the right habits can make us holy.

If you take time to listen, I would love to hear your thoughts! Have you done something similar in your home... or had great success teaching your kids holy habits in a completely different way?

Links Mentioned:

• Holy Habits for Catholic Teens: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/holy-habits-for-catholic-teens
• 3 Secrets of Busy Catholic Moms Who Pray Every Day: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/pages/the-secret-to-daily-prayer-for-catholic-moms

That's right!

Next July, Catholic Sprouts will be leading a family pilgrimage to Poland...and you are invited!

Remember, a pilgrimage helps us leave behind the distractions of daily life, seek God with greater intention, and remember that our whole life is a journey toward our true home in Heaven. And maybe this pilgrimage to Poland is a part of the journey God has planned for your family!

Learn More Here: https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/family-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-catholic-sprouts-with-nancy-and-bill-bandzuch/

As you consider coming with us, check out a few of the highlights I'm most excited about:

Daily Private Mass Every day of the pilgrimage, a priest traveling with our group will celebrate a private Mass for us, and in some incredible places!

The Divine Mercy Shrine and Tomb of St. Faustina This is where Jesus appeared to St. Faustina and entrusted the world with the message of Divine Mercy.

Our Lady of Czestochowa and the Black Madonna One of the most beloved Marian shrines in the world. Pope St. John Paul II entrusted his entire pontificate to Our Lady of Czestochowa under his motto "Totus Tuus."

Wadowice — Hometown of Pope St. John Paul II Tour the childhood home of JPII, celebrate Mass in the church where he was baptized, and taste kremowka — the cream cake he famously loved.

Auschwitz and the Death Block of St. Maximilian Kolbe Stand in the place where St. Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to die in place of a stranger and spent his final days leading fellow prisoners in prayer.

Wieliczka Salt Mines and the Chapel of St. Kinga Deep underground, generations of Polish miners carved an entire chapel from salt — altars, chandeliers, and sculptures, all in honor of God.

Wawel Cathedral, Krakow One of the most stunning cathedrals in Central Europe, where Polish kings were crowned and saints are buried.

Rafting the Dunajec River and the Tatra Mountains A beautiful, leisurely raft through stunning mountain scenery — a moment of joy and rest in the middle of a deeply meaningful journey.

Think about it, pray about it…and maybe see you in Poland!

Learn More Here: https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/family-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-catholic-sprouts-with-nancy-and-bill-bandzuch/

Although I feel incredibly inadequate to do so...in this episode, we are tackling Eucharistic Devotion.

Please listen to this with two things in mind: your journey and the journey you are inviting your children on as they prepare to receive their First Holy Communion and continue to receive throughout the remainder of their lives.

Many of us are worried simply that our children BELIEVE that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. And this is good...but this is only the beginning! In fact, there are six steps in Eucharistic Devotion:

1. Belief
2. Longing
3. Reception
4. Worship
5. Friendship
6. Union

In this episode, I walk you through each step. I am still very much on this journey, a journey that will only be complete when we reach heaven.

The Eucharist is the source and the summit of our life in Christ.

For this reason, the Eucharist is the focus of our newest Catholic Sprouts Kids Challenge.

Grab a copy of our new EUCHARIST CHALLENGE, and walk with your children from belief to reception, worship, friendship, and ultimately union with Christ.

https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/products/catholic-sprouts-kids-eucharist-challenge

It's not a secret that I LOVE the Saints. I love using the Saints when I teach my kids the Faith, because it is literally the easiest way to SHOW them what it looks like to follow Jesus.

I also love reading about the Saints on my own.

In particular, I love Saints who were mothers. And so, to celebrate the launch of a new season of the Catholic Sprouts Podcast (listen here: https://catholicsprouts.com/podcast), I'm counting down my top Mom Saints and sharing an invaluable lesson I learned from each.

6. St. Marguerite D'Youville: Babies and Mission

5. St. Monica: How our children can be transformed by our sacrifice.

4. St. Clotilda: The Quiet Witness of a Mother.

3. St. Margaret Clitherow: Living life so well that I can challenge my children to follow in my shoes.

2. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Drawing all the strength I need from the Eucharist.

1. The Blessed Mother: Remaining joyfully obedient.

Thank you for listening, and if you are looking for a fun way to bring the stories of the Saints into your home, check out our HUGE WAREHOUSE SALE, where several of our Saint Books are marked down...some up to 60% OFF!

https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/warehouse-sale

I get LOTS of emails that say something like, "I'm worried my kids will grow up and leave the Church."

I don't want you to worry about this, but if you aren't teaching the Faith at home…you probably should be worried.

Study after study shows that CCD programs, youth programs, and even a wonderful Catholic School education alone won't transfer the Faith to the next generation. They simply MUST receive the Faith from their parents.

If you read that and can only think, "but how?!?" go take a listen.

You really don't need to worry. You've got everything you need, and I'll help you get started.

Also--if you need some tools in your home that will make teaching the Faith doable (even if you are short on time and aren't a theologian), check out our HUGE Warehouse sale, which is going on now.

Everything is marked down — up to 50% OFF! https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/warehouse-sale

Teaching my kids to read has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

As a kid, I was put in the "slow readers" group at school, and I knew my kids needed a little extra reading support. I am currently teaching my 5th child to read, and the lessons keep coming!

Chief among these lessons is the power of the spoken word. I love reading aloud to my kids...and listening to them read. But this time I just COULD NOT handle reading and rereading our usual stack of early readers.

(NO MORE BARBIE AND STAR WARS STORIES!)

And so, our team got to work writing a beautiful new Early Reader that George has been reading to me all summer, and it's finally ready for you.

You will feel like a ROCK STAR parent, teaching reading AND the faith at once. SCORE!

To check it out, head here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/early-reader-collection

After three years, I have decided to breathe new life into this podcast.

Tune in for a life update, a powerful experience of answered prayers, and a little mission I am embarking on.

If you are interested in learning how to pray Every Single Day, even when life as a mom is nuts? Just head here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/pages/the-secret-to-daily-prayer-for-catholic-moms. It a free audio course, so happy listening!

And thank you for tuning in! If you are new here, please head over to Catholic Sprouts and find one of our resources that will serve your family.

https://catholicsprouts.com

In Christ Jesus,

Nancy

Hey friends!

Please enjoy this short episode explaining how the Eucharist IS the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Join us, and let's continue to work to BRING THE EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL HOME!

Explore with me how I came to know, believe and love the Church's teaching on Mary!

Thank you for listening to the Just One Small Thing Podcast. Tuning in each week means so very much! Want to hear more great Catholic content perfect for the whole family? Make sure to tune in each day to the CATHOLIC SPROUTS PODCAST. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-sprouts-podcast/

Looking for a way to support this podcast? Here are some ideas:

1. Say a prayer for us! This would be SUCH a gift!

2. Share this podcast with a friend!

3. Purchase something in the Catholic Sprouts Shop: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/

4. Drop Nancy an email at [email protected] with a word of encouragement or an idea for a future episode.

This podcast is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we all meet there one day!

Your sister in the small things,

Nancy

Storytime! Since we are talking about the saints celebrating their feast days this week, including St. Dominic, I took this opportunity to share my own Dominic/Holy Rosary stories. Both take place in France outside of Toulouse, but they are set about 10 years apart.

In part one, I am a solo traveler to rural France where I realize my High School French is 0% helpful and no one there speaks English at all. Through a strange and beautiful prayer exercise in the "green cathedral," I am introduced to St. Dominic.

In part two I am married and pregnant with my fifth baby. During this trip I learned the hard way that mid-zed SUVs don't fit well inside medieval towns and stay three doors down from where St. Dominic once lived.

I hope you enjoy these stories and they inspire you to start or keep praying a daily Rosary!

Thank you for listening to the Just One Small Thing Podcast. Tuning in each week means so very much! Want to hear more great Catholic content perfect for the whole family? Make sure to tune in each day to the CATHOLIC SPROUTS PODCAST. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-sprouts-podcast/

Looking for a way to support this podcast? Here are some ideas:

1. Say a prayer for us! This would be SUCH a gift!

2. Share this podcast with a friend!

3. Purchase something in the Catholic Sprouts Shop: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/

4. Drop Nancy an email at [email protected] with a word of encouragement or an idea for a future episode.

This podcast is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we all meet there one day!

Your sister in the small things,

Nancy

This week on the Catholic Sprouts Podcast we are exploring what it means to be Catholic. This is an important question to tackle as we build and nurture our identity as Catholics. It is our goal to nurture our identity as Catholics here at Catholic Sprouts, which is why we are launching the CLUBHOUSE today. The CLUBHOUSE is a membership for Catholic kids, and I'm explaining all of the details in this episode.

You can learn more and join us (doors open 8-1!) right here: https://catholicsprouts.com/clubhouse/

Thank you for listening to the Just One Small Thing Podcast. Tuning in each week means so very much! Want to hear more great Catholic content perfect for the whole family? Make sure to tune in each day to the CATHOLIC SPROUTS PODCAST. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-sprouts-podcast/

Looking for a way to support this podcast? Here are some ideas:

1. Say a prayer for us! This would be SUCH a gift!

2. Share this podcast with a friend!

3. Purchase something in the Catholic Sprouts Shop: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/

4. Drop Nancy an email at [email protected] with a word of encouragement or an idea for a future episode.

This podcast is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we all meet there one day!

Your sister in the small things,

Nancy