The regular “little of this, little of that” feature from Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Today we are promoting a wonderful marriage prep course! It would be wonderful for any couple, no matter whether you are just engaged or have been married for years. It would make a great gift for loved ones. The giveaway is closed.
I met Mattie in Denver when I was speaking there. She told me about the beautiful apostolate founded by her family for the purpose of establishing healthy marriages. She says, “Looking for a personal, one-on-one mentoring for your marriage preparation? Something convenient, deep, anchored in John Paul II's Theology of the Body but tailored to YOU and your relationship?” And indeed, I have looked into this program and that description is just what you get.
Details at the end of this post.
Things are hotting up in the garden. Those pears are only a fraction of what I have out there. I never spray or do anything to the trees, so I have to pick through and do my best with them, but I think this year they are very good, for all the neglect they suffer! If you know what I should do to have a more sightly harvest (especially about pruning!) tell me in the comments!
This week's links:
- Your quick sports video of the week: Mainly just because I think that putting the trash can lid on his head is a Lawler male move. I looks fairly clean so I can be okay with that. Not really. But you know.
- Do you know about Marie Kondo and the de-cluttering craze that is sweeping (haha) the universe? Well, you can google that and then come read this spoof. Who am I to mock an effective declutterer. But you have to admit this is funny.
- We are all about teaching your children chant, and this post (and the one it links to on Reddit) will help. Great suggestions.
- We hope you have read every one of Deirdre's posts about wedding planning. The last one, The Secret to Happy Wedding Planning, is especially helpful in focusing the engaged couple on what is really happening in their lives with this important step. We encourage you to spread the whole series (linked in the last one) far and wide to those you know who may be embarking on this wedding journey. And our giveaway today is particularly appropriate — we know that you will benefit from CatholicMarriagePrep!
Now onto our giveaway!
Well, we aren't strictly “giving away” this course, but CatholicMarriagePrep is offering $50 off their $175 course.
CatholicMarriagePrep was founded by Christian and Christine Meert in 2004 at the request of Archbishop Charles Chaput. The online marriage prep classes were first created to help couples from the slopes of the Rockies who could not attend in person classes and has flourish from email exchanges to a very personal high-tech marriage preparation class recognized worldwide.
This preparation is perfect for those who either can't make their diocesan marriage prep or don't have a truly authentically Catholic preparation program available to them. It can supplement the sometimes inadequate preparation couples receive from their church. And it would be helpful to those who are already married but didn't receive preparation that really grounded them in the reality of married life.
CatholicMarriagePrep brings the truth and beauty of Theology of the Body (Christian anthropology) to engaged (and even already married) couples.
Theology of the Body helps us to better understand the vocation of marriage, making visible its invisible reality.
CatholicMarriagePrep is the only one-on-one, mentor led, online Theology of the Body program accepted worldwide and available in English, Spanish and French. And even at $175, it's one of the most affordable and enduring items you will buy for your wedding!
To enter to win the discount on this course, please simply leave a comment below! Remember, you can win it and give it as a gift to a young couple you know who would benefit from authentic teaching from Scripture and Tradition on true married love.
Happy Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! A crazy Catholic invention, or a lovely feast celebrated from earliest memory and firmly based in Scripture? Click and find out 😉
~We’d like to be clear that, when we direct you to a site via one of our links, we’re not necessarily endorsing the whole site, but rather just referring you to the individual post in question (unless we state otherwise).~
Taryn B says
This would be excellent. We are Anglican but looking into Catholicism, and Theology of the Body was the first thing to peak our interest.
Theresa (Haus Frau) says
I would love to gift that prep course to my newly engaged sister-in-law & her fiancé! 🙂
Julie Redmon says
I would love to win for a friend!
Elizabeth Del Curto says
This looks like a fine course! This would be perfect for me and my wonderful fiance.
Briana says
The de clutter article? Utterly hysterical.
Mary Eileen says
Oh my gosh. I am rolling over here. Going to get rid of a few lentils now….
Anne-Marie says
I would love the marriage prep for my daughter and her fiance.
I enjoy Marie Kondo both for the fun of satirizing her and for the real benefit of her approach.
And I can’t wait to show the trash can video to my sons!
Candice says
Finally the day has come, I can give you some advice! I love pruning fruit trees (and my parent’s own an olive grove) so let me give you some tips for your pear tree.
It’s great to see that you’ve collected a lot of fruit from your tree but I agree with you, the quality will improve if you give the tree a prune.
First thing. Don’t be scared off by perfect pruning. Australia’s preeminent rose breeder told me how horrified he was when he visited his posh rose supplier in France and watched him prune their (thousands) of rose bushes with chainsaws! He said horticulturists often get caught up in detailed pruning techniques because it’s what they study and talk about at garden society meetings and it’s unnecessary to be so detailed. So be bold!
I find the easiest way to prune is to imagine the shape you want to create. Most fruit trees grow best as a vase shape – which lets lots of sunlight and air into the middle of the tree because it does’t have a central trunk/ leader. (Ie. It doesn’t look like a Christmas tree). I prefer to picture a margarita glass, you might do well imagining a pear martini!
Ideally the first cut should be taking out the center stem, but who has the nerve to do that? Start instead by cutting away any small branches that are growing inwards. These are easy decisions, growing out = keep. Growing in = cut. Then, walking around your tree again, trim out branches growing sideways over another: each branch deserves it’s own real estate.
Now. Step back and assess the center. The truck should be growing up to knee or hip height and then splaying out into the branches ‘the walls of the martini glass’. Can you cut out the center leading branch? This branch is getting most of the tree’s growth energy, is blocking air and sunlight and, it doesn’t even produce much fruit that you can reach. Get rid of it. You might need a chainsaw after all. My experience is trees never grow like the neat orderly pictures in the gardening books and maybe there isn’t a strong lead. Just keep opening it up and remembering that cutting out about 2/3rds of the tree will be good for it in the coming season.
When is the best time to prune? I’ve heard arguments for each season; fall – the sap is flowing and the cuts will heal, winter – the tree is dormant and you can see what you’re doing, spring – you can see where the buds are forming, summer – you can get in early and trim it before all the season’s growth is wasted on branches you won’t keep. The best time is when it’s a lovely day and you feel like being outside!
As a dear Aunty of mine says; If I can do it, you can too!
Leila says
Ah, Candice, thanks for this. I will ponder it for later! We did drastically prune according to the “just do it” principle a couple of years ago. The following year there was NOT ONE PEAR — but others had this as well, and although I am ready to blame the pruning, I think an early thaw followed by a few weeks of hard frost did the damage.
However, this year, after no pruning whatsoever, there is much more fruit for sure.
On the other hand, I am not really that ready to pick a million pears, what with no kids around…
Thanks again!
Mary Lou says
Thank you for offering give-aways! I have lovely couple in mind … of course, a daughter who may soon be linking to all the wedding posts!
Laurel says
My husband and I did this marriage prep course when we were preparing for our marriage. We LOVED it! Would love to gift it to another couple!
Amanda says
I am about to get engaged and we are looking for a good, quality Catholic marriage prep program. This sounds wonderful!
Thanks,
Amanda H.
Jessica says
I would love to win the discount on the marriage prep course for myself and my fiance!
Rachel says
I’d love the marriage prep course to give to my sister and her fiancée!
Kate says
My sister-in-law just got engaged – I’d love to win this for her!
Amada Beatriz says
We are in a long distance relationship and it will be difficult to attend in person pre-cana classes! This would be such a great resource!
Jeni says
My wonderful brother is newly engaged. He and his fiancée would love this course!
Ellen says
I would love to win for my brother in law who is newly engaged.
Lauren says
My brother is getting married this weekend and I would love to gift it to him and his fiancé! It’s never too late. Maybe I’d keep it for myself? Who knows but it looks wonderful!
Theresa says
It would be wonderful to gift this for a family member!
Clara says
the course looks great.