The Fountains of Carrots Podcast

  Our relationship with our bodies is a topic that comes up a lot in our Facebook group. But not just there. This topic comes up everywhere else, too! After reading Amanda Martinez Beck’s book Lovely we knew we needed to have her on the podcast to talk about body image and what it means to have a theological foundation for how we view the goodness of the bodies God has given us. Amanda is a wife, mama, author, and size dignity activist. In this episode discuss the lies we tell ourselves and the lies we are told about our bodies and how we can be in danger of failing to see their goodness. We also chat about how a Catholic theology of the body can be an antidote to the negative cultural messages that surround us. We discuss the damaging concept that certain kinds of bodies are morally superior and the difficulties of navigating medical care.  And we top it off with why we need saints of all sizes! So grab a cup of tea and join us! This post contains affiliate links. Amanda’s book Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me by Amanda Martinez Beck Things we talked about: The article Haley mentioned: Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong: Huffington Post Chesterton’s lack of temperance could block canonization: Catholic Household And the rebuttal: Chesterton the Glutton and the Drunk: Catholic Household Follow Amanda: * Instagram * Facebook group * Twitter * Podcast And don’t forget that for a limited time you can currently get Haley’s liturgical living eCookbook Feast! as part of the online More 4 Mom Catholic Conference package! Check it out here. Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,750+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, 

  Every so often we tell the listeners ahead of time about a great book we want to discuss and have a little FoC “book club.”  This time it’s Gunnar’s Daughter by Nobel Prize winner Sigrid Undset. You’ve probably heard us talk about how much we love Undset’s most famous work, Kristin Lavransdatter. But since Kristin is a thousand pages long, it didn’t seem like a good book club option (you’re welcome, everyone!) and we’ve been wanting to branch out and read some of Undset’s other works, this 148-page tour de force seemed like a better option. Before we get any further, consider yourself warned that this book contains some very difficult topics such as sexual assault and infant and child loss. Due to its mature content, this isn’t a good one to listen to with kids around. And if any of these topics might trigger trauma for you, feel free to skip this episode and we’ll see you in a couple of weeks! In our discussion we talk about how the old saga style of this work lends itself surprisingly well to the multi-dimensional characters and strong visuals Undset presents in the story. We discuss the fascinating setting of Viking culture being introduced to Christian thought and the effects of sin on the perpetrator, the wronged, and the community. We also touch on the idea of justice versus revenge and  how it’s a crime that no one has made this story into a TV show (did you hear that, all you TV producers who surely listen to our podcast?!!!). So grab something warm to drink while we discuss journeys in the snow and Viking halls! Today’s book: (This post contains Amazon affiliate links.) Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset Other books we talked about: Kristin Lavransdatter TV shows we talked about: Vikings The Last Kingdom And check out our previous book episodes! We’ll definitely be chatting more about Gunnar’s Daughter in our Facebook group so be sure to join in over there! Our Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by the 2018-2019 Year of Virtue Liturgical Calendar created in a collaboration between The Telos Art Shop and Providential Company. This calendar seeks to support individuals and families on their journey of faith. Through studying the lives of the saints,

  We’ve been big fans of Leah Libresco Sargeant’s writing for ages (and we even had her husband Alexi on the podcast last year to nerd out about Stranger Things with us). When we heard she had a new book on the Benedict Option coming out, we knew we needed to discuss it with her–especially because you all have been requesting a BenOp episode! Leah is a wife, author, speaker, and fellow at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. In this episode Leah shares about her new book, Building the Benedict Option. We chat the basics of cultivating community through hospitality and we address a lot of the questions we hear from you all in the Facebook group about the desire for good friendships and Christian fellowship. Gatherings for people who hate small talk?  Finding friends and opening your home? We gotcha covered. Leah also shares about praying together with fellow Christians and how prayer brings God into times of fellowship. So grab a cup of tea and join us! This post contains Amazon affiliate links. In this episode we talked about: Building the Benedict Option by Leah Libresco The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher Arriving at Amen by Leah Libresco Follow Leah: * her site * Facebook * Twitter Book Club Episode And our next episode is a BOOK EPISODE (much rejoicing!). We’re talking about Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset. It’s a quick read so grab your copy ASAP! Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset And psst! Amazon has a sale going right now on Haley’s book–27% off. So grab it while it’s discounted! The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture  Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,750+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group?

As soon as we heard about her new release, Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life, we knew that we needed to have a conversation with kindred spirit, Sarah Clarkson. Sarah is a writer, wife, mom to her own wee book girl, and student of theology. She blogs at sarahclarkson.com and studies at Oxford. In this episode we chatted across the pond about being formed by stories, how books reach out to us when we need them most, and how good characters show us we can make our own paths. So grab a cup of tea and join us! This post contains Amazon affiliate links. In this episode we talked about: Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Lila by Marilynne Robinson Home by Marilynne Robinson The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

We usually don’t publish episodes on Fridays but this is a special edition because *drumroll* it’s launch day for Haley’s book! It’s been an 18 month process but The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture is finally HERE! We’re discussing some of the themes of Haley’s book that tells the story of her family’s radical life change of selling their house and getting rid of most of their possessions that brought them to living on a farm for a year with their three young kids and no flushing toilets!  Living authentically in pursuit of the Gospel is often a countercultural practice and we touch on how the choices we make to prioritize faith and family are going to look different in every home depending on our circumstances. We talk a little bit about the process of putting together a book and whether writing a memoir colors an author’s view of past memories. And we note how pursuing the Gospel when doing so goes against the grain of our culture is so important in light of the recent Church crisis. So grab a cup of tea (and a copy of Haley’s new book!) and enjoy the conversation! Haley’s new book: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture If Amazon’s being glitchy (a few folks have had trouble getting the book to ship out today) you can always order from Barnes and Noble or straight from the publisher, Ave Maria Press. Once your book arrives Haley would love to see you with your copy and hear some of YOUR story! If you want to make her heart sing, please… * Share a selfie with your book on social media with the hashtag #graceofenough * Share part of your story of pursuing what truly matters even though you had critics or your decision went against the grain. You can also support Haley’s new book by requesting that your local library stock The Grace of Enough or leaving a review on Amazon! And if you want a book club to read with, St. Teresa’s Online Book Club is going to be discussing The Grace of Enough starting Sept 22nd and you can join in on Facebook. Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,500+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current Masterpiece Theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog

  Our summer break and Haley’s maternity leave is over! (And Baby Hildie is safely here after a wild arrival.) We have many great episodes planned for the fall but we wanted to first address the clerical abuse crisis in the Church. It’s a very difficult topic, so we knew we would need just the right person to discuss it with. Providentially, Meg Hunter-Kilmer was driving through Waco and gave an IN STUDIO interview (AKA Haley’s living room). Meg is, in her words,  a “hobo missionary.” Trained in theology at Notre Dame, she travels all over the world as a Catholic speaker and evangelizer. She also podcasts and writes about the saints. In this conversation about the abuse crisis, we asked Meg about saints who lived during times of crisis in the Church and how we can emulate them in their commitment to speak difficult truths (even to the pope like St. Catherine of Siena did!) and their pursuit of holiness. In today’s episode we discuss our responses to news about the crisis and ways to take action through practical means like letter writing and spiritual practices of prayer and fasting. We hope this episode will give you some hope in the midst of the heartbreak we are facing. In this episode we talked about: Meg’s previous podcast episode The Siena Project The homily Meg wrote: Please Don’t Leave Jesus Letter to Pope Francis from Catholic Women On the Catholic Clergy Abuse and What We Can Do: Blessed Is She Sack Cloth and Ashes Prayer and Fasting Movement: Catholic All Year What Can WE Do About the Abuse Crisis? (Haley’s Blog) The Church, My Mother (Haley’s blog) Follow Meg: * her blog * her podcast * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,500+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog

It’s just Christy and Haley on today’s episode before we take our summer break (as Haley stares down the last few days of her pregnancy!).  We chat about seasons or circumstances when we have felt helpless, how hard it is to know we’re not in control, and how experiencing helplessness can be good for us spiritually if we turn to God in our distress. We also share about how sacraments and sacramentals can comfort us and remind us of God’s love for us. Then just for funsies we share what books and movies/shows we’ve been enjoying lately. So settle in, grab a cup of something COLD, and listen in! This post contains Amazon affiliate links. In this episode we talked about: Somebody Feed Phil (On Netflix) Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw The Woman Who Was Chesterton by Nancy Carpentier Brown The Americans (Amazon Prime) Luke Cage (On Netflix) Seinfeld Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope The Ensemble by Aja Gabel

We’re thrilled to have Catholic novelist Eleanor Bourg Nicholson with us today discussing what makes Catholic creativity and writing so unique. Eleanor is a wife, homeschooling mother of four, director of religious education at her parish, former assistant editor at Dappled Things and the Saint Austin Review, has previously published a novella entitled The Letters of Magdalen Montague, and she has also edited the Ignatius Critical editions of Dracula, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility. Today’s conversation was a fun foray into why Catholics love great literature! Eleanor shares her love of Victorian era literature, the gothic novel, and why she chose to write a novel about Dominican vampire hunters. We also share why aspects of our faith make for great dramatic and artistic elements that other non-Catholic writers have loved squeezing into their stories. Eleanor shares how she came up with her characters and how she became attached to them and in many cases had to kill them off.  We think you’ll love this episode going behind the scenes with a Catholic novelist working in today’s publishing industry! Eleanor’s new book: A Bloody Habit Remember to use the coupon code CARROTS when ordering Eleanor’s book from Ignatius Press to get 35% off! Eleanor’s Author Page on Facebook Books we talked about today: Dracula  Mansfield Park  Vilette Jane Eyre Father Brown Hard Times Great Expectations A Tale of Two Cities 

  Listeners have been urging us to have a priest on the show for ages! We finally made it happen by asking Fr. Dan Folwaczny (who we discovered through his fantastic Twitter feed) to join us to discuss vocation. Fr. Dan is associate pastor of St. Norbert/Our Lady of the Brook in the archdiocese of Chicago. He studied to be an astrophysicist so his story is literally that of a rocket scientist turned priest! In this episode Fr. Dan shares the story of how God called him to be a priest. We talk about vocation, pursuing holiness without the anxiety of having to fit into boxes, things that surprised him about becoming a priest, and how lay people can support our priests in their vocations and vice versa. We also touch on ways families can encourage children to consider religious life.  We know you’re going to love Fr. Dan’s wisdom and sense of humor and end this episode wanting to send him gifts of mac n’ cheese! So grab a glass of iced tea  (it’s hot out there, folks!) and enjoy the conversation. To connect with Fr. Dan: * Twitter Hear ye, hear ye! Haley’s book coming out in September is available for pre-order and you can get 20% off if you use the code STEWART over at the publisher, Ave Maria Press’s site! So head on over to grab the deal. Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,000+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current Masterpiece Theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog * Connect with Christy on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog You can listen to us on iTunes, and we’d love a quick rating or review. If you have an android device we’re also on Stitcher. And as always, you can find all links, show notes, upcoming guests, and listen to all episodes at Fountains of Carrots.com.

  When we heard rumors that a cause for Willi Graf’s canonization might be opened, we knew we wanted to know more about this young Catholic student who participated in resistance against Nazism in Germany as part of The White Rose and met his death as a martyr. Then we found Dr. Stephani Richards-Wilson who has been studying his life for over a decade! We’re thrilled she was willing to join us for this episode on the inspiring figures who heroically shared the truth about the Third Reich, risking their lives to do so. Dr. Richards-Wilson is the Director of Graduate Business Programs at Alverno College. She wrote a dissertation on Willi Graf and is currently working on the first biography of Graf to be released in the English language. In this episode Dr. Richards-Wilson shares the story of Willi Graf and The White Rose, the group of five students and one professor who resisted the Nazis. It is an incredible story! We also discuss the preparation for the cause for Graf’s canonization and how getting to know the saints and details about their lives and personalities helps us see them as human beings who struggle just as we do in their journey toward holiness. We touch on the timeliness of Graf’s story considering the recent resurgence of Nazi ideology, anti-semitism, and racism in our world. And we talk about the importance of sharing the stories of the inspiring and heroic figures when it’s easy to obsess over the perpetrators of horrific crimes. We think you’ll be fascinated by the story of Willi Graf and The White Rose, so grab a cup of tea and settle in! Further reading on Willi Graf: Faith Under Fire: Willi Graf and the White Rose, an article by Dr. Richards-Wilson In this episode we talked about: The Man in the High Castle To connect with Dr. Richards-Wilson: * web site Our Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Sock Religious–a family-owned Catholic company creating saint-inspired socks to rock on your favorite feast days. All Fountains of Carrots listeners can use code FOUNTAINS to receive 15% off their purchase! Grab your socks here. Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,000+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog * Connect with Christy on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog You can listen to us on 

  We’ve had it on our hearts to do an episode on foster care and we realized that Annie Tillberg was the perfect guest to share on the topic! Annie and her husband Dan have an amazing story about fostering–both beautiful and heartwrenching. Annie is a blogger and the biological mother of two beautiful girls on earth (and a baby on the way!) and is currently fostering a sweet baby girl as well. In this episode we talk about the calling that all women have to motherhood and how that calling is not always to biological motherhood but sometimes to spiritual motherhood, adoption, or foster care. You will learn so much about the practical side of how foster parenting works and the goals of foster care (hint: it’s not typically to adopt the child in your care) as well as the discernment process that the Tillbergs went through in their journey of choosing to become foster parents. We also touch on the sacrificial nature of foster parenting and how it can be a living out of the pro-life message. So grab a cup of tea (and maybe a box of kleenex) and enjoy the conversation! To connect with Annie: * blog * instagram Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,000+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog * Connect with Christy on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog You can listen to us on iTunes, and we’d love a quick rating or review. If you have an android device we’re also on Stitcher. And as always, you can find all links, show notes, upcoming guests, and listen to all episodes at Fountains of Carrots.com.

A new film adaptation of one of our favorite classics, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has just been released to US audiences and so it seems like the perfect time to discuss this timeless coming-of-age novel. In this episode we tackle the big questions: do each of the March sisters grow and develop to the same degree? Should Jo have ended up with Laurie? What is the deal with Meg and John’s weird marital relationship? And is Amy the literal worst? We really dive into the romantic relationships in the story as well as determine which March sister we most identify with. We also discuss the pros and cons of the various film versions of the story.  This episode was a blast to record, so grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy! In this episode we talked about: Haley’s review for America Magazine of the new series for BBC/PBS  This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Books and films we talked about: Little Women 2017 film series 1994 film         1949 version 1933 film Big News! The book Haley has been working on for over a year with Ave Maria Press JUST became available for pre-order! AND THERE WAS MUCH REJOICING! You can gain Haley’s undying loyalty by pre-ordering your copy of The Grace o...

Can women “have it all” when it comes to creative fulfillment and nurturing their families? Jennifer Fulwiler says “yes,” but redefines what it means to “have it all” in her new (fantastic!) memoir about pursuing her passion to write in the midst of having 6 babies in 8 years. We have wanted to have Jen on the podcast for ages and this topic is so dear to our hearts (and it’s why we spend time producing a podcast even though we have 8 kids and one on the way between us). Our creative pursuits matter. God wired us all with certain passions and talents. But how do we nurture these talents without sacrificing our family’s wellbeing? That’s what this episode is all about: saying yes to live-giving creativity that empowers us to serve faithfully, and saying no to “mom guilt” for structuring our lives differently from other families. You probably already know her, but for the two of you who don’t, Jennifer Fulwiler is a best-selling author, radio show host on SiriusXM The Catholic Channel, speaker, and force of nature. Her whole family of 8 is currently traveling up the eastern seaboard to promote her new book, One Beautiful Dream that releases TODAY! Whether you’re married, a parent, or single, Jen’s insights in this episode about the Christian call to serve and how pursuing the dreams God gives us helps us live out that calling are for you. So grab your running shoes and headphones or (if you’re like us) grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy this engaging conversation! Jen’s books: (links to Amazon are affiliate links) One Beautiful Dream Something Other Than God Links we discussed: ‘I regret having children’: Macleans And Haley’s reflection on the article above: Is this why some women regret motherhood? To connect with Jen: * web site * facebook * instagram * twitter * podcast (of her radio show)     Come hang out with us! Haven’t joined in on the fun with 3,000+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below. * The Fountains of Ca...

  Divorce and annulment affect so many Catholic women (and men), but they’re often topics that aren’t discussed much in Catholic circles. And annulment is an incredibly misunderstood Church teaching (hint: it’s not Catholic divorce!). We’ve been moved by Patty Breen’s story of her experience of seeking an annulment and we knew that she was just the right person to speak on this topic. But Patty’s expertise on annulments goes beyond personal experience. Helping couples who are seeking annulments is part of her job as a pastoral associate at her parish! Patty works as a pastoral associate for a Catholic parish in Michigan,  is a runner, and writes for the Catholic women’s ministry Blessed Is She. In this episode we talk with her about her story of discovering her spouse’s addiction problems and the difficult work of trying to save her marriage as well as the discernment she went through to make the decision to end the marriage. We also discuss how the annulment process can be very healing for those walking through it, what to expect when seeking an annulment, how to be a good friend when someone you care about is in the annulment process, and more! We hope that shedding some light on annulment helps women in difficult situations feel less alone. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the conversation! Links we discussed: God hates divorce. But God doesn’t hate divorced people: Patty’s piece for America Magazine Our episode discussing pornography and it’s effect on women with Matt Fradd.  To connect with Patty: * blog * instagram * twitter Our Sponsor: Over West Quilting + Design is an online quilt shop, operated by Gillian Kantor. A wife and mom to five, almost six, Gillian loves designing sweet and simple quilted pieces for the home. Her Etsy shop features pillows, sleeping bags for dolls or stuffies, lap quilts, and baby blankets. Her newest line includes custom Saint pillows, featuring your favourite Saint, and the Rosary quilt, which has a picture of our Lady, as well as a pocket right in the quilt to hold your rosary or Saint card or small special memento. You can find Over West Quilting + Design on Etsy and see her new products on Instagram at @overwestquilting. To contact Gillian by email, send your message to overwestquilting@gmail.com All Fountains of Carrots listeners can use code FOC10 to receive 10% off their purchase! Come hang out with us! * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group) * Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog * Connect with Christy on 

As soon as we read Tyler Blanski’s new spiritual memoir An Immovable Feast: How I Gave Up Spirituality for a Life of Religious Abundance we knew we had to have him back on the show. Tyler has so much wisdom to share about the spiritual landscape millennials experience and we could talk to him for hours! Tyler and his wife Brittany decided to convert to Catholicism just before the birth of their first child when Tyler was an Anglican seminarian. The story is so compelling! We know you will be spellbound by the beauty of their conversion story and if you grew up in Christian subculture during the 90s and early 2000s Tyler’s experience will absolutely resonate with you. In this episode we talk about the spiritual crises of our generation, how spouses can help each other on their spiritual journeys, the phenomenon of being “spiritual but not religious,” Christian subculture for millennials, and the Blanski’s beautiful conversion story. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the conversation! Tyler’s book: (links to Amazon are affiliate links) An Immovable Feast: How I Gave Up Spirituality for Religious Abundance More links: Haley’s review of An Immovable Feast Our other episode with Tyler: Seeing the Sacred with Tyler Blanski To connect with Tyler: * website * facebook Coming Soon: This wildly popular bundle comes around just once a year (this is its 6th year!) and it’s only available April 11th-16th. This year, Haley’s 35 page ebook The Literary Medicine Cabinet: A Guide to Self-Care Through Good Books is one of the 129 resources included! If you’re ready to organize and declutter your home, learn to balance your many roles, be a more intentional mom, and put delicious meals on the table faster and easier, then you will definitely want to pick up this bundle for just $29.97 (pssst… it’s worth over $3,680!). But you have to act fast — at a price like this, they can only offer it for six days! And if you grab your bundle through Haley’s author affiliate link, you’ll get a thank you gift of one of her other ebooks of your choice: Making Big Life Changes Together: Pursuing Your Dreams as a Couple Feast!: Real Food, Refections, and Simple Living for the Christian Year More Feasts!: Celebrating Saints and Seasons with Simple Real Food Recipe Get your copy with this link when the sale goes live! Come hang out with us! * The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our ...