Well, friends, all good things must come to an end. After eight (8!) wonderful years of co-hosting this podcast for you, we’ve decided to call it a day and offer a fond farewell to a project that has brought us so much joy.

In this episode we’re sharing about how we got started podcasting together, how things have changed (from podcasting while our little babies napped to new seasons of life with big kids), and how special this endeavor has been for both of us. We’re sad to say goodbye to our listeners who have made our efforts so worth it. We’re proud of almost two hundred episodes that we hope you found uplifting, interesting, and encouraging (or at least entertaining!). We share about all that this podcast has brought to our lives. Thank you so much for being a part of it!

And of course, we’d love to stay in touch with you!

We’ll still be keeping The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook alive (as long as everyone behaves with the utmost decorum) so if you’d like to join 4,900+ other FoC listeners in good conversations, then come on over. 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!

And you’ll find us on (some) social media and definitely writing on Substack (links below)

Connect with Haley on Instagram and her free Substack newsletter

Connect with Christy on Facebook, Instagram, and her free Substack newsletter

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.

We love our listeners and we’re so grateful to have spent the last eight years chatting with you!

Tis the season to decorate your home, prepare for guests, and feel that creeping sense of inadequacy when you look at perfectly curated Instagram houses. It’s so important to have the right perspective on home. Instead of keeping up with the latest trends, can we focus on cultivating homes that serve our families? Can we build a style with confidence because we like it rather than acquiesce to the latest consumerist craze? And can we stop worrying about the wrong way to decorate? We can! Because Paige Rien is here to help!

Paige Rien is a wife, mother, author, designer, former television designer and current recovering person, one day at a time. She is passionate about helping women work on their homes in a new way – by encouraging confidence, tuning out the noise of design media and focusing on each family’s authentic needs. Paige had a career on HGTV and has written two books, Love the House You’re In and Revived & Renovated. She lives in Maryland with her  husband and four children and we love her Instagram account.

In this episode we talk about embracing the process of slow decorating, taking risks with design, and focusing on the important stuff rather than the ‘gram. Paige has so much wisdom to share about confidently building a beautiful home, releasing the obsession with perfection, and loving whatever stage we’re in. And all those baby things that throw off our aesthetic? Well, Paige has some really deep insights to gain perspective on the baby and toddler years. Paige is so fun and you’re going to love what she has to share! So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the conversation.

Connect with Paige:

Page’s Instagram

And don’t forget…

Haley’s brand new children’s book series is available from Pauline Books and Media just in time for Christmas!

The Sister Seraphina Mysteries are read-a-loud stories about an order of mouse nuns who run a school under the floorboards of G.K. Chesterton’s home. Each volume involves a child-friendly mystery that is investigated by Sister Seraphina. She is helped by other sisters from her abbey and two of her students, Marigold Mouseweather and Dominic Whiskerbright. Each book contains several chapters with illustrations on each page by the wonderful Betsy Wallin.

Book One: The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese

Beneath the floorboards of G. K. Chesterton’s home, a thrilling pursuit is about to unfold. Sister Seraphina was pleased that everything was ready for the school fair. But when the prize cheese goes missing, the Sisters of Our Lady Star of the Sea and their brave students will need all their detective wits to solve the mystery.

How do we determine what’s true in a very disorienting time? How do we know what authorities, institutions, or media to believe when the world around us feels untrustworthy? How do we have deep conversations with friends and loved ones when the political landscape is so divisive? It’s a very difficult time to navigate and it’s easy to become cynical or even despairing.

Journalist Bonnie Kristian tackles some of these complicated issues in her fantastic new book Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community. Bonnie is a mom (of twins!), a graduate of Bethel Seminary, and the author of A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. She writes and edits opinion pieces on foreign policy, religion, criminal justice, urbanism, civil liberties, electoral politics, and more. She’s written for Christianity Today, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and Time, to name a few. She is a great Twitter follow and just an insightful and fascinating voice on our strange political and religious landscape.

In this episode we talk about how to have a healthy relationship with news and media when the odds are stacked against us. We discuss how to love and maintain relationship with friends and loved ones who have accepted extremist ideologies. We explore the nature of the social media beast and how it works against our mental health and our reason. And we try to imagine how we can cultivate real community, truth, and goodness when things look very bleak. It’s a very interesting conversation and Bonnie has such wisdom to share. So grab a cup of tea and enjoy this episode!

Connect with Bonnie:

* Bonnie’s website

* Bonnie’s Twitter

Sponsor

We are thrilled to be sponsored for this episode by Happy Nest Home Goods.

Happy Nest Home Goods celebrates doing small things with great love with their modern Catholic embroidery art, patterns, and kits as well as their line of beautiful sacrifice beads for the whole family. 

Sacrifice Beads are a devotion practiced by St. Therese as a little girl using a string of sliding beads to track small sacrifices made throughout your day. So whenever you do a chore you hate, keep your temper, offer up a disappointment, or give someone else the better leftover from the fridge, just slide a bead towards the crucifix and unite your sacrifice to Christ’s on the cross. This beautiful practice will help foster your ability to see opportunities to offer every moment to God.

You can find a wide variety of sacrifice beads for men, women, and children at happynesthomegoods.com. Sacrifice beads make for a perfect spiritual stocking stuffer or gift for those receiving sacraments this year!

Happy Nest also has adorable beginner-friendly embroidery patterns and kits for every liturgical season, including Advent and Christmas, that are perfect to gift to the crafter in your life OR for you to add a handmade touch to your Christmas gifts this year!

Women’s healthcare has been a hot topic for ages, but in a post-Dobbs world, it’s never been more discussed. So we decided to reach out to Leah Jacobson, a women’s health advocate and service provider to discuss the complexities of women’s healthcare, protection for the unborn, and fighting for the care, education, and medical resources that all women deserve.

Leah is the founder and the CEO of The Guiding Star Project, a non-profit organization to meet the practical needs of women through providing health care. She has a Master’s degree in Health and Wellness and she’s an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She helps mothers and babies by working at her local WIC office, in the labor and delivery department of her local rural hospital, and in her own private practice that specializes in home and virtual visits. Leah is also the author of a book titled Wholistic Feminism.

In this episode we talk about the ways the healthcare system has let women down and how pathologizing the female body sets us up to fail. Leah imagines a world in which education about women’s health reaches young women before they even start menstruating and we struggle with the challenge of a hyper-politicized pro-life movement and how to navigate conversations about abortion when the issue is so charged. It’s a heavy topic, so grab a good cup of coffee and enjoy the conversation.

Connect with Leah:

* Leah’s website

* Leah’s Instagram

And don’t forget…

Haley’s brand new children’s book series is available from Pauline Books and Media just in time for Christmas!

The Sister Seraphina Mysteries are read-a-loud stories about an order of mouse nuns who run a school under the floorboards of G.K. Chesterton’s home. Each volume involves a child-friendly mystery that is investigated by Sister Seraphina. She is helped by other sisters from her abbey and two of her students, Marigold Mouseweather and Dominic Whiskerbright. Each book contains several chapters with illustrations on each page by the wonderful Betsy Wallin.

Book One: The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese

Beneath the floorboards of G. K. Chesterton’s home, a thrilling pursuit is about to unfold. Sister Seraphina was pleased that everything was ready for the school fair. But when the prize cheese goes missing, the Sisters of Our Lady Star of the Sea and their brave students will need all their detective wits to solve the mystery. With a little literary inspiration from their upstairs neighbors, the Chestertons, can they band together to solve the case―and save Saint Wulfhilda’s School?

Book Two: The Curious ChristmasTrail

It’s Christmas Eve, and under the floorboards of G. K. Chesterton’s home,

Several years ago, we were enchanted by a new series: The Green Ember. This series featuring rabbits who are fighting for goodness in a dark world captivated our kids and we wished there were more books like it in the world. Thankfully, the author, S.D. Smith is still writing and his latest project Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key was co-written by his teenage son, Josiah. We are so happy to have Sam talking about children’s literature and the importance of good stories on the podcast today!

Sam Smith lives in West Virginia with his wife and four children. In addition to being a full-time writer, he is also the founder of Story Warren, a small publishing house dedicated to bringing good stories into the world.

In this episode we talk about how Sam fell into writing books and what it has been like to have a story he created for his children become a beloved bestseller. Sam had so many insights into the importance of good storytelling for forming the imagination and helping us to “escape into reality.” We discussed the hunger so many readers have for stories that are timeless rather than relevant to the current moment and Sam also shared about the writing process for co-authoring his newest series with his son. Sam is such a warm and engaging guest and you’re going to love getting to know him. So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Connect with Sam:

* Sam’s website* Sam’s Instagram

Sponsor: EverythingCatholic.com

If you love finding beautiful, quality Catholic gifts to bless those you love, now you don’t have to search so hard to find the best out there.

Shop EverythingCatholic.com, your new destination for quality Catholic gifts!

 

Shop books, home goods, art, candles, gifts for babies and kids, apparel, jewelry—everything!

Visit EverythingCatholic.com and use code CARROTS at checkout for 15% off your order.

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. So join today!

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,900+ 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,

The sexual revolution was supposed to usher in a whole new world of freedom for women. Now, decades later, did it offer us what it promised? Christine Emba is examining just that question. Are women happy with the current dating landscape? Are they having lots of fantastic casual sex? According to Christine’s new book, Rethinking Sex, it seems the answer is no. Young women are not thrilled with the dating landscape. They are frustrated and discouraged.

Christine went to Princeton and studied public and international affairs. She’s also a Catholic convert. Over time she discovered that she was so interested in exploring ideas and culture that she was drawn to a career in journalism–before long she was writing an opinion column at the Washington Post! Her new book is thought-provoking, sometimes depressing, and incredibly insightful. What’s wrong with the way we treat sex in our culture? What’s the way forward?

In this episode we talk about the #metoo movement helped to bring important conversations about consent to the forefront–but these conversations aren’t enough. We talk about how dehumanizing the current dating landscape is and how avoiding acknowledging the differences between men and women (including fertility and vulnerability to sexual assault and coercion) ends up harming women. We talk about the short story Cat Person that opened the door for conversations about bad sex and how common this experience is for women in our hookup culture. While our society isn’t excited about accepting Catholic teaching regarding human sexuality, we can find common ground in acknowledging that the current landscape is bad for women, they deserve better, and we must promote changes that respect the dignity of the human person. It’s a fascinating conversation so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Connect with Christine:

* Christine’s Column at the Washington Post* Christine’s Twitter

Sponsor: EverythingCatholic.com

If you love finding beautiful, quality  products made by Catholic artisans, you’re going to love everything catholic .com They have hand-designed Catholic decor, toys and books for children as well as spiritual classics and great fiction for grownups. 

Find what you need to live and grow in your faith at EverythingCatholic.com and use code “CARROTS” at checkout for 15% off your entire purchase!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. So join today!

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,900+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books,

Have you ever just felt stuck? Not only do you not know what decisions to make in your life, but you’ve lost touch of what your vision for life even is? We’ve all been in that sludge of disorientation at some point. But how do you get clarity about what you want your life to look like and the path to get there? That’s what we invited Joseph Thompson on the show to chat about!

Joseph lives in Texas with his beautiful wife Helen, four daughters, and a new baby boy. He’s a Catholic convert and sometimes he writes poems. After years working in education, he’s now an Associate Partner with Novus Global and the Director of the Meta-Performance Institute. Joe is an executive coach. He helps people clarify a vision for their lives that thrills them.

In this episode we talk about how difficult it is to wipe the cobwebs from your mind so that you can even see what your vision for life is (and how coaching and getting someone else to ask you the right questions can help). Haley shared about some big life decisions she was facing and how working with Joe helped her think through them and understand which direction she wanted to go. We also discuss the tension between reality and the imagination we should cultivate for living a creative life. So often we can imagine all the things that might go badly–but what if we imagined the things that could go amazing? We also talk about how our Catholic faith informs the way we think about coaching, pursuing a vision for our lives, and the acceptance of suffering and discomfort. It’s a great conversation that will help you reflect on your vision for your own life! So grab a cup of tea (and maybe a pencil and paper to brainstorm?) and enjoy this episode.

Connect with Joseph:

* Joseph’s Website* Joseph’s Instagram

Sponsor: EverythingCatholic.com

It can be hard to find high quality products from Catholic makers online because of giant online stores like Amazon. 

But, It’s time to change that.

Visit EverythingCatholic.com, your new one-stop-shop for quality Catholic gifts like jewelry, books, and more. Everything Catholic has partnered with their Catholic small business friends to make it easier to find gifts to help you live and grow in your faith.

Visit EverythingCatholic.com and use code “CARROTS” at checkout for 15% off your entire purchase!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. So join today!

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,900+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care ab...

We’re back after our long summer break and we have a fantastic first guest of the season! Sarah Mackenzie is one of our favorite voices because of her joyful enthusiasm for good books (among other wonderful things). You may know her as the author of homeschooling classic Teaching from Rest or from her podcast Read Aloud Revival.

Sarah is a mom of six and recently, in addition to all her other good work, she started her own publishing house: Waxwing Books. Her first picture book A Little More Beautiful is available for pre-order and when you see it you’ll understand what a gift this new endeavor will be to all of us!

In this episode we talk about the good old dinosaur days of blogging, what makes a good picture book, what we think is wrong with a lot of children’s publishing, and why we’re so glad Sarah is writing children’s books. We know you’ll love this conversation so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Sponsor: EverythingCatholic.com

If you’re tired of trying to find quality Catholic gifts only to come up short, there is now a one-stop-shop for all your Catholic gift-giving needs: EverythingCatholic.com

Shop religious art, devotionals and sacramentals, home goods, candles, books, apparel, jewelry and gifts for babies and kids—all made by American-based Catholic artisans and makers.

Find that perfect gift you’ve been looking for at Everything Catholic dot com. Use code “CARROTS” at checkout for 15% off your order.

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. So join today!

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,900+ 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

There is so much confusion about feminism. Can Catholics be feminists? Is feminism all that’s wrong with everything in the world? What does feminism even mean? And there’s no need to mention that gender is a hot button issue these days. So do we listen to the nostalgic about the 1950s crowd? Do we listen to Simone de Beauvoir? Well, we think you should listen to Dr. Abigail Favale.

Dr. Favale is a mother of three and a professor, writer, and speaker. She is the Dean of Humanities and Professor of English at George Fox University. Her conversion memoir, Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion, traces her journey from postmodern feminism to Roman Catholicism. These days her primary focus is articulating the beauty and wisdom of Catholic teaching on sexuality, gender, and the body. Her newest book, The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory is the book we’ve all been waiting for.

In this episode Dr. Favale shares about a way forward for Catholic feminism, how the incarnational nature of our faith should inform our understanding of gender and our bodies as gift, and so much more. We know you’ll love this conversation so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Check out our first episode with Dr. Favale here.

Sponsor: Ignatius Press

If you’re looking for good summer reading, visit Ignatius.com. There you’ll find spiritual reading, memoirs, and biographies, as well as novels, historical fiction, mysteries, and more. For a limited time, use code FOCSUMMER to get 25% off the list price on select Ignatius Press titles by and about brilliant women, including new books “The Genesis of Gender” by Dr. Abigail Favale, and “Sigrid Undset: Reader of Hearts” by Aidan Nichols, as well as books by Gertrud von le Fort, Sally Read, Marly Youmans, and more! The full list of on-sale titles and more details can be found here: https://mailchi.mp/ignatius/fountains-of-carrots-summer-reading-special

You’ll also want to make sure you’re following Ignatius Press on Instagram or Facebook to get details about their upcoming Summer Reading Challenge for Kids.

England Trip!

WE ARE GOING TO ENGLAND in June and we want you to come with us! 

If you register in the month of May you’ll get $250 off your trip!

What should we talk about during Mary’s month of May just after Mother’s Day? Well, Our Lady, of course! In this episode we’re chatting with Haley’s pastor, Fr. Ryan Higdon of St. Louis parish in Waco, TX. He is a beer and scotch enthusiast who loves camping, hiking, and running marathons. He’s a wonderful spiritual father and Haley’s so sad to leave his parish when she moves this summer!

In this episode Fr. Ryan shares about ways that Mary has shown up in his life. We talk about going to Mary and learning to follow her to Jesus, practical advice on praying with Our Lady, and finding solace in our relationship with Mary when we’re struggling in our vocation as we all do sometimes. We know you’ll love this conversation so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Sponsor: OSV’s Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children

Bring your family to Jesus through Mary with Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Featuring a traditional 33-day preparation for consecration, this book is written and beautifully illustrated to help children ages 3-7 to understand and grow in faith and Marian devotion. Each day includes an image of Mary, a short reflection, and discussion questions to spark faith-filled conversations. Supplementary material for parents helps you lead your family through preparation for the consecration at a pace that works for you. Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children combines magnificent, original Marian art and simple, child-accessible text to immerse your entire family in Mary’s love and care.

Use this book to place your whole family in the care of our Blessed Mother, allowing her to bring each of you closer to Jesus.

Order Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children today at OSVCatholicBookstore.com or wherever books are sold.

England Trip!

WE ARE GOING TO ENGLAND in June and we want you to come with us! 

If you register in the month of May you’ll get $250 off your trip!

Check out our previous episode or view the travel details here and reserve your spot tooday!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. So join today!

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,900+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group?