Kind of like the question of the chicken or the egg, which comes first physical or emotional intimacy? Well there are two basic camps that people typically fall into: (1) those who desire physical intimacy in order to feel emotionally close or (2) those who need to feel emotionally intimate before they are ready to be physically intimate. Here's the fun part, a lot of times, couples are matched up where one spouse is one of those categories and the other spouse is the opposite! This week we're b...
Mar 13, 2023•31 min•Ep. 108
Teena is a product designed for teens and preteens to get them excited about cycle tracking and help them understand what is going on in their cycle. I'm really excited to share this completely honest review with you. Teena did provide me one of their devices for free to check it out, but my review is completely my own. Head over to Instagram to enter the giveaway ! Want to purchase a Teena for your teen? Get $20 off here. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's ...
Mar 08, 2023•11 min
We'd like to present the term "Responsible Parenthood" as the new word we start using when we are describing what Catholic married couples do when they discern children, use NFP, and really just live out their lives as married couples, regardless of fertility status. The term NFP falls short when we have discussions about what Catholic married couples are called to. NFP, after all, is just a tool. Responsible Parenthood, according to St. Pope Paul VI is a way of life that all married couples are...
Mar 06, 2023•32 min•Ep. 107
NFP Basics is an add-on marriage preparation module that any marriage prep/pre-cana program can easily implement into their program. NFP Basics covers the theology behind why the church teaches NFP for family planning and why the church has a prohibition on contraception and fertility treatments like IVF. Then the program covers basic fertility science and gives an overview of most of the major methods available to couples to track the woman's cycle and plan their family. In this episode, Ellen ...
Mar 01, 2023•13 min
Do you still struggle with reconciling that sex is good and holy? It's so common for us to think of sex as something bad or dirty, but it's not, I repeat NOT bad and dirty. Sex is good, it's better than good, it's HOLY. If you're wondering what we meant by unity cross, click here ! Sorry that Googling "unity cross" doesn't actually give you what we meant! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram...
Feb 27, 2023•30 min•Ep. 106
Let's chat about the marital debt! Who owes who sex? Who is supposed to be the one to sacrifice? What even is sacrificial love? We'll get into all these questions and more in this week's episode. Here's the book we mentioned called Theology of the Body in Simple Language ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improv...
Feb 20, 2023•32 min•Ep. 105
Your marriage is a battleground. Truly, the forces of good and evil are fighting against each other in your marriage and in all marriages. If you've ever felt like something is just fighting against you having a calm, peaceful, and good marriage.... it's because there is. Today in the episode we're talking about the particular difficulties of living in marriage in today's world. My Delight is open February 13-15, sign up at this link here. Listening to the episode after Feb 13-16 2023? Sign up a...
Feb 13, 2023•31 min•Ep. 104
We hear it a lot: "Contraception would be easier" "Why can't my husband and I just use a condom?" "I wish we could just have the option." Let's dive into why contraception isn't even a choice. We're pulling from Humanae Vitae as well as the Theology of the Body to get some answers. We get it, this topic isn't easy. Reach out to us, we want to hear from you! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagr...
Feb 06, 2023•27 min•Ep. 103
You're looking at your chart and you see the signs of ovulation and know phase 3 is coming. You're excited to finally be able to come together with your spouse after abstaining for a few weeks, the first time is great....then... well you're tired, you just don't feel like it, and suddenly phase 3 is over and you're looking ahead at more time of abstinence. Sound familiar? We've been there and in a lot of ways, we're still there! Let's chat about some things you can do to increase your desire in ...
Jan 30, 2023•34 min•Ep. 102
Are you checking off the "NFP box" or is your heart really in it? We're bringing you this podcast episode to encourage you and your spouse to dig a little deeper into your "why" behind using NFP in your marriage. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out ou...
Jan 23, 2023•30 min•Ep. 101
Kathleen takes over today and interviews Ellen about the past, present and future of the podcast. We chat about what started the podcast and where the spirit is leading us for the future of the podcast. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses:...
Dec 12, 2022•51 min•Ep. 100
Having trouble with discerning God's call for your family planning intentions? So are we! Join us to chat about discernment and we'll share with you the biggest secret to discernment. Spoiler alert! It's prayer. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our...
Dec 05, 2022•30 min•Ep. 99
Rachel Mullet Joins us to share her experience both with using the Birth Control Pill and then later sharing her experience with others and encouraging Natural Family Planning instead. Listen in for great tips on how to talk about this difficult subject with others! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improve you...
Nov 28, 2022•31 min•Ep. 98
Ever wondered what it really means that marriage is ordered to procreation? Why do we sometimes get people who think the only reason for marriage is having children? The primary end of marriage is procreation, but what does that mean for us and how do we work that into our discernment of avoiding or achieving pregnancy? ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or emai...
Nov 21, 2022•34 min•Ep. 97
Hey there! Welcome to this special bonus episode in partnership with FOCUS . This episode is also posted on the SEEK podcast! If you're in college and you haven't signed up for SEEK yet, now is the time. Click here for more info on SEEK23 Reach out to the Charting Toward Intimacy team on Instagram @chartingtowardintimacy or chartingtowardintimacy@gmail.com Charting For Single Women from Pearl and Thistle Charting As a Single Woman podcast episode - Charting Toward Intimacy Podcast Episode Genera...
Nov 18, 2022•45 min
Ever been in a position to talk to a teen or young adult about NFP or Fertility Awareness and been unsure about how to approach it? Monica and Renzo Ortega are on to share about their experience being in a mentor roll with teens and young adults as youth ministers and how they navigate these sensitive conversation topics. Monica and Renzo on Instagram ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com...
Nov 14, 2022•28 min•Ep. 96
Traveling soon? We've got tips for charting while you're traveling. Listen in for what to do when you're going to loose a day traveling, be in a different time zone, or maybe you're expecting your fertile window to close the day you are on an airplane all day long. Magic Mind is the sponsor of this week's episode. Check them out at magicmind.co/intimacy use code INTIMACY20 at check out to save 20% off of a one time purchase or 40% off total off of a subscription! ________________________________...
Nov 07, 2022•32 min•Ep. 95
The state of NFP in Marriage Prep is....well terrible. Kathleen and I have some thoughts and I have a program that has been working incredibly well that I can't wait to share with you! If you are interested in NFP Basics the NFP Marriage prep module that we mention in this week's episode, email nfpbasics@ellenholloway.com or visit: ellenholloway.com/nfp-basics Magic Mind is the sponsor of this week's episode. Check them out at magicmind.co/intimacy use code INTIMACY20 at check out to save 20% of...
Oct 31, 2022•31 min•Ep. 94
Kathleen and I dive into the theological implications of NFP and the fact that NFP really exists as a solution to a modern problem we have because of Original Sin. Magic Mind is the sponsor of this week's episode. Check them out at magicmind.co/intimacy use code INTIMACY20 at check out to save 20% off of a one time purchase or 40% off total off of a subscription (only valid for the next 10 days)! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our...
Oct 24, 2022•36 min•Ep. 93
This conversation with Holly Baril is fascinating! We chat about her experience using and teaching the Creighton Model for over 20 years. Sneak peak: She would love to throw the chart out the window because charting is hard work and she's been doing it for what feels like forever, but she won't give it up because of the health benefits and knowledge of her body! Connect with Holly on Instagram ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our re...
Oct 17, 2022•32 min•Ep. 92
Brittany Pearson joins us to chat about the pelvic floor and how the health of your pelvic floor affects your life and especially your sex life! Find out more about Brittany here. Looking for more on the pelvic floor? Check out episode 70 with Jen of Tighten Your Tinkler. Looking for relief from pelvic floor issues? Tighten Your Tinkler's signature program is for you! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out...
Oct 10, 2022•30 min•Ep. 91
You've got femtech questions, we've got answers. We're running through a whole bunch of tech like Tempdrop, Natural Cycles, Daysy, Apple Watch, Clearblue, Ava, Mira, and Inito to give you some insight into where you can use these things in your fertility awareness journey (and which ones you definitely can't use, at least not yet). Interested in TempDrop? Get 10% off with code CHARTINGTOWARDINTIMACY ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for ...
Oct 03, 2022•42 min•Ep. 90
Christy Murray is back with us to discuss cycle irregularity, what it is, what's normal, and what you should do if you have irregularities. Christy came on the podcast before to share her journey through infertility - listen to episode 68 here. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improve your sex life and take it...
Sep 26, 2022•26 min•Ep. 89
What is the degree to which you idolize sex? Kathleen and I chat about what an idol is vs an icon and how we need to shift sex from being an idol to being an icon. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vinesinfullbloom.com Ready to improve your sex life and take it to the next level? Check out our courses: vinesinfullbloom.com/courses...
Sep 19, 2022•35 min•Ep. 88
Welcome to our NFP through the seasons series! We'll go from Adolescence to Perimenopause and everything in between. We made it to Perimenopause. This is the last episode in this series because it's the last season of charting that a woman would naturally have. Mary Finnigan joins us to chat about perimenopause and what you might expect when you head into the season of lessening fertility. ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recomm...
Sep 12, 2022•29 min•Ep. 87
Welcome to our NFP through the seasons series! We'll go from Adolescence to Perimenopause and everything in between. This week's topic is NFP during the postpartum season. Kristi from @postpartumgrace is joining us this week. If you're in it now, soon to be, or know someone in this season, this episode is a must listen! We talk methods, burnout, lack of sleep, health, mental capacity for charting, Baby Blues, PPA and PPD, and more! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on thi...
Sep 05, 2022•42 min•Ep. 86
Welcome to our NFP through the seasons series! We'll go from Adolescence to Perimenopause and everything in between. This week's topic is NFP when TTC (trying to conceive) when it's "difficult". Courtney Warday is joining us this week. What we mean by difficult is when you've been in this season for a while, maybe you're working with fertility specialists or a NaPro doctor, maybe you go in and out of hope, disappointment, resentment, longing, and so many more emotions. This episode is for you! T...
Aug 29, 2022•28 min•Ep. 85
Welcome to our NFP through the seasons series! We'll go from Adolescence to Perimenopause and everything in between. This week's topic is NFP when TTC (trying to conceive) when it's "easy". What we mean by easy is those of us who find ourselves pregnant before we even planned it or who decide to try and then get pregnant within just a cycle or two. Kathleen is here to share some thoughts and insights on this season which could be as short as a few hours! ___________________________________ Did w...
Aug 22, 2022•31 min•Ep. 84
Welcome to our NFP through the seasons series! We'll go from Adolescence to Perimenopause and everything in between. This week's topic is NFP use when Trying to Avoid (TTA) with irregularities in your cycle. Dr. Lisa Kimbell joins us to chat charting with both normal and abnormal cycle irregularities (think postpartum vs. charting with PCOS) and how NFP can still effectively be used during these seasons. NaPro FEMM Health NEO Fertility ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on...
Aug 15, 2022•20 min•Ep. 83
Welcome to our NFP through the seasons series! We'll go from Adolescence to Perimenopause and everything in between. This week's topic is NFP use when Trying to Avoid (TTA) in general. Jen and Logan of Surprised by Marriage join us this week. Check out their resources: https://surprisedbymarriage.com/ ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardintimacy/ or email us at ellen@vines...
Aug 08, 2022•25 min•Ep. 82
