Kesey Skoch joins us this week to talk about how our oversexualized culture is hurting our marriages, especially in the form of pornography. We talk about the real definition of pornography and how most of us have been exposed to pornography way more than we even realize. To hear Kelsey's story or get more information on how to be free, click here. The Orgasm Course for Catholic Women is available here. Special launch pricing of only $50 ends on October 6th, 2023. After that it goes up to $99, s...
Oct 09, 2023•33 min•Ep. 138
How was your sex education? Probably bad and not enough. In this episode we are diving into what is needed today in the church for adults: authentically Catholic sex education. We'll talk about what that is, where to find it, and why it's needed. The Orgasm Course for Catholic Women is LIVE . ___________________________________ 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@vinesinfullblo...
Oct 02, 2023•24 min•Ep. 137
We are answering a listener question in a full episode this week. We got a question about pregnancy sex and how it works with all the hormones, things feeling different, and positions. Listen in for tips ranging from positions to emotional support broken down by trimester. ___________________________________ 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 impr...
Sep 25, 2023•31 min•Ep. 136
Do you initiate regularly? If you don't, we think you should. But believe us, we're not sitting on our high thrones looking down on you with this topic, we're right there in the thick of getting more comfortable initiating ourselves. In this episode we're talking a little bit about why you should initiate more often, the conversations you need to have with your husband BEFORE you start initiating more regularly, and some ways to initiate if the idea of saying the words "Do you wannna have sex to...
Sep 18, 2023•28 min•Ep. 135
People pleasers and rule followers unite! We're talking about breaking the NFP rules in this episode and what that looks like for your marriage, potential pregnancies, and how your NFP instructor really doesn't care if you're choosing to break the rules. But also, if you "break the rules" meaning you use days within your fertile window, you should fully expect a possible pregnancy. Don't get mad at your body for working the way it's suppose to work. ___________________________________ Did we men...
Sep 11, 2023•29 min•Ep. 134
We're myth busting some common NFP Myths this week with special guest Agata! Ever wondered how to respond when people come at you with misunderstandings or just plain wrong info about NFP, fertility awareness or female fertility in general. We've got some answers and responses for you right 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@vinesinful...
Sep 04, 2023•34 min•Ep. 133
God calls us to some very difficult situations especially concerning chastity and sexual ethics and morality within marriage. This comes up a lot during the fertile window when a couple is trying to avoid pregnancy and therefore needs to abstain. This week we are talking about how God will never put you in a situation that you can't get through without his grace. You just have to be open to that grace ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here fo...
Aug 28, 2023•29 min•Ep. 132
How do I know if something is morally good or bad? Is there a way to judge the things we do in life (especially in the sexual realm) to know if it's the right thing to do? Yes! there is a way to judge human actions. The Church gives us a very clear, step-by-step process to evaluate the morality of an action. Ellen will talk you through these steps in this week's episode! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach ...
Aug 21, 2023•32 min•Ep. 131
Talking about sex can be very intimidating. We urge you to talk about "it" with your spouse regularly on this podcast, but how do you get into the habit of communicating about sex We'd like to introduce you to a new idea on how to bring the topic of sex into conversation on a regular basis and why it is important to regularly communicate about sex. Gottman Card Deck App ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach o...
Aug 14, 2023•30 min•Ep. 130
What is the Eternal Banquet, the wedding feast of the Lamb? What is that really? I mean honestly we don't know, but God gives us windows to peer in and see tiny glimmers of the glory that await us in Heaven. Sometimes we turn those windows, those icons to heaven into idols. Sex is one of those things that we idolize. In this episode we'll pose the question that you need to regularly be asking yourself, am I making an idol out of sex or am I allowing it to be the icon that it was designed to be? ...
Aug 07, 2023•30 min•Ep. 129
Pain with Sex is not normal. Let me say that again. Pain with sex is not normal. If you're experiencing pain, let this episode be the wakeup call you need to do something about the pain you're experiencing. Kathleen and Ellen share some of their experiences with pain and discomfort and give you some tips if you are experiencing pain! Links: Sweet Almond Oil Tighten Your Tinkler use code CHARTING50 for $50 off! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Clic...
Jul 31, 2023•29 min•Ep. 128
Every heard the term cycle syncing? well that's not what we're talking about in this episode. We're talking about ways to understand how to live your life to the fullest through the different phases of your cycle. How can you maximize your energy levels and focus on family time in ways that won't make you stomp around your house wanting to throw everything out! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at ins...
Jul 24, 2023•36 min•Ep. 127
We're talking mindset when it comes to sex for those of us ladies. This is a huge topic and we just scratch the surface on opening up some of the reasons we think and act the way we do around sex and some tips on how to improve your mindset when it comes to sex! ___________________________________ 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 se...
Jul 17, 2023•31 min•Ep. 126
What constitutes a healthy sexual relationship? How do you know if you and your spouse have a healthy and mature sexual relationship? We dive into the characteristics of a healthy sexual relationship in this episode so that you can take stock of your own relationship. ___________________________________ 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 y...
Jul 10, 2023•37 min•Ep. 125
The Sacrament of Marriage and the Sacrament of the Eucharist have some incredible connections. In fact, marriage acts as a sort of analogy for the Mass. We're going to dive into this and even more in this episode. If marriage is an analogy for the Mass, what kinds of connections can be made about the use of contraception in a marriage and what that would look like analogously in the Mass? We'll answer that question too! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's epi...
Jul 03, 2023•33 min•Ep. 124
We are talking today about rules--the rules of our faith and how the rules around our faith are not arbitrary or oppressive! The church should not be viewed as oppressive, especially in regards to our sexuality. There's a really good reason it's not just free for all, and we're going to get into that in this episode. The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/...
Jun 26, 2023•27 min•Ep. 123
Guess what! You and your spouse are different people who have different wants and needs. Your spouse is not going to want the exact same things you want and you're not going to want the exact things your spouse wants. In fact, you spouse might not care one bit about something you want, and THAT'S OK. Here's why, it's your job as spouse to communicate your wants and needs to your spouse. Your spouse isn't going to care unless you share how important it is to you. Sometimes that means you have to ...
Jun 19, 2023•33 min•Ep. 122
It might not sound as sexy as you think. The one thing you can do to improve your sex life is to work on your marriage as a whole! Looking for Abundant the full marriage course we mentioned on the podcast? Click right here ! If you sign up through this link, you'll get a free one hour coaching session with Ellen alongside the course! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at instagram.com/chartingtowardint...
Jun 12, 2023•30 min•Ep. 121
Here's the deal, you're not going to get good at sex by yourself. It takes two to tango! Sex is a team effort, and it takes practice to get good! The best sex happens when each spouse is focused more on the other than on themselves. If you're looking to get to have all-star sex, you need to train like an athlete. That means practice, communicate, and practice more! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach out at...
Jun 05, 2023•30 min•Ep. 120
Did you know there are two main types of desire? Spontaneous and Responsive. If you feel like your desire is always lacking or you "never" feel like having sex, you might have responsive desire. Guess what: You're not broken at all. In fact, you're completely normal. When it comes to desire, sometimes just the knowledge of what kind of desire you have can help so much! ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Click here for our recommended books! Reach ou...
May 29, 2023•27 min•Ep. 119
Sex is a window to something greater. It is an icon, or image, of God's love for us. Even within good, faithful Catholic marriages, sex can be a point of contention because we aren't seeing God through sex and our sexual relationship. We're looking at sex not through sex. When you switch your mindset and start to look through sex toward God, it becomes easier to love your spouse. (not EASY, it becomes EASIER!) ___________________________________ Did we mention a book on this week's episode? Clic...
May 22, 2023•36 min•Ep. 118
Want to get started with NFP but don't know where to go? Heard of NFP but you don't really know what it is? Have some questions about Natural Family Planning that you haven't been able to get a clear answer on? Look no further than this episode. Kathleen and Ellen answer the basic question of "What the heck is NFP?" We go over the cycle, methods of fertility awareness, the difference between birth control and using NFP, and a bunch of frequently asked questions about NFP like "why does is cost m...
May 15, 2023•28 min•Ep. 117
Got questions about your first time? We have answers! Kathleen and Ellen share a little bit about their own first times to make you feel like you're not alone if your first time is.....not so great. We touch on questions like "what lube should we use?" "How do we figure out positions?" "What if we're tired on the wedding night?" "My friend told me about bleeding, what's the deal with that?" Our Lube recommendations: Almond oil or Jojoba Oil Sex Blanket Mentionables (get 10% off with code Ellen10...
May 08, 2023•50 min•Ep. 116
Sister M. Karolyn Nunes is joining us this week to talk about sexual wounds and healing. As the vocation director of her community, Sr. Karolyn helps to direct many women discerning religious life to start their own healing journeys when they have sexual wounds. One of the things lacking in marriage prep is ensuring that the healing process has begun for sexual issues, baggage, addictions, etc. Sr. Karolyn is chatting with us about how we can integrate this healing into our own lives whether we ...
May 01, 2023•44 min•Ep. 115
Let's talk about selfishness and NFP! This episode is stemming from a lot of talk about "contraceptive mentality." We're not really talking about contraceptive mentality in this episode, we're talking about the underlying question behind the conversations about contraceptive mentality: Can NFP be used selfishly? what about if you change the semantics and ask this question: can fertility awareness be used selfishly? The answer is actually different and we dive into what those answers are and why ...
Apr 24, 2023•31 min•Ep. 114
Ever heard the phrase "It's just not supposed to be this hard!" Maybe you've said it yourself. Well when it comes to your sanctification, it actually probably is supposed to be that hard. Holiness is hard, really hard. We're talking about how holiness is hard in relation to married life. A lot of the time engaged and married couples have a lack of understanding that marriage is for the other person and for sanctification, it's not for you and your happiness. The goal of marriage is to get you to...
Apr 17, 2023•31 min•Ep. 113
In this episode we are talking about scheduling sex--pros and cons, when it works and when it doesn't. Scheduling sex is a tool in the arsenal of ways to improve your sexual relationship. But here's the thing, scheduling does not work for every couple. Maybe it works for both of you, neither of you, or maybe it works for one spouse and not the other. For example, Here's a pro for scheduling sex: We give priority to things that are on the schedule. Are you prioritizing sex? If scheduling sex allo...
Apr 10, 2023•23 min•Ep. 112
Ellen and Kathleen are back with another Charting Toward Intimacy episode. This week, we are talking about foreplay. What is foreplay? We have two basic categories for you Anticipatory Foreplay and Escalatory Foreplay Anticipatory Foreplay is simply things that make you anticipate sex at some point in the future. Anticipatory is more emotional in nature, but can still be physical. Escalatory Foreplay is things that lead to arousal and then sex. Escalatory is more physical in nature, but can stil...
Apr 03, 2023•31 min•Ep. 111
Have you ever felt like it's impossible to actually desire sex or to get turned on? Like the pot that doesn't boil until you walk away from it, you might be like us and not get turned on if you're thinking too much about it. It's not until you walk away, or focus on something else that your desire pokes its head out and looks around. We'll talk strategy and tips for getting your own pot to boil! Interested in checking out the Tighten Your Tinkler signature program? Click Here Use the code CHARTI...
Mar 27, 2023•33 min•Ep. 110
God is the model of intimate sexual communication...excuse me, what?!? In this episode we're discussing how because our marriages are an image of the relationship God wants to have with us, the ways that God communicates with his people in the Old Testament is a model for us of how we should be communicating in our most intimate relationships. Namely, God is EXTREMELY specific, and you should be too! We'll give you some tips, our own experience, and some more background on this concept. Interest...
Mar 20, 2023•32 min•Ep. 109
