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My Daybook :: November 25, 2013

Nov 25, 2013 | , , , | 72 Comments


Outside my window… 
It has been a beautiful day.  The sun will be setting soon and I probably should be making dinner, but since the baby toddler is still napping and the rest of the kids are outside playing I decided to pop in here instead!

I am thinking…        
about my babies in heaven.

I am thankful… 
for God’s grace and the uncountable number of blessings He has sent my way.  God is Good, all the time!

Learning all the time… 
our thanksgiving break has arrived.  I’ll be doing some Math lessons with the younger ones, since they fell a little behind during their trip to see their grandparents, but other than that we are all very excited to have the week off our “official” lessons.  Of course, that doesn’t mean the learning stops… just that it is a lot more fun! 😉

Celebrating the liturgical year… 
today is the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria.  Since she is the patron for one of our daughters we also celebrate a name-day today!

Catherine of Alexandria from Lives and Legends of Saints

From the kitchen… 
a heart shaped cake.  It is perfect for today in so many different ways.

Spice Cake, Heart Shaped Pan, Dusted with Powdered Sugar

I am working on… 
cleaning and organizing our home…  Rose’s Godparents and their six children (including our newest goddaughter!) will be spending Thanksgiving with us this year and they arrive tomorrow night!  We are all so excited!

I am creating… 
a meal plan for the next few days.

I am going… 
to run to the store tonight or tomorrow… I ordered some fudge from my friend Jacinta that I need to pick up and also forgot to by sweet potatoes!  (Note: Jacinta is offering 10% off through November with the code TISTHESEASON!  It’s the perfect time to place an order for Christmas – it is amazing fudge!)

I am praying… 
the Act of Resignation to the Will of God from Mother Love   Such a beautiful prayer and there is a partial indulgence attached when united to performing your duties or bearing the trial of life.

May the most just, most high, and most amiable will of God be done in all things, be praised and magnified forever! 

I am reading… 
a new Advent and Christmas book that arrived in my mailbox today.   I was actually sent two copies – one to review and one to giveaway!  I hope you all aren’t sick of the giveaways yet! 😉

Pondering these words…
from today’s Quiet Moment in Catholic Digest:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.” 
Proverbs 3:5-6

Around the house… 
still so much to do to prepare for company and dinner will not make itself, so I had better get going… But I do have a review and giveaway to post first!

One of my favorite things…  
the surprises (I like to think of them as little gifts from heaven) that always arrive on November 24-25th!  Last year it was a St. Christopher picture book.  This year it was a stunning St. Therese Rosary from Gail Giron Designs!   I agreed to review one of her products and host a giveaway months ago and just love that it happened to arrive today, and is covered with roses!  Thank you Gail!


The pictures don’t even do justice to this gorgeous St. Therese Rosary!   It is made with Rhodochrosite, Solid Bronze Medals and Roses, Faceted Crystals and all wire-wrapped for longevity.


My husband actually met Gail when he was on a fire assignment in Colorado last year and was admiring her rosaries after Mass!  Gail said this rosary she choose to send as a sample was very similar to the one he was looking at back then.  The quality and craftsmanship is simply outstanding!

Gail has a number of items available in her Etsy shop and also accepts custom orders.  In fact my mom, after seeing Gail’s new ad in the sidebar, had me help her order three of the bracelets to give my sisters as Christmas gifts.  After they arrived, my mom mentioned that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to part with all of them!  Since then she has placed a second order for a forth bracelet, and still hopes to order a couple more… I have a lot of sisters! 😉   Keep scrolling down to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a bracelet of your own! 

This week’s plans…
  • Spend lots of time with friends and family! I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving and Blessed First Sunday of Advent!  (Just in case I am not able to make it back to the computer this week… We’ll see!) 

A Giveaway…

Gail Giron Design has generously offered to send a lovely Rose Bracelet to one of my visitors here at Shower of Roses!


Please visit Gail Giron Design’s Blog, Etsy Shop and Facebook Page! 

You can enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below: 


On the Feast of St. Cecilia :: A Sweet and Simple Treat

Nov 23, 2013 | , , , , | 43 Comments

Let the deep organ swell the lay, 
In honor of this festive day. 
Let the harmonious choirs proclaim, 
Cecilia’s ever blessed name.

This afternoon, after getting home from Mass, the girls had so much fun making a simple and sweet treat for the feast of St. Cecilia!  We enjoyed listening to Cecilia, Saint of the Catacombs – The Story of Saint Cecilia to and reading a little more about this beautiful saint from Saints: Lives and Illuminations.  

Can You Find Saint Cecilia? 

The dresses arrived this week from Sew Sweet by Shannon and were sent as samples – along with some adorable Felt Breakfast Food – for hosting a giveaway here at Shower of Roses! (Thank you Shannon!) 

Shannon is a 17 year old Catholic homeschool graduate who recently opened her shop over at Etsy!  She offers modest clothing for girls and women, lovely tote bags, and much more!   I immediately fell in love with all the beautiful and well-made items she sent and am already considering another dress for Rose (maybe in green?) and a couple of her tote bags for myself and oldest daughter.  

Sew Sweet by Shannon has generously offered the following two prizes to the visitors here at Shower of Roses! 

Please enter the giveaway below:

Cecilia with a two-fold crown,
Adorned in heaven we pray look down,
Upon thy fervent children here
And harken to their humble prayer.

Sancta Cecilia, Ora Pro Nobis!

Celebrating the Saints :: Our Annual All Hallows’ Eve Party!

Nov 21, 2013 | , | 10 Comments

The feast of All Saints has come and gone. With Thanksgiving and Advent just around the corner, I need to hurry up and share the pictures from this year’s party, which we hosted once again at our home on All Hallows’ Eve!  I am fighting a cold so I am going to just let the pictures tell most of the story, otherwise this post may end up permanently in my drafts folder with so many others!  🙂

St. John Vianney, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Gregory the Great, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John of the Cross,  – All Saints in Heaven, Pray for us!

 

.: Our 2013 Saints :.

As always we began the evening with the holy rosary praying that we may all one day be Saints in Heaven, as well as for our Departed Clergy, Departed Family, Departed Friends, and for the Forgotten Dead. Afterwards we took a group photo of all the children who came to the party dressed as saints!






.: “I Love All Saints…” Game :. 

My friend Trina coordinated some of the games for this year’s party and most of the games she choose were variations of youth group games. (Her husband was the Youth Minister here for many years.)

This gave was a variation of “Do you love your neighbor?”
All the children sat on “chairs” (pieces of paper) in a large circle. One of the children stood in the middle and said “I love all saints… especially saints who _________.” (fill in the blank)

For example, if the child in the middle says “I love all saints, especially those who are male.” All the boys must move from their spots and find different ones. They may not take a spot directly next to the one they are already at. This gives the person in the center time to take a spot and escape from the middle.

The person in the middle may say anything within reason to get people to move. For example: I especially love saints who are in heaven, saints who have been martyred, saints who were bishops, saints who are wearing white, etc.



All the “saints” all had such a blast playing this game!

.: Potluck Dinner :.





.: Saintly Scattergories :. 

Another game Trina coordinated was a Saint version of Scattergories!  All the children paired up in teams.  After a letter of the alphabet was announced they tried to come up with as many saints as they could whose names started with that letter! 
I was very impressed with how many saints the children were able to name on the spot for any given letter.  Trina also made treat bags to hand out as prizes for this game. 

.: Saint Presentations :.

As always I had special treats for all the children who came dressed in costume and stood up to share a little about their saint with everyone.


I also ended up giving all the older children who were not in costume candy bars as well telling them that it was “just like grace… We don’t deserve it, but God gives it to us anyways!” 😉

.: All Hallows’ Eve Bonfire :.




.: More Saintly Games :.

Saint Themed Guessing Jars


Rascal did end up winning that jar of Pumpkins which he was carefully calculating!  Our kids actually won 4 of the 11 jars: Snuggles won the jar of St. Nicholas Gold Coins, Chiquita won the Holy Souls Marshmallows and Twinkle Toes won the St. Therese Roses! I guess all that extra math tutoring is paying off! 😉 

All Saints Bingo

We played All Saints Bingo again this year… 



... with plenty of prizes!

Almighty and eternal God, who hast granted us to venerate the merits of all Thy saints in one celebration: we beg Thee to bestow upon us the desired abundance of Thy mercy on account of this great number of intercessors. 


All Saints in Heaven, Pray for us!

Our 2013 Advent & Christmas Book Baskets

Nov 17, 2013 | , , , , | 215 Comments

Note: Our updated Advent & Christmas Picture Book Collection can be found here. 

We love books. We love Advent and Christmas. We love books about Advent and Christmas!

We started our Christmas book collection in 2000, following the birth of our oldest son, and we still love adding to it each year.  In 2007, following the release of Christmas Mosaic: An Illustrated Book Study for Children, we started reading a picture book as a family each day during Advent, incorporating some of Cay’s wonderful study guides and activities. That same year our public libraries were all closed due to a lack of funding (and stayed closed for a few years) so I was very thankful to have her booklists to use as a guide when searching for new books to purchase for my children.

Four years ago I started wrapping our books for Advent with purple and pink wrapping paper, coordinating with the liturgical color for each week. I wondered at first if it would be worth the effort (and all that paper!) but this is now one of my children’s favorite Advent traditions.  They love taking turns unwrapping the books as well as the special time we spend together reading.  (In the past I have also wrapped twelve books in gold for the twelve days of Christmas, but I have decided not to do that this year. The past couple years it has been so busy during those days following Christmas that there isn’t much extra time for reading.)  Some years I have incorporate books that tie in to the various feast days that will be celebrated and last year I had the children each choose four of their favorites to be wrapped.

With Advent beginning in just two weeks I spent some time this past week sorting through all our Christmas books. I filled a bag with the books to donate (ones we don’t care for or no longer want to keep for various reasons), pulled aside all the books we will read this Advent, and filled a couple of additional baskets with the rest of our collection.  This year I am going back to the original inspiration for our book a day and wrapping up books from the suggestions in Christmas Mosaic based on the four different themes: Decoration/Preparation, Giving/St. Nicholas, Family and Nativity/Angels/Epiphany.

(Note: I usually purchase rolls of the purple and pink wrapping paper at Target.)

Here is the list of books we will be reading this Advent and Christmas:

Note: This year almost all the books listed for Advent are featured with study guides in Christmas Mosaic: An Illustrated Book Study for Advent and Christmas unless otherwise noted. We will spend a little time each afternoon reading and discussing the books using the study guides and also incorporating extra activities when we have time! 

Christmas Mosaic Theme: Decoration and Preparation

December 1 (First Sunday of Advent) ~ Waiting for Christmas: A Story about the Advent Calendar
We will also decorate for Advent with Advent Calendars, Advent Wreath, Jesse Tree, etc…  Set out Manger for Baby Jesus and all of our Christmas Books.   Bless the Advent Wreath during nighttime prayers.  Choose names for Christkindl!  I also plan to surprise the children with the Holy Heroes New Jesse Tree DVD to go along with our new Jesse Tree Swap Ornaments!

December 2 ~ The Christmas Cobwebs

December 3 ~ Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel
*Celebrate the Feast of St. Francis Xavier

December 4 ~ The Cobweb Curtain: A Christmas Story

December 5 ~ The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey with CD: Gift Edition
*Bake St. Nicholas Cookies 

December 6 (Feast of St. Nicholas) ~ Santa’s Favorite Story * This is included during week two, but since the feast of St. Nicholas is earlier in Advent this year I moved this book to week one.
*Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas

December 7 (Feast of St. Ambrose) ~  A Christmas Memory (*This was a new purchase this year, and we decided not to add this book to our collection.)
*Decorate our Christ Candle for Christmas

Christmas Mosaic Theme: Giving 

December 8 (Second Sunday of Advent) ~ Gifts from the Heart (Not pictured… New to us and I haven’t recieved our copy to pre-read yet.  No study guide available. Update: We decided not to keep this book after all.)  
*Cut Down Christmas Tree after Mass 

December 9 ~ The Christmas Candle
* The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin – transferred from the 2nd Sunday of Advent; Feast of St. Juan Diego

December 10 (Feast of Our Lady of Loreto) ~  Shoemaker Martin (*using the guide for The Shoemaker’s Dream – same story but depicted by a different artist)

December 11 ~ The Christmas Coat (ordered from the library)

December 12 (Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) ~ The Gift of the Magi
*Begin Christmas Rose Novena; possibly have our Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea 

December 13 (Feast of St. Lucy) ~ The Bear’s Christmas Surprise (purchased a used copy on Amazon – it’s still on it’s way)
*Celebrate the Feast of St. Lucy

December 14 ~  A Small Miracle

Christmas Mosaic Theme: Family (and Birthdays!)

December 15  (Third Sunday of Advent – Rose’s Birthday – Gaudete Sunday) ~ Pinkalicious: Merry Pinkmas! **No Study Guide**
* Rose/Pink Themed Birthday Party for Rose’s 4th Birthday!  We will also read Bambinelli Sunday! 

December 16 ~ An Orange for Frankie 

December 17 ~ Silent Night
*O Wisdom…  (View all our O Antiphon Plans here.)

December 18 ~ The Christmas Promise
*O Adonai, and Ruler of the House…

December 19 (Bud’s Birthday) ~  That’s Not My Reindeer (also available directly from my Usborne website!) **No Study Guide**
*Deer/Woodland Themed Birthday Party for Bud’s 2nd Birthday! 
*O Root of Jesse…

December 20 ~ One Christmas Dawn
*Bake Cookies for Christmas to give as gifts 
*O Key of David – Key Lime Pie and Sparkling Drinks with Dinner

December 21 ~ Night Tree
*O Dayspring… Hot Cocoa in thermoses and drive around to see Christmas lights after dinner!

Christmas Mosaic Theme: Nativity, Angels and Epiphany


December 22 (Fourth Sunday of Advent) ~ The Christmas Bird by Sallie Ketcham
(we may also read The Christmas Bird by Bernadette Watts) 
*Bake and Decorate Cut-out Cookies.
*O King of the Gentiles…

December 23 ~  Father and Son: A Nativity Story   
*Bake Starlight Cookies
*O Emmanuel… 

December 24 (Christmas Eve) ~ Mortimer’s Christmas Manger and Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers
*Gingerbread House Decorating Party and Midnight Mass

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After sorting through our collection, filling a bag with a number of our old books to donate for various reasons, here is the list of books that will remain on our shelves and in our Advent and Christmas Book Baskets this year:

~ Advent and Christmas Chapter Books ~

Christmas at Stony Creek 
Destination: Bethlehem
Letters from Father Christmas
The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories by O. Henry
The Story of Holly and Ivy
The Thirteen Days of Christmas
The Trees Kneel at Christmas

A Christmas Chronicle
The Catholic Christmas Book of Cherished Christmas Customs
The Church Mouse of Saint Nicholas
The Eternal Babe (poetry)
The True Meaning of Christmas by Fulton Sheen

~ Early Advent ~

Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas
The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas, An Austin Family Story (more of a chapter book)
Waiting for Noel: An Advent Story
A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays

~ December 6th :: Feast of St. Nicholas ~

A Gift from St. Nicholas (we don’t love the illustrations in this one)
Saint Nicholas
St. Nicholas: A Closer Look at Christmas (coffee table style book)
The Baker’s Dozen: A St. Nicholas Tale (our “Baker’s Dozen” inspired cookies)
The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi (great book, definitely a favorite)
The Miracle of Saint Nicholas (about a church named “Saint Nicholas” – definitely near the top of my list of favorites for Advent and Christmas)
The Real Santa Claus: Legends of Saint Nicholas (another favorite, most appropriate for older children, especially love the illustrations)
Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend (board book)
Kersti and Saint Nicholas (chapter book, not pictured)

~ December 9th & 12th :: Feasts of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe ~

Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe (not pictured)
Our Lady of Guadalupe by Father Lovasik
Our Lady of Guadalupe(Coloring Book)
Our Lady of Guadalupe  by Carmen t. Bernier-Grand
Our Lady of Guadalupe (pop-up)
The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe Empress of the Americas (*there are still a few copies available here at the old price, plus you can support the sisters with your purchase!)

~ December 13th :: Feast of St. Lucia ~

Bells of Santa Lucia
Hanna’s Christmas
Kirsten’s Surprise: A Christmas Story
Lucia Morning in Sweden
Lucia, Child of Light: The History And Traditions of Sweden’s Lucia Celebration
Lucia, Saint of Light

~ Christmas Around the World ~

Baboushka: A Christmas Folktale from Russia
Christmas Around the World
Marta and the Manger Straw: A Christmas Tradition form Poland
Miracle of the Poinsettia
Pablo’s Christmas
The Miraculous Child: A Christmas Folktale from Old Russia

~ Christmas Books Inspired by Music ~

All for the Newborn Baby
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas
Mary Engelbreit’s Nutcracker
O Holy Night
Stephen’s Feast
The Huron Carol

~ Christmas Crafts and Baking ~
~ Historical Christmas Books ~

Christmas from Heaven: The True Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber
Christmas in the Trenches
War Game: Village Green to No-Man’s Land

~ Legends, Inspirational Stories & Other Miscellaneous Books ~

Angela and the Baby Jesus
Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing (not pictured)
On Christmas Eve

The Three Gifts of Christmas: Book with Audio CD

~ Christmas ABC’s ~

ABC is for Christmas (A Little Golden Book)
S is for Star: A Christmas Alphabet (*also available in paperback for much less)
The Christmas ABC (A Little Golden Book – reprinted this year, not pictured)
The Angels Alphabet by Hilda Van Stockum (OOP – I found our copy on ebay)

~ The Christmas Story ~

Bethlehem
Christmas in the Barn
Christmas Night Fair and Bright
Little Star
On That Christmas Night (not pictured)
One Winter’s Night

Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey
The Christmas Bell
The Christmas Story (A Little Golden Book)
The Donkey’s Dream
The First Christmas
The Nativity by Ruth Sanderson
The Stable Where Jesus Was Born
The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale (not pictured)
There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve

~ The Twelve Days of Christmas ~

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Laurel Long
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Gennady Spirin
The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Christmas Carol (A Little Golden Book)
The Twelve Days of Christmas: The Story Behind a Favorite Christmas Song
Twelve Days of Christmas Stained Glass Coloring Book

~ January 6 :: Feast of Epiphany ~ 

Babushka and the Three Kings
Small Camel Follows the Star
The Last Straw
The Third Gift
We Three Kings

~ Board Books for our Littlest Ones ~

A Christmas Carol

*These will be given to the children on Christmas.

A Child’s Story of the Nativity Illustrated by Masha
That Wonderful Night: The Story of the Very First Christmas
The Christmas Anna Angel 
The Little Juggler

Cay Gibson, author of Catholic Mosaic and Christmas Mosaic, has generously offered to send one of my visitors a signed copy of Christmas Mosaic!  If you would like to enter the giveaway please do so below: 

Somehow, not only for Christmas but all the long year through, 
The joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you;
And the more you spend in blessing the poor and lonely and sad, 
The more of your heart’s possessing returns to make you glad.
– The Joy of Giving, John Greenleaf Whittier
excerpt from Christmas Mosaic

New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas

Nov 15, 2013 | , , , | 153 Comments

I’ve been busy finishing my Jesse Tree Swap Ornaments the past few days and finally, after staying up until way too late last night early this morning painting and assembling, got them wrapped and shipped this afternoon, barely making the deadline!  It took way longer than I thought it would to make 35 angel ornaments… I’m glad I participated though and we are all excited to see the other ornaments when our box arrives!

Anyways, every year on December 6th, the feast of St. Nicholas, our children wake up to find their shoes or slippers filled with treats and chocolate gold coins (sometimes they even find new shoes or slippers if they are needed), along with a new Christmas Picture Book to add to our ever growing collection.  I just finished wrapping the books for this year with red paper, attaching a rose tag with each child’s name.  Here’s a peek at the books Sean and I choose for this year:

For Captain:
Letters from Father Christmas
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien? I couldn’t resist!

“Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in a strange, spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or painting. The letters were from Father Christmas. They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone North Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house, and many more. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by Tolkien’s inventiveness in this classic holiday treat.”
For Rascal: 

“From little things come big things,” Gail Halvorsen remembered his father saying. As a twenty-seven-year-old American pilot, Brother Halvorsen’s job was to airdrop much-needed food and supplies to the people of West Berlin in the aftermath of World War II. But it was his simple gift of two sticks of gum that launched an extraordinary humanitarian endeavor and earned him the nickname “The Candy Bomber.” Each day as hundreds of small white parachutes delivered treats to the children of West Germany, the wounds of war began to heal. “Operation Little Vittles” captured the imagination of people everywhere, bringing the spirit of Christmas to a world in need of peace and hope.  Famed broadcast journalist and author Tom Brokaw brings this remarkable true story to life in a stunning live performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, captured on the accompanying DVD. Also included in the book is a template and directions for creating your own “Candy Bomber” parachutes..”

For Twinkle Toes: 
Out of print, but so sweet if you can find a copy for a reasonable price!

“Christmas is a special time at Pumpkin House, where two dolls named Sethany Ann and Nicey Melinda live. Every Christmas they invite their friends to join them for an elegant dinner party and a marionette show. The dolls have fun getting ready for their party: they send out invitations to their guests by Sparrow Post, decorate their very own Christmas tree with silver nutmegs and golden pears, and prepare doll-size cookies and other treats for the party. Then at “candlelight-time” on Christmas Day the guests begin to arrive, and the evening isn’t over until the last carol has been sung around the tree. Tasha Tudor’s delightful tale captures all the charm and magic of an old-fashioned Christmas shared with your dearest friends. Beautifully illustrated in nostalgic watercolor paintings, this book will be treasured by generations to come.”

For Chiquita:
Written by Hilda van Stockum (author of one of my boys’ all time favorite books) I was so excited to see that this book has been republished!

“A beautifully illustrated book for the Holidays about Kersti, a mischievous little girl who is always misbehaving, much to the dismay of her six older sisters and parents. As St. Nicholas Day approaches, Kersti worries that she won’t receive any gifts and sets out on an adventure.”

For Snuggles: 

Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing 
Love, love, love this new book by Amy Welborn.  It is going to be perfect for our six year old! Be sure to enter the giveaway below to possibly win a copy!

“Alessandro is staying with his grandparents, who run a small shop that sells figures for the presepe (Nativity scene), while his parents look for work in another country. To help with the boy s loneliness, his grandfather encourages Alessandro to make his own figure of the baby Jesus. They will bring that figure to Rome in two weeks to have it blessed by the Holy Father on Bambinelli Sunday. Through the events that occur in the time leading up to receiving the blessing in St. Peter’s Square, Alessandro comes to see his world in a new way, and receives the best surprise of all in the end. This book for children ages 7-10 tells a wonderful story about sharing, comfort, generosity, and forgiveness through the lens of a long-standing Italian tradition. The beautiful illustrations and timeless story make this a treasure Advent and Christmas resource for generations to come.”

For Rose: 

“The traditional Christmas story is retold in gorgeous language which recreates the mystery and awe that filled the holy night when Jesus was born. From Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay for the night to the arrival of the three travelers from the East bearing rich gifts, this lovely book tells the first Christmas story. With beautiful, jewel-toned illustrations, this exquisite book will be treasured by any child who receives it. The perfect Christmas gift!”
For Bud: 

“From 12 drowsy doves to 7 soft sheep to 4 shaggy camels, this lovely board-book edition of Stable in Bethlehem celebrates the wonders of Christmas–with a counting concept built right in. Joy N. Hulme and Dan Andreasen, the team behind the Sterling picture book Easter Babies, perfectly capture the spirit of the season with gentle rhymes and softly hued, charming pictures. The ideal addition to any Christmas stocking!”

For Dad:

OOP – Imprimatur 1955 – I purchased a used copy on Ebay

“The kind of reading Catholic families need at Christmas—and can rarely find anymore. Charming illustrations that capture Christmas for your little ones—and a message for older children and adults on the real meaning of Christmas from one of the 20th century’s best speakers: Fulton J. Sheen. Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s charming retelling of the Christmas story makes a wonderful read-aloud for the whole family. Illustrated throughout in color. The late Archbishop offers food for thought for the older members of the family—thoughts that can be easily explained to the younger members with the aid of illustrations. (And these aren’t the cartoonish illustrations we see in so many children’s books these days, even in some Catholic children’s books. These are illustrations which elevate and inspire while capturing a child’s imagination.) Archbishop Sheen at his best.”

For Mom:

Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Art of Waiting
After seeing a number of recommendations, this will be my reading this Advent.

“These Advent reflections by the abbess of a Poor Clare monastery, an accomplished spiritual writer, focus our attention on the coming of Jesus into our lives. There is a double movement to this coming; both our active preparation to be ready for him and our patient waiting for the Lord to arrive in his own good time. There is also an art to this simultaneous preparation and waiting, and no one knows better than the beloved Mother Mary Francis how to encourage us in our attempts to master this art. Meditating on passages from Scripture about the coming of the Messiah into the world and our hearts, Mother challenges us to persevere in overcoming our faults and keeping our eyes on the Lord who has called us to himself-for it is he, through the gifts of his grace, who will complete in us the work of sanctification which he has begun.”

Additional New Book for the Family:

I always love finding books that go along with some of our Christmas baking!  Last year we had fun with The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher, Cookie Cutters Tell the Story of Christmas, The Baker’s Dozen :: A Saint Nicholas Tale and Baking Cookies for the Feast!, The Twelve Days of Christmas and more!  This year our plans will include baking “Maggie’s Favorite Cranberry Cookies” from the back cover of Cranberry Christmas!

Cranberry Christmas 
(… Now back in print along with Cranberry Thanksgiving!) 

“Old Cyrus Grape doesn’t like children. And he insists that the skating pond is ‘his.’ Mr. Whiskers knows this isn’t true, but since he can’t prove it, there’ll be no skating…not even on Christmas Day! That is…unless cleaning Mr. Whiskers’ house uncovers some important information. This 1976 classic is back for a new generation of Devlin fans to enjoy, with Maggie’s favorite cranberry cookie recipe on the back.”

I am also curious about The Message of the Birds and Gifts of the Heart. I tried to preview copies at our local bookstore, but they didn’t have them in stock.  If any one has seen them I’d love to hear your opinion. 

My favorite recently published Christmas themed picture book is definitely Bambinelli Sunday!  I would like to give a copy to one of my visitors here at Shower of Roses for Advent! 


Enter the giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the rest of our Christmas picture books listed in the archives! 
*I’ll have this year’s Advent Book Baskets up soon along with a giveaway for a signed copy of Christmas Mosaic!

Celebrating the Saints :: St. Martin of Tours

Nov 13, 2013 | , , , | 18 Comments

Celebrating the Saints :: St. Martin of Tours

“The most common, and universal, harvest and thanksgiving celebration in medieval times was held on the Feast of St. Martin of Tours (Martinmas) on November 11. It was a holiday in Germany, France, Holland, England, and in central Europe. People first went to Mass and observed the rest of the day with games, dances, parades, and a festive dinner, the main feature of the meal being the traditional roast goose (Martin’s goose). . .”  – The Holyday Book: The Celebration of Holydays, Feastdays & Festivals

The past few years, with the feast of St. Martin right after our annual All Hallows’ Eve/All Saints Party and the busy days that follow, I am usually still recovering and end up keeping the feast of St. Martin extra simple.   This year, however, since we had some friends join us to “Celebrate the Saints” I went all out for Martinmas!  The children all had a wonderful time and learned so much about St. Martin and the various traditions attached to his feast day. 

CRAFT: MARTIMAS LANTERNS

In many countries, including Germany, Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month. Bonfires are built, and children carry lanterns in the streets after dark, singing songs for which they are rewarded with candy.  (In our case it was cookies and St. Martin bags!)

I posted all the details and instructions for our Martinmas Lanterns here. 

Rose very much enjoyed explaining to her older sisters how it is done! 😉 

TIP #1 – Be sure to cover the table with a disposable plastic tablecloth.

TIP #2 – DO NOT leave a room full of boys unattended with a bottle of Mod Podge!

TIP #3 – A blazing wood stove will help speed up the drying process.  

STORYTIME

Here are the books I choose from our collection to share with the children this year… 

Introduction and Art Appreciation: 

Lives and Legends of the Saints 

by Carole Armstrong

“A lavishly illustrated volume–featuring the famed works of Raphael, Bosch, and Giotto–recounts the dramatic histories of many Christian saints, including John the Baptist, Francis of Assisi, and Joan of Arc.”

Art Appreciation:  Saint Martin’s Renunciation of Arms by Simone Martini about 1284-1344 S. Francesco, Assisi

Read and Discuss:

Saint Martin of Tours

from Saints: Lives and Illuminations by Ruth Sanderson

St. Martin of Tours

The Mantle of Charity: St. Martin of Tours – Patron of Tailors

printed from Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact (using the images I created little folded booklets)

My husband is so awesome!  He took over reading and discussing the stories with the children while they colored, giving me a much needed break.  

ST. MARTIN OF TOURS COLORING PAGE

Once again Charlotte’s free and downloadable coloring page of St. Martin of Tours was a hit!

I did hear one of the boys say that he looked “a little girlie…” 

… which they then all quickly remedied with some facial hair!

“Hey Mom, look!  I gave him a mustache like Dad had when he was younger!”  (Yes, that was before we met!) 

I think the hairy hands was taking it a little too far! 😉 

“Bud” really enjoyed his godmother’s coloring page too! 

The children (ages 1-13!) all enjoyed coloring and did an excellent job! 

ST. MARTIN COOKIES

After creating these St. Martin Cookies, I am officially in love with Catholic themed cookie molds.  I just wish they weren’t so expensive!  We all have our favorite hobbies though, and creating “Catholic Cuisine” is one of mine.   Thankfully my husband has always been supportive when it comes to purchasing things that help enhance our faith and help teach our children about the saints, so hopefully he will buy me another mold (or two!) for Christmas!  I’ve added quite a few of them to my “wish list!” 

ST. MARTIN BAGS

“Il-Borża ta’ San Martin, or St. Martin’s Bags, are a festive tradition in Malta on the feast of St. Martin of Tours. Children are given these bags full of treats associated with the feast. The cloth bags have drawstrings at the top and are filled with fruits of the harvest.”

Catholic Cuisine: St. Martin’s Bags

I quickly created our St. Martin Bag’s with Fruit & Nuts from Costco. 

A poem about the bag of treats to recite:

Ġewż, Lewż, Qastan, Tin

Kemm inħobbu lil San Martin.

Walnuts, Almonds, Chestnuts, Figs

I very much love Saint Martin.

You can download the tags I created for our St. Martin Bag’s here. 

MARTINMAS BONFIRE

We had a little “Bonfire” in our fire pit and roasted hotdogs (instead of goose) for dinner.  

A few of these pictures are pretty blurry, but they were such precious moments!  Just look at that little baby of mine… He is growing up way too fast!

PRAYER

The evening ended with a Martinmas Lantern Walk.  My husband read the prayers from the Mass of St. Martin along with the readings and Gospel, as we walked around our property with the lanterns.  We also prayed for our Veterans, military, and all those who have died or are suffering due to the recent typhoon in the Philippines…

“At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, No man lighteth a candle, and putteth it in a hidden place,  nor under a bushel: but upon a candlestick, that they that come in may see the light…” 

(Gospel for Nov. 11 – St. Martin, The New Roman Missal, Father Lasance)

We will be taking a break from “Celebrating the Saints” (with friends anyways… we celebrate the saints with the Church and as a family year round, but this momma needs a little break before she completely burns out!) during December and January and will get together again in February with friends for the feast of St. Modomnoc featuring The Saint and his Bees.  Speaking of which, the author of The Saint and His Bees has a new book out and it’s illustrated by Lydia, one of our family’s favorite home educated artists!  I’ve already placed my order for a copy of Saint Felix and the Spider!  

O God, Who seest that we exist by no power of our own, mercifully grant that, by the intercession of blessed Martin, Thy confessor and bishop, we be strengthened against all adversities.  Through our Lord.

 St. Martin of Tours, Pray for us! 

Martinmas Lanterns

Nov 11, 2013 | , , , | 11 Comments

“But undoubtedly the main festivity on St Martin’s Day especially in France and Germany is that of making paper lanterns and carrying them in procession. Children form groups – either informally or as part of an official organization with a band – and walk through the streets with paper lanterns that they have either made or bought. Shops produce a large variety of lanterns depicting everything from spacemen to Mickey Mouse for the processions. Undoubtedly, it is as much a celebration of the arrival of winter, with its long dark evenings, as of St Martin. There are lantern songs and nonsense rhymes to accompany the processions.” – Joanna Bogle, A Book of Feasts and Seasons

We are getting ready to have friends over once again and will be celebrating the feast of St. Martin of Tours, also known as Martinmas!  Our plans include reading and learning about St. Martin, coloring pictures, decorating lanterns for an evening walk, roasting hotdogs over a bonfire, and enjoying St. Martin cookies and Il-Borża ta’ San Martin (St. Martin bags).

I plan to share with the children that one of the symbols of St. Martin is a “globe of fire” (which isn’t too different from a glowing lantern) and (also inspired by a comment I read written by Jennifer Gregory Miller) that “Because St. Martin was fighting some of the pagan beliefs and gods of Gaul and Rome, one could say that the light of Christ and Christianity that St. Martin was teaching and spreading fills the night, overcoming the darkness of ignorance. Or that the little lanterns each represent our souls, lit up with the grace of Christ, overcoming evil darkness. Not too much of a stretch, because light and dark are constant symbols.”

After Sunday morning Mass, Rose and I spent some time decorating her lantern to use as a sample for all the other children.  We had so much fun together and her lantern turned out lovely!  (You can also find the lanterns the older children decorated when they were younger in the archives.) 

Martinmas Lanterns

Materials needed:

  • Tissue paper in various colors
  • Mod Podge
  • Sponge brushes or Paint Brush (dedicated for glue)
  • Jars (I purchased canning jars at the craft store, but any clear glass jar would work fine)
  • Light Floral Wire (similar to this)
  • Decorative Garland (optional)

Directions:

Cut tissue into strips, squares, circles or whatever shapes you prefer.

Cover the jar with a thin layer of Mod Podge.

 

Apply the tissue to the jar, covering each piece with additional Mod Podge.

Continue applying tissue and more Mod Podge until the whole jar has been covered.

 

 

Let it dry (this can take up to 24 hours so allow plenty of time – we placed ours next to the wood stove to speed up the process).

 

Wrap the rim of the jar with some wire, forming a handle, and tighten.  Add star garland if desired.

 

Tip: Drip some wax from a burning candle to the bottom center of the jar, before placing your tea-light or votive candle inside, to hold the candle in place.

Note: You can also create lanterns with balloons! Just blow them up first and set them in a bowl to stabilize while decorating. After the glue has dried, pop the balloon and cut out an opening in which to place the candle. Punch a hole on each side and gently thread the wire through to make a handle.

 

 
 
Oh, and be sure to find a good stick to hang the lantern on for the Martimas Lantern Walk!
 
 
 

Happy Martinmas! 

Update: You can see all the pictures from our Martinmas celebration here.

A Lego Perplexus

Nov 8, 2013 | , , , , | 21 Comments

A couple days ago our oldest son informed me that there is just one thing that he would like for Christmas this year… a Perplexus.

I was quite perplexed myself, having absolutely no idea what he was talking about.  I didn’t pay much attention at the time, but eventually asked the boys a few questions and looked it up online.  I discovered that the Perplexus is the new “Bendy, Trendy, Can’t-put-it-down Challenge” GAME.OF.THE.YEAR. which they were recently introduced to at a friend’s birthday party…

Hmmmm… That does look like fun! I think I just might have to add one (of the four options – any suggestions on which would be the best to get – the Rookie, Original, Epic or Twist?) to my Christmas shopping list.  In the meantime the boys decided to create their own version with LEGO!

I know I am biased, but are they creative, or what?!

Here are a few videos of the boys attempting to “Flip, Twist, and Spin” the marble through their maze:

Maybe I should just skip the Perplexus and give them some more LEGO instead!  😉

{pretty, happy, funny, real} :: From Instagram

Nov 7, 2013 | , , , | 10 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~
{pretty}

Walking from the the church to the coffee shop, following Mass on All Saints Day…  
Someone was having fun with his big sisters! 
{happy}
This past Sunday night we hosted a dinner at our home followed by a meeting for our “Latin Mass Committee”  – which included our pastor who brought along a seminarian, the pastoral associate, Father Kotas who travels from another diocese to offer the Latin Mass for us (along with his mother who had just flown into town for a visit), the president of our local Una Voce chapter, and Sean and I – to review this past year’s masses and make plans for 2014.  Last year we were given Latin Masses once per quarter (4 masses total) and “happy” doesn’t even begin to describe our joy over that number being increased to six masses in 2014, one every other month.  It still won’t be weekly, or even monthly, but it IS a 50% increase over last year and such an incredible blessing.  Deo Gratias! 
And, yes, I couldn’t resist serving a Cathedral Cake for dessert! 🙂 
{funny}
Apparently our 3 year old figured out how to open the air vent in her room and thought it’d make a great place to hide the wrappers from the candy she has been sneakily eating! That little stinker!!!
{real}

Dress-up, Lincoln Logs, and the big kids were picking out a board game. I love relaxing evenings at home!  We are still recovering from our large All Hallows’ Eve party and the busy weekend that followed…. Speaking of which I do plan to post about this year’s party just as soon as I have a chance to sort through all the pictures! 
(Note: Here is the link to Rose’s darling Reversible Silk Crown and Rose Fairy Pocket Playsilk.) 
Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment.


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Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-18, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

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Looking for Something?

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Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

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All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!