Eucharistic Procession in Honor of Christ the King
Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat!
The Lord shall sit King forever.
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
The Little Flower :: DIY St. Therese Infant Costume
If you are looking for a simple last minute DIY costume idea for All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Day, here is what I ended up making for our baby girl last year!
It was so quick and easy to make using a white one piece outfit, a brown baby hat, a crocheted rose, some light green/dark green felt, and some white thread. I simply pinned the rose onto the hat (covering up the pink flower underneath, a silk flower would work too), added some white accents to the leaves (giving the impression that I actually took the time to sew them on), and hot glued the stem and leaves to the outfit.
It turned out so darling and was the perfect addition to her older siblings St. Louis and Zelie Martin costumes!
Scroll through the archives for many years of additional costume ideas!
Some of my All Saints Printables can be found here as well.
PSA: Order Your Advent Candles Now
Advent begins at the end of next month and it’s time to order Advent Candles for your Advent Wreath!
For many years now we have been ordering the beautiful 100% Beeswax hand-poured tapers, made by the Dominican Nuns at The Cloister Shoppe, for the wreath we light each night during dinner.
(Note: all links are affiliate links.)
I try to plan ahead each year and order extra candles to have blessed on Candlemas (Feb 2) to have on hand for the new liturgical year and the following Advent.
In addition to the Advent Candles, some of my favorites have included:
- Tumbler Jar Candles – The Cloister Shoppe makes amazing Jar Candles. In the past I’ve ordered extras of the Three Wisemen Candle (perfect for Epiphany!) to give as gifts.
- Bayberry Christmas Eve Candles – I’m ordering replacement candles this year so that I can bring myself to actually light the candles, instead of just using it as a decoration.
- Christmas Tree Creche Candle – I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to actually burn this beautiful candle!
- Beeswax Candles – You can’t go wrong with any of these! I replace our Advent Candles with Beeswax Candles for the Christmas season.
- St. Nick’s Goat Milk Soap – I first featured this in my Seven Fun Finds for Advent back in 2014. This year they have it available in red! Love it!
- Peppermint Foot Creme – Love, love, love this stuff!
We usually have two Advent wreaths set up in our home for Advent.
The taper Advent Candles are placed in an Advent Wreath on our dining room table and we light them during dinner each night.
We also have a larger wreath on the coffee table in the living room which we light during our family rosary each evening. I still really miss the pillar candles I bought for years from the Benedictine Monks… I currently use these 3×3 candles in purple and pink. (Scroll through all Advent Wreath posts here.)
One year I was feeling extra ambitious and hung our Advent Wreath like the Von Trapps!
My children also really enjoy creating their own candles using this 100% Beeswax Advent Candle Kit from Illuminated Ink (pictured above). It’s such a fun Advent activity for children.
The dear sisters only make a limited quantity of Advent Candles.
They tend to sell out very quickly each year so be sure to order them soon if you are interested!
Note: The Cloister Shoppe is offering free shipping for orders $75 or more until December 31st with promo code*: freeship *Eligible for US residence only. Limit of 3 times per customer.
Baking Éclairs on the Feast of St. Thérèse
Last Saturday, for the traditional feast of dear St. Thérèse, I had promised my sweet “Rose” that we would learn how to bake Homemade Éclairs. We started the day with attending First Saturday Holy Mass (she was able to participate in the procession and give a flower to Our Blessed Mother), then she and I went out for coffee (for me) and French Vanilla Hot Cocoa (for her), before heading to the grocery store to pick up a couple things. The older girls were at their Maidens of St. Joan meeting but as soon as they got home they wanted to help with filling the éclairs. So fun!
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| Wearing her Rose apron and favorite St. Therese Necklace… A First Holy Communion gift from Grandpa & Grandma |
They turned out so yummy! So much better than the store bought ones we’ve purchased over the years. We all could see why these are said to be a favorite treat of St. Thérèse! I had to head back to the church for a meeting so she sent along a few éclairs, one for each of the priests to enjoy too!
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, ora pro nobis!
Angel of God, My Guardian Dear
The month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary and Respect Life Month. I took these sweet pictures of our baby girl back in February, when she was six months old, but since we just celebrated the feasts of the Holy Guardian Angels and Our Lady of the Rosary, I dug them up to share with you all. ♥
Beside each believer stands an Angel as protector
and shepherd, leading him to life. – St. Basil the Great
If we could only see the JOY of our guardian angel
when he sees us fighting our temptations. – St. John Vianney
“God’s love does not distinguish between the infant in the mother’s womb or the child or the youth or the adult or the older person.
In each one God sees His image and likeness.
Human life is a manifestation of God and His glory.”
– Pope Benedict XVI
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Angel of God Blanket from Annunciation Designs
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“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.” – St. Pius X
You can find lots of great Rosary themed ideas in the archives.
A is for Angel: The Alphabet in Sacred Art
For He will give His angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. ~ Ps. 91:11-12
Happy feast of the Holy Guardian Angels! This beautiful picture book is back in stock… Order a copy before it sells out again!
Click over to Instagram for a chance to WIN A COPY FOR YOU and ONE FOR A FRIEND!
A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of Her Children
from Mother Love
I humbly salute ye, O you faithful, heavenly Friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and for my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed society. Amen.
Holy Guardian Angels, ora pro nobis!
Morning Prayer by St. Thérèse
“I have not the courage to force myself to seek beautiful prayers in books; not knowing which to choose I act as children do who cannot read; I say quite simply to the good God what I want to tell Him, and He always understands me.” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Begin the day with “A Morning Prayer” written by our beloved Saint Thérèse:
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen.
You can find ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Therese (and other October feasts!) here and book suggestions in our October Book Basket.
That list hasn’t been updated since 2015… but you can also scroll through all past St. Therese posts here: St. Therese
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us!
St. Jerome and the Lion
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest.
‘Til your good is better and your better is best.”
– St. Jerome
Our leftover Michaelmas Cupcakes are always turned into lions for the Feast of St. Jerome…
The kids and I were laughing at how much my decorating skills have improved over the years! 😉
St. Jerome, ora pro nobis!
Celebrating Michaelmas
Michael, prince of all the angels, While your legions fill the sky,
All victorious over Satan, Lift your flaming sword on high;
Shout to all the seas and heavens: Now the morning is begun;
Now is rescued from the dragon She whose garment is the sun!
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| I tried adapting our Michaelmas Blackberry Cobbler recipe using Cassava Flour and Coconut Sugar… Didn’t turn out wonderful but I enjoyed having a refined sugar-free treat! |
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| St. Raphael, St. Michael and St. Gabriel from Naturally Catholic • Ostheimer Dragon |
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| St. Michael Saints ‘N Stitches from Waltzing Matilda |
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| All decked out to celebrate his patron saint! St. Michael Socks • St. Michael T-Shirt from Catholic T-shirt Club • St. Michael Coffee Mug |
Mighty champion of the woman, Mighty servant of her Lord,
Come with all your myriad warriors, Come and save us with your sword;
Enemies of God surround us: Share with us your burning love;
Let the incense of our worship Rise before His throne above!
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| The special little gift I purchased hasn’t arrived yet… but the younger kids were so excited when this Special Edition Saints Around the World Box arrived! |
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| I was just (unsuccessfully) looking for our copy of The Great Battle for Heaven! Perfect timing. |
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| St. Michael Statue, another My Holy Cards Holder, and all sorts of other goodies too! |
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| The Great Battle for Heaven |
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| The Children’s Book of Angels |
Gabriel, messenger to Mary, Raphael, healer, friend and guide,
All you hosts of guardian angels Ever standing by our side,
Virtues, Thrones and Dominations, Raise on high your joyful hymn,
Principalities and Powers, Cherubim and Seraphim!
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| Blackberry Bubly and Izze Sparkling Blackberry Drinks |
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| I had planned to make our Apple Chicken to serve with Angel Hair, but changed my mind after seeing Ruby’s Chicken Scampi… Yummmmmmmmm! |
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| Our annual Michaelmas Cupcakes are always a favorite! Devil’s Food Cupcakes with swords for “stabbing the Devil!” |
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| 3 Archangels Saint Block Set from Almond Rod Toys • Playmobil Swords |
Happy Michaelmas!
Tooth Trauma {Take Two}
If you’ve been reading along for awhile, you might remember the Tooth Trauma we had way back in 2012… Well, this past week, as we were getting started on the first experiments for Zoology 2 (the first time we’ve revisited the topic since 2012-2013… So ironic!) I joked with the children saying “Let’s not break any teeth this time!” On Wednesday night, after I was tagged a couple times in a Christendom post featuring one of our boys, I also joked in a comment saying “Such good looking students!” 😉
Sigh… I know better than to joke around like that!
Thursday night, after soccer practice, I received a text message with the following photo…
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| “Soccer practice” |
It was bound to happen eventually… and honestly I’m glad it held together for 8 years and survived braces before breaking again… but it would have been nice if he wasn’t 2500 miles away from home and our family dentist! He popped it in some milk, put it in the fridge and headed to his evening classes.
(Note: He did give me permission to share pictures with you all.)
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| “A true Christendom intellectual” |
So proud! Toilet seat and all… I think he was having way too much fun! He did have me laughing with the photos and stories of cheesy grins to friends in passing on his way to class.
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| Meanwhile older brother was making plans for this year’s Costume Dance… |
Friday morning I started trying to find a dentist. I reached out to an online friend in Front Royal for recommendations, but all the dentists I called were either closed on Fridays, not accepting new patients, or didn’t have the best reviews online. At 9:45 my time (which was 12:45 Eastern) I finally found a young dentist, a preferred provider with our insurance, who could see him. However, she was a little over an hour away and scheduled to close shortly at 1PM, but offered to wait for the boys to arrive. I had to have our oldest son skip his 1:00 literature class, but thankfully they at least have a car with them this year. Whew!
She did an amazing job putting the tooth back together! It actually looks better than it did before. Eventually he will need a crown, but hopefully this will hold for another 8 years…
And no more soccer without a mouth guard!
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