Sponsor Love: Updates & Current Specials
It’s been a couple years now since my last sponsor update. I had to discontinue my quarterly updates right around the time we moved, which was quickly followed by another surprise. Now that our sweet baby girl is almost a year old, and we are finally getting a little more sleep, I wanted to take a minute to share another sponsor update.
Here are some of my new sponsors! Please check out their websites when you have a minute or two:
Devout Decals
In addition to visiting DevoutDecals.com, you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram!
I’m currently giving away the Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Decal Set over at Instagram! Click over to enter.
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Stylistic Scribe
Check out all the Online Classes for Fall 2020
You can also follow Stylistic Scribe on Facebook and check out the video she recently shared for more information!
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Prayer Pillowcases
Prayer Pillowcases are more than just a pretty place to lay your head! They’re a unique way to bring Catholic art and prayer into your home and a practical way to share the Faith with your family and friends. Our distinctive line combines original art and favorite Catholic prayers that appeal to all ages and transform pillows from the ordinary to the divine! Honor a special occasion or make any occasion special with the gift of a joyful, lasting (and personalizable) Prayer Pillowcase. We’re always working on new designs and hope you’ll visit again soon to see even more ways to help your loved ones begin and each day with a prayerful heart.
Saints Around the World
Featuring a different saint from a new country every two months, this subscription is a perfect way for me to easily incorporate a little more theology and geography for my younger ones with very little effort! Plus my older children were all more than happy to join in and help too.
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Culture of Life Studies Program (CLSP)
The Culture of Life Studies Program serves teachers and parents as they guide their students in building a culture that respects and protects the dignity of every human being regardless of age, appearance, or ability.
Lisieux Nail Polish
We are a young Catholic company with a passion for sacred scripture, Church traditions and the New Evangelization. There is so much beauty in our faith that we decided to bottle some of it up! Our goal is to equip women with a new, simple and fun way to express their faith and share it with others. We also wanted to create a way to have a holy reminder with you at all times.
We were inspired (and helped) by Saint Therese, the Little Flower of Lisieux and Saint John Paul II. Mother Angelica was also an inspiration for her wisdom regarding holy reminders.
It was really important for us to have quality nail polish so we are proud to say Lisieux is professional grade polish that we had our friends and family of various ages and vocations test out.
All of the polishes on our website have been handpicked for their color, ease of application and longevity.
Almond Rod Toys
Almond Rod Toys makes Saint Blocks that are just the right size for little hands and can be used for imaginative play, building, stacking or collecting. The front has a print of original watercolor artwork. The back has a quote or a prayer chosen to inspire little ones and the one that cleans up behind them. The saint’s name, feast day and patronage are also listed; just enough to be a reminder and an inspiration for further learning.
All of our aprons are embroidered, not screen printed, giving them a rich, elegant, look! Our durable 100% cotton-twill aprons, with soil-release finish for added stain protection, provide ultimate full length cover and comfort.
My next advertising quarter runs from Aug 1st-Oct 31st and I have a few ad spaces available. Let me know if you have a Catholic business you’d like to promote and I can send you the details.
Here are some of my new sponsors! Please check out their websites when you have a minute or two:
Devout Decals
“The inspiration for Devout Decals came about when, due to work, we were always moving and renting homes. We were looking for a way to decorate our children’s bedrooms and discovered removable vinyl wall decals. There were many themes available. However, we were unable to find any decals of Saints or Devotions. We thought, how wonderful it would be to create something so people could surround themselves in their home, classroom, work space or wherever it may be with beautiful sacred images. Our hope is that while going about your busy day, being able to reflect on a sacred image and reciting a short prayer, it will help one to stay in prayer all day long.”
“One single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life.”
– St. Francis de Sales
Save 10% with coupon code: DDROSES
In addition to visiting DevoutDecals.com, you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram!
I’m currently giving away the Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Decal Set over at Instagram! Click over to enter.
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Mrs. L. is a veteran homeschool mother of four children who has used IEW with her own children and can testify to the effectiveness of this program. Her love of words and writing match perfectly with the IEW curriculum, and she particularly enjoys having fun with students as they learn to write eloquently and persuasively.
Mrs. L. is a certified instructor through the Institute for Excellence in Writing and also teaches for the company. She has taught classes at all levels for over twenty years and constantly witnesses students improve their writing skills with the tools taught in her classes through this writing process.
I have LOVED using Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) over the years with my children. We still use it, currently the Primary Arts of Language for my younger students, but I really miss the wonderful tutor I had in Oregon who would edit papers for my older children each week… With the move and new babies, I took a break from the writing program. This year one of my daughters will be participating in Essay Writing class offered by Stylistic Scribe using IEW’s The Elegant Essay.
You can also follow Stylistic Scribe on Facebook and check out the video she recently shared for more information!
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“We are a Catholic homeschooling family of 8. Our educational website currently offers an early reading program called Phonograms Fun. It is a collection of video lessons with accompanying printables and lesson plans and teaches children all the letter sounds as well as some of the multi-letter phonograms. We hope to publish subsequent online lessons in reading and grammar. We also plan to offer printable books and activities mostly in the areas of language and religious education.”
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Make preparing for First Communion FUN with Billy the Puppet!
This is a fun way for your child to learn the catechism necessary to receive his/her First Communion. Based on the New St. Joseph First Communion Catechism that has been around for decades!
Through engaging conversations between Billy, Christine and your child, the faith is learned. Christine is a Catholic and a professional storyteller. Billy, well, is a puppet that is trying to learn his faith so he can receive his First Communion too.
Your child will have fun learning the First Communion Catechism (what we as Catholics need to know before receiving our First Communion) with Billy. During each lesson, Christine tells in “storytelling style” a Bible story or Saint story.
This program is geared for children ages four to seven years old. Though four and five year olds will still not be old enough to receive their First Communion at the end of this program, this is a fantastic way to introduce them to our wonderful Catholic faith. Six and seven year olds should be ready to receive their First Communion by the end of the video series, though you will still need to teach them their prayers. (Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Act of Contrition.)
This program costs only $5 a month for 9 months or a one time payment of $45. A new video link is emailed every Monday for 34 weeks. You can cancel any time if you are paying monthly.
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Offering handmade rosaries, rosary parts, jewelry and crocheted/knitted items.
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A special THANK YOU to all my continuing sponsors!
Prayer Pillowcases
Prayer Pillowcases are more than just a pretty place to lay your head! They’re a unique way to bring Catholic art and prayer into your home and a practical way to share the Faith with your family and friends. Our distinctive line combines original art and favorite Catholic prayers that appeal to all ages and transform pillows from the ordinary to the divine! Honor a special occasion or make any occasion special with the gift of a joyful, lasting (and personalizable) Prayer Pillowcase. We’re always working on new designs and hope you’ll visit again soon to see even more ways to help your loved ones begin and each day with a prayerful heart.
Personalize it for Summer Birthdays & Feast Days!
Free Shipping (4+ Pillowcases shipping within US)
Free Shipping (4+ Pillowcases shipping within US)
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Saints Around the World
Featuring a different saint from a new country every two months, this subscription is a perfect way for me to easily incorporate a little more theology and geography for my younger ones with very little effort! Plus my older children were all more than happy to join in and help too.
With each box purchased, $4 is donated to the “Culture of Life Studies” program, another one of my favorite resources and current blog sponsors!
Here are a few pictures from one of the boxes we received earlier this year:
Two of our children got to visit the National Shine and home of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born Saint, in Maryland earlier this month!
Start your family on this adventurous journey to Heaven, with the Saints as their guides! Click here.
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The Culture of Life Studies Program serves teachers and parents as they guide their students in building a culture that respects and protects the dignity of every human being regardless of age, appearance, or ability.
Right now Culture of Life Studies Program is offering all of their downloads for FREE!!!
Shower of Roses readers can always save 20% off their entire order using the code: ROSES20
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Lisieux Nail Polish
We are a young Catholic company with a passion for sacred scripture, Church traditions and the New Evangelization. There is so much beauty in our faith that we decided to bottle some of it up! Our goal is to equip women with a new, simple and fun way to express their faith and share it with others. We also wanted to create a way to have a holy reminder with you at all times.
We were inspired (and helped) by Saint Therese, the Little Flower of Lisieux and Saint John Paul II. Mother Angelica was also an inspiration for her wisdom regarding holy reminders.
It was really important for us to have quality nail polish so we are proud to say Lisieux is professional grade polish that we had our friends and family of various ages and vocations test out.
All of the polishes on our website have been handpicked for their color, ease of application and longevity.
In addition to the website, you can also follow Lisieux on Facebook and Instagram!
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Catholic Schoolhouse is designed to help homeschool families enrich their educational experience through a flexible approach to learning inspired by classical elements. Family unity continues to be our goal as we roll out our upper-level program, giving for our dialectic and rhetoric students an enriching experience at chapter while their younger siblings are leaning the memory work.
You can also follow Catholic Schoolhouse on Facebook!
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Almond Rod Toys makes Saint Blocks that are just the right size for little hands and can be used for imaginative play, building, stacking or collecting. The front has a print of original watercolor artwork. The back has a quote or a prayer chosen to inspire little ones and the one that cleans up behind them. The saint’s name, feast day and patronage are also listed; just enough to be a reminder and an inspiration for further learning.
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| We really love the new Rosary Blocks! |
Visit Almond Roy Toys at Etsy and follow the Facebook page!
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All of our aprons are embroidered, not screen printed, giving them a rich, elegant, look! Our durable 100% cotton-twill aprons, with soil-release finish for added stain protection, provide ultimate full length cover and comfort.
Check out the full collection over at Catholic Cuisine!
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My next advertising quarter runs from Aug 1st-Oct 31st and I have a few ad spaces available. Let me know if you have a Catholic business you’d like to promote and I can send you the details.
Thank you to all of my sponsors and visitors for your support!
May God bless you all!
May God bless you all!
The Catholic Child and the Sacred Heart
My Child: Forget not the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Heart of Jesus loves thee.
The Heart of Jesus suffers for thee.
The Heart of Jesus is meek, humble, patient, obedient.
The Heart of Jesus is an ocean of goodness.
The Heart of Jesus is filled with mercy.
The Heart of Jesus is your comfort in sorrow.
The Heart of Jesus is your strength in temptation.
The Heart of Jesus is your hope in dying.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be Thou my love!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me!
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved!
O Sweetest Heart of Jesus!
I implore that I may ever love Thee more and more.
Excerpt of prayer from Jesus, Make Me Worthy – a reprint of the original can be found here.
Sacred Heart pendant from Telos Art + Design
Donut Ever Grow Up :: A 3rd Birthday Party
Donut Ever Grow Up Birthday Party
“Dough-y!!” 🍩 A certain little girl has really missed her donuts after Mass on Sundays, so last Monday we celebrated her 3rd birthday with a donut themed party!
Homemade Donut “Happy Birthday” Banner with Sprinkles
(You are welcome to download my FREE printable document to use it yourself if you’d like!)
Krispy Kreme Donuts
Decorate Your Own Donut Bar
Milk, Cocoa and Coffee
.: Donut Covered Birthday Cake :.
Cake Supplies:
6″ – Four Layer Cake (I use these awesome pans)
Homemade Buttercream Frosting mixed with Plant-Based Dye
Decorate with Donuts
(I used 3 Kristy Kreme Donuts and 3 Krispy Kreme Mini Donuts)
.: Donut Bingo :.
I didn’t have a chance to make my own,
but this printable download from an Etsy shop was perfect.
Me: Nice hat. I can picture you working at Krispy Kreme.
Him: Yeah. It’s either that, or an engineer…
.: Birthday Gifts:.
Frozen Backpack and Bow from Great Aunt Bridget
My Aunt Bridget flew up to send the weekend with us and flew back Monday morning. Miss her!
.: Three Candles :.
Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet girl!
Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church
Our Annual Pentecost Cake
Since Pentecost if the Birthday of the Church, our family always celebrates with a birthday cake! Our cake is usually a white cake with white frosting since Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday. The large candle in the center represents Christ our Light, who promised to send the Holy Ghost, and the 12 smaller white candles represent the 12 Apostles and the tongues of fire. The 7 red hearts (strawberry slices on this cake) represent the 7 gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the 12 strawberries, placed around the cake, represent the 12 fruits of the Holy Ghost.
I didn’t realize until looking back through some past pictures that “Rose” wore that same rose covered outfit as a baby on Pentecost Sunday 10 years ago… How has that possibly been 10 years already?!?
Flower Fruit Sandwiches in May
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
Bring flowers of the rarest
bring blossoms the fairest,
from garden and woodland and hillside and dale;
… our full hearts are swelling,
our glad voices telling
the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale!
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
End-of-School Interviews 2019-2020
Who else is ready for summer break?! We are so ready and I am excited to finally pack up this past year’s school books and start making some plans for next year. On May 8th I sent Kolbe Academy all of the required paperwork for our high school students records/transcripts and on May 14th the older boys took their last final exam (here at home due to the shutdown) wrapping up their freshman year of college!
Years ago I started compiling End-of-School Interviews for each of our children and I’ve been making them every year since. It’s so fun to look back through them and see how much our students have grown each year and how their answers change over the years. I actually used them for graduation party decorations last summer!
I didn’t plan to continue interviewing our college kids, but we changed up some of the questions and they were more than willing to join the fun once again. Our 16 year old got the project started this year, asking everyone all the questions, helping take and/or choose photos, and then helping to compile it all in PicMonkey.
Here are this year’s End-of-School Interviews (revised with blog nicknames):
Captain’s Favorite Books: The Odyssey and Beowulf
Ranger’s Favorite Books: Inferno and St. Augustine’s Confessions
(none of these were actually school books…)
Snuggles’ Favorite Books: The Hobbit and LOTR
Rose’s Favorite Books: The Little House Series and Stories about St. Therese and St. Clare
Bud’s Favorite Book: The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition
Grace’s Favorite Books: Madeline
My Favorite Toys: Chews Life Rosaries and Cuddle+Kind Dolls
(*All the kids have voted to change our sweet baby’s blog name from Lily to Joy. It fits her perfectly.)
Hiking on Mother’s Day
On Mother’s Day some of my kids and I headed to a nearby trailhead to hike for the afternoon! It was a little more intense than I had imagined… The hike down to the river was easy, but I ended logging 5 1/2 miles on my FitBit and 89 flights of stairs by the time we got back… Whew! Next time I hope we can all go, but perhaps find a different route back to the car which doesn’t include practically scaling the side of the mountain like the loop we ended up taking… It did motivate me to continue working towards getting back in shape so that next time my kids won’t have to worry about their hyperventilating mother. Nevertheless, it was a gorgeous day and we all enjoyed it so much!
“The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper the road, the faster it rises towards ever wider horizons.” – St. John Paul II
On the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
“Are you suffering a great deal? Don’t lose heart.
I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” – Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal 1917
Our eldest daughter did a great job making this year’s cake and the kids loved blowing out the spinning candles! This idea was originally shared by Catholic Cuisine contributor Mary Machado in 2010.
This cake is also perfect for commemorating the anniversary of the day the sun danced above Fatima, Portugal on October 13, 1917.
“My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon of Thee for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.”
While they were all enjoying cake, I was playing with this little cutie.
Her squinty smiles are the best!
(also available on Amazon)
“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.”
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
Saint George and the Dragon
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| Saint George & the Dragon • Saint George and the Dragon • Saints & Heroes • The Saint Who Fought the Dragon |
This year, in addition to making our Saint George and the Dragon Veggie Platter, the girls also tried making A Dragon Scone for Good St. George for dessert! We actually haven’t grocery shopped in over three weeks now, but I managed to grab some fresh produce when I ran into Pilgrim’s for our birthday burgers on Monday. All the fresh fruit and veggies were such a treat and both dragons were quickly devoured along with the pot of stew I had made for dinner!
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| Saint George & the Dragon by Jim Forest • Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges |
Here is an inspiring story from Saints for Young People for Every Day of the Year (1963 Edition):
Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God’s holy truth. St. George was a brave martyr who was victorious over the devil.
He was a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and he was one of the Emperor’s favorite solders. Now Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy of the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded.
So boldly daring and so cheerful was St. George in declaring his Faith and in dying for it that Christians felt courage when they heard about it. Many songs and poems were written about this martyr. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him.
We all have some “dragon” we have to conquer. It might be pride or anger or laziness or greediness or something else. Let us make sure we fight against these “dragons,” with God’s help. Then we can call ourselves real soldiers of Christ.
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| St. George from Naturally Catholic was discovered in one of this year’s Easter Baskets |
Heroic Catholic soldier and defender of your Faith, you dared to criticize a tyrannical Emperor and were subjected to horrible torture. You could have occupied a high military position but you preferred to die for your Lord. Obtain for us the great grace of heroic Christian courage that should mark soldiers of Christ. Amen.
St. George, ora pro nobis!
A Happy 15th Birthday
I have always loved trying to make our children’s birthdays extra special.
It’s been much harder to do the last few years due to our last two babies (sleepless nights/babies in your late 30s and 40s is HARD), our big out-of-state move, and just way less energy than I had when I was younger… Last year one of our daughters’ birthdays fell on Holy Saturday and I said “next year I’ll throw you a big party with friends!” That next birthday was this past Monday.
Between the quarantine and Easter I had not made any plans, other than the gifts that I had bought previously and tucked away in my closet.. I was too tired to even stay up and wrap them on Sunday night let alone bake a cake or pull together any other decorations. When I woke up in the morning it brought tears to my eyes when I walked out to the kitchen and discovered beautiful thank you cards scattered on the counter for every member of the family from the birthday girl. Each card had a sweet and personalized message on the back. I love her so much! She is so beautiful both inside and out and I’m grateful for the gift of being her mother!
I was still determined, despite the circumstances, to still make her day as special as possible! As our children have gotten older it’s become more about spending quality time with them instead of fun and creative birthday themes. The birthday girl had a Latin Exam to complete for her online class first thing on Monday morning, but after that we took the rest of the day off! While she was getting her exam done I wrapped her birthday gifts, made cake decorations, and came up with a fun plan for the day.
The birthday girl loved the Cookies & Creamery Ice Cream cake that “Rose” had for her birthday last December, so I was going to try and pick one up while we were out.
I wasn’t sure what size I’d be able to get so I made two toppers just in case. That ended up being a good thing since we arrived back home to the two year old covered saying “I ATE CHOT-LIT!!!” with the remnants all over her mouth… At least she only ate one of them and the bigger design just fit on the smaller cake size I had brought home!
Anyway, it had been over five weeks since our girls had left the home with the exception of enjoying our property or neighborhood walks! (In fact we shut off the liability insurance a month ago, keeping comprehensive only to cover parked cars, on all except my husband’s car in order to save as much as possible while I’ve been laid off work.) We joked that this year she was going to get an “ESCAPE… the Little House on the Prairie” themed birthday. (She had a Little House on the Prairie Birthday Party four years ago.) Sean and the boys agreed to watch the little ones while the three older girls and I got OUT of the house for the afternoon!
Armed with hand sanitizer, and handkerchiefs to use as face masks if needed, we got in the car and everyone held their breath to see if Mom could still remember how to drive. 😉
The last place the girls had been was to Sunday Mass on March 15th. Our parish actually continued to have Mass through that following Friday, but between a virus that hit some more of the children on Monday morning and then our college boys flying home on the 17th (after spending their spring break and then “second spring break” with a friend in NJ/NYC) our quarantine started early… We still don’t have public Mass yet, but as of last week the church is now open for visits so that was our first stop.
Next up was Dutch Bros! We drove through for her birthday drink. Blended Chai is her favorite!
The girls in the back shared a Snickers Freeze. I stuck with a small breve, no flavor but still a treat.
Idaho currently allows hiking as long as we “recreate responsibly” and maintain social distancing from those who are not immediate family/household members. I ran in to a store to pick up lunch (Arugula Balsamic Grass-Fed Burgers from Pilgrims!!!) and then we headed to Tubbs Hill to hike.
Last spring we hiked Tubbs with friends every week and WE MISS THAT SO MUCH!
Next we headed over to walk the boardwalk. At 3,300 feet (nearly 3/4 mile) long and 12 ft wide, the Coeur d’Alene Resort Floating Boardwalk is the longest floating boardwalk in the world and encircles the marina on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
This was actually the first time we’ve walked the full length of the boardwalk! We started to during the road trip I took these three girls on back in 2014, but it was so windy we stopped at the bridge.
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| Look at them!!! |
I actually took Sean back yesterday and he and I walked it again. So peaceful!
On the way home I ran into Cold Stone and thankfully had just enough charge left on my cellphone to order cake(s). They didn’t have a huge selection and I wasn’t able to get the large Cookies & Creamery Cake we were hoping for. The large cakes were all chocolate glazed, which wouldn’t exactly work with my homemade decoration… sooo, I got two! A large Peanut Butter Playground with “Happy 15th Birthday” written on top and a small Cookies & Creamery that I was able to scrape the decorations off and decorate myself.
With everyone home, the cakes didn’t last long! Everyone had a small piece of each on her birthday and then they finished the second half of the large cake after dinner last night. Such a treat!
For starting the day without any plans it all came together beautifully.
I guess the nearly 20 years of practice… and boxes of past decorations… is paying off!
After I dropped the girls (and frozen cakes) off at home I ran over to Papa Murphy’s to pick up our pizza order, along with some roses and a gallon of milk (which we had been out of for over a week) at the grocery store. There wasn’t much to choose from in the floral section, but when I saw this bouquet of roses I knew they were perfect for her.
Birthday gifts were next and included a new swimsuit, a beautiful Tolkien throw blanket from Tea with Tolkien, an Oregon sweatshirt, ChromaCat, and a new backpack style purse… She was recently diagnosed with scoliosis and her doctor recommended backpacks over totes. The one we picked out is technically a “mini diaper bag” but super cute and filled with lots of awesome pockets. It’s the same platinum color as her favorite tote/purse and I have a membership to Freshly Picked so was able to get it at a great price.
Happy Birthday to our beautiful girl! We love you dearly!
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Shower of Roses is an affiliate for All About Learning, Ignatius Press, The Catholic Company, Cloister Shoppe, Homeschool in the Woods, Institute for Excellence in Writing, St. Augustine Academy Press, Tan Books, Platinum LED, The Purgative Way, Holy Heroes and RC History.
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