Beautiful Prayer Pillowcases for Easter Baskets
In addition to our annual Baskets of Books for Easter, I’ve also shared 100+ Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas (2015) along with Easter Symbols :: More Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas (2016). I had really hoped to update those posts, but it’s just not going to happen this year. You can scroll through all our past Easter Baskets here for many ideas!
Baskets of Books for Easter {and a Giveaway!}
Easter Sunday is coming up fast – it falls on April 21st this year and is just three weeks away!
Once again I’ve been trying to round up gifts to fill our children’s Easter Baskets. We always love giving our children books on Easter and Christmas. In addition to new books, we usually include something that represents each child’s patron saint (or something representing one of their personal favorite saints), art and/or writing supplies, a small toy or two (when our older boys were little I loved using LEGO sets as filler instead of Easter grass!), and some symbolic Easter candy (I’ve made my own in the past, including these Easter Symbol Chocolate Coins, or purchased it at the store) in the Easter Baskets. We also usually put together a “Family Easter Basket“, incorporating various Easter symbols (you can find gift ideas based on Easter Symbols here).
Below you will find the list of books we’ve picked out this year for each of our children. As I have shared before, I’m always collecting books to give our children on their birthdays, Easter, and Christmas. Some of the books I have purchased from Amazon, Sacred Heart Books and Gifts, or St. Augustine Academy Press, some have been purchased on sale online or at local bookstores, and some have been given to me as review copies from the authors or publishers.
Note: Before I share the book list, I do want to remind you all that I haven’t read all of these books yet. I made my decisions based on recommendations, reviews, publishers, and the past work of some of the authors/illustrators. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Custom Missal Cover for his set of Liturgy of the Hours
The complete set of the official English edition of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from Catholic Book Publishing contains all four volumes of the translation approved by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy. Includes the current St. Joseph Guide for the Liturgy of the Hours, the Liturgy of the Hours Supplement, and Inserts for the Liturgy of the Hours. Printed in two colors and bound in bonded leather, this complete four-volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours includes handy ribbon markers and features a gold-stamped spine and elegant gilded page edging
Over the last year, starting with Easter, we gave our eldest son this set of prayerbooks. This year I had a custom cover made for him. Eventually I’d love to have a cover for each book, but he’ll start with just using it for whichever book he is currently using and switch them out.
Visits to the Blessed Sacrament
This book was conceived and written by the great St. Alphonsus Liguori to help us grow in the knowledge and love of God and in appreciation for what He has done for us. Designed to be prayed in front the Blessed Sacrament each day over the course of a month, users of this powerful book cannot help but grow closer to Christ. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament provides a wealth of spiritual treasures, including:
- 31 days of meditations and fervent prayers of love by St. Alphonsus toward Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
- A daily “Visit to Our Lady,” short prayers of confidence in the enormous power of Our Mother’s help
- An act of Spiritual Communion for each day, reigniting our love for Our Lord even when we cannot receive His Body and Blood in the Eucharist
This new Premium UltraSoft edition is both beautiful and durable, making it perfect for constant visits to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, and the ideal gift for loved ones desiring to come closer to Christ. Features a ribbon marker and gilded edges.
“Here, then, is our heaven on earth–the Most Blessed Sacrament.” – St. Alphonsus Ligouri
Many Christians have found coloring to be a helpful tool in focusing both the mind and the heart on a given quote, prayer, or meditation? By helping you take a mainstream practice with spiritual overtones and make it more explicitly prayerful, this book will help you move beyond mindfulness into true meditation in a Catholic sense. If you’d like to take time to reflect on what a particular saint might have to say to you today, here is an excellent way to make space in your life for that kind of reflection: we’ve paired short biographies and meditations with the opportunity to color the page assigned to that particular saint. Accompanying the images are texts so you can meditate on the words and stories of these saints, each of which is connected to a particular virtue.
Heroic Catholic Chaplains
(also available from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)
For nearly 200 years—standing alongside our heroic military men and women—have been heroic Catholic priests risking their lives to carry wounded soldiers to safety and to console, anoint, and absolve the dying.
Heroic Catholic Chaplains spotlights the stories of these courageous, selfless, holy priests who volunteered to bring the Mass and the sacraments to American troops, while also offering them their friendship and spiritual counsel.
I bought this leading up to Christmas with my boys in mind and then decided to give it to one of my brothers-in-law (our new pastor). I ordered another copy for our oldest son’s Easter Basket!
Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962)
This is the most complete missal ever produced in the English language. We have included everything and have produced a missal that is affordable while being of the highest durability. The Roman Catholic Daily Missal will become your life-long liturgical companion at Church, at home, and on the road. All new typesetting not a photographic reproduction: clear and crisp type. According to the 1962 juxta typica (typical edition) of the Missale Romanum, 1,980 pages, All liturgical texts in Latin and English (both Propers and Ordinary), All readings in English (Douay-Rheims translation) and Latin, All music in Gregorian notation, Ordinary with rubrics in red, Gilt edges, 5 liturgically-colored non-fraying ribbons, Smythe Sewn, rounded back binding with durable, leather-like Skivertex polymer gold-embossed flexible cover, Rounded corners on pages and cover, Reinforced 80 lb. resin-impregnated endsheets for extreme durability, Printed and bound in the USA on the highest quality natural Bible paper imported from France especially for this missal. Fully and thoroughly indexed.
He asked for a Missal to use for the Latin Mass back before Christmas, but we weren’t able to get him one at that time… The local Catholic bookstore just had a great spring sale and I picked this up for him! It’s also available from Fraternity Publications. This is one of the missals that I have for myself and love using at Mass.
Lord of the World
It is a world seemingly without conflict. There are no battles, no religion. Imagine!
And yet, all is not well. There is a war going on. The Godlessness of the world, disguised in comfortable Humanism, gnaws at the minds and souls of the people. Euthanasia is rampant, a way to escape a sterile and meaningless world. Only the ghettoized, underground Catholic Church and its few remaining adherents struggle to keep Christianity alive.
Pushed to edges of society, their biggest and most important conflict comes in the form of Julian Felsenburgh, the leader of the new world order…and an Anti-Christ.
It is left to Father Percy Franklin and the small band of remaining Catholics to fight this, perhaps, final battle of Good vs. Evil; Christ vs. Anti-Christ.
Written more than 100 years ago, Lord of the World remains just as profound today as it did when it was first published.
I’ve been wanting to read this one and plan to as soon as he is finished with it!
SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere
Revised to reflect the latest in survival knowledge and technology, and covering new topics such as urban survival and terrorism, the multimillion-copy worldwide bestseller SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman is the definitive resource for all campers, hikers, and outdoor adventurers.
From basic camp craft and navigation to fear management and strategies for coping with any type of disaster.
Our eldest son spotted this one when we were visiting the “oldest book store in Oregon” and pointed it out to me as a suggestion for his younger brother. I think he’ll love it too!
Custom Cover for the Prayer Book she received last Easter: Blessed Be God
This unique book of powerful prayers and devotions, compiled by Joan Carroll Cruz, includes wonderful promises made by Our Lord or Our Lady, most of which were revealed to famous Saints, including: St. Faustina, St. Gertrude, and St. Catherine Laboure. Author Joan Carroll Cruz has carefully selected and compiled devotions to Our Lady, the Infant Jesus, Precious Blood, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St. Michael, and more in one place so that your daily prayer can be more powerful and more fruitful than ever before. The promises set forth in this book show that God is eager to grant us many favors–if we will just pray!
Last year she received this prayer book in her Easter Basket. This year she’ll be getting a Missal Cover for it as well. She has really loved this prayer book and now our 13 year old would love a copy of her own too!
The Thoughtful Girl’s Guide to Fashion, Communication, and Friendship
Finally! A practical guide for girls on the art of communicating through your words, actions, dress and demeanor that you are a person with value and dignity.
The Thoughtful Girl’s Guide presents a thorough exploration and explanation of that dignity and value by asking questions for self-reflection and by telling the stories of famous (and not so famous) people.
In our world which is so confused about the very basics—the value of human life, the meaning and purpose of sexuality, why beauty matters, and what exactly constitutes true freedom—this book is much needed.
This book makes clear that communication is ultimately about mutual respect, virtue, and friendship, and then, shows YOU how to pull it off! Read more…
Be sure to subscribe to TAN Books for sale notifications! I was able to order this book (and a number of others) at 40% off during one of their sales.
Rose in Bloom
Before she wrote Little Women, Louisa May Alcott told this story of a ninteenth-century girl finding her way in society.
In this sequel to Eight Cousins, Rose Campbell returns to the “Aunt Hill” after two years of traveling around the world. Suddenly, she is surrounded by male admirers, all expecting her to marry them. But before she marries anyone, Rose is determined to establish herself as an independent young woman. Besides, she suspects that some of her friends like her more her money than for herself. How can Rose tell who her real friends are? Is there anyone she can count on?
My copy of Eight Cousins that I received on my 10th birthday is a childhood treasure and I gave Twinkle Toes a copy of it for her 10th (Caroline themed) birthday. I think now that she’s older she’ll love the sequel too!
Blessed Be God + Cover
This unique book of powerful prayers and devotions, compiled by Joan Carroll Cruz, includes wonderful promises made by Our Lord or Our Lady, most of which were revealed to famous Saints, including: St. Faustina, St. Gertrude, and St. Catherine Laboure. Author Joan Carroll Cruz has carefully selected and compiled devotions to Our Lady, the Infant Jesus, Precious Blood, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St. Michael, and more in one place so that your daily prayer can be more powerful and more fruitful than ever before. The promises set forth in this book show that God is eager to grant us many favors–if we will just pray!
Also available from Fraternity Publications.
Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia
Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia by acclaimed Catholic author Joseph Pearce invites readers to return with the eyes of an adult to C.S. Lewis’ magical land entered through that most important wardrobe in literary history.
Beloved by generations of readers, The Chronicles of Narnia are thought, erroneously, by some to be “mere children’s stories.” In this volume, Pearce thoroughly debunks the error as he skillfully explains why there is nothing “mere” about such stories.
Rather, the Narnia books contain profound insights concerning the human condition. Pearce, however, goes beyond even that and illuminates the deeper riches and profound truths found therein: the highest truths, in fact, those concerning God.
Marian Consecration for Children
At the turn of the 18th century, the French priest, St. Louis de Montfort, became a warrior for his queen. Few preached on the role of the Mother of God better and with more passion than him. St. Louis spread far and wide the practice of Marian consecration, a means by which we give our entire selves to Jesus through the hands of his mother.
Gress weaves in tales of saints, kings, queens, knights, and princesses as a way to teach children about virtue, courage, and their spiritual mother who loves them. In addition, she draws valuable spiritual lessons from contemporary stories such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many other fables and fairy tales that have brought children’s imaginations to life for decades.
When I noticed the spiritual lessons from some of her favorite stories, including the Chronicles of Narnia, I had to get this one for her.
Flight into Spring
Opposites: Sally Day Hammond is vivacious, tiny, coddled and Southern; Charles Horne is silent, tall, unbending and Northern. The American Civil War has just ended. And a marriage is to be made between these two? When Charles brings Sally Day back to live with his strict New England family, little wonder that tensions rise to the breaking point. But Sally Day has mettle; in the desperate honesty of this young couple’s conflict, both young hearts may yet stretch and truly meld.
Catholic Prayers
Containing more than 100 carefully selected prayers, ranging from prayers all Catholics should know by heart, to prayers invoking the saints, to morning and evening offerings, Catholic Prayers is a must-have for all Catholics. Catholic Prayers is divided into four sections of distinct prayers for different occasions: Beloved Prayers, including basic prayers such as the Our Father and Hail Mary, and classic prayers like the Acts of Faith, Hope, Charity, and more. Powerful Prayers for special needs and certain assistance, like the Novena to Our Lady of Good Remedy; Prayer to St. Jude, the Patron of Hopeless Cases; and prayers to Saints Joseph, Rita, Anthony, Philomena, and many others! Favorite Prayers that have been used by Catholics for centuries, such as Morning Offerings, litanies, the Prayer of St. Francis, the Offering of St. Ignatius, and other favorites. Special Prayers for specific petitions, such as the prayers to St. Peregrine for the healing of cancer, St. Raphael for purity, the Fatima prayers, and dozens more!
My Holy Cards
This beautifully designed soft leatherette Card Holder has 20 clear page sheets, holds up to 40 Cards.
Our kids all have albums that they keep their Holy Cards in, but I think this little book will be a great way to carry along some of his favorites to Mass and Adoration.
Look around for better prices. I only paid $5.25 for it on sale at a local book store (plus tax… I’m still adjusting to having sales tax added to everything. Not only did I not have to pump my own gas in Oregon, I didn’t have to pay sales tax either. Oregon had a few good things about it! 😉
In the first volume, you’ll dive into the life of Christianity’s boldest heroes of the Faith, including:
St. Patrick, St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Henry Morse, and St. Joan of Arc,.
Saint Chronicles (Collection 3 + Collection 4)
(also available from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)
In this spectacular graphic novel (volume 3) you’ll meet: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Ava, St. Samson, St. Bernadette, and St. Charles Lwanga.
In volume four’s thrilling stories of saintly men and women you will meet: St. Willibrord, St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Stanislaus, St. Rose of Lima, and St. Dominic.
Join these remarkable saints as they boldly pursue lives of holiness. Let their profound faith and unwavering devotion to God’s will inspire and sustain you as you confront evils in our own day and time.
…And Now Miguel
He wanted to be treated like a man, not a child. Every summer the men of the Chavez family go on a long and difficult sheep drive to the mountains. All the men, that is, except for Miguel. All year long, twelve-year-old Miguel tries to prove that he, too, is up to the challenge, that he, too is ready to take the sheep into his beloved Sangre de Cristo Mountains. When his deeds go unnoticed, he prays to San Ysidro, the saint for farmers everywhere. And his prayer is answered . . . but with devastating consequences. When you act like and adult but get treated like a child, what else can you do but keep your wishes secret and pray that they’ll come true.
(also available from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)
In book three of the series, twelve-year-old Will Wilder is back to protect the town of Perilous Falls after he’s given a talisman with a lock of Samson’s hair. But a new dark demon will force family secrets to be revealed, friendships to be tested, and Will’s strength to be pushed to the limit…. Will Wilder yearns to join the Perilous Falls Middle School football team. But he was never big enough or strong enough to make the cut, until he comes in contact with a talisman containing the fabled locks of Samson. But using the Amulet of Power attracts dark forces to Perilous Falls like moths to a flame. Suddenly, hunched creatures are shadowing people around town, graves are being disturbed, the music of a mysterious DJ lulls half of Perilous Falls into a stupor, and to top it all off, Will is convinced that a teammate may be a demon himself! As he tries to identify the demon before it causes untold havoc, Wilder family secrets will be unlocked, the limits of physical strength and the power of friendship are tested–and Will might even score a touchdown or two.
Book 3 in the Will Wilder Series by Raymond Arroyo.
The story of Margaret and her friend the Pope continues with Book 3 in The Pope’s Cat series. This latest adventure has Margaret experiencing the prayers, penitence, liturgy, and excitement of Holy Week in the Vatican and Rome—from the joy of Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, to foot-washing in a Roman prison, the solemnity of Good Friday, and the expectation of Easter. She learns about Jesus and the meaning of his Passion, visits important new places such as The Sistine Chapel, where she seems to pray beside the Pope, and the Roman Colosseum, where she learns that many early Christians were martyrs for their faith. Margaret’s friends, the Swiss Guards, are watching over her, and she manages to eat (she still loves to eat!) some interesting foods, even though it’s Holy Week. Oh yes, and she sleeps a lot.
Seven Holy Sleepers
The Seven Holy Sleepers are a beautiful example of the fortitude of the early saints during the Roman persecutions; they were willing to give up everything for the love of God. These Seven Holy Sleepers may inspire you to strive for that same fortitude. You will love reading this again and again, admiring the Seven Holy Sleepers’ nobility and the miracle God worked for them. The rhyming style will make it easy for children to memorize while they look at the beautiful pictures. Soon they will be ready to read it to you!
We also have a copy of Anna Kuck’s Saint Philomena: Daughter of Light in our collection of saint picture books.
Jesus, Make Me Worthy + Cover
Originally published in 1960. A prayer book for young Catholics in a language so simple that every child can understand, combining much useful instruction for Communion and Confirmation with a large selection of devotions and prayers. It is truly a beautiful little book. Ideal for First Holy Communions and Confirmations, but suitable for any occasion (or no occasion). Everything a Catholic child must know about the practice of the Catholic Faith & spirituality…all packed into 287 pages. Includes tons of prayers and over 90 illustrations (over half are in full color).
He and his older sister will both be recieving their First Holy Communion at our new parish this May! They are so excited. He will love finally having his own prayer book too.
Prince Martin Wins His Sword
Prince Martin is on a quest. A hard one. To win his sword, he must prove he’s brave, loyal, and true – the virtues of a knight. As he walks in the woods, the crow’s caw shatters the silence. And what he discovers in the clearing steals his breath away. Now he must decide: hightail it home……or do the bravest thing he’s ever done. Try to help. Children will adore this story about what it means to be a true hero because of the heartwarming ending, the electrifying art, and the fact that it secretly rhymes. Get it now.
I went with the Full Color Paperback Edition, but you can also get it in hardcover or grayscale paperback.
Prince Martin and the Thieves
Captured by brigands! Notorious highwaymen have Prince Martin and Sir Ray by the short hairs. Held for ransom, the kid and the canine are completely helpless . . . or are they? Do kind acts have unforeseen consequences? Kids will adore this tale of courage and compassion because of the playful rhyming verse, electrifying full-color art, and unforgettable surprise ending. Get it now.
While walking to school one day, Andy meets a lion and soon makes a new friend. A tale of gratitude and helping out our neighbors, children of all ages will love this retelling of the classic folktale “Androcles and the Lion.”
I ran across this book and the one below while visiting a little bookstore in Northern Oregon. I think my children will love them both!
Reacquaint yourself with the familiar Bumble Bee and Earthworm, as well as discovering new species such as the Giant Mesquite Bug, Lily Moth and Picasso Bug. This informative, practical, and beautiful guide is part of a new nature series designed to encourage creativity through exploring the outdoors.
God the Father’s Loving Plan
The narrative of salvation history comes alive for young and old in God the Father’s Loving Plan, the second book in Teaching the Language of the Faith Series. This full color book, available both as board book and as a larger paperback, recounts the mysterious initiative of the living God as he engages with his creation—with men and women of faith down through the ages. Drawing from the rich treasure of biblical language and doctrinal understanding of our Faith, and illuminated by iconographic illustrations, the plan of our heavenly Father unfolds in seventeen spreads from Creation to the fullness of time in Jesus Christ, the incorporation of believers into Christ’s mystical body, and the promise of the Lord’s glorious return.
I was so happy to discover the release of this new book to follow up to our copy of The Saving Name of God the Son!
We’ve had a little paperback copy of this book for years and I’m so happy to see this lovely version available now!
Whose Chick Are You?
(New Board Book Edition)
Tap! Peck! Crack! Pop!
The board book edition of Caldecott Honor–winning artist Nancy Tafuri’s Whose Chick Are You?is full of humor, love, family, and suspense, and is ideal for sharing with babies and toddlers.
So sweet… Perfect for my little Honey Bunny!
My Little GardenJourney through the garden in this environmentally-friendly board book made from 100% recycled materials.
Little Books for Catholic Kids
Little Books for Catholic Kids Box Set includes 6 children’s books with inspiring life lessons. Books set includes:
- I Can Change the World!
- Lessons from Jesus
- Love and Serve Others
- Love Your Neighbor
- My Guardian Angel
- When Do I Pray?
So precious! We already have many board books but I couldn’t resist adding this darling set to our collection.
on ANY order at Sacred Heart Books & Gifts with coupon code: roses
(Please note: Coupon code limited to one use per customer. Valid through end of April 2019.)
(Winner will be announced on April 13th!)
Beautiful Solemn High Mass at Carmel for the Annunciation and Lady Day Feasting
While I was at Mass our older girls made Lady Day Swedish Waffles! (Sean and three of our teens are in the choir and went to our parish’s evening Sung Mass.) You can find the recipe for these waffles (as well as an AIP version!) in the archives or over at Catholic Cuisine.
We were out of our usual Marionberries and Marionberry Jam (they are harder to find here in Idaho) but this Strawberry Pinot Noir from Oregon Growers is amazing!
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| St Mary, the New Eve Block • The End of the Fiery Sword: Adam & Eve and Jesus & Mary |
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| St Mary, the New Eve Block • St. Gabriel the Archangel Patron Saint Block The End of the Fiery Sword: Adam & Eve and Jesus & Mary |
Saint Joseph’s Day
We had our first St. Joseph Altar in our new home on the feast of St. Joseph!
The “tavola di San Giuseppe” (St. Joseph’s Table or Altar) is an Italian Catholic tradition. You can read about it over at Catholic Cuisine along with descriptions of some of the foods that are usually included. Back in 2009 we made a craft version and I explained the tradition to our children. The following year we made our first edible altar! You can scroll through all our past St. Joseph posts here.
I hadn’t planned to even do the St. Joseph’s Altar this year. However, after months of praying to St. Joseph for his intercession, our house in Oregon officially closed escrow on March 12th (such mixed emotions!) and it’s been a huge relief to pay off/down our loans and be back to just one mortgage. (Thank you for all your prayers for the sale of our old home! We actually took it off the market at the end of December to do a few more little projects and revise the marketing plan and then re-listed it following another painful price reduction on February 4th. We accepted a full price offer on February 8th!) Anyway, after finishing up work and school work that morning, we decided we needed to pull together a celebration for his feast!
It actually all came together quickly and easily! In the afternoon, once the baby fell asleep, Rose and I made a quick trip to Trader Joes while some frozen dinner rolls for the kids to shape were defrosting. Meanwhile Chiquita baked a spice cake in our “cathedral” cake pan since St. Joseph is the patron of the universal church. We picked up fruit, drinks, flowers (red, white and green for the Italian flag), and some Italian desserts. When we got back home the all shaped a few rolls, and then the three oldest left for golf practice while I finished setting up the treats. The food maybe took an hour to prepare – bake rolls, boil pasta, bake fish (12 fish for the 12 apostles!), and make an AIP pizza – so not much longer than I generally spend making dinner. While I cooked the little ones rounded up all our St. Joseph themed toys, statues, and all of their St. Joseph holy cards from their holy card albums. Finding some of my candles was the biggest issue… I couldn’t remember where they were packed/unpacked. I am still adjusting to living in a new home after nearly 19 years in our old home!
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| IHS Candle from Saong Jai • St. Joseph from Naturally Catholic |
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| We pulled out St. Joseph Holy Cards and Holy Cards from the funerals of Loved Ones to place on our St. Joseph Altar. Grapes • Host & Chalice • Nails • Ladder • Chalice • Saw • Lily |
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| Sacred Heart • Scapular • Cross • Crown of Thorns • Monstrance and Host • Butterfly |
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| Fish • Candle • Rosary • Star |
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| St. Joseph Patron Saint Block from Almond Rod Toys |
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| Pope & Swiss Guard Set from Naturally Catholic |
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| Prosciutto & Fig Bistro Pizza (AIP/Paleo) |
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| Saint Goals T-Shirt from Annunciation Designs |
I keep getting teary eyed every time I start thinking that this could be the last time I have our two older boys, who will both be graduating high school this spring, at home for many of these feast days… Please keep them in your prayers as they discern where they will be heading in the fall!
Celebrating the Feast of Saint Patrick
After Sunday morning Mass on March 17th, the feast of St. Patrick, we headed back home to make our annual Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls for with Sunday brunch, then get started on our Irish Beef and Guinness Stew and Irish Soda Bread. ☘️
I hadn’t done much to prepare, other than order each of the kids and our priests St. Patrick’s Day Potatoes and grocery shop the day before. It is so nice to have a house full of helpful teens who want to pick up my slack when it comes to some of their favorite family traditions/patron saint feast days, since I haven’t been feeling very well or had much energy this pregnancy.
We all made sure to wear green and our oldest son had his underneath his Mass shirt. One of my brothers-in-law (Fr. J Gordon) sent Sean and I each a “Can’t Keep Calm I’m Irish” t-shirt, but my pregnant tummy isn’t fitting into t-shirts very well these days so I let our oldest son have mine.
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| The Rhymed Life of St. Patrick • St. Patrick from Naturally Catholic |
While the girls shaped and baked the Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls (also pictured here and here) and decorated Chocolate Coins with images of St. Patrick, I read some of The Rhymed Life of St. Patrick from our March Book Basket/Cart to the little ones. ☘
Sean made another amazing Paleo Spinach and Bacon Frittata to go along with the Shamrock Cinnamon Rolls.
The boys hung a couple flags from the second floor interior balcony, turned on some Irish music, and volunteered to make this year’s Irish Beef and Guinness Stew and Traditional Irish Soda Bread. I wasn’t able to make it for St. Patrick’s Day last year (since I spent that weekend at the hospital with my brother’s family – Happy birthday up in heaven to sweet little Millie!) so the boys ended up teaching themselves to make those particular recipes last spring while the rest of us were in Arizona visiting my mother-in-law. They’re becoming quite efficient in the kitchen!
It all turned out beautifully and delicious!
(Ora et Labora Apron can be found over at Catholic Cuisine)
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| St. Patrick T-Shirt from Totally Catholic Tees • March Picture Books |
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| Reading the sermon for the day from our copy of the Sermons of the Cure of Ars which was recently touched to the Reliquary containing The Heart of a Priest |
Paint by Number :: Spring Birds
This beautiful paint by number was a gift from Grandma Murphy last year for her, at her bird themed 13th birthday party, and she finally had a chance to pull it out and paint! I think I’ll have to order her one or two more from the series for her 14th birthday next month.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
When our girls were little they had the opportunity to take nine Irish Dance lessons one spring leading up to our parish’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. The girls have always wished to continue learning to Irish Dance, but there just weren’t any options near our old home. When we moved to Idaho last fall they were so excited to be able to join the classes here which are taught by a fellow parishioner out of her home. This weekend they got to dance their way through downtown Coeur d’Alene in this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade! Meanwhile the rest of our family enjoyed watching the parade with friends.
The Heart of a Priest
We ventured downtown to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes to venerate the incorrupt heart of St. Jean Vianney!
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| Touching her scapular to the reliquary containing the incorrupt heart of St. Jean Vianney ♥ |
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| My husband also brought along one of our family’s favorite books to touch to the reliquary too: Sermons of the Cure of Ars ♥ (We have a beautiful hardcover edition from Neumann Press that is out of print) My husband often reads his sermons aloud at dinner time. You can find the links to a couple sermons in this post from 2007. |
A St. Valentine’s Day Surprise
I wanted to come up with another fun way to tell our children so we kept it a secret until St. Valentine’s Day. Last time we filled a box with balloons for them to open on Christmas Eve. This time I decided to just bake a cake using the same idea as I used for one of our Escape the Dragon’s Lair birthday, just pink and white this time!
The night before I had stopped at Hobby Lobby and Party City (it’s so fun to have these stores near our new home – I had never been to them before our recent move) and bought the little pink or blue cake topper, sprinkles and some pink candy.
I finished frosting the outside of the cake, adding sprinkles to the sides (There is probably an easier way to do it, but I just filled the palm of my hand and then angled my hand so that my palm was almost touching the cake and they started falling onto the side… and every where else… It didn’t turn out as nice as I had visioned, but thankfully some of them stuck!) and then topping the cake with the little sign.
It was pretty much the quickest party I’ve ever hosted!
I planned it at the last minute, trying to figure out a time when everyone could be home at the same time… Sean said he’d be able to get off work early and be home by 3pm. The girls needed to leave by 3:45 for Irish Dance and then they’d go straight to Choir Practice so they wouldn’t get back home until 8:30 (which is pretty much my bedtime this pregnancy)… I sent my husband’s brother, Father D. Gordon, a text asking if he could join us too. He had a meeting from 2-3, but could come right after that. I told him we’d wait, if he thought he could arrive by 3:30! He arrived at our home at 3:32 and we asked him to cut the cake for us! 🙂
We had a few other last minute guests too, since our friends who were giving the girls a ride arrived right at 3:30! I ran out and asked if they could come in for 10-15 minutes for a quick for a piece of cake! 😉
It all worked out perfectly and our 15 minute party was so much fun!
Here are a couple videos of the cake cutting. In the first (taken by my husband) you can see the cake and in the second you get a better view of some of the reactions.
On the Feast of Saint Brigid
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| Original St. Brigid Painting from Sleightholm Folk Art – Prints Available Here |
Happy feast of St. Brigid! ☘️ I haven’t been able to respond to all the comments on my last post here on the blog and over at Instagram, but I wanted to thank you all for the prayers and encouragement. I feel very blessed to have been given so much love and support! I saw the doctor again yesterday morning (Jan 31st) and ended up getting another peek at the baby! A little hard to see on the portable ultrasound, but such a relief to hear baby’s heart still beating strongly. #week11day4 #dueaug19th2019
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| Her beautiful skirt is from BabyMyLove |
I love that Candlemas Day falls on First Saturday this year! My girls are currently busy making crêpes for the French Breakfast they will be serving (along with the rest of the of the girls in our parish’s Maidens of St. Joan group) following the Blessing of Candles, Procession and Sung Mass tomorrow morning.
Updated with a couple pictures from Candlemas:
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| My little helper insisted on carrying the basket filled with our beeswax candles to be blessed at Mass. |
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| The Maidens of St. Joan ended up cooking (the day before) and then serving (following the First Saturday Mass on Candlemas Day) somewhere between 500-700 crêpes! |
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| Topping the crêpes with Nutella, Jam, and/or Whipping Cream |
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