Burning Down the House
A historic house in the heart of our little town was used for a “Burn to Learn” training this weekend. We headed into town to spend some of each day watching the burn.
The back, left, upstairs window was where my desk was located once upon a time, when I worked preparing taxes as a young pregnant and then nursing mother (with our firstborn rocking in his swing right next to my desk!) over fifteen years ago.
Downstairs was our favorite local restaurant. They had the best Grilled Burritos, Pesto Chicken Wraps, Raspberry Chipotle Chicken, amazing salads with homemade Cilantro Pesto dressing, and so much more.
Yesterday firefighters from a number of districts took turns lighting small fires inside and then more crews went in with hoses to put them out. Later in the afternoon the engines pulled up to the house and treated the training as if it was a real 911 structure fire call. Today it was burned down completely. It was sad to see it go but neat that it was used to help train firefighters!
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
Our amazing tutor reading Focus on Elementary Geology to the three little ones. ♥
She is such a blessing! I don’t know how I’d keep up without her help each Thursday.
Old Fashioned Party Games :: Ring Toss & Fabric Wrapped Hula Hoops
Sharing pictures from our Mother Daughter Tea Party last weekend reminded me that I still have quite a few birthdays and party games that I never had a chance to post here on the blog. The kids keep reminding me too. They love looking through the archives and scrolling through all their past birthday parties!
Today I’m going to finally finish up a post that has been in my draft folder for nearly two years. I made this ring toss & fabric wrapped hula hoops inspired by Two Shades of Pink for our oldest daughter’s “Anne of Green Gables” birthday. It was easy to make and turned out so pretty. We still pull it out occasionally in the spring and summer.
- Empty Soda Bottles, wash and dried
- Pink Spray Paint
- White Spray Paint
- Wooden Crate
- Small Embroidery Hoops
- Pretty Fabric
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church
A Mother Daughter Tea Party in May
On the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
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| Our Lady of Fatima • Mother’s Day Rose • Rosary Flip Book |
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| Marian Grotto Kits from Catholic Child, Sacred Heart Books and Gifts or Amazon |
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| The Rosary for Little Catholics (reprint of the original 1952 edition) • Additional Books Listed Here |
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| Our Lady of Fatima Puzzle from Naturally Catholic |
{pretty, happy, funny, real} Pacific Coast
A Prayer of Mothers for their Children
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| A beautiful rose from one of the new rose bushes my husband gave me today! |
Happy Mother’s Day!
Sponsor Love :: Quarterly Update & Current Specials {scroll to the bottom for a little giveaway!}
It is already May 1st and time for another quarterly update here at Shower of Roses! I have quite a few changes this quarter.. Some of my sponsors have decided to take a break to welcome new babies, enjoy the summer months and family vacations, or focus on other aspects of their businesses, so I had some ad spaces open up!
I am so excited to introduce you to all my new sponsors, and share some awesome specials and coupon codes as well! With Mother’s Day, First Holy Communions, and Confirmations right around the corner, please keep all of these great businesses in mind when searching for faith filled gifts!
Please welcome my new sponsors for this quarter:
Shining Light Dolls
“Shining Light Dolls is dedicated to bringing high quality religious dolls to children of all ages! At Shining Light Dolls, we believe children deserve to have beautiful toys with a contemporary aesthetic and meaningful message.”
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“I create handmade, heirloom-quality rosaries and chaplets. I use high-quality parts and careful craftsmanship. These rosaries should last a lifetime. I also create hand-embroidered 100% wool brown scapulars, and handmade religious jewelry. All my products have a lot of reflection behind them — each one was created with a purpose. I have something for everyone, and for all budgets.”
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| This Holy Fatherhood Missal Cover would make an excellent Father’s Day gift! |
In addition to Missal Covers you can also custom order Other Products including Aprons, Tote Bags, and Rosary Pouches!
The Little Rose Shop
“I absolutely love to craft. It is how I refresh my soul, think, pray, and just get away. Here you will find whatever my heart is drawn to make at the time. It is a somewhat random assortment of things…but it’s me, and it’s made with love.”
Et Corde Rosaries
“Et Corde means “open heart”. I create rosaries, bracelets and necklaces using the hand wire wrap technique with beautiful antique reproduction medals. I hope that my pieces can be an heirloom that can be passed down in your family.” Read more here.
Proud military wife and homeschooling momma to six children, with a love for reading they made the choice to include Usborne Books into their family library. The books were such a wonderful addition that becoming a consultant and sharing the love of reading with others through Usborne just made sense!
Dolls from Heaven
“Dolls from heaven are 18 inch Saint Dolls. They come with an outfit based on what the Saint wore during their life. They also come with a book that will inspire children to become saints. Our first Doll is Saint Therese of Lisieux. Saint Therese is one of our favorite saints. She has not only inspired our family but millions of people with “her little way”. We hope that our Therese doll will encourage young children to make Jesus the focus of their lives. We also made an additional outfit , her second dress is Therese’s Sunday best; this outfit was inspired by her childhood and her love for going to church. Saints are important for our time they teach us to be a witness for Christ. Our plan is to introduce a series of saint dolls, whose story will encourage children to follow Jesus. Saints, like Saint John Paul II, Saint Bernadette, Saint Patrick, Saint Joan of Arc, and many more.”
In addition to visiting the Dolls from Heaven website, you can also follow Dolls from Heaven at Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!
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.
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Catholic Child
“Our goal is to help you find the finest resources to help you nurture the faith of your Catholic child and strengthen him or her for the challenges of the journey ahead. Each one of the hundreds of items you find here has been chosen by us with care, reviewed for faith and quality, and has been child and parent approved. When you buy from Catholic Child Catalog you are supporting an independently owned, personally run business that remains committed to searching out products to guide, inspire and delight the young Catholics in your life.”
You can find them in the Hail Mary! Teachings & Treasures section over at Catholic Child.
During the month of May, when you buy any one of our products for yourself, we will donate any one of our products to the school, parish, or friend of your choice. This is a great way for you to build a culture of life right in your neighborhood.
Choose any of our products for this special offer:
- Miracle of Life Coloring & Activity Book (age 3+) is the only professionally produced pro-life coloring book available where children can learn about the beauty of family life and human development as they have fun coloring.
- Life Is Precious (K-2) is a resource for parents and their children which illustrates the basic facts of human development in the womb using scientifically accurate yet kid-friendly coloring pages and traditionally published picture books.
- Euthanasia: An Introduction (high school) examines the complex topic of euthanasia by peeling back the layers of rhetoric to let students see what is really at the heart of end-of-life issues.
To take advantage of this special offer in our online store, email [email protected] with your receipt and send us the name and address of the school or person you would like us to donate to, plus the title of the unit study you would like to send.
De Montfort Music – The Monks of Norcia
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Gail makes such beautiful rosaries and faith-inspired jewelry! I love my Ave Maria Crown Earrings and wear them all the time. They seem to coordinate with everything, whether I’m headed to the golf course (jean jacket, favorite new prAna t-shirt and sport skirt or coal shorts/knickers) to watch the boys play or dressed up (long skirt, pleated tank – I love the Dark Lapis color! – and black cardigan) for Mass! ♥
Behold Publications, LLC
“Behold Publications, LLC is more than just a publisher! Family owned and operated since its founding in 1999, we have developed great Catholic clubs like the Little Flowers Girls’ Club and Blue Knights Catholic Boys’ Clubs for Catholic girls and boys ages 5 and up. What makes these clubs unique is that they are at their core faithfully Catholic. We don’t “tack on” Catholic identity as other clubs might, but begin and end with a Catholic world view. We also believe that local clubs best operate the way they see fit, so there is no national organization, policies, registration or dues. Groups can easily adjust the program to fit their local needs. Behold Publications also produce a line of historical fiction based on American history and American saints for ages 7-15.”
You can find more information here.
Audrey Eclectic
“A unique collection of American folk art created in the heart of the Oklahoma prairie. My inspiration comes from literary classics, spooky tales from the past, the pioneering spirit, my home town, Scandinavia and other lands far away.”
“Regina Martyrum Productions produces the finest works of Catholic audio theatre. With emphasis on the lives of the Saints, these products are edifying, and entertaining.”
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The Little Flower: A Parable of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Read more about Peanut Butter & Grace here, like them on Facebook, and subscribe to The Bread (their weekly printable family faith formation planner) here!
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Are you looking for a new veil for yourself or to give as a gift? Robin creates such lovely veils for ladies, girls, and even dolls!
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.
Saint George and the Dragon
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| Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges • Saint George and the Dragon by Jim Forest Dragon Veggie Platter (Scroll through the archives to see all of our past dragons for the feast of St. George!) |
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| Saint George from Almond Rod Toys |
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