March Daybook
Outside my window…
Hot, cold, sunshine, rain, and even hail. The weather has been all over the place the last few days!
I am thinking…
I mentioned in my February Daybook that I saw my doctor again for more blood work (to check my hormone balance) and a biopsy (on my skin rash). The following Tuesday, March 3rd, I went back to discuss the results…
It’s turns out that the awful rash that I’ve been fighting since just after my miscarriage last June (which was originally diagnosed as poison oak and then, a few months later, as systemic yeast) is actually a skin disease. (No wonder those three rounds of treatments and the 30-day candida diet I tried didn’t make a difference!) I asked my doctor if there is a cure. She responded “no” and said that it is “autoimmune caused and not contagious.” She then wrote me a prescription for “steroid cream to help manage the pain” and said to come back and see her in three months. I really need to find a new doctor.
I also asked her about my progesterone level and she said “it’s normal.” … Sigh… “Yes… It would be in the normal range (at the very low end) if I was postmenopausal. But for me, at my age and mid-cycle, according to a friend of mine (Ranger’s Godfather, who owns a lab and was able to go over my results for me a couple days earlier thanks to MyChart) it is extremely low.” She looked at the results again and said, “Oh, you’re right…” So frustrating. I’m just so glad I didn’t listen to her last month and insisted on the hormone testing, when she tried to prescribe antidepressants and anxiety medications. I knew that wasn’t what I’ve been needing and that something else hasn’t been right. Now to find that new doctor… I wish we had more options around here.
I am thankful…
I am so thankful that I at least finally know the cause of this skin rash! After coming home, and wiping away the tears from the shock of my “incurable skin disease”, I started researching ways to improve my symptoms naturally. I ran across some articles online (this one and this one) that gave me hope that I’d be able to put the disease into remission. I decided to try a 30-Day Autoimmune Protocol Diet. I went grocery shopping with my husband that very night and started the next morning. Today is Day 28!
It’s kind of funny that at the beginning of Lent I mentioned to my husband that I wasn’t going to give up any specific foods this Lent… Ha! I ended up giving up everything! Coffee, Chocolate, Sugar, Grains, Legumes, Dairy, Eggs, Nightshades, Seeds, Nuts, etc. It’s been a challenging four weeks to say the least.
The good news is, other than the cold/flu I caught a couple weeks ago which was definitely a setback, my rash is improving, my moods have stabilized, I’m sleeping well, I have more energy (though still not back to what I use to have), I’ve lost 16 pounds as of today, and am feeling so much better. It’s a start!
This school year is passing so quickly!
Celebrating the liturgical year…
In addition to the Lenten season we also have had some favorite feasts and a birthday to celebrate!
March 13th – As soon as we finish praying our family rosary these two head straight to the Lenten calendar to cover up the square for the day.
March 15th – I had a few kids to make breakfast for this morning! #friendsvisiting #Catholic #lent2015 #laetaresunday #motheringsunday
March 15th – Such a treat to be invited (our whole family and our visiting friends too!) to the Figure Skating Club’s private St. Patrick’s Day Party which included free skating, door prizes and yummy treats… A perfect indoor activity for this rainy day!
March 17th – Traditional Irish Soda Bread with Pure Irish Butter. {You can find the recipe here.}
March 19th – Happy St. Joseph’s Day! You can see our St. Joseph’s Day Cathedral Cake here.
March 24th (My husband’s birthday and the traditional feast of St. Gabriel) – Patiently waiting for the birthday boy to get home from work so we can celebrate!
March 25th – I ended up making a quadruple batch of Organic 6-Grain Waffles and served them with Marionberries and Maple Syrup for dinner…. Mmmmm! I didn’t have any but they sure smelled good!
From the kitchen…
It’s been interesting! When I first read the list of what was not allowed on the Autoimmune Protocol Diet I didn’t think there was any way that I’d be able to survive 30 days… or more! I’ve definitely had to spend a lot more time in the kitchen, but I’ve been able to stick with it!
For Sean’s birthday we grilled Tilapia and I made Bacon-Wrapped Pears, Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon, and Curried Cauliflower.
I was even able to make a special desert (Pear-Caramel Pie) for the solemnity feast of St. Joseph! The crust was made from Arrowroot and Coconut Flour and I didn’t really care for it, but the pears tasted amazing!
I am working on…
still…working on finding ways to improve my health and making time to exercise at least a few days each week… though the exercise had to be put on hold while I was sick.
March 22nd – Tissues, tea, and a day spent in bed… This cold/flu that I’ve been fighting since last week took a turn for the worse and has really knocked me off my feet!
March 23rd – Sipping on broth and watching my little ones “read” to each other. Not exactly what I had originally planned for our first day of spring break, but I’m so grateful that I have a wide open schedule this week (no tutors, hockey, piano lessons, or submission deadlines) and can rest and recover quickly.
I am creating…
a check-list of the things I still need to do this week to prepare for Easter. So much still to do and so little time. I’m going to have to keep it simple this year.
I am going…
to pre-order my new Daily Planner from Michele so I can save 10%. I use the August-July version.
I am hoping…
to finally complete the Couch 2 5K app! I started at the beginning of February and completed the first 6 weeks on March 15th before having to take a break until my cough was better. Today was my first day back! It was slow going but I managed to complete the next workout challenge!
I am praying…
for some special intentions.
March 14th – It’s been six years today since my grandpa died… These two don’t remember their great-grandpa (our youngest two hadn’t even been born yet) but they have heard wonderful stories and just finished lighting candles while offering prayers for the repose of his soul. Rest in peace Grandpa+
I am reading…
Jesus of Nazareth: The Story of His Life Written for Children by Mother Mary Loyola. I had to take a break from reading aloud and I’m not sure we will be able to finish it by Easter. It’s such a beautiful book though and I look forward to reading the rest to the children soon!
Pondering these words…
from Divine Intimacy:
I am listening…
to Lent at Ephesus.
Decluttering and Spring Cleaning. I didn’t plan on filling 40 bags with stuff to donate this Lent but it sort of happened anyway! The weekend before last we tackled the garage and ended up donating a ficus tree, a bathroom cabinet, a rolling storage shelf, and a few bags of Christmas decorations, plus an area rug (to my sister), 4 old bikes (to the bike store), high-chair (to a thrift shop), 4 old carseats (to the fire department), and 4 bags of trash. Then, this weekend, I managed to fill an additional 20 brown bags with clothes and toys to donate from the bedrooms plus a few more bags of trash. Whew!
the beautiful Rosary Flip Book from Sacred Art Series. It was one of the gifts I gave my husband for his birthday this year.
This week’s plans…
- Palm Sunday Lenten Dinner
- Sean away for training Monday-Wednesday
- Tutors on Monday and Tuesday
- Orthodontist Appointments on Wednesday
- Piano Lessons on Thursday
- Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Good Friday Service
- A Simple and Symbolic Lenten Dinner on Good Friday
- Bake Bread for Easter
- Prepare for Easter Sunday!
A little peek at my day…
Saint Joseph’s Day Cathedral Cake
Saint Patrick’s Day
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| Fiona’s Lace |
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| Patrick: Saint of Ireland |
{pretty, happy, funny, real} :: Pi Day
The Angel of the Lord declared Unto Mary…
A House Divided…
Here is another inspiring sermon, all about the need for unity in our Church, which was recently given by our Archbishop during the 2015 Gregorian Chant conference on March 7, 2015 at the Brigittine Monastery in Amity, Oregon.
Note: You can view the rest of the photos from this Mass here. The video and photographs were taken and edited by our friend Marc Salvatore and posted with permission. Thank you Marc!
In other news, the Cathedral Parish of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in California is currently raising money for a sanctuary renovation. It looks like it is going to be beautiful! You can find all the details here along with a link to their Go-Fund Me page.
Bargain Priced Toys :: LEGO Great Vehicles
Hello! Wow, has it really been two weeks?!
I didn’t intend to take a break from blogging here at Shower of Roses, but between hosting the giveaways (thank you all for participating and congratulations to all 30 winners!), a special diet I’ve been on for the last three weeks (I’ll share the details later), friends visiting from the Midwest (a family of 7, including one of my Godsons!), three months worth of “Quiet Moments” due for the summer edition of Catholic Digest, and then coming down with a cold/flu which has knocked me off my feet, I just haven’t had the time or energy… I’ve missed blogging and really hope that I can start fitting it back in again soon!
In the meantime, just in case I didn’t share enough Easter Basket Stuffer Ideas in my last post, I wanted to pop in real quick to let you all know that once again Amazon has some great discounts on LEGO sets!
Last year we gave each of our boys a small LEGO set in their baskets. They didn’t see them at first, but got so excited when they realized that the bottom of their baskets were filled with LEGO bricks and the directions to build a set. I had taken them all out of the boxes and used them as filler. 🙂
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| Photo taken last November of the boys’ LEGO town |
Our boys all really love the Great Vehicles in the City collection and right now many of them are 20% off which drops the price to just $15.99 each. These are also great to have on hand to give as birthday party gifts for friends! Here are the links to some of the sets that are currently on sale:
LEGO City Great Vehicles Camper Van
LEGO City Great Vehicles Dune Buggy Trailer
LEGO City Great Vehicles Pickup Tow Truck
LEGO City Great Vehicles Snowplow Truck
LEGO City Great Vehicles Racing Bike Transporter
The following sets are priced a little higher but are also currently 20% off:
LEGO City Great Vehicles 4×4 with Powerboat (pictured above)
LEGO City Great Vehicles Auto Transporter
LEGO Creator Vehicle Transporter
LEGO City Service Truck (pictured below)
My boys also really love the Creator sets and the Mountain Hut (definitely a favorite!) is currently 25% off: Lego Creator Mountain Hut
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| The boys all think the new Service Truck is awesome and purchased it with their savings. Apparently they needed a porta potty for their city… Oh! And that old photo of the Bull Rider is the background? That’s my husband. 🙂 |
100+ Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas {Plus a Basketful of Giveaways!}
A number of years ago I shared a post with a variety of Catholic Easter Basket Ideas to help incorporate our beautiful Catholic faith and the true meaning of Easter. The following updated list contains over 100 Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas! Most of the following items have been given to our own children in the past, with some new additions for this year. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of 20 prizes from my generous sponsors with a combined value of over $500!
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- The Easter Cave
- The Easter Story
- The Story of the Easter Robin
- The Sparrow’s Easter Song
- Easter
- Simon and the Easter Miracle
- The Egg Tree
- Renchenka’s Eggs
- Easter Eggs for Anya
- My First Pictures of Easter
- The Saving Name of God the Son
- An Easter Prayer
- An Easter Gift for Me
- A Tale for Easter
- The First Easter Day (A Touch-and-Feel Book)
- All Creatures Great and Small
- Easter Babies: A Springtime Counting Book
- God Bless Our Easter
Bonus: I am a Bunny is sweet book about the seasons and was included in one of our children’s Easter Baskets a couple years ago. This year we are adding The Rooster Struts, also by Eric Carle, which was just republished.
.: Patron Saints :.
- Hand Painted Wooden Saints from Catholic Folk Toys (Custom orders welcome! My little “Rose” will be finding the soon to be canonized Martin’s along with their daughter St. Therese in her Easter basket this year, which I custom ordered from Tammy last fall.)
- Saint Blessing Blocks from Almond Rod Toys
- Shining Light Dolls
- Saint Charms from Tiny Saints
- Saints ‘N Stitches Embroidery Kits from Waltzing Matilda Makes… (limited time only!)
- Prayer Pillowcases (Our youngest will receive the Good Shepherd:Our Father Pillowcase in his Easter Basket this year.)
- Embroidered Soft Saint Dolls
- Alphabet of Saints Block Set (DIY Craft Idea found in the archives here at Shower of Roses)
- Saint Habits for Dolls from The Little Habit
My girls fell in love with the darling gifts they received this past Christmas made by The Little Habit! They will each receive one more habit for their dolls this Easter. Twinkle Toes will receive the Guardian Angel Dress, Chiquita will receive Our Lady of Guadalupe and Crown, and Rose will receive Mary’s White Dress with Blue Cape and White Veil and Mary’s Rose Wreath.
- Triumph of Jesus Coloring Book from Holy Heroes
- Easter Coloring Book from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts
- Fenestrae Fidei: A Coloring Companion for Catholic Mosaic
- Easter Eggs: Artful Eggs from Around the World Stained Glass Coloring Book or Intricate Eggs
- Catholic Coloring Posters from Catholic Child
- Sacred Heart of Jesus Coloring Book
- Cathedrals: Cathedrals of the World Coloring Book or Cathedral Stained Glass Coloring Book
- Catholic Story Coloring Books: All these coloring books include beautiful stories by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
- The Holy Imitation Series: Eucharistic Adoration, Life of Jesus, Mother of God, Holy Name of Jesus, Choirs of Angels, and Communion of Saints.
- eeBoo sketchbook with coordinating colored pencil set (Our girls love these eeBoo Gold Birds Metallic Pencils.)
- Crayon Rocks in a Cotton Muslin Bag
- Branch and Twig Colored Pencils
- Mr. Sketch Scented Stix, Watercolor Markers
- Yarka Semi Moist Watercolor – Set of 8, Set of 10, Set of 12 (I’ve given our children the Melissa & Doug Take-Along Waterpaint set which they love, but it doesn’t last very long. Another good – and inexpensive- option is the Prang Watercolor Sets.)
- Nature Journal from Michele Quigley
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Prang Paper Chalk
- Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils 24 Pack or 48 Pack with Pencil Sharpener (The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are expensive but the first choice of our older children. I was able to purchase another set for $23.99 during the Lightning Deals before Christmas! I usually purchase the Prang Colored Pencils for our younger children.)
- Holy Traders
- Church Windows
- Saint Memory Game (You can also make your own Saint Joseph Memory Match Playing Cards with Printables in the Archives!)
- Old Masters Holy Card Set (Update: These are now out of stock. Here is another beautiful option for vintage style Holy Cards.)
- Personalized Holy Cards from Keepsakes by Carrie (I’m planning on ordering personalized Holy Cards for each of my children with the dates of their Baptisms and First Holy Communions to add to their Holy Card collections!)
- Reverence and Awe Collector Cards from Arma Dei
- Catholic By The Number Card Game
- Little Flowers Memory Cards (recently updated!)
- Friendly Defenders Catholic Flash Cards and Friendly Defenders Two
- Spiritual Bouquet Cards (Printable PDF to color) from SaongJai
- Sticker Seals with Vintage Holy Card Images from Luvcrystals (I also love these Easter themed animal stickers.)
- Easter Gift Tags from The Fig and Thimble
- Dover Sticker Books including: Shiny Crosses
, Angels in Art, Celtic Crosses, Old-Time Bunny Rabbit Stickers, Glitter Old-Time Easter Stickers, Old-Time Easter Stickers, and
Old-Time Easter Animals Stickers.
- Note Stationary from Trademark Catholic Stationary
- The Story of Easter Sticker Book, Saints for Boys Sticker Book, and Saints for Girls Sticker Book (I purchased ours from at a Catholic bookstore. It looks like Catholic Free Shipping has the best prices for these online.)
- Stationary Cards from Three Archangels Save 10% with coupon code Discount10
- Masha and Friends: 15 Matryoshka Notecard
- Postcards from Audrey Eclectic (While you are at Audrey Eclecic, be sure to check out the beautiful Saint Brigid and Saint Clare prints. Our oldest daughter recieved the original painting of St. Brigid and I also have the original of Saint Clare stashed in the closet to give as a birthday gift next month!)
- Green Toys Jump Rope in Green, Pink, or Purple
- Calico Critters
- Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Bella Butterfly Bubbles
- Doll Accessories from The Little Habit
- Metal Earth Model Sets (Note: these are challenging to assemble. My 13 year old loves them, the 14 year old not so much! Over Christmas break our 13 year old enjoyed building Notre Dame!)
- Night Copter (My parents gave these to the boys for Christmas. So fun!)
- Schleich Animals (lamb, peacock, rooster, chicks, etc)
- Folkmanis Finger Puppets (We’ve collected nearly all of these sweet little finger puppets over the years.)
- Kids 3-Piece Garden Tool Set
- Hand Embroidered/Sewn Scapulars and Medals from StellaMarigoldArt
- Brown Scapular (Our children have this simple scapular, as well as beautiful scapulars from Mary Devotions and StellaMarigoldArt.)
- Little Girls Light Pink Veil with Tie-Backs and Swirled Rosette Cluster from Robin Nest Lane
- Boys First Holy Communion One Decade Tenner from Loreto Rosaries
- Pondered In Her Heart Rosary (and many other beautiful creations!) from Mary Devotions
- Miraculous Medal Youth Bracelet from Gail Giron Designs
- Sacred Heart with Immaculate Heart Tapestry Rosary Pouch (many additional designs available including: Madonna and Child, Crucifixion, and more.)
- St. Michael Sports Medals from Catholic Child
- Crocheted Wool Rosary Roses from The Fig and Thimble
- Treasure & Tradition: The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass (Read my husband’s review here.)
- Saints for Boys and Saints for Girls
- Jesus Make Me Worthy (also available from Fraternity Publishing)
- Rosary Flip Book with Desktop Easel (Sacred Art Series) in 4″x5” or 8″x10″
- Easter at Ephesus
- The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John (Sacred Art Series)
- Favorite Prayers for Catholic Children (You can find the whole Gloria Series at Sacred Heart Books & Gifts for just $3.00 per book!)
- Little Catholics Set: Manners In God’s House, Jesus and Mary, I Believe
- The Little Children’s Prayer Book in Hardcover or Paperback
- Paschal Candle Kit from Illuminated Ink (also available from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts and Holy Heroes. You can see pictures from when we assembled our Paschal Candle Kit here OR find directions to make your own in the archives)
- 6 Flowers and Birds Easter Eggs
- Nordic Ware Spring Lamb 3-D Cake Mold
- Good Shepherd Statue
- Spring Holy Week Ornaments from Jesse Tree Treasures
- Religious Icons Easter Egg Wraps
- The Garden of the Good Shepherd: A Sticker Calendar to Count the Fifty Days of Easter by Peter Mazar (Scroll through all of our past Good Shepherd’s Garden Parties in the archives. Find the overview post here.)
- Kid’s Garden Seed Collection from St. Clare Heirloom Seeds
- Ceramic Golden Egg (You can read a little about my family’s Golden Egg tradition here.)
Prize #2 – Hand Embroidered/Sewn 100% Wool Scapular sponsored by StellaMarigoldArt (winner chooses the cord/length – value $45.00)
Prize #3 – Hand Painted Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary sponsored by Catholic Folk Toys (value $40.00)
Prize #4 – Two Personalized Pillowcases from Prayer Pillowcases (winner chooses styles, free personalization included – value $39.90)
Prize #5 – Little Girls’ Rosette Veil sponsored by Robin Nest Lane (value – $38.00)
Prize #6 – Mary’s White Dress with Blue Cape and White Veil sponsored by The Little Habit (doll and shoes not included – value $35.00) Receive FREE SHIPPING from The Little Habit until March 15th with coupon code ROSESFREESHIP.
Prize #7 – Immaculate Heart of Mary Print and Set of Three Our Lady of the Angels Greeting Cards sponsored by Three Archangels (value $30) – For a Limited Time Save 10% with coupon code Discount10
Prize #9 – Infinity Veil sponsored by Robin Nest Lane (winner can choose favorite color – white, black, brown, cream, natural (linen colored), gold, silver, cranberry red, and blush pink – value – $27.50)
Prize #10 – Your Choice of one Notebook sponsored by Mama’s Notebooks (value up to $24.99) Notebooks are 10% off at present. One of the following coupon codes below can be used in addition to the sale: Buy three books and get one of equal or lesser value with coupon code TRGE15 or save 5% with coupon code FAST5
Prize #11 – Treasure and Tradition: The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass sponsored by St. Augustine Academy Press (value $24.95)
Prize #12 – Spring Holy Week Ornaments sponsored by Jesse Tree Treasures (value $22.95)
Prize #13 – St. Philomena Youth Bracelet sponsored by Gail Giron Designs (value $22.00) Save 10% on all First Communion Items with coupon code Eucharist15 which ends May 1, 2015.
Prize #14 – Set of Five Gloria Series Books (includes: The Mass, Favorite Children’s Prayers, The Rosary, The Hail Mary, and The Holy Family) sponsored by Sacred Heart Books and Gifts (value $15.00)
Prizes #15, #16 and #17 – Easter at Ephesus CD sponsored by De Montfort Music (3 winners – value $14.59 each)
Prize #18 – St. Michael Sports Medal and your choice of 3 Magnetic Bookmarks sponsored by Catholic Child (value $14.45)
Prize #19 – One Sheet of Personalized Holy Cards (winner’s choice) sponsored by Keepsakes by Carrie (value $10.75)
Prize #20 – Variety Set of Post Cards sponsored by Audrey Eclectic Folk Art (value $10.00)
{this moment}
Stacks of Books on Christmas Morning
- Word to Caesar
- Door to the North
- Belisarius: The First Shall Be Last
- Saint Patrick: Apostle of Ireland (perfect for the month of March!)
- Spring Tide
- Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (Captain asked if his dad picked this book… Why, yes, he did… It isn’t exactly one I would have chosen, but he has enjoyed reading and discussing it with his dad.)
- A Child’s Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People – From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China (He loves History/Geography and has really enjoyed this book!)
- Scorpion Mountain (Brotherband Chronicles Book 5) (This was definitely the biggest hit in the stack, even before he noticed what was inside!)
- Sun Slower, Sun Faster
- Ethelred Preston: Or the Adventures of a Newcomer (He loves all the books by Fr. Finn!)
- Claude Lightfoot: Or How the Problem Was Solved
- That Football Game: And What Came Of It
- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (This was the first he read and he really enjoyed the story! Thanks for the recommendation, Charlotte!)
- The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice Book 1 – a hardcover to replace the paperback. He received the rest of the hardcovers to complete he series for his Ranger’s Apprentice Birthday!)
- Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Build Implements of Spitball Warfare
- The Mad Libs Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel
- Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children
- The Tasha Tudor Book of Fairy Tales
- Molly: An American Girl (OOP Box Set)
- The Christmas Barn
- The Crystal Snowstorm
- Betsy’s Up and Down Year
- Willow Wind Farm: Betsy’s Story
- Legends and Stories of Italy
- The Mitchells: Five for Victory, Canadian Summer, and Friendly Gables (I’ve had these stashed away for years! So excited to finally give them to our oldest daughter!)
- Little House Nine-Book Box Set
- Shakespeare’s Storybook: Folk Tales That Inspired the Bard
- Lucy’s Christmas
- The Bantry Bay Series: The Cottage at Bantry Bay, Francie on the Run, and Pegeen (I’ve also had these for years too!)
- A Child’s Book of Saints
- Monastery Fred
- A Tree for Peter
- Saint Francis and Brother Duck
- Brother Juniper
- The Adventures of Loupio, Volume 1: The Encounter and other Stories
- The Adventures of Loupio, Volume 2: The Hunters and Other Stories
- The Adventures of Loupio, Volume 3: The Tournament
- Caedmon’s Song
- Ambrose and the Cathedral Dream
- See Inside The Second World War
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| Ambrose and the Cathedral Dream is currently listed at a great discount! |
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Rose Red and Snow White
- Snow White
- The Princess and the Pea
- Red Knit Cap Girl
- The Snow Queen
- Mary’s Song
- Red Knit Cap Girl and the Reading Tree
- A Wish to be a Christmas Tree
- The Little Shepherd’s Christmas
- Snowmen at Christmas
- Song of the Stars
- Brother Sun, Sister Moon
- The Little Drummer Boy
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