Santa Lucia Day in the Morning

by | Dec 14, 2019 | , , | 9 Comments

Santa Lucia Day in the Morning

Santa Lucia Day in the Morning

Yesterday I had a really hard day, filled with multiple doctor and dental appointments, and I had no energy left to pull together anything special for Santa Lucia Day in the Morning... but one of the girls stayed up late prepping for her middle-nameday and we all woke up to sweet songs and delicious treats! 🎶🕯

Santa Lucia Day in the Morning
Santa Lucia Day in the Morning
Lucia Crown with Real Candles

🎶Maiden so sweet and fair, 

Bright candles in your hair, 

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!🎶 

Santa Lucia Day in the Morning
Lucia Buns

Lussekatter recipe from Lucia Morning in Sweden

She’s loving her first Advent and all the special feast days leading up to Christmas! ❤️ 

#fourmonthsold #10lbs10oz #suchajoy

We have such a fun collection of books, dolls and decorations for Santa Lucia Day! 

This year I fell in love with the adorable dolls from Marzipantz! ❤️

Scroll through all our past St. Lucy posts here. 

Santa Lucia, ora pro nobis!

St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins

by | Dec 4, 2019 | , , , | 7 Comments

St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins Printable

A few weeks ago I spent a little time creating new versions of my St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins Printable and they turned out so pretty. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to share them with you all! 

Here is the link to my updated St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins...

St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins Free Printable

...and here is the link to the original St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins! 

(You can find another option, an adaptation this idea of mine, over at St. Nicholas Center.)

Scroll through all pasts posts for the feast of St. Nicholas here. 

2019 Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers {Plus Another Sleighful of Giveaways}

by | Dec 3, 2019 | | 105 Comments

It’s time for this year’s list of “Christmas Gift Ideas” and another “Sleighful of Giveaways!” It’s taken me a little longer than usual to pull it together, while holding a sweet little baby, but it’s finally ready to share. You can find the lists from the last four years here, here, here and here, as well as even more Catholic gift ideas listed in my past Easter posts as well: 100+ Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas and Easter Symbols: Catholic Gift Ideas. Some of the items below have been featured in the past but they are still favorites.

Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of 20 PRIZES with a combined value of over $1,700! Please keep these Catholic businesses and authors in mind when shopping for gifts this Christmas season! 

Note:  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Links to St. Augustine Academy Press, Etsy, Holy Heroes, ChewsLife and SocksReligoius are affiliate links. 

.: Fun New Finds for Advent and Christmas 2019 :.

  1. My Book of the Church’s Year from St. Augustine Academy Press 
  2. The Lord is My Shepherd 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
  3. Christmas Carols (Little Golden Book) – I shared pictures of this sweet book here. 
  4. Joyful Mysteries Rosary Blocks from Almond Rod Toys
  5. Road to Bethlehem from Holy Heroes
  6. Merry Christmas Mug from Annie Quigley
  7. Christmas Around the Fire: Stories, Essays, & Poems for the Season of Christ’s Birth
  8. Nativity Socks from Socks Religious – FREE SHIPPING with code BFSHIP (ends 12/2)
  9. The First Christmas

.: Advent and Christmas Music :. 


** Some of these have unlimited free streaming included with Prime on Amazon! **
  1. Advent at Ephesus
  2. Adventus 
  3. Legends of St. Nicholas
  4. Caroling at Ephesus
  5. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring: Christmas with The Dominican Sisters of Mary
  6. Catholic Songs for Children – includes: Gather Round the Crib at Christmas and The Best Christmas Present of All
.: Feast of St. Nicholas :. 

  1. St. Nicholas Block from Almond Rod Toys and Saint Nicholas Cookie Stamp from Rycraft
  2. St. Nicholas Christmas Necktie
  3. Ostheimer St. Nicholas with St. Nicholas’s Helper
  4. St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins – Review can be found here.
  5. St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins (Here is my FREE document for this new updated version! You can find my original St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins in the archives.) 
  6. Drinking with St. Nick: Christmas Cocktails for Sinners and Saints from the author of Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner’s Guide to a Holy Happy Hour
  7. Santa’s Priority (new book) and St. Nicholas Doll from Marzipantz *Disclaimer: Marcy’s beautiful dolls sell out in minutes when she lists them for sale! Follow her on Instagram for updates and availability.  
  8. Kids St. Nicholas Socks from Socks Religious
  9. Saint Nicholas (and Woodland St. Nick) from Armadillo Dreams

.: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe :.

  1. Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Graphic Novel
  2. Our Lady of Guadalupe from Prayer Pillowcases
  3. Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosary Bracelet from ChewsLife
  4. December Saints from Almond Rod Toys
  5. Cloak of Roses – Our Lady of Guadalupe from Regina Martryum Productions
  6. Our Lady of Guadalupe from Shining Light Dolls
  7. Marian Grotto Our Lady of Guadalupe Kit from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts
  8. NEW: St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe from Marzipantz *Disclaimer: Marcy’s beautiful dolls sell out in minutes when she lists them for sale! Follow her on Instagram for updates and availability.  
  9. NEW: Guadalupe Doll from Armadillo Dreams
We also love the Our Lady of Guadalupe Puzzle, if you can find it, 
and we usually celebrate with an Our Lady of Guadalupe Brunch or Dinner!
.: Santa Lucia Day :.
  1. St. Lucia 8×10 Print (and notecards!) from Sleightholm Folk Art
  2. Starboy Hat and Star Set
  3. St. Lucy Block from Almond Rod Toys and Lucia, God Jul, Dala Horse and Lucia Crown Cookie Stamps from Rycraft
  4. Lucia Saint of Light
  5. Lucia Crown (5 Candle version… Ours is for Seven Candles) for Real Candles
  6. Lucia Morning in Sweden
  7. Saint Lucy from Shining Light Dolls 
  8. NEW: Santa Lucia Doll from Marzipantz *Disclaimer: Marcy’s beautiful dolls sell out in minutes when she lists them for sale! Follow her on Instagram for updates and availability.  
  9. NEW: Lighted Porcelain Santa Lucia Statue

.: Favorite Advent and Christmas Puzzles :.
Our family loves putting together puzzles during Advent and Christmas. 
Here are some of our past favorite 1000 piece puzzles that are still available to purchase: 
  1. The Invitation (Noah’s Ark – perfect for with Jesse Tree) – more pictures in the archives
  2. All Will Adore Him Jigsaw Puzzle – similar to this one in the archives
  3. Glorious Nativity Jigsaw Puzzle  – more pictures in the archives
  4. Stained Glass Holy Night Jigsaw Puzzle 
  5. Forest Nativity Shaped Jigsaw Puzzle 
  6. Holy Family Jigsaw Puzzle 
  7. Heaven on Earth Jigsaw Puzzle 
  8. Stained Glass Nativity Jigsaw Puzzle 
  9. Midnight Mass
And here are nine new suggestions we found while looking for a couple new puzzles for this year!
  1. Peaceful Night (550 Piece) 
  2. A Traditional English Christmas (300 Piece) 
  3. Church in Snow (300 Piece) 
  4. Christmas Parade (1000 Piece) 
  5. Evening Nativity (550 Piece) 
  6. Festive Moments (1000 Piece) 
  7. Sledding Hill (1000 Piece)
  8. ‘Twas the Twilight Before Christmas (1000 Piece)
  9. Christkindlmarkt (1000 Piece)

.: Favorite Nativity Sets :.

These are some of the nativity sets our family has collected over the years. We have Fisher Price, Playmobil and Shining Light Doll Nativities too, but I especially love our wooden versions! I also love our Schleich Nativity but it’s hard to find. It looks like Safari is now making a Nativity Toob!
  1. Kurt Adler Wooden Nativity Advent Calendar with 24 Magnetic Figures
  2. Nativity Tea Light Candle Lantern 
  3. Nativity Fabric Advent Calendar
  4. Fontanini Holy Family
  5. A Child Is Born, Three Kings, and Shepherds and Sheep from Naturally Catholic
  6. Wooden Nativity from Armadillo Dreams 
  7. Childrens Nativity Blocks Starter Set and Deluxe Wooden Nativity Set from Almond Rod Toy
  8. Ostheimer Nativity Set Full Size – This was a gift a couple years ago and we’ve been adding to the collection. Available from Bella Luna. 
  9. Ostheimer MINI Nativity

Once again our children helped again with this year’s “Christmas Gift Ideas” post. I had them each list nine gift ideas for me to share with you all. Here are their answers:

Please note: In addition to their stockings, our children usually unwrap three gifts from my husband and I on Christmas morning – something they need, something they want, and one other gift which is usually faith based. We draw names on the first Sunday of Advent for Christkindl and end with a family Christkindl gift exchange. It’s always the first thing they want to do after our morning prayers (or morning Mass if we didn’t make it to the Midnight Mass) on Christmas Day! They also receive a stack of books either on Christmas or Epiphany. The gifts listed below have been received over a number of different years/occasions.

.: Captain’s Picks – Age 19 :.

Even though the boys are on the other side of the country, I still asked them to help! 
Here is what he sent me when I said what has been the most helpful this year: 

  1. Gift Card (Amazon-cuz they have everything)
  2. Food 😂 (gift card or actual food) 
  3. Fun t-shirts are a definite keep 😂  *He got this Oregon Roots T-Shirt last year.*
  4. Ties -(dressy clothes I guess)  *Sasquatch Spotted is a newer favorite. He also loves his Star Wars Line Drawing Tie and Irish Flag Tie*
  5. Laptop 
  6. ENO Hammock with Suspension System *He has the 2016 National Park Service Centennial DoubleNest Hammock in Forest Green.*
  7. Audible Subscription/Credits 
  8. Noise Canceling Headphones (I guess so you can study better? 😜) 
  9. Tens and Twenties… for college (I think I already suggested that one year though.) 
.: Ranger’s Picks – Age 17 :.
He never got back to me – too many papers and exams to study for at the moment- so I started putting this year’s list together for him.. I may update it later but it’s time to wrap up this post! 
  1. Ranger’s Apprentice Books and The Brotherband Chronicles (He’ll be receiving this year’s brand new release of Brotherband: Return of the Temujai. Shhhh!) 
  2. Spikeball – A gift from last Christmas and so fun!
  3. Kan Jam – Another fun outdoor game! We bought it for their graduation party.
  4.  Plus all the things Captain mentioned above. 
.: Chiquita’s Picks – Age 14 :.

  1. Irish Dance Shoe/Heart/Birthstone Necklace
  2. Genesis Archery Bow and Arrows (She received this in 2016 and it’s still a favorite… She’s hoping for a new target this Christmas!) 
  3. Irish Dance Ghillie Bag
  4. Blessed Be God Prayer Book
  5. Who’s Your Hero Catholic T-Shirt
  6. Marian Consecration for Children (She loves the Narnia references too!) 
  7. Spring Birds Paint-by-Number Series (blog posts here) 
  8. Simplified Planner with Gold Cover
  9. Hand-embroidered Scapular from StellaMarigoldArt and skirts from Baby My Love

.: Snuggles’ Picks – Age 12 :.

  1. The Saints Chronicles Collections (He has 1, 2, 3 and 4) 
  2. Saint Goals Youth T-Shirt
  3. Rollerblades Spitfire XT
  4. War Horse DVD
  5. Payday Retro
  6. LEGO Creator Sets and City Sets (Last Christmas he loved the LEGO Creator Modular Modern Home.)
  7. The Grizzled Cooperative Card Game
  8. WWI/WWII Chest Rig Reproduction
  9. Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood

.: Rose’s Picks – Age 9 :.

  1. Rollerblade Spitfire XT Girl’s Adjustable Fitness Inline Skate
  2. 15″ Pink Sequined Nutcracker from Pier 1 – I’m hoping to share the pictures from her Nutcracker Themed birthday party she had last year soon! 
  3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  4. Fairy Tale Cottage Dollhouse and Ostheimer Figures – I purchased them from The Wooden Wagon (Right now you can save 10% with coupon code THANKFUL19 until 12/2) 
  5. Calico Critters including this cute little family
  6. eeBoo Sketch Book
  7. Little Saint Therese Paper Dolls
  8. Chunky Soft Cable Knit Beanie (White) 
  9. St. Therese of Lisieux Quote Mug
.: Bud’s Picks – Age 7 :.

In addition to our collection of Lincoln Logs, Playmobil, Thomas Wooden Railway, and LEGO, here are some more favorites that Bud loves… 
  1. Interlocking Wooden Blocks from Nova Natural are still one of his favorites! 
  2. Last year our youngest son really wanted 🎶“a hippopotamus for Christmas!“🎶 and he was so excited to find one in his stocking! He’s already got his green alligators and (his sisters) long-necked geese so this year he’s really hoping for 🎶 some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees!”🎶 – Ostheimer Noah’s Ark, Figures, and Animals have been past gifts and they are played with daily. I plan to add the camels and monkey to his collection this year and maybe a few others. Like all handcrafted wooden toys, these are an investment, but they are so beautiful and definitely heirloom quality. I always watch for sales from Bella Luna Toys and The Wooden Wagon. 
  3. Fagus Fire Truck (Available Fagus Toys from Amazon and The Wooden Wagon – The Fire Truck he received last Christmas was a limited edition!❤️)
  4. LEGO City Forest Tractor
  5. Stratego Board Game
  6. Rubberband Gun
  7. River Otter Plush – Another loved gift from his Godparents along with his Red Fox. All of the Wild Republic stuffed animals are great. 
  8. St. Francis of Assisi Prayer Pillowcase
  9. Melissa and Doug Car Carrier

.: Grace’s Picks – Age 2 :.
  1. Lady Saints Leggings and Twirl Dress(es) from Baby My Love 
  2. Wooden Tea Set (ours is an older version from her older sisters)
  3. Olli Ella Strolley
  4. Little Books for Catholic Kids 
  5. Her new sister is at the top of her list of favorites. She also really loves Noah and Charlotte! 
  6. Build-a-Bouquet Floral Arrangement (another favorite hand-me-down at the moment) 
  7. Plush Dog House – She loves all doggies so much! 
  8. Guac is Extra Bib – Bella Tunno makes great bibs! 
  9. Wooden Story 5 Across Stacking Toy 
.: Lily’s Picks – Age 3 Months :.

  1. Vintage Blooms Rosary and Miraculous Medal Pacifier Clip from Chews Life (We don’t have these colors yet but I might get them for her. Her older siblings have the Rosary in Pink, Grey and Also available at Amazon here.) 
  2. Baby Girl Headbands and Bows
  3. A Swan’s Tale Swaddle Blanket and Harlow the Swan (little size) from Cuddle and Kind
  4. The elephant I bought her for Christmas is currently sold out… But how cute is this little guy?! I might have to get it for her at some point, especially since it matches her fairy doll so nicely. 
  5. Saranoni Ballet Slipper Pink Lush Baby Blanket and Spiced Blossom Swaddle
  6. Fairy Doll
  7. Lace Bonnet
  8. Freshly Picked Soft Sole Mocassins 
  9. Little Unicorn Hooded Towel Set
.: Gift Ideas for Catholic Women :.
  1. My Vocation is Love Mug
  2. Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family – I have a treasured vintage out of print copy of this book and love that it’s back in print! 
  3. Hand Embroidered Scapulars from StellaMarigoldArt
  4. Olive Oil and Balsamic Club Subscription – $42 every three months. The only subscription I’ve had for years and still love! 
  5. Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962) and Blessed Be God Prayer Book with Missal Covers
  6. Catholic Aprons from Catholic Cuisine
  7. A Mother’s Prayer Pocket Rosary in Pink Gemstone – I was given this years ago following one of my miscarriages and treasure it. I purchased another to give to a friend this year on the anniversary of the loss of her sweet little St. Fiona. It’s a lovely gift to give to any mother who is expecting a baby or who has lost a little one. 
  8. We and Our Children: How to Make a Catholic Home – Another (reprinted) favorite from back when I was a young mother. 
  9. My Vocation is Love T-Shirt
.: Gift Ideas for Catholic Men :.

Thank you, Sean, for this list and commentary! 
  1.  Very Rugged BLACK MONK ROSARY with Gunmetal Crucifix – “Good looking manly rosary where the Our Father beads are easily distinguished from the Hail Marys. The flat black coloured beads are unique and appealing. The paracord makes the rosary hard to break. And the crucifix is traditional quality.”
  2. The Great Siege, Malta 1565: Clash of Cultures: Christian Knights Defend Western Civilization Against the Moslem Tide – “A must read for all Catholic men.” 
  3. Manual for Men – “A timely book written for the American Catholic man. The very good and orthodox Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix presents strong and succinct direction for living out the Catholic Faith in our culture.”
  4. My Catholic Faith – The classic 1954 edition of this fabulous catechism is available again.
  5. Crusader Knights Templar Cross Baseball Hat – “What dad wouldn’t like a Knights Templar Cross ball cap? Hmmmmm????”
  6. Very Rugged Paracord Military Rosary in Rattlesnake Color – “Unique copper coloured beads and crucifix on this hard to break rosary with distinguishable Our Father beads make this a very appealing gift for the Catholic dad.”
  7. Manual for Spiritual Warfare – “Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., the editor of TAN Books, delivers another good manual for men to engage in spiritual warfare. Comes in an appealing nice rugged leather cover.”
  8. In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart — The Journal of a Priest at Prayer
  9. St. Benedict Medal Catholic Apron from Catholic Cuisine
.: 2020 Catholic Calendars and Planners :.
  1. 2020 Traditional Latin Mass Calendar from FSSP (Extraordinary Form) 
  2. 2020 Catholic Calendar from Saints Galore (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form) 
  3. 2020 Drinking with the Monks Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
  4. 2020 Saints Calendar and 16 Month Daily Planner from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form -My husband and I both use this every year!)
  5. 2020 The Life of Our Lord Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
  6. The Catholic Daily Planner™ (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
  7. 2020 The Angels Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
  8. 2020 Catholic Liturgical Calendar Bundle (Ordinary Form – Would love to see this in Extraordinary Form too!) 
  9. 2020 Mary and the Saints Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)

.: A Sleighful of Giveaways :.

There will be one winner for each of the following 20 PRIZES with a COMBINED VALUE OF OVER $1,700!!! 
+  +  +

Prize #1 – Set of two 100% Pro-Life Sweatshirts, two 100% Pro-Life T-Shirts, two Life Defender T-Shirts, ten Pro-Life Stickers, two Car Magnets and five Buttons sponsored by Culture of Life Studies Program (value $153.00)

Shower of Roses readers can always save 20% off their entire order using the code: ROSES20

Congratulations, Sarah H! 
“There are so many beautiful gift ideas on this list! My top choices are 1, 6, 9, and 18. Thanks for hosting this giveaway. Wishing you and your family a blessed Advent!“

+  +  +

Congratulations, Katy!
“I’d love to see what you did for the Nutrcracker themed birthday. Do you have a favorite book edition? My 8 year is starting to show an interest. I went ahead and got her the pink sequined one. Thanks! 🙂 …. # 2,9,15, and 17″

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Prize #3 – Deluxe Blue Game Mat, SaintCards Duel Starter/Booster Set, Roman Canon Expansion, Stigmatists’ Expansion, Bilocators’ Expansion, and Special Edition Nativity Jesus Card sponsored by Saint Cards (value $122.00)

Congratulations, Amelia! 
“Thanks for the giveaway! I always like to see what’s new. My favorite prizes are 2,3,4,10,13,14,16,19. Have a blessed Advent!”

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Prize #4 – 15 Rosary Blocks: 5 Glorious, 5 Joyful, 5 Sorrowful Mysteries. Prayers on the back by St. Louis de Montfort sponsored by Almond Rod Toys (value $119.00)

Congratulations, Karen H!
“I can’t BELIEVE all the great goodies you’ve rounded up! We’re all feeling like kids in a candy shop just scrolling through these! The votes are in, we would love to win any of these #’s: 1,3,4,5,6,9 or 11. God bless you and yours!”

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Prize #5 – The complete five-book West Brothers series, which includes Roland West, Loner; Life-Changing Love; Battle for His Soul; Standing Strong; and Roland West, Outcast. Plus Secrets: Visible & Invisible (which contains a West Brothers short story, along with 6 other short stories from Catholic Teen Books authors). And a prayer warrior rosary with metal beads and paracord sponsored by author Theresa Linden (value $108.94)

Congratulations, Erin!
“I would love the teen books, the preschool pack, the girls nail polish, the almond rod toys, or the Elizabeth Ann seton box. Thank you so much!”

+  +  +

Prize #6 – $50 Gift Certificate for Leah’s Legacy Web Store (perfect for designing a custom Missal Cover!), Saint Benedict Apron, and two embroidered rosary pouches (Winner’s Choice!) sponsored by MissalCovers.com (value $104.00)

Congratulations, S. George!
“Thank you so very much for offering these amazing giveaways!! My favorites in order are: #6, #16, #2, #7, and #3. :). God bless you!”
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Prize #7 – Set of 8 Cookie Stamps with Recipe Booklet (Includes: #416 – Snow Star, #463 – Christmas Ornament, #020 – Frosty, #034-18 – Heralding Angels, #023 – Holly Sprig (1), #030 – Christmas Tree, # 368 – Nativity and #271 – Jolly Santa) sponsored by Rycraft Cookie Stamps (value $103.92)

Congratulations, Katherine Salazar!
“#4, 6, 7, 8, and 15 are my favorites!! What a fabulous giveaway!”

Congratulations, Amy Moses!
“Lots of lovely ideas!”

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Prize #9 – Three T-Shirts of the Winner’s Choice sponsored by Catholic T-Shirt Club (value $78.00)

Get a free $10 credit for Catholic T-Shirt Club when you buy any subscription. 
Use coupon: REFSNYRV9UFS3

Congratulations, Beth!
“Would love to win the tshirts”
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Prizes #10 -Do you enjoy crafting or have teens that do? Well this was made just for you from SaongJai! Includes: Large Scapular Kit (Wool panels, string, image panels, thread, and instructions. Only small and medium kits are available for sale.), Stone Rosary Kit (stone beads crucifix, center, and other materials), Vinyl Holy Water Bottle Stickers (A page of durable and beautiful floral holy water stickers. Place them on glass bottles to make your own holy water bottles!), Catholic Prayers Digital Prints PDF, Marian Quote Coloring Pages PDF, Madonna & Child Gift Gift Tags PDF, and Old World Master Printable Christmas Cards PDF sponsored by SaongJai (value $77.60)

Congratulations, Kate!

“Thanks for all the work you put into this post!! Any prize would be lovely, especially the prize set with the scapular kit… Blessings to you!”


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Prize #11 – Set of 5 Faith-filled teen novels including The Perfect Blindside, An Unexpected Role, Where You Lead, Secrets: Visible and Invisible and Gifts: Visible and Invisible from author Leslea Wahl (value $75.91) 

Congratulations, Mary Steck!

“Wow! You are amazing! What wonderful ideas! 

I would love to win the nail polishes, or the pillowcases, or the teen books or the ones for littles. Any of them, really we have a variety of kids in our house.”

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Prize #12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe Green Leggings in 12 month size and 28″x28″ lovey size Catholic Cotton Muslin Blanket and hand knit bonnet that is made to best suit 6-12 months sponsored by Baby My Love (value $75.00)
Congratulations, Jennifer!
“These are wonderful gift lists and amazing giveaways! My sweet newborn would love the Baby My Love set and the other younger kids would enjoy the Wanderlust Catholic subscription. Older kids like the tees, for sure. Thanks for the time you put in to share all of this. God bless!”
+ + +

Prize #13 – 1 year subscription to The Wanderlust Catholic! Each month, your family will receive a hand-lettered and illustrated letter exploring a Catholic treasure! (value $72.00)

Shower of Roses readers can always save 15% off the first 3 months of their subscription with coupon code: SHOWEROFROSES15
Congratulations, Meghan!

“How can I choose…2, 5, 10, 13, 16, 17…they would fit well in the current ages/stages. 
All of them are awesome though!”

+ + +

Prize #14 – St. Hubertus Patron of Hunters Catholic Rosary sponsored by Faith Beads (value $65.00)

Congratulations, Susan!
“Oh my gosh! What great gift ideas!! Thank you! I feel like you did my shopping for me — definitely added some stuff to my Amazon cart. Thank you for the awesome giveaway!”

+ + +
Prize #15 – Shower the little ones in your life with prayerful gifts this Christmas! Joseph and Leane are giving away this Prayer Pillowcases bundle specially chosen to nurture the faith in your little loves! Prayer Pillowcases are lovingly designed to bring Catholic art and prayer to families in practical way – who doesn’t use a pillowcase? 🙂 They have dozens of personalized designs for all ages. Looking for lasting stocking stuffers? Just roll and tie with a ribbon! Gift Bundle of 4 includes Angel of God Prayer in Pink and in Green, the Our Father and the Hail Mary Little Angels designs sponsored by PrayerPillowcases.com (value $59.80)
Pssst! Prayer Pillowcases is offering a code for FREE Personalization too.
Shop prayerpillowcases.com with coupon Roses2019 to get yours! 
(Coupon expires Dec. 15th.)

Congratulations, Vanessa!
“I love that you collect Nativities!! What a fun way to have the “reason for the season” displayed!!”

+ + +
Prize #16 – Beautiful Collection of Seven Nail Polishes sponsored Lisieux Nail Polish (value $56.00)

Congratulations, Abbey W!
“I am torn between the Almond Rod rosary blocks and the Lisieux nail polish set. While my children would love the rosary blocks (particularly during family rosary each night), the nail polish set could be shared among my female friends and family. Both would be a blessing!”

+ + +
Prize #17 – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Box sponsored Saints Around the World (value $55.00)

Congratulations, Jen Barbosa!
“So many inspired ideas here! I look forward to your list every year! My family would especially enjoy the Almond Rod rosary blocks or the Saints Around the World box.”

+ + +
Prize #18 – 33 Days to Morning Glory, 33 Days to Merciful Love, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told, and You Did It To Me sponsored by Sacred Heart Books and Gifts (value $53.84)

Congratulations, Katie!
“I love the Chews Life prize or any of the sets with books for kids or the 33 Days prize. Thanks for all of the amazing ideas!”

+ + +

Congratulations, Katrina Springer!
“I always love your ideas! I have used some items for my family almost every year”

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Prize #20 – Stack of Six Childrens Books: Jesus Savior of the World, Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family, I Pray the Mass, I Pray Every Day, Jesus Invites Me to Mass, and Watch Over Me Little Angel (value $51.78)

Congratulations, Kate!
“So excited about this giveaway, especially the kiddo prizes!”
+  +  +

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:

Looking for more ideas? 
  

Three Months

by | Nov 25, 2019 | , | 11 Comments

I still haven’t been able to go back and share her newborn and baptism pictures… Maybe someday! I took these pictures this morning before leaving for Mass and just had to share them with you all.

As of this last Tuesday (Nov 19th) she weighed 10 pounds even! She watches me everywhere I go, at least the occasional times she allows me to put her down… She has been rolling over for a few weeks now, from her back to her tummy, and has the sweetest coos and giggles for all of us. She’s pretty cute!

Updated to add the links: Cuddle + Kind Swan and A Swan’s Tale Swaddle 

Interlocking Wooden Blocks

by | Nov 25, 2019 | , | 4 Comments

Interlocking Blocks • Melissa and Doug Car Carrier and Magnetic Car Loader • Misc Die Cast Cars 

I always love seeing what gets built with the blocks… This time it’s a parking garage! 🚘

And… another day but still building with his blocks! 

These are the interlocking blocks from Nova Natural (we have two “Sets of 92” and they’d still love more!) made by Camphill Village Store. Our kids play with them daily! So much fun. 

What are some of your kids’ favorite toys?

On the Last Sunday of the Liturgical Year

by | Nov 25, 2019 | , | 4 Comments

“We must live in this world, as if our spirits were in Heaven and our bodies in the tomb. We must live a dying life and die a living and life-giving death, in the life of our King and sweetest Savior.” – St. Francis de Sales
Cathedral/Crown Cake with Lemon Glaze • The Catechism in Pictures 
Christ, King of the Universe, have mercy on us!

Our 2019 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels {Plus Lots of Christmas Books to Giveaway!}

by | Nov 22, 2019 | , | 0 Comments

Advent begins just one week from Sunday! 
The length of Advent always varies from 22-28 days, beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30th) and embracing four Sundays. The first day of Advent can fall as early as November 27th or as late as December 3rd. This year Advent begins on December 1st.  I love it when that happens! 
Every Advent our family counts down the days until Christmas with picture books, Advent Calendars, and the Jesse Tree. Years ago, when we didn’t have enough Christmas themed picture books to wrap one for each day of Advent, I would check some Christmas books out from the library just before Advent began, using Christmas Mosaic as a guide. We have added many books to our home library since then, giving one Christmas themed book to each of our children on the feast of St. Nicholas, and our collection has definitely grown.  (You can find this year’s St. Nick books here!) 
In the past I have filled our Advent basket with Christmas Mosaic titles and our children’s 35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books. One year I picked twenty-six of MY favorites (although I still find new favorites to add to my list each year!) and one year I left the choosing up to my husband and our oldest daughter. We’ve had great lists the last two years too: 2017 and 2018. 
I currently keep all of our Christmas picture books on the bottom two shelves of a corner bookshelf upstairs… The other night I went up there and pulled out a whole bunch of my favorites. I sorted through them all, removing the ones I wrapped and read to our children last Advent (with the exception of a few annual favorites including The Donkey’s Dream, The Miracle of St. Nicholas and Bambinelli Sunday) and that’s how I came up with this year’s list! 

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

December 1 – 1st Sunday of Advent: Waiting for Christmas: A Story About the Advent Calendar – set up Advent Calendars and Jesse Tree
December 2: Christmas Farm
December 5: The Legend of St. Nicholas – write letters to Christ Child/Saint Nicholas, bake Speculaas or St. Nicholas Cookies, and decorate St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins to give to others
December 6 – St. Nicholas: St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins
December 7 – St. Ambrose: The Attic Saint – (New Release… Coming soon!) Bake a Honeycomb Cake, decorate Christmas Candles
December 8 – Immaculate Conception and 2nd Sunday of Advent: Apple Tree Christmas
December 10: The Bears’ Christmas Surprise (Back in print!! Find this year’s reprint here!) 
December 12 – Hanna’s Christmas – prepare for tomorrow’s feast day
December 13 – Santa Lucia Day: Lucia Saint of Light
December 14: Bambinelli Sunday (this year we’ll read it on the eve of Bambinelli Sunday) 
December 15 – 3rd Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday: The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher
December 17 – O Sapientia: The Miracle of St. Nicholas
December 18 – O Adonai: The Donkey’s Dream *Catholic Mosaic – pray Litany of Mary from which the names of Mary used in this book were taken 
December 19 – O Radix Jesse: My Wonderful Christmas Tree
December 21 – O Oriens: Bethlehem (Catholic Edition) 
December 22 – 4th Sunday of Advent – O Rex Gentium: Small Camel Follows the Star
December 23 – O Emmanuel: The First Christmas (Brand new! O Antiphon gift for this year.) 
December 24 – Vigil of Christmas: There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve

About four or five years ago I switched to brown paper along with purple and pink ribbon, instead of the original purple and pink wrapping paper I would use years ago… This year I’m reusing brown paper bags along with the ribbons I reuse every year and our homemade labels!


As always, we’ll unwrap and read one book each night during Advent, following our family rosary. The rest of our book collection will be placed in additional baskets for the kids to read whenever they’d like during the seasons of Advent and Christmas. 

If you’d like to use my little labels too, you can download my Advent Book Basket Labels for 2019 over at Dropbox.
(Note: I made two versions this year: Extraordinary Form or Novus Ordo…The difference is that the feast of the Immaculate Conception is transferred to the 9th on the New Calendar and remains on the 8th for Extraordinary Form. I included the Ember Days on both sets.)

I’m still waiting for The Attic Saint to arrive and I’m also saving the new brand new book I ordered for December 23rd to wrap along with this year’s O Antiphon gifts for O Emmanuel. It’s a really cute book with rhyming text, but not quite as cute as our brand new baby. We are all looking forward to having everyone home again for her First Christmas!
.: ADVENT BOOK BASKET GIVEAWAY :.

Congratulations, Emily! 
“Thank you for your wonderful ideas!”
sponsored by author Susan Peek (value $61.79)

Congratulations, Piper!“Thank you for your list. I reference it every year”

Prize #3: The Rosary for Little Ones 
and Divine Mercy for Little Ones

sponsored by author Kimberly Fries (value $25.98) 

Congratulations, Maria!
“I love your blog! So inspiring. Thank you for your gentle, loving example of motherhood.”

Prize #4: Digital Copy of Awaiting the Messiah: A Family Advent Journey with Handel’s Messiah sponsored by Barefoot Abbey (value $15.00) 

Congratulations, Gian!
“Look like lovely books. Thanks for sharing!”

Christmas Carols (Little Golden Book)

by | Nov 18, 2019 | , , | 0 Comments



Back in print—a Little Golden Book full of classic Christmas carols to sing!
“This festive Little Golden Book from 1946 is back in print for the first time in 40 years! Beautiful vintage illustrations bring to life sheet music and lyrics for beloved carols and hymns that families have sung together for many generations: “Away in a Manger,” “Joy to the World,” “Deck the Halls,” and more. Perfect for placing on the piano, or to give to a child or a collector of the classic Little Golden Books, this book will be cherished each holiday season.”

Here are some pictures of this gorgeous little book:

One of our favorite ways to prepare for and then celebrate Christmas is with a basket filled with beautiful books! We started our book collection nearly 20 years ago when our eldest son was a baby and, even though we now have a pretty incredible collection, I still love adding to it each year! One of our new additions for this year will be the recently republished Christmas Carols and I’m excited to send a copy of this sweet book to one of you too!

Once again I’m teaming up with a group of ladies over on Instagram to give ONE FAMILY the opportunity to receive *OVER 30 BOOKS* for their very own Advent Book Basket!! With a title for every day of the season this Advent Book Basket makes a perfect literary Advent Calendar.

New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas {and a St. Nicholas Giveaway!}

by | Nov 15, 2019 | , , , , , | 0 Comments

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” – St. Nicholas of Myra

The feast of St. Nicholas is just three weeks from today! On December 6th our children always wake up to find that the letters they wrote to the Holy Child and/or St. Nicholas have been taken and their (sometimes new/replaced) slippers have been filled with little treats, oranges, chocolate gold coins, candy canes, and often times a note from St. Nicholas.

Our children (and teens!) have also always received a new Christmas book as well, which has helped us build an amazing collection over the last twenty years. It will be so great to pass each of their collections down to them when they eventually start families of their own.

The darling wooden St. Nicholas toys in the above pictures are from Marzipantz and Ostheimer Wooden Toys.  The kids haven’t seen these yet, but they will be added to our collection this year.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Here is the list of books I picked out for our children this year:
(I didn’t get books for our college boys, but ‘m hoping to mail them a St. Nicholas care package too!) 
For Twinkle Toes: 

“First published in 1998, The Twelve Days of Christmas Cats is a beloved picture book with full color illustrations by Don Daily. The traditional twelve days of Christmas poem is creatively transformed, with each spread featuring one of the twelve cats with its resepective adorable artwork. Siamese, leopards, persians, calico cats and kittens playfully ring in Christmas cheer as they dance across the pages of this heartwarming classic.”


For Chiquita:


“Red and Lulu make their nest in a particularly beautiful evergreen tree. It shades them in the hot months and keeps them cozy in the cold months, and once a year the people who live nearby string lights on their tree and sing a special song: O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree. But one day, something unthinkable happens, and Red and Lulu are separated. It will take a miracle for them to find each other again. Luckily, it’s just the season for miracles. . . . From Matt Tavares comes a heart-tugging story combining the cheer of Christmas, the magic of New York City, and the real meaning of the holiday season: how important it is to be surrounded by love.”

I had such a hard time deciding which book to give to Chiquita and which one to give to Rose…
This one goes so well with Rose’s little collection of wooden birds (the tooth fairy brings her a sweet little bird every time she loses a tooth!) but her older sister will love it too!

For Snuggles: 

“Once Upon a Silent Night is a beautifully illustrated book for children ages 4 to 8 about the creation of the famous song. After the mice in a small Austrian town destroy the church organ, the parish priest and the choir director compose a song to fill the silent church on Christmas Eve. The townspeople and the mice celebrate Christmas with a new tune that reflects the humble birth of the Savior and inspires joy in the hearts of his people.”

For Rose: 

(Updated Edition with Paperdolls)

“Early one Christmas morning in Sweden, Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka opened their eyes. Soon they would have their Christmas gifts! For the first time in over thirty years, this classic holiday tale returns, in a deluxe hardcover edition. Longtime fans of the series will delight in revisiting the story, and new readers will find fun and excitement as the girls must save their friend Bertie after an ice-skating disaster.”

For Bud: 

“As Christmas becomes more and more commercialized, it is easy to get lost in the shopping and decorating; the parties and the lights; the presents and the food. In this charming and beautifully illustrated story, Santa himself comes to town and reminds everyone of the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Show your children—and remind yourself—that without Jesus, there is not Christmas. Santa’s Priority is an instant Christmas classic, that your family will read together for years to come.”

This seven, soon-to-be-eight year old, needs an extra reminder on what Christmas is all about! 😉

For Grace: 

“A small, crookled fir tree is left all alone after the others near it in the forest are chosen by families as Christmas to bring home. But when the forest animals gather around the lonely little tree to cheer it up and celebrate the season, it finds the warmth of the holidays in the heart of a cold, snowy forest.”

For Lily: 

“Told from the perspective of a barn owl, Guess Who’s in the Manger is a beautiful Christmas story sure to delight children four to seven years old–and their parents as well. Guess Who’s in the Manger is perfect for reading aloud (what child doesn’t enjoy the gentle “hoo” of an owl, reflected here in the sound of “who’s in the manger?”). Written by Vicki Howie, author of Once Upon a Silent Night, this Christmas story is sure to delight.”

Bonus Books for the Family: 

I also picked up these three new books this year too! They’ll either be given to the children on the first day of Advent or in their Epiphany Book Stacks. 

(My girls are going to love this!) 
(I picked up my copy from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts! Keep this small Catholic family owned business in mind for Christmas book shopping – all their items are automatically 15% off!) 

.: Giveaway :. 

Once again this year I will be hosting FOUR Advent and Christmas themed giveaways! Here is the first giveaway in preparation for the feast of St. Nicholas:

Prize #1 – Set of Five Cookie Stamps with Recipe Booklet 

sponsored by Rycraft Cookie Stamps (combined value $64.95)

Congratulations, Debora!
“Beautiful giveaway! Thank you for the opportunity to enter!”

Prize #2 – St. Nicholas Special Edition Box

“This special edition box contains a beautifully designed canvas with paint and a wooden easel, my favorite story on St. Nicholas, a fun ornament craft, yummy recipe, a beautiful St. Nicholas statue and all of the materials needed to make a trip to Turkey, passport and map included!”
sponsored by Saints Around the World (value $55.00)
Congratulations, Kathryn! 
“Thank you for the giveaway! St. Nicholas is on one my favorite saints and the patron of one of our children. “

Prize #3 – Advent & St. Nicholas Prize Package

sponsored by My Little Patron (value $52.24)
*Stickers are currently 50% off thru today only with code: LITTLETHINGS
Congratulations, Elizabeth!

“I’m so grateful for all your ideas and inspiration. God bless you and your beautiful family”

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You are welcome to download my St. Nicholas labels over at Dropbox with either Black or Green text…

And here is the link to the St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins! 
(You can find another option, an adaptation this original idea of mine, over at St. Nicholas Center.
I also just made an updated printable for this year which I will try and share soon!)

For additional Christmas book suggestions you can find some of our lists in the archives: 

 Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins {Beautiful book!}

 Christmas Mosaic: A Review & Featured Book List

 35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books for Children

 Feasts & Seasons :: Advent & Christmas Collection


Our 2015 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels 

 Our 2016 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels 

 Our 2017 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels 

 Our 2018 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels 
{I’m planning to share our 2019 Basket and Labels soon!}

New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas: 
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Stacks of Books on Christmas Morning or Epiphany: 
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017



Even more St. Nicholas themed gifts can be found in these past posts filled with Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers from 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018!

Martinmas Lantern Walk

by | Nov 13, 2019 | , | 6 Comments

In A Book of Feasts and Seasons author Joanna Bogle shares that “the main festivity on St. Martin’s Day especially in France and Germany is that of making paper lanterns and carrying them in procession.” Our family decorated glass jars years ago for our annual Lantern Walk on Martinmas.

Sometimes I really miss our old home, especially on special feast days. We lived there for over 18 years and left with countless wonderful memories. Lately I’ve been missing all the beautiful trees on our old property. As much as I love our new home, we only have a handful of very young trees… Even though we aren’t riverfront, we DO have river access, so for this year’s Martinmas Lantern Walk we headed down to the river to enjoy the trees, the gorgeous sunset, and create some new memories!

 
 

 
 

Martinmas Lanterns 🍂🍁🕯✨

“Allow me, brothers, to look toward heaven rather than at the earth, so that my spirit may set on the right course when the time comes for me to go on my journey to the Lord.” – St. Martin of Tours
Three Months

Three Months

by | Nov 25, 2019 | , | 11 Comments

I still haven't been able to go back and share her newborn and baptism pictures... Maybe someday! I took these pictures this morning before leaving for Mass and just had to share them with you all.As of this last Tuesday (Nov 19th) she weighed 10 pounds even! She...

Interlocking Wooden Blocks

Interlocking Wooden Blocks

by | Nov 25, 2019 | , | 4 Comments

Interlocking Blocks • Melissa and Doug Car Carrier and Magnetic Car Loader • Misc Die Cast Cars I always love seeing what gets built with the blocks... This time it’s a parking garage! 🚘And... another day but still building with his blocks! These are...

Martinmas Lantern Walk

Martinmas Lantern Walk

by | Nov 13, 2019 | , | 6 Comments

In A Book of Feasts and Seasons author Joanna Bogle shares that “the main festivity on St. Martin's Day especially in France and Germany is that of making paper lanterns and carrying them in procession.” Our family decorated glass jars years ago for our annual Lantern...

Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


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Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-24, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-21, Snuggles-18, Rose-16, Bud-14, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

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