Custodians of Beauty

On November 1, we celebrate the host of saints in heaven. We ask them to intercede for us so that one day we too may join the holy soul for all Eternity. My four year old has told me many times that she wants to go to heaven to be with Mary and Jesus. This afternoon, while praying my rosary, she climbed onto my lap. She asked if she would see the apostles up there (heaven). I said yes, of course! And St. Francis, St. Maximillian, St. Nicholas, and St. Agnes!  Isn't it amazing to think about who you could rub elbows with in heaven? I mean how cool would it be to dine with St. Lawrence and St. Martha, share a hearty laugh with St. Bernard of Clairvaux or hike the mountains with St. John Paul and Blessed Pier Giorgio? Heaven will be GREAT! My husband and I desire our children to know and love the saints. To help them get to know their patrons, we read stories and celebrate their feast days with tasty foods and fun activities. Our children look forward to the All Saints Day...

"We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching, we are the dinosaurs what do ya think of that?" These are the words heard on repeat over the past few weeks from little voices. I've been taking the girls to Movers and Makers at the library on Fridays and they always end the program by singing the dinosaur song . That being said, it was an easy theme to work into the birthday celebrations this month. My three-going-on-four year old was beside herself with joy when she heard I was planning a DOUBLE DINO party for her and her little brother.  The three layered DINO cake was covered in milk chocolate frosting, drizzled with chocolate ganache and topped with crushed cookies. Picked up the big plastic dinos from Family Dollar and the mismatched smaller ones were found at garage sales this summer.  Decorations were put up a few days before the party (and they are still up! Kids are lovin' it.) I cut out construction paper for the dinosaurs shapes and used m...

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus I made a treat for the kids. It was a solemnity after all! The base was a graham cracker spread with buttercream frosting. I used slices of strawberries for the hearts and slivers of roasted almonds for the crown of thorns and cross. The fire at the top was orange and yellow sprinkles. You could use flower sprinkles instead of almonds to turn this into the Immaculate Heart. (Next year!) Extremely impromptu, yet fun and easy to make. Just used what I had in my pantry at the time.   Before we ate our snack, the kids looked at the image of the Sacred Heart and I pointed out to them the thorns, fire, and heart of Jesus. We talked about what each symbol meant. The flaming heart showing His burning love for us, and the cross and thorns circling the heart reminding us of His suffering and death on the cross. Prayer to the Sacred Heart: O Most Holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love yo...

"What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul." -The Melody from  The Southern Harmony  by William Walker It wouldn't​ be Easter without fresh flowers. I picked up an Easter Lily on Good Friday, but kept it hidden (Jesus hasn't risen yet) in our guest bedroom downstairs. On Easter morning, before the kids were up, I took it upstairs and placed it on our home oratory.  The sweet smell of lilies filled the house. It was wonderful! Egg wraps are my new thing. No messy dyes, spills, or drying time to deal with. These beauties are ready after a quick dip in a hot bath. The plastic wraps shrink to the egg within a few seconds. Piece of cake. Just make sure you have some regular size eggs on hand. The jumbo eggs, while great for cookin' up a storm of omelets, are ...

On Palm Sunday, we hear the Gospel reading of Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. How fitting that this lowly creature was chosen to carry Christ (and Our Lady) to the place of His birth in Bethlehem and now bears Our King through the streets where He will suffer His Passion and Death on the Cross. From the womb to the tomb. What a beautiful prefigurement to reflect on during Holy Week. I wanted the girls to be familiar with this bible story so that when they heard it on Sunday, they would be able to follow along. So we cuddled on the couch and read from the book of Matthew. After explaining to my 3 year old why it was ok for the donkey to step on the clothes, we pulled out the markers and crayons for some coloring. This  coloring sheet  and  cut-out Jesus  (my personal favorite) were great visuals. We reenacted the scene of Jesus entering Jerusalem. I drew a few palm branches for the girls to use as props and place on the road. ...

During Lent, I wanted to incorporate the Stations of the Cross as a weekly devotion at our home. Getting my three and two year old daughters to sit and be still, whether at church in the pew or eating their lunch, is a constant struggle.  I wasn't sure whether they would be able to focus and remain engaged as we prayed. After gathering ideas on Pinterest, I found a hands-on Stations of the Cross kit. There are 14 items (small enough for little hands to hold) representing each station. What I like about this kit is that most of the items can be found in your home. On Fridays before their "quiet-time", I light a candle and have the girls sit with me at the table while we pray the Stations of the Cross. We begin by making the sign of the cross together and then I read the first station. I let the two year old hold the item first. I pray, "We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world." At the end of thi...