25 Printable and DIY Easter Basket Ideas for Quarantined Catholics

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When I was a kid, one of the great joys of Easter morning was waking up to a basket of goodies after our 40 day long Lenten Fast.

My grammy was our Easter bunny, and she always went overboard. Mountains of candy, small gifts, and way too much of Easter grass; pinatas, egg hunts, and always a ham.

As I grew older, my mom continued the Easter basket tradition with us as “big kids.” Only, instead of baskets, she swapped over to Easter paper bags.

They were smaller. They were simpler.

And believe it or not, I loved them even more than our beloved baskets.

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by Categories: Easter 1 Comment

Jesus is Calling You Out of the Grave

I always get irritated when I read the Gospel story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:1-45). Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, they let him know his friend was sick. And yet, Jesus didn’t come.

Jesus allowed Lazarus to die. And then, two days too late, Jesus decided to mosey on in.

Too late, Jesus.

You should have been here days ago.

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by Categories: Lent, Meditations Leave a comment

Seek Christ Crucified. Find Christ Resurrected.

I woke up and got dressed in my Sunday Best, to watch Mass on a computer screen in my living room.

Then I looked at my calendar and realized: It’s Laetare Sunday.

It’s time to rejoice.

I decided to change into a pink dress for Laetare Sunday. And as I changed, I thought:

It sure is a strange time for rejoicing.

We’re in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic… our state has shut down… we’re quarantined inside our house, our daily routines are completely disrupted… and we are called to rejoice.

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by Categories: Meditations 1 Comment

13 Holy Toys for Catholic Kids

This post contains affiliate links and products I received in exchange for an honest review.

Children learn a lot through play.

We have our favorite open-ended toys, like Legos, pretend kitchen, Playmobil (castles and princesses), and more.

But I also love to fill our house with holy toys!

Some we keep in our prayer space. Others we keep with the general toys to encourage frequent use, still others we reserve for use ONLY during Mass or Adoration – so they have the feel of something special.

Here’s a collection of our favorite Catholic toys!

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Raising Future Saints (Who Also Sit Still at Mass)

This post is sponsored by Annunciation Designs. She sent me the “Future Saint” Mass Activity Cards in exchange for an honest review.

Parenting pre-schoolers is one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my life.

I admire mothers who enjoy every moment of parenting their preschool aged children. Who see the beauty of the way they think, the way they play, the way they seek independence.

For me, it’s an incomprehensible challenge.

Especially when it’s time to bring them to Mass.

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by Categories: Parenting, Prayer Life 2 Comments

Peg Doll Church Box

This post is sponsored by Farris Creations. She sent me a Church Box in exchange for my honest review.

Pretend play is one of the best ways for kids to learn.

When they pretend, they enter so fully into the story that sometimes lines blur between imagination and reality.

As parents, we need to keep this in mind, and encourage wholesome pretend play. And even better, we can encourage holy pretend play.

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by Categories: Parenting 1 Comment

A Grandparent’s Role in Passing on the Faith

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We called him Pappas.

He was my dad’s dad. A father of 13 children and 30-something grandchildren.

He used to walk every day.

It was a heavy-footed, sometimes labored, stomp. Head down, determined, dedicated. Round and round his indoor pool when the weather was bad, or around the lake when the sun was shining.

And in his hands, he held his “beads.”

His Rosary beads.

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by Categories: Prayer Life, Virtue Challenge Leave a comment