Equipping Catholic Families for January Saints!

January 8, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Equipping Catholic Families for January 2025 Saints!

Welcome to our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar.

Key Feast Days in January:

He’s still a little BABY! Sock Baby Jesus can still hang around in his crib as we bask in the Baptism of the Lord (January 12) and await the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd.

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Family Plan for Consistent Prayer: 2025

January 8, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Something that has become more and more apparent as my kids one-by-one enter adulthood, is that while my vocation as Mom never ends, it does change! I remember those days of mothering with littles running around the house. They needed me for the physical things; food, drink, shelter, safety, comfort, and clothing, and they were learning so much in terms of basic skills and interests, subjects at school, and picking up prayers, Bible stories and beliefs of our Catholic Faith.

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Family Gifts from Amazon

December 2, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but the Christmas Shopping List is pretty daunting. I’m hoping to get a couple gifts for the whole family and then chip away at getting a few items for each person. While I’m scouting out these purchases, I decided to recommend my absolute favorites, in case that’s of use to you!

First, to make the most of Advent this year, I highly recommend All About Advent written by Katherine Bogner and illustrated by Shari Van Vranken.

This book is a comprehensive compilation of the Traditions and Teachings of the Liturgical Seasons of Advent and Christmas. I think it’s the best and most beautiful book on Advent and Christmas that I have ever seen!

Here is my previous review with more pictures!

 

 

If you plan to pray the Rosary with your family, this is the classic version my husband was taught by his family!

Rosary Novenas to Our Lady

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December Saints Days and Devotions

November 18, 2024 by Leave a Comment

December Saints Days and ADVENT!

Equipping Catholic Families for December Saints!

Advent begins with the first Sunday of Advent on December 1st!

Here is our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days, and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Advent!

 

 

We’ve got a very special Advent Calendar Craft Kit available and it combines the Jesse Tree, O Antiphons and December Saints Days, all in one!  

It also includes 36 Jesse Tree / O Antiphon / Christmas ornaments and the St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena Prayer Tracker…and all of these you can print at home!

 

Jesse Tree / O Antiphon Advent Calendar, Ornaments and Novena Craft Kit PDF

Jesse Tree / O Antiphon Advent Calendar PDF

 

It’s not too late to get a little Christmas Shopping done AND jumpstart your Advent Prayer!

Buy Prompt Me to Pray for your best buddy who prays, and pick up the Prompt Me to Pray through Advent and Prompt Me to Pray through Christmas booklets to bump up your prayer right into the new year!

See the
Prompt Me to Pray through Advent and Christmas Bundle

*The Prompt Me to Pray Booklets

are available by PDF or printed and shipped to you!

Key Feast Days in December:

  • St Francis Xavier (December 3)
  • St John Damascene (December 4)
  • St Nicholas (December 6)
  • St Ambrose (December 7)
  • Immaculate Conception (December 8)
  • St Juan Diego (December 9)
  • Our Lady of Loretto (December 10)
  • Our Lady, Queen of Angels (December 11)
  • St Damasus I (December 11)
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
  • Bambinelli Sunday (December 12)
  • St Lucy (December 13)
  • St John of the Cross (December 14)
  • O Antiphons (December 17-23)
  • Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Dec 18)
  • St Abraham, St Isaac, St Jacob (December 20)
  • St Thomas, St Peter Canisius (December 21)
  • St John of Kanty (December 23)
  • The Birth of Jesus (December 25)
  • St Stephen (December 26)
  • St John Apostle (December 27)
  • Holy Innocents (December 28)
  • St Thomas Becket (December 29)
  • Feast of the Holy Family (December 30)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the St Nick Bundle at the Arma Dei Shoppe for great stocking stuffers!

Get FIVE decks for just $48!
St Nick’s Shoe Stuffer Bundle

Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Advent!

The Advent Calendar

The Advent Calendar is a great way to countdown the days until Christmas.

Our own Jesse Tree and O Antiphon Advent Calendar is available by PDF and includes SO much!

This PREMIUM Craft Kit offers black and white templates to help you countdown (and pray!) through the days of Advent, with:
+one Letter-sized (8.5″x11″) fully illustrated Jesse Tree/O Antiphon/Saints Advent Calendar*

+one oversized (10″x15″) fully illustrated Jesse Tree/O Antiphon/Saints Advent Calendar*

+36 double-sided (2.5″) fully illustrated Jesse Tree/O Antiphon Advent Ornaments

+one fully illustrated Catholic Anticipation Prayer / St. Andrew’s Novena Prayer Counter

*ADAPTED for Advent 2024!

Advent Calendar, Ornaments and Novena Tracker

Advent Calendar (in two sizes)

 

You’ll find lots of chocolate covered ones in the stores now, but you can make your own and fill it with dollar store Nativity figures, holy medals, Saint pegs, Super Saints, printable Advent Quest challenges and your favorite treats or chocolates. There are so many ways to make an Advent Calendar (including this one we made years ago) and we found 35 [Awesome} DIY Advent Calendars here.

Fill up your Advent Calendar with faith-filled toys, treats and prayers:

 

The Jesse Tree

The Jesse Tree is a wonderful faith-filled activity with Biblical symbols and figures and readings for each day of Advent. Jesus’ Lineage unfolds each day, leading up to His Birth on December 25th. You can make a nicely crafted banner like our The Family Handprint Jesse Tree and bring it out for Advent and Lent each year!

If you don’t want to just print yourself our BRAND NEW, SUPER EASY Jesse Tree Advent Calendar

Here are some of my other favorite Jesse Tree kits and tips:

The Advent Wreath

It can be tricky getting those 3 purple and 1 white candles at the last minute, so we often pick them up throughout the year when we see them…or we’ve been known to tie purple and pink ribbons around white candles, in a pinch.

We’ve also used Dollar Store Votive candles and dressed them up in purple and pink!

 

One year, we made this Mailbox Blessings Advent Wreath and wrote little notes to each other throughout Advent, placing them in these adorable little mailboxes.

 

 

 

Dollar Store Advent Wreath

DIY Advent Wreath with Dollar Store Votives

 

Advent Prayers

Advent is an excellent opportunity to ramp up our family prayers…morning, before or after meals, around the Advent Wreath, in the car (bustling around to different events) or at bedtime!

Here are some of our prayerful craft kit printables to get you started:

New Family Traditions

This time of year there is a lot of talk about different activities and family traditions to help focus Advent within the family. Don’t try them all at once! Choose one that’s right for you and get your kids involved to keep it going throughout Advent. If good deeds and sacrifices are part of your Advent tradition…consider Nesting…for Sock Baby Jesus.

This year we hosted a Sock Baby Jesus Workshop! Every kid made their own Sock Baby Jesus and we even made a couple more to give to a few other families in our Parish!

 

Preparing the Nativity

Christmas Gifts

 

Looking for a gift for your Mom or best friend?

Check out our Catholic Stamps at the
Prayer Impressions Journal Stamp Shoppe at Arma Dei!

We now have 145 Consecration, Prayer Journal, Accountability, Signature, Saints, Seasons, Sacraments and Rosary Stamps!

read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Catholic Crafts, Catholic Resources, DIY Crafts, Family crafts, family projects, Feast Day Fun, Liturgical Calendar Crafts, Saints Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

All the Advent resources you will need!

November 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment

This coming Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King and that marks the LAST DAY of the 2023-2024 Liturgical Calendar!

Advent begins in TWO weeks on December 1st! Are you ready?

We’ve got a Jesse Tree O Antiphon Advent Calendar that you can print and use right away to organize your family’s Advent!

2024 Jesse Tree O Antiphon Advent Calendar

We’re also offering the same Advent Calendar (in two sizes) accompanied by matching Jesse Tree ornaments the kids can color and hang on your Jesse Tree!. For your convenience, we also include the St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer counter PDF for the upcoming devotion beginning on November 30th.

2024 Jesse Tree O Antiphon Advent Calendar Bundle with Ornaments and Novena

 

We are also once again one of 33 contributors to the Catholic Mom Bundle Advent 2024! Once again, the bundle isn’t just for MOMS, but is a great collection of printables for Families, Dads, Teachers and Grandparents sharing the Catholic Faith. Beautifully curated and illustrated cards, calendars (like ours!), crafts, activities, recipes and reflective journals are formatted for EASY PRINT and PRAY! They will keep little hands busy and the family focused on the Coming of Jesus in practical and fun ways.

Craft for Christmas with Handmade Crafts, Activities, and Gifts by Epiphany Catholic:
A guide to creating decorations, ornaments, and gifts this Advent season that is budget-friendly and fun for the whole family!

 

Praying the Promises of the Rosary is a user-friendly devotional handbook to pray for the fulfillment of 15 Rosary promises.

“Our family loves praying this beautiful rosary devotional! It has helped us all grow in our knowledge and love of Christ, by contemplating the mysteries of His life through the eloquently descriptive, yet intimately relatable reflections. Each time we use it, we are edified by the timeless messages, traditional design, saintly wisdom, and most of all the security of Mary’s promises, which gives us our much-needed daily dose of peace, as we strive towards our eternal reward in heaven!”

 

Designed for small group catechesis,

Around the Wreath

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Filed Under: Catholic Crafts

November Saints Days and Devotions

November 15, 2024 by 1 Comment

Equipping Catholic Families for November Saints!

Welcome to our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days, and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar.

 Hey, are you ready for the NEW Liturgical Calendar starting December 1st?

We’ve got the NEW 2024-2025 Wall Calendar for Every Day Catholics
Each month has illustrated Saints Days, Solemnities and Monthly Devotions, fasting Fridays and classic monthly prayers and devotions

 

Illustrated 2024-2025 Saints Calendar PDF includes November and December 2024!

Horizontal Wall Calendar: $14

Saints Dream Team Vertical Wall Calendar: $15

 

 

Monthly Devotion for November is All Souls!

Key Feast Days in November:

The Christ the King Novena starts on November 17th.

Check out the Divine Mercy Abacus Craft Kit that comes with ALL the Christ the King Novena prayers:

Divine Mercy plus Christ the King Novena Abacus Craft Kit for just $5!

 

 

 

 

On November 30th, we start the St Andrew Novena
We have a Prayer Counter for that within the

2024 Jesse Tree/O Antiphon Advent Calendar Craft Kit!

 

and if you want just the Advent Calendar (in two sizes):

2024 Jesse Tree / O Antiphon Advent Calendar Only

December 1: First Sunday of Advent!

The Monthly Devotion for November is All Souls

Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Ordinary Time

Saint Stamps! What Would The Saints Say?

Last two weeks of Ordinary Time!

All Saints Feast Day (November 1)

 

Saints Stamps at the Prayer Impressions Journal Stamp Shoppe at Arma Dei!

Saints Crafts:

Get a deal on FIVE decks of cards including our NEWLY-released, completely redesigned Cathletics Playing Cards!

Great St Nicholas Feast Day TREATS fostering LOVE for the SAINTS!

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Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Arma Dei Shoppe, Feast Day Fun, Liturgical Calendar Crafts, Printables, Saints Tagged With: , , , , ,

Got your Advent Candles ready?

November 9, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Well, we can’t send you Advent Wreath candles, but we can give you ready-made Advent Calendar printables and activities, some of which you can use YEAR after YEAR!

Advent is such a cool Liturgical Season! Even the secular world is selling ‘Advent’ Calendars stocked with Lego, Funko Pops, or other treats, just as a countdown to Christmas! We can make our Countdown to Jesus’ Birth…all ABOUT Jesus with Bible Stories and Faith-filled reflections and activities, that point all along toward the Nativity.

This Jesse Tree / O Antiphon Advent Calendar is a coloring countdown with reminders of Jesus’ Ancestors and His Love for us.

The Advent Calendar Craft Kit  combines the Jesse Tree, O Antiphons and December Saints Days, all in one calendar and includes templates for Jesse Tree ornaments and the St. Andrew Novena.

We also have just the Advent Calendar PDF alone features 2 different-sized templates for the Bible stories-packed wall calendar.

It also includes 36 Jesse Tree / O Antiphon / Christmas ornaments and the St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena Prayer Tracker…and all of these you can print at home!

We’ve got BRAND NEW Catholic playing cards
to fill your boots for St. Nicholas’ Feast Day.

Jumpstart your Advent Prayer!

Buy Prompt Me to Pray for your best buddy who prays, and pick up the Prompt Me to Pray through Advent and Prompt Me to Pray through Christmas booklets to bump up your prayer right into the new year!

See the
Prompt Me to Pray through Advent and Christmas Bundle

*The Prompt Me to Pray Booklets

are available by PDF or printed and shipped to you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the St Nick Bundle at the Arma Dei Shoppe for great stocking stuffers!
Temporary delays due to Canada Post strike.

Get FIVE decks for just $48 including shipping within US and Canada

Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Advent!

The Advent Calendar

The Advent Calendar is a great way to countdown the days until Christmas.

Our own Jesse Tree and O Antiphon Advent Calendar is available by PDF and includes SO much!

This PREMIUM Craft Kit offers black and white templates to help you countdown (and pray!) through the days of Advent, with:
+one Letter-sized (8.5″x11″) fully illustrated Jesse Tree/O Antiphon/Saints Advent Calendar*

+one oversized (10″x15″) fully illustrated Jesse Tree/O Antiphon/Saints Advent Calendar*

+36 double-sided (2.5″) fully illustrated Jesse Tree/O Antiphon Advent Ornaments

+one fully illustrated Catholic Anticipation Prayer / St. Andrew’s Novena Prayer Counter

*ADAPTED for Advent 2023!

 

You’ll find lots of chocolate covered ones in the stores now, but you can make your own and fill it with dollarstore Nativity figures, holy medals, Saint pegs, Super Saints, printable Advent Quest challenges and of course your favorite treats or chocolates. There are so many ways to make an Advent Calendar (including this one we made years ago) and we found 35 [Awesome} DIY Advent Calendars here.

Fill up your Advent Calendar with faith-filled toys, treats and prayers:

 

The Jesse Tree

The Jesse Tree is a wonderful faith-filled activity with Biblical symbols and figures and readings for each day of Advent. Jesus’ Lineage unfolds each day, leading up to His Birth on December 25th. You can make a nicely crafted banner like our The Family Handprint Jesse Tree and bring it out for Advent and Lent each year!

If you don’t want to just print yourself our BRAND NEW, SUPER EASY Jesse Tree Advent Calendar

 

The Advent Wreath

It can be tricky getting those 3 purple and 1 white candles at the last minute, so we often pick them up throughout the year when we see them…or we’ve been known to tie purple and pink ribbons around white candles, in a pinch.

We’ve also used Dollar Store Votive candles and dressed them up in purple and pink!

 

One year, we made this Mailbox Blessings Advent Wreath and wrote little notes to each other throughout Advent, placing them in these adorable little mailboxes.

 

 

 

Dollar Store Advent Wreath

DIY Advent Wreath with Dollar Store Votives

 

Advent Prayers

Advent is an excellent opportunity to ramp up our family prayers…morning, before or after meals, around the Advent Wreath, in the car (bustling around to different events) or at bedtime!

Here are some of our prayerful craft kit printables to get you started:

New Family Traditions

This time of year there is a lot of talk about different activities and family traditions to help focus Advent within the family. Don’t try them all at once! Choose one that’s right for you and get your kids involved to keep it going throughout Advent. If good deeds and sacrifices are part of your Advent tradition…consider Nesting…for Sock Baby Jesus.

This year we hosted a Sock Baby Jesus Workshop! Every kid made their own Sock Baby Jesus and we even made a couple more to give to a few other families in our Parish!

 

Preparing the Nativity

Christmas Gifts

 

Looking for a gift for your Mom or best friend?

Check out our Catholic Stamps at the
Prayer Impressions Journal Stamp Shoppe at Arma Dei!

We now have 145 Consecration, Prayer Journal, Accountability, Signature, Saints, Seasons, Sacraments and Rosary Stamps!

read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Advent and Christmas, Feast Day Fun, homemade gifts, Liturgical Calendar Crafts Tagged With: , , ,

Brand NEW Guess Who? SAINTS! Printable

October 31, 2024 by 1 Comment

Guess Who? SAINTS! includes 2 templates to fit the original Guess Who? board game.
Get to know the Saints! Ask questions to identify the Saint your opponent has chosen!

All original artwork for the Saints!
Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Chiara included!

You will receive a link to download this digital file by email. This product will not be shipped to you. read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Catholic Gifts, Family Fun, Saints Tagged With: , , , ,

All things SAINTS! Amazon FINDS in time for All Saints Day

October 23, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Books about Saints!

These are my most recent favorite books on Saints.

Saints: Becoming an Image of Christ Every Day of the Year is a comprehensive reference book of Saints, perfect for the family library! Not illustrated, but really nice write-ups and easy reference!

Check out Saints: Becoming an Image of Christ on Amazon!

 

Princesses of Heaven is a beautiful collection of inspiring female saints for your favorite little Catholic princess!

Adorable Disney-style princesses with presented with their holy and heroic stories!

Princesses of Heaven on Amazon

 

 

Saints Around the World features irresistible Saints illustrations and it’s a unique collection with many lesser-known Saints and Blesseds (not yet canonized), along with their location in the world.

Saints Around the World  on Amazon

 

Stories of the Saints

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Filed Under: Catholic Crafts, Saints Tagged With: , , ,

Saints Kits, Crafts, and Cards, O MY!

October 23, 2024 by Leave a Comment

We’re MIDWAY through October and that means ALL SAINTS DAY is just TWO weeks away!

We’ve got crafts, activities, and prizes for that!

First, a special DEAL:

Saint Scripts Craft Kits

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Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Arma Dei Shoppe, Catholic Crafts, Family crafts, Saints Tagged With: , , , , ,
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