10 Tips Fostering Everyday Holiness and Happiness in the Home

So, we’re about half-way through the longest liturgical season, so unfortunately named Ordinary Time.

But Catholic living can add so much richness to our everyday life and celebrating our Faith and family culture can be an active pursuit all year long! Here are ten ideas to foster your own family culture…while integrating the richness of our Catholic Faith with Saints, Sacraments, Scripture, Catechism and Prayer!

All of our Cathletics Craft Kits come with permission to copy for family use and they’re packed with Catechism, Saints, Sacraments and Prayer to get you started, but we’ve included other helpful links too!

10 Tips Fostering Everyday Holiness and Happiness

1. Build your own Family Culture and Traditions

Print out those digital photos and keep them along with memorable certificates, cards, letters and artwork in a safe place.

Collect family artifacts and treasures including our Courting Scrapbook
Create family trivia

Display a perpetual calendar with important family dates and patron saint dates!
Pick up this year’s Illustrated SAINTS Calendar*
Research and construct your family tree
String together (or hole punch) favorite cards or memory catcher cards or pics!
Start a shoebox of love letters for each child or Godchild
Make a quilt (or throw pillows!) of favorite (outgrown) t-shirts

*also available in this year’s Back to School Catholic Mom Bundle, on sale this week only!

2. Build your Family Repertoire of Prayers

Collect family prayers and make up new ones. Give Prayer Journaling a try; we’ve got lots of craft kits and practical tips to make it extra fun and engaging…for the whole family!

Pray More Novenas
5 Daily Prayers for Busy Families by Prayer Wine Chocolate
8 Simple Ways to Fit More Prayer into your Life by Marian Graces
Reluctant to Regular Rosary Prayer by Equipping Catholic Families
A Parent Who Prays: A Journal to Guide You in Praying for Your Children by Kate Warner

Here are some of our most popular Prayer Journal kits:

Prayer Journal Prompts Craft Kit
Journal Prayers and Novenas Craft Kit
NEW Journal Stamps and Saints Stamps and Prayer & Rosary Stamps…in the Prayer Impressions Journal Stamp Shoppe
Reconciliation Prep (and Refresher)

3. Tackle the Catechism…with these fun crafts and games!

Our Catholic Faith is so rich! We don’t have to resort to boring textbooks or last minute Sacrament Prep homework to become more familiar with teachings and terms of our Catholic Faith. Learn the fun way with these printable craft kits:

…and I just can’t recommend enough, the Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz

4. Savor Scripture! Start Bible Journaling; Record and Memorize Scripture

Establish a Bible in a year habit, record favorite verses and challenge your family to memorize them! Write down favorite Scripture as you read it…and leave post-it notes or paint chips in the car or kitchen table. Use them as bookmarks or tape to them to a mirror or the fridge.

…and I just can’t recommend enough, the Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz!

5. Re-orient your Family Schedule; Live Liturgically!

Revisit organization techniques…convert your planner or calendar to be Catholic! Live the Liturgical Calendar!

We’ve got Calendar and Planner Resources

Calendar Saint Stickies Craft Kit …to convert your planner to be Catholic!
Illustrated SAINTS Calendar*
Saints Website Planner coming soon for 2023-2024!

*also available in this year’s Back to School Catholic Mom Bundle, (along with 34 excellent Catholic resources), on sale this week only!

Sacrament Prep and Celebration!

6. Celebrate the Extraordinary and Ordinary Family Events and Milestones!

Make Ordinary Time Extraordinary!

Establish weekly (or at least monthly) Family Events

Movie night,
Board game night
Seasonal sports events
skating, tobogganing, snowball fight / beach time, picnics, hikes
talk about family memories including family trips and celebrations OFTEN
look through family scrapbooks and watch home movies OFTEN

Celebrate the Extraordinary Events and Milestones and Family Firsts…but celebrate the every day ORDINARY things too!

Celebrate First Sacrament Anniversaries

Annually: celebrate Baptism Dates, Patron Saint Feast Days, First Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation Anniversaries in addition to birthdays and wedding anniversaries and memorials

As they happen: celebrate First Day of School, Big Kid Bed, First Tooth Loss, Riding a Bike without training wheels, Drivers Permit
As they happen: celebrate good grades in school, recitals, concerts
As they happen: celebrate little victories like overcoming a bad habit, conquering a challenge or taking on new responsibilities