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, originally published in 1926 (and receiving the Imprimatur in 1954) has the most beautiful text for the Mysteries of the Rosary and expresses each set of prayers as roses on a crown, presented to Mary. Amazon Link
This version does not include the Luminous Mysteries, but we came up with our own descriptions of the Mysteries with corresponding ‘dew-dropped roses’
There has been an updated version of this Rosary Novena published and it’s available on Kindle here
We’ve enjoyed The Catholic Card Game as a family and have introduced it to our Youth Ministry groups and even our Parish Women’s Ministry! We happen to have the expansion sets as well, although I have my eye on the Generations Expansion. We have introduced it to many of our Catholic friends and it is always a hit!
The Bible is Funny: The Party Game of Hilarious Pairing for Verses Out of Context
In a similar style to The Catholic Game, Bible verses are chosen to finish phrases, aiming for the funniest combination to be awarded by ‘the theologian’ each round. Amazon Link
We’ve also decided to give Herd Mentality a try!
With each prompt, each player writes down the answer they think will be popular and will be also written down by at least one of the other players. It has a cute little pink cow and a little corral assembled with puzzle pieces and the actual box, along with little cow tokens to collect.
I’ve played Tapple and it’s also a fun game! It may join our collection soon! It’s a great fast-paced game for groups of any size with players blurting out an item or name that fits a category and starts with the corresponding letter of their turn.
We bought this little Vintage-Radio Mini Karaoke Machine for one of our backyard parties this year! It’s wireless, easy to charge and has some special sound effects and reasonably good sound quality with adjustable volume! Amazon Link
We also splurged for this set of 4 Jeopardy Buzzers for our Family Trivia game and also our Parish Women’s Ministry Catholic Trivia night. Amazon Link
…and because I LOVE the Saints, I have a NEW Saint book on my wishlist this year!
“More than just a Catholic saints encyclopedia or saint of the day calendar, it is a daily devotional that puts the lives of the saints—and your faith—to work. The Saint Challenge offers you a unique opportunity to delve into the captivating lives of the saints to find wisdom and inspiration for your own journey of faith.
Throughout the year you will learn about the rich history of the Catholic Church, and the people who were responsible for the customs, traditions, hymns and prayers, doctrines and dogmas. The great history of the Church is told by the lives of these holy heroes, and The Saint Challenge will inspire you to be part of that living history.
The Saint Challenge is not just a book; it’s a call to action, a movement to reclaim our society for Jesus Christ. It’s a call to live out the Great Commission, to be the agents of change in our society. The saints have shown us the way, and it’s time for you to follow their example. This devotional is your guide to daily inspiration, motivation, and the strength to stand firm in the face of adversity.”
Amazon Link
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