Monica McConkey, Author at Equipping Catholic Families

Captivated by the New Mass?

January 15, 2012 by Monica McConkey 2 Comments

So it’s the 7th Sunday with the New Mass! I’m learning that it’s definitely a PROCESS! Those responses that we have been saying for years and years are hard to shake!

With the release of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal, our family apostolate Arma Dei released a revised Craft Kit called Color Me Catholic. A few of my favorite Catholic bloggers agreed to review my new Craft Kit, assembling and coloring the 10 booklets with their kids and trying them out as they jump into the New Mass. I know that I did not do justice to the posts of these gracious ladies and their helpful reviews and pictures, when the reviews were posted during the Advent and Christmas seasons!
So, changing up the Link of LightBulbs a little…here are
Links of Reviews for Color Me Catholic:

(1) Laura explains a little about the 10 booklet templates within the Color Me Catholic Craft Kit on her blog Day by Day in Our World: Unlike lapbooking, these mini-booklets are meant to be read like a book. There are 10 mini-booklets in all that cover treasured Vessels, Vestments & Symbols, Church Furnishings, Parts of the Mass and Sacraments & Sacramentals plus 8 pages of phrases from the New Roman Missal Mass in sequential order. Check out Laura’s review of Color Me Catholic!

Filed Under: Catholic Crafts

Converted 2 Catholic: Links of LightBulbs (10) + Linky

January 12, 2012 by Monica McConkey 2 Comments

(1) Create an ornament for key Saints days…over the months of the year and then display them on the Christmas tree…Sanctus Simplicitus used paper mache’ ornaments and mod podge with Saint images found on the internet.
Check out the Sanctus Simplicitus Saint Ornaments

Filed Under: converted 2 Catholic

Family Culture in Ordinary Time

January 11, 2012 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Build your own Family Culture and Traditions…and start during Ordinary Time!

Collect family artifacts and treasures: keep a collection of family documents, classic photos, newspaper articles, certificates, letters from the toothfairy or letters to Santa, programs from funeral Masses, graduations, wedding invitations, birthday invitations, letters of acceptance, report cards…even if they are photocopies of the real thing! This is what we created our Family Treasure Chest for!These and other family-centric activities, crafts and traditions can be found in A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families. Altered Collage Books Years ago, I was fascinated by the books Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence. “Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine. It is a story that is partly a romance, partly a mystery, and completely a work of art. Each page contains a new card or letter…the complete correspondence tells an extraordinary story in an extraordinary way.” The whole book is packed with stamped letters and postcards, with striking images and artwork. As I began collecting special cards and letters for each of my kids, I decided I would also write my own letters to them: my goal is to write one for each child, at least once a year. While I have probably missed a few opportunities…my collections of letters and cards are pretty neat, for each of the children. I was intrigued by the Griffin and Sabine book and began my own altered collage books: one for each child, in a story book that reminded me of them!

These books were filled with fascinating postcards documenting a correspondance in a cool book with postcards and letters in envelopes.
Altered Book Tips

Filed Under: Family crafts, ordinary time

Extraordinary Ideas for Ordinary Time

January 9, 2012 by Monica McConkey 4 Comments

Comprising 33 or 34 weeks of our Catholic Liturgical Calendar, Ordinary Time need not be ORDINARY!

Throughout the year, the Mystery of Christ is revealed. Beginning after the Feast of Our Lord’s Baptism, Ordinary Time focuses on Christ’s Baptism and then delves into His Preaching Ministry. The Scriptural readings at Mass focus on Jesus’ Teaching through parables and His Miracles.

Filed Under: Catholic Link-Ups, ordinary time

Traditions to start in this Ordinary Time!

January 7, 2012 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Build your own Family Culture and Traditions…and start during Ordinary Time!

(1) Collect family artifacts and treasures: keep a collection of family documents, classic photos, newspaper articles, certificates, letters from the toothfairy or letters to Santa, programs from funeral Masses, graduations, wedding invitations, birthday invitations, letters of acceptance, report cards…even if they are photocopies of the real thing! This is what we created our Family Treasure Chest for! These and other family-centric activities, crafts and traditions can be found in A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families. (2) Create a a family journal with entries about family trips, occasions (check out this Faith Journal!) or give everyone a prompting question to reflect on, journal or draw about…share them and keep the collection together. Try 150 Quick Questions to Get Your Kids Talking or a similar book. Some people use index cards or postcards like Design Sponge or a family guestbook for friends to write or draw in!

(3) Create a Perpetual calendar. Record birthdays, Sacrament dates, dates of family firsts, family events and loved ones passing… in a month-by-month format. Some people use index cards like this.
(You can show the current month in a frame for dry erase…but the dates are fun to look at year after year). You can buy this Catholic Family Calendar in the Arma Dei Shoppe!

Filed Under: family traditions

Catholic Link-Up Headquarters!

January 3, 2012 by Monica McConkey 1 Comment

Cele-LINKY thru the SEASONS and Cele-LINKY with the SAINTS are being reorganized for you to link your favorite posts of celebrations and crafts for the Catholic Seasons and Saintdays including a month-by-month index of Saints feastdays (@

Cele-LINKY with the SAINTS

Filed Under: Catholic Link-Ups

The Golden Snitch Christmas Ornament

January 3, 2012 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Yes, I made Gryffindor Scarves for the Harry Potter fans in my family for the last 2 Harry Potter movies. Inspired by Tiny Apartment Crafts’ tutorial for the Golden Snitch, I created a little something special for our Christmas trees. I found little miniature gold ornaments at the dollar store… they even had glittery swirls on them already! I found the wire-edged ribbon at the dollar store… and I happened to have the glitter glue and gold glitter on hand. I wasn’t sure how to make the wings at first… and I considered the glittered paper version in the tutorial from Tiny Apartment Crafts. When I realized that I only needed the wire on one edge… I found that the wire ribbon worked perfectly! I found that after I cut a simple wing shape from the ribbon, I could tuck the wire ends in behind the ornament clasp at the top. I reinforced the connection with hot glue. I didn’t like the straight white lines on the white wire ribbon, so I drew my own lines with glue and glitter, to look more like the official Golden Snitch. I was so excited…I didn’t really draw the lines very carefully, so they could be a little neater (thinner) and more consistent for a more Golden-Snitchy look. I found the cute curly ornament hangers at the dollar store (they could be spray painted gold), as well as the dollar store boxes for easy wrapping and storage. The box says “I open at the close”…just like the Golden Snitch in the 7th book…. just in case anyone needs an extra clue for what this little Christmas ornament really is…for years to come! Guess which Harry Potter fans were the first to receive their very own Golden Snitch!? read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Filed Under: link-up, Catholic Bloggers Network

start your Happy New Year with a special family calendar for EVERY year!

January 2, 2012 by Monica McConkey 2 Comments

Time for a FAMILY PROJECT this week? …a calendar for 2012…and every year after!All you need is a printer for a treasured family calendar of all your special dates and Feastdays…and it can be used year after year… and copied for all of the Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins in your family!

The Build-Your-Own
Catholic Family Perpetual Calendar!
with Kelly Comics illustrations.

Each month has a complete path of dates to record your family birth dates, Sacrament dates. anniversaries and dates of when loved ones passed away.
The sticky notes and notepaper background already have key feast dates and monthly devotions recorded, with ample space to add your own favorite feast days and “family firsts”.

Filed Under: Kelly Comics

Handmade Ipod Nano Holder

December 29, 2011 by Monica McConkey 4 Comments

Kelly loves the ipod nano that she received for her 13th birthday. It’s just that it’s so cute and SMALL! That’s our Canadian quarter beside it…see how small it is? It’s a little too easy to lose! I thought I’d make her something to keep it a little more safe and visible! I made a little ipod holder out of felt. I chose orange felt to match Kelly’s tangerine colored ipod nano. Sorry…I don’t have a pattern…I just made it up as I went along. It was also night-time and I didn’t take any pictures. I put the whole thing together while we watched The Mentalist. Not bad for one hour’s work! For the open window of the ipod holder, I wanted to reinforce it, to make it extra strong to keep the shape. Using the sewing machine, I sewed the white square of felt onto one of the orange pieces, before I sewed all the pieces together. I used a tight zigzag stitch to make it really strong. After it was secured in place, I carefully cut the inside square out of the white felt, and then the orange felt to reveal the window of the ipod nano. I used the machine to sew the two pieces inside out, together with a third (white) piece to make a pocket for the earphones. I sewed the white flap into the side seam with the machine…and just had to double check it before I sewed the other side seam. I was just a little surprised that this worked! When I turned the felt right side out…it was just want I wanted! I like the chunky handmade look of the felt with hand stitches, so I reinforced all the edges (and the bottom of the earphones pocket) with hand stitches. I used the machine to reinforce the button hole…not so neatly. I didn’t mind reinforcing the earphones cable hole by hand. I wanted to get the right location for the earphones cable hole, so I did this after the rest of the ipod holder was sewn together. I was pleased at how secure it feels. Clearly, I am an amateur at sewing, but I think the imperfections are part of its charm! (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) I like the look of it and Kelly likes it too! She now has a cozy home for her ipod nano and earphones. I was inspired by these “mixed tape” felt cases. These are infinitely more professionally made and available for purchase at this etsy shop. read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Filed Under: DIY Crafts, Family crafts, homemade gifts