New Release: All Season Prayer Bank!

Every Lent, I start out with a lot of plans, to give up things, to do extra things, to clean closets and give away clothing and toys we don’t need, to go to weekday Masses, to bring out our =&0=&or the =&1=&and actually say the prayers as a family, to be strict about meatless Fridays and for all of us to walk around hand in hand and cheerful, but praying and fasting, all the time. This pretty much never works. School is busy, kids’ activities don’t stop, at least one family birthday sneaks in and usually our March Break happens, bringing with it at least 2 significant Feastdays. There are also usually Catholic conferences requiring immediate planning as well. I inevitably give up munchies … and end up getting just plain grumpy, with not a cheezie, cheeto or chocolate chip cookie in sight.In addition to a few things I have in mind for this Lent, I’m hoping to lead my family in a deeper commitment to prayer. At =&2=& we have just released our latest,=&3=& =&4=&.

This Cathletics Craft Kit offers instructions for a unique hand-made prayer bank to hold a collection of classic Catholic Prayers and Saint devotions.
When I say that the paper craft kit has been expanded, I mean it! 
It now features a cool envelope template, lots of clipart, 74 special prayers with graphics, along with over 25 prayer card templates for you to add your own prayers, composed at home, school or Church!  The little heartfelt prayers that our kids come up with are the best…and will be cherished for years to come!

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Did you make a resolution to get better organized in 2013?

Happy New Year!

this post is linked to Sunday Snippets: A Catholic Carnival!

Did you make a resolution to get better organized in 2013?  I did!  I also want to study more saints…and add to my Painted Saints collection and
Super Saint Trivia Cards!

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Reviews are In!

Books

A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families

Review by Letters, Numbers and Books, oh my!
Review by Happy Little Homemaker on Catholicmom.com

Hand in Hand with Jesus

Review by Karen’s Adventures in Mommyland
Review by Catholic Homeschool Support

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NEW! Advent and Lent Quest… for the Year of Faith and MORE!

Are you ready for Advent? We have expanded our popular Advent & Lent Quest Cathletics Craft Kit …actually we have expanded it 3x! There are now THREE different themed paper chain links included in ONE kit! Season with the Saints includes 48 + a do-it-yourself template for you to add any of your family patron saints if we didn’t already include them! Each link is packed with information about the saint…years of life, patronage, feast day, vocation highlights and a special quote or prayer. Saints include St Therese, St Pio, St Anthony, St Jude, Bl John Paul, St Nicholas, St Benedict, St Peter + 40 more!

Imagine if your family learned specific details about a new saint every day this Advent!

Year of Faith includes 48 + a do-it-yourself template for extra Catechism. Catechism facts include 7 Virtues, 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, 7 Sacraments, 4 Marks of the Church….and less commonly remembered…4 Fruits of Holy Communion, 4 Characteristics of the Church, 3 Graces of Marriage, 9 Mysteries of Faith  + 40 more!  These links include the Catechism or Bible reference wherever possible for more information! Imagine if your family learned a new Catechism teaching…every day this Advent! The activity is easily geared to various age groups…choosing as much or as little to read or memorize each day. Advent & Lent Quest Challenges are reformatted from our classic Advent & Lent Quest Cathletics Craft Kit, covering a range of prayer, Saint-centric, Bible and Catechism challenges for the whole family. 40 challenges are included + a do-it-yourself template to add your own.  Challenges include: “List at least 3 things that God has arranged in your life…what blessings are you most grateful for?” “Read the Gospel and/or the readings for the next Sunday’s Mass.  How can this reading help to refocus our Advent or Lenten Journey?” “How many times throughout this day can we make the sign of the cross with EXTRA reverence…remembering that we offer to God our mind, our will, and our entire body?” To purchase the Advent and Lent Quest (3 crafts in1)! Paper Version for $16 + shipping (email to order)

3 in 1 includes Season with the Saints, Year of Faith
and Advent & Lent Classic

PDF Downloadable: $13

Check out our other Cathletics Craft Kits…available by PDF Download at the Arma Dei Shoppe!

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Happy All Saints Day! A Summary of Saint Craft Links!

Happy Saints Day! + November Saints Cele-Linky!

Have you seen our All Saints Day Resource Guide yet?

It’s also not too late to get these Saint-centric Downloads!

FREE Guess Who?! The Saints! Template
FREE Monthly Saint pages

Check out these SAINT Crafts!
What to do with Painted Wooden Saints!

TY Doll Makeovers to Saints:
Jesus, Mother Mary, St Patrick, St Joseph
Frozen Juice Lids: Dream Team of Saints
Guess Who?! The Saints!
I Spy…Saints Collage with a Scanner
I Spy…November: COMING SOON!

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Review: Aquinas and More Prayer Card Binder

I was pleased to receive this Prayer Card Binder from Aquinas and More, along with a starter set of 6 good quality plastic inserts after my post about Cataloguing the Family Collection of Holy Cards. Incidentally, the binder also includes an index of over 300 favorite holy cards available and references Aquinas and More Holy Cards for hundreds more.  I have a good collection of holy cards and I refer to them frequently for Saint-centric crafts I showcase on Equipping Catholic Families:

I Spy…the Saints

Wooden Painted Saints
 
Guess Who?! the Saints! and

I appreciate the format of the 8″x10″ binder with the plastic sleeves holding 2×2 regular-sized trading or collector cards.  They easily fit the range of holy cards that I have.

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Back to Catechism Class {GIVEAWAY}

Enter to win your choice of Cathletics Craft Kit (PDF Download), from the TEN available at the Arma Dei Shoppe! Print at home and copy for a WHOLE CLASS or for all the children who live in your house!   TEN Craft Kits to Choose from! FOUR WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED! Catechism Catcher ~ Catechism Cube ~ Catholic Family Calendar ~ Catholic Lingo Bingo (English or Spanish) ~Color Me Catholic ~ Journey with Jesus through the Sacraments ~ Journey with Jesus through Confirmation Lace-Up Missal (English and Spanish) ~ Spiritual Bouquet

a Rafflecopter giveaway

See Reviews of these Cathletics Craft Kits from our

Catholic Review Panel

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Back to School Special: Teach Catechism the FUN way!

  Yesterday was the big day! First day of Grade 11, Grade 9 and Grade 6 and French Immersion Grade 1 at a new school! The little one stays home with me, but desperately wants to be part of all the excitement!   It’s a great time to get organized for Religious Ed programs!  I thought I’d offer this special deal:  

Purchase TWO Cathletics Craft Kits by PDF download

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Faux Stained Glass and Crayon Batik

I just love Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom. It’s an awesome site! Suzy has a great writing style and my kind of sense of humor and she posts wonderful crafts with awesome photographs that inspire me. Suzy has just released her first E-Book: Suzy’s Majestic Peacock EBook Pattern. Here’s what Suzy has to say about it! The Faux Stained Glass Peacock tutorial has been published for nearly a year now and is one of my most popular posts. The peacock is also my most requested pattern. This pattern book not only contains the pattern for the Majestic Peacock, but instructions for two complete projects using that pattern and ideas for seven other projects! Honored to be asked and happy to review her first in a series of pattern ebooks, I received my very own pdf of the Ebook Pattern. I love the awesome pictures and the straight forward instructions. She uses techniques that look really fun to do, with or without the kids and as seen in the pictures…they yield awesome, professional results! Both the Faux Stained Glass and the Quilted Table Runner projects are well explained and come with an excellent peacock pattern to try out awesome craft techniques including painted stained glass, batik with crayons, quilting, applique, fabric jewels and ideas for even more! I can’t wait to try these techniques…particularly the faux stained glass and the crayon batique…but I may come up with a few new patterns, tailored to Equipping Catholic Families. This Ebook is well worth the cost…even if just for the step-by-step instructions of the techniques! I think these craft techniques will lend themselves perfectly to some patterns I’m working on …

with the Saints

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Celebrate the Sacraments!

Journey with Jesus through the Sacraments This kit offers layouts of catechism questions (with answer keys!) and reflection questions to help teach and celebrate the Sacraments, including material based on  the Commandments, Sin, the Domestic Church and the Stations of the Cross. This kit teaches and celebrates all 7 Sacraments… not just the ones your child has received, helping them to reflect on Marriage (what weddings have I been to? who married my parents?) Holy Orders (name the priest who gave me my First Sacraments, who is my pastor? my bishop? our Pope?) and the Anointing of the Sick (who are we praying for? when have our loved ones passed away?) As with all of our Cathletics Craft Kits, each kit comes with permission to photocopy for one full class for one term

or for all the kids living in your house!

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