Did it just hit you that Advent is almost here? OK, good, because it just hit me, too. Haven't ordered Advent candles yet? Well, you're in luck. Because Toadily Handmade Beeswax Advent Candles is sponsoring a giveaway and offering one Make Your Own Advent Candle Kit to the lucky winner! For the past four years, I've bought my Advent candles from them because they are not only prettier than … [Read more...]
Little HolyDays: Christmas Eve Edition!
The waiting is almost over! Our Lord is almost here! It has been such a joy to observe Advent along with so many of you that participated in this link up. Today I get to "curate" the posts from last week and share my very favorites with you. But I'll be honest, I had a hard time narrowing it down. There were so many beautiful posts. I was inspired by the reflections on Advent and waiting in … [Read more...]
Little Holydays: Third Week of Advent
Yesterday was Gaudete Sunday when we are reminded to wait with joy for the coming of Our Lord. In light of the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday, it was difficult to do anything but grieve this weekend. I did find joy in the presence of my sweet family and savored each moment with them with a grateful heart. On Saturday I posted this reflection on the darkness of Advent and … [Read more...]
First Advent
Something from the archives today. I wrote this little reflection soon after Benjamin was born. I was huge. Not just big—gigantic. Even before I entered my third trimester, well-intentioned old ladies would pat my shoulder and say, “Any day now!” encouragingly as I waddled my way through the grocery store. Considering the raging pregnancy hormones running through my system, I’m impressed that … [Read more...]
Sleepers, Wake! An Advent Music Guide and Playlist
After explaining how we fast from Christmas music during Advent (and then turn up the jams during the Twelve Days of Christmas until Epiphany!), I get a variety of reactions including “Are you insane?” Well, probably. And “so, what DO you listen to during Advent?” To be honest I am just now discovering “Advent music” instead of just abstaining from Christmas music and I have completely fallen in … [Read more...]
Little HolyDays: The Feast of St. Nicholas
Welcome to our first Little HolyDays link up and Happy New Year! No, I haven’t gotten the months confused, it’s the beginning of a new liturgical year. Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent. Let’s hope you were more organized than I and didn’t spend part of your Sunday scrambling around looking for your Advent wreath (don’t worry! I found it!). Anyhow, for our very first Little HolyDays … [Read more...]
How We Celebrate Advent
After writing about observing Advent instead of fighting Santa, I promised to tell you a little bit about what our family does to celebrate Advent. It's actually very simple and I think the difficulty lies in having to say no to a lot of festivities in order to spend Advent waiting, reflecting, and anticipating. What We Do: We bring out our Nativity Scene. My sweet mother-in-law gave us this … [Read more...]
Little Holydays: A New Link Up!
As you noticed from my recent posts on The Gift of the Liturgical Year and the season of Advent, I've been doing a lot of thinking about holy days. Partly because I'm so excited about our new link up: Little HolyDays: Redeeming Time with Feasts, Fasts, Holidays, and Everyday! It’s being hosted by over here at Carrots for Michaelmas and with Tammy and Hannah of Dualing Moms and Molly of Molly Makes … [Read more...]
Holy Time: Observing Advent Instead of Fighting Santa
Every year I hear folks bemoaning the secularization of Christmas and how commercialism has overtaken what used to be a Christian holiday. I read news stories about which retail stores are promoting “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” and which groups and organizations are boycotting those stores for choosing to greet their customers in one way or another. People label it the “war on … [Read more...]
Ero Cras
Emmanuel Rex Oriens Clavis Radix Adonai Sapientia ERO CRAS: I will be there tomorrow. I love a good old timey Latin Advent acrostic! We are having a relaxing Christmas Eve day before going to my folks house for Christmas Eve dinner. Our sweet boy has been dying to put the ornaments on the tree for weeks and will be so excited for the chance to decorate it tonight. … [Read more...]
