I know, I know, I drop a bombshell and then disappear from the blog.

It's hard to know how to follow a piece of miserable, earth-shattering news, you know? I have pictures from before Margaret died that I still haven't shared here, because every time I think about them I just start crying again. Maybe I'll be able to eventually.

But for now I thought I would share the fundraiser we're doing in her honor, even though this basically just entails copying and pasting from my Instagram. The laziest form of blogging... But since the majority of you follow me on some form of social media, you've probably already seen this. If not, we would be honored if you would join us.

I bought her a stocking.

Usually our babies use the "baby's first Christmas" stocking for that first Christmas season, but it didn't feel right, knowing that her first Christmas is in heaven instead of with us. And I really, really didn't want to see an empty spot where I know her stocking belonged. 

So I bought a Margaret stocking, and the kids immediately wanted to know what we were going to put in it... Maybe that's where you can help?

Every year we pull a star off our parish giving tree and give a gift to our local pregnancy center, which helps expecting mothers and new mothers, well after the baby is born. They provide free ultrasounds, parenting classes, car seats, baby food, diapers, clothing, and so much more. When we missed our chance to grab a star this year, I told the kids that maybe we could see if other people want to donate to the pregnancy center along with us?

I'm going to post several links if you feel called to donate in Margaret's memory. They can use physical items (particularly diapers in size 4&5, wipes, baby food, and winter clothing up to size 2), gently used baby gear (no used car seats or cribs for safety reasons), and always monetary donations. If you make a donation of any sort, please leave a comment and I will write it on a slip of paper to put inside Margaret's stocking. I think the best gift we could give her right now is to help other babies in her honor ❤️

4/52: Nativity Tableau

52/52: Christmas Tree Time!

51/52: Merry Christmas!

Advent 2020: Our Family Traditions and Plans

It's almost here! In the interest of getting my *own* planning done, I'll share our Advent plans this year in case you need a little inspiration.

Please know that if you're new to celebrating Advent, particularly with young children, these are not all must-do traditions! Our family practices have evolved and been added to over the years, with just a little bit being added every year until we've ended up with a rich set of traditions. If you're just starting out, focus on your Advent wreath and maybe a few beautiful books, and pick a feast or two to celebrate with extra gusto!

Skirts, Magazines, Aprons, and Embroidery {7qt}

It's November! I've been doing a November Skirt Challenge on Instagram and Twitter but never shared here... So if you're hoping to join in for the second half, the prompts are below! And here are some of my outfits (the ones I've gotten good pictures of... I've not done a great job taking pictures this time!):

Shop Small Gift Guide (and Giveaway!) 2020

Oh, 2020. What a year for all of us!! If nothing else, this year has made me appreciate shopping small more than ever before - this will be my fourth year putting this specific gift guide (and giveaway!) together, and my fourth year shopping from my own gift guide. 

 Every year this gift guide gets a little bit bigger, and this year it's pretty huge!! I've got all 50+ shops listed in alphabetical order below - from rosaries to stickers to peg dolls to home goods, you're certain to find something for everyone on your list. Be sure to read through the whole post and enter the giveaway at the bottom!

1/52: Bonnets, Gingerbread, and Birthday Cake

52/52: Merry Christmas!

Taming the Present Obsession: The Christkindl Tradition

Last year we got tired of the obsession with presents the kids developed every November and December. Moving our family gift giving to Epiphany helped quite a bit, but there was still an unhealthy preoccupation with getting more STUFF and focusing on that and that alone, much to the detriment of all the rich traditions that accompany the seasons of Advent & Christmastide. My husband wanted to quit giving presents altogether!

Before resorting to that, though, we decided to try something different...

Our 2019 Advent Books {Book Stacks + Giveaway}

 

This year is one of those years when Advent begins on December 1 and syncs up with the secular Christmas countdown, and I kind of love it! Last year I put together a calendar of our Christmas and Advent books and coordinating activities, so feel free to use that as a basic guide for yourself this year. I couldn't help adding a few more to our list, though - here are some we're adding to our collection this year:

2019 Shop Small Gift Guide (And Giveaway!)

I won't lie, I started my Christmas shopping this year in July. When you've got 4 November birthdays to shop for AND Christmas for 7 kids + other family members, you've gotta start early! I always aim to be done with shopping by the end of November so that I can really enter into Advent prayerfully, not concerned about material things.

This pays off tremendously when it comes to patronizing small shops! You'll find 33 small shops listed below, some of which I'm positive you've never heard of, and shopping early from these businesses means your support goes directly to small, family-owned businesses instead of some anonymous big box store.

So take advantage of the coupon codes, unique offerings, and giveaways. I hope you find something absolutely perfect!

1/52: Twelve Days & Epiphany

52/52: Christmas Prep

Merry Christmas!

50/52: Gingerbread Time!

Our Twelve Days of Christmas {A Giveaway}

We love to celebrate Christmas all the way through Candlemas (February 2), but after spending Advent really preparing instead of celebrating early, we like to make sure we celebrate each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas! After we finish our Advent books, we shift the focus a little. Here's what we're doing and reading this year:

Black Friday is a Week-Long Event

Anybody else notice that big sales for "Black Friday" started on... Monday? I mean, I'm not complaining because I love a bargain! But if you're not the type to scour the internet for deals, I've got some good ones rounded up here!

Our Book-A-Day Advent Calendar

Every Advent we set aside quite a few of our school books and replace them with books that will help us prepare for the Incarnation. It makes things beautifully low-key, and I love what a wonderful tradition it has become! In an attempt to actually plan things out this year (instead of the usual fly by the seat of my pants that I do), I'm listing our plans here. Maybe you need ideas? I hope this inspires you! These are some of our absolute favorite books! And while I can pretty much guarantee we won't get to every single thing on this list, I think we can manage most of it.

Book Day: My Favorite Accidental Christmas Tradition

Every year starting in, oh, about February, I start acquiring used books to give to the kids for birthdays & Christmas. This can end up being rather a ridiculous number of books, because, well there are just a lot of good books that I find at used book sales, used book stores, or from recommendations. Suddenly I've got a large box of books that I've been hoarding, but all the birthday & Christmas presents have already been bought and I still have all these books!!!