Lent is almost here! (Or maybe you're reading this late, in which case... I hope your Lent is sufficiently penitential and spiritually enriching!) If you haven't already solidified your family's plans, I've got an idea for you:

 

Katie is a religion teacher and an absolute gift to the Church - if you've never read her blog, please don't miss it! She has an abundance of resources for living the liturgical year whether you're homeschooling, trying to add to your religious education at home, or teaching CCD at your parish. And now, she's published a book!

 

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!

What's In Your Easter Basket? A Small Shop Gift Guide {and giveaway}

Lent is officially here! I'm always happy to have the opportunity to buckle down and renew my prayer life during this liturgical season, but... there's also the details of Easter to think about and plan for! When I was a child, we got nothing but candy in our Easter baskets. I loved it! But I try to branch out a little when it comes to Easter baskets these days. Below you'll find 18 friends you can shop from to support Catholic small businesses, and I know you'll find something you love. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for an amazing giveaway!

So You're Curious About the Latin Mass... {including a giveaway!}

Several of you have asked for this post, and I've got to say... I don't know how equipped I am to really educate you on the Latin Mass! But what I can do is help boost your confidence so that if you want to visit a parish that offers Mass in the Extraordinary Form, you can do it without fear of anyone pointing and laughing at you for being such an obvious newbie!

(Nobody will point and laugh. If you stick out like a sore thumb, anyone with the tiniest bit of charity in their hearts will figure out that you're visiting! But I understand the self-consciousness 100%)

So let me answer some of your questions and hopefully you'll feel equipped to give it a try!

One big question I get is...

 

Let's Play a Guessing Game!

Okay, we're coming up on baby #7's due date and I always get a kick out of baby pools, so I set one up right here!

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:

Book Stacks: Volume 2 (with giveaways!)

You know what? I do these book posts infrequently enough, it might be fun to do a giveaway with each one! And this week I have not one, but TWO books to give away—one for adults, one for kids.

So, what have we been reading these past few months? Well, you'll have to check out my Goodreads to see everything, because it's been 40+ books for me... That's what happens when I get pregnant & have insomnia, thus spending lots of time in bed reading on my Kindle. I'm not going to list them all here, just some highlights! Read Volume 1 here.

Here's some of what I've read!

Sourdough, Rainbow Eggs, Movies, and a Giveaway: Mid-Week Miscellany

After seeing my instagram feed filled with beautiful loaves of sourdough bread that apparently everyone bakes, I decided to give it a shot - at the very least, trying to make our own starter would be science, right?

My feed has been filled with beautiful pictures of sourdough recently - do you ALL bake it??? Anyway, it's long been one of my goals to make it myself, but the whole "starter" thing intimidates me... However! Science!!! So I enlisted John Paul, because I knew he'd find this fascinating, and he's helping me under the pretense of "science" (and because this way it'll count for this week's AND next week's science experiment, a homeschool component he insists upon). We'll see if it works... But if it does, my sourdough-loving husband will be excited! And if it doesn't, I still love my regular old no-knead recipe 😊

A post shared by Rosie Hill (@rosiehill425) on Mar 16, 2017 at 1:55pm PDT

Well, we've actually been having a lot of fun! We started by using the starter for a few "cheater" recipes that aren't real sourdough - oatmeal muffins (delicious, though we replaced the raisins with cinnamon chips), chocolate cake (also delicious - not too sweet, and not too crumbly either), and sandwich bread (we were not fans...). Then today I finally took the plunge and made "real" sourdough bread - there are about a million recipes out there on the internet, and I don't think I love the one I used (so fussy! So many steps! Does it have to be this way?), so I'll be trying another next time. Any suggestions?

The Expert Scoop on Pregnancy Tests: From Moms Who've Been There (and a giveaway!)

6 kids into this parenting gig, and I thought I was an expert on all things related to pregnancy tests! But when I asked some fellow moms for their tips, I learned so much: Blue dye vs. pink dye, when during your cycle you can start to test, how *not* to sneak buying tests in the store past your kids... And what exactly is the best pregnancy test to use?

Creating a Children's Prayer Table

I visited the kids' Level I Atrium classroom last year (read up on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd here if you're curious) and was inspired to create our own little prayer area for the kids where they could have a little quiet devotion time whenever they wanted. Over the years we've accumulated quite a lot of icons, statues, prayer cards, and other things that don't always get used on a regular basis.

My Very Grown-Up Christmas List {7 Quick Takes + a Giveaway!}

You know you're a grown-up when you start thinking about kitchen appliances and cleaning supplies when it comes to Christmas shopping...

And since I kind of had Christmas in July when I got my Instant Pot (which is incredible and bound to go on sale on Black Friday, so keep your eyes peeled!), I don't have a ton of big-ticket items on my list, buuuuut I've definitely been thinking about the following things:

My Sunday Best, Volume 9: Something New, Something Blue

Whew, it has been a good but full weekend! Friday I got to take the day off from regular life to head to a homeschooling conference. Great talks, great vendors, and all my favorite food because Friday was a Solemnity so I could eat meat! I figured out that apparently I need to be eating 5 meals/day in order to feel satisfied by the end of the day. I'm not sure that's actually possible with children to take care of...

But! Look! I got to meet Kelly!

We talked about math and Latin. You totally wish you could have been a fly on the wall!

Fact: I have no clue where to look when taking a selfie. But hey, I got to meet @kellymantoan in person!

A photo posted by Rosie Hill (@rosiehill425) on Jun 24, 2016 at 10:48am PDT

And I met a reader all the way from Miami! She was the sweetest, sweetest ever and made me smile :)

Our Holy Week & Easter Book Basket

Lent has actually been going pretty well over here - we've been doing it *very* low-key, so low-key in fact that I only just got out the books and the grapevine wreath. Actually, not the grapevine wreath, because it wasn't in the box. Where did it go???

So I feel late writing this post, but at the same time... Easter is a 50-day season! So if you get any of these books now, you'll still have them out for two months and will be able to use them for years to come.

Books for Lent & Easter are tricky to find - you don't want to read books totally focusing on the Resurrection when you're meditating on the Crucifixion, and there just... Aren't that many books written for this time of year. Not like Christmas!

Easter Basket Ideas {and a giveaway!}

We are officially more than halfway through Lent, and while the first thing that *should* be on your mind is probably, "When am I getting to confession?" you're probably also thinking about Easter baskets. Well, you are if you're anything like me!

Growing up we got plastic grass and a whole lot of candy. I don't know why we got so much candy, except that we really loved it and I think it might not have turned us all insane?

I have one child in particular who turns insane with excessive amounts of candy. So needless to say, we try to limit it! And I have a lot of fun thinking of non-candy basket fillers, too - need some ideas?

Faith-Based Gift Guide (For Plan-Aheaders)

It's October. I just saw some serious Christmas displays at the mall. In October. And yet, here I am thinking about Christmas presents already...

But hear me out - a lot of etsy shops need you to order in October so they can get their items handmade in time for Christmas. And a lot of people (like me!) like to shop for gifts ahead of time so that the shopping is done by Advent. Plus there's always St. Nicholas Day to think about if you like doing gifts then, instead... And All Saints' Day, too!

So if you're a planner like me, and you want to get all your Christmas shopping done NOW and support some really lovely ladies in their work while you're at it, I've got ideas for you!

TOYS

Blessing Blocks

Have you seen these beautiful toys? At AlmondRod Toys, Lindsey makes beautiful blocks with saints, Nativity scenes, Stations of the Cross, and she'll even do custom-work for you! My kids adore these and I love to look at them, too! They're fun to stack and have been holding up really well for us, plus they're reasonably priced!



Lindsey's offering a free Pope Francis block on orders of $30 or more - all you have to do is pray for the Pope and let her know in the "notes" section of your order!

Saintly Silver

Have you seen these adorable plush saint dolls? Saintly Silver is hugely popular, so if you want these in time for Christmas you pretty much have to order now - we actually don't have any because any time there's an occasion I want them for, it's already too late to get one in time... But you're more proactive than I am, I'm sure!

Peg Dolls

Either organize a swap yourself, or check etsy for TONS of options! My kids love playing with them at other people's houses, although I still haven't gotten any for them myself... St. Luke's Brush makes beautifully detailed saints.

Saint Anne Studio might be my favorite, and she makes reasonably-priced saint doll kits, also (the peg dolls are pricey but SO beautiful).

There's also a shop where you can buy a kit to paint your own!

Shining Light Dolls

Have you seen these adorable dolls? Each of our children is getting one for St. Nicholas Day this year, and they just came out with a whole bunch more (like St. Joseph, St. Francis, St. Martin de Porres)! Sturdy, chewable, and cute!

BOOKS & MEDIA

Michele's new rosary book for children, Mary Holds My Hand just came out and looks like such a perfect way to introduce your child to the rosary! And it would be a great gift along with with Rosaries Aren't {Just} For Teething, a book of reflections on the mysteries of the rosary by some of your favorite bloggers!

Michele's giving away a copy of her children's book *and* the rosary meditation book she edited for adults! Enter at the bottom of the post.

Holy Heroes



Holy Heroes creates and sells dramatized audio stories about the lives of the saints. They're exciting, not too long, and a great substitute for screen time! I've written up a full review, and we love their products - coloring and activity books, matching games, even free items sometimes!

Other Books

We've got a few book series that we come back to time and again - Can You Find Saints and Can You Find Jesus are basically Where's Waldo for Catholics. Packed with pictures, fun for kids to look at, and fun for adults also! Once Upon a Time Saints and the other books in the series are all nice short stories of saints that engage adults and children alike. For longer books, we like the Encounter the Saints series and the Vision Series for lives of the saints.


ARTWORK & HANDMADE

Hatch Prints

Katrina's watercolor & hand-lettered prints are so lovely and inspiring - she makes me want to pick up a paintbrush and try my hand at watercolors! But for now I'll just be satisfied with the two prints of hers I have in my house :) She's got prints and greeting cards, all of which would make great gifts.

Use code ABLOGFORMYMOM15 for 15% off your order for the rest of October! And check below for a giveaway item.

Rakstar Designs

I always love seeing what Rakhi is making - her creativity is boundless and she's got necklaces, rosary hangers, and prints in her shop. And she's got a little one on the way!

Use code IAMLOVED for 20% off your order of $15 or more through November 2, and check below for a giveaway item!

Annery Handmade

Annie's knit rosary roses would be the perfect tactile accompaniment to your prayer with young children, and her knit & infinity scarves would make great gifts!

Use code SHIPOCT15 for free shipping through October 31!

Flor Larios Art

We love our Flor Larios wood blocks that hang on the wall (or *will* hang on the wall once we get around to it now that we've moved...), and the kids had such fun picking their own out last year - there's a huge selection of items in her shop, and tons of different prints!



Handmaid Embroidery

Cristina just opened her shop today! Her ornaments are so lovely and I'm really excited to see what else she comes out with!

Lucky you! One person is going to win a whole bunch of prizes, either to keep or to gift to some lucky friends and family members! Here's what's up for grabs:

1 Manger Ornament from Handmaid Embroidery

1 Necklace of your choice from Rakstar Designs

1 8x10 print of your choice from Hatch Prints AND

1 5x7 print of your choice from Hatch Prints

1 paperback copy of Rosaries Aren't {Just} For Teething AND

1 paperback copy of Mary Holds My Hand

I hope you win, I really do - this is an amazing prize package!

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It's My Birthday! How about a HUGE Giveaway? {7 Quick Takes}

Okay I apologize, these are the longest Quick Takes ever...

But it's worth it! I promise!

See, it's my birthday tomorrow, and as you can see everyone is SO excited about it:

See? John Paul's card is BURSTING with enthusiasm!

Cecilia's is a little more exciting... I think that might be me wearing a backpack? But that's the wrapping paper - inside it is my card that I'm not allowed to open until Saturday!

The 25th, in case you were wondering. John Paul got confused. "Alleluia!"

Anyway, it's my 29th birthday tomorrow! And in celebration of the LAST year of my 20s, I teamed up with a bunch of really awesome ladies for a great big giveaway for YOU!

It makes sense - I like giving presents WAY more than getting them, and if you win you're getting a LOT!

--1--

Something to wear:

These adorable baby leggings from Nell at Whole Parenting Family in size 0-6 months

Too sweet for words!

--2--

Something to read:

A printable pdf version of the famous Kelly Mantoan's planner, The Best Laid Plans

I have a hard copy and I LOVE it! I'm not a "planner" person but this has really been helping me organize my meal planning, garden planning, grocery shopping, and feast days. And having Kelly's witty voice throughout is a HUGE bonus!



An electronic copy of Rosaries Aren't {Just} For Teething, featuring reflections on the mysteries of the rosary by SO many of your favorite bloggers, from Michele at My Domestic Monastery.

I'm so excited to read this when it comes out!

--3-- 

Something for prayer:

A cord rosary in "Blessed Blue" from Sarah at Cherishing Everyday Beauty - blessed by her father the deacon, and infused with her prayers!

Babyproof! And the absolute perfect color blue, in my opinion!




A handmade chaplet from Cam at A Woman's Place.

Who doesn't have a soft spot for St. Therese?




A crocheted set of Rosary Roses from Annie at Annery at Home.

How perfect are these for little hands?

--4--

Something pretty:

A flexi clip of your choice in size mini-large from Lilla Rose - Mandi Richards.

I LOVE mine!!!

A custom Mother's Embroidered Rosette Necklace from Jenna at Call Her Happy.

Her instagram feed is so beautiful, full of her lovely embroidery and her adorable kids - go follow her now!

--5--

Something artsy:

A framed print from Rakstar Designs, Rakhi at The Pitter Patter Diaries' etsy shop.

This will be beautiful framed and hanging in your home!

--6--

Something for play:

A saint block of your choice from Lindsey at AlmondRod Toys.

I've mentioned several times how much the kids love these - they absolutely adore them!

--7--

Something for whatever you want:

And a $10 Amazon gift card from me, as a thank you for ordering through my Amazon affiliate links.

Because I'm not good enough at crafting to make you anything!

There are a million ways to enter - choose one, choose a bunch, choose them all, it's up to you! I hope you win :)

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Mom Hair! {Flexi-Clip Review}

I have a confession to make:

I'm really lazy when it comes to hair.  And I do not like change.

Here's my cycle:  

1. I grow my hair super long because I'm too lazy and cheap to get it cut.  

2. Somewhere along the way it gets too long to deal with reasonably, so I just leave it up all the time.

3. Eventually I realize it's long enough to get a free cut for Locks of Love at my favorite salon.

4. I get an awesome short hair cut and proceed to grow it out for 2-3 more years before I realize it's time for another cut.

I can't be the only one who does this, right?  The problem is, short hair actually has to be styled.  And there are only so many ways I actually know how to do long hair - either up in a bun, up in a ponytail, down, or half-up.  All those Pinterest tutorials for fancy hair?  Nuh uh.  Not happening here.

And you know what doesn't help with the fact that my appearance is similar to that of a 17-year-old girl?  Um, any of those hair styles.

So when Mandi sent me a Flexi Clip to review, I was pretty psyched!  I had been eyeing them for months but wasn't sure if I could make the plunge...  After all, they all look so fancy!  My go-to hair clip is plastic and the enamel has teeth marks in it because someone (John Paul) decided it would be interesting to scrape as much off as possible during naptime.  

Stupid reason.  Totally worth owning.  And totally worth the price!  Especially since lately I find myself stealing Cecilia's hair accessories more and more because my hair ties keep being used to keep cabinet doors shut...

A super-messy Gibson tuck - I got so many compliments on this from students and parents at the concert I was directing that night.  And I felt like such a grown-up!

She even sent bobby pins for Cecilia!

"Cecilia, how much do you like your hair pins?"

"SO!"

French Twist (with a French-English dictionary on the floor...)

No way was this going to stay in Cecilia's hair...  But she wanted to try!

I found YouTube videos helpful in finding ways to style the Flexi Clip (and I'm going to keep looking for new and exciting ways to wear it!) - check out Lilla Rose's channel here

I'm not going to lie, I definitely have problems with mine slipping out if I'm not careful about the exact right amount of hair to put in there, but I got used to it pretty quickly.  And my hair is super slippery, so I kind of expected that.  It's not exactly the end of the world that I can't use it for a ponytail, because ponytails just make me look 12 and I don't need to be mistaken for the babysitter again, you know?

I think it's worth it to take the time to learn a few simple hairstyles so you can feel more put-together, even if you're not planning on leaving the house.  

The possibilities are endless!  What's your favorite?

How much would your little princess love this Fairy Aurora Borealis clip?

Or maybe Purple Cluster to please your friend who likes to match her hair accessories to liturgical seasons?  Perfect for Lent AND Advent!

Roman Stone has definitely caught my eye now that I'm not quite so afraid of a little bling!

And the vintage appeal in Cameo Appearance?  Love it!

Want one of your own?  Or as a present for someone you love? There are plenty available on my website here - I love them so much I've started selling them myself!

I received this product free of charge in exchange for a review - all opinions are honest and my own!

Theme Thursday: Lights

Taking a break from life to link up with Cari for Theme Thursday:  Lights

I had my picture all picked out for this theme the moment I saw it - this is one of the first pictures I took with our new camera last Christmas - the candles on Jesus's birthday cake with the Christmas tree lights in the background.

The only things I knew about using a decent camera is that you need to use manual focus and you shouldn't use a flash if you want a good picture.  Almost a year later, and that's still about all I know...

This picture is the background on my computer right now and brings me a real sense of peace every time I look at it.  There's just something so very beautiful about the flame of a candle.

Peace is something I need so very much right now - life is a little bit nuts with funeral preparations, taking care of the kids, getting stuff done at work (which my coworkers are helping with SO much), and trying not to go insane...

And while I'm posting, I keep meaning to do a giveaway for you all but, you know life...

So here's the thing - I got a bunch of craft things from Oriental Trading Company and made Christmas Craft Kits to share with my fellow moms (because I don't need 24 Happy Birthday Jesus stamps BUT 10 other kids might want some!), and I've got one kit left!  Rather than find someone else to buy it, I figured I'd give it away. 

I don't feel like taking pictures of the contents, but there are angel stamps, nativity stamps, a nativity sticker scene, a gingerbread house ornament kit, a candy cane ornament kit, bible story sticker scenes, and some other things I'm probably forgetting...  Best for the 3-and-up set, probably.  If you want it, enter!  You've got a week :)

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