10 Ways to Prepare During Advent

Advent is a word with Latin roots meaning "approach" or "coming". Advent is just 3 weeks away. It always begins on the Sunday closest to November 30th, the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle. It is also the beginning of the new liturgical year for the Roman Catholic Church. Our church always gets new Missiles in the pews and decorates with purple. Why purple? Purple is for Royalty. Jesus is King and we are preparing for His birth. Purple (Violet) is also the color of penance, sacrifice and prayer. I always tell my children, "Advent is a time of waiting, it's a time to prepare our hearts and souls for Jesus." Easy to say, but how is that lived and acted out? 

 Inspired during Adoration last week, I wrote down 10 ways to prepare our hearts and souls during Advent. Read through these, but please keep in mind, this time of Advent, of preparing, is also meant to be a time of peace and not a time of rushing around trying to do every possible thing you can. Start slow, pick one or two things for yourself and one or two things for your family. My hope is that you are able to feel PEACE in the waiting and JOY in Christmas. Remember those 12 days of Christmas? Yeah, they don't even start until Christmas day!

1. Pray More If you don't pray now, or struggle with this area, this is the perfect time to start! Decide what you are going to do to add prayer this Advent. Set a time each day, maybe mornings work best for you, for me, even before I get out of bed works. I have my prayers right by my bedside ready for me to pick up. St Andrew's Novena might be a great way to add prayer. It is a novena that starts on November 30th and goes each day during Advent until Christmas Day. These are the cards we have and use each year: HERE Another way might be to pray the rosary each day, set time each day to pray this beautiful prayer that focuses on the life of Jesus.  You can order these beautiful cards HERE 
   
2. Stay Close to the Sacraments Go to Confession! If it's been a long time, go! Prepare your soul by cleaning out, so to speak, tell the priest when you go, that it's been a long time and he'll help you through it. Now is a good time to go to Confession to empty the sin on our souls and fill it with Grace! I know at our Parishes in our Cluster, there are extra opportunities to go as the priests offer many more times. 
3. Go to Daily Mass Going to daily Mass during Advent is a great way to prepare your heart and soul for Christmas. If going every day is too hard, try adding just one day each week. Like choose Monday for example, to start your week. Or choose Friday to end your week. Try it. I know you will yearn to go more. 
4. Advent Wreath  The lighting of the Advent wreath (and the distinguishing of the candle) is always a highlight of our supper time during Advent. Someone is picked each day to light the candle and someone is picked to read the family prayer. Every Advent there are free pamphlets at the entrances of church. These pamphlets have Advent activities and prayers for each day. Pick just one and stick with it. Pray from it each day as you light the candle. We leave our candles burn all during our meal then someone gets to extinguish the candle. Wreaths do not have to be expensive. I made ours by picking up supplies at the local craft store, I spend under $20, candles and all!  There's something special about lighting a candle and watching it, the peace it brings our hearts as we focus on our prayers. 
   
5. Advent Calendar We have tried many versions of this over the years. My mother-in-law made us a cloth calendar with pockets and room to put notes in each pocket. Each note for each day give us something to do. We also buy the chocolate candy calendars each year, I've yet to find a cheap religious one, we just buy the cheap ones found at the grocery store or craft store. It's kind of a fun way for kids to countdown the days to Jesus's birthday.We've done coloring countdowns too. I have a friend that made this great countdown, HERE. My all-time favorite countdown has been making cards for each day during Advent and we hang them over our patio doors in our dining room. Each day we open a card and it gives us something special to do.  Some suggestions could be: (starting with December 1 here but you would start with whatever day each year Advent starts) 
   
   
6. 
   
   1. Read in the Bible, Luke Chapter 1 &2, the birth of Jesus, first day of Advent, light first candle!
   2.  Write 20 things that you are thankful for!
   3. Donate toys and books to charity (hospital?)
   4. Light a candle and say a prayer for someone
   5. Make Christmas Crafts with Mom (set out shoes for St Nicholas!)
   6. Celebrate the Feast of St Nicholas!
   7. Make a mini stocking and fill with goodies for a friend or neighbor
   8. Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin--make Mary Muffins and go to Mass!
   9. Set up play tent with Christmas lights!
   10. Open new ornament!  Gotta find it first!
   11. Bake Christmas cookies and treats!
   12. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadaulupe!  Let's do Mexican food!
   13. Feast of St Lucy!  Celebrate!
   14. Unwrap new book! Have a family movie night-watch Elf with popcorn!
   15. Have a hot cocoa tea party with cookies!
   16. Wrap presents!
   17. Sing and dance to Christmas music!
   18. Fill out Christmas cards today
   19. Look at Christmas lights
   20. Mom and Dad's Anniversary--make them love cards!
   21. Open new Christmas book! Bring food to the food shelf!
   22. Simeon's b-day Let's party He's going to be 6!!
   23. Bake a cake for Jesus's birthday!
   24. It's Christmas Eve!!  Celebrate and go to Mass! 

  6.  Advent Angels On Thanksgiving day we always draw names and each child gets to be the person's name they draw angel. They get to pray for that person, do special things each day, like doing their job or giving them special things, coloring pictures, writing them notes, leaving candies, you name it. On Christmas Even they get to give a gift to their person they were an angel to. Usually within a few days they have it all figured out but are not always sure so it's still fun to sneak and do nice things for their person. We also talk about how this spreads the love of Jesus and helps us to prepare for HIM. 

  7.  Books  We have a ton of Christmas books for children so one year we wrapped up all the Christmas books (in purple) and opened one each day. We usually only read these during Advent, so it was fun to open "new" old treasures each day. It gave us time to enjoy each book in a special way too. One very special Advent book we've read on and off through the years has been Jotham's Journey.

You can order this book HERE. You read a few pages each day and each day leaves you with a little cliffhanger making you excited for the next day. If you look further down on that link, there are other stories, Tabitha's Travels, and Bartholomew's Passage are books about children you encounter in Jotham's Journey giving you their side of the story.

For yourself, I'd suggest this book, Rooted in Hope, by Elizabeth Foss. I've done a couple of her bible studies and have loved them. It's a great bible study for busy mamas! This one is written for Advent and has some really awesome ways to help you grow closer to our Lord.

  8.  Bake a Birthday Cake for Jesus--as simple as it sounds, it can be a very rich tradition that you and your children will love and cherish! We bake a cake called "Midnight Bliss" because it is believed that Jesus was born at midnight. We make this delicious, rich, chocolate cake for Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus every year. We put on a candle for each of us, to symbolize the light of Christ inside of us.

Midnight Bliss Cake

1 pkg chocolate cake mix, any variety (we picked chocolate fudge)

1 pkg (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding

4 eggs

1 container 8 oz sour cream

1/2 cup flavored coffee, prepared (I use International Foods French Vanilla)

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 pkg 8 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease and flour a tube pan (bundt cake)

Beat all ingredients except chopped chocolate in large bowl with mixer, until well blended and smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate and pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 No need for frosting with this cake, it's rich and that good!

  9.  Give to Others--Clean out your closet and donate to local thrift shops. We have a thrift shop called "Treasure Chest" and all proceeds go to help our local crisis pregnancy center. (Birthline). Empty your cupboards and donate to your local foodshelf. Make some goodies and deliver to your neighbors, to the homeless on the street corners, to the lonely person you saw at Mass the other day. Another way to give to others is to give your time. Go visit someone you haven't seen in a long time. 

  10.  Write Your To-Do list!  Plan out your Advent. What do you want to finish before Christmas comes? Remember not to list too much. Do what needs to get done. Try to spread it out all through Advent. This will help you not to have to rush around. This will help you to enjoy it much more. When Christmas comes, you will feel as though your time was spent well, you'll have peace in your heart which is God's gift to us and our gift to Him. 

I hope you pick a couple of these things to help you this Advent. I hope these things bring you closer to our Lord and that you feel the PEACE and JOY only the Christ Child can give.

Christmas Home!

Welcome to my Christmas home

I have to laugh when I say that, because I don't really decorate that much, 

compared to others, my home feels like a ton of clutter...

like I have a really hard time waiting until Epiphany to put everything away,

I can't wait each year to clean it all up on New Years day! 

Then my heart feels at peace.

Am I the only one that feels like that?

here's our wreath.

Tom bought it from some kids selling door to door the first year we moved here

I hate it.

If wreaths were not so stinkin' much money, 

I'd get a simple one with red berries.

Every year I look at them, but the practical side of me

says, we don't really need a new wreath, ours is fine.

See?

Every year, this wreath teaches me humility.

(besides I'll put it away on New Years--haha)

 Stockings are hung by the fireplace with care

(no we don't use our fireplace...we should, but we don't know how)

The bench blocks little ones from playing inside

and breaking the doors

Tom's mom made those stockings, they are beautiful.

 Our nativity is up 

My parents gave this to us for a wedding gift

(our anniversary is Friday)

 Fake tree up

I think fake trees are ugly.

But, they are easy, that's for sure!

and in the dark, when the lights are on, who cares?

Hmmmm...not sure where those bottom ornaments went.....

I can make an educated guess who took them though

 My favorite ornaments, 

my babies at Christmas.

A baby at Christmas is such a blessing.

 (I blubbed their names out for the picture)

 Presents wrapped and under the tree!

 My favorite Christmas candle is "Sparkling Snow" Oh, it smells soooo good!

My grandmother made the little house, years ago, it holds my Christmas cards

(can you see Christine?)

It's even more special this year, since she passed away this past fall.

 Mistletoe!! 

For lots of extra kisses!

 My kitchen window...we actually have a lot more snow now...

 Our advent wreath and countdowns in the windows

I know, I know, there's that dang coffee again.

It's just so easy to have it for breakfast, 6 points done, no thinking 

 Advent wreath messed with a lot....

 Christmas cookies made...

 Christmas helpers in zipper jammies....

waiting patiently

Cookie Cutter Cookies

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

 Mix baking powder and flour in bowl.

 On low speed, gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until combined.

 Add milk; beat until dough masses around beaters.

Divide dough in half or thirds (whatever you prefer).

 Lightly flour work surface and roll out dough to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut shapes.

Bake for 10 minutes.

 ( I usually bake them for 14, so I suppose it depends on your oven)

Cool and frost.

(I usually double this recipe)

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbs milk (or more depending on how thin you want your frosting)

 food coloring--divide the frosting and color whatever you want

Cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. When all sugar has been mixed, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat on high speed until light and fluffy.

Makes 3 cups.
Makes enough for cookie recipe to be doubled.

 This year, I baked the cookies the night before

 because my brother's family came to decorate and only had a couple hours to be here

 Busy kids

(football game in the background--go Vikes!)

 Lots of little helpers....

 My sister in law, Kris, made those peanut butter blossom cookie thingy's

My  kids LOVED them!

(I've never made them!)

They do have to be made with Hershey's Kisses,

 not those stupid fake chocolate stars!

 It was a busy day, this was the only picture I got of these two big helpers!

 Brett and Jedi

 Justin, my silly daughter, and Lexi

 My oldest daughter always ready with a smile!

 Cookies!!!!

 Come on over for some Christmas cookie masterpieces!

Just wanted to show you a picture of the girls

(in their pink!)

Gaudete Sunday!

 Read about Gaudete Sunday HERE

And don't forget to wear PINK to Mass!!

I saw this quote last week 

and wanted to share here:

Advent

Quietly, in whispered softness 

the curtain of night descends.

A restless world stands hushed,

a special time begins...

How is your Advent going?

Thankful Thursday Part 2

 You've been warned, I told you I had a lot of Thankful's this week!

I know, I should try to do it more often instead of stocking up, but 

these are actually all from this past week!

Thankful for a wonderful husband and father to our children,

oh, it melts my heart every time I see him with the littles!

And he plays cards every single day with the big kids.

 Thankful we took out our old duplo blocks and he loves them!

Thankful for barefoot almost 2 year olds...

 (you're welcome for the close up)

 Thankful for all the playing these 3 do all day long

 Thankful for pumpkin cheesecake...I make this every year for Thanksgiving

I am not much of a pie person, but this, this is heavenly!

Recipe HERE

(I cannot picture food, it always looks yellow-ish)

 Thankful for forts in the toy room, with the old table...

we put it there til after Christmas...

 Thankful we finally figured out a way to change the living room around to fit our tree

we usually put our tree in the toy room...front window, for all to see,

but we've always wanted in our living room...

so, we came up with this idea, to close off the double doors (to the toy room)

and it's so cozy, we love it!

 Here is where it was, angled and now the tree will go here,

and our old table will go here after Christmas for games and puzzles in the living room!

 Thankful for my little helpers (in zipper jammies)

(I'm getting my Advent stuff ready here)

 Thankful...OH, my gosh, just stay little, OKAY?

 Thankful, I finally bought a plain green advent wreath and got some craft stuff and 

copied the one in the craft store!  

I love it! 

(our old one was a wooden star thingy, but I like the symbolism of the circular wreath,

and the green in it, I also like the colors of Advent, pink and purple)

 Thankful for these chocolate Advent calendars...

we have to tape them up high on the cupboards...

I am asked several times a day by a certain 4 year old if she can have another piece...

 Thankful we are doing our Jesse Tree this year

(see it in full glory HERE)

I have to admit, some days, we skip the Bible reading,

(I know, I"m terrible) like for Noah's Ark, I said, something like,

"You all know the story about Noah, right?"

There's just so much to do...

 Thankful we are doing a new countdown, using my Advent pocket calendar

my mother in law made for us!

 each day is filled with a little something, and I have a corresponding Bible reading

(which we are reading)

All are about Jesus, and it ends with a tiny baby Jesus in the last pocket!

See HERE

 Thankful we are doing our countdown of things to do daily, 

The kids love this, and if I"m doing it, it's easy!

It's just craft paper notecards folded up with numbers on the outside.

You can read what I wrote inside last year HERE

This year I changed a couple things, like, Simeon will be 2--yes 2!!!

this year and he is not having any surgeries (thank God)

(it's not too late--you can do this too!)

 Thankful for what we are NOT doing too...

I know my limits and I just cannot do everything.

I know that seeing what others are doing sometimes makes us WANT TO BE LIKE THEM

but even if we only do the chocolate calendars, or only light the wreath each night

or just do what we have time for,

IT'S OK!!!

I am NOT doing Bartholomew's Passage...although, it's sitting out

making me feel guilty!

 (I have to put that dang book away!)

 I am NOT doing the traveling wise men...I have been seeing it all around blog world

I love the idea, and I would love to do it,

I just don't think it would work, at least not every day.

I have little ones that love to play with these kind of figures...

There's still time, I can add it I suppose.

Thankful there's still time.

Advent is not just a day

or a week.

It is 4 weeks!

And if I don't get to the things I want to, who cares?

 Thankful I made it home last Wednesday

 (before Thanksgiving with a van full of groceries and kids)

My van was acting up all the way home

and it died in the driveway!!  

Thankful for Angels that drove us home, I have no doubt, it was Angels that helped us!

It ended up being the transmission!!!
Oh, my gosh, what next?

Thankful it is covered by our warranty!!

(it's still in the shop though...I'm going a little crazy stuck at home)

Thankful

Tow truck in our driveway=very happy almost 2 year old!

 Thankful our washer broke down

OK, not really, because we are broke now, we paid like 500 bucks 

last month to fix the dang thing and now it started leaking every day 

and was too much to fix, so we bought a new one
(1000 bucks!)

(we are broke)

Thankful the new one has a 10 year warranty

 Our snow blower also is broke down

so

the kids and I will shovel this afternoon, in the below zero wind chill weather

(Don't let that sun fool you--baby it's cold outside!)

Gosh, I hate winter...there.  I said it. 

BUT even though, we've had a few bad things happen,

there are still blessings.

Too many to count!

 Like babies who insist on eating themselves...

 Blessings of rosy cheeked little girls!

 Blessings of barefoot, red headed, smiling, little boys in overalls!

 (You're welcome!)

(can you tell I love toesies?)

(only on littles)
(and especially his little webbed ones)

 Blessings of symmetry lessons and big kids who join in on the fun...

 Blessings of a counter full of kid paintings...

and curly haired 4 year olds...

And piles of laundry to fold...it's calling my name

(this is like 4 loads!--does anyone else do this, lay them flat, 

so there's no wrinkles and fold them when you get a chance?)

I'm going to leave you with 2 funny videos of Simeon

blowing with his tongue...it's a big deal, because, he's never been able to do it!

The way his mouth is, it's been a hard thing, so his baby bubbles are late

and we are EXCITED!!

We start speech therapy in January, I'm excited he can do this, 

Oh, he's going to do soooo good!!!

Happy Thursday everyone!!  

Be Thankful, even when life is hard,

there's always something to be thankful for!

P.S.
Don't forget tomorrow is the feast of St Nicholas!

Go to Catholic Cuisine for a ton of ideas,
like mine HERE
Don't forget to set out your shoes!