A Calender, Jesse Tree & Donkey Bells

Advent is my favorite liturgical season. Hands down.

I love preparing my heart and home for the birthday of Baby Jesus!
As I cut out Jesse Tree ornaments and embellished some mini envelopes for the Advent Calender, I was taken back to my days as a "co-worker" or "missionary" with Regnum Christi. I couldn't stop thinking with each snip of my scissors that THIS is my ministry NOW. The little details I create for my husband and children to bring the domestic church to life in our home is my mission. Seriously pumped myself up!

My friends use to call me "the poster child for Regnum Christi" - as I soaked up the attention in the spot light at most missions, retreats, etc. throughout the years. Well, God has lost no time in humbling me! With my two babies that are two and under, I find myself repeating the same routine day after day. Diapers, cooking, cleaning, play-dates, mass, reading books, bathtime, bedtime... REPEAT! But this is IT! THIS is the vocation God prepared ME for... and the children He has entrusted to me. Diaper changing is not so glamourous, but with each wipe I know that I am teaching my child that LIFE IS PRECIOUS - that SACRIFICE IS KEY - and to FOLLOW GOD'S WILL brings indescribable peace and happiness!

Aaaaaaaaand here's what I've been working up between all the crazy moments at our house this week!
A DIY Advent Calendar and Jesse Tree!

SUPPLIES = $30.00

PAINTED & WIRED

PRINTABLE JESSE TREE ORNAMENTS

I went ahead and left these un-colored this year...
expecting that next year my kids will be a little older and more ready to help add some flare!

THE TREE

This is what some branches from the yard and a bottle of white spray paint will get ya!
... I have this desire to spray paint EVERYTHING white now. Slightly addicted to the ease of this project.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Jesse Tree prompt card to tell us what to read from Scripture each day and a corresponding ornament!

We can't have an Advent Calender without some incentive for the kids!
Here are some mini M&Ms and "Donkey Bells" that they will get each day during prayer time!

DONKEY BELLS!?

This is something my mom did with us when I was growing up and I wanted to do it with my kids too! Especially since they LOVE bells. They hear them EVERYWHERE! Anyway. Each day we'll add a bell to a string. The closer we get to Christmas the louder the string of bells will sound...
meaning that the DONKEY (who is wearing bells!) is almost here with Baby Jesus!!!

How are you and your family going to celebrate this Advent?
Any special traditions? I hope this post gave you some creative energy!

Wishing you all JOY during this season of expectancy!

DIY Advent Calender & Jesse Tree... SNEAK PEEK!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Hope your day is filled with warm & happy moments spent with those you love!

I am forever thankful for my husband and two precious sons.
They are the light of my life... my crazy beautiful world!

My family INSPIRES me to CREATE fun things for the season and liturgical year. Without them I'm sure I would not be doing ANY of this! I LOVE to see their little eyes dance with delight when I SHARE with them my inspired creations! I don't technically get paid for all this work, but I'll take smiles, hugs, kisses, and enthusiastic jumping up & down ANY payday!

I grew up with an Advent calendar and Jesse Tree - to keep track of the days before Christmas and learn the lineage of Jesus! Had to have one this year for my kids. HAD TO...

:: my inspiration ::

:: what 1 hour in Michael's will get ya! ::

:: work in progress ::

:: Jesse tree prompt cards that are going in each envelope (with a few other goodies! I'll keep you in suspense.)! ::

:: cutest Advent calender I've ever seen ::

___________________________________________________________

Will keep you posted as it comes together for the start of Advent!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!!

All About "Fooneys"... and Smoothies!

My kid's mantra is "Fooney! Fooney! Fooney!" When I hear the zealous chant I know that I better fire up the blender if there is to be peace in the troops.
Haha...the kid wants a "Smoooothie!"

So I rock out with my juicer and blender every day
and I just wanted to share some of the fun things we've been learning and tasting!

Who knew that the produce department is swimming with medicinal powers!?!

I just need to pause and give a shout out to GOD - who made all life - fruit and vegetation included!
He's made some pretty awesome things for us and our bodies! Check out some my new faves...

KALE = a super green

low in calories
high in fiber
zero fat
vitamin A, C, & K
powerful antioxidants
caotenoids and flavonoids = cancer fighters
iron - per calorie it has MORE than beef!
anti-inflammatory
cardiovascular support

CELERY = lean & mean

lowers blood pressure
balances blood pH - neutralizing acidity
known to contain at least 8 anti-cancer compounds
fights off colon and stomach cancer
natural laxative
anti-inflammatory - fighting arthritis, asthma, etc.
promotes healthy kidney function / can help eliminate kidney, urinary, & gall stones
calms the nervous system

GINGER = not the girl on the island with Gilligan, but the POWER HERB!

ovarian cancer treatment
colon cancer prevention
morning/motion sickness cure
reduces pain and inflammation
heartburn relief
migraine relief
menstrual cramp remedy
reduces kidney damage

THIS is the juicer that I use! ...working up some classic carrot and apple juice for my little guys!

Here is some of the magic is creates...

"RISE & SHINE" juice by Giada de Laurentiis
...a waker-upper for sure!
This blend of celery, carrot, spinach, lemon, ginger, and apple adds pep to my step.
Yes, I just said, "pep to my step." I'm getting old.

Who doesn't like a class of lemonade?!
I bribe my kids with this stuff. 1/2 a lemon, 1 C. of water, a tsp. of maple syrup = liquid gold to a 2 year old!

Waaaaatermelon! This stuff goes a LONG way!
So sweet and ridiculously satisfying. You'll never go back to kool-aid again!

I'm all about keeping the fiber with the natural juices.
I would say that we "smoothie" more than we juice, but both are awesome alternatives.
I typically freeze the fruit I want to work with so that it gives the mix a nice frothy texture!

This concoction consists of baby carrots, kale, cantaloupe, strawberries, raw cranberry & oj!
LUNCH for momma...

Green smoothies are in popular demand in these parts. I make these every day for my kiddos.
Kale, strawberries, banana, almond milk, and a dash of oj.

Here's a dessert smoothie I whipped up for the kids last night. After a dinner of pure veg - they deserved this! Strawberries, banana, and coconut milk with some fresh lemon juice... Dairy Queen is history!

So yes, like the lazy person I am I don't have exact measurements for any of this.

I just eyeball the whole thing and it has never turned out badly!
You really can't go wrong. Get creative and get juicing!

Keeping a good balance with the fruit and veggies really helps and keeps it friendly.

Hope you enjoyed my little guide. Now go get yourself a "fooney!"

Coming Clean about Eating Green

Honestly, I don't find myself craving a bowl of rice and veggies for dinner every day.
No, my name is Brittany and I have a secret-food-fantasy life.
And in that life I eat Oreos for breakfast, Taco Bell for lunch, and a REAL cheeseburger off the grill for dinner!
Ok, maybe not Taco Bell for me, but definitely Oreos for breakfast. Hook. Me. Up.

It is strange though. If I just make the rice - the quinoa - the legumes - the veggies - etc. and eat them...
I AM SO RIDICULOUSLY SATISFIED AND FULL!
And I don't feel heavy walking away from the table.

But I have been struggling the past few weeks with cooking green :-(
I want comfort food. I want take-out. I want to eat an entire bag of Oreos.
I admit, I've been stressed as our schedule has been full to the brim...
and the looming holidays don't help either!
My heart pitter patters at the sight of grocery store kiosks
displaying all the necessary sweetness to bake up a sugary feast!

I wasn't feeling "quinoa" for dinner, but I knew that if I made it...
then I would eat it and be happy I did.

This is one of my FAVORITE quinoa dishes of all time. Again, I don't wake up CRAVING this kind of stuff, but when I have it made and ready I remember, "I LOVE THIS!" And it is good to go in 20 minutes or less.

Ready - set - toast some almonds

Chop some spinach and/or fresh basil

Prepare your quinoa & grab some chick peas (I used canned this time)

Mix this all together with some dried cranberries,
dried basil, garlic powder, sea salt, fresh lemon juice, and maple syrup...

I actually prepared this while my babies were napping
and threw it in the fridge for a late dinner after chiropractic appointments.
A safety net to stop me from picking up take-out! Haha.

I grilled up some Indian flat bread that our local International Market sells...

And there you have it, folks... DINNER!

My dad would call this rabbit food. I call it delicious.

What My Momma Told Me

Not too long ago I was talking to my mom on the phone and told her that I was not afraid to suffer for my faith, but was afraid that my children were going to have to suffer as well. As a mother, I just can't handle that thought.

And yes, I am referring to suffering that goes hand-in-hand with these ever darkening times that we are experiencing in our country today.

My momma reminded me that we raise our children to be martyrs.

Many of us will not meet a red martyrdom (a physical death), but I think the majority of us Christians, & especially Catholics, in America are facing a white martyrdom (persecution without death).

I fear that America is changing and not for the better.
A good friend of mine has reminded me that WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN.
Such a consolation. I never want my children to forget that. This world is not our home.

"If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you. Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master. So if people mistreat me, they will mistreat you. If they do what I say, they will do what you say. People will do to you exactly what they did to me. They will do it because you belong to me, and they don’t know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Everyone who hates me also hates my Father. I have done things that no one else has ever done. If they had not seen me do these things, they would not be guilty. But they did see me do these things, and they still hate me and my Father too. That is why the Scriptures are true when they say, 'People hated me for no reason.' I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true.
The Spirit will help you and will tell you about me. Then you will also tell others about me, because you have been with me from the beginning."
- John 15:18-27

Onward Christian soldiers! Our reward does not lie on this side of the veil.

Dear St. Ignatius of Antioch (110 A.D.) shouts out:

"May I enjoy the wild beasts that are prepared for me. I pray that they would be found eager to rush at me, and I will also entice them to devour me speedily and not deal with me as some, whom out of fear they have not touched. If they are unwilling to assail me, I will compel them to do so.
Pardon me; I know what is to my benefit. Now I begin to be a disciple. Let no one, of things visible or invisible, prevent me from attaining to Jesus Christ.
Let fire and the cross; let wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocation of bones; let cutting off of limbs; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the evil torments of the devil come upon me; only let me attain to Jesus Christ."

This encourages me to be EAGER about the battle that rages!



I will keep praying every day for my country and president.
I will be diligent in raising my children to face the giants of the enemy.
I will hope for the day when darkness is defeated once and for all.

... and HE is gonna win!

2 Feast Days = 1 American Halloween

When I was growing up, I LOVED the string of feasts that started on October 31st and ended on November 2nd. The Catholic Church knows how to celebrate! 2 feasts or 1 American Halloween? I'll take the 2 feast days!

I was about 8 years old when my parents started "acting crazy!" At least I am sure that is what everyone around us was thinking. They began bringing the liturgical year to life in our home; allowing some of the American traditions that did not compromise the purity of our Catholic heritage to stick around!
They still let us trick-or-treat, but the night was only just beginning...

After we went out, usually dressed as Saints or angels, to do some "soul-caking" or "trick-or-treating," we packed up the car and headed out to the Catholic cemetery. Often times friends and family came with us!
Yea... you remember!!! Bonfires, potlucks, and hayrides out to a country graveyard?! My dad would dress up as a "poor soul" who needed our prayers and call out to us as we waited. Kind of creepy. Kind of cool. Then we would recite the De Profundis or 129th Psalm for all the souls who were still suffering in Purgatory. My parents were pretty awesome. Not gonna lie. WHO DOES THIS STUFF?!?!?
... Oh, we're doing it with our kids too! Got to wait a few more years! You all are invited!

Talk about uniting Church Militant (those of us on earth), Church Suffering (those in Purgatory),
and Church Triumphant (those in Heaven)!!!

It was ALL HALLOWS' EVE. Not Halloween. It was the EVE of the Feast of All Saints!

November 1st - Feast of All Saints. All you holy men and women, pray for us!

This feast is followed by the Feast of All Souls on November 2nd.

These days are for prayer, fasting, feasting, gathering, and remembering our purpose here in this world.
Jesus came to save us - and we are all called to be His saints in Heaven! Until we reach our eternal reward, we can pray for those who have gone before us and remind our children to keep their eyes set on eternity.

Here's what's going on in our household right now!

All Hallows' Eve

Soul-caking + pumpkin carving + feasting

Feast of All Saints

Mass as a family + coloring pages of saints + litany of saints

Here is a link for a beautiful arrangement of The Litany of Saints


& I'll share the lyrics I typed up for our family prayer time tonight!

||: LORD, have mercy :|| ||: CHRIST, have mercy :|| ||: LORD, have mercy :||

MARY AND JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US.
MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS, PRAY FOR US.
ANNE, JOACHIM, ELIZABETH, PRAY FOR US.
ELIJAH, MOSES, JOHN THE BAPTIST, PRAY FOR US.
ISAAC, SARAH, ABRAHAM, PRAY FOR US.
JACOB, JOSEPH, SAMUEL, PRAY FOR US.
RUTH, DAVID, SOLOMON, PRAY FOR US.
ISAIAH, JEREMIAH. PRAY FOR US.

ALL YOU HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, PRAY FOR US.

PETER, PAUL, ANDREW, PRAY FOR US.
JAMES, JOHN AND ALL APOSTLES, PRAY FOR US.
MARY MAGDALENE, VERONICA, PRAY FOR US.
BARNABAS, MATTHIAS, PRAY FOR US.
STEPHEN, PHILIP, AND CORNELIUS, PRAY FOR US.
PRISCA AND AQUILA, PRAY FOR US.
TIMOTHY AND TITUS, PRAY FOR US.
LINUS, CLETUS, AND CLEMENT, PRAY FOR US.

ALL YOU HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, PRAY FOR US.

LAWRENCE AND CHRYSOGONUS, PRAY FOR US.
INNOCENT AND BONIFACE, PRAY FOR US.
HIPPOLYTUS AND ORIGEN, PRAY FOR US.
ATHANASIUS AND BASIL, PRAY FOR US.
FELICITY , PERPETUA, PRAY FOR US.
COSMOS AND DAMIAN, PRAY FOR US.
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM AND JUSTIN, PRAY FOR US.
LUCY, AGATHA AND AGNES, PRAY FOR US.

ALL YOU HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, PRAY FOR US.

JEROME AND EUSEBIUS, PRAY FOR US.
SCHOLASTICA AND BENEDICT, PRAY FOR US.
AMBROSE, MONICA, AUGUSTINE, PRAY FOR US.
MARTIN AND GREGORY, PRAY FOR US.
CLARE, FRANCIS, AND DOMINIC, PRAY FOR US.
FRANCIS XAVIER, IGNATIUS, PRAY FOR US.
ELIZABETH AND CATHERINE, PRAY FOR US.
LOUIS AND WENCELAUS, PRAY FOR US.

ALL YOU HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, PRAY FOR US.

LORD BE MERCIFUL - SAVE YOUR PEOPLE.
FROM ALL EVIL - SAVE YOUR PEOPLE.
FROM EVERY SIN - SAVE YOUR PEOPLE.
FROM EVERLASTING DEATH – SAVE YOUR PEOPLE
BY YOUR INCARNATION – SAVE YOUR PEOPLE
BY YOUR DEATH AND RESURRECTION – SAVE YOUR PEOPLE
BY YOUR GIFT OF THE SPIRIT – SAVE YOUR PEOPLE
HAVE MERCY ON US SAVIOR – SAVE YOUR PEOPLE

CHRIST HEAR US – LORD JESUS HEAR OUR PRAYER

LORD GIVE NEW LIFE – HEAR OUR PRAYER
TO THESE CHOSEN – HEAR OUR PRAYER
BY THE GRACE OF BAPTISM – HEAR OUR PRAYER
OH JESUS SON OF THE LIVING GOD – HEAR OUR PRAYER
SEND YOUR SPIRIT – HEAR OUR PRAYER
IN ITS FULLNESS – HEAR OUR PRAYER
ON ALL WHO DOUBT YOU – HEAR OUR PRAYER
WHO BELIEVE AND PROFESS YOU – HEAR OUR PRAYER

CHRIST HEAR US – LORD JESUS HEAR OUR PRAYER

Feast of All Souls

We have a prayer card with all our friends and family members who have passed away in the past 10 years.
We are lifting them up, by name, to the Father - remembering and praying for their souls - hoping to meet them again in Paradise.

Catholic culture is not dead. We are still breathing with the Church. I am determined to give my children and grandchildren the same heritage that I grew up with. THIS is the faith that was handed to us from Jesus Christ. THIS is the faith of our fathers. THIS is the faith being lived out in our home.

Wishing you all wonderful, holy feast days!