Another Basket of Books for Lent

I have had a few requests for a peek inside that basket of lenten books for the older children that I mentioned the other day. I had hoped to put a post together a list of all our books but I just haven't had the time so here is what's in this year's basket along with the links to each book:

• What Jesus Saw from the Cross - I have an older edition. Purchased for a Lenten book study years ago. 
• Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories - We read most of this during Advent and plan to finish during Lent.
• Jesus of Nazareth: The Story of His Life Written for Children - Excellent family read-aloud for Lent. Also available directly from St. Augustine Academy Press.
• The Picture Bible - This is one of our nine year old's favorites. He received it in his Easter basket last year and reads it on a daily basis. I can usually spot it on his bed every night. 
• A Life of Our Lord for Children, The Man Who Never Died: The Life and Adventures of St. Peter, the First Pope and The First Christians: The Acts of the Apostles for Children
• The Easter Book of Legends and Stories
• Awakening - Our thirteen year old recently read this book. She received it in her Easter basket last year. Also available from Catholic Child. 
• Lent and Easter Wisdom from St. Thérèse of Lisieux
• Lent with Pope Benedict XVI: Meditations for Every Day
• Characters of the Passion: Lessons on Faith and Trust - A new purchase for this year and what I'm reading at the moment. I love Venerable Fulton Sheen. Always so inspiring!
• The Spear: A Novel of the Crucifixion - I have always loved the books by Louis de Wohl. Looking forward to finally introducing him to my teens. 
• The Living Wood: Saint Helena and the Emperor Constantine
• Saint Helena and the True Cross - Our eleven year old just finished reading this story. 
• A Graphic Life of Jesus the Christ
• The Robe - Not pictured. Another favorite of mine from when I was a teen. 
• The Early Christians (DVD)
• Ben Hur (Audio)
• Meditations for Lent
• In Conversation with God: Vol 2 Part 1: Lent and Holy Week - I've had the whole series of these on my "wish list" for years. You can find them at Sacred Heart Books & Gifts.  (By the way, Sacred Heart Books & Gifts is offering free shipping until March 25th for orders over $40!)

Our older children also have their own bibles (they love this one, see better pictures here, and this one) as well as their own copies of The Imitation of Christ (I love this version with the zippered cover).

In addition to Characters of the Passion: Lessons on Faith and Trust, I am reading through the chapter for March on Mortification from A Year with the Saints: A Virtue for Every Month of the Year. My husband has been reading a chapter from The Little Catechism of The Cure of Ars aloud during dinner each night.

I've also pulled out our  Catechism in Pictures, to review The Apostles Creed, and reading through The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John from Sacred Art Series (pictured at the top of this post). Both are filled with gorgeous sacred artwork.

I need to wrap this up and head out the door... Lots of running around this afternoon. 

If you have a minute I would love to hear what you are reading this Lent! 

Bargain Priced Books :: Fiona's Lace and More

Right now there is a great deal on one of the books pictured in my last post! 

Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco

I purchased this beautiful hardcover book at a 25% discount a couple years ago, but right now it's only $6.99 (61% off!) and qualifies for free prime shipping over at Amazon.

I'm not sure how long the price will stay this low so don't wait to order a copy if you are interested in adding it to your collection too.

P.S. I hear that Bethlehem Books will be offering free shipping and 50% off all of their print titles this upcoming Thursday-Saturday March 9-11 too!  

Coupon code: spring17

Update: I just ordered Thunder Cake and Fiona's Luck too. Rechenka's Eggs (both hardcover and paperback), from our Easter book collection, is also 61% off right now. 

New Additions to Our March Book Basket

I have been trying to purchase a book cart for our home since last summer!  I found it for a great price, but then my order was cancelled due to it being out of stock... So were my next four attempts to order it from various online sellers. I decided to try one last time this past January from yet another online store that was having a sale at the beginning of the year. A few weeks later I finally received a shipping notification! However, after another 6 weeks, it was delivered different than pictured and damaged. It's still useable so they left it here while we wait for the replacement.

My little ones are loving the new book cart! The other day, after I set it up with some of our picture books for March, our youngest dragged his little chair from the other room and plopped it down right in front of all the books to start reading.  He is enjoying all the books, but one of his current favorites is Into the Sea, Out of the Tomb (reviewed here - highly recommend the first in the series too).

I have filled our book basket (and new book cart!) with books for March as well as a basket filled with some additional books for Lent. I do have some new additions to our family's collection to share with you today.

This first book is one I purchased from Amazon last year but haven't pulled out to share with the kids yet. It's making it's way into our book basket this month, just in time for the upcoming feast of St. Cuthbert on March 20th. 

The Ravens of Farne: A Tale of St. Cuthbert 

The seventh-century Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne is one of England's most beloved saints, honored also by the Eastern Church. Saint Cuthbert's adventurous, yet humble spirit is demonstrated in this delightful tale of his encounter with an unruly raven. The lyrical, humorous text and simple, charming illustrations of Ravens of Farne will appeal to readers of all ages.

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Patrick and the Fire: A Legend about Saint Patrick
(Published by Pauline Books and Media, January 2017) 

Bevan the goatherd longs for the annual festival bonfire celebrating the god of light. When a stranger named Patrick appears, Bevan learns about one God in three persons. Patrick frightens Bevan when he boldly lights a fire rivaling the kings. Soon the king realizes Patricks faith, like his fire, cannot be quenched, and Patrick preaches the Trinity to the people. Ages 5 to 8.

I just received a review copy of this book from Pauline Books and Media. I plan to give it to the kids on St. Patrick's Day along with a couple other little treats. I also have a copy of their other brand new release, Brigid and the Butter, that will most likely end up in an Easter basket this spring! 

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I mentioned this book last month and I'm sharing it again now.  This will be another new addition to our collection on St. Patrick's Day this year.  A coloring book version is also available. 

Paddy and the Wolves: A Story about Saint Patrick When He Was a Boy
(published by Peanut Butter & Grace, January 2017)

Just in time for Saint Patrick's Day! Young Paddy can't sit still during prayers at home, but he's more than happy
to help the Irish shepherd, Barra, watch sheep for the day!
But who will watch Paddy when he wanders into the woods? Paddy finds delights and dangers, and both deepen his understanding of the prayers of his people.

Paddy and the Wolves imagines Saint Patrick as a young boy, weaving a story that uses the saint's childhood adventures to foreshadow events in Saint Patrick's adult life. Award-winning contemporary Catholic folk artist
Jen Norton creates a lush panorama of Paddy's world,
filled with bears and bluebells, flashy fish and furry friends...and grace.

Paddy and the Wolves includes a bonus section with the Prayer of Saint Patrick, adapted for children, suggestions for celebrating Saint Patrick's Day at home (including an oatcake recipe), and also a biographical sketch.

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S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet (Discover the World) 

Small in size (less than 400 by 200 miles) the country of Ireland holds a big place in world and human history. And many from around the globe proudly lay claim to ancestral ties there. S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet gives readers a guided A-Z tour of this small island country whose influence extends far beyond its sea borders. Famous landmarks such as the Blarney Stone and Finn McCool's Giant Causeway speak to the land and history that shaped Ireland and its inhabitants. The prose and poetry of Eve Bunting, Irish native and children's book author, bring the magic and mystery, character and culture of the Emerald Isle to vivid life.

This was a book I received using one of my credits over at Paperback Swap. It is a great addition to our Discover the World and Discover America collections.

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My Path to Heaven • In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb • The Story of the Cross • The Three Trees
Into the Sea, Out of the Tomb • The Life of Saint Benedict • Song of the Swallows • A Child's Book of Celtic Prayers
Patrick, Saint of Ireland • Fiona's Lace • Tales from Old Ireland • Good Saint Joseph
Saint Ciaran, The Tale of a Saint of Ireland  • S is for Shamrock • Saint Patrick

Tallest Tree Stacking Blocks • Wooden Tree Puzzle Blocks
Saint Blocks (including Adam & Eve with Jesus & Mary on the back - tie in beautifully to The End of the Fiery Sword)
Rainbow Stacking Blocks • St. Patrick & St. Joseph from Catholic Folk Toys
St. Patrick from Naturally Catholic  • Eric Carle Color Blocks • Color by Design Pattern Blocks
A basket of lenten books for the older children too!

I'm still working on the list of books for this year's Easter Baskets, in addition to another basket of books to give away! In the meantime, you can find our complete list of books for the month of March here:

Feasts & Seasons :: Our March Book Basket

and Our Lent & Easter Book Baskets

The Stations or The Way of the Cross

"My dear Child: By the Stations we mean the sorrowful journey that Jesus made with the cross when He was on the way to the hill of Calvary to be crucified. You should love to make the Stations and you should do so often, especially during Lent. It is an easy way to show the good Jesus that you are thankful to Him for having suffered so much for you. It will please Him very much if you thus show your pity for Him and your love for Him..."  ~  Jesus, Make Me Worthy

 

We adore Thee, O Lord, Jesus Christ, and bless Thy Holy Name. 

Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
~ Jesus, Make Me Worthy

+The younger children took turns blowing out the candles after we prayed each Station+ 

(Stations of the Cross Grotto Craft Kit available from Catholic Child and Sacred Heart Books & Gifts) 

From the archives: 

Crafting our Stations of the Cross

Way of the Holy Cross

The Lenten Season In Our Catholic Home

Our Annual Lenten Calendar

Even with Lent starting later this year, it still snuck up on me! Earlier this week I finally got started creating this year's Lent Calendar using the documents I created and shared in the past. I also printed some additonal resources as well, including the 2017 Lent Calendar illustrated by Kimberlee's talented daughter. You can find all the details and links to my printable documents here:  

A Lenten Calendar for Catholic Children {revised} 

After creating various versions of this calendar every year since our oldest was a toddler, I finally decided to have it laminated (before adding any of the feasts that fall on different days each lent) so we can reuse it next year! I got up extra early Tuesday morning to create an Easter Calendar for the other side and dropped it off at Staples on our way to the orthodontist. It was ready by later that afternoon. I loved how it turned out! It will be so nice to just be able to pull it out to reuse next Lent. 

(I will try and upload my documents to share sometime soon. I still need to finalize the additional squares for the feasts that fall during the Easter season. It's coming together!)

Day 2: Covering another square with a purple cross as we count down the days until Easter! 

I hung the calendar on the side of one of our kitchen cabinets using these Adhesive Foam Circles. We used the larger circles to hang the calendar and are using one of the small circles to attach each of the purple crosses each day. 

They also picked out another can of food from the pantry to give to the needy.

I've explained this little lenten tradition of ours before in my original posts:

Toddlers don't always understand the concept of giving something up for Lent. Instead of having our youngest children give something up we have them focus on giving away. I stock the bottom shelves of the pantry with appropriate food items that can be donated, and everyday the little ones choose something to place in a box to be donated to a needy person or organization. I fit this extra food into our grocery budget by serving simple meals throughout lent, especially on Fridays.
Our youngest children aren't exactly toddlers anymore, and they choose things to give up for lent now, but we still love doing this each year. I was excited to see that the Knights of Columbus at our parish are asking for 40 Cans for Lent! It ties in perfectly and we will deliver our cans to them this year. I printed out an enlarged image of 40 Cans 40 Days to attach to the front of our box of donations.

After taking these pictures yesterday I realized that I still needed to add the moveable squares for the feasts of St. Patrick, St. Joseph (falls on Sunday so it's transferred to the 20th this year), and the Annunciation. I added squares for the upcoming Ember Days too.  (My document can be found here: Ember Days) You can read more about Ember Days over at Catholic Cuisine.

I hope your Lent is off to a blessed start! 

From the Archives: 

The Lenten Season in Our Catholic Home

Our Lent & Easter Book Baskets

100+ Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas 

Easter Symbols :: More Easter Basket Stuffers & Gift Ideas

LEGO Ideas :: Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein is a 19th-century Bavarian palace on a rugged hill near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner, the King's inspiring muse. Although public photography of the interior is not permitted, it is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. Every year 1.3 million people (6,000 per day in the summer!) visit "the castle of the fairy-tale king".

A few weeks ago, inspired by his previous Metal Earth Neuschwanstein Castle (available here) and his sister's 3D Puzzle of this Fairytale Castle (available here), Ranger decided to try and create a micro LEGO version of Neuschwanstein Castle using LEGO from his collection. He amazes me!

He hasn't posted it over at LEGO Ideas yet, but plans to soon.  (You can find his profile here, and vote on his current projects, although it will require you to create a free account and/or log in.) 

 

Here are the links to some of his past original LEGO creations including: 

LEGO Cathedral Phase 1 and Phase 2

The Easter Story {LEGO Edition}

We Have A Pope! :: Lego Edition

A LEGO Perplexus

LEGO Ideas: Ancient History Inspired Mini City

LEGO Ideas: Dutch Bros. Coffee Drive-Thru

Pro-Life Prints :: Praying for Others

Pro-Life Prints is a brilliant addition to the Culture of Life Studies Program. It has been a fun and engaging hands-on way to teach our little ones more about the dignity of every human life!

We worked through the four lessons the last week of January (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3) following the presidential inauguration and leading up to this year's annual March for Life, but our youngest ended up coming down with a virus on Day 4 so we finished the final lesson in shifts. It was the first thing he wanted to do as soon as he was feeling better again the following Monday, but it's taken me nearly a month to get back to sharing the photos with you all!

This fourth and final lesson focused on Praying for Others. We talked about the importance of praying for friends, family, and even strangers. The lesson also included a special tip to help us remember everyone for whom we need to pray, including ourselves.

.: Pray for the World :.

The whole world needs our prayers. 

"Yet, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You are the Potter: we are all the work of Your hand." - Isaiah 64:7

My Life with God by Father Lovasik

.: Praying for Others :.

Use your finger to remember who to pray for. 

I loved the explanations used in the lesson! In summary, the thumb is for family and those closest to you, the index finger is for teachers and all those who instruct you, the middle/tallest finger is for all those in authority, the ring finger (which is the weakest finger) is for unborn babies and all of the weakest members of our society, and finally the pinkie is a reminder to pray for ourselves last. After praying for all the others we will be better able to pray for ourselves and ask God for what we truly need.

"Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." - James 5:16

Manner's in God's House: First Prayers and First Missal

.: Cover Page :.

.: Additional Picture Books :.

I pulled out some picture books from our collection to incorporate into the lesson: 

• Manner's in God's House: First Prayers and First Missal
• Favorite Prayers for Catholic Children
• Prayer for a Child
• Prayers for a Small Child
• Prayers for Children
• My Little Golden Book About God

Prayers for Everyday by Father Lovasik

And from our collection of Father Lovasik books:

• Prayers for Everyday
• My Life with God
• Pray Always
• My First Prayer Book

My Family from Naturally Catholic • Favorite Prayers for Catholic Children

Culture of Life Studies is offering 25% off Pro-Life Prints for Shower of Roses visitors with coupon code: ROSES25

(offer valid until Ash Wednesday - March 1, 2017)