Make a Super Simple Advent Wreath

How has your second week of Advent been?

If I am being honest, it has been a hard week in many ways here. Yet amidst the challenges, there have been blessings, and I am grateful for all the ways that light shines in the darkness. 

The light of Christ has been seen working in and through others, the hope and strength of the Eucharist has been found at daily Mass, and literal light has shined when my children and I have made time to sit around our Advent wreath to pray and read.

I have yet to snap a photo of those times this year, but I did take some snapshots of the making of our wreath, which I thought I would share here in case you'd like ideas for an easy way to put together an Advent wreath.

Gather Supplies

Typically, I have our Advent wreath ready to go before Advent or on the first day of Advent, but this year, I was definitely behind, only had our Advent Chain and Christmas Novena card ready as Advent began, and so spent time on the second day of Advent getting our wreath ready.

First, I stopped at a local Dollar Tree for a gold charger plate, some ribbon, and some florist foam.

After that, I stopped into our church offices to purchase some Advent candles. (If they were out of these, I would have just picked up white candles at Dollar Tree and put purple ribbons on three and a pink on on another.)

Then, later in the day - okay, maybe as darkness began to fall - the kids and I went for a walk to gather greenery.

Make a Walk in the Woods an Advent Wreath Tradition

Some years ago, we started a tradition of walking in the woods on or before the first day of Advent to find a branch to hang our Jesse tree ornaments on. Last year, that walk morphed into one for finding Advent wreath greens, too.

We are blessed to have holly trees along many local trails. We also collect any sort of evergreen we think might last throughout Advent in our wreath.

Assemble the Wreath

Because I was not been able to find a circular floral foam when I stopped by Dollar Tree, I went with two blocks of foam, one of which my kids and I opted to cut to make a cross shape, which we thought was apropos as it reminded us of the cross Jesus died for us on, linking the Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter seasons for us.

Then, we put the candles into the cross and surrounded them with greenery, popped a few ribbons in, and, as a result, ended up with a more circular Advent wreath.

We were delighted with how it came out - simple, traditional, and ready for us to pray a blessing and use as we prepare our hearts and home for the coming of Christ this Advent season.

Pre-Made Advent Wreaths Can Work, Too

Of course, if you're not up for a walk in the woods and making your own Advent wreath, you can always purchase a pre-made, reusable one.

For years, our family went that route.

Some years we used a reusable wreath with regular Advent candles...

 ... and some years we popped in roll-your-own beeswax ones.

In fact, it was only a few years ago that we decided to start pairing a family walk at the start of Advent with making an annual fresh-cut greenery wreath.

Any which way we've done our Advent wreath, we find that every year the light of the candles on our Advent wreath captures and focuses us especially when we've made regular time to gather, pray, and read by our Advent wreath.

No matter how your Advent has been going, I encourage you to put together a wreath of some kind to help you and yours wait in joyful anticipation while giving thanks for and recognizing the light of Christ in this world.

I'd love to see a photo of your Advent wreath this year. Feel free to post one on our Facebook page.

May your Advent continue with hope and peace as you embrace moments that shine!

Count Down to Christmas with a Works of Mercy Chain

Happy New (Liturgical) Year!

If life has thrown you some unexpected curve balls lately and you feel as unprepared for Advent this year as I do, perhaps the simple freebie I am offering today can help.

Let Our 2023 Advent Chain Help Your Family Live the Works of Mercy This Advent

We just took the first link down from our annual Advent chain tonight, so I thought I would share the Advent Chain printable we made for it here in case you're looking for some quick inspiration for an easy way to count down to Christmas while keeping your family's hearts focused on sharing Christ's love through Works of Mercy.

To use the printable as we do, just print the document out. Then, color or paint all of the backsides of the strips violet, except for the final one that says "Celebrate! Christ has come!" which is the Christmas strip and left white. (Alternately, print on purple paper.)

After that, cut the pages into strips and use tape or staples to make a looped paper chain. 

Hang the chain up and - viola! - you and yours are ready to count down to Christmas while focusing on the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Alternatively, you could browse the document for ideas for making a count-down chain tailored to your family or put the strips out with a Giving Manger  (which I reviewed previously) or homemade Sacrifice Manger (like the one pictured in 6 Things to Do Before Christmas).

Know You're Not Alone If You're Just Starting to get Ready for Advent Even If Advent Has Already Begun

And if you don't have an Advent Wreath set out next to Advent reading, Jesse Ornaments ready to go, or any of your personal Advent traditions rolling out yet, take heart! You are not alone.

Until tonight, the only thing we had out was a St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer Rebus Bookmark that we made years ago and just happened to find yesterday when cleaning, and currently, besides the addition of our annual Advent Chain, that remains true.

For you see, last week that old saying that life is what happens when you're making other plans became a reality here again.

A week ago today, I had plans to be well-prepared for Advent by last night. As a part of my plans, since family has been making paper Advent chains in order to count down to Christmas for years now, I had asked my youngest child to start listing Works of Mercy ideas that he would like us to include in our 2023 chain in his binder so that we might make them into a chain later in the week.

Then, the week happened and with it came a major car repair, a printer issue, a plumbing issue, an urgent care visit, an internet outage, another car repair, a roof replacement, and more.

Yes. All of this. In one week. 

So, before I knew it, Advent was upon us, and, instead of being prepared and starting Advent with morning Mass and traditions, my husband and I decided to celebrate the onset of Advent by giving everyone in our household the gift of waking up naturally and going to a noon Mass.

On the way to and from Mass, we prayed the Rosary, and - having been prompted by the aforementioned Christmas Novena bookmark that reappeared yesterday - we caught up on our Novena, too.

Then, the first day of Advent unfolded for us, without many of our New (Liturgical) Year except for praying the Christmas Novena and getting our simple Advent Chain ready.

And that's okay. Totally okay. 

Christ did not come to us in the manger because we were perfect. He does not come to us in the Eucharist because we are perfect. And He won't be coming to us again because of our earthly perfection.

In fact, Christ comes to us in our mess and our brokenness. He meets where we are at. He loves us. He gives us so much grace and mercy and asks us simply to love Him and let Him save us.

That's incredible. That's what this season is about: waiting in joyful anticipation for Christ's coming. 

The only thing we really need to journey well through Advent is a heart, mind, and soul turned toward Christ, awaiting Him.  

I'd love to hear how you're doing this Advent. If you have prayer intentions you would like others and me to pray for, please feel free to leave them in a comment. If you want to share some of your own family's traditions for journeying through Advent, feel free to share that, too. 

May God bless you with a joyful Advent.

3 Family Favorite Dramatized Audiobooks for the Season

 Happy final week of Advent!

Truth be told, my family and I  "failed" much of the third week of Advent as far as many of our day-to-day traditions go, and - since we were out so much - we did more listening to stories in our minivan than we did reading together by our Advent Wreath and Jesse Tree.

So, today, I thought I would share which CD's we had the in the minivan to help us revisit seasonal stories that have become nostalgic to us. Perhaps you and yours might enjoy these audio stories, too. 

{Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and Music Maestro affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.}

Your Story Hour Christmas Stories

This set contains 14 30-minute dramatized audio stories, including classics like The Gift of the Magi, Biblical stories like Mary from Nazareth, and stories for forgiveness like A Sheaf of Grain. You can get a taste for what Your Story Hour radio dramas sound like on their website where there are a few free stories available.

Maestro Classic's The Nutcracker

We've been listening to this Maestro Classics CD since we reviewed it back in 2015. It's a wonderful version of the Nutcracker!

The Familyman's Christmas Treasury

Sadly, computer issues made us lose our digital downloads to the Familyman's Christmas Treasury set, which we reviewed back in 2016, but we still have our one CD from the set, The Stranger. which hits us differently every year when we listen to it pending what's going on in our lives.

During the week, we also managed a few picture books from the list we shared before and, blessedly, had a fruitful week overall with service and some extra special celebrations, which included:

...the gift of family, friends, and fun at Great Wolf Lodge...

...someone getting his permit...

...enjoying the lights, the crisp night air, and fun with friends at Edaville...

...and our youngest making dinner for Daddy and the rest of the family.

I pray that your Advent has been fruitful and fun, and would love to hear the titles of your family's favorite seasonal audio stories and books.

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Find book and audio selections for all four weeks of Advent by clicking throgh each image below

Favorite Read Alouds for the Final Week of Advent

Happy Guadete Sunday! Rejoice!

As we enter into the third week of Advent, I pray that you have been having a beautiful season preparing your heart and home for the coming of Christ.

If you'd like to get right to my 4th week of Advent picks scroll on down the post, and you'll quikcly find them.

If you'd like to hear and see how our our second week went, keep reading here.

Our second week of Advent has been full, full, full. Betwixt Masses, confession, prayers, lessons, chores, and whatnot, we also enjoyed a visit from St. Nicholas...

Putting together a basket for delivery men as per one of our Advent Chain links...

Making up a small neighborhood St. Nicholas Basket...

Then, dashing to and from a neighbor's door to leave it as a surprise...

Praying and having simple eats (honeyed pasta)with St. Ambrose...

Gathering with friends to make Blessing Bags...

Celebrating our eldest's birthday...

Picking out and wrapping gifts for the needy...

Getting silly with St. Nicholas at a friend's party...

And more!

With all that, happening, we've,admittedly, been a bit hit and miss with some of our Advent traditions. However, more days than not, we enjoyed reading with our Works of Mercy Wisemen, pulling links from our Advent Chain, sharing in Tabitha's adventures in this year's Ytreetide book, praying our St. Andrew Novena, and hanging Jesse Tree ornaments. And, when we missed days, we just caught up the next time we could.

So, Advent is unfolding here with prayer, penance, preparation, and - uh - too little quiet time, perhaps.

So as we head into the third week of Advent and look forward to the fourth, I'm going to be a realist: the calendar is looking pretty full and library book stops just won't be happening. Thus, for our read togethers, old favorites that we already have in the house it is!  These will bring ease, nostalgia, and inspiration to keep on readying hearts and home for Christ.

Perhaps some of our old favorites will become new ones of yours - or remind you of books you enjoyed when you were younger, too, (because, yes, some of them I've had since before I got married.)

{Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.}

December 18

4th Sunday of Advent 

I Can't Wait Until Christmas

Do you remember how you loved this book when you were little? And do you remember how hard it was to wait for Christmas to come? It's a bit easier now that you're older, but, still there is joyful  anticipation. As you count down the last days until Christmas, is there some kindness you've been meaning to extend to another, some gift of time, talent, or treasure you've been wanting to offer? Now is the time to act!

December 19

The Puppy who Wanted a Boy

Oh, how one of you wants a puppy! And, oh, how all of you have always loved this book. We still cannot get a puppy of our own, but we can pass forward older linens to the shelter in town. Collect some up and head on over!

December 20

Polly's Christmas Present

(Another old favorite!) Sometimes we don't get aroun to making or doing what we meant to do, but then an idea comes along that is even better. Today, think about a Work of Mercy or act of kindness you meant to act upon this Advent but have not. Is there something else you might do for the person you meant to bless that would bring even greater joy? 

December 21

What Can I Give Him?

Sometimes we do not think we have much to give... yet we always do! Who can you give your hear to today and how?

December 22

Christmas in the Trenches

Is there anyone you have been bickering with or need to make amends to? Or, is there just someone you think could use a break from a difficult situation - who you could bring a little joy to? What can you do today to bring peace, encouragement, and joy to another?

December 23

The Christmas Tree that Grew

What a beautiful thing community is. Who in our community could use some compnay? Some time? A gift of service?

December 24

The Night Before Christmas

 

and

Santa's Toy Shop
 

and

The Christmas Story

Santa comes tonight, sharing the Spirit of Love at Christmas and helping us remember the great gift of Christ's love for us. How well have we prepared our heart and home for Christ's coming? Is there anything more we can od before we sleep to ready ours elves for the coming of Christ?

May you be conclude your Advent journey with wonderfully blessed days of doing little penances, praying with zeal, and living with joyful anticipation!

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Find book and audio selections for all four weeks of Advent by clicking throgh each image below

I'd love to hear what seasonal picture books and Advent tradtions, customs, and activities you've been enjoying.