Brick Building Challenges

 

A long while ago my children were in an email group that had daily brick building challenges, and it was an easy way to get their imagination gears working beyond the typical house and car they'd build. I cannot recall who shared the ideas, but I kept a list and added a few of my own. Recently I made a set of cards to set out for my children, one a week, for them to try this year. Because most of the ideas are not my own, I'd like to share them free for you to print and do with your family.

>>CLICK HERE FOR BRICK BUILDING CHALLENGE CARDS<<

**If you're interested in us creating a Catholic Brick Challenge set, please comment below! 

If you'd like to share images of your creations, you can send them to homegrowncatholic@gmail.com or visit me on Facebook

Holy Housekeeping

Housekeeping: Taking Care of Our Domestic Church

with Deep Clean Dollars & Weekly Chore Cards

As part of teaching the value of quality, hard work and how to save-spend-share, I'm hiring our children for Deep Clean services this summer. They want to earn money, and I need the help. What would you be willing to pay? What tasks would you include? Hopefully the pay is just enough to be an incentive and fair, but reasonably within budget. No limit to how many they claim.

>CLICK HERE< for the Digital PDF File 

with 28 Chores and blank cards, 

an Inspirational Poster, and Chore Charts

**Read to the end for a freebie! I'm still putting this chore system to the test. I did find a nice card holder at Target yesterday that fits them to our needs. I'd love to hear back how you implement and like these chore cards.

Overall the house is finally getting many things Deep Cleaned, and the children like the Chore System. Happier helpers when they choose the chore vs assigning it. My 13 year old was by far the most ambitious. I actually had to set a limit for him, so everyone had a chance and he actually could get it done. The chores also are rotated so everyone has a chance to try something, and no one person is stuck with diaper duty or dishes every week.

The chores range from easy for a young child to challenging for a teenager. These are things that are done less often, and most parents would appreciate the help. There are also a few Weekly Chore Cards if you wanted to add those. 

By assigning a *dollar award, the children will not only be incentivized but each chore will be expected to be completed and done to the best of their ability. Expect the first time to include “Training on the Job.” (*Cards DO NOT have dollar/reward amounts on them. You will fill that in yourself.)

They may also be taught the process of hiring and training, as well as how to Spend, Save and Share. I did reiterate to them that if they only do half the job, they only get half the pay. So as they learn to do more of it themselves, they earn more. 

Our hope is that it will encourage good work ethic for the child, growing in responsibility, and learning new skills. Also there are lessons in patience and healthy expectations of the parents. Overall, the attitude we have should be growing in the desire to serve others with a heart of joy and love for one another. 

As Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Wash the plate not because it is dirty, nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.” (Bonus Quote Poster Included) 

>CLICK HERE< for the Digital PDF File 

with 28 Chores and blank cards, 

an Inspirational Poster, and Chore Charts

The entire set of Weekly Chore and Deep Clean Cards are available in my Etsy shop, but I wanted to offer you a FREE set of the Weekly Chore Cards below to see how you like it.

If you're looking for a simple place to write out your chores for the week, you can print out this form and visit my post about Planning Our Home Life for a few more versions. Keep in touch with how it worked for you in the comments! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see me change, update or create too.

What are some other things I've found helpful in managing a large family household?  Check the side bar topics for all my thoughts.  Visit my new Amazon Recommendation Shop for things we have in our home and enjoy like kitchen items, books, and favorite movies! 

 https://www.amazon.com/shop/homegrowncatholics

May God bless all your endeavors!

*Mary and Martha, pray for us!*

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1275122993/housekeeping-chore-cards

Nurturing Relationships in Hospitality and Prayer

 

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Heb 10:23-24, RSV). 

It is on my heart to share with you why, in a time of being told to distance ourselves, we should nurture our relationships with prayer and hospitality. I’d like to first touch on what our faith has to say about these things. Secondly, I’d like to share with you a wonderful way to put this into action: The Holy Family Prayer Cenacle. A prayer group with leader guide and prayer guides to make it easy to begin.

{LINK TO A PRINTABLE FILE - HOLY FAMILY CENACLE GUIDE}

ABOUT PRAYER & RELATIONSHIPS

“I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.” - Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta

Jesus came to teach us a great many things, including how to pray in love, in manner and in intentions.

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:7-15 

The Our Father has been a treasured and most perfect prayer for all Christians. It’s more than a prayer to recite, but also a guide to the order of all prayer. It begins with praise and thanksgiving. It expresses hope in the eternal, and trusting in God each day. It encourages us to show mercy and seek forgiveness. It seeks protection from sinful temptations. Do you notice, it doesn’t include petitions, because they are fulfilled through a trust in God and protection from sin. The verse before states that God the Father already knows our needs before we ask them. Shortly after this verse he reiterates our need to trust and be free of anxieties.

^“Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Matthew 6:26-34

“Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” ~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

This is not to say that prayers of petition and requests for intercession are unnecessary. It’s the next part of the conversation, which we have as we form a relationship with God, and the communion of saints. Would you go to a stranger and tell them all your problems and desires? First you get to know each other. Do you know much about God? Have you been still and listened to him (Ps 46:10)? This relationship with God grows to be valued above all others, all things, all wants, all worries. Someone to lean on, but that He can turn back to rely on you. We let Him love us and we return that love.  It is a most precious friendship.

“For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.” ~ Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta

When in friendship with Jesus, we learn to express our love and fidelity in a variety of ways.  There are different expressions of prayer:  thanksgiving, offering, contemplative, intercessory, petition, recitation, praise, adoration, and even in the stillness of our hearts our prayer continues. The Rosary is a combination of prayers and reflections that engage us in several expressions of prayer.

"A similar need for commitment and prayer arises in relation to another critical contemporary issue: the family, the primary cell of society, increasingly menaced by forces of disintegration on both the ideological and practical planes, so as to make us fear for the future of this fundamental and indispensable institution and, with it, for the future of society as a whole. The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age." St. Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae 6

Marian Activities for the Family

There are many Marian feasts throughout the year, but I find that the month of May is a time when we focus particularly on crafts and activities to honor Our Lady Mary. I listed as many as I could recall on this post below, and plan to add to this post frequently. I hope you'll share a comment of your personal favorites, and anything that peaked your interest on my list. Bookmark and Pin this one!

ALL MARIAN ACTIVITIES TO PRINT: CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF FILE

MARIAN CONSECRATION

While the Blessed Mother Mary has been a huge part of my entire life, growing up in a very Marian family, it wasn't until I was 40 that I read "33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-it Yourself Retreat" and made an official Consecration to Mary. I highly recommend that book for teens and adults. Afterwards, I really wanted to do the same for my children and found two wonderful books for it. I am reading one to my 0-7 year olds, and the other to my 8-18 year olds. Then we will have a special consecration day utilizing many of our past Marian activities posted on this blog. 

"Consecration to Mary for Little Ones" by Kimberly Fries 

This book is perfect for toddlers and young children. Simple daily reading and prayer. Beautiful artwork.

"Marian Consecration for Children" by Carrie Gress 

This book is perfect for children and teens. It integrates lessons from popular children's stories and our whole family really enjoyed the lessons, conversation starter questions, Did You Know section, and prayers. 

MARY'S LITTLE FLOWERS TEA PARTY

Our girls enjoyed a year of Little Flowers club, and it ended with the most beautiful tea party. I think this is a must for anyone with a young girl, but I know my boys would appreciate it also. We played games, drank tea, had a delicious luncheon and prayed together. We have done this on a few occasions with friends, dressing up and putting out all the linens, vases and tea cups. 

We've also simplified it at home for afternoon read aloud time.

This is a perfect time to pick out a short story to read, or perhaps your Marian Consecration reading. The book pictured is "The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories" by William Bennett.

 This is a classic shower game, where one is blindfolded and must find as many safety pins in the rice as they can. The person who finds the most in a minute wins. 

 My daughter and I created this Tea Bag hide and seek game. There are two identical sets of pretend tea bags (brown paper stuffed with a cotton ball and labeled with a kind of tea). You could of course use real tea bags. Two groups are formed and they get a page protector with instructions and a dry erase pen. Tea bags are hidden, and the groups find one of each tea and check it off their list. If they find the double, they must put it back quietly. First to find them all, wins.

*I apologize, I did not save where I got these images from.  I will gladly credit as soon as I know.

Find this and all Marian printables in the PDF linked at the top of the post.

MARY'S LITTLE CROWNS CLASS

My popular blog: Mary's Little Crowns Class includes printables to make a paper Mary Statue, Mother Thrice Admirable rosary to color, Offering Basket, and Marian Princess Crowns. It comes complete with a script and prayer card to print and use for a class.

Click on this image to go to the complete lesson plan for a 

Schoenstatt Mary's Little Crowns lesson plan.

MARIAN CRAFTING

Mary Statue 

Print on 65lb cardstock. Color, cut and staple. Add sticker stars for extra flair.

Find this and all Marian printables in the PDF linked at the top of the post.

Cut dotted lines and slide the cut areas together, or staple or glue.

  

Find this and all Marian printables in the PDF linked at the top of the post.

 Peg Doll Mary

There are so many appearances of Mary around the world, so I suggest you try painting your favorite Mary on a wooden peg doll, or create a whole set. This version I thought was the simplest style that even little girls could do.

Repair a Statue

Have you ever rescued a saint statue from the thrift store? This statue was given to me by my Great Aunt Lolly. It was faded and chipped, so I gave it new life with acrylic paint and several coats of clear spray paint. It's still a favorite in my home.

Sew a Veil or Mantle for your Mary statue.

We haven't done this project yet, but found the idea in "Sewing with St. Anne" by Alice Cantrell

Embroidery (Saint Anne & Mary)

 The Name of Mary (Paper Mosaic)

Our children enjoyed creating this Ave Maria art, using construction paper scraps. It was a great cutting skills project, discussion about color families, Mary's names, crowns and more.

Decorative Kneeler

 Garden Knee Pad w/ Puffy Paint

Mary's Little Crown

Make crowns for girls with a birthday party pack of tiaras and Marian stickers.

Rosary Hangers

These were a fun project. We began with the children carrying their bare cross during Holy Week. Then in Easter, we decoupaged them with tissue paper and added a small hook.

Make a Beaded Rosary

 

Some of these were made with pipe-cleaner craft sticks and pony beads. They can be a little poky over time, but it made for a quick craft. For something long-lasting, I recommend learning how to do a knotted rope rosary. It's more involved, but the children can gain dexterity from beading.

Q is for Queen of the Universe

This is a blue construction paper cut as a "Q" and a child's footprint in white paint. Then her crown of stars is yellow finger prints. Of course, it is not complete without googly eyes.

Marian Door Hanging

We used a foam door hanger, a printed image of Mary, sticker stars, hot glued on silk flowers, and labeled with the letter "V" for Virgin Mary.

Holy Family Hearts, stained glass windows

My daughter and I taped off our windows with painters tape in the outlines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (with Divine Mercy rays), Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. The final image is the USA. We painted using tempura paints mixed 1:1 with dish soap.  We used wide brushes in swirls and swipes, and the clouds we used a natural sponge. It's been up for weeks and it's been a real joy to walk past anytime of day. 

PRINTABLE PRAYERS

Memorare Prayer

Find this and all Marian printables in the PDF linked at the top of the post.

Morning Offering

 

This and more printable daily prayers found at my post "Commitment to Daily Prayer"

Print this rosary to color, or put on candies to eat, as they follow.

Find this and all Marian printables in the PDF linked at the top of the post.

A Holy Rosary Guide

 

This guide and more on my post "Praying the Rosary"

Hail Holy Queen

Find this and all Marian printables in the PDF linked at the top of the post.

MARIAN GARDENS

 Read about gardening, especially Mary Gardens at this link. In our garden, Mary is surrounded by these perennials and more. This picture is from 2015 at it's peak bloom.

There is a website about Mary Gardens called: Mary Garden of Virginal Consecration, complete with poems and drawings that I think would be a great children's project. It is very through and perfect if you want specific names of plants and their Marian association.

"Snow Angel" Coral Bells,

Pansies or "Our Lady's Delight,"

"Mary's Mantle" [Alchemilla vulgaris]

Bleeding Hearts or "Sacred Heart of Mary."

May Day Baskets

May is the month of Mary, so May Day is a wonderful tradition to share about her with your friends. One year we made single potted flowers in decorated cups. They are also a good Mother's Day gift.

Painted Mary Garden

While we made this floral ring for a candle, it would be a perfect fit around a Mary statue. The base is a round cardboard from a frozen pizza, painted green. The flowers are paper egg cartons cut up, painted and hot glued in place. My daughters created this all on their own as a gift. It still amazes me how beautiful it turned out.

Mary Floral Crown

Chenille Craft Stick (Pipecleaner)

Floral wreath, crown or bracelet

This is an easy to make floral bracelet that you could make large enough to fit at the base of your indoor Mary Statue, or smaller for a crown. We used a stretchy cord for a comfortable fit. Perhaps add a Miraculous Medal to it.

Magnatile Marian Grotto

Another fun idea for those indoor Mary statues. Don't forget a snow grotto for the outdoor statue this winter!

MARIAN TREATS

Edible Marian Grotto

 

A marshmallow and krispy rice grotto is a fun snack project for toddlers! We used the multicolored rice cereal and toddler star puff snacks.

Cupcake Rosary (or Cookies)

MARIAN MEDALS & SCAPULARS
Each member of my family wears a Scapular and Miraculous Medal, or a 4-way Cross Medal. We wear them as a holy shield, a sacramental that reminds us of our consecration to Mary and her protection over her children.

Embroidery (Homemade Scapular)

While I've seen these sold on Etsy, I really enjoyed making it myself for my son's 1st Holy Communion. I stitched onto brown wool the white felt background and some felt hearts, then embroidered the symbols, flames and flowers to create the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. A labor of love.

VEILING

Wearing our veils, we feel a little more like humble and holy Mary. Veiling at Mass and in Adoration has been increasing in our diocese and parish. All ages have interest, but I am seeing a beautiful trend in teenagers embracing the tradition. We are doing what we can to encourage it. This is me and one of my three daughters. After we began veiling, my sons asked what they could do, which inspired them to make an effort to dress up for Mass every time. There are days that little girls aren't fond of the long veil, so I did buy wide lace headbands to switch out and spare a scene in the pew.

I asked God what's something simple I could do to honor His True Presence... and He asked me to donate veils to our church. A friend and I pitched in, and have donated about 65 inexpensive veils found on eBay. I also included hair clips that have helped hold them in place very well. We also put out the information cards about veiling from Veils by Lily.

 

*I shared this with message with my church Mom's Group: For any lady, young or older, who has been thinking of veiling but unsure where to start or not ready to invest in the $30+ veils. Bonus hair-clip gets sewn in spot you need it to be, holds in place really nice. FREE as a gift.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

"Praying the Rosary Like Never Before" by Edward Sri

"33 Days to Morning Glory" by Fr Michael Gaitley

"The Seven Sorrows of Mary: A Meditative Guide"

"Consecration to Mary for Little Ones" by Kimberly Fries 

"Marian Consecration for Children" by Carrie Gress 

PREVIOUSLY POSTED
Celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe with ideas from my OLG Post
Celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception with these ideas or more on my SIC Post

*DISCLAIMER: This blog contains affiliated links to products I recommend. This creates a small fund towards my efforts of offering all these free activity posts. It costs my readers nothing. If you decide to purchase anything I have recommended, I hope you'll use the links. I also have a few items for sale on my Homegrown Catholics Etsy shop. Thank you for your patronage.