Christmas Eve greetings, dear readers! Our Christmas cards shipped out on the 21st, which might be a personal best. So, if you get a card from us . . . you might already have it! But if not, and for all of you out there on the interwebs, here’s a virtual update on...
It’s Not a Meat Friday but It Is Black Friday and Advent Is on Sale Here at CAY!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are on a family vacation in a cabin at Lake Arrowhead, CA and it's been so fun. Also very cold and windy, but you can't beat a hot drink and a cozy fire after a chilly adventure! Note: Jack made it in time for...
A Catholic Small Business Christmas Gift Guide by Catholic All Year
I am a generally last minute person, but the one thing I try to get done ahead of time each year is Christmas shopping. Getting the shopping out of the way before Advent means I can concentrate on devotions and crafts and baking and family activities during Advent...
Seven Catholic Advent Traditions, and which ones will work for your family
Advent is coming! What to do, what NOT to do . . . these are the questions. I think I can help. Here are my seven favorite Catholic Advent traditions with pros and cons of each to help you decide which ones will work for your family and personal circumstances this...
20 Easy Saint Costumes Made of T-Shirts!
Hey guys! If you’ve been following me for any time at all, you know I like to go all out for All Saints’ Day. But just to prove that's not required, today we’ll be making twenty simple saint costumes . . . out of t-shirts! For many years, creating awesome costumes...
Hallowtide to Advent at Catholic All Year: a Giveaway, an Announcement, and Liturgical Living Resources to Help!
The month of November fast approaches, and that means liturgical living is about to crank into high gear. We've got All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and the Holy Souls all month long . . . then the SO MANY (too many?) beautiful devotional opportunities of Advent....
An At Home Blessing of Animals for the Feast of Saint Francis
Hey guys! So much fun stuff is in the works around here. We are adding a whole new dimension to Catholic All Year memberships. Different levels include: a colorful daily medallion calendar featuring fun feast day symbols, saint and feast day summaries, five posters...
The Seven Sorrows of Mary: an activity for children
Hey all! It's September, the month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is coming up on September 15. And while "The Seven Sorrows" might not sound like a lot of fun . . . I'm here to try to convince you that it's a devotion worth...
Making a Rosary with No Special Tools and Almost No Knots (because knots are hard)
The Month of the Holy Rosary is coming up in October. I've written before here on the blog about saying the rosary (and made a video about it), so today I figure you're already convinced about saying it, and maybe you'd like to make one yourself! Below you'll find...
St. Nicholas Catholic Book Stack
Hey, you ever announce you're going to start blogging again and then behind the scenes stuff goes sideways and then your dad has a stroke and you spend the beginning of Advent dealing with hospitals for the second year in a row, but this time it's 2020 so you can't...
The Holy Cross: A Guide to Exalting and Sorrowing in September
September is traditionally a more somber month, liturgical calendar-wise. The month is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. On September 14 and 15 we observe the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The fall Ember Days are...
How to do Santa Without Lying to Your Kids
This is the time of year I start getting emails and Facebook messages from parents who are trying to decide how to handle the cultural traditions surrounding Christmas, and how to balance them with their Catholic faith. There is genuinely a lot of worry that they'll...
A Little Feast of the Immaculate Conception and a Little About Feasts
Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is a Holy day of Obligation. Yes, even though it's a Monday. Go ahead, run to Mass. We can do this when you get back. Okay, back? Obligation fulfilled? Your reward is this free printable: also, this one:...