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We have so much stuff.  It’s incredible.  Less than a year ago I seriously purged before a big cross country move, and yet here we are, in a house full of stuff, once again.  Some days it feels like all I do is manage the stuff.  Are you with me?

So, the very last thing I want to do this Christmas is get my kids more STUFF.  Yuck.  My husband, in all his wisdom, suggested long ago that each of our children get 3 gifts on Christmas because, as he put, “If 3 gifts were enough for Jesus, 3 gifts are enough for our kids.”  So True. Each year we give our kids one big gift and two smaller gifts.  These smaller gifts fall into the category of “stocking stuffers” for me, even though they likely won’t end up in the stocking, or are too big for a stocking.  Since it is Christmas, you know, Jesus’ birth, we are sticking with faith-filled smaller gifts for our kids this year.  And, because I love all of you and all of these item–I thought I’d share the gifts we are getting, as well as a few gems from previous years with you!

1. The Glory Stories from Holy Heroes.

We are WAY into audio books around here. Many days, audio books are they only way I survive.  So, I was thrilled when I found these Glory Stories from Holy Heroes.  They are incredible and my kids love them.  Many of them pair with coloring books.  And, I really enjoy listening to them myself–and even learn a lot too.  I plan on investing in the whole set soon.

2. CCC Animated Saint Movies

Here is something I grew up with!  I watched these CCC Saint movies as a girl and loved them.  We don’t watch much TV at home…but we do have screens in our car and I’m excited to put these on for the kids instead of Disney.

3. Super Saints Playing Cards from Equipping Catholic Families

Don’t you just love cool Catholic things?  The kids are really into games and playing cards and I think we are going to have a lot of fun with these beautiful playing cards from Equipping Catholic Families.  I ordered mine just today.

4. Saint Books from Magnificat

The Magnificat offers some beautiful illustrated saint books.  We gave these books to our kids last year and read them often.  A great investment for any Catholic Family.

5. Catholic Onesie

And here is something crazy cute for your baby.  A miraculous medal onesie.  I mean, seriously?  I can’t express how much I love this (and this sweet little chubby baby of mine!)  The shop linked above also has a ton of other adorable super Catholic onesies, if you want to stock up.

6. Lego Rosary

I have already ordered a Lego Rosary for each of our boys and my Godson because, duh.  They are so cool, aren’t they?  Why am I just hearing about these now?  I can not wait for the boys to get them.  They come in loads of colors.  Get them from THIS SHOP on etsy.

7. Rosary Quiet Book

I have already made and given my children a Rosary Quiet Book, but I continue to see how much my kids love the rosary because of the quiet books.  The pattern is only $6, but this is a pretty work-intensive project.  BUT, if you are up for it you might just have enough time to make it for Christmas.

8. Saints in Cross Stitch, Book or Made Projects

And finally, the Catholic Saints in Cross Stitch.  I know, I know.  I have been talking and talking about these patterns and this book.  I just wanted to wrap up this list with my current project.  Right now I am stitching up each of my Godchildren and children’s patron saints on 18 ct. cloth.  I plan on using these stitched saints to make a little rosary pouch for each of them.  And that pouch, along with a cute little rosary, will be their Christmas gift from me.

I know that a rosary case and rosary might not get the screams of delight from my Godchildren that some toy might, but I really pray that by giving them a personalized sacramental they will hold onto it and treasure it and (hopefully) USE it.  I can’t tell you how many rosaries I have owned and lost.  But there is one, which my beloved Grandma Anne gave me on my confirmation, that I use and cherish even to this day.  Maybe these rosaries will be lost immediately.  But I’m hoping with every little stitch I make that they have some sort of an impact on the souls of my wonderful Godchildren.

And there you have it!  Please, if you have other ideas for Stocking Stuffers perfect for Catholic Families, leave them in the comments and I will work to add them to the post.

In Christ,

Aloha! Hello friends! I’m back with another fun felt flower creation, complete with a template to make your crafting nice and easy: Felt Hawaiian Flowers.   These sweet little flowers are perfect for those of us not lucky enough to actually travel to the magical islands.  Yup, the closest I get to Hawaii is my back deck, with one of these felt Hawaiian flowers in my hair and a glass of Pina Colada in my hand.

But, let’s be honest, that doesn’t sound half bad!

There flowers are simple to make are require just a few supplies.  If you have even a BASIC understanding of threading a needle you will be able to make these flowers, no problem.

Supplies needed to make your own Hawaiian felt flowers:

• White Felt.
• Felt Flowers Template (printed on regular computer paper).
• Sharp Scissors.
• Clear Tape.
• Acrylic Craft Paint.
• Paint Brush.
• White Embroidery Thread and Needle.
• Pipe Cleaners.
• Hot Glue Gun.
• Hair Clips (optional).

First, print out the felt flowers template HERE on ordinary computer paper.  Once your template is printed it’s time to cut out the pedals of your flower.

Use the template to cut out 5 identical pedals.  To do this, first cut out the template.  Then, cut a piece of white felt slightly bigger than the template.  Next, using clear tape, tape the template directly to the felt.  Finally, using a sharp part of scissors cut around the template.  I have found that tape holds a pattern in place much better than pins and allows you to get an accurate cut essential for projects like these Hawaiian felt flowers.

Once you have all 5 pedals cut, it’s time to add a little color.

This project only requires very simple, easy painting.  I chose to make a yellow flower and a pink flower.  To achieve this look I first spread a base color over much of the pedal (no need to be too perfect or careful with this step).  Then I added a line of a contrasting color in the middle of each pedal.

Allow to dry completely.

Once the pedals are dry it’s time to transform this into a flower.  And, stick with me.  Even if you aren’t a seamstress this is a totally doable project that ANYONE can accomplish!  Really!

Using a needle and embroidery thread, string all of the pedals together.  To do this hold a pedal face up.  Tie a knot in the end of your thread and sew up from the back of the pedal, along the bottom on the left-hand side.  Then, sew back down on the right-hand side still along the bottom.  This will essentially create a long stitch along the bottom of each pedal.  Continue with the same thread until you have stitched through each pedal.

Stitch through the first pedal again.

Then, gently pull the string tight.  This will gather the peals together and your flower will appear.

Flip the flower over and stitch through the back to secure the flower.  Try to avoid stitching through the center, though, as we want that to be open for the next step.

Time to grab those pipe cleaners.  I raided my kid’s craft supplies for my flowers!

Twist together a yellow and an orange pipe cleaner.  Then fold the pipe cleaners in half so the end is not sharp.  Then, thread the pipe cleaners through the center of the flower.  Trim and fold back the end of the pipe cleaners.

Finally, glue the center of the flower to a scrap of white felt.  If you’d like to wear the felt flowers in your hair, hot glue on a bar pin (for a button) or a hair clip.

They are pretty, right?  And I hope you agree, quite easy to make.  I plan on giving these felt flowers away at my next party as favors.  Each lady gets one to wear and take home.

Don’t ya just love it! All the best!

If you are looking for more felt flower ideas, check out these posts:

Gathered Felt Flowers

Halloween Felt Flowers

I am writing this post in exchange for a discounted conference ticket to SoFabU on the Road; however, all opinions are mine and mine alone. #CollectiveBias

I am stepping out of my comfort-zone, and out of routine to blog about, well, blogging.  So buckle and get ready for a wild ride!

Or, um, if blogging about blogging is not something you’re up for today–I’ll see you tomorrow!  All the best!`

I’ve been blogging to some degree for over 2 years now, so I’ve gotten to the point where it’s either time to start calling myself a “blogger” and what I do “work”, or it’s time to get off the computer and find something else to do with my time.

And since I’m still here typing, and I guess I’ve made my decision.

I’m a blogger.  And worse yet, a Mommy-Blogger.

Oh no.  How did that happen?

Not long ago I rolled my eyes at such a title.  Mommy Bloggers.  How ridiculous!  Like the world is really that interested in your kids or your recipes or your crafts or your rambling thoughts.  Seriously, get over yourself!

Yup, that’s what I used to think.  And now, well, here I am, typing away.

To be honest, I am still a little hesitate to call myself a “blogger”, at least with people I am talking with in real life.  On forms when I have to put down my occupation my instinct is still to write “High School English Teacher”, which is what I did for 6 years before having kids.  But, I’ve been out of the classroom for over 4 years now…and very soon I will have been out of the classroom for longer than I was ever in the classroom.

Strange.

But, when I was a teacher that was my whole identity.  I was a teacher.  I was overworked and underpaid.  I coached speech and read Shakespeare out loud and forced kids write papers and work in groups and expand their vocabulary.  I was a teacher.  (hear my roar?)

But, blogger?  Even now I have a hard time latching onto blogger as my “profession”, let alone my identity.  I do make a small income blogging so my husband and I are starting to see it was work, slowly.  But, it still feels strange to really invest in the blogging identity.  Maybe it’s because I do this in the sporadic hours I find here and there in my life as a stay-at-home-mom.  Maybe it’s because I blog alone, without “co-workers”, at least without co-workers I can actually see and touch.

But, more likely, maybe it’s because I genuinely love blogging so much that it doesn’t feel like work.  Really, this doesn’t feel like work at all!  I actually think it’s a little bit hilarious that I make even a modest income on this blog.  I’m just a crafter/photographer/mother/writer that got carried away.  Seriously carried away.  It feels like a dream that I get to do this, that people actually read (I am so humbled) and that I get to profit from it a little bit.

How did this happen?

Honestly, I’m not really sure…

Okay, okay, so maybe I’m a blogger.  Maybe.  But, I still feel clueless about so many things.  I don’t know how to fix anything technical on my blog, I am struggling to find the right balance on Facebook, I don’t get Twitter like at all, my phone is always so covered with paint and kid grime that I can’t get any decent pictures for Instagram and video scares the crap out of me.  For real, I’m shaking just thinking about video.

The part that I like the least about blogging is that it can be sort of isolating.  Sure, there are tons of people on-line living the same life I am–but there are very few in my off-screen life that understand the first thing about blogging. My husband knows very little about the back-end of blogging, although he is always happy to listen to me and eager to learn.  My friends–the same.  It’s hard to know who to bug with just a silly question that is driving me nuts.  And, it’s hard to really explain my blogging victories with these people too.

But I love blogging.  It feels a little like a dream that I get to do this.

The deeper I get into blogging the more I want to connect with other bloggers, especially bloggers in the Mommy/Catholic space.  It has been a great blessing in my life to meet (you know, like in the flesh) a few bloggers that live nearby (have you met Nell and Laura?).  On top of this, the other night I have the joy of hanging out with a whole group of fabulous bloggers.  It’s just so nice to be with women living such a similar life as me.  Such a treat!

So, I’m trying to be brave this summer–and by that I mean I am going to be a real blogger.  I’m stepping out from behind the screen and headed to (dun dun dun) a few blogging conferences!  At these conferences I will be meeting some real live (and many big time) bloggers.  I’m excited.  I’m scared.  I’m actually really scared.

First I will be going to Blogging Concentrated on August 8th.  Very excited about this conference and meeting a few all star bloggers.

And then, on August 29th I will be attending SoFabU on the Road in Minneapolis at the Mall of America.  I have been part of Social Fabric for a couple of years and have learned a lot from them about the business of blogging, writing sponsored posts and working with sponsors.  I made my first dollars as a blogger working with Social Fabric and that in many ways was a game changer for me.

I went back and forth on whether I was going to attend this conference, due mostly to my husband’s work schedule, but I am so glad I did.  There will be great keynote speakers, 2 local bloggers I really respect, Marybeth Hamilton and Sarah Mock.  Registration begins at 8:30 and you can see the rest of the schedule here.

If you don’t know anything about Collective Bias, Collective Bias® is the only shopper social media company that solves shopper marketing problems by weaving together organic social content with engaging, real-life stories to generate millions of impressions, increased share of voice, SEO and retail sales for brands and retailers. Top brands such as Tyson, Nestlé and Duane Reade rely on Collective Bias to sell their stories socially. Based in Bentonville, Arkansas, with satellite offices in New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Cincinnati and London, Collective Bias was named one of America’s 25 Most Promising Companies by Forbes and a part of the Inc. 5000.

Social Fabric® is Collective Bias’ proprietary community of nearly 3,000 shopping-focused influencers with an aggregate multichannel reach in excess of 130 million.

For more information, please visit Collectivebias.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

So, I’m excited.  And scared, but I’m going to do these things and they are going to be great.

I have plans to write a little bit more about blogging in the coming months.  I am starting to get my head about not only the type of content that I actually want to be sharing here (less crafts and more mom stuff) but I am also getting a feel for the way that I’d like to turn this into a business.  I’m really over writing sponsored posts.  I love making patterns and selling them and I have big collaborative plans for creating and selling some Bible Studies designed especially for moms that will hopefully be ready sometime this fall.  I am crazy excited about this last idea and I can’t wait to tell you more.

But, first I have to head off to a few conferences, meet a few new bloggers, learn more about blogging and just be brave.  Lots of opportunity to Daring Greatly in my future (PS–have you read that book yet?  Game changer).

Think of me on the 8th and the 29th and I’ll be sure to report back here on how things go.  Also, make sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for a look at the events as the unfold.

And, a special thank you to all of the Social Fabric National Sponsors:  Müller, Kraft, Mitsubishi, Johnny Rockets and iBlog magazine.