The Best and Easiest Dairy and Egg Free Cinnamon Rolls

My mom makes amazing cinnamon rolls. She got the recipe from her friend, who got the recipe from a cook in her high school's cafeteria. It's amazing to me that once upon a time high school cafeterias were serving fresh, made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls, but I digress. Her cinnamon roll recipe makes three dozen, freezes well, tastes amazing, and takes all day to make. It also calls for milk and eggs, two items which are no-go's in our food-allergy-filled home.

I wanted to have cinnamon rolls to feed my kids on Easter and Christmas mornings, just like my mom always did, but I wanted them to be easier to make and be egg and dairy free. Easy peasy!  (That last bit was sarcasm.)

But I finally figured out the perfect solution for my family. The recipe I use is actually the white bread recipe that came with my bread machine, very slightly modified. Because I am able to make these in the bread machine it is so super easy, but if you don't have a machine you can still use a good, ole fashioned bowl and spoon.

Ingredients:
Dough
1 1/3 C water
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 heaping Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
4 C flour + more for kneading
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Filling
Butter or dairy-free butter-like spread such as Earth Balance, approximately 2 Tbsp
1/3 C sugar + 2 Tbsp cinnamon, mixed together

Icing
2 C powdered sugar
2 dashes of salt
1 Tbsp water (or more depending on desired consistency)

*Honestly, for the filling and the icing I have never measured anything so these are approximate. If you like your rolls more or less cinnamon-y then adjust accordingly. Likewise, if you like more or less icing on your rolls - you guessed it! - adjust accordingly.


**I use this recipe for dinner rolls, soup bowls, bread to serve with stew, Santa Lucia buns, and more. I've found a vegan bread recipe that tastes great and I make it work for whatever I need. For non sweet breads I use 3 Tbsp sugar instead of 4 heaping Tbsp. For the Santa Lucia buns I add saffron. I have found that all you have to do is change the shape, maybe the ingredients, and possibly the baking time and this recipe can become a lot of things.

Bread Machine Directions: Add all ingredients to bread machine in order they are listed. Choose Dough setting, start, walk away.

Bowl and Spoon Directions: Mix yeast and one cup of flour. Add warm water and set aside to let yeast activate. Once yeast mixture is bubbly and has grown a bit (5-10 minutes) add oil then other dry ingredients. Combine until sticky; if using a mixer allow dough hook to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. If using spoon, turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead dough for 5-10 minutes. Dough should have a good stretch and be velvety with just a touch of stickiness.

Place dough in a large, lightly greased, oven-proof bowl and cover. Keep in a warm place until dough has doubled, about 60 minutes. (I like to pre-heat my oven to its lowest setting, then turn off, and allow my dough to rise there.)

Risen dough in bread machine should be 

popping  up over the top of the basket. 

Next Step for Both Methods:
Once Bread Machine is done or dough in bowl has doubled turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and with a lightly floured rolling pin roll out into a 9x13 rectangle.

Cover dough with butter or Earth Balance Spread and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Roll the dough up so you have a thick, long rope, seam-side down.

Cut off the uneven ends and discard (or, you know, eat). Cut the rolled dough in half, then cut each half in half. Cut each quarter section into thirds so you have twelve slices.

Arrange slices in an greased 9"x 13" dish and place in a warm place until rolls have doubled, usually 45-60 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow rolls to cool before icing.

King Cake Method:
If you want to turn the cinnamon rolls into King Cake you line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the sliced rolls in a circle. Rise, bake, and ice as directed above. Sprinkle with green, yellow, and purple decorating sugar.

Some prefer their King Cake with a cream cheese filling and to do so I just substitute cream cheese in place of the butter. Tofutti makes a good dairy-free "cream cheese."

You can use this at Epiphany or Mardi Gras - both are appropriate times to feast on King Cake. If you have a little plastic baby Jesus you can tuck him in the underside of one of the rolls once they have baked. Then the person who finds the baby Jesus is King for the Day - which can mean whatever you want in your home.

A Head Cold of Jane Austen Proportions (+ what we've been doing in the radio silence)

I owe a very sincere apology to Jane Austen. When Jane Bennet caught cold and had to stay at Netherfield for several days I thought it was ridiculous. I mean, it's a cold. Likewise, when Harriet Smith caught cold and had to stay in bed for days I thought that was also ridiculous. 

But then in mid-December I got sick. I got really, really, really sick with a cold of Jane Austen proportions. 

The last week of school before Christmas break Ben came down with something. He slept 20 hours a day and barely ate anything. One by one all six of my kids fell ill and when Baby Tee was also sick I took him to the doctor. Strep throat for the baby and so everyone got antibiotics. By the time the kids were starting to feel better my throat was starting to hurt, I had a congested headache and a cough. 

And for over four weeks I would cough and sleep and lay around. I would start to feel better and then crash with more coughing, sleeping, and laying around. Often I would wish that *I* was at Netherfield with a household staff to cook, clean, and care for the children while I laid in bed and got better. (Alright, honestly, I often have that wish even when I'm healthy.)

It wasn't strep; it wasn't bronchitis; and while I thought it had turned into walking pneumonia and was even treated for it with some antibiotics I think, in the end, it was just a super duper, really bad cold - just like the prompt care doctor told me. Five weeks later I am still occasionally coughing but I finally feel fairly caught up with life. 

There were a lot of really good things that happened in those five weeks, especially in December, and I wanted to share some of the highlights. 

St. Nick brought a gingerbread village for the kids to assemble and decorate. 

Travis was able to finish and hang my shelves. They are made from the wood of an oak tree that stood in my maternal grandfather's yard. We kept the bark on them and glossed them up. This is pretty much the first and only time where how I imagined a finished project looking is how the finished project actually looks. And I loooooove it!

The little Fiat sign is from JustLovePrints.

So Fresh & So Clean Clean print from Brick House in the City.

On Christmas morning we put on our finest, went to the 7am Mass, and tried to get a good family photo. This is as good as it gets, and yes, there is a hideous mural on the back wall of my parish. I dream of whitewashing it. 

My parents, my uncle, and my paternal grandfather came over to watch the kids open their gifts and to eat homemade sausage bread and cinnamon rolls, bacon, and coffee. Behold: the only picture I took:

Five days later we celebrated Baby Tee's first birthday and our tenth anniversary with a party. Our parents, siblings, and friends were invited and so I set out a yummy spread, decorated with fresh greens and items used in our wedding reception, and...

put on my new favorite outfit and (a rare thing these days) make-up.

L, my 8 year old, was pursuing her Cake Making badge in American Heritage Girls and so she spent the day with her aunt, a professional baker, and designed and baked the anniversary cake for us...

And the birthday cupcakes for Tee.

 We were married on my paternal grandfather's 80th birthday so along with Tee's 1st, we celebrated Grandpa's 90th. L made him a special cupcake and everyone sang Happy Birthday to him.

Fortunately I was feeling fairly well for Christmas and our anniversary but right after each I crashed again. Instead of doing an Advent Calendar I like to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas but this year the only thing I was able to do was make and decorate Christmas cookies and that was only because my mom came over to help. Oh well.

If you're looking for a good gingerbread cookie recipe Mary's from Better Than Eden is the best I've ever had. Follow her tip and save them for the next day. I don't know why, but they are so much better Day Two. And that St. Nick cookie cutter came from Catholic Curio, in case you were wondering.

 And if you're looking for a good something to watch, well I have been busy with all my laying around.

Amazon Prime: Mr. Holmes, the BBC's Emma, Grantchester, Endevour, and the Matt Smith Doctor Who episodes all kept me company.

Netflix: Spotlight, Sherlock, The Crown, A Royal Night Out, Death Comes to Pemberly, Madame Secretary, The Imitation Game, The Returned, and E.T. have also been good distractions.

Gosh, I look like such a bum, don't I?

I'll leave you with my current favorite song, a reward of sorts for making to the end of this post.

Alex da Kid's Not Easy

Stay healthy, you guys. Oh man, stay healthy.

The Advent Care Package Giveaway

Update: The giveaway is now officially closed. The winners have been emailed and have 24 hours to respond. Thanks to everyone for playing along. I hope you all had fun and got some great shopping ideas for your loved ones. Please do use this as a gift guide and be sure to tell the makers and sellers that you found them through A Knotted Life!


Welcome to the 2016 Advent Care Package Giveaway. Over thirty amazingly talented artists, crafters, and vendors have donated gifts which have a combined value of over $1000. (!!!)

This is all for you, dear blog readers, and I sincerely hope you love it.

Two winners will be chosen and each will receive a Care Package worth over $500. The winners can keep every blessed thing for themselves or they can divvy everything up, put up their feet, and call their Christmas shopping done.

There is something for everyone. Books for children and adults, jewelry, and skin care products. Practical gifts like an apron, a planner, notecards, and beard balm. Fun gifts like dolls, cd's, and an Advent Mass Box craft kit subscription. Some are religious, some are not. All of it is beautiful, much of it is handmade, and every item is gleefully special.

To round things off, and to hopefully make your Advent a bit easier, I'm going to throw in chocolate coins for your St. Nick tradition. Hope it helps!

So here's how this works:

Each gift is listed with links to where you can buy the product or see more items by the same person. I give an honest mini summary of each product and I link to the item's image on my Instagram account, where I have shared (and continue to share) each individually with a little review.

I know a lot of you will use this as a gift guide and so I'm really happy that several of the makers and vendors have included coupon codes for you to use. The discount information is always the last thing listed under each item so that it is easy for you to find. Also, if you could do me a favor: if you buy something included in this giveaway will you please let the seller know that you learned about their item from my blog / giveaway? That kind of feedback is powerful and will mean I can do this again next year. Thanks!

Hopefully you've been following along on Instagram and the A Knotted Life Facebook page as I have highlighted each item with the hashtag #adventgiveawayAKL. If you click on the hashtag you can see more details of each gift.

Directions and fine print stuff: You'll enter using the Raffelcopter entry form below and all I'm asking for is one simple blog comment. One entry per person. All Amazon links are affiliate links for me, meaning I earn a small commission through my referral at no cost to you. Open only to people 18 or older and those living in the continental United States. (Sorry everyone else, my budget just can't afford the shipping!) The winners will be picked at random by Rafflecopter. After the winners are announced they will have 24 hours to provide me with their mailing addresses and if they do not they forfeit the win and a new winner will be drawn. The giveaway closes on Wednesday, November 16th.

Okay, let's get going, shall we?!

10 Tips for a Happy Life Pope Francis quote prints + Christmas car magnets from Just Love Prints
The prints are 5"x 7" and made with amazing color. The magnets are lovely, with great illustrations. Beautiful.
Buy the print here
Buy the Wise Men Still Seek Him magnet here
Buy the Keep Christ in Christmas magnet here
Read my review here
Coupon Code JUSTLOVE10 good through Christmas


Gaudete Sunday Pink Infinity Scarf + Handstamped Christmas Cards by Katie
Be liturgically correct on the third Sunday of Advent with the pink scarf and impress all (or four) of your friends with these gorgeous hand-stamped Christmas cards. Gorgeous.
Katie's blog: Look to Him and Be Radiant
Follow Katie on IG here
Read my review of the scarf here and the cards here


Advent Charm Bracelet from Faith and Fabric by Jen Frost
Delicate, pretty, hand-stamped with Advent colors. Made from aluminum for sensitive skin. It's charming!
Buy the charm bracelet here
Faith and Fabric Etsy Shop
Jen's website: Faith and Fabric
See the bracelet in detail and read more about it here


Advent Purple LuLaRoe Leggings from Megan Stevenart
Be comfortable, stylish, cute, and liturgically appropriate! You know I love me some LuLaRoe!
Shop Megan's pop-ups
Read my review of LuLaRoe here
See more about the leggings here


Christmas Prints from Printable Prayers by Kendra Tierney
These prints are thick and sturdy, bold and colorful. One is sassy, one is classy, and one is a gorgeous prayer. So much to love.
Printable Prayers Etsy Store
Kendra's blog: Catholic All Year
O Come O Come Emmanuel print
Christmas Anticipation Prayer print
You Better Not Cry print
Read more about the prints here


Africa Sleeps Holiday Gift Set by Karen H
The Holiday Set includes body wash, lip balm, and exfoliating gloves and it smells amazing. All Africa Sleeps products are made from organic, fair trade ingredients. The products are made for children of African heritage but are great for anyone with dry skin.
Africa Sleeps website
Buy the Holiday Set here
Read more about it here


Liturgical Prints from Hatch Prints by Katrina Harrington
Gorgeous, colorful, and high quality. These prints are perfect for enhancing the liturgical decorations in a home and setting a tone of peace and joy.
Shop Hatch Prints here
Advent Candle with Josemaria Escriva quote
Christmas Joy B16 quote
Pause in Silence B16 quote
See all three and read more about them here


The Catholic Woman's Companion Planner by Nancy B
Planner comes with it all: monthly calendars, weekly pages, grocery lists and meal planning, coloring pages!, student / child info, and more! A great resource for a busy mom.
Nancy's blog + website: Do Small Things with Love
Buy the planner here
Read more about the planner here

Breathe doTERRA Roller from Sarah Williams
The Breathe Roller is perfect for adding a little bit of calm to your personal space. It's pre-diluted and perfect for helping with winter's respiratory issues.
Sarah's doTERRA site
Contact Sarah 
Get in touch with Sarah on Facebook
Read my review here

Crocheted Baskets by Theresa B
These baskets are soft, sturdy, and incredibly handsome. My eight year old and I both have heart eye emojis for days.
Buy the baskets here
Theresa's blog: Ordinary Lovely
Read more about the baskets and see them closer here
Coupon Code AKLREADERS10 good until December 1st.


Divine Mercy and Sacred Heart prints from Thomas Valle Studio
These prints literally took my breath away, they are so gorgeous. The Divine Mercy and Sacred Heart prints are both from original artwork by Thomas Valle.
Buy prints here
Read more about the prints and see them better here


Handmade Necklace + Earring Set and Bracelet + Earring Set from Annery's Handmade by Annie
Both sets of jewelry are inspired by chain-mail - so think St. Joan of Arc. They are incredibly beautiful and both delicate and statement pieces. Lovely.
Buy religious jewelry, rosary roses, and more here
Follow Annie on Instagram
See a close-up of the jewelry and read more about them here


Handmade Leather Bound Journal by Wild Things Adventures
This journal is made from soft leather, and thick, cream-colored paper. It is completely unique and the perfect gift for an artist, adventurer, dreamer, or Middle Earth lover.
Buy a journal here
Sarah's blog: Wild Things Farm
Read more about the journal here


Glory to the Newborn King Girl's Hairbow by Polka Dot Bowlevard
We own several of these bows and they are well made and beautiful. This particular bow is sparkly and sweet and lovely. Navy, white, and gold - a perfect way to top off a little girl's Christmas outfit.
Buy a bow, key fob, or non-slip hairband here
Check out Polka Dot Bowlevard on Facebook
Read more about the bow and see a close up here


She Be Fierce and All for You Necklaces by Signs of Love from Rakstar Designs
Each necklace is handmade, on a long chain, and absolutely stunning. She Be Fierce includes a St. Joan of Arc medal and All for You includes a St. Teresa of Calcutta medal along with various charms related to each saint.
Shop the Signs of Love Etsy Store
Buy the She Be Fierce Joan of Arc Necklace
Buy the All for You Teresa of Calcutta Necklace 
See more of Rakstar Designs on Instagram
See close ups of both necklaces and read more about them here
Coupon code of KNOTTYXMAS16 good for 15% off a purchase of $30 or more

The Bethlehem Collection Dolls by Fitz Knitz
These dolls are adorable and the apple of my four year old's eye. Joseph's body stands about 10" and is made from a deep brown yarn and the Baby Jesus is securely attached to Mary's arm. Soft, cuddly, big enough to love and small enough to fit in a stocking.
Contact Rachael directly at [email protected]
Buy a hat, doll set, or mermaid blanket here
Read my review here
Coupon Code: KNOTTED10 - 10% off a purchase of $25 or more, expires 11/30/16


Catholic Beard Balm, Beard Brush, and Bottle Opener from Catholic Balm Co.
The Beard Balm is St. Joseph scented - a mix of cedar, frankenscense, and the lightest hint of rose - and will go to one lucky winner. The other winner will get the handsome and useful beardvangelization bottle opener and beard brush, with its wooden handle and manly wooden case (okay, I wanted to say adorable. How about super neat? Let's stick with manly.)
Buy balms, brushes, lip gloss, and more here
Read my review here


The Gospels of Luke and John from Sacred Art Series
This leather bound book includes the Gospels of St. Luke and St. John along with beautiful, full-colored illustrations from the classics. Gorgeous.
Sacred Art Series website
Buy the Gospels here
The the book and read more about it here
This book is discounted by 20% on Amazon just for the duration of this giveaway!


O Emmanuel Christmas album by JJ Wright from Dynamic Catholic
This Christmas album is unlike anything I've ever heard before - and I like it! Think of the jazz music from Charlie Brown Christmas and then combine that with lush, heavenly high church choral music. Interesting and beautiful.
Buy the album here
Learn more about JJ Wright here
Check out Dynamic Catholic here
Read more about the album here


Juniper Headbands from Christine Coots by Trades of Hope
Handmade in India, empowering women around the world. These are beautiful and a great way to dress up a messy bun.
Buy the headbands here
Shop Trades of Hope here
Follow Christine's Trades of Hope Facebook page
Read my review here

But First, Coffee Mug from Be a Heart Design by Erica Tighe
White and navy with black calligraphy that reads "But first coffee." Big to fit your coffee and metal so no one can break your favorite mug. It's hip and classic.
Be a Heart website
Get the mug here
Follow Erica on Instagram
See the mug up close and read more about it here


Chime Travelers Books 1-5 by Lisa Hendey
These chapter books are great for first-third graders to jump into. Great stories, great saints, likable characters, sweet illustrations. Whoever the winner is: my kids are jealous of your kids.
Lisa's website
Buy any of Lisa's great books here
PS - Lisa's O Radiant Dawn book is what my family uses with our Advent Wreath at dinner each night and it's only $1.25.
Read my review here

Liturgical Apron from Uphill Goods by Megan Whitmore
The apron is two-sided and made with beautiful fabrics and sturdy seams. The apron is approximately 29" long from top to bottom, 25" wide at its widest, and will fit up to a 45" waist / chest with its ties.
Design your own apron or buy a pre-made one here
Read more about the apron here


The Bernadette Book Series 1-3 by Emily Grace Ortega
We love these books in our family! Great for readers in grades 1-3. These stories focus on the children in a loving, realistic Catholic family and are well written with the sweetest illustrations.
Buy the Bernadette Books here or on Amazon
Read my review for I'm Bernadette,  See more about all three books here


Advent Mass Box Subscription
Four weeks of crafts based on the Sunday Mass readings. A great way to interact with your kids to emphasize the liturgical season, Mass, Scripture, and the domestic church.
Buy your subscription of the Mass Box here.
Use the coupon code ADVENT10 for 10% off the December Mass Box subscription.
Read my review here


Lilla Rose Hair Clip from Mandi Richards
Pretty and practical, these clips are great for putting your hair up and looking beautiful. I use mine all the time.
Shop Mandi's Lila Rose site
Read about how much I love these things here
See the clip and read more about it here


Sacred and Immaculate Hearts Hand Painted Wooden Signs by Honeychild Forest
Each sign is handpainted, completely unique, and the perfect mix of whimsy, reverence, and beauty. These are going on my Christmas wishlist.
Shop Honeychild Forest
Read more about the signs here


Catholic Mom Challenge by Sterling Jaquith
Sterling is one of my favorite Catholic speakers and her book is filled with the same wit and wisdom as her talks. This book has practical tips for "striving for sainthood in everyday mom life" delivered in a personable, easy-to-read style.
Buy the book here
Sterling's website
Sterling's podcast, Coffee and Pearls
Read more about the book here

Advent Rosary by Ave Maria Faithcrafts
The Our Father beads have little Infant Christs and the Salve bead has a beautiful depiction of the Holy Family. The other beads are a rich, Advent purple color and the whole rosary is amazing. It's a great weight, too.
Buy a rosary or jewelry here
Check out the Facebook page
Follow on Instagram
See a close up and read more about it here


Meditations 01 by Reverb Culture
The first book of a four set series that walks its readers through thirty days of meditating on the Creed using Scripture and the Catechism. Wonderful for teens and adults, men and women.
Buy the book here
Check out the website
Read more about the book here


Watercolor Hedgehog notecards, 4 pack by Pebble Creek Prints
Super cute and high quality. These are incredibly versatile and incredibly sweet.
Rachel's blog: Efficient Momma
Buy the notecards here
See a close up and read more here
Coupon Code BONNIE good for free shipping in the US, good until November 30th


Receiving Blanket backed in Organic Flannel from Whole Parenting Goods
High quality, beautiful fabric, backed with organic flannel. This receiving blanket is perfect for keeping a little warm and has the sweetest scalloped seam.
Buy the blankets, bibs, and leggings here
Follow Nell and WPG on Instagram 
Read my review here

FYI: I've been getting some emails and messages about comments not showing up. Don't worry. I will trust you that you comment and have even seen some of the ones I've been emailed about. The important thing is that you successfully complete the Rafflecopter form below. I will pick the winner and have your contact info through the form so as long as that takes we'll be good to go!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck and God bless!

A Picture Perfect Holiday... or not

This post was originally featured on Mama Needs Coffee. 

When Jenny asked me to share with her lovely readers about the traditions and decorations and incredibly well-though-out reasons behind them that help define Advent in our home I thought, "I've got this."

Here's the truth: I don't.

I sit here 38 weeks pregnant and having contractions. I have pain in my my SI joints that is so bad I sometimes cannot move and usually walk like a zombie. I can fall asleep on the sofa at any time of day. Dinner tonight may possibly be cold cereal.

The plans I had for this year's fall and winter have all pretty much been laid aside for the advent of the baby in my womb. Even the things three weeks ago I thought we'd be able to pull off have fallen to the wayside.

For sure we'd still be able to cut down a Christmas tree on Guadete Sunday... or not.
For sure I'd be able to make the St. Lucy rolls and share them with my friend's family who just had a Lucy of their own... or not.
For sure my eldest child and I would be able to do the Jesse Tree together, reading the Scripture and discussing the meaning... or not.
For sure I could at least sit with my kids and re-enact the nativity story with them using our toy nativity.... or not.

But all of that is okay. This Advent we're doing what we can do and the little things still matter and still make a difference. This year's Advent is different than last year's, just as they will each probably vary for us. Our little traditions don't make or break the holiday season and since I'm not the liturgical living police I'm not gonna sweat what we have not accomplished this year.

But because this is a peak about what we are doing to keep Advent in our home I'll show you what we have accomplished.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care and St. Nick filled them on the eve of his feast day.

Also, the "Dad Zone" was marked out on the carpet.

Our nativities were set up (we have 4, two of which are kid-friendly). The "grown up" nativities are empty, waiting for the Holy Family to arrive.

Holy Mary, St. Joseph, and their donkey always hang out on the Advent wreath until December 24th. We have lit the candles almost every night at dinner, singing "O Come, O Come, O Come-O" as my three year old calls it. Then ensures a lively discussion of who got to blow out the candles last and whose turn it is this night. No child has been burnt and the two year old's hair was only slightly singed, once. 

The Wise Men are on the bookshelf, way off in the Far East, aka: the far side of the living room. After Christmas they'll move to the Advent Wreath, where we'll have a white Christmas candle for the kids to fight over. 

My living room's gallery has a couple of items that change for each season: the "chalk board" (actually foam board and white paint pen) and the Audrey Eclectic artwork.

The kids art gallery (rope + clothespins attached to the wall) was cleared of all Thanksgiving artwork to make room for the Christmas projects. The Jesse Tree has a few more ornaments (colored and hung by my oldest) but then that petered out. But it still looks nice next to the nativity, which the kids do play with, even if we don't have theological conversations about it. 

And while we didn't actually cut down the tree on the Third Sunday of Advent, we did drive to a tree place in the steady rain. I sat in the minivan with the little kids while my husband bought a pre-cut one and tied it to the top of the vehicle with the help of our 6 year old (it was adorable). It stands, sorta majestically, in the corner of our living room with a crooked star and most of the decorations on the top half.

It took our family a few years to find which Advent traditions work best for us, but even those still fluctuate a bit. At this point, St. Nick filling stockings for his feast day (and no Santa at Christmas) works well for us - making it easier for me and my husband to teach about a saint and generosity while keeping the emphasis a bit more on Mass and Christ than on the presents. Having the nativities out but waiting for Christmas and Epiphany to move all the figures to the stable is a fun way for the kids to interact with the nativity story and they serve as aides in my personal prayer life as well. Getting the tree, cranking up the Christmas music, and busting out any remaining decorations on Rejoice! Sunday helps my family to actually rejoice.

All together, doing Advent the way we do makes it feels like our home is preparing a bit more each week for Christ's birth. It's like nesting, but for the Infant Christ.

How to be Catholic: a few things to help create a Catholic culture in your home

In my How to be Catholic: Tips you may not get in RCIA post, tip #10 was
Building a Catholic culture in your home should not stress you out. You don't have to do all the things and you don't have to do things exactly like the person next to you. Give yourself time to figure out what works for you, your family, and your season in life.

That is totally, 100% true. I'm a cradle Catholic and I'm still figuring out that what worked one year might not work the next. (Like this, for example.) I've  also noticed that the following five things have all made a huge impact in how I and my family live out our faith and build a Catholic culture in our home:

-an Advent wreath
- a Nativity
- Catholic art
- Sacramentals
- Catholic books

Those items have been incorporated through all the liturgical seasons of the Church and have created a home that is distinctly different than non-Catholic homes. My hope is that they will fill my children's memories and will help them identify themselves as Catholic Christians who know, love, and understand their faith. My hope is that it will help us all love and serve our Lord better.

I am most definitely not saying that only good Catholics have these things and I am also not saying you need to have all of these things in your possession right now. If you think that they would also add to the Catholic culture of your home then do buy them!* But! I've acquired these over years; you can too. :)

(This post has affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking toAmazon.com and affiliated sites.)

What to have: An Advent Wreath
This can be as simple as one pink and three purple candles arranged in a circle on your kitchen table. You can add evergreen boughs or you can buy a wreath to use year after year. (Ours has a white Christmas candle in the center but that's not necessary.)

Why: The Church uses the Advent Wreath to mark the four weeks of Advent. You should see one in your own church. The purple color reminds us of Christ's royalty, the pink color reminds us to rejoice for our Savior has come and will come again. The candles light up the dark, winter nights and remind us that "the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light."

What to do:
Beginner: Light the candles of the Advent Wreath. Try to do it every night or at least once a week. We like to sing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" while we light them. You can sing or do it in silence or find a prayer you like. Sometimes we blow them out right away and sometimes we let them burn throughout dinner.

More Advanced: Try using a prayer book to help guide your dinner conversation. We like O Radiant Dawn by Lisa Hendey.

Bonus: You can switch out the candles to four white ones for the Season of Christmas. We sing "O Come Let Us Adore Him" while we light the candles during Christmas. Silence, other songs, or a prayer works too.



What to have: A Nativity
There are nativity sets (or manger scenes or Christmas creches) to fit all kinds of preferences and decorating styles. You could even ask around - maybe one of your relatives has an heirloom stashed away that they don't use. There's even toy ones your kids can play with and you can use to reenact and explain the Christmas story.

Why: A nativity is a beautiful way to keep the Christmas story present in your home.

What to do:
Beginner: Find a place of honor in your home, preferably in a place where the family frequently gathers, and set up the stable and figurines. Use it as a tool for prayer - meditating on the meaning of Christmas or reading Scripture in front of it.

More Advanced: Keep the stable empty and place the figures around your home or living room. On Christmas Eve bring Mary, Joseph, and the donkey to the stable. After Christmas Mass put the Baby Jesus in the manger and then bring the shepherds over. On Epiphany (January 6th) move the Magi to the stable.



What to have: Catholic Art
When I say Catholic art I'm talking about print copies of old classics, statues, holy cards, or beautiful paintings by modern artists, like these. Heirloom rosaries, family Bibles, and prayer books also fall in this category.

Why: Incorporating some pictures, statues, or even simply framed holy cards in your home's decorations is a really easy way to surround yourself with items that are beautiful and will help you refocus your day / thoughts / heart / inner dialogue / potentially gossipy conversation to something holier. It's hard to be a jerk when you're looking at Christ on the cross.
Catholic art also serves as a simple way to incorporate the liturgical calendar into your home.

Beginner: Hang a Crucifix, display an image of Mary, and keep on using all the seasonal decorations you already own.

More Advanced: Find images or statues for other saints who are important to you and display their image in a place of honor for their feast days.  For example, May is the Month of Mary, so move your image of the Blessed Mother to a prominent place in your home and place a bouquet of flowers near it. For St. Patrick's Day in March use the green decorations you may already have but also pick up a holy card or statue of St. Patrick and display it on your mantel or other place of prominence.

Even More Advanced: Hang a crucifix in every room of the house, beginning with the bedrooms and family room.



What to have: Sacramentals (and things that go with them)
A sacramental is basically a holy object or action that leads you to more actively live out your faith and makes ordinary life more holy. Holy water, making the sign of the cross, a wedding ring, fasting, genuflecting, shrines, scapulars, a crucifix, statues, ashes, medals, blessings... all these things are sacramentals. They do not bestow grace like a Sacrament does but they do remind us of the Sacraments.

Why: Sacramentals will help you incorporate your faith into your daily life and your family practices. They act as a constant reminder to pray, to strive for holiness, and to seek God who loves you.

Beginner: Get a Rosary and a guide on how to pray the rosary and a guide on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Use the guides to help you pray and be sure to take your time! You may fumble your way through it for awhile. Also, don't be afraid to ask a friend for help. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is also prayed on rosary beads and is often prayed during the 3 o'clock hour, which is when Christ died on the cross. But you can pray it whenever you want.

More Advanced: Find a holy water font to hang by your door and a Miraculous Medal to wear. Your font will likely come with a small bottle marked "Holy Water" which you can take to your parish and refill - there should be a sorta water cooler looking like thing in the back of church just for this purpose. However, I've just bought a gallon of distilled water, taken it to my priest, and asked him to bless it. I labeled the gallon jug "Holy Water" so no one would drink it or water house plants with it and all was well. You and your family and friends can now bless yourselves as you come and go.
Wear the Miraculous Medal as a reminder to pray for conversion and grow in holiness. Mary will lead you and others closer to Christ - let her help you.

Bonus: The Catholic art from above qualifies for this, too!



What to have: A Few Catholic Books
Catholics love a good library!

Why: There is so much to know about God and our Catholic faith - we are never done learning! Begin building a Catholic bookshelf for yourself and book basket for your children.

Beginner: Make sure you have a good Catholic Bible, a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Fulton Sheen's Life of Christ for yourself, and The Weight of the Mass for your kids. Also, if you're looking for a book with ideas to celebrate feast days without overwhelming you, I recommend Feast!

More Advanced: More books to slowly add to your library include Bernadette books, Take It to the Queen, Catholic Children's Bible, The Little Oratory, A Little Book About Confession, and 33 Days to Morning Glory. These titles will help you share the Catholic faith with your family and 33 Days is a fabulous book if you're looking to understand Mary.


So that's what I would suggest, but this is by no means an exhaustive list! What do you think I've left off?

And I've gotten a lot of questions from the Tips you may not get in RCIA post. Some of them were answered in this post, but I"ll be doing another quick list next week. If you have any questions please let me know!


*I'm an Amazon Affiliate. That means that when you buy a product through one of my links I will make a very, very small amount of money, for which I will be very, very grateful. However, this post and its links are more about giving you ideas than making me money. Hope you understand.

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Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas (and how it made my Advent better)

whew! We made it. We survived December and now we are snugly in the middle of January. The holidays are behind us and we have lived to tell the tale. 

The weeks before Christmas are so busy. On top of all the schoolwork, housework, and work work there is now, heaped up, Christmas parties and pageants, cookie exchanges to bake for and attend, shopping and wrapping, decorating and tree trimming. I could go on but you already know. 

The Christmas candle lit on our Advent wreath.

Online and in real life I've seen people add even more activities to their December days by keeping an Advent calendar. Two years ago my mom even bought one for us. A pretty banner, threaded on red ribbon. The banner is made up of envelopes, numbered 1-25 and in each one we slide a special activity to do on that day. 

I loved it. Even more I loved the idea of it. And even though my mom made it incredibly easy for me to do I still found that life + Christmas prep + an Advent calendar = too much for me to do. I learned that year that I needed Advent to have a slower pace and that I needed to keep Christmas at bay, or you know, in the Season of Christmas. Doing that - having my Advent look and feel different than my Christmas meant a few things for me:

- I didn't hate Christmas music by December 24th.

- I wasn't sick of my Christmas tree and feeling claustrophobic because of it by December 26th.

- I experienced Advent the way the Church intends us to: as a season of preparation for the coming of Christ. I had time to pray and focus on building up virtue. I had time to go to confession. I had time to focus on my spending so I had extra left to give. In short, I had time to prepare for the Bridegroom.

But when Christmas came it just kind of floated by. This year I wanted to change that and I realized the easiest way was to add my mom's gift back into our celebrations but this time to use it as a way to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas. 

Quick break for a disclaimer: None of this is to say that how my family celebrates Advent and Christmas is the one, true Catholic way. Of course not! But it is the way that fits my personality and our family in this season of life and I'm so grateful that I learned that. I'm sharing this because it's fun and maybe you're trying to figure this all out too and this may be helpful. :End disclaimer. 

The Catholic Church intensely celebrates Christmas for twelve days beginning on Christmas Day. I decided to take a lot of those Advent calendar ideas - some of which are just winter fun and some of which are actually pretty Christmas-y - and use them to give purpose and celebration to each of our twelve days. 

Since Advent is so busy and the days after Christmas are so slow - especially since my husband is also a school teacher and the whole family is home all day for two weeks - this worked incredibly well. 

So here's what we did:

On the first day of Christmas (the 25th) we watched a special Christmas movie (The Charlie Brown Christmas Special).

On the second day of Christmas (the 26th) the kids made special Christmas cards for some friends.

On the third day of Christmas (the 27th) we made snowflakes. The older kids were able to fold and cut their own snowflakes but for the younger kids I folded the paper and then gave it back to them. They then drew / scribbled a design on the triangle and gave it back to me. I cut out their snowflake based on how the lines they made. They were incredibly proud of their snowflakes. 

On the fourth day of Christmas (the 28th) we went to a local Christmas light display.

On the fifth day of Christmas (the 29th) we sang Christmas carols.

On the sixth day of Christmas (the 30th) we celebrated our wedding anniversary with a date night. 

On the seventh day of Christmas (the 31st) we baked Christmas cookies.

On the eighth day of Christmas (Janueary 1st) we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God by attending Mass.

On the ninth day of Christmas (the 2nd) we had a fire in the fireplace and drank hot chocolate.

On the tenth day of Christmas (the 3rd) we had an Epiphany party. (Okay, actually we had to cancel the party because my daughter became sick, but this is what we would have done...) There were snacks and treat, juice boxes for the kids and cocktails for the parents. At a certain point in the evening we would have had the kids gather and three of them would have been selected to carry the Magi to the stable while we sang "We Three Kings". 

On the eleventh day of Christmas (the 4th) we wrote a letter to a missionary. 

On the twelfth day of Christmas (the 5th) we read stories from our Christmas book basket. 

On Epiphany - which is January 6th and the feast of the Wise Men visiting the baby Jesus - the kids got their last little gift of the season. And that was that. Christmas felt sufficiently - but not overwhelmingly - celebrated. The kids were excited to see what each day brought and we enjoyed a lot of simple family time.

Other ideas we may try in the future are things like
- make a snowman
- go sledding
- visit grandparents
- roast marshmallows in the fireplace
- make ornament birdfeeders
- make tissue paper flowers for Mary, the Mother of God
- pray for the unborn on the Feast of the Holy Innocents
- have a special family meal on the feast of the Holy Family
- sleep in a fort in the family room
- invite friends over for a playdate
- make hot apple cider

I'm looking for more ideas, too. If you've got any or any special traditions from your family's celebration of Christmas, please let me know!

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A Christmas Wish (& a playlist)

In this bleak midwinter it is the night of our dear Savior's birth.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met tonight.
Come, let us adore Him. How radiant the Mother; how angelic the Child.
Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel has come to us.
Gloria en excelsis Deo. 


God bless you and may He give you and yours a happy, healthy Twelve Days of Christmas.

7QT - Christmas trees, BSB, and Christmas card stats

1 -(Usually I begin with a song, and this week it was going to be Valerie June's cover of Winter Wonderland but I couldn't get it to embed. If you want to hear it, click this link and fast forward to 21 minutes 17 seconds.)

Most people will not like this song but that's okay, I'm a firm believer that I have good taste in bad music. I heard it on the radio the other night and, what can I say? The stompy- clappy songs always make me happy. Shout out to my friend Meaghan who actually knew what I meant when I asked Facebook who sang a version of Winter Wonderland that was "mix of modern folk and twangy old country, sung by a woman" with "grit". 

2 - I ended up getting the Christmas cards below from Minted but still bought some at Target because I didn't order enough. The backs of the cards have a sticker I made that reads, "In 2014 Travis bought a car with working a/c; Bonnie presented to 1500+ people in 4 states; L began reading chapter books; Ben taught himself to ride his bike; JF finagled his way into spending lots of time with his grandmas; Resa was adorable; and JP learned to crawl, walk, & climb on the table. We hope your year was just as fun!"

I'm waiting on 4 addresses and have 2 cards left but I'll figure something out. Other stats about my Christmas cards (because I find this type of thing interesting and would have done all this counting even if I wasn't going to blog it):

Cards sent: 111

International: 2

In state: 78

Out of state: 31

Town I grew up in: 12

Town I live in now: 5

Friends from elementary or high school: 5

Newman Center friends: 20

Friends from college: 2

Nuns: 2

Relatives of Fulton Sheen: 1

My family: 25

Travis' family: 14

People who may not really even like me but they got a card anyway: 5

3 - While signing our names on the Christmas cards there were a couple of times I wanted to sign Peter's name but it felt like I shouldn't, that it would make people uncomfortable. So when my friend M, whose baby girl K passed away a few years ago, shared this article about family pictures and how they often don't show the whole story - well, gosh, it made me feel so normal. If you are missing a baby (or even if you're not) this is a beautiful article: Pictures Can Lie by Kathy from Kissing the Frog.

4 - One of the ways I keep Peter in our Christmas is by hanging this "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. I wish he was here.

5 - Speaking of Christmas trees... This past Saturday it was near 60 degrees in Central Illinois and the whole family went out to cut down a Christmas tree at a local farm.

It's huge, we don't have enough lights on it, the kids loaded it with tinsel garland, the star is crooked and scrapes the ceiling, and it feels a bit like a tree monster is invading the living room - but I LOVE it.

6 - The new Backstreet Boys documentary. I want to watch it. Anyone else? Besides Mia?


7 - These have taken way, way, way too long and I just need to be done. Supper needs to be made, kids put to bed, and a movie watched with my husband. It's the first day of Christmas break. :)

Thank you, Kelly, for hosting!

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