Necessity is the Mother of Invention

We have a 48 foot long raised deck on the front of our house.  It's big.  As I was planting flowers and vegetables last weekend, I was trying to come up with a way to hand beautiful containers of flowers from the deck the cheapest way possible.  Cheap, because that's how I roll. 

After searching two local chain stores, I came up empty.  The containers they did have were ugly and would just sit over the top of the railing, with no nail or other fastener to secure it.  As I mentioned, it is a raised deck, and I have active kids.  Those flower boxes wouldn't have lasted 24 hours.

After talking to my husband about what we should look for that would be secure, I did an online search.  I found some beautiful black wire boxes (the kind with the coco mat inside).  I would need 6 of them to cover this long deck.  They were not as expensive as some, but still were going to cost $100 just for the boxes, not to mention the potting soil, flowers, or means of attaching them to the railing.  Just as I was about to bite the bullet, I did one more quick search: "cheap flower planters" or something like that.  Up popped used maple sap buckets for sale on Ebay for 2 for $7.99.  Well, I thought I had hit the motherload!  Except I was going to need 12, since they were smaller than the other boxes, and the vendor didn't have 12 matching ones by the looks of it. 

All of a sudden, a bright light shone in the room.  OK, maybe it was only inside of my head, but I realized, "Hey! I LIVE in syrup country!  I am going to call one of the local sugarhouses."  They were closed, but on their website were used sap buckets for $2.50 each!  I made a phone call, left a message, which was returned at 7:30 on Monday morning.  By Monday afternoon, I had scored 16 sap buckets, which they gave me a 10% discount on because I got so many! By Tuesday morning at 8am, all the buckets had been punctured for drainage holes, filled with potting soil and flowers, and hung on the side of the deck railing!  I used 2" nails to hang them ($1.47 per box at Walmart). 













Of course, this project used up a lot of flowers, but Home Depot was having a great sale last weekend...6 packs of Impatiens for 99 cents! So, by (sadly) avoiding my favorite, favorite, favorite, gorgeous nursery, I did save a bundle on flowers, also.

We live in the woods, so the rustic look of the buckets is so complementary to our surroundings, and I love the way these sap buckets look!  It's a little embarrassing how proud I am of my ingenuity in finding such a cheap cost-effective solution.  But, seriously, it's the little things in life, right? Right?

Yup, I thought so.

He is Risen

Alleluia!

Good Friday

"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed." Isaiah 53:4-5.

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception...

This is what it looks like and sounds like at my house this morning:

A day Full of Grace.

Happy Holy Day!

 

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Jolly Old St. Nicholas!  He's been on our minds a lot for the past week.  We've been enjoying reading about him and putting together a St.Nicholas lap book.  Aren't they cute?!

I'd show you the inside, but we've only done one activity so far:)
We will pick up the pace today and the rest of the week.
The two youngest of my current students are doing the lapbooks, and the oldest will be reporting on the way St. Nicholas is celebrated in different countries.

Our Advent reading is going well. And we are enjoying our Jesse Tree.  This whole decorating early thing has enhanced our season.  It's much more peaceful and the kids are very excited. Especially the 6 year old.  Apparently, she is paying close attention to our studies and reading.  Her older sister took her shopping the other day, and big girl told little girl that "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" wasn't an appropriate Christmas song because it doesn't mention the birth of Jesus at all.  Little girl looked big girl in the eyes and said, "No, but it does mention Santa, and Santa and Jesus are BFFs!"  Of course!  Who do you think the saints hang out with anyway??? 

Now, take a look at this picture.  Don't you think that boys with ginormous feet (a 9 and 12 year old, who BOTH wear a men's size 10!) shouldn't have to put their biggest shoes and boots out???  Their regular shoes by themselves hold plenty of candy. Sheesh!

We will spend some time on this fantastic website today:
St. Nicholas Center
Check it out!  Lots of information, stories and activities for young and old!!

Then, later in the week we have a Holy Day of Obligation and the Feast of Juan Diego! It is an exciting week in the Church. 
I love the Catholic Church; her rhythms and seasons bless and order our lives, and her wisdom lights our way. Deo Gratias!

Happy Advent!

Advent Preparation

I love this season!  Even though, most years, I end up feeling very overwhelmed and stressed.  In order to alleviate some of my "bah-humbug" holiday stress, I decided to start earlier this year, and can actually say that I have 70% to 80% of my shopping done.  First. Time. Ever! So, when we pulled out the advent wreath, Jesse Tree, nativity sets and Christmas picture books on Sunday, I decided to keep on going.  You see, normally, I only put out Advent stuff at first and then 2 weeks later or so, I decorate the rest of the house. 
Years ago, a wonderful priest stated that it was not appropriate to "celebrate" Christmas before Christmas actually got here.  We should save Christmas for Christmas and use Advent to prepare; he encouraged us to hold off decorating until closer to the actual holiday.   Of course that makes sense.  But, I am ashamed to admit,  a lot of the excitement and anticipation disappeared for me.  Preparing for Christmas had become just one more chore to cross off  the enormous Christmas to-do list.

Waiting to decorate the house until mid-December(when holiday preps are ramping up in a big way) just made me more stressed out.  The decorating became a big burden; so much so, that one year I was tempted to only put the tree and stockings up and leave it at that.  I never did go that far, but I did cut waaaay back on decorations that year. 

So, this year, in my attempt to lessen my stress, I decided to put up most of the decorations on the first Sunday of Advent, leaving the tree and stockings until later (when college boy gets home). 

The younger kids were thrilled to see the house all Christmasy, and were so eager to help.  My oldest daughter, who is extremely fond of keeping traditions exactly the same as they are "supposed" to be, looked askance at me, wondering what I was doing.  She seemed to be pacified when I assured her the tree would go up at the "proper" time.
In the back of my mind, however, I questioned if I were doing the right thing and not jumping the gun.  I heard the excitement in the kids' voices as they exclaimed how "homey and cozy"the house was.  I had a lot of peace, also.  Then, it dawned on me.  Advent is a time for preparation and that is exactly what we were doing.  I wasn't celebrating Christmas early, but preparing for it!  We light our advent candles and read the Jesse Tree readings, all in anticipation of the birth of Our Savior.  We prepare a nursery before a child is born; and we prepare our homes, but especially our hearts, for the birth of the newborn King. 
If preparing early lessens the stress of it all, and increases our anticipation and excitement, it's all good, right?
Forgive me, Father, for I have decorated....

Catholic Icing to the Rescue

Well, Lacy at Catholic Icing has created a beautiful printable children's book with the new Mass Translation responses.  It's great and will be more attractive for the children than the pew cards, I think.  Having their own book will, I hope, get them more involved and thinking about the Mass and its new wording.

So, follow the link above to print out your own!
Thanks, Lacy!
By the way, be sure to bookmark her blog, Catholic Icing.  She's always sharing something great!