New EWTN Show for Catholic Moms!

"Everyday Blessings for Catholic Moms" is the new show on EWTN hosted by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle. I've blogged about her wonderful books on here in the past and wanted to share this news with you! You can read more about this great experience on her blog by clicking here. You can also read up on the show on Faith & Family Live, written by Lisa Henley (creator of CatholicMom.com and an author herself, The Handbook for Catholic Moms) by going here. I can't wait to watch the show myself...her books are fascinating (I'm reading two right now: One with a local group of moms Domestic Church: Room by Room and the other Prayerfully Expecting on my own since I'm 7 weeks away from seeing our new baby!). She is such a great Catholic mother and woman!

Thanks, Donna-Marie, for your devotion and for guiding us in the beautiful vocation of motherhood.

Good Wholesome Catholic Movies

We have a couple of friends who have ditched the TV from their homes...no, this is NOT a typo. They had consciously decided to get rid of the TV, well mainly cable and some the actual sets, from their lovely homes. In 2010, this is hard to believe! Personally, I'd love to do it if only I could get DH to agree with me 100% on this, lol! He's about 75% of the way there...still working on him about it. Why would I want this for my home? Several reasons:


1. TV/Cable is a distraction for real wholesome family time.
2. It is a venue for the wrong kind of messages to my children (EVEN THE CARTOONS)!
3. It is addictive and keeps you from focusing on the things that matter most.

I've had days were we don't turn the set on all days...the silence is lovely! Now, my friends who have opted for this lifestyle do watch movies. Some very limited kind, of course and no, they aren't weird or dress or look weird, lol! They are very "normal" Catholics who are trying to keep the focus on their faith - that's all.

The past week, one friend recommended a movie entitled The Robe...she saw it with her nine-year-old and they both loved it! It is from a very different perspective about the life and ministry and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the view and words of the Roman Soldier who cast lots to win Jesus's robe. I really want to see it with my 12 year old! I think it would be a fantastic film to watch during Lent as well!

Last night I asked another friend to make a list of these kinds of movies so that I could share with other moms; and for my family as well of course. These are older Catholic movies that you could watch with your kids. Here is the list that my friend Dan compiled for me, he entitled it "The Best Catholic themed films that I have seen" [he has made specific comments]:

1. "The Last Hurrah" starring Spencer Tracy


2. "The Fighting Sullivans" starring Thomas Mitchell and Anne Baxter.


3. "I Confess" starring Montgomery Clift and Anne Baxter.


4. "San Francisco" with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.


5. "The Reluctant Saint" with Maximilian Schell. [overtly Catholic]


6. "Ben Hur" The Charlton Heston version.


7. "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne and Maureen O'hara.


8. "Come to the Stable" with Loretta Young and Celeste Holm. [overtly Catholic]


9. "The Miracle of Marcellino" 1950's version [overtly Catholic]


10. "The Long Gray Line" with Tyrone Power and Maureen O'hara [excellent film, somewhat Catholic]


11. "The Fugitive" 1948, with Henry Fonda and Dolores del Rio [overtly Catholic but hard to find]
    

If you have other films you'd like to add to this list or if you have already seen any of these and you'd like to tell us about them, please feel free to leave a comment. Also, when I taught at a Catholic school in Florida, I always went to this website: http://usccb.org/movies/ to see what the Catholic US Bishops had to say about current films and TV shows. Of course, for newer films you can also visit: http://www.lukefilms.com/

Catholic Homeschooling Conferences for 2010

Since I'm a newbie in home education, I have not been priviledged enough to attend a Home Schooling Conference recently. My husband and I did attend one once back in 2006, when we thinking ahead of what we wanted for our family's future. We were just a family of five at the time and our eldest had always attended Catholic school all of his educational life. Never did we know that we were "opening a can of worms", sorta speak, when we went to this conference.

As a teacher in both Catholic and public schools for 12 years, I attended several conferences and loved how neat it was to be able to fan through the books and see lots of goodies we yearned to have in our classrooms. The difference between the Catholic Homeschooling conference my DH and I attended and the ones I've been to in the past on my own (yes even the ones while teaching at a Catholic school) was the spiritual component. The atmosphere was very different and it is was drew us closer and opened our hearts and minds to home educating our children. With all of this in mind, I want to direct you to a list that Catholic Homeschooling Support has created for home educators of upcoming Catholic Conferences in your state. In my case, a group of home educators will be traveling to DC as it is the closest conference to our state. Here is the link to the list they have create.

If you have attended a home educating conference in the past, please leave us a comment of your experience at these conferences. Also, let us know why you would recommend that Catholic home educators attend these conference. By the way, a lot of these conferences are FREE of charge! :) Who can resist that? LOL! Don't forget, leave us a comment with your experiences.

Lent is Here! Activities for Children

There is a plethora of ideas and activities to work with your home schooled children via other Catholic Blogging Mamas throughout the net. Here is the line up of what I've found thus far (if you find other good sites to recommend, please post a comment on here withe link). Some of these overlap a little, be aware! :) Here is the line up (hover over the name of the blog to click on the link):

• Catholic Blogging Mama Lacy @ Catholic Icing (I LOVE THIS BLOG): Not sure if Lacy is a homeschooler but I love her blog because she has tons of activities for Lent (and other Liturgical seasons for that matter). I love her ideas for kids to make sacrifices by giving up favorite toys and putting them away during Lent! What a great way to teach children sacrifice!!!
  
• Holy Heroes Lent Adventures: Follow Lent with Holy Heroes! If you sign up for their program (which is FREE) you will receive a daily e-mail with what will be done next for each day of Lent. There are activities and adorable videos (the their kids), check them out!
  
• Catholic Blogging Mama Liz @ Holy Family Classical Homeschool Academy: She has compiled a list of activities on her blog, very neat! You will find a Lent Lapbok, Sacrifice Beads, Prayer Jar, Pretzels, Way of the Cross candle craft, Station coloring book, family chart, Crown of Thorns, Sacrifice Jar, and a Merciful Cross.
  
• Catholic Blogging Mama Erin @ Catholic Homeschool Society: Lent resource for families - Lent Journal for Children posted to view sample pages and order a copy.Includes: Liturgical Calendar, Coloring Pages of the Saints, Family Discussion for the Sunday Gospel Readings, Collection of Prayers, Family Activity Ideas during Lent, The Ten Commandments, Stations of the Cross, The Holy Rosary - focusing on the Sorrowful Mysteries, Family projects for Lent - Cooking, Sewing, Woodworking, and Gardening and more..
  
• Family in Feast and Feria: They have created a printable Stations of the Cross for kids! I love it!
  
• Catholic Blogging Mama Gae @ Cherished Hearts at Home: She has put together a Stations of the Cross box with ideas for each station, go to her neat blog for the list of items you probably already have around your house!
  
• I Blog, Therefore I am! isn't a homeschooler but a Faith Formation teacher and has come up with lesson plans that she will be using for Lent with her students with vocabulary and everything!
  
• Catholic Blogging Mama Sally @ Castle in the Sea: Sally has details of a Stations of the Cross activity she does with her family from the printables to how to actually do it to involve your children, big and small. Thanks, Sally, for sending us this information!
  

Enjoy!

Domestic Church Book Study

Here's a link to Donna-Marie's blog that posted a picture of our little group that is currently using her book, Domestic Church: Room by Room: http://viewdomesticchurch.blogspot.com/2010/01/domestic-church-study-group.html

Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship (A Book Review-Final)

When I started reading this book, I was so excited to share with our readers about it that I stopped in the middle and created a preview review of this amazing book.

Then I was off to finishing this book and couldn't help it and just had to finish the book; I couldn't put it down again! The author gives you an different view of the real Blessed Mother Teresa by sharing personal letters that she sent her as well as quoting her through various conversations they had over the phone or in person. I've always been drawn, from an early age, to service to others. I've gone to "extremes" and worked in soup kitchens or volunteered at orphanages in the past. Since starting my own family, I haven't been able to do these "extreme" works of mercy and felt bad because of it. After reading this book I realized that as mothers, we have to server those around us and also that food isn't always what others need. There are people around us all the time that need time, love and compassion, as well as our prayers! Starvation isn't always related to food and nourishment, it also has to do with being and feeling wanted, needed, and loved! How many times do we treat someone in our own families poorly because they "bother us"?

On this note, I've gotten to meditating on the idea that those people that you and I might not like, Jesus and Mary LOVE them as much as he loves you and me! What a concept! If we keep this in mind every time we come across people in our own families that "drive us nuts", "get on our nerves or under our skin", just think, "but Jesus loves them, so why shouldn't I?" I'm certain there are times when you and I do things that make you wonder who would love us after they knew our worse sins. The beautiful aspect of being Catholic is that our Lord gave us the amazing Sacrament of Reconciliation and since He loves us he forgives us, so why not do the same for those around us? As, the author states in her book, there is a Calcutta all over the world.

Another thing that stayed with me from this book is that we constantly make excuses for not serving others or doing more for our own faith. We say things like, "If only I had more money to share", "If I had more time", "If I had more energy"....we waste so much precious time with "Ifs" and not doing enough for our own family members! God has placed you were you are for a reason, he didn't give you more money, time, energy, etc., because He has sent you what you need for the mission He wants you to endure!

This book has been a wake up call for me in so many aspects of my life as a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, etc.. Instead of waking up each morning and wishing I had more of this or that, now I wake up and ask, "Okay Lord, what do you need from me today?"

Thank you, Donna-Marie, for writing this marvelous book! It truly has been like a mini retreat for me; one which I will definitely turn to in a couple of months because this is the kind of book you'll want to read again and again!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Mother Teresa and Me .

Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship (a review in the making)

Soooo....I opened the book Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship by Donna-Marie Cooper-O'Boyle on Saturday morning and I COULD NOT put it down!!! I walked around with it all day, lol! Every second I could sit and read, I did (while watching my lovely 4 children, of course)...I got to Chapter 7! Stopped for the day and Sunday to let it all sink in, I have one word to describe how I feel after reading thus far, "WOW!" I also noticed something that was definitely from God, total inner peace...no matter how nutty things got with the kids, I was SUPER calm (not the way I normally handle things, lol). Hence, the kids reacted back the same way, it was so sweet and lovely to have this little interaction!

Also, I have felt a feeling of being "full" and have wanted to eat very little, this happens to me when I've come back from Ignatius Retreats in the past, as if my sould was filled to the brim and my body need-not the usual amount of nurishment! Have you ever experienced this? I've read about it, in the lives of Saints...it's a beautiful feeling!! I just wanted to thank Donna-Marie for this wonderful book and for sharing her story because although it is hard to leave my home to go on a retreat because of all the kids, I was actually graced with a mini-retreat on Saturday, while reading your book! It truly grounded me, or I should say lifted me up spiritually but most of all as a mommy!!! =) God bless her!!!! Once I finish reading the whole book, I'll write my official review for the Catholic Company of this amazing book, so stay tuned! If you are interested in ordering a copy for yourself, visit the Catholic Company or click here for the author's website. Now, I'm off to keep reading, can't wait! :)

Mercy Minutes

Mercy Minutes - Daily Gems from the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalski.

This little book, coveniently small enough to be easily carried in a purse, is packed with inspirational and spiritual guidance. It is set up for everyday of the year and also includes passages from St. Maria Faustina Kowalski's diary. It is easy to read and meditate on as well as full of spiritually rich words!

I loved the themes which help guide your spiritual life and able to transform you. Some of my favorite themes are Confession, God's will, trusting Him, and God's mercifulness for us! This is a great book to own for anyone looking to deepen their love for the Lord and increase their Faith in Him. Truly a must have!

Catholic Parent Know-How: Faith Filled Summer Activities - A Review

Some of our readers may have noticed that I added a logo on the right side of this blog when I became official "Product Reviewers for the Catholic Company." Every so often, as I receive new material, you will see posts on books/items from their company of which I will write a review for. Feel free to comment or ask any questions, should you have them.

Catholic Parent Know-How: Faith Filled Summer Activities

As this is my first review, and we were about to start our home school year, I started small and selected a small magazine/pamphlet type of item to review. This is entitled Catholic Parent Know-How: Faith Filled Summer Activities. Truly when I received it and saw that it was only eight pages long, I thought it was just a skim of activities you could do in the summer and then add religion. Boy was I wrong! Those eight pages were packed with ideas all based on celebrating the beauty of our faith during the hot summer months.

This soft-cover booklet, is designed and written much in the style of any magazine. Begining with a letter from the author, Ken Ogorek, with an introduction to this booklet. The eight pages are packed with ideas on how to incorporate prayer life into the fun activities you will do during the summer months with your children. It discusses topics like vacations, family reunions, and trips, as well as quiet time at home. It truly gives you a different perspective of how Catholics should relax in the hot summer months but not in their active faith life.

I was extremely impressed when I came to page five entitled, "How Smart Am I?" Here the author discusses Dr. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (M. I.). This takes me back to the years I taught Kindergarten at a local public school in Florida. The school had adopted the usage of the M. I. in lesson plans and in the classroom. In a nutshell it exlains how everyone is gifted or smart in one or more things. For example, some people are Mathematical, while others are more linguistic. For more info on this, Google it since it is really interesting. When you include this in your lesson plans, you target every type of child in the classroom. The author was targeting these multiple intelligences and designed eight faith filled summer activities, one for each! I was impressed!!!! To say the least.

Yet, my favorite article is found on page seven, entitled "What Will the Neighbors Think?" This article was directed at celebrating August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgen Mary into Heaven as a family! The author gives bold suggestions such as blue decoratios, wearing blue, and praying a family rosary in honor of our Blessed Mother! It was great!

This is the type of booklet that you would find as you are exiting out the door of your Church. If you see "Catholic Parent Know-How" don't pass it up, there are a couple more written by this same author. If you click on the picture of this booklet, it will take you to the Catholic Company page. You may also order them there, but they come in packs of 10 (so you could share with your family and friends).

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Catholic Parent -Faith-Filled Summer -Pkg 10.

And the winners are....

1) Domestic Church: Room by Room

The winner is Marie who left a comment and has a blog "Domestically Catholic" (how appropriate)....please e-mail me with your full name and address so we can mail you your new autographed book!








2) Grace Cafe

The winner is Jacqueline who is a follower of our blog! please e-mail me with your full name and address so we can mail you your new book (autographed, of course).


A very special thank you to Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle for her beautiful work in these two great books. Also for your generosity in donating these two books for our readers. God bless you!

You can still get your hands on these and other of her great books by visiting her website: http://web.mac.com/dcooperoboyle/Site/Books.html



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Catholic wife and mother of five, author, journalist, speaker, reviewer, catechist, Lay Missionary of Charity (Mother Teresa's Order) and lover of nature. Widely published and deeply experienced in both family life and religious life, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle counted Blessed Teresa of Calcutta among her personal friends. She maintains numerous Web sites and has founded several Catholic apostolates and ministries. For more information on this wonderful Catholic author, please visit here. For a daily dose of inspiration, visit Donna's blog at http://viewdomesticchurch.blogspot.com/.