Preparing for Advent + Blessed Is She Journal Giveaway

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It is somewhat amusing to me that I’m suggesting preparing for the time of year that we prepare for Jesus’ birth. And yet, in order to truly enter into the beautiful season of Advent, I find it immensely helpful to be prepared for a calm, purposeful Advent. I *do* need to prepare for the season of preparation.

Most years, I have grand ambitions of having all gift shopping and card-making (photos taken and turned into cards via Shutterfly) done by Thanksgiving. This year, I really do hope to make that a reality. *IF* I get these things done before Thanksgiving, then I can better enjoy the season. I can pray, reflect, and rejoice in peace and calm without worry about all the right trimmings, gifts, and cards.

With just the right planning now, Advent will (hopefully) be that peaceful and joyful time my heart yearns for. In a few days, I’ll create gift lists with my husband. We have always tried to keep giving at Christmas simple and meaningful, so we will chat about what that looks like this year. The kids and I like to do handmade gifts, so we’ll plan some simple food and crafts. And last of all, Fence and I will coordinate our ever-busy schedules and plan a time to take the annual family Christmas card photo–in other words, we set a time for torturing ourselves. (Even with all the best planning, photo-time brings out the Scrooge in all of us. Maybe some egg nog before and a promise of movie night after will help?)

It also helps to set my hopes high and realistic expectations low. Aim for the high, but be pleased with reality, know what I mean?

And if all goes well, even half as well as I plan for, I can breathe easy when the first Sunday arrives and my Advent wreath is found and candles are bought and also found in time for dinner prayers. I am so looking forward to praying through Advent this year. The Blessed Is She team has created a beautiful, physical prayer journal for Advent. I preordered mine on the first day. In a few weeks, you will find me stalking the mailman in between batches of addresses on cards and checking lists for gifts. Take at peek at how beautiful this is going to be.

BISjournalcover            BISjournalpages

Guess what, my lovely friends? I am giving away two journals. And, I will also send a set of Advent candles with one journal, and a rosary chaplet of St. Andrew with the other journal. The chaplet is being handmade by my friend Debbie, who has encouraged me as a homeschooler and mother every time I see her. She may not even realize it, but I always walk away from our chats feeling refreshed. She made and gifted me Firecracker’s rosary before he was born. It is so lovely. Her work is beautiful. Thanks, Debbie, for the chaplet! She does make rosaries for sale, so let me know if you are interested.

The chaplet will be lovingly made with beautiful violet beads, for Advent, 1-08-64496and have a Madonna and Child medal. It is a great way to add some prayer to your Advent! Here is a little bit about the St. Andrew novena/chaplet . I prayed it last year, and it definitely helped me slow my pace and intentionally pause to remember what the season is really about. Here is what Deborah has to say about the chaplet she is designing:

Just in time for Advent, Rosary by Deborah’s newest product, a St. Andrew Christmas Chaplet, features amethyst-stone colored Czech glass beads and a Madonna and Child medal. The beads are a purple color for Advent with a little sparkle for the anticipation of Christmas. Instructions for the chaplet, which traditionally is prayed starting on the Feast of St. Anthony the Apostle, Nov. 30, until Christmas, are included. Retail value $20; special price this month of $15 including shipping!

A special nod to Gina F. for introducing this chaplet to Debbie, Owner/Designer of Rosaries by Deborah.

UPDATED with this photo of the chaplet rosary!.CBM-Andrew

I can’t wait to read your responses in the giveaway questions, and learn some other ways you prepare for Christmas during Advent.

About Deborah:

Rosaries by Deborah was established in 2006 by Deborah Simon, a Catholic wife and homeschooling mother. While her specialty is in creating custom rosaries for all occasions, there are nearly 100 different predesigned rosaries and chaplets currently available that can be seen via an eBrochure. Depending on options (bead choice, metals used, engraving, etc.), prices range from $15 – $200 with most costing between $18 – $30.

Custom work has included wedding gifts using brides’ colors, multi-generational birthstone rosaries, gifts for Sacraments…

rosary2 rosary1

Contact Deborah@RosariesbyDeborah.com to get started designing your special rosary, chaplet, or to see what is currently in stock. (Sorry no website, yet!)

Pictured are Our Lady of Knock Rosary and Sacred Blood Rosary.

 

 

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39 Comments

  1. We celebrate by having an advent wreath and trying to do penance and fasting. I think this is important and that the Church has downplayed it a bit, and I’m not sure why. I feel like we are not encouraged enough to do penance and fasting during the season of advent like we are during lent. Advent is preparing us for Christmas, as you said, and I feel that we should try to make an effort in preparing. It’s hard to do this in the culture that we live in, where stores are putting out there Christmas sales and displays earlier every year. I definitely want to try a little harder at preparing for both advent and Christmas this year. Thanks for the giveaway.

    1. I think my previous comment got lost…but I would love to know how you fast and do penance. Those ideas are still new to me in preparation for Advent. 🙂

  2. We like to light candles in an Advent wreath. I just came home to the Catholic Church last year (and brought my husband and five kids with me) so I am looking for ideas 😉

  3. I am in RCIA classes and up until now, I have never celebrated Advent. I would love this journal to help me reflect on the season and start new traditions with my family!

  4. Love this so much, Gina! Advent is such a gift! Thanks for the chance to win that beautiful journal and advent candles! I’m hoping to be more intentional about Daily Advent prayers by candlelight and going to look back on last year to try and remember how Advent went down 🙂

  5. Preparing for the season of preparation — as an over-planner, I totally relate! Tips for preparations for a peaceful and hopeful Advent are always appreciated. Keep them coming!

  6. I’m not the best at celebrating Advent, but I try to celebrate it by NOT decorating for Christmas yet but by patiently waiting 🙂 I also do Advent candles and try to add more prayer to my daily life.

    1. It *is* so hard to not decorate too soon! The first year we didn’t decorate early was because of having a young, rowdy boy in the house. This year, we again have a young rowdy boy! We might not even get the tree out until Christmas Eve. 😉

  7. I love Advent! We have an advent wreath and pray each night together around it. But there is so much more I want to do. Including this devotional!

  8. What a wonderful way to prepare the way for Christ! It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the season if we aren’t careful. Things like this remind me to slow the heck down and let Jesus do a number on my heart before Christmas (and beyond!)

  9. Two Christmases ago I found this awesome wooden christmas tree at Hobby Lobby for $6 during their after christmas sales (some lady even tried to steal it out of my cart!) so last year I used it to make a Jesse Tree. It was really cool. I like to have an advent wreath at home even if we forget to light it. I like to make cookies and raviolis (usually during the last week of advent). I usually pick up some kind of advent reflection book at the church. This prayer journal looks awesome!

  10. Each evening, we light the candle(s) on our bare metal Advent wreath, and do our usual simple family prayer time (asking each to voice their prayer to God if they wish, then an Our Father, Haily Mary, and Glory Be to end. Special for Advent, though, we sing O Come, Emmanuel last of all.
    When it’s Christmas, we decorate the wreath with greenery and switch out the Advent candles for white candles. Then, on St. Stephen’s day, we add red berries to the wreath for the martyrs. And O Come, Emmanuel is replaced with a Christmas hymn.
    The children love it.

    1. Oooh, that change in the wreath sounds lovely, as does signing the hymn. I’m not sure I could convince anyone here to sing!

  11. We set up an Advent wreath. That is kind of lame because we often forget to light it. Probably the most meaningful thing I do is follow along in a little book our parish gives us. I really try to focus on the meaning of Christmas, not just the “holiday”.

  12. I am also determined to make this a more prayerful Advent. Last year I had just had a baby and was going through a bad case of depression so Advent was not so great. This year I am determined to do better. Thanks for the great giveaway!

  13. This is my first year celebrating advent. I plan to set up an advent wreath and light it for evening prayers. 🙂

  14. We are still working on how to celebrate the liturgical year, so this is rough beginnings, but we have an advent wreath that we light every night at dinner and pray along with when we remember. We have advent music (Advent at Ephesus) which I LOVE & I listen to almost daily during advent.
    And we wait until Gaudate Sunday (sp?) to put up the tree or any other decorations.
    I want to add acts of service and some aspect of fasting, but we’re not there yet.

    1. That’s awesome. I’m hoping more chime in with ways to fast and add service/penance, because it has only been 5 or so years so I learned that was part of Advent. I’m going to look up that music you mentioned. Thanks for coming by, friend!

  15. I’m not really ready to start thinking about Christmas/Advent yet…so thanks for the kick in the pants 😉 The kids love doing our Jesse Tree, and they have some Christmas season books they like to read. Hoping to find more time for some of my own reading this year…

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