December and Christmas Traditions When You're Catholic

 About 10 years ago, I wrote an article called "10 Special Christmas Traditions" and it was published in maybe a dozen or so regional parenting publications in the US (then I parked the text here on the blog). Now that the kids are so much older, there are several that have dropped off, and I'd like to start including some different ones and start incorporating our Catholic faith a bit more. 

For instance, we still look at Christmas lights, but with teens' work and social schedules, sometimes that has to happen AFTER Christmas. The Letter to Santa tradition has morphed into the Add to Your Amazon Wish List tradition 🙄 We don't have the kids go sit on Santa's lap anymore (last time they pretty much just stood), but we could definitely handle some more volunteer work and helping others (just today my husband and three of the kids helped demo a bathroom at an old convent and loved it!).

December 6th is my fourth child's birthday, and she'll be 15 this year (able to get her driving permit in our state and possibly able to get a job—if her dad says okay). It's also the feast day of St. Nicholas, and I only learned a few years ago about putting treats in kids' shoes. I'm a convert, and my husband either never knew or doesn't remember a lot of this stuff; I don't think his family ever did this shoe thing. Here's a link at Catholic Icing with ideas for gifts to put in the shoes.

December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and a holy day of obligation, which means we go to Mass. Here's more information about the real meaning of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and also a craft.

December 12th is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and we do love our Mexican heritage around here. I fell in love with speaking Spanish long ago, and our second son Michael (Miguelito) flew through dual-credit Spanish I in college and is going back for more, happily. I think it's cool that the Spanish speakers at the restaurant where he works ask to speak to him on the phone when they want something understood (like they left something at work and need it put in their locker)😁 This is a new one we're adding to our December Traditions lineup (I know, like we need more to remember and do), and it's going to be as simple as having tacos for dinner that night 🤷 When we are able to step it up a little bit, I'm parking this link to Catholic Icing for some more ideas for celebrating this feast day.

December 13th — How did I not know that the feast day of St. Lucy is huge in Swedish culture?! I really don't think I'll be making these saffron buns anytime soon, but I'll park the recipe here just in case. And here are more fun ideas for celebrating. Otherwise, to keep it simple, maybe we'll just go look at lights that night.

December 24th (Christmas Eve) — I think I went to Midnight Mass with my husband's family once (and this is before we were even married, I think, and maybe before I even converted) and quite possibly said, "Never again!" Nah, I remember thinking it was beautiful (I think we went to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee, KS), but once we had kids and tried to go to Mass anytime past 10 p.m., it was a disaster. Anyway, we always attend Mass on Christmas Eve and get a lovely family photo in front of the altar.

December 25th (Christmas Day!) — This is the day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. At one time, it was a bit stressful trying to get several places on this one day with little ones, but then we decided no more and we've pretty much stayed home to celebrate ever since. This includes sweatpants; a breakfast consisting of cinnamon rolls (Boy Scout-made rolls when our son was in Scouts, but now just store-bought in a roll), orange juice, coffee, and an egg bake; opening stockings first; presents after breakfast (one at a time so I can savor it, please!); and basking in each other's presence (and each other's presents LOL).

Strapped for Cash? A Side Hustle Can Sort You Right Out

 

Are you struggling with cash flow issues right now? The cost of living crisis is impacting everyone and not always equally. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you are exploring some of the best ways to earn some extra money. One way to do this would be by completing a side hustle. With the right side hustle, you can make sure that you are earning a lot of extra cash. You can use this to cover the cost of your bills or potentially to pay for a little luxury you love. So, let’s explore some of the best ways to set up a side hustle. 

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Do Something You Enjoy 

First, you need to make sure that you are choosing a side hustle that is going to fit what you love or what you enjoy. Don’t forget, a side hustle is always going to eat into your spare time. As such, it’s important to ensure that it’s something that you like otherwise it’s going to feel like a constant drain on your life and this is the last thing you want. Particularly, if you already have a stressful and time-consuming main career. There are lots of options here. For instance, you might be fascinated by health. If that’s the case then you could work as a medic. You just need to get the basics which are available from companies like Holmes Medical Training. 

Great Tips for Buying a House

There is zero doubt that buying a house is possibly the biggest purchase you will ever make. You need to make sure that you get this right, so that you're not going to be in a position where you have purchased the wrong property. Believe us when we say you don't want that to happen any more than the bank does. 

Whether it's your first home, and you are just looking to get onto the market, or you're looking for your forever home, it's likely that you spent some time already shopping around for mortgage life insurance and contents insurance so that your home can be as protected as possible. After all, if you're going to spend thousands of dollars looking for a house and moving in, you want to make sure that nobody else can take it from you. Buying a house isn't always straightforward, which is why we've put together these top tips to help you to know what to do next.

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• Go and see a local agent. It doesn't matter whether or not you are new to the area or you are old hat at the location you are looking to buy. You need to see a local agent, because they will know more about the area you are hoping to move into than you do. They will be able to tell you the best suburbs to live in, whether or not you throw any good deals on homes at the moment, and whether there have been any crime issues that you should know about before you choose to buy.

How to Make Your Home Move Much More Organized

 

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Moving is a pain, there's no doubt about it. But there are ways to make the process less of a headache. One way is to be extra organized during your move. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people wing it when it comes to packing up their belongings and moving them to a new home. By taking a few extra steps to organize your move, you can save yourself time, money, and a lot of stress. Here's how:

1. Write a To-Do List

This should include tasks like packing, arranging for movers or renting a truck, changing your address, and canceling/transferring utilities. Having a master list will help you keep track of everything that needs to be done and ensure that nothing gets forgotten in the shuffle.

2. Create an Inventory

This will come in handy when you're packing, as you'll know exactly what needs to go into each box. It will also be helpful when it comes time to unpack at your new place, as you'll know exactly what goes where. And if anything gets lost or damaged during the move, you'll have a record of what was supposed to be in each box so you can make an insurance claim accordingly.

Three Home Improvements That Could Add Value

 It's easy to think that moving to a bigger house will solve all your family's space problems. But maybe some practical home improvements are a better choice right now. No matter what you do to your home, you want it to be worth more and make it easy for you to move in the future.

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Check out these things to think about with a project before you make a choice.

Could You Add Another Room? 

There are many ways to make a house bigger by adding another room. From single-story and two-story additions to summer houses and extra bathrooms, there are many things to think about.