Saint Nicholas Sparkly Party, Fundraiser, and Giveaway!

It's Saint Nicholas Day! Did you leave out your shoes?  The good saint came to the Veils and Vocations homestead and left a pile of fruit, candies, and a small treat for each child. The kids are contentedly enjoying the treasures...sugar will be kicking in soon.

I jumped on here to share an amazing opportunity to give, shop, and maybe even receive! My beautiful friend, Anita, is a Premier Designs Consultant. My children are Mary's Meals Ambassadors. Wat do those two have in common??  A St Nicholas party of giving with lots of bling.

Anita and I are teaming up to help spread the word of Mary's Meals, help you wrap up that Christmas shopping, and feed children most in need around the world.




 Mary's Meals is a charity near and dear to my heart.  For this fundraiser, every dollar raised will go directly to feeding the neediest children. Every dollar will feed 20 children--20 children!!! Not only will their bellies be filled but they will get to go to school.

Food + School = Hope

Hope is what it is all about. There is no greater gift that hope, after all that is what the Christ Child brought. Hope for redemption. Hope for peace. Hope for a future. Hope for all people--Hope!!

What are you giving this Christmas? how about a stunning necklace, all wrapped up in hope?

To join our event visit our page here, it is open to everyone on Facebook or not! Please hop over and share away!!  This event wraps up on December 11th and all orders will be delivered in time for Christmas.

Excited yet??? Well, there is more, much more. One blessed reader is going to be chosen as the mystery hostess at the end of the event. That means, one of you will walk away with sleigh full of jewelry for FREE!!!  Yes, FREE!  Oh, don't you love Christmas time giveaways. 

So share and shop!  Every dollar earned will help provide hope through Mary's Meals and a little more bling for our lovely hostess. Will it be you??

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Opening Coupon and Giveaway!

Today is the day I picked to do a Grand Re-Opening of my Etsy shop.  Jessica and I must have been on the same wave length, because she posted a review and giveaway of my items.  Please hop over to her site and check it out.  For all my readers, I also have a special coupon code, GRANDOPENING15 for 10% off any order.  Thank you!

Winner of Summer Book Bundle

Kathy, commenter #5, is the winner of the book bundle. Congratulations, Kathy!  Please email me so I can get these out to you.

7QT Review and Giveaway--Holy Heroes

Thank you for bearing with me as I attempt to get back up to speed!  Don't forget about the summer reading bundle giveaway that closes tonight!

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Have you heard of Holy Heroes?  If you haven't, you must check them out. I know I have mentioned them before. They really are my favorite Catholic family business, mostly because they are a truly Catholic family who run a business aimed at making everyone's family better Catholics.  There are many small businesses with Catholic stuff, not that there is anything wrong with that but sometimes stuff is just stuff, very few really teach and preach the Faith like Holy Heroes. My family is hooked!

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I have so many favorites from Holy Heroes, it is difficult to narrow it down into Seven Quick Takes. So here are five favorite product lines/services from Holy Heroes.  First off are the wonderful "Adventures" sponsored by Holy Heroes. They are free to join and have become a staple in our home for Advent and Lent.  Kids teaching kids to love God and follow His Commands, excellent!  The adventures are entertaining, informative, and truly inspiring for the whole family.  If you are looking for a way to live the Liturgical year at home, look no further. This is the easiest way to bring your faith home, and did I mention it's free!

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Glory Stories are CDs or MP3 downloads of dramatized lives of saints. The stories are written and produced by the Holy Heroes family and include actors from their family and community.  Saints come to life and really touch the hearts of all who listen. My children cannot get enough of these. We have about five, I wish I could afford to buy them all, though. Even though we don't have that many, my children listen over and over and over, again, to these stories.  The saints become their friends and inspire them to do better. What I like best is that while these are produced for children, they are not watered down. The story told is the complete story!

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As part of the CD line, there are five Rosary cds.  Now, there are many rosary cds out there.  What makes these special is that first they are lead by children. However, my absolute favorite part is that each mystery is so well explained. After the initial presentation of the mystery after each Our Father, there is a Bible verse that tells the story of the mystery read after each Hail Mary of the decade.  It helps everyone focus and really meditate on the mystery, not just say the words.

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The final CD that I would like to highlight is the Stations of the Cross.  Ours has gone missing, so I must get a new one before Lent begins. We seriously missed having it this year. It was a wonderful way to fruitfully pass our time in the car during Lent. As with all the Holy Heroes CDs, it is well dramatized, entertaining, yet reverent.

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Lastly, Holy Heroes makes coloring books of the Life of Christ. Each book corresponds to a set of mysteries of the Rosary. The books are well laid out, pictures are detailed, but still easy to color.  We have a set that we bring to Adoration for when certain little boys get a little wiggly. :)

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Now, for the giveaway!  One of my blessed readers will receive TWO Glory Story CDs, Volumes 1 and 9. (These are my children's favorites, although there isn't any that they don't like.) Also, The Childhood of Jesus coloring book. Simply visit Holy Heroes and tell me what Glory Story you would like to experience in the comments below. Entries close June 12th at midnight. Winner will be announced on the 13th.

Linking up with Kelly for Seven Quick Takes. 

We have A Winner!

Congratulations to commenter #4!  Jessica, your prize will be on it's way, soon.  Don't forget, there is still the Summer Reading Giveaway which will close next Friday. Friday also brings a "glorious" new giveaway, please come back and enter.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and patience. I am hoping to get back up to speed this week. God bless!

Summer Reading Catholic Book Bundle Giveaway!

In case you haven't heard, I was blessed to attend the CHAPLET 2015 conference with Kelly with whom I am linking up for Seven Quick Takes.

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Books are a girl's real best friend!  Keep your diamonds, give me books!  There were plenty of books at the conference. One of my favorite vendors at any Catholic conference is the Pauline Sisters. Who could not just fall in love with beautiful nuns who also love and produce books???

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Last year, I picked up a stack of Song to Mary books, they are just beautiful!  Aside from the gorgeous artwork paired with each prayer or litany, everything is printed in both Latin and English.  My hope was to use these as a Latin supplement. Pray and learn--a ponderous plan. I just need to improve my Latin before then!  This little book is a true treasure, suitable for any Catholic, for any occasion.

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So once I decided that I HAD to purchase another copy of Song to Mary , I decided to create a little book bundle to giveaway. The Pauline sisters publish so many lovely books, and we've already discussed my book problem!  I encourage you to visit their stores or website to see the great array of books. I chose a stack perfect for summer reading for any child. For independent reading, I would put these at a 3rd grade level.

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Here are the additional books that I am giving away:

Now You're Cooking, a book of entertaining short stories paired with delicious, easy to prepare recipes!

Family Ties, thirteen short, easy to read stories about what it means to be a family.

Saints of Note, in comic book style, this is a very colorful and engaging book. It explores the lives of fourteen saints through the eyes of time travelling kids, it also includes pages of interesting facts and amazing stories for each saint.

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These books are all "quick reads."  If you are looking for something with more meat, check out  Encounter the Saints series!  We also really enjoy 57 Saints, it is by far our favorite collection of saint stories.

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Before we get to the giveaway, since we are celebrating religious vocations both in the Church this year, and in this post, please visit and consider donating to Peter's priesthood discernment fund!

Also, don't forget to enter the 18" doll gown giveaway that ends on May 16th!

Lastly, I am still trying to get in touch with Becky D. who was the winner of the toddler art pack.  If you are Becky or know her, please contact me. Thanks.

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Here is the giveaway, four books and a handmade bookmark.

Please visit Pauline books and tell me which book you would like to read by commenting below.One winner will be chosen and announced on May 23rd.

Fantastic Giveaway in 7QT

I know that I have been posting all week about the homeschool conference, this is the culminating and I promise, last post.  I am so thankful to get to share this discovery.

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Meet Elizabeth, a beautiful, talented, and lovely young lady!  She has created a line of 18" doll clothes called Novel Designs, exquisite outfits based on classic literature.

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Once I saw her gorgeous creations, I could not stop thinking about them!  I had to buy one and by gum, I was going to find a reason why.   Then I thought of you, my readers, and my giveaways. Surely, one of these dresses was meant for one of you.

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I am a doll lover!  My dolls were some of the best cared for creatures around when I was a child.  It was all I thought about. I still secretly dream of having a genuine American Girl of my own. (Mattel redesigning the dolls has tempered that a bit.) I can remember begging my mom for a Samantha doll...she said no...because I was 13 and the doll cost almost $100--which could buy a heck of a lot of things at the time.

I'm fairly certain that these lovely models are indeed the doll of my dreams.

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This dress is based on Ever After, one of my all time favorite films. If you haven't seen it, please do!

And then there is this beauty, the most charming doll dress, EVER! The photo does it no justice.

You know I have always thought that I would have a child with red hair, who loved dolls AND books. Perhaps meeting Elizabeth was just meant to be, after all there are no accidents, nor coincidences with God. It's all one, big, marvelous plan.

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Narnia, anyone?  Can't you just imagine one of these lovely gems wrapped up with a matching, hardbound classic. The perfect gift! So much beauty.

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Elizabeth and her sister also make Catholic Clay, well crafted, clay figurines of beloved saints. They are only $5 each and include a prayer card.

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Now for the giveaway....

One of my readers, will win The Jane Austen! Just comment below and tell me which dress is your favorite. Elizabeth can be reached by email here.

UPDATE:  Elizabeth now has an etsy store!!! Yay, Elizabeth!

Winner to be announced May 16th!

God bless!

Linking up with Kelly, again!

{p, h, f, r} Chaplet 2015

Pretty

This parish was absolutely gorgeous!  So much beauty.

Happy

I was happy to get to meet Kelly Mantoan at the conference.  She is absolutely lovely and down to earth. I was also happy to know that I'm not the only one who has family who doesn't understand this whole online blogger friends thing.  Can't wait for Kelly's new book Rosaries Aren't Just for Teething.  Some of the best bloggers out there all in one book!

Funny

So within the first hour of the conference, the spacious bag on wheels I had brought along was overflowing. I had to make a trip out to my car. Yes, I am a book addict aficionado.  They are my true weakness--so much so that my husband and I have banned ourselves from bookstores entirely!  Used book sales are where we get our fix, at least they only come up a few times a year.

I piled the books in my trunk, arranged artistically, and set up the shot.  Pretty funny, but all I could think is, "This can be my funny photo!"  Strange how blogging makes you think in terms of posts even when loading your trunk....lol

Funnier still, is the fact that as I was paying for the stack of books that put my load over the edge, I heard Kelly and Michelle Quigley conversing only a couple feet to my left. It was very hard to concentrate.  I was jumping with joy inside at the thought of two Catholic blogging giants standing within ear shot, almost close enough to touch them.  Breathe, Jennifer, breathe!  I thought of rushing over there and telling them what a great fan I am and asking for a photo and autograph, but that seemed so silly and childish.  It reminded me of when I went to a London pub with some classmates, one of which grabbed my arm and said, "Jennifer, just stay calm, act cool, don't freak out."  I had no idea why she was nearly hyperventilating. Found out when we got back to our flat, that the less than impressive guys who were sitting at our table were the then very popular band Oasis. How much happier I was to meet Kelly and Michelle!

Real

Real candles (oh, how I love real candles), Latin Mass, a quiet sanctuary to wrap up my prayers of the Novena. This Church was a real delight!

Linking up with Auntie Leila.  Please remember to enter the giveaway and come back tomorrow for another one!

Winner of Giveaway #1

I have a few new posts that I am working on but I wanted to post our winner.
Congratulations, Becky D.!  I will be emailing you do I can send this out.  Stay tuned for an absolutely fabulous giveaway this Friday!

7QT Giveaway week #1

Around Christmas time, on Facebook, there was a "pay it forward" challenge circulating. My sister posted an invitation to join the challenge and she would randomly bless you with a gift some time during the year. I signed onto hers and then posted the same challenge on my page...however, out of the ten people who should have volunteered to join on, only two signed up!  So, for the next eight Friday's, I will be sponsoring giveaways of some of my favorite things and highlighting some of my favorite businesses. This are simple giveaways to bless one of my readers, no strings attached and I receive nothing in return other than the pleasure of making one of you happy!  So, this is week one.

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I really, really, really like books.  So, my children have hundreds and I have read hundreds more from the local library.  I have a few tried and true favorites. Today I am going to share with you my new favorite series.

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Some of our collection

It's important to surround our children with beauty and goodness. In the board book department, I have found books that meet this criteria few and far between.  Then I discovered the Mini Masters series of books.  I purchased a stack for Little Man for Christmas, an extra couple just because, and then another for Easter. We now have most of the set, but I think that new ones have been released recently.

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When Cowgirl was a baby, Baby Einstein was all the rage.  Everyone wanted everything Baby Einstein. While I liked some of the products--particularly the Cds--most of it seemed to be missing something. I appreciated the inclusion of fine art, but there always seemed to be a disconnect between the pictures and the prose--or the lack of prose.  One of my favorite features of Mini Masters is how a dear little story is woven into the pictures of paintings. The pictures are tied together so well.

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I also enjoy that each book contains a wide array of examples of each artist's work. For instance, Monet' s book of course has the painting of the famous bridge and water lillies, but also includes his painting of turkeys. I never knew he painted turkeys!

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The books are well constructed and able to withstand whatever a busy toddler can throw at them, such as throwing them!  The pages are high gloss and easy to clean. All the features that a mom appreciates.

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Lastly, I must say that they are not just for young toddlers. I have used several in my preschool art class where the average age is 4.5 years. The children really enjoyed the stories and studying the various works of art. I feel that it made the art more accessible to them.

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Here's the giveaway! One of my blessed reader will win a box set of Mini Masters books, toddler crayons, and toddler markers.

Comment below for one entry
Share with friends for an additional entry (tell me where in the comments)
Sign up for updates from Veils and Vocations for a bonus 3 entries!

Contest closes April 24, 2015.

Linking up with Kelly, please keep her family in your prayers!

Pretty Happy Funny Real: The Giveways to Giddy Up Edition

Once again linking up with Auntie Leila for {p,h,f,r}.

PRETTY

First off, I have figured out how to center text on my Kindle, yay! But if you are looking for pretty hair jewelry, check out my Lilla Rose link. There is a very special 72 hour sale going on right now and for every order, $1 will be donated to Mary's Meals. All new customers win big because they can still get the buy 3 get one free offer on top of the sale prices. Also, make sure to enter the giveaway for your choice of Lilla Rose prettiness.

HAPPY

Little Man appears to be as horse-crazy as Cowgirl.  He is constantly clicking his lounge and bouncing up and down, pretending to ride. He even says horse, which sounds more like "gorgk" but he gets his point across, and he cries every time we have to leave the horses after riding lessons.  We brought home, from my mother-in-law's, Cowgirl's first rocking horse that she got at the age of about 18 months.  She honestly played with it up until recently because since it has flip up and down wheels, she would tie a rope to it and drag the horse around pretending she was, well, a cowgirl.  Let's just say that everyone is enjoying having Cinnamon at home.  Little Man likes to rock on him and practice his "posting."  The big kids are having a ball taking him on "pony rides" around the house. Yup, we will be spending a lot of time at the barn for years to come!

FUNNY

This year at our co-op, I am teaching a preschool art class.  We are exploring different artists and making our own versions of some of their famous masterpieces.  This week we learned about Picasso and the girl with the ponytail. To get the children to explore seeing faces differently and ignite their creative juices, I had each child bring in a photocopy of a black and white headshot of themselves. They then were instructed to cut the picture apart however they wished and use the pieces to create a new picture by gluing it onto construction paper and coloring with bright colors.  I was impressed by how seriously and thoughtfully they completed this task.

Now, Buddy is "auditing" this class.  It is technically for five and under, but since he has no class during its time slot, he tags along and participates in the project.  He is my read-all-the-instructions-and-never-color-outside-the-lines child.  This is how he interpreted my instructions.

His response, "If it doesn't look real, Mom, it isn't worth anything." ...sigh!

REAL

Yesterday was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, so I lit two candles. One was for all the tiny saints, including mine, who are loved but lost too soon.  The other was my special Ave Maria candle that I light in memory of my daughter, Ashley, on her born in to Heaven and due date anniversaries.  Praying for all the lost little ones and the mother and fathers who love them with very full hearts despite their empty arms. God bless you all!