Have you heard of Mary Reed Newland? I discovered her when my babies were small and I got excited! They are full of gems that help us teach our families to love their faith! 🙂41vFx5Y7bqL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_

The one was called We and Our Children: How to Make a Catholic Home

and the other one was The Year & Our Children: Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season

Mary Reed Newland was Catholic down to the tips of her toes. And she passed it onto her children and shared with us her gems.

In The Year and Our Children  I learned about the feast days and the special holidays and how to celebrate them in a thoroughly Catholic manner. After reading her book, we began to have a puppet show on St. Nicholas Day, complete with instructions on how to make the simple, inexpensive puppets. It became a tradition for many years.

She has so many great ideas for the holiday season! It has always been inspiring to read her chapters on Advent and Christmas!

She gave me ideas on how to have a little procession through the yard , making a crown of flowers for our Lady and crowning her at the end of the procession.

Beautiful things like those that became such a help to me.865_175px

A couple of other books she wrote are:How to Raise Good Catholic Children

index

and The Saints and Our Children

I highly recommend her books! You won’t be disappointed!

Reviews for The Year and Our Children:

“For over half a century, Catholic families have treasured the practical piety and homespun wisdom of Mary Reed Newland’s classic of domestic spirituality, The Year and Our Children. With this new edition, no longer will you have to search for worn, dusty copies to enjoy Newland’s faithful insights, gentle lessons, and delightful stories. They’re all here, and ready to be shared with your family or homeschooling group. Here, too, you’ll find all the prayers, crafts, family activities, litanies, and recipes that will help make your children ever-mindful of the beautiful rhythm of the Church calendar.

Learn how to make an Advent wreath — and how to make it more than just a pretty ornament. Teach your children about the real Santa (the one who was a bishop) and how to celebrate all twelve days of Christmas, giving them a holy wonder that will continue long after all the presents have been opened and the wrapping thrown away.”

“I bought this book online, used; in its original printing about 10 years ago. It must have been in demand then because it was not cheap, but I really wanted a copy so I bought it. It was worth every penny to me. This book is not about FUN it is about the Christian religion in the home. It is about living the faith at a child’s level in the domestic realm. Many people celebrate holidays without even knowing the original meaning. This book helps the Catholic family celebrate Christian holidays and feast days with an informed point of view. It adds meaning by providing the history and true spirituality of the celebration.”