The following are answers to a few questions that I have received lately…
Question:
I love your website! I was wondering if you have an any suggestions on which stores to go to or websites to find feminine dresses, blouses, and skirts? I went shopping in my suburb yesterday and unfortunately everything is very short and unpleasant. It is really hard to find decent, modest clothing for woman nowadays.
Answer:
This list was snagged from this post, From “Marian” Dress Code to Elegant Catholic Attire by Beauty So Ancient.
Places to Shop for Modest Clothing:
- EShakti – The darling of the modest community. They’ve changed a bit since Covid-19, but you can still find some good stuff.
- Modest Dresses on Amazon – Believe it or not, you can find a lot of beautiful dresses and skirts on Amazon for a reasonable price. Quality may vary.
- H&M – H&M has a modest line now, but I’ve always been able to find modern tops and skirts at H&M.
- Modlily – If you look around you can find some beautiful modest dresses at great prices. Quality varies, but I bought the wonderful jean dress pictured, from Modlily, although I don’t believe they carry this dress anymore. Modlily seems to be a Chinese company.
- Modli_ Not to be confused with Modlily, they are also a Chinese company but seem to have more traditionally modest clothing at the same price point. Again, quality varies.
Question:
Thank you for this post. It is exactly what I needed to hear today. Also, the first Amazon link does not appear to work. Are you able to give the title of the book about modesty for young girls?
Answer:
Here is the book…It is called The Valiant Maiden’s Crusade and is available here.
Question:
Another wonderful gallery! I’m exhausted just looking at all the activities! There is one question that I hope you don’t mind answering. Well, two. What is a throat blessing? Did I read that right? And, more important, couldn’t the rabbit ride in the car with lots of padding?
Answer:
First, about the rabbit…
It’s ride is just a few hundred yards down to the rabbit pen. No worries.
About the Throat Blessing….
FEBRUARY 3 – St. Blaise is patron against troubles of the throat, and today our throats are blessed at Mass. The priest will bless two candles in honor of St. Blaise. The words of this blessing are:
Our help + is in the name of the Lord.
Who made heaven and earth.
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit. Let us pray.
Almighty and most gentle God, Who didst create the multiplicity of things through Thine only Word, and didst will that same Word through Whom all things were made to take flesh for the refashioning of man.
Thou, Who art great and without measure, terrible and worthy of praise, a Worker of wonders: the glorious martyr and bishop Blaise, not fearing to suffer all sorts of diverse tortures because of his profession of faith in Thee, was suited happily to bear the palm of martyrdom: and Thou didst grant to him, among other graces, the favor that he should by Thy power cure all kinds of illnesses of the throat:
We humbly beg Thy Majesty not to look upon our sins, but to be pleased by his merits and prayers and to deign in Thy venerable kindness to bless + and sanctify + this creature of wax by the outpouring of Thy grace; that all whose necks in good faith are touched by it may be freed by the merits of his sufferings from any illness of the throat, and that healthy and strong they may offer thanks to Thee within Thy Holy Church, and praise Thy glorious name, which is blessed forever and ever.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
Amen.
Then he will hold the two, unlit blessed candles crossed over our throats, intoning:
Per intercessionem S. Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo
English:
May God at the intercession of St. Blasius preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.
Then he will make a sign of the Cross over us.
St. Blaise is also the patron of veterinarians and against attacks of wild animals. He is represented in art as a Bishop holding two crossed candles, with wool combs, or in a cave surrounded by wild animals.
Question:
Do one or more of your girls have a schedule that they follow? They seem to get so much accomplished!
Answer:
I had this conversation with the girls and here were some of the responses:
Jeanette (expecting her 5th child)…
Just one thing at a time😅 I literally wake up say my morning prayers sometimes running, get the kids dressed hair done and rooms cleaned.
I feed the kids, have them do chores outside, get them started on school.
I do dishes and make my bed while they start school. My kids are high maintenance when it comes to school so I am usually right by their side a lot of times.
Eat lunch and finish school by two. And then finish the days work, dinner etc.
My days are pretty chock-full…Not much relaxing except meal time. I sneak my little sit-downs and reading or whatever I can in between kids being self reliant on school or play time after school. I don’t know I just survive too😅.
Not much of a schedule but I have it in my head what needs to be done!
I think it helps to if you have that drive (maybe depending on personality or temperament). I know some days I can be so on top of things and like that but then other days I’m a slug and can’t seem to get one thing done.
I’m sure that’s just motherhood and exhaustion coming into to play too though. Life has its ups and downs and definitely not perfect.
Life is a rollercoaster! Love it though and have no complaints except this this and this😂😉 !!
Elizabeth, or better known as Z (6 children)….
Well, I struggle with getting things done too so I don’t have any words of wisdom. I know what I’d like my life to look like in a perfect world.😜
I think for Moms in the stage of life where they need to sleep till the very last second because of pregnancy or breastfeeding, a focus on routines might be more helpful than actually having specific times scheduled for the day’s duties.
As in, making habits of getting certain chores done as part of a morning routine, evening routine, etc.
Having an all out schedule where things are done at specific times can be overwhelming or seem unattainable to some women.
For me, I do try to be more scheduled (like getting up at the same time everyday cause I do feel better and I know it’s ideal) but I also really struggle with it too.
Father Flood’s sermon a couple weeks ago was right up my alley because I really struggle with acedia, the noonday devil. (Acedia has been variously defined as a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one’s position or condition in the world. In ancient Greece akidía literally meant an inert state without pain or care.)
I can be slothful and very busy with things that aren’t necessarily essential. I can be ‘busy’ all day yet have laundry and dishes and dinner staring me in the face. I know in my gut that I’m not prioritizing things correctly.
It’s all about doing the next right thing, I think. And then, being patient with yourself, you take one thing at a time. And then put your feet up for 15-20 min in between chores if you need to.
When we were first married, I remember talking to Molly (daughter-in-law who was a Carmelite nun for four years) about it and how she seemed to always stay on top of things but she said it took her several years in the convent to learn to keep moving, keep doing. She said it took her years to get used to it but the nuns were always moving from one chore to the next.
Theresa (Expecting her 6th child)…
I really don’t think one size fits all. It also depends on what you are going through at the moment. Pregnancy, nursing mom, up all night etc.
I run my house like a ship. School is 8:00 to noon, if I have to sleep in the kids will have breakfast done and be schooling before I get up. Dinner gets made mid-morning while I am working with the younger grades at the island. And on and on and on…
I think the structure is excellent, but there’s definitely a happy medium.
Demanding so much of yourself, can cause some burnout, and sometimes at the end of the day when I feel like all I’ve done is cooked, cleaned and yelled at kids, I wish I had taken a little more time to do some fun things. Time flies, you only have them for so long.
I always gravitate back to the structure of our routine, but it’s good to have some fun and free days too! That’s my two cents. 😊
Gin (10 children):
I was trying to think of how to describe my days…I do have to be very flexible. My husband is self-employed and in and out a lot.
I am up most mornings at 7:30 unless I had a really rough night. The boys always get up early with their Dad on school days. I am very structured as far as getting a big lunch ready at 12:30pm.
So my mornings are cleaning, sewing, laundry and preparing lunch. I have a tutor (a dear friend) who helps with the education of the children.
I always make my bed and keep my room clean because it’s such a breath of fresh air to walk in there randomly and have it clean, when the rest of the house is going to pot…
By the time the kids get out of school at three I’m usually pretty tired and feeling a little of the afternoon blues. It helps to have a project that I’m in the middle of that I can get excited about.
The evenings are filled with food, working outside late in the summertime and rosary/night prayers.
We are not ideal so I never really publicize how I do things. I don’t think one size fits all…It also depends on what cycle of life we are gong through. Pregnancy is usually a lot harder.
I am very driven and goal oriented. But I do experience burn-out and am stressed out at the end of the day. We’ve had to find things that work for us.
Smidgens….
Jeanette’s Crown of Thorns made out of flour, salt and water. The kids all had to make their own, too! Each sacrifice is rewarded with a flower that the children place atop the toothpicks to make a beautiful bower of flowers for Easter!
Theresa’s family was just pulling out of a sickness when I decided to pop in for a visit. I took this picture of their own Crown of Thorns so lovely decorated with the purple of Advent!
We went over to Colin and Z’s for breakfast on a Saturday morning. They have a goat farm and this spring has seen the arrival of approximately 40 new little kids! It is a wholesome and wonderful farm in which the kids work and play!
I visited my son, Sep, at his home and wanted to share this tree stump that he carved. On the top, he inserted a piece of limestone and proceeded to make it into a chess board. It is an incredible piece of art!
Magdalene (5 years old) made this little Christmas Scene and gave it to Grandma. Her thoughts were still on the last Liturgical Season! She didn’t have any help on figuring it all out…how to make the figurines stand, etc. I thought it was precious.
“Rosie’s Posie’s” Group of little nieces in which they learn to crochet and other valuable feminine arts… This was the March meeting.
Theresa has her Bella Soaps available at a local Specialty Store where homegrown/homemade goods are sold. Visit her new Etsy Shop, Bella Soaps to browse her selection…that will be ever expanding, including lip balms and body butters. Her ingredients are full-on natural making them a sought-after commodity!
Theresa makes St. Patrick’s Day special with goodies hidden under the hats!
The month of St. Joseph and he sits majestically among the mess on the table.
Ah, that’s better! I like to get up quite early to work on the blog and I light the candle on the table (when it is clean), to flicker in the darkness.
Early in the morning, I also start my lovely diffuser that I got for my birthday.
We have nothing to worry about! Our dogs are on the lookout for anything fishy in the vicinity!
Hubby also gets up early to work on his mushrooms and micro-greens. He will be heading to the Farmer’s Market this weekend!
Shiitake Mushrooms
Making my cabochons is always a big job! Getting some St. Joseph Pocket Watches ready for my shop!
A little Birthday Video. Thank you, Jessica Smith!
God bless you and have a wonderful day!
Thank you for all those ideas… It sounds greatly like our day, very busy! Happy birthday again! Happy feast of Saint Gabriel!
Beautiful video of your birthday!
I love reading your blog ! Your family is an inspiration !
Leanne, to you I wish a most blessed birthday!
The video brought tears and laughter in the same breath!
You are a blessed mama, and your children and grandchildren are precious!
May God abundantly bless you with 60 more years!!!!🌹♥️🙏🏻
What a wonderful posts! So many helpful tidbits!! Oh look at all those st Joseph pocket watches!! I can’t wait to get one!
The video was beautiful. God has blessed you abundantly! My son remarked, “Look how many people were born because she had all those babies!” May God bless you for inspiring others to seek a holy, traditional, and catholic family life. Happy Birthday!
Thank you Kelsey!
The video of your birthday celebration gave me inspiration and hope for my own family. Thank you so much for sharing and for all you do to inspire and encourage women in Christ!