(This is the 2021 updated version of last year’s Advent post. 🙂 )

Happy Advent 2021! Whether you’re being minimal this year or doing all the things, I hope it’s a time of reflection, peace, joy, and drawing closer to God. Here are some of our favorites (and a few new things) that we do for Advent.

Advent Prayer Tables

We have two main prayer tables/shelves in our house. This one is by the front door. Here we add the nativity scene (purchased at Costco) and our Advent wreath. When the kids were younger, our thin Advent candles would always topple over or break. I finally bought pillar candles. It was the best decision, since these have lasted years. The wooden Advent sign I bought years ago from Rakstar Designs.

This prayer spot is in the family room. Last year we added this new gorgeous Holy Family print from Heart of Iesvs.

I am obsessed with it! So beautiful! To hang it up, I bought wooden magnetic frames from Amazon. It was super easy to put together and I think it looks great. (You want to buy a frame that is slightly bigger than the width of your print.)

This year we added the Jesse Tree from The Stump of Jesse shop at Etsy. And…

This St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer card from Redeemed and Free at Etsy. And…

The Baby Jesus manger with “sacrifice straw” from the 2021 Advent Liturgical Box from Catholic All Year.

* * * * *

The Advent Calendar 1

Along with our Advent wreath, our Advent calendar has been a staple since the kids were little. Each day we have a rotating “prayer person of the day” who is in charge of leading the family evening prayer. During Advent, that person also gets to open the next box in our Advent calendar. We started this tradition years ago to take the focus off what we want to get, and instead, practice doing for others. We call it an Act of Love Calendar because we show our love for Jesus by sharing that love with others.

* * * * *

I use the children’s printable Advent calendar from Loyola Press. I cut up the calendar and put the little paper squares into the corresponding day. In the morning we read the act of kindness and complete it that day. At dinner time, we each take a turn sharing something about our day. During Advent I’ll sometimes ask if anyone wants to share about their act of love and they explain how they held their tongue or helped someone out at school. The sharing helps us to see how we can apply our faith into the daily fabric of our lives.

Advent Calendar 2

A Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

This is another oldie but goodie. We’ve done this activity for many years and now it’s a family tradition for each of us. Instead of having the boys write the traditional letters to Santa, I put together a simple form letter that I could print off and give them to fill out. We decide on a spiritual activity we’ll work on during Advent as a gift to Jesus, who we will pray for during Advent and what presents we hope to get to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. When they were done, they folded up their letters and put them in their shoes for St. Nicholas to deliver to Baby Jesus. (In years past we’ve also placed them inside the stocking we have hanging for Jesus.)

If you’d like to print of a copy of the Letter to Baby Jesus, it can be found here. Also, I made a second version for those who don’t want the Santa aspect. It can be found here.

For the full post, click here – A Favorite Advent Tradition: A Christmas Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

An Advent Letter to Jesus for the Teens and Adults

This year, I used the same concept as the kid’s letter, but made a simple version for a teen or adult to use. You still choose some spiritual (or corporal) act you’ll offer to Jesus. You choose someone to pray for during Advent and instead of asking for a wrapped gift, you can write down what you are hoping to receive from Jesus this Christmas season. (ie. Peace in your heart, the ability to forgive someone who has hurt you, healing (physical or mental), etc.) You can download a PDF of the letter here.

* * * * *

Jesus in the Manger

For years we used a paper version of Baby Jesus in a manger, but we saved up and found one we liked in the EWTN shop. We wait until Christmas morning to put out Baby Jesus. Meanwhile, during Advent we have a little basket of tan pieces of yarn (used as straw) that family members can use to fill up Baby Jesus’s crib. They put a piece in the manger whenever they make a sacrifice or do an act of love for Our Lord.

Then on Christmas morning we put Jesus in the manger and sing Him Happy Birthday and celebrate with presents and cake.

* * * * *

Magnifikid’s Daily Advent Prayers

My favorite Advent family devotional/ prayer book is the Magnifikid Daily Advent Prayers from Magnificat. For each day of Advent there is an introductory prayer, an excerpt from the day’s Gospel reading, and intercessions. It is ideally for ages 7 and up, which makes it simple enough for our youngest to understand, yet it is meaty enough for the tween, teen and adults to get something out of it. The artwork is lovely and as an added bonus, it can be used year after year since it has different Sunday readings for the various cycles. I love it!

* * * * *

Advent Journals

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I am a big fan of the Blessed Is She Advent journals. If you still want to buy one, each copy now comes with a digital download so you can start reading before your book arrives.

This year, the book is extra special to me since I am one of the authors of the devotional. I wrote the reflections for Week Four on the Holy Family.

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

Plus, this year they have one for kids as well. Matthew is eager to work on his.

* * * * *

Sunday Missals

Photo credit: Every Sacred Sunday

I love the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal and have been using it for a number of years.

Bella and I use the ESS Missal, but Brian and the boys prefer to use the St. Joseph’s 2022 Sunday Missal. You cannot beat the price – under $3!

* * * * *

Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas was born in the 3rd Century to a wealthy and devout family. His parents died when he was young & Nicholas used his inheritance to help those less fortunate. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) at a young age. Under the Roman Emperor, he was persecuted for his faith and was imprisoned. He was later released and became known for his generosity and works of wonder, particularly protecting children and the innocent.

More Catholic American families are adopting this feast day that is popular in European countries. Normally children will put out their shoes or hang stockings the night before. As mentioned above, our family also adds into the shoes the letter to Baby Jesus so St. Nicholas can bring it to Him.

While the kids are sleeping I’ll add a few small treats into the shoes – chocolate coins, candy, a small treat (like a mini Lego set or football cards) and a religious item such as a holy card, rosary or Tiny Saints charm.

You can find a lot of activities and printables at St Nicholas Center.org.

This year I found these amazing book marks from The Stump of Jesse and these beautiful prayer cards from Avery and Company Shop. The family loved them so much, I bought more for stocking stuffers.

* * * *

Spirit of Giving

Advent is perfect time to give of your time, talent, and treasure. Some charity activities have been modified to cope with the pandemic, but we have been able to collect food for the homeless and fill shoe boxes of goodies for the Box of Joy ministry. (Pictured above.) The kids did extra jobs around the house to pay for the items we purchased. (Tip: I buy extra school supplies and crayons when they are crazy cheap during back to school sales to fill Christmas boxes.)

We also give to the Falge Farm Worker program that brings food, supplies, and Christmas presents to migrant agricultural workers on the Central Coast of California. They are out in the fields doing back-breaking work in all conditions – cold, heat, smokey skies, even a pandemic – so giving back to them is a joy. We always sponsor one boy and one girl. This year we added a family as well.

We also try to bring a little cheer to the people in our community, such as our delivery people who bring countless boxes to our door, so I don’t have to go out shopping.

Every morning I leave a basket of snacks and drinks on the porch. Last year I added hard to find Covid items for them. It’s a small thing, but it gives them (and me) joy. 🙂

Those are some of my favorites Advent family activities! What are some of yours?

Have a great weekend!

PS – You can follow Revolution of Love on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify. 😉

I think we’re all ready for the joys of Advent and Christmas! Whether you’re being minimal this year or doing all the things, I hope it’s a time of reflection, peace, joy, and drawing closer to God. Here are some of our favorites (and a few new things) that we do for Advent.

Advent Prayer Tables

We have two main prayer tables/shelves in our house. This one is by the front door. Here we add the nativity scene (purchased at Costco) and our Advent wreath. When the kids were younger, our thin Advent candles would always topple over or break. I finally bought pillar candles. It was the best decision, since these have lasted years. The wooden Advent sign I bought years ago from Rakstar Designs.

This prayer spot is in the family room. We added this new gorgeous Holy Family print from Heart of Iesvs.

I am obsessed with it! So beautiful! To hang it up, I bought wooden magnetic frames from Amazon. It was super easy to put together and I think it looks great. (You want to buy a frame that is slightly bigger than the width of your print.)

* * * * *

The Advent Calendar 1

Along with our Advent wreath, our Advent calendar has been a staple since the kids were little. Each day we have a rotating “prayer person of the day” who is in charge of leading the family evening prayer. During Advent, that person also gets to open the next box in our Advent calendar. We started this tradition years ago to take the focus off what we want to get, and instead, practice doing for others. We call it an Act of Love Calendar because we show our love for Jesus by sharing that love with others.

* * * * *

I use the children’s printable Advent calendar from Loyola Press. I cut up the calendar and put the little paper squares into the corresponding day. In the morning we read the act of kindness and complete it that day. At dinner time, we each take a turn sharing something about our day. During Advent I’ll sometimes ask if anyone wants to share about their act of love and they explain how they held their tongue or helped someone out at school. The sharing helps us to see how we can apply our faith into the daily fabric of our lives.

Advent Calendar 2

A Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

This is another oldie but goodie. We’ve done this activity for many years and now it’s a family tradition for each of us. Instead of having the boys write the traditional letters to Santa, I put together a simple form letter that I could print off and give them to fill out. We decide on a spiritual activity we’ll work on during Advent as a gift to Jesus, who we will pray for during Advent and what presents we hope to get to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. When they were done, they folded up their letters and put them in their shoes for St. Nicholas to deliver to Baby Jesus. (In years past we’ve also placed them inside the stocking we have hanging for Jesus.)

 If you’d like to print of a copy of the Letter to Baby Jesus, it can be found here. Also, I made a second version for those who don’t want the Santa aspect. It can be found here.

For the full post, click here – A Favorite Advent Tradition: A Christmas Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

An Advent Letter to Jesus for the Teens and Adults

This year, I used the same concept as the kid’s letter, but made a simple version for a teen or adult to use. You still choose some spiritual (or corporal) act you’ll offer to Jesus. You choose someone to pray for during Advent and instead of asking for a wrapped gift, you can write down what you are hoping to receive from Jesus this Christmas season. (ie. Peace in your heart, the ability to forgive someone who has hurt you, healing (physical or mental), etc.) You can download a PDF of the letter here.

* * * * *

Jesus in the Manger

For years we used a paper version of Baby Jesus in a manger, but we saved up and found one we liked in the EWTN shop. We wait until Christmas morning to put out Baby Jesus. Meanwhile, during Advent we have a little basket of tan pieces of yarn (used as straw) that family members can use to fill up Baby Jesus’s crib. They put a piece in the manger whenever they make a sacrifice or do an act of love for Our Lord.

Then on Christmas morning we put Jesus in the manger and sing Him Happy Birthday and celebrate with presents and cake.

* * * * *

Magnifikid’s Daily Advent Prayers

My favorite Advent family devotional/ prayer book is the new Magnifikid Daily Advent Prayers from Magnificat. For each day of Advent there is an introductory prayer, an excerpt from the day’s Gospel reading, and intercessions. It is ideally for ages 7 and up, which makes it simple enough for our youngest to understand, yet it is meaty enough for the tween, teen and adults to get something out of it. The artwork is lovely and as an added bonus, it can be used year after year since it has different Sunday readings for the various cycles. I love it!

* * * * *

Advent Journals

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I am a big fan of the Blessed Is She Advent journals. If you still want to buy one, each copy now comes with a digital download so you can start reading before your book arrives. Or you can get the audio version of Maranatha on Amazon for less than $5.

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

Plus, this year they have one for kids as well. Matthew is eager to work on his.

* * * * *

Sunday Missals

I love the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal and during this year of Covid, it has been especially helpful, whether we are attending Mass virtually at home or at an outdoor Mass.

Bella and I use the ESS Missal, but Brian and the boys prefer to use the St. Joseph’s 2020 Sunday Missal. You cannot beat the price – only $1.99!

* * * * *

Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas was born in the 3rd Century to a wealthy and devout family. His parents died when he was young & Nicholas used his inheritance to help those less fortunate. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) at a young age. Under the Roman Emperor, he was persecuted for his faith and was imprisoned. He was later released and became known for his generosity and works of wonder, particularly protecting children and the innocent.

More Catholic American families are adopting this feast day that is popular in European countries. Normally children will put out their shoes or hang stockings the night before. As mentioned above, our family also adds into the shoes the letter to Baby Jesus so St. Nicholas can bring it to Him.

While the kids are sleeping I’ll add a few small treats into the shoes – chocolate coins, candy, a small treat (like a mini Lego set or football cards) and a religious item such as a holy card, rosary or Tiny Saints charm.

You can find a lot of activities and printables at St Nicholas Center.org.

Photo credit: Somedaysaints.com

Last year we got an extra special treat – Kids Adoration Journal and Tote Bundle from Someday Saints.com. Technically this is for kids ages 7-12, which is great for my boys, but the rest of us over that age loved it too, so we all got one! When the kids were younger, they also loved watching the DVD Nicholas: The Boy who Became Santa with their feast day dessert.

* * * *

Spirit of Giving

Advent is perfect time to give of your time, talent, and treasure. We can’t do activities with other people (like singing carols at a nursing home) but we have been able to collect food for the homeless, purchase items  for the local migrant workers, and fill shoe boxes of goodies for the Box of Joy ministry. (Pictured above.)  The kids did extra jobs around the house to pay for the items we purchased. (Tip: I buy extra school supplies and crayons when they are crazy cheap during back to school sales to fill Christmas boxes.)

We also try to bring a little cheer to the people in our community, such as our delivery people who bring countless boxes to our door, so I don’t have to go out shopping.

Every morning I leave a basket of snacks, drinks, and Covid items (toilet paper rolls, hand sanitizer, etc.) for them. It’s a small thing, but it gives them (and me) joy. 🙂

Those are some of my favorites Advent family activities! What are some of yours?

Have a great weekend!

PS – You can follow Revolution of Love on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify. 😉

Many of you have asked for the links of items we use during Advent, so I made today’s Friday Favorites an Advent Edition so the links would be in one convenient spot.  🙂

~ 1 ~

The Advent Calendar

Along with our Advent wreath, our Advent calendar has been a staple since the kids were little. Each day we have a rotating “prayer person of the day” who is in charge of leading the family evening prayer. During Advent, that person also gets to open the next box in our Advent calendar. We started this tradition years ago as a way to combat the seasonal “gimmies” to help bring the focus back on Christ and sharing his love with others. We started the tradition of making our Advent Calendar into an Act of Love Calendar. We explained that we can show our love for Jesus by sharing that love with others and what we do for others, we do for Our Lord.

To keep things simple, I searched online for a children’s printable Advent calendar. I found this one from Loyola Press. I simply cut up the calendar and put the little paper squares into the corresponding day. Each day we had one act of kindness that everyone in the family would do. If one of the day’s activities was not suitable for our family or if there were other acts or activities I wanted our family to work on, I just wrote my own words on a slip of paper and added it in a box. On Sundays our act of love is spending time together so we do something fun as a family, such as, decorate our Christmas tree or bake cookies or watch a Christmas movie together (without fighting about who gets to choose the movie.)

~ 2 ~

A Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

This is another oldie but goodie. We’ve done this activity for a number of years and now it’s a family tradition for each of us. Instead of having the boys write the traditional letters to Santa, I put together a simple form letter that I could print off and give them to fill out. We decide on a spiritual activity we’ll work on during Advent as a gift to Jesus, who we will pray for during Advent and what presents we hope to get to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. When they were done, they folded up their letters and put them in their shoes for St. Nicholas to deliver to Baby Jesus. (In years past we’ve also placed them inside the stocking we have hanging for Jesus.)

If you’d like to print of a copy of the Letter to Baby Jesus for your little ones, I posted the PDF here. Also, I made a second version for those who don’t want the Santa aspect. It can be found here. 🙂 For the full post, click here – A Favorite Advent Tradition: A Christmas Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)

An Advent Letter to Jesus for the Teens and Adults

This year, I used the same concept as the kid’s letter, but made a simple version for a teen or adult to use. You still choose some spiritual (or corporal) act/gift you’ll give to Jesus, someone you will pray for during Advent, and instead of asking for a wrapped gift, you can write down what you are hoping to receive from Jesus this Christmas season. (ie. Peace in your heart, the ability to forgive someone who has hurt you, healing (physical or mental), etc.) You can download a PDF of the letter from my Google Drive here.

~ 3 ~

Jesus in the Manger

For years we used a paper version of Baby Jesus in a manger, but we saved up and found one we liked in the EWTN shop. We wait until Christmas morning to put out Baby Jesus. Meanwhile, during Advent we have a little basket of straw that the kids can use to fill up Baby Jesus’s crib. They put a piece in the manger whenever they make a sacrifice or do an act of love for Our Lord.

Then on Christmas morning we put Jesus in the manger and sing Him Happy Birthday and celebrate with presents and cake.

~ 4 ~

Magnifikid’s Daily Advent Prayers

My favorite Advent family devotional/ prayer book is the new Magnifikid Daily Advent Prayers from Magnificat. For each day of Advent there is an introductory prayer,  an excerpt from the day’s Gospel reading, and intercessions. It is ideally for ages 7 and up, which makes it simple enough for our youngest to understand, yet it is meaty enough for the tween, teen and adults to get something out of it. The artwork is lovely and as an added bonus, it can be used year after year since it has different Sunday readings for the various cycles. I love it!

~ 5 ~

The Advent of Christmas

Last year we added The Advent of Christmas by Matt Maher to our Christmas book collection. Although my boys are a little older than the age range, the artwork is lovely and the message is beautiful. It was perfect to read during library class at school to teach the students who may not be as familiar with the meaning of Advent and the Advent wreath. It has quickly become a favorite.

~ 5 ~

Sunday Missals

I love the Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal and posted about it often on Instagram. Someone asked if there is a kid’s version. As far as I know there is not.

One of my boys likes to use the Magnificat’s Magnifikid.

My other boys, along with Brian, like to use St. Joseph’s 2020 Sunday Missal. You cannot beat the price – only $1.99!

~ 6 ~

Brian and the boys use the above missals and they use Blessed Is She’s Selah Kids Journal as their Sunday prayer journal.

~ 7 ~

Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas was born in the 3rd Century to a wealthy and devout family. His parents died when he was young & Nicholas used his inheritance to help those less fortunate. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) at a young age. Under the Roman Emperor, he was persecuted for his faith and was imprisoned. He was later released and became known for his generosity and works of wonder, particularly protecting children and the innocent.

More Catholic American families are adopting this feast day that is popular in European countries. Normally children will put out their shoes or hang stockings the night before. As mentioned above, our family also adds into the shoes the letter to Baby Jesus so St. Nicholas can bring it to Him.

While the kids are sleeping I’ll add a few small treats into the shoes – chocolate coins, candy, a small treat (like a mini Lego set or football cards) and a religious item such as a holy card, rosary or Tiny Saints charm.

You can find a lot of activities and printables at St Nicholas Center.org.

Photo credit: Somedaysaints.com

This year we got an extra special treat – Kids Adoration Journal and Tote Bundle from Someday Saints.com. Technically this is for kids ages 7-12, which is great for my boys, but the rest of us over that age loved it too, so we all got one! Later in the day we have watched the DVD Nicholas: The Boy who Became Santa with their feast day dessert.

For more Advent ideas, check out this past post – Favorite Advent Traditions 2017.

Those are some of my favorites Advent family activities! What are some of yours?

Have a great weekend!

PS – You can follow Revolution of Love on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify. 😉

This Advent I am using the Blessed Is She Advent Journal as an aid to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. For too many Advents I’ve started out with the best of intentions and by the end of it had a dusty journal that was left unused far too many days. My goal this Advent is to try to consistently spend a little time each day praying and using my journal.

The first week of Advent is over and I thank God for the grace to be faithful to my prayer time. I’m not expecting any major revelations or life altering visions. I just want to love God a little more and live a little more Christ-like.

As such, I’m thankful for the little lessons God is teaching me or reminding me. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve read most of these already. If not, here are a few snippets of what’s been on my heart.

God Desires to Be with Me – Prayer does not come easy to me. Sometimes I really have to force myself to stop and spend time with God, which is sad really. What would it be like if I wanted to spend time with someone I loved and they acted like it was such a chore to sit and talk to me. I’d be hurt. So why do I treat God like it’s such an ordeal to quiet myself and sit at his feet? Why am I so self absorbed? God desires to be with me and I want to desire to be with Him. I want prayer to be a natural part of my life and not something I struggle to do. Little by little that is slowly changing and I hope to make more strides this Advent.

He Has Made Him Known – A couple weeks ago I was writing a future Blessed Is She devotion that will post in January. While praying about the Gospel of that day, I came to realize that while I see God in many roles – Master Creator, Merciful Judge, a Rock of Strength and Father, I see Him as a distant Father, not a “Daddy.” There is a wall or distance between us.

The more I have been thinking about this, the more I feel God reaching deeper within me and beckoning me closer to Him, and frankly, it scares me a little.

In one of the Advent meditations this week, we were to choose a verse from the reading that stood out to us. The verse “He has made Him known” touched me because I feel like Jesus wants to draw me closer to God the Father and He will make Him known to me.

Handmaid of the Lord – Friday’s #BISadvent prompt was to place a picture of Mary where I’d see it often. This icon of Mary will be a visual companion as Our Lady guides me this Advent. The Advent journal prompt talked about what connects me to the heart of Mary and what I love most about her is her attitude of humble surrender to God, whereas I feel like the complete opposite. I struggle not to lose it when things go wrong. Even petty, stupid things can get me so worked up. I’m hoping that a fruit of the Advent to be a little less “argh!” and a little more, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.”

Forgive Me, Lord – Finally, on the last day of the first week of Advent the journal talked about the areas we need to seek forgiveness from God. It was the perfect day to go to confession, ask for forgiveness and start anew with the grace of the Sacrament.

Well, those are some little lessons I learned this week. Do you have something to share? I’d love to hear it! Or maybe you feel like you made no progress this week. (We’ve all been there!) No need to fret. Today starts a brand new week of Advent. New graces are waiting for you!

Have a blessed week.

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉