Good Friday Traditions

I have never grown up following any traditions for Good Friday but we went to church on Easter and searched for our Easter baskets when we got home. We also would get together with family but nothing really other than that.

My boss, who is Catholic, mentioned that they don't eat meat on Good Friday. I've also heard that Catholics fast on Friday. I'm not sure of any other traditions, though.

I found a really cool recipe on Pinterest called Resurrection Rolls on the blog Kitchen Kneads. You basically cover a marshmallow with a roll and when you bake it, the marshmallow melts. The entire recipe explains the story of Christ's death and resurrection. I'd love to do this for my niece and nephew! What a cool (and yummy) visual for children, and even adults too! I think that would be a fun tradition to start!

Do you have any Good Friday traditions that you celebrate with your family? How do you share the Easter story with little ones? 

Till next time,
Catherine

Decorating for Christmas!

Now that we're back home from visiting family in Richmond for Thanksgiving...it is finally time to decorate!! We don't really have a lot, which is actually fine by me...less work! We have a small 4 foot tall tree that my parents are letting us use and it's just right! Not too large to take up a huge chunk of our living room but not a Charlie Brown tree either! As you can see in the above picture, we've got some twinkly lights on the stair railing and our stockings are hung on the stairs because we don't have a mantel. I might move them onto the TV stand instead so they'll hang nicer.

Step 1: LIGHTS! My husband LOVES Christmas. He would cover the house in Christmas lights if I let him!

Step 2: Gather and hang new ornaments and childhood ornaments. 

My mom bought me a whole lot of Breyer ornaments one year...I love that we can finally hang them! 

The silver stars I bought at Ten Thousand Villages quite a few years ago. My mom cross stitched the caroler ornament herself. 

I found this adorable little ornament at a craft show in Richmond last year. I love it!

I got a musical note for my husband since he is a great musician. Plus, it's super pretty and handmade!

We bought this ornament while on our honeymoon at Split Rock Resort in Pennsylvania!

And our panda stockings!!! How adorable are they?? 

Cat in the way...

So it may not look like much but we love it and it's full of so many precious ornaments that mean so much to us!!! We've decided that every time we go on a trip or vacation that we'll buy another ornament as a souvenir. There are several ornaments missing that we have gotten during trips to the OBX but I have to dig them out first. I plan to write on the back of the ornaments the month/year that we bought them so we don't forget. 

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! Yet somehow, I'm not ready to get rid of my fall decorations...

Which is your favorite to decorate for, fall or Christmas? Do you like to go all out or keep it simple? What are some of your favorite traditions?

Till next time,

Catherine