![Our Little Oratory]()
by Catherine | Jul 31, 2014 | Faith, The Homefront
Remember how I asked you for your input on how/where to create an oratory (prayer space in our home)?
Well, it’s (mostly) put together, so I thought I’d share a few pictures.
We have this great little area behind the family room loveseat. It’s a focal point when you enter the space, and it’s an area we pass by several times a day. I chose this as the spot for our little oratory.
First, I found this fantastic teal accent cabinet from Target on sale.
Look at all of the fun colors it comes in! I like the teal even better in person. I am so proud of myself for picking out a color that I love instead of something safe or neutral.
Then, I found a large paneled mirror from Home Goods that reminds me of a chapel window. Philip helped me to hang it above the cabinet. The room’s high ceilings and the mirror make the space seem larger.
Finally, I added the finishing touches and filled the cabinets. Here’s the (nearly) finished product:
We will continue adding to the space as time goes on.
In the left cabinet, I have the Bibles, books of saints, the Catechism, the family prayer binder, prayer journals, and other devotional materials.
In the right cabinet, I have the kids’ Bibles and other religious books, holy cards, and holy water. I used to have all of our rosaries here, but they became what you could call a “near occasion of sin” for Mr. Harry. He thinks all things with strings are numchucks and doesn’t understand the whole “we don’t throw sacramentals around” rule, so the rosaries got relocated.
I’m still deciding what I want to put on the middle shelves. The trouble is always those little hands and little mouths that love to throw and eat everything… Let me know if you have a great idea for a home with young children.
I thought long and hard about what I wanted to put on top of the cabinet. I decided on items that would expose the children to various vocations–the priesthood, religious life, and married life. Additionally, we needed a little pretty, so I put in some fresh flowers. Gotta love a $7.98 bouquet from Sam’s!
This is a special memento from my high school days at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart. The statue captures St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (my confirmation name!) stroking the hair of a young girl. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in America. Her order served the Native American communities where they traveled while establishing schools. The Native Americans called her the “woman who is always praying.” I love this tender scene between St. Rose Philippine Duchesne and the little child. What’s more beautiful than a woman happily serving the Lord by serving others?
This image of St. John Paul II, “Totus Tuus,” was done by local artist Terrence St. Hilaire. He specializes in Catholic and patriotic fine art. Isn’t that sketch beautiful? St. John Paul II is a personal hero of mine (and the guy behind the name of this blog). I love his model of suffering well and deep devotion to the Blessed Mother, illustrated by the Rosary in his right hand.
Finally, I included a black and white picture of us on our wedding day alongside our unity candle. I had this print already, but I want to get one of us from the moment of consecration during our nuptial Mass. It’s probably more fitting for a little oratory than us smooching! We want the kids to know that marriage, just like the priesthood and religious life, is a vocation that we are called to with the aim of bringing us, our spouse, and all of our children to sanctification. It’s not just a default thing you do when you’re not a priest or religious!
I love our little oratory! It’s been a great focal point for our home, and it brings me joy every time I look at it. Th
e kids love having all of their Bibles and religious books set apart, and they regularly sit in the little nook area to pore over the pages of Bible stories or lives of saints. Being able to access our prayer and devotional materials all in one convenient, prominent spot helps to make prayer the center and focus of our home.
Do you have a little oratory in your home? What kinds of things have you included? How do you use the space?
![Outdoor String Lights for the Deck]()
by Catherine | Jul 20, 2014 | The Homefront
Before our housewarming party, we decided we wanted to have outdoor globe string lights–a la Parenthood. I had visions of our family sitting al fresco, just like this scene from Parenthood:
I found this blog tutorial, and Philip said it looked like a fun way to add some ambience to our deck. The blog tutorial was very helpful and made the project a breeze!
I bought these globe string lights at Target.
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| Photo from Target.com |
Philip headed to the hardware store to get the rest of the gear.
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| Ladies, what’s cuter than a guy who can take on the hardware store with two tikes? |
I’ll let you read the blog tutorial from BrightJuly for their step-by-step instructions. A few pointers we learned along the way:
- Have the hardware store slice the PVC pipe at a 45 degree angle so that it’s easier to place them in the ground
- Use a long drill bit to make the holes in the ground straighter
- Test each string of lights before hanging them
- Make sure two people are hanging the lights. The globe bulbs are fragile!
- Make sure your outlet can handle wattage of your lights. We ended up using 4 of the Target globe lights to circle the deck, and we split them on two different outlets so that we didn’t overload the circuit.
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| The lights aren’t as cute with flash photography. Here we are, enjoying the deck while the kids catch lightning bugs (do you call them lightning bugs or fireflies?) with Papa and Maddy |
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| Philip snapped this pic of the deck while I cleaned up after our housewarming party |
Voila! Just like Parenthood, right?! Who’s coming over for a drink on the deck?
![Random Picture Recap]()
by Catherine | Jun 16, 2014 | Family, The Homefront
Thought I’d share a few pictures of what we’ve been up to since the big move.
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| Playing on the parish playground. Did I mention our new parish is a leisurely five minute stroll from our home? GLORIOUS! |
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| Walt, our Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Lincoln Zoo |
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| Another beautiful evening at the parish playground |
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| Grilling Master on Father’s Day |
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| Helping “Papa” with his Father’s Day presents |
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| Crazy hair and an ice cream mustache |
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| Philip loves to have Harry play peek-a-boo around the corner. “Hi, Mom! Whatcha doin’?” |
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| Running around the backyard. I could go on and on and on about how much I looooooooove having a real backyard. Monty loves his new-found freedom! |
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| All ready for ballet class at the local gym |
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| Harry, hanging at the Lincoln zoo |
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| First pony ride at the Lincoln zoo |
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| A regular shopping adventure “at our new Lincoln Target” (as the kids call it) |
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| We eat outside as much as possible because it’s so much fun! |
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| Posing with Grandma Sally during a visit from the Omaha grandparents (Grandma Sally, Grandpa Dan, Great Grandma Connie, and Great Grandpa Mel). I’m still kicking myself for not getting a group photo. |
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| Jane and I got to attend Aunt Maddy’s dance recital. She did such a great job! Beautiful job on the bun, Janet! |
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| Philip has been busy organizing the garage. I’ll share more pictures when he’s done. Way to go, honey! |
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| My loves on Father’s Day |
It’s been a fun, wild ride! In just a few more weeks, Philip will be done commuting to Omaha, and he’ll officially be done with residency. FOR-EV-ER! YAHOO! In the meantime, we’re getting into a rhythm at the house. Most days consist of going to the new gym, storytime, housework/errands, visits to our new favorite spots (zoo, library, parks), and play dates with our Lincoln buddies. It’s been a great summer so far, and we’re looking forward to more fun times in the months to come!
![What’s missing?]()
by Catherine | Jun 9, 2014 | The Homefront
Below is a picture of our new family room. Can you find what’s missing?
It’s actually a trick question because we don’t think the room is missing anything. I was hoping you’d notice that the family room doesn’t have a television. Did you? We’re not finished decorating or putting in the finishing touches, but we are so, so, so, so thrilled with our decision not to put a television in the family room.
When we first saw the house, we considered putting a television above the mantle, but I cringed at the idea of making a television the focal point of the room. I didn’t want to put a TV up on the wall behind the chairs either. So, no television in the family room!
We have one television in the entire house, and it’s in the basement. That TV has the basic channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, and FOX), and we have an Apple TV, so we use that to stream shows & movies from Netflix and HuluPlus.
It’s amazing how the geography of the television has affected how much we watch. Since the only television in the house is in the basement, we have to be much more deliberate in choosing to watch something. We no longer have it on as background noise or as a tool to help the kids transition to or from nap/bedtime. Instead, TV time is a special treat and reward. When the TV is on, we’re actually watching together and talking about what we’re seeing. TV watching is back to being an event to look forward to and enjoy together.
I love the transformation not having a television on the main floor (or upstairs) has had on the kids. They are outside as much as possible when the weather cooperates, they’re using their imaginations to come up with fun games, they explore and play in every room of the house, their listening skills are sharper, they’re more engaged with whatever activities they’re doing, I’ve noticed a jump in their language skills, and (perhaps my favorite benefit) they have been sleeping soooooooooo well because they are much busier.
As for Philip and I, we are more productive, we have better conversations, we don’t rely on the television to fill our evenings, we’re reading more, we’re getting to bed earlier, and we’re waking up earlier. Even though Philip is still commuting back to Omaha this month as he finishes up residency, he’s waking up early enough to go to our new gym and workout before heading in to work. I’m using that extra time in the morning to have quiet prayer time, make everyone breakfast, and get the crew out the door so that I can get my own workout in. It’s been a little slice of heaven!
The only drawback we’re anticipating is a potential riot from friends and family when it sinks in that we don’t have a TV on the main level during Husker football season. If it’s a home game, now we can just head downtown to watch the whole thing live!
Until then, we are loving all of the positive changes.
What’s the TV situation like at your house? What about when you were growing up? Did you have a TV in your bedroom? What kinds of rules or limits do you have with screen time at your house (if any)?
![What's missing?]()
by Catherine | Jun 9, 2014 | The Homefront
Below is a picture of our new family room. Can you find what’s missing?
It’s actually a trick question because we don’t think the room is missing anything. I was hoping you’d notice that the family room doesn’t have a television. Did you? We’re not finished decorating or putting in the finishing touches, but we are so, so, so, so thrilled with our decision not to put a television in the family room.
When we first saw the house, we considered putting a television above the mantle, but I cringed at the idea of making a television the focal point of the room. I didn’t want to put a TV up on the wall behind the chairs either. So, no television in the family room!
We have one television in the entire house, and it’s in the basement. That TV has the basic channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, and FOX), and we have an Apple TV, so we use that to stream shows & movies from Netflix and HuluPlus.
It’s amazing how the geography of the television has affected how much we watch. Since the only television in the house is in the basement, we have to be much more deliberate in choosing to watch something. We no longer have it on as background noise or as a tool to help the kids transition to or from nap/bedtime. Instead, TV time is a special treat and reward. When the TV is on, we’re actually watching together and talking about what we’re seeing. TV watching is back to being an event to look forward to and enjoy together.
I love the transformation not having a television on the main floor (or upstairs) has had on the kids. They are outside as much as possible when the weather cooperates, they’re using their imaginations to come up with fun games, they explore and play in every room of the house, their listening skills are sharper, they’re more engaged with whatever activities they’re doing, I’ve noticed a jump in their language skills, and (perhaps my favorite benefit) they have been sleeping soooooooooo well because they are much busier.
As for Philip and I, we are more productive, we have better conversations, we don’t rely on the television to fill our evenings, we’re reading more, we’re getting to bed earlier, and we’re waking up earlier. Even though Philip is still commuting back to Omaha this month as he finishes up residency, he’s waking up early enough to go to our new gym and workout before heading in to work. I’m using that extra time in the morning to have quiet prayer time, make everyone breakfast, and get the crew out the door so that I can get my own workout in. It’s been a little slice of heaven!
The only drawback we’re anticipating is a potential riot from friends and family when it sinks in that we don’t have a TV on the main level during Husker football season. If it’s a home game, now we can just head downtown to watch the whole thing live!
Until then, we are loving all of the positive changes.
What’s the TV situation like at your house? What about when you were growing up? Did you have a TV in your bedroom? What kinds of rules or limits do you have with screen time at your house (if any)?
![Help a Decorating Challenged Girl Create an Oratory]()
by Catherine | Jun 5, 2014 | Faith, The Homefront
I’ve been inspired by this summer book club, “Summer in the Little Oratory,” to create our own “little oratory.” An oratory is just a fancy word for a dedicated prayer space. As my friend Lisa Schmidt says, it’s all about “bringing the monastic into my domestic.” (If you haven’t checked out the book club yet, you should! Lisa Schmidt gives a great intro and summary of what the group is all about here. There are weekly posts dedicated to each chapter of the book, and there is an accompanying podcast as well. The book is The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying at Home.)
The good news is I stumbled upon the book club series for the little oratory at a perfect time–just after we moved into a new home. The bad news is I’m, well, shall we say….decorating challenged.
This is my plea to get some decorating advice for my little oratory from all of you. I’ve found what I think is the perfect space for our little oratory, but I’m not sure what to do with it. We have a small hallway from our front door that leads into the family room/kitchen. The space I have in mind is in direct eyesight from the front door. It’s directly behind the family room loveseat in a little nook that backs up to a wall separating the family room from the kitchen informal dining area.
Here’s the angle from the hallway.
Since we already have so much furniture for seating in the family room, I don’t want to add another chair. I want our little oratory to be a place to store our Bibles, the Catechism, lives of the saints, studies/devotionals, rosaries, holy water, other reference books. I’m envisioning beautiful artwork including icons of Jesus, the Blessed Mother, our family’s favorite intercessors.
Here’s another angle of the space:
I went to a lot of trouble to create a “circle time” bulletin board earlier this year. I’m on the fence as to whether or not I’d include it on the little wall backing up to the kitchen, or if I should just leave it in the playroom downstairs…It’s very classroom-y and not very aesthetically pleasing, so I hesitate to put it up on the wall.
Buuuuuuuut the kids would love to have that easy access to it, and it’d be nice to sit on the ground with them after breakfast and start our day off together in front of our religious artwork. Maybe I could just prop it against the wall? I’d love for the kids to be able to see everything that’s on that board on a more regular basis than they would in the basement playroom. It has a Happy Saints liturgical calendar, our daily prayers (Morning Offering, Angelus, and prayer to St. Joseph), the days of the week with an attached devotion to each, the mysteries of the Rosary for that day, and our special prayer intentions as well as our extended family “person of the week” that we’re praying for.
I know, I know….it’s our space, and we should just do what we want with it, but I want it to be pretty! I want it to be my little visual retreat every time I glance at it or come over to get my prayer materials. Maybe I should just put it on the wall and remember that I don’t have to look at it from the kitchen!
Let me share a few pictures of the family room so that you get an idea of what the surrounding space looks like:
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| From the kitchen |
The previous owners sold us their kitchen table & chairs and the family room sofa, loveseat, and two chairs. Yay for inexpensively furnishing our home! Kindly pretend that: our built-ins are perfectly accessorized, this shorty bothered to pull out the ladder to put stuff on the top shelves, and that I have the right art up on the walls.
Now that you have a sense of what the rest of the space looks like, how would you go about filling the oratory?
For this wall, I was thinking
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- Framed artwork and crucifix on the wall
- Short, wide bookcase
- Use top of bookcase for smaller artwork, statues, flowers, candles/candlesticks
- Use shelves to store our Bibles, the Catechism, lives of the saints, studies/devotionals, rosaries, holy water, other reference books
What do I do about this wall?
I don’t want to add additional seating. Is the circle time board really crazy ugly to hang here? Be brutally honest, please. Really. Just tell me. Do I need to just leave it blank? Share your brilliance! I’ve been spending my prayer time in the family room on the couch or at the kitchen table, so I guess I’m treating this area as a storage space & visual retreat. Maybe I should add something to make the area more enticing for the kids to stay there like some little baskets that they can easily get their books and sacramentals from. I have some space next to that end table (or even the bottom shelf of that end table) where I can put a little bean bag and some bins. What about those cute little cube seats with the removable lids for storage?
I love, love, love this prayer space that a teacher in a Catholic school created for her kindergarteners.
Maybe that’s what this wall needs to become–the elementary-themed oratory space with the circle time board, a cute framed “let the children come to me,” and bins for their stuff.
I’d adore any and all feedback you have! Help a decorating challenged girl out.
By the way, I created a “Little Oratory” board on Pinterest to help me gather my favorite pictures of other oratories and some artwork I’d love to have in our space.
