Some stuff for the New Year

I know, I've been absent for a long time.  I had to do some thinking about blogging and the internet and the computer and time management and happy families and all that.  Plus December.

But I'm coming back in 2014.  Here are some quick fun things I've found lately.

• This Holiday Clean Up post makes putting away Christmas gifts infinitely more satisfying and fun.  And honestly-that is an impressive feat!  I'm afraid I got cranky with everyone because I just wanted a million hours in my house to put away and organize and de-clutter.  Sorry family.

• Jennifer Fulwiler's Saint's Name Generator  is a fun way to pick a patron Saint for the year.  I'll admit I didn't ever learn much more than this about last year's St. Albert of Jerusalem , but I always have high hopes for the New Year.  St. Barbatus of Beneveto is my Saint for 2014.  

• Here's a free printable calendar for 2014!  Pretty.

• You probably got this link from Pinterest too, with the best of 2013-I loved this so much.  I haven't had a chance to look through all of the boards yet, but I immediately looked through the boards from each of the countries.  It's such a fascinating glimpse into real life culture, I think, to see what people are pinning around the world.  It's just my favorite kind of thing.  

• This Sunday, the Feast of the Holy Family, is one of my favorites of the liturgical year.  I love it because it's right after Christmas, when everything is crazy and the kids are off their schedules and then you're reminded that the Holy Family is a model for this wild family too.  And that Mary and Joseph LOST Jesus that one time, which is not ideal, and so even if Katie is singing too loudly and distracting everyone in the cry room because we didn't even attempt to sit in the sanctuary, there is beauty and power in family.  Fr. Reggie this morning said something about how family-as nuts as family is- family is the building block for every civilization.  It just feels like the perfect celebration for the week after Christmas.  Fr. Klein describes it as the "hand-me-down holiday" in his homily.    

• Sew Mama Sew has been doing reflections and predictions, and while I'm not terribly interested in what the sewing trends are going to be in 2014, I do like the idea of reflections and predictions.  I might have to try a post like that.  Anyone want to join me?

• And I liked this post about the power of a Big, Crafty Goal.  I'll be thinking on that...