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I don’t know about you, but I still am hiding the bag of candy my son got from his classmates on Valentine’s Day.

I love how generous everyone is, but my son can NOT eat all this candy.

I’ve already caught the 11 month old twins with jelly beans in their mouths.

And the children are not the only ones with no off button.  I mean, Reece’s – how do you know my heart and my taste buds so well?

So, I have a suggestion for you beautiful Momma!

The answer is a little Christian fellowship.  Invite your friends over.  If they have kids, tell them to bring them.

Plan a prayer, wine, chocolate soiree.

This idea comes in handy all times of year: Five Reasons to Start a Rosary Group

Here’s how I did it:

I picked a date and invited over a few friends for Rosary, wine and Easter candy pairing.

When guests asked, “What can I bring”,

I took them up on the offer.

Suggest they bring extra Easter candy they want to get rid of, a bottle of wine, water bottles, cheese and crackers, etc).

We had plenty of paper plates, disposable cups and napkins left over.  But the point is – don’t try to do it all!  Let friends bring something.

Have your candy displayed on a table.

Pick about 4 different wines (I had a moscato, sauvignon blanc, chianti and merlot) and place them on the table.  In front of each bottle, have a blank piece of paper with the name of the wine written on top.

Invite friends to try the different candies with each of the wines and write their favorite pairing on the paper provided.

***Or, give each guest a small card or piece of paper and a pen.  Direct them to write their prayer intentions on the card.  Collect the prayer intentions and place them in a container then have each guest pick a card out and pray for those intentions during the Rosary and personally that week.

I suggest using disposable shot glasses for the tastings.  This makes guests more aware of how much they are drinking.  And when I say guests, I mean me – because I may have poured a little more than I should have and made a mental note for next time

Enjoy the adult conversation.

After an hour or so, start giving out the Rosaries.

(Confession: my 5 year old asked “aren’t you supposed to be praying the Rosary?”, that is when I knew it was time)

Pray together.

Send friends home with candy.  I forgot to do this.  This is important – don’t forget to spread out what’s left!

What I discovered:

1. It has been way to long since I had friends over to pray the Rosary.
2. Dark Chocolate M&M’s go great with Chianti.
3. Mini-Cadbury Creme Eggs are AMAZING with Sauvignon Blanc.
4. Peanut Butter eggs are possibly the greatest candy ever and pair well with Pink Moscato.
5. Aldi sells an incredible goat cheese and cranberry spread (and made a great addition to the candy spread).

Having friends to enjoy faith with is so rewarding!  Our friend Jen just opened an Etsy shop – check out her work and show her some love  RoseSewsbyJennifer

So inquiring minds want to know, what is your favorite Easter Candy and Wine Pairing???

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The post Dear Beautiful Mom With Way Too Much Easter Candy in Her House appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

As a young “middle-schooler”, one of my best friends used to say she couldn’t play that night day or evening because she was going to “fellowship”.  Sometimes, she would even invite me and I would go.  If that never happened, I’m not sure I would have any place for that word in my vocabulary.  Even before seeing the above mentioned article, I wondered if Catholics even used that word!

Catholics need fellowship!

Friendship and faith is an awesome combination!  Here a some ways that I have encountered faith and fellowship in my spiritual journey:

Combine a Shrine Tour with a Wine Tour

Somewhere near you is a church, monastery or shrine that would be a nice place to visit and pray.  Afterwards, head to a local vineyard or winery (want to find one near you – use this website: Closest Winery)

If you would like to visit the Saint Katharine Drexel National Shrine before it closes – or would just like a day of fun, faith and fellowship – join us!  There are still some spots open!!  Get more information here: You’re Invited: The First Prayer, Wine, Chocolate Retreat! {And Giveaway}

Find a Young Adult Group

The Philadelphia area has a few of these.  I found one in my twenties that was about a 40 minute drive from my apartment.  I am now aware of one that is much closer – and even though I am not really a “young adult”; these cool younger folks invite me to some of their events, and I never  out of place!  If you are in the Philly area, check out: Fire of Faith  Another one that is starting out in the Philadelphia region is Loving Our Life.  This group is about to burst because it is starting groups at all five A Baby’s Breath Pregnancy Centers.

If you can’t find one in your area, consider starting your own!  Contact the Philly ones – they are happy to give you tips on how they started!

Start a Rosary and Wine Night

A few friends of mine started one when we were in our 20’s . . . but it was inspired by our friend’s mother who took us to one of her rosary nights. We started these nights because we wanted a place to share our hearts’ troubles, and because it was the last season of Friends and we wanted to watch it together :)We probably did introduce the wine part – but we talk so much at these nights, we barely get done our first glass!  Friends ended years ago, but our Rosary nights still keep us connected and make our friendships extra strong.  If you are not totally sure about this idea, check out this post! Five Reasons to Start a Rosary Group If you like the idea of combining prayer, wine and chocolate, check out thsi post: How To Throw a “Prayer and Pair” Party! {With a FREE Printable!}How To Throw a “Prayer and Pair” Party! {With a FREE Printable!}

Throw a Prayer Journaling Party!

Prayer journaling can be an extremely intimate and personal activity – but it also can combine adult coloring with prayer and meditation.  I recently started leading these parties, so I wrote a post about how you can host your own!  Check out: How to Host a ‘Sip and Script’ Party: Prayer Journaling with Friends

If you live in the Philadelphia area, and would like me to come to your home or parish to guide one of these awesome gatherings, contact me at prayerwinechocolate@gmail.com.  I’d love to come and help!  Plus, it gives me some time to color and prayer journal – I love it!

Morning Mass and Coffee

Some of you amazing folks already attend daily Mass.  That is so beautiful, and something I would like to attempt – or at least try to go more often.  If you attend morning Mass – ask someone else there to grab a cup of coffee after!  You don’t have to talk about the readings or homily!  Just enjoy each other and that cup of amazingness!

Find or Start a Book Club

As luck would have it, a nearby parish has a mom’s group that meets the first Tuesday of every month.  This mom’s group is called The Saint Gianna Mom’s Club, and meets to discuss a book.  This year, we are reading Divine Mercy For Moms.  If you are not a mom, or are a working parent, starting your own book club might work better!  Plus, if you start your own, you can FINALLY read that book you have been wanting to read.  Have a night out on the calendar is a nice added bonus as well!

Volunteer with a Pro-Life Group or the Saint Vincent de Paul Society

It wasn’t until this past year that I became more active in the Pro-Life movement.  I have found that so much love and service is out there for women who truly desire to choose life, but feel like it really isn’t an option.  If this is not what you are passionate about, try the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  This group takes the Gospel message of charity to so many people in need!  It’s amazing the friendships that can develop when we serve others together!

Do you have an idea about sharing faith and fellowship?  Please share it with us!

The post Seven Ways Catholics Can Mix Faith and Fellowship appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

Time to relax and just be is something I love and need to plan.  I am always thinking about what needs to get done, and relaxing is difficult for me. But, when I plan it, I enjoy it.  I know ahead of time that I need to get things done before what I have scheduled, and that I need to rest to recharge my batteries.

My four-year-old is at a stage in his life where he always wants me.  I love him and appreciate being a mom so much . . . but 12 hours a day, 7 days a week . . . it can wear on you!  I have been trying to get him into coloring . . . but he will only do it for about 1 minute tops.  One day last week he cut paper for 15 minutes while I colored . . . I think it’s the longest he sat still in a year!  So, I’ve come to the conclusion he is not a “coloring” kid.  I have also come to the conclusion that I am a “coloring” kid!  Lucky for me, adult coloring is all the rage

I have also realized it’s pretty hard to find time to do things like “write in my prayer journal” when my son desires my attention, the house is a mess, and my family needs to eat and my to do list is pages long.

So this dilemma led me to plan what I called a “Sip, Script and Scribble” Party.  Which basically meant that I invited my friends over to drink wine, color, eat chocolate and maybe even some healthy snacks and hang out.  It was really fun!  If it sounds like fun to you, this is how I did it:

Pick a date, get the word out, and make sure to explain what exactly you are planning . . .

Since I am pretty sure I made this idea up, I had a lot of explaining to do after I chose the date.  I made a Facebook event and texted and called friends that don’t use Facebook that often.  I discussed my desire to write in my prayer journal and explained that I could never find the time.  I also mentioned that some people may not feel comfortable writing out their prayers with a group, so I said that was an option, but so was coloring a quote from Scripture or simply a page out of a coloring book.  I let everyone know that I was providing wine, snacks and a “time-out” from all of life’s many responsibilities.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Remember that this is meant to be a little “retreat” for you too!  I gave each of my guests a folder, a notebook, a Holy Card with Jesus on it and a pen.  The folder had some free coloring pages I found online, a summary of what I wrote in my article How to Prayer Journal, and some “Journal Starters” that I had found in a Saint Katharine Drexel booklet. Some of the journal starters were: “I am grateful for . . .; I felt sad when; I ask God for;  I am not sure about.. .; etc. I put out colored pencils, scissors, glue, crayons, holy cards and stickers.  I also had some snacks out and the wine uncorked.  I actually couldn’t believe at one point early on when all my guests were sitting quietly coloring . .. I had time to color!  Was this a dream??? Wow!  Being prepared gave me time to sit still!  And apparently the other women were really happy to have the same!! For helping prepare, and having your own supplies for the long run, I love DaySpring – check out this perfect kit for prayer journaling!

Part of my prep work was making sure there was seating together, but also making sure I had a few side tables set up in case a woman wanted some privacy to write out her thoughts and prayers.  I had only 3 guests and they all preferred to sit together, but, that option was there in case they wanted some time to sit alone and reflect.  I bought some flowers and put them on the table.  I took a mug out of my cabinet and put some markers and colored pencils in it.  I found some disposable table cloths that were left over from a birthday party.  That was the extent of my decorating.  My guests weren’t there to analyze my Pinterest skills, they were there for the wine and company! This is meant to relieve stress, not cause it!  Remember that!

***** You can now purchase Coloring pages from Prayer Wine Chocolate!  They are on sale until June 22, 2018!: Be Yourself Coloring Pages Download (20 Coloring Pages)

Give a brief introduction,share some samples and play some inspirational music in the background

The page above is from an awesome new coloring book!  Check it our on here: Living Sparks of God: Stories of Saints for Young Catholics to Color.  For me, adult coloring books can be to detailed, and time is an issue.  This was perfect for me!  I used part of the Saint Joseph pages to pair with my novena to Saint Joseph!

***** You can now purchase Coloring pages from Prayer Wine Chocolate!  They are on sale until June 22, 2018!: Be Yourself Coloring Pages Download (20 Coloring Pages)

At first when my guests came we spent time in the kitchen pouring drinks, snacking and talking.  We did that for a good amount of time.  Then, when I invited my friends to pick a place to sit, I invited them to check out their folders.  I told them what I put in it and showed them a few pages from my own journals.  Since I had known a few weeks ahead of time that this event was happening, I made sure to take five minutes out of each day and work on my own journal in order to have a sample of what I envision as a prayer journal.  Having the deadline of the party helped me at least get one picture colored! I wanted to have songs like “I Can Only Imagine” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” playing, but that is something I have to work on for next time

Enjoy Your Time!!!

The above coloring page is from Look To Him and Be Radiant and is a free printable! 

I couldn’t believe how much my friends dived right in!  Apparently I am not the only one who enjoys coloring  Take the time you have been waiting for and join in the fun!

Share with one another and admire each other’s work!

I loved seeing how beautiful everyone’s artwork turned out!  I was inspired by them!  It was fun seeing a finished work and showing others!

Plan another event!

Chances are not everyone could make it . . . and chances are you won’t have time to do it again unless you plan it!  At my next party I will be even more prepared!  Here’ a new coloring book I will use next time.  I love it – inspirational quotes, adult coloring style – but not so much that I would be able to finish my page in one sitting! Check it out: Color Happy

***** You can now purchase Coloring pages from Prayer Wine Chocolate!  They are on sale until June 22, 2018!: Be Yourself Coloring Pages Download (20 Coloring Pages)

Post pictures on Social Media!

I would love to see how your party went!  Post pictures on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter! #sipandscript or #prayerwinechocolate!  I would love, love, love to see you having fun and I am sure you will inspire me too!

Enjoy, God Bless and Cheers! xoxo Amy

The post How to Host a ‘Sip and Script’ Party: Prayer Journaling with Friends appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.