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Irresistible Irish Presents For Irish Princesses

Hi! My name is Amanda, and I just wanted to take some time out of my day to let you know how pleased I am with your website and the products you carry! It just so happens that I have a friend’s daughter who is going to make her First Communion next week. As a person of the Catholic faith, I understand just how special and important of a moment this is!

I remember my First Communion like it just happened yesterday and that was twenty years ago! The white communion dress with the lace and bows, the white veil in my hair, white lace gloves and tights, and best of all, a silver sparkling necklace with a cross, made me feel like a princess on that day! So when I heard that my friend’s daughter was making her First Communion, I wanted for her to feel the exact same way!

Celtic Sterling Girls Cross Necklace

Browsing through My Special Place.com, I came across your Irish Communion products. Since my friend is Irish and even was born on Saint Patrick’s Day, she is a huge fan of anything that relates to being Irish. So, as I came across the Celtic Sterling Girls Cross Necklace, I knew that she and her daughter would love it! I adore the fact that this necklace can be worn year round and with any clothing attire!

The other gift that I had to get her for her special day was a bible. I remember and still have the first children’s bible that I received on my First Communion. It is something that is very special and meaningful to me! So when I saw the Shamrock Catholic Communion Keepsake Bible, I thought it was absolutely adorable with the little green shamrock in the center of the front cover and could not resist it! I know that my friend and her daughter will appreciate the Irish touch to the gifts! After all, they both are Irish princesses!

Boy's Suit / First Communion / Son / Tradition — No Comments
29
Apr 10

How A White Suite Can Teach A Young Boy Responsibility

When most people think of a First Communion, they picture a young girl wearing a fancy white dress accompanied with a veil for her hair. However, a Communion is also a special moment for a young boy. My son, Owen, will be making his First Communion and he is extremely excited once he heard that he had the choice to wear an all white suit. As a mother to a little boy that always manages to somehow get a stain here, there and everywhere, I did hesitate at the thought of this. However, how many opportunities is he going to get?

So I talked with Owen, about how he is to treat an all white suit and what an important opportunity this is to show some responsibility. You see, my son has also mentioned how much he wants a dog. This allowed me the perfect opportunity to help make him realize just how big of a responsibility a dog can be. Therefore, I told him that an all white suit (like a dog) is something that is very special and will require much care. If Owen can use his judgment to treat this particular suit with the best of care (as a person would that is caring for a pet), then we can discuss getting a dog after his Communion.

David Boy's White Suit

Obviously, Owen was now more determined than ever to find a white suit and to prove to me just how good he could treat the suit. So we searched stores and could not find anything without it being ridiculously expensive. Next, Owen and I decided to look online. That is when we came across, My Special Place.com.

We looked under the title of Boy’s Suits and found the David Boy’s White Suit. It is just what Owen and I were looking for! It is an all white, five-piece, machine washable, suit! Not to mention I could not beat the affordable price! This suit is absolutely perfect!

After I saw this suit, I knew Owen would look dashingly handsome and this was the suit for us! Not to mention, knowing how determined of a boy Owen can be, I have a strong feeling that he is going to prove me wrong! I have a feeling that Owen will be a new proud owner of a dog within the next few weeks! Little does he know, that my husband and I are planning on getting him a puppy as a Communion present anyways!

Daughter / Family / First Communion / Tradition — No Comments
28
Apr 10

Accessories Can Complete The Look Of A Communion Dress

Stephanie First Communion Dress

To make a First Communion is a monumental moment in a Catholic’s life and one that is to be celebrated! Typically, most First Communions occur when a child is about eight years of age. This is the same age as my niece, Sierra, who is anticipating the arrival of her First Communion.

Since I have three boys, I figure the closest I am going to get to have a daughter of my own that I can do girly things with is going to be my niece. Also, I know how much of a budget my sister is on and so for Sierra’s communion gift, I asked if I could purchase her First Communion dress. However, my sister had already purchased the dress through My Special Place.com. She did mention though that she had yet to purchase any accessories, and would let me do that if I still wished to do so. Since I do not have many opportunities to buy girl clothing, I could not pass this up!

I decided to go and check out the dress that had been bought for Sierra from My Special Place.com. It was called the Stephanie First Communion Dress and it was gorgeous! It was simple, elegant, and classic with a white bow that was tied perfectly around the waist in the front.

I knew that Sierra was going to look like a sweet and innocent princess with it on. As I looked and studied the details of the dress, I could not contain myself when it came to pulling the whole look together through the use of various accessories. You name it and I looked at it: socks, purses, gloves, veils, jewelry, etc.

Girl's Bow Communion Gloves

Finally, I decided that the Girls Bow Communion Gloves would help to bring attention to the bow on the dress.

Headband Bow First Communion Veil

Another perfect compliment to the bow on the dress is the precious Headband Bow First Communion Veil! Last but not least, was the Girl’s Communion Charm Bracelet. This particular bracelet is not only a great reminder of her First Communion, but can also act as a daily reminder of her faith and devotion to God! Now all I have to do is try to patiently await the day of Sierra’s First Communion, so I can surprise her with all of these beautiful accessories!

Confirmation / Girls / Tradition — 1 Comment
26
Apr 10

Girls Confirmation Gift: A Beautiful Symbol of Faith and Devotion to God

A Confirmation is a monumental moment for a parishioner in the Catholic Church. It is one of the seven sacraments that a Catholic person must pass throughout their religious upbringing and it confirms you into your faith. It is during this sacrament that a person of Catholic faith will receive the Holy Spirit through a prayer that is performed, as well as, an anointing done by a Bishop. Also, a sponsor is assigned to the person being confirmed. Then it becomes the sponsor’s duty to help guide the confirmed in to keeping with their Catholic faith. A majority of time a confirmed person is of thirteen years of age.

When I found out that a very dear friend’s daughter, Kayla, was making her Confirmation I was so happy and stunned. Happy that Kayla was taking such a giant step in the Catholic faith. Stunned that this meant Kayla was now thirteen years old! Where did that time go? I remember the first time I met Kayla. My husband Nick (then boyfriend), were dating and he introduced me to his friend David. David’s fun loving and charismatic family happen to be throwing a birthday party for him. While I was at David’s sisters house, where the party was being held, I met Kayla who was David’s five-year old niece. She had a huge amount of energy and was absolutely adorable and unforgettable!

Earlier that weekend, Nick and I had gone on another date to a local street fair. While at the fair I found a gorgeous red Swarovski crystal bracelet. I absolutely adored this bracelet and decided to wear it at David’s birthday party. That is when Kayla decided that she, too, adored my newly bought bracelet. So I let her wear it throughout the party. When it was time to go, she returned my bracelet. However, over the years anytime I had it on, she asked if she could wear it. So when I heard she was making her Confirmation, I remembered that first moment that had I met her and decided I wanted to get her own Swarovski bracelet!

Sterling and Swarovski Crystal Rosary Bracelet

It just so happened to find this Sterling and Swarovski Lady’s Crystal Rosary Bracelet on your website. I loved the fact that this was a one-size fits all wrap around style bracelet. This meant that Kayla would be able to wear this bracelet for years to come. With the clear crystals and the silver Medal Crucifix and heart shape Miraculous Medal, not only did it make a gorgeous bracelet, but one that she will be able to wear on a daily basis as a symbol of her faith and devotion to God.

Daughter / Faith / First Communion / Parenting / Son / Tradition — No Comments
24
Apr 10

Do Not Forget To Thank Your Child’s Catechism Teacher

When a young Catholic boy or girl makes their First Communion, it is not just a special moment for the child but it is a very proud and rewarding moment for their catechism teacher, as well!

Normally, it is their second grade catechism teacher who spends months preparing a child for their First Communion. When a child makes their Holy Communion, it means that they are going to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The Eucharist (the body and blood of Jesus Christ) is represented by bread and wine, and it is blessed by the priest and shared amongst the congregation. Thus, it is the catechism teacher’s job to help guide the baptized child through the process.

The teacher must help the child to learn and understand the several prayers in which they are to recite immediately upon exiting the confessional during their first confession (also known as the Sacrament of Penance). The Sacrament of Penance takes place about a week before their First Communion. Also, the teacher becomes responsible for making sure that the child understands the actions and prayers that they will need to perform during their First Communion mass.

Foundations January Birthstone Angel Figurine

Soon my son, Owen, will be making his First Communion. As a person of Catholic faith I am very excited for him. Also Owen’s Holy Communion has a special meaning to my mother-in-law. For years she has been teaching second grade catechism, as well as, helping her students understand the communion process. Since Owen is in her catechism class, I feel so fortunate that it is my mother-in-law who will be the one guiding him during this monumental Catholic moment. Therefore, I also knew I wanted to get her a meaningful thank-you gift for all of her hard work and dedication!

As I was browsing various websites, I came across My Special Place and found the perfect gift! My mother-in-law is a huge collector of angels. She has all kinds of collectible angels that arrange anywhere from wood and ceramic to glass. So when I found the Foundations January Birthstone Angel Figurine, I knew she would cherish it! This angel figurine is gorgeous! It has her January birthstone which is a garnet. The saying that is written on the dress is that, “God Smiled the Day You Were Born”. It is so true!

Overall, I am very blessed to have my mother-in-law not only in my life, but as a part of Owen’s! She truly is a wonderful human being that not only cherishes Owen but also loves to volunteer her time to educate other young children about the word of God! My mother-in-law is a valuable member of our Catholic community and I would like to reward her for all of her hard work, time and dedication to educating our young children! What better way to do this, than with a thank-you gift!

Confirmation / Faith / Family / First Communion / RCIA / Tradition / baptism — 1 Comment
22
Apr 10

Communion Gifts: A personal reflection

Communion is a special moment for a person upon entering into the Catholic faith. It symbolizes that the person has received the Sacrament of the Eucharist (the body and blood of Jesus Christ). Typically it is children that are in second grade that make their First Communion. Although, Catholic children seven or eight years old make their First Communion, it is not limited to this age group. As long as a person meets all of the Catholic Church’s requirements by following a RCIA program, they too, will have the opportunity to receive their First Communion. It is important to remember, at any age, a person’s First Communion is a very special moment and one that they should be proud to have accomplished!

Catholic Picture Bible Burgandy

For example, I have a co-worker whose name is Rebecca that although we went to high school together, it was not until we ended up working at the same place of business that we became friends. Over the last six years we have developed a close friendship.

Although we do attend different Catholic churches, it was our dedication to our Catholic faith that helped to develop our friendship! Because our religious views were the same, Rebecca and I happen to share the same values when it came to how we ought to live life and raise our children. It was very important to both of us that our children were Baptized in the Catholic Church and make their First Communion, and Confirmation.

It just so happens that Rebecca’s son, Adam, will be making his First Communion this weekend. Since I was invited to the Communion and dinner afterwards, I wanted to get Adam a special gift. What should I get a seven year old boy though? If I was buying for a girl, I could easily purchase some jewelry. So as I browsed multiple websites looking for something to catch my eye, I came across it on My Special Place.com and decided to purchase the Burgandy Catholic Picture Bible.

I decided to choose this gift because I thought back to when I made my First Communion. I was completely overwhelmed and intimidated at how big of a book the Bible was. This picture Bible is a blessing for a young child to have! It has easy to read large print, the reading comprehension is age appropriate, and it is full of colorful illustrations that accompany the stories. I felt that it was a great way to introduce Adam to the bible without making him feel overwhelmed (like I had felt) at such a young age. Not to mention I felt that the burgundy color had a touch of masculinity he would also enjoy!

The next gift I decided to purchase was the My First Communion Memory Book. I knew Rebecca would enjoy having a special place to store pictures, cards, etc. from Adam’s first communion. Also, I knew Adam would hold onto the memories of his first communion every time he looked back in this book. Hopefully, someday when Adam has children of his own and are about to make their first communion, he will remember that moment and be excited to show them his picture bible and memory book!

Faith / Parenting / Tradition / baptism — No Comments
3
Feb 10

Choosing the Right Baptismal Outfit

My nephew, Steven, and his wife, Fran, have been preparing for the baptism of their first newborn son Logan. Most of the planning is done. They have asked our cousins to be the god-parents. They have talked with their pastor and have set the date. They have selected a caterer for the large family gathering that is planned. There is only one thing left and that is selecting a baptismal outfit.

Stephen just assumed that Logan would wear a christening romper with a little bow tie, a cap and white shoes. But Fran told him that she wanted a baptismal outfit that could be worn by all their future children whether they had another boy or a girl. That being the case, she wanted to go with the more traditional long baptismal gown. This gown could also be passed on as an heirloom to the grandchildren.

Stephen thinks they should go with the romper for Logan and then this outfit could be passed on to the next male child. And if their next child happens to be a girl, they can buy her a christening dress and that could be passed on to any other female children they may have. Fran does not agree with this idea. She wants all their future children to wear the same outfit.

I tend to agree with Fran. It seems more like a family tradition to have all the children wear the same outfit. This means the outfit should be the long baptismal gown. I have suggested that they should take a survey of the extended family and let the results dictate what outfit they buy since they cannot agree.

What outfit do you think they should select?

Daughter / First Communion / Girls / Parenting / Tradition — No Comments
15
Jan 10

Calming First Communion Jitters

My husband and I took our three boys, their wives and the six grandchildren to Disney World last winter. We had a wonderful time. We knew that this trip would be magical especially for Anna who was eight years old at the time. She is very much a girly girl but is rather shy. She loves fancy dresses and princess stories. She was so excited to attend the Disney World Princess Breakfast. This is an event where you eat breakfast in Cinderella’s Castle. While you are eating, the various Disney princess characters walk around and talk with the children. They let you take pictures with the princesses and they sign autographs.

Anna looked forward to this event more so than any other thing we had planned at Disney World. She was excited the morning of the breakfast but was nervous about talking to the characters. She dressed up in a beautiful Cinderella costume for the event. It took a lot of coaxing to get Anna to go up to Cinderella for her autograph. But after a lot of nervous tears, Cinderella saw that she was having a hard time so she came over and talked privately to Anna. She told Anna that she should not be nervous because she looked so beautiful. Cinderella told her that she was so impressed that Anna dressed up for the special occasion and that it was an honor to have her as a guest at her castle. She asked Anna if she could take her picture and asked if she would sign her book of favorite guests. Anna was so happy after that. She was so surprised that Cinderella wanted something from her. It calmed all her fears.

This spring, Anna made her First Holy Communion. The day started out well. Anna was excited to once again dress up like a princess in her beautiful communion dress. She put on her ornate veil and her long white gloves and her fancy pearl white shoes. She looked just like a princess.

But once again, Anna became nervous and the tears began to flow once she arrived at church. I sat her on my lap and reminded her of our trip to Disney World and what Cinderella told her. I told her that God feels the same way today on her First Holy Communion. She should not be nervous because she looks so beautiful and God is so impressed that she dressed up for this special event. And God is so happy that she has come to His church today. He wants her to give her the body and blood of Christ and come into her heart.

That did it! Anna stopped crying and she began to smile. The stress of all her preparation and the anticipations of this day were relieved. She went up with her class and received her First Holy Communion. The day was a great success.

Daughter / Family / Parenting / Son / Tradition / baptism — No Comments
9
Jan 10

Our Son’s Baptism

The day of my son’s christening was the hottest day of the year! Lukas was born in July and baptized in August. He wore the same baptismal outfit that I, as well as my brothers and sisters, were baptized in.

My husband and I had a hard time choosing God parents so we put names in a hat. Yes, that is how we chose my son’s godparents. (Granted, we only threw names of people we knew would aid him in his relationship with God–and we trusted them!)

At the time our daughter was 2 ½ years old and the baptism was following the 11am mass–which fell at nap time, of course. We were the only family having our baby baptized, as we were having a family friend baptize our son. He was a retired priest who had performed our wedding and also baptized our daughter two years prior. This priest had always been an important “member” of our family, so I was honored he agreed to the baptism.

Anyway, as it was so warm outside and it was naptime for my daughter. She was so tired! Thank God we were the only family there! I would have been mortified! She was crying, running around, screaming and having temper tantrums–which surprised everyone because she was usually really good in church. My husband’s cousin tried so hard to keep her distracted and quiet but there was no calming her down. Finally, worn out, she just fell asleep at the church snuggled into her baby brother’s baptism gift–a gorgeous cross blanket. She was just exhausted.

After Lukas’ baptism, we went back to the house for a luncheon–and wouldn’t you know it, his sister slept through the whole thing! Now when we go back and watch the video tape we all laugh and Lukas teases his sister, telling her “some day he will get her back from stealing the show at his baptism.”

Daughter / Faith / Family / Girls / Parenting / Tradition — No Comments
8
Jan 10

My Daughter’s Baptism

I will never forget the day my daughter, Samantha, was baptized! It was my very first Mother’s day on Sunday, May 12, 1996. It was a warm, sunny spring morning as we made our way to the church that my family has belonged to for years, St. Bernardine of Sienna Catholic church. In fact, it was the same church where my husband and I were married at 18 months before and where I was baptized.

We asked Father Partensky, the same priest who married Glen and I, to perform our daughter’s baptism. Having the same priest who married us, be the same one to perform our first child’s baptism meant a lot to us. Father Partensky is a very warm, easy going man with a gift to make everyone feel comfortable and secure. When we walked into the church for the baptism he said, jokingly, “If that baby cries, we are done!” Believe it or not Samantha did not make a peep! She was incredible well-behaved the entire time, which made for some great memories of a wonderful experience.

Not only did Samantha behave like an angel that day, she looked absolutely heavenly in her baptismal gown. It took a few weeks to carefully chose her baptismal gown and I am glad that we took the time. We chose a baptismal gown that we wanted to stay in our family, and become a heirloom that she could pass down as a tradition to her own children one day. Today, I have it carefully packed away to give to her one day for our future grandchildren.

I remember that we had a hard time picking her godparents. My husband and I wanted family but wanted to make sure that we picked someone who we knew would be there for Samantha to turn to if she had questions or concerns about her religious life. We finally asked my younger sister, Amanda and my husband’s brother, John. Both our siblings were truly honored. It was really a blessing to share this day with both of our families.

Among her baptismal gifts, one of my favorites was a book from her godfather, John, talking about guardian angels. It was a beautiful children’s picture book called Angels Watch Over Me. Even though she was a baby, I remember reading it to her almost every night. It eventually turned into a bedtime ritual for us, and even though she is no longer a young child, it is still one of her favorite books. My oldest sister gave her a beautiful pin cross (which she has worn for her Baptism, Communion and Confirmation) and my cousin knitted her a sweater, bonnet and booties set that was absolutely adorable. I will always have fond memories of my daughter’s baptism.

Tradition

Irresistible Irish Presents For Irish Princesses

How A White Suite Can Teach A Young Boy Responsibility

Accessories Can Complete The Look Of A Communion Dress

Girls Confirmation Gift: A Beautiful Symbol of Faith and Devotion to God

Do Not Forget To Thank Your Child’s Catechism Teacher

Communion Gifts: A personal reflection

Choosing the Right Baptismal Outfit

Calming First Communion Jitters

Our Son’s Baptism

My Daughter’s Baptism

A family tradition for over 60 years

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A family tradition for over 60 years

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