Staycation is a word in our vocabulary like hangry or mansplain; we use it in everyday conversations. When asked what we are doing during our summer vacation, we may replay with, “I’m doing a staycation this year, how about you?”. Parish Giving thought we would celebrate those who are participating in the staycation this summer and give you some ideas! Keep reading for more details!
How to Prepare Your Child for VBS
Have you seen all the signs for Vacation Bible School in front of a lot of churches? It seems as though everywhere I turn they are popping up! It’s great to see that VBS is still as popular as ever! Are you worried if your child is ready for a week long VBS? Well we have some sure ways to figure out if you and your child are ready to take the big step for Vacation Bible School!
Fourth of July FREEdom
July is just on the horizon; it’s almost here! That means it is almost America’s birthday! Living so close to America’s birthplace, we thought we’d share some FREE things to do to celebrate our nation’s 243rd birthday in Philadelphia! These are some of the ideas that we came up with!
First Day of Summer
Happy First Day of Summer to all of our readers! It’s all about swimming pools, the beach and enjoying the warmer weather! We find that we have more time in our day to enjoy the little things like attending a ball game after work, or going to a splash park during the evening to watch the sunset. This week we’ll be dedicating our blog to those who know how to enjoy summer!
Spontaneity
When the sun is out longer at night, we seem to find that we have more time on our hands. How often to you drive home from work and think what you can do that night? I ask myself that question each evening driving home! One night maybe attend a minor league baseball game, another evening take a long hike along some local trails, and maybe go down to the shore for some pizza and a sunset. The summer is filled with spontaneous nights like this!
Fun Activities
If you are like many of us this summer, sometimes you do not always have the time or finances to be able to go for a week-long vacation – sometimes a long weekend or day trips may have to suffice. That is where fun activities come into play!
Each morning you can check local tour guidebooks or magazines to see what is going on locally during the weekend. Sometimes it’s a farmers market, other times it is special hikes; one of my favorites was seeing paddle boarding lessons for beginners. There is always something new to try during the summer!
Other fun activities could be visiting the zoo, going to the beach for a day or enjoying a picnic with family and friends. Keep an eye out for different blogs or websites with different activities to do! There is always something out there!
Make a List
This is such a fun idea! Create a list and check off an item as you go along. Some of the items could be go on a roller coaster, blow bubbles outside, pick fresh fruit at a farm, sit on a porch swing and so on… Have your list handy and check them off as you go along. Be creative and have fun with it!
Needless to say, summer is one of our favorite times of the year! Enjoy the extra sunshine and fun! We’ll be out there enjoying it too!
The Secret Life of Parish Giving Pets
We thought we’d give our readers a part 2 to our Pet Rescue blog. Animals are a soft spot for most of us on the social media team, and we thought we would share some stories of our loveable pets!
Baccalaureate Mass
June is a month filled with graduations. Whether it is high school, middle school, elementary or pre-school, young people of all ages are celebrating a huge milestone in their lives. At many Catholic schools it is often celebrated with a Baccalaureate Mass the day before. There are many reasons as to why schools celebrate with a Baccalaureate Mass; these are just a few.
Pet Rescue
As you can see from previous blogs we are animal lovers here at Parish Giving. We love to rescue and adopt all pets. Some of them are conventional like dogs and cats, while others are less orthodox like horses and pigs. Either way, we know the importance of sharing our lives with an animal that needs us.
Memorial Day
Upon recently glancing at my calendar I saw that Memorial Day weekend is upon us! The weather is warm, cookouts are a nightly event and we are finally able to wear our favorite summer clothing and sandals. This also means a busy weekend is ahead of us: parades, services for fallen soldiers and a family bar-be-que. Can’t wait!
Memorial Day parade
To me it’s not Memorial Day without our town parade. The first one was back in 1885, and people have been enjoying it since! I participated in it growing up whether on a float, or marching with my peers for an organization. Now I enjoy being a spectator and admiring the floats, marching bands and all the classic cars!
After the parade is a service in the town park. There is a memorial in which a veteran lays a wreath or flowers down on and the school bands play in the background. Then everyone has a moment of silence and reflects the true meaning of Memorial Day.
Many towns across America have similar traditions. What does your town do?
Services
As mentioned before, we hold a service in our town park for those who have fought for their country. There are also services at your local church. Many chaplains celebrate with a short service at a military graveyard or a local cemetery. It’s nice to know that there are different ways to honor those who have fallen during war, or those who have lost someone from their military unit. That is what Memorial Day is for.
Bar-be-que
Yes, this is perhaps my favorite part of Memorial Day weekend! I know Saturday morning I’ll be putting my fiesta beans in the crock pot, and get ready to grill all weekend long! Plenty of pasta salads, grilled entrees and lots of fresh fruit salad! It’s especially nice when you can enjoy it outside in the sunshine!
This is what Memorial Day weekend is about to me. What is this weekend about to you?
Gardens
April showers bring May flowers. It’s that time of the year where our gardens are getting planted and flowers are beginning to bloom. The air is becoming more fragrant and our yards are bright and colorful. What a beautiful time of the year! Church gardens are no exception, and Parish Giving is here to help!
Parish Garden
I love looking at pictures of gardens from different church bulletins. The perfectly manicured lawns and the different flowers always flow so nicely together. I especially love when they are able to capture butterflies or bird’s nests. On the same note, their gardens are difficult to keep up with; lots of tending to and money go into them. Why not try one of our online forms for a fundraiser?
We offer different kinds of online forms for raising money, or for flower/plant donations. You can even raise money with our forms for memorial plaques or small statues for loved ones. It’s a small idea that can grow very nicely!
School children
It’s important to teach school children about gardens at a young age. They can learn to appreciate plants, flowers and the creatures that live in it. One of our parishes, Holy Family in Hicksville, NY, demonstrated how to take care of an abandoned robin’s egg. They help create a bird’s nest for it in hopes that the egg will hatch. Teaching them responsibility to help grow and nurture what is growing about them, whether plant or bird helps them grow as adults in the church. They become more caring and loving themselves.
Communities
Some towns and cities have community gardens. Your parish garden should be part of it. Having others tending to it allows it to grow and have different plants throughout the season. This also helps more families and people new to the area adapt to their new home. Why not host a community garden day to help your garden grow in more ways than one?
As you can see gardens are more than just about plants and flowers; it’s about the community and teaching. If you are interested in hosting a community garden day, contact us and we’ll advertise it on our numerous social media platforms – we can even come up with a form for donations too! Parish Giving is here for all of your garden and community needs!
Feel free to send us pictures of your parish garden! We love seeing the flowers blossoming and seeing the different varieties of colors used!
Teacher Appreciation Week
The first full week of May brings Teacher Appreciation Week. Since it’s towards the end of the school year, it is a great time to reminisce and think about all the things that your teacher or teachers have done for their students. It does not matter if they are their grade school teacher, religious education teacher or an extra-curricular teacher. They all bring something to the classroom.
Parochial School Teacher
Catholic school teachers are amazing! Not only do they work long hours, come up with lesson plans, grade papers, and other things that all teachers do, but they also help prepare students to become adults in the Catholic Church. They help to prepare them for their First Communion and Confirmation, and teach them lessons about the Catholic religion. In many schools they play multiple parts and wear many hats. That is why we appreciate all Catholic school teachers!
Religious Education Teachers
What would we do without RE teachers? With numerous Catholic schools combining or closing, sometimes all we have is Religious Education for our students. We would be lost without our RE teachers then. They help students understand the readings, teach them prayers and help them receive their sacraments each year. Often RE teachers are volunteers from the parish who may not have any teaching experience; they just enjoy teaching young people about being Catholic and the church. We’d be lost without these teachers!
Extra-Curricular Teachers
Whether it is art, music, gym or an after school sport, extra-curricular teachers take additional time out of their day to help students grow into young adults. They teach them additional lessons like team work, camaraderie, goals and so much more. These are the teachers who help shape their students and encourage them to keep striving for more and to never give up. Thank you to all the extra-curricular teachers out there!
Do you have a Catholic school or Religious Education program? Parish Giving has Tuition Simplified and online registration forms to make signing up and paying even easier! Contact us to find out more information – info@parishgiving.org or 866-307-7140.