Preparing for Lent

We have been very busy preparing for Lent this year. We have decided to make a Lent Calendar and Lent Folders to help my girls (and myself) in an effort to strengthen our faith! Our Lent calendar marks the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday) and continues through the end of Lent (evening of Holy Thursday) and through the Triduum and Easter! Since Lent is a time for Prayer, Giving Alms and Fasting these are our plans for this Lenten Season: Each day we have items we must count and we will put the corresponding # of pennies in our rice bowl to be given to the needy at the end of Lent (our church will collect these). We are also picking one item from our pantry each day and putting those in a box (haven't gotten around to setting one up and decorating it) and those will all be donated as well. We have specific prayer intentions we will be making each day during Lent as well. To add to our traditional fasting we have decided to give up candy and sugar items every Sunday (which for us will be quite a sacrifice). I have included pictures of our Lent Calendar and the girls Lent Folder they are in the process of creating (these are called lapbooks or flapbooks). My girls have recently began making these in our homeschooling (history mainly) and they are similar to scrapbooking so it's right up their alley! Well, I must get them some "late" lunch so I will end for now.