Rosary Roses: A Review

 P. and I have had several conversations about how we want to pray with our kids and incorporate prayer into our daily lives with them-- like a beautiful monastic rhythm in some ways, where praying together is as normal to them as eating and playing together. However, we're still learning our own rhythm of praying together as a married couple, so any and all tips are always welcome!

Sweet Little Ones has great tips for praying as a family and it was on her blog that I first saw these Rosary Roses from Annery's Handmade, an etsy shop. I'm so excited to review them for you!

This beautiful set was mailed to me by the artisan, Annie Tillberg, from her etsy shop mentioned above. The roses are crocheted with 100% cotton yarn and are beautifully intricate, yet quite hardy for little hands. As a crocheter myself, I was impressed with the quality and workmanship! She has a great, tight stitch that keeps them from feeling flimsy or fragile! (Much better than me.) They're also washable (because again, little hands ;) and they come in 9 beautiful colors!

Aren't they pretty?

The idea of rosary roses is to give little ones a way to pray along with the older kids and parents as you pray the rosary as a family. They will enjoy the soft roses and counting along with the ten Hail Mary's as they lay the roses out. For fingers that are just too small for rosary beads--or too distracted-- these larger, softer "beads" are perfect for them to learn and participate in such a beautiful family devotion!

My adorable niece tried these out the other day and was very intrigued with them. She kept repeating "rosary roses" and enjoyed lining them up. Having just turned two, I think she was right on the border of using these. I'm not sure they would keep her attention for the whole rosary, but I think one decade is realistic for her age. I think a 3-5 year old would enjoy them even more and would learn the concept of praying with them quickly.

K. and I both give them a big thumbs up (or in her case below, a big smile) and I look forward to using them someday with our little one due in August. They would make a fabulous gift for Baptism or a toddler godchild's birthday. Annie also mentions that these roses can be used at the other end of the lifespan-- for the elderly and those who have trouble holding beads because of numbness or other difficulties. 

Make sure to check out Annie's etsy shop for these roses and more. I loved learning more about her shop as well as her inspiration for the roses. As she writes, "Prayer is for all of us, big and little."

And hey! One last thing! A coupon code for free shipping if you order by July 1! :) Just add code SHIPFREE16 with your checkout order at her etsy shop. Thanks, Annie!