I am a big fan of stickers for Jewish art projects. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I am not a talented crafts person. But I love to do all kinds of projects with little ones. Coloring. Collage. Cooking. Writing stories. So I'm always on the look-out for simple things that I can use. Stickers are a favorite go-to. When I’m placing an order from places like Current or any of the Judaica shops, or shopping at Target, WalMart, dollar stores, or TJ Maxx, I’ll give a quick check to see if they have stickers that I can pair with holidays, like: Apple stickers for … [Read more...]
Homemade Hanukkah Gifts – Art
Like many of you, we are an interfaith family – with a rare opportunity this year to weave together our traditions. Hanukkah begins on December 22. When we gather this year, we hope to be together for several nights of Hanukkah, including Christmas. But we want to downplay the gifts. SO – we will follow my daughter’s lead and create themed nights, as they do when they are home for Hanukkah. Games night. Books night. Outside exploring night. And while we have all decided to limit gifts to one per child, we want them to understand the pleasure of giving to others, too. My hope … [Read more...]
TaDa – How to Make a Dreidel Cake
Is a dreidel cake better than any other Hanukkah treat? Not really, but . . . I love all kinds of desserts for Hanukkah – from the cookies I made when I was a kid and that I made with our girls and our niece (with cookie cutters and colored sugar) to jelly-filled doughnuts to chocolate gelt. But there is something truly festive about a cake for a family gathering. This year, why not try making a dreidel-shaped cake? You can use a simple box mix and bake it in a 9” x 13” x 2” pan. Dreidel Cake Directions Cut 2 triangles off the bottom. Then place the … [Read more...]
Great Excuse for a Bonfire – Lag B’Omer
Celebrating Lag B’Omer – think bonfires, picnics, ball games, and roasting marshmallows – reminds me of my happy places and might be perfect for your family, too. For me, it’s a (giant) step back to some of my favorite activities as a kid. As a young teen, I attended Jewish summer camps where the magic of nature was truly the major part of our experience. On Saturday nights at Tel Yehudah in upstate New York, we walked to a clearing in the woods where a huge bonfire was lit. Flames shot straight up into the black night sky and the crackling sound of the wood, along with the singing and … [Read more...]
25% off + The Seder That Was
So how was your Passover Seder – or both of your Sedarim? And what were your Seder discoveries this year? We had a blast. When you have a 5-year-old, 7-year-old, and 9-year-old, along with a teenager and various cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, how can you not have a great time?! Passover Play - Coming 2020 For next year, I hope to share the Passover play that we’ve done every year – with modifications – for the last five years. We all get up from the table as we begin the Maggid (telling) portion of the Seder, moving from “Egypt” to “Midian” to “Egypt” to the desert – through … [Read more...]