You have probably heard of Pinterest .I have actually blogged about this back in November .(If you want an invite, let me know.)The other day was full of Pinspiration.Here’s what I did, all inspired by Pinterest: I displayed a bunch of photos, in a super-simple way. And Solly looooved it. Read More »

In honor of Tu BiShvat we had green smoothies… Simple recipe – bananas, milk, a little chocolate syrup (mostly because they were watching and insisted) and a little whipped cream on top (because, of course, it’s a holiday!)I can’t believe that my oldest, who won’t ever eat a vegetable, drank this smoothie. Read More »

How do you celebrate the Birthday of the Trees?Here are some suggestions…- Take a walk outside. Even if it’s raining or snowing or cold or….whatever. Enjoy the fresh air and look at a few trees.- Eat a tree fruit or nut. Read More »

What is Tu B’Shevat*?The Jewish New Year of Trees -in essence, tax day.This date was the endof the fiscal year for fruitto count up the tithe.The day is now more -a day to celebrate greenHooray for the trees!Make the world betterby planting a tree or two ,recycle, reuse. Read More »

Tu BiShvat is the Jewish holiday celebrating the “new year (or birthday) of the trees.” The name comes from the calendar date on which it falls: Tu is the Hebrew equivalent of 15 and Shevat is the Hebrew month in which we are in right now. Read More »

I am so excited to bring you this interview with Susan Campbell Bartolleti , http://www.jewishlibraries.org/blog) , and the official Sydney Taylor Book Awards . The full blog tour schedule will be posted at http://www.jewishlibraries. Read More »

Sam is right on the edge. Right on the cusp.Of reading .He is so ready. Tonight, I brought home a used set of Bob books .He opened one and started to read.His face lit up as he read the simple story.And then he read the next one.And the next.And he couldn’t stop.”Can I read the next one?”He didn’t want to go to bed. Read More »

I think it is a sign of my total (awesome) geek-itude that I went out and put all these books on reserve at the library as soon as the Sydney Taylor Book Awards were announced! I am honored and excited to kick off the tour on Sunday, February 5th. Read More »

The Abba Sababa posted about what happens when one kid gets sick and the other ones have to go about their regular routine . This morning, Yael was still feeling under the weather.Sam: Is Yael staying home again today?Me: Yes.Sam: Because, you know, I got, like, no love yesterday. Right.No love.This from the kid who wipes off every kiss… Read More »

It doesn’t seem like spring. Picture taken in Central Park on a lovely almost-spring-like day in January! Brrrr.But the days are, in fact, getting longer.Deep below the earth,the trees can sense itthe futurethe potentialthe awakening…I’ve always loved the hopeof the month of Shevat.It’s cold and dark here. Read More »

There’s a story about the Baal Shem Tov , the great teacher and rabbi. He once went into a grand synagogue, filled with the people of a community. At the end of the services, he said, “this shul is filled with prayer. Read More »

No excuses. I have been a bad blogger for the last two weeks. I spent almost 2 weeks in New York City, as part of a program I’m participating in through Hebrew Union College, my alma mater. Ten days without my kids and husband, staying in Midtown Manhattan. Yep.So I did what any left-alone mama would do.I ate. Read More »

Just after I posted my “Books of 2011″ list, I had a thought that perhaps I had forgotten a book or two. After all, that happened to me last year too.And then I read Leah’s post of the books she read (check out her cool graphic) and I exclaimed “Wait, I read that one too!”So I really read one more book last year. Argh… Read More »

lighting lights eating treats family togetherness celebrating freedom I hope your Chanukah was as warm and bright as ours! Read More »

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I found this picture of Sam floating around the kids’ bedroom. It was taken when he was four months old: But it looks so much like Solly that we had to see them next to each other: The creation of genetic likenesses and differences is truly remarkable to me. Read More »

While taking out the Chanukah decorations, chanukiyot, dreidels, and books from the Chanukah box, we “found” all the things that the kids have made for Chanukah over the years. Thus, a new tradition is born: And then we found this one, which their Ima made a looong time ago. Read More »

What’s HanukkahHoopla ? Thanks to Renee for her great idea to set this up! Make sure you follow our hashtag (#HanukkahHoopla ) on Twitter because over the next 8 days, we’re all going to be posting great Chanukah content – 16 different bloggers! I hate to break it to everyone, but Chanukah really isn’t about gifts. Read More »

This is one of the presentations I will be giving, with JaneTheWriter , at the URJ Biennial this week.Congregational Blogging for Beginners at the URJ Biennial View more presentations or Upload your own. Read More »

I cannot wait for my daughter to be old enough to love these books.Even just the title of the series makes me happy: “The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames .” How cool is that? Dastardly dames….it has a great ring to it.I always had a fascination with Marie Antoinette. Read More »