Recent Posts:
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Parsha Parenting: Parshas Vayeirah
“Hakaros Hatov” is the Hebrew phrase meaning “recognizing the good”. This is such a fundamental concept in Judaism, that the word for Jew in Hebrew is “yehudi” which stems from the word “lehodot”— “to thank”. Loosely translated, then, the word “Yehudi” is “one who thanks”. Being Jewish, then, takes on an entirely different meaning when…
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Great News For Eretz Yisrael Crafters! (A Yarn Sale & A Give-Away….)
First of all, I just got an email from livyahyarn.com stating that all of their inventory of Lion Brand yarn is now 40% off. Now you can buy that cotton I raved about, or just about anything your little heart desires, since at this price, well it's about the same as you'd get in the…
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Beautiful Party Decor On A Budget! (For Tu B’Shevat?)
Got something to celebrate this winter? Throwing a party? Wondering just how to decorate? How about an "anticipating spring" party? You know, pink and white and creme…..evocative of a cherry blossom tree full of delicate blooms. These colors make perfect winter decor and look great with candle light and even a little silver glitter here…
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Tu B’Shevat is Coming! A Roundup From The Archives……
Yes, Tu B'Shevat is coming, which means Tu B'Shevat crafts are coming, and of course Tu B'Shevat crafts for kids too, hopefully lots of them, since we're getting a nice and early start! We have almost an entire month to enjoy preparing and creating for this wonderful holiday which celebrates the New Year for the…
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Slice Of Life: A House In Baka, Jerusalem
My husband and I were in Jerusalem this week, and I thought I'd share with you a few details from this old 100 year old home (now a tzimmer—a bed and breakfast without the breakfast…..) in Baka, a historic neighborhood in South Jerusalem. As it turns out, I'm not the only one who loves old…
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DIY Luminaries from Recycled Cans: Wrap Them With Yarn!
Make some simple DIY luminairies to light up your darkest corners! Look at that gorgeous glow, and it's just a recycled can wrapped in yarn! Can't get much simpler than that. Right, my friends? Use your yarn scraps, a little glue here and there and wrap. If you want some variety in texture, crochet a…
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Crochet A Chain Link Garland — A Fun Decoration Anytime!
Isn't this fun? I saw a chain link baby toy, here, and thought it would be great as an actual chain to hang as a party decoration, or over the head of a bed, or draped from a chandelier for a bit of tongue in cheek winter decorating? (Or super cute in a baby's room!)…
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Parsha Parenting: Humbling Lessons To Be Learned From Moshe Rabeinu
This week we are starting a new book in the Chumash, the Five Books of Moses. This week's Parsha Parenting, written by Eydl Reznik, summarizes the important points in the parsha for parents, is moving and powerful, and will give you not only some great food for thought but some great topics to discuss with…
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Parsha Parenting: Parshas Shemos
The little boy next door has tattered sweaters and oversized, worn-out shoes. He doesn’t have his own bike, but a shared family bike that is rusty and requires taking turns, with his other siblings. The boy is often busy helping at home, and isn’t always out playing, when all the other kids are playing in…
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Winter Craft For Kids: Make Snowflakes From Recycled Cardboard and Yarn!
Yes, a continuation of the snowflake theme! After all, what exactly should a Jewish crafter do this time of year? Winter crafts (for those of us in the Northern hemisphere) sounds good, which means snow, right? How about making some artful snowflakes from cereal boxes and yarn? I like the simplicity of these, but of…
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Using Acrylic Paint As Fabric Paint!
In my post about freezer paper stenciling I stated that one can use acrylic paint in place of fabric paint. That is the case, but I wanted to elaborate on this a bit, thanks to some comments from two wonderful readers, Diana in Culver City CA and Lynne in Chicago. Diana said "I used to…
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The Jerusalem Artichoke, Delicious With Moroccan Yellow Chicken!
See these humble little roots? I just can't believe they haven't been a part of our lives until now. I'm always looking for something to add to my simple Moroccan yellow chicken recipe, that we eat almost every Shabbat, on Friday night, and this one is beyond delicious! But what is it you ask? It's…
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Freezer Paper Stenciled Pyjamas! (And A Fun DIY Hanger Idea…)
And now, for some more snowflake crafting! How about stenciling snowflakes on long underwear with freezer paper? This is one great idea for those men/teenage boys that are nearly impossible to craft for, dont you think? Or how about a fun gift for those five nephews……or dress your own kids up in matching custom family…
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Parsha Parenting: Learning From Yaakov Avinu How To Speak To Our Children!
It is with great relief that I bring you the fourth installment of our newish weekly parenting mini-series called Parsha Parenting! I’ve really started to look forward to Eydl Reznik and Elana Trachtman’s condensed weekly Parsha primer for parents—and when it almost didn’t happen this week due to power outages and other pressing and unexpected…
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Parsha Parenting: Parshas Vayechi
Very few of us envision ourselves as elderly parents of adult children, let alone gathering them close to our bedside in order to bless them. We are so very involved with the here and now, with our busy, day-to-day lives! Our children are a part and parcel of our waking moments and sleeping moments, our…
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Delicious Whole Wheat Mini-Baguettes & Tunisian Fricasse’ CJM Style!
I have a little secret to share: whole wheat oatmeal rolls, right out of the oven and shaped like mini baguettes! Your family will go crazy for them (hopefully) and if my kids are any indication, well they were begging to take these to school before they'd even been placed in the oven! There's just…
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Snowflakes From Recycled Bottle Caps? Hmmmmm.
I really think that crafting with recycled bottle caps has some great potential, though honestly I'm not sure that this plastic bottle cap snowflake even deserves this post, but I seem to be on a snowflake binge, so there you have it. And there is something to be said for showing the not so successful…
