8 Crazy Nights

Chanukah can always be felt in the atmosphere. As soon as it starts getting darker earlier and the chill sets in - it's Chanukah season. Forget winter, it's not even about that. It's the warmth of the people during the holiday season, the extra smiles, the extra kindness... It's the way we all huddle up with our families, and the way our natural nesting instincts set in, forcing us to bring extra warmth and beauty into our homes. Whenever this happens, I wind up feeling such strong nostalgia for my childhood. Chanukah was my absolute favorite time of the year (that seems to be pretty much the common consensus of most of my friends and family as well), and I just loved sitting around the flames with my family, snuggled next to my mom or my dad, singing Chanukah songs and talking about what we were going to buy with our gelt. I can still feel the excitement, smell the burning oil, and taste my mothers latkes. And I so much want to create something as warm of a memory for my own children!

When I was a kid there was no such thing as holiday-party-hopping. We didn't trek out to a different Chanukah party every night. We didn't look forward to massive concerts, or carnivals, or parties. We spent most nights of Chanukah alone together as a family in our living room; eating, singing, talking, and playing dreidel. And we loved it. Nowadays I feel like we run from party to party (and don't get me wrong - it's great fun!), and everything is about how much bigger and better each event will be. We had a crazy-good week hopping from one Chanukah party to another, but  even with day-time napping and night-time partying eventually it all got pretty exhausting...

Of course, hopping from one family party to another is still just simple and lovely enough to be calming, warm, and heaps of fun at the same time. I'm so grateful for all the family I have here in town, we spent many nights at different family members, and having all the cousins band together in lighting, in singing, and in celebration was such a wonderful way to celebrate the miracle of light. Freida always loves getting together with family (they're all boys around here, so she pretty much gets the princess treatment :), and I love watching her relationships with all of them change and grow.

Since Manasseh's birthday falls out smack-dab-in-the-middle of Chanukah, it always one-ups the fun even more!!

But! My all-time favorite night was spent alone with my own family in the quiet of our cozy little home - celebrating the holiday together over Freida's favorite dinner of creamy mac 'n cheese. We played dreidel for the first time all Chanukah, and it was weirdly fun! Naturally, Manasseh had to up the ante on the winners pot by slapping down some more-serious-than-chocolate-gelt bars. :) Freida was obsessively devoted to only spinning her hot pink dreidel, and Hudi was all-eyes and giggles over the colorful spinning tops swirling across and around the dinner table...

Just hanging out with the girls in their jammies around the menorahs was so intensely enjoyable for me! I get such serious pleasure out of having the time to simply relish in their great little existences...! Felt so wonderful to celebrate our own little growing family, and I look forward to making a point of sitting out one more party next year in leu of this family merriment!

Hope your Chanukah was filled with love, light, and lots of laughter!! To family!

Fabulous Wishlist

I'm so weirdly vulnerable to Fab. And while I'm not one to casually cave to impulse online ordering, at Fab it all just seems so available, so tempting, so irresistible! But alas, I'm resisting. Even so, here's what my Fab wishlist looks like, since this is the gifting season after all, and I'm sure lots of you are on the market for just the right gift for him, her, or someone else:

1. Material Mash-up Hamper: I don't even need a laundry basket, but this design concept of contrasting matter is just so wickedly cool!

2. Guns n' Roses: I think I've been wanting this ceramic guns vase ever since my love affair with "Sweet Child O' Mine".

3. Nautical Knotted Bracelet: Dip-dyed perfection.

4. Comical Carryall: I first spotted this insanely awesome pop-cult-object on a random LA woman in an Apple store, and I have not been able to forget about it.

5. Retro Can: Need one of these for a cleaner, sleeker, and more discreet diaper disposal system than our open bathroom trash bin.

6. Reading Lamp: Solves a lot of problems. :)

7. Toilet Paper Strand: Would love to quirk-up my bathroom with this dud.

8. Space-age Space Heater: Our exorbitant electric bill for central heat is the only justification for this price tag. Plus, Dyson. Freaking. Rocks.

9. Bright Immersion Blender: I love the one I have, but would love to whip up some dairy blends. Cream of broccoli bisque, anyone?

10. Lovely Tea Time: Sunday brunch never looked this good. Love the cool colors mixed with the gold.

11. Wooden Gem Studs: Cutest, cleanest, greenest diamond earrings!

12. Arrow Marquee: Just what I need to brighten up the hallway (and point out the loo!).

P.S. If you're not yet a Fab member (gasp!), get signed on up here.

Wild in Bed

I had been coveting this image of a chic black, white, and natural nursery since I pinned it about a year ago! And (thanks to SwissMiss!) I've finally discovered where one can get their hands on this actual bedding! Hit up this Danish shop to check out some seriously rad bedding for kids and home goods for adults. Seriously, is this not the most awesome boys bedding ever??

Think Good

Ladies, I'm sorry I've been MIA but I've been so ridiculously busy! Freida suddenly decided last week that she didn't like camp and I had to pick her up crying a few hours into the morning two days in a row. Turns out (as the genius young counselor had suggested) that she was getting sick. So - I've had her home with fever, cough, cold for a few days... Which, naturally, gave Hudi some fever, cough, and cold - plus, another tooth bud to complain about! And so, as life would have it, instead of having one more week with Freida in camp and a list of chores and errands to knock out last, I was stuck at home nursing and nurturing my two little babes. Which was wonderful and depressing. :)

On Monday I took over for the director of the camp here and I'm running with it until the end of the week. It's only 5 days, but oh my was it exhausting! I felt like I walked through the twilight zone yesterday as I made an attempt to run "lineup" - who has the stamina for that kind of screaming anymore?? I was pretty humored by the fact that it took so much out of me to sing a few songs at the top of my lungs, and I'm actually kind of looking forward to getting back into it.

Anyways! I've been meaning to write a bit about how positive thinking has recently impacted my life, and about this poster that my brother gifted me with when I moved into our new apartment. He had been working on a few lines of art highlighting some chassidic sayings, and being a serious typography lover, this Think Good poster was my favorite.

I remember connecting to this mantra since the very first time I heard of it in middle school. Whether it worked magically or not didn't really make any difference to me, what I loved about it was how obviously positive a person who'd think like this would become. It just made sense to "think good" either way. I was always a more upbeat and positive person, but when things would start to go wrong I definitely had/have a tendency to start the downhill negative thought process. Which is why this poster helps me so much; it quite literally serves as a constant reminder to keep my thoughts positive. When things are going great, great; and when they're not going so great, keep thinking great things. That's basically the gist of it. :)

And you know what? It totally works!

Plus, I love that we hung it in the dining room facing the hallway. I see it all the way down the hall, even lying in my bed!

You can get one of these positive posters here. And, if this isn't quite your thing, check out the rest of his art for sale!

P.S. I've been really into the whole typography thing - especially random words of inspiration. You can have a look at some of my other favorites on my "words" pinterest board.

Easy Fasting + Weekend Round-up!!

Mourning the destruction of the Temple, and in essence, of an era, always lands me in some fantastical daydream of what the world would be like... I start off reading Eicha and wind up imagining our life, modern age as it is, in Jerusalem with the Temple! Do you ever think about that? iPhones, facebook, instagram and sacrificial offerings?

Anyways, while I try to make it all jive in my head, and keep my energy up through this long and grueling fast... here's some things I thought you might enjoy checking out:

- My mom bought me this print a few years ago, and it's display on a shelf of siddurim in my living room continues to inspire me and force me to remember the Temple each and every day.

- Also, this photograph gives me chills.

- Looking forward to haircuts + music? The mashup! :)

- Missing your weekday meat? Here's the most summery steak recipe ever!

- I'm 4 lbs. from my "lose 10lbs." goal (yay!!) - here's what helps me.

- Here's what doesn't help me :)

- Get through the heaps of laundry tomorrow while dreaming of this dreamy laundry room...!

- Cola Bombs will get the kids outside + kill some time this afternoon.

- I'm currently in middle of this book, and it's been a great read and an intense eye-opener.

- Get through the last 2 hours after the kids are in bed with this.

Wishing you all an easy fast!! Hope the kids behave and the milk supply doesn't run too low (I know I shouldn't be nervous, but I am)!!