creative jewish mom

Container Gardening: Coming Inside For The Winter?

As I write this post a light dusting of snow is covering the neighborhood, yes indeed, it does snow here in Israel, because you see my friends Israel is not what you might think, and while we don't experience harsh winters, it does get cold enough in some areas to snow, to the extreme delight of the children.

So, I am so very glad that I did run around this evening bringing in all the small containers from my garden which hold plants that I know will be much happier indoors: spider plants, hoya, mint, aloe vera, assorted succulents. And in some cases, as with the mint, this was actually a life saving move. Some, like the cyclamen and hedenbergia I left outside, but under an overhang. The oribe gorge succulent, seen above, will be repotted and kept indoors all winter, to give it a head start, and to hopefully see more growth, which I do believe has been hampered by the recovery time it has needed after being exposed to frosts and some freezes, and of course drenching rains.

So that is all for now, I am running to the window to have a look at the teenagers who are still up, while my three little ones are fast asleep. I do hope that the snow will keep until the morning, as that is truly a dream awakening. And since Fridays are in any case half days at school, it's actually a perfect day for snow.

More Crocheted Coasters With Chain Stitch Detailing!

The crocheted coasters I shared with you here, earlier in the week were just too cute, so I had to make some for myself too. This time I went with a slightly different and possibly just a bit more sophisticated look, and crocheting two rows of topstitching together results in a raised chenille-like look!

A Winter Purchase For The Container Garden? Yes!

It's true, winter has finally arrived here in the mountains of Northern Israel, but that doesn't mean that a plant lover like myself wont be tempted to stop at a nursery on the way back from an orthodontist appointment in the Golan Heights, an hour from our home!

That said I couldn't resist picking up two cyclamens, which are so lovely this time of year (they love the cold, and should be kept in a spot with no sun), two medium size hedenbergia plants, and a few small succulents to add to my collection. I wrote an article about strings of pearls (above) and strings of bananas, so now I get to try strings of pearls in my own home, indoors that is, while winter temps dip.

Oh, and what is this? A last minute purchase and a plant that is very hardy here surviving the winter no problem. What is it?  Trumpet bush, tecoma stans, and given the prices of some of the other plants, which seemed quite expensive to me, this one was 25 shekels, (about $7) which I gather means it's quite easy to produce. I just read that it does well in containers, phew!

Oh, and who is this exactly? Another little purchase for indoors that I just couldn't resist, sanseveria, mother in law's tongue, which is just about the easiest plant to care for, and is generall killed by over-watering. This is my second sanseveria, and would love even more, they're that great, assumiing their appearance appeals to you.

That's all for now, gotta go rescue a few more plants from the garden, as a cold front is apparently moving in, and rain is pouring down, always a fabulous thing here where water is very very precious.

Note: And when I say "winter", this doesn't mean the kind of winter that one might experience in New York or Amsterdam, but cold and bone chilling for us just the same, with daytime temps currently around 9C, and nightime dipping lower of course. We do get snow occassionally, so container gardening here has to be with some knowledge, or the kinds of plants that thrive in other warmer locations in Israel will quite simply call it quits once frosts arrive.

Crocheted Egg Cozy Confessions......

I have a confession to make, are you ready? I introduced my kids to soft boiled eggs so that I could buy egg cups and crochet egg cozies. And it turns out that they actually like soft boiled eggs, now and again, and it's an especially convenient little meal, with a good salad and some hearty bread to serve for breakfast or even as a light supper, Israeli style.

Wishing You A Very Happy Eighth Day Of Chanukah!

Wishing you all a joyful last day of chanukah! Chanukah is a time for giving thanks, so do take time to stare into the light of the chanukiah and reflect on all the good that we have in our lives. Our tradition is to spend 30 minutes just sitting near the chanukiahs and staring at their beautiful light. And this year I realized that this also means I get to sit on the couch and cuddle with my kids without getting up to do anything, which I truly appreciated this year, as things have been quite busy, and quite moments with the family are indeed precious!

Wishing you all a joyful and light filled holiday season!

Small Crocheted Star Bookmarks With Zip Ties - The Perfect Tiny Gift!

How about crocheting some sparkling star bookmarks using zip ties this holiday season? These cute crocheted bookmarks are the perfect party favor, or small handmade gift to give together with a book or a bookstore gift certificate, and they are so quick to make you can make a bunch, even today!

Using zip ties as boomark bases is a brilliant idea that came from a very creative craft schooling Sunday contributor, Mich In LA, here, and it came in handy when I spied this little star pattern, that seemed like the perfect little bookmark topper. Of course you could also make bookmarks with ribbons, though I think the zip ties are so much easier to grab and insert in a book, especially for kids.

And the fun thing about zip tie bookmarks is that one can keep them standing up and handy in a vase or together in a container that might hold scissors and rulers.

You'll Need:

The yarn of your choice, I used one strand of baby weight yarn together with a strand of metallic yarn, which is even lighter weight than the yarn, and sold wrapped in a ball like string. I crocheted using a 5.5mm hook, smaller than recommended, but for a project like this you want the stars to be tight, so go for a smaller than usual hook size.

The pattern for this star, which is just two rounds, and can also be make with five points, is courtesy of the moogly blog.

That's it my crafty readers, I've already used this simple pattern to make larger stars for another gift that I'll be sharing with you soon! Happy holiday crafting!

Simple Napkin Ring Craft For Chanukah Celebrations!

With three more nights of chanukah remaining, there's still plenty of time for chanukah crafting, and this little dreidel napkin ring craft requires only very simple supplies and is fun for all ages. And you can certainly save the results to enjoy again next year! My daughter and I made 120 of these for a chanukah gathering just before chanukah, so you can certainly make ten or twenty!

So get out those cereal boxes you've been saving (?) and some simple supplies, and see if you can add your own twist to this simple project. Not in need of any napkin rings? Use these shapes to make a holiday garland instead by simply tying them together, or lacing them on a ribbon. Or even better, make a garland from the napkin rings after the party!

You'll Need:

• recycled cereal or other light weight food boxes
• a 3" scalloped craft punch
• a tiny flower craft punch
• hole punch
• contact paper
• ribbon

How To Make A Scalloped Circle Dreidel Napkin Ring:

Punch scalloped circles from cereal boxes using a craft punch. Cut dreidel shapes from contact paper, and punch a small flower in the middle using a small flower craft punch. Apply contact paper dreidel to base, punch two holes opposite one another, and thread a ribbon down through one hole, across the back, and up through the second hole to make the ring portion of the project. Tie in a bow or knot around napkin, and voila, you've made a fun addition to your party.

How To Make A Dreidel Napkin Ring:

Simply draw a dreidel (that's in proportion to the size of napkins you'll be using) on a piece of cereal box cardboard. Cut out that dreidel and use it as a template to trace around to create dreidel napkin rings that all look basically the same. Decorate with small flowers punched from contact paper, punch two opposite holes in the dreidel, and thread ribbon through holes as described above. Enjoy!

And of course, this little idea could be used for just about any holiday or occasion, just replace the dreidel with the symbol, number, or letter of your choice!