creative jewish mom

What To Do When Your Hamster Escapes? Dont Worry!

An escaped hamster may not be as big a problem as you may think when it happens, or at least that is our experience! Of course it does help that we live in a new house that doesn't have holes in the walls that lead who knows where, nonetheless now that this hamster has escaped twice I think I can give a bit of advice if it happens to you!

Here goes:

1. If you buy 2 little hamsters because your daughter begs for them for her 13th birthday (and she is now old enough to clean the cage) don't think that adding a third hamster is a good idea, because he may end up trying to bite and attack one of the other hamsters, requiring you to separate him.

2. If you do separate him, make sure to put him into something he either can't climb out of (like a straw laundry basket) or chew his way out of (like a cardboard box.)

3. Nonetheless if your hamster does escape, rest assured he can go down a full flight of stairs, and may very likely be attracted to the smell of cooking food found in the kitchen, as that is where we found him twice!

4. If quite a few days pass, don't worry too much, he has likely stored lots of food in his neck, ours was missing for three or four days or more each time!

5. If you really want to find him, this is a great excuse to get your kids to clean and organize the house from top to bottom. And again, you will most likely find him in the kitchen, so don't bother moving the washing machine and dryer!

6. Don't ever assume that the pet store is closed because it is Friday afternoon (here in Israel Friday is a half day on account of the need to prepare for shabbat) our pet store is actually open until 3pm. Oops, the kids just called from the pet store and they won't take our little guy back, hopefully now we'll choose a better container to house him until we find him a new home!

ps: If your kids beg for a pet, and you are not so keen on it, in order to avoid them going overboard later in life with say a whole barn full of animals in their basement, I'd say give it some thought. Hamsters are the place to start, as you'll really get a feel for whether cleaning the cage and taking care of the animals is going to fall in your lap or not!

 

Now Is The Time To Start Thinking About Succah Decorations!

I know it isn't even August yet, but the Jewish holidays are arriving on the "early" side this year which means that if you want to be smart, now is a great time to start thinking about your succah decorations! You know, those decorations that you never seem to have time for because once the holiday season hits there are so many other things to do?

I was just trying to clean out the attic a bit and found these sweet little ornaments (which I acquired when my mother cleaned out her house) which look like they are made in Mexico or Guatemala, and could really be sweet in the succah, don't you think? Okay, its true I may not use all of them, for example I don't think I really want the likeness of a rat in my holy succah, but a lion and an eagle are certainly fine as are the other human visitors.

These really are so sweet aren't they? I will very likely remove the little straw hanging loops and if I end up making garlands with them I'll use a needle and some string. Of course they would look great affixed to a frame of some kind which one can then use as a welcome sign.

So, lets get started thinking about our succahs, and in your summer travels (even if it is a trip to an import store of some kind) do keep you eye out for cute and colorful handcrafts from around the world!

Butterfly Mobile For Birthdays And Babies!

As part of my daughter's butterfly themed birthday, I also made a fun mobile to hang from the chandelier over our dining room table, and it looks fantastic given how very simple it was to make! Yes, it is true those little tie dyed looking small butterflies that I actually bought (gasp!) on account of being pressed for time really bring the whole thing together, but you can create a similar look with some colorful paper or fabric.

Butterfly Birthday Wall Decor That Works For Many Occassions!

When your daughter is turning 13 and is even willing to make the cake if you invest some time in the decorations, so fill a wall with butterflies as I did with these butterfly birthday garlands that were a huge hit!

Of course, now that I've given you some inspiration, you'll certainly have more of a head start than I did, but do leave a good chunk of time for this, at least 2 plus hours. And the good news is that after all your efforts, these decorations are the kind of thing that you can save and use again, maybe not for another child in your family, but certainly for a neighbor or close relative or some kind of party at a child's school!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, which was delayed for a day on account of the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av. Interestingly enough, after a day of mourning and fasting we go full speed ahead into the peak of summer, when everyone has school vacation and the kids are hungry for activities, hopefully some of them will be crafty ones! Last week's party was packed with great contributions, enjoy!

 This DIY paper mache cactus is just too wonderful for words, from pillar box blue (United Kingdom) and I'm really really hoping that my kids will be up for such a project during their vacation which starts now!

Love this gorgeous little granny blanket from chris in de haak (the Netherlands) not to mention that stunning garden, and this gorgeous crocheted mandala hoop hanging from my world of crochet (Germany.)

And for some a truly ahhh moment, a gorgeous crocheted beaded cuff from little treasures and a photo of the rock formation in Malta that inspired this creation, too wonderful!

A sweet crocheted frog from Chris in de Haak (The Netherlands) and a lovely crocheted mandala from colour crochet love  Germany.)

Adorable crocheted popsicle garland from Sofie (Belgium) and a sweet crocheted bear message board also from Sofie (Belgium.)

Some wonderful crochet inspiration, a tapestry crochet drawstring bag and an amazing light fixture from vrolijk by leen (Belgium.)

Duch tape wallet DIY from the gingerbread house (United Kingdom) and a super diaper cake tutorial for a baby shower from say it with cake (USA.)

A super practical recycled milk jug toy (or bulk food?) scoop from crafty journal (USA) and a custom framed photo gift to a sister of the view seen from her house (enhanced a bit of course) from Jennifer Priest (USA.)

2 great upcycling projects: a cutting board chalk board from engineer mom (USA) and an upcycled tires coffee table from homemade interest (USA.)

A fun summer memories frame craft from sunshine by channon (USA) and a fun butterfly craft using some surprise supplies, from homegrown and healthy (USA.)

Delicious looking grilled summer salad from homemade interest (USA), and an amazing looking Indian meal with recipes, from rocket looks (India.)

 Rocky road bites from simply stacie (Canada) and peanut butter stuffed brownies from Winnie (Israel.)

A great looking lemon cornmeal cake from homemade and healthy (USA) and fresh cherry frozen custard cake from divine lifestyle (USA.)

Peanut butter banana fudgicles from everyday made fresh (USA) and simple vanilla cupcakes that look amazing from everyday made fresh (USA.) That is it for the features, what have you been up to?

Craft Schooling Sunday Will Start Sunday Night, Hope To See You Then!

Because tonight/today we are observing the fast and day of mourning associated with the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, a solemn day, something so joyful as Craft Schooling Sunday just wouldn't be appropriate.

So the party will start after the fast is over here in Israel, on my Sunday night. Please join me then and looking forward to seeing what you've been up to!

Tonight Is Tisha B'Av

Historic photo of Jerusalem, circa 1900 (possibly) or ten plus years or so earlier

Tonight is the beginning of the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar, the 9th day of the month of Av, in which the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed. Every year on this day, the Jewish people mourn for the destruction of the temple, and pray for its return.

While many Jews and certainly many who are not Jewish have no knowledge of this temple, the first of which is often referred to as King Soloman's Temple, the destruction and our hopes for its revival are something we think about every single day! And for that reason, the 9th of Av is truly a day of mourning in which we (all healthy individuals over the age of bar/bat mitzvah) abstain from eating and drinking, bathing, wearing leather shoes, and all joyful activity. We dress simply and in an unadorned manner, without makeup or perfume, we sit on low chairs and benches, or on the floor. We are mourners, lamenting the loss of something so precious, that we have not forgotten, even over the course of thousands of years. Our great temple, the Beis HaMikdash, was an amazing house of worship which brought peace to the entire world and to all peoples.

This year the 9th of Av actually falls on Shabbat, and since we are not allowed to mourn on shabbat, the fast is delayed until Saturday night. So shabbat shalom and wishing all those fasting an easy fast!

You can certainly learn more about this interesting holiday from Rabbi Google.

And since crafting is allowed for children, do take a look in the archives for Tisha B'Av crafts, to find some relevant and interesting crafts suited for the holiday.

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A Super Simple Butterfly Birthday Cake!

Last week my daughter turned 13, and while I have been just too busy to even photograph all the decorations I made for her butterfly themed party (fortunately they're all still hanging in our home, so there is hope of sharing them next week) I did at least manage to photograph the cake, but unfortunately after dark and inside, so the photos are not great quality.

Other than the fact that this blog continues to be a great journal for our family of all the things we do, I also wanted to share with you the idea that a butterfly themed party doesn't have to be so sweet that it wouldn't work for an older child.

The cake was decorated with gummy butterflies and gum drops, and those gummy butterflies were actually the starting point for the theme. And then just one bamboo skewer in the middle completes the look! That is it, hope this inspires you to make simple yet lovely birthday cakes so that you can spend time on the decorations that can be enjoyed for days or even weeks to come! More about that soon.

 

Exciting Blooms In My Container Garden In Late July!

In the wonderful world of gardening, there are flowers that bloom, and then there are flowers that BLOOM, meaning something about them just gets you excited— either because of the color of the flower, the size of the flower, the infrequency of the blooms or maybe even their fragrance. And dear readers, right now in my container garden, I'd like to share with you four flowers in BLOOM!

First off, the top photo is of some amazing little flowers which belong to a succulent called cotyledon orbiculata, whose plant you can see in the photo below. If this plant intrigues you, do check out my post from last year Amazing Blooming Succulent: Cotyledon Orbiculata, plus the photos are much more stunning shot against a blue sky. Interestlingly enough, this plant really didn't grow much this year despite being brought in from damaging winter weather, ahh but now I remember, it possibly did get much too much rain.

Isn't it interesting how many succulent flowers grow on long stalks?

When canna blooms in my container garden it is always exciting, and the red canna is especially stunning. Sadly the flowers do not last more than a few days but happy plants do grow a number of stalks, this is the second and third bloom, and you can see two more flower stalks are on their way!

Yellow canna is also exciting, and while my camera could not capture the color due to the yellowish stone wall behind the flower, I wanted to show you how lovely your planters can look if you combine both red and yellow canna, as their large leaves look great together.

Anyone know what this sweet flower is? I'll give you a hint, its smell is just divine. Jasmine? No, but it is very likely in the jasmine family......it is called stephanoitis, and is a lovely vine whose fragrant flowers bloom in clusters. I love this plant, though have had two large vines that did not survive the snow. This little vine will be brought indoors for the winter, I have learned my lesson!

Hope you enjoyed my blooms, and hope it encourages you to have some of your own!

Gorgeous Round Braided Challahs Baked By A Thirteen Year Old!

As you've probably already guessed the thirteen year old that baked these round braided challahs, that look like they came straight from the bakery, is none other than my wonderful daughter who just turned thirteen last week! And this time the only help I gave her was a demonstration of how to braid the first challah, and she did the rest herself, and infact I kept thinking I had baked these!

Round braided challahs are traditionally eaten for Rosh HaShana, but one can certainly bake them anytime, and why not practice now before the Jewish holiday season is upon us? We used our best egg-free challah recipe, just this time we used half whole wheat and half white flour. And then, we braided the challahs exactly as I did for this round braided challah tutorial. Oh, and yes we normally sprinkle sesame seeds on our challahs, but we somehow ran out, and so some oats were used which I actually think looks really great.

See how lovely they look before baking? One note about that: if you want your challahs to retain a great deal of their braided lovliness, you'll need to use no more than about 1/2 white flour, which rises quite a bit, obscurring the braids. That is it, go for it!