creative jewish mom

Grow Your Own Gorgeous Beet Greens From Beet Tops

Beets are so very good for you, and especially when oven roasted so that all the nutrients stay in the beet! Here in the Mediterranean beets are actually a staple in our diet, used primarily in cold salads. And growing your own beet greens is so very wonderful and so very very simple! Recently some beets we'd purchased began to sprout on their own, so after cutting off the tops I simply placed them in water, knowing that they'd grow new leaves. What I had forgotten is just how gorgeous those beet leaves are, wow! Truthfully one could grow them to use as part of a spring centerpiece, and then eat the leaves afterwards! Once upon a time I did explore what is called "kitchen scraps gardening" and grew beet leaves in this way, though I also tried sprouting carrot tops as well. This is a fun activity for all ages, and truly couldn't be more simple, so get to it!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks for joining me here! This past Friday and Shabbat were called "Purim Katan" and "Shushan Purim Katan" as on these days we are generally celebrating Purim and Shushan Purim, EXCEPT on leap year, when we have a whole extra month of Adar, and we celebrate the holidays during the second month, meaning one month from now. So lots of time to think about festive Purim crafts and decor, and I'm planning to get started! Of course the features from last week's party are always an inspiration, so get inspired and get crafting!

Is Art a Skill? 5 Ways Students Can Improve

The question of whether art is an innate talent or a skill that can be developed has been a topic of debate for centuries. On one side are those who believe that artistry is a gift, a magical ability with which one is born. On the other side are proponents of the idea that, like any other skill, art can be taught, learned, and refined through practice and dedication. This discussion touches not just on the nature of art itself but also on how we approach art education and the development of artistic abilities.

Acknowledging art as a skill opens a world of possibilities for students and educators alike. It suggests that with the right guidance, resources, and effort, anyone can improve their artistic talents. This perspective is empowering, offering hope and direction to those who may not see themselves as "naturally" artistic but who dream of expressing themselves through art. In today's digital age, resources are plentiful, from online tutorials to services that "write my speech by WritePaper," which help students articulate their artistic journeys. Let's delve into practical ways students can enhance their art skills, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, learning, and community engagement.

DIY Gift Bag From Recycled Cereal Box

Last year I finally made some of my beloved recycled cereal box gift bags for Purim, and am sharing this again as Purim is exactly in one month, so start saving those cereal boxes now!

It has been quite a while since I made gift bags from cereal boxes, but somehow after all the crafting I did this year for Tu B'Shevat and then Purim, it just seemed natural to go with the flow! So this year, rather than giving neighbors a nice selection of Morocan salads for our Mishloach Manot on Purim, I actually gave much less in the food department and more in the creativity department, including a large origami horse, which was the star of the show. I will share smaller versions of this horse shortly, but keeping him out of the public eye for the time being, because who knows, maybe just maybe that book of mine will happen and I'll need some projects that were never seen.......or maybe next year I'll be less into the crafts and will need something to share for Purim? Who knows the main thing is to fill life with creativity and bring joy to others! Okay, back to the idea of using a cereal box to make, in this case, two gift bags which are just great looking and all around wonderful in my book. Lets make some!

DIY Cardboard Castle Party Centerpiece Or Kid's Toy!

I have once again dusted this one off as it is a keeper, and with Purim in one month, now is a great time to spoil the kids and the family with some extra crafting this year! Here is what I wrote two years ago:

A fun DIY castle centerpiece made from recyclables is truly up my alley, and so this project from the past is still one of my very favorites. Come to think of it, this castle centerpiece is really a quick project, so what am I waiting for.....with Purim in just a week now would be the time to whip up a new one! If you know me, well then I certainly have a shoe box and various cardboard tubes hanging out just waiting to be used, so no excuses really except that life is very busy at the moment. 

Now as far as you dear reader are concerned, a colorful castle crafted by mom or the kids or both, could be a fantastic centerpiece for the Purim sueda (meal). There's so many ways to go with this one as far as materials and size. And if you don't need a centerpiece so how about a castle mishloach manos? Just build your castle on the lid of  the shoe box and voila! I think I may just have to use that idea myself, for the kid's teachers that is, who deserve something really special, and are expecting something creative! I guess that's the price one pays when you don't hide your crafty ways! (Note: I have yet to actually try this, so if you do, please send photos!)

Okay, shall we make a fun castle to grace our party table, Purim, birthday party or castle themed event? Lets get started.......

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! We have been having huge downpours of rain, which I always love and are helping to seriously fill our Lake Tiberius (the Kinneret) to levels not seen in years, which is a good thing, as it is major source of drinking water for those living to its south (not us, our water is mountain spring water.....) Winter weather, where ever you may be means time for crafting, and since it is now the Jewish month of Adar, it is time to get crafting for Purim, yippee! As I mentioned last week, this is leap year on the Jewish calender, so we have an extra month to work on craft for Purim, and/or start the passover cleaning, can you guess which one I'll choose? Okay, lets take a look at the features from last week's party!

Origami Standup Horses Make Great Party Decor And Gift Basket Additions!

Pulling this one out of the archives from just last year, as it is truly fabulous, and I may just have to make some more!

While origami butterflies were truly the theme this Purim, I did sneak in a bunch of origami horses which I ended up using in the festive food baskets for friends and neighbors, called mishloach manot. And yes, I did dress my horses up a bit, but keeping that to myself for the moment as who knows maybe I will get around to those Jewish craft books afterall and I need some unpublished material! That said, this horse, while involving many folds is just adorable, and looks especially great when done using origami paper or wrapping paper or large sheets of craft paper that are color on one side and white on the other. Also, because of the many folds, using wrapping paper, namely a square made out of the whole width of the wrapping paper, results in quite a sturdy horse, so use what you have on hand! While I was thinking that the horse is a great symbol for Passover, as it does represent freedom, the horses mentioned in the Passover story did not survive the crossing of Red Sea together with the Egyptians, so never mind that, horses can just be a fun party decor theme anytime and would be great cake toppers as well. So enjoy! Okay, lets get folding.....

Origami Butterflies Party Decor

Reposting this from last year, because with more time for Purim decorations this year, since we have a whole extra month of adar, you can make more butterflies than you'd ever dream of, so get to it! Mine are nicely packed away from last year and patiently waiting to fly off to this year's Purim celebrations!

So it turns out friends, that folding origami butterflies is something that one can do for days.......well that is what happened here at CJM headquarters this week, and I did it all by myself, so it can be done, though get a few folks to do it with you! I made hundreds of origami butterflies, some with pipe cleaner antennae, in a few sizes, for our annual women's Purim party, and phew, the butterfly theme flew! Not so happy about the disaster in my house post party, just from all the crafting that went on, not the actual party, but at least I now have a bunch of Purim decorations for my own home, and most of them can be used again next year, nothing like being ready a year plus ahead! I will share with you most of the decorations once I hang them again in my house, but for starters, just a bunch of origami butterflies with mettalic pipe cleaner antennae look fabulous hung as a garland, and just clip them up with wooden clothes pins and the clothes pin looks like the body, fabulous! Okay, lets get crafting!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks for joining me here! Wishing everyone a Chodesh Tov, a good new Jewish month of Adar, which is a month filled with happiness and good things. And this year, because it is leap year, and on the Jewish lunar calendar we need to add a whole extra month to make up for lost time, an extra month of adar is added, meaning double the happiness, which we can certainly use right about now. It also means we have a whole extra month to not only prepare for Purim, which is observed in the second adar, but also to get an early start on Passover cleaning.......so all around, I'm loving the leap year!  A neighbor of mine who just got engaged interestingly enough requested a crocheted teddy bear as a present, but sooner than later, meaning now, not when she gets married in 5 months......so friends, I will dive into crocheting stuffed animals so it seems, and I know just the one, often featured on Craft Schooling Sunday, at least for starters. Okay, lets take a look at the features from last week's party!

Stunning Coastal Views From The Pier In Pacifica, California

One of the fun walks we took during our stay in Pacifica, California in August 2023 was to the pier, and out to the very end, and this time the little arm at the end was open too, so some great photos to boot! The quarter mile pier was built in 1973 as part of the city of Pacifica's sewer system. It carried a 28-inch (710 mm) pipe that continued one quarter mile offshore through which treated wastewater was pumped into the Pacific Ocean. Now fortunately the pier is no longer being used to pump wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, and its primary purpose has been for fishing! The pier is famous for salmon runs where hundreds of salmon are caught in a single day. When this occurs there is a frenzy of activity where every available space is used to catch fish and hundreds of anglers are fishing shoulder to shoulder. In addition to salmon, striped bass often frequents the surf with kingfish, sharks and perch also common. Although rare, sturgeon, barracuda and bonito have also been caught here…even a 60-pound white sea bass was landed. Pacifica Pier is the only pier in the Bay Area where you can crab or fish for free, though for those who are not fishing enthusiasts, I'd say take a walk on the Pier to experience the sea breezes and take in the amazing views! Okay, ready?