creative jewish mom

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! After leaving our Succahs on Wednesday and then celebrating Simchat Torah on Wenesday night/Thursday, with a one day break (in Israel and for Israeli residents temporarily outside of Israel) before shabbat, we are full to the brim! Now as cool weather approaches my eye is on crafts for Chanukah, and lots of crocheting for a new baby in the family, yippee! I'm so glad I've started to save aluminum drink cans as making ornaments from them, or giant sequins sounds perfect for Chanukah! Of course I wouldn't mind squeezing in a pumpkin craft or two, but since pumpkins are not a "thing" here, I may just have to skip it, or really go all out and make some from concrete using pantyhose and twine? Okay, happy fall crafting and enjoy the features from last week's party!

Goodbye To Our Beloved Succah, Until Next Year!

Right now my 19 year old son is working hard to disassemble our succah, and while we officially said goodbye to the succah on Wednesday before sundown, it is now official. We celebrated the holiday of Simchat Torah in our homes, but one is not allowed to touch the succah until after simchat torah, meaning now!

Succot is one of my very favorite holidays, and especially since it lasts a whole week, and all the preparations are enjoyed with family and friends! This year things are a bit different as we live close enough to the border of Lebanon to hear loud booms frequently, jet planes overhead and experience daily (or more) sirens warning of incoming missiles. Big sigh. Nonetheless, life goes on as do our beloved holidays, albeit with fewer visitors as many are afraid to come to the North of the country, and others we wouldn't encourage knowing it might be traumatic. Living in a war zone is surreal I must say, and it is true that we are living on miracles, (as everyone does) just now it is so much more apparent. I feel safe most of the time as long as I'm indoors and in my own home, so grateful for that!

But back to the succah, made this year with curtains from inside the house and lots of painted white cardboard leaves. Together with out Moroccan lamps it was truly lovely! So goodbye succah, see you again next year, and can't wait to continue this new trend of cremes and whites next year!

DIY Cardboard Leaves Wall Hanging For The Succah

It is true, I made this DIY falling leaves wall hanging specially for our Succah, but truly it could be wonderful anywhere, or at the least as a party or wedding backdrop as well! The leaves I chose represent five of the seven holy species: olive, date, fig, pomegranite and grape, which actually is a nice selection of sizes, something to keep in mind! I'll admit, cutting out all the leaves, and then painting them with white oil based paint (for the water-resistant qualities in case of rain in the succah) took about two days, (check out my cardboard leaf cutouts here) with the assembly an additional few hours, but it was well worth the effort and set the stage for the rest of the Succah, which this year was neutral with touches of pink. Everything really looked so very wonderful and we enjoyed the succah maybe more than ever, and while I kept thinking about what I'll add next year, I was very very happy with the results. Last night a youngish boy came in to see the succah and he said it looked like a room set-up at IKEA, "where they show you what goes with what." So cute and truly a compliment! Okay, want some tips for making something similar? Lets do it!

Do I Need Life Insurance? 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Getting a Policy

Life insurance can be a smart financial choice, but is it necessary for everyone? Use these 8 questions to guide your decision.

Life can be unpredictable, but your family’s financial future doesn’t have to be. While it’s not the most glamorous topic, life insurance is one of the best ways to ensure that your loved ones are taken care of, even if you’re no longer around. But do you really need it?

The truth is, life insurance isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. For some, it’s a must-have, while others might not need it just yet. Asking yourself the right questions can help you decide whether a policy is right for you. Let’s take a look at those questions together and see where you stand.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday Succot edition, and posting in the middle of the wonderful Jewish holiday of Succot, where we dwell in the succah for 7 days (8 days outside of Israel) which in our case includes eating in the succah and for some family members, sleeping in the succah! Here in Northern Israel we are not close enough to the border to be evacuated, but close enough to hear booms on a regular basis, loud IDF war planes overhead, and to experience missiles fired at us and mostly intercepted but requiring running to the bomb shelter, phew. Life goes on, as does celebrating this amazing holiday, and really our situation is unfathomable to most, but we are fine, truly, and praying for an end to the war and the return of the hostages. In the mean time, creativity goes a long way, so enjoy the features from last week's party!

Smart Kitchen Gadgets That Are Actually Useful

With all the cooking I'm doing right now for the week-long holiday of Succot, a bit of high tech help sure sounds great right about now! So, if you're like me and you might be interested in smart kitchen gadgets, but you don’t want to fill your drawers with tech that collects dust, I totally get it. With all the gadgets out there, it can be tricky to figure out which ones are genuinely useful and which ones are just gimmicks. So, to give both of us a head start, I’ve compiled a list of 10 smart kitchen gadgets that are not only practical but can actually make your time in the kitchen more efficient and enjoyable.

Holy Species Cardboard Leaf Cut-Outs For A Succah Wall Hanging!

This year we decided to create a succah with a very elegant/relaxed feeling by using a combination of cremes and whites, so my first succah craft entailed cutting out a huge number of cardboard leaves which I then painted white. Of course the leaves (and fronds) are not just any leaves, but rather fig leaves, olive leaves, pomegranate leaves, grape leaves and date palm fronds, which have great meaning as these are 5 of the 7 holy species, missing only wheat and barley. And while I did not get around to trying to figure out how to make giant wheat and barley stocks, I have just the place to do it next year, yippee! Cutting out all these leaves took me several days, but in the end it was well worth it as the end result is really wonderful, and I will share that with you soon!

Of course we aren't making any decorations once the holiday starts, but keep this in mind for next year! And keep on reading for some tips......

7 Methods To Help Students Develop Creative Thinking Skills

One of the most useful skills students can learn is how to think creatively. Creativity is more than just being able to come up with new ideas. It means seeing things from different angles, fixing problems in new ways, and thinking outside the box. In the fast-paced world we live in now, these skills are more important than ever for study and personal growth. But what can students do to foster creativity? Let's look at seven great suggestions to help young people get those creativity gears turning!

Extra Red Pomegranates On Trees In Northern Israel

While I have no idea why, this year the pomegranates on the trees around town in Safed, Israel are brighter red than ever and just truly stunning! (A friend of mine in Greece actually said that is the case in her yard as well, interesting!) Come on a little tour with me to soak up some of the gorgeousness! Given all the heartache and tension we are facing in general as a people and specifically in the North were the raging battle is heard from our home and has us racing to the bomb shelter now and again, it is so nice to just take a deep breath and enjoy the fruit! Okay, ready?

Craft Schooling Sunday Is Taking A One Week Holiday Break

Thanks so much for stopping by, having just observed the most important day on the Jewish Calendar, Yom Kippur, which for me means a 25 hour fast and about 11 hours strait in the synagogue, I am realizing that I need to prioritize a few things in my life.Things are so busy now as we have only 4 days to prep for Succot, and considering I have yet to post the features from last week's party, I'm making the wise decision to take a one week break, as there is so much to do in the next several days.

So thanks so much for dropping by and save that project for next week, which will still be in the middle of the Succot holiday, but I'll have time after the holiday to go over the features. Okay, take care my friends!