creative jewish mom

A Counting The Omer Collage For Lag B'Omer and Shavuos!

The Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer starts on the evening of May 22, which means we have two whole weeks to turn on the creativity and increase the excitement for this wonderful and festive holiday, and then another two weeks to get crafting for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The idea for this counting the omer collage craft came about when a reader Ilana Singer from Strasbourg, France sent me a photo of a sweet counting the omer chart she made for her kids. Since we count the omer fpr 49 days leading up to the Jewish holiday of Shavuos, I was thinking that as Lag B'Omer approaches, and then Shavuos, why not use that chart to make a nice poster to enjoy for the weeks leading up to Shavuos? Meaning bring on the flowers! I also love the idea of a craft project that evolves over time, and this is a perfect example, not to mention a great example of how to use art that kids bring home from school (generally on letter sized paper) to make something impressive and eye catching for any holiday. So dear readers, save that large piece of cardboard that was used to package a new frame or the piece of paper inside that new frame to make some fabulous art with the family! Let's get started, shall we?

Simple Quilled Paper Bonfire Craft For Lag B'Omer

Quilled paper crafts are a great way to make a unique piece of art, and the results are always quite impressive! This quilled bonfire craft for the Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer is really quite simple, and perfect for kids as young as six or seven. Of course the older kids will make versions that are more skillful, but perfection is not the result, we're looking for the joy of creativity! So get out the paper and cut some strips, or buy some ready made quilling strips, and that together with some glue, a black paper background and some wooden skewers is all you'll need for this wonderful craft. This is a great project to introduce the art of paper quilling to the entire family, so enjoy and hang up those works of art to celebrate the one day of the year when large bonfires are encouraged, lit by adults of course!

Kid's Crafts For Lag B'Omer

Lag B'Omer, the Jewish holiday celebrated on the 33 Day of the Omer, which occurs in the middle of a mourning period, is coming up next week, so it is time to get everyone busy with some fun crafts to imbue this special day with great memories. It is true, those of us fortunate to live in Israel and even more fortunate to live in proximity to Meron don't need much encouragement to celebrate this special day, as there is plenty of action to keep everyone busy. For those living elsewhere, some effort may be necessary, so now is the time to get crafting to build the excitement! I've pulled some projects from the archives that can serve as inspiration to make this day special for your family, go for it!

Let's Get Crafting For Lag B'Omer!

The Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer is coming up in just another 9 days or so, so now is the time to get crafting for this festive holiday. It is true, I live in Lag Bomer central, just across the valley from Meron, the world headquarters of the holiday, so for us the holiday is truly significant as the whole world (literally) comes to us!  For those living outside of Israel I have noticed that Lag B'Omer tends to be on the relaxed side, so my suggestion is to bring the level of this very holy holiday up a notch by investing in some crafts! Unlike other holidays when we may be really busy with food preparation and getting the house ready to receive countless guests, Lag B'Omer is the time for picnics and campfires and venturing into the forest so go easy on the food preparation and invest in the creativity! Here are a few crafts from the archives to get you started, and I hope to add a few more later in the week, so stay tuned!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Spring has arrived in full force here in Israel, and if one takes a drive just about anywhere there are colorful wild flowers everywhere! The huge quantities of rain and a winter that really just ended have somehow led to blooms galore, some of which I will share with you soon. In the meantime, crochet some flower coin purses, make a fun wind chime from recycled cans, use of those old crayons or create a lovely baby blanket, just for starters! Enjoy the features from last week's party, pick a project and include some creativity in your everyday!

Preparing Your Child For College And The Finances Involved

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Preparing Your Child For College

One in five college graduates say that they wish they studied harder in college, making it the highest ranking regret. Preparing your child for college can help get them into a good mindset so that they are truly ready for college, regardless of whether they’re studying art and design or science. It’s important that they make the most of the opportunities offered for the most success, and they also need to understand the financial side of college, such as how student loans work.

Teaching Them About Finances

The reality is that going to college can cost a lot of money. 70% of college graduates will leave with a significant amount of debt in the form of student loans, with the average being $37,172, so it’s important to teach your child how to manage their money so that weighed down by debt in the future. Student loans are a part of going to college, but teaching our children how to manage their student commitments can help to pay debts off quickly and focus on buying a home or a car, instead of spending years paying high interest rates. Learning about money can be done from an early age, and be sure to teach your child more than the basics so that they understand how loans work and what options are available.

Dale Chihuly At The Tower Of David Citadel, Jerusalem

The Tower of David is now one of my favorite places in Old City Jerusalem, and while we missed his fabulous show at the museum in 2000, glass artist Dale Chihuly did leave a few items in the museum which I was delighted to see this past week. Now I'm regretting that I didn't make an effort to go see his historically famous show, as back then I didn't appreciate his work, sigh. What I didn't realize at the time is that the colorful glass forms for which Dale Chihuly is famous look amazing together with the medieval fortress stones, and this choice as a venue for the show was intentional as well as brilliant. It is so interesting that the glass forms of the chandelier piece seen here look like snakes or fire or any number of things that truly embue the medieval aesthetic! (Of course if you put this piece in an aquarium or natural history museum it looks like squid or octopi!) Lets take a look at a few more pieces Dale left behind after the show, shall we?

The Tower Of David Citadel Museum, Jerusalem

This Passover we were given the last minute gift of a complimentary vacation rental apartment in the Old City of Jerusalem for the duration of the holiday, in exchange for hosting a single father and his two sons for the Passover seder and a few days after that. It is true, for some all the rush and uncertainty together with preparing the kitchen properly wouldn't be a gift, but for us it certainly was! We had the opportunity to explore the history of Jerusalem up close, experience living withing a walled city, and witness the crowds who flock to the Western Wall for the entire week. One of the places I'll now recommend to everyone is The Tower of David Museum, both an interesting archeological site and a museum in one, with a fabulous night experience projected on the walls to boot! There are lots of stairs and places to explore, so it is perfect for kids, and the panoramic view one can enjoy by climbing to the top of one of the towers is uncomparable. The Tower of David Museum is located adjacent to Jaffa Gate, the entrance most take when visiting the city, so its location is also perfect! Lets take a look......

Notes To Self Passover 2019 To Refer To Next Year......

All of my Passover pots and pans and kitchen items are now safely tucked away in their special large cabinet, and our kitchen is once again ready to receive leavened food items, though we are not in any big hurry as we happen to love matza, and still have quite a bit left to enjoy. That said, before Passover becomes a distant memory I thought I'd jot down some notes and advice to myself to refer to in years to come, and while this may or may not be relevant to you, at the least it might inspire you to do the same, whether for Passover or anytime you've completed a major feat and want to remember how to prepare for such an event next time! Keep on reading for all the nitty gritty details......

Splitting Of The Red Sea Diorama— A Reader's Version!

One of the greatest pleasures of blogging is when readers actually use my instructions to make their own version of a project I've presented. So it is with very great pleasure that i present to you this fantastic version, submitted by Ilana Singer of Strasbourg, France, of my splitting of the Red Sea diorama, the original post can be seen here. While my original version is much simpler than this one, keep in mind that I made mine a whole nine years ago (gasp!) I love the idea of painting the cardboard waves and then adding cut paper shapes, as opposed to my tissue paper decoupage, and the Playmobil figures certainly add extra drama, right? The Singer's used their diorama for the Passover seders, and each child was given some of the figures to act out the crossing of the Red Sea, as told in the Passover Seder.

So dear readers, please do let me know when you make something you've seen on this blog, so that you too can inspire others to add creativity to their lives, got it? Keep on reading for more information and ideas regarding this craft, and I know, Passover is already history, but keep this in mind for next year!