Tis the Season to Send Holiday Cards

Earlier today, I posted something on my friend's FB wall. I told her that I tried listening to Pandora's Hanukkah station but it just wasn't the same as listening to Christmas music. When I lived overseas, we used to listen to Christmas music at work. I hated it then because it felt awkward listening to Christmas music in the Jewish state but it grew on me. The same way holiday cards grew on me.

There's something really magical about this time of year - people are nicer (except on Black Friday) and more giving. Living abroad made it hard to connect with the most wonderful time of the year but I still received the most beautiful Hanukkah and Christmas cards from friends and family. That helped a bit. I vowed to start sending holiday cards once we returned home.

Fast forward a little while, we've been in the US for over a year and we're going on our second holiday season ... with no cards. The problem? I can't find any I like. Some are too Jesus-y and others are too snow flake-y. I need a card that transcends the holiday. We're a blended family, so it can't be too Christmas-y and it can't be too Jew-y, either. Ya feel me?

I found a few options on Minted.com that I like and I'm teetering between the. I need a card with enough space for pictures of the kids and my fur-babies (yes, I just called them that). Getting my kids to sit long enough for a picture is a rarity and the dogs don't sit still when they see the camera - I believe Sparky thinks it'll steal his soul - so he moves. Here are a few options (tell me what you think):

I like this one - it has enough space for a few pictures and it's super colorful!

I also really like this one because it's a little more seasonal.

In the end, I think we'll go with this one...

...because it holds a TON of pictures!!

Yup. I'll be going to Minted.com. THIS will be our year...to send out those cute-but-annoying holiday cards. Do you think you can handle this cuteness???

Turning into a Hanukkah Hostess

From Mommy-Mode to Spastic Hostess

Since last Tuesday, I've switched from being overly nervous due to Yoav's congenital ptosis surgery, to freaking out that Hanukkah is right around the corner. I seriously did NOT realize how close the holiday is until today.

Mind you, I think we spent about $30 at Target buying up cool Hanukkah goodies and decorations but it seriously did not dawn on me until TODAY that Hanukkah is next week. So is Thanksgiving.

Someone get me a deep fryer, STAT!

For real, I need one for frying up the latkes.

We have sensitive smoke detectors in our house, so once I start cooking them in a pan - I have about five minutes until the alarms go off. Joy.

At least I bought the kids their gifts early. And I mean all the kids. All 11 of them.

How to Host the Perfect Hanukkah Party

Don't go crazy with the decor!

Since we're hosting the family Hanukkah party this year (and probably every year after this, if it doesn't suck), I decided to give you some pointers on how to host the perfect Hanukkah party.

1. STOP putting ideas in your head that this is going to be perfect - it's not. Don't set yourself up for failure.
2. Make lists. You'll need plenty of them. You need a list for food to buy, then food other people need to bring. Then a list for decorations. There's also a list for how many tables you need, plus the one about how many people are coming. Just keep creating lists.
3. Go to Pinterest. Create a Pinterest Hanukkah board. Search for cool Hanukkah stuff. Then PIN EVERYTHING!
4. Using your Hanukkah board, look at your list and figure out what's do-able. 
5. Do NOT make sufganiyot yourself. Go to Tim Horton's or Dunkin' Donuts. 
6. Don't involve your kids in the Hanukkah decorations until they are old enough to know that glue sticks belong on paper - not on walls. 
7. Use the fun freeze dried hash browns that you get in bulk at Costco for the latkes. DON'T peel a billion potatoes by yourself.

By this point, you've got an idea of what you need - now you need to invite people. Go to paperless post and do it online - save yourself some cash.

Figure out what you can prep in advance and freeze or put away. Then, the day of...

• Start drinking.
• Start cooking.
• Continue drinking.
• Send someone out for the donuts.
• Start arranging your platters.
• Keep drinking.
• Take a nap.
• Take a shower.
• Get ready.
• Have another cocktail.
• Put out your goodies.
• Set the tables.
• Put out your decorations.
• Have another drink.
• Sit on the couch and wait for your guests.

Have a happy holiday!

Hello Yellow Brick Road

"Any idiot with a computer can blog..." - wise words from my dad.

Any idiot with a computer CAN blog - my dad was right and this idiot (or dumb Anglo as one woman called me at the dentist yesterday) is going on a journey down the yellow brick road.

Hellooooo Emerald City!

I feel lucky. I have a great husband, two amazing dogs, and one little boy that I would die for. I'm not sleep deprived. I'm well fed. I'm happy!

Me being happy.

Are you wondering what's wrong with me? Absolutely nothing.

I generally have a really good outlook on life and I often roll with the punches. When you live in Israel, there are often a lot of punches to roll with. As an immigrant, I'm always feeling like I'm trying to crawl out of some kind of hole. I never seem to make enough money. I never seem to have enough time to do anything. And I always seem to be stressed.


But I'm happy. I'm a happy idiot.

See? Happy Idiot.

I'm not the first blogger to blog about the trials and tribulations of living in Israel. I certainly won't be the last. I'm honest when I tell people that, yes, we are moving back "home". Here's the thing, I feel stuck between two countries. There's the country that I often love (and struggle to survive in) and the country I was born in where my family lives. Sometimes Israel doesn't feel like home. Sometimes the US doesn't feel so home-y either. I hate visiting Detroit because I know, at some point, I have to leave and say goodbye to my family. Saying "goodbye" is the hardest part.


I've been called an idiot a lot lately...mostly due to our decision to leave Israel. "You're an idiot for leaving!" "You're just like all of the other idiots - you take, take, take what Israel gives you and give nothing in return!"

I do give in return. I DO! I pay my taxes. I give to charity. My husband serves in reserve duty. I gave birth to an Israeli child! I work hard in this country and I don't always see a happy reward for working that hard. I may be an idiot for leaving but I am not an idiot who takes without giving back.

There is a new breed of Olim (immigrants) in Israel. We're the ones who DID give and decide to move on. We stand as representatives for everything that's amazing about Israel. We leave for many reasons: financial purposes; higher education; family. But we do give back. Many of us pay our taxes abroad (which is more than I can say for some Israelis living IN Israel who DON'T pay their taxes). We keep our health care options open by paying monthly to a fund we may never use. We are representatives who will gladly tell you what living in Israel is really like without glossing over the bad parts but we relish in the good parts that make this place paradise at times.

We are not idiots.

As a happy-go-lucky American living in Israel, I can safely say that most of my Israeli friends would take my US citizenship in a heartbeat. I can also safely say that if my family lived in Israel, I would probably never leave.

I'm on a new path and I'm following the yellow brick road in hopes that I find the Emerald City. I may find myself back in Kansas (or, in this case, Israel) but I will be the happy idiot who enjoys the ride along the way.

Remember: life's a journey, not a destination.

Reflections and Resolutions

Source: google.com via Amy on Pinterest

 Does anyone else feel like this was the longest.month.ever? I do and I'm physically exhausted! New Years isn't really a holiday here but you know what is? The Silvester. In Belgium, it's called Sint Sylverster Vooravond or Saint Sylvester's Eve. In Israel, it's an excuse to party. Since the State of Israel doesn't go by the Christian calendar, New Years goes by somewhat unnoticed by a lot of people. We also have our own "New Years" which takes place in September. Yet, as my boss reminded me on Thursday, SOOOO many people are going to have a hell of a hard time waking up on Sunday for work.

Anyway, I thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on the last year - just as any good blogger should. In 2011, I enjoyed my first year of marriage, (finally) graduating from university, and finding out that I'm gonna be a Mama in 2012. I also watched my grandmother pass on to another life - I feel blessed that I got to spend that time with her and that she died knowing her family is still expanding. I welcomed a new nephew to the brood in October and learned that my baby will have a few new cousins popping in after him in 2012. This past year brought us visitors from all over the world - friends from Canada, the U.S., South Africa... as well as much-needed visits from family members. The past year brought both good and bad, happy and sad, but most importantly, it reminded me the true meaning of family.

So, what does 2012 have in store for the Glasers? Well, baby baby baby baby baby, for one. Yup, still on my brain and he's kicking up a storm as I write this. We'll have more visits from family members including my in-laws (really excited to see them!) and my parents (also REALLY excited to see them!). I'll have 14 weeks off to bond with my baby and prepare for our upcoming move to the US. I'll be starting grad school (g-d willing!) which means I'll get to devote my time to studying the Holocaust. We'll watch a few more of our friends marry their beloveds and enjoy the chaos that IS married life. 2012 will be our best year yet! Craig will be finishing school (YAY!) and we'll be closing (or maybe bookmarking?) a chapter in our lives as we leave Israel.

Everyone has New Years Resolutions and I thought long and hard today about what mine should be.

Source: theunknownsoul.tumblr.com via Ramona on Pinterest

Not my list ... but it should be.

So, here goes:

• Spend more time enjoying what's left of this pregnancy. This is the ONLY time where I'll experience pregnancy in a foreign country and without other children running around.
• Accept myself and my body for what it is (and what I am). Truly understand what my body is capable of. Being pregnant has helped this but no more crazy diets - just good food and lots of activities.
• Make more of an effort to bond with my husband. I won't lie, this last year has been hard and I need to remember to spend more time with him, even when I'm battling something on the inside.
• Cook more... and not just because I want to remain frugal. I'm getting bored in the kitchen lately so it's time to shake things up.
• Work less on the things that I do just to make money and work more on the things that I love to do...like facilitate Women on their path to being better.
• Ask for help more often. I'm not SuperWoman - I need to stop going at things alone.
• Take time to rest. Being exhausted is no fun.

What are your New Years Resolutions for 2012? 

My recommendation:

Source: urbansavior.com via Kara on Pinterest

Happy New Year - from the New Glasers!

Guest Post: Wanna Visit Israel?

Israel is an amazingly diverse country, a land of history and religion, of culture and adventure, and of extremes, geographically, demographically, and culturally. Tourist Israel is your entry point to this amazing land, a website which shows the whole spectrum of things to do in Israel, and in exploring it, you are certain to find an Israel waiting for you.

From the sweeping sands of Israel’s Negev Desert, the lowest point on earth at the Dead Sea, and a resort on the Red Sea, to the rolling hills the Galilee, somewhat akin to Tuscany, the land of the New Testament where any step you take is on historic ground, with its quaint villages, acclaimed vineyards, and beauty, in abundance. And from Tel Aviv, Israel’s modern metropolis, “The Mediterranean Capital of Cool,” a centre of commerce and culture, and nightlife and leisure, this is a city like no other. Until you come to Jerusalem that is, just forty-five minutes by car, you might as well be on another planet. Jerusalem is one of the most intense, holy, and religious places on earth, just being there among the famous golden stone buildings is somehow impressive in itself.

Exploring Israel is an individual journey. Whatever you want to do, there are Israel tours for you – whether it be touring the religious sites of Jerusalem, the famous architecture of Tel Aviv, a jeep tour through the Negev Desert, or paragliding above the sites of battles in the Galilee. 

To see Israel for yourself (before you see it in person – we are sure you will) why not check out Tourist Israel for yourself, or to make sure you are kept up to date with what’s happening in this amazing country, follow the site on Facebook or Twitter.

Visualizing Pi

Source:http://www.onlineschooling.net

Japanese Bloodtyping

Source: Phlebotomy