I Love These Holidays, But Man Do They Stress Me Out
It’s a struggle so many of us are familiar with, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I’m talking about the insanity that is preparing and carving out time for the Jewish holidays when the rest of the...
View ArticleI Actually Enjoyed Yom Kippur This Year
Though nobody enjoys fasting, I happen to be particularly bad at it. I’m the sort of person who needs to eat every couple of hours, even if just a small amount, and I tend to drink lots of water as a...
View ArticleWhy I Wake Up Early To Pray Every Day
Like most parents of young kids, I often find myself walking around in a perpetual state of exhaustion. Sleeping in hasn’t been an option in years, and while I aim to go to bed on the earlier side,...
View ArticleMy Son Doesn’t Complain About School — And It Freaks Me Out
My 5-year-old son started kindergarten this year, and like most of the parents I know, I was nervous about it at the time. Would he like it? Would he fit in? Would he find the large school and new...
View ArticleSeriously, Stop Sending Your Sick Kids To School!
As the parent of a 6-year old and 3-year-old twins, I’m certainly no stranger to snot, coughs, sneezes, and other lovely excretions that emanate from small children. I’m also acutely aware that littles...
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The Best Purim Parties in Middlesex & Monmouth County New Jersey
As far as Jewish holidays go, Purim just about has it all. A dramatic story with kings, queens, and intrigue; costume parades; delicious three-cornered pastries and carnivals all add up to one of the...
View ArticleThe Night I Learned No One Is Immune to School Violence
The phone rang at midnight, jolting me awake. I smacked my husband in his sleep, annoyed that it was probably his office again, calling with some major network outage. Only it wasn’t his company; it...
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The 12 Best Ways to Celebrate Sukkot With Kids in Central New Jersey
Sukkot is the ultimate kid-friendly holiday. It is multi-sensory, outdoors, joyful noise is encouraged, and there is even a parade! Kids get to shake the lulav, smell the etrog and have picnics in the...
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A Message for the Baby Whose Bris It Was at the Pittsburgh Synagogue
Zev, the author of this poem, felt the need to write it after learning of the tragedy in Pittsburgh. For Zev, he thought immediately of the little boy whose bris it was that Shabbat morning and wrote...
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8 Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah With Kids in Central New Jersey
Hanukkah is finally here! To help you celebrate, we’ve rounded up the best family-friendly Hanukkah parties in Middlesex & Monmouth counties. You can eat some latkes, spin your dreidel, snag some...
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What My House Looked Like in My Dreams Versus Reality
Back when my husband and I first bought our house, we had a vision for what it would look like: two kids’ rooms, a beautifully appointed guest room, and a living room with modest furniture and decor....
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After a Tragedy at Camp, Can Summer Ever Be the Same?
You send your children off to summer camp hoping they’ll make friends, learn new skills, and have a wonderful, carefree experience. And most of the time, they return tanned, happy, and loaded with...
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Why I Kept My Daughters At Camp After Tragedy
The summer before she entered first grade, my oldest daughter asked me when she was going to go to sleep away camp. I was stunned. She was too young and why the heck would she ever want to leave us,...
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11 Jewish Things to Do With Kids This August in Central New Jersey
We love going to the pool and the shore as much as the next guy (or girl!) but we know you also need to mix it up every once in awhile. For a refreshing change of pace, we’ve put together a list of 11...
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All of the Things That Are Causing Tantrums in My House
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Having twins is an absolute blessing. It’s also an incredible challenge, especially if your twins happen to be the rambunctious, strong-willed type, like my...
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We Finally Took a Child-Free Weekend, and Then We Got the News
It was a weekend that was supposed to go very, very differently. For the first time in four years, my husband and I were heading away with some friends for three child-free days, complete with adult...
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Why I Chose to Join a Synagogue–Despite the Cost
I’m a dues-paying member at my local synagogue. And yet, I’ve also been advocating for a pay-what-you-can/voluntary dues model at my synagogue since I first joined. It’s not because I think my...
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How We Survived a Cross-Country Car Trip With Three Kids Under Age 6
It was a good idea in theory. My husband and I were itching to get out to Colorado for some fresh mountain air, hiking, and scenery. But with three young children in tow–a 5-year-old son and twin...
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35 Family-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Purim in New Jersey
The holiday of Purim is just around the corner and its time to dust off your costume and get ready to nosh on hamantaschen. We’ve put together a list of all the Purim carnivals, megillah readings, and...
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My Kids Dropped Their Nap & I’m a Basket Case
Though my now 2-year-old twin daughters amazed me back in the day by pretty much never napping before their 1st birthday, once they turned one, something shifted, and magically, they began taking a...
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