8 Gifts for a Cheery Winter
Here are eight gift ideas for Chanukah 🙂 . I aimed to keep the list low-cost, and most of these items are under $25. Happy gifting!Â
Author: A Friend
Poetry
This summer, my friend and I went to Canada during the Three Weeks, so no music in the car. Instead, we talked a lot (obviously), and sang, and listened to a shiur. About a third of the way home, we hit on another form of entertainment to keep ourselves alert: reciting all the poems we knew by heart. Now, don’t laugh. …
At a Family Simcha
Recently, we had a family bar mitzvah. As I sat there Friday night, it occurred to me that the topic of being single at a family simcha is one of those that periodically creates a stir in one publication or another. Why? Well, because many things about being single create unnecessary stirs, that’s why. In general, people tend to follow …
Learning Chumash-Rashi For the First Time (Kind Of)
This summer, my Partner in Torah and I started learning Chumash with Rashi. We began with Bereishis and are now in middle of Lech Lecha. This is virtually my first time re-approaching Chumash-Rashi since seminary, with the exception of a few aliyos here and there, and it’s going very differently than anticipated. Before we started learning, I had assumed that this …
Puzzles
Puzzles are my new favorite thing. 1,000 piece puzzles. I got into puzzles about six weeks ago (starting with this) and I just can’t stop. They have this hypnotic quality — I really don’t think about anything else when I’m working on a puzzle. I usually listen to classical music while I work which makes it twice as relaxing. But anyway, …
Old Photos
Open up an album or a box of family photos. Find old pictures of yourself (alone and/or with other people). A variety of photos. Not just the cutest ones. The ones that make your heart twinge when you look at them. The birthday party where I threw that tantrum. The hayride where everyone else is smiling and I’m glaring at …
Breathing
I learned how to breathe five years ago. I mean, oxygen had been getting to my brain with regularity until then, thank G-d, but I wasn’t truly breathing. My supervisor at work pointed this out (awkward) and showed me how it’s really done. Here’s the thing: While most of us are able to b”H breathe on our own, many …
You Manage What You Monitor
I took a workshop with Sara Yoheved Rigler and learned about the importance of charting progress when you’re working on changing a behavior. She taught a two-fold method: 1) chart what you’re doing in black and white, not just in your head 2) reward the body with something the body likes. She said, we come down here as a …
25+ Fun Things To Do With a Friend That Are Cheap or Free
Because friends are the best!Â
When Something Is Wrong at Work
I wrote the following on recognizing signs of emotional abuse in the workplace. This is my advice from one friend to another based on personal experience, but if any of this rings familiar, please talk to someone who is qualified to guide you in navigating your way out. First and foremost, always make sure you have a rav you …