My friend and I went out for lunch after her one-hundredth date. We ordered ourselves a milchig spread and talked for over an hour, about how much we’ve grown over our years of dating, how we’ve learned how to make ourselves happy, how we’ve found teachers and books and learning modalities that have helped us develop. How proud we are …
A little while ago, my engaged friend asked me if I knew of any lesson-a-day type emails (think SAT prep or Merriam-Webster word of the day) for homemaking. I thought that was a great idea but neither of us could find anything like that. I did find a few checklists, though. These look helpful. Martha Stewart’s cleaning checklists – including …
So I’ve mentioned before that I work in a school setting, and that I recently changed jobs. Earlier this year, I divided my time between two schools in a nearby district. For the first time, I had no frum coworkers. I figured it wouldn’t be much of an issue. I’m a friendly person and pretty comfortable with anyone. I was …
Ok, did you read “Time-Out,” by Rikki Ehrlich, in last week’s Family First? I thought it was terrific! So creative and different and real and funny. I laughed my head off. The story is about 31-year-old Shuli, who is invited to a shidduch retreat to take a “brake” from decision-making. She’s seriously dating someone and feeling stuck. The retreat …
A few friends and I have a tradition of celebrating our birthdays together. Recently, as our default, we’ve been going out to eat (usually to a steakhouse, with cocktails). For one friend a couple years ago, we did a Strayboots hunt on Fifth Avenue followed by dinner. For another friend, we bought salads and cheesecake and had a picnic in a park …
Do you like to write bucket lists? This is my first time writing one for spring. It was lots of fun. I always feel a vague sense of deja vu in the spring, as if I’m seeing the world through the eyes of a child. That feeling…might be reflected in my bucket list. Have a picnic in a park. …
Hello, all, I hope you had a good Yom Tov. My family went away for Pesach for the first time in years. It was the most refreshing change. There’s nothing like a vacation for helping everything come back together. The only downside was that my married siblings and their kids weren’t with us. A few highlights: We spent hours and hours …
(This will be my last post before Pesach. I’ll be back in business be”H on Monday, April 24th.) Seder night is coming. I didn’t think I would be single this year at the Seder. I didn’t expect this. Did you? The Nesivos Shalom says that the entire Seder night is an incredibly potent time to ask Hashem for anything. It …
A few days ago, I went to help a friend choose a setting for her engagement ring. It was fun to have a chance to try on different settings. Do you ever think about what your engagement ring will look like? This week, I’d go with an oval cut, set in a halo. Or how incredible would this heart be? Hey, …
We’re going to be enjoying a lot of matzah next week. Here are two kavanos to have in mind while eating matzah, not only at the Seder but throughout Yom Tov (from The Making of a Nation, the haggadah incorporating Rav Avigdor Miller’s speeches, also mentioned here.) Matzah is the bread of affliction. Our forefathers in Mitzrayim underwent suffering …
