8 days til Hanukkah

Preparing for Hanukkah can never top what my friends do to get ready to celebrate Christmas.  We don't hang lights, bake cookies or decorate trees.  However, there are plenty of things to do and this year - there is not a lot of time to get it all done.

• Eight Crazy Nights - Do I have presents for each night for each child?  Where can I find Hanukkah paper when all I see is aisles of red and green gift wrap? Do I have enough gelt (chocolate coins)?
• Light One Candle - Did I clean out the wax from the menorah after the 8th night of Hanukkah last year?  Where is the electric menorah for the window?  Do I need to buy Hanukkah candles? Remind the kids to brush up on their Hanukkah blessings.

• Did you remember to check the oil? - Do I have enough vegetable oil to cook the latkes in?  Am I grating potato from scratch (remember the garbage disposal disaster of 2009)?  Hmm - maybe I'll buy the mix.  Oh wait, who has the Weight Watchers recipe for the potato latkes?  Who is bringing the sour cream and applesauce? Don't forget that my kids like ketchup on their latkes. 

• What's the story? Are all of the Hanukkah books readily available for our reading pleasure?  Each night, I read one Hanukkah story to my kids. Given half the chance I would read Where is Baby's Dreidel? and Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah for my little nephews.  My kids personal favorites are - The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming by Lemony Snicket and The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes.

• Dreidels, Dreidels and more Dreidels - I don't encourage gambling in my house but when it comes to dreidel - we take no prisoners. Give me a gimmel (to take the entire pot of candy) or a hay for half the pot of candy (I'm on a diet).  No shins (put one in the pot) or nuns (no gelt for you!) here. Bring it on. From Texas Dreidel to Traditional Dreidel to dreidel spinning contests - we've got it all!

• It's Not Just The Dreidel Song Anymore - Yes, I had a little dreidel and I made it out of clay.  Did you know that this is not the only Hanukkah song out there. Not even close. Here is one of my favorites - a YouTube video: Pass the Candle. If you like Laurie Berkner-esque music, check out Chanukah Fever and Funky Gold Menorah from the Mama Doni Band.

For a great (and brief) kid's video explaining the holiday, check out http://www.g-dcast.com/.

Oy Vey! I think I'd better get moving .... 8 days til the 1st night of Hanukkah and so much to do!

Chag Sameach! Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous Hanukkah to all!

Sacred Space

This week at my professional conference I learned about the idea of "sacred space." When asked what I do within my sacred space, I said that I spend the time with my children. But, while this is a nice thought - the true definition of sacred space is finding a moment to myself - to breathe, to relax and be in the moment.  Sounds hard doesn't it? I think so too.

In Dallas, I was fortunate to create sacred space for myself.  It is easy to do when there are no kids around, the phone isn't ringing off the hook and no email in front of my face.  It was easy to listen to those around me share their experiences, absorb what I could and plan for the future.

Now that I am back and I have a suitcase to unpack and kids to take to karate and help with their homework, not to mention about 80 emails to go through, sacred space seems like a foreign concept to me - again. But, for my own sanity, I must find it once a day. 

I must admit that I'm still looking for it today, but I am determined to find it before I lay my head on my pillow to go to sleep tonight.

Going to the Gym: 5 am vs. 5 pm

Life is very hetic these days. So, in order to get the necessary amount of exercise that I need to lose weight, de-stress, and stay healthy, I have to resort to waking up at 5 am (ish) and head to the gym. My friends tell me that I crazy, but truthfully - it is not that bad.  Here is what people say and how I rationalize it:

• "It's Cold Out There!"- It is dark and cold at 5 am and soon enough it will be dark and cold at 5 pm as we get closer to wintertime. So, in my mind, it makes no difference.

• "I'll Never Get Out Of the House!"-
  As long as I sleep in my work out clothes and have my Ipod charged and my keys and shoes by the front door the night before, it is really a no-brainer to get out of the house. 

• "There is no one at the gym at that hour!" Actually, the parking lot is pretty crowded at 5 am.  I was surprised about this too. And even with all of these people at the gym, I've never had to wait for a treadmill or a weight machine.

• "My friends won't go with me." I use this to my benefit. I like to work out alone. It is quality "me time."  And, being at the gym is serious business at 5 am.  Lots of exercising and very little chit chat. If you are getting up at that ungodly hour - make it worth your while to get in a good work out.  Whenever I go at 5 pm, the gym feels more like a happy hour. There is lots of talking and socializing with a little exercise in between.

Although I rarely talk to anyone at the gym, I am very motivated by watching others work out. I get some great ideas and I like the fact that there are fewer people watching, laughing, and pointing at me as I attempt to try new things.

With a husband, two kids, a full time job, loads of activities and dinner to put on the table, there is just no way that I'm getting to the gym at 5 pm. An early morning workout allows me to cross something off my to-do list and start my day with lots of energy and a smile. You should try it sometime. Let me know how it goes. :)

Hello, Yeah It's Been A While...

Welcome to a new & improved

Kvell Corner!

It has been 6 months since I've updated my blog and all I can say is that I am sorry about that.  But, I'm not necessarily apologizing to you (no offense).  I'm forgiving myself for all of the detours I've taken from one of the things that I love to do most of all - writing.

I don't believe in signs but I do believe that things happen for a reason. There are two things that recently happened to convince me to start blogging again. 

First, I took a class on blogging.  At work, we have been playing around with the idea of creating a blog.  Our attempts have been well received but - like many blogs - it went unattended.  I wanted to find out about best practices and how to use blogs to be both a resource and a personal connection to our community.  But, I was also secretly hoping it would be just the push I needed to write again. 

By the end of class, I was so excited about blogging again that I went home and put my new skills to use. (How do you like my new template?).

The next day, I opened my mailbox to find O magazine and the theme for the month is "What Is Your True Calling?"  Normally, I don't have the time to read O magazine cover to cover but I devoured this issue. It spoke to me as if I had my own personal coach. I've been reading the articles over and over again, but my favorite one is written by personal coach and writer, Martha Beck.


She wrote about the GPS in her car. When she gets lost, her GPS adjusts itself to show her how to get where she is going with a soothing tone creating a stress-free environment.  You never hear a GPS say - "you idiot, where are you going?" And we should never hear those words in our own minds either.  In her article, she encourages all of us to listen to our inner GPS, stop punishing ourselves for not following our hearts, and find our true calling.  It's good advice and I'm taking it!

So, I'm back to blogging and I'm so happy about it! This blog is purely personal, but I'm hoping to branch out to blogging in my professional life and other writing pursuits. Writing is not a chore for me. It brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. It is a calling. It is even more enjoyable when others respond with comments to my posts.  It is nice to know that I'm not just writing for my own enjoyment. LOL!  My next goal is to find a focus for my blog. Right now, it will be random "slice of life" posts, but I hope it will be much more than that - someday.