GeltFiend: Because it's really not to early for Chanukah...

I realize that I haven't even talked about where to go for rosh hashana, but when I got my email from geltfiend, I couldn't help but share.

For those of you out of the loop, geltfiend is a great online store that specializes in chanukah wear, specifically kitsch and sweaters.  I talked about then last year when I got the awesome sweaters for EG and me.

This year they've come out with their line even earlier, so you can have your sweater ready the moment the season hits.  My favorite piece...

Candledrip Sweater.

Isn't it awesome!  The colors, the style.  I'm totally in love.  Anyone want to buy me my first chanukah gift?

They also have everything left over from the first two years still available.  The kiddo items are so cute, and I can testify to the quality myself.

Check out the rest of the line, and their new video here.

Review: Childcare at 24 Hour Fitness

I've been trying to get back into shape for doing triathalons, etc.  It's been rough, since I don't feel like I've ever gotten back my strength since having EG, let alone feeling like I've got it since having Ocho.

So, I did something a bit crazy.  I signed myself up for personal training sessions at 24 hour fitness.  I'm thrilled with my trainer, but I'd be lying if I said it was going as well as I thought it would.  It's not.  It's so hard with Ocho's unpredictable sleep schedule to feel good, arrive at a pre-determined time with Ocho happy, etc.  But, I have been very happy with my trainer, and with the childcare facilities at the Hermosa Beach 24 hour fitness.

The facility is actually very nice.  They have a huge indoor play gym, sort of like McDonalds.  Then they have a great floor space.  They have a nice are set-up for the babies/crawlers so they can make sure that they aren't getting trampled by the older kiddos. 

They have a flexible rotation of people, and they have a limit of 24 kiddos that they can have with two staff members.  The interesting thing is that my child (any baby under 24months older than 6 months) is considered three children.  A child under 36 months counts as two children.  So they can call additional staff if needed to add more children.

It's $5 for two hours per child for drop in care.  Or you can sign-up for a month of care for $25, where you can drop off your child as much as you want. I signed Ocho up for the full month, but I don't think I've gotten my money worth yet.  They won't change diapers, and they won't keep your kiddo if they are crying inconsolably.  I totally understand both of those things, but it makes it a bit tricky and expensive if you have to leave your training session to come get your baby.

In  order to check in they have you put in your pin, your fingerprint and they attach a sticker to your baby.  You have to be the same person who picks up the kiddo, so it's not like you and hubbie could switch off.  They won't be responsible for giving kiddo to someone else.

However, they do allow you to store baby stuff there in a set of cubicles, and as you can see behind her, they are happy to keep your carseat too, so if baby is still sleeping it's totally fine.

They have a large selection of toys, and they also do some themes and crafts depending upon the holiday. Can you tell I took this picture in February and it's taken me this long to write up this post?!?  They almost always have a movie playing, which I don't love, but it's totally appropriate for the age range.

Overall I'm happy with the care provided. And here in the beach cities I didn't even tell you the best part.  Right across the way is a My Gym, so if you have an older kiddo who might be too old for this daycare space, you can register them in a drop-off class at My Gym while baby brother or sister plays at the fitness center.  Both kiddos taken care of.

The hours are 8-1pm, then again from 4-6pm.  I've never been turned away, but it is a first come first served place. The only other odd thing is that they only allow one adult dropping off a child in their space at a time for safety reasons, but of course they don't have that posted anywhere....

Baby Friendly Places: Valvoline Oil Change

I realize that this seems like a ridiculous post.  Which has nothing to do with raising children, let alone raising Jewish ones, but it was such an amazing experience that I can't help but share.

My check engine light has been on for a few months now.  Between events/holidays/work/packing/moving/listing the house it's been on the total bottom of my list.  This morning there were a few people looking at the house so I couldn't be there.  After dropping off EG I was trying to figure out what to do. Of course Ocho was exhausted, so anything where I had to take her out of the car seemed a bit daunting.

First I got gas. Woot- one errand down.  Then I thought about Target, but I realized that would involve Ocho out of the car.  So, as I was driving away from the gas station I saw it...

They promised a 15 minute oil change, no wait, and I didn't have to get out of the car.  Wait- did I read that right?  I, and Ocho, don't have to get out of the car?  Can this be true?

So I spin around, follow the arrows and 2 minutes later there is a team of guys working on my car.  They pull me in, line my car up, check my lights, then have me fill out one piece of paperwork.  Yup, that's right, only one piece of paperwork!

There are no upsells.  Okay, let me rephrase, he tells me a few things that might need to be done on my car- such as my air filter, and some of my other liquid levels, but he never even suggests that my car might have issues if I don't do these things.  He asks me which oil I want, giving me prices for a synthetic blend or a more expensive totally synthetic.  He even tells me that he has regular oil, but dosen't recommend it.  When I tell him I think the blend is fine he doesn't try to upsell me- he agrees with me! 

It's like I'm on vacation- listening to the radio, watching guys chat around the car.  They do this thing where they sort of yell around the shop, and it's kind of sweet....

They sent me my receipt via e-mail.  So easy, and so nice.  Here's hoping that if you need an oil change Valvoline will make it easy for you too!

A Review: South Bay Adult School

Since Ocho was about 3 months old inside my tummy I've had her registered for the South Bay Adult School Parent Education program.  I had planned to just take her for the first three months of my maternity leave, not planning to be off for so long.  I had wispy daydreams about my boss letting me take that day as a work from home day, and taking Ocho to the classes as a benefit of my new job.

Alas, things were very different than I had planned them to be.  But, in this case, it worked out nicely.  My first class with the SBAS was the week after my mother passed in September.  And I was sort of a wreck.  I remember that one of the moms shared that she was from Belgium, and the hardest part of motherhood so far was that her mom left to go home.  I remember crying so hard...

But enough about me- let's talk about class.

The 411:
-Offered on various days of the week, morning or afternoon.  We take Wednesday morning 9:30-11:30am
-Parent Education.  They really mean this.  It has some elements of a mommy and me, but it's really about educating parents.  We have guest speakers on everything from sleep to saving for college.
-Format: 20-24 caregivers with their kiddos.  Twins and triplets welcome, as well as dad's and grandmas.
-Morning chat time, singing, snack, then discussion about the topic of the day.

In the beginning the time was spent really chatting as parents, since the kiddos slept basically all the time.  Ocho didn't really have much say, we just went to class, hung out, and I met a lot of great moms.

As time went on, the kiddos started to have a bit more fun...

Now it's a ton of fun for each of us.  I really enjoy the new toys that Ocho gets to play with, and watching her interact with other babies.  It's great for her socialization.  I have to admit, the discussions don't usually much interest me.  While the class is made up of all types of parents ( and grandparents!) the structured discussions don't usually seem to mean a lot to me as a second time mom.  However, the random chatting is absolute gold.

If you live in the South Bay (Westchester to PDV) it's a great place to think about meeting some new moms, and really getting to know a community.  Best part- the classes continue beyond this age range into drop-them-off preschool.

Taking over Easter Decor

Now that it's finally Easter, and the Easter bunny has come and gone this morning, it's time to go out there and snap up some after Easter steals for the season.

Here are my Target finds that work all year long:

Spring has sprung whether there's Easter or not and if I had a baby with a Springtime birthday you could bet that these would be at her party.  The cute floral design is good for a tea party, or a birthday party at any time.  Just adorable, and the price is great at full price, and should be wonderful once they cut it down a touch.

Having a baby girl anytime soon?  Getting married?  These adorable little birdies are great for table tops and totally unique for decor in a little girls room.  Imagine them as part of a wonderful baby mobile, or dressing up the ends of a bookcase.

They would make adorable little items to put along the aisle at a wedding.

Don't think we've forgotten about the boys.  These are 'easter' baskets that would be great for anytime of year.  You have a friend who's into sports- fill this with some balls and a glove, and you've got a spot on birthday present.  Same goes for a pirate party- fill these with pirates booty and a few shovels and the kids party snack food is done.  The dinosaur is especially sweet- I could see that being in a boys bedroom with books inside, or even filled with plastic dinos as a great storage item.

They have a great selection of tiny hands gardening supplies right now.  Though not for easter (so probably not on sale) they would be great gifts for those kiddos or parents with interest in gardening, butterflying, etc.  Sorry the photos aren't the best...

Last but not least these are adorable springtime plates.  In this case both of these are actually microwaveable- something I'm always looking for in dinner plates for my kiddos.  You have the smaller one for the youngins and the larger one for when you get to have toddlers, etc.

These are wonderful items to re-fresh your kids perspective on eating.  Sometimes a toddler dinnertime disaster can be changed around by a new plate.

Here's to springtime!

Passover at Target

I have to say that Target is probably my favorite store right now.  Not only is it convient for me (right down the street) but it has almost everything I need on a given day.  And this is especially true for Passover.  Does it have three types of Matzo Meal?  No.  Is it as good for food shopping as the Ralphs on Sepulveda?  No.  But it is probably the only store that has a selection of Passover decor items.

Target used to re-create their Passover line each year.  In fact the seder plate that I have at my house is marked 2011.  They stopped doing that right at 2011, since the seder plate they are selling this year is the same as that one.  However, I'm still saying hats off to Target for stepping up to the plate and doing something...

Here's the food section.  Again, I wouldn't recommend that you do your shopping here.  Apparently they think we only need to eat Matzo balls, Macaroons and Matza.  Oh, and dessert.  But, never the less, it's sweet that they have the foods and are totally trying.  Good spot to stop if you forget something on the way to someone's house.

Here's why we love Target though- there selection of decor products.  That are actually cute, and totally usable.  All the plastic is BPA free, and although the blue cups were out for Chanukah, they have some truly distinct Passover items that you won't be able to walk into a typical store and find.  

They do have a seder plate (it's on the second shelf) and it's quite nice.  But since I already have it, and it's not new to the Passover line, I didn't take any specific pictures of it.

 The children's seder plate is awful cute- wonderfully colorful, and totally appropriate with both pictures and words.  I'm impressed by their use of Hebrew on the plate, they didn't shy away from including it.  Though not microwave safe, it can go in the dishwasher.

Last year I had 10 kids under the age of 4 at my house.  And I searched high and low for plates for all those kiddos.  I totally should have gotten these.  No need to remember which are the passover dishes- it says so right there!  Part of a a great kiddos set, that's dishwasher safe.

This is where I think Target really stands out.  Yes they have the traditional seder plates, but they also go out of their way to include these decor items.  I'll give you a little hint about Target.  They do a great job of labeling their items. You can see what season/promotion the item belongs to by lifting it up and looking underneath.

See the Jewish star?  That means it was designed exclusively/specifically for a Jewish holiday.  It could have been Chaunkah or Passover, but regardless, it was for the Jewish community.  And that, to me, is where Target wins points.  On the display there were at least two items not specific to the holiday (aka one had a sun since it was a summer item, and another was just a random item) but they are just about the only store that is continuously making items.

So cheers to you Target!  Thanks for including us in the spring time celebration!   Now, just because something isn't marked with a star doesn't mean it wouldn't be adorable at your Passover seder.  Here's a cute selection of items for the kiddos that fall into the Frog theme of the Passover world.  I could just imagine my little girlies in those PJ's and my tiny Ocho in these Froggie slippers!

I'm also always on the lookout for little entertainment items that will keep EG at the table.  This year target didn't disappoint with this adorable frog creation you can make yourself.  While it does involve glue (so may not be appropriate for all seder tables) it's certainly a cute and adorable project that she can do her self.

And thankfully she doesn't look at my blog- so this adorable froggie cup that I bought her for the seder will still be a pleasant surprise.

This post wasn't paid or perked in anyway (though, note to Target, I wouldn't mind getting paid!) I just want to share the goods for everyone.  And I hope that some of you go out there any buy these Target items.  That way they are inspired to continue to make them for us every year.

Dear Disneyland

I think it's time that I wrote to you to express my thanks.  I've been extremely impressed with how you've handled yourselves when it comes to dealing with tiny children. As a mother of two, under two, I feel like I'm your target audience.  I've got two girlie girls who want to dress up like princesses, but still want to fight the good fight as a Jedi Knight.  And you've got me covered there.

Each time I've gone into a restroom I've been pleasantly surprised by freestanding changing tables, equipped with extra paper towels, toilet paper, and a trashcan literally inches from where my baby is.  I can throw away a dirty diaper without ever taking my hands off my kiddo, and that's aces.

We've been bringing both kiddos together, which is a lot of work.  However, despite the fact that my littlest is just a tiny tiny, you've managed to have enough for her to enjoy, even from the seat of her Lillebaby carrier.

From parades, to rides, she has a ton of fun.  Even when she's sleeping she can still go on It's a small world, and nursing in the darkness of Pirates is a truly awesome experience.

While you have candy looking at my kiddo at every turn, I've been impressed with the meal selections for the little ones.  While I generally hate on kids meals, you have them including carrots and apple slices, as well as a milk option at every restaurant we've been to, so you get some kudos there as well.  Ample high chairs means we've never been stuck waiting while everyone else is eating.

Then there's the kiddo corner at the end of Main Street.  Since discovering this spot, it's been the talk of the town for my older daughter.  She's potty training, so she loves to insist that we go to the 'her size' potty.  And since it's so centrally located we can walk over in between a ride on the carousel and waiting in line for Dumbo without much fuss.  It's such a cozy space for my nursing baby too- comfy wicker chairs, and those coat hooks for mommies- almost perfect in every way.  The staff is great, it smells nice and seems so clean.  Books and a cute movie in the A/C- perfect on those hot days.

But then we get to Disney's California Adventure- and everything takes a step back.  I'll hand it to you- you were really smart when you decided to put Frozen Fun in DCA.  It meant that a trip to D-land virtually has to include DCA if you really want to 'Let it Go'.  And when it comes to that-you  did it right.

The way you orchestrate the visits with Elsa and Anna- pure genius.  My little girls feel loved, and honored and like they are the most important people in the world in that moment.  Really, they do.

It's just such a shame that you totally screwed it up in terms of amenities.  Let's chat for a moment about the Kids support area in DCA.  It's a mockery of the Disneyland version.  You walk inside and it feels cold, and hollow.  A mishmash of inconsequential furniture, without a care to the love of kids.  No books on the tables, no cozy kids size rocking chair here...

Then we get to the changing table area.  Smell and dirty feeling.  The worst version of a cheap Craigslist changing table I can imagine.  Practically not sturdy enough for my little 7-month old, let alone how I would feel about putting my almost three-year old on it.  Then I need to nurse, and it just gets worse.  Two chairs behind a gross shower curtain.  That curtain the only thing separating me from the kids potties.  

Picture this- me, my baby, and a 3 year old screaming his head off about wanting to try to aim his pee himself.  Don't worry- he can do it!  But me, I just can't.  The smell, the noise- just horrendous.  I feel like I'm nursing in a bathroom.  I'd rather be in the heat then trying to make this work out.  The chairs are the worst version of awful too... whoever bought those must never have been a nursing mother.  Armrests in exactly the most annoying spot possible to make it uncomfortable to hold up a child to the breast.

So, Disneyland- we will keep on coming, and DCA (aka the unloved step-child), I will try hard not to hold it against you.  

Lets hope that at some point you decide that DCA matters too, and spread a little bit of the charm it's way....

Book Review: Kosher S*X

I try to make this a family blog, and perhaps you could say that this is actually the most family friendly conversation I've ever had on this blog... about Kosher Sex.  Have you read this book?

 

Now I don't claim that Working Dad and I practice this, but I do think it's an interesting story.  It ties into the Rosh Chodesh class called SoulMates that I've been taking monthly, and I thought it would be an interesting topic of discussion.

The basic concept is that instead of answering your carnal urges at any time, there is a cycle to your intimacy.  For at a minimum of 12 days surrounding the start and end of your cycle you are off limits to your husband.  Then, after that time, it's all fun and games.

The book talks about several basic ideas which I think are easy to get behind:

Part One: A discussion about what sex is, compared with lust, commitment, and love.  It drives down into the ideas of traditional thought, doing what's expected and understanding why there are benefits to waiting until marriage.  My favorite is the 'myth of compatibility' which lays out the argument that you have to have sex before you get married to know if you are compatible with each other.  Totally crap according to this book.  And in a lot of ways I agree.  Once you get married the sex you had with someone else is utterly irrelevant as you've committed to never having sex with anyone else again.  Having someone for you to compare your partner to is probably a mistake.

Part Two: This the the meat of the book where he really talks about the mechanics, and offers a lot of opinions about specific questions.  It discusses porn and sex toys, as well as more adventurous sex techniques...

Part Three: This is titled sex for single people, but it's really about discussing why we marry at all.  He lays out wonderful arguments about why people need to be in committed relationships, and how waiting until you are married to have sex can really enhance your relationship. 

Part Four: This chapter deals with difficulties in marriages, and the possibility of divorce. One of my favorite parts is where he discusses how children are important to a marriage, but that without the bedrock foundation of the married couple, the children don't exist.  Today it's so easy to put your children first, especially when they are little and have seemingly around the clock demands (yes 3am is totally a great time to be up Ocho!)...

Part Five: This is where he really discusses the tenets of Kosher Sex and Family Purity.  About how waiting until after a woman's cycle creates a unique opportunity for a man to be constantly chasing his wife.  How it gives a woman mystery and specialness that comes when she isn't in intimate contact with her husband.

Overall it's an insightful book with a visionary way of looking at some of the more base aspects of a sexual relationship. 

Did it make me decide to start practicing family purity laws as discussed?  No, but it did make me think about how important it is to dedicate part of your time to both sides of your marriage.  The intimate and the emotional- because when it comes down to it, this is really what family purity helps protect.  It says these weeks are for intimate connections, and these weeks are for emotional connections.  It allows us to say yes, even when we might want to say no, because it's only another few days before I'm off limits again.  It allows us to say no when we might want to, because it's that time of the month, or because I really do just want to take a bath and eat all the chocolate in the house.

Have you thought about how you protect both sides of your marriage?   This might be part of Judaism's answer, but what works for you? 

I really encourage comments about this part of Judaism, and as with all my posts I hope to illicit some sort of discussion. However, this topic being a sensitive one I won't allow posts that harass or demean myself or others.  Happy commenting!

Shul Shopping: Congregation Ner Tamid

We've still been Shul Shopping in the South Bay area.  It seems like just when we might have crossed a place off our list, they go and change something significant.  Like a cantor, or their building.  So, we're still criss-crossing around the South Bay, trying to find a spiritual home.

I'll be frank about it- as much as I love Growing Garden and the JCC we are not an Orthodox family.  We don't want to spend services split by a Mechitza.  That's not to say there's anything wrong with it, it's just not for us. 

This past Friday we went to Jammies and Jeans at Congregation Ner Tamid.  This wasn't our first time attending, and you can read more details about that service here, and here.

The first thing you notice about Ner Tamid isn't the beautiful building, or the gorgeous sanctuary, but it's the amazingly friendly people.  Within minutes of our arrival at least 5 people had welcomed us to the temple, to the service, to the community.  We'd been a few times before, and it was just do amazing to be welcomed so warmly.

The service with the kiddos is nice.  They bring out the torah, the rabbi tells a little story usually complete with some kids acting and a nice puppet (Rabbi Jr.).  Though I will say the story of Moses was a touch interesting for EG to listen to. The Rabbi started by saying that Pharoah doesn't like the Jewish people, and EG got all serious and concerned and asked my why he doesn't like us.  That was quite a moment for me....but back to the Congregation.

They serve a delicious dinner of pasta from their in house chef.  Yup- in house chef!  And it's quite delicious.  And free.  Which is wonderful because after racing home from work, getting everyone in the car, driving the 20 minutes (from North Redondo) the last thing I want to be thinking about is how to feed the brood before a 5:45pm service.

During the dinner for the kiddos there is a regular adult service, which I find wonderful as well.  Since my mom has passed I've been trying to say Mourner's Kaddish at least once a month.  This allows the kiddos to play, eat, enjoy.  Then I stay a bit later than them and attend the adult services.

I talked about the amazing people, and maybe you are thinking that it's just because of the toddler service.  But when I went to the full service later that night, I was basically just balling about my mom.  I was alone, since the girls and Working Dad had gone home for bed.  And the woman in front of me turned around and comforted me. Then when we sang Adon Olam she insisted that I join her and her husband 'We've adopted you!"

So there's our review.  I wish I had more pictures, but as a conservative synagogue it didn't seem right to take them when Shabbat had already started.

Stats:
Conservative Congregation
Established in 1961
Current Rabbi: Brian Schuldenfrei
Cantor: Marla Barugel
Affiliation: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

They have a 'new members/young members' membership fee of about $1000, and their regular full membership is about $3000 for a family.  Of course, they stress that membership dues are flexible if you have need.  They have a sisterhood, men's club, young mens club (AMEN), young womens group (z'havah), Hebrew School (CLAL), Daycare for kiddos 2-5, and lots of other activities.

Ways to check them out:
Shabbat in the AM on Saturdays has free childcare for ages 2-10 on the 1st and 3rd Saturday morning from 10am-12:30pm

Shabbat in the PM on Friday night has Jeans & Jammies with dinner on the 2nd Friday of the month.

Wednesday morning playgroup for cargivers and babies, 9:30am ages 3months to 2 years.

Stitch Fix: A Review

My sister turned me on to this wonderful service called Stitch Fix.  You might have heard of it, but if not here's the quick snap shot.  You fill out a style profile, then a professional stylist sends you outfits and accessories tailored to you.  They send you five items each 'fix' and you can keep as many as you want.  You pay $20 to have the fix sent to you, but the styling fee is deducted if you buy anything.

My first fix came just days after my birthday in October, a late birthday present to myself.  It was full of great things, and I kept two of them.  A skirt and a dress.  The dress in these photos is from my stitch fix.  My sister's dress if from her fix as well.  The family that fixes together, stays together?

Anyways, I wanted to share all the items in my box, so you could really get a feel for it.

This is what the box looks like when it arrives- a little happiness at the doorstep.  Then you open it and it's wonderful inside too!  Wrapped up all nice. They give you a listing of everything in the box, and a note from your Stylist about why she picked items.    Hi Lori!

My favorite part of this is that they show you  how to accessorize and wear the items in your box.  I keep these, and hang them by my mirror in the bedroom for easy reference. When I opened my box I loved everything when I saw it, but putting things on made it a bit different...

First the pants.  I didn't keep them, because they were a bit odd looking around the middle.

Then there was this Geo-print dress. My husband loved it, but it was a bit to low-cut for me. Everything they have been sending has been breastfeeding friendly, but this one was just a bit to much for me.

This dress was also AMAZING!  I almost kept it, but when I looked at myself full-on, it made me look a bit short.  I know that seems weird, but just where the waistline was...

These earrings were just sort of eh for me.  They looked to costumey for my tastes...

This was the dress I'm keeping, and I'm SO EXCITED about it.   It fits my curves, is nursing friendly, shows off what I want, hides when I need it to.  Also easy to dress up and down.  PERFECT!

The prices were in the $70's for the dresses, and $130 for the jeans.  But with my fix money taken out I think the dress I kept was a steal for $50.

Do you want to try it?  Easy clothing straight to your door, brand-name and selected for you.

Try STITCH FIX!