GeltFiend - Chanukah Sweaters

I am utterly charmed by GeltFiend and their mission to give Jews their own fancy holiday sweaters. The only way I could love them more is if they could possibly integrate kittens into the patterns. Just a thought.

Donate $60 or more to their Kickstarter campaign and get your own sweater by Hanukkah! Or try your luck entering What Jew Wanna Eat's GeltFiend giveaway to win one. I'm crossing my fingers and toes.

Happy Hanukkah from the PJ Library

Roo has been asking a lot of questions about being Jewish this year. She was excited about Hanukkah as early as Thanksgiving! I'm glad that she is curious about her heritage but I'm a little overwhelmed since my formal Hebrew school and Jewish education stopped when my parents split up when I was 9. (I also quit Japanese school around this time, another regrettable decision.) I haven't been to temple in years and have been fumbling with the Hebrew prayers. Roo asked me to write them down for her, so she could say them, too, and I had to admit that I've been saying them phonetically. Lame!

Yeah, yeah, I know… Wikipedia helps*. But kids want to know more about tradition and culture, real-life stuff, not just the whys and wherefores. I'm a big believer in the concept of family literacy and lifelong learning, so I was extremely excited to learn about the PJ Library, an organization that shares the gift of free Jewish children’s books and the message of Jewish values with families across the globe.

Inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which sends free books to children in underserved areas of the US, PJ Library founder Harold Grinspoon sought to adapt the same concept to engage Jewish families. In 2005, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation started sending 200 free Jewish children’s books monthly. Now, more than 200,000 books go out each month to children in 155 communities across North America and Israel and the number is growing every day.

"PJ” stands for the pajamas worn at bedtime. Program organizers say a bond is formed between children and their parents during typical bedtime reading sessions and reading these PJ Library books together can encourage learning about the Jewish culture, religion, and traditions for both the parents and children. We received a great box to get started with:

Both kids love the books- especially the silly ones! Roo has already been trying out the Hebrew words from the CD, too. It's been fun to try and explain borscht and the concept of keeping kosher to them. On a monthly basis the PJ Library mails a Jewish children’s book or CD to participating homes addressed to the child, helping them to build their own library and inspire a passion for reading.

Currently 85,000 children between the ages of six months and eight years in more than 155 communities in the United States and Canada are enrolled in the PJ Library program. I was impressed to see that there is a PJ Library community here in Wichita! Check the website to see if there is a PJ Library community located near you.

New York stands out as the largest PJ Library program in the US with 10,000 monthly deliveries – and the expectation is that it will double within the next year to 20,000 families. With two million Jews in New York, the city is second only to Tel Aviv in the size of its Jewish population.

*FYI: My aunt pointed me to the excellent web resource Judaism 101, which I will be cribbing from, liberally, too. She printed out the prayers for everyone to say the other night at my grandpa's.


In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received the box of books shown to facilitate our understanding of the PJ Library and their good works. All opinions are my own, as usual. 

Keep Busy Over the Holidays with Pottery Barn Kids

The kids have been out of school since last week and are already underfoot. They take after me and are reluctant to head outside when the temperature dips, unlike their stalwart father. Also, I'm a bit under the weather, a fact which is particularly inconvenient since I am a procrastinator and still have unwrapped gifts, un-sent cards (sorry far-flung relatives, look for 'em around New Year's…) and a messy house to deal with. Blargh.

The holidays are in full swing already, being the third day of Hanukkah. Roo is incredibly interested in all things Jewish this year, so we've been lighting the menorah and I've been reciting the prayers in Hebrew school dropout mode, much to her delight. 

I got a bunch of fabulous and timely craft ideas from the Pottery Barn Kids Design Studio via email, yay! Now if they would only send us new bedroom furniture so I could replace Roo's evil green bunkbed of doom…obviously my fever is making me delusional.

Here are a couple of their great ideas to help your family share the joy of Hanukkah! This crafty Menorah is easy to assemble – and best of all, kids can "light" the candles on their own to celebrate each night of Hanukkah. 

Bring a little sparkle to Hanukkah celebrations with creative Glittery Dreidel Place Cards. They're simple for kids to make and add a fun element of festivity to the table – plus, they make great party favors. Jasper loves to sing "Dreidel, Dreidel" over and over again, even though he only remembers the one line. Heh.

Even non-Jews will agree that holiday treats are extra sweet when shared in homemade containers. Part party favor and part accessory, these Personalized Take-Out Containers, Glass Cookie Jars and Cookie Boxes are fun for kids to customize and then fill with delicious cookies and candies! A craft and a gift, all in one adorable package…

Check out these tips for planning a Christmas Cookie Exchange, including recipes, invitations and “how to” videos.

Last-minute wrapping to do? Give your presents that extra little flourish of hand-crafted care, and try one of our creative approaches to gift wrapping. Make your presents even more magical this season with Starry Wrap, Keepsake Footprint Paper and Rudolph’s Nose Wrap. My cats would go nuts for that yarn "nose" 

For more holiday ideas or for inspiration and advice year-round, visit the Pottery Barn Kids Design Studio. I was not compensated for this post, just thought my readers might like some busywork with attractive results for their kiddos, too.

Happy Hanukkah!