Posts Tagged ‘holiday’

This year I wrapped all of my Christmas gifts in newspaper and paper from an old caroling book. Why? Because it’s cheaper than buying five rolls of wrapping paper for $7.99 each. It’s fun, creative, and most importantly… it reduces waste. Pages from an old book work nicely as wrapping paper for a holiday or birthday present. Here, I used a song sheet from an old Christmas caroling book. I swear I thought of this brilliant, eco-conscious holiday hack before I saw the Sanitation Foundation’s IG post (@sanitationfoundation). It alerts […]

  Gift giving is part of the holiday season – for better or for worse. My intentions are to give meaningful presents but then end up delaying because I haven’t thought of that perfect gift idea. Then I’m scrabbling. If this sounds familiar “the gift of food and drink” is a great last minute solution. Let’s get the juices flowing… fancy coffee, tea, seltzer, kombucha, wine, beer or liquor. I say fancy because I’d suggest buying higher-end. Purchase something the recipient would not often splurge on. For your friends and […]

I just returned from a family vacation to Colorado with my sisters and two nieces. The landscape of the valleys and mountains, rock formations and waterfalls was stunning. Exploring a new city is awesome and this trip gave me an opportunity to spend quality time with my nieces. The girls are 10 and 12 years old. Kids are refreshing and have a wonderful perspective that adults need to be reminded of from time to time. They see and approach the world so differently! We ate a lot! At each meal […]

Little known fact, I’m obsessed with the classic sitcom Frasier. I’ve watched all 11 seasons at least five times. Honestly, I lost count. One episode that pops in my head often is called Selling Out  (season 1, episode 9). Frasier signs with Bulldogs’s agent, the fierce Bebe Claser. She persuades him to accept commercial endorsements but Frasier, being Frasier, is confronted with an ethical issue. He doesn’t feel comfortable endorsing a product he hasn’t experienced and enjoyed. To deal with this conundrum, he tests out the advertiser’s products to determine […]

It’s funny how I’ve been thinking about citrus fruits lately and it’s almost winter. I was preparing my bath of fruits and herbs the other night. While slicing up the lemon, I remembered that my friend Jodi posted a picture of dried fruit Christmas ornaments last year on her instagram account. They looked beautiful. I wanted to try this! I called Jodi and got some pro tips and creative crafting ideas. Below are the directions for this holiday craft. DIY Fruit Ornaments Supplies: Knife Cutting board Baking sheet Parchment paper or wax […]

I’ve always enjoyed decorating for the holidays. I believe it’s because of the fond memories I have as a child with my sisters and father, preparing the house for whichever celebration was up next. We’d help dad string Christmas lights, begging him to go higher and higher on the roof! Notably, strapping baby Jesus down with cables “so nobody would steal him” was a sought-after task. For Easter, we’d use Scotch tape to adhere the cardboard bunnies to the glass on the front bay window. My father also had the […]

It’s true. I started decorating for Christmas inside the house a week before Thanksgiving. Don’t judge! I like to take my time and enjoy the experience. But alas, Christmas traditions never fail and I traditionally have terrible luck with Christmas lights. This year, my indoor tree lights broke. Only half the string would light up. What made this so frustrating was that I bought two new sets only last year. I thought I’d be all good. How do these things break so easily?! The Grinch in me set in. I […]

After receiving this plant follow my care instruction in this article. Remove it’s decorations after the holiday to reveal a beautiful living tree in need of your attention. Sometime in August I was walking back from the gym when my neighbor Brady called me over. “Hey, you gotta sec?” He runs upstairs and brings down a very sad looking Charlie Brown type tree. “If anyone can save this, it will be you.” I was touched Brady thought of me as a plant healer! On inspection I knew this would be […]

I went to school on Long Island and it was mostly Italian and Irish Catholic kids. There were a few Jewish and Indian children but to be frank, I wasn’t very aware of our differences, in particular with respect to religious beliefs. Of course, we read the Old Testament in CCD, but it didn’t click. I was very aware, though, that we got a bunch of days off from school because of Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah being one of them. And they say the school districts on Long Island are […]

A month ago, my friend Jodi and I went to the Rock-a-Block Blvd. Street festival hosted by the Rockaway Business Alliance. This event is great because it gives you an opportunity to chat with neighbors, meet business owners and stroll into stores you don’t normally visit. Since The Studio Phantasmagoria opened last spring, I’ve been curious to check it out. “What’s going on in there? Let’s go in!”  I said to Jodi. It felt whimsical, fresh and inspiring as we stepped through the doorway. I saw delicately dyed clothing, thoughtfully […]