Over gifted and dollar tea

So i had this plan i was going to go to NY and see the sites take a million pics and post them all here. I was going to write about how the light of Chanukah shines through no matter where you are.

I was going to show off pictures of Rozie with her favorite guy, Uncle Moishy. I was going to snap away as my little ones played the huge piano in Fao Schwarz. I was going to record Rozie's face as she walked into the American Girl doll store for the first time. Well none of this happened. Rozie got a fever as soon as we touched NY soil. We also discovered she has a horrific fear of her favorite child singer, and huddled in fear from good ol Uncle Moishy. We never made it to Fao Schwarz, or the American Girl Doll store because this mommy forgot that it was x-mas on Sunday and all our favorite spots would be closed, but have no fear folks Starbucks was open. Needless to say things didn't turn out the way i planned, and we left early to bring a sick baby home to the comfort of her own bed and her own doctor that knows my little girl like the back of his medically blessed hand. I did have one awesome highlight to the trip i got to meet my favorite singer and online friend in real life. Can you guess who it is? Here is a hint......

Now im wishing NY was a bit closer. Great meeting you Chanale till next time....


This Chanukah was a learning experience for me. Remember here I told you guys i was trying out the gift a night thing for my kids for Chanukah this year, and i have to say it was a huge mistake. I had this plan that my kids would get this cuddly warm feeling about the gifts, and we would all light Menorah together open a gift and bask in the glow of the days of light.

Instead my kids only wanted to light the Menorah so we could get to the present part. They even started getting a little chutzpah towards the end about what they got, and asked for things to be returned when they didn't like them. The presents became somewhat of a obsession and i was biting the inside of my cheek not to lose it with them. The last straw for me was when my middle one got some gelt ( money) and he wanted to go right away to buy more toys with the money. I kept telling him to be patient and we would go later but he wouldn't let it go and asking me on an hourly basis when we could go. Im telling you i turned around to see my sweet boy sitting in a pile of new toys whining to go to the store to buy more. Ok that really didn't happen but it felt like it did,and i wasn't recognizing who my kids had become.


Next year we are not doing the scheduled present thing. Not sure what i will do but this year will not be replayed. Its amazing how quickly a little over consumption can change a person. The strange thing was i didn't go overboard. Its not like i bought them a PlayStation and new bikes.

It was little trinkets like a harmonica and a little doll bed the size of a small shoe box. It didn't matter they liked the idea and they wanted and wanted more. The last night i was so fed up that i gave Dovie a candy Lolly he always asks for in the market and a tiny tea set for Rozie i bought in the Rite Aid dollar section. Dovie looked at me and said this is it , and i looked back and said ya if you don't want it im sure Rozie would. Not one of my prouder parenting moments, but i was fed up. Rozie happened to love her tea set that had tea cups big enough to sit on the tip of my finger.

I had one just like it as a child and i cherished it. I really think i could of split the set up and given her a piece of the set each night and she would of been happy. Oh next year, next year. So between NY fevers, Uncle Moishy fear, over gifted kids, and a not so happy mommy this has been a Chanukah to remember. With all that said i was sad to see it go. I am sad to put the Menorahs away and take the Menorah off the car.

Chanukah is like that a golden path that even if the steps of the way are a little hard to walk on, and you slip on the shiny substance, it is still easy to see what is ahead. This is Chanukah, a light and it glows no matter what else is in its path. I hope each and every one of you found your Chanukah path and filled your hearts with the glow.Till next year my friends!

Nest eggs

So we are leaving on a jet plane, ok not really.

(Chaya N. these pics are for you!)
We are leaving to New York in a broken down mini van that i have a permanent bruise on my hand from the door. Does that count? We are going to spend time with my husband's family and going to the Crown Heights friendship circle party.

I will be walking the streets of Crown Heights ( that sounded bad, at least i didn't say working)so please come say hi i would love to meet all of you!
Night number two of Chanukah has brought one big brother home from Yeshiva and my nest is now complete again.

I love it when all my eggs are in a row.

I hope everyone's Chanukah is beautiful and bright and may each and everyone of us be inspired by this light to grow, heal and find simcha and everything good during these 8 days of miracles!

I will post again next week after our trip!!
Chabad of Downtown Baltimore has that amazing 30 foot Menorah right by the harbor go check it out and tell them i sent you!
Also Chanukah Wonderland is in full swing, so much fun stuff to do with the kinderlach! Here is the schedule

Im not immune from drama!

Have you ever had one of those weeks. You know where something so little and stupid just snowballs into something huge and the next thing you know that stupid little thing is now the Abominable Snowman. You cant sleep and you are wasting so much physical and mental energy on this drama.

Ughhhhhhhh that was me last week, but here is the clincher. My body just physically can not handle stress. Stress causes my immune system to break down, and as you guys know i don't have a immune system to break down. So when i get stressed i not only mentally anguish over it but my body also becomes physically ill. That was me last week, sick and stressed. Lovely. I tried so hard to move past this ridiculous situation but no matter what i did i couldn't escape it.

It was my personal plague. No matter how many times i said im done with this im moving on, there it was hiding around the corner all germy and plague like. So that is where i was last week. No blog post, no update just me and my drama. Sorry guys.
Now here i am a week later and im over it. This little bug that wouldn't leave me alone just suddenly vanished with the miracle of time. Thank Gd. Now if i could get my body physically back to where it was that would be even better.

Chanukah has been all the uproar in my little shtub. We have the car Menorah up and we are ready. I decided to do something this year that i usually don't do. I chose to give my kids Chanukah gifts. I know it sounds crazy but usually they get a few tokens and some gelt, but this year i changed my mind. I am not against gift giving i just don't like that it can take away from the real miracle of Chanukah. I want my kids to jump for joy as we light the Menorah and eat yummy foods. I don't want my kids associating Chanukah with gifts only. So what changed this year? I don't know i just had this childhood memory of all the Chanukah gifts from my childhood all wrapped up on the ledge waiting to be opened. I remember painstakingly trying to decide which one to open each night. I also remember the life lesson of good things also come in small packages. One year i opened the tiniest gift last thinking it was nothing special, only to discover a small clock in the shape of Pac-Man, that was hands down the coolest present i got.

I guess i also wanted these memories for my children, so this year we are trying it out, who knows what i'll do next year. What i do know is that Dovie claimed the tiny $2 Lego set i got him was "EXACTLY" what he wanted, and Rozie insisted on sleeping with the new doll she got that came with the tiny brush. Now those are memories im wrapping up.
On a side note i made the cutest little thank you gift for Rozie's therapist and i had to share. A little dreidel set in a jar. Cute as a button! I got the idea from here check it out.


Hope everyone will have a happy and HEALTHY Chanukah!
Mazel Tov to Naomi on winning the Mit Glick giveaway!

Giveaway!!!! With Mit Glick!

I am so excited about this giveaway. I recently got one of these new towels and i am in love. Let me first start by saying is they are softer then any towel i own, so yes Rozie has the nicest towel in the house,lol.

The are made from 100% bamboo which is 3-4 times more absorbent than cotton, and it is naturally antibacterial so no yucky towel smell in between washes.Then to top it off it is embroidered with a cute immage and the saying "Clean for Shabbos." I love that we always say that when my little ones take their Shabbos baths.

It is also unbelievable soft, did i mention that? You can order through Mit Glick's website or use their store locator to see if they are sold near you. Mit Glick is a new company and they really want to let you guys know about their products.So they are giving away a free towel to a MyShtub reader, and its very easy to win. All you have to do is..
1. Like Mit Glick on Facebook
2. Share Mit Glick on your wall
3. Check out Mit Glick's website

And of course dont forget to like MyShtub on facebbok too!
For each thing you do put in a separate comment to be entered. The more you do the more chances you have to win.
This giveaway will go for one week and will end Wednesday December 14th.
Good luck!!!

Winter sun

I apologize for leaving you all hanging, but honestly my last treatment took me down. I went in with a little cold and a lingering cough, but after a bunch of my white blood cells were destroyed my little cold and lingering cough became something big. Luckily a good dose of antibiotics and some much needed rest and i am back on the mend.

I missed a beautiful Shabbos of warm weather and bright sun. I hate to miss some good sun basking especially when it is due to this sickness. I have no tolerance for this chutzpah cell eating disease especially when it interrupts my spring and the few good days of winter i have left. Luckily Sunday brought me a bit of sun and i quickly grabbed my trusty camera before it went into hiding again.


Notice Rozie's baby doll. My mom made that for her when she was born. When i saw it i gave my mother one of those one eyebrow lifted looks. Needless to say Rozie loves it more then any of her other babies that actually look like dolls, and sleeps with it snug under her arm every night.


Notice how sweet Dovie is being to his beloved sister in all these pics. Nope he loved the way her faux fur coat felt, and he is actually petting it in the pics. Hey at least it looks like sibling love, ill take whatever i can get, people.


I do actually have some very exciting news for you guys, not just babbling. We have an amazing new sponsor. Mit Glick a wonderful company that makes these gorgeous and extremely soft 100% Bamboo towels for babies that say "Clean for Shabbos." Is that not the cutest. Well tomorrow i will be posting a giveaway with your chance to win one. Stay tuned!!!!