My Happiness Project

I read Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project last year, and really gained a lot from reading it. I am trying to be more present with my kids and my husband, even though it is a challenge. It seems like I am always texting, or emailing, or checking voicemail, or on facebook, or, or, or. It is a seemingly endless list. But I truly do want to be present, and I also want to take time for myself. And that doesn't mean spa days or vacations (although that would be nice) it means to just take a minute here and there to be present for myself. So when I was reading about my friend Jenny Feldon from www.karmacontinued.com doing her own version of a Happiness Project, it started me thinking about what a Happiness Project would look like for me. She is doing one thing each day that makes her happy, and I like that. For my own version, I want to combine that with doing things that allow me to be present. That means sitting down with my kids, and not at my computer (my kids are sleeping right now, I promise!). It means running a little more, and sitting a little less. It means reading my daughter the extra one, or three, books at bedtime, because it's a little more time with a 4 year old who is going to be a 14 year old before I know it. It means laughing when my little guy says NO, instead of getting angry. What does it mean to you?

Santa and all his Baggage

At a time in my life where it seems like I'm informed on a daily basis the things that aren't fair, we hit Christmas. And in my house, with my almost 4 year old, it looks like 'tis the season for lying, or not? We are Jewish. Totally Jewish. Not the Jews with a Hannukah Bush. Not the Jews who get visits from Santa's super cool brother Hannukah Harry. Not even Jews who put up blue and white lights outside. Our house is peppered with different Star of Davids, the menorah Zoe made when she was 2, and several banners that loudly proclaim that Hannukah is a Happy time in this house. We are Jewish. But the rest of the world is doing their own thing. "Mommy, where are all the Hannukah decorations at Target? Why just in that corner over there?" "Mommy, how come all the streets are decorated for Christmas and not Hannukah?" "Mommy, why are we Jewish?" Why does Santa have to be so tough on us?