How to make your kid a special Hanukkah school lunch

I admit that I am one of *those* moms always making completely ridiculous over-done lunches for my kids to bring to school.

And what better occasion for a super special lunch than Hanukkah? I especially like to make my kids a lunch for the days they are at school on Hanukkah as I feel this time of year can be hard on kids who aren't celebrating Christmas. So don't worry kids, this Hanukkah lunch is totally as good as, possibly even better, than this whole Santa thing your friends keep tormenting mentioning to you!

So if you want to make an amazing school lunch for your kids on Hanukkah this year (which starts Tuesday night, December 16 and ends Wednesday, December 24), here are some ideas!

The Hanukkah lunch in a PlanetBox lunchbox:

I have a dreidel cookie cutter, which I used to cut out a dreidel shape from the sandwich and a piece of cheese, which I put on top of the dreidel bread from the sandwich.  I also added a fun Hanukkah coloring book, some gelt, and a little bag of apple crisps.

I also made a similar lunch in a traditional lunchbox, where every item was wrapped like a present, even the juice pouch. I even added a Hanukkah gift tag.

Really anything will work from adding a few decorative dreidels to throwing in a few pieces of gelt. If you have some blue and silver ribbon, add that too and your Hanukkah lunch is ready to go!

Happy Hanukkah!

It's Holiday Time, Yo.

Since Hanukkah came early this year, I feel like "The Holidays" have passed already, while of course for most people the main event of Christmas is still more than a week away. For those of you who still have holiday shopping to do, here are a few more picks for gifts that were big hits at our house:

Winx Deluxe Fashion Dolls ($21.99) from Nickelodeon. My daughters (ages 8 and 10) don't watch the show (there is a show, right?), but they lovd the doll's wings and that they were removable, as well as the fact that the doll has lots of points of articulation and can be easily posed in lots of different ways. Also, the glitter was a big plus, too.

My son, age 4, is a huge fan of the lean, green fighting machines, so he loves this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Lunch Box Puzzle ($8.00). He really likes doing the puzzle and then putting the pieces back in the tin, and I don't think you need me to tell you how much a  toy a kid will clean-up on his own is a win-win-win-win-win.

Also getting the rave reviews at our house is this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle LEGO Set, Stealth Shell in Pursuit ($24.99). My four-year-old son plays with it the most, but his tween-age sisters were more than happy to put it together for him.

And if you have kids who are Rainbow Loom fanatics, they'll love this brand-new product, The Loom Boom ($9.99). Invented by a five-year-old and brought to market by his mom, this cool catch-all is a great place to store and display finished bracelets and the base makes a perfect home for all those loose looms, too.

 

So what toys are the biggest hits at your house?

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I did receive the Winx Doll and the Ninja Turtle products for review purposes from Nickelodeon.

Two Easy Ways to Make a Thankgivukkah Menurkey

My kids and I have been amusing ourselves to no end decorating for our Thanksgivukkah celebration next Thursday. Turkeys spinning dreidels, menorahs made out of pilgrim hats, we could go on and on - speaking of which, we have totally got to put a pilgrim hat on a dreidel.

We've also made endless menurkeys - those are turkey menorahs for those of you living under a (Plymouth) rock.

I present:

Menurkey #1: Styled by my 9-year-old. All you need to make this yourself is markers and the ability to trace your own hands.

Menurkey #2: Styled by my 8-year-old. This menurkey is currently on Barista Kids, so head over for the full directions.

If you have a menurkey craft, please leave a link in the comments!

Happy Thanksgivukkah!

Instructions for my husband: Thanksgivukkah not only is real, it real-ly is once-in-a-lifetime

I did not make up Thanksgivukkah, which is the holiday that results from Thanksgiving Day and the first day of Hanukkah falling on the exact same day this year. Yes, you heard that right.... THE EXACT SAME DAY.

What are the chances? Well, apparently almost none. That's why it's never really happened before (maybe once, but there's some uncertainty of what day Thanksgiving was back in the Eighteen-hundred-and-something year that the overlap might have occurred in) and is really, never really going to happen again. EVER.

Again, let me repeat, I am not making this up, it is well documented on everything from Thanksgivukkah websites to Thanksgivukkah merchandise.

I also did not make up the fact that this Thanksgivukah is not happening again for 70,000-plus years. A bunch of nice Jewish nerds guys have done the math, and you know it's right because you don't need me to tell you that Jews are good with numbers.

Or do the math calculations yourself, Mr. Regional Math Team Champion 1986 (and '87). You'll see for your doubting self.

It is true that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving will overlap again, when the first night of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving Day in... 2070. And while I'd like to think that we will both be there to share pumpkin flavored latkes and jelly doughnuts shaped like turkeys, I'm just not sure it's a done deal.

So let's treat this Thanksgivukkah as the once-in-a-lifetime event for which it is, for real, really. If the unique chance to have a pairing of latkes and stuffing isn't a reason to celebrate, I don't know what is.

Happy Thanksgivukkah!

PS If there are other doubters, don't believe me just read this. Or this.

This is my thirty-fifth instruction in my ongoing series Instructions for my Husband.

Follow along on Facebook on the Instructions to my Husband page where something stupid funny is always going on there.

The Best Hanukkah Books for Kids

Oh how I wish there some Thanksgivukah books for kids! But alas, there are not. So regular ol Hanukkah books will have to do. Here are four of our favorite kids books for Hanukkah.

Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah (Sammy Spider's First Books)
Written by Sylvia A. Rouss and illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn

My kids love all the Sammy Spider books (because what kids don't love cute, cuddly spiders?), and the Hanukkah story is no exception. The over-sized book is full of fun illustrations and a lovely retelling of the traditional Hanukkah story. Great for most ages, but especially for preschoolers. Paperback; $7.95.





Chanukah Lights
By Robert Sabuda and Michael J. Rosen
My seven-year-old spends hours exploring the amazingly intricate pop-up displays found in this gorgeous book, which retells the story of Chanukah in eight scenes, all which include a festive menorah. Ages five 
and up; $34.99.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
Written by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
My nine-year-old has been captivated by this book since I started reading it to her a few years ago, and now, she can read it herself. This Caldecott Honor winning tale will engage kids as they follow Hershel and his quest to banish the Helmsbergville's goblins, who have prevented the townspeople from celebrating Hanukkah. Possibly scary for younger kids, so best to share with those ages six and over. Paperback $7.95; hardcover $17.95.

The Golden Dreydl
Written by Ellen Kushner and illustrated by Ilene Winn-Lederer
Based (loosely) on the Nutcracker, this mystical story tells what happens when Sara receives a magical dreydl from her Aunt Miriam.This story is seeped in fantasy and has wonderfully whimsical imagery, like when they travel to the world of magic via the family’s broken television. If only. Recommended for ages 8-12 but it could be read aloud to younger children as well. Kindle $5.95, paperback $7.95, and hardcover $15.95.

Next up in our Hanukkah celebrations: setting-up the spinning light-up dreidel.

Happy Hanukkah and Happy Thanksgivukah!

Disclosure: I received Hanukkah Lights and The Golden Dreydl to review, the others are from our personal book collection. I also have amazon affiliate codes within the links to purchase the books above, although I'm a big fan of buying from my (or your) local book store.

This post was first published last year, but good Hanukkah children's books are timeless.

It's Thanksgivukah!

Hanukkah is "early" this year, like so early the first day of Hanukkah is November 28, which also happens to be Thanksgiving.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that I'm pretty excited to be celebrating Thanksgivukah, not just because a Hanukkah/Thanksgiving hybrid is fun in-and-of-itself, but also because this holiday convergence doesn't happen again for practically forever.

So in honor of all the awesomeness that is Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and most importantly, Thanksgivukah, I'm going to post daily about this awesome holiday convergence.

And then for the rest of December I will wonder what to do with all my free time when everyone else is talking about Black Friday sales and last minute holiday shopping and where to buy the best ever angel for the Christmas tree.

But until then, long live Thanksgivukah!

Here's Manischewitz's contribution to the holiday with their Thanksgivukah Rap Battle Parody, it's pretty funny. (Unless your my husband, in which case it is "severely stupid and written by a talentless, thoughtless hack.")

 

Happy Thanksgivukah!

Unique Gift Wrap Ideas: Wrapping Gifts with Duck Tape

We are just a few nights away from the end of Hanukkah, so the majority of my gift wrapping is already finished. This year, I've (of course) used Duck Tape to wrap them all instead of regular scotch tape.

Since the awesome people at Duck Tape Central sent me rolls of EZ Start Duck Tape I also used it to decorate the packages. The Tape comes in lots of festive colors, some Christmas-themed and some good for year-round gift wrapping.

I paired the tape with brown Kraft Paper and was really happy with how the gifts all turned-out. These decorative tapes also are great for decorating cards, gift bags, and shipping boxes.

 



These EZ Start Duck Tapes are also used to make easy photo frames and other cool projects, like this one.

And of course, I need to post soon about the epic crafts my tweens and I made with mustache Duck Tape.

Disclosure: Duck Tape sent me samples, but I think we all know how much I adore this stuff.

All photographs from Duck Tape, ShurTech Brands except for the last one.

For more gift wrapping ideas, check out 10 Fun Ways to Wrap A Gift and Cool Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas.

Other Stuff I Wrote Last Week and a Spectacular Craft Fail, Too

I love all of the holidays of the winter season, which is why last week I wrote for BaristaKids.com not only a Hanukkah Guide but also 10 Amazing Advent Calendars.

And the result of Hanukkah + Advent Calendars at my house? Yeah, that's right, a punch board filled with Hanukkah gifts for my kids to enjoy during the middle five nights of the eight night holiday. If that's not winning, I don't know what is.

I've also got where to see holiday lights all over New Jersey in Garden State Glow, so if you're in Jersey you're all set for a Tacky Light Tour.

Also, in other holiday-rific news:
- MommyShorts.com has my favorite tall tale I tell the kids in her Handy Guide to Lying to the Kids.
- SparkNotes.com shared my wrap-up of ugly menorah hats in their post 8 Reasons Chanukah Rocks.

And last, but clearly not least, CraftFail featured my not-so-festive dreidel cookies.

Lying to my kids, ugly menorahs, kitchen disasters... yes, clearly I'm WINNING.

Have a great week everyone! We certainly will here at our house where it's Hanukkah tonight and every night for the next week. Chag Sameach!

Advent Calendars... for Hanukkah?

Image from JusttheBeesKnees.com

Recently my husband and I got to a bit of an impasse regarding whether a Jewish family like our own could (should?) have a Christmas Tree.

Apparently, from his point of view at least, it's not gonna happen, nor should it or could it.

So, being the helpful, compromising and think-outside-the-box kinda person I am, I suggested we get an Advent Calendar instead - only instead of counting down the days to Christmas, ours would (obviously) count down the days to Hanukkah instead.

However, he - not being as helpful, compromising, and outside-the-box thinking as moi - got all caught-up on the word Advent - which apparently accordingly to Wikipedia is laden with all sorts of Christian and Christmas connotations. Honestly, who knew?

So where does this leave us? I finally came up with a solution that works for the whole Random Handprints household. I'm going to hide the kids Hanukkah gifts in a board which sorta resembles the  one from Punch A Bunch on the The Price Is Right, with a gift revealed for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah.

I got the idea from You Are My Fave's Punchboard Advent, which you can check out here.

And next time? I'm going to refer to not as a Hanukkah Advent but as a Countdown Calendar to Hanukkah, because a quick visit to Pinterest reveals that is definitely a thing now - Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Vacations - you can countdown to anything.

I wrote about10 Amazing Advent Calendars for BaristaKids.com. You can check them all out here.

Image from HouseofHepworths.com

My Kids' Three Favorite Hanukkah Books

Hanukkah is "early" this year - beginning on Saturday evening, December 8, so we're in full Hanukkah celebrating mode here at the Random Handprints household. We're reading a lot of Hanukkah books, and thought I'd share my kids' favorite ones:

Hanukkah: A Counting Book in English, Yiddish and Hebrew, by Emily Sper
My three-year-old loves this book, which is recommended for ages up to 6. With bright graphics, three languages, die-cut candles and teaching numbers one through eight, it has more than enough to amuse both the reader and the read-ee. Board book, $6.99.

Chnukkah Lights, Robert Sabuda and Michael J. Rosen
Kay, who is seven, spends hours exploring the amazingly intricate pop-up displays found in this gorgeous book, which retells the story of Chanukah in eight scenes, all which include a festive menorah. Ages 5 
and up; $34.99.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, by Eric A. Kimmel and Trina Schart Hyma
My nine-year-old has been captivated by this book since I started reading it to her a few years ago. Now, she can read it herself. This Caldecott Honor winning tale will captivate kids as they follow Hershel and his quest to banish the  Helmsbergville's goblins, who have prevented the townspeople from celebrating Hanukkah. Possibly scary for younger kids, so best to share with those 6 and over. Paperback, $7.95.

Next up in our Hanukkah celebrations: setting-up the spinning light-up dreidel.

Happy Hanukkah!

Disclosure: I received Hanukkah Lights to review, the others are from our personal book collection.

Move Over Black Friday and Cyber Monday... Today is Giving Tuesday

I didn't go to the mall on Black Friday - I took my kids to the movies.

I didn't shop on Saturday or Sunday either.

And Cyber Monday? Yep, no shopping then either. (Well, maybe a tiny little bit, but Hanukkah is early this year!)

So today, the first Giving Tuesday, I'm going to spend all the money I didn't spend the last four days.

And I can't wait.

Giving Tuesday is all about giving to others, which for me is much closer to the holiday spirit than buying more stuff for my overly materialistic children. I'd much rather buy a doll for a child who doesn't even have one then buy another one for my daughter who has plenty (and by plenty I mean way too many).

Here are a few organizations I'm supporting this year:

• Kiva. My amazing cousin Mary first told me about this organization last year - they provide life-changing micro loans to people in developing countries who use these funds to build their own businesses and do other incredible things. During the holiday season, you can give Kiva Cards for $25 (or more) to friends and family, who can then choose what projects they would like to support.

• It Takes A Family. This organization has a single goal: to bring families effected by Hurricane Sandy together with families who want to help them. You can Sign-up here to be matched with a family. You can also contact me if you would like to contribute to help the family Sandler & Wald has already been paired with through the program.

• Book Pantry of Orange. Run single-handedly by Carol Lukoff, The Book Pantry of Orange provides books to kids who otherwise wouldn't have any. I can't even imagine. Year-round the book pantry primarily gives out gently used books to the kids who visit, but for the holidays wouldn't it be great if all the kids could have the thrill of unwrapping a brand-new book? BaristaKids.com is holding a Holiday Book Drive, you can find out how to contribute here.

What organizations are you supporting on Giving Tuesday? Please share in the comments below!

Winter Vacation - The First Half

We are just about at the half-way point of the kids winter vacation, and while they have complained a bit of being bored,  it has been really fun.

Our family's Hanukkah celebration has come to an end, finally. Like many endings, it was bittersweet. The family gathering at the front bay window was an evening tradition I came to cherish - even as it came with squabbles over who was standing closer, whose turn it was to light the candles... you know, the usual holiday traditions.


Photo from American Vernacular Landscapes

My son brought home from preschool a homemade menorah I adore:

As for presents, we gave Kay, who is six, a rite-of-passage gift I was so happy to give her - a book light, signifying not only that she can read now but that now that she can read after lights-out. She beamed.

And for Magpie, who is eight, a literary upgrade as well - a reading chair from her grandma:

Big Duckie likes the chair, too:

Other things making the kids happy, Kay's new Huggie Pillow, "Peace-y"

And Magpie's new reading obsession, The Dork Diaries:

And Ziggy, he is loving Richard Scarry books and looking for Mr. Frumble's hat:

And I'm loving having gotten a couple of photos of all the kids together:

We've seen the holiday lights at the Turtle Back Zoo:

And we continued our annual Merry Zoo Day tradition, which is going on eight years now:

And already, I know there is one thing I'll be doing next year. I overheard Magpie whisper to her little sister on the last day of Hanukkah, "There's only one night left, I don't think there's much chance I'm getting that iTouch."

Sorry, kid. But I'm so planning on it for next year.
How is your winter vacation? Too long or too short? Or just right?