Oops....

For awhile I wasn't posting because I didn't feel like it due to being in an extended bad mood. Well, the source of my extended bad mood was removed from my life, and then Chanukah came. Double yay! :) I might write one long post at the end of the holiday to tell you all about this year's festivities! :)

Library Day! :)

1. Rena picked out the letter O from the entire alphabet when I asked her which one it was.

2. Library goers thought she was so cute! :)

3. She made friends with a two-year-old girl named Melanie. They ran around, jumped, danced, and played together.

4. I ran into my friend Rachel at Whole Foods later. We chatted, then she introduced me to her friend Esther, then we all chatted.

A Facebook friend I don't even know in person said to me: you rock sarah! ;)

Oops, from Tuesday

Rena explored Whole Foods on foot yesterday. She was really happy, and everyone thought she was so cute! :)

Awesome online Jewish calendar! :)

Chabad.org of course has an online Jewish calendar listing all the Jewish holidays and such, but did you know that if you join the site you can personalize it with your own events?!?! For awhile I was using Google Calendar but I would have to add all the Jewish stuff to it manually. Now that I've joined Chabad.org I just have to put in my personal events, and they appear right on the Jewish calendar! :)

We've got some great stuff coming up, too: A Shabbat dinner called Rainbow Potluck Shabbat, a Chanukah party the first night of the holiday, and a winter solstice party with the local permaculture community. Yes, we intent to bring Rena- Already last Chanukah she proved herself to be a party animal....We even plan to virtually "attend" a Chanukah/birthday party that a friend in NY hosts annually, by hooking up with Skype and webcams.

I love positive feedback! :)

Stuart Vazquez, founder and editor of Eco-Logica Magazine, emailed me telling me that he really liked my article for the upcoming edition and that, when he updates the website, my articles will appear there. :)

Good new! :)

Our family friends (who are actually responsible for setting up hubby and me, i.e. encouraging us to be more than "just friends") are finally, after many years, moving to Istael! :)

Friday

Cooking took longer than it should have because I started with a messy kitchen, but I still got it done before Shabbat.

Thanks to hubby for unclogging the vacuum for me so I could do some vacuuming tonight. :)

Happy Hour

For a few hours weekly, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition opens its Facebook wall for anyone to post. I participated today as Foodiscovery. It put me in such a good mood! :) IIN health coaches are the most positive people ever. Also two more people "liked" my page, bringing the total to 15; and 5 people apparently are talking about it. Cool! :)

I got so lost today!

I am so grateful for Rena's very nice speech therapist who squeezed us in during her lunch hour because we arrived VERY late after I got lost on the way from somewhere else. (We normally go straight from home.)

Thanks also to the nice students at UW who helped me get our stuff up the stairs when I got lost going through the campus.

A big thank-you to hubby...

...for calming me down today when I freaked out due to built-up stress. I'd be lost without him.

Yay, another person "liked" the Facebook page for my food bog, Foodiscovery, AND the page for an IIN health coach commented on an article I shared there! :)

Socks

I'm grateful for my socks that keep my feet warm.

Floor picked up and vacuumed! :) Many thanks to hubby for helping with the vacuuming.

I got confused...

...I thought December second was Shabbat but it's really Friday (today, technically, but I meant to write this yesterday). Our building manager put up a notice that we're having our fire alarms tested and apartments inspected on December 2. So that's all happening today, not on Shabbat. Yay, no disturbances on our Day of Rest! :)

Food and Mood

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

I've known for awhile that I'm lactose intolerant but continued to eat dairy anyway. A few days ago I finally decided to forbid myself completely from eating dairy because I knew it was wreaking havoc with my digestive system.

An added benefit of going dairy-free is that, after just a few days, I noticed that I was in a better mood today than I have been lately. I'd originally attributed my feeling down to things like the shortening days and rainy weather, but the improvement in my mood was unmistakable. Just to be sure, I googled "dairy mood" and found this article from About.com.

Rena's closet

I finally cleared out the stuff on the floor of Rena's closet and vacuumed it! :) I also finally pulled out her bed and vacuumed the area between her bed and the walls.

Green Hour

Cross posted in Environmental Tip of the Week

Wow, this is too good to pass up! Folks, let's get our kids to appreciate nature. A Green Hour is "time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world." Rena's preschool teachers have been doing a great job encouraging her to walk around outside so that now I don't have to cart her by stroller the whole way where most people would take a car and totally miss out on experiencing nature. During the fall, Rena loves to stroll along on the sidewalk and pick up the colorful leaves from the trees. It's unstructured because she just spontaneously goes after particular leaves. I haven't been taking her out daily since the weather has been cold, but I should. I found this website while doing research about "nature deficit disorder" for an upcoming article in Eco-Logica Magazine.

Got my bike trailer! :)

$50 and I got to know some cool people into "green" (he's in "green building finance, I think he said, and she expressed interest in my "green" jobs). And I got a ride home so I wouldn't have to deal with those Seattle hills a second time. How cool is that?!

Bike trailer...

...tomorrow! :)

Black Friday

I'm grateful that I didn't go shopping today! :)

Thanksgiving! :)

I love that there's a holiday dedicated to yayfulness! :)

Miracle #2

I thought I would have to use the busted stroller the entire way to school today but another kind man "just happened" to have an extra stroller on him....Goodbye broken stroller, hello new old stroller that works like a dream! :) I feel like God has really been smiling on us lately! :)

A wheel broke off of the stroller on the way home from Whole Foods today with a huge load of groceries. I'm incredibly grateful that we were just a block away from home. Thank you also to the nice man named Ben who saw that I was struggling and helped me take the stroller, Rena, and groceries the final block home.

First photo from preschool! :)

Goodnight....

...Hitting the sack before 9 pm. Score! :)

Teamwork! :)

I love working with Rena to "bless" (clean) the kitchen! :) I've been teaching her to sort items into garbage, recycling, and stuff to put away invarious places, and she's usually vary good with following directions! :)

TGIF

Shabbat Shalom! :)

Organic lip balm

Awesome.

Awesome Preschool Day! :)

While Rena attends preschool, I sit in a nearby coffee shop with hubby's laptop and use the free wifi there. A Facebook ad caught my eye today. It turned out to be a website that let's you self-publish a book and then sell it in their online bookstore! :) It's called Blurb.

Also, though I normally feel lonely having to eat lunch alone on Wednesdays, today my friend Elisheva was on Facebook when I was about to eat lunch, and we chatted while I ate so I wasn't lonely today at lunchtime! :) It was really special because she lives in Israel, which is I think a ten-hour time difference from Seattle.

Then, when I went to pick Rena up, she'd had such a good day that she didn't want to leave! She tried to get back into the classroom but cried when I wouldn't let her and told her it was time to go home.

Haha!

I was so excited yesterday about getting a blender that I completely forgot to mention that our washing machine was fixed yesterday. :)

We're all sick....

Yes, that's a good thing because I finally got to get a blender due to hubby requesting a green smoothie and pureed soup (and it's a long story why we didn't have a blender before).

ZZZZ.....

Rena conked out on our bed early this evening, and I think she's out for the whole night.

Treasure! :)

I found my measuring spoons that had randomly fallen somewhere I hadn't looked in months, until today. Yay! :)

Shabbat Shalom! :)

I'm so glad I got an early start today! I should have everything for Shabbat ready on time despite the suddenly early sunset (due to the time change).

Library Day! :)

Thursdays are Library Day for Rena and me. It was really awesome today:

1. Our friend Rachel and her baby daughter came for Storytime today! :) I chatted with her afterward.

2. I heard one mommy tell a cute story about how her daughter had a vivid dream in which her mommy got her a pet bunny. It took hours for the mommy to convince her daughter that there was no pet bunny.

3. Rena's new "boyfriend": A four-year-old boy named Ike, whom we met later in the Children's section, took a liking to Rena, trying to teach her to say words and even giving her a hug! :)

4. On the way home I got the mail and accidentally left my mailbox key in the mailbox. Kind neighbors took it out and knocked on our door to return it before I even realized it was missing! We were busy at the time so we didn't answer the knock. They came around later, after I'd realized my keys were missing; but this time I ran to answer it and got my keys back! :) I'm so grateful to live in a good, safe neighborhood where such a thing happens and you don't have to worry about someone stealing the key to break into our apartment.

Preschool

I'm so grateful for MMSC (Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder) where Rena goes to preschool on Wednesdays! :) The early childhood center is Montessori-style. She has been making so much progress after just three sessions, according to her teachers. (Actually they stated that explicitly last week, after just two sessions!) Rena was sick yesterday and the day before but she was already well enough to go to school today (big yays for healthy food), and the teachers said she had no signs of sickness.

Sweatpants

Today was a sweatpants day. I lounged around in my (actually hubby's) sweatpants and a robe while getting work done for my internship (and Facebooking), hanging out with Rena and hubby, and cooking  some food for tomorrow. (I didn't cook today; we had leftovers and stuff that didn't have to be cooked. I didn't have to brave the cold outside at all. Sweatpants are awesome. And eco-friendly since you can turn the thermostat down. :)

Close Call!

Wow! I was trying to unplug the laptop that I use (it's really hubby's but it's our only current working laptop so he lets me use it while he uses the desktop) from the wall but for some reason the cord was kind of stuck. It just wouldn't come out. I accidentally grabbed it by the metal prongs as it was struggling to come out, and my fingers got shocked! Freaked me out a bit but thank God, no damage occurred either to my body or the computer, or anything else.

A Good Kind of Tired

Yay, I spent hours cleaning the kitchen today! I'm not done yet but I look forward to having a clean kitchen in which to cook. :) I played CDs and danced to the music while cleaning. I'm also very grateful for Rena's help with scrubbing! :)

Biking is part of the culture here....

....At the synagogue this Shabbat morning, I was chatting with other parents in the playroom about biking, and one of them said he has an extra bike trailer if I wanted it. I've been thinking for a long time about finding a way to transport Rena by bike. What more sign do I néed than this?! :)

Pre-Shabbat Post

I retraced my steps partially back to Whole Foods and found Rena's lost mitten lying on the ground, good as new.

Yay, early bedtime! :)

I will NOT get distracted by Facebook or any other website tonight. I'm about to have a nice, relaxing, cleansing shower and then hit the sack for the night. I want to get up early to get ready for Shabbat. :) I'm writing this beforehand so I can be finished with looking at screens before I start getting myself all relaxed. Yes, it's about 7 pm here in Seattle but, what with my nightly "slumber party" with hubby, it might be 9 already by the time I actually fall asleep.

Finally restarting (way) after the Jewish holidays

I just have to tell you about something bold and daring that I did today: I gave myself a haircut! :) I'd never cut anyone's hair before but I was fed up with my long hair that was all tangled up in a giant knot. I feel like a changed person, just because I was brave enough to do this, and my head feels so much lighter now! :) May this be symbolic of a metaphorical lightness in my head, i.e. not worrying or stressing about stuff anymore- Only yayfulness! :)

How does it look? Not bad, considering. Hubby likes it but says it looks like a man's haircut. I told him I'll let it grow out a little and then get it done professionally. Sorry, no pictures....

In other news, the holidays were tonsa funsa! I won't go into too much detail but the food -- both primary and secondary -- was awesome! :) We got invited for lunches by some of our new friends in the community.

Also, Rena has started preschool. She goes on Wednesdays only, for now, and after only two days in preschool, the teachers are impressed with her progress! More details another day.

I know I said no more posts for now...

...but I just HAD to write about something that happened today:

There was a fire in our building, the Saxe Apartments; not in our actual apartment but on our floor. I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the Seattle Fire Department for arriving and putting out the fire quickly. Thanks also to our building manager who made sure were getting out of the building. I'm also grateful for our working smoke detectors. And that no one got hurt and nothing was damaged (as far as I know).

Also I want to say that despite all the times I've been asked to ponder the question of what I would rescue from a fire, I grabbed my daughter and shouted to my husband to get out and that was it.

On second thought....

....This is going to be the one and only post until after the Jewish holiday season (which ends sometime in October) The first holiday starts in a couple of days.

While I'm posting, I'll mention that I just picked up an internship with the Jewish environmental organization Canfei Nesharim. It's unpaid but I'll be working with my friend Evonne Marzouk, the Executive Director, who helped me out a LOT when I ran an Environmental Club in college. :) Actually it was my attendance at a weekend convention they held that inspired me to start the club. And now it looks like I'm on track to work in the field, as I'm also working for a green living magazine. (Yes, I still want to become a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Have a look at my food blog, Foodiscovery, for examples of the connection between food and the environment.)

Pausing blog until next week...

...Lots going on, good stuff! :)

Rena is a sweetie-pie....

I was wearing a colorful, flowery pajama top when I opened her bedroom door this morning. The first thing she did when she saw me was to touch it and say, "I like that." Later today she touched the colorful, striped skirt I was wearing and said the same thing.

Goodnight....

I'm going to bed early instead of getting distracted for hours and hours! :)

Three yays at the playground! :)

Once again, Rena and I headed to the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center to play at the playground today.

1. We met and chatted with a nice grandma who had her almost-1-year-old granddaughter with her. Said granddaughter lives just a block away from "Rav-Eck." She has us beat, as we live two blocks away.

2. Rena made friends and played with a nice three-year-old girl who likes to "take care of" younger kids.

3. We ran into a mom and her little girl whom we know from storytime at the library but hadn't seen in awhile. I was so happy because I'd been wanting to invite them to Rena's birthday party, which I did.

Three yays for today! :)

I'll write them all in one post because I'm going to bed soon.

1. Rena and I visited the Ida Culver House, a retirement home that's right across the street from our apartment. I love hanging out with the elderly, and they get such a kick out of Rena! I want Rena to learn that the elderly are to be respected.

2. Rena is a serious dancer- She was wearing a dress today, and at one point she hiked it up while dancing and looked at the movement of her legs.

3. Two friends on Facebook told me they find my posts to be very positive. It's nice to be appreciated! :)

I LOVE Hubby's iPhone! :)

I just discovered that I can upload videos straight to YouTube! :)

Here I am giving Rena big hugs and kisses, really the highlight of my day:

Gorgeous weather today....

...I did not want to go inside all afternoon! I sat out on our terrace reading a library book (I'll post about it when I've finished it) while Rena played, and she even brought me a couple of her books for me to read to her outside.

I finished preparing for Shabbat early...

...so we're going to Friday night services at our synagogue, Shaarei Tefilah. So far we've only gone to morning services, so this will be nice! :)

My new job...

...is going well! :) I'm making progress and getting very positive responses re: ad sales for Eco-Logica magazine. Please email me at sbedder@ecologicamagazine.com if you're interested in advertising in the magazine.

Heathy food=lots of energy! :)

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

After taking an unusual route yesterday from Meadowbrook Playfield and having to go out of our way due to lack of sidewalks, Rena and I "somehow just randomly" ended up at Whole Foods just before lunchtime. (Hubby said it was typical Pie.) So I bought us some food that we could take and eat at one of the benches outside. Our healthy fare consisted of a Jamba Juice apple and greens smoothie; organic minestrone soup with veggies, beans, peas, etc.; and herb Mary's Gone Crackers.

Rena not only perked up (she had napped in her stroller on the way there from the playground) but walked herself almost the entire way home without even being very worn out by the end.

Cute compliment from hubby! :)

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

Hubby called me a "hot chocolate." It made me chuckle as I mixed water, organic skim milk, organic vanilla extract, organic and fair trade unsweetened cocoa, and organic maple syrup in a pot to make my healthier version of this favorite drink. ;)

More farm fun

Rena and I went, for the second time in a few weeks, to visit her Grandma and Grandpa (my Seattle in-laws) on the island called Poulsbo. We took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, where we were picked up by Grandpa and driven to the house where they live some weekends. (They mainly live in an apartment in Seattle, as that makes their morning commutes a LOT easier.) We had a great time chasing chickens and picking (and eating!) berries. I'm not cross-posting this to Foodiscovery because I have some wonderful footage to put together in a nice presentation to show our fun visually! :) Also please note that there is no post about the previous visit because I was not posting in any of my blogs at the time.

"Good combination- A boo-boo, and then a treat to make you feel better." -My cashier at Whole Foods tonight, complimenting me on my purchase of a treat along with bandages and hydrogen peroxide. It made me chuckle. :) I told her I liked the way she put it.

Rena is such a big girl! :)

Today, instead of sitting in her stroller, I had her walk the two blocks to play at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (and back home again). She's so cute, marching along the sidewalk like that with a huge smile on her face! :) I figured it's about time we start weaning her from the stroller. She's a strong girl with a lot of energy; why confine her to the stroller all the time? I'd been worried about her running into the street, but she basically knows better now. The only thing was that, when we got to a street crossing, she tried to cross but we carried her across instead. I'm gradually going to have her walk further distances, until she doesn't need a stroller at all! :)

My New Company Email Address! :)

If you're looking to advertise in Eco-Logica Magazine, please direct inquiries to my company email address, sbedder@ecologicamagazine.com . Yay, now I feel official! :)

I'm so glad I got all my grocery shopping done yesterday! :) So now I can just get started with my Shabbat cooking! :)

Post-Party Excursion

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

When we got home from the party, hubby decided he needed some root beer so I headed to Whole Foods to get a healthier version than diet or regular, Oogave made with agave. I bought that and also picked out a treat for myself: A Theo milk chocolate bar- organic, fair trade, and with a Jane Goodall seal. (Yes, it does have sugar but I rarely eat a treat with sugar in it!)

I headed for a bench outside the store, purchases in hand. After enjoying my chocolate bar, I finished my blog post about the night before. Then I relaxed on Facebook and listened to someone singing and playing ukelele in the background. Ukelele seems to be a popular instrument around here.

When I started to get chilly and the hour was getting late, I headed home to hang out with hubby and give him his promised root beer. :)

Fun "Birthday" Party last night! :)

The Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center held a party for its playground's third "birthday." Rena jumped in the fun right away when we arrived, as there were colorful balloons rolling around and bubble-making supplies set up on the blacktop. A great mix of kids' music played in the background, including some birthday songs. At one point, hubby borrowed a basketball and shot hoops at the outdoor basketball court while I hung out with Rena, and after awhile we switched. Rena also kept saying high to two other men who were shooting hoops and borrowing their basketball. A supply of chalk in various colors was on hand. When I first handed Rena a piece of pink chalk, she must have thought it was food because the first thing she did with it was stick it in her mouth! Well, anyway, after that she practiced drawing while some talented kids wrote big, artistic messages saying "We heart (the heart was drawn) Rav-Eck" and "happy birthday." There were also chalk rollers, and by the end of the party, the blacktop was covered in chalk designs and lines made with the rollers! A balloon man was set up in the grass with a long line of eager youngsters waiting for a balloon animal or funky balloon hat. Rena did not wait to get one herself. She just watched the balloon man at work, and as we left the party, we got her a yellow balloon from the blacktop to take home. Wow, that party was probably the best time she's ever had at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center!

"Slumber Party" with Hubby! :)

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

To celebrate my new job, hubby and I decided to have a special chicken dinner. I gave Rena an early, simple dinner of crepes (I make them with coconut oil instead of butter or margarine to cut down on my dairy intake, as I might be slightly lactose intolerant, and to avoid using a product with soy) with some raw tomato and some raw avocado on the the side (she loves them; I don't always have to cook side dishes for her) and then put her to bed. I headed to QFC at the University Village Shopping Center to get kosher chicken, as Whole Foods around here doesn't carry it.

I decided to call my parents on the way. They're three hours earlier, as they live in Cincinnati, but it's ok for me to call them late. They had actually just walked in the door: They'd been out late at the wedding of a local Chabad rabbi's daughter. They reported that there must have been 600 people there and that a bunch of them asked about me. It made me happy to know that so many people in my hometown still think and care about me. Even someone who wasn't at the wedding asked my mom about me recently when she ran into her at a grocery store.

At QFC, I headed to the kosher poultry section. I hadn't seen Empire Organic chicken in ages, but lo and behold, it was there last night! I bought all the drumsticks and left the whole chickens and boneless skinless breasts for others.

Back at home, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and made a one-dish dinner out of a dozen drumsticks, a couple big bagsful of cremini mushrooms, and a pile of raw cashews; seasoned with salt, red pepper flakes, and a little turmeric; with coconut oil mixed in. Forty minutes later.... Yum! :) Hubby and I ate up all the drumsticks -- we each ate half a dozen and saved some of the other stuff for today.

Then we had fun singing, dancing, joking, and playing around. We do that part of a slumber party most nights, really, but this was special because we were celebrating my new job! :)

It's Official...

...I have a job! :) Now that I've signed the contract I can make a public announcement.

My job is to sell advertisement for Eco-Logica Magazine, a local Spanish/English green living magazine. If you've seen my green living blog, Environmental Tip of the Week, you know this is right up my alley! :) Best of all, I can do this at home on my own time at my leisure. If you have or someone you know has a business in Seattle or that can serve Seattle customers without too much trouble for the environment, Mr. Vazquez (founder and editor of the magazine) and I would be very grateful for your advertising business. Don't worry if you're not yet a "green business"- Showing your support for a green living magazine by advertising in it would be a great first step! :) For now, you may email me at sbedder@gmail.com since I don't have a company email address yet. Please include the word Eco-Logica (with the dash, two words not one word) in your email so I can find it. You can also reach me at 646-243-5420 but we will most likely be exchanging emails anyway so you might as well start off that way. I actually respond to emails better than phone calls nowadays, as it's hard to talk on the phone with Rena at home.

I have also been doing some proofreading for the magazine, and I will be contributing an article for the next edition. I will not be paid for either of those, but I will have one of my websites listed in the magazine as compensation.

This is a great way for me to get into writing about subjects for which I'm passionate! :) The magazine covers the subjects of my three main blogs: The environment, healthy food, and happiness in lifestyle and society.

Music Lesson

Rena, hubby, and I indeed went to see Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga perform "Spirited Irish Music with a Global Twist" perform tonight at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (the concert I announced yesterday). Their most notable song of the evening was a humorous account of a trip on the A train subway in New York called "This Train Ain't Got No Destination," a sort of Irish rap. Having moved recently from New York -- a block from the A train -- I could really identify with this situation that sounded typical. Cady's mom was visiting her, and they had to take the A train to the airport for the return flight. The driver was new and didn't know which A train it was for a long time. (The A train splits at one point- Some A's go to the airport and others go elsewhere.) So he kept saying the sentence that's the title of the song. What struck me was that, instead of freaking out and worrying about getting to the airport on time (which they did), she chose to see the humor in the situation and, later, turn it into a piece of entertaining music. She told me later that she'd written the song as a gift for her mother.

Acupressure mat- Love it!!!!!

Whole Foods often hosts product demonstrations, and today I got to use a Spoonk acupressure mat. The very nice demonstrator let me try it out on both my feet and my back. I was about ready to buy one right then and there but thank God I restrained myself because it would have cost me almost a hundred dollars!

Free concert tomorrow in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood!!!!!

Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga perform "Spirited Irish Music with a Global Twist" at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, Monday, August 29, at 7:30 pm. It's like two blocks from our apartment so we take Rena there often. I spotted a flyer while walking with Rena today.

I'm so glad I'm away from NY! First an earthquake and now Hurricane Irene. My mother-in-law is currently visiting NY -- apparently she'd planned this trip awhile back, before we'd moved -- and she texted to let me know that she's safe, in case we were interested. That was just a joke, though, because I'd just liked her post on Facebook that said not even a flag was blowing in the wind. I like that my MIL likes to joke with me, and I'm glad the hurricane hasn't interfered with her having a good time on her trip.

Sci Fi and Serendipity

On Friday night, I finished reading Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer. This sci fi novel explores a number of major themes and issues, but a seemingly mundane, minor detail in the story caught my attention: Don buying cashews as a special treat for himself. I'd done the exact sane thing earlier in the day, having filled a bag of bulk organic cashews at Whole Foods. I hadn't gotten cashews in quite a while. I love random signs of Divine Providence such as this. What are the chances that I would just "happen" to decide to buy cashews as a special treat for myself, and then later that same day read about a book character doing the same thing?

Rena "Blesses" (Cleans) the Kitchen

Wow, what a great reminder of the importance of having a positive attitude! :) I'm not making Rena clean. Rather, she's crying because she wants more cleaning spray to do more cleaning. She always wants to clean when she sees me cleaning. When I do it in front of her, I emphasize how awesome it is. Sometimes I like to sing and dance while I'm doing it. Even when she's not in the room (when she's sleeping), I find that emphasizing to myself how awesome it is and singing and dancing while I'm doing it really change my own attitude toward cleaning. When Rena does it, too, I heap ginormous praises on her and thank her profusely. I tell her what an awesome job she's doing, even if she misses half the mess, because whatever she does is a heck of a lot better than not doing anything at all and it's important that she's helping and working as part of a team, doing what she can do at her age. She's just 22 months old but she already sees how special and important it is to work to keep your home pleasant and comfortable to live in.

What does LOL mean?

Most of us know that LOL means "laugh out loud." Imagine, though, that you're a man getting on in years who's not really in touch with modern technology. You've never heard of LOL. Your wife tells you that your daughter says LOL and wants to know what you think it means. What would be your first thoughts?

The man is my father. He thought LOL meant "lots of love." I'm so glad that he knows how much I love him, though I live so far away.:)

What if every time we wrote LOL on Facebook or Twitter we meant "lots of love"? What if we all actually had lots of love for everyone? What if, today, you show a little love to someone who needs it? See this post from awhile ago for a simple, practical way to spread the love.

The reason I decided to restart this blog today...

...is that Rena and I had an AWESOME time today at Dahl Playfield! :)

The wading pool was in use today, and Rena had tonsa funsa walking around in it. Someone had a beach ball and said she could play with it for a bit. She loves balls of all types.

Later, someone on the grass started playing an instrument that looked like a violin but smaller, and Rena and I became her audience. The player said Rena could touch it, and when I asked what instrument it was, she said it was a ukulele. I told her I wasn't up on my instruments, as I don't play any. She said she never thought she could play an instrument because she thought she wouldn't have the patience, but a friend had a vision of her playing a ukulele and took her to a store that sold them. They're easy to play, she said, and low-cost, as far as instruments go. I was about ready to go buy one myself. Hubby has a guitar but I would have to start with something really easy. He doesn't know how to play it yet, though he does play piano well.

Rena was playing in the playground when she spotted a feather that she wanted. Two slightly older girls had it, but when one of them saw that Rena wanted it, she handed it to Rena, saying, "She can have it; she's our friend." I said, "That's so sweet!"

At the end of an already very fun afternoon, Rena decided to hang out with some soccer players at the end of their practice. They were about to do a cheer for their team, and one of them said Rena was so cute and she could be in the middle of their cheer. They had a lot of soccer balls, and Rena wanted them all!

Rena was all tired out in her stroller on the way home, but it was a good kind of tired, the kind you feel after a full, satisfying day of activity.

The Daily Yay! Restart

I've realized that writing a quick blog post daily doesn't take up that much of my valuable time, and it's a good way to spend my time. I can write a yay in just a few minutes, if necessary. I might tell you about something yayful that happened during the day or that I have in my life (something for which I am grateful, as per the Gratitude to Bliss Project). I might give a tip on being yayful yourself or on spreading the yays. I might actually interview and write about a yayful, inspiring person. I might write multiple posts in a single day if I'm inspired to do so, instead of writing one long post. I might post a yayful quote, picuture, or video.

So guess what the very first yay of the restart of The Daily Yay is? I'm so happy that I'm restarting my blogs! :) Writing makes me so happy because it's my creative outlet. It's how I express myself. It makes me feel accomplished. Creativity is so important because it's what makes us human beings with souls, and not robots. Creating means emulating God, the Creator of the Universe, and emulating God is the best way to get close to Him because it helps us increase our understanding of Him. The Book of Genesis says that we were created in God's image. We don't literally look like God since God isn't physical, but instead with have Godly attributes, such as the ability to create. See this article for more info about what it means to be created in God's image. (These are all Jewish concepts, of course.)

notice

This and all my blogs are suspended until further notice (hopefully not forever) due to a number of things going on in my life currently.

A great yet simple way to spread yays! :)

Just smile! :) As you pass people, look them straight in the eye and show those teeth! :) It might feel weird, especially if you live in or, like me, recently moved from New York, but if you think about it you know that you appreciate being smiled at. Who knows, maybe someone didn't see a smile all day except yours.

If you're bolder, you could even say hi, good morning, etc. or even give a random stranger a compliment.

Gratitude to Bliss highlights of the week

1. Hubby and I had an engaging philosophical discussion about God during the Jewish holiday Shavuot.
2. Unlike Shabbat, there's no prohibiton against cooking on Jewish holidays, so I didn't have to rush and get everything cooked before the holiday started. :)
3. Rena's Mommy-and-Me that we'd been going to on Fridays was cancelled so I had more time on Friday to get ready for Shabbat.
4. I love hearing the birds chirping every day! :)
5. Hubby had an awesome bike ride. Though it tired him out at first, later he felt great! :)

apology, 2 announcements, and Gratitude to Bliss

I've been leaving you hanging- I apologize for not posting in almost a week! I've been pretty busy. The announcement is that I might not post again until after the upcoming Jewish holiday Shavuot. For now, I'm going to post five highlights since the last list. I'm going to make Mondays my usual Gratitude to Bliss day until further notice. (That's the other announcement.)

1. On Friday, Rena had a great time at the toddler gym that was set up at the Magnuson Community Center. Her favorite part was the large number of balls in various sizes, colors, and patterns. She also enjoyed an area with legos, gears, a drum, and other exploratory toys.
2. As the Burke-Gilman Trail intersects a street near the Center, I decided to walk us home on it. This was my first time using the trail. It's so beautiful! :) I already knew of one intersection near the Silver Cloud Inn on 25th Ave, which is near the University Village Shopping Center, but it turned out that there was another right near QFC! :) I was able to take care of the essentials in my shopping list, so I didn't go to Whole Foods at all; I went straight home from there.
3. The weather was beautiful on Shabbat so Rena and I spent a good portion of the day outside on our terrace. I relaxed with and finished the book Green Mama by Tracey Bianchi. I also read more of The Year 3000 by Paolo Mantegazza.
4. I went biking on the trail for the first time on Sunday! :) I went far north thinking it would eventually swing back around south, but it turned out that it doesn't circle around; it has an end point. So I finally turned around and headed back the way I came. I was out for a few hours so I had quite a workout! :) Another biker said she liked my bike.
5. All the while, I was looking forward to a big high-five from hubby. Sure enough, when I got home, he gave me a big high-five and said he was impressed. He felt my muscles! :)

Gratitude to Bliss highlights of the week

1. I overloaded the stroller with heavy bags one grocery shopping trip, and someone helped me when she saw me struggling to get down a hill to get home.
2. An employee at Whole Foods said Rena looks healthy.
3. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition's Twitter account followed my Foodiscovery blog's account back.
4. I was able to offer a friend advice via Facebook.
5. Our new doctor here in Seattle finally received Rena's medical records from our old clinic in New York.

Vaccines work! :)

Vaccination against many contageous diseases is a marvel of modern medicine. Even adults can benefit. Here's an exerpt from the interview Vaccines: Not Just for Babies:

Medscape: There is a lot of skepticism about the utility and safety of vaccine among the general public. Can you describe a recent success story?
Dr. Fisher: One of the most remarkable things that's happened recently involves the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2000. Within a year, there was a dramatic drop in disease caused by the 7 serogroups in that vaccine. Not only was there a drop in children who were immunized, there was a drop in their siblings, parents, and grandparents, which was totally surprising. It sounded like magic.
What happened was that the vaccines got rid of carriers of the organism. About two thirds of children carry pneumococcus in their airway. If you can get the strains most likely to cause disease out of the children, they don't transmit it to their parents and grandparents.

Act joyously

You can thus get yourself to feel happy! :) See this article. For example, you could start singing, clapping, and even dancing to a joyful song. You might just find yourself getting really happy if you just let yourself go! :)

"...it's because G-d wants all the Jews to move to Israel..."

Cross posted in The Road That Never Ends

Have you heard? There are activists in San Francisco who want to ban circumcision, a religious rite for male Jews that also provides health benefits to male Jews and Gentiles alike. See the comments on this article for where the title quote came from. Yes, it's little reminders like these that remind us Jews where our true home is, where we can truly be free to be who we are: Israel, the land that G-d gave us. :)

Rainbow Week finale: Over The Rainbow Association

Over The Rainbow Association is a wonderful nonprofit dedicated to providing housing and job training for people with physical disabilities, located in Illinois. It was started in the seventies by parents who were concerned about the lack of suitable housing for their children once those children grew up. Now, it has several residences that provide the care these people need but also privacy in their own apartments. There's a Business Center that assists with job searching and training, and there are even in-house jobs where the residents get real work experience. Dinner is cooked on-site and served in a communal dining room. If you're in Illinois in December, there's going to be an Annual Celebration Benefit Concert that sounds like a good time! Otherwise, you can donate online.

Nostalgia....

This was one of my favorite shows....

Touch the Rainbow

I LOVE the lyrics to this song! :) What a beautiful picture it paints in my mind! :) The message it says to me is that your dreams will come true if you reach high for them up to the sky! :)

weekly Gratitude to Bliss list for Rainbow Week

I might actually be able to connect everything to the rainbow theme, since Rena's middle name is Rainbow. (In case you missed it, I spontaneously declared this week to be Rainbow Week on the Daily Yay.)

1. My Winnipeg in-laws came to town! :) Rena loved spending a week with her Grammy and Grampy :)
2. They brought cute clothes for her and bought some more while they were here.
3. They babysat for hours while hubby and I went on a date. ;)
4. They gave us a laptop. Rena was very fascinated by it.
5. They gave Rena baths the last two days they were here, so I didn't have to. :)

The Rainbow Gathering: More than just a huge group camping trip

Every summer, for a week encompassing the Fourth of July, groups of Jews, Christians, pagans, and others gather together and pray for world peace. Our friend who invited us describes the Rainbow Gathering as a celebration of Freedom of Religion. I'm so excited that we have the chance to attend this year because it's going to be somewhere in Washington state, and we moved to Seattle recently. My friend might even be able to arrange a ride for us, but even if she doesn't find someone to drive us all the way there, we can go by bus and get a short ride from the bus stop to the campsite. Oh yeah, and there will be free food. ;)

The Jewish reaction to seeing a rainbow

To us Jews, a rainbow is a reminder of God's promise never again to destroy the world by flood. We therefore say a special blessing upon seeing a rainbow.

Rainbow Week on The Daily Yay!

I spontaneously decided to declare this week to be Rainbow Week on The Daily Yay! By that I mean each post (except for my weekly gratitude list) will somehow have something to do with rainbows. I don't mean i'm going to just post pictures of rainbows each day.

To kick off Rainbow Week, here's an inspiring quote:

Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow - red, yellow, brown, black and white - and we're all precious in God's sight. -Jesse Brown

So true. As a religious Jew I believe that we're all created in God's image. (See the story in Genesis about the creation of Adam.) The US is wonderful in that it is now so welcoming to everyone without regard to external features such as color. This country has been through a long journey away from the enslavement of Africans to the attainment of civil rights to the point where, finally, a black man was elected President. Wow. I know you know all this already but this quote reminds me anew of how far the US has come.

How to get friends and possibly random strangers to fund your project

It's called crowdfunding. A number of websites such as IndieGoGo are designed to connect individuals, businesses, and nonprofits with people who have extra cash to contribute to projects. You create a campaign that describes yourself and your project, and the donations just roll in....Well, not quite. You have to get the word out there with savvy marketing.

As an example, here's my own campaign:



Yes, the entire purpose of this post is to shamelessly promote my own campaign. I do think crowdfunding in general is a big yay, though.

Top yays since last post

1. Following technical difficulties, my ability to edit all my blogs has been restored.
2. Today I had an awesome free health coaching session by phone with Lorraine Miller of the Gratitude to Bliss Project. She gave me practical suggestions to implement in my life.
3. A local Jewish school held on Friday first Mommy and Me, where we joined the 2-3 year old preschool class fo an hour or so. We played outside on the playground, sang and danced, and had a pre-Shabbat party.
4. Later today I received something in the mail that might help me implement plans discussed earlier with Lorraine.
5. My local in-laws took us to a bike shop on Sunday, where my bike got some adjustments to make riding more comfy for me. We also found, at a giant outdoor activities store, biking shorts that already had a knee-length skirt attached. (I always wear skirts that go at least to my knees for modesty, being an Orthodox Jew.)

Gratitude to Bliss Forever! :)

I apologize for taking so long to update this blog- Things have been kind of crazy for me even after Passover. I'm going to do two things in this post. First, I'm going to list some highlights, not necessarily in chronological order, of the days, almost a full month now, since my last post. I'm not going to attempt to write my top five for every single day because there's no way I can remember five things on specific days and also such a long post would bore you to tears! Second, I'm going to announce a change to my postings for the future.

Ok, here are some highlights:

1. I found out that I somehow won both a Gratitude to Bliss journal and a coaching session.
2. We got the kittens! :)
3. Our friend who gave us the kittens came over the second night of Passover. She told us wonderful stories about her life experiences. She's in her fifties so she's had decades of exeriences!
4. The weather has been getting warmer.
5. Hubby randomly decided to get me some flowers, beautiful yellow tulips.
6. Rena had her first visit to the doctor here in Seattle. The doctor's office thoughtfully put baby toys out both in the waiting room and in the examination room, so she had a great time! :) The doctor was very nice, as well. Also something had to be tested just to make sure there was nothing wrong and so far the tests have all come back negative.
7. I got a little lost looking for a hardware store so I had a chance to take a long walk and explore more of our neighborhood.
8. On the phone, my mom told me something along the lines of it always keeps her going to talk to me.
9. Today an old friend who now lives in Israel, so we don't get to talk much, called me and left a voicemail message just to say hi. She inquired about Rena and how things are going in Seattle. I was pleased that she remembered that we'd moved to Seattle.
10. We got a new desktop computer because there was a problem with our laptop and we already had a monitor for a desktop. So we get to make a fresh start. Also we didn't have to spend as much money on the desktop as we would have had we gotten a new laptop. Hubby is really happy with it, too. It has great resolution which is nice because he likes to chill on the computer after work, watching a movie or playing a game.
11. I've finally build all our little bookshelves so I can finally set up all the books.
12. Our plants are still growing beautifully! :)
13. I got some pretty green hangers to help me organize our big walk-in closet that I love.
14. I got and began implementing an idea to raise money to pay tuition for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! :) Stay tuned for details!
15. A family at our synagogue invited us for a Shabbat lunch at their house. There were a bunch of young kids there, including a boy who's just one month older than Rena. So Rena made tons of new friends! :) I'm grateful that I've been trying to get Rena used to healthy food. She was playing with this boy while he was eating a cookie, but she expressed no interest in eating a cookie herself. She's more likely to try to grab some fruit that another kid (or adult) is eating.
16. We needed checks to pay the rent. I had no idea where they were at first, but then I remembered that we had a brand-new, unopened box of checks. I couldn't remember exactly where they were, but I found them quickly because I had an idea where I could find them. I managed to pay our rent on time.
17. One Sunday, Rena and I visited her Grandma and Grandpa (my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law) at their huge house with their huge property. I took a Seattle bus for the first time to get to the ferry, and we managed to make the first one of the morning just when it was boarding. At their house, we had party sandwiches and pie. We walked along the beach and picked up shells, and we relaxed on the grass while Rena picked and played with dandelions. We will have to make another visit because hubby couldn't come this time, and also we didn't see the chickens or do any gardening this time.
18. I was able to find organic, whole wheat matzah and even organic, whole wheat matzah meal at Whole Foods. I have a big post planned for my Foodiscovery blog about my organic food saga.
19. We have lots of clean clothes! They came from moving boxes that I just recently unpacked and laundered.
20. My parents have to move from their house to an apartment this summer, and my mom told me she's been making progress with sorting through their stuff. Also they've been getting friends to help them with such things as taking donations of furniture to Goodwill. I'm grateful that my parents have local friends to help them out like that, since I can't travel to Cincinnati (where they still live and where I was born and raised). I'm also grateful that they're holding onto a lot of my stuff until I'm able to come and sort through it, rather than just getting rid of everything. They're going to put it in storage until I can come. Also I'm grateful that, in Cincinnati, they'll be able to get a two-bedroom apartment for cheap.

Announcement: Instead of posting daily a list of five things for which I'm grateful, I'm going to list, once a week, the highlights for the previous week. The other days I'm going to post other things like I used to in this blog, such as yayful quotes, website, music, etc. Also my husband gave me the idea to profile people. I guess I'll interview people with inspiring stories and/or who have made a difference. Stay tuned!

Announcement

Due to the holiday of Passover approaching rapidly, I will be taking a break from writing this blog. After Passover is over you can expect numerous posts to make up for it. Thank you for your understanding.

Gratitude to Bliss 36- Wednesday

1. I finally wrote a nice to-do before Passover list so I can remember everything I have to do. Writing myself to-do lists helps me get stuff done on time, and it also helps reduce stress because I don't have to keep a gazillion things in my mind when everything is written down.
2. I went on a big grocery shopping trip today and bought all the food I'll need for the rest of the week, including for Shabbat, so I'll be able to finish up all my non-Passover cooking quickly and concentrate on that to-do list.
3. I was able to fit the really heavy stuff in the basket under Rena's stroller and everything else fit in the bags that I'd brought, so I was able to drag everything and Rena home in or on the stroller without risk of it tipping over.
4. Hubby had texted earlier to tell me he was going to be home late because he was going to help his father with something after work. Well, he got out of work early because he ran out of work to do (that's my hard-working hubby! :) ), and because his father drove him home when he was done helping and the car ride was short, he ended up coming home around the usual time! :)
5. Rena has been especially happy in the last couple of days and extra-prone to big smiles and giggles. :) Hey, her first name is Hebrew for joy and her middle name (in her English name) is Rainbow. :)
6. I called a new friend tonight because she said she had something she needed to tell me. After she told me, we had a nice long conversation about everything from the ways she practices Judaism to kittens she has for whom she's trying to find a home. (I did not agree yet to take them because I have to run it by hubby first, of course, and he was already asleep when I called.) She's the one who had invited us to the Rainbow Gathering to be held in July somewhere in Washington state.

Gratitude to Bliss 35- Tuesday

1. I realized that I hadn't yet written a post this week in my Environmental Tip of the Week blog. While I was trying to decide what to write, I came across an ad on Facebook for a petition of sorts that I ended up using as the subject of this week's tip.
2. The food waste disposal in our kitchen sink was broken, the sink was clogged, and when I ran the dishwasher it overflowed and got all over both the inside and outside of the cabinet under the sink. All I had to do was wipe it all dry with towels, and there I have a cabinet that's already been cleaned for Passover. (See this article for info about cleaning for Passover.)
3. I got an opportunity to and agreed (after running it by hubby) to host for the second night of Passover a new friend who works with poor people and some of the people with whom she works. (This is especially awesome on Passover- During the seder, when we begin to tell the story of the Exodus, we invite the hungry and needy to join us.) She's the one who had invited us to the Rainbow Gathering to be held in July somewhere in Washington state.
4. I'm grateful for my awesome hubby! :) He sent me a text message that said, "Thanks for being such a sweetheart, Sarah."
5. I came close to being totally distracted by Facebook at night and staying up the entire night, but I caught myself and managed to catch a few hours of sleep.

Gratitude to Bliss 34- Monday

1. I napped all morning while Rena did the same. I felt more rested afterward.
2. We had some beautiful, sunny weather! :)
3. I had enough time to take Rena to the playground at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, where I'd ridden my bike on Sunday (see previous post), on our way to Whole Foods.
4. I again had the floor picked up and vacuumed by the time hubby got home.
5. Hubby had a long talk with me about my short-term goals for myself and Rena and my goals for the future.

Gratitude to Bliss 33- Sunday

1. My father-in-law brought us the bikes and helmets they'd promised us! :)
2. He, hubby, and I did some gardening. We replanted our new plants in pots.
3. We didn't have to water them because it rained soon after.
4. I left Rena at home with her daddy to go try out my new bike! :)
5. I ran into the building manager on the way out, so I was able to ask her if she knew of a nice, flat place where I could practice riding (as I hadn't ridden a bike since high school).
6. The place she recommended, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, turned out to be perfect! It has an area that looks like a parking lot but is really for playing basketball and such. There's also a circular path surrounding a grass area. It's just a few blocks away from our building!
7. Though I was a little nervous about riding a bike for the first time in about a decade, I basically just hopped on and took off. So apparently it's true that you never forget how to ride a bike.

Gratitude to Bliss 32- Shabbat and Saturday night

1. Rena slept in, so I got to as well.
2. I had lots of time to play with Rena.
3. I even had time to catch up on some kitchen cleaning.
4. My sick husband felt a little better after a nice long nap.
5. I finally wrote Thursday's list.

Gratitude to Bliss 31- Friday

1. Hubby was home sick, so when I had to run out for some things with little time to spare before Shabbat, I didn't have to drag Rena out again. This saved precious time.
2. Though I was running very late, I managed to finish all the Shabbat cooking, even dessert, in time. (Observant Jews don't cook on Shabbat.)
3. Our couch is so comfy! :) I dozed on it Friday night until hubby woke me up to clean the kitchen.
4. I cleaned the kitchen for awhile though I was exhausted, but then hubby said just go to bed. This was despite the fact that it was my fault I was exhausted because I'd stayed up all night on the computer the night before.
5. I fell asleep in bed almost immediately.

Gratitude to Bliss 30- Thursday

1. I had my Shabbat shopping list ready to go quickly. I had to add just a few items to the list that was already written.
2. Rena was happy when we entered the room at the Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library where toddler storytime is located.
3. We had a great time again! :) We made new friends, had a book read, and learned new songs.
4. Some songs are repeated every week. I was amused when, during "If you're happy and you know it," Rena smiled and stomped her feet at the corresponding line in the song.
5. After storytime, we found the children's section of the library. Wow, this is like the best library ever! In addition to shelves and shelves of books on a wide variety of subjects, there are comfy living-room-type chairs and beanbag chairs to sit in, and there's also a big toy of the type where there are big beads for the babies to move along a track.
6. We made new friends there, to, and Rena kept asking another mommy to pick her up.
7. I was able to get a library card, despite having a New York ID, because I remembered to bring a piece of mail proving I live in Seattle.
8. I found an interesting-looking book to check out just by briefly browsing the nonfiction section.

Gratitude to Bliss 29- Wednesday

1. A famous health expert took the time to debate with me, via Facebook messages, about a controversial health topic.
2. I also posted this discussion on the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's Facebook page regarding the same topic, if you want to know details. I appreciate that someone working for the school replied immediately and politely.
3. I was also glad to find out that the school does not take up what is typically the holistic position regarding this topic but has a more balanced approach, and that it encourages open debate in its forums.
4. I once again had the floor picked up and vacuumed before hubby got home from work, which makes him happy.
5. I even had dinner ready already when he got home from work! Of course he loves when dinner is ready when he gets home; he's usually starving because he doesn't get home until after 7 usually!
6. Thank you, FlyLady, for introducing me to Anti-Procrastination Day, which I celebrated by doing the previous two items earlier in the day than usual. (#4 didn't always even get done at all if I waited until too late in the day.)
7. I had my Shabbat menu and most of my shopping list all ready to go before going to sleep so as not to have to hurry up and do it in the morning. (You'll see in my next post why I would have had to do it in the morning.)

Gratitude to Bliss 28- Tuesday

1. Rena napped in the morning, so I was able to nap, too. I felt pretty rested afterward.
2. I gave Rena some cereal with raisins in it to eat, and I remembered to break up the raisins for her so she wouldn't choke.
3. I saw trees blooming with beautiful flowers and heard birds chirping on the way home from grocery shopping.
4. I finished vacuuming right before hubby walked in the door so he was greeted with a clean floor. :)
5. Rena did not wake up from her late afternoon nap and slept right through the night.

Gratitude to Bliss 27- Monday

1. As I couldn't find any kosher organic cheese locally or available for purchase online and we were running low, I made some cheese myself. Yummy! :) More details will be posted later on Foodiscovery.
2. I finally posted on my new blog, The Road That Never Ends.
3. I got the floor all picked up and vacuumed before hubby got home! :)
4. I managed to clean up the kitchen throughout the day after using it so the mess after dinner wasn't so overwhelming.
5. Hubby loves making up random songs, and he sang me a song about how I'm so good to him or something like that. :)
6. I remembered to write my weekly post in my Environmental Tip of the Week blog before getting off the computer for the night.

Gratitude to Bliss 26- Sunday

1. Rena's grandma and grandpa (my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law) came over to pick us up. She gave us a lot of food, and, while she was waiting for us to finish getting ready to go (as we were running late), proceeded to clean our kitchen for us. I had it somewhat clean but she got all the stuff I'd missed, hadn't done properly, etc.
2. They took us to get new pretty shoes for Rena at Nordstrom in a mall.
3. Even better, the kids' shoe section was great and provided free helium balloons to take home as well. Rena got a pink one and a green one. Tonsa funsa! :) (That means "tons of fun. :) )
4. Then, Rena played in a free climbing and fun area for young kids -- also located at the mall -- and played nicely with new friends!
5. Later that day, I finally put together this little shelf I'd gotten soon after we moved in intending to use it as a safe-for-a-toddler bookshelf, and I was able to fit a bunch of books on it.
6. Hubby used our new barbecue for the first time on some steaks from my step-mother-in-law, and I observed how he did it so I would know how to do it myself.

Gratitude to Bliss 25- Shabbat and Saturday night

1. We made it to synagogue.
2. While hubby prayed and -- he told me later -- had a fascinating debate with someone -- Rena and I checked out the kids' room which I hadn't even known existed until Purim. There were boxes and boxes of toys and lots of kids playing! We made new friends. I didn't get any praying done but we sure did lots of playing! Good thing we women don't have to pray the set prayers once we get married....
3. As there was food served afterward, I took my time chopping lots of veggies and served my planned meal at dinnertime. I think this synagogue might always serve food after the Shabbat morning service. I think I'm going to try to go every week because I can't resist free yummy food, even though it's probably not organic. I'm not yet at the point where I'm eating all organic; I'm just making sure my own purchases are all organic.
4. Rena napped for a few hours in the afternoon so I could chop my veggies uninterrupted.
5. I managed to write Friday's list though it was already late at night/early in the morning.

PS I'll be purposely writing each day's list the next day from now on so I can get a single day and every yay that happened in it in a single post.

Gratitude to Bliss 24- Friday

1. I'd messaged a friend on Facebook simply requesting a source for a statement she'd made on s message board. I thought I would get just a quick response with a link to an article or a book title or something, but in addition to a link to an article she took the time to write me a long message with advice on doing my own research.
2. I only had a quick grocery shopping trip because I'd done most of my Shabbat shopping already on Thursday.
3. I also didn't have to find any more recipes, which saved more time.
4. Good thing I had to go shopping again anyway because there were a few more items that I added to the list last minute.
5. Earlier this week I switched to purchasing all organic food (with the exception of fish, which I understand is better wild-caught). See this recent post in my food blog, Foodiscovery, if you want to know why. I could not find kosher organic meat in any of three stores in which I did my Shabbat shopping this week. I'd actually called two of them before deciding on recipes to find out if they had any, but they both said no. My husband had been looking forward to meat all weak, as I'd been serving a lot of fish, but I wasn't going to give in and get the usual non-organic kosher meat. There also wasn't enough time to order organic kosher meat online for Shabbat. I decided the only solution was to find a vegetarian recipe that would look and taste like it had meat in it. I made a vegetarian meatloaf and told my husband it was meatloaf. Thank G-d it turned out to be the best "meatloaf" ever! I still haven't told him it didn't actually have meat in it, and I don't know if I ever will. (He doesn't read my blogs unless he happens to pass by while I'm writing something, which is good because he majored in English.) This post is not cross posted in Foodiscovery because I'm going to write a separate post that will go into more detail.

Gratitude to Bliss 23

1. I took Rena to the Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library this morning to check out toddler storytime. We had a great time! :) We made new friends, had a book read, and learned new songs.
2. As the library turned out to be somewhat near the synagogue, and I'd already made my shopping list for Shabbat in the hopes that I'd go grocery shopping right after storytime, I realized while we were heading toward the library that I could check out this local organic grocery store that I keep seeing just a few blocks from the synagogue. I did, and surprisingly, I was able to find most of the items on my list, even though it's a small store. As I had healthy stuff -- mostly raw ingredients -- on my list, it makes sense in retrospect that that would be the case at such a store.
3. At one point while we were out and about, I "randomly" saw a beautiful yellow six-petal flower lying on the ground. I picked it up and gave it to Rena to play with. The way it was arranged, it looked kind of like a Jewish star, or "Star of David."
4. While I was getting the flower, Rena's stroller began to roll away because there was a bit of an incline where we were. Thank G-d, I was able to catch it quickly so she didn't get hurt.
5. I remembered to get April's rent check from the bank (across from University Village) and leave it in the designated mailbox in the apartment building. Today was really the last day I could do it because it's due on the first of each month.
6. I love that I don't have to send rent checks in the mail anymore, because the building manager lives and works right here in the building!
7. I just gave myself a brief shoulder blade massage that felt really good! :) I could hear it cracking as I relieved the tension in it.

Gratitude to Bliss 22 (from yesterday)

1. Though I was having trouble at first, I finally got my updated resume uploaded onto resumebucket.
2. I posted a link to it on Facebook and said I was looking for a part-time or from-home job; almost immediately someone messaged me that she might know something. Big yays for helpful friends! :)
3. Rena had a nice long nap in the late afternoon so I had some time to relax. She woke up right after dinner was served, of course. :)
4. We had leftovers after dinner for my husband to take for lunch, there was so much food! :) That doesn't usually happen unless the food I made wasn't so good, but though it was delicious, there was way too much to finish all in one dinner, even though all three of us ate it.
5. I was expecting a long night of cleaning the kitchen, etc., but when I'd barely begun hubby suddenly said, "go to bed." So I stopped and said gratefully, "Thanks, Pie!" He said later that he was trying to be considerate.

Gratitude to Bliss 21

1. When I went to put on my wedding and engagement ring today (I usually keep them on even at night but sometimes I like to take them off to make snuggling with hubby more comfy for both of us), I thought for a moment that my wedding ring was misplaced because at first I saw only my engagement ring. Usually I put them together in the drawer when I take them off. Then I found it in the same drawer; it had apparently been just kind of shoved aside when I was looking for something else in the drawer.
2. Though it was a bit of a challenge with a few items, I was able to find a certified-organic version of everything I needed or wanted at Whole Foods today. I hope that, as more and more consumers choose organic, "conventional" will become unconventional and will be phased out.
3. I got video footage of hubby singing a random, fun song he made up and Rena doing twirly dances! :) I'll hopefully upload it tomorrow.
4. I haven't had to worry about watering our new plants because it's been raining off and on since Sunday when we got them.
5. Though Rena was tired, cranky, and not feeling well most of the day, she perked up and got happy again after her bath this evening.

Gratitude to Bliss 20

1. I have friends who take the time to help me out by giving me information I want.
2. Rena is so happy and so full of energy! She giggled a lot today and did endless twirly-dances!
3. I used some of our new rosemary plant in our dinner tonight. So yummy!
4. I'm glad I couldn't find the pepper until dinner had long been made because it came out yummy without the pepper.
5. I had some empty glass bottles on the kitchen counter waiting to be recycled. I knocked into one by mistake. I thought it was going to fall over and crash into a million little pieces on the floor, but it didn't. It stayed on that counter.

Gratitude to Bliss 19

1. YAY for my gardening-expert-stepmother-in-law! Today she brought pots over, helped us pick out plants and seeds to make our garden, and even paid for the plants! :)
2. My husband is a helpful pie: He helped his father and stepmother move into their new apartment.
3. The kitchen floor and the carpets have been cleaned and vacuumed, and they look so nice! :)
4. Hubby thanked me for doing that while he was out helping his father and stepmother and told me how much he appreciated it.
5. The kitchen floor is still basically clean though Rena already ate dinner because I picked stuff up as she threw it on the floor instead of waiting and having it get encrusted into the floor.

Gratitude to Bliss 18 (from yesterday)

1. On Friday, after grocery shopping for Shabbat, Rena and I had a lovely walk home! :) I enjoyed the warm, sunny weather; spotted some pretty yellow flowers; and heard birds chirping.
2. On Friday night, hubby said I could wait until the morning to finish cleaning the kitchen, as it had of course gotten messy again from Shabbat cooking.
3. I had lots of time before Shabbat was over to both clean and relax due to the recent time change.
4. I loved being able to spend lots of time just playing with Rena without the usual distraction of the computer. ;) (Orthodox Jews do not use computers or other electronic devices on Shabbat.)
5. I finished the book I'd started last Shabbat; see #2 in this post.

Gratitude to Bliss 17

1. It's Friday so it's almost Shabbat!
2. Rena napped this morning due to her being up past her bedtime last night!
3. My cough is slowly getting better.
4. The kitchen is pretty clean so I won't be so overwhelmed when I'm done with Shabbat cooking.
5. I have until 7:10 this evening to get ready for Shabbat, according to Chabad.org.

Gratitude to Bliss, Day 16 (from yesterday)

Yesterday was jam-packed! So here's what I should have written yesterday:

1. On Wednesday, the weather was really warm with a nice breeze so I opened a window in the living room and one in our bedroom, held open the door to our terrace with a chair, took off my sweatpants, put sandals on, and enjoyed letting the outdoors into our home! :)
2. I finally washed most of the dishes that were waiting to be washed, either in the dishwasher or by hand.
3. A big thank-you to our new friends from the Seattle Stay at Home Moms meetup group who came yesterday! :) We had so much fun and loved meeting new people! :)
4. Rena and I also attended HyperThrive Health and Superlongevity Tour at the University and managed to get there on time despite not knowing where the heck we were going! Thank you to my friend who posted it on Facebook!
5. There I scored a great book for Rena: The Adventures of Junk Food Dude.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 15

1. I'm feeling well enough that I didn't have to postpone my Seattle Stay at Home Moms meetup that I'm hosting tomorrow.
2. A lot of people are planning on coming.
3. Last night, before going to bed, I'd already finished the majority of kitchen cleaning that needed to be done so I don't have so much to do in the kitchen to get ready for the meetup.
4. I'm so excited for Rena to make new friends tomorrow! :)
5. I'm excited to make new friends myself tomorrow! :)

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 14

1. This morning, I was able to print the most important document for my husband, right before he had to leave for work!
2. Rena fell asleep (or at least got quiet) right away when I put her to bed for her nap this morning, and she let me nap as well, for about four hours, from about 8 to about noon!
3. I'm starting to feel better after my nap!
4. Rena is such a sweety-pie! :) She hands me stuff, and I give an enthusiastic "Thank you for [whatever it is]!"
5. I'm caught up with my lists, as I did yesterday's list first thing when I got on the computer.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 13 (from yesterday)

Apologies for being late with yesterday's list! I had quite a day yesterday, as you'll soon see:

1. I found my phone charger that I'd been missing so I could finally use my phone again! :)
2. I got our awesome walk-in closet organized again and put most of the clean clothes away in sensible spots.
3. Hubby got up in the middle of the night to help me set up our new printer, as he needed to have some personal documents printed that he couldn't print at work. He figured out the solution where I was having trouble.
4. Hubby helped me recover from the frustration due to not being able to figure it out by giving me some nice forehead rubs and back tickles to calm me down.
4. I got the printer all set up and working. I was able to print some things.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 12

1. I experienced my own Purim miracle today! In the afternoon, after this morning's festivities (about which I'll write momentarily), hubby sent me to buy a printer. I got an all-in-one machine, of course. I'm grateful that I didn't have to lug the heavy box with the machine all the way home held with my hands. What happened? I spotted a shopping cart from the grocery store parked outside in someone's driveway! Though I felt strange going onto a random person's driveway and taking something from there, it's not like I was taking their own personal property. Also this way they won't have to schlep the cart back to the store. They'll get another one there in any case! Anyway, I emphatically said "Thank G-d!" and walked up the driveway to get the cart. I pushed it to where I'd left the box, heaved the box into the cart, and went on my merry way with a huge smile on my face due both to relief at not having to carry the box anymore (it was on the verge of falling apart and killing my back at the same time) and to the realization that G-d was looking out for me!
2. My local in-laws took us to a Purim carnival for young kids. It was in a beautiful building in a gorgeous neighborhood, and to get there, we had to cross a bridge over a lake that was right above the water!
3. I got to nap in the car with Rena after that while my in-laws and hubby walked around a different lake because Rena had fallen asleep in her car seat on the way there and we didn't want to disturb her by transfering her to the stroller. My in-laws' two dogs, who had come along with us for the ride, kept us company and, thank G-d, did not disturb our sleep.
4. I put Rena in bed to nap more when we got home. She went back to sleep almost immediately so I was also able to nap in bed for a couple of hours.
5. I did not get distracted with email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs I read, or anything else before writing this post! And now I need to go on Facebook and Tumblr to share it, but that's all I'm going to do!

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 11

I'm having a wonderful weekend so far! :) I'll pick just five highlights from today:

1. I got to sleep in because it was Shabbat! It was 11 by the time I got up, due to having been awake in the middle of the night, so instead of having to drag Rena to synagogue we got to stay home and have Shabbat lunch soon after we got up. ;)
2. The weather was lovely today, so Rena, hubby, and I hung out on our terrace outside for awhile. He and I discussed plans for our garden in pots that we want to plant around the terrace, and then I sat in one of our outdoor chairs and read the book Moving Up: an aliyah journal by Laura Ben David. As we will be making aliyah (moving to Israel) at some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future, this is a very enjoyable read for me. I also played with Rena with Greenball and a bunch of small sticks that she found.
3. The Jewish holiday Purim, which celebrates the saving of the Jews in Persia from the evil Haman as told in  Megillat (the Scroll of) Esther, started tonight and ends tomorrow night. I'm so glad that Purim is over the weekend this year so hubby can fully participate though he works full time during the week! :)
4. After the Megillah was read, there was a fun party that including music by the Od Yishama Orchestra. I got to dance with some kids while hubby took a turn with Rena. Rena and I both made new friends, and we stayed until the very end, when the orchestra stopped playing music.
5. One of our new friends invited us to a Rainbow Gathering. It's so cool that it's going to be in Washington state this year! I was surprised, but apparently there are indeed Orthodox Jews who attend these. I don't know yet if we're going (hubby doesn't know about it yet and I had some questions that I want answered) but it sounds so awesome! :)

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 10

1. I'm grateful that I found the clicker thing for my PDA that had been missing for some time.
2. I'm grateful that I found two pens, the only two working pens we have at home.
3. I'm grateful that I have a washer and dryer in my apartment so that I can easily do laundry on a Friday without having to worry about picking it up at a laudromat before Shabbat.
4. I'm grateful that I have a dishwasher in my kitchen so I don't have to wash piles of dishes by hand anymore.
5. I'm grateful that, because of the time change, I have an extra hour before the sun sets to get ready for Shabbat.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 9

1. My Rena is so smart and loves when I read her books! :)
2. I joined the Seattle Stay at Home Moms meetup group and suggested a couple of activities already.
3. Rena is vaccinated against deadly diseases so I don't have to worry that she'll catch them.
4. Someone I don't even know personally is taking the time to share and discuss with me her take on some important health issues.
5. I have many relatives who are doctors whom I can go to with any questions regarding health issues.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 8

1. I'm grateful that Rena is healthy and developing normally!
2. I'm grateful that my husband has a job he loves!
3. I'm grateful for Google- I can quickly research any topic of interest! For example, I found out that, while some fluoride is useful for preventing tooth decay, overexposure to fluoride -- common nowadays because the levels of fluoride in water were set before fluoride could be found in other things such as food and toothpaste -- can pose certain health risks. I won't give specific links here; please Google it yourself! :)
4. I'm grateful for Facebook- I can share helpful links with my friends because I can see from their newsfeeds what might be useful for them. For example, I shared Share Some Sugar, a website that connects people who want to borrow stuff with people who own it and are willing to lend it, with a friend who often posts that she needs to borrow something.
5. I'm grateful that our on-site building manager is so helpful- She had a light bulb we could use, and not only that but got up on her ladder herself and changed it herself before I even had a chance to ask if she had a ladder I could borrow! We live in the Saxe Apartments; highly recommended for anyone looking to relocate to Seattle!

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 7

1. I love my Little Bean! :) Rena's name is Hebrew for Joy, and the name fits! :) She has the best smiles and giggles! :)
2. I didn't have to go out in the rain today because I didn't have any errands to do.
3. My husband, who loves me anyway though I'm an imperfect human being.
4. G-d, Who loves me anyway though I'm an imperfect human being because He created me that way.
5. Music, and the ability to dance to it! :) See this recent post about a fun dancing experience.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 6

1. I looked into getting groceries delivered online today because I didn't feel like going out in the rain. By the time I got tired of looking for a service that could deliver today, it was lunchtime, and by the time Rena and I finished eating and were ready to go, the sun was shining and it was beautiful outside! :)
2. I saw pretty yellow flowers growing on our way home. Right when I saw them, I also saw a yellow traffic light and noted the matching colors.
3. Rena and Greenball, a green plastic or rubber ball filled with air that she loves to toss and kick. She's so cute when she plays with it!
4. My husband, who thoughtfully requested brown rice at the restaurant yesterday (see previous post) so they wouldn't automatically give us white rice.
5. Just a moment ago I noticed that I was writing this post in the wrong blog by mistake, because I wanted to link to the previous post. I'm grateful that I caught the mistake before publishing this post in the wrong blog!

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 5

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

1. I'm grateful that I did not accidentally delete the email draft where I'd saved links to recipes I'll be using for the week.
2. I'm grateful for my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law who took us to the
Children's Museum despite the rain.
3. I'm also grateful that they treated us to kosher Chinese afterward at Bamboo Garden.
4. I'm grateful that the food was good, even though it's a vegan restaurant so the general tso's "chicken" was made with tofu. Rena, who LOVES chicken, appeared to not be able to tell the difference: She scarfed it up the way she would scarf up real chicken.
5. I'm grateful Rena has her own bedroom, where she falls asleep fast usually and often stays asleep until morning.

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 4

Today's 5 yays:

1. The Chabad synagogue near us had an entertaining guest speaker from Israel today. I heard him speak at lunch after the morning service, and Rena was a good girl so I was able to listen to almost the entire thing.
2. I had a nice Shabbat nap! I fell asleep on the couch as Rena and hubby played nearby.
3. My husband- He reminded me that he, Rena, and G-d all love me.
4. My step-mother-in-law: She's a sort of gardening expert, and she's going to help me garden on the terrace that we have with our new apartment! I'm going to plant veggies and herbs on one side that's near the back door which is near the kitchen, and on the other side, where Rena will be able to see it from her bedroom window, I'm going to plant a butterfly garden.
5. Freshly washed clothes- they smell so good!

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 3

Today's five yays:

1. My husband- He gives me great advice for any project I'm working on. Today I got emails from him linking to some articles with advice on marketing my online shop.
2. I had the same yummy breakfast as yesterday! (See previous post.) I made some more mixture of dates and cocoa to use.
3. Baby Rena- She does really cute twirly dances! :)
4. My new glasses that I received recently in the mail recently from my optometrist in NY. It was so nice of them that they sent it to me at our new Seattle apartment!
5. Our new Seattle apartment- It's so much roomier and easier to keep clean!

Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 2

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

I received a welcome email that requested the following:

It's important to set your intention. Please take a moment to think about and write down what you are hoping to get out of your participation in this project.

My response: I hope to gain a more positive outlook on life by emphasizing the good things in life, and a greater love for G-d for having given me this wonderful gift of life.

Now, on to today's list of five yays:

1. Another day of life. As part of daily Jewish practice, we say a prayer first thing in the morning thanking G-d for returning our soul.
2. Hubby woke up at 5-something in the morning and asked what time it was. We don't have a clock in our bedroom so I reached for my cell phone, which serves as my time piece for the night. I couldn't find it next to the bed, so I used hubby's iPhone to call it and found it in my purse in the closet by the front door of our apartment. Yes, I could have checked the time on the iPhone, but you see, my phone also serves as our morning alarm. I'm grateful that he woke up before we had to get him ready to go to work because without the alarm next to my bed we probably would have overslept. Sure, this happens occasionally, but this is a new job that he started a few weeks ago and it would have made a bad impression.
3. I had the best, healthiest breakfast ever this morning! I started by pouring some Ezekiel 4:9 Almond cereal into a bowl. This was the first time I'd tasted it; I'd found it at Whole Foods yesterday where I'd taken the opportunity to do some shopping because I'd gone to a shoe store nearby to buy hubby new sneakers. I though it tasted kind of like Grape Nuts so it needed something extra. Last night, I'd taken some medjool dates and mixed them with unsweetened cocoa into a doughy ball to make a quick dessert for hubby. (I'd made and enjoyed some for myself for lunch during the day and he said it sounded yummy.) I got the idea from a Yahoo! article I read awhile ago, believe it or not, that suggested rolling dates in cocoa. There was some left over so I broke it into small pieces and mixed it with the cereal, then I poured fat free milk over it. I savored every bite! :)
4. My parents- Even though I'm an adult living far away, they still concern themselves with me, keep me updated on their lives, and take interest in what I've been up to.
5. Lots of healthy snacks from Whole Foods, in addition to the cereal!
 -Raw Revolution Cashew and Agave Nectar (I got a box of ten bars cuz they're so good!)
 -Food Should Taste Good Jalapeno tortilla chips
 -365 Everyday Value Thick & Chunky Salsa to go with the tortilla chips
 -three healthy varieties of Snyder's of Hanover pretzels:
   -whole wheat and oat
   -8 grains and seeds
   -honey whole wheat (we haven't tried these yet but I'm grateful for the opportunity to try a new flavor!)
 -Flamous Organics Falafel Chips (I got the spicy ones this time; another new flavor opportunity!)

Gratitude to Bliss Project

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gratitude-to-Bliss-Project-An-Exploration-in-Health-and-Happiness/101452076604092?ref=ts

For the next month or so -- and maybe beyond that -- I'll be writing at least five yays daily. I'll write each day's yays in one post in a numbered list, in keeping with the format I've seen on the page. Here are five yays for today:

1. finding this project on Facebook
2. baby Rena- She's so cute and learning lots every day!
3. hubby- He's helped me improve my attitude to be more positive by pointing out when I kvetch or say something negative.
4. my online shop
5. CafePress, the site where the shop is

Dancing: Great Fun and Great Exercise! :)

Cross posted on Foodiscovery

I recently saw this video of the staff of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the world's largest nutrition school, taking a dance break in the middle of their work day:





Today, while home with Rena and doing some work for my online shop, I felt really energized after eating some quinoa and mushroom skillet for lunch. I decided to take a half hour to turn on some music and dance while playing around with Rena. Sorry, there's no video of us because I can't really video while dancing and hubby is away at work during the day; but here's the music video for one of my favorite dancing songs, the first one I put on today:





What fun I had! It made me really happy; in fact, I could pinpoint the exact moment the endorphins started to kick in. I think I'll be incorporating a half-hour dance break into my regular routine, at least on days I don't walk anywhere; i.e. days I neither go grocery shopping at QFC or Whole Foods, nor to synagogue for Shabbat services. It's much more enjoyable, and I get the chance to express myself freely and work my whole body. You can try it now, if you're alone or at least at home or another place where people won't be bothered: Press play on one of the above videos, then get up and DANCE! :)