Teach Children Saving & Giving Early

by | Nov 23, 2014 | Amazon, Giving


Cute boxes that help teach Tzedakah to your children at an early age with the Moonjar Moneybox.

Moonjar moneyboxes were created as a tool for children and families to incorporate strong financial values and practices into their daily lives. Launched in 2001, Moonjar moneyboxes are used in homes and schools around the world. The overwhelming response from Moonjar users; mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, grandparents, retailers, and financial institutions, has enforced the vital need for a fun, accessible, and affordable tool to help change how children develop a basic understanding of good money habits by being responsible for dividing their money into compartments dedicated for saving, sharing, and spending. Includes 3-part Moonjar money box, Moonjar Band, Passbook, and Guide.

 The links in the post may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Lego Castle Fort – $7.99

by | Nov 23, 2014 | Amazon, Birthday, Gifts, Hanukkah, Toys & Games


Looking for gifts for birthday presents, this is a great idea. When giving gifts to our kids friends, I tend to stay away from swords and knives, but if that doesn’t bother you this is a cute set with the Lego Castle Forest Ambush.

  • Features armored cart and a forest base
  • Armored cart features turning wheels, flags and treasure chest with gold and treasure; Forest base features flick missile and falling tree function
  • Weapons include spear, crossbow, axe, sword and a spiked mace; Accessories include 2 shields and a dog
  • Chop down the tree and stage an ambush; Fire the flick missile; Protect the treasure
  • Armored cart measures over 2″ high, 2″ long and 1″ wide; Forest base measures over 3″ high, 2″ wide and 1″ deep

The links in the post may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Menu Planning Inspiration

by | Nov 23, 2014 | Amazon, Menu Plan

I’m always on the lookout for kid-friendly and interesting ideas for the whole family. Recently I found a Weeknight Meal Planner on Cooking Light. You drag and drop 5 Dishes and then you have a visual meal plan.

Another site I often use that is great for kosher meal planning is Supercook. I love having all of my pantry items listed and then being able to choose which items I don’t want. When I have an ingredient that has sat too long in the pantry or refrigerator, it’s one of the first places I go for inspiration.

I am starting to plan December and using the inspiration from Kosher on a Budget, I am going to stick with a couple routines for December and just vary it a little bit. At school Tuesdays and Thursdays are meat days, so I try to aim to do dairy on those evenings.

Sundays- Leftovers/Pizza

Mondays – Mexican
Quesadillas, Burriots, or Enchiladas

Tuesdays – Sandwiches

Wednesday – Meat Night
Sloppy Joes, Hamburgers, Pasta with Meat Sauce

Thursdays – Fish Night
Fish Sandwiches, French Fries or Fish Tacos with Lettuce

Questions to ask when choosing a school

Questions to ask when choosing a school

by | Mar 6, 2013 | Children, Education

I have a lot of friends who are trying to choose between one day school over another or decide between day school, public school, or another private school and are having trouble deciding where to send their child. I began to think about the kinds of things I want for my children in their education and thought I would share.

I believe very strongly that I want my children to be challenged as much as possible. I obviously do not want them to be set up for failure, but I want them to be pushed to expand their capabilities. If they can’t handle a dual curriculum, then I want to know the school will be able to assist them in the right services to allow them to succeed.
I have seen with both of my children who are hyper verbal that a great teacher can make a world of difference in helping them to succeed and not be bored. I have also seen how easy it is to be bored. I want my children to love learning and be excited more often then not with what they are learning in school.

I want them to be exposed to 21st century learning because it makes sense and there is a purpose in integrating it into the curriculum and not because it’s the new flashy term of education. I also believe that they need a strong foundation in writing and reading because it’s a part of everything. I also believe that math,  science, and technology need to be strong.

Having thought about all things I want in education, I put together a list of questions that I thought would be good starting questions with the school you are trying to decide about. Note that some of these are specific to a Jewish school:

General
What is your handwriting program?
What reading program are you using?
What is your science program like?
Besides smart boards, how is technology integrated into the curriculum in each grade?
What kinds of project-based learning occurs in the elementary school?
What kinds of blended-learning opportunities are there and for what ages?
What kinds of real world skills are offered to a student?
At the end of 5th grade, what skills does a student have?
What is the estimated class size for each grade?
What is the maximum class size?
What kinds of music does a student learn throughout elementary school?
How much time does the average student spend on homework?
Do you teach about evolution?

Judaics
What subjects are done entirely in Hebrew for each grade?
What are the Hebrew language programs?
What is Tefillah like in the Elementary school?
How do you deal with theology questions like Does God exist? Or who wrote the Bible?

After-school/Enrichment
What kinds of enrichment programs do you offer?
Are there any extended day programs or early drop-off?
Are there any sports offered in the elementary school and if so, what grade do they begin in?

School Culture
Any differences based upon gender?
How do you deal with same sex parents, is the school inclusive?
What kinds of opportunities does the school offer for families from different areas to interact with one another?
How does the school handle birthday parties held on Shabbat or that have non-kosher food?