My New Hobby

On my last night in Miami, I stumbled upon an "Extreme Couponing" marathon on TLC.

If you know me, you know that I love tv shows like this one. If you know D, you know that he would rather be stabbed in the eye than watch reality tv.

So we struck a deal. He promised to watch a few episodes if I promised to become an extreme couponer and save our family thousands of dollars in grocery savings each year.

Who am I to pass up a deal like that?!

So there I was, Sunday morning, at the Miami airport before 6am, hurrying to the newsstand to pick up a paper and start couponing. Between Sunday and Monday nights, I spent approximately 8 hours clipping and logging 300+ coupons. I've reached out to friends and family to send me their unwanted coupons. I've enrolled in online savings programs. I've had several coupon anxiety dreams. Bet you didn't know you could have an anxiety dream about coupons!

I think D has created a monster.

I see this new hobby going in two possible directions:

1. I get bored of it in two weeks or less, fail to use any/many of the coupons in a timely manner, and find them expired in my drawer in six months.

2. I grab onto this new "hobby" with two hands and become obsessed. I refuse to quit - just like I refused to stop being a vegetarian - because after all: a promise is a promise, and I can be as stubborn as the best of them. I save our family money, but probably not thousands, and at the same time devote copious amounts of time and energy couponing.

What's your vote?

A Week in Paradise

Before I begin, let's get a few things straight. I love my job. I love my kids. I love my shul.

Ok, now that that's out of the way...

I just spent a week (7 full days and nights!) on a kid-free trip* to Miami Beach, and it was GREAT! My days consisted of sleeping until whenever I want**, eating enormous portions of delicious food, swimming in the pool and ocean, reading novels, and taking long walks with D.

I started my days with the breakfast of champions:


Moved onto a little dip in the sea...



Read a few hundred pages:


Jumped into the pool to cool off:


Took a walk to sight-see:


And ate...and ate...and ate...

While the weather in NY was a total washout, the weather in Miami was PERFECT! The lovely people at the Chabad were so hospitable and friendly, and we enjoyed sharing Shabbos meals with them. The rest of the week, we ate like kings (and queens!) at the many amazing kosher restaurants on 41st street. Overall, it was just a wonderful - and truly well-deserved on D's part - vacation.

It was really sad to see the week end, but we get to have a vacation booster shot in a view weeks, when we'll return to Florida for a great friend's wedding.

*Lest you worry about my children, they were enjoying themselves in NY with Bubbe, Bubbe, and Zayde, who no doubt spoiled them rotten and showered them with love.

**Sadly, it took until the last day of vacation for my body to adjust to the lack of alarm clock, and I still woke up waaayyy earlier than desired.

Guilt-Free Snacking!

Ben & Jerry's is starting a new ad campaign featuring Greyston Bakery! Check out this awesome billboard that will be hung all over the country this summer! There's also a really cool video that you can see here.

There's No Place Like Home