These fun and festive menorahs from Amazon are adding some extra twinkle to your Hanukkah celebrations this year
Hanukkah 2022 starts a little bit later—December 18th to be exact—but it’ll be here before we know it. And no Festival of Lights is complete without a menorah. We’ve found some fantastic menorahs—where else?—on Amazon to light up your celebration.
Quick brush up on your Hanukkah history:
How well do you know your Hanukkah history? Let’s get a little refresher out of the way.
Firstly, the word menorah means “lamp” in Hebrew. The ancient menorah had seven branches, and was an “everlasting light”, an oil lamp meant to never go out in the temple in the area that was known as Judea. At the time—167 B.C.E.—the small area of then-Judea was caught in conflict. The Egyption Empire and the Greek-Assyrian Empire clashed and Greek king Antiochus outlawed all Jewish practices. The observance of the Sabbath, keeping kosher were eliminated and the temple where the menorah burned was desecrated.
A small group of Jewish rebels, known as the Maccabees, were able to take back the temple over the course of several years. The menorah was relit. As the story goes, despite having only a single day’s worth of oil, the menorah miraculously lasted for eight days. Accordingly, the modern-day menorah has nine candles: one for each of those eight days and one to light the rest. Hanukkah marks the rededication of the desecrated temple of Judea when it was taken back by the Maccabees
So, now that you know why the menorah is such an important element of Hanukkah, we can get to the roundup of some of our favorite ones. These menorahs are not only unique, fun, pretty, and festive, but can be found on Amazon because we love convenience. They’re a great option for keeping with tradition while at the same time, creating a holiday aesthetic that’s perfect for your own vibes. So get ready for eight nights of celebration with our menorahs from Amazon roundup!
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Finding games to play with grandparents is a lot easier than you might think
Spending time with grandparents is often full of laughter, love, and a little too much sugar. But even a spry and creative nana or papa could use a few ideas now and again. From card games to photo book exploration, here are some games to play with grandparents that span ages and offer mellow afternoon fun.
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1. Dealer’s choice. Your little card shark will love cleaning up at Go Fish, but she might also enjoy learning some other old-school games. Grandparents can choose from their favorites: Spoons, Crazy Eights, War, and Rummy are all winners!
2. On the record. Kids of all ages love to ask questions, so let them satisfy their curiosity by interviewing Gram and Pops. Questions might range from, “What is your favorite dinosaur?” to “Tell me about your first date.” This list is a great start!
3. Strike a chord. If either grandparent has a talent for a particular instrument, encourage them to share that skill with the kids! Whether it’s a formal piano lesson or a chance to simply explore and bang on the drums (or strum a guitar or toot a horn), they’re sure to make a joyful noise.
4. Crack open a book. A pile of picture books (or one riveting chapter book) and a comfy couch are the makings of a perfect day. Make a trip out of it by going to the library, or let the kids show off their collection and pick out books they think their grandparents will enjoy, too.
5. Freeze time. To memorialize special or long visits with grandparents, collect mementos of your time together to make a time capsule—think photographs, ticket stubs, drawings, and puzzle pieces.
6. (Grand)mother, May I? While running around outside might be a bit too exhausting for a few grandparents, several classic yard games need at least one participant who needs to stand relatively still. Some of our favorites include Mother May I; Red Light, Green Light; Simon Says; and all kinds of hand clap games.
7. Put the pieces together. Take over the dining room table, and clock in a few hours of peaceful silence (or happy chatter) by putting together a jigsaw puzzle. You can dust off something you have on hand, or grandpa and the kids can go out and choose something together.
8. Get cookin’. If both your tykes and their elders like to cook, let them team up in the kitchen and whip up a favorite family recipe. They can even read Baking Day at Grandma’s together for extra fun! We even have cooking games that are perfect games to play with grandparents.
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9. Tea for two (or three or five). Raid grandma’s closet, break out the good plates, and cut sandwiches into triangles—voilà! Grandparents will love being served a cuppa and will likely appreciate the opportunity to reinforce gracious table manners.
10. Go for a walk. Even if there’s no summer sun calling your name, nature walks are fun during any season. Have the kids put on some comfortable shoes and a hat, and they can hold grandma’s hand while exploring a new trail or give her a “tour” of the neighborhood.
11. Hunt for treasure. One part riddle, one part hide and seek, an indoor treasure or scavenger hunt will delight grandkids (and grandparents) of all ages.
12. Plant memories—in a terrarium! With a simple glass bowl, soil, rocks, a few plants, and (our favorite part) a few of those tiny plastic dinosaurs that inhabit every corner of your home, grandparents will love helping their grandkids create a habitat for their most fearsome friends.
13. Play "Guess Who?" Bust out the photo albums and play a round of "guess who?" where the grandchildren try to guess who family members are from older pictures. This is a great way to connect kids with people they haven't met and remind them we were all young once!
14. Plan an imaginary trip. Research a place you would like to go, even if it's a place like Hogwarts or a faraway country like Antarctica. Use a globe or even google maps to find the country; find books about the place or look it up together; create a packing list; plan an itinerary; and write postcards. This can be an ongoing project.
15. Speaking of scenarios... This one is great because it requires nothing other than two or more imaginations. You can sit on the couch, and if a grandparent is less mobile, they can 100% participate. All you do is create a "scenario": We're all on a baking show, the theme is [blank] and there are three rounds: cupcake, candy, and cake. What will you make? Another example: We're all on a rocketship heading to [planet name]. Talk about your astronaut names, where you went to school, how long it takes to get there, what your jobs are on the spaceship, and what you see out the window. What happens when you land? Do you discover a species? Is it cold?
A superhero squad today, a band of bandits tomorrow, you never know where your kids’ imaginations are going to lead them. In order to help you be fully prepped, we’ve pulled together the ultimate list of kids’ dress-up clothes. Filled with supplies and props (most of which you probably already have) that will keep their minds engaged and active, keep reading to find out what should be in your dress-up box.
Glasses & Sunglasses Put on the perfect pair for instant rock star status!
Scarves & Ties Tie one on, add Dad's old vest, and you've got a professor or school teacher.
Jewelry All those old Mardi Gras beads will look great dangling around their necks.
Sports Jerseys What's an impromptu game without the proper sports attire?
Formal Wear When your kids want to host their fancy ball, old bridesmaid dresses (you'll NEVER wear it again), short dresses, suit jackets, white gloves and bowties fit the bill.
Shoes & Boots There's just something awesome about wearing Mom and Dad's shoes.
Toys If you don't already have them on hand, a doctor or veterinarian kit, a toy microphone, a cash register or any other open-ended play items are best bets.
Hawaiian Leis & Feather Boa No dress-up box is complete without one (or both) of these. We love these affordable options for leis and these colorful boas.
Jump Rope They'll use it to harness their horses, turn themselves into a train, or even rope imaginary cattle. Snag one here.
Cardboard Boxes Probably one of the most awesome and free props of all time, a big box transforms into a spaceship, a boat, or an eight-wheel truck. See our favorite ideas here.
Linens & Tapestry Sheets, pillowcases, and towels make for super-easy capes and ballgowns. Also, you can set the stage by throwing sheets over chairs and furniture to make a fort or cave for little explorers. Or, drape colorful tablecloths and tapestry to make exotic locales.
Play Money Pull from the Monopoly game for free!
Backpacks, Purses & More Old wallets, handbags, and last year’s school backpack are all perfect for stashing treasures.
Office Equipment Your CEO-in-training will have her startup business running in no time with old calculators, briefcases, staplers, keys, and computer keypads.
Other Props Other items, such as phones, baby bottles, kitchen utensils, mixing bowls, yardsticks, stethoscopes, old notepads, office stamps, and old passports are great additions to the dress-up bin; you never know who your kids will feel like being today!
LEGO bricks might just be the best toy out there since they offer so many different playtime possibilities. With so many options, sometimes little ones need a spark of inspiration to think of something to build with them. That’s why we’ve rounded up a bunch of cool LEGO games to add to your arsenal. They’ll get your kids building, thinking and giggling in no time. Read on to get your build on.
This game from Little Bins for Little Hands comes with a free printable with the challenges built right in! We love that it's designed like a game board but uses LEGO bricks you already have as the game pieces. Download the printable by clicking here.
Turn your favorite carnival game into a LEGO challenge dreamed up by Samantha of Stir the Wonder. It’s a great way to build hand-eye coordination and foster a bit of friendly competition. Get all the details by clicking here, and check out Samantha’s book The Unofficial Guide to Learning with LEGO for more ideas.
Get your kids’ imagination going with this bright idea from What Do We Do All Day? They’re encouraged to design the board and come up with rules themselves. To get all the details, click here.
We’re obsessed with this creative challenge by The Lego Librarian—kids build a deserted island for 20 minutes, then they get to pick a Disaster Card and build a solution to the problem they’re presented with. Click here to get the details (and printable cards), along with lots more fun LEGO challenges.
Sometimes kids get stuck and can’t figure out what to build, and that’s where this game from No Time for Flashcards comes in. A roll of the dice determines what piece to pick up next, and your kiddo’s imagination can take it from there. Get the details by clicking here.
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls has a great rundown of LEGO party games, but they’re just as fun in smaller settings, too. Kids are challenged to build structures with just one hand, build a tower with a blindfold on, and more. Click here to see all the games.
This hilarious game from Play. Party. Plan. will get your whole crew giggling. It involves building a LEGO tower on a tongue depressor—while holding it in your mouth. Get the details, plus more game ideas by clicking here.
Take a cue from LEGO themselves and challenge your kids to tell a story through their creations. It’ll help them work on their short-term memory as they retell a story back to you. Click here to get the details, along with more easy memory games.
Try out a printable card game from One Mama’s Daily Drama. The cards have different tasks for kids to complete, like building their name or a spaceship to go to Mars. To get the details, click here.
Get inspired by Kids Craft Room to play a Minute to Win It–style game using LEGO. Craft your own chopsticks, then use them to move the bricks around (it’s trickier than it looks!). Click here to discover more, quick but super fun, games.
Most parents want their children to have everything we wished for when we were growing up. We’re not talking about a swimming pool next to their bed or a roller coaster on the roof here. But we do want to provide them with a space of their very own, where they can have fun and play while they learn. From building a treehouse to indoor rock climbing, here are some amazing DIY ideas for making your home the most magical place for your kids to grow up happy.
1. Hidden Playroom
All children love anything that involves imagination, so your kids will love the idea of having their own secret little world. In fact, creating a hidden play area for your kid will pretty much turn a normal bedroom into the coolest spaceship, princess castle, or playroom your kid has ever seen. Secret passageways and hidden rooms are exciting for children because they love thinking they know something that adults don’t. Plus it makes them feel adventurous like they’re Indiana Jones or Dora The Explorer.
The good news is that you can make this project as easy or as difficult as you want, and there are even options for rental properties too! Homeowners can go all out by building new walls with a hidden access passageway, whereas renters can simply push some old cupboards into a corner. If you can find a closet that looks like the real deal, just remove the back to give your kids their own private Narnia! You can also use an elevated loft bed and create a little cubby underneath by putting walls up around the sides. There are so many cool ideas for hidden playrooms and your kid will love them all.
2. Indoor Rock Climbing
A rock-climbing wall can be built outside of course, but installing it inside is great because it helps ensure your kids can keep themselves occupied and exercising indoors. Even if it’s raining outside! Plus it will help them with their mental development as they’ll have to use their brains when they’re figuring out their climbing strategy for how they’re going to make it all the way to the top. And then they’ll be using the majority of the muscles in their body when they’re climbing their way up there.
All of this is great for your kids as it helps them to create good habits while they’re young, so they’ll want to stay fit and healthy for life. While it can be an excellent way to improve their cognitive thoughts and teach them all about scientific ideas, like gravity, rock climbing is mostly just a heap of fun for kids.
Before you start installing your rock climbing hardware indoors, it’s really important you make sure the wall you choose is going to be strong enough for you to install the specific hand-holds for indoor rock climbing. This really is the most perfect activity for indoors when you have an outdoor kid or two.
3. Treehouse Cubby
Treehouses have been every kid’s ultimate play area since forever. There’s just something that’s so cool about the combination of climbing a tree in their backyard that resonates with them. Probably because not only does it give children their own space, but they also feel a sense of freedom as well. Start with a sturdy tree in your backyard, and ask your children for their input with the design by asking them to draw their ideas.
If you’re not a fully qualified builder, it’s probably a good idea to find a simple treehouse design online to follow. Or maybe you can start by just building a basic platform with a ladder and a swing, so you can then just add to it as you learn how over time. If you don’t have an appropriate tree, another great alternative is a cubby house on the ground. Whether they’re playing in a cubby house up there among the trees, or a tiny home of their very own on the ground, your kids will get hours of sheltered playtime right there at home. Just be warned that a treehouse in your backyard will probably turn them into the coolest kids on your street, so expect their friends to be coming over all the time!
4. Indoor Slide
Because most kid’s bedrooms are where they spend most of their time playing, why not add an indoor slide to create the ultimate playroom for them? If they have a loft or bunk bed, it can help them get out of bed each morning. Most parents want their kids to spend less time looking at screens anyway, so it really makes sense to add something inside the house that they’ll actually want to play on. You can make sure they’ll have hours of fun and exercise, even on a stormy day, simply by adding a few other playground items like a rope swing, rope bridge, a rope ladder, or something like gymnastics rings.
A child’s surroundings at home can have a big impact on their physical growth, mental development, and overall happiness. So when you’re following these ideas, start by letting out your inner child again. And not only will your kids end up loving their own adventure playland, but your house will probably become the coolest place in town.
Christina is a proud mother, entrepreneur, author and world traveller. Previously a successful businesswoman who gave it all up to raise children, Christina spent a lot of her free time during those years flipping through books. She hopes her books will inspire and motivate others.
Walt Disney World Resort is turning the big 5-0—and there’s plenty of bday magic for the whole fam to enjoy!
Get ready for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” at the Florida resort. Starting Oct. 1, 2021 guests can enjoy new experiences in the resort’s four theme parks. Along with the all-new experience awesomeness, the Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park will get a royal makeover. Look for new gold bunting, gold embellishments and more.
photo: Courtesy of Disney/Matt Stroshane
At night the Cinderella Castle will transform into one of the resort’s new Beacons of Magic, glowing with a radiant light display. Other resort landmarks, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park’s Tree of Life, EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth and Disney’s Hollywood Studios’s Hollywood Tower Hotel will also glow as Beacons of Magic during the 50th anniversary celebration.
The Cinderella Castle isn’t the only fave park fixture to get an anniversary upgrade. Mickey and Minnie are also getting a sparkling makeover. The iconic pair will sport custom-made looks in EARidescent fabric with shining gold highlights.
“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” kicks off Oct. 1 and will last for the following 18 months. Stay tuned for more details about the resort’s plans or visit DisneyWorld.com/50 for future information.
Much of the world has slowed down over the last year, but the Imagineers at EPCOT have used this time to make some big changes. One of the first to be revealed is the eye catching fountain that stands in front of Spaceship Earth.
The acrylic structure stands where the original fountain did in 1982, welcoming guests to the magic of EPCOT. The reimagined fountain took inspiration from the geometry of the original, while adding a light at the center of the liquid-cooled fixture to go with the changing colors.
The fountain is made of three 16-foot acrylic pylons with the park’s logo and immediately draws your eye upward toward the sky and Spaceship Earth. Imagineers hail the fountain as the centerpiece of EPCOT’s entrance plaza.
Stay tuned for even more changes coming to the park as EPCOT continues to make more magical transformations in the months ahead.
Your kids will be so excited when you come back from your next ALDI run with fun new toys to keep them entertained and active. Outfit your playroom now or save them as gifts for the holidays. These assorted options from Bee Happy will be available at your local ALDI beginning the week of Sept. 16.
Bee Happy Pop Up Playhouses
Choose from five different styles:
Confetti
Camo
Starry Night
Spaceship
Princess
Each playhouse assembles in minutes without tools; folds back down into its carry bag for storage and portability. The door can be flapped closed by Velcro and opened by tying the strings on top.Each playhouse also comes with ground stakes for outdoor use.
The Bee Happy Pop Up Playhouses each retail for $14.99.
Bee Happy Wooden Food Sets
Sandwich Set
This set includes a knife, bread slices, a burger bun, side of fries and a large variety of sliced sandwich foods.
Salad Set
This set includes lettuce and spinach leaves, avocado, a variety of vegetables, salad dressing, bowl and more.
Ice Cream Set
This set includes ice cream in 4 different flavors, a scoop and accessories to cool off and enjoy the ice cream role play.
BBQ Set
This set includes typical BBQ foods such as chicken, sausages, vegetables and more.
Each of these wooden food sets retail for $9.99.
Bee Happy Mag Tiles
The set includes 12 Squares, 8 equilateral triangles, 4 right triangles, 2 squares with arch, 4 squares with square cut out, 4 squares with 4 square cutouts, 4 isosceles triangles and 2 square with rectangle cut outs in assorted colors.
Bee Happy Mag Tiles retail for $17.99.
Bee Happy Hoppers
Unicorn
Planet
Horse
Dog
Dinosaur
Giraffe
The kid-powered, bounce along action encourages physical activity by combining fitness and fun to develops balance, coordination, and core strength. These Hoppers are perfect for both indoor and outdoor use and an air pump is included.
This talk show is out of this world. On Fri. Sept. 4, Disney+ will debut 10 episodes of its first original talk show Earth to Ned. The fresh take on the late-night format stars larger-than-life extraterrestrial creatures Ned and Cornelius as they interview some of the biggest stars in our galaxy.
This brand new talk show comes from The Jim Henson Company. Hosted by alien commander Ned and his lieutenant Cornelius, who call off the invasion of Earth after they fall in love with human culture. Broadcasting from the bridge of their spaceship, hidden deep underground, Ned and Cornelius interview Earth’s greatest resource, celebrities. With the help of the ship’s artificial intelligence, BETI, and the destructive CLODs (Cloned Living Organisms of Destruction), Ned must keep his show a secret from his home planet or suffer the wrath of his father, the Admiral of the Galactic Fleet.
Each episode focuses on a topic or theme that is both equally unique to earthlings and fascinating to Ned, including comedy, sports, social media, and fashion. Ned beams in celebrity guests from across the known universe to put on the ultimate chat show, and the more he learns about our human culture, the more obsessed he becomes.
Guests include Bindi and Robert Irwin, NeNe Leakes, Joel McHale, Andy Richter, RuPaul, Jenny Slate, and Raven Symoné.
Ned, Cornelius, their Artificial Intelligence BETI, and army of CLODs are brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the team behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic characters.
It has been over two months since I have written a blog post. I wish I could say that it’s because I was having so much fun with my family during this global pandemic that I didn’t have time to write.
But that would be a lie.
I have seen so many women posting about how wonderful quarantine has been at home with their families. That even though things have gotten rough, they are making it through and coming out on the other side of this a much better person overall. They have succulents and do crafts with their kids.
And I wish I had been doing those things.
But, to be completely honest, I am just trying to make it out of this mess of a world in one piece.
Disclaimer: Don’t tell me to look on the bright side after reading this. I have been. I am making the most of all this. But I also know that this hasn’t been easy on anyone and let’s stop lying and say we’re 100% okay.
Look at the last three months of our lives. It’s been a true clusterf*ck. Everything was cancelled. Literally everything.
I was supposed to go to a Backstreet Boys concert with my sister this fall and it has been rescheduled for 2021. I don’t know if Backstreet will be making it back. They are older than me and I can’t walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded.
But back to the real world. The crappy one we have been living in. I can’t even take my kids to a playground.
I can’t run an errand when it’s just me and the boys because I can’t take them into the store with me, but I also can’t leave them in the car because DCBS would get called.
And then, finally this Coronavirus was starting to get a little better and things were easing up and everyone goes out and people start getting sick again.
Sending our kids to school in the fall will be like sending them into a spaceship of plastic in tiny hazmat suits. Kind of like that Flight of the Navigator movie from my early nineties childhood.
THEN some douche dongle decides to murder an innocent black man in cold blood with people yelling at him to stop and the crowd filming the entire incident.
And that’s when the world went up into flames. I decided to educate myself about racism and realized that as a privileged 35-year old woman living in a mid-size, mostly white town in Kentucky, that I had been unknowingly judging people because of the color of their skin.
That was absolutely embarrassing and it’s hard to admit because it feels so dirty. But now I know and am learning more and have realized that black lives matter and some people that call themselves Christians are still racist.
Disclaimer: I will get about 7 hateful emails because of the comment above.
So not much has happened over the last three months. Just chillin’ with my fam on the back porch.
Can we all just admit it?
This has absolutely been one of the hardest times in my entire life. I have been trying to balance all this change with raising two young boys, working and trying to be a good wife.
My husband had his entire baseball team’s season cancelled and was absolutely crushed for the ten seniors that were on the team this year. At least five, maybe six now, have been signed to play baseball in college. Logan, I just want you to know I am proud of the coach you are.
On the other side, I have been working full time at the office and Logan has been taking care of the kids while working from home.
And the sum of all that craziness showed us that marriage isn’t easy.
I never talk about our marriage on here, but this pandemic and the chain of events following have made us realize how much work it is to make a marriage work and that we have to spend time together communicating every day. It can be hard because we are both tired and frustrated and want our lives to feel a small bit of normalcy again but it’s worth it.
So yeah, unicorns and rainbows over here.
Oh, and I need someone to potty train my two-year old but that would just be pouring gasoline on this dumpster fire right now. His poop is the size of my arm and it’s getting so gross but he is not showing interest. So I will continue letting him wear big boy underwear over his diaper.
So let’s take a vow that we will start being honest about how we are feeling. I have been having a hard time. Lots of anxiety. And I just realized it because I had been lying to myself that everything was great and that life hasn’t thrown me a curveball of poop that was on fire.
Until next time, which is hopefully sooner rather than later.
I am a full time working mom with two little boys, Henry and Simon. I write about real life and real life gets messy. Contributor for Motherly, HuffPost Parents, Scary Mommy, Today Parents, Love What Matters and Her View From Home.
