Ellie S. Grossman
St. Louis Moms Flock To The Nest
Moms and their families have a new hangout in St. Louis, and it’s like no other place in town. It’s called The Nest, which recently opened in Frontenac after much anticipation, preview parties, and fanfare that rivals the grand opening of a designer outlet mall. Described as a “stay and play creative café,†The Nest is getting rave reviews, offering something for EVERY mom with any age children, even moms-to-be and almost empty nesters like me.
Hanukkah and Thanksgiving Share Theme
We have enough trouble spelling Hanukkah-Chanukah, only to throw in another word scrambler Thanksgivukkah because the Jewish and secular calendars converge this year. In the Hebrew calendar, which follows the sun and the moon, the festival of lights starts on the date of 25 Kislev, which officially starts at sunset before Thanksgiving.  On the Gregorian calendar, Thanksgiving sits on the fourth Thursday in November. The last time the two holidays coincided was 1888, 25 years after President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a holiday. This historical moment won’t happen again for another 77,798 years, so we might as well embrace the hybrid holiday by topping sweet potato latkes with cranberry applesauce and brining our turkey with Manischewitz.
College Students Gobble Up Thanksgivukkah Care Packages
It doesn’t seem that long ago when my son Jack was in elementary school, and I used to put a Hershey’s Kiss in his sack lunch with a little note that said something like, “Have a fun day!†or “Good luck on your spelling test!†or “xxxooo.†That lasted about a week, until he finally said, no more embarrassing notes, just chocolate.
Announcing Listen To Your Mother 2014
Being a co-director/producer of Listen To Your Mother is kinda like being pregnant. The show is my baby, and while it’s developing and growing inside me for many months, I feel a rollercoaster of emotions. I’m tired, overwhelmed, anxious, hormonal, and excited. I’m also restless and wake up in the middle of the night to write my blog because I have so much on my mind, not to mention a to-do list that never ends. At our meetings, I crave Laura’s famous blueberry bars and Naomi’s bruschetta (I suppose that explains the weight gain). On top of that, my feet even swell, but that’s probably from walking across stage in four-inch heels that I didn’t break in first. And, of course, no pregnancy is complete without labor pains. But it’s all worth it.
Because in the end, I give birth to something incredibly beautiful and truly one-of-a-kind. Then after a short period of bed rest , I can’t wait to do it all over again.
Catching ZZZZs With Zleeps
With the end of daylight saving time on Sunday, remember to set your clocks back, change the smoke detectors, and enjoy that extra hour of sleep. Even though moms are usually really tired, getting enough rest is not always easy. Whether your crying newborn needs a feeding, or your teenager pulls into the garage after midnight, or you suffer from insomnia, or your husband snores so loud he can wake up the neighbors, you probably aren’t sleeping as good as you should.
Health experts suggest that the recommended amount of sleep for adults is eight hours a night. Yeah, right, in my dreams. Juggling work, family, and everyday life can cut into precious sleeping time and lead to physical and emotional problems besides crabbiness, mood wings, inability to concentrate, and impatience.  Lack of sleep also can cause serious medical problems, such as heart disease, fibromyalgia, memory problems, and even weight gain. So THAT explains why I can’t fit into my skinny jeans anymore, or maybe it’s from eating too much leftover Halloween candy.
On 911, Their Memory Is A Blessing
As I write this story, I watch the memorial service in New York that is videotaped live on my computer and listen to family members read the names of their loved ones who died on September 11, 2001. A flute quietly plays Amazing Grace, while the crackling voices pronunciate the names of each and every name of the nearly 3,000 people who perished 12 years ago in the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, in a grassy field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and in the ash-covered streets in Lower Manhattan on that infamous day from hell.
The speakers are children and adults,who stand before the crowd on a hot summer morning, with the rush of the two waterfalls in the background. They share personal stories about their mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, friends who went to work on that September 11 morning and never came home.
Rosh Hashanah Sweetens The Deal
The Jewish New Year is off to a sweet start as I pluck another huge yellowish-pink Honeycrisp apple that hangs heavy on a leafy tree branch. I open my mouth wide and bite into the succulent, crunchy fruit and let the juice drip down my chin and make my face sticky. On Rosh Hashanah, apple picking is a great tradition for several reasons. It brings my family together; it symbolizes sweetness for the year ahead; and it’s an opportunity to share the gleanings, or extra crops, with those who are hungry and less fortunate at a local food pantry. Plus, I have an excuse to make a lot of yummy recipes, including apple raisin koogle, applesauce, apple crisp, apple salad, and whatever new treat I can find like honey mustard chicken with apples. (It must have something to do with fasting on Yom Kippur in 10 days).
JWRP Israel Trip Inspires St. Louis Moms To Live More Jewishly
“St. Louis Soul Sisters” on top of Aish HaTorah building, overlooking the Old City in Jerusalem.
This summer, 12 St Louis moms embarked on a journey of their lifetime to Israel. I was lucky to be one of them.
Counting Down to College
Next weekend, my son Jack will move into his college dorm as a freshman, and mark the beginning of a new stage in his life and mine, too. As a parent, this is the day I have tried to prepare him to spread his wings and fly out of the nest. Never mind the fact that mama bird is feeling a bit emotional, like the first day I dropped him off at preschool (multiplied by one thousand).
Of course I’m excited for him. He has worked really hard to get good grades, score decent on his ACT, and write an impressive resume and college essay. He deserves this time to explore his freedom, take on new challenges, and meet new people. My biggest concern is that he sleeps into the afternoon or falls out of his loft bed.
JWRP Trip to Israel: Don’t Get Me Started
Celebrating Shabbat at the Claman’s home in Jerusalem.
Not a day goes by that I haven’t talked to somebody about last month’s JWRP trip, whether they ask me or not.
Anyway, today I was at the home of Rabbi Yosef David, of Aish St. Louis, doing a photo shoot for a story I’m writing for the St. Louis Jewish Light. The topic is: “Ask a Rabbi, What’s your favorite room of your house?â€
Turns out this question is deeper than it seems because Judaism is the only religion that is home-based and is practiced under your own roof with your family more than it is in a church like other faiths. How we raise our children, speak to them, keep Shabbat, celebrate the holidays, and study together at the dining room table is what being Jewish is all about, not going to temple once or twice a year for the high holidays.
