{36 reasons} Latke Fail (ish)

True confession: I love latkes.

True confession: I hate making latkes. I hate being in a room where latkes are being made. I hate the smell. I hate the oil. I hate the way that the house feels and the way that my hair smells and the way that it sticks to my coat and socks and even my undergarments.

True confession: This makes me buy latkes from the grocery store. It's just not worth the trouble, the oil, the mess, the SMELL. I am a DIY gal but when it comes to latkes I would rather they spring up, fully formed, with no origin story that I can smell.

This year, I decided to make latkes.

I was seduced by the idea of fresh, crispy, hot-from-the-pan latkes such as I'd seen on all my friends' Facebook posts.

And then I was reminded of my friend LeighAnn's post about oven-fried latkes. I had never tried them.

Sounded too good to be true.

And, of course, you know what they say about things that sound too good to be true.

They are.

Oy.

I am clearly not the homemaker that she is.

It all started out so well. I do know how to make latkes. My dad and I grated the potatoes and onions (food processor, I'm no purist) and mixed in the eggs, the matzah meal, the garlic and salt and pepper.

We heated the oven according to her directions...and preheated the oil in the pan.

And then there was the SMOKE. Too close to the bottom of the oven, perhaps? Either way...wow, did the house fill up with smoke. We opened windows and doors, and silenced the smoke detector.

But it all seemed okay so we put the latkes onto the heated pans....

Some of them came out great. Almost perfect.

Some of them came out terrible. The oil didn't spread out enough? They were dry...or mealy...or undercooked. We changed the temperature, we added more oil, we set and reset the timer.

I am making my best McKayla impression.

We got quite a few yummy latkes. So, in reality, this isn't a total failure. But we threw away quite a few as well. Sigh.

On the upside, there is no oily residue anywhere in my kitchen...except the inside of the oven.

On the downside, there is still a smell....not quite as bad as fried latkes, but definitely a strong smoky cooking smell.

On the upside, we had delicious latkes to eat.

On the upside, everyone liked them a lot.

Next year, I'm back to the grocery-store-deli-counter latkes.

Blessed are You, O God, Ruler of the World, who has created inspiration through the internet, and who has created stores to provide pre-made oily foods, and who has brought me to this day.

{36 Reasons} Make a Mess

(I definitely didn't take into account the "other" bloggy business that I wanted to accomplish during this 36 Reasons to Say Shehecheyanu project. So there's quite a bit of personal creativity involved to get other things to fit into the whole thing...)

I received two products in the mail recently, both involving a whole lot of craftiness.

The first is this Chanukah House from Manishewitz. They are so excited about this product that they're offering big prizes in their decorating contest...check them out on Facebook for contest info.

We are, um, not going to win.
In fact, I feel like we're in a Pinterest-fail-type situation here.

It looked so easy!

Totally not so easy.

We were given wise advice from a friend who has done this before - she told us to make it a multi-day project. Put the house together and then let it sit for a day or two to dry and harden. Good advice.

With my two able-bodied and pajama'ed assistants, we embarked on the building.

Quite a few of the pieces were broken in the box. Oops.

Then, a few days later....we decorated. That was really hard! We didn't quite have the right tools, I think, and we weren't quite prepared for how difficult it would be to make it look pretty.

David wanted to try and make it look like he was eating it.

It looks NOTHING like the box design...which, as I pointed out to my kids, was created by a computer artist. The stuff in the box...eluded me.

Okay, so here's my thoughts on this one.
I just don't get it. I posted about it to Facebook and got mixed comments from friends, some who thought it was really cool and others who were with me in their confusion.

Here's what I don't get:
Gingerbread houses are a tradition that has always eluded me in general. I think of Hansel and Gretel, and I know that they are a traditional Christmas decoration. They don't seem to have any religious significance, so that's certainly not my issue. I tend to shy away from projects that seem to be wasteful of food - I've never really met anyone who eats their gingerbread house. They're pretty but...

Here's the other thing I don't get. Aside from the Chanukiyot (menorahs) that we frosting-glued to the windows, what makes this house different from a Jewish house at any other time of year? I was so excited to affix the little mezuzah (we didn't say the bracha but we talked about it) which isn't just a Chanukah thing. I can't wrap my brain around the question...why a house? If this were a Sukkah kit, I'd get it. If it were a make-a-menorah-out-of-cookie kit, I might get that too. But a house? I'm a little lost on the significance.

In all fairness to my food-wasting concern, we did taste the house after building it. The kids really wanted to and I couldn't see any reason why not. They thought the frostings were awful and the cookie was super hard but tasted like graham crackers. We didn't eat all of it.

Overall, it was a fun project but again...I just don't get it.

The second product that we received in the mail was from Kiwi Crate.
What a fabulous idea - you pay for a monthly subscription and you get a "crate" of projects. If the monthly projects are anything like these - we literally had everything we needed in the box. I added newspaper and a scissors.

There were two projects in the box. We only ended up doing one because it was so much fun! I am planning to try out the other one during Chanukah.

We did Dreidel Spin Art - oh, it was so much fun! Messy, but awesome.

I loved loved loved that we used the crate itself for the spin space - no waste at all. My kids loved it.

Here's how it looked when we opened it.

Then we used up the rest of the paint to make the box beautiful...why not?

This was a fun and messy-but-contained and overall awesome project. All three of my big kids loved it.  (And yes, we did this one in our pajamas too! We only have limited time when Solly is asleep!)

My only complaints? The directions were simple and easy to follow, but there were no "suggestions" or "tips" - as we got started, I suddenly realized that we should put down newspaper. I didn't realize the kids might get paint splattered all over them, and while it did wash out of their hands easily, nowhere have I found information that it actually is "washable" paint. These are minor complaints, we had so much fun! (There is a "messiness meter" on the instruction booklet but it was awfully tiny.)

The other project is a menorah made using modge-podge and (included) LED tea lights. I'm sure it will be beautiful when we make it.

You can send gift subscriptions, or buy it for your own family! You can sign up by the month or for a yearly subscription. There are other holiday crates available too, and plenty of non-holiday stuff.  RIGHT NOW you can get $5 off gift subscriptions (3, 6, or 12 months), the code is GIFT.

Blessed are You, O God, who gives me the opportunity to have fun with my children, to create and do and learn and try and celebrate, who has made soap and water for cleanup and who has brought me to this day.

Chanukah 5772 in pictures

lighting lights

eating treats

family togetherness

celebrating freedom

I hope your Chanukah was as warm and bright as ours!

Miracles and Faith

Our Chanukah History

While taking out the Chanukah decorations, chanukiyot, dreidels, and books from the Chanukah box, we "found" all the things that the kids have made for Chanukah over the years.

Thus, a new tradition is born:

And then we found this one, which their Ima made a looong time ago.

So they insisted on taking my picture with it:

But I couldn't resist also taking a picture of the back.

Yep, I was a documenter of things even then.

How do you document your family traditions and memories?

8 Nights of Giving #HanukkahHoopla

What's HanukkahHoopla? Thanks to Renee for her great idea to set this up! Make sure you follow our hashtag (#HanukkahHoopla) on Twitter because over the next 8 days, we're all going to be posting great Chanukah content - 16 different bloggers!

I hate to break it to everyone, but Chanukah really isn't about gifts. There are a number of themes that have developed over time, but at its core, it's about standing up for what you believe in and freedom of religion. So in that spirit, I'd like to kick off my participation in the #HanukkahHoopla by highlighting 8 organizations that celebrate freedom.

1. The Agahazo-Shalom Youth Village: I believe that education is one of the highest pillars of freedom. This Youth Village provides a safe place and an education to orphaned youth in Rwanda. It was founded by a Jewish couple who wanted to have an impact on the world, and their project was picked up by the JDC, making it viable and successful.  You can donate here.

2. Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind: I'm not a big fan of animals, and dogs make me (achoo) sneeze. But I do see their immense benefit in certain situations, in particular for the blind. Talk about offering freedom to a person locked into a world of dependence! This organization helps pair people with dogs, train dogs, and raise awareness.

3. Yad LaKashish - Lifeline for the Old in Israel: You've probably heard of this organization, which offers empowerment to elderly and disabled people in Jerusalem by creating a safe workshop where they create beautiful artwork.

4. Dress for Success: This is a great organization that helps to empower women who are entering the workforce and might not have the appropriate attire for job interviews or work. What a great way to instill freedom, to help someone to get a job for themselves.

5. Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute: OSRUI is the Reform Jewish camp that serves the midwest region and provides an amazing Jewish experience for over a thousand Jewish kids and young adults each summer and year-round. I believe that Jewish summer camp is the ultimate in offering freedom to our campers - the freedom to become empowered Jewish adults. (Maybe you want to find a URJ camp in your own region? Click here.)

6. Israel Sport Center for the Disabled: Did you know that Israel is on the cutting edge of wheelchair sports training? We all know that sports empower kids and adults - imagine how much more if that child or adult is wheelchair-bound? I have met some of the athletes from this Center and I was so impressed with their poise and confidence.

7. Jewish Heart for Africa's Light Up Africa Chanukah Campaign: Did you know that $20 provides electricity for one person in Africa for LIFE? That is amazing. This organization is using Israeli technology to provide water and electricity in Africa. Think of how freeing it must be to have light and water when before you had none.

8. Jchoice.org - Okay, so this isn't one specific organization. But JChoice.org is the ultimate in Tzedakah freedom. Let yourself loose on this website and you will most definitely find an organization or cause that speaks to you. Give your family members the gift of the freedom of choice by allowing them to choose a recipient for the tzedakah dollars that you give to them. A really great opportunity to learn and give at the same time.

How can you use this list? Make your own donations. Use this list as a jumping off point to other organizations. Discuss these ideas with your friends and family and make your own lists. Coming up later in the week - Chanukah gifts of action...(And here's a post linking your gifts of tzedakah to the recipient's interests...)

AND NOW...a Chanukah giveaway! 

One lucky reader will win a great gift package from Mama Doni and Streit's:

Mama Doni’s Shabbat Shaboom CD
Mama Doni poster
Download card for free Mama Doni songs (1 Chanukah song and 1 Passover song)
Bag of Streit’s Chanukah gelt.

I would like to thank Streit's and Doni Zasloff Thomas a.k.a. Mama Doni, the lead singer/songwriter of The Mama Doni Band for providing each of the 16 bloggers involved in #HanukkahHoopla with a little cyber-swag. Their cross-promotional alliance is designed to celebrate Jewish culture with the young generation, a mission of both Mama Doni and Streit’s.

How can you win? Leave me a comment. What is your favorite Tzedakah organization? 

Be sure to leave me your email address (some people like to type it like this: "imabima (at) gmail.com" which saves you from spam)

On January 5, 2012, I will select one winner at random. 

Prefer to be contacted via Twitter? Leave your Twitter handle in your comment and I will tweet you if you win.

Not interested in winning? You can still leave a comment! I love to read your words. Just write: "No prize necessary" in your comment.

Hanukkah Kit {Review and Giveaway!}

I was invited to review a new product from a company called Jewish Holidays in a Box. I love this idea. A simple kit for each holiday to help families learn more about the holiday and feel confident and comfortable with their celebrations.
Right now, they only have the Hanukkah Kits to ship, and I received mine over the Thanksgiving weekend.

To read more and participate in the Giveaway, visit Thoughts from Rabbi Phyllis, my other blog.

A Hanukkah Bear - I See Me {Review}

I was given the opportunity to review a product from I See Me! - they create personalized books for children. I replied to the email and then promptly forgot about it.

So imagine my delight over the weekend when a package arrived for me!

I See Me has a full range of personalized books, but the one that I am reviewing is their Chanukah story, a sweet little book called "A Hanukkah Bear for Solomon." (They also have a book called "A Christmas Bear for...")

It's really a lovely book, with rhyming words and beautiful illustrations. The story is pretty basic - a child really wants a teddy bear, and throughout the week of Chanukah opens different gifts - a dreidel, gelt, toys, etc, and he eats latkes, lights candles, and eventually gets his sweet little bear on the last night.

The book is personalized on almost every page, which was really neat. I especially liked this page, which had gift tags for all the kids in our family. (They asked for this information, and I couldn't quite understand how it was all going to work out.)

I get a little crabby about Chanukah books that are focused on gifts, since I don't really feel like that is the main emphasis of the holiday of Chanukah. The nice thing, though, is that this book doesn't actually detail daily gifts as much as it helps to indicate that the whole 8 days are a celebration and family time.

There also aren't any pictures of people, which is really nice since families of all shapes, sizes and colors could read a book like this without feeling uncomfortable or left out. I filled out an information form, and I was asked for the "sender" of the book and gift. I used "mom and dad" but I'd imagine that you could put anything there and those names would be in the text of the book - "Then Mom and Dad gave him the last gift of all..." It would be so nice for a single parent family, or a same-sex couple, for example, to have whatever terminology they prefer. I like the potential for inclusion of everyone in a book like this one.

Solly is definitely not old enough to appreciate this book but I know that his siblings will love reading it and he will really like it as he gets older. It also came with a cuddly Gund bear that I know he will really like right now! The kiddo loves his bears.

Overall, I was very impressed with this product.

There is a bit of a lag time on orders, since it's all personalized, so they suggest that you order by December 3rd for Chanukah delivery!

I See Me also has a Facebook page, and they give discounts/deals on that page, so go and "like" them there if you're interested.

Full disclosure: I received this product free from the company. I was not compensated in any other way for my review and they didn't tell me what to say.

Sour Cream vs Applesauce: A Chanukah Debate

 Chanukah begins tonight! Are you ready???

Last chance for my two Chanukah giveaways today: Oh Nuts and Eight Winter Nights!

There is an eternal debate on Chanukah. I'm sure you're thinking, "candle lighting from left to right or right to left?" or "do we add a candle each night or take one away instead?" or even "how do you spell Chanukah?" but you would be wrong.

The big debate on Chanukah, perhaps the most important decision one can make in the month of Kislev, is this: Applesauce or Sour Cream?

And I'm here today to tell you why Sour Cream is the ultimate in latke topping.

Judith slaying Holofornes,
Painting by Cristoforo Allori
Maybe not the most appetizing illustration?

Let me tell you a little story about how dairy foods came to be a part of the Chanukah celebration. There once was a Jewish lass named Judith. During an Assyrian siege of her village (as part of the war that is remembered through the Chanukah celebration), she charmed her way into the enemy camp with a basket of cheese and wine. The enemy general, Holofernes, ate of the cheese and drank of the wine until he was unable to stay awake. The sweet lass Judith then took his sword and beheaded the muddled man. She brought his head back to her people in a basket and saved her town.

In her honor, then, dairy foods are consumed. What better choice than to top latkes, the perfect Chanukah treat, with sour cream, the perfect Chanukah remembrance?

Now, aside from the ritual value of the sour cream and the story that it allows us to tell at our dinner tables, there is also the added benefit of calcium (about 2 percent of your recommended daily allowance) and protein (about 1 gram per 2 tablespoon serving). These nutrients enable the latke consumer to create a whole meal around the latkes with no need for any additional protein source at the meal. Why is this beneficial? So the latkes can be the centerpiece of the table, a perfect solution for vegetarians and lighter eaters. No need to add meat to a latke supper, just serve sour cream with your latkes for the perfect combination of vegetable (potato) and protein (sour cream)!

Sour cream never goes out of season (unlike apples) and as long as properly refrigerated, will not spoil for the whole week of Chanukah. It is the perfect cool and creamy match to the salty, oily, crispy taste of a latke. It's a match made in heaven.

For what proves to be a tasty debate, scoot on over to RJ.org for a rebuttal by an esteemed scholar. Direct link coming soon...

Chanukah Giveaway from Oh Nuts!

With just one week left until Chanukah, I'm so happy to offer to you, my beloved readers, this giveaway from Oh Nuts!

 

You can win a $25 gift certificate...with which you could buy...a Chanukah gift box like the one you see pictured here! Oh Nuts has some really delicious stuff and lots of choices for any holiday.

Here's how to win:

 

1.Go to the Oh Nuts Hanukkah gifts page. Choose your favorite Hanukkah Gift and leave a comment on right here on this blog post with the name and url of the gift you like the most.

I will pick a random winner and Oh Nuts will email the winner a $25 gift certificate. You have until Wednesday, December 1st, the first night of Chanukah (but I'll pick a winner sometime in the afternoon).

 

2 Other ways you can win, from Oh Nuts:

2. You can go to the Oh Nuts facebook page  and post on the wall the url and name of your favorite Hanukkah Gift. Please also write "I am here via Ima on and off the Bima" 

3. You can follow @ohnuts and Tweet 

" Win a free Hanukkah Gift from http://bit.ly/6nIsCi Follow @ohnuts & Retweet to enter.  "

Totally full disclosure: Oh Nuts is giving me a $30 gift certificate for running this giveaway and if I get more than 40 comments, I will get even more. So be nice, share it with your friends... 

 

Happy almost Chanukah everyone!

Just One Week!

There's only one week left...



G-dcast Spins Chanukah! from G-dcast.com
More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com

The Eternal Question....

(Which is really only a good question for vegetarians or people who like dairy meals, I suppose.)

Which is your preference? Post coming soon declaring my position....

8 Days - Aliyah and Chanukah

 As you may know, my brother made aliyah in August of 2009, with Nefesh b'Nefesh. So they definitely hold a special place in my heart for what they helped him to do. (In case you're wondering, he's doing great and still in the army.)

Here's their entry into the Chanukah YouTube video fun, a trek throughout Israel celebrating each night (well, it's daytime but it's a music video, not really known for their realism) of Chanukah in a different part of the country. Cute, catchy, and entertaining. My favorite part is when he "unearths" a sufganiya, brushes it off with an archaeological tool, and then takes a big bite. Ew! But funny nevertheless.



What's your favorite Chanukah video?

It's that Time of Year...Chanukah Countdown!

I know, I know...it's only November 12th.
But it's the 5th of Kislev, so there are only 20 days left until Chanukah!

So here are some Chanukah links and projects to get you started:

Dreidel Factory from Matzo Ball Soup - simple and awesome

From King Arthur Flour

Check out this cupcake menorah - I think we're going to have to try this one this year!
Here are the 27 craziest menorahs ever!

Need a good Chanukah playlist?

Here's one of my favorites:



What are you planning for Chanukah this year?

Don't Let the Light Go Out

Haveil Havalim is up over at Frume Sarah's place. Go tell her what a nice job she did!

Chanukah comes to its inevitable end.

The lights shone brightly

and filled our hearts and homes.

We have come to banish night,

banish it with candlelight.

May the lights of Chanukah continue to warm us

from within

as we work to banish night all over the world.

This is my Best Shot for the week. See more of them over here.
See more Chanukah Shots over at Batya's place.

Happy Chanukah...and the Winner!

Winner of the $25 gift certificate to Oh Nuts is AMY who actually made a comment that she thought I "didn't need her any more"!!!! See, Amy, you were needed...to win! I'll be in touch to get the code from Oh Nuts to you:-)

Wishing you all a wonderful Chanukah and Shabbat!!!

I'll be back with more giveaways and Chanukah stuff after Shabbat. Things got a little crazy around here this week and I didn't quite get to it all....

Here's one of my all-time Chanukah favorite songs...Ocho Kandelikas...sung by one of my favorite bands, the LeeVees (hey guys, where's my Sukkot album?)

Holy Ground - Review and Giveaway

Craig Taubman, a wonderful Jewish musician (and a friend), published a new album recently.
I love the cover art:

I love the way the shoes are set next to a book - a mixing of the sacred and the ordinary that exemplifies the American Jewish experience.

The title track, Holy Ground, is beautiful. It reminds us that "all of life is holy ground" - wherever we are. What a powerful reminder for those days when we feel that our lives have become mundane and ordinary. It was commissioned in honor of the HUC Rabbinic Class of 2008, and I think it's a perfect song to help new (and veteran) rabbis (and non-rabbis too!) remember the sacred nature of every act they perform, even ones that seem trivial.

My favorite track on the CD is V'shamru. It's a rockin' rollin' awesome version of this traditional reading. And Craig writes in the liner notes: "Don't let PlayStation steal this chance to live and to love." I love this singable song and I love the reminder to carefully guard and protect the joys of Shabbat.

The other track I'm holding onto is Ki Hem Chayenu (not the least of which because it is dedicated to the memory of Grandpa Ben and Grammy from Ben, Anna, Noah, and Dorothy - a family that I hold dear), because it's a really beautiful reminder of the real meaning of the prayer Ahavat Olam. Teach us to number our days that we may have a heart of wisdom...

There are other great tracks that I'm going to learn...a musical setting for Birkat HaGomel, a prayer that Reform Jews have begun to embrace thanks to its inclusion in the new Mishkan Tefillah prayerbook, a Lecha Dodi that is also pretty jazzy (but I'm a fan of Craig's earlier Lecha Dodi too!), Love Your God, a setting for the Shema that is a perfect lullaby.

It's a great CD, would make a great gift, and no one even paid me to say this! (Actually, Craig himself handed me this CD at the Biennial and I told him that I'd be giving it away after I listened to it!)

So...you know you want this CD. I'm sure you can get it somewhere else, but you can also WIN IT here!

Leave a comment and make sure I know how to get a hold of you if you win.

Winner will be chosen on Tuesday, December 8th. Tell your friends!
Extra entry for tweeting but YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT to tell me about your tweets, pretty please?
Wouldn't it be nice if you shared it on Facebook too? I'd appreciate it. You know you love me. Thanks, y'all!

A Celebration and a Giveaway!

I am so proud to have (almost) completed my third NaBloPoMo!

It's been a great month around here ... a whole bunch of birthdays, a whole bunch of baking, hosting Haveil Havalim (it's so convenient to host during November), and I even went to the Biennial and got famous!

So, to celebrate, a really great giveaway from my friend over at RotemGear.

Go check out her cool stuff, she has a great collection of t-shirts and other wearables with funny and quirky Jewish stuff on them. Some of them make me laugh out loud!

Winner will get a "Got Latkes?" T-shirt - isn't it adorable???

To win:
Go over to RotemGear (I'll wait) and pick your favorite t-shirt. Come back here and leave a comment telling me which one is your favorite.



Get an extra entry by tweeting about it. Make sure to leave me a comment telling me you did that, please.

Make sure I have a way to get ahold of you if you win!

Giveaway will close on DECEMBER 3rd...so get commenting, folks!

Anyone can win, but non-US addresses won't get their shirt in time for Chanukah this year.

Another chance to win is available over at the RotemGear blog...write a Chanukah-themed limerick to win!

Don't forget, I'm also giving away a $25 gift certificate to Oh Nuts over here.

What's on Your Wish List?

I totally stole borrowed am playing along with the Angel Forever.

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? 

- one morning to sleep in as late as i want and a whole day to laze around in bed
- a family vacation to a warm place
- a CSA membership for the summer
- a personal chef to cook all the CSA food (hey, a girl can dream, right?)
- one of these shirts
- this phone...or this one.

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? 





When I went to college, a dear friend of my grandmother's knit me an afghan. I still have it, and I still treasure it. She remembered the colors of my Bat Mitzvah invitation and made it to match. What an amazing gift.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? 


I'd like to learn to knit and felt purses. I think they're so cool.

4. What was the best Christmas Chanukah gift you received as a child? 


I remember receiving a "boom box" the year I turned 8. It was a joint present for Chanukah and my birthday and I loved it. It brought music into my own room and I thought that was the greatest thing in the world.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? 

My children really want for nothing...they've just had birthdays and our cup runneth over.

That said, Sam is into Ben10 gear, David into Legos and DS games, and Yael really wants this Dora dollhouse.

6. What is your favorite holiday food? 


Sufganiyot. The chocolate-filled ones. Preferably hot and fresh and purchased in Mahane Yehuda. But since that won't happen, I'll be heading over to Mizrahi Grill for my sufganiyot this year.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? 


I'm thinking of doing some jars of cookie mix. Might make a nice gift...

8. What is your favorite holiday movie? 


Lights: The Miracle of Chanukah

9. Favorite holiday song? 



(okay, maybe not it's my very favorite, but I do love this one!!!!)

10. Favorite holiday pastime?

Playing dreidel and singing songs


Feel free to play along. The amazing prizes up for grabs can be found here. Thanks to TodaysMama for all of the fun. You have until December 13 to join in.  

Oh NUTS Giveaway for Chanukah!

Oh yes, my loyal readers (all 6 of you...thanks, guys), the fun that you've experienced for the last 2 years is back...it's year 3 of the Ima's Chanukah Countdown!

And to kick it off right, Oh Nuts has generously offered a $25 gift certificate to one LUCKY reader!

Three ways to enter:

1. Go to the Oh Nuts Hanukkah gifts page. Choose your favorite Hanukkah Gift and leave a comment RIGHT HERE on this post with the name and url of the gift.

I will pick ONE lucky winner! You have until December 10th, the day before Chanukah!

2. Go to the Oh Nuts Facebook page and post on the wall the url and name of your favorite Hanukkah Gift. PLEASE also write "I am here via Ima on and off the Bima"

3. Follow @ohnuts and should Tweet:
Win a free Hanukkah Gift from http://bit.ly/6nIsCi Follow @ohnuts and Retweet to enter.

Absolutely full disclosure: 
Oh Nuts has agreed to give me personally a gift if I hit 40 comments on this post. 
So help me out, y'all!? Thanks! Tell your friends...

Stay tuned for more Chanukah Countdown giveaways and Chanukah posts over the next 2 1/2 weeks...