National Honesty Day

April kicks off with a day of lies and it ends with a day of honesty.

National Honesty Day encourages us to be honest today, and everyday. It may not be as popular as April Fool's day, but its intentions are good.

Honesty is a great virtue. If we want people to believe us when its important, then we need to be open and honest all of the time. We all know about the boy who cried wolf. When a wolf actually appeared, no one believed him.

Celebrate National Honesty Day in a completely open and honest way. There are few rules for this special day...actually just one...just be honest. Today gives you an opportunity and a reason to be totally honest and speak your mind.

M. Hirsh Goldberg, former press secretary to a governor of Maryland and author of five books, created National Honesty Day in the early 1990s after spending four years researching and writing The Book of Lies. He created this day because he felt that the month of April, which begins with a  day of lying (April Fools Day), should end on a higher moral note.

Image via One Moms Battle

Here is a list of 10 little white lies we tell on a daily basis provided by Ireland’s number one directory enquiry service

1. "I’m fine"
2. "I’ll be there is two seconds" 
3. "I’ll do it tomorrow"
4."That was delicious"
5. "Sorry I’m late. Traffic was brutal"
6. "I’m only staying for one"
7. "Sorry I missed your call" 
8. "Oh this old thing.. I’ve had it for ages"
9."I’ll be ready in five minutes"
10. "I’ll be home in five minutes

Gardening: Roses

“What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” 
― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

 

Photo Provided by Hiren 

Spring time is the perfect time to start having fun in the garden. Many fruits and vegetables flourish especially during the spring, and so do roses! This beautiful flower has been around for over 3,000 years and although roses are thought of to have red petals and long thorny stems, there are over 100 different species. 

It is best to start planting your rose garden in the spring because that is when the ground is thawed and the soil is workable (depending on where you live of course). Make sure to plant your rose bush in an area that gets about 4-6 hours of sunlight everyday. Try to plant the rose bush in an area that isn't too close to other bushes or trees and if you are replacing an old one add fresh soil. When you are planting think about the position of the rose bush and position it in a way so that it can grow to its full potential. Once you have picked a spot start digging a hole (one that is big enough for the roots) and start planting! Before making the final cover add some water and let the rose plant absorb it, once that is done make sure to cover the roots properly. You can also add supplements such as bone meal to help with healthy root growth. That's it! Now go out and have fun planting your own rose bush :)

Happy Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week, and is the Sunday before Easter. It celebrates Jesus' entry to Jerusalem. He rode in on a donkey while crowds of people on the street waved palm branches to welcome him. They shouted "Hosanna" and laid their cloaks and palm branches in His path.

If any of you are interested in reading the scripture here it is: Matthew 21:1-11,14-17

So today is Palm Sunday and as a child I remember going to the old city of Jerusalem and being very excited to get my own palm branch decorated with colorful flowers (most likely they would be carnations). We would go to church where there would be more kids carrying their oversized palm branches and afterwards we would wait for the scouts to pass by. We could tell when they were near because we would hear the drums and the bagpipes in the distance. The scouts were my favorite part of the day and they still are. Now on Palm Sundays instead of me carrying a palm branch everywhere I go, my nephews and my cousins' kids are the ones holding them, but I still do enjoy watching the scouts and being around family. HAPPY PALM SUNDAY EVERYONE :)

Natalie's Nephew  holding a palm branch on Palm Sunday (2011)

It's Arbor Day - Plant Trees!

Happy Arbor Day everyone!

Arbor day is a holiday in which everyone is encouraged to plant new trees in yards, parks, neighborhood, and communities and to care for them. It was founded in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton In Nebraska. Arbor day is a holiday to celebrate trees, and to plant and care for trees and educate others about the importance of trees. On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, an estimated 1 million trees were planted. It is celebrated in the US on the final Friday of April and on various other dates around the world.

Arbor Day is also celebrated in other countries including Jordan where it is celebrated on January 15th. Variations of this holiday are also celebrated around the world such as: "Greening Week" of Japan, "The New Year's Day of Trees" in Israel, "The Tree-loving Week" of Korea, "The Students' Afforestation Day" of Iceland, and "The National Festival of Tree Planting" in India.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.
~ Chinese ProverbImage via atlantaintownpaper

No matter where or when you celebrate this holiday, Arbor day is the time to appreciate trees both for their beauty and usefulness. Whether it is educating children about trees and what their provide (papers, furniture, oxygen...) or planting a tree in your backyard it is important to preserve and conserve our environment and world.

Here is a cool application "National Tree Benefits Calculator" that is available at arborday.org/calculator that allows you to see how your trees are impacting the environment and your wallet.

And here are two crafts for children to do on Arbor Day or any day:

Create this tree using paint and corks (you can also use q-tips or just your fingers)image via The Picky Apple

Here is also a neat way to teach kids about parts of a treeimage via A Little Learning For Two

Avocados !

Avocados are native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for over 10,000 years. Another name for the avocado is the "alligator pear," so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape. The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree". One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.

Avocados will not ripen on the tree. They must be picked from the tree to initiate ripening. The leaves supply a substance that prevents ripening. The best way to store avocados is to leave them on the tree; they will store for 7 months or more when left on a tree!

Avocados are one of only a few fruits which contain beneficial fats. They also have vitamin B,K, and E. Not only that but they also contain more potassium than bananas! Here are even more reason for why you should eat avocados: prevent prostate cancer, oral cancer defense, breast cancer protection, eye health, lower cholesterol, stroke prevention!

There are several ways you can prepare avocados, you can use them in food recipes or even as facemasks.Brazilians add avocados to ice cream and Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for dessert drink. Here is a simple recipe for guacamole and a dish that Amanda's grandpa used to make.

Guacamole via allrecipes

*Guacamole:
- 2 avocados mashed
-1 small onion finely chopped
-1 clove garlic minced
-1 ripe tomato chopped
-1 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste

~ mix all ingredients and chill for half an hour for flavors to blend

Image via kinsfarmmarket

*Grandpa's Recipe:
- Half the avocado and remove the pit
- Fill the pit with baby shrimp
- Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar
- and eat!

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

Today is  William Shakepeare's birthday, he was born on April 23, in 1564 which would make him 449 years old! Shakespeare is best known for being an English poet and play-writer and is highly recognized as the world's greatest English writer. He wrote many dramatic plays and divided them up into three genres: tragedy, history, and comedy. Some of his most famous plays are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and much more. He also wrote sonnets, two narrative poems, two epitaphs, and many quotes. One of his most famous quote is "To be, or not to be: that is the question", which was presented in Hamlet (Act III, Scene I).

His works have been installed in us from a very young age, I (Amanda) remember reading Hamlet in the 9th grade and not understanding a word, after re-reading and acting the scenes out in class I really got a grasp of his dramatic writing and understood the humor much better. There are many movies made about his plays that also help you understand the context, one of my favorites is Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Daines. 

Thank you Shakepseare for your amazing talents and making high school more interesting :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Photo Provided by Famous Authors

Earth Day

The name and concept of Earth Day was done by John McConnell. He proposed March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. A month later a separate Earth Day was founded which is today!

April 22nd Earth Day began in the spring of 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson. While this Earth Day was focused on the United States, in 1990 Denis Hayes took it international and organized events in 141 different nations.

Earth Day reminds us we all share the same planet. Sharing Earth means taking responsibility for what we use and how we use it. It is a day to think of the environmental challenges we face and how to solve them.

There are several ways to contribute to the Earth not only on Earth Day but everyday. You can recycle, plant trees, make a birdhouse or bird feeder, learn about the environment, have a garage sale or have a swap party, or even as simple as riding your bike instead of using your car.

No matter what you do on Earth Day always "Rethink,Reuse,Reduce,Recycle" everyday.

International Guitar Month

April is known for its many holidays including International Guitar Month which started in 1987. This month especially is the time to recognize this magical instrument and all the famous artists who are known for their musical guitar talents. Whether you play the guitar or just love to listen, you can take part in recognizing this month in many ways. You can take a guitar lesson, a workshop to learn how to build a guitar, attend a guitar festival, by a book and learn more about them, treat yourself with a new guitar or as a gift for someone else, and definitely listen to your favorite guitarist(s).

My favorite guitarist by far is Jimi Hendrix but I also love Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) , Frank Zappa, John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Brian May (Queen), and many more talented artists. 

Happy Guitar Month everyone!!

Photo by Emetals

Photo by Harmony Central

Jimi Hendrix Photo Provided by Beatles Number 9

Jimmy Page Photo Provided by Popdose

April Showers

"April showers bring May flowers"

Springtime brings many different changes, flowers bloom, birds come out, clocks go forward, and the weather is constantly changing. One day it is warm out and the next day it is cold, one minute it is raining and then all of a sudden there is a beautiful sunshine. The term April showers is used lightly, these "showers" are not usually your normal showers rather they are normally very heavy downpours of rain. In fact, we experienced one this morning. Israel is known for its warm weather and by this time of year it is sunny bright and warm outside, but not this time. This month has gone through quick weather changes, for example yesterday was a nice blue sky kind of day and this morning has been non-stop pouring rain, it was even hailing! It will probably clear up in a couple of hours and be nice and sunny again, and then who knows how tomorrow will be.

We love Spring! :)

Photo by Free Wallpapers

Photo by Careful Cents

Mint!

Although this beautiful plant can grow all year round (depending on where you grow it), it thrives best in the Spring time.

The mint, also known as mentha, is part of the Lamiaceae family and is used for many different reasons. Some use mint for medicinal purposes, especially for relieving digestion related problems such as upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Others extract mint into oil and use it for aromatherapy or a cosmetic scent. Mint is also used in toothpaste, soap, mouthwash, and chewing gum, and is rich in Vitamin A and C and contains a number of minerals including Potassium. Mint is also used in many recipes either for garnish or for the mint flavor, it can be used fresh or dried, and is used for sweet and savory dishes. One of our favorite ways to use mint is to add it to some hot water with a little bit of lemon and let it sit for about 15 minutes, it makes such a refreshing tea whether it is hot or cold.

Mint leaves by Mignonesia

There are endless recipes and ways of using mint for dishes. A personal favorite of ours is Tabbouleh, which is a salad we both grew up eating at home and is so delicious especially because of its fresh mint flavor. It is also a very simple dish that contains either bulgur or couscous (whichever one you prefer), tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped parsley, MINT, onion, and garlic, and is seasoned with olive oil, lemon, and salt. In order to make the best Tabbouleh you must get only fresh ingredients! Enjoy!

Our Homemade Tabbouleh

Spring Cleaning Time!

The weather here in Israel has been hot and cold, dusty, windy, rainy, and then all of a sudden the sun comes out and it's nice and beautiful again. Crazy weather but we love it. It is a great time just after winter and right before summer to get out the cleaning supplies and touch up the house, sweep and mop the floors, scrub and shine, and turn your house into a beautiful oasis.

Photo by: mizmeliz

To get yourself going just put on your favorite playlist and get the party started. It really helps to get all your cleaning supplies ready and to figure out what area you want to start with first. We suggest to start with the biggest rooms in the house (living room and kitchen), then work your way to the bathrooms, and finally to the bedroom. It is better to start off by sweeping and scrubbing and then finish up with the mop. You can even take it a step further and organize your drawers and closet to a spring time setting (tank tops, shorts, sandals, etc.). Whatever you do, have fun!

If you need further help please check out Artsy Fartsy Mama, she taught us some really cool tricks!

101st Titanic Anniversary

Today marks the 101st anniversary of the world’s most famous maritime disaster– the sinking of the HMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. It sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean after colliding with an iceberg. Out of 2,224 people who were on the ship, 1,514 were killed.

It was a shock to hundreds of people as another name for the Titanic was 'the unsinkable ship'. It had hit and iceberg at 11:40pm on the 14th of April. Four hours later on the 15th of April 1912 the Titanic sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic ocean.

Here are some interesting facts about the ship:

• It was designed to hold 32 lifeboats, even though only 20 were on board; White Star management was concerned that too many boats would ruin the aesthetic beauty of the ship.
• Survivors were rescued by the Carpathia, which was 58 miles southeast of Titanic when it received the distress call.
• Titanic boasted electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court, a Turkish Bath, and a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel.
• The wreckage of Titanic was located in 1985, 12,500 feet down, about 350 miles (531 km) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada
  
• A first class (parlor suite) ticket on Titanic cost $4,350, which would be $100,034 in 2012 USD.
• Lillian Gertrud Asplund, the last American survivor of the Titanic tragedy, died in Massachusetts on May 6, 2006, at age 99. Her mother and a brother also survived, but her father and three other brothers perished. The last survivor, Millvina Dean, died on May 31, 2009, at age 97.
• Eleanor Shuman, who was the inspiration for Kate Winslet's Rose, died on March 7, 1998, at age 87.

So why has the Titanic still discussed even after 101 years? The movie that we probably all have watched more than once was a huge factor and it helped in keeping the Titanic maintain its fascination after so many years.  The movie has become a cultural phenomenon- nearly as monumental as the event itself. I mean who does not remember or even know the scene that is shown in the picture below?!

However, the ship itself, and all of the humanity, heroism and it being one of the largest, most Luxurious ships of it's time also maintained that fascination. Here are some of the pictures of the original Titanic ship.

Titanic Wreckage

Gym

Bathroom Sink

Gym

Barber Shop

Green Almonds and Chickpeas!

Another reason I love this time of year, actually two reasons, is because of green almonds and green chickpeas.

Green almonds have this peach-like skin and translucent substance that surrounds the nut inside. They are only available for an 8-week period, from late April to mid June, making them very special for this time of year.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user bitter-sweet

There are probably many recipes that one can use the green almond for but the way I've grown up to eat it was to dip the tip of it in some salt and that is about it. Another yummy thing to do do is after washing them very well, soak them in water and lemon for a while!

Green chickpeas are also a great snack during this season. The beige, creamy peas that we know as chickpeas are left to ripen on the plant and then shrivel into the blonde pebbles that we buy in cans or bags for the dried variety. Fresh chickpeas are picked in their infancy.  They’re still green and encased in thin pods, much like edamame (soybeans in their shells).

Photo courtesy of Flickr user bitter-sweet

The way we prepare it is after washing them well, spread them in a tray and sprinkle some lemon and salt and place them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. And then just enjoy eating them!

Spring Vacation

For the past 2 weeks we have been on Spring break and it has been amazing! We did whatever we wanted whenever we wanted and it has been so much fun. We both did our own thing, Natalie went and stayed in Jerusalem where her family and friends live, which was incredible to be with them for so long, and Amanda went on a backpacking trip to Germany and Switzerland with a close friend of ours (Talya).

I (Amanda) had one of the best experiences of my life, really. My friend (Talya) and I started in Berlin and made our way down to Dresden, then Munich, then somewhere in the country side of Bavaria, down to Zurich, and back up again to Berlin. The whole trip was filled with excitement, new discoveries, cool people, good food, and so much more. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life and it holds a very special place in my heart, thank you Talya for being such a wonderful travel partner! 

Photo taken by Amanda Ben-Ezra: somewhere in the Bavarian countryside

Photo taken by Talya Rind: in Dresden, Germany

Photo taken by Talya Rind: Zurich, Switzerland

Happy Siblings Day!

Just as we have Mother's Day and Father's Day, National Siblings Day is a date worth marking on the calendar. Claudia Evart lost two siblings at a young age. In an effort to honor their memories and find comfort after her painful loss, she founded National Siblings Day on April 10, which was the birthday of her late sister. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a presidential message recognizing the date, as did President George W. Bush in 2005.

We exist thanks to our parents, but our siblings also shape our identity in profound ways. So why not honor and celebrate them!

We all have different relationships with our siblings—some close, some difficult, and others nonexistent. Some of you might not have blood related siblings but still have people who you love as a sibling. So today is the day to honor, appreciate and cherish all brothers and sisters and memorialize those who are no longer with us.

Show some sibling love!  We all have stories to tell so email/post/comment a story and/or a picture of you and your sibling. And we will share it on our blog.

Here's is Natalie's stories plus a picture, enjoy !

Natalie and her sister & brother 1995

Once my brother and I (Natalie) got stuck on a Ferris Wheel, and my brother who was at the time around 14-15 and I was around 6-7, kept me distracted by talking to me so I wouldn't realize we were stuck, freak out, and cry! #siblinglove

When I (Natalie again) was four my sister and I were playing hide and seek and it was my turn to hide. She was looking for me but could not find me ANYWHERE. It turned out I crawled under my crib and fell asleep there :)
__________________________________________________________________________

*Yvonne Saba

Yvonne, her sister, and mother 1999

This is a picture of my mom, sister and me standing in our driveway back home in Syracuse, New York. My story is about a happy memories from that very same driveway where my sister and I would ride our bikes up and down the driveway. When October came around we would dress up and go trick or treating with my mom for Halloween. In our backyard we had a little garden where we grew cucumbers and mint leaves. This picture really takes me back to that driveway where we would play in the snow during the winter even when my mom told us not to, haha XD
__________________________________________________________________________

*Amanda Ben-Ezra

This is my best friend Bianca, we may not be siblings by blood but we are definitely sisters, and I am so lucky! Bianca and I met when we were in the fifth grade, I was 9 and she was 10, I cant even begin to list how many wonderful memories I have with her. I love her very much and she is the closest person I have to a sister, thanks Binx.