I can’t imagine life without Luci, my apricot toy poodle who comforts me when she lays across my lap and warms my body and soul like a cashmere blanket, who pulls the sock off my foot and then tries to put it back on, who knows just how to cock her tiny head and peer at me with her chocolate brown eyes to get whatever she wants, who rests her chin on the corner of the Monopoly game board without ever knocking over a hotel piece on Boardwalk. Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t think of a braver act, especially for a woman, than to step on a scale (without a blindfold) and get weighed on network television. If that’s not gutsy enough, imagine being videotaped as you sweat bullets on the treadmill and then posting your progress, pound by pound, on the World Wide Web for everyone and their mother to witness.

Perhaps the only thing more terrifying for me is to don a swimsuit in the dead of winter and stand before a live audience in a crowded lecture hall without a podium to hide behind. Then again, that’s just me. No wonder I’m in awe of the women on KSDK TV’s “Lose a Ton Challenge,” especially Carrie Zuhler, a 45-year-old Chesterfield mom, whose emotional rollercoaster ride to shed pounds is an inspiration to us all. Read the rest of this entry »

Every mother dreads her child getting seriously sick, so when Rita Worth’s daughter Kim Goldenberg was diagnosed in February 2004 with a very aggressive form of breast cancer at the age of only 33, she was devastated. She desperately wanted to help her daughter get better but felt helpless. Then she got a call to action. Read the rest of this entry »

The runway shows in New York, London and Milan aren’t the only places to preview fall fashions. It’s much easier to go to high holiday services at your nearest synagogue. There you’ll discover what’s really hot, aside from the eternal flame burning at the ark.

Think about it. Jews are born trendsetters, and our culture remains influential in so many ways. The clothing industry is no exception. For example, Jewish fashionistas have worn scarves since the days of Moses, and just recently this modern versatile wrap is getting rave reviews in exotic animal prints, geometric patterns, gorgeous textures, luscious colors, and tie dies with fringe. Read the rest of this entry »

The older I get, the more I feel that life is on fast forward, and the pause button on the reality remote control doesn’t work. For example, how can it be back to school time already when I barely have tan lines? Even though summer is not officially over, it sure feels like it when bags of Halloween candy corn hoard the store shelves that are still scattered with rejected spiral notebooks and pocket folders. Read the rest of this entry »

Summer is in full swing. I know this because I keep finding sunflower seeds in the lint filter of my Maytag dryer. While the kids are off school, I’m taking a break from my “Mishegas of Motherhood” column so that I can spend quality time with my family. (okay, I’m laying by the pool). Actually, Jack is getting ready to play baseball in the Maccabi Games in San Francisco, so I plan to collect plenty of material to share with you.

Meanwhile, whenever you have some downtime, entertain your brain and scroll through the archives of my 128 previously published columns that date back to March 2006—there’s “Moms Connect on Facebook,” “Why Every Mom Should Own a Dog,” “My Confession with the Food Network,” “Planning a Dream Bar Mitzvah is a Nightmare,” and “Fasting on Yom Kippur Makes Jews Hungry For More.”

Enjoy your summer, and let’s kibbitz again soon.

“Mishegas of Motherhood” is the creation of Ellie S. Grossman, a St. Louis freelance writer and stay-at-home-mom who never stays home. Let me know what you are up to this summer. Feel free to contact her at ellie@mishegasofmotherhood.com.

Let’s face it—the overwhelming task of planning a bar or bat mitzvah ranks right up there with hosting a wedding. No wonder parents need a honeymoon after the whirlwind weekend celebration is over. After all, a bar or bat mitzvah is a sacred rite of passage for moms and dads who witness before their very eyes how their teen in a tallit makes the symbolic transition into adulthood.

If there’s one thing I learned from my son Jack’s bar mitzvah 15 months ago, besides never wear new shoes without breaking them in first, is try not to stress over the small stuff because when it’s over all that’s left is wonderful memories and a box full of satin monogrammed kippots. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the lazy days of summer when final exams are over and teenagers relish a break from the hectic pace of the school year. Their carefree lifestyle in the next few months is enviable, ya know, riding around town with the top down (of the convertible, that is), hanging out at the swimming pool with friends, and playing video games all day long until their world becomes a virtual reality. On the flip side, other teens mix fun in the sun with volunteer work, including building a playground in a war ravaged neighborhood in Israel, teaching a seriously ill child how to shoot a bow and arrow for the first time at summer camp, or exercising homeless dogs at the Missouri Humane Society. Read the rest of this entry »

Shavuot is a major Jewish festival commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Without Shavuot, the Jews still would be wandering the dessert. So this biblical holiday—one of the three pilgrimage festivals from the Torah (the other two are Passover and Sukkot)—represents the most significant event in Jewish history. Although the average American Jew pays more attention to Hanukkah because of the widely recognized symbol of the menorah, the “Festival of Lights” doesn’t hold a candle to Shavuot. Read the rest of this entry »

Every year that my friend Rochelle celebrates her birthday, she gives her mother a gift. Why? Well, why not?

Motherhood is usually a thankless job, so a little token of appreciation makes perfect sense, even if a mom has to wait until her child is a grownup to receive a present. Read the rest of this entry »