Reflections and Resolutions

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 Does anyone else feel like this was the longest.month.ever? I do and I'm physically exhausted! New Years isn't really a holiday here but you know what is? The Silvester. In Belgium, it's called Sint Sylverster Vooravond or Saint Sylvester's Eve. In Israel, it's an excuse to party. Since the State of Israel doesn't go by the Christian calendar, New Years goes by somewhat unnoticed by a lot of people. We also have our own "New Years" which takes place in September. Yet, as my boss reminded me on Thursday, SOOOO many people are going to have a hell of a hard time waking up on Sunday for work.

Anyway, I thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on the last year - just as any good blogger should. In 2011, I enjoyed my first year of marriage, (finally) graduating from university, and finding out that I'm gonna be a Mama in 2012. I also watched my grandmother pass on to another life - I feel blessed that I got to spend that time with her and that she died knowing her family is still expanding. I welcomed a new nephew to the brood in October and learned that my baby will have a few new cousins popping in after him in 2012. This past year brought us visitors from all over the world - friends from Canada, the U.S., South Africa... as well as much-needed visits from family members. The past year brought both good and bad, happy and sad, but most importantly, it reminded me the true meaning of family.

So, what does 2012 have in store for the Glasers? Well, baby baby baby baby baby, for one. Yup, still on my brain and he's kicking up a storm as I write this. We'll have more visits from family members including my in-laws (really excited to see them!) and my parents (also REALLY excited to see them!). I'll have 14 weeks off to bond with my baby and prepare for our upcoming move to the US. I'll be starting grad school (g-d willing!) which means I'll get to devote my time to studying the Holocaust. We'll watch a few more of our friends marry their beloveds and enjoy the chaos that IS married life. 2012 will be our best year yet! Craig will be finishing school (YAY!) and we'll be closing (or maybe bookmarking?) a chapter in our lives as we leave Israel.

Everyone has New Years Resolutions and I thought long and hard today about what mine should be.

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Not my list ... but it should be.

So, here goes:

• Spend more time enjoying what's left of this pregnancy. This is the ONLY time where I'll experience pregnancy in a foreign country and without other children running around.
• Accept myself and my body for what it is (and what I am). Truly understand what my body is capable of. Being pregnant has helped this but no more crazy diets - just good food and lots of activities.
• Make more of an effort to bond with my husband. I won't lie, this last year has been hard and I need to remember to spend more time with him, even when I'm battling something on the inside.
• Cook more... and not just because I want to remain frugal. I'm getting bored in the kitchen lately so it's time to shake things up.
• Work less on the things that I do just to make money and work more on the things that I love to do...like facilitate Women on their path to being better.
• Ask for help more often. I'm not SuperWoman - I need to stop going at things alone.
• Take time to rest. Being exhausted is no fun.

What are your New Years Resolutions for 2012? 

My recommendation:

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Happy New Year - from the New Glasers!

Financially Peeved

OK, I'm really peeved about something and it's something I'm 10000% positive most of my readers can relate to. Have you ever received a debt collection call? They often happen around dinner time or just as you're running out of your house and they are the MOST annoying phone calls ever.

Last year, I received a phone call from a debt collector who was less than friendly on the phone. First of all, if you want my money - be nice to me. I can always hang up on you and refuse to answer your phone call. Second of all, understand that I may not have any clue as to why you're calling! Lastly, if you want my money, don't threaten legal action right off the bat.

So, last year's debt collector informed me that AT&T was trying to collect funds for an unpaid bill from 2007. Seriously?!? This bill was no where to be found on any credit report so I went right to the source and called AT&T. I wound up working out a plan with them because I was completely unaware of this bill. Then I called the collection agency back and not-so-politely told them off.

This year I was working on a project for work and the company we worked with did not meet their end of the agreement so it was decided that we weren't going to pay them. In truth, I had nothing to do with this but when a man named Barry Collins kept calling me and harassing me - I knew I had to do something. There are debt collection laws in place for a reason and there are some great service companies out there that can actually help you stop these collection calls from happening. While I can admit the AT&T fiasco was totally my fault (OK, partially their fault as well), this incident was not my fault.

Barry Collins had my phone number from correspondences I had with a former-employee of the company we were working with. He would call my house at all hours of the day and night to harass me and that is definitely NOT OK. He even spoke with my husband, tried to fish for information and eventually received a nasty phone call from my lawyer threatening legal action if he called me again. Oh how the tables turn, Barry, oh how they turn! Regardless, if I had known about companies like CreditLaw.com, I wouldn't have utilized my lawyer.

If you've experienced this kind of harassment before, you're not alone and you don't have to go through it alone! Read up on debt collection laws and how you can take your life back from these blood-sucking scum bags.

House Hunting and Shopping

Wow, it's been a hectic week and it's only Tuesday! Can you believe it? So, Craig and I have been debating about our couch. By now you know that we're moving back home this summer so the idea of getting a new couch, even just a cheap loveseat , seems a little crazy. Here's the thing - I hate my couch! The stupid thing came with the apartment and it's smelly. It smelled from Day 1 and there's nothing on earth that will rid us of this crappy smell. So, we're stuck at a cross roads - get a new couch or not...

Either way, we're saving up for the things we REALLY want and I'm lucky that I'm Internet-savvy enough to find really great stuff on places like Become.com. We've been talking a lot about what we want to fill our house with. We're minimalists but we want a big ol' backyard for the dogs. A backyard means lots of grass and a lot of grass means we need something like a lawnmower. Since Craig is South African, he's not quite used to the idea of one of the cheap riding mowers. In truth, I never had one growing up but my neighbors all did!

So, the idea of buying one of the cheap riding mowers got us thinking about all the other stuff we need to fill the backyard with - a tool shed, a garden, stuff to put in the garden, perhaps a garden gnome ... and we've gone from minimalist to extravagant! Plus there's still stuff we need to fill the house with!

We're a little nervous about eventually buying our own home. Right now, we have a little more than just a cheap loveseat and some book cases but when we move, we don't want to out-do ourselves. We're both worried that this move will turn us into the people who want to keep up with the Jones' instead of people who want to be frugal. At least on Become.com - we can price shop and compare models before we buy! It makes life SO much easier!

What makes your life easier when shopping for things for your home?

Guest Post: Wanna Visit Israel?

Israel is an amazingly diverse country, a land of history and religion, of culture and adventure, and of extremes, geographically, demographically, and culturally. Tourist Israel is your entry point to this amazing land, a website which shows the whole spectrum of things to do in Israel, and in exploring it, you are certain to find an Israel waiting for you.

From the sweeping sands of Israel’s Negev Desert, the lowest point on earth at the Dead Sea, and a resort on the Red Sea, to the rolling hills the Galilee, somewhat akin to Tuscany, the land of the New Testament where any step you take is on historic ground, with its quaint villages, acclaimed vineyards, and beauty, in abundance. And from Tel Aviv, Israel’s modern metropolis, “The Mediterranean Capital of Cool,” a centre of commerce and culture, and nightlife and leisure, this is a city like no other. Until you come to Jerusalem that is, just forty-five minutes by car, you might as well be on another planet. Jerusalem is one of the most intense, holy, and religious places on earth, just being there among the famous golden stone buildings is somehow impressive in itself.

Exploring Israel is an individual journey. Whatever you want to do, there are Israel tours for you – whether it be touring the religious sites of Jerusalem, the famous architecture of Tel Aviv, a jeep tour through the Negev Desert, or paragliding above the sites of battles in the Galilee. 

To see Israel for yourself (before you see it in person – we are sure you will) why not check out Tourist Israel for yourself, or to make sure you are kept up to date with what’s happening in this amazing country, follow the site on Facebook or Twitter.

Festival of Lights and Miracles

Yesterday, I graced you with two posts - one about my hormonal issues and the other happened to have been about the topic of this month- finances. Did you catch it? I highly recommend taking a look at the crap we waste money on. I mean, this IS the holiday season, after-all, and we do waste plenty of money on gifts that most people don't need/want/use.

Happy Chanukkah!

This time of year usually makes me sad - I'm not around my family for the big Chanukkah parties or the lighting of the menorah on the first night at Campus Martius in Detroit. Craig is also far from his family in South Africa. We miss an element of "family" and Chanukkah just becomes another day. Someone at work asked me if we're doing anything fun during Chanukkah and I actually answered YES this time.

MY COUSIN IS IN ISRAEL!! WHOO HOO!!

I'm in the middle, the one visiting is on the right, and the one on the left is her sister.

We're picking her up at the airport, tonight! She's already been here for 10 days but she's been touring the country so we haven't had a chance to see her. I'm excited to see her because I haven't seen her (or anyone else) since our Grandmother passed away in July.

Here's the thing about Chanukkah - we call it the festival of lights but it's also a time for miracles! One jar of oil lasted for eight days - a miracle! Someone set out to destroy the Jews (again) and they failed - a miracle! Not being alone on Chanukkah - a miracle! See where I'm going with this?

I feel blessed today that I get to spend some of these eight crazy nights with my "baby" cousin - and we're going to spend some of that time visiting with my grandmother's brother (she's never met him) and our cousins down south. I think I'm also going to "enlist" her into helping make that latka video tutorial for you - this should be interesting...

Anyway, to all of our Jewish readers: חג חנוכה שמח (Happy Chanukkah) and to all of our readers who aren't Jewish - stay tuned, we'll be explaining some holiday traditions for you over the next few days. We'll wish you a Merry Christmas soon, we promise!

Are YOU Wasting Money?

Courtesy of Caxton FX

Meet Hormonal Hilly

It's been a while since I wrote something personal and perhaps a little meaningful. I've had writer's block for the last week and it's been driving me nuts. I'm usually really careful about what I post on the blog - certain family members don't like reading super-personal stuff but, today, they're gonna have to deal. My hormones are getting the best of me and I've been in a foul mood for the last few days.

Do you ever just know when you and your partner/friend/spouse are about to have a BIG fight? OK, I kind of feel like that now. Right now, I know I feel cold and distant - it's not my usual demeanor. Last weekend, Craig said something to me in an off-tone on the phone and it sent me into hysterics. Thanks, hormones, thanks. Last night I got upset because I was making latkes (I'm trying out new recipes for you!) and I asked him to peel the potatoes. By the time he was ready to peel them, I was almost done with them. The problem? He thought I was done peeling and I thought he ignored my request.

Ladies and gentleman, I'm 34 weeks pregnant and I spend a lot of time doing stuff I shouldn't be doing because it's easier for me to do them. Peeling potatoes is not one of them. I'm actually allergic to raw potatoes. Lucky me, right?

Anyway, normal Hilly wouldn't have batted an eyelash at any of this but hormonally charged Hilly is a different story. I wound up cleaning our bathroom (REALLY cleaning... although it doesn't look like it). I even de-crapped the shower-head (hot water and citric acid works wonders!!) - but I did all of this because I was in a crappy mood. I only clean when I'm in a bad mood... and when company is coming.

Anyway, I read a really great post yesterday about letting your anger flow and the importance of not holding it in. You can read the post here. I took my anger out on a shower-head and my bathroom sink. Do I feel better? No. This is how I know it's hormones.

My husband is an amazing person, so I really can't be mad at him for not peeling a potato or two... but tell that to my hormones. Craig's been great - even when he's stressing about school and work and the baby on the way...

So, what am I doing to deal with this situation? First, I'm acknowledging that this is ALL hormones. It's not an excuse but it's a start! Then I try to explain to the hubby that it's hormonally related - so tread lightly. When I need to cry, I cry. When I need to vent, I vent. When I need to let go of anger, I tap into myself and dig deep to recognize WHY I'm angry - then I do something like clean my room or bake something. Or I blog.

What do YOU do to relieve your anger and stress? I'm all ears!