Mohonk Mountain House Summer Travel Diary

My family and I just returned from a magical stay at Mohonk Mountain House! Although this was our third time visiting, it was our first time being there during the summer and I discovered so many new parts of the property that I had never seen before, like the tennis courts, new trails, the beach, the Granary outdoor dining room and more! You can read about our previous visits in the spring of 2022 and winter of 2021 here. The girls were four and two when we first visited and it was so special to come back nearly three years later and create more core memories together.

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Encanto Family Halloween Costume

🎶Welcome to the family Madrigal 🎶 If you’ve been following for a little while, you know how much the girls LOVVVEEE Disney Encanto! So when they asked me to make an Encanto family costume for Purim, I couldn’t say no! We all had so much fun dressing up as the Madrigal family and this Purim was one for the books! Keep reading to see how we put our Encanto family looks together!

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Mohonk Mountain House Spring Travel Diary

Last weekend, my family kicked off spring and the start of May at Mohonk Mountain House for their annual Tulip Festival. Although this was our second time visiting, it was our first time being there during the spring. You can read about our last visit in the winter of 2021 here. Founded over 150 years ago, this Victorian castle resort is nestled in the Hudson Valley, only 90 miles north of New York City. The scenic ride from our home in Brooklyn, NY was about 2 hours. Surrounded by 40,000 acres of forest, this National Historic Landmark resort offers farm-to-table cuisine and an award-winning spa.

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Celebrating Passover with Manischewitz

When I think about the seder, I immediately think of matzah and 4 cups of Manischewitz wine. Even though we can’t eat chametz (leavened food) for 8 days, Passover food doesn’t need to be bland or boring. In fact, I like that it challenges me to get creative in the kitchen and I’m grateful to Manischewitz for offering such a large and diverse variety!

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How To Support The Jewish Community

I have received many messages recently in response to the rise in antisemitism that tell me “I can’t believe this.” “I had no idea.” “This can’t be real.” But unfortunately, it is real. I try to keep my blog a pretty positive space, but there has been a surge in antisemitic incidents reported in the last 2 weeks, reaching historically high levels in the United States and across the globe. To be silent about antisemitism is to perpetuate antisemitism. Here are a few ways you can support the Jewish community.

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No Bake Oreo Truffles for Shavuot

Shavuot is around the corner and it’s customary to eat dairy on this harvest holiday. Some derive the practice directly from scripture, saying we eat dairy to symbolize the “land flowing with milk and honey” aka the Land of Israel. These Oreo Tuffles are the perfect treat for Shavuot! With only three ingredients required, they're easy to make and even more delicious to eat! Keep reading for the recipe and tag me @ariel.loves if you make them!

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No Sew Tie Dye Matzah Cover

One way to make your family’s Passover extra special is by having personal touches on your seder table! Homemade centerpieces, original artwork made by your kids and sentimental Judaica are easy ways to make the holiday feel more meaningful! Keep reading to learn how to make your own no-sew matzah cover, using simple supplies that you probably already have at home. This craft is simple and your kids are sure to love it!

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Mohonk Mountain House Winter Travel Diary

Like many children in the northeast, my daughters had the week off from school for mid-winter break. The last few years, we have traveled somewhere warm to escape the cold, but this year we decided to stay closer to home. We were so excited to go to Mohonk Mountain House, an iconic resort in the Hudson Valley, to experience the magic of upstate New York in the winter! This was only our second time staying at a hotel in the past year and safety is very important to us. Mohonk took many special measures and put new operating procedures in place in order to ensure the health and safety of guests and staff, which gave me so much peace of mind. This trip was the perfect getaway that we all needed! Keep reading to hear more about our experience!

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My Curly Hair Journey + Hair Care Routine

It had been nearly a year since my last haircut and my mane was overdue for some TLC, so I got it cut for a fresh start! I loved my old length, but my hair was so dry and I lost all the layers that used to give my curls volume and bounce. We took off 4 inches and my hair feels so much lighter and healthier! I’m still getting used to my shorter do, but so far I’m loving it! After my cut, I did a Curly Hair Q&A in my Instagram stories and answered all of my reader’s questions about curly hair care. Keep reading to learn about my curly hair journey, what my hair care routine is, and my go-to products!

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Celebrating Tu Bishvat with Kids!

Tu Bishvat starts tomorrow night, Wednesday January 27! Have you ever heard of this Jewish holiday? 🌳 Also known as the new year of the trees, Tu Bishvat reminds us of our connection to the earth and to our role as caretakers of the environment! 🌍 Kind of like the Jewish earth day! In my opinion, Tu Bishvat is one of the most underrated holidays. 🌱 After all, at first glance - celebrating trees in the dead of winter doesn’t make the most sense. 🤔 But it happens to be one of my favorites! We get to plant trees, try new fruits, and enjoy a festive meal with lots of wine! What’s not to love? 🍷🍇🫒🥜🌾🥑🍊Keeping reading to learn more about this holiday and for some fun Tu Bishvat crafts, recipes, books, and activity ideas that you can do with your family!

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Read with Peppa Pig this Hanukkah

It's safe to say that the holidays have become even more special to me now that I'm a mom. There's nothing like seeing the world through your child's eyes and Hanukkah is especially magical! 🕎 Adina and Noa absolutely love reading and we've been building quite the collection of Hanukkah books over the years. In the weeks leading up to Hanukkah, the girls pick out a holiday book to read together every night before bed. We are loving the newest addition to our collection from @officialpeppa Peppa Pig's Book Club - Happy Hanukkah!

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Rainbow Playroom Reveal!

I’m so excited to finally share our playroom with you! This is actually the first room in our new apartment that I am revealing on the blog! Ever since we moved over the summer, we’ve been making progress on lots of different house projects, but the biggest priority was working on the spaces for the kids. This is the first time we’ve lived somewhere with space for a playroom, and it was actually one of the things that sold us on the apartment! Ever since the pandemic began, we’ve been spending more and more time at home, so it was important for us to have a dedicated place for all of the kids’ toys, costumes, and arts and craft supplies. We mostly used items we already had, but we did get a few new pieces for the space. Keep reading to see how we transformed our empty basement into the girls’ rainbow playroom!

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Daniel Tiger Family Halloween Costume

🎶It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor! 🎶 If you’ve been following for a little while, you know how much the girls LOVVVEEE @danieltigertv. So when they asked me to make a Daniel Tiger family costume for Halloween, I couldn’t say no! 🐯 We had a blast doing some socially-distanced trick or treating on our block + ate more candy in a day than they have in the last year! 😬 Keep reading to see how we put our Tiger family looks together!

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Hanukkah Pajamas Roundup 2020!

Hanukkah begins early this year (December 10) and it’s 2020, so we could all use something to get excited about… so holiday season is already in full swing here! One of my favorite Hanukkah traditions is wearing matching pajamas as a family. There are so many cute options out there this year and I rounded up my favorite picks in this blog post. I included options for baby, toddler, kids, and adults - there’s truly something for everyone! (Pro tip: If you see a pair you like, I would buy it ASAP because these styles tend to sell out quick and shipping times this year have had many delays!)

Just click on the link that corresponds with the number in the collage. I also linked to each pair in the pictures at the bottom of this post - so simply click on the picture to shop for the pair you like! I hope this makes your Hanukkah pajamas search a little bit easier! Let me know if you have any questions and make sure to tag me on Instagram @ariel.loves in a picture or you and your family in your matching holiday pajamas!

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