Don't try to catch a break, Rosh Hashana menu planner, and why you're last

Hi ,

Thank you for warmest of welcomes!

Your feedback and ideas made our week 🥰

We hope your first week of the school year was a good start to an even better year, bezH!

JUST A THOUGHT

So often, we’re waiting to just catch a break: get away, have dinner out, take the morning off.

Thing is, breaks are really hard to get. 

(That could be due to endless to-do lists, childcare, time/money, or simply the fact that there are so many people who need you on duty — and not on break.)

But you do need to rejuvenate and restore your energy.

So what if you stopped wishing for that break, and instead asked yourself: how can I make this easy?

• Tell your kids they’re in charge of supper prep for one night (cereal + milk, eggs, frozen pizza all work!)

• Put the laundry away unfolded

• Use only papergoods for a week

• Leave the mess for another time

• Bring a treat along with you on errands to keep the kids happy

Making things easy can be more realistic (and almost as big a treat) as catching a break. So, how can you make things easier for yourself? 

We’re always looking for solid ways to restore our energy. Hit reply with your ideas.

JUST IN TIME

There are a million seudahs coming up, and hopefully a million magical moments of family time and connection.

Our rec: make what you want, how you want, and ignore anything that overwhelms you. 

And we hope that this will help make it a bit easier for you.

Download the fillable menu planner (and last year’s full menu for inspo) here.

Having trouble accessing it? Hit reply, and we’ll get it to you.

JUST THINGS FOR YOU

• SUPPER:  A splash of olive oil, some frozen garlic cubes, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a can of mushrooms turn a package of spaghetti into a (heavenly 🤤) dish. Throw in some cubed grilled chicken (bonus points if they’re leftovers) for a full meal-in-one. (Although who’s to say that spaghetti is not already a full meal?)

• TIP: Drain your pasta by placing the strainer on top of the pot, holding them together, and tilting to spill the water. Works especially well for a a dish like that spaghetti 👆 when you’re adding ingredients to the drained pasta. 

• HACK: Paint tray palettes (like these, $6.99 for 12 on Amazon) make for pretty, easy, disposable simanim plates. You can get fancy by printing a Yehi Ratzon card for the center.

MOTHERHOOD MUSING

JUST FOR LAUGHS

What have you learned on the job that parenting books don’t teach?

JUST A Q

It’s Elul, so we’re wondering: 

👉 How do you build inspiration and ruchniyus into your busy Mommy life? We’ll iyH share replies so we can all get inspo from each other. 

And, that's all for today! 💜☕

The JAM Fam

PS. Have a friend who should be JAMing with us? Send her here so she doesn’t miss out.