ONE YEAR OLDER, ONE YEAR WISER

My birthday week is finally here, and this year I’m approaching things a little differently. Usually before the big day (I was born on May 2nd) I get super moody – I find myself stressing out about life and what it means to turn another year older. As moms it can be a challenge to find ways to celebrate ourselves without worrying about everyone around us, but this birthday I am going to let it be about me! This post is all about finding ways to celebrate the good in life and letting go of everything you can’t control – the first thing being the distance between myself and my family and friends abroad.
It’s been tough on me lately to be so far away from my loved ones in Israel and it definitely stings a bit more around this time of year when all I want to do is be with my family on my birthday. I’ve tried to make some not-so-subtle hints to Noam about wanting to travel for this occasion, but with his busy work schedule and the kids in school it is not the most feasible timing for us (On Noam's birthday, I always try to surprise him with tickets to a destination vacation to celebrate. When it comes to my special day, he claims the weather is too nice in New York to leave! His birthday is in December so he does make a point, but with all the rain we've been having this May it would have been nice to be in Miami drinking a cocktail by the the pool ;)) Sure, this is a reality that has made me upset in the past but this week is my week and I’m all about positivity this year. After giving my friends and family abroad a big hug and kiss over Skype, I’m going to do the things I haven’t been able to make time for recently and enjoy the day!

Being a mom means almost no alone time, so I’m going to kick off my birthday celebrations with a relaxing soak in the tub. No noise, no distractions – just me, my favorite essential oils and some candles. Unwinding will be the best birthday present I can give to myself after these hectic couple of months! I remember when my birthday would consist of late night parties and no sleep…mom life definitely changes you ;)
To continue this theme of tranquility, I plan on meditating and focusing on my goals for the year ahead. I always find it helpful to write down what I hope to accomplish with every new age and reflecting on my list of goals throughout the year. Here are some of the ideas I have so far...
1. Quality kid time. With each of my kids having such unique and amazing personalities, it’s really important to me to be able to spend alone time with each of them separately. We’re often all together during family time, but this year I’d like to find special activities and moments for Romi, Yuli and Ori. With such a busy schedule this task can be difficult, but moms are able to do the impossible and this year will be no exception
2. Meditation. Stress is unavoidable in life, but the more I learn to meditate the more manageable it seems to be. Juggling work, three kids and a social life means stress is bound to appear but this year I will give myself the gift of meditation so I can feel better, happier and more relaxed!
3. Explore + travel. Those who know me know how much I love to travel abroad. This year, I would like to go somewhere totally new and expose my kids to a different culture and lifestyle. My dream would be to fly to Maui for two months and have Noam take some time off from work. There are amazing summer camps for kids where the boys can learn to surf – and the beautiful scenery, fruit and weather would be ideal for me and Romi ;)
4. Girls trip. It’s been a while since I’ve let my hair down and taken a break from mom life. I’d love to go somewhere exotic with my girl gang and let loose while Noam takes care of the kids for a couple of days. Let’s see if I eventually go through with this or if I end up getting cold feet!
I’d love to hear what types of wishes you make for yourselves on your special day!
Neshikot= xx










