Guest Post: The Forgetful Andrea

[Soo...Birthright's over, the wedding's over, and here I am! Well, not really. I'm still in Israel. Be back on the 31st at the lovely hour of 6:15...in the morning. Thank you to all my guest posters; you are all truly amazing and I can't thank you enough for helping me and my little blog out. Now I'm going to let Andrea wrap things up!]

Ali so generously opened up her blog to Guest Posts while she is on her amazing trip to Israel and gave us the very vague instructions that the subject of one's guest post should be: Anything You Want. Which is sort of fun, and sort of daunting. I only just met Ali a couple weekends ago and just started reading her blog the following day. I could only imagine what her readers would be interested in reading. So I thought about it and I thought about it... What should I write... What should I write? ... And then I forgot.

Which is really quite strange because I usually remember everything! I have the memory of an elephant. (Where does that saying some from? "Memory of an elephant?" Who really knows how long or detailed an elephant's memory is? Did someone interview the elephant?) I remember a lot of stuff and I remember a lot of details. Usually I remember things like what people were wearing and where we were, which helps me remember why we were there and what we talked about. It's freakish. I literally occasionally lie about remembering details because I don't want to weird people out.

So, yes, I have a good memory. Except when it comes to writing guest blogs. ...And when it comes to remembering passwords.

The one password that I have the most trouble with is my password for the Time Warner cable website. Time Warner is my cable/DVR/internet provider, so I should be logging into this website at least monthly to pay my OVERPRICED BILL - but I digress. I've had this account with Timer Warner for about 6 months now and I'm pretty sure I've had my password re-set 5 times. Well, actually, it was probably more like 4 times. Because last month I forgot my password, couldn't log in, and then forgot to pay altogether. (Imagine my chagrin making up for that this month.)

I finally wised up today and set up recurring payments. I think I neglected to do that in the first place because I didn't want to never log in to the webiste and then forget my password. Life is funny sometimes.

Hugs!
Andrea

Guest Post: The Sweet Sierra

[The end is here. We're going to Independence Hall today to learn about the Declaration of the modern State of Israel, then going on a walking tour of a historic neighborhood (Neve Tzedek), seeing the memorial to Yitzhak Rabin in Rabin Square, shopping in Tel Aviv and going to Jaffa, an ancient seaport and artist colony. I'm sure we're draggin' our asses right about now. But there's really no time for that...because while everyone's getting ready to go to the airport and head back home (Liza included) tonight, I'll be off to my friend's wedding! Now here's my little ocean dreamer and real life friend, Sierra. Enjoy!]

Hi, this is Ocean Dreams capturing Ali's blog and holding it ransom! Nah, not really. She is just on an amazing trip so I thought I would do a guest post! So I guess you are all stuck with me. Sorry, I promise I won't bite.


So to go along with Ali's travels to Israel, I wanted to talk a bit about travel. Do you all like to travel? How do you feel about traveling? No doubt about it, if you are anything like me and my bloggy love Ali, you love to travel and see the world. I feel fortunate that I have been able to travel to several locations for my 25 years and these are my favorite places that I have been to thus far: France, Spain, Mexico, Hawaii, NYC, Japan, and Hong Kong. I would love the list to keep on growing and plan on traveling more when I have the means and uh, well, money. Darn... I always forget about that part.

This summer Big Kiddo {Ali calls him my blog celebrity...isn't she cute?!} aka my boyfriend from my blog world. But anyway, back to the point. This summer ... Big Kiddo and I are thinking about either going somewhere snowy, or tropical. My vote is tropical all the way. He has been to the Caribbean and is dying to take me there. I want to go so badly! When do we leave?!

So here is a little list of the top ten places in the world I want to travel to, not in any particular order. Ready, set, travel!

1. Ireland {the castles look just fascinating and beautiful!}
2. Scotland {more castles and history, right?}
3. Italy {all of the water!}
4. Caribbean {crystal clear oceans, sigh}
5. Australia {down under mate!}
6. Germany {I am after all German!}
7. England {need I say more?}
8. Fiji
9. Holland
10. Antarctica {brrr...}

Where would you all travel if you had the means to travel and lots of $$? Everywhere you say? Nah, what if you only had one choice? Tough, huh?!

Even though I love to travel, traveling can be done within the heart. Traveling for me can be done through simple acts of love. A simple touch, hug, kiss, embrace, or tear tell me everything will be okay. Traveling just a few minutes to a sushi restaurant with a friend or my best friend's house is a journey all by itself. That is why when I get sad that I haven't traveled since last year {my last vacation was to Alaska of last year, yeah, I know}, I know that people allow my heart to travel. Kind of like when they say home is where the heart is, well, to me, if I go on adventures in my own back yard until that day comes that I can travel the world more often, well, I think I pretty much be the most blessed person ever. Seriously.

Now go and show my bloggy love Ali some love. I miss her. Don't you?!

XOXO,
Ocean Dreams

Guest Post: The Jolly Amanda

[So our trip is wrapping up and I'm sure that at this point, we're all sad and miserable that this journey is about to end. We're still in Negev, going to take a hike up to Mt. Zephachot. Then we'll be in Tel Aviv, and that's where we'll stay until the trip is over. Sniff. This post by Amanda is sure to cheer anyone up!]

Hello fellow The Way I See It readers! This is Amanda from Just Beachy and I'm very excited to be guest blogging on Ali's lovely blog today while she is away in Isreal (jealous!)! After thinking long and hard about what I wanted to blog a bout some of my favorite things, especially since that's what blogging is all about to me. And then, when I thought about how broad that was, I decided I should just stick to the season at hand and stick to my favorite things about Christmas, which in and of itself, is one of my favorite things, so here it goes.Enjoy!

Christmas trees, to me, are what really bring out the spirit of Christmas. I can't have Christmas without a Christmas Tree. And what more magnificent tree is there than the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York? And, for that matter, what's more magnificent than New York at Christmastime?!

Since music is one of my greatest love, it seems fitting that the one thing that really gets me in the Christmas spirit is Chrstmas music. I've already made my mixed CD of Christmas music for my car :) (Yeah, not ashamed to say I've been listening since the beginning of this month!)

I bought a cinnamon and a pine candle around Thanksgiving time. I prefer cinnamon or vanilla year-round, but this time of year just makes that scent especially nastalgic. And since I have such a tiny apartment and can't fit a real tree, I have a pine-scente candle instead! It's particularly lovely at the end of a long day :)

I have Christmas decorations that I have owned for years and I'd like to think I'm starting my own traditions with them. I remember whe I was little we'd have so many hand-made ornaments that we hung on the tree and they all had stories behind them. That's what I'd like to have...and a house that looks just like the one above for Christmas. Although, that would mean I would have to move somewhere it snows! haha!

Which brings me to one of my favorite decorations at Christmas: Snowglobes! I get one for my mom every year. That's one tradition I've started! The snow is just something I'm envious of, even though I know I'd complain if I lived somewhere it snowed!

My mother's favorite Christmas movie is Charlie Brown's Christmas. I think I actually got her the movie on DVD one year. It's fantastic. Another tradition of mine is watching Home Alone 1 and 2 during Christmas. My brother and I can't get enough of those movies. They never seem to get old. Oh, and another good Holiday movie is The Santa Clause. I love that one too! I wish snowglobes like the one in the movie actually existed!

I've been hearing so many people say they've gone to see The Nutcracker or The Grinch on the stage and I have more jealous moments at hearing this! I used to go see The Nutcracker with my dad every year at Christmas time and I really miss the opportunity to see it. I remember getting all dressed up in a pretty dress and getting all excited to see a live ballet! I took ballet when I was around 6 or 7 years old and continually wonder what my life might have been like had I continued with it....

Lastly, I want to leave you with this gorgeous painting from Thomas Kinkade, who's art I have loved since I can remember and is fittingly titled "The Spirit of Christmas".

Happy Holidays everyone! And thank you Ali for the opportunity to be a guest on your blog! I hope you're having a wonderful time in Isreal!

Much love!

Amanda

Guest Post: The Freakin' Fun Gabby

[It's Shabbat again and you know what that means: rest, rest, rest! So we're gonna do just that. Yanno, walk around the area, lounge in the Red Sea and on the beach and then have a free night on the town in Eilat. I might just see a few old girlfriends tonight. We'll see! Heeeere's Gabby!]

Hello! My name is Gabby and my little corner of the web is called gabby, she wrote. I've been a fan of Ali's blog for a while and I am so super excited for her and her trip! Can't wait to hear about it!

So, guest posting is always a little nerve wracking, especially when you're told you can write about whatever you please. I mean, I can't even decide if I am more appalled or entertained when I watch Jersey Shore! So I was going through my inspiration folders and got to thinking...

I love this room. If I lived here, I would be the type of girl who drank champagne cocktails nightly. A weekend jaunt to Jackson Hole or Honolulu would be the norm. I would be the type of girl who used the word "jaunt". If I lived here, I would own leather pants. I would definitely have a house cleaner. If I lived here, I would go to bed with a sleeping mask on and wake up with gorgeously tousled hair.

I love this room. If I lived here, I would be the type of girl who would wear a ridiculously cute apron over ridiculously cute jeans all day long. I probably made the pillow. If I lived here, you would walk in and smell apple pie. And I would offer it to you and my golden retriever would probably jump up on you but you would laugh. If I lived here, I would sing "Edelweiss" to my babies. Oh, I have babies (if I lived here, not for reals whoa whoa whoa).

Unfortunately, I don't live in any of these rooms. I do live on a man-made nature reserve (what's that about? i mean really). I do drink champagne when the occasion calls for it. And I do sing "Edelweiss" to my little neurotic chihuahua whenever I can. Life is good...and maybe one day I'll be that type of girl.

Guest Post: The Hilarious Jennifer

[First of all, Merry Christmas! Yeah, you heard me. I may be in Israel - where Christmas barely exists - but that doesn't mean I forgot about all of you celebrating! Generally, the fam and I do what we call our Christmas Movie Marathon. We see 2 movies back-to-back, then get Chinese because you've gotta face it...nothing else is open for us on Christmas! I'll miss that this year. But just know that I'll be on a camel instead. I think it's a fair trade. I'll also be at Sde Boker, which is a desert outpost and the home of Ben Gurion. After that? The Ramon Crater (an observation point), naturally. Then we're moving south to Eilat, where we'll check into another hotel and get ready for our second Shabbat in Israel. But enough about that. I'm handing the reins over to another fab lady, Jennifer.]

When our Darling Dubrow posed the question, “who’s game?” in an effort to find guest bloggers while she is discovering the wonders of Israel, I knew I was not only game, but I was bringing my A-game (that is, until Ali gave her guest bloggers free reign of The Way I See It! I’m not usually at a loss for words when it comes to my own blog, Somewhere In Between, but all of Ali’s loyal readers will want something Ali-like in her absence, and I was a bit frantic for fodder!). It wasn’t until I read Ali’s email, “It's about Y-O-U and your blogs. So go to town, nothing's off limits. And I mean that! I wouldn't even get mad if you said you hated Glee...I would just STRONGLY disagree. ;)” that I knew exactly what I would share.

As musically entranced as my life seems to be (I find so many songs that perfectly describe my life that I even have a blog category titled, Soundtrack To My Life), I’m almost embarrassed to say I’ve never experienced an episode of Glee (forgive me, Ali! I’m apparently late to this party!). Though I’ve never caught a full episode of Ali’s All-Star show, I figure what better way to honor Ali’s blog in her absence than An Ode to Ali (To the tune of the Glee Soundtrack):

Dearest Ali,

I’m sure you’re excited to start your cross-continental adventure, but I hope you know, your presence at The Way I See It will be sorely missed by your devoted readers (translation: ME!). Don’t Stop Believin’ in the loyalty of your readers – we’ll all be here since we Can’t Fight This Feeling of excitement for you on your travels, and can’t wait to read all about it when you return!

I’m sure your schedule is already packed, but I remember hearing about gold coins that were discovered by the Antiques Authority in Jerusalem around this time last year, so if you’ve got some extra time, maybe you could try your hand as a Gold Digger and bring back loot to show off to those of us that stayed behind! (In case you’re short on post ideas when you return).

Though I’ve never been to Israel, I do have a bit of advice to dispense before you go. Be careful where you Take A Bow because you don’t want to cause any international epidemics that may result in someone wanting to Bust Your Windows! Even if you were to cause a stir, rest assured, you have many readers who’d be there in a heartbeat to bail you out of an international catastrophe!

I so admire you for traveling to a place you’ve always dreamed of visiting. You’re Taking Chances that I only wish I could, if only I still lived Alone and didn’t have to worry about being responsible for myself, and a certain somebody known as the Boyfriend! Maybe This Time next year, I’ll convince Somebody To Love the idea of me becoming an international traveler, and I’ll follow in your footsteps.

I hope your readers don’t Hate On Me for taking over your corner of the web today, because then I’d probably feel like I had No Air and get all flustered when it comes to blogging on my own corner of the web again! Luckily, You Keep Me Hangin’ On to the hope that your readers will love what I come up with in your absence. Keep Holding On to that positivity that is ever-present in your posts!

I can only imagine how exhausted you’ll be on the trip home, and traveling home on an endless flight from a place you don’t want to leave can be daunting. If you’re lucky, you’ll be flying the friendly skies that allow you to Bust A Move mid-air to break up the tediousness of the flight! Who knows, you may catch the eye of a talent scout who mutters to his companion, “Sweet Caroline, that girl’s got moves!” While you’re having an impromptu dance party with your fellow passengers, I’ll probably be home, Dancing With Myself to the sounds of my girl, Whitney Houston, in an effort to vicariously vacation through your travels! While you’re out Defying Gravity, your readers and I will be here, patiently waiting for your long-awaited recap! I hope your trip is nothing short of amazing!

Your East Coast Companion,

Jennifer – Somewhere In Between

Glee: The Music, Vol. 1 [Soundtrack]

1	Don't Stop Believin' 3:51
2	Can't Fight This Feeling 3:30
3	Gold Digger 3:01
4	Take a Bow 3:36
5	Bust Your Windows 4:20
6	Taking Chances 3:56
7	Alone 3:41
8	Maybe This Time 2:59
9	Somebody to Love 4:43
10	Hate on Me 3:30
11	No Air 4:22
12	You Keep Me Hangin' On 2:39
13	Keep Holding On 4:04
14	Bust a Move 4:24
15	Sweet Caroline 1:58
16	Dancing with Myself 3:10
17	Defying Gravity 2:21

Guest Post: The Sassy Sonja

[The only way I can really explain what's going on today is in bullet points:

* Ascend Masada - Via the Snake Path
* Masada - Ancient mountain-top fortress
* Ein Bokek - Nature walk to the desert waterfalls
* Dead Sea - Floating at Ein Bokek Beach
* Beoudin hafla - Desert tent feast & bonfire

Enough said, yeah? Good timing for my lovely gal Sonja to talk shoes. OMG, shoes.]

I've got a lovely bunch of...Stilettos?

When my oh, so loved Ali asked me if I wanted to guest blog I was super excited, because well, she's awesome & is always there for me so why not help a sister out? Even if she did ask me after I told her I was having writers block on my own blog! haha!

Since my blog is called "For The Love of Stilettos". I bring to you my 3 favorite pairs of shoes! say it with me: "yaaaay!' & can you actually believe that I hated shoes when I was growing up and it wasn't until I was planning my wedding that I fell in love? Crazy I know.

Numero Uno: A classic pair. One that you can never go wrong with. The Black Stiletto.

I actually got these about 6 months ago from WET SEAL! For only about $20 if that. They've served their purpose well and I wear them pretty much everyday unless I'm wearing my flats.

Which brings me to #2! My Tory Burch Revas!

The newest member to my collection of 68 pairs and Oh sweet goodness.

Never have I paid $200 for a pair of shoes but since I've been eyeing them for months my amazing husband surprised me with a pair for "Christmas" (as I wear them right now lol) when we went to Nordstrom in Indianapolis. I can look past the price because they are super comfy and adorable! They are my favorite pair of flats that I own and my husband will make sure it stays that way because I'm pretty sure he has a mini heart attack every time he looks at them. lol

My 3rd favorite pair of shoes have to be my wedding shoes! Even though I don't wear them on a daily basis (obviously) or at all really, they are the most fun shoe I own! My good ol' Betseyville by Betsey Johnsons. I think people paid more attention to them than the Bride on our wedding day! lol and I have more pictures of them than I do of us! They were definitly a hit and I still get questions about them from other soon to be Brides. :)

You can find them on Shoes.com by the way.

Fun yes? *sigh* I wish I could share every shoe with you but Ali might throw them at me whenever I make my way to Cali! haha

Hope you enjoyed!

Cheerio!

Guest Post: The Bubbly Brittany

[Tzfat today! Try saying that 3 times fast. Did you know that Tzfat is Jewish mysticism's birthplace? Holla for Madonna! Or don't. After visiting around here, we're going down to the Negev Desert. I think I see a camel in my future... What you're about to read is from one of my favorite ladies. Seriously, major girl crush right here. Shh, don't tell Brent!]

Thank you so much to Ali for having me at The Way I See It! When she first mentioned guest posting, I had a bunch of different great ideas. Then, they all swiftly left my head. I thought for days about what to write, then remembered that Ali and I have something in common--our Jewish connection! In fact, she's in Israel right now! So I thought I'd draw on that, tell you a story, and engage you in a little story telling of your own.

Here we go!

As a little girl, the holidays were always a magical time for me. We celebrated two holidays in December (not to mention two birthdays--my dad's and younger sister's). With my mother being Catholic, we celebrated Christmas, and with my father being Jewish, we celebrated Hanukkah. A lot of people think Hanukkah is the Jewish Christmas, but this is actually not true. This historical occurrence just happens to fall at the same time that Christmas does.

Tradition has always been important to me and the few we had in our household were upheld year after year. Every December my dad would light the candles of the menorah, put on his yarmulke (pronounced "yah-mu-kuh"--it's the cap Jewish men sometimes wear), and read the nightly prayer from his prayer book. We usually did this for all eight nights, although sometimes a night would accidentally get skipped. Even though I never really knew what the words meant, I could recite the first few lines verbatim after hearing them so many times. My dad used to come to my classes in grade-school to teach my classmates about Hanukkah as well. I was always, and still am, so proud of my Jewish heritage. To this day, I tend to identify more with that religion than any other.

My mother, on the other hand, made Christmas a month long affair. Immediately after Thanksgiving, the Christmas boxes would come out in droves. It drove my father nuts. My brother, sister, and I each had several special ornaments. It was always observed that the owner of the ornament was to be the only one to place it on the tree. We'd decorate to Andy Williams, Amy Grant, and Mariah Carey singing in the background. And when we were feeling particularly crazy, we'd put on the "Jingle Cats" album our Aunt Stacy got for us. It's basically a bunch of cats meowing and purring all the popular Christmas carols. I would always imitate this one line really loudly to my brother and it never failed (still doesn't!) to make him bust up laughing.

Another fun tradition we did was cookie baking. We had this one book about gingerbread bears that my mom used to read to us when we were little. In the story, the children fell fast asleep after a long night of baking cookies. Then, in the middle of the night, the gingerbears would come alive and play all around the kitchen! So my mom, being the clever one she is, would put us to bed, snag a few Barbie shoes from my sister's and my room, and work her magic. The next morning we'd wake up to footprints in the flour, just like in the story! We were just sure that our gingerbears had come alive too--just like in our book.

Things are different now. My parents are divorced, my little sister is a mom, I'm a wife, and my brother and his girlfriend just moved in together. But after all these years, we still see to it that at least one tradition is kept alive. Just like when we were little, our stockings are always saved for last. We'll be scattered about the room, exhausted from a morning of tearing open presents, only to suddenly remember--STOCKINGS! It happens every year. And every year, I feel like I'm seven years old again.

What holiday traditions do you remember? Do you still celebrate them?

Be sure to come visit me at Notes From the Grove sometime! Happy Holidays!

Guest Post: The Adorable Liz

[Well, we're in Galilee all day today and apparently today is all about nature. I'm going on my first real hike at Nahal El Al and am really looking forward to it. Then we'll be heading to Mt. Bental to see the observation point and some former Syrian bunkers. So beyond cool. (And I so beyond just sounded like a valley girl, which I am so not.) Then it's onto the Tiberias hot springs along the Sea of Galilee, which sounds beautiful. And later on tonight, we're doing something called Ayelet Guldin, which is about Israel society through the cinema. I'm exhausted just thinking about it! So Liz is going to take it from here because I need to lie down...]

Hey y’all I’m Liz and it’s my turn to guest blog! Since this is a guest blog for one Miss Ali Dubrow, I figured ‘d continue along her way of doing things with another questions from Miss Gwen...

Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? Did you eat anything as you drove there? Who were you with?

My favorite car ride would be the road trip from Irvine in Southern California to Union City in the San Francisco Bay Area on June 14th at 5:00 in the morning.

June 13th was my graduation day from UC Irvine (Miss Dubrow’s alma mater as well.) Unfortunately it was also the graduation day of James Logan High School – where my sister was currently planning on walking. And the two were 300 miles apart. My parents had debated over which graduation to go to for a couple months. On one hand, I was the first in my entire family (including older relatives, etc.) to graduate from college. And not to blow my own horn, but graduating from college is kind of a big deal. But on the other hand, it was actually a bigger deal that my sister had made it through high school (because there were definitely moments where we didn’t think that was going to happen.) But my parents figured out a way…at 9:00 in the morning they went to my sister’s graduation, watched her walk, cheered with my grandparents, and by 1:00 in the afternoon they were on a plane down to John Wayne just in time for my 6:00 walk across the Bren Events Center Stage. My brother and sister stayed back home with my grandmother and 94-year-old great grandmother, where I’m pretty sure they threw quite a wild party (and I’m not talking about my siblings.)

After the ceremony, we went to my house, along with my best friend Suzee, had some wine and cheese, and went to bed. We left the house the next morning at 5:00 in order to make the 7-hour journey in time for my sister’s and my joint graduation party in the bay. The ride itself was a bit surreal. I had just graduated college, I had no idea what I was doing with my life, in a month I would be moving back home, and my only plan for the future was some completely insane plan to move across an ocean for a year and take care of a child. I sat sipping my coffee (brought to you by McDonalds iced lattes) and pondering my very existence in this new school-less world.

To make matters worse, my car was missing it’s stereo so we were all dependent on our own ipods which of course meant no belting of “Love Shack” and being looked at like a crazy person when I did my car-eography to “Holla Back Girl.” Also my car’s relatively old, and things tend to rattle…and it gets to me. So I was constantly trying to find out what things were making noise and tape them down with whatever I could find which ended up being the sticky parts of our various breakfast wrappers. And I apologize to anyone who has had to climb into the back of that two door Ford Explorer, because damn it is hard…that trip was the first time since test driving it, that I had been back there.

When I usually drive home I’m always thinking about the time I’m about to have, because driving home means some event or holiday with my family. It means getting to see my friends at home. It means hoping that I get to steal a couple private moments with that “boy back home” that I’ve always had a crush on. But it always meant that in a couple days, I’d have to leave again. But this drive represented all the hopes I had for the future, and the end of the greatest chapter in my life thus far.

Guest Post: The CENTsible Ella

[I'm most likely an emotional mess right now because we're going to the Holocaust Memorial and Museum. We'll see Har Herzl - the National Memorial - and then it's north towards Galilee. Oh, and we'll be staying at a kibbutz tonight. A real, live kibbutz! I can cross that off my bucket list. Ella, please interrupt me.]

Cents make Sense

Hi everyone! Ella here from Here. There. Everywhere. The wonderful Ali is off having the adventure of a lifetime in Israel so I'm taking over her blog for a day.

I've been racking my brain trying to come up with an interesting idea, and then I got distracted. I discovered the most amazing thing. Call me cheap/frugal/stingy ...but I've fallen in love with coupons! Here in Canada we don't have anywhere near the savings that all you Americans enjoy, but as I'm planning to do a little cross-border shopping, I've preparing. I stumbled across this earlier today and I'm slightly ashamed to admit I've already printed off a whole bunch. I'm not 100% if they will work, but I figure it is worth a shot either way. With the economic climate being what it is, I see no problem with saving a frew dollars here and there, especially around the holidays.

Once I started googling coupons, the list seemed to grow and grow. I have no idea where these savings actually come from, but it seems to me that people can save a heck of a lot of money. There was a clip on Good Morning America about a woman who (no joke) made a $200 grocery bill go down to $0.99 with all the savings. She feeds a family of 6 for $4/week. Although I'm sure she's a cashier's worst nightmare, I am curious to see if it would actually work.

Have any of you had amazing deals or savings with coupons? I'd love to hear your stories!

Guest Post: The Romantic Adrienne

[Today, we meet our Israeli "peers," but I'm pretty sure I'll be calling them my friends after this trip. They're here to travel with us and help us out with, well...everything. We're in Jerusalem today, where we'll see the Jewish Quarter and take an Old City walking tour. And do I have any idea what all of this is right now as I'm typing this (it's 12/15 right now, by the way)? Absolutely not. But I have a feeling today will be one of if not the best part of my trip, since we're going to the Western Wall. So. Much. History. And speaking of history, Adrienne's about to knock your socks off with the story of her and the love of her life.]

Hi! My name is Adrienne (but you can call me AOG). I started reading Ali's blog a few months ago and found that we had a lot in common. While she is away on her amazing trip to Israel that I cannot wait to read all about, I asked if I could have the honor of being a guest blogger and she said yes! When she told me that she didn't want me to write something that she would want to read, I was stumped. The obvious thing to do would be to write about what we have in common, but all of you lovely followers read about her all the time, so I thought I'd write a little something about me. So here it is...

In 2002, he asked me to be his girl.

In 2003, he went off to Berkeley. I (semi) followed him and moved to San Francisco.

In 2004, I had my first Guamanian holiday with his family.

In 2005, I was invited on my first Gomer family vacation to Hawaii.

In 2006, he watched me (finally) graduate from college.

In 2007, we moved in together.

In 2008, he gave me a ring and promised to be with me forever.

In 2009, we were blessed with a daughter and had a beautiful wedding.

And now we have everything that we ever wanted. And it all started in almost eight years ago with two teenagers who had found love.

To read more about my life and my family, check out my blogs

AOG Daily

The Best Thing

Guest Post: The Oh-So-Very-Quirky Cory

[Shalom! Here's what's on tap for today:

• Walking tour of the area
• Havdalla & closing ceremony
• Jerusalem Time Elevator – Simulator ride of Jerusalem history
• Ben Yehuda St. - Pedestrian shopping center

Can't wait. And neither can my dear friend Cory. So here he is.]

Taking the Leap

Hello Everyone. A big thanks to Ali for having me as a guest on here. This is my first time doing a guest blog, and hopefully as this is posting, Ali is having the time of her life in Israel. My name is Cory Wyszynski, and you can check out my stuff at Wizard Vs. Tree if you so wish. The year is fast approaching its end, and I cannot get past the fact that I graduated a year ago as of Dec. 14th. I did not see myself where I am now. I am unemployed and it is draining on my optimism. I graduated in Forensic Chemistry and a minor in theater. I am drowning in loans and I realize my passion for the arts is slowly becoming a fairy tale, unattainable, and I wish it was not the case. I have lived in California all my life, and my dad was with the studios (behind the scenes) since I can remember. I love to perform, and I cannot picture any greater feeling. Thankfully, I am glad with the decision to major in Forensic Chemistry, and I would not have a problem working in a lab to pay the bills. I just always thought that I could fulfill my love for acting on the side. Hence, why this post.

One of the best decisions I made this year was to start taking improv classes at iO West, located on Hollywood Blvd. iO West or Improv Olympic started in Chicago with its signature form of improvisation, The Harold (long form improv). I did improv all throughout high school in something called ComedySportz, and have been in love with it ever since. I have been out of it some time, and it was getting to the point of my mind, spirit, and body where it was no longer a want, but a need. I looked at taking classes with them for the past two years. I had saved up some money for a car, and your right to to think I am a little crazy to not have a car in LA, cause I am. Nothing worse than having to pay insurance and gas for a car with no stable income, so I put the car on hold, and I pulled some of the money for the classes. Sometimes you have to take the risk. If you really want or love something, than I encourage you all to do whatever it takes to get it. It is never too late to pick up an instrument, create a film, or to start painting. The arts have been around for ages. Art is transcendent, and to be able to participate, where there really are no words for it. My classes have already ended for Level 1, and I am hoping and praying I am able to continue. I am just grateful that I took the leap, to continue my dream of performing throughout my life, even if it is on a shallow stage on the weekends from time to time.

(From top to Bottom; Left to Right: Jeff, Me, Paul, Sophia, Tatiana, Eric*, Lynda, Drew, and Daryn)

*indicates our instructor

Guest Post: The Festive Amanda

[Well, it's Shabbat and for anyone who doesn't know, this is the day of rest in Israel. Shops close, people relax and not much is done. Hence, we are just hanging out at our first hotel and having a lovely candle lighting ceremony along with a Shabbat dinner which I am sure will be delish. Oh, and then we're all meeting each other. Always a good thing. Alright, ramble over. Heeeere's Amanda!]

In the spirit of the season AND Ali's trip to the Holy Land, I thought I would share my list of my absolute favorite things about the holiday season. Why is this a tribute to Ali's trip to the Holy Land? Well, as a fellow Jew who has also been to Israel, my friends and family sometimes find it odd how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holidays. To explain myself a bit to those naysayers, I've put together a Nice Jewish Girl's list to the best things about Christmas:

1) The Music!

I know more Christmas Carols than most Jews....No...wait. I know more Christmas Carols than the average Christian. This stems mostly from the fact that I was in a children's singing and dancing group when I was younger (Think Glee with 7 to 16 year olds) that performed an hour-long Christmas show at various malls and hospitals. I was forced to learn everything from Susie Snowflake to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree to The Christmas Song. My love, however, also stems from the fact that I just LOVE Christmas Music. "All I Want for Christmas is You" is the most played song on my iTunes, and I have a 4 hour long playlist dedicated soley to Christmas music. Why is it so great? It's heartwarming, catchy, and makes me feel like I'm snuggled in a Slanket, drinking hot Chocolate (thus the need for the Slanket), watching a crackling fire and thinking about how much I love my family. Yeah...the songs are that good.

2) Christmas Lights!

They make any neighborhood glitter, and there is nothing prettier than driving home through a light snow while the lights twinkle through your windows. It makes everything seem magical, and it reminds you how much everyone else loves the holidays too. They seem to create this wonderful sense of community. Plus, the crazy people who fill their lawns with blow-up Snoopy Santa's and rack up thousands of dollars in electric bills to display lights more akin to the Vegas Strip than Main Street America always provide a lovely outing for the whole family. My main excitement of the last few weeks came from the fact that my downstairs neighbors put up lights outside our duplex, giving me a house with Christmas lights for the first time in my life. Win!

3) Presents!

Yes, I'm shallow and childish, but come on. Presents! And It's not just getting them that's fun. I love watching people's faces as they open up the gifts I bought for them. It's so gratifying and SO Christmas.

4) My family.

It's cheesy and most people don't believe me, but my family kicks ass. Seriously. I think the reason I love Christmas so much is that every single year we go to my Grandparent's house, see my dad's entire side of the family, and carry out the same traditions year after year. Since we're Jewish and my dad's family isn't, we got to be my grandparents stand-in kids, in a way, as all the other families in our family had their own Christmas's at their houses, but us Jews certainly didn't. Thus, as my sister and I slept in the back room of my grandparent's house, my grandma would leave us stockings at our feet. She'd cook us egg casserole for breakfast, and then everyone would come over, and we'd open presents one by one, just like we'd done the year before. My family never had set Chanukah traditions or Passover Traditions, but for some reason, our Jewish Family had (and has) the best Christmas traditions around, and that is probably the biggest reason I love all that other stuff. It's not Christmas itself that I love. It's that Christmas is when I get to go home, relax, and make some amazing memories with some pretty kick ass people. And so to me, that is what Christmas is celebrating.

Oh...and Happy Chanukah!

(Psst, find Amanda here.)

Guest Post: The Lovely Seyma

[So I'm off! I'm writing to you but I'm not really writing to you! I think that amazes me more than most people. At any rate, I've been fortunate enough to have a bunch of fantastic people take over my blog while I'm gone and I really can't thank you all enough for doing so. If you're reading this at or after 1:45 PM, I'm now on an 18 hour plane ride to the Holy Land. Yes, 18 hours. I've never flown for more than 6. Pray for me? Isn't that fitting? :) And now, please welcome Seyma!]

Hello Everyone!! This is Seyma speaking from Good Intention Equals Nothing.. well, i don't think any of you knows me but it's ok. we're gonna meet now and trust me: i'm really glad to meet ya'll especially here on Ali's blog..

so first things first: please forgive me if my English sounds bad.. i'm still working on it (liar!! you've been doing nothing since you graduated.. deal with it..)

well, in case you may wonder, i'd like to introduce myself briefly if that's ok for you guys.. i'm from Turkey and i'm 22 years old.. i just graduated from colloge in June and studied English Language and Literature, but i have no job for the time being.. hoping i'll happen to find one in 2010 (we can dream right? *sigh*) i'm married for one year and a half with no children (thank God.. well, what can you and your husband do while you have no jobs right?).. i can imagine you get confused: so yeah, we got married while we were in collage..but don't try it out at home 'cause it's not a good thing when you don't have your own budget.. trust me..

so i started blogging a year ago and i'm still trying to figure out what the hell this whole thing is about.. then i met Ali and love her immediately.. and i can assure you: i'm being really happy when i meet new people with new and different tastes.. so you're definitely no exceptions!!

ok i'm gonna cut it short not to bore you.. if you get interested in me or the things i share about myself, please come visit my blog (seyma-erol.blogspot.com) and we can have fun altogether.. having said that, moving on..

Todays topic is about a research made by some man (sorry i don't remember who.. but you may find it in the link i'll share).. and so one of my favorite bloggers, Melissa (melissaxoxo.blogspot.com), shared this link on her blog and i thought it'd be interesting for you guys to check out.. and it amazed me pretty much because i've never thought of such sort of classification before.. it's pretty weird actually..

so here is the most annoying top 10 phrases:

1o. It is what it is
This newcomer is the epitome of an ear-grating phrase that means nothing.

9. It's all good
The inclusion of "all" only accentuates how much you don't mean what you're saying.

8. To be honest
Not only is this phrase usually followed by something best left unsaid, but it also implies everything else you say is dishonest.

7. No offense
A phrase even more insincere than it is superfluous.

6. Whatever
In a recent survey, 47 percent of Americans chose this word compound as the most annoying phrase of all. Meaning you have the permission to smack anyone who uses it and isn't a 12-year-old-girl. (and it's a close call on smacking any 12-year-old-girl who uses the "w" word.

5. Don't get me wrong
Isn't it implicit in most human communication that your intention is always to be correctly understood?

4. With all due respect
Really?

3. Everything happens for a reason
A completely worthless utterance that probably doubles as a vicious taunt to those who have undergone terrible hardships.

2. At the end of the day
At the end of the day, you'll be preparing for bed.

1. Going forward
Saying this is like announcing your next footstep.

so what is the most annoying phrase for you in this list (or out of this list -it doesn't matter-)?

i guess the most annoying one for me is "whatever" 'cause it really may be irrelevant most of the time.. both in English and in Turkish..

hope you enjoy my guest post guys.. i really appreciate if you'd make time to stop by and say hello..

love,
Seyma

p.s: i want to thank Ali, in the first place, for giving me this opportunity to connect with ya'll...

xoxo..

BO9BC: Best Packaging

This is the most random question of the challenge yet.

Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves?

Hm...I'm going to say Soto has the best packaging I've seen in a long time. Soto is a women's clothing boutique near us that my sister used to work at. They've got great clothes for reasonable prices. And best of all, they wrap the items in little Chinese food cartons and tie 'em up with bows. Way too cute. Now I wish I had taken a picture of the gifts I got for my mom and sister for Hanukkah because guess where they came from? That's right...Soto.

It kind of just hit me that I'll be way behind on #best09 and that's a bummer. So be prepared for a bunch of these posts next year. Lucky you! Apologies.

BO9BC: New Food, Change and Rush

December 11th: New food. You're now in love with Lebanese food and you didn't even know what it was in January of this year.

Two words: Indian food. My absolute favorite. Done and done. And wine, red wine. The meal must always be accompanied by Indian red wine. It's kind of a rule around these parts. These parts being me.

That last part sounded weird, but I don't feel the need to explain myself to you guys anymore. It's been long enough, hasn't it?

December 12th: What's the best change you made to the place you live?

We redid our bathroom. Before the redo, it looked like Barbie's dream house had vomited all over it. Finally, we changed it to a brown and turquoise theme (same as my bedroom but merely a coincidence) and it's just so calm and peaceful now. As opposed to pink and loud and oh-so-very obnoxious. Biiiiig sigh of relief.

December 13th: Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?

I'm about to be presumptuous, but I think this is the one time I can be 100% sure of said presumption. Israel. Birthright. I know this will be the biggest rush of my year and perhaps my entire life. And that is not me being dramatic; that is me repeating what so many previous participants have told me. In 3 days, I go to a different home. But I go home just the same. And I know that this experience will be absolutely life-changing.

BO9BC: The Best Place

A tough question from Gwen today!

The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

Okay, my immediate answer would be here.

(+)

New York, my home state...I miss you so...

But alas, I'm in an unpredictable mood on this rainy Friday afternoon. And it just so happens that I came across this little gem via the oh so lovely Joanna over at A Cup of Jo.

Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado.

I was swooning from the start.

Here's a bit about this perfect place, taken from their website:

"This perfectly restored ghost town thrives on contradictions; hand-hewn log cabins exquisitely furnished, a life-worn saloon serving food of startling quality, lung torturing trails followed by pampering massages, sensuous hot springs beneath shimmering snow banks. Free of cell phones, this romantic old mining town still provides high speed wireless internet access and video conferencing to the comforting sound of a tumbling waterfall."

I'm not sure what could be much better than this. Actually, maybe renting the entire town out would be a close second. You can do that here, you know.

Mark my words, I'll be vacationing here someday. Sigh...

What's your best place?

(all DHS photos taken from their site)

BO9BC: Album of the Year

Best of '09 time.

Album of the year. What's rocking your world?

Ingrid Michaelson. Done and done. FG, I know you would agree!

Her newest album, Everybody. In love with every song on it.

Favorites: The Chain, Mountain And The Sea, Maybe

I saw her in concert a few months ago. To quote Gwen, she absolutely rocked my world. One of the many reasons? She introduced Once Was Love - a song about coming to terms with the end of a relationship - with, "If your pants don't have sex with you anymore, what's the point, you know?"

Yes, she's that awesome.

Your turn.

BO9BC: Moment of Peace and Challenge

Back to the challenge!

I'm a day behind.

Forgive me?

Yesterday's theme:

Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there?

This is a good one. I'm going to have to go with the times (that have unfortunately become few and far between) that I go up the hill from my house. We live in the valley, and the valley equals (surprise!) lots of hills and, you guessed it, valleys. But this hill is where I used to go when we first moved across the country. When I didn't know a soul and needed to be alone with my thoughts. This hill holds a special place in my heart because of that. And this hill is gorgeous; you can see across the entire valley from this one spot, or at least a whole lot of it.

Heading up the hill...

...almost there...

...ah, yes.

Today's challenge (am I clever or what? I know, I know...):

Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

Without a doubt, NaNoWriMo. Too easy! And by too easy, I mean not easy at all. I was scared before it , I was determined during it and I was high (on life...) after it.

On a different note, it hit me a few days ago (actually, that's a lie; it hit me months ago, but it hit me a few days ago enough for me to actually want to do something about it) that I've never (read: never ever) had a giveaway on this here blog. The horror, I know. And since the holidays are fast approaching, I figured that this thought hit me at the perfect time. Translation? I'm doing a giveaway, damn it!

However, because my departure from the good old US of A is fast approaching (as in a week from tomorrow, yeesh!), I'm going to have to do it after I get back (on New Year's Eve). But this is a little heads up, so get excited!

Also, if you've emailed me wanting to guest post (a maaajor thank you in advance, by the way!), expect an email with the details on that. Can't wait for you all to take over my blog!