holiday gift guide: the Yidishkeyt tales

Just because Chanukah is over, doesn't mean you can't get your kids this adorable story, The Yidishkeyt Tales: Moishe's Story ($16.99). Written by Erin Verkhovsky Finelli, the book is dedicated to her great grandparents and all other immigrants who journeyed from Kobrin, Russian Empire to New York. It features authentic historical photos and tells the tale of how they met in a lighthearted poem that rhymes Yiddish words (don't worry, there's a glossary in the back if you can't get the gist from the context). Your kids will definitely learn a bit of the lost language, which is a nice change after they spend hours with Dora and Kai-Lan. The story is very kheynevdik (cute) and Finelli's fammily should shep nachas (derive pleasure) from her efforts. Buy it for your kids at www.amazon.com.

holiday gift guide: give annabel karmel

Uggh! I start getting frustrated every day at about 4 PM. That's about the time I have to start thinking about making dinner for the family. All four of us! What happened to the good 'ol days when single-girl-me could go to the movies and count my small portion of popcorn sans butter as my dinner allotment. Now not a day goes by without four tiny eyes staring up at me saying, "I'm hungry. Is dinner ready yet??!" The worst part is, I feel like I know how to whip up a few basics and I stick to them since I don't have much time to start creating new dishes. Thankfully, leading nutritionist and children's book author Annabel Karmel comes through with the book, Favorite Family Meals, and there are enough pages to feed my kids (and husband!) for at least a few months. Not only does she offer delicious easy-to-make recipes--everything from soups and pizzas, to vegetarian dishes and desserts--but she also features plenty of tips, like preventing tooth decay, offering healthy protein suggestions, encouraging weight maintenance in kids and lunch box ideas (there's also a Lunch Boxes and Snacks book too!) Find both, as well as Karmel's other great titles at www.annabelkarmel.com.

holiday gift guide: give Lipstick. Laptops. Life.

The holidays are about inspiration. We are embarking on a new year and are hopefully inspired to have a great one. If you're lacking in that department, pick up a copy of Angela O'Mara's recently released, "Lipstick. Laptops. Life." In it the successful public relations firm owner talks about her struggles to keep her business thriving through a turbulent economy and reveals how she found parts of herself that were lost along her journey of more than twenty years in business. Throughout the pages, readers will learn a valuable lesson: That they may need to climb the corporate ladder more than once. This is way too apparent for many of us who are going through similarly difficult times in our careers and lives due to the current state of the economy. To give yourself an inspirational gift, or buy one for a friend, go to www.lipsticklaptopslife.com or check out www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.