How did Between Carpools change your life?
Perhaps the best way to answer this question is to ask it of ourselves–in what way did it change our lives?
It could be the posts that changed us in a deeper way, those “little life lessons that stick.”
It could be the posts that changed the way we do things and made everything just that little bit more manageable, from the easier recipes to those “little conveniences that became revolutionary.”
And finally, the most impactful posts were perhaps those where Between Carpools fills its most essential role. The “big sister by your side” type of posts really defined the role BCP plays in being there to help guide you through all your stages…from setting up your home and making your first Pesach…to arranging your first bris or bar mitzvah….to packing up a child for camp, yeshiva, or seminary...through marrying off a child.
We’ve learned from each other, we learn from you, and we’ll continue to learn and evolve whether it’s through little life lessons, great recipes and hacks, or growing together through the stages of life.
If you missed any of these posts…catch them now!
Little Life Lessons That “Stick”
- Sending Them Off with Prayer…and Cute School Supplies
One of the first BCP posts from September 2016 by Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi stayed with us and it’s especially apropos this time of year. We realized the right way to approach the start of the school year…and especially why that fresh backpack and cute highlighters really do make a difference.
2. Tell Yourself, “I Chose This”
Really, all the tips in this January 2017 post on 10 Things to Tell Yourself When You’re Overwhelmed are important. But there’s a few that are at the forefront of our minds almost every day, like “What’s the first thing I need to do,” and telling ourselves, “I chose this.” We don’t choose everything in life, but in most situations, it is a mindset that comes to the rescue time and time again.
3. Learning to Listen
It’s so important to go through life knowing that most of the time, it’s not necessary to get that word in edgewise. We learned this lesson in February 2017. Everyone always wants to say their piece–but really, the quality that’s way more valuable vs. being able to speak is being able to stay quiet and listen to others.
4. Davening Won’t Make Your Schedule More Tight
The main message in this post from March 2017 by Shiffy Friedman is with us every single day. In it, Shiffy shares the most important “busy mother tip” she learned from Rebbetzin Kolodtsky, the daughter of Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l: it’s his promise that davening won’t actually take up our time, but rather the time we spend will free up more time later.
5. Moms of Little Kids: It Gets Easier
Our kids had to grow up a little for us to share these experiences and this important insight with you in January of 2018. We realized that the loneliest stage in raising children is when our oldest children were all little. As families grow, even if there’s more children, when there’s “bigger kids” around, it’s easier in a way. Moms of little kids: this one’s an essential read for you.
6. You Also Feel That Way?
This was a breakthrough moment at BCP in February 2023. In lots of situations, often we feel like “we’re the only one who feels that way.” It’s a lonely feeling. One great example: feeling awkward at simchas–like we don’t know who we are supposed to talk to or what we’re supposed to say to a baal simcha. There was one moment where one of us admitted this and suddenly, we all realized we’re not the only ones. And we hope this felt validating for lots of you out there too. You’re not alone in your feelings anymore.
7.Changing Our Attitude Towards “Stuff”
If there was one piece of advice we could give newlyweds and young families when setting up their new home, it’s to avoid acquiring too much stuff. Make sure something has a place before it enters! Yes, there’s the basics. But there’s always those extra items which seem so cool, but in the end, they just take up space. While these 2024 posts on achieving the decluttering mindset and decluttering that doesn’t take time are so helpful, it’s always easier if you don’t acquire the stuff in the first place!
Revolutionary Conveniences
8. The 9x13 That Started It All
We didn’t even realize the revolution that this January 2018 recipe for Oatmeal Squares began. See, the title doesn’t even say 9x13! (Perhaps we should update it?) It kickstarted a whole series of 9x13 recipes and Dinner Done chapters that have saved all of us a lot of time and a lot of mess. We are no longer anxious when our kids want to bake or when we need to make dinner and can’t handle extra dishes to wash. Stock up on your pans, whether real or disposable–9x13 recipes are here to stay.
9. Easy Recipes, Pantry Ingredients
We all cook so differently than we did a decade ago. Recipes changed. It’s no longer about being the most creative or unique. It’s about meals that work more in sync with our lives, that make our families happy, and that don’t entail extra trips to the grocery. These easy recipes span a decade and two Dinner Done cookbooks, like Garlic Sesame Schnitzel from August 2016 to One Pot Shawarma Chicken and Rice from September 2024. Recipes like these make cooking simpler–but just as tasty as ever.
10. Grains in Oven/Freezing Grains
It was eye-opening when we learned that no, we don’t need to take out a pot or wait 45 minutes to have a side dish ready. It was in January 2022 when we figured out we can make almost every grain in the oven. And then the idea really took off when we began preparing sushi rice that way too in February 2023. And then it really came together in October 2024, when we figured out we could freeze the extra in quantities that made sense and pop them in the microwave when needed, whether it was rice, pasta, or most else.
11. Packing and Unpacking is Different
This isn’t food-related, and perhaps it’s only relevant a few times per year, but packing and unpacking is way different before vs. after BCP because it’s here we learned about packing cubes in July 2017! It’s been such an essential that makes so much sense, it’s easy to forget how the concept first came to our attention.
The Big Sister by Your Side
13. Camp/Yeshiva/Seminary Lists (i.e. most Big Sister-ish!)
This is one area where BCP truly is that big sister you didn’t have. Except that even if you do have a big sister, she didn’t necessarily make you such an organized, well-researched, and up to date list that you can rely on when sending a girl to camp, a boy to camp, a boy to yeshiva, or a girl to seminary. We first posted a camp list in June 2019 and we’ve been updating and refining all our packing lists annually ever since.
13. Pesach with BCP by Your Side
Pesach is the time of year where we are at your side perhaps more than any other time! Simple family favorites you’ll want to turn to year after year: No big ingredient lists. Keep it simple, keep it pure, but make Yom Tov a time to remember. From the Pesach planning, Seder basics, recipe favorites, hacks, and more, we hope BCP has also helped you find joy in the process.
14. Sharing in Your Simcha!
During all our “firsts,” we’ve spent a lot of time making mistakes and figuring things out–but that doesn’t mean that you need to also–especially when it comes to making simchas! Anxiety can also creep in at times of simcha, and we hope our Simcha Guides have given you peace of mind and grounded to-do lists when it feels overwhelming. From Everything You Need to Plan a Wedding, Bris, Pidyon HaBen, to (finally!) our Bar Mitzvah Guide in February 2025, we’re here for you. Mazel Tov!
15. The Big Sister Steps In
There are things in life that no one will tell you. But there are things you need to know, and things that are so, so comforting to learn from someone who’s just a few years ahead of you. We started it off in August 2020 when we shared our favorite “Big Sister” products, and we’re still brainstorming more ways to help you feel that you aren’t alone to navigate this nuanced area of life.
16.And Finally, the Best Part… Being Confident and Happy at Home
Finally, finally…BCP has helped us make home simply the best place to be. Never underestimate the little things that make a woman comfortable in her own home. From when setting up her home, doing laundry, and learning what cleaning supplies she needs, to when she’s organizing or setting that beautiful yet accessible table for her Chanukah party…and finally, and very importantly, to finding time to take care of herself so she can be at her best. Through all these ways, BCP has helped us bring calm and joy to the moments we spend in the very best place: our own mikdash me’at.
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