OCEANS OF JOY

I’ve been touched to have received the following comments  - you are all a blessing to me and I thank you for your willingness in letting me be part of your lives.

- “I wanted also to thank you for making such a difference in me and my life. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet you and that I was able to take that class with you…. I wanted you to know that you have made a tremendous impact on my life. I know that you know I grew up in a very unhappy dysfunctional home and I’ve had to work very very hard at building myself and trying to create a happy home. I never forget the people who step into my life, sometimes very briefly, sometimes for longer, and make impressions on me that I carry forever and help change me as a person and as a mother. You are one of those people!  Thank you!  P.S. I love your blog!”

-  “Just wanted to let you know-im gaining SO SO much from your class. i …feel like a different person-i can take care of my family so much better.  Thank you, and i cant wait to learn more!”

- “I just wanted to thank you so much for including me in your classes. Knowing you has been an amazing experience for my own personal growth along with my family. Speaking to you on the phone, taking your classes, and reading your blog has been an amazing experience for me and is really helping me find the direction I’ve been looking for.”

- “Reading your blog has made a real difference in my life as my approach to spending has changed and your perspective on child rearing has been very helpful for me.  Thank you for all your insight into life and sharing with me through your blog.”

- “You and your wisdom are blessing in my life.  Thank you.”

- “I have been reading your blog for quite a while now, and would like to tell you that you are doing a fantastic job! You probably don’t realize that you influence so many people in a positive way without knowing about it.”

- “Just wanted to say thanks for blogging … It keeps us talking and considering.”

- “I love your blog. It is one of the few out there that I consistently leave with a warm positive feeling. “

- ”Thank you so much. It was inspiring, affirming, refreshing, and comforting to speak with you. You are truly one of those souls blessed with the ability to listen and assist.”

- “You’re inspirational in the way you point out how to prioritize your life- it sounds like obvious advice, but the point you made about knowing what you want, what your priorities are, and what you want to see and what’s important was a life-changing revelation for us. You inspire us to think, really -think- about what we want in life, what we want our children to understand, what’s really, actually important.  

- “you inspire me”.

- “We’re not Jewish. We’re not a huge family. We’re not much like your family at all- except that we want our children to love each other, we want them to be respectful, and we want most of all to keep their joy in life alive and thriving! And in that way, you are an inspiration and a force to be reckoned with.”

-  ”Your blog has been very transformative in my life.  My husband refers to you as ‘Blogestzin’.  Thank you.”

- “I love your blog..I’ve been reading and enjoying..and learning sooo much!!  Thank you!!”

- ”I want to thank you for the impact you have had on our family. My husband was referred to your blog several months ago and since then, we have both become avid readers. We enjoy every post and use your comments as springboards for conversations and discussions on our family life. The perspectives that you share have become invaluable to us, and force us, as parents, to think about the decisions we make and the effect they have on our family. “

- “Hi Aviva. Your lifestyle is truly inspiring!!”

- “I think when you are surveying your life and wondering about your accomplishments etc…you should remember and think about all the of the lives you touched by just being you…by being a role-model to so many other people, by sharing so much on your blog. For me personally, you have had an untold impact on my life and that of my kids. You are doing much more than mothering your own kids…you are helping all of us mother ours too!”

- “Thank you for sharing both your feelings and reasonings on so many issues. I find it helpful, affirmative, and reaffirming as well!”

- “Your blog is the only blog I read all the time. I’ve popped into a few others here and there but never stuck with any of them. Yours is the only one. I always learn something from what you write. And I love that you write about so many different things. Please keep writing…you are so inspiring!”

- “You’ve certainly made MY world a better place! Thank you, Avivah!”

- “i don’t follow many blogs, and am beyond impressed with yours…. i’m just saying you are a huge blessing, wide, well written concentric circles reaching out so far beyond what you will ever know..”

- “I have to tell you that your blog is my internet ‘home page’. When I open the internet, I always see your blog first. Why did I do that? Well, I ALWAYS enjoy reading what you write. I would say about 95% of the time, I learn from it. A huge percentage of the time, I’m uplifted by it. Almost always, I’m encouraged by it — encouraged to do something more than I do.”

- “I’ve sent countless people “clippings” of your blog (always quoting you and directing them to your blog). I’ve sent countless people to your blog for advice. Every time I have a new idea, my husband always asks “What does Avivah do/say”? (In a cheeky way, he knows I read your blog and I take a lot of ideas from you.) I’ve learned so much about being a person, homeschooling, parenting, homemaking, cooking, frugality, living etc etc from you. I could probably go on and on. I’ve always wondered how you found the time to blog and write such purposeful, insightful, well-written pieces  – and also to comment back on the comments! All I can say is that I’m one small person in a small community way out here and I feel like you’ve touched my life immeasurably. You are an amazing person and you’ve truly done so much for so many people!”

- “I found your blog via your “Too Good to be Healthy Peanut Butter Cups” and have been hooked since! You have a wonderful blog and I truly enjoy reading through it.”

- “I’ve been homeschooling my kids now for about four months. now we’ve gotten used to a new routine, and everyone is so happy. I remember all the things I’ve read on your amazing blog. I wanted to thank you, because just knowing you’ve done/are doing this with an even larger family gives me such encouragement.”

- “I found your blog a few months ago and really enjoy reading it. It has encouraged me to eat healthier and cheaper. I am trying out some of the recipes , and I hope to try out many more. Where I live, homeschooling is not really an option but I love hearing about how you do it, and how much your children gain in so many ways. Your parenting posts are very insightful , and even though your kids are much older than mine, I find it has given me insight even for young children.”

- “I started reading your blog and I’m amazed at the sheer knowledge that you seem to know!!”

- “I suppose I first found interest in your blog because I was homeschooling at the time and found your blog a pleasure to read. Later I had discipline issues with my children and found you have such a beautiful way of handling these issues. I keep coming back to try and try again to absorb your parenting strategies. I admire you and enjoy your fascinating blog.”

- “I read your blog because it’s always interesting, and often truly and *practically* inspiring.”

- “Avivah, you mean more to me than someone I don’t know in “real” life should and your blog has improved the quality of my life. I found your blog while searching for Jewish homeschooling advice when I knew that leaving my screaming two year-old at camp was not the right thing, although, everyone in my family and community, advised me that it was perfectly normal. So, I found you one night after nursing my five week old and read through the archives for hours, which since I was already sleep-deprived was a testament to how much I instantly loved your blog! You became my unofficial mentor that night. I could go on and on, I love your parenting advice, your marital advice, your alternative medicine remedies, your knowledge on many types of holistic therapies, your frugality, hearing about your incredible family. Your blog has moved me to tears, moved me to better myself and my family in myriad ways and for that I love you and your blog!”

- “I love your blog, I was just introduced to it by a friend! Amazing, thank u.”

- “What I found most attracting to your blog was the information about homeschooling, and about food (everything related to food). What really has kept me here is the deep respect and honour that you offer to your children, how you listen to them. I may not agree with the specifics of your parenting style, but I see that the way you treat your children is stellar.”

- “what an impressive site you have!! very inspiring.”

- “I just wanted to thank you for your post regarding DH. I wanted to thank you for your words of wisdom. That month, I had spoken to family, to therapists, to rabbis, and I was so confused (Avivah’s note – wondering about getting divorced) . And your clearly worded and thoughtful message helped me make the decision to work with him and see. But really–I was struggling minute by minute, hour by hour, trying to find what to do. Of course, G-d was there to guide, but your post hit the nail on the head. Thank you a thousand times over.“

- “I really enjoy your blog and have gained a tremendous amount from your ideas and insights. I especially appreciate the parenting posts, and I also really like the posts where you tell about your day and just what’s happening in your life. I think those posts are really valuable since they model a positive, upbeat, responsible, take-charge approach to daily life and its challenges, and reading them always helps me put a new spin on my day. Although I am putting limits on my internet usage since I find that it can often be a time-drainer, I think that checking your blog remains a valuable use of my time.”

- “We have been following your blog now for around three months. Some of the changes that we have made during these past months include shopping by thrift shops (and saving hundreds of dollars) and resolving to home school one of our children this year. Substantial changes indeed. We are currently working on getting our food shopping expenses on budget. Your blog has been instrumental in affecting these changes.”

- “for me this blog is a touch stone of sanity- it keeps things in perspective. i know how hard you try to convey that you are not a superhero (even though we all think you are!) and that what you do just takes hard work and discipline- so reading your posts on saving money and teaching your family helps me to remember that i can do those things too. in spite of challenges, i can apply myself to the task at hand- often seriously asking, “what would avivah do?” and go ahead and handle it. i think that would kind of unravel without your blog. this is my daily dose of inspiration to stay on the right track and to remind myself of where my priorities are. this is my chizuk for doing the right thing in spite of what “everyone” else is doing. this is how i treat myself well and kindly when things in real life are getting hairy scary- i read and re-read your blog.”

- “Aviva, I found your blog just a couple of months ago when someone sent me a link about homeschooling and have been following it ever since! My husband makes fun of how often I talk about my new “friend” Aviva Your views on parenting, homeschooling, home managing, economics, life…everything really I find inspirational. Reading about how you handle your life in almost all aspects enriches how I handle my life.”

- “I read your blog almost every day.  I enjoy reading your nutritional menus for ideas. I love your perspective on almost every thing. I especially enjoy your parenting posts to give me encouragement that with time, kids do appreciate all the love and discipline we give our kids.”

- “i’m so happy i stumbled across your blog! i’ve been looking for inspiration for years and only wish i found it sooner! you are living a life i hope to one day be living- from how you raise your kids to how you cook and everything in between. i admire that you believe in something and live it, with happiness. i just wish i knew how you had all the energy to do it! i love how you have a good relationship with your older kids and i love reading about them. your approach is fantastic and i give you so much credit for shaping such amazing human beings. everyone relies on someone else to shape our kids and what about the parents? the average home-life is falling apart (high divorce rate) and you are a living example of someone living in the 21st century who nurtures her family. bringing the good ole’ traditions back into reality. it’s refreshing. very refreshing!”

- “A friend of mine sent a link to your blog just over a year ago. At the time I was just a bit overdue with our fourth child and reading how you handled being overdue at the time gave me so much perspective and brought so much calmness and clarity in my life! Since then I’ve read your blog daily. Recently I was asked to speak at a womens’ gathering and I spoke about you a lot. I spoke about how much I admire you and hope that somehow I will be able to raise my children to be the kind of people you are raising yours. I find your blog very inspiring in terms of parenting advise, recipes, natural remedies and much more.  I often find myself thinking – what would Avivah do?”

- “Avivah, you are my touchstone. I read your blog daily. Several years ago I realized that I would have to reach very far outside of my community in order to find like-minded friends and role models for our alternative lifestyle. You have inspired me in countless ways.  I have never read a single post on your blog (and I have read them all!) in which the tone or the message was disrespectful or disdainful of choices different from your own. So, if your time and energy permit I would hope that you keep writing. I would miss you and your thoughts very much and would feel that something very precious had disappeared.”

- “I do very much enjoy reading your blog (and I get wonderful recipes too!). I get a lot of encouragement from reading ideas from someone who takes parenting seriously in all aspects (spiritual, nutritional, educational, etc.). I also appreciate you sharing the results of your extensive research with us so we get the benefits quickly.”

- “Avivah, your blog is so so inspiring to me. I have a friend who reads as well and we regularly discuss your blog. I have learned so much about frugality and food choices from you, and mostly admire the example you set with such a large and beautiful family.”

- “your blog has been a lifeline for me in so many ways.”

- “I wish to add my gratitude to you and your blog.  I was amazed and awed that someone uses their time and effort (mental/spiritual/physical) to give over some of their wisdom through a blog. For the longest time I though bloggers a bunch of vain blowhards. You changed my mind — although I still read very few blogs. I feel an attachment to you and your readers even if many of us have not met in real life.”

- “I have been reading your blog for the past year and a half. I try to come on at least once a week. It is the only blog which read on a regular basis. I love your positive attitude. You are a role model in parenting. I am fascinated by your homeschooling and would love more articles on that as we are homeschooling but not in the traditional way. I also love your post about frugal living.”

- “I originally found your blog and started reading because of the similar household/life views that you hold regarding thrift, cooking, family, gardening etc. An unexpected aspect was about all things Jewish as I have no real contact with anyone Jewish and I’ve found hearing about your religion and life very interesting although I don’t share the same beliefs.”

- “I have been following your blog for quite a while now though I have never commented before. You have been such an inspiration to me! We all tend to go with the flow these days and unfortunately that means to take things easy and to go the easier albeit not better way. You have encouraged me to do more and to be more. Even if it’s hard. I love all your parenting advice and your wisdom in all areas of life. I have never read a post that was disrespectful to anyone, you have just been your true self and we love you for it.  I would like to thank you for all the wonderful information you have shared with us in the past.”

- “Avivah, your blog has been life changing for me. You’ve inspired me to be a better me, gave me a role model when it comes to deciding how to raise my kids, convinced me that homeschooling is the right decision for my kids, taught me so much about frugality and health and combining the two, have changed my whole view on what foods are healthy and what is not, and about natural healing, etc. This list goes on and on.  I view your blog as a very important resource.  Just know that you’ve made a huge difference in many people’s lives.”

- “PLEASE keep blogging–I know I’m being selfish in stating it like that. As a leader and a mentor (and I’m not saying this lightly) you have people who turn to you for guidance. My husband for one thinks I’m addicted to your blog and every once in a while asks me if “The Blog told me to do that.” “

- “Avivah, I have never commented before but I read your blog regularly. I really enjoy reading and learning new things. Most of all I am inspired by your attitude towards parenting and life in general.”

- “I love your blog, and I’m so glad you have continued to share your wisdom. My personal favorite subjects include menus and recipes (always trying new things!), homesteading ideas, your personal experiences with homeschooling and various educational opportunities out there, anecdotes about you and your family, frugal tips… Those are the things that come immediately to mind, anyway. Thank you for taking the time to do it. It’s a lot to put out there! Thank you so much for all you do.”

- “I so admire you and all you do for others and the example you set.”

- “I think you should know that there are probably more people reading and gaining from your blog than you even realize I know I have steered a few moms your way….thank you for sharing your life with us “

- “you are so awesome and so REAL!  i wish more people were courageous enough to go against the flow and inspire others…”

- “WOW!!!!!  Aviva, I am just soooo impressed and amazed!!!!  Thank you soooo much for your blog … I’ve been sitting and reading and searching your site everyday!!!  You are doing such a great thing by helping and teaching others…. How incredible…THANK YOU!!!!!”

- “I just want to let you know you are a true inspiration. I have been following your blog for almost a year now and I really look up to you as a woman/wife/mother and I truly value your (outlook).”

- “It’s your advice and guidance that really helped so much. Thank you again.”

- “Anyway…really, *really* loving this blog! A friend e-mailed me with the link to it and I’ve been reading article after article. I’m sure I’ll be up late reading more. Thank you so much! Truly inspiring to continue on the path we’re on.  Thank you!”