Worth a listen

Fresh from the studio, here is a very summery new tune from Eyal Shacher - Lo Chashuv L'An (It doesn't matter to where). (remember - you may be going back to school, but it's still SUMMER!)

לא חשוב לאן - אייל שחר

pressure

Did u read the article about the Cop Cuties?
I think if I told my mom I wanted to be a cop, you probably wouldn't hear from me again.
It's not the most typical career option for a nice Jewish girl. Not too typical for a nice Jewish boy either.
Have you ever dismissed a career option because of Jewish parental pressure to choose a 'better' profession?

4,000 views!

wow - this page has received over a thousand views since August 4th. over 4,000 views since I first started blabbing away on May 14th. (thank you Frum Satire for being my inspiration!)

to celebrate - how about we get together in NYC over the weekend? You in?

men in uniform

What girl doesn't secretly swoon for a man in uniform?
Here are a group of Jewish Cuties that my girlies can admire out in the open.
Don't worry guys - there is a pretty chicita on the NYPD for you too.
Enjoy ;)




For more info, check out the full article in the New York Post: http://www.nypost.com/seven/08172008/news/regionalnews/nypd_chosen_guns_124794.htm?page=0

strip clubs in bavel

yup, still thinking...

you know how the Rabbis say that it's not tznius for men and women to dance together? and especially not for men to watch women dance?

they weren't so dumb in creating those laws.

i doubt they had strip clubs in Bavel - so it's pretty far-thinking of them to envision that one day men would pay for the pleasure to watch a woman work it. definitely not tznius.

eating food with boys

Hope you read the last post. Then you'd know about the wedding I went to last night.
(btw - Mazel tov Allison & Yitzy!)
And like everything that gets me thinking...
What's with separate seating at frummy functions?
Is my chewing a turn-on?
Or maybe it's not?
Maybe frum Jewish mommies are actually trying to protect girls without table manners (my etiquette skills are flawless, just in case you are wondering).
Or maybe they're trying to protect the guys?
(seriously boys, some of you need a copy of Emily Post BAD: http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Posts-Etiquette-Thumb-Indexed/dp/0066209579 )
I know they can't watch us dance and all, but would a little chatter hurt?
How else is a an-girls' school gal supposed to learn how to flirt?

awkward hugs

So I was at this wedding last night and while I'm a good friend of the bride, I've only known the groom since they started dating about three years ago.

They're both MO and had a really fun MO wedding - mixed seating, separate dancing until it was just the friends left in the hall and then everyone went crazy together dancing the Cha Cha Slide! (which reminds me.... I have to go learn those moves after this.... maybe you want to join? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nbMLOr0tHU)

I was never really sure exactly how frum the groom was (it's pretty hard to tell where an MO stands on anything truth be told!).

So I go up to the groom to wish him mazel tov and I was like "hey, can i give you a hug mazel tov".

This is where it gets awkward.

He goes "oh, I thought you were Shomer".

I go "oh, I thought you were Shomer".

Guess not.

We didn't end up hugging.

single women & mikvah - part II

I personally have never gone to a mikvah other than to shlep my mother's new dishes. And I usually pass that task onto my brothers if I can.

I'm not a mikvah fan - first you have to make sure that all the labels are peeled off each item, then you have to try and not get wet, make sure you don't lose any forks, remember to say the bracha, etc... It's not a task for a Material Maidel. And that's what I've come to associate the mikvah with - work! So why would I willing want to go when I don't have to!

Ok, ok, I know there is that spiritual component there...

From what I understand (and please correct me if I'm wrong), the group of 'open-minded' single women going to the mikvah do so because they believe that pre-marital sex is ok as long as the laws of niddah are observed. I'm not a rabbi (oh have i failed to mention that?), so I'm not going to paskan on whether those views are in accordance with halacha.

And do I really want to judge? I think if there is something that you really want to do, you will find a way to justify what you are doing and find a way to do it. If you are a single girl and want to have sex - then you will (why is so much easier to get a man in your bed than a man ready to wed?). If you want to justify your slutty actions by saying you go to the mikvah - then go for it! (oops, did I say slutty? I dont mean to judge, but cmon!)

Isn't having pre-marital sex and going to mikvah the moral equivalent of making a bracha on a cheeseburger?

I guess sometimes we just want to satisfy both the good and bad within us.

single women & mikvah - part I

I have my blackberry hooked up to Material Maidel so that whenever one of you write a comment, I get to read it within seconds. (seee, I really do read all of your comments!)

So I was pretty confused when Shiffy posted the following comment: "Maidel,I couldnt help but notice that you were in the facebook group advocating openness to single women going to mikvah.is that your position?"

At first I was like - what?? Am I really part of such a Facebook group? But of course, I'll let you all in on a little secret - I join a lot of Facebook groups. I get a lot of requests and because it's pretty tedious looking at all the details of each (and why not support my fellow facebook friends?!) - I usually just accept all requests sent my way.

So with respect to the abovementioned group, which I then looked up and discovered to be called "Open-Minded Mikveh" - just because I am in a group does not mean I advocate its policies. (and seriously people, it's not like I'm running your country - who cares what I advocate!)

you MUST try this

My friend Leah introduced me to these Pretzel Crisps.

And I got hooked.

I brought a bag to the office.

And EVERYONE got hooked.

Irresistibly Crunchy… Irresistibly Healthy, too.

0 Trans Fat, 0 Saturated Fat, 0 Cholesterol and baked pretzel goodness.

My faves are Honey Mustard and Buffalo Wings.

You MUST try this. You'll get hooked too.

kenneth cole + matisyahu

So I was doing a little online shopping at work today (my boss is on vacay ;) ).

And I came across this ad.

It looks like Matisyahu is one of the new spokespeople for Kenneth Cole.

Click here to see an interview with the reggae star where he talks about his Bob Marley and Jewish roots:

http://www.kennethcole.com/content/index.jsp?page=advertising/bio5.aspx&h=550&w=898

Shoes + Good Music + Judaism = my kind of combo

Hope you enjoy it ;)

presents presents presents

B'H quite a few of my friends have been getting married and having babies this summer. (not both at the same time, b'h)

Of course, I am always extremely excited for a friend who is having a simcha, and being invited to weddings and brises and baby showers and bridal showers is all part of the fun!

And being a Material Maidel, I especially love shopping for the perfect gifts for my favorite friends. Wrapping a present is my version of artistic expression.

Unfortunately, being a Material Maidel is not without its material drawbacks - it's expensive being me!

And sometimes it's hard to stretch a paycheck to accomodate my material needs and my need to shower my friends with what they deserve.

And presents add up!

What's a Material Maidel to do?

Worth a listen

Thank you Suzy Baim for forwarding me this clip!

Click here to see the video for a great new song about Jerusalem by Uniflow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci0XBFFnFqo&feature=related

Uniflow - מאורתם של יוניפלו

NY no dating

maybe it's just the way it seems in my hometown...

but it seems like everyone moves to NY to get more dates...

but no one in NY gets married...

is it true where you are?

kosher chewing gum

hi! how are you? miss me much? i sure missed you......

Like many of my fellow Americans, I enjoy the taste and feel of spearmint-flavored chewing gum. Like many of my fellow kosher Americans, I like to load up on said gum on trips to the Holy Land.

But this year, something different happened. This year, I noticed that the price of Orbit B'Aratz was actually significantly higher than the price marked by my local kosher superstore.

Should I blame it on Shmita? I'm pretty sure that gum doesn't grow on trees. (right?? or is there such thing as a gum tree? too tired for wikipedia)

Should I blame it on the Arabs? Nope, not this year, they've been too busy fighting amongst themselves to bother blowing us up - rolling us over with tractors notwithstanding.

Maybe I'll blame China. We can blame them for global warming and for promoting tyranny, so might as well throw in the raised price of Orbit too. And I wouldn't have to hate anyone new if I could blame China. (I've already boycotted this year's Olympics - I decided not to fly to Beijing).

And while I'm on the subject - why does kosher gum have to be so f-ing awful? In my pre-Seminary days, I chewed whatever was cheapest in the check-out aisle. Besides for jeans, it's one of those things that I reallllllly miss. Buying cheap gum anywhere and everywhere. Why haven't kosher gum companies figured out a way to make their product long-lasting without turning into liquid? (the M&M slogan need not apply)

i dont want no baby daddy

So my non-Jewish co-worker, Ruby, was telling me about this guy who is into her, but who she isn't sure she likes. she thinks he's been a little too pushy and not too smooth in trying to make his move. but she said he is kinda cute, so maybe she will give it a try.
she also let me know that he is a father... yup, he's only 23 but he's got two kids. in fact, one of his kids is only 4 months old.
When she told me that, i was like "WHAAT, ok, stay AWAY!" - right? A normal reaction, in my opinion. I mean, his ex-gf practically just gave birth and yet he's already looking for someone else. (baby momma #3 perhaps?) Why would any decent girl want to deal with all that baggage?
But I think Ruby was more shocked by my reaction than I was by the idea that she would consider being a part of this scenario.
BTW - I do understand that sometimes people get divorced and have kids while they are still young. It's really unfortunate. But to make no commitment to 2+ people and have kids is something that should only happen on Jerry Springer.
Ruby was shocked that I wouldn't go for a guy with kids. But really, I'm only in my early 20's, and while I would maybe consider it under special circumstances, normally, I don't go for no baby daddies. Is that so wrong?

random thought

if you count the Jewish months starting from Rosh Hashana (Tishrei), then Av is the 11th month.

that would mean that Tisha B'Av is the 9th day of the 11th month.

Think about how the significance and gravity of Tisha B'Av compares to that of another 9/11 - September 11, 2001.

Have a great Shabbos & a Meaningful Fast

The Jewish calendar is pretty strange this year.
Tisha B'Av starts on Shabbos.
The day of rest and the day of unrest.
On the same day.

Sometimes I think we forget about why we are fasting.
We are mourning.
But how do we mourn something we have never seen?
How do we mourn when we have never known suffering?
How can we understand the pain of being displaced?

But we are displaced.
We are not in Jerusalem.
Have we forgotten Jerusalem?
No, we can never forget.

And so we mourn.
On our day of comfort and rest,
We are still uncomfortable and restless.

Here are some interesting articles worth getting inspired by: (i've chosen some short ones, don't worry)

http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/1095

http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/jerusalem/Forgetting_My_Right_Hand.asp

http://www.aish.com/tishaBavHolyTemple/tishaBavHolyTempleDefault/Why_Do_We_Still_Mourn$.asp

http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/perspective.htm

too frum for shul

one of my mother's friends asked me why she never sees me in Shul. I told her I was too Frum for Shul.

Ok, it's not like my family is part of a Reform temple, but the Shul we go to has a mechitza that JUST barely manages to pass the kosher test. Why is this a problem, you ask? After all, low mechitzahs are all the better for spying on new cute guys (PS guys - girls love a boy with kevana! but be sure not to overdo it unless you're looking to attract a breslover).

But the truth is, a low mechitzah causes a lot more problems than Shul builders probably anticipated. (and the cons far outweigh the pros when you go to one of those shuls where the average age of membership is deceased).

When you go to a Shul like mine, davening is usually the last thing on your mind. Your outfit is usually #1. You know that as soon as you walk in, everyone in the sanctuary will turn their heads to give you the once over. You know, because you do the exact same thing to everyone else. So before you even get to Shul, all of your Shabbos morning energy is spent on finding the perfect thing to wear and making sure that you rotate your closet enough so that no one is thinking "she's wearing THAT again".

Now, as a Material Maidel, dressing up is normally something I look forward to. Just not so much for an audience of women who probably sin more in Shul than daven.

I'm talking about Lashon Harah. Shul seems to be more of a Makom of Gossip than a Makom Kodesh these days. Or maybe it's just where I go. I've been to smaller shteibels where you can actually hear the people saying Kedusha. But there is a reason those places are small. (people like to gossip!).

So instead of spending my Shabbos mornings worrying about saying or listening to the latest Lashon Harah, I spend my time engaged in an activity that is 100% sin-free - I sleep in!

paris for president

i dont normally get political, but like, you totally must see this ad:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/64ad536a6d

(for those of you who only read the Jewish press, this was created as a response to Sen. John McCain's controversial ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c66HNq8qSZM )

(like the pic? even Paris can be tznius!)

maidel on the air?

i may have the opportunity to host my own maidel radio talkshow on a local jewish station!

my friend Mimmy said I'm too pretty to do radio (thanks Mimmy!), but it sounds like it could be fun!

think it's a good idea? what would I talk about????

3,000 mark reached!

Thank you again to everyone who reads this blog! Today we've reached the 3,000 mark for number of views!

To all of you who secretly read all of my pink posts in your bedrooms when no one is looking, at work when your boss isn't looking, or out loud with all of your friends around you -

THANK YOU!

MO dating

maybe it's just me - but in my opinion, Chassidish singles have it easy. Their parents set them up with someone. They sit with that person for 15 minutes in their home. And if they're not 100% repulsed by the sight of that person, they plan a wedding. And everyone pretty much looks and acts the same, so it doesn't really matter which Yoeli or Ruchi they're getting!

The Yeshivish likes to make it a little more complicated. Similar process involving a Shadchan and parents, but then the couple is allowed to escape to the outside world for their date, ie go to a hotel lobby.

But if you're a frum MO single, a date who takes you to a hotel is the kind of date you DON'T want to marry.

I think it's a lot more complicated as an MO single. Do you go through a Shadchan? If not, how are you supposed to meet someone? It's kind of awkward asking someone out when you just bump into them on the street! (a girl in a skirt isn't always Jewish!) And those parties that claim not to be for singles, but really are, are the epitomy of awkwardness. So how are we MO's supposed to meet???