Skip to content

Search

Melinda Strauss

Live the Life You Deserve

MENUMENU

Melinda
Contact
RECIPES
- - - Find a Recipe
      Search
  - - Most Recent Post
  - - Recent Posts
  - - Thanksgiving
      
      Latkes
      
      Donut/Doughnut
      
      Hamantaschen
      
      Holiday
      
      Healthy Choices
      
      Lean and Green
      
      Gluten Free
      
      Dessert
      
      About Kitchen Tested
Amazon Links
Getting Healthy
Podcast
Events
- - - Jewish Food Media
    - The mission of the Jewish Food Media Conference is to bring together our community of Jewish food professionals in a positive atmosphere that encourages personal and business growth.
  - - Kavana
    - KAVANA is a 1 day personal growth conference for Jewish women of all religious levels to become inspired, find community, live with purpose, and learn how to dream.
- - - Jewish Food Media
      The mission of the Jewish Food Media Conference is to bring together our community of Jewish food professionals in a positive atmosphere that encourages personal and business growth.
  - - Kavana
      KAVANA is a 1 day personal growth conference for Jewish women of all religious levels to become inspired, find community, live with purpose, and learn how to dream.

Contact

Contact

Name*
Email*
Message
Phone
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

therealmelindastrauss

Did we ever talk about the Homburg Justin wore at

Did we ever talk about the Homburg Justin wore at his sisters wedding????
.
A Homburg is a semi-formal black (or gray) hat. It is not warn because of Jewish religion, rather it’s a hat that was once a fashion trend started in Germany in the 1800’s and my husbands family has been wearing homburgs for generations, especially at family weddings.
.
When Justin and I got married, his father insisted he wear the homburg and I thought it was insane at the time. Me, marrying a “black hatter”??? But this isn’t a traditional black hat meant for Yeshiva guys. It’s really just a fashion statement and has become tradition in his family. One day, please God, Zach will wear one at his own wedding ❤️
.
Does your family have any special or unique wedding traditions???
.
#weddingtraditions #homburg #germanfashion #floridavacation #alldressedup #familytime #jewishtradition #proudjew

Still relaxing on our winter break in Florida so I

Still relaxing on our winter break in Florida so I’ll just leave you with an awesome family pic from the wedding last week ❤️
.
Also, can we talk about how Zach is practically an adult?!? His bar mitzvah is only a few months away and he’s HUGE!
.
#winterbreak #vacationvibes #alldressedup #glamorous #vacation🌴 #floridalife #familyiseverything #feelinggrateful

Ready to get back to my curls but enjoying every l

Ready to get back to my curls but enjoying every last moment with this straight hair and feeling so pretty 😘
.
I am reallllly enjoying winter break in Florida!! Getting glammed up, sitting by the pool, eating outside at restaurants without a jacket and a big scarf, putting on dresses and pretty outfits, finding any opportunity to wear all my fun earrings...did I mention relaxing by the pool?
.
I had a moment today when I was sad that this vacation is half way over but then I remembered to live and enjoy every moment without worrying about when it will end 🙏🏻 Sometimes I really do have to remind myself to be in the moment.
.
Is it your winter break? What are you up to with your fam right now? By
.
#winterbreak #floridavacation #vacationmode #livinginthemoment #mirrorselfie #feelingprettytoday #feelingblessed #gratefuleveryday

Attended my first Henna tonight and this is defini

Attended my first Henna tonight and this is definitely a tradition I can get behind!
.
My new brother-in-law, JB Bensmihen, is Moroccan, and it’s been fun learning about his Spanish Moroccan traditions. Tonight for the Sheva Brachot, we all wore beautiful kaftans and put henna on the palms of our hands to ward off the evil eye. I myself often say “bli ayan hora”, meaning “without the evil eye”, so I was all over the henna 🧿 I’ll take any opportunity to push away the evil eye.
.
What evil eye traditions do you have?
.
#jewishtradition #proudjew #evileye #hamsa #henna #moroccanstyle #weddingtraditions #evileyetattoo #familytraditions

I’m pretty dang low maintenance but once in awhi

I’m pretty dang low maintenance but once in awhile, it’s fun to get dressed up ❤️
.
Mazal Tov to @soprano_in_stilletos and JB Bensmihen on their beautiful wedding!!!!
.
#weddingday #bridesmaiddress @asos #dressedup #weddingday #hairandmakeup #sparklydress #loveandmarriage

Travel Day and ready for vacation!!! . We made it

Travel Day and ready for vacation!!!
.
We made it to Boynton Beach and we are so excited to celebrate my sister-in-law, @soprano_in_stilletos, wedding on Tuesday 👰‍♀️
.
Here’s to a relaxing week, to sunny days and cool night, to my kids smiling nicely for pics at the wedding, to the pimples on my face going away ASAP, to eating delicious food, to a break from all the craziness happening in NY. If you’re kids have winter break coming up, I hope you can all enjoy the time off 🙏🏻
.
Share you winter break plans!!!
.
#travelday #deltaairlines @delta #winterbreak #vacationmode #vacationvibes #staysafe #familytime #floridabound #timeoff

I am so grateful for Shabbos! . Honestly, I realll

I am so grateful for Shabbos!
.
Honestly, I realllly didn’t like Shabbos as a kid. I didn’t like reading, I didn’t like all the rules, I didn’t like the rest, and I would countdown to its end every Saturday evening. Anyone else relate to that?
.
But as an adult, I understand it now. Not just because I understand the laws better but because this day of rest, of disconnecting from technology, of hanging out with my family, of naps, of reading my favorite fantasy dystopian books, of separating this day from the rest of the week, it’s NECESSARY. I couldn’t imagine life without it.
.
I started realizing how much I love Shabbos when I started sharing more about it on TikTok. Week after week, I share about the laws, the prep, the unwinding, and I answer hundreds of questions from curious ppl who know very little or even nothing about being Jewish. As I explain the laws and what my Shabbos days are like, I find myself gushing about how amazing our day of rest is.
.
For me, the best parts are turning off my phone and reading ALLLL the books! What are your favorite things about Shabbos?
.
#sabbath #shabbos #dayofrest #notechnology #proudjew #jewishlife #relaxingtime #yafantasy #booksofinstagram

Last minute hair touch ups (ie. covering up some g

Last minute hair touch ups (ie. covering up some grays) before I leave for Florida next week to walk down the aisle at my sister in laws wedding 🥳 I may not be packed at all but at least my hair will look good!
.
And yes, I realize I look like an American flag. No matter what our country is going through right now, I am still a proud American and I remind myself every day that there are good people here! YOU are good people!
.
#weddingready #hairdid #selfie #redwhiteandblue #youaregood #floridabound #readyforvacation

Load More... Follow on Instagram