p You want to go all out, but there are still a few years until the next milestone birthday, and there are loads of expenses right now.
p Can you still celebrate? What a question. Of course!
p You don't have to fly abroad, you don't have to buy him a PlayStation (or her an expensive ring), and you don't have to make a slideshow that will cost you nights of sleep and, mostly, your joy of life. You can celebrate on a budget of 100 to 1,500 shekels. These are just a few ideas, most of which I did over the past year.
p 1. As many gifts as the birthday boy's age.
p He's turning 30, so we'll buy 30 gifts. You don't have to if it gives you chest pains.
p What I want to stress here is that at least 1 or 2 of the gifts should be really special.
p Gifts that move him, that he'll always remember, and above all, that make him happy. Really happy.
p For example, Roni really loved the band "Na'alayim". Most of you don't really know them, but they were very good, and Roni searched high and low for their CD. And there wasn't one. Every time we were at some market or mall he'd go in looking for it, and nobody had it. For his birthday, I decided I was going to get him that CD. I didn't search any store; I just called directory assistance (there was no Facebook back then! At least not for me in 2006) and said: hello, can I please have Eyal Even Tzur's number? They gave it to me.
p I called.
p He answered.
p Not only did he answer, he invited me over to get a personally signed CD.
p He didn't even have his own CD, so the sweetheart simply burned us one.
p I think I saw Roni shed a tear of excitement. A big, beautiful one. Like him.
p Since then Eyal sometimes invites us to his shows, and he's still one of our most loved and admired, but what I want to say is that sometimes one small good deed stays with people for years.
p Sometimes a small effort for one person is great happiness for another, and I had the privilege of Eyal making us so happy.
p A second quality gift in recent years was something to do with the soccer team he supports. A video greeting from Alona Barkat, or a cake with the team logo. Something to show you care.
p 2. No big productions and not too much time: print ordinary photos and hang them on a string all over the house.
p Something nostalgic and very moving. Even for the biggest cynics. The birthday person walks in and sees "a whole life" across the living room. If you print something like 100 photos and use the clothespins you already have (an excuse not to do laundry on a celebration day!), it's very cheap, but the effect is still crazy.
p I chose lots of happy moments from the day we met, through trips, concerts, the kids, the extended family and lots of smiles.
p 3. A family day trip to Ein Hod. A small outing, but full of magic and love.
p As a Haifa girl, I remembered Ein Hod was a great place, but I'd forgotten how great. A very small place, but it serves the purpose we gathered for.
p We had a magical birthday there for Roni, and the kids still remember it. Okay, it wasn't long ago, but for kids that's ages ;)
p We went to the Janco Dada museum, where on the lower floor there's a cute activity for kids with stations. At one station I brought lots of photos we had at home, and we made Roni a collage. Really cute. We hired a guide from the museum to give us a little tour, and we finished at the best restaurant there: Dunya Rosa.
p Recommended!
p 4. A night in Jerusalem. Sometimes one night gives you energy for longer than you'd think.
p There are always coupons. And if you're not picky, you'll find plenty of options. For Jerusalem, book a Thursday, not a Friday, because on Friday everything there is dead :)
p We booked one night at a boutique hotel in Jerusalem, Hotel Bezalel. Exactly what we were looking for. A chic, urban place, small and high-end, in the heart of things. The room is tiny, but the balcony is huge, huge. About 1,000 shekels a night including breakfast and a lavish afternoon tea.
p On the way we stopped for breakfast at Bar BaHar. You leave the city straight into a calming panoramic view of the Judean Hills. There's no time to get used to being on vacation, and this is the place to sink deep into that disconnected feeling. There's a view and very tasty food. The food is country-style, homemade, dairy or vegan. In short, there's something here for everyone.
p We went on to the Old City and the Western Wall, joined a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels (book ahead; I think it's 35 shekels per adult), wandered the alleys, ate way too much authentic food, got to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, went back to the hotel for a late afternoon nap, and got up for a bar crawl in the market at night (a different experience). In the evening we'd booked a table at Assaf Granit's famous and best restaurant, Machneyuda, at 10:30 pm. You must book ahead here.
p An amazing atmosphere, people dancing on the tables, very joyful.
p We woke up late, had breakfast at the hotel and in the market too, walked around Nachlaot so the car would be able to carry us, and went home. Full of energy and appreciation for Grandpa and Grandma who looked after the kids for us! We brought them food from the market as a bribe.
p There's another advantage to going for just one night. The kids aren't traumatized, and that's good for us.
p *Celebrating*celebrating*celebrating*celebrating*celebrating* Machneyuda restaurant
p Abroad is right here
p The taste of life
p Only when you're without the kids do you find the time to read that President Yitzhak Navon grew up in this very house, the writer and playwright who wrote Bustan Sephardi, which is right next to his home
p 5. An escape room. As a couple or with the whole family. So, so much fun. It fills you with adrenaline, works on teamwork and, above all, changes the scenery from everyday life.
p There are millions. Just read reviews and pick by the difficulty level you think suits you :)
p That's it for this time. Happy birthday! Breathe.