The winner of the Gigabody giveaway is Jessica! She has been emailed; thanks to everyone for entering!
And with the conclusion of one giveaway, comes the start of another awesome one courtesy of our friends at Proctor & Gamble.
I am thrilled to be teaming up with Proctor & Gamble again, not only to give you the opportunity for a chance to win a P & G Prize Pack (which includes a $25 American Express Gift Card!) but because I love talking all things #NYTough, especially a certain toughness which is required around the holidays.
Hanukkah begins tonight at sundown, did you know that?!
I hate over punctuation but that exclamation point stems from my childhood.
I loved Hanukkah as a little girl more than my birthday (eight nights of presents!).
Just the scent of a burning candle at any point during the year brings me back to lighting the menorah as a kid, which by the way, I was NEVER allowed to light by myself because my parents feared I would burn myself.
Hanukkah doesn’t get as much coverage as Christmas but looking back, I can’t say that I ever really felt all that left out of the Fa La La season.
While New York is quite diverse, we Jews make up a large part of the population.
Growing up, most of the kids in my school were Jewish and the kids who celebrated Christmas were few and far between.
So while I don’t really know from Santa on a personal level (I always wanted to experience Christmas morning!), we always did universal holiday-type activities anyway.
I loved taking car rides to look at holiday lights (and counting the lit up menorahs in the windows), baking holiday cookies and most importantly, getting together to celebrate tradition through Hanukkah parties and really good food.
So much of my childhood was spent in Manhattan, especially during holiday times, at my aunt’s house (you may recognize her pretty table).
Tradition had it that I spent time in the city with my cousins for extended sleep overs during the winter breaks. During this time, we pranced around the Big Apple with all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday shoppers, went ice-skating outdoors, saw the Big Apple Circus each year that it came to town, attended Broadway shows and would walk through Rockefeller Centre to see the tree.
If you are at all familiar with Hanukkah, you are also familiar with the potato latke, also known as a potato pancake.
The whole point of Hanukkah (in basic terms here) is to celebrate the miracle of the menorah oil which long ago, burned for eight nights when it was only supposed to last for one.
For this reason, we celebrate through lighting eight nights of candles and eating foods fried in oil.
Tonight I will be hosting Hanukkah dinner at my house which means lots of potato latkes and lots of mess to clean up in my kitchen.
Life was easier when I wasn’t the holiday-making adult.
I honestly couldn’t do it without my Bounty paper towels.
If you have ever made potato latkes, you may know about both the lingering smell of oil and the messy process of making the latkes and then trying to soak up the extra oil prior to serving.
One Bounty paper towel to line your plate and then another on top of the latkes to blot the oil.
I use Bounty paper towels for every type of clean up needed in my house.
In fact, I keep a slightly damp paper towel on hand at all times should my son come near the kitchen, as was the case on Sunday when we baked our Hanukkah sugar cookies.
Trust me, if I could follow the kid around with a wet Bounty paper towel or attach one to his neck sort of like the bib they give you in the dentist’s chair, I would.
Between the holiday baking and cooking, I am down to my last roll of paper towels.
And I don’t know if it’s a New York thing, a Jewish thing, a New York Jewish thing or a universal parent thing but my dad likes to pick up the giant packages of Bounty paper towels for me so that I am never without a roll.
Just like he is afraid I will burn myself with the menorah, I guess he still lives in fear that I may make a mess.
Giveaway time!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you are looking to make latkes tonight and need a recipe, my sweet potato latkes recipe is pretty awesome.
If I recall it correctly, I used quinoa flakes in place of flour and baked them with coconut oil instead of pan-frying.
I am making them again later and will show you how they come out in tomorrow’s post!
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This post is sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. While I was compensated for my time, all memories, thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
If you celebrate Hanukkah, are you making latkes later? What kind?
Are you a big paper towel user?
Do you drink hot chocolate while driving around to look at holiday lights like I do?
I feel like I go through a roll of papers towels day. Its crazy! I use them for everything. I love Bounty but we usually buy whatever is on sale since we go through them so quickly.
When I lived on LI we used to drive around looking at lights. I don’t do that here in Baltimore although there is one area about 15 minutes away that apparently has one street with amazing lights. Maybe one year Ill check that out!
Happy Hanukkah!
Lisa @ Running Out Of Wine recently posted…What Helped Me Run A Faster Marathon
You need to go looking at lights! Go check it out this year! With hot chocolate.
I have never tried latkes, but some day I hope to! Great giveaway Meri! I would definitely be useless without my tide sport detergent (which is almost finished….perfect timing) to wash my smelly running clothes 😛
Tina muir recently posted…Chocolate Covered Anything Day with Balance Bar
You need a potato latkes. It’s the same thing as a potato pancake. With applesauce on top. So delish.
Probably cleaning alcohol. I know it’s not really considered a cleaning product, but I always use it to disinfect doorknobs/computer keyboards during the fall and winter when so many germs are going around. Thanks for the giveaway:)
You inspired me to clean my computer. It really needed it! And I did my phone too.
You inspired me to clean my computer. It really needed it! And I did my phone too.
I go through sooooo much paper towel because I am always washing my hands and need something to dry them with. I am actually about to run out this would come at the perfect time 🙂
Sara @ Lake Shore Runner recently posted…Tried it Tuesday #5: Chocolate Covered Peppermint Pretzel Slims [Recipe] + Giveaway Winner
Hahaha I go through soooo many paper towels! Especially since we bought the house- I swear we’re buying a huge back of Bounty every week!
Happy Hanukkah!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables recently posted…Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Thank you 🙂
I cannot do without paper towels.
I’m dying because I think my mom used a roll of Bounty per day when I was a kid! Any only Bounty, she is fiercely brand loyal to them 🙂 She definitely rubbed off on me because I used an obscene amount myself. And Bounty really is the best, no question!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma recently posted…Winter Coaching Special!
Totally brand loyal when it comes to the paper towels. The other brands really don’t work as well.
I need to have Clorox wipes around at all times to clean up messes. I use way to many of those things!
Shannon recently posted…Thinking Out Loud- 12/11/14
Can’t live without a swiffer!
I cannot live without Lysol wipes ever! I am a 2nd grade teacher and am constantly wiping down everything in my classroom!
I can only imagine! So important to keep sanitizing in the schools.
I cannot live without my Tide to-go pen! It is almost inevitable that I will spill something on my clothes during the holidays 😉
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…Roasted French Onion Chickpeas (Vegan w/ Oil-Free Option)
I used to carry one in my diaper bag!
Can’t live without paper towels!
I can’t live without Barkeeper’s Friend. It’s the best stainless steel cleaner I’ve ever found. We go through paper towels like crazy though. I don’t even know how we use so many!
I can’t live without paper towels and disinfectant for sure!
Dawn for dishes
I have never had a latke but have always wanted to try them.. I imagine they taste like hashbrowns.. YUM!
Yes, similar to hashbrowns…It’s basically a potato pancake. So good.
I can not live without paper towels especially during the holidays.
Paper towels! !
Hayley recently posted…One Central Hub for All Your Content
Can’t live without paper towels!!!
Jen@jpabstfitness recently posted…Weekly Weigh In {5}
I’m a GIANT paper towel user. I don’t like using a mop or similar much, b/c it is a hassle to dispose of it, ie not down the sink, etc. So I find it sooo easy and wonderful to go around with paper towels, and I can say I’ve tried them all and I’m in love with Bounty they are the best and the cheapest in the long run b/c they are sturdy and can handle your tasks without falling apart.
Any time I have tried a cheaper/different brand, they certainly don’t hold up the same way as Bounty.
Happy Hanukkah and your latkes look delish!
Thank you!
I can not live without paper towels. We go through them like crazy. It gets so expensive.
Febreeze scented trash bags! I SWEAR by them!! Makes my apartment not stink from the trash – which piles high in the holiday season 🙂
I love Bounty…and I also get the HUGE pack b/c I’m afraid of running out 🙂 Bring on the Holiday Baking Mess! Yum
White vinegar for the win…!
I absolutely cannot live without paper towels! Nobody has time to clean rags and sponges!
I hate sponges!
I cannot live without disinfecting wipes.
Definitely paper towels. I tried going for awhile without buying them and just using dish rags, but there are some messes that can’t be cleaned up properly without paper towels!
I absolutely agree! Especially cleaning my mirrors – I need a paper towel for that.
I can not live without paper towels during the holidays.
I need to have my disinfecting wipes and paper towels!
I could not live without wet wipes! They are a life saver for me!
i can’t live with out dishwashing soap. With all the baking I plan to do in the next weeks, it’ll be very necessary
kitchen cleaner – oh and computer cleaning wipes!!!
Besides paper towels, I cannot live without ziploc bags for all of the leftovers and sharing of goodies!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Entered the rafflecopter form as “Wild Orchid”
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
My Bounty paper towels…we go through a lot!
Dish soap — with all the baking and cooking I do, it’s a must!
I could not make it without paper towels !!!!
I have to have my carpet powder to freshen everything up!
thank you
I need paper towels
For me, it’s baking soda. I use it to clean everything!
I am going to say paper towels.
I could not do without my Tide and Bounty paper towels.
2 little boys = constant spills & messes. Cannot live without Kirkland baby wipes!
I can’t live without Lysol wipes and mopping solution for my floors.
I can’t function without wet-wipes-and all my kids are out of diapers!!
Mr Clean Magic Eraser – I don’t know how I lived so long without it.
dawn dish soap and lysol spray
we go through so many paper towels! holy moly
I can not live without paper towels especially during the holidays.
I use a lot of spray counter cleaner.
I need my paper towels.
Probably the vacuum!
All year round…paper towels!
I use a lot of paper towels and can’t live without them!
I cannot live without Lysol wipes
Lysol wipes- I wipe down doorknobs and lightswitches constantly during flu season!
Happy Hanukkah!
I cannot leave without my Bounty and Mr Clean Magic Erasers!
I cannot live without my Bounty and Mr Clean Magic Erasers!
I could not live without Bounty paper towels, but these comments also reminded me of the magic of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!
There are a ton of cleaning items I can’t live without during the holidays, but I’d say near the top of the list would be dish soap. With all the holiday guests, I always have a ton of dishes to wash!
disinfecting wipes for sure
I can’t live without the Bounty paper towels.. people are constantly making messes.
Paper towel and Soft Scrub are my 2 must haves.
I cant live without Dawn Dishsoap because I have well water nad its the only kind that works.
I cannot live without Lysol disinfecting wipes. I use them daily, keep them in every room of the house 🙂
I can’t live without my all-purpose spray. With cats I’m always wiping counters before and after I cook. Plus they’re messy eaters, so I always have to wipe the floor.