20 Tips to Simplify Shabbat Prep

When I first started keeping Shabbat Fridays were a bit overwhelming. The afternoons were a flurry of getting things cleaned, and cooking up a huge amount of food, and, oh no, I need to run to the store. That was really frustrating to me, especially since I was used to Fridays being the happy weekend kick off of relaxation and free time. It felt a little backwards when it became my busiest day of the week. And that's because it takes practice to learn to rest well. If you're not used to preparing ahead of time for a day of no work, that honestly is a bit tricky until you're good at it. But things will get better! 

If you're in the stage where preparing for Shabbat is frustrating and overwhelming -- keep practicing! You will get there. With each week that goes by, preparing for the Sabbath gets easier. It's natural now to look ahead and anticipate what our needs will be on Shabbat, and planning for those needs is no longer the chore that it was. Here are a few tips that I've learned to have a less hectic day on Friday and more peace on Shabbat.

20 Tips for Simpler Shabbat Preparation

1. Prepare your heart first. Why have you decided to honor the Sabbath day? Did you feel the Holy Spirit leading you? Did you and your spouse decide to be obedient to YHWH's instructions? Have you decided to let go of traditions to try things the Savior's way? It's important to remind yourself of that when the week is hectic and you start to feel overwhelmed. 

2. Plan ahead. Almost everyone who participated in our Shabbat Survey mentioned how much easier things are to get done when you get a jump-start Thursday or Wednesday or even before. Having a plan can alleviate the stress of 'it's-Friday-afternoon-and-I'm-not-ready.' Having even just one thing done going into Friday makes things feel much more under control. Maybe that's getting groceries on Monday, jotting down a to do list, or filling up on gas after work on Thursday.

3. Make note of anything that needs done before Shabbat. If you are a list writer, jot down what for sure needs done ahead of time. Not just meal prep for the Sabbath, also consider upcoming bills that need paid or library books to be returned. Are you low on diapers or medication? Will you need to get gas so you can make it to congregation? Having it written down means we are more likely to remember it.

4. Recognize that things don't need to be elaborate. YHWH does not require us to have spotless homes, four course dinners, or candles lit to welcome Shabbat, so feel free to simplify! If there is one specific thing that helps you to rest well, focus on that and let go of the others.

5. Have a go to Shabbat meal on hand. Despite our best plans and intentions there are going to be times that things get away from us. Having non-perishables or slow to perish items on hand to serve keeps us from violating Shabbat when that happens. Here are some ideas for stocking your pantry for Shabbat prep.

6. Learn to rest when everything isn't perfect.  We are not asked to have everything in order or all our to-do list items checked off before Shabbat. Make rest the goal, instead of a spotless home or traditional rituals. Simplifying our expectations allows us to enjoy the simple things instead of obsessing over how things could be in a perfect world.

7. Know some quick last minute snacks to prepare. It takes just a minute to blend up some yogurt and fruit and pour it into a popsicle mold for a great snack the next day. The same for kosher gelatin. Most of those recipes are just letting them chill. These recipes are great to turn to when Shabbat is closing in and the fridge is less than filled.

8. Divide tasks among family members. You don't have to do this by yourself. Assign appropriate tasks for each person in your household to have done by the end of the week. Everyone in the family can have different cleanup jobs, dad can be in charge of grilling for dinner or picking up pizza, and a younger child can pick out which Bible story to read on Shabbat.

9. Figure out what works for you. I have seen several lists of how to get ready for Shabbat, and they are mostly things that would not fit in my life at all. Setting the dining room table for Shabbat dinner the Sunday before? Mine gets used for projects all week long, so that's out. Taking Friday afternoon off? Not usually an option. But if that helps you get ready, then go for it! There is not a right or wrong way to prepare for a day off; decide what works in your schedule and go from there.

10. Log off digitally before Shabbat. Signing out of social media lessens distractions on preparation day, making it easier to get the menial tasks out of the way and to spiritually prepare ourselves. Switching your email to 'off' after work on Friday can become a habit that says, "time to get ready for Shabbat."

11. Grill for Friday evening dinner. You've spent the day scrubbing the dishes and cleaning house. What's more frustrating than kicking off Shabbat with a sink load of dirty pots and pans? Grilling part of your meal can cut down on things to clean up afterwards.

12. Use glass, Pyrex type containers. Having my Shabbat foods stored in glass, oven-proof containers makes things easier in a couple of ways. These can double as serving dishes and go into the oven for foods I am reheating. After our meal I can put the lid back on and store it, without any extra cleanup. 

13. Have a special Sabbath basket for kids. Fill it with Shabbat appropriate books, games, and movies so that children can learn which activities are appropriate for the set apart day. This can also make the day more restful to you, as bored children can be sent to the basket to find something to do.

14. Surround yourself with reminders. Write in your planner, put a Scripture on the importance of honoring Shabbat on your bathroom mirror, or schedule reminders in your phone. This brings to mind that Shabbat is coming and we are to be ready for it.

15. Have a potluck meal. If you know like-minded believers or are involved in a congregation consider hosting a covered dish meal on Shabbat. It is much easier to prepare one or two things for a group meal than to do each thing yourself.

16. Empty the dishwasher. I like to have my dishwasher emptied going into the set apart day so that dirty dishes can be placed inside the next day. Another idea would be using paper products to cut down on cleanup.

17. Use a slow cooker and consider a second one. It's hard to get much more convenient than coming home from congregation to a hot meal at the ready, where you have nothing to do but dish it up. I've also heard a couple of people say they like having two so they can have a hot breakfast, and lunch, or lunch, and dinner ready to go.

18. Double recipes throughout the week. This is a great way to have food prepared ahead of time without the extra time commitment of setting aside Thursday evening or Friday afternoon. Make an extra large pot of soup on Tuesday or grill extra chicken Thursday to get a jump start on meals for the Sabbath.

19. Have books and study materials on hand. In addition to copies of Scripture, consider expanding your resource library to assist with your studies on Shabbat. A designated shelf of books can be a place to head on the rest day when you are looking for something to do or want to learn more. This is especially important if you don't attend a congregation. It eliminates the what am I going to do tomorrow question.

20. Remember you don't have to get everything done! When Shabbat comes what's done is done and that's enough. Things can wait. It really is okay to rest while the kitchen is messy and the laundry isn't done, in fact YHWH requires us to. Rest now and take care of the what remains later.

Related posts:
Sabbath Prep and the Idol of Cleanliness
The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Meals
Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Sabbath

Shavuot Scripture Reading List

Happy Shavuot if you are celebrating today! If you already celebrated I hope your set apart time was a lovely burst of growth and truth. If you are new to celebrating the Festivals of YHWH, hang in there! It gets better each time, as we understand more. The best is still ahead.

I wanted to share a few passages of Scripture that I enjoy reading at this time of year to prepare for and celebrate Shavuot. Since this is a time to reflect on the Word of YHWH and the Ruach HaKodesh I picked Scriptures related to that, but this is by no means an extensive list! The Set Apart Spirit is mentioned hundreds of times throughout all the books from the very Beresheet to the judges and prophets and the Psalms, Yahusha spoke of the Spirit, and it appears throughout Revelation. Not to mention how hard pressed you would be to find a passage of the Word that doesn't emphasize or point to the importance of the instructions of YHWH. So feel free to add your favorites to this. Here's a few of mine.

Scriptures to Read During Shavuot:
Exodus 19-20 - the giving of the Covenant after the Israelites left Egypt.
Vayikra 23:15-21 - this passage is about Shavuot itself.
Deuteronomy 16:9-12 - this passage gives further instruction for Shavuot.
Ten Commandments - this is in Exodus 20:1-17. I like to emphasize these because of course the infamous Golden Calf story also happened around Shavuot, so it's important to know how to live correctly so we also do not break Covenant with YHWH.
Book of Ruth - this is traditional to read because the story takes place around the spring harvest time, like Shavuot itself. It also beautifully parallels the story of many of us who weren't born into a Torah based community but chose that path with the help of a redeemer. 
Jeremiah 31:33 - the Torah will be written on our hearts.
Ezekiel 36:27 - talks about the Holy Spirit helping us to keep YHWH's instructions.
2 Chronicles 8:13 - Israel kept the Feasts under King Shlomo.
John 14:15-29 - Yahusha talks about the Ruach HaKodesh.
Luke 24:49 - Yahusha's instruction to wait.
Acts 1:4-5 - the disciples wait to be immersed.
Acts 2 - this is where the Ruach HaKodesh was poured out on believers, just ten days after the ascension of Yahusha. It happened at Shavuot. 
Book of Acts - I love Acts because it is about those who lived both as followers of Yahusha and as keepers of Torah. This is the lifestyle we should have today.
1 Corinthians 12 - the gifts of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 - the fruit of the Spirit.

Why I Started Keeping Shabbat

Shabbat keeping is a choice.

There is a growing movement of people who serve Yahusha as their Messiah and who have decided to start honoring Shabbat, including most readers here at Land of Honey. Most of us weren't born into homes where the seventh day of the week was set apart. So what caused us to make this change in our lives?

My route was probably easier than most. Growing up my family never really found a Christian church that was a good fit for us, which caused us to bounce from place to place and hear wide ranges of doctrines, opinions, etc. on Scripture. This in turn forced us to constantly evaluate what we believed and why. I strongly believe that if someone is studying Scripture for what it says - and separates that from what they have been told - they will eventually get to a point where they see YHWH's commandments and instructions as life-giving and not burdensome. And that's really what it was like for our family, and by that time, small group. After admitting that what we had been taught wasn't consistent with what Scripture actually says, it seemed so obvious that this was a change that needed to be made. My husband and I were engaged at that time and were both willing to try this together. Our small congregation then changed it's meeting time from Sunday morning to Shabbat afternoon, and the 'peer pressure' of that was helpful. We began with just attending service on the seventh day, and then slowly realized other elements of setting the day apart like having time off from work, not shopping or eating out, and intentionally resting.

This is the point in the story where many of my Christian friends, coworkers, or relatives interject with something like, "You know that's legalism and Christ did away with that, right?" And I know where they're coming from because when I first considered the possibility of keeping Shabbat those were my thoughts too. Up until then my faith, though growing, was pretty mainstream (albeit with an extra dose of 'the Holy Spirit is real and does stuff'). I went to FCA at school, saw Rebecca St. James in concert, went on a couple of mission trips, attended youth group and summer camps, interned at a Bible college, and was on staff with several churches and non profits. I had the 'normal Christian' beliefs. We didn't know anyone who kept the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the week. We certainly didn't decide to make this change because it was convenient. This wasn't a decision made on a whim. It came after months of Scripture study, listening to teachings, reading books, and praying and asking for understanding. It was a decision we made because we felt very strongly that YHWH was asking us to do this, even if this idea was unpopular and misunderstood.

This is one of the best changes we have ever made! Shabbat adds so much peace to our lives, something wonderful to look forward to after a hectic week. I have more energy and feel like my time is more under control. And after experiencing this you can't feel like a day of rest is a burden. It's a gift.

Why did you choose to start keeping Shabbat? Remember that Shabbat survey I asked you to participate in a while ago? Well, I am going to share some answers from that today. :) I hope for those of us who are in the Hebrew community that it will be edifying to hear of others who have made the same choices we have. For those of you who are new to the idea of Shabbat observance I hope it will clear up any questions you may have.

Why did you start keeping Shabbat?

"Because Scripture clearly states and stresses the importance of it."

"It says in the Bible to keep the Sabbath, which is on the seventh day. We figured God did it, Yeshua did it, and he told us to, so why not?"

"Reading Scripture convicted me. If I'm grafted into Israel, and Israel was commanded to observe the Sabbath for all their generations, then the commandment now applies to me."

"We (my wife and I) started observing Shabbat because we did some research and found out that the Catholic church changed the day and meaning of observance."

"We realized it was the Biblical day and God commanded it."

"My mom had been convicted off and on almost her whole life.... She eventually just put her foot down and said she was going to keep it. My sister and I thought it was an okay idea at the time too, but now we would never go back!"

"I could read it in the Bible in black and white that it was for me to do if I was grafted into the Vine. It  had never been removed. And why would we only keep nine out of ten commands?"

"It was a part of my kids homeschool curriculum. It was a beautiful teaching and I wondered why Christians stopped so I've been reading and researching on my own."

"My wife showed me in the Bible."

"Because I realized the beauty of what it means to disconnect in order to reconnect with what actually matters in life."

"Out of a hunger to show obedience as a fruit of my relationship with YHWH."

"God woke me up and revealed to me [Shabbat] is not Jewish and it wasn't done away with after Christ."

"I began worshiping with a congregation and learned the importance of keeping Shabbat."

"Learned it was the right thing to do, that Sunday is not the Sabbath."

"My husband told me to! Haha!"

"After some studying of Torah and [the] commandments, we saw it made perfect sense that this is something He desires us to do."

"My family came to the understanding that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that in keeping His commands we find blessing."

"I knew by Scriptures that Saturday was Sabbath. I have lost a lot to observe it but it's been worth it."

"To have a richer family life and to share the old ways with our children."

"We keep Shabbat, because we love our Father, and want to obey His instruction on how to live."

"I grew up in a Christian church, and also a Messianic congregation. I decided upon becoming an adult, that I wanted to embrace my Messianic side. Observing Torah, and consequently, keeping Shabbat is integral to that."

"I read my Bible from front to back and was convicted."

"My husband and I received the revelation of Torah over seven years ago, and Shabbat is one of the most obvious/important things that you find when you first start reading and learning Torah."

"To experience more gratitude and intimacy with YHWH."

"I felt convicted to start setting Saturday apart. To truly use it as a day of rest, a day of connection with my kids and husband, a day to get into deeper study."

"I started studying the Word of God from a Hebrew perspective and saw Christianity from a whole new light."

"My husband started it at home... I wasn't happy with the idea.... but I did what I know best - praying. I asked the Father if this is good and is Yours, lead me to understand, manage the time, enjoy, rejoice, and love your Shabbat."

"God tugged at my heart about the commandments and to keep Shabbat."

"I got my eyes opened to what Yah says is a sign between us."

"Once I learned that it was really Biblical, not only for "the Jews," not abolished, and not changed/abrogated, it was the only choice I could make."

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Shabbat survey! So many responded that it's not really feasible to share everyone's answer but I have so enjoyed reading each one. Thank you for sharing your story. How do you guys feel about posts like these? Is it fun for you to hear from others? I know I love it.

Yom Teruah Printable Card

The first of the Fall Feasts will be here in just a few days! Either this Sunday or Monday evening as we wait to see the new moon. I hope you are going to celebrate this Festival of YHWH. A couple of you sent me projects you're working on inspired by Music & Moonlight party from a few posts back, and I can't wait to see more pictures!

I put together a printable card you can download to wish someone in your life a joyful Yom Teruah! Just print off, fold in half width wise, and then fold width-wise again. This printed best for me when the 'fit picture to frame' option was selected in the normal printing preferences box in Windows. I used a thin type of card stock paper to make this card a little more sturdy, but regular paper will do the job as well.

Download my printable Yom Teruah card here. It is free for your personal use.

Have a very happy Feast of Trumpets! Make a joyful noise!

Shavuot Torah Study

An all night Torah study is a traditional way to celebrate Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks. Since the Covenant was given most likely at (or at least around) Shavuot, many people enjoy staying up all night reading and discussing the Word in anticipation and excitement of the fourth feast.

Certainly you don't have to attend a Torah study that goes through the night, but think of the wonderful opportunity to create memories with your family! For children staying up late is very exciting and indicates that something important is happening and is bound to be memorable. Rabbi Shaul once taught an all-nighter, and had a listener fall asleep and crash out of the window. He was dead but Shaul ran down and prayed and he was raised back to life! A late night pajama study or early morning Torah study with breakfast would also make this a special time.

Tips for a wonderful Torah Study:

-Have it at home or the congregation. Since Shavuot is a no-work day it is important that your Torah study is not held in a business, coffee shop, or library. While those are fine locations for study at other times it is inappropriate to do business on a Feast of YHWH. Meet in a home or at your congregation's meeting place if that's an option.

-Invite guests to wear comfy clothes. Let everyone know ahead of time that the dress code is relaxed. You could even host a pajama party study, so that everyone can go straight to bed when they get home.

-Be prepared for sleepers. If you are hosting families with young children have plenty of pillows and cozy blankets for those who fall asleep.

-Have coffee, tea, and snacks! And plenty of it if it will be a late night. Dairy, honey, and wheat are traditional foods of Shavuot. If you plan on serving breakfast a yogurt bar with lots of toppings would be fun and easy.

-Go over passages ahead of time. Grab a notebook and jot down questions or insights to share with everyone. This will help keep things moving if you hit a sleepy lull.

-Assign one person to do the Googling. The internet has many great resources for the study of Scripture, so don't be afraid to look things up as you go if you're wondering about the root of a word, a related passage, or whatever else. Putting one person in charge will keep things from turning into a 'look at your phone' party.

-Take breaks. Plan on having some time for bathroom breaks, making more tea, playing a game (maybe the Bible version of Apples To Apples?), and just chatting and catching up with friends. If you have art supplies you could set up a Scripture journaling station where guests can get creative illustrating a favorite verse. You could also watch or listen to a related teaching online to mix things up.

-Light the menorah. Having a lit menorah would be a festive touch to the evening. You could also decorate with balloons, bunting, streamers, etc. for more fun. Grab a free printable for Shavuot here.

-Have crafts for kids. While I don't think children should be separated from the Torah study, depending on their ages having a Ten Commandments or Ruach HaKodesh craft or two will help keep them connected to what's happening. You could also invite kids to share the stories they know from Scripture with the group.

-Take turns reading aloud and compare. This is a great way to get the less talkative involved and gives everyone else a chance to rest their voice. If you have different versions of Scripture available, reading the same passage in each can give helpful insight to better understanding a verse.

Speaking of verses, here is a list of passages to read during Shavuot, whether or not you find yourself at a late night Torah study. Some of these are traditional, some are where we see this feast celebrated in Scripture, and some I think are especially fitting during this time. Of course there are no wrong passages of the Torah to study, use these as a starting point.

What Scriptures to read during Shavuot?

Shemot 19-20 - the giving of the Covenant after the Israelites left Egypt.
Vayikra 23:14-22 - this passage is about Shavuot itself.
Deuteronomy 14-16 - this passage also goes over the Festivals of YHWH.
Ten Commandments - this is in Exodus 20:1-17. I like to emphasize these because of course the infamous Golden Calf story also happened around Shavuot, so it's important to know how to live correctly so we also do not break Covenant with YHWH.
Book of Ruth - this is traditional to read because the story takes place around the spring harvest time, like Shavuot itself. It also beautifully parallels the story of many of us who weren't born into a Torah based community but chose that path with the help of a redeemer. 
2 Chronicles 8:13 - Israel kept the Feasts under King Shlomo.
Acts 2 - this is where the Ruach HaKodesh was poured out on believers, just ten days after the ascension of Yahusha. It happened at Shavuot. 
Book of Acts - I love Acts because it is about those who lived both as followers of Yahusha and as keepers of Torah. This is the lifestyle we should have today.

What are you doing for Shavuot this year? We are a little over a week away so it's time to start planning.

Five Ways to Honor Shabbat

Shabbat is such an excellent illustration of how there is more to faith than simply hoping our beliefs are correct or mentally acquiescing that there is an all-powerful God. We should believe that Shabbat is a set apart day as YHWH commanded, yes. But we should also keep Shabbat as the set apart day! Just believing in it or claiming to keep it while looking absolutely the same as everyone else is not what YHWH asks of us. He requires that we do something.

These five things I am sharing with you today are simple, practical ideas to make the Sabbath look different than the rest of the week at your house. These are consistent with what the Old Testament teaches but are not expressly stated in Scripture. Please see Fifteen Things Scripture Says About the Sabbath for more on this.

1. Put the rest of your life on hold. Because, yes, Shabbat starts with a clear calendar. As the-set apart day, YHWH intended the Sabbath to be different from the rest of your week. A big part of that is not penciling in commitments or treating Shabbat as an 'overflow' or catchall day. In addition to not working professionally, don't be shy about saying to your friends that you can't make Saturday morning brunch (tell them you're free Sunday though!), or a bridal shower (you can always send a gift). There's nothing wrong with letting your child play tee-ball during the week and then having them skip Saturday practice. Your inbox can wait a day for you to get back to it.

Side note: I get that this is not exactly convenient. Sometimes it's really hard. For me, honoring Shabbat has meant missing birthday parties and bridal showers. It's meant not getting hired for jobs I've wanted because of my limited availability. It means skipping the Saturday morning farmers market and missing events that are scheduled on YHWH's set apart day. Friends and family not understanding is part of keeping the commandments, and sadly that can lead to hurt feelings. I don't wish those things on anyone but I can tell you that YHWH commands we honor him above our family and friends, even when that doesn't make sense to us.

2. Disconnect. Consider putting away electronics at the start of Shabbat or at least become more intentional with how you utilize them. Somehow when YHWH commanded us to rest I don't think he intended a day of Candy Crush gaming and Facebook posting. Keeping the television off and staying away from social media are good ways to separate the seventh day from the regular days. While I keep my phone on for calls, I've learned the hard way that getting an email about a problem at work or something to do does not make for a peaceful day, especially since these things are out of my control anyway on Shabbat. So, on Friday evenings my email gets switched off and I make it a point to avoid social media. This has been very positive for me. In addition to the ovious benefits of being more 'present' without the distraction, many studies suggest a digital day off is very beneficial to our physical and mental health.

3. Give a blessing. Judaism has a tradition of fathers speaking blessings over each family member as they sit down for a Sabbath meal. It is a combination of speaking life over your family and praying for them. While doing this as a Shabbat activity isn't a commandment, there is no better opportunity to take a few minutes to express to your loved ones how much you value them nd to remind them of their identity and worth in the Messiah. Even if you are by yourself, speak words from Scripture over your person, your family, congregation, work place, and concerns on your mind.

4. Spend some time sitting down and relaxed! It seems like outdoor activities are a big favorite for many of us on Shabbat and I agree that time outside in good weather is fabulous. Lots of studies show that fresh air is a great way to lift your mood and lessen anxiety, so I am definitely on board with that idea. But I'm also going to tell you - put your feet up. If it's nice enough to relax outside, fantastic! But Shabbat doesn't have to be all nature walks and dinner hosting. Make it a point to sit or lie down just to relax and unwind. Watch your kids play. Take a nap. Read Scripture. Pray or spend time journaling, and just take it easy.

If you are overworked or new to Shabbat keeping this might feel really strange at first. It's way too easy to get distracted by what we "should be doing," and not be able to enjoy ourselves. Something that helps me with this is just jotting down any to-do list items that come to mind. That way I know I will remember them later and my mind is free from that occupation. Figure out what works for you. Listening to music, diffusing essential oil, getting fresh air, or a cup of tea can all help to calm us.

5. Connect with like minded believers to hear the Word. In Acts 13:44 it says that almost the entire city gathered to hear the word of YHWH that Paul and Barnabas were teaching on the Sabbath. I love imagining the excitement and anticipation these people must have had for hearing the truth. I mean, is there a crowd in the world you wouldn't brave to hear Apostle Paul teach on Yahusha and the Old Testament? There is a valuable spark that happens when we are able to hear the word of YHWH with others.

Hopefully you have a congregation you are able to attend that teaches truth. This article has some ideas for connecting with others who share the faith. If you don't have a congregation there's no reason you can't sit down with your family and friends to read from Scripture together. If you have friends with similar beliefs and lifestyles that are too far away to see on Shabbat, checking in with them via a phone call or text is better than nothing.

More on keeping the Sabbath:

How to Stop Working on Shabbat
Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Sabbath

Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Sabbath

DIY Count the Omer Flair Calendar

After Passover we are instructed to count fifty days to get to Shavuot.

And you shall count from the next day after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer of wave offering; seven full weeks: until the next day after the last week shall you number fifty days, and you shall offer a new grain offering to YHWH. -Vayikra 23:25-26

Notice the use of the word 'you.' You shall count. Not let someone else count or just check the calendar to see when Shavuot falls. Count it out yourself.

Scripture does not specify exactly how to do this. In the past I have done a simple crossing off in my planner and I have also used Kosher on a Budget's printable calendar. You don't have to use a written count, paperchain, etc. The important thing is that you do it. This year I made a counting calendar to make it a little more fun. I also thought it would be a good use for some of the flair I have, uh, accumulated over the years. I've worked at summer camps and in the music industry; I have a decent collection of buttons, okay? Time to put them to work.

You will need:
-canvas, mine was 20" by 16"
-paint in your colors of choice
-letters to trace
-2 inch cut out circles (if you use a different canvas size, adjust accordingly)
-number stickers
-pushpins
-flair

Step 1: Paint your canvas the color of your choice and let dry.
Step 2: Once that's ready to go trace your letters on the top to say 'Count the Omer' or Sefirat Ha'Omer.
Step 3: Paint in your letters. If you mess up, no big deal you can always, paint back over it with your background color if needed.

Step 4: Put your number stickers on your cut out circles. This is one of those simple but tedious tasks where it's nice to talk to a friend or listen to a teaching. You could also write the numbers on with markers if you'd rather.

Step 5: Space your circles evenly on the canvas and use push pins or straight pins to hold them in place.
Step 6: Add a piece of flair underneath each and you're done!

What to use for flair?
-buttons
-stickers
-clay matzah
-beads or charms from jewelry (a menorah or a Shema piece would be perfect!)
-small patches
-handwritten Scriptures

Each day remove one of the number circles (they need a better name), to display more and more flair as we get closer to Shavuot! I'm excited to use this calendar this year! How will you count the omer?

PS - Sources for flair include Walk in Love, they have so many beautiful things, and Petite Paperie, who makes the lovely menorah stickers. Some are handmade, including the clay matzah, and others were acquired long ago.