Laundry Stripping

Oh yeah, let that title sink in...  laundry stripping... I know you are excited. This is going to be a very sexy post... all about dirty laundry! Ahh the life of a wife and mom. So hawt. As one of my friends commented when I said this was my new obsession, "Picturing you doing a sexy dance in your laundry room..." As you should... as you should.

Anywho, here's the story. I was at my wits end. Between the sour milk smell in some of the nugget's onesies and the stank in my husband's workout clothes, the moldy smelling towels relegated to the dog and the dish towels that smell less than fresh... I needed to do something. I tried baking soda in the washer... vinegar... all sorts of detergents... nothing worked. I was on the verge of throwing things in the trash.

Then I remembered someone mentioning in some Facebook group that you can "strip" your laundry (cloth diaper people, you know what I am talking about). So I did some research. For The Love Of Clean is pretty much THE authority on cleaning online. If you have hard water (like we do) or sweat stains or build up of minerals, soap, etc or you bought it already worn (thrift store, etc)... you may need to strip your laundry. Here is a guide to if you should strip, deep clean, or sanitize.

Can I just stop for a second and say that I could read this website all day long? Seriously. Look at all the interesting stuff here!

Ok let's get down to it. I've done it twice now and I am obsessed. Each time the water has been a different color and the bathroom STINKS! Gross, I know but I feel like "whoooo, it's working!" I literally have a batch in the tub right now and love checking on it! I'm taking pictures every hour and they really don't do it justice!

Basically, you are putting enzymes in hot water and that is lifting out the stains, minerals, and stank. It's super easy. See this process in detail and with more information here.

At this point, if you are like me, you are super duper excited and want to get started... but you need supplies first. I ordered mine on Amazon Prime so it got here fast. For The Love Of Clean has a recipe for a homemade version but I just bought the two they recommended - Grovia Mighty Bubbles (cloth diaper mommas you know) and RLR. Get their homemade version here.

1. Start with clean laundry. Wet or dry. I sniff tested after I dried things and made a pile of "to strip."

2. Fill something with hot water. I used our tub because I had a lot of stuff. You can use a sink for a small batch and a top load washer but... that seems cray to me. They say half full... I put enough to cover the clothing. Also, get the water as hot as possible.

3. Add your potion of choice and dissolve it in the hot water.

4. Put your stuff in and let it soak until the water cools (that is like a million years but leave it in for at least four hours).

5. Stir every hour or so to release crap... I put my stuff in and the water was clear, I stirred it and it turned BROWN!

6. When it's done (four hours or cool), drain and squeeze the water out of the clothes.

7. Run a load with water only (no detergent) then dry as usual.

8. Smell your awesome clothes/towels/etc.

Ok so ... here are my pics ... These pics are not doing the color justice... it is so gnarly... If you try this, share your pics in the comments! :)

Haykin Family Cider

Because we didn't have enough going on in our lives...If you don't know us or haven't spent much time with us recently you may not know that Dan (my loving and wonderful and slightly obsessive husband) has become more than slightly obsessed with making his own hard apple cider.Yes, I assist... I did a lot of cutting, grinding and pressing before the baby came. I do less now... more wrangling the nugget while he works but I do press and remove stickers on occasion but my role has matured to consulting on yeasts, taste testing and helping to refine carbonation and flavor.We started this adventure October 31, 2013... and this year it has really paid off. Not only is he making incredibly tasty cider for me to drink to my heart's content... he has won some awards this year. Like big awards.First up was the Washington State Mead and Cider Cup. He won first and second place in the Standard Cider/Perry category -

C1: Standard Cider & Perry

1st Place: Daniel Haykin with Leftovers – New World Cider2nd Place: Daniel Haykin with Dandee Red/Kinderkrisp Blend Cider – New World Cider

AND he won Best Cider in the competition and was just shy of Overall Best of Show!

BEST CIDER: Daniel Haykin with Dandee Red/Kinderkrisp Blend Cider – New World Cider

Then he entered his 'holy grail' of cider competitions - what they call GLINTCAP - Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition. This has both a commercial and non-commercial division. He was in the competition with major producers (think Angry Orchard and Woodchuck along with local guys Glider Cider and Stem Ciders among others). Granted, they were not in the same division but you get that this is a big competition. The non-commercial division awarded 14 Gold, 47 Silver, 83 Bronze. Daniel won, in the New World Cider - Modern area, one Gold, four Silvers, and one Bronze! Everything he entered in the competition medaled!!

New World Cider — Modern

GOLDDaniel Haykin – Redfree/Dandy Red/Ginger Gold/Akane/Kinderkrisp

SILVERDaniel Haykin – Jonathan/Ruby Jon/Gala/Golden SupremeDaniel Haykin – LeftoversDaniel Haykin – Macintosh/Diva/Red DeliciousDaniel Haykin – Sweet Red Delicious/Opal/Jonagold

BRONZEDaniel Haykin – Cripps Pink/Red Delicious/Pink Lady/Gala

That's a pretty big deal for us, especially for our first round of competitions. We are still waiting to hear about the third competition. I will add to this post when we do.I made a little website for our 'cidery' (aka our basement). Maybe one day it will be something more. Check it out here - Haykin Family CideryOh and at our new house, we have planted apple trees... and they are beginning to bud. If any of you thought this was a passing hobby... think again! :)

Of Babies and Husbands

I have a husband and I have a scootchy, army crawling almost toddler. They both get into plenty of messes. Between my husband's garden and CrossFit workout clothing, he makes plenty of laundry. I'm always looking for ways to get the stink out... I gave up on stains on those a while ago. But now, with an scootchy baby and a house full of hardwood, I have a new challenge... getting nugget's clothing looking like new.I'm a big fan of Purex but truth be told, lately, I'm a big fan of anything I have a coupon for... which has not been Purex, of late. However, the folks at Purex recently sent me their newest stain fighting laundry detergent - Purex^® plus Clorox 2 - to try.And wow, it's like they just knew what was coming... shortly after I received the box, my son got a nasty virus... let's just say it was coming out both ends and I was doing A LOT of laundry. When he has had tough stains in the past, I have had to wash his onesies twice sometimes or at least stain treat them before... not with Purex^® plus Clorox 2! WOW! They came right out and it was safe for colors. I was thankful because all nugs wanted to do when he was sick was snuggle and I'd rather snuggle that baby boy than do laundry any day. I've checked it out in the store and it's a pretty smart value. Price is good and the quality is excellent.

What is the worst stain you have had to deal with? What's your secret laundry weapon?

  And for being an awesome, hardworking laundry do'er... Purex^® sent along a coupon for a free bottle for me to share!

One lucky person will receive a coupon for a free bottle of New Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent!

Just enter the giveaway form below. Entries will be verified. Open to US residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Purex plus Clorox 2 - available in Original Fresh or Sunny LinenYou can find Purex on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

 

Enter by May 22, 2016

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are mine.

3/3/15

Today was a hectic day. Meeting after meeting. Project after project. Email after email. I cranked all day. But there was something that was never far from my mind today.Today, our little girl, our second baby, was due. I felt such hope about that pregnancy. Surely after our first loss, G-d would help us keep this baby. All the signs were there. We found out we were pregnant on Dan's birthday. The baby was due on 3/3, one of the alternate dates we picked for our wedding. But also, if the baby was born on 3/3, we would share a hebrew birthday 13 Adar. We would both be Purim babies. And if this baby came two weeks late (just like I did) we would share an English birthday. My in-laws, my stepmother and I all share March birthdays. See?! So many signs.But that little girl was not meant to come home with us. She was very ill, we found out after we lost her and it was (we learned from the doctor) better that she wasn't born. But she and her older sibling (due 12/13/14) are never far from my mind. I wear a little heart necklace all the time now. It reminds me of the two little hearts that aren't here with us. I know that they are in our hearts though and their little brother who, G-d willing, will join us in June will be a very special part of our family.A loss mom said to me once, "I was so sad about my miscarriage but after I had my son, I realized that without that loss, I wouldn't have the amazing boy I have today."So I was sad on 12/13/14 and 3/3/15 but I am so thank-full and joy-full that this little man is growing perfectly inside me. Baby Boy Haykin - we can't wait to meet you! (But stay safe in there as long as you need to!!)

It's been a while...

I have to stop feeling guilty for not writing. I get so busy with life and neglect my blogs and then I feel guilty for not writing and then the cycle continues. However, in recent days I have been sending people to my blog for a multitude of reasons and it has amplified my guilt...So here's an update. After our two heartbreaking miscarriages last year, I am pregnant again and this one is looking really good. Currently I am 23 weeks and 4 days pregnant with a little boy. He will be, G-d willing, making his appearance in June.The road to this place has been really bumpy. And I have had a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head. I have chastised myself for not blogging through a lot of these thoughts at 1am when I can't sleep... because I am often so busy during the day (and my 'baby brain' is so intense) that I always forget my thoughts and never get them down. It's usually the quiet moments when my son is bouncing around inside of me like I am a human bouncy castle and the insomnia is on full blast, that I think of these things. It's also when I remember all the work I've forgotten to do and the errands I forgotten to run.I'm proud of my body for getting us here. In three short days, we will hit our next milestone... viability. Meaning if our son was born, he would have a chance of surviving. He's kicking me as I type this... haha, maybe he's mad at me for not being able to see 40 (or 42) weeks as the end point. I'm just too jaded to get that comfortable with assuming it will completely work out well.This pregnancy, we only went week to week. In the first trimester, we got weekly ultrasounds and our lives built up until that moment when we saw his heartbeat. Then we nonchalantly talked about dinner and a grocery store run and forgot about it all until the next week. After we got out of the first trimester, I kept putting off telling people. I was just so afraid to lose the baby again. At 10 weeks, we had a free cell DNA test. They take my blood, separate the baby's DNA from mine and tell us if anything is or could be wrong with him. That's also when we found out our boy was going to be a boy. By 12 weeks, we had the results back... he was perfectly healthy as far as they could see and he was a he. It was then when we decided we could celebrate, just the two (three) of us. Finally, around 14 weeks we told friends and family with a note in our holiday cards and then a facebook post. I had so many creative ideas during the first two pregnancies... and I was going to take week by week bump pictures... for this pregnancy, I couldn't even think that far in advance. I was barely making it to our Friday appointments. But as it became public and I became very obviously pregnant and there weren't any more tests the doctor could run to make sure he would be ok... we started to believe this is our reality. I'm still not quite at the "My son will be here in June" place yet... but my big ole' belly and his incessant kicks before bedtime make sure I can't ignore the life inside me.So Thursday is 24 weeks... the next milestone. Then we will get into the third trimester around the middle of the 27th week. Then I am traveling to Florida for work (with Dan in tow to carry the bags, or me, or my barf bag... flying and I don't agree when pregnant... but it's not stopped me), then Passover, then my little cousins' bar/bat mitzvah (twins), then time to plant the garden, then a long distance Mazal Tov to my cousin getting married in Rhode Island because I can't travel at 37+(!!!!!!) weeks, then my brother's 30th (!!!!) birthday, then either my son will be here or we will be celebrating his father's birthday and then he will be here!When you put it all into one paragraph... it doesn't seem that far from now... But then I look back at the YEAR I have spent pregnant (yes, off and on) and I thank G-d it's not that far from now.Last March, when I was starry eyed about starting this family, I would never have guessed that I would be here. Twelve whole months later, pregnant THREE times, and six months pregnant. It's beyond belief.Here's us - me at 21 weeks, Dan at... well... handsome.

Thanking G-d

There are just moments when thanking G-d comes so easily. You don't even think about it. Before you eat, after you eat, on shabbat, Rosh Hashanah... we all just say the prayers and don't think about it.And then there are the moments when you choke over the praise. When tears fill your eyes and the words trip over your tongue. How can I praise you right now? How can I thank you for your wondrous blessings when I am hurting?We lost our second pregnancy on Friday (8/15/14). Well, we found out that we lost our second baby on Friday. Our baby was gone for a little while before that and my body didn't know. We came home and grieved. We cried and screamed at G-d. We held each other tight and whispered promises of love and the future. Our dog Soba whimpered and licked our feet. And we prepared for Shabbat dinner.My brother was flying in from NYC that night and Dan went to the airport, grocery store, and liquor store on his way home. He brought me chicken and gin and my beloved Ronin. We drank (that's the only bonus of this situation... you can drink through the pain) and joked and cried and laughed. And then I lit the Shabbat candles. The candles that I had been thinking about adding a new one to... our tradition is to add a candle to the ones you light on Friday night for each child. While I was single I lit one and when I got married I lit two... I dreamed of buying a fancy candle set if we were having a girl so I could pass that set on to her when she got married.But I lit my two candles. And when you light your candles, you say a prayer and then you get to have a private moment with G-d. I have a list of people I pray for in that moment. But I choked. All I could ask is why G-d? Why this baby? Why us?Then we got ready for the kiddush. We sang it out loud, the long version... and I choked.

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has hallowed us with His commandments, has desired us, and has given us, in love and goodwill, His holy Shabbat as a heritage, in remembrance of the work of Creation; the first of the holy festivals, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us from among all the nations, and with love and goodwill given us Your holy Shabbat as a heritage. Blessed are You Lord, who hallows the Shabbat. 

How do I bless you when I am hurting so bad? How do I thank you for giving me this heritage but taking my babies?I cried as we said these prayers. But I said them. I still praised G-d in the face of the hurt. Why? Because I know that G-d loves me and these challenges make me a better person. They SUCK but I know with each challenge we get stronger as people and as a couple.I thank G-d for bringing Dan and me together. I thank G-d for bringing Soba into our lives. I thank G-d for our health and happiness. Now I just ask G-d to give us some answers as to why we have been diagnosed with recurrent pregnancy loss and to please give us our take home baby.

Life|Love|Loss

Life is full of love and loss. Anyone who tells you differently hasn't lived.Dan and I have talked about this a lot lately. By deciding to start a family, we opened ourselves up to pain and hurt and sadness. We could have decided to wait longer or indefinitely. We could have planned more fun trips around the world, vacationing and buying 'stuff' but we both agreed that 'really living' includes children for us. Many children. And children, by default, bring happiness but also sadness and pain and challenges. They are an incredible blessing but they are also challenges. I don't think either one of us expected the pain so soon. We knew that it was in our future. Children rebel and argue and do stuff that we don't like. But they also bring so much joy and happiness and blessings into our lives.While I know that in some crazy sense, we were lucky to lose our little bean so early, it doesn't change how much I wanted and loved that baby. I can't imagine having gotten further along with my pregnancy and losing the baby or taking the baby to term and losing it then. No matter where you are in your pregnancy, it's heartbreaking to lose the baby.This article - link - has been really helpful for me. I have shared it with my friends who have experienced a loss recently. That first link is about the statistics. Here are a few that they share:

The term pregnancy loss can refer to either a miscarriage (a spontaneous pregnancy loss before the 20th week) or a stillbirth (the death of the baby in the second half of the pregnancy or during childbirth). According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), miscarriages occur in about 15 to 20 percent of all known pregnancies, with approximately 600,000 miscarriages occurring annually in the United States. These statistics only apply to known pregnancies, but many women miscarry so early in their pregnancy that they are not even aware of it.

The causes of miscarriage remain elusive. According to one study, the cause of a miscarriage is identified in only 19 percent of all cases. In another study, 47 percent of women who miscarried felt guilty, and 40 percent said they felt that they may have done something to cause the miscarriage. According to the latter study, 40 percent of women described feeling isolated by their loss—which may be amplified by hormonal changes—increasing feelings of sadness and anxiety.

Still, 65 percent of men and women believe that miscarriage is a rare event, estimating it occurs in only 6 percent of all pregnancies. One reason for the difference between the perceived and actual prevalence could be attributed to the “12-week rule.” Pregnancy books often encourage women to wait until they reach the 12-week mark in their pregnancy before telling family and friends the news. If a woman loses her baby during this time, she may choose not to tell her family and friends which could contribute to the perception that miscarriages happen infrequently. Still, 66 percent of the study participants believed that the emotional impact of miscarrying is severe.

The second part - link - is about how to interact with someone experiencing loss. Here are a few things that I can reiterate from my own experience:

HELPFUL THINGS TO SAY OR DO|According to Kelly Morrow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who works with women who have suffered a pregnancy loss or are dealing with infertility issues, “one of the things most women want is acknowledgment that they lost their baby and have a reason to be grieving. Miscarriage is not just a medical event; it is a traumatic emotional loss and spiritual experience for most women.”

SAY, “I AM SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.”Just acknowledge that we lost something that was VERY real for us.

UNHELPFUL THINGS TO SAY OR DOThe worst thing you can do for a friend who has miscarried is minimize the loss. While perhaps said with the intention of helping the mother move forward, commonly said phrases are, in fact, quite painful:

“You’re young; you can have another.”“It was meant to be,” or “It was God’s will.”“At least you have other children.”“At least you weren’t that far along.”

Phrases like these can add to the suffering, mistakenly giving the message, “your grief is overblown.”

There are more hints in the article, I am pulling out things that I see as vital/have experienced. Telling me the baby that my body lovingly carried for 8 weeks didn't have a soul so it wasn't a baby, doesn't help. Telling me that it was my first time trying so I have SOOOO much time to try, doesn't help. These phrases don't change that we lost a baby who I carried in my body and lovingly spoke to and about. It just makes me feel bad about myself and my deep grief. It makes me feel like less of a woman. And this is why I am speaking out. We aren't different because our bodies couldn't hold a child. We are still women and mothers and people who love.At this point in my grief, I can talk about it and share my experience but deep down, I miss being pregnant. The feeling of my body changing and that my life was on the precipice of changing forever. I pray that one day soon I can feel those feelings again.

Blink of an eye

Life can change in a blink of an eye. Everything is so delicate. We may not realize it because our world is hard and fast but it's not always. And in the most tragic times, we often close up on ourselves and stay quiet. We create a safe space and control that space. But as I think about this, I am reminded of an episode of the Dennis Prager show's "Male/Female Hour." He discusses the importance of having 'couple' friends that you can open up to. Often we lie or 'vaguebook' or pretend that the world is so perfect for us when in reality we are struggling just like everyone else. And why can't we share? Well we are afraid someone will exploit this knowledge of us or we won't be seen as perfect.Something recently happened to us that made me want to shake that stigma... hard. So here it goes...Daniel and I were expecting our first child. We were over the moon. The little bean was due 12/13/14 and if you know me, you know I love plays on words and numbers. What a cool due date. We were planning a garden or champagne or other cool reveal. But one day, 7 weeks and 6 days in, something changed. We saw blood and got scared. We called my doctor and then went to the ER. At the ER I got lots of blood drawn, a Rhogam shot (I am a negative blood type) and an ultrasound. On this ultrasound we saw a beautiful but tiny bean with a STRONG heartbeat (141). However, the doctor set expectations low. We could lose this child. There is no obvious reason for the bleeding. We spent the weekend in complete relaxation mode. As the doctor said "no pogo sticking, no sky diving, no roller coasters." We took the advice more practically and I rested the whole time. I began cramping on Saturday and we saw red blood (a sign of miscarriage). However, we never saw much so we held out hope. We had to wait until Monday for a doctor's appointment to do another blood draw and ultrasound.The wait was nearly unbearable. As the moments ticked closer to the 2pm appointment, I broke out in cold sweats and nausea. We went in and the doctor, after hearing our story, sounded very positive. But then we did an ultrasound. There was our bean, no longer with a beating heart. We had lost our first child at 8 weeks. I was prescribed medication to help the process along... I could not just 'wait' for it to happen naturally. Sadly, the medication did not work and I had to go in for a D&C on wednesday.Baby Haykin left us on 5/5/14. We found out that Baby Haykin was in the works on 4/4/14... you know how I love numbers.As I reflected on my situation, I was leaning hard on my new friends from the pregnancy website I had been frequenting. They were other moms with losses, etc. The anonymity gave us the freedom to speak. And I realized, I don't know one person (that has said anything to me) who has lost a child. Who would I call? Who, among my friends, has had a miscarriage? Who knows the pain I now know of growing a child, only to lose it before meeting them? No one. We don't discuss this in life. And that bothers me. Because just like Dennis Prager said, if we all fake a good life to each other, we are measuring by fake rulers. The reality is, I have lost a baby. An 8 week old baby but one that was deeply loved and wanted. Daniel and I have both grieved hard for this baby to be. So I decided to put myself out there and share out grief in the hopes that if you, my friend or reader or acquaintance, are facing this, you know that you have someone in your corner that gets it. That knows what it is like to stare at your toilet paper trying to decipher what color that is. A person who knows the fear when the cramps come.I am openly sharing this with the world so you know you are not alone. A miscarriage can happen to anyone at any time. A healthy person, a sick person. No matter who you are. But don't be scared. Be strong.Please G-d, we will bring so many baby Haykins into the world some day soon.

A Perfect Book of Psalms

Since my husband and I got married, we have been doing the merge of two homes dance. You know how this goes...I have a crockpot, you have a crockpot... my crockpot is newer... sell the old.I have a couch, you have a couch... your couch is nicer... sell mine.One thing that has been fun is the coming together of our books. Daniel doesn't have too many in his house (not for lack of having books, rather because most at boxed up at his parents' house) but I came with two bookshelves PLUS (not counting the work themed books I keep in my office at work).Now I don't know how you organize books (I found out the other night that a friend and her husband do it by color... that's cool) but I do it by subject and author. I have a shelf of "authors I know/am related to," a shelf of old school books I still love, fiction, non-fiction, theatre... and Judaica. My Judaica shelf is exploding. I love collecting, not only interesting books, but also different types of prayerbooks and Torahs (chumashim), etc.I was recently gifted with a BEAUTIFUL book of Tehillim (psalms) to review for a friend in New York. He, Rabbi Chaim Miller, is an AMAZING man in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Not only is he warm and welcoming in his home but he is knowledgeable and fascinating. I feel pretty confident recommending any new book he comes out with. Rabbi Miller is part of the brains behind Kol Menachem. Here's a little about Kol Menachem from their website:

The critically acclaimed Kol Menachem series represents the very best in English judaica. Our books boast finely crafted bindings, award-winning typography and an unparalleled richness of content.Kol Menachem also believes that the quality of information must be matched by the quality of presentation. The use of stunning graphics, professional fonts, multiple commentaries, background material, diagrams and charts as well as insightful notes ensures a multifaceted and far-reaching learning experience in all our publications.The exceptional lucidity and intellectual rigor of Kol Menachem's presentations are thanks to the skilful pen of our chief editor, Rabbi Chaim Miller. Rabbi Miller's achievement as an international scholar is substantiated by the vast dissemination of his works as well as the acclaim and prestige they have won him amongst his colleagues and in the educational and religious communities in which his works circulate.

The thing about Kol Menachem is, it's not your grandpa's siddur. They look beautiful on your bookshelves but they also draw you deeper into the text once you crack it open. Looking for an easy to read, beautiful chumash (Torah)? Check out their version here.When Rabbi Miller asked me to review his new tehillim, I couldn't say no. I have a soft spot for tehillim. When I can't pray, when I can't find a way to communicate with G!d, I turn to the psalms. Years ago I learned that you "have" a psalm for each year. Many years, I found that "my" psalm was so accurate for what I was going through and what I needed at the time. Here's how you calculate: take your age (32) add one (making it 33) and that is your psalm for the year. Why? When you turn 32, you are going into your 33 year. Anyway, I love psalms. My issue is that my Hebrew is not good enough yet to read in lashon kodesh (the holy language) so I am always looking for options with a GOOD English translation and one that is easy to follow or pop over to the Hebrew when I can.Not only does the new Kol Menachem Tehillim have large print Hebrew AND English but it has something I have never seen in a book of psalms before. At the bottom of the page, just like in a chumash, it offers "Classic Questions" and "Toras Menachem." The Classic Questions offer insights and clarifications just as you would find in a chumash. Points that may seem unclear to an observer are clarified in a familiar place, at the bottom of the page. However, it is the Toras Menachem that is just fascinating. It is based on commentary from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. If you read the forward, you learn that this task was not as easy as it sounds. Yes, the Rebbe (as Rabbi Schneerson is referred to) gave many speeches but he did not spend a lot of time on the psalms. Rabbi Miller and his team spent a long time reviewing the Rebbe's discourses, sermons, farbrengens, and other times psalms may have been mentioned. Rabbi Miller took the teachings from the Rebbe and shared these insights in a language we can understand.Like I said earlier, Kol Menachem books are not only interesting and educational but beautiful for your bookshelf. I highly recommend this volume. I know our home is richer for it.The details:Here is information about this volume of tehillim from Kol Menachem:

Tehillim (Book of Psalms) - The Schottenstein Edition Price: $39.99 The luxurious, hand-crafted Schottenstein Edition Tehillim, represents the very peak of English Judaica. World-class typography by an award-winning designer, with gold and red-wine highlights, makes each page of this classic a rich feast for the eyes. An exceptionally lucid, flowing translation, is adorned with fascinating insights culled from over 200 traditional commentaries. A special feature is the Toras Menachem, inspirational commentaries from the late Lubavitcher Rebbe on Tehillim which have never been published before in English. The hand tooled faux-leather cover and luscious cream paper makes this the ideal gift.6 1/2" x 9 1/4", 480 pages, ISBN: 978-1-934152-35-5

To purchase, either click anywhere in the description above or click here - Kol Menachem Tehillim.Here are some sample pages -  Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review for free.