Ramadaan 1433

It came ,it left me in awe and I hope it conquered atleast a few of my nafs( evil desires) Inshaa Allah. my favourite time of the year has passed  and it was a very busy one(which should explain my absence). like with so many other things it left me with a great feeling of sadness,not for what the month was ,but for what we now make of it.

Each year we experience a heightened sense of spirituality during Ramadaan,and that's how it should be. But What gets me down (excuse the pun) ,is how after the high,we fall almost flat on our faces the very next day or in the week that follows.the day of eid  becomes a showcase of  the wrong ideals ,not the day of  prizegiving as we have been taught. Immodesty and gossiping are of the evils that almost immediately slip back into our lives.There are many exceptions to this but I think we all can relate in some way to how we see our efforts go in vain by our OWN hands.

WE can make the choice to continue to guard our eyes ,our ears ,our  limbs and minds. And WE can make dua that Allah guides our hearts to what is good eternally. It's up to us to decide if  WE have truly loved ,appreciated and honored the amazing month that has left us.

Until you read again
Ma'assalam

Dear ones

Hugs! Hugs! Hugs! Oh how I've missed you. It's been a long five weeks away but I hope what I've learnt during this time and what I will share in future blogs regarding it,will more than make up for my absence.

I wanted my 'return blog' to be a light hearted one but there's a message that I must,must share. Let me get straight into it. Life should be labelled 'fragile.handle with care' coz it is so undeniably precious. But the thing is that even if we value our own lives , we forget to attach that importance to the lives of those around us. We bicker with and moan about and back bite and manipulate the ones we claim to love(and others). We fail to realize the rights others have over us and how we should protect ourselves by protecting their rights. We also fail to understand a most basic principle,that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. I am the first in need of this reminder and I hope I can wrap my brain and heart around it to be truly grateful for the gift that is life.

May the Almighty Allah save us from pettiness and prejudice and may we all fully appreciate the lives we have been blessed to be a part of.

Until you read again
Ma'assalam

Mummy wisdoms from a male

I often think of the challenges our mothers faced raising us and if it differed much to what we face now.After reading many posts in the pregnancy and motherhood forums I follow,it's clear that tho decades apart the pressure of others on new mums remains the same.i couldn't quite put it into words and then I stumbled upon this which is so incredibly apt and surprisingly written by a male

"When every single person around a young mother wants to tell her what to do and what not to do, why her child is crying and how she is feeding the child inadequately, then more confusion and hurt is caused than education or solution to the matter. Babies will cry just like we all did at one stage and it is only correct to say a word of encouragement to the mother or remain silent. Interference into matters of feeding and upbringing can be the most annoying, depressing and stressful experience a young mother has. Each child is unique and not all solutions will be applicable. Criticism of young mothers by their own family members or friends shows that they do not really care but simply want to prove they know better without actually providing a positive silent solution in the most loving manner. No mother intentionally causes pain and grief to her baby but rather she is very keen on providing every bit of comfort. This status is dedicated to mothers who have suffered at the hands of "know it alls" who will not leave them alone! May the Almighty bless us all! Aameen"

It's tough being a new mum but it's extremely rewarding.i think new mums need all the confidence they can get and should be given the time to develop this and hone their maternal instincts.with that said I hope I don't morph into a know It all when interacting with a mum newer than I .

Until you read again
Ma,assalam

Slipping away

after my 'free Friday' post ,the week that followed was anything but.i guess I deserved it for gloating,hehe,tho I must ask which new mum can resist not sharing that type of info? I digress,so let me swiftly get into todays Blog before I am the first to miss the message I have in mind.

I was full of blog post ideas this past week but I had no time to gather and organize my thoughts neither to remember them all nor type them out.I wrote a piece of poetry which remins incomplete,formulated a few 1 or 2 line quotes ,had passing eccentric ideas and deep thoughts yet nothing concrete.my mind was constantly multitasking and would not settle down.i realized that when you are moving so fast in pursuit of materialistic goals you lose track of the important things.and tho you might think you're moving along deftly ,at the end of the day you still end up wondering what happened to the time and how you did not achieve all the things you set out to do.In the grand scheme of things it means our time on earth is running out,surreptitiously at some times blatantly at others.either way we need to maximize whatever we have left inshaAllah.

Time is a gift.its been said repeatedly but there's no contesting the fact.a precious ,precious gift which if not used wisely can contribute to our downfall,Allah forbid.I recalled the following Hadith and hope to remind myself of it when I have some time to spare again.

'Take benefit of five before five:
Your youth before your old age,

Your health before your sickness,

Your wealth before your poverty,

Your free-time before your preoccupation and

Your life before your death.'

[Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - Al-Haakim,
Al-Baihaqee: Saheeh]

May we be guided to use the time we have to 'build' and 'beatify' our palaces in Jannah,and not to throw it away in efforts that will be of no avail in the next life. Aameen

Until you read again
Ma'assalam

free friday

its today, its today. hehe,my free friday,that means just me and my family and my Creator time.BLISS!

Dont get me wrong,i love my work.sometimes its nice not having to rush and to worry about running to the oven.i think my lil man feels it too,he follows his routine effortlessly when i have a stress free day.with all this free time on my hands what do i do with it?and productively? hmm, i cant sit still unless with a book or ipad in my hand so i will probably do just that.unless my feet get really itchy and i hear my mixer calling my name.

so to all of you under a bit of pressure or stress,this is what i have found for you

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."
Lily Tomlin
   
- 1.  One of the best ways to relax is to turn off the television, the computer, and any other item that can prove to be distracting.
Lay back in a recliner, a sofa, or even a bed and close your eyes. . Do not allow your mind to focus on things that cause stress. Just focus on relaxing thoughts and slow breathing exercises.
 - 2.  Many individuals who indulge in a warm bath or a warm shower find that this is a very relaxing way to rinse stress away.
  - 3.  There are many different types of exercises that may prove to be relaxing.-(from todays woman and health.com)
  -4.laugh
  -5. a meal or visit with loved ones
  -6.connecting with nature
  -7.and the ultimate relaxant- Praying!

until you read again
hope your weekend and week to come are stress free,InshaAllah

Ma'assalaam

s.o.s

i follow a few pregnancy and motherhood forums and ive noticed a large number of ladies with the following problem.i call it triple m- moody ,miserable motherhood or what is more commonly known as post natal depression.

its nothing to be ashamed of.I,to a certain extent noticed a change in my behaviour after giving birth.it  is understandable considering what a woman goes through  during pregnancy and childbirth,it all takes a toll.the problem is that it should not negatively imprint on your behaviour permanently. i researched pnd and i was surprised to note that it often goes undiagnosed  and worse,untreated. the latter is possibly lethal,where some mothers end their or their kids life.
there is light at the end of the tunnel and it involves the use of simple solutions.
Pray.constantly and sincerely.there is nothing that puts you more at ease than dua(prayer)
Take care.look after your body and mind by eating well and resting
Talk! if you feel you are constantly down talk to your spouse ,parents or someone you trust.
Relax.take time off for you, a massage,tea with a friend,read a book.
Professional help.seek counsel if symptoms persist.
Link up. form a support group with other new moms.(revised from pregnancy sites)

realize your value as a mother and the incredible status you have been blessed with.cherish your role and remember that  “Verily, with hardship, there is relief  (94:6)” Al Quraan


until you read again
ma"assalam

my sugar sister gets sweeter

i know i did a post of her work recently but i could not resist not posting these.shes trying her hand or rather her eye at photography and the results are gorgeous.have a look :)

she is one of those 'if you apply your mind you can achieve it' people.so i hope you aspire to the same.

until you read again
ma'assalam