A to Z

Salam 3alaikum sisters,

I think I am going to try the A to Z challenge. You can read more about it HERE inshaAllah, but the idea is that I take the month of April and divide it to where I will do a post themed on each alphabet letter.

I don't think I will sign up on their website or anything because I feel weird about linking my blog to a place where there will be lots of dudes and this is a ladies only blog, but I think I will take their idea (but give them credit lol).

So in the spirit of this challenge I'm going to leave off for the last few days of the month so I can start stocking up on the posts and come up with good themes inshaAllah. That will give me about a week head start.

Maybe I will do another one for al3araby later inshaAllah, goodness knows I could use the vocabulary practice!! :-P

See you in April inshaAllah (unless I come up with something extra before then)

Salaaaaam

Addiction

Salam 3alaikum girls,

My name is New Wife... and I am addicted to office supplies.

Seriously I love them to distraction. I love getting stuff to organize other stuff and having every color of pen I could possibly want and having multiple empty notebooks for any random idea that I get.

I'm the kind of person who has to really convince myself that I need a new shirt or pair of socks, but I find it so difficult to keep myself from buying a new notebook, journal, or pen set.

I took a picture of the evidence to show you...

It doesn't look like much but you should know that this is just what I brought with me when I got married... I was severely limited  by weight and size constraints and I knew my husband would rather I bring my pretty dress than my awesome sharpie collection. 

I'm telling you I have amassed boxes of this stuff over my lifetime. It is difficult for me to throw it away even, just in case I need it later. My mom use to make me sit down every year and try each pen and marker to make sure they worked and it was even hard to throw away the dry ones! (Later I found out that you can do some cool art projects with dry watercolor markers and I was so upset that I had thrown them away lol)

If I am in a bad mood, a little 50 cent notebook can usually cheer me up. There is something so awesome about the potential of those empty pages and pretty color inks...

What is your addiction/ guilty pleasure??? 

Book Review: Hunger Games

Salam 3alaikum girls,

Everyone else was doing a book review, so I thought I would chime in as well since the movie will be opening today!

I can't promise there won't be any spoilers since I'm pretty bad at knowing what is a spoiler and what isn't, but I will try my best inshaAllah to be general.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Pros: 

I read this book in about a day... the plot is really great and she has this way of leaving things in the air at the end of each chapter so that there isn't really a good place to stop.

I thought the story was very inventive and emotional. I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic/dystopic kind of novels so this was right up my alley. 

Cons:

I super hated most of the character development. There are many parts of the characters that are inconsistent to me and it really struck me the wrong way while I was reading it. For instance at some points Katniss (the main character) seems super intelligent and clever and at others completely clueless to things she should be able to figure out. Some will say that she is only 16 and this makes her believable etc but if that is the case then maybe we should quit writing books about teenagers... it bothered me. It also happens with a few other characters.

Some of the character motivations are somewhat suspect and either glossed over or left to the readers imagination. It is a pretty long book to not get the all the details... I have read all three books and there are still some important characters that I don't really understand.

Overall: 

I would recommend it, it is a good read. Getting caught up in the story really makes up for a lot of the parts I didn't like. No matter how annoyed I got with the character development, I still never considered stopping.

How To: My Basic Hijab Style

Salam 3alaikum ya banaat,

I wanted to share my hijab style with you but I am againt posting pictures on the internet so I thought about it and decided to draw a picture instead.

This style is great for getting some chest coverage out of a scarf that isn't quite as wide. Also you can tuck the short end into the back of your shirt/3abaya/jacket in order to get wind-proof neck coverage.

Need: one rectangular scarf, one straight pin

Step 1) place scarf over head with one short side and one long side
Step 2) begin wrapping long side toward short side under chin (if you want you can do a fold over your ears and pin it under your chin if you want it to be more secure)
Step 3) wrap over your head, you will still have some hanging on the long side. You can leave it this way if you like, which I do sometimes when its warmer outside.
Step 4) grab the extra length a couple inches from the end of the scarf and begin moving it under your chin like the first loop
Step 5) pin scarf above ear or at the side of your head, you may have to lower or raise the part you want to pin to make sure the front is even
DONE

I drew the scarf with tassels so you can iidentify where the end of the scarf is, but you can use any long rectangular scarf inshaAllah. It works better with materials that aren't slippery unless you want to use a thousand extra pins.

I am Resolved: II

Salam 3alaikum sisters,

Just a quick update on my goal progress and such!

1. Pray in the early time:
         This is still difficult for me to pray early, mostly because I don't pay good attention to the clock. InshaAllah I am planning to get an app or computer program to give adhan. The best improvement alhamdulillah is that getting up to pray is not as much of a fight, I don't sit and try to talk myself into waiting just five more minutes. When I realize it is time alhamdulillah it is getting easier to just get up and go, which I feel is a SUPER HUGE achievement.

2. Pray Sunnah of Fajr and Witr:
          I prayed the sunnah of fajr very consistently alhamdulillah and missed witr a couple of days.

3. Qur'an:
          Still struggling to read more, but I did read a few days which is a good improvement alhamdulillah.

4. Saying bismillah before activities:
           Not great at this still. Astaghfirullah I just forget... Maybe I will leave notes around the house inshaAllah.

5. Thikr:
           I made dhikr after every prayer alhamdulillah.

Goals for the next week:


InshaAllah I will keep the same goals. I want to perfect the ones I had well and improve the ones where I struggled. Will keep you updated inshaAllah!!

Spring is Here!!!

Salam 3alaikum girls,

Growing up in the south as I did, I never really gave a lot of thought to the actual beginning of Spring.

HOWEVER now that I have moved to colder climes I have been eagerly awaiting the coming of the warmth... and today is the day alhamdulillah!

So welcome sunshine and flowers and walks outside and humidity YAYYYYY!!!

In honor of spring I made a new avatar :-D enjoy!

Baking Day Two

Salam 3alaikum ya banaat,

I made another round of bread the other day and managed to snap a picture. There I have a regular loaf, a braided loaf and some cinnamon rolls working on their second rise.

It is essentially the same recipe as last time but with only one egg and a spoon of butter instead of a whole stick lol. You can find the original recipe HERE inshaAllah.

Goin' Out Duds

Salam 3alaikum ya banaat,

This is what I wore on a trip to Barnes & Noble which is the highlight of my social calendar lately.

My bling-y shoes. Totally from the kid's section at target :-D Alhamdulillah for little feet!!!

This is the design on the sleeves of one of my favorite 3abayah. It looks a bit silvery in the picture but it is a muted gold color and the little stones are a yellowy-gold.

I usually wear this with a soft black chiffon shayla or a buttery yellow scarf. This is by far the fanciest 3abaya that I have, and only one of two that have embroidery. Usually I go for a nice plain black. I had a couple colored ones, but they had to stay back home when I moved with my husband due to airplane weight limits :-/ Anyway, I only wore the colored ones when I would be somewhere with my extended family since I didn't want to overwhelm them when I only see them a couple times a year.

I am Resolved: A Manifesto

Salam 3alaikum girls

Lately I have felt that I am not performing well as a muslimah. I can tell that my motivation is not what it use to be and that scares me. I am afraid of becoming a hypocrite or leaving my practice off altogether. I feel that my belief in Islam as the right path is as strong as ever, but my actions are not showing this. I know that I can do better and I am ashamed that I have let myself come to this point.

Issues

• leaving prayer until the end of time
• skipping sunnah and nafl prayers
• not making thikr
• not reading Qur'an
• not increasing in knowledge
• not giving charity
• not having concentration

I sincerely seek the forgiveness of Allah subhana wa ta3ala and ask for protection from the evil in my own self and the whispering of the shayateen.  I have the intention to do better from this moment on, to be steadfast in my religion and to be sincere in my worship.

I will achieve this inshaAllah by setting goals that are practical, measurable, and attainable so that I do not burn out quickly. Allah loves consistency, even if it is something small so inshaAllah I will be consistent. 

source

I want to do this because I know that Allah deserves so much more than I can ever give in worship. He is my creator, provider, sustainer. I will never be able to repay Him for my existance and all of the blessings I have been given but it would compound the debt if I did nothing. I would show arrogance and ungratefulness if I let other concerns take precedent over my rabb.

InshaAllah I will make 5 goals for this week and re-asses next week depending on my performance. Goals which have been executed well or easily will be replaced by new goals and those that need work will continue on the list inshaAllah.

Goals

1. Pray in the early time (or make du3a when I can't pray salat).
2. Pray 2 sunnah before fajr and at least 1 rakah for witr (or make du3a al-qunoot when I can't make salat).
3. Read Quran bil3araby for at least 5 minutes each day, then read the English translation of the verses covered.
4. Say Bismillah before doing housework so that the things I do in the house are counted as 3ibada.
5. Make dhikr after each prayer before I get off of the sujada.

InshaAllah I will keep track of my daily progress and give weekly updates here in order to keep myself accountable.

InshaAllah this will help me to become a better slave of Allah, a better Muslimah, a better wife, a better human.

LFFM

Salam sisters!

I am entering to win a giveaway from Lifestyle of a Furiously Fab Muslimah. She is planning on opening a business around May inshaAllah so make bunches of du3a for her that this goes well for her and is a blessing to her and her adorable little girl!!

In order to enter we should tell about a goal we have for this month.
One of my goals inshaAllah is to keep up with praying 2 rakaah sunnah before fajr. Also I want to bake fresh bread for my house at least once a week inshaAlah.
(inshaAllah I am planning another post to come shortly about my goals.)

My long term goals inshaAllah...

• be brave enough to  become proficient in al3araby. I understand well, but I am terrified of speaking and saying something stupid
• read the Qur'an in Arabic all the way through
• find a part-time job

A New Method

Salam 3alaikum ya banaat!

I decided to try out a new method of cleaning in the kitchen and alhamdulillah it has really helped!!!

When I begin to cook, I fill a side of the sink about half way with hot soapy water. As I am cooking and I finish  using something like the cutting board or a pot, I throw it in the water. This keeps the food from drying or getting stuck.

When I have a few minutes between steps while cooking I can just wipe the thing down with a sponge or rag, rinse it, and leave it to dry.

source

It is so much faster and it really helps me avoid being discouraged by the huge heap of dishes in the sink after eating a meal at home... That was the worst part before. The pile would just build up and it was so difficult to get myself to actually start washing something!

I know it seems like such a small thing to be excited about but alhamdulillah it feels like a really great victory for me. I conquered my fear of dishes!!

Marriage Advice

Salam 3alaikum sisters,

I started this blog because I needed advice and help and guidance and all of those things. My family is not muslim and I feel like I had no good example of what a marriage between Muslims should look like... What is my job? What is his job? How do I go about running a house for real not just for pretend? How do you go through your day knowing that there is someone else floating around out in the world and your job is to take care of each other and make each other happy? How do you do all of that and still make sure that Allah is your focus? How do you grow together as Muslims and help each other toward Jannah?

I am doing a lot of searching, and I'm sort of just humming a few bars and faking it for now. But I think that is how everyone does it in a way... we just learn as we go.

Anyway I found some really good advice in my search. Maybe everyone has already read it but it spoke to me so I thought I would re-post.

‘Abd al-Malik (RA) said: “When ‘Awf ibn Muhallim al-Shaybani, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Arab nobility during the jahiliyyah, married his daughter Umm Iyas to al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Kindi, she was made ready to be taken to the groom, then her mother, Umamah came into her, to advise her and said:

‘O my daughter, if it were deemed unnecessary to give you this advice because of good manners and noble descent, then it would have been unnecessary for you, because you posses these qualities, but it will serve as a reminder to those who are forgetful, and will help those who are wise.

‘O my daughter, if a woman were able to do without a husband by virtue of her father’s wealth and her need for her father, then you of all people would be most able to do without a husband, but women were created for men just as men were created for them.

‘O my daughter, you are about to leave the home in which you grew up, where you first learned to walk, to go to a place you do not know, to a companion to whom you are unfamiliar. By marrying you, he has become a master over you, so be like a servant to him, and he will become like a servant to you.

‘Take from me ten qualities, which will be a provision and a reminder for you.

‘The first and second of them are: be content in his company, and listen to and obey him, for contentment brings peace of mind, and listening to and obeying one’s husband pleases Allah.

‘The third and fourth of them are: make sure that you smell good and look good; he should not see anything ugly in you, and he should not smell anything but a pleasant smell from you. Kohl is the best kind of beautification to be found, and water is better than the rarest perfume.

‘The fifth and sixth of them are: prepare his food on time, and keep quiet when he is asleep, for raging hunger is like a burning flame, and disturbing his sleep will make him angry.

‘The seventh and eighth of them are: take care of his servants (or employees) and children, and take care of his wealth, for taking care of his wealth shows that you appreciate him, and taking care of his children and servants shows good management.

‘The ninth and tenth of them are: never disclose any of his secrets, and never disobey any of his orders, for if you disclose any of his secrets you will never feel safe from his possible betrayal, and if you disobey him, his heart will be filled with hatred towards you.

‘Be careful, O my daughter, of showing joy in front of him when he is upset, and do not show sorrow in front of him when he is happy, because the former shows a lack of judgment whilst the latter will make him unhappy.

‘Show him as much honor and respect as you can, and agree with him as much as you can, so that he will enjoy your companionship and conversation.

‘Know, O my daughter, that you will not achieve what you would like to until you put his pleasure before your own, and his wishes before yours, in whatever you like and dislike. And may Allah choose what is best for you and protect you.”

Baking Day!

Salam 3alaikum ya banaat!

When I started feeling better I felt terrible that I had (unwillingly) neglected my cooking duty. I felt the need to do some serious up-to-your-elbows-in-food-stuff kind of work so I decided to make a huuuuge batch of bread.

I had no recipe. I just decided to wing it so I started making the dough, kneaded for a while and then left the dough for the first rise while I made dinner. I can't remember what I made for dinner (LOL) but after we ate I split the dough to shape it for the next rise.

Out of the one batch of dough I made:

• 1 loaf of sandwich style bread
• 13 cinnamon rolls
• 8 crescent shaped rolls, 4 with cheese 4 plain
• 1 braided loaf with mozzarella on top
• 1 loaf filled with strawberry jelly and cream cheese
• 2 bagels
• 2 soft pretzels
• 4 dinner rolls

I wanted to eat everything as soon as it came out of the oven!!! However I ignored my baser instincts and put most of it away to eat fresh or in the freezer for later.

My husband started showing signs of getting a cold as well so I felt so proud to be able to give him soup and fresh made bread to feel better or tea with cheesy rolls alhamdulillah. 

This was the first time I ever made a real loaf of bread and I have to tell you... there is no feeling like pulling that loaf out of the oven and realizing it looks just like the one from the grocery store but tastes a million times better! 

Also I was so surprised that every bread was made from the same dough but subhanAllah they all came out with a different flavor! Some had obviously different cooking methods like shorter cook times, boiling the bagels, dipping the pretzels in baking soda water, filling, topping, etc.

The Dough Recipe

1 1/2 tbsp yeast (2 packets)

1 cup warm water

1 tbsp honey 

5 c all-purpose flour

2 c stone ground whole wheat flour

1- 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 stick butter

2 eggs lightly beaten

Salt to taste, I think I put like a tablespoon or something

enough warm water to form a slightly sticky dough

1. combine yeast, cup water and honey, leave until yeast bubbles up

2. combine dry ingredients together in a bowl

3. melt butter and warm milk in a pan, but don't let it get hot (no boiling/steaming)

4. make a hole in the dry ingredients and add the milk/butter mix and being stirring

5. continue adding yeast mixture and finally eggs

6. add enough warm water (not hot) to create a slightly sticky dough

7. turn out on a floured surface and knead, continuing to add flour as needed to hands and surface until you have a dough that is soft and slightly sticky but doesn't stay stuck to your bare hand.

8. let rise for 30 min to an hour, punch down, shape and let rise for another 30 min to an hour then bake at 400 F. If you have small shapes, bake about 8 to 12 min, for larger loaves bake 20- 30 min but keep checking to make sure it isn't overdone. 

*obviously this isn't the most healthy bread... I think you could easily leave out the butter and/or eggs and have a less dense bread with a lot less calories. Just substitute in more warm water to form the dough.

Do you have a bread recipe that you use for everything?? I really want to try some more recipes and see how they come out inshaAllah :-)

Enthralled

Salam 3alaikum!

I got on blogger planning to write some posts to shore up a stash that I could use while my computer time is low but instead I ended up reading alllllll the posts I had missed on other people's blogs!

I commented on a few, but not all.

I just go so absorbed in reading that I forgot I was supposed to write! haha!

Recovery

Salam 3alaikum girls,

Alhamdulillah I am finally feeling better, but now I face the daunting task of getting my house back in order after letting my husband take over while I was sick... LOL

 You can't imagine so much chaos in such a small place, but mashaAllah I'm so grateful that he took such good care of me while I was sick.

I will try to get some posts scheduled ahead of time soon inshaAllah, but I have very limited computer access at the moment so they may be a little scarce for a while.

How are you all doing?? I'm going to try to catch up on reading blogs too inshaAllah but it might take me some time.

Still Sick :-/

Salam 3alalikum ladies,

I'm still sick. I have the flu pretty bad, but alhamdulillah 3ala kl hal.

I will catch up on reading posts and comments and stuff inshaAllah as soon as I'm feeling a little more alert.

Hope everything is going well with you all inshaAllah!