What a busy and FULL few days this happy, masha'allah, family has had! The boys have declared this the best Eid EVER, and as I happily played, cooked, knit and sat and watched it all - tired and so very grateful - I asked the boys to tell you about their Eid.
This is what they considered important to share ::
We have a little bit of celebrating to do in this house over the next few days, so I'll sign off now for a long weekend and hopefully see you in this space next Monday insha'allah.
For those celebrating :: Eid Mubarak!
This picture is almost five years old exactly; I remember the time clearly. I was frazzled and confused due to sleep deprivation bordering on torture. I hadn't used both my arms at the same time for quite a while. I was hungry and about to grab something to eat before he kicked up a fuss and demanded to be clamped on my nipple. The babe, that is ... and instead I grabbed my camera and clicked away at these two getting to know one another. One huge great big silverback male and one puny little matchstick; guess which one the boss is....
It's true that we've had our ups and downs. Or maybe downs and ups. Or even downs and downs. But one thing I will say about this resident squatter husband of mine is that he is an excellent Daddy masha'allah. Any idiot can make a baby, but I think it takes something rather special to be a father; my boys really don't know how lucky they are.
But I do.
Happy Father's Day
xx
I was reminded of this again this week as we had the chance to eat together with a guest. We were happy, we talked and shared jokes, we had come home hungry from a brisk walk and the chance to sit around the table and share that ease, and eat good food, and have indulgent deserts, well it was truly a blessing.
So often mealtimes can become a chore - a drag - a battle of wills - a means to an end.
This week I was reminded just what beauty and ease there can be in sitting around a table with good company.
And if you haven't got snow for a white christmas, then borrow ours! It's borax so it won't melt either!
Have a good one, and take it easy.
xx
Are you dreading the holiday season this year? Feeling overwhelmed? Underwhelmed? Stretched? Under appreciated?
Luckily we don't celebrate Christmas, but we do give my family gifts at this time of year.
For a couple years now I have tried to make the occasion handmade. I think there is something quite lovely about handmade gifts - something made for only you in mind - the time it takes to make, the love that that expresses and usually the quality of the materials used all surpass gifts mass produced in slave conditions, packaged in materials damaging to the earth, shipped halfway around the world to be added to a pile of other such gifts.
But it is odd that in this society that so far gone are our priorities that we consider 'handmade' by those close to us inferior to crap produced in the billions in China. We consider something handmade only well done if it replicates something made in a factory. Once upon a time factories would strive to make things look (and taste) home made, now the opposite is true!
And it has also been pointed out that the excess of this time of year really is the antithesis to the whole occasion! People get themselves into a lather about having the 'perfect' christmas by building up to one day full of expectation - the perfect food, the perfect drinks, the many many perfect presents (because more is better isn't it?!). People spend too much, eat too much, drink too much - and it doesn't seem to make anyone happy.
Those of us with children, whatever time of year we celebrate our 'thing', would do well to remember than simplicity really is the best way to go. For children (and I suspect many adults) memories cannot be bought with mountains of plastic, they are made with time, effort and love. And instead of commercialisation ruining our lives, our planet and our memories now it might be a good time to take a step back and get our priorities straight. I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on gift-giving time, and maybe if anyone else has any tips on keeping this season truly merry then chip in at the end...
1. Quality outranks quantity: one good quality gift made with good quality materials is better than a million pieces of plastic crap. This is especially true with toys. How many toys have you seen consigned to a charity shop after only a few weeks of play? How much of it had to be binned because it was broken all too soon? Try finding durable toys made out of wood. Not only are they more beautiful but you will be surprised at how long they last! Many will become heirloom toys to be enjoyed by your little one's children!
2. Less is more. Have you ever gone into an untidy room and just felt frazzled and grumpy and ratty? No? Just me then? It's brain frazzle; we have been taught that to accumulate is to prosper, but in terms of psychological well-being the opposite is actually true - the less we have the better our mood. The same goes for children. Surround them with a myriad of toys and they will be frazzled and play with nothing. Give them one or two quality items and they will focus and play. Less is more in regards to the type of toy as well - toys with all the whistles and bells may look good, but they leave no room for the active ingredient of imagination. Something that bleeps and flashes and sings twenty songs may look the business but it excludes the child to role of chief button-pusher. An open ended toy (blocks for example) draws the child in and demands his attention and imagination. Less is more. Ditch the battery for free-range imagination.
3. Keep it simple. Instill in your children an appreciation for the gift-giver rather than the gift by keeping it simple. Handmade gifts will help in this respect because the gift will have love woven in with it. Encourage your children to MAKE gifts for each other too. The message should be the love and care of the gift-giver, and not what the actual gift IS.
4. Keep it mellow. Don't set your eyes on the target of one perfect day, but enjoy the path instead. Create holiday traditions building up to your day; include your children; draw them in, build up the excitement slowly and calmly. Holiday traditions really are fun when everyone helps build them together.
5. We can give nothing better to another than ourselves. That means our time. How many times have you said to your children 'I can't - I haven't got time'? That's the biggest lie. Time is all we have. Our life IS time. When we say we haven't got time, what we are really saying is 'I haven't got time for YOU'. We prioritise our time constantly and we make time for things we consider important. Our subconscious understands this nuance and it cannot be glossed over by present-buying or money. Spend time with your family - make the effort in the holidays to play games, sit on the floor and play dolls or trucks, get the board games out, read books til your brain oozes out of your earholes. These days are short and will never return. Give yourself to your family.
6. Focus on making the holiday authentic and meaningful.
Finally, as gift-receivers if someone DOES give you something handmade do appreciate the time, effort and cost involved. Handmade is NOT the cheap option by any stretch of the imagination. It actually costs more money to make than to buy - if someone gives you handmade they really love you.
A good link to help us all focus on what it's all about: An Authentic Christmas, by Rhythm of the Home.
Keep it mellow, people.
x
We all got some new toys to play with (including mama - can anyone see in these pictures what it is??), lots of family time and some knitting in the easy chair - oh yes. Good times, people, good times. Masha'allah.
* I admit I was a Kool & the Gang fan at the age of 8.
I've decided :: there really is no classy way to have tinsel, fairy lights and glitter.
No matter which way you try it you simply cannot get away from the vulgarity of it all. Decorations that make my babes smile and giggle necessitate huge amounts of lights and glitter - like a mandir without Krishna - and, well, it's all so magical like that when you are little isn't it? Shiny things are just smile inducers here...
Some of my first memories are of darkened rooms and fairy lights and a sense of expectation and a feeling of magic in the air; that Something Special was happening. Good, warm memories. And even though what WE are celebrating is Eid at the end of the Month of Fasting the need to make good memories for my children pushes me to insane levels of bling as the child inside me, just for a short while, is let loose to decorate the house.
I have good memories of my childhood celebrations.
I hope my children have good memories of theirs too.
Which may or may not include some of these bits of loveliness in them:
Some Japanese fabric and trim in linen blends from Kokka
And this cotton yarn. I'm a bit doubtful about knitting winter woolens in cotton - Winter Cottons?? Doesn't sound right, does it? And there is a bit too much pink in there for any of these testosterone-driven MEN, so, oh hardship, perhaps this Eid offering will have to be mine.
I think I can live with that...
What are your plans for Eid crafting?
Ramadan Mubarak! It's here! The month we have been living in mortal fear of! Well, I'm sure our nafs have, but now it's here I am sure you all are as excited and as pleased as we are! An excellent month lays ahead the like of which cannot be replaced by any other act of worship, so I hope you are all mentally and physically prepared for this little jihad.
This is my personal jihad this month:
Oh how caffeine is my backbone in times of stress!
Taken yesterday after a mammoth clean-fest in preparation for Ramadan - after an all day clean it was heaven to be able to put my (sore) feet up and sip that tea...
Golden nectar, how I shall miss thee....
Keep us in your prayers!
xx
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