O Kaaba, O Kaaba, how steadfast is the Qibla.

            Ramadan Kareem everyone! The holy month of Ramadan is upon us, and it is the time for family gatherings, heightened spirituality, and self reflection. For a little more detail about this holy month check out an article I wrote a couple years back for the Dearborn Patch:Five Things Everyone Should Know About Ramadan.

One of my favorite things to see for every holiday is how people decorate their homes in celebration. I am happy to see a lot more homes decorated for Ramadan in Dearborn! I have been seeing larger than life “Ramadan Mubarak” banners across front porches, twinkling lights, and the famous moon and star symbol hanging on windows. Now that I have a daughter, I really wanted to make it a point this year to decorate my own home for Ramadan. I want Madina to know that the month of Ramadan is of utmost importance in our household. And, I want the Eid to feel just like Christmas morning would to a young Christian child.

Speaking of Christmas, even as a Muslim, it’s hard not to soak up the aura that Christmas time exudes. When I think of Christmas, I picture the colorful lit homes, the dazzling Christmas trees with all their hanging ornaments, and the fresh, white snow as it brightens the dark night with its sparkling glow. It’s no wonder a lot of Muslims partake in the Christmas festivities—some even put up Christmas trees in their homes.

Likewise, because the Christmas tree is so popular … many Muslims will put it up during Ramadan or Eid and refer to it as “Eid/Ramadan tree”. However, I decided to steer away from the Christmas tree when thinking about a decorative symbol for Ramadan. Not that I don’t condone the tree, I just wanted something that was different; an eye-catching symbol to decorate my home.

After a conversation with a friend about possible decor options, we discussed the perfect idea (among many, actually). If you ask anyone who has ever been to hajj (the obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca) to describe the Kaaba, the answers can all be summed up into one word: Breathtaking. I have yet to go to hajj, (god willing I will get to go soon) but the Kaaba is such a prominent and beautiful structure in Islam … so why not use a Kaaba as a representative symbol? So after a few hours of feeling crafty I created my own little Kaaba to decorate for Ramadan. Here are some pictures: 

How I did it:

I actually don’t want to tell you how I did this, only because I made it a lot harder than it had to be. I’m just going to give you a much simpler direction: Find a cardboard box big enough to fit presents inside. Be sure to take into consideration the size of your family and how many gifts you will need. If you can find a box with a lid, that’s even better. I’m sure they are out there somewhere because I’ve seen people do gender reveal parties with big boxes that balloons fly out of.

Go to a crafts store (Michaels, Joann Fabric, etc.) and find black wrapping paper and glue it on to all the sides of the box. You can use Elmer’s glue for this. I also bought this yellow shimmering poster board that I thought would do well for the Kaaba’s detail. If you go to a fabric store, they have a lot of pretty gold rolls that you can use … or if you’re artsy you can even use paint! Anyway, I cut the poster board into four thick strips and wrapped them around the black box using tape to stick. I then cut even smaller pieces of the gold cardboard to go underneath the first wrap. If you Google search how the Kaaba looks, it has Arabic writing around it. So, I Googled (should be a legitimized verb) the word “Allah” and printed and cut out the calligraphy (four; one on each side) that you see in the above picture.

Using the Christmas stocking concept, I bought two small gift bags and labeled them with our names to use to accumulate sadaqa (charity). And, finally, I bought a little chalk board with a stand so that I can write a different Quranic verse every few days. You can get really creative with this. Mine is pretty simple, but I wanted to share the idea with you because I think it’s a nice alternative to the tree if you were looking for one. I plan on buying some white lights to go around my Kaaba as well! 

Did you decorate your home for Ramadan? If so, how did you do it? Let me know in the comment section! I look forward to hearing your ideas!

How I left my baby behind to vacation!

                Fortunately for me, my daughter is the first grandchild on both sides of our families. I say fortunately because my mom and my mother-in-law fight (in the nicest way possible) to watch her. It’s truly a blessing to be able to have this luxury, especially because I plan to start my career soon and I know my baby is in good hands. This is what made my decision to jet-set alone a little easier.

                A few months ago, my friends and I were entertaining the idea of taking an all girls trip to Florida (yes, I went again). I decided to make a list of reasons of why I should and should not go. Some of the reasons that were in favor of me going were:

1. Now is the best time to go since my daughter is still the only grandchild.

2. I would most likely be working in the fall.

3. In the last year and a half I have been pregnant and taking classes full time, gave birth over the summer, completed a student teaching internship, and then finally finished my master’s project and eventually earned my degree.

And,

4. I Haven’t had a good night sleep since I was 8 months pregnant.  

             Needless to say, I needed a break. While all of these reasons were justified in me taking this vacation, the one reason I had to stay behind seemed to the most prominent: Missing Madina. However, I knew that this opportunity was not going to come by again anytime soon and so after serious contemplation and encouragement from my husband and friends, I decided to book my trip.

            Shortly after, I prepared everything for Madina for the time that I was away. I wanted to make things as easy on my mom and my mother-in-law as possible, since they were doing me such a great favor. Well, if you ask them, I was probably doing them the favor by keeping her with them. Anyway, I began with her food. If you refer to my previous post titled, “Meal Prep for Baby”, you will see how I puree and prep my daughter’s food. In this instance, I organized all of the food by day and stored them in zip lock bags. I wrapped 3 food “bowls” in plastic wrap and labeled them “breakfast” “lunch” or “dinner” like so:

               I then packed Madina’s clothes in separate bags and labeled them using post-it notes to indicate the corresponding days (Monday through Friday) like so:

                In each bag was a hair accessory, a hat, an outfit, shoes,socks, extra cardigan and leggings just in case it got a little chilly and an extra little bag labeled “Night time Pj’s”.

            I also wrote down a checklist for my husband to refer to both in the morning and at night before and after he took her to my mom/mother-in-law’s. He said he followed it promptly…but I don’t believe him.

                Lastly, I printed out a feeding/nap time schedule for my mom and my mother-in-law to use as a guide. Now, I am fully aware that my mom and mother-in-law have had children before and they are perfectly capable of figuring out when a baby needs to nap and eat, I only wrote this down just as a reference. I informed them that it was tentative, and I’m glad I wrote it because they both found it helpful.

               The night before my departure, I was overwhelmed with the feelings of guilt and selfishness as I questioned: Is she going to miss me? What if she doesn’t realize I’m gone? Am I going to be able to handle this? I really shouldn’t be going, do I really need this? Isn’t four nights too long?

              After shedding a few tears (yes, I’m a little dramatic), my husband assured me that there is nothing to worry about, and that everything would be taken care of. I set my worrisome feelings to the side and tried to look forward to the trip.

              When my friends picked me up the next morning, I finally started to feel excited when the thought of sleeping through the night became a reality. I wasn’t as excited about the beautiful beach, our ocean view balcony, or getting to try some delicious new restaurants… I just wanted to sleep.

              And, so I slept. The first night I woke up out of habit it seemed, but after that I was able to sleep through the night, and take naps, and lounge by the water. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was. Although every toddler in sight reminded me of my baby, I was glad I took the time to myself. I came back feeling refreshed, strong, and ready to jump back into the beautiful role of being a mom.

              Sometimes it’s important to allow yourself time to just relax, catch up on sleep, and make your husband realize how much you actually do. We are all so wrapped up in trying to be super mom to our babies, but I don’t believe a few days away makes you anything less. After my trip, I feel a moms get-away is definitely recommended, especially if you have reliable care for your child. So go ahead… Treat yo' self.

             Have you vacationed without your child/children? If so, what was your experience? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section! Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog on the right hand side of your screen.

-Mariam