Create your own character themed party!!

I don’t recall ever feeling sad and excited at the same time. I mean, I was sad/excited to move out of my parents house to be moving in with my best friend on our wedding day, but the feelings weren’t so heightened as I prepared to celebrate my daughter’s first birthday.

                As mentioned in previous posts … my daughter loves to watch the show Maya The Bee. So, I thought it would be fitting to have a Maya the Bee themed party for her first birthday. I decided to have a more intimate gathering with just my husband’s immediate family and mine. Like many Arab families, if I were to invite extended family members on both sides … I would’ve needed a much bigger venue than my backyard! But, I figured I’d save the big birthday celebration for when she's a little older. 

                Despite the small guest list, the party took up a lot of time to plan and prepare! Unlike a lot of popular kids’ shows like Mickey Mouse Club House or Family Guy … Maya the Bee party supplies were IMPOSSIBLE to find. I discovered that Maya the Bee is actually popular in other countries outside the U.S. The supplies that I did find were both expensive and would have taken weeks to ship. Still, I didn’t want to give up on the theme so I decided to get crafty and create my own décor.

                It was easy to find the yellow, black and white colors for the simple party things like plates, napkins, balloons, streamers etc. However, I did not want to have only the three colors complete my theme. I began searching Maya the Bee characters on Google Images, and I then printed about seven of the characters in color. I initially thought it would be a good idea to simply poke a hole in the cut out images I had printed and let the characters hang from a string throughout my canopy. Then, I remembered a trick I learned during student teaching that would keep the hanging characters sturdy and not so flimsy looking.

Here’s what I did:

1. After saving the images from my Google search I printed each one in full page view.

2. I then edited the each of the images in paint and rotated them to flip horizontally like so:

3. I printed the rotated images so that I had two images of each character. 

4. I cut out around each image

5. I took a piece of poster board paper--or you can use a manila folder like the one pictured above-- (or anything sturdier than computer paper) and traced the outline of my printed, cutout image onto the poster board paper.

6. I cut along the trace on my poster board and glued the two images on each side so that when you turn it over you will see the same picture.

7. I bought some thin white ribbon and poked a hole through the top of the image with a hole puncher and allowed it to hang from the ceiling of my canopy like so:

This helped create my Maya the Bee theme because I was able to incorporate the characters from the show in a fun, creative way. I also created a special piece for my sweet table in which I used the same steps shown above, except for I added a little stand. For the stand I used a small piece of styrofoam that I found a Michael’s and cut a little slither to place the characters foot in and added some extra poster board paper that leaned against the “back” of the character for extra standing support.

For my sweet table, I tried to keep the colors black, yellow and white. A little pinterest search helped inspire my fruit kabobs that consisted of black grapes and pineapples. I also created little pudding parfaits that included layers of crushed nilla wafers, instant vanilla pudding, and cool whip. 

Another yummy treat I made were these delicious smores balls that were a total hit! I found the recipe here: Smore's balls Recipe

The guest tables were set up with plastic table covers that gave the illusion of a lace pattern from Party City. Party City also had these white containers for a $1 that I put white and yellow flowers in to use as center pieces.We also created a snapchat filter, but unfortunately the font was a bit too small and I should have chosen a more visible color. 

 Each guest also received a party favor, which was a mason jar filled with honey (get it?) and a tag that read “Can’t BEElieve she’s already 1”.

The jars and tags can be found here and here. My lovely bee-hive cake was made by @FarhatSweets1 and was filled with this delicious pistachio custard flavor:

Another thing that might be of interest to you is the banner I bought! I thought it would serve as a sweet memory from this website called BuildASign.com. It was affordable and the image I used was crystal clear! It is super user friendly and if you sign up via e-mail you will receive coupons up to 25 percent off. I bought a sign that was 3x5 and it was the perfect size.

I had so much fun planning and celebrating this party, and I wanted to share with you some of these ideas so that maybe you can use them as inspiration for your upcoming event. 

What was the theme you used to celebrate your kids' birthday parties? Let me know in the comment section, and don't forget to subscribe to my blog :). 

By the way- I was totally kidding about the Family Guy mention. Definitely not a kid’s show.

My transition into motherhood! Happy Birthday, Madina!

                If I could describe my transition into motherhood in anyway, I would compare it to the Hunger Games, but more so Parenting Games. Except, no one dies (hopefully), and just about everyone can win, but the struggle to stay afloat is real. Directly after giving birth, it was as if some PFO (Parenthood Flying Object) abducted me, transported me to this new world and left me here. The new world looks the same as the old but feels very different. There are veterans and rookies, and the veterans are at the top of the parenthood hierarchy. The veterans, though they mean well, often aim to give advice to rookies, but some advice is unwarranted. However, no matter how many veterans offer a helping hand (for the most part), eventually parents are left to fend for themselves.

                In the first three months I was in a realm where stretches of sleep were a luxury, afforded only to a few lucky parents who by chance had an infant who slept through the night. In this new world, I am not just known as Mariam, rather, I am the mother of Madina. In this new world, it is a tiny, fragile, innocent human being who controls my thoughts, my fears and my every move.

                Like a deer in headlights, I am afraid, confused, and constantly worried about whether I am doing the right thing. I fear the judgment of other parents who have done this before and wonder if I could live up to the expectations of being a good parent. Although I’m slowly starting to realize that being a good parent is somewhat subjective; I still research, read blogs, speak with doctors, and yet find myself trapped in gray areas because my kid will not respond to the techniques that experts suggest.

                Though it may seem that this new world is grim, I assure you it’s anything but. It’s brighter, greener, and more fulfilling that I could have ever imagined. Staying awake is worth it when you get to look into your little ones eyes during the night’s quietest hours. Being scared is okay if it means making sure your baby feels safe. The imaginary rope that has you feeling tied down loosens up when your baby smiles and your heart feels like it’s about to explode into all things that represent happiness. And, as I watch my baby, this little piece of me, grow up in this big world I feel like it makes me a better person. I am able to reflect on my own life, and my own childhood, and recognize the importance of being kind to others. Because with every act of kindness, I realize that my interaction is with someone else’s daughter or son. And, I think about how appreciative I would feel if acts of kindness were passed on to my little girl.

                On her first birthday, I am incredibly emotional. I’m re watching old videos, reminiscing on old pictures and I’m just in awe at how quickly she has grown. I pray that everyone who wants to be a parent gets to be part of this new world. It’s shining, shimmering splendor (I’m sorry). Happy Birthday to my angel, my first born. Happy Birthday, Madina! Mommy and Daddy love you.

*Product Feature* A quick way to keeping your home looking polished during a busy week.

              I decided that I’m going to start featuring some of my favorite products on my blog. Anything that doesn’t require much labor and makes life a little easier for me is automatically a plus. I’ve heard that there is a robot that mops your floors, but I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t write a post about it. However, there is another product that I’d like to share with you that makes it easy to mop your floors when you have a busy week or just need to maintain your housekeeping chores. It’s the Shark Mop.

              

               This really came in handy when I was pregnant. I wasn’t able to maneuver my body and get on all fours to mop my floors (arab style) while I had my stomach out several inches in front of me. So, the shark mop really helped save me some back aches and hard work. 

How it works:

1. You fill the mop with nothing but water. No chemicals or any type of cleaning solution.

2. You wet the mopping cloth and ring out the water until it’s damp.

3. Place the mopping cloth securely on the shark mop, with the scrubbing side down first.

4. Plug it in and turn it on and wait for it to steam, then mop away!

                You may think that if you’re not using any chemicals or solution that your floors aren’t getting very clean…but they are. The shark mop releases steam from a hot enough temperature that is able to sanitize your floors. I don’t recommend the shark mop for deep cleaning, but it is good to use when there hasn’t been much traffic in your house and you don’t feel it’s necessary to intensely mop your floors with chemicals or special wood cleaners. It’s quick, easy and you can use it on hard wood and tile.

                Sometimes I’ll use the shark mop in my daughter’s room, or in my office, where there isn’t much action. And, I’ll use it throughout my whole house if I’m having a busy week. It was really easy to push around while I was pregnant and you’re able to see the steam, so you know it is working to sanitize the floors.

                There are different variations of the shark mop. I have the 2-in-1 Electronic Steam pocket mop, you can find it here . After doing some research, I was able to find one just like mine, at a much cheaper cost from Costco .

                However, despite all of the pros, there is one issue that I have with the shark mop that I should warn you about: The cord isn’t long enough to go from room to room (if you have large rooms). So, that’s a little frustrating, and I think this product would have been much better if it was rechargeable. Otherwise, it’s nice to have around the house for a quick touch up to keep your home looking polished and clean.

                If you know of any cool cleaning products that can help make a busy person’s life easier … let me know in the comment section. Or, if you have the shark mop, what are your experiences?

Babies and TV Time ... What's your take?

                I hope you all had a wonderful Ramadan, and you are getting ready to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr (if you haven't already)! It’s been a while since I wrote a post because I have been really busy this past month studying for my teaching certification exam and planning my daughter’s first birthday party! Thankfully, with the help of many prayers and countless hours of studying, I was able to pass my exam!

                My daughter’s first birthday is actually July 19, but we decided to celebrate a little early because many of our family members are going to be out of town on the 19^th. I had so much fun decorating and preparing for her first birthday party as it was the theme of her favorite show, “Maya the Bee”. I look forward to sharing all of the details with you, but I figured I’d first like to write a post about babies and TV time-- a somewhat controversial subject. 

                How much is too much? Should TV time even be allowed for your child? If so, what types of shows are appropriate? These are all questions that I asked myself before I became a mom. If I’m honest, I was leaning more towards the “zero TV” stance. I feared that, if anything, TV could impair cognitive abilities as babies grow. Also, there are a lot of articles out there that recommend that TV should be avoided for babies under the age of 2. But, my takeaway is if you allow TV for a short period of time without the intention of having only shows teach your child, my opinion is that it's okay in moderation.

It’s no doubt that most parents try to be super mom or super dad, and we want our children excel at everything they do. That includes things that are beyond our control, like, teething for example. Once we see our baby drooling when he or she is 3 months (because it’s possible), we all expect to see a tooth popping in and pride ourselves in having children who raced to pop out teeth so soon.

Although, through my experience and seeing other parents with children around the same age as my baby, I concluded that every child experiences milestones at different times and at his or her own pace. I definitely didn’t want to be that mom, you know, the one who just lets her child watch television all day every day instead of giving her baby time and attention.

However, I decided that if I was to allow TV, I had to be selective. I discovered a lot of shows and videos available online and through cable that Madina might benefit from. I began allowing a half hour of TV a day. She seemed to be pretty amused by all of the colors and animation. Even I enjoyed the catchy ABC, and 123 tunes, and I told my husband I would even jam to them had they been on a CD (CD’s are still in, right?).

            Not too long ago I introduced to her a show called “Maya the Bee” that you can find on the network titled “Sprout”. When “Maya the Bee” comes on my daughter’s face lights up, she kicks her feet and she smiles from ear to ear. This is a reaction I captured of when "Maya the Bee" begins:

  

 Maya the Bee is about a responsible little bee who teaches kids a lesson through every episode as she helps protect other bees in the meadow. Though my daughter does not yet understand this, she loves watching it and enjoys the colors and little characters. Each episode is about 20 minutes, and she watches one or two a day at most. Baby Einstein and Little Einstein are also other networks that are intended for educational purposes.  They have episodes that talk about shapes, colors, numbers and alphabets that might register if you continually help reiterate the information. 

            If not "Maya the Bee", I recently discovered this network on Youtube called Ta Ha TV, which has a lot of cute Arabic and Islamic cartoons for kids. I have to admit that my Arabic is pretty weak, but I do want Madina to be familiar with Arabic, so I try to include the language in her TV time. I don't believe she will become fluent through these shows, but I like the content and it's something I want her to get used to.

 Check out these Youtube links to some of Madina’s favorite Ta Ha videos: About Giving Charity (Arabic) About Mom It's raining! Noora the Bird 

              Whether it’s Maya the Bee, Baby Einstein or Ta Ha TV, I don't think it makes you a bad parent if you allow some TV time at a young age. It also doesn't hurt that TV time also allows me some extra time during the day to catch up with other things around the house, especially on days when naps are short. Another tip if you need to get things done and you don't want your child to watch, say, more than a half hour a day, is try to put your child in front of a window and let him or her watch what's going on outside. My daughter loves when I put her in front of the window, and she sits and observes for up to 45 minutes! 

Here are some articles that I read that helped me make my decision on TV: 
Pro TV
No TV
TV Facts and Suggestions
TV guidelines for Toddlers

What are your thoughts? How much TV does your child watch? Do you allow TV time at all? If so, what is your child’s favorite show (s)?

To all of my Muslim friends: I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Eid Holiday!

-Mariam