Life with a little one..Do you have a Routine?

Salam Everybody,

Hope everyone is doing well inshAllah. As you know, I had a beautiful boy, Salahudeen, a few months ago, February 8th. I have been so busy that I forgot to write in my blog. Alhamdulillah everything is  going well, and my little one is growing so fast. He now holds things in his hands and laughs alot..yay! I am still trying to form a routine but find it so hard since I am up a few times throughout a night to feed Salahudeen, who conveniantly sleeps next to me ( no, I haven't squashed him yet, Alhamdulillah lol). So throughout the day I do get tired and when when its time for his nap and I am hushing him to sleep, I end up falling asleep before he does. I try to fit in 30 minutes a day of exercise using fitness dvds, but even then its hard. I'll post the fitness dvds that I do in the next post InshAllah if you would like to know. Anyway, would love to know how your day goes from the time you wake up to the time you sleep. Do you have a set routine and a set time to wake up and sleep?  =)

Pregnancy..peoples experiences wanted!

Salam all!

Hope everyone is enjoying themselves in this blessed month of Shaban! Only a few more days until Ramadan, Alhamdulillah! Well, first of all, I'd like to mention that I found out that I was 5 weeks pregnant almost 3 weeks ago , which makes me 7 and a half weeks pregnant :)Alhamdulillah. I wasn't planning on having children anytime soon, so it was a shock to both my husband and I. But we are both very happy and accepting of this, as it is not entirely in our hands to control when we want children. I know its still early days..and that I am going to have my first ultrasound next Wednesday, but I would still love to hear other sisters personal experiences of pregnancies and birth. Also, did anyone fast during their first trimester? I am not getting many symptoms that usually occur during the first trimester, also I do get the odd nauseaus feelings at times. Am keeping my fitness up too by following special prenatal workouts and going to the gym! Anyway, can't wait to hear all your experiences soon InshAllah! xoxo

Easy Peasy DIY tinted lipbalm!

I was going through someones blog, and I saw a post on how to make your own lipgloss! I've been wanting to do this but just never had the time. Well I made the attempt to do it so here you are:

Things you will need:

Paw Paw ointment or Vaseline.
Lipstick of any colour.
A little pot or any container to put the lipbalm in.
A little cup or bowl to stir the ingredients in.
A spoon, microwave and fridge/freezer!


First, break of a small piece of the lipstick, and take about 2 to 3 teaspoons of Paw Paw ointment/vaseline and put it in a pot.The ratio of lipstick to paw paw ointment/vaseline is about 1:3 or 4 , depending on how dark or light you want it.


Now take a spoon and stir it until the colour is consistent throughout the mixture.
You can stay with this darkish colour, or if you want it to be lighter add a bit more paw paw ointment or vaseline. I chose to add a bit more paw paw. Now, once you have it at the colour you want, put it in the microwave (make sure your bowl/container is microwave proof) and heat it for 1 minute. Once its heated, pour it into your lipbalm container/pot, and pop it in the freezer.


Once that is done, wait for about 30 minutes or so. You want it to be hard / solid when it comes out, so check it every now and again to see if its as hard as you want it to be.The result:

A beautiful tinted reddish pink lipbalm! You can also put it on your cheeks for a creamy light blush look! Looks beautiful! Also, you can add food flavourings like strawberry or essential oils once it is heated in the microwave. Just stir it through then pop it in the freezer.


Anyways have fun experimenting! XOXO

Romance! Love! Who really is our role model?

One time or another, in between our busy lives, we would think about love. Whether we are reminded of it from the television, or from people around us, or even within our own family, spouse etc, we would somehow find our paths crossing with it. But what really does love mean. And who is the best person to represent love and romance. You may be thinking of various actors from movies or shows, and the romatic/love scene they were acting out, or perhaps it may even be phrases from poems, or maybe people's stories of how they spent their Valentines Day with their spouses/partners.

Yes, I know, all these scenes, poems, and stories are romantic, and they do make us go "Awww", but after reading an article posted on muslimmatters.org called The Sunnah of Love at http://muslimmatters.org/2011/10/28/yahya-ibrahim-the-sunnah-of-love/, I finally realized that this is actually part of our religion, Islam, and that the Prophet (pbuh) was affectionate, compassionate and loving to his wives. And this was not just any person, this was Allah (swt)'s Messenger, and he is the one the represents what Islam is about! Let me give you a glimpse of some of the ways the Prophet (pbuh) expressed this love:

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam mended his own shoes at times. What you may not have heard was how once as he was sitting in a room with 'Aisha raḍyAllāhu 'anha fixing his shoes, 'Aisha happened to look to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. Mesmerized by the majesty of that sight she remained transfixed staring at him long enough for him to notice.

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam said, “What's the matter?” She replied, “If Abu Bukair Al-Huthali, the poet, saw you, he would know that his poem was written for you.” The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam asked, “What did he say?” She replied,

“Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everybody to see.”

So the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and said,

“Wallahi ya Aisha, you are like that to me and more.”

And another:

'Aisha raḍyAllāhu 'anha and the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam would use code language with each other denoting their love. She asked the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam how he would describe his love for her. The Prophet Muḥammad answered, saying: “Like a strong binding knot.” The more you tug, the stronger it gets, in other words.

Every so often 'Aisha would playfully ask, “How is the knot?” The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam would answer, “As strong as the first day (you asked).”

Now, this is the Prophet (pbuh) that we are talking about here! Sometimes I get frustrated when I read articles regarding marriage, and the advice for men is only 1 page and the advice for women is 5 pages! Like literally! I was reading through one of the Islamic magazines they publish here in Australia, and I was so shocked at the amount of Hadith they quoted when it came to the advice for women part! Each statement was a hadeeth and there were 40 hadeeth all together. No kidding! And when it came to the advice for men part, there was no hadeeth! I thought they would at least quote the Prophet (pbuh) famous words from his last sermon stating:

"Be kind to women-you have rights over your wives, and they have rights over you." Treat your women well, and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers" (Bukhari).

But, this article did not even quote that statement! And some of the things they wrote in the advice for women were quite shocking and too gruesome to write on here!

Anyways, for those who want to read of some of the ways the Prophet (pbuh) had expressed his love, go to :

http://muslimmatters.org/2011/10/28/yahya-ibrahim-the-sunnah-of-love/

Handcrafted Skin Products made with Essential Oils

Ok, I have recently tried to convert myself into an organic natural green girl although I am still struggling! Many of the natural products selling in natural stores are quite expensive, including one which I am actually a representative of (Miessence). Although I must admit, once I used Miessence products which are organic and natural, my skin cleared up alot! So anyways, I went to do some research on some of the ingredients which I found were in the Miessence products, such as various essential oils and carrier oils and I was quite suprised that these essential oils actually help regenerate skin cells and clear the skin, resulting in clear, flawless skin! Here is some of the information which I had found:

• Carrot Seed Essential Oil contain antioxidants. It repair all the damages done to your tissues by the oxidants (free radicals) and stop them from doing further harm. The antioxidants reduces the pace of ageing and appearance of wrinkles on the skin. It was also known as "The fountain of youth" by the Romans and Greeks.
  
• Sandalwood Essential Oil has wonderful moisturizing and hydrating properties, which are great for anti-ageing skincare. The toning effect is also useful when fighting oily skin.
• Rosewood Essential Oil helps in the regeneration of the skin. It eliminates the stretch marks and has the ability to contract your skin and regenerate the skin tissues, thereby helping in maintaining healthy and beautiful skin. This oil also lifts up the loosened facial skin, thereby removing wrinkles and making you look younger.
• Rose Geranium Essential Oil helps to balance the secretion of sebum and clears sluggish and oily skins. It also helps with acne and dermatitis.
  
• Lavender Essential Oil helps clear the skin by fighting bacteria and reducing inflammation.
• Almond Oil contains Vitamin E which prevents cell damage. Almond oil is also high in antioxidents which helps reduce wrinkles, softens and moisturies the skin and also reduces acne and other blemishes.

I've done alot more research on many different types of Oils and Butters and there was numerous information regarding their benefits. And so I had decided to start making my own products, using the best essential oils and butters which are out there, and make face creams, eye gels, body creams and if I have time I may also make shampoos, shower gels etc. I have already ordered some essential oils, body butters, safe natural preservatives and jars to put them in! I also started to make my own labels! I am sooo excited to receive them and start using my own homemade creams with anti ageing properties!! Plus I would also love to sell my products at affordable prices! As I know how frustrating it could be when you see a beautiful natural face cream with lovely ingredients, but when you look at the price tag it may not be what you had wanted it to be!

There is one other thing which also amazes me. Allah (swt) has created all these beautiful trees and plants, yet its not just their appearance which makes them beautiful. They also have a beautiful smell, texture, and most importantly, they provide us with so many uses! They have a tremendous amount of medicinal properties and help cure various ailments. Allay says in the Quran:

"Then let human beings look at their food, that We pour forth water in abundance, and We split the earth in clefts, and We cause therein the grain to grow, and grapes and clover plants (green fodder for the cattle), and olives and date palms, and gardens, dense with many trees, and fruits and herbage (greens), (to be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle." (Quran 80: 24-32).

Subhanallah, sometimes when we smell, look, feel and ponder upon something beautiful, we must always ultimately remember Allah, as He is the one who had provided us with all these things and these are all signs in order to ponder over His Oneness, Greatness, and His Mercy. Alhamdulillah!

Superfood: Hot chocolate!

So I had recently bought raw organic cacao powder and had been meaning to post up the great benefits of this superfood. Not only does it make hot chocolate extra chocolaty compared to the processed ones, but it is full of antioxidents! Now, who wouldn't say no to a cup of hot chocolate full of antioxidants! So these are the benefits which I have read about regarding raw organic cacao powder. Let me know if you know of any which I haven't mentioned! Benefits:

• More antioxident flavonoids than blueberries, red wine, black and green teas! Can you believe that it has 4 times more antioxidants than green tea! I guess its time to ditch the green tea and stock up on cacao powder!
• It promotes cardiovascular health.
• Protect from environmental and metabolic toxins.
  
• It promotes a positive outlook.
• It raises levels of serotonin, thus acting as an antidepressant and reduce PMS symptoms (YAY!),
• It stimulates the secretion of endorphins, which we all know produces a pleasurable feeling especially after exercise!
  
• It contains phenylethylamine, which is a mood elevatorand antidepressant, as well as promoting focus and alertness. Interesting fact: Phenylethylamine is also created within the brain, and is released when we are...in Lurrrrrrveee !
• It increases the levels of anandamide, which promotes relaxation and the feeling of wellbeing.
• It also contains essential minerals such as magnesium (balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and helps regulate heartbeat and blood pressure), sulfur ( sulfur builds strong nails and hair, promotes beautiful skin, detoxifies the liver, and supports healthy pancreas functioning!), calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.

Now, for those who haven't ever made hot chocolate, here is my own hot chocolate recipe using the raw organic cacao powder:

2 teaspoons raw organic cacao powder.
2 teaspoons sugar or sweetner (or to taste).
200 ml milk (I use whole milk, but low fat milk will taste just as great!).

Now just add the cacao powder and sugar, stir in milk and heat in the microwave for 1.30 mins to 2 mins depending on the power of your microwave. Then once its done stir it and you've got a healthy, full of antioxident cup of hot chocolate! Also, although I haven't tried this, you can also heat the milk up first then add the cacao powder and sugar...which ever suits you!!!

Your weightloss/fitness method!

I've recently downloaded an application on my iphone called "fitness pal". In just two weeks of using it, I have lost 3kg!! It has a large food database comprising of over a millions different foods, so you just type in what you ate, and it will search for a matching food with the amount of calories (its a calorie counting type application). You also write in what exercises you did for the day and the calories you had burnt. It also provides you with how many calories to eat per day-depending on your height, weight, and how many kgs or pounds you aim to lose per week! I absolutely love this application! My goal weight is 55kg (I am 162cm tall), and I've got 5kg to go until I'm done! I go to the gym as often as I could, as I really enjoy working out, and doing group classes, especially Zumba! ! I'd like to know how important diet and fitness is to you, and if you had at any time lost weight, and would like to share your method and the types of exercises you do?