-
Quiet (busy) books + A tutorial
Guest Post by Haifa Thajudheen from Paper Batter Banter and Tutorial by Esha from Quiet Books, Canada Quiet books or busy books have become a rage now, a highly in-demand toy, for toddlers and preschoolers. Quiet books are made of a compressed fabric called FELT and these books contain many quiet activities to entertain young children. The activities can vary from shape/colour sorting, dressing up a doll, moving beads to develop fine motor skills, braiding hair, other activities to promote sensory development, creative thinking and imaginative play. The possibilities are endless with this crafty activity book. I was completely oblivious to the versatility that felt could be used for.…
-
Book Review : Kamillah the Butterfly
Name of the Book: Kamillah the Butterfly Author: Shoohada Khanom Illustrations: Harriet Rodis Publisher: Djarabi Kitabs Publishing Availability: (Affiliate link) Amazon Review : Kamillah the Butterfly The minute I started reading this book, the first thought that crossed my mind was – ‘A Muslim version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ Yay. Though the initial two pages of the book – caterpillar eating everything in sight – is similar, rest of the story, thoughts, concepts and illustrations are very different and unique to this book. It talks about a caterpillar who is going through an immense change and is quite worried about all the alterations happening to her. She then asked her…
-
Book Review – Tight Rope
Book review of Tight Rope Author: Sahar Abdul Aziz Availability: (Affiliate link) Amazon and Fofkys The story revolves around Nour, Maryam, Zaid, Shane, Eugene, Russell and the story finally culminates at a protest rally where they meet each other. Nour is a social activist and the main character. A hardworking young Black woman in modern America who undergoes vile racist reactions for her faith and her skin. Maryam is a new convert to the faith and a nurse by profession. Zaid works in his dad’s store. Without going into the details of the story, I’ll list some of the main concepts which the story talks about that is not usually portrayed…
-
Breastfeeding during Ramadan
Islam gives great importance to breastfeeding. It is considered a right of the child to be breastfed. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an. “Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing (period). Upon the father is the mother’s provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable…” (2:233) Without going into the legal discussion, during Ramadan, breastfeeding mothers may or may not fast depending on their health and health of the baby. For those breastfeeding mothers who are fasting here are a few tips to make this month easier. Insha’Allah 1. Hydrate yourself. Drink lots of water in between Ifthar and Suhoor rather…
-
7 tips for moms to improve their Ramadan experience + FREE Ramadan Planner
Ramadan after becoming a mother is very different – a version of Ramadan 2.0 with its own unique situations and obligation. Some days go great with everything done on time, the set number of pages recited from the Holy Qurán while the kids eat their food with no tantrums and no untoward incidents. Well, some days nothing goes as per plan and you just want to hit the bed at the earliest possible time. Mothers are an expert in handling nights of broken sleep but during Ramadan you are a broken-sleep-Ninja who survives on 2 hours sleep! I have already written about how Ramadan and motherhood can be balanced without…
-
Cloth diapering resources in Doha (Qatar)
(An earlier fun post on cloth diapers) I have been hooked onto cloth diapers even before my baby was born. My initial attraction towards them was because of their beautiful prints and hence another accessory to match with my baby’s frocks. Let’s say, I went a wee bit overboard with my addiction which has been successfully curbed now. 😀 It made me explore all the cloth diapering options here in Qatar and find online websites that ship to Doha. I thought about writing this blog post to help others and myself in the future inshaAllah (before I forget everything I have read and researched about this topic) Different types of…
-
Review – Meissa Ring Sling
Ring slings are long fabrics with two rings on one end through which the fabrics from the tail end are threaded in. They are becoming increasingly popular in the baby-wearing world due to the ease of use and maintenance. They really do not take any space and can be a permanent inhabitant of your diaper bag. They are designed for use until baby is 3 years old or 35lbs. Review – Meissa Silk Ring Sling Fabric – Single layer of 100% Dupioni silk. Length – 77 inch Width – 26 inch Ring – Aluminium ring, certified by International Baby Carrier Safety Regulations and Standards Name – Sadaf, meaning ‘seashells’. Features : The Meissa…
-
10 tips to survive the first year of motherhood + FREE Adult Colouring Sheets
100 days of darkness, sleeplessness, frustration, zombie trance – Common feelings in the first year of motherhood. How to survive through them all? Here are a few tips to tackle baby’s first year! 1. Accept help Immediately after delivery, I did not like anyone helping me. I stood awake all night though I had a nanny and my mom was with me. I wanted everything related to baby, to be done by me. I realised I am on the fastest route to burn-out and I needed to slow down and accept help from people around. There was nothing demeaning or making me less of a mother if I accepted help.…
-
7 books for Muslim moms-to-be
( EDIT APRIL 2023: Join me in my new series, Muslim Women’s Bookshelf: An A-Z Guide to Inspirational Reads where I review, recommend or list Islamic Books – mostly contemporary books – helpful for women in their spiritual journey) (This post contains Amazon Affiliate links) As a new mother or a mother to be, we are often anxious and worried about this new and different phase of our life. Worrying about feeds and diapers is extremely common. From a religious aspect, we also start thinking about Aqeeqah, hair shaving etc – things we are not so well versed with/do not think about until we become a mother. I went…
-
Expat Childhood in the Middle East
For a few weeks now, I have been helping my parents pack up from our home in Mesaieed. To be precise, bits and pieces of my childhood are either thrown away, given to charity, sent for recycling or in a cardboard box waiting to be flown back to our home country. A silent sense of sadness permeates through me. I as an adult 20 something suddenly feel like ‘the place of my childhood’ has ceased to exist. First things first, I consider my host country – Doha – more home than my home country – India. I find comfort in the sense of familiarity of friends I know since my…
-
Letters to my daughter #7
Dear little girl. As we usher in a new year and you turn 17 months, I cannot beam at all the strides and milestones you have reached. We just spent a long weekend with your grandparents and your ‘Tinka, Tinka’ made everyone a lot happier though stories of illness and retirement have put us down past few weeks. Your giggles and naughty antics made us forget all the heaviness that have been weighing on us. That instant you took your first step – I hadn’t felt as proud for my graduation march. You took your first steps at 15 months. There are a few lessons this has taught me and…
-
Facebook Parenting Groups (Qatar & India based)
As a new mother, one of the wonderful things I discovered was the highly happening place called Facebook Groups. I learnt about attachment parenting and natural parenting there. I learnt kitchen hacks and Montessori activities for infants. Also I made friends with new mothers who had the same ideals as I do. With the low organic reach of Facebook pages, FB group are the place to go now ( FB will probably change it soon with adverts or a new algorithm or paid promotions!) I shall list out a few Qatar based and India based parenting groups that has helped me. Do add to the list if you know of any drama…
-
Book review : Alhamdulilah For Series
For a few days now, I have been living with the guilt and sadness of having taken a break from my career, for which I have worked since 2006. There are so many factors that made me take this decision. Some days , I feel guilty that all I do from morning to night is change diapers, cook food and clean the house. In my head, I have called myself unproductive or wasting my youthful years inside the four walls of my home. I realized I needed a battery recharge. Or this might end up taking me down like the severe quarter-life crisis I underwent. I need to protect myself…
