I am not a very good homemaker. I don't have a ton of patience for playing with my son. I'm not one of those 'pinterest' moms with tons of fun/learn by play activities planned for everyday. I'm not a fan of cleaning, and, to be honest, did little of it until recently. I am your average, get the family fed, get the food vacuumed off the floor, and make sure the dishes and laundry are done kind of mom.
Everyday I have intentions to be so much better. To give my son my undivided attention for at least an hour. To not only do minimal upkeep of the house, but to also have it actually -clean- (think inside the microwave, oven, etc.) And also to focus more on things that I like to do/need to do. These can vary from crochet items that have a deadline to compiling the tax information to sent to our CPA. And at the end of every day, I have failed. My son was lucky to get 15 minutes of my time, the taxes can wait, and this crocheted diaper cover doesn't -have- to be done until Valentine's Day. What's with the excuses and procrastination!? What do I do all day!?
I don't know. I confess. I don't know where the time goes or how I manage to get so little done in each 24 hour period. I am a stay at home mom. My JOB is to take care of the house and my son and I feel I am failing. We are not living in filth, especially lately with my cleaning kick (the microwave and refrigerator are both sparkling, thank you very much). But seriously, there are enough hours in the day for me to wonder why so much is always left undone.
This is more of a reflection post than anything. I don't expect a lot of response. Just putting it out there on the off chance that someone can relate.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
New Year New Me
So what prompted this sudden interest in sustainable living? Well, first off, the New Year. I know what you're thinking, 'New Year's resolutions don't stick, why can't you better yourself at any time, not just at the New Year, etc. etc. etc.' Well, I'm here to tell you, there is a benefit to being inherently stubborn and a perfectionist to boot. New Year's resolutions DO stick if you're too prideful to let them not. ;)
Take the year (2007?) I decided to give up all soda/pop/coke/whateverintheworldyoucallitinyourneckofthewoods. Not only did I not drink pop for that year, I have continued to not drink it since. Following that year I have not been so strict on myself, of course, the occasional (i.e. once a year) icee Coke or Sprite will not kill me and at times I will indulge. Those times are few and far between, though, and I largely view myself as being 'soda free.'
So this New Year (2014) came around and I found myself in quite the predicament. There were absolutely too many things I wanted to change about myself. And now before you go saying, "Allah created you, be happy as you are." No, no, no...you misunderstood. I am happy being me! I am happy with the hair, skin, body, brain, family, LIFE Allah gave me! Alhumdullilah for it all! The problem, then, lies in how I am taking care of the hair, skin, body, brain, family, and even Earth Allah gave me. I want to be healthier, not for appearance reasons, though that may be a perk that comes, but as an act of worship to Allah. I want to better take care of my body, home, and family.
With this realization came the reality that one cannot change so many things as I wanted to change at one time. I read that making new habits takes 21 days. I also read that the magic '21 days' was a load of crap. Regardless, I decided to focus on doing just one thing to better myself for 21 days and go from there. What was this life changing one thing? Flossing. I decided I would floss after brushing in the morning every day for 21 days. And what do you know, I did it! I'm now at 28 days, and in the blink of an eye I'll be at 365. If I can give up soda, I can take on flossing. I truly believe that I can stick with it and make it a lifelong habit.
Hooray for small victories! Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I could not contain my excitement to better other aspects of my life so I've made some other changes within the 21 days although I wouldn't yet call them habits. One thing that we are working on as a family is better eating habits. I am not giving up all sweets or going on a crazy diet. What I am doing, is attempting to feed everyone in the family breakfast, lunch, and supper every day. Say what? Isn't that what normal people do? Perhaps. We got into the routine, however, of having breakfast, snacks, and a giant supper. Not good for the metabolism. Also, if my husband got too hungry at work, he'd go for fast food which is not only unhealthy, but also a bad choice financially. I have been packing my husband's lunch daily in this baby:
Imported from Japan, it even came with chopsticks! (that we don't use). It is small but perfect for a light lunch. I also love that the reusable containers fit perfectly inside and mean I don't have to use wasteful plastic bags. I've acquired a number of other containers for my son's lunchbox as he will be bringing his lunch everyday when he starts school in the fall. Allergy and religious dietary restrictions mean that boy is never walking through the lunch line. Also, to be more sustainable, I pack real silverware and (for my son) a reusable water bottle to again cut down on plastic waste.
The third item I've begun, and the one I'm struggling most with, is weekdaily (yes I made that word up...it is intended to mean M-F) ab exercises. I gave up the gym before the move (over a year ago) and boy does it show on my stomach and on the scale. I've had this nifty DVD for years:
In past attempts to exercise at home I always committed the fatal flaw of creating unrealistic goals for myself. I'd tell myself I'd do 30 minutes of exercise a day, or 50 minutes 3-4 days a week, or some other combination that I just could not realistically jump into without building up to it. For that reason, my goal was to do 10 minutes weekdaily (the DVD has five 10 minute routines). Even that has been hit or miss, three days one week, two the next, four the next, etc. Actually hitting all 5 days of the week hasn't happened but it's something I've only started this month so I'll get there! I am already at the point where I don't get sore afterwards so I'm progressing whether I've totally hit my stride or not. Once I've got this down, I obviously want to eventually add more as a) you need to work out your whole body, not just your core, and b) 10 minutes of physical activity a day does not equal a healthy lifestyle!
So that's that. Those are the first steps taken to make myself a more healthy, productive human being in the new year. As I mentioned in my prior post, I am also focusing on replacing items around my house with more natural/chemical free/reusable alternatives so I'll be getting more into that soon. Wishing you all a healthy, happy (belated) New Year!
Take the year (2007?) I decided to give up all soda/pop/coke/whateverintheworldyoucallitinyourneckofthewoods. Not only did I not drink pop for that year, I have continued to not drink it since. Following that year I have not been so strict on myself, of course, the occasional (i.e. once a year) icee Coke or Sprite will not kill me and at times I will indulge. Those times are few and far between, though, and I largely view myself as being 'soda free.'
So this New Year (2014) came around and I found myself in quite the predicament. There were absolutely too many things I wanted to change about myself. And now before you go saying, "Allah created you, be happy as you are." No, no, no...you misunderstood. I am happy being me! I am happy with the hair, skin, body, brain, family, LIFE Allah gave me! Alhumdullilah for it all! The problem, then, lies in how I am taking care of the hair, skin, body, brain, family, and even Earth Allah gave me. I want to be healthier, not for appearance reasons, though that may be a perk that comes, but as an act of worship to Allah. I want to better take care of my body, home, and family.
With this realization came the reality that one cannot change so many things as I wanted to change at one time. I read that making new habits takes 21 days. I also read that the magic '21 days' was a load of crap. Regardless, I decided to focus on doing just one thing to better myself for 21 days and go from there. What was this life changing one thing? Flossing. I decided I would floss after brushing in the morning every day for 21 days. And what do you know, I did it! I'm now at 28 days, and in the blink of an eye I'll be at 365. If I can give up soda, I can take on flossing. I truly believe that I can stick with it and make it a lifelong habit.
Hooray for small victories! Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I could not contain my excitement to better other aspects of my life so I've made some other changes within the 21 days although I wouldn't yet call them habits. One thing that we are working on as a family is better eating habits. I am not giving up all sweets or going on a crazy diet. What I am doing, is attempting to feed everyone in the family breakfast, lunch, and supper every day. Say what? Isn't that what normal people do? Perhaps. We got into the routine, however, of having breakfast, snacks, and a giant supper. Not good for the metabolism. Also, if my husband got too hungry at work, he'd go for fast food which is not only unhealthy, but also a bad choice financially. I have been packing my husband's lunch daily in this baby:
Imported from Japan, it even came with chopsticks! (that we don't use). It is small but perfect for a light lunch. I also love that the reusable containers fit perfectly inside and mean I don't have to use wasteful plastic bags. I've acquired a number of other containers for my son's lunchbox as he will be bringing his lunch everyday when he starts school in the fall. Allergy and religious dietary restrictions mean that boy is never walking through the lunch line. Also, to be more sustainable, I pack real silverware and (for my son) a reusable water bottle to again cut down on plastic waste.
The third item I've begun, and the one I'm struggling most with, is weekdaily (yes I made that word up...it is intended to mean M-F) ab exercises. I gave up the gym before the move (over a year ago) and boy does it show on my stomach and on the scale. I've had this nifty DVD for years:
So that's that. Those are the first steps taken to make myself a more healthy, productive human being in the new year. As I mentioned in my prior post, I am also focusing on replacing items around my house with more natural/chemical free/reusable alternatives so I'll be getting more into that soon. Wishing you all a healthy, happy (belated) New Year!
Redirection
It is no secret that I've been struggling to get back into blogging. I think the problem was the original purpose of the blog, whether stated or not, was to chronicle the struggles I faced in accepting Islam. The struggle internally, to forgo what I had believed for 21 years, and the struggle externally to come out to those that love me despite their disappoint and shock. Once the drama died down, there wasn't a great deal to write about. No more angry confrontations with my parents, telling any remaining friends has been (thankfully) anticlimactic. It's just been, well, 'boring' from the blog stand point. Make no mistake, I am so grateful my life is not in such turmoil regarding my personal identity and religious choice at this point in my life, but that does raise concerns for, "where does the blog go from here?"
It seems I tried for a time to make the blog too personal (for example, my last post, and the yearly updates that preceeded it). This is too high school for my liking. I had a live journal back in those days, and it was all. about. me. As a 26 year old, it just seems in poor taste.
I can only write when I'm passionate about something new, am going through an exciting, or devastating, life change. Am I not passionate about Islam any longer? I am, certainly. I am 100% certain that this is what I believe. I don't feel like debating or delving into how it differs from my old beliefs, though. I'm past that. I also have no interest in debating haram vs. halal. I also feel a bit like a sham writing about religious issues when I still cannot bring myself to wear hijab in front of my parents and I still do not pray as I should.
So where to go from here? I am ashamed to admit, I am a bit passionate about shopping. It is something I truly enjoy doing. Finding the perfect gift for someone in my family, the perfect modest dress for myself, the perfect gadget that will make my life so much easier. Shopping takes money, though, which I do not have a lot of. Buying too many 'perfect' things, also leads to clutter and over consumption, which I am not okay with. So recently I've been combining my love of shopping with my hatred of over consumption. It sounds like an oxymoron, I'll give you that! What has resulted is a much more sustainable and chemical free household, and I am only just getting started.
I am planning on writing blog posts covering things I used to use regularly in my household, that I have now replaced with a reusable and/or chemical free alternative. Will this bore some of my past followers? Perhaps. How could I change from blogging about Islam to becoming one of those 'crunchy,' 'natural' people? Easily! Striving to be the best me includes not only my spiritual self but also how I take care of my family and this earth that Allah (swt) gave us. I do believe it is an act of worship to try and lessen the (negative) environmental impact I am making on the Earth and think many of my readers would agree.
So all the best to you and I hope you'll stick around. Please know the blog will NOT be EXCLUSIVELY about sustainable living. This is not my only passion and other things will creep in from time to time, possibly quite often. This is just a new 'series' I am toying with and excited to start in the near future. I also have a few un/semi related posts I'd possibly like to get in before then.
It seems I tried for a time to make the blog too personal (for example, my last post, and the yearly updates that preceeded it). This is too high school for my liking. I had a live journal back in those days, and it was all. about. me. As a 26 year old, it just seems in poor taste.
I can only write when I'm passionate about something new, am going through an exciting, or devastating, life change. Am I not passionate about Islam any longer? I am, certainly. I am 100% certain that this is what I believe. I don't feel like debating or delving into how it differs from my old beliefs, though. I'm past that. I also have no interest in debating haram vs. halal. I also feel a bit like a sham writing about religious issues when I still cannot bring myself to wear hijab in front of my parents and I still do not pray as I should.
So where to go from here? I am ashamed to admit, I am a bit passionate about shopping. It is something I truly enjoy doing. Finding the perfect gift for someone in my family, the perfect modest dress for myself, the perfect gadget that will make my life so much easier. Shopping takes money, though, which I do not have a lot of. Buying too many 'perfect' things, also leads to clutter and over consumption, which I am not okay with. So recently I've been combining my love of shopping with my hatred of over consumption. It sounds like an oxymoron, I'll give you that! What has resulted is a much more sustainable and chemical free household, and I am only just getting started.
I am planning on writing blog posts covering things I used to use regularly in my household, that I have now replaced with a reusable and/or chemical free alternative. Will this bore some of my past followers? Perhaps. How could I change from blogging about Islam to becoming one of those 'crunchy,' 'natural' people? Easily! Striving to be the best me includes not only my spiritual self but also how I take care of my family and this earth that Allah (swt) gave us. I do believe it is an act of worship to try and lessen the (negative) environmental impact I am making on the Earth and think many of my readers would agree.
So all the best to you and I hope you'll stick around. Please know the blog will NOT be EXCLUSIVELY about sustainable living. This is not my only passion and other things will creep in from time to time, possibly quite often. This is just a new 'series' I am toying with and excited to start in the near future. I also have a few un/semi related posts I'd possibly like to get in before then.
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