Eid ul Adha 2014: Little flags

I have a new hobby! Or it would be better to say: a new addiction! Crochet! :-)

Two years ago I bought my first crochet-hook, but it took me a while before I really got the hang of it. With our blueberry arriving soon, I decided it was time to finally sit down and learn it properly. And so I did. :-) I`m still very much a beginner, but I started working on several little projects and I must say: they turned out great! :-) So this year my Eid-decorations aren`t made from paper, but... From yarn! :-)

This project is really easy as it only consists of chains and single crochets. :-) Ideal for every beginner! :-)

What you need: 

* Yarn in whatever color you like. 

* A crochet-hook that is compatible with the type of yarn you want to use. (I used a 4.25 mm) 

* Scissors

Instructions: 

The flags: 

* You actually crochet little triangles and it`s up to you to decide on how big you want to make them. I used a very helpful video that explains step by step on how to crochet a triangle. It`s in Dutch however, but you can still use it as the instructions are shown clearly. :-) I didn`t find any proper videos in English yet, but I am sure Pinterest and YouTube will have something to offer. :-) This video doesn`t explain on how you can crochet the edge to give your flags the finishing touch, but here`s how I did it: when I reached the appropriate size I wanted my triangle to be, I attached a new color and crocheted all the way around the triangle by crocheting a single crochet into every little hole. In the bottom tip of the triangle I crocheted 3 single crochets in the 1 hole, while in the 2 top tips I made 2 as you need some more stitches to make it nicely around the corners. Once you`ve crocheted all around, you secure your thread and cut the remaining parts of it. 

The chain: 

* You chain 25. Attach your first little flag to the chain by making 1 single crochet into every stitch on the top row of your triangle. Chain another 10 and attach the next little flag in the same way. Continue until you`ve finished adding all your flags and chain another 25. Chain one, turn and make 1 single crochet in every stitch until you`ve reached the beginning of your garland again. Secure the thread and cut the remaining. 

For sure these little flags will brighten up every room. :-)

Eid ul Adha 2014: Eid Candles

Materials needed: 

* 3 glass jars (Recycled from mayonaise, tomato sauce, ... containers.) 

* Glue 

* Brush 

* Black tissue paper 
* Scissors 
* Golden glitter 
* Golden stickers with the letters of the alphabet 
* 3 small candles 
* Matches  

Instructions:  
* Cut the black tissue paper into small squares of approximately the same size. (2 cm2) 

* Use the brush to cover the outside of the glass jar completely in glue and stick the little pieces of tissue paper one by one to the jar. Cover the whole outside of the jar in tissue paper except for the top (On which you screw the lid).  

* Make sure the top of the jar is also covered in glue as you sprinkle the golden glitter over the remaining surface.  

* Leave the jar to dry. * Stick the letters E-I-D on the jars: on each jar one letter. * Light the candles and place one small candle in each jar. (Be careful!)  

This little craft really brightens up any table for Eid. :-) Super cozy!

  

*Bismillah* garland

Now Ramadan is over, the Eid-holidays have passed and I feel sad not only to have this blessed time having passed by so quickly, but also because I have to take down my decorations... 

As I love decorating my house and giving it that *cozy* touch, I figured I just had to make some new decorations that aren't specifically related to Ramadan, but that do have an islamic purpose to them, to brighten up my big white walls. :-) 

So here's a little something to *islamify* your kitchen or dining area: a *bismillah* garland. 

Material:

* *Bismillah* garland template

* Printer

* Colored paper 

* Scissors 

* Thread  or ribbon

* Utility knife

* Washi tape

Instructions: 

* I designed the banner myself and you can download it here, in shaa Allah. 

* Print the template (on any type of paper you like) and cut out all the stars with the scissors. 

* On opposite sides of each star: cut 2 little (Vertical if you want the garland to be hanged horizontally, horizontal if you want the garland to be hanged vertically like in my example) lines into the star with the utility knife.

* Hang the stars on a long piece of thread or ribbon by *weaving* the thread through the cut lines on each star. 

* Attach the garland to the wall by using some colorful washi tape. 

Making this craft child friendly: 

You can make this garland together with your kids in teaching them about the islamic rulings concerning eating and dining. When you're teaching them to drink/eat with their right hand and to always say *bismillah* (In the name of Allah) before they start eating, this craft is a great way to visualize what they learned. Print the template on white paper and let your kids color away and *design* their own garland. :-) Let them choose where to hang the garland and let the older ones attach it to the wall.

In shaa Allah, it will serve as a reminder to the whole family during every meal and will brighten up your meal times! :-)

Ramadan Reflections: Social media fasting

With Ramadan fast approaching I'm preparing for what has become an annual tradition of mine during Ramadan: social media fasting. :-) 

Although social media has been a life saver for me while living abroad, I love the way it keeps me up to date on what happens *back home* and it makes me feel like my family and beloved sisters and friends are right next door instead of thousands of miles away, it's a fact that social media does suck up (too) much of my time. 

I guess it's become kind of an addiction for most of us, as I know few people who can still live without a smartphone and don't even go to the bathroom without it. The majority of us is connected 24/7 and posting pictures of your supper every night hasn't become *obsessed*, it's being liked and shared all over the globe. Our lives today are partly being lived online. Although I accept this as being a reality today as also my life is partly being lived on the social media platforms, I do think it sometimes goes too far. Sometimes we just forget to live in the real world, as the online world appeals to us as more exciting (While it actually isn't...): instead of enjoying a coffee break with a friend and really listening to what she has to say, we're texting through WhatsApp to a friend on another continent and we'll be posting a picture of our latte on Instagram. It seems like social media hasn't only made us more lonely and less social, but it's also become a major distraction. 

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, ... They're *weapons of mass distraction*. We can hardly just *be in the moment* as we're always texting, messaging or uploading pics at the same time. We can't really focus or concentrate on one thing anymore as our smartphone is constantly buzzing and distracting us from just *being*. Especially during Ramadan this is something I want to avoid. In Ramadan I just want to *be* in the moment. I want to enjoy and really be able to focus when I'm reading Qur'an or praying taraweeh at the mosque without my phone buzzing every 5 minutes. I want to be able to enjoy my suhur in silence instead of feeling the need to post what I just ate on Instagram as that seems to be the new trend nowadays. I want to be able to reconnect with my Lord much more, but in order to do that I need to keep anything that distracts me at bay. And for me social media is a big distraction.

As Ramadan is exactly about that: leaving things that are actually halaal but for the sake of Allah we leave them during Ramadan in order to get closer to Him. It wouldn't make sense to me to refrain from eating, drinking, intimacy, while I keep on *indulging* in other worldly pleasures. That's why during Ramadan the TV is shut off and during fasting hours I go *offline*. Last year I really reaped the fruits of my social media fasting as it was surprising how much more time I had left to perform deeds of worship and how much more focused I was. And so I decided to continue that *tradition* this year as well. :-)

I can only recommend it to you as well: you will have more time which will make you perform more good deeds, you will be more focused and you'll have a deeper sense of calm during the whole month as your connection with Allah doesn't get disturbed as much.

Here are some of my tips to get going: 

* The first days of fasting in general always feel a bit like detox: your body needs to get used to the rhythm of fasting and you might experience lightheadedness, fatigue, headache, ... The same goes for social media fasting: the first few days you'll have to suppress the urge to grab your phone and check your Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook, ... But after some days you'll get used to this new rythm and believe me: you won't even miss it at the end of the month. :-)

* Stick to the fasting hours: this means I don't use social media from Fajr til Maghreb. Afterwards I do check Facebook, Viber, WhatsApp, ... But as it's time for iftar, and afterwards the taraweeh prayers, there's not a whole lot of time to get lazy and spend too much time on it. 

* Restrict your use of social media to checking your accounts only once a day and set a specific time to do so. (F.ex.: After iftar and before taraweeh prayers.)

* Completely switch off your phone when you're going for taraweeh-prayers or even leave it at home all together, so you don't feel the urge to check it or get distracted by any notifications. 

* When you're at home: store away your phone/laptop and hide them somewhere out of your view. Out of sight in this case does mean out of mind. ;-) 

* Make a little announcement before Ramadan starts that you'll be off social media most of the time during Ramadan and ask people if they need to contact you, they do so through e-mail or by calling or texting directly to your phone (or that you'll be able to reply to them after iftar).

In shaa Allah, I hope this can motivate and inspire others to be a little more disconnected in Ramadan so it may help others as well to focus more on our connection with Allah. :-)