Many first-time parents rush into the culture of more-is-better when it comes to baby set-up and big expensive nurseries, however very few parents actually let their newborns sleep alone in those nurseries from the day one of their lives. WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends that babies sleep in the same room with their parents for at least first six months, so nurseries are most likely empty for the first year or so. This results in unnecessary stress and a waste of money to build a nursery that will be barely used at first.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe that it is important for a child to have his own room, but not from the first months of their lives.
We do have a spare bedroom in our two-story apartment, however we chose to keep it as our guest bedroom for as long as baby will be sharing room with us. I wanted to share with you some tips and ideas on how our family set-up baby stations around the property in a practical, minimalist, simple, and cost-effective way.
Please watch the video I prepared for this topic by clicking on the link below:
I am sure many of you who are pregnant for the first time or just thinking to get pregnant are wondering what are the must haves when it comes to pregnancy, don’t you?
Nowadays we have a lot of different companies trying to push their products as “essentials”, while the true is that these products did not existed few decades ago, yet women had been giving birth to their babies from the beginning of time. So, no, there is no standard “essentials” list apart from water, food, and plenty of sleep, however there are some items that can make pregnancy more comfortable, enjoyable, and a bit easier! This is my personal list:
Vitamins. Our bodes do not get all the essential vitamins through food, but during pregnancy body requires even higher levels of some of the vitamins. In order to be able to provide it medical doctors recommend pregnant women to use pregnancy multi-vitamins. I use Pregnacare Original vitamins as well as Omega 3, witch is essential for baby brain development.
Water and Healthy Snack on the Go. If anything on this list is an Essential with a capital E, it is Water and snacks every time you leave the house even for a little while. Dehydration and hunger do not go well with pregnancy as it can cause nausea and fainting.
Sports Bra. During pregnancy wired bras are a big No No as it can interfere with the breast growth and milk supply. On the other hand, breasts may grow as much as few sizes, hence requiring more support than ever. I found that sports bra gives me the most comfort, at the same time supporting the breasts and the upper back.
Stretch Mark Oils/ Creams. Body moisturizing and care has never been as important as in pregnancy. Our bodies stretch and put on weight not only around the waist… Breasts, legs, arms stretch too! If skin stretches too quickly and is not elastic enough it may cause stretch mark scars. There is not much we can do to avoid them as genetics play a big role as well, however we can try to do our best to prevent them by using stretch mark oils and creams few times a day. The ones I use and like are: Mama Mio Stretch Mark Butter; Bio Oil; and Weleda Stretch Mark Oil.
Simple Skin Care Routine. Our skin changes during pregnancy. Personally, my skin, which used to be oily/combination became desert dry and sensitive during pregnancy, requiring me to completely change my skin care routine. See the video (link in the end of the blog) to learn my three simple step pregnancy skin care routine.
Pillows Pillows Pillows (at night). Going to the loo every few hours at night is already disturbing the sleep enough, but when you begin to experience hip pain as well- no position seem to be comfortable enough. The solution can be rather simple- avoid drinking water few hours before bed time; sleep on your left side; use several pillows between hips, knees, and ankles to keep legs apart. This takes pressure of the hips.
Yoga Mat/ Exercise Ball. Pregnancy should not be used as a justification to sit around in pj’s eating crisps and watching Netflix. It is essential to keep yourself active during pregnancy to keep healthy weight gain range, tone muscles, and help your body to prepare for giving birth. My favorite types of exercises are yoga, walking and using exercise ball. All of these help to stay fit , and encourages baby to get into the position that is the best for birth.
Comfortable Maternity Clothes. Have I known how comfortable maternity clothes were I would have started to wear them even before getting pregnant! Some comfortable pair of good quality jeans and a few loose tops are great investment!
Pregnancy Belly Belt. As baby bump grows bigger and heavier many mums-to-be experience discomfort in the lower back and abdomen due to the baby weight. Some may even find themselves holding the bottom of the belly while walking to get some “lift”. It is a sign that it might be a good time to invest in a pregnancy belly belt. It supports the back, lifts up the belly giving a sensation of lighter baby weight. It helps to take the pressure of the hips as well.
Pregnancy Apps and Books. It is important that we keep ourselves well aware and informed of the changes to our bodies and the development of our babies all throughout pregnancy. There are some great pregnancy apps that can keep us in the loop on a daily basis. Some of my favorites are “Baby Center” and “Baby Bump”. Pregnancy books are also there to keep us well informed, but also to help us overcome tension and fear of giving birth. Two of my favorites are “The hypnobirthing book” by Katherine Graves, and “Ina May’s guide to childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin.
Jazakallah for reading! Inshallah I pray you found it useful and will watch my video with the same title:
My previous post on seven things to do before getting married has been one of the most popular ones thus far on my blog. Jazakallah so much to all of you for support!
Since the last post some of you requested a pre-baby bucket list blog. I thought it was a great idea, therefore filmed a new video and wrote this blog post for all parents-to-be.
Focus on Being a Better Muslim. Your children will learn about Islam through you, therefore you want to be the best example and teacher. Try to fill in the gaps in your Islamic practice. Maybe start praying five times a day, wearing hijab, or fasting.
Strengthen Relationship with your Spouse. Adding new family member may put pressure on even the best relationships. Try to work on any marital issues before the baby is born. Discuss your feelings, fears, and hopes, so that you can support each other through pregnancy and this journey of becoming parents.
Ivaluate your Financial and Time Commitments. Babies don’t have to cost a lot of money, as long as you focus on the “needs” rather than the “wants”. Saying so, you still have to make sure that you have stable job and at least some savings. It is also a good idea to make sure you are not moving to a new place right after the baby is born, as moving with a small baby requires a lot of time, effort, and patience.
Get a Reality Check. It might be a good idea to talk to your friends and family members who have been parents for a while to make sure that your expectations of parenthood are not too far of the reality. It is a beautiful blessing subhanallah, but also the most difficult, tiring, and time consuming job you will ever do. Make sure you are ready for the commitment.
Connect with Family and Friends. Once baby arrives you will need a lot of help and support, problem is that you will not have time to invest in new relationships or fix the broken ones,therefore try to spend quality time with your friends and family before the little one arrives, so you have a strong support network after.
Fulfill your Dream. When the baby is born, the world does not stop, nor does it end. Everything that was possible before is still possible after, however some things might be easier to achieve with no baby on the lap. Maybe take that college course that will help you in your career field; get a driving licence, or a car, or a mortgage for your first house; maybe take that last romantic trip with your spouse. Do whatever you think will be complicated to do once the baby is here.
Improve your Health. Baby will require a lot of physical as well as psychological strength from both of the parents, so the earlier you start preparing- the better. It is also important to make sure your are healthy as it can help to get pregnant faster and easier. Try to change your lifestyle to fit in: Regular Exercise, Nutritious Diet, Vitamins, Less Stress, and a Good Sleeping Schedule.
I pray that inshallah you found this blog post useful and will check out the video for it:
Throughout the years I have heard my fair share of marital complaints from those who felt like they got in the wrong wagon by marrying their spouse; as well as advice requests from singles who want to get married. So here we go, this is my advice for a Successful and Happy Marriage… Are you ready for it?…
Use your head before getting married, and your heart after 🙂
In all seriousness, there is no one magical “one fits all” advice. Have you heard people saying that marriage is a hard work? Well… it does not have to be a hard work as long as you build your marriage on stable foundation and do “the work” prior to getting married! There are many cheap “tips and tricks” to make a horrible marriage less horrible, but I believe that the most important thing in marriage is To Marry A Right Person For You. Now that is a bit of a journey in itself, therefore I broke it down to a seven item Pre-marriage Bucket List, that I think will help sisters and brothers out there to prepare themselves for this wonderful step in life, and build a Strong Foundation for Successful Marriage inshallah.
Connect to Allah (swt). You know, people often say to put your spouse first, well I believe that although marriage is a beautiful, intimate thing between husband and wife, there always should be someone more important to both of you than each other, and it is Allah. If you strengthen your relationship with Him and pray for a righteous spouse, than inshallah He will bless you with more than you think you deserve! You are about to fulfill someone’s half of their deed. It is a huge responsibility, therefore learn about the rights of your spouse, before looking at his/ hers responsibilities towards you. Start to fill in the gaps in your practice with aim to become a better Muslim, so that through this role Allah can support you in being the best spouse.
Get your intentions straight. Many marry because they seek to fulfill their desires or obligations to family. None of these reasons are worth the biggest commitment and change that you are about to take on. The only reason worth getting married for is to fulfill half of your deed and please Allah (swt). And as for marriage itself, when you want to marry because you have something to give (love, respect, companionship, trust etc…), more than you want to get something out of it, – that is when you know that your intentions are pure.
Get a reality check. Due to various movies and fairy tales your expectations of what marriage is going to be like may be distorted, unfair, and not reasonable. Marriage is not exactly as easy as a walk in a park (especially if you done nothing to prepare for it).I would suggest that you talk to family and friends who have been married for a long time, so that they can give you a better idea not only of the joys, but also the struggles that you may face once you say “I do”.
Choose very wisely. There is a wonderful saying suggesting to open your eyes wildly before getting married, so that you can relax and close them tight after the wedding. It means that you need to make sure you use your head and judgement while choosing the right spouse. The best way to do that is try not to get emotionally and romantically involved with your “potential” partner. I suggest that you try to get to know about one another as much as you can, but in a “Halal” way and with pure intentions! Involve both of your families, go on “Halal” dates involving your family members, and ask millions of questions regarding your potential future together! Don’t forget that the prophet Muhammed (may peace be upon him), thought us to choose partners very carefully, and adviced that good looks will fade, therefore it is important to look for a good character, as it is the only thing that will matter in a long run.
Be honest and draw boundaries. The last thing you want is to find skeletons in the close once you get married, therefore avoid secrecy and be honest with your potential spouse from the very beginning. Often we try to look and behave better than we are, in hopes to be admired, loved, and accepted. Although it is a good strategy in a job interview, marriage is more complex than that. Honesty may not get you the girl/guy that you wanted, but it will get you the one that you needed, the one who will accept you just the way you actually are! Also, it is very important to draw the boundaries from the very beginning. Discuss every detail of your potential life together to see if you are compatible. Small things, like what movies and music you prefer are not important in the long run, however how many kids you wish to have, where you want to live, are you planning to study further, who will be working, how do you feel about multiple wifes etc, may become huge marriage-threatening issues if not discussed and decided prior to “I do”. If there are any red flags- back off! It is never too late to change your mind, before the wedding!
Connect with friends and family. At least the first months or a year after you get married you will be too busy getting to know your spouse and building new life together to have much time to meet new friends and build relationships, therefore strengthen the ones that you already have built. Meet your friends as often as you can before the wedding, and prepare them with the possibility of you going in a back-plan for a bit, so they know what to expect and do not distance themselves from you.
Focus on being a good spouse. Marriage is all about arguments, followed by compromises, followed by learning the lessons, followed by forgiveness and personal growth. As long as you focus on your responsibilities towards spouse, give unconditionally, love unquestionably and forgive easily, than inshallah your marriage will be smooth and enjoyable one heaven of a ride!
Inshallah I pray that you found this post beneficial, useful and will check out my video:
We have recently moved into a new property that required a lot of our time and creative effort. Definitely one of the most challenging areas in the whole flat was the bathroom. Not many of us are blessed with spacious, bright bathroom spaces with a lot of storage, – we have certainly not been blessed with one. Creating solutions for problems is what I do on a daily basis, whether it is at work, home, or personal life, therefore I was happy to take on a challenge to make our bathroom into a peaceful, bright, and organised room. We went for nature inspired classic white and blue color scheme with the elements of raw metal, natural wood, and white flowers.
First thing to consider when renovating and decorating any area of a home is How to Work with the Natural Light of the Room so to Optimize and Maximize it. Our bathroom has only one window. My solution was to 1) Not get any curtains or blinds, so to maximize the light that comes in the room.
2) Use mirrors to reflect the natural light. Altogether there are three mirrors in our bathroom, and all of them are positioned in the way that reflects the maximum amount of daylight.
3) Color. Choose bright, calm, pastel color scheme. We chose to incorporate the original boring white color of the sink, bathtub, toilet, and windows into a color scheme, by adding white wooden cabinet under the sink, white shower curtains, and flowers.
We chose Aqua Blue for the color of the walls and other details here and there. I think that white and blue are two perfect partner colors to create nature inspired bright and peaceful environment.
Now lets talk about Consistency and Pattern. The consistency of the same color scheme and if possible the same pattern, or symbol makes the space feel more authentic, organised, and neat. Your guests may not notice the small details, but will feel the difference that they make. For the pattern I used “diamond” shape everywhere I could.
One of the biggest challenge for any small bathroom is storage space, or rather the lack of it. It is important to use the little space you have in the most efficient way possible. We used wooden under-the-sink storage cabinet from IKEA and neatly organised all of the products in the separate containers inside the cabinet. I noticed that often people leave the outside at least the products that they use on the daily basis, however the issue that I find with it is that if you allow at least few products to stay out the next thing you know you start to forget to put other items away after using them , and the last thing you know- you have a cluttered bathroom counters. To avoid this issue altogether we decided to keep even the daily products inside the cabinet at all times.
The only few products and containers that we are keeping out are the ones that add to the balance of the decor. Such as are glass containers for cotton balls and ear-picks, as well as just a few transparent bottles of body oils. Talking about transparency, glass shelves are a great way to gain storage without compromising visual space!
We decided to bring in the element of nature by using flowers and natural wood. We got few bags of natural smoke-wood pieces from e-bay, and used them to top up the glass vases, as well as to stick them around an old mirror frame. To make a mirror we used hot glue gun and a lot of patience. I think the result is worth the time it took! What do you think?
But one of my favorite creative ideas, that I found on Pinterest a while ago, is to use metal basket as wall shelf! I think it brings the raw element of nature, as well as serves a purpose. We use our basket shelf above the toilet to store away toilet paper rolls, and clean towels above it. The shelf is the first thing my guests see when they enter the bathroom and we got so many compliments on the idea!
The window shelf of this bathroom has been damaged by the previous owners, therefore we decided to cover it up with the…………sticky waterproof sheet in the pattern of fake stone. We used the same sheets to match up the window shelf with the top of the under-the-sink cabinet. I think it is a great example of how you can take something broken and not only fix it, but also make something even better out of it!
I have filmed a video showing a wee tour around the bathroom, please click on the link below to check out the video!
I cannot believe that I am officially in my 3rd Trimester of this pregnancy! It would be very challenging to find the right words to sum up the last 7 months, but let me tell you, that it has been one heaven of a ride. The beauty of watching and experiencing my body grow inside of it this precious new life has been the highlight of my life thus far. And although my pregnancy had some lows, such as five straight months of nausea, hip, back, and tail-bone pain (to mention only few) I feel beyond words blessed and would do it all over again!
I have announced in one of my videos, that we are having a BOY! This news did not surprise me, as I always imagined myself being a mom to a bunch of wee boys, taking them to football matches, and dressing up in daddy-matching outfits! I also had a very strong feeling since about 2 months into this pregnancy that I am definitely carrying a boy. The feeling was soo intense that even before finding out the gender I was already ready to buy everything in blue 🙂
Finally I have decided to start writing a Blog to document my life and share my joys. And what could be a better way to begin this journey than to announce that after two beautiful years of marriage my husband and I are expecting our first child in early November of 2015!
Some of you may know me from my Youtube videos (www.youtube.com/modernhijablook), while others just randomly stumbled upon this blog. Either way, I am so thankful that you are here and hope you will stick around to see how this young wife, revert Muslim, and fresh Psychology graduate becomes a Mother.
Being a mother has always been my dream! Ever since I can remember I used to be so careful about how I treat my body with only one thing in mind- one day to be able to conceive and give life to my precious children. I can still recall my childhood friends sitting on the cold pavement or wearing crop tops in the winter months! They used to be surprised why I am so cautious about getting my feet cold or lifting something too heavy- all of which, according to my mother, may lead to infertility. And although now I understand that there might be many more reasons that may lead to it, I am so happy I took caution as a little girl, because it set and kept my mind focused on what I believe is my life’s purpose.
Writing this post and sharing the joy of expecting a child comes with a heavy heart, as I understand that not everyone has been blessed with it. I only pray that God will bless those who wish to expend their family with a wonderful, humble, and healthy children. Until than, read my blog where I share even the tiniest and most embarrassing details of pregnancy and motherhood. I also intend to blog about beauty, religion, home decor and all the other joys of life 🙂
……sticky waterproof sheet in the pattern of fake stone. We used the same sheets to match up the window shelf with the top of the under-the-sink cabinet. I think it is a great example of how you can take something broken and not only fix it, but also make something even better out of it!
Some of you may know me from my Youtube videos (www.youtube.com/modernhijablook), while others just randomly stumbled upon this blog. Either way, I am so thankful that you are here and hope you will stick around to see how this young wife, revert Muslim, and fresh Psychology graduate becomes a Mother.
Writing this post and sharing the joy of expecting a child comes with a heavy heart, as I understand that not everyone has been blessed with it. I only pray that God will bless those who wish to expend their family with a wonderful, humble, and healthy children. Until than, read my blog where I share even the tiniest and most embarrassing details of pregnancy and motherhood. I also intend to blog about beauty, religion, home decor and all the other joys of life 🙂
The Joys of Mine 