It's a New Day

Assalaam Alakium sisters!

Happy March! I feel every month should be a fresh new start. Ideally, we should all set goals for ourselves and try to attain them before the month is up. Islam teaches us to be productive and constantly learning. Well, as I thought about this post I realized I should discuss some of my goals, past and present. 

If you've been reading this blog for the last month or so you know I started blogging again late January. Being that it was almost February when I started again I gave myself one goal; to write 50 blogs in the month of February. I didn't quite get to 50 but I did come pretty close, the last week of the month brought a lot of lack of motivation. I kind of "fell of the wagon" so to speak in terms of this blog and with no real reason. 

I don't want this blog to be an obligation for me, I want to enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts with the world. That being said, for the month of March I'd like to make a promise to myself first as well as the rest of you. If there is ever a time I don't have anything productive or just lack motivation to write, I won't. Simple as that. I value quality over quantity. So kicking off with that promise here are a few of my goals for this month:

1. Write productive, thought provoking posts. 

2. Focus more on the content rather than the number of posts. 

3. Do at least one "mini series" regarding converts and Islam

4. Write whenever I can, how much I can. I don't want to limit or force myself to write 2-3 posts per day.    

Those are just the goals I have for this blog this month. InshAllah, in the next few days maybe I'll write a post on other goals I have. 

What are your goals for the month of March?

Do you set goals for yourself often?

Quote of the day: "A goal without a plan is just a wish"

Have a wonderful day!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Back At It

Assalaam Alakium!

It's been a full four days since I've written a blog, bad I know but I haven't had the motivation. The Writer finally started a blog and wrote his first post on Sunday night. I'll link it below if any of you are interested. 

Did any of you participate in the challenge? I said I was going to do it during the weekend but ended up not even thinking about it! InshAllah, I'll try it again. For those of you who have no idea what I'm referring to take a look at my last post and you'll understand. =)

Currently, I'm doing some research at the library and I'm planning out a few mini series' to post while my aunt is staying with me next week. She'll be staying a week so I want to have some posts pre-planned to keep this blog active. Any ideas for new posts or mini series, please leave your suggestions in the comments below. I'll consider each topic and try my best to deliver. 

I didn't have a plan for the post, I just wanted to check in and let you all know I'm still around. Try to be patient with me as I learn this blog thang and develop a voice for this space. 

Link to The Writers blog: http://philasify101.blogspot.com/ (Great for you male loved ones)

Take care.

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

A Challenge

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

So KnewU didn't turn out very well, no one showed up for the class so I've got some extra time to write this post! As I was sitting here waiting for the Writer to finish up I thought of all of the things I am grateful for when a little light went off. 

I had the idea that whenever you have a few minutes to spare, jot down all of the things you are grateful for in your life on a piece of paper, your phone or a special notebook. At the end of the night thank Allah for everything you've written down. You can also bring the notes with you before prayer and after praying thank Allah for it then as well. You can never thank Allah enough. 

InshAllah, I'm going to try to jot down all of the things I'm thankful for this coming weekend. Saturday and Sunday, whenever something pops in my head I'm thankful for, I'm going to write it down. At the end of the night, before I sleep, I'll thank Allah for it all. =)

So here's the challenge! I challenge you all to write down all of the things you are grateful for in one day. Pick any day you'd like and throughout the day just jot it all down on a piece of paper. And at night, make sure you thank Allah for it. 

If you complete this challenge, please leave a comment below sharing how it worked out for you. Did you remember to write things down? Was it refreshing to turn to Allah and thank Him for everything? Did it help you become more mindful of all the things you have? Share whatever you like and pass this challenge around to your friends. 

Have a great night and inshAllah, I'll post a recap on Monday sharing my thoughts on the challenge. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Happy Birthday?

Assalaam Alakium sisters!

I knew waking up this morning I would have to give my aunt a call and wish her a happy birthday. None of my family members are Muslim and birthdays are a HUGE deal for them. Both my mother and my aunt share the month of February as their "birth month" yes, the entire month is theirs. 

Come every February, they talk up their birthdays and remind us all how many days remain until the actual "day". It would be pretty hard to miss one of their birthdays by how they await this month. They usually do the same things each year and try to make something really special just for the two of them. 

Being a Muslim, it's hard for me not to think they are going way overboard with the whole thing. I try not to express this to them because I know it'll hurt their feelings so I say my simple "Happy Birthday" and send a card with a gift and leave it at that. Now, before you start saying what I'm doing is participating in the whole "birthday" thing, I want to lend some advice. 

If you are a convert and your family members are not, you still need to respect them and strengthen the family tie. In Islam, family, especially the mother, is an extremely important relationship. If you find yourself not wanting to participate in things like birthdays and such, then don't, just be as respectful to those family members who do. A birthday is a good chance for you to show your non-Muslim family member that you still care about them and wish them well. Imposing your beliefs on them, especially during a special day of theirs, is not going to come off very well. You have to remember that you are now the face of Islam to them.

I have come across a difference in opinion on "celebrating" birthdays in Islam. Some scholars say yay and some say nay. I encourage you all to do your own research and come to an intelligent conclusion. I must add though that whatever celebrating you do make it halal. I don't see the big deal if you go and have dinner with some friends on your birthday as long as what you are doing is halal. 

Side note: I know a lot of Muslims are misguided when it comes to the whole "halal" word and I intend on doing an entire post on what the word "halal" actually means. So take tuned for that. =)

So go have a piece of cake, just make it halal marshmallows in the fondant!  

Have a wonderful rest of your day. I'm off to work then the KnewU class tonight. InshAllah a recap of the class will be up tomorrow. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

A few links to check out on the whole birthday thang:

http://chillyoislamyo.com/is-it-haraam-to-celebrate-birthdays/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF5i-6eMxMU

5 More Minutes!

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Good morning! I hope you all will be proud of me when I say I actually stayed up after fajr prayer today! Whoot! After some whining to the Writer that I didn't want to get up, he finally got through to me and I got up. I kept saying "5 more minutes". haha You know five minutes turns into an hour when you fall right back to sleep. How does that happen really? That extra hour only feels like five minutes and if you are hitting the "snooze" or in my case the "dismiss" button you really aren't getting any extra sleep. What's the point of falling asleep to only be awaken 5 minutes later for the next found of creative sounds.

 Good thing that didn't happen today because I needed to work out early, there is no other opportunity today. This is the first time this week that we've actually stayed up after fajr and got a workout in before work. It feels great to just get it out of the way. I know if I would have given into my five minute thing I would have been writing how I didn't get up yet, again! And how many times can I write that without seeming like I'm not even trying? 

Thursday's are super long days for the Writer and I, more so for him. Tonight is the second session of the KnewU: KnewBorn class at the Andalucia Center here in Houston, Texas. I've wrote about it before here but for a quick little overview; it's a class geared towards new Muslims and teaches the basic tenets of the Islamic faith. Of course, anyone can come new Muslim, old Muslim, non Muslim doesn't matter, it's a judgment free zone. =) 

InshAllah, I plan on taking notes like I did for the last session so look out for that in the next few days. I'll try to get the notes up tomorrow inshAllah. Oh yes, tomorrow is Friday! Happy day! =) You know those weeks that short of just creep on by, well this week is one of those. 

Have a great morning and inshAllah I'll be back with another post this afternoon. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

My Passion for Tea

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

How has this humpday been for you all? I just finished up with work and just came to to the library for a bit before I pick up the Writer from work. I think I may have started an obsession of sort...nothing bad, I think. When I left Barnes and Noble to head for work I realized I didn't bring a fork with my lunch so I instantly had the thought "Go to Starbucks, they have forks!" haha 

Can you tell I'll try to work things around in my favor. I could have easily went across the street from my job and gotten a fork but Starbucks has been on the brain since the weekend, so I gave in. I had a few dollars left on a rebate card so I figured I could use that...oh and I had a buy one get one free coupon hahaha, it just gets better and better right? To make a long story short, the coupon wasn't valid on the drinks I wanted (teas and frapps) so I tried something new, and it was AMAZING! 

Isn't it beautiful! haha

After researching around on Starbucks' website for a new drink I decided on the Shaken Tazo Passion Tea Lemonade. Yeah, it was pretty amazing! This is what may have started my obsession. I only got the tall/small and after drinking it all I wanted to go and get another. Don't worry, I didn't. But my mind is already telling me to go again tomorrow. This isn't good for a person who is trying to budget! I made a promise to myself that I would allow myself one small drink per week. Yes, only one. Coffee and tea drinks are highly addictive for me so I need to have some clear limits. 

After getting the drink of passion I went off to work and ate my lunch, with that much needed fork remember the one I just had to get from Starbucks. Here's a picture of my lunch for today. I had the Lean Cuisine tortilla crusted tilapia with southwest rice and a fruit cup.  

So yeah, the actual food part of my lunch doesn't look as pretty but in all fairness it was equally good Alhamdulliah. A lot of prepacked fish meals are kinda dull but this one is pretty good just don't overcook it. 

If you go to Starbucks, what is your favorite drink?

If you don't go to Starbucks, what is one "fast food" item you can't resist? 

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Book Love

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Good morning! I got sucked into The Hunger Games last night and stayed awake until I was finished with the book. Needless to say, I didn't get up again this morning to workout. I guess that means I'm going to have to workout when I get home tonight. I hate working out at night, I'm way more into the morning thing. 

This morning I'm at Barnes and Noble, yes, again. I enjoy the atmosphere here. It's so quiet and helps me be more productive. When I walked into the store today I immediately grabbed the second book of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. I haven't been into a book this much for a long time, it's exciting to take your mind somewhere else for awhile. 

I also have a sense of guilt because I know I've been spending way too much time reading The Hunger Games while I could have been reading the Qur'an or some other Islamic book. I try to make time to read the Qur'an everyday, but I have to admit some days it just doesn't happen. I have an app on my phone with the Qur'an and that helps a lot. I feel better having the Qur'an at my finger tips but without having to carry the actual book around. I get nervous when I carry the Qur'an around in book form. I'm always scared I'm going to get it dirty or drop it on the ground so having it on my phone helps. 

I've been meaning to tell you all about a book I came across at the Islamic bookstore this past weekend. It is called The Metamorphosis of a Muslim! Can you believe it, that is my little slogan for this blog. I was thrilled when I seen it. It's a book on a converts story to Islam and was around $10 at my Islamic bookstore. The book is probably around 100 or so pages so should be a quick read. InshAllah I plan on picking it up next time I'm there. 

Look at this awesome bookshelf!

As you can probably tell, I love books. I try to prevent myself from going crazy and buying a bunch of books at one time so I get a chance to read each one, but sometimes it's just so hard. Also, having an actual hard copy of the book on a shelf seems more "real" to me than having it in Kindle form on my phone. Don't get me wrong, having it on my phone is super convenient but I love being able to look at a shelf of books and find something that is right for me. 

Have any of you read The Hunger Games? If so, what did you think of it?

What books would you recommend, Islamic or not?

Articles of Interest:

http://johnshore.com/2010/08/18/evangelicals-and-muslims-both-love-jesus/

http://theletteredwayfarer.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/why-i-love-the-prophet-muhammad-so-much/

Enjoy your day!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Every Muslim's Must Have Item

Assalaam Alakium lovelies!

I'm always shocked when I hear or notice that a Muslim does not have an Azan clock or prayer clock in their home. It's such a vital piece of my home and keeps me on track. I know some of you use your phone as an Azan clock or simply just know when the prayer times are but despite all of that I still feel that having an Azan clock is completely necessary. 

When I first started learning about Islam and started learning how to pray I would hand write all of the prayer times down on a piece of paper. I began to memorize when each prayer would come in and I still usually know when the prayer comes in within a few minutes. It's a part of my life now. I plan my day around prayer times. Alhamdulliah, I have a job that is flexible with me so I can shape my work time around prayers. If I need to run errands I will wait until the next prayer is due, than go, of course if it's two hours away I'll go but you get the point. 

The thing I love most about having an Azan clock in my home is that it keeps me in touch with Allah. If I'm deep into a television show, reading or whatever it may be, the second I hear the Azan I try my best to stop what I'm doing and listen. It's also encouraged to repeat what the Mu'aththin (the reciter of the call to prayer or the prayer clock) says. There are du'as you can say after the Azan is called as well and this is also strongly encouraged. 

I have this one!

Having an Azan clock in your home will also help you in getting up for fajr prayer which is probably the most neglected prayer of the day for a lot of us. It's tough getting up early even more so if you don't have a type of alarm clock to wake you up. This is where the Azan clock will be super handy. I highly encourage you all to try and buy one. You can purchase a simple one for $20, I have this type or buy a fancier one for more money. One tip though, make sure before you buy the Azan clock that it has your city pre-programmed into it this way you don't have to manual adjust the times and it will change on it's own on a daily basis. Super, super handy!

This one is way more fancier, it includes a remote!

So go out and buy an Azan clock, it will be a great investment, trust me. Do any of you NOT have an Azan clock in your home? If so, why? Do you live near a Masjid and hear the Azan from there? Please share below. 

Have a great afternoon!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Routine

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Good morning! How's your morning been? It's just another Tuesday over here. The Writer and I were slow getting out of bed so no after fajr workout for us. Instead, I got up and made him breakfast, dropped him off at work then went to go workout. 

When I pulled into the parking lot of the gym I noticed it was packed full of people! The gym I go to is never like that and I have to admit that for a second I thought about just turning around and going home. I have no idea why that thought crossed my mind maybe I just wanted to give myself an excuse not to workout. I went in anyway and completed 45 minutes on this cross trainer type of machine. It's awesome because it's kind of a like an elliptical but the arm handles don't move leaving me with a perfect chance to read The Hunger Games. Can you tell I like love this book! I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and can't wait for the movie to come out later next month. Watching the trailer totally pumped me up!

As for the rest of my day it's going to be pretty routine. Nothing exciting over here. The Writer and I live by routine. We like to come home from work at night, eat dinner, talk and lounge around until bedtime. Weekends are spent catching up on sleep, reading and family time. I thrive on routine. When something is thrown out of whack in our schedule it's hard for me to overcome. I often get upset when something pops up out of the blue changing my day around. Structure is my middle name. I know this is something I need to work on and become more flexible especially if we ever have kids inshAllah. 

As for now though, I'll try to be less annoyed when the little things change and thank Allah for everything He has given me. I really have nothing to complain about and when I do, I need to "gut punch" myself and think of all of those people out there who don't have what I have.

A man plans his course, but Allah (swt) guides his steps.


Below is a great video on avoiding extravagance and living simply. Please share any thoughts you have on the video in the comments below.

I'll see you later with another post inshAllah!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Meat....loaf?

Assalaam Alakium girlies!

How has Monday treated you all? We just finished dinner over here and are probably just going to chill for the rest of the night. InshAllah we can wake up early to workout tomorrow morning. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again right?

I left my last post saying how I was going to make a Mediterranean meatloaf for dinner well, let's just say it wasn't really a "loaf". It fell apart once I served it. I think it was a combination of things: the veggies in it made it soggy, I added an egg when I didn't need to, I made it in advance so the liquid absorbed and I didn't add any breadcrumbs. Alhadmulliah, it was good nonetheless though. I'll play with the recipe next time and see how it "holds up" haha okay that was lame. 

The meatloaf wasn't picture worthy but I'll add a photo I found online of it. Here's the recipe. I recommend adding some type of breadcrumbs or crackers to keep it together. 

Mediterranean Meatloaf:

• 1 pound of ground lean turkey
• 1 cup packed chopped baby spinach (I didn't add this since I didn't have any)
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped 
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes instead)
• 1/4 cup peeled carrot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1 package of meatloaf seasoning 
• 2 egg whites (I just used one whole egg)
• Breadcrumbs, enough to bind it all together

Mix all of the above and cook in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes. Serves about 6. Enjoy! 

Remember, when cooking, you can switch things around according to what you like or have laying around. I hardly ever follow a recipe as is. Don't be scared to try something different or substitute items for things you enjoy. Be creative!

Have a wonderful night!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Workout Distractions

Assalaam Alakium and good afternoon!

InshAllah my last post didn't scare some of you off. I just wanted to share my experience with death and remind us all that our time is near. On to a brighter subject. =)

Let's talk exercise! Last night, I intended on staying up after fajr to workout. No such luck though. Since I had a hard time falling asleep last night I was too tired to get up. Even so, I still worked out. I dropped the Writer off at work and went straight to the gym! I was only there for 45 minutes but I feel amazing! 

At times, I can get bored while working out, especially if I'm on the elliptical or something similar. I need to keep my mind occupied or I'll dread the entire workout. Today, I read The Hunger Games and my workout flew by! I looked down at the machine the first time and realized I had been on for 20 minutes! It felt like five minutes. I think I've found my new workout distraction since I'm trying to break the habit of listening to music. 

After working out, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few random things. I came home and made myself a  smoothie with my new blender. 

I've used it twice now and I have to say, for $15 it's great. It crushes ice and frozen fruit really well. For this mornings smoothie I used:

• 3/4 cup unsweetended Almond Milk
• 2 Scoops of protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries, blackberries and strawberries

If you're into smoothies try this one out. The one above was 280 calories and had 14 grams of protein! Awesome! I need to start prepping the meatloaf for tonight's dinner. I'm trying out a new recipe for Mediterranean meatloaf, it has a ton of veggies in it! I'll let you know how it turns out. =)

Have a great rest of the day!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Death and Denial

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Here we are again, another Monday. Monday always feels like a fresh new start for me, even though I hate getting out of bed so early. I couldn't sleep last night. I was up thinking about death, life and how I still have so much to learn and accomplish.

Death scares me sometimes, I know I'm not ready and I hate to think that someone I love dearly could pass away any minute. I know we all have our day, it's just sad to think about. Alhamdulliah I haven't had to deal with death too much. The only close relative that has passed, has been my grandfather. I remember that day vividly. It was so sudden. 

At the time I wasn't Muslim, I was 18 years old and had just started college. I was researching Islam and was planning on converting soon. The last time I seen my grandfather he was watching his favorite television show, The Price is Right. That show always reminds me of him. =) 

I remember getting a frantic phone call from my mother saying that my grandfather had a heart attack and that she was coming to get me and bring me to the hospital. When we arrived, we couldn't see him and no one was telling us anything. It never crossed my mind that he was going to pass on that day. I was in BIG denial. All of a sudden the doctors wanted to take us to a room. All seven of us gathered in the small quiet room. The doctor told us he was gone. A flood of tears came cascading down my face, I couldn't help it. We went to go say our last goodbyes and I still could not believe he was gone. It was so hard for me to grasp that he was no longer with us.

My mind immediately went to the grave. I had learned about the questioning after death and the life in the grave. I was scared for my grandfather. I wanted him to know the answers to the three most important questions: Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What religion are you? I spent the entire night thinking about it. 

When we buried him, I didn't want to leave the grave because I knew the questioning would start. I wanted to stay for as long as possible even though I knew eventually the questioning would have to take place. I prayed that he would be okay. 

To this day I still wonder about him and from time to time will find myself crying out of no where. I didn't have a father growing up, so he was my only "father" figure. He was the nicest person around and I'm sad he never got to meet my husband, I know they would have hit it off. =) 

Death isn't an easy thing to come to terms with but we all are going to face it. We can't prevent death and no one is immune. Prepare for death every. single. day. you are alive and remind yourself of the grave frequently. Don't pretend that death will never come and know the answers to the three most important questions of your life:

Who is your Lord? -Allah, the One and Only God

Who is your Prophet? -The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him

What is your religion? -Islam

Please feel free to share your thoughts down below in the comments. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

A Dear Memory

Assalaam Alakium sisters!

Just a little random butterfly love =)

InshAllah your Sunday has been a blessed one! It's been pretty chill over here. The Writer is watching basketball while I'm listening to the Purpose of Life presented by Khalid Yasin. I'm going to be sending it to my mother inshAllah. Which brings me to the purpose of this blog. I'll always have a fond memory of Khalid Yasin.

In the winter of 2007 I began really learning about Islam. I had just started reading the Qur'an and understanding Islam. I had a tremendous amount of respect for Islam and was deeply considering converting. I was invited by some of my Muslim friends to attend an Islamic lecture. I was nervous thinking I wouldn't "fit in" or that I needed to "look" a certain way. I assumed I would be looked down upon if I didn't cover my hair. 

Despite all of my reservations, I went, as I was. As we walked into the room where the lecture was going to take place, I was flooded with smiles and hugs from sisters. They were all so welcoming to me and kindly asked me about myself. It was really a overwhelming feeling for me, you see, I never felt that way before. I felt like I belonged even though I had tight jeans and my hair showing. Despite all of that, they welcomed me.  

As the lecture began, I seen this African American brother walk up to the front. I immediately felt the respect the audience gave him. At the time, I had no idea who he was even though I'm sure I had watched a few of his videos on YouTube. Throughout the lecture/talk he never made me seem inferior. And I say this because I was sitting up front, not wearing the hijab and was clearly a non Muslim. He was presenting his idea for a television network and talked a little about the purpose of life.

At the end, he asked if anyone wanted to accept Islam. My friends who brought me asked me if I wanted to take my shahada at this time but I wasn't quite ready. I knew that Islam was the truth but I was overwhelmed by the amount of people in the room. I was scared that I'd mess up the Arabic and look like a fool. I let my insecurities get the best of me that night, nonetheless I was still respected and welcomed. 

Even though I didn't take my shahada that night, I still remember how I felt. I always look to that night when I run across Muslims who aren't very welcoming. The group of sisters at the event were amazing. May Allah bless them all. Ameen. Whenever I watch or listen to a lecture by Khalid Yasin I remember that night. 

I recommend that you all listen or watch the Purpose of Life. Give it to your family members, Muslim or not. This is beneficial to all of us. We can never remember Allah too much. 

Have any of you listened to this lecture? If so, would you give this to a non Muslim?

Have a great night!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Yay for Saturday!

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Happy Saturday! The Writer actually has the day off so we get two free days! This rarely ever happens so we're going to try to make the best of it. Maybe we'll hit up the mall in a few since it's rainy outside. Alhamdulliah for the rain, we've needed it here in Houston. We had like a year long drought here so this rain is a good thing. =)

Last night I made the staple dinner around here, tilapia, brown rice and veggies. I was going to mix it up by making tilapia tacos but had a headache so just rolled with something easy. After dinner we just lounged around  until I passed out around 10. Migraines are no joke. 

Today is our family day so we're going to head off to visit the family. Layla time! She's the most adorable kid around. It's nice coming into a family bigger than my own. I only have one brother who is younger than me and he didn't live with us for awhile so for a long time I was kind of the "only child". I always wanted a sister and now I have two! 

Yup, she's the coolest!

I think having siblings, especially who are your gender and close in age keeps you grounded and out of trouble. Since I only had one sibling who was gone for awhile I gravated towards my friends. I spent every waking moment with them, and would often times only come home if I had to. My friends and I got into trouble and did things we shouldn't have. InshAllah if the Writer and I are ever blessed with children I would want siblings for my them. We'll see what Allah has in store for us. =)

What is your take on family? Do you want a large or small family?

Did you grow up in a large family? If so, how do you think it shaped you as a person?

Have a great Saturday!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Resisting the urge

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Jummah Mubarak! InshAllah you're Friday has been blessed. =) I spent the majority of my day cleaning and doing laundry. I feel so refreshed when everything is nice and tidy. I also resisted the urge to buy new hijabs. It was tough but I didn't give in.

The thing is, I have plenty of hijabs and there is absolutely no need for me to get anymore. Would it be nice to have some new hijabs, yes. Could that money be used for something else, most certainly yes. It took me awhile to really say "no" to myself. I had everything in the "shopping cart" and had looked over it about 10 different times. I even went to go get my credit card, but I stopped myself and told myself to just think about it for the day. Within an hour I had already decided against it. I'm not torn up about it either. =)

At times, I can be compulsive in turns of shopping. I'm really trying to make the effort to manage my money better. I grew up poor and never had any money to spend until I got a job, when I was 16. It felt so great to have money that I just went crazy buying all of the things I ever wanted. I never had any money left over for savings and just days after pay day I was broke. Being older and living with my husband independently has forced me to resist the urge to buy.

I've realized that most of the things we "need" we really don't and if we really thought about our purchases before we bought them our money situation would be different, and I say this for everyone. Islam teaches us to to live simply. There is a saying I love, "Live simply so others can simply live". I try to remind myself of this when I'm feeling compulsive. 

How do you resist the urge to shop?

Do you think about your purchases before you buy them?

Please share in the comments!

Have a great rest of the day. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Sleepy

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

I woke up extra early this morning, mostly due to the fact I went to sleep at 9:30 last night! I had horrible stomach pains last night, maybe because of a gluten sensitivity/intolerance. Still unsure about that, I need to make an appointment I just keep forgetting! Ugh. That's pretty early for us over here but now I'm tired again. Don't you hate feeling wide awake at 5 in the morning then come noon you're ready to go take a nap, that is definitely me today. 

I have to go into work early today and work a little longer than usual so I have to make this post quick. After work the Writer and I are going to the Andalucia Center here in Houston for the KnewU: KnewBorn class. I've wrote about the class before so if you want more info search KnewU. I'll be sure to post a recap of the class tomorrow inshAllah. 

With the Writer's new work schedule it's been a little tough to transition. We've been eating out A LOT lately, we need to change that for sure. It's even harder on Thursday's (today) since we are both away from home from 8 am to around 10 pm. I did manage to juice some apples and carrots this morning before our workout AND pack us both lunch. I call that a win. hehe I'll let you know what happens for dinner when I figure that out myself. 

When you have busy days away from home how do you keep things healthy without eating out too much?

Have a good afternoon and inshAllah I'll see you later!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Makeover in progress....

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

How's your day been? Alhamdulliah, mine has been great! As stated in my previous post, I was flipping through David Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover. Well I've finished "flipping" and wrote a few quick notes that I'd like to share with you all. 

First of all, I'd like to state that in Islam being debt-free is a Sunnah. We all know that Riba (interest) is forbidden and most of all debt has interest attached. It is encouraged in Islam to pay off debt as swiftly as possible. Here are a few hadiths (sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him):

"Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa: Once, while we were sitting in the company of the Prophet, a dead man was brought. The Prophet was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased. He said, "Is he in debt?" The people replied in the negative. He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." So, he led his funeral prayer. Another dead man was brought and the people said, "O, Allah's Apostle! Lead his funeral prayer." The Prophet said, "Is he in debt?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "Three Dinars." So, he led his prayer. Then a third dead man was brought and the people said, Please lead his funeral prayer." He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." He asked, "Is he in debt?" They said,  Yes, He has to pay three diners.", He refused to pray and said, "Then pray for your dead companion." Abu Qatada said, "O Allah's Apostle! Lead his funeral prayer, and I will pay his debt" So, he led the prayer."

Narrated Abu Huraira: "The Prophet said, "Whoever takes the money of the people with the intention of repaying it, Allah will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it in order to spoil it, then Allah will spoil him."

We all see the importance of paying debt in Islam. Now I'd like to give a few of Dave Ramsey's tips. Note: I won't be posting too many details because I don't want to take away from Dave Ramsey. If you can, I recommend buying the book to get a detailed explanation. 

First of all, write down all of your debt from smallest to largest. Then pay off your smallest debts first. This way you get an emotional response to paying off debt and feel that you can do it. 

Once you have written down your debts and have started paying them down, write out a budget. Be detailed as possible! After this, save $1,000 for an emergency fund. This is only for emergencies, not that new Ipad3 coming out! Once you're debt is being paid off start saving enough money to last you 3-6 months of expenses and add that to the $1,000 emergency fund. This is for an emergency, for an example if someone loses their job. This money is used to pay bills and bills only. 

Once you have conquered these steps you are on your way to debt freedom! It's really that easy. It takes some planning and organizing to accomplish but it'll be a great feeling when you finally have ZERO debt. Another quick tip is to implement the "envelope system". Divide your expenses into categories such as food, gas, clothing, entertainment. Get an envelope for each category and put a certain amount of money in each envelope. Once the money in that specific envelop is gone, you are done for that month or pay period. Any money left, put in savings. 

I hope this helps some of you and if you are doing this now, please share how this is working for you and your family!

InshAllah, in the future I'll be posting updates on the Writer and I's budget and "Total Money Makeover".

Have a great day!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Love.

Assalaam Alakium girlies!

How's the day been? Alhamdulliah, I just made dinner and cleaned up. I feel accomplished now. hehe =) This post is dedicated to my love. 

I love the way you protect me, shelter me from any kind of storm.

I often times forget about you but you're always there. 

You've changed my life in every. single. way.

I love you.

I love the way you flow ever so peaceful in the wind. 

You obey Allah's (swt) command. 

You may not always get along with me.
Sometimes we fight, but somehow it turns out all right.

I thought you would be a burden. 

Oh how misguided I was. 

I love you

I would never forsake you.

Never leave you hangin.

I yearn for more of you.

Sometimes I just can't control myself. 

I want all of you.

You're so beautiful.

Pliable.

I can't see myself without you.

We've become one.

I love you.

My hijab =)

I'm not a poetess, that just came to me just now. I bet you all thought I was talking about someone else. ; )

Have a great night and I'll see you tomorrow morning inshAllah.

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Rainy Day

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

How's the day been? InshAllah you all had a refreshing weekend like the Writer and I had. It was nice to take a day to just hang out with my love especially being that it's chilly here in Houston. It's still chilly and  raining today so I'm writing this post under a toasty blanket. 

Last night I made parmesan chicken, fettuccine alfredo and salad. It was delicious and I managed to take a picture! Alhamdulliah. 

As for the rest of the day, I just need to go to work for a few hours and pick up the Writer from work. I'm making a healthy dinner of tilapia, brown rice and veggies. Tilapia is a huge hit over here. It's low calorie and almost impossible to mess up. What kind of healthy meals do you cook? I love trying out new recipes. =)

The Writer and I watched Bridesmaids last night and I have to say it was pretty hilarious. Some parts were explicit so like Horrible Bosses I don't recommend this as a family movie or if you don't watch explicit movies. It was a great comedy though and kept my LOL throughout the entire movie. Do you watch movies often? If so, what types of movies do you like?

I'm still in the process of putting together some informative posts but wanted to ask you all what types of posts would you like to see here? I'm open to almost everything but would like to keep it tied to Islam somehow. Please leave your suggestions below. 

Have a great morning and I'll see you later with another post. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Paparazzi

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Happy Sunday! The Writer and I got home kinda late last night and I started writing but got distracted and had to wait until this morning. It's chilly here in Houston and our thermostat needs batteries I think. Will be calling maintenance soon. 

Yesterday, we brought our family to Genghis Grill for the first time and the verdict is in....they loved it! My father in law especially loved it, he said we'll be coming back. =) When I sat down to write this I realized I hadn't taken any pictures yesterday! Sometimes I just forget and other times I am too shy to bring out my camera and take a picture of my food. Food paparazzi over here! I'm going to try to make more of an effort to take pictures throughout my day to share with you all. I love taking pictures but don't want to become annoying to the people around me. Especially when I'm zoomed into my plate and trying to find the best angle!

After Genghis Grill the family went home and I pulled the Writer to Target with me. Target doesn't make him giddy like it does to me! I tried to make it quick but seriously it's pretty hard to make Target quick. I love just browsing around even if I'm not going to buy most of the things I look at. I love decorating and Target has a lot of great finds! I did pick up a birthday card for my mom though!

Since it's already Sunday we are just chillin over here. Sunday is our only free day to just sit around and do nothing so that is exactly what we are going to do. I may try to get the Writer to watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off today, he has never seen it!

I know the last few posts have been kind of lame but I promise I'm working on a few things over here. I'm just trying to get it all straight and then I can share it with you all. Have a great Sunday!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Buttefly~