what makes a tudung more than a tudung.....

Mummy thots....

2011-10-13T23:03:00.001-07:00

When your child becomes a teenager, your role as a parent becomes more complicated...it is about being a friend and a guide..it is about being there when she needs you, yet not visible to the world as a dominant protecter. It is about letting her develop her self esteem & personality. Letting her choose but within safe guidelines. She will make mistakes but only Allah can protect her because she is no longer the little girl you carry around.
It is about gentle persuasion and support.
Can you be that new parent? Can we learn to adjust?
Ya Allah guide us to be the protecters of our toddlers & infants and guide us to be guides to our older children.....

Diari Solehah episod 6

2011-10-11T04:21:00.001-07:00

Diari Solehah episod 1

2011-10-11T04:20:00.001-07:00

Working with Solehah & TV HIjrah...

2011-09-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

Sounds pretty glamorous to become a facilitator & sponsor for a reality TV programme.....oh boy...but when it involves Syariat & the rules which govern the dress and protocol of Muslim women..you are open to a spectrum of human beings..some honest & tactful..but more often then not simply ruthless and insensitive.

What dictates perfection in a Muslimah who is set to be in the fore front? Huge parachute like clothes? Long hijab? Adherence to the concept of simplicity? Only hands & face to be seen? Simple makeup or none at all. Understanding the objective that the body figure must not be seen.....

We are talking lights, camera action here....we are talking about the grooming of young ladies with individual traits which make them influential for media & public.

Do we groom them to conform to the idealistic image which may not be palatable to many? How to weigh? We definitely want to maintain their chastity, their grace and feminism..we want to open their minds to see how the world outside live so that they can fulfill their duties.

Ya Allah please guide all that are involved to accept what is best for all the girls and all that are involved...got to go.....

ya Allah..i have not written for 6 months!!!!!!

2011-09-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

Believe me so many things has happen over the last 6 months......where do i begin........

More FB originals......my thots....

2011-03-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

told my PMR daughter - don't think it is just about studying...if u study hard but do bad things, Allah may return it in a way that you will be disappointed. u should remain in Allah's good books in all that you do, so that u will get the best as Allah is pleased with you. Best may not be straight As, it may even be a failure - but how u accept it and what comes After that is all in ALlah's hands. pray hard ♥
study gila-gila tapi x solat, perangai memalukan family....hari exam sakit kepala, demam, mind blank...itu dari Allah...jadi kena sama naik....not that my daugHter is nakal or anything but best to remind before.
ALso if you do fail even tho u have tried ur best...kalau hati bersama Allah, kita akan tenang and cari apa opportunity lain yang ada. I tHink all parents should take this route so that kita tak pressure diri + anak
Holistic is the name of the game - the pleasure of Allah as ur goal, Rasulullah as ur mentor & positivity as ur stand - ur set to succeed!
For the unmotivated child (especially the ones who are able to think for themselves..i would say 10 and above)
"If u do not study or do not strive to learn or perfect ur skills, the one who will lose out in the long run is YOURSELF."
If u have settled down to a life of playing & not doing homework & not cleaning your room - u must be prepared to face the future where u r not focused enough to finish any duty you are given.
You have trained your life to do what ever u want, whenever u want without responsibility to your family and yourself. How to succeed?
There is a time and place for everything.
If you don't discipline yourself as a pre-teen/teenager/young adult...chances are you will not as an adult...this applies to work, cleanliness, ibadah, responsibility, respect, focusing....hence the restless teen carries on in the uncontented adult....think about it....i find that myself like this...susah nak ubah amalan seumur hidup...
but it is not too late - if you do it as a family, the younger ones & those with good habits can help you channel positive energy and give you the strength to change bad habits....that is why many children can help to change their parents....aand why positive friends are the best friends......

Original thoughts penned in FB.....

2011-02-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

When an earthquake happens, you can run to another country or work to rebuild & get help from other nations. When the ultimate earthquake happens when the sangkakala is blown, you can only turn to your iman & amal to be your saviour. Prepare yourself for the ultimate earthquake - there is no where to run....
If we work towards redha from Allah swt in all that we do , everything becomes ibadah...constant reminders & istighfar will give us the strength to carry on....always reminded that we should walk forth with love and fear of Allah in our hearts..act as if Allah is watching you all the time...May Allah give us all the strength to face life....and forgive our past, present & future sins....
I am so small...all that i can do is invite others to join me in making the world a better place....

A true achiever will not put others down in order to prove a point. Just work on your own strengths & highlight your own capabilities.

A Muslim should treat life like a fitness Boot Camp - loads of hurdles & obstacles to endure to reach the ultimate reward

If you do something really different, and then suddenly everyone else is doing the same thing, either you have set a trend or everyone was inspired at the same time or you have great intuition of what is going to happen or you just did not notice everyone doing it until you started doing it...

life's value is what you design it to be. What do you value in your life? Values and ideals change but it should change to make your life more rich and enriching. Today it may be your children who are on top of your value list. Tomorrow your parents or your spouse.Give all the valuable persons in your life a chance to be part of your life.

trials are what happens to you when you least expect it. Hence the importance of iman & ilmu to keep you from reacting in the wrong manner

my dad's passing in uks...

2011-02-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

Assalamu'alaikum wth....

Thank you dear friends for visiting me and writing to me to share my grief.

There is so much i wish to share with all of you. How my children handled
the departure of their dearest grandfather( he had been baby-sitting them in
the evenings for the last 2 weeks of his life).
The feeling that this was all just a dream......
Probably it would have been different if he had been sick.
Probably it would have been different if he was really old.....
He was 55 ( just retired 2 months ago) and full of life.
He had lost weight, looked relaxed without the stress of work and
travelling.
He was enjoying the times spent with my daughters. Which he would not have
had the oppurtunity to do if he was still working.
He had just done his umrah last Ramadahan and his Hajj earlier this year.
May Allah bless his soul. May Allah have mercy on him.
Semoga hajinya haji mabrur.....

What i realised throughout all this is that i have no regrets. The last 2
weeks of his life was filled with togetherness. We spent a lot of time on
being family. I still remember him giving a hug & a kiss the night before he
died. He was helping me with a working paper for a Munawwarah project. He
died peacefully, he looked exactly like he was asleep.

I believe that we should all appreciate the people around us. Love and
cherish. Of course we argue and have our misunderstandings...but we should
hasten to forgive and make things right. If you feel a burst of emotion,
show it and say it. Kadang-kadang ianya alamat yang ajal seseorang itu akan
tiba.It's just that we don't realise it.
Because if you don't, you may regret it...it may be too late.
Allah akan mengambil nyawa setiap insan - it will happen to you, your
spouse, your parents, your child......we should all be prepared.....it does
not happen in chronological order.

Yang pergi tidak akan kembali. Tinggallah kami untuk meneruskan kehidupan di
alam ini. Doakan kekeutan kami. Doakan kesejahteraannya. Dan ambil iktibar
bahawa kematian boleh berlaku anytime any place any age. Just prepare
yourself.........

regards,
ina ali

Assalamu'alaikum...

Dear sisters....seems to me i have missed out on a lot of juicy (?!)
discussions. What with all the new issues at hand.....

Life has taken a new pace for me. Having to handle the trauma of losing my
dad and also having to be strong for my mother and my kids.
And life goes on.....
Exactly one month after my dad returned to rahmatullah, the WTC was
destroyed.....yet another domino piece falling in succession.

I remember feeling distraught when the riots were taking place in
KL...worrying how on earth my kids would survive a May 13 like curfew or
worse still a war.
Do you think our children are ready? Do you think we are ready?
Do we have the strength to face famine? To hide under ground? To live in
fear of rape and murder by 'crusaders'????
My mother was at the border of Afghanistan..at the Peshawar refugee
camps...about 7 years ago. The people live in mud houses. When it rains the
houses disintegrate and they rebuild after the rain stops....Can we do that?
Our children who fuss about skin on apples and no Mc Donald's Happy
meals....The same kids who insist on having 2 bantal peluks and wearing
comfy shoes.
We had Bosnian refugees living in our house..with tales of witnessing their
husbands blown to pieces in front of their eyes.

I once read a book about the wars in Europe. where they were forced to eat
horse meat and hide in the basement. Where the only source of water was 2
miles away. And was later polluted by dead bodies. Where the toilet was a
tin can in a corner. An dthe sewers were flooding into the basements....

And here we are...who fuss about hygiene and 3 square meals a day. Our
generation have not seen the like of the Japanese invasion. Nor the cloud of
13 May. They are all something distant.

And now..we see Malaysia on the list of US's terrorist gang.

I worry about in the event of war, how to explain to my kids they can't go
to the playground. That life has changed. Can they hack it????? Can we????

But sisters...it is faith and taqwa which will save us all. Educate the
children and ourselves on redha ( not as easy as it looks...) and
compassion. To accept whatever is before you.

Ameera keeps asking me why toki had to die. And insists that if she puts
flowers on the grave toki will be happy and will bangun. How do you tell a 3
year old that life's little pleasures are no longer ours to share?

I am being so morbid. But i think we should see all this in the perspective
that a war is not so far fetched. Nobody imagined that someone would ever
dream of placing 2 planes in a skyscraper.

To remind everyone..including myself ..it's a good time to read up on the
seerah and to read Surah Ahzab...about the perang khandak.

If this is the sign of akhir zaman..of the great wars....semoga Allah
lindungi kami and golongkan kami dalam mereka yang terselamat. Banyakkan
baca surah Kahfi to lindung us from the dajjal. And of course....solat hajat
to tolak bala from menimpa our families.

Sisters dear......i see death from a new light as someone so close left me
so suddenly with no sign.

YOu can die drinking a cup of coffee in your office becoz some crazy guy
wants to prove a point by sticking a plane's nose in your window. Or you can
escape the plane but die washed by lighted plane fuel rushing down the
elevator shaft.....

Or you could die lying on your bed.........wallahualam.....

Four Letter word called FOOD - uks archives...

2011-02-20T20:28:00.001-08:00

Assalamu'alaikum..

I haven't been on-line for ages. TM-net sometimes does this thing to me.
Sometimes super efficient, Sometimes punyalah susah nak log on. So excus the
length of this.

My kids have this problem eating as well. Kalau boleh tiap-tiap hari nak
makan roti-canai. Sampai the ustazah in school tries to get roticanai for
the morning snack when my daughter is around.
All green stuff is a no-no. Except for broccoli and cauliflower. Maybe coz I
like to buy the 2 vege as they keep well in the fridge. (Maklumlah orang
business and no maid - masak erratically).
Yes, they love Honey Stars and Koko Crunch....that's okay if they have it
with milk. But gosh!!!!So manis!!!!Then again it has those Atlantis toys
now.....Sometimes they'll hound my husband for his Great Grains (mahal.....)
Why doesn't Quaker Oats came with toys?????
All 3 never did like bubur. Maybe I tak pandai buat. They ate rice from
about 9 months. Softer rice of course. And nasi impit with soup, nasi ayam
(good and healthy). Aisha loves rice though. She rather eat rice alone then
have ikan bilis in it.
An unfailing recipe inherited from my mom is - all things cooked in tomato
sauce and kicap and a bit of honey. You fry the nuggets, eggs, burger,
drummets, egg tofu whatever.... then tumis a bit of bawang. Add tomato sauce
and kicap ( it will percik-percik..so must wipe the kitchen after). If you
want kuah add a bit of water but you must let it dry somewhat or else the
nuggets will not be crispy. Can also add broccoli (!!) or mix vege. Add
honey or sugar (sikit). And last add the fried stuff. The kids love it with
rice. And it is very fast to make. Takes about 10 minutes (while the rice
cooks in the microwave).
As I write they are screaming for pancakes and butter. At least
okaylah...sometimes they make me bake cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip
bread.
I have to eat out a lot - and the kids go to work with me. Sometimes, I can
cook i the morning. Other times its food from the restaurants next door.
Nasib Taman Tun has quite good shops. And Ayamas's chicken rice is quite
good and fresh.
Eating out is a nightmare. They always ask for Mac D's...did you know that
40% of Mc Donald's income comes from Happy Meals?????Must be many mommies
like me who like the free quality toys......and the feeling " as long as the
kids eat". My parents are going on and on about the contents in fast food
are not good for developing bodies and minds. And how each child is too thin
and too 'sihat'.Have they researched the development of their daughter's
sanity????Have you seen the new HAppy MEal ad..the one with the mom happily
going through her laundry coz the kids are happy????A bit more realistic
then the KFC guilty mom ordering the bucket and the kids turn up at the same
restaurant.....

AAAAhhhh...I have a new chairback. Aisha just climbed up on the chair behind
me. How I wish I could do this in the privacy (?) of my office. I can't even
have the chair permanently here...she'll climb up ON the computer.

Back to food. I guess we have to persevere. HAve you ever gone through a
time when your kids would gulp down everything on their plate and lick the
gravy in your parents/in-law's house. So they pack you all the same food, or
you take the recipe and make it from scratch.......and they won't even touch
it at home????Even keropok is tops at the grandparent's place. But lacks the
flavour in our house????
Elisa, your kids seem to thriving, so i guess you have got your feeding
programme right. Thanks for all the tips on food.
And Irene thanks for the tips..you have gone through a lot aye????
Okay enuff said. I have to go pick up all the HAPPY MEAL toys lying
everywhere. Before someone steps on something, breaks it and asks me to buy
another HAppy Meal to replace it.

Luv,
Ina..

UKS again.....written way back then...

2011-02-20T20:23:00.001-08:00

(My kids are the first children/babies I have handled as I have
no baby sister/brother. But we try very hard to handle everything on our own
without our parents. My husband thinks we are egoistic.......but they are
our kids. Betul, salah kita tanggung. Semoga Allah bantu.)
Survive???Cope?????
Sanity is history for me.
Half the time I am screaming at the kids. Or crying becoz they just do the
complete opposite. It's just been a psychological roller coaster for the
past 5 years.
Okay.....I have no maid. So the house looks like there is no maid but a
tired, cranky mom. My hubby is a dear. He helps a lot with the housework and
child care.He understood that if I got too tired, the currently
breastfeeding kid would have less milk. And the rest would be reprimanded
for everything. But you always feel guilty about staying home the whole day
and still burdening him with housework or 3 screaming, demanding kids. So
recently I took a once a week maid to clean the house. It was a gift of life
( for that half day she was around).
When I do work at my family's shop ( I do Marketing & PR for Sri Munawwarah
Design), I take the kids to the shops with me. I used to take all the kids,
or at least the breastfeeding one to fashion show practices. We would appear
at the hotel hall with a double pram and another one with food and toys and
colouring books. The models would take turns baby sitting. Crazy woman
kan???? I suppose I have that added advantage (Alhamdullillah) of working
with my family.Lately, we employed a day-help to baby sit the kids at the
shop so that I can do all my running around. But since things got a bit busy
at the shop and we have not enuff staff, she is now helping out in the shop.
And I am back with the kids at home.
This is long, isn't it.
Anyway. Coping is no joke. Especially since I was never cut out for
housework anyway. With one kid, i used to go out to the malls or visit
friends bila tension. But with 3, that is suicide.
The kids differ in interest. Syafiqa is very bookish. so , from age 18
months, she was into colouring and reading picture books.I used to download
all the print centres from disney.com which saved on buying colouring books.
Now she can read (age 4 and half) English, BM and Jawi. so she reads to
herself and her sisters. That helps me a bit.
Ameera (3 years) is very moody. Nothing can attract her attention, except
Disney videos. So she will watch all the Disney classics. To distract her
from so much TV, I get books and colouring books and toys which correlate
with the story. ( EG, Toy Story action figures, Ladybird Books on Toy story
and Toy Story colouring books.) I used the same method on Syafiqa. It keeps
them occupied, but we have to guide them comprehensively.
Aisha just runs around and asks for milk. And climb the chairs. And goes
through the drawers. And pulls out all the ironing i have done.
I also find that if I play teacher and ask them to do the same thing all at
the same time they are quite happy for at least half-an-hour. Then they
fight.
I look to books for a lot of support. Islamic books usualy make mothers seem
like angels. If angels can scream at the top of their voices. So I also read
all the Mat Salleh stuff which is more humane and then correlate them with
Islamic principles.
I recommend The Girlfriend's Guide to Toddlers by Vicki Iovine. I think my
husband got it from Amazon.com.
How can I write so much?????Well, Syafiqa has gone to tadika. Ameera
insisted on following. And the Teletubbies is on the computer ( Aisha is not
watching but she likes to listen to the sounds). Bliss....
Oh yes...you know my goal in life? To get all 3 to have their afternoon at
the same time.

Bye for now...

Breastfeeding advice

2011-02-20T20:21:00.001-08:00

Alhamdulillah. There is so much support for breastfeeding now. I hope the
programme will be a success. As a veteran bottle - I have fully breastfed 2
of my daughters - and am still feeding my 14 month baby - I can tell you
that it takes a lot of moral support. and i am all ears. Especially with all
those bottle-pushers going around. They advocate that breastfeeding is
inadequate. And that there is insufficient supply of milk on the first few
days. and the baby will cry and cry...
Okay...my penny's worth...
1.You won't have lots of milk spurting out on the first day. And the baby
will still scream her head off on the first few days. It is medically proven
that the baby will lose weight in the beginning. And yes, breastfeeding
slows down the reduction of jaundice.BUT....in spite of all this you should
still stuff it in, so to speak. Let the kid suck. Believe me you will have
milk in 2 days. Sometime too much for you to handle even. Well, that's when
the breast pump comes handy.....store it all my friend. And the baby will
suck every hour, even every half an hour during growth spurts. You have to
be ready to be bottle all that time.
2. You need lots of emotional and physical strength to do this. You have to
tell yourself that by hook or by crook you are going to pull this through.
For the Muslims...kena sembahyang hajat and banyak doakan. Becoz all this is
rezeki for your child. Even masa pregnant you have to exercise, massage and
read up about all this.Eat good food.... I think the meeting that is going
to be organised is TOPS!!!!I did not have this support when I breastfed my
first child 5 years ago. Even family told me to stop after a few months. But
I pulled it through 13 months. Up till I was 3 months pregnant. Itupun sebab
muntah teruk sangat.
3. when Allah said that each drop of milk the baby suckles comes with pahala
- it goes to show that it requires a lot of sacrifices on your behalf.
Nothing is easy. I went through mastitis ( sampai my breast bengkak and I
had to pump almost 8 oz of milk from the infected breast and dah bernanah).
I had to breastfeed through chicken pox, because my daughter refused the
bottle. And of course the little things like fasting and clothes to wear.
And bras.....And sleeping on your side for endless nights. ( My 14 month old
still hangs on throughout the night.....). And the understanding husband who
has to 'share' you with the baby. So , you see, it needs a lot of
understanding people to stop you from actually turning to the bottle.
4. Of cpurse, ada those who have to work. So maybe the idea of full
breastfeeding has to take a break. But if you can there are ways. I have
friends who bring the pump or sewa a pump at work. Even buys a small fridge
to keep it in at work. Or you can try and time breast feeding for nights.
There are lots of ways if you are serious.
But...to make things fair for those who really can't...I hope you have
exhausted all efforts. It does look simple. But it is not.
If there is a will, there is a way. Read as much as you can. Educate the
people around you - your husband, your parents, your in-laws. Prepare
yourself heart and soul...and go for these meetings on breastfeeding. You
may need a shoulder to cry on...especially one who has shared or is sharing
the same experience as you.

Last word.....when you deliver, get the baby to suck in the delivery room.
It is a beautiful experience. And tell the nurse FULL BREASTFEEDING. Not
even water...........

More later....

My first Ummikusayang entry in July 2001.....10 years ago...

2011-02-20T20:17:00.001-08:00

Assaamu'alaikum..just joined today...hope to be able to contribute on all
the 'juicy' issues which have been troubling me...I have 3 girls aged 1, 3
and almost 5......if boys are supposed to be more active and nakal....Allah
give me the strength to face another male after the dad......
I have been through a lot.....full time housewife & mom, running a fulltime
business with the kids in-tow. Working from home with kids in my hair.
Running fashion shows (Busana Muslim) and fashion shoots and tv shoots with
kids in tow. No Maid......Baking cakes to sell and smocking dresses...with
kids jumping around.....Running shops filled with customers with kids
hanging at my feet. Having serious meetings with kids demanding ice cream
and vitagen.
Home schooling the kids so that they stop asking me to read to them 26 hours
a day.....
Maybe I should have become a lawyer in the first place.At least I could use
my lawyer skills for more lucrative arguments rather then..."this box of
colour pencils are mine !!!" (The current argument while I write...my second
child has just stuffed colour pencils in a bottle of mineral water......)
Now comes my biggest trauma. Where do I send them to school????? So any
integrated Islamic school in Taman Tun-Bandar Utama vicinity???
Anyone who can help me is destined for syurga......
Wassalam.

With Lauren Booth - hijab shopping @ Sri Munawwarah Design, Malaysia

2011-02-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

Hjh Nasimah, Datin Wan Rose, Lauren, Dato' Tuan Hasnah, Haslina Ali, Wardina Safiyyah
Munawwarah Lifestyle Lounge, Sri Munawwarah Design

Lemon curd filled doughnuts...

2011-02-02T22:52:00.000-08:00

Lemon Curd Filled Donuts
Old Fashioned Filled Doughnuts
2 eggs
1 c sugar
1 c half and half
4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbs melted butter
Heat oil in deep fryer to 370
Blend dry ingredients, except sugar, in a bowl.
Mix eggs, half and half, extracts, butter and sugar until it forms a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured counter. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds. Make a depression in the rounds with your thumb and put a tsp of lemon curd in the depressions of half the rounds. Wet edges with a little egg and press one unfilled round on the top of each filled round, pinching the edges securely closed, or crimping with a fork.
Fry at 370 until golden turning once. Drain and sugar.
Lemon Curd
1 1/2 c sugar
4 egg yolks
1 c lemon juice
2 TBS lemon zest
3/4 c unsalted butter
In a microwave safe bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar, juice, and zest if using it, until smooth. Microwave in one minute intervals until mixture is thick and coats back of metal spoon. Remove from microwave and add butter, a little at a time, wisking smooth after each addition. Store for up to 3 weeks.

What did i achieve in 2010?

2010-12-31T20:05:00.000-08:00

1. New Year New Look 2010 at Munawwarah Lifestyle Lounge - Jan 2010
2. Munawwarah Lifestyle Lounge Launching - 20 March 2010
3. Adinda ku kahwin ( My brother got married)

Merisik ( Feb 10)
Bertunang & Nikah ( July 10)
Reception Hidayah ( July 11)
Reception TTDI ( July 18)
Reception Royal Chulan (July 25)
Reception Kampung ( Aug 1)
Post wedding Tq for ajk ( Aug 8)

4. Miscellaneous functions & shows at Lifestyle Lounge

Ada lagi nanti nak tambah lagi.....

Maryam oh Maryam......

2010-12-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

Semalam sambil sibuk walimatulurus sepupu...Maryam ikut ina ke hulu ke hilir....dia tengok ina bagi gula-gula pada anak yatim, anak2 yang datang....dia tanya " ummi, kalau maryam bukan anak ummi, maryam dapat tak gula-gula tu?" - sabar dia menanti giliran dia nak dapat (x boleh bagi banyak2 nanti hyper x boleh control...)

Lagi best - dia duduk sebelah pengantin lelaki atas pelamin( my cousin's hubby). Dia tanya - "uncle dah kiss dia?" sambil menunjuk kat pengantin perempuan yg tengah sembang2 dgn tetamu. "Org married kena kiss mulut tau..mcm cinderella". Ehem. BIla nak balik, dia kiss pipi uncle tu - "jangan lupa ye..u kena ajar dia kiss tau"...ALAMAK!!!!!

Thoughts.....

2010-12-24T21:48:00.001-08:00

if u react b4 you think - u may well end up regretting your actions
if u think b4 you act - u may still regret your decision
but at least u have reasons to substantiate your decision
if u consult a loved one - they will back u up whatever the outcome.
if u consult anyone & everyone - they will laugh when u do something wrong
but will claim they were the one behind u if you do something very right.

FB status 25 Dec 2010

Zuleikha 22 months....colours.....

2010-12-11T20:00:00.001-08:00

Geram........

2010-12-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Jom bergerak ke hadapan....

2010-11-30T17:17:00.000-08:00

Beribu kata, beribu janji....adakah kita akan menepati?
Beribu hasrat, beribu azam....adakah kita akan melaksanakan?
Beribu cita-cita, beribu mimpi......sempatkah sebelum mati?
Apa kata kita mulakan langkah HARI INI!

ina ali

1 dec 10

Thots for the day

2010-11-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ketaqwaan, ketenangan dan keyakinan adalah kecantikan yang paling asli....
jadikan hidup anda ibadah maka terbitlah ketaqwaan....
jadikan dugaan sebagai ujian untuk meningkatkan nilai diri - lahirlah ketenangan dan
perbanyakkan ilmu dalam setiap bidang- maka terbitlah keyakinan....
Hasilnya - cantiklah kita.....

ina ali

30 nov 2010

Making home fun...part one

2010-11-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

How much do you spend for clothes to wear OUTSIDE the house?

Well, as important preparing your aurat covering clothes for outside wear....having a good set of clothes to wear at home is also very important....remember - this is when your loved ones will see you MOST.

So, today, self-motivating tip from ina @ Munawwarah is to go get some nice stay-at-home clothes to do your housework, to lounge with the family.....no more wearing tattered holey t-shirts and kaftans which are frayed at the end..wear something nice to signal "I am at home and i am all yours and i am (trying) to enjoy this" (ehem i am not going into lingerie)suggestions.

a) comfy t-shirts, leggings or yoga pants

b) if you are kain batik person - get nice new batik with matching t shirt/blouse,

c) anything you would like to wear but can't coz you are wearing hijab and it is not appropriate for wearing out...

d) get rid of holey tattered undergarments..they make you feel selekeh...
simple cotton; comfy bras should be for home use)

e) use fat burning tights to burn off fat when you are doing housework....you get a natural workout...

g) Get a good haircut and tie your hair up nicely so that you look nice and neat at home.

f) Clothes must be PRACTICAL for housework (if u are doing housework) and fuss free
( no need to really think if matching or not, no need to dry clean).

h) Clean your make-up or wear minimal natural make-up for home....my kids always complain if i don't remove eye make-up from work coz they say i look harrassed...

i) Apply perfume if there are no other men in the house...even your kids will appreciate it..but try not to wear strong scents when you go out....that is another whole topic on aurat wanita.....

All this can help you feel good about being at home and it just needs a little bit of planning before hand...

Do add on tips....what i have shared is what i have tried..(maid or no maid, even on the busiest days...of course it is easier now that i have the older kids, but it does make you feel better...)

Enjoy home people!!!!

Freedom of expression v mendidik....

2010-11-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Thought of sharing some of my thoughts about parenting..dah lama tinggalkan ni sejak urang active di Ummiku sayang.....but i think i will continue now through my FB notes....

Mendidik anak jadi khalifah bermula dari kecil.

As important as it is to let children learn creativity & freedom of expression - rasanya ajar kemas tupun penting dalam mendidik anak-anak.

Tips to encourage your kids to join in mengemas and still allow creativity and learning.....

For me - upstairs and in the play room boleh sepah and gantung many things. I prepare many boxes for toys, so kalau dah habis main, ajak anak simpan balik. Kalau dah besar sikit - ajak dia sort out toys - eg blocks satu kotak, food-toys satu kotak, dolls satu kotak, pencil satu kotak. Macam main game. Kalau rumah apartment/single room, prepare one corner dengan kotak toyogo yang berlaci.....lepas sepah main ajak "JOM SIMPAN BALIK>>>>"

Living room is no-no...hanya boleh baca buku ( so that ada satu ruang kita simpan as tempat-cantik). This can help esp when u r maidless. Kalau stress boleh minum kopi kat living room.

Bab conteng dinding & tables - i usually line the walls with huge pieces of paper. Teaching respect for property starts from inner tarbiyah - nanti terbiasa pulak conteng dinding & meja..jadi grafitti artis. Kep many buku conteng & paper untuk dia melepas perasaan. The moment dia pegang pen, suakan kertas.

Mak/Ayah kena plan dulu aktiviti & ruang aktiviti sebelum biarkan anak explore.

Tabiat buruk nak buang bila dah besar lebih susah dari kalau dah jadi satu amalan hidup.

Nursery can do it with many kids because ada system & planning for the children. If you leave the child to explore with no boundaries (yang sesuai utk age dia) nanti dah besar lagi susah nak pusing balik. If the nursery you send your kids bersepah and tak terurus..then there must be a problem somewhere....

Remember - your child cannot do what she has not been taught or learnt by example. Ajar pun kena sambil kita buat & jangan marah kalau dia tak pandai atau lupa ( ini bab sabar yang tak tahan ni.....).

Alhamdulillah, sekarang ada maid yang boleh teruskan education ni...tapi dulu masa my 3 girls kecik & no maid - this is the system kak ina guna to keep sane. Even with the maid, gotong royong kutip toys and kemas playroom jadi nightly duty for my older girls so that we get up to a fresh house.

Remember - bukan suruh anak tapi ajak dia dan buat sama2..

Wallahu'alam...

Zuleikha 21 months

2010-11-05T02:31:00.001-07:00

Oh cookies.....

2010-11-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

Ooh, I smell a cookie baking
Tell me, what kind are we making?
Looky, looky, what a cookie
Cookie, cookie, oh

Sugar cookies, peanut butter
Chocolate chip, here comes "anutter"
Looky, looky, what a cookie
Cookie, cookie, oh

Cookie, looky, yummy-yumptious
Deli-ticious, tummy-tumptious
Flavorific, scrummy-scrumptious
Cookie, cookie, oh

I see cookie, mixy, bakey
Ooey, cookie, bixy, makey
Looky, looky, gimme cookie
Cookie, cookie, oh

Cookie, looky, yummy-yumptious
Deliticious, tummy-tumptious
Flavorific, scrummy-scrumptious
Cookie, cookie, oh

Shortening, flour
Eggs, vanilla
Sugar frosting for a filler
Looky, looky
What a cookie
Cookie, cookie, oh

Cookie, looky, yummy-yumptious
Deliticious, tummy-tumptious
Flavorific, scrummy-scrumptious
Cookie, cookie, oh
Cookie, looky, yummy-yumptious
Deliticious, tummy-tumptious
Flavorific, scrummy-scrumptious

Cookie, cookie, oh.

Maryam & Sirah Lesson 1....

2010-10-21T21:43:00.001-07:00

Thots....

2010-10-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

"Classic yet contemporary...to conceal figure and yet look neat and stylish....confident yet humble.....hmmm recipe for ISlamic dressing....can we use our creativity to remain within syariah & fashion boundaries..."

My thoughts for the day...

18 Oct 2010

eid Mubarak.....

2010-09-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

In memory of a sister........

2010-08-23T18:08:00.001-07:00

Bekas wartawan Sukan Utusan Malaysia meninggal

20/08/2010 1:10pm

KUALA LUMPUR 20 Ogos - Bekas wartawan sukan Utusan Malaysia, Sry Angreni Mohd. Zet meninggal dunia akibat pendarahan dalaman di kepala selepas terjatuh ketika menghadiri mesyuarat di pejabat Amanah Raya Berhad, di sini petang semalam.
Allahyarham yang berusia 42 tahun dimasukkan ke Unit Kecemasan Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) kira-kira pukul 3 petang dan menghembuskan nafas terakhir pada pukul 7 petang.
Menurut rakannya, Norzie Mohd. Khasbie, Allahyarham yang bertugas sebagai pegawai perhubungan awam di syarikat Amanah Raya Berhad menghadiri mesyuarat di pejabatnya kira-kira pukul 2 petang sebelum dia tiba-tiba terjatuh.
"Dia kemudian dikejarkan ke HKL. Pihak perubatan berusaha memberi rawatan pernafasan, namun pendarahan dalaman di kepalanya yang didapati telah lama berlaku menyebabkan Allahyarham tidak dapat diselamatkan.
"Pemergian Allahyarham merupakan satu kehilangan besar keluarga Utusan Malaysia. Allahyarham seorang yang sangat aktif berpersatuan dan pernah menjadi Exco Persatuan Penulis-Penulis Sukan Malaysia (SAM)," katanya ketika menziarahi jenazah Allahyarham di HKL malam tadi.
Allahyarham meninggalkan seorang suami dan tiga orang cahaya mata.
Menurut Norzie, Allahyarham yang menetap di Puchong akan dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Gombak tengah hari ini.
Menurut Norzie, Allahyarham juga sering dilantik menjadi panel pemilihan olahragawan dan olahragawati Wilayah Persekutuan dan Selangor.
Allahyarham yang terkenal dengan penulisan sukan badminton, mula bertugas di Utusan Malaysia sejak tahun 1995 sebelum berhenti pada tahun 2005.
Allahyarham pernah bertugas di Biro Utusan Malaysia Putrajaya. - Utusan

Love this picture......

2010-08-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

The making of a Munawwarah Wedding..synopsis...

2010-08-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

This is from the movie "Musang Berjanggut" which was the inspiration for the setting of Hazmi's wedding reception on July 18th @ Dewan Komuniti TTDI.

The scene is "menyambut menantu" where the new bride is taken into the istana with the groom standing by her side.

Mummy took inspiration from this movie to create the wardrobe for the bride and we worked with Radzwan to put together the groom's ensemble.....and we came up with this :-

Hazmi- Hidayah wedding reception 18 July
Bride outfit _ Sri Munawwarah Design by Dato' Tuan Hasnah
Groom outfit _ Radzuan Radziwill
Deco : Gedung Pak Abu

what more can i say...barakallah adinda....

2010-07-19T17:17:00.001-07:00

2010-07-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Working with a great name.....pray our synergy works......

2010-06-01T03:20:00.001-07:00

Promo: Gedung Pak Abu from Manggis TV on Vimeo.

Keeping me in check.....jom motivate ourselves!!!!!

2010-04-14T02:48:00.000-07:00

Another gem from Maryam Iriesya.......

2010-03-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

I am so the busy.....

2010-03-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons why i was so busy last week......

Beautiful collection ...looking forward to seeing in the stores!

2010-03-14T00:35:00.000-08:00

Next on my list..........

2010-03-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

i must save money for this.....HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

From my facebook....fiera chronicles...

2010-03-10T18:34:00.001-08:00

Remove

Haslina Mohd Ali fiera - those are pieces of parquet...not building blocks or a jigsaw puzzle so please stop taking them out and carrying them around my room.....

Today at 19:54 via Facebook for BlackBerry · Comment ·

Shahida Sahlan likes this.

Falisa Abu Bakar

new flooring beckons.... :D

Today at 19:56 ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

Fiera - that is the phone charger - please don't run around with it.........

Today at 20:00 ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

Fiera - that is ur dad's dirty laundry, please don't pretend you can wear it......

Today at 20:00 ·

Falisa Abu Bakar

"Mummy.. I'm a kid.. live with it.."

Today at 20:02 ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

Fiiera - this is my blackberry and it is NOT your fisher price handphone....please don't make phonecalls with it or slobber on it.....tq darling

Today at 20:04 ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

Lis - :HELP!!!she is doing all this as fast as I am updating my status....

Today at 20:07 ·

Falisa Abu Bakar

hahahahhaahhaahhahhahahhahahaha! can still tq darling ok la u... only menguji ...

Today at 20:07 ·

Falisa Abu Bakar

signs of intelligence... fast, quick thinking. You should be glad!

Today at 20:08 ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

Alhamdulillah...

Today at 20:23 ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

Now I have to watch dora the explorer with maryam.....nightmare!!!!!

Today at 20:38 ·

Yuslan Md Yusup

haha..that's one of my son favourites...

5 minutes ago ·

Haslina Mohd Ali

yuslan - the parquet or dora the explorer?

about a minute ago ·

love all my girls....

2010-02-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

Maryam drawing .....

2010-02-19T19:10:00.001-08:00

To CBN Class of 88.....

2009-11-08T18:38:00.001-08:00

It's funny how time flies
How we thought we had forgotten
And yet - surprisingly - we still remember
How to have loads of "teenage-style" fun
Not withstanding the new dimensions(?)
The new commitments
The new lifestyles

What bonds us are the memories
(Of hiding Sweet Dream books behind blackboards)
(And checking out guys from the school next door)
(and running uphill at LAke GArdens)
(of girl guide orientations and gatherings)

How we forget the clashes
and the differences we had
How we undeniably matured and grew
How we no longer wear( or fit) the same uniforms
And how we stood by each other when the "teacher" made us duckwalk for making too much noise....

thanks for the walk down memory lane girls...

This is not about school friends
This is about a sisterhood

(ehem...will call you to make bunga telur and usher for my daughtersssss weddings.....)

Maryam Iriesya the number 4

2009-09-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Ezfiera Zuleikha pictures......

2009-09-15T00:34:00.000-07:00

Ezfiera Zuleikha

Maryam and her earrings

2009-08-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

Maryam had her ears peirced..this is her comment on her earring experience.

To English or Not To English Part 2

2009-07-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

salam all,

Our kids should be flexible enough to adapt to whatever changes there are in their education - because in the real world, nothing is certain and we should be adaptable to change - whether favourable to us or not.

hmmm.. i think in my area ie TTDI - even if the teachers were not as good (my kids come home with stories of correcting teachers' grammer and all), the tuition culture is very in...so i suppose they get back-up from the tuition classes. My kids who don't go for tuition are seen as a minority if not a novelty.

Back to my observations....my kids are all quite proficient in English but one of them still has problem with Maths. It is not a language problem then. Proficiency in language does not equals excelling in subjects taught in English. And i think it would be vice versa.

When we did A Level's i found that some kids who could hardly speak English or were not as proficient were still the ones scoring straight A's....hmmm...they managed to adapt to the English environment and the English referance books - and here we can't say anything about lowering standards as these are marked overseas.

MAybe there is some truth in the reasoning that most terminology would require major translations...and maybe the subjects taught now are more advanced then when we were in school.

I once worked as a copywriter and i can tell you - nak demam kalau nak translate English to BM if it came to technical writing. Takkan semua benda nak "inverted commas" or italics.....

Yes - learning Maths & Science in English will not make you more proficient in the language. My kids learn all the other subjects in BM, but BM still tak dapat nak score. MAybe BM should also be made more interesting to make kids enjoy the classes.....

The PR kids i know go for tuition with the older kids. They have a fantastic support group. When the M&S in English was first implemented i actually offered to do tuition for them, but it turned out they have senior kids who help out and teach them in their own area.

BUt with the right attitude and support from everyone, i am sure there would be a positive outcome out of this. Yang kena tengok negative aja kenapa? Adalah sebab polisi dibuat....and i think we can collectively work to making it feasible and i think the govt should take steps to improve the quality of teachers.

I am sure you faced this in school..siapa yang cakap Orang Putih tu "action" or tak sedar diri........padahal si polan tu memang nak improve their English.How to improve if got attitude like that?

As it is, i agree with Dr M....why take to the streets to demonstrate? It may make things more complicated.........and once NAtional Security and such becomes an issue, then politics and media steps in.

If parents decide AF is their solution to making millions...or getting rezeki dapat kahwin rich man, then it is their personal choice...MAsuklah all the virtual reality game shows....boleh famous....tapi yang pasal entertainment jelah...sebab kalau yang intellectual kena study....=P

Whatever, i still think we have to look at this objectively...i still think it should be left as a choice for the parents and students....

(and i write in English because on the WWW not only Malaysians are reading our postings........)

ina ali
Who is not being very coherent today.....

To English Or Not TO English Part 1

2009-07-14T22:28:00.001-07:00

Salam,

Of course if you ask my daughters,, they will definitely say ENGLISH...coz they have learnt M&S in English all through their schooling life. Fiqa ( born 1996) was the pioneer batch in this new system.

I did have some discussions with my staff who are PR Indonesians - who have kids in this current system....their parents speak no English at all.
(though we have some really hysterical Mind Your LAnguage English classes in case they need to help in the shop)

Anyways, their kids go to SRK Damansara Utama or SRK Damansara Jaya or the likes coz most of them are in Kayu Ara....and surprisingly, with Chinese classmates some of them can still emerge in the top 10 students in the class. I suppose they are the ones who can grasp the knowledge and the language skill...even though i hardly hear them speaking English.

Same goes to when we were studying abroad - some students could not even speak English but their academic English were par excellence and they get first class honours. And do you notice how the Post Grad's kids who go to indy and school there all talk like MAt Salleh.....even though when they started school they knew tad of English. Kids learn faster if the environment is encouraging.

Then again..those PR kids are in urban schools and yes - probably the teachers are more fluent in English or are not even Malay for that matter.....and the fact that they mix with the non-Malays does make them have a boost to speak and comprehend the language.

MAybe one solution is to have two streams - Malay medium and English medium - as in the old days (masa my mom & dad) - some schools are Malay medium and some schools are English medium. Or if it is a big school, they can have Englsih medium classes and Malay medium classes ( as in schools with 10 classes). It would be another headache to class the kids..but at least you have the choice of what you want to learn.The question papers come in 2 languages anyway.....

But for me - Malay or English is not the problem - if there is consistency then we would achieve a focused generation - not a whole lot of guinea pigs or laboratory white mice. If you are lucky the experiments may result in super beings..but if not you get confused freaks who lean towards world domination (i have been watching too much Kim Possible and Totally Spies).

To sum up - yes we can keep the English teaching ( English does not make you un-nationalistic or lupa daratan or lupa agama dan bangsa...) IF we can sort out the Education system to accommodate the urban/rural divide, brush up the teachers ( kena tukar mind set....) OR we can give the students and their parents a choice.

BTW I think my non-English speaking staff would want their kids to continue the English system coz it gives the kids exposure they would not have otherwise...cakap Boyan & JAwa jelah......

But demonstrating in the streets on this matter? what is Malaysia coming to??? That is another heated topic again........ha!ha!ha!

Wallahualam...may Allah guide us in this matter......

For Fiera? ( or for hot gucci mama?)

2009-07-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

OH NO! I found more that i want........no budget!no budget!

3 day special @ Munawwarah - don't miss it !

2009-05-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

You can get details from www.munawwarahdesign.blogspot.com

i got it.....

2009-04-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

ehem.....

Zuleikha dah BOTAK!!!!

2009-04-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

This little girl lost her hair....loads of hair......now she is really BABY BOTAK....

My latest drool.......

2009-03-27T00:53:00.000-07:00

What more can i say.....it is another mega drool.....

Announcing the arrival.....

2009-03-10T02:42:00.000-07:00

And my baby finally arrived...5 days late - considering it's my 5th child - i've been waiting since week 38...but baby stayed put....

On 26 February 2009 at 2256 hours ( after having labour pains for almost 24 hours and spending 15 hours in hospital....) little (?) Ezfiera Zuleikha Mukhriz Mudaris was born at 3.71kg(yikes!) - normal delivery (ouch!).

Alhamdulillah,Ina and the baby are well...dah 13 days and Ina is still sane.....

What does Ezfiera mean?

Aiyo....i wanted the name Zafiera..but everyone was making fun of me as it is a car's name. It means Successful.....

Maryam was calling my tummy Minah.....so we thought maybe Amina wud be a nice classic name.But Amina what.....

All my kids wanted the "fira" name....so we permutated the Zafira to become Ezfiera......

So that is how the name Ezfiera came about....

Zuleikha - my mom is studying Surah Yusof now...and my hubby also came home with a list of names which included Zulaika....so kira okaylah.....

For those counting budget....
I delivered at SDMC (SJMC) - under Dato' DR Siti. Admitted on 26th Feb 8am..delivered Normal delivery at 10.56 pm ( only pain killer jab at 4pm and gas after 8pm).
Took the Violet Suite (coz i have so many kids and wanted a bigger room for them to visit - and kononnya nak pamper diri as this is the last baby...) and stayed till Sunday (3 days)....all in all about 5k (tak sampai 6k).
Not sure if this is normal Dr Siti rates...or if it is long time patient (dah 13 years with her...).

Confinement package

Lulur-Mandi Rempah-Urut-Tunku 2 batu- Bengkung for 14 days from Nona Roguy ( datang rumah ).

Minum Akar Herbanika Nona Roguy, makan Phyto Natal Nona Roguy and Pil Haruan Leesa Formula

Kudos therapist Kak Siah & special thanks to Sharifah Nadia from Nona Roguy Treatment Centre in Taman Tun.
Thanks kak mona for your ConfineMum package....looking forward to use the tungku after my 14 days urut is over....

Bengkung - alternate usage between the Nona Roguy one and the Leesa Formula one.....

Intermediate (when tak pakai bengkung and the stuff the therapist uses on me) - Ginger Cream Leesa Formula and Cream Batnun(courtesy of Dato' Sarimah) to be applied on my tum-tum at night.

At the moment am at pre-preggy weight but not sure whether will go up or down coz baby Zuleikha always hungry ( and ummi tak larat nak makan banyak....)

Tired of eating rice (thanks to my hubby for cooking)....now shifting to Western diet (takpe ke?)

Hmmm....can't wait to get back to work....

Nak tengok gambar baby..i'll post some in my blog - inaali.blogspot.com (if the internet tak terhegeh-hegeh) or my Face Book http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=30012&id=651174000&l=6454b

ina ali

And baby makes 5.......

2009-03-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy....i have no boys.....

And 5 girls....

Alhamdulillah.....

More later......

Morning bebels on economy, business and consumer practice....

2009-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

It is rather scary watching the downward spiral in today's economic situation...and i think we have to be extremely careful about the decisions we make in the name of being prudent.

I studied a wee bit of economics way back during my A-Level days - and the impact of learning micro & macro economics does intrigue me...how one collective decision by a group of consumers can actually result in a huge domino effect which can bring down not only one business or company, but whole countries.

How the panic which results from a recession can make matters worse......resulting in inflation and depression. And a worse economic downturn that we may never get out of.

My hubby actually majored in Economics. and my mummy is a veteren business woman who has gone through a whole lot of experiences in riding recessions, family economic crisis and of course Munawwarah's 20 years experience in being in the market......and we are forever discussing how the turn of world events will effect our lives, our country and as business owners - our own businesses.

Tawakal plays a major role in facing economic downturn.....but if collectively - as consumers, if we do not make the right decisions - we may regret it for the rest of our lives.....Usaha and educated decisions make a whole lot of difference to our lives.....

Riding the waves of a recession requires careful planning. Spending is good for fighting the downturn....keeping money in the bank by the lorry loads is not.

But spend wisely on Local businesses so that somehow the money still goes around in our economy.

That is why the govt gives us the option of less epf contributions so that if you need the extra cash, you can use the money you have ( i am sure u understand that) - ie to increase liquidity.

Oh dear..what have i done..it is 245 in the mrning and i started yakking about economics...macam terror sangat..,,,,

And I second Lily (Ummikusayang) & Yati(alamak tak tahu nama bakery dia....)'s observation about how "small business orang Melayu" is always downplayed next to business "established" - especially in the area of discounts and consumer ethics. I think we as Muslims have some responsibility as not to aniaya orang and that our policies and prices are honest reflections of our products and the effort we put in. MPH does not have to explain "no discounts"..but we have to go through lengthy explanations about how we have to meet costs etc.......Panjang cerita bab ni...but i shall refrain as i said it is 3am..and i need to do some accounts work (alang2 tak boleh tidur......).

Believe me - i am speaking from a position as a consumer (who loves shopping....), a mother to 4 growing kids who need food, education and a stimulating lifestyle, a business woman in marketing ( who needs to strategize so that the business does not suffer), an employer ( with more then 20 persons employed under our company) and as a Muslim, Malaysian citizen who would hate to see the country, the race and the religion fall because of emotional and irrational panic sentiments.........not as someone who is just watching the economic plight of everyone around me..........

bebel pukl 3 pagi

ina ali.

Too tired ( tak larat...)

2009-02-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Well...it's the final countdown.....

Anyone who has been in my shoes would understand completely how i feel.

Everyone saying "Belum lagi?' "Not yet?"

Yup...I am still round and around.........

Back to throwing up at night...

Back to not knowing what to eat....

So....if i don't update my blog, do understand.....i have 2 - 3 weeks left ( or in maternity terms - ANYTIME! coz i am already 37 weeks...baby is already term.....)

Nope - i still have not got my maid.....my baby preparations are 60% ok......my house renovations just started today......

My work at the shop has moved to the training and organising phase "what to do when ina is not around......"

Work is timed according to when i have the energy........

And does it really matter if the name i have chosen is a name of a car? Would it matter in 10 years time?

Oh well......

And i fell in love...

2009-01-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

It's ridiculous..but i suppose that is what love is all about....i have splurged so early in the year. A trend for the rest of the year? Or my only purchase for the year?????

But then again, there's always requests for

a) my delivery (or should i get a bling-bling?but i never am a bling2 jewellery person)
b) my birthday
b) my wedding anniversary
c) hari Raya
d) Mother's Day

or if all these celebrations are not your cuppa tea...maybe anyday is a good day to celebrate.......

Target of request :-
a) hubby dearie....
b) single brother ( sape surh tak kahwin lagi...bila ada anak-bini i tak kacaulah....kut...)
c) mother ( he!he!he! i don't need to get her to buy for me - she buy for herself and then i BORROW!!!!!)
d) hubby dearie ( bila lagi.....)

I suppose when you work 24-7 and have all these kids and staff and customers to cater for around you - you would understand the need to release some pent up tension.......

Oh boy....cukuplah LV keluarkan barang baru....

New school year.....

2009-01-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

And the story goes....

Syafiqa is in Form One. Afternoon session. Though the school is in front of my house (yes i listened to the whole assembly this morning...), Fiqa goes to the shop with me...so she goes to school at 12noon with the pakcik who sends MAryam back from KAFA.

Yup...Maryam (3 in April) is in school....complete with orange uniform, Barbie schoolbag and Strwaberry shortcake water tumbler. Woops..lets not forget her sparkling white shoes.......She goes from 9am - 12 pm...complete with one meal which from experience will be the most unforgetable session in school....

Aisha (Standard 3) and Ameera (Standard 5) go to school at 7.15am and return to the shop at 1.30pm. Ameera runs up the stairs at the shop, has lunch, solat zohor and goes to KAFA ( 2.30 - 4pm). Aisha has her lunch and takes a nap till 3.15pm. Aisha leaves for KAFA at 4pm - 6.30pm.

Then Syafiqa comes home at 6.30pm and goes to KAFA for agama tinggi 3 times a week (8pm-9.30pm).

Hmmm........

This story has not been complicated by any ko-kurikulum, Mandarin classes in school or JQAF yet........simple direct logistics.

We await the rest of the school year.....

More New Zealand pictures.....to remind me that i HAVE to go again!!!!!!!

2008-11-29T02:13:00.001-08:00

To add to their resumes.....

2008-11-17T22:37:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday i attended my kids' khatam quran and hari anugerah cemerlang for KAFA AZZAHRAWAN. This year it was held at Kiara Equestarian....

This year memang surrender ! I was too tired and exhausted to prepare anythng for the girls.....thank Allah for other mothers who had the time to help source for clothes for my Fiqa & Ameera. Turned out quite nice actually.....although the only tudung i could find were the white bawal with sharowski worn with the tudung T small Munawwarah.

This year Fiqa and Ameera khatam Quran for the fourth time....a record for Ameera who actually khatam every year since Standard One. ALhamdullillah..memang tabiklah this kids......

They all did fairly well..even my ever-active Aisha who got 3rd place in her class (we shall not go into detail about her academic results...enuf said that she was almost put in another class.....but is still in 3 Tekad....). Ameera got first place and Fiqa got 2nd. Hmm..whatever it is this year memang ummi tak larat nak tolong study..so congrats girls, you did a good job!

Fiqa also got her UPKK results and cert...8As....alhamdullilah....

AND she was also awarded Murid Cemerlang for KAFA 2008 - the highest award for the KAFA every year.

I enjoyed the show as well....the girls sang and did a pantomine - but the little boys were the ones who really took the show....hmmm..me not having little boys of my own...memang comel betul the boys and their boria and their choral speaking. TAK LARAT!!!!!!!!

All in all - well done girls......ummi is happy for you........

Negativity

2008-11-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

It's funny how so many people..especially orang Melayu...are so fast in jumping to conclusions which are very negative.

We have this really bad habit of forgetting that we do not see the whole picture before we make assumptions...(usually negative ones).

Maybe we should start a new habit of making excuses for people...sangka baik....if someone seems rude and grouchy..maybe it is just a bad day for them. Maybe she is ill or has a big major problem.......

We can't expect everyone to be bright and chirpy everyday. Some major problems are just too big to make dissappear in public.

I suppose bad drivers are like that coz they are all rushing to get to the nearest toilet (?!).

Little toddlers throw tantrums and misbehave coz nobody seems to understand what they want (and why is mummy taking so long to shop.....)

I have people complaining that i don't answer their comments and ideas in my blogs......but darlings.....there is only so much i can do...and this internet line can be extremely unreliable.....half way through a long friendly letter, suddenly the internet kapoots......so instead just drop three worded answers..dah orang kat sombong.....

When i walk into the shop, baru kena marah dengan boss or staff buat hal or my poor back is killing me...tak sempat nak senyum dah kena marah stock tudung tak cukup.........bila tak senyum balik,customer kata sombong...Waduh.....

But i suppose that is customer service for you......nak tak nak kena senyumlah, walaupun sambil tahan sakit belakang yang teramat......

Not aiming this at anyone, but just telling myself, sometimes some people see a side of you when you are not ready and may judge you for life........maybe we should start giving people chances to prove that their bad side was just a passing incident on a certain day.....making excuses for all the bad behaviour we see........or is it coz we are in a bad mood - apa orang buat semua salah......hmmm....another topic to think about.....

Wallahu'alam...

Results....

2008-11-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hmm..

This is my first "major exam" results experience.

Oh..next to the UPKK results last year....

UPSR.

After the exams, asked Fiqa "How was it?"

She (being Fiqa) said " We will wait for the results lah....".

I suppose being politically correct...if she said "easy" - the results may not show it....if she said "difficult"- it would keep us worried to the end....so stick to what is safe..typical Syafiqa.

Anyway, when they announced results coming out today....i told my hubby - we cancel all appointments for Thursday morning and be there to get the results.

"Must go ke?" he said.

Well, i am hardly there for any school activity - the least i could do is be there for her results.

Hmm....to make a long story short..the school did better then last year and 37 kids got 5As.....and Fiqa was one of them squealing and jumping up and down on stage......Alhamdulillah.

After the results were announced, i hugged her. and she said "My friends like your handbag....".

Ehem.....what do i expect from Fiqa......

When i left her, she was being interviewed by the school photographer....

Next in line
Ameera's UPKK in 2009
Ameera's UPSR in 2010,
Aisha's UPKK in 2011,
Fiqa's PMR in 2011,
Aisha's UPSR in 2012,
Ameera's PMR AND Fiqa's SPM in 2013.

Ehem....then we start the little ones...Maryam and Baby Adik........

Maryam go to school

2008-10-31T03:17:00.000-07:00

The Maryam Saga continues....

Okay...one hurdle settled. I am glad to report that Maryam has started to sleep in her bed.....well..i still allow her to run and climb into my bed in the middle of the night..but 3 out of 5 nights, she has slept in her bed the whole night through.

We go through the routine "Tidur bed ummi sekejap aja (just a short while in ummi's bed)".

I read her a story book and then we snuggle up and go to sleep.
( Ideally she goes to sleep and i get up and do the laundry..but let me tell you i fail terribly.....)

Then ayah comes and tucks her into "bed-pink" ( when he comes home form work time ranging from 12 midnight to 2am?????).

End of story (sometimes)

The other nights, she still comes and climbs into bed with me...but this may be due to the current upheaval in her life......Maryam has started to go to SCHOOL!!!!!! YEY!!!!!!

It all started a few days ago. She has been a little bit restless over the last few weeks. One because it is always raining and she can't go to the playground.....Second, i suspect she senses the baby coming Third, i have been so busy with kakak's exams, housework, raya....all sort of physical and emotional challanges for her.

Anyway, she has started to climb cupboards to get to the 'dangerous' things we keep out of her reach (like scary and 'adult' vcds like Harry Potter) and throwing tantrums when she wants something. Her appetite is always for sweet things - sweets and sweet water which makes her even more hyper and difficult to control. Terrible two to the optimum!

SO i decided to let her follow her kakak to KAFA (religous school) in the afternoon - coz exams are over and they are just singing and preparing for speech day. She came back thrilled to bits....was very co-operative and showed more interest on her books and colouring...hmmmmm.....

Thus, yesterday 30 October 2008, was MArayam's first day in the KAFA pre-school/kindy. I don't expect her to learn much....just social skills and being independent, but she does seem more settled....less jumpy and much less tantrummy.

What do they do in school?

this is Maryam's answer:-

"Makan cereal. ( Eat cereal)

*****************************************

After 3 days of school...Maryam demam...alah sian baby ummi.

I conclude - she is mentally ready for school but physically she still is better off here with me in the office.

So she is out of school again but more happy then before her first school experience.

Brownie recipe from Lily......got picture also but i tak larat nak tengok banyak kali.....

2008-10-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or vege oil. ( I used whatever cooking oil I have in the kitchen - whether vege or kelapa sawit or canola)
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts - I skipped this because there was no walnuts (at home or the nearby shop).

Method:
1) Melt butter (if using butter) or put the oil in mixing bowl
2) Mix the rest of the ingredients above according to order given.

I used leftover self-raising flour from Raya cooking. Just added the baking powder and salt in because the flour would have gone flat by now. Didn't even sift.

Mix until combined. No need to be "fluffy".

Put in pan - I used 9x9 pan. Bake for 20-30 mins at 350 degrees.

Leave to cool before cutting.

Maryam has a little bed.... (Macam Mary had a little lamb)

2008-10-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

This is another of the Maryam chronicles...

Usually all my kids sleep in their cot when they are small and they have no problem whatsoever switching to sleeping in their own bed when another little baby appears.

But with Maryam it has been a different scenario altogether.

Being the jet-setter she is, and the fact that she travels with me ever so often, most of the time, she will sleep with me - more then ever an arm-pit attachment cum accessory. Being the breast-feeding monster of all times, she sleeps with me in London (4 times), New Zealand, Melbourne, Mecca, Terengganu.......all over the world.....I suppose sometimes it may be due to the fact that i get very tired after a long day (and also the older you get, the more rest you need..), it is much easier to just let her snuggle up in your arms and have her sleep with her breath on your face.

I am talking about Maryam sleeping on my arm...not just her being satisfied sleeping in the same bed as me.....even daddy gets pushed aside...."I love my ummi" ....."tak sayang ayah" ( I don't love daddy). Oh well...very flattering..until your tummy starts to grow big.........and your back aches from facing one side all night long. The moment i turn around she will scream "Ummi Turn awound"......

One night a few weeks ago, i asked her " Why don't you sleep in Aisha's room?" (the attached room to mine, where Maryam's cot is, and my other daughter Aisha sleeps).

"Sebab Maryam takde bed," she explains.

"But you have your cot..."

"Itu untuk baby botak" (that is for the bald baby) - referring to the little one in my tummy.

So, she went on to demand for a "bed pink - with bantal(pillows) pink and selimut (blanket) pink".

OKAY>>>>>>>i am desperate......

For days she was bugging me to get her "bed pink".

Even when she was hanging on to my pants not allowing me to go to work, all i needed to do was say "I have to go to work to get money". Then she would reply "Money to buy my pink bed?".....and she will say "okay you can go now."

And so, on one day, i did that visit to IKEA and bought her a bed...not pink....but white with colourful hearts and shocking pink bedsheet.

She could not wait. We set up the bed in Aisha's room. Woops! daddy forgot a part so he had to go get the bed slats (you know how it can be with IKEA stuff). So we placed the mattress in the bed frame (not on the slats)..and she spent about an hour playing in the bed (?).

Finally when the slats came, she looked at the bed and smiled.....Ini Bed Pink Maryam. She posed for pictures ( the ones you see here) and happily showed it off to every one....and then she said "Ummi jom tidur." (Ummi, lets go to sleep).

I tucked her in, turn off the lights.....kissed her goodnight and went back to my room ....AND SHE FOLLOWED ME.

Maryam sleep with ummi tonight........

Oh well..........

No time lah.....

2008-10-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

How i wish i had the time to sit here all day writing out all sorta blogs and articles talking about everything which effects me under the sun.

My family, my business, my observations, my feelings on everything which concerns me (and doesn't)....

I wish i could write about my confusion, my mengahness (shortness of breath), my escapades, my encounters....

There are things to write about my kids and school politics (aiyo..standard six also got politics....), how to convince my 2 year old to move out of my bed, how to stop my two year old from turning my house and office upside down.....how to maintain my sanity through a late 30's pregnancy with 4 kids, business and no maid......

Aaah..the maid is another whole multiple chapter novel......

And the luxury of time and energy to finish accounts, attend to customers, arrange human resource in the shop, prepare for a fashion show, set up a whole association, be a good Muslimah, wife, mother and daughter.......and all above that is the time to SHOP(with unlimited supply of cash...) and go to the spa.........

And to have the time to write about how grateful i am for all that has been blessed on me...and the strength awarded to me to face everything.....

Well...for now this is all i have tme to write...as colourful and as busy as it sounds....you have to be in my shoes (new shoes!!!!!yey!!!!) to know the intensity of life for me........

Until i find the time again.......

Old friends popping up....

2008-09-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's funny how your past catches up on you....

Over the past few days, people i have thought of many times over the last few years have all popped up again in my life....of course with the notorious Facebook and the ever reliable blogspot...suddenly 15 years ago ...wait 20 years ago does not seem like too long.

Notwithstanding, i have a twelve year old who stands up right up to my forehead...and a 10 year old who can't wear my shoes coz they are too small.....both who work part time in Munawwarah.....and can help me do laundry and clean the house.

I beg to plead that i don't have friends from kindy days (32 years ago - Zuri have i known you that long?????) and that i graduated 14 years ago!!!!!(1994)....and i have worn tudung (hijab) for 19years! YIKES!What happened to single digit memoirs????

That Form 5 was 20 years ago......why does it all feel like yesterday?

Munawwarah is officially 16 years old....i have been in business for almost 15 years.....

To all the fantastic memories......alhamdullillah.....

And to all the dark and dreary ones...you have been and will be a guide to my future......

Hmm....my 12 year old is on the other computer.....my 10 year old & 8 year old & my 2 year old are sleeping.....and i am thinking about the past......

Love these pictures....

2008-09-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

http://blog.zulkhas.com/?cat=43

Sample of pictures......

Picture entitled " ENOUGH MODELING"- in Queenstown, New Zealand

UPSR countdown....

2008-09-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Salam all..

The final countdown is here.....

My daughter is freaking out ( well, a least i think she is.....)

In 6 days she (and I) will be facing her first big exam......

My advise to her - there is not much more you can cram in in this final days......what you need now is

a) doa - banyakkan amal dan berdoa. Hanya Allah yang boleh bantu kita dalam menempuh ujian dalam hidup ini. Kalau kita dah pandai dan dah faham semua benda, kalau kita tak mintak ehsan Allah, anything can go wrong.

b) be on your best behaviour - to all around you. Your adik beradik, your family, your parents.........animals, alam sekitar...everything..jangan aniaya orang.....

c) don't be arrogant, sombong or overconfident...be calm and pray that all that you have learnt directly and indirectly can be applied to your exams

d) good health..kurangkan minum ais and cold drinks - nanti tak sihat......susah nak focus dalam exam. DOn't play in the rain or hot sun.....rest if you are tired.

e) Less storybooks ( but Fiqa claims the books help her creative streak while doing BM essays.....)

f) Loads of doa from all family members.....

Oh well......in the long run, doakan yang terbaik for our kids.......

Munawwarah Hajj & Umrah Shop open on Sundays>>

2008-07-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

Salam all,

Just a slight change on our opening times.....

Due to demand from those bound for hajj & umrah - our NO 33 shop (hajj & umrah department) will be open on Sundays from 9.30am to 6 pm.

ONLY the no 33 Jalan Tun MOhd Fuad 3 shop will be open, so if you want to see our full range of tudungs and our fashion clothes in the NO 14 & 16 Persiaran Zaaba shops, we suggest you come on Monday - Saturday.......

Thank you......

***********************************************************

Untuk kemudahan pelanggan haji dan umrah - bahagian haji & umrah Sri Munawwarah di NO 33 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3 akan dibuka pada hari Ahad 9.30 pagi hingga 6 petang.

Untuk maklumam, hanya kedai NO 33 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3 akan dibuka....jika anda ingin melihat koleksi sepenuhnya di semua kedai-kedai kami, jemputlah datang pada hari Isnin - Sabtu......

Terima kasih.....

And the whining and the groaning..

2008-07-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

Oh..and Maryam has a fever.

Earlier this week it was Aisha who happily missed 3 days of school......not with standing that she has monthly tests next week and still can't get a hang of the time bit in Maths (i foresee some tears during her revision sessions with daddy coz mummy is so-out-of-sync).

I type with a little koala on my lap........half opened eyes with little droplets of sweat after taking her panadol kids..sucked like a sweet.......

And believe me - when Maryam is sick......lo and beware.....the major 'rengeking' (whining) of a two year old that only a mother would understand......her demands of "ice-sream" intermingled with "mickey mouse" ( the Appeton Vitamin C) and "nak tengok cerita monster" (want to watch monster movie aka Iron Giant).

This comes interspaced with "Nak UMMI!" for everything from changing her diapers to combing her hair to feeding her bits of roti botak ( the mexican bun with the coffee on top....). And again, it is ummi who needs to tolerate her delirious bouts of singing at 3 am.....try rolling a BIG HUG (with her hands around my neck and her mouth next to my ear) and singing all sorta songs which i have yet to decipher the lyrics into one double bed occupied by a snoring ayah and a sleep deprived ummi (who also tends to get up in the middle of the night to retch).

Hmmmm.....it is going to be a looooooooong night...................

Prenatal Massage

2008-07-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Found this article in a parenting/pregnancy site..i have always enjoyed pre-natal massage.....usually i go to MIMI at Spa Artiyana......memang melegakan........
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Pregnancy brings countless changes to your body, and unfortunately, some of these changes are more painful than pleasurable. An aching back, hips, and legs; nausea; insomnia; headaches; swollen feet; and unpredictable hormones are all a part of a normal pregnancy. However, many women have discovered a way to ease some of the discomfort associated with pregnancy and even improve their labor and delivery. The secret is prenatal massage.

The therapeutic benefits of massage have been known since 3000 B.C. or earlier. However, the benefits of massage for pregnant women and even infants are a relatively new discovery and prenatal massage is becoming an increasingly popular practice.

When you are pregnant, your skeletal structure supports an increasing amount of weight, your organs shift to accommodate the baby, and you go through significant emotional and psychological changes. A massage therapist certified in prenatal massage is trained to manipulate those muscles most affected by these changes to help alleviate some of the discomfort, and the relaxation can help ease your emotional rollercoaster.

Studies have shown that prenatal massage can:

Relieve depression, anxiety, and nervousness caused by hormonal changes

Increase blood and lymph circulation, which helps to reduce swelling and improves the oxygen supply to the baby

Relieve muscle discomfort such as cramping, tightening, stiffness, and knots

Reduce pain and encourage relaxation, which can facilitate labor

Improve muscle and skin tone

Provide emotional support through nurturing touch

Promote relaxation and relieve insomnia

Relieve stress on weight-bearing joints such as lower back, pelvis, and ankles

Alleviate neck, shoulder, and back pain caused by muscle imbalance

Studies at the University of Miami, School of Medicine, show that just 20 minutes of massage twice a week for five weeks reduces stress hormones in the body, improves mood and sleep patterns, and reduces anxiety and back pain. Studies also show that women who received regular massages during pregnancy had lower rates of premature birth, fewer obstetrical problems, and their babies had a lower rate of postnatal complications.

Most experts recommend you avoid prenatal massage during your first trimester when your body is still getting used to the pregnancy, and some believe there may be a connection between first trimester prenatal massage and miscarriage. However, prenatal massage is perfectly safe during your second and third trimesters, and you’ll appreciate the benefits more the further along you are. You should always check with your doctor before beginning any new treatment or procedure when you are pregnant, and many massage therapists even require you to obtain a written note from your doctor or midwife before receiving a prenatal massage.

A certified prenatal massage therapist will have a special table and pillows designed for your comfort and the baby’s safety. Since you shouldn’t lie on your back for an extended period of time after the 20th week, most therapists will have you lie on your side, or in a semi-reclining position. Experts disagree on the safety of tables designed with a hole cut out to accommodate your belly, which allows you to lie on your stomach; many believe this causes unnecessary stress to your lower back. The rest of the massage room will be familiar to anyone who’s received a massage before, decorated with soft lighting, soothing music, and a warm, extra-padded table for you to lie on. Some therapists use scented candles or lotions. If these bother your sensitive nose, ask that they be changed to unscented or removed.

A prenatal massage may last anywhere from ten to 60 minutes, depending on your schedule and discomfort. Your level of dress at the massage is completely up to you and your comfort level. Some women prefer to wear nothing, while others choose to wear just their underwear, or bra and underwear. You will be covered with a blanket and only those parts that are being worked on will be uncovered. During the massage, direct and sustained pressure should not be applied to the area between your ankle bone and heel. Many therapists and reflexologists consider this area to be connected with the uterus and vagina and it is thought that heavy pressure on this area may induce early labor.

Prenatal massage is usually fine for healthy women during a normal pregnancy. However, women with any of the following conditions should not have a prenatal massage:

Heavy discharge (bloody or watery)
Gestational diabetes
Fever
Vomiting
Unusual pain
Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia
High blood pressure
Morning sickness
Diarrhea
Threatened miscarriage
Early labor
Placental dysfunction
Infectious disease
Thrombophlebitis
Skin irritation and/or discharge
Any high-risk pregnancy
Other prenatal massage therapy safety tips include:

Never lie on your back for a massage after the 20th week of pregnancy

Never massage open sores, areas where you have a rash, over raised or distended varicose veins, or near any site of infection

You should never experience pain during a massage. Alert your therapist immediately if you do and they should stop

Always have a certified prenatal massage therapist perform the massage – a generic massage therapist will not necessarily understand the important differences of a pregnant woman’s body, and may perform an unsafe massage for your baby. To find a certified prenatal massage therapist, ask for recommendations from your doctor or midwife, hospital, or your regular massage therapist. Also, the American Massage Therapy Association has a chapter in each state as well as a nationwide referral system in the United States and Canada. Take the time to speak with a prospective massage therapist before your first session to determine their level of expertise, training, and understanding of pregnancy-related issues. Some questions you may want to ask a prospective massage therapist include:

Always have a certified prenatal massage therapist perform the massage – a generic massage therapist will not necessarily understand the important differences of a pregnant woman’s body, and may perform an unsafe massage for your baby. To find a certified prenatal massage therapist, ask for recommendations from your doctor or midwife, hospital, or your regular massage therapist. Also, the American Massage Therapy Association has a chapter in each state as well as a nationwide referral system in the United States and Canada. Take the time to speak with a prospective massage therapist before your first session to determine their level of expertise, training, and understanding of pregnancy-related issues. Some questions you may want to ask a prospective massage therapist include:

How much prenatal massage training do you have? How much experience doing prenatal massage?

How long have you been practicing massage therapy? Prenatal massage therapy?

What kind of massage table do you use for pregnant women?

How will you handle positioning me as I progress through my pregnancy?

Regular prenatal massages can get expensive. Depending on where you live, an hour-long session can cost anywhere from $50-$110. If this doesn’t fit into your budget, consider having your partner give you a massage. Not only is this great relaxation for you, it can be a great way for your partner to feel more involved in your pregnancy, relax him or her at the same time, and can be a special bonding experience for both of you. Many hospitals and birth centers offer classes for partners to learn how to perform a safe and comfortable prenatal massage. Here are some massage tips for your partner to try:

Have the mother-to-be straddle a chair, facing the back of the chair. Place a few pillows between her and the chair back, allowing her to lean forward and relax against the cushioning.
Use an unscented massage oil or lotion to lubricate your hands. Pour a few drops onto the palm of your hand and rub your hands together to warm them. Cold oil and hands can be an uncomfortable shock to your partner, tense her muscles, and be counterproductive to the goal of the massage.
Place your hands on her lower back, just below the waistline and slowly begin sliding your hands up her back on either side of her spine. Never massage directly on her backbone or over the spinal column.
As you reach her shoulders, cross your hands slowly and gently across her upper back, and then continue down the opposite side of her spine back to the starting point.
Continue this up and down massage for several minutes until the muscles are warm and relaxed.
Now apply gentle pressure to any area of her back where she is feeling pain or tension. Use the heel of your hand or the pads of your fingers, bearing down slightly and continuing in a circular motion.
Always remember to be gentle – this is not the time for an intense deep-tissue massage. Stop immediately if your partner expresses pain or discomfort.
Finish the massage with several more minutes of the up and down massage. Then cover her with a warm blanket and let her rest there for five to ten minutes

Reading Time

2008-07-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Aisha is learning to read time in school maths......i pun dah nak give up nak cari easy ways to teach her........
I've used
http://www.mrmckeown.com/Revision/Time/Telling%20the%20Time.htm and
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/clock.php

Oh lah the mabuk....

2008-07-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

yup....believe it or not i am pregnant AGAIN! Have yet to visit Dr Siti....to confirm all is okay.........

It's my fifth and i think my last pregnancy.How come i don't remember this part of pregnancy? All i remember is having he screaming gurgling kids in the end....and did that tall kid come out of me???????

Morning sickness galore.......

everone is praying for a boy for me - but me being me ... tak kisahlah girl ke boy. As long as i & the kid are in good health....

Though i doubt my sanity at this very moment.

What with all this work and the peak season at Munawwarah..and fiqa having exams in two blinks of an eye.....

pray that all will go well....

Closed on Sundays...

2008-07-21T01:48:00.000-07:00

Assalamu'alaikum...

Just to infrom everyone that Munawwarah will be closed every Sunday beginning Sunday 27th July 2008. we regret any inconveniences, and hp eto see you on our other days of operation...

Thank you for your co-operation!

Please pass the word around.....

Imitations .......

2008-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Waduh..lately we have been given info of so-lah the banyak imitation of our tudungs and also rumours & claims of all sorts relating to Munawwarah....

Our policy for now - let all of them come out and we will go on with our business....

Just goes to show how the market works.....full of nasty people out to make money.........at any cost.....

Munawwarah new stores in Taman Tun operating 27 June 2008

2008-06-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Salam all...

The new Munawwarah stores will be operational starting tomorrow Friday 27th June 2008 10 am......

Official opening ? Not yet......so don't expect huge banners & offers....but we do have some very interesting new pieces in at the moment........

Location of our stores :-

No 31 & 33 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3 is facing the big parking lot and is on the same row as KFC, RHB bank, Perwira Affin Bank & Shell.
No 14 & 16 Persiaran Zaaba is on the row behind.....if you are walking from the 33 shops, take the small lane next to La Manila and turn right at the end...we are a few doors away. No 14 & 16 is on the same row as Perodua and Santai and is facing the main road & houses.

If you need a map, you can go to www.munawwarah.com

We suggest parking in the big parking lot as parking may be a problem in the area.........

Store guide is as below:-

No 14 Persiaran Zaaba - Ladies clothes & Tudung ( for Munawwarah collection - Tudung Ameera & Lina)
No 16 Persiaran Zaaba - Ladies Clothes(Our coloured Munawwarah t-shirts are here.....) & Tudung ( for Munawarah collection - Limited edition & Maisara)
No 31 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3 - Haji & Umrah
No 33 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3- Men & Ladies Collections

We are still ironing out the logistics....but in the mean time - hope to see you....

** In case you want to know.....the picture is of Selendang T Maisara Limited Edition......part of our new releases....

Sri Munawwarah Design
33 Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 3
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Kuala Lumpur
03-77270244
03-77267244
sales@munawwarah.com

Opening hours
Monday - Thursday & Saturday
9.30 am - 6.30 pm
Friday 11am - 6.30 pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

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Hajj Tips 1

2008-06-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

I went for my hajj on the last flight to Mekah in 2004.....basically one week before wukuf. I did Tamatuk, but the rest of my roommates did Ifrad. That is your personal choice.

Pros & cons from Munawwarah's 20 years of research....

a) Going early ie to Madinah first

Pro - you get to get in the mood...concentrate on ibadah earlier on before you go to Mekah & do your hajj.....you get to forget about work and all that....

Con - you overdo the ibadah routines..ada orang yang dah boring....you get tired & sick due to exposure to cold weather & exhaustion and you start missing your kids......when i got to Mekah, a lot of people dah kena flue & cough from Madinah.Nak shopping awal-awal pun serba salah ie - nak shopping buah tangan, haji belum buat lagi.

Leaving Malaysia early does not mean you go to Mekah early...if your trip to Mekah schedules you for later, you still arrive in Mekah about 10 days before wukuf. And if you are very early, you will leave Mekah quite early as well.....so tak sempat do anything much in Mekah.....

b) Going To Mekah first.

Pro - you are fresh & enthusiastic to do your hajj. Usually you are healthy and full of energy. You focus to your hajj & can withhold buying buah tangan till after the hajj...less guilt.

Con - You may not get to have a break to get in focus..ie you work till the last day.
It may be too crowded, but you will have to pandai-pandai to find a good time to do your umrah or your first tawaf. You may not be able to shake off your jet lag - so you better get used to only 3 hours sleep and get short naps n between solat times.
Some takut tak sempat buat umrah before wukuf due to the crowd, but i think you can do it if you yakin & know what to do.

Don't rely 100% on a mutawiff.....ilmu & keyakinan is very important. Bring a long a comprehensive guide book....

Some of my customers who go later, and stay for 40 days tell me of days when the haram and nabawi is empty....

saying all that, i think it does not really matter whether you go early or late - but the best is you have to take precautions to avoid health problems & to find a way through the crowd. Dapat hotel dekat alhamdullillah, tapi kalau hotel jauh, adjust your ibadah accordingly to your health & kebolehan. We usually advise not to overdo the ibadahs before wukuf....especially if your hotel is jauh, avoid peak times at the mosque - if you go to the mosque, make sure it is well off the peak times to go & balik.....and if tak larat, don't go for solat jumaat right before the hajj.....i

Insya Allah if nothing goes wrong, Mummy & me will be on IKIM again this Friday to talk about the Hajj and umrah.....the programme is at 5.15pm.

ina ali

Tudung pictures....

2008-06-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Pictures of our Lycra Maisara Tudung - the front is from Thai Silk. Fiqa is wearing the version with a spit down the front......I'm wearing the longer version with no split down the front. Price? Around RM95 - RM140 depending on material.....Also refer to pictures with mummy & the family in the earlier blog posts.

Floral Maisara? Hmmmmm i still don't have the pictures for that......

Beware of imitations!!!!

Maryam & Aisha.....and Tarzan the gorilla.....

2008-06-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tak larat kan????? It's not easy to get MAryam to co-operate macam ni.....the photographer has to be fast....

Cheerio Pok su.....

My girls..

2008-06-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

How they have grown......when i compare gambar in 2007 and 2008 i realise how much they have matured into "bigger, taller and cheekier" versions of my little munchkins.....

My favourite companion doa book....

2008-06-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite doa books....the first one - CITADEL of THE BELIEVER has been my constant companion since my hajj and throughout all my musafir trips.....business or leisure.

We always forget that our doa is makbul when we are musafir - as long as the reason for the musafir is not maksiat. So may it be a holiday trip with your family to the beach ( aurat & solat mesti jaga!) or what more for umrah..then for sure your doa will be answered if it is the best for you at that time.

Anyway, this book compiles the doas from the quran & hadeeth....for every situation imaginable. when you wake up, go to sleep, get dressed, leaving the house, in the mrning, evening, when attending a wedding, for newborns,invocations for grief, settling a debt..even supplication against the oppression of rulers and against enemies.....

Very handy pocket size.....and clear English translations. They also have the BM version......

Ameera's bee storytelling.....

2008-05-18T20:23:00.001-07:00

Ameera represented the school for English story telling a couple of months ago. Okaylah.....she is very enthusiastic although half the time i think the school kids tak faham her English ( very the mat-salleh you.....blink-blink).
Anyway....she triumphantly announced that she has made it to the peringkat negeri.....okaylah...kena wakil zone BAngsar....yesterday....

I am such a bad mom.. i had no time to run and get her costume...but the darling Puan Liyana her teacher went with another mom and picked out a bumble bee outfit for her.

I am also a bad mom coz i di not go to see her perform but her daddy did and got video shots of her doing the story.

Well, i suppose i am an okay mom coz i did her makeup.......and adjusted her tudung.....before she left home...but this is what happens when you have 4 kids and no maid and business to run - you only do insignificant stuff for your kids....(sniff!!!!)

She did the story okay but hitched the inpromptu story....alah......

BUt non-the-less she came home with a trophy for Best storyteller for ZOn BAngsar.....

I used to say - Sekolah ni tak de orang lain ke nak hantar?

Now i switch to "Zon Bangsar ni takde orang lain ke??

(refer to Fiqa being best platoon leader for Zon Bangsar......)

Lepas ni apa pulak??????

Woops..not again...maryam & her injuries..

2008-05-10T16:22:00.001-07:00

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED......

I am so devestated & traumatised.....but all in the name of trials from ALlah SWT or maybe an expiation of my sins from past....

My Maryam had another accident yesterday - oh no!!!!!

She caught her hand in the door and scraped of the top of her middle finger with a quarter of her nail. After an x-ray, we found that alhamdullilah the bone was not damaged or cut off - so now we just have to wait for everything to grow back......

Oh but the blood...i fainted 4 times between the incident and the emergency ward but alhamdullilah my daughter Syafiqa was quite cool to hold her sister while the doctor changed her bandages.

I could not sleep last nite due to trauma......i kept seeing all that blood.......and the pain...

She is quite okay today.....

Just bought her some doctor stuff...

If you ask her "What happened to your hand ?" "terkepit kat Pintu pas tu putus......"

Happy Mother's day!!!!!

Negative Calorie foods....which i need to take to lose 5 kg.....

2008-05-09T01:56:00.000-07:00

(From another site....)

have you ever heard of negative calorie foods?

well, i just read about it at my mom's book, "negative calori foods".. okay.. i'll explain it to you..

well actually there isn't a single food on earth that has 0 calorie. but there are many foods, usually fruits and vegetables that could cause negative calories to whoever eats it. well.. for you to further understand.. there are foods containing less calories than it needs to digest them. for example.. there's this one calorie food that has a total of 100 calories. and i takes 150 to digest them.. so it means that by simply eating this negative calorie food, you're able to burn 50 calories! so, that means.. the more you eat the more calories you burn.

and of course, in order to stay fit, you should burn up all the calories that you ate and if you still have stored calories in your body as fat, you should burn them up also!!

so here are the lists of the negative calorie foods..

asparagus
broccoli
green cabbage
carrot
cauliflower
celeriac
celery
chicory
chilipeppers
cucumber
dandelion
endive
graden cress
garlic
green beans
lettuce
onion
papaya
radishes
spinach
turnip
zucchini
fruits:

QUOTE
apple
blueberry
cantaloupe
cranberry
grapefruit
honey dew melon
lemon
mango
lime
orange
peach
pineapple
rasberry
straberry
tangeries
watermelon

Happy Birthday Maryam-with-a-cut-on-her-forehead

2008-05-05T02:38:00.000-07:00

And what better way to celebrate your second birthday then with a patch on your forehead.

AAAHHHHH! the shock of seeing your daughter falling under a table...and her scream of pain...aaaaaah.......

And the blood running down her face.....aaaaaaahhhhhhh

And the doctor cleaning the wound on your darling squirmy baby....

****faint********

The same darling squirmy baby who quiets down after being bribed with a vitamin.

The same little gremlin who starts jumping around telling the world
"Maryam jatuh panjat meja pin" ( my accessory table at the shop...)

The exact same kid who got free treatment for her dressing at the doctor coz she got injured on her birthday.......

Oh dearie MAryam.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!

Tudung Styling session

2008-04-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Munawwarah Tudung Styling Session is back......details follow:-

Date : Sunday , 27 April 2008 ( so do all your marketing & family stuff on Saturday, eh.....)

Time : 10 am - 1 .30pm ( not including shopping time & makan time! - if you want to stay longer - you can solat here as well!)

Venue : Sri Munawwarah Lifestyle Hall - first floor above shop - 33 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 3, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Fees : RM 40 (inclusive of lunch) * sorry - we cannot accomodate kids in the hall as there may be not enough seats...so do try and make arrangements for your babies & toddlers & younger kids for a few hours of mommy-relax-time. Some kids are distracting, so we have to consider the other participants.......

What will we cover ?
- tudung basic tips
- beauty care tips
- how to tie tudung, how to tie selendang
- how to wear the munawwarah tudung
- accessory tips

This is an all ladies affair - so no cameras or handphone cameras or video cameras ( you get the idea)......

If you want to follow thru the class bring along a tudung, a selendang & your munawwarah tudung.

Places limited to 70 pax.....please make your booking once you have really confirmed that you can make it. We really appreciate if you do not make last minute cancellations to avoid wastage of food and seats. BUt if you really have to cancel, please inform us.

How to book seats?

Call 03-77270244 or 03-77299244 and speak to Faridah or Fizah before 24th April 2008.
Payment to be made on the day of the event.

DO NOT REPLY VIA YOUR COMPUTER!!!!!

Okay..see you !!!!

ina ali

Can You spot the lookalikes?

2008-04-13T00:03:00.001-07:00

Pictures of the family...hmmmmmmmmada rupa sama tak????

A drainage we will go......

2008-04-11T02:13:00.000-07:00

Ha! HA! Sounds like an ad for Indah Water or Syabas aye? Or DBKL.......

This has got nothing to do with irrigation folks...This is drainage of our lymph nodes....drainage of all the water which bloats us up till we gain a whopping 3 kg more after our "time of the month", excessive travelling ( which i am renowned for) and simple terrible diet and malnutrition....

A skip & waddle over to Spa Artiyana - owned & runned by my good friend Mimi....she ushers me in with a glass of water with loads of lemon in it. I suspect this kicks of the detoxifying. Then they send me to the steam room where i soak my feet in a clay bowl of water filled with flowers.....

after about 20 minutes in the steam room, they put me through a body scrub..with a mysterious concoction of grainy salts. I am told that handling & massaging with these salts also has a draining effect on the therapist....she will in turn need to go to the "little girl's room" as much as the person being scrubbed. Oh did i forget to tell you - i had to go to the LGR straight after the steam (see what i mean about the lemon drink??).

After the scrub, had a short bath...then the therapist started to uli me. This is not like the usual "muscle alignment" sorta massage - so it does not hurt...but every 15 minutes, i had to visit the LGR..in total - i had to go 6 times before the session was over.

HAd to drink loads of water - but now i feel much lighter and i have lost almost 2 kg. HAH! It was water retention after all.

This comes with a hefty price tag, but the results does make you feel better....

KUDOS Mimi.....

Tudung - definitions and different meanings.....

2008-04-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Definition from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tudung
Noun 1. tudung - a scarf worn around the head by Muslim women in Malaysia; conceals the hair but not the face
scarf - a garment worn around the head or neck or shoulders for warmth or decoration

Explanation from http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/tudung
Hijab
(redirected from tudung)
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.

Hijab or ħijāb (حجاب) is the Arabic term for "cover" (noun), based on the root حجب meaning "to veil, to cover (verb), to screen, to shelter"

In some Arabic-speaking countries and Western countries, the word hijab primarily refers to women's head and body covering, but in Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality.[1] The word used in the Qur'an for a headscarf or veil is khimār (خمار).

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World by Macmillan Reference states about hijab:[2]
The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy. The Qur'an instructs the male believers (Muslims) to talk to wives of Muhammad behind a hijab. This hijab was the responsibility of the men and not the wives of Muhammad. However, in later Muslim societies this instruction specific to the wives of Muhammad was generalized, leading to the segregation of the Muslim men and women. The modesty in Qur'an concerns both men's and women's gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia. The clothing for women involves khumūr over the necklines and jilbab (cloaks) in public so that they may be identified and not harmed. Guidelines for covering of the entire body except for the hands, the feet, and the face, are found in texts of fiqh and hadith that are developed later.

Despite the same Qur'anic obligations being issued for men and women, rules regarding dress developed so that men were to cover from their navels to their knees, whereas a women were to cover all their bodies except what was essential, that is, the hands and face.
Texts implicating the value and purpose to the use of hijab

Qur'an

The Qur'an instructs Muslims to dress in a "modest" fashion. The following verses are generally interpreted as applying to all Muslim men and women.

Surah an-Nur ayah 31 states:

In the following verse, Muslim women are asked to draw their jalābib (when they go out), as a measure to distinguish themselves from others, so that they are not harassed.

Following verses give special directives to the wives of Muhammad though some commentators believe that all women should imitate their example.
Hadith

The hadith (Arabic plural ahādīth) are traditions concerning the practices of the early Muslim community. They were transmitted orally for more than a century before the first collections were written down. The hadith, accepted as canonical by Sunni Muslims, took their final form some three centuries after Muhammad's death.

The Arabic word jilbab is translated as "cloak" in the following passage. Contemporary salafis insist that the jilbab worn today is the same garment mentioned in the Qur'an and the hadith; other translators have chosen to use less specific terms:
Aisha reported that Muhammad's wives went out at nighttime to open fields in the outskirts of Medina to relieve themselves. Umar bin Khattab said 'Muhammad, ask your ladies to observe veil,'
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: I know (about) the Hijab (the order of veiling of women) more than anybody else. Ubay ibn Ka'b used to ask me about it. Allah's Apostle became the bridegroom of Zaynab bint Jahsh whom he married at Medina. After the sun had risen high in the sky, the Prophet invited the people to a meal. Allah's Apostle remained sitting and some people remained sitting with him after the other guests had left. Then Allah's Apostle got up and went away, and I too, followed him till he reached the door of 'Aisha's room. Then he thought that the people must have left the place by then, so he returned and I also returned with him. Behold, the people were still sitting at their places. So he went back again for the second time, and I went along with him too. When we reached the door of 'Aisha's room, he returned and I also returned with him to see that the people had left. Thereupon the Prophet hung a curtain between me and him and the Verse regarding the order for (veiling of women) Hijab was revealed. Sahih Bukhari 7:65:375, Sahih Muslim 8:3334
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil.[3] Sunnan Abu Dawud 2:641
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: Asma bint Abu Bakr, entered upon the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) wearing thin clothes. The Apostle of Allah turned his attention from her. He said: O Asma', when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he pointed to her face and hands.[4] Sunnan Abu Dawud 32:4092
Narrated Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya, Ummul Mu'minin: When the verse "That they should cast their outer garments over their persons" was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments.[5] Sunnan Abu Dawud 32:4090
Narrated Safiya bint Shaiba: 'Aisha used to say: "When (the Verse): "They should draw their veils over their necks and bosoms," was revealed, (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their faces with the cut pieces."[6] Sahih Bukhari 6:60:282, Sunnan Abu Dawud 32:4091
[1]
Scholars' views on clothing that satisfies the demands of hijab

Traditionally, Muslims have recognized many different forms of clothing as satisfying the demands of hijab. Debate focussed on how much of the male or female body should be covered. Different scholars adopted different interpretations of the original texts. Sunnis recommend that women wear loose clothing that is not form fitting to the body either modest forms of western clothing (long shirts and skirts), or the more traditional jilbab, a high-necked loose robe that covers the arms and legs. A khumūr or shayla, a scarf or cowl that covers all but the face is also worn in many different styles. Most salafi (sunni) scholars encourage covering the face. Many of them say it is mandatory to cover the face. Other scholars oppose face covering, particularly in the west for personal safety where the woman may be a victim of islamophobia. These garments are very different in cut than most of the traditional forms of hijab, and they are worn worldwide by Muslimas.

A woman wearing a headscarf in Kalkan, Turkey

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, an Islamic scholar well-known for historical contextualization of Muhammad's revelation[1](p.93), argues that Qur'an mentions khumūr only as a 7th century Arabian dress, but there is no command to wear it in specific. In his interpretation of verse 33:59, he argues that "they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble" and the context of the verse shows that the directive to wear jalābib was for a specific situation. He also believes that the special restrictions for wives of Muhammad are not applicable to all women at all times. He considers "head-covering" for women a cherished part of Muslim social custom and tradition but not compulsory.[7][8]

Most other scholars, however, have provided evidence as to why the hijab is mandated. There have been very few Muslim scholars who argued that covering the hair is not obligatory.

Some contemporary Muslims believe that the commandment to modesty must be interpreted with regard to the surrounding society. What is considered modest, or daring, in one society may not be considered so in another. It is important, they say, for believers to wear clothing that communicates modesty and reserve in the situations in which they find themselves.[9]
Women's dress

A woman wearing a burqa in Afghanistan
Detailed scholarly attention has been focused on prescribing female dress. Most scholars agree that the basic requirements are that when in the presence of someone of the opposite sex (other than a close family member - see mahram), a woman should cover her body, and walk and dress in a way which does not draw sexual attention to her. Some scholars go so far as to specify exactly which areas of the body must be covered. In some cases, this is everything save the eyes but most require everything save the face and hands to be covered. In nearly all Muslim cultures, young girls are not required to wear a hijab. There is not a single agreed age when a woman should begin wearing a hijab; however, in many Muslim countries, puberty is the dividing line.

In private, and in the presence of mahrams, the rules on dress are relaxed. However in the presence of husband, most scholars stress the importance of mutual freedom and pleasure of the husband and wife[10].

The burqa is the most observant example of this belief: not even a woman's eyes are visible. Originating in what is now Pakistan, it is more commonly associated with Afghanistan. Typically, a burqa is composed of many yards of light material pleated around a cap that fits over the top of the head. There is an embroidered openwork grille where the burqa passes over the eyes. This type of veil is cultural as well as religious.

Traditionally Muslims, Salafis particularly and others generally, believe that the garments known today as jilbab and khumūr are the very garments demanded by the Qur'an. However, Qur'an translators and commentators translate the Arabic into English words with a general meaning - such as veils, head-coverings and shawls.[11] While some scholars argue that verses 24:30-31 teach etiquette for male and female interactions, where khumūr is mentioned in reference to the clothing of Arab women in the 7th century, but there is no command to actually wear them in any specific way. Hence they consider head-covering a preferable practice but not a directive of the sharia (law).[12]
Men's dress

Although certain general standards are widely accepted, there has been little interest in narrowly prescribing what constitutes modest dress for Muslim men. Most mainstream scholars say that men should cover themselves from the navel to the knees; a minority say that the hadith that are held to require this are weak and possibly inauthentic. They argue that there are hadith indicating that the Islamic prophet Muħammad wore loose clothing that uncovered his thigh when riding camels, and hold that if Muħammad believed that this was permissible, then it is surely permissible for other Muslim males.

As a practical matter, however, the opinion that Muslim men must cover themselves between the navel and the knees is predominant, and most Muslims believe that a man who fails to observe this requirement during salah must perform the prayer again, properly covered, in order for it to be valid. Three of the four mathhabs, or schools of law, require that the knees be covered; the Maliki school recommends but does not require knee covering.

A woman wearing traditional dress in Selçuk, Turkey

A significant minority also consider that men should wear long sleeves in public, covering the arms up to the wrists. Such a law was in place in Iran for some time after the 1979 revolution.

According to some hadith, Muslim men are asked not to wear gold jewellery or silk clothing. Some scholars says that these prohibitions should be generalized to prohibit the lavish display of wealth on one's person.[13]
Sartorial hijab as practiced

In more secular Muslim nations, such as Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt, many women are choosing to wear the Hijab, Burqa, Niqab, etc. as an act of defiance against the secularization of society, but also because of the widespread growth of the Islamic revival in those areas. Similarly, increasing numbers of men are abandoning the Western dress of jeans and t-shirts, that dominated places like Egypt 20 to 30 years ago, in favour of more traditional Islamic clothing such as the Galabiyya.

In Iran many women, especially younger ones, have taken to wearing transparent Hijabs instead of Chadors to protest but keep within the law of the state.

The colors of this clothing varies. It is mostly black, but in many African countries women wear cloths of many different colours depending on their tribe, area, or family. In Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, a lot of Muslim women wear bright orange and red garments which look similar to the Hindu Sari.

In Turkey and Indonesia, the majority of women do not wear any kind of veil, except when they attend Friday Salat, while in many of the western Nations, where the majority of Muslims are from immigrant backgrounds, the majority of women choose to wear the veil as a way of keeping in touch with their heritage.

Some Muslims have criticized strict dress codes that they believe go beyond the demands of hijab, using Qur'an 66:1 (which is usually interpreted to apply to asceticism) to apply to dress codes as well; the verse suggests that it is wrong to refrain from what is permitted by God.
Types of sartorial hijab

Law and custom by country

Afghanistan Under the Taliban, the burqa was obligatory. Under the current government, it is technically optional but in southern Afghanistan it is de facto obligatory.
India There are no laws enforcing ħijāb in India as it is a secular, Hindu-majority country, but in some conservative, Muslim-majority areas, there is social pressure to cover. Many Indian Muslim women wear the burqa, although many others wear the dupatta or chunari.
Indonesia Headcovering is not obligatory under the law but some women choose to wear a headscarf referred to as a djilbab. In some areas headcovering is mandatory under Islamic law.
Iran The current Iranian government requires women to wear loose-fitting coats or cloaks in public such as the chador, as well as a head scarf that covers the hair.
Malaysia The headscarf is known as a tudung. Muslim women may freely choose whether or not to wear the headscarf, except for religious rites and ceremonies when the tudung must be worn.
Morocco The headscarf is not forbidden by law, but not encouraged by governmental institutions and generally frowned upon by urban middle and higher classes. It is becoming gradually more frequent in the north, but as it is not traditional, to wear one is considered rather a religious or political decision. In 2005, a schoolbook for basic religious education was heavily critized for picturing girl children with headscarfs.
Pakistan While Pakistan has no laws enforcing ħijāb, there are many parts of the country where there is strong social pressure for women to observe ħijāb, or purdah, which is a cultural practice observed even by some Hindus, pardah is a Persian word. Many Pakistani women who observe purdah wear a garment called the pak-chadar, a headscarf with attached veil. However, there are also many Pakistani women who simply wear a dupatta or chunari to cover their heads. These are long scarves, often made of a light material, that match the woman's garments.
Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian version of modest dress is composed of an abaya or loose robe, ħijāb or headcovering and niqāb or face veil. The Saudi niqāb usually leaves a long open slot for the eyes; the slot is held together by a string or narrow strip of cloth. Abaya and ħijāb are required; the niqāb is required for Muslim women but optional for other women.
Tunisia Tunisian authorities say they are encouraging women, instead, to "wear modest dress in line with Tunisian traditions i.e. no headscarf.[14]
Turkey In Turkey wearing religious symbols, including headscarfs for women, is prohibited in public schools and state buildings.

Historical and cultural explanations

John Esposito, professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, writes that the customs of veiling and seclusion of women in early Islam were assimilated from the conquered Persian and Byzantine societies and then later on they were viewed as appropriate expressions of Quranic norms and values. The Qur'an does not stipulate veiling or seclusion; on the contrary, it tends to emphasize the participation of religious responsibility of both men and women in society.[15] He claims that "in the midst of rapid social and economic change when traditional security and support systems are increasingly eroded and replaced by the state, (...) hijab maintains that the state has failed to provide equal rights for men and women because the debate has been conducted within the Islamic framework, which provides women with equivalent rather than equal rights within the family."[16]

Bloom and Blair also write that the Qur'an doesn't require women to wear veils; rather, it was a social habit picked up with the expansion of Islam. In fact, since it was impractical for working women to wear veils, "A veiled woman silently announced that her husband was rich enough to keep her idle."[17]
Debate and controversy

The veil has become a subject of great controversy in non-Muslim countries with significant Muslim minorities, such as France and Britain, where it has been seized upon as a symbol of oppression of Muslim women and the “backwardness” of Islam. Senior British government minister Jack Straw was recently drawn into the debate after he suggested that communication with some of the Muslim members of his constituency would be made significantly easier if they ceased covering their faces.[18]

Such arguments highlight the much greater significance and symbolism the veil has assumed in recent times. It can no longer be seen in purely religious terms, but is now an important aspect of a wider cultural debate that first emerged during colonial times. Writers such as Leila Ahmed and Karen Armstrong have highlighted how the veil became a symbol of resistance to colonialism, particularly in Egypt in the latter part of the 19th Century, and again today in the post-colonial period. In The Battle for God, Armstrong writes:

“The veiled woman has, over the years, become a symbol of Islamic self-assertion and a rejection of Western cultural hegemony.” [19]

While in Women and Gender, Ahmed states:

“…it was the discourses of the West, and specifically the discourse of colonial domination, that in the first place determined the meaning of the veil in geopolitical discourses and thereby set the terms for its emergence as a symbol of resistance.” [20]

The issue of the veil has thus been “hijacked” to a degree by cultural essentialists on both sides of the divide. Arguments against veiling have been co-opted, along with wider “feminist” discourse, to create a colonial “feminism” that uses questions of Muslim women’s dress amongst others to justify “patriarchal colonialism in the service of particular political ends.”[20] Thus, efforts to improve the situation of women in Arab (and other non-Western) societies are judged purely on what they wear. Meanwhile, for Islamists, rejection of “Western” modes of dress is not enough: resistance and independence can only be demonstrated by the “wholesale affirmation of indigenous culture”[20] – a prime example being the wearing of the veil.
Critics

Critics of conservative interpretations of the hijab point out that while many claim wearing it does not necessarily signify oppression, those for whom it does are not always free to state their true views on the matter.

Dress guidelines in Banda Aceh (Indonesia). The text at the bottom reads: Following the leading Islam principles according to article 13, paragraph 1, every Muslim has to wear Islamic clothing. Whosoever does not follow these accepted Islamic customs will be punished with Tazir crime.
In several countries, most notably Saudi Arabia and Iran[23] women must wear the national version of Islamic dress or face punishment by religious police. While some women wholeheartedly embrace the rules, others protest by observing the rules in slipshod or inconsistent fashion, or flouting them whenever possible.

Some women have dared more pointed protest. As early as 1905, Bengali writer Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain criticised it in her utopian fantasy Sultana's Dream. Iranian-American novelist Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, Marjane Satrapi, author of the graphic novel Persepolis, and Parvin Darabi who has authored Rage Against the Veil are some of the famous opponents of compulsory veiling. In 2006 Jack Straw the former UK Foreign Secretary caused controversy when he revealed that he had asked Muslim women to uncover their faces at his constituency meetings.

Turkey and Tunisia are the only Muslim countries where the law prohibits the wearing of hijab in government buildings, schools, and universities. See Ali Khan, Suppressive Rulings.
Supporters

The French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools (2004) and the banning of the niqab in the Belgian city of Maaseik[24] (2006) are seen by some (mostly those who support a conservative interpretation of female hijab) to be part of a general trend of Islamophobia in the Western world.

Tracing the Victorian law of coverture, Legal Scholar L. Ali Khan provides a critique of the British male elite that wishes to impose its own "comfort views" to unveil Muslim women from Asia, Africa, and Middle East.[25]

Some women choose to wear styles that are more ostentatiously restrictive than local mores might require - perhaps as a sign of Islamic enthusiasm and or piety.

In her discussion of findings from interviews of university-educated Moroccan Muslim women who choose to wear the Hijab, Hessini argues that wearing the Hijab is used as a method of separation of women from men when women work and therefore step into what is perceived to be the men’s public space, so in this case, when women have the right and are able to work, a method has been found to maintain the traditional societal arrangements.[26]
Elements of hijab besides clothing

Both genders are told to lower their gaze and not to stare at each other in public .
See also

Paranja
Islam and clothing
Veil
Islamic dress controversy in Europe
Purdah
Religious habit, the distinctive clothing of certain religious orders
Tzniut
Taliban treatment of women
References

1. ^ Esposito, John (2003). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-512558-4. , p.112
2. ^ Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World (2003), p.721, New York : Macmillan Reference USA
3. ^ Abū Dawud is considered the third most authentic collection (after Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). However, not all hadiths in Abu Dawud are authentic.
4. ^ The collector, Abū Dawud, considered this hadith weak. Some later scholars have disagreed with Abū Dawud
5. ^ Abū Dawud classed this hadith as authentic
6. ^ This translation may be problematic; it is unclear what Arabic words have been translated as "veil", "apron", "face" and "bosom"
7. ^ Ghamidi, Javed (2001). "Norms of Gender Interaction (The Social Law of Islam)", Mizan. Dar ul-Ishraq. OCLC 52901690.Mizan&rft.atitle=[http%3A%2F%2Fwww.renaissance.com.pk%2Fnovislaw2y2.html%20Norms%20of%20Gender%20Interaction]%20%28The%20Social%20Law%20of%20Islam%29&rft.aulast=Ghamidi&rft.aufirst=Javed&rft.date=2001&rft.pub=Al-Mawrid%7CDar%20ul-Ishraq">
8. ^ The Qur'anic Concept of Hijab, Renaissance, Al-Mawrid Institute, Vol. 6, No. 11, November, 1996.[2]
9. ^ Women in Islam: Hijab, Ibrahim B. Syed, 2001
10. ^ Heba G. Kotb M.D., Sexuality in Islam, PhD Thesis, Maimonides University, 2004
11. ^ See collection of Qur'an translations, compared verse by verse
12. ^ Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, Mizan, Chapter: The Social Law of Islam, Al-Mawrid.
13. ^ Shehzad Saleem. Wearing Silk, Renaissance-Monthly Islamic Journal, 9(6), June, 1999
14. ^ Tunisia attacked over headscarves 26 September 2006
15. ^ John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path,, p.98, 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press, 2005.
16. ^ Haddad/Esposito pg.xvii
17. ^ Bloom, Jonathan; Blair, Sheila (2002). Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09422-1. , p.46-47
18. ^ "Straw’s veil comments spark anger", BBC News Online, 2006-10-05. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.2006-10-05">
19. ^ p.295, Armstrong, K, 2001, “The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam”, London, HarperCollinsRoutledge
20. ^ p.235, Ahmed, L, 1992, “Women and Gender in Islam” Historical Roots of a Modern Debate,” Yale University Press
21. ^ ibid, p.244
22. ^ ibid, p.244
23. ^ Institute for Secularization of Islamic Society "Against Hijab" This article deals with the compulsory aspect of hijab since the Islamic Revolution
24. ^ [3]
25. ^ [4]
26. ^ Hessini, L., 1994, Wearing the Hijab in Contemporary Morocco: Choice and Identity, in Göçek, F. M. & Balaghi, S., Reconstructing Gender in the Middle East: Tradition, Identity & Power, New York, Columbia University Press
El Guindi, Fadwa -- Veil: Modesty, Privacy, and Resistance, Berg, 1999.
See the website www.headscarf.net detailing the ethics of the hijab
External links

BBC drawings of different types of Islamic women's clothing
Contemporary Muslim opinion

The Islamic Modest Dress by Morteza Motahhari
Niqab Page
Niqab is not required
The Last Straw!PDF (251 KiB)
News articles

Video debate on Lebanese TV about the Hijab Trancript
In Germany, Debate Over Muslim Headscarf Rages On World Politics Watch 29 November 2006
Southport MP joins hijab debate
NPR article "Dutch Weigh Ban on Traditional Islamic Dress," All Things Considered, January 31, 2006
CBC Story "Muslim girl ejected from tournament for wearing hijab", Sunday, February 25, 2007
Middle Eastern women may have vitamin D deficiency (for not exposed to enough sunlight, Science Research)(Reuters)
Fashion

Precious Modesty
Burqa sewing pattern
Different Hijab Styles
Egyptian Hijab
Kuwaiti Hijab

A bit on Singapore-KL-Dubai-KL mac/April 2008

2008-04-06T00:57:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a whirl wind adventure - i did KL-Singapore-KL-Dubai-Kl in less then 10 days!

Wish i had time to catch up with my friends in these high-shopping-alert places..but when you are travelling business....and on a skimpy-ouch-i-went-to-London-twice-this-year budget...you don't want to see anyone who will definitely take you to the best shopping malls ever.....

In Singapore i stayed at Hyat - which was nice & convenient. Ralaxing ....far away from my squeeky gals....did a wee bit of shopping LV at DFS was not too welcoming but LV at Hilton was haunting.....had to buy small itty bitty things lah jugak....

Got back to KL on Thursday in time to pack for my girls going off to Leadership Camp in ULU YAM. Sent them off and settled down to enjoy a few days with Aisha & MAryam.

Paid gaji to the staff..

Spent Friday night & Saturday morning throwing clothes in the washing machine & dryer...planing a few houshold chores...when WHAM! Mummy called and said - "we are going to Dubai tonight!"

Say What?

Okay....run home repack my bag (which was half unpacked from Singapore). This time a little more complicated coz have to attend the Islamic Fashion Festival Gala so must have glamour baju!!!!! (see blog for pictures...)

Climbed on the plane with the flu (got that from Singapore)...and could not hear anything for almost 5 hours......bzzzzz.......and gave Angkasawan a good lookover - yes we travelled in the same cabin...
(you need to be able to register the look of him sleeping in the plane....and standing in line for the toilet in baju kedut-kedut & rambut sepah-sepah.....should have pulled out my new camera...but me being me...). Wanted to start a conversation but as i am not actually very fanatic about him...and neither are my children..thought i would turn off PR mode for once......

Anyways...we stayed at Nuran Serviced Apartments in Dubai MArina. Gosh! I have never seen so much construction in my life!!!!! Images of Pyramids being built kept flashing in my mind......

And of course images of Intan was everywhere..should i call her..will i bump into her at The MAll of Emirates or the whatchamacallit with the posh LVs and Gucci shops.....or would she be attending the Islamic FAshion Festival GAla at Jumeirah Beach Hotel.....and me with no computer for me to poke her....WAAAAAA!!!!!!

Hmm....Intan if i appear in the Gulf Tabloid as one of those who appeared at the Gala....jangan lupa simpan tau......

Missed my kids terribly - as i left without telling them i was going to Dubai...and they returned teary eyed form camp coz Ummi was not there for them to hound with stories from the camp.....

Did my fabric rounds with Mummy in the middle of the sweltering heat walking the streets of Dubai....hmm....and it gets hotter in summer. 40 degrees now is nothing ......oh yea.....

And now..i'm back in Malaysia with my sinuses infected....loads of work to do........wonder where i will be going next.....

And Mummy left for Hong Kong with the guys on Saturday....

Mummy's 60th birthday gathering

2008-04-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

I got them all together in 10 days..

The venue - One World Hotel, Bandar Utama

The guests - From mummy's childhood (my grandma, uncles & aunties), 20s (post Mindef days & New Zealand Days & Pos days), neighbours, dear friends, anak-anak, staff, cucu-cucu......a room of 100 pax......great fun......

For pictures see http://events.zulkhas.com/srimunawwarah/birthdaymamie/

Dubai Again...

2008-04-05T23:49:00.001-07:00

Jumpa Radzuan

Jumpa Juma - ambik gambar dia dengan mummy....hmm the disadvatages of being the camera man......

More from Dubai....

2008-04-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

At the Dubai Fashion Festival....met Noraini from Aktif Bistari - the swim suit people.....

And sat with an international group during dinner - sudanese lady Priscilla who was very entertaining and a few others.

Still not too sure how to use this camera....and i did not bother to ask for Angkasawan's pictures.....though teringin betul nak ambik masa dia tidur dalam kapal terbang...hmmmmm

sorry no shots of the show coz duduk a bit jauh.....anyway nothing really fantastic (even the guy models tak handsome....)

In Singapore after oh so many years...

2008-03-25T01:04:00.001-07:00

Dah lama tak datang Singapore ni, but he efficient quiet & clean impression is still there.....

Am at Hyatt...and am savouring my few days away fromm my brood..though i do miss MAryam tagging along on my flight and all.....miss the kids too......

more later....

Yey For Fiqa - again...

2008-03-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

Hmm...i donno how this happened, but the chronology of it all...

Fiqa is in Tunas Puteri - which is the equivalent to Brownies ...

So they have this "kawad kaki" competition - which is basically marching in the hot sun everyday.

I told her - no such thing...you are busy enough as it is with all your other activities and extra classes. She was not allowed to participate.

Suddenly the other girl ie FArah who was supposed to be the platoon leader, had to go off and train for the Wilayah netball team, so Fiqa was the alternative to become the platoon commander.

I received a call from her teacher requesting t buy tudung Munawwarah for the team - so that they kemas macam Syafiqa.

Hmmm....with only one week practise, Fiqa's team emerged the girl's champion for zone BAngsar and Fiqa won the Ketua Platoon terbaik award.

Dia kata dia boleh jerit kuat-kuat sebab dah biasa jerit kat adik dia......oh well!

Till death do you part...from my archives in uks 2001

2008-03-18T03:21:00.001-07:00

Elisa and mommies dearie....

It hurts me a lot to see Ameera change moods..due to missing her
grandfather. It makes me really depressed.

Even on the day my father died..i had to pull myself together to be strong
for the children. Because it would not help to scream and go hysterical
because it would just scare the children.

I took all three of them and showed them my father lying on the bed. And
reminded them of their hamster and how it had died. Syafiqa remembers and
said becoz Allah ambil nyawa dia. But she started to cry... Ameera just
blinked. She kissed her toki though , as did the other 2.

I felt like screaming.......

After that Ameera went through a stage of denial. She refused to talk about
toki or kiss him before he was buried. Anyway, we took them to the grave, to
put flowers and siram air....to read fatihah. Of course Aisha does not
understand anything.

The day after. Ameera asked me why did toki turn into a hamster when he
died. Oh boy! Do i have a confused 3 year old.

Aisha says Toki tidur.....and she gets extremely clingy to my breast.

Syafiqa wants a detailed explanation about how and where toki grew up, how
did he meet nekmi....why did he die.....will we see him in heaven.

But they know where toki is. I bring them to the grave once a week. with
flowers....and doas semoga Allah rahmatinya......

It is the practise in Taman Tun that when someone passes away, the mosque
pasang Yasin on the loud speaker. I always hear the yassin being read and i
always ask my hubby or brothers to go check out who has left us.
I never imagined that the yassin was played 3 times for my father.

Now every time i hear the yassin on the speakers from the mosque, i get
goose bumps. And Ameera just switches off. She will retire into a corner of
the room and play with her upper lip.And she will insist on sleeping in my
mother's room.

Syafiqa sees no problem - she says takpe..kalau sad crylah..then you will
feel better. But she gets nightmares.

I still don't know how to handle the kids. I still have not found the
perfect words to comfort them. But i play it by ear.

I think many people lose their loved ones. I guess i yang sibuk nak
advertise my feelings. But all in the name of sharing my experience with the
kids.
Sorry if i overdid my writing..i do get carried away. The writer in me.....

Azizah....all the best on your new turnpoint. Keep heads up....may Allah
guide you on the best path.... do share withus your experiences.....

Thanx guys for bearing with me.....

Wrote this in 2001 after my dad passed away..

2008-03-18T03:17:00.001-07:00

Bonding ideas....

2008-03-17T19:47:00.001-07:00

1. Pray together -solat jemaah & tadarus Quran is very bonding

2. Sing Tilmiz Doa Nasheed in the car together
3. Act silly little plays together ( how come i am never casted as the heroine in these little plays and my hubby is always the bad guy....Maryam is always the damsel in distress)
4. Do housework together ( but need to control your temper coz the tendency to nag is very high)
5. Wash the porch (and in my case the cat house) together...we can have water fights.....(but the neighbours will all stare.....
6. Update Facebook together (ha!ha! had a real good time with my kids sending silly gifts to my friends & choosing funny animals for my Profile....)
7. Dating with hubby ( my kids get very excited when they know we are going dating......i think they enjoy the fact that they can have 'fun' without parental frowns.....
8. My hubby makes scrumptious pancakes..so once in a while we have breakfast in my bedroom...all 6 of us.....
9. Watch sitcoms (kid sitcoms) together..i had a fun time yesterday watching Suite Life of Zack & Cody...memang corny....
10. Book club - i discuss my kids books with them.....characters & alternative endings...who is the real bad guy in fairy tales and movies....how Cinderella had no authority to disobey her step mother and leave the house empty.....stuff like that
11. Tea together..i alternate daughters to have tea with me at the nearby cake shop......while i scrutinise & interrogate them....it may take me only 15 minute sto finish my latte..but in that 15 minutes i learn a lot about my child....

what makes a tudung more than a tudung.....

Mummy thots....

Diari Solehah episod 6

Diari Solehah episod 1

Working with Solehah & TV HIjrah...

ya Allah..i have not written for 6 months!!!!!!

More FB originals......my thots....

Original thoughts penned in FB.....

my dad's passing in uks...

Four Letter word called FOOD - uks archives...

UKS again.....written way back then...

Breastfeeding advice

My first Ummikusayang entry in July 2001.....10 years ago...

With Lauren Booth - hijab shopping @ Sri Munawwarah Design, Malaysia

Lemon curd filled doughnuts...

What did i achieve in 2010?

Maryam oh Maryam......

Thoughts.....

Zuleikha 22 months....colours.....

Geram........

Jom bergerak ke hadapan....

Beribu kata, beribu janji....adakah kita akan menepati?Beribu hasrat, beribu azam....adakah kita akan melaksanakan?Beribu cita-cita, beribu mimpi......sempatkah sebelum mati?Apa kata kita mulakan langkah HARI INI!

Thots for the day

Making home fun...part one

Freedom of expression v mendidik....

Zuleikha 21 months

Oh cookies.....

Maryam & Sirah Lesson 1....

Thots....

eid Mubarak.....

In memory of a sister........

Bekas wartawan Sukan Utusan Malaysia meninggal

Love this picture......

The making of a Munawwarah Wedding..synopsis...

what more can i say...barakallah adinda....

Working with a great name.....pray our synergy works......

Keeping me in check.....jom motivate ourselves!!!!!

Another gem from Maryam Iriesya.......

I am so the busy.....

Beautiful collection ...looking forward to seeing in the stores!

Next on my list..........

From my facebook....fiera chronicles...

Haslina Mohd Ali fiera - those are pieces of parquet...not building blocks or a jigsaw puzzle so please stop taking them out and carrying them around my room.....

love all my girls....

Maryam drawing .....

To CBN Class of 88.....

Maryam Iriesya the number 4

Ezfiera Zuleikha pictures......

Maryam and her earrings

To English or Not To English Part 2

To English Or Not TO English Part 1

For Fiera? ( or for hot gucci mama?)

3 day special @ Munawwarah - don't miss it !

i got it.....

Zuleikha dah BOTAK!!!!

My latest drool.......

Announcing the arrival.....

And baby makes 5.......

Morning bebels on economy, business and consumer practice....

Too tired ( tak larat...)

And i fell in love...

New school year.....

More New Zealand pictures.....to remind me that i HAVE to go again!!!!!!!

To add to their resumes.....

Negativity

Results....

Maryam go to school

Brownie recipe from Lily......got picture also but i tak larat nak tengok banyak kali.....

Maryam has a little bed.... (Macam Mary had a little lamb)

No time lah.....

Old friends popping up....

Love these pictures....

UPSR countdown....

Munawwarah Hajj & Umrah Shop open on Sundays>>

And the whining and the groaning..

Prenatal Massage

Reading Time

Oh lah the mabuk....

Closed on Sundays...

Imitations .......

Beribu kata, beribu janji....adakah kita akan menepati?
Beribu hasrat, beribu azam....adakah kita akan melaksanakan?
Beribu cita-cita, beribu mimpi......sempatkah sebelum mati?
Apa kata kita mulakan langkah HARI INI!