Holidays

So the holiday season is approaching, and before anyone jumps on me about how haram it is to celebrate Xmas I wasnt talking about that!! We are going on holiday :D again its a family holiday thing, we are visiting my Mum in Canada for the New Year but its a holiday and Im very much looking forward to it.

It will be Chilli's first real snow holiday and hes very excited to be trying out snowboarding when we go over :) Hes been excessively checking prices and updates on all the different types of boards, bindings and boots.. I swear, he knows more than me, while I dont claim to know everything and Im not amazing on my board Ive been on a board probably 3 seasons and I love it :) I dont love the timings between seasons as I feel I forget many things but then it all feels new once more when I get on the slopes. I love it!!

Ive been trying to 'organise' our 23 days over there in Canada so I know how much money we need to save up for all the little things we want to do. At the moment we have 7 trips to the slopes, which means lift passes and maybe a few rentals for hubby.. and 5 days at a ski resort which I am super excited about.. although Im not really looking forward to having to share a room with my mum and her husband!! Allahu alim... it doesnt sound like she expects us to be together 24/7.. things its about time she realises that I have my own family now and Im not just her 'baby' grrr

Things at work are up and down, Im working with a new girl who's command of the English language isnt very good which causes more work and more problems for me really. Its times like this that I wish I didnt have to work, but Allahu alim.. I enjoy the week off that I get even if I do have to live with 12+ hour shifts :)

Thats really all thats happening on my side at the moment.. teeth have settled down alot alhamdulillah, I have stained elastics which are neon yellow at the moment thanks to Mr Tumeric :D but I enjoyed the curries :) Oh yes, Ive been making alot more desi food lately much to Chilli's delight which included aloo queema, aloo gobi and aubergine curry (I cant remember the name)

Onwards and Upwards
Peace and Assalamalikum,
Ammena

Braces

So this is me at the moment



I've had it on for a week now. I wasn't expecting a miracle but I don't seem to be seeing any difference. I was talked into getting ceramic brackets after my orthodontist told me they don't make a difference for time and they can be tightened just as much as the metal brackets. I've had one curry and no staining so far :)
I haven't had any massive pains with my teeth apart from some tenderness when I bite on certain teeth. However, I have been feeling like certain teeth are loose and woobly. Part of my gum has opened up a little bit which I assume is from the tooth moving and it isn't as bad as it was when I first had them on so alhamdulillah. I was thinking to give them a ring and see if it's anything to worry about.
Insha'Allah my next appointment is November 4th so next update then :)

- I'm using my iPhone as I go :)

Its been too long

... I apologise for not keeping up with this blog, but let me tell you all that I am reading each and every blog that changes in my blogroll :) Ive been very busy with work, we have recently moved onto proper shifts after 2 people left the company so now Im back working Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday followed by a week off. A week off?? Thats alright! I hear you all say but let me get it out that I work 12 hour shifts starting around 2am. Yes, you read right!! 0200!!! So, do I now deserve that week off?? I think so!! Previously I was pretty much working Monday - Friday.. same start time, same length of shift.... so you can see why I havent been updating.. plus Ive just (yesterday masha'Allah) finished all my fasts, thats my make up fasts from Ramadhan and my Shaawal fasts... so I was coming home from work about 4pm, getting straight in bed and sleeping until hubby went for Asr, then I would stay up until Maghrib, eat and then sleep until it was time to get up for work.. so when I was home I was generally sleeping. Ok enough of the sympathy vote lets get on to a proper blog :D

What can I tell you about??? well there are two major things going on in my life at the moment, one is that Im getting braces fitted on September 30th.. top and bottom.. and the other is that we are planning for our next holiday in December to Canada.. Lets discuss my braces seeing as they are happening first and that the holiday planning is actually starting to give me a headache.

So I should have gotten braces a long time ago.. when I under 10 my dentist decided to take out a shed load of teeth (12 in total) to give my mouth room so I wouldnt need braces. When I was about to leave for university at the grand old age of 19 I went to a dental hospital in Liverpool who told me because I was going away to study (Bradford) that it was best to get it all sorted out there as I would need monthly adjustments. Who in their right mind thinks about dentists when they are living the life of freedom at uni?? WHO?? Needless to say I didnt get them!! I did have my top 2 wisdom teeth removed in a hospital in Liverpool before I moved to Canada though.

Upon arriving in Canada the dentist told me I needed braces, really??!! but first I needed my bottom 2 wisdom teeth out! WTH!! Then I moved again (yeh what can I say.. Im a wanderer) and of course it took me another 18 months to get myself an appointment. At this appointment the orthodontist felt compelled to make me feel even worse about my smile by asking would I contemplate jaw surgery as my jaw is slightly lobsided. .and even took a photo to prove it to me! All that and THEN he slapped me with the $6000 fee for those horrible metal things that make everyone feel like a kid. I mentioned to him I was thinking of leaving Canada with in the year (deja-vu eh!) to which he told me to get it sorted over there.

The funny thing is that I really dont mind going to the dentist, Ive been going every 6 months since I was small.. Ive even recently just got hubby on the bandwagon (after no-shows since he came over here in 2007!)  Its just these braces that are like a thorn in my side... so anyways, in June 2010 my dentist made a comment about them and the fact that her husband (my orthodontist) is starting clinics at my dentist. I love my dentist, shes so cool and down to earth so I thought why not and her husband is exactly the same, although I wouldnt give as much emotional comments to and I definately wouldnt ask HIM if I can breastfeed while wearing braces (dont ask!) Anyways, he gave me a consultation and sent out a letter detailing what needed to be done, the options and the cost. I just recently found the letter after looking for the details.. to my surprise in my head I had 18 months worth of treatment.. whereas the letter says approximately 12 months which makes me happy. I know, I know it depends on how my teeth react but the less time, even if it is an approximation, is better in my books.

So now Im undecided as to what type to get, my options are metal or ceramic brackets.. yeh not much option but there are so many different opinions out there I dont know who to listen to. Ive read that ceramic brackets arent as strong and therefore delay treatment, that they stain with tea, curry and other dyed foodstuffs, that its only the elastic that stains, that the metal is extremely painful against the inside of your lips... so much stuff to read to make this decision :(

But alhamdulillah, Im just glad that Im finally going to get this done and have a smile to be proud of insha'Allah

Al-Quran

Assalamalikum dear sisters in Islam (and everyone else reading)

I dont know how many of you would routinely check my recitation chart page on here but if you do then you will see that I have just changed my 'blue' surah because... yes you guessed it, Ive learnt a new surah masha'Allah. Surah Al-Qariah has now been added to my list of known surahs alhamdulillah. I finally bit the bullet and started it after a push from a few sisters and the guilt within myself to not have done anything about my memorisation in so long and not really doing much different for Ramadhan due to my work schedule.
I already knew the first three verses from similar verses in shorter surahs and as I have already admitted I was very nervous about facing this 11 verse surah. Its the longest surah I know.. the longest beforehand has been surah al-humazah at 9 verses. It was a daunting task but the good thing was there wasnt too many hard letters (you non arabic speakers know the ones Im talking about!! that ayn and ghayn!) alhamdulillah.
With knowing those first few verses I think I had it in my head the rest might be as easy but then I also had it in my head that because they were easy enough the rest would be an enormous problem.
Anyways, about a week ago I was sorting out the apps on my iphone and needed to log into my old laptop, since getting married we tend to use my husbands massive 19' screen laptop for everything. I turned it on and started playing about with some things, it was then that I came across the software I had been using awhile ago for my memorisation from the ImaanStar website. Its initially to learn juz 30 but then you can download the rest of the Quran in sections, even from a few different recitors, there are also books to download (which I just realised) I found it very useful then and was very excited so I downloaded it onto my husbands computer. You make a profile and then add all the surahs you know off by heart to the sidebar to see at a glance, then you can choose the next surah, there is arabic and a transliteration, the option to repeat each verse a number of times, to give a pause inbetween repeats, to repeat the whole surah after it has finished and many other things. Masha'Allah I love it and I pray for the rewards to be given to the makers of this program insha'Allah.
So yes, Ive learnt my new surah... yay me :) Im at work at the moment, but I cant wait to get home to colour the star in on my chart on the fridge :D how old am I again? ;)

Peace and salams
Ammena

Chosen

So I've decided (with a little help from Chilli Tomato) that I will be wearing the kameez from the previous post for our dinner out for Eid teamed with white trousers and a white shayla/yellow underscarf mix :) I do love the detailing on this kameez so I'm very happy.
As for Eid salah I decided I didn't want anything to flashy because, well that isn't me. Also when I do wear my outfits here I get the feeling that I'm being looked at as trying too hard to fit in with my husbands culture. When in truth the clothes (less in your face than mostly worn) and the food are the only things I have taken on :) anyways I also wanted to wear the full outfit ie the shalwaar too :) so this is what I will be wearing for Eid salah insha'Allah :)


- I'm using my iPhone as I go :)

Eid outfit options

My mayoon outfit from Pakistan celebrations. Ok, so I have already worn it but I love that this was the first celebration outfit that I wore to fit in with my in-laws culture and traditions. The down side is the scarf I would wear would probably cover up the majority of the hand stitched design and also the pants are very thin. I don't know if they are see through thin but I think too thin for British weather, even if we are in august.



Opinions anybody??

- I'm using my iPhone as I go :)