The importance of relaxation

When I look over my schedule of all the things that I've done this year, it's really amazing that I haven't gone insane. And when people ask me how I do it, my answer is easy: I take time off.

Being a mother of three under 9 years old is really quite exhausting on its own. Add to that the stress of owning your own business, volunteering as an Art Docent in three classrooms at my daughters’ school, selling at four different stores in my area, leading a girl scout troop, being a community organizer for a nonprofit and teaching at various venues around the state. But I've learned that it's important to have a balance. I have an amazing husband who is vey supportive of my business and my well being. Earlier on in our marriage, when I wasn't taking time off, we hit some rough patches. He (and I) came to fully comprehend the line "If mama ain't happy, nobody is happy." This awareness actually led to him encouraging me to take some time away to recuperate. I wish I could clone him for you.

Earlier on in my regrouping efforts, I was still taking my anxiety with me. I would go on retreats where I would be teaching, or organizing, or storytelling and had convinced myself that I was still getting away from the stress of home. But it wasn’t working. I came to the realization that in order for my time off to be truly mine, I had to leave everything (and everyone) at home.

Now when I go away, I leave my phone out of my sight (do I really need to know what my husband fed my kids for lunch?...not really, I’m sure it’s not nutritious and fast food, but I bet they’ll live), my projects stay at home (I know I need to deliver 24 sarcastic birthday cards to my store in Pike Place Market because my inventory is low, but I bet they’ll survive till next weekend) and my email stays unanswered (yes, it’s amazingly cool that Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi was caught, but I bet the news will be same on Monday when I get back). Because the true definition of vacation is a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation. And I think we as a modern society have forgotten how to relax and view real recreation as a way to take a breather from the rest of what you are in the real world.

The most important thing I pack now? My pjs and my Nook. Because really, when was the last time you actually saw a mother of three sit down and read a book all day? And I bet if we don’t do it more often, we’ll be as extinct as the Dodo Bird.

Eid Mubarak!!! (puzzle)

Well it's finally here...Eid! What a great month this has been. It was a lot of hard work and fun making the crafts for Ramadan and I look forward to next year's challange.

Click here to read about our 30 days of Ramadan Crafty challenge or click on the tags on the right with the words Ramadan, craft tutorial or children and they should get you to the 30 crafts we made over the past month.

In celebration of Eid, I've created a Eid stamp puzzle for you to enjoy. Please be sure to stock up on these stamps when you are at the post office. They were beautifully created by Islamic calligrapher Mohammed Zakariya.

So Eid Mubarak everyone and enjoy this puzzle. The person with the best time will be mailed a Eid Mubarak card in time for the next Eid!

Online jigsaw puzzles from JigsawSite.com

Allah Monogram Button Art Tutorial

This beautiful shadow box picture frame with the word Allah looks professionally made and complicated, but really it was very easy to do. I got the idea from all the initial monograms tutorials floating out there now.

There is a little bit of sewing, so I wouldn't have my four year old do it, but my nine year old loved this project.

 I was actually thinking of maybe doing the first Arabic letters of their names as birthday gifts next year.

Allah Monogram Button Art Tutorial by A Crafty Arab

Supplies
Embroidery hoop
Pins
"Allah" printed on paper
Scissors
Needle & Thread
Shadow box frame
Scrape fabric
Buttons

Print out your image on a piece of paper and cut it out with scissors.

Attach your scrape fabric to embroidery hoop and pin cut out to scrape fabric. We used a glittered felt fabric that was a little stiff so that it would sit well in the frame afterwards. Plus it was glittered, so it added a little bit of sparkle!

Start placing your buttons over the word Allah and start sewing them in place. Don't worry about sewing over the paper as you'll get rid of it at the end.

Remove your fabric from the hoop and using tweezers remove the paper between the buttons. I would not recommend scissors since you run the chance of accidently cutting the thread that is holding the buttons. Attach to the shadow box frame and enjoy!