Eid's coming up!

I've been meaning to pop over to this space for a while now. Life has been going on, as it does and we've been living in Algeria for a year now! With Eid Al Adha fast approaching, I need to get my thinking cap on and plan ahead. This Eid of Sacrifice is quite hands-on here in Algeria. There are sheep for sale everywhere! And the day of Eid, after going to the mosque, is almost certainly spent slaughtering and then prepping the meat. I thought I'd share a few of the things I'm loving to do with Eid and Hajj activities/treats for kids.

• Cute little Eid treat bags! I love that "ka'aba" bag!

• 10 Hajj crafts

• Ka'aba paperclip bookmark tutorial

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11. someone else's creative space

She loves mixing and matching colours.

She loves "thinking outside the box".

She loves, sketching and drawing and painting.

She loves creating powerpoint presentations of quizzes and games and has made one for me to teach my students too!

She loves creating movies with our phones, with her gifted camcorder and movie editing software.

She loves creating. Full stop.

She's chatty, affectionate, forgiving, witty and maternal. 

She's my special second-born who turned 11 on 11/11.

Allah yahfadhuha. May Allah protect and preserve her.

I must find all of her other stuff!

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i was fortunate enough ...

to receive flowers a few months ago. 

Lillies. I love lillies. That lovely, warm, strong scent.

The roses were a bonus. But the ones we get here don't carry any sort of scent.

I'm sure the ones from Taif do.

But nothing can beat the flowers that my little "gentleman" picks for me on his way in to or out of our building. Ma sha Allah.

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crafty kids

The weeks just float on by and before you know it, months and then years have gone by!  Last weekend was jam-packed one (and it was nearly a week ago) but I have to tell you about it! My sister-in-law, our collective kids and I went to this wonderful 'Eid party. It was hosted by the daughter of this creative soul ma sha Allah, who very generously let us gather with our gangs of children, at her home. We were welcomed and led to the garden where we found a number of craft stations waiting for the children. We lounged with old friends and mingled with new ones while our kids started with creating little name tags for themselves. 

We sipped Mauritanian green tea while we guided our kids from one station to another. By the end of that, they'd made their own friends and we caught up with ours.

Oh there was some lovely, drool-worthy stationery for simple book-making! Then there was beautiful face-painting, some gorgeous paper flowers being made along with decorative felt crowns and the most delightful little cupcakes.  The kids loved it!

And to top it all off, a swim and a barbecue! Don't you love seeing kids roll in to bed, tired but happy? Ma sha Allah!

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