Above: 4 mat pads, 24 sheets each 
Above: Pack of 50 blank cards (5x7in or 12,7cm x 17,7cm for my friends abroad) $5.00 US
Pack of mini blank cards (43/4 x 3 3/4in or 12cm x 9,5cm) $1.00 / ea.
Pack of baby themed appliques $1.27 / ea.
Glittery alphabet & hearts $1.97 / ea.
I did get a few rubber and acrylic stamps but I am too lazy to take pics.
Alhamdulillah my son is better! No fever, no rash, back to normal, so we left the house to go shopping at Walmart with iGrandma. I also scored some cheap washable Crayola jumbo markers and washable Crayola beginner crayons for iBaby. iHubster was working all day, so this was the perfect opp to shop for bargains, since my mom has enormous patience and loved strolling the cart with iBaby in it.
Afterwards we went to a local diner for dinner, and iBaby was nothing short of a menace at the table. He is 15 months now, and throws everything. It is hard to teach them the true meaning of NO at this age. He is starting to gain an awareness, because now he references me with a glance before he hurls things. He has also mastered ripping his diaper off from underneath his shorts. Fortunately he's only done it a few times, at home, with nothing in it. Whew.
Tonight we watched CNN's Christine Amanpour present "Generation Islam". I missed the first hour, and caught the last half that took place in Gaza. I couldn't stop crying, seeing the damage, destruction, disruption and trauma the children are facing. I saw all these little children running loose in rubble and amongst other dangerous things, hungry and feeling hopeless. Very emotional. I would like to see the first hour, so Ive set the DVR.
Well, once again this was a craftless night. Tomorrow night inshaallah is mine! When iHubcap & iBaby fall asleep, I will tip toe out and craft myself into a cocoon with the "bumper stash" UmmSalihah sent me :)
I took this coming Tuesday off from work inshaallah, to try to prepare some different kinds of soups that I can freeze for Ramadan. I'm looking forward to this, as I am starting to get excited that our holy month is almost here. If anyone has any recipes they would like to share, hook a sistah up!
Today's Thrifty Craft Haul
Crude
Assalamu alaykum all-
Seriously, this happened to me today:
I was out shopping with iBaby and my sister, at a very popular warehouse club where you can purchase things in bulk. While I was on line, my sister and I were talking about travel and airplanes. She mentioned that a certain airline (can I say on here?) is going to start charging for ANY luggage that is checked! The cashier chimes in, seemed quite lovely, and said "it's because of the price of oil- they are finding new ways to pass the increase onto the customers, and all airlines will probably follow the same new rules". She then dropped the bomb-
"You know, my son just got back from Iraq and said that oil is 3 cents a gallon. Our boys are there fighting to help these people and you would think the least they could do is send us some of their oil".
Can you imagine?
There are so many things wrong with her statement, that I didn't know where to begin.
What is it with people? Do they not understand that you don't discuss politics with customers, better yet, it shouldn't be discussed in the workplace???? I wanted to jump all over it- I was ready to retort, but I thought it best to hold my tongue, even though I would have been mild mannered and eloquent about it.
I would like to know where some make the connection between putting a material value on life under unfortunate circumstances (and that is putting it mildly). Ok, so her son was in Iraq, he survived- would cheaper oil have made her pain and agony better, while she was waiting for her son to come home in one piece? Would it make parent who has lost a son or daughter in service feel better? Highly unlikely.
Are we really helping the Iraqi people? No we are not. I do not believe that at ALL. The people of Iraq have lost so much, their children, relatives, homes, cars, roads, jobs. They continue to fall prey to hunger, poverty, starvation, unemployment and violence. Hospitals are destroyed, banks are gone, markets and other necessary structures have been destroyed. We are supposed to believe that we are helping them, and then take their oil in return? Give me a break.
******
Recently I went shopping for a piece of silver jewellery. I didn't have anything specific in mind, I just wanted something shiny and sparkling. The clerk kept overwhelming with pieces, and I couldn't take it. She just kept throwing things out of the show case for me to look at. I wanted to throw them back at her.
She decided she wanted to sell me a crucifix! I gently explained that I am Muslim, and that it doesn't jive with my religious beliefs. She look stunned. She kept insisting it was beautiful, and again I explained I am Muslim. Finally, I thought maybe I should take it one step further- apparently she didn't know what being Muslim meant, maybe she never met a Muslim. So I asked her if she wanted me to explain, and I did. I gave her a very watered down version, making the point that I would not wear a crucifix for several reasons. She got it, and stopped trying to make the crucifix sale. I ended up purchasing a simple ring. When she handed me my receipt she said:
"Remember there is only one God: the father, the son, the holy spirit; and Jesus is the son of God and our lord and savior".
I returned my ring.
