Ahhh... Choo!

Bismillah,

Most things that can be suspended at the moment have been untouched: Blogging, sewing, knitting. And, not voluntarily, as I itch to do some everyday but sadly allergies are getting on my way. I can't think much other than, "where is my tissue box?" Or "Maybe it will all be gone before I know it" But weeks have gone by and I still have allergies. See, this is the first time ever I'm affected by this nuisance.

  

I am being proactive; don't get me wrong. Schedules are being made with the allergist, I'm taking propolis, got a nasal spray, and I'm looking into unconventional methods of dealing with this issue. I just want to find out what's causing it and in the meantime I'm trusting my instincts and avoiding those things that make me reach for my tissue box more often. Ahhh choo!

There are, of course, things that can't be put on hold. Life continues, with allergies or not. My vegetables are doing fabulously; home-schooling, thankfully, at the age of my kids doesn't require a lot from my part; home-keeping is sort of becoming second nature; and, well I'm back here updating this blog.

The one thing I am missing a lot right now is working at my sewing machine. I have countless of projects waiting for me to tackle: My very first quilt needs to be finished, I have an Amy Butler Camisole I can't wait to start working on, a jersey drape top from Sew Hip Magazine, skirts for the girls, pants for Teddy and his dad.... I'm really looking forward to it all, I am!

I hope you're having a wonderful productive summer and for those with allergies this has helped me significantly Now Foods Propolis 500mg, Capsules, 100-Count There are plenty of brands out there and you can choose the one that best suits your needs. The reason why I'm taking this one is because it was given to me by a dear friend of mine. The only thing I do is empty the contents in a spoon and take them with OJ as the capsule has gelatin from bovine and porcine sources, which I don't consume. Just beware that if you're allergic to honey this would not be for you otherwise it's worth giving it a try.

Sometimes we have to be affected by some ailment to make changes in our lifestyle; I'm going to try and take this as a sign from my body to change a lot of habits that are not beneficial for my health. I'm thinking more exercising, less caffeine and sugar, more health promoting foods. I'm not necessarily on a junk food diet but there are a lot of things that I consume everyday and that I don't that impact my health and thankfully I have an idea where to start.

Want to take this journey with me?

Disclaimer: The advice given here is my sole opinion and not to be taken over the advice of a health practitioner.

  

We're a homeschooling Bunch

Bismillah,

Homeschooling is a subject very close to my heart. I strongly believe that children need to grow up under the care of their parents, especially their mother for the first 7 years, if at all possible. I'm also aware of the influence peers can have on others, and although sometimes can be a good influence, in most cases, it's a negative influence which affects children for a very long time until they, on their own, find their identity.

Today, however, homeschooling is hard on parents because 'the norm' is to send children to school at the age of four, or even earlier. Parents, especially mothers, look forward to this milestone in their children's development for many reasons. They believe their children are going to be socially adept by being around other people, and learn valuable things essential to the development of their intellect, among other benefits. But in a lot of cases, mothers want their children to attend school because they don't have the patience to have them around all the time not because they think or believe school is the best choice to their children's needs. Here is where net-working with other home-schooling parents plays an important role. One can share experiences and be there to support one another when times get tough. In this way, I believe most parents can face the challenges of home-schooling successfully. 

I've been meaning to write about our homeschooling approach and our experiences so far with it. We implement the delayed approach, in which children are not introduced to formal homeschooling until the age of seven. Before that they should engage in as much unstructured play and should be read to for an hour a day minimum.

Unstructured play takes in all forms and shapes. Here are a few of the ways I home-school everyday:

We Play outside with a pile of soil and let our imagination unfold:

We play with home-made play dough and "make what we dream of making when we grow up"

Reading is the other fundamental thing right at this age. I try to read to my children in the morning and afternoon and I can see how much love they hold for their books. I hope I can continue to instill love for literature well after this stage. But to be honest, I believe it is in our human nature to love reading; it just sometimes gets forgotten due to over-stimulation from the technology of these days. We try our best to stay away from TV watching and I have no one video-game available at home.

We also spend time outdoors doing what the family likes best: Soaking up sun, visiting interesting places in our surroundings, visiting and going out with friends, you name it. The important thing is to get out there and be in touch with nature as much as we can.

I can honestly see the benefits to this approach as I see my children learning a lot of things out of their own interest. They don't write or read yet even though my oldest will be five in two weeks but the things they're learning is what I believe fundamental to their development at this stage of their lives. Once they've outgrown this stage there won't be coming back to it. Imagination it's at its wildest and liveliest right now and what can be learned from it is truly a treasure.

I am sharing this to inspire you to take a look at the benefits of this approach in the up-bringing of our children, our treasures.

Happy home-schooling!

A Tale of Sewing and Having Fun

Bismillah

In my sewing corner there has been some finished projects: A dress made from a pillowcase for Cooks:

And, a pair of shorts/underwear I made for Teddy with the fabric I won in the 'sew mama sew' giveaway that I mentioned here

Gladly, I have more projects in line to take form and shape, which, of course, I'll be sharing here along the way. But, to be honest with myself, I'm going to have to give up big chunks of sleep to accomplish them because it is plainly too nice outside to spend the days at home.

Somehow between having some good times in the backyard:

Visiting the beautiful spots this city has to offer:

And, of course, riding bikes in the neighbourhood:

I'm going to have to be very organized and creative to find time to spend here:

But, frankly, I don't mind taking a long time to complete a sewing project. After all, this is not some sort of race or competition; it is plain pleasure.

How are you incorporating your hobbies into your life?