~For The Hot Mama Muslimahs~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Sorry to have neglected posting lately, but with a two and a half year old, and a newborn, it's hard to find time to breathe!  It's crazy how things you normally take for granted (like having a nice, hot, relaxing shower...or having enough time to actually chew your food before swallowing it) are practically impossible when there's a new baby in the house.  I had never noticed how much time I used to spend cleaning up the house after my two year old, until now that I don't have the chance to do it anymore.  I still do my best to keep up, but I spend so much time nursing my hungry little monster, my in-depth cleaning spurts are few and far between.

And speaking of nursing....WHY is it absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to find suitable, stylish, nursing clothes?

I went shopping with my mom recently, and after at least two hours of shopping around in the maternity section of Macy's was able to bring home only four tops that were functional and marginally fashionable.

As you ladies know, I'm a big fan of maxi dresses for the summer.  They are modest, cool, and totally cute.  BUT I have found that they are usually not ideal for nursing.  *sigh*  Which leads to my hunt for some alternatives for my summer wardrobe. 

After a lot of searching, here are a few options I came up with....

Floral Fun

This super cute floral print dress is from nursingbraexpress.com.  Being a hijabi, I would wear it over some skinny-ish jeans with a cute pair of ballet flats.  I'd sport a cute, summery jacket on top, like this one from nordstrom.com:

To add a punch of color I'd wear a bright scarf like this one from hijabgirl.com.

  The nice thing about this dress is you simply lift up the smocked section of it to nurse! 

Bohemian Baby

I love the funky, bohemian print of this short dress from trendytummymaternity.com.  I would wear a loose, drapey duster over top, like this one from forever21.com:

 I would probably pair it with some bell bottoms and super high wedge sandals or espadrilles, and top it off with a brighter, pale blue pashmina, like this one from shopthesouq.com.

  Similar to the other dress, all you do is fold up the bosom section of the dress to nurse.

Pretty as a Peacock 

All of my searching has paid off.  I finally found the best of both worlds at figure8maternity.com: a maxi dress that functions for nursing!  And, it goes without saying, it's absolutely gorgeous! I looove the mod peacock print of this dress and the colors are absolutely beautiful!  I would take this stunning dress on a trip back to the 80's by pairing it with a lightweight, faded sweatshirt over top of it like this one from (who else?) forever21.com:

some silver gladiator sandals (target.com), and a bright peach scarf to add a punch of color!

So...after a lot of looking I was able to find a few pieces that are modest, fashionable, and baby friendly.  It is disappointing there aren't more choices out there, but hopefully sometime soon one of these maternity brands will catch on and start introducing some more stunning styles for super hot mama muslimahs!

Well, my amazing muslimahs, I'm off to get Big Sister to bed, and change Little Sister's diaper.  Ahhhh the life of a mother alhamdulillah!

Ma'Salaama and Happy Nursing!

Fashionably Yours,

The (it's great to be posting about fashion again!) Mujahada Mama in Prada

~She's Here!~

aSalaam uAlaikum WaramtuAllahi Wabarakatu...

Well sisters it's official;  I'm a mother of two now!  Alhamdulillah!

That's right...my newest little bundle of joy was born April 6th at 9:38 AM.  She weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces mash'Allah and was 20.5 inches long.

Originally her birth was planned for the 8th of April, like I posted before, but when I went to my last OBGYN appointment, my doctor guiltily informed me that he wouldn't be in town on the 8th.  Now...I have to admit I was NOT happy about that news, because my doctor did that to me before with my oldest daughter's birth.  It was a scene straight out of the movie "Knocked Up" when my husband called my doctor to tell him my water had broken and he confessed he was out of town for the weekend.  So you can only imagine my frustration when the doctor calmly told me he had a conference he'd forgotten about on the 8th when he'd scheduled my c-section.

After a few deep breaths, and counting to ten, we were able to negotiate and figure out we could do the c-section on the 6th instead alhamdulillah.

Well, it all turned out just as planned.  The new baby is beautiful, with all ten fingers and all ten toes alhamdulillah.  She looks amazingly different than her big sister, but is just as gorgeous mash'Allah.  I have to admit that before she was born I was pretty nervous about having another baby, and wasn't sure the timing was right.  But I've totally fallen head over heels with her, and so has her big sister.  Mash'Allah my older daughter (who is only two and a half) takes such wonderful care of her.  She is always making sure she is covered with a blanket, fixes her hat if it slips over her eyes, and showers her with as many hugs and kisses as she can.  She is always asking when she'll be old enough to walk and play with her, but is perfectly content with just sitting next to her on the couch and stroking her tiny little hand or cuddling with her mash'Allah. 

Subhan'Allah, it is exactly as my aunt told me it would be.  She told me that my oldest daughter would be my little girl, until the baby was born.  And then, overnight, she would be my big girl.  Before the new baby came I still looked at my daughter as a baby, but now I see just how grown up she is mash'Allah.

Anyways, I could gush on and on about how happy I am to be a mom again, and all the details about my newest baby's birth, but I don't want to bore you lovely ladies.  I just wanted to check in quickly to let you know that alhamdulillah she was born, she is healthy, and we are all loving her to bits.

Insh'Allah all is well with you amazing Muslimahs as well, and I will post again soon.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Mommy-ing!

Lovingly Yours,
The (yes, I'm back wearing my heels already!) Mujahada in Prada

~I'm Still Here...And The Bun is Still in the Oven~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Jummah Mubarak My Stylish Sisters!

Well ladies...so far, so pregnant.  I'm at 37 weeks and counting, which is how far along I was when my water broke with my daughter.  It's kind of funny because every single time I wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom (which is usually upwards of four or five times a night) I lay in bed for a few seconds thinking "is this it?".

I can still remember the morning my little lovebug decided to make her debut into the world.  I sat straight up in bed planning to make a(nother) run to the potty when I realized it wasn't the potty I needed, but a ride to the hospital.  Instead of rushing out of the door, though, I chose to take a nice warm shower, eat an apple, and relax at home for as long as possible.  Once my husband made it home (accompanied with his brother and cousins in tow) and got over the initial shock of realizing he was actually about to be a father he started freaking out.  The fact that I wasn't freaking out just freaked him out even more, and after a couple of hours of this all-around fun had by all, we were off to the hospital.  Three cars full of us.

My daughter's birth was traumatic for all of us, off to a rocky start, ending with an emergency c-section, complete with 21 hours of labor in between.  But after all of that, I was blessed with an amazing, beautiful, sassy little fashionista muslimah who stole my heart and ran. 

This time is very different than the last time.  My relationship with my wonderful husband is a thousand times stronger than before.  Alhamdulillah.  My relationship with myself is a thousand times stronger than before.  Alhamdulillah.  But this time, I have one more relationship than I had before.  One with a little girl whose laugh makes my heart laugh, and whose tears make it cry.

And that relationship, my sisters, is what gives me confidence that not only can I get through another 21 hours of labor, if that's what Allah swt has intended for me, but that I can make it through all those sleepless nights, late night feedings, stinky diapers, and newborn worries. 

I can get through it because I'm a mom.  And that's what moms do.

Ma'Salaama and 2 More Weeks To Go!

Fat and Fashionably Yours,
The (Gotta Love those Braxton Hicks) Mujahada in Prada 

~And The Countdown Begins...~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters...

Recently my preggy brain has given away to full-blown mush, my body aches have turned into all out preggo pains, and my patience has dropped into the negatives.

Ahhhhhh the joys of motherhood!  :)

Alhamdulillah, I actually truly love being a mother.  But, as we've talked about before, I do NOT truly love being pregnant.  That is why I am actually ecstatic to say that the final countdown has begun!  Only three more weeks until my scheduled c-section insh'Allah.  Now, if I can only convince the little stinker to stick it out that long.

The other evening I was chatting with my amazing mother in law about all things pregnancy related, and we started to discover that every single woman that we know has had either all of her kids early, or all of her kids late.  I was very curious to find out if this was just a coincedence and asked my doctor who confirmed that his is quite common.  She said that women's bodies deal with pregnancy in different ways, and if you have your first child before the due date, chances are high that you will also have any future children early as well.

Which is especially scary for me, considering I am at 36 weeks, and my daughter was born at 37. 

ACK! I am NOT ready yet!  The hubster and I still need to get a baby bath, bottles, a pump, more receiving blankets, and the list goes on and on! 

Mentally, though, I am more than ready to get this show on the road.  I am so excited to see my daughter learn to love her little sister as I know she will.  I'm waiting with anticipation to feel those tiny fingers wrap around my finger, to watch her sleep on her baba's chest as her big sister did when she was tiny, and to experience all of those "firsts" as a family, not just as a couple.

Alhamdulillah my handsome husband has finally chosen a name for our newest princess, although I won't reveal it until she has made her appearance.  In fact my daughter has chosen a name too:  "Buka buka".  I am pretty certain we will go with her father's choice instead, but I wouldn't be suprised if Buka buka stuck around as a nickname for years to come.  (Won't she just LOVE her older sister for that one?)

You named me WHAT?

We chose a much more simple cradle than we were originally looking at, mainly because once I started seeing more gliding cradles that had wheels I fell in love with the thought of being able to wheel her into a different room while she was sleeping in case my daughter's tamborine playing, Old MacDonald singing, or general two-year-old activities became too loud.  Here is what we chose from Babi Italia.

To coordinate with our brown and blue bedding, and my daughter's brown, pink, and blue bedding we chose this beautiful sheet set from CoCalo:

I also absolutely adore the mobile that we ended up getting on Amazon.com.  I think it is sooo cute, and coordinates with the bedding well, while being much more interesting than the boring hearts mobile that was supposed to match the bedding we got.

And did I mention before how excited I am to start wearing high heels again?  I can't begin to explain how much I have missed my pretty platforms, stunning stilettos, and wondrous wedges.  In fact, my loving husband has promised me a shoe shopping trip as soon as I'm up for it, because he knows how much I've pined away for my days in high heels. 

*sigh*

So, on that note:  Let the countdown begin!  Two weeks, six days, seven hours, and forty-five minutes until I can hold my newest blessing in my arms, introduce her to her beautiful big sister, and enjoy being a new mommy of two amazing Muslimettes.  Alhamdulillah for everything!  May Allah swt guide them and protect them always, and provide me with the strength, the knowledge, and the patience to be the best mommy to them that I can be.

Ameen.

Ma'Salaama and Keep On Counting!

(Not So) Fashionably Yours,

The (Get Me Outta These Flats!) Mujahada in Prada

~The New Hair Craze: Feathers! (and I don't mean Farrah Fawcett style)~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good (very early) Morning My Stylish Sisters!

I am sitting here pouring myself a cup of green tea (trying to cut back on coffee) relaxing after a late-night girly session of feathering my cousin's hair.  By feathering in no way do I mean those gigantic, fly-away hair styles that Charlie's Angels made popular in the seventies.  I mean actual feathers. 

Yes....from birds.

Like....tweet tweet.

It's the newest and hottest craze here for hair in the United States, and I actually think it's pretty cool.  It's much less harmful to your hair than putting in highlights, and they can be taken out at any time.  The feathers are available in any color under the sun, and are easy enough to put in at home with a little patience and the right tools.  Here are a few pictures of celebrities and other ladies who have opted for these sweet little accessories:

Kesha-The Original Feather-er Herself

A More Dramatic Feathery Look

More Subdued Feather Effect 

(similar to what I did tonight)

Look At All The Pretty Colors!!

Hair Feathering Kit

When properly inserted, these fancy filligrees can stay put for a little over a month, even with washing and drying of the hair.  The coolest thing about them (IMO) is that if you have a formal event, job interview, funeral, etc. suddenly come up you can easily remove them, and then put them back in later.  For those sisters who wear hijab it's an inexpensive way to add a touch of sass to your hair for a women's-only event or an extra special evening with the hubby!

Now, I must admit one thing.  I am personally a little freaked out by birds.  I'm not sure, but I think it may stem from some trauma I endured as a young child discovering that my two beloved parakeets had been mauled by a relative's dog.  I can still picture the feathers scattered throughout the room, and I've never been able to own a pet bird since.  I would also be curious to make sure that all of these feathers that are being used to adorn all these ladies updos are come by in an ethical and safe manner for the birds.  Those two issues aside, I really do adore the look.

So...for those ladies who want to jump on the bandwagon and get their own funky feathers, you can go to dohairextensions.com for all of the supplies you need, including beads, a crimper, a threader, and the feathers themselves.

So, what do you fabulous fashionistas think?  Is this a fad you can see yourself following?  I'd love to hear your comments!

For the time being, I'm off to finish my tea and roll my preggy belly into bed.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Feathering!

Fashionably Yours,

The (tweet! tweet!) Mujahada in Prada

~Subhan'Allah! It's Been Two Months?~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Jummah Mubarak My Stylish Sisters!

Where have you been for so long???

Oh wait....

Yes, I forgot, it's been ME who has been missing in action *oops*

Well, my amazing Muslimahs, I am sorry if my absence has caused you distress.  Although I'm quite sure you have all been perfectly well without me and my preggy brain I must confess there have been numerous times I have logged on with every intention of posting something exciting and entertaining and earth-shattering....only to feel that I, in fact, had nothing interesting to say at all.

Alhamdulillah since my last post I am happy to announce that my handsome hubster and I did quite a bit of redecorating of our apartment, bought a car, and have been busily preparing for the arrival of another beautiful baby girl in April insh'Allah.  I am extremely fat and uncomfortable at this point (ah the joys of pregnancy!) and am literally counting down the days until I can start wearing high heels again.  We are also holding an on-going debate about names for the baby (any suggestions?) as well as searching high and low for the perfect bassinett/cradle to suit both of our tastes.

Other than that life has been quite uneventful, which I guess I should be grateful for after reading a few other sister's blogs/FB statuses/tweets about their ongoing dramas.  And this, my stylish sisters, is why I haven't updated you lately.

I am so sorry.

Really.

And that is why I am posting this very quick, very BLAH update for you all until I am able to spend the time (and what little brain power I have at the moment) writing a more interesting post.

So, until then....insh'Allah all is well with you lovely ladies and your families.

Ma'Salaama and See You Soon!

Boringly Yours,
The (yawn!) Mujahada in Prada

~Belly Bumps and Haircuts and Hanukka.....Oh My!~

CAUTION:  EXTREME RANDOM-NESS AHEAD....READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Maybe it's my pregnant belly and overly hormonal brain, or maybe I'm just using that as an excuse, but my trains of thought have been running off the tracks at all stations lately.

I can think of numerous times within the last couple of months where I have had to start a story at least three times before I could actually finish it.  In fact, not so long ago I was telling my hubster about a close friend of mine who I had gone to college with, and when he asked me what her name is I couldn't even remember!  The humiliation of actually having to look her up in my contacts on my cell phone was too much for me to handle.

I've read different theories about why pregnant gals get so scatterbrained, everything ranging from increased levels of hormones, to baby production using up any available intelligence.  But I honestly still don't understand it.  As if being pregnant wasn't complicated enough, we also have to suffer through the embarrassment of frequent Freudian slips, constantly misplaced house keys, and totally bizarre daydreams.  Alhamdulillah for the ability to have kids, don't get me wrong, BUT lately it has gotten to the point that I have even *gasp*
LOST MY DESIRE TO SHOP!

Yes...it's true.  As most of you fabulous fashionistas know, I am on another vacation visiting family.  My Chick of Chic-ness....Guru of En-Vogue...Scholar of Shopping (AKA My mom) has tried getting me to splurge on some totally cute clothes since getting here, but once I wedge myself into them and look into the mirror I tend to lose my nerve.  I'd much rather just go buy some adorable dresses for my daughter, than try on more preggo clothes.

I don't mean to sound vain or conceited, those who know me know that I am anything BUT that...alhamdulillah I am so grateful for being able to be a mommy, and I love my baby bump.  I am just not one of those women who relish my new outtie belly button and cankles. 

Speaking of being able to have kids and loving being a mommy, I took my daughter for her very first haircut the other day!  I have to admit I was up almost the whole night before, filled with dread about the screaming, crying, and otherwise bad behavior I was sure would be displayed once she was in that chair. 

 My mom recommended her own totally fabulous hairstylist to cut my daughter's hair, knowing that her very own daughter has crazy curls much like mine.  She assured me that Ms. L would be loving, patient, and knowledgable....and she was so right!  Not only did my daughter bond with her immediately when she showed her how cool the spray bottle was, and how fun a chair complete with hydrolics could be, but she only needed to trim barely an inch off of my daughter's locks to make them look as healthy and lustrous as ever!  She explained that the reason the worst part of my day is when I have to brush my daughter's hair is not because I was a horrible mother (which is the way I feel after a ten minute sob fest with my little one every time I go near her holding a brush) but because we needed to use different products on her curly-q's.  Here were her suggestions:

1.  Use a shampoo sans dyes, perfumes, alcohol, or all that other stuff that's added to most shampoos.  They were stripping her hair of its natural oils, thus causing the curls to become balls of frizz.  Product recommended: Deva Curls No-Poo (like shampoo...but no-poo)

2.  Let her sleep on a satin pillow case.  She explained that cotton naturally wicks away moisture from anything including hair or skin.  I think I, also, will be purchasing a satin pillow case in the hopes it will help me in my dry skin problems.

3.  Instead of a brush, use a large comb with teeth that are set far apart from eachother.  Those brushes that almost everyone uses with the little bulbs on the end of the teeth do nothing to help de-tangle her tight curls, and any natural hair brushes also draw moisture out.

I have tried number one and number three (haven't gotten around to shopping for satin pillowcases yet) and ALHAMDULILLAH hair brushing time has gotten %150 better.  It's still hard to get her to sit still for ten minutes (pretty normal for any two year old) but there aren't nearly as many tears shed by either one of us.  THANK YOU MS. L!

And last, but not least....Hanukka.

Now I KNOW this is truly random, but the other night I was sitting with my family, and my father shared a bit of interesting knowledge with us that I found astounding.  He said that he had been listening to NPR (the national radio station here in the U.S.) and they did a story explaining the history of Hanukka.  According to National Public Radio, Hanukka was actually not even a holiday until after WWII when the increased population of Jewish people in the United States felt left out during the Christmas season, and so they started to celebrate a holiday of their own.  Now, this is definitely a "fact" I'm going to research more, but I found it quite interesting...if it's actually true.  I am not one to bash religious holidays other people celebrate.  In fact living here in the U.S. I absolutely love the Christmas/Hanukka/New Year season for the feeling of frenzied joy and mass marketing that accompanies it.  My family is what I like to call "default Christians" meaning they don't actually practice, hardly even believe, but by default celebrate Christian holidays.  That created a very materialistic view of the holiday season for me both as a child, and into my adult years, and I still hold onto it long after converting to Islam (alhamdulillah!).  I love to go shopping those couple of weeks before Christmas, even if I'm only buying myself some new lotion, or my daughter some shoes, or just an Auntie Anne's pretzel from the food court.  The long lines, packed parking lots, and late night hours add an excitement that I've only ever experienced one other time of year...the night before Eid in Jordan.  Insh'Allah one day I will live in a Muslim country and be able to enjoy this feeling of comradery during my own holiday, but for the moment I see nothing wrong with enjoying the holiday spirit that surrounds me...even if I don't technically celebrate Christmas or Hanukka.

Well...I've probably filled you amazing Muslimahs with enough random-ness for the night.  I would hate for my totally random ramblings to be the cause of any migraines or brain aneurysms or the like, so for now I will wish you a goodnight, and insh'Allah will see you again soon.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Hair-Brushing!

Fashionably Yours,
The (what was this post originally about again?) Mujahada in Prada