FlyLady s Holiday Control Journal - adapted to fit the Islamic holiday of Ramadan Let s Play A Little Game with Ourselves We are going to pretend that on the 1 st of Ramadan we are going on a 30 day cruise. In order to have a peaceful cruise we need to take care of things so that we are not running around like a chicken with its head cut off once the blessed month begins! Here is our plan of action: by Ramadan we will have most of our preparations finished. This means travel arrangements made, food in the house ready to cook (well most of it anyway, you will still need to purchase fresh produce), Eid outfits in the closet for everyone, and if you are giving presents, they will be purchased and ready, inshaa Allah. This is going to be the first year that you will not be feeling like Ramadan is too big a hassle. The last few years you have looked like the frazzled Franny on the FlyLady website. This year, you may actually enjoy yourself - and your family is going to love the blessed month of Ramadan. Inshaa Allah your pre-planning and preparation will allow you and your family more time to focus on worshipping Allah subhana wa ta aala: reading Qur an, attending Taraweeh prayers, etc. These acts should be enjoyed without feeling rushed and distracted, inshaa Allah. This is your Ramadan Control Journal. Along with this, there will be daily Ramadan Cruising Missions to help you accomplish your BabySteps for preparing for any special occasion. You can do anything for 15 minutes; even get ready for a blessed month of worship! Are you ready to FLY Islamically?
Get the House Ready To Cruise Through Ramadan If your home is suffering from CHAOS (Can t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) then in order to Cruise Through Ramadan we are going to have to get your home ready to greet your guests and keep it from overwhelming you. This is not a recipe for Stash and Dash! Here is how we do this! Crisis Cleaning 101 This is surface cleaning; your guests are not going to be looking in your closets. If they do, then tell them you are taking BabySteps and your home did not get dirty in a day and it is not going to get clean overnight. This will get the main areas of your home presentable. We are not looking for perfection; just progress. 1. Get out your timer; it is the key to not crashing and burning. 2. Set your timer for 15 minutes and go to the kitchen; start putting away dishes, washing a few and throwing out the trash. When your timer goes off; Stop working in the kitchen. I know it is not finished but this is important. 3. Set your timer again for 15 minutes; this time we are spending those 15 minutes in the living room. Start with your Hot Spots; clean off coffee tables, pick up the stuff on the floor, and throw away the trash. When the timer goes off; Stop! 4. Set your timer for another 15 minutes; we are concentrating on the main bathroom that guests use. I want you to do the same thing in this little room; throw out the trash, put things away in the cabinets and place the dirty clothes and towels in the laundry room. When the timer goes off; you know the routine; STOP! 5. Now here is the most important 15 minutes session of our Crisis Cleaning 101: Sit down, get a cup of water or your favorite beverage and rest for 15 minutes. Yes you heard me right. Resting will keep you from crashing and burning. After you sit for these few minutes; you can start in the kitchen again. Only do 15 minutes at a time in each room. Please take care of yourself; follow these directions so you will not crash and Burn. I want you to enjoy Ramadan, not dread it!
How to Enjoy Your Ramadan Cruise While your home cleans itself! We all know how to clean! Let s face it; we had the best teachers in the world: Our parents! The problem is that we have never been taught how to maintain a home so that it practically cleans itself. This is quite simple! All it takes is a basic routine for the morning, afternoon and before bed. Here s a story from FlyLady: Four years ago, she was preparing for a large family gathering. Now this was her first extended family meal as a new wife with his family. She was scared to death. She knew that she had a lot of cooking to do and that she would not have time to clean if she waited till the last day. So she decided to ask a friend to come and help straighten up so she would not have to worry about how the house looked. That was a whole week before the family would arrive. After they got the house clean, it hit her that it had never stayed clean more than a day in the past and if she didn t find some answers then she was going to be cleaning and cooking at the same time and that would spell disaster for her Sidetracked mentality and her ability to be a good hostess. This is when she got the brilliant idea to ask a born organized person how she keeps her home nice and neat. So she asked a co-worker, who told her in a sweet but born organized way, Marla, you just have to pick up after yourself! As the kids say, WELL DUH! This was one of her light bulb moments. The reason her house won t stay clean long is that she let things pile up by not putting things back where she got them from. That day she became aware of her tendency to not put things away. She had lots of reasons; it was an on-going project or this was a convenient spot to keep this. So she put a stop to those attitudes and started putting things away when she finished. She even put things away when she wasn t finished, but no longer had time to work on it. Imagine that, putting something away to work on at a later time. This was a foreign concept. She was unable to see her clutter for what it really was; Clutter and not a continuing project. She could always see her husband s clutter, but was blind to her own. The secret to helping this work for you is to quit trying to multi-task. We pride ourselves on being able to do two things at once, but the truth of the matter is that something always gets left undone. So you have all of these unfinished projects all around your home piling guilt on your head. Once you have Crisis Cleaned and have gotten your home presentable; your simple routines will put your home on automatic pilot. Use your timer to attack your Hot Spots and continue to declutter your home. It is much easier to maintain your home with less stuff than it is to try to organize your clutter. Spend 15 minutes a day tossing out the trash and giving away things you don t love or use. Start Now! Don t wait till a week before your Ramadan begins. I want you to enjoy your company and not be worn out from cleaning half the night and then having to get up and cook. With the stress
of the house lifted you will be able to Cruise through Ramadan without yelling at your babies or your sweetie! Before Bed Routine: Start as soon as dinner is finished don t wait till 10:00pm. 1. Pray Maghrib. 2. Shine your sink; go to bed with a clean kitchen. 3. Put things away from your Hot Spots. 4. Lay out your clothes for tomorrow; check your calendar for appointments. 5. Take some time to relax; bubble bath, good book or magazine. 6. Pray Isha. 7. Go to bed at a decent hour. Morning Routine: Start as soon as your feet hit the floor. 1. Make your bed. 2. Pray Fajr. 3. Get dressed to lace up shoes. 4. Put a load of laundry in the washer. 5. Empty dishwasher. 6. Eat breakfast, drink your water, and take your vitamins. 7. Check your calendar for appointments. 8. Think about what s for dinner. 9. Police your Hot Spots and put things away. 10.Set a timer and declutter one little area for 15 minutes. 11.Where is your laundry? Put it in the dryer. 12.Take a break and rest while you check your Ramadan Control Journal. Afternoon Routine: Start as soon as you get home from work. 1. Start dinner, put hot soapy water in your sink, and clean up as you cook. 2. Pray Dhuhr. 3. Fold and put laundry away. 4. Set the table. 5. Enjoy dinner. 6. Pray Asr. Obviously these routines do not fit everyone s lifestyle, so you will need to alter them to fit your schedule. As an example, I don t have kids and my husband and I work a late evening shift where we don t get home until 1 or 2am. I don t have the option of doing dishes before 10pm! I simply fit the tasks into my schedule, and make it work for my family. The most important point is to set routines for your basic chores!
Ramadan Traditions Adapt to fit your family! Every family has its own way of celebrating the month of Ramadan. When two people come together to create a new family then the customs and traditions for celebrations also have to be blended. The stress of Ramadan can be compounded when decisions are not mutually agreed upon before the blessed month arrives. I am not just talking about the number of times you will host iftaar in your home, but things that are as simple as what type of food to eat for suhoor; will you attend Taraweeh every night or only certain nights; will the whole family go or just the men and boys; and whether or not you will be giving gifts as a part of your Eid celebration. In some cases feelings get hurt because the celebration doesn t have the same experience as when you were a child. Well guess what friends; we are adults and we can sit down and come to a compromise. We don t have to celebrate like our parents did. We can pick and choose what is important to us and toss out what doesn t work for our families. This is especially important for those Muslims who have reverted, and so don t have their own family traditions to fall back on for this month. Gather your family around the dinner table for a discussion of what is their favorite part of the blessed month of Ramadan. Make a list and incorporate these items into your Ramadan Cruise. You will be much happier and so will your family. It all comes from listening and loving each other. Don t assume that you already know; you may be surprised by their comments. Make this month about spending time on acts of worship, and especially worshiping Allah with your family, to make this blessed month even more special. If you have a tight community then the families could come up with a collective way to make special memories for the kids. There are lots of fun things you can do with your young children to set the stage for a memorable Ramadan and Eid. Keep in mind if you are rushing around trying to get ready for Eid al Fitr, then you are going to miss out on many opportunities to get blessings from your Lord. 1. Smell is the strongest sense when it comes to creating memories. Don t fake them; bake them. That takes care of two of the senses, plus a little clutter free way of making someone s day brighter by having fresh cookies to take with you when invited for iftaar. Come up with simple recipes and get the ingredients in the house - that is half the battle. Just think, you are turning something that you didn t have time to do into a memory without the stress; all because you are Cruising through Ramadan. Check out the website for fun cookie recipes from FlyLady members. www.flylady.net 2. If you have scheduling conflicts don t try to over-extend yourself and your family. The joy of Ramadan is that you can host or attend an iftaar any day of the month, or you can do a simple meal with just your family. And if you are giving gifts, you do not have to wait until the day of Eid to do so, as we shouldn t imitate the non-muslims in their holidays (opening all of their gifts only on one special day). You can have your celebration any time you choose. In fact this makes the holiday last much longer. Take care of yourself! Let go of your perfectionism and just pick a day and declare this your day to celebrate your blessings from your Lord and Creator.
Eid al Fitr has arrived: 3. Make sure everyone gets a good nights sleep before the Eid prayers, so you will be rested and ready to enjoy spending the day with friends and family. 4. Take the kids out of school for the entire day, not just the morning. No matter how important that test or project might seem to the teacher it is nothing compared to celebrating our Eid. This is one important way for those of us in a non-muslim country to show our kids that we don t need other holidays ours are good enough! But don t just take them out of school to sit around the house or do chores make it a fun day throw party, visit friends/relatives, etc. You don t have to give gifts nor do anything elaborate if you don t want to, but make it special so the kids won t be pining for Christmas and the like. The idea here is to have fun. These are some simple creative things to do that cost very little but create memories. Are you ready to Cruise through Ramadan and enjoy this year without feeling stressed out?
List Your Family Favorites and Plans Here: FOOD: Topics to Study as a Family: Things for Husband to Teach Wife, Wife to Teach Husband, Parents to Teach Children, Children to Teach Each Other, Children to Teach Parents: Family Crafts and Activities: New Sunnahs You Would Like to Incorporate This Year: Things That Your Family Doesn t Like To Do: It is better to know now and be able to discuss it than to suffer and everyone be miserable (such as wife may not appreciate last minute invitations for 5 brothers to attend suhoor)
Menus for Suhoor Meals Whether you are cooking for just your family or hosting others for suhoor, planning ahead will help your day start much smoother. Keep it simple and something you can make ahead of time, if possible, to avoid the last minute rush of eating in the kitchen because the food was not quite ready in time to sit down and eat. Or worse smelling the delicious food that finished cooking after the Adhan sounded for Fajr. In the margin put the cookbook name and page number, if appropriate. On the next page list the ingredients on your shopping list. Mark them off as you have pre-purchased these items. 1. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 2. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 3. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 4. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 5. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 6. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 7. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 8. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages
9. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 10. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 11. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 12. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 13. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 14. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 15. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 16. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 17. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 18. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages
19. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 20. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 21. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 22. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 23. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 24. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 25. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 26. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 27. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 28. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages
29. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages 30. Entrée Side dish Fruit Juice/Beverages
Holiday Menu for Iftaar Meals Planning ahead for hosting an iftaar will take the stress out of your day. Avoid the last minute decisions that seem just that much harder when you re already hungry. Planning ahead will ensure that everything is on the table and ready to go by Maghrib instead of Isha! I have included space for planning 15 meals, since most of us usually attend iftaar in others homes or at the masjid throughout the month. Feel free to add or delete as necessary for your family and community needs. In the margin put the cookbook name and page number. On the next page list the ingredients on your shopping list. Mark them off as you have pre-purchased these items. Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages
Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages
Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages
Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages Meat Salads Side Dish Bread Desserts Beverages
Party Food If you are planning to have a post-iftaar Halaqa that may run into the late night, you will need to plan ahead so you have plenty of snack foods available. Don t forget to have plenty of water on hand to prepare for the next day of fasting, insha Allah. Meat Appetizers Cheese Appetizers Dips Veggie Appetizers Fruit Appetizers Sweets and Drinks Cookies Breads Cakes Beverages Other Notes--
Menu Ideas for Potluck meals Jot down what foods are quick and easy for you to prepare, in case you get a last minute invitation to a potluck iftaar. Make sure you have ingredients on hand to make these items. This will also be helpful in planning ahead when you are invited and expected to bring a dish. In the margin put the cookbook name and page number. List the ingredients on your shopping list. Mark them off as you have pre-purchased these items. Main dish ideas Side dish ideas Salad ideas Dessert ideas Notes--
Holiday Menu for Eid al Fitr Meal Fix your family favorites; this is not the time to experiment on them! In the margin put the cookbook name and page number. On the next page list the ingredients on your shopping list. Mark them off as you have pre-purchased these items. Meat Side Dishes Salad Bread Sweets and Drinks Cookies Breads Cakes Beverages Other Notes--
Eid al Fitr Breakfast Keep it simple and something you can make ahead, to avoid the rush of eating and getting to the Salaatul Eid. Entree Side Dish Fruit Juice or Beverages Sweets and Drinks Cookies Breads Cakes Beverages Other Notes--
Eid al Fitr Party Food Meat Appetizers Cheese Appetizers Dips Veggie Appetizers Fruit Appetizers Sweets and Drinks Cookies Breads Cakes Beverages Other Notes--
Favorite Recipe Cards Tape or Write your recipes on this sheet. Make photocopies of your recipes; if you want to keep this put it in a sheet protector so it won t get messed up while you are using it. Use extra sheets if you need to, in order to keep all your favorite Ramadan and Eid recipes in one spot!
Shopping List Make out your shopping list as you go. You do not have to get all of this in one trip. The idea is to spread it out during the 6 weeks before Ramadan, so you can spend more time during Ramadan on acts of ibadah instead of in the grocery store! Spend 15 minutes at a time. Do not crash and burn! Meats Fresh Produce Dairy Spices
Baking Ingredients Other ingredients Beverages Notes--
Let s Bake Some Cookies When Ramadan finally gets here you are going to be so surprised that you are not stressed out. In fact, you will have the time to bake those cookies and other treats that you have always told the children you would. Now, with all of your iftaar meals planned; groceries purchased; and your cooking schedule in place; you have no more excuses. Get out your chef s hat & apron and let s have some fun in the kitchen. Your routines will keep the kitchen clean and free you up to make some memories with your babies. In order to be spontaneous about this, you will need to have the necessary ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator. Everyone usually has some favorite cookie recipes, whether these are traditional Ramadan favorites or just your personal favorites no matter what time of year get out those recipes. Write them down here and list your ingredients on your shopping list. To bake cookies you need flour, sugar, butter and eggs for the most part, so buy extra flour and sugar each time you go shopping. There are always some tried and true recipes on the Flylady website, so if you need some help with this, check out www.flylady.net. Many of you like to give baked goods as gifts. Get out those recipes too and start your shopping list. Pick up these items long before you will need them so that they are available when the urge to bake hits you. Inshaa Allah you will have free time to play this Ramadan if you start thinking about this now. After all, you can do anything for 15 minutes; even put together some cookie dough. When you have everything you need it is much more fun to cook! And when the kitchen is clean, all you have to do is clean up as you go. Don t forget to start with a sink full of hot soapy dishwater. Are you ready to FLY?
Favorite Cookie Recipes Tape or write in here
Other Recipes for Baked Gifts
Baking Ingredients Shopping List Mark items off as you pre-buy them. A well stocked pantry is the key to spontaneity. Build your shopping list from your recipes. What kind of flour do you need for each recipe and how much? What kind of sugar? How much butter? How many eggs? What are you going to need to decorate them with? What do you need to package them with? What other items do you need in order to bake your holiday goodies: Baking powder, baking soda, jams, chocolate chips, nuts, etc?
What Size Are We? We want everyone to have a new beautiful outfit for Eid al Fitr, whether it is homemade or purchased doesn t matter. Measure everyone who needs clothes, so they will all be comfortable, as well as beautiful, inshaa Allah! This is especially important if you ll be making the clothes yourself. Mark the measurements here: Check things off as you get them done; 15 minutes a day is going to have you cruising through the holidays. Name Height/Weight Shoes Shirt Head Arm Chest Waist Hips Pants Inseam Outseam Here are some links to websites that talk about measuring for sewing your own clothes: Children Body Measurements Measuring Children How Do I Measure an Inseam? - Kids' Fashion Shoe Size Info Children's Shoes Size Chart Men Body Measurements How to find your men's size/how to take measurements Shoe Size Info Men's Shoes Width Charts Inches to U.S. Men's Shoe Sizes Men's International Shoe Sizes Conversion Chart Women Body Measurements How to find your size - Women - FASHION Shoe Size Info How to Measure Your Foot Women's International Shoe Sizes Chart Inches to U.S. Women's Shoe Sizes
Gift List (To Purchase) We know that the focus of Ramadan is on acts of ibadah, worshiping our Lord and Creator, so we do not focus on gifts as a reason for our holiday. This does not mean we can t give a gift or two here and there, just don t let your children think they are only fasting to earn an Eid gift. Check things off as you get them done; 15 minutes a day is going to have you cruising through Ramadan. Don t forget to check out the catalogs in your Hot Spot. For Whom? What to buy? Price limit? Where to buy it? Order placed Wrapped Date to ship Tracking number Completed Receipt on file
Gift List (To Make) We know that the focus of Ramadan is on acts of ibadah, worshiping our Lord and Creator, so we do not focus on gifts as a reason for our holiday. This does not mean we can t give a gift or two here and there, just don t let your children think they are only fasting to earn an Eid gift. Making gifts for each other can be a fun activity to do with the children in between Islamic studies. Check things off as you get them done; 15 minutes a day is going to have you cruising through the holidays. Keep it simple and have fun. Make copies if you need to. For who? What to make? Price limit? Where to buy supplies? Time needed Started Made? Ship date Tracking # Done
Are You Traveling This Ramadan? Put these dates on your Calendar Leaving On: Gone For: Return Date: Driving: (y/n) Car serviced: (y/n) Pets Cared for By: Book a kennel if needed! Do you need to purchase plane/bus/train tickets? Make your arrangements as soon as you know your dates. Put all your information about your tickets in your folder. Packing List: for the number of days you will be gone Outfits For Days ocks Underwear Bras/T-Shirts Shirts/Thawbs Skirts/Pants Coat, Hat, Scarves, Gloves Shoes Dressy Clothes: Masjid or Party Tickets Gifts Traveling Money, Purse Maps Snacks For the trip Sports Equipment Cell Phone & Charger Abaya/Jilbab Hijab/himar/Niqab Underscarves/Sleeves/Pins Toiletries Toothbrushes Toothpaste Floss/Mouthwash Shampoo/Hair products Body Wash Hairbrush Make-up Deodorant Medications Q-Tips Tweezers/Nail Clippers
Dates to Put On Your Calendar If you are planning to mail packages, plan ahead and mail early to be safe! Packages to ship overseas Packages to ship in your country Departure Dates: if you are traveling Arrival Dates: if people are visiting you Halaqa Dates_ School Functions Masjid Functions Iftaar with friends Office Functions Volunteer Functions Deadlines for Homemade Gifts Other Review this list each week to make sure you are meeting your deadlines and to keep yourself from procrastinating. You can do anything for 15 minutes; even break your deadlines into BabySteps.
All Aboard: It s Time to Cruise through Ramadan! As-Salaamu alaykum ya akhawaati, I know that you have just read this whole Ramadan Control Journal cover to cover to just see if I have any clue how to keep you from being stressed out during this time of year. Well, all I can say is that your stress will not leave unless you take 15 minutes a day to fill in these pages and get into project mode. A little planning now, and a little time each day doing, will keep you from procrastinating till the last minute. This is what is going to help you have a peaceful cruise through Ramadan inshaa Allah. With the stress gone you can finally do all the wonderful things that you have felt guilty about because you didn t have time. You can actually read your entire juz of Qur an each day, instead of just dreaming about it. For the first time ever you may actually enjoy Ramadan instead of wondering how it ended so quickly. Our Cruise date is the 1 st of Ramadan so put your plans into action and get ready to enjoy the month of Ramadan; baking cookies; attending halaqahs and iftaars; and keeping in budget for travel and gifts. Of course the most important gift will be the time you will have to read al-qur an; make extra prayers; attend Taraweeh at the masjid or make this prayer at home; and other acts of ibadah. The less time we spend cleaning and trying to make things perfect, the more time we have to devote to worshiping our Lord and Creator the real reason for this month of fasting. Are you ready to Cruise through Ramadan? FlyLady Tape an envelope to this page to hold your receipts; just in case you need them later. This will also help you keep up with your spending.