Florida '15

This is the more the merrier type of excitement. I've been to the Florida theme parks with my family multiple times and they were pretty fun but when you go with a big posse it's like REALLY fun.  If you're desi you most likely have a big family with aunts and uncles and cousins galore. A road trip + vacation = AWESOMENESS.

We rented a giant 15 seater van. So let me count how many people there were. My aunt and uncle, my second aunt and uncle and their daughter, my third aunt and uncle and their daughter and son and lastly my fourth aunt and her three daughters then me. I was the only one to go from my family. So together that makes: 14! The drive was about thirteen hours long. We stopped at a rest stop two or three times to use the restrooms, eat and stretch. I was all the way in the back of the van with three other cousins. Here is a picture: 

We look a hot mess haha.

We had a blast catching up. 

My cousins taught me how to snapchat.

We arrived to Florida safe and sound alhumdulillah. We rented a cool little bungalow that had a pool (that nobody swam in because no one knows how to swim and it was cold) and a jacuzzi (that everyone sat in because it was wonderful). It had four bedrooms. All the kids slept in the living room. Two on the sofa the rest on the floor because we didn't realize until the end of the trip that the sofa was a pull out bed. Haha.

Everyone was taking family pictures and then there's me, lol.

Here is the posse all together with the Harry Potter castle in the back.

Can you see me? I'm the tall one in the back bc that's where tall peeps go.

Okay story time. So there's a popeye ride in which you get absolutely SOAKED. I convinced my family that you only get wet "a little bit". I don't remember getting as wet as we did this time as when I had gone with my immediate family. Well turns out when you fit 14 people into the round boat with weight being distributed more in some areas than others, it makes for a very rocky trip down the current. We were drenched from head to toe and our shoes squeaked the rest of the day. It was a blast though. I wish I had a picture of it. I DO however have a candid picture of the gang that brings tears to my eyes from laughing so hard. It was on another ride. 

I again convinced my family that the Jurassic Park ride is just a little scenic boat ride through the jungle with a T-Rex at the end. I didn't mention the drop down the waterfall or how they take your picture while we're falling. I did tell my cousin Anum though, so we were prepared with smiles and were the only ones, haha. Check it out: 

Our group filled up the first three rows. The second to last row is pretty comical too. One of my aunt's has her arms crossed like a boss! Ohmygoodness. I need a minute to collect myself I'm dying. xD

This trip has so many moments that make me smile. 

We also went to a water park (fully dressed like the desi's we are). 

We bought some cool ice cream. 

Yeah I had to get Sonic the Hedgehog. ;)

On our way back home we stopped by to enjoy the beach and watch the sunset.

We arrived fully clothed as usual haha. It has it's perks. People run away from you.

A pic of the "swimmers"

The ones that went into the water.

Zainy Brainy took the pic.

You can see a ship in the back.

The water felt ice cold at first but then it was pure bliss.

Look how clear it is too. It was a great end to the trip.

Bye bye butterfly! Haha. :)

Twenty-Five!

That's right folks. A quarter of my life has now been completed.

You know what the best season is to be born in? Autumn!

 It was a beautiful crisp cool scenic morning on my drive to work. :)

My mom threw a little get together over the weekend and invited family over. I bought the little cone birthday hats for my cousins and myself and Meeka to wear! Everyone wore one to make me happy.

Meeka looks slightly annoyed. 

"What is this? What is my life? Get this off me before I claw you"

The year 2013 has brought my taste buds to a decision on what makes me foam and drool at the mouth.. One Pakistani, one American and one Universal. Biryani, Lasagna and Salad! :D

I'm on a mission to learn how to make the best biryani. :)

I think presents come and go but cards last forever! A nice memory keepsake! :D



Allah (swt) has blessed me with the most amazing parents aH!

Eid-al-Adha

So as you may or may not know, Muslims celebrated their second holiday of the year!

This one is called Eid-al-Adha and does not require a month of fasting in advance.

I tried to fast for two days prior since your rewards are greater but unfortunately there was a slight mishap with that. I started off to a great morning - until my sister and I entered Wegmans. We walked in and I saw piping hot chocolate with a frothy fluff that looked oh so delectable that I forgot I was fasting. I'm normally not even a chocolate person, unless it's shark week, so.. I don't even know why my brain was like "EAT THIS". 

  

We dressed up all pretty and nice and headed over to the Mosque. Prayer started around 9:40 in the morning, had a lecture afterwards and then hugs and kisses to those around you. Afterwards we headed over to my aunt's for brunch. The food was delicious! Regrettably I didn't take any pictures, was too busy stuffing my face instead. Then my cousins and I went on an aimless trip around town.

 

I skipped out on 3 Eid parties and decided to take a nap since I rarely get a day off during the week. Then I got started on my Eid treats for the party we were having at our house that night! I like to call them Lá Petitè Eid Cupcakes! Or you can call them Fancy Cupcakes like my sister. I found two recipes on Pinterest, combined them whilst changing some ingredients and this is what I came up with:
 

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting filled with a Cookie and Cream Hershey Kiss center topped with Gift Box Chocolate! Does that not tingle your taste buds? I'm not even a chocolate person but this creation was oh so delicious! The types of chocolate on the cupcakes were: Tiramisu, Crème Brûlée, Brownie, Meringue, Molten Cake and Caramel Éclair.

I used a Ziplock bag (tinted the frosting with a smidge of red food coloring) and snipped off the tip to create the dots border then squiggled on the normal colored buttercream frosting for a different design. I don't mean to brag I think the pictures look pretty good but in person they were so much more beautiful!! One thing I would change though - the sweetness. They were sweeeeet.

 

It was a really fun night spending it with family and relatives, enjoying good food, conversation and laughs. The highlight of the festivities continued on into the next day!! At work three of my clients surprised me with a special card and dessert:

 

I think this is the most absolute thoughtful thing anyone has ever done! Don't get me wrong there are plenty of clients who are generous. But to remember a holiday for a religion they do not share - that's something special. I was so taken aback by their kindness and just idk it was so thoughtful. I can't get over it. My ears turned red and hot when I was thanking them over the phone and in person. I feel happy butterflies like at the top of a rollercoaster - people are so kind! *yay*

Nicknames

Everyone has nicknames, I'd like to meet one person that has never had a nickname. 

I chose Meeka with a switch of the end letter to make it sound more feminine since Meeko is a MALE raccoon from Pocahontas. I've only had her for almost three months but she already has several nicknames given to her (mostly) by me and my family. She actually does answer to her name Meeka. Smart Kitty! And will turn her head and look at you if you randomly say it. :)

Meekoo (my mothers NN for her), Meekster (like a hipster), Meekasa (like Picasso), Meek (the shortened version)

I'll share my siblings nicknames (as well as my own) that we had growing up since they are so bizarre and odd!

Some of them I can explain others I cant, it's really so funny how people come up with nicknames! Hehe. :)

My older sister is named Aminah. Pronounced Ah-min-ah. Our dad used to call her tuk-tuk, which meant 'small'. My cousin (his nephew) couldn't pronounce that and his attempt was Tu-tu. He used to run around yelling Tutu and the name stuck, haha. Much to the dismay of my sister who didn't like that nickname at all.

My brother has an even weirder nickname than my sister! His name is Omar. Fairly easy to say. So it's a wonder where in the world he got his nickname - Manee. Nobody knows. My parents don't know how that started since they always called him by his given name. It's a nickname given by our relatives and they are the only ones that call him by it.

Here's a picture of me showing my mother I can stick my foot in my mouth. I really could too, lol. I never had the nickname Mary until I hit middle school. Technically my name is actually pronounced Maar-yum. But if you're not middle eastern or desi you wont know how to say it. My family used to call me Moolee. Which is a pale vegetable that looks like a carrot but it's white. Haha.

My younger sister is named Sarah. Here she is with my paternal grandfather. Dada. Her nickname is Saree-the-Laree and the Champion oh and Sarah #1. Our dad taught her how to hold up one finger and then he would ask her mathematical equations that always had the answer 1. What's 2-1? What's 10-9? What's 1x1?

So there ya have it.

Our childhood nicknames at it's best.

At least you weren't named after a vegetable.



I don't even see the resemblance. Apart from the way I'm standing.. and my expression.. and my outfit. Man I really do look like the Moolee vegetable. Oh well at least I know I taste good, haha. ;)

Eid Presents #1

Topic of the Day: PRESENTS!

Continuing on with my gift giving extravaganza, let me show you what I'm getting for my immediate family. I wanted to get something for my parents, they've done so much for me, as many times as they've bought me presents growing up I want to reverse that now and give them presents! Now that I've been getting into the zone of thinking of thoughtful presents for everyone I really can't understand how people say they CAN'T think of anything to get someone. All it takes is a little brain power, creative thinking and how well you value that person, knowing them inside to get them something that they would really love.

I know my dad loves eating nuts. It'd be a tough competition between him and a squirrel on who loves eating nuts more! So I got him a variety of different kinds that I think he'll enjoy. One is the classic honey roasted which is my favorite as well! The silver in the back is trail mix that also has dried fruit with salty nuts and the last is barbecue flavored that looks like it tastes good! For my mother I got White Cookies and Cream Godiva Chocolate and that pink bag in the front holds products from Lush! My mother has been commenting that her feet have been very dry lately and she wishes she could moisturize them somehow. Enter in moisturizing foot therapy! I bought a green massage bar in the shape of a foot called the Stepping Stone, as well as something called the Volcano Foot Mask! These two paired together will give the ultimate in dry cracked skin relief! :)

Pictures Courtesy of Google

For my younger sister I got her a Lush product as well. It's my new craze this year. I bought one for myself and loved it so much that I'm buying it for everyone else too! My mother always told me to share with people what you love most. I wouldn't want someone to give me something only because they didn't like it. I remember when I was younger and I would get candy I would give my brother all the lemon flavored ones because they weren't my favorite but then I would feel bad I wasn't sharing.

Pictures Courtesy of Google

Anyways.. The first time I used my Lush Bath Bomb my sister wanted one too so I went ahead and bought her the Sakura Bath Bomb, it was the prettiest one there and smelled really good. :) I messaged one of her friend's when I was trying to decide on a birthday present for my sister and she gave me a whole list, lol. One of them was a phone case cover for her iphone. I'm like hm, iphones have an insane amount of phone covers out there (unlike for my s3 - boo) so I started shopping around on Amazon and came across this adorable makeup one! My sister loves makeup, I think she should be one of those makeup gurus who make videos on YouTube. She's that good. Whenever there's a wedding or a party to go to I always ask her to put on my makeup. :)

Next up my older sister and her family. For a little background information my sister whom I call Appie, (which literally means older sister - a term used in a matter of respect) is a doctor who works in the ER in downtown Philly, PA. She works crazy hours, barely has time for herself to do anything. She enjoys working though so I guess that's all that matters. :) My brother in law, Riz, does something in computers and last but not least is my nephew, Momo, who just turned three not too long ago.

Seeing how my sister works unusually long hours I thought about what I could give that she would really benefit from. Her birthday was in May and I really wanted to get her an electronic foot massager but the specific brand and kind that I wanted (and store where I wanted to buy it from - Macys) was not for sale and wasn't going to be sold until Christmas. I used to work at that and I saw it every year, the price was around $80. I thought well I don't want to wait till Christmas so I checked on Amazon to see what they were selling it for. The starting price was $120 minus shipping. I can put $40 to a lot of good use, like Eid Presents!! So I put my creative thinking skills to use and came up with these great gift ideas:

Have you ever heard of aromatherapy? I took my cousin to a spa once to get a facial for her birthday, they placed me in this aromatherapy room while I waited for her to be finished. I could fall asleep and have heavenly dreams in that room. It was so relaxing, it smelled wonderful - I was at peace. I think smelling aromatherapy can end wars. So starting off with the first picture on the left is the relaxation water lily oil with the beautiful electronic oil warmer. I think the blue with the brown design is very pretty and it would fit in with my sister's décor. I smelled the water lily at the store and it smelled soothing. The socks on the right hand side are aloe vera infused socks. They have lotion on the inside that are supposed to help moisturize your feet. Knowing my sister her whole life I know that she's had drier feet and standing long hours at work can't help. If she wears these overnight (specially during the winter when dryness is at its peak) it should help her have healthy smooth soft feet. :)

It's hard shopping for men. Always has been - always will be. However one thing that pleases them is FOOD. You can never go wrong with giving men food. I know my brother in law likes electronics but he already has things that I've thought of getting him. Like an electronic flying helicopter? Awesome. He has it. I also bought one for myself actually after playing with his but my cousin's son loved it so much he shoved it in his baby backpack and broke the propellers. :/ There goes $50 down the drain. Anyways I asked Appie what sort of snacks does her husband like and I'll put together a basket for him. He likes Orbit Gum, I didn't know which flavor so I got Spearmint as it looked like it was the most popular. Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars are always delicious, Hickory Smoked Almonds that sound so yummy I wonder what it tastes like, some Trail Mix with m&ms (the best part) and last but not least dried mango slices! Appie said he likes Nuts, Choco Bars, Gum and Mangos.

I asked Appie what I should get Momo and she said NO MORE TOYS! Haha. I guess since he's the first grandbaby everyone is spoiling him left and right and there's no room left in their house that isn't taken over with his toys. She said he needs clothes because he's a growing little fella. So I bought him a Superman outfit that has a cape on the back, it's the cutest thing! He has a Spiderman costume with a mask and everything that he got and he would run around in it night and day.

Here's a picture of him running around the house in his Spidey clothes!

I'm glad my sister has instilled a love of reading in him. He loves books and will drag his huge 365 book of stories across the room and onto your lap and have you read chapter after chapter after chapter of stories. I love doing it but I start to lose my breath and my throat gets dry after awhile, lol. I was super happy to find that they make record-a-story books now! I was returning something at the card shop Hallmark and came across a few books where you could record telling the story in your own voice. EPIC!! Unfortunately the price tag was also a whopping $30. I checked out a bookstore and got a much better record-a-story book for $15! The Three Little Pigs. Even though I'm far away it's like I'm sitting there reading him a story. :)

TO BE CONTINUED..

Eid Presents #2

Topic of the Day: PRESENTS!!

I wanted to give all my family wonderful presents! I'm not one to grab a gift card or some easy cash, so if you know me - don't ever expect that! I'll usually do that as a last resort when there's nothing else I can think of to give to you - however it will be a gift card to a specific place that I think you'd enjoy! For example, a co-worker of mine would always chat with me that she would love to go to a spa and we'd talk about it all day long. For her birthday I surprised her with a $25 Spa Gift Card that can be used at 1200+ spa locations in the United States. If I see you staring at an item long enough.. Well I remember EVERYTHING. ;)

I wanted to get my aunts something as well - just because -
so my sister and I chose these. A different flavor for each aunt! :)

      Next up are my cousins that are closer to my age range. Here is a picture of us together:

So I wanted to get something similar that I can get them both but have them be different but have no hard feelings that I favor one more than the other since I like them equally the same, lol. Tough huh? Well I figured out what to get them and I think they both really loved it! Guess what I got.. LUSH PRODUCTS! They come packaged in these beautifully wrapped gifts with 2 products.

This purple one had wrapping paper that glowed in the dark!

You could smell the luscious scent of soap through the box!

I have a boy cousin that I had bought a Wii for on his graduation but with no games. So I went ahead and added onto that by purchasing a Wii Fighting Game that I hope he likes as well as a Wii Controller that looks real but is candy instead!

Moving on, there are three cousins of mine that are the youngest bunch in our family. They are 15, 13 1/2 and 11. So obviously they can't drive or go anywhere. I want to be a good older sister to them and remember their birthday, take them out to spend the day randomly like to a theme park, go kart racing, mini golfing, etc and give them presents for Eid and other occasions!

Here is a picture of them when they were little munchkins:

I don't remember how old they were in this picture.. such cutie pies. Now they're turning into such pretty, smart young girls. The oldest in the purple her name is Z, the middle wearing blue is Hopscotch and the youngest in the pink is Emonster! :) 

So I'll start off with the oldest, Z. Short for Zainy Brainy, because she's a smart young lady. Booyah. That rhymed. Totally off the fly. ;) Anyways I know she loves clothes and jewelry as any 15 year old does. So I bought her an outfit which I think she'll like, a beautiful scarf that she picked out and a necklace to match her shirt. I think I did a pretty good choosing if I do say so myself! :D 

I got the I love Paris Shirt from Papaya, the Turquoise Scarf is from Macys and the Paris Necklace is from Forever 21! The shirt has pearls lining around the heart and I think it goes so perfectly with the necklace which has a single pearl dangling at the top. 

Next up I have who I like to call my middle twin since we're both squashed between our siblings! Hopscotch! She's got little dimples that you can sometimes see when she smiles real big, like here! Outspoken and speaks her mind - like me! She's like her sister - in that she loves clothes. I bought her one shirt and found another in my closet that I never wore and made my legs look way too long because it's a crop top. So I thought "hm, what shorty person is a size small and will fit them perfectly?"

 

Then of course to complete the outfit I bought a set of cute earrings to match! I saw these and thought they fit perfectly with what I had gotten for her. The gold round studs go with the button shirt while the owl & rose works for both.

Lastly we have the youngest of her sisters and in the family. Slightly spoiled and gets away with it all - Emonster! Since she's still a bit smaller than her sisters, her interests also vary from them. Whereas they like reading books and playing outside she likes staying in and is glued to her electronics, ipad/phone/tv/etc. According to her Instagram she can't wait to go back to school - so why not get her school supplies! The most fashionable things so she can go back in style and show off to all her friends! ;)

I came across this really cute polka dot backpack at Aldo Accessories, the original price tag was a whopping $50 but I got it on sale for an amazing $20! It's a bit on the smaller side but she's also 11 she's not carrying heavy college books. I didn't want to just give her a backpack and call it a day since I'm giving her sisters multiple things, so I filled her backpack with cool surprises!

I started off with some really pretty folders I found. It's two in one, the first on the left has pretty designs the purple on the right has a zebra pattern both have a lot of sparkles in them. I also got her a pack of airheads, lol. I know, it's kinda random.

       I also found the cutest pencils! They have the little sweaters you can slip on for a tighter grip. I thought they were simply adorable. I always loved doodling in my notebooks so I thought a set of colorful ballpoint pens would be fun to have too. :)

       I've been seeing a mustached craze going around lately. Everything has mustaches on it. I thought this was such a cute notebook to have and I've been buying everything turquoise/teal lately so why not get a notebook to match, lol. :)

It looks so cute all bundled up together!