My dear brothers and sisters, in our very own book–The Qur’an states

It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) the book (this Qur’an). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkam (commandments), Al-Fara'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord.” And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabari).
(Surah Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #7)

• By debating which language an Imam should use in the masjid (house of worship), we are creating al-fitnah (trials, problems, harmful issues, and conflict) amongst ourselves and to others. We need to follow the Qur’an, as shown here:

And this is a blessed book (the Qur’an) which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah (i.e. do not disobey His Orders), that you may receive mercy (i.e. be saved from the torment of Hell).
(Surah Al-Anaam, Chapter #6, Verse #155)

• Regarding this unnecessary debate, our glorious Qur’an states:

And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them. Then Allah misleads whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (Surah Ibraaheem, Chapter #14, Verse #4)

As noted numerous times in the Qur’an, we must also follow the Sunnah (actions and words of) Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

Subhanallah, Glory be to God, in this fatwa regarding using another language besides Arabic in our khutbah, the sheikh shares,

And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Zayd ibn Thaabit to learn the language of the Jews so that he might send letters to them in their language and establish proof against them, and so that he might read their letters when they were sent, and explain to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) what they said. And when the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) attacked the Romans and Persians, they did not fight them until they had called them to Islam by means of interpreters. When they conquered the foreign countries they called the people to Allaah in Arabic and commanded the people to learn it. Whoever among them did not know Arabic, they called him in his own language and made him understand what was meant in the language that he did understand. Thus proof was established. Undoubtedly this is the only way, especially at the end of time when Islam is like a stranger and every people is clinging to its own language. There is a very real need for translation now, and the daa’iyah cannot convey his message without it.

The khateeb should do that which best suits the interests of the people he is addressing. If the best is to give the khutbah part by part, in Arabic and then translated, then he should do that. If the best is to translate the entire khutbah, after giving the khutbah (in Arabic) or after the prayer, then he should do that. And Allaah knows best.

Another disheartening part of this article is how the khateeb did not show his knowledge of these verses in the Qu’ran, Sunnah or fatwa to support his decision to use both Arabic and English in his khutbah. With all due respect to Imam Hassan al-Qazwini, May Allah be pleased with his efforts, accept his good deeds and reward him, Ameen; if all Imams simply used these known facts, the debate would end.

To end the article by sharing that other Muslims think he’s “too Americanized” and “We have to be realistic”, he (a religious leader) is showing lack of knowledge. Meanwhile, opening the doors for non-Muslims (and Muslims like me) to find this needless debate laughable. The solution to this problem is a no-brainer, even to my little girls who witnessed khutbahs in dozen of European languages before.

We must stop using the excuse that “our” issues are significant to our own time, location and circumstances here in the U.S., especially since more than 70% of all the Muslims in the world are not Arabs.

We must stand with a forceful voice that this is time to return to the fundamentals of our religion by following the Qur’an and Sunnah; regardless where we live, where we come from, or where we’re going!

Since we live in such a tumultuous time right now; we need to trust our scholars as they debate areas that are not entirely clear, and leave the rest to Allah, as He knows best.

So, let’s stand together on issues that already have answers; such as speaking English in American masjids, and move on.

We’re always curious what you have to share, so please comment kindly below.

“Muslims turning to home schooling in increasing numbers” by Tara Bahrampour was published on Sunday’s Washington Post with a nice photo gallery for one homeschool mom of six. I agree with their observation that the delay in Muslims homeschooling may be due to the fact that many Muslim immigrants are unaware and/or not confident to explore this righteous option. But, by helping two immigrant Muslim families towards the happy and healthy lifestyle of homeschooling, I agree the number will very soon increase, inshaAllah (God willing).

Having said that, I have found that most of the Muslim homeschoolers I know are American reverts, like myself. We have first hand experience of the many vices of the American schooling system, as previously explained in my “Creating the Ideal Islamic Educational System in America” series with the following articles:

4. What are Personalized Learning Centers?

3.We don’t need School Reform we need an Overhaul
2. Education of Muslim Children – Challenges and Opportunities (Problems with Islamic Schools)
1. Failures of Modern Schooling – Islamic Perspective

While started in 2008, I never finished the series by stating that

“Homeschooling is the most ideal Islamic educational system in America, with a healthy mix of coops, classes, field trips, group projects and academic-themed events (such as Spelling and Geography bees, Art galas, Science Fairs, Invention Convention, etc.) and of course, domestic and international travel”.

As for Meena the 15 year old who said she missed the “Harry Potter club” in this article, subhanallah, Glory be to God, her parents took her out of such an impressionable environment before it was too late. For example, when my daughters (younger than her) read her statement, they immediately winced at the thought of her liking, reading and participating in a club for a series of books not acceptable in Islam.

As always, we welcome your views and thoughts in the comments below.

Ingeniously, they reached out by systematically ‘targeting’ me as a Muslim American Consumer. Be it a ‘test trail’ or ‘planned targeting’ they reached me, while not reaching the non-Muslim. Targeted campaigns always give a more personal-touch to marketing, hence they’re ROI (return on investment) is much higher.

For example, Western Union’s competitors offer services at a nearby grocery store–and, yes, we’ve used them a couple times too. But, guess what? After receiving this personalized message, I’ve gone out of my way to drive further down the street, just to express my loyalty to Western Union.

The bottom of the receipt says,

Congrats! You are now entered  for a chance to WIN an air travel voucher for you to visit anyone, like family back home for Ramadan & Eid, or Mecca for Hajj. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Visit westerunion.com/FlyHome for Rules.

Truth be told, I never went to the website to check things out..but, my girls were so elated and felt noticed during a special time during the year.

Maybe other major companies and corporations should adopt something similar to Western Union–or better yet, contact me and my girls for our savvy marketing tips and insights

My girls and I experienced quite the learning curve this past week, and I shared many Online PR lessons & aha! moments in my post here.

Alhumdulilah, Praise be to God, we feel extremely blessed at our house for having gone through this experience.

What started out to be an opportunity to teach my girls some writing and video producing skills, which I myself haven’t exactly acquired (this being only our 2nd vlog/video log), we actually gained many new friendships with the contestants, and renewed our relationships with long-lost family and distant friends through FaceBook, twitter, and my numerous email lists–even the ones that are not Muslim or mommy related.

And, can you believe the timing of it all!?

I never needed Scott, MomWebs superb support specialist, as much as I did this past weekend–a Sunday of all days. We were back and forth for nearly 5 hours because I actually lost one of my blogs while I attempted to add a new blog just for my girls. Now, tell me a web host who’d do all this?! So, Scott gets 2 Thumbs up now!

Last, this amazing one-week experimental journey brought me to where I want to see American Muslim Mom going: a hub of solid, useful, regular content helpful to Muslim Moms and their Kids, while involving their kids in the process.

By allowing my girls to be my assistants, they are now equal partners invested in our success. They have designated duties and goals of their own. They’re determined and focused, and their energy is what’s bringing life to this already lively community, mashaAllah.

We thank you for making this journey with us and supporting our growth.

For at the end of each day, we give thanks to Allah, subhana wa Tala (May He be Glorified) for all our blessings he bestowed us…and one, is our friendship with you!

At the advice of Marie, the contest winner, we’re joining her Tuesday Toot meme to praise our efforts and thank you in the process! Love to hear your thoughts below.

Top 10 Reasons Mom Webs web hosting rocks!

This video clip was produced, illustrated, and narrated by me and my 9 and 8 year old daughters. The funny jokes were created by the girls, and the “dalmatians question” was really asked for clarification. Enjoy!

“Top 10 Reasons MomWebs Web Hosting Rocks”  slideshow

Because we couldn’t upload our video clip to youtube due to its untimely maintenance last night, the quickest way we knew how to make a slideshow was through smilebox, a photo video sharing program we have, and we were too rushed to figure out how to make a video clip of a slideshow (MP4 file) with MS PowerPoint. But, we kept it, because we like it. It would be better without the Smilebox introduction though…

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I love this banner because Mom Webs is MY Virtual life preserver and everything in my video is true. In the past, I had a web host that didn’t give me ftp access, another had *horrible* customer support, I didn’t get unlimited email addresses or domain and subdomains, and all the others were much more expensive! So, click here now to see all the different affordable plans –as low as $10 a month!

My Role as “Cooking Mom”:

While I’m only as good as the recipe directs me to be, I findmost of my recipes online.

Limitation: I write the recipes in my recipe book, or print it out only to lose it or get it ruined when I cook.

HP Mini Simplified Life:

I’ll bring my HP Mini into the kitchen, tweet the recipe right away, so it goes directly on my blog, so I won’t lose it again. I did this after I cooked last week here, not while cooking. I promise not to let my dirty fingers or messy ingredients near the HP Mini.

My Role as “Coupon Mom”:

Still a “Coupon-Newbie”, in my guest post you’ll see how the internet filled with critical frugal blogs and forums help me find all my deals.

Limitation: I can’t view unexpected competitor store’s savings while shopping.

I’ll be able to compare prices at the store–helping me save more money.

My Role as “Cleaning Mom”:

I research online for cleaning tips, cleaning supplies deals & freebies, and more.

Limitations: Based  on the dates of the above posts, I don’t do it often enough.

HP Mini Simplified Life: I can find many more deals and cleaning tips for quicker and safer ways to clean my abode.

My Role as “Homeschooling Mom”:

My girls use Time4Learning and I co-moderate and lead some homeschool groups and coops.

Limitations: Presently, I have to kick one girl off at a time because they use my desktop, and their EEE PC. While I’m working with our 3rd daughter on hands-on projects, we often need to conduct research to better understand the lesson. I always need to wait to print, make lesson plans for our Math club, Science/Invention class, or even login to see the girl’s daily reports.

HP Mini Simplified Life: I will be able to conduct all the above limitations whenever necessary. I can also bring it to all our gatherings so I could better organize the event, rather than taking notes and wait to go home to transfer all the great stuff we just completed with the kids.

My Role as “Frugal Mom”:

Finding freebies, deals, coupons takes time to research and network.

Limitations: One example is: I’m behind in my Freebie Fridays, and everyone else’s.

HP Mini Simplified Life: I can work regularly while the girls are doing their school work, and during my outdoors downtime.

My Role as “Traveling Mom”:

We travel domestically and overseas often.

Limitations: Without my own laptop, I can not serve any of the many roles listed in this post today.

HP Mini Simplified Life: I will be a  “Connected Traveling Mom”.

My Role as “Mom Blogger”:

Here’s my professional profile.

Limitations: Since going online in 2004, I’ve had to go offline for personal and health reasons and my work never gets transcribed or published, simply because I don’t work directly on a computer. Since my longest hiatus in 2007, my  blogging is  just a passionate hobby.

HP Mini Simplified Life: If I had a HP Mini, I can work anywhere or whenever I’d typically work by hand. With a novel started and over 2 dozen blogposts waiting to be transcribed, I’ll have the convenience of turning my once passionate profession, turned hobby, back to at least a part time income.

My Role as “Mom with a Disability”:

Unfortunately my girls and I lost count how many times I was in the hospital during the past 3 months alone. Again, my trusty pen and paper are with me, alongside my du’a (supplications/prayer) book.

Limitations: My not-so-nimble, joint-deteriorating hands stay far away from my girls’ EEE PC.

HP Mini Simplified Life: The size and weight of a HP Mini is small enough that it won’t hurt my bad back, shoulder and neck; and big enough not to annoy my pain-stricken fingers and wrists. Oh, and for all the times I’m bed-ridden, a HP Mini would help greatly.

My Role as “Family Mom” aka Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Friend:

Since all (except Papa) of our family lives out-of-state, and in dozens of countries, (Canada & overseas), we’re all connected by Facebook, Skype, and Yahoo messenger.

Limitations: Despite the fact that hubby and the girls are well connected in our wireless networked home, I use my “I’m busy” excuse as far as I can…which is never far enough

HP Mini Simplified Life: With the built-in webcam, I won’t have anymore excuses to be out-of-touch or out-of-sight.

My Role as “Muslim Mom” living in America:

Most importantly, I find it critical to be connected to the internet for our own spiritual growth, since everything we need is available for free online:

1. Learning Qur’an  with the rules of Tajweed and it’s translation,
2. Sunnah (actions and sayings the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him),
3. Sirah (biography) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him),
4. Daily fatwas, ie., our roles as parents during the month of Ramadan,
5. Teaching our children important Islamic Stories, Prophet stories, and
6. Learning about the Sahabah.

Limitations: Besides the Qur’an and du’a book, it’s critical for our kids to use the interactive, respectable and authentic resources available on the web.

HP Mini Simplified Life: I can better equip myself in my multiple roles as a Mom more freely and conveniently, inshaAllah (God willing).

Special Thanks to HP , five-time Olympian Dara Torres and Mom Bloggers Club for helping me imagine how an HP Mini with Windows® 7 Starter could simplify my life as a busy mom.

So, now it’s your turn to comment for your chance to win your very own HP Mini!

There are some great conversations taking place in the comments section, so please hop over and share your input or ask questions. For example, based on Stephanie & Melissa of Serendipity is Sweet’s input, I’ll be posting some tips for saving money on specialty foods (such as halal foods) and how to transform cranky I-hate-grocery-shopping to grocery-shopping-spree-helpers!

• New York Times video clip, Selling to Islam – Overture to an Untapped Market,  April 28, 2007 [6-7 million, $170 billion buying power]

• Marketing to Muslims, U.S. Study. May 2007 by JWT

• Time Magazine. Halal: Buying Muslim. May 2009.

• The Huffington Post. The Overlooked $170 Billion of American-Muslim Spending Power. January 2009.

At least someone is trying to capture the market, as seen here:

• New Ad Agency Caters To The Muslim-American Consumer And Their Spending Power, January 2007

Problems faced,

• American-Muslims And The Advertising Agency Dilemma, October 21, 2006

What next?

American Muslim Consumer Conference

Media and blog coverage:

• Main website for this landmark one-day event.

• (PRWeb): American-Muslim Consumer Conference (AMCC) Focuses on Marketing to Muslims, a Growing and Affluent but Often Overlooked Niche

• NorthJersey.com: Soliman: Marketing to the Muslim-American consumer

• Watan: American-Muslim Consumer Conference (AMCC) Focuses on Marketing to Muslims

• The American Muslim: An Ideal Audience for Social Media Marketing

Find them on these Social Network sites:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

As an Online Partner, American Muslim Mom strongly supports the conference, and we believe you should too.

• The American Muslim Consumer Conference provides useful insights, information and opportunities to allow businesses and executives to understand and access the American-Muslim Market. Hear from leading marketing professionals, entrepreneurs and investors describe and discuss this fast growing, educated and affluent market segment. REGISTER NOW

Organizer

Knowledge/Marketing Partner                                                         Social Media Partner

Online Partner

Technology Partner

As always, we’re curious what your thoughts are. Please share below.

1. Purify your intention; that you want to do this for the sake of Allaah (SWT). This alone will help you achieve your goals. Always clarify your intention.

2. Read isthikhara before making any purchases. This will help you decide whether purchasing this product will be good for you or not in terms of this life and the next.

3. Look at your bank statement and highlight where you’re spending money that you could use else where. For example, eating out costs $50.00; maybe you could eat at home, and send that $50.00 a month to a better cause. When you look at it this way next time before you go out to eat, you will enjoy eating your dinner better that night at home, insha’Allaah.

4. Pay them first when you get paid; set up a standing order/direct debit so a regular amount is sent to the charity of your choice every month. For example $40.00, to help with an orphan on the 5th of every month. This way it is like a bill and you have to pay them, insha’Allaah.

Insha’Allaah these tips have increased your awareness as to what you can do. Most of the time the problem isn’t that we don’t know what to do; the problem is DOING it. My dear sister/brother, it is time that you change that intention to ACTION! Just make it happen, insha’Allaah. For each good action you take you will see the fruits of it on the Day of Judgment insha’Allaah.

Ramadan is the perfect time for generous charitable giving, sadaqah. So, let us know if any of these tips helped you to “do more, and give more”.

Zohra Sawari, also known as “The Most Inspirational Muslim Woman in America”, is an international speaker, author, coach, publisher, and homeschool mom. Visit her website today and sign-up for her “Five Ingredients to Happiness” free ereport.

Previous articles include:

• 6 Stress Busters

• “Domestic Crusaders”
• MSNBC: Play about Muslims in US debuts on 9/11
• The Huffington Post: ‘The Domestic Crusaders’: Making History With Muslim American Theater, by Wajahat Ali
• Two tickets are still available for tonight’s sold out show: Domestic Crusaders – Win 2 tickets to Saturday’s Sold Out Show [Some commentary included ]

• Reuters shares that The Third Jihad, available free of charge until September 15, 2009

• New York Times Guest Blogger Explains 9-11 to Her Muslim Child - One important view we must share is that 8 years old is not too young to expose our children to the details beyond “there’s bad and good guys in this world, honey” talks. Before 7 years of age, it may be too young (as instructed in the Sunnah); but keeping and/or shielding information (like making sure Daddy doesn’t watch
  CNN in front of the kids) simply because we as parents have inhibitions to their maturity and will to understand, is underestimating our children’s mature, more much intuitive, confident minds. Having traveled all over the world and living in Gaza during 2000 Intifada, our girls were/are exposed to things most Muslim American kids have never imagined let alone witnessed; that we (and our girls) believe that CNN is so PG-rated!]

• Daily Iowa shares that Ramadan a bit difficult in IC – A very nice article that shows the beauty of sacrificing (fasting) brings great rewards (Feast = Eid, and much more), inshaAllah.

• Austin author attempts to convey essence of Islam, post 9/11 by Statesman.com

American Muslim Moms and women in the news on September 10, 2009

• Author Shaila Abdullah is interviewed by Statesman.com  on 9/10, Local Muslim author of 9/11 narrative says America has grown since 2001

• Exercise Tailored to a Hijab by the New York Times - As a humble recommendation to my dear sisters in the opening picture of this article, please reconsider the materials and style of your workout gear, for “hijab” must cover, veil, and not have us resemble men. See-through hijab showing hair and ears, the fitted-attire showing your awrah (beauty) is not acceptable hijab. If I have guided you straight, then this is the work of Allah (May He be Glorified & Praised); but if I erred, offended or misled you, this is my faults and I ask your forgiveness and Allah’s mercy. Ameen.

Please share openly and honestly. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.*

*Comments deemed unaccepted will be moderated.

Due to the breaking news of the California wildfires, we we cut off and I wasn’t able to share the Rand McNally Boredom Breakers car game series. So, here’s our review, if you missed it earlier this week.

I really enjoyed my time with Sarah French. But, our time right before our interview was absolutely insane. We were rushing during a commercial break updating my intro, putting on microphones and trying to find the producer  all while hearing people yelling 2-minute countdown…30-seconds, etc.

The Producer informed me in a rush, that I was not aloud to bring up my association to American Muslim Mom blog, although I’d be introduced as a mommy blogger. She kept stressing that I can’t discuss religion, and the title of my website alone denotes religion and the network can’t promote it.

But, I informed her that I’m not a part of any other mom blog. I even asked if they found my Empower Women Now for women entrepreneurs…but, she said no, it’s something else.

Anyways, I didn’t have the number of my publicist, to find out which blog I was supposedly “a part” of. Knowing my introductions to the products and DKCNews was from RoleMommy, I mentioned it to the producer when she was rushing by and she said ‘yes, that’s it’.

The problem (as I anticipated) happened when I sat in the studio, with lights and camera on us. Their own anchor, Sarah French, told me she’ll introduce me and give me an opportunity to talk about any thing I wanted about my mommy blog. She said to tell her where my tips can be found, etc.

I was confused yet again.

She showed me what the TelePrompter wrote as my introduction.

So, we began to rush, change and even update misprints in her notes, while looking for the producer. Then, finally we heard a staff person yell,

“she said, she can’t say anything about American Muslim Mom”.

So, in 3-2-1…I offered to go right into my 3 tips instead of having an intro [we're on the air]

1. Making more family fun day trips with your kids for free,
2. Playing educational car games, and
3. Playing free educational online games.

Now, there was nothing religious about our pitch to be a mommy blogger who has tips to help transition kids back to school.

Nonetheless, here are some positive thoughts to share:

• I’m happy about the wonderful relationships I built with RoleMommy and DKCNews because of this opportunity.
• I liked being called a “Mommy Blogger” to show that we are educated professionals, and do have a purpose to educate and share wonderful tips and resources on and offline.
• I’m proud to be a Muslim Mom who blogs, and has newsworthy information to share beyond “promoting” any “assumed” religious message.
• Being on Fox61 News with a hijab was great! I’ve been on TV and the news many times in my previous careers (real estate, public health, and as an entrepreneur), all prior to my covering for the sake of Allah (may He be Glorified).
• By far, this is the best title and role ever: Being a Muslim Mom (my life) Blogger (my new growing passion)!

While there was a ton of confusion surrounding the minutes before the interview, I believe Sarah and I did very well in sharing our main points of back to school tips–which had nothing to do with religion in the first place.

It’s obvious that I was excited & happy to share my tips. I wasn’t even nervous–actually, it was painfully funny.

Regardless, all the chaos prior to going on the air may have been the culprit to my head bee-booping happily throughout the interview. I know I’m an animated speaker, but have I always been a head bopper, too!? Leaving today with a laugh!

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and input. Please comment below.

Follow-up Interview Tips (with available links) available here.

Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqat (deeds of charity, alms, etc.) And Allah likes not the disbelievers, sinners. ( Surah Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #276)

The Tafsir (meaning & understanding of the Holy Qur’an) states

[278-281] O Believers, fear Allah and give up that interest which is still due to you, if you are true Believers; but if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger.323 If, however, you repent even now (and forego interest), you are entitled to your principal; do no wrong, and no wrong will be done to you. If your debtor be in straitened circumstances, give him time till his monetary condition becomes better. But if you remit the debt by way of charity, it would be better for you, if you only knew it.324 Guard against the disgrace and misery of the bay when you shall return to Allah: there everyone shall be paid in full, for the good or evil one has earned and none shall be wronged.

Other ayats include,

O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (usury) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. (Surah Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #278)

O you who believe! Eat not Riba (usury) doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful. ( Surah Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #130)

Therefore, it is crucial to reach a a debt-free life as quickly as possible.

7 Expenses That Are Keeping You in Debt

by Yahoo Finance, written by Erin Joyce of Investopedia.com

• Not Knowing Your Limits

While bank accounts can charge you an overdraft fee for spending beyond your balance, credit cards will charge over-the-limit fees, late fees and increase your interest.

Tip: sign up for email alerts in which they can show irregular usage of your accounts, and send monthly ebills to keep you on-track.

• Fees, Fees, Fees

Consolidate as many of your cards as possible. Keep bank accounts and credit cards to an absolutely minimum. Eliminating cards eliminates unnecessary fees.

• Paying the Minimum

Paying minimum fees will never get your debt paid off. By doing so, one is more inclined to using  one’s credit line more often as well. As Muslims, we should only be using the “charge card” philosophy in which you pay ALL debts in full each and every month, so you do not carry over a debt nor charged interest.

Ideally, using credit and charge cards should be eliminated from your spending habits. At the very least, try hard to wean out of their usage.

• Credit Card Cash Advances

Using credit card cash advance should never be an option, even in cases of emergency. Speaking openly with family and friends for assistance during difficult times is preferred than resorting to ribaa (usury).

• Payday Loans

As the article states, this unregulated industry is the most dangerous and costly option if you’re trying to acheive a debt-free lifestyle, and is not recommended at all.

• Not Negotiating

This action is probably the single-best investment of your time, when trying to gain debt-freedom. A few confident and educated phone calls can save you a good amount of money, and prove to you that you DO have control over your own money.

• Ignorance Is NOT Bliss

Erin closes her article perfectly,

Debt may seem like a life sentence, but it doesn’t have to be. The number one tip for maintaining financial health is awareness. Be aware of your money and where it goes each month, and be aware of the options available to you. There are easy ways to help alleviate the stress on your finances and move from red to black, and the rewards are more than just monetary.

We’d love to hear your tips, thoughts, woes and/or worries to trying to acheive debt-free living. Please share below.

Special Note to David Grant: I enjoyed a motivating and reflexive conversation yesterday. Thank you for publishing an interesting article about Ramadan as practiced by Muslims here in America. I hope you’ll keep my cell phone number handy for future opportunities to work together!

Alhumdulilah (Praise to be to God), one 20-minute conversation with Associated Press’s David Grant of Detroit,  turned into over 50 media placements in reputable media outlets, such as LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Yahoo News! Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah), this news coverage forced us to debut our “Press” page.

While we discussed much more than the 2 tiny lines shared in this story, the full article shares the fundamentals of fasting in Ramadan and shares an interesting perspective of one of our beloved pillars in Islam.

To support *good news* being reported about Muslims in America, we at American Muslim Mom graciously urge you to comment on individual articles, share the links via email and/or social networking or bookmarking sites, and/or even write letters to the editor thanking them for their time and efforts. If the media outlets see our concerted effort to thank them for their good reporting, rather than complaining about poor-media-images; inshaAllah, more wonderful opportunities may arise and bless us for working in the name and sake of Allah (May He be Glorified).

Linked below are a fraction of the articles published.We’ll keep updating the Press page as new articles are published, inshaAllah.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, please comment below as well.

August 21, 2009 As the holy month of Ramadan creeps into summer, US Muslims plan to stay up later, fast longer

Washington Examiner

San Francisco Examiner

August 20, 2009 Longer, Hotter Days Strain Islamic Holy Month

South Carolina’s The State

Miami Herald

• Our Kids’ Gifts For Others: This is a perfect time when we go through all their art work that has been piling up all year, and start determining which ones will be sent to which family member as gifts. The girls personalize each art project, sign and date them, then decorate fancy envelopes as well.
  • This is my attempt to keep our closets and shelves from overflowing with all the “you-must-keep-this-I-made-it-for-YOU-Mommy” hand-made home-made gifts. Fortunately, my parents (now, just Daddy) and my one sister (aka “Super Auntie”) actually frame their work and hang it up in their homes. Therefore, I always explain that their art work lives longer as gifts for others, rather then in Mama & Baba’s file cabinets. This is Mama’s persuasion at its best
  • Because my family is non-Muslim, this serves as an act of dawaa (introduction to Islam) by educating them of our lifestyle and way of life. So, my girls take great pride in gift-making and gift-giving.
  • Cards – Since they can pick up a crayon, we’ve been making home-made cards. We started with easy construction paper, and now as they grow older we’ve graduated to more scrapbooking materials.
• Clothing Gifts For Our Kids: My girls are shop-o-holics who love a bargain and LOVES clothes. In the past 2 years, they prefer when they search for clothes with me, then they get to wear them for Eid. Shopping is a blessing (for my pocketbook and the joy of family time together) with my girls because they want a deal just as much as I do. They know, with every dollar saved, more dollars to spend on them–like games, toys, accessories, etc.
• Gifts For Our Kids: I take one day off, which hubby watches the girls, and I go on my bargain hunt for books, toys, software, etc. I buy steals and deals, but my goal is to make a “shopping list” for hubby so he can find them online much cheaper. We did this for ice skates, educational games, laptops, etc.
• Holiday Clothes: For our Eid Days (since there are only 2 Eids a year), my girls have always worn bridal gowns. Because our girls were flower girls to my sister and brother’s wedding; it only seemed to be a logical excuse to wear gorgeous expensive dresses again. After all the hadith says “wear your best clothes…not ‘new’”. In keeping with the theme, we look at Bridal dress shops online, discount stores like Burlington Coat Factory (they have “Cinderella” brand that JCPenny sells for a fraction of the cost), search for clearances, and make sure we get a bargain on bulk shipping costs. It’s about dressing one’s best, and with a little research you can find $100-200 gowns for less than $40! We always accessorize too.
• Food: Because we have a huge breakfast in the morning before our fast and extra huge “break–fast” (get it?) dinner after the fast; we go to the closest metropolitan Arab community (Detroit, MI before and New York City now) and stockpile of wholesale, bulk packages of canned goods (pickles), special spices, specialty foods (e.g. quails). Then for the Eid celebration (3 days for Eid al-Fitr and 4-days for Eid-al-adha) we go to a local livestock or butcher to slaughter our own lamb or goat and stockpile at least a month’s worth of fresh meat, and give at least a third to the poor. Fresh meat–yum! At penny’s a pound–even yummier
• Decorations: Arts & Crafts, Party, Dollar Stores and Department Stores: clearance bins. For “Eid specific” we make our own. There are some online stores available, which I just discovered and may search their close-out bins too. But, every year visitors marvel at our creative, classy, and ingenious decorations. Last, because we’re off-season, we can always buy white lights during after-Christmas sales and store them for our holidays.

Hope this Creative Cost-Cutting Holiday Tips help you spend more time with your family, making personalized gifts and memories which will last all our your lifetime rather than resorting to spending hundreds of dollars for the next-best-thing advertised in billboards and TV…which will never satisfy our inner peace and remembrance of Allah (May He be Glorified). We must not succumb to commercialization, and dedicate our actions and intentions to our beloved Creator the Only One Allah (May He Be Glorified).

If you have frugal, fun tips to share, please comment below!

Thank you John for covering this interesting story for non-Muslims and Muslims in America.

Commentary from American Muslim Mom

• We agree completely with the reported misconceptions, misunderstandings, and the mistreatment of our devout Muslim Women of all ages throughout the world, especially in America and the West.
• While there may be some debate whether the hijab is optional for Muslim women, we believe it is an obligation.
• We also agree that covering one’s head occurred prior to Prophet Muhammad’s (peace & blessings be upon him) revelation of the Qur’an. For example, our beloved and most respected Mariyam (Virgin Mother of Jesus (peace be upon him)) dressed modestly with a head cover.
• Whether the hijab originated from Islam or prior religions or cultures is irrelevant.

Regarding women and hijab, Our Holy Qur’an clearly states,

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. ( Surah An-Noor, Chapter #24, Verse #31)

It is no sin on them (the Prophet’s wives, if they appear unveiled) before their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their brother’s sons, or the sons of their sisters, or their own (believing) women, or their (female) slaves. And (O ladies), fear (keep your duty to) Allah. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Witness over everything. (Surah Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #55)

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #59)

For a better understanding of these ayats (verses) in the Qur’an, the Tafsir (Meaning and full translational understanding) are shared at the end of this article, provided by Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi at Search Truth

American Muslim Mom’s Stance on Hijab

• Please refer to the highly-acclaimed book entitled, The Hijab…Why?, by Dr: Muhammad Ismail available online for free here.
• Dr. Ismail uses authentic verses from the Qur’an and the Sunnah (actions and words) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
  As an introduction to hijab, Dr. Ismail details how
  1. The Hijab is an Act of Obedience to Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
  2. The Hijab is an Act of Modesty
  3. The Hijab is an Act of Purity
  4. The Hijab Acts as a Shield and Protection
  5. The Hijab is an Act of Righteousness
  6. The Hijab is an Act of Belief and Faith
  7. The Hijab is an Act of Bashfulness
  8. The Hijab is Gheerah, which is the intrinsic, driving emotion that drives a man to safeguard women he is related to away from strangers and danger.

• We, at American Muslim Mom, feel driven by all these virtues of hijab (in Arabic it literally means “to conceal, screen, cover, and protect”) and proudly cover for the sake of Allah. One should not cover for any other reason such as pleasing one’s husband or family, following a certain culture or latest fashion. Only until one reaches a certain level of faith with pure intentions to please Allah (May He be Glorified); the act of wearing a hijab  (now understood as headscarf/veil) is meaningless and by some scholars not accepted by Allah (May He be Glorified).
• Having shared this, no one at American Muslim Mom is assuming Allah’s role to judge another sister simply because she chooses to cover or not. After all, Allah is the Only Judge. However, we are obliged to Allah (May He be Glorified) to educate, when possible, to share the truth of its beauty and necessity as stated in the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him).
• If anyone can relate–our Founder/Publisher, Ponn M. Sabra–is impassioned by this topic and extends her helping hand. By embracing Islam 10 years ago, it took many years to finally embrace hijab as a duty and allegiance to Allah. Being the only Muslim in her family, and determined to raise 3 Mu’minah in America who she prays will chose hijab for themselves, she empathizes greatly to all Muslimahs around the world (not just in America and the West) Young and Old! Ponn Sabra states,

“Each and every single one of us (Muslim women) have our own jihad (personal struggle (in the way of Allah to keep evil away from ourselves) with the issue of hijab. Rather than spend anymore time debating when, if and why we should or shouldn’t wear it–we should focus all our energy on empowering one another to come closer to Allah (May He be Glorified) through the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Subhanallah (Glory be to God), the blessings I receive for choosing the hijab at my prescribed time, far exceed any of my “horror” stories, which I now share for comic relief. But, because I also faced unkind, arrogant, outright judgmental treatment from “covered” sisters when I didn’t cover; all I can say is, “Allahu alam (Allah knows best). And, May Allah Guide Us All. Ameen.”

As Muslim Moms, our children have rights over us–therefore we are obligated to educate our daughters about hijab and all that it entails.  With my own sins to atone for, and my daughters to inspire; my plate is full.

My intention is to serve Allah (May He be Glorified) in my role as His humble servant and the mother to my daughters. If in my service, my personal experiences in learning, living and empowering myself and my daughters to choose hijab happen to motivate sisters to seek the truth and a renewed closeness to Our Creator, MashaAllah (God has willed this to be).

We must move away from debate within our own ummah (community of believers), and offer to motivate through education–but, most importantly–by example.

As for my response to non-Muslims regarding my choose to wear a hijab…the same applies. I can only show by example that my deen (way of life) is my choose and mine alone. If I happen to choose to worship Allah (God) in the matter that I do, and I do not inflict my beliefs nor question theirs–there shouldn’t be any problems, right!?”

We are very curious what you think! Please begin a debate dialogue with us in the comments sections below.

Tafsir/Meaning and Understanding of the above ayats (verses) about hijab/veil

[24:31] O Prophet, enjoin the Believing men to restrain their gaze31 and guard their private32 parts.33 and not to display their adornment34 except that which is displayed of itself,35 and to draw their veils over their bosoms36 and not to display their adornment except before their husbands,37 their fathers, the fathers of their husbands,38 their sons and the sons of their husbands39 (from other wives), their brothers,40 their brothers’ sons,41 their sisters’ sons,42 their female associates43 and those in their possession44 and male attendants incapable of sex desire45 and those boys who have not yet attained knowledge of sex matters concerning women;46 also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.47 O Believers, turn all together towards Allah:48 it is expected that you will attain true success.49

[33:55] There is no blame on the wives of the Prophet that they are visited in their houses by their fathers, their sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons,102 their familiar women103 and their slaves.104 (O women,) you should avoid the disobedience of Allah, for Allah observes everything.105

[33:59] O Prophet, enjoin your wives and daughters and the women of the believers that they should let down over their faces a part of their outer-garments;110 it is expected that they will thus be recognized and not molested.111 Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.112

Please subscribe to our feed, so you don’t miss anymore media opportunities that allow us to voice our side of Islam here in America. Also, you don’t want to miss any of our latest news on American Muslim Mom either.

Please welcome Linda D. Delgado, also known as, Sister Widad.

Q. How did you first find American Muslim Mom?

A. Sister Freda Crane, a member of Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA), posted your announcement about the 1st Annual Summer Islamic Reading Challenge in the Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) organization’s business egroup.  When I visited the Summer Islamic Reading Program website to learn about the contest and program, I offered to be a sponsor.

Q. Why did you want to sponsor this Summer Islamic Reading Program?

In 2000 I began writing my award-winning Islamic Rose Books series for Muslim youth. At that time I did not know that very few Muslim publishers published English language Islamic fiction books for youth, teens, and adults. I also did not know that Muslim bookstore retailers wouldn’t stock and sell Islamic fiction books. And, surprisngly, I did not know that all the Islamic schools in the USA sponsored and sold Scholastic books at their annual and semi-annual book fairs while rejecting Muslim authored/Islamic fiction books for the book fairs. I quickly learned that most Islamic schools in the USA did not have Islamic fiction books in their school libraries and most only listed secular fiction books on their recommended book reading lists. In the process, I soon found out that most Muslim publishers only published fiction books for very young readers: color illustrated books with limited text-early reader books.

From 2000 until the present I wrote more books, learned how to become a publisher and created my own publishing business with the focus on publish Islamic fiction books written by other Muslim authors for Muslim kids. During the past 5 years I have given free book awards annually to 13 Islamic schools so that these school libraries would have Islamic fiction books for Muslim students of all ages to read.  I have sponsored a dozen creative Islamic fiction writing contests.  And, just recently I finished a two year project to develop, design, and publish teacher study guides for 6 Islamic fiction books I have published.

I created a web site, Islamic Fiction (IF) Books where I list all the Muslim authors and their IF books that I learn about so Muslims can easily find a quality and halal IF books for Muslim children/youth/teens.

Five + years ago I created and founded a professional Muslim organization for writers, retailers, publishers, journalists, artists, designers, and poets etc. to network and support each other. The goal of this organization is to promote literature and specifically Islamic fiction books.

I have tried to reach home schooling parents, Islamic school teachers, Muslim retailers and publishers and Muslim educators over the past 9 years with little success or interest shown by them in supporting the need for Islamic fiction books for Muslim youth-teens.

Two years ago I tried to join a home schooling parent-teachers organization to talk about Islamic fiction books and teacher study guides for them. I was not permitted membership because I was not a certified teacher and I was not the parent of a Muslim child in a home schooling program. I gave myself an E+ for my effort.

Then I went to the Summer Islamic Reading Program web site and saw where literacy was being promoted to children, youth and teens and more specifically Islamic book reading.

I felt an immediate desire… almost as if I felt a physical push to offer free books as prizes to children participating in the reading program.  I was amazed and extremely happy to have found out about this program because for 9 years everything I have been doing in His service to publish and make available quality and halal IF books for Muslim kids of all ages to read. This was just too good an opportunity to get good books to kids to pass up!

We hope this first interview of our Summer Islamic Reading Challenge Sponsors inspires you to read Islamic books this summer, and encourage others to do the same in the name of Allah (May He be Glorified).

Linda and I are available for questions and concerns. Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments area below.

© 2009 Linda D. Delgado All answers to the interview questions are copyright owned by the author.

More about Linda D. Delgado: Known by her Muslim friends as Widad, is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She graduated from the University of Phoenix and is a retired Arizona DPS Sergeant. Linda is the author of the award winning children’s book series, Islamic Rose Books, co-authored Grandma & Hijab Family Activity Book, and authored two non fiction books: Halal Food, Fun and Laughter and A Muslim’s Guide to Publishing and Marketing. Linda is also the creator of the Grandma & Hijab-Ez comic strip series and the owner-publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing: a traditional Muslim publishing house.  Email at: publisher@MuslimWritersPublishing.com

And Web sites: www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com and www.widad-lld.com and www.IslamicFictionBooks.com

[WARNING: This coupon saving series is made for Coupon Newbies, like me. So, if you are a Strategic Shopping Expert, please share your tips and advice. I'm just starting to learn the lingo and habits to Intelligent Shopping.]

• There are the obvious places that coupons hang out, but you may not be aware of some other places you can get coupons. So, compiled are some hidden treasures below. The most likely place to find money saving coupons is the Sunday newspaper. On Sunday, the newspaper is full of store circulars and coupons for products you use all the time and new items that you can try for next to nothing. This is the first place that everyone looks.
• Manufacturers also offer printable coupons online. These coupons have barcodes and can be printed off of your printer and used in the store they pertain to. Most people don’t think about these coupons but they save you lots of money. For example, you can find Printable Grocery Coupons at Coupon Mom.com, and Ocean State Job Lot has great exclusive internet coupons each week.
• Have you ever received emails with links to recipes like Betty Crocker? You can unsubscribe to these emails whenever you like, but give them a try. (Registration required). Not only do you find interesting recipes but also offers for coupons. Simply agree to receive new offers and your emailbox will be full of coupons for cake mix, pancake mix, free trial size lotions, and other toiletries. I use one email address just for these offers. One daughter enjoys screening it for us daily .
• Printable coupons are also available on websites. Try sites like www.coolsavings.com and www.allprintablecoupons.com. You can search by category or brand name to find coupons that fit your needs. Click on the coupons that you want and then print them out.
• If you belong to survey sites, you know that you can make extra money by offering your opinion. Some survey sites also offer points for taking advantage of their offers through links on their sites. On MyPoints.com, one of these discount links leads to printable grocery coupons. Every coupon that you redeem at the store earns you points towards gift card rewards when you reach a certain points level.
• Don’t neglect all those magazines you buy. While you are reading the articles and looking at the pictures, take a glance over at the advertising pages. Many advertisers include a coupon along with their ads to entice customers to buy their product. Some types of coupons offered can include, Buy One, Get One Free or up to $1.00 or more off of a starter pack for air freshener or a new mechanical mop. If you ignore them, you’ll be throwing away money.
• Every few months, a new yellow pages-type phone directory is usually thrown at your driveway. While we use the books for our bonfires, I sieve through all the back pages usually labeled “coupon section”.
• Look for displays at the front of your grocery store. Some grocery stores have coupon bins and bulletin boards where customers can drop off coupons that they don’t need in case someone else can use them. There could be a coupon worth using in there if you take the time to look.

Coupons are a valuable asset to Strategic Shoppers trying to save money on all of their goods and services.So, get in the habit of looking for a coupon deal everywhere so you don’t miss out on great savings.

[I find myself saying exactly what the comic says to my girls quite a bit lately ]

In my attempt to capitalize on coupons, I’ve been conducting my research on how to live a more frugal (and natural) way of life. Below are some tips I gathered from some colleagues and friends.

So, for starters–yes, coupons do save us money.

But, we have to use them in order for the coupon to be of any benefit.

So, below are some ways that coupons can help us save a lot (or at least conserve) some of our green.

Important Note: Coupons are no longer limited to cut-outs from the Sunday paper that are good for a month or two. Now, coupons are in the newspaper, magazines, printable from websites and in the form of online coupons that are great when shopping on the Internet. With so many choices for coupons, we can simply save money wherever we turn.

1. Since we al have to eat, let’s start off my cutting out coupons for the grocery store. The coupons in the Sunday paper are good for everything from junk food to candy bars (not that we should be eatting a lot of these) all the way to name brand household items.

1. Get organized. Use a slotted folder or one of those coupon expandable files to hold all of your coupons. Categorize the slots so every time you go to the grocery store, you can pull out the stack of coupons that pertain to the goodies in your shopping cart. I’m presently using a 3-ring binder with the baseball card plastic holders. This way I can see all the coupons. In the past, when I used a file folder or box, I ended up stuffing them with things I never buy, I never can see what I needed at the store…then, worse, I the expire!

1. Use coupons for other things besides the grocery store. Coupons can be found in magazines on advertising pages and in amongst your mail on other days of the week, especially the freebie community newspapers and value packs that are known by most as “junk mail”. There are coupons for restaurants, car repairs, mattresses and carpet steam cleaning. Everyone will need car repairs at some point (especially after your last payment) so those auto coupons can come in handy.

1. Present your coupon before you buy in some instances. This applies to restaurants, kids or family events, and car repairs. If you have any questions about the coupon’s validity, ask before you spend the time shopping. If you can have your brakes serviced for $100, be sure that it includes both sets of brakes and the rotors and/or brake pads. Know what you are getting so you can judge if the coupon is really a good deal. I always read the fine print for family events and admission “deals”.

1. Look for other bargains to pair with your coupons. Coupons can be just like money – it burns a hole in your pocket. If you have a coupon for 20 percent off your purchase at an electronics store, shop the store circular to see if they have anything on sale that you want to purchase. Save that 20 percent off coupon for when that laptop you want goes on sale. Now, you’ll get an extra percentage off the total price. I, myself, am trying to capitalize on this nifty-trick; especially at major drug stores such as CVS, Walgreen’s & Price Rite, and department stores, such as Kohl’s, JCPenny’s and Sears.

1. Use store incentives. Some stores (mostly grocery stores) offer coupons and discounts just for signing up for their store incentive card. Just by walking in the store, you receive a discount on many items they sell. In combination with a coupon you can save more. Have you tried Stop & Shop’s handy-dandy barcode reader yet? It doesn’t necessarily save time for my shopping trips, because the girls like scanning, weighing, and bagging along the aisles…but, they became accustomed to sharing every “ding” to show off the scan-reader’s special offers–which usually ARE good deals on commodity items.

Coupons can save you money on clothing, groceries, automotive needs, travel and movies. To get the most bang for your buck, read coupons carefully and bide you time before you use them to receive the greatest benefit.

While, I admit–the art & craft of coupon shopping takes time–I developed a Family Financing Project and Incentive Program as our real life math lesson.

Since I KNOW I’m NOT a good bargain shopper, any deals my girls find, I five them some of savings (not a 50-50 split either) InshaAllah, I’ll share our kid’s financing program in a future Money-wise post.

So here’s the rating : Four Stars

All us girls points for value, price & fun. We can’t give points for originality–which is NOT a bad thing because they have classic clothes, classic fits and classic cotton and materials!
We will give them the full-point for customer service, ease of shopping experience, atmosphere–always clean with fun music.

We’ve been to half-dozen Old Navy stores throughout the country and our experience is always the same–fun and we always find what we’re looking for–great deals!

It doesn’t matter what day you go, becuase there are always sales.

So, here’s Mama’s truthful remarks:
My sister always bought Old Navy when our eldest daughter was just born. She always said “I got it on sale”. I convinced her NOT to spend money unnecessarily. Then…bam! 3 daughters later; just about every single thing got handed-down…the colors and shapes, rims and edges, all remained!

The cotton never got overused, the colors stayed vibrant, the styles stuck. Even for the 2nd or 3rd girl, you couldn’t tell it was a hand-me-down either.

And, anyone that knows my girls–they love to play and play hard. They’ve held their own next to any of their boy friends in terms of getting dirty. So, even after I scrubbed with stain remover, the color remained fluid throughout.

Time is money–and I can’t waste either. So, I gave up buying cheapy stuff that gets only 1-2 good uses because stains don’t come out, and/or the washed-away original color makes it look cheap–showing its true color afterall. Oh, and the girls and I hate fads…they fade in and out…we’ll stick with the straight, nice cuts and lines of Old Navy any day!

So, name brands are worth our time, money, effort and value. I’m not the kind of mom, that says ‘wear, throw away and shop again’. I don’t like shopping that much. I really don’t like driving. And, I hate waiting lines…which at Old Navy I’ve never waited more than 1 person.

Whadda u think? Share below.

Please note: I have not researched every single site, so proceed with caution.

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http://www.adrianbruce.com/reading/posters/index.htm Free phonics posters!!!

http://www.adrianbruce.com/index.html other freebies from Adrian Bruce, a teacher in Australia who loves to share!!!

http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/kids.html Arthur reading kit from America Reads

http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/spidey/index.html Spider Man Reading kit from America Reads

http://www.udel.edu/ETL/RWN/POPindex.html Reading Readiness Activities

http://chumby.dlib.vt.edu/melissa/posters/posterset.html Social studies curriculum resources–printable posters for grades K-3

http://www.fema.gov/kids/freebie.htm Disaster Kids educational materials can be ordered from FEMA, USGS, NOAA National Weather Service, and EPA. All addresses are on the website with ordering information.

http://www.usmint.gov/kids/index.cfm?fileContents=htmlIndex.cfm U.S. Mint website games and other activities for money education

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main.cfm/learning/download U.S. Bureau of Engraving website on money education, including lesson plans, posters, interactive $10, $20, and $50 notes.

http://science.education.nih.gov/women/index.html Great video programs (currently out of stock) on women in health career fields. Posters are also available.

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/default.htm Federal Citizen Information Center There are several publications that are free on this website–go to education and see a FREE book on exploring federal lands.

http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/svl/posters/posts.html Free posters from the Wright Center for Science Education. You must snail mail for these posters and ordering information is on the website. There are beautiful posters on the Human Genome, Cosmic Evolution, Earth Anatomy, etc.

http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/mojave/index.html resources for teching about American desserts–including a poster of the Mojave.

http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/poster.html materials for teaching about oceans. Includes cd-roms, posters, games.

http://www.thankscompany.com/pages/posters.shtml printable posters for volunteering.

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/farm_act.htm Make a farm downloadable software

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/town_act.htm make a town

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/vill_act.htm make a village

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/castle.htm make a castle,

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/heraldry.htm and then make shields, etc.

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/lettersounds.htm letter sounds free software

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/learnletters.htm learn letters

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megamaps.htm maps

Map puzzles software:

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/us_features.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/features.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/monuments.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_us.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_mea.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_eur.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_sam.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_aus.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_afr.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_mea.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_con.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_asia.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_cam.htm

http://www.familygames.com/freelane.html Lots of free downloadable games on geography, puzzles, strategy games, word puzzles, etc.

http://www.rayslearning.com/lettersa.htm Free Letters and numbers software

http://fusioned.gat.com/free.html educational materials covering Fusion (the reaction in which two atoms of hydrogen combine together, or fuse, to form an atom of helium)

http://www.nsc.org/ehc/rad/radbroch.htm Nuclear Science and understanding radiation

http://www.timesaversforteachers.com/ Tons of printables for educators!!

http://www.koko.org/kidsclub/teachers/ Free curriculum materials for teaching about Gorillas

http://www.storylineonline.net/ Hear stories read online by members of the screen actors guild (Jason Alexander, Camryn Manheim, etc.)

http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/new_years/crafts.htm free printable elementary school calendar to color.

http://www.benjerry.com/fun_stuff/papercrafts/ a free new England village to print and build, a baloon mobile, and a cow–from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

http://www.makingbooks.com/projects.html directions for making several books with children.

http://www.cartoonster.com/ great site for learning about cartooning

http://clothdollconnection.com/FreePatterns.html FREE patterns for making cloth dolls

http://www.webspawner.com/users/pumpkintwopost/ tons of free posters

http://www.cabelasiditarod.com/poster_contact.html Get a free 2007 Iditarod poster from Cabella’s–they also have lesson plans that go along with the race.

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41 The Academy of American Poets distributes the National Poetry Month poster (April) for the current year FREE to educators.

http://www.healthypotato.com/nutrition_plan.asp from the United States Potato Board, lessons, poster, etc. about potato nutrition

http://www.ksgrains.com/corn/edu.html Kansas Corn Learning Center

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/educators/main.asp fun activities for nutrition education

http://www.4tests.com/ Take practice for SAT, ACT, GED, etc.

http://www.capilano.com.au/education/index.aspx learn about honey bees

http://www.sunkist.com/kids/pandt/ activities and lessons from Sunkist fruit

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/shopcart/shopcartintro.html publication from USDA entitled Science in Your Shopping Cart

http://depts.washington.edu/ceeh/Outreach/ecb.html Essentials of Cell Biology cd-rom

http://www.cloroxclassrooms.com/ get a free classroom kit from Clorox

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/ti/ Curriculum from Texas Instruments using the TV show “Numbers”

http://www.dissectionalternatives.org/ FREE copy of Digital Frog 2 the dissection alternative

http://www.internationalpaper.com/Our%20Company/Learning%20Center/Life%20Of%20The%20Forest/index.html Life of the Forest educational materials from International Paper

http://www.homesofourown.org/default.asp Build a home in this simulation game from the National Association of Home Builders.

http://www.peachtree-online.com/Kids/TeachersGuide.html Teacher Guides for Peachtree Publishers Books

http://www.failurefree.com/p_overview.htm Free online demo of literacy material for not-yet readers

http://www.breadworld.com/justkids/school.asp Three lesson plan books using bread baking from Fleischman’s Yeast

http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/Flashcard_Creator.html Free Math flashcards creator

http://www.teachingteens.com/index2.htm Teaching teens about puberty and menstration

http://www.educationassociates.com/Survey.html career education and life skills book from Education Associates

http://teacher.scholastic.com/index.asp educational materials and lesson plans from Scholastic

http://www.mysterynet.com/learn/ Free lesson plans, ideas, and online mysteries to teach critical thinking and reading comprehension

http://www.educationalpress.org/educationalpress/ Print free word lists, flash cards, bingo cards, etc.

http://www.microsoft.com/education/lessonplans.mspx lesson plans from Microsoft

http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/Default.aspx Receive a free dvd of the May, 2006

http://www.justicelearning.org/ Civic eduation int he real world. Conversation between students and Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day O’Connor discussing the Constitution among other things

http://www.imagisoft.com/wizard.htm a digital coloring program that stimulates childrens’ perceptions of light, shade, color harmony, shape and depth. A trial version of this program, complete with six images to colour, may be ordered at no cost

http://www.wxdude.com/ Tons of free weather activities/lessons from Weather Channel meteorologist Nick Walker

http://www.vpw.com/ LARGE number of free sponsored educational videos and print materials to schools, educators and yough group leaders throughout the United States. All you must do to receive these materials is register as a member (which is also free).

http://www.wordcommand.com/wordoftheday.htm Sign up for their free Word of the Day email service

http://www97.intel.com/discover/JourneyInside/TJI_TOC/default.aspx The Journey Inside^SM is a collection of interactive resources to answer commonly asked questions about technology.

http://www.epa.gov/kids/ great lessons on environmental education from the epa

http://www.sf.pii.orders.com/commoncents/ Program from State Farm Insurance that teaches all about introducing good money habits in a fun, memorable way to kids from kindergarten to 12th grade

http://www.freekidsmusic.com/ This is the place for great free songs for kids! Download all the terrific children’s songs you want to. There are no guarantees how long any of them will be here, so grab them while you can. Have fun exploring!! And don’t forget to click on the artists’ names to visit their web sites!

To receive a Underwriter’s Laboratory Safety Awareness Wristband (while quantities last), send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
“I Am Safety Smart”
333 Pfingsten Road
Northbrook, Illinois 60062

http://www.justchoices.com/ FREE social justice curriculum entitled “Just Choices” Through this program, students will learn how their everyday choices affect others in society and will be inspired to take on issues with passionate civic engagement.

http://www.sharetheworld.com/index.html Share the World is a free educational program designed to help your students better understand and appreciate the animals with whom we share our world. In the reproducible activities that form the heart of this program, your students will use their thinking and writing skills to imagine the feelings and consider the incredible abilities of other animals, examine how our relationships with them have changed through history, discover alternatives to their use, and respond to situations in which their well-being is threatened.

http://www.aywregistration.com/ free animation/character education program from Cartoon Network

http://www.a-three.us/starbright/default.html This is a free game to teach children with asthma about asthma in a fun way.

Attention, ocean creatures! Life originated in the ocean, and all occupants of this planet, including humans, are still marine creatures. That’s because the survival of life on land and at sea depends on healthy oceans. And that’s why One Earth, One Ocean, One Life – our interactive CD-ROM – explores the world’s underwater wonders and our need to protect them. To request a copy, CONTACT: WILD Education, Canadian Wildlife Federation, 350 Michael Cowpland Drive, Kanata, Ontario K2M 2W1 OR E-mail: info@…

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/kinderactive/ Receive a a copy of Kinderactive’s next product, when you fill out their marketing survey, from Kinderactive.
http://rochester100.com/index.jsp?action=show_teacher Get free samples of folders, sheet protectors, stick on holders, and mini-wallets.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/bbb-lgb/club/index_e.asp Join the Water Wizards and receive membership card, nickname, certificate, and a goody package, for kids 8-15.

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/kidsteachers/bookmarkorders/form_bookmarkorder_kids.asp Send a SASE and receive FREE bookmarks!!

http://www.osmre.gov/order1.htm receive free posters, videos, etc. about surface mining

http://www.helios.gr/dis/rhodes/artgallery/form.htm Get a free poster of a Greek painter

http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/kids/site/poster.htm free posters on estuaries

http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/info/pubs/e_teach.htm free environmental education materials

http://www.mathprojects.com/lessons.asp free math lesson plans

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/resources/childrens_march.jsp Tolerance education

http://www.dole5aday.com/Teachers/ClassroomResources/Materials/OrderFormDetails.jsp?topmenu=1 Dole 5-a-day teaching materials

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/ppcform.htm Planet Protectors–environmental education

http://www.esbnyc.com/kids/kids_coloringpages.cfm?CFID=210368&CFTOKEN=6536289 free coloring pages from the Empire State Building

http://www.aztecafoods.com/kidsclub/index.html Join the Azteca Kid’s Club

http://www.signaturebrands.com/cake_mate/cmbdayclub.html Join the Cake Mate Birthday Club

http://www.bowater.com/en/education.shtml Resources to learn about paper making and instructions to make your own paper.

http://www.mcgruff.org/order.htm Get a set of free McGruff the Crimefighting Dog trading cards.

http://www.cooltoys.com/free-srv.html free toys. Send a SASE

http://www.candybarwrapper.com/kidswrapper.html You’ve seen the customized candy wrappers–now make your own!! Your child can create his/her own customized candy bar wrapper!!!

http://www.dvd2vu.com/DVD2Critic.asp?source=CRFamilytv1# You will receive a movie that is good for a one-time viewing. You will then critique the movie.

http://www.asahq.org/patientEducation/MyTrip.pdf Coloring book for a trip to the hospital

http://www.pppst.com/games.html free online games

Free, 32-page booklet about the American Flag
Send a postcard to
U.S. Marine Corps
Dept of the Navy, Washington, D.C. 20380
Ask for:
How to Respect and Display our Flag Booklet

http://forumancientcoins.com/forvm/Articles/Ancient_Coins_For_Schools_Form.html free ancient coins

http://www.homeschoolinglibrary.com/homeschool_free_help_teleseminar.htm free home schooling teleseminars

http://www.phil.frb.org/education/fedtoday.html history of the Federal Reserve

http://www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds/teachers/teacherpack.html

http://www.savethemanatee.org/edmat.htm save the Manatees educational resources

http://www.wrinstitute.org/ The Will Rogers Institute has several booklets available for free on topics such as stress, asthma, exercise, nutrition, etc.

http://www.charlesedisonfund.org/Experiments/experiments.html The purpose of the Science Teaching Experiments is to stimulate an interest in science and technology among elementary school students through easy to perform experiments in basic scientific concepts.

Triggering Positive Health Choices,” a free videotape and teacher’s guide to help kids learn about peer pressure and decision-making, is available from Met Life, Health and Safety Education, One Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010-3690.

http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/educators/PostalPack.pdf National Postal Museum’s Postal Pack

Children’s book author Jan Brett has a special free packet for teachers and librarians. Request your packet by writing to Jan Brett, P.O. Box 366, Norwell, MA 02061.

http://papertoys.com/ many different toys to print

http://www.life.uiuc.edu/plantbio/cell/ this is a virtual cell–you can disect, look under a microscope, etc.

http://www.consumerfed.org/consumerinf.cfm The Consumer Federation of America has severl PDF guides–including one entitled “Teaching Your Children How to Save & Spend” that is perfect for teaching teens about spending/saving.

http://www.yo-yo.com/teachers_section/teach_index.html How fun to learn physics, etc. through using a yo-yo.

http://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/resources.cfm PDF documents to help in learning about cotton

http://www.teachcoal.org/teacherstore/index.html American Coal Foundation materials for teaching about coal, including a sample kit of different types of coal.

If you would like to receive a free “bottle cap yo-yo” project sheet and illustrated instructions to make this great toy, Send a LARGE self addressed stamped envelope to: Bottle Cap Yo-Yo Sheet
c/o of Recreational Recycling
9318 Bay Vista Estates Blvd
Orlando, Florida 32836

http://www.deltacrafts.com/Projects/ Delta Crafts have tons of projects on their website…project sheets are free

“Like success, money is an emotionally volatile issue for most women. It’s probably the most complicated relationship we have—and the one that most controls our lives because we let it.” Sara Ban Breathnach, author, Simple Abundance [Ponn: oh so true.]

The statistics speak:

• Of the “5 Most Expensive Mistakes Women Make” (Sept. 1995, Working Woman Magazine)

#1: Assuming you current financial status is permanent, [Thoughts: not me.]

#2: Paying too much for convenience, [Thoughts: not me.]

#3: Not using a budget, [Thoughts: not me. I use my own, but not a formal written one.]

#4: Waiting for the right time to save, and [Thoughts: not me, we're always in the red, alhumdulilah.]

#5: Fearing the wrong risk. [Thoughts: not me...we learn from failures, so just make and try educated, calculated risks, insha'Allah]

[Thoughts: My problem? Convenience to hand over to hubby...hence, not a priority! I'm surprise this is not in the Top 5...probably it's #6 then.]

• Only 12% of women take responsibility for planning and investment of their money.
  Women have 70% chance of being solely responsible for their own financial well being, 80% chance for another person as well. [Thoughts: ah ha!]

• “Budgeting Tips for the New Year” (Winter 1997, Stages Magazine); the #1 Tip is to take a new approach to budgeting. [Thoughts: looking for an approach to investing--period.]

• Women are considered the #1 marketing opportunity of the next decade. Women are making almost all the money-based decisions now. 94% of home furnishings, 92% holiday buying, 91% homes, 89% choice of new bank account, 88% medical insurance. [Thoughts: I know...this is why the time is now to learn and apply!]