The Story Of Us

Hello everyone... Ramadan is over and it was an interesting experience.. we missed the hustle and bustle of the masjid, we missed seeing our friends.. but there was also a lot more calm.. there was lot less rushing to get ready, rushing to the masjid.. there was a lot less sleep deprivation.. the no waking up for the school bus really helped things. But there was also the monotony.. that was a little depressing.. So here's to a very uneventful Eid I guess.. source and Speaking of depressing.. we are into week 12 of quarantine. While some things have opened.. New Jersey has still kept a tight reign over things.. not that I am ready for things to open.. I don't think I am ready to go to a restaurant or the mall. Our school have officially closed for the rest of the school year... which is a good thing.. While our first month or so passed pretty smoothly the last few weeks have been harder on me. I am having more sad days.. we have had a few behavioral issue...

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag Synopsis  - Marissa Fordham is dead, but her daughter is found at the crime scene, injured but alive. Now sheriff's detective Tony Mendez and child advocate Anne Leone begin to peel back the layers of Marissa's life. And the shocking truth they discover puts them directly in the sights of a killer with a stunning secret to keep; because Marissa Fordham never existed. Thoughts - This was the second book I read by Tami Hoag. They were both part of the Oak Knoll series. They were both nail biting crime thrillers not for the faint heart. I enjoyed coming back to old characters and see what was going on in their lives.. The story showcased some wonderfully strong female characters as well. It was a twisty tale and left me guessing till the end .  Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks       Synopsis  -When a body is pulled out of an office fire, three women are first in line for questioning. All of them have...

We are officially beginning month 2 of social distancing. The kids currently have their spring break.. so we have to try harder to keep them occupied with things other than TV and iPads. The social distancing has had no effect to M's work.. he is working from home but his hours remain the same.. so he decided to take a few days off. So what have we been up to?  We are playing a lot of board games.. the kids current favorites are Monopoly Jr., Blokus, Rummikub and of course UNO. In fact given the choice between game night and movie night game night almost always comes out on top. The weather has been either nice or rainy.. so we are trying to spend some time outside whenever a nice day comes around. I have never seen our neighborhood so full of people. Usually its a ghost town, just cars zipping here and there.. but now that everyone is home we see families biking and walking.. it is quite a smile inducing sight.  H's teacher has been encouraging her s...

I am so happy I finished two more books.. this is going to be a good year for reading.. less travel -officially cancelled our spring break flight and hotels last week.. we knew it had to be done but were putting it off till the last week just in case this all turned out to be a nightmare and we just needed to wake up. Not the case :(           The Closer You Get by Mary Torjussen Synopsis:  Coworkers Ruby and Harry are in love--but they're married to other people. They decide to tell their spouses that their marriages are over and to start their new lives together. Ruby, who has wanted to leave her controlling husband for a while, tells him she's leaving him and waits at the hotel where she and Harry are to meet. But Harry never shows up.  Suddenly, Ruby's life has fallen apart, and she's lost everything. Harry won't answer her calls, and she's fired from her job. She finds a cheap apartment in a run-down part of town, all the while ...

So after a week of social distancing I am happy to report to say we are all good. The kids had a week of remote learning. Thank God for the internet, WIFI and Google Classroom. It made the whole process so much easier for the 4th grader and while school work is easier for the Kindergartner.. with so many apps and games but it is much harder to keep him focused and on task. But by the end of the week we had gotten a better hang of the whole situation.. phew. M has been working from home as well.. we have turned off all alarms.. we have always been morning people so we're up between 8am - 9am.. have breakfast as a family. Before he used to leave just when we were starting to wake up.. with just enough time for a quick good bye.  Before M used to get home after 7pm.. followed by a quick dinner and bed time.. now he wraps up before 6pm. With the weather warming up M and the boys play outside.. (I sprained my knee so no playing for me)  With no al...

The last two books I read happened to have a lot in common. For starters both were based in France. The first, in Paris and the second in Cannes and Monaco. They also had fictional main characters whose lives were intertwined by real historical figures. Hemingway, Proust, Grace Kelly.. the list goes on. And I loved both of them. The Paris Hours by Alex George Synopsis - Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running...

Turkish Spice  -Taken in the aromatic and colorful spice bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. Read more about our trip to Turkey  here . You can buy this print  here . Get Free Shipping with code BLOGGER Prints also available in larger sizes.  Contact  for more information and special requests. I am open to wholesale and licensing opportunities. Get in touch for more information.                    Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin