Ramzaan is on its last leg. Along with that forlorn feeling this last ashraa (ten days) invokes, it comes laden with TONS to do. Eid is upon us and the sewing machine and mehndi sessions of the past have been replaced by designers offering Pret choices to be picked at at the lastest possible minute and salons offering mehndi along with other services.
Nevertheless it doesn’t leave us with a dearth of things to do, makes it more whirlwind-y if that was even possible.
Being an absolute Type A Planner of sorts o usually get done at least a month in advance so this year my “last minute rush” was 5 days before Eid. Yes. That’s enough to give me a head rush and fall sick after but that’s what got me thinking. It gave me a last minute chow down on what’s out there. So here’s your cheat sheet for how to strategise important stuff
1. CLOTHES!
This day will go down in the history of mankind. The day I liked the page of a children’s apparel company!
Due to some unforeseen circumstances it suddenly dawned (I was forced to make this decision) on me yesterday that we need Eid clothes. It’s not like I forgot. Pffft. It’s my baby’s second Eid of life. What are you talking about. I got this!
Okay so we rushed out in the Making-Laddu’s-face-go-Timaatar-Red kinda heat and first stop is this place where I’ve never been. Okay so that’s a lie. I have been going to the PREMISES but never the kiddy section.
Ladies. And gents and whoever is reading this. Even if it is irrelevant to you play along because the adrenaline high is real.
Minnie Minors is the bomb. What. A. Find. They had the cutest outfits. I went to pick up one for Eid and bought five of them because I secretly now want her to wear shalwar qamees all summer.
Case in point
Okay no kidding but seriously it’s LOVELY. Go if (by sheer mistake and not because you forgot or anything.) you need to get your child some Eid clothes at the last minute or even need to put together an Eidee package for a niece or nephew (though I’m strictly STRICTLY in favour of money for Eidee or bust!)
My own clothes are where old friends come in handy. My dear Saman Arif of Nayna is where I got my own clothes sorted. God bless friends.
2. Chooriaan (Glass Bangles- though Mine this year are threaded ones. Deserves a separate post. This one has to be about Sass)
Next stop was the bangles shop I’ve been going to for two decades if not more. Never do they fail to surprise/ awe/ woo me into buying more than I had in mind. I usually. Go to buy just one dainty set and that’ll do kinda resolve.
Only to walk Out with Choorian (bangles) to dress the neighbourhood with. Or at least both my wrists right upto my elbows. Okay that’s wrist no more yo! That’s the entire frikkin forearm. Haaye but you NEED to see these to know what I speak of.
I got gorgeous ones to go with two of Sassi’s outfits we picked from Minnie Minors and two for me and one for Koala (yes my sister wants to be called Koala and not Khala. Go figure)
You can see some of hers in the picture above but this one shows they have absolutely every size and colour you can imagine. So cute, right?
Both my darling child and I wanted to drag the entire shop home with us. It’s so flashy and nice and mesmerising *eyes turning into optical illusion wheels going round and round and round*
3. Food
Next we went to Al Fatah because Cooking. Food. Eid.
Okay I’m not THAT awful. I got almost all of my grocery already from GrocerApp (which is a fantastic app that ensures you have minimal human contact, something I strive for every living day of my life!). You order via an app and they deliver to your doorstep. It’s really that simple. I don’t buy meat from anywhere else any more. Great quality and best to all, amazing customer service. When I ordered a larger size of pampers last year their team sent a free silly cup with a cute note from the team. The cutesie cuddly type of team who will facilitate emergency situations et al.
So I needed Dali Desi ghee and slivered almonds and pistachios because too much knife exposure with a baby around is never a good idea. So sucking up my perfectionist tendencies of cutting the perfect havaaiyaan (slivers of nuts, mostly almond) so thin you can see through the slice.
I don’t care. I don’t care any more. Everyone has a full set of teeth? Except little Laddu? Well. Use it. Hello, badly cut packaged slivers of almonds. You have a new friend in town.
So. Picked up the leftover essentials but you can totally do the entire Eid grocery run there (or from the comfort of your home if you find everything on Grocer App which you usually do)
4. Summer Travel Gifts & Men!
Most of us are either traveling through Eid or immediately after because this heat will make us meet our Creator and soon. So either we invest in a pool of ice every day or if we can, just steal away to better climate. Which is Islamabad too nowadays (most days at least). Sass and I are off to England right after Eid to cool off in the English Summer. Where we love to say “It’s sweltering!” In 18 degrees Celsius. Sigh!
Okay no seriously it DOES get really hot there very quick because their architecture is meant to trap heat and keep it there because of the crazy winters they get. So a little sun and their indoors are piping hot.
Clearly I digress. Most of my holiday shopping was of course on Ánesi but I am making a separate bullet point about online shopping down here. As for physical shopping, my khala (aunt) needs Kurtaas she can wear with Jeans. So I tore out and ended at Khaadi. Can I please tell you how difficult and sad it has become to shop at a place we once loved? I so badly miss their proper plains or striped khaddar clothes. They were a class apart. Now they just look like another lawn factory. Which is sad and difficult because we want to rely on Khaadi. We want to keep shopping there. My husband who is an XL sizer could HARDLY find three outfits in his size and we ended up buying two identical ones for him.
Yes. Two identical kurtas. It doesn’t just sound sad, it IS sad.
People out there looking for ideas on what to do. Serious business op. We need a place that picks up quality cloth from the likes of Moosajees etc. And makes XL sized clothes for men. There are plenty out there. Sure, we wish we were a healthier trace but some are just built large case in point my entire daddhiaal. These slim fit, size small Kurtas don’t fit everyone.
So. Back to Khaala and gifts. Picked up her kurtaas, found some decent ones but the peplums and the flairy ones are giving me a coronary. Someone needs to stop them turning women into displaced butterflies.
Their accessories range was quite nice and I found some really nice funky clunky jewellery. Also would recommend Beechtree for their imitation jewellery section. Very in vogue. Great for gift giving but honestly I prefer some online options. Read on.
5. SOS Villages drop Off was next!
People. They need some regular love. Dude it’s just around the corner. So close. If you’re going to Defence from Model town or anywhere Ferozepur Road. Just drop by and say hi. Or drop a few essentials. They’re our kids too.
6. Charity Run
So this was primarily while I was reclining in my bed, comfort feeding my child into her afternoon nap. Yup. It’s that simple. Our regular recipients of charity include a list ranging from Mama Baby Fund, LRBT Eye Care Trust, Karachi Downs Syndrome Project, Indus Hospital, Hijaaz Hospital, SOS Villages and a few others.
What do all of these places have in common?
A Bank Account number that you can add to your beneficiaries list if you use online banking. Transfer money, super conveniently with one click.
I use Breeze by Standard Chartered but now Meezan Bank, HBL, Faysal Bank everyone has online transfer apps.
Get with the program. Make giving easy for yourself not just through Ramzaan but now that it’s ending, make sure you continue all through the year. It doesn’t have to be a large amount, could be a thousand rupee or more. No less than that please, we all know we can afford to spend more than that. Do it whenever you want to. This little step of adding charities to your list of beneficiaries is really an investment.
You’re doing yourself a HUGE favour by doing this. I promise.
7. Online shopping galore!
I’m not just saying this because I’m an E-Commerce entrepreneur. I am one BECAUSE this is true.
Online shopping has finally taken off in the land of the pure.
It is so much more convenient than to
i. step out in this killer heat,
ii. communicate with people,
iii. feel the ogle of the more than occasional roadside romeos.
Seriously. I hardly ever want to step out of the house to shop. I’d rather go watch a movie (thing of past since mom duties initiated), get a Spa Day In, buy books, you know, do fun stuff instead of having to deal with mostly uncouth sales people and deal with the routine ogling one is exposed to. I’m too old for that shit. Let’s say a time in my life never came when I was not infuriated by it but now I’m seriously tired. I can’t be bothered. Before I put you to sleep with my yada yada here goes a list of places I shopped online this Ramzaan/ Eid and why.
Obviously Ánesi and not because it’s my own and I get some discount (I pay full price when I shop) it is because I honestly like the spread of people and products I have on there.
Our silk eyemasks have been selling like hot cakes this summer (or maybe cool cranberries given the heat?).
I’m thinking of picking some up for myself but is it even useful for a mom? I mean. We as is need to sleep with an eye on the kiddle. Black out and baby goes gallivanting across the aircraft. Nope. It’s for when I’m NOT travelling alone.
I got some Assorted Teas, Raspberry Tea Boxes, Pomegranate Linen stuff my cousin asked for.
Also contemplating on picking up some cushions from this quaint little place called Cheezain etc.
I ordered myself an early birthday gift and it reached me before I leave! I’m so psyched. It was supposed to take longer but it didn’t. It’s the most gorgeous notebook/ iPad/ phone/ pens/ credit cards sorter or keeper. Ever. By a Turkish Company called Galen Leather. I LOOOOVE it. Don’t you love it too? *still drooling*.
YellowBerry is yet again another absolute favourite. Their lip balms and soaps make the bulk of my gifts this year.
You can NOT be visiting someone out of Pakistan and leave without a product as gorgeous as that of Motia Noir Candle by the Karachi Candle Company which is so quintessentially Pakistani. Period. I won’t even take a breath before I’d complete that thought, let alone a comma. They sell online through the GORGEOUSNESS that is Polly & Other Stories
So have fun this Eid post all this madness and I’ll return with yet another nutty account of how our Eid went down.