Morning hacks you wish you knew #back2school

Here's to back to school season. The sun is up, it's a beautiful day and we're all school ready.         

                     NOT REALLY

We all know that this is not even humanly possible. So here are a few hacks to make your morning suck a little less.

1- Put your phone in a glass cup

Especially for the first few days of school we're all still used to sleeping in. Putting your phone in a cup amplifies the sound of your alarm forcing you to wake up

2- HYDRATE before you caffeinate

My health conscious self had to add this in. Drinking a big glass of water right when you wake up not only refreshes your senses but cleans your system leaving you energised and ready for the day. Do this before drinking your coffee/tea. Now, I don't drink coffee at all because it dehydrates your body and adds unnecessary caffeine. But if you absolutely have to have it then moderately and after having water in your system.

3- Make a playlist

Make a morning playlist that is as long as you need for getting ready. That way you won't be late and you'll know exactly how much time you have left. Add in your favourite upbeat music to have a positive attitude at the beginning of the day.

Here's mine:

Good for you- Selena Gomez ft. A$AP Rocky

Photograph- Ed Sheeran

Cool for the summer- Demi Lovato

Sound of your heart- Shawn Hook

Stitches (acoustic)- Shawn Mendes ft. Hailee Steinfield

The Hills- The weeknd

Papercut- Zedd ft. Troye Sivan

Rule the world- Walk off the edge

Where are ü now- Justin Bieber

Locked away- R. City

Nothing really matters- Mr Probz

4- Put your phone on airplane mode 

Summer is the season that feeds our internet obsession. Right before sleeping put your phone on airplane phone to lessen the radioactive waves and have uninterrupted sleep. Keep it on airplane mode until you're out of the house so that the notifications of last night don't consume the time you have to get ready.

5- Read positive affirmations every morning

This is a big one for me. Now, I've been reading a book that has made more conscious about my thoughts. Saying positive affirmations every morning motivates you to work hard and be in the right mindset.

6- Prepare the night before

Okay, I know we're all really lazy the night before but seriously I love sleep and preparing your bag/ outfit in the morning takes a lot of time, time during which you could be sleeping! So make sure what you have to do in the morning is kept to a minimum and your sleep to a maximum 

7- Have a go to healthy breakfast 

Even if we have the most leak proof system of getting to school on time, oftentimes we are confronted by the snooze button temptation. So just in case you unconsciously press it one too many times make sure you have a go to easy, fast and healthy breakfast so you don't end up grabbing a chocolate bar and starting your day the wrong way.

8- Pamper yourself 

Okay this is not for everyone. I'm personally a big fan of taking time for myself and just doing something I love to do. I find that most of the time I have a lot of activities after school and I tend to not have enough time to do something for myself. So every morning I do a little something for myself whether that's pampering my skin with a mask, or reading a couple of pages of a good book or doing some yoga. Anything really. And it doesn't have to be everyday. I find that this keeps me looking forward to my morning

That was it for this week.. Feedback is much appreciated as usual.

Feel free to share the post, that makes me very happy

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Don't confirm to conform

http://hanaameanshappiness.blogspot.com/2015/08/don-confirm-to-conform.html?m=1

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Joyfully yours,

Hanaa

Don't confirm to conform

To conform is to behave according to socially acceptable conventions or at least that's how it's defined in the dictionary of my iPhone.

We are all raised to express ourselves freely and to do what we love yet we live in a society that doesn't encourage that kind of behaviour.

It seems to me as though some people are perplexed by the fact that we don't all think and act alike. They fight individualism. To them it's almost impossible for anyone to not want the same things they do and it's this kind of people that makes others pay the price of being different and the price is quite expensive too. 

The doubts, the looks and most importantly the reassurance that you won't be able to make a difference. 

You pay the price for listening to your soul's cry for freedom, for following your heart and your path courageously, for not wanting to find yourself in a life that doesn't reflect who you are.

It takes a brave soul to resist the temptation of the approval of others.

It takes a strong heart to avoid giving oneself in small portions until there's nothing left to give .

It takes maturity to know you have at your command the greatest power known to man: the mind. 

"We are all victims victims we originate from generations that have struggled to know their value and we have inherited their confusion"(-Chris Micheals)

However we must learn to live yourselves unconditionally, to put ourselves first for this isn't selfishness that's self-respect.

Conformity to an extend can be useful but we must allow room for ourselves to do what we love and to be who we want to be. Instead of being modern slaves of society. Or else we'll find ourselves in a pool of regrets not knowing where our lives have gone. We must learn to stop longing for the safety and conservation we find in conformity and start yearning for the individualism that we so desperately need. It's in our names, we are individuals because we are different. And we should embrace that.

Inspired by the book: the power of you

That was it for this week.. Feedback is much appreciated as usual.

Check out my last post:

Auntie to be

http://hanaameanshappiness.blogspot.ca/2015/07/a-new-chapter-auntie-to-be.html?m=1

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Joyfully yours,

Hanaa

A new chapter: Auntie to be

I start loving him so deeply even though I have yet to meet him. He filled a place in my heart I didn't know was empty. And I imagine the moment I touch his little fingers.

Everything stops. Hearing his small breaths, one by one. I struggle to catch my own. The sound of his voice uttering his very first words. And the excitement of his first steps. I am impatiently waiting for a miracle. A miracle that shook my entire world before it got a taste of its own. Fast forward into kindergarten. Listening tirelessly about his new friends. Taking him to movies and amusement parks. The look of innocence and purity in his eyes. His very first bicycle which later turns into his brand-new car as he hops inside with a big smile on his face and a licence in his hands. 

Graduation knocks on the door and he's independent, facing the world.

I can't wrap my mind around that idea. The little baby I was once waiting to meet turns into an adult. I stand in awe of the miracle that is life and the excitement of being an auntie contains me. I just can't put it into words.

That was it for this week… It's a bit different and more personal than usual.. Feedback is much appreciated as usual.

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Summer Bucketlist

http://hanaameanshappiness.blogspot.com/2015/06/summer-bucketlist.html?m=1 

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Summer Bucketlist

Summer is the time students get holiday which is a big load off. After a very stressful year full of hard work we tend to want to indulge in some laziness by binge watching TV while eating pizza and popcorn. Don't deny it.

 And before we know it summer has almost come to an end and it's time to go back to school. 

This year I wanna do something different. To make summer of 2015 memorable I am going to write down 10 things I want to do this summer. And document them as I do them whether that's through taking polaroid pictures or writing a few sentences about the experience.

These can be as simple or as courageous as you want them to be.

So without further ado here is my summer bucket list

1-Relax in the sun

I just want to take my time and savour the beautiful sunlight and reflect on all the blessings I have in my life

2-Don't use your phone for 3 days straight 

This one's going to be hard but well worth it.. As an internet lover it will be quite difficult to part ways with my most used device but connecting with the world and plugging out of online life will give me the opportunity to live more fully

3-Have a nice yoga session

I absolutely love yoga. It's so freeing and relaxing but I rarely have time during the school year to have a full on intense yoga session so this summer I'll  have nothing to stop me

No, i don't look like that in yoga

More like this

4-Go to the movies

Yes, as cheesy as this sounds. It's been a while since I've seen a good movie. Not one of those chick flicks or classic egyptian comedy rather a more of a blockbuster

5-Have a sleepover

I absolutely love sleepovers! There's just something about late night conversations that's so deep. I've already started planning a sleep over with two of my favorite people over a frozen sing a long movie 

6-Start mind-storming for your book

Possibly being a very personal part of my bucket list. One of my biggest dreams is writing a book. And so the mere thought of it is extremely freeing and exciting

7-Watch the sun rise

One of the most beautiful things happens every morning yet most of the audience still sleeps. I want to set my alarm real early and meditate.

8-Carve something onto a tree

Yeah, i'm just that random

Okay maybe not that good

9-Donate money to a medical cause

And I encourage everyone to do the same. No matter how small the donation is, you have no idea how big of a difference it can make.

10- Try something new

I wanted to keep the last one open. If you have any suggestions or thoughts i'd be happy to hear them. I'm up for an adventure.

That was it for this week. I hope you enjoyed my little list. If you have any requests for future posts i'd love to hear them. If you make your own list or try some of the things on mine please send me pictures or tell me about it.

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I hope you have a blessed week

The holy month

The holy month is upon us.

A magnificent time of the year that I patiently wait for.

Not only does it purify my soul and enrich my mind but it gives me a sense of warmth, safety and relief.

I have to say that lately I have been noticing that people's hearts are ill and impure. More often than not their eyes shine with envy and resentfulness. And I really can't process this. It's surreal to me that people can't be happy for one another, genuinely, intensely and purely happy. Rather they sink deep within their soul draining comparisons. And I really don't get it what's the point of having everything that money can buy when your soul is the only thing stays behind. It's the way your presence lit up a room and the way you gave to others not the way you got. Because nowadays you can be the moon but still be jealous of the stars.

I find Ramadan to be the best detox. It removes all the impurities from the soul, mind, heart and body. It gives a sense of fulfilment and reinforces the concept of fully handing yourself over to the Creator. The month that allows your eyes to look beyond the body and see the beauty of the soul. A month of self control and focused practising of your devotion.

Not to forget the spirit within the family and friends, the Ramadan gatherings that just warm your heart up, the little kids singing Ramadan songs while waving with their lanterns and the shows that air on TV. It's just an incredible time to recharge and re-energise yourself and I couldn't be happier that it's finally here. 

For all those who celebrate Ramadan I hope you have a blessed holy month. 

As for the ones who don't, I hope I was able to give you a glimpse inside one of my absolute favourite months of the year.

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*requested upload*

Types of people in summer

There's no denying that summer is already here. The beach, the parties, the fun, and the friends are just a few of those things we associate with summer…

 So in celebration of it I thought I would show you types of the people we come across during summer

1-The ones with the new found freedom

These people never escape any opportunity they get to go out of the house.. They liven up every party..

Those are the people you will most probably end up making memories with

2- The 'on fleek' squad

 Where ever they are you will see them dressed to the maximum. Don't get me wrong everyone has the right to wear what they want but 5 inch heels at a pool party seems a bit much

3- The perfect summer body

 Yes, I get it… You have perfectly sculpted arms and the most toned abs.. But please refrain from making everyone else feel like a potato..

4- The photogenic goddesses

 These girls have the prettiest pictures…they just have a talent for looking like Victoria's Secret models.. effortlessly beautiful.. Oddly enough these people tend to be very insecure

5- The mean girls 3 squad

 They know exactly how to play  someone and make it come off as a casual incident.. If you know what's good for you you'll steer clear of them..

 

6- The desperatly trying to fit in

 You can refer to them as the nerds of summer.. They don't know what they're doing which gives them a reputation of being clumsy and awkward.. 

Yeah, what are you going to do about it?

7- The spray tan gone wrong

 Now that it's the beginning of summer everyone wants to be the golden goddess. And pursuit of that people spray tan.. Sometimes it's not such a good idea though..

It can end up like this:

Or like this:

Either way it's not pretty

8- The 'I can't even' people

I seriously doubt that some of these people are secretly the Kardashians… The amount of drama in their life sometimes scares me..

But seriously though I hope you have a great summer… Don't worry about any of this and just enjoy..

That was it for this week… It's a bit different from what I would usually do so let me know if you liked it and if you could relate.. 

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Gratitude

Laying on her bed she started thinking about life. Her thoughts racing. She was saddened by the realisation that it will hit you, hard and wait for you to stand back up to drag you down again. But if it's all horrible then why? Why do we hold onto it? Her sadness quickly turned into laughs as she understood the complexity of humans. We all complain about situations are put in and apparently no matter what happens nobody seems satisfied. It looks as though humans have turned into greedy creatures. 

She took her life into perspective, she was healthy, surrounded by her loved ones and had a roof over her head. Instantly she realised that she was richer than she ever thought she was. Closing her eyes to the stillness she took a moment to be thankful for everything in her life that she takes for granted. She was even thankful for the fact that she still had a reason to hold onto life. And through the darkness her soul found heavenly light. Deep within she found stillness and tranquillity. And for once her wild heart was tamed.