Planning for an organized Ramadan

Time really does fly. I can’t believe Ramadan is only few days away. It seems to me only few months ago we finished last Ramadan, an unplanned one. I am ashamed to say I used to enter this month without any preparation. Not that I didn’t want to, I actually didn’t know how to be prepared for it. My plans were always in my head but not in my actions. It was last year I saw a post by sis ummmaimoonah on Ramadan’s preparations and my heart leaped, “this is what I was looking for.” You can get the post here and you can also check her this year’s Ramadan plan . Jazakallhau khair sis, you don’t know which post is gonna strike someone in what way. So this year I made some plans for this blessed month Alhamdulillah. I want to write down them here so that I feel an obligation to accomplish them and also for our future use InshaAllah.

This is A Mother’s Ramadan Organizer. I got it here (for some reason the link is not working for me. You can also get it by goggling the word ‘Ramadan organizer’ inshaAllah). My printer was running out of ink. So I just printed those pages I needed and I also printed it in a smaller size. This is very helpful to keep all things organized; you can write down what articles and books you want to go through during this Ramadan, you can track the daily recitation.It has pages for kids and also for daily recipe.

Before writing down Ramadan’s to do list, I want to touch upon Ramadan preparations list. Sis Umm Amana’s post on organizing Ramadan made me feel like I should write down my pre-Ramadan plans, so that I can see what I should do before Ramadan. Some of them we have already done Alhamdulillah, some are half-done and some needs to be done InshaAllah.

• Read Ramadan related hadeeth and articles.
• Listen Ramadan related lectures.
• Memorize some new ayah from the Quran
• Do the grocery (I am planning to buy those things early, which I know I will need sooner or later like rice, flour, sugar, salt). I don’t want to spend time for that in Ramadan.
• Buy arts and crafts supplies which will keep RA busy in Ramadan
• Buy some Eid gifts and other things for eid day
• Do loads of laundry.
• Clean the kitchen. (It’s also a part of Eid preparation)
• Clean the whole house.(also part of eid preparation)
• Do Ramadan meal plan (I am not good at doing long term plan, so I am gonna do weekly plan inshaAllah)
• Freeze some cooked food
• Print materials for home educations.
• Do some online works including some ordering, updating blogs etc.
• Check out lots of library books
• Bake cookie for kids.

May Allah help us to finish all the works before Ramadan. Ameen.

Here is the list of what I am planning to do in Ramadan InshaAllah

• Recite the whole Quran with meaning
• Read beneficial articles
• Memorize some ayah from the Quran
• Memorize new duas
• Write down all the duas I want to say at iftar time
• Focus more on ibadaah.

Plans for RA-

• One lesson from the curriculum
• Memorize surah Qadr
• Arts and crafts activities

1. Ramadan lapbook
2. Ramdan calendar
3. Pillars of Islam
4. Good deed tree
5. Sadaqa jar
6. Prayer rug
7. Painting

The above plans may undergo changes if required. We can only make plans but Allah is the best of all planners. So I am asking Allah (swt) to help us accomplish our plan and to make this Ramadan our best Ramadan so far. I am also praying so that we can attain TAQWA, as Ramadan is all about attaining Taqwa. Ameen.

Two links I found very helpful-

http://ramadhanplanner.wordpress.com/

http://tjramadan.talibiddeenjr.amanahwebs.com/01-prepare-ramadan.htm