On the recommendations of our host we visited the Falkirk Wheel,  a rotating boat lift that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in order to open up the canals for use again. The wheel was interesting and the park surrounding it was lovely with a lake, Roman walking route into a nearby […]

I while back I wrote about why I withdrew my daughter from sex education at her primary school (Discussing the Birds and the Bees – Part 1: Setting Limits).  This was one of the most visited posts I have ever written and brought home to me very clearly that I am not the only parent […]

I found this little set of boxes in TK Maxx (I shop I used to avoid like the plague because it seemed too messy and random) and thought they would be perfect to organise my sewing stuff. The smallest came in handy for Little Lady’s embroidery threads and fabric. The middle-sized one holds my embroidery […]

Today was Jeans for Genes Day in the UK, this is the day when people where Jeans and pay money to charity for the privelage. The money collected goes towards research into genetic disorders and their treatment.I love joining in with these kinds of activities and this is one I have participated in every year […]

The quote for Day 10 of Ramadan from my box of things to think about is: “Know that true obedience to Allah and true worship of Him involves following the commands and prohibitions of Shari’ah in both words and acts” ~ Imam Ghazali (rahmatullah alai) Of all the scholars, Imam Ghazali is the one I admire and […]

I had a lot on my mind today, so went for a very long walk.  It ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated and I ended up in a rather high place (I am terrified of heights).  The height meant fantastic views though and a lovely fresh breeze on a sunny day:  I […]

Whenever I try to make mocktails or milkshakes, they never seem to come out quite like they are supposed to.  This Cheats Virgin Mojito mocktail seems to be the exception.  We played around with the ingredients of this a few times until we got it right and now it is a staple at our parties […]

There is something about rainbows that lifts my spirits immensely and leaves me slightly in awe of its beauty.  This rainbow appeared at the tail end of a light drizzle on my way home from work.  It arched across a great portion of the sky and the colours were really bright and intense.  It was […]

Today was the last day at school for the children before six weeks of summer madness descend upon us.  My kids teachers have worked so hard all year helping them to learn.  As my sister Fashionista is a teacher, I can see first hand how tough a job it is and how mentally challenging and […]

I have never heard of this writer or book despite the “international best-seller” tag but the mention of Cairo in the title and the cover had me interested immediately (shallow I know). I have to admit part of the reason was my curiosity about Egypt because of blogs such as those of Umm Travis, Mama […]

During the middle of Ramadan I asked for volunteers at work for an Eid lunch for the week after Eid.  Alhamdulillah two lovely ladies came forward and worked to organise a lunch open to all staff in our office. We worked together to promote the event, encourage people to bring a dish, find a henna […]

I am soooo proud of my youngest sister (and she’s going to be deeply embarrassed at this) because she has started to wear hijab.It takes guts and I always knew Kooky didn’t care what anyone thought about her, well now more than ever she will have to remember not to care what anyone but Allah […]

Alhamdulillah we go about our daily lives without a second thought when everything is good: our children are safe and well, we have a roof over our heads, our spouse is kind and our bellies are full.  All blessings and all taken for granted until something goes wrong and then we are upset and angry […]

I received two interesting comments yesterday that made me think. The first was from one of my husband’s “auntie” – a lady who calls him her son and who he helps out on occasion with chores and DIY. She sees me as her daughter-in-law; because we all need more than one mum-in-law…. She came to […]