Me and my sisters were recently invited to a baby shower for someone very special to us who is expecting their first baby.  The party decor was in a very pleasing mint green and we all helped out with the decor.  I did the banner and all three of the girls found green sweets, Fashionista […]

Every now and again I am partial to an un-taxing thriller. Throw in the promise of some twists, and plenty of conspiracy theories and I am game.Often these are not particularly well-written or original (Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code springs to mind), but occasionally the writing is sharp and the plot tight enough to […]

I recently worked on a project where I had to do some research around litter and initiatives around the country to tackle the amount of litter people throw in the streets. It was an interesting project and I learned a lot, but one thing stood out – people throw litter in the streets but not […]

One of my favourite places in London is the Great Courtyard at the British Museum.  It is unexpected and always leaves me a little awed.  I took the boys at the weekend and they took more of an interest in some things (mummies) than others (pottery and rocks and minerals).  That was until we got […]

It really felt like spring today, so wanted to go out for a wander-around with the kids. Decided to head for the library, which is usually a bit of an experience because my kids struggle with the concept of keeping quiet.Was still returning my books (and paying off the fine as usual), when I turned […]

Jasvinder Sanghera is the founder of Karma Nirvana, a charity that supports South Asian women suffering from domestic abuse and honour-based violence. This book details her own story and what led to her drive to set up a charity for Asian women in particular.Sanghera describes her upbringing in Derby amongst the South Asian and particularly […]

My close cousin’s nikkah (wedding ceremony) took place this weekend on the evening  of the 27th fast.  We usually avoid weddings in Ramadan, so this was something different, but very sweet. I wore this kimono, which feels very feminine and which I really enjoyed wearing: I took a basket if sweet treats as a gift.  […]

A crisp, cold misty early morning walk in the park with some ladies from our local residents’ group. Lots of good discussion and ideas on how we can make our neighbourhood safer and better to live in. It was a nice way to start the day: greenery and signs of the changing season from autumn […]

I had a hectic day today: Little Lady’s secondary school appeal, Baby’s first morning at nursery, Darling’s first full day at reception and a meeting with Gorgeous’ teacher to discuss the process of applying for secondary schools and Year 6 SAT tests, all before 10am.  Hubby and I split the meetings and drop-offs between us […]

The latest edition of Aaila, the Muslim Family Magazine is out now. Mash’Allah as always it is packed with great articles, columns and reviews from brothers and sisters. Do a take a look (my column is here) and leave your comments and thoughts insh’Allah.

This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the ‘Uranah valley of Mount Arafat’ (in Mecca).After praising, and thanking God he said:”O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am […]

As a child I was very nerdy, I had no idea I was , but looking back I feel immense affection for the little girl with plaits, braces and thick NHS glasses who would read anything and everything – food packets, the newspaper my mum used to wrap vegetable peelings, any book, magazine or leaflet […]

Last Eid I participated in an Eid gift swap organised by one of my favourite bloggers – Sister Farhana of Sketched Soul.  I was paired off with a very sweet sister from Singapore.  I sent off my gift but found on Eid that the sister had had to travel to deal with a death in […]

Last year I cleared the garden out, only to find that over winter it had turned into a dumping place for the things my husband picks up through his removals business: I really liked the idea of creating a nice little haven and particularly somewhere nice for my mother-in-law to sit and enjoy the good […]