I am currently reading Parenting Skills: Based on the Qur’an and Sunnah by Dr Ekram and Dr Mohamed Rida Beshir. Something that surprised me was that they did not start with childcare tips, or parenting advice but with the idea of self-review or “mohasabah”, or reviewing what you have done every day. Although this was […]

About two weeks ago I visited Barleylands farm market again and get my hands on an enormous haul of beads, boxes and wire for £5 from an old lady (I felt like I was robbing her as it was and she kept giving me more things for free). I spent last Saturday and this Saturday […]

I have been mulling over the awful attack this week outside Parliament and on Westminster Bridge. I can’t imagine the pain of those who have lost family members and the terror of those that were injured. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones and who have been hurt: I pray that […]

After weeks of sickness and exhaustion and two trips to emergency, my scan finally came round this week. After much trepidation, nearly throwing up in the waiting room and expecting the worst, the scan showed a perfectly healthy 11-week old baby bouncing around like a little mad man (or woman). The consultant said it was […]

It’s October, but the garden seems to think it’s May.  The hot weather late in the year means that there are still vegetables growing outside, including our first few bell peppers, more of the courgettes that we have been cooking all year and even a strawberry has appeared.  The grapes have been out there so […]

After finishing off Marilliers “Sevenwaters” quartet, I thought that was it for me for this writer, until Kooky Little Sister started singing the praises of this book.This is the story of the Norse invasion of the Orkney Islands off of Scotland’s northernmost end.Eyvind is a Norse “berserker”, or fearsome warrior, called a Wolfskin for the […]

I have never liked orange much, but this hijab inspired me and I seem to be seeing shades of orange I really like everywhere. I call this the sunset necklace. I actually like the opaque white and red beads more than the crystal ones. The top quarter of the necklace which comes under the hijab […]

I tend to avoid the “Not In My Name/Death Of A Princess” type books which are generally about women who have been mistreated horribly by Muslim men, mainly for two reasons. The first is because it annoys the hell out of me when people read this kind of book and apply the nastiness of the […]

I had some nice news today. After months of fretting about Baby’s weight and wondering if I am doing something wrong, got her checked at the hospital to find out that she has grown at a steady weight and height for the last three months and there is nothing to worry about. It seems that […]

Despite my best efforts at planning ahead and making lists, I find that a lot of our routines and timetables go out of the window during Ramadan. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. I find that we fall into much more of an organic routine during Ramadan, based on the timings of our […]

I had so many plans this weekend and ended up getting so little done, and already its Monday again.I was hoping to spend some quality time with my better half, but its funny how your definition of quality time changes when you have children. My husband realised that I needed some time away from children, […]

The night Eid was announced my neighbour came round and kindly did everyone’s henna.  My other neighbours girls came round to join in the fun. This is my neighbours daughter: This is Little Lady: This is mum-in-law, I think I liked hers best. These are my very swollen hands.  The good thing about pregnancy making […]

I have been thinking about what I will be doing when I go back to work. I work as a Performance Officer in local government, but by the time I started maternity leave, I was well and truly done with that. I am not a statistics person by nature and this job requires me to […]

One thing growing up that I was NOT was cool. I looked like a geek (NHS specs, braces, frizzy hair pulled back into a long braid – should I mention the adolescent moush?), I also helped matters along by being good at school, having no social life and being middle-aged at 14. Of course things […]