These pretty gems from a darling friend in America came in useful when I was asked to make a rather large (A3) card for someone:

Late last year I picked up the habit of morning journaling again.  I have done this on and off for the last fifteen years or so.  I have my paper journals which I fill with thoughts and ideas and bits of wisdom that resonate.  These are left out where anyone can read them and I […]

To me henna is celebration itself and Eid feels incomplete without it. Three of the guests at our Eid party could apply henna, so we asked them nicely and they found themselves spending most of the evening decorating the hands of the rest of our guests. I mentioned earlier that my sister had afound a […]

One of my colleagues at work, a very sweet lady with green fingers, presented me with these courgettes from her allotment. Food you grow yourself and then pick fresh tastes so much more intense and flavoursome, so I decided to make courgette curry. Ingredients: 2 medium onions – diced 2 tablespoons olive oil (or sunflower […]

Long-Suffering Sister works for a research company and every two weeks or so they arrange small team-building events during the staff’s lunch hour (I like the idea, but my lunch hour is sacred). Recently they were given the materials to design Valentine’s Day cards. LSS refused until they agreed to let her make some anti-Valentine’s […]

Last year I was watching a call-in programme on the Islam Channel, where you could call in and ask a scholar a question. A woman called in to ask for advice regarding her children who would disturb her during prayer. The scholar indicated that she has brought them up poorly and there must be something […]

This is very much a traditional Pakistani recipe, one which makes an appearance at parties, on Eid and during Ramadan (especially in my Lahori in-law’s house). It also abounds in bazaars and people snack on it as they shop. It’s simple and fairly quick and the chickpeas (garbanzo bean or channa in Urdu/Hindi) and potato […]

I loved how the dresses for the wedding turned out.  Fashionista originally wanted to go for hot pink, but took one look at this dress and decided she had found the one.  After hunting all over London (Green Street, Ilford Lane, Southall), she found this in Birmingham.  We made a second trip with her to […]

The last fortnight or so has seen me in a strange mood with my husband being his patient and sensible self and trying to quietly support me through it. I’ve been thinking a lot about my past and how it has affected my future, how it has affected my life chances and my children’s chances.  […]

English people have a reputation for being slightly obsessed with the weather and always commenting on it.  This probably sounds super boring, but if you could see the weather we have had in the last few days you might think again.   As a child, I use to hear my grandfather say “There are two […]

One of the difficulties with working in an office is the way you have to fit to routines and schedules that aren’t a natural fit to the rhythms of the day and the needs of your body. I know, I know, this is what we are being paid for. But there are days when it […]

This is very much a traditional Pakistani recipe, one which makes an appearance at parties, on Eid and during Ramadan (especially in my Lahori in-law’s house). It also abounds in bazaars and people snack on it as they shop. It’s simple and fairly quick and the chickpeas (garbanzo bean or channa in Urdu/Hindi) and potato […]

I thought the following links and sites might be of use to those hoping to make the most of Ramadan or wishing to learn about it for the first time. (Some are courtesy of Umm Nassim) If I come across any others I particularly find useful I will add them here.

One of the biggest challenges in my life has been my lack of patience.  It is something I have worked hard to improve in myself over the last decade so that I can become a kinder and gentler wife and mother and to please Allah (SWT) who says: “And be patient. Surely, Allah is with […]