Further to my previous posts about events at work, things are not getting any better. The natural thing to do at times of trouble like these is to rally around, get together, identify the problem being honest about what is going wrong and get down to some real hard work until matters are resolved. So […]
Little Man has been watching his strawberry patch for the last few days and giving me daily reports on it. I had to stop him and Gorgeous from eating the strawberries whilst they were still green. Yesterday he called me out to the garden to ask if the strawberries were red enough yet. I let […]
I was asked recently by a friend about Mahram’s: who counts as one and how we behave with family members who are non-mahram. This got me thinking about the issue of Mahram’s and living arrangements. Recently my mum- and dad-in-law were staying with me, which is not a problem because dad-in-law is Mahram (he’s gone […]
Sunday often turns into cleaning day in our house, with me trying to get the house clean and organised, cooking down for the next two days including packed lunches, laundry and uniforms to be uniforms ironed. I try to rope everyone in and alhamdulillah the kids are very helpful (even if Gorgeous’ idea of help […]
I and Kooky Little Sister must have made it look like fun, because now Fashionista Sister has joined is in blogland with her new blog Jojo Jeenius where she offers up her thoughts on fashion, teaching, baking and being a newly-wed.
Little Lady loves bringing me her little stories, pictures and notes at every opportunity. They truly cheer me up, so I thought I would make her one back: She hasn’t put it down since I sneaked it on to her bed as she was looking the other way. She keeps reading it to her gran […]
A recent trip to Hewitts Pick Your Own Farm yielded sweetcorn and beans. The plums are from my mums garden which has been ruined following building work at my parents house. My mum’s response is to clear up, dig everything up and lay the ground afresh for next year. I have washed, chopped and frozen […]
I have always liked the idea of treats coming through the post, whether an unexpected gift or a subscription box (like the cosmetic ones that are popular right now). So when Modestrove asked if I would like to try one of their Mystery Boxes, I jumped at the chance. It all seems rather glamorous, something […]
As it is Mothering Sunday in the UK, I have been thinking about the origin of this celebration and whether it was appropriate for me as a Muslim. A little research has yielded the following possibilities:One explanation I came across was this: Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient […]
Someone recommended Capel Manor Gardens to me some time ago and it sat on my list of places to visit some time with the kids. This week we made plans to go to either Northala Fields which a friend recommended or Southend-on-Sea. I love to set eyes on the ocean and sit a while and let it soothe me into a stupor. […]
Our social lives seem to revolve around food at the moment, especially with Mum- and Dad-in-law going to Pakistan this week. We’ve had numerous dinner invites from friends and family to say goodbye, five in the last two weeks and the odd occasion where we have invited people to dinner. In itself this is rather lovely. […]
The latest edition of Aaila Magazine is now out, including my working Muslimah column and a number of articles on preparing for hajj. There are also lots of reviews and some articles I found particularly useful on getting ready for labour (here on what to pack in your hospital bag, here on writing a birth plan and […]
I read (and reviewed) the three books in the Sevenwaters trilogy some time ago with varying degrees of enjoyment, but still enough to read this fourth instalment when Kooky Little Sister happened upon it.Each of the novels picks up the story of one of the women in a successive generation. The setting is ancient Ireland, […]
Our Ramadan Giving series highlights the amazing work charities are doing and showcases their special Ramadan campaigns, giving us all the opportunity to support, donate and do a little good insh’Allah Ramadan Giving Day 7: Al-Khair Foundation Founded in 2003, Al-Khair Foundation strives to tackle and alleviate the suffering of dispossessed people globally. Their projects […]
