Where oh where....

Where oh where have I been? This little blog of mine was well and truly deserted.But it was with good reason. I feel ready to return to the blog world ,and hope I will have your company.
I was blessed with a surprise pregnancy and stopped blogging due to very bad morning sickness,I just felt all consumed by it and it stayed with me until my second trimester started. I planned and Allah planned and He is the best of planners .I lost the baby at  13.2 weeks so with recovery and  Ramadan around the corner ,time slipped by.....

Alhamdulilah Allah rewards hardship , which calms the heart and soul ..........nothing in this life is lost.

So life resumes ...I have alot to share and I haven't forgotten about the giveaway! I vote myself the worst blog giveaway lady!
A quick warning before I announce the winner  {ahem} you lucky thing!
As you know I was trying out the no poo thing. I was so excited to discover the rhassoul clay and even more excited when my husband brought me some from North Africa.
Anyway my husband decided to help me wash my hair with it saying -your going to look so lovely ,just wait and see. So I let him cake my hair with loads of clay,he rinses ....I go to blow dry for the big reveal.
Ummmm. I. did. not. look.lovely.   Oh no ........my hair could stand up on its own .A big ,thick ,sticky mass.
Please don't do that at home folks! So what I've learnt from my mother in law recently is that you should use a little,comb through then rinse very very very thoroughly.I have  yet to try it again using this method.Although my husband has been using it since we got it with great results.I suppose that's because his hair is short. I so want it to work for me....I will give it another go errrrr soon.
So to the lucky winner{wink} have fun trying it out {if your brave enough} and let us know how you get on.

guest post....

Hi everyone.... It's not nourished mama,  I've just hijacked her blog to let you know that she is not able to blog at the moment but hasn't forgotten about us and she will be back soon with the giveaway news and a brand new, exciting, informative, funny post (no pressure dear)...stay tuned..

Gifts from the earth and giveaway....

Husband has returned with gifts from the earth.....

This is my rhassoul clay in it's natural state! Husband tried it while away and was raving about his skin and hair. I was so excited to try it.  I have kept up with the no-poo,using baking soda and vinegar for about 3 weeks now. The result were good, hair was in the adjusting stage,so not magnificent but better than when using shampoo.My hair did get greasy about every 2 days  and I still had white flakes especially near my forehead .
Wow! I used the rhassoul clay....wow,wow,wow........I love it! Hair doesn't get greasy for about 4 days and then only slightly.My white flakes have dissapearded.My hair has volume, it's shiny.......
I was brought some powdered rhassoul clay aswell which is what I actually used  but according to my husband who has used the packaged powered one and the rocks which you powder yourself and he said the rocks are better{I will use my rocks next time}.But I have had success with the packaged one...so I wanted to share and hope someone loves it as much as me.
So just  little giveaway......




A small packet of rhassoul clay.....which can be used for washing your hair ,body , and face.
I have actually stopped using soap as well and am using the rhassoul clay to wash my body.
Leave a comment........giveaway ends next friday 28th May....


Thought for the day.....


Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.

Wash wednesday challenge...

Can't believe it's been a week since my last post and I'm back at wash wednesday!
I have exciting news about rhassoul clay....but I'll leave that for tomorrow!
I'll leave you with my pics.....enjoy!

Wash wednesday photo challenge....

A few posts ago...I spoke of my love of hanging washing on the line in the sunshine...seems I am not the only one with this simple love.....cute post over at GardenMama 
GardenMama is also having a wash wednesday photo challenge for the month of May.....

seems i'm a day late.....
are you going to join next weeks?

This is where I am....

London is my home for now
This is my street.....

and this is my 1st floor flat....




but I want and need more.Don't get me wrong....I am grateful-we have a home,water,amenities...comfort.
I'm yearning for a different life....with sun,nature,space......
I want to nuture  a garden,a family life in our own outside space.....discovering new hobbies with my close friend,our families growing together,to hear the athan-call to prayer{listen}  5 times a day.....being able to contemplate  in nature,sipping  mint tea on my own terrace on a warm summers night. These simple things will make me happy.
It seems there is an adventure ahead of me ..inshallah...I can't wait.....

I came across this book in the charity shop....I have read her other book 'Under the Tuscan Sun'..and loved it.I love how she relays the ups and downs,discoveries and growth of  her life on her Tuscan farm.I love her connection  to the land and how she shares her simple recipes from her kitchen.
So for now I am immersed in her adventure...and waiting for mine to begin.

Thought for the day....


People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.

Say no to ''poo''

I know I am really really late with this post....it's just been impossible to get things done with a teething baby hanging around my legs{HELP!!}Anyway.....

Yes .....I'm saying goodbye to ''poo''...that's shampoo.Since the birth of my third son & hitting 30 my hair has gone downhill! It just isn't looking healthy anymore.......I've been using a variety of natural shop bought shampoos.....I've never been happy with the result,but grudgingly carried on.

I came across this post..... which amazed and intrigued me.So I'm joining the 'no-poo'movement.It's so liberating to know that we can create our own natural products from food and not spend a fortune on 'natural' products or cause damage with the not so natural.I'm going to use the baking soda and vinegar method to start with.

Here are a few points I found interesting from the article

• Shampoo cleans out the dirt in your hair, but is very harsh and also takes the natural oils that make your hair shiny, soft and strong.{even natural shampoos have this effect}

• The Materials Safety Data Sheet cautions to avoid body contact with SLS,{sodium lauryl sulfate} it also puts infants and children (whose eye are developing at a more rapid rate) at risk for improper eye development when it's absorbed through the skin and accumulates in eye tissues.

• The oils in your hair come naturally out of your scalp to nourish it. Stripping them away causes damage, and breakage over time. In a way you do need conditioner, if you use shampoo - because it covers up the damage that's been done. But you don't need shampoo in the first place, all you're spending your money on is a big bottle of perfumed detergent.

• you'll find that the more shampoo you use, the more often you need to use it. In the long run, coating your hair with mineral oil makes it weaker, and more prone to damage.

• Anyone with small children who hasn't used baby shampoo will be aware of how, even after days and days of toddler mayhem, even after playing and sweating, their hair does not get greasy.

So that discovery was all exciting but.....what I'm really excited about is this product- Rhassoul Clay
Found deep beneath the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Rhassoul comes from the Arabic word "rassala" meaning "washing’’.
It can used for washing the body and hair.My husband is on a trip to Algeria{North Africa}...so I have put my order in!I am so excited about this product,especially since it has been used for over 1400 years,its really really natural,good for the environment......going back to simplicity.
So I'm setting myself a challenge of 'no-poo' for one month ........ anyone want to join me? anyone tried it?
Thought for day....

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English
language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and
enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in
having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.
-   Elise Boulding