@theartofmadeline
Not today Justin
if i look back, i am lost
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wallacepolsom
trying on a metaphor
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Peter Solarz
blake kathryn
Love Begins
tannertan36
Three Goblin Art
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
titsay
Aqua Utopiaļ½ęµ·ć®åŗć§čØę¶ćē“”ć
we're not kids anymore.
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Discoholic šŖ©
Claire Keane
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@memyselfnegypt
Moved to a new blog
Moved to a newĀ blog
Hey guys.
You may be wondering why I havenāt posted anything since December of last year. Well I just wanted to let you know that I no longer post at www.memyselfnegypt.wordpress.com as I moved to a new blog called The Bountiful Now (www.thebountifulnow.com). I will be posting there more regularly. Would love it if you could subscribe to my new blog and follow me there. Check out some of myā¦
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Article on Vision Boards published in The Daily Crisp
Article on Vision Boards published in The DailyĀ Crisp
āAs the year draws to a close, many of us will take a moment or two to ponder all the events that have shaped our lives over the past 12 months. Some will rejoice at having reached certain targets, for others the year will have been an exercise in futilityā¦.ā
Read the full article on The Daily Crisp http://thedailycrisp.com/the-first-thing-you-need-to-do-to-make-2017-your-year/
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Article on The All-Natural Creative Food Workshop published in The DailyĀ Crisp "Ever wondered how to take yummy, drool-worthy pictures of food like the ones routinely splattered across Instagram and on various food blogs?
MomPreneurs: Bridging the gap between motherhood and enterpreneurship
Around a month ago, a good friend of mine invited me to an event organized by Expand Business Development (a consultancy that specializes in helping people start and expand their own businesses) and which she co-hosted, called Mompreneurs, all about women who became successful entrepreneurs after they had children. The first part of the event featured those successful āmompreneursā, each oneā¦
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A few weeks ago, we went to Dahab. While Iāve been to Dahab many times before, this trip marked a lot of firsts for me: my first time diving in Dahab (weird, I know, considering Dahab is like a second home to us), my first time diving with the exceptional Scuba Seekers Dive Center, my first time diving in 2 years and my first time diving after giving birth. It was also the first purely family trip weāve taken in a long time.
After taking my Reactivate course, during which I went over some basic diving skills with my instructor and went on a dive, I felt more than confident to continue diving again. To be completely honest, I was always a bit apprehensive when it came to diving, which mostly stems from the fact that my initial training was not the smoothest, safest or the most organized.
I obtained my diving license a few years ago, actually a few months before I got Ā married due to a deadline imposed by my then fiance, by which time I was to be certified as a PADI Open Water Diver. Because how else were we going to dive together on our honeymoon in the Maldives? Alas, at the time, I was unemployed and a little strapped for cash, so I found this deal on Groupon offering an Open Water course with a shady little dive center in Dubai. I wonāt go into too much detail, but suffice it to say that at our final dive (which was in open water), we were instructed to dive to a depth of 30m in order to obtain the Advanced Open Water certification, instead of the 18m that was a requirement for the Open Water certification and which we were originally trained for. So yeahā¦not the most reassuring initiation into the world of diving.
This anecdote just serves to highlight how incredibly qualified and professional my instructor with Scuba Seekers was. Even though, I dove a couple of times before, I barely remembered how to assemble and disassemble my gear. Throughout the Reactivate course, he was very patient as we reviewed a few skills, one of which was taking off my mask underwater and putting it back on. I just couldnāt get the hang of it. So to calm me down, he used the old distraction technique and suggested we dive around the Lighthouse reef for a while. It worked, because after about 45 minutes of watching flutefish, lionfish, nemo and impossibly colored corals putting on a show for us, I gave it another try and I managed to do it, however, inelegantly.
My second dive was the following day at Eel garden, a mostly sandy sloping reef known as a habitat for garden eels found on the seafloor. While I didnāt see as much in terms of marine life as I did the previous day during my course, I attempted another skill which further increased my confidence as a new diver. Halfway through the dive, I reached 50 bar on my tank and we all had to start heading back. Once I reached 30 bar, my instructor signaled for me to take his alternate regulator. We argued back and forth for a little bit, with me insisting that I had enough air to take me back up to the surface. Finally, after checking my pressure gauge for the depth for the umpteenth time, and looking up to see how far we were from the surface, I decided I had no other option. So I closed my eyes, took out my regulator while continuously exhaling, immediately took his regulator, pressed the purge button and I was in the clear. We then resumed our ascent to the surface.
This was one of the most relaxing trips Iāve had in a long time, pre-toddler in tow and all. And even though I still spend more time than necessary nervously checking my depth and air supply during a dive, I am glad I got back into it with people who actually know what they are doing, even if it was just a half-day refresher course. It reminded me that despite the many risks that such a sport seems to entail, it is, after all, like any other sport: your breath acts as the bridge between the mind and the body, and mental clarity and joy exist somewhere in the space between a total state of alertness and a complete sense of calm.
Solar powered streetlights
Ā Apart from the sea, street murals are my favourite thing about Dahab
Ā After the dive; tired but happy
Night view from Sharks restaurant. Best seafood in town.
Ā Getting back into the diving habit, DahabĀ style A few weeks ago, we went to Dahab. While I've been to Dahab many times before, this trip marked a lot of firsts for me: my first time diving in Dahab (weird, I know, considering Dahab is like a second home to us), my first time diving with the exceptional Scuba Seekers Dive Center, my first time diving in 2 years and my first time diving after giving birth.
Acai smoothie bowl
The Acai smoothie bowl is a revelation. Besides all the pretty, colorful Instagram-worthy pictures plastered all over social media, and the fact that the Acai berry originates in Brazil (the country whose main export seems to be gorgeous models), this superfood boasts a whole range of benefits other than its aesthetics. Cultivated and harvested in the heart of the Amazon rain forest in Brazil,ā¦
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Veganism is an ethical belief. You're thinking of being plant based for a few days a week, not vegan. There's a huge difference.
Hello. Thank you for your comment. And I apologize for the late response. You are right. The correct term here would be plant based. I suppose veganism being the buzzword these days, itās easy to forget that people adopt it as a lifestyle choice mostly for ethical reasons rather than health reasons
Homemade almond butter
Lately, Iāve been toying with the idea of becoming a vegan. Not fully vegan but just partly vegan, for about 3 or 4 days a week. However, if I do decide to try veganism it will not be for any ethical qualms about consuming animal products. Because I donāt have any. I love a good juicy burger as much as the next person, and the thought of giving up cheese and eggs seems like pure madness to me. Iā¦
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One of the many, many, many things I have come to bemoan about Cairo (the list is endless actually) is the lack of Ā family-oriented places that offer joint activities for both mothers and their children. However, recently Iāve been able to cross that particular grievance off my list.
A couple of months ago, I was invited to the opening of Osana family wellness center. Established byĀ Sumaya Holdijk (the midwife who helped me through my rough postpartum period), Steve Double and Neena Serag, the center is located in a beautiful 3-story villa in the heart of Maadi and promotes a philosophy of well-being for every member of the family based on a plethora of yoga and pilates classes, a range of holistic treatments, pregnancy and postnatal workshops. They even offer life coaching and personal development workshops. During their opening weekend, they were offering free classes and I took the slow flow yoga class. Usually their yoga classes cost around 100 LE a class.
What makesĀ Osana unique is that it offers something for everyone.While mothers can practice yoga to their heartsā content (like yours truly) or get a much-needed massage, childrenās needs are also covered by a variety of joint classes aimed at encouraging quality time and bonding between parents and children, such as yoga for toddlers, yoga for teens, and dance classes. And if the little munchkins donāt fancy taking a class, they can run around in the indoor play area, thoughtfully designed with expansive windows that flood the area with natural light, and almost seamlessly connects to the outdoor play area: an exquisite communal garden space which features a tree house and a seating area around it, as well as a sand box o the side. Youāll often find mothers whiling away a lazy afternoon, chatting with other mothers while keeping an eye on their kids clamber up and down the tree house. And as far as I know, it is the only place in Cairo that has supervised childcare for newborns as well. However, you will have to call a day in advance to book a babysitter.
The interior is just as beautifully designed with green-colored windows and stair banisters (even the wooden floors are painted green, mimicking the natural environment outside). It features a reception area, a fully equipped baby changing room (a rarity in Cairo), Ā studio-like rooms for what they like to call barefoot classes, and a cafe and lounge area where, on their website, it says, ābreastfeeding welcomeā (gotta love that!!), massage rooms and a gorgeous sky terrace on the upper floor.
But my favorite area is the outdoor yoga pavilion, called the Earth studio. Located in a hidden corner of the garden, it is housed in a wooden structure with floor to ceiling windows on the front and back and an actual tree growing right smack in the middle of it!! It has to be one of the most original studios Iāve practiced yoga in.
As I walked around, taking pictures, the word that came to mind is organic. Everything about the place was a quiet ode to the natural world and a celebration of the elements, without being ānew age-yā or tacky; from the bucket of Calla lilies scattered here and there (one of my favorite flowers), to the yoga pavilion built around a tree, rather than in place of it, the carefully landscaped garden bordered by a diversity of flowers and plants,and a lovely pond next to the outdoor cafe seating area, with floating water plants. Ā And while at any one time, there are children running around the place, and you can never really drown out the sound of Cairo traffic outside, it only seems to exude a sense of tranquility and calm and community as soon as you walk in. So if youāre in the neighborhood or if you simply want to temporarily escape the maddening crowd that is Cairo, have a cup of coffee while dreaming away the afternoon or practice yoga in the company of a tree, then head on over to Maadi and look out for the pink (yes pink) gates of Osana Family Wellness Center. You wonāt regret it, and you will definitely want to come back.
For more information on class schedule, pricing and events, check out their website and Facebook.
Pink gates
Entrance to the center
The famous tree house
Repurposing old tires as plant holders
Seating area on the way to the Earth studio
Pond with water plants and a mini vertical garden that would be perfect for growing herbs
Just outside the cafe
Earth studio. Isnāt it amazing?
Earth pavilion from the outside
Baby changing room
Ā One of the treatment rooms
Sky terrace
Childrenās play area
The cafe. Loved the water dispensers
Quiet little reading nook
Afternoon snack. The carrot cake was lovely. The coffee is by special blenders of Australian green coffee beans called the Dancing Bean, that are roasted in EgyptĀ
Cool wall by the reception area
Even Noureen had fun playing with Daddy in the garden while I went for a yoga session.
Ā Osana family wellnessĀ center One of the many, many, many things I have come to bemoan about Cairo (the list is endless actually) is the lack of Ā family-oriented places that offer joint activities for both mothers and their children.
All things beauty (hair care)...
All things beauty (hairĀ care)ā¦
A few days ago,Ā I talked about my skincare routine and how I try to use mostly natural, organic products. Now when it comes to my hair I definitely ONLY use organic products. I have very fine, curly hair (baby hair, as many hairstylists have termed it), and not exceptionally thick. Itās also quite temperamental, with a tendency to misbehave and frizz if I look at it the wrong way. But Iāve pridedā¦
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All things beauty (skin care)...
All things beauty (skinĀ care)ā¦
A week ago, I had one of those rare mornings where my baby fell into a deep sleep after her morning feed, for almost 3 blessed hours, giving me ample time to 1) take a shower 2) shampoo my hair, 3) apply a hair treatment mask 4) apply a facial mask 5) make my breakfast smoothie. All at a slow, leisurely pace. I even managed to unload the dishwasher before she finally woke up. Unless youāre aā¦
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My favourite smoothies
SomeĀ of you may not know this about me but I donāt like fruits very much. I love my veggies. I can have veggies morning, noon and nightĀ but I just canāt deal with fruits. My husband, on the other hand, has this annoying healthy habit of always reaching for the fruit bowl. Me, not so much. Maybe its the sugary taste that puts me off- I never had much of a sweet tooth, I always liked savoryā¦
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Boxpark in Al Wasl Road, Dubai, where the buildings are actually colorful storage containers housing clothing stores, restaurants and cafes. Whatever will they think of next?? #mydubai #nofilter #boxparkdubai #alwaslroad (at BoxPark Dubai)
I started my patio garden a year and a half ago with modest attempts to plant simple herbs from seed, just to see if I have a green thumb. Iāve always wanted to try my hand at gardening, but being an apartment dweller for most of my life (apartments with poor daylight at that) I was never really motivated. However, dreams of one day owning a kitchen garden where I would simply step outside and grab a handful of carrots to toss into a salad, just like the chefs in my favorite cooking shows, encouraged me to give it a try. That and numerous trips to the fruit and vegetable store (itās really a glorified kiosk), where I could shop to my heartās content for all the freshest seasonal fruits and vegetables. One of the things I have come to appreciate about Egypt is the abundance of local fruits and vegetables. Anyone whoās lived in an agricultural wasteland like Dubai where the skyscraper is King and urban sprawl is celebrated would appreciate eating produce thatās locally grown: tiny bananas that seem to have been dipped in sugar, oranges oozing with sweetness, and best of all, strawberries (a typically summer fruit in colder climes), harvested in late autumn right through to early spring.
Now my garden is not a soft green landscape, but a courtyard, L-shaped with built-in stone benches on one side and bordered by very high walls on all sides, that present a particular challenge when it comes to amount of sunlight, as no one spot receives the same amount of sunlight each day. So after talking to anyone and everyone (from my grandmother, my mother-in-law and my housekeeper to the shopkeeper at the fruit and vegetable store); spending Ā many hours doing Internet research; watching YouTube videos on how to start seedlings; and reading exactly one book on gardening, aptly titled āCrops in Pots: Growing Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs in Pots, Containers & Basketsā,Ā Ā I went ahead and planted my first couple of herbs. On the recommendation and advice of the shopkeeper who sold me the seeds, I decided to experiment with dill and parsley before I graduated to more ambitious projects. They sprouted in a few days and continued growing. However, I did not harvest them. The building superintendent who once gave me a lecture on the dangers of over watering and the benefits of allowing the seeds to āthirstā a little Ā was looking after them when my husband and I went on a trip for a few days, and he went ahead and ignored his own advice and practically drowned them. Undeterred, I proceeded to plant some red basil seeds that a friend brought back from Dahab, as everyone assured me it is one of the easiest herbs to start from seed. Alas, a few seedlings sprouted and promptly died, perhaps due to Cairoās insufferable heat, unpredictable weather or infamous sandstorms. Who knows? I tried many times after that, but to no avail. Needless to say, me and basil are not very good friends.Ā Meanwhile, my sweet potato plant sprouted leaves and flourished.So did other plants that my mother-in-law gave me, remnants of her old garden in my husbandās previous family house in 6th of October city.Ā Iāve had to research the names of most of the plants given to me by my mother-in-law as she simply called them āsabbarā; a broad Arabic term for aloe, cactus or succulents, in general. I discovered an application on iphone, called āGarden Answers Plant Identificationā that identifies plants and flowers from photos you upload to it. Iām not sure how accurate it is, but itās helped me identify some of the plants. If anyone has any corrections, or knows the exact name I would appreciate it if you would share it with me.
Gardening has yielded more than just pretty flowers and plants, notwithstanding many failed attempts and missteps along the way. For someone like me who seems to grapple with at least fifty thoughts at a time, itās taught me a valuable lesson in patience. For the most minuscule of buds to blossom, one must expend an almost disproportionate amount of effort watering, turning the soil, pruning, not to mention the mental effort of calculating how much water a particular plant needs, or how deep in the soil to sow the seeds. But it is deeply satisfying when those buds do blossom. Gardening is, essentially, an unhurried process. In a megalopolis like Cairo or any city really, as one steps away from the rushed pace of life, the quiet, almost meditative act of gardening forces the wheels of oneās mind to turn ever so slowly, to reflect, and focus exclusively on the present moment. It is, if anything, an exercise in stillness, where you literally watch the grass grow. However, it is also a lesson in the fluidity of nature. My garden is constantly in flux. Even as I write this, it is changing. One of my favorite things to do is to wake up early in the morning, run down to the garden and lovingly inspect each plant, as if they were my children, squealing with delightĀ whenever I notice a green shoot peeking through the soil from seeds sown just a few days ago. Some days, I wake up to find lovely lavender petunias the have blossomed on my climbers. Other days, I simply rejoice in and celebrate that single green shoot. My garden is still very much a work-in-progress, but it is something I take a certain pride in, as I walk around it, carrying my daughter in my arms, greeting each plant like an old friend.
So here are just a few lessons that I learnt from my very limited and humbling gardening experience:
Prune, prune, prune. Whenever I prune my plants and remove dead or yellowing leaves, they instantly spring up and look more alive.
It is absolutely critical to turn the soil every few days, as it allows air in.
Learn to recognize weeds and pull them out. They may look like normal plants, they may even look pretty but they suck the nutrients out of the soil and halt the growth of your plants.
Every gardening aficionado will have this piece of advice on the tip of their tongues: Beware over watering. Resist the temptation. Nothing kills plants faster.
Everyoneās experience is different but I found certain fruits, vegetables and herbs notoriously difficult to start from seed, for example celery and basil, while others have flourished under my care, like dill and parsley. Sometimes itās just easier to plant stems, stalks or seedlings.
There are some crops that require a green garden to grow or a really large container, such as mango.
More often than not, books about gardening, and most internet sites are based on a completely different geographical context. Most of the information I found relates to a European or North American context. I hardly found any gardening information specifically relating to Egyptās soil conditions, climate etc. So sometimes, itās more useful to talk to the locals. And by locals, I mean people who live off the land and know how to work it.
Invest in good quality gardening gear: gloves, shears, a watering can or extendable hose if the garden is large, and of course, good quality potting soil (which I mix in equal parts with earth), insecticide, and some decent sized containers (make sure holes are drilled into them to drain out excess water).
Be patient, enjoy the process and know that everything thatās good must take its time.
Climber vines with purple petunias. Iāve nicknamed these flowers āNoureenā, in honor of my daughter.
Noureen posing next to her flowers. I may be biased but I think she is lovelier than any flower.
āSabbarā, a type of succulent that is prolific and sometimes grows tiny yellow flowers.
Peonies. They take a long time to fall off.
Lantanas. There are local ones and hybrid ones. These are the hybrid ones. The flowers fall off and instantly grow back again.
Yucca plant. Very prolific and maintains its foliage for a long time.
This is one of my favorite plants. It has the greenest foliage in all the plants in my garden. Iām not really sure what itās called. āGardenAnswersā gave me a few different options, the most likely ones being: labrador tea, schefflera, or lupines.
Another interesting plant. Looks like rosemary (at least thatās what GardenAnswers says), but I know its not rosemary. Iām dying to know what this plant is. If anyone knows, please share.
According to GardenAnswers, this is an agave species.
Sweet potato plant. I simply took a few sweet potatoes from my kitchen that have started to sprout, stuck them in some soil and almost immediately they started growing leaves.
Aloe, another beautiful plant located in my front balcony. It still hasnāt flowered yet.
Jasmine flower. Has a fragrant smell
Another type of Jasmine plant that is also a climber/vine.
Not really sure what this is. Could be dracaenas or Chilean jasmine.
Mint.
Ā Ā My patio garden: Reflections, mistakes and lessonsĀ learnt I started my patio garden a year and a half ago with modest attempts to plant simple herbs from seed, just to see if I have a green thumb.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte...a little taste of autumn in a cup
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latteā¦a little taste of autumn in aĀ cup
The other day I had an intense craving for pumpkin spice latte. I also woke up exceptionally early and had one whole blessed hour before my baby woke up.Ā I also had some leftover pumpkin chunks that I was worried might go bad if I didnāt use them up. Pumpkin is a staple in my fridge as itās one of my favorite vegetables and creamy pumpkin soup is one of my all-time favorite soups. However, Iā¦
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Italian-themed dinner when my friend and neighbor, Nihal, came over last night: Bruschetta, Caesar salad, baked ziti and frozen berries drizzled with hot white chocolate sauce for dessert (ok, maybe the dessert is more British than Italianš). A foodie trip to Italy is definitely on my bucket listšššš®šŖš®šŖš®šŖ (at El-Tagamu El Khames)
Homemade pumpkin spice latte...because sometimes I miss the fallššššāļøāļøāļø Recipe on the blog soon... (at El-Tagamu El Khames)