Saturday, April 30, 2011

Movie Review - Thor

Yesterday evening after the Royal Wedding frenzy calmed down. We decided to go to the movies... we decided on "Thor". I enjoyed the movie, it was fun to watch...one scene in particular ;p I actaully said "Hubahuba!" and had a very scary glare from Fahad in response ;p
I like the visiual effects and the world of Asgard. I loved the action. I loved the comedic efforts.
Director Kenneth Branagh did a great job.

hmmmmmm

The question I want the answer for...

will there be a sequel?

Friday, April 29, 2011

King James : Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

I just love him! not as a star crush love...no no.. I love his talent!
Love the pureness of his voice. I hope he'll win Idol.
I can't wait to see what he'll do in his new found fame
and how will he advance his career.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow...

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Gelato Italiano Bonbons

For your Friday family or friends gathering, pick up your box of Gelato Bonbons filled with three exotic flavors in Rose, Jasmine and White Pistachio all covered in
white chocolate.
Each box contains 30 pieces for KD9.
The Gelato Bonbons will be available on Friday only.
Opening hours is from 9am and closed during Prayers and reopen after prayers.
The quantity will be limited so hurry and pick up your box! Tel:22434434
Join our Page on Facebook:

Yawmeyat Wa7da Q8ya Dathra is Now A BOOK!

Finally!!!!
The hilarious and heartbreaking adventures
of Dathra is in paperback!
Our fellow blogger Danderma had turned the much beloved
weekly series into a book sold online.
Way to go! Danderma!
Fahad and I are big fans of the series!
and wish you all the best.
So we hope that we'll soon find the book sold
on Amazon.com and IBook too :)
inshallah!
You can purchase the book online here:

New From Lofat

Lofat's new offer is to subscribe for 5 healthy meals
for KD179 instead of KD199.
call 2225o 65o
Food items is now available in the following Co-Ops: AlFaiha, AlDahiya, AlNuzha, AlMansouria, Kaifan, AlJabriya, & Mishref
They have a new competition for KIDS between the age 6-16 years:
Interested in losing weight? Want to do it for free? If you are between 6-16 years and willing to share your story,
send us a paragraph of 150 words on why you should be
selected to win a 1 month FREE subscription with LoFat Juniors
and get a chance to compete to win a trip to Disney Land Paris!
For more infor contact : info@thelofat.com

Monday, April 25, 2011

Attention Danger!

If you pass by these chocolates at the supermarket DO NOT STOP!
and pick them up!
They are deliciouly dangerous. One...two...three...the entire pack!
won't be enough! After the third piece I knew I was in danger
so I repacked them in cute little box with a bow and sent
them to one of my skinny friends ;p

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Maternal Mortality

I haven't much to do this morning and the weather looked amazing out side my window and decided to take the kids out to my favorite hangout and relax. I forgot to take my book with me so I made a stop and picked a couple of magazines. While enjoying my latte I browsed through Marie Claire's March issue and the title of an article caught my attention. I usually cringe from this particular subject because of the truma I've been through while giving birth to Ahmed but I reminded myself that I am blessed, alhamdullah, the best doctors and facilities were provided for me. I am still here today, seeing my kids healthy and growing up before my eyes and I am there for them, unlike unfortunate orphans who lost their mother's in childbirth. I read the article and in the middle of the coffee shop I was choking and my eyes watering, almost sobbing out loud. The women sitting next to me sat alret, something in the expression on my face alerted them something was wrong. How stupid would I look if they found out I was on the verge of tears over and article. This subject is important to me. Yes, even four years later I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I can't imagine what would have happened to me if I was in one of those poor countries. I took a deep breath, thank God for being blessed. Something must be done to help these women and sharing this article is the least I can do. This article is a must read. After suffering a postpartum haemorrhage while giving birth to her first child, Christy Turlington learned that the lack of reproductive health care worldwide results in 500,000 maternal mortalities a year. The realization that 90% of these deaths are preventable led Christy on her crusade to raise awareness for women, working as an advocate for maternal health and reproductive rights. Two years after her own experience, and six months pregnant with her son Finn, Christy went with CARE to El Salvador and witnessed the terrifying conditions endured by pregnant women. ‘Pregnant women and new mothers had to walk ten or more miles to get clean water,’ she says. ‘It was a catalytic moment. I wanted to find out more about these women, to delve in and get my hands dirty.’ It was three years later, on a trip to Peru, that the supermodel came up with the idea of making her own documentary No Woman, No Cry to educate women on local health services. In her gripping directorial debut, Christy shares the powerful stories of impoverished women during the final harrowing days of their pregnancies in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala and the US.Turlington recalls a woman in Guatemala who was in hospital following a botched abortion of a baby conceived through rape. During her six weeks there, her husband and family didn’t visit her once because of the social stigma.‘By the time we started editing I was so fired up I could work 15 hour days without thinking,’ she says. On viewing the footage, shes says; ‘First of all you go in to deep shock, after that comes anger.’Since finishing her film, Turlington has gone on to launch the Every Mother Counts campaign and website to raise money and help people learn more about the issues of maternal mortality and the extent of the problem worldwide.‘Right now we are at a critical moment,’ says Turlington. ‘Maternal and child health was at the centre of the G8 summit last year, and this project provides a perfect opportunity for the first world to build on the momentum of the past few years.’ www.everymothercounts.org

http://www.careinternational.org.uk/

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Rita Wilson : Losing It!

After gaining some unwanted pounds, Rita Wilson knew it was time for a change. Here, she chronicles her weight-loss journey.

By Rita Wilson Have you ever thrown open your closet doors in anticipation of picking out a fabulous outfit only to find yourself reaching for elastic-waistband pants? Or when someone says, "You're hot," he isn't talking about sex but referring to the beads of perspiration that have taken over your entire body since you turned 50? For some of you, this piece may be irrelevant--right now. But soon enough, your day of waterfalls cascading down your chest will come and you will remember me. Due to my middle-aged, menopausal "hotness," I had put on the freshman 15 at 53. My class of 54 was going to have me graduating to a permanent wardrobe of sweats if I didn't do something about it. But my head felt weighted down. I felt mentally heavy. I didn't have the energy to add one more thing to my already full plate ... of nachos, guacamole, chips. I had been experiencing some stress. The year 2010 was full of many transitions. So I comforted myself with comfort food. I found comfort in everything that passed in front of me. At the Emmys last year, I got trashed for wearing a dress that I loved but that had people in cyberspace querying if I was pregnant. Okay, really? If a 54-year-old woman were pregnant, wouldn't that be news you would hear about? Instead, Time magazine named my Emmy dress one of its Top 10 Fashion Statements for 2010 along with Lady Gaga's meat dress. This was not a compliment. Life changes affect each of us differently. My comfort food had now become ... uncomfortable. A change had to be made. Now, how you look is less important than how you feel, but I had lost my spunk and my energy. I remembered reading that if you don't take care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else? It was time to get into shape, because how many times could I put one more photo of myself into my scrapbook, angling my body behind my husband's (or an unsuspecting person or a piece of furniture) so I would appear half my size? This was officially a pattern. Enter Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser fame. I knew she was a killer trainer, but when I met Jillian at a women's conference last year, I was immediately taken by her openness and warmth. The first day Jillian came over to my house, I thought we would just discuss process, diet, physiology--you know, two girlfriends shooting the breeze. (And boy, can I talk. I am sure I burn more calories talking than I do eating celery sticks.) So when Jillian told me to get up and start running my interior stairs, I thought she was joking. After numerous sprints up and down, she made me do lunges down my hallway, push-ups, tricep bends off an antique bench, and hardcore versions of downward dog that made me pant like a puppy. She told me I would get nauseous, and I did. This is a very good way not to eat. Every day for a week, we worked out. I was so impressed by how quickly Jillian was able to "empower" me into shape. She put me on a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet that was primarily grilled fish or chicken, steamed veggies, and big salads for lunch. You know the drill: no sugar. Very little dairy. No alcohol. A lot of exercise. Now, this is where Jillian's real magic lies. She could see the toll that the year of transitions had taken on me without my telling her. In conversation one day while I was stretching, she asked me what I would consider an indulgence. As a person who likes to give, I had to admit that I'd put myself on the back burner. I had felt that taking care of myself was more of an indulgence than a necessity. I had things to do. Responsibilities. A facial (which I hadn't had in years) or a massage was not a priority. Jillian smiled and set up an appointment for me with a dermatologist. I went and had all my questionable moles removed, followed by a formerly guilt-inducing facial in his office. Next, Jillian introduced me to a chiropractor who took care of an annoying shoulder injury I'd been living with for far too long. Doing these two things gave me comfort. The worrisome moles and shoulder pain I'd been neglecting were now dealt with, easing a mental burden of sorts and leaving me with two fewer things to worry about. I am keenly aware that I am blessed with health care and that I have the funds to get a facial, but anyone can steam her own face over a pot of chamomile tea, as I used to do as a teenager. Yet do we take the time? My next hurdle came with the vacation we had planned. We were taking my mom and our family to Greece for two weeks. When I returned, Jillian would be away for two weeks. Once I get started on a diet, I am pretty disciplined, but being on vacation with no wine, no dessert, no sugar, and twice-daily workouts seemed more like house arrest. Still, I was starting to notice the benefits of my intended goal: feeling healthy and being lighter, physically and, most important, mentally. Jillian assigned me her workout DVDs, and each day she would e-mail me my exercise routine. I would do one of her DVDs in the morning and cardio in the afternoon, and whatever other exercise I did was icing on my weight-loss cake. But what was great was that I was still able to do very vigorous workouts. My excuses went up in smoke like the Tareyton cigarettes my dad used to smoke when I was a kid. In one month, I had lost eight pounds. As we were now well into fall, Jillian and I continued to work out and talk (my favorite thing to do). I would much rather work my chops and chop my workout, if you catch my drift. But in these talks, she seemed to be able to draw from me a deeper understanding of myself and my thought processes. Through all the physicality, I learned that we tell ourselves so many things that keep us from being our best. It's so easy to buy into a false belief about who we are. One day Jillian asked me to do this push-up using just one arm to lift my entire body. I tried three times but couldn't do it. She calmly told me that I could do it and to try again. She gently held my hips as I raised my body using one arm, the so-called weak arm. Even though she was barely touching me, it proved to me that I had the ability within me yet I wasn't allowing myself to believe it. We all have a story we tell ourselves: "I'm weak." "I've never been able to lose weight." "I'm big boned." "I'm menopausal and my metabolism has changed." "I can't take time for myself." I read somewhere once that if your fantasies are your own, why not make them great ones? Why not "I will look like Gisele in a thong"? Now I'm thrilled to say that I'm 14 pounds lighter than when I started. I feel strong. I want to live life fully and healthfully. Now my weight is more about my health than about what I look like, although looking good in clothes is a nice by-product. I love life, and I love this imperfect body. I am learning to take care of myself, my body, and my spirit. I feel hotter than ever. But ... the good kind of hot.

Read more: Rita Wilson Weight Loss - Rita Wilson Losing Weight Story - Harper's BAZAAR

Friday, April 22, 2011

Make You Feel My Love

To my Beloved...
There nothing I wouldn't do... to make you feel my love :*

King James Rocks!!!

Is anyone been following American Idol? This years contestants are unbelievably talented!
My favorite among them is James Durbin...aka...King James!!! I wait with anticipation for his performance and he never disappoints!!!
This weeks he performed "Uprising" by Muse...
Unbelievable!

Ritzy Chicken Strips

Nigellas Ritzy Chicken Strips
I saw this recipe on Eating is Believing blog. It is very easy to make, but the chicken should be prepared the night before for best resaults.
I add few touches of my own to the recipe.
You find the recipe here.
First I pounded the chicken (a very good stress reliever) to tenderize it,
before adding it to the buttermilk and I added two minced garlic cloves to the marinated, covered it and placed it in fridge for the next day.
To my Ritz crushed crackers, I added three teaspoons of dried oregano, for added flavor, on the first batch. The second batch of crushed crackers,
I added the same amount of oregano and three table spoons
of grated Parmesan cheese.
Buttermilk chicken ready to get covered with the cracker mix
Ready for the oven...
For sauce, I was inspired by Prime & Toast's ranch and mango chutney sauce. At Sultan I picked this mango chili sauce and mixed it with Ranch dressing.
It was unbelievably Yummy!!!
Although a bit spicy, but the boys enjoyed it very much.
Et Voila

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Boudoirs

The fun part about designing your own home is putting what
you want. I want a boudoir. A place where I can escape
from the noise and the demands of my boys (yep...all three of them)
connected to the Master bedroom is a smaller room where
I would have all my girly girl stuff, everything I want to just relax and
pamper myself ;)
Boudoir Style Historically, the boudoir has been a luxurious, private place where one would go to be alone in thought and creativity. It means creating a peaceful place that is tranquil but sophisticated, and spacious – but still very intimate. 1-The trick to creating a boudoir is dividing the space into elegant, organized areas – and unifying them with a great design. 2-A classic boudoir contains three distinct spaces: one to sleep, one to read and relax, and one to write. 3-Artwork in a bedroom makes the space more personal and intimate. 4- Adding gorgeous rich fabrics like velvet, silk and linen to your room will help create a sumptuous, soothing retreat from the hustle and bustle of life. 5- Panel moldings in a room can help create a sense of unity, and intimacy. Floor lamps allow you to control the amount of light in a room, giving you the opportunity to create the distinct atmosphere you’re looking for at any given time. 6- Gold-leafing a mirror can give a room a touch of old, European glam.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Love Letter - Lord Byron

Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) was one of England's most notorious womanizers. A world-famous poet by the age of 24, he had a brief but extremely passionate affair with Lady Caroline Lamb. Pressured by Caroline's mother (who herself may have harbored affections for Byron), he used the opportunity to put an end to the relationship. In this letter, he explains his reasoning.
August 1812
My dearest Caroline,
If tears, which you saw & know I am not apt to shed, if the agitation in which I parted from you, agitation which you must have perceived through the whole of this most nervous nervous affair, did not commence till the moment of leaving you approached, if all that I have said & done, & am still but too ready to say & do, have not sufficiently proved what my real feelings are & must be ever towards you, my love, I have no other proof to offer.
God knows I wish you happy, & when I quit you, or rather when you from a sense of duty to your husband & mother quit me, you shall acknowledge the truth of what I again promise & vow, that no other in word or deed shall ever hold the place in my affection which is & shall be most sacred to you, till I am nothing.
I never knew till that moment, the madness of -- my dearest & most beloved friend -- I cannot express myself -- this is no time for words -- but I shall have a pride, a melancholy pleasure, in suffering what you yourself can hardly conceive -- for you don not know me. -- I am now about to go out with a heavy heart, because -- my appearing this Evening will stop any absurd story which the events of today might give rise to -- do you think now that I am cold & stern, & artful -- will even others think so, will your mother even -- that mother to whom we must indeed sacrifice much, more much more on my part, than she shall ever know or can imagine.
"Promises not to love you" ah Caroline it is past promising -- but shall attribute all concessions to the proper motive -- & never cease to feel all that you have already witnessed -- & more than can ever be known but to my own heart -- perhaps to yours -- May God protect forgive & bless you -- ever & even more than ever.
yr. most attached
BYRON
P.S. -- These taunts which have driven you to this -- my dearest Caroline -- were it not for your mother & the kindness of all your connections, is there anything on earth or heaven would have made me so happy as to have made you mine long ago? & not less now than then, but more than ever at this time -- you know I would with pleasure give up all here & all beyond the grave for you -- & in refraining from this -- must my motives be misunderstood --? I care not who knows this -- what use is made of it -- it is you & to you only that they owe yourself, I was and am yours, freely & most entirely, to obey, to honour, love --& fly with you when, where, & how you yourself might & may determine

My Poor Birthday Boy

My poor baby!!! My little angel…my second love of my life! It isn't his year this year! We organized his birthday party for last week, and have to postpone until this week. Now we cancelled it again, not only because of the weather, but because my Abdulaziz came back from school very ill!! He insisted to go ahead with the party, but I managed to convince him that "kil ta25eera feeha 5eera", and he wouldn't enjoy it while he looked and felt green, and I promised him I'll organize something better than the one we already organized and make it a great surprise….
Now…I have few idea's … but I'd welcome any suggestions :)

Finally! Twitter!

I have finally entered the Twitter Land!!!
Don't know why it took me so long :s
Follow me ;)
@Um3azoz

Monday, April 18, 2011

Home - Wakha Furniture

Have you heard of this place? "Wakha" It is the first time I visit it.
I love North African/ Oriental decore, and Wakha sells furniture and home
accessory pieces from Morocco. I went there few days ago
with my sister, who the rebuilding and designing of our family
home fell on her shoulders. Ehya illi emjabla albunyan and interior design,
I feel guilt that I'm not there with her most
of the time, although a very tiring process, but
she is enjoying it and mashallah she has the best of taste among the four of us.
I went with her just to show me what she picked up for one
of the receiving rooms and several accessories for the house.
I love those hanging doors.
an exquisite game table... Chess anyone? or maybe Backgammon? The place was filled with beautiful pieces such as this cupboard and I took snaps of what caught my eye. Barbecue?
We picked this mirror and two others similar in coloring
but different in design for the guest bathroom.
This golden Quran was hanging high on the wall.
A look from the second floor to the ground floor.
See that dark table on the right? I found out from the
sales person that they have a "Warsha" with artisan carpenters
and make some pieces of furniture by order or woodwork decor in the house.
This dinning table seats about 12 people and it isn't complete yet.
You find little knickknacks every where...
And colorful decorative bottles.
Then I ask about these walls. I was told that they do have
painters and paint it in the Moroccan way of Tadlak
My favorite part now is the table sets...
I used to have a small side business where I brought amazing
Moroccan and Tunisian table tops, hand made and painted.
and this is as good as the ones I brought.
I am sure going to get me few for Ramadan, That is if I find the space
in my home to store them!!!
I loved this little fountain, it gave a soothing sound around the big house
and what is better, you can ask them to paint it in any color you
want!
The Painted ceiling hung with amazing lights.
Overall, there were nice stuff, but tastes varies, right?
I like my oriental pieces with vibrant colors, and the sales
lady assured me that whatever colors I want they can make
them here or order tham from Morocco.
Prices are very reasonable compared to other
places which sell North African / Oriental furniture.
شركة واخه للمفروشات والاكسسوارات المغربيه
Wakha For Moroccan Furniture and Accessories Co.
It is in Bnaid AlQar
Tel. 225 40573

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Le Notre's Easter Cake

Lenotre Chocolate Easter Cake
Its selling for KD40
To order call 1805050 Ext. 28

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Wisdom Of the Week

“We never fail when we try to do our duty,
we always fail when we neglect to do it.”
- Sir. Robert Baden Powell

Friday, April 15, 2011

Raiding the Pantry

I'm hungry.
I want some restaurant
food but not in the mood to go out or order in.
The boys already had their dinner, and it was only Fahad and I.
I look into the kitchen, I found some leftover chicken from lunch which I saved for sandwiches, again I'm not in the mood for sandwiches. So I just assembeled what I found. Shred the chicken, breast chop some onions red, green and yellow bell peppers. Open a can of red beans and use a couple of table spoons. I have some Fajita seasoning mix, I used a couple of teaspoons just for flavor and added a couple of tablespoons of water just as directed on the seasoning directions.
Spread the nachos, then the chicken mix, and cover with Mexican cheese mix. Pop in the oven for ten minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and shredded lettuce!!!
It was Yummy!

Go With The Fro!

I was browsing through Venyoo.com when I found these two T-shirts from
F2o for the boys. They are soo my boys!
I place my order and a couple of days later I received them.
Yep.. AlZgert Abdulaziz will love it and Ahmed ye7eb al Kash5a! Here they are rocking the T's when we went out for lunch and later for the movies.
So what do you think?
Abdulaziz Al Zgert!
Ahmed Al kash5a!
He is trying to make the Peace sign but couldn't.