Month: October 2016

Newborn Essentials- things that you will actually need

Published by

Anybody who has had a baby will know that the sheer amount of products out there for baby are mind-blowing and plain confusing. A newborn human shouldn’t need that much right? Wrong. Walk into any baby store and you’ll see what I mean. Having done this twice already and expecting my third (in just 7 weeks!!), I’ve whittled down what a baby would really need to the following. They are tried and tested by myself and I genuinely love these products. I try to choose organic and ethically made products where I can. See below image for more details and links… If you hover over image the corresponding numbers will show. BABU Organic cotton hooded towels, face washers and wash cloths. Baby Bjorn Balance bouncer– this has been sitting in my living for 5 years in the same spot and will probably be there for another 2 years. It is very practical, and isn’t a scary, battery operated bouncer with toys hanging off it. It moves with the natural movements of baby, aiding in muscle …

Best on the Net

Published by

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are ready for the new week! Here are some lovely, positive and uplifting stories to make the start of the week that much easier… 30 Captivating Historical photographs that need to be seen. What a teen girl’s magazine cover looks like when a graphic designer gets her hands on it. And here is one girl’s magazine that is trying to do it differently. A loving father photographs his autistic son’s unique habits. An enchantingly-rare all white reindeer is spotted on the side on the road in Sweden. One school is replacing detention with meditation and it is brilliant. Rahaf Khatib on the cover of “Women’s Running” magazine is how getting featured in mainstream media should be done. The essentials of Maternity Wear, and a few more of my favourite maternity wear/post-maternity wear-able brands here, here, and here. Like, I really want this blush shirt dress that looks perfect for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Oh and if you’re in Sydney, the “Raising Positive Children” workshop run by the Al-Ghazzali …

Take a moment…

Published by

These days I am getting a keen sense of how fast time is passing. It’s like I blinked and I had two children. I feel it even more now that I am expecting number 3. I can’t quite comprehend how 5 years, 2 children and expecting a third happened. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I found out I was expecting my first child? I remember the day that I found out so clearly. I remember calling my husband and telling him over the phone, right in the middle of his work day, because I have absolutely no patience and can’t keep anything from him for any amount of time. I remember the day she was born, that incomparable feeling of having her placed on my chest where she immediately ceased crying, whereupon my own tears gushed even more. I remember how it felt to have her tiny frame pressed against me, and me completely overwhelmed by how much she needed me. I remember the days that followed. The utter physical exhaustion, the stress and anxiety …

Ethically made Earrings

Published by

Written by Subhi Bora.  When in Dubai, I wanted to buy gifts for people as well as something blingy for myself as a souvenir. I wanted something meaningful, beautiful, preferably made in the UAE, and with good ethical standards. This seemed near impossible amongst the endless imported designer stores and H&M-like options. BUT THEN I found the Gallery One store in Dubai Mall and bought beautiful pieces of art, made in the UAE! And I came across this beautiful brand of jewellery Vanina World, whose pieces are ethically made and use recycled materials. These particular earrings were made in collaboration with 2 NGOs based in Lebanon. I am super happy I found what I was looking for, all by chance. We CAN do better with our purchasing power, so let’s do it. *Photos by Saltanat Bora (editor). Please don’t use without permission of The Modest Life.

Maternity Wear Essentials

Published by

Finding comfortable yet stylish clothing whilst pregnant can be difficult, and inevitably, regardless of what you wear, you are bound to look like you swallowed a large watermelon by the time you get to the end of your pregnancy. Nonetheless, it is definitely a lot easier to find stylish and comfortable maternity wear what with the explosion in maternity brands lately, and also some non-maternity label clothing that can be adapted. This being my third pregnancy, a lesson that I have learnt is to ensure that whatever I buy for my changing body will also last me beyond pregnancy. I remember after I had my first daughter and I started to leave my house that I realised that I didn’t have any breastfeeding friendly clothing. It seemed like such a frustrating thing to think about- and out went the maxi dresses. Try lifting that up and shoving a baby under to breastfeed. Not. Happening. The following outfit options are actually clothes that I have worn many times throughout this pregnancy and most can be worn …

Gardening at home

Published by

I love fresh flowers around the home, but let’s be real, it can be quite an expensive luxury. Plus, purchasing flowers from the grocery or florist can have hidden nasties, as they spray the flowers with chemicals to make them last longer, or they source them from unethical supply chains. Also, keeping flowers indoors in an air-conditioned space with no natural light is not good for the longevity of those flowers. So I decided to start gardening, with the plot of raised garden beds that I have in my backyard. Today I traipsed out there with the girls and we collected quite a good haul of flowers to arrange around the house, and even dry in a flower press. Growing your own flowers is a great experience for the kids. From planting, to watering and seeing the flowers bloom to cutting them and arranging them, it is a beautiful way to connect them with nature and also instil a sense of responsibility. If you can manage to keep them alive, the plants are incredibly giving, …

Thinking of having kids? Think again…

Published by

Parenting in this day and age is without a doubt a tough gig. We are faced with challenges that our parents didn’t face when they were raising us, we live in a society whose moral and spiritual values have been all but degraded, and it appears to be getting worse. Our food is not what it used to be, with all the genetic modification and the mass agricultural methods used to simply meet the dietary demands of an increasingly obese population, resulting in children with ADHD (apparently), behavioural issues, earlier onset of mental health issues and of course, obesity. The schooling system is becoming (or already is) heavily focused on “academic teaching” where children as young as 5 are subject to testing and assessments, with priority given to standardised testing as a measure of their abilities, yet ironically are not producing more intelligent people. We are living in the ‘digital age’ with screens pervading everything that we do. Schools are introducing iPads in kindergarten, or giving homework that must be done on the internet. Children …

Wondrous Earth

Published by

A photo series that will spotlight the wondrous beauty of this Earth, a moment to reflect on the Beauty endowed on this Earth by Our Creator… How can one travel through this earth and not be moved by the beauty that we are surrounded by? A magnificent sunset that we witness whilst engaging in something as ordinary as driving home from work is surely enough for the heart to be moved to ponder on, to be in awe of the One who willed for such divine ethereality to embellish our world. Today’s image taken by our editor, Saltanat.

Baby Boy’s Nursery Inspiration

Published by

I am currently 29 weeks pregnant with Baby No. 3 and I am in shock as to how quickly it has passed. I essentially have two and a half months left and it occurred to me the other day that I have prepared nothing for this child, because #babyno3. I decided to head out and start buying some baby essentials, like muslin wraps, towels and the like and it hit me that I was actually having another baby. Excitement is setting in people! I am so so so excited to meet this little baby boy (yes it’s a boy inshaAllah!). Of course I’m terrified at the same time as to how I’m going to juggle three kids under 5 BUT!!! we’re going to have a new baby in the house! That means squishy toes and a fragile being who SMELLS heavenly of newborn, uncorrupted human. Yep. I’m excited. I was also in denial throughout this pregnancy about this baby needing a room, but then realised that I had nowhere to put his things. My bedroom …