Tag Archives: books

Ramadan Mubarak 2023/1444

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The month of Ramadan has started today for Muslims around the world. We fast from sunrise to sunset and this year the days are shorter and cooler than last. I pray that we can make the most of these special days and that this month is a beneficial one for us all. I pray that we are forgiven of our sins, are able to re-connect with God, find peace and receive blessings. I especially pray that people that are in hardship find ease and that we can all be generous in giving whatever we can. Ramadan Mubarak.

London Muslim Lifestyle Show 2016

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This weekend my sister and I went to the London Muslim Lifestyle show in West London, which was an event bringing together different products and services that are available for Muslims. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was looking forward to finding out.

There was a wide variety of things on offer; from different kind of foods, to jewellery and books.

My favourite things were the beautiful pieces of Arabic art, the stunning bottles of attar/perfume and tasty food on offer. I learnt lots of new things and was genuinely impressed by all innovative ideas that were presented from new phone apps to products that filled gaps in the market.

It was tempting to buy everything I liked, which was too much, but I managed to hold back and stick mainly to window shopping and tasters, treating myself to a few lovely things.

As you can tell I got a bit carried away with my photos, but there was just so much to see. As well as stalls there were fashion shows, singers and workshops that you could attend. My sister and I also had a lot of fun having our photos taken in photo booths wearing silly props. I thought it was an interesting event and meeting a diverse range of smiley people people, both Muslim and non created a great atmosphere.

Mad as a Hatters tea party

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My younger sister decided to throw all the women in the family a tea party. She spent weeks and weeks secretly buying and making decorations and props to complete the look of her theme; the classic, Mad Hatters Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland.

We were all amazed at how much effort had gone into all the little touches; the tiny book cover cake toppers (which were my favourite), quotes from book Alice, the decorations made of book pages, a real top hat and more.

Aside from all the snacks on offer, which we had after lunch, there was lots of food to eat. We had pasties, sandwiches, pasta, chicken strips and much more that we all enjoyed. My sister also set up a photo board so we could take pictures against a pretty, floral background and everyone had lots of fun playing with the different face parts that she had made too.

We all had a fun afternoon, enjoying all the good food and especially the various cakes and desserts on offer. I’m sure that we’ll have more parties to come seeing how much everyone enjoyed this one. You can see my sister’s post and more pictures here

Harry Potter-land

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I recently went to The Warner Bros. studios where Harry Potter was filmed, or what I like to call Harry Potter-land. I’ve long been a fan of the Harry Potter books and films, like my sisters and thousands of others, so when the studios were opened to the public I had to go, especially as it’s not far from London.

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As soon as you walk through the doors you’re greeted by photos and props

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There’s sets from all the different places in Harry Potter, such as Hagrid’s hut and Dumbledore’s office but I think my favourite room was the Great Hall

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Along the tour there’s sets and pieces from all 8 films, it’s amazing how many things there are to look at and you realise how much time and dedication has been given to transferring the magic of the books to the big screen. There’s also lots of fun little facts about the props and videos showing the thinking behind and making of the films. The tour takes about 2-3 hours depending on your pace, but as well as things to see and read about there are fun things to do too, like fly on a broomstick and learn how to swish a wand like the pros. As I visited during the Christmas period there were fir trees and decorations dotted around as well as wintery things to take part in, like feeling the different kind of snow they used.

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My photos don’t do justice to how rich the details of the sets and objects are, and there was so much more to see and take part in. There are also a couple of things at the studios that really wowed me that I won’t mention because I don’t want to spoil the surprise for anyone who wants to visit. If you are a Harry Potter fan I would recommend the trip, and it’s worth booking in advance as it still seems to be very popular with the public. If you’ve also been to the Warner Bros studios I’d love to hear what you thought.