Interpal Ramadan 2011

Salam Alaikum

If you are on facebook, then please do "like" this page, as every "like" will donate £1 to our brothers and sisters in Palestine InshaAllah and remember to spread the word InshaAllah

http://www.facebook.com/interpalramadan2011

Here's the info on their page:

We are a non-political British charity. By working with partners in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan we aim to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people by providing relief and development aid to those in need.
Would you like to donate money to charity, without giving a penny?
We are Interpal, a London based charity supporting Palestinians in need, and we have stumbled upon what has to be the laziest way to donate money to charity - and what’s more it’s free!
A long-term supporter of the charity has come forward and offered to match every “Like” of the new Interpal Ramadan 2011 Facebook page with £1. But there is a deadline – the end of Ramadan!

Yes it’s true!

This means that by simply hitting “Like”, you are automatically giving £1 to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan.

The Vice Chairman of Interpal explains,

“We were surprised by the generosity of this donor, but are really grateful. Interpal strives to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause - the largest refugee crisis in the world - and Facebook is a great tool for this. Also, of course, we are hoping lots of people “Like” the new page so that we can raise funds for our work.”

The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, states that having supported Interpal for many years, he now wants to do something more:

“I’d like to inspire others to support Interpal and the Palestinian cause. This charity is doing literally life-saving work. I’d like more people to know about it.”

So what a great way to raise awareness about the struggle of many Palestinians, encourage people to get involved and raise money!

For every person who “Likes” the Interpal Ramadan 2011 Facebook page by September 1st 2011, £1 will go directly to Palestinians. We are aiming for 200,000 supporters by September.
Yes it’s true!
This means that by simply hitting “Like”, you are automatically giving £1 to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan.
The Vice Chairman of Interpal explains,
“We were surprised by the generosity of this donor, but are really grateful. Interpal strives to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause - the largest refugee crisis in the world - and Facebook is a great tool for this. Also, of course, we are hoping lots of people “Like” the new page so that we can raise funds for our work.”
The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, states that having supported Interpal for many years, he now wants to do something more:
“I’d like to inspire others to support Interpal and the Palestinian cause. This charity is doing literally life-saving work. I’d like more people to know about it.” 
So what a great way to raise awareness about the struggle of many Palestinians, encourage people to get involved and raise money!
For every person who “Likes” the Interpal Ramadan 2011 Facebook page by September 1st 2011, £1 will go directly to Palestinians. We are aiming for 200,000 supporters by September.

living on a budget

Salam Alaikum

Every day, in the news, we hear about spending cuts and financial crisis. It's alot more serious than many people think. So instead of going into debts, which you can't get out of and eventually you will lose everything you've got, I thought I get some tips together here.. However I'm fully aware that this might not apply for everyone, but every little penny helps :)

Food:

If you know anyone with a catering business or a corner shop, then ask them if you can go with them to the wholesalers. You can save quite alot of money by doing that. The father of my children has a restaurant, so I tend to shop in bookers.
They've got 20 kg good quality rice for £20 (4 kg for £6 in sainsbury's, basic one)
10 whole chickens for £20 (they're halal and sell for about £3-3,50 each in local halal shops)
10 kg chicken breast for £30 (also halal, and sell 500g for £4 in local halal stores)
the milk is also cheaper, £0.89 when you buy 4 (2,2 liters.. the cheapest i've seen in is in Iceland for £1)
6kg carrots for £3 (this is great if you share with some other sisters ie 2 kg pr head for £1)
24 toilet rolls for £2,50 (will look at the branded ones next time i go there)

Also local fruit and vegetable shops have lots of great deals. Much better prices and quality than the supermarket and most of it tend to be grown locally MashaAllah. They've also got homemade jams and so on. To get the best bargains go just before closing time and you'll find alot of reduced goods, which is still in very good condition MashaAllah.. this goes for the supermarkets aswell, if you go there after 6-7pm, you'll find alot of half price fruit, veg and bread mashaAllah

Another thing you could do, is to make the rule, never to buy anything at full price.. Might be a challenge but not impossible.. Stock up, everytime there is a good deal going on. Especially with dried and canned stuff that can last for long. Buy one get one free offers are great MashaAllah
Remember to look at the quantity compared with price, it's not always the bigger sizes are
Where they have loyalty cards such as tesco clubcards, nectar cards etc, use them! you can save quite alot there and get discount on utility bills aswell as other offers.
To make sure you only buy what you need, buy online, this is really effective if you're on a strict budget as you won't be tempted to dive in to everything your eye falls on (lol i tend to do this quite alot, always come home with more than i needed!)

Other Items:

For cleaning products and toiletries, try wilkinsons, poundland and savers. Always good deals on branded items

If you tend to do your shopping at the supermarket chains, look out for petrol deals.. I know sainsbury's often do 5p or 10p off petrol pr liter, depending on your spending in store.. Take advantage of this one and fill the tank, it can save you quite a bit of money

If you're looking at getting new appliances for your home, whether it's big or small, try to have a look at secondhand shops. I know this isn't ideal for many, but honestly many of the stores get appliances from big main street retailers, because there are a few dents on them or scratches, they can't be sold for their full prices.. We got a brand new freezer for the fraction of RRP, because there was a visible dent on the door. Nothing wrong with it at all, MashaAllah
Also car boot sales do have some great bargains aswell, you can even get brand new furnitures, such as tables, closets etc for next to nothing. I love car boot sales myself, as you can get anything and everything there, we went a few weeks ago and i got 4 bikes for £20! even though it's secondhand, it's a bargain!

For clothing, well this is what one prefers themselves really.. What i've done is to have 3 groups of clothing for my kids.. School clothes, nursery/play clothes and normal clothes.. School clothes, i tend to buy at Asda and Sainsbury's, but I always wait until the end of the month the term starts, as everything gets reduced to 50-75%. Then i buy in bulk in different sizes (especially for the girls, so they can be handed down, if one doesn't fit them).. Nursery/play clothes i usually buy on sales, in primark or on few occasions in charity shops or car boot sales if i find brand new items there... Then the other clothes I can allow myself to spend a bit more on and will buy at H&M, Next etc, but won't fill their wardrobe there though and majority of the items i will buy on sales.
With charity shops it can be quite tricky as to find the ones that do have good quality clothes. But keep looking around, you might just find one that suits your needs InshaAllah.
For outerwear, especially for the winter, I always buy good quality ones, they last longer and are much warmer. Try some of the outdoor shops. They're jackets/coats are fantastic value and can last a decade. My mum sent me coats for my 2 eldest daughters last Eid. They've practically been wearing them almost every day at school and they still look new MashaAllah. they're wind and waterproof, aswell as warm.
Footwear for winter i bought from next, found some really warm boots for all of them at next, for £15 each and they lasted the whole winter.


You can reduce your utility bills buy limiting the use of major appliances, such as dishwasher and tumble dryer. Also do laundry during evenings, will save you quite a bit aswell. Switch off all electrical goods, not only will you save electricity, but you'll make your home safer.
During winter times, you can save money on fuel bills by dressing warmer. Get some fleece or woollen items like cardigans, socks etc they're great for those cold months. I've found some thermal socks in cherry's buy for £1 each, they're really warm and comfy, even after several washes they're still in good shape. Use fleece blankets aswell, will keep the kids nice and warm throughout the night, you can get them for £5 each at primark. I usually put one under them and if it's really cold one on top aswell.
Put the heating on during the night and it should keep the house warm throughout the day inshaAllah.
also alot of energy suppliers will give you a reader (can't remember what it's called now) which you can see where you're usage is going and even give money back for any savings you made, usually done buy giving discount on the next bill.

And when it comes to savings on your luxuries ie tv packages or mobile phones etc... shop around, then when you've find a great deal, call your current provider and ask for a discount or you'll leave, in most cases they'll give you an equally good or even better deal (especially if you pay your bills on time). They want to keep good customers, so it's always worth a try, especially if you go to the cancellation department, as they've got better offers than the normal customer service :)
This also applies for when you buy bigger items, try to see if you can squeeze a bargain out of them, especially if you're going to spend quite alot of money... This isn't for everyone, but some people do have the gift of getting great bargains.. Be confident, play sellers up against each other, get them to throw extras in and ask for their best price, then offer a lower price and start negotiating, good luck!

Right that's what i can think of at the moment, might come back with more at a later stage..

Here some websites, that can give you great savings InshaAllah

http://womenfreebies.co.uk/

this site gives you free samples of various items, competitions etc. I recently got free pantene shampoo and conditioner and some skin care products, have a look InshaAllah

http://www.groupon.co.uk
http://www.kgbdeals.co.uk

these 2 sites are brilliant! you get heavily discounted prices on various of things ie restaurants, leisure, events, holidays, beauty treatments and much more, there can be a savings of up to 70%, so definitely worth signing up for

http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk

Here you find great deals on fragrances and skincare products. They've always have some sort of offers running and usually at a bargain price compared to RRP

http://www.supersavvyme.co.uk/home.aspx

this site has various of offers, money off vouchers, competitions, advice etc, love to browse this site

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/

Here you can compare the prices of most supermarket chains, really handy to have

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

is a fantastic site on how and where to save money, aswell as product reviews, scam deals etc, love it and use it quite frequently

2 weeks to go!

It's 2 weeks until I move house! I'm soooo excited! I've been wanting to get out of this neighbourhood for years and every time i've attempted to get out, something happens and my move vanishes into thin air!
But this time, InshaAllah it will happen. I've handed in my notice on this place so I better get those keys lol! The new landlord seems to be really lovely mashaAllah. He's currently doing some work on the house but has promised us the key before the 1. September, so we can move and get settled before Eid and school start inshaAllah.

My current home is packed with boxes, bags and God knows what else, lol it has turned into a maze! I never realised how much stuff we actually have.. Plus a Kuwaiti family just moved back to their country and left all their household stuff with us, so got a massive arabic sofa that doesn't even fit into my living room and lots of other furnitures and not to mention all the appliances that came along.. I haven't even been able to look at them all, but I'm pretty sure there's almost every machine you can use in a kitchen mashaAllah.
Got a fridge-freezer aswell, which is packed with all sorts of spices, lol, it definitely shows they're arabs because they've bought everything in boxes and cartons MashaAllah

Our next home is a bit bigger than the one we have at the moment, but no garden as such. There's concrete at the front and the courtyard is pretty much the same.. But it's alright as i'm not much of a garden person anyway, beside there's a lovely park just across the road, mashaAllah.
It's in a great location. The school is 5 mins walk away, the same goes for the islamic centre and nursery. There are halal shops and city centre within walking distance and a retail park only a couple of mins away. Also easy access to the highway,  which is great! Oh and not to forget I've cut my journey up to a dear sister by 15-20 mins (depending on traffic)

Anyway I'm gonna take pictures as soon as i get the key and InshaAllah post some here.. I'm planning to do the kids' bedrooms up, something quite cool InshaAllah, so there will be pictures coming up as i get on with things :D

right, it's getting late now, better go to sleep and dream about getting that key lol

an outdoor adventure

Salam Alaikum

Yesterday we decided to go up on the moors yet again. It's lovely up there with all the rivers and animals, the kids love it!
As we arrived at the parking area, we were greeted by 3 horses and 5 foals (wild ones) MashaAllah, they walked so elegantly pass us MashaAllah such beauties from a distance, lol i'm terrified of horses!
We then found a perfect spot to sit, just beside the river bank so the kids could splash around.. After a while i saw something huge flying across the river, SubhanAllah, at first i thought it was a dragonfly, but then i thought naah couldn't me... i showed my friend it and SubhanAllah it was a dragonfly! First time in my life i've seen one, what an amazing sight, absolutely gorgeous!
When the kids had had enough of the water, they were running wild between the bushes and in the long grass.. we were all enjoying ourselves, until my friend frightened me by telling me that snakes actually live around these areas, yiks! lol first thing came to mind was to grab the kids and storm home! but then she explained they're quite common on the moors, however very rarely attack humans, although they're poisonous..
Although i would love to see a snake, i rather not whilst out with the kids! but MashaAllah they are gorgeous aren't they?

Inna Ilahi wa Inna Ilahi raj'ioon

We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return!


this morning the nation woke up to the sad and tragic news of the hit and run murder of 3 brothers in Birmingham. They had left Taraweeh prayer with a group of brothers and went onto the street to guard the mosque and surrounding businesses and properties. Then out of nowhere this car comes with high speed and drives through the crowd of brothers and hits 3 of them.. 2 of them died shortly after arriving at the hospital and the other one died in the early hours this morning.
May Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala grant them Jannah al-Firdous and may He grant the families strength and sabr in these differcult times, Ameen
My deepest sympathy with their families, especially with one of the brothers' wife who's 4 months pregnant. May Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala protect her and the baby Ameen


InshaAllah this is a wake up call for these nasty riots and will bring this madness to an end!! shame on you all!! 

Riots and Looters

Salam Alaikum

As most of you probably have seen over the last 4 days, UK has been suffering from rioting and looting across the country. I've been watching the news and honestly find it shocking and disgraceful! SubhanAllah, people are left homeless and people have lost their livelihood. People all over the country are living in fear, which is understandable, but why is this happening??? well according to this BBC report, some girls are bragging about their activities, listen to this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424
Now I really do hope that BBC will name and shame these girls! SubhanAllah, it's sickening! if they want the high lifestyle then for God sake go and get a job! a career!! People have worked hard all their lives to get to where they are and the lifestyle they have, if you really want all that, then get off your big fat backside and do it for yourself! It's not the "rich" peoples fault you don't have luxuries in your life is it?
SubhanAllah it also makes me think.. Where the heck are the parents??? and what kind of parenting has there been in place?? There are reports of kids as young as 11 years old have been arrested! Audhobillah!!
I totally blame this on the parents, they should have had their kids at home and have more discipline in place... but then again, the government has taken discipline out of family lives and schools! I think it's about time there will be some sort of reform in that area, this has to stop, the upcoming generations are a lost generation, if we as parents and as a society as a whole don't encourage them and support them in life, how can we then expect them to do well in life? They've said themselves, they've got nothing to look forward to, no jobs no nothing.. SubhanAllah, this is so far from what i grew up with..

The police might not always have been the good guys, but I have to say they've done a great job and should be supported by us all. They are risking their lives to keep us safe and we have to bear in mind that there haven't been enough police to cover all of the areas, hence why ie London has been so badly damaged.. It's also our duty as citizens to support them and help where we can.. Get the males in your family out there to defend the communities InshaAllah! We've heard of brothers both in the Midlands and London guarding the Mosques MashaAllah and InshaAllah this spirit will carry on out in the communities as a whole..

So who ever reads this and where ever you are, keep safe InshaAllah!

here are some pictures from the chaos..

BEFORE

A family business, running through 5 generations and his 140 years old....

was set alight! it's run by 2 brothers and their 80 year old father sat at home watching their business going up in flames, SubhanAllah!

and this is what is left of it! SubhanAllah! my heart really goes out to that family and InshaAllah they'll regain their success with what is remaining of their other store..

and some other pictures aswell...

Ramadan Kareem!

Salam Alaikum

Ramadan starts tonight, MashaAllah. May Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala make it easy on us and may He accept our fast and prayers, Ameen!
Ramadan is a great way to get back on track with islamic studies, InshaAllah and try to get the children involved and arrange some activities is great, MashaAllah

This Ramadan we're planning on learning about all the Prophets, some Surahs and Du'as, as well as some arabic InshaAllah. My children love stories and the 2 eldest (age 5 and 7) have even asked if they could fast mashaAllah. But taken into consideration that the days are very long here, I've told them they can try for a couple of hours, but not the whole day, InshaAllah

Tomorrow will be the first Iftar and we've been invited to their fathers restaurant, where there will be a buffet InshaAllah.

InshaAllah this Ramadan is perfect to do many changes and one of the bigger changes will be to move house. I've got a house from 1st of September, but the kids' father is trying to get the keys earlier, so i can move in before Eid InshaAllah. That would be great, but Allahu A'lim we'll see what will happen.