Tips On Living Plastic Free in Dubai

Hello!

It’s been a while! Life has been keeping me busy with a 2 full time jobs, my 9-5 and motherhood! Inspiration has also been low for recipes as I spend my days just recreating what I already know to save time #MumLife

One thing that has got me thinking recently is, where does the plastic we use go after we throw it out and what is the effect on our environment and bodies?

You don’t have to do a lot of research to instantly know that single use plastic is one of the worst things that has happened to our environment in the last 50 years. There has been a few steps globally to combat this but here in the gulf region, awareness is low. There are some awesome companies looking to tackle this and there is definitely some easy tips you can implement in your daily life that could help.

Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Happy new year! Belated yes I know, but with a baby at home it is difficult to keep the recipes coming 🙂

This is one of my favorite recipes to have at a dinner party, its a great starter and always looks so pretty!

My Breastfeeding Journey

I have thought of whether to do this post for a while now and decided to go for it. This is a journey close to my heart and maybe by sharing it it would help guide a few new mamas out there 🙂

On the 27th of November we celebrated 8 months of exclusive breastfeeding and this journey still goes on. In the first couple of weeks maybe even months I didn’t know if I was ever going to make it past 2 months but I feel so proud of myself to be this far along in the journey.  There is so much to share so to make this easier  I will divide this post into 3 parts : The good, the bad and what helped through the last 8 months.

Vegan Banana Pancakes

When I say I have been having these pancakes everyday for the last year, I would not be lying! There was a time right after I had Isabella when I was having these in the morning AND in the afternoon as a snack! Even Isabella reaches out her hand to have a bite ( check out my recent post on Instagram of her devouring them https://www.instagram.com/rana.banana/ 🙂

My top 5 mummy must haves

If you have been following me on social media you will know that I’ve become a mum to a beautiful little girl. Naturally my life is now geared towards a mummy life so I feel its only normal my blog does too.

Isabella is almost 6 months old, and even though it has been the best journey of my life, it hasn’t been an easy one to adjust to, having these 5 items has definitely made it easier!

1- Medela Freestyle Pump

Being a full time working mum and having an exclusively breastfed baby, this was an essential buy. I wanted something that was light weight, easy to carry around and worked efficiently at getting the milk out and the Medela ticked all of these boxes. Even if you are a stay at home mum, having a pump is essential if you want to leave your baby for a few hours without worrying that you will have to rush back to feed, giving you a few hours of much needed freedom!

Watermelon Fruit Bowl

This is a throwback to one of my favorite snacks at my baby shower, the watermelon filled with fruits! I was so lucky to have my friends help me out, as I couldn’t have gotten much done at that stage haha!

I was busy mingling with friends and playing baby shower games so I did not manage to capture the  best picture, but you get the idea 🙂

This is great dessert to serve at baby showers/house parties, actually my friend who made this is now pregnant herself! So Joumana,  shall we do this for your baby shower and make this a tradition:)?

Ingredients:

• 1 watermelon, cut in half and emptied inside
• Mix of blueberries, grapes, pomegranate seeds. Really any fruits work here.

TIP: You can make a juice with the leftover watermelon. Serve chilled.

Sahtein!

5 foods I cannot live without as a Mama

For those of you who have missed it, I recently have become a mother. To put it simply and beautifully “Making a decision to have a child- it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body” (Quote stolen as I’m too sleep deprived to come up with my own!)

When it comes to my diet, I quickly realised I need nutrient dense food more than ever as my body is now feeding 2 people. Without further ado here are my top go to foods (as time is of the essence before my baby needs to eat again 😀 )

1- Oats: Oats are my go to breakfast, oats are also known to keep milk supply up for mothers (nursing mamas, take notes!). For an extra boost I also add in some flaxseed and chia seeds. Here is my  banana oat recipe : https://zaatarandquinoa.com/2015/05/22/banana-bread-oatmeal/ 

My top 5 all natural makeup products

Did you know that we absorb about 60-70% of everything we put onto our skin into our blood stream? So if any of your makeup contains chemicals then you have have these chemicals pumping around your body! Especially with being pregnant, I really care what I am putting in and ON my body!

When I started this lifestyle I knew I wanted it to extend to more than just the food on my table. I stopped using as many conventional products and tried to develop a more natural make up routine. Not only is my skin so much better before, but I’ve also saved so much money on fancy products, leaving me more money to spend on more good food 🙂

1 – Mineral Foundation- Neals Yard

After I wash my face in the morning and put on my moisturizer (that always contains SPF) I start with my mineral foundation. Made with organic ingredients this is heaps better than any other chemical filled foundation I’ve used before. Plus with my oily prone skin, this helps keeps the oiliness at bay.

Can be found in: Neals Yard Shop (Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina Mall and Wafi)

My Baby Shower!

The baby shower is such an exciting time during pregnancy to look forward to, I was super excited to host it  in my house and have all my friends and family over to celebrate. I know that generally the mom to be does not get involved with the planning but knowing me there was no way I wouldn’t be!

A baby shower is to celebrate the transformation of a woman into a mother

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In terms of a theme, I kept the baby’s gender a secret until the baby shower so I had a gender reveal themed baby shower.

Organic Vegan Gingerbread Men

Does anything smell more Chrismassy than gingerbread men? I have made loads of these batches over the last couple of weeks and I just cannot get enough of them!