iHijabi

I've discussed some of these issues in my blog post 'When are you having a baby?'  as well as the post 'PCOS Nobody wants to talk about it'  so you may want to read those posts as well if you are going through these issues yourself. I want this post to give you a heads up if you're going to get married soon, to let you know that getting pregnant in the first place isn't plain sailing for a lot of women and if you find yourself in that situation then it's ok and it will be ok inshaAllah. For women trying to conceive, a little hope by letting you know that  there are success stories for people who have gone through fertility issues and that you are definitely not alone. I'm currently reading Michelle Obama's biography titled 'Becoming', half way through reading about such a driven and ambitious woman I read the part about her and her husband trying for a baby. "Fertility is not something you conquer. Rather maddeningly, theres

Growing up, my dad was strict. He never showed a vulnerable side and as with most South Asian dad's, found it difficult to show affection. In fact, when I think back on it I don't remember him showering us with hugs and kisses or telling us he loves us or is proud of us. When I wanted to go somewhere or do something my mum would say 'go ask your dad' and I never would because I was too scared. Then in 2010 he was diagnosed with cancer and our world came crashing down. I was at uni at the time and it was the first time I saw my dad broken and vulnerable. I remember the ride home from the hospital after they gave us the news and my dad telling me I needed to be the 'man of the house' and he thinks of me as a son because I'm the eldest (my brothers were just 8 and 1 at the time). It's the first time I felt his words as his love for us, the first time I felt like my dad wasn't just interested in what grades  got at school but also deeply loved us and

When I look at this photo I remember how exhausted we both were that day. It was taken at my brother in laws Walima and the little bubba was being super fussy and clingy (she was coming down with a cold). The look on our faces shows the lack of sleep and no time to relax for probably a month before because of my cousins wedding, sisters wedding and brother in laws wedding (if you know asian weddings you'll know there are so many events leading up to it and after it). This was the last of them and we were just glad the family weddings were over for the year. One thing no one really talks about when planning a family is how having a child effects you as a couple. Like all couples we had our ups and downs before having a baby but it was pretty easy going and carefree looking back at it now. Having a baby changes things significantly. You're overwhelmed with love for your little one but with that comes the lack of sleep, the exhaustion of caring for a human being that is

I've trialled and reviewed a lot of liquid lipsticks in my search for the perfect colours, a formula that is comfortable on the lips and not too drying, one that doesn't bleed when not worn with lipliners, that is long-lasting and one that is transfer-proof. For me the Fenty beauty lip paints tick all the boxes bar one they're not transfer-proof but I can live with that. I absolutely love the packaging of these lipsticks, they look and feel very luxe, which in my opinion just adds to the whole experience of buying and using makeup. Taking a place of pride on my dressing table they look like they're worth every penny. U N C E N S O R E D I bought this red lip paint when it first released even though I'm not a huge fan of red lipsticks on myself because I don't feel like red suits me. But I was excited to get my hands on it as it was marketed as a 'universal red' one that suits every skin tone. The colour is slightly darker than