Saudi National Day + Art Ideas for School
Do you know about the Saudi National Day? Find out how we celebrate this day plus we are sharing some Saudi National day art ideas for kids!
Expat Stories
Women’s Day: Interview with Founder of Pathways Jeddah
Inside: I talk to Shareefa Basyyoni, founder and CEO of Pathways Jeddah – a not for profit community for expat women in Jeddah. Together we look at Life in Saudi Arabia and the need for a community.
A list of Public and Private Libraries in Jeddah
In this post: Find out about Libraries in Jeddah and where they are located. We have included the public libraries as well as the privately owned ones. I have also included information about what kind of books they have and who they cater to.
Road Trip to Al Qunfudhah – Exploring Saudi Arabia
What to see in Al Qunfudhah, where to stay and what to do in this seaside town, on the coast of Red Sea, plus a few tips on traveling with children.
Where to Find the Best Toys in Jeddah
This post is about where to find the best toys in Jeddah. Whether you are looking for educational toys, branded STEM toys, fun non battery operated or even board games and skateboards… whatever it is your looking for, you can find it in these toys stores we mention in this post.
Yanbu Flower Festival – Guinness World Record
Every year in March and April, Yanbu holds the Yanbu Flower Festival to welcome the Spring Season. If you can drive down to Yanbu during this time, I highly recommend that you do. This year, the Yanbu Flower Festival was from 16th March to the 8th of April 2017. If you’ve missed it this time… …
Keep Your Family Healthy during the Sandstorm Season with these tips
If you live in Saudi Arabia or the GCC, then I am sure you have faced the Sandstorm season. If you have children or little babies, then you must know how difficult it can be to keep them safe and healthy during this time. I am sharing a few tips today, that I have learnt over the …
Holiday Abroad – North America and Canada
I am back from my holiday abroad and it is definitely a refreshed start here! Just before going on my vacation in September, Words ‘n’ Needles rebranded to Jeddah Mom. I wrote about my decision to change the name in this post here. I have just returned from America and Canada where I had gone for …
A Crafty Staycation – July Monthly Goals
When going on a real vacation is not possible, a ‘staycation’ is a fantastic idea. I took a twenty days break from my online job to renew myself in July. If going on a real vacation is not on the cards, for whatever reasons, try staying at home instead. We usually try to take a minimum …
Dinner at Kosebasi Restaurant and Phone Challenge – Review
Last week, Z and I had dinner at the Kosebasi Restaurant. Can you get through a whole meal without touching your phone? What if you had left your kids behind and were on a dinner date? We had been looking for an opportunity to take some time out for ourselves so when Kosebasi invited me to …
Dhahban Marine Park – Exploring Jeddah With Kids
A few months ago, a new seaside park opened for the residents of Jeddah. Dhahban Marine Park is perfect for a weekend of fun and relaxation. It is a perfect place to take your kids and the best part is that it is free! My husband had been telling me about it ever since it opened …
Bedouin Weaving: Traditional Saudi Crafts for Kids
In this post: I share an easy craft idea for kids that is inspired by the traditional Saudi Arabian art of weaving fabric or Bedouin Weaving, as it is called. My son and I have been learning about this beautiful cloth making process and stories surrounding it. Today, we share a craft that kids can easily make …
Creating an environment that teaches a child to learn different languages from a young age.
I recently had an aha-moment when I realized that we are that family who sings in four languages- English, Urdu, Arabic and French. (I haven’t introduced my kids to Hindi yet, but if you counted one of those Urdu songs as Hindi, then, that would be an additional fifth one!) I have talked about my …
Growing Children who are Confident enough to be Something Else
Is your child confident enough to be Something Else? Do they know they are different and that it is okay to be their happy colour and unique self? I am joining Varya from Creative World of Varya to talk about the ABCs of Raising Multicultural Kids. I chose this letter because growing up as an expat …
Are we Global Citizens yet?
My son was skimming through the grocery leaflet a few days ago and he excitedly remarked that Italian Kiwi were on offer. Mom can we get them…. can we get them please?‘ he said. It was only after I told him that we already had those in the fridge that he got ‘bored’ off them. It …
Where to find art and craft supplies in Jeddah
Find out where to find art and craft supplies in Jeddah. A detailed list and review of shops and areas around Jeddah that cater to crafters. If you are looking for yarn, needles, paints, scrapbook, sewing or quilting supplies, etc. this post may help you. Our post Craft Shops in Jeddah has become our most …
How to Choose The Best Multicultural School For Your Child
Our Lil’ is ready to start kindergarten this fall. As we make our decision to choose the right school for her, I want to share with you our experience with educating our son in a multicultural environment and what it taught us. We are keeping these tips in mind this time when choose the best …
Business Diaries To Teach Your Child About The World
Teaching our children about the world doesn’t have to be really hard. We can ignite sparks of curiosity in our children quite easily by the normal day to day things that we come across around us. Books can be our little guides showing us the world and all that it holds but what if you cannot find the perfect book …
What Indians Really Want As Gifts: Expat Stories
My husband returned from a trip to Desi-land, a few weeks ago. He brought back a lugguage full of all of the favourite desi gifts that he could. It made me wonder… we live such an NRI* life! The little things that so many Indians back home take for granted, we consider them precious drool worthy gifts. …
What We Are Reading… Books To Read With A Toddler and Big Kid
In this post: I share books that we are reading as a family with toddlers and big kid. We read a lot of books around here. Ever since we had CuppyCake, our books have been more the type where all four of us could read together. My kids are all different ages now. I have …
Tips for raising multilingual children
Are you growing a child in a bilingual or multilingual environment? In this post, I am sharing my tips to raising multilingual children. I have three children who speak four languages. English, Urdu, Arabic and French. All three of my children were bilingual since birth. By the age of 7 years my children could speak …
Preschool Shopping
Let us talk about… Preschools When your kid comes to that age when he must be sent to school, it is time for parents to start doing their homework so that he can go to school and get his homework! We have been on and about the city, the internet too, looking for preschools. In …