No Checkouts, No Overindulgence with unnecessary Items - To Online shop or not?

I was always very apprehensive about shopping online as I am that impulsive shopper who would just want to buy the desired item immediately without having to wait for it like forever (that's an exaggeration, I mean 5- 7 days). But my perception changed when one fine day I had decided to buy a wallet and went to  buy it but did not the find an additional one as the display piece had one kind of prominent mark on it. So, to cheer myself up I landed home with a bag which was not at all planned by the way. I started looking at designs of my chosen brand wallets online and accidentally I noticed the same wallet was available at their US store. I wanted to get my hands on it so I went ahead and orderd it. But, you guys must be wondering how I got that here since, it was from the US store, hold your horses ladies - will let you know all details.

I immediately opened an account on shop and ship which is powered by Aramex.

Online shopping basics- What to order and what not to order ?

It could be tricky to decide what could be bought online and whats never to even think buying online. so, here are some tips to keep in mind while ordering online.

Never order something you are not sure about, like shoes but in case, you are getting a good deal then go and check the same piece at the local shop and order the same piece. 

I always prefer to order bags and wallets online as you can get some good reductions in price specially if you are opting for designer brands. 

Clothes are an absolute no no for me, but if you are confident then give it a try but be very sure of what you are ordering.

I recently ordered a whole set of amazing cosmetics online while ordering Naked 2 palette and I am completely satisfied with them. okay, here is the catch now be sure of what colour of lipstick, bluish, eyeshadow you want, my advice is to first go and checkout the colours at local stores so you can not go wrong. 

Check the prices at local stores, if the difference isn't a lot then it is always better to get it from local shop or else the complete order with shipping charges will come unto same or sometimes a little more.

Where to online shop?

regional and local online shopping stores are a great and quicker options, also some of the stores accept cash on delivery.

http://en-sa.namshi.com
http://www.sukar.com/sa
http://markavip.com/sa/ 
http://www.net-a-porter.com 

Instagram 

If you want to get Naked palettes or dos lip balms without having to wait then just order from these instagram accounts who sell beauty products that are not available in KSA, usually a delivery charge is there which is not too much but you get the products delivered at your door step the very next day. (depending on the availability of course) 

themakeupboutique - this is based in Jeddah
bellejeddahonlineshop - they ship everywhere within KSA
thetrunkriyadh 


So whatever you decide to shop online, just be smart and do to get carried away or else you will end up ordering a whole lots useless stuff. I know a friend who is addicted to shopping online, everyday she receives an aramaex package and believe me most of it goes into her not wearable or not-usable items and eventually into the trash. 

Top five New Years Getaways

So, finally soon we will be welcoming 2014 and if you wish to celebrate your new years out of the country, I have gathered for you top five destinations that you can look forward to for celebrating New Years. 

London 

If you wish to celebrate Newyears with a dash of sophistication then London is your destination. welcome 2014 created with beautiful scenario with fireworks and lights on Thames river. 

How to get there? 

Take advantage of the Saudi Airlines winter offer with SAR 1805 per person round trip.

http://www.saudiairlines.com  

 Istanbul 

If still haven't been to Istanbul while living in Jeddah then this is the time, it is surely easy on pocket at this time of the year . celebrate New years eve  marveling at the fireworks lit Taksim square , or dinner at Bosphurus cruise. 

How to get there? 

Istabul is easy on the pocket with these steal of a deal offer from saudi airlines, SAR 884 round trip!

www.saudiairlines.com 

Paris 

If you want to celebrate new years eve like never before with your soul mate then Paris it is. there are plenty of things to do in Paris at this time of the year. witness the 12 o lock light show at Eiffel tower which is truly a mesmerizing experience. 

How to get there?

perfect holiday prices from Saudi airlines for Paris go as low as SAR 1853 round trip, so book your flight and bon voyage. 

www.saudiairlines.com 

Dubai 

It would be a sin to say that living in Jeddah you have never experienced the new years eve in Dubai. if you decide on 30th December that you wish to celebrate new years eve out of the country then Dubai is the place.  

How to get there?

If you book early, you can get great price from Flynas.com 

New York 

There's no more electrifying place on the planet than Times Square on New Year's Eve, or party till you drop. buck up party and events info from www.balldrop.com

how to get there?

Rely on saudiairlines and avail their winter offer www.saudiairlines.com 

Hope you all have a lovely NewYears Eve, as for me I haven't decided yet where to spend my 31st - yeah we are the spontaneous, last moment kind of travelers.

Dream Whip Made A Wish Come True!

Dream Whip – is a brand name that evokes warm and fuzzy memories from my childhood .Just one fleeting glance at the Dream Whip packet, magically teleports me back in time at my mom’s kitchen where I would mischievously sneak in the kitchen to experiment with chocolate mousse or top the Jello with Dream Whip. This is why I readily accepted the invitation for a recent Dream Whip event at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce building. The event was held to announce the winners of DreamWhip initiative "Make a wish come true" - which was in collaboration with “Konola Montigoun” charity project instituted by JCCI .

I quite liked their contest and would like to share the details with you. Dream Whip had selected 11 women from the productive families of “Kolona Montigoun” project to share the most challenging stories of progression from their lives. They were also asked to share their fantasy baking recipes in order to win and fulfill this dream recipe.

 Public participation was generated via an online campaign that ran on the Dream Whip’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/DreamWhipArabia from July- August 2013.  The audience rated the top four contestants via voting based on the women’s challenging stories and their passion for baking. 

The best thing that I liked from this contest was that for each vote on Dream Whip Facebook page, the company donated SR. 1/- that aided the accomplishment of the women’s wishes in addition to a cash prize for the main winner.

The final four contestants were made to compete with each other in an on-ground baking competition for final evaluation by the esteemed panelists. These talented women prepared yummylicious desserts, to impress the judging committee. 

The panel of judges comprised of veteran personalities like Chef. Soumaya Al Idrissi and Chef. Ohood Sohail, who rated the candidates’ based on their skills in baking, creativity and uniqueness of their recipes.

 Well, believe me the Competition was not an easy one to  crack given the fact that the participants were all so brilliant  with their dishes, that it was a nail biting and  mouth- watering moment. Well, there had to be one grand  prize winner and the lucky lady was - "Noha Nour Fadul" -  her winning recipe was Galaxy Chocolate with Dream Whip. She received a sum of USD  5,000 which would help in honing her baking skills further. 

I had the good opportunity of having a one-on-one session with this talented young lady. Below are some excerpts.

Randomers Cloud (RC)- What was your winning recipe? And why did you choose it?
Noha - Galxay Chocolate with Dream Whip, I love this recipe, it’s sweet and easy.


RC-   Since how long have you been baking? 
Noha- I love baking, and have been trying to create desserts since I was 15 years old


RC-  What is your take on this winning?
Noha- I was very thrilled and excited as I did not expect that I would win the competition. 

RC-  When you registered for the competition did you have a feeling that you might win?
Noha- No, it was a new experience, as I told you earlier, I never thought I would actually end up winning the competition.
 

RC-How do you further aim to pursue your dream of baking/dessert making?
Noha- I do intend to pursue my passion for baking however, for the moment I want to focus more on my academics and finish my studies. 

 RC- Any tip/statement you would like to tell my blog followers for realizing their dreams?
Noha - I wish good luck to all

 

November Lust Haves

Curlformers - Get those dreamy curly locks naturally!

Curlformers are a hot pick for the season. They create soft and glossy waves without heat damage. Ideal for all types and lengths. Apply on damp hair, leave to dry naturally or use  soft dryer. These curlers give instant volume and perfect natural curls without damaging your hair with excessive heat. So order a kit today from www.curlformers.com

Clinique Chubby sticks

I love the texture and softness of these chubby lip pencils, plus they leave your lips hydrated. This is my top favourite this month and if you haven't tried them yet then you are missing a lot. it's available at all Paris Gallery and Debenhems stores in Jeddah.

 

  Linda Farrow iPhone cover

This iPhone accessory from Linda Farrow is so elegant that     it really makes your phone look so sophisticated and beware this cover sure makes all heads turn . The gold- tone iPhone 5 cover is trimmed with glossed- water snake and lined with silicone.

It is available at http://www.net-a-porter.com

                             

Unresolved Weighty Issues? Should I dial Cambridge Diet for emergency?

Cambridge Diet is the latest fad among Jeddah folks to shed off those heavy  kilos. People have been raving about Cambridge Diet Centre since its inception in Jeddah. Now the knock-out questions are  - Does it work? Will it help me lose weight quickly? Is it safe? 

I guess I can safely pass conclusions as I have tried-and-tested various diets and fads  all my life to achieve that dreamy figure and failingly continue to do till date.  I unashamedly admit that I had somberly given up that I could never be skinny like the poster girls. Honestly, this desire used to be my sole ambition and the one thing I wanted more than anything in my life. I have resorted to all means to fulfill this far and distant objective.

I want to share with you, from my various dieting failures that YOYO dieting is NOT a long-term solution and I will bet my cherished LV on it. Google a bit and it will throw up results where it’s ubiquitously yelled in all caps – ‘stop yoyo dieting and follow a healthy lifestyle!’. Sadly but truly - yet slowly and surely -this is the only healthy way to consistently maintain your weight and eat whatever you want albeit in smaller portions. I will do a separate detailed blog post on healthy lifestyle and vegan diet but for now let me share with you my experience with Cambridge diet.

I had to be in the best shape to fit in my favorite dress for my best friend’s wedding. I toyed with this diet because I had rigorously sweated out on Chalene Johnson’s ‘Beach Body Challenge’ for about 60 days and despair, not lost as many kilos as I had targeted when I set-off this hi-tempo programme. I was running against time and alas registered for another short term FAD diet - Cambridge diet plan.

Astonishingly, the diet does work, and is for real! I stuck to it for a good 10 days and lost about 3 KGS. However, the hurrah soon became a groan - as like all diets, this also came with its sinister side-effects. I felt so sick at many times, and my face had also turned pale like rotten aged-cheese.

The process may seem lengthy initially but trust me it’s worth it. These guys are professionals unlike the rip-offs you find in Jeddah.  On my first appointment, I was asked to see the nutritionist who analyzed my weight, height and eating habits, and based on that she designed a customized diet plan which consisted of three Cambridge diet sachets to be taken daily along with protein and dairy. My prescribed diet plan was as follows

   

        

      

         

Breakfast - Apple cinnamon porridge

 

  

Snack
Skimmed yogurt or 1 cup skimmed milk

   
     

  Lunch
Grilled chicken breast or fish fillet with salad (no tomatoes, no dressing, no oil at all)

Evening snack - Shake

Oriental Chilli soup - the only soup from Cambridge diet that I liked 

 The result- It works! I lost a considerable amount of weight , about 7 pounds in 10 days.the best part of the diet is that the results are visible quickly and  if you want to shed off few pounds real fast then Cambridge diet won't disappoint you 

Best shakes- Chocolate mint and Butterscotch
Best Porriage- Apple and cinnamon
Best Soups - Oriental chilli soup
Best bars- Chocolate and peanut 

Confessions of a Brunchaholic at Kosebasi

The new weekend Friday- Saturday is such a bliss.I am elated with this change which allows me to completely absorb the feeling of a weekend in the real sense . I now get ample time to finish weekly chores at home, go out with my girls and most importantly some 'me' time as well. I love Saturdays now.
Saturday is a perfect day to unwind and relax. I usually try to finish all boring tasks such as cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping on weekdays or maximum by Friday so i can have some me time and laze around at home the following day.
This Saturday we met our friends for lunch, a lovely couple with three beautiful kids. We tried out a new Turkish restaurant 'kosebasi' at Rawdah street. We had heard good reviews and had been waiting to try it out since a while but it just never happened, so when my hubby suggested kosebasi i readily jumped at the thought.
We arrived at Kosibasi at 3:00 pm without reservations and were lucky to find a table for seven as the crowd started to swell just after we had entered. We are avid fans of Turkish cuisine and have tried almost all popular local restaurants in our visit to Istanbul. We havent found any good Turkish restaurant in Jeddah. therefore, we didn't have much expectations from Kosibasi. However, we were pleasantly surprised with our dining experience. It is a spacious restaurant with simple yet interesting interiors - a good mix of tradtion and modernity.

To begin with the menu has lots to offer from the Anatolian cuisine. It was a confusing, in a good way, to finalize our order with so many yummy dishes to choose from.  Me trying to be a vegan, ordered spinach pide and lentil soup with bulgar. Rest of the gang ordered donars, shish tawook and kebabs. The soup tasted just divine - and believe me i can instantly make out if the soup has been prepared from scratch or made from packet soup mix. To my astonishment it was freshly prepared as i always have a sour experience at other restaurants. I have never tasted such a delicious and non-oily spinach pide. The chicken kebabs and donar were readily slurped by my table-mates..

Since, the restaurant was overcrowded so a mishap was waiting to happen. We were served some wrong dishes and also delayed orders. Half of us had started eating while the rest were waiting for their food. To calm the situation and pacify us hungry savages apart from their sincere apologies, the staff tried their best to make it up by serving us complimentary salads, tea and yummy desserts.

As a sign off, we highly recommend Kosebosi and will always revisit as it serves the best Turkish food in J town until today.