A Tiny Break with Great State Voucher

A few weeks ago, I won the @southaustralia’s Great State Voucher to be availed in Adelaide City. We were not too excited to be honest, because we live quite close to the city and visit it every month for shopping. Half-heartedly we booked a hotel choosing a rainy day because all we intended to do was to spend a day off at the hotel and the weather did not matter much. 

Birthday

I grew up in Rawalpindi, a small town of Pakistan. The biggest recreation in my childhood was trip to the nearest hill station, Murree. I remember the thrill and excitement we felt as our car drove through the winding roads lined with pine trees. A walk on the Mall Road, cherishing poorly made cup of roadside coffee, enjoying the soft ice cream cones and candy floss. In that age this was the height of joy, complete happiness and in those blissful moments, I romanticized that all my perfect and best days in the future would be made of these ingredients. 

The Parcel

 

There is nothing better than the joy of getting ‘the parcel’ from Pakistan. Love letters as I like to call them, are these beautiful clothes that my mother and bhabi pick for me. A lot of thought and care goes into the selection... mostly I get to see what is coming but, there is always a small surprise that my mum adds .... a surprise that she also struggles to keep 😅.... 

Once sent.. the tracking of parcel starts... and finally ultimate joy of receiving these love notes followed by a trial parade and detailed discussion on every piece from every aspect. For me, it becomes almost impossible to wait for an occasion to put them on... 

This year my parcel had this additional ‘Perfect Eid’ jora from @khaadi as a surprise gift and it ‘surprisingly’ matched perfectly with my @merakidesignhouse khussas that @shehzeen.r designed. 

....Because I am not the best at styling clothes, this divine intervention has saved the day 💙

Eid Mubarak my Insta Fam
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Food Review: MK Burger, Adelaide

 

I am always in search of places with a casual feel where I can fully enjoy my food. One place that has become a frequent spot to visit for us is @mkburgerjoint. A casual, well designed burger place that is ideal for hanging out with family and friends. It is not only our ‘Go to’ place but also our ‘Take to’ place whenever we need to treat someone. 

When HE plans...

This Ramzan was really special for me. This was the first time in the longest while that I was not working during this month. I thoroughly enjoyed my predawn meals, enjoyed my prayers, finished recitation of Quran, experimented with cooking, had most iftars at home… immensely enjoyed this slow but extremely fulfilling routine. I don’t know when I will get another chance to experience Ramzan like this because even this was not planned by me. 

Date Balls Recipe - Instagram Reels

I am all in for easy and uncomplicated recipes and if they are healthy... even better!

These are balls made with date and almonds. Perfect for Iftaar starter or just as a healthy snack for those cravings any day! I chose to make these as part of a collaboration with five other bloggers and we were to make a dish using only 5 ingredients.

Hop on my Instagram to see what others have done. I have shared the full recipe here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNwBIBxBzQH/

Feeling Blessed Moment

When I moved to Adelaide, I was granted a conditional visa that required me to work one year full-time to get permanent resident status. At that time, it seemed like the most daunting task. And those with similar visa conditions would agree. I was told that landing a full-time job is not easy especially without any Australian experience. I had just left a job that I absolutely loved and to imagine myself working in any difficult environment was petrifying. Even though, we made this migration decision keeping in mind our finances, the job still was a big requirement.