How To Build Brain Wave

TUBULAR RADIATOR ARBONIA

Model: 2067
31 items
Power 1581 W
Length: 1415 mm
Height: 670 mm

Net Price HT installer Exceptional:

289 euros


* excluding options, and available stock only.

Waited too long....

I planned on going to the apple orchard with my family October 11th since my favorite apples (cameo) ripen in October. I checked the orchard's website this morning and saw that they're closed for the season as of the 3rd! NOOOOO!!!!! With company coming this weekend for Charlotte's birthday, apple picking can't be squeezed into the schedule.

I checked many other apple orchards in the area and they're all closed early. I'm so sad! I had hoped to pick 3 bushels this year. I'm hoping I can find some at the Farmer's Market but I know I'll pay a lot more for them.

Right about now I really wish I had a few acres and my own orchard.

Keren's Birthday projects

Earlier this month was my baby sister's birthday. We were graciously invited over to celebrate so before hand we were of course quite busy with projects! Here are some of the projects we worked on:

I sewed together an apron, copying the pattern of one I received from a friend. It was fun to do it in fall colors.

Mara diligently worked to write a story about a fairy named Cosmos which she then typed up, made into a book and illustrated and she dedicated it to her aunt. She even carefully colored a fairy picture to use as wrapping paper.

Jonathan pounded some flowers onto fabric to make a picture which I then helped him to put onto a box. He also made a set of cards to go inside.

Aaron also made something but just now I can't remember what. Megan made a card. Birthdays are fun! They give us great incentive for being creative. We are actually enjoyed a birthday today as well -Mara turned 10 today. I wasn't terribly creative for this birthday but Jonathan was, I will have to share about that later. We also enjoyed a home Circus tonight which I will have to post pictures of too.

But back to Keren's birthday. Keren had fun being creative for her birthday as well and we came over to a beautifully decorated back yard where supper was held. Here are a couple of pictures:

Table clothes, lights, candles, flowers and even fancy chair covers!

I never realized how elegant clover could be. :-)

What projects do you have going on?

Moist Cake Quest - Cake #3

With a week to go until Charlotte's Birthday, I set out to bake the last attempt at a moist cake before breaking out the Dunkin Hines. The first cake was a bust, the second was so close.... will the third time truly be a charm?

I was so excited to bake cake #3 with my sister, Katie, since she and her husband were in town this past weekend. I have love being around my little sister. She's hilarious. I wish we lived closer. I miss her already.

I bought two 9" cake pans and made sure they were 2" deep. I'm remaking this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Fingers crossed that the pans make this cake the winner.

She helped me mix all the ingredients and her sweet husband David was nice enough to take pictures of us baking together.

As you can see, we are very serious in the kitchen.

Very, very serious.....

I'm not sure why but the cakes baked much more evenly this time. I lined the oven rack under them with aluminum foil in case we had an over-flow like last time (we didn't) and I also used the new cake pans. I guess one of those factors resulted in evenly baked cakes.

I took the cakes out as soon as the middles weren't jiggly (if you tap the oven rack with a potholder the center of a cake will jiggle if it's not done... at least that's what has worked for me)

This made one seriously tall cake. I'll stick wooden sticks in it next time to keep the layers from sliding. This cake slice ended up losing it's top half as it fell backward under it's own weight. I made white buttercream with my go-to recipe.

The Verdict: Drumroll please.......

We Have A Winner!!!!! It was fantastic! The cake was light and moist. It even got better the day after it was baked. On day 3 it was still moist! Everyone in my family thought it was a great cake. The cake itself had great flavor and I would have been happy eating it alone, unfrosted. My husband still wants a huge bowl of just the frosting...

So, looks like I'll be making this cake again this Friday for Charlotte's birthday party Saturday. I'll show you pictures of how I decorate it.

My mom and sister had a great idea to turn this cake recipe into a lemon cake with a lemon glaze... stay tuned.

Al Ain Zoo

Asalam Alaikum,

We finally got the chance to see the Al Ain Zoo, and it was a lot of fun.
Saad really loved seeing all the animals. The only bad thing was that we went rather late and they closed the area with the big cats at 6:00 so we didn't get to see most of the lions/tigers.
We saw these flamingos first-

Then Saad had a nice climb on the meercat exhibit-

The meercats were very cute!

African Painted Dogs-

Cheetahs-


Ostriches-

Wildebeest-

Checking out the giraffes with daddy-


Zebra-

This lion just would not sit still and was pacing back and forth.

This little guy has nothing on the ones that we saw on our honeymoon when we went to the Alligator Farm

Weekly Menu

Wow, I haven't blogged in almost a week. It's been a busy past couple days. My mom and Mark moved this weekend (same city, different house). My sister and her hubby came down from MD to get some furniture Mom didn't need anymore and ended up staying longer to help in the moving effort. There was a fiasco with the moving company so we all pitched in this weekend hauling boxes and packing last minute stuff. I'm so happy for them that they're in their new house and *fingers crossed* the moving van will show up with their belongings this morning.

So, back to the weekly menu....

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie (I made an extra last Friday)
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff on egg noodles
Wednesday: Baked chicken, Perloe (Cajun rice dish), veggie
Thursday: Mac & Cheese & Veggies
Friday: Spaghetti
Saturday: Dinner out with family in from out of town for C's b-day
Sunday: Homemade Pizza

Thinking....

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

James 5:16

When reading through the book of James there are so many things that speak to me and encourage me or challenge me. The verse above is one that challenges me. Especially the confess your sins to one another part. I totally believe that I need to confess my sins and I do that to God on a daily basis but the confessing to one another part.... that doesn't happen so much. I think about it sometimes and then something inside me makes me feel a little scared, shy, timid, PROUD, I don't know what all but then I shrink back from sharing and asking for prayer.

This is something I want to change. That doesn't mean this blog will become this tell all place (As far as I am concerned that isn't what blogs are for, I hope to make this an encouraging and uplifting place) but in life with my family and close friends and brothers and sisters at church, I want to be open with my struggles. Be willing to admit that I have problems and failures and then ask for prayer. It says that prayer can accomplish much and I really, really believe that but why do I not make use of that prayer to the full extent?

How about you? What do you think on this verse? Does it challenge you too or is it something that you have practised and seen the benefits of?

Janamaz...prayer rugs

Asalam Alaikum,
In our family every body has their own Janamaz, but we all usually just use whichever one is closest. When I went to Pakistan I got to pray on my Mother-in-laws Janamaz, it is very old, and has bare spots where you stand and also where you place your hands.


The Janamaz on the right is the one that my DH and I bought when we were first married. We bought it at the Arabic grocery where we lived in Florida and we have shared it for a long time.

The Janamaz on the left and the little one in the middle have a little story that started during the Hajj at the end of December 2006. I have two marriages, one from the state of Georgia which was on December 27th 2006. The second was on Eid ul-Adha which fell on December 30th. That year my Father and Mother-in-Law were Alhamdulillah able to go for Hajj, so when my DH called them to tell them that we got married they were in the middle of making their Hajj. Ammi(MIL) bought the Janamaz on the left side for me after the first phone call(DH hands me the phone and I speak almost no Urdu and Ammi spoke no English) , and also one little Janamaz to save for when we had our first child.

We found out about our baby in February and Ammi was so happy. Sadly she passed away not long after we found out so we never got to meet in person, but she had packed up all the things she had saved for us including these Janamaz. It gives me a really nice feeling to pray on this rug that Ammi picked for me, and the baby really likes his too.

Enchanted Scrapbooking 6 Month Old Birthday Cybercrop

Who can believe that it has been 6 months that Jodi and I have had our website - Enchanted Scrapbooking online. Doesn't seem that long, every single month so far has been great.
To celebrate we are having a huge Cybercrop Party this weekend, there is lots of chatting, heaps of challenges and party games too.
These are a few of the layouts that I have done for the challenges - so if you feel like a challenge pop on in and scrap up a storm.

choosing a pushchair for your new baby

When choosing a pushchair for your new baby there are several important factors to consider.
Firstly, you should buy a pushchair or pram that lies flat. This is important to prevent damage to your baby's back. If your baby suffers from colic you might find s/he is more comfortable at a slight angle, so look out for a pushchair that will allow you to adjust the position to different settings.


After considering baby's comfort you should decided how you plan to use the pushchair in your day to day life. Will it need to be folded and stored in your car, will you be walking long distances, will you be shopping with baby?
Consider buying a pushchair you can easily lift, fold and unfold with one hand whilst carrying your baby in the other. Practise in the store before you buy.

If you are planning on doing a lot of walking then sturdy wheels with thick rubber "tyres" are essential. I've had several wheels wear out and give up on me. Bear in mind that cheap lightweight strollers with small wheels wear out much faster than big pushchairs with big wheels, if you are on a tight budget it is probably cheaper in the longrun to splash out on a sturdy one to begin with.
If you plan on walking over rough terrain eg cobbles, grass, etc, consider a pushchair with suspension and lockable wheels. Swivel wheels are great on flat ground but almost impossible on grass.

If you plan do to lots of shopping with baby then look for a big shopping basket, and a storage tray on the handles is very useful for holding your keys and change.
If you plan to travel by car and then walk, a travel system is a brilliant choice as you can transfer the car seat to the pushchair without disturbing your sleeping baby. Even if you don't have a car you could find the seat useful, although car seats don't lie flat and its not recommended to use them for prolonged periods for newborns.
Finally, if you still can't decide, remember that you have to push this pushchair around with you for a long time, maybe two or three years. Pick one that you like the look of, that won't go out of style to quickly. It might be sensible to choose a neutral colour because although baby girl might look gorgeous in a pink pushchair, you may want to reuse it for your next child and a little boy might not be so well suited.

Homemade dishwasher detergent and other natural cleaners

In our household we have slowly been making the change from normal chemical and sodium lauryl sulfate laden cleaners to those that are more natural. It has been a gradual process but we are making headway! If I were to go out and buy cleaners that don't have chemicals or SLS I would have to pay quite a bit, so I have been happy to find various recipes that allow me to make my own stuff for quite a bit less.

The latest thing that I have tried making is Dishwasher Detergent. I found the recipe over at "Blessings Overflowing". I had to go out a buy liquid Castile soap but otherwise it was normal kitchen ingredients. I found the Castile soap at our health food store (where you could buy it from a bulk container) and they had 3 different scents (scented with essential oils, not perfumes) Eucalyptus, Lavender and Peppermint. I chose peppermint and have really been enjoying it. It makes our whole kitchen area smell wonderful while the dishwasher is going. Since the soap already had a scent, I left the tea tree oil (which is good for disinfecting but also has a scent ) out of the recipe as I didn't want to get to many scents mixed together. If the Castile soap you find doesn't have peppermint oil in it, I am sure you could add it on your own if you so desired.

The recipe was very easy to mix up and it is easy to store. I decided to use an old oil jar. And what is really neat about it is that it works! I have tried my own detergent recipes in the past that have not been successful so I am very happy about that! I actually think it works quite a lot better than the Cascade that I had been using, and it smells so much better!

Other ways that we have become more natural are:

• Making my own Laundry Soap with this recipe from the Simple Dollar. This has saved me a lot of money! I also like not having to shop for detergent, whenever I need more I simply pull out the simple ingredients and make another batch. I don't necessarily think this works better than store bought stuff but it works okay and I really appreciate that it is more natural and way cheaper!
• Baking Soda for scrubbing toilets, sinks, etc. This works great and is a great deal!
• Baking Soda instead of toothpaste. I don't do this 100% of the time but I do a lot and it works just fine.
• Vinegar rinse instead of conditioner. This has been working lovely. I also have tried the No'poo method, using baking soda instead of shampoo. This work for a while but then I started having some difficulties and when I tried it again lately the baking soda really bothered my scalp. I am hoping to make this homemade "shampoo" soon and try it.
• We do also use natural Melalucca products for shower cleaning, windows, to spray on the toilet, etc. It lasts a long time but when I run out of that I will probably experiment with some homemade recipes. (Though I am pretty attached to their shower cleaner as it works very well with hard water stains!)
• For mopping I simply use warm water with vinegar.
• To avoid SLS we also don't buy soft soap but rather use bar soap for washing hands and washing up while showering.
• Currently I am still using normal dish soap but I was given this recipe and will probably try it soon:

Shred 2 bars of Octagon Soap (have you ever heard of this?) into 4 1/2 to 5 quarts water in a pot on the stove. Heat it until it dissolves. Then turn stove off and add 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup washing soda and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir. When cooled pour into sealed containers. It says it doesn't suds as much but it will get the dishes clean.

I am curious to hear any more ways to make natural cleaners, especially if they are frugal too!

What do you do at your house?

For more frugal tips visit Life as Mom.

Good strollers for newborn babies

If you are buying a stroller for a newborn, you should invest in what is called a 'travel system', which is a combination stroller/car seat/baby carrier. Regular baby strollers don't provide the neck and body support that newborn babies need. Although travel systems aren't cheap, as a new father I can tell you that they are a worthwhile investment.

Travel systems work like this: When you are going out, you strap the baby into the carrier. Our baby enjoys the snug feeling he gets from being in the carrier and usually falls asleep instantly! You carry the baby in his (or her) carrier to your vehicle and click it into the base which you keep installed in your car. Usually these carriers will function as a rear-facing baby seat until your baby weighs 22 lbs. When you arrive at your destination and are ready to walk around with your child, just remove the carrier from the car seat base and snap it into the stroller. Notice how the baby goes from the house to the car to the stroller and beyond without ever being disturbed. When your baby is no longer a newborn, he can go right into the stroller without the carrier.
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Our baby has been using his 'travel system' since the day he left the hospital and never fusses when he is in it. Our particular travel system is made by Graco and cost a few hundred dollars (Canadian). Make sure you buy one that is built with a sturdy metal frame. Happy trails!

Twin Strollers and Triplet Strollers

Double Decker

Triple Decker

Do you have a growing family of 3 children under 40 lbs each? Got twins or triplets? Having twins soon and have a toddler? Have twin toddlers and having another baby? The Triple Decker is perfect for your growing family. Whether it is sandy, snowy, rocky, narrow doors, aisles or elevators you encounter, our baby strollers for twins and triplets will get you anywhere. Are you looking for a baby stroller that’s sturdy and will last? Do you want a double stroller you can re-sell and get top value for?

We use the finest materials and produce a product that is of highest quality of any twin or triplet stroller on the market. Our personal customer service prides itself in responding to your needs and special requests immediately! Our tandem baby strollers are completely assembled and all you have to do is put on 3 wheels with 3 nuts and you can be out the door right away.

The Double Decker® Strollers for twins and Triple Decker® Strollers for triplets are lightweight, convenient, quick to pack, all terrain strollers that save you money and time. The price of the Double Decker® and Triple Decker® Strollers versus the purchase of car seats plus a stroller will save you money and you have it all in one package. The lightweight frame folds quickly and easily for transport and storage. The all terrain wheels are perfect for curbsides, dirt roads or rough terrain making it easy to push and guide. Our twin strollers and triplet strollers easily glide through small aisles and doors because of their 23” single width frame. These tandem strollers have plenty of room for packages and bags in their storage baskets. See our specifications for both the Double Decker® and Triple Decker® in upright and folded position.

Utilizing the infant car seats with a car base is a great idea in the eyes of your babies! Listen to what their parents have to say. They don’t have to be disturbed while being moved from the vehicle to the stroller frame. A quiet and quick transition is made and the car seat snaps right on to the stroller frame. The babies are already strapped in by their harnesses and secure for transport in an upright position so they can see the world! Babies also sit in a comfortable position for suitable napping. The Double Decker® and Triple Decker® accessories are useful for travel and our all-weather bonnets protect your babies from weather, bugs and germs.

Triplets generally outgrow their infant seats at different stages. Anywhere from 2 to 6 months apart. With our Triple Decker models you can add the toddler seat, one at a time as needed. This makes transition from infant to toddler seats easier on parents, babies and the pocket book. Our strollers are good for families that have multiple age children 5 lbs to 40 lbs. Daycares too!

Iftar Feasts

Asalam Alaikum,

These are some of the things that we generally ate during Ramadan for Iftar-
First Dates(and water) to break the fast-


Then some Rooh Afza juice-

If you have never had this stuff it is really good, and is easily available in most places I have been. In the states you can generally find it at any Pakistani/Indian/Arabic grocery, and here in Abu Dhabi I have seen it in most Co-ops, Emirates General markets and I think even in Carrefour and Lulu. It is sort of like Kool-aid but it tastes a bit like a flower smells(if that makes any sense). It is really delicious when it is served cold with a squeeze of lemon.

Then some fresh fruit, sliced and in a Fruit Chaat(spicy fruit salad)



We also had Chana Chaat. This chaat was made with black chickpeas, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, green chilies, tamarind juice, and Shan Chaat Masala(enough product plugs yet? really I should get paid for this!)


Sometimes we would also have Harees

Harees is so tasty, If I could eat it everyday, I would.

These are Samosa, basically a savory pastry with a potato stuffing. I made these myself and everyone likes them so much that there is never any leftovers!