What a 2020 it has been.  Whilst regulations are strict we are still not deprived of date nights.  Sometimes we need time away, we need conversations with our other halves because life gets busy.  We also desperately need lovely little things to look forward to. Kohantei – Japanese Finally a restaurant of the perfect size – I am not a huge fan of over sized restaurants and this one is just right.  It only has around 10 tables, and two mini private rooms, on tatami mats.  The staff serving you are 100% Japanese creating the most authentic atmosphere.  Famous for it ..read more

Marco and Cinzia are an eccentrically creative and warm couple who have a flair for living in the present. They are both extremely inspiring with an incredible work ethic and their Italian passion is apparent at every point of conversation. Marco and Cinzia met in Italy, and now have been living for several years in Dubai raising their 3 beautiful daughters, Beatrice, Ludovica and Mariasole Teresa. Marco began his career as a marketing director but his true passion was for interior design. He initially designed special projects for colleagues, and that drove him to start his own design and de ..read more

830 million children around the world are now embracing a new way of life, and so are their parents.  Usually during long academic school days, it is hard to implement regular reading hours.  Whilst we struggle with parenting and homeschooling, there are also the upsides  and situations we can take advantage of.  Reading.  Children now have ample time to catch up on reading lists and to learn to love reading for pleasure with some academic upsides too.  Here is a list of 10-books which my eldest son, Luca, has read or has on his reading list. I believe that my ch ..read more

Marco and Cinzia are an eccentrically creative and warm couple who have a flair for living in the present. They are both extremely inspiring with an incredible work ethic and their Italian passion is apparent at every point of conversation. Marco and Cinzia met in Italy, and now have been living for several years in Dubai raising their 3 beautiful daughters, Beatrice, Ludovica and Mariasole Teresa. Marco began his career as a marketing director but his true passion was for interior design. He initially designed special projects for colleagues, and that drove him to start his own design and de ..read more

Frederick Bristol, is the CEO and Founder of Brickowner, a property crowdfunding platform offering investors access to exclusive property investment opportunities, whilst helping property developers and assets mangers find new investors, who can invest  as little as £100. With a previous career in investments, I was naturally curious to learn what a fellow-Edinburgh alumni was doing to carve a niche in the property market. Fred was educated in the UK and attended Edinburgh University having read Business and French. After graduating in 2002, Fred branched out and moved to Eston ..read more

Birthday parties can be overwhelming but one of the most enjoyable places to have a birthday party is OliOli® for children and their families especially if you are looking for a bit of educational fun.  The venue takes away the stress of parenting, and with the galleries, the there is gallery for all children – it’s even hard for my children to choose a favourite gallery.  Not only is it enjoyable for the children but also for the parents – most importantly they serve excellent coffee at OliOli® which is a clear winning formula for me. OliOli® have now launched new creativ ..read more

It hit me when author Rob Parsons discussed the countdown clock in our children’s lives.  When our children are born we have those 18 years  – that ‘s the equivalent of 6,570 days.  When your child is 10 years old, you have 2,920 days left.  In Rob’s words, ‘no amount of money, power, or prestige can increase that number.’  My eldest is 10.  I want to utilise those 2,920 days I have left wisely. It makes you rethink life’s busyness.  Life always creates that busyness.  It’s no one’s fault but our own.  It’s hard to say no. This is not to say ..read more

HOORAY.  There are no other words that sum up my JOY.  My retail heaven has arrived. Everyone knows I am a huge fan of online shopping for many reasons.  Price and time efficiency are two reasons high on that list. Amazon.ae was launched subsequent to the online retail giant purchasing  Souq.com, and the result has been fast and astonishing  improvements including the launch of Prime. Amazon Prime – What is it? The Amazon Prime benefit include FREE delivery on domestic and international selection, video streaming of hit movies and TV exclusives, perks for games with T ..read more

The Koita family launched yet a new flavor of milk – their Strawberry Milk and it’s NOT PINK BUT WHITE.  Yes, this goes against what we traditionally know to be the colour of ‘strawberry milk.’ Did you know? The red colouring from most ‘pink’ coloured milk is made from bugs or cochineal insects.  The insects provide a colour pigment which is normally stored in their guts and these bugs can usually be found on a cactus in countries like Kenya.  Manufacturers usually grind up these little insects to provide food colouring or even as lipstick pigment. Did you know? The strawberry ..read more

Do you notice the clock seems to move faster in Dubai than anywhere in the world?  I grew up in London and Dubai still seems faster.  I am rushing, I appear busy, firefighting all day but not sure what I have achieved by the end of the day.  I am sure many of you can relate. I get caught up between work, social and family life.  This constant juggling act is not easy.  A former business executive once said, ‘Imagine that you are juggling 5 balls.  Your work, family, friends, health and spirit.  The work ball is made of rubber.  If you drop it,  it ..read more