Every issue we highlight 1 sensational Jeddahwy person, 1 Jeddahwy life aspect, and 1 Jeddahwy hot topic…

Reem Moussallati: Jeddah’s Connoisseur

This month’s Sensational Jeddahwy Reem Moussallati is an inspirational and innovative woman, mother, and entrepreneur…

Reem Moussallati and her husband, Salah Moussallati, have always been successfully involved in the food business, serving the Jeddah community quality Arabic food. Together, they grew the business from success to success alongside raising three wonderful daughters. Their new venture, Moussallati Gourmet, serves cooked frozen foods delivered straight to your door.

Jeddahwy got to talking to Reem about business and success:

Tell us about your fascinating new venture; what was its inspiration?
Moussallati Gourmet has been an exciting journey for my husband Salah and me as we share our homemade family recipes that have been passed down for generations. Our mothers’ cooking was definitely our biggest inspiration since they’re the source of all our recipes! 

What challenges and support did you face, specific to KSA?
A challenge we faced was satisfying all the different tastes people from different regions have. For example, there are at least three different ways to prepare the classic Mulukhieh dish, depending on which Arab region you’re from. They’re all absolutely delicious, but tastes and opinions vary. However, we received incredible support from everyone who has tried our recipes, even if they are used to a different preparation style.

What advice would you give someone starting up in this field?
Anyone trying to be a part of the food industry must have these two basic things: 1. original, delicious recipes with a story, and 2.⁠ ⁠a collaborative team that shares the same vision.

As March is International Women’s Day, March 8, we asked Reem about her opinion and advice on modern women’s affairs:

What’s the gender bias, advantages/challenges, in the food industry?
I’m proud to say that in this day and age, we don’t personally experience or see any gender bias in the food industry. A man, just as much as a woman, could run a kitchen and be a chef. Likewise, a woman, just as much as a man, could start a business out of it.

How far would you say women reached in their journey to equality and freedom? Generally and specifically in KSA?
In the past couple of years, an incredible number of female talents have emerged in all industries. It’s truly inspiring to see the distances many women have reached, excelling in different fields like sports, entertainment, art, and entrepreneurship. I’m sure that this is just the beginning, and we should be ready for a lot more to come from our Saudi mothers, sisters, and daughters.

If you could give women one piece of advice, what would it be?
An advice to women that’s applicable in different situations would be not to hold back any ideas or thoughts that come to mind. Take up space, let your voice be heard, and don’t take no for an answer!

And as March is the month of motherhood, we asked Reem about her experience and advice:

What’s the most important trait motherhood has taught you (how did it change you)?
Motherhood has taught me the sweet balance between nurture and patience. Many things require nurturing, patience, and trust that whatever is cared for will grow into something beautiful. This includes businesses! 

What’s the most important lesson your mother taught you?
An important lesson my mother taught me is to always keep an open mind to people’s opinions and ideas, even if you don’t necessarily agree with them. Everyone goes through different experiences in life, so if you disagree with their beliefs and opinions, it doesn’t mean they’re wrong; it’s just a different perspective from yours.

If you could give mothers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Mothers must empower their children from a young age. Forms of empowerment can be by encouraging them to follow through with their ideas, or by allowing them to make independent decisions. This helps them grow into secure and confident individuals who are comfortable making decisions and tuning into their creativity.

And finally, Jeddahwy asked about the issue that plagues every Sensational Jeddahwy person:

What are your most important tips for work-life balance?
It’s important to remember to always take breaks when necessary. We often over-exhaust ourselves and take on more responsibilities than we can handle. But to truly thrive in each task, we must approach them with fresh and fuelled minds after taking appropriate breaks to recharge. It’s okay to have an unproductive day, you probably needed it!

Find the Moussallati Gourmet menu here, and for orders, WhatsApp +966533334760. Get inspired by Reem on her social page on Instagram.

Cool De Sac

For the month of motherhood and parenting, we chose the fun-filled Cool De Sac family restaurant for March’s Jeddahwy Life review…

Cool De Sac is a lovely family outing that you should add to your roster of family-friendly outings. It has a vast menu of international food and a great kids’ area with lots of activities like an indoor playground, cake decorating, and makeup/face painting. They have a decent-sized party room for birthdays and very reasonable pricing, SR 46 for open play and a meal during the week. Of course, like any other family entertainment place, it could get really loud in the restaurant area, but it’s worth it!

Find them on Instagram or contact them at +966557301688.

On Mom Guilt

Mom Guilt is something we’re all plagued with. We feel guilty whether we spend all our time, or some of it, with our kids. No matter what we do, we feel guilty, says Reham Kreidieh…

I was sitting with a group of mommies and they were talking about their hopes and dreams for their careers. What struck me was that they kept apologizing for wanting a career and repeating that it’s not selfish; that they just find themselves more in a work environment than as a stay-at-home mom. No dear mommy, you’re not selfish. Instead, you should be getting recognition and praise for being so kind as to feel guilty and apologize for wanting to be yourself. It’s your right! Would you expect your kids or your husband to apologize for wanting to be themselves, live their dreams, and fulfil their potential? No, of course not. You’d encourage them to do so, so why not yourself?

This guilt holds us back a lot in our careers. Even if we’re not physically taken out of our jobs, we feel guilty and hold ourselves back. However, research shows that children of working moms grow up to be just as healthy as children of stay-at-home moms. It’s even more beneficial for them to see their moms working and producing, which instils in them a sense of respect, equality, and appreciation for women.

Combatting this guilt is a never-ending struggle for mothers. You pep talk yourself, you tell yourself it’s ok, you rationalize, but no matter what, you still feel guilty. Next time you do, remember the following:

1. You have a right to have your own feelings, hopes, dreams, and goals outside of your motherhood box.

2. Being a little selfish, if you still think it’s selfish to want your own autonomy, is good for you. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said [rephrased]: you must be selfish to be selfless, for you can’t give love or care or anything else unless you have it and give it to yourself first and foremost.

3. Forcing yourself to “overstay” with your children because of some preconceived notions of what mothers “should do” is detrimental to both your and your children’s happiness – a happy mother is a happy home. So, leave your kids, go give yourself your much-needed mommy time, and then come back to them all refreshed and bright-eyed.

4. If you have those mommies that mommy-shame you into feeling guilty, remember that they probably wish they dared to admit that they want a life outside the home as you have voiced. Encourage them to do so or just ex them out of your life.

5. Carve out blocks of quality time with your children and blocks for all your other needs. This way, you’ll give every aspect of your life its fair share.

Most importantly, remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can. Embrace yourself and what you want, and never apologise for it.