Ranches Ladies Newsletter December 2025

Good morning Ranches Ladies!

December marks the final month of the year and with it brings a multitude of festivities, particularly around Christmas. Living in Dubai it has always been possible to celebrate this annual event with many people enjoying visits to shops, restaurants, hotels and schools. All of them are places which welcome visitors and residents and they provide plenty of splendid moments to capture the magic of the season.

Other holidays too, are also taking place which are probably less known. Bodhi Day, St Lucia’s Day and Posadas. Bodhi Day celebrated on December 8th has a particular significance for Buddhists. While St Lucia’s Day is a Swedish and other Nordic countries traditional holiday on December 13th which signifies the beginning of their Christmas season. In Mexico, Posadas brings a series of festivities that involve processions, music, social gatherings beginning December 16th.

Across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania many individual traditions will unfold this festive season. At Ranches Ladies our members reflect nationalities and cultures from around the world too. So we have plenty of days left in the month to have fun and connect with each other through our coffee mornings and circles in the city we call home. With plenty to see and do and more opportunities to close out the year in our community.

Written by Beverley Sanders

The UAE National Day Celebrations

There were parades, parties, fireworks and celebrations across the nation to mark the country’s National Day on Tuesday 2nd December. It’s another year to honour the 54th occasion of the UAE’s formation.
The event which is now known as Eid al Etihad was one of reflection and pride for all residents and visitors alike. It provided the opportunity to spend time with family and friends in a wide range of special happenings to suit all ages and nationalities. We at Ranches Ladies add our congratulations to the community and to all the organisers for the exceptional level of events which showcased the UAE’s past, present and future development.

Written by Beverley Sanders

Save The Date!

Ranches Ladies Community Events

Festive Styling with Sarit Shafar

The Ranches Ladies were treated to an excellent festive styling talk from Sarit Shafar on Tuesday 18th November. Sarit shared many insightful tips on how to dress for the festive season to ensure that we showcase our shape, our personality and how we want to be seen when creating the best first impression.

We learned about styles to suit our different body shapes, how a neckline, side pockets, shapewear, accessories or simply wearing the wrong sized bra can make or break an outfit and how to avoid those “fashion faux pas”.

We all agreed that we have items in our wardrobe that rarely see the light of day, but for a variety of reasons, we’re reluctant to get rid of. Sarit demonstrated how to reinvent those items with a few simple tweaks or additions.

Sarit provided some fabulous indicators into how sequins, velvet, or a bit of glitz and glamor with a bag, shoes, jewellery or hair accessories can be added to a daytime outfit transforming it into an outfit suitable for dancing the night away during the seasonal festivities.

It would be fair to say that everyone who attended took away some hints and tips for improving their sartorial elegance. Thank you to Sarit for sharing your expertise with the group.

A Cultural Trip to The Mohammed bin Rashid Library

A group of the Ranches Ladies went on a cultural visit to The Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Al Jaddaf on 30th October 2025. . Wow! None of us realised the scope of the collection of exhibits on the top floor. There are fascinating hand drawn maps from the 15th century, examples of stunning calligraphy in Arabic script, beautifully illustrated Christian scenes, and first editions from Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, Dante and Austen through to Dickens, Ibsen and even Darwin! Everyone agreed that a return visit would be a great idea to view these exhibits once again.

The general library is on the ground floor, for information, it’s 150 aed to join for 5 years which enables you to borrow books. If there are any fellow book lovers reading, be warned; they are using the American classification system, rather than the European Dewey decimal one. Surprisingly this resulted in Cookbooks being right next to Military History, but there are plenty of staff around to help navigate the subjects. One member left with the latest James Patterson tucked under her arm.

The five floors between the exhibits on the 7th floor and the general library contain specialist collections and study areas.

We then had a bit of a warm walk over to the Marine Station where, for the princely sum of 2 aed, we rode on a rather nice abra across to Creek Harbour. Just a warning, this is a busy route and the boat only seats 20, so large groups may need to split and it’s a 15 minute wait between boats.

Lunch was in the Next Door Kitchen on the harbour where a wide selection of delicious food was on offer. Recommendations from around the table included the classic hot dog, the pizzas, which were huge and incredibly tasty, and the salads. The staff managed 25 of us for lunch very well and we appreciated the prompt arrival of beverages following a hot walk and boat ride.

Thank you, Nikki, for arranging such a super outing, many of the ladies who attended commented on how much they enjoyed themselves and how they are looking forward to joining such a welcoming group for the next trip out.

Ranches Ladies Circles Morning

The Community Development Authority (CDA) Dubai made contact with the Ranches Ladies board to extend their appreciation for our participation in the Ethraa Award. They expressed a desire to meet with members of the board as part of their assessment phase. Consequently, Ranches Ladies opted to schedule their visit to coincide with the Circles Morning on Friday 24th October, giving us the opportunity to showcase everything that Ranches Ladies has on offer to our community. We were fortunate that so many of our Circles leaders were available and made such a herculean effort to display the collective talents of their Circles members.

Notably, December 2005 was the initial inauguration of what is now called Ranches Ladies. That event has over the years developed and matured into a thriving community. Thanks to the efforts of its Presidents Carole Binbrek, Connie Wheeler, Elizabeth Beggsan and latterly Hayet Zerelli and all of the many Ranches Ladies members. In January 2026, the full celebrations for the 20th Ranches Ladies Anniversary will take place and we hope to mark the occasion in a very special way.

It was an incredibly successful morning whereby new Ranches Ladies members were able to witness, first hand, the range of activities available and chat to the different Circles leaders. Many of the Circles were able to recruit new members to swell the ranks. The board would like to thank the Circles coordinator, all the Circles leaders and the members of Ranches Ladies who attended and made the morning such a success.

Upcoming Ranches Ladies Community Events

As always, we have some superb events coming up for our members to enjoy.

Ranches Ladies members please click on the poll on the membership WhatsApp for this very enjoyable Festive Table Centrepiece Workshop as soon as possible.

Please come along to the Tuesday Coffee Morning and check the membership WhatsApp for further information

And a not to miss evening Tuesday 9th December, with the Ranches Ladies Christmas fair from 5pm – 7pm at Radisson Hotel Dubai Damac Hills.

Coffee Mornings

Hope to see you at the usual Tuesday Coffee Mornings throughout this month. We will be at Larte, Studio One Hotel on 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th December. Come along and share in the warmth of the festive season.

Circles Activities

The Ranches Ladies Circles community is always alive with a range of activities. Take a look at some of the events enjoyed by the members of our various circles this month.

The Afternoon Tea Circle

The Afternoon Tea Circle met in The Library at The Ritz Carlton in JBR on Monday 24th November for a cocktails and mocktails lesson with the resident mixologists. Ladies who enrolled on the cocktail making session were shown how to make an Espresso Martini, a Classic Mojito and a Pina Colada whilst the Mocktail lovers among the group enjoyed a range of fruity and fizzy concoctions tailored to individual flavour preferences. All of the ladies were able to try their hand at making and sampling their own drinks and from the positive comments they had a good time.

The Wellbeing Circle

Our Ranches Ladies Circle gathered again for a powerful session on Boundaries Without the Guilt, and the openness in the room was truly inspiring.

Together, we explored the three layers of boundaries:

Building Boundaries, understanding what we need and where our limits are
Respecting Boundaries, communicating those limits with clarity and kindness
Boundaries with Self, honouring the promises we make to ourselves

The women reflected deeply on where they say yes when they mean no, what they need more of (rest, space, respect, time), and how to protect their peace without apology.

Each woman left with one boundary she’ll honour this week, and the reminder that “I can be kind and still say no”.

We are grateful for this community and the courage shared in the room and look forward to seeing you next month as we continue this journey of self-awareness, connection, and growth.

The Scrabble Circle

The Scrabble Circle met at The Park Inn in Motor City on Tuesday 18th November, where we welcomed new members who were recruited at our successful Circles Morning. We enjoyed friendly, yet competitive, games of Scrabble followed by a few rounds of Boggle. The Ranches Ladies had lots of fun and will be back to flex their competitive interest at another time.

The Storytelling Circle

The Storytelling Circle heard stories from the ladies about their childhood. Carole talked about her first kilt and it turned out Lynne had also been a Highland dancer. Inna buried collections of objects with a piece of glass and Aditi had been mistaken as a mannequin when a teenager. Why not join us at the monthly get together?

The French Circle

The French Circle members went to Ras al Khaimah to celebrate our circle leader Bea’s birthday. Wendy designed and made a stylish bag for Bea.

The International Festive Food Circle

The International Festive Food Circle met for a Diwali lunch at Rajul’s place. The house was decorated with flowers, lights and beautiful Diwali decorations. The lunch was hosted by Rajul, Ritika and Aditi. Ladies wore beautiful Indian clothes and were welcomed in a traditional Indian style with Bindis on their forehead, bangles on their wrist and a string of jasmine flowers in their hair. There was an elaborate spread of Indian dishes cooked with love by the three hostesses. They shared a lot of interesting information about Diwali, Indian culture and traditions. Carole recited a beautiful poem, The Three Mangoes, written by Noble Prize laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore. Ladies enjoyed dancing to Indian Bollywood songs. In the end everyone got crystal tea light holders and an Indian traditional Kundan ring as a gift. The afternoon was very enjoyable, a wonderful cultural experience.

The Book Circle

Now that the cooler weather is here, the Book Circle enjoyed a lively discussion of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese al fresco!

The Walking Circle

A great evening walk down to Jumeirah Beach Residence. We even saw some camels on the beach!

The Canasta Circle

Another full house at Canasta with everyone getting in a bit of practice for our big Christmas Tournament!

The Mahjong Circle

The Mahjong Circle met for a festive evening.

The Art Circle

Ladies in the Art Circle are working on varied themes making some beautiful paintings.

Huge congratulations to Art Circle member, Leila Mukaimer, on being selected as a finalist in this prestigious worldwide art competition.

Do you have anything you would like to share?

This is your newsletter, and we need your contributions! What can you share? Something from your Ranches Ladies Circles Activities which are connected to the interests of the other ladies in the Circle. Please send short articles (as a guide 200 to 250 words max), with photos, if possible, to ranches.ladies@gmail.com or the RL Web Updates Group.
Our newsletter is now a monthly publication, on the second Monday of each month. Please can all articles be submitted within 5 days of your event. In the instance that your event occurs at the end of the month, please can your article be submitted 7 days before our publication date to ensure it is included. Articles not received in time may be held over to the following month. Thank you for your understanding!

RL Circles Calendar

For more activities, see our website for the Circles Calendar: https://arabianranchesladies.com/circles-calendar/

Email circles.ranches.ladies@gmail.com if you would like to join any circle. If you are a member but not yet on the members only Ranches Ladies Whatsapp group please email ranches.ladies@gmail.com

Check out our website at http://www.arabianranchesladies.com and you can find us on FB and Instagram as Ranches Ladies

Your Suggestions Matter

Do you have any ideas for Ranches Ladies activities and are you willing to get involved?
Would you like you start a new circle? Or would you just like to give some feedback?
We would love to hear from you!

Discounts

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Present your membership card to avail the discount. For any discount related enquiries or suggestions please email discounts.rl@gmail.com

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Tuesday