Hot Wheels Wall Track Starter Kit

Are you one of those that are very lucky when it comes to lucky draws, free gifts, etc?  I am definitely not one of them!   I hardly win anything!  But when I saw this Hot Wheel Wall Track Starter kit in this famous blog, I got very kan-cheong!!  Cos this will freak my boy out!   I can imagine him jumping up & down if he gets this!

I am a pretty kiam-siap mom.   Meaning I don't buy expensive and branded toys for him.   This is also because he is not that good in taking care of his toys.   And he also gets bored really fast.   So I only buy when there is an occasion or when he truly deserves it.    Most of them time, night market toys will do.   The branded ones are all gifts from his aunts & uncles and of course his precious daddie.   Not that I dont love him, but I truly believe he is already priviledge enough and too much will only spoil him.  

About 2 weeks after I joined the contest, I saw the email that I wanted to see!  Actually, I was expecting the announcement via FB but then it was announced via email to me, then the official announcement on her blog.    Yeah!!!!!    I won!!!!!   Thanks so much MG!!

The gift was delivered by Hot Wheel's local PR agency to me 2 weeks later which was totally fine with me cos they were kind enough to hand deliver it to me rather than having me drive all they way to some place to collect it.

Its been a month or more and I have yet to give it to him.  I've decided to keep it for a special occasion.  Birthday had passed,  so he will have to wait till its Christmas.    Between now and Christmas, of course there will be small gifts every now & then from his aunt (my sis).  She works in Singapore and she come back every 2 months or so ... without fail a gift for him.    He is into Beyblade now ... and its so much cheaper getting it from there.   I once bought a Ben 10 shoe for S$10 and her it costs RM60 or RM80 ! Chee sin!

Even when we go grocery shopping to Giant, Tesco or Carrefour, he is reminded that we will not buy any toys.  Only fruits & vegetables and grocery items (like coco-crunch, vitagen or yakult, cheese, etc).  If there is advance reminder before we leave the house, he is OK with and will normally agree to it.   But he will tell me he wants an ice-cream which we normally allow.   But then he sees the chocolate, he wants that too.  So he has to make a choice, cannot have both. 

Am I too strict?  How often do you get toys for your kids?  Do you buy whatever they fancy and ask for? 

My Awesome, Mean Durian Cake!!

"Last time I used to get my durian cake from Bon Bon but they no longer sell it.   Yours is just like Bon Bon's and I'm glad I found you!"    This is what some of my customers said to me.   And I'm soooo happy!!

I call it my awesome, mean Durian Cake!   Hahaha.   Cos I really think its pretty awesome and with the amount of fresh durian I have in there, they are quite mean!!!!

I made my very first Durian Cake for my MIL's birthday last July (exactly a year ago).  I had no idea how it was going to taste until we were all at the dinner venue.  After dinner, we sang the song and she cut it open ... and all hell broke loose after that, I tell ya.   The aroma was killing (esp in an airconditioned room) and all other guests were looking at us!   We had a piece each and while eating it half-way I still remember my SIL told me that the lady at the next table requested for a small piece for her daughter as she loved durian cake.  How can we say no?  We gave her a piece (cos really, not much left edi) and she (the Mom) gave us a thumbs up after trying a wee bit.  She even asked us where she can buy one ;) 

The smell was such a killer that the restaurant captain walked over.   She then told us that durian cakes were not allowed (ooopps!!)  but then again she said with a smile .. that she actually cut a tiny tiny tiny piece (more like crumbs from the sides) and tasted it and it was very very good wor ... hahaha.  We all had a good laugh.  And she ended up ordering one for herself!   Was reluctant to take her offer then but glad I did it.  She has since given her friends my contacts and the rest as they say .. is history lor.

My signature durian cake design was unintentional.  Like I said, it was designed with my MIL in mind so I piped rosettes on them.   Made a pink one for my mom as well last year.

This year, I decided to offer it for sale to friends of FB.  I only bake them when I can locate my favourite durian uncle cos his quality is assured and his prices are reasonable.  Actually prices of durian are double of last years prices but I am still maintaining the same price.

I bake only one size (that feeds 10-15 pax) depending on how big a portion each gets.    It weights about 1.6kg or more depending on my generosity ;)

Yesterday (Sunday) was my 3rd baking session and so far, all the reviews and feedback has been positive and this has motivated me further.  In fact, I manage to improvise on my sponge cake recipe and I think the improvised version will be used from now on.  I do believe its much moist and fluffier!

More photos can be viewed from www.facebook.com/ConfectionsKL

Wynx Club Cake

Received an email one afternoon for a Wynx Club Cake.   Had no idea what it was so had to google to do some research.    Since the enquiry came quite late (delivery needed in 3 days), I had no time to do an edible image cake, so I proposed a cartoon drawing cake instead.

Having just done one other cartoon drawing method just a couple of weeks ago, I bravely embarked on this Wynx Club design.    While I was drawing out the outline of the image, Bryan came by and asked "Mom, what cake are you doing?".   He then paused for a couple of seconds and waited for my reply but I was too busy concentrating hard on the image to get it right.  Then he said "Mom, you doing Wynx Club cake ah?"   Fuh!   Am I glad he could recognise it!!!  Means ok la!

Glad it turned out alright.  Could be better.   Hope to improve over time with more practise.

Customer ordered it for her niece's 8th birthday.   She wanted a pure butter cake.  FYI, I only use 100% pure butter for my cakes.   The finished cake is actually pretty heavy even for an 8" cake.   

Some potential customers do enquire about the weight of my cake and when I tell them its close to 2kg for just an 8" cake, they dont believe me.  I guess they are used to getting lighter cakes from the bakeries who by the way, some use only sponge cakes, okay!!!  So thats why they lighter, so they bake into a bigger size and charge you slightly cheaper la.  Once you try a home made pure butter cake, you will never to bake to the regular bakery shops :D   Im sure many home bakers will agree with me.

For more designs on cakes and cupcakes, do "Like" me at www.facebook.com/ConfectionsKL

Bryan's Mid Year Report Card

This is Bryan's third year in kindergarten.    During the first 2 years, it was more like playschool and nothing really academic.   Only this year, they have introduced so called proper subjects and kids have to sit for formal mid and year end examinations and are given proper report cards.   Bahasa Malaysia was introduced for the first time as well as Moral, in addition to English, Maths and Mandarin.

Last year, Bryan hardly spoke any Mandarin.   He was more playful and didnt want to learn to speak the language much.   He was in fact, pretty shy to speak in Mandarin then.   He got a C for spoken Mandarin and got a B for written Mandarin when we were shown his exam papers back in Dec last year.  Daddie was devastated! But mommie was cool :D   From then on, Daddie tried to speak in Mandarin to him and coached him a lot on his Mandarin homework and practiced a lot on writing chinese words too.  He also picked up mandarin speaking at his mental maths classes where majority of the kids there are Chinese.  Since then he has progressed really well.   Daddie was rewarded with an A for ting-xie and B for spoken Mandarin.  

Since Bahasa was just introduced 6 months ago and we almost never speak Bahasa at home, we were told to read more to him so that he can recognise more Bahasa words.  So now the pressure is on Mommie to perform ..haha.

Bryan generally speaks good English and we were curious why he only got 95% for spoken English .. teacher explained that he always speaks and ends his sentences with lah lah lah eg nevermind lah, ok lah .. omg!!!   I wonder where he learnt this!!   Daddie says its from  mommie wor ... aiyoh sei for!  I better speak properly from now on.

Mental Arithmetic Class For My 5 Yr Old

Its been quite some time since I posted any updates on my brat.   Its been routine stuff mostly ie school and some weekend classes that we send him too.     Since Jan, we decided to keep him a little more busier cos he just spends too much time on TV especially on weekends.

We have started him on mental arithmetic classes twice a week as well as an arts and craft class on Sundays.   Our choice was one academic lesson and one extra curricular activity (eg art, music or sports).

The first 2 weeks was tough.  He didnt enjoy the mental arithmetic class because his teacher was a little more strict with him compared to his kindy teacher.    Perhaps this is a light dose of how a primary chinese school environment would be compared to the current montessori environment he goes too.

He didnt want to go and would sulk every time I reminded him that he has classes today, etc.    Not only it was tough for him, I think the teacher also found it tough to teach him - cos he would not sit still - even for 10 seconds!   Instead of doing concentrating on his work, he would look around, see his friends book, play with his rubber, sharpen his pencils, day dream or go to the toilet every 5 mins.   Thats what the teacher told me .. and I totally believe her cos thats exactly what he does at home as well .. sigh.  

On week 3, I heard some magic words!   The teacher told me that she finds Bryan a really smart boy!  Just that he cant sit still for a longer period of time .. hahaha.   Since then, it has been quite a smooth journey.   I guess the teacher found a way to communicate better with him.   Most of the time now, he enjoys the classes.  After 6 months, the lessons are getting tough.   Even mommie and daddie have to think twice how to get the answer correctly using the correct method on his abacus.  If that day the teacher taught him a new chapter or bigger set of numbers, he would usually get 5 or 6 out of 20 wrong.  And that would put him in a really bad mood.   He would then come home with a black long face and tell us that he got so many wrong answers!!   We then have to sayang him and encourage him and promise him that the next lesson, we will ask the teacher to teach him again so that he can get all the answers correct - then his mood is better and cheers up instantly.   And true to behold, in the next class, he would proudly tell us that he got all correct answers that day!  That's my boy, very moody if he gets them wrong and very happy when he gets them all correct.

Its been 6 months now and we are happy with his progress.   Not only in mental maths but we are also proud that he has picked up Mandarin speaking as well.   I have mentioned to the teacher when we first registered Bryan there, that we plan to send him to a chinese primary school and preferred that the teacher speak to him in Mandarin although he could hardly speak a word then.    Now he is willing to speak Mandarin naturally even at home but its usually English with me and Mandarin with daddie, which works perfectly.

When he turns 6 next year, we will stop the arts and crafts class and enrol him into a sport, either golf or badminton as well as some leisure swimming lessons.   And if he prefers, either drums or piano.   He did mention he wants guitar lessons ... so we'll see.

What other extra or enrichment classes does your kid attend?