Review: Christmas Workshop at BlueTree Education

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Last week, Big K and I had been utterly busy. That probably is an understatement! We attended a 5 day Christmas workshop at Bluetree Education and I had to rush Big K to school in the afternoon before heading to work! I was beginning to empathise with mommies who work from 9 to 5 and have to settle the kids before and after work! I'm a working mother too, but thankfully, my hours are a little more forgiving in the earlier part of the day. Though I end work late, at least I don't have to get myself into a mad frenzy at dawn and be sending the kids to childcare etc during peak hour. 

Friends of mine would know that when it comes to education, I'm always very enthusiastic. Hence when Bluetree Education invited Big K and I to attend their Christmas Holiday program, we were more than willing. This couldn't come at a better time as after an entire year of "schooling" at her nursery, I needed to let her take a break from the norm, expose her to new people and new stuff. That said, I wasn't too "hardworking" in research and wasn't busy signing Big K for Chinese enrichment/ Speech and drama enrichment/ Science enrichment etc. That sounds so hot housing! Though I believe the time will come when I'll join the crowd, given my nature (not that I'm kiasu, i'm just very very excited when it comes to education matters), I believe in giving Big K space to explore. She loves crafting, songs and dance. No doubt, her school is always doing those, it was essential for her to mingle with new friends. She did, afterall, get comments like not being a team player, from her form teacher in school.

On Day one, Big K was rather reserved. New environment, i don't blame her. 

 
Acting as a little reindeer during circle time. 
  
  
Slowly, with all the dramatic play, stories and sing alongs, Big K integrated and was warmed up. I applaud the teachers, particular Teacher Mabel who had to dramatise (read: sometimes having to act like a baboon) in order to engage the little ones. In her courageous act to do so, she incorporated little nuggets of Xmas info and words. 

By the end of the 5 days, the children probably had learnt a total of at least 15 new words! 

  
Part two was crafting session conducted by Teacher Diana. This Super and heavily pregnant mama is amazingly creative! Even i enjoyed making the stuff!



 
 

 
 

See! so creative right?

 

We enjoyed ourselves during the 5 days and the highlight of the workshop must had been ho ho ho, you've guessed it, SANTA CLAUS!!! it was the first time Big K saw a real life Santa and the impression made was so deep that she has been a good girl each time i mention Santa will only give presents to obedient little children! haha


 

A bit of background on BlueTree Education. It is run by a team of ex-MOE teachers and curriculum specialists who have taught in Singapore schools. With their many years of teaching experience and many success stories of implementing various pedagogical initiatives in schools, they bring with them their love for learning, teaching and the desire to nurture the potential in every child to the classroom at BlueTree Education Learning Centre. It is so important to have passion! Many a times, that's what's lacking in school as teachers are so bogged down by mundane administrations. Can't blame them honestly! It's tough to ignite the younger generation's fire if the teachers themselves needs a bit of rekindling. Personally, it's also important that the background of the teachers at an enrichment centre is top notch. The credibility has gotto be there. I personally have encountered centres who engage tutors without running a proper checks on them and worse yet, allowing them set their own curriculum for a class of P3s to P6s! While this might (not advisable and difficult) work for certain subjects like English, other subjects, particularly Science needs proper classification!

At BlueTree Education, they want to grow a child to be a thinker, a learner, an achiever. Their curriculum is designed not only with academic excellence in mind; They want every child to acquire the core thinking skills of thinking critically, inventively, and reflectively as their foundation for learning. That is oh-so-important in today's society where everything seems to be modeled out for the student! Students are so spoon-fed, they can't think! To add, their current affair knowledge is stifled as well. They may be the laughing stalk in the world if nothing is done. BlueTree Education recognizes that, hence, their differentiated teaching strategies and small-class sizes facilitate a learning environment that supports a thinking culture.
  
Details on BlueTree Education:
Website: http://bluetreeeducation.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueTreeEducation
Address: 271 Bukit Timah Road, Balmoral Plaza #02-15 Singapore 259708

Disclaimer : We were invited to attend the above workshop. No monetary compensation is involved and all opinions are of my own.

My picks for Rainbow cakes

Thursday, December 4, 2014

 Lately, after seeing so many gorgeously photographed pictures of cakes on instagram, I've developed a penchant for cakes. Actually, the sweet tooth isn't an overnight development. It just got rekindled and seems to be spreading like wild fire as I'd be grabbing a slice whenever I pass by a bakery. In particular, I can't resist getting a rainbow cake whenever i see one. The visual impact of the cake is simply too great to ignore! Friends on my facebook have commented (and probably are in awe) that I've eaten so many rainbow cakes. So I decided to do a post on those i've tried:
 
Rainbow Cake $5 (slice) $45(500g)
  
Lynda Ann Cakes for Friends. This has gotto be da best! Just look at the colours!! Her rainbow cake slices are always sold out the moment she does a shoutout on fb. And each person is only limited to 2 slices! Should you want the cake itself, you'd have to preorder. Her ingredients are really top notch. At $5 a slice, when I first bought it, the hubs complained and exclaimed at how expensive it is. But trust me, it's worth every cent! She uses Italian Butter Meringue for the frosting which is lighter on the palate than traditional butter cream frosting. The lady in the kitchen is, surprise, surprise, Lynda Ann. She is a graduate in psychology. Wow right? Lynda started baking cakes for her friends even before pursuing her degree. It was when she had just completed her basic degree that she decided that her calling in life is to bake a cake. 

There are many other cakes sold at her shop so if you are in the market for a lovely cake, do check her bakery out:

Lynda Ann
Cakes for Friends
122 Bedok North St 2
#01-98
Singapore 460122
12pm to 7pm (Tues-Fri)
10am to 4pm (Sat)


Big K recently just celebrated her 3rd birthday. Which reminds me, I need to pen down the event!! Gosh i'm so behind time these days. Anywayz, the theme was "Hello Kitty" and i wanted a cutout cake but the minimum weightage was 2kg. Not ideal as it was just a small celebration with her friends in school. I wanted a rainbow cake, in line with the theme of the week in school and that would be crazily expensive if we were to do a 3D fondant cake or a cutout cake. We've been doing fondants for the last 2 years and honestly, apart from the visual appeal, I hate them. They are oh so sweet and we end up peeling away the fondant! What a waste of money! So when Diana, the Domestic Goddess Wannabe suggested a simple cake and beautifully topped with a name bunting, I contemplated. I wasn't immediately sold as I really wanted more of the cat on the cake, but after seeing how pretty her bakes are, I thought I give it a try. The result: NO REGRETS! Everyone, students and teachers alike, LOVED the cake! the kids took second helpings and even the little boy who ate nothing but rice all the time, was seen gobbling up the cake! haha..the father would have been so happy!  Diana's creation is so classy and together with my diy Hello kitty toppers, the cake really was a crowd pleaser. Plus, the best part was,  it ain't too sweet!  You know how it is like when you eat a cake and feel like you are eating a million chemicals,  well, not this one.  Though i do know I'm eating hell lot of colorings!

Do check out her blog or drop her a note!
oh did I mention, she's the winner of the best cooking blog in this year's Singapore Blog Awards! Talk about talent! And be warned, if you are a fan of her fb page, she's always posting dangerously tantalizing shots of her bakes. It makes me hungry and craving for sweets every time! And it makes me wish I had an oven! Then again, I have absolutely no aptitude for baking.


DEAN & DELUCA

I visited this place several months ago, even before all the hype over the rainbow cake. Was lucky that I was able to have a taste of one of its top sellers. This Rainbow Cake (S$9) has gotto be one of the healthiest around. The pastry chef uses six different fruit extracts – strawberry, orange, lemon, green apple, blueberry and grape – to give the cake its brilliant rainbow colours.
PS: No pictures for this unfortunately as I tasted this quite some time back.

Dean & Deluca
#04-23/24 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6509 7708
Mon to Fri: 11am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset



Next up: Coffee Daily. I've heard so much about this place and been wanting to pop by whenever I'm in the vicinity. Finally had the chance to on a nice rainy day. Talk about ambiance. The vintage decor really adds to nostalgia. They even provide complimentary old-school iced gem biscuits! You know the type your mother used to buy for you as a kid if you were born in the 70s or 80s? Their rainbow cake is frosted with cream cheese, which makes it special but doesn't come cheap though. It's priced at $10 per pop and sells out pretty early in the afternoon so be sure to go early.

The Coffee Daily
75 Brighton Crescent
Tel: +65 6284 8894
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 10.30pm
Fri: 12pm – 11.30pm
Sat: 9.30am – 11.30pm
Sun: 9.30am – 10.30pm

NOM BISTRO & BAKERY

Sick of the usual rainbow cakes? Head to Nom Bistro & Bakery at Macpherson Community Club. It offers three different versions of the rainbow cake (S$7.90) – salted caramel buttercream, chocolate ganache, and oreo buttercream. My Verdict: very nice presentation but a tad sweet for my liking. Probably because it was salted caramel which I had tried. However, they seem to be doing a lot of very pretty customised cakes. I'll probably give them another chance given that it's a good price for such a thick slice.



NOM Bistro
Level 1, Macpherson Community Club
400 Paya Lebar Way
Tel: +65 6747 3839
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Macpherson/Paya Lebar

TOBY's the desert asylum @ Parkway Parade
I patronise this outlet pretty frequent as it's located close by. Their food are decently priced and tasty. Coupled with their one-for-one deals occasionally, this place is a must-go for families! So I passed by the other day and was drawn by their rainbow cake. It's covered with a layer of chocolate which gave it a sense of maturity. The colours was of course, the main attraction and I couldn't resist but to takeaway a piece! For this Christmas, they are even having a rainbow log cake! OMG! dream come true!


Photo credit: Toby's

TOBY's The Desert Asylum
80 Marine Parade Road,
#02-68/69/70 Parkway Parade
Singapore 449269
Mon- Fri: 11am -10pm
Sat - Sun: 9am - 10pm












Last on my list: Rainbow cake from Craftsmen Coffee. Newly opened at Siglap V, Craftsmen Specialty Coffee is the latest addition to the endless waves of cafes opening in the east Each time i pass by,  i kept wanting to get it. The price tag was a little too high to stomach. At $9.90 per slice,  it really be worth every cent. To be fair, it's quite a thick slice. My verdict: very pretty and vibrant but a tad too sweet. Nevertheless, still a delight to have as it really brightens up my day. Psst, you might wanna check out their croissant and other bread while you are there. Those are yummeh!

Craftsmen Specialty Coffee
2 First Street
#01-01 Siglap V
Singapore 458278
Opening Hours:
Sun – Thu: 8:30 am – 8:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 8:30 am – 9:30 pm

There you have it. My list of rainbow cake connections thus far. Have you got a favourite haunt for rainbow cakes? Share with me if you do!

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