Celebrating The 8th Birthday of My Little Princess

Both K & R don’t get lavish and big birthday parties every year.  Though they hope to have it, I’m influencing them that spending $700-$1k just to celebrate birthdays is too wasteful.  I also found it physically draining the week before and days after that with the 30+ kids and my friends.  The money would be better off spent on more meaningful stuffs like short holiday trips or annual park admission passes.  Most years, we make do with simple & cosy ones and we could really enjoy a real gathering with our friends & family.  The happiest party for her this year would be one which we had been doing for the past 3 years, with the same group of friends, at the same delightful venue.  K grew up with her childcare friends and even though we withdrew her to school at kindergarten when she was half year into K1, we still kept in touch with her bestest friends & their families.  Describing the frequency of our gathering as regular would be an understatement. ❤

Part 1 ~ 9th May ’15 with besties

This year, nonetheless, was made simple.  We kickstarted the 2-week celebration with her besties.  Since the 3 piglets have birth dates that fall within 1 week of each other, there is no reason why we shouldn’t celebrate together and make it triple the usual candle-blowing fun.  We started off the afternoon with a dip in the pool followed a nice warm bath before the birthday girls change into their princess outfits.

Elsa and Anna having their hair braided by favourite aunty D

While waiting for dinner, the kids took turn to have their quiet moments over table games while preparing for the party to start but started to run wild shortly after.  Thankfully the function room is a safe place for them kids.  They also know that they won’t be able to get back up without key card if they ever enter the lift to go elsewhere.  There are 3 large tables (2 of which are boardroom-sized) with comfortable dining chairs.  Most importantly, despite being a huge venue, every parent felt safe without the need to helicopter over the kids.

Dinner finally arrived and we had our favourite dishes from Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant (琼荣记海鲜).  While the kids digged in before they are allowed to continue playing, we parents had our usual own we-time since the kids can play on their own.   It’s less stressful having a party with just one group of friends.  There’s no need to fly around the room like a social butterfly, making sure that every guest is comfortable with the food and every other stranger in the same room.  It’s really a tiring job as the mother of the birthday child!

Just some of the dishes we ordered to share.  Food always taste better when we eat together.

With a perfect feel-rich scenery just outside the function room as we enjoy each other’s company.  Can’t touch but can see also not too bad ya?  HHAHAHahhaha

Loving the priceless moment at the bottom of collage. The 3 besties seem to have endless fun and conversation with each other. Hope that they will continue to be best friends as they grow and blossom into adulthood.

When the time comes for cake-cutting, the princesses were all elated to see 3 cakes this time.  It meant a lot to them because each year, they always complain A.K.A. “ggyy” that they don’t get to blow the candles.  And to further tease them this year, our fren D bought auto-relighting candles for them.  And they really had what looked like the happiest moment in their life when the candle light keeps coming back on.  All the kids were delighted and everyone rushed in to blow the candles.

We had a Mother’s Day cake to celebrate Motherhood too since it’s the same weekend. On top of that, D also bought each of the mummies a carnation and a Care Bear charm.  She’s always the one looking out for us and loving us at the same time ❤

We specially ordered an Emperor’s Romance from Cat & The Fiddle.  This came a week after I tried the Mother’s Day Creation by Chef Daniel Tay specially made for the occasion this year.  I was simply hooked to the taste of the cheese layer and the subtly sweet apple crumble.  When previously I thought that I could make cheesecakes that pack a punch, the premium cheesecakes by Cat & The Fiddle are really at a different level.  The Emperor’s Romance is inspired by the familiar cocktail drink, Lychee Martini.  Topped with fresh lychees, raspberries and chiffon-light cream, the lychee cheesecake is blended with an amazing concoction of tropical lychees and Martini.  However, we felt that having a stronger Martini taste to it would be better.  You have to try it to know!  Father’s Day is coming up very soon.  Perhaps it’s a good chance to get a cake for the occasion too!  Don’t blame us if you are kept wanting more and ordering again.  This definitely wasn’t my last paid order with them.  I ordered another one a week later for my father-in-law’s birthday which was a total delight even to the elders who are more used to traditional sponge cakes with cream.

Anyway, we took too long to return to the function room after our cake collection.  Seriously, one can’t skip the path to buy kopi and tou huay after collecting a frozen cheesecake followed by a frozen ice.  The cream above the cheesecake literally slided off the top without us realizing and when we finally opened the box for cake-cutting, there’s only so much that can be saved.  Thankfully the cheesecake body itself was still intact.  So lesson learnt – don’t be Little Red Riding Hood when tasked with cake collection.  >.<

Thanks to Swensen’s, K was sponsored an ice cream cake and she specially chose one from the Frozen range.  Nothing beats having ice cream in the form of a cake.  The kids get to legitimately eat ice cream to their hearts’ content.  Seriously, the Frozen Fever doesn’t stop.  The only people who are sick of Frozen parties are the parents, I guess!  Nevertheless, we went on with the design she had chosen.  Out of all the below available designs in Frozen theme, she selected one with all the characters inside, as she said Frozen is not just about Elsa.  🙂

Lovely to see the gals with all smiles on their faces.  Just not too long ago, they were still 18-mth old toddlers who could barely walk properly.

We ordered the Swensen’s cake in Vanilla + Mango ice cream insides.  However there was a slight mistake and only Mango ice cream was made for the cake. [Edited 02Jun15->] Very glad that Swensen’s took the trouble to check with their backend and clarified that both Old Fashion Vanilla and Mango are very similar in colour and that the order is correct.  Apologies for the misunderstanding and wrong info. [<-Edited 02Jun15]  Thankfully none of the kids were unhappy that their Vanilla ice cream had been left out.

The party was a wrap when the girls received their birthday presents and gave away goodie bags to everyone.  Thanks to R’s Grimlock which had been faithfully guarding the presents for the entire night.  ;p

Part 2 ~ 15th May ’15 in school

Fast forward to her actual birth day, she’s all smiles in the mornnig with the goodie bags packed for her classmates.  Even the security guard uncle in school has one!  Princess came home that day with lots of happy tales surrounding her birthday.  I’m glad that I have made the effort to prepare goodie bags for her classmates, though it’s a last minute effort.  Looks like some things cannot be omitted after all!

Part 3 ~ 16th May ’15  joint celebration with father-in-law

The day after her birth day, on the 16th May, we celebrated together with hubby’s family as it’s also my Father-in-law’s birthday.  We went to Gim Tin (AMK) for a lunch, followed by the highlight of the day – which coincidentally is my 3rd cheesecake for the month of May.

Maneki Neko ~ Tangy and refreshing yuzu cheesecake invigorated with notes of mandarin orange and lemon.

This is another bestest cheesecake flavour that I would highly recommend to all.  The light and refreshing flavour won over everyone in the family, including my parents-in-law.  Everybody loved the taste-awakening desert after a heavy lunch.  The addition of yuzu and lime blended into the cheese needs no further persuasion for me to take a second serving and then tabao one more!  Oh well, I should be entitled to eat more since I paid for it too >.<

The stern but silently doting father & grandfather with the 2 grandkids 🙂

Part 4 ~ 16th May ’15 at Ah Yi Mummy’s house

Later in the evening, we hopped over to my sister’s house for the last bit of her celebration with my own family.  Celebrating her birthday is something my sis, her Ah Yi Mummy, never failed to fulfill for her.  This year, she made pizza with her favourite uncle.  The sun-dried tomatoes have been burnt, otherwise R would love to eat them all up.

And we also had meat and chicken skewers on BBQ.  The pork loin with some fats was SO GOOD that there wasn’t enough to go around when everybody wanted more.  Chicken skewers paled in comparison to it even though it was also delicious and tender.  The skewers were simply very fresh meat with capsicum, then marinated with pepper, sea salt, and oregano.  Til now, I would think about the meat and wondering when I would get to have a BBQ again.  We also had 3 bottles of apple cider from Britanny, which my bro-in-law said it’s the real cider.  It wasn’t as sweet as Somersby.

Desert was Gula Melaka Sago.  Try making it!  Simply boil sago in a pot of water until cooked.  Rinse it under running water until cooled.  Set them into mould and fridge it.  Melt gula melaka and drizzle generously over the chilled sago.  YUMZ!!  Super fast and pretty desert to end the evening with.

For the last cake (of the month), it’s Bengawan Solo’s Kaya Sponge Cake with Coconut Shavings at the sides.  I’ve always thought that this cake is “oldish” and too “gelard” because of the kaya and all.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t and I had another big slice to end the night before I knock out totally.  This, is the 5th cake I have in the month of May.  I didn’t go weigh myself.  But I guess I’ll just let all the calories “fat die me” first.

Happy Birthday to my ever-so-thoughtful and sweet princess!  May you grow up to always be pretty and intelligent.

[ENDED] A SWENSEN’S ICE CREAM CAKE (WORTH $50) GIVEAWAY!  [ENDED]

Thanks to Swensen’s, we have a 1-kg ice cream cake to give away from their latest Marvel cakes.  If your boy’s birthday is up in June, it’s the best time to delight him with the newest designs on the shelves!  Forge your own memorable, action-packed moments alongside Avengers Assemble, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultimate Spiderman and Marvel Kawaii Ice-Cream Cakes.

Ring in your celebration like a trooper with Swensen’s new Marvel Ice-cream Cakes, available in 24 ice-cream flavors to choose from, including all-time-favorites such as Sticky Chewy Chocolate, Frosted Chocolate Malt, Thin Mint, Strawberry Sherbet, Rocky Road, Salted Gula Melaka and Macadamia Nut. Cakes are customizable in 4 different shapes; heart, square, round and rectangle, making your ice-cream cake adventure much more enjoyable!

Swensen’s Marvel Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spiderman, Marvel Kawaii as well as the LATEST addition to the family, Age of Ultron Ice-cream Cakes are available now at all Swensen’s and Earle Swensen’s outlets.  

Do place your order at Swensen’s online shop to avoid disappointment.

Swensen’s Marvel Cakes – Avengers : Age of Ultron Cakes

To take part and qualify, please make sure all the following steps are completed:

1) {Compulsory} Leave a COMMENT under this blog post with your Facebook Name, Email Address and state the design your child prefers.

2) {Compulsory} LIKE SAys! Happy Mums and Swensen’s Singapore on Facebook.

3) {Compulsory} LIKE, SHARE, TAG 5 friends & COMMENT “All Done” on this Facebook post.  Pls use the caption when you share “{Tag 5 Friends} @SAys! Happy Mums is giving away Swensen’s Ice Cream Cake from the Marvel Avengers : Age of Ultron range!“.  DO set your post to {Compulsory} PUBLIC so that we are able to verify your entry.

Terms and Conditions:

• Giveaway ends 3 June 2015, Wednesday at 11.59PM.
• The Winner will be notified by the email provided under the blog comments and must reply within 24 hours, failing which, a new winner will be drawn, without notice.
• Winner will have 2 weeks from notification to collect the cake from any Swensen’s outlet.  This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.
• Incomplete entries will be disqualified without notice. Decisions are final and no changes/disputes will be entertained.
• The Sponsor reserves the right to request a redraw if the winner has also won the same prize in any other concurrent contest giveaway.
• All information is solely collected for the purpose of this giveaway and we will not send unsolicited emails to your inbox unless you have opted to subscribe to us (on the right!).
• This giveaway is in no manner associated with any social media accounts except our blog.

Best of luck!

[Edited 04 Jun ’15 ->]

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to our winner!  You have won yourself a Marvel Avengers : Age of Ultron cake generously sponsored by Swensen’s!  Please check your email for order and collection details 🙂

[<- Edited 04 Jun ’15]

About Swensen’s Singapore

A household name in Singapore, Swensen’s is synonymous with sweet memories of good times spent with loved ones.  Swensen’s first arrived in Singapore with the opening of a 200-seater restaurant at Thomson Plaza in 1979, and has since won the hearts of many with its warm, unpretentious ambience and a casual atmosphere. Over the years it has developed to become a restaurant chain offering not just ice cream, but fun and friendly casual-dining with a wide selection of hearty food, desserts, beverages, ice cream cakes and takeaway novelties.  Today, Swensen’s has expanded to over 20 full-service restaurants serving an all-day menu of food and ice cream sundaes, and continues to bring people together for hearty meals and shared memories.

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Swensen’s Marvel Avengers : Age of Ultron Latest Designs

In the eternal battle of good versus evil, comes a deluge of Marvel Ice-Cream Cakes from Swensen’s featuring a legion of superheroes that swoops in and saves the day.  Fans of the legendary comic book saga and followers of Marvel’s spectacularly successful movies can delight in the slate of 41 new ice-cream cake designs featuring favourite Marvel characters from Avengers Assemble, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultimate Spiderman, and an adorable spin-off of Marvel’s heroes adeptly called Marvel Kawaii.

Mark monumental occasions with equally legendary heroes.  Cake designs with the Avengers Assemble entourage features charismatic Ironman, ever patriotic Captain America, awe-inspiring Thor and intimidating Hulk that will pull off your celebration with great aplomb.  Fans anticipating the much-awaited Avengers: Age of Ultron movie will be pleased to know that Swensen’s has included a slew of six designs based on the new blockbuster.

Ultimate Spiderman also makes an appearance with his web-slinging abilities and slick moves to illustrate that with great power, indeed comes great responsibility.  Little tots looking for an extra dose of cuteness to go with their superheroes can look to the Marvel Kawaii designs that feature pint-sized, adorable renditions of much-loved characters.  Do place an order via this link before collection.

Swensen’s Outlets

Opening hours (unless otherwise state):  [Weekdays] 10.30am-10.30pm | [Weekends & PH] 8am-10.30pm

Ang Mo Kio Hub @ #B1-25/26 | Tel: 6481 4316
Bedok Mall @ #01-77 | Tel: 6844 9759
Bukit Panjang Plaza @ #03-04 | Tel: 6892 0319
Causeway Point @ #02-08/09 | Tel: 6894 2086
Centrepoint (Earle Swensen’s) @ #02-52 | Tel: 6733 6461 (Opening hours: [Mon-Thu] 10.30am-9.30pm | [Fri-Sun, Eve of PH & PH] 10.30am-10.30pm)
Changi Airport Terminal 2 @ Mezzanine Level, Arrival Hall North | Tel: 6542 8219 (Opening hours: 24 Hours)
Compass Point @ B1-28/29 | Tel: 6384 5187
City Square Mall @ #03-37/38 | Tel: 6509 6280 (Opening hours: 10:30am-10.30pm)
Clementi Mall @ #03-31/32/33 | Tel: 6659 2151
E! Hub @ Downtown East @ #02-121 | Tel: 6584 5716
IMM @ #01-111 | Tel: 6566 7554
ION Orchard @ #B1-31 | Tel: 6884 5967 (Opening hours: 10:30am-10.30pm)
JEM (Earle Swensen’s) @ #03-11 | Tel: 6734 7712 (Opening hours: 10:30am-10.30pm)
Junction 8 @ #01-39 | Tel: 6252 6229
Jurong Point @ #B1-64 | Tel: 6795 2187
Marina Square @ #01-206/207 | Tel: 6338 7256
Nex Mall @ #02-07/08 | Tel: 6634 4072
North Point @ #01-16/17 | Tel: 6754 1944
Parkway Parade @ #B1-33/34 | Tel: 6346 1886
Plaza Singapura @ #03-23 | Tel: 6837 0650 (Opening hours: 10:30am-10.30pm)
Tampines Mall @ #03-30 | Tel: 6781 5489
The Seletar Mall @ #02-11/12 | Tel: 6702 3640
Thomson Plaza @ #03-23 | Tel: 6454 8502 (Opening hours: 10:30am-10.30pm)
VivoCity (Earle Swensen’s) @ #02-117 | Tel: 6272 3306 (Opening hours: 10:30am-10.30pm)
West Mall @ #02-05 | Tel: 6898 9281

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~ SAys! Shirley 🙂