Hi Pam,
OK, I want advice from all the mum's out there. I am the one who always tidies my children's bedroom (they share)... when I ask Annabella (age 7) to help, she rolls her eyes and huffs & puffs... it's just easier for me to do it. I know that is wrong though. I also remember always making my bed... but can't remember at what age we started this. My mum isn't here to ask, and there is no way my dad would know this type of info.... So at what age can I ask them to do it. I already ask Annabella to do it, but just on weekends so far because before school is madness time for everyone.I want good methods for the room tidying. If I ask for help with setting table etc, they are still at age where this is enjoyed. They are also good at putting bowls in the sink... throwing wrappers in bin... Italian kids are pampered completely...everything is done for them and I seriously have no intention of doing this...
So I want all sorts of ideas and advice... from star charts to major threats!! Open to all suggestions!
Can't really remember giving TREATS/REWARDS as such - I always let them know that when you are part of a family you have certain responsiblities - they never got 'pocket money for doing chores BECAUSE my reasoning was ... you help out because that's what families do!
I would always talk about what needed doing as well. Like if they asked to go somewhere or something, they knew that I wouldn't leave the house until certain things were done - if they pitched in and helped THEN we could get to do the FUN things more quickly. You need to make the tasks easy for them to accomplish - quick pull up of the doona is a lot easier than layers of sheets & blankets (and don't correct their work in front of them - if you are going to re-do it, they will soon realise that it isn't necessary for them to do it) Make bedrooms kid friendly will plastic tubs for storage (get them to help sort things out) When friends came to play I would also get EVERYBODY - Guest included! - to help tidy up what they had been playing with about 15mins before they were due to go home - that way YOUR child isn't stuck cleaning up after some other little brat has tossed all their toys around. They quickly learnt WHO not to invite into their bedroom. We had a visitor's box - which THEY got to select which of their toys they were prepared to share - could change week to week. It was placed in another room (family) and only those toys would be played with when friends came over.
Sounds TOO perfect and organised ..... Secret confession.. I have been known to SUCK up Barbie shoes and lego with the vacuum cleaner!!
Think you will be fighting a losing battle WHILST you are in Italy darling!!
Those Italian mothers like to "feel needed" - Think you will need to make it FUN somehow, they probably don't see any of their friends having to do it, so it seems 'strange' that their Mum is the only one that asks the kids to do anything. Maybe get them involved in deciding what things you need to make keeping the room tidy EASIER (let them decide on the tubs) or make some 'over the door pockets that they can keep things in.
We used to have a spot by the internal entry garage door where the 3 kids had their own racks, for schoolbag, hat, shoes etc - and a pidgeon-hole system labelled Mon-Sun (great for putting the things in you need for that day) like ballet shoes on Mon, sports things etc. Working Mums need to be able to grab things quickly! and less chance of forgetting things!
Monday novel suspended!! Sorry all for rambling!
Hi Pam,
OK, I want advice from all the mum's out there. I am the one who always tidies my children's bedroom (they share)... when I ask Annabella (age 7) to help, she rolls her eyes and huffs & puffs... it's just easier for me to do it. I know that is wrong though. I also remember always making my bed... but can't remember at what age we started this.
So I want all sorts of ideas and advice... from star charts to major threats!! Open to all suggestions!
Hi Toniprev
Can TOTally understand the 7year old rolling the eyes thing!! My daughter does that, as well as ALWAYs has something to say or complain about!! However, me and my husband decided that the children should take responsibility in helping around the house too!! My 10,8 and 7yr old all do the dishes (takes turns- altho theres alot of 'Its not my turn'). They all dry, but my boys (10 & 8yr) have started to learn to wash (altho, I still sometimes have to double check and rewash if necessary - but i figure if I don't let them practice they never will learn). As for bedrooms, they all have to clean their rooms - make beds, put clothes away etc. I will go in when it gets really disgusting and help, but with them helping at the same time too!! (sometimes its not fair on my 7yr old who shares with her 4yr old sister, who likes to throw her clothes all out of her drawers!).....Hmmm infact, my kids pretty much know how to do most things, they help with folding washing, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, and fix their own breakfasts etc......
Hmmm geez, re-reading this makes me sound like im a mean mum, aye? But we think its good for them to help out - especially the boys, because then they won't think that they won't have to help around the house when they are married!! I'm lucky, my husband helps with everything around the house too - (i hate laundry, so he has pretty much done it all for the last 11yrs!!..hehe).
Sorry, for the NOvel!!
Danatnt, as I tell my children when they try the 'your mean, why do we have to help'.
Answer, 'because I am the CEO of this household, and as such it is in my job description to train you in life skills!'
And there is a website called realmums.com.au for real mums, not the fake 'I have a perfect life' mums. (I know at one stage they were talking about making a website called the bad mothers club, for mums like us who made the kids help (all tongue in cheek) you might want to look them up, can be very funny. 
Toniprev: you just have to stick with it. As soon as you do it for them you have lost the battle.
And at 2 1/2 my DS tries to help make his bed, its not perfect by a long shot, but its his effort. So your daughter can start, she wont die, despite the fact that she will try telling you is 
Oh and make the boys do the same, the way I look at it. By the time they get married, their wives will love me for all the hard work and training they WONT have to do! 
Pam: Was up at 3:18 because I was studying!
Have to grab every minute I can, so the DBF has been told to stay away this week while I get this assignment done. 
I finally went to bed at 5.30 am and was back up at 7 as the baby woke up. (Some bull**^t excuse about being hungry 
)
So have put on a load of washing because we were at cricket all weekend. BF and his kids play, so we make the effort to go and watch. (me with laptop and books) So nothing really gets done on weekends here, but we all pitch in during the week to make it work.
Oh, my contribution to the cake theme: thanks to all of you who emailed me your favorite christmas cake recipes. I am looking forward to gaining another 5kg due to taste testing. (see I did talk about cake)
oo you wanted xmas cake recipes! I have to give you my nanna's boiled fruit cake recipe, so divine, all the women in the family make it for xmas an everyones is different as we all add different things, i get a little goumand on my country hick family adding muscatels, pedro ximinez ( spanish sherry, very sweet, like port) dried figs and i grate some chocolate thru it sometimes, then when they are ready to be given away i rub some edible gold leaf on top...
Now for us this would sound divine as it is but my family are from the country- i introduced them to balsamic only last year! It blew them away last year.
I cant wait till xmas, i always make hampers for everyone, some xmas cake, gingerbreads, chocolates... I love giving!
Hi girls, so glad to see you finally .
Couldn't get to CC whole day yesterday " website is not available", was flat out with Avon deliveries on the weekend, went sooo slow. Received 50 orders for my miniature xmas cakes 
. Somehow spent enormouse amount of time covering 6 of them yesterday night. Overstuffed the wholes and had to cover 3 with double icing as the first layer torn below corners. Perhaps didn't nead long enough???? How do you know when it is enough? It seemed very soft and no longer cracked on teh bending 
They will surely give me a lot of practice covering cakes
Fran You are a Walking Encyclopedia! 
BTW, I do not believe you finished all your cakes
Toni, beautiful hearts
Barbara, congratulations on your new friend .
OzCookies, I baked the cake yesterday on the lowers shelf and bought some brown paper bags at coles and put them under the baking paper to try. Amazingly 25 cm x 32 cm double the recipe baked in 4 hours at 140C 
and looked much lighter than previous lot. Hopefully, it is still baked when I pull it out of the blanket tonight
Speaking of dreaming about cakes day and night that is me too. Happy to hear I'm not the only one
I love reading all your kids / family stories. That is how I would deal with my kids if I had any 
.
Welcome to the new girls 
Ok, back to work now.
Ya, I absolutely did finish all my cakes for the weekend, I was a bit slower than normal, the last one wasn't completely done until Saturday night, but that was just getting all the flowers arranged properly.
They were all safely delivered and the Mother of the bride from my Sunday cake rang me yesterday to tell me how happy they were with it, that was nice, it made my day
OMG... TWO WHOLE DAYS WITHOUT CC !!! Terrible... at least i did all the ironing today!!
Thanks for the so very lovely comments on my hearts!! can you believe the mother of the bride (who organised everything) hasn't even called me yet!! She still has to pay me... I KNOW I KNOW... really bad not to get paid before delivery!!!
THANK YOU for all the mother advice. I too feel like such a horrible mum sometimes... but I know how I was brought up and I never questioned my parents the way my daughter does with me. Her latest thing is why can't she have a mobile phone..... ate AGE 7??? I had to cross it off her santa list (yes she has already started)... I told her I had telephoned Father Christmas and said absolutely no phones... until she is 16. She replied with.... How could you!?... she is so ready for the stage!
i actually never tell them I don't like how they make the bed... and actually I don't care... as long as they make the effort to do it. I have 3 IKEA metal bins in the room for toys.... but feel a major tidy (throw out/give away) needs to occur but while they are at school and can't see what I am doing!!!
AND talking about cakes... was enjoying the relax today... sitting in piazza slowly drinking cappuccino.... basking in sun.... when by the end of the day...... FOUR cake orders! Luckily not close together... so that was very exciting for me. HELLO KITTY for this weekend..... then a football theme for an 11 yr.old boy... and then I get to finally play with my seashell and starfish lace moulds to make one of those cakes!!!!!
Well... finally get onto CC... and now I have to go to bed!!!!!!!
Love to you all... I really missed you!
Oh Toni! We've missed you too! Your hearts are really beautiful, and as for being a horrible mother- your children are fed, you know where they are most of the time, they arent snorting paint on the side of the road... i think you are a fine mother
The hello kitty cake sounds fun! I cant wait till next year when i'm going part time, all i am going to do is sit on the computer and make cakes! YAY!
Oh my god, thank god, CC's back at least for now *gasping and shaking from withdrawal symptoms subsiding*. There's a little thread going on over at the Aussie forum, more from desperation than anything else! hehehehehe.
When I get bored at work and I don't mean with nothing to do I just mean bored with what I'm doing I like to troll the pictures galleries for all the pretty pictures I hope to one day try, I didn't realise how boring my job was without CC to help give it some substance
OK, I'm out to a meeting this afternoon, but hopefully I can get my picture fix this morning hehehehehehehhe!
hi girls!
YAY we are back!!! Trying to catch up on all the reading.
Toni, being a mum is the HARDEST job in the world. And there is no bloody manual to help!! I am currently in the throes of the terrible twos with my daughter. And she isnt 2 till next month. OH GOD I feel your pain sweetie. My daughter is going to be a massive pain the ar$e when she hits her teens. I am dreading it already
Made a cool chocolate collar at class on Monday. Things are travelling along nicely there. Just need to get the word out that I can do some cool stuff now. How did you all get your work out there???
Still need to learn how to do a collar for a cake tin, and how to level properly.
Can I ask... do you girls make many sponges?????
Hugs
Lili
ps Welcome to all the new aussies here!!
OK girls I wasn't happy with the freewebs forum, and really I love a lot of the options on here, pm's, yadda yadda, so I've found a proper forum area it's here
http://cakedec.forumotion.com/index.htm
Sorry to make you all register again, but it has a similar feel and functions to here, so it should be more fun and better. There's a suggestions area so get in there and tell me what other categories you want to see, and if you are interested in being a moderator, pm me (over there) and tell me what category you'd like to moderate and we can set you up!
Woo hooooooooo!
[quote="jules06"]Dana, I use the Cake Art fondant, prefer it to Bakels even tho' I don't really like the taste much of either ! ( give me marzipan anyday ) OMG !! I haven't been able to get on sooner to correct MYSELF !!! If I took a pic of my kitchen / cupboards, you would see all the 7kg boxes of BAKELS fondant that I use instead of Cakeart ! 
( they don't have a smilie for - doofus ! )
In my defence,....it was late...I have 5 children....I have no brain....
So happy now the site is working again. Missed reading up on what everyone was doing. Amazing how quickly this site can become an addiction. Only thing is I tried looking at pics but kept getting an error message, spose they will fix it when the site upgrade is finished.
Can anyone help me with the following questions?
1. Does anyone know where I can get info on how to make sugarpaste gerberas? None of my cake decorating books have this. It would be great if there was an online tutorial like the one for roses.
2. I was talking to someone yesterday who said there is a really good chocolate to use for ganache. It had a name like chocex (?) and like an idiot I didn't think to ask where she got it from or how to spell it properly.
I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks
Ta Randel, I think I have a gerbera/daisy cutter in amongst my things. I was hoping to find out how to make them. I have seen some here in the galleries, so many different types. Interesting how one flower can be done so many different ways.
Thanks again for your help, much appreciated.
Ta Randel, I think I have a gerbera/daisy cutter in amongst my things. I was hoping to find out how to make them. I have seen some here in the galleries, so many different types. Interesting how one flower can be done so many different ways.
Thanks again for your help, much appreciated.
Try the following link, the FMM site has a few cutter tutorials and projects
http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/gumpaste/FMM/FMM-projects/11.htm
cheers from Sharon
So happy now the site is working again. Missed reading up on what everyone was doing. Amazing how quickly this site can become an addiction. Only thing is I tried looking at pics but kept getting an error message, spose they will fix it when the site upgrade is finished.
Can anyone help me with the following questions?
1. Does anyone know where I can get info on how to make sugarpaste gerberas? None of my cake decorating books have this. It would be great if there was an online tutorial like the one for roses.
2. I was talking to someone yesterday who said there is a really good chocolate to use for ganache. It had a name like chocex (?) and like an idiot I didn't think to ask where she got it from or how to spell it properly.
I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks
1) /here is a link for your gerberas http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/gumpaste/FMM/FMM-projects/11.htm
2)Chockex Supreme is a bakells product, I recently bough 5 kilos for about $36 from henfresh. To make your ganache you boil about 300mls of cream and add half a kilo of chocex suprem when its boiling, then turn off the heat and continue stiring till its smooth(you could probly halve this recipe for a smaller cake). Let it cool a bit so it thickens. This amount made enough to cover a 10 inch cake with left over ganache in the fridge for me to enjoy by the spoonful. I covered a caramal mud cake in ganache then popped it in the fridge overnight. I iced it in fondant last night and decorated it for a work function. Took it to work today, it was truley divine. I did the caramel top and fill in the white mudcake mix some one mentioned on here last week. Thank you for that hint, it was beautiful.
So happy now the site is working again. Missed reading up on what everyone was doing. Amazing how quickly this site can become an addiction. Only thing is I tried looking at pics but kept getting an error message, spose they will fix it when the site upgrade is finished.
Can anyone help me with the following questions?
1. Does anyone know where I can get info on how to make sugarpaste gerberas? None of my cake decorating books have this. It would be great if there was an online tutorial like the one for roses.
2. I was talking to someone yesterday who said there is a really good chocolate to use for ganache. It had a name like chocex (?) and like an idiot I didn't think to ask where she got it from or how to spell it properly.
I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks
Hi Chezz,
Not sure if this is the Chocex you were referring to but it is a Bakels product - it is called Chockex and it is only a dark compound chocolate mix - Bakels also sell the chocolate ganache in the 12.5kg pails - think it the one that Planet Cake uses. Check their website (forum)
Oops - we must have been typing at the same time.
Oh well, great minds think alike OR f....ls never differ NAH!!! we'll stick with the GREAT MINDS!!
Hi Everybody,
Hope you have all had a great day catching up on CC. I am jealous if you have been able to. Have been busy working on the 10,000 word assignment.
Desperate question,(basically because I really dont have the time to sift through a tonne of answers in the search engine)
How do I make red buttercream (hopefully that doesnt taste like crap)
I need to do and Essendon football club cake for Saturday morning, so will be working through the night Friday
Has anyone heard how Maria is? If you are reading this, I send all my very best to you. Just know that we are thinking of you.
I had DD at doctors today as she has had repeated ear infections and keeps banging her head deliberately. The ear infection has cleared but she has major fluid in both ears which is why she keeps banging her head, also explains why she isnt walking properly. (we hope) She will be going for a hearing test on Friday to see how bad it is, as she stopped talking a couple of months ago. Then depending on the results from that she may have to have a scan done to rule out anything nasty.
Oh the joys of children!!!
Cheryl
1. Does anyone know where I can get info on how to make sugarpaste gerberas? None of my cake decorating books have this. It would be great if there was an online tutorial like the one for roses.
2. I was talking to someone yesterday who said there is a really good chocolate to use for ganache. It had a name like chocex (?) and like an idiot I didn't think to ask where she got it from or how to spell it properly.
I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks
Boonenati has done a gerbera tutorial on cakecentral, here 'tis:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-21347-gerber.html
Chockex Supreme is a bakels product that you can buy from cake deco stores. It comes in 5kg or 14kg cartons. http://www.bakels.com.au/products.htm
Ok I'm just throwing my 2 cents in here, but if you have to add the boiling cream to it, why wouldn't you just use chocolate?
I use Callebaut for all my ganache, and I go through about 30 kilos every 3 months, I buy it in 10 kg bags from Creative Ingredients in Brunswick for about $150 a bag. I know it's probably more expensive than the commercial mix, but there's something about coverture chocolate that makes a ganache and a cake for that matter, just a bit more decadent.
I figure with all the crap I put into my body on a daily basis, if I'm going to eat cake, it's going to have the best possible ingredients I can find, and I just don't like to think what goes into commercial mixes, they scare me.
Anyhoo, no judgement from me, you should use whatever you like, for whatever reasons, I know when I told them at Planet Cake that I used Callebaut they looked at me like I was deranged
Obviously I'm in a serious minority if one of, nah, let's face it, the best cake makers in Australia are using mixes then they must be pretty good.
Either way I'm sticking with my scratch cakes and callebaut, I'll just charge more 
Geez what a rant from Franny, I think I need to go to bed.
Goodnight all my lovely cake friends
Thanks for the information Fran, I only asked about the Chocex because I was told it was better than just using the normal cooking chocolate that you buy from the supermarket. I will look out for the chocolate that you mentioned. At this stage, when I am only just looking for ideas, I will take any info onboard.
Have a good sleep, Fran.
Thanks for the information Fran, I only asked about the Chocex because I was told it was better than just using the normal cooking chocolate that you buy from the supermarket. I will look out for the chocolate that you mentioned. At this stage, when I am only just looking for ideas, I will take any info onboard.
Have a good sleep, Fran.
I was told about the chockex by from a lady that has a cake decorating bussiness. I am just a hobby caker doing for family, friends and whoever else askes, as I am not a proffessional decorator half of my cakes are pretty much free so if fits my cake budget. Yes It is better than the stuff you get at the supermarkets. it sets nicely and you dont need any sugar syrup when you apply your fondant it will stick nicely and it has a nice choc flavour.
Callebaut is coveture, where as chocex is a chocolate compound, it has additives to make it melt better whereas callebaut is just chocolate, its very pure. ( i used to work at koko black... i am a trained chocolate expert ) I is verrrry exxy but its worth it for decadence. glad to see everyone back, Nic i will check out your forum tomorrow after work
hugs all round x
THURSDAY is Maria's birthday... today!!! so please inundate her with pm's wishing her Happy Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA!!
Love Toni xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Thanks for the "heads up" Toni. Sent her a PM yesterday to see how she was going. Haven't heard back yet.
Big birthday wishes are blowing your way Maria...... if I knew where you were I would drop off a little goosie!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!
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