Luckily it seems things are changing here is my list of the top five delivery services in KL:

1) Le Vin et La Femme – Wine delivery

It is wine delivered to your door do I really need to say more??

Oh ok – Le Vin et La Femme is the  brainchild of Joanne Moss who is a AIWS Diploma Graduate of WSET (Wines and Spirits Education Trust) Joanne started out conducting wine appreciation courses in Malaysia, many of her clients complained about not being able to find the wines they wanted to drink when they wanted to drink them, this inspired her to set up her online wine shop.
By signing up to her monthly news letter you will be kept informed of what is in stock and what is nice to drink in Malaysia, Joanne is not shy about let know know which wines are worth spending your money on, which wines are not and which good value wines will fool your most pretentious guest, she also offers food and wine matching suggestions and recipes. A popular favorite is her monthly recommended mixed cases!

Joanne still conducts wine appreciation courses (both beginners and advanced) which are great for social or corporate functions or simply for people who want to develop a deeper appreciation for wine.

for more information see: http://www.vinfemme.com/

2) Southern Rock Seafood -

Southern Rock seafood is one of my favorite KL finds, they have been importing fresh seafood to KL and selling wholesale to hotels and restaurants since 2008, but in 2010 they opened their retail store in Bangor with ………. drum roll……….. excellent delivery service.

Fresh fish, shucked oysters, fresh  smoked trout/salmon, scampi, mussels delivered to your door!

Southern Rock will prepare the fish to your specifications and deliver in individual vacuum sealed packs, I normally get a whole fish cut into 150g steaks what I am not using on the day I freeze.

There is a RM200 minimum for free delivery (otherwise there is a RM 25 charge) you You can also visit them at their shop in Bangsar : 34 Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar
ph: 1800 88 3474
for more info visit: http://www.southernrockseafood.com/about.php

3) Lelong Malaysia – EPSON printer ink and office supplies

Lelong Malaysia seems to sell just about everything but it was my endless search for replacement Epson ink cartridges led me to http://www.lelong.com.my/ great service, 2-3 day delivery! No more trolling computer and office supply shops who never seem to have the printer model or colour of ink I need, another bonus is the ink cartridges work out to about RM 10 cheaper than I was paying in the shops when I could actually find them.

4) Zalora – clothing and shoes!

If you have been anywhere on the web or watched any Malaysian television you have no doubt seen advertisements for zalora.com, I felt it was my duty as a budding blogger to test their services for research purposes so I hastily ordered myself two dresses.
The service from start to finish was quick easy and efficient. I love that you can pay cash on delivery and items are delivered within 2 days. Unlike most shopping in Malaysia, Zalora has a good exchange policy you have 30 days to send back any item for exchange or credit note.

The dresses I ordered, I didn’t love them the material was cheaper than it appeared in the photo, but I didn’t hate the dresses either, originally I planned to return them and by some nice Nine West wedges I saw on the site, but 30 days passed before I sent my items back so I kept the dresses and have worn them a couple times.

They have a wide range in products, price and brand I do think trying Zalora.com is a good thing but like any shopping keep in mind you get what you pay for if the dress is cheap it will be made with cheap material!

Happy shopping:  http://www.zalora.com.my

5) Babydash – Baby essentials delivered to your door!

BabyDash began when Shan and Lavi, two busy mothers noted there were no online shops that delivered diapers and milk at competitive prices, these momprenuers  thought there was a great niche and a need to help make parents’ (who are permanently busy) lives simpler. They sell diapers, milk, wipes and lots of other baby products, they set themselves apart from other online stores by offering products customers need on a regular basis delivered to their doors at competitive prices.
For more info see: http://www.babydash.com.my

PJ Live Arts is a well known venue for quality Children’s productions but you may not know about an exciting new project called :The Jaya One Children’s String Orchestra

The Jaya One Children’s String Orchestra is open to all children (of any ability) up to the age of 12 studying the violin, viola, or cello, and who would benefit from the experience of playing in an orchestra in this early stage of their music education.

Mr Woon Ngok Kin from House of Violins will conduct the weekly rehearsals (on Saturday afternoons)  which will culminate in public concerts at the PJ Live Arts Theatre twice a year.

We love the idea of bringing children of all levels of ability together by music and offering them a chance to work towards a common goal.  Hats of to PJ live arts for getting behind this great project.

To reserve a spot contact:

PJ Live Arts registration via box office (12pm-7pm daily)
phone: 03 79600439
mobile: 017 2289 849

For more information see: http://www.pjlivearts.my/?tribe_events=childrens-string-orchestra-3

Dr. Louise Porter Conference in Kuala Lumpur 2013
Title: Social Skills, Social Problems and Bullying
Date: March 2, 2013
Venue: Garden International School
Time: 9am to 4pm

To purchase tickets: http://drlouiseporterkl2013.eventbrite.hk/#

Dr Louise Porter has extensive experience consulting with parents and practitioners about children‘s developmental and social or emotional challenges.  She worked for ten years in disability and mainstream settings and lectured at university in South Australia for 13 years in early childhood, special and gifted education, and behaviour management.
Patron of the Hong Kong Gifted Children’s Association, she is a sought-after speaker nationally and internationally and has published widely, with her books including: Young children’s behaviour, Student behavior, Gifted young children, Teacher-parent collaboration, and a parenting course, A guidance approach to discipline.

For information on Dr Louise Porter or her publications see:  http://www.louiseporter.com.au/

Food List

duck foie gras …..RM195.00/250g.
Rich in flavour and smooth in texture, this delicacy is best enjoyed on lightly toasted bread, or in a salad accompanied by port jelly.

chicken liver pâté …..RM6.00/100g. A creamy spreadable pate, this is a cheaper alternative to foie gras but just as delicious

country pâté …..RM55.00/kg. A full-flavoured country style pate made with pork

caillette …..RM6.00/piece. Hearty meatballs (150 to 200gr) made with pork and cabbage; a speciality of Ardèche

Couenne sausages …..RM39.00/kg. Pork meat and skin sausage; another speciality of Ardèche

Duck Confit …..RM 36.00/2 legs. Tender duck legs slowly cooked in its own rendered fat

salmon gravlax …..RM220.00/whole or RM9.50/100g. Whole salmon fillets cured in dry herbs and spices; a special recipe of Tsar Nicolas II.

tapenade …..RM9.90/100g. A purée of olives, capers and anchovies, best served on toast for apéritif

tomme en salade …..RM11.00/100g Creamy fresh cheese specially prepared with garlic and herbs to accompany steamed
potatoes and fresh garden salad; also a speciality of Ardèche

Escargot …..RM38.50/1 dozen. In their shells and oven-ready, stuffed with butter, garlic, and parsley,

*oysters:
Fresh oysters air-flown from France
fine de claire no. 2…..RM156.00/24pc
.RM300.00/50pc
fine de claire no. 3…..RM132.00/24pc
RM250.00/50pc

*free range chicken….. RM23.00/kg

*capon…..RM65.00/kg

*rabbit…..RM48.00/kg

macaron…..RM43.00/box of 12 RM88.00/box of 25
A delicate meringue and almond based dessert with a ganache filling (Flavours: raspberry, coffee cognac, chocolate, bounty, lemon, pecan)

Lemon Tart…..RM45.00/tart
Classic tart with a creamy lemon filling with just the right balance between sweet and sour

Pecan Pie…..RM65.00/pie
A delicious pie with rich, dense, and chewy filling loaded with toasted caramelized pecans

*cheese …..More than 150 varieties available from around the world.

Note: All products (except *) are homemade.

I have to say there’s not that many concerts that come to KL that i’d seriously consider attending, but these guys are true global superstars. Although my children may not agree, their music is timeless, unforgettable and their catalogue of hits huge. It wouldn’t be a struggle for most people to easily name at least six of their songs. I’d say its as easy as ‘ABC’…..!!

So….’Can you feel it?’…. if so all ticket purchases and concert information can be found by calling 03 7880 7999
Or visit http://www.ticketpro.com.my

From 29 Nov 2012 – 1 Jan 2013 at IPC Main Concourse.
For more information, visit www.barbie.com/princessandpopstar

Check out what else is happening at IPC this Christmas

Christmas Activities

To add to the fun a group of young rockers called Little Big Club Band are onstage with the characters providing lots of interactive fun and a concert-like atmosphere!

As usual, notice for these activities is short as it’s on this weekend, Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December with three shows each day. Tickets are priced from RM150 to RM 350. So, hurry up and get yourself along to Pienary Hall, KL Convention Centre on Jalan Ampang. Bookings can be made by calling TicketsPeople Hotline on 03-2287 2727 or you can visit http://www.ticketspeople.com for all the information and to book online.

Anyway, that was the easy part! Actually finding a kick-boxing class in KL that catered for kids was not as straight forward as i thought. Secondly, i needed a class close to our home. Luckily I contacted Extreme Kickboxing in Plaza Damas Sri Hartamas and was told to bring my son along and take a look and I have to say both myself and son couldn’t have been happier!

Master Bathi who runs the classes is very friendly and welcoming (as were all the students), which was especially important as my son was easily the youngest there. The class ranged from my son at 11 years to 25. I wondered if this would be daunting for him but Master Bathi praised and encouraged him all the time, even stopping the class at one point so they could all watch how well he was performing the movements! What a great way to engage a child. So, that was it, my son was hooked and desperate to join up. He’s already taken his first belt!

The cost for kick-boxing is RM180 a month and classes are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6pm-7pm and you can go to as many classes as you want. They also offer Taekwondo classes and I watched in awe at very young children performing intricate moves and best of all wearing black belts!

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Real Christmas Trees are available a a handful of outlets in KL between now and Christmas.

Ikea imports Spruce trees which are a little too skinny for my liking but they are the most cost effective Christmas tree in KL with 1.6m tree RM 149 and 2.5m tree RM 189
http://www.ikea.com/my/en/#

While we are on the subject of Christmas there is no better place than Ikea to stock pile Christmas wrapping paper, napkins, party plates, and decorations they have it all.

Floristika which is a wholesale gardening shop tucked away behind Jln Marroff in Bangsar has nice fat and full (Fir) trees imported from the US at reasonable prices, discounts on all trees ordered before Nov 30. The have a wide range of sizes and prices vary accordingly.
4/5 feet at RM218
5/6 feet at RM298
6/7 feet at RM328
7/8 feet at RM428
8/9 feet at RM662
9/10 feet at RM1,126

Floristika is located at No 16, Jalan Liku Off Jalan Riong, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.  (you can see the big sign whilst driving on Jalan Maroff towards Bangsar Village before from Jalan Bangsar) Call 03-2287 6113 for inquiries.

BIG Supermarket and Jason’s food hall also carry Christmas trees they looked the exact same to me as the ones from Floristika the only difference being the price which starts at RM 550 and reaches over RM 1000 – too much for this Christmas Elf!