Yum Yum Kids - we love you!

Check out these gorgeous backpacks that we are taking with us to Cambodia in July...they are just a few of the gorgeous designs we have purchased from Kate at Yum Yum Kids in Auckland.



There are 166 of these cuties sitting in my lounge ready to be packed up and shipped to Cambodia - each student will receive one and I am told they have never had one before so I am sure they will be very loved!



There are gorgeous designs for girls and boys, big and little, I have to say my favourite would have to be the "princess" - how cute is she and believe me the colours are even more gorgeous when you see them first hand!



Kate went above and beyond with her service, finding more stock when I needed such a large number, giving us a fantastic deal on the price, and also getting her supplier on board with the freight - thank you all so much it is very much appreciated and I know there are going to be some very happy little children!

If you have littlies in your life go and check out Kate's website at http://www.yumyumkids.co.nz/

How cute are these??

These little sweeties are just a sample of the many styles that we are taking with us to Cambodia in July to give to the children of Makak. I have over 230 soft toys in my lounge at the moment ready to box up for shipping!

I am putting these sweet toys up for "adoption" on Facebook,(you can find us by logging into Facebook and searching "Kids for Cambodia Charitable Trust" and then pushing the "like" button to follow along with us - we hope you will!) and also on our blog here - if you would like to help towards the cost of these toys you can by donating $5.00NZD to our charity and we will put a tag with your chosen toy saying it was donated by you, you also get to name your chosen toy whatever you think suits! Its a great way to put a smile on a little face - I can't imagine seeing the children's face when they get a toy of their own!

If you would like to help with these toys please email me at green33@xtra.co.nz adding "Toy" into the subject line!

These toys are so cute and everyone who has seen them here at home loves them!

Take a look at the entire "family" over on our pages on the left hand side of this blog!

Update on new cookbook!

Hi everyone, as you know I had posted a while ago requesting recipes for our new fundraising cookbook which was due to be published this year.

Following the devasting earthquake in February we have decided to postpone the publication of our cookbook until next year.

We are however still accepting - and now have a longer lead in time - for collating your favourite recipes so please keep sending them in, we have already received some fantastic recipes, and some from well know celebrities as well!

So please send them through to green33@xtra.co.nz and also ask your family and friends to send them through as well - a fantastic way to help a great cause!

Just add windows and desks.....

Hi everyone, just a very short blog post today to show some new images sent through to us on the progress in Makak, Cambodia of the new classrooms.

As you can see they are almost finished, windows to be added, desks to be purchased etc...its all getting very exciting to see the progress and of course the countdown is on to the official opening in Cambodia on July 21st!

It's nearly finished!

What a proud, proud moment to see these photo's sent through to me from Cambodia by Piseth Luon our "wonder man" who has been overseeing the building of our classrooms in the village of Makak. Without his knowledge and committment we would not have been able to achieve what we have in the time frame it has been - there aren't words to express our gratitude to Piseth and the people of Makak.








Photo 1: Sophie and the RR team on a brick passing line at the beginning of construction! - Sophie is in the brown pants and navy shirt - covered up for the fierce Cambodian sun!

Photo 2: Sophie (L) and friends helping with basic english in the classroom

Photo 3: Plans for our new structure.

Photo 4: In the early stages.

Photo 5: Ready for plaster.

Photo 6: side view.

As many of you will know, not even 12 months ago when our fundraising evening took place, little did we know how much the community would be behind us in what we were trying to achieve, and the initial goal of raising funds to build some play equipment was well surpassed, then came the dream of maybe raising enough money to build a classroom, that too was surpassed and as you will see the village of Makak now has a brand new building housing two classrooms to add to the existing classroom.

You will see the construction is brick and plaster and I have two bulging photo albums here at home with photo's from the beginning of construction to the stage it is at today. It has been built in brick and not wood as the original structure is, to withstand the intense conditions a cost we were prepared to make to have a structure that would be standing for many years.

There are 166 students attending the school - 95 boys and 71 girls - and at present we are working on new school uniforms for each of them. It was very important to me that as much opportunity for the wider community of Makak was involved - in the building etc, so we have the uniforms being tailored in the village - and I have heard it has been a source of great pride for the children to line up and have their measurements taken ready for their new uniform!

On their shirts will be printed our logo "Kids for Cambodia Charitable Trust" - these are going to be printed on a label here and packed in our suitcases and sewn on when we arrive there....which brings me to the exciting part!

The official opening for the school will be July 21st 2011 which we will be attending - we are all very much looking forward to being there, seeing what has been achieved and meeting with the children that Sophie has told me so much about.

We will be working at the school before the official opening, and hope to have the builders ready to make a playground for the children - things that NZ children take for granted - swings, sandpit etc - Piseth has told me the children will be very excited to have it as they haven't had one before, and I know my 9 year old son is very excited about being part of it all!

We will be taking some time to shop in Siem Reap for back packs - all 166 of them! - to fill with new stationery, pens, pencils - and maybe a few surprises!

I can't imagine what an emotional journey it will be, and what a proud, proud moment of a lifetime we will share and I can say to everyone that has been a part of this by sponsoring, donating, or attending our fundraising evening you can all be proud that you have been a part in changing lives half a world away.

Be involved in our Cookbook!

(The above images are a wedding cupcake tower I made for Hamish & Laura's wedding - and is one of my favourite recipes!)


After the recent success of our fundraising venture for our charity - "Kids for Cambodia Charitable Trust" we have decided on our next venture and that is the publishing of a cookbook!

We have seen with our fundraising how much can be achieved with community support for the children of Cambodia and how we can further their needs for a good education.

We are very proud to say that the foundations have since gone down for a secondary school for the children of Makak, a very exciting project to be involved with as the children of this remote area have never had the opportunity for an education past the age of 10 years old.

Our vision for this project is to have a book with recipes that are family favourites, perhaps something you enjoyed from childhood and reminds you of home, or of special friends, recipes that are simple yet stylish with a fresh twist and would be at home served to family or when entertaining.

We are hoping to achieve with this book a feeling of home, a warmth and a reminder of perhaps where you learnt to cook - for me it was with my mum and grandmother - although Friday nights were always cooking fish with my dad and always served with mashed potato and homemade coleslaw!

These cookbooks of tried and true family favorite recipes are always a success, and as a passionate cook and the owner of more recipe books than I care to admit to they are ones that are turned to time and time again.

If you would like to share your favourite recipes for consideration for our cookbook we would love to have them. Final submission date is APRIL 30TH 2011 and you may submit as many recipes as you wish, just as long as they are all recipes you have made many times, work and you love.

What we would like you to do:
1: send me via email - green33@xtra.co.nz your recipe, along with a short paragraph about the recipe, perhaps where it came from, if it reminds you of a childhood memory any notes that you think are suitable, or if it is a new favourite!

2: The heading title (from below) that you see it placed into

3: Name of the recipe, serving size if applicable, plus all steps, cooking times etc.

Your name will be credited to the recipe - so a great way to hand down your recipe to your children

Recipes will be collated under these formats: (final chapters will depend on recipes submitted):
Breakfast dishes
Lunch/light dishes
Nibbles
Mains
Vegetable, sides, and salads
Desserts
Celebrations - this can mean birthdays, weddings, christmas, easter, anytime!
Baking
Pantry Basics - sauces, preserves, dressings etc - in fact if it doesn't come under the other headings!

I am also hoping to have a special chapter filled with recipes from well known chefs/resturants - including their tips and tricks!

Recipes will be chosen on ease of making, appeal, style, point of difference.

If your recipe/s are included in our book you will receive a 20% discount on the purchase price of the book. We are aiming for a pre-2011 Christmas release - so a fantastic gift to give to family and friends.

We hope you will join with us and support in the making of this fundraising cookbook venture, and please feel free to send this email onto your friends and family who may wish to share and see their recipe in print - at the same time supporting our Charity - in fact the more people you send this on to and tell about it the greater variation in recipes we will have to put into the book - lets all make this book a huge success!

Bad, Bad, Blogger!!!

Hi everyone, where has the last few months gone??? December 1st and it is the last few days before Sophie heads away on her big trip. The nerves, excitment are all starting to hit home - and thats just me - her mother! I know that Sophie is very excited about what is ahead of her and very much looking forward to it!

Well there is some fantastic news after our fundraising evening here in Ashburton at the end of July. Initially we had the dream of raising enough money to perhaps build a classroom onto the existing primary school in Makak - but - we are very proud to announce that because these children didn't previously have the opportunity of an education past the age of 10 years old, primary level, we are in the position to build a secondary school - so to give the kids an opportunity that they haven't had before is incredible - and all down to the wonderful support we have had within this amazing community of ours!

The foundations went down on November 20th so as soon as I get photo's from the village I will post them here so we can all follow the progress.

There are exciting things in the pipeline for further fundraising that I am working on, inititives that will keep the momentum going and keep the school funded and in the future build on what we have already achieved and give more children the chance of a secondary school education - something we here in New Zealand take for granted.

I will put up information on a separate post about the next venture and hope that you will join us and become involved!

Well off to pack Sophie's back pack ready for her to have her build up day on Friday with the rest of the team, and for her very early morning flight on Saturday morning!