Charmed Life of a Mrs

A fresh bouquet of flowers were waiting at my desk this morning when I arrived. They came from one of my trainees who wanted to remain anonymous but (according to my workmate) profusely sent her appreciation for all the work I’ve done in running the training program that she’s attending. 

It’s made my heart tender as I start my Wednesday on a sweet note. My trainee’s thoughtful and sweet gesture made my day! I wish I could personally say thank you but nevertheless, I’m thinking good thoughts of her and will say a prayer that she’ll hopefully feel how grateful I am.

Oftentimes it’s not the grand things that make us truly happy and appreciated. I’ve always been contented and fulfilled just seeing all my trainees present in their workshops, learning new skills and improving their craft. They don’t even have to thank me for it. The mere fact that they make an effort to learn is enough for me. Knowing that I’m a part of their successful careers makes it all worthwhile. 

The past few weeks have been quite stressful at the office. Some days, I’ve lost the equilibrium I have maintained and always enjoyed. But there are two words that helped me soldier on: determination and passion. Determination is what helps me bring order in every tangled a situation there may be. Passion is my fuel, the stamina of my heart, mind and spirit. 

Receiving flowers is the icing on my cake, a bonus that can never be measured. On days when things are getting rough at work, I will go back to moments like these to inspire me to serve more.

Since I’ve been married, I never had the discipline to have facials. Other than being turned off by expensive costs of having facials here in Australia, I’d rather spend my time doing other things. However, I’m aware that it is important to take care of one’s skin especially as one gets older. Then I discovered a skin cleansing gadget called Clarisonic Mia which cleans the skin more thoroughly by using a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second.  For weeks, I studied the information in their website and read lots of reviews from beauty bloggers around the world. Then I thought of giving myself this as a Christmas present when I saw a good deal online. After two weeks, my Christmas pressie to myself arrived!

There are a few kinds of Clarisonic Mias but I chose the Clarisonic Mia 2 which has 2 speeds, a one-minute pulsing T-Timer and a protective travel case.
Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

It also came with a 30ml Clarisonic Refreshing Gel which works well with my skin as it’s gentle, doesn’t leave my skin oily and doesn’t cause me to break out.

Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2
The Clarisonic Mia 2 comes with a sensitive brush head (they have a variety of brush heads you can choose from) to easily introduce one’s skin to sonic cleansing. It is advised to change the brush head every three to four months.
Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

Charging the Clarisonic Mia 2 for the first time took 24 hours. I was very happy when the light finally signaled that it was fully-charged. 

Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2

The main reason why I opted to buy the Clarisonic Mia 2 (I really could have opted for the cheaper and basic one) was because of the protective travel case. Since this gadget is for personal grooming, I like that my Clarisonic Mia will be kept clean whenever I travel. 

Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2
Beauty Stash: The Clarisonic Mia 2
I’ve used this for almost a week now and I’m loving it. Here are a few reasons why:
  • The first time I used it, my skin felt cleaner, softer and tighter. 
  • The brushing feels gentle on the skin and yet I feel as if I’ve had a mini-facial.
  • It gets rid of blackheads on a daily basis!
  • It seemed to have made my pores smaller, resulting to a less oily skin.
  • It gives my skin a natural pinkish glow and even if I’ve worked all day, my face doesn’t look tired. 
I’m very glad with my Clarisonic Mia 2 and I consider this the best present I’ve ever given to myself. 

If you want to know more about Clarisonic Mia and their products, please check out their website.

Shared our love for Koreatown with friends two weeks ago by meeting up for Friday dinner and coffee at Strathfield.
I arrived early so I can drop by Hanaro Mart (to buy Kimchi and other Korean goodies) and have time for my ritual (coffee first before dinner).  I went to Hello Happy for some coffee and Mocha Roll. Half of the place didn’t have lights (parang brownout lang!). There was a thunderstorm earlier that day and according to the staff, it affected the electrical wirings at the back of the cafe. The tables at the back were lit by candles. Night Out with Friends at Koreatown
I initially had a cup of long black but it didn’t taste right so when the Husband arrived, I asked him to get me an iced coffee. It was kind of a warm day anyway so it was nice to cool down with something more refreshing.
Night Out with Friends at Koreatown


Dinner was with Meds and Charyn at Beauty & the Beast Cafe and Restaurant. It was a night of first times in a way. It was Meds’ first time to be at Strathfield and it was nice sharing our love for Koreatown with her. It was our first time to meet and hang out with Charyn and we’re glad to meet her.

Night Out with Friends at Koreatown
Our table spread included: Clubhouse Sandwiches and Chips, Beef Bulgogi, Pork Katsu and Bibimbap.

Dropped by Morning Glory to look at cute and colourful knick knacks.

Night Out with Friends at Koreatown


Ended the night by having drinks at My Sweet Memory (MSM).

Night Out with Friends at Koreatown
Night Out with Friends at Koreatown
Meds loved being at MSM because it’s a stationery cafe. She loves being surrounded by pretty paper and artsy stuff. I think we all do but since it was Meds’ first time to be here, we saw how fascinated she was.
Night Out with Friends at Koreatown
Night Out with Friends at Koreatown


Enjoyed the evening having great conversations and laughter, enjoying food, savouring our coffee, tea and chocolate drinks and taking photos. The Husband and I were grateful for the fun company we had that night.

It’s very seldom that I go to Starbucks now. If you follow this blog, you’d know that I’ve been frequenting other cafes when I go out. But when I had my “Me” time yesterday, I decided to reunite with my favourite seasonal beverage “Toffee Nut Latte“. Drinking this helps me feel the Christmas spirit and somehow brings me to happy memories from my other home, Manila.

The Starbucks I used to frequent had a new set of staff. I was kind of sad and missed my old barista but the new one was good as well. He made my Toffee Nut Latte perfectly sweet (no need to add sugar). 

A few musings while I was enjoying my cuppa:
Starbucks coffee is really expensive. My tall latte with whipped cream cost me about $5.30. Most cafes here charge less and taste better. I find more value buying their coffee beans and making coffee the way I like it.

Husband and I unconsciously choose to have coffee at home since we’ve had the Nespresso. And because of that we are saving money. How? We save on petrol, we save on time going out, we save on money because we are not tempted to buy things we don’t need when we’re out and most of all, the Nespresso coffee pods are cheap (a coffee pod costs between 68cents-70cents) and yet we get great quality coffee.

Drinking coffee in the Philippines is expensive. Yes while having coffee, I thought of how expensive it is to maintain a “coffee lifestyle” in the Phils. Wala lang, naisip ko lang. Let’s not do the converting of dollars to peso because that’s not the point. I just have this comparison. The money you pay to buy a tall latte in the Philippines is equivalent to a few  train rides in the MRT; while in Australia, a tall latte is equivalent to one train ride. Also, we can find a good cup of coffee in Australia from AUD$2.70 to $3.50. The Phils has cheaper alternatives but in general it still seems expensive to me. While drinking coffee (in cafes) in Australia is likened to a basic commodity, drinking coffee (in cafes) in the Phils seems like a luxury. 

So there, just a few idle thoughts of mine yesterday. Have a lovely day today!

Chalk it all up to experience,
They said i’d fail but i disagreed
Who could say then where my path would lead?
…it’s not up to me 
Just let me be legally blonde.

I’ve seen the film a couple of times and when I learned that they’ve turned it into a musical, I hoped that one day it will reach the shores of Sydney and stage here. It took awhile for that to happen and when it did, I resisted the temptation to read reviews and even listen to the soundtrack. Since this show originated from a movie, I wanted to experience the musical with only that knowledge that it was from a movie. I wanted to experience it with raw appreciation and a fresh perspective.

Legally Blonde (The Musical) is a fun and entertaining show that will remind you how great it is to have girlfriends who will always be there to share the highs and lows of your life, get over the man who broke your heart, fall in love again (with the right man this time) and celebrate the uniqueness in you. It’s such a refreshing musical that will leave you a feeling of warmth and positivity plus a certain fondness for the colour Pink 😀 (LOL).


The Songs. They’ve got catchy and easy to “sing-along with” songs. My favourites are “Omigod You Guys”, “Serious”, “Chip On My Shoulder”, “Legally Blonde” and “Find My Way”.
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
The Cast. It was great to see Lucy Durack, Rob Mills and David Harris together on stage once again. I saw them when we watched “Wicked” and they were the perfectly casted for the roles of Elle Woods, Warner Huntington III and Emmett Forest respectively. Lucy was a natural “Elle”, Rob was charming and David’s presence was very engaging. I was highly entertained by Helen Dallimore (who played Paulette) as she brought the house down with her singing and dancing and Erika Heynatz (who played Brooke Wyndham) as she captivated all of us with her strong voice, great stamina and stage presence.

The Production. The production design was well-executed as there were a lot of scene changes. The stage was colouful and added life to every scene.

We sat on second row and it was freakin’ awesome! I usually wear glasses when watching shows but I didn’t have to. The orchestra below the stage was well-within sight too. Kudos to my friend Rachel for getting the best seats. 
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
I was lucky to snap a photo of the main cast as they did the final curtain call. Note that I only used my Lumix GF1 with 20mm lens to capture this and yet it turned out clear enough. This was how close we were to stage.  The main characters (from left to right): Prof. Callaghan, Brooke Wyndham, Warner Huntington III, Emmett Forest, Elle Woods and Paulette.
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
Personal: Watching “Legally Blonde” is our way of celebrating the birthday of our dearest friend Rachel. It was a very apt way to celebrate her birthday as she is very fond of watching musicals like me and our other friend Hilda. I got her Adriano Zumbo‘s “Happy Birthday” cake and had a Din Tai Fung dinner before the show. Experiencing “Legally Blonde” was more fun and special because I watched it with two of my dearest friends. We ended the night having our favourite gelato at Messina and a walk at Darling Harbour.
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
Legally Blonde (The Musical)
Legally Blonde will stage at the Lyric Theatre of The Star until 27 January 2013. Check out their website http://www.legallyblonde.com.au/ for details and tickets or buy directly from Ticketmaster.