KEEP IT IN THE PHAMLY

When I first moved in with Boyfriend Pham he was persistent to the point of being annoying that I keep up with my weekly dinner with the girls. Why was he so desperate to get me out of the house? What was he doing without me? Eating family packs of potato chips? Watching porn? He is supportive of Girls Night because he knows and has dated girls who didn’t have a close-knit friendship with other women so their worlds revolved, a little unhealthily, around their boyfriends.

Girls Night in practicality is a night in at one of our humble abodes where we wear cute Peter Alexander PJs (not me - too lazy to pack PJs), drink wine (except me - too allergic to alcohol), and order-in dinner. Girls Night in actuality is a sanctuary. A place where we feel safe to talk about anything and everything going on in our lives. We support one another whether it’s through sympathising and sharing a similar experience so our friends don’t feel alone in what they’re going through, or giving some tough love and sharing advice we know they won’t want to hear but need to.

There is no such thing as oversharing at Girls Night. We talk about bodily functions, our relationships and dating, growing or failing friendships, our career development and changes at work, our living situations, pets, parents, and family. Whatever is on our minds, gets aired at Girls Night to a room of supportive, loving friends.

While I call mine Girls Night, yours can take any shape or form. It could be a social sport, or nights out on the town, or a book club. If it’s frequent enough to be called a regular thing, then you’ve got yourself a Girls/Boys/Friends Night. A time to look forward to, somewhere to socialise, have fun and share whatever’s going on in your life with people who matter and care.

I've worked in the retail industry long enough to know that supply and demand is a thing. But I don't really acknowledge that popular things are real until they enter my world. Introducing the Contigo Travel Mug.

I used to drive to work with a Keep Cup with hot tea but because it was hot, I couldn’t close the lid lip. It surprisingly only ended in a couple of spills for the year I did that. And then I met Contigo Travel Mugs at Biome.

The clever autoseal lid means no accidental spills; perfect for a klutz like me. Plus, hot drinks stay hot and cold drinks stay cold for hours on end. I learned the hard, tongue-burning way the first time I used my Contigo mug to leave the lid off for a little bit before sealing hot drinks inside.

I also learned the expensive, lid ruining way that you must rinse the lid as soon as you finished drinking your tea or coffee if you use soy milk ‘cause that shit sticks to the spring structure of the autoseal and will eventually ruin the lid after months of regular use. I had to buy me a new Contigo mug, and while I was at it, I got Dad Pham one too so he could have hot coffees by the lake on our Sunday walks.

These days, I have halved my work commute thanks to earlier work hours to avoid peak, peak hours and moving a tad closer to the office. I no longer sip tea for an hour each morning so my contigo mug instead keeps cold water cold for the warm drive to and from work, and for my gym sessions. It’s a fun time. Cannot recommend these mugs enough.

I have a new boy in my life; his name is Marco and he's my first ever brand new car. In case you haven't guessed from his name, this blog post title or the photo, he's a Volkswagen Polo. Named after Marco and Polo - the two crows that used to sit on the fence outside my bedroom / home office and keep me company while I worked from home and went stir crazy and started conversing with crows.

I've only ever driven second hand cars, and until the latest Getz all of them were bombs that Mum Pham and Dad Pham scrimped and saved to buy. Us Phamlings shared the cars because neither of our parents can drive. It was, how you say, the pits. Mum and Dad did so much to try and provide for us with the little they had. I wish Mum could see me now. I can afford a fancy European car that was Made in Germany like me!

I went with a VW Polo after my partner recommended it, and we rode in the back of his friend's GTI where I learned they've updated the chassis so it's not boxy and cramped like older models. It was the first car I test drove and the only one I test drove because I fell in instant love. Polos are a dream to drive. Everything is so well-made and has a luxe feel without the price tag. The Germans sure know good, efficient design. It is hands-down the best quality, small car in its price range ($19,999-$24,999 for the trendline with a few extras).

My Marco is so shiny, and new, and has so much tech that I was intimidated by him for the first couple of weeks until I finished reading the 400 page manual, of which, half wasn't relevant to my Marco because I got the basic, trendline model (still very fancy) but not feature packed liked the upgrades. Even so, after reading more information than I needed to, I understood Marco's tech isn't there to judge me for bad driving, it's there to assist me and keep me safe.

Except: I wish I didn't have him measuring me because I am obsessed with good stats (hence, fitness tracker life). I avoid zoomies in Marco even though he's so very fast to accelerate with his 1.0L Turbo engine. Gotta keep my eco stats high to stay fuel efficient! And that means accelerating steadily. Sigh. I refuse to use the stop/start engine; I know it's an eco feature to save fuel but I don't like the slight delay in accelerating and the jerk it adds to starting the car. Plus, I can't imagine it's good for the battery to stop/start so often in peak hour traffic.

I learned this year that I don't hate the gym; I just never knew how to use them for my benefit so I thought they weren't for me.

My boyfriend introduced me to gym life again earlier this year. However, he had no idea how to dumb his workouts down enough for me, an office pleb who did swimming and beginner dance to remain on the outskirts of unfit. After the first sessions with Boyfriend I couldn't walk properly for a week, so he introduced me to his friend and trainer, Elliot Burton who runs Physique Academy. He's based in Perth but does online training as well as in-person training.

Who knew Personal Trainers can show you how to make the most of a workout? Not me! My first, last, and only experience with a PT had been at a Snap Fitness and the chick didn't read her audience right. I woke up with a crook neck and couldn't go back to the gym for two and a half weeks, and Little Sissy Pham could barely walk. Never again! I said.

Then I started doing personalised Physique Academy workouts this year. Elliot eased me in with his personalised program, getting me used to the movements, and using muscles I didn't know I have. Physique Academy is based in Perth so my training is managed remotely. I have a training sheet to follow, and whenever I don't know how to do something I can hit up the Physique Academy Facebook group and Elliot will post a video demonstrating and explaining the move.

Now I gym more than my significant other. Sure, he plays basketball and does basketball training sessions that would probably make me vomit and pass out, but I go to the gym more so I win this round! This is the strongest I've ever been. in my day to day life things that used to be cumbersome like refilling the water cooler are now easy. Instead of awkwardly carrying/hugging one bottle, I carry one in each hand up the mother effen stairs. Little Sissy Pham looks at me legs, and exclaims "Whoa you're so tough now."

I've been sick for 6 weeks - run down from juggling work, house move, car hunt, and then Dad Pham had a hospital scare (he's fine, just a dizzy spell). But I'm back in the gym now and it's the best time.

If you've ever felt like me and thought gym isn't for you, it might be the workouts you're doing are not for you. Hit up a professional. I, of course, recommend Physique Academy. He knew how to ease this frumpy office potato into gym life.

Let's talk about balls. Massage balls in cars, specifically.

The great thing about dating someone whose family is very different to the people I know is I get exposed to new ideas. One night while a relative from New Zealand was in town, we went over to their motel for burger dinner. They were in Brisbane for a track & field event (yeah, I know - no way would we have crossed paths if my boyfriend wasn't a relation) and for half the night they talked about work in the sports field.

The dad demonstrated different deep muscle stretches on the kids who were staying in another room but came over for dinner. I thought they were awkward because they are teens for a start, and then teens being bent every which way in front of strangers. It wasn't until after we'd left that I learned those weren't their kids. They were traveling together for the track & field event but the couple's own kids were back in New Zealand. That would explain why the kids were extra awkward being massaged in front of total strangers.

Anyway, during the night I learned that you can sit and lean on massage balls while you're driving. Mind blown. I hadn't thought to do muscle work while driving but it makes total sense. I've been driving with one for nearly a year now, and it's the best thing ever. I arrive at work more awake because I've stimulated blood flow. And then I arrive at home feeling relaxed because I've worked out the knots from sitting and standing at a computer all day long.

I'm passing on this good advice from my boyfriend's people-bending relatives. They know what's what. I have a spiky ball so sometimes when I get over enthusiastic it looks like someone's beaten me with a meat hammer on the back, but a smooth massage ball or tennis ball will work just as well, and probably leave less damage if you go too hard.

I used to dress like a toddler's dream in glittery rainbow unicorn everything. Anything bright, colourful and shiny that caught my eye would join my wardrobe. Essentially, I dressed like I was destined to visit the Unicorn Store, and sometimes I still do but usually only on weekends. Last year my preferences changed so I went through a movie maker to make my colours less crazy, and more subtle.

After 30+ years on earth I wanted to dress more my age in the office. I mean, they say to dress the part and my part is no longer new kid on the block, I'm in a senior role because I got old and gained experience. Suddenly I'm in a position where I don't feel comfortable wearing short Garfield dresses or fruity tops and bottoms or fruit in general to work.

This change was also spurred by watching my boyfriend go to a new job looking sharp in dress pants and a button-up every day. There's something nice about looking smart. Then when he got a work uniform, seeing him come home and change into his casual clothes to relax was also very appealing. I haven't really had that separation between work me and home me for most of my life because I've worked in street fashion and music where casual clothes is the uniform. Most people probably wish they could be more themselves at work. Me? I wish I was less homely at work.

These days I've added clean lines, simpler patterns, and solid colours to my work wardrobe. I found a nicely cut, plain dress that I bought in three colourways that I call my 'work uniform.' And have some mix and match tops and skirts so I don't always wear the same outfit to work. I still get the urge to buy bright colours, clashing prints and crazy patterns but when I do, I remind myself I barely wear my current unicorn clothes anymore. Movie makeovers don't happen overnight but they do happen. For me, it took about 6 months to slowly gather work wardrobe staples until one day I realised I hadn't dressed like a kid at work in weeks. Look at me... finally growing up.

I'm a feminist but I bought lipstick that doesn't transfer because my boyfriend told me to. Well, he told me about them after yet another smooch left us both looking like clowns.

I didn't really have a need for lip colour that won't budge before now because you don't smooch much when you're single and failing at online dating. Also, I only got into bold lips since I traveled Europe and saw so many glamourous ladies walking along cobbled streets in their heels in chic outfits and perfect make up. And I thought to myself, there's no way in hell I'll wear heels every day, but makeup I can do.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick is the bomb. The pigments are gorgeous and the colour stays put during my morning coffee, Voost, and protein shake. For darker shades like Vino I always reapply after lunch because I find just touching up can look splotchy. For lighter shades like my go-to nude FIA, sometimes I get away with not reapplying all day - and only need a touch up if my lunch is greasy.

I find the matte formula drying, and I wish it didn't accentuate the wrinkles in my lips, but I still love the overall look of matte colour. If anyone knows of matte lippy that doesn't dry your lips or transfer colour please hit this sister up.

I've only tried one brand so far so can't give you a comparison, but I bought a set of six minis in a limited edition gift set over Xmas. I work in a fashion office with trendy kids who live and breathe fashion, and they always compliment every new Stila lip shade I try. It's just a very flattering range.

Once upon a time the FitBit Charge ruled my life. After a couple of years the rubber band crumbled and was too warped to charge so I stopped the fitness tracking thing. Then last year when I started up my walking again, I looked for a fitness tracker that did all the things I wished my Fitbit would do.

My wish list looked something like this:

• Doesn't look like a fitness tracker.
• Or a chunky sports watch.
• Easy to charge.
• Long lasting battery.
• Replaceable wristband.
• Progress indicator so I don't waste time pushing buttons and wasting battery to see how I am tracking.
• Simple app.
• Syncs with Google Fit.
• Sleek minimalist design so it won't age poorly.
• Small enough for my delicate (scrawny) wrists.

I'm not asking for much, right? While I was wowed and distracted by the shiny designs of Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Guess hybrid smartwatches; the tech and specs didn't meet my selection criteria. Only one watch did and I didn't even know it existed until I researched the crap out of hybrid watches: the Nokia Steel HR (same watch as the Withings Steel HR but with a different logo on the face).

Sleek design - I bought the Black/Black version because I like how the digital screen and the daily progress indicator look like regular watch dials until you look closer. I have the smaller 36mm face for my tiny wrists.

Wristband - It came with a nice matte rubber band that I thought I'd replace but instead have kept it because it looks really nice, and not cheap like other rubber bands I've seen.


Easy to charge, long lasting battery - I opted for the HR version not because I wanted heart rate monitor, though it's a bonus, but I wanted a rechargeable watch. My Steel HR lasts about 3-4 weeks depending on how much activity I track on it - ping pong, weights, walks, runs (jogs, really), dance. The battery charges super fast and it gives me plenty of warnings via light vibrations so I know it put it on charge when I get to couch at home one night. You just lay the watch on top of the charger so no issues or awkward angles to plug a chord into the back of the watch like with my old FitBit.

Simple app - The watch uses Nokia's HealthMate app, which took little configuration to set up how I wanted it. And the data usually syncs to Google Fit without an issue. It doesn't sync heart rate info however so if that's a deal-breaker for you then this watch is no-go.

Notifications - I don't use this because for a logical reason I can't fathom, the watch only alerts me when my phone is on do not disturb, and not when it's on silent. But when my phone is on do not disturb, it means I don't want to be disturbed.

Sleep tracking - it was cool for the first few days until I developed a rash and boyfriend said what's the point of sleep data anyway if I don't use it to better my sleep. So I stopped wearing it at night because the sweat rash I get is real gross, itchy and painful.

Water resistant - You can wear this in the pool to track swims but if course I moved into the one Brisbane suburb whose public pool closed down so I don't use this feature.

I love my little watch and have an epic watch tan to prove it. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a reliable, easy to use hybrid watch.

I was an Elle McPherson Intimate Collections fan for the longest time. Things changed when they rebranded with Heidi Klum and the materials and construction lost their quality feel, while the price tag stayed the same. Once I wore my Elle McPherson to death, it was time to find a new favourite.

I don't know any women who enjoy bra shopping. It's always a gamble taking bras into a change room because what looks cute and comfy (rare combo for me) instead pinches in places you forget you have nerves or has room enough in the cup to store multiple socks and maybe a kitten. It took weeks of bra-testing across too many stores in all of the malls before I found my match: the Pleasure State My Fit OMB Super Boost push-push up bras.

I am small-boobed and wear a push up bra that doesn't so much push up as it helps me fill the cup so it doesn't look like I'm a kid playing costume in my mum's bras. The Pleasure State My Fit OMB super boost cup is lined with suede which is soft and comfortable, and the shape holds you in nicely without leaving a cavern between where your boob meets the cup edge. I have, of course, bought multiple quantities in multiple colourways - black, nude, white, blue, grey and red. I'm also eyeing the green, pink and purple. So many options!

Dad Pham used Little Sissy Pham's old, pink Motorola flip phone and would never have changed phones if it weren't for the whole 2G network becoming obsolete. For some reason (laziness) I left it to Little Sissy, the least techie of the three Pham siblings, to find Dad's next phone. She got Dad an Aspera F24 Seniors Big Button Flip Phone. The phone says it's for seniors but Dad found the user interface counterintuitive and the sound too quiet for his failing hearing. Dad struggled with it for nearly a year thinking his troubles with the phone were his failing to adopt new technology, but really the new technology was failing him. When he remembered how to turn on loudspeaker, the sound was fuzzy and hard to hear. Finally, he gave up and let us get him a new phone.

Round 2 started with Little Sis calling me an idiot for letting her choose Dad's phone and I should have done it. She's right. This time I went on the hunt for a seniors friendly phone that was intuitive, easy to use, and LOUD. I found the Olitech Easy Mate+ phone via intensive googling and research. There aren't too many phones for Seniors on the market and most seemed too much like the dudAspera F24. The Olitech Easy Mate+, however, is designed and produced by people who have worked in occupational therapy, and orthotics and prosthetics so they understand the accessibility challenges of technology for people who are less able-bodied.

Unfortunately, no big tech stores seem to have picked up this handset so I couldn't have a look at it in person before buying. Instead, I took a punt and ordered the phone direct from Olitech online. Worth it.

Dad loves his new phone and I do too. These days I can clearly hear Dad squirming to hang up on me. He's not a big talker so our calls are always super efficient and all about agreeing on logistics for Phamly plans, and occasionally an appointment or social event he needs one of us to taxi him to.

The sound quality on the Olitech Easy Mate+ is clear and loud. The buttons are nice and big. The user interface is easy to use because it's intuitive and logical. I only had to show Dad how to do things once and he got the hang of it. It's well thought out and designed. I cannot recommend this phone enough to seniors who just want a phone they can use to make calls and text.

I tried not to get my hopes up in case I was disappointed, but with the many glowing reviews from the American premiere by the time Australia's opening night came around I was stupidly excited to see a Hollywood romcom featuring Asian actors from around the world. The anticipation was killing me. So soon after I discover the magic of To All The Boys I've Loved Before and my newly acknowledged need for representation, my little heart could barely handle the excitement.

Now normally I'm disappointed when a movie session I planned to see is SOLD OUT but when I rocked up early and saw there were no tickets left I was ecstatic. The movie is popular! The girls and I booked ahead at the nearest cinema (we'd learned our lesson), scoffed some dinner then hurried over to the nearest cinema where we laughed and teared up (of course, I cried) with the rest of the audience.

One viewer whistled in appreciation when a male character stepped out of the shower. The first of many delightful shirtless scenes where an Asian male was depicted as sexy and desirable instead of the usual unappealing dork. It was refreshing to see Asian actors play well-written characters that had depth. You understood their motivations and actions so could connect with them. There was no tokenism or cheap jokes that relied solely on stereotypes.

Crazy Rich Asians is at the heart of it a really good romantic comedy. Don't go into the film feeling you have to be crazy, rich or asian to enjoy it. It's a love story that's visually stunning because a lot of the film is in Singapore and not the Western cities we are used to seeing in Hollywood films.

I cried so hard watching To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix this week, a film based on the book by Jenny Han, which I haven't read yet but the trilogy is now on my to-read list.

I was embarrassed because it's such a sweet and funny TEEN movie so I didn't understand my feels. Why so emotional about a cute teen coming of age story? That night I went to bed still thinking about the film. The next morning I rewatched it because I'd enjoyed it so much the first time and also to see if I could figure out what about it intrigued me so.

I related to a film that had close to zero resemblance to any part of my life as a frumpy, grumpy, anti-social teenager. If anything, adult me is more like the lead character - I'm sensible yet emotionally naive and found myself in a 'second best / fake best' situation with a boy. But that's not why I loved the film so much.

As a tween I used to obsessively write fictional stories with teen girls as the lead characters. I have no idea if they were any good and they are all long gone because I wrote them on a typewriter and those pieces of paper were probably trashed by Dad Pham. He always threw out our homework as kids. I never realised until now that all of my fictional characters were white. That was all I read in books as a kid, that was all I knew. Representation is so important.

Watching To All The Boys I've Loved Before, I cried for younger me who would have admired and adored an Asian-American character like Lara Jean. I cried for what I missed out growing up, that feeling of belonging and acceptance. I cried because younger generations like my nieces will have books and films like this and realise they have a place in this world. They are not 'other', they are not invisible. I am so grateful to Jenny Han and Netflix and Lana Condor (who has Vietnamese heritage - woo)! Fingers crossed the other books in this series get adapted for film.

I'm going to see the movie Crazy Rich Asians on opening night with my (Not So) Single Ladies Valentine's Day Birthday posse. Wish me luck. I bet I'm going to cry like a baby.

After a year of ups and downs, I'm craving peace and calm. I look forward to not doing much for a while, please and thank you. I'm at my most relaxed lazing in bed so I finally took the plunge and sunk hundreds of dollars into fresh sheets and quilt covers. Boyfriend got me into top sheets when I used to crash at his, and I've since upgraded all my sheets to nice sets. It's 1000TC or nothing, baby!

I have been sleeping on soft, silky, sublime, hotel quality bed sheets and it is life changing. I can't believe I waited so long to do this. So many nights of luxurious sleep wasted! I could never afford this in my early days of minimum wage employment, but I earned enough to this year finally pay off the last of my HECS debt so it's about time I treat myself. There are some perks to being an adult.

I've had crummy bargain bin sheets my whole adult life because I never upgraded them since moving to Melbourne as a poor graduate. As a result I have slept on ratty, old sheets for over a decade. They are so worn down the threads have a lot of dye so it's streaked with white and discolour. If you can afford to give a shit about sheets, please do.
The downside to having unbelievably comfy bedsheets is it makes getting out of bed even harder in the mornings. Lucky Boyfriend starts work early so I feel guilty staying in bed for too long when he's up and atom.

I never knew I took soup for granted until I started dating the soup nazi. No, he doesn't make amazing soup and withhold it as punishment for misbehaving. He hates soup as a food category because he has terrible taste (why do you think he likes me?) and we eat dinner together so I now never eat soup for dinner. Noodle soups, hearty soups, chunky soups, wonton soups, laksa, gia ri (Vietnamese curry) - none of these are in his realm of edible foods. It kills me.

Before this I never carried soup to work because it's messy and I only had cheap takeaway containers that aren't spill proof. Since soup for dinner is no longer an option, I'm eating more and more soup for lunch at work because my cravings are next level especially during winter.

I had a couple of spillage issues on the way to work with my regular cheapo takeaway tubs so I went to my old favourite, Biome, to get a soup-friendly reusable food container. Hello, Thermos. I don't need it to be insulated because there's a microwave at work but boy-oh, it's sooo nice to travel with and I like having the option to take hot or cold foods with me on a picnic that I won't share with the boyfriend because he doesn't do soup.

My Thermos Funtainer Food Jar in Charcoal (470ml) came with a folded metal spoon in the top compartment but I took that out since we have cutlery at work. Instead, I fill it with fresh garnish like spring onion and chilli or coriander and fried shallots instead. I've level upped my office food game this month. Yay me.

One thing I've learned transitioning from a small business where it's usually me and the owner then maybe another colleague or two to medium and corporate offices is that shared spaces with five colleagues and more is never a good time. There are always the clean freaks, the careless and the adult kids whose parents never taught them any better. Put the spectrum in one space and sparks, in the form of passive aggressive signs, fly to no avail.

Don't get me wrong. I'm on the passive aggressors' side. Clean up after yourself, follow Dan Savage's relationship advice - leave the campsite better than you found it... There shouldn't be the need to put up signs instructing people to be decent human beings. Why am I picking old banana peels and plastic bags out of the recycling bin when someone put up a sign that explicitly explains what can and cannot be recycled? Ew!

One of my favourite signs in the office though is in the toilet cubicle. There's a not so secret war against whoever is not replacing the toilet paper roll. Something about the sign combined with the toilet paper brand name 'Who Gives A Crap' gives me the giggles. Clearly the culprit does not give a crap when they take a crap. Not knowingly at least.

The culprit is still wiping right by wiping at all because the more toilet paper we use, the more Who Gives A Crap can contribute to building toilets for the less fortunate. We take toilets and toilet paper for granted in Australia but it's crucial for hygiene and health.

Work uses the regular Who Gives A Crap toilet paper but I am a Premium subscriber because I want only the best for my bum cheeks given the choice. The subscription is 100% flexible - you can log in online and change the next delivery date if you have too little or too many toilet rolls left. They come in boxes of 48 so prepare to store a big box of toilet rolls. I build a pyramid next to my bed currently but when I move to my own place this weekend I'm going to stake a spot and claim if for Who Gives A Crap toilet paper storage. I also use their facial tissues. I tried the paper towel but it's not very absorbent so I haven't ordered more. The delivery service is super quick and free to metro areas. Plus, their customer service team is excellent - I've canceled subscriptions before to change my order and both times I contacted them, they were quick to respond, helpful and stupidly friendly. These people give a crap and so should you.

I've been dying my hair black since my early 20s. I don't know what I was missing in my diet or if it was all the stress of being zen but I've had grey hairs for as long as I can remember. That said, I have a terrible memory and can't remember much about most things including university even though I'm still paying off that debt - good one, brain, you waste of money; high school; and childhood. I do remember having grey hairs in early high school though so I may have had them in primary school and only noticed once I hit puberty and self-consciousness in high school.

I used to have bright red hair back in the day which was a high cost, high maintenance time in my life. These days I dye my own hair using a supermarket dye because black is easy peasy; it's an all over even colour, and very low maintenance.

I swim 2-3 times each week and chlorine dries my hair out something awful so I need a hair dye that is gentle enough not to wreak havoc on my already damaged head. Schwarzkopf Perfect Mousse is the gentlest permanent dye I've found. I've been using the black 1-0 shade every 5-6 weeks for years and have had no issues with it. I am a messy person due to clumsiness so I have accidentally dyed things that aren't my hair using regular dye pastes. The foam is super easy to apply and manage, and if you do manage to get it somewhere it's not supposed to be (like a bathroom wall) because it's gentle, you have time to wash it away without staining.

Chemist Warehouse has them for $8.99 ($6 less than the RRP). Bargain!

Besides things like family and a handful of friends, the next longest relationship I've had in my life is with iPhones. I made the switch from Android to Apple back in 2011, and never thought I'd come back but here I am.

World, meet my new long-term potential, the OnePlus 5t. I wouldn't know this phone existed except work filed me under nerd and sat me with the IT & Development teams so I'm surrounded by tech heads - all of whom now have a OnePlus 5 or 5t phone. They tell me it's the amalgamation of features the premium phones like Samsung, iPhone and Google but at about half the price. I got the pimped up OnePlus 5t with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage on sale for AU$750.

I wish I'd move back to Android sooner. So much freedom, more functionality and better user experience all around. Guess that's what comes of giving developers more freedom. There is risk with open-source platforms where anyone can make anything so I keep to the trusted apps from mainstream, well-known companies.

I should have had ditched iPhone after my 4 because the 6 Plus was disappointing. The camera is awful - it's so bad that when I compared it to my sister's iPhone 6, I thought mine was broken so I brought it back to Apple who said no, the pixelated grainy image is the camera working normally. The OnePlus camera is crispy as and handles low light situations so well. You'll see the difference on my blog photos in coming months. The selfie is the front-facing camera. The cat photo below is main camera. Crispy!

The only downside of my OnePlus is no one will replace my handset if something goes awry because I got it online from GearBest (China). But if you don't want to risk it to save a few hundred bucks, you can get it locally from Kogan.com. Go forth and OnePlus!

You should totally try ballet if you want to ache all over, all the time. Oh god, why does it hurt so much? I exaggerate. It's been over 2 months of classes now with Queensland Ballet and my body is handling ballet better. In fact, I feel stronger, and have used my new knowledge of how my muscles work to improve my swimming technique. Bi-winning!

But boy-oh, the first week back in ballet, everything hurt SO much. I did the free trial class at the start of the year to see if I could get to class on time coming from work. And also to see if my old, inactive, inflexible joints could handle it. My thighs, my butt, my hips, my core (who knew I had a core?), my arms - it hurt to sit, stand, and move. I could barely think without flinching the next day after class, but I knew that was a good thing so I' enrolled in the 8 week Ballet Basics course, and now I take casual beginner ballet classes throughout the week.

Ballet is great for strengthening muscles, posture, wearing high heels and in my case, helping with my pigeon toe situation (though nothing will help the fact my hip is wonky making my left leg longer than my right). It seems like a gentle exercise and I suppose it is compared to impact sports like boxing, but it's a lot tougher than you'd imagine to keep control of all your muscles. I still ache after every class, though it's more developmental pain now and less these-muscles-have-never-been-used pain.

I was so nervous going into my first Ballet Basics taster class. It's been years in since I did beginner ballet the first time around, and I was younger and fitter then. I'd been thinking about it for months but it took my friend B prodding nonstop for me to book the class. Everyone needs an annoying, stubborn and pushy friend in their life.

I did beginner classes a few years back with Centenary Dance Academy on the Southside and even performed in their end of year showcase (I was so bad, it was good), but then I changed jobs and the commute was too far to make it in time for class. So I stopped. Until I started doing Groove Therapy classes and it got me thinking about body movement, and dance. I'm slowly becoming more active. I started with walks, then added weekend swims, then Groove Therapy, before I upped my walks to jog-walks (one day I hope to jog then run the full route).

Now I'm doing Queensland Ballet's Ballet Basics 8-week course before I get back into Beginner Ballet casual classes. They also offer Pilates, Barre & Tone and a bunch of other classes I'd like to try once I'm in better ballet shape. I need to pace myself though, because I am dopey and prone to hurt myself whenever I try new things with my uncooperative body.

I went back to liquid shampoo and conditioner this month after trying plastic free hair for a year and a half. This is the longest time I’ve tried anything because I really wanted to make it work - I even cut off 60% of my hair to make it more manageable, but in the end I have to admit shampoo bars are not right for me. I do think it will work for people with finer hair, though. My hair is thick and coarse, and the bars cling to it leaving my hair thick (which I like), but also sticky and dusty. I still travel with shampoo and conditioner bars because it's convenient, but for long term use, I need to mix in a liquid shampoo and conditioner to rinse out the shampoo bar gunk that collects.

These are my recommendations for shampoo & conditioner bars if you want to give it a whirl yourself.

Shampoo bars - The Beauty & The Bees - Voodoo Black Bamboo from Biome was my favourite. It lathers up nicely when you rub it on your wet hair, it left my hair 'volumnessy' as someone at work described it. I chop my bars in half because I have tiny hands syndrome (it hurts my feelings that I have something in common with Donald Trump) and also makes one bar last longer.

Conditioner bars - I tried diluted Apple Cider Vinegar twice a week instead of conditioner for three months, but no matter how watered down or infrequent, I found it irritated my scalp. My hair also smelled a bit gross because the vinegar smell clung to it. So I moved onto conditioner bars.

Lush sell 3 conditioner bars and I’ve tried them all. Eldest niece who is somehow old enough to have a job (when did that happen?!) bought me "Jungle" for Xmas. I used the whole bar, but it didn't work wonders for my knotty shampoo bar hair, even though my hair 'smells amazing' according to another workmate. Why do so many work people comment on my hair?

I tried a couple more from Lush. ‘Sugar Daddy-O’ didn’t do much to smooth my hair either though it smelled great. But ‘Big’ makes my hair nice and soft, and smooth - it’s my favourite of the Lush conditioner bars and I’m still using it now.