KEEP IT IN THE PHAMLY

I don't give gifts because I want or expect gifts back, but other people's social guilt has delivered some excellent return or retaliation gifts. During our team break up lunch over Xmas, the Work Pham surprised me with two photo mugs.

The sneaky bastards had gotten our social media gal to lie about taking behind the scenes pics for a story when she snapped us playing Uno on one of our daily brain-breaks. While I feel betrayed and will never trust anyone at work again, they couldn't have gotten a pod photo otherwise. The thought counts for something I suppose.

The second mug is my favourite though. Instead of lying to my face, they hid behind my back. They waited until I was away from my desk and window that looked on onto the park so I wouldn't see them out there wearing matching outfits doing a photoshoot on the swings in the playground. The shoot went exceedingly well. Now, whenever I make a cup of tea or coffee, I see their gleeful faces smiling at me. It's going to be sad when we boot one of the guys out of our pod because my team's expanding. But at least I have something to remember him by. And also, I will see him over the divider.

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.

When I moved back to Brisbane after Mum's passing, I was pretty broken and broke. Dad Pham took money out of this mortgage to buy me Luigi, a Hyundai Getz. Luigi was pummeled to death by hailstones and I got Luigi II thanks to RACQ insurance. And my desk buddy thinks insurance is a scam - tsk.

The Luigis helped me set up my life - going to job interviews, my daily commutes, moving houses, and now take Dad on his weekly grocery runs, and many a road trip up and down the Coast with friends. I've had some fun times with Luigi, but with my not so little eldest niece about ready to get her licence, it's time to pay Dad's good will forward to the next gen PhamLe.

For her birthday, I promised her my car once she gets her Ps because it's mainly P-platers and the elderly who drive the Getz. I'm too middle aged for my car. Now it's eldest niece's turn to set up life in this zippy, reliable little vehicle; and time for Aunty Jade to level up her car game.

So.... Any suggestions for a vroom-vroom?

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 had a little heart scare when we got back from Europe in September 2017. He’s on a tonne of daily morning and evening medications now, which Little Sissy Pham dutifully packs each week when we visit. He is forever at risk of a stroke which is scary. He suffers from schizophrenia and that irrational part of him doesn't believe he has a heart condition so sometimes skips medicines that are keeping him alive, which is even scarier.

On one of these occasions he went to hospital with nausea and vomiting. When we later saw him at home, he told us to take his meagre savings when he passes away. Now, Dad Pham likes to preach about not being stingy because we can afford not to be tight-asses so it was shocking to learn he had saved some money. We were financially challenged growing up and into our late 20s but the Pham siblings have come good - we can all take care of ourselves these days, and each other and Dad Pham, which is probably why he could afford to save a bit of money on his single pension.

The point of helping Dad Pham out is so he can spend his twilight years enjoying himself and not having to worry about bills and meals and his kids. As soon as we found out he was saving money to pass onto us one day, we told him to 'Treat yo'self!' instead. It didn't take much convincing, to be honest. He recently got rid of his super old, ratty recliners. They were due to be tossed half a decade ago but he held onto them this long because Mum Pham had loved them so much.

We took him furniture shopping and Ted, a friendly salesman at the local A-Mart lucked out 'cause Dad Pham walked in and within 30 minutes had picked out a leather recliner and 10 dining chairs so we can finally seat everyone at the table. We had planned on me being single forever, but things changed so we've been one chair short ever since. Not any more!

As Dad likes to always tell me when I'm looking for a bargain while grocery shopping, "Stop being cheap - Mum only did that because we couldn't afford nice things. You have money - buy the best there is." Solid advice.