MooGoo Milk Shampoo

In my quest to make safer choices, I have decided to go organic. I was browsing the shelves in Caring Pharmacy in 1 Mont Kiara when I came across MooGoo products from Australia. Curious, I went home and googled them up. I discovered that many people were raving about their products.

I went back to Caring Pharmacy the next day to make my very first MooGoo product purchase --- their Milk Shampoo. Upon trying out the product for the very first time, I found it strange that the shampoo was runny and water-like in consistency and so, I made an enquiry via the MooGoo Australia website.

Their response to my question about the consistency was that what I had wasn't right and they asked for the batch number so that they could look into the matter and that I should refer the matter to their local partner, Triniare, in KL.

Okay, so I contacted the KL partner, Triniare, via the MooGoo Malaysia website and was informed by Sabrina, of Triniare, that there was nothing wrong with the product. In fact, here's the reply that I got from them:

"No worries about the Shampoo.
MooGoo Australia had some ingredients changed to further improve the shampoo and there is no problem with it."


Basically, Triniare gave me the brush off. There wasn't even any interest in finding out more about the concern that I was raising.

Unhappy, with their response, I forwarded the reply from Triniare to MooGoo Australia.

Strangely, enough, the next day, I didn't get a response from MooGoo in Australia but I got a response from the Triniare who by the way, has suddenly been inspired to show some interest in the matter. I can only assume that MooGoo Australia forwarded my email to Triniare. This is what Sabrina wrote:

" Good morning,

Btw, could you provide us the batch no printed on your shampoo and which outlet did you purchase the Shampoo?

We would like to determine that the Shampoo you 've got is the new batch or otherwise."

I supplied them with the batch number as requested. Later, I got this response:

" Thank you for your reply.

I have sent this batch number to MooGoo Australia and now awaiting for their feedback.

We can do a 1 to 1 exchange for you , however the Shampoos I have here with me may be similar to what you have.

Anyway, is it possible for you to provide us your contact number so that we can call you?"

Note that the request for my contact number "so that they can contact me" is their way of not having any written record of their further communication with me.

I received a call from Sabrina, of Triniare, the next morning who didn't apologize for putting out defective products on the shelves to be sold. In fact, what she said to me was that they were willing to replace the product "out of goodwill"!!! Goodwill??? This is NOT goodwill! It is the company's responsibility to make good a defective product! They're not doing me any favours --- in fact, this is all a hassle for me. I have paid good money for the product and I want my money's worth. Nothing more. Is that too much to ask for???

I think it is high time that companies in Malaysia learn a thing or two about good customer service. When you make a mistake, you (1) admit to it and (2) make good your mistakes.

So, anyone out there thinking of buying the MooGoo Milk Shampoo in Malaysia, please check to make sure that the consistency of the shampoo is not watery, if it is, its defective and don't buy it because trying to get a replacement is one hell of a hassle.

MooGoo Australia, being aware of the issue that I was having, offered to arrange for a replacement to be shipped out to me from Australia if their local KL partner, Triniare, failed to sort out the issue on this end within the next few days.

Thumbs up to MooGoo Australia for their fantastic customer service but as for their local partner, Triniare, well, they have a llooooonnnngggg way to go (personally, they have absolutely NO idea what customer service really means).

It's a shame that MooGoo Australia has teamed up with such an incompetent partner in Malaysia.

The Coffee and Spice Company

I redeemed my Groupon (RM5 for RM10 cash voucher for all food and beverages) at The Coffee and Spice Company in 1-Utama today. I had a late lunch at about 4 PM. Sorry, no pics as I was feeling a tad lazy today and was also hungry (thus, the reason behind no pics as I attacked the food the moment it arrived!!!).

If you're familiar with 1-Utama, The Coffee and Spice Company is located on the Ground Floor, right across from Jusco, in the newly refurbished old wing.

I must say that I found the quality of food that I received good value for money. I had the Nasi Tomato with Chicken and it was generally good (apart from the fish which I found to be a little bit salty) . The wait staff were particularly polite, attentive and efficient which is a plus point when compared to competitor cafes and best of all, their prices are really affordable for an outlet located in a major shopping mall.

My total bill came up to RM17.50 (Nasi Tomato & a drink) which I paid with the RM10 cash voucher and topped up RM7.50. So in the end, I saved almost 30% on my meal today while trying out a new food outlet.

So...would I go there again? Definitely!  :)

I'm looking forward to trying something else on their menu on my next visit.

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

This is the last book in the Twilight Saga and it also took the longest time for me to read. Don't know why but I didn't find this book as exciting as the previous three. It felt like it took me forever to finish reading this book.

In this book, Bella marries Edward as a human, but later transforms into a vampire. As it turns out, as a vampire, she possesses special powers. Edward and Bella have a child, Renee, who later is imprinted by Jacob, a werewolf...so, the werewolf who was so in love with Bella at one point, is now so in love with her daughter... go figure!

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

I read this book like moons and moons ago. I can't believe that I haven't blogged about this book before --- hmmm.... I must have missed blogging it in the midst of all the reading that I've been doing.

I found this book along with two others (New Moon and Breaking Dawn) in the series at the Bookcross zone in 1-Utama. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw all three books there as these books were on my wish list. In fact, I found even the first book, Twilight, at the Bookcross zone as well.

This is the third book in the Twilight Saga series... and it is the continuation of the love triangle between Bella, Jacob and Edward. Fancy being a human and having a werewolf fancy you, and being in love with a vampire!

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

I read this book months ago (so, okay, this is a long overdue blog post!).

This is another one in the Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter, series of adventures. True to Janet Evanovich's style of writing, this book is a fun read (with hunks in it too!!! Ah, Stephanie Plum's a lucky gal! ).

MilkADeal: Two slices of cake from SuChan

I redeemed my MilkADeal voucher for two slices of cake from the new SuChan outlet in the e-Curve recently.

I picked the Tiramisu (since so many people have been giving it rave reviews on the MilkADeal site) and the Black Forest Cake.

 The cakes were packed in a box since I asked for a to go order

The two slices of cake in the box

...and this is the much raved about Tiramisu cake

The verdict:
I found the Tiramisu super sweet (this is probably because I don't like super sweet food). I guess the people who were raving over it have really sweet tooth.

I found the Black Forest Cake okay, but really nothing spectacular.

I'm glad I bought these cakes on a deal and didn't pay full price for them. So, would I go back there for their cakes? Hmmm... maybe not :(

The Big Bad Wolf is Back in Town!

The sale that I've been waiting for all year long is finally here.

...and this is only a third of the hall!

I was at the Big Bad Wolf Sale earlier today (or should I say yesterday, considering that this post is being published at 12:20 am, Tuesday morning). It was HUGE!!! Lots of books --- I was in heaven!!!  :)

Needless to say, I bought loads of books!

I didn't have trouble getting there. In fact, I didn't even have a map with me. I figured that I knew where UPM was and that since MAEPS, the venue of the sale, was somewhere near UPM, I would eventually see signs for it. And so, I headed for UPM, followed the signs showing the directions towards MAEPS and found my way there.

While the hall was really spacious with lots of personal space between customers (so we didn't have to rub shoulders and god forbid, whatever else!), getting to the hall from the car park might be a challenge for some people as it is a fair bit of distance to walk and at some points, it is an uphill climb.

I just treated the walk up and back down to the car park as exercise. In fact, I walked up and down from the hall TWICE as I had TWO shopping sessions --- Shopping Session 1, walked down to the car park to put my purchases away, walked back up, had lunch and after lunch, Shopping Session 2!).

I understand if you're not as crazy as I am and if the very thought of having to walk uphill in the heat turns you off or if you have young children or the elderly with you, I would strongly advise you to take the shuttles (yes, there are shuttles from the car park to the hall).

Pizza Hut on wheels! 

Food isn't an issue as there was a Pizza Hut food service truck just outside the hall. A personal pan pizza with ice lemon tea costs RM10. There was also another vendor selling drinks and hot dogs nearby. There is a fairly big canopied dining area (with fans) outside where you can have a quick bite or just have a drink while you rest your tired feet.

Books, books and more books! :)

Most of the books were going at RM8 each. Others were RM10, RM12, RM15 and RM20. If you're a bibliophile, this is a MUST go event. The sale ends this Sunday, October, 16, 2011.

As always, one visit is NEVER enough! Hmmm... maybe I should go visit the wolf just to see how he's doing soon... ;)

O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Classic Tripledecker Sandwich

I treat vouchers from deal sites such as Groupon as an opportunity to test out food outlets that I have never been to before and so, when a deal came up on Groupon for an O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Classic Tripledecker Sandwich last month, I bought it. I redeemed my Groupon voucher today :)

I went to the O'Briens outlet at the Curve and had my sandwich to go as I was in a hurry. I like it that my sandwich was packed in a paper bag instead of a plastic.

The Tripledecker sandwich 

The verdict: 
I must say that of all the food outlet vouchers that I have redeemed so far, this sandwich is the best! The sandwich is simply mmmmm....yummylicious!!! I particularly like the chicken crisp in the sandwich :) I'm sold!!! This is certainly a must-go-back-for-more sandwich. Thumbs up!

R.I.P Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Strangely enough, early this morning (I go to bed in the wee hours of the morning nowadays), I was just thinking to myself about the dua that Muslims say when they hear the news that someone has passed away. I wake up this morning, turn on my computer as I normally do, and see the news that Steve Jobs has passed away... Rest in peace Steve. Just know that you have lived every single day of your life as if it were your last; you have left a significant mark in the world --- you made geeky products cool.

Battling pancreatic cancer hasn't been easy for you.

"Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die." - Steve Jobs.

We love you, but Allah loves you more. You are in a better place now. 

Eating out at a fraction of the price

I went to Nando's for lunch yesterday and had a meal and bottomless soft drink for RM5.30.

I used one of the RM20 Nando's vouchers which I redeemed from Bonuslink something like two months ago! In fact, I redeemed my Bonuslink points for two RM20 Nando's vouchers which means that I've still got another one  :) It's a meal for a fraction of the price and I'm not complaining!

Paying Me

This is what I do nowadays: for everything that I save when I shop or when I get a service done which I would otherwise have to pay someone else to do (i.e. manicure, pedicure, hair color, etc), I put the amount that I saved away into my savings account. In that way, I'll not only be buying things on discounts but I'll also be building up my savings at the same time.  

Mon Meill Swarovski Zirconia Earrings and Necklace

Yay!!! My Groupon order arrived this morning! It was delivered Pos Laju and the mail man was super nice and friendly :)

I redeemed the Groupon on September 11 and got a confirmation email from them saying that my order had been received and that I would receive my order "within 14 working days (not inclusive of Saturdays and Sundays)". So going by that, I received my order on the 14th day which falls within the 14 working days delivery mentioned in their email to me.

I purchased a set of Swarovski Zirconia necklace and earrings set in 18 karat white gold plated 925 silver sterling. I don't know how true the 18 karat white gold plating claim is but time will tell --- if it changes colour, then I'll know that I've been short changed but hopefully, everything will be as stated in the deal and all will be fine (Insya Allah). So take a look at it...

It comes in a gift box

 The back of the jewellery pouch

The earrings and necklace --- nice!

I like that the necklace has two rings along the chain where you can hook the clasp to which allows me to have two lengths to choose from when wearing the necklace. I prefer to wear mine shorter. Solitaires look so much nicer when they sit in the hollow between your collar bones.

And now, it's onto the test to see if it will tarnish over time or not... hopefully not!

The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

Truth be told, I read this book a few months ago but I guess I never got around to blogging about it until now (yeah, that's the procrastinator in me!).

Anyway.... this book, written by Sidney Poitier, is a memoir of his life. Written in the first person's voice, he looks back on his life and career.

He was born and raised in a small island named Cat Island. He had an idyllic life as a child growing up on the island. By thirteen, he had dropped out of school and was working on construction sites. Worried that he would end up in jail, similar to his friend who stole a bicycle for fun, his father sent him off to Miami to live with his elder brother.

He started in his acting career when there weren't any black actors working along side white actors. It is about him breaking barriers and never accepting limits that were presented to him. He has certainly come a long way from his hard beginnings and has made it big. It is most definitely a story of the American Dream. It's an inspiring read.

love

"A woman carries her pet cats as she wades through a flooded street during#typhoon #Nesat in San Mateo, #Rizal, east of #Manila on September 27, 2011." http://twitpic.com/6rgtmb

Something about this picture speaks of love.

The Big Bad Wolf Sale

The much awaited for sale is finally around the corner. I'm looking forward to making my annual book purchase. This time around I'm on the lookout for personal finance books as well as novels.

For those who are contemplating on whether or not to go, listen, it is worth your time going there. The books are dirt cheap (paperback novels at RM8!) and they are new.

This time around, Big Bad Wolf promises an even bigger sale with 1.5 million books! I've been going to the BBW sale ever since it started and during each sale period, I've made two to three visits. One visit is never enough!

The books that I purchased have given me many hours of reading pleasure. If you're like me and you absolutely cannot imagine life without books and you want to stretch your budget, this is the book sale that you MUST go to to stock up on books.

Yes, I've heard some people moan and groan that it's in Serdang, but you know what, Serdang is not out there in the sticks as some of you may want to believe. It's only 20 minutes from KL if you take the PLUS highway. Have a sense of adventure and venture out to this new location. You just might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Will I see you there???

an apple in my oatmeal a day

I've always not liked any form of mushy food. I don't like melted ice cream, so when I do have some, I make sure that I finish it before it melts. I don't like milk in my breakfast cereal, I have mine dry, yes, dry! I don't like porridge because they're mushy.

This week, I hit a personal milestone, two, in fact : 1. I actually was brave enough to purchase a whole box of instant oatmeal when I was at the grocery store earlier this week, 2. I actually found that it's not too bad. Yes, I discovered that if you add apples to the oatmeal, it disguises the mushiness. So in the mornings for the past week, I've been having my instant oatmeal with one chopped up green apple thrown into the mix.

Why am I doing this? Well, don't know what inspired me to stop in the cereal aisle in the supermarket next door and take a look at the contents of the instant oatmeal mix, but I did, and guess what I discovered --- it has 20% iron in each serving! Okay, being anemic, that was enough to convince me to give it a go. What was the worst thing that could happen if I didn't like it, I asked myself --- that I would just give the rest of the box to my mom? I took the plunge and am glad that I did. Now, I just hope that this is getting me closer to my goal of getting my body to consume and hopefully retain more iron. I am tired of being tired (no pun intended there).

LOREAL Stock Clearance Sale

I went to the Loreal Stock Clearance sale in Sri Petaling Hotel today. Okay, granted that it was quite a drive for me to get there but I thought that I'd go to check it out to see if I could pick up some treats at a discount so that I wouldn't kick myself so much if the products didn't work out.

I haven't been to the Loreal Stock Clearance sale for quite a while now and I must say that it has changed quite a bit. Their warehouse sales in the past have been quite a mad house with loads of women pushing their way to get to the products. Back in those days the sales were often held only on one day and some women would take the day off from work just to go to it. Today, shopping was a breeze.

The products are no longer as cheap as they used to be, I'm afraid. I remember the days when the Maybelline  lipsticks used to be RM 10 each. Now, they cost RM19 each. Kinda pricey for a drugstore brand sold at a warehouse sale, if you ask me.

I recently bought the Maybelline Angel Fit Foundation at Watsons for RM32 (and that was a discounted price, the normal price is about RM40). I saw it at the sale today and it was selling at RM22. Strangely enough, it didn't have the same names that they have for the products in the stores. The bottles only had code numbers which can be difficult to buy especially if you're thinking of picking up a bottle after having tested out the colours at the stores earlier on.

Here's what I bought:
1. Loreal Derma Genesis Pore Minimising Smoother (Gel Cream) for RM27 (This product contains Hyaluronic Acid and it was a curiosity purchase as I've read so many good things about Hyaluronic Acid)
2. Loreal Touche Magique Concealer for RM20 (I've read great reviews about this product)
3. Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (Waterproof) in 01 Black for RM23 (I've read great reviews about this product too). The package includes the gel liner as well as its own eyeliner brush.
4. Maybelline Clear Skin Minerals BB Cream in Fresh  for RM14 (This was my curiosity purchase. I've tried out the testers at the store many times before but never got around to forking out around RM20, normal price, for it. It's a small tube that's easy to carry in my bag and it comes with SPF 26)
5. Two Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeliner Pencils for RM6 each (for my mom)
6. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Permanent Hair Color for RM14 (This is my staple purchase)

The good thing is because everything was kinda pricey, I wasn't going crazy and getting EVERYTHING I saw. I was quite reasonable in selecting my purchases.

If you're thinking of going to the sale, it runs till Sunday, September 18, 2011.

Learning Photography

Knowing how to REALLY use a camera and being able to take good photographs is something that has always been sort of a mystery for me. So... I've decided to come out of the darkness and learn how to operate a camera. As always, I went to youtube.com (Thank God for youtube --- where would I be without it???).

I found this channel called PhotographersOnUTube and have so far watched 3 of the videos and wow... it suddenly is all making sense to me!!! They make fantastic videos for newbie learners of photography. I would strongly recommend that you watch their videos if you're interested in getting started with photography.

Buying Stuff on Sale

How many times have you bought something that you didn't even know you wanted before you saw it on sale at the store? I know that I have been guilty of the crime one too many times.

Buying things that you want and need on sale makes a lot of sense and yes, you're saving bucks. On the other hand.  buying things that you don't really need just because the price has just been slashed 50% doesn't make sense --- that would only mean that you spent money on something that you didn't even know that you needed before you set foot into the store.

Be aware of what's going on when you step foot into a mall or a store. Millions of money are spent researching the psychology of spending. There is a reason why stores are such comfortable places to be in --- they try to keep you there as long as they can. Remember, the longer you're in the store, the more likely you are to spend money on things that you don't really need.

The solution? Make a list of the things that you want. If there's any new product that you want to research on before buying, go to the store during a normal day when there isn't a sale (you're less likely to spend minus a price discount). Make your decision and then walk out of the store and wait for the next sale (in Malaysia, sales are often, so you wouldn't have to wait too long for the next one). Sometimes, if it's something you really didn't care about very much for in the very first place, you might even forget about wanting it at all in the very first place (yay! money saved!). If you still decide to make the purchase when the next sale rolls around, remember, anything not on your list shouldn't be purchased no matter how good a deal it is.

I normally go shopping to do my research on new products that I want to purchase during normal days. I have to make sure that I've done enough research before I purchase anything so that I won't be cluttering my home with things that don't work for me.

Recently, I've been going to drugstores to try out anti-aging serum testers. I know that I want to buy an anti-aging serum as my current serum looks like it will last me another month or so. Since there are so many brands and products out there, I'm using this time to do my research and make my decision. When the next sale comes around, I'll be ready to purchase the product that I want.

One thing to note: The product that I'll be buying may not be the cheapest on the market. The cheapest product may not be the best product (nobody wants premature wrinkles.... hey, nobody wants wrinkles, period!) as I'm making an investment on my skin and how I look (yes, vain thought, I know!). This will be a long term investment in me!!! Why wait for a sale, you ask? Well, that will be when I'll be purchasing a product of value and one that I need at a lower price and thus saving money! 

nail trimmer

i keep losing my nail clippers... yup, don't know where they're all hiding.  i had to go out and buy another nail trimmer since my nails were getting really long and they were getting to the point where they were bothering me and getting in the way of me using the keyboard comfortably. I got this set from Daiso (where else???) for RM5.  i figured that i might as well get the whole set since it was going at the same price as purchasing just the trimmer.  a spare tweezers might come in useful on those days that i can't locate my existing ones!  hopefully i won't misplace this set!