They're Off to See the Wizard!

The Stage Mothers are sponsoring the September 2, 530pm staging of Repertory Philippines' The Wizard of Oz.

Mia Rocha Lauchengco, Angela Tiutoc Lauchengco and Carmen Silverio Roxas make up the trio known as The Stage Mothers. Fueled by their love of theatre and their desire to help those who have been severely affected by the recent Habagat, these three moms couldn't just sit there and helplessly watch those who are in dire need of help. Instead, they put their desires into action and decided to put on this charity show for the benefit of the Philippine Red Cross and Angel Brigade. Yes, ALL PROCEEDS from this show will be donated to these two beneficiaries.

A few days ago, the Houston-based Texas Association of the Philippines very graciously sponsored 25 balcony tickets for less privileged children undergoing empowerment programs (through art, reading, etc) by the ATD Fourth World Philippines, an NGO that is taking care of over 150 families in three communities.

This gesture got the Stage Mothers very excited! Aside from raising funds for the two charities mentioned, Mia and her friends realized that they could also find sponsors for more kids who may have never seen a musical in their life!

A balcony ticket costs P300. Their goal is to bring in a total of 100 kids. Thus, they need to raise P22,500 more plus about P10,000 for transportation, or a total of P32,500. Contributions will be listed under your name (or initials) in Facebook.com/TheStageMothers.

Should you wish to take part in this worthy cause, you may reach the Stage Mothers at 09175334206 or at 09175288085.

Wizard of Oz by Repertory Philippines
Sunday, September 2, 2012
530pm
Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1

Ticket prices:
600 - Orchestra Center (reserved seating) 
500 - Orchestra Sides (free seating) 
300 - Balcony (free seating)

Purchase 20 (or more!) tickets and you or your company will be acknowledged as sponsor via voice over during the show.

www.facebook.com/TheStageMothers

God of Carnage!

The last time I caught Lea Salonga on stage was back in 2009, when my good friend and 6th grade classmate JM gave me complimentary tickets to see her Your Songs concert. If you've been following me on twitter, then you should know that Lea is my theater inspiration. Back when I was younger, I did musicals and theater. When I got to college, however, the closest I ever got to theater, aside from watching plays and musicals on campus, was working backstage for "Walang Sugat." Yes, sadly, my theater dreams have come to a halt, and all I ever get to do is watch. My fault, really, as I pursued a different career.

On July 20, I get the opportunity to catch Lea Salonga on stage again, thanks to my friend M. I have been warned, however, that this isn't the typical Lea-musical-sing-song type of show, neither is it a concert, but a play. But it doesn't matter, it's Lea Salonga, and it's God of Carnage - winner of a Laurence Olivier and a Tony for Best New Play. I've read reviews of this play being really funny (nope, I didn't get to see the movie). I can't wait to watch it with my KY.

Menchu Launchengco-Yulo vs. Lea Salonga!

God of Carnage (originally Lay Waste to England for Me) is a play by Yasmina Reza. It is about two pairs of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park, who meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos. The play was a success in its official French language, but has been equally acclaimed in its other English-translated productions in both London and New York.

God of Carnage received six Tony Award nominations and won Best Play, Best Lead Actress in a Play (Marcia Gay Harden) and Best Direction of a Play (Matthew Warchus).

The Manila production stars Tony Award and Olivier Award winning actress Lea Salonga. Joining Lea is Singaporean-Chinese actor Adrian Pang, first lady of Philippine musical theater Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and The Kitchen Musical's Art Acuña.

Lea Salonga and Adrian Pang were last seen together in Singapore Repertory Theatre’s production of They’re Playing Our Song in 2000.

Roman Polanski directed the film adaptation, Carnage. Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly play Veronica and Michael, while Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet play Alan and Annette.

Art Acuña vs. Adrian Pang!

Atlantis Productions' GOD OF CARNAGE runs from July 13-22, 2012, 8pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

FOR JULY 20 (FRIDAY) TICKETS, CONTACT 09175288085.

Prices:
Orchestra Center P1600
Orchestra Side P1400
Loge Center P1200
Loge Side P1000
Balcony P750

Starring:
Lea Salonga
Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo
Adrian Pang
Art Acuna

Directed by:
Bobby Garcia

www.facebook.com/GodOfCarnageJuly20

These Winners Will Be Smelling Oh-So-Good with SoTrue!

Haha, I am running out of titles for this Giveaway. Can't believe I have none running at the moment, so that means I have to launch Day 10 tomorrow! As much as I want to do this today, I have to announce winners for Day 9 too! So let's get down to business and see who'll be taking home a SoLuxe Bar from SoTrue Naturals...

CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES!

Disclaimer: Rafflecopter picked these ladies in succession. Sorry, guys!

IRIS ADRIENNE CAMACHO 

(I can't believe Rafflecopter picked your name! First of the lot, too! LOL!) 

Winner 1: SoLuxe Ylang-ylang Peppermint 

CLAIRE SALVA SIA

Winner 2: SoLuxe Ylang-ylang Peppermint

CHARM TAMBA-DALGUNTAS

Winner 3: SoLuxe Peppermint Cinnamon

JENN MANIGAO-TAN

Winner 4: SoLuxe Rose

LIEE LOZANO

(No way, ikaw din?!! LOL! Anong pinakain niyo kay Rafflecopter?)

Winner 5: SoLuxe Tea Tree Lemon Peppermint

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So see, the lesson here is to join these giveaways as soon as they're announced. I noticed a handful of tweets that tried to make it to the deadline. Sorry, you have to get on Rafflecopter to join the draw.

Congratulations once again, girls! I shall send you those notification letters via email as soon as I get some time to do so. Thank you for your patience.

I would like to thank Mia Rocha-Lauchengco, owner and official soap chef of SoTrue Naturals, for joining my Birthday Blowout. Thanks, Beautiful! And thank you for your friendship. And for the encouragement where I need it the most. You are a gem! (And a stalker! But I love you! LOL!) Coffee soon. SOON. SOON. SOON. (Maybe when we say it more than once, it will finally happen. Teehee!)

BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT DAY 8 HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY SOTRUE NATURALS. 

www.facebook.com/sotruecastilesoap

Birthday Blowout - DAY 8!

Remember my post on SoTrue? Well here's a secret: Mia used to be a school mate from middle school! I promised not to say when, but really, does age matter when you look as good as this mother of two?

Mia, with her husband Raymond, and their two adorable little ones
- the inspiration behind SoTrue.

Mia recently introduced two new products to her SoTrue line - the Room and Linen spray, and the Bye-Bye Buggy - both perfect for the rainy season! The Room and Linen Spray keeps your room smelling nice, and rids your linen of that damp smell (when your laundry fails to dry under the sun because of rain). Bye-Bye Buggy is what we all need to keep handy, to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away (Dengue season is here!).

Keep your rooms, pillows and blankets smelling fresh!
SoTrue Naturals Room and Linen Spray - 100% Natural!
in Lemongrass Lavender, Mandarin Cinnamon, Lavender, and Rose.

Say goodbye to bugs with this NO DEET, non-greasy, non-drying
and all natural insect repellant!  Smells yummy to humans, yucky to bugs.
SoTrue Naturals Bye-Bye Buggy!

I can't wait to see what other products SoTrue makes available in the coming months. I am so excited about this brand. After all, the heart of SoTrue is to provide the best for our families.

TODAY'S BLOWOUT IS BEING BROUGHT TO YOU BY SoTrue NATURALS!

SoLuxe is SoTrue's Premium Soap line. Retail value: P250/bar.

Mia sent over some of her soaps from SoTrue's SoLuxe line. So I'm giving you the chance to win it! I will be giving out the following bars:

Winner 1: SoLuxe Ylang-ylang Peppermint

Winner 2: SoLuxe Ylang-ylang Peppermint

- A sweet, floral scent made fresh and light with Peppermint.

Winner 3: SoLuxe Peppermint Cinnamon

- Cooling Mint paired with the gentle exfoliating properties of ground Cinnamon.

Winner 4: SoLuxe Rose

- What is more feminine than the scent of Roses? SoLuxe Rose is my comfort soap! Reminds me of my nana's old garden. 

Winner 5: SoLuxe Tea Tree Lemon Peppermint

- Rejuvenating scents that pack the anti-bacterial punch of Tea Tree Oil.

Rafflecopter was down earlier today, but it's finally working again! Yay! So make sure you follow each option correctly in order to get all 10 entries for this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://www.facebook.com/sotruecastilesoap

Sooooooooo Hot!

It is officially Summer! I love the sun and all, but seriously, these days have been too hot! My little boy has been complaining about the heat. He says it's too hot to even move. LOL! Who knows where he picked that up but I agree with him 100%!

We've been taking a bath at least twice a day to beat the heat. RL swims in the morning, and sometimes again in the afternoon. The heat gets really bad, you often find yourself sweating right after you step out of the shower (yes, folks from the north, it's THAT bad here). Good thing we discovered SoTrue. 

SoTrue Castile Soap is made from 100% pure saponified olive oil and is delicately scented with pure essential oils. Mild enough for newborn babies' skin, Castile soap is prized for its gentle cleansing and moisturizing properties. You can even use them on your hair!SoTrue because these soaps are TRUE Castile soaps, no other vegetable oils are added apart from pure olive oil. SoTrue because these are REAL soaps as they naturally contain glycerin and do not contain harmful chemicals.

Mia Rocha-Lauchengco's firstborn had eczema. So she did some research and found out that most baby soaps in the market weren't mild enough for her little girl's sensitive skin. From her research she learned that true Castiles were the best for babies, as they were also called "newborn soap" - being gentle and mild enough to use on newborn skin.  And so started her quest for good, clean soap. But the Philippines didn't have much to offer when it comes to pure Castiles, so Mia decided to make her own soap.

She made some for family and gave some to close friends. She made soap on and off, until she got pregnant with her second child. Turns out, her little boy also has eczema. So she went back to making soaps for her kids. This time though, she thought of selling her Castiles. Thus, SoTrue was born.

SoTrue Castile Soap - from L-R, Lemongrass Peppermint, Coffee Peppermint, Peppermint Cinnamon and Rose.
In addition to the Castile Soap line, SoTrue has introduced SoTrue Naturals Skin Repair Balm - also one of my favorites!

Actually, a lot of the organic and homemade soaps out there are marketed as "Castile Soap", with the term 
used 
loosely 
to
encompass
 any 
soap 
that 
uses 
only 
vegetable 
oils (such
 as 
the 
more 
economical
coconut 
and
 palm
 oils).


SoTrue 
Castile 
Soap, 
however,
 has
 chosen 
to 
be 
true 
to 
the 
definition 
of 
true 
Castile
soap,
upholding 
the 
centuries old 
soap-making 
tradition, 
by 
using 
only
saponified 
pure 
olive 
oil 
(not 
pomace)
 and enriching 
it 
with 
therapeutic-grade
essential 
oils 
from
 Australia, 
France 
and
 the 
United
 States. 
SoTrue Castile Soap 
contains
 none
of 
the 
harmful, 
synthetic 
chemicals
 found
 in 
many 
beauty 
and
 cosmetic 
products
available 
today, making it safe for use by children and pregnant women.

Mia says, "I am committed to making only soap I would use on my own young children. If I won't use them on my own kids, I won't give them to you."

This business sense sounds familiar, actually. As it is the same with NappyCakes. I wouldn't put anything on the diaper cake that I personally will not use for myself or my kids. So when I learned about Mia's soaps, I knew I had to give them a try.

Our favorite soap right now is SoTrue's Coffee Peppermint Bar. Hands down a winner, especially on hot, summer days.

Coffee Peppermint! Smells so good. My room smells so nice because of this bar.

Think cool and perk-me-up. I don't think I'll ever take a bath using another soap, especially in this heat. SoTrue's Coffee Peppermint Bar will surely awaken those senses and keep your body cool, long after you step out of the shower. I feel refreshed especially after using this on my face (And yes, because SoTrue is real Castile, you're sure it's mild and safe for your face, too).

Try their best-selling TLC line - the mildest soap variants for young children and those with sensitive skin. I want to try their Lavender Oatmeal Soap for RL, who, like me, suffers from skin asthma and eczema flare-ups.

Each bar of SoTrue Castile Soap is handmade and prepared in small batches to ensure the quality of each bar - making a very nourishing and moisturizing soap that is both luxurious and mild. 

SoTrue Castile Soaps, all in a row. 

Watch out for Limited Edition bars like this delicious-looking Christmas Bar!

I love, love, love this soap! I have been raving about it for weeks. I've always associated pure, organic soaps to be those that melt right away (and melt a hole in your pocket at that), but SoTrue has proven me wrong on both points. In fact, we're still on our first bar (the secret to this is keeping it dry after use)! And they're not as pricey as I thought they would be.

We're talking real Castile Soap here.

SoTrue Castile Soap - So cool. So good. So true. Try it and let your skin feel the difference!

For orders and inquiries (and the list of available products), text Mia at 09175334206.
Or email her at sotruecastilesoap@gmail.com 
http://sotruecastilesoap.com/