There really is no shortage of good stores for babies and kids in Greenbelt, Makati. One of my…read morefavorites to visit among the row of baby stores here is Youji & Me. It is the perfect place to find some of the basic big-ticket items when you are having your first baby. They carry the best brands for strollers, cribs and playpens. My sister got my 5-in-1 playpen from this store as a baby shower gift for my little girl. We decided on a playpen when she asked what I wanted because I was planning on co-sleeping. It really was a great decision. She started to use the playpen when she was only a few weeks old and up until she was almost two (and could start to climb out of it). It worked as a sleeping cot, a diaper changer, a real playpen with lights and sounds. It was one of our most over-used items for my baby. Now that she is a bit older and has amassed a huge collection of toys, we use it to hold the hundreds of dolls that she received as presents over the last three years. Youji & Me also has my dream crib which I really had my heart set on before deciding to co-sleep. They carry Cuddlebug cribs which can go from newborn crib to toddler bed. They also have some pretty interesting brands like Nuby for pacifiers, teethers and bottles and Boikido toys. I love how clean the set up of the store is; it is not over stuffed with shelves upon shelves of items which makes choosing all the more difficult. They have the toys, feeding items and other essentials on one wall; the strollers, sample playpens and the Cuddlebug crib on the other end; and a few Boikido toys in the middle. There's a lot of space to test the strollers and for little tykes to run around and look at their toys

A few years ago, I asked an expecting mommy friend what to get her for her baby shower gift and her…read morereply was: "Anything, as long as you get it from Youji & Me." Now this was before I had my own kid and so I had no idea what this store was; I actually assumed that it was some sort of quirky boutique. So I went into the store and saw that it was a baby needs' shop, and a well-curated one at that. Unlike the rather overwhelming hodgepodge of baby stuff that you will find at the department store baby section, Youji & Me only carries a limited inventory, but almost everything is lust-worthy. They had all the nice baby brands like Nuby, Aprica, and what have you. The store is spacious enough so that you can browse without bumping into other customers. There's room enough to roll the strollers around. I was particularly impressed by their selection of convertible baby cribs--you actually can turn them into kiddie beds! Of course, premium baby stuff comes at a price, so prepared to give your credit card a beating. If you can, wait for their annual warehouse sale where they slash as much as 50% off products from participating brands. They usually hold the warehouse sale in San Juan City - I've never gone but other moms have told me that it really pays to go early as the best picks of the lot are pretty much gone a few hours after the sale opens.

When it comes to my niece and nephew, I err on the safe side. Even if there are many brands…read morespecializing in children's goods, I usually patronize the ones that my mom bought us when we were young. One brand that our family has trusted for a long time now is Enfant. I can attest to the quality of their products because some of their clothes that my mom bought me when I was a kid are still usable up to this day. I like going to the Enfant store because everything I need to buy for my niece and nephew can be found there. Aside from kids' apparels, they also sell baby bottles, toiletries, bags, and baby-friendly furniture. I like their baby clothes because they are made of 100% cotton and are hypoallergenic. I wish, though, that they sell clothes that are more in tune with the modern times, so to speak. Another good reason to buy from this store is the price of their products. I was able to buy a sturdy stroller for my niece for less than PHP 4,000.00. Now, I think that's a bargain.

When you become a godmother, it's time for you to look for places to buy baby clothes and baby…read moreaccessories. You can't just rely on the sales that happen seldom. You will have to come to reality by accepting the fact that anything for the baby is expensive! Whenever my friends and I give gifts to a new mother / friend, we try to pass by Enfant to check out their merchandise. First we ask our mother / friend what she needs for the baby and being the practical friends, we split the cost of something big. Like for example before when my boss gave birth, we bought her a crib in Enfant. Since we were 15 people, the price of the crib divided amongst us wasn't so bad. I think it's the best way to help the mother / friend. You give something that she really needs, which lessens her costs. This is really a mommy's heaven!

Shopping for a baby is not easy at all, especially when it's not your baby, but Baby and Company…read moremakes the task easier. Since they are a specialized store for babies, everything you need or want is there. I like how they carry several (not a lot, but just enough) brands to choose from ranging from mid to high-end. They've got bottles, clothes, strollers, diapers, bath tubs, cribs and other baby essentials, as well as toys and accessories. I've also canvassed around for baby things for my own child and they have quite a good selection. The best part is that they carry the regular SM prices, without having to go through the hustle and bustle of SM malls. They also have a baby registry and offer gift cards, making it a great place for baby shower/baptism/birthday registries. :) I know where I'll be shopping in the next coming months!

What I love about Baby and Company is that it has both the expensive, hard-to-find brands and the…read moremore affordable ones all in one store. From bottles to creams to toys, I have a fair amount of options in one store. It's not the most complete but it's got well-curated stock that mothers will appreciate. So, whether I'm shopping for my daughter and looking for best quality item on the shelf or shopping for another kid who won't notice whether I got them a Fisher Price or Lamaze gift, I can find it there. I also don't mind that I can use my SM Advantage card in a store in Powerplant Mall. LOL I always feel like I one-upped Powerplant or something when I do that!

I bought a 200 cm linnmon table. The item is perfect it fits my budget BUT they gave me a missing…read moreleg. There's suppose to be 5 legs for a table this long in the middle but they didn't give me. It turns out they edited the image from the website and removed the 5th leg and sells "extra" legs for this kind of table. WHAT A HASSLE! delivery charges are also expensive! They didn't do anything about my complaint and asked me to just buy the leg and have it picked up or delivered (with delivery fee almost the same price as the extra leg) So please beware. They edited out a table leg from other 200cm tables too. Check ikea website for the original images

THIS STORE DOESNT TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AT ALL. Please save yourself from the hassle... the quality…read moreof their furniture is OK but they have the worst customer support! no matter how mych you complain, no action at all on their behalf! So please buy somewhere else and not from them.

If I could win a prize for being a loyal customer of some store here in the Philippines, this store…read morewould certainly be Mothercare. I lost track of how many times I've been there since I moved to Manila being 5-6 months pregnant. When I was feeling about to pop with the big tummy, all I wanted was a time saver store where I could find everything I needed - for me and for the baby! The convenience is the main reason why I like Mothercare. There you can find children's clothes, strollers, cribs, changing tables, baby bouncers and rockers, maternity clothes, bottles, pacifiers, teddy bears, bath tubes, nursing pads, post-partum belly wraps and so on. I've bought many clothes for my baby there. My maternity nightdress is also from Mothercare and I love using it to breastfeed. Here I share some useful tips: TIP 1- For some products, the price is almost the same than in similar stores. Other items can have prohibitive prices! So COMPARE prices. The set with bed seets, bumpers and pillow, for example, is very expensive. Almost the same price than the moses, what doesn't make sense to me. TIP 2 - They sell some Medela products, which are quite difficult to find here in Manila. Instead of going to Medela House, in Quezon City, you can buy breast pumps, bottles and so on at Mothercare : ) I love this facility! And I love Medela. TIP 3 - They sell Mustela products too, so you don't have to look for a kiosk in the mall. TIP 4 - They sell Belly Bandit post-partum wraps. TIP 5 - Don't throw your purchase receipts away. When you reach 30k you can apply for their loyalty card and enjoy some discounts and promos.

If you're a mom or a mom-to-be, you must visit Mothercare. It's like every mother's rite of…read morepassage. You'll find all the basic things you need from birth to toddler years. Whether you're looking for a portable bath tub, a moses basket, a high chair or a complete set of bedding for your new crib, they literally have everything. They have great mommy products as well -- from comfortable maternity clothes to belly bandits, cocoa butter to prevent stretch marks or nursing bras to fit that ever-growing new body. For first-time mommies, I suggest you get the frogsuit sets as these are super effective for getting newborns to sleep in their first few days outside the womb. Even if they are a bit expensive, these are super worth it because of the quality of the clothes. Here's a tip: make sure you shop there during Christmas season and Halloween, they have cute costume frogsuits and onesies -- you can get reindeer designs or make your kids into little elves -- really adorable!

I've always been a Hobbes & Landes fan even before having a kid. Like comic book stores and…read morecollectible toy store, this is my idea of a Big Girl's Toy Shop. I love all the geeky things I can find here, from the new Monopoly game to some science sets (I've always wanted my own chemistry set as a kid but no one ever thought of giving me such a geeky gift). Now that I always have a toddler in tow, I have to stop by Hobbes & Landes every time we go to Greenbelt. Aside from muscle memory at work, I really just love taking my daughter there because the little Lego table keeps her occupied for a good solid hour. When she's done playing, she can always look at the miniature animal models that she loves. And while she's busy looking at the fish tank or playing with the Legos, mommy can go back to her days of geekery and look at the latest cool toys they have to offer.

It's my personal mantra, that any gifts that I give to kids are educational and something they can…read moreuse for long time. This store is something that helps me fulfill this mantra. You can pick up wide variety of educational toys, be it the Lego or the puzzle games. But my personal favorite is the wide variety of science themed toys that this place sells. My best pick so far has been a basic telescope (cost me around 3,000 peso) that I gifted to a friend's child. It was basic and affordable enough to kindle interest around stars, planet and galaxy. My second best pick would be a binocular (around1000 peso) which was a great gift to enable a kid to explore things around. Also, if you happen to look around, this place also sells craft materials like clay's, paint materials, art kits that you assemble and explore the creative side of your kids.

I'm addicted to thrift stores and 'ukay-ukays'. Not only because I don't have a lot of money and I…read more-can- be cheap, but personally, it's a thrilling, satisfying experience and past-time that naturally curious folks would enjoy. Seriously, you'll never know what thing of beauty awaits you (and for less, too)! A couple of my prized possessions (mostly clothes, artwork/trinkets) I've purchased from such stores. I live 2 minutes away from Go Green Japan Surplus, so I frequent this place quite often to look around, see what's available. I really find the whole experience entertaining, to say the least. I mean, all these odds and ends from another culture, owned by a stranger you will most likely never, ever meet--who may also be still alive, or dead! Okay, that's not very enticing. But really, with a combination of luck, perseverance, and a good eye, you can really come home with a lot of good finds. This place mostly sells second hand furniture and home accessories. Their furniture can be a bit pricey, so do choose wisely. It might be helpful to check brand new items in other places first for a price basis. If you're a mug/teacup/plate hoarder, they have a huge selection of ceramics with novelty designs (i.e. ceramic sake glasses with erotic Japanese artwork called Shunga). For outdoorsy types, beautiful, secondhand Japanese bikes and surfboards are available here, too!

There's a relatively large warehouse-type store in the middle of Dona Soledad Avenue in Bicutan,…read moreParanaque City that simply calls itself Japan Store. It is, of course, a second-hand shop that sells a wide variety of houseware, furniture, home décor, bicycles and just about anything that can be sold used. Every so often, the Japan Store will sell shoes that look to be in good condition. I chanced upon a pair of tripods that I had been looking for and one was being sold for P1,200 and the other for P2,000. The most interesting item available was an old-style slot machine. Two of them actually. It didn't have the lever of the typical one-armed bandit, making the P5,000 gizmos next generation slot machines. The place also has surf boards and more cups and mugs than I could count. One seemingly fast moving item would be wheelchairs, as every so often a few would be on display, only to be gone a week later. Cabinets, clocks, kitchen utensils are also plentiful. For those who like to restore old furniture, Japan Store has a wide array to choose from. This place has been around for years so it's safe to presume that business must be booming. I like to visit it just to see what new old stuff they have for bargain hunters like me. I'm still waiting for them to have a classic juke box for sale, and I will probably bargain like crazy to have it.

I purchased a pedigree wet dog food,priced at 41.00. My money was 100.00 . so I was supposed to…read morehave. 59.00 change. She gave me 41.00! And when I called her off the mistake.. she didn't make any apologies! Parang Sanay na sanay! " Akin na yung sukli!" Marunong ba mag kahera yang taong yan?? Alisin niyo yan diyan!

A few years ago, due to humongous losses from prolific counterfeiting of Levi's Jeans, the Levi's…read morebrand's main offices, factory, and warehouse in Pasong Tamo Extension closed down. They were at a large lot right across a long-abandoned building, which is now Alphaland Mall. Why is this important? Well, that was where you could go to buy original Levi's jeans and apparel at criminally huge discounts. Not as cheap as the counterfeits, but these were originals, and were worth having. Those days are gone. Or are they? Thankfully, original Levi's jeans, apparel, accessories, and yes, even Levi's Dockers pants and shirts can be had at factory outlet prices, at--- you guessed it, a Levi's Factory Outlet. Ironically it's right at the mall that's across the street from where Levi's warehouse and offices used to be. Up in the second floor of Alphaland Mall is where you'll find the store. The store is staffed usually by a couple of dudes who look like they moonlight as bouncers (and maybe they do!). I was pleased to discover they're the gentle sort, and the curious thing is, these "bouncers" are actually pretty good um... "seamsters"(?) as well (more on that shortly) The store does live up to its "factory outlet-ness" since it's full of different Levi's jeans in all sorts of sizes, colors, and styles, usually at 50-70% off the original price. Some of the sizes may be a tad large for the average person, so you'll have to make alterations... but where? Right at the store, where else! For a measly P100, you can have your pants and jeans' hems shortened to the right length. I'm not sure if they can make more complicated alterations, but you'll be pleased to know that they will do alterations on jeans and pants that are NOT a pair of Levi's or Dockers. All it takes is ten minutes, because usually there aren't that many people having alterations done, which is kinda unfortunate, since they do a decent job for a rock-bottom price. I'm no "fashionista" or whatever you call it, just don't expect the styles to be the latest ones you'll see in mainstream Levi's outlets. You may also have to dig a bit for the size and style you're looking for, but at P1600 to P1900 for original Levi's 501 Button-fly jeans, the effort should be worth it.