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 am at that akward age when half of my friends are still staggering out of clubs, and the other…read morehalf barely show up at barkada events anymore because they are taking care of their kids now. My friends seem to be getting married one by one, and after marriage, of course come the babies. I don't know what my friends are thinking, but I seem to be the eligible "ninong" type, so when I get invitations for baby showers or Christenings, my go-to spot for presents and gifts is Baclaran. I found out about the baby supply stores in Baclaran through my sister, who has two lovely kids of her own. High quality yet inexpensive baby stuff such as layettes, bonnets, mittens, cloth diapers and just about anything related to a raising a baby can be found here You can also buy feeding bottles, baby bags, clothes and toys. At this day and age when everything store-bought is very expensive, I opt for more practical choices that don't necessarily compromise with quality and durability. Instead of buying branded stuff at the mall, the baby stalls near the back of the Redemptorist church has a lot of great choices: there are cheaper items, and there are also imported things at almost half the hyper-inflated mall prices. What I love buying for my inaanaks are the comfy cotton "pambahay" outfits that can withstand wear, and since kids grow at such a startling rate and outgrow their clothes really quickly, there is really no practical reason behind buying really expensive premium baby wear and supplies in the mall. Just ask around for the baby stores from the sidewalk vendors, and they will gladly point you to the right direction.

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.

The Babyland store at the Festival Supermall has been a very valuable resource for us since I gave…read morebirth to my son a couple of years ago. It is where my husband bought my first nursing cover, a piece of clothing that mommies use so their babies can nurse comfortably in public. I remember how patient and accommodating their staff was to my husband who had to take pictures of all the available nursing covers and send them to me over the phone so I can choose the design that I like. Her valuable assistance enabled my husband to purchase my much needed breastfeeding accessory that same day. Babyland was also our main source for our supply of baby-friendly laundry detergent. That brand is not available in the supermarkets that we frequently go to and it was a big convenience on our part that Babyland has it, at a very affordable price, together with the other laundry and cleaning agents specifically made for babies.

Props to SM for coming up with this specialty store. And they have good reason for doing so; moms,…read moremoms-to-be, titas and most especially grandparents can't resist buying stuff for the little ones! My eldest daughter is the first grandchild in my family. And even if we planned to live abroad, that didn't stop the new lola (my mother) to dote on her first apo. A month before my child was born, my mom had already completed my checklist of the things the baby would need. Where else could she buy those things but in SM's Baby Company. I'm surprised they didn't offer her the Mom Card (their loyalty rewards program). She could have acquired a lot of points with everything she bought. As the name implies, this is the place I go to when I need something for my baby. May it be clothes, bathing, feeding, sleeping, anything! And it doesn't matter what your budget is, because Baby Company offers a lot of baby brands, from the local and cheap to the imported and slightly pricey ones. I have a four-month old daughter now, so no visit to SM is complete without passing by Baby Company.

Another thrift shop that I frequently go to, not that I'm cheap, but I'd like to see it as bargain,…read moreor a talent of finding branded beautiful used clothes in mint condition aAnother thrift shop that I frequently go to, not that I'm cheap, but I'd to see it as bargain, or a talent of finding branded beautiful used clothes in mint condition and d working it out. I was able to see great finds in this store, you just have to be patient in checking each garment one by one and aisle by aisle. It's like finding needle in a haystack once you find it, it feels great. I was able to get two Jag pants for only Php 100.00 each, a Fendi vest for Php120.00, several knitted cardigans and shirts for only Php25.00 each, Liz Claiborne and three winter clothes jackets for only Php100.00 each. They have new stocks every month but I advise waiting for a few weeks after the delivery because new stocks are priced higher, so be patient and wait until they have the sale sign out, clothes jumps from Php150.00 to Php 25.00. Ukay digging is fun, try it.!