I love shopping at Claire's especially at Christmas time and I have a lot gifts for my tween and…read moreteen godchildren. They have the cutest items that are great for that age range. The truth is, I also buy a lot of things at Claire's for myself. They have a lot of hip accessories like sunglasses, jewelry, hats and bags. The best gift I found there were locked diaries for tweens with cute owl designs and a bejeweled red one. They are also among the few stores that have gloves, we're not really a glove-wearing country so that's a bit hard to find before Claire's. And they also carry the Prism line of Katy Perry. They often go on sale offering buy 1, take 1 promos for items of the same price. If you ever chance upon one of those, I suggest going big on the shopping because you will always be able to find young girls and those young-at-heart to give the items to.

Claire's is every pre-teens dream come true. When i would vacation in the US, my shopping itinerary…read morealways included Claire's for all my kikay needs. Their accessories are the best! They sell colorful hair pieces as well as cute earrings, belly rings (for the rebellious kind) and even boy band merchandise. Just so you know, i didnt buy any of the Justin Bieber stuff when he was super famous. In grade 6, all my classmates wanted to have my denim wallet which had glitters and the world Angel stitched on the front part. When i told them it was from Claire's their faces looked a bit upset because they knew they wouldnt be able to buy it right away. When i saw Claire's open their first branch in BGC i remember feeling what i used to feel when i wouls enter their US stores before. Unfortunately i was already working so i decided to be happy for the preteens instead. I still pass by once in a while and delight in the cute stuff they have.

If it wasn't for all the Filipinos inside the mall, it'd remind me of the malls in California. It's…read morea pretty mall with fountains outside and architecture that makes you ooh and ahh inside your head. It gets crowded due to being one of the nicer, fancier malls. Like amusement park crowded. Grab a buddy and you'll be fine. They seem to have everything here too. Even a chapel that has masses. No joke. I was walking through the mall when I saw crowds of people standing. For mass. The masses get so much traffic that people have to stand outside the chapel. People don't stare at you here like at most other public places. I would think it's because most of the people here are middle and upper middle classes and a lot of tourists probably come here so it's nothing new to them. I liked this mall.

This place is always packed and parking is horrible . They have a speed ramp for exiting vehicles…read morebut sometimes not all exiting booths are open so you have to drive down to one that is which creates unnecessary traffic to get out of the parking... I don't get it... I also don't understand why they don't open all mall entrances from parking on the weekdays... I get it's not as busy... but it's really inconvenient when we park in the higher levels... If I didn't need to get a certain grocery item here - I'd avoid this mall all together - but it's the only place that sells grass fed bones and grocery shopping here on the weekends is horrible....... it's best to go when the store opens early in the morning on weekends... and sometimes weekdays too... but if you come at lunch time... good luck finding parking.

If you're up for all things kawaii, looking for something to decorate your room or organize your…read morenotes with, or just simply wanting a new stuffed toy, Happy Land is the land for you. Happy Land originates from Japan, with their front character, Rilakkuma (Japanese pronunciations for 'relax' and 'bear'). Aside from the world famous Sanrio characters, Rilakkuma is getting quite a huge attention as well. For more information as to how much kawaii-ness Rilakkuma bear could bring you, visit Happy Land!! They sell LOTS of stationery, school supplies, stuffed toys, glassware/some kitchenware, towels, what have you!

Sadly, I am not immune to the cuteness of Japanese Mascots. Sure, everyone's heard of Hello Kitty…read moreby now but how about the lesser known Sanrio-X characters? Kutusitanyanko? Mamegoma? Afroken? What about Rilakkkuma? For the uninitiated, Rilakkuma is a Sanrio-X character described as a bear in a "lazy and relaxed mood". He's simply that: a cute little teddy bear. Might be just me but I enjoy seeing foreign franchises come our way. Happy Land (yes, that's what it's called) sells nothing but Rilakkuma merchandise. Stuffed toys, notebooks, chopsticks, keychains, cellphone accessories... everything that you would expect to find in a quirky Japanese stationery/merch store. And as exected, everything is toothachingly adorable. And unfortunately, walletachingly expensive. Of course, your mileage may vary. If you've got some cash to burn, a huge fan of Rilakkuma and can't resist some decent quality merch, I say go for it. Personally, I might go back to get myself one of those headphone jack plug in things because I can't resist. (There goes my wallet.)

Need to update your wardrobe this year? Want a new swimwear? Or do you just want to shop till you…read moredrop without burying your wallet alive? Then this discreet yet stunning local clothing line could do the trick for you. Apartment 8, with branches in Trinoma, Greenhills and Glorietta, have been around for some time and has been creating quite a stir because of their trendy collections. Endorsed by famous fashion bloggers, Apartment 8 offers clothes for women, mostly for teenagers and young adults. But hey, their clothing line is for everybody, as long as you wear the dress, and not let the dress wear you. From casual to formal, from summer to winter, from vintage to modern - Apartment 8 surely has them all.

I come by The Ramp all the time because even though I rarely ever buy anything, I think their…read moreclothes are always plenty eye-catching and intriguing without having to be so on trend all the time. I'm especially a big fan of their Yhansy line of accessories, which used to have its own stall in Shangri-La I've had to say goodbye to. Their stuff can be a little odd sometimes, which I like, and they're not all that expensive either. Their men's clothes can also be quite interesting, especially the Mundo line, which is always out there, with the prices to match. The shoes can be good though, and are much more affordable. There are a lot more stores in the place for sure, but I guess the problem is the whole area can get a little muddled and confusing, with their home line being hidden in the corner, covered by children's clothing, and all the women's clothes overlapping each other. It's honestly a bit cluttered, which is why they don't get as much traffic as they'd want from what I can tell.

I am easy to impress when it comes to fashion, since I'm no expert and I couldn't really tell a…read morestylish look from a boring one. Like I could really like this dress, but I wouldn't know that it's not uso anymore or that it's drab or boring. It's like fashion-blindness. Everything looks good on a hanger or a mannequin. So imagine me in a place with lots of good clothes like The Ramp Crossings in Trinoma. PROS: The place is just so classy and beautiful, like a #ladyboss type of store with crisp shirts and stylish dresses. There is a huge variety of styles - from the trendy and edgy, to the girly florals and flowy fabrics, to the classic LBDs and killer heels. The Ramp has it all. I can't help but get lost in the beauty of all these clothes I think I'd never get to pull off; They have shoes, accessories, even some pieces of furniture and décor at their Crossings Home brand. CONS: When you buy clothes from Crossings, you're dressed to kill. And it kills the budget too because their apparels are fairly expensive. It's on the mid- to high-range pricing, which I think is justifiable given the good clothes that they sell. TL;DR: The Ramp Crossings offers stylish pieces and classy accessories for the Manila fashionista.

The Sidcor Market I grew up with can be found in EDSA corner Main Avenue--the current location of…read moreHypermarket Cubao. As far as I can recall, it was 8 years ago when it was launched again in Centris. I often visit every Sunday morning for my favorite Empanada, Pad Thai, and Buco Sherbet. This is home to a variety of food selection from regional cuisines to international flavors. Sidcor is also a great source of fresh produce, organic vegetables, and fruits. The price is at par with local neighborhood palengke and definetely cheaper than supermarket. Sidcor is open from 6:00am to 1:00pm but fresh market's stocks runs out easily. Be sure to arrive earlier. There are a lot of parking spaces available at Sidcor as well. Commuters can take the Quezon Avenue MRT station. It's a walk away from the train stop.

Spent a Sunday morning here is fun. Here you have 2 prices,…read morelocal and expat. Unlike in salcedo sat market, here you can find avocado for 150/kg, while it's 250-300php in salcedo! You can also find quite good collection of plants to decorate your home. Super hot though!!! But will come back!