There was once a time that I was hanging out with a friend of mine from Alabang Hills Village. We…read morewere smoking in his car just chilling when it suddenly hit him that he had yet to buy his girl a Christmas present. He was flustered. Panicking, the man dragged me along to Alabang Town Center to help him find a gift for his lady love. We went from one store to another. He had absolutely no clue about the kind of gift that he wanted to give his girl. I advised him that the least he should do is give her something that she could use. We ended up at Gourdo's of all places. Gourdo's just sells a lot of stuff that's related to cooking and baking. We ended up getting here a cookie cutter. I forget the pattern, but a year or so later I can distinctly recall here giving us a batch of cookies cut out in the shape of the cookie cutter that we bought that day.

My version of heaven would probably have an area that's a mixture of Gourdo's, Kitchen Elf, and…read moreChocolate Lovers. Basically, it will be a baker's heaven, with every ingredient, equipment, and packaging I could ever dream of for my kitchen, there for my taking. Unlike Kitchen Elf and Chocolate Lovers where I regularly (read: OFTEN) buy stuff, Gourdo's is more of a special occasion kind of thing. Why? Well, let's just say I need to save up for most of the products they offer. They have, for example, my dream Kitchenaid mixer (in mint or fuschia, please) for Php 27,000. They also sell a wide variety of Wilton products that are proven and tested when it comes to baking, but come at hefty price tags, too! If you're on a tight budget like me, I recommend that you visit Gourdo's during the holiday season (starting November). They're generous with sales toward the end of the year. Last year, I was able to score some Wilton frosting tips and a jigger/shaker at discounted prices!

If you're the type who takes DIY and product personalizing to a higher level, or you just want to…read moreexplore the business of making couple shirts, mugs, button pins, then head to Odeon Mall. That's an insider tip from someone who makes a business of making customized shirts and corporate giveaways. Odeon Mall looks like an old, abandoned building in Recto. It's where merchants go to buy office supplies and equipment. I like coming here with my brother and driver because of all the interesting things we see here, at cheap costs. The place is filled with stores selling different kinds of paper and stationery products and machines. We bought our first equipment here for our t-shirt business. Before going there, we knew nothing about operating the machines and getting the right materials, but the sales people trained us for an hour after we purchased the product. We also bring our items there if it ever malfunctions or if it needs cleaning.

Ever since I can remember, I have always had a fascination for Carolina's. From the first time I…read moreentered their branch in Megamall when I was in grade school, I have always been mesmerized by the variety of the buttons, thread, textile, ribbons, and accessories they have. Today, having several small businesses and jobs that require textile, ribbons and other accents, I always head to Carolina's for convenient sourcing. I have even compared the prices between buying materials from Divisoria (more specifically Ilaya and Tabora) and found that the price difference only ranges from PhP5 to PhP50, which would make it impractical to head all the way to Divisoria just to purchase a few rolls of ribbon, a few yards of cloth, or a few packs of accents.

Carolina's is the quintessential dress maker's place, with the added convenience of being in a…read moremall. It eliminates the need to go to Divisoria if you just need a few beads and buttons, or a bit of lace to finish that dress repair. While it can get a bit crowded, especially during Prom/Sagala/May seasons, it's still worth it as the selection is unparalleled - unless you feel adventurous, of course. Overall, every visit is always worth it.

This tiny gadget and accessories shop is just wedged in one corner of Regis Center but make sure…read moreyou don't just go past it! Have a look around! They offer some really nice Apple accessories for your iphones, macs, and ipads, and they also sell other gadgets like speakers, headsets, powerbanks, and cameras. They have so many things for such a small shop! What's nice is most of the items are stylish, design-centric, one of a kind items, the type you'd see in specialty hobby/accessory stores. They have this particular micro-cam there that's a great GoPro alternative, available for a fraction of the price! Everything at Loop is actually sold at prices cheaper than SRP at malls and other gadget stores, but they still sell legit, original items. It's an authorized Apple retailer too so you can actually buy macbooks and ipads themselves there at a discount. They also offer shipping in and outside of Metro Manila!

If I were to describe Uniwide Warehouse Club in one phrase, it would be "Wasteland of Everything…read moreMade in China". Though don't let this place fool you, because it might have poor lighting, ventilation, and the place is quite an eyesore really, but I only go here for 2 things: it's the BEST place here in Parañaque to get some cheap home decor and kitchen stuff, if you don't want to go all the way to Divisoria that is. Let's talk home decor. If you like fancy figurines of all kinds of animals, knock-offs of antique-looking sculptures, grandiose-looking vases and cute winter porcelain houses that double as lamps, you can get such items for Php 100 - 300 or so. This is why I frequent this place for holiday gifts because you can get really good-looking items for so much less. Kitchen stuff: Plastic and ceramic decorative and everyday use plates are available here and they're REALLY cheap, most are being sold by the kilo even. So much cute and quirky designs here. This is why the plates in my kitchen are all mismatched (I don't really care). Cheap kitchen tools are also available here such as pots/pans, utensils, glasses and knives. But if you're wary of lead content leaching its way onto your food, perhaps it's wise to skip this section... Other than those things, there are so much cheap, random odds and ends in this warehouse. They've also got some fabric of all kinds available near the entrance, some food kiosks, school supplies, fake flowers, cheap clothing and shoes, and so on. I do recommend doing your Christmas shopping here for giveaways if you're not too particular with brand names, or shopping for party favors for children's parties.

Friday, March 1 90°F 49% Humidity…read more Let's go souvenir shopping! Gift giving (pasalubong) is an important Filipino tradition, and Kultura offers a wide range of products that showcase the country's culture, cuisine, clothing, and craftsmanship. This retail chain is owned by SM and you'll find them inside most if not all SM shopping malls. I went to the one inside SM Makati. What do they have? Apparel - atleisure, polos, footwear, T-shirts, jackets, traditional outfits like filipiniana or barong, Accessories - jewelry, sunglasses, hats, shawls, tote bags, purses Food - dried mangoes, chocolate bars, jams, polvorón (shortbread), cookies, banana chips For the home - placemats, coasters, picture frames, utensils, ornaments, figurines, other diningware I didn't buy too much because it was still early in my trip; didn't want to overpack my luggage because I had two more flights to Mindanao and Cebu. I mostly browsed around to get an idea of what they had and made plans to stop at another location on my last day. But I did get a small bag of YeloYolo cacao cookies, which are as "healthy" as cacao can be. All real plant-based ingredients and an excellent source of fiber, iron, magnesium, protein, and potassium. Halal certified as well. Overall lots of unique gifts you can bring home and share with family, friends and colleagues! Philippines 2024 collection: https://www.yelp.com/collection/DHwKzvo7o_ll8jmXFFU3KA/PHIL-2024

Kultura Filipino is really your one-stop shop for Authentic & Quality Pearls, Barong, Filipiniana,…read moreand Local Souvenir items. It's located in the SM Makati mall on the second floor. Chances are you will find what you need. From a range of T-shirts, caps, magnets, keychains, coffee, cookies, candy, chocolates, chocolate dipped mangoes, handmade items, etc. I could've spent hours in this place.

I have two Beyond the Box branch favourite but I chose to write here at the Greenhills branch page…read morebecause I bought more items (gadgets) here and at the other one (Robinson's Galleria) I've only bought accessories. I think everyone who goes to Beyond the Box GH has fallen in love with its design, the place simply looks awesome! and the displays would definitely make you want to buy. They have almost everything there so you won't have go out and buy else where. One thing I've learned from buying at Beyond the Box is that they have this magical thing called cash discount which you can really appreciate when buying gadgets because you'll feel the big discount. That and they have a 1 week replacement and 1 year service warranty. Price-wise, it's sometimes cheaper to buy there if you can believe it and the sense of security that warranty brings me since I'm one of those people who's really unlucky when it comes to buying gadgets.

Male staff at VMall Greenhills branch were seemed somewhat unaccomodating. However, i would like to…read morecommend the lady who handled the repair reception. She was courteous, helpful and accomodating throughout my inquiry.. I hope rhe rest of the staff can provide the same level of customer service.

What I very much appreciate about SOMA Stores is that it promotes local designers and brands. It's…read morepure heaven for the eccentric and anyone who's on the look out for alternative clothing or anyone who just absolutely loves fashion. Every now and then, they change their line up to accommodate other brands and designers. They cater to folks who could be a cross between edgy and trendy, too. I think I just fell in love with absolutely almost all the black and white pieces I saw there during Manila Fashion Festival. It houses some of the more known brands such as Proud Race, The Artisan, and Slaves Øf Liberty to name a few. They also host art and music events which you have to attend as well! Not only do you get to meet the artists but you meet like-minded people in and out of the industry.

Local indie brands and designers are finally getting a tastes of the limelight thanks to SOMA…read moreStores at Green Sun Hotel. It's basically a treasure trove of local finds--from clothing down to accessories and is every bit modern. I generally like shopping more well-known retail brands in bigger malls, but there's something about shopping at a place like SOMA that makes the purchase feel a bit more worthwhile and worth the buck. It could also be that the designers and brands featured here (Artisan Clothing and Proud Race just to name a few) have super edgy aesthetics that nothing you ever purchase will have a similar replica walking down the mall. But depending on the brand's consignment agreement, they may either operate on bi-monthly or quarterly terms, or shorter three to four day stints. Support local and don't forget to bring your cash (mostly because they don't accept card and debit payments)!