Femme Power

Archive for the ‘Shopping’ Category

Backpacks are still one of the most preferred bags in school today due to their affordability, versatility (can be used for school supplies or for extra clothes during games, field trips, etc), durability and style.   I myself had a penchant for backpacks during my school days (Forget the number of years that passed, lol!).

So with my daughter possibly getting infected with my being bag-crazy, she asked me to look for a cute kids backpack that she could use for her dance rehearsals.  One that’s dainty and soft, she’ll want to carry and hug it.  With not much time to scour the mall for such a description for a backpack, I chose to check online if something fits the bill.  Indeed I found a stephen joseph backpack that’s cute and colorful, quilted and soft.  It’s 100% made of cotton, no worries about scratching my daughter’s skin on the bag’s edges unlike her previous bags.

This backpack can be personalized by having your child’s name embroidered on it.

I also found a nap mat that’s perfect for sleepovers and picnics as well as for daycare, preschool and kindergarten.   The good stuff? It’s foldable into a bag for easy storage, and it’s machine-washable.

Five days to go and it’s Valentine’s Day.  Have you thought of anything special to surprise your partner?  Flowers are among the the best sellers during this time of the year, as most women love to receive flowers.  If you have loved ones here in the Philippines and you wanna send flowers to them or a cute teddy bear or anything else special, there’s a website that can help you with that.

Send Gifts to the Philippines through Island Rose, the company that pioneered the cut flower industry in the Philippines back in 1983.   Their flowers are of great quality, they’re always fresh no matter where they are delivered in the Philippines.   And anybody will be awed by the impressive presentation of their flowers and other products — at amazingly affordable prices.   Plus, you can take advantage of a 10% discount by using this valentine code: VDAY022010 valid until February 20.

Flower Delivery to the Philippines has never been this cost-effective and hassle-free.   Check out Island Rose’s website on the links provided so you’ll know why I’m impressed.   You could find gift items for as low as P250 and up.  The website is very easy to navigate, with elaborate details of their various gift packages.

So if you wanna send Flowers to the Philippines, let Island Rose do the walking for you.

Three weeks after the devastation of Ondoy, the people of Marikina are still trying to get up. Basic services like water and power supplies are slowly going back to normal although there are still areas without electricity until now. Businesses are gradually coming around again after what seemed like a bad dream.

The clean-up drive done by the MMDA with the help of the flooded residents ourselves, helped a lot in ridding the city of the piles of garbage. Cleaning our respective homes, meanwhile, was a challenge because it was only last week that we had clean water supply again. With the mess that Typhoon Ondoy left in our humble abode, I had to buy new cleaning materials like pails, rags and rugs, disinfectants, brushes, and a highly efficient mop, among others. We also needed to buy other items like bedsheets and pillows, and some hardware stuff to repair our cabinets and chairs. Yes, it’s that costly when you’ve been flooded. If I only have discount coupons for all these, it would be a lot of help to ease the budget. One of the stores that people went to after the flood was ACE Hardware in SM Marikina. I noticed that most people flocked there to buy airbeds, mops, flashlights and emergency lights. And I was one of them.

Mention 3-Day-Sale and you got my attention. These are the magic words that alert a bargain-hunter like me. So when I learned that SM Marikina was having a big sale on their first anniversary from Friday to Sunday, I didn’t have second thoughts of going. Last Friday, I only had less than two hours to shop around to avail of the additional perks for those with SM Advantage Card, the mall’s loyalty card.   Within 10 am-12 noon, all SM Advantage card holders were entitled to an additional 10% discount on top of the regular discounts.  For one,  I was able to buy a new set of queen-size bedsheets at 70% discount (60% less plus another 10% discount on top because of my Advantage Card).  I was able to buy the much-needed items in my list but nothing at all for me (Why do we, moms, tend to shop for everyone else in the family except for ourselves?). But no regrets, I wouldn’t have felt fulfilled if I only shopped for myself.  The other items I bought had 20%-50% less on their tag prices.

The queues at the counters were long especially when it was nearing 12 noon. Evidently, a lot of card holders wanted to avail of the 2-hour promotion which would save them a lot of money while earning points. There was this woman ahead of me who was scouring her wallet for something. Turned out that she lost her SM Advantage Card so she was bound to miss the additional 10% discount.  Looking at her items, the additional discount would save her hundreds of pesos.  Realizing this, she almost begged asked me to lend her my card.  Since the card is transferable and that she was a nice woman, I obliged.  She thanked me profusely several times, I was getting green.

But the best part of that day was probably the McDonalds event which my daughter and I had the chance to attend after I bought a ticket for P150 (a little over $3).  If I didn’t pass by on that part of the mall, I wouldn’t have known about it.  There were food, freebies, games, lots of prizes, singing, and dancing.  The kids also got the chance to have their pictures taken with their favorite mascots - Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie, and Ronald Mc Donald.   I was surprised to see that Bianca has grown almost as tall as Grimace, the violet mascot we got for her birthday party when she turned one year old, seven years ago.  Now, you can hardly see Grimace behind her in one of the pictures below.

I learned later that McDonalds gave away free Big Macs to their first 100 customers that morning.  Had I known earlier, I would have rushed to McDo first before heading to the Department Store, lol!

If you’re a Colgate user and you live in the Philippines, I’m sure you’ve noticed the absence of Colgate from SM stores.

It’s been several months since Colgate toothpaste disappeared from the shelves of SM Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, including Save More.   Whenever I’m in SM, I hear a lot of SM shoppers ask around for Colgate like I do.     Whatever happened, all the SM merchandisers can say is that it’s going to take a long while before they could sell Colgate toothpaste again.  There are talks that Colgate and SM have some rifts about payments so if this were true, it would take some time indeed to iron things out.

For now, I will have to buy my groceries again at Robinsons even if SM is much closer.  While I could settle with Close Up, my husband can’t. After trying other brands available, my hubby developed some tooth problems which he claims only happened when he stopped using Colgate.  So I’m left with no choice but to look for Colgate somewhere else as hubby requested.  Sigh.

Though my daughter is all grown up, I still love looking at cute Baby Clothes.  They never fail to put a smile on my face.

Here are some of the adorable designer baby clothes I found online that I couldn’t help but admire:

Pupa soft dress with diaper cover by Estella

Choosing clothes for our kids and babies do not only center on being cute and stylish but also on comfort and durability.  Being a practical mom, I personally like tops that are easy to match with any bottoms.  And even though I scrimp on a lot of expenses, I put a premium on baby clothing.  Having learned from experience, I wouldn’t go for cheap yet of poor quality baby clothes - those made of fabrics that stink, bleed, and shrink so bad (worse, with buttons and threads dangling after a few washes).

When you choose the right stuff for your little ones even if they’re a bit pricey, they can actually last for years and be handed down to your next baby or your niece/nephew.

Babies can’t complain about their getup. When garbed with uncomfortable clothes, they either get itchy, sweaty, develop skin rashes and allergies or they simply cry. That’s why comfort is on top of my considerations more than the cuteness of style.

I normally go for soft and comfy materials.  I also prefer fabrics that let the clothes breathe especially that my daughter is prone to respiratory problems.   When choosing a baby outerwear, it’s a no-brainer to take into consideration the weather condition and/or the climate to help you decide what material to choose and how thick or thin it should be.

Babies and kids are able to sleep better and play more freely when they’re wearing comfortable clothes.  No stress for the baby, no worries for the parents.

Do you shop online? Then this one’s for you -  a shopping community where you can meet new online friends, avail of discount coupons, compare brands and prices, and read product reviews from real people while scouring for the things you need.

You can also share your own online shopping experiences and product assessments, hence you help other  online shoppers decide on some of their options.

One of the many new arrivals at Plaza 101

Online Price Comparison gives you all these benefits and features.  It’s a must-visit site for those who want to be sure that they’re getting the best value for their money (Well, who doesn’t?) before making any online purchase.  As an online shopper myself, I put a premium on price comparison.   Not all the time do we see the same item and brand being sold at the same price in different stores. Hence, it pays to compare prices from store to store.  Also, I’m very much open for product alternatives that’s why before I buy something, I make several comparisons first.  Now, there’s no need for me to go to various websites just to check prices or compare items per brand.  I see them at Price Comparison Plaza101. com.  What’s more, they update their new arrivals hourly so I can easily see what’s the latest in the market.

All items are well-categorized so I don’t have a hard time looking for the things I’m looking for, from electronics to apparel, babies’ essentials, kitchen items and furniture, jewelry, DVD, cameras, computers, tools, pets, music, sports, and auto essentials.  And yes, I also like reading their blog postings about increasing income and successful job hunting.