Baby Shopping: Loots From Our Favorite Brands

One of the things I am ecstatic about being pregnant is that I get to shop for our little peanut besides shopping for myself and hubby. There are so many cute things you'll find for your baby so anyone who has been in this situation may warn you to be cautious not to overspend especially at this time of the year where bazaars and sales are emerging from one place to another, one after the other. The question is, HOW CAN YOU RESIST NOT TO BUY A LOT? It's just so E-X-C-I-T-I-N-G. Lols.

As early as September, we got our little peanut his own travel system, via S&R Members' Treat Sale. A series of bargain hunting at a few malls and online stores pursued. We also went to Baclaran to gather tie sides and basic whites, some of the things the baby won't be wearing for too long as he will outgrow them fast. Last month, we attended the Mommy Mundo bazaar to scout a few things but ended up buying a couple of onesies and breastfeeding accessories for me. Also last month, we placed an order on Amazon.com to get our little peanut a few more onesies, breastpump for me and other baby essentials. And just this week (no thanks to port congestion), we finally got them in the mail! Here's a few sneak-peak:

{Our loots from Amazon.com}

Two Bazaars in One Day: Noel Bazaar and Trendsetter's Bazaar

Last Saturday, we were scheduled to go to the Filinvest Tent in Alabang to attend the Noel Bazaar and take a peak of what it has to offer. It has the staple goodies like clothes, food, novelty items and accessories. It did not take us two hours to finish wandering from booth to booth as there are few people to maneuver (hence, less "excuse me po" than usual) and the booths are well-organized.

{Clockwise from Left: Tickets for the Noel Bazaar Swings South (P50.00 entrance); tickets for the Trendsetter's Bazaar (Php 100.00); novelty items found in Trendsetter's Bazaar; creative event styling at the Noel Bazaar for photo op; and some Christmas decors found in Noel Bazaar}

Since we still have a few hours to spare, we decided to drive ourselves straight to the World Trade Center in Pasay City to attend the Trendsetter's Bazaar. We were a bit shock to find that the fair's ambiance is completely different from the calm and well-organized Noel Bazaar. The concessionaires were placed at the entrance so you had to watch out for the hungry and angry people who'd like to buy their food before you could even reach the ticket booth. As soon as you enter the hall, you'll find yourself in a sea of people cramming for the best bargain. It took us about five hours to finish shopping, which I can say is worth all the trouble especially when you're the type who loves bargain. Looking forward to more bazaars coming this year! :)

Give Your Own "BDJ Box" this Christmas

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I love Christmas! It's the time of the year where you can shop not only for yourself but for your friends and loved ones. The shopaholic in me has never been  this happy all year round. :)

Anyway, I do have heaps of BDJ boxes from my monthly subscription and they are just so beautiful to just be thrown away. I've been nesting (that feminine urge to clean your space) for quite some time now when it hit me~ use those boxes as Christmas gift boxes!

So, here's what I did:

I gathered some knick knacks for  each of my girls depending on their personality and needs. I put cosmetics, fashion jewelries, product samples and novelty items. I also throw in a BDJ inspirational sticker on each boxes for good measure.

 

{Converting BDJ boxes to my very own Christmas Box full of knick knacks especially hand-picked for my girls}

Been Out and About...

Oh my! I did not realize that it's been months since my last entry in this blog. Many things happened in my life that I totally forgot to post an entry. There were times when I really have this urge to post but didn't know where to start. 

My life took a full swing mid March. We traveled out of the country for some time, which contributed on my absence in the blogging world. We had a new car. Career change and then, I got pregnant!

Yes, hubby and I are now expecting our first child, which is the main reason why I can't use some beauty products (so there will be far less product review posts, bummer). Anyhow, researching and preparing for this pregnancy took most of my time. Mind you, it's both wonderful and nerve-wracking. You may expect baby and pregnancy-related posts in the future :)

Anyway, it's that time of the year again when fairs, bazaars and warehouse sales are not to be missed. I will gladly share my adventures about some of these in the future. For now, since Christmas is fast approaching (it's 83 days before Christmas, people!) what I'd like to share with you is the iconic earth-friendly yet stylish way of recycling those BDJ monthly boxes:

{BDJ Boxes turned into Christmas gift boxes}

It's easy to do yet presentable. You can read more about it here. :)

Bazaar Escapade: World Bazaar Festival

Worldbex Services International (WSI), in cooperation with ABS-CBN, brings us the 13th World Bazaar Festival, the longest and grandest Christmas charity bazaar in the Metro.

This is one of the bazaars that we don't want to miss this year so last Sunday, together with my sister and mom, I went to the World Trade Center (WTC) in Pasay City and see for ourselves how magnificent the fair is.

{World Bazaar Festival Entrance Signage}

Since it's a weekend, many people of all ages trooped to the WTC. We were greeted by a long line of shoppers to the ticket booth. Entrance fee is Php50.

Tips on a Stress-free Christmas Shopping

The sweet high spirit melody of carols, traffic on the streets, and festive décor everywhere are reminders that the holidays are coming. And with it comes another excuse to hit the shoppinglandia. However, Christmas shopping has always been associated with last-minute panic buying. Although I don’t particularly enjoy the stress that comes with standing in long lines and braving the sea of other shoppers, I love being able to make my family and friends happy by giving them a gift. Here are a few pointers I do that makes my holiday shopping a little less stressful:

1. Start early and make a list. I usually scout for Christmas gifts by mid-October when old items are on sale and new stocks hit the malls. To plan my shopping, I make a list of people, write a corresponding gift that I knew they would have loved to get after their name and my allocated budget for each person or item.

2. Hit the bazaars. When I still can’t decide what to get for someone, a stroll through one of these will surely be a big help. The prices are not fixed so you can always haggle. A handful of them support different charities, too so I feel like I'm hitting two birds in one stone. I love spotting adorable novelty items and stuff you won’t see at the malls. There’s a string of bazaars happening until at the end of the month, so keep an eye out for great and affordable finds.

3. Generic or personalize? It's definitely personalize for family and relatives. I usually like to find out in advance what they like to make it more special. For all my kikay friends and sisters, I give beauty products, which by far the ones I enjoy hunting the most. To make it more personalized, stay clear from the pre-packed beauty items like bath creams or makeup combo. Get them individually while staying true to the receiver's color or scent of choice and toss it into a beautiful glamour box. It will surely melt their hearts out. For people you don’t personally know but that you'd still like to give to (Christmas is all about giving, you know...), a practical item is a good idea. Say for example, our messenger will most likely appreciate a quality face towel or the cheerful and friendly manong guard at our building will appreciate a thermal tumbler. I like to give snack-size food, too especially when I have time to bake. :)