Mommy Goes To Market: reviews

Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

After arriving from church, we immediately called Shakey's for a pizza delivery because we wanted everyone to enjoy the MayPac game without having to prepare the food and all that.

I called the hotline and I was told that the order will arrive on or before 11:28 or the order is FREE.
More than getting the free food, I'd rather get the food on time.

I kept joking with my husband that the food might come free as there was only 3 minutes left.

So the rider came and he was late, by around 5 minutes.
No big deal but I joked around and said "Kuya, eh di libre na yan?" because I wanted to find out if it is indeed true.

In my experience, even with a "FREE when late" guarantee, I don't get the FREEBIE. I just feel sorry for the delivery guy, I know traffic and weather can be harsh.

So the Shakey's delivery person said, in a very pleasant manner, "Yes ma'am. Sobrang sabay sabay po kasi ang delivery and hindi na kaya, so free na po yan. Pangalawa na nga po kayong late delivery ko..." (Yes ma'am, because my deliveries were loaded, your meal is free. In fact, you're the second late delivery I've had today).

I asked him out of curiosity, "Sinong nag babayad pag late yung food?" (Who pays for the food when it's delivered late?)

He answered, "Ako po ma'am and then half po is yung branch." (It will be me ma'am, then half will be paid by the branch)

I got appalled by the notion of having this poor guy pay for half of my food bill (and others'). Imagine , our bill was Php1,700. If he were to pay, it would be Php850 stripped off what he would earn from the day.

If he was on minimum wage and even if he got paid for overtime, my gosh, what would be left from his salary???

Other scenarios ran through my mind like more road accidents from these drivers because of too much rushing just so they won't need to pay for the late food delivery. Hayyy, I'm sorry but I don't think this is fair!

So obviously we paid him in full. Even if he was 10-15 minutes late, we would still have paid him in full. It's nice to get FREE stuff if a big corporation pays for it (I know because I came from corporate and there's such things like margins, marketing budgets and spends, etc. that don't need to be picked out of the pocket of the employees!) but not individual delivery guys!

Why not just give a FREE item or really good discount for late deliveries and get that from a marketing budget. You use the tagline after all to do so.

I think people will understand if you don't give your food for free.
Unless the food got totally ruined because it took an hour, then maybe in that scenario, just give a free replacement or something.

Now I'm thinking, are your riders even insured?
What will happen to them if they get into an accident?
How sure are we that you prepared our food well because there was so much haste just to get it delivered. Remember, no matter how stringent your policies are, people have their own way of coping.

Really on the verge of boycotting this company.

Cheers to the delivery guys and I hope you are given more benefits by the companies you work for.

I specifically created this blog to review various products and services mommies like me get to enjoy or most of the time REALLY need.

From must-haves to hobbies, I always love to share great finds.

Some of you may still be too hesitant about online shopping in the Philippines especially if you're buying from a Facebook or an Instagram account, there's no telling how the transaction will turn out.

This year, I decided to be headstrong about DIY items - from crafts to packaging and mostly anything as long as time permits.

So I went ahead and looked for a shop that will give me hard-to-find-items for crafting that you'll usually only find the US.

I found a forum thread and took a chance at this FB page: The Yellow Violet House

Isabe, the owner is very hands on and SUPER nice.
As a first time crafter when it comes to die-cutting, embossing and such, I had so many questions plus, being the mommy that I am, I wanted the most out of my money at prices that were competitive too.

She never disregarded my questions, whether or not I committed to purchase. She just went on ahead and entertained my queries, which made me decide to get items from her.

Her prices aren't published, though some may find it inconvenient, I believe it's okay because she really answers all your questions. I think that's what a good store should have, REALLY GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE and not just cheap-to-the-bone prices. I don't mind paying extra when I know I am in good hands.

Here are some of the items I got from her:

Fiskars Fuse Adapter Set - so I can use other dies and embossing folders from other brands

Sizzix Framelits Dies with Stamps

Sissix Where Women Cook Pillow Box Die

Over-all I really loved the great customer service that I got from her. She also helped me figure out what items I'll make the most out of. I love it when sellers take time to explain and you really get value for money at the end of the purchase.

She's got so many items on hand so try them out. :)

Cheers and Happy Crafting!

Lazada is my go-to place when it comes to online shopping for various items. I find the simplest to the most surprising (you'd never think they have it 'till you search and see!).

I usually only shop on Mondays because I get 15% off using my Mastercard Debit Card, which is a good deal.

I've had various items delivered already from a folding table to use in the craft area, I got it for only Php1,200+ with FREE shipping. It's actually a long table, approx. 1.1 meters.

It's made of light MDF with Aluminum, it folds up and is easy to place anywhere, my daughter can carry it.

My most precious sleeping possession to-date! The Snug-a-hug pillow which I also got a 15% discount from Lazada. I blogged about it here before it arrived.

In Hanes Grey

Apart from those, I bought an Ice Crusher to make home-made halo-halo and snow cones, a large pressure cooker (hehe yes, because you can't wait for hours just to tenderize beef), a hot/cold Meyer Vacuum flask and some other stuff.

Founded last 2012, Lazada.com.ph has grown to be the Philippines’ one-stop shopping destination, generating a sizeable contribution in livelihood and employment of many Filipinos. And with this, Lazada.com.ph celebrates Labor Day with its first show-stopping parade of flash sales from April 27 until May 3 all carrying a pricetag of PhP 99 each – ensuring that every Filipino shopper gets more out of their hard earned buck through the effortless and risk-free online shopping experience that Lazada.com.ph provides.

From April 27 until May 3, the Philippines’ One-stop Shopping Destination Lazada.com.ph is giving a treating everyone to a shopping spree by unveiling a parade of its bestselling items that could be purchased via flash sales from the site www.lazada.com.ph or through the Lazada Mobile App available on Google Play and iOS Appstore.

The treasure trove of the flash sales is to be unveiled on the Lazada PH social media accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines), Instagram (@lazadaph_style and @lazadaph), and Google Plus (+LazadaPhilippines) so be sure to subscribe to these accounts and keep your eyes peeled on how you can make the most out of your money this Labor Day only at the Philippines’ One-Stop Shopping Destination - Lazada.com.ph.

So take advantage of their daily deals and super SALE events! I highly recommend them because so far, I have had no problems with them at all. They deliver fast and their customer service reps are very helpful.

Cheers!

When I went to HK a couple of years back (yes, I haven't travelled for some time), I never wanted to leave the Ikea Store.

Not only were the furniture and accent pieces so affordable, the quality and design was also good, especially for a young homemaker like me.

So it's really sad that there's no official Ikea store here yet but I'm so thrilled that there's a company who imports directly and the prices aren't so bad as well.

Meet Furniture Source Philippines

I posted one of my favorite pieces on Instagram recently, the Lennart Drawer. I love that its affordable and functional and the design is also good. Took 20 minutes for me and the hubby to assemble it (could have been faster but we folded the drawers the other way around, hehe).

Perfect since I'm usually working from home nowadays and I like my working space clean and orderly (please post that in another entry)

Lennart Drawer
PROMO PRICE: 1,300
PRICE: 1,500

I also bought these:

You can never have too many containers for food, I like them re-usable and BPA-free as well

Pruta 17-Piece Foodsaver Set (BPA Free)
PROMO PRICE: 390
ORIG PRICE: 500

For my crafting area, an easy to pull trolley

Hornavan Trolley

PROMO PRICE: 1,600

ORIG PRICE: 1,800

My Review of their service:

1. Replied via Facebook messenger within 12 hours from the time I sent them a query

2. Confirmed my delivery the next day after I transferred my payment via BPI (mobile)

3. Received a message at 9am the following day that my items were going to be delivered between 2 to 5 pm.

4. It promptly arrived as promise, in perfect condition

5. They're online and mobile associates were very courteous and answered my questions promptly

Over-all, I really do highly recommend them plus they also have a physical store if you're in the QC area.

The delivery charge was a flat rate of Php450 to Makati.

I wish I ordered the others already but I wanted to try them out first by buying minimal items for the interim. I'm glad I did!

My Next Choices on the Wish List are:

I'm giving birth in July and its something I know I can use to relax both the baby and me plus, a good chair to breastfeed on.

Poang Rocking Chair

PROMO PRICE: 8,000

ORIG PRICE: 8,500

Something to compliment the Poang Rocking Chair, it's a space saver because desk lamps need a side table (for obvious reasons)

Lersta Floor Lamp

PROMO PRICE: 1,200

ORIG PRICE: 1,850

Because I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of extra little laundry when the baby comes

Jall Drying Rack
PROMO PRICE: 700
ORIG PRICE: 900

There's still a lot on my wish list! Check their Facebook page, they have an on-going Summer Sale HERE

Cheers to a Happy Home!

It took me a year to finally decide to invest in a machine to help me with my packaging needs for the business.

I took a break from the online retail of my FEEL PH personal care products because I had to concentrate on my day job, make more time for custom orders of soaps and balms (for other sellers and special event favor orders).

Most of the time, I'm asked to do packaging that's unique and customized and it was hard to look for ready-made ones that won't look like someone else's design.

I initially wanted the Cricut Explore 2 or the Silhouette Cameo but it wasn't just the cutting that I needed and since I'm only spending for this on a limited budget, I had to look for a machine that will give me everything that I needed and will work with me for a longer time.

I got this for a really good price, half of how much its currently retailing here from various sellers.

It came with the basic set and I had to purchase other attachments like adapter plates and dies, but those can be done little by little over time anyway as the need arises.

I got the machine from another trusted seller: CRAFT FOUNTAIN

She really walked me through and we were able to narrow down on the machine I needed.

I got it the day after I made a deposit to her account, the shipping was fast and efficient, even if it came from Dagupan. Try her out and check out more of her products online.

Here's a video on the product that will best explain what it's about:

I haven't "played" much with it yet but here are some of the samples I made:

The Die for the Pillow Box on the left and tags on the right were purchased separately
The ones in the middle came with the machine

Die Cut Tags of different sizes using left over wrappers

Emboss different papers and card stocks! So pretty!!!

Another pillow box using corrugated card stock I got from National Bookstore

Another favorite embossing pattern

I'll upload other project experiments soon. I haven't tried the letterpress function yet and there's so much more you can do!

Here's my honest review:

PROs:

1. Price for the 12-inch opening is worth it! You can pass through larger paper sizes, all you need are the right "sandwich" adapters for different kinds of dies and embossers

2. It's very sturdy and feels like a machine built for long-term use. It mounts on any surface without wobbling

3. It folds up! Even though it's bigger than other brands such as Cuttlebug and Big Shot, you can fold it up and store it in a more compact location (Warning though, this machine is heavy)

4. It has 3 functions - Die Cutting, Letter Pressing and Embossing that most electronic machines don't have

5. It can accept other branded die cuts, stamps and embossing folders. You just need to follow the sandwich guides and buy the additional adapter plates (these are worth buying because you can maximize the use of your machine)

CONS:

1. It is heavy so its really not particularly built to be totted around like the other smaller 6-inch machines

2. The "cartridge" sets that include all 3 functions under the Fuse brand are on the high side but the expansion packs (if you already have the base parts or plates) are still affordable - which is why the adapter plates come in handy to use other more affordable dies and accessories from other brands

3. Designs for their Fuse branded cartridges are still limited and there aren't much larger ones available yet

OVER-ALL:

I recommend that you get this machine, even if you're just a newbie at this sort of thing. In the long run, you'll actually make the most out of it.

If you have more cash to burn, then you can also consider the Accucut or the Big Shot Pro which are even more heavy-duty machines.

I'm pregnant but this was easy to use though I just needed some lifting help because I can't carry heavy stuff for now.

Check out this Pinterest Board that showcases various projects you can make with this machine.

Till my next post!

Cheers!

My kids and I have been spending more time together since I'm usually home based due to some pregnancy issues.

I make it a point to be firm with them with days that they are not allowed to use any of their gadgets.

In return, we buy them different crafting and art supplies to make their days productive and encourage more creativity plus learning how to work together so they won't bite each other's head off. :)

Yan-yan has always been fascinated with things from crafts, science and art.

This was her at 2 years old, whenever she'd get something new, it was like Christmas morning with the oohs and the aahs.

It's also the same when a package arrives from one of our favorite online sellers.

She's been making a lot of loomband creations and is quite good at it.
I didn't want her to easily get tired of it so we went ahead and got new crafting sets.

One of which are these food-grade plastic beads.

They are called Hama, Perler, Fuse, Ironing, dependent on the brand.

Here are some of he creations the kids accomplished within 1 1/2 day!

Finn and Peppermint Buttler of Adventure Time by Yan-yan

Minecraft Characters and Weapons by Peyton

My Little Pony by Yan-yan

A bigger and more complicated My Little Pony by Yan-yan

This activity needs adult supervision though because in order to fuse together the beads, you need to iron them underneath wax or ironing paper.

I bought them several sizes of the clear plates to mount the beads on so that we can iron them in batches (to save time and electricity as well).

There's so many items to make like keychains, decorative pieces you can make stands for, pen toppers, hair pieces, fashion jewelry, 3D objects and so much more.

There are currently 2 online sellers who are very nice and accommodating that we enjoy purchasing from.

Gadgets n Gifts

Toys and Crafts

You can find a lot of new craft activities from them plus more, we highly recommend these two sellers. :)

For patterns, we download from various sites, just google and you'll find a lot.

There are a lot of Youtube Tutorials too.

This is a good tool to bond with your kids so try it out, you might even enjoy it too.

Cheers!

When you get to organize (sort of) your vanity stuff, you can't resist doing a "test run" hehe.

Had the time yesterday to get my things organized (pat on the back..hehe).

"Organized" Vanity (I'm still getting there...hehe)

And was able to experiment on 2 looks.
Here's one of them.

I'm not a professional MUA. I just like putting on make-up (ever since I can remember - maybe because my grandma always made me her guinea pig for over 30 years of teaching cosmetology).
I still try to learn and find out several useful tips.

After I gave birth to my 2nd, I seriously slacked off until I went back to working with a fashion company.

So recently I tried to complete my make-up product line-up. (I can feel my husband shake his head - disapprovingly - men just really don't understand...haha).

I'm pretty blessed that my current job deals with a lot of beauty products and a lot of my colleagues are very pro-active in sharing their best kept secrets and tips.

For moms like me who do not have much time in the morning, somehow, I have mastered a faster way of applying and achieving certain looks.

Mind you, the way in placing make-up and how long or quick it takes depends on your skin type.
I have slightly corse skin, the woes of post pregnancy and it takes a couple of years to rejuvenate. But with the help of awesome products (suited for your skin), it's still possible to achieve glowing freshness! (yes, I am a marketing person..obvious ba?).

The Red Lipstick
*Deep Coloured Lips + Light Eyes = balance (tip from one of the MUAs I have worked with before)

What I did and maybe you can too:

Base basics (Here's mine: Primer on eyes and face creases, BB Cream, Foundation, Concealer)
I used a bronzer under my cheek bones, blended it in with a little foundation powder and applied a light cheek blush
I like to have my eyes simple when wearing strong lip colours so I applied just a beige/nude shimmery shadow
I then applied a liquid liner and deepened the color with a liner stick (as the liquid one that I have is shimmery - get jet black if you only want to do it once but be sure of the control to avoid smears, do it slowly but surely...wag hihinga! hehe)
I like my brows full in the same colour like my hair (will do a step by step DIY post on this soon as one of my online buddies requested..good luck to me, I'm no expert, pero happy to share - do at your own risk hehehe). I just used a basic brow liner and evened it out with the brush that came with it
With a toothbrush, I gently exfoliated my lip then patted it dry
I applied a thin layer of balm, massaged it on a bit to take off excess dead skin and to recondition my lips
I hate using lip liner, it always somehow never matches my lipsticks (or maybe I don't have enough colour choices in my stash haha) so I used a lip brush to apply especially on the corners and to get a better outline instead
If I don't have time to use a lip brush, concealer or foundation hides out the excess (hehe)
Blot lips lightly using a tissue - if you feel it's too thick for you
I applied pink lip gloss, starting at the center of the lower lip before spreading out evenly

I'm not so used to sharing step-by-step tricks but I'll try to post more instructional ones next time, but I doubt I will go that path (aka Tamad or Toxic).

Like I said, in the future my kid may see my blog and say: "ganito pala itsura ni mommy way back..."

Hehehe.