Ever since I've lived on my own (for more than 2 years now), I've stepped foot in various branches…read moreof Ace Hardware. When you live alone and there's no one else who'll take care of all the house "issues" other than yourself, this place really comes in handy. My "dining table" and chairs are from here. My cat's litterboxes are all purchased here as well. Pet stuff? Yup. Lightbulbs, adapters for plugs when traveling, super glue, shoe racks, door mats, adhesive wall hooks, travel luggage locks, plastic storage boxes, curtain rods, shelves... Ace Hardware has you covered. There's always someone willing to help you locate that thing you need. As for the pet stuff -- I find it both funny and sad that a hardware store would actually stock up on pet food. I would never buy my own food at a hardware store... except once when I was in Baguio and this hardware store owner grew his own mushrooms and they were amazing --well that's another story. But yes, they do have pet food (mostly commercial kind found in supermarkets as well). They also have pet dishes, leashes, toys, and... clothes. Okay. You know what they also have? Playing card decks. For you know, when you get bored from all that housework I suppose?

AC+632 always has, hands-down, the best store window displays in any local mall here in the city…read more Always dressed to the nines and conceptualized with so much imagination and creativity, I always can't help but take a minute to stop and marvel at their story-filled tableaus. An interesting store filled to the brim with all sorts of interesting pieces like fine jewelry, clothes, tableware, garden tools, and all sorts of bric-a-brac, stepping inside AC+632 is like entering the charming boudoir of a 18th century French monarch. The touches found inside are very much distinct that it almost feels as if you were transported into a European city. Make sure to comb through the whole store and keep your eyes peeled for something curious and interesting. Since it's very packed with so much stuff, there might be lots of gems that you might miss out on.

I have such trouble remembering this store's name. Whenever I try to describe this store to my…read morefriends, I usually end up just saying "that expensive store that has a lot of pretty and weird stuff and has some letters and numbers in its name". AC+632 is one of those stores that you really have a hard time trying to fit into a category, as it sells a lot of things--home decor, accessories, clothing, antiques/strange artifacts, body products, and the list goes on. The only common thing about these items is that they are pricey. But, this store really attracts a lot of window shoppers such as myself. The experience is like going inside a museum--you just look at things because it's entertaining and can somewhat be educational. And, their window displays are amazing--all whimsical and tastefully curated. Well...except for the taxidermied animals (I DESPERATELY hope these are fake) and framed, preserved insects such as butterflies that make me SO ANGRY because it's so cruel :(

I used to take a lot of walks whenever things would get too shitty in the office.Often times you…read morewould see me walking around in a catatonic state in shops tinkering with their merchandise. It would usually take me 30 minutes or so until I become pacified, renewed even. Most times you would see me inside Dimensione looking at all the things they sell- couches, mirrors, cabinets, candlesticks, clocks; basically everything that would make one's home too pretty to walk away from. To say that what they sell here aren't cheap is basically an understatement- things here are pricey but as they say, you get what you pay for once you see what's inside. All you have to do is graze your hand on a cabinet and you'd see what I mean.

I always get curious when it comes to furniture stores. I'm not an interior designer but I love how…read morefurniture stores can mix and match pieces together. Every time I walk around BGC, I always chance upon seeing Dimensione. I think it's the big display window that catches my attention! I usually enter this store to check out inspiration but because of how pricey the things are, I end up buying nothing (so sad!). The pieces in the store though are very interesting - they mix plastic materials with leather and other interesting things. My favorite part of the store is the display of desk accessories! If only I could make my desk look as lively as the store! It's really fun going around the different areas of the store!

For all the bag lovers out there! Or should I say, bagaholic? This is your one-stop-shop for buying…read moreand selling of designer handbags. You might as well consider them as one of the more popular pawn shops of hand bags here in the metro. They buy mint condition designer bags as well as secondhand bags and sell them as well. They also have some few brand new bags available. They pawn their bags at reasonable prices, depending on the condition of your bag, demand, rarity and of course the brand. They accept all designer brands except for Celine though. Prices could still be negotiated further depending on the agreed terms. Apart from bags, they also have some items such as branded watches and jewelry. They buy and sell those items as well, however, their sister company Manila Watch is the main store for pawning watches and jewelries which I will save for another review.

As a child, I've always liked going to Papemelroti, and getting hooked on their specialties: brown…read morepapers, inspirational posters, occasion gift ideas, organizers, and that overall vintage feel! Through the years, I've seen Papemelroti transform and develop into something better. They adapt to the current trends, such as those inspirational quotes that look straight out of Tumble. I recommend taking a look at their quality box organizers, notebooks with gorgeous covers, vintage-looking clocks, and other novelty items that make great gifts to the people you care about. Drop by Papemelroti if you wish to buy beautiful notebooks, wood posters of inspirational quotes, gift your mom and dad those "Best Mom/Dad in the World" plaques, if you just want to find inspiration to design your own things, or just to rewind your stressful life through their aesthetically-relaxing products. Find out for yourself, they have so much more!

Ever read Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic? Where she describes how entering new shops makes her feel…read moregiddy and how new purchases smell amazing to her? That's exactly how I feel, but not for clothes. For stationery and school supplies. True, there are lot of bigger office and school supply stores around that I can buy generic paper products. But Papemelroti is this nook of *themed* stationery that has a uniform look but different styles and content. PROS: One of the best things about this shop is their social responsibility by using environment-friendly materials and practices. They're also very family- and values-centric; You can find their shops everywhere; They could've sold their items in higher prices, with the pa-hipster and old-school trend, but their prices stay pretty competitive and reasonable; Most of all, their art and design is attractive! Since I was in high school, they've had this sort of trademark look that you know is Papemelroti. CONS: It might be the mall or the frequent customers that may make them tired, but the staff are hardly even trying to help, especially that one time I was looking for little wooden drawers. They are vigilant in watching out for shoplifters, though. TL;DR: Papemelroti has wonderfully cute, inspiring, and affordable items for the paper product-shopaholic in all of us.

Can i grow organic herbs and vegetables for my every day cooking in my living room, without soil…read moreand not worry about watering them? Yes, i can!! I am not dreaming, nor kidding. The store Grass roots is offering a product called "Urban Farm" which can do everything that i mentioned above. Urban Farmer is a hydroponic system that is built inside a cabinet which you can place anywhere in your house. Hydroponics is a system of growing plants without having to use soil. The conditions in a hydroponics system are same throughout the year allowing year round growth of plants. The system also uses only 10% of water as against the traditional methods. I was informed that using this system you can produce 4 times more and the plants grow at a much faster pace. However it all comes with a price. The big cabinet costs 90,000 peso and a smaller one with two trays comes for 30,000 peso. This is something i would really want to buy once i save up enough money.

I'm a big fan of stores that are nationalistic, quality-oriented and eco-friendly. Grassroots is…read morejust that. Their products - (furniture and home accessories) are all made out of indigenous materials and have high standard craftsmanship made by skilled weavers from provinces. Another thing I love about the store is the distinct and modern Filipino-island themed motif they have for all of their products. They even have collections to choose from so if you want to pair certain items with the same materials or color scheme or mix and match, you can definitely do so. What's more is that they also do custom work so if you want something specially made, go for it! I haven't bought any furniture from them since I don't have a place of my own yet but I do love their picture frames and storage boxes. I love jewelry so I have gotten some jewelry boxes for myself and my mum (she has a jewelry collection that can match Rachel Zoe's!) and I also gave her some watch boxes which she adored.

Am I supposed to be impressed that we now have Pottery Barn? Because I'm not sure how I feel about…read moretheir astronomical prices. Alright. Maybe I'm being dramatic. Or maybe I don't see the fun in it because I'm not into shopping for furniture and items for a home. Yes, Pottery Barn is a store that anyone can go to when they need a bed, a table, some towels, a toy for your kid, a rug and items to make your home pretty. If you don't know what you want but are kinda sure that you want to fill your home with stuff from Pottery Barn, you can approach their interior designers who can guide you toward a better looking house.

Pottery Barn is pretty awesome. I happened to pass by the store at their launch party and had a…read morebrowse around. When I saw the brand, images of a american furniture chain come to mind and I thought it was going to be more for the masses. But when I browsed around, I actually thought to myself that 50% of the items, I would love to have in my house. They really make an effort to make the store look as attractive as possible. They have some cool items you can only find here like some amazing cocktail shakers, cheese serving plates, laundry baskets, candle holders, big glass water dispensers etc. 4 stars because I'm comparing it to Crate & Barrel, which I gave 5 stars.

Penshoppe stakes its claim as the coolest local retail brand with Sean O'Pry, Cara Delevigne, and…read moreKendall Jenner as the faces of their latest campaign, so yeah, you can say that this store is the local "it" girl's brand of choice. The store offers everything that a high schooler or a college student would love to wear. Cool separates that you can easily mix and match with anything in stores. Big on budget finds, you can build an outfit for yourself for a thousand bucks and less. A complete shopping experience, they also sell accessories--hats, slippers, accessories, it's all here. So while it's fast fashion, the store has a ton of things to choose from so you can let your creativity shine through. Shop away!