There really is no shortage of good stores for babies and kids in Greenbelt, Makati. One of my…read morefavorites to visit among the row of baby stores here is Youji & Me. It is the perfect place to find some of the basic big-ticket items when you are having your first baby. They carry the best brands for strollers, cribs and playpens. My sister got my 5-in-1 playpen from this store as a baby shower gift for my little girl. We decided on a playpen when she asked what I wanted because I was planning on co-sleeping. It really was a great decision. She started to use the playpen when she was only a few weeks old and up until she was almost two (and could start to climb out of it). It worked as a sleeping cot, a diaper changer, a real playpen with lights and sounds. It was one of our most over-used items for my baby. Now that she is a bit older and has amassed a huge collection of toys, we use it to hold the hundreds of dolls that she received as presents over the last three years. Youji & Me also has my dream crib which I really had my heart set on before deciding to co-sleep. They carry Cuddlebug cribs which can go from newborn crib to toddler bed. They also have some pretty interesting brands like Nuby for pacifiers, teethers and bottles and Boikido toys. I love how clean the set up of the store is; it is not over stuffed with shelves upon shelves of items which makes choosing all the more difficult. They have the toys, feeding items and other essentials on one wall; the strollers, sample playpens and the Cuddlebug crib on the other end; and a few Boikido toys in the middle. There's a lot of space to test the strollers and for little tykes to run around and look at their toys

A few years ago, I asked an expecting mommy friend what to get her for her baby shower gift and her…read morereply was: "Anything, as long as you get it from Youji & Me." Now this was before I had my own kid and so I had no idea what this store was; I actually assumed that it was some sort of quirky boutique. So I went into the store and saw that it was a baby needs' shop, and a well-curated one at that. Unlike the rather overwhelming hodgepodge of baby stuff that you will find at the department store baby section, Youji & Me only carries a limited inventory, but almost everything is lust-worthy. They had all the nice baby brands like Nuby, Aprica, and what have you. The store is spacious enough so that you can browse without bumping into other customers. There's room enough to roll the strollers around. I was particularly impressed by their selection of convertible baby cribs--you actually can turn them into kiddie beds! Of course, premium baby stuff comes at a price, so prepared to give your credit card a beating. If you can, wait for their annual warehouse sale where they slash as much as 50% off products from participating brands. They usually hold the warehouse sale in San Juan City - I've never gone but other moms have told me that it really pays to go early as the best picks of the lot are pretty much gone a few hours after the sale opens.

Shopping for a baby is not easy at all, especially when it's not your baby, but Baby and Company…read moremakes the task easier. Since they are a specialized store for babies, everything you need or want is there. I like how they carry several (not a lot, but just enough) brands to choose from ranging from mid to high-end. They've got bottles, clothes, strollers, diapers, bath tubs, cribs and other baby essentials, as well as toys and accessories. I've also canvassed around for baby things for my own child and they have quite a good selection. The best part is that they carry the regular SM prices, without having to go through the hustle and bustle of SM malls. They also have a baby registry and offer gift cards, making it a great place for baby shower/baptism/birthday registries. :) I know where I'll be shopping in the next coming months!

What I love about Baby and Company is that it has both the expensive, hard-to-find brands and the…read moremore affordable ones all in one store. From bottles to creams to toys, I have a fair amount of options in one store. It's not the most complete but it's got well-curated stock that mothers will appreciate. So, whether I'm shopping for my daughter and looking for best quality item on the shelf or shopping for another kid who won't notice whether I got them a Fisher Price or Lamaze gift, I can find it there. I also don't mind that I can use my SM Advantage card in a store in Powerplant Mall. LOL I always feel like I one-upped Powerplant or something when I do that!

When it comes to my niece and nephew, I err on the safe side. Even if there are many brands…read morespecializing in children's goods, I usually patronize the ones that my mom bought us when we were young. One brand that our family has trusted for a long time now is Enfant. I can attest to the quality of their products because some of their clothes that my mom bought me when I was a kid are still usable up to this day. I like going to the Enfant store because everything I need to buy for my niece and nephew can be found there. Aside from kids' apparels, they also sell baby bottles, toiletries, bags, and baby-friendly furniture. I like their baby clothes because they are made of 100% cotton and are hypoallergenic. I wish, though, that they sell clothes that are more in tune with the modern times, so to speak. Another good reason to buy from this store is the price of their products. I was able to buy a sturdy stroller for my niece for less than PHP 4,000.00. Now, I think that's a bargain.

When you become a godmother, it's time for you to look for places to buy baby clothes and baby…read moreaccessories. You can't just rely on the sales that happen seldom. You will have to come to reality by accepting the fact that anything for the baby is expensive! Whenever my friends and I give gifts to a new mother / friend, we try to pass by Enfant to check out their merchandise. First we ask our mother / friend what she needs for the baby and being the practical friends, we split the cost of something big. Like for example before when my boss gave birth, we bought her a crib in Enfant. Since we were 15 people, the price of the crib divided amongst us wasn't so bad. I think it's the best way to help the mother / friend. You give something that she really needs, which lessens her costs. This is really a mommy's heaven!

THIS STORE DOESNT TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AT ALL. Please save yourself from the hassle... the quality…read moreof their furniture is OK but they have the worst customer support! no matter how mych you complain, no action at all on their behalf! So please buy somewhere else and not from them.

Was reading the reviews on here and it seems like nothing has changed; terrible customer service…read moreand a general disregard for giving the customer a good experience. I bought two items from the store, as I was in desperate need of a table in the condo I just moved into. I have bought from them a few times before, and so far I have not encountered anything worth ranting about in terms of items and customer service. However, it is safe to say that this terrible experience is one for the books. I had paid what the website charged me, and trusted that the configuration of their site was in working order. However, a day after, I received a text message that introduced themselves to me as Furniture Source Philippines that I had underpaid, and that they would not release my items to me until I paid the correct price. This was the first red flag for me. While I did not mind having to pay the delivery fee, it was the manner that they were speaking to me that I did not like. I was being made to feel like I was an irresponsible customer, when it was their website that made the mistake. When I inquired about why I was being charged more than I had already paid based on the specifications given to me by their website, I was met with no response. I then sent a message to their Viber number essentially outlining that I was not going to pay for something in which I did not understand why I was being charged extra (as is my right as a customer who paid the total in full). I was met with someone who told me that I just had to pay the extra fee or else they would not release my items to me, and that I must pay it immediately to ensure that I am able to meet the cutoff for processing orders. Second red flag. I then got pretty upset (as I am sure is understandable) and outlined how disappointed I was at the customer service I was receiving. Not a single apology from whoever was responding to my messages. They just continued to say that I would not get my items unless I paid the remaining fee -- once again I was being made out to be an irresponsible customer when it was their website that undercharged me. Third red flag. Giving up, I just paid the fee as I was desperate to receive my items ASAP. Compared to their blatant ignoring of my messages that had to do with customer comments, they responded immediately. Fourth red flag (as it indicated that they did not care about the customer at all). When I asked for a possible delivery date from them, I was ignored. One week later, I receive a text from them telling me that my delivery date was set for December 11, and that I had to respond by 3:00 p.m. that same day for them to push through with delivery. Despite me having paid in full, and was even inconvenienced into paying an extra fee, they could not even bring themselves to ask the customer if the date was alright with me! I then received a Viber message from whoever was manning that number as well, essentially telling me that the delivery team was trying to call me and I was ignoring them, and that if I did not give them a response, they will cancel my delivery and the process will restart and that I just had to deal with the consequences of not answering their calls and messages. Once again, they expect you to be at their every beck and call. Upon checking my phone's logs, I saw that they had texted and called me at around 1:30 p.m., and I had given them a response at 1:45 p.m.. They ignore you for days on end, and yet expect you to give them a response within mere minutes of them sending texts and calling you, when they do not even give you an option with the delivery date and time. Fifth red flag. There was zero service recovery done throughout this entire transaction. Whoever responds via Viber is also very demanding and arrogant when responding to customer complaints and queries. Do not buy from them. They do not care about the customer at all. Get your furniture from IKEA or SM instead. Even Landmark has better service than this company.

If I could win a prize for being a loyal customer of some store here in the Philippines, this store…read morewould certainly be Mothercare. I lost track of how many times I've been there since I moved to Manila being 5-6 months pregnant. When I was feeling about to pop with the big tummy, all I wanted was a time saver store where I could find everything I needed - for me and for the baby! The convenience is the main reason why I like Mothercare. There you can find children's clothes, strollers, cribs, changing tables, baby bouncers and rockers, maternity clothes, bottles, pacifiers, teddy bears, bath tubes, nursing pads, post-partum belly wraps and so on. I've bought many clothes for my baby there. My maternity nightdress is also from Mothercare and I love using it to breastfeed. Here I share some useful tips: TIP 1- For some products, the price is almost the same than in similar stores. Other items can have prohibitive prices! So COMPARE prices. The set with bed seets, bumpers and pillow, for example, is very expensive. Almost the same price than the moses, what doesn't make sense to me. TIP 2 - They sell some Medela products, which are quite difficult to find here in Manila. Instead of going to Medela House, in Quezon City, you can buy breast pumps, bottles and so on at Mothercare : ) I love this facility! And I love Medela. TIP 3 - They sell Mustela products too, so you don't have to look for a kiosk in the mall. TIP 4 - They sell Belly Bandit post-partum wraps. TIP 5 - Don't throw your purchase receipts away. When you reach 30k you can apply for their loyalty card and enjoy some discounts and promos.

If you're a mom or a mom-to-be, you must visit Mothercare. It's like every mother's rite of…read morepassage. You'll find all the basic things you need from birth to toddler years. Whether you're looking for a portable bath tub, a moses basket, a high chair or a complete set of bedding for your new crib, they literally have everything. They have great mommy products as well -- from comfortable maternity clothes to belly bandits, cocoa butter to prevent stretch marks or nursing bras to fit that ever-growing new body. For first-time mommies, I suggest you get the frogsuit sets as these are super effective for getting newborns to sleep in their first few days outside the womb. Even if they are a bit expensive, these are super worth it because of the quality of the clothes. Here's a tip: make sure you shop there during Christmas season and Halloween, they have cute costume frogsuits and onesies -- you can get reindeer designs or make your kids into little elves -- really adorable!

The UK toy store Early Learning Centre was opened in Greenbelt 5 early last year. It has a lot of…read morecool items for kids aged 0 to 6 years. The store divides its selection into several categories: Action& Adventure, Art & Creativity, Baby & Toddler, Let's Pretend, Music & Learning, Puzzles & Games; and Sports & Activity. These categories should already give you an idea of how extensive their product lines are. Little boys will enjoy the wide selection of cars, dinosaurs, farms, basketball games and more. Little girls, on the other hand, can enjoy paint, coloring materials, cooking items, dolls and more. Then there are the gender-neutral toys like wooden block games, flash cards, musical toys, learning packs and others. I've bought my 3-year-old girl to this place several times and she enjoys being able to freely pick up a toy and look at it. This makes it easier for me to buy toys for her because I see exactly how interested she is in each toy before I consider purchasing it. ELC is one of the few toy stores around that actually manufacture their own brand. Their toys follow European standards and are guaranteed to be hazard-free and non-toxic. Though priced a bit more than what you'd find in other toy stores, I think it's really worth it for the peace of mind and the brand's focus on child development.

No matter the age, we live in a society where it is socially acceptable for an adult to collect…read moretoys with no judgement whatsoever. Big Boys Toy Store enables any toy lover or collector not only a chance to purchase the most popular toys in popculture, but also add rare toys! The great thing about the staff at Big Boys is that they are incredibly accomodating, and best of all they understand the obssession! Tell them what toy you're looking for and they'll tell you if they have it or if not whether you can pre-order it. They have clearbooks filled with different items that are not on hand at their stores but available for order if it indeed what you desire. And if what you are looking for is not included in stock or in the pre-orders file, they have been known to source it out for you. Just ask nicely lol!