I love shopping at Claire's especially at Christmas time and I have a lot gifts for my tween and…read moreteen godchildren. They have the cutest items that are great for that age range. The truth is, I also buy a lot of things at Claire's for myself. They have a lot of hip accessories like sunglasses, jewelry, hats and bags. The best gift I found there were locked diaries for tweens with cute owl designs and a bejeweled red one. They are also among the few stores that have gloves, we're not really a glove-wearing country so that's a bit hard to find before Claire's. And they also carry the Prism line of Katy Perry. They often go on sale offering buy 1, take 1 promos for items of the same price. If you ever chance upon one of those, I suggest going big on the shopping because you will always be able to find young girls and those young-at-heart to give the items to.

Claire's is every pre-teens dream come true. When i would vacation in the US, my shopping itinerary…read morealways included Claire's for all my kikay needs. Their accessories are the best! They sell colorful hair pieces as well as cute earrings, belly rings (for the rebellious kind) and even boy band merchandise. Just so you know, i didnt buy any of the Justin Bieber stuff when he was super famous. In grade 6, all my classmates wanted to have my denim wallet which had glitters and the world Angel stitched on the front part. When i told them it was from Claire's their faces looked a bit upset because they knew they wouldnt be able to buy it right away. When i saw Claire's open their first branch in BGC i remember feeling what i used to feel when i wouls enter their US stores before. Unfortunately i was already working so i decided to be happy for the preteens instead. I still pass by once in a while and delight in the cute stuff they have.

If you're up for all things kawaii, looking for something to decorate your room or organize your…read morenotes with, or just simply wanting a new stuffed toy, Happy Land is the land for you. Happy Land originates from Japan, with their front character, Rilakkuma (Japanese pronunciations for 'relax' and 'bear'). Aside from the world famous Sanrio characters, Rilakkuma is getting quite a huge attention as well. For more information as to how much kawaii-ness Rilakkuma bear could bring you, visit Happy Land!! They sell LOTS of stationery, school supplies, stuffed toys, glassware/some kitchenware, towels, what have you!

Sadly, I am not immune to the cuteness of Japanese Mascots. Sure, everyone's heard of Hello Kitty…read moreby now but how about the lesser known Sanrio-X characters? Kutusitanyanko? Mamegoma? Afroken? What about Rilakkkuma? For the uninitiated, Rilakkuma is a Sanrio-X character described as a bear in a "lazy and relaxed mood". He's simply that: a cute little teddy bear. Might be just me but I enjoy seeing foreign franchises come our way. Happy Land (yes, that's what it's called) sells nothing but Rilakkuma merchandise. Stuffed toys, notebooks, chopsticks, keychains, cellphone accessories... everything that you would expect to find in a quirky Japanese stationery/merch store. And as exected, everything is toothachingly adorable. And unfortunately, walletachingly expensive. Of course, your mileage may vary. If you've got some cash to burn, a huge fan of Rilakkuma and can't resist some decent quality merch, I say go for it. Personally, I might go back to get myself one of those headphone jack plug in things because I can't resist. (There goes my wallet.)

I call people who say they can't sing 'liars'. I mean I'm sure that everyone has tried belting out…read moretheir favorite songs at least once in their lives. Perhaps in the showen or even while driving alone in the car. Come on, just admit it! It's just a matter of who has the thicker face to perform in front of an audience. I am then proud to exclaim 'na wala akong hiya". Red Box has definitely made a name for itself by being the karaoke place with a more sophisticated ambiance. I actually wouldn't mind paying a little extra for better food choices, staff service and selection of songs. It's also worthy to note how clean the rooms are at Red Box are! You really get what you pay for. Fortunately, Red Box is always able to justify its costs.

I cannot count how many parties I've been to as a child that had a karaoke machine, I was one of…read morethose who dreaded the invention and the popularity of the magic mic (sorry!), well certainly not Magic Mike! Though I appreciate a good karaoke singer and those that have the guts to do it on open mic night. When I'm in the comfort of my own room and bathroom, I do sing. And also when I'm comfortable with someone, I can even do the 'give it all you've got' type, but that's it. Red Box is hugely popular amongst 'em karaoke lovers and with them, I totally get it. I've been there a time or two with friends and it's okay if you sing or not, you just rent a room and buy a few drinks & pica pica, you can bond there if you want to. What I like most about it is that I can sing karaoke in private. There'd be no one there whom I don't know to make me nervous of anxious. Yay!

I've been going to Alterations Plus for years now, and they're honestly the only place I trust with…read moremy nicer clothes and bags. Dropped off a couple of tailored shirts that needed sleeve adjustments and some delicate hemming on silk pants--plus my favorite leather bag for a deep clean and conditioning. The team was super attentive, explained everything clearly, and even caught a small tear I hadn't noticed on one shirt before it got worse. Everything came back looking brand new, perfect stitches, no shortcuts, and the bag smells amazing again. Prices feel totally fair for the level of care and expertise you get--no redos needed, ever. Hands down the best alterations and cleaning spot around--5 stars all the way, I keep sending friends here too!

This place deserves a "ZERO" rating. Less than zero pa nga…read more VERY POOR workmanship for the price (~5k for 4 items). You'll have to end up buying new clothes since there's no repairing the damage their "alterations" have done. Hemming- kita the stitches outside. They said they didn't have the machine that could hide the stitches, so even if they repeated the job, the effect would be the same. I wish they had the courtesy to say that in the first place. Stitching - they only used ONE thread that could easily break if the item was stretched. Specifics were not followed despite repeated instructions- they ruined the silhouette of the clothes despite having agreed to leave allowance for comfort. No going back from that. Worst of all- deadma ang customer service. Take it or leave it. Terrible experience, mapapa walk out ka na lang. Please please please do yourself a favor and STEER CLEAR of this place. (Review also posted on their FB page in case they take that down)

Year after year, CLN has always had great collections for every season. I love how they can take…read morecrazy trends and incorporate them into more basic foundations, giving you shoes that are totally wearable for everyday life. It's mostly sky high heels and wedges here though, which makes me grumble in frustration. I mean, I just want nice shoes that don't make me tower over friends and potential love interests more than I already do!! Thankfully, CLN does offer some flat sandals and heels that, while low in height, are high on the style chart. The prices here are very reasonable. C'mon, 1400 for suede ankle boots? Shut up and take my money. And when I grow older, become a mom, and accumulate Mom Stuff to dump in a bag, I'll probably include this brand in my list of stores to search for the perfect tote.

If you would look into my wardrobe, you'll find out that almost half of my clothes are from Zara,…read moreand let me tell you why. Although they may be a bit pricey for some, shopping from Zara is totally worth it! Ranging from 500 Pesos and above, there's a good chance you'll buy your next favorite shirt blouse. In Trafaluc, a section in Zara's main boutique, is my favorite part. Not only do they have a clean cut, vintage style layout of the store, it's also very easy to shop since everything is in place and browsing is hassle-free. From sleeveless tops, muscle tees, croptops, long sleeves and sweaters, their shirt blouses are updated every month according to seasonal clothing. They also have shorts, skirts, jumpsuits, pants, jumpers, overalls, what have you! Zara's shoes are also to-die-for. Their combat boots, gladiator sandals, flats and high-cut shoes are all temptations to swipe your card one more time. As for their staff, they're helpful but not that friendly. They will assist you when you ask for help, but that's it. They have cozy, bright and spacious fitting rooms for all your fitting needs!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Zara! I can always find a million things I want to buy and their clothes are…read morealways up to date with the latest styles! Unfortunately, the brand is quite pricey here in the Philippines. I find it quite annoying that their price in Euros is often left on the tag and it turns out their prices in Pesos are almost a third higher! The best thing about Zara (in Europe) is that you get great clothes at fair prices as you know trends are always changing and you'll probably not going to wear the piece for more than 6 months... Having higher prices just goes again this whole principle! Regardless, Zara is Zara and I'll always love it but maybe Manila is not the best place to shop there!

It was my pre-birthday celeb last June that led me to Red Box the first time. I didn't enjoy Red…read moreBox much because I was on a birthday high. Last Sunday, I went there with my partner and my best friend just to belt Adele and Taylor Swift songs. We reserved Kevin hour, P149 with one free drink and ordered ala carte for dinner. Their menu is quite pricey but we enjoyed the buffalo wings and the lechon kawali on a cocktail glass.The way they plated the lechon kawali garnered two thumbs up from us. Hihi. Don't expect a full menu here, but they are serving wide array of liquors. It was unusual to operate the videoke in Red Box, haha, it takes a lot of getting used to. Just hold on to the power of the remote control! The staff who assisted us was pleasant and friendly all through-out our stay. Even accommodated us with our to-go. We spent around 1500php for 3.

I was sold a defective used hairdryer. The ad said it was used twice. It came to me in a dirty…read morebag.Missing.A filter missing parts in a box where the cellar had bought her new five hundred dollar dyson hair dryer. I tried to return process a return the night.I got it, but their system failed. In the end, they cited with the seller. I contacted PAYPAL and they got my money refunded. I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH POSHMARK!

I bought a mug, it arrived broken. they wanted pictures of the broken mug. okay. then they were…read more"send us pictures of the packaging, of the box, blah, blah." it was a $15 mug. they wanted me to ship back the broken pieces. bottomline - they won, the effort was more than I was willing to go through for $15. stay away, this ain't eBay and it definitely ain't amazon.

I don't need to feel the heat of summer to crave for Razon's halo-halo…read more I always question myself because of the perfectly shaved ice on top. I like halo-halo which doesn't have much 'halo' in it. Since the only ingredients are: macapuno, saging na saba and leche flan. I know it's weird but theirs is perfect. Since the very first time I ate there, I never changed my order. It's always Special palabok and halo-halo. The only thing is, I have to double my order of palabok since one plate is not enough for me. I don't know if it's me or the serving is not generous enough to feed the monsters in me.

I've never actually been in any Razon branch ever, but I've had their famous halo-halo. My boss is…read morea big fan of their signature dessert, and orders it in bulk for our guests and everyone else in the office during meetings, or when the sun gets a bit too aggressive, or when his wallet's a bit too thick, or when he's just in the mood for some halo-halo lovin' in his mouth. Thank the gods for rich folks. Have you had their halo-halo? Most Filipino families, when they make their own halo-halos, it's usually chock-full of colorful stuff, some of them I can't even name. Razon's takes a more minimalist approach to the dessert, and instead focuses on a more even distribution of flavor. You don't get bursts of random flavor with Razon's halo-halo, it's a continuous stream of creamy, delicious, crushed ice sweetness from the first spoonful to the last slurp, because you just know you're gonna slurp the melted slush at the end.