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.

I've always know that when I can't find a toy I want in the known toy shops, I have to go to the…read moretiny shops in Greenhills. One of the shops that I go to to look for rare Mr. Potato Heads, Marvel paraphernalia and all sorts of toys is Patrick's Toyshop. There are days when I go there and they don't have what I want or what I'm looking for. Because of that, I've learned to tell the staff to tell the owner what toys to get. See, they only stock up the shop with the toys that sell. And if you ask them for the toys you like, they'll get them for you. Outside the shop, you'll see toys for children. They have all sorts of dolls and still have Frozen items. Occasionally, you'll see the weird Angry Birds toys. If you're a collector, just rush inside and keep your eyes wide open. You'll spot something you like after a minute or so of looking.

Edeng's in the Gift Market section of the Market! Market! mall is a very convenient one-stop-shop…read morefor all things fun! If you are looking for party supplies such as toys, balloons, plastic plates and cutlery, disposables, giveaways, costumes and other related merchandise, you need not go to Divisoria to scour the endless stores. Edeng's has pretty much everything you will need under one roof, so it saves you a trip to the hot, crowded and chaotic shopping district. At least here, it is inside the mall premises so you don't have to suffer the heat or the humidity of the outdoor, or poorly airconditioned stalls in Divisoria. For my friend's birthday surprise, I was able to cop a few balloons, cake toppers, plastic tiaras. candles and loot bag goodies at such a cheap price. For my niece's Nutrition Month celebration parade at her pre-school, we were able to find a cute costume which saved us a lot of time (than if we'd have done it from scratch).

If you need affordable toys, party decor, favors and stationery but you can't be bothered with a…read moretrip to Divisoria, then Edeng's Toy Center in Market! Market! is your best bet. For my daughter's first birthday, I scoured the streets and malls of Divisoria for the cutest and cheapest party favors and prizes I could find. But two weeks before the party, I felt that I still needed more prizes for games, but a Divisoria trip was out of the picture. So I went to the Edeng's branch in Taguig instead. I'm glad that I was able to bring my daughter with me because the place was airconditioned and not as crowded as the main branch. The little girl enjoyed looking at all the toy displays. They have a lot, ranging from the rather cheap to the more expensive ones. You get what you pay for though, so the moderately priced ones have, of course, better quality. Speaking of prices, expect their items to cost higher than the one in Divi, but still more economical than mall prices.

Kultura Filipino is really your one-stop shop for Authentic & Quality Pearls, Barong, Filipiniana,…read moreand Local Souvenir items. It's located in the SM Makati mall on the second floor. Chances are you will find what you need. From a range of T-shirts, caps, magnets, keychains, coffee, cookies, candy, chocolates, chocolate dipped mangoes, handmade items, etc. I could've spent hours in this place.

Bought a pair of 12.5 mm South Sea Pearls earrings and was charged $720 US dollars for an imperfect…read morepearl earring. They took advantage of the fact that I am in US purchasing the item. Even their website shows 15mm priced less for a round white pearl.

I only learned about this place just this weekend when a former colleague-turned-friend asked to…read morehang out here. I've always liked Maginhawa but it's just really complicated to go to for someone who doesn't own a car so admittedly, I wasn't too thrilled about the idea. I still agreed to go, though since it has been a while since we last saw each other. Since I wasn't familiar with Maginhawa, I decided to take a cab and Waze it. YAY, WAZE! It was situated right in front of the famous Artsy Cafe. WUMS (When Uan Met Sally) Cafe had a conjoined store of all things kitschy! They have bracelets, necklaces, boho-inspired garments, boho bags and a ton more! If Phoebe Buffay swung by this place, she'd probably live here. Too bad though, most of the items are pretty expensive. Think a bracelet for 1,000 bucks or more. On to the cafe part. Okay, first off, I love Mumford and Sons, and I feel like if they ever made a Mumford and Sons-esque cafe, it would be similar to WUMS. It just had that very down-to-earth, hippie vibe that I love! Just walking into their small cafe and seeing the interiors, I knew I was going to love this place. I got to try their French Onion Soup and to be honest, there wasn't anything special about it. I'd still prefer Friday's French Onion Soup any day. Their Margherita Panini, however, was pretty good. I also loved their frozen house blend iced tea. Overall, this place is a delight to have been discovered. If only it weren't too far from me, I'd probably visit this place more than a few times in a month.

I just love this place…read more I live about a block away from this place and I would pass by it ever since it was still being constructed. I watched it evolve from an empty garage to a construction site, and now, a really hip and cool place to eat, to shop and to hang out with a couple friends over good food and wine. I love the artistic vibe and the very artsy inspirations that went into the design and the concept of the store. It combines a lot of intricate Byzantine frescoes and paintings with distressed furniture, lots of bronze and wrought iron, and lots of soft textures from the silks and the clothes that are being sold. They have antiques and flea market finds from all over the world that you can buy and add to your collection of curios at home. This antique shop/vintage store/gift shop/knick knacks paradise/cafe/restaurant (whew lots of slashes there) is a fun and quirky neighborhood joint that will have you coming back for more. I am a big fan of the squash and sweet potato soup, which is just the right consistency and creaminess. Squash soup is simply my favorite, and I love how they do a good job with that here. The service is top-notch and the ambiance is just lovely. I would recommend it for a date with a special someone, or if you want a cute space for a meeting with a client. I will surely come back for more!

I had accidentally placed an order online noticing that their prices were double of what I could…read morefind on Amazon. I contacted them immediately to cancel my order and they refused to refund it to my original payment method and only to store credit even though the item was literally just purchased and no processing or shipping was done. I told them I'd refuse the package as well but they shipped it regardless. Extremely shady business practice

Rustan's makati is my favorite place to get my luxury finds- bathroom floor mat, coffee machine,…read morecocktail dress, candles, neck pillows, etc.. I also enjoy the 4th floor lounge for Clarins facial treatment.

It would be the best day ever when I was a kid whenever we'd go to Toy Kingdom in SM. My dad would…read moreallow me to pick one toy each time we visit, I could pick anything I want but just one. I think that was part of their plan not to spoil me, though it didn't work out very well I can confidently say that I wasn't a brat and didn't grew up to become one either. Toy Kingdom is every child's dreamland. It's not just because of buying toys but the thought of having all these toys in one place how can you ever play with all of them. It's a magical place! Though I'm supposedly a responsible grown up now, I still go to Toy Kingdom to check out what's new and if I might like something or want to add some to my collection. It's also a safe bet gift shop for my inaanaks (which by the way are growing in number). I think everyone would benefit from checking it out every now and then, if not for the fun then at least to compare how different and evolved the toys now are. And there are also more educational option that you might want to see for your kids or a gift or whatnot.

Papelmeroti has been around since my trying-hard artistic self can remember (so high school, yeah)…read moreand it hasn't lost its charm yet. I used to love walking inside and ogling at all the stationary supplies, notebooks especially. Now, they've turned into a full-blown corporation which sells everything from upcycled jewelry to furniture made of recycled freight crates. So awesome! The whole corporation revolves around sustainability so all their products (especially paper) are made from recycled materials. Their invitations even look swanky despite it being printed in the eco shade of brown with a very textured feel to it. I still love them!!!! But yeah, Papelmeroti has expended to a number of malls donning their crafty products. A star less for this branch because it's so cramped and I feel that they could have made better use of the space. I still love them!!!!