Fun and Frugal Finds for March

How did it get to be April already?

Ang bilis ng panahon. It seems like it was just yesterday when I was shopping for Christmas gifts; now, I'm shopping for Yuri's summer gear!

Uh-oh, I should be saving money pala. There are so much I need to buy - a new laptop battery, things for the new house - that some stuff I really want to buy for Yuri would have to take the backburner. It's a good thing, though, that I get my shopping fix from good ole' grocery shopping. Here are my finds for the month of March:

1. Bob's Red Mill 5-Grain Hot Cereal

Ever since I found out that instant oats are virtually junk food din pala - well, not really, but they're processed - I've been on the lookout for rolled oats of good quality. I picked this up at Gaisano Mall because I'm familiar with the brand; I see it at health stores.

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The grains are really whole and unprocessed, plus what I like about it is that aside from oats, it contains 4 more grains like flax seed.

Price: P125

2. Dane's Peanut Butter

Any momma who doesn't know how to properly bake but wants to whip up snacks and desserts needs three things in her pantry: oats, bananas, and peanut butter. I honestly always have these stuff. I don't buy imported peanut butter though. I like local ones better because I like their taste better (I prefer oily peanut butter hehe), they're usually cheaper, and they usually have no added chemicals and preservatives.

danes peanut butter, davao peanut butter

I usually just buy peanut butter from bakeries, but it's more convenient to buy them at the grocery. Enter Dane's Peanut Butter which is made in Davao City and only has three ingredients: peanuts, sugar, and butter!

Price: Around P65

3. MagicTime Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm here talking about buying stuff with no preservatives and added sugar when I suddenly include cookies. Well, in my defense, they were supposed to be my potty-training bribes for Yuri (which didn't work). They're also buy 1-take 1 (again haha!), and they're reaaally yummy.

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Price: P115

4. Heaven Diapers

Yuri only wears diapers at night now, but it's still essential to use ones that are of high-quality but affordable. I've read about Heaven Diapers in different blogs recently so I was curious to give it a try.

Well, it's a great thing that I did because aside from being affordable, it's also very soft, absorbent, and non-leaky. I also like that it's thin and not bulging on Yuri's slim build!

Price: Around P190

5. Real Laundry Detergent

I already ran out of my HHN Tough Love laundry detergent and, save for a sample they gave me last week, I have no natural detergent yet. It's a good thing that I visited Abreeza's Organic Fair (must make a post soon!) and saw this product in one of the stalls.

real laundry soap powder, local detergent, natural detergent

If you noticed, I really like buying locally-made products or products that are made in Davao or in Mindanao. This detergent is made in Pantukan, Compostela Valley, and the great thing about it is that it only has three ingredients: coconut oil, alkali solution, and herbal essence.

Price: Only P100! I should have bought more huhu

6. Citronella Spray

I could never have too many mosquito repellents in the hoise. I abhor mosquitoes, well, because I'm usually the one they like to bite, and also because of the diseases they bring. Yuck!

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So far, I've tried these brands: GIGA, Human Heart Nature, Cycles Sensitive, and Cycles Sensitive Patch. I saw this in the same booth that sold the detergent powder above and bought one to try. And it only has two ingredients: citronella oil and eucalyptus oil. Plus I like the gorgeous bottle!

Price: P65 for a small bottle

7. Snackimals Peanut Butter

Even though I prefer making Yuri's snacks, there are days (many days) when I simply don't have time to do so. In those days, Yuri just gets whatever's in the pantry and snacks on them. Because of this, I decided I must also try to at least include organic snacks in the grocery.

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I wanted to buy this brand for a long time but found them quite expensive. So when they were also placed on a buy 1-take 1 promo (I love Gaisano Mall hahaha!), I immediately grabbed a few packs. They're made of organic ingredients and they're really yummy.

Price: P60 - P65 (depending on variant)

8. Ram Pitted Prunes

To be honest, I don't know what to do with these haha. I just thought that since they're pretty cheap naman, I can buy a pack to include in my smoothies. I know they are processed and have added sugars but there are no fresh prunes here eh.

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Price: Around P45

9. Healthy Balance Apple Cranberry Juice

I bought this when I thought Yuri had UTI (God forbid!). That was before I bought a potty chair and I was training him to urinate in the bathroom. He was always crying when he peed; it turned out takot lang pala sya sa CR. He got over it fast.

healthy balance apple cranberry juice, apple cranberry juice

Now I give this to him omce a day just to urge him to urinate often (a must in potty-training).

Price: I actually forgot; it might be around P180-P220

10. Cacao de Davao 100% Chocolate Callets and Fudgy Brownie

Now, this was the reason why I wanted to visit Abreeza's Organic Fair and, if you recall, SM Lanang Premier's Gourmet Collective: local chocolates! I was seriously drooling over them on social media.

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There were two brands - Malagos Chocolates and Cacao de Davao - and I wanted to try both but didn't see the former's booth immediately. Naubos na budget ko sa CDD eh hehe. Still looking forward to try Malagos' though!

The callets are 100% chocolate and are a joy to use in hot chocolate and breakfast champorado. Meanwhile, the brownie is insanely yummy that I immediately regretted why I only bought one!

There was also a free-tasting in their booth so I got to try all of their chocolates plus a durian-filled one. Yum! Maybe I'll order online next time!

Price: Jar of chocolste callets is P130 while brownie is P50 or P55

11. Natureal and Philippine Juices

Another local find from the Organic Fair! I originally wanted to try out the cold-pressed juices from many booths but I didn't have the budget that day. My trip to the Organic Fair wasn't planned at all! Meanwhile, I saw these being displayed in another stall and since they're also locally made (Kabacan, Toril, Davao City), I bought a bunch.

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Fresh calamansi juice for Yuri and mangosteen juice for the two of us to share. Yum!

Price: Calamansi juice is P25 while mangosteen juice is P35 or 3-for-100

So these are my finds for the month of March. I'm quite happy with almost all of them so go check them out! I do wish I can give you details on where to find those local products I mentioned, though, as the Organic Fair's already over. As always, I'm happy to give you ideas for your grocery lists - much to the dismay of your hubbies hahaha!