Frugal Beauty Haul from Watsons

Another perk of being a student once more (at least for me!) is having a legitimate reason to buy skincare  products and some makeup. Thus, before our classes officially started a couple of weeks ago, I went on a trip to the ever reliable Watsons to buy said beauty products.

You see, because I'm just home everyday, I didn't find the need to buy stuff for my skin. A compact of Maybelline pressed powder and a tube of either Human Nature lipgloss or classic Carmex would suffice. But I wanted to appear more "professional" in class, so I needed to buy "stuff." However, I also wanted to remain frugal so I chose to go to Watsons rather than cutesy Korean shops. Anyway, I'm rambling, so let me show you what I've gotten (I don't remember the specific prices so I'll give you a rough estimate and try to be as accurate as possible!):

1. Pond's Flawless White BB Cream

I wanted to try Holika Holika since I read Ms. Ro of Animetric's review of it. But I don't know where to find it, so I settled for a tried and tested brand. It works naman and it doesn't make my face look ghastly white. I still want to try other brands though; maybe next time, I can try a Korean brand!

A tube costs around P300, but Ponds products were marked down at P50 less, so it was just around P250.

2. Watsons Foot Peeling Mask with Papaya and Lactic Acid

I have rough skin on my feet. Yeah, TMI, I know, but it's kind of annoying because all the scrubbing in the world wouldn't make it soft and smooth; it only turns my feet's skin raw. I wanted to try Foot Appeal because it got raving reviews, but then I saw this far prettier box!

This was on sale from around P200 to just around P80. I wasn't able to try it yet but I shall make a review once I am finally able to do so.

My Final Fun and Frugal Shopping Finds for 2014

A day before New Year's Eve, we shopped for our and our relatives' respective Media Noche celebrations. I ended up buying a few more things as gifts to others and myself as I realized I didn't buy anything for myself for Christmas. Not that it's necessary, just to clarify, I just want to indulge the kuripot shopaholic in me before the year ends.

This means I shouldn't break the bank, so what I bought were affordable, as in cheap finds. I know, right? Before I show you my finds, here's us before going out:

Both that shirt and those shorts used to be loose on me. Now, gaaah!

(Department store polo shirt | Forever 21 denim shorts | the usual Crocs and Coach | Aeropostale watch) 

On the boy: Mothercare shirt | Circo shorts | Nike shoes

We were off to our usual mall, SM Lanang Premier, to do the grocery. However, we first went to Robinsons Cybergate because Mama, ever the bargain-hunter, told me of a place that sells cheap clothes there. So off we went to Robinsons Cybergate! The place is called Left to Vary, and they have two puestos in the mall. We just went to one near the road because the sizes of the clothes in the puesto near the grocery are too large. 

In fairness, there are a lot of clothes there. They are all brand new naman and some are branded. Because they are too cheap, I cannot attest to their authenticity. However, it's still fun to pick out clothes and I was there to look for tops as I don't have a lot of them. That's in preparation for my classes; I don't want to wear dresses then hahaha. 

But I didn't see a lot of clothes I want that time probably because they didn't have new stocks. I'm planning to return nalang next time. Anyway, here are my shopping finds:

Unbranded striped top (original price P300, on sale at P150) and Terranova long-sleeved top (original price P300, on sale at P150)

November Fun Finds

I haven't written a monthly shopping find post since forever! Unfortunately, much to Job's dismay haha, it's not because I stopped shopping. I still do but have been too busy to gather my finds together, take photos, and write a decent post. You know.

But last Monday, I took a day off from work to run some errands downtown with Yuri, and I also took advantage of the downtime to take photos. So what had I been buying last month? Here they are:

CLOTHES

A. Off-Price Show

I talked about going to the Off-Price Show weeks ago and wrote a post containing my finds and their prices. Here's my favorite find of that day:

Aside from this, I also bought more tops for me and several shirts and a pair of board shorts for Yuri. For more items, head on to this blog post!

B. And more

I also bought a dress and a shirt from, guess where? SM's grocery! I just passed the clothing area and spotted these:

Peach boyfriend shirt at P299 (photo from JM)

Wrap dress at also P299

Okay na diba? I especially love the wrap dress!

SHOES

Kuripot Finds from Sunday

Aside from the "injury" Yuri had gotten (which has now totally healed by the way! Praise God!), my weekend was also a weekend of shopping.

Kuripot shopping that is!

To be honest, my priority last Sunday was to buy Yuri some new shorts and jeans. Kasi...

Tumaba sya!

Finally! Hahaha. Some of you may already know that Yuri has always been on the slim side, and though he grows taller, since I buy long clothes (to accommodate his lanky frame), he barely outgrows them. Some of his clothes he's worn since he wasn't even 1!

Now, a couple of weekends ago, I noticed that one of his jeans didn't fit him around the waist anymore. They used to be long pants, but Yuri now uses them as clam-diggers. This time, I the Velcro (in lieu of the zipper) can't stay closed!

But since the outfit looked cute, di ko na binihisan. Di naman halata.

Lovely Kerosene Lamps

I mentioned last Wednesday that last Sunday, we "ventured" into the southern part of the city just to go to Book Sale.

Well, aside from Book Sale, we also discovered that NCCC Mall's grocery store is a lot bigger and grander now! The range of products is just awesome; as a grocery-loving family, we were like kids in Disneyland. I've never been to Target but I'm imagining that must be their peg.

I saw cool building toys (logs, not bricks) and dollhouses and toy kitchenettes. It's a shame that the kitchenette was pink; girls lang ba ang naglulutu-lutoan? But what really caught my attention was the whiteboard easel. I don't know what I was thinking and di ko kinuha ang price. Now I can't compare it with IKEA's Mala easel. If only I can show you the toys. I really regret not taking any photos!

Obviously, I didn't get any of those toys (aiming for that easel), at least not yet. Because I spent na for books and haven't paid my tithes and bills yet. So what I got was just this:

I know what you're thinking: in a world of LEDs and batteries, what am I gonna do with a kerosene lamp?

Fun & Frugal Finds from Summer (to Now!)

I love talking about the finds I have because usually, they come cheap. Well, not cheap-cheap, but I'm usually persistent - and patient - enough to look for the more affordable alternatives.

I try to do this every month but I didn't for the last months because I keep forgetting to do so! I even thought to postpone it but the photos are accumulating, so it's now or never.

YURI-STUFF

Pitterpat Shoes

I was on the lookout for toddler sandals last summer. It's so hard to look for acceptable ones for boys because most had velcroes and cartoon characters - no no! I love Saltwater and Florsheim ones but I wanted to look for something cheaper.

Would you believe these sandals cost P150 and P350 only? True, they're not real leather, but Yuri won't be wearing them for a long time anyway!

Toddler Bike

Would you believe this was bought on my birthday? I didn't even get to buy something for myself! Haha! But it was okay because I had more fun choosing a toddler bike than choosing what to buy for myself. #youknowyoureamomwhen...

This toddler bike was a steal because aside from being made more solidly than others (this had more metal than plastic compared to others), it's also the cheapest at only around P900!

Crayola Toddler Crayons

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Fun and Frugal Finds for February

I didn't realize it was March already when I blogged last Saturday! Oh well, I think February is used to this kind of comment. So what are my discoveries for this month (mostly from the grocery) that wouldn't burn holes in your pockets?

Soyfresh Soya Milk

Bought: Gaisano Mall
Price: Around P65 for 1 Liter

Story: Some of you know that I'm unabashedly giving Yuri fresh milk (we can't all be super parents); however, I immediately stopped it when I found out cow's milk is a mean phlegm former. So I switched.

I was really looking for almond milk because I also heard soy milk contains a lot of hormones. However, when I saw the Blue Diamond brand, Almond Breeze, nanghina ako. Around P120 for only 350 ml (not even half of a liter). Err, hormones it is!

(PS: I'm planning to buy cashews to make my own cashew milk.)

Verdict: Delicious! It's not as rich as cow's milk, but it does create a nice impression of chocolate. Even Nina, Yuri's ka-age friend, liked it!

SansFluo toothpaste

Bought: Gaisano Mall
Price: P90

Story: Wala lang, kailangan lang ni Yuri ng new toothpaste. I want to try another brand and this is the most affordable option that time.

Verdict: We're still waiting for our Tiny Fangs toothpaste to run out, and we haven't used it yet.

Breakfast Choice Cereals

Bought: Gaisano Mall
Price: Crispy Rice around P65, Oat Rounds around P80 - both buy 1 take 1!

Story: I'm a sucker for buy 1-take1, and when I saw that the cereal I used to buy was on promo, I didn't hesitate. I also got two other boxes for the price of one!

Verdict: I like both cereals because they're not sweet. Yuri snacks on the Oat Rounds as is (no milk), while I like making homemade rice crispies from the rice cereal.

Good Sense Strawberry Yogurt Pretzels

Bought: Gaisano Mall
Price: P110 - buy 1 take 1!

Story: I was looking for alternative snacks for Yuri because Sky Flakes, despite its yumminess, is simply not healthy. I stumbled upon this first on the regular-priced rack but, luckily, I found some on promo. Thank you, Lord! And did I tell you I'm a sucker for buy 1-take 1?

Verdict: Wow, yummy! The strawberry yogurt coating is not so sweet; it's just the right blend of sweet and tangy. Yuri eats a lot of these in one sitting, but it's okay because they don't have much sugar.

Kablon Farms Pineapple Jam

Bought: SM Lanang Premier grocery
Price: Around P65

Story: I was also looking for homegrown organic products and learned about Kablon Farms. Situated in South Cotabato, they manufacture products straight from the local farms. I love local farms in Mindanao because, more often than not, their products are organic. So next time, before you consider imported products from Healthy Options, support local first!

Verdict: Forget about commercial, sugar-laden jams. This is simply fruit in a bottle. The organic pineapple is crushed and, I think, no artificial syrup has been added so it's basically just pineapple. Yummy and refreshing!

Del Monte Fruit Snack

Cloth Diapering Updates

We only got into the cloth-diapering bandwagon recently when Yuri was already 20 months old. Now, I realize that I should have cloth-diapered him a lot earlier! It's one of my mothering regrets actually.

It has been almost 2 months since I first used a cloth diaper, and I still love it. Here are the reasons:

1. Cuteness

Must I begin with something as superficial as cuteness? Yes, I must. You see, one thing I despise about disposables is their limited designs. Also, they tend to look really bad when Yuri has worn them long enough. Sometimes, he wears one, and in less than one hour, laylay na. Why?! On the other hand, this is never the problem with CDs. They still fit well no matter how long you wear them (not too long naman), and there are so many cute designs to choose from!

These inserts take forever to dry! But they do well in keeping Yuri's bum dry.

2. Dryness

At first, I thought I would be changing Yuri from hour to hour. Well, that was not the case. I didn't even have to change him every two hours. In fact, I only have to change him twice a day!

Here's our setup: Bath in the morning, wear CDs at around 8am, change it at 12nn, and change it again at 5pm. I use two inserts (microfiber and bamboo), and I've never experienced leaks.

*This setup might not be applicable to your baby. Yuri is already a 22 month old potty training-ready toddler who does not anymore urinate like an old man. He already has more control of his bladder, so he pees twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.

3. Ease of Use

One thing that prevented me from buying cloth diapers when Yuri was (a lot) younger was intimidation. I was afraid they would be hard to use. When I got to try one for the first time, I realized it wasn't so hard at all! In fact, what you only need to do is insert the inserts and wear it on the baby like you would with a disposable. Easy peasy!

Another thing that held me back from buying CDs before was the pain of laundering. Now, here's what I need to tell you: I work at home full-time and I wash Yuri's cloth diapers. Why? Because they're actually easy to wash!

After almost 2 months of using CDs, I have delegated the task of washing the unsoiled nappies to the yaya. Meanwhile, since I'm the one washing Yuri's pwet when he goes poopoo (which is, well, 2-3 times a day), I also wash the soiled nappies,too. I do grumble sometimes, though, when it's time for me to work but I still have to wash a diaper, but in reality, it only takes less than 15 minutes to do so. And it's not hard, promise!

A day's worth of diaper laundry

4. Economically-wise

Fun and Frugal Finds for January

Hi! Welcome to another edition of Fun and Frugal Finds by no other than kuripot me! :-)

I find it hard to write about January finally ending. Wasn't it just Christmas season yesterday? No? Well, you can't blame me for feeling still Christmas-y. Blame the bed-weather! Anyway, now that it's the end of January, I have to accept that it's finally over. Guess I'd have to wait for 11 more months!

So what was I able to score for the month of January? Most of these are still grocery finds since I just lurve grocery-shopping. All of them are pretty affordable, too, since I already spent a lot during the previous month. Because of that, January needs to be a lean month.

I know this list is pretty long (lean month ba talaga?), but be patient to go through it because my most favorite find is at the bottom.

Okay, I'll stop babbling now. Here are my Fun and Frugal Finds for January:

1. Magic Board for Yuri

I actually didn't plan on buying Yuri one, but one Sunday, when we passed by Toy Kingdom, he was so amused with the Mega-Skecher. So I thought to myself, why not? It's educational anyway. Bakit nga naman hindi.

The only problem was that I was on a spending limit (lean month), and I didn't want to spend more than 1k for a board, which I bet would be used more by my sister and Yuri's yaya. So I looked for a cheaper alternative, which is pictured above.

Price: Around P300
Verdict: Perfect for my toddler's little hands!

2. Science Book Set

This was not in the plan, too, but when I was lining up at the cashier, my mom found this book set, made me look at it, convinced me to buy it, and promptly sent me back to the end of the line.

It didn't take much for me to be convinced, though. Had I found it first, I would've gotten it, too. It features topics of interest such as Ancient History and I have no doubt it would be of good use in the future.

Price: P500 for a set of 6!
Verdict: Pages are on the thin side, but who cares?

3. Cradle Bottle Cleanser

I ran out of Human Nature dishwashing liquid, so I had to buy a replacement. Unfortunately, there are no natural dishwashing soaps in the grocery, so I had to get this baby bottle cleanser. So #throwbackthursday!

Price: Around P120 for a 200-ml bottle
Verdict: It works well with milk bottles, but I guess that's it. It doesn't remove oil and grease from Yuri's plates at all!

4. Sanicare Wipes

This is not actually a new find. Actually, this is my favorite brand of wipes; unfortunately, it's not available in SM. I can only buy this in Gaisano Mall.

I love these wipes because, first, I like the aloe vera smell. Second, it's very soft and moisturizing. Third, the wipes are thick and cloth-like. (Unfortunately, I don't have a camera right now so I couldn't take a closeup photo of an individual wipe.) They remind me of the more expensive Pigeon wipes, but these have a more lotion-y texture.

Price: P85
Verdict: Duh? :-)

5. Crispy Rice Cereal

I prefer buying groceries in SM because it is more spacious; however, it is only in Gaisano Mall where I discover cheap but good brands - like this brand of cereal.

I tried this brand before and that time, I got whole wheat cereal. The little boy liked it, so I wanted to buy it again. This time, I wanted to try rice crispies.

Price: Only P65 for a big box! (200 grams)
Verdict: They taste yummy! Perfect for the future mallows-rice crispies recipe brewing in my head.

6. Cloud-9 Salted Caramel