Toes Socks for my sleep, sugar for my honey…

Every one I guess have something weird going on when they sleep: some talk (my mom does, it runs in the family, actually), then walk, others laugh, or fight, or kick or wrestle their bedmates (I swear I got a good dose of kicking and/or wrestling from my ate back in the days) if not the weirdo-circus-contortionist inspired positions while they’re off to dreamland.



As for me, I tend to sort-of  break my neck..bending it in such an angle that almost scared one of my best friend-officemates during a sleepover. Also, I don’t rest my head on the pillow, I like to put the pillow on the top of my head (just barely touching the top of my head) that it looks like I am pushing the pillow to the headboard with my head. And that doesn’t even include the socks.
Yes. Socks. I do wear socks every night to sleep. I don’t know if it counts for weird (my roommate sure does think so. ) And it is not for vanity (like sealing moisture after putting lotion on feet. I read that somewhere). It’s more like a “can’t-live-without-thing”, like how, for example, a friend of mine can’t sleep without a mosquitero (kulambo, mosquito net.) at her feet. (She likes feeling the texture of mosquito net at her feet and she can’t explain why either.) Well, as for my case, it’s the socks.
Maybe it’s because I tend to get cold-feet (literally.) That might be the reason. Sleeping without socks to me is like being naked in the middle of Ayala Avenue. Never EVER comfortable. And cold.
All I know is that I love the feeling of some cover for my feet. In fact, pag natutulog and walang socks, kahit paa ko na lang ang magkumot, ok na ako.
Sad pag walang socks, buti na lang I have these cutesies as bedtime buddies.

Matagal ko na gusto magkaroon ng socks na may 5 toes. I think they’re super cute.

I got these at the general merchandise store/shop downtown. Di ko alam ung tawag sa socks na to until last Thursday, while window shopping nakakita ko ng similar socks na may tag na: toes socks. Bingo! Araw-araw talaga may bago tayong natututunan.
Each costs 55 pesos. I think mahal s’ya at 55 and di pwede tumawad so I only got 1 at one time and 2 the last time. Meron pa naman akong isa (not pictured), the overused one, a foot sock given by my aunt. It is made out of cushion-like material..super comfy kaya overused talaga!
So that’s it for me. How about you? Do you have some sleeping weirdness to share? Or some sleeping buddies you can’t live without other than dear Teddy? Maybe a pillow or blanket you have since childhood that you refuse to send to the laundry at ayaw mo palabhan? Haha. I am dying to hear each and everyone of them. Please feel free to write your thoughts.
“Til next time. On your positions. GO(odnight)!
the pinay bargainista

Toe Socks, 55 pesos each. Local store

Pleasant Surprise: Black Clutch / Wristlet

Don’t you just love surprises? I went to this local “shopping center” in town yesterday and boy I was blown away, first by the giant electric fan by the entrance and second, by this beautiful black clutch/wristlet.





The studs caught my eye, it’s leathery and it does not help that it has lots of pockets and card slots. It is just the right to hold my plane ticket and boarding pass on travel. And, when I looked inside one of the pockets look what I found:



Aldo? Could it be? Di siguro pero kebs.
Buying it, I said.
I checked for the price pero walang price na nakalagay. But I saw the wallet beside it that looks tacky and plastic but the same size as it is and the price tag is 120. So I thought baka same same lang ang price. Not bad so I decided to go to the cashier and pay. Gulat ko nung sabihin ng cashier na “one-three-one po lahat”. Maygahd! I even asked kung one-three as in one thousand 3 hundred pesos and she said 131 only. HUWAT?! including all the other stuff I bought which is impossible to be just 11 pesos (The kabuki brush was already 70 e)? So I brought out the clutch and asked the girl how much is it. And it is..wait for it..wait for it..(gosh.barney!)…legendary 20.
20. Bente. Manuel L. Quezon.
Say whaaaat!
Yes. Yes it is. Wow. I had the impulse to buy the nude colored one as well but decided out of it in the spirit of pagtitipid. Pamasahe din un. :)
Happiness.
Aldo or not Aldo, I really don’t care. Aldo with it! (nyenyenye..showtime!)

The Organized Life Part 2: The Closet Queen

That was a mouthful! Anyway, this post is dedicated to my loooooong search for the most coveted hanging closet organizer. Play song here: The search is over…you were with me all the while…tananan tananan…
As I was saying, I was in a long search for these hanging closet organizers (paulit-ulit?). I saw them first at Daiso some years back and though I found it cool I really don’t have any use for them at the time so I did not buy, just admire. hehe
But when I started living at the staff dorm at work, given the limited space for my things and clothes, the benefits of having a hanging closet organizer dawned on me. And that’s when I knew I have to get one.


And so, everytime I was on vacation in Manila, we’ll scour the malls, Daiso Festival, Daiso Galleria, Daiso Greenhills, Japan Home, Ace Hardware, True Value, Robinson’s Department Store and so on…but to no avail were we able to find one. Ubos na. Tagal na kasi nun.


Then last Christmas ( I gave you my heart..joke), we saw one in Festival Mall at one of the kiosks near the food court. Silly me, I told bf that we’ll just return  the next day to buy it, and the next day it was gone.


Another month passed and I was back again in Manila, and again in Festival Mall (sorry, it’s near our place and I miss going to the mall after a month of being stuck in a far far away island) when lo and behold, the rare closet organizer, there hang in the air. I told bf that we should get it to which he replied “let’s just return tomorrow”. I had to look at him to “are you freakin’ serious?” him. haha. No.He.Is.Not.Serious. Buti na lang.





And so, above are some of the photos of my closet before and after the organized life ( I keep on taking pictures of my closet even without finding the hanging organizer yet, somehow I always knew I will find one.) and below is how I was able to organize it to make Pinky teddy happy.

I originally wanted one without the plastic cover/enclosure but when I got this one I realized it is better with cover than without. It’s a really good way to organize my undies, socks, hankies and towels. I also used one of the nooks/shelves for my accessories. I put them on the nook just between the chest and eye level (based on my height, as pictured) so I can easily browse through everything.
And oh, trivia, Pinky teddy is actually a pencil case or something. She has a zipper at the back. (in case you want to know, that is.)
So there you go. One organized closet. I had fun sa pag-aayos d’yan and with this post din. Hope you had fun too.


the pinay bargainista

Hanging Closet Organizer, 260 pesos. Festival Mall, Alabang ; Hanger with clips, 69.75 pesos. Ace Hardware.

The Organized Life: A Bag Special

Have you ever been lost in the jungle that is your bag? Check out this solution from Bag Org. and no, it’s not a map.


“What’s in her bag?” is one of my top favorite sections of beauty/fashion magazines: celebrities sharing what items they can’t leave home without, letting us peek into their bags. Curious lang kung ano laman ng mga bags nila, di ba?
Here I  tried to take a “what’s in her bag?”-picture. It looks easy in the magazines. Kahirap pala gawin in real life!





Come to think of it, even si Dora the Explorer may “what’s in her bag?” section din. (sing: backpack, backpack, backpack, backpack…)
Pero, have you ever wondered how these celebs (yes, including Dora.) put all these stuff they show in the magazine without their bag looking like a jungle?
I don’t know about them, but for me, it’s my long time struggle with my bags since time immemorial. I feel lost when looking for something that I just put inside the bag a minute ago. (Buti pa si Dora, may map.)
Then came: Bag Organizers. One of the best secrets a girl could ever keep. As in keep. Secret lang kasi you don’t have to show everyone you have one but it’s there. And it’s such a joy to have.





So, why is it good to have one?


It multiplies the space in your bag with lots of pockets and compartments.
There’s a place for your phone, wallet, journal, comb, make-up, lip gloss, pens, etc. Where in a regular bag you would have one zip pocket on the inside and maybe two compartments for your things, the bag organizers gives you spaces to stash your things times over. My bag organizer (shown above) has 8 pockets + 4 penholders. Plus, the pockets are of different sizes so it’s easier to decide where which of which and this and that will fit.


It keeps the shape of your bag so your square bag would not have a bulging tummy and bilbil.
This is inevitable lalo na if your bag is made of soft material or cloth. It sure doesn’t look good if you’re bag ended up shaped like patrick starfish when it’s supposed to be as square as spongebob. With your bag organizer holding your stuff inside neatly, you can be sure na walang transformation na mangyayari sa bag mo.


It organizes your things so you can find stuff easily.
Dahil marami ka ng lalagyan ng gamit, it’s easier to organize your stuff. The beauty of bag organizers is that it holds your things in place that once you open your bag you can immediately see where your things are. Di nagkakapatong-patong.
I love the penholders on the side. It’s very useful, malay mo manghiram ng ballpen si crush, ang bilis mo bumunot! :)


You can change bag in seconds!
Specially for those on the go, the bag organizer is a breeze. Simply lift the bag organizer and lipat sa kabilang bag. You don’t have to go through the tedious pag-aarrange ng gamit sa bag, we know how OC you are. Lift and lipat lang, go na! Mababawasan pa ang  chance na may makalimutan ka.


It’s very affordable.
150 lang. San ka pa?
Gusto na n’ya ‘yan..yiheee.. I got mine at Festival Mall. Meron din sa Landmark (in different sizes, prints and fun colors.)
Sa susunod ulit. Abangan: The Organized Life Part 2: The Closet Queen
the pinay bargainista

Cheap Find: Heeled-brogues at 100 Pesos!

Journal Entry: The Pinay Bargainista finally found a pair of brogues after forever at an ukay-ukay for a super amazing price of 100 pesos. Story here:

“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

That is sort of a rule / mantra / belief / kasabihan that my boyfriend and I have whenever we go shopping specially if we can not find what we are looking for, or the item is just too high skyline-pigeon-fly above our budget.

(okay okay, it applies ONLY to me)

But hey, it’s not my fault that the things that I love are hard to find (or it is?). My love for vintage things and all those things that sometimes feel almost like just figments of my imagination (or sariling mundo?) have caused us countless times of aching feet and super tiresome days.

And for all the aching feet, here comes the shoes.

I’ve been looking for a pair of cheap brogues / oxfords for quite some time now. We’ve been to a lot of places: malls, ukay-ukay, garage sale, the internet, but all our efforts are fruitless until yesterday.

While on the way to meet the doctor, we decided to drop by this ukay-ukay inside a mall in Alabang. We have been checking this place before because our friends from church said that they have nice items there, plus, it is near the PNR train terminal (we love taking the train ride because it is cheaper.hehe)

So that fateful day, we decided for a short detour and just browse through the items. I immediately saw this pair and never let go. I showed it to the boyfriend and he is as excited. I checked the sole for the price (while I silently wish that it is within what I am willing to pay. Of course I know that I will pay for whatever price. maybe a bonus song and dance number if necessary) and it says 380.

My boyfriend brought the shoes to the counter and ask the staff of the price. And the sweet gay guy said…"100 po."

OMG!!!! Is he serious? I was freaking happy I could kiss him. Again, I feel that this gay guy is, again, my soulmate. (For details on my other gay friend / soulmate, read here.)

I cant wait for my mom to finish browsing through all the skirts and dresses for me to pay for the shoes. She keeps on asking me if this and that are nice and I just said yes to all those things without really seeing what she is waving in front of me (bad.)

Eureka! This is it. This is really is it ng bonggang-bongga. I have found it!!!!

Aren’t they a lovely pair? I really can’t help but feel proud of this find. Maybe it is my lucky day.

It is meant to be.

Really: “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

Do you agree? I would love to hear your own shopping mantras. ‘Til next time.

And also, if you happen to be shopping and overheard some couple saying that over and over again while shopping, well, those just might be me and the boyfriend. hehe.

Love,

the pinay bargainista

Bargainista Destination: Tacloban City

Yesterday was a break for me and my workmates so we decided to hitch a ride with our boss to Tacloban where we spent the whole day. It was my first time in this city, well, technically not, since the plane landed in Tacloban from Manila, but we made it directly to our destination (read: work) so I never got the chance to see the city.
We arrived lunchtime and had our fill in Ocho Seafood Restaurant. The food was superb and at reasonable price (and the boss paid, yey!).
After lunch we headed to do our shopping. The whole afternoon is an all-devoted-time for shopping alone.
First stop: Robinson’s Department Store. I was less excited to go to the mall yesterday because I wanted to check the local bargain outlets, ukay-ukay, go bargain hunting! But hey hey hey, I actually bought a nice pair of pants that’s on sale. Woohoo! So I actually had a bargain. It was good then that we decided to go to Rob. And did I say “less excited”? Haha.
Second stop: Gaisano. I am excited to go because I have lots of really good finds from Gaisano when I was in Roxas City and Kalibo. And the price is really unbelievable. Not letting me down, I found two items to add on my collection and this beautiful dress.
 

I am really in love with this dress and can’t wait to wear it soon. And my most favorite part? It is below 500. Love it (ulet?).
How about you? What’s your latest bargainista find?
Feel free to share it here. I would love to hear from all you bargainistas out there.

the pinay bargainista


PS: I almost forgot, I also got myself these journals to take note of ideas and plans, and also because yes, I do tend to forget a lot of things so it’s better to write it down, right? It is a must-have at 99 each. And in case you’re wondering why I have two, well, I just can’t decide which one I like better, the left or the right. Also, I thought it will be useful in case I forgot where I’d put the other one. haha.

Which one do you like better? The left or the right?

My dream phone

Guess who got herself a new phone? And my dream phone at that. It’s just perfect for my work, lifestyle and budget. Read on for more:
 I have been thinking of buying a new phone for a long time now. You see, my 3-year old Nokia N73 almost always gets me in a lot of trouble because of its failing battery. I don’t hate the phone, but won’t you like to wake at the alarm because the phone did not die on you during the night (uh oh), and be able to answer a phone call from bf, mom, dad, boss, everyone?
So my quest for a new phone started. And the quest ended this afternoon. Me and boyfriend went phone hunting in the mall, and this is what we’re looking for:

We had our eyes fix on buying this one phone model because it is all of the above, but I saw somewhere before ( internet maybe?) that it comes in an orchid shade and I was really hoping to get the orchid one (I really don’t know if nokia calls it orchid but I was inspired by the moto v3 that came out with a limited edition orchid color model back then). We asked around a couple of stores and they all have either the black or gray. I was starting to be really sad when we enter the last mobile store there is because the stores are about to close and I will have to leave the next day for a month of fieldwork far far away. They also have the black one on display alright ( I was still holding on to that last chance..argh.drama). I asked the store personnel if they have other colors available, and he said, looking straight in my eye, as if reading my thoughts, “meron po kami nung orchid”. Wow. I was really jumping up and down right after that. I really felt that this gay guy behind the store counter is my soulmate! (and he said orchid, he calls it orchid too.) Happiness. I have to get it. I really really have to get it. And the funny part here is that my boyfriend was entirely clueless to why I’m so excited. Well, he actually thought they will give me a white phone because he thought orchid equals white (well, most orchids are white, right?haha. he’s not a girl. sorry.)
There, finally, after months (or years) of procrastinating, I have decided on this phone.
Tada!

Yup. That’s my new Nokia 1280. I got it for exactly 1000 pesos. The black and gray ones cost as low as 980 on the other stores, but I’m willing to give the extra 20 pesos for this lovely orchid. I got a new phone and it did not cost me an arm and a leg. It’s basic but it’s got my lifesavers: alarm clock and reminders, it’s got a couple of games too, a radio, battery that lasts for 3 days, it’s got a talking clock  and my favorite feature: the flashlight. Honestly, I bought it because of the flashlight. Haha. The screen is large and dust-resistant (perfect for my fieldworks) and it says on the box that it is scratch-free (though, I don’t really want to try that. haha). 

The bonus part is I got it in this gorgeous color plus, when you look closely on the keypads, it has tiny specks of glitter on it. I love it. I'm crazy for this phone.

Here, I also got it a cute bunny friend for company.

So yes, yes, yes, I got myself my dream phone and a matching bunny pouch to go with it (she’s wearing a lilac skirt. lovely). It’s not fancy but it has got everything that I need for a phone, definitely has all the checks in my boxes. Now, I’m ready to go. ‘Til next time. Talking clock, pray tell what time is it?
the pinay bargainista