TOPAZ HORIZON

I signed up yesterday because I needed to finish up my Christmas gift shopping and I heard that Landers has truly incredible deals and steals. The first Landers superstore opened in Balintawak, Quezon City, but it's very far from where I live so even though many of my mommy friends loved shopping there, I resigned myself to never seeing the wonderland that is Landers. But then I heard that a second branch opened up in Otis, Manila, and this one is a few kilometers closer so off we went!

Look at how big it is! Landers Otis is at 1890 Paz Guazon St., Paco, Manila. It's very near where I grew up. Pandacan, Paco, Ermita and Sta. Ana were my old stomping grounds and I haven't gone back in decades so to go back and see so many changes (and that so little has changed, too) was a shock. Anyway, Landers is very near Malacañang. It has a HUGE parking lot so you seriously cannot miss it!

First things first: Sign up to be a member! Here I am getting my ID photo taken. Parang DFA lang pero mas mabilis! Now is the time to become a member because you really don't want to miss the exciting deals for your Christmas shopping! I'm done with my gift shopping and even got extra stuff for my husband and kids simply because everything was soooo affordable that my budget stretched out over more things!

The membership card is worth P800. One (1) extension card is an additional P400. If you're a working mom who owns a business (like I do), business membership fee is P1,000, and you can get up to four (4) extension cards for an additional P400 each. All memberships are valid for 12 months and may be renewed with the same fee. Your membership card will be honored at both Landers Superstores.

And I have extra good news! Right now, Landers Superstore is offering a 20% discount on all membership fees. So that makes the Premium or Personal membership fee at P640 only and its extension at P320, while the Business membership is at P800 only and its extension at P320 also. So I will say is again: Now is the time to become a member!

As I mentioned, we were at Landers to finish up our Christmas shopping. Iñigo is an expert on all things sweet so he came along to help me pick out goodies for his cousins. But before we shopped, we were attracted to the holiday decor on sale!

Merry Christmas!

Showrooms to give shoppers an idea on how to use the items for sale.

Christmas trees and holiday decor everywhere!

 Landers Superstore President, Gwen Lim, said, “This Christmas, we are inviting everyone to visit Landers Superstore where members can enjoy and shop at their own leisure without going through the frantic holiday rush.' She added that Landers aims to change the harried pace of our Christmas shopping by giving “more value to customers so they will always have a blissful shopping experience.”

“Plus, we have special holiday offerings which will surely delight the members,” Ms Lim added. Here's just a couple of those offers:
1. Fresh Nova Scotia Balsam Fir Trees. Available only at Landers Superstore, this sturdy fresh Christmas tree with its aromatic and soft needles makes the holiday celebration even more festive and unforgettable.
2. Holiday Baskets, which make a perfect gift for your loved ones! For only P2,999, the Noche Buena basket is complete with favorite ingredients perfect for a family’s Christmas dinner. Want to give a thoughtful present to friends who are health buffs? The Organic Basket, at P1,999, is filled with wholesome and healthy treats. And for those who love to sit down for a drink or two, there’s the Snacks and Beer Basket for only P1,499.

We didn't buy a real fir tree or holiday baskets, but we did feel oh so merry with our finds! For starters, we bought a 3-kilogram bucket of Nutella for only P1,100! CRAZY! Here's the rest!

He was wondering why these candy canes were pink. He's only seen the red-green-white ones.

So much candy!!! And this weekend, you really ought to sign up and shop because it's the Super Crazy Sale on December 3 and 4! For only this weekend, members can exclusively shop and enjoy 50% discounts, buy-one-and-take-one deals, and get lots of SurPrices!

I'm seriously thinking of going back even though I'm done with my gift shopping because these caught my eye:

I need this copper cookware set from Kitchen Aid! Each piece was sooo heavy! I can use these FOREVER! And P15K lang!

Even more affordable are these cooking sets from Oster, Farberware and Cuisinart! Gusto kong bumalik talaga!

Because I'm a working mama and my kids are in school, kiddie meals can save my sanity once in a while!

Yes for more frozen meals! A working mama needs all the help she can get!

Check out the big box of cereal. It's so much cheaper here than in regular supermarkets!

Gigantic bottles of skincare goodies from the best brands in the world.

Affordable grooming and pampering products for babies and kids in big bottles are a treat because I have three kids!

Funny Iñigo. As soon as he saw baby wipes, he grabbed them. These are a must-have in any home with kids!

Speaking of kids, yes, there are toys and art materials, too! I have to go back and buy that Spider-Man plushie for Piero.

Fake grass! This is actually a good idea if you want a lawn but want to conserve water. Maybe I can use it for my condo!

On your new faux grass lawn, plunk this. This patio set is just P25,000. It's crazy!

Last night, when I asked the kids at bedtime what their favorite part of the day was, Iñigo replied, "Shopping for candy with you, Mama. I really liked that big store!" Awww! And he really did. He was so happy there, he wants to go back with his Papa and brothers. I don't like shopping with all my kids in tow (it's very stressful!) but Iñigo and I had such a good time at Landers. Because it's 8,000-square meters big, there's so much space to move around in. When you're a mom with malikot kids, packed grocery aisles is a nightmare. With such a vast shopping space at Landers, we easily navigated the well-lit aisles and I didn't worry too much about my kid running around.

Everything fresh displayed in such a brightly lit space!

He couldn't believe the size of the place! And that this particular aisle was full of candy!!!

Safety first! Guards block an aisle because they were moving boxes. Iñigo was impressed.

I also liked that Landers Superstore had a huge area for hanging out and eating. There's a lovely café (Doppio), a comfortable diner (Landers Central), and a delectable bakery (Dough & Co.).

Bread baked fresh daily! Cakes, pastries and other treats are also offered.

Relaxing diner for members who love fried chicken, hotdogs, fries, and pizza.

Mmm, coffee! They serve pastries and ice cream, too.

For husbands and kids who want to relax while we mommies shop, there's a barbershop for them to get some pampering. And Landers Balintawak, the barbershop is Talas Manileño while in Landers Otis, it's Federal Barbers. It's free for members. Freeeeeee!!!

Another perk? Gasoline discounts. Yep! Landers Superstore has its very own gas station in its very big parking lot. Members get P2 off per liter of gasoline and P1.50 per liter of diesel from five-star gasoline station, Caltex. And members get this discount all year long!

So if you want to avoid the nightmare of looking for parking at the mall to join scary hordes of shoppers fighting over the same brands and same Christmas promo bundles in the same crowded and narrow supermarket aisles, and then all of you will then line up forever at the cashier, then Landers Superstore is the place for you! It's definitely the superstore for me. I'm done with my holiday shopping and I never even felt any stress. Thanks so much, Landers!

Landers Superstores are found at 1240 EDSA Balintawak, Apolonio Samson, Quezon City and at Otis at 1890 Paz Guazon St., Paco, Manila. For more information and to know more about Landers’ exclusive Christmas shopping promo, visit http://landers.ph/, follow @LandersPH on Instagram, and like Landers Superstore on Facebook.

And that is why Marks & Spencer food hampers are super popular! I always get Marks & Spencer food baskets every Christmas. It's one of my favorite things to give and receive. They're always so well curated, every product from cookies and candies to savory cooking ingredients are gourmet, and everyone eats everything in a Marks & Spencer holiday hamper! Well, I know I do!

I got a sampling of the goodies that are already in the Marks & Spencer shelves so that I can tell you all about them. Thanks, M&S! We think the penguin tin is adorable. (It's on my Instagram Stories today! Check it out here: @topazhorizonblog)

Here are the other holiday hampers you can shop for this Christmas (descriptions by M&S):

This post is brought to you by Alaska Milk.

Here's their video before the camp

One of the topics we discussed at the workshop was blog promotion. If you run a blog, you want people to read it. Whether you're sharing your opinions on politics or the latest fashion, or you might be writing tutorials or talking about your daily life—whatever you write about, you need to get people to pay attention. 

There are lots of ways you can promote your blog, but social media is one of the best methods. You can connect with a community of other bloggers and blog readers. There are several channels you can use, from Facebook and Twitter to Snapchat and Instagram. If you want to get started, there are several things you should do.

This post is brought to you by Alaska Milk.

Exactly 10 years ago, Vince was planning to propose to me. But because I bought him an expensive gift (the first models of the Sony PS3 were pricey back then), I impulsively decided it was too much of a gift to give to just a boyfriend. So I dropped down on one knee and proposed to him instead! Two weeks after our engagement, he proposed to me properly with a proper diamond ring because that's what proper people expected us to do. Nah, just kidding. Vince really wanted to propose but the ring took longer to make than anticipated so I ended up doing it first!

Anyway! Lots of people are getting engaged these days, as my Facebook feed attests. So here I go dispensing advice no one asked for but you ought to follow: Enjoy your engagement! 

Being engaged is a strange time in your life. It often feels like you’re playing the waiting game until you actually get married, at which point your life with your partner will really begin. But between the proposal and the wedding, is planning the wedding all you must do? That can be really stressful. I know a lot of couples who were tempted to elope! Yes, us included! So why not try to really enjoy your engagement? It’s a time when you’re planning your future with the love of your life. Here are some tips to help you enjoy—not stress about!—your engagement.

Go on vacation
Okay, so you should probably be saving for your wedding right now. But why not take a trip? Even a short trip away from all the wedding planning will make you even closer—get some sun, lie by a pool, eat some great food, and spend a lot of time talking to your partner. While you’re there, you could talk about planning your honeymoon or future vacation spots you’d like to visit one day.

Go to couples’ counseling

More than anything, you want your relationship to work. When you get engaged, you are effectively telling each other that you expect to stay together for the rest of your lives. However, that’s easier said than done. If you go to counseling before you get married, you’ll be able to sort out any issues you might have before they arise – like taking a vitamin C supplement to make sure you don’t get a cold before you even feel sick! If you plan to get married in a Catholic church, you'll be required to attend some sort of marriage seminar anyway so try to choose one that will help you realize if you and your fiancé share the same family values and life goals.

Set aside an evening with no wedding talk

It’s so easy to allow your wedding planning to take over your life. Make sure that you set aside at least one evening a week in which you don’t discuss any wedding planning at all. Hang out with your partner and fully enjoy his company, without any of the stress of wedding talk. Make dinner together and curl up on the couch to watch a movie, or go on a double date with your best friends, or do some home improvement. Just make sure you relax together!

Get an engagement shoot

Sure, some engagement shoots look kind of cheesy (and that's why we didn't do it haha), but lucky for you, you’re not that kind of couple. Or maybe you are, and if so, you should embrace that! Get the look here to figure out what you want from your shoot. Getting an engagement photo shoot done will be a lot of fun for you and your husband-to-be, and it will also provide you with a photo album full of great memories. If you like your photographer, you could also consider hiring them to shoot your wedding—treat it as a trial run for that!

Explore your neighborhood

For my parents-in-law: Lapoché luggage organizers. These are the very best of travel pouches and will be very useful for Vince's parents who travel all over the world. They'll appreciate the roominess, the zipped pockets, mesh compartments, and how sturdy these pouches are! They're water-resistant in case grooming products leak. I like the hooks because they make carrying easy, plus when you need to make space on the bathroom counter, for example, you can just hook it—and your toiletries!—up! Cool organizing tip, right? For more organizing and packing tips, click here.

For my nieces: a Querkles Colour By Numbers book. This a huge book with more than a dozen portraits of historical figures to fill in. I'm pretty sure just one portrait will take hours to make so I hope my three smart nieces will share this book and learn a thing or two about the characters in it.