Monday, September 23, 2019

Check out these self-storage services in Manila and the reasons why you should consider storing away your belongings

You may have heard a lot about storage units in the past as there have been some interesting TV shows based on these kinds of units. Of course, while everything on these TV shows are so dramatic, storage units are actually quite boring but very beneficial to you in a number of ways, especially if you live in a condominium in Manila.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider investing in a storage unit for your belongings:

Various Sizes 
One of the great things about using a self-storage unit is that they can come in various sizes. In the TV shows, they're all just these big rooms. That's great if you have a few beds and furniture to store away but what if you just need to store your when-I-was-skinny clothes? 

You will find that storage units can come in small, medium and larger sizes so there will definitely be something for you. You can even size your own up with some storage companies, so be sure to find out more as this could be beneficial to your family.

Secure 
If you have a lot of items in your home that are a little more valuable, then you might be worried that they could get stolen. While you will probably have home insurance, you need to take extra measures to look after your things. With a storage unit, you can make sure that your items are protected. The best storage units come with extra security which includes top of the range locking systems and CCTV that runs 24/7. Some storage services also offer insurance!

Multi-Purpose 
Whether you are in the process of moving home and need some more space or you are starting your own business and need a unit to store your stock, a storage unit can come in handy. 

When using your unit, just make sure you store all your items correctly. Some items will need to be stored in a very specific way (artwork for instance needs the right conditions), so make sure the storage service offers climate-control (that means temperature, light and humidity are monitored). If this seems a little overwhelming, Moishe’s Self Storage offer a self storage guide that provides some essential tips on how you can use your unit to suit you. You can take a read of this here if you’re interested. 

More Space In Your Home 
Finally, you will find that a self-storage unit can really help you to find more space in your home. When you spend some time decluttering, you might realize that you don’t want to throw away a lot of your items (even those that don't spark joy!). With a self-storage unit, you can send all of your items over there and have a much tidier home. This is great for growing families that need that extra bit of space. 

If you are not already someone who uses a self-storage unit regularly then you might want to think about trying this out soon. You should be able to find a reliable storage unit company in your local area so give it a try.

7 Self-Storage Services in Manila
Obviously, storage units are located in Manila because we have no space! And our condos are getting tinier (and yet pricier!) by the day. These condo developers are inhuman, I swear. So if you need storage, here are some I found (arranged alphabetically):

Locations: Pasig
Rates: Site doesn't disclose rates.
Reason to store with them: They have a special offer—rent for 12 months and get an extra month for free. I don't know how long this promo will last, though, so check their website for updates. 

Locations: Mandaluyong
Rates: Site doesn't disclose rates but they say they're cheaper than their competitors.
Reason to store with them: Well, they're cheaper than their competitors!

Locations: Mystery location. Their website doesn't say! They'll just pick up your stuff and then deliver it back to you when you need them.
Rates: P200 for a Kahon
Reason to store with them: You store your items in boxes so you can control how much you spend (vs filling up a room). Climate-controlled warehouse, too.

Locations: Doesn't say where their warehouse is but they can pick up and deliver to Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Paranaque, and Muntinlupa.
Rates: Starts at Php 499 up to Php 17,199
Reason to store with them: You can manage everything through their app! I think they're expensive, though.

Locations: Pasig, Makati, JP Rizal, Taguig
Rates: Site doesn't disclose.
Reason to store with them: Their units are climate-controlled! 24/7 access, too.

Locations: San Juan, Mandaluyong, Rockwell, Balate, Grace Village, Divisoria, and 2 warehouses in Araneta Ave, QC.
Rates: Php 500 per sqm
Reason to store with them: They have 8 locations! And you pay per square meter.

Locations: San Juan, Quezon Ave, Yakal, and Eran
Rates: Site doesn't disclose.
Reason to store with them: They're open 24/7! So if you suddenly need your wedding gown at 2am, you can get it! 

* This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com for my rates. 
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Friday, September 20, 2019

Review: Bioderma Sebium H2O Purifying Cleansing Micelle Cleanser

Selfie to prove my oily skin loves Bioderma Sebium!

A few weeks ago, I made my first IGTV video where I showed everyone how I remove my makeup. I used Bioderma Sebium micellar water to remove my makeup and clean my face. I didn't rinse since it was a no-rinse cleanser. And I thought that was the end of that.

Well, apparently, I was wrong! A few viewers told me that Bioderma Sebium is a cleanser, not a makeup remover. I should've used Sensibio to remove my makeup first then used Sebium to clean my face after. So that's why it took a lot of cleansing wipes before every bit of makeup was removed! Thank you to my viewers for telling me!

Since I don't have Sensibio, all I'll be able to review today is the Sebium. And that's okay because I love it!


Sebium is micellar water which is a special kind of water infused with micelles (cleansing oil in molecule form) that capture and lift away dirt and makeup. Sebium also has other purifying ingredients so that skin is cleansed without drying out. It's gentle for everyday use. Even if you don't wear makeup, if you use sunscreen, commute, or are oily-skinned, use Sebium anyway. It really lifts off everything—except moisture!—from your skin.

The bottle makes the liquid look blue but it's clear.

Now, even though I was told that it's not a makeup remover, when I do use it to remove makeup, it does remove makeup! Maybe it took me a lot more product than usual but it still did its job so I'm not complaining. 

I also like that Sebium is designed for combination/oily skin because that's my skin type. Bioderma says that Sebium is especially formulated to regulate the oil secretion with their patented Fluidactiv. It promises to normalize oil production. I honestly haven't seen any lessening of my oiliness. But at least I'm not breaking out either so I dunno. Maybe it works!


If you want to try Bioderma Sebium, it's available in a lot of places for just P518 for the 100ml bottle. Just click these links: Watsons, BeautyMNL, and Lazada. I also saw that Care to Beauty sells it at a discount—P274 lang! And please support my new IGTV channel although I still don't know what to do with it haha

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Monday, September 16, 2019

My kids loved Harry Potter in Concert!

My kids had such a wonderful treat this weekend. We got to watch Harry Potter in Concert! It's like watching the movie but with a real orchestra playing the music. Yes, a real live orchestra accompanying the movie. They played the entire musical score from opening scene up to the end credits! It was fantastic!

My kids just discovered Harry Potter this year. We're now reading Prisoner of Azkaban. It's slow work but I guess that's better kasi nasasamsam talaga nila lahat ng details. Reading Harry Potter aloud to the kids is very tiring (their Papa does most of the work) but it's nice to revisit one of my favorite stories with three of my most favorite people in the world. Imagine watching it on the big screen with a live musical performance! We had such a fabulous time and it was also so nice seeing my other mommy friends at the Theater at Solaire!

Me with my little Harry!
Aliza Apostol
Marie Field-Faith
Kat Maderazo
Harry Potter in Concert is produced by CC: Concepts, a really young music production company with a mission to make music mainstream. I like that they chose Harry Potter because its fan base is kids. It's good to introduce orchestra music to young children. My father, grandfather, and my grade school music teacher did that to me and I developed a liking to identifying instruments while listening to classical music.



It sounds hoity-toity but it's not really. I think it made me smarter and calmer. More human. I'm not like my husband who can identify composers and symphonies and operas at a drop of a hat. He's obviously more sophisticated than I am, but we share the same love for music and how it sweeps through the soul. I think every human being should know how that feels, and if we start our kids young on a steady diet of music, it will strengthen their mind and soul. I really believe this!

I should apply it more, though. I'm always too busy to be more mindful of my kids' music education. But Harry Potter in Concert was a great experience for them. They loved hearing the music live. The performance was actually so good, the kids didn't realize the music was actually being performed right in front of them. Fantastic job to conductor Gerard Salonga and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra!

 
 

And congratulations to CC: Concepts for such a successful show. Please produce all 8 movies please! Then do a Disney one, too. And Avengers. And Star Wars. And Lord of the Rings!!! Omigosh, please do Lord of the Rings!!!

For upcoming CC: Concepts shows, please visit their Facebook page.

*mommy-and-kids photos from CC: Concepts Facebook page.

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Monday, September 02, 2019

I list down what I need for my house right now

I've lived in our lovely little apartment for 12 years now. It's just a piece of heaven! And because we live high up in the sky, our big windows look out into either vivid blue sky and white fluffy clouds or crazy stormy weather so our home kinda literally feels like heaven.

Until the kids arrived hahaha

Now the house is almost always a mess and we are in a daily battle to keep the chaos at bay. So far, we are winning the war. Our sons are learning to control their mess and help around the house so I'm not losing my mind and temper so often anymore. Yey!

Anyway, I was at MY MC Home recently and I just wanted to share with you, dearest fellow mamas, what I found which my home needs right now.


Colorful stools
My husband will disagree and of course he's right but I kinda want these stools. I want them for my kids because our dining chairs are so nice and comfy, the boys slouch and even lie down when they eat! It's so annoying! Yes, I'm a mean mama when it comes to teaching my boys good manners and right conduct. Since they can't seem to stop themselves from eating like Roman emperors, lounging about the dining table, stools suddenly seem like a great solution.


Rolling crate.
Also known as the f@cketbucket* in our family. It's where my husband and I throw in all the mess we find around the house, like Legos, plushies, crayons, homework. We don't organize our kids' stuff anymore. We just throw those things in that crate and when the kids go, "Mama, where's my...?", I just nod towards the crate and they'll know their stuff is in there.

We already have a crate obviously but at the end of the day, the kids still have to sort and organize their stuff and they walk to and fro from the living room to their bedroom and this can take forever! But if the crate were on wheels... Brilliant!

*We didn't invent this, by the way. It's a term that means you don't want to care anymore about something. Then we saw a Scary Mommy article about a mom who made a literal bucket of stuff she doesn't want to care about anymore and it was a lightbulb moment for us!


Laundry drying rack
Here's something else I super need! My Loyal Readers know I love doing the laundry. Well, my current clothes rack is almost at the end of its useful life. Which of the above drying racks do you recommend? I'm thinking of the one on wheels so I can drag it around the house and wherever the sun is (#condoproblems). What you think?


Hampers
Because mine are not pretty anymore. These are light but sturdy and super affordable! The small ones, by the way, are better as stuffed toy organizers or maybe a towel holder for your bathroom. They're too small for a hamper (unless you like doing the laundry daily!).


Art
I adore these little sculptures! I believe every home should have art. It doesn't matter if they're pricey paintings or clay sculptures your kids made in school. Your home needs a soul and the physical manifestation of that is art!

To find out more about these unique sculptures, check out the MY MC Home blog post about them.


For more home finds, visit the store! MY MC Home has 2 branches: Level 3 MET LIVE Mall, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, 1302 Pasay City, and at MC Home Depot San Fernando Interchange, Jose Abad Santos Avenue, 2000 San Fernando, Pampanga. You may also find more furniture and promos at their Facebook page www.facebook.com/mymchome and Instagram www.instagram.com/mymchome.

*This post is brought to you by My MC Home.

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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Check out the Buwan ng Wika Visayan costumes of my boys


I can't let August slip away without sharing with you the costumes my boys wore for Buwan ng Wika. Proud mama me is happy to report these were inexpensive and partly homemade. Also, blogger me is disclosing I'm blogging about this because so many people were saying they were Googling "Visayan costumes for boys" so - lightbulb moment! - nakakuha ako ng idea for an SEO-friendly post hehe!

August was super busy so I really wanted to buy a costume first kasi wala talaga akong time! But everything I found online were either Katipunero/farmer costumes or Igorot and Muslim costumes. For my older sons, their assigned costume was Visayan. When I asked a costume maker about that, she said, "Naku, ma'am, ang mga Bisaya, mga nakahubad ang mga yan. Example po, si Lapu-Lapu. Bale, bigyan ko na lang kayo ng bahag at pambalot sa ulo tapos hubad na lang yung mga bata." 

Is this true??? She sounded condescending.

But this is what I found on our hero, Datu Lapu-Lapu so baka nga totoo:

Anyway, Visayans are also known for their fierce tattooed bodies. From the islands of Panay to Leyte, there are people called Pintados. Even Lapu-Lapu had tattoos. So we Googled Pintados and a lot of fabulous photos from festivals came up! As in. Nakakatuwa sobra. But here's the one in Wikipedia:


My sons weren't so hot about going naked and wearing a diaper. But I figured since taga-Leyte mga magulang ko and the fact that Visayas were their assignment, we should just commit to it. By this time, our costume supplier was fully booked so hindi na raw siya available so off I went to Megamall because "Here at SM, we've got it all for you!"


At the tourist-favorite shop Kultura, there were lots of parents buying Filipino costumes. And grabe ha, hindi sila mura. Basically mga P1500 kada costume. Parang OA naman. So I figured I'd buy a nude shirt, make a Pintados design, buy tela na may traditional print (kahit hindi na strictly Bisaya) and gawan ko ng paraan yun.


Sa SM Department Store kiddie section, nakahanap ako ng nude undershirts. If you're looking for the same, sabihin niyo naghahanap kayo ng pang-barong. Mga P150 lang sila. Yey! Sa Kultura ko nabili yung tela. P800 siya. So lumabas na wala pang 1K per costume! Super kuripot me was so happy!!!


The kids helped with the design of their shirts and, armed with permanent markers, sila na ang gumawa ng sarili nilang tattoos. Ayaw nila ng bahag so binalot na lang namin yung tela around their waists and they wore shorts sa ilalim. Super happy sila sa costumes nila!!! These photos were taken at 5:30 in the morning and buhay na buhay sila sa excitement haha


Of course, my bunso also had his own Buwan ng Wika celebration sa school niya. With him, sabi ng teachers niya na okay na yung Katipunero costume that he wore when he was in Nursery last year. We just needed a bigger shirt and binaba namin sa hips niya yung pants para hindi bitin. We just used a straw fedora instead of the usual straw hat para mas cool siya haha He's sooooo cute, diba???

So, mga mamas, I've been super enjoying all the Pinoy costumes I've been seeing on social media. Medyo nakaka-stress maghanap ng costume but the results are always worth it. Parang motherhood lang!


*Lapu-Lapu monument photo from Country Within a City; Pintados photo from Wikipedia.
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