I wanted to create a page for people who are traveling to, living in & who are about to be posted to Manila. It’s a lot so I have created a table of contents so you can easily get the information you need.
Contents
- 1 It’s More Fun in the Philippines
- 2 Pandemic Posts
- 3 Health
- 4 Beauty Services
- 5 Swimming Recos
- 6 Manila To-Dos
- 7 Creating a Non-Toxic Home
- 8 PlantMama
- 9 Where to Send Decluttered Items
- 10 Mindful Home
- 11 Scandi Shops
- 12 Fashion Shops
- 13 Proudly Filipino
- 14 Mindful Kid’s Stuff
- 15 Manila Eats
- 16 Food Delivery
- 17 My Favorite Gift Ideas
- 18 Events
It’s More Fun in the Philippines
- MANILA HITLIST list of my favorite things to do/eat/shop for when I’m in Manila
- Filipino Food I Miss When Posted Overseas especially when I was in Pork deprived-Jakarta haha
- REPOST: Philippines is world’s 8th friendliest country
Pandemic Posts
- PURILYTE made me confident to go on our first vacation during the pandemic
- El Nido what it’s like traveling in a Travel Bubble
- Gorgeous White Tagaytay AirBnB First Pandemic Vacation
- FREE Covid-19 Quarantine Printables from The Craft Central
- Haircut Pandemic protocols first haircut in Piandre during the pandemic
- Dentist Visit During the Pandemic safety protocols applied
- First Time to Eat Out During the Pandemic
- 5 Ways We Celebrate Halloween Safely During This Pandemic
- Safe Portable Potties for Children to Pee in During this Pandemic
- Remember when we thought cloth maks were safe?
- Remember that time we were sweating in hat faceshields?
- Mother’s Day Orchids in the Time of COVID-19
Health
- Why we saw a wholistic nutritionist & had an overnight detox
- Primea Dental Salcedo dental experts for the whole family, especially kids in Makati
- Solution to Teeth Grinding & how to stoop teeth from moving after braces
- Organic Pre & Probiotics + Nighttime Multi-minerals where to buy
- Muscovado Sugar why you should shift to this healthier sugar
Beauty Services
Swimming Recos
- Great Swim Coach for Kids in Manila
- Best Floaters for Babies & Toddlers
- Why We Needed Swimming Warmers for Kids & Parents
- How to Choose Safer Sunscreens
Manila To-Dos
- So True Naturals Bar Soap Making Workshop learn how to make soap the old way
- DIY Soap Bar Update
- 25 Things to do in the Philippines
- Ark Avilon Zoo in Pasig
Creating a Non-Toxic Home
It’s so important for me to use only non-toxic home & personal care products, especially after TD had 2 unrelated cancers within 13 months of each other. I want us all to live as long & healthily as possible. The switch has made life simpler & housekeeping easier because the products I use are so powerful, minus the nasties.
- Purilyte this is like Lysol but safe & natural
- TinyBuds what natural, super-effective products I use for DiploBaby & myself
- UV Care Dual Power UV Vacuum remove dust, dustmites, bedbugs without chemicals
- Laundry Hacks that help me declutter my laundry room & save money
- Kurin is the ultimate natural/safe cleaning product that simplifies housekeeping
- What’s On My Bathroom Sink? how I organize our sinks to simplify our lives
- Natural Castile Handsoap why I choose this for my family
- Natural Baby Products For The Entire Home change your life by using safe products for your home
- How to Remove Odors From Your Home safely without toxic chemicals
- How to Eliminate Bed Bugs with Allercon
- Aquasana shower filters how to remove calc from your shower
- Natural Dog Deodorant DIY recipe
PlantMama
Our home in Manila definitely had a lot of greens. We managed to grow a lot of plants to bring nature in because we didn’t have a balcony or garden. Here’s where you can buy super-affordable plants & pots. You can also create #JungalowStyle decor by embroidering them yourself!
- Farmers Garden Cubao this is plant mama heavent!
- Where I Get Cheap White Pots with Drain Plates
- Qach Lifestyle & Garden where I buy my favorite sustainable white pots
- The Craft Central where I buy #JungalowStyle embroidery kits
Where to Send Decluttered Items
It doesn’t really matter how well you declutter if you aren’t able to dispose of the clutter or get them out of your space so here are the places you can donate to, groups you can post in & companies that can recycle your clutter properly.
- Where You Can Online Dumpster Dive
- How to Sell Your Decluttered Stuff Online
- Where to Sell Your Decluttered Items
- FREE Pick Up of All Your Clutter HUMBLE SUSTAINABILITY
- Where to Bring Your Clean & Dry Plastic Discards THE PLAF
- How to Book Aling Puring The Clutter Diva
- Where To Bring Plastics in Makati
- What’s E-waste and How to Dispose of it Responsibly?
- Where to Donate Stuff for Recycling in Manila: Tzu Chi Foundation
- Where to Conveniently Donate Clothes In Manila
Mindful Home
I get asked a lot where I get the stuff I have at home & also for tips/tricks for decorating & organizing areas at home so here I am sharing them.
- Minimaluxe Halloween Decor
- Acrylic Organizers from MakeRoom and More
- How to KonMari Your Water Bottles
- How to Store & Organize Your Bags to Prolong Their Life
- 3 Tips for a Decluttered Hairstyling Station
- Lint Shavers keep clothes looking new for longer
- WMF Profi Resist Pan a buy me once & non-toxic non-stick pan
- Yeelight 2-in-1 Mosquito Bug Zapper Racket& Trap Lamp
- Wireless Staplers where to buy
- Minimalist White Soap Dishes that save your soap
- Samsung The Frame is a tidy TV that blends with your stylish decor
- Well designed Serving Spoon Rest + Ladle Stand
- PSA on DLS Upholstery Paranaque
Scandi Shops
You guys know I love the simplicity & mindfulness of Scandinavian design so I am happy to share where you can get the look of my Scandinavian Home in Manila.
- Scandinavian Furniture where to buy in Makati
- HAY Colour Crates + DLM Table
- Xception A Hip Lifestyle Space in Legaspi Village
- LÄTT LIV Scandi inspired brand
- Folk by EDIA Scandi style at Home
- West Elm in BGC
- Hej, Hey, HAY Manila!
Fashion Shops
These are the places I like to shop in for clothing & accessories
- Plus Size Clothing in Manila important resource for us curvy ladies
- Machita Activewear & its inspiring founder Lala
- Fino fabulous leather goods & bags that I always get complimented on
- Folding Ballerina Flats a diplowife & partygoer must-have!
- Kamiseta cool preppy casuals
- Cura V the curated stuff here – especially locally made ones – are TDF
- ECHOstore I always get asked where I get my brass bangles from
Proudly Filipino
Filipino products & design are definitely world-class. I’m so proud to wear & use them when I’m overseas & get so many compliments.
- Manila FAME is a must for lovers of amazing designs
- EsscentialsMNL natural home & travel-sized products
- Travel Essentials MNL all your travel & organizing needs
- ECHO STORE where I buy natural local products
- Malunggay Shingaling
- Flight Organizer a must for frequent flyers
- Charger Organizer
- Fino fabulous leather goods & bags that I always get complimented on
- Kamiseta cool preppy casuals
Mindful Kid’s Stuff
I’m very picky when it comes to my son’s things. I like to choose well-designed/made products with high quality materials.
- Opinel Le Petite Chef Knife for Kids
- Little Luli oh-so-soft clothes for the tropics that last
- Spinkie Baby my favorite baby/kid’s brand
- Expo Mom featuring my favorite finds for moms & kids
- Natural Baby Products that I use for our entire home
Manila Eats
Manila is definitely for foodies. There are so many places to eat & so much good food.
- Zaifu Japanese restaurant in Rockwell
- Ikomai x Tochi Fave resto in Salcedo Village or Makati CBD
- Lagrima our favorite Mexican joint! the shrimp quesadillas is TDF
- Mamou ultimate place for comfort food
- Izakaya Kikufuji a Japanese food institution
- BonChon twice-fried chicken
- Pho Hoa the best place when we are craving Vietnamese
- Sentro 1771 Modern Filipino Food in Greenbelt 5
- Oh-so-luxe Lusso my happy place in Greenbelt 5
- Bugsy’s steaks the size of your face at an amazing price
- Serenitea Milk Tea Madness
- Cafe Juanita review of Kapitolyo vs Fort
- M CAFE Brunch mini baby shower with my party gang [CLOSED]
Food Delivery
There are also a lot of home businesses & places to order from.
- Alsa Lasa Artisanal Sourdough in Salcedo Village
- Tilde Bakeshop Our Favorite Chocolate Cake
- Lechoneria Belly PH finally lechon like our Iligan lechon
- Puto People yummy ube pandan cheese puto
My Favorite Gift Ideas
Filipinos love giving gifts. It’s our love language. Most of the gift ideas below are food (less clutter) or more sustainable options. There are also great options for personalization if that’s what you are into.
- Amihan Organics Christmas Edition
- The Daily Knead this better for our gut option has sosyal gift baskets
- Angels for Angels Nespresso upcycle sustainable Christmas tree ornaments
- Digital Family Portraits by Ging A sustainable gift idea that can be sent easily to friends abroad
- The Little Whisk Ph personalized cookie gift idea
- DIY Gingerbread House Kit a fun experience gift for kids
- EsscentialsMNL personalized gifts that can be refilled so it’s sustainable
- Travel Essentials MNL personalized trave/organizing gifts
Events
- EVA talks: It’s Okay Not To Be Okay watch my online talk on Mental Health with EVA
- Gatherings by Grace a talk on aging GRACEfully by The Spoiled Mummy
- Scandi Modern LEGO Party how I DIYed my son’s party
- DiploBaby’s 1st Birthay Party how I simplified & saved for my son’s first birthday
- Declutter Your Mind & Life Workshop is the first workshop I let people into my home
- Chef’s Table Workshop French Chefs Cyrile (Dusit Hotel Management College) & Sebastien (Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon) shows us how to cook the French specialties.
- Learning About Food and Wine Pairings in Dusit Thani Hotel