Friday, December 02, 2016

Amazing deals and steals await at Landers Superstore!

I just became a member of the newest, most amazing, membership shopping destination extraordinaire for working mommies like me—Landers Superstore!

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.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Frances Finds: delicious holiday hampers from Marks & Spencer

Everyone wants to give amazing gifts and while some of us are very good at it, many of us need a bit of help looking for the most wonderful gifts. And because we're all soooo busy and because the traffic is soooo horrific, we want to do our shopping with ease and convenience.

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):
Remind someone to live the good life and indulge only with the tastiest and most thrilling treats with the Divine Pleasures (P4,995) hamper. If you’re going for gold and want to impress, this hamper won’t disappoint as it comes with Domaine Mandeville Shiraz, Belgian Metropolitan Biscuits, Wild Flower Honey, Christmas Coffee, and more!

Another luxurious treat is the Holiday Haven (P5,995) which can instantly lift up any mood with its delectable yuletide selections. The hamper contains Italian Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, Christmas Pudding Biscuits, Cherry Liqueurs, and Sparkling Clementine & Cranberry Presse, among others.

Perfect for when you want to let your loved ones try the best at home is the Lavish Luxury (P3,495, in photo). Just imagine them curling up with some hot Cream of Chicken soup on a relaxing day or munching on Milk Chocolate Teacakes while sharing a laugh—totally worth it! The Sumptuous Selection (P2,995) on the other hand has indulgent drinks, treats, and a savory soup that food lovers will surely appreciate. You’ll also never go wrong with Timeless Favorites (P2,495) which has a collection of much-loved food like the Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Traditional British Porridge.

Marks & Spencer has something for every health nut in your life as well. The health conscious can enjoy Gluten-Free Delights (P1,995) for gluten-free options and The Wellness Collection (P1,995) with items that are perfect for when one wants to relax. You can even gift the flavors of Italy with Italian Escape (P1,995, in photo) which comes with culinary essentials that will bring the authentic Italian food to life.

Smaller boxes include the Tea-Time Treats (P1,495), Sunrise Bliss (P1,495), Chocolate Indulgence (P1,995, in photo), and Sweet Nostalgia (P1,495). Wine lovers can also enjoy the wine gift sets and make Christmas gatherings extra special.

Extra special indeed! I love love love M&S holiday hampers! If you're planning to give me a gift, I would love anything yummy from Marks & Spencer. Well, except wine. I don't drink alcohol really, although I will admit that their wine is so perfect when paired with the pasta and sauce in their baskets! 

And extra news for shoppers who love a discount! 
December 4 to 31, 20% off on champagne
December 11 to 24, 15% off on bags of sweets and chocolate bars
December 25 to 28, 20% off throughout the store including food and wine, and double points for Loyalty cardholders.
Reward and Premium members and BDO cardholders: , enjoy up to 50% off on selected items plus additional 5% off sale items for  up to January 5, plus an Exclusive Sale Preview for Loyalty Members on December 29

Marks & Spencer is a super British retailer that sells clothing and home products that are not just stylish but are also of good quality. Its food products are delicious (my favorite is their caramel candies!) and are responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally. Really a good choice if you're looking to give gifts of food baskets this Christmas. 

You can find M&S branches at Alabang Town Center, Eastwood Mall, Gateway Mall, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, Robinsons Place Manila, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM City North Edsa, Trinoma, Central Square, Estancia at Capitol Commons, Abreeza Mall, Marquee Mall, Ayala Center Cebu, Lim Ket Kai Center, Paseo de Sta. Rosa Outlet Store, Subic Harbor Point Outlet Store, and SM Lanang Premier. Happy shopping!

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

Oh, what fun we had at the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp!

This post is brought to you by Alaska Milk.

Last Sunday, my little superheroes Captain America and Iron Man were absolutely pumped to go to the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp. I imagined a day of chaos for me but, boy, was I mistaken! The Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp was AMAZING!!!

The Mission Camp was held at SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia. I don't know why I got the idea that it would be held outdoors but I slathered the kids in sunblock, brought towels and a change of clothes, and boxes of Alaska Choco milk. When we were ready, we piled into a taxi and then zoomed all the way to MOA. There's no traffic on Sundays so we did literally zoom there. Once we got there, the kids got even more excited seeing the crowd. They immediately started playing with the other kids while we were still lined up.

With Momma 'n' Manila Michelle Aventejado and her daughter Gelli.

Inside, we did a tour first, so we can develop a game plan. We wanted to experience everything that the Mission Camp had to offer! There were four main areas:

(1) Kids Activity Zone for the younger kids. This is where they can busy themselves with arts and crafts activities like coloring, cutting out masks, building with blocks and bricks, stacking Alaska Milk cartons to make a tower, face painting, and playing memory games.

(2) Disney Mission Zones for kids 4 and up. There are four Mission Zones: the Marvel Zone where the kids skate, stick to the wall, hit a target, and crawl through a tunnel; the Frozen Zone, which is basically a big skating rink; the Ultimate Zone, which is a big obstacle course where kids test out their skills in balancing, jumping, climbing, and other major physical exertions; and the Alaska Zone, which also has lots of activities to test your kid's strength and agility, plus there's a big dome the kids enter and inside they experience virtual reality.
Safety briefing from secret agents at Marvel Zone. 

(3) Parents Zone, where grownups can learn about making coffee with Kreme Top, making desserts and cooking with Alaska Evaporated Milk, Alaska Condensed Milk and Alaska Crema Whipped Cream. There was also a Toy Kingdom booth which peddled Disney and Marvel goodies.
Waiting for the coffee-making workshop to start. 
Pop-up shop for Disney toys

 (4) Entertainment area. In the middle of it all was a big stage where games, song numbers, and educational talks were presented for the entire family.
My kids in front.

Look at what my kids did:

Listening to Ate Secret Agent finish briefing the kids.
Iñigo is Spider-Man! Sorry for blurry pic. All parents had to stay outside and
we can only look through these little windows.
Just finished their Alaska milk refreshments and about to go to the Ultimate Zone.

The obstacle course at Ultimate Zone was physically challenging!
Enjoying the ball pit at Alaska Zone.
They just missed the cupcake decorating workshop! My boys weren't happy about that but oh-so-adorable 
Selene (unica hija of The Misty Mom) just jumped up to check out what new activity she can do!

 We had soooo much fun! More importantly, my kids learned to be independent because the Mission Zones were parent-free. The brothers had to take care of each other and Vito was really looking out for Iñigo. So proud of my boys! They also learned how to listen carefully to instructions, and bravely take on all the physical tasks. They weren't that easy, but they did it anyway! I'm especially impressed with Iñigo because he usually has lots of reservations when it comes to new places and new things but he jumped into each new activity happily. I am oh so proud!

I'll let my kids tell you about their experience at the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp:



It definitely was a winning day for my kids! As a parent, I am also happy to report that the event was so organized. I've been to other events where the organizers were just overwhelmed with all the kids. The Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp was well staffed—there was a LOT of them to make sure every kid and parent is attended to. The staff knew what every activity was so if you ask a question, you get an answer fast. The zones were all safe and secure, and they controlled the number of kids in each area so that it doesn't get too crowded and the staff can manage the kids better. Should accidents do happen, there was a medical team in a very visible area.

I had been a bit apprehensive when I found out that the mission zones didn't allow parents in, but when I saw how safe and secure the areas were and that the staff was in control of everything, I relaxed and allowed myself to have just as much fun as my boys! In hindsight, I should've not been so scared because Disney was involved in the event, and Disney has the ultimate credentials when it comes to giving families an exciting yet safe experience for all.

Tired but happy little boys.

I'm so happy that Alaska and Disney mounted this super fun day. Thanks soooo much for inviting us, Alaska and Disney! Thanks also for providing Alaska Milk for all the thirsty kids at the event. I saw that all the kids (and the parents, too!) enjoyed the delicious and nutritious milk drinks. They liked pointing out the beloved characters like Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Princess Anna, Queen Elsa, and even Olaf whenever they pop a straw in a box of Alaska Choco, Alaska Sweet Milk (my favorite), and Alaska Yoghurt! The drinks didn't just refresh them and sustain them for the day of physical activities, it also provided them with the essential vitamins and minerals and, with the yoghurt drinks, even good bacteria for their tummies. As a mom, I am oh so happy with all that!

I'm hoping that Alaska will have another Ultimate Mission Camp next year. Pleeeeeeeeease do it again! My kids can't wait to go again. It was the most fun they've had in recent memory, so thank you and please do another one soonest!


For more information on Alaska Milk, visit www.alaskamilk.com; and like their Facebook page, Alaska Milk, to be updated on promos and other activities.

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