For the boss

The Christmas party at your office is fast approaching and you and your team have no idea what to give your boss. Here are some gift ideas that are both fun and functional.

Pen Zen 

via Qrius

via Qrius

It's the best desk organizer with rubber extrusions to keep items in place, whether he wants the box standing up or lying down. The wooden finish is nice and clean and the hidden magnets within the bamboo surface are for clips and notes. It's dimensions are 7.25 x 2.5 x 2 inches and it comes in black or blue. It's P999 and it's available here. 

Agenda Dry Erase Board

via Quirks

Perfect for the boss who takes it a week at a time and can't sustain a planner for too long. The board includes a dry erase magnetic pen. It's dimensions are 13.75 x 13.75 inches, just the right size to have by her computer. It's P695 and it's available here. 

Sticky Pad

via Qrius

via Qrius

via Qrius

The sticky pad is the most practical gift you could give. It's a silicone mat that's sticky on both sides. You can use it to hold your keys, notes, pens, cellphones and eyeglasses. Your boss can put it in his car or on his desk. He can even stick it on the wall! It's available in black, grey, and green, in mini (13 x 9.5 x 0.2 cm), small (19 x 13 x 0.2 cm) and medium (14.5 x 5 x 0.2 cm). It costs from 380- 580 pesos and you can buy it here. 

Audrey Auto Notes

via Zalora

You can never go wrong with a nicely designed notepad. Every boss needs it for those important reminders and messages. This one comes with a pen, clip, and a stand for that extra professional look. There are 4 various designs for P495 each. It's available here.

Franklin Covey pen

via Zalora

via Zalora

This is for the boss who has everything. It has a slim and simple design, perfect if you don't really know your boss' preference. The Greenwhich Satin Chrome Franklin Covey pen comes with a lifetime mechanical guarantee and uses Cross BP ink refills. It costs P720 and you can purchase it here. 

Nest

via Qrius

via Qrius

via Qrius

The Nest is perfect for the boss who cannot survive a day without his tablet. He can rest his iPad on it either horizontally with nonslip rubber cushions on the back, or vertically using the hidden cradle. Without a tablet, he can use it to hold small items like his keys, USB, paperclips, etc. It comes in 5 colors- pink, blue, black, green, and orange. It's P680 and it's available here. 

For gifts for your boss, I'd keep the wrapping pretty simple. No need for extravagant decorations and details. I don't think my love for brown paper gift wrapping will ever die. Here are some simple gift wrapping ideas for you to try. 

via adoseofsimple

via notonthehighstreet

via rubberstamping.about.com

via etsy

via thesweetestoccasion

Like a sir

A nice addition to any home, especially to a college kid's condominium, the moustache mat from Quirks might just be too cute to step on. 

Mat the Moustache via Quirks

It's a great gift for the boys, for fans of the "like a sir" meme, and anyone who wants to add a bit of fun into their home. It's quite practical, especially if the person you're giving it to is very O.C. He's the cousin who keeps his room VERY clean. He imagines every little piece of dirt coming from your shoe transferring to his spotless floor but can't quite tell you how horrifying it is for him without hurting your feelings. Haha! 

Size: 85 x 0.5 x 43 cm

via Quirks

It's P995 and it's available at Quirks, one of my favorite stores. The packaging is just as adorable as the mat itself! However, because of the unusual shape, wrapping would be a very challenging task. For unusual shapes, I'd normally make a gift bag but this mat is just too big for one. My next choice? A huge bow! Scribe in Eastwood Mall makes really nice bows (see the one my boyfriend had made here). Department stores and bookstores have ready made ribbons too. You just stick them on the gift, add a tag and you're done! Here are some DIY gift bows and gift tags I would pair with this gift.

via etsy

via etsy

via etsy

via etsy

via craftgawker

via akissofcolour

via joliejoliedesign

via howaboutorange

December 10,1990

That was the day I was born. According to HistoryOrb.com, it was also the day that Space Shuttle STS 35 (Columbia 11) landed, the day Giulia Boverio (some Italian actress) was also brought into this world, and the day 140 people died at a Hindu-Muslim rebellion in Hyderabad-Aligargh India. Wasn't such a good day, come to think of it. Haha!

Speaking of days (real smooth segue noh? Haha!), Luckies of London has this really cool On This Day Calendar.

via quirks

It's a wall calendar that gives you a little piece of history for each day of the year. See those black squares? Each day is represented by those heat sensitive squares. When you rub it, the heat produced by friction causes the black square to disappear and show a piece of trivia! How cool is that???

via quirks

When the square cools down, the trivia fades away. You can also write on the colored sides of each square. Perfect for little notes and reminders!

via quirks

This must be one of the coolest calendars ever. It's the right mix of fun and functionality. Since 2013 hasn't started just yet, this would be a nice gift to give this Christmas. Anyone will appreciate this unique calendar, especially those who seem to have everything. It's available on Quirks and Ava for P1,495. 

For the gift wrapping, I would get those cardboard tubes for rolled up blueprints found in National Bookstore then tie a nice big ribbon around it. These neon tie-dye ribbons will look great against the cardboard. You can also stick to good old red ribbon if you're giving it to a guy.

via landchark

via babble

With the multicolored ribbon, I would stick to a white gift tag. Here some nice DIY tags, you can take inspiration from. 

via dooce

via etsy

via nasii-itchingillustrator

Friday Feature: Quirks

"QUIRKS Novelties & Curiosities was born because we just CANNOT stand boring things. We believe that there is always room to make any room... FUN. QUIRKS is a melting pot of products that infuse irreverence & humor into everyday living, turning any household into a playhouse." 

Go to quirks.com.ph and that's the first thing you see on their "About" page. I first saw this store in Rockwell and I really enjoyed looking through their stuff. Admittedly, I didn't buy anything because I found some things to be slightly expensive. I'd think, "I'm sure I can find something like this elsewhere na mas mura." I certainly thought wrong. That's the thing about Quirks. They sell unique (and oh so cute!) things and they're the only ones selling them here in the Philippines. They've got a really nice collection of random things that make for awesome gifts to friends and family.

Here are my top choices from their vast collection: (all pictures are from Quirks)


For the kitchen, 

L-R: Owlet Kitchen Timers (P350), Gator Bite Oven Mitt (P995), Cherry Bin Container (P1,795)

These are perfect gifts for friends and family members who spend a lot of time in the kitchen whipping up yummy goodies for you to try. They add some color to the kitchen and just make cooking/baking so much more fun. 


For the living room,

L-R: Eyeglasses Holder (P495), Key Dish (P995), Sun Jar (P1,350)

I really love the Sun Jar. It would making the prettiest lamp or nightlight. Plus it's environment friendly! 


For people who love alcohol- the drinking kind,


L-R: Luchador Bottle Opener (P495), XL Beer Glass (P795), Slammers (P956)

The XL Beer Glass would be perfect for my boyfriend! He loves his beer and can never just stop at 1 bottle. Plus, he firmly believes that the right way to drink beer is from a glass. 


For those always on-the-go,

L-R: Brown Paper Bag (P995), Scratch Map (P1,350), I Am A To Go Box (price unavailable)

If your friend brings baon to work, then the Brown Paper Bag is just the perfect gift to give. Looks can be very deceiving as it looks like a regular paper bag but it's not. It's made of some special material that makes it tear and leak proof. It keeps your baon nice and hot inside too! I, on the other hand, secretly want the Chinese takeout box. Super cute! 



And other random things that I think would make awesome gifts:

L-R: Sushi Stapler (P395), Dead Fred Pen Holder (P450), Mighty Wallet (Manila Mania) (P830)

L-R: Undercover Tablet Sleeve (P1,250), Ninja Hooks (price unavailable)



Another great thing about Quirks is that they can gift wrap the item for you for only P50- free if your purchase goes above P1,500. I really love how they use old magazines instead of using new gift wrapping paper. Most wrapping paper is thrown out just after one use. These days, we should all try to help out Mother Earth in every way that we can so I'm all for their "green" wrapping. 


Quirks is located at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell and Shangri-la Plaza Mall. They've just opened a new branch at SM Megamall (Building A). I'll be visiting their new branch soon for sure. 






Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I just really love their stuff :)