Christmas DIYs

Here are some on-the-spot (unplanned) DIY wrapping projects which I did this Christmas. Disclaimer: Not a lot of time was spent making these. They're products of boredom. Haha!

Using brown paper bags

I got the brown paper bags from Bestsellers in Robinsons Galleria, the washi tape from Fab Manila, and the ribbon and Christmas decor from National Bookstore.

 

My friend got these cute little jars from True Value, I used the same washi tape from Fab Manila, and the ribbon from National Bookstore. Recognize the tag on top of the jars? Those are the ones I made using Microsoft Paint. LOL. (See here)

Not bad given the time constraints and limited resources! Haha! Everyone at the office loved our little jars of goodies. Hooray!

I have one more rather major DIY project (my gift for Chi) but I'll post about that after I've given it to him. To Chi: I know you're reading this now. Please resist the urge to open my gift until the 24th! Haha!



P.S. I'm leaving for Bacolod tomorrow morning so no blogging till I get back after Christmas.

P.P.S. Merry Christmas everyone!!!  I know. I'm 3 days early but better late early than never. Haha!

P.P.S. Last one, I promise. For those who are still doing last minute shopping, happy hunting and happy giving!

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

College Days

For most of my college life, I lived by myself. I lived in a studio unit along Katipunan Avenue for three years and a bedroom at a dorm in Evry, France for four months. I LOVED living alone. No really. The freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want was heaven for me. Of course, with my freedom came some responsibilities and one was taking care of my laundry.

In the Philippines, doing laundry meant bringing home all my dirty clothes on the weekends and magically bringing them back to my condo all fresh and clean come Monday. On the weekends when I didn't go home, laundry meant calling the laundry place to pick up my dirty clothes and having them conveniently delivered to me after 1-2 days. This certainly was not the case when I went to France. In Evry, doing the laundry was a long and tiring process.

Nic's Laundry Process:

1. Bring down my bag of clothes to the laundry room. Workout for the day, check!
2. Sort my clothes- whites, colored, and special items. 
3. Put one pile of clothes into the washing machine. 
4. Add some fabric softener for extra...softness. LOL. 
5. Put some coins into the slot and let the machine do all the work. 
6. Wait for around 45 minutes. Or, watch one episode of Friends in my room and come back. 
7. Take out the pile and put them in the basket. 
8. Repeat steps 3 to 7 until all clothes have been washed. 
9. Put the entire pile in the huge ass dryer. 
10. Set the time and all. Let the dryer do all the work. 
11. Watch another 1-2 episodes of Friends and come back to find that my clothes have been moved to a basket. 
12. Transfer all my dry clothes into a bag and bring them up to my room. 
13. Start folding all my clothes. 
14. Notice that some socks/tops/leggings are missing. 
15. Go back down to the laundry room and look for the missing items. 
16. After a few minutes, sigh and realize that those items are lost forever. 
17. After 2 months, notice that my sweaters are becoming just a little bit too tight. 
18. Go on a "diet" because I think that I'm getting too big for my clothes. 
19. Notice that my jeggings (yes, I wore jeggings at some point. Forgive me.) are getting too short. Think, "Wait. I'm tall but I'm not growing anymore."
20. Have the epiphany of your life when you realize that you skipped the most important step when it comes to doing laundry: check the tags to see if the item can be put inside a washing machine and dryer. 
21. Buy a few new clothes for the rest of your stay. 

Whether in the Philippines or in France, my Beansprout laundry bag was my buddy. It was such a handy thing to have in college and I think that it would make a nice gift for friends and family living alone or living in small spaces.

via ava.ph

I love all Beansprout products but their laundry bag has a special place in my heart. Haha! It's made out of canvas which makes it both lightweight and washable. It's super durable! I've had mine for almost 4 years and the rope is only slightly stretched. It's such a space saver- perfect for nephews and nieces living in dorms and studio apartments. I used to hang mine outside my bathroom door. 

via Beansprout website

For 300 pesos, I think it's a steal! It is the perfect functional gift to give. They also have a nylon variant that retails for 250 pesos. 

via Beansprout website

As for gift wrapping, I would put it in a small bag since it lacks shape to be wrapped with wrapping paper. Beansprout is all about saying NO to plastic bags so I think it would be nice to keep with that theme. I'm a big fan of brown paper bags used for gift wrapping. Here are some absolutely cute ideas for this gift. 

via Pinterest

via houseofhumble.com

via notonthehighstreet.com

You can check out the other laundry bag designs here and here. Happy shopping!! 

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 :)