5 Great Christmas Gift Ideas For Our Loved Ones

Christmas gift ideas, tips and tricks, Christmas, Unilab, Scholastic, ASUS

Can you believe it is just a few weeks before Christmas? Our most favorite time of the year is finally here and yes, unfortunately, it is also the busiest, and for some, the most stressful. But do not let all the excitement and the many lists of things-to-do, not to mention the horrendous traffic everywhere, dampen your excitement about the merriest season of all.

Here are a few thoughtful Christmas gift ideas to get you started with your Christmas shopping:

A photo posted by Vix Parungao (@mumwrites) on

  1. Health Kit ~ most people, especially mums, will appreciate this thoughtful gift as the Christmas season is also the time of cough, colds, and other weather-related illnesses. You can simply get a clear box and fill it up with vitamins and medicines from your trusted brands like Unilab {just like the ones in the photo}. I recommend Biogesic and Solmux, as they can come handy this time of year. You can be as extravagant as filling the kit to the brim, or you can also opt to just include a couple of items the receiver will most definitely use. Christmas gift ideas, tips and tricks, Christmas, Unilab, Scholastic, ASUS
  2. Power Bank ~ who will not be delighted to receive a power bank? Everybody needs one to stay connected to their loved ones or social media on their mobile devices, or keep up with all their online games even while on the go without worrying about their batteries going dead. I highly recommend the ASUS Credit Card Size 10050mAh Quick Charge Power Bank, as I totally love using it! It is very handy and can be easily stashed in your purses or bags while traveling. It is also quick-charging and can easily charge 2 gadgets with its 10050mAh capacity. Christmas gift ideas, tips and tricks, Christmas, Unilab, Scholastic, ASUS
  3. Books ~ anyone will appreciate a good book and I do not they will ever go out of style. It is a perfect gift for book lovers, as well as for children to encourage them to read. Mums will also appreciate them, as they sometimes do not have enough time to buy something off the bookstore shelf for themselves whenever they go there to shop for the children’s school stuff. And just a tip, if you are planning to give books to your inaanaks or your loved ones this year, there is no better way to get them than at the Scholastic’s The Big Christmas Blowout Warehouse Sale where you can get children’s books for as low as Php20! I have already been there over the weekend and I cannot wait to share my shopping haul with you. The sale will be up until 23 December, and they will be open from 9am-6pm. I shall include more details in another post, so watch out for it! 

    Christmas gift ideas, tips and tricks, Christmas, Unilab, Scholastic, ASUS
    the little man in our previous visit to Kidzania, where he cannot wait to go back
  4. Awesome Experience ~ gifts carefully wrapped under the tree are not the only thing you can give your loved ones and friends this Christmas. Great experiences, like outdoor adventures, amusement park visits, or travels are also awesome and thoughtful gifts to give. The Christmas break is the most perfect time to do these wonderful activities as everyone in the family is at home. It is a great time to bond with everyone and create beautiful memories that everyone will surely remember for years to come.

    Christmas gift ideas, tips and tricks, Christmas, Unilab, Scholastic, ASUS
    anyone would appreciate a lovely trip to the spa
  5. Relaxation ~ the whole year had been busy and bustling with activities, especially for those who keep a 9-5 job or for mums who has school-aged children, that they will surely appreciate the gift of relaxation. This can be in a form of a Gift Certificate to a favorite salon for some pampering and relaxation or a day of bonding at the spa for a whole body massage or foot spa.

We do not really have to shell out a ton of money to make our gifts for our loved ones this year unique and special. A little touch of creativity, a ton of thoughtfulness, and making sure the gift is tailor-made for the receiver and I am certain your Christmas gift will be a big hit! Enjoy spreading the holiday cheer! 😀

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#StartCreating Cafe Style Coffee At Home With The New Nescafe Red Mug!

food, products, simple pleasures, coffee, Christmas gift ideas
Today, I #StartCreating my very own layered coffee at home using the all-new Nescafe Red Mug Machine

Yes, I am a self-confessed coffeeholic and my day just won’t start properly without having a steaming mug of coffee first thing in the morning. That line that says “running on caffeine” ~ so me, especially on days when I needed to fix me another cup {and another} to perk me up, or on some occasions, to wake me up during those days when I needed to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to beat pressing deadlines at work or keep up with the blog backlogs.

Although I am totally enamored with coffee, I try to steer clear of those cafe serving expensive coffee concoctions as they can be totally unhealthy for my purse, plus am too easy to please, a cup of 3-in-1 coffee is just about perfect to start my day right! So, I think you can easily tell I immediately said yes when I was invited to the launch of the all-new exciting product from Nescafe that would let me make those beautifully-layered and frothy specialty coffees right from my diminutive kitchen!

Introducing the Nescafe Red Mug Machine

food, products, simple pleasures, coffee, Christmas gift ideas
the Nescafe Red Mug Machine

Every coffee lover will be excited to get their hands on the all-new Nescafe Red Mug designed to allow the user to create a wide range of delicious and lovely cups of coffee. It was developed in Switzerland by Nestle coffee machine experts and aims for its users to create foamy Cappuccino, layered Latte, fancy Mocha, velvety Americano or just about anything anyone might fancy creating with coffee and a host of another delicious ingredients at home. 

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Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas For The Special People In Your Life

This is it! It is only 3 days before Christmas day and if you are one of the many who simply are too busy to finish their Christmas list early, then here are a few last-minute gift ideas for your mums, dads, children and the special people in your life which you can readily find in the mall or in those online shops you frequent. By the way, while you are busy shopping for your loved ones, do get something special for the other people who made your life easier and wonderful this year, including your house help, the courteous school bus driver, your friendly neighbor, as well as the reliable postman! And always remember that gift-giving is not always about the price tag that comes with the gifts you give, but the wonderful thoughts, effort, and love that you wrap along with those items.

For Mums

Pampering and relaxation are rare for busy mums, so am sure they will appreciate anything that will help them to relax or enjoy their pocket me-time. Most mums will also appreciate GC’s for their favorite coffee shops as well as any items for the kitchen or the home.

Here are a few more gift suggestions I am sure mums of all ages would love to receive this Christmas:

  • Beautiful mason jars ~ i do not know about you but i simply cannot get enough of these beautiful jars and i simply love these shabby chic painted mason jars from Paper Straw Love. These pastel-colored jars are perfect catch-all for your bric-a-brac, arts and craft stuff, or school supplies. They are also great as flower vases. Meanwhile, mum can easily find a multitude of purpose for the other mason jar varieties.
  • Spa or salon gift certificates ~ since mum rarely has the time to pamper herself and relax in the midst of her daily grind, a GC to her favorite salon for a free haircut or to her favorite spa for that much-needed and well-deserved foot spa and mani-pedi session will be most welcome
  • Beauty and skin-pampering products ~ since mum cannot go to the spa or the salon as often as she wanted, these beauty and skin-pampering products sure will come handy for DIY home spa. My go-to skin treats will have to be The Cream Factory Bath Cream and Scrub-in-a-tub. These dessert for the skin allows me to pamper my skin at the end of a very long and tiring day.
  • Home organizers ~ any item that will allow mum to organize the home better is a great choice. Whether you opt to give her one of those multi-purpose storage boxes, or a dish rack, a closet or a bookshelf, am sure mum will appreciate it!
  • Planners ~ with the assortment of tasks mum has to do in a year, a planner to help her get more organized is a very thoughtful and practical gift. The Mom 24/7 and the Certified Positive 2015 Planners top my list of great planners to wrap for mum this Christmas!

For Dads

It might be a bit tricky to get something for dad but am sure you can get him the perfect gift for this Christmas. Here are a few things you might want to consider:

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