|Pili

Pili Beauty is an inspiring livelihood and lokal beauty company aiming to promote beauty from within and conscious sustainability. The proudly Filipino company started on a farm in Bikol when Rose S. Tan was looking to support and promote her home land. Through researching the Pili nut, Rose discovered some tremendous health benefits including skin hydration, skin elasticity and firmness. A sustainable livelihood project has been created for the lokal farmers and they are educated in preservation of the forests/farms where the local nut thrives. Pili Beauty inspires me to be environmentally engaged and support lokal. I am dreaming of visiting their farm in Bikol. I wonder if they do farm tours, ha! Thanks so much to the girls of Flow Retreats who first gifted me Pili products; I have since purchased the Bug Me Not Balm and have been happy with all of their products . Flow In The City markets really do have the best lokal goodies!

|Bayongciaga

The bayong is one of those cultural items that, as a foreigner, I saw as much more than a simple 'marketing bag'. For me, it is the most functional bag ever! I am not the only one who has fallen for the bayong, Filipinos are also reinventing the market bag for everyday use and chicify-ing them to level up their fashion game. Bayongciaga offers sleek designs and bold colors for a playful bayong, they are also very well constructed. I dressed up my pink kikay bayong with a twilly from Jim Weaver.

Would you believe me if I told you this was all I packed for a family weekend trip to Iloilo? My L ooping stroller and oversized Bayonciaga. (You can find my travel favorites here.)

|Rustic Mornings, Now At Home

I had never been a 'regular' at any restaurant until I found out about Rustic Mornings. The last half of 2015 I spent almost every Monday at the Marikina Dry Market followed by Rustic Mornings. Sadly, at Taco Bell in Ayala 30th we have also become regulars. I cry a little inside when they greet me with, "Welcome back M'am Sir". It's like the walk of shame but also so sweet they remember us. How can they not with our circus? But that is neither here nor there, Rustic Mornings is the place to be a regular. The food never disappoints, the service is quick, the price can't be beat and the kitschy surroundings remove you from skyscrapers and traffic for a morning (or lunch or dinner). If for some sad reason you can't be a regular at Rustic Mornings, you are in luck; they now sell their famous buttermilk pancake mix. Next time you visit, bring the taste of Rustic Mornings home with you.

|Happy Soap

You probably all remember when Dove bravely revamped their campaign and started using 'normal' (that's relative) women as their models. It was shocking to see women with hips and curves revealing what was usually left only to traditional thigh-gapped, lanky models. Dove has continued to break the norms for marketing and recently launched two campaigns I fully support. First, the Self-Esteem Project, which is an online source for women and mothers to encourage positive self body image starting from adolescence. In December they also launched embossed white Dove bars with positive messages etched into them. I was particularly fond of the 'Happy' bar. As I washed with that soap each shower, I would think of what makes me happy. I loved that something I washed with my pwet and kilikili caused this contemplation.

Mommy Mundo, a powerhouse resource and leader for families in Manila, paired up with Dove Self-Esteem Project

Thanks to Bridges PR for this beautiful gift box of wrapping supplies to accompany the Dove soap bars

|Oli's Boxship

I always loved getting mail as a kid so memberships with monthly mailings are my jam! Oli's Boxship is a pefectly quirky and funky fresh kids activity box that is fun for the whole family. The boxship has a different theme each month with different activities, books and crafts all included. We loved our Christmas edition! Oz made this Christmas tree with very little help from me and he was so proud! I give this company two thumbs way up!