One of my motivations for blogging is to help others create a life and plant roots in Manila. Sometimes that means sharing about an awesome find, a practical toy or a steal of a deal. On occasion friends and brands share their purposeful products with me and I will share them with you in a new round up post series titled, A Few Favorite Things. I hope you are as tickled with them as I am.

*I did not receive payment to write about any of these products, just me oversharing as usual.

|Tiger Tribe

Well designed and purposefully created by a mom and dad team, Tiger Tribe all the way from Australia brings us boxset toys. Boxset toys are the ultimate attention keeper and travel companion. The interactive and imaginative play all neatly fit into a well designed box. The colors and illustrations cannot be beat.

The Fabulous Felt box set has provided engaging story telling, stage design and hours of both quiet and boisterous play. My two and four year are both keen to play with it.

Beat The Clock Challenge Book gets me excited and I want to type in all capital letters so you can feel the excitement, however grammar is important. Perfect for my seven year old, this set includes a stop watch and a book of challenges to work through. This can be done by oneself or in a group. This would be great for layovers in an airport, long drives in the car or like we did, home all day for a school holiday. It ate up a great deal of time. Really, it's so functional you could use it anywhere!

This particular challenge was a contest of how long you can balance a balloon on your head.

Magic Painting World boxset is made for the mothers who have the child that seems to color on every surface! My bunso would be that child. Our couch is marked up, walls, and chalkboard he has left his mark everywhere. The coloring pages in this set are activated by water and completed by using the water brush pen.

Tiger Tribe can be purchased through Bright Brands Ph online or their pop up for the next three months at Ayala 30th.

|Raw Bites

Were you ever a member of a mail club? I was a Lisa Frank Club Member which entitled me to a gaudy unicorn and dolphin notebook, sticker or t-shirt once a month. Receiving that package was pretty much Christmas once a month, so seeing a mature version of that same wonder in Raw Bites was very exciting! Raw Bites is the first healthy snack subscription box in the Philippines. You can discover up to 15 healthy snacks every month and let me just say, they are as delicious as they are cute. Raw Bites would also make a great gift.

If you aren't keen on subscribing but still want to try some individual healthy treats, you can shop their online store here. I highly recommend the Candy Kittens and Whitworth Shots.

I am a sucker for pretty and clever packaging.

Raw Bites can be purchased by single item or subscription box all online. If you'd like to purchase one in person check out Spectrum Fair Manila November 18-19 at Whitespace Manila.

|Human Nature

Human Nature is full of goodness. The ingredients, outreach program and humble beginnings are filled with pure goodness. You cannot read the story of Human Nature without being encouraged and moved. Starting small and working with reputable partners, including Gawad Kalinga, Human Nature found that the best ingredients for health promoting home and skin care products could all be sourced locally here in the Philippines. Then they went a step further and paired the natural products with local communities for a livelihood partnership. This socially sustainable enterprise has proved to be the top choice when purchasing any home or beauty product. I am a huge fan. Please read their story here.

Human Nature continues to strive to uplift the lives of the impoverished and underserved through successful and sustainable social enterprises and quality natural products for everyone. Though still a very young company, Human Nature has big plans for the future and is fiercely determined to build a globally recognized brand that transforms the hearts and lives of everyone it touches.

I made baby baskets for two friends who are expecting new little ones and included Human Nature in the gifts.

Human Nature is found online and a list of store directories here.

|Karton.Ph

As much as I love marketing, I don't love traffic. So, when Karton.Ph mentioned they have market and bazaar items online my interest was piqued. Y'all know I am an Inabel lover so I was well pleased to see these common (yet often hard to find items) online. I picked out two woven blankets for half the price of a regular bazaar and they were delivered to my house within two days.

Karton Ph is an online store only and thank goodness, it is just so easy!

|Scratch Map Philippines Edition

An easy way to settle in to your new community is to bring the local culture into your home. I love Philippine culture and was so pleased to receive this Scratch Map Philippines Edition from a friend. It is not just a map but a story of our journeys.