Cheap Chica Find: National Bookstore Eco Tote

Yes, I know this is a re-issue but I what I like about this is the metal/velcro clasp so you can fold up the tote and put inside your weekend bag for convenience. I have a lot of eco totes but most of the time I forget to bring them because they're too bulky. They don't fold up nicely. I have to secure them with a band or something. Most of the time I just fold them and either put them in MB's bag or just hold them until I make a purchase. But I hate holding stuff when I'm walking. So this bag is really a blessing for me and for the environment. I found this when my cousins and I had a mall date. I wandered around G5 while R was having her hair done at Ricky Reyes. I found this really cheap bag and of course, bought it and filled it with stuff while waiting. = )

I just had a problem when I bought this. We had to go through about 10 bags to get the perfect one. The first time, I had it changed because the straps were not sewn on properly. When C and I were in the escalator, I noticed that the metal was almost falling off because there was a tear in the fabric so I went back to National to have it changed. Around 8 more bags later, I finally found the perfect bag. The quality of the other bags was just bad. Loose threads, tears, dirty, etc. Even the sales attendants were frustrated and somewhat embarrassed. They promised that they would report it to the higher ups. I hope the quality has improved because I'm planning to buy another one as it's just so useful.

Here's what it looks like when folded:

It's flat and light and can easily fit into my bag. I love using this when buying stuff at Watsons. I like seeing all my cosmetics and makeup inside this red bag. Even MB likes carrying this bag - on his shoulder! He doesn't really mind even if it's filled with makeup. He's sweet like that. Or maybe he just doesn't have a choice (evil grin).

It costs P65 and you get a P1 rebate every time you use this bag for a P100 purchase instead of their plastic. I know one peso isn't a lot but think about it. If you buy from National every week (magazines, books, etc), that adds up. Plus, you're helping the environment tenfold. This is getting to be quite useful because I'm supporting this project called Project Nehemiah where we're collecting school supplies to donate to students in an elementary school in Nueva Ecija. These are farmers' kids and most of them were victims of typhoon Ondoy. The kids who were able to enroll are lucky. Their moms and dads rely on the harvest to bring in money so you can just imagine the tragedy that some families have gone through.

Anyway, to inspire you a bit more, 3 pencils cost P9. If I buy from National 9 times, then the rebate buys me another set of pencils which helps 3 students to be able to write. Please tell me you're inspired. This project is ongoing until December so I'm getting enough mileage out of this bag. The rebate is not forever though.

If you're interested in helping Project Nehemiah, leave a comment here or on the CBOX on the right. We need notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, paper and any school supplies that grade school kids use.

Saving the environment and helping kids reach their dreams is always chica in my book.

Soul Notes: For Your Journal Tonight

Come sit with me for a while. I have my journal open, and tonight I’ve been thinking about something I suspect I do more often than I realize. I turn healing into another thing I need to accomplish. I want to know when I’ll be over something. When I’ll stop thinking about it. When something that hurt will finally stop hurting. When I’ll feel like myself again. And somewhere along the way, healing quietly becomes another deadline. Another invisible date on a calendar. Another thing I can somehow be late for. But maybe healing doesn’t work particularly well under project management. Maybe there are things I will understand quickly and things I’ll have to revisit again and again. Maybe I’ll feel completely fine one day and unexpectedly tender the next. That doesn’t mean I’ve gone backwards. It means I’m still moving through it. I remember one day, many years ago, when I had fibromyalgia. I lived in constant pain. I just couldn’t get a good day. And then one day, in the office...

Used to the Last Drop: The Ones I’d Already Told You About

There’s something particularly satisfying about finishing a product you’ve already written about. Not testing it. Not forming first impressions. Not wondering whether I’ll still like it three weeks from now. Finished. My Molang Honey sheet masks and this body scrub both made it all the way to the end. (Finally for the Molang sheet masks, right?) I’ve reviewed both before, so I won’t review them all over again here. But perhaps using something until there is nothing left to use is its own kind of review. Beauty products come through my bathroom rather frequently. Some are lovely for a week. Some get pushed to the back of a shelf. Some simply stop working for me. And then there are the ones that quietly disappear because I kept reaching for them. Maybe an empty container is the shortest review of all. I liked it enough to finish it. If you want to read my thought about these products, just type them on my search bar. —- With elegance and quiet fire, Lady E Founder, Glow by Lady E...

Part 1: I Finally Had Enough of My Dry Feet and Did Something About It

I have been annoyed with my feet for months. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with them. They were just dry . Really dry. And you know I have a problem with dryness (hello skin, lips). And somehow, despite noticing this constantly, I kept doing absolutely nothing about it. The moment that gets me every time is when I’m waiting for my son at piano class. I’ll sit down, cross my legs, look down at my slip-ons or sandals and there they are. My dry, flaky feet. Then I become painfully aware that there are other people sitting beside me who can probably see them too. 😂 Every time, I think, I really need to do something about this. And then piano class ends, life resumes, and apparently my feet are no longer part of my jurisdiction. Eventually, I had enough. I found this Mond’Sub Chamomile Foot Peeling Spray at KKV and decided that my poor neglected feet were finally getting some attention. The process wasn’t glamorous. There was peeling skin involved. There were bits...

Glow by Lady E

Search This Blog