If I were to list my top 3 favorite malls, I would not have a hard time with my top 1. That will surely go to Waltermart/Makati Cinema Square. The top 2 and 3 would be a toss between Edsa Central and Cash and Carry Makati. Their common denominator? Booksale, Japan Home/American Bazaar and airconditioned tiangge. I also like that these malls are rarely crowded. So for our shopping adventure in preparation for Aki’s school year, we went to Cash and Carry Makati.
I knew that the lines in the cashiers of National bookstore would be long so it would best to avoid the usually frequented malls. The NB branch in CC was busy but I bet it was not half as busy as the branch in SM Bicutan. There were only two people before us when we were paying. What surprised me though, was that a couple of folders here, some fasteners there plus the other items in the checklist of school supplies would translate to being almost a thousand pesos poorer! Ang mahal ng school supplies ha!
Aki’s school specifically indicated the brand of the art materials that they prefer. I asked Teacher Tina if we really have to follow and she said yes. It would be easier for them to teach technique and concepts if we go by the recommendations. In case you are wondering, these are the art materials that we bought
What I was not so happy about is that the school is strict on the type of shoes. Kids should only wear velcro rubber shoes. I undersand that it will take the teachers forever if they have to tie 20 shoelaces.It is just that we have a lot of shoes, most of them hand-me-downs, so buying a new pair feels impractical. I hope I don’t sound like a whiner. I really really love Aki’s school. It just that because it is our first time to have a school boy. New rules and new costs still shock us. Will blog about the school soon.
Anyhoot, back to the shoes. Again, Cash and Carry is a good choice for shoe shopping. There were fewer choices but I did not mind. There were far fewer customers which meant better customer service and less waiting time. The most affordable but still expensive if you ask me, brand for toddler velcro shoes in the department store was Pitter Patter Peter something. A pair costs somewhere between 550-750 bucks.
Not a shoe person. Good for us! It was Aki’s second time to buy shoes. The first time was back in 2010.
Just to show you how empty spacious the department store is two weeks before the start of the school year.
School Supplies? Check
New Shoes? Check
Next on the list were the ID pictures.
Good luck, Kuya Photographer!
After 30 or was that 50 attempts, we finally got the winning shot.
Now that we were done with Aki’slist, it was time for my shopping list. My list was short. There were just two word: New Jeans. The last time I bought jeans was back in 2006. While I love my old faded torn jeans, they are too loose for me now and too casual for dress down Fridays. I learned from this shopping experience that it is almost impossible to find non-skinny jeans in tiangges nowadays. After much internal debate with myself, I relented and got two pairs of skinnies. I had always thought skinny jeans will never look good on me because I have wide hips and heavy thighs. Well suprise surprise, skinny jeans are not just for the skinny. Yey!
When we got tired of shopping, we had a 30 minute half body massage care of the blind therapists of Light Seekers. Funny that I kept trying to bow my head and hide the whole time because if Aki sees me, for sure, not only will he ruin my mini-me-time, he will also ruin the experience for other customers.
What is my favorite store in Cash and Carry? MindWerks! They sell affordable, wooden, affordable, educational, affordable toys. That is were we got Aki’s wooden blocks.
It was a busy productive Sunday afternoon.
If Cash and Carry stays the same, for sure we will continue to shop there every first week of June. My favorite moment of that day was seeing Aki’s shocked and bothered expression.
“Whoa! Puh-tol U-loh”, he said.
🙂
P. S. Has anyone ever tried doing the grocery in Cash and Carry?
Familia Kiki 
there was a time when hubby and i did our groceries at cash and carry (summer 2009). the prizes i think are a bit more than the usual. medyo kulang din sa variety ng brands.
since we had alonzo we rarely go malling na. on our recent mall trip at rockwell alonzo was like “wow, mama! man – ehh – kin (manequin)…buy!”
Alonzo’s so cute! So did you buy the mannequin?
Hi Maqui,
We also go to Cash & Carry. We had Chloe’s 2nd birthday there in Jollibee C&C . I also stroll there tiangge. Super happy ako when we bought the Coppertone for Kids in their grocery till now wala pa kaming nakikita na coppertone for kids in Landmark or SM.
Hope to see you soon in C&C or Booksale Bicutan. =)
Hope to meet you soon too, Mush!
We go to Cash and Carry, too. Mga once every quarter kasi mura yun liquor dun and some grocery items, cheaper din. I love that they renovated the place and you’re right, fewer people go there so doing errands is less stressful!
Wow! So nice to know na hindi lang pala kami ang patrons ng Cash and Carry. I hope to bump into you there soon
Bakit ba hindi tayo nagkikita Maqui?? HAHAHA! I buy books at Booksale in MCS. We used to have a small stall there of Pinoy Ice Scramble, at the lowermost floor. That’s why parati kami nandun before. When we pulled out our stall, hindi na kami masyado nakakapunta but I still go there when I feel like buying Zohan’s books at Booksale. And there’s also Waltermart for the nearest Starbucks! =) I also love Cash and CArry. I do my grocery there every month. Nilalakad ko lang yan from our house. While MCS and Waltermart naman, nilalakad lang namin from our office. So, really, bakit hindi tayo nagkikita??? HAHAHA!
Oh why oh why nga?! Taga Makati ba kayo? I thought Pasig girl ka?
Nope! Makati girl ako – both office and house. Within the vicinity of Cash and Carry ang house namin =)
Oh! Sige I will text you next time we are in the area. 🙂
really? mura lang wooden toys dun? will be having a quick manila trip to shop for the little boy (kasi puputi na mata ko dito sa zamboanga e wala akong mahanap na worthy of every peso spent hehe)…. so napaisip ako if il go for the usual malls in the glorietta area or i might try cash & carry… every minute counts talaga kasi hehehe we’ll take the plane sat morning and fly out sun afternoon na agad… 🙂
Charm, around 300 plus lang yun wooden blocks. Yun mga nakita ko online, around 700 plus. Minsan may mga nakasale pa silang items.
Ikaw na ang jetsetter!
Here are my recommended must-go-to places
Booksale in Makati Cinema Square
Tiangge and Mindwerks in Cash and Carry. Magkalapit lang naman sila. siguro 15 mins via taxi.
If kasama ang little boy mo, Aerospace Museum na katapat ng Resorts World. I actually hvent been to Resorts World pero yun ang usong puntahan ngayon.
Kelan kayo punta? If you want we can have a quick playdate in Booksale. 🙂
naku di namin masasama ang baby boy… baka kasi di nya maenjoy dahil super quick trip lang talaga… next time pag join na talaga sya cge lets try… 🙂
makati area nga lang ata ako mguubos ng oras, so will definitely include Cash&Carry sa itinerary hehehe
i lived in Makati din for 3years (bandang South Avenue) pero never akong napadpad sa Cash&Carry, laging Shopwise and MCS lang hehehe… 🙂 kaya ngayon will definitely check it out dahil mukhang promising sya sa mga hinahanap kong stuff for my boy… 🙂 salamat ng marami! 🙂
you’re welcome! 🙂
haha! ang kyoot ng gulat yet innocent look ni Aki. Putol ulo nga naman 🙂
I used to stay in a dorm near Cash and Carry so it was my haven before. Every pay day, before ako umuwi sa Laguna, I will always pass by Cash and Carry to buy Oishi Bread Pan as pasalubong for my family. Maliit pa ang C&C non. Pumipila din ako sa French baker every night para sa discounted breads 🙂
Makati girl ka rin pala before! Ako sa Washington naman nagrerent nun.
Uy, pumipila rin ako sa French Baker!hanggang ngayon!