Christmas gift ideas? Shop for Christmas Gifts with Purpose  at the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar on December 6 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Glorietta Mall, Makati City.

I love to give Christmas gifts that are locally crafted by small and medium scale enterprises. There is a lot of heart in it. If you are like me, you find beautiful gift items from social enterprises that help Filipino communities at the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar happening on December 6, 2016 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Glorietta Mall, Makati City.

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Many of these social enterprises have been part of BPI Foundation’s iconic BPI Sinag Business Challenge, a program that aims to support and scale-up businesses with the triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit. The Sinag ng Pasko Christmas bazaar, which is now on its second year, is one of the opportunities organized by BPI Foundation to help social enterprises reach out to new market.

With a wide range of goodies that include food and beverage, toys, personal care an home products, fashion and tech accessories, you will be sure to find something to give the important people in your life.

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Here is a list of social enterprises participating at the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar.

Food and Beverage

  1. Balangay’s Best – seafood snacks and other food items made by fisher folk communities from Bantayan, Cebu
  2. Bayani Brew – brewed iced teas made from all-natural, native ingredients — curiously yummy, ridiculously healthy, and proudly homegrown
  3. Dalareich Chocolates – native chocolate solids made from pure roasted cacao from Bohol
  4. First Harvest – a proudly-Filipino brand, that uses choice ingredients to whip up healthy and delicious food products such as peanut butters and coco jam
  5. GoldenducK – premium salted eggs that use an all natural turmeric dye to give their salted duck eggs a bright yellow hue, instead of the carcinogenic Sudan red dye used in others, and uses 50% less salt than traditional salted duck eggs. They also make duck patties and sisig
  6. Good Food Co. – brings fresh and ethically sourced organic produce from smallholder farmers to kitchens
  7. Hiraya Chocolates – single-origin chocolate bars and chocolate products from cacao beans sourced around the Philippines
  8. Kalsada Coffee – Philippine specialty coffee that aims to support Filipino coffee producers and their dedicated efforts to bring quality coffee to market.
  9. Kayumanggi Organics – wild ginger teas sourced from local farmers from Surigao del Sur and Aurora.
  10. KKK Coffee – coffee products and café that seeks to promote Philippine coffee, not only from bean origins, but also to recipes and to brand
  11. Nutri Delight Delicacies – innovative nutritious delicacies from all over the Philippines
  12. Obrano – hand stitched goods made from genuine leather and handwoven textiles
  13. Saka Brew – premium roasted rice and corn coffee
  14. STEEP Coffee – coffee blends without the need for anything more than boiling water
  15. Theo and Philo – chocolate bars made from cacao from Davao and sugar from Bacolod.
  16. Tsaa Laya – premium line of organic herbal teas

Toys and Games

  1. Karaw Craftventures – a design hub that upcycles scrap materials into artisanal products made by the inmates of the Naga City jail
  2. Plush and Play – safe, environmentally-friendly and educational toys
  3. Civil Defense Board Game – a simulation table top board game that introduces the basics of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action to players with or without any background in disaster risk reduction or humanitarian work.

Bags

  1. Akaba – timeless, high quality and high value travel bags from handwoven textiles
  2. Bag 943 – for every purchase made of these backpacks, another bag is given to an impoverished school kid in the Philippines
  3. Gouache – stylish specialty waxed canvas bags for the active, artistic urbanites and the adventure lovers
  4. Gugu Bags – backpacks for adventurers, woven in Albay and Camarines Sur, and designed and sewn in Naga City by Filipino artisans
  5. Jacinto and Lirio – multi-functional, handcrafted, and stylish leather goods such as wallets, bags, journals, and laptop sleeves, sustainably made from water hyacinth

Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories

  1. Anthill Fabric Gallery – scarves, jackets, skirts, and other contemporary lifestyle products made from Philippine weaves
  2. Habi Footwear – environment-friendly, stylish and comfortable espadrilles and sandals
  3. Klowil – t’nalak woven by the T’boli weavers of South Cotabato
  4. La Herminia Weaving – handwoven cloth from indigenous fibers like piña, silk, abaca, and cotton
  5. Risque Designs – a Filipino lifestyle brand that brings forth modernity and luxury with its meticulously hand-crafted ready-to-wear and ready-for-runway footwear pieces

Personal Care and Home Products

  1. Messy Bessy – natural, biodegradable, non-toxic personal care and home products
  2. MNL Grow Kits – “agriculture in a box” products that lets you grow your own plants from the comfort of your home
  3. Solar Solutions – provider of renewable energy solutions products and services

Assorted Products

  1. Angie’s Yakan Cloth – handwoven yakan cloth, table runners, wall decors, coasters, placemats,pillow cases, bags
  2. Caritas Margins – a variety of fashion accessories, personal care, and food products made by Caritas Manila’s urban poor farmers
  3. Gifts and Graces – fair-trade bags, toys, and accessories
  4. GREAT Women – food items and spices, textiles and silk-based goods, and high-fashion jewelry and accessories
  5. Roots Katipunan – woven bags and artisanal products

Support our Filipino Artisans! Save the Date! December 6, 2016 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Glorietta Mall, Makati City.

Learn more about the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar by following BPI Foundation on Facebook .

christmas-shopping

Are you done with your Christmas shopping? I am not done yet. A lot of my friends dread the rush to the high street to buy a bunch of last-minute Christmas gifts. It has now been scientifically proven that Christmas shopping really is one of the most stressful activities Guess what? I don’t feel stressed out with the Christmas shopping per se although I admit that the traffic is always a challenge to one’s patience.

Somehow I love to be in the hustle and bustle of shopping and listening to Christmas carols as I browse through the items. That photo above was taken in Glorietta 2 a few years back. I can recall vividly the crowd of Christmas shoppers moving to and from the mall. My hubby stresses over the crowds so he starts his Christmas shopping before December. They say the earlier you start your Christmas shopping , the less stress you will feel. I don’t like to shop early because there are no Christmas carols. Where is the fun in that.

I guess the reason for the stress varies but I just want it to be an enjoyable experience. Another reason is I already reduced the stress levels by following certain guidelines:

1. Be efficient

The great bargains are at the bazaars but it is crowded at this time. I limit myself to two department stores. It is less crowded , less hassle and one can really focus on the shopping.

2. Know your budget

With my list, I already set a budget for each person. . Much of the stress comes from you feeling pressured to purchase fancy gifts for loved ones, even if it results in overspending and debt.

3. Shopping Online

Online shopping is not only extremely convenient, but it is also fast, simple, and efficient and allows you to get the bulk of your holiday shopping done at once. My daughter is such an expert in online shopping at ebay that I got hooked at it as well. It spares me from the traffic congestion and fighting for parking spaces , and waiting in long checkout lines.

4. Shop alone

It is normally fun to shop with friends or family but sometimes it can add extra stress to the situation. It is definitely easier and quicker to shop without young children or others who have no idea what they want to purchase. The quicker you are able to get your Christmas shopping done, the easier the experience will likely be on you.

And lastly, enjoy the season. Feel the Christmas spirit.

I often take a moment to relax and enjoy the season by indulging in a pampering session at the salon or spa. Managing my schedule is also a priority. I limit the events that I attend to, the parties and even drop writing assignments. While caught in traffic, I gaze at the beautiful twinkling lights of the christmas parol as the Christmas songs are played in the car. If the traffic is really bad, I play Andrea Bocelli’s “Our Father” song on repeat.

I feel it is a waste of time to stress out when stress can be minimized. Stress will also add wrinkles to my face which I want to avoid.

Taking steps to reduce stress as much as possible can make the holiday season much more fun and helps relieve the anxiety of shopping . Hope you enjoy your Christmas by managing your time and budget and being efficient.