At 6 or 7 months prego I was bit by the nesting bug and started to panic and get giddy over getting things for my little one. My mom has this thing about getting baby stuff before the baby is born. I'm not sure if this is out of superstition or if she just wants to stop me from overshopping and running out of baby-delivery money. In any case, this, along with some practical resistance on Froggy's (my husband) part has probably saved me from being buried in debt. Anyway, this baby's going to be born on a budget since he or she was a bit of a surprise so I have to shop smart.
I started hunting for a crib with no real idea on how to go about it. I read up online and took a look at the available options in the market. I went to Binondo (don't bother they don't have so much), looked online (for hours and hours) and scoured the malls (Baby Company still comes out on top). I eventually found a playpen I loved at HMR along SLEX. It got it for 2,450.00. HMR sells things from closing businesses and overstock usually from US stores though I know that they do look into other sources as well since I met the owner when our dog clothes shop was closing up waaay back.
Anyway, I decided on a playpen for the following reasons:
1.) Safety. I don't want any hard, heavy, movable wooden parts near my baby especially since I need to go back to work aster my 60 day leave. I feel safer with the playpen.
2.) Its way cheaper. Like I said, Froggy and I are on a budget but still want to get good stuff for our kid.
3.) It matched the room's colors. ahehehehe..
4.) It folds up into the square thingy in the picture on the right so we can cart it off to my in-laws' place when we visit.
I'm planning to get another playpen or maybe a wooden crib when my baby is about 3 or 5 months old and starts moving around so I can move this playpen to the ground floor of our house.
In this day and age you can't not check online. I've found a lot of baby stuff that are cheaper online even with shipping costs but personally I still want to be able to touch and hold my stash right after I've paid for them and look them over carefully, physically before I cough up the cash. Here are the best deals I've spotted online:
Abebe Beybishop (Facebook)
Their wooden cribs go for 3,700.00 to 4,000.00. These are from Japan and I believe they're second hand but since they're wood, can be sanded and the mattress can be replaced for about 800.00 (SM Hypermarket or Baby Comapany) it really shouldn't be an issue. My sister in law bought her little girl's wooden crib from them and its really, really nice. I might get one eventually just cause its preeetty... The picture isn't so good as they don't try to light their items artificially but since I've seen my niece's crib I can say they have some pretty good stuff.
Lecian Shop (Facebook)
This one I haven't checked out in person but it looks okay.. online anyway. They actually make their own cribs and they come in 3 sizes ranging from about 3k to almost 5k (my memory may be rusty). They also have mattresses available.
Che's Baby Shop (Sulit.com)
This one is quite the winner at just 2,500.00 it comes with a diaper changing deck, second layer (for younger babies), a board/mattress, mosquito net, arch for hanging toys and shelves for baby bottles.
I haven't seen this playpen physically but it looks pretty solid to me. I probably would have gotten this had I not yet bought my baby's playpen already.
This seller also has bundles wherein they package the stroller, carseat, and playpen for about 5k to 6k. We opted not to get this though as we plan to buy the stroller (from Abebe) when the baby's old enough to go out. I'm the kind of mom who'll keep her baby home during the first few months except to visit the grandaparents and doctor. I really don't see the point in exposing him or her to germs and viruses at such an early age plus the kid won't remember or appreciate the mall anyway since its loud and confusing.
SM Hypermarket Sucat
While they don't have the widest selection, SM Hypermarket usually boasts a lot of budget friendly items. I know this because I used to work for them. The baby products here are on consignment from Baby Company but I've been to several branches and they don't always carry the same items especially for these bulkier things. Be sure to visit the MOA and Sucat branch as these are the bigger ones.
The white crib below was on sale at the time we visited. Bedding and mattress are not included. These cost about 1,300.00 and 800.00 respectively. My mom was apprehensive about the plastic thingies that hold up the side rails though so even if it was cute and affordable, we had to pass this up.
Metro Department Store
We visited the Metro Department Store in Alabang and found this. I like the way it looks though personally I would have stained it white and glossed it up a bit. Mattress and bedding not included of course.
Made to Order
Originally we had planned to have our little one's crib made by one of the many palo china shops all over the metro but we soon had to scrap that idea when the shops quoted us at 2k for labor plus cost of wood. We estimated we would have to spend about 5k and that doesn't include the special hinges to adjust the height of the crib and the side rails. Here's a sample of fabricated palo china cribs online:
This one was listed at 1,700.00. Now that's really affordable but keep in mind that its really small and the mattress is not yet included. I've heard you can get cribs like this for as low as 900.00.
Second Hand
I didn't really consider thsi option though I think its really practical simply because I enjoy shopping for my little one so much. I did see some postings online for second hand cribs and these range from 2k to 6k depending on the brand.
I hope this post on cribs and playpens was helpful. I know if you're a mom-to-be like me you'll probably still go out and canvass on your own since its so fun and exciting. I already have my playpen but still can't help checking out the ones I pass in the mall or occassionally browsing through Sulit.
I started hunting for a crib with no real idea on how to go about it. I read up online and took a look at the available options in the market. I went to Binondo (don't bother they don't have so much), looked online (for hours and hours) and scoured the malls (Baby Company still comes out on top). I eventually found a playpen I loved at HMR along SLEX. It got it for 2,450.00. HMR sells things from closing businesses and overstock usually from US stores though I know that they do look into other sources as well since I met the owner when our dog clothes shop was closing up waaay back.
Anyway, I decided on a playpen for the following reasons:
1.) Safety. I don't want any hard, heavy, movable wooden parts near my baby especially since I need to go back to work aster my 60 day leave. I feel safer with the playpen.
2.) Its way cheaper. Like I said, Froggy and I are on a budget but still want to get good stuff for our kid.
3.) It matched the room's colors. ahehehehe..
4.) It folds up into the square thingy in the picture on the right so we can cart it off to my in-laws' place when we visit.
I'm planning to get another playpen or maybe a wooden crib when my baby is about 3 or 5 months old and starts moving around so I can move this playpen to the ground floor of our house.
In this day and age you can't not check online. I've found a lot of baby stuff that are cheaper online even with shipping costs but personally I still want to be able to touch and hold my stash right after I've paid for them and look them over carefully, physically before I cough up the cash. Here are the best deals I've spotted online:
Abebe Beybishop (Facebook)
Their wooden cribs go for 3,700.00 to 4,000.00. These are from Japan and I believe they're second hand but since they're wood, can be sanded and the mattress can be replaced for about 800.00 (SM Hypermarket or Baby Comapany) it really shouldn't be an issue. My sister in law bought her little girl's wooden crib from them and its really, really nice. I might get one eventually just cause its preeetty... The picture isn't so good as they don't try to light their items artificially but since I've seen my niece's crib I can say they have some pretty good stuff.
Lecian Shop (Facebook)
This one I haven't checked out in person but it looks okay.. online anyway. They actually make their own cribs and they come in 3 sizes ranging from about 3k to almost 5k (my memory may be rusty). They also have mattresses available.
Che's Baby Shop (Sulit.com)
This one is quite the winner at just 2,500.00 it comes with a diaper changing deck, second layer (for younger babies), a board/mattress, mosquito net, arch for hanging toys and shelves for baby bottles.
I haven't seen this playpen physically but it looks pretty solid to me. I probably would have gotten this had I not yet bought my baby's playpen already.
This seller also has bundles wherein they package the stroller, carseat, and playpen for about 5k to 6k. We opted not to get this though as we plan to buy the stroller (from Abebe) when the baby's old enough to go out. I'm the kind of mom who'll keep her baby home during the first few months except to visit the grandaparents and doctor. I really don't see the point in exposing him or her to germs and viruses at such an early age plus the kid won't remember or appreciate the mall anyway since its loud and confusing.
SM Hypermarket Sucat
While they don't have the widest selection, SM Hypermarket usually boasts a lot of budget friendly items. I know this because I used to work for them. The baby products here are on consignment from Baby Company but I've been to several branches and they don't always carry the same items especially for these bulkier things. Be sure to visit the MOA and Sucat branch as these are the bigger ones.
The white crib below was on sale at the time we visited. Bedding and mattress are not included. These cost about 1,300.00 and 800.00 respectively. My mom was apprehensive about the plastic thingies that hold up the side rails though so even if it was cute and affordable, we had to pass this up.
You'll want to check on how safe the second level is. I saw several playpens wherein only 4 straps at 1" wide held the second layer up. These were fastened with hooks. I know the little baby is probably light but its better to err on the side of caution and reinforce these straps should you buy a playpen like this. There was this one playpen in Hypermarket MOA that had its second level held up by fabric pockets running along all 4 sides. Its a smaller one but I really appreciated how safe it looked.. plus the mattress was free. Sorry I wasn't able to take a picture but it was about the same size as the one below.
Metro Department Store
We visited the Metro Department Store in Alabang and found this. I like the way it looks though personally I would have stained it white and glossed it up a bit. Mattress and bedding not included of course.
Made to Order
Originally we had planned to have our little one's crib made by one of the many palo china shops all over the metro but we soon had to scrap that idea when the shops quoted us at 2k for labor plus cost of wood. We estimated we would have to spend about 5k and that doesn't include the special hinges to adjust the height of the crib and the side rails. Here's a sample of fabricated palo china cribs online:
This one was listed at 1,700.00. Now that's really affordable but keep in mind that its really small and the mattress is not yet included. I've heard you can get cribs like this for as low as 900.00.
Second Hand
I didn't really consider thsi option though I think its really practical simply because I enjoy shopping for my little one so much. I did see some postings online for second hand cribs and these range from 2k to 6k depending on the brand.
I hope this post on cribs and playpens was helpful. I know if you're a mom-to-be like me you'll probably still go out and canvass on your own since its so fun and exciting. I already have my playpen but still can't help checking out the ones I pass in the mall or occassionally browsing through Sulit.
Great post! Bringing home a new dog, whether it’s a puppy or an adult, is like bringing home a new baby – you need to be prepared, and you need supplies. So, I was looking for articles on buying dog playpen online, when I came across yours inspiring read. You saved my time and effort, Cheers!
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