If you were putting off your Christmas preparations in hopes that the Mayan calendar would save you, then we’re pretty sure you’re panicking right now.
With just three days left before Christmas, what are you going to do?
Super has some answers. We have tips on where to go, what to buy, what to give and how to wrap your presents fast. We even have mall hours and bazaar roundups, to help you plan those last-minute shopping runs.
Ready, set, cram.
YOUR ONE-STOP SHOPS
With the horrible traffic and huge crowds, you need to head to places that will cater to everyone on your list.
Department stores
These multi-level treasure troves contain more gift ideas than you can imagine. Shopping is made easier because each floor is divided into categories, allowing you to cross off more people on your list in half the time. The best part? They gift-wrap, too, sometimes for free (if you reach a qualifying amount).
Department stores to try: SM, Rustan’s, Crossings, Metro Gaisano, Landmark, Robinsons
Supermarkets
We’re serious. They’re not just home to huge gift baskets, supermarkets are a great place to find gifts for your loved ones. And it’s not just food either—you can find electronics, appliances, toys, clothes, stationery, cosmetics and more at your favorite grocery-stop.
Supermarkets to try: Shopwise, SM, S&R, Landmark, Robinsons, Rustan’s, Metro Gaisano, Pure Gold, Pioneer Center
Bazaars
Bazaars are great because you can find good deals and items that are only sold there. Plus you can beg for discount. Check out our bazaar list on page E4.
GIFT CARDS
What to do when your poor brain has just about given up? Gift cards. People used to view gift cards as impersonal gifts, but with the variety of shop-specific gift cards out now, you’re not giving them store credit, you’re gifting your recipient with a shopping spree. Here are our favorite gift cards:
The Purple Card (Good for all SSI stores including Beauty Bar, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Debenhams, Diesel, Gap, Kate Spade, Kenneth Cole, Lacoste, Lush, Marc Jacobs, Make Room and More, Nine West, Prada, Tory Burch, Zara and more)
National Book Store gift certificates
SM gift certificates (Can be used at Forever 21, Uniqlo, Ace Hardware, Toy Kingdom, and others)
Rustan’s gift certificates
Bench gift certificates (May also be used at Aldo, Kashieca, La Senza, Dimensione, The Face Shop, Pedro, Cotton On, PCX and more)
Robinsons gift certificates (May be used at Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Miss Selfridge, Toys R Us, Howards Storage World, True Value and more)
Beyond The Box. This tech store and Apple reseller has branches at Rockwell, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Newport Mall. The best part? Their Rockwell branch is open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays.
Panic wrapping
FORGOT to bring home gift wrapper? Keep your wrapping rhythm going by using these alternative materials.
1. Old paper bags
If you happen to live in a city where plastic bags have been banned, use this to your advantage by cutting up the brown paper bags from deliveries and groceries. Unleash your inner (frantic) artist by drawing Christmas-appropriate designs on your brown paper. And use a ribbon to add color to your design.
2. Newspaper
Unless your dog uses the newspapers at home as his toilet, utilize your surplus of dailies by turning it into festive wrapping paper-you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint, too. Use decorative tape to break the monochromatic theme or make your own decorative tape by drawing on good ol’ masking tape with colored markers.
3. Cereal boxes
You don’t have to spend extra cash on boxes that people will most likely throw away, not when you have a perfectly fine cereal box lying around. Simply cut it open and fold to the size that you need, unless you’re wrapping a giant teddy bear, in which case we recommend you eat more cereal.
BAZAARS
A Christmas Festival
The Festival Tent, Spectrum Midway, Filinvest City, Alabang
Until Dec. 23
Call 995-7554, 9958296
Christmas Bazaar @ Brittany
Brittany, Sta. Rosa Laguna
Dec. 22, 23, 28-30
Call 7103711
CubaoX Christmas Bazaar
Cubao Expo, Gen. Romulo St., Araneta Center, Cubao
Until today
Call 09175355974
Grand Bazaar @ the Elements at Centris
Elements, Eton Centris, Edsa corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Until Dec. 23
Call 09174404690 or 3843609
Grand Christmas Night Bazaar
Activity Area, Riverbanks Mall Marikina
Until Jan. 16
Call 09284352281 or 09322946583
Holiday Bazaar @ Manila Ocean Park
Manila Ocean Park at the back of Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, Manila
Until Jan. 18, 2013
Call 6685061 or 8244644
Holiday Rush Bazaar 4
SMX Convention Center, Pasay City
Until Dec. 23
Call 09053157778 or 09331630622
Holiday Treats @ South Central Square
South Central Square, Talisay City, Cebu
Until Dec. 30
Call 09222362250 or 09108895754
Noel Discovery Bazaar
PICC Forum Tent
Until Dec. 23
Call 09156874493 or 6872955
Shop @ The Fort Bazaar
NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Dec. 23, 29 and 30
Call 3743726
The Shopping District @ Mercato Centrale Bazaar
8th Avenue corner 34th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Until Dec. 23
Solenad Bazaar @ Nuvali
Solenad Parking Lot, Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Dec. 25-29
Call 09228771668 or Ivy @ 09178038426
12th World Bazaar Festival
World Trade Center
Until Dec. 23, 2012
Call 5316350 or 5316374
HOLIDAY HOURS
Alabang Town Center
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Ali Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10 p.m.
Abreeza Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Ayala Center Cebu
December 22: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 23: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Bonifacio High Street and Serendra
December 22 and 23: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Cash & Carry
December 22 and 23: 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Eastwood
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 11 p.m.
Farmer’s Plaza
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 noon
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10 p.m.
Festival Supermall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10 p.m.
Gaisano Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Gateway Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m to 12 midnight
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10 p.m.
Glorietta
December 22: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Greenbelt
December 22: Greenbelt 1 – 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Greenbelt 2, 3, 4 and 5 – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: Greenbelt 1 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Greenbelt 2, 3, 4 and 5 – 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 8 p.m. (except Greenbelt 4’s ground floor, which will be closed)
Greenhills Shopping Center
December 22: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 23: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: Closed
Landmark
December 22 and 23: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
December 24: 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 8:30 p.m.
Lucky Chinatown Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Marquee Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10 p.m
Market! Market!
December 22: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Newport Mall
December 22 and 23: 12 noon to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
Power Plant Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 8 p.m.
Robinsons Malls
December 22: Closing time extended by an hour
December 23 and 24: Regular mall hours
December 25: Opens at 12 noon
Rustan’s Alabang
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 25: Closed
Rustan’s Gateway
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
December 24: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December 25: Closed
Rustan’s Makati
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 25: Closed
Rustan’s Shangri-la Mall
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: Closed
Shangri-La Plaza
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10:30 p.m. (only the cinemas and restaurants on the sixth level will be open, the rest of the mall will be closed)
SM Malls (except SM North Edsa and SM Megamall)
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 25: 12 noon to 10 p.m.
SM North Edsa
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
SM Megamall
December 22: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 23: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 24: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall
December 22: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
December 23: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December 25: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Trinoma
December 22 and 23: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
December 24 and 25: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
TIPS
“1. Shop online. 2. GCs are always reliable!”—Amina Aranaz-Alunan, bag and accessories designer, entrepreneur, SoFA Manila’s director, mom
“Go for Deal Grocer or other online coupons for gifts—it’ll save you the trouble of going out into traffic (and will save you some bucks too!). —Chinggay Labrador, author of the Popped series
“1. Make a list before going to the malls. Divide your time by shopping for all the men on your list and then the women and then your inaanaks.
2. Don’t brave the traffic during rush hour. Try to go during lunch time and find a good parking spot.
3. But if you really don’t want to rush and be stressed, do what I do—shop on Dec. 26 and 27 (you can even get discounts) and give your gifts on Jan. 1. That way, there’s no traffic and solo nilang binubuksan ang aginaldo.”
—Avel Bacudio, designer
“Prioritize who gets specially chosen gifts, meaning family and partners. For the rest, here’s my trick: I’d take the kids shopping while I give cash to teens, adult family members and help. There’s a bottle of wine and sweets for every household I visit. The midnight dinner, I order from a favorite restaurant.”
—Marlon Rivera, president, Publicis, director, fashion designer
“Cards with donations for Pablo victims through foundations or NGOs like Angel Brigade, Sagip Kapamilya or even DSWD! Food gift baskets from accessible places like Bacchus Epicerie or even Cibo! Christmas arrangements orders online available online for delivery from Fiori di M!”
—Margarita Fores, restaurateur
“Go to Bench where you can find reasonably prices gift packages. We have so much to choose from. Just slip them in a bag and they’re ready to be given out.”
—Ben Chan, CEO, Bench
“Keep it simple, keep it fun! When preparing for noche buena, use tried and tested recipes—the less time you spend cooking, the more time you can focus on the merry-making.”—Jenni Epperson, celebrity stylist, author of Fashion + Food: Entertaining at Home in Style, award-winning blogger, mom
“Always order extra generic gifts like room scents or notepads because they are great for the ones you forget. And save all the ribbons and gift bags so you may use them to wrap ‘recycled gifts.’ If it’s too late for Christmas, send Happy New Year gifts instead.” —Tessa Prieto-Valdes, interior designer, columnist, TV and event host
