Scene’s Picks: April 2021 Home Sweet Home Essentials

By Scene PH

Happy Quarantine anniversary, readers, friends and Pickles (join our discord for the chaos!) – Or should we say happy? Nevertheless, it’s been a year since we were first placed on lockdown, and one year later, unfortunately not much has changed. Except, we’ve learned to adapt to the best of our abilities (maybe).

This month, we recognize that staying at home and reading this article is a privilege and a responsibility; one that we strongly encourage you to do, especially if you can. Rather than go out, we’ve prepared reads, games, workshops and quarantine trends 2.0 for you to try and do at home.

All that said, we’re kicking off this Home Sweet Home month with some finds from local SMEs – the trusty companions we’ve had by our side throughout this entire year of lockdown. Hopefully, these items bring comfort to your homes the same way they did ours, while helping out our local brands.

Lara’s Gaming Essentials

Inspired by many gamers over the pandemic, I’ve been obsessed with fixing up my rig and desk space. Here are some local brands that help you customize your space.

Keycaps & Other Collectibles by Procrasti•making (P200-P1000)

Pokemon earrings? Genshin Impact keycaps? Cat and dog phone grips and pins? Say no more, Procrasti•making can get it custom-made for you. Check out Procrasti•making on Instagram and Facebook to spruce up your keyboards, phones, and add some quirky color to your life!

Gaming Tables and Custom Desks by Rico Unop (P3000)

In need of a desk for your work from home set-up or gaming rig? Look no further than Kuya Rico Unop’s gaming desks. He and other jeepney drivers who have been displayed by the pandemic banded together to build desks for gamers and customize these tables according to your needs. Just shoot him a message on Facebook for more information.

Kitkat’s Healing Home Essentials

If there’s one thing I learned during the quarantine, it’s that allowing yourself to heal and relax is part of a healthy work-life balance. It’s something that’s helped me through these anxious times and has made working (from home) more productive (especially when the bed is right there). Here are some local favorites that have become part of my pre-work rituals:

Cleopatra’s Secret Healing Teas (P180 to P700)

Now, more than ever, health is truly wealth, and discovering Cleopatra’s Secret opened up a whole new world for me; a world where food is not just yummy, but also an ally to a healthier life. Part of it is healing through Cleopatra’s Secret’s special herbal teas that can help in digestion, nourishing your organs, and clearing anxiety. You can even consult with them to make sure you’re getting the tea that’s right for your current needs, and it’s amazing what they can tell you just from a picture of your tongue!

Pandiwa Likha Energizing Essential Oil Blend (P875)

They say great things come in small packages, and you’ll believe it when you try Pandiwa’s 15ml — but powerful — bottle of likha energizing essential oil. Trust me, all you need is two to three drops on your palm. Rub your hands to create warmth, cup them over your nose, and inhale deeply. It’s an instant whiff of relaxation that puts your mind at ease and in focus. But not only does it smell great, it’s also made of 100% pure essential oils sourced from Filipino farmers. Bonus: A portion of every bottle sold is donated to Save Philippine Seas!

Ansis’ Aromatherapy Home essentials

Never underestimate the power of aromatherapy! These local brands will keep your room smelling good while we wait for the government to finally get it together!

Hamog Linen/Room Spray by Simoy ng Haraya (from P249.75)

Grass is definitely greener on the other side of this pandemic, so what’s better than the scent of freshly cut grass and morning dew?

Kung Tag-Araw Candle by Saan Saan (from P550)

While you can’t visit the beach yet, you can definitely bring summer into your room with the scent of lemon, bergamot, sampaguita, olive and pine all bottled up in a candle!

Leon Candle Warmer by Luna And Sky PH  (P2970)

Say goodbye to the smell of smoke and to uneven melting with candle warmers! The heat from a candle warmer will slowly and evenly melt your candle. No need to light a fire! Pair it with a smart wifi plug to automatically schedule your aromatherapy hours.

Bianca’s Personal Care Essentials

Messy Bessy’s Little Warrior Sanitizer (50ml: P80, 505ml: P395)

I am a huge fan of Messy Bessy’s Little Warrior Sanitizer! It comes in three scents-chamomile, green tea and my favorite, bergamot. Apparently, you can also use it as a potty disinfectant spray and a surface cleaner–we love a multi-purpose product to get a bigger bang for your buck!

Messy Bessy is actually a social innovation! Its social arm, Helping Ourselves Through Sustainable Enterprises, better known as HOUSE Foundation, offers at-risk youth a holistic working student program. If you look closely at the labels of their products, you can actually learn more about your purchase’s social impact.

Human Heart Nature’s Sunflower Beauty Oil (50ml: P184, 100ml: P299)

Once again showing my love and appreciation for multi-purpose products!

I use Human Heart Nature’s Sunflower Beauty Oil in the evening as a moisturizer for my face, and *TMI alert!* my underarms and scars. You only need a little bit per use, so a 100ml bottle goes a long way.

Human Heart Nature is a social enterprise that is pro-Philippines, pro-poor, and pro-environment!

Nikki’s Work From Home Essentials

I love coffee. That’s something most people know about me. When I moved back home, one of the first things my former roommate texted me was that she missed the smell of coffee first thing in the morning. She said it’d always remind her of me.

A freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning is something I’ve always enjoyed. Before the pandemic, I usually rushed through it, not having the luxury of waking up early to have a lazy morning before clocking into work. Now that I’m back to working from home, I can go back to genuinely enjoying my morning cup of joe.

COFFEE

My family sometimes gets coffee from local farmers in Cavite. Contact 09199730737 to inquire about Tatay Ano’s coffee.

Or get your beans from any of these other local suppliers:

• Trails&Traces Coffee Roasters
• Go Brew PH
• Lyfemylk
• Commune

MUGS AND CUPS

My current favorite is the Tamaraw mug (Php 795) from Starbucks, which is part of their new Philippine Wildlife collection, available on the Lazada Starbucks Flagship Store. Php 50 from every purchase in the collection will be donated to WWF-Philippines.

Alternatively, you can also check out The Weekend Thrift Club or SLO Home to find a cute cup or mug for your WFH set up.

PLAYLISTS

Aside from the coffee, another thing that I’ve integrated into my work from home set up are playlists, mostly pre-made and themed Youtube ones. As much as I love working from home (anything beats having to go through Makati traffic on the daily), I have to admit there are just too many distractions. I realized that having background music really helps me concentrate on “being at work.” Here are some of my favorites:

Anything by the Cafe Music BGM channel never fails to make me feel like I’m back in Katipunan, working on some paper in CBTL or Starbucks.

Sometimes I’ll want to feel like I’m in a different country, especially now that we cannot and should not be travelling. Check out this Italian music background playlist.

You can find absolutely anything on Youtube, depending on your mood for the day. Sometimes I like to pretend I’m working in a Hogwarts common room – Slytherin, in particular.

And lastly, this light academia classical study playlist never fails to pick up my mood.

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