Crazy over storage! (Howards Storage World vs. Daiso Japan Store)

I'm a self-confessed shopaholic. I realized though that the things I go gaga over usually depend on what stage in my life I’m on. I’ve been crazy over clothes ever since, but it skyrocketed when I first started college and finally stopped wearing a uniform. When I started working and had to wear corporate attire, it was an excuse for me to restock my closet with slacks, skirts, collared blouses, and of course, new shoes and bags (hey, I NEEDED them)! When I moved to a new job in an advertising agency where the dress code was pretty much express yourself, I felt that it was unforgivable to wear the same thing twice (yes, with a new job comes a new wardrobe) . When I got pregnant with Miley, I got obsessed with anything baby! It was no surprise that the day before I went into labor, I was at Mothercare during my lunch break, buying stuff for Miley (they were on SALE!).

Of course, when we bought our house, I went crazy thinking about how to decorate our home. Since we just stayed with my mom before, all we owned was whatever was in our room. Everything else, we had to buy (yipeeee!) I’ll do a separate post on my interior decorating adventures, but for now let me tell you about what I am currently obsessed with – STORAGE!

I first read about Howards Storage World in Real Living magazine (my bible on decorating). I decided to check out their website and my heart started racing when I saw their online catalogue. They had everything you could ever need to keep your home organized and clutter free. I made a list of what I wanted and pretty much gave up halfway through, it was easier to make a list of what I DIDN’T want!

Check out their online catalogue here

Kitchen storage. I love those shelf helpers on the bottom right.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of those dishracks on the rght.

Bathroom storage. I need that over the toilet shelf rack!

I wanted that remote control caddy on the bottom left. Our controls are always all over the place and so hard to find sometimes!

Of course, my favorite, stuff for the kids' room! I wanted those Tubtrugs and the hanging organizers.

Good thing we had to attend a party in Edsa Shangri-La a couple of weeks ago. Since they have a branch in Shangri-La mall, I asked Vins if we could go earlier so we could check the store out. I swear, I was as excited as if I was in Zara during a sale. I didn’t know where to start! I already had a list of what I wanted, but when I showed them to Vins, he was all like “we don’t even need that!” Hello, of course we needed a remote control caddy! In the end, after negotiating (and pleading), I walked out with the following purchases:

Over the door hooks. I wanted to buy the metal ones which were more expensive but I wasn't sure if they were going to fit over our doors. We just decided to get the plastic ones since they were the cheapest. I originally bought these to hang our Christmas wreaths with (so I wouldn't have to hammer nails on the door), but they didn't fit! Tip: be sure to measure if you're planning to buy! They fit in our closet doors though so I just use them to hang whatever bag I'm currently using for easy access.

More hooks!

Corner plate stacker

Finally got myself a shelf helper!

Of course, Vins stopped me from buying one of those chrome dishracks. Instead, he found this white one at just about P300.

And my favorite - an expandable under sink organizer!

I wanted to buy so much more! But we had a party to attend and we were already carrying so many bags (I’ll see you next time my shelf racks). But I was glad that Vins was there to help restrain me and drag me out of there, otherwise I could have ended up spending a LOT! And it was a good thing he did because...

Fast forward to last week and we were at Alabang Town Center running some errands. On the way back to our parking, we passed by Daiso, the Japanese store that sells everything for P88 / P66.



I forgot why we went in (I think we were looking for some plastic containers), and the first thing we saw on the rack was this:Tada! A remote control caddy at just P88! It was almost too good to be true!

We decided to explore the store and I was amazed at what I discovered. They were just like Howard’s Storage World (only waaaaay cheaper!).



They had different sections like Style & Decor, Health & Personal, Fun & Play, Dining & Cooking, Bed & Bath, and Home Living.

They had desk top organizers, file holders, office supplies, hats, lotions, clocks, sunglasses,wall stickers...

toys, camera tripods,computer accessories, kitchen and cooking utensils, mugs, glasses, placemats...

rugs, towels, mattress protectors, dress/suit bags, linen bags, under the bed storage...

soap dishes, shower caddies, tissue and towel holders...

hangers, mops, wastebaskets, pillows...

and many many more organizers and shelving solutions!

In the end, these are what we got:

Of course, I got the remote control caddy! At just P88 compared to P599.75, even Vins couldn't say NO to that!

They had the exact same shelf helper I got in HSW, just made of a different material. It comes in other colors too! Vins was giving me the evil eye when we saw this in the store.

Storage baskets for the closet.

Tupperware for Miley's cereals.

Glass stand. Vins said we didn’t need this but come on, did I mention it was just P88???

I couldn't believe it when I found these hanging storage organizers exactly like the one from HSW! Well not exactly the same, they only had 3 and 4 compartments compared to the ones below, but they were just the perfect size for the kids' closet!

Aaaaand... a totally fabulous find! This doily placemat is EXACTLY like the one I've been eyeing from Urban Outfitters! Unbelievable!

www.urbanoutfitters.com

My verdict:

I’d say Daiso is a good alternative especially if you’re on a budget. Quality wise, it’ll do the job (at P88 how could you go wrong?). With their wide variety of stuff, for sure you'll find something you need or just a quirky item you'd like to have.

HSW is still the place to go for durability and smart storage solutions. You have to visit the store because a lot of items I liked were not in the catalogue (they had a whole section just for different types of hooks!). It is a little pricey but if you'll be using it for a long time, then its worth it. Plus, they have flexible payment terms at 0% interest payable in 6 months for single receipt purchases worth P3000 up.

One thing is for sure, I’m definitely going back to these 2 stores soon! Here's to keeping our homes clean and clutter free!