Online Shopping - HalloHallo Mall

Hi guys! I would like to share to you my shopping experience with Hallo^2x Mall. I've had several purchases from them before, though it was like nine months ago. But I hope you’ll still find this review helpful.

I came across their site through an ad in Facebook. I didn't like their site layout at first even up to now. It’s just ordinary, nothing really stands out. Hallo^2x Mall is just like ebay which is a collection of various sellers. The difference is that Hallo^2x Mall also serves as a payment gateway. You pay through them and not directly to the sellers. What captivated me were their features which you couldn't find in other online shopping platforms. 

They offer points system. Points can be used in purchasing items just like real money. You can earn points in many ways. By registering first, you can earn 100 points. You can earn 5 points daily just by logging in and get another 100 bonus when you have visited the site for 20 days in a month. You could also play the Double Up game where you could double up your points or lose them. The deal is this: will you risk it? I had a very challenging experience with this game. I've won my way to 256 points already. Now, the maximum you could earn in this is 512 points. I was just one more click away to that grand prize or.... to zero. I was too nervous to continue so I just claimed my reward. Haha! Another way to earn points is by playing the Treasure Hunt game. You explore items then you would come across with treasure chests which could reward you with 0-50,000 points. Be careful though, some chests contain negative points! But I don’t think anyone has ever won the 50,000. *shrugs* The biggest I've won so far was 10 points.

My 256 points from the Double Up Game & 10 points from the Treasure Hunt game.
Their new policy: points will expire within 30 days.

Treasure Hunt Game

They also have Countdown Discount Sale where the prices are lowered as the clock ticks. They also used to have Time Sale where they put items on sale on a specific time of the day.

Now on to the review!

My first order was Lenovo E156 cell phone. I bought this from the Time Sale, shop is Cool Tool for only Php599.00 free shipping. Submitted the order on Oct. 7 and was shipped Oct.11. It was pretty fast considering that I paid all points for this, yes, I didn't spend a single cent! When I opened the box, I was disappointed. Why? Because I ordered color red but I received black! And I also opted for gift wrap but there was no gift wrap. I mean why put it in there as an option if you will just totally snob it? Not cool eh? Tsk. Nevertheless, item received is the same as pic and as described so I got over with the wrong color and no gift wrap. But after using it for months, the speaker was broken and there’s no way for you to be alerted when you’ve got a call or a message. I guess you get what you pay for huh? You could check out other reviews for this shop so you would be well informed before purchasing.

Lenove E156

The next one I ordered was a zebra patterned flat shoes for Php250.00 plus shipping fee of Php100. All points again! :D The shop is now inactive so I couldn’t link the item. The flats were cute and really comfortable to wear. The downside is that it easily gets dirty, maybe because of the material used. 

Next is a Ypad Learning Tool for Kids(blue) for Php299.00 plus shipping of Php120. Still all points!The shop is JenJef.  I have no complaints on this one. They shipped my order promptly and the product was working well. I gave it to my niece as a Christmas gift. It's just sad that JenJef is not active anymore. They used to have a lot of products at the best deals and great customer service. I guess the good old shops are already gone.

Ypad Learning Tool for Kids

I also bought a dress for Php440.00 plus shipping of Php120 from The Shopping Bags shop. All points again ;) The dress is okay at first. I got to wear it only once because it tore apart. Low quality :( Furthermore, I paid Php120.00 for shipping but it was just put in a JRS letter pouch costing only 98pesos. The difference really is not a deal, but I don't like the fact that I got 'cheated'.

My last purchase and greatest disappointment was an item I bought from the Countdown Discount Sale, shop Sahara. It was a Fujidenzo Coffee Maker CM-6Y. Original price was Php580.00 but I bought it for only Php371.20 after the discount. This was not paid in all points; I paid via Paypal for the difference. Submitted the order last Jan. 10 and was shipped out April 25. Yes, that’s more than 3 months of waiting! :(  

 

Fujidenzo Coffee Maker CM-6Y

The item is good quality and as described, the fact is we’re still using it up to now. But the waiting time? Ridiculous! Add to that, there’s not even a single response from the seller and the staff from HalloHallo couldn’t even give a truthful reply! This was the transaction that made me decide not to order from them again. I was inactive for months and I didn’t care about the points. I would have paid for the original price if I could receive it earlier. Three months waiting for an order online is a joke! I have shopped from various online shops even international shops and the maximum lead time is just 2 weeks!

 
Anyways, just last Monday, I’ve decided to browse their site again, the first time after two months. I found some new interesting items, new sellers, and even more positive reviews. I decided to be active again but I will never ever buy from Sahara again. The bottom line? Find trusted sellers & check out reviews. But personally, I wouldn’t buy gadgets and big items online most especially if they don’t have buyer protection. And the only payment gateway I trust & know that offers full buyer protection is Paypal. Sad to say Hallo^2x  Mall doesn’t accept Paypal payments anymore.

Don't Lose Those Important Old Notes - Revive Your Notebook!

We know for sure that papers are degradable. With the rising popularity of tablets and such, we have so many options to store and keep our valuable notes. But there are some things that we just love to write down with an ink and a piece of paper. I don't know about you but, I love the smell of paper. If you've read my first post, you'd know that I love to read & write. Maybe that contributed to my secret love for paper? Tehehe. Its aroma brings me delight. Is that weird? :)) Especially if the sheets have turned yellow and it's been stocked up for ages. The texture and aroma just bring back memories so nostalgic! You don’t get that kind of feeling in a tablet or a computer, or if there’s any, then it’s not that strong.

One day I was out to buy myself a new notebook as the one I have is already full. I write down there my devotions and reflections. I was thinking of a way to preserve my old one as its already battered. I saw a notebook of my niece that was ‘sewn’ together. I remembered that I was doing the same thing when I was in elementary.

Today, I will show you how to ‘sew’ your spring notebooks. Yes basically, that’s what we will do. Some of you might have done this already.

So…let’s start!

The one on the left is my old one. I really love the messages so even if there are others of higher quality, I still prefer this one. ♥

This is one of the disadvantages of spring notebooks. 

See the edges? It's not neat at all :(

Materials:

Crochet thread / yarn

Wire

Scissors

I originally planned to use yarn but I didn't like the texture so I used crochet thread instead. I used a mix of two colors to form an 'X' pattern.

Fold the wire in half.  

Create a 'needle eye'. 

Don't overlap the wires. 

Be careful not to make the eye so big so that it would fit in the hole. 

I'm using wire here instead of needle to avoid accidents. Hehe!

 

Measure the thread - 5x as long as your notebook. Have some allowance just to be on the safe side. Before you start sewing, smooth out the edges of the notebook first to make it neat & clean.

Start sewing at the bottom. 

Tie the thread once just as shown in the third pic.

Important: Do not take out the spring all at once! 

Otherwise you'll have difficulty keeping the sheets in tact.

 

 As you've noticed, there's a gap in between holes. 

Just continue sewing alternately, until you reach the top. 

Keep the thread firm.

Tie the pink thread once. 

Start on the blue thread from the top.

Tie it once on the side part of the notebook as shown in the second pic.

 Fill in the gaps you have made earlier so it would create a pattern.

Continue until you reach the bottom.

Keep the thread firm.

When you're done, divide the threads into three parts.

Then begin to braid them.

Do the same thing on the other.

FINISHED PRODUCT!

 Isn't it pretty? Kawaii!

 

 

It made my notebook more neat and firm and colorful too!

Try it with your favorite colors!

Thanks for reading! ♥♥♥