Parent's Choice

October Editor’s Picks

by Marga Tupaz
October 29, 2026

Tried and tested: The monthly picks I can’t wait to tell you about

Every week, my inbox fills with pitches for products, services, and launches, each with its own promise and value proposition. Meanwhile, parents are making real decisions about where to spend their time and money, and what to skip.

That’s why Modern Parenting is introducing Editor’s Picks, a monthly list of things I’ve personally used, tested, and come back to. I’ve spent ten years in media publishing, nine of them as a parenting editor, not to mention I’ve raised six children of my own. So I’ve learned the hard way that the glossy version of a product and the version that survives a rough weekday morning are rarely the same. Some items on this list earned their place because they saved me time and simplified my life. Others made me feel like myself again, not just someone’s mom. A few are simply things I’d tell a friend about over lunch or rave about on my Instagram Stories.

Every pick here is something I’ve used myself, over time and in real life, not once for a photo. I’m sharing them as a parent and a longtime editor, not as an expert, so I’ll tell you what I love and, just as importantly, why.

Melissa Shoes

Melissa makes a good case that jelly isn’t just a nostalgic material. It’s a canvas. The brand, which pioneered the original jelly shoe, just launched two new collections, and both are worth a look. I can vouch for the comfort myself: I own several pairs, and they’re what I wear about 90% of the time.

The Jelly Collection is a nod to that legacy. It keeps what made Melissa recognizable in the first place—the translucence, the comfort, the bright colors, the playfulness—and updates it with more contemporary silhouettes and cleaner finishes.

Then there’s Delirium, the Fall/Winter 2026 collection, which is the more adventurous of the two. Think of a surreal playground where memories, dreams, and reality blur together: sculptural shapes, glossy finishes, unexpected proportions, and familiar classics reimagined. It’s nostalgia and innovation in the same shoe.

AVA The Brand

AVA The Brand started out as athletic wear, but it has grown into something closer to a wardrobe for everyday life. I love their pieces. They are stylish and comfortable, and I get a lot of compliments whenever I wear them. They are designed to take you from day to night, and the brand has recently added new categories: AVA Body, AVA Lounge, AVA Men, and Mini AVA, so there is something for different moments and for different members of the family.

AVA The Brand was founded by Aina Reyes de Castro, and the pieces reflect her own life. She is a busy mom who loves to dress up, and she wanted clothes that could take her from day to night without a change of outfit. The fabrics are part of that: breathable, easy to wash, and easy to wear.

I also like that it is designed and made in the Philippines. The brand’s focus is on pieces that are made to be worn often and kept for a long time, which is the kind of wardrobe staple I look for. Its philosophy stays the same as it grows: beautifully crafted, made to be cherished.

F&C Jewelry

F&C Jewelry began in Iloilo in 1973 and has since become one of the country’s leading names in fine jewelry. What I appreciate most is its belief that fine jewelry should feel personal. It doesn’t need to wait for a milestone. It can be a keepsake, a signature piece, or simply something that feels like you. Mix gold with diamonds, layer something inherited with something new, or wear pearls with a crisp white button down shirt.

The collections bring together gold, diamonds, pearls, and colored gemstones, in designs that range from understated to boldly expressive. Because they are made from precious materials, the pieces can be worn today, restyled tomorrow, and eventually passed on. It’s a fine investment you can actually wear. The brand also keeps its prices within reach, offering genuine materials and thoughtful craftsmanship that make it easier to start, and keep building, a collection of your own.

F&C earns a place on my list for a simple reason: with three grown daughters, I need pieces that work for all of us. Its designs suit my taste, and my girls love them too, so we end up sharing. That makes every piece go further, and in my book, that’s what a good investment should do.

Elizabeth Arden Eternal Aura

I love fragrances. Even as a teen, I always kept a collection on hand because, for me, the right scent can make or break your mood. I have everything from baby colognes to parfums, and I’m always drawn to anything that smells fresh and clean.

That’s why Elizabeth Arden’s Eternal Aura caught my attention. It is a floral amber fragrance that opens with bright fruit and pink pepper, settles into a heart of magnolia, peony, and jasmine, and finishes on a warm base of sandalwood. It was inspired by the legacy of Elizabeth Arden herself and the brand’s original vision of helping women feel confident and at their best. It lasts all day, and it’s something I always reach for, day or night.

SNAILWHITE Gold Collection

I prefer a simple skincare routineRoutineA predictable daily rhythm for waking, meals, school, play, and sleep. Routines give children a sense of security, reduce power struggles, and make busy mornings smoother, while some flexibility keeps, and I can’t stand the thought of spending more than 10 minutes on it. And SNAILWHITE’s Gold collection is built around that idea. It covers each step with a foaming cleanser, a dual-action serum, an SPF day cream, and a retinol treatment, so you aren’t piecing together a routineRoutineA predictable daily rhythm for waking, meals, school, play, and sleep. Routines give children a sense of security, reduce power struggles, and make busy mornings smoother, while some flexibility keeps from different brands. Each product is formulated with targeted ingredients for skin that looks radiant and youthful.

I have three personal favorites from the line. The first is the Double Boosting Anti-Aging Serum, which has a dual-chamber design that pairs an anti-aging serum with a lifting booster. It’s enriched with fullerene and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and help it look smoother, plumper, and more radiant. The second is the Gold Anti-Aging Day Cream SPF 30/PA+++, where daily hydration meets sun protection in a single step. The third is the Gold Advanced Cream Retinol + Bakuchiol, a treatment cream that pairs the two ingredients to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone.

Since I started using these products, I’ve noticed my skin feels smoother, looks brighter and feels even more youthful.

FRESH Smilelab Pink Himalayan Salt Toothpaste

With six grown children who have dental care routines of their own, they have become far more discerning about what they put in their bathroom cabinets. So when one toothpaste made the cut on every one of our lists, I took notice.

That toothpaste is FRESH Smilelab’s Triple Sensitive Relief Pink Himalayan Salt Toothpaste, and it’s part of this month’s picks. It’s made for sensitive teeth and gums, and it combines coconut oil and xylitol with pink Himalayan salt. The brand says the formula helps cleanse the mouth, lift stains, and leave your breath fresh.

It’s a small, simple addition to a daily routineRoutineA predictable daily rhythm for waking, meals, school, play, and sleep. Routines give children a sense of security, reduce power struggles, and make busy mornings smoother, while some flexibility keeps, and I like that. Caring for your family doesn’t always take a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s the little habits that keep everyone’s smiles healthy and ready for the day.

Tecno Camon Slim 5G

Tecno’s new Camon Slim 5G is built around a simple idea: a phone isn’t just something you use. It’s something you hold, carry, and photograph with through almost every part of your day. So it makes sense that the brand introduced it on a runway, treating fashion and technology as part of the same conversation.

I’ve been using it myself, and the specs hold up in real life. The body is just 6.39mm thin, yet it still packs a 6,000mAh battery, which is a rare combination. The main camera is a 50MP Sony LYTIA 700C, and the phone also comes with Super-Zoom FlashSnap and Tecno’s Universal Tone imaging, designed to render skin tones more accurately.

It’s also my first Android phone ever, and I’m glad to say it’s so user-friendly that the switch felt easy. Its tagline, “Make It Lighter,” isn’t about pretending life gets simpler. It’s about technology that understands how full your days already are and fits into them. For a mom juggling work schedules, keeping up with grown kids who now have different needs and a camera roll that never stops growing, that’s exactly what I want from a phone.

Delsey Chatelet Air 2.0

Delsey Paris is turning 80, and to mark the milestone, it has released three new colorways of its Chatelet Air 2.0 luggage: Burgundy, Beige Rose, and Light Blue. I’ve traveled with it, and it’s light, stylish, and durable, which is the combination I look for in a suitcase. The Chatelet Air 2.0 has vintage-inspired curves, leather-look accents, and a very Parisian sense of style, and the new shades give the line a softer, more modern palette.

It also works as well as it looks. Delsey has spent decades engineering ultra-light materials, so you’re not spending your baggage allowanceAllowanceA small, regular amount of money given to a child to teach saving, spending, and sharing. Filipino families often pair it with a piggy bank or a first savings account, on the bag itself. The wheels glide quietly, which you’ll appreciate on airport floors and in early-morning hotel hallways, and the structure is balanced so the bag rolls steadily instead of feeling like a chore to pull. The patented Zip SECURITECH® zipper adds a layer of security when you’re checking a bag, and the construction holds up to the wear and tear of real trips, not just one photo-worthy one.

Eighty years in, the brand is still building luggage around a simple idea: a good bag shouldn’t just carry your things, it should make getting there easier.

Bacha Coffee

Bacha Coffee has arrived in the Philippines. The Moroccan coffee house, founded in 1910 in Marrakech, just opened the doors to its first location in SM Mall of Asia. And let me tell you, it is breathtaking. The whole place is modeled after the original, with marble floors, zellige tiles, carved cedar ceilings, and polished brass, and the setting alone makes it worth a visit.

The coffee lives up to the surroundings. Bacha offers more than 200 varieties of 100% Arabica, with no espresso drinks on the menu, only traditional Moroccan-style brews served in signature gold gooseneck pots. My favorites are the fruity coffee variants, which are bright and distinctive, and the freshly baked pastries, which pair beautifully with them. The Philippine menu also includes two exclusive savory croissants, a Soy Marinated Chicken and Potato and a Chicken, Beans and Peanut. The coffee bars are intimate, seating about 15 guests at Mall of Asia and 8 at Greenbelt 3, so they suit a quiet catch-up better than a large group.

The boutique is worth a stop as well. It sells beans by weight, freshly ground on request, along with giftable sets, drip coffee bags, monogrammed bone china, and hampers with complimentary gift wrapping and note cards, which makes it a thoughtful place to shop for a present.

Flour Pot Bistro & Bakery

Flour Pot Bistro & Bakery is one of those places my family keeps going back to, and it has never let us down. We have dined here several times, and it is always a surefire hit. The space itself is bright and easy, with soft pastels and warm textures, and it works from morning coffee through a sit-down meal.

The concept comes from Chef Rhea SyCip, who has spent nearly two decades in restaurants, hospitality, and teaching. Her philosophy is simple: food should be intentional, heartfelt, and connected to the people and places that inspire it. You can taste that in a menu built on comfort food that is accessible but carefully made, covering both a bakery and a savory kitchen.

Chef Rhea is a baker at heart, and it shows in the pastries. They are made with the same care and attention to detail as the rest of the menu, and they are the reason a quick coffee stop here so easily turns into a longer visit. It is also why the bakery feels like the soul of the place rather than a side counter.

Much of what makes it work is the sourcing. The kitchen works with small-scale producers, and the vegetables come from Benguet several times a week. The river prawns come from fisherfolk and aquaculturists across Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan. Even the tomatoes for the sauces are grown and canned locally. Chef Rhea sees this as both a culinary and a practical choice, since it highlights Philippine ingredients and supports the farmers behind them. The menu is also meant to change with the seasons, so what’s on your plate reflects what’s at its best.

What Are Your Favorites?

Those are my picks for October. This column isn’t meant to tell you what to buy. It’s meant to save you a few wrong turns, whether that’s a skincare product that delivers, a gadget that earns its place in your day, or a restaurant that works for the whole family. Take what’s useful and leave the rest. And if you’ve found something that deserves a spot here, write to me. The best picks are the ones we find together. Enjoy!