Dinnerware and flatware
By Connie Veneracion on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 12:26 am in shopping
The times when we had no househelp and my kids had to do their share of the dirty plates, they always complained that the plates were too heavy. I used to buy plates from the Noritake factory in Marikina and the rest are things I picked up here and there — more often than not, things I bought because they looked pretty. We have one set of Corelle dinnerware though and it was the only one that the kids liked to use because they were light and, hence, easy to wash and stack. Light also meant less accidents in the kitchen.
I’ve been meaning to buy a second and even a third set of Corelle dinnerware but never got around to it. The last time I almost did was last December when I saw a design I really, really liked. It was on sale too. A service for 4 went for only around PhP1,600.00. But that was the day we did our marathon Christmas shopping and, in our haste to put the shopping loot in the trunk of the car, I forgot to go back to buy the set that I had already reserved. I would see that very same design in other stores over the next several months but at the regular price of over PhP4,000.00.
When I came back from Taiwan last Sunday, Sam insisted that we go to the Duty-Free Store to check if cell phones were cheaper there. She’s having her birthday next month and she’s insistent that she needs a new cell phone. Well, looking never hurt anyone so we went. Unfortunately for her, there were no cell phones at the Duty-Free shop. But, fortunately for me, there was a Corelle sale. And the design I meant to buy last December was on display and included in the sale.
Not as cheap as the sale price last December but not that bad either. At around PhP2,400.00 with five free breakfast plates, I was happy.
But that was not all. Sam, super efficient at finding the best things in a store — any store — discovered boxes of flatware with a bamboo design. I couldn’t resist. I love bamboo — in the garden, in jewelry, in interior design…
They weren’t on sale but the price wasn’t bad. The platter in the photo above, in the same design as the dinnerware set, was bought separately.
Comment by cocoy
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 6:44 am
i have been using Corelle since I had a family of my own. love that the kids can manage to wash them without knicks which becomes an eyesore with the thick plates.
SM usually has designs on sale for 2,400. if you have family or friends who will not mind bringing them homefrom the USA, i saw them at outlet shops for $25 BUY ONE TAKE ONE. but this is for the plain white stock which i like, too. easier to coordinate with the set with designs.
their cups are not as sturdy though. 
Comment by Kongkong
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 9:16 am
Hi Connie!! Oo nga ang mahal na ng Corelle. Try Gourdo’s. Sometimes they have buy1take1 on some good stuff. Was able to buy a set of dinnerware for 700 bucks lang a few months ago. Take 1 yung kapatid ko. Play and Display also have some nice “bamboo” stuff. Nakikita ko pag mag tiangge sa the Fort
Comment by chateau
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 6:22 pm
Those are lovely flatware! You’re so lucky nataon pa sale yung type mong Corelle design. Sam must be your lucky charm… Hi Sam! 
Comment by auee
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 6:27 pm
I haven’t bought any decent dinner- or flat-ware… I’ve got no where to put or display them in. Since we moved to our house 3 years ago, we only bought 4 plates. This year I told hubby I need to add some more. But instead of splurging, I went to a car boot sale & bought a set of matching 7 plates & 7 bowls for £1.50. For daily use, they’re not bad at all.
(Sana) once maayos na kitchen-dining namin, I will buy decent ones na din.
Comment by Connie
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 6:45 pm
Buy 1, take 1? Wow, heavenly deal! Kaya lang mabigat sa baggage, that’s the drawback.
Kongkong, Gourdo’s… Glorietta and Gateway? Is that the one?
Comment by Connie
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 7:55 pm
Hi Chats. Naku, trust Sam to find the best things in any store. Yung liit ng mata na yun, lahat nakikita. hehehe
Auee, kami nga wala na yatang complete na set save for that new one. Lahat may kulang na. Masarap mamili sa Noritake factory. Mainit nga lang kasi it’s a warehouse. But for patient shoppers, you can get complete sets na bagsak ang prices.
Comment by Sam
Made Friday, 27 of July , 2007 at 10:09 pm
“Sam insisted that we go to the Duty-Free Store to check if cell phones were cheaper there. She’s having her birthday next month and she’s insistent that she needs a new cell phone. Well, looking never hurt anyone so we went. Unfortunately for her, there were no cell phones at the Duty-Free shop.”
Tsss, sabi mo kaya meron. Ang tagal tagal TAGAL ko na sayong pinapabili nun. Malapit na ngang mabulok yun tapos pag iba na yung gusto ko, ganun nanaman.
Comment by Connie
Made Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 1:37 am
Ang tagal tagal TAGAL ko na sayo sinasabi na may cell phone ka na. Ayos na yun.
Comment by Sam
Made Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 11:37 am
Ang TAGAL TAGAL TAGAL ko nang sinasabi sayo na KAILANGAN ko na nang bago. AT bakit ikaw? MATAGAL ka na namang may cellphone ah! Yung MALAKI na MAY ANTENNA. Bumubili ka din naman nang bago di ba? SOOO, AKO DIN. XD
Comment by Connie
Made Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 1:45 pm
Anak, pag nagta-trabaho ka na at necessity na ang cell phone, you can buy one every month. Pero dahil pang japorms lang naman ngayon sa yo and cell phone, okay na yang Samsung mo.
Comment by lady cess
Made Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 2:45 pm
lovely lovely lovely! meron pa ba? makapunta nga, tamang-tama may relative din ako galing abroad.
^ nakakatawa kayong mag-nanay.
Comment by Connie
Made Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 4:38 pm
Dami pa, Lady Cess. Saka lots of designs on sale.
Si Sam, makulit…..
Comment by Nikita
Made Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 8:31 pm
First time ko to react in your blog.
I love Corelle. Kung di grabe ang pagkahulog, minsan the plates bounce pa instead of break; this was a great relief for Paolo when natumba niya minsan yung foldable table namin set up for merienda. Yung peanut butter nabasag; the plates ok lahat.
Ang cute niyo magsagutan mag-ina; parang di kayo magkasama sa bahay. 
Comment by mitchteryosa
Made Sunday, 29 of July , 2007 at 7:41 pm
Napangiti naman ako sa inyong mag-ina!
Comment by Connie
Made Sunday, 29 of July , 2007 at 10:59 pm
Hi Nikita. Yan din gusto ko sa Corelle. Light na ang tibay pa. Yung first set namin, complete pa yung dinner plates, bowls and saucers. Yung coffee cups kulang na.
Mitchteryosa (and Nikita), re Sam: SHE WORE ME DOWN. She got her birthday gift na. Three weeks in advance. Grabe, she woke up early today, cooked breakfast for everyone, sipsip, sipsip… hayun, nabili na cell phone.
Comment by ericsaints
Made Sunday, 29 of July , 2007 at 11:07 pm
Umm, Connie, you seem to have forgotten you can seek out Mallotte for your Corelle, Pyrex, and Corningware needs…
Comment by Connie
Made Monday, 30 of July , 2007 at 12:27 am
uyyyyyyy i didn’t know Corelle was included. Ouch.
Comment by julie
Made Monday, 30 of July , 2007 at 6:30 am
The “buy one take one”? That’s what my MIL asks my BIL to send to her. She stocks up one set and sells the other set. Yun lang, its mostly white with some color strip around the plate as a design, not the dainty pretty flowers. At least, everybody gets to use it without feeling conscious including the guys since the design is not girly-girly, lol!
I use bowls for my small ones to minimize the kalat when eating,
Hay Sam, are you and my daughter “relatives”?
Comment by Connie
Made Monday, 30 of July , 2007 at 10:10 am
LOL so your daughter’s a shopping freak too, julie?
Comment by Raquel
Made Saturday, 8 of September , 2007 at 8:09 pm
Hi, just reading through the post and was wondering if Noritake warehouse is still open? And where in Marikini is it exactly? I am coming home for christmas and would like to bring some home even if I had to hand carry them as they are very expensive here in Australia. Thanks.
Comment by Connie
Made Saturday, 8 of September , 2007 at 10:20 pm
Yes, it’s still open. I’ll ask for the street name.
Comment by moni
Made Sunday, 18 of November , 2007 at 2:35 pm
Connie, Sam’s comment about ang tagal-tagal na niyang pinapabili nun reminded me of my son’s email to my sister … “Sometimes I could sense that when I ask Mom for something she’ll do some delaying tactics so that I won’t get what I want right away or not get what I want always so that I won’t grow up spoiled. But I tell her that she doesn’t have to do that because I’ve been doing that for her na. Before I ask something, I think about it for a long time and consider if it’s something that I really need or maybe something I deserve.”