Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life, May 8) — This week, shop for Mother’s Day gifts and pre-order a long lost novel, visit a new exhibit, and go on a Jiu Jitsu retreat.

Go on a Jiu Jitsu retreat with a Brazilian legend

The self-defense martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is known to be a “gentle art,” as that is the direct English translation of the Japanese term. With Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, fighters don’t engage in striking. Instead, they control their resisting opponents in ways that force them to submit. If that type of sport sounds like something up your speed, you can get the chance to learn from a Brazilian legend this May 12 to 14 at the 2023 Lucas Lepri Jiu-Jitsu camp at Club Punta Fuego in Batangas. Beginners and long time practitioners are invited to join the three-day camp, which includes training sessions from International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Hall of Famer Lucas Lepri and other top black belts from the Philippines. To sign up for a solo or group package, send a message to 09957637502 or message @lepribjjphilippines on Instagram. — CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF

Show your mom some love with limited Krispy Kreme flavors

Doughnuts have always been one of the go-to menu items in my family’s idea of a comfort merienda. Whenever we’re having a bad afternoon, seeing the red and green dotted box would be enough to completely switch the mood. This week, I’m planning to make Mother’s Day at home more festive by letting my mom try some twists to her favorite snacks. The new Krispy Kreme Mother’s Day collection consists of two flavors never previously released by the doughnut giant: the Mixed Berry Crunch, a regular ring doughnut dipped in a crunchy pastel pink glaze and topped with vanilla kreme, sprinkles, and berry-flavored jellies; and the Pistachio Crunch Cake, a cake doughnut dipped in pastel green pistachio glaze with a sprinkling of roasted pistachios. The regular-shaped doughnuts in the two new flavors are already available at Krispy Kreme branches nationwide, but you can get special M-O-M-shaped ones exclusively from May 12 to 14. — GABY GLORIA

Pre-order Wilfrido D. Nolledo’s “But for The Lovers” from Exploding Galaxies

How many Filipino literary classics have you missed out on because they’re no longer in circulation? New publishing house Exploding Galaxies is bringing some of these classics back on our bookshelves, with an aim to republish out-of-print works of contemporary Philippine fiction. The publishing house is aiming to put out two to four books a year. Their first offering is Wilfrido D. Nollego’s “But for the Lovers,” a long lost Filipino novel that Nick Joaquin called an “outrageous book.” The Philippine edition will contain a foreword by author Gina Apostol and an introduction by Vogue Philippines features editor Audrey Carpio. Pre-orders for the book start on May 8 at explodinggalaxies.com. — CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF

Try out Issy and Co’s new Lip Bullets

Local beauty brand Issy and Co. has been hitting it out of the park in their last few releases. Their Active Skin Tints (with SPF 35) and the True Flex Illuminators are very much part of my regular rotation, and now their new Lip Bullets (₱349 each) are making lipstick fun to apply again. The lipstick is “launched” in a chromatic tube, with a built-in mirror on the side for maximum portability. The shade range is vast: 21 shades, with seven shades each in all three finishes. There’s the matte finish, which offers long-wearing, saturated lip coverage. Matte lipstick used to be huge back in the late 2010’s, and as trends move forward to this period, I see matte coming back in a real big way. There’s also the satin finish, which leaves a more sheer finish that can still be buildable. My personal favorite is the velvet finish, a lovely balance between matte and satin. It was love upon first sight. I tried the shade Camp, which the brand describes as “a shocking pink.” It comes out as more of a bright berry shade on me, and it lasted through a bag of popcorn and a large root beer, fading into a nice stain that lasted for a few hours. By the time I thought of reapplying, I realized that it was already the end of the night. This is one bullet that definitely hits the mark. — MARGA BUENAVENTURA

For more information on Issy and Co. and the Lip Bullet shade range, visit their official Instagram page.

Check out Ikea’s Summer Sustainability Collection

While we hold onto the last few weeks of summer, there’s still some time to schedule a quick weekend getaway — whether on your own, with a friend, or with a whole group in tow. I’ve enjoyed visiting Ikea for short trip essentials that I can also use post-vacation. At the launch of their seasonal Sustainability Collection, we learned a few travel hacks using some of their products. The Istad resealable bags, which come in varying patterns and sizes, can be used to keep frozen items in the fridge and on outdoor picnics. They showed us how the 10-oz. Istad bags (₱80, 25 pieces) keep sauces, which you can simply flatten and stow away after use. If you’re tasked with keeping bored kids occupied while school’s out, Ikea also suggested their Måla paper options. The Måla white rolled paper (₱250, 30m) option can be attached to an easel (who needs an iPad??) and is chlorine-free bleached paper. Our final stop is a visit to Rags2Riches’ customization and personalization shop, which is located just outside the third floor checkout counters. They can personalize Ikea products (₱50 for the first five letters) or use spare fabric to make tote bags with one’s size of choice. It’s an affordable way to make gifts more personal, perhaps as an early Mother’s Day present or a back to school present for someone readying for the next semester. — MB

Ikea is located at the Mall of Asia and online.

Visit the new exhibits at Blanc Gallery

Quezon City’s Blanc Gallery is opening three new shows this week: “Canvas in Shapes” by Gino Bueza, “A Record of Horizons” by Carina Santos; and “And Now We Wander Amid the Debris” by Jomari T'leon. The shows are on view from May 10 until May 31.

The gallery is located at #145 Katipunan Avenue St. Ignatius Village Quezon City 1110. Visit Blanc Gallery on Facebook for details. — CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF