Michi Photostory

Thousands of stock photos and videos. 

Thousands of graphic templates. 

Monthly caption templates. 

Amazing bonus perks. 

Access to everything they add to the membership in the future… 

FOR LIFE! 

Just use the code LIFE300 when you join here. 

Instead of paying for one-off template downloads or monthly photo subscriptions that add up over time, consider a one-time payment with LIFETIME access to all the marketing resources you need. 

This is an AMAZING value! This lifetime membership offer expires on April 30th at 11:59 PM ET so, if you’re ready to invest in your brand (and save a TON of time on your marketing), join me inside Styled Stock Society now! Get $300 off now! #afflink 

Today I am taking a break from packing, cleaning, and unpacking our stuff. We’re slowly moving our stuff to our new house, ang ginagawa ko per room so para hindi overwhelming pero nakakapagod pa rin, Malapit ko na matapos yung sa kitchen, ang naiwan na lang dito yung every day na ginagamit pa talaga namin. Ilang rooms pa tatapusin ko, Waah! 

This month, we’ve visited several home and furniture stores, including Uratex Alabang Showroom. How time flies, it is more than a decade na pala since we bought our bed at Mandaue Foam Store. Our present bed is still okay but we no longer want a queen-size bed and we want to try a new type of bed. 

Uratex has been around for 55 years and is one of our go-to brands. In fact, our first bed was from Uratex, if I remember correctly, Uratex Classic yun and wala pa 10k yung Queen size. That bed was still okay pero pinamigay na lang namin kasi we wanted a thicker bed so we bought the Gala Bed Chiropractic at Mandaue Foam.

After more than a decade of using our bed, it is time for a change. We visited the Uratex Alabang Showroom so we could personally see and try their beds. They have several bed collections depending on your budget and preference. They have Uratex Classic, Trill Collection, Perfect Serenity Collection, Senso Memory Collection, Orthocare Collection, and Premium Touch Collection. 

They have a designated room where you can try these beds, yung room na meron pampatulog na background music and dim light pa talaga. Bibigyan ka pa ng staff ng pillows para feel na feel mo na talagang matulog. 

There are so many choices but we chose the Premium Touch Collection. Our options are Uratex Premium Touch Viscoluxe Mattress, Uratex Premium Touch Sublime Mattress, and Uratex Premium Touch Cozy Latex Mattress. After trying the 3 beds, we purchased the latter, the price depends on the size of the bed. 

Single - PHP26, 899.75 

Double - PHP31,199.75 

Full Double - PHP33,399.75 

Queen - PHP36,599.75 

King - PHP48,399.75 

* Made of Smart Reflex® pocket springs that cleverly adjust to the body’s every move. 

* The top layer features natural latex that is naturally elastic and highly resilient adapting to the movement of the body, correcting spinal alignment, and promoting good blood circulation and pressure relief. 

* Uses mattress cover made from Tencel®, a natural cellulosic fiber that regulates moisture and body temperature. 

* Treated with Sanitized® which effectively protects against the growth of bacteria, odor, mildew, and dust mites, keeping the mattress clean and hypoallergenic. 

* Power Edge® support foam provides a supportive seating edge. 

* Trusted and approved by the Philippine Orthopaedic Association. 

We only purchased the bed kasi wala kami na gustuhan na bed frame. The bed is out of stock so we need to wait and it was delivered after 8 days. We only paid PHP340 for the delivery fee, sana all ganyan lang delivery fee, ang mahal kasi sa iba. In addition, they gave us two complimentary pillows. 

Also, may complimentary drinks sila sa showroom so habang naghihintay kami ng turn namin sa cashier, busy kami sa pag-inom. 

We haven’t tried the bed yet but I’m crossing my fingers that we’ve made the right choice kasi ang mahal ng bed ha. Hanggang senior years na itong bed na ito. Hehehe! 

Km.23 East Service Rd. 

SSHW Bo.Cupang Muntinlupa 

Contact Number: 09178334195 / 0917 5799284

Laguna is known for hot spring resorts so there are so many resorts out there but there are two things we need to consider like time and budget. We were having difficulty finding an affordable private resort in Laguna. We don’t need a big resort naman since 14 pax lang naman kami. Also, paHoly Week na rin kasi so some resorts were already booked and some resorts naman don’t accept day trips, gusto nila 22 hours. 

Anyway, thanks sa pagpupuyat ng asawa ko, nakahanap din siya ng pasok sa budget namin. It just so happened na may 12AM meeting siya (following USA time kasi) so hindi siya pwede matulog kaya nagsearch na lang siya ng resort habang naghihintay ng telecon. Hehehe! 

Villa Esmane Private Resort was not our first choice pero fully booked na kasi yung first choice namin so ito yung sinuggest ng owner. Also we changed travel date na rin kasi wala talaga pag-asa sa Holy Week. 

What I like about this resort is, they have different rates, depending on the number of people. Here are the rates at the time of booking. 

Weekends/Holiday: (Friday to Sunday) 

• Daytime P 7,000.00 (9am to 5pm) 

• Overnight P 9,000.00 (7pm to 6am) 

• 1-Day P 14,000.00 (9am to 6am or 8pm to 5pm) 

• Daytime P 6,000.00 (9am to 5pm) 

• Overnight P 8,000.00 (Open time, 11 hours) 

• 1-Day P 10,000.00 (Open time, 21 hours) 

My husband called to inquire pero sa Viber app na lahat ng communication. To confirm the reservation, he paid a 50% downpayment and within the day, he received a confirmation email. The remaining balance is upon arrival at the resort. 

Adult swimming pool (natural hot spring water) 4 ft to 5 1/2 ft 

Kiddie pool “ 3 ft 

1-bed room, capacity of 2 to 3 pax 

4 Bedrooms with full air conditioning. 

Kitchen - Refrigerator + Cooking Utensils 

Complete Set of Bedding 

4 Comfort Rooms 

Barbeque grill 

Unlimited Videoke 

Tables and Chairs 

Pavilion Wifi 

If you plan to cook, there is an additional PHP500 for a gas stove but we did not avail this because we brought cooked food na and yung ibang ulam namin is grilled food like BBQ, hotdog, liempo, talong, bangus, tilapia and yung isang fish na parang lapu-lapu (hindi ko alam name, hehehe). 

* Do not forget to bring your own dishwashing stuff, toiletries, and towels. 

Sharing some pictures, Nagtake lang ako ng pictures ng rooms but my family did not stay here, so I cannot comment kung okay ba yung bed and yung aircon.

Since it was day trip naman, nasa pavillion lang talaga kami, busy sa paggrill and pagswim. Yung swimming pool temperature, hindi siya mainit like yung sa 88 Resort Spa, pero may parang falls so yun ang mainit. 

My only concern is the bathroom, need ng konting maintenance especially sa door knobs and doors. But overall, we had a good time here. 

It was my Father-in-law's birthday celebration so I also made this cake topper. This design is available on Cricut Design Space.

Lake Wood Subd, Lalakay 

Los Baňos Laguna

I am feeling the stress already and wish I had more time to blog and craft while I still have a stable internet connection. I have one craft project that I want to do for Bee Happy Craft Anniversary Weeklies and hopefully matapos ko itong Diorama of my Dream Craft Room. 

Despite the stress, I am still thankful because finally, makakalipat na rin kami. Since 2020 pa kami naghihintay na matapos ang bahay. And because of that, I am sharing the “Thank You Cards” that I finished this month. 

This Thank You Apple Insert Greeting Card is an easy project using the score, draw, and cut function on Cricut Design Space. I just colored the image using Ohuhu Markers. 

This Starburst Layered Thank You Card is an easy cut-and-assemble project. I like this card because it only has a few layers. 

I like this Rainbow Layered Thank You Card, it is so easy to cut and assemble but this card has so many layers so it is really a thick card. Don’t forget to use a thick cardstock for the cardbase. 

He purchased my Cricut Maker at Bee Happy Crafts website and since then, crafting supplies and tools ang wishlist ko whenever there are special occasions. I still have a long list of must buy stuff so hindi mauubusan si hubby ng pwedeng iregalo sa akin. Hehehe!

American Crafts Textured Cardstocks Variety Pack Autumn 216 gsm 

Worx Specialty Paper 200gsm Cream 

Worx Specialty Paper 200gsm White 

Worx Black Premium Specialty Paper 200gsm 

Bee Happy Watercolor Paper Pad A4 Size 300gsm 

Ohuhu Glitter Metallic Marker Pens 12 colors 

Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Pad - Wild Honey 

Cricut Standard Cutting Mats 12" x 12" 

Bee Happy Blending Brush Set (10 pcs) 

Versafine Pigment Ink Pad by Tsukineko 

Mo Card Vintage Collection Foam Stamps/Cling Stamps - Words 

Project Life Roller Phrase Stamp 

We R Memory Keepers Adhesive Deactivator Powder Tool 

Enchanting Vines 3D Embossing Folder 

Tim Holtz Small Talk Idea-Ology Spiral Bound Sticker Book

What makes me happy? Sleeping, eating, traveling, blogging and crafting makes me happy. And because it makes me happy, I find and make time for these things. I have no drawing skills but it did not stop me from doing the challenge. 

I created a design using font and clipart, printed it on watercolor paper, and used Ohuhu Markers, Distress Oxide Salty Ocean, and Simon Hurley Lunar Paste Clear Skies to color my design. 

Font is The Wild One 

Clipart and Pattern is Love Bees 

Coloring the design took much time but I enjoyed the process.

Here are the challenges for the anniversary weeklies. 

It was only last December when I first read about Artist Trading Cards so I researched how to make one. According to the pin that I found on Pinterest, for a great ATC, you can choose from the following: 

1. An interesting background texture or environment. 

2. Subject matter such as a person, animal, creature, insect, etc. 

3. School-appropriate word or phrase. 

4. Embellishment - buttons, string, ribbon, shapes, bling, papers, etc. 

5. Draw or color onto the image to emphasize certain elements. 

For my craft project, I decided to create a Birthday ATC. I don’t have drawing skills so I used stamps for my subject matter and even the phrase. I used Ohuhu Markers, Distress Oxides, and Lunar Paste to color the image and other elements. For the paper, I used textured and watercolor cardstock. 

It took me a long time to finish these 4 ATC but I am happy with the result. I made a short video here.

And because of that, whenever my mom asked me kung kelan kami babalik sa Norway? I always say “Ikaw na lang magbakasyon dito”. Kasi naman, ang effort mag-apply ng visa and ang mahal ng airfare tapos one month lang kami, parang sayang. Anyway, at least this year, bakasyon na kami sa June. 

Also, if I ever return to Norway, I prefer the Spring Season, which is March to May, because I like cold weather. Even though I know Spring weather in Norway is unpredictable, I will still choose it over the Summer Season. 

Two years ago, we were lucky because we were in Norway for three months, from March to first week of June so we experienced two seasons which are Winter and Spring. So we witnessed the transition of trees from bare to blossoming trees. This is one thing that amazes me how trees survive the four seasons. 

This trip is memorable because there were so many unexpected events like we had a Glimpse of Northern Lights, not once but twice. 

I’ve said that Spring weather in Norway is unpredictable because you will experience sun, rain, and even snow. Yes, snowfall during Spring in Norway so it is an advantage for us because we can still experience snow. Our last trip was unforgettable because we built a snowman, and we tried skiing and snow sledding.

And lastly, during those months, we celebrated my mom’s birthday, Easter, and the 17th of May. Easter in Norway is a week-long holiday so people usually go to the mountains to have fun in the snow or travel abroad. When we were there during Easter Week, we traveled to Røros, Oslo, and Stugudalen.   

Every time we are in Norway, we always visit Rusasetvatnet if we want to do some walking. I already blogged about this place during our first visit but only shared part of it since we did not finish the trail so now, let me share the other part of Rusasetvatnet. 

Our trip was memorable because it snowed so it looks like we visited Rusasetvatnet during the winter season but it is already the start of spring season.

I mentioned in my blog post that Rusasetvatnet is an essential stop for all visitors in Ørland. It became a favorite outdoor area, hiking place, and recreation area for the locals. And I guess not only for locals but also for tourists like me because their information board has an English Version too. Let me share some information about this place that I read from their information board. 

As we walked, we saw a bonfire place, a picnic area, farmhouses, a cottage area for rent, a mini library, and an insect hotel. 

An insect hotel is a constructed habitat of wood or straw for insects like bumble bees or beetles.

Over a week ago, we went to Festival Mall to buy an aircon for the new house. Actually, there is an appliance store near our place but when we checked the price, mas mura sa Anson’s. Napansin ko nga na for the past few months na bumibili kami ng gamit for the new house, sa Anson’s kami nakakabili ng gamit like gas stove, kitchen hood, built-in-oven and now aircon. What I like about Anson’s, is they have different rates if you pay in installments, straight card and cash so don’t forget to ask if may additional discount pa kung cash/debit card ang bayad, especially, if you will buy two or more items. 

And because of that trip, napakain kami sa labas. My husband suggested California Pizza Kitchen. I had no idea na may CPK na sa Festival Mall. We liked the food here in California Pizza Kitchen but we don’t usually go to Alabang Town Center kasi so ang tagal na pala since our last visit. I’m glad, they have a branch in Festival Mall na. 

Sa sobrang tagal, nakalimutan ko na yung dati namin order so we took our time in browsing the menu. We ordered 5 Cheese + Fresh Tomato Pizza PHP795, Garlic Cream Fettucine with Shrimp PHP895, and Warm Butter Cake PHP525. Unfortunately, the warm butter cake was not available kasi wala vanilla ice cream so we only ate the following food. 

5 Cheese + Fresh Tomato: Fresh and traditional Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, smoked Gouda, and Romano with tomato and fresh basil. 

Garlic Cream Fettucine: pasta with ultimate roasted garlic Parmesan Cream sauce and shrimp. 

The serving is a little small but it is enough to satisfy our stomach. The pizza and pasta are both yummy and hindi tinipid sa ingredients. Service is fast except sa billing, medyo matagal kami naghintay. 

My mom loves flowers so when I saw this Happy Birthday SVG file, I knew I would make it. I attached the design on a 10x5-inch cardstock and added “mama” as a stopper. I did not send this card because last year, July na niya nareceived yung birthday card namin. Waah! Five months bago niya nareceived but I am still thankful na natanggap pa kasi akala ko nasayang yung binayad ko sa post office. I just took a picture of it and will give it to my mom when she returns to the Philippines before school break. 

This is supposed to be an insert card but I removed the four corners. I colored the balloons and attached a backing card. 

The Retro TV Birthday Card is supposed to be a shaker card but I have limited shaker elements supplies so I did not put anything. The card is designed by Michelle Price during the Cricut Craftfest. 

The Birthday Candles Card is a 5x5 inches card with 7 candles, It is perfect for a 7th or 70th birthday greeting card. 

The Happy Birthday Greetings Layered Card is a 5x7-inch card. We used this for my father-in-law’s birthday since madami kami magsusulat sa card.