Michi Photostory

November 06, 2013

Semestral Break Getaway

We’re frequent travelers of Tagaytay so it is not surprising if we went here before the end of the semestral break which is last Saturday. After being stuck at home for almost a week, I wouldn’t allow my son not to have happy memories. He deserves to enjoy his semestral break.

We first dropped by at Bali Village Hotel to make a downpayment for December reservation. I even referred to this hotel when my friend asked me for a hotel recommendation. We met there before they check-out.

Then we went to Mahogany Market for lunch. I’ve been reading a lot of good reviews about their bulalo. I’ve been meaning to try this so finally last Saturday, we were able to try it. I looked for Lyleth’s Eatery because I’ve read it from a blog.

I was disappointed kasi ang konti ng bone marrow, not even half of the spoon, and the meat is not tender, sana beef nilaga na lang order ko. The taste is just okay for us. I’m still searching for best bulalo in Tagaytay. But not bad for the price of P350, next time I will try the gotong batangas and papaitan.

Di rin appealing.

After lunch, we went to Sonya’s Garden, if you still remember my post before, we love the Hispanic bread of Sonyas P120 so before going to Residence Inn Zoo we decided to buy this bread. Then off we went to the zoo. I will share our zoo experience in my next post.

November 01, 2013

Duncan Hines: Devil’s Food Cupcake

Semestral break is ending soon and so far I’m stuck at home since Sunday, as in maski sa labas ng main door namin ay di ko natatapakan. Hehehe! Holiday = household chores so I became busy cleaning the house in preparation of Christmas season. Halloween is over so hindi na “in” ang mga spider web sa ceiling namin. Well, I’m not finished yet because half of the house is waiting for me to clean and declutter. Whew! Isipin ko pa lang napapagod na ko.

Anyway, since I’m just at home sinipag na rin ko magbake but not from scratch. I bought Devil’s Food instant mix from Duncan Hines few months ago and decided to bake it just in time for Halloween. I added chocolate chips and sprinkles.

The cupcake is soft and fluffy but it is not sweet. I guess that this cupcake really needs frosting.

Read: Red Velvet
California Walnut Brownies

October 29, 2013

Running for the Beginners

It is not a secret here that I’m not into sports and I’m so lazy to exercise and stretch my body. I know that running is included in my goals for years and until now I’m still not doing it. Well, I tried walkathon but I did not pursue it at all. You can call me lazy, as the quote says

“The hardest step for a runner is the first one out of the door”

But honestly, I’m not giving up my goal yet because I know time will come that I will start running. In the meantime, I’m busy reading articles about “benefits of running” to convince myself that I should start immediately because running offers several health benefits such as

1. It build strong bones.

2. It strengthen muscles.

3. It will improve cardiovascular fitness

4. It will help you to maintain a healthy weight.

5. It will burn plenty of calories.

I’m also searching information like “running for beginners” so I would be prepared. Sharing to you some information that I’ve found all over the web.

1. Decide and set goals

Of course the first thing we need to do is decide. Decide when to start running and set your goals. Are you going to run in the morning or evening? Every day run or weekend run? Are you interested in participating fun run or marathon in the near future?

2. Plan your route

Safety is very important when you run so make sure you choose the right route.

3. Wear the right gear

If you think that dark coloured clothes are good then you are wrong. Director Felicia Hubber said we need to “dress like a Christmas tree” for safety issue. It means we need to wear bright colors or put some reflective accents. I was checking TheClymb site, looking for different running apparel and gear.

Aside from clothes, shoes are very important so buy an appropriate pair of running shoes. My husband bought me running shoes last month and hopefully I can use it soon.

4. Create a mantra – running mantra will inspire us in order to achieve a certain goal. Some mantras I’ve found are

“If I run now, I can feel good about it all day. If I skip it now, I’ll feel guilty all day”

“A few moments of discomfort now, a day’s worth of elation later”

You can create your own mantra and because I’m not into running yet my mantra for now is “I can do this”.

Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

For years I slept on an uncomfortable mattress and a fairly unforgiving pillow. Being rather British, I simply put up with it, thinking myself lucky to have a bed at all. As I was also living away from home for the first time, I swept the problem into the general bracket of ‘Things which annoy me but which I cannot afford to change’. Paying for bills and, most importantly, food, seemed rather more important at the time!

However, when I hurt my back at work, I had to sit down and reconsider how I was living my life. Often I would dash about like a mad woman and lift things that were probably far too heavy for me. It was only after a trip to the chiropractor that I realized I needed to do something about the bed in particular, as it turned out my back and neck were slowly moving out of line.

So, out went the old bed frame which, we discovered, had a crack in one of the slats. We bought a much sturdier frame and we invested in an Air Foam mattress, specifically designed to support your spine. To be honest, I started to feel the difference almost straight away. The problem was where I had once been waking up with a sore back, now it was my neck which hurt instead!

My other half hadn’t thought that we would need to change the pillows as well, but I begged to differ. I thought it was about time that we got some lovely soft pillows, so I took matters into my own hands. Knowing absolutely nothing about which pillows are best to sleep on, I headed on to my iPad.

A little internet research proved fruitful, as I realized the benefits of natural down pillows. These pillows are made of feathers or down from geese and ducks. They form a curve of your neck and head so they can provide really tailored support. As they are made of a natural material, natural pillows can be re-cased and rejuvenated so they will last for long. Down pillows also ‘breathe’ easily, which means that you will have a comfortable flow of air around your head and neck at night. Plus they’re really soft and cuddly!

My friend had recommended cushy.co.uk for pillows, so I went online and had a look. All the pillows looked rather enticing, but in the end, we opted for a pair of Surrey Down - Goose Feather & Down Pillows. They arrived in no time at all and I slept better straight away once we had made this last change.

In the future, I think we would always opt for natural filled pillows, as they seem to have so many benefits. It is such a relief to be able to sleep properly, and not to worry about waking up everyday with aches and pains. Being comfy and cozy at night can, it seems, make all the difference to how you feel throughout the day!

Contributed by Isabella Ramos, a freelance writer from New York

October 24, 2013

DIY Halloween Treats

Tomorrow is my son’s last day in school and before the semestral break; they will be having Trick or Treat. It was a simple celebration inside the classroom so we’re required to bring Halloween treats or goodies for the kids.

Fortunately, my son has only 13 classmates so it is not difficult to DIY everything. I just bought candies and printed Halloween labels. I got my free sticker here.

I pasted the printed material in linen paper to make a Halloween tag.

Then I checked my supplies, I used baking cup, ice plastic bag and thread.

I put all the goodies inside the baking cup.

Put it inside the ice plastic bag, place the tag inside the thread and tie it around the plastic. That’s it!

A repost from my old blog Michi's Home Sweet Home

October 21, 2013

Tagaytay Trip and More

Last Tuesday was a holiday and a holiday = family day. Since it was a holiday, we went early to Asian Hospital Derma Laser for my therapy again, good thing they are open from 9-12nn. Then after that, we went to Tagaytay, we wanted to check if there were Halloween costumes in Ukay-Ukay #kuripot but unfortunately, we did not find any costumes.

We had lunch in RSM Binalot sa Dahon, we chose this because we thought it was cheaper than fastfood and para maiba naman. So we ordered Grilled Liempo P130, Tocilog P108 and Turon P70. The meal had no drinks included so we ordered 1.5 liters Coke for P90.

They gave us free bulalo soup while waiting for our order. After eating our meal and paying our bill, nagkatinginan na lang kami ni hubby. We both knew that we were not satisfied with our food and sana nagfastfood na lang kami, mas mura at masarap pa.

The only good thing that happened was we saw a poster of Bali Village Hotel Resort and Spa in this restaurant so we asked if they had flyers so off we went to Bali Village to check the place. We’re currently looking for accommodation because we will attend the wedding in December.

Surprisingly, the place was good so we reserved a room already.

We also checked Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay if they have a promo for December but as of now no promo. But we’re having second thoughts because of the location; it is too far from Caleruega.

Then we went to Nuvali but on our way there, we saw Good Shepherd so we had a quick stop and bought ube jam P 130 and cuchipan P50.

At Nuvali, we’re looking for Halloween costumes and formal clothes for Ethan but we did not buy this because I don’t know the wedding motif yet.

After checking all the stores in Nuvali and Paseo De Sta Rosa, we did not find anything so we decided to go home. On our way home, my mother-in-law texted my husband to pick up his brother in Binan and ihatid sa Cabuyao, Laguna. Wheww! Di pa tapos ang road trip, so we were on the road for 10 hours. Stressful but fun.

October 18, 2013

Cebu Island Hopping Information

When you want to go and visit Cebu and want to enjoy everything about this beautiful island, you should totally go and try the Island hopping. Cebu island hopping is one of the best activities to do in Cebu but finding a reputable travel agency in Cebu that offers this ocean adventure other than just taking a tour in Cebu Philippines, will not be that difficult. However, it would be totally helpful in finding the appropriate agency to have this activity with when you do a little bit of research. Also, it will surely make you feel excited about this adventure when you get to hear more about it. So, below are the couple of sites we’ve found for you to get the best details, photos and a total sneak peak of what you will experience when you go for a Cebu island hopping tour.

Trip Advisor

Trip Advisor should give you tons of information on travel agencies in Cebu that offers the best experience for Cebu island hopping activities. You should be able to see real reviews and opinions on the best businesses to utilize for island hopping. You can either check the reviews or go to the forum part of Trip Advisor. If you decide to go to the forum part, you should make an excel spreadsheet and determine which businesses are mentioned the most. This will help give you an accurate idea on what the best businesses are. You should also check to see if the pricing is in line with what you are quoted when you call or email.

Lonely Planet

You should be able to find tons of information and real user reviews on Lonely Planet. Tons of people comment every day on Lonely Planet, and you should be able to find the exact information you are looking for. They have forums that are designed to give you tons of information and travel tips. You can ask your question in the forum and wait for responses. Or you can simply search for island hopping ideas and/or businesses and see what has already been said.

Third Party Forums and Social Networks

You should be able to find tons of information by searching on third party online forums and social networks. You may have a couple of contacts or friends that have gone to Cebu and actually used different travel agency in Cebu and through them you may get the best referral for this adventure. You will be able to see exactly which companies to use and which ones to avoid because they’re not surely paid to say so to you and you know them, so surely they want you too to have the best experience when you go for this Cebu island hopping tour. This will give you second hand knowledge that you need to know in order to make a well informed decision. Remember, when you are searching for an agency that could provide you for the best experience, you want to be sure that the business is reputable before giving them your money and relying on them to provide you the service that you want to experience. This is not just your any take a tour in Cebu experience, but this will also let you enjoy the tropical heat and enjoy the water world of Cebu!

October 16, 2013

Damaged Heritage Sites

Yesterday, around 8AM, we’re busy preparing for my therapy so we could reach Asian Hospital at 9AM. On our way to the hospital, we’re listening to the radio and we were shocked about the earthquake news. Intensity 7.2 is considered a destructive earthquake and we remembered the Baguio earthquake before. I was in grade 2 at that time and living in Navotas, I was on my way to the sari-sari store nung nag earthquake, feeling ko nahihilo lang ko so I decided to go home na lang and I saw my sister rolling in the bed, walang kamalay-malay, may earthquake na. While my husband was in school somewhere in Dagupan so he experienced the intensity and aftershock of the earthquake.

We’ve been on the road for almost 10 hours so I’m not really updated with the news. When we got home, I was really shocked when I saw the pictures of the damaged heritage site in my news feed. I’ve seen and visited three of these churches, it is so sad to see that it was severely damaged now.

I’m thankful that I have memories of these churches and hoping that it could be restored again. I’m praying for all the kababayans, hope all is well.

October 11, 2013

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party

When my husband celebrated his birthday last June, my son and I baked a cake. While baking a cake, my son said that he wanted a Mickey Mouse birthday cake and since then he always remind me about his cake #repeat100times till he celebrated his birthday last October 4, Friday.

He even drew this picture to show me his theme so deep inside I know that he really wanted a Mickey Mouse Birthday Party. I was planning and surfing the net last June for possible ideas, I ordered some party materials online and started my preparation last week of August. I witnessed the joy and excitement of my son every time he sees me preparing for his birthday.

We gave the invitation few days before his birthday. Day before his birthday, I was not feeling well so I decided that we will not go to school so I could take a rest. I took medicine to prevent it and thank God because I was able to go with them the following day.

When I entered his room, he immediately hugged me and said “I love you, mommy”. He was indeed happy because finally he will celebrate his birthday. #thelongwaitisover It was just a simple birthday celebration together with his classmates and teachers.

Mickey Mouse Cake from "Say it with a Cake"

Initially, I wanted to bake cupcake but since my son wanted a Mickey Mouse cake, I just order this from a friend. The party started with gift giving, then blowing of the candle, eating time, games and lastly group picture. Before I left the room, my son hugged me again and said “Thank you, I love you mommy”. I was really touched, sulit pagod ko sa pagprepare because my son enjoyed his simple birthday celebration.

Click here to check for DIY Mickey Mouse Party.

Aveeno Lotion

I have psoriasis and because of that I have to moisturize my skin always. I’ve tried different brand of lotion before but when I saw this Aveeno Lotion at S&R, I immediately bought it because it was on sale P900 for 2 pieces. So far I love this lotion and will definitely buy again.

Like

1.It is non-greasy lotion and skin absorbs it quickly.

2.No added fragrance.

3.It prevents and protects dry skin.

4.Moisturizes for 24 hours.

October 10, 2013

DIY Mickey Mouse Party Theme

Last year my son had Lightning Mcqueen birthday party and this year he wanted Mickey Mouse birthday party so a few months before his birthday I was surfing the net for possible ideas.

It is not easy to look for Mickey Mouse party materials here in the Philippines so I have to DIY everything. Thanks to Pinterest for leading me to a free Mickey Mouse printable.

1. Mickey Mouse Invitation – my DIY invitation.

Read: DIY Mickey Mouse Invitation

2. Guest Frame - Guests will leave their thumb mark

3. Bottled Water/Spoon and Fork - water only because the school doesn't allow softdrinks.

4. Giveaways - chocolates, cookie, notepad and puzzle.

5. Banner - I used the template of my invitation for the banner and printed Happy Birthday Ethan letters.

6. Cake - I order the cake from “Say it with a Cake”

7. Food - Jollibee

I got my free printables here.

A repost from my old blog Michi's Home Sweet Home

October 07, 2013

Community Helper

Last Friday, my son had dress me up activity again in school and good thing I had ready costume for him. This scrub suit was a gift three years ago and now lang niya nagamit. Buti kasya pa! hehehe! What a coincidence too because my son celebrated his birthday on that day so parang costume party pa.

October 04, 2013

Happy Birthday Ethan!

I know I have to accept that I can’t stop you from growing too fast. Time flies so fast and now you’re already five years old. I do not regret choosing you over my career because I love growing with you.

I did not know that I could love more until you came. I did not know how to become a mom but you taught me how to be a better person each day so I can be a role model to you.

God knows how much we love you and there are no words good enough to express how thankful we are for having you in my life. Always remember, we are always here and there for you. Happy birthday Ethan

A Prayer for my Son

Dear Lord, your gifts are many.

I’m grateful for every one.

One of the greatest gifts You’ve given

is the gift of my dear son.

Thank you for his life dear Lord.

Watch over him each day. May he

be safe and free from harm,

as he goes about each day.

Bless him through life trials.

help him choose right

from wrong. An example be,

for all to see, standing tall

and proud and strong.

-Ron Tranmer

October 03, 2013

Top Dishes to Eat in Asian Cuisines in Australia

Asian Cuisine is a mixture of different varieties. They mostly refer to East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisine. The wide variety offered in Asian cuisine is what makes it a favorite among people. There are many top dishes of Asian Cuisine which is very famous due to its taste and variety.

Australia is one destination where we all love to go. Australia is generally known for their fresh ingredients. These include seafood, beef, and lamb. You will also find their native cuisine ‘Bush Tucker’. All in all, Australian food is a mixture of ancient and modern cuisine.

But sometimes when people from Asia travel to Australia they find it difficult in adjusting themselves. The main issue is the food. Though the seafood is very popular, the tourist finds it difficult sometimes to adjust with.

But if you are a lover of Asian Cuisine, then you don’t need to worry. Asian Cuisines are also famous in Australia. Many restaurants in Australia serve top dishes of Asian Cuisines in Australia.

Yes, Australia’s number one online shopping group takes care of Asian takeaway at EatNow in Australia. Eatnow is a famous online food/takeaway site which gives you the top dishes to eat in Asian cuisine and other cuisines. You just have to open the site and find your favorite dish available in your area. After selecting your favorite Asian cuisine, you can place your order online through their user-friendly system and get your meal delivered to your home directly.

The delivery of your food will be from local Asian takeaway restaurants who offer Asian Food. You will find delivery menus, reviews about takeaways/restaurants as well as some exciting meal offers. The service is offered in all across the Australia with which includes main cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Brisbane, Canberra, gold coast and many more.

You can search by entering a suburb or the postcode of your city to find the delivery menus. You can pay for your order through your Credit card, Master card, PayPal account or cash. The system saves your previous orders so you can re-order your dishes too. There are no service charges for this wonderful online food ordering system. You can even order the dishes at the same prices and the service is absolutely free.

At Eatnow, you can browse the reviews of dishes before selecting a dish. This way you can identify the quality of your food and choose the best one. Currently, the top dishes are Wok Express which is an Asian Thai food, Thai Vintage – Sylvania which is also Asian Thai and Dontack Reborn which is Asian Japanese. They give you a list of special menu also with your main Asian Cuisines such as Octopus Wasabi, Takoyaki, Okra Tempura, Tomato Tempura, Agedashi Fishcake, and counting.

Eatnow gives many offers too. If you are ordering for the first time at Eatnow, then you may get a discount up to 10%. If you order some dish worth more than $50 then you also get a 5 % discount. Isn’t it a great deal to try once…!!! Eatnow is delivering a superb service by offering Asian Cuisine restaurants home delivery in Australia.

Top Board Games for Kids Entertainment and Learning

Board games are the best way of entertainment and learning for the kids. There are many board games which are highly popular among kids. Board games are those games that require some counters or pieces to move on a marked surface or board. Rolling dice is one of the important things that is used in many games to decide the chance or progress in the game. Earlier there were few board games. But nowadays we are having so many games that it is difficult to choose the best one for your kids. Chess, Monopoly are few common board games which are highly popular among kids for entertainment and learning purpose. You can easily buy board games either from a shop or online.

You can order your favorite board game or the latest board game at Big W. At Big W, you get the list of different types of board games depend upon popularity, rating, ascending/descending order with respect to price and alphabetically. The total specification about the game is available on the site. Related games and reviews are also there for each game.

You can get the discount too at Big W. The prices are very much affordable at Big W. There are so many games that it is difficult to choose which one to buy. To help you in deciding what game will be better for your kids, some top board games are listed here for your convenience.

Monopoly Millionaire

Monopoly Millionaire is the modified version of monopoly. In this game, you will live your dream lifestyle. The number of players is not limited in this monopoly Game. You need to earn money in this board game with the help of different ways available in the game. You can play with fortune cards too which is included with this game. This is a mind strategy game where you can make a million dollar. This game is available online. You can buy it from an online gaming site.

Cluedo - The Classic Mystery Game

Cluedo is a very classic popular game. This is a mystery game. It is a mystery game that involves a murder and six suspects. The mystery is to find the murderer. With this game, you will get all the essential parts to play the game. It includes Mansion game board, clues, black Cluedo cards and many more things. It is a very interesting game. You can buy these games online very easily. Stare! Junior Edition This game is good to improve your memory power. In this game, you need to stare a picture for some duration say 30 seconds. Then some questions will be asked to test how much you remembered about the picture. This game comes with 160 image cards carrying more than 900 questions.

Rush Hour

This is a game which teaches your kids to use logic and reasoning ability, in this game, you will find complex traffic jam scenarios. You need to take the red car out of the traffic jam. This game puts some pressure on your kid’s brain to think a little harder. There are 40 cards included in this game with different difficulty levels.

Scrabble

Scrabble game is a word game. This is a very famous game where you need to create words with the pieces you got which is embedded in an alphabet along with a number. This game is very good to increase the vocabulary in your kids. This is a way to learn new words and improve your language.

October 01, 2013

DIY Mickey Mouse Invitation

My son is fond of Mickey Mouse so there is no doubt that he chose this theme for his 5^th birthday party. But looking for ready-made birthday party invitation was not easy. I really had a hard time looking for an invitation unlike last year “Lightning McQueen Cars invitation was available."

Thank god for Pinterest, I was able to get some inspiration and I got the idea in Oopsey Daisy site.

Materials

Black cartolina for Mickey Mouse head

Red Cartolina for Mickey Mouse pocket

White Linen Paper for the buttons

Cardboard for pattern

Circle Invitation to be placed inside the pocket

Glue

Scissors

Steps:

1. First I trace the Mickey Mouse head in a cardboard to make a pattern. Then trace it on black cartolina.

2. Then I get one Mickey Mouse house head, folded it in half to make pattern for pocket.

3. Then make two small circles for buttons.

4. Paste it all together.

5. Finished product.

A repost from my old blog Michi's Home Sweet Home

September 22, 2013

When Will This Stop?

Note: Not a happy post.

For 31 years of my life, I always try to be strong to solve my problems, to fight my own battles and to face challenges of life. But this week, I feel so low, every day I feel so depress and stress. It is not a secret here that I have psoriasis since I was 20 years old but this week I experienced the severe case of psoriasis. This is the worst case that I have experienced for 11 years of having this skin condition.

I won’t be a hypocrite because I’ve asked God so many times, why me? Why Do I have to experience this? What did I do to deserve this? And when will this stop? Honestly, I’m so tired, I’m so stressed, I’m so depressed and I’m about to give up.

I feel that I’m just existing but not living the normal life. The physical, emotional and financial stress is already too much and I don’t know if I can still hold on. I started my phototherapy last Sept 14 but I feel that I’m just wasting money because I can’t see the improvement yet and like I said it’s getting worst.

I went to my doctor yesterday and she was also shocked because she saw me last Sunday and I was still fine, I can still cover my lesions but now even longsleeves and pants can’t cover it because I have it on my neck, feet and hands and few on my faces. I really prayed that God would spare my face.

I’m so tired visiting hospitals, just like yesterday we went to Victoria, Laguna to visit my grandmother as early as 5AM because I have to be in Asian hospital for my son’s check-up and for my phototherapy at 9AM. Then we transferred to Alabang Medical because my dermatology was there every Saturday. After that, we went to Healthway Clinic for my lab test because it is cheaper.

Dealing with this skin condition is so time-consuming, I really want a normal life. I accepted the fact that I will have this for the rest of my life but I’m praying I will experience remission or at least mild psoriasis just like when I’m not a mother.

My only consolation is, my family loves me. They are always there to support and accompany me every check-up, even though I know na napapagod na din anak ko just like yesterday, he kept on saying “let’s go home”. Napagod na siguro sa biyahe and pila sa hospital. Kung ako lang, I wanted to lock myself at home until I’m ok but I can’t because my son needs me, I need to accompany him in school and I need to go to hospital thrice a week.

I’m trying to be strong because I know my husband and son need me. I’m trying to believe that I’ll be ok after therapy. I’m trying to understand that there’s a reason for everything. I’m trying to hold on!

“O God, when I lose hope because my plans have come to nothing. Then help me to remember that your love is always greater than my disappointments and your plans for my life are always better than my dreams.”

Pages

November 06, 2013

November 01, 2013

October 29, 2013

October 24, 2013

October 21, 2013

October 18, 2013

Trip Advisor

Lonely Planet

Third Party Forums and Social Networks

October 16, 2013

October 11, 2013

October 10, 2013

October 07, 2013

October 04, 2013

October 03, 2013

October 01, 2013

September 22, 2013

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