Michi Photostory: February 2016

February 26, 2016

Painting at Sip & Gogh

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to enroll myself in a summer art class where I can learn how to draw or paint but of course, we don’t have money for that. So when I saw Sip & Gogh featured in one TV show, I told myself that I will try it someday.

Click here for video

The only problem is, QC is so far from where we live. They have other branches pero malayo pa rin. Actually, I already promised to my son that he will paint as my reward for his “Golden Eagle” last second grading period pero hindi pa pala open yung sa Alabang branch so I ended up giving him a gift.

So I was really happy when I learned that Sip & Gogh Molito, Alabang branch is already open. Finally, we can try it na. It was our 10th wedding anniversary when we went to the painting studio.

Sip & Gogh is a paint-and-sip studio where you can paint while sipping your favorite beverage with family or friends. The fee includes canvas, paints, brush, easel, palette, and apron so all you have to do is bring yourself and enjoy.

Our family doesn’t have talent in art but we are just frustrated artists who wanted to try painting. We registered for Open Sessions at P1000 each. It includes complimentary drinks and snacks.

Paint, Sip and Laugh

It is an open session so you can choose an artwork that you wanted to try, choosing an artwork is not easy, parang lahat gusto ko itry and nagdadalawang isip ko kung kakayanin ko ba. We are all first timers and walang kaalam-alam. Hehehe!

We were lucky that we’re the first three guests so tig-isa isa kami ng nagguide sa min. They prepare everything that we need and guide us step by step like mixing colors and different strokes that we need.

We really enjoyed ou experience and sa sobrang focus ng mag-ama ko nakalimutan na nila ko kunan ng picture, lol. Good thing the Sip & Gogh staff take pictures and you can see that in their Facebook page. O di ba, may stolen shots pa kami, I thought we only have 2 photos. (picture above and below)

We really had fun and it was really memorable because it was our anniversary and we experienced painting at the same time. It only proves that anyone can paint. Our painting is now up on our wall, at last, no more blank walls in our living room.

I recommend this painting activity. You don’t need the skill and talent, just try it, enjoy and you will be amazed at your own masterpiece. My son wanted to paint again and I told him, we will go back if he will get an award this school year.

Sip & Gogh Alabang
2/F Unit 5, Molito 3, Madrigal Avenue corner Alabang-Zapote Road,
Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Philippines

They have branches in Kapitolyo, Ayala Heights, and Eastwood

February 23, 2016

La Finca Tagaytay

My husband was on leave last Thursday because it was our anniversary, we don’t have a definite plan where to celebrate that day because my son has classes. He cannot afford to be absent anymore because he already missed his long quiz in one subject because of our trip in Vivere Azure.

It was a lesson learned that do not expect na walang gagawin after monthly test. Hehehe! I did not expect na long quiz agad, e nagmonthly test kami ng Friday and Saturday (Feb. 12 and 13).

Anyway as I mentioned in my previous post, I suggested to hubby na magdate naman kami while my son is still in school. I suggested La Finca Tagaytay, I saw this in Deal Grocer but I did not purchase the voucher because there is a 48 hours reservation condition.

La Finca is one of the new restaurants in Tagaytay which is located in Domicillo Design Hotel. There were only two tables occupied including us that time so we did not have any problem with the service.

The staff gave us the menu and we asked her what is the best seller, she said “Bagnet”, you can choose from Dinuguan, Binagoongan, and Crispy Sisig. We ordered Bagnet Dinuguan P475, Bidasilog P295 from All Day Sunrise meal and extra rice at P75.

We can dine outside but we wanted to avoid the fly so we chose indoor. Do not worry because you can still enjoy the Taal Volcano view inside the restaurant. I was trying to take a photo of it but it is against the light so madilim lang lumalabas.

The meal is good for 2-3 persons, so sana pala di na kami nag-order ng Bidasilog. Hehehe! We liked the combination of the dinuguan and bagnet. We can't finish it so we took it home but I was disappointed kasi wala dinuguan sa take out ko, so parang dinampot lang ng staff yung bagnet at nilagay sa plastic. Kung ano lang nakadikit sa ilalim yun lang ang may dinuguan. Hmmm, sayang naman bayad ko sa dinuguan at di sinama sa pagtake-out.

I also ordered Chocolatey Mess P275, according to the staff that is the best seller. It was good but not really for my taste because I find it too sweet so we weren't able to finish it. It is a combination of ice cream, meringue, cookies and butterscotch fudge. A type of dessert with different texture.

La Finca Tagaytay
Km 58, Emilio Aguinaldo Hi-way
Maharlika East, Tagaytay - Nasugbu Hwy,
Tagaytay, Cavite

February 22, 2016

How Did We Celebrate Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

The 10th wedding anniversary is the first milestone of marriage so we wanted to have a special celebration. We’ve been thinking about it since last year, we already have plans but it did not materialize.

Life has been so crazy and busy since June 2015 because of my psoriasis, my husband’s business trip every month, and my husband’s operation two weeks ago. In addition, our wedding anniversary fell on a weekday so it is really hard to plan.

But of course, we need to celebrate our 10 amazing years so I’ve been checking and inquiring in different hotels, some did not reply and others were fully booked. Maybe because February is love month so a lot of couples are celebrating too.

Valentine's Day

A few days before Valentine’s Day, I checked Vivere Azure Resort and I told my husband about it. He called the resort and reserved a room for February 14 and 15, 2016. It was an overnight stay only but we had a great time. This deserves a separate post.

Before our anniversary my husband bought me Fujifilm X-A2 camera. I was really happy because DSLR has been on my blog’s wishlist for so long, hindi lang nabibili kasi nasisira laptop ko, of course laptop pinipili.

We were supposed to buy this last Christmas but the color that I wanted was not available. Fast forward to February, but it is still not available. I want mint green or pink but yellow is fine because I can’t wait anymore and pagod na rin kami, we’ve been to 3 different malls just to look for the camera.

Anniversary Day

And because I received my gift in advance, I was not expecting anything on our 10th wedding anniversary. I was really surprised when I woke up and I have 10-anniversary cards. It’s been a long time since I received a love note from my husband so this is really something special to me. He gave me not just one but 10 cards so it took me a long time to finish it.

Then I told him, mag-date naman kami. Seriously, I can’t even remember the last time we had a date since I gave birth. Every time we go out, my son is always in tow. We had a quick lunch at La Finca Tagaytay while my son was still in school.

We went home and waited for our son. We finished his homework and off we went to Sip & Gogh. This has been on my bucket list for so long because I wanted to paint, frustrated artist lang. But the branches are too far so I was really glad when I learned that they have a branch in Alabang na.

We registered for Open Session, and we really had fun because we are all first-timers and we were able to create our own masterpieces even though we don’t have the talent or skill.

The family that paints together stays together.

It was a simple celebration of our 10th year wedding anniversary but it was a memorable experience for all of us. How about you, how do you celebrate your wedding anniversary?

February 17, 2016

How to Cook Lechon Kawali

I’ve been trying to cook lechon kawali since last year but it took me few tries before I was satisfied with the result. The taste is good but I was looking for a crunchy skin that I was not getting when I baked it in the oven.

So last December, I tried to cook it using the turbo, and voila, it came out perfect; soft and tender inside and crunchy on top. I served it during our Christmas lunch and my in-laws liked it too so it is a confirmation that I cooked it right. Turbo oven lang pala ang need ko. Hehehe!

Cooking lechon kawali is so easy.

First I brine it (salt and water) for few hours. 1/4 cup of salt per 1 liter of water.
Boil for 40 minutes or more (depends on the size of the meat) with garlic, laurel leaf, and whole peppercorn.
Air dry for few minutes.
Make a few cut on top so it will be easy for you to slice it.

Cook it in the turbo oven for 30 to 40 minutes at 200C

Update April 2021

Since 2016, I've been cooking lechon kawali in our turbo oven but it was broken after 2 or 3 years of use. I was contemplating if I will buy a new turbo oven but I ended up using our gas range oven to cook lechon kawali but I am not getting the same result so I seldom cook this at home.

Fast forward to last week, we already invested in Philips Air Fryer HD9270 so I immediately cook my favorite Lechon Kawali and I'm so happy because finally, the skin of the lechon kawali is already crispy and I only cook this for 20 minutes (200C) so mas madali compared to turbo oven. I used the same recipe pero air fryer na gamit ko.

February 12, 2016

Our St. Lukes BGC Experience

Some people were busy looking for resorts or hotels to spend their long weekend last week while I was busy checking the room rates of St Lukes BGC. Check the rates here.

My husband underwent Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy so we had hospital staycation last week. I will share the story on a separate post, for now let me share with you our experience in St Lukes BGC.

I was thankful because my son has no classes last Friday so he was not absent. After his school, off we went to the hospital last February 4 as advised by the doctor, the operation is February 5 at 7AM so we need to be there, the day before. There are some preparations that need to follow like fasting at 11 PM.

Admission Office

After we parked the car, we went straight to the Admission office. Just get your number and wait for your turn. The staff gave us the folder with Philhealth forms, reminders and patient/visitor guide. Don’t forget to inform them about your parking ticket, the charge is P50 flat rate per day for in patient.

Regular Private Room

Then we were ushered to our room. We’re supposed to get the Small Private Room but it was not available so we settled in Regular Private Room. I was surprised because the room is big, I’ve been in different hospitals before and so far this is the biggest room that I’ve seen (regular private).

The room has a bed, TV, DVD, fridge with a water bottle, telephone, cabinet, side table, couch, safety deposit box, hangers and slippers.

The Admission Kit includes toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, face towel, glass, and spoon and fork.

The bathroom has one towel too.

Checking the facilities and amenities of St Lukes BGC, there is no doubt that it is also called a hospital hotel. My son even said, “mommy, this is like a hotel”. He doesn’t feel that we are in the hospital because he is so comfortable with our stay. Well, hotel rate din naman kasi ang rooms nila. Hehehe!

Food

Salmon for dinner

I’ve been reading good reviews about their food and I agree with the reviews, gourmet ang food nila. I’ve stayed in different hospitals and ito lang yung time na I was looking forward to hospital food. As if ako yung patient noh! Hehehe!

Breakfast

While my husband was in the operating room, we were eating his meal, “Food for Companion”. You don’t have to go out if you need to buy food because there are so many restaurants at the ground floor.

Expect your meals to be delivered to your room at

Breakfast 6:30 - 7:30 AM
Lunch 11:30 - 12:30 PM
Dinner 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Service

My husband is the one who chose this hospital and so far we’re all satisfied with the service, from parking, admission office, doctors, nurses and other hospital staffs.

Since I was staying in the room, I’ve been calling the O.R. to check my husband. After my husband’s operation, they called to inform me that my husband’s was already transferred to Recovery Room and when they will transfer my husband’s back to our room.

If you need anything, just press the button and someone will go to your room to attend your needs.

The staffs are going in your room to inform you or if they need information like the staff from Infection Control. They even ask you if you need anything before going out. We requested for a medical certificate.

With regard to billing, they were the one who process everything and they just gave me the papers that I need to settle. I attached our CF1 (Philhealth Form). One thing I like, I can pay the bill on the same floor, imagine kung baba pa ko sa lobby di ba, e nasa 11th floor kami.

Note: Free wifi

We went home last February 6, so it was 3 days and 2 nights stay in the hospital. The rate of St Lukes Global City is not really budget friendly but if the service and food are good, I think it is still worth it. Kung may health card naman, why not.

February 09, 2016

IHOP

International House of Pancakes, also known as IHOP has been in the Philippines for few years, three years if I remember it right but it was only today that I’ve visited this breakfast restaurant.

I’m not really fond of pancake because I know I can cook this at home. But when I learned that they have P25 per pancake promo, I told my husband about it.

After the school service picked up my son, off we went to IHOP Filivest City branch, parking is P25 We already ate light breakfast at home, kasabay ng aking student so we just went there to try the pancake.

We ordered 4 pieces of buttermilk pancakes P25 each, hot choco P75 and pork sausage P85.

The buttermilk pancake is just ok, there is nothing special about it. I was a bit disappointed because there were only two syrups available, strawberry and blueberry. There were no butter pecan and old fashioned syrup. The hot choco is just ok too, mas type ko pa yung sa fastfood. Lol In fairness, we like the pork sausage.

Service is good. If you want to try their pancake, the promo is from February 8 to February 12, 2016 in all branches. IHOP branches at Bonifacio Global City, UP Town Center, Century City Mall, SM Mall of Asia Official, The Araneta Center, Filinvest City, & Fairview Terraces!

IHOP Filivest Alabang
Spectrum Center, Block 28
Filivest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa
7AM to 12MN

February 03, 2016

Learning Filipino with Buribox

When I had my son, I have no idea that I will be having a hard time teaching him the Filipino language. My husband and I speak Filipino in our home while my son is learning The English language because he always watches educational videos so even we talk to him in Tagalog he will not understand so we ended up speaking in English too. #nosebleed

When he started going to school, that is the only time that his Filipino vocabulary increases because of his classmates. We have no problem with school until he reached Kinder Level.

It is really a challenge for us to get good grades in Filipino and Araling Panlipunan subjects. Whenever we study or review these subjects, the calm mom became a monster mom in the end. hehehe! #stressdrilon He dislikes those subjects because he can’t understand all the words and sentences. He is having a hard time composing a sentence in Filipino.

There are limited resources that you can find in the bookstore and even online so I was really happy when I learned about Buribox last year. I was planning to subscribe this summer but thanks to May of fullyhousewifed.com for the invite to try Buribox.

What is Buribox?

Buribox is a monthly subscription box that will help you in developing kids literacy, critical thinking and gross and fine motor skills. It is designed for Filipino child so expect that the materials are bilingual and refer to Filipino culture.

There are 2 subscriptions that you can choose from.

Toddler Buribox P799

Recommended age: 3-5 years old
4-5 New preschool books every month
Multiple activities/worksheets and art materials every month

Young Reader Buribox P799

Recommended age: 6-8 years old
5 New storybooks each month
Multiple activities/worksheets and Art Materials every month

Young Reader Buribox

My son is 7 years old so I subscribed to Young Reader Buribox, I lived outside Metro Manila so I paid P150 for shipping fee via Paypal.

We received our first Buribox last month and my son was really happy with his new stuff. The box includes 5 books, worksheets/activities, and art materials. There is a Parent guide to guide you in the different activities. We started our activity after his periodical test but until now we haven’t finished all the activities because we are so busy with homework and quizzes.

I’m planning to continue my subscription after school year so at least we have something to do this summer. I wish this subscription box is available when my son was still in Preschool years because we have more time. Anyway, if you are homeschooling, if you are looking for additional activities or if you are having a hard time to teach Filipino, try Buribox.

Likes

1. We like Buribox because it is a nice way of teaching Filipino. I like the bilingual books because it makes my life easier in translating the story. The box includes worksheets and activities that will help kids in understanding the story. The art materials are already included in the box.

2. If you want to cancel the subscription, all you need to do is log in and unsubscribe.

Things to Improve

1. The only payment option is Paypal.

2. I hope there is an option for me to put comments regarding my delivery. In other online shopping sites, I can put weekday delivery only. So when they shipped the package last January 15, hindi ako makaalis ng bahay ng weekend waiting for the package. I can’t even track the package because there is no tracking number. Lol I received the package January 19. There is a note of 2 -3 days delivery but I want to make sure that I'm home.

3. Make sure that the activities or worksheets are correct. We’re supposed to receive carabao but we received cat.

Buribox
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