Cricut Maker and Cricut Essential Tool Set

We celebrated our wedding anniversary last February and my wedding anniversary gift wish list is “Cricut Maker”. My husband wanted to buy it before our anniversary but I told him to wait because I wanted to attend a workshop first so at least I have an idea how to use the Cricut Maker. I found out that Tees and Prints has a Saturday workshop but I did not register immediately because of the location. It is too far from where I live so I decided that I will just wait for my son’s summer vacation. 

Read: Wedding Anniversary at Cafe Ilang Ilang at The Manila Hotel 

Fast forward to March, Enhance Community Quarantine happened so the majority of the shops close their business. And because of the social distancing, seminar or workshop is no longer possible so when June came, I gave my husband the go signal to buy my Cricut Maker. He was the one who researched, inquired, and purchased the machine. He wanted to buy the Cricut Maker + Cricut Essential Tool Set but unfortunately, the Cricut Tools are not available. I was thinking if I would wait pa para sabay sila dumating pero ending pinabili ko na rin. 

Where to Buy Cricut Maker in the Philippines? 

My husband contacted the main distributor of Cricut Maker in the Philippines but they are located in Bocaue Bulacan. Good thing that they provided a list of their resellers. 

1. Tees & Prints - Quezon City 

2. Hey Kessy - UP Town Center 

3. Craft Carrot - Pasig City 

4. The Craft Central - Vertiz North and SM North 

5. Bee Happy Craft & DIY Supplies - Grace Park West, Caloocan 

6. Alyanna’s Nook - Tondo, Manila 

7. Rochas - Binondo, Manila

Among the resellers, he bought my Cricut Maker at Bee Happy Craft & DIY Supplies because they offer FREE SHIPPING. We don’t normally buy appliances or gadgets online, sa dami ba naman ng modus or scam so nakakatakot bumili so we’re thankful that we had a fast and smooth transaction with Bee Happy Craft. 

June 25 - my husband purchased on their website and got an email confirmation. They have 10 different payment options. 

June 26 - my husband deposited the amount of P25,000 and sent the payment details on their link. The shipping will take 2 business days after they have verified the payment 

June 27 - we were surprised when the Cricut Maker was delivered. We live outside Metro Manila so hindi namin ineexpect na madedeliver agad. 

Cricut Maker P25,000 

Inclusions: 

3 meters of outdoor vinyl 

12x20 transfer sheet 

10 sheets cardstocks 

Rotary Blade + Drive Housing 

Premium Fine-Point Blade + Housing 

Fine Point Pen, Black 

Fabric Grip Mat 12x12 

Light Grip Mat 12x12 

Welcome Book 

USB Cable Power Adapter 

Free trial membership to Cricut Access (for new subscribers) 

50 free ready-to-make projects, including 25 sewing patterns 

Materials for a practice project 

1-year Official Warranty 

Cricut Maker "The Ultimate Smart Cutting Machine"

Perfect for Pro-Level DIY performance and versatility

For cutting, writing, scoring, debossing, engraving, and more.

 After one week, I finally set it up; I only did one simple project just to test if the machine is working. I wanted to make name vinyl stickers but I don’t have the Cricut Tools yet so my excitement to explore my Cricut Maker machine was gone. So since then, I was searching for online shops where I can order Cricut Tools. 

Two months had passed and I found The Happy Station website and Facebook page so I immediately browsed their website and ordered my Cricut Tools and other supplies. The timing is right because it was my birthday month and my mom gifted me with shopping money so I was able to buy tools and supplies. You can pick up your order or ship it, I chose the latter and paid P230 for the Delivery Fee. The time frame is 7-10 business days.

Shipping Method

FREE - pick up at san Juan (Tuesday and Friday only, Bocaue, Bulacan, and Recto

P150.00 - NCR (4 to 7 days)

P230.00 - Provincial rates

August 12 - ordered and paid via Paypal 

August 16 - received my order via J&T Express 

October 31 - ordered and paid via Paypal

November 5 - received my order via Blitz 

Nakabox na yung second order ko and may discount coupon ako. Unlike nung first order ko na nakawrap lang sa bubble wrap lahat. No box or plastic, just bubble wrap and no discount coupon. 

Cricut Essential Tool Set Core Color P2,000 

The Essential Tool Kit and Paper Trimmer set includes:   

Tweezers to lift and secure delicate material  

Weeder to remove tiny negative cuts

Scissors with a protective blade cover 

Spatula to lift cuts from the mat 

Scraper to burnish material and clean all cutting mats 

Scoring stylus to add fold lines to cards and envelopes 

High-quality trimmer for materials up to 12" wide 

Replacement blade for the trimmer 

The scoring blade allows you to add score lines to your projects 

I bought my Cricut Protective Cover here.

Cricut Maker Projects 

I have very limited time in exploring my Cricut Maker and so far, I only made 3 projects. First is my DIY Cake Topper using Acrylic Cake Topper and Vinyl Stickers. Second is my late sister’s name for her urn using vinyl stickers. The third project is my son’s DIY Cake Topper using cardstock. I am planning to buy more supplies so I can make more Cricut projects.

Where Do I Store my Cricut Materials?

For the past several months, I've been using the "Happy Station Box" to store my Cricut Materials but I've been buying a lot of materials for my projects so it doesn't fit anymore. I have Variera Plastic Bag Dispenser which I have bought at IKEA Bangna three years ago that I can use for my vinyl rolls But I only bought one piece because I bought this to store my wrapping paper, I don't have a Cricut Maker yet that time. I searched where I can buy IKEA Variera here but I was so shocked with the price, x3 na lang presyo so I just bought this medium storage box. 

I like this better because it has a cover so it will protect my vinyl rolls from dust. I don't need to display them since I only use my cutting machine from time to time. It is stackable storage so it won't take up too much space. Available in 3 colors, grey, white, and frosted white, and you can also choose sizes; small, medium, and large. Check the links below if you are interested. 

Small Storage Box

Medium Storage Box

Large Storage Box

Small, Medium and Large Box 

Check my Cricut Projects here

Buko Pie in Tagaytay

Buko pie or coconut pie is considered a specialty of Los Baños, Laguna so my ex-boyfriend now husband used to buy this as a pasalubong whenever he visits me. LDR ang peg namin before because I worked in Makati and he worked in Laguna. But he stopped buying this because I told him that I am not fond of buko pie.

When my late grandmother moved to Victoria, Laguna, we always visit her every month. For those seven years of monthly visits, we always pass different stores of Buko Pie and minsan kahit sa daan meron nagbebenta. I think mabibilang ko lang sa daliri ang nabili ko na buko pie, I tried several brands na rin and sa tagal hindi ko na maalala lasa nila. Hehehe!

Cecilia’s Buco Pie 

Last month, my husband went out and came back with a box of buko pie. Mainit-init pa nga ito nung binigay sa kanya, ang sarap sana kainin kaso busog na kami sa dinner. When I checked the box, it is from Tagaytay so I was surprised kasi akala ko puro Buko Tart kapag sa Tagaytay. 

Read: Buko Tart in Tagaytay 

The following day, my husband sliced and reheated this in the oven toaster so I was not able to take a picture of the whole pie. Looking at the slice, hindi tinipid sa ingredients. As I’ve said before, buko pie is not my favorite but I still enjoyed this one. My husband and son love this, yung anak ko na hindi naman mahilig sa mga ganyan na food pero mas marami pa nakain sa akin. 

Speaking of Tagaytay, the last time we went here was January 2 and after that, nagkaashfall and then community quarantine na. Tagaytay is already open for tourism but unfortunately, my son is not allowed to go out yet, sana naman by December pwede na mamasyal. 

12th Birthday

Time passes quickly and I cannot imagine that my son is already 12 years old. Next year, I already have a teenager. Woah! In a span of several months, a lot has been changed. My son is now taller than me, though hindi naman mahirap iachieve iyon but I am happy na hindi siya nagmana ng height sa akin. Hehehe! His voice changed already, parang namimiss ko yung maliit at matining niyang boses. We enjoyed rewatching his videos nung bata pa siya nga kahit naiinis siya pag pinapanood namin, parang hiyang-hiya siya sa mga ginagawa niya dati.

Read: 11th Birthday Celebration

I wish I could stop the time so he will be forever my baby but I also appreciate that he is growing and maturing na, especially this community quarantine and we are stuck at home. My son can do more household chores and he can study on his own. I thought mahihirapan ako this online class kasi baka ending ako rin ang magturo. But I’m glad, kaya na niya and if may questions man, nandito rin si hubby para magturo. How I wish, work from home na si hubby lagi. And because of that, I can still work part-time kahit nagstart na yung school year.

As expected, no travel, no hotel staycation, and no food trip because of community quarantine. So for my son’s birthday, naggrill lang kami ulit like nung birthday celebration ko. My son just wanted a lechen flan but I told my husband to buy a cake. Hubby bought Salted Caramel Cake P895 and Leche Flan P195 from Contis. 

Read: My Quarantined Birthday Celebration

DIY Samgyeopsal at Home

The Salted Caramel Cake is a layered cake of butterscotch brownies, vanilla sponge cake, cream, dulce de leche, and ground cookies. It was our first time trying this cake, my two boys love this but I find it too sweet, ewan ko hinahanap ko yung lasa ng “Salted caramel” parang matamis lahat e. hehehe! Anyway, we all love Contis Leche Flan, one of our favorites na rin ito ever since nung natry namin, early this year. 

And for my 3rd Cricut Project, I made a “happy birthday cake topper”. I just downloaded a SVG file from Pinterest, uploaded it to Cricut Design Space and Cut. Good thing that I have a free gold cardboard stock so I used it, pero mas okay sana kung may glitter card ako. But it turned out great naman, I like this better than the first “happy birthday cake topper”, kasi mas bagay yung size sa cake.

For gifts, my son just wanted a power bank. Oh di ba, binata na talaga, mga panggadget na ang request. Since my mom gifted him money, he asked his daddy to buy a Nintendo Switch game na multi-player daw. He listed 4 games and hubby bought the “Arms” game. Ang mahal ng Nintendo games noh?

Cebu’s Best Rico’s Lechon in Metro Manila

It is not a secret here that I am a meat lover and I love lechon. It is one thing I look forward to if there are fiestas, weddings, reunions, or any other celebrations, kapag may nakita na ko na lechon sa buffet table, masaya na ko. If my husband has a business trip to Cebu, hindi na kelangan imemorize, he needs to buy lechon because that is the key to our house. Hahaha!

Read: Cebu’s Lechon 

Last month was my first time to visit Landers after 7 months, imagine February pa yung last visit ko so I was really shocked na may Christmas decors na sa Landers. How time flies and ganun katagal akong hindi naggrocery because of the community quarantine. So I really took time exploring the grocery, namiss ko ito. Good thing, there are few people lang in Landers which is surprising kasi weekend ako nagpunta. Usually, matao ang grocery kapag weekend pero wala din pila kahit sa cashier.

Anyway, while checking the freezers, I discovered frozen foods from Cebu’s Best Rico’s Lechon. The last time I ate this lechon was 4 years ago, my son and I ate here when we visited Cebu. Though I was a little bit disappointed during my first visit, I still bought 500 grams of regular lechon P472.75 and 500 grams of dinuguan P178.75. You can also buy spicy lechon, lechon pares, lechon binagoongan, lechon paksiw, sisig, and many more.

Read: Lunch at Cebu’s Best Rico’s Lechon

The lechon is carefully packed with reheating instructions and recommended recipes like lechon sinigang and lechon paksiw. Since this is 500grams, I reheat the lechon in the oven but for smaller portions, I also use oven toaster. For lechon, I prefer to use an oven toaster than a microwave oven because I want the skin to be crispy.

Reheating Instructions for Frozen Lechon 

1. Defrost the frozen lechon in the refrigerator overnight until soft.
2. Preheat oven to 400F. Once the desired temperature is reached, place the entire meat with skin facing up inside the oven. Reheat for 10-15 minutes. Flip the meat from time to time to prevent the softer one from burning.
3. Reheating in the microwave: Separate meat and skin, microwave meat for 2 minutes, place the skin on top of the meat, and microwave for additional 20 seconds.

* Best consumed once opened. Do not refreeze once thawed.

The lechon skin curled-up and muntinkan pa masunog yung isa, though hindi lahat naging crispy pero okay na rin. Well, the taste reminded me of our first experience in Cebu, the meat was dry, hindi kasi siya belly part e. But anyway, it still satisfied my lechon cravings, at least now I have two choices if I want to eat Cebu’s Lechon. We have Zubuchon and Rico’s Lechon in Metro Manila.

For dinuguan, I just reheat this on the stove, medyo masabaw siya, maliit yung slices of meat and lasa talaga yung ginger. You can also use microwave to reheat it.

Reheating Instructions for Frozen Dinuguan

1. Defrost the frozen dinuguan in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Heat a pan on high heat, place the thawed product.
3. Let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

If ever makapagLanders ako, I will still buy these frozen foods because if I have no time to cook, at least I have an easy to prepare meals.

Why do People Get Lung Cancer? The Most Common Causes Revealed

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, more of us are thinking about our health. What we eat, how much we exercise and our lifestyle choices have all come into question since we’ve had our mortality highlighted due to the spread of the virus.

Despite COVID-19 being a new threat to our health, for many, the threat of developing cancer is still a considerable concern. There are many different types of cancer, with the most common being prostate, breast, skin, and of course lung cancer. Thanks to advances in technology and the constant evolution of medical understanding around cancers, we no longer have to consider cancer as a death sentence. With new treatments being used all the time and cancers being caught much earlier, more people are surviving than ever before.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer, and sadly many people still aren’t aware of the signs or even what can trigger this devastating disease to develop – click the link to learn more and to find a lung cancer lawyer.

So, with this in mind here we’ll explore why people might develop lung cancer and discuss the most common causes.

Workplace Risks

If you work in an industrial type role, or you’re dealing with harsh substances then you’re more likely to be exposed to the chemicals that can trigger lung cancers.

If you work with fuel engines and you spend most of your time exposed to exhaust fumes (like drivers or a mechanic might) then you could be at a higher risk. Working with substances such as silica – often used in glassmaking and bricklaying – can also increase your risk. And anyone who is working with asbestos – even in old buildings – can increase their chances of developing lung cancers.

Smoking

Of course, we all know that smoking can cause lung cancer and it's hardly surprising. Around 7 out of 10 lung cancer diagnoses are smoking-related. The chemicals found in tobacco smoke such as ammonia, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide (yes, cyanide) increase your risk of triggering lung cancer development. Even if you're just passively smoking, you're still increasing your risk and harming your health. If you haven’t already, quit!

Air Pollution

We're all familiar with how pollutants in the air are damaging our environment. But did you also know that air pollution can be incredibly damaging to your health? Of course, the risks associated with air pollution and lung cancer are quite minimal, but it's not unheard of and should be taken seriously.

Your Family History

Some cancers, including lung cancer, can be hereditary, which means if your family has a history of lunch cancer, then you could be at risk. If you have a close relative that has battled the disease then you should take additional steps to preserve your health. Recognizing the early signs of lung cancer will also help you.

- A continuous cough that won’t go away
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness and fatigue
- Coughing up blood
- Reoccurring infections like pneumonia and bronchitis.

Final thoughts…

If you’re worried about lung cancer, reach out to your doctor for more advice.