Michi Photostory

Day 14 of community quarantine and we still don’t know when this will end. I’m thankful that we are #SafeAtHome but of course, I can’t help but feel worried too whenever I hear or read some news. I’m praying that we can survive this health scare and one day the Philippines will be covid19 free.

Just last week, I've learned about Globe Rewards Donate Campaign so a few days ago, I informed my husband about it so we can donate our Globe Rewards points. We’ve been Globe postpaid subscribers since we started working and we’ve been collecting and redeeming points for the last several years.

I love using the Bill Rebate of PHP50 or PHP100 so less payment for my bill so I’m a little bit disappointed when they increase the amount to PHP300 and now PHP500 for BILL Rebate. I’ve never reached 500 points so for the last few years, we use our points for shopping (Bench) and free movies.


You can use your points for shopping, entertainment, dining, travel, Globe promos and lastly, you can also donate your points. You can donate to ABSCBN, Hineleban Foundation, PAWS Philippines, Save Philippines Seas, Virtualahan and now you can donate to Globe partner hospitals.

 "Your donation will help provide test kits, alcohol, and PPE to all health workers at RITM, San Lazaro Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Hospital."

So even you only have few points, it can help other people kaysa naman magexpire lang din points niyo, idonate niyo na lang. Last year, naexperience ko na rin maexpire ang points ko, I was not able to redeem my rewards because there was an error sa app and kahit sa website nila hanggang sa napagod at nakalimutan ko na balikan at nag-expire ng March 31, 2019. Now, I’m glad that I can use my points to donate.

Two days ago, if I remember it right, when I donated my points PHP50 pa yung minimum amount to donate and sabi ko pa, "sayang naman yung matitira kung mag-expire lang din, sana pwede yung ibang amount" But today, I've checked the Globe Rewards App again and I was surprised na as low as PHP1 pwede mo na idonate. Yehey!

How to Donate your Globe Rewards Points 

1. To donate, simply go to the Globe Rewards app
2. Click Donate or search COVIDHELP and you will see the list of amounts.
3. Click the amount you want to donate.

HELP500
HELP100
HELP50
HELP20
HELP10
HELP5
HELP1

4. Click Redeem
5. Click Confirm
6. You will receive a confirmation text regarding your donation or you can check your Globe Rewards App History.

Note: 

Globe extended the validity of Globe Rewards points that you have earned in 2019 from March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020.

There is also a limit of 3 redemptions per day. I’ve got an error message of “Sorry, your request can’t be processed. You’ve reached the maximum number of redemption for the day. You may try again tomorrow, Thank you!” 

Read: How to Save Money by Using your Loyalty Cards

Donate a Book is one of the projects of #SMShareMovement and I think it’s been years already that I’ve been seeing this every Back to School season but I’ve never donated my son’s books. I always keep my son’s school books for future use. And if I feel that he no longer needs it, I will give it to family or friends.


But I think they never used my son’s books din kasi nakita ko na nakatambak din siya and nabaha na nga lang so I stopped giving my son’s books so from Grade 1 to Grade 4, nakatambak siya sa house. When I went to SM, I saw “Donate a Book” project again but since I was busy for my back to school preparation, hindi ko siya naasikaso.

Then last weekend, I saw one FB post, she donated 57 books and got 57 coupons so it means, one coupon per book. And because of that, I decided to give it a try so we went to SM Sta Rosa to donate my son’s books. I only bring Grade 1 books para hindi naman mabigat dalhin. Good thing I did that because we still looked for the staff pa kasi wala tao sa booth. So imagine kung ilang books ang dala ko habang naghahanap ng staff, ang bigat lang.

I thought I will get one coupon per book but I was wrong. The staff informed me na kapag may sulat na daw yung book, per bundle daw. So 5 books = 1 coupon so in the end, I only got two P50 Off Coupon. Imagine I spent P7000+ for this set of books and P100 na lang value niya after gamitin. But of course, it is better than nothing. Wala naman ko nakuha sa Nursery to Kinder books na pinamigay ko din. Hehehe! At least may pakunswelo si SM sa pagdonate mo, nakatulong ka sa ibang bata and nabawasan ka ng tambak sa bahay mo.

But keep in mind that there are terms and conditions in using the coupon. P50 Off Coupon with a minimum of P500 single-receipt purchase of regular-priced items from the SM Store’s Stationery Department Store.

1. Can only be redeemed on regular priced SM Stationery items from the SM store. May 20, 2019 - July 07, 2020.
2. Offer is not in conjunction with other ongoing promos or discounts.
3. Only one dicount coupon may be used per transaction.
4. Folded, crumpled or stapled savings coupons may still be accepted by the SM Store given that bar codes are not encroached and security features are still intact.
5. Must be surrendered to the cashier upon redemption.

I already used my one coupon and I still have one coupon pa, next time na lang pag worth P500 na yung bibilhin ko. Next year, I will donate our Grade 2 school books naman.

Being a stay at home mom without a helper is not easy because you have no choice but to do household chores. I won’t deny that there are chores that I don’t enjoy doing like cleaning the bathroom and ironing clothes. But if there is one thing that I like to do is decluttering.

I mentioned before that I like to practice minimalist living so every month, I declutter one closet. I always weed out our closets and remove those stuff that we no longer need, I try to sort them into three, “to keep”, “to give away” and “to reuse”.

We always give our stuff to our relatives, those who are willing to accept hand me down clothes and stuff. A few years ago, we donated my husband’s clothes in Tahanan ni Maria, it is a home for the aged near our place. I didn’t donate my clothes because I’m not sure if grandmothers will wear my clothes. Sometimes, we just put clothes in a clean plastic bag and give it away to the trash collector. Those clothes that have holes or stains, I upcycle it so I seldom buy a rug.


“One man's trash is another man's treasure” 

Giving away is much easier than selling but sometimes, we sell preloved clothes and stuff online. A little amount that we earn from old stuff is still an extra income.

This year, my goal is to declutter and organize our home. We have so many stuff but few storages. One of our projects at home is to build or buy cabinets and shelves. A few years ago, we hire a carpenter to build a cabinet and it took him more than a week just to finish one cabinet. Waah!

After that project, we’re contemplating whether to hire a carpenter or just buy ready made cabinets and shelves. I’ve been meaning to buy Kallax cabinets for my son’s room but I just don’t know if I can bring it to the Philippines without paying any tax. If may tax din, di rin nakatipid so during my past two visits in IKEA, hanggang tingin na lang ko.


Since I am determined to declutter our home, I asked my husband if we can buy Kallax at Furniture Source Philippines. They have ongoing New Year Sale so we took advantage of it. We went to their store last week and ordered the 2x4 and 2x2 Kallax Cabinet. I thought we can already bring it home but I was wrong, all stocks are in their warehouse so it is either we pick it up or pay for delivery. Showroom lang pala siya.

We chose pick-up. When my husband went there, he was advised that the 2x2 pink Kallax Cabinet is no longer available. They can deliver the 2x2 white Kallax cabinet for free or they will refund the money. I told my husband to choose refund because 2x2 white Kallax is not included in their sale items and I don’t want to pay for the excess. He can buy the Kallax Cabinet in his next business trip naman.

Read: Buying Furniture at Furniture Source Philippines: Yay or Nay?


My husband assembled it and I was so glad that I was able to use our black Drona Boxes. If you remember, I asked my husband to buy these black boxes when he went to Thailand. So after 8 months, nagamit ko na rin. My decluttering is not yet over but hopefully in the near future, mabawasan na rin ng kalat sa house.


Furniture Source Philippines
38 Granada St. Villa IOrtigas II
Brgy. Valencia, Quezon City

I went to National Bookstore yesterday to buy some gift wrapper, Christmas wrapper, and paper bag and when I’m about to pay my stuff, the cashier asked me if I want to purchase books as donations. I didn’t know that National Bookstore has this Christmas book drive since 2006. 

The book is only P69.75; the cashier will give you sticker and tag where you can write your name and put it in the book and Christmas tree, then drop the book in their drop boxes. So if you want to donate some books to public institutions, this is the best way to help them and share your Christmas blessings.