Michi Photostory

International Teacher’s Day or World Teacher’s Day was established in the year 1994 to commemorate the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation. Since then we have celebrated Teacher’s Day every October 5. During pre-pandemic days, we always have half-day classes or no classes during teacher’s day.

I always look forward to Holy Week because no work and no school so it means we can have a long vacation but things change when COVID19 happened. If there is no community quarantine, we are supposed to be back in Norway this coming summer vacation with my late sister. We already planned about this and we’re looking forward to our trip but it is so sad to think about it because it will never happen because she is no longer here. In addition, I don’t know when we could travel again. 

One hundred twenty-three days since community quarantine started and I’m patiently waiting for the day that we are free to go out again without hesitation and fear. Staying in the house for more than four months is no joke, the only time I went out is when I went to the dentist and law office. It was only few hours but when I got home, I worried about the virus. I feel safe when I’m at home so I’m a little bit paranoid when I went out.

During those four months, there are so many special occasions that had passed like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, my husband’s birthday, and my son’s recognition day. We usually celebrate these occasions by traveling, staycationing, or eating out but because of the pandemic, we have no choice but to stay indoors.

I can’t even buy gifts for my two boys because I can’t go out and online shopping is not an option because I am not sure about the delivery. Good thing that our love language is not “receiving gifts” so we are perfectly okay without gifts. My husband bought cakes during those moments and I’ve made digital cards and video as my gift. Hehehe!

Community quarantine is not a hindrance, you can still make someone feel special during their birthday, anniversaries, or any other special events. If you can’t go out, you can shop online, there are so many stuff that you can buy online depending on your budget. If you have a limited budget, you can purchase digital cards that you can download. You can send the digital cards via email or social media or you can print these cards and mail it. These cards are available in my shop.

Happy Quarantine Birthday! 



Wishing you a Happy Quarantine Birthday from a distance 



Sending you a virus-free card on your special day! Happy Birthday 



Happy Birthday! Wish I could be with you 



We might be apart today but you are always in my heart.



Buy these cards here.

Last week, I planned to use my Cricut Maker and make some projects but after setting it up and trying it, I realized that I need more time to learn how to use it. I stopped my Cricut project and out of the blue, I decided to push my plan.

I’ve been meaning to have my online shop where I can place my printables and social media graphics but as usual, I always feel that it’s not the right time and I’m not yet ready. But I took my courage pill and start registering my shop on Etsy.

Since I’m not yet ready, it took me several days to figure it out. I won’t deny that last week I feel so stressed because I did not expect that there are so many things to do especially listing the products. So far, I only have few products, you can buy instant download digital cards, tags, and stickers. You can visit my shop here






I only have 1 sale after one week. I know that I still have a long way to go. But despite that there is only ONE SALE, I still feel happy because
Finally, I DID IT.
I started even I feel that I’m not ready
I started even I feel scared.

F.E. Marie said, “Even when you fall, even when nothing goes as you expected, even then, be proud of yourself. You tried, and there is nothing more courageous than trying.” 



If you are like me who are feeling scared, I’m sharing these motivational quotes so you too can conquer your fear

“I always did something, I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow - Marissa Mayer” 

“If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, then you’ve launched it too late” - Reid Hoffman 

“Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better do better” - Maya Angelou

“Stop letting your potential go to waste because you don’t feel confident or ready enough. People with half of your talents are making serious waves while you’re still waiting to feel ready” 

P.S. If you want to start an Etsy shop, I have a referral link so you can get FREE 40 listings. If you are an on Etsy too, care to share some advice. :)

Just like that, we’ve reached the half of the year 2020. Time flies so fast even I’m confined inside our home. It is Day 79 of community quarantine and first day of GCQ or General Community Quarantine. It is now more relaxed but I’m still scared to go out because we haven’t flattened the curve. The number of covid19 cases is still increasing and we don’t know how long this battle will be.

June is the month of opening of classes but it was moved to August because of the pandemic. Though I already enrolled my son last January, (early enrollment) I’m still contemplating whether to skip or not to skip this school year. If I will switch to homeschooling or stay with our present school. There are so many things to be considered but for now, we’ll wait for more information.

This year 2020 is a heartbreaking year for me but I pray that God will sustain me. I still hope that there is light after darkness, there is rainbow after the storm and there is joy after tears. So I will welcome June with open arms and hoping that this time it will be a good month.

Anyway, I’ve created 12 Instagram Graphics “Hello June” which is free to download. Click here to download it. It is available in white and pink background.

"No matter how clueless you may feel right now, pay attention to suggestions and opportunities that suddenly present themselves...Take the first step in the direction toward something that feels right and see where it leads you. And do it NOW" - Jen Sincero



Stay at Home Mom 

Time flies so fast and I could not believe that it has been twelve years already since I became a stay-at-home mom or a full-time mom. If you think that being a full-time mom is effortless, then you are definitely wrong. It is not really easy; in fact, it is more stressful than working in the corporate world. When my baby came, my life gradually changed because this time, I had little time for myself. It is really hard to become a wife, a mother, and a maid rolled into one.

Choosing to be a stay-at-home mom is not an easy decision for me because I know that I have to give up my career and future income. But still, I am proud and happy because I am always with my son from the time he was born until now. I feel blessed because not all mothers have the chance to be with their children. I witnessed his first cry, first smile, first laugh, first tooth, first crawl, first step, first word, and other milestones. I am present on special occasions and school events.

The joy of being with my son doesn’t mean that I am always on cloud nine because there are challenges and struggles too. The journey is not simple especially if you are not used to it, there are also times that I cried because I miss working and I want to have my own “me time”. But still, I never regret that I chose this path because even I do not have a salary, I know deep in my heart that it is a rewarding career.

Read: How Motherhood Changed Me
Unexpected Joys of Motherhood 
The Mom You’re Meant to be
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Stay at Home Mom
Things You Should Never Say to a Stay at Home Mom

If you are a stay-at-home-mom like me and if there are times that you feel depressed or unfulfilled, don’t worry because it is just normal. You can read the “Professionalizing Motherhood” book by Jill Savage. This book really helps me a lot and makes me realize that being a full-time mom is a valuable career choice and there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Stay at home moms do not mean that we are lazy and uneducated because we are not, we just choose our kid/s over career because we feel that this is the best decision for our own family. Instead of focusing on the negative things, look for an opportunity to do the things that you cannot do if you are still working or take advantage of the time to learn new skills.

Read: The Day I Learned How to Bake my Own Bread
The Day I Learned How to Sew 
The Day I Learned How to Crochet 

Work from Home Mom 

When I decided to resign from work, I know that it would be difficult for me because I am not used to being at home. Two months after graduation I already started working so choosing to be a stay-at-home mom is really a challenge. I enjoy the first two months because I have time for myself, no work, no more graveyard shift, and no more deadlines. Aside from the usual household chores, most of the time I watch TV, surf the internet, bake cupcakes, and read magazines and pregnancy books.

But after two months I really feel bored because I cannot do anything and I am stuck at home. I have all the time in the world but I cannot go on vacation because I was on bed rest for few months, I do not want to spend money since I no longer have a salary and I have no companions since they are all working.

After three months of not working, I worked as a real estate agent but it is not easy so I stop before giving birth. After several months, I became a mompreneur, I opened my online store (www.mcsstore.multiply.com), it all started because I want to sell my son’s preloved baby stuff and then I decided to resell some products. I closed my online store because I don’t have time for shipping or meet-ups.

I tried my luck and applied to be a ghostwriter. Honestly, I don’t consider myself a writer, because I hate English subjects during my school days. I just took the risk and applied to be a content writer and fortunately I was hired. I have been writing for eight months and I decided to resign because it’s eating my time and I felt guilty because I have no time for my son. It reminded me of the reason why I resigned so I focus on being a stay-at-home mom.

Mom Blogger 

Quitting my online job leads me to blogging. I started my own blog where I can freely write and share my story during my free time. This year 2020, Michi Photostory is already 9 years old, I never thought I would come this far. My blog may not be popular and it may not have a lot of followers but I am happy to help those people who stumbled on this blog.

This blog allows me to earn a little through ads, sponsored posts, paid insert links, and other blogging opportunities. The passive income helps me to support my hobbies, buy the things that I want, save, and invest.

Read: Why I Love Being Mom and Blogger
7 Things I’ve Learned in 7 Years of Blogging

It is not just about the earnings but this blog is the reason why I learned and developed some skills like graphic design and social media management. These skills allow me to have a freelance career. Yes, I’m back to being a work-from-home mom but this time, I only accept short-term projects or part-time work. I’m still a work in progress because it’s been years since the last time I applied for work. I feel like a fresh college graduate student who has no idea how I'm going to sell myself in a job interview.

Check Michiscape Facebook Page and Michiscape Instagram

In a span of 12 years, I became a stay-at-home mom, mom blogger, and work-from-home mom. I know that my journey as a full-time mom will not end and it is still counting. But I’m thankful to God for opening doors so I can enjoy being a mother and at the same time, earn while I’m in the comfort of my home. I just hope and pray that as I walk this path, I will learn to enjoy and appreciate more my chosen career.

Read: Working Moms vs Full-Time Moms