Michi Photostory

Two years ago we went to Crosswinds Resort Suites, this resort is known as Swiss Luxury Resort and you can see some flags of “Welcome to Switzerland” inside the 100-hectare property. I don’t know why because I’ve never been to Switzerland but one thing is for sure, once you enter the Crosswinds community, you will feel that you are in a different place. 

Some people thought that I was in Baguio when I posted the pictures on Facebook but Crosswinds is situated in Tagaytay City. The 20,000 pine trees will welcome you so don’t forget to pull down your car windows to enjoy the crisp scent of the pine trees. 


I checked the rates of Crosswinds Resort Suites and it is on the pricey side so when I saw their promo in Deal Grocer last month, I called my husband and asked if he wanted to celebrate his birthday in Crosswinds. He said yes so he called the resort to check if there was still an available room. Then I purchased the voucher and emailed Crosswinds to reserve. I received my confirmation the following day. 

I bought the voucher at P2850 and the package includes 

- Overnight stay in a studio room for 2 
- Room and amenities good for 2 
- use of a fully-equipped kitchen inside the room 
- free use of view deck, swimming pool, and car service within Crosswinds. 

Klook.com

If you are in Tagaytay, most of the time you will crave for bulalo and Leslie’s Restaurants is one of our choices if we want bulalo. It started when we went to Caleruega for the very first time in year 2008. 

We went back when we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary in Tagaytay and we kept on coming back after our visit in Caleruega (every Holy Week). It lasted for few years, then we decided to try other restaurants in Tagaytay. The restaurant is always packed and sometimes you really have to wait long just to get a table. 

We were in Tagaytay last Friday and we can’t decide where to eat when we saw Leslie’s Restaurants at Sky Ranch. It was our first time in this branch. 



Since we always order bulalo, we decided to try other dishes so my husband ordered Sinigang na Maya Maya P399, Pinakbet Con Lechon P275 and steamed rice is P49 per cup. Leslie’s Restaurants is known for huge servings so it is really good for family food trip. 



When the food came, we were so disappointed because the taste is so bland. I can’t taste the tamarind and I think they forgot to put salt in Sinigang na Maya Maya. The dish has few ingredients too, I can really count the vegetables. Lol. The Pinakbet Con Lechon is just ok for us. 



And because of that experience, if ever we will go back to Leslie’s, we will just order bulalo again. 

Leslie’s Restaurants 
Les and Ries Garden Ranch and Restaurant 
KM 60 Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City 
Cavite City 4120

Air Conditioner is one of the most abuse appliances in our homes every summer. Sometimes we don’t mind our electricity bill as long as we are comfortable and we could avoid heatstroke. But like any other stuff, air conditioner needs regular maintenance too. It is very important to make our aircon runs efficiently so we can save on electricity bill. 



One important task is to clean the filter every month. Do you know that by cleaning the dirty filter you can lower your energy consumption by 5 to 15%? For the last several years, I’ve been using 3M Filtrete. It is a microparticle aircon filter that you attach on the screen filter. 



According to the packaging, it is made of electrostatically-charged fibers that work like magnets to attract and trap microparticles. So you breathe fresher and cleaner air. It works like an air purifier because it reduces the number of dust, mold, pollen and smoke particles. 



One thing I like about this product is, it so easy to install and remove. I just remove the filtrete and use wipes to clean my screen filter. Attach new 3M Filtrete and reinstall the screen filter. The filtrete will last 1-2 months. 

Cleaning the dirty filter is an easy task for me but cleaning condenser is my husband’s job. I’m fortunate because my husband knows how to clean our aircon but if he is busy, we also hire a professional to do the job. 

Have you cleaned your air conditioner?

Mang Inasal is a fastfood chain that was established since December 12, 2003. It is one of the affordable fastfood chains in the country that offers chicken bbq +unlimited rice and soup. 

So if you have big appetite and doesn’t want to pay for extra rice, Mang Inasal is the answer. But my son loves fried chicken so we seldom dine here but for a change sa nakakasawang fried chicken, we will eat here. 

While scrolling my pictures in my phone, I saw food photos when we dined in Mang Inasal last March (twice). Sharing to you the food that we have tried such as Chicken BBQ, Pork, BBQ, Dinuguan, Bangus Sisig and Halo-Halo.



What I like in their menu is, they offer regular meal and meal that has unlimited rice. My son and I always order regular meal while my husband go for unlimited rice. 

What’s your favorite meal in Mang Inasal?

There are millions of people who would love to travel but do not have endless amounts of cash to spend while they are doing it. Because of their limited finances, these people need to be more creative when they are planning their vacations. If you know the right tips and tricks, you can have a very nice vacation for a fraction of what most people would pay for the same trip. It is important to know these things if you are planning on visiting San Francisco. Here is how to travel and pay less to do it.

1. Choose cheap airlines to fly on

The airline you choose to fly on will play a huge role in determining how much you spend to travel on your trip. The fares that airlines charge can vary greatly. There is no sense in paying one airline hundreds of dollars more than another airline to take you to the same destination. This is why researching airfares before your trip is vital to helping you save money. Unbeknownst to many people, there are many airlines offering dirt cheap prices to fly abroad. For example, Air Asia offers one-way flights to many Asian destinations for only $20. This is ideal if you are visiting multiple cities in Asia. Norwegian Air has flights costing only $150 from both coasts of the United States to Europe in one direction. It is important to understand that these airlines have no frills, so if you are expecting the same type of service and features that you get when you fly on British Airways or Virgin Air, you will be disappointed. However, if you only care about getting to your destination for a cheap price, these airlines will do nicely.

2. Choose less expensive places to visit

There are some cities that are much more expensive to visit than others. This is just a fact of life. Therefore, if you are traveling on a limited budget, you need to be realistic about the places you can afford to visit. For example, cities such as Paris and London are very expensive. If you visit these cities, you will not be able to stay as long or see as much as you could in other places. You should consider countries like India, Australia, Russia, and Japan. All four of these countries have experienced a decline in the value of their currencies. This will make them more affordable for Americans. The economy of Greece is still in turmoil, also making it a destination where you can enjoy a very nice vacation without going broke in the process.

3. Use cards that do not charge any fees

If you use your ATM or credit cards a lot during your overseas excursion, you will most likely be paying a large amount of money in fees. These fees are charged by your bank or Credit Card Company every time you use your card in a foreign country. However, these fees can be completely avoided if you are using the right card. There are certain ATMs and credit cards that do not charge any fees for foreign transactions, or they will reimburse you for any fees that are charged. See if your bank offers one of these no foreign fee cards. If not, find one online and get it before you leave.

This article was written and provided by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, the ultimate platform for all your travel needs.

My son likes eating sandwiches, if I remember it right, he was eating bread + Nutella almost every single day when he was three years old and it was also his baon when he was in Nursery. 



But time came na nagsawa din siya so I have to look and try different spreads that he likes. We tried the Lotus Biscoff before, he loves it but not really his favorite so I thought he prefers chocolate spread. I bought Ovomaltine but he didn’t like it, maybe because the texture is not fine.  Since imported spreads are not cheap, I stopped buying at sayang pagdi niya type. Good thing my son loves peanut butter spread too.

Last April, I saw this Hershey’s Spreads Chocolate with Almond at S&R P200. I was glad that my son loves it and he was eating bread + Hershey's spreads during weekdays for his breakfast. 



And because it is his favorite, I went back to S&R again to buy this spread. The available spread is Hershey’s Spread Chocolate at P220, waah! Nagtaas na. 



I don’t know how long he will like this spread but I’m hoping that the price will not increase anymore.

Gone are the days when traveling is only for rich people and retired ones. Thank you for the cheap airfares, seat sale, and long weekends because it gives us a chance to fly and see the world. 

Traveling out of the country is not cheap because we have to pay a travel tax, terminal fee, and visa. Visa is not cheap, aside from the visa fee you need to spend money on other requirements like a photo, bank certificate, travel medical insurance, and other expenses. 

The sad part is if your visa is denied you cannot refund the expenses that you have spent. But don’t worry according to Wikipedia; here are the countries that are visa-free for Filipinos and some countries that issue visa-on-arrival with a minimal fee.

Photo from freepik.com

Asia 



Africa



North America 

Our family loves Jollibee because we like their food, it is our go-to restaurant if we are in a rush. We are thankful for the 24 hours branch and drive-thru option because we can buy food anytime.

Aside from chicken joy, my son and I love Jollibee Burger Steak. I think the burger steak meal is one of the cheapest meal they offer so I always order that.



Last month, I asked hubby to buy dinner before he goes home. I wasn’t feeling well that time so I did not cook. He suggested Jollibee na lang. I said ok and I said: burger steak na lang sa kin. 

He dropped my dinner and they (hubby and son) off to watch Avengers Age of Ultron movie.  When I opened the pack, I was surprised because the burger steak was so big so I called my husband to ask. He said, “yan na lang meron, wala yung dati”. 



Anyway, the big burger steak is 1/3-pound Champ patty. It is really big and thick but I find it dry and the mushroom gravy was not enough. I still prefer the old burger steak which is juicy and just enough for the rice. I did not finish the burger steak, how much more if my son will order this. For sure, marami tira. I think this is good for those who have big appetite and who want to order extra rice. Hehehe! 

The Jollibee Big Burger Steak is P80 for solo and P95 with a regular drink

Update: July 2015

I mentioned before that I did not enjoy my big burger steak because I find it dry but a few months ago my husband told me na masarap naman ha, natikman niya na daw. Knowing him who is not fond of burger steak, as in di daw niya type talaga and he can't really understand me bakit favorite ko daw yun. hahaha!



So finally last Saturday, I gave it another try and I was surprised that it is no longer dry and di na bitin ang mushroom sauce. Thank God for the improvement.

I also saw the commercial yesterday, burger steak meal is back at P50. Yehey!

I woke up and my son showed me this piece of paper. 


Me: Did you spell the word “present”? 
Ethan: No, Daddy helped me. 
Me: Okay. 
Ethan: Mommy, let’s go down. 
Me: Why? 
Ethan: I’ll show you the mystery box. 

Then he led me to this box. So this is the mystery box. Lol 


My husband just came home from Davao last night and he bought a box of pomelo. I still remember his first business trip to Davao, he came home with packs of durian candy which we didn’t like, see the story here. 

I told him to buy pomelo because that’s what I want in Davao and he followed. But he bought only few pieces of pomelo at baka mag excess baggage. Hehehe!. 


After few years of waiting, he went back again to Davao. Now, I was surprised to see a box of pomelo so hindi na kami mabibitin. If you have tasted pomelo from Davao, you will understand me. The outside skin may not look good but trust me, the fruit is soft, sweet and juicy. Like my husband said, “Don’t judge the book, by its cover” 


As of this writing, we already finished two whole pomelo. Hmmm, hanggang kelan kaya tatagal sa min. Well, if you are going to Davao don’t forget to buy suha for pasalubong. You can also buy mangosteen and durian candy if you like.

Update February 2018

When we went to Tienda sa Ayala Malls, we bought pomelo from Davao but the price is P120 per kilogram so we only bought few pieces. My husband promised that he will buy me pomelo and he did. They went to Magsaysay Fruit Vendor Association market.


He bought a box of pomelo for me, 8 pieces for P600 only. He also bought some durian candy, durian yema and mangosteen candy.

I’ve been too preoccupied these past few months so I stopped practicing sewing. I did not expect that because I planned to do my pinned sewing projects in Pinterest this summer vacation but because of the heat, I feel so lazy to do it. 

Last Sunday, I push myself to sew pillow case because I bought two king size pillows. I bought these pillows after watching “Home”  movie last April 1. We can’t use the pillow because we don’t have king size pillow case 20x36.



I tried to check different malls but I can’t find king size pillow cases so I gave up and decided to make my own pillow case. Thank God that I still have enough fabric for that, though the fabric doesn’t matches our bed sheet.



According to my cheat sheet, you need 1 1/4 yard of fabric and cut it in 41 x 41 inches. Sewing pillow case is one of the easiest sewing projects for beginners. As in super easy because you just need to sew the top edge, one side raw edge and bottom. You can do this in 10 to 15 minutes. 

And because I missed my sewing machine, I made throw pillow cases too. This is an easy project too, you just need to measure your pillow, mine is 15 x 15 inches. Then I cut my fabric 16 x 36 inches. 

I finished 2 king size pillow cases and 4 throw pillow cases and I’m planning to make more pillow cases. I just need to buy fabric that will match our bed sheets. 



Sorry, no step by step picture and guide at kinacareer ko ang pagtahi.

Back to school is fast approaching and honestly, I’m not yet ready. How I wish I could extend summer vacation. Are you ready this coming school year? 

Well, as early as the first week of May, I’ve been preparing for the school year 2015-2016. I have this “Back to School Checklist” to make sure that I won’t miss out on anything. I want to know the possible expenses so I can prepare my budget. 



Last month, I enrolled my son in McDonald’s Kiddie Crew and the fastfood is just beside his school so I took advantage to drop by after his Kiddie Crew. I just got the school supplies list, books list, and our schedule to buy books.  

After that, I started my preparation. 

1. Inventory of school supplies - I checked our supplies and assessed the stuff if we can reuse it again, just like these crayons, I told my son that we will reuse his crayons. (checked) 



2. Make a list of supplies - I listed all the things that we need to buy for school and home. (checked) 

3. Try on the uniform - For the last three years, I’ve been buying new sets of uniform every school year so I’m really glad that this year, we can reuse his old uniforms. 

I just need to buy one set of uniform because in grade school, he will wear a regular uniform for 4 days so I need an extra uniform. (just in case hindi agad makalaba at plantsa). My son needs gala uniform too for the Friday mass (once a month). (checked)

4. Shop for supplies and uniform- after doing my inventory and list, I went to school to buy a uniform and school supplies like notebook and envelope (stuff that has logo of school). Then I went to National Bookstore to buy the other stuff because it is cheaper compared to school. (checked) 

5. Shop for books - in my son’s school, there’s a schedule on when you can buy the books but you can still buy after the scheduled week. But I always buy on the day of schedule. (Takot maubusan and baka napagpilian na ang matira) (checked) 



6. Make list and buy clothes needed for school - aside from uniform, we still need to check other clothes needed like white sando, socks, handkerchief, and underwear. (checked) 

School shoes and rubbers shoes still fit so less expense. (checked) 

7. Shop for school bag/snack bag - we bought new trolley bag (box type) for my son because he has more books and notebooks in grade school so even his old bag is still working fine, we have no choice but to buy a bigger one. (checked)  

Read: Choosing a School Bag
          Shopping for a School Bag



8. Shop for water bottle, lunch box, and utensils - my son will be in grade school so I need to buy these stuff. (checked)

9. ID bag tags/name tags - I will reuse the old bag tag and printed new name tag.  (checked) You can also laminate this and use as bag tag but I will use this as a name tag. I bought an ID case.



10. Print labels for school supplies. - I printed the book labels with name only because I can’t wait till June 6 (release of section). I want to cover the books as soon as possible. #nocramming (checked) 



11. Make appointments for haircuts, dentist, and doctor - haircut and flu vaccine was scheduled on the first weekend of June.

I have to schedule our dentist appointment again because the staff just texted me yesterday. Our appointment was canceled because the dentist has a dental mission on the scheduled date. 

12. Take "first day of school photo" - I always do this for memories sake. 

I'm waiting for the orientation day for the grooming kit list. So far I’m almost done with my list, I just need to prepare myself. In two weeks time, I will set up my alarm clock again. I need to wake up early to prepare my son’s baon. Waah! Another dilemma for me, menu for lunch baon.