Michi Photostory

During our vacation in Norway, my mom was confined in the hospital for 5 days so we just stayed at home while she was in the hospital. You can read the story here,  so when she came back, I told her that we no longer have bread in the pantry. Bread is very important because we ate bread every breakfast and even dinner. 

She was not allowed to drive as per doctor advised so I told her that I will just go to the grocery. Since I don’t know how to drive, I will just walk to the grocery but my mom did not like the idea so she suggested that I should bake pandesal na lang. I haven’t tried making pandesal but since she has the recipe, I said yes. It’s been a long time since I bake my own bread, sayang naman pinag-aralan ko sa Baking Class. 

Read: The Day I Learned How To Bake My Own Bread



So the following morning, I woke up early so I can start making the dough and I was surprised when my mom already made the dough. I told her, bakit siya nagbake, pinagpapahinga nga siya ng doctor. She said, she is not used to doing nothing. Since the dough is already okay, we all knead, roll and shape our own bread. No rules to follow, basta kung ano gusto mo shape. hehehe! We put some fillings too like cheese, ham and green onion. 



It was sunny so while I'm baking the bread, my mom and son went out para magsunbathing. Sunbathing na balot na balot pa rin kasi malamig pa rin sa labas. Hehehe! #wheninnorway



I also made a strawberry and banana smoothie to pair with our pandesal with filling. 



Here is the finished product, don’t judge the photo because our pandesal tastes good and we enjoyed making it. After our hearty meal, we went out for a walk. As usual sa Bruholmen ulit. As of this writing, namiss ko bigla bonding namin tatlo. Hehehe! 


Watch the video here.

Yesterday, I was doing my newsletter for my email subscribers and I noticed that I only posted one article about my Summer in Norway series. Anyare! Hehehe! So now, let me continue my series, I still have a few posts in my draft before I start the Iceland Trip series.

If you remember my post last month, we went to Svartholberget and because of that, we went home very late. So the following day, as expected I woke up late and I did my usual routine. I was a bit surprised when I did not see my mom in the living room and kitchen.

She always wakes up early for her morning devotion, so nagulat ako na hindi pa siya gising. In my mind, baka napagod sa lakad namin sa Svartholberget so I checked my emails, messages and blog while waiting for my son na magising. Then out of the blue, my stepdad called me and he said, my mom was in the hospital. I was shocked, akala ko natutulog lang sila.


He explained to me everything. I wake up my son so we can prepare for our hospital visit. We ate breakfast, took a bath and we’re waiting for my mom’s update so we can go to the hospital. While waiting, ang dami ko naiisip.

- ganun kahimbing tulog ko at hindi ko namalayan na umalis sila ng bahay.
- kahapon lang naglalakad pa kami sa Svartholberget and mukhang okay naman.
- we’re supposed to have family lunch that day so canceled na.
- bakit ang tagal ng update.
- bakit mag-isa lang mom ko sa hospital

I don’t understand why we’re at home and we need to wait for my mom’s update. I thought my stepdad will just get something at home and we will go back to the hospital right away. Kaya nagmadali kami ng anak ko magprepare. My mom is in the hospital so we should be there.

Well, Philippines and Norway are different when it comes to hospitals. You don’t need to accompany your family member to the hospital. When my mom was not feeling well, dinala siya ng stepdad ko to the nearest hospital in the wee small hours, he was informed that my mom needs to go to another hospital for more labtests. The hospital is more or less 1 hour and 30 minutes away from our place. So my stepdad went home and we waited for an update if my mom goes home or needs confinement.


Ang tagal ng paghihintay, nagbreakfast, naglunch at nagmerienda na kami. Finally, while eating our merienda, my mom called so off we went to the hospital. The doctor advised my mom to stay in the hospital for more tests so we need to bring her clothes. Actually, on our way out, my mom messaged me na kahit hindi na daw kami pumunta sa hospital kasi mapapagod lang kami but I did not listen, we wanted to see her. Nagmamadali kami so we won’t miss the Ferry.

We need to ride the boat for 30 minutes and from the port, one hour drive to St. Olavs Hospital in Orkanger. Though Ørland has its own hospital, there are times that they send the patient to Orkanger or Trondheim if they need advanced tests or operations.


This is a public hospital so free lahat. The hospital is not that big if I will compare it to our hospitals here in the Philippines. My mom stays in a semi-private room so may kashare siya. We did not stay long because we need to catch the Ferry boat.


My mom was in the hospital from Saturday to Wednesday. We only visited her once, akala ko nga babalik pa kami before my stepdad goes back to work. Pero hindi rin, so my mom was in the hospital, my stepdad went back to work and my son and I were just at home waiting for my mom.

After 5 days, my mom finally went home via taxi. She underwent a lot of labtests and thank God okay naman ang test results. But since she still feels dizzy, she was advised to rest for few days, do some walking and light exercise and no driving yet. And because of that, ilang araw kami naglalakad sa Bruholmen.

Watch the video here.

At first, nawiwirduhan na wala kami sa hospital when my mom was confined. But my mom told me that when my aunt was terminally ill, they were not allowed to stay in the hospital room too. They reserved a room in a hotel where they can stay for few days.

Now, how I wish we have the same hospital in the Philippines when you don’t need to worry, when you don’t need to file a leave, when you don’t need to be absent in school and when you are at peace that is someone is taking care of your family. You don’t need to be in the hospital kasi may nurse nga naman.

I posted in 2011 that I wanted to finish this Viaje Del Sol list or at least visit most of the places listed on the map. Viaje Del Sol means “the way of the sun”. A map has a list of places that you can visit in Batangas, Laguna and Quezon. Viaje del Sol is like having an educational tour because you will learn more about food, art and cultures. Not only that, you can also relax and stay in different bed and breakfast.

Read: Viaje Del Sol List



We used to visit my grandmother in Victoria, Laguna every month and during our trip, we try to visit the places in Viaje del Sol map if we have extra time. But it’s been two years since our last visit in Victoria because my grandmother already moved to my aunt house. 

Natigil na yung Viaje del Sol trip namin. There are more places that I wanted to visit in Laguna, Batangas and Quezon but for now, let me share the places that we have visited so far.

Arabela Restaurant 

Arabela is the famous restaurant in Liliw, Laguna so if ever you will buy affordable slippers, shoes and other products in Liliw, don’t forget to try this restaurant. They serve pizza, pasta and salad. 

Read: Arabela

Villa Escudero

If you are looking for a place where to relax and unwind, I can recommend Villa Escudero. It is near in Metro Manila so having a day trip is not a problem. This is good for family trip. We have visited the place twice, check my review below. 

Villa Escudero 2010
Villa Escudero 2011

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery 

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery is one of the unique cemetery in the Philippines. We only saw this cemetery outside the gate since it was closed when we visited it, sarado siya nung Holy Week. 

Read: Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

Lake Pandin 

Lake Pandin is also a nice place if you only have a day to relax. You will ride in bamboo raft, you can swim in the lake, drink coconut juice and have a feast if you avail their food package. 

Read: Lake Pandin

Cafe Lago 

Cafe Lago is a small restaurant near Sampaloc Lake. Parking is very limited, good thing we had an early lunch here so may nakuha pa kami na parking slot. 

Read: Cafe Lago 

Casa San Pablo

Casa San Pablo is a bed and breakfast in Laguna. You can choose day trip package or overnight package. My family chose day trip package, this includes room, food and use of amenities. 

Read: Casa San Pablo

Sitio De Amor 

Sitio de Amor is another bed and breakfast in Laguna. If you don’t want to avail overnight or day trip package, you can still visit the place if you just want to eat but be sure to make reservation. For day trippers, you can rent a room for 50%. our family stayed in their tree house. 

Read: Sitio De Amor

 I still have more places that I want to visit. I hope I can add more on this list.

Our family loves to travel but we always travel on a shoestring. It is very important that we stick to our budget so we won’t overspend the hard-earned money. Traveling may be costly but there are different ways that you can do in order to save. You can book cheap airfare, stay in budget hotels, bring snacks, DIY your trip and many more. 

Aside from the airfare, the next big chunk of your travel expense is accommodation. We all know that people have their own preference when it comes to accommodation but for a budget traveler like me, if the money is limited I will search for hostels, budget hotels or vacation rentals. 

Whenever you travel, all you need is a place to sleep so staying in a hostel or budget hotel is a nice way to save money. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know for sure that we already stayed in hostels and budget hotels in and out of the country. 



Speaking of the budget hotel, last Saturday our family had a complimentary stay in Hop Inn Makati. Hop Inn is a network of budget hotels in Thailand and Philippines. They have 28 hotels and two are located in the Philippines, one in Ermita, Manila and one in Makati Avenue. 



After our trip to Uptown Mall BGC, we went straight to Hop Inn Makati. We were lucky that we still got a parking slot. I think there are only 7 parking slots in front of the hotel, I’m not sure if they have other parking areas. There is a staff at the parking area who assisted us. He even asked for our things but my husband said, “isa lang naman, ako na magdadala”. Then he ushered us inside the hotel. 

It was almost 3PM so there a lot of people at the reception area. I patiently waited for my turn, I gave my ID and the staff asked me if I have reservation or walk-in? I signed the form and they gave me my key card and off we went to our room. 

Hop Inn has two room options which are Standard Double Room and Standard Twin Room. As of now, the introductory rate is P1720 net per room/night. The room comes with flat screen TV with cable channels, free wifi, aircon, personal safe, desk and chair, hot and cold shower, hairdryer, clothes rack, towels and lines, and complimentary bottled water. 

There are no free toiletries so don’t forget to bring one but just in case you forgot it, don’t worry because you can buy at the hotel. 

Soap P25 
Shampoo P10 
Conditioner P10 
Toothpaste P30 
Toothpaste P15 
Bottled Water P10 

As expected, the room is just small but it is clean. One thing that I don’t like in budget hotels is the bed and pillows, madalas yan matigas so I was surprised when I checked their bed and pillows, it is comfy. My husband who always stays in five-star hotels (business trip) also agreed with me. The room is good for 2 persons pero nagkasya naman kaming tatlo, hehehe! 





The bathroom is clean too and it has a bidet. The towels are soft din, mukhang bago pa. 



The hotel only offers basic accommodation, there is no restaurant so my husband went to Rufo’s Famous Tapa for our dinner. Walking distance lang siya from the hotel, I even saw Barrio Fiesta restaurant too. The nearest mall is Century City Mall. 



The location of the hotel is near the busy road so expect that you can hear the noise of the traffic.



Check-out time is 12NN but we left early so we can eat breakfast at home. I just gave my key card, then they checked the room and informed me that I can go. 



Service is good, the staffs are all approachable and smiling. The staff assisted us from parking and hanggang sa pag-uwi namin. If you are a budget traveler, backpackers or leisure traveler and you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel in Makati, you can check Hop Inn Hotel. It offers basic accommodation at an affordable rate. The hotel is not for family staycation since there is nothing to do here except sleep and watch TV. My son always looks forward to swimming pool and kid's play area. 

Check out for some vouchers from Booking.com which would help you get more deals and discount for your stay in Hotel HOP INN.

Hop Inn Makati
7806 Makati Avenue
Poblacion Makati City 1210

A few months after we visited Japan last year, I’ve been reading and seeing posts about Anello Bags. I even saw a video that shows, how you can fit your stuff in one Anello backpack. Okay siya na travel bag so at that moment, I wanted to buy it but I don’t know how because there is no Anello stores in the Philippines.

If only I see those videos before our trip to Japan, nakabili sana ko. Though I’ve seen some online shops which sell Anello, I was hesitant to buy because I am not sure if they are selling the authentic bag. So I was happy when I learned that there is already Anello store in the Philippines, the only problem is ang layo ng SM Megamall.

Last June, we went to Uptown BGC for Father’s Day celebration and I saw Anello Store but it is not yet open. Then a few weeks ago, I asked my husband if open na ba yung Anello sa BGC and he said yes. Gusto ko sana magpabili but I changed my mind, mas gusto ko makita ng personal yung mga bags. I’ve been checking their FB page looking for bag designs and I save those I that I like.


Last Saturday, off we went to BGC so I can buy my travel bag. I immediately look for the backpack that I like and the staffs are very helpful to show me the features of the bag. I like the bag but I’m not sure if my laptop will fit.


So I put down the bag and check other bags, then I saw this white Boston leather bag and when I checked the price, mas mura siya. But I have to remind myself the reason why I was there. I need a backpack so I don’t have to use my son’s bag again. I used his bag when we went back to the Philippines, hindi kasi kasya sa handbag ko yung laptop ko.


Well, it is a long story but it is also the reason why I want a travel bag that can fit my laptop. Then I checked the leather backpack and it has a laptop compartment. I liked the bag but I was hesitant kasi baka ma-peel off siya pagtagal.


It took me a long time in deciding, natatagalan na nga sa akin ang mag-ama ko. Hehehe! So after several minutes, I finally bought my first Anello Backpack, at first, I wanted the black one pero I ended up buying the brown para hindi common na kulay. I haven’t used it yet since wala pa naman kami alis. Hehehe!


Yesterday, I learned na mag-open na daw ang Anello sa Alabang Town Center this coming September 1, 2017. I don’t know kung matutuwa ko o maiinis kasi dumayo pa ko sa BGC tapos magkakaroon na pala sa ATC this Friday. Anyway, at least mas malapit na branch, pwede ko mabalikan yung  Anello PU white leather boston bag. Hehehe!

Why I Like my Anello Backpack


1. Simple design
2. Lightweight
3. Easy access and there is zipper at the back of the bag.
4. Side pockets for water bottle.


Anello Philippines Branches

Alabang Town Center
Estancia Mall
Festival Mall
SM Megamall
UP Town Mall BGC
UP Town Center

Statistics show that in the US alone there are over 15 million people that practice meditation and the number is constantly growing. The ancient practice that has been promoted in Asia for centuries is now being embraced all around the world and many that do not know much about it wonder why. The truth is that the main reason why people start meditating and stick to it is that it works. World class meditation retreats appear in many different countries because of the main benefits associated with meditation. It has been shown that meditation has many benefits, including: 


Better sleep
Improved inner tranquility and peace
Reduced chronic pain
Attention boost
Helps to lose weight
Memory boost
Immunity boost
Lowering blood pressure
Improved heart health

Besides the benefits that were highlighted, we should also focus on some others that are much lesser-known. 

Meditation Anti-Aging Benefits 

Meditation has been shown to increase DHEA. This facilitates hormone production and increases metabolism speed. 
Melatonin increases appear. Melatonin will act as a strong antioxidant in your body, helping to fight depression and improving the immune system. 
Cortisol decreases – Cortisol, the stress hormones, makes your body retain dangerous fat, thus leading to diabetes and heart disease. 

Improved Relationships 

Many relationships end during periods of strong stress. Couples end up arguing and eventually the gap that is created is so high that it is impossible to go over all the damage that appeared. Meditation helps the individual to keep anger in check. At the same time, it is going to help a lot in aiding the body to respond better during stressful periods. 

As the person that meditates becomes calmer, arguments are much easier to solve. You listen to the partner more and find it much easier to make good decisions that help the two of you as a couple. If both meditate, the connection that is established is even stronger. 

Reduced Anxiety And Stress 

We already talked about stress and meditation is really good at helping people deal with stress but another thing we should all know is that meditation automatically helps to reduce anxiety. As the number of people that suffer from anxiety is growing, so does the number of people looking for solutions. Meditation is highly effective at calming the mind and the body. This makes it easier to focus on what happens around you. Anxiety is much easier to cope with and that means decisions made will be better. 

Final Thoughts 

Meditation is definitely helpful and it can be said that it does have associated benefits for most people from around the world. The simple fact that it is easier to deal with problems and stress can help out a lot in the modern society that is governed by a fast pace when doing practically anything. However, this is only possible when meditation is done right. There are many gurus out there that are not legit and that take advantage of people in bad situations. Do be sure that you learn meditation from someone that has your best interest in mind and is not looking for your money.

August is my birth month so these past few weeks, I’ve been contemplating if I will celebrate it or not. If I will celebrate, will I celebrate it in advance or on the day? My two dilemmas are, first, my birthday falls on a weekday so my son has classes and second coding kami sa birthday ko. Waah!

Of all the days pa, coding pa talaga natapat so even I wanted to eat in the nice restaurant, hindi ko makaaabot sa Alabang. Hassle kung magcommute kami at maulan. I also waited for my son’s schedule because last year, we were able to celebrate my birthday in Singapore because they have no lessons for one whole week but unfortunately, they have regular classes after the periodical exam so ayaw ko siya umabsent para lang sa birthday ko.

 August 19

Finally, I decided to celebrate my birthday in advance, we’re so blessed that we have three consecutive long weekends this year, Aug 21, Aug 28, and September 1. I told my husband about the Discovery Suites Hotel Promo and he approved it. He immediately called the hotel to check if there are still available rooms for August 20-21.


Junior Serendipity Suite – PHP 4,500 nett with breakfast for two persons

Inclusions: 
High-Speed Internet Access for unlimited devices
Access to Balance Lifestyle Fitness Club, swimming pool, and Kiddie Romp Room
Kids’ Musical Theater Workshop from 4PM to 5PM on:
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Saturday, August 26, 2017
10% Discount at Felipe and Sons
10% Discount on Food and Beverage at 12 Monkeys
10% Discount on Room Service Menu Items

The following day, off we went to Discovery Suites Hotel. The parking space is so steep, malaHanselma Highway sa kitid ng daan and paikot din. Hehehe! The hotel looks old na rin. We were there before 2PM and check-in time is 3PM. We stayed in Serendipity Lounge while waiting for our room. They also served our welcome drinks in the lounge.

Several minutes had passed and we haven’t received any message, then one staff came to the lounge and he informed the other guests that their room is ready. Nagkatinginan lang kami ni hubby because we knew na nauna kami magcheck-in sa kanila. Then the staff saw my husband and he asked for his name para mafollow-up daw niya. He is the same person who ushered us to the elevator.


Time check, 3PM na and still no message so my husband called the reception to follow up. After several minutes, the staff gave our key card so off we went to our room. When entered the room, we were all surprised because we saw the “Happy Birthday Ms. Michelle” banner and two balloons. So I told my husband, kaya siguro natagalan kasi nagprint pa sila ng banner. Hehehe!

Watch the video here.

We stayed in Junior Suite room which is about 40 sqm to 45 sqm. The room is big enough for the three of us. We have a couch, two beds, and workspace area.






I love the oven toaster and microwave oven because we can reheat our food if we want. There are complimentary bottled water and fruits. The bed has 4 pillows each, pillows have different softness, firmness and fluffiness. I’m very particular when it comes to pillows and beds so I’m happy that they have comfy pillows and bed.

The bathroom has separate bath tub and shower area. It has no bidet.


I want my son to experience the “Kids’ Musical Theater Workshop” sana but it was only available on August 19 and 26, 2017. Hindi pasok sa staycation namin but I’m glad that they have “Name Tape Painting” activity. At least my son has something to do. It was just a simple activity for the kids. I hope they provide apron for the kids, baka malagyan kasi ng paint ang damit.



After that, we went to the swimming pool. They have indoor pool and jacuzzi, the pool was 4 ft deep and cold. I forgot to bring his floaters, hindi ko expected na walang kiddie pool sa Discovery Suites. Anyway, he stayed in jacuzzi na lang kasi mainit. Hehehe! 12 years old below are not allowed to swim without companion kaya napabihis bigla si hubby.


When we went back to our room, I was surprised when I saw the complimentary cake and card on the table. I thought banner lang ang surprise nila. Thank you Discovery Suites!


We just ordered, “Discovery Special Pizza” for our dinner. While eating, we heard again the noise beside our room. Nagkatinginan na naman kami ni hubby, Oh no! My hubby said, baka magdinner lang sila then okay na mamaya.


We are an early sleepers, at 8PM ready to sleep na kami so we were hoping and praying na tatahimik din sila. But unfortunately, past 10PM na we can still hear the noise. We wanted to sleep but we can’t because of their noise. I know that they are celebrating their birthday pero birthday staycation ko din ito and I want to rest na.

My two boys were able to sleep despite the noise but I can’t. Past 12AM na sila tumahimik so dun pa lang ako nakatulog. I hope guests should consider the welfare of other guests too. Wala naman masama na magcelebrate at mag-enjoy but make sure na iminimize nila ang ingay nila. Pader lang pagitan namin. At that moment, I was asking myself if I made the right decision na magstaycation. I paid for it pero napuyat lang ako. Waah!

Moving on, the following day we went to Restaurant 5 for our breakfast. The room package has only two free breakfasts, the kid’s rate is 50% of P865. The restaurant is small, and the buffet spread was not grand if I will compare it to other 4-5 stars hotels but we’re satisfied. Mabilis na kami mabusog e. hehehe!







Most of the hotels that we’ve visited, they served crispy bacon but I liked soft bacon, and Restaurant 5 offers two kinds of bacon. Yey! I also liked their beef arrozcaldo, my husband liked the Laksa and my son enjoyed their pancake with whipped cream.

I really appreciate the birthday surprises of Discovery Suites Hotel. The service of the staff is also good. Our staycation would be pleasant kung hindi lang maingay ang guest na nakatabi namin. Well, that’s life you can’t choose your hotelmates. Hehehe!

Read: Breakfast at Restaurant Verbena
Christmas Breakfast at Restaurant Verbena

Discovery Suite Ortigas
25 ADB Ave. Ortigas Center
Pasig City

Hubby went to Cebu last week, I was tempted to book a flight so we can spend our long weekend in Cebu. But I need to practice self-control since I’m saving for our next home project. Anyway, I’m still happy because hubby bought our favorites from Cebu, which are lechon and danggit.


Well, let me reminisce about our 2 Days Trip in Cebu. Six years ago, I celebrated my birthday in Cebu. It was my advance birthday celebration since my husband could only take a one-day leave. We only have two whole days to enjoy our trip. 

We stayed in Fuente Oro Business Suites, it is a budget hotel that offers basic accommodation with breakfast. Since we arrived at 6AM, the room is not yet ready so we left our luggage and started our DIY Cebu City Tour. 

DIY Cebu City Tour 

We took a jeep to Basilica De Sto Niño where we will start our walking tour. From the church, we just walked to Plaza Sugbo, Magellan’s Cross, City Hall, Malacañang sa Sugbo, and Fort San Pedro. 



After exploring Fort San Pedro, we went straight to Taoist Temple. We rode a jeep and habal-habal, and from the gate we walked to the temple. It is better to take a taxi and let the driver wait for you. On our way back, we were lucky to get a taxi kasi ang hirap mag-abang. We thought that we were going to walk back to Julie’s Shop. Ang layo talaga nun, naghabal-habal nga kami nung papunta. 


Next stop, we ate at Casa Verde so we can taste their famous ribs. Then we went back to the hotel and took a nap. We did not continue our tour anymore because it was raining so we just had a quick trip at Crown Regency. We just watch 4D movie because I’m afraid of heights so I did not try the skywalk or sky ride. 

Read: DIY Cebu City Tour  

Mactan City Tour

The following day, we woke up early so we can go to Taboan Market. Our trip in Cebu won’t be complete without buying pasalubong like danggit and dried mango. 


Then we ate breakfast and off we went to Mactan so we can see Lapu-Lapu Monument, Mactan Shrine and Magellan’s Marker. The famous Sutukil was also there but we did not eat there because we have complimentary buffet lunch at Shangri-la. 

Read: DIY Mactan City Tour 

Day in Paradise in Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa


We had a day trip at Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa, the day trip package is from 8-9PM which is perfect for our evening flight. We really had a memorable experience in Shangri-la so last year, I inquired about their day trip and overnight package but the day trip was not available at that time. The overnight package was so steep for our budget so we just stayed at Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan. 

Read: Day Trip in Shangri-la Mactan 

Hopefully, we can stay in Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa because I’m sure my son will enjoy their Kid’s Play Area which was not included in our Day Trip Package before. It was a short trip but we enjoyed it. 

Read: Things to do in Cebu
Food Trip in Cebu
Cebu's Lechon