Michi Photostory

Two years ago, I received a succulent plant as a souvenir so I was happy because this type of plant is perfect for a non-green thumb like me. But I felt sad because, after few months, we went to Norway for a vacation so I already expected that my plant will die because no one will water it. Surprisingly, it survived for almost one month. When my husband went back to the Philippines, he took care of it. 

One year had passed, my succulent keeps on growing so one pot became three pots and then five pots. When my husband repotted my succulent plants, the plants slowly died hanggang sa walang natira. Huhuhu! I don’t know why, is it because of the soil that we used or nasobrahan ba ng dilig? 

Anyway, after several months, my husband bought me a new succulent plant so I was happy na may kapalit na yung nawala sa akin. My husband was so shocked with my reaction, iba daw kasi yung smile ko sa plants compared sa flowers na binibigay niya dati. Now, he finally understood na ayaw ko talaga ng bulaklak talaga. Hehehe! Well, he already stopped giving me flowers since year 2012.  

On the same day, I immediately searched Shopee for ceramic pots. I don’t want to use the old plastic pots at baka mamatay ulit sila. Hehehe Sinisi ko na ngayon ang paso. I ordered from two different stores and I’m glad that my pots arrived in good condition, may free pebbles pa. 

Then using my Cricut Maker, I made some decals stickers. I can’t do this with my old pots kasi hindi sila smooth so ngayon pwede na. I used glossy black and frosted glitter vinyl stickers pero hindi maganda kinalabasan sa frosted glitter so I will remake this project if I have extra time. 

Love grows here 

Please don’t die 

Plant, grow, bloom 

Plant your dreams 

Bloom where you planted 

And dahil halaman naman daw pala magpapasaya sa akin, my husband bought succulent plants again. OMG, I only ordered 5 pots so I have no choice but to use the plastic pots sa dalawa, hehehe! Next time na ulit ako oorder kapag naggrow and bloom na sila. I do hope humaba na ang buhay nila. I’ve made some research on how to take care the succulent plants. 

How to Care Your Succulent Plants 

1. Choose the right soil. A mix of gardening soil, sand, and perlite or pumice. 

2. Make sure they get enough sunlight. 

3. Water the soil directly not spray. 

4. Choose a container with a hole or drainage. 

5. Keep succulent leaves clean. 

6. Fertilize 

I asked my husband kung ano name nila, hindi daw niya alam so ireresearch ko pa. Waah! Checking the plants parang I have Echeveria and Jade, correct me if I am wrong.

Sharing the links where I bought my succulent pots. 

Yesterday, I shared about the homemade mojos potato and now let me share the Great Earth Potato Wedges. I just realized na same brand ito ng California Blend that I previously blogged. Anyway, last weekend, I cooked fried chicken and I remembered the potato wedges that I bought last December at Landers. One pack is 2 lbs for P179.75. 

I checked the packaging for cooking instructions and this potato wedges pala is good for baking. But I did not follow it, nag-fry na ko ng chicken so nagfry na rin ako ng potato wedges. I just fry 1/3 of the pack for 6-8 minutes. 

The taste of the potato wedges is quite similar to KFC fries, medyo oily because I deep fried it so it was not a hit. Next time I will follow the cooking instructions kung magbabago ang lasa. Pero may lasa na siya kahit wala pa seasoning or dahil prinito ko siya kung saan ko prinito yung chicken na may Crispy Fry. hehehe!

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Light grease a large baking sheet and set it aside. 

2. Place potato wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. In a small bowl, whisk together salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle potato wedges with the shredded cheese, tossing to coat, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture. 

3. Place potato wedges on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer with skin-sides down. Bake for 25-35 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and golden. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and dressing for dipping. 

But because we are still under community quarantine, eating outside is not that easy so I was happy when some restaurants offer “Ready-to-Cook” meals like the Shakey’s Mojos Potato. One pack is P375, pero sobrang dami niya talaga na napuno agad freezer namin nung binili yun ni hubby. Unfortunately, the pack does not include the breading mix but there is nothing to worry about because they also shared the recipe on how to cook mojos potato at home. 

1. Wash - Rinse mojos for a few seconds and drain. 

2. Coat - Coat evenly using your preferred breading mix, or this recipe. 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 tsp ground black pepper 

2 tbsp iodized or table salt 

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp thyme 

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Carefully toss mojos in a bowl with the breading mix to prevent them from breaking. (Breaking mix can approximately cost 1.5kg of mojos) 

3. Fry - Heat cooking oil in a frying pan. Place coated mojos individually. Deep fry until golden brown and desired crispness is achieved. Choose good quality cooking oil for frying and reuse up to 2 times only to ensure crisp and tasty Mojos. 

I did not bother to make a homemade breading mix because we are already okay with Crispy Fry. Since 2012, ito na gamit ko para wala ng measure-measure pa. I use it kahit anong food pa, you can check my post here.  

For my fried chicken, I always precook this, boil it for 30-40 minutes with seasoning. If nugget-sized yung chicken, I don’t precook na, diretso fry. After boiling, coat the fried chicken and mojos then deep fry in oil for 6-8 minutes. Voila, we have our own version of Chicken n’ Mojos. As years pass by, improving na ang mojos ko compared sa first try ko. hehehe 

Hindi rin lahat ng nasa Bahay Kubo song kinakain ko so mabibilang lang na vegetables dishes ang niluluto ko. If my husband wants to eat more veggies, yung tipong nagdadiet siya, siya na bahala magprepare ng salad niya. Sa samgyeopsal lang ako kumakain ng lettuce. Hehehe! 

Last December, I saw this Great Earth California Blend Frozen Vegetables at Landers. Most of the time, corn + carrots + peas ang nakikita ko na frozen vegetables so when I saw carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, napabili ko. It is only P164.75 for 2lbs so feeling ko mura na kasi ang mahal kaya ng broccoli.

I planned to pair this with our Lechon Belly de Cebu pero hindi natuloy so last month I cooked this. It just so happened that we have leftover beef bulgogi after namin magsamgyeopsal so para hindi kami maumay at puro meat na kami, may sidedish kami na vegetables.  

I just followed the cooking instructions at the back of the packaging 

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter on high.

2. Add frozen vegetables to the hot pan. 

3. Stir frequently, add separate carrot clusters, adjust heat, as needed to reduce browning. 

4. Cook for 10 minutes (2 lbs) 

The taste of the vegetables is bland so I seasoned it with salt and pepper. Maybe next time, I will add chicken powder or cubes. For a family of 3, 2 lbs is a big serving so after I cooked it, I divided it into 3 portions. May sidedish kami ng ilang kainan. Hehehe! I will buy this again on my next visit.

I already acknowledged the fact that COVID19 is not easy to deal with but I am hoping and praying that this won’t be the new normal because I really miss the old times. Since I don’t feel really safe going to the mall, I also accepted the fact that online shopping is the best option for now. 

I’m not really into online shopping because I’m impatient. As much as possible, gusto ko nakikita ko ng personal yung item and kapag binili ko, maiuuwi ko na. Maski nga food delivery, hindi ko rin bet. I hate waiting for my delivery kasi minsan kapag gusto ko umalis, no choice ako kundi maghintay sa delivery man. But now that I’m stuck at home, I have all the time to wait for my order. 

For the longest time, I stayed away from Lazada and Shopee because I don’t want to get addicted to online shopping. But after trying it, I finally understood why people love these two e-commerce sites. I appreciated Lazada and Shopee especially last holiday because I was able to buy Christmas gifts without going to the mall. 

1. I can’t stop myself from tracking my order, I always check updates, and if mag-weekend na at hindi pa rin dumarating, it means I can’t go out. 

2. I hate waiting for my order. There are two bad experiences that I can’t forget. First, when we transferred to our new home, we ordered a gas range and we were advised about the delivery date and time. It was weekend but we decided to stay home kasi sabi nila after lunch daw darating. Pero wala dumating after lunch and wala rin dumating after dinner so we were very disappointed because we just wasted our day. Past 11PM, nagising na lang kami at may pumarada na delivery van with security guard pa. OMG, ganun ka-late ang delivery so after that incident hindi na kami nag-order sa SM Home Appliances (if may delivery). (hindi pala online shopping to, hehehe)

Second. was way back in 2019, I received a message as early as 6:42AM that my order will be delivered. I’ve waited and waited so before 5PM, I sent a message to Black Arrow Express because I want to know their delivery time. They kept on saying na “Please anticipate arrival or rider” and “Please wait for the arrival of the rider”. Natapos na kami magdinner at patulog na kami tapos bigla may tatawag sa akin (past 8PM) “Ma’m sarado po bahay niyo kaya hindi ko po nadeliver”. OMG, I reviewed the CCTV and may white van na pumarada, binuksan ang van window, kinunan ang bahay namin at umalis. So hindi man lang niya ko tinext or tinawagan nung nasa tapat pa siya ng bahay namin. To make the long story short, pinabalik ko siya at nareceived ko order ko before 9PM. After that incident, I stopped ordering at Althea Korea, natrauma ko, buti na lang marami na ko stock ng Korean products. I hope next time na order ko, iba na partner courier nila. 

3. I received an incomplete order. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about online shopping and this is one of the reasons why I avoid it. I also have a fair share of incomplete orders but I’m thankful that those three stores, refunded the missing items. Some stores send the missing items. 

4. I received the wrong item. Last month, I ordered a gadget pouch and this store sent me a sweat belt. I informed the store pero deadma lang siya. I know that I have the option to return the product but when I read the process, huwag na lang. I won’t stress myself going out just to return the package. Good thing, mura lang yung item na nabili ko. Sana lang yung sweat belt, effective at lumiit tiyan ko. lol

5. Expectations vs Reality. As I’ve said before, mas gusto ko na nakikita yung item because most of the time, maganda yung item sa picture pero iba sa personal. Nakakadisappoint lalo na kung ang layo ng picture sa personal and yung item description hindi naman nasunod. I experienced this when I ordered Christmas Ornaments and Round Wood Blanks. Hindi ko na rin nareturn kasi nga hassle. 

6. I don't like the mess, because the seller wants to deliver the package in good condition, too much packaging naman nangyayari. So there are so many plastics, bubble wrap, and shredded paper. I reuse the plastic for trash bins, yung boxes may kumukuha (mga nagbebenta sa junkshop), shredded paper for the garden but I don't know how to reuse or recycle the bubble wrap. 

7. I received a defective item. When I received my package, it was well-packed and arrived in good condition. Good thing I tested the product first and I was a little bit disappointed because it doesn't work so I immediately informed the seller and I was advised to return the product so they can refund. Since this is PHP600 worth, nag-effort na ko magrefund. The return process is easy, effort lang sa pagdrop ng package. 

But one seller did not refund or replace the damaged item that I received. 

8. I received a damaged item. I've been buying fragile items online and the majority of my orders arrived in good condition. But I also experienced receiving a damaged items, yung pag-abot pa lang ng rider, kinabahan ka na kasi bakit tumutunog. So I took a video while unboxing and as expected, basag yung oil bottles ko. I messaged the seller about it but no reply so I just file for a refund. Hindi maganda packaging so talagang mababasag, may manipis na bubble wrap lang.  

1. I can shop in the comfort of my home. Now that we are experiencing community quarantine, I love online shopping because I can shop without going out. No more traffic and hindi pa ako napagod maglakad. 

2. Shipping fee is not that expensive. The shipping fee is an additional cost to my order so it is one of the reasons why I avoid online shopping. Feeling ko, bibilhin ko na lang sa mall para isang gastos lang kaysa shipping fee per order. But after trying Shopee and Lazada, may mura naman pala na shipping fee. I was able to purchase products from China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, and the starting delivery fee is around P40. Mura compared sa mga binayaran ko sa ibang online shops sa Pinas. 

3. Free shipping. I love free shipping vouchers or free shipping promo of stores. As much as possible, I buy from these stores para tipid. Sometimes, I use Shopee Pay just to get the free shipping coupons. :)

4. Since I live in the province, ang dami ko gusto bilhin na wala dito. But now I am happy na nabibili ko na siya. Thanks to Shopee, Lazada, and other online craft stores because I’m back to crafting again.

5. Cash on Delivery is available. Before, whenever I order, I used to pay using Paypal or Credit Card so nastress ako kapag ang tagal dumating. Takot ako sa missing packages kasi, I experienced that before, buti na lang Giveaways Prizes yung mga na lost packages ko so hindi ko naman bayad. Unfortunately, hindi ko nga lang nareceived prizes ko. 

Now, I choose Cash on Delivery if available. So hindi na ko nastress kung hindi matagal dumating o hindi dumating order ko kasi hindi pa bayad. And I can also budget my money kapag COD, so hindi oorder kung wala pambayad. Hehehe! 

6. Rewards. Now  I understand why people like Shopee, lagi ko nababasa ang "Thank You Shopee", yun pala ang dami pala rewards na pwede makuha like FREE shipping vouchers, Shopee Coins, Discount Vouchers and Cashback. I like the 8%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and if you are lucky may 50% pa na cashback or vouchers, ito yung hinihintay ko para mas tipid. If I need to unwind, I play their games to earn coins or discount vouchers. :)

7. I can buy things that are not available in the Philippines. If you can't buy it locally, check if you can buy it abroad. Sometimes I save money if I will order abroad even you include the shipping fee just like my experience in Amazon USA. 

Here are some of the online shops that I have tried. 

But of course, my passion for baking did not last, I ended up using instant mixes for cookies, cupcakes, and bread. I want to bake but what I don’t like is ang daming preparation, tamad ako magmeasure at maghugas ng marami. Hehehe! So instead of buying a lot of baking ingredients, I will just buy ready mixes or baked goodies. 

Anyway, one of the videos that I’ve been seeing is from Chef RV Manabat so out of curiosity, napaclick ako. I just watched one video and after that sold na ko and I started following his Facebook page. Since then I want to try his cakes kaso we have no reason naman to buy cakes at tapos na mga birthdays namin. 

Fast forward to December, my husband and I decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary. For your information, twice kasi kami kinasal ni hubby pero hindi naman namin cinecelebrate na yung pangalawa. But it became an excuse to buy cake and pasta so even though we don’t really celebrate our second wedding anniversary, napacelebrate kami. 

I checked their page and browsed their menu. According to their page, call daw for orders or inquiries so my husband called but ended up visiting the cafe para doon mag-order and bayad. It was so easy to locate kasi may Waze naman. Since we are still under community quarantine, they don’t accept dine-in customers, only take out orders. My husband waited for his turn, so may social distancing sa Cafe, one customer at a time. 

I already gave my list to my husband so he bought Sausage and Mushroom P260, Homestyle Meatsauce P250 and Classic Sampler P1360. All pasta orders have homemade Focaccia bread. Between the two pastas, mas prefer ko yung Sausage and Mushroom and because of this, nagluto ko niyan nung Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, hindi ko nakuha yung lasa nung pasta. 

Since first-time namin matitikman cake nila, yung sampler na pinili ko and according to their page, ito yung flavors. Oreo Cheesecake, Wild Blueberry Cheesecake, Carrot Walnut Cheesecake, Chocolate Dulce De Leche Cake, Chocolate Blackout Cheesecake, Belgian Chocolate Cake, Pistachio Sansrival, Belgian Brownie Cheesecake, Real Ube Cheesecake, and Biñan Best Queso de Bola Cake 

But when I opened the box, hindi siya same sa nakalist, meron wala. So hindi ko natikman yung Pistachio Sansrival, nareplace siya ng Red velvet Cheesecake. Maybe it depends din kung available yung cake. Anyway, we enjoyed all the flavors of the cakes except for the Chocolate Blackout Cheesecake. Our personal favorite is Belgian Brownie Cheesecake. It took us 4 days to finish the cake, naumay na kami kahit sweet tooth kami. Pero present pa rin ito nung Pasko sa get-together namin, potluck ng brother-in-law ko. 

I’ve made some research, Chef RV Manabat Cafe started in the year 2017, OMG, ngayon ko lang nadiscover kung kailan pandemic. His cafe pala was inspired by Calea, kaya pala ang dami niya cheesecake na choices. If you’ve been following my blog since 2011, you know for sure that I love Calea kaso nga lang nasa Bacolod sila. So I’m glad that I discovered Chef RV Manabat Cafe. Though their price is not cheap pero worth it naman sa lasa. Alam mo na hindi tinipid sa ingredients. 

We always celebrate our wedding anniversary with my son so as early as January, we were searching for a restaurant or resort that will allow kids. Unfortunately, all the restaurants that we have called are not accepting kids so my husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day in advance without my son at Alba Restaurante Espaňol. But hubby was able to book a resort in Calatagan, Batangas that accepts kids but our plan did not push through, And because of that we just went to Chef RV Manabat Cafe to take out some meals and cakes to celebrate our wedding anniversary at home. You can read here the reason why our trip was canceled.

We have already tried 10 cakes of Chef RV so I did not buy a whole cake anymore. I remember that we had a hard time finishing the cake sampler before. So I just order our favorites and I added Pistachio Sansrival. Wala kasi ito sa choices ng cake sampler. This sanrival was added to our favorite. 

Pistachio Sansrival P150 per slice 

Brownie Cheesecake P140 per slice 

Blueberry Cheesecake P140 per slice 

Carrot Cheesecake P150 per slice 

Belgian Chocolate Cake P140 per slice 

Chocolate Dulce de Leche P140 per slice

We bought a pack of Ube Cheese Pandesal for PHP180 (9 Pieces), we immediately ate this bread on our way home. The bread is soft but we cannot taste the ube maybe color lang na ube. Hehehe! But we like this Cheese Pandesal, actually nakakabusog na nga yung isang piraso. Next time, I will buy more packs para hindi bitin. 

Since I did not cook, I also order hot meals so medyo matagal ang waiting time namin. I ordered Aligue Cream PHP250, Beef Tenderloin Steak Strips P310 and Pork BBQ with Peanut Sauce PHP280. The serving is good for 1 person pero in our case, nahirapan kami ubusin. 

It was our first time eating Aligue Cream Pasta, medyo maasim siya because of the lemon, kahit konti lang ng lemon. It was not a hit for us but I like my Beef Tenderloin Strips and my son enjoyed his Pork BBQ with Java Rice, pinatira pa talaga niya at breakfast daw niya yung leftover niya.

Chef RV has recipe books too so I also bought his books online "Baking Secrets" and More Baking Secrets, I chose the bundle books so I can save money. I hope ganahan na ulit ako magbake or cook from scratch. 

• Take-out only. No face mask & face shield, no entry. 

• All cakes are available in 9-INCH whole OR slices 

• Cash only & NO DELIVERY for now. 

• For Laguna delivery, try Angkas Padala 24/7, Lalamove, or Grab. You will arrange for cash payment and pickup. 

• Shelflife of cakes 3-7 days in the fridge after purchase (depending on the handling). 

• Cakes must be kept in the fridge, and hot meals must be consumed immediately. Bread will last at room temp for up to 3 days, or 1 week in the fridge. 

Business Hours: Tuesday- Sunday 10:000AM- 6:00PM (Closed on Mondays) 

Contact Nos: (0919) 067 0906 and (0939) 905 5316  (between 10:00 am - 6:00pm)

Address: 172 Manabat St. San Antonio Biñan Laguna. (Chef RV on waze / google maps)

Nevertheless, we have to live in the present because we know that we can’t bring them back. We are here for a reason so let us enjoy every minute of it. Let us embrace the season and experience the true meaning of Christmas which is hope, peace, and joy. 

And amidst the COVID19 pandemic, we must enjoy the Yuletide season. Actually, I was not expecting anything last month because I know that I will be stuck at home. But looking back, I am thankful that even there is community quarantine we were able to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. Naenjoy ko naman dahil nakalabas ako. Hehehe! 

Although my schedule was pretty hectic because of the holiday rush, I felt happy and alive. Happy because I was able to finish my gift list, thanks to online shopping. Alive because I’m back to crafting and the majority of my gifts are personalized. Thanks to my Cricut Maker. Sobrang useful niya, I made my own Christmas card, tag, stickers, and decals. I haven’t shared pa pala mga Cricut projects ko except for the DIY Christmas Ornaments. 

My husband has been working from home since the start of community quarantine so no travel trips until further notice. So I was shocked when he told me na may Christmas party sila. Anyway, konti lang naman sila so may social distancing naman talaga. They booked two Teppanyaki tables at Yurakuen so 2 persons per table. I will share more of this in a separate post but for now, you can check my old post about Yurakuen Eat All You Can Teppanyaki. 

One of the advantages of Online Distance Learning, tipid sa gastos because I don’t need to pay for school service, no school events so walang potluck like Christmas party. Virtual party lang mga students, sabay-sabay lang sila nagkainan ng own snacks nila. May pagames pero wala prizes. Hehehe! 

On the same day, my husband went to Chef RV Manabat Cafe to buy cakes and pasta. Finally, natikman ko na rin yung cakes nila and meron na naman nadagdag sa list namin when it comes to cakes and pasta. This deserves a separate post. 

I seldom join contests or giveaways but if I like the prizes and if the mechanics are easy, join na ko. I am not expecting that I will win so I was really happy when I woke up and learned that I won $50 from Styled Stock Society Giveaways. Sinagot ko lang yung tanung na kung ano gagawin ko kung manalo ko ng $50. Yey! 

We normally have a Christmas get-together with my mommy friends but this time, nagdinner lang kami sa Southwoods Mall. It was nice seeing them even for a few hours. 

During the regular school days, exam muna bago party but this time nauna yung Christmas Party before the exams. And yes, may Saturday class pa. When I thought na makakapahinga na sa lessons, hindi pala. Ang dami homework ng anak ko na due din within the Christmas break. 

If we are not stuck at home, for sure maiinis ako kasi hindi maenjoy ang break pero dahil nasa bahay lang naman, okay na rin at least busy anak ko sa pagtahi, pagferment ng food, at iba pa. 

After graduation, my college friends and I make sure that we have a yearly get-together pero may time na hindi natutuloy because our schedule won’t meet. The last time I saw them was during my father’s wake, sa lamay pa talaga kami nagkita-kita. Since mahirap mag-gather ngayon, nagZoom party na lang kami pero nakakaloka, virtual party na lang hindi pa rin kami nakumpleto. Hehehe! 

Since 11.11 Sale, I’ve been ordering online for my Christmas gifts and because of that, hindi talaga ko makaalis ng bahay kakahintay. Yung monthly visit ko sa dentist hindi ko nagawa dahil sa kakahintay ng order ko. Hehehe! So I stopped ordering na, kahit may 12.12 sale pa kasi gusto ko makalabas ng bahay. 

And dahil wala na ko pending order, sumama ko kay hubby sa grocery, it’s been a long time since my last visit sa Landers. Gusto ko maggrocery kapag holiday season, parang ang dami ko kasi gusto kainin. Lol

I started preparing for our family Christmas get-together. My husband bought 1kl of scallops and 1kl of curacha (red frog crab). If you remembered, I ordered Japan Jumbo Scallops last time but I find it expensive kasi P800 for 9 pieces so nagtry kami ng from Zamboanga. Oh my, inabot ako ng oras sa paglinis and dahil maliit lang siya, nagshrink pa nung niluto ko sa butter. I was supposed to bake it just like my Baked Mussels, kaso ang konti lang so tinamad na ko.

After breakfast, we started preparing for our Christmas potluck, we cooked Sausage and Mushroom Pasta + Toasted Bread, Singaporean Chili Crab, Fried Chicken, Mushrooms, and Beef Bulgogi for the grill. I also prepared games for kids and adults. 

I was supposed to cook pa for our Christmas Eve pero tinamad na ko so hindi ko na dinagdagan yung food namin, 3 lang naman kami. We had Buttered Scallops, Sausage and Mushroom Pasta, Toasted Bread, and Leche Flan.

We have this Christmas tradition that we will go to Tagaytay for church service and breakfast. But because of the community quarantine, we don’t know if we can do this pero sabi ni hubby kahit magroad trip lang daw kami ng makasagap naman kami ng fresh air. Lol. I told him, magpapagod pa kami kung iikot lang. Pero ang ending, we still took a chance and went to Tagaytay. Nagroad trip kami and ended up at Sonyas Garden, our initial plan was to buy our favorite Hispanic Bread so we have something to eat, if ever hindi kami makatake-out ng food sa mga fastfoods. But thank God, they allowed us to eat at their restaurant, wala tao. Yehey! 

My siblings and I have an annual get-together, it is either before or after Christmas. Now, it is a little different because my late sister is no longer here so we just went to her house. Hay, sadness.

Holiday so my husband and I went to Alba Restaurante Espanol to pay for our order, we bought some wine and cold cuts too for our New Year’s Eve meal. Then we went to SM Department Store to buy some stuff for our kitchen and bedroom. 

After breakfast, I prepared salad while my husband picked up the Alba Cochinillo for our potluck. We just took this picture before going to my in-laws. 

For our New Year’s Eve, we had charcuterie, sliced fruits, dinner rolls, wine, and juice. We enjoyed our dinner so for sure, gagawa ulit ako ng cheese board. 

We kept our holiday decors na, sobrang excited lang magdeclutter. Hehehe! 

January 4 

Back to school so back to regular programming but my husband was still on leave for another week kahit wala kami alis. Sayang kasi yung Vacation Leave, mafoforfeit lang so vacation kahit nasa bahay lang. 

Normally, January is the month when we usually plan for our anniversary trip or summer vacation trip. Given the times we are experiencing right now, I don’t know if it is possible to have a short trip or weekend getaway. Though I’ve seen other celebrities and people who are going to Amanpulo and Balesin for a vacation, I know it is impossible for us to go there. Kamusta naman ang rate nila, masasanla pa namin bahay namin kapag pumunta doon. 

Read: List of Batangas Resorts 

Just this week, my husband was searching and planning for our anniversary trip. He said, “magbeach tayo para naman maarawan kayo”. We try our best to stay in our house because of the coronavirus but of course, we can’t deny that we are itching to travel. We miss our road trips, beach trips, and even food trips. 

My husband checked some Airbnb properties with beach access but unfortunately, wala na available sa dates na gusto namin. It just so happened that when we checked our son’s school calendar, may mga Saturday classes. Yes, online class sila pero may time na may pasok ng Saturday. Maybe because we started late and naghahabol ang school sa number of school days. We know that we can travel because online class naman but we don’t want to take the risk because we don’t know kung okay ba internet connection sa pupuntahan namin. 

Well, I guess I have to accept the fact the traveling is still unattainable so I just have to reminisce our past travel photos, videos, and blogs. Maybe, I should start writing and publishing my travel backlogs. Sharing Beach Phrases and Quotes. Kailan ko kaya masasabi ito ulit. Hehehe! 

Since Photobooks are not cheap, I only order if there are promo codes and Black Friday Sale. The last time I ordered was March 2019 so yung goal ko na every year magpaprint, hindi na naman natupad. Anyway, I redownloaded their mobile app and checked for promos. They have different promos so I availed 50%, 65%, and FREE 10 pcs of Insta Print. There are a few changes na rin pala, I remember last time P250 yung shipping rate, now meron na mga options. 

P300 - Premium Express - 4-6 business days 

P450 - Super Rush - 3-5 business days 

P200 - Standard Shipping - 7-10 business days. 

For my first order, I chose the 5"x 5" Small Square Lay Flat Softcover Photobook. This is the smallest photobook that I ordered, parang mas type ko yung 6x6 or above na size. 

P145 - Photobook (50% off) - 20 pages 

P200 - Shipping 

Next, I availed the FIRST10 promo code, free 10 pieces daw pero Insta Prints 5x5 - Square (15pcs)  pala so sayang, kulang ako ng 4 pieces na pictures. I thought same sa Insta Cards ito na medyo makapal, mali pala expectations ko. Yung Insta Print, same as regular photos lang pala, the difference is may theme siya so pwede mo lagyan ng design. I chose my favorite photos from our Scandinavian Trip.

FREE - 5x5 Insta Print (11 pcs) 

P200 - Shipping 

I was contemplating if I would order the Stickable Photo Tiles because even if it is on sale, namamahalan pa rin ako so I asked my husband about it. He said yes naman so I chose my favorite photos. The original price is P1,800 for a set of 3 and FREE Shipping daw pero when I ordered it, may P50 na shipping charge. 

For the style, there are two options, Front Print Mount or Back Print Mount and for the wood color, you can choose from the 3 available colors; black, white, and latte. I chose Front Print Mount and White Color. I am glad that my order turned out fine and I received it in good condition. I will order again if I have an extra budget. Hehehe! The only downside of these stackable photo tiles is it doesn't stick to our walls so we have to use a different double-sided tape (3M brand) so it won't fall again. 

P900 - Photo Tiles (50% off) 

P50 - Shipping 

January 11 - I ordered 4 items 

January 18 - I received 3 out of 4 orders via DHL. I was expecting 3 separate packages since I paid separate shipping for all of my orders. Ganun din kasi dati so I was surprised when I received one box only so I was thinking baka nadelay yung 2 na order ko. When I opened the box, nagulat ako na nandun pala yung 2 order ko na via DHL din. So pinagsama-sama na pala nila yung 3. 

Ang weird noh because I already received 3 of my orders (from Malaysia) pero yung 6x6 Mini Square Imagewrap Hardcover that I also ordered on the same day, wala pa. I am waiting for this order via Ninja Van daw. 

P192.50 (65% off) 22 pages 

P200 - Shipping 

January 11 - ordered 4 items

January 23 - received the 6x6 Mini Square Imagewrap Hardcover via Ninjavan. The package is from Malaysia.

While checking the February promo of Photobook, I saw the PHP299 promo for 12x12 Canvas Air. I've already tried the Stickable Photo Tiles so I wanted to try the Canvas Air. I immediately ordered so I just chose my favorite photo which is also my phone and desktop screensaver. 

Canvas Air is the thinner and lighter version of Canvas Print, for Canvas Air, you have 3 options: Standard Texture (Canvas), Leather Texture, and Fine Texture. I chose the standard texture. I only chose standard shipping but the rate is quite expensive. I paid for my order via Paypal, I was expecting that it would be delivered after two weeks but it took more than that. And my order just came from the Philippines. 

PHP299 - 12x12 Canvas Air

PHP400 - Shipping fee

February 16, 2021 - placed my order

March 5, 2021 - received my order

The package includes instructions on how to display the photo so I have to buy my own adhesives for this one, unlike sa stickable photo tiles, provided na. Though yung free sa Stickable Photo Tiles ay hindi madikit so we use 3M double-sided tape. Anyway, I like my Canvas Air and I hope I can score more promos so I can print my other favorite photos. 

1 kilo of Mussels 

Garlic Butter Sauce

1/3 cup of butter 

6 cloves of garlic minced 

1 cup of grated cheese 

My son loves Baked Mussels but I seldom cook this because I feel that it is time-consuming. I have to steam mussels, remove one side of the shell, prepare the white sauce or butter sauce, preheat the oven etc. It is not that complicated but I want to make my life easier so last year, I started baking my mussels without shells.

1 kilo of mussels (on the photo 1 1/2 kilo yung nabili namin) 

1/4 cup butter 

1/2 cup grated cheese (quick melt) 

Garlic Salt 

Ground Pepper 

1. Steam the mussels for 20 minutes and remove them from the shells. 

2. In a pan, saute the mussels in melted butter for a few minutes. 

3. Season it with garlic salt and pepper. 

4. Place it in a ceramic bowl and top with grated cheese. 

5. Toast it in the oven toaster until cheese melts. Sometimes I used air fryer. 

Using this recipe, I saved time, effort, and money. Less butter and cheese, less baking time, no baking trays to wash and the most important thing is madaling kainin.