Michi Photostory

May 15, 2013

Kiddy’s Arts Town

I mentioned in my other post that I spent Mother’s Day waiting for my OB-Gyne and to kill time we went to Kiddy’s Art Town. Actually, we always see this kiosk but never dare to try this activity because we’re always in a hurry to finish our errands which is grocery and bills payment.

My son chose robot for P150 and we gave it to the staff. After few minutes, he gave us the materials including paint, cotton buds and tissue. I just hope they provide apron without even asking. I thought there was no apron but one girl requested for it but I did not get apron anymore because my son was already busy.

Since this was our first time, my husband can’t help but try this activity too. I kept on reminding him “do not help my son” and if he wanted to paint get his own stuff. =)

May 14, 2013

Baby Transport That We Have Ttried

Exactly five years ago when I’ve learned the gender of my baby, I was only four months pregnant when my doctor told me that we will have a baby boy. From that moment I started buying baby stuff listed on my “Newborn Checklist” such as baby clothes, bibs, towels, socks, mittens and many more.

Then few days after I gave birth we immediately bought our first baby transport which is a stroller. There are several baby transports that are available in the market. There are carrycots, baskets, slings, backpack, strollers, infant car seats, bicycle carriers and beautiful range of quality prams.

But I do not recommend that you should buy all stuff listed on your baby checklist because I can definitely say that there are things that you will not use. You will realize that there are stuff that are useful and some stuff are not helpful at all.

As I mentioned earlier, we immediately bought stroller only to find out that my baby didn’t want to stay in the stroller. So I tried a baby sling and to my disappointment, my son didn’t like it too. Good thing that I was able to sell the preloved stroller and baby sling online. I tried baby carrier and I was glad that our money was not wasted. My son was really comfortable in this carrier.

When he turned 6 months old, that was the only time that we started using a car seat, I did not only use this inside the car but we also use this at home so he was indeed comfortable using the car seat. If I need to go to the bathroom, I put him in the car seat while watching his favorite DVD.

Until now, we are still using a car seat, especially for long-distance travel. How about you? What is your favorite baby transport?

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is not something that we really celebrate, most of the time we will just eat out depending on our time and budget. Last year, I was blessed because we celebrated Mother’s Day in Taal Vista Hotel but last weekend I spent my day waiting for my OB-Gyne. I have to see my OB because for the third time UTI attacks again.

I had this feeling that I have UTI because I was experiencing abdominal pain. My Derma suggested to repeat my urinalysis because there’s possible infection so I repeat the test and went to my OB-Gyne. I’m prone to infection because I’m currently taking Methotrexate to heal my psoriasis that is why I have to regularly visit my doctor and undergo labtest quarterly.

My OB advised me to have transvaginal ultrasound too for my peace of mind. “Hindi naman kasi pwede UTI na lang lagi pag masakit ang puson, just to be sure na walang mga bukol.” She gave me request and prescription for my UTI.

Honestly, I was a little bit worried and praying that everything would be fine. So the following day, after we voted we went to OGUSCA in Festival Mall to have my transvaginal ultrasound and I was happy because there’s no lump and my reproductive organ is fine and normal.

Even I was not able to enjoy Mother’s Day and I was not able to rest and relax, I felt relieved that my abdominal pain is not that serious. I will see my OB again this Saturday for peace of mind again, I need papsmear.

“Health is Wealth”

P.S.

Last Sunday, I heard my husband and son’s conversation.

Hubby: Ethan, let’s buy gift for mommy.

Ethan: Yes, let’s buy candy crush.

#kaloka

“To make WOMEN happy. Give her these three things: ATTENTION, AFFECTION, APPRECIATION”

May 13, 2013

Grilled Liempo vs Lechon

Last Friday, I cooked Grilled Liempo for our dinner and my husband went home holding a plastic bag with lechon. He asked me if we I wanted to eat the lechon or grilled liempo. Ahh, hello tinatanung pa ba yun!?! Of course I chose Cebu’s lechon. Thanks Mel of Mel’s Hidden Passions for the pasalubong. =)

We just ate the grilled liempo the following day. Sharing with you my Grilled Liempo with Herbs recipe.

Liempo

Salt

Cracked Pepper

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning (I used my homemade Italian Seasoning)

Rub the liempo with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning according to your taste. Marinate for 30 minutes. Grill or bake at 180C for 25 minutes or until cooked and nicely browned.

May 09, 2013

Activities Suitable for Kids in Vancouver

Deep in the heart of British Columbia is the magical city of Vancouver, one of the most spectacular places to visit in Canada. Not only does it embrace children with the countless recreational parks and activities throughout the city, but the fantastic museums and monument landscapes are an excellent backdrop for tourists too. Let’s take a look at some of the best attractions to keep kids amused this summer in Vancouver.

Granville Island

Only a short walk from downtown Vancouver, Granville Island is one of the most-visited tourist attractions in the city. Getting to the island itself is one of the main highlights, and kids will be able to hop aboard an aquabus – a half motor vehicle, half boat form of transport – and experience the wonders of the clear-blue sea on their way!

Once your children get to Granville Island, there are plenty of great things to see and do. Not only is there a public market, where a variety of homemade dishes, deserts, souvenirs, and clothes are made, but there’s also an indoor adventure zone, where children can play all day long!

From a water park to magic shows and evening entertainment, the adventure zone has it all, and prices are kept low all year round. There are also street performers that line the streets of Granville Island, and you can even have your portrait painted while grabbing a bite to eat!

Water Activities

Vancouver has some of the best water activities available in Canada, meaning there are plenty of activities for your children to take advantage of. From swimming pools to public beaches, you’ll be able to watch over your kids as they revel in the fantastic recreational entertainment parks in Vancouver, and there are even outdoor heated pools if you fancy a dip too!

If you’re looking to keep dry throughout the day, however, there are various options for you and your kids to enjoy. Firstly, there are many picnic areas situated near the water activity hotspots in Vancouver, meaning you can simply watch on - ice-cold drink in one hand, sandwich in the other – as some of the city’s professionals take to the waves. During the summer months, the weather can reach the high 20s too, meaning there’s always an opportunity to top up your tan!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

From Lego to Meccano, all kids take an interest in building their own structures at some stage, and there’s no better way to feed this interest them showing real-life amazing structures. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver and offers some of the most fantastic views in the city.

Not only does the bridge stretch all the way over the Capilano River, but there are a variety of activities to participate in one you get to the other side! If you’re looking for great car rental dealerships on your trip to Vancouver, make sure you compare prices online before you travel.

Science World

No trip to Vancouver would be complete without taking your kids to see Science World, and from interactive exhibits to live science shows, you could literally spend the entire day here. Offering an educational approach to science, instead of just child-friendly entertainment, there’s no doubt that you’ll all leave Science World with a renewed interest in the amazing scientific wonders of the world.

Nutella Cookie

My husband and son kept on bugging me to bake chocolate chips again. They finished the triple chocolate chips in just two days and they want me to bake again. I’ve run out of instant triple chocolate mix and I have no chocolate chips at home so I bought chocolate chips last weekend but still lazy to bake the best-ever chewy chocolate chips.

I’m too lazy to measure the ingredients but since my husband and son wanted cookie, I just baked Nutella Cookie. It is one of the most pinned pictures in Pinterest. It took me a long time to try this recipe because my Nutella Brownies was not successful. But since I only need three ingredients and no mixer needed I tried it.

I was happy with result and my husband who is not a fan of Nutella liked it too but still prefers chocolate chips. It is best to pair with glass of milk.

Sharing the recipe from Butter Baking site.

1 cup Nutella (280g, 10 oz)

1 cup plain flour

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line 2 trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the Nutella and the egg. Add the flour and stir until incorporated.

The mixture will be quite thick. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and place on the lined trays. Using the base of a glass, press each cookie down firmly.

Bake for 6 – 8 minutes. Makes 24 cookies. (I bake it for 10 minutes)

May 06, 2013

Carbonara

Just like that, we already finished the first month of summer vacation and few weeks from now the school year will start again. Last Thursday was Ethan’s last day in swimming lesson and first day of summer class so we’re still in busy mode.

Honestly, I’m not yet ready for June. I’m still lazy to go to back to school hopefully sipagin ako because I need to pay tuition, buy books and uniform. Anyway, last month I received a lot of cream of mushroom so I cooked beef with mushroom and just recently carbonara.

One of my favorite pasta is carbonara but my husband and son prefer tomato based pasta. My son called it “red spaghetti” and whenever I cooked cream based pasta he will always say “Ayaw niyan, red spaghetti please”. But they have no choice because I want to use the cream of mushroom.

Carbonara Recipe

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 medium minced onion

200 grams of bacon or ham, sliced

1 small can of sliced mushroom

1 pack of all-purpose cream

1 can of cream of mushroom

¼ cup grated cheese

2 Tbsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Noodles

1. Cook pasta as directed.

2. Cook bacon and sauté garlic and onion. I used the fat from the bacon so no more butter or oil.

3. Add mushroom.

4. Add cream of mushroom and all-purpose cream. Stir.

5 .Add cheese and dried parsley.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste

7. Toss the pasta and serve.

May 03, 2013

8 Life Lessons Taught By Candy Crush

It’s not a secret here that I’m so addicted to candy crush and this is the only game that affected and stressed me when I can’t complete one level. Especially this level 305, I’m really losing my patience and I even posted this on my FB and Twitter.

I did my best, lagi na lang ganito. Natetempt na ko bumili ng lollipop

I don’t know how many days I’ve stayed in this level but I know it is more than two weeks. I was so delighted when I finally finish this level, just this morning. I was really shocked when I saw level completed. “Persistence is the key to success”

Now I need ticket to move to the next episode.

Sharing with you the 8 Life Lessons Taught By Candy Crush by Joni Cham

Candy Crush is the sweetest addiction to hit our smartphones this year, by far. It's a huge time sink and despite being immensely frustating in the later levels, people just can't stop playing.

In many ways, Candy Crush is just like real life, with 8 lessons we can use four our day-to-day lives.

8. Life is not always fair. Sometimes you get lucky with a good board, sometimes you don't. Deal with it.

7. Persistence is the key to success. If you persist long enough, one of these days you are bound to get it right somehow. Or get lucky. Or both.

6. Ask friends for help when you need it. You'll be surprised at how many are able and willing.

5. Help friends as much as you can. Life is all about give and take after all.

4. There will not always be friends who can help you out. It happens. Suck it up and wait.

3. You won't always understand what's going on. That's fine, you're not expected to.

2. Chocolate is evil. It will mess things up.

1. Life is equal parts fun and frustrating. It is full of challenges every step of the way, yet it can also be sweet and colorful!

Source: http://8list.ph/site/articles/8-life-lessons-taught-by-candy-crush-206.html

May 02, 2013

Iron Man 3

Yesterday was Labor Day and we went to the mall to pay our bills, do grocery and of course, watch Iron Man 3. My son loves Ironman and Avengers but honestly, I haven’t watched Iron Man 1 and 2 before Iron Man 3. I watched some parts of the movie because my husband and son watched it at home for the nth time.

I enjoyed the movie, so after watching Iron Man 3, I watched Iron Man 1 and later I will watch Iron Man 2. I love Tony Spark already. After watching the movie, we ate our lunch at Shakey’s. We ordered our all-time favorite Bunch of Lunch, Mojo’s and Dip, and my son requested for Raisins Ala Mode.

May 01, 2013

Living Well With Psoriasis

If you have psoriasis, please take time to answer this survey. It is a short survey to find out how you are living and coping with your psoriasis treatment. PsorAsia wanted to know how you manage your skin condition.

If you know someone who has psoriasis, please do share this survey. Click here to answer the survey.

April 30, 2013

Lunch at Sumo Sam

I was about to blog this yesterday but I felt so weak when I saw our electricity bill. Did you receive your bill already? I expected that there will be a tremendous increase but I still can’t accept it. I’ve been married for 7 years and this is the most expensive electricity bill that I’ve received. Well, it is better to pay electricity bills than hospital bills because of heat stroke.

Moving on, we ate our lunch in Sumo Sam before going to Fun Farm. I called my sister and she’s running late so we decided to eat here instead of fastfood. It is one of the new restaurants in Ayala Pavillion Mall so we tried it.

Since it was our first time, we took our time in checking the menu and I could say the price is not affordable but when our order arrived, we were surprised because the meal is good for two persons so I guess the price is worth it. We ordered Meat Kamameshi P249, Katsudon P268 and Tofu Miso P68.

Tofu Miso

Katsudon

Meat Kamameshi

As I mentioned, they have generous serving so we did not finish our meal. I was satisfied with the taste and flavor but according to my husband, taste is just ok. Well, taste is subjective.

April 26, 2013

7 Things that you Can Do in Fun Farm at Sta Elena

I’ve read about Fun Farm at Sta Elena in Daphne’s blog last year, I wanted to visit this farm but I thought the location is really far. It was only last month when I learned that this Fun Farm is located in Laguna. Waah! It is more or less 30 minutes travel time from our place without traffic. That’s what happened if you did not consult Google immediately.

Click here for video

Last month, I suggested this place for our last gala with my mom but they chose the Station of the Cross at BHS. I’ve been meaning to visit the place because I want my son to experience different activities on the farm. Not the usual activity that can be found in the mall. I asked my sister if she wanted to visit the place and she agreed so she made a reservation. Last April, 20, 2013 we finally visited Fun Farm at Sta Elena.

Upon arrival, we paid the entrance fee which is P300 per person, the same rate for kids and adults. Then we immediately explore and enjoy the place.

Things that you can do in Fun Farm at Sta Elena

1. Fishing – my husband caught a small fish but no photo.

2. Boating

3. Animal Feeding - rabbits and guinea pigs

4. Horse Riding

5. Carabao Ride – meet “Choc-nut”

6. Picnic – we brought our own food and drinks because there’s no restaurant inside.

7. Play

We enjoyed our farm experience despite the extreme heat and the kids didn’t want to leave the place but we have to say goodbye because we still need to visit my grandmother. My son was really happy and he had a lot of first-time experiences that I’m sure he will never forget.

How to get to Fun Farm at Sta Elena:

Exit Cabuyao/Sta Elena. After Tollgate, make a right. About 500 meters is the Sta. Elena Village Gate. Enter there and drive straight to the Fun Farm.

Commuting Directions to Fun Farm at Sta Elena

April 24, 2013

Kite Flying

Kite flying is one of the activities of my husband and son every weekend. I guess they’ve been flying kites for almost a month already but it was only last Sunday that I went with them. They invited me to join their bonding and since ~~I have nothing to do~~ I’m lazy to do household chores I joined them.

“I hope my children look back on today and see a mother who had time to play. There will be years for cleaning and cooking…for children grow up while we’re not looking”

I brought my camera so I could take pictures. I was just sitting in one corner then after a few minutes, they were calling me already.

Ethan: Mommy, throw the kite. Repeat 10x

Now I understand why they invited me to join, gusto nila na may taga hagis sila ng kite nila. It was a tiring activity, you know naman, I’m not active and I don’t like physical activity. But I had fun; I witnessed how happy my son flying kites kahit ilang minutes lang nagstay ang kite niya in the air. I can hear the laughter and I can see the smile from ear to ear. #walangkapaguran

April 23, 2013

Homemade Palitaw Recipe

One of my favorite merienda when I was young is palitaw; I can still remember those days that I really wait for the vendor, naglalako habang sumisigaw ng “palitaw” in our neighborhood. After I graduated and started working, we crossed our path again and she still remembers me “ang kanyang suki”, but that was years ago.

Anyway, last weekend I’ve made my very first homemade palitaw. I asked my husband to buy glutinous rice, grated coconut, and sesame seeds in the market. Cooking palitaw is easy, the only problem is I can’t shape the dough properly so I ended up making different sizes. Well, the only problem is making a consistent size of palitaw but shapes or sizes do not matter since I won't sell it.

Homemade Palitaw Recipe

1. Boil 2 quarts of water.

2. Toast the sesame seeds, mix them in 1 cup sugar, and set them aside.

3. Put the glutinous rice in a bowl then slowly add water until you get the right consistency.

4. Shape dough into an egg-sized oval and flatten with a thumb.

5. Drop palitaw in boiling water and scoop out as soon as they float.

6. Drain and roll in grated coconut.

7. Serve with sugar and toasted sesame seeds.

Watch the video here

That's it! Happy eating!

April 22, 2013

Top Family Activities to do in Fuerteventura

Millions of people visit the island of Fuerteventura every year, not only because it’s a truly stunning place, but there are so many things to see and do, it’s hard to know where to start! From historical monuments to amazing beaches, tourists flock from all over the world to experience traditional culture combined with great food, hot sun, and delightful hospitality. Let’s take a look at some of the top family activities in Fuerteventura, and see whether this is a place you’d want to holiday with your family.

Lobos Island

Lobos island can be found towards the north of Fuerteventura, and until the 1800s, it housed vast numbers of sea wolves and other rare animal species. There are very few settlements here, however, tourists are encouraged to take tours to the island to see the dark volcanic sands, and historical monuments the island’s original settlers built for the Gods. If you’re traveling with your children, then a guided tour of Lobos Island is a great way to introduce them to other cultures, and the sheer beauty of the island itself.

La Lajita Zoo

Zoos are always a great place to take children, and La Lajita is no exception. Although it is a small zoo, it still offers everything a family would need for a great day out, especially if you’re traveling with young kids. Located on the east coast of Fuerteventura, there are a variety of fishing activities to experience in this zoo, as well as rare and exotic marine life to see. With over 200 species of bird, botanical gardens and Camel Safaris, a day out at the zoo would be a great experience for the entire family!

Take The Grand Tour Of The Island

No matter where you holiday in the world, going on a tour of the local area is a great way to get to grips with your surroundings. One of the best family activities to do in Fuerteventura is to take the grand tour, the all-inclusive trip that will equip you with detailed knowledge of the island, as well as showing you the most spectacular sights.

Departing from Corralejo, your English-speaking guide will make sure you’re all sitting comfortably in your air-conditioned seats before your set off. As the bus takes you south towards La Olivia, you’ll stop off at a number of traditional dairy farms to sample some of the freshest cheeses and olives, and you’ll also be able to see goats grazing in their natural habitat.

Next, it’s back on the bus and off to the sacred mountain of tindaya. This mountain has been worshiped for thousands of years, and there are a number of historical monuments at the bottom of the mountain that your guide will educate you on.

You’ll then be driven off towards La Pared – the old wall and subsequent border between the two halves of the island. Finishing your tour on the sandy beaches of Janida, you’ll be able to dine in some great restaurants overlooking the ocean. Flights to Fuerteventura can differ in price throughout the year, so make sure you compare prices on the internet.

April 19, 2013

13 Ways to Save Money

I’m a stay at home mom and living with a single income is not easy. There are times that we live from paycheck to paycheck and it is really hard to meet all our needs. If I will look back on the days when I resigned from my work, I really don’t know how we were able to survive it. But God is good and He really provides our needs and even wants.

As a wife, I need to be a good steward because I know my husband’s job is not easy peasy. I witnessed his overtime without pay, sleepless nights and working even on vacation leave, holiday and weekends. I’m proud to say that he’s doing a good job as our provider.

Five years of being a full-time mom taught me a lot of things, I learned from my own experiences and other’s experiences. Like I always say, I’m not a financial expert but I hope these tips will also help you in budgeting and saving.

1. Plan your route

I always plan our trip because I want to finish all my errands in a single trip. I want to hit two birds at the same time so I can save time, effort and money.

For example.

a. I love going to World Trade Center because of the Christmas Bazaar so after visiting my family in Valenzuela to give my gifts, I will drop here to buy stuff before going home since I live in the South area.

b. I regularly visit my grandmother in Victoria, Laguna and if we have extra time we try to visit those places listed in Viaje Del Sol.

C. I love taking notes and I always have a list of “Things to do” and “Things to buy” so whenever we’re going to the mall, I bring my list. What’s in my list? These are the usual things that I have on my list, it just varies on the due date.

- Pay bills such as postpaid plans, internet providers, credit cards, amortization, and others.
- Deposit or Withdraw.
- Go to junkshop to sell our junk of course.
- Grocery (things to buy)
- Buy medicine and vitamins. I have psoriasis so I always buy medicine.
- Pay SSS loan and SSS contribution …and many more.

2. Refrigerate and Cupboard Awareness

If you’ve read my energy saving tips, you know for sure that I religiously defrost our fridge every week before Wet Market Day. It is my time to clean the fridge and do my inventory.

I will check the left-over, expiration date and list the things that we need to buy in the market. As I mentioned before I always have “Menu List”. I do check our cupboard every month to check the expiration and clean it too.

I have a notepad where I write all the stuff that we need to buy so it is not really difficult to do the inventory.

3. Do not waste it. Learn to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. You can read more on my Green Living post.

4. Minimalist Living

Think before you buy things. Ask yourself if you really need to buy stuff? Do you really need to buy the latest gadget? Do you need to follow fashion trend? We have rules in our house, “If it is broken, try to fix it. If it cannot be fixed, then replace it”. “If we buy something we need to let go something” like clothes because we have limited space in our cabinet.

5. Decluttering

Always remember “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. I used to sell preloved stuff in my multiply account and I was able to sell most of my son’s baby stuff. Other baby stuff, I gave to relatives.

6. Buy or accept pre-loved stuff.

When I started selling my pre-loved stuff, I also bought some pre-loved stuff. I just double check if the stuff is still in good condition or in great shape. I visit Warehouse Sale, Ukay-Ukay, and Garage Sales.

If someone is giving hand me down clothes or other stuff, I welcome it with open arms. You can repair or fix the free stuff according to your needs and wants. Free is better.

7. Join Contest and Giveaways

If you have spare time, try your luck. Who knows you might win big prizes. I love joining contests and giveaways and my lucky year was last year.

8. DIY

You can really save if you do it yourself. Learn how to DIY your travels, kitchen ingredients, gifts and others. Read more here.

9. Research

I subscribed to Facebook page and emails of different airlines and discount websites so I will be updated with all offers, seat sales, promos and discounts. But I only buy what I really need.

10. Don’t scrimp on what matters.

Though savings is a must, there are also times that we splurge for the experience just like our travels and food trips. Recreation is part of our family bonding. There are different ways to save money if you want to travel like searching for cheap airfare, staying in hostels or budget hotel, DIY your itinerary and many more.

11. Watch where your money goes.

I have a notebook where I write our income and expenses every month. Since my husband receives a monthly paycheck, I have to make sure that we will have money for the whole month. I do list our credit card expenses just to make sure that we will not go beyond our limit and we can still pay our debt on the due date.

12. Teach kids the value of money.

I hope I can teach my son the value of money, as of now he doesn’t know the value of money. For him, money never runs out, you can get it from your wallet or ATM Machine.

But he has his own piggy bank, savings account, and stocks. The amount is not that big but he is learning how to save his money.

13. Invest on quality items

When I say quality; buy furniture, appliances or gadgets that will last for long so you don't have to replace it every few years. Invest in energy saver appliances, solar panels to save electricity and printer that can print up to 6000 pages.

Bonus: Learn to appreciate what you have and be happy with it.

"Do not envy the rich. They are blessed with the ability to create wealth. While their wealth may be in money you may be blessed in other areas that the rich do not have. We are all experts but only in different subject matters. Envy is a killer. If we keep on looking at the things we do not have then we will fail to appreciate the things we have." – Francis Kong

Pray and believe that God will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Feel free to share your saving tips.