Michi Photostory

I have no idea that I will be busy these past two weeks, I was checking my blogs and I only have 6 blog posts this month of August and malapit na matapos ang buwan. Hehehe! So what really happened for the past two weeks?

Aug 14 to 18

I was busy making reviewer and tutoring my son for his long quiz and first periodical test (one week na exam) #nakakabaliw so I have very limited time to blog. 

August 19

I attended my goddaugther birthday party and after that we went to my friend’s house to extend our condolences. 

Wake is one event that I don’t want to visit because I’m so scared, seeing coffins nagogoose bumps na ko. When my grandfather (mother side) and grandmother (father side) died, nasa malayo lang ko lagi so kahit kanino, di pa ko tumitingin sa coffin. 

I really scheduled the visit on Friday because I know na uuwi na ang aking asawa from business trip and may kasama na ko. And of course, tapos na rin ang exam ng aking anak. 

I saw the schedule of my son for the following week and wala lessons for the whole week. Feast week nila so puro activities lang sila so we’ve been contemplating kung sasama ba kami sa SG trip ni hubby. 

August 20 

My husband decided to bring us with him so we bought plane tickets (2 tickets for Ethan + Me). Yehey, instant vacation for us but I was cramming for our itinerary. We only have four days to enjoy SG. 

August 21 

We had a quick trip in the mall to buy some stuff for our trip. August 22 I’m finishing my chores, need maubos ng aking labahan and plantsahin because after the trip, another batch of labahin at plantsahin ulit. 

Aug 23 to 27 

Singapore Trip 

I celebrated my birthday in Singapore. My son and I visited different zoos in SG. 

August 28 

Because of the delayed flight, we just arrived on August 28. We were so tired but happy.

August 29 

Good thing it is holiday today so we can rest before work and classes resume. More stories on my next post and expect for our Singapore trip series.

“Travel as much as you can, as far as you can, as long as you can. Life’s not meant to be lived in one place.” 

I agree with this quote because we live in a wonderful world so learn to travel and see the beauty and charm of other cities, provinces, and countries. Have some adventures in life, seek to see and experience things up close and personal. Do not stay or live in one place.

I cannot deny that travel means expense but nowadays, you don’t need to be rich just to travel because there are so many ways to travel cheaply.

Living in the Philippines which is an archipelago, we always need to fly out to visit Visayas, Mindanao and of course other countries. In order to save money, I need to look for cheap airline tickets. I’ll be sharing with you how do I save for airfare.

Here are the 9 Ways to Score Cheap Airline Tickets



1. Watch Out for Seat Sales

My number one on my list is watching out for airline seat sales, I cannot stress enough but you can really save money if you are able to buy a promo ticket.

I remember when my son was in toddler years, I really wake up before 12AM so I’m ready to book when 12AM strikes. Airlines are offering P1 sale or FREE seat, we’ve been to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia for only PHP2,145 Round Trip for 3 persons.

How can you watch out for seat sales? 

Follow the social media of different airlines such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and subscribe to their email updates to keep you updated with deal alerts.

2. Visit Travel Expo 

Visit Travel Expo, if you don’t like waking up early, you don’t have a reliable internet connection or you don’t like booking online. It is like a one-stop-shop where airlines, resorts, hotels and travel agencies offer promos, seat sales, and discounts. But you need a lot of patience to fall in line. Prices may vary too depending on the season that you will choose. We were able to score cheap airline tickets for our Europe trip here in travel expo. What I like here is I can choose Philippine Peso for payment unlike online, USD so there is a foreign currency charge on my credit card.

Read: Philippines Travel Tour Expo Tips
World Travel Expo
Philippines Travel Mart

3. Enroll in Airline Frequent Flier Program 

Whether you are a frequent traveler or not, take advantage of the frequent flyer program of different airlines. Membership is free and you can earn miles by flying or staying in partner hotels. We were able to book Business Class Ticket when we went to Cebu and Economy Class ticket when we went to Bangkok, Thailand using our Mabuhay Miles

Read: How to Redeem Flight Rewards in Mabuhay Miles

4. Use Credit Card 

Credit card companies are also offering airline promos and discounts by using their credit card to book the airfare. Some companies are offering buy 2 and get one free. Some companies are offering installments too. We also earn miles by using our credit card, Credit Card Points to Mabuhay Miles.

Read: How to Save Money Using your Credit Card

5. Fly with Budget Carriers

If you are not picky, book your tickets on budget airlines like Cebu Pacific and Air Asia. These airlines also offer a membership program where you can also earn points or miles. Just like other airlines, they also offer seat sales or zero fares.

6. Book One Way Ticket 

Don’t always book round-trip ticket especially if the price is steep. Whenever there is a seat sale, I make sure that I will only book the promo fare so most of the time, I will buy a one-way ticket and wait for another seat sale or check other airlines.

When we went to Cebu 5 years ago, I booked Manila to Cebu and Cebu to Manila in two different airlines.

PHP499.68 - Manila to Cebu (via Cebu Pacific) 3 persons 
PHP1561 - Cebu to Manila (via AirPhil) 3 persons 

But there are times buying round-trip tickets are much cheaper, so just mock book to compare.

7. Fly on Cheapest Days or Times 

If there are no seat sales and you need plane tickets, book the cheapest days or times. The cheapest days are on Tuesday and Wednesday. Avoid expensive days like Fridays, Sundays, Holidays and Peak Season.

The cheapest times are flights at dawn and red-eyes. I don’t mind flying as early as 5AM if the fare is cheap. When we went to Japan, I chose the earliest flight because it was the cheapest rate, fare difference of $50 dollars per person/way.

8. Find the Cheapest Airport to Fly

Sometimes the price of the airline ticket varies depending on which airport you are going to fly. So if you want to save money, search for airports where you can fly. In our case, we can choose NAIA or Clark International Airport; though Clark is more than three hours away from our place, we still consider this airport especially if we can save a lot.

We did this when we went to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Hongkong and Macau, Batanes and Norway. Even we add the gasoline, toll fee and even hotel stay, the saving is still bigger. We just need to add a few hours to our traveling time.

9. Use a Booking Platform 

Sometimes looking for a cheap airline ticket is very stressful because it takes so much time but now with the help of a booking platform like Traveloka, the work will be easy. It is available on your desktop or mobile phone.

The booking platform is a great tool to search for cheap airfare because you only need a few clicks and you can see, compare and book airline tickets. It will save you time in comparing cheap flights from different airlines. Aside from that, you can also book a hotel at a competitive price.

Care to share your tips in booking cheap airfare.

Ever since I attended the Bread Baking Class, I was looking for a weighing scale, dough scraper, and additional mixing bowls for proofing. I’ve been to Gourdos but I did not find what I needed so I asked my husband if he can accompany me to Dough It All - Mamplasan. 

Read: The Day I Learned How to Make my Own Bread 

We went to Brentville to check the baker’s supply center but the guard told us that it was already closed, last week lang po nagsara, lilipat daw po sa bandang hi-way. Waah! I just found out last month that they have a branch in Laguna then sarado na. 


Since there is also a South supermarket in Brentville, we checked it out para hindi sayang lakad. I saw the Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip cookie mix P148.50, I tried their Oatmeal Chocolate Chip mix last year and we liked it so I tried this chocolate chip mix.

Read: Betty Crocker Oatmeal Chocolate Chip


You only need to add two ingredients, 1/2 butter and 1 egg. Mix the three ingredients and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375F. 



The chocolate chip cookie is good, it is a little bit sweet for my taste so I pair it with milk. Between the two instant mixes, I prefer the oatmeal chocolate chip. The only problem with baking cookies is you need to make sure that you will get it on time, I almost forgot the second batch so may burn part sa ilalim, anyway it is still edible. As of this writing, I only have 5 pieces of cookies left since I baked them yesterday.

Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter
1 egg
I pack of Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Instant Mix

1. Heat oven to 375F or 350F for a dark or nonstick cookie sheet.
2. Stir cookie mix, softened butter, and egg in a medium bowl until soft dough forms.
3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
4. Bake as directed or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet. 
5. Cool Completely; store in an airtight container

I’ve been reading a lot of not so good news about Pokemon Go so I already told my son that we will not download this game even it is already available in the Philippines. Last Saturday, I’ve been seeing a lot of Pokemon Go in my newsfeed but I did not pay attention. 

Out of curiosity, my husband asked me to download the app because the Pokemon Go app is not compatible with his phone. #choosy So I downloaded it and tried it, I just look for monsters within our house and I was able to catch two monsters and yun pa lang napagod na ko. Hehehe! I downloaded the game in our Ipad too. 

Last weekend, my son was not allowed to use the Ipad so Sunday afternoon came, he was convincing his daddy to play Pokemon Go. I said no, but my husband said, “sige na, bonding na namin”. I’m not sure if that is really for my son or dahil gusto din niya magplay. Hehehe! So after church, they drove around the village to catch monsters but they did not find any. Hehehe! 

Last Monday, my son asked me to play Pokemon Go. I tried again to look for monsters within our house and I found one. But the following day, I already deleted the app on my phone and my son asked me, why mommy? 

Why I don’t like Pokemon Go?


1. The game is not for me, you need to move just to look and catch the monsters. Knowing me, I’m so lazy to move and I don’t want to go out of the house just to play the game. 

2. I don’t think it is a safe game because your focus is on your phone.

3. You need to be online just to play the game so it means additional cost if I will play it outside because I don’t have wifi connection. 

4. The snatchers are very happy because they see a lot of people playing Pokemon Go, madami sila mabibiktima. Madaling masnatch na ang mga magagandang phone. 

Well, the good thing about Pokemon Go, it makes you move so nakakaexercise ka na rin. A good bonding with your friends or family kung sabay-sabay kayo na maghunt. 

Let see this weekend, if my husband and son will play the Pokemon Go since I haven’t deleted the app in our Ipad.

When my son was in toddler years, I always buy coloring books or print free coloring pages online. He likes to color and doodles, even our white walls are not exempted. 

But now, he doesn’t like to color anymore and he prefers painting. Two years ago, we painted a canvas shopping bag and he enjoyed it.

Read: Art Time

So when I saw the Craft Easy Canvas Painting Kit last year, I immediately bought it. The kit is very affordable but it is not always available in National Bookstore. 

Read: Craft Easy Canvas Painting Kit

We also tried painting at Sip & Gogh few months ago and my son wanted to go back but I told him that we will go back pag may budget na. One session is almost 1K so it is not friendly to my pocket. 

Read: Painting at Sip & Gogh

Few months ago, I saw Art Craze - Paint by Numbers but when I checked stores, malayo naman sa min. Good thing I saw this Painting by Numbers kit at S&R and I immediately bought it. 


My son was not allowed to use the iPad last weekend because he did not finish his baon in school so that is the consequence. He was bored so he remembered the painting kit that I bought. 


The kit is P349.95, it includes canvas, 2 brush, paint and yung pansabit with screw. Actually, I find it expensive kasi kasing laki nga lang siya nung Craft Easy kit, the only difference is may numbers. Hehehe! 


But my husband told me, yun ang binabayaran mo yung numbers. In fairness, my son’s finished artwork is good because of the numbers. The numbers really helped him. Though he asked for help from me, so I painted the eyes, whiskers and flowers, mahirap daw kasi yung small. 

I will buy painting kit again so he has something to do when Ipad is not allowed. After his painting session, nauto niya daddy niya na magplay ng Pokemon Go. Sunod naman si Daddy niya at bonding daw nila. Hmmm! 

Nadagdagan na ulit. :)

Some people do not want to travel because it is hard to explore with kids. Some people do not want to travel because they feel that it is so expensive. Some people do not want to travel because they just don’t like it, they would rather shop or stay at home because that makes them happy.

For me, there is nothing wrong with that because we have our own reasons and we find time for the things that make us feel HAPPY to be ALIVE. In our case, we feel happy when we travel with our son in tow. 

For the record, we are not rich and we are not a frequent traveler but we find time and we find ways just to travel because that makes us happy.

Looking back, when I was a kid we don’t travel a lot so I was really excited every time we have a field trip in school, summer camp in church or if my relatives will have a family outing and they will invite us to join. That is the only time that we can visit new places. So when I started working and earning, I try to save money so I can travel. 

Now that I’m a mom, we make sure that we have time to travel. I do believe that you don’t need to be rich in order to travel because traveling does not mean going out of the country or going out of town. If budget is tight you can explore your own city or province. I’m pretty sure that there are nice places that you can visit within your area. 

So why do we always travel with our son?

1. Traveling is the Best Investment 

We are not born with a silver spoon so traveling is considered a luxury for us. We are happy to invest our money in traveling because we believe that...



Yes, traveling is not FREE, you need to spend money to go to different places but it is not just an expense because you get something in return. You will learn a lot by exploring the world. 



So traveling is the best investment that we can give to our son. Cliche as it may sound “You only live once” so I wanted my son to see and enjoy the world while he is young. 



I consider traveling as the best gift that I can give to my son because clothes will fade and toys will be outdated but the memories that we’ve shared while traveling is timeless.

When he gets an award in school, instead of buying gifts we visit theme parks, museums or places that he can enjoy. I don’t want to shower him with material things that will not last. I rather spend the money on experiences that can last a lifetime.


We want to fill our life with experiences and not material things. We want to have stories to tell in the future and not stuff to show to people. 

3. Traveling is the Best Teacher 

Traveling is not always fun, there are always ups and downs. There are mistakes or mishaps along the way but those challenges will teach you lessons in life.


Going out of the country will make you more observant, attentive and curious. You will realize that each country has their own culture and traditions and you cannot just do what you want, you also need to adapt. 



You also get excited to see the places or things up close and personal. I would like my son to see and experience different things because I know there are so much to learn outside our comfort zone. 

4. Traveling is the Best Way to Create Memories 

Some people say that they will just travel when their kids are already old so they can enjoy the places. But for me, I would like to travel while my son is still young because time flies so fast and in a blink of an eye, he is ready to move out of the house. 
Before that happens, I would like to share and explore the world with him. I want to travel with him, visit every country, every province and every city. Eat foods, try new things and take a lot of pictures. I would like to spend more time with him because I know time will come that we will no longer be his travel buddy. I would like to grab the opportunity while my son is still young and while we still have energy because I don’t know if we can still travel in our senior years. 
I hope that when he grows old, he will remember the places that we’ve seen, the foods that we’ve tried, the things that we did and the most important thing is the memories that we’ve made along the way. I hope that he will remember that he has a mom and dad who are always there for him because at the end of the day, what matters most is the people you have in your life. 

PS. If you love to travel, check my “Best Places to go with Kids in the Philippines” album on my Facebook page, subscribe to You Tube or visit our Pinterest board of “Traveling to the Philippines with Kids”. I will update the album from time to time 

You Tube 
Best Places to go with Kids in the Philippines 
Traveling to the Philippines with Kids 

IKEA is from Sweden, It is a Scandinavian chain selling ready-to-assemble furniture, household products, and food products in a warehouse-like space. Last summer, my husband went to Bangkok, Thailand and he told me that there is an IKEA in Thailand. He knew that I always check IKEA products online and I’ve been meaning to visit this store. 

I was fortunate to visit IKEA Tachikawa in Japan but since we don’t have extra luggage with us, I did not buy a lot so when my husband mentioned that he will go back to Bangkok, I immediately checked IKEA online catalog.

Read: IKEA Tachikawa

I noted all the stuff that I like and sent it to my husband’s phone so he can see the pictures and names. I’ve been sending pictures and my husband said, mukhang excess baggage na ko sa dami ng pinabibili mo. Hehehe! I told him that I don't know what is available so kung ano kasya.

IKEA Bangna

July 24

Last Sunday, my husband flew to Bangkok and I suggested visiting IKEA Bangna on his first day bago pa siya maging busy sa work. He’s a submissive husband so after dropping his luggage in the hotel, off he went to IKEA. Hehehe! It was also a good decision because according to the hotel staff it is Sunday so there is no traffic. 

My husband warned me, 23 kilos na daw bagahe niya so I only have 7 kilos sa aking ipabibili. So I have to say goodbye to Raskog Utility Cart because it weighs 10 kilos. The Kallax 2x2 was out of stock but even it is available, it is still heavy. The Trones Shoe/Storage Cabinet is too bulky. Waah! 





According to him, the IKEA Bangna is bigger compared to IKEA Tachikawa and hindi niya kayang ikutin. He was already tired so he has no strength to look for Pruta container. So he bought 4 Drona (storage boxes) THB149 each, Gnarp (5-piece kitchen utensil set) THB119, and 2 Glis THB129 each (storage with lid).



The Drona is for the Kallax shelves, the Glis is perfect for our small accessories, pen or pencils. The Gnarp is for the kitchen, it is not heavy and I’m not sure if it will not last enough, feeling ko madali mabakli. Hehehe! But I think I can use this in teaching my son how to cook, at least hindi mabigat and fit sa kanyang maliit na kamay. He forgot to buy the IKEA chocolates and cream sauce that we like. 



Read: Pasalubong from Japan
          IKEA Graddsas Cream Sauce

IKEA Philippines 

Few days after my husband went to IKEA, I learned that there will be an IKEA Manila soon but there was no definite place or time yet. But I’m one of those people who is excited because at least we will have another store where we can buy stuff at a very affordable price. 

Some people say that IKEA products have low quality and it will not last for a very long time. Some people say that products are mass produced so marami ka rin kapareho. But I don’t mind because I like IKEA products because it offers products that are space-saver, easy to assemble, and affordable. Maybe as a customer, you can check and choose what product that is worth buying.

There are IKEA products here in the Philippines but of course, the price is either double or triple the price. I found IKEA products at a reasonable price when we went to St. James Bazaar but I only bought picture frames. Well, I hope there will be IKEA Philippines soon. 

IKEA Bangna 
38 Moo 6 Bangna-Trad km. 
8 Bangkaew Sub-District Bangplee District, 
Samutprakarn 10540 
Hours: 10AM–10PM 
Phone: +66 2 708 7999 

IKEA Restaurant & Café 
Open 9:30 - 21:30 hrs

Our family loves to travel but of course, the budget is very limited so it is indeed a privilege for us if we can travel from time to time. We really treasure those moments and experiences when we visit other countries. Our (my son and I) last out of the country was in 2014, when we visited Malaysia and Singapore and we renewed our passports in 2015. The year 2016 came and I was itching to travel.

Last March, I saw my husband’s passport and I told him, "Nasa page 13 ka na, sabay lang tayo nagparenew and wala pa kami stamp”. My passport is really waiting and screaming to be stamped. lol

My husband just laughed at me and because summer vacation was approaching, he invited us to join his business trips. Of course, I will just choose one country because like I said, the budget is very limited and we don’t want to break the bank.


I chose Japan because it has been on my bucket list for a very long time. For some reason, the trip was rescheduled. The original schedule was first week of April, then they changed it to the last week of April and it was moved to last week of May. It was supposed to be an eight-day trip, nabawasan pa ng one day because my husband needs to fly to Indonesia after Japan. 

At some point, I was already losing hope because it was rescheduled so many times and classes were soon to resume. We had visas and plane tickets and one week before our trip, muntikan na di matuloy. But thank God, everything fell into place. 

Read: How to Apply for Japan Visa if you have Philippines Passport

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve seen Daiso on our first day in Tokyo, Japan. It is just walking distance from the hotel and you will passed by this store on your way to Sanrio Puroland. 

Read: Keio Plaza Hotel Tama
          Sanrio Puroland
          Exploring Tama, Tokyo 

I did not bother to check it because it is available in the Philippines. But since we canceled our itinerary for day 6, we had our chance to visit the store. 



Daiso is a large franchise in Japan and there are 2800 stores nationwide so I’m pretty sure you will see this everywhere. It offers a wide range of products for only 100 yen or 108 (with tax) so it is really cheap. 

And because of the 108 price, even I have no plan of buying anything, I did not leave empty handed. #wasteland Mura pa rin compared sa P88 natin dito. 








The store was big so I stopped taking pictures na and took my time checking different items. Lol 

Again, there is no bagger so we have to pack our own stuff.

You will no doubt be very familiar with the need to eat healthily in order to look after your body and stay in good shape, but it is also just as important to enjoy what you could describe as a balanced mind-diet. 

Family favorites like card games, are great for having some fun and friendly challenges against others, but they also serve a great purpose in keeping your brain sharp. 


Here is a look at some educational family games that tick most of the right boxes in terms of providing you with some good entertainment, as well as stimulating your brain and keeping that gray matter working hard. 

Seal of approval 

Mensa arguably exist in order to celebrate the achievements of a great mind and to encourage everyone to use what they have got and to test the boundaries of their brain power. 

The Mensa Mind Games competition challenges games manufacturers to put forward their ideas and to produce a game that judges will put to the test in order to find which ones may be worthy of their seal of approval. 

Previous winners include the highly-acclaimed Trivial Pursuits and as you might imagine, competition is stiff. The good news for consumers and avid game players of all ages, is that there are constantly new challenges to experience, featuring ideas for board and card games. 

Mensa have been reviewing new games for the past 20 years, and there is a good chance that you will have played some them, as they have become family favorites across the nation. 

Creative-thinking party game 

A past winner, Scattergories is described as a creative-thinking category-based game that first came to light back in 1988. 

Although the objective of the game is relatively simple, which is to score points by uniquely naming objects having only been given an initial letter as a reference point, it requires a good ability to think quickly, if you are going to emerge as the winner. 

You can also get a fast-paced card game version of Scattergories, for a rapid-fire test that ends when the deck is exhausted and the cards you hold are counted.

Great for problem-solving skills 

If you don’t like getting stuck in a traffic jam, perhaps if you hone your problem-solving skills by playing the popular Rush-Hour game, you might be able to negotiate a way out of the jam more easily in future. 

The point about this game is that it is designed to challenge beginners and experts in equal measure, so the better you get at solving the problems, the harder the puzzles become. 

Rush Hour is billed as an educational game as it aims to develop your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills as well as entertain you in equal measure.

Don’t forget the kids 

Introducing your children to educational games will not only entertain them but it will teach them some valuable skills as well.

Robot Turtles is a good example of the sort of modern game that reflects the modern childhood environment, as it is aimed at encouraging kids to learn and develop some early programming skills. 

Card games and board games alike, you can find plenty of ways to challenge your mind and develop some useful skills that could even make you hard to beat with enough practice. 

Rachael Hancock is a keen gamer, particularly of online games she can play on her phone or laptop. A Mom of two she encourages the little ones to play educational games so that they can learn whilst also having electronics time.

Rachael Hancock is a keen gamer, particularly of online games she can play on her phone or laptop. A Mom of two she encourages the little ones to play educational games so that they can learn whilst also having electronics time.

We were lucky that our hotel has a strategic location, you will really not go hungry here because there are several restaurants around the area. The only problem is we are not sure if the taste and price are good. 

My husband asked his officemate for recommendations. One evening, my husband went to The Royal Host restaurant. They have a different menu for take out and dine in food and my husband ordered this.



We were satisfied with the food so we had lunch here on our sixth day. The Royal Host, The Hospitality Restaurant is a family restaurant which serves Japanese, Western food and European food. 



The interiors look simple yet cozy, I noticed that most of the diners are families or group of friends. We took our time browsing the menu. Good thing that they have a menu for kids and just like other fastfood, there is a free toy per meal. 

The staff even asked the size of the rice, small, medium etc. I only ordered a small size since I can only eat 1 cup of rice. My husband ordered a medium, ang dami pala. Hehehe! But even if you ordered the biggest size of rice, the price is still the same. 

We were surprised with the serving, it was really huge es,pecially for the kid’s meal. My son was not able to finish his meal. 




The taste is good and the price is very reasonable. I can’t remember the exact price but if I remember it right, the total price is not close to P1500. The service is also good, the staff immediately refills our drinks even without asking.

Royal Host 
Plaza 4F on a hill, 1-44, Ochiai, 
Tama-shi, Tokyo, 206-0033