Michi Photostory

I know I am not yet finished with my Stockholm, Sweden series but let me skip it for now since I have no idea about the situation in Sweden. But in Norway, it seems that life is back to normal because I’ve seen relatives who are on the road traveling within Norway. How I wish we could do that here in the Philippines.

But it looks like it won’t happen anytime soon so let me reminisce about our trip to Oslo Norway, let me start with our train ride from Stockholm to Oslo via SJ train. If Copenhagen to Stockholm has 5 train schedules, for Stockholm to Oslo, we were down to two schedules only which is 9:10 and 15:08, we chose the earliest schedule since we don’t want to arrive in the evening. Travel time is 5 hours and 59 minutes.

There are different types of tickets, you can choose first class or second class, then non-bookable, rebookable, and refundable. For our Copenhagen to Stockholm, my mom chose the refundable ticket but when my mom received the confirmation and read the fine prints, she agreed with me to buy the non-rebookable ticket for our train trip. Hehehe!

SEK 1850 - Non-rebookable
SEK 2147 - Rebookable
SEK 2429 - Refundable

Total is SEK1850 for 3 adults and 1 child, I was so surprised when I saw the breakdown of the ticket because we only paid SEK5 for my son which is only PHP27.80 (current exchange rate). This is one of the perks of traveling with a family, they give discounts. Imagine, nakabiyahe anak ko from Sweden to Norway for less than PHP30.

SEK 615 - Adult
SEK 5 - Child

Since we had an early trip, we checked out before 6AM, from Generator Stockholm we just walked up to Stockholm Central train station. To save money, we did not take a taxi since we’ve been walking from the hostel to the train station for the past few days so even with our luggage, it won’t be difficult.

Read: Where to Stay in Stockholm: Generator Stockholm 


When we arrived at the train station, we immediately checked our boarding gate then we had our usual breakfast at McDonalds. We took our time eating breakfast because we had nothing to do at the train station. While waiting, my husband bought some chocolates at the convenience store, just beside our boarding gate. We survived Stockholm Sweden without cash, we only use our credit card for everything, even for comfort rooms which SEK10.


The train arrived on time, we had comfortable seats and free wifi. I did not bother to take photos or videos because this was my view. Toinks!


We had lunch at the Bistro, my husband just bought bread and Swedish Meatballs. The total bill is SEK158 without drinks.


 After 6 hours of train ride, we were back in Oslo, Norway. We stayed at Cochs Pensjonat for 4 days and 3 nights. After our Scandinavian tour, my husband went back to the Philippines while my son and I stayed at my mom’s place.


Read: Traveling from Copenhagen Denmark to Stockholm Sweden via SJ Train 
Traveling in Scandinavia via SJ Train 
Traveling Around Norway via NSB Train 
Where to Stay in Oslo: Cochs Pensjonat

We have a waffle maker at home but I stopped using it because I was having a hard time cleaning it. It is supposed to be a non-stick waffle maker but I don’t know bakit lagi may dumidikit and ang hirap alisin after ko gamitin. I checked this old blog post, and I can’t remember if this was also the last time that I cooked waffle, almost 8 years ago na pala and I’m not sure if my old waffle maker is still okay.


Moving on, my husband bought a new waffle maker last February but it was only this month that I was able to use it. I’ve been cooking a lot of pancakes and French Toasts during this community quarantine so for a change, nagwaffle naman ako. This time, I only use the Pancake Instant Mix for my waffle.


I love my new waffle maker, it is so easy to use and so easy to clean. And because of that, naubos ko ang 4 packs ng hotcake instant mix namin. My son loves eating it with Nutella.



Next time, I will try to cook waffles from scratch, baka mas okay ang texture. I’m missing the waffle that we usually eat in Norway. Parang gusto ko ulit ng bagong waffle maker, na ganito shapes. Hehehe!


Updated: October 2020: Waffle with Whipped Cream



I was planning to make crepe last month so I told my husband to buy whipped cream. Fortunately, he found a whipped cream at the grocery. We don't normally buy whipped cream but after trying this, I guess, mapapabili na ko lagi. I forgot to make crepe but I used it for our waffle. Mas masarap and waffle + Nutella + whipped cream. Elle & Vire is a French brand pala and according to my research, they are number 1 in the cream market and number 2 in the butter market. I just can't remember the price, I will update this post kapag bumili na kami ulit.

July 31, 2012

Waffle 

No classes for two consecutive days and I feel like a student again because I’m also happy. Class suspension means I have more time to do my chores and blog hopping but my son wasn’t happy because he loves to go to school even on the weekend. Every morning when I say “it’s time to take a bath”, my son will shout “Yehey! School time!” well, I do hope that he will be like this till college time.

Anyway, while doing my chores, I saw our waffle maker and I know that it’s been years since the last time I made a waffle so I cleaned the waffle maker and checked the internet for an easy waffle recipe. We made this for our merienda, I ate 2 pieces and my son ate 4 pieces. Next time I will add cheese or sausage.

My husband went to Landers last month and he bought a lot of instant cake mixes. I asked him to buy our favorite brownies mix but it was not available so he bought Betty Crocker cake mix instead. We already tried and tasted this brand for the past few years so it became a staple in our pantry. I’ve already blogged about their products before.

Super Cake Yellow Mix 
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix 
Super Cake Lemon Mix 
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix  
Oatmeal Cookie Mix 

Among these products, our favorite is the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Anyway, last weekend I baked the Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix and it turned out okay, not super moist but not dry. You can eat it without frosting but if you want to make it special, you can add frosting like Chocolate Ganache and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. I still have 2 boxes of cake mix and 1 pouch of cookie mix that I will try in the next few weeks. 


Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix Recipe 

1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

1. Heat oven to 350F for shiny metal or glass pan. 325F for dark or nonstick pan. Grease bottom and sides of the pans.
2. Mix cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed or beat vigorously by hand 2 minutes. Pour into pan.
3. Bake as directed or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool ten minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before frosting.


Pan Size and Baking Time 

13”x9” - 30 to 35 minutes
8” Round (2) - 30 to 35 minutes
9” Round (2) - 25 to 30 minutes
Bundt - 40-45 minutes
Cupcakes - 14-19 minutes

One hundred twenty-three days since community quarantine started and I’m patiently waiting for the day that we are free to go out again without hesitation and fear. Staying in the house for more than four months is no joke, the only time I went out is when I went to the dentist and law office. It was only few hours but when I got home, I worried about the virus. I feel safe when I’m at home so I’m a little bit paranoid when I went out.

During those four months, there are so many special occasions that had passed like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, my husband’s birthday, and my son’s recognition day. We usually celebrate these occasions by traveling, staycationing, or eating out but because of the pandemic, we have no choice but to stay indoors.

I can’t even buy gifts for my two boys because I can’t go out and online shopping is not an option because I am not sure about the delivery. Good thing that our love language is not “receiving gifts” so we are perfectly okay without gifts. My husband bought cakes during those moments and I’ve made digital cards and video as my gift. Hehehe!

Community quarantine is not a hindrance, you can still make someone feel special during their birthday, anniversaries, or any other special events. If you can’t go out, you can shop online, there are so many stuff that you can buy online depending on your budget. If you have a limited budget, you can purchase digital cards that you can download. You can send the digital cards via email or social media or you can print these cards and mail it. These cards are available in my shop.

Happy Quarantine Birthday! 



Wishing you a Happy Quarantine Birthday from a distance 



Sending you a virus-free card on your special day! Happy Birthday 



Happy Birthday! Wish I could be with you 



We might be apart today but you are always in my heart.



Buy these cards here.

Last week, I planned to use my Cricut Maker and make some projects but after setting it up and trying it, I realized that I need more time to learn how to use it. I stopped my Cricut project and out of the blue, I decided to push my plan.

I’ve been meaning to have my online shop where I can place my printables and social media graphics but as usual, I always feel that it’s not the right time and I’m not yet ready. But I took my courage pill and start registering my shop on Etsy.

Since I’m not yet ready, it took me several days to figure it out. I won’t deny that last week I feel so stressed because I did not expect that there are so many things to do especially listing the products. So far, I only have few products, you can buy instant download digital cards, tags, and stickers. You can visit my shop here






I only have 1 sale after one week. I know that I still have a long way to go. But despite that there is only ONE SALE, I still feel happy because
Finally, I DID IT.
I started even I feel that I’m not ready
I started even I feel scared.

F.E. Marie said, “Even when you fall, even when nothing goes as you expected, even then, be proud of yourself. You tried, and there is nothing more courageous than trying.” 



If you are like me who are feeling scared, I’m sharing these motivational quotes so you too can conquer your fear

“I always did something, I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow - Marissa Mayer” 

“If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, then you’ve launched it too late” - Reid Hoffman 

“Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better do better” - Maya Angelou

“Stop letting your potential go to waste because you don’t feel confident or ready enough. People with half of your talents are making serious waves while you’re still waiting to feel ready” 

P.S. If you want to start an Etsy shop, I have a referral link so you can get FREE 40 listings. If you are an on Etsy too, care to share some advice. :)

The first half of the year is gone and we’re now in the second half of the year 2020. Six months had passed, and those months are so challenging, overwhelming, and heartbreaking. Today is Day 110 since community quarantine has started and a lot of things happened even I’m just inside our home.

I was reading my Day 32 of Community Quarantine post and I shared that despite what happened in the past 3 months, I still try to be positive. In spite of the community quarantine and being stuck at home, I still feel okay. Then 4 days after I posted that, life hits me hard, my sister passed away and my world turned upside down. 


I wanted to scream “Noooo, this could not be happening to me”. At that moment, I don’t know what to feel anymore, my heart was really shattered into tiny pieces and I don’t know how to be whole again. There are days that I feel that I am just existing but not living. I kept on telling my heart to beat again. It is a long process to get back up and it took me a while to go back to my usual routine.

I am a planner so I always have a short-term or long-term plan but after what happened these past several months. I’ve learned to let go of my 2020 plans, I try not to worry about the future and I take one day at a time. I may not understand what is happening to my life right now, but I still have faith that someday, I will know the purpose and reason.

"Take one day at a time. Today, after all, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday" - Billy Graham

I’m meditating on this song Blessing by Laura Story “Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops. What if Your healing comes through tears. What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near. What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise”


Though there are sad times, I cannot deny that God is still faithful and I am thankful for all the blessings.

1. When my sister passed away, I was helping her family in processing the death claims. It is hard to process because I can only call or email and I cannot travel. I’m really grateful to people who helped us and my sister’s family in getting some requirements and documents. We are just starting to process kasi kailan lang naman nag-open ang mga offices.I just hope na mawala na ang Covid19 and magkaroon na ng public transportation so it would be easy for us to process.

2. I’m grateful because my husband has still work, hindi siya nasama sa 2% na nalayoff sa company nila. I’m glad that he is still working from home, no need to go to the office, and no business trip.

3. I am thankful that after 109 days of being stuck at home, I was able to go out. Last week, I got my quarantine pass and my dentist messaged me that they are already open. I immediately booked an appointment because it’s been 3 months since my last brace adjustment. That was my quick visit to the outside world.

4. I'm happy because my son is “Gold Eagle Awardee” again. Ang sad part lang, wala kami Recognition Day kahit online so I’m praying na sana next year back to normal na. Nakakasad yung Online Graduation.

5. After 3 months of waiting, I finally received my Living Cash Benefits, naabutan kasi ng lockdown yung check. I’m happy because I am still alive and I can enjoy the benefits of the memorial plan that I purchased 15 years ago.

6. Lastly, even though I’m stuck at home, I’m still happy because I have freelance jobs from time to time. It keeps me productive during this pandemic time. I need to be busy para hindi ako malungkot.

I wanted to end this post with this quote “Be strong now because things will get better. It might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever”

Do you miss traveling? I miss traveling but I guess there will be no travel trips this year. My only wish is that we can go out as a family. My son and I are still stuck at home because kids are not allowed to go out yet and I have an autoimmune disease so even I’m itching to go out, part of me is scared. I don’t want to put my health at risk.

Even I’m an introvert, I don’t like this “new normal” because, for more than 3 months, my world revolves inside our tiny house. To keep me sane, I kept myself busy and productive. I was working last weekend and my client is from Denmark. And because of that, I suddenly missed Denmark so I’m reminiscing about our trip last year.


4 Days in Copenhagen, Denmark with Kid 

Denmark is part of Europe so if you are a Filipino like me, you need to apply for Schengen Visa. We applied for our visas at VFS Norway since we will be staying most of our summer vacation there. We took Qatar Airways from the Philippines to Norway and we stayed in Elverum for few days before we started our Scandinavian Trip.

Read: How to Apply for Schengen Visa for your Europe Trip 
Understanding your Visa: How to Read the Visa Sticker  
Philippines to Norway via Qatar Airways 

There are different ways to travel from Norway to Denmark, we can ride the plane, bus, train or ferry, we chose the latter because it is cheaper and we wanted to experience it. From Elverum, we took a bus to Oslo and we walked from the bus station to ferry port where DFDS Crown Seaways is located. We sailed from Oslo Norway to Copenhagen Denmark for less than 18 hours. We’ve been meaning to try cruise but no budget for that yet so we’re happy that we experienced cruising even for one night. 

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen Denmark from Oslo Norway 

After 18 hours in the sea, we landed in Denmark and our travel adventures begin. We bought a Copenhagen Pass at the convenience store but the 72-hours card is not available so we just purchased the train ticket so we can travel to Copenhagen Central Station where our accommodation is located.

We stayed at Urban House by Meineger which is only 200 meters away from the train station. The location is very strategic so we have no problem in exploring and commuting because it is near restaurants, tourist spots, bus stops, and train stations. Urban House offers different rooms, in our case we availed the family room which is perfect for 4 persons.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger

Urban House by Meineger has a guest kitchen so it is a big saving in our pocket because we can eat breakfast and dinner at the hostel. For lunch and snacks, we were able to try a few restaurants, fastfoods, and kiosks. We missed the Danish hotdogs, Cocio, and waffles.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark 

I prepared an itinerary for our Copenhagen trip but everything changed when we reached Denmark, we tweaked it a bit. Despite the changes, we still enjoyed our trip. In fact, there are so many tourist spots that we wanted to visit but we don’t have time anymore. Anyway, let me share our four days itinerary in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Day 1 in Copenhagen

We arrived in at DFDS Terminal Seaport before 10 in the morning and we reached Urban House by 11AM, we were too early for the 3PM check-in time. We took a rest and decided to store our luggage in the locker area so we can start our tour. Due to limited time, we only visited City Hall Tower, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale House.

Day 2 in Copenhagen

We visited a lot of tourists spot on our second day, a total of 9 tourist spots so we were all tired by the time we reached our hostel. We started our tour in Roskilde where we visited the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde Town Hall, Roskilde Cathedral, and Roskilde Palace or Royal Mansion. After that, we traveled back to Copenhagen Central Station for our Canal Tours, it is a one-hour tour where you can see different tourist attractions. Then we walked to the longest shopping street in Europe which is called Strøget. We visited the Guinness World of Records Museum, Mystic Exploratorie, and lastly the Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is the oldest theme park in the world.

Read: Viking Ship Museum
Roskilde Cathedral
Canal Tours in Denmark
Tivoli Gardens

Day 3 in Copenhagen

It snowed on our third day so we started our tour a little bit late because we don’t want to be frozen. We had a walking tour at The Round Tower, The King’s Garden, Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg, and The Marble Church. My companions were all tired so we ended our tour early.

Read: Rosenborg Castle 

Day 4 in Copenhagen

Our fourth day in Copenhagen and my companions don’t want to go out anymore, they are afraid that we would miss our train ride. But I persuaded them to maximize our trip so we had our last tour at Christianborg Palace, The Ruins, and The Royal Kitchen. We’re glad that we did not miss this tour because we enjoyed our visit there. If time is not limited, there are more places that we could see within Christianborg Palace.

We rushed back to our hostel, picked up our luggage, ate quick lunch at the Food Market, and off we went to the boarding gate. This time we’re going to ride a train to Stockholm, Sweden, it was our first time traveling to another country via train.

Read: Traveling from Copenhagen Denmark to Stockholm Sweden via SJ Train

It’s been more than three months since I’ve been confined inside our home. To be honest, I did not imagine that this would be my life in the year 2020. In fact, I was excited to welcome this year because we had planned travel trips, got the plane ticket, booked accommodation, and even approved visas but life is full of uncertainties.

Summer has passed and I am still stuck at home, I miss traveling and I miss going out, kahit makapaggrocery lang ko ulit, malaking achievement na for me. I don’t know when that will happen so for now, let me see the world through these Korean Drama Series. If you miss traveling or if you are looking for some travel goals, then check my list of K-dramas that will take you to different places around the world.

For the last few years, I have watched 82 Korean Drama series and among my list, there are 16 series that will inspire you to travel. As of this writing, I am watching The Package and enjoyed this series because I feel that I already visited France. It was not on my travel bucket list but now I was thinking of visiting those places, especially the Mont Saint Michel.


1. The Heirs or Inheritors (USA) 

Lee Min Ho is a rich heir of Jeguk Group that was exiled to the USA where he meets Park Shin Hye who went to the USA to find her sister. They reunited in an exclusive High School that is attended by wealthy and privileged kids. This is the series where I started to like Lee Min Ho so I also watched some of his series like The Legend of the Blue Sea and Boys Over Flowers.

2. Descendants of the Sun (Greece) 

This series is a major hit in South Korea, it earned a lot of awards and it so popular so some countries have their own local adaptation like Vietnam and the Philippines. The story is about the captain and doctor who met in the emergency room. But because of their job and differences, they had a hard time to continue their relationship. DOTS is one of my favorite Korean Dramas, so I was a little bit sad when Song-Song couple separated.

3. The Legend of the Blue Sea (Spain) 

I like Lee Min Ho so it is no brainer that I immediately watch The Legend of the Blue Sea. This story is all about the mermaid who explores the ocean to look for the con-artist. Little did they know that they have a connection way back to the Joseon period.

4. Love Story in Harvard (USA) 

I have watched a few episodes of Love Story in Harvard on the television but was not able to finish it so, after more than a decade, I decided to watch this again. Half of the drama was filmed at Harvard University where law student Kim Rae Won and medical student Kim Tae Hee met.

5. Goblin or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Canada) 

Goblin is the fifth highest-rated drama in South Korea, it won several awards and became a cultural phenomenon not only in South Korea but in other countries too like the Philippines. The story is about the 900 plus-year-old military general who was cursed to stay immortal, a grim reaper, and high school student who have a tragic past.

6. Boys Over Flowers (Macau and New Caledonia) 

A series that is based on Japanese Manga, a love story between a poor high school girl and a rich kid who met in Shinhwa High School. It has 25 episodes but if you want to feel young again then watch this.

7. K2 (Spain) 

A former mercenary soldier who was hired to be a bodyguard of the hidden daughter of a presidential candidate. The first Korean Drama series of Ji Chang Wook that I watched and since then, I’m a huge fan.

8. Doctor Stranger (Hungary) 

Lee Jong Suk and his father fleed to North Korea and were denied access to go back to South Korea. Lee Jong Sook became a top surgeon just like his father who is also a famous doctor. He vows to reunite with Jin Se Yeon.

9. Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me (Slovenia) 

This drama is about a pure executive man and a travel agent who never traveled outside her country. The businessman accepted a dangerous fate by protecting the woman he loves. A love story that spans hundreds of years.

10. Are You Human Too (Czech Republic) 

A renowned brain scientist and artificial intelligence expert who was forced to part with her son so she created an android robot that is exactly like her son to cope with her loss over the years. She sent this android robot to protect her son’s position who was in a coma.

11. Memories of Alhambra (Spain) 

The love story of the CEO of Augmented Reality game and hostel owner. They met in Spain when the executive stays at the hostel of the woman who is also part of the mysterious and unexpected twists of the story both in real and AR world.

12. Encounter (Cuba) 

A divorced woman who has everything and an ordinary young man who was still starting his life met in Cuba. Both returned to South Korea only to find out that he will work in Donghwa hotel owned by the woman he met in Cuba.

13. Shopping King Louie or Shopaholic Louis (France) 

A romantic comedy about a young chaebol who loves shopping. He was suffering memory loss when he meets a country girl who agrees to help him until he regains his memory. I was hesitant to watch this because I’m not into shopping but I ended up liking this drama and it is one of my favorites too. If you want to laugh, then watch this kdrama.

14. Terius Behind Me or My Secret Terius (Poland) 

A detached secret service agent who helped a widowed woman. He takes care of the woman's kids and discovers the mystery behind the death of the husband.

15. Crash Landing on You (Switzerland) 

A South Korean heiress accidentally lands in North Korea due to paragliding mishaps. She met the captain who decided to hide and help her to go back to South Korea. Despite their differences, they fell in love. I love this kdrama too and after watching this, I wanted to go to Switzerland.

16. The Package (France) 

Lee Yeon Hee works as a tour guide who leads a group of tourists on a premium package tour in France. It is a story of travelers who have different personalities, stories and in the end, they become closer and involved in each other’s lives.

As I mentioned before, this Korean Drama will take you to different places in France. It is not the typical Eiffel Tower or Disneyland Paris tour. And because of this series, I discovered more fascinating and interesting places in France so it is now added to my bucket list.

If May is for Mother’s Day, June is for Father’s Day. It was founded in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd. Since then, every third Sunday of June, Father’s Day is being celebrated in most parts of the world. This year, it is hard to celebrate any occasion because of the Covid-19 pandemic but it is not an excuse because we can still honor our father in so many ways.

My father just passed away last January 2020 so this event reminded me that I no longer have a father. So if you still have a father, don’t forget to greet them, give them a gift or send them a card. I know it is hard to go out to buy gifts so I made some printable cards that you can download and print.  The size of the card is 3.5 x 5inches.


Sharing some famous father’s day messages.

1. Dad, a son’s first hero. A daughter’s first love.

2. Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.

3. FATHERS - Faithful, Always there, Trustworthy, Honoring, Ever-loving, Righteous, Supportive

4. A father holds his daughter’s hand for a short while but he holds her heart forever.


5. World’s greatest farter, father.

6. A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.

7. A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men.

8. Thanks for sharing your DNA. Now we both are fabulous.

9. Thanks for being my Ironman

10. I have a HERO, I call him DAD

11. It’s not a dad bod, it’s a father figure

12. You’re an unBEElievable Daddy!

13. Dad, you’re one smart cookie!

14. You’re an eggcellent daddy!

15. You’re one in a minion dad!

16. It’s oFISHcial, you’re the greatest DAD


17. Dad you are as smart as Ironman, as strong as Hulk, as clever as spiderman, as brave as batman, you are my favorite superhero.

18. To the world, you are a father but to our family, you are the world.

19. They call me dad because partner in crime makes me sound like a bad influence.

20. Happy father’s day to a dad who can build anything and deal with any problem.

21. Dad, without me today is just another day. (You’re welcome)

22. You did a grape job in raisin me.

23. Dad, you have given me the best things in life; Your time, your care, and your love. I am truly grateful to have you in my life. Happy father’s day!

24. Dads are hard to buy gifts for, so just enjoy this carefully selected card and the joy of having me as a child.

25. I love you daddy from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

26. Daddy, I have made prints of my little feet so you can remember when I was so small and sweet. I will grow as the years go past but my love for you will always last.

27. A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.

28. My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.

29. Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song.

30. I hope this father’s day is as fun as your life was before kids.

31. A family is blessed when a father gives of his time, teaches with his actions, and listens and loves with his whole heart.

32. The only thing better than having you for a husband is our children having you for a dad.

33. You are my best friend, the father of our children, and you are my hidden strength. Thank you for making life so beautiful.

34. A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.

35, Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.

36. No one in this world can love a girl more than her father. - Michael Ratnadeepak

37. Daddies don't just love their children every now and then, it's a love without end.

38. The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.

39. A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be. - Frank A. Clark

40. A father is someone who carries pictures where his money used to be.

41. A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.

42. A truly rich man is one whose children run in his arms evn when his hands are empty

43. Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song. - Pam Brown

44. My father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him I could see a future.

45. Being a daddy's girl is like having permanent armor for the rest of your life. - Marinela Reka

46. Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor.

47. A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.

48. Every girl may not be a queen to her husband, but she is always a princess to her father.

49. I would have got you a present but you didn't give me any money.

What is your favorite Father's Day message?

Just like that, we’ve reached the half of the year 2020. Time flies so fast even I’m confined inside our home. It is Day 79 of community quarantine and first day of GCQ or General Community Quarantine. It is now more relaxed but I’m still scared to go out because we haven’t flattened the curve. The number of covid19 cases is still increasing and we don’t know how long this battle will be.

June is the month of opening of classes but it was moved to August because of the pandemic. Though I already enrolled my son last January, (early enrollment) I’m still contemplating whether to skip or not to skip this school year. If I will switch to homeschooling or stay with our present school. There are so many things to be considered but for now, we’ll wait for more information.

This year 2020 is a heartbreaking year for me but I pray that God will sustain me. I still hope that there is light after darkness, there is rainbow after the storm and there is joy after tears. So I will welcome June with open arms and hoping that this time it will be a good month.

Anyway, I’ve created 12 Instagram Graphics “Hello June” which is free to download. Click here to download it. It is available in white and pink background.

“Time is deadly when you are sad. Time is endless when you are in pain.”  

It's been forty days since my sister passed away and no matter how busy I am, I still think of her. I don’t know when my grief will end because no matter what I do to move on from this heartache, deep down inside I know that pain never leaves. If my life is a puzzle, there is a missing piece that no one can refill.

It is hard to move forward but I need to move on, I need to heal and I have to accept the fact that I need to continue living without her. I have to get used to it, I can no longer see her, talk to her and our canceled trips can never be rebooked. Our future travels will never happen. RIP to my sister, Return If Possible 



Don’t judge one survivor’s healing by how fast another has to let go. Healing is not a competition. Everyone needs to heal at their own pace and at their own time. - Nikita Gill


Death is an inevitable part of our life's journey, we don't get to choose who, when, or how, but we can choose to pick up the pieces and LIVE AGAIN. - @iamclearascyrstal


Renew, release, and let go. Yesterday's gone. There's nothing you can do to bring it back. You can't "should've" done something. You can only do something. Renew yourself, release that attachment. Today is a new day! - Steve Maraboli

Gone are the days when gardening is only for old people. Nowadays, a lot of people are getting interested in this hobby especially now that we have a pandemic concern. We are stuck at home and we need something to relieve our stress.

What nice about gardening is you don’t need a big space because you can do container gardening or vertical gardening. You don’t need to buy a lot of materials because you can recycle plastic bottles and cans. (an excuse to buy softdrinks so we can reuse the plastic) You don’t need to buy seedlings because you can start planting from the ingredients that you have in the fridge or pantry.

I can still remember when I was a kid, I wanted to have a home with a garden. I wanted to have my own space where I can grow flowering plants, herbs, and spices. When we moved to our home, my late grandmother used to give me plants and we bought some bluegrass, plants, and even trees in Victoria, Laguna so we can plant it in our small garden.

After a few years, I realized that gardening is not for me. I don’t have the patience to maintain it, I don’t have a green thumb and I feel sad whenever a plant dies. So I give up my dream of having my own herbs and spices that I can use in my kitchen. I stopped gardening and let my husband maintain our small garden.

For the last several years, my husband tried to plant some seeds like tomato but it never blooms, calamansi but it never bears fruits, sitaw that died after 2 or 3 harvests, and camote. Camote was successful because my husband used to harvest the camote tops. He steamed the camote tops and paired it with shrimp paste.

Last year, when my son and I were on our summer trip, my husband decided to chop our palm trees and pine trees. Wala na kami shade pero at least wala na rin nalalaglag na dahon lalo na pag may typhoon. He hired someone to do this. Slowly, he started his home gardening hobby. He removed old soil and rocks, cleaned, and prepared our garden. He started planting and making his own compost. 


After our The Farm at San Benito trip, he planted tarragon, peppermint, and another type of mint plant. Then last holiday, we went to Tagaytay to buy dragon fruit cuttings and poles. When Community Quarantine started he bought this Sinigang Veggie Seeds, the pack includes okra, sitaw, tomato, radish and kangkong. So far, we were able to harvest Kangkong na and use it for Sinigang na Buto-Buto.




I know this is just a small thing compared to other home gardens but I would like to celebrate small wins. At least, may naharvest na rin kahit papano. Gardening takes time but it can relieve stress, it is a good family bonding and you can save money too. My husband spent most of his free time in the garden and when he has a business trip (before lockdown), nireremind pa niya ko na diligan ko halaman niya. Minsan nagseselos na nga ko sa halaman. Hehehe!


"Watching something grow is good for morale. It helps us believe in life" Myron Kaufman

Update: July 2020

After two months, here is the look of our mini garden at home. We've drunk a lot of softdrinks in the past few months so my husband can use it for his plants. Instead of buying expensive pots in the market, we reuse or upcycle the plastic bottles or pots. We already have a metal trellis where we could hang the plants. Aside from the Chinese kangkong, we already harvested pechay, okra and basil.