Michi Photostory

Let me start with our food trip, we were in Sheraton Mactan for 3 days and 2 nights and we did not go out so we just ate inside the resort. During our trip, the resort is just a few weeks old so the only options are 5 Cien, Buhi Bar, and Sa Sitio Bakery & Bar. The Dip (Nikkei Restaurant) was still under construction so we were not able to try it pa. 

5 Cien is their All-Day Dining restaurant which offers international cuisine. It is open as early as 6AM and closing time is 11PM. This is also where you eat your complimentary buffet breakfast. They have live stations so you can see chefs while preparing your food or drinks. 

Buhi Bar is located near the pool and beach, our favorite spot here is the cave. Limited lang yung spot so first come first serve. The bar offers Mediterranean bites with cocktails. Open from 2PM to 12AM.

Sa Sitio Bakery & Bar is a coffee shop, deli, and bakery. It is open as early as 7AM so you can buy breakfast, snacks, or even take-outs. I bought bread here before we went to the airport. The closing time is 10PM. 

We had a morning flight so wala pa 11AM gutom na kami so we went to 5 Cien for our early lunch. The restaurant offers all-day breakfast, appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and dessert. For mains, you have options for Asian, Filipino, and Western cuisine. They also have Kid’s Menu. 

We ordered Wings and Mojos PHP620, Nasi Goreng PHP620, and Adobo Marinated Grilled Chicken PHP420 + Service Charge. While waiting for our food, they serve complimentary bread. 

My son is no longer a kid but he likes the grilled chicken so we asked if we can order from the kid’s menu and the staff said yes. But we had no idea na pangKids din yung plate. Hehehe! 

Since we spent our afternoon at the pool, we had an early dinner at Buhi Bar before we went back to our room. They also have a Happy Hour Promo, I can’t remember the name of these beverages but the two drinks are PHP425 + Service Charge. 

For our meal, we only ordered two meals plus extra rice because we had a hard time finishing our lunch meal so para hindi sayang ang food. We ordered Mango BBQ Wings PHP520 and Adobo Rito PHP560 + Service Charge. 

My husband only used his points to book our room so breakfast is not included in our package so for our first breakfast, we chose “In-Room Dining”. We ordered Punta Engaňo Sunrise PHP840, Daing na Bangus PHP560 and Arroz caldo PHP450 + Service Charge. 

Punta Engaňo Sunrise PHP840 

Served with garlic rice, pickled papaya, Taboan of the Day 

Choice of chilled juice mango, orange, apple, or pineapple. 

Choice of two bakery items: ensaymada, pandesal, ube pandesal, pan de coco, pan Bisaya. 

Fruit Plate 

Choice of savory items served with two eggs of any style, tocino, longganisa, bangus, beef tapa. 

Choice of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, hot chocolate, breakfast tea, sikwate. 

Choice of whole milk, skimmed milk, soy milk 

Pan-fried milkfish, pickled papaya, garlic rice. 

Two eggs of any style: sunny side up, over easy, poached, or scrambled. 

Hash brown, pork sausage, chicken sausage, or crispy bacon. 

When our food was served, nalula na kami sa dami so I took a picture of it and we started eating kasi gutom na rin. Nung kalagitnaan na ng kainan, napaisip ako kasi feeling ko may kulang pa, so I compared my list and photo. 

Then I discovered that we received an incomplete breakfast. We don’t have a sunny-side-up egg, I chose a sunny-side-up egg for my son so parang lahat, scrambled egg ang binigay. My husband has no pork sausage, arroz caldo lang ang binigay. Also for my order, we did not receive the fruit plate. 

We did not bother to call the restaurant because we were already full and marami pa kami left over. We just decided na sa restaurant na kami magbreakfast next time. 

We still have breakfast leftover so for lunch, we ate inside the room na lang. We just ordered Sinigang Soup PHP620, Steamed Rice PHP110 per cup, and Kakanin Selection PHP280 + Service Charge.

I don’t have pictures of our dinner, so it is either we did not order and ate our leftovers or we ordered the same food. The only picture that I have is our Mocktails at Buhi Bar which we got after playing Seeker’s Game. 

And because of our incomplete breakfast, we decided to eat at the restaurant, brunch na para busog na kami bago magcheck-out. So while everybody was busy eating their breakfast, we were swimming at the pool. 

After swimming and showering, my husband and son went to the restaurant first and I just told them my order. I am not in a hurry na magprepare because I know it will take more than 20 minutes bago maserve yung food pero nagtataka ko at panay tunog ng phone ko. When I answered my phone, my husband told me na buffet na daw kami so bumaba na daw ako. What!?! 

Remember the incomplete order that we experienced? Well, before my husband ordered our meals, he informed the staff about it and we did not expect that the manager will upgrade us to buffet breakfast to compensate for the mistake. Wow! 

We are happy with the upgrade but at the same time we are also in a hurry because we only have less than 30 minutes before the closing time. If we knew na ganito mangyayari, sana pala inagahan namin kumain, hehehe! Well, ito na yung pinakamabilis na hotel breakfast namin. 

Punta Engaño Road, Mactan Island 

6015 Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines

And because of that, no more Mabuhay Lounge for him but good thing that Philippine Airlines still provide lounge access but there is no specific lounge for Philippine Airlines passengers. The staff will be the one to assign which lounge you can access so my husband was able to try a new airport lounge in NAIA. 

I already blogged about Miascor, PAGSS and this time, let us have a glimpse of Marhaba. This lounge is located in NAIA Terminal 1, adjacent to Bay 9, West Satellite. So if you want to have a comfortable place while waiting at the airport, you can go to Marhaba. 

If you don’t have complimentary lounge access, you need to pay $23.14 for 3 hours of stay. The lounge is open from 7:00 to 24:00. Children under the age of 2 years old are free. Keep in mind that online bookings cannot be made within 24 hours of service airport local time. So for shorter notice bookings, it is better to call (971) 800 627 4222. 

The lounge offers international cuisine and hot and cold beverages, restrooms, shower area, prayer room, meeting room, and for entertainment, they have newspapers, magazines, TV, and wifi.

I have a long list of dream travel destinations pero dahil “Love the Philippines”, let us focus on our own country muna. Six years ago I posted my “Top 3 Places on my Travel Bucket List” and after six years, among the 3 places, I only visited Batanes. Oh no! kelan ko kaya matatapos ang bucket list ko. 

And going back to my “Travel in the Philippines” blog post when I took a test and I realized that I haven’t visited the other side of the Philippines so nadagdagan pa yung list ko. Waah! 

Albay is not part of my top 3 places before but since I was a kid this has been on my travel bucket list because I wanted to see Mayon Volcano. Then I recently watched “I Love Izzy” movie so mas namotivate pa ako na puntahan. Hehehe! 

I was supposed to visit Dumaguete when I was still working but I changed my mind kasi feeling ko ang laki ng expenses ko for just 3 days but if I could turn back time, sana pala hindi ako nagkuripot, iba rin naman yung experience traveling with colleagues. 

Just this year, I’ve seen a few interesting resorts in Dumaguete so I included this on my list and of course, I want to visit the famous Silvanas store. 

Four years ago when we visited the World Travel Expo, we discovered a resort in El Nido and we liked the package but the problem is, we don’t have a plane ticket yet. The staff was generous because they extended for a few days yung offer so my husband gave them his email address and they sent the offer.  

We checked different airlines but unfortunately, there is no flight available na on our travel dates so we let go of the package. I just hope I can visit El Nido before my senior years, ang hirap naman mag island hopping ng kulang sa energy. Also, there is a problem with clean water in El Nido so I don't see myself visiting anytime soon. 

My husband planned to celebrate his birthday in Siargao but the pandemic happened in 2020 so nawala ulit yung chance na makavisit. In addition, April and May is no longer our school break, ang hirap naman magplan ng Siargao kung rainy season na ang bakasyon. 

Well, time will tell when I can visit these places but for now, let's just craft na lang. I made this Surfer Box Card for my entry. The SVG template is from The Bearded Housewife and I just duplicate the surfer so I can print and cut the Love The Philippines logo. I made a mistake in gluing the elements, ang baba nung araw. pero pwede na yan. Hehehe!

Instead of browsing or scrolling on my phone, I just use my time wisely so I craft. Hehehe! Cricut Philippines has a Father’s Day Giveaway so I decided to join, malay mo swertehin ako manalo ng Cricut Maker 3, ang tagal ko ng wishlist ito. There is no harm in trying naman. 

I thought I will only make one craft project pero dahil gising nga ako ng madaling araw, nagcraft ako every day. So I am sharing the different craft projects that I’ve made. 

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you already knew that my son was fond of dinosaurs when he was 5 years old, We watched Jurassic Park 1, 2, and 3 movies for the nth time. We also we watched the Jurassic World movie in the cinema and visited Dinosaurs Island. So when I saw this Dinosaur SVG file, even though my son is not into dinosaurs now, I still make it. This is a shadow box file but I used it for an easel card. 

I’ve been saving this Couple on Beach project for our anniversary pero ginawa ko na for my entry.  My husband and I were schoolmates so people thought that we met in school but the truth is, we first met on an island. 

I’ve been trying to finish my Gnomes Countdown Project since May kaso sa dami ng gusto ko gawin, hindi ko matatapos-tapos. But I am glad that I already made the Coffee Gnomes, a few weeks ago so for my third project, medyo easy na kasi finish na yung gnomes. I just die-cut the COFFEE letters and assembled them. I plan to put this on a frame for my future kitchen.  

Katatapos lang ng birthday ni hubby and Father’s Day but I still make this Grill Master Card. Honestly, we only use an oven or electric grill if we wanted grilled food but I consider my husband a grill master kasi siya ang taga grill namin sa Samgyeopsal and Yakinuku restaurants. Hehehe! 

For this card, I used metal cutting dies for the Grill Master word, embossing folder + Distress Oxide for the background and Layered BBQ SVG. 

And for my last project, it took me two days to finish this one, akala ko nga hindi ko na matatapos. I only need 9 animals but I ended up making 26 pieces, I just stopped when I realized na kelangan ko na tapusin yung entry ko. I purchased the 32 Egg Holders SVG file so I wanted to finish them sana kaso hindi na kinaya ng powers ko. I will share the rest kapag natapos ko na yung remaining 6 designs but for now, here are the 9 animals layered crafts that I used. You can view my finished project on my Instagram Post, 

For Bee Happy Craft Weeklies Week 25: Pinoy, I made this “Peace” easel card using the colors of our Philippine flag. 

Anyway, yesterday was my son’s Recognition Day and it is one for the books because my son is part of the Overall Top and Gold Eagle Awardee. It is on his bucket list for the longest time to make it to the list but of course, it is not an easy journey. I know that the competition is hard especially if there are more or less 240 students in their grade level. 

My husband and I never pressure him to be part of the top but we don’t want a failing grade. Last school year, he made it on the list for 3rd and 4th quarter only but now we’re happy that he is part of the overall top from 1st quarter until the final ranking. He got the 6th Honor and Gold Eagle Awardee. We’re so proud of him because his hard work paid off kahit minsan naiinis ako kasi mas marami time maggadgets kaysa mag-aral. 

If I remember right, when the third quarter came, my husband teased him that he will buy a new cellphone for him kung makakapaglakad siya sa red carpet. In our school, only overall top students + parents ang nakakapaglakad sa red carpet. The rest of the awardees, solo lang na naglalakad. Hehehe! And tinototoo naman ng anak ko and syempre, my husband bought a new cellphone. 

Also, we are glad because, after three years, we’re back to regular programming. We don’t have Face to Face or Virtual Recognition in the year 2020, we had Virtual Graduation in the year 2021 and Virtual Recognition in the year 2022. So yesterday was a moment to remember, dahil sa aming pagbabalik, nakapaglakad pa sa red carpet. We don’t know if it will ever happen again, not because I have no confidence in my son but like I said, I don’t want to pressure him, as long as he gives his best. Ang ayaw ko mangyari yung maburnout sa pag-aaral at tamarin na lalo na sa college years. 

Of course, I made a You Did It cake topper kahit hindi na naman kami nakabili ng cake. hehehe! I also made a card for him and for us. For us? Weird noh? During Recognition Practice, I read kasi na pinagdadala sila ng art materials so I asked why? My son said, gagawa daw sila ng Thank You Letter. Oh di ba, wala na surprise so gumawa na lang ako ng card and sabi ko doon na siya magsulat. And dahil hindi naman tinago ng anak ko yung card after sulatan, nabasa ko tuloy bago magRecognition so habang nag-iiyakan mga parents habang nagbabasa ng letter after Thanksgiving Song, kami ni hubby nagkatawanan na lang kasi nabasa na namin.

I used metal cutting dies, an embossing folder, and distress oxides for the card. For the cake topper, 3 layers of glitter and textured cardstock. The font is Klose Slab.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a special celebration after Recognition because we had a scheduled appointment in the afternoon so after the event, we rushed to Makati for our appointment. We just ate at Pho Hoa in Makati kung saan may available na table. Lunchtime din kasi so punuan ang mga restaurants. Bawi na lang next time, sabay-sabay na para tipid celebration. Hehehe!

Also, when I was organizing my craft supplies, my husband said “alam mo mas marami ka pa papel kaysa sa bookstore”. Natawa na lang ako but in my mind, kelangan ko pa talaga magcraft. Actually, it is one of my goals this year na gamitin ko yung digital files and craft supplies and tools na binili ko. So if you are reading my blogs, you will notice that I started joining craft contests or craft fests para majustify ko yung craft expenses, oops should I say investments. Hehehe! 

Anyway, my husband was not working from home last week so solong-solo ko yung room and I have more space for crafting kaya ang dami ko nagawa. I did not buy any gift for him, but I made this 3D Father’s Day Fishing Shadow Box. I like the message “Thank you for feeding me well but also teaching me how to fish”. My husband wanted to experience fishing again, ang tagal na kasi nung last experience namin so ito na yung souvenir. Hehehe! 

This SVG file needs 11 layers of cardstock, I struggled to cut the first layer because the letters are ripping maybe because it was my first time using the brand of cardstock and I am still trying different settings. It was not perfect pero hindi naman maarte asawa ko. Hehehe! 

And because of the Fishing Shadow Box, I made this 3D Dad Fishing Layered Craft. I reduced the size to 5 inches only so cutting is also a challenge because it is so thin. 

The 3D Father's Day Truck Layered Craft has 6 layers of cardstock. I have no problems with this SVG file even though I reduced it to 5 inches. 

The Best Dad Cake Topper is from Craft with Sarah, this is my favorite among the three. My husband bought a roll cake last Friday for our merienda, so nung nag Father’s Day, hindi na kami bumili ng cake so we were not able to use this cake topper. 

The first card that I made is the Trophy Card which you can use for Father's Day or the Birthday of your Dad. This is only 2 layers of cardstock so make sure you are using medium or heavy cardstock for the base. 

The 3D Dad Layered Craft can be a cake topper but I used it for my card. Happy Father’s Day is stamped and embossed. 

The Tools Card is from The Bearded Housewife, I changed the design a little bit and changed the message to “You have all the rights tools for being a great Dad!”. This is the card that I used for my husband. 

For the “To The Best Dad” card, I used a metal cutting die, stamps, distress oxides and ohuhu markers to make this card.