Michi Photostory

Nowadays, there are so many products that will make your life easier. There are instant noodles, canned goods, bottled foods and even cake or cookie mixes. Of course, nothing beats cooking or baking from scratch but it doesn’t make you a bad mom if you buy this stuff. 

If you can prepare everything from scratch, then good for you. But for me, I’m a fan of ready mixes because we can have a merienda or snack whenever we’re hungry. I buy these products so I have something to prepare when I have limited time.



Yesterday, we ate brownie and mocha cake in a cup. I remember “The Chef’s Insta Mug” that I have received when I attended the Vita Cubes event. We tried the Gooey Chocolate Fudge Cake and Creamy Chunky Mocha Cake. The box includes cup, spoon and ingredients you need to cook the cake. 




The directions are so easy to understand and follow so even your kids can make their own cake. You just need to mix everything and put it in the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Oh yes, you only need 1 minute to cook this. 



Then put all the toppings and to make it more special, put a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Yummy! I remember the famous brownie in a cup that we ate when we went to Cebu last summer. 



Read: La Marea Pastry Shop

Directions: 

1. Open the box and pull out the microwavable cup inside. 
2. In your microwavable cup, put 9 scoops of water using the spoon provided (equivalent to 3 tbsp) 
3. Add the cake mix then the cake flavor. Make sure to mix well. 
4. Microwave your cake batter at medium-high setting for 1 minute. 
5. Careful in pulling out the microwavable cup from the microwave oven. Cup is a bit hot. 
6. Top of freshly-baked cake with creamy fudge and delicious toppings.

Who is your bestfriend in the kitchen?

The kitchen used to be a scary place for young people and cooking was a daunting task reserved for mothers and household helps. But technology played a role in guiding people around the kitchen. Nowadays, new cooks search online for cooking videos or check out “food hacks” to be able to produce any dish they want that they can, in turn, show off on social media.

Young celebrities Kathryn Bernardo and Liza Soberano also enjoy cooking for their loved ones. They are the newest tandem to endorse AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. Apart from what can be found on the Internet, Kathryn and Liza became more confident cooks because they can rely on a brand of seasoning to make delicious home-cooked dishes by bringing out the natural goodness of food. Experienced cooks or kitchen newbies can make AJI-NO-MOTO® their best friend in the kitchen – an ally in serving nourishing and enjoyable dishes for the whole family. 

The new AJI-NO-MOTO® TV Commercial features three (3) dishes to show the versatility of the product in making all kinds of dishes delicious. Among the dishes are the Omurice, a Japanese-inspired meal composed of rice and omelet, Kathryn’s Adobong Puti recipe, a different take on the classic adobo without soy sauce and the all-time favorite comfort food Beef Nilaga. 





AJI-NO-MOTO® can be widely used in a variety of dishes because it has no smell or specific flavor of its own and can therefore be used to enhance the original flavor of food. This is a safe and quality product that is made from natural crops like sugar cane, corn or cassava and manufactured through the natural process of fermentation. AJI-NO-MOTO® enhances the taste of food by providing umami taste. Umami is the fifth basic taste also described as rich, savory and ‘malinamnam’ derived from food rich in glutamate like tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, ham and seafood.

Read: Crispy Fried Crean Dory

Our family is not into birthday parties so I was not surprised when my son told me that he wanted a staycation for his 8th birthday. He said, “Mommy, I want a hotel with playhouse”. 

Read: 8th Birthday

I know he was not referring to a small playroom. He wants a hotel or resort that offers activities for kids just like his experience in Crimzone. So it was really a challenge for me to look for a hotel or resort.

Read: CrimZone at Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan

In addition, I don’t know if we can have a staycation because my husband is always out of the country so I can’t just book agad-agad tapos bigla wala pala siya. I had to wait for his October schedule, so when he said that he had no trip on 1st weekend of October, I immediately searched for a hotel.


I was running out of time, good thing I saw the Festive Promo of EDSA Shangri-la so I checked their site. I learned that they have Wet Play Area at the swimming pool so I was sold already because I knew my son would like it. It is one thing that we missed in our Singapore trip, so at least he can try it here in the Philippines.

I was glad that my husband was able to book a room the day before our trip. Napapadalas na ang pagcram namin sa mga alis. Anyway, we’re so excited about our staycation because Shangri-la is known for good service. We’ve been to Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa before but I’m not sure if my son still remembers that trip.

Read: Day in Paradise at Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa

We left early to avoid the traffic. Just like other luxury hotels, the security is very tight. We know that 2PM is the check-in time but the receptionist offered an upgrade so we could check in already (12NN). This is not free, we paid extra for it. Well, it is not really an upgrade because same size of room but according to the staff, the Garden Wing rooms are old na, ito bago na daw. 


When we saw the room, it looked new and well-lighted. Our view is the swimming pool. Let’s have a room tour. 




The sad part is, there is no bathtub. It is something that we always look forward to in our hotel staycation. Two showers are available and they have a seat in the shower room. 


Since this is a luxury hotel, I was not impressed with the toiletries. It is the usual toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soap, dental kit, vanity kit, and shower cap. 


After several minutes, they delivered a complimentary birthday cake for my son. Not just one but two. Good thing they gave me another cake because the candle that I had was big. Hehehe! 

We had a staycation at EDSA Shangri-la last month which reminds me that I haven’t blogged about it yet. I hope before our semestral break ends, I can finish my post. Hehehe!

Anyway, since the food at the hotel is so steep, we ate our lunch and dinner at the Shangri-la Mall. Good thing that there is a connecting bridge for that so you don’t have to go out the hotel and cross the street. I appreciate hotels that are near the malls so there is no problem with the food. 

Since we have very limited time because my son will attend the Movie Night at the Cub Training, we did not waste our time looking for a restaurant. We just ate at Pepper Lunch since it’s been a while since our last visit. 

Ever since I tasted the Big Ribeye Steak P635 in Pepper Lunch, yun na lagi order ko while my husband will order just water, joke. Hehehe! He will order a cheaper meal para tipid. 

#cookyourownfood

But last month, I ordered Pepper Steak P598 para maiba naman. The meal includes corn, vegetables and rice. The serving is huge so we always order two meals only and I shared my food with my son. The taste is good too but since konti lang naman difference, I’ll go with Big Ribeye Steak na, may mashed potato pa. 



My husband ordered Beef Bulgogi Pepper Rice P255, sweet and savory beef with kimchi rice, a classic beef pepper rice with a Korean twist!  

Cash payment only. As of this writing, I wanted to go back again. Nagutom ko bigla. Hehehe! 

Read: Lunch at Pepper Lunch 
Click here for the video
Pepper Lunch Solenad

Pepper Lunch 
Shangri-la Plaza Mall Garden Court/Lvl.  
EDSA Shangri-la Plaza Mall,  
EDSA cor Shaw BlvdWack Wack, 
Mandaluyong

Since today is exactly November 2, “All Souls Day”, I will be sharing with you the different cemeteries that we have visited in the Philippines. Four of the cemeteries are considered as tourist spots. 

1. Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin 

Sunken cemetery is located in Camiguin, the second smallest provinces of the Philippines. From the word itself, the cemetery is under the water so you can only see the cross in the middle of the sea.


The cemetery was buried when Mt Vulcan erupted in the year 1870. During low tide, the crosses of the tombs are visible. You can reach the cross by riding a small boat but we did not try it because they are charging P100 for the ride and alam niyo na, takot ko lang malaglag sa semeteryo. Hehehe! 

Read: Camiguin Tour 

2. Perpetual Pet Cemetery in Paradizoo 

Several years ago we visited Paradizoo, inside the farm is Perpetual Pet Cemetery. It was my first time to see a pet cemetery. Now, they are offering Pet Columbary too. 



Read: Paradizoo

3. San Joaquin Cemetery in Iloilo 

During our 6th wedding anniversary, we went to Bacolod - Guimaras and Iloilo and before going back to Manila, I decided to visit the beautiful churches of Iloilo. I included Campo Santo or San Joaquin Cemetery in our itinerary. My husband was teasing me na pati ba naman cemetery nasa itinerary namin. Well, nandun na rin naman kami why not daaanan di ba. Hehehe! 



This cemetery is the most preserved cemetery in Iloilo. It is situated at one of the highest points of the town so you can see the seascape. It is along the hi-way so you will not miss it. 

Read: Iloilo Churches

4. Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery in Laguna

My grandmother used to live in Victoria, Laguna so every month we always visit her. Four years ago, we spent our Holy Week in her house and out of the blue my husband decided to go to Taytay Falls. 

Read: Taytay Falls

On our way to the falls, we saw the Nagcarlan Church and we dropped by. And because, we are already in Nagcarlan, my husband decided to go to Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery. 



It was established in the year 1845 below t. San Cristobal. Unfortunately, it's closed during Holy Week pala so we were not able to go inside, hanggang labas lang kami. 

Read: Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

5. Hanging Coffins in Sagada



Sagada trip won't be complete without seeing the hanging coffins. You can see these coffins hanging on the cliff if you will take the Echo Valley Tour. Going down the cliff is not easy so my husband was the only one who went with our guide. My son and I stayed, we can already see the coffins from afar. 

Read: Echo Valley Walking Tour

When your kids are in preschool or grade 1 level, you will notice that teachers love to stamp their notebooks, books, artwork, or any school work in school. We feel happy if we see Very Good or Good stamps. But I notice paulit-ulit lang stamps nila. 

I’ve been looking for rubber stamps because it is a nice gift for teachers on Teacher’s Day or Christmas. So when I searched where I can buy this, I saw one post na sa Divisoria meron. Waah! It is too far, mas mahal pa siguro gastos ko kaysa sa bibilhin ko. Hehehe! 

Then my friend suggested an online store but when I checked the site, the Teacher’s Rubber Stamp is not available (out of stock). Good thing I saw these rubber stamps at SM Department Store and I was happy because it is cheaper. If I remember it right, it is more or less P120. 


This was my gift to his teachers last Christmas and natuwa ko after the Christmas break, nagamit na nila. Oh di ba, may iba na sila choices na rubber stamps. Now, I’m still thinking what to give this year since hindi na mahilig magstamp ang mga teacher sa Grade 2. The custom rubber stamps are also a nice gift but it is too expensive for my budget, 7 ang teachers ng anak ko. Hehehe! 

Read: Custom Rubber Stamps 


If you have family, relatives, or friends who are into crafts, the alphabet stamps are also nice. I bought one for myself too. I bought it at SM Department store too, I just can’t remember the price. 


I don’t have a number stamp set yet so next in line yun. Aside from that, I also want a self-inking stamp. :)

Read: Love Cynthia Stamps

There are online sellers that sell nice products that I like but when I check the payment method, there is no Paypal or Credit Card Option so I will not place an order. I dislike going to the bank just to pay for my order because I need to spend money for transportation, sometimes there is an additional P50 bank fee and of course, I hate the long lines in the bank. 

2014

Two years ago, I learned that "The Candy Shop Prints” accepts Paypal and Credit Card payment so I did not have second thoughts. I’ve been meaning to have my own contact card just like any bloggers. Though I’m not really active in attending events because of my location and I have to prioritize my son but maybe someday I can use it. #atleastiamready 



So for my first order, I ordered my Contact Cards, Memo Cards and Note Cards. I received a payment form and paid it via credit card without a service charge. After few days, I received the soft proof and I approved it. I finally received my order in less than one week after my approval. 

2015 

It was a smooth transaction so last year, I ordered Note Cards, Money Envelopes and Gift Tags for gifts and of course for my personal use. This time I used Paypal payment method. After my credit card was hacked, I tried to avoid using it online. 

Read: My Credit Card was Hacked



One thing I like in The Candy Shop Prints is, It doesn’t charge client “Paypal fee”. I ordered in other online sellers and I have to pay extra because I chose Paypal. 

2016

This year because Christmas is near, I ordered Note Cards, Money Envelopes and Gift Tags. This time maaga na so I can prepare early for the holidays. I had a problem with my Paypal so I have to deposit my payment. I’m thinking if I should activate the Transfer to Anyone feature in BPI mobile app so I don’t have to go to the bank anymore. What do you think? 

Read: Why I Can’t Use my Paypal Balance?





I ordered last October 12, 2016 and I received my order October 27, 2016. Yes, it takes time because they will only process the order once payment is made, you need to wait for the soft proof for approval and then the printing process. The delivery time depends on your location, whether within Metro Manila or outside NCR. So if you are planning to order for the holiday, do it as early as possible. 

Update 2017: They no longer send soft proof after your payment. They will process your order, print, and ship the product after your payment. 

The Candy Shop Prints 
Email: info.thecandyshop@gmail.com  
Facebook | Website 

One thing that I dislike is food waste because I know that my husband works hard for it so sayang ang pera kung may matatapon lang. So in our house, we really eat leftover food, I take note of the expiration date and I make sure that we will use or eat whatever we will buy in the wet market or grocery. 


Last Wednesday, I made meringue. Since this recipe only needs egg white, I need to keep the egg yolk. I was supposed to cooked Leche Flan Puto on the same day pero di na kinaya ng powers ko.

Read: Meringue Recipe

I baked brownies, made meringue, cooked our meal, chores plus the deadline of my blog post so I immediately checked how long I could store the egg yolk. When I learned that I can store it for 2-4 days (fridge), nakahinga na ko ng maluwag or else mag-omelet na lang ako. 


Well, I could make my life easier by cooking omelets but the truth is, I want to use my new silicone molder. I asked my husband to buy this for me when he went to Singapore, two weeks ago. Hehehe! I hope my husband won’t get tired of going to IKEA. 

Anyway, the first and last time I ate Leche Puto was two years ago, I bought it at Noel Bazaar at Filinvest Tent. So yesterday, I tried to make my own Leche Puto or Leche Flan Puto. Since I’m a fan of pancake mix, I used it again for my puto.  


Leche Flan Puto Recipe 

2 egg yolks 
Half a can of condensed milk 

1 medium-size egg  
2 tbsp oil 
3/4 cup water  
1/4 cup sugar 
1 250g Maya Hotcake Mix 

For Leche Flan 

1. Prepare your steamer. 
2. Mix egg yolks and condensed milk in a bowl. 
3. Pour the egg mixture in silicone cups (puto molder) 1/4 or 1/3 full. 
4. Place the cups in the steamer and steam for 8 minutes. 
5. Remove the cups from the steamer. Set it aside.

For Puto 

1. Beat the egg. Add oil, water, sugar, and hotcake mix. 
2. Mix the ingredients and put the batter in puto molder with leche flan.
3. Place the molder in the steamer. Steam for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your molder.  
4. Remove the cups from the steamer. Let it cool. 

Note: If you are not using silicone cups, grease the puto molder so it would be easy to remove the puto flan.


It is so easy to cook but it took me a while to finish it because I only have a small steamer. From this recipe, I was able to make 13 pieces, enough for a family of three. I’m so happy with my finished product. My son who is not fond of puto has no choice but to eat this because he wants the leche flan. Win-win situation.

Read: Puto with Cheese
Steamed Puto with Cheese from Scratch
White King Puto

This is a sponsored post. 

Christmas holiday is fast approaching. Here in the Philippines, we start the countdown as early as September 1. Oh yes, we celebrate Christmas holiday for so long. 

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I already started buying gifts for the holiday to avoid cramming. I will start wrapping gifts this semestral break too.

Speaking of the holidays, ber-months are known for heavy traffic and crowded malls so I really appreciate online shopping sites because they save time and effort. 

So if you have no time in going to the malls, if you dislike heavy traffic and you hate squeezing through the crowd, I suggest you take advantage the online shopping. 



I stumbled on Groupon site while browsing, it is an online shopping site too. It is not just an ordinary shopping site because they offer deals, coupons, discounted products and clearance sale. It is nice to know that you are not only saving time and effort but Groupon makes you save money too. 

Actually, it has so many products that you can choose from, they have goods for baby, kids, men and women. They have products for home, entertainment, electronics and even collectibles. Name it and they have it for you. 



Since the holiday season is near, I was browsing Groupon Goods because my Christmas wish list is related to travel. I want luggage, luggage protector and packing cubes. I hope my husband is reading my post so he’ll get an idea on what to give this holiday. :)

How about you, have you tried Groupon?

Groupon Facebook | Twitter

Update: I've read from CNN Philippines article last July 22 that Kidzanila Manila is closing down by end of August 31, 2020 after months of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We treat our son if he did well in school, he doesn’t need to be on overall top or top in class in order to receive something. As long as we know that he did his best and we see the improvement every grading, he deserves a treat.

Two months ago, we received his card and we saw the gold eagle seal. In our school, you feel proud if you have gold eagle seal because it means you have high grades. Bonus na lang if may top, after one week I also learned that he was one of the top 10 in their class. 



So I was thinking of what to give to him, he was asking for a toy but I said no. Then while browsing my newsfeeds, I saw the Kidzania Manila post. Companion can work with misters or misses on September 12, 2016. It was “Eid Mubarak” holiday but they only have one shift and weekday ticket price. Yey for that. 

I asked my son if he likes to go to Kidzania, yun na lang treat namin and he said yes. It was also our chance to experience working at Kidzania. Aminin, we don’t have this nung bata tayo. 



The following day, off we went to Kidzania Manila. I was a bit worried because I already saw the long lines, baka wala na kami slot. But thank God, we were able to buy tickets. This was our second visit to Kidzania Manila, last time he was able to do 16 activities. 

Read: Kidzania Manila: Where Kids do Big Things  

12 Activities in One Day at Kidzania Manila 
Click here for the video



As I mentioned, mom or dad can play with their kid. I messaged Kidzania Manila FB page to know what are the jobs that companion can join. But they did not reply, as in deadma until now wala reply. (seen lang) Lol. 

Anyway, when we bought the ticket at the counter we saw the poster of it so I took a photo and for your information, here are the jobs.

Ground Floor Level 

Acting Academy
Art and Design Academy 
Beauty Salon 
Bookstore 
Car Design and Dealership 
Courthouse 
Hotel 
Hospital - Baby Care Training Center 
Radio Station 
Supermarket 

Mezzanine Floor 

Aviation Academy 
Clean Energy Center 
Cooking School 
Pizza Shop 
TV Studio 

Note: Every child visitor may be joined by one companion at a time. 
Companion do not spend or earn Kidzos 
Uniforms are for child visitors 4-14yrs old. 

I guess, this is only available every weekend/holiday. Just call #kidzaniamanila for more information. 

Since we have Kidzos, we did not encash the check  and we went straight to Mezzanine Floor. We fell in line at 1. Clean Energy Center so my husband and son can work. Sarado pa nga nung pumila kami hanggang sa may sumunod na sa amin. Nung nagpapasok na, hindi niya binilang hubby ko, so I asked her. 

Me: Di ba, pwede magjoin ang companion? 
Staff: Yes po, pero mas priority po namin kids. 



I was disappointed because that is one of the reasons kung bakit ko sinama si hubby. So balewala din pala yung pagsama ko kay hubby if he cannot join the activity. Like I said, holiday + may nagfield trip so aasa pa ba ko? Companion fee is not cheap, P630 rin yun. Anyway, wala naman ko magagawa kundi mag-move on. Hehehe! 



And because of that, kinalimutan ko na yung list of jobs na pwede mom or dad. We went straight to 2. Coca-Cola Bottling Plant so my son can make his own Coke. Click here for the video



Then we looked for establishments na konti ang pila, we saw the 3. Lady’s Choice Cooking School. It is part of the jobs that companion can join so since kami ang first ulit sa pila. I immediately asked the staff if makakajoin ba companion and she said yes so kahit may mga sumunod na sa pila. He included my husband. Thank God, may napala din ang bayad ko. Hahaha! 



But this is the first and last job that he was able to join. Good thing my husband was there because my son was having a hard time in shaping his sandwiches.

After that, my son encashed his check. No more long lines at the bank. 



Then we went back to the Mezzanine Floor and he worked at 4. Jack & Jill Snack Factory,  5. Magnolia Ice Cream Factory, 6. Purefoods R&D Center, 7. Cream O Snack factory. Click here for the video



The good thing about the paid activities is you can take home your product like the coke, sandwiches, chip, ice cream, cookie and hotdog. 



We’re running out of Kidzos so I told my son that he needs to earn Kidzos so he worked at 8. Urban Garden. While he was working, my husband bought our lunch and sakto pagtapos namin, nakabili na rin siya. Click here for the video

We had a quick lunch. Then my son worked at 9. Pascual Product Lab. Click here for the video



We went to the ground floor to look for other jobs. My son worked in 10. House Painting 11. Window Washing and 12. CSI & Police Station. 







My son wanted to work pa but I told him, closed na Kidzania. Indeed, when you are inside Kidzania, you will never notice the time because you are enjoying the different activities. We forgot to get ATM again. 

We still have a long list of jobs to try. Among the jobs that my son did, he did not like the Window Washing job, hirap na hirap siya maglinis. Hehehe! Now he knew, it is not easy to clean the house. 

Book your ticket here

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