Michi Photostory

Sa totoo lang ang hirap magdiet kung ang daming 50% Off Credit Card Promo especially sa Bistro Group of Restaurants. So far last year, we were able to eat at Texas Roadhouse, Modern Shang and Italliani’s.

My husband celebrated his birthday at Italliani’s before and hindi na naulit because we knew that this restaurant is on the expensive side and wala din naman malapit na branch sa place namin. I think it was only last year, nung nalaman ko na meron na branch sa SM Sta Rosa so meron na sa probinsiya. 

So last month when my friend suggested na magfood trip kami sa Italliani’s after ng errands namin, I immediately agreed because it’s been a long time since I ate at Italliani’s. I checked my old photos and their menu and parang wala na sa menu yung kinain namin dati, ganun katagal na. Hehehe!

I browsed their menu online so I already knew what to order pero medyo natagalan pa rin kami kasi we needed to reach PHP3,000 bill to avail the promo. Dapat kasi 3 kaming kakain kaso dalawa lang kami natuloy, so we already knew na hindi namin mauubos yung order namin so take out na lang yung iba.

We ordered Peach Mango Lemonade PHP185, Three Citrus Combi PHP185, Italian Truffle Fries PHP455, Eggplant Parmigiana PHP495, Baked Ziti PHP475, Lasagna PHP395, Pizza Margherita PHP695, Zepole Custard PHP270. 

After five minutes, they served our complimentary bread na medyo sunog. Then after 12 minutes, they started serving our food at minute intervals, and surprisingly, nahuli yung drinks i-served.

Funny story, may tanim si hubby na eggplant sa garden namin na ang sipag mamunga so nauubusan na ko ng menu para sa eggplant. Then last month out of the blue, my husband told me that he liked the Eggplant Parmigiana at Italliani’s and lutuin ko daw iyon. I told him na ang hirap magluto ng hindi ko man lang natitikman so when my friend and I went to Italliani’s, I ordered this and kahit hindi ko mahilig sa eggplant, nasarapan ako dito. In fact, mas gusto ko ito kaysa sa Lasagna na order ko. My friend and I just tried this dish at take-out ko for hubby. 

After our hearty lunch, nag-ikot ikot pa kami ng konti and then punta na ng parking lot. On our way there, nadaanan namin yung Kuya J Restaurant and we were so lucky because we saw Jericho Rosales. Waah! When we entered the mall, napansin na namin na opening ng Kuya J Restaurant and nag-ask pa ko sa guard kung darating ba si Jericho and hindi daw siya sure so kumain na kami and sa isip-isip ko baka busy sa taping ng Lavender’s Field. 

And we were so lucky na naabutan pa namin siya bago siya umalis, I was checking my phone, 15 minutes of kilig moments. Hahaha! Hindi ko alam kung sa Italliani’s ako nabusog o dahil nakita ko si Jericho Rosales ng personal. My crush since Mr. Pogi days. Hehehe! 

When my friend and I ate at Italliani’s, I knew that I would go back so before the promo ended, my husband and I went to EVIA just to eat lunch at Italliani’s after our grocery. It was my son’s Christmas party in school so hindi siya nakasama. 

We were the first diner and while were browsing the menu, the staff went to our table and asked for our initial order para maprepare na daw. Nagmamadali, hehehe! Good thing, kakain ko lang so may idea na ko ng oorderin. Natatagalan lang ako kasi nga nagcoompute ulit ako kung aabot na ba kami ng PHP3000. 

We ordered Fried Calamari PHP545, Pizza Margherita PHP695, Grilled Porkchop PHP595, Spaghetti Vongole PHP445, Blueberry Mango Cheesecake PHP480, Three Citrus Combi PHP185, and Americano PHP145. 

My husband and I enjoyed our food trip, ang take out lang namin yung pizza for my son. And if ever we will go back to Italliani’s, for sure ito yung irerepeat ko na order.

My son is already in Grade 10 so it means, Senior High School na next school year and we decided to transfer school so new environment na rin. Ang tagal na rin niya sa present school niya, Kinder pa siya nagstart so may be it is time to change school na rin. So last week, he took his first entrance test and after that, we went to SM Sta Rosa for lunch. 

Bistro Group promo is back so I asked my son kung Modern Shang or Italliani’s kami and he chose the latter. This was my third visit to Italliani’s in a month but I did not order a new dish, nirepeat ko ulit yung dati. 

For our family of three, we ordered Eggplant Parmigiana PHP495, Pizza Margherita PHP695, Spaghetti Vongole PHP445, Grilled Porkchop 2 pieces PHP995, and Blueberry Mango Cheesecake PHP480.

Yung complimentary bread pala nila is 1 bread per person and hindi na sunog. 

I thought, mauubos na yung order namin since 3 people na kami pero may leftover pa rin kami na pizza and porkchop. 

Favorite ni hubby yung porkchop, that’s why I ordered it sa EVIA para matry. I liked it too so I ordered it again sa recent visit namin kaso hindi na tender yung porkchop, siguro depende sa nagluluto.

Anyway, before the year 2024 ended, I reflected on how my year went, and even though there were sad moments, overall, I am thankful for 2024. 

1. I am thankful for God’s provision for our construction, home, medical, funeral and travel expenses. I had no idea na magastos pala magpagawa ng bahay, to think home improvement lang ito pero feeling ko bumili na kami ng bahay sa laki ng gastos. Yes, kapresyo na ng nauna naming bahay yung expenses namin. Grabe lang sa inflation. Nakakapagod at masakit sa bulsa maglipat ng bahay, we purchased new appliances and furniture kasi to match our new house.

My mother-in-law passed away last May and before that, pabalik-balik siya ng hospital hanggang sa naggive-up na talaga ang katawan, We all know, magastos mahospital sa Pilipinas. 

With all of these expenses, I thought we could no longer travel so I am really thankful because we were able to travel pa and I just realized, majority pala ng travel trips namin, hindi ko pa naibablog. We’ve been to different resorts, hotels, Bohol, and Melbourne. 

2. I’m thankful because this year, we had more family get-togethers. When my father passed away, it was the only time that we reconnected with his family. After two decades, it was our first time to attend the annual family reunion last January 2024 (father’s side). Imagine, 23 years have passed and a lot has changed. Ang konti na lang namin sa reunion, marami na nawala at mayroon na rin nagmigrate sa ibang bansa. We also attended my uncle’s 90th birthday. 

Last March, we had our first family outing sa side ni hubby but sad to say, yun na rin pala yung last outing with my mother-in-law. 

My mom and aunt went home last summer and we had a family get-together too. And that time mas complete kami. 

Since we already moved to our new home, I was able to invite my family, college, and mommy friends to our new house for a get-together. 

3. I’m thankful that my husband has still work, nagtanggalan na naman kasi sa company niya. I’m thankful that my son was part of the overall top last school year and became an officer of their Student Council. 

4. And lastly, I am thankful because I already have my own craft room. It may be small but I am glad I can craft whenever I want. Hindi ko na iisipin kung may telecon ba si hubby because I have my own space na. 

I was thankful that I became part of Bee Happy Crafts Guest Ambassador Quarter 2. And sa dami ng sinalihan ko na challenges and contest, may napanalunan naman ako. Yey! 

Sharing our food trip and travel trip in the year 2024 

Wow, first day of the year and may blog entry ako. Baka sipagin na ulit ako magblog kung magstart ako ng January 1. Hehehe! 

As I looked back, I felt happy and relax this past holiday, feeling ko hindi ako stress ngayon compared sa ibang holidays. Maybe because, maaga ko bumili ng gifts and even yung mga handmade gifts ko, hindi naman ako nastress sa paggawa. I did not cook this holiday, nag-order lang ako food and bumili ng potluck. We did not travel except for our Christmas Staycation in Pampanga. Surprisngly, hindi kami natraffic sa biyahe kahit holiday siya. 

And for our New Year Eve’s celebration , my husband was the one who prepared for it. Simple dinner lang naman since ayaw namin ng maraming leftover. My only contribution is my New Year Photo Props. Gumawa ako ng props para hindi ko makalimutan magpicture. Last year, wala kaming picture.

The New Year Sunglasses are from SVG Nation and the 2025 is from the Printable Cuttable Creatables website.

I have already shared this Christmas Teddy Bear. I like this Male Christmas Teddy Bear too so I used it to design this simple square box. This is the box that I used for my Christmas Ornament Gift.

This Snowman Treat Box SVG file is from Main Road Digital Creations. It can fit 8 pieces of nuggets but in the end, I put 16 pieces of Hershey’s Nuggets. 

Christmas is over, but I will share my last-minute craft project before our family get-together. After 5 years, we hosted our Christmas get-together again. If I remember it right, 2018 yung last party namin sa bahay. This year, we moved to our new home so we have more space na so my husband decided na sa bahay na lang ulit.

So aside from food, I prepared some games and of course prizes. And para happy ang lahat, I made these Christmas Chip Bag Treats for consolation prizes. Last year, I made the Halloween Chip Bag Treats so now, Christmas version naman. 

I used the same chip bag template so drag and drop lang ng design. For the image, I used the following graphics of Keithzo. 

I printed the design on photo paper and assembled the chip bag using double-sided tape, pinking shears, and a paper crimper. This is a small chip bag so I can only put 7 pieces of chocolates and marshmallows.