After years of longing, the husband and I have finally bought for ourselves a Go Pro. We have always wanted a Go Pro but because it was way out of budget we settled for SJCAM which by the way is not really a let down. Our SJCAM has served us well -- it has broken down on us but got it repaired and served us for two years. Unfortunately, we have lost it on our recent trip in Lake Carolina Baganga last month. That is why we were on the lookout for another action camera (because we need it for our trip to Cebu in June).

It isn't really our intention to buy a Go Pro because it is still not within our budget. However, as I was browsing the net for a possible replacement to our lost action cam, I found this online store selling gadgets with a very flexible payment options. Poundit.com has COD, credit, debit, and they even offer installment options which hit the box for me. It is then that I thought of getting a Go Pro and pay it on installment. I discussed this with the husband and he is in agreement with me. However, after a few more discussions weighing the pros and cons, we have come to a decision to just look for a gadget store in our city and borrow my sister's credit card to buy a Go Pro.

Even though the offer in Poundit is very attractive, we decided to just buy at a physical store rather than online because we are afraid of getting a defective product and face a hassle of returning it. I am not saying Poundit will send us a defective product but we are just cautious of online purchases especially that it costs so much.

After searching for a shop that accepts RCBC installment and after a failure to buy at a camera store in Abreeza, the husband has finally found the store we are looking for. IClick Digishop in SM City Ecoland offers a wide range of cameras, action cams, drones and camera accessories. He is able to get in contact with one of the staff thru messenger and we learned that they are on sale. However, since we have opted for the 12 months @ 0% interest installment, we are not able to avail the sale (SRP 24,690 / Sale Price 21,000).

As for my thoughts on the camera, the Hyper Smooth Stabilization feature is really great because the videos do not appear shaky, perfect for biking or motorbike rides. The still pics are also nice. I am not very picky on my camera specs, just as long as it will provide good quality pictures and it can be used underwater I am okay with it.

However, I have encountered some minor problem while using it to take under water photos. I notice the touch screen is super sensitive that when I submerge the camera it will either swipe left/right/up/down when it hits the water current/wave. Another thing is the touch screen is not responsive when already submerged under water so it takes some practice on how to submerge the camera without changing the modes in your camera by accident.

Now here are sample shots and video of our Go Pro Hero 7 Black. (Disclaimer: I am not tech savvy and this is not a review.)








P.S. The sale is only until May 1, 2019.

So I had been boasting about my photobooks over at FB and IG and friends had been interested about it. I had received quite a number of queries about the photobooks, where I ordered them, and how I made them. Therefore, I decided to write down how I created the photobooks that I had been gushing on my social media accounts.

Step 1. Buy Photobook vouchers over at Metrodeal.

Create an account at Metrodeal and then select among the existing promotion options. Read and understand the details of the promo. Then hit BUY NOW and it will open the options for the Photobook Size they offer on sale.


After choosing your option, you will proceed to the Payment Options. Select the payment option of your preference.

**If you choose to pay through payment centers, you will need to save the reference number and the amount due because you will need to present those payment details in order to send your payment correctly.


Once payment is successfully made, you will receive your Voucher Code and you can also see it in you Metrodeal account showing "Paid" status.


Step 2. Create Photobook in Photobook Philippines website.

Sign up and create an account in Photobook Philippines. After successfully logging into your account, hover over the "Photobooks" tab and it will open a menu of different photobook options.


Click on "All Types" and it will lead you to the page of all types of photobook options.


I choose the Blank Photobook and create my own format and design. However, if you wish the lesser hassle in making the photobook, you can opt to use their Readybooks. The advantage of choosing the Readybook is that it has a pre-made design which is not available in the Blank Photobook.


When you have chosen the Readybook or Blank Photoobook, it will lead you to the next option. Choose the Orientation (Square, Landscape, Portrait), then choose the Size and the Type.

Again, it is important to match the Book Type and Size of the photobook you are making with the voucher you purchased at Metrodeal. If they do not match, your voucher code will not work.


If you notice, the photobook website also offers their own set of promotions. You may opt to use that but the Metrodeal promos offer bigger savings. By the way, you can only use one voucher at a time.

Choose the Binding. Then hit Start Book. It will lead you to the Editor.

If you chose the Readybook, the layout, format and design is already pre-made and all you need to do is add and arrange your photos. If you choose the Blank Photobook, you will be the one to make the entire book from scratch.

Start by uploading your photos. Once all your photos are uploaded, you can either choose to autofill the pages or you can arrange your photos by dragging selected photo into the desired page. You can play around on the options available. Remember to always hit save to avoid accidentally loosing your work.

Do not forget to rename your photobook. When you are satisfied with your work, hit the More button beside the cart button and choose check project. This will ensure that there are no errors in your project. When everything is in order, you may now hit the cart button and you will now see the Shopping Cart page.


You can change the Paper type in order to remove the additional charge. Then enter the voucher code and hit Redeem. Then your total price will be adjusted. Then hit Next and you will find the Shipping & Payment page.


Remember that the only payment option in Photobook website is thru debit/credit or PayPal. so make sure you can pay using only those options. They do not have over the counter payment centers, so make sure you have a debit or credit card or paypal account.

Also, shipping fee is per book and cannot be combined shipping. Meaning, if you purchase 2 books you will pay 2 shipping fees. Photobooks Philippines offers free shipping for orders reaching P3000 and up.

Once payment is done and order is confirmed, you will receive an email notification. Then all you need to do is wait for your order to arrive.

Thank you for reading and I hope you find this entry helpful. HAPPY PHOTOBOOKING!!!

My sister was recently beginning to obsess herself with Korean skin care products because she was so fussy about her pores and dark under eyes. She bought some sample sizes from this Korean bazaar and since then she had been wanting to buy the regular sizes.

She was eyeing the Etude House Wonder Pore toner but it costs more than P500 at their store and she wasn't so keen spending that much for a toner. She was also wanting to buy Innisfree Jeju Volcanic facial wash but we had no idea where we could find that here in Davao. Another one she wanted to try was the Tony Moly Panda Eye Cream for her dark under eyes.

Then I had read a while back about this Korean online shop that offered a wide range of Korean skin care and cosmetic products that were shipped directly from South Korea. This online shop was called Althea. It offered products from skin care (face and body), hair care, cosmetics, etc.

So I thought of gifting my sister with her Korean skin care wishlist. I had been wanting to try ordering from Althea too but was discouraged with the lack of flexible payment options and expensive shipping fee. Finally the opportunity to make my first Althea purchase came when I received a newsletter from the site which stated they already offered COD and free shipping with a minimum purchase of P999 (check out more here).






So finally I ordered her wishlist and also placed some of my own personal orders on the website. And I also happen to receive a coupon code Buy 3 Free 1. Since my purchase was more than 3, I was able to get a discount. The cheapest price on my cart was deducted from the total bill. And since my purchase reached P2000+ I was able to avail the free shipping.

However, when I checked out, the COD option for payment was not available. I read their FAQ and found out that COD was only available for purchases UP TO P2000. Since mine was more than 2000, I couldn't choose the COD option.

To remedy this, I told my sister to create an account with Althea and we would split our orders. So we were able to purchase 4 products each and our purchases reached P1000+ so aside from availing of the free shipping fee, I was also able to snag the Buy 3 Free 1 discount.

My Althea Haul

My sister's Althea Haul

My sister and I placed our orders on December 8 (after midnight) and we immediately received a confirmation that our orders were being processed. By noon of the same day, my order was already picked up from the Althea store and later it was already processed at Incheon Airport. Two days later our package arrived at NAIA. Another two days later and our orders were already picked up by the local shipper and were being sorted. Then on December 14, our orders arrived on our doorstep.

I couldn't be more satisfied with the very fast and easy transaction. Plus I loved the packaging. They also included a coupon which I could use for future purchases. The coupon would expire on February 2018.



Here were the actual items we purchased and I couldn't wait to make my next purchase. I would probably buy lots of facial masks!!! :)

Ever since the era of Digital Cameras and Smartphones invasion and Social Media outbreak, photo prints had been a thing of the past. Gone were the days of going to camera houses with a camera film in a canister on hand to have it printed. Long gone were those negative films you get along with your printed copies. And the art of memory keeping had been forgotten.

After my wedding in June, I had so longed to receive my 10 page photobook that was included in the promo package I setup with my photographer. However, I had to wait for 90 days to get my hands on that said book.

So what I did was, I searched for online suppliers that offer affordable photobook services in the Philippines. I came across several sites with pretty much similar price range. I had no idea Photobooks costs started at around P500 - P1000 for a small square book with minimum number of pages (shipping not yet included). So I decided not to push through with my desire to purchase a photobook just yet because I found it a little pricey.

However, because I desperately wanted our wedding photos to be printed out on a coffeebook style album, I finally decided to give photobooks a try. I searched specifically for Photobook Philippines since I have read a few positive reviews online from Filipino bloggers who were raving about it.



Luckily for me, one of the google search results showed discount coupons/vouchers for sale at Metrodeal. I was so happy because I chanced upon their Photobook Sale that started at P20 (shipping not included though). Yes dirt cheap! It was such an awesome deal.

So I told my sister about it and we purchased 3 6x6 mini square photobooks. Another amazing thing I liked about Metrodeal was that they had lots of payment options. You can pay through credit card, debit card, OTC bank deposits, or through partner payment counters like SM and many more. It was that easy.




Going back to the story, I had let the vouchers sit for a while because we didn't have internet at home yet and I couldn't upload my wedding pictures. So what I did was to just download some of my Photographer's edited photo uploads on Facebook (while I was at work--free internet heehee) and worked with that.

Fortunately, by the end of August, we finally had internet at home and I was able to upload the photos I needed for the photobook. I almost wasn't able to use the vouchers because they were nearing its expiration. Good thing, I was able to complete my photobook 2 days prior to its expiry date.



After I submitted my photobook and paid it using the voucher I only had to pay the P70 paper upgrade (Matte paper) and the P250 shipping fee. So my wedding photobook cost P340 only.

A day after, I submitted another photobook which contained our prenup photos. This time I chose the luster paper and I didn't have to pay for an upgrade. So I only paid for the P250 shipping fee. So my second book cost P270 only.

And so the waiting began. The Photobook site showed production is 2-3 days and delivery will be around 7 days. I was very anxious as I waited for my photobook to arrive that I kept checking my account to see if the order status was changed to shipped.





To my surprise, the photobook arrived sooner than I expected. After 3 days, I was notified through email that my order was already picked up by DHL Malaysia (the photobooks are produced in Malaysia btw) and I was given a tracking number. I looked it up in the DHL site and it showed that ETA is end of the day on September 20. But I didn't wait that long because on September 16, my order arrived right at my doorstep. It was 4 days sooner than expected.

I was so pleased with the fast delivery and I was even happier to see the finished product. The photobook looked exactly as I imagined it. What I loved about it was that the binding was sturdy and didn't look flimsy. The book was neatly bound and the photos were printed clearly (of course it would vary with the resolution of the photo uploaded).




The photos would print darker compared to how it looked on screen so you might want to keep note of that. Another thing to note would be to always keep important shots (faces and details) within the red line and away from that blue line because that was were the pages were bound. I learned this the hard way because even though the online photobook maker had a reminder to keep photos and texts within the red line, I still placed some pics over the red line heehee. (Of course if you chose the layflat type photobook, you wouldn't have this problem).

Despite all those small items I mentioned, I was still super satisfied because the photobook came out to be pretty and was of good quality. And I am totally going to rave about it to my friends and family!







Anyhow, I was very satisfied with my purchase that I actually bought another one just recently, a bigger size this time. I bought the 8x11 medium portrait softcover photobook and I would be filling it with my baby girl's growing up photos.



P.S. The 3rd voucher expired but it was okay since it only costs P20. Shipping fee is paid per photobook and combination shipping is not allowed.