this sucks major balls

due to some network congestion, the company decided to block off a ton of websites that would eat up bandwidth while they haven't acquired new server switches yet (i don't really understand what i'm talking about)... facebook included, rendering me useless in having myself updated w/ my freelance work and all that. anyway, it only meant i have to channel my boredom some place else, like my blog and twitter, and stick to communicating w/ clients via email.

so what's up?

in my previous post i shared with you my success in whipping up a microwaved mug cake and my excitement over trying out other cake mixes. i figured i didn't have to make everything from scratch since when it comes to eating, i'm more interested in the food than the process (unlike success, where it's the journey that matters. ano raaaw haha) so there's no shame in using boxed mixes! it's not like i want to be a baker. haha

on the other hand, i still wish to get fired (or just released from this bond) without being too scandalous about it. everyone seems to be moving on with with their careers and i'm kindof stuck not doing anything... probably because they can't put me anywhere else i could be useful. -_-; i used to think as long as it pays well i could drive myself into working my ass of, but even the pay doesn't get me driven enough (cos it's not enough lol). or maybe i'm just not talented enough for this. puro enough haha. i wish they could let me design but i guess they wouldn't give me that liberty without proving myself worthy in other tasks which is totally unrelated to what i want to do. hay.

i feel like a shark on a tree climbing contest.

of course there's the saner option, instead of whining daily about the current state of my enthusiasm... the wisest thing to do is to find alternatives within the company that could lessen this burden.

a little earlier i talked (well, ranted a bit) to a couple of my officemates about my career drafts (aka positions i wanted to try because i'm not allowed to resign yet) and it turned out very... ano ba, liberating. like some thorn was taken off my uhm, throat? hahaha i was about to say my stemmed body but at the cost of a poor mental image i might impart, i decided to stay human na lang hehe.

ANYWAY, at the very least... i was comforted knowing that

1) i have options
2) i'm not alone
3) it doesn't suck so much here, you just have to know how to navigate around and find your place.

gaaaawd i sound like such an emotional wreck no? HAHAHA

nuff about the work i hate, and more about the work i love...

i've never been more inspired to develop my artistic skills. i wish i could self-study my way into it, but i can't seem to work on my discipline enough to even produce a single artwork in a week (well, that's the plan). i would hoard pens and papers but leave them in an abandoned stache. i never seem to find time to properly use them. most of my recent pieces (if you could call it that) are on papers towels and notebooks... but hardly any on my supposed drawing pads! >XS

i've always wanted to enroll in a multimedia arts course, and guess what... i just did! well it's only a single module (digital illustration and page design) because that's as much as i can afford for now. i plan to take other modules when i've saved enough. then probably go full force in freelancing. chos lang. classes will start this May and i'm so freakin excited!! <3 exactly the software skills i lack, Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. <3

oh Lord, thaaank you so much! <3

oh well, time to go! :D

[Recipe] Microwaved Mug Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Thank you Nuffnang and My Great Food! <3

yesterday i picked up this uber heavy loot from Nuffnang! thank you soooo much! i won this as consolation prize for joining their San Miguel #MyGreatFoodIn15Seconds contest where i shared a super easy Nacho Salad recipe using select Pure Foods and Magnolia products. will post about it soon (uhm.. promise XD).

anyway, when i checked the bags, i instantly picked out Magnolia Devils Food Cake cake mix because ooooooh! it's the perfect chance to try making a microwaved mug cake! i've always been curious about it! XD

aaand i did! the last time i tried my hands on baking was when i was in highschool. i tried to make a banana cake for my friends but they confused it for some kind of a pudding so i realized naaaaah, not for me.

i do however, enjoy assisting my sister when she bakes cookies or tuna turnovers. i love messing with her doughs haha. XD

oryt, here's the super easy recipe. i did the batter last night, and brought it to the office cos we didn't have a microwave at home. haha 

Ingredients:

- Magnolia Devil's Food Cake cake mix (150g)

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup oil

- Magnolia Vanilla Ice Cream 

everything's quite on the box you know! haha

Procedure:

- just mix everything except for the ice cream. if you have an electric beater good for you! but if you don't, ready a fork cos you're up for a good arm exercise! 

well, if you need more guidance on this part, what i did was:

- put the cake mix in a bowl

- add 1 cup water and mix thorougly

- when it's mixed well, add the 1/2 cup oil. it will gloss up to a pretty shiny fudge :3

- then add the eggs and mix altogether until it's in a very thick and shiny fudgey consistency. the batter's done!

- place some 2-3tbsp. of the batter on a mug and microwave for 2-3 minutes. :D

- serve with vanilla ice cream on top! or whipped cream! OR BOTH!!! <3

Microwaving tips (naks):

- the longer you microwave it, the harder the cake gets so make sure you don't over cook it if you want it mejo moist. mine was kindof dry and hard at the bottom. though it looks moist on the outside i gathered it's probably just the oil hehe

- as much as possible, put only 1 mug at a time. shared this with my officemates so we crammed 5 mugs in the oven. the result was, it didn't rise so much, but it was cooked fine naman. none of that round cute fluffy top though huhu.

- max the batter to 2-3tbsp. per mug, you don't want it to overflow and well, you need space for TOPPINGS! <3

that's it! very very easy and straightforward. just do the mix and microwave! best with vanilla ice cream so far! looking to make some other cake flavors like PANCAKES MAYBE? with whipped cream and maple syrup, or even blueberries. OMG i have to buy a microwave T____T

How to Retire Before the Age of 50

Are you constantly worried about the state of your finances? Buried in debts and liabilities? Your bills eating up your vacation fund? Do you have trouble saving money? Do you want to be able to live an abundant life before you hit 50?

If you said yes on any of the questions above, see you soon and let's get our lives sorted out!

Level up your personal finance by attending this wealth management conference led by Chinkee Tan, wealth and life coach, and renowned motivational speaker on June 20, 2015, 1pm-6pm at The Metro Tent, Metro Walk, Pasig City. 

How to Retire Before the Age of 50

Whether you're a student, an employee, a sales agent, a business owner, a direct seller, or a housewife... this event is for you! Well, it's for everyone who is determined to take a step up in charge of their finances. Isn't that soooo us?

In this 5 hour event, we will be learning life changing lessons that will drastically alter our mindset about money. We will learn how to CREATE, HANDLE, GROW, and PROTECT our wealth in order to emerge financially free and debt free!

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Take advantage of these early-bird rates

Register now and get Php 1,000 off the regular rates!

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Sit this close to the stage and never doze off as you get called for recitation haha

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If you're okay with a miniature version of Chinkee Tan, plus a complementary sea of heads, go ahead! XD

BRONZE: Php 1,400 NOW Php 400

Reallyyyy, unless the nearer slots are sold out... you're not paying for an audiobook you know. XD

Go for the GOLD guys, you won't regret it!

What more, add Php 1,000 and spend an exclusive dinner with Mr. Chinkee Tan where you can get more of his insights about financial planning, plus a photo-op and book signing opportunity!

Just fill out the form at end of this post to reserve your slots!

as a sign of thanks...

I want you to know that i'm giving away something awesome to everyone who reserves a ticket from this blog.

Since we're talking about growing your wealth and overcoming your finances, i'm giving you a chance to start your own e-loading business for free as i give you a FREE LoadCentral Retailer Account! :)

I usually charge 200 pesos for those who want to register as my retailers, but you're in luck because i'm waiving all that so you can start your own business with minimum capital! :D

With this account, you can start your own loading business! this 1-sim-loads-all account delivers e-load to ALL networks. you can also sell gaming credits w/ these (MOL, Garena, LevelUp, etc.), and much more. For a complete list of products you can sell and earn from, check out this link.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now for this KaChink Event, learn from the expert, and have fun with your new business!

Here's the form, just fill it out and indicate the type of product you're availing (in this case, KaChink Event).

If you want to receive the give-away being offered on this blog, just fill up this form to reserve (DO THIS FIRST). You will receive an opt-in confirmation email to ensure you are not being added without your consent. Once you confirm, you will get an email that has the links to purchase Chinkee Tan's books, money kit and training programs.

Name

Email

Contact number

Mailing address

Products
Books
Do it Yourself Money Kit
KaChink! Event

[Disclosure: I am an accredited online lead generator for Chinkee Tan's Books and Training Programs]

5 stupid things i once did for my crushes

That i'm careful not to repeat, and hopeful i've outgrown somehow. i wouldn't know. haha

1. Did his homework

I feel like a complete version of the generic nerd in teen flicks vying to get a cheerleader's attention by presenting to do her homework. Well, i'm proud to say i outdid that hollywood nerd! how? cos i made not just a homework, but an exercise and a project too! and not only that, i also did it for 4 of his friends! and beat this will you, i did all of them in a single day, while doing my own school project, and while being sleepless for 2 days. BEST NERD EVER.

lol i'm exagerrating, they're actually 3-in-1 projects so i really just did 5 projects... they're very easy though, AND I GOT PAID OKAY? the rest are true though, i was in the middle of doing my own project, i haven't slept in 2 days, and he called late at night and announced a 12-hour turn around time.

i'm not stupid okay, i told him no! who would agree to that?! but he pleaded like i'm the only one who could help him (and the friends he hasn't mentioned yet) and how it's too late to find another person (like he actually spent the day convincing others before me), and how it's going to be super easy for me because it's a computer project (oh. well), and how i'm so pretty and smart and perfect... gullible

hence, this first item. XS

2. became a scriptwriter

hesitant as i was, i succumbed to some invisible force (aka his charm) beckoning me to write dialogues for a back to back play his theater club is staging where he is acting.  stupid me even suggested to create playbills for it as marketing collateral... and well, nobody knew what it was so i ended up doing it. all the writing, designing, and manual stapling of some 150 wretched copies of those stupid booklets.

well, i was reimbursed for the photocopying, and he said the playbills were such a flip it sold-out (more like handed-out cos they weren't really for sale). i also earned more of his respect (which i'd like to call ganda points) cos i'm not only the best nerd ever (uhm yeah, same guy), but i'm also a good scripts person! i'm the perfect (slave) girl for him!

oh the play was a blockbuster. he was such a good actor. HAHA. see, he even got me to write for him.

3. drew his face and showed it to him

astig diba? but not when you're a complete stranger to him!

it didn't exactly happen that way! HAHAHA, and thankfully this isn't the same guy anymore. whew.
let me rephrase the item:

drew his face and accidentally showed it to him. uhuh, creeper confirmed.

yeah much better. you see, i'm an avid doodler specially when i'm bored in class! so one time during such a class, i was mindlessly doodling some aliens and UFOs and letterings per usual, and decided to put him in my doodleland. i drew him in a jersey (varsity basketball represent! aaargh, i'm such a sucker for the popular types. deym u meg cabot), and added more stuff to fill the page haha. suddenly he came to me and said, "ang galing naman" or something like that (i don't really remember), and reached for my paper to take a look. i happily obliged, after all it was a proud piece haha! when i got my drawing back i couldn't contain my kilig, until my eyes fixed itself on the cartoon version of him.

then i realized. he didn't know i have a crush on him. my innards gave a nervous twitch as i imagined what could have crossed his mind if he did saw his face on that paper. i cried inside, looked back at the drawing and defeatedly tried to convince myself that it didn't really look like him, maybe he didn't notice.

4. stalked him

common right? i'm not familiar with the levels of stalking normal crushing teenage girls would do. but before i was introduced to my crush and became friends, i already knew his cellphone number, his middle name, his ex-girlfriend, his full address, his religion, the name of his parents, the high school he went to, where he worked previously, etc. it didn't really take so much digging on my part. i worked in the library and we used to keep these info cards of everyone who has a library card so i took the basic info there... and resisted the urge to tear off his 1x1 pic HAHA. the rest i got from the student records. whaaat?! oh yes... it took months for me to get hold of it but thankfully nobody noticed!

what i meant was, it took me some months to get myself transferred to the admin office after working some year at the library as a student assistant. it was information heaven. everything i needed to know about him was in the office. BWAHAHAHA

5. cried over him

oh dear. i'm the type of person who never wants to be discovered by my crushes. i'm happy just watching them from afar, taking infos from the student portal, stalking them on facebook, taking notes every now and then if they're still single, mentally bashing their girlfriends if they have one, etc. i'm okay that way. i really am. cos i didn't want to be their girlfriend, it's too uncomfortable. and i'm not the type of person to pursue her crushes anyway.

so one day, when one of my girl friends told me (out of concern cos i've been acting more stupidly than ever) that my crush knows i'm crushing on him... i just cried. especially when i learned that it was my other girl friend who told him. i was betraaaayed!! this is waaaar!! that's supposed to be a secret! but more importantly, how long has he known?! and is that why he's been hanging around a lot? i thought it was destiny that pulled us together! HAHAHAHA and he kept asking me darned favors! i even did his project and that stupid playbill (oh yeah, same guy)! but apparently, guys are all the same (uhm, for the sake of expression hahaha)! i felt grossly taken advantage of! chos. i deleted the princely mental image of him and sourly replaced it with an evil, user-friendly, jerk of all trades.

but not really. HAHA after a few months when some of my feelings have died down, i learned (from one of the school heads he worked under) that he has a crush on me too! finally all the hard work paid off! chooos! of course i mentally rejoiced! too bad i was already into someone else when i learned of it haha.

but anyway, i had to let it sink that i had a crush on him first, then he knew, so he probably tried to see if i was likeable enough, then decided to have a crush on me too! i would slap him if he didn't think i was likeable enough with all that effort.
----

uhm, to be fair. the guy from #1,2,4,5 was a really nice person. he wasn't that bad entirely. he didn't seem to be the type of person to actually take advantage of someone's feelings and for the most part assured me that i'm being compensated for whatever favors he asked. awow. he paid me for the project (#1), and tried to get me a free shirt (#2, but ended up w/ just a discount but it's okay, it's not like he got paid too).

so there. i came up with this post cos i was backreading yesterday and noticed how big the "Crushes" label is on the tag cloud so i lurked there for a while, and ended up laughing so hard at my younger (not that i've aged a lot) self for being so so stupidly head over heels over my major crushes. hahaha

what about you? what's the stupidest thing you did for someone you like? XD

the problem with midshift

i'm done doing the graveyard shift finally! only a few days more before i go back to my default shift (daaaaaaay). for now i'll be doing the midshift (2pm-11pm or 3pm-12mn) for maybe 2 more days hehe striking em out cos i'm still not sure about my shift for the coming days! but at least, i'm out of the graveyard! haha

what i love about midshift:

- it saved me 50% of my daily budget. i realized that my parents usually go out for business after lunch, so there's my free ride!

- i'm getting 8 (or more) hours of sleep. homaygaaaas. this is very very rare. even if i go to sleep at 3am, i convulsively wake up at around 11am, way ahead of my alarm clock, and also my shift. and because i'm up early, i get to enjoy a full breakfast, a complete shower (HAHA), and still have time to help with the dishes (naks). what an achievement!

- and that's because my free hours were pushed to the start of the day so it was forcibly consumed by more sleep, and a longer prep time for work. when i'm in dayshift, my free hours are towards the end of the day... and i don't usually spend that by sleeping early (who does?) haha it's either by watching TV, or browsing the internet, or blogging, etc. never by sleeping early. i'm happy that because of this shift, i am able to sleep more! haha

but of course there's a con...

- i needed that time after office hours to work on my other projects (read: freelance), and it's hard that i can't find the time for it anymore (at least for now hehe). doing it in the morning is weird cos i'm just warming up my brain, plus, the feeling that you don't have enough time to accomplish anything discourages me from actually starting something. haha

---

oh well!

Whatever happened to my supposed pic spam?

ah these pictures were taken eons ago (exagge, 2 weeks ago tops haha) but i still wanted to share them with you! here's how i would like to summarize my week from now on ... assuming i'll be religiously updating this weekly pic spam i decided to take on. bwaha

Domino's Pizza @ Fairview Terraces

i took a picture of the box because look, DESIGN! <3 i don't even know how their old pizza boxes looked like but this is now my favorite pizza box (not that i keep tabs on other boxes)! witty lines all over the carton too, if you'd gladly zoom in hehe. oh, they have FUTURE ORDERING how cool is that? 

jeckie and i tried this buy 1 take 1 promo they have, that's pepperoni and american bacon cheese burger (now, droooool) on the photo. yes, we finished them all, 70-30 (i'm the 30, okay?! no hatin')! 

in fairness, it's really good! the crust is pendesal-ish, very Angel's and (the new) Greenwich. the service is also fast, you're not waiting 30 mins for your food otherwise it's on them. oh yes. 

Curves Gym

a women-only gym w/ the motto "No men, no makeup, no mirrors" read about my experience here!

Leveling up my beauty regimen

ANO RAW?! since when did i have beauty regimen? haha nope i don't really have a regular skin care routine because i never really worry about my face. but then one day, while i was fondly looking at my recent pictures, i noticed that shooocks ang tanda ko na pala tingnan (#mejoExagge). all the laughter life has given me has accumulated into fine lines around my eyes! crows feet alert! AAAARGH!

so this is how it feels to wage war against the signs of skin ageing. homaygas. it doesn't help that anti-ageing skin products cost so muuuuuch (like Php 1,000+++++ for an effective brand), so since i'm still in my 20s i decided to moisturize first. it's not anti-ageing per se but it keeps the skin from getting dry and that's kind of a step forward for trying to hide fine lines. bwahaha. plus it's summer na, so there's this need to hydrate more!

i decided to try Celeteque DermoScience Hydration Facial Moisturizer because the reviews are good, it's available everywhere, it's fragrance free (read: allergies), and the packaging looks legit -- parang Cetaphil ang arrive haha.

Celeteque DermoScience Hydration Facial Moisturizer

so yeaahh, let's try that! plus girly points to me for taking care of my skin! will probably review this someday. haha

Sofitel

my mom was awarded her 14th year as a MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) awardee (plus some other awards) so yeheyyyy for ma! we stayed overnight at Sofitel and ate breakfast at Spiral (NOT Spirals) and took pictures everywhere cos 5 star hotels are almost always picturesque, yeah?

Here's a pic spam:

terai <3

me!

Currently Reading

I think i'm putting the Harry Potter series as one of my favorite books, with special regard to The Prisoner of Azkaban cos i believe it's where the series took an emotional turn, with Harry being introduced to more truths and more people involved around the killing of his parents.

i'm on the fourth installment and i'm still as excited as ever to read it!!!

Currently Watching

Harry Potter din! i'm re-watching the series for the nth time and this is by far the most fascinating because i get to cross-inspect it from the book. there's this urge to list down scenes which were not included in the movie and all but well. #katamad

Work and all that

again, i want to resign. maybe i'll bring this up to my manager next time we talk. i always get this feeling that no matter how hard i try in this industry, it's always going to end up frustrating for me. i have totally 0 passion for software development.

it's a scary thing to shift careers because, where am i gonna work? who's gonna take me? how do i pay my bills? but then the possibility of a happier life excites me to no end. whew. what does it feel like to freelance? to build your own portfolio and sell yourself to clients? to work at the comfort of your home and wake up to a job that makes you happy?

oh my, i am so ready for this, but nonetheless scared... because i'm probably not big enough support myself financially. but.. haaaay Lord! grant me wisdom!

Get a Summer Ready Body with Skin Philosophie's Summer Sale Promo!

Guess what! Skin Philosophie Medical Aesthetic and Lifestyle Center, your one-stop center for immaculate correction, holistic wellness, and lifestyle solutions is launching new promos for us this summer! 

Take a look at and see what services you could get for less, and get ready to achieve that summer body you've been waiting for!

1. Fat-Burning Radio Frequency (RF) Treatment
2. Underarm Laser Hair Removal
3. Underarm Whitening
4. Bikini Line Laser Hair Removal

Details below!

Fat-burning Radio Frequency (RF) Treatment

Source

Promo rate: Php 560 per session per body part
Regular rate: Php Php 2,800 per session per body part
Savings: 80% off!
With visible result after first treatment
For best results: 6-10 sessions
No lumpsum payment - pay only Php 560 per visit

Underarm Laser Hair Removal

Source

Promo rate: Php 2,700 per session

Regular rate: Php 4,500 per session
Savings: 40% off!
With visible result after first treatment
For best results: 4-6 sessions
No lumpsum payment - pay only Php 2,700 per visit

Underarm Whitening

Source

Promo rate: Php 960 per session
Regular rate: Php 1,600 per session
Savings: 40% off!
Number of sessions required depends on skin condition
No lumpsum payment - pay only Php 960 per visit

Bikini Line Laser Hair Removal

Source

Promo rate: Php 3,430per session
Regular rate: Php 4,500 per session
Savings: 23% off!
With visible result after first treatment
For best results: 4-6 sessions
No lumpsum payment - pay only Php 2,700 per visit


Amazing deals right? And if you don't know yet, Skin Philophie prides in being a leader in the field as they utilize advanced technology, equipment, and skin care products to ensure customer satisfaction. The center is headed by UK-trained doctor Dr. Kyla Talens, who considers safety and efficacy paramount to delivering their services. They offer customized patient-centered skin care programs, and always takes into account the client's resources and preferences before prescribing anything. You're in the best hands!

More treats for you!

If you want to avail of any of the summer promo services above, go on and contact them for a reservation, but since we're feeling extra generous we're extending an additional 5% discount to readers of this blog! Yup! i want to help you get that bikini ready body you've been dreaming of at a lesser cost!

What you have to do is just take a SCREENSHOT OF THIS BLOG and show it on your appointment to get that extra discount. :)

Here are other treats just for you <3

• 10% off on Skin Philosophie Regular Services
• Free Skin Consulation with Dr. Kyla Talens

Location and Contact

Skin Philosophie Medical Aesthetic and Lifestyle Solutions
Address: 3rd level, The Fort Strip, 28th corner 7th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig.
Contact numbers: 0917-8860646 | 0917-8906800 | 02-2118662 | 02-21580780 | 02-8567451
Website: http://skinphilosophie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skin.philosophie

[Disclosure: I am an accredited online lead generator for Skin Philosophie Skin Care Programs.]