Hay

I'm hating my blog feed right now, you should know why haha. I've been terribly busy with a lot of things and while there have been times I was itching to write something as soon as it happens, I always end up getting distracted by more important things. Creating content for this blog has been a chore ever since I got married. You know why? Because for some reason I felt like I lost the privacy I once had when I was single. The time I had for myself. Being married opened my life in a different way it almost felt intrusive. I have problems right now, mostly financial, a lot spiritual, and the rest I can't even discuss here. And it sucks because I want to but at the cost of ruining relationships I'll just... keep it to myself. I need to write about it, somewhere somehow but I frkn can't because don't we all want to keep our mouths shut and pick who we share our troubles to? My blog isn't quite the right place to rant about my deeper problems. And I can't believe it. I used to be very honest here. Now, I've learned. Or maybe I'm just starting to get the realer problems of life, things you can't just blahg about. Hm. On the other hand, I signed my regularization papers yesterday. Whew. Job security at last. Or not. Cos who's to stay being a regular employee rids you of financial insecurity? My husband was a regular employee before he got redundated. On his next job he didn't last six months. Now he's jobless, nearing a month now, and I'm freaking out. Nagging about everything. I've cried on the bus, in the bathroom, in my sleep, about why I'm getting more and more insecure about this life. How is it not possible to cash in on love? There's gotta be some technology to support that. We'd be so damn rich.

I wanted to go the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale but I'm sure I wouldn't be able to buy anything. Php 200-500 for a book is still too damn expensive for me. Specially that ebooks are free. At best I'd be able to cover the event and would have something to blog about! But no chance scoring a Jojo Moyes. Are they giving it for free? All the haul photos I see has at least 1 Jojo Moyes title it's ridiculous.

I don't even like books, I just pretend to be reader.

Five Tips for Self-Love with Rauch Happy Day Orange Juice

The love month is officially upon us and everyone’s got their eye on their calendar for their much-anticipated date night and other winning ways to melt someone’s heart. However, February is not just all about romance and relationship, as it’s clearly the best occasion to celebrate the most important person: You. So for the love of yourself, Happy Day Rauch Orange got tips that will refresh your habits and will spark motivation of investing in yourself with food and fitness as the beginning. 1. Don’t skip meals and suppress your hunger. 

Just because you’ll be having a grand buffet or multi-course sit-down meal, never starve yourself the entire day and go all out to the dinner table. This habit leads to overeating, filling your plate with caloric food choices. It is always a good idea to grab a fruit, cereal, oatmeal or whole wheat bread before heading to the gathering so you won’t arrive feeling ridiculously famished.

2. Practice mindful eating.

Before you eat, scan the food choices and decide which one you’ll pick or miss. Start off with a clear soup or a glass of water and fill up your plate with a heaping serving of salad. Skip those fried, greasy, and creamy appetizers that are loaded with calories and fat. Opt for smaller plates and utensils so that you only consume smaller bites, which trick your brain into eating almost 30% fewer calories. Remember to eat slowly, chew your food longer than the usual, and enjoy conversing at the dining table – these tips will help break the bad habit of binge eating.

3. Move and stay active. 

No time for the gym? Squeeze in a 10-minute workout that can help you burn extra calories and elevate your mood for the entire day.  Should you need to bring a car, park at the farthest and walk your way up or down to your destination. Additionally, consider taking the stairs to burn few more calories and improve your cardiovascular fitness.

4. Rest and recover. 

We are not new to the temptations and nostalgia of the love month without feeling stuffy, that’s why planning your schedule is always the first way to go. Achieving seven to eight hours of sleep is a sanity-saver and gives you a clearer, calmer mind. In fact, the ghrelin hormones increase when you’re up past your bedtime, while leptin or the hormone that tells you when you are full decreases with lack of sleep, which means a major wreak havoc to your diet.

5. Strengthen your immune system with Vitamin C.    

The last thing we want to happen is catching a bug in the form of cough, colds, or flu, so make sure to give your immune system the boost it deserves. The antioxidant Vitamin C, which helps to ward off communicable diseases should be part of our healthy lifestyle.  Note that our body lacks the ability to produce Vitamin C, so it’s therefore important to get it from the right sources like Rauch Happy Day Orange Juice. A European brand that’s in tune with the taste of our time, every 1L pack of Rauch Happy Day Orange Juice contains 16 high-quality and sun-ripened oranges giving it a zesty and refreshing taste. Each glass is enough to meet your body’s required daily dose of Vitamin C. Much more if you’re looking for ways of curbing your sugar cravings, a sip of something sour or tart like orange juice will help.

Using Study App To Improve Your Grades

Photo from Pixabay

These days we can download so many different types of apps for both Apple devices and the Androids. You name it, they have it. There are also educational apps that are helping both children and adults learn new subjects or help them improve on their skill. Even our children are making use of these apps to help them in their homework and many have benefitted from these tutoring apps. The modern way of learning has progressed so much from the traditional way of learning. Advanced technology play a very important part in education. In the old days, we have to memorize the timetables for mathematics. We calculate using my mind but now calculator is allowed into the exam halls and there are now e-calculators being used.

People are now depending more and more on electronic devices. Students are using online homework apps to help them improve their studies. One of the top study apps which is gaining popularity is The Great Courses App which has helped many students excel in their studies and improved their grades. Students from all over the world can have access to these free learning apps to learn about almost any subjects or topics e.g. English Language, history, geography, science or mathematics, etc.

For Apple device users, these itunes homework apps are able to help lighten a student’s homework load. Today’s kids are overloaded with homework and many have no time for healthy recreational activities. Our kids need time to relax, have fun and to interact with others instead of spending hours of learning in school and doing homework after school. With the homework apps, students are able to play as well as learning at their own time.

Android users can download this free Google play learning app to access over 9,000 college level videos and lectures taught by experts or professors. With this app, you can stream the videos to your electronic devices, or download the videos and lectures to watch them offline at a more convenient time. These learning apps enable students to learn at their own pace without having to commit to class study. You can learn while relaxing in your room, lazing on the couch or taking a walk in the park.  There is no pressure on dateline for homework and there is no test anxiety.

Before you commit to the subscription, you can always enjoy the free trial to see if the app is the right one for you. You can check out the different learning apps before you decide to subscribe for a monthly or annual subscription.

How Hormones Affect Your Complexion

Photo from Pixabay

Both men and women undergo many changes throughout life, often due to the action of their body’s hormones. This is often reflected in the condition of our skin, and will be especially apparent in women, who not only undergo hormonal changes every month during their reproductive years, but also the major change that comes during and after menopause. The level of hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone, will definitely cause changes in the condition of your skin.

What Are Hormones?

Your endocrine system consists of a number of glands that produce hormones vital to the functioning of your body. Hormones can be looked upon as the messenger system for the body. For instance, your adrenal gland produces adrenalin, which gives your body the extra boost it needs in times of stress or danger. The adrenal gland also produces some of the sex hormones that will influence your complexion. The major producers of sex hormones, however, are the ovaries and testes. The king of the glands might well be considered to be the pituitary, as this gland oversees all the other glands and hormones.

Age and Your Skin

Every woman understands the changes that hormones can bring to her skin during different phases of her life. Obviously, some of these changes will occur from environmental factors such as drinking, smoking, exposure to the sun, but even if these are eliminated, there are still hormonal changes with which to deal.

• Puberty is the first time that major skin changes will become apparent. As the body of a girl adjusts to new levels of estrogens and androgens, the skin of the face, back, and shoulders will often become subject to pimples and acne. The skin is usually quite oily during these years, and this is when an acne treatment will be needed. 
• The halcyon years for a woman’s skin probably start when she is in her twenties and into her mid-thirties. At this point, her hormones have settled down from the turbulent teens into normal levels, and the skin is usually free of blemishes. Oiliness has also calmed down so there is much less chance of pimples developing. 
• While a woman’s complexion is usually lovely during these years, there can be flare-ups caused by her menstrual cycle and pregnancy. These will not be long lasting, however, and the skin will return to normal quickly. Birth control pills can also cause pimples. 
• While less oiliness during the later thirties into the early forties means that fewer pimples will form, it also means that as the skin becomes drier, and wrinkles will begin to form, usually around the eyes to begin with. The skin will not be as elastic as it once was, and exposure to the sun will really start to make negative inroads. 
• Menopause, beginning in the middle forties turns off the source of estrogen to a great degree (fat still produces some, and the ovaries still dribble out a little bit), which means that the skin’s elasticity fades even more, and as the amount of collagen produced diminishes, more wrinkles will appear and the skin will begin to sag. Needless to say, the older a woman gets, the more chance there is that her skin will deteriorate.

Keeping Your Skin Lovely at Any Age

While there are hormonal changes that are unavoidable, keeping your skin looking good however old you are is not impossible. Most of these involve simply being sensible and are not hard to do:

• Get adequate sleep. Fatigue makes it more difficult for your body to repair the wear and tear of daily life, a good night’s sleep refreshes and restores. 
• Do not smoke. Smoking introduces a number of dangerous and harmful toxins into your system, and worst of all, it narrows the veins and capillaries that deliver blood to your skin, so they actually starve. The skin of heavy smokers usually looks like corduroy. 
• Stay out of the sun. Sunlight directly damages your skin, breaking down all the layers of the skin, leaving eventually to resemble leather. 
• Eat a healthy diet. Healthy, natural foods will keep your body stronger and your skin in good condition. 
•  Use a mild soap and face wash. Check the ingredients to make sure that the products are not full of chemicals. Find a good moisturizer and use it faithfully. You will want one that penetrates the epidermis to nurture beneath the skin.

Following these simple steps can help you to have a healthy, attractive skin your entire life.

3 tips to maintaining your motorcycle

Motorcyles are increasingly becoming a popular mode of transportation for many. Thanks to the harrowingly distressing traffic situation in most metros, motorbikes have become a sound solution to getting from point A to point B without sitting in traffic for hours. If you own a bike, no doubt you need to take proper care of it so it always delivers. Here are 3 motorcycle maintenance tips you should know about: 1. Check your tires

Make it a habit to always inspect your bike before each ride. Make sure both tires are properly inflated to avoid excess heat coming from the rubber. Your tire's tread is also an important part to check. If the tread looks worn out below the wear bars and if the rubber looks smooth, it's probably time to replace your tires. You can check cheap motorcycle tires on BikeBandit.com. Or if you want to something different, ATV mud tires may just be right for you.

2. Check the chains

The motorcycle chain powers a lot of important systems in your motorcycle. By keeping it properly maintained, you are ensuring your travels are safe and your bike is under optimal condition. Have it cleaned and lubricated regularly to avoid rusting and breaking. Majority of the lube should be sprayed on th chain's inside to avoid fling. A broken chain could damage your engine and make you susceptible to accidents especially if it happened to break on the road. When a chain snaps it could get caught in the rear wheel, causing you to be stranded on an emergency.

3. Check the brakes

Faulty brakes are a leading cause of motorcycle accidents. Regularly clean your brakes to ensure they deliver the correct braking power when you need it. Use a proper brake cleaner to help remove dust on the discs and also lubricate the braking system. Routine brake maintainance certainly a dirty job but the consequences are grave if you decide to skip it.

There are many benefits to riding a motocycle. Compared to a car, it's actually easier to maintain. You can park it easily as well and you can go and stop anywhere you want. It's very flexible in traffic and looks very cool.

2017 Online Income Review

Photo from Pixabay

Okay, from now on I'll quit calling myself a freelancer because technically I'm not self-employed and I pay taxes, charot. What I have are merely sidelines. And here's a report on how well (or not) I fared last year.

In summary, I made around ₱94,000 or roughly $1,800. I only started monitoring income from my sidelines early last year. That was the time we were struggling to save for our wedding, so I had to list down all of my income streams and how much I could possibly get from them. Here's a chart:

Every time I get paid, I'll add a record of it in a Google sheet. Eventually the table grew and I was able to watch my income soar and dip. It's pretty motivating. I'm clearly not earning a lot, but I'm freaking earning something and that's awesome. Coming from a millennial who has illusions of being financially challenged, being able to count your money is comforting.

June was my biggest year. I sold my prize from a blogging contest and got a regular writing job. 

October was a low month as I was terribly busy adjusting to married life.

November was the time I reached my Google Adsense threshold so that held up the numbers.

The goal is to be able to earn at least ₱10,000 a month. AND HOPEFULLY include Merch by Amazon in my income stream!

From the line graph you can see that there's no steady trend to my income. The opportunities I get are random and the only long-term client I have is the one who feeds me writing tasks, which doesn't really give much. And lately I noticed they hired a couple more writers soooooo there's my competition in getting more tasks. Sadlyffff.

Anyway. I'll strive to make a better graph this year haha.

What do I do?

Here's a donut chart to explain the type of work I do on the sides.

I have a portfolio over at www.yanbirog.com in case you want to see what I design specifically. Last year I made mostly logos and wedding invites.

I don't really go all out marketing my blog. I just accept whatever sponsored post opportunities I receive. Recently, I've started accepting guest posts too. I figured that the more terrible the writing, the higher the pay. So as much as I want to return some articles for proofreading, if it's gonna cause a delay in payment, I'll just do the dirty work myself. Yep, I'm that sell-out you guys hate! Lol.

I only have 1 client for writing and I intend to apply to some more, just to get a steady request of 1 article a day. But damn the requirements for SEO/content writers are so frkn intimidating. I've capped myself to 500 words per article but most of the listings require 1000 words per day! I don't think my brain can handle that. Hopefully I find a more manageable job description!

Looking forward to this year!

Not so quick update!

//Work
I've been working on this video application for so long now I wonder if my boss is getting pissed off already at my award winning progress. First few weeks of my fumbling through the app I can't record the darned thing. I tried different protocols. Correlated like crazy using Web/Http, dived through the browser settings of TruClient in hopes unchecking something would work, and even tried my luck with MediaPlayer protocol (which is the bomb if only the video we're recording had a single source URL). Pero waley talaga nakakaiyak. I wanted to sink from embarrassment at how long it's taking me to tackle this project. The first I'm working on individually. So you know, pressure. That is what you are. I sought help from everyone I could possibly ask, my team mates here, my team mates from my previous work, and even my lead from the US. Can you believe it. To no avail.

But what have you, just last week they shuffled our seats and suddenly I was able to record the app. What the heck right? Was it a network port thing? I have no idea why it suddenly started working. But thank God! Maybe it's because I'm seated right next to my manager now hahaha. Magic.

But of course the problem isn't over. While I'm rejoicing at finally being able to upload the script to ALM, I needed to test if we can hit 250 concurrent users with just 4 operational load generators. Truclient is a gluttonous bitch.

//More work
I have an article due tonight about hair loss shampoos. How exciting. This piece marks my 134th article to date. That's roughly 67,000 words in the past 8 months! I'm not quitting because it keeps my Paypal alive and helps me pay my credit card bills yehey. Thank you Loooord!

Actually if I don't get regularized this is my fall back. I'll apply full time and write 8 articles a day. Pero wag naman sana lol. I love being a corporate slave.

//Even more work

I just finished a logo project for a photo booth business. I enjoyed this one because I got to learn After Effects on the fly. Now I gotta add that to my skillset yeheyy. It's the first time I received a logo order with a video animation add-on. At first I didn't want to accept it, but the client gave a youtube tutorial as reference and I wanted to try it before declining the work. Needless to say it was pretty easy to execute so yehey for additional charges hahaha.

//Tons more work to come
I have a project right now that's gonna be one of my biggest design projects to date because I have to deliver so much. Logo, posters, maps, corporate giveaway designs, business cards, tarpaulin, etc. I AM SO EXCITED HUHU.

//And another
I have a wedding invitation project coming along too. Finally back to layouting!

//Last but not the least
My Merch by Amazon application just got approved. After 9 freaking months! I almost forgot about this haha. This means I have to hustle making 10 shirt designs in 3 months and upload them to the platform. It also means I have to open a Payoneer account to get a US bank account. Uuuurgh. Hassle pero grabe this is soooo freaking exciting. Just reading about Merch excites me. Off to search for trending and evergreen shirt ideas! <3

Yep. That's it for now.