Heyy

Wasn't able to enjoy Christmas at all because I got sick on the 24th so I had to rest until the 27th. I was only able to come to work yesterday because I'm afraid of incurring anymore unpaid leaves huhu. It's the same diagnosis year after year after year. I can't remember any other illness I had that has nothing to do with my throat (except for chickenpox 4 years ago). I feel bad that my husband and I weren't able to join any family reunion because he has to attend to me. But I'm thankful because at least we were able to dine with our families together before I got sick. And they all went to visit us multiple times this week to check up on me, with my sister even staying the entire day (despite her first day of bloody hell) to nurse me while my husband is at work. So yeah, super thankful! But still could've been more fun. I'm not really in the mood to do any recount of what's happened this year, but I'll indulge given that there's really only a few things that spun my life for that majority of 2017.

First is our wedding.
Next is my moving to a new company.
And finally, married life.

I won't elaborate hahaha I'm so tamad.

Right now I'm trying to condition my mind to let out more creative juices for this logo project I wanted to accomplish before the year ends. It's only been 2 months since my last design gig and I'm already experiencing a major drought in the right hemisphere of my brain.

It could be because I've been writing more than designing lately so the gears are working the wrong quadrant. According to my freelance activity logs, of the 3 sidelines I do (blogging, writing, designing), 48% of my total income came from writing, 27% from designing, and 25% from blogging.

This is the first time I actively monitored my freelance earnings and I'm pretty proud that I've earned 94k this year. It may be small compared to other passion projects out there by my goal is to just reach 100k so I'm already good with that figure even though it's 6k short haha. And besides not all contracts have been paid in full so I can say I've closed over a hundred thousand worth of projects this year. I can't believe it when I saw the numbers rising. But on the other hand I was hoping it was passive income instead. So I didn't have to work extra hours. :(

I only want one thing next year: good health. When you're sick you get to appreciate your health a lot. And I did. I was in the middle of a 48 hour bed rest and I'm being plagued by the articles, logos, and illustrations I have to work on. Filing for sick leave was a necessary sacrifice but I was tormented at the thought of it. That's 2 days off my paycheck. My paycheck that's only enough for our bills. When you're sick it's not the disease that cripples you. It's worry.

So Lord, I just want to be healthy this year please! <3

Plexus Slim - Meal Replacement Shakes Diet

Disclaimer: this is a guest post.

Are you ready to put back your body into shape? Some people have nothing to deter from achieving the goal. However, certain ways of winning results are rather arguable. Thus, in addition to accustomed ways of shedding excess fat, some category of users opt for pharmaceutical products to accelerate their endeavors. Certainly, such decision entails particular risks including the risk of health issue, the risk of failure, and the risk of wasting money. On the other hand, such approach can bring fruit and provide a significant performance.  Today, we are going to discuss a kind of diet supplement from the category of meal replacements. That category is known for fewer health risks than versatile capsulated fat burners or appetite suppressants. Nevertheless, it does not mean that users get a superb product with top productivity. But first things first. Meet Plexus Slim review.

Photo from thesponsoringsystem.com

Not a Meal Replacement 

People who used to take versatile MR shakes have a general idea of content and nutritional values of such category of diet products. The principal character of the present article is another kettle of fish. Though it is a powder, its potency resembles a weight loss pill. First, there is no protein in it. Second, the energy value of one serving is beyond borders of a traditional MR drink. Your body gets 5 cals only!

Your doubts will increase as soon as you blend the powder with water and get a pink mixture. In fact, the nickname of the shake is the pink drink. Perhaps, the situation will be clearer if we look at the content.

Under the Hood 

Major advantages of Plexus include the lack of gluten and possible artificial components like colors, sweeteners, and flavors. Besides, the product is a fit for vegetarians since it is absolutely organic. And here is what you will find inside.

Chromium is a mineral with numerous useful functions like reducing appetite, improving blood sugar, and metabolizing fats and carbs.

The second and final ingredient is called Plexus Slim Blend. This blend consists of elements that are typical for a variety of diet capsules. So, if you have ever tried such type of supplements, the names of green coffee bean extract, as well as Garcinia Cambogia, should be familiar. The third element of the blend is represented by alpha lipoic acid.

Performance and Safety 

Now, it is time to answer two essential questions namely “Will Plexus help me?” and “What side effects can it trigger?” The second question is easier to answer since the product is mostly safe. Why mostly? Because one can find some reports of non-serious reactions like stomachache, bloating, anxiety, headaches etc. These are like to be caused by the abuse of the supplement.

As for the performance, the situation is more complicated. Certain ingredients do provide weight loss effect. However, the user’s experience shows controversial outcome since many consumers claim on the lack of efficiency. Those who managed to shed a couple of pounds have used Plexus along with dieting and exercising. So, its contribution to success is unlikely. 

5 Ways to Finally Break Your Alcohol Addiction

Photo from Pixabay

When you hear the word alcohol, you might think about ‘good time’, ‘friends’, and ‘party’. Well, alcohol is not really a terrible thing, it’s just how most people take it. The real problem is, alcohol is the main culprit why people are losing self-control. A lot of road accidents are triggered by drivers who are influenced by alcohol. If you think that you are one of those people who are addicted to alcohol, and want to break free from it, you’ve come to the right place. Before I proceed to explaining how you can control your drinking, you need to know why you need to get motivated to start doing it.

• If you are bearing a child, you can prevent damage to your baby in your womb when you stop drinking. Alcohol is the worse enemy of that little thing inside your womb. 
• It can prevent further damage to your health. According to study, as many people know it, alcohol is the main culprit of liver damage. You don’t want to spend the rest of your lives visiting a doctor, do you? 
• It prevents family problem and other relationship concerns. Why is it so? Once you are influenced by alcohol, you are usually out of control of your emotions, especially your anger. We hear lots of quarrel from our neighbors, and the most probably reason is that the one is under the influence of alcohol. 
• You can prevent from acquiring legal problems due to drinking alcohol. How do alcohol drinking damage your reputation? For example, let’s say you came from a party, and drank just few shots. You drive your way back home, and you bump into a man who suddenly cross the road. Even though the problem is not with you, you will be the one to be blamed especially if you are positive in alcohol test. 
• You can become more productive to you work if you control your drinking. Drinking alcohol is also time consuming. Yes, it is true that you also need to have an enjoyable time, but there is appointed time for everything, and being too addicted to alcohol is truly waste of time.

How can you break your alcohol addiction?

1. Know the cause. 
Some people choose alcohol to divert attention from the problem they are experiencing. According to psychologist, most of alcohol addicts have family problem backgrounds, environment influence, and peer pressure. Are you undergoing with such circumstances? You must self-analyze to know the main cause of your actions, so that you are aware of what to avoid and how to do it.

2. Decide of what you must do.
In other words, you should make plans before it gets too late and you become slave of alcohol. But if you think that you are already indulged in alcohol addiction, you should make a move. Do your plans moderately, and not in an instant.

You must be realistic with your plans. The more unrealistic it seems, the more you’ll find it hard to achieve. If you have alcohol addiction for quite long time, you have to reduce your alcohol intake little by little.

For you to achieve the goal of breaking alcohol addiction, you must put your date of when you should achieve it. Write it down in the paper or sticky note, then stick it to the wall or refrigerator where you can easily see it. Let’s say you have three months to achieve it. In the first week of achieving your goal, you can try to control your drinking into 3 times a week. Then, minimize again for another week until you finally get rid of alcohol.

3.Share you plans with others.
Tell it to the people that mostly care about you – your family. Inform that you are planning to break from alcohol addiction, and they can help you to monitor and encourage you from time to time when you seem keeping out the pace of your plans.

4. Do not get downhearted by your relapse. 
There are times that you get relapsed with your plans of not drinking. But do not give up! Just because you failed for certain time, you’ll stop trying. Repeat again and continue the progress you are making.

5. Divert your attention.
You don’t need to drink alcohol just to have a good time. You can enjoy, even without it. Instead of focusing your mind with the alcohol, why don’t you spend the time with your friends, family, and kids? There are lots of things to do than drinking. Doing outdoor activities can help you to divert your attention and make you feel that drinking isn’t the only way to have fun.

Think of the good reasons why you need to stop your alcohol addiction. Get motivated, and visit a doctor if necessary. Do not give up, and all your sacrifices will reap its fruits.

NOVUHAIR turns favor with Holiday bash promo

Disclaimer: This is a press release.

So you’ve got your festive outfit set and the fancy gift wrapped for your “monito” or “monita”. All that’s left undone is a party season-perfect hairstyle.

The fresh out of the shower look can be seductive yet temporary. Blame it to tropical climate, it can spoil your appearance, besides making you feel sweaty and stale. The heat and humidity brought about by extreme weather condition, likewise, dries out the locks easily and make it more fragile. Adding damage to your delicate strands are the chemical contents of various products on hand. From shampoo to conditioner and hair treatment, down to styling goods to groom it to your liking, their harsh synthetic materials jeopardize the natural oil and luster of your mane.

Because you are what you eat, the fate of your crowning glory is in the plate. Your diet must have the correct balance of vitamins and minerals to supply hair with all that it needs to become shiny and strong. So don’t overindulge, especially this time of the year when gastronomic feasts are spread almost everywhere you go. Be careful on what you take in, thinking that it’s also what you feed your ‘do.

Even stress can wear off the beauty and health of the tress. And that’s exactly what you should avoid this Yuletide season. Never put pressure on yourself just to please everyone. Just take it easy, let your hair down and party all night long.

In this time of gratitude, NOVUHAIR makes everyday “a good hair day” for its valued patrons like you with its Christmas and Year-End Promo. Get an extra NOVUHAIR Herbal Shampoo 200 ml. worth P1,040 for FREE if you buy a NOVUHAIR 3-in-1 pack at participating WATSONS stores nationwide (DOH-FDA CCRR Permit No.: 967 s. 2017).

Packed with 19 natural ingredients—mostly standardized herbal extracts, essential oils and co-factor nutrients—NOVUHAIR Topical Scalp Lotion does not only help prevent the hair fall malady, but also aids in stimulating hair growth. NOVUHAIR helps prevent hair loss, improve overall appearance, promote nourishment and rejuvenation. It is clinically-tested and proven safe and effective.

Opt for the best with this Christmas and Year-End promo. Whether it’s a luxury gift for your loved ones, or a self-indulgent treat for you, NOVUHAIR has the perfect gift to inspire and keep you party-ready this Holiday season, while providing you with the ultimate styling result.

For inquiries, please call 413-6570 or 0922-8830575. You may also visit www.novuhair.com or Novuhair’s Facebook page – Novuhair Official.

The Sunday Currently (vol. 24)

Long time no Sunday Currently! I didn't really want to go back to this format, but I needed to organize my thoughts haha so yeah. It's already Monday but my Sunday hasn't ended yet so. Who cares.

Dinner!

My husband asked me if I have trust issues because I have trouble warming up to people, don't have any "close" friends, and doubts every claim advertisements make (but really, who doesn't). He also thinks I'm borderline conspiracy theorist with the amount of skepticism I show with things, adding he wouldn't be surprised if I thought the earth was really flat. We've already discussed it but I don't think I made my point clear so imma get defensive here instead hahaha. 1. I'm pretty easy to be friends with, but my natural aloofness will make me doubt if I've really made friends. LOL. 

2. I have close friends but I'm not big on hanging out because aside from gastos, I also grow distant with people I don't see regularly. I'm bad at keeping in touch too so I'm not sure if I could still consider my old best friends as my close friends til now. I'm plagued with thoughts like, what if they've changed? What if they don't get my jokes anymore? Are we still close? Can I still tease you? Aaaaa-aaaa-aaaaah. Identity crisissssss. And in terms of hanging out, I prefer to be alone so there's really nothing conclusive in this sentence sorry hahaha.

3. I'm actually pretty gullible, and I'm only fascinated with conspiracy theories. I hardly believe them... even though I have one (which I'm saving for a novel, or selling to Dan Brown HAHAHA). Anyway, I just don't believe in ads so much because hello has anybody measured how Safeguard kills 99.9% of germs off-cam on an actual hand?! Nope. Because we don't have the tools, the bacteria meter is fiction. So is that dandruff strip. And that germ-revealing UV gun. The media is the real spawn of satan. Misinformation, deceit, and thievery right under our noses. Charot. 

4. So yeah, I'm really just a very very shy person who'd rather keep her nose down.

Reading: Sally Thorne's The Hating Game (what a swoonfest!). More on the book when I finally finish it. 

Writing: This. And according to my pending job list, I have 2 home improvement articles due tomorrow. Urgh.

Listening: Nothing, but I have a favorite playlist on Spotify: Classic Road Trip Songs. Rock and roll. Check it out.

Thinking: About how to save on electricity. We're p500 over the budget this month huhu.

Smelling: Coconut scented massage oil from earlier's swedish session at Mont Albo.

Wishing: We had tons of passive income right now.

Watching: Brooklyn Nine Nine. Sobrang funny please watch iiiiit and let's geek out? Definitely a favorite, next to Big Bang and 2 Broke Girls which I never finished haha.

Loving: Bulletproof coffee. I just tried it this morning with local ingredients and it tastes amazing. I once talked about BPC in my Battle Brew post years back, if you want more blah. I've been meaning to try it but the ingredients - grass-fed butter and MCT oil - sounds imported and expensive so I dropped the thought. But just recently I learned you can make it with regular brands (anchor, magnolia, arla) and virgin coconut oil. So yeah, I'm sold. I'm thinking tuloy how easy it is to make money out of this fad. I can just repackage local brands, give it a face-lift and slap all sorts of organic terms to lure people in. I'd sell it at a 300% markup and people will still think it's cheap. Anyway.

Wanting: Money to pay my credit card.

Needing: To finish The Hating Game before the year ends. 

Feeling: Such a loser reading chick-lit. HAHAHA. What can I say? They're the only types of books I like to read. 

10 places to dine in Los Angeles

Disclaimer: This is a guest post.

Photo source: Pixabay

From classic steakhouses to vegetarian outlets served from seaside shacks to some of the most fine dining outlets, eating out in Los Angeles today is considered to be extremely exciting. The large number of food trucks and some offbeat joints have given a great boost to the gastronomical reputation of the city, transforming it into a true culinary haven. So no matter what your food preference may be, there is a restaurant to cater to your budget and every whim and demand. 1. Providence

Even though Los Angeles is a city right next to the Pacific Ocean, there are very few dining outlets providing good seafood options. This is where Providence has endeavoured to narrow the gap by offering a deft aquatic menu that aptly manages to bring the bounty of the Pacific to the table. Among the various choices displayed on the large menu, Maine Lobster, Norwegian Cod and King salmon steal the show. For those craving for a luxurious and sumptuous fare, the 16 course chef menu will delight you with caviar, truffles and the catch of the day.There are also lots of vacation rentals in Los Angeles that you would like to consider basing yourself.

2. Mh Zh

Pronounced mah-zeh, this strange restaurant features dishes from the middle east and extremely affordable prices. This relatively new restaurant has menus written by hand on bags made of brown paper.The seating is on an open patio and the best dishes on offer are lamb and tahini. Mh Zh is located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles CA.

3. Badmaash

Los Angeles is full of Indian eateries, ranging from large banquet spaces to casual food stalls.The Mahendroo family owned modern restaurant Badmaash, with vintage Bollywood posters adorning the walls, provides authentic Indian fare. Wines are sold by the glass or the bottle and there is a large collection of local beers to go with the excellent food.

4. Urasawa

Ask any food connoisseur as to which city has the best sushi in the US, and the universal reply would be Los Angeles. Sushi chefs, who been practicing their craft for years, can be found in most of the high end Beverly Hills restaurants. While there are quite a few affordable options, Urasawa heads the list of the top most sushi outlets in LA. The fish is flown in daily from Japan, and the meals can be served upto 25 carefully prepared incredible courses. This is sushi dining at its finest, so be prepared to dole out 500$ per person, and that too if you book early.

5. B.S. Taqueria

Los Angeles is a paradise for taco lovers, with streets literally crammed with people flocking to try out any possible taco variation. Whether a visitor or a local, head to B.S.Taqueria for the most juicy clams with thick corn tortilla underneath. All the tacos in this popular downtown spot are not only delicious, but innovative and tasty as well. New tastes are created by balancing the quality of the ingredients, which can be ideally topped with some fluffy churros to cap the meal.

6. Yang Chow

Los Angeles has many Chinese food options, with some of the best being congregated in the San Gabriel Valley region. From Peking duck to classic egg rolls, LA is a mecca for Chinese food lovers. This is where the family run Yang Chow, running since 1977, occupies the pride of place in Los Angeles. This outlet offers a staggering menu option of over 100 Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine, with the famous slippery shrimp being the star attraction with most customers. Its location in Chinatown offers other specialities like General Tseng’s chicken and kung pao squid, all reasonably priced.

7. All About the Bread

Los Angeles has a plethora of choices for the sandwich lover. Though the food truck, burger stand and farmer's market are the obvious choices, All About the Bread is one joint which stands apart from the rest. The sandwiches served here are crisp from outside and soft inside, served with a range of ingredients like meatballs, turkey and mozzarella. The entire menu of All About the Bread is dedicated to quality and making good and proper sandwiches.

8. 101 Coffee Shop

Retro dining hot spots in Los Angeles are said to be some of the finest. The 101 Coffee Shop, a decade old outlet, costs a bit in dinner items, but has stand out dishes on the menu. Breakfast is a full day option here, with the pancakes, bacon and sausages being the most sought after. The ambience is perfect with the round pendant lamps casting a natural light on the blue tiles.

9. El Huarache Azteca

With Taqueria being available around every corner of Los Angeles, it may seem that Mexican food is the official cuisine here in this city. This south of the border fare has been drawing hordes of hungry fans to El Huarache Azteca, to relish the excellent Mexican huaraches, topped with beans, meat or vegetables. Apart from this signature dish the other recommended dishes are the quesadillas and barbacoa specials served with fresca made from fresh fruit.

10. Cheap food joints

Prices may have skyrocketed all over the city but there are plenty of places in Los Angeles where you can enjoy good food without making a hole in your pocket. From kebabs in Glendale to tacos at Leo’s Taco Truck, there are places where one can have a full meal at under 10$. If sandwiches is what you are looking for, head to Philippe the Original for some exquisite meaty French dip sandwiches, which have been retailing at this original outlet since 1951.

F

I'm typing this entry with my middle finger raised, in protest of the pain I'm feeling right now. But really it's because I can't type with the said finger and had to raise it to break muscle memory hehe. You see, my middle finger got cut while I was unclogging our bathroom sink last night. I was already grossed out having to scrub the insides of our pipes with my bare hands, then I just had to incur a minor cut that burned like hell. All that gunk and an open wound and the gross levels rose to a million. I can't even. Hahaha. I don't even know what that even means. Needless to say, I learned a lot that day. I fixed two problems in the house last night. Our broken freezer door and yeah our freaking bathroom sink. My lips were curled in the disgust the whole time but it needs to be done. We're having guests over this weekend, that's why. LOL.

In fairness, it wasn't that dirty, it's just the strainer that needs to be cleaned. But fkn strainer is buried so deep and is part of the popup stopper thing (I need to know how it's officially called) so I really had to make my fingers work down there yuck. Even the drain snake I bought was useless because it barely fits in the strainer holes. Whatever.

My husband is currently sick, if you're wondering.

Funny how a small cut could affect my productivity so much. You know when you have to rely on your keyboard to get you through the day but you only have 90% of your hands working? Doesn't seem like much of a pitfall but my typing prowess relies heavily on 100% functioning hands and I don't have that right now. I can't believe how alarming the difference is. It's like, I forgot to tpye al o f a sddn.

How to claim your Google Adsense payment via Western Union in the Philippines

WAAAAAHHH!!! For the first time in a gazillion years, I've reached threshold at Google Adsense! Hoorayyy! This is like a major highlight of my week hahaha so here's an account of how I cashed out my first Adsense earnings. Not much, just $100. But that freakin sum saved us from getting legally kicked in the ass by our creditors so yeah, thank God!

In summary, here are the steps to withdrawing your Adsense earnings:

1. Get your payment receipt from your Google Adsense dashboard
2. Go to Western Union or any Western Union agent (bring a valid ID)
3. Request for a money transfer, then wait for your cash

It's that simple. But if you'd like more gibberish, carry on as I've prepared a boring narrative of the steps above. Make sure that your primary payment method is set to Western Union. You may also receive your Google Adsense earnings via check or bank deposit but I'm not sure about the fees. Receiving payments via Western Union is free, making it the most preferred withdrawal method in the Philippines - at least from what I've observed haha.

Okay. Note that Google Adsense issues payments every 21st of the month as soon as you've reached the $100 threshold. Then, you'll receive an email notification from Google Payments that your earnings have been processed. It's a sign that your payment is ready to be claimed. The email looks like this:

Find your payment receipt

Now let's find your payment receipt. It contains info you need to cash out at Western Union.

Login to your Adsense account and navigate to Settings, then Payments. Under the Transactions section, click on the most recent one.

Check the description, If the status reads ISSUED, then you're good! Click on the description to reveal your payment receipt.

Here's how the payment receipt looks like:


I highlighted the important details in red. Or quite simply, just take note of the details at the bottom part, under Bring the following with you.

Go to Western Union or any accredited WU agent

You don't have to print the details, just make sure you have it with you because you need those in filling out the money transfer form.

Here's a WU agent locator to help you out: http://www.payment-solutions.com/agent.asp

In my case, I went to Sanry's Money Changer in Greenbelt 1, it has a Western Union outlet inside which is great because I can get my dollars from WU, then exchange it to peso via Sanry's. It's a two-step process but it's better because local money changers usually have higher exchange rates than WU. WU exchanges at ₱49 point something per dollar, whereas Sanry's offers ₱50.73 per dollar during that time. Also, you can ask WU to exchange your earnings directly to Sanry's so you only have to line up once. The two merchants share the same space and their counters are just adjacent to each other.

But of course it depends on you. WU can directly convert your earnings into peso if that's what you want. Just giving you options in case there's a money changer nearby! :)

Before I came to Sanry's, I actually inquired at Czarina Foreign Exchange first because it's nearer. Some money changers are authorized WU agents. Unfortunately their WU processing could take 30 minutes according to the staff because it has to be approved by the head office. I couldn't wait that long so I went to an actual WU outlet instead.

Finally,

Filling out the form

You'll be given a To Receive Money form which you should fill out using your personal details and the ones in your Payment Receipt. Don't forget to bring a valid ID. Here's a sample form I filled out. The personal details are made up for illustration purposes only.

• Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) can be found from your Payment Receipt.
• Country of Origin refers to the Google office who processed your payment, in my case it's Singapore.
• Amount expected should be exactly what it states in your payment receipt. I'm not sure if it's possible to cash out just a fraction of your earnings hehe. 
• For Occupation/Nature of Business, I just put Advertising.
• For the Sender relationship, just put Advertiser.
• For the Sender name, I put the company name who sent my payment. That is, Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

That's it! Just wait for a couple of minutes and your money will be ready. :)

Hope this helps! And hopefully will get to reach threshold again soon. Hahaha.

Wedding supplier list

Alright, here's a list of all our wedding suppliers. Knock yourself out. Also, a directory of all my wedding related posts can be found here.

September 22, 2017
#DAVEstWeddingEver

Venue (reception and ceremony): Don Jose Heights Clubhouse
Catering: Queensland Catering
Hotel: Seda Hotel Vertis North
Photo and video: Dave Sarabia Photography w/ God's Grace Productions
Ceremony setup: Amaranthus Florist and Event Stylist
Tiffany chairs: Eventials Manila
On-the-day coordinator and host: Okasyon by Anton
Crew meals: Jappy Meals
Cake: Queen Spatula
Lights and Sounds: PurpleMix Lights and Sounds
Photobooth: The Big Picture Manila
Bridal gown (RTW): Blitz - 168 Mall, Divisoria
Groom's barong: Orias Bespoke
Entourage gowns: Love Humbly
HMUA: Ivy Montaña Makeup
HMUA (for immediate family): Gracie Santos-Josue
Flowers (faux): Cherry Berry Divisoria
Band: Unit 406
PS Souvenirs: Coffee grounds

Ay in fairness it doesn't look much naman pala on list view hahaha. DIYs:
Read: All the things we DIYed for our wedding
Invitation layout and design
Invitation envelopes
Flower balls for flower maidens
Boutonnieres (that weren't used)
Guestbook
Digital background for LCD

Nice-to-haves that we didn't have:
Lechon
Will-you-be gifts
Wedding favors for entourage
Guest souvenirs (apart from Photobooth)
Wedding album (will order in the future)
Fancy bridal robe
Supplier tips and tokens

:)