We all have weird interactions with brands who offer sponsorships or exdeal, right? Well, this situation happened in 2019 wherein a start up facial spa offered a sponsorship to me. I stumble upon their post that they are looking for bloggers who are willing to do an exdeal in exchange of an honest review of their experience.

I signed up and received a call from the owner talking about how the situation was done.


I found it weird that she was really "hard selling" her spa to the point where she says "Dina-dare ko talaga ung clients ko na itry muna nila ako dahil mas maganda ang service ko compared to this and that well-known facial spa" so I was like "Okay, sana po magkaron tayo ng maayos na usapan wherein I can also help you gain from my review".

Here comes the first weird scenario.

I asked for a contract and she said that she don't have any so I said that it would be important for the both of us to have a contract not just for formality but for our security as well- bloggers won't have any other collaboration with the client's competitors. Also the bloggers will feel assure that they will have the proper care that they deserve despite the fact that the arrangement is for ex-deal only. Since she said that there's no contract, she said that I can draft one to her and they can check for us to sign.

So I did, which we didn't sign upon meeting. Well, okay.

Second weird thing is that we agreed to meet early since she said my procedure will last for 2 to 3 hours so I arrived there a little bit late due to traffice but to my surprise when I arrived there she said that she will do her eyebrows done first and I have to document it. To me I was like, EH? I didn't signed up for this, you need a marketing team to do the documentation for you because that was not part of my job.

Not sounding like a diva but that what happened, I was doing her FB live- setting up the camera and I have to talk on the live while she barge in by telling HOW GREAT HER SERVICE IS! So while she was doing her microblading, I was really pissed off already because a microblading session is long and the master artist who was doing her brows is also an exdeal and I have to wait for their procedures to be done before I get my turn- I feel like my time was wasted.

But for formality and professionalism, I didn't said anything but in the back of my mind, I was thankful that we didn't sign the contract because she will continue making and treating me as her assistant instead of an influencer. Well, I must adjust because she admit at first that she has limited knowledge as to how things work between business and influencers- okay, cards closed.

While doing my procedure, she was asking what I do and I told her that I was managing social medias and as an entrepreneur, I took the opportunity to handle her page for a minimal amount, and she said sure why not. She paid the initial deposit and I do my thing as to how to make her business page even better- made her a simple logo, cover photo and postings.

What shockens me is that her personal account was always changing, there are so many accounts with different names but same profile picture adding me, so I don't mind it because there are so many posers now but I wonder, my client is not responding to the facebook account in which I am friends with. After two or three days, she called me on my phone and told me that her facebook account was hacked and she can no longer sign in and then to cut a long story short, she wants me to report and ask my friends to report her 'poser' account.

That is the time I had enough because I am not an assistant and even though the service was good, the way she treated me was not good compared to the other brands I've worked before.

So bye felicia, I don't hold the facebook page anymore and I didn't continue doing the exdeal. I had a proper good bye to her to give respect but my experience with her is such life changing and eye-opening.

Always know your worth, bloggers. Sure we need sponsors to make content and we need money but once we are taken for granted by the clients, we have the right to say no. =)

Last October 2019, I was given a chance to have a perfect makeover from Cleverso Cosmetics.

Cleverso Cosmetics is one of the newest beauty product to look from- they have amazing products from foundation down to lipsticks that gives you amazing look after.


My experience

It was a perfect day, I went to their kiosk at Zabarte Mall (in Almar just infront of PureGold Almar Branch) I was amazed by how the glam team are so accommodating. They immediately lead me to the makeup chair and starting working with the magic.

We actually had a different approach with the makeup team.

Since they are many, we have made to a decision to let them do a specific make up procedure and pass by the other until my look is over all done.

I was really happy when they are doing my makeup they are educating me as to how I choose the proper foundation, how to set my face properly and what tools I need to use to achieve a perfect eyeshadow.

I also loved how they did my brows. It's been a while since I have let somebody done my brows so it was a breathe of fresh air. It was amazing.

The makeup procedure lasted for atleast 2 hours (I know it was long but..) the reason why it took me a long time is because they even did my hair- one of the Cleverso Glam Team decided to curl my hair using a flat iron. Although I know how to do it, to me it was a difficult one because my hair is extremely thick.

I admire the team's patience, their knowledge and how much they are willing to educate people on how to do makeup properly. To me, these are the qualities that can't be found in regular makeup kiosks.

Cleverso Cosmetics is a perfect place to go to for daily and occassional situation. There, once you purchase a product, you can go back (not only once but multiple times) and let their amazing team do your whole make up look. To me it is very practical because most often than not, we are already busy with our lives that we cannot even do our make up. Am I right ladies?

Added to that, their products are really affordable and locally made- SUPPORT LOCAL!

Here's a video of them doing my make up <3 p="">

I am currently on my last semester (yey!) and to be honest, apart from not going to a regular school, the curriculum and the requirements are pretty much the same with a regular school. Which is why on my 3rd year, I am required to do a thesis.

Well, I have a limited knowledge as to how regular students have done their thesis but from what I had heard from my friends, some were given the chance to choose their own topic to choose from (I am guessing, they will propose numerous topics and their thesis adviser will be choosing the best and work with it) while some are assigned a specific topic to choose from.


From my experience, my thesis adviser laid out five (5) different topics to choose from. I chose the topic about New Media since it was easier for me to talked about because I am already in this digital platform wherein I have more confidence and knowledge to put on my paper.

As to how I chose my thesis adviser, the professor assigned to the topic was also my adviser. In comparison to the regular students (correct me if I'm wrong) they have the option to choose who will be their adviser and if the adviser they have choosed from will agree to work with them- that I cannot be sure.

The contents were also the same, doing abstract, case study and such... the only difference is the way we defended the thesis and also, we have no choice but to do the thesis all by ourselves because we don't have a physical classmate to work with (obviously). Talking about how I defended my thesis- that didn't actually happened but I made a video presentation talking about the topic I chose and inserted different useful clips such as interviews with different persons involved and texts that will emphasize a specific point in my presentation.

The process was stressful as ever. Although I had 6 months (full semester) to work with my paper, of course, with schedule mixed up, priorities and work here and there, sometimes, my timeline didn't go the way I planned it. Also, the interviews are very much stressful. Since I am talking about how blogging can procure money, I need to interview bloggers and influencers who have revenues in their chosen platform. The problem is the schedule, at that time, I know that events are comming back and forth which gives the blogger minimal time to sit down and chat with me which I purely understand most especially if blogging is their bread and butter but what hurts the most is that I experienced some influencers who have agreed to do the interview at this specific time but didn't bother to meet me or even chat me (but no hard feelings).

But if you're asking, what are the pros and cons, I will lay atleast 3 of each (or probably more)

Pros

• Freedom of time
  Since you will be working by yourself, you don't need to wait for your groupmates to turnover their assigned section (or task) and if you're a person who is always on the go like me, working at your own pace is the cherry on top. Also, you can take a rest whenever you please.
• Can be less stressful
  If you're good at time management, you won't experience so much pressure of turning over your drafts to your adviser. If you have ample time to spare writing and doing research, there will be less chances of revisions.
  
  In my personal experience, my thesis adviser only omit the personal none-sense parts of my thesis paper. This was my disadvantage because it seems like I'm writing a narrative than a thesis since the topic has a personal attachment to me but I'm so glad that I overcome it.
  
  Also, if you didn't meet any obstacles on the way, you can pretty much finish the thesis in a very short period of time.
• Gives you more freedom to do your own research and be more creative with your thesis
  Since you depend on yourself, you have multitude of options on where you can do your research. In my own experience, I did visit several libraries, read alot of online books and watch different documentaries to help me understand the topic even better and when it comes to the video presentation, I am in control of what to put and what to ommit which is basically perfect for me since I cannot wait for other people to critic my work since I am always busy! Of course, my thesis adviser is excluded with this attitude (lols).

As cliche as it sounds, "New Year is all about New Life and New YOU" and for most of us, we want to start a new year in the right way; you know, forget all the mistakes and wrong decisions we have made in the past year and continue thriving to become the better version of ourselves.


So how can you start a perfect year?

I personally made a list here and hopefully it can help you too.

1. Forgive yourself and let go of all the things that hurt you
   In order for you to achieve a breakthrough, you need to start the change in you. So start by saying "Thank You" to yourself because at the end of the day, you only have yourself. Even if you have a good support system, if it doesn't start within you- the support and the love, everything won't make any sense.
   
   I remember when I was on the process of healing, I go to church every Sunday and I just prayed so hard for an emotional freedom. I'm not a religious person, but strengthening the faith that you have with God (or whatever the name of your God is) is a beneficial step for you to strengthen your core. Soon enough, I woke up without any pain at all. I was happier, motivated and much clearer with my goal.
   
   Letting go of the hatred is a perfect feeling! It seems like a huge weight will be lifted from your shoulder. One of the best things you can do is write everything down and then burn it or throw it away.
   
   Personal healing is the key to achieve personal freedom because once you are healed, you can learn from all the pains and help you move forward.
   
2. Set a goal
   As old as it may sound but writing a New Year's Goal is a good way to start the year right. It's a motivation for you to achieve better than what you had in the past year. This will also keep you grounded with what you want to become.
   
   I remember I don't write my New Year's Resolution because I believed then to do it NOW but then on a side note, I realized that writing them down can be a good way to keep me reminded about the things I need to achieve. It may not be as big as "I'm going to buy a car" or whatever... no matter how big or small it is, write them down- remind yourself that you have a goal and you have a brighter future.
   
   To me, my New Year's Resolution consists of emotional control, organization and of course, budgeting and weight loss.
   
3. De-Clutter
   You may be as busy as you are but remember. This year, you will buy more stuff and if you don't give them room to place them, your space will tend to be messy which may affect your perspective in life.
   
   It's better to de-clutter your old junk and re-organize your life. Personally, it was a therapy to me. After I see how my space changed, it gives me a strong drive to work.
   
   Also, De-Cluttering can also be a good way for you to let go all of the past most especially if those moments are not meant to be treasured. Throw away your ex's gifts or give them to less fortunate, don't dwell to none sense things because in reality, you can have much better stuff than that.
   
4. Target your budget
   Ohh, here comes the budget. How many of you didn't meet their target budget for this year? We're the same.
   
   Which is why, targeting a certain budget for a certain period of time is a good way for you to have a spectacular new year and it will also give you more opportunity to save. Just remember, make your budget realistic!
   
   To me, working as a freelancer, my budget is not really fixed so I tend to be more flexible with my spending habits and focus more on saving.
    
5. Start a new hobby
   All new years are a signal for you to discover new things for yourself such as starting a new hobby but this is purely optional. You don't have to pressure yourself but it's will be beneficial for you to step up in your comfort zone.
   
   I have to admit, I didn't start a new hobby in 2019 because I realized that there's too much on my plate so I try to prioritize everything and lose some things in the process but 2020 will be much different, I'm planning to start home working out as my new hobby. Last December 27, I went to Generika to have a body scan (I forgot what it's called but it basically counting your body fat, metabolisim percentage, skeletal thing and so on) overall, my body is like a 44-year-old person already. Yeah, real shocker! Which is why, this 2020, I will try to be more active. 

Christmas is one of the biggest holidays in the Philippines. As they always say “Lahat ng tao may pera ngayong pasko” even though the life can be quite challenging for the entire year, it is fair enough to say that Filipinos are able to pull it off and survive in the most glorious day!

Most of the time, Filipinos would love to spend time with their loved ones but some would opt to be with their family and go to various places such as Kawit in Cavite which is one of the most sought-after historical sites in the country today and it is one that you should visit this Christmas Season.

Kawit, Cavite is home to some of the most historic sites in the Philippines. This is where the Aguinaldo Shrine is situated wherein the Philippine flag that we know of today was first waved publicly announcing our Independence by none other than the first Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo. There’s also a lot to learn about our first president and how he has lived his life and times during the revolution era. Beyond the Shrine also are other sights to see including the “Museo ni Baldomero Aguinaldo” hailed towards the cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo and grandfather of Cesar Virata who as a prime minister in the 1980s.


Kawit also boasts rich crafts and delicacies including the Pandayan or the local blacksmithing shop. Blacksmithing is an endangered craft that needs to be promoted and preserved. The local Pandayan is still active and you can still buy handcrafted knives and bolos made the same way during the Revolutionary era. The Christmas specialty – Puto Bumbong or rice cake with shaved coconut and muscovado sugar is a staple food trip stop that shouldn’t be missed when visiting Kawit.


Kawit celebrates the Christmas season through a spectacular display of lights at the Aguinaldo Shrine and Freedom Park. The Christmas lighting event was held last December 14, 2019 and a number of distinguished guests and celebrities joined in celebration of the event. A fireworks display and lighting of the Christmas lights at the Freedom park was also held.


Make sure to visit Kawit Cavite this Christmas Season and enjoy the season filled with pride of our own heritage and historical sites in Kawit. The Municipality of Kawit welcomes everyone who wishes to visit Kawit during the Christmas season.