Bags and Lotion for Online Shopping!

Finally! After almost 2 weeks of waiting, I finally got my hands on my new tote bags! Thanks for my dearie boyfriend, and a new found cyber frend, Lariz! I heart her online multiply store for these great and really affordable finds! No thanks to JRS who messed up the fun, but anyways, the cute *biggie* bags are really worth the wait!

Here they are…

Each cost for only P270. Real cheap for quality and nicely-designed totes

Actually I wasn’t expecting they are these LARGE! Though it suits a little girl like me, the bag stands out when I go around the mall. Hehe! Thanks sis!

I’ve gone addicted to Multiply shopping. What with the non-stop gas price increases, it really saves time and money to just order online and get it delivered right at your doorstep.

Lariz really inspired me to get into this online shopping store, that I found myself one! Yup! I know have a multiply cyber-store for bath and body products - Skinyum Body Food!

Made some research on how to craft your own home made lotion, body wash, and foot/body scrubs, then looked for a friendly supplier, and then viola! I got some products to sell at really very low prices!

Right now, I’m looking for more resellers. I usually give discounts on wholesale orders and shipping fees. Here in Cavite, my exclusive distributor is D’Vibes Salon

I also get to supply to event coordinators who package souvenirs for their events.

Check out these yummy, yummy lotion products:

Made from tested-safe imported materials.

If you want to earn extra income, you can Get big discounts if you resell or pack as souvenir items

You may contact me at: skinyum@gmail.com

Text: 0917 523 0118

Website: http://skinyum.multiply.com

Officially 24, hay!

This is the start of those years when you don’t wanna recognize you’re turning a year older haha! It felt like time is really out of my hands. It turns its wheels just on and on. But as they say, age is just a number especially for the young at heart

I’d like to share some of the little, childlike things I still love and enjoy. Indeed, the simplest things can be the sweetest.

1. Taking pictures of daisies and mums. Daisies are the friendliest flowers (Meg Ryan, You’ve Got Mail)
2. Walking on cool shady afternoons with just about anyone. Pleasure walking releases so much stress in me.
3. Panic buying on second-hand paperback books with lovely covers and big letters when you read.
4. Buying floral-printed flipflops in Baclaran.
5. Keeping movie tickets of my boyfriend and I and handing it to him (coz I know movie dates mean a lot to him)
6. Sitting in the front yard every 4pm to check how tall our Calamansi tree has grown.
7. Doing my sisters’ pig tails and braids.
8. Going crazy over homey plastic wares (I swear I cannot resist the drive to buy one!)
9. Sitting on beautiful bed sheets on mall sales, even when it says, Pls. don’t sit.
10. Reading a good book before I sleep.
11. Reading unknown, yet beautifully designed blogs.
12. Owning recycled notebooks with blank sheets.
13. Staring at family photos
14. Scrapbooking
15. Making my favorite iced tea
16. Teasing a baby while inside the church (I know this is wrong hehe!)
17. Collecting post-its of varied colors and shapes
18. Having coffee with my most intimate girlfriends (you know who you all are)
19. A warm tight hug with our *bunso*
20. Dozing off on his shoulders
21. Catching star fishes by the beach
22. Sprinkling cinnamon on hot coffee
23. Listening to old country-style music
24. Stealing a kiss

It wasn’t as hard as I thought coming up with this list. Maybe it is true that when you think about it, it is these simple little things that we remember and cherish in life. They say we don’t remember dates (just as I’m forgetful about birthdays and anniversaries). What we recall instead, are moments, the simple gestures, and all those that felt good inside.

Knowing that life is a collection of lovely little things can then make aging a much welcomed phenomenon.

PS: A heartfelt thank you to all the sweet people - friends and families, etc, who greeted me. And yes, thank you dear Lord for another year to walk with you (even if I often make a diversion from your road. Hehe)!

Last, to you who made my 24th birthday sweeter, thanks hon

me and hon on my 24th bday :)

SMART vs Globe: Website Traffic on Google Trends

Getting the inspiration from Aaron Wall, I jumped into Google Trends to check how my former client is doing against the competitor (which I am an avid promoter - that’s Globe Philippines).

Because of the improved, and all-out information you can get from Google Trends, companies can now get an almost “full view” of what’s happening in the competitor’s backyard. From sites which your visitors have visited, the common search terms they used, and of course the regions where traffic is coming from - all these are substantial data to get you ahead of the game.

Here’s a quick view of smart.com.ph and globe.com.ph traffic stats on a 12 month period. Notice that there is a sharp increase in traffic from 10k to 20k visitors for smart’s website in June. What with John Loyd and Bea doing the SMART Money ad all through out the month of June. No wonder.

smart.com.ph globe.com.ph

For this client (SMART Philippines), I must say the biggest chunk of their traffic is really driven by their expensive offline advertising. I once said how closed-minded they are for SEO. Here you see how effective their offline campaign for SMART Money. In fact, SMART wireless centers having that sort of ATM machine for SMART money can bring long lines of people inside the wireless center.

Here is a 30-day view of their traffic:

smart.com.ph globe.com.ph

Indeed, their traffic ballooned in June 2008. Now this sort of improved version of the Google Trends tool will make you think: Google do really spy on private Analytics data. It is and has never been a secured tracking tool, anyway.

How to Catch a Live Starfish… and the Batangas Beach vacation

The long weekend this month of June proved to be a deserving ending of the summer season. Instead of competing with the back-to-school rush, my kid sisters and the whole family decided to enjoy an overnight vacation near the sea shore of Matabungkay, Batangas.

Who says the best beaches are those of Puerto Galera and Boracay? If you want something not as overrated as Bora or Puerto, head off to Batangas. Very clear waters, and white sand too (okay, not as white as Bora’s but still a wonderful sight to behold!). In fact, the water is more captivating than that of Galera’s. What I like best about the Matabungkay beaches is that they are so private and peaceful. Actually, the shore line is just a few steps away… as in the moment you open your hotel door!

We rented an aqua pedal boat for P300/hour, to explore the wide sea and to discover the luxurious private beach mansions of the Benitez, and the other rich and famous clans. Indeed, Matabungkay is still a prime option when one needs to rejuvenate by the sea waters.

Here are the picturesque shots.

We stayed at the Royale Tagaytay Beach Resort. Yup, it is exclusive only for Royale Tagaytay members (no we’re not paying their high monthly membership fees… ain’t a member! hehe!) Turns out, they need some funds for resort maintenance so they secretly open up for drive-in guests… now it’s not a secret anymore!

They have comfortable rooms, complete with shower, dining, cable TV, and ref. Sounds like writing for DWH! haha!

Okay, I’m sure you’va had enough of the beach details. Let’s proceed to the meat of the post:

How to Catch a Live Star Fish!

haha! Watch the Video:

1. Put on your goggles to check where the starfishes are.

2. Try the shallow, near-to-the-shore areas. They are mostly there by 11am until later in the afternoon.

3. When you finally see one, aim and dive!

4. Swim unto the sea bed and catch the live moving starfish!

5. Place the starfish on your palm. They tend to extend thorny somethings as a form of defense.

6. Let your mom take a video of your star treasure hunt. Jowk.

My Alma Mater Inspires Me until Now

I feel bad I wasn’t able to post anything about summer here in the country. Just so you know, our Mindoro trip - a supposed to be beach vacation in Calapan was canceled last weekend for obvious reasons - the storms ‘COSME’ and ‘DINDO’. It caused such dismay among us DWH friends, but still we are thankful that ‘cyclone’ thing didn’t happen a bit to any of our homes.

So according to PAG ASA, it isn’t the rainy season yet in the Philippines. Given that we are in the typhoon belt, it’s just normal that we experience storms once a month. Rain for me spells less gimmicks and dinner dates. For one, it’s terribly difficult to catch a cab in Makati on rainy days (aside from Friday nights). And another thing about rainy is well, for students, school.

It’s been 3 years since I graduated from college, that when I think about my challenges then, they were so “sisiw” as compared to the pressure of the real world. It was good training though, that communication students average about 3 papers to submit in a week. At least now, blogging is not that much of a challenged. You just need the time to do it.

Going back to the topic of this post (supposedly), I’d have to agree with most people who claim that how they were molded has so much to do with the values of their alma mater. I cannot totally say I am adhering to my alma mater’s values and principles 100% of the time. But the principles taught in UP like excellence coupled with integrity continue to inspire me to go on with my endeavors especially when I wish to quit.

When we take exams in UP, we have this blue book where we write the answers to the test questions. It says there on the front logo: Academic Excellence * Integrity. That means well for me, “no cheating”. Integrity nga eh. And of course, your best shot as an Iskolar ng Bayan to live up to academic excellence.

But for me now, it all boils down to doing anything - whether a simple task or a big job with excellence. As my professor tells us, “You don’t have to be perfect in everything - just excellent.”

Until now that quote still rings a bell. My alma mater that has shaped me remains to be an active inspiration.

Does yours also?

(that means I’m tagging you! Haha! No link love needed… Joni, Keyren, Riz, Sarj, Reah, Kelly, Bheng, Anna, Em-em, Gurlalien).

I Heart My Mom

Tagged by Joni, I am now posting a photo of me and my mom (payat pa ako nito hehe!).

This is a post-Mother’s Day message.

I’ve seen my mother go through midlife crisis terribly. It was so terrible, I felt like I’m experiencing the crisis too early in life, as well! We had disagreements like no other. But I guess, it is true when they say that the loneliest souls in this world are mothers, because they are often neglected, not recognized for their sacrifice.

My mom has taken care of all of us ever since I could remember. Now that I’m home-based, I can still witness how skillfully she manages the household with putting our lives organized. It really takes a woman to be a mother. Women are better in multi-tasking.

So in celebration of Mother’s Day, here’s a special post to the most special woman in our family - MOM.

A Second Chance to those with Bad Credit

Everybody deserves a second chance in life - including those with “bad credit” standing. Especially now that there are a lot of people from all sectors of society that experience this kind of dilemma, there has to be some help provided.

My dad for one has had an encounter with a credit card company. He ended having bad credit credit cards. His shortcoming taken into consideration, there was little we could do since there wasn’t an obvious credit help provider for consumers at that time.

America is a nation with a high level of consumption. Consequently, its people resort to availing credit services from various providers. Unfortunately, due to a lack of information available, or accessibility to a free consumer resource for credit handling, some fall into the trap of bad credit loans.

To show some basic research statistics on American credit standing in 2006, check out the list:

• On the average, there are 3 out of five American families who cannot afford to pay their credit cards each month.

• Once the basic necessities are paid off, Americans slash about 90 percent of their money for paying debts.

• Excluding mortgages, the United States has a consumer debt of $7, 100 per person.

• $10, 000 is the average household credit card balance in America today.

• Today, the United States hold $1.7 trillion of total consumer credit.

• Based on the consumer debt statistics, on the average, four out of ten people do not pay their credit card providers on time.

Given these statistics, there is a clear need for an available and accessible (and hopefully free) resource for consumers with none, or have bad credit standing, alike, to consult to. It is advisable that people check on comparison websites that show how they can avail of the safest loans, and which credit offers they can get to aid them from a bad credit standing. It is good to have a consolidated report of various offers like credit cards, home loans, auto loans, personal loans, and other types of loans that can be suitable to your financial standing.

They say, “Little knowledge is dangerous.” The same goes with credit handling and financial management. If you find yourself in bad credit standing now, it’s better to seek help to find the best credit offer to be given that second chance today.

I’m Leaving the Corporate Life

Today I decided to leave corporate life.

I will miss the office jokes, 10-minute desktop laughters, and even the tsismisans.

In just 3 months, I’ve grown accustomed to the ways and habits of my officemates. They’ve been a fun group. It was almost perfect.

But there are just some things better prioritized. Why do kids have to think like adults?

Corporate life has been good to me. There is growth in this area, though it can be quite limiting especially when you wish to further your knowledge. There are times when time is more valuable than money… when you wish you had more time so you can achieve more. The best thing? No boss taking a peek at your computer screen to check if you’re working or doing Facebook! Hehe!

On Monday, I’ll officially be a home-based buddy, doing an offshore Internet Marketing job. It’s not that difficult as it sounds. I think the main challenge for me is not the work, but the boredom that the situation entails.

I haven’t drawn a list of “what-romela-can-do-once-boredom-sets-in”. Could you help me finish this list? At least a 20 run-down of bullets will do.

1. Blog (yeah like what I’m doing now)
2. Hire bloggers and earn, earn, earn!
3. Set up a halo-halo business (beat the summer heat!)
4. Curl my hair (and my sisters’ too!)
5. Go to the gym (yeah like I will! Haha!)
6. Study more SEO (c’mon cinnamon – c/o Joni)
7. Set up a food cart business – this one’s cool 
8. Freelance
9. Go to the spa
10. Schedule summer outings

I can no longer think of a way to lengthen the list. Maybe you can share some (calling my home-based friends there).

PS: Glorietta’s Mc Cafe Free Wifi Internet is cool

What Makes a Good SEO Client?

Smart as they think they are, not all clients are good (and deserving) for a SEO service. Communications play a role in relaying what a client’s website needs in terms of SEO compliance, and how you can help them. But even if your offer comprise of sound, industry-tested techniques in optimization, you might want to check first if the client is open for change – and ready for online marketing.

Most search engine specialists often encounter highly protective IT personnel whose level of “protectiveness” can be beyond necessary. Of course in any website re-alignment, security can be compromised. But almost always, security is a secondary issue. Some companies have an IT department who are just too arrogant (or ignorant, I guess) to open up to change. It’s a wonder why they wear that Information Technology cap yet refuse the benefits of web presence.

Claiming to be “SMART” is a baseless selling proposition if you’re not willing to learn and make this learning work for you.

Just to give a few clues to determine whether you have a good SEO client, or you’re simply wasting your time and skills, watch out for these signs:

• The client would not listen to your SEO presentation no matter how well you have mellowed down the technical stuff to make it understandable to them.

• The client insists that their pages will take a longer page loading time when SEO is applied – how dumb can they be, huh?

• The client would not let you insert your traffic tracking scripts because they opt not to understand browser-side tracking (at the very least)

• Your client’s IT department relies on only one person whom they “believe” to be knowledgeable – 1 Tip: little knowledge/ignorance is dangerous!

• Their IT department does not see anything wrong with their website – too proud to admit anything.

• They just wouldn’t upload the robots.txt and sitemap.xml files in the root folder!

• There is no smooth relationship between the marketing and IT departments of their company – internal politics affect business big time.

Instead of seeing it as a challenge, it can be an insult to your skills and knowledge when you waste your time to such clients. Company departments with employees without technical knowledge are tolerable and actually easier to work with. Those who are proud, arrogant, and best of all, close-minded will just make your brain work futile. You begin to wonder why they claim to be smart and simply amazing!

Thinking Under Pressure

I have a presentation by 3pm today and I’m still not working on it!

I read it somewhere that inspiration is only for amateurs. I guess, then so be it! I’m an amateur in this whole account management thing that I cannot coerce myself to think right now. It’s not that I’m not familiar with the subject of my presentation, it’s just that I haven’t felt the leak of creative juices yet.

So now I’m reading about “Thinking under pressure“. The article says that confidence is the key to thinking under pressure. Once you establish that confidence within you, you will refrain from panic when you are in need of translating your ideas into coherent speech.

Next, you have to make sure that you are well-informed about the subject matter. That actually boosts your confidence, and you are more likely to come up with sound answers when put in the hot seat.

Last, relax when you feel the pressure coming up quickly. Well, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past hours already! Haha! But it is proven. Actually, most of my brilliant ideas (in my opinion only hehe), come out after I take my lunch (and make petiks! haha!)

So there, I guess I need to go back to work. Oh did I say that blogging can relieve the stress of thinking under pressure?