Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Here are 5 careers that involve remote working

While everybody wants a steady source of income for their daily bread, not everybody wants to work in an office every day. Many people thrive in a social and supportive environment an office provides while others need a space to properly focus on their work. When I was still a magazine editor, I went to the office to manage the operations, consult with staff, and meet with publishers and advertisers. But I went home to write and edit because I needed absolute quiet for those tasks.


If you also prefer isolation and silence to be able to work or you just can't find the energy to dress up just to work (like that lady up there haha), then you might be looking for a career route that offers the potential for remote working. Maybe it doesn’t even need to be entirely remote; perhaps you’d simply like the possibility of being able to work from home or your local coffee shop on the occasional Monday. If that’s the case, then you're in luck! There are soooo many things you can do from home, from a studio, from a co-working space, from anywhere you like! Here are some careers—from geeky to creative!—that often involve remote working.

Online seller
Sell anything! You bake? Sell baked goods! You love scrapbooking? Sell stationery, stickers and washi tape! You love shopping? Sell what you have and buy more to sell again! You like painting? Make greeting cards and sell them! You have a lot of junk? Sell them all! You can sell on Carousell, Lazada, Shopee, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Instagram. You can also build your very own beautiful online shop (this is still a dream of mine!).

Translation
If you speak more than one language, then this is a skill that you should definitely be using in your career. Whenever I check out Jobstreet or Linkedin, they're always looking for Mandarin-speaking, Japanese-speaking, and Korean-speaking anything! Because they need everyone they can find for all sorts of jobs—from masseuses and hotel receptionists to casino managers!

There are also so many remote working opportunities for translators. You could work for a translating company or simply translate web pages, books, and articles online. The point is that you have a highly valuable skill, and you don’t need to go into an office to put it to good use. In fact, you could even become a freelance translator. There are many opportunities in this industry.

Arts and Crafts
If you think this is just a hobby, then think again! I know that there are hundreds of fonts readily available online and in programs these days, but if you love calligraphy, you can make money doing wedding invitations and café menus. If you like macrame and knitting, make pot holders, sweaters, tablecloths and sell those on Instagram. You can give workshops, too! Everyone wants to learn a new skill or explore their creative side, so take advantage of this interest and make money from it!

Software development
Given that software development involves interaction with computers more than interaction with people, there are plenty of companies that offer developers the option of working from home. If you can submit your work via the internet then you don’t need to be in the office 24/7. It’s also a very stable career in itself. Businesses always need software developers or web developers to help them with the technical aspects of their operations. Technology is vital to the modern-day business. And the great thing about software development is that it applies to so many different industries. All businesses use computers or the internet in some sense (even if they just use it for the upkeep of their websites).

It all depends on the type of work that interests you. If you’re interested in the financial industry then you might even want to look into careers in that sector. You could look into Forex software development opportunities. Do some research if you’re wondering “what is Forex trading?” because it could be a very rewarding career option. The point is that it helps to know a bit about an industry, even if you’re simply going to be creating the software. You’ll be able to do a better job if you know what customers want. That’s something to bear in mind if you pursue a career in software development.

Writing
Another stable career that often involves remote working is writing. I'm a writer—I can confidently say that, yes, you can make a good living off words. There are plenty of different routes you can take with this kind of career. You could consider pursuing freelance writing. You can write articles for magazines and online news and magazines. If you like working with brands, you can write the content of company websites. If you have a marketing mindset, write press releases and ad copy. You can also write the speeches of CEOs and politicians. You can write e-books, real books, movie scripts, theater plays, comics. You can blog! The list (and agony!) is endless for us writers!

These are just 5 options and I made sure they cover different skills. Of course, all of these careers requires an entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll be creating your own business so be ready to deal with the government and pay your taxes on schedule (Taxumo helps me a lot!). The hassle of taking care of these government stuff is worth it, however. You own your time, you do what you love, and you make money, too!  

*This post contains affiliate links. 

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Looking for fulfillment? Here's how to change your life 100%


Do you ever feel like there's something missing in your life? Maybe you feel like you're not doing enough or you're not experiencing life to its fullest. To be very honest, we moms really should rethink that feeling because with kids to raise, a marriage to keep, a home to run, and—if you're a working mom like me—a job to do, there's already more than enough on our plate and a huge purpose to live out. Let's tell ourselves every day that being a mom is a lot! 

But I know that awful feeling that life is passing you by. Or, more accurately, your life is being poured out to your husband and kids and you fear that you have nothing left for yourself. And you want something for yourself. I get it. That's why I insist on blogging even though I can't find the time and energy for it now that I'm so busy. I still keep going at it when I can because it's mine. It's my little space in the world—my thoughts, my voice, my convictions.

If you're thinking about how to make your life more fulfilling, there are several things you could do to be happier.

Find New Hobbies
Having things to do in your spare time should help you feel like there's more in your life that you can enjoy. Okay, moms usually don't have spare time, I admit. But if you look very hard, you can find little pockets of time you can devote to something only you can enjoy. Your hobbies can help you learn new things, meet new people, and perhaps even make things that you're proud of.

I love watching home shows on Netflix, for example. It's my new thing. And I'm picking up a lot of helpful information on tending plants, arranging furniture, design ideas, and even making your home earn money! I'll blog about this soon! 

Volunteer Your Time
If you want another way to make the most of your free time, consider finding a way to volunteer. There are lots of ways to volunteer your time to causes that you want to support. You can volunteer to drive the carpool. You can help out at your church events. You can hug kids at an orphanage. You can bake or cook food for the street kids. You can also use your professional skills to mentor students or new college graduates or help a charity or nonprofit.

You don't have to even leave your house to donate your time. I support World Vision. I don't have the time to actually go and distribute school supplies to our less fortunate students. What I do have is a blog and writing skills, so I help World Vision spread news or calls for help whenever they ask me to. It's just a few minutes of my time, but every time I finish a blog post about my World Vision advocacy and share it with my followers, I feel very good inside!

Travel with Your Kids
Okay, travelling with kids is not fun haha Moms find it very stressful because we have to book hotels that are family friendly, buy the cheapest plane tickets, plot out a child-friendly itinerary, look for restaurants that have a kids' menu. The list is endless!

But travelling is a great way to expand your children's world view and try lots of new experiences. In fact, minus the stress, I enjoy travelling with my kids because my old and jaded eyes see the world through their eyes and so I get a fresh perspective on people and life. And that's always a good thing!

Because travelling for a family of 5 can be expensive and stressful, I don't even plan on going to another country. I just bring the kids out to visit a museum, a park, a city out of town. We eat street food (on the street!) or check out a new themed restaurant. Whether your trip is near or far, you can always see and do interesting things. You'll meet a diverse range of people and see life from lots of different perspectives too—and doing this with your kids make it all the more meaningful.

Change Your Career
If you need to work to live, your career might as well bring you fulfillment. It's a big part of your life and your time, so it's worth making sure that you enjoy it. Some of the most rewarding careers can be found in the nonprofit sector, where you can do worthwhile work.


*Infographic Design By USC Online


Friday, September 21, 2018

Need a washing machine? The Electrolux UltimateCare washer dryer is here!

I've said it many times: Doing the laundry is my favorite chore! But it only became that way when I got an Electrolux washer dryer in 2015. Before then, I'd literally spend the whole day doing the laundry.

Yep, that's one whole day. It starts with sorting the clothes, babad sa bleach, kuskos sa mantsa, then throw into the old top-loading washing machine. Because the old washer/spin dryer used so much water, yung una at pangalawang banlaw, I do by hand sa malaking planggana. Then the final rinse with fabric conditioner is sa washer ulit, then spin dry by batch kasi if you pack in it, it won't spin. So mga 2 to 3 batches yan. Then hindi pa masyadong tuyo so sampay pa after. Literally the whole day!  

But when the Electrolux TimeSaver came into my life, my time was truly saved and I got back my precious hours and my life changed. Yes, this is a love story!


So when Electrolux invited me to the launch of their FashionCare Campaign recently, I just had to go kasi I want to support a brand I've believed in since I was a child. Plus, I wanted to spread the news so that my fellow mamas na hirap na hirap sa labada will be rescued from this chore!

True enough, at the event where we were served the most delicious lunch, we found out about Pinoy moms' struggles with laundry, thanks to the Mommy Mundo community:

"When asked about what fabrics they were afraid to wash using their washing machine, 67% of the respondents say that they are afraid to machine wash their silk clothing, followed by delicate wear (52%), cashmere (40%), and wool (39%). 

"Among the top reasons why women hesitate to put their clothes in washing machines are more than half of them (58%) think it might ruin the clothes, while some think that machine wash can cause fabric shrinkage (17%) or fading of colours (4%). 

"When it comes to doing laundry, women worry about more than just cleaning. Fabric care remains one of the unfulfilled needs of women as 77% of them look for fabric care features when they buy washing machines, and among their top 3 laundry concerns are pilling  (himulmol) of clothes, stubborn stains and misshaping of clothes – two of which are related to caring for the fabric." 

As an Electrolux washing machine owner, I'm here to say that I now never worry about my delicates, shrinking, color fading, and stains. It's not exaggeration to say that my washing machine washes my troubles away. In fact, confession time, I even get calm and relaxed when I watch my clothes spinning round and round. Talagang I love doing the laundry! 

Three people who also love their Electrolux washing machine are Electrolux Philippines FashionCare Ambassador Rajo Laurel and FashionCare Council Members Amina Aranaz-Alunan and Janice Villanueva. They put the new UltimateCare™ washer dryer to the test when they threw in their designer dress, silk scarf, and wool jacket. While the machine did its work, the three ambassadors gave advice on how to care for clothes (for example: Put beaded and embroidered items in a pillowcase before putting in the washing machine). 

By the time they finished chatting and we our lunch, the clothes were done and dry! Here's what the Electrolux personalities had to say about the UltimateCare™ washer dryer:

Amina Aranaz-Alunan: "I could keep using this over and over again thanks to Electrolux’s UltimateCare™ washer dryer which has features that care for delicate pieces and keeps them looking new and vibrant."

Janice Villlanueva: "I used to hand wash wool sweaters like this one because I was afraid it would get stretched out of shape. So I’m excited that the Electrolux’s UltimateCare™ washer dryer can safely wash woollen items and make sure they look their best."

Rajo Laurel: "I know that Electrolux understands how important our clothes are to us, and I’m grateful for it. I feel safe knowing that my clothes are in good hands with Electrolux’s UltimateCare™ washing machines."

So, mamas, if hirap na hirap ka na sa labada at kailangan mo na ng washing machine who will not just clean and care for your clothes but also save you time and money, then you must check out the Electrolux UltimateCare™ washing machines that come with UltraMix™ technology. Whether your family's clothes are soft shirts and hardy denim to Sunday best and designer duds, they'll come out of the washer dryer still perfect!

Here are more reasons why you should consider getting the Electrolux UltimateCare™ washing machine:

1. The UltraMix™ technology gives women the results of a hot wash for better stain and dirt removal, yet uses a lower, gentler temperature. Detergent and water are pre-mixed in a special chamber before the beginning of the cycle to maximize cleaning power at a lower temperature. It delivers deeper clean and 31% better colour care, to ensure your favorites look newer for longer.

2. Besides the powerful yet gentle cleaning of UltraMix™, Electrolux UltimateCare™ washing machines extend the life of clothes with Vapour Action, designed to soften fabric while reducing allergens by up to 99.9% that’s gives women the assurance of better care for your clothes for years to come. The Woolmark certified cycle approved by the Woolmark Company, the global authority on wool, will safely launder these precious garments. 

3. Electrolux UltimateCare™ washing machines also has Eco Inverter technology that offers high energy efficiency that reduces energy consumption by 75% and save time by 44%. Women can also enjoy the flexibility and convenience to toss in forgotten items during the washing cycle with add clothes feature. 

4. Because of the FashionCare campaign, Electrolux is offering several great deals on its washing machines, with offers up to 25% off on selected front load washing machines and washer- dryers. Women can also avail of selected Electrolux Front Load Washing Machines and get 25% off on an Electrolux Front Load Dryer. Also included is a free stacking kit and installation valued at PhP 3,049 with this fantastic bundle deal. Promo period runs from July 1 to September 30, 2018. 



To learn more how Electrolux can help keep favourites clothes looking new for longer, vist at bit.ly/ElectroluxFashionCare and follow @ElectroluxPhilippines on Facebook and Instagram. Per DTI-FTEB Permit No. 7072 Series of 2018