Hustle Your Way Through Freelancing

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If you work from home, then you know it is both rewarding and difficult, especially if you are also

juggling a family.  There are still unfortunately many grey areas surrounding freelancers and many

people can look at you, tilt their heads to the side and frown in a desperate attempt to figure out what

our job actually is! The freelance scope is huge, and it's a majestic sphere of opportunity and

excitement, with many areas yet to be tapped into. We are only just scratching the surface, and yet

we can make a comfortable living, and put our restless creative minds to good use. So let’s see how

you can improve your life as a freelancer and working from home if this is something you are currently doing. 

Being a good hustler and working with companies who are going to either pay you, or fund your

travel or give you something in return is vital. You must never compromise on the quality of your

work and find the ways to improve yourself constantly as a business professional. A little style never

goes a miss, and above all personality, with a polite friendly personality. Here are some good ways

to save money, make money and ultimately create a fabulous platform for you and your business.

You can still earn money in other ways. 

Investing money into good equipment is also vital, such as a good computer and in addition to this,

little things that can make your business life easier such as using a flash drive to back up. If you are

interested more in this then you can look at how to create a bootable installer for macOS. How much

time and money you invest into your business will prove beneficial in the long run. 

Fear Of Pitching To Your Brands

This can be daunting but collating a group of email addresses of companies/brands that you want to

work with is important, and keeping them on an Excel spreadsheet to ensure you keep track of who

you have written to and when. Don't forget to chase them after two weeks - never forget the two

week rule, and a polite chase up is more than fine, as long as you don't appear aggressive at the

lack of response. The likelihood is your carefully crafted email fell straight into the junk pile of the

company's email, or slipped down their list because of the countless amount of emails they already

get. Figure out, what your first three main goals are:

• What do you want from them
• What do they want from you
• What defines you 

Take a little look at a logo for your company; it's a brilliant way to get your show on the road! Use it

on emails also and of course on your business card. How you promote yourself will ultimately bring

you the success that you need and deserve when you are putting the effort in to make your business

a success. Be creative and most importantly, don't be distracted by your time at home and don’t be

despondent about things not happening straight away, things take time. 

Five Skills You'll Definitely Need During Self-Isolation

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A lot of people are finding themselves a little under-equipped for life in quarantine. It only makes

sense, we were never prepared for it. But now we’re living in it (if we’re being the cautious, smart

people we should be), and life on your own, without any unnecessary trips outside or to meet other

people, can be pretty demanding. It requires a specific set of skills, one we should start polishing

now.

Image Source - Pixabay License

Growing your own food

As part of the self-isolation process, a lot of people are trying to minimize how often and why they go

to the store. Doing your shopping online is one way, but as more people do it, they find that the wait

times for shopping are getting much longer. You can give yourself more ways to avoid unnecessary

trips outdoors and even save money by learning to grow your own veg.

Cooking 

Regardless of what level of skill you have at cooking, now is the perfect time to keep sharpening

those skills. After all, we’re less likely to rely on takeouts as more places are closing for the duration

of the pandemic. There are online recipe apps that are constantly updating with new tutorials,

showing you not only new meals you can cook but skills that can help you liven up even your old

recipes, adding new tastes and textures to them.

Appliance repair

If something breaks in the house, what do you do? If you’re the kind of person who usually hires

someone to fix it, you might find it difficult. A lot of people aren’t as willing to come and visit their

customers and you should possibly be wary, too. But you can learn a lot of appliance DIY online,

from how to fix a broken microwave to how to maintain your own AC. Small tasks, such as replacing

or cleaning certain parts, can save you a lot of money, even after self-isolation is over.

First aid

Everyone is a lot more mindful of health and safety, given the nature of the current crisis. As such, a

lot of people are wondering if they could be of more help should something like this happen again.

You don’t have to wonder, there are online first aid courses that can show you that, yes, you can be

precisely the person to help.

Appreciating the little things

We’re going to be spending a lot more time indoors or in our own company, meaning that it’s easy to

get frustrated. However, we should all take this time to find what we can be thankful for. Our family,

our homes, our hobbies, think of how much more difficult this situation might be if we did not have

the little things in life to keep us going.

We have no idea how long this current pandemic will last. It could be weeks, it is more likely to be

months. The skills above will help us get through it and even help us be a more reliable and
self-reliant person on the other side.

WEEKLY BLESSINGS

Continuing to count God's sweet blessings...

2735. Sunshine. 

2736. Sitting at the park enjoying the sun.

2737. Freshly bathed dogs.

2738. Late night movies with my husband.

2739. Candles burning in the evening.

It's your turn! Share something you are praising God for. I would love to rejoice with you.

What Are The First Steps In Coping With Secondary Infertility?

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You've had one child, perhaps even two. So it shouldn't be a problem when you decide to expand your family - you'd be well within reason to expect conceiving again to be straightforward. And yet secondary infertility issues are a lot more common than we sometimes understand. In fact, this type of trouble accounts for half of all cases and is actually a more common experience than those who experience primary infertility. So what is behind this condition and how do you deal with it? 

Why Can't I Get Pregnant Second Time Around? 

The truth is, there is no big mystery around the phenomenon of secondary infertility. Generally the causes are the same as those at play in primary cases - the age of the mother, issues with ovulation, being overweight or lifestyle factors all play a big part. It just seems harder to explain when you have successfully conceived and carried to term before. Of course, there are also cases where complications sustained in a first pregnancy have an effect as well. But on the whole, the factors at play tend to be the same across the board. 

What Do I Do Next? 

If you're struggling to have more children naturally, there are some steps you can take at home. If getting pregnant is just a little slow, it's worth going back to basics with the ovulation strips and timing cycles to determine your fertile window. This can feel much harder when you already have small children who demand so much of your time and energy, but it is worth tracking your fertility signs and trying to line it all up to give you the best chance of conception each month. Also check your lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise, caffeine consumption and your weight. Also, getting too little sleep - a very strong likelihood if you already have kids - can disrupt your hormone cycles and make it harder to conceive. 

Where Can I Get Help?

This issue can feel confusing and complex to begin with, but there are a range of options available. Starting with simple blood tests to determine hormone levels, ovulation tests, x-rays to see the condition of your fallopian tubes, or ultrasounds. Once a cause is determined through testing, you should then be able to work with your specialist to create a treatment plan. Planning to get fertility treatment from AFCC or another reputable clinic with a good success rate will give you peace of mind - which is actually an important factor in itself when it comes to getting pregnant, as stress and anxiety can deplete the hormones you need to conceive.

How Do I Cope Mentally?

Secondary infertility can be very testing on couples, so it's also important to keep your mental health in check. Stay positive and look for support groups and success stories to keep yourself buoyant. Find the good in every day. Remember to connect with your partner too, check in on how they’re feeling and support each other. Create and commit to a plan together so that you both feel you’re being proactive and regaining control together.

Romantic Ways To Propose To Your Loved One

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Are you thinking about proposing to your loved one? From experience, many of our readers know

that this can be a nerve-shattering time. You might be experiencing a bout of nerves yourself.

But listen, if you are in love with the person, and if they are in love with you, then you really have

nothing to fear. We're sure they will say 'yes' with joy and gladness.

However, try to be romantic in the way you ask them to marry you. While you can choose from a

wide selection of dazzling engagement rings to make their heart skip a beat during the moment of

your proposal, it's the way that you do it that will create those memories and fondly reminisced

stories in years to come. 

Here are a few ideas we hope you find useful.

Take a walk down memory lane

Nostalgia is always a good way to steal one's heart. Whether you propose at the place where you

first fell in love, hide the ring in a dessert at the place where you shared your first meal, or play a

song that you both hold dear when you make your proposal, you will provoke those romantic feelings

in your loved one. 

Write your partner a love poem

If you're both word lovers, then this is one way to impress that special person in your life. Create a

poem with words that express your love, and then, at the very end of the poem, include a line that

links to your proposal. As an alternative to this, read your partner a love poem from one of the

literary greats, or look for love poems online if you need a little inspiration.

Sing them a love song

Create your own love song if you can, and win over your loved one's heart using words that will have

a special meaning to them. Alternatively, sing them a significant song that has already played a big

part in your relationship. Of course, you might consider yourself the worst singer in the world, but it's

the fact that you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone that will have a real impact on your

partner. 

Create a flashback movie

Sure, you could watch a romantic movie with your partner on the night you propose, but how about

creating your own film? Using video clips and photographs of the times you have spent together,

create a movie that will bring all of those loving memories and feelings flooding back when you

watch it together. You might even film your proposal in advance and include it at the end of your

movie! Use Movavi or another video-editing piece of software to make your movie, or ask somebody

you know with technical expertise for help if you need it. 

Say it with food

Write the words 'will you marry me' on a pizza. Ask the chef at the restaurant you are visiting to hide

the ring in something he has created (just be sure to stop your partner from eating it). Create your

own romantic meal for two and ask your partner to marry you during or after the meal. Or go on a

romantic picnic together and propose against a background of scenic beauty. These are just a few

ideas; you can probably think of your own!

So, we hope these ideas were useful to you. But if you're reading this, and you have any other

suggestions for our readers, be sure to share them in the comments section below.

Take care, and thanks for reading.