Let’s ‘Chalk’ About It - 5 Things You Didn’t Know About #ChalkPaint @GrannyB_Paint #DIY #Decor

Hi Friends, 

It is an interesting and little-known fact that chalk finish paint has been around for much longer than we realize. Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint’s Managing Director, Yolande Terblanche, shares some of the quirky things you didn’t know about ‘chalk finish paint. 

• It works well on ceramics, enamel, wood, plastic, glass, melamine and even fabric (yes, fabric!). Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint has a chalky/old fashioned finish and is formulated to have incredible adhesion properties. It can be applied to just about any surface, from walls to clothing and furniture, without any pre-preparation or sanding beforehand. 
• One of the great things about chalk paint is that a little goes a long way - unlike normal paint. Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint has great coverage, since one litre can cover more than 13 square meters of surface area. 
• Chalk paint is safe to be used around your home, family and pets. This product is not harmful to the environment, family and pets, so you can literally use anywhere and on just about anything in your home. 
• Cleaning up after you’re done with your project is a breeze! Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint is water based and also gentle on the skin as well as the environment. 
• It dries fast! You can add a second coat really quickly and transform your home without having to wait for long periods. 
• Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint comes in 41 colours, is affordable and great quality! 

“One of the main reasons that chalk finish paints are so popular is the versatility, safety and ease of use of the product,” explains Terblanche. 

Chalk painting is fun and when using it the creative possibilities are endless. Start planning your next chalk paint project with spring around the corner and get your hands dirty! 

About Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint 

Granny B’s Old Fashioned Paint is a family owned and operated business, established in mid-2015, and has grown to become the leading locally founded chalk-finish paint product brand in South Africa. We have grown to over 200 stockists across Southern Africa and now service South African, Namibian, Zimbabwean and Zambian markets – with ever growing interest from countries as far as Australia. 

Visit our website at www.grannyb.co.za for a map of all our stockists or conveniently shop online and have your order delivered to your front door.

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

How to Protect Your Car Battery From High Temperatures? #Summer #BatteryCentre #SouthAfrica

Hi Friends, 

Summer is in the air and the holiday season was well past us now, but if you’re planning on getting some more sun as it's happening in Johannesburg, South Africa, it’s important to remember that your car battery doesn’t share your love for the heat which you did in Christmas holidays. While extreme cold temperatures are known to reduce engine starting performance, sweltering summer days are more taxing, especially if you’re making use of all the electrical equipment in the car. 

Here are five tips to protect your car battery from high temperatures:

Know where you stand

When batteries are damaged by high temperatures, they are not always able to meet the higher charge requirements of winter use, but a free battery test at any Battery Centre nationwide will quickly let you know your battery’s health. The battery specialists also recommended that you check your battery twice a year, and summer is the perfect time before you travel extended distances.

Tighten up on DIY maintenance

Clean off any dirt, grease and corrosion that can trap heat and make your battery hotter than usual. If the cables connecting the battery to your car are not correctly installed and tightened, they can shake loose and cause a failed start, so make sure all connections are secure.

Keep it cool

Hot weather can cause the water inside your battery to evaporate and limit its ability to hold a charge. You can get the water level topped up at a Battery Centre near you, but if you have to do it yourself, it is recommended to use deionised water; tap water may contain impurities that can damage battery cells. Remember to park your car in a garage or shaded spot in summer to keep your battery working optimally.

Reduce battery drain

On those long road trips, avoid having all your electricity-dependent devices tapping power at the same time. To reduce battery drain, use your GPS, phone charger, air-conditioner and radio only when your car is running. 

Inspect the fan belt

The optimal charging of your car battery depends on a proper functioning fan belt. Make sure the fan belt is sturdy and adjust the tension to guarantee optimal performance.

A little extra care during the hot South African summers will go a long way in preventing premature battery failure, so visit any Battery Centre for a free battery test before you hit the road to office if not checked the same during the festive season.

To find out more about how to protect your car battery from high temperatures from the specialists visit a Battery Centre near you! I am planning to go visit and get my battery checked on the last saturday of January and more experience and knowledge I will acquire will be shared on my twitter, Instagram and facebook pages. 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

#TheLifesWayReviews @iFrogz Coda #Wireless #Headphones with Mic #Music #Calls

Hi Friends, 

I have always been a fan of earphones and headphones and since I such a big fan, if I win any of the contests online or offline, the prize will always be some kind of headphones. I attract them into my life and have used numerous earphones/headphones from various brands and continues to consume them at my leisure.

iFrogz brand needs some introduction as I did review one of their products when I first came to South Africa after buying it on sale from Game Store in Rosebank, Johannesburg. At that time I have not used any product from the brand and recently in 2018, I used their wireless Impact earphones which I fell in love with because of their audio quality and ease of use. 

Now I will take you through the new Coda Wireless Headphones + Mic which are On-Ear headphones and are available in different colors - Black, Rose Gold and Blue. Coda Range of products from iFrogz is a mid-range earphones and headphones and is generally available from R499 to R699 in South Africa. I received one black pair of headphones from the brand to review.

Looks and Build Quality - 

The first thing that comes to your mind is the good looks of the products when you spend your hard earned money on anything. If shall be comfortable to wear and easy to carry around. The Coda Wireless Headphones has a nice shiny ear-cups which are reflective and marked with iFrogz logo which looks cool. The leather kind of material has comfortable foam cushion padding. Body of the headphones has plastic covered with soft rubber and a complete rubber underneath. In the price range of R499, I have not seen such good quality product even in Skullcandy, Polaroid and Volkano which have some products available in this price range. This headphones will last long but with all the rubbery kind of products, you have to take extreme care as with time, thing starts to peel off from the plastic. Also the rubber layer underneath can easily come out from the edges if not handled well but that can be redone fast by putting it back into its respective socket. Also the ear-cups remains doesn't turn or fold as the headphones remains in one position only. The packaging of the product is simple with the main headphones and a micro-USB cable along with one manual about the headphones in various languages.

Controls and Comfort - 

The iFrogz Coda Wireless Headphones will fit on your head and being an on-ear headphones with sit on your ear lobes. You can easily walk and jog with them and they will stay there. I find them fitting easily into my head but I could not use them for long as my earlobes started to pain after a while because I wear eyeglasses too and the earlobes gets stuck between the metal of eyeglasses and headphones. But they snug easily and provide some kind of noise isolation too. You can still hear outside noise if not on high volume. But the best part you can easily wear them on your neck and increase the volume to enjoy some music from the speakers and it will also ease some pressure off your earlobes.

The controls are on the right earcup with only 3 buttons to preform all the functions from powering On and Off, bluetooth pairing and call command. The other two buttons is to switch track back/forward button, and volume up and down button. Along with that there is also a 3.5mm jack post to connect your headphones with your devices like iPod etc. Then you have a charging port which can be charged with the supplied cable only as the length of the micro-USB is little bit longer than the regular charging cables you must be having from your smartphones. Built-in Mic is right there besides the 3.5mm jack and power on-off button.

Audio Quality - 
Coming to the most important aspect of sound for which all the earphones and headphones are designed, iFrogz Coda Wireless headphones has solid specification with 40mm drivers, resistance 32Ohms, sensitivity 100dB at 1Khz ImW with the frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz. The built in battery provides around 7hours of non-stop music and a standby time of 3 hours. Charging time to charge the headphones fully is around 2.5 hours.

The audio quality produced by these headsets is more towards bass and 40mm drivers produces dynamic sound. The quality at this price point is one of the best for bass lovers. It's definitely not much like Skullcandy and Beats but works well at low and medium tones.

Overall if you are in the market for a value for money headsets, you can definitely buy them at the MRP else you can wait for some higher priced products to go on sale when they launch their next versions of the series. I have used the images of the products from the website of Zagg - iFrogz.

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

#TheLifesWayReviews S-Pen Is it a #GameChanger? 11 Features I loved @SamsungMobileSA #GalaxyNote9

Hi Friends, 

Spen needs no introduction and I have been a fan of the same since I first touched it in Samsung Galaxy Note 2 way back in 2012 and always wanted to have that smartphone but Universe only gave me a chance to own the same only when I bought Samsung Note 8 last year in January 2018 from India. With the launch of new phablet Samsung Note 9, #Spen is the #GameChanger in the new #GalaxyNote9 but Will it be an In-charge of my life? let's find out:-

1. Automatic notes capturing and saving even when screen is off. Works well to note down important phone numbers or any other information on the go - YES, now in the color of your Spen too in the new Note 9. It means if have bought Blue Note 9 it comes with Yellow Spen which will write in yellow color, similarly Gold one in Copper color etc. This feature of writing in color is not available in Note 8 but you can write screen-off even in Note 8.

2. Adult coloring to stay occupied and concentrate - And to get some time-pass when totally bored. - YES, enjoy your colorful drawings and it will improve your focus and get you de-stressed too. There is an influx of so many adult coloring books along with several sketch pens/crayons market but now you can carry that thing in your pocket all the time with Galaxy Note smartphone. This feature is available even with Note 8 and Note 9 Spens.

3. Can it take a selfie from my front and rear camera using the in-built button? - YES all the extended family can now be in one selfie and no longer you will be missed out from the holiday photos. Spen now comes with facility in Note 9 to work as a remote camera shutter button within the Bluetooth range of the smartphone and Spen.

4. Can i play music using the button on my Spen? - Yes, play, pause, skip tracks/songs whatever you want with the use of multiple clicks with a single button on the Spen in Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

5. Can I track all my to do list using Spen and notes from groceries shopping to Project management at work to Birthday's planning to holidays planning? - YES, your life is sorted, no real pen and paper required and you will do a lot of good for the environment. You can write things and erase things or mark them complete once done - all tracked using your Spen. It will be the most powerful tool you have ever used right in your hands. This feature is available in all the phablets of Note series since the beginning and has improved with each version. My boss from work used Note 8 and Spen to create a unique lifestyle where he will process everything and plan his days and holidays on Samsung Note 8 only.

6. Can it get lost? - No, Never as it will notify if the smartphone has traveled outside the Bluetooth range without the Spen tucked inside its slot. It's a new feature that only available with Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and not with Note 8. In Note 8, the Spen features goes into unresponsive (visible but nothing happens if you touch the icon) mode if Spen is out of its slot and not within the range of smartphone. If the smartphone screen is off and then if you go out of the range without putting Spen back in Note 8, then an alarm will be sounded.

My love for London, UK

7. Will Samsung Galaxy Note 9 let me know if i am leaving my Spen behind? - Yes, it work both ways. It constantly checks and notifies the phone if the same is outside its range. It's a new feature that only available with Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and not with Note 8.

8. Can it translate any text in some other language using screen grab? - Yes, any language you want to translate it to can be done within a second depending on your Internet speed. This feature is available even with Note 8 and Note 9 Spens.

9. Can I write a personalized message on a photo or screen shot? - Yes, in any color of your choice with live recordings too. This feature is available even with Note 8 and Note 9 Spens.

Be a Lion King!

10. Can I become viral content provider or popular using SPen? - Yes, if you submit your drawings to PenUp, you can definitely become popular. You can convert any image to a lively gif with your message in your handwriting and that can be shared on any of the social media platforms. There are no limits to your creativity using the Spen as it works like a charm and you can create your future using the same.

11. Can I take information from any of the apps and do my research on any topic of interest? - Yes you can smart select the information from any webpage or whatever app is open on your screen and it can be converted to an image or text and can then be copied and shared. This is definitely of great use if you want to use hashtags from someones posts or when you are reading something and any lines or quotes you specifically love to keep. This feature has multiple uses and sky is the limit. This feature is available even with Note 8 and Note 9 Spens.

Overall, Spen is the top feature for which I went ahead and bought my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 smartphone and it was a dream come true to be using the same. The rear cameras on Note 8 is also great. Now almost into my second year with Note 8, I still am in love with the Spen and what it can do in my day to day life! Think what you can be able to do with Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Spen which has selfie remote, music player controls and many other things built into the same. Go for it if you know you are inspired to create something unique!

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

#Technology and #Children - Can They Go Hand in Hand? #Parenting #6YearsofTheLifesWay

Hi Friends, 

A long ago, Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Mr. Rabindranath Tagore, wrote, “Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man”. Even the 21st century, the process of having a child and being a parent is full of responsibility and decision making. I too went through this process when my daughter was born in 2009 and when my son was born in 2018. It’s the best feeling of the world to become a parent and to raise them. 

It’s a huge responsibility in this world of technology to let them not have a digital footprint which is not relevant for them. Children these days are much more glued to the screens of tablets, smartphones, laptops or TV as compared to earlier old days when we used to play in the streets with our friends. All of us used to gather in an area around a certain time every day and play Cricket by dividing the teams. Summer holidays used to a time when the playing activity used to be the main task for all the kids and holidays homework used to be completed in the first week of holidays or during the last week of holidays. 

These days I am seeing a lot of parents are handing their smartphones to their kids to keep them quiet or occupied for whatever reason but Is this right? We do need to have our own personal space which is increasingly difficult when you have small kids to take care of. But does it have to be at the cost of bringing problems for kids in terms of eyes strain, neck pain or crying out in case you don’t hand over your smartphone to them? It’s so difficult for an adult too to read or play anything on smartphone or tablet in the running car but I see children glued to the screens there also. Will it cause problems to your kids or not – I am not sure but if I do it as an adult too, I feel dizzy and my orientations seem to be lost for some time afterwards. I feel the pain of reading in the running vehicle with a severe headache till I sleep. 

Kids with a giant hashtag!

Being an Indian parent, I am on the lowest stage for preaching parenting as western worlds are much advanced in bringing up independent kids. The kid's personality is fully developed to grow into a fine gentleman/woman with varied interests in arts, crafts, adventure sports and many such things. They are aware of all the things life throws at them. Was I successful in delivering those to my 9 years old daughter? 

Being a technology fanatic myself and with all the devices I have at home for review or otherwise, my daughter was born into them. She grew with them but to date, I have never shared my smartphone with her to entertain her. I can play with her to keep her occupied or create some paper games or do some mental mathematics while her mom goes shopping and we are sitting idle in a shopping mall. General Knowledge being my first love, I ask her multiple questions to which she tries to think and answer and if not then goes on google at home to find the answer. It meant she must use the tablet which I have provided her but only for certain hours of the day. I play with her on the old Nintendo Wii where she cries if she loses to me in Tennis or Archery or play Fruit Ninja or Subway Surfer on iPad, but I make sure that she plays with similarly aged friends in the park too. I also take her for a walk before or after dinner every day where we talk about new stuff and all her queries. I have also kept parent lock on many of her games on her iPad and installed Kids YouTube, so she doesn’t get the unsuitable content for her age. 

So, in the end, it all depends on the time and emotional energy you have within yourself as a parent to handle the kid's irritation and continuous crying before he/she can be consoled. Technology makes it easier no doubt, but we need to balance the act and help them grow into an all-around personality human being. We need to be aware of the consequences technology and online content might bring on their young minds though you can use the same technology to develop their minds with right discipline, awareness and education. It all depends on ME and YOU lovely Parents to the little Angels!

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Jan 2018 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay

Hi Friends, 

A very Happy New Year 2019 to all of you and I hope that you continue to create and accept whatever opportunities the Universe sends your way! I am very much excited for 2019 as I am venturing into totally unknown world of YouTube channel creation and I am coming across a lot of things which I was not aware of earlier. It's a learning curve and I am ready to embark on the same. I am testing different mobile cameras to shoot 4K videos and testing different lenses I have on the dslr camera bodies from Nikon and Canon. I have already bought the RODE microphone from Amazon India and soon it will be here in South Africa. Looking forward to going through more information about the same on Lynda.com.

1. The Rise And Rise Of The #Smartphone @SamsungMobileSA #SmartphoneApps - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/01/the-rise-and-rise-of-smartphone.html - Smartphones are an integral part of everyone these days. Samsung is world leader in the latest smartphones and continues to bring the best and has taken the point and shoot cameras out of the market. Mobile Photography has brought the best of photographer in everyone who has some interest in the same. 

2. Sony Mobile Unveils New Selfie Smartphones: #XperiaXA2 #XperiaXA2Ultra @SonyXperiaZA - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/01/sony-mobile-unveils-new-selfie.html - Sony Mobiles has the best camera technology built into their smartphones. They continue to held their castle despite being overgrown by so many other brands and they still remain leaders in bringing the latest tech to smartphones. Their front cameras are more than 20MP cameras to take ultimate selfies in Xperia XA2 Ultra. 

3. 17 Days To www.TheLifesWay.com 5th Birthday Celebrations #5YearsofTheLifesWay #27Dec2017 #Patience - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/01/17-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html - I continued to post the countdown to my 5th birthday last year but it was a slow progress to complete and it took me a lot of time to get to the final post. I am now thinking of making a Amazon eBook out of all the posts and attach some photographs to match the stories. But that a project I will take up soon after the go-live and running of my Youtube channel successfully. 

Aashish Rai @Tsogo Sun Hyde Park - Island Bar

4. Are You Ready For #ArijitSingh Melodious Voice #SouthAfrica 10-11 Feb @BluBloodSA #Contest - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/01/are-you-ready-for-arijitsingh-melodious.html - Arijit Singh has been favourite singer of many people across the globe including me and I asked for the tickets from the start to their PR company manager. I have been doing a lot of their other singers and shows promotion for free and I wanted tickets to this show at all costs. I felt so great to see the same with my parents and it was the show of the year. If you want to check out his other shows, it's available on Youtube and you will definitely fall in love with his voice and songs. 

5. DYNAMO Brings His Magic LIVE TOUR to #SouthAfrica For The First Time #DynamoSA #May2018 - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/01/dynamo-brings-his-magic-live-tour-to.html - I really loved watching the magicians showcasing their art and Dynamo has so much of reputation to live up to. At the show I went with my mother-in-law and she totally enjoyed the show and it was an absolutely great one man show. Dynamo performed several magical tricks and people went gaga over the same. Many thanks to the PR company for providing me the tickets. 

This year I have to follow the minimalist lifestyle and follow it religiously and I have already started making a conscious effort towards the same. Wishing each and everyone of you All the very best to work towards your 2019 Resolutions and May you achieve and accomplish all of them!

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

Culinary Flair Comes to Hyde Park Deck @TsogoSun #SSHydePark #TsogoTasting

Hi Friends,

Summertime in Jozi is the perfect excuse for sundowners in a spectacular setting, and there are few as perfect as Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel’s pool deck. To celebrate the new season, warm summer evenings and highveld sunsets, the hotel’s popular Island Bar has revamped its menu to add some culinary flair to what is already a popular destination for Jozi’s trendy crowd.

Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel (https://www.tsogosun.com/southern-sun-hyde-park-sandton), located in one of Sandton’s most exclusive suburbs, features beautiful views from the breath-taking pool deck and is a trending spot to ease into the weekend, with weekly Friday Sundowner (https://www.tsogosun.com/southern-sun-hyde-park-sandton/offers/friday-sundowner) sessions featuring top local and international DJs playing the best in House and Deep House.

Grant van der Riet, Executive Chef of Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel, whose culinary philosophy is ‘Life is too short for a bad meal’, says the new menu focuses on fresh, original and delicious flavors, and more than a touch of Italian finesse. “Island Bar now offers something for every appetite with options for any time of the day or night, from tapas plates for sharing and tasting, to sushi, hunger-busting burgers, light meals, and desserts.”

The tapas selection offers a tempting array of vegetarian, meat and fish dishes featuring a fresh take on traditional favorites, including Crumbed mushrooms and garlic pesto aioli; Cheese & corn poppers; Mushroom & mozzarella arancini; Sriracha chicken wings; Grilled sliced sirloin with rosemary jus; Pulled beef taco served with pickled cabbage and sour cream; Lamb & coriander kofta; Braised pork taco; Chorizo and lentils ciabatta; and Crispy calamari, lemon & sriracha aioli.

Burger options for meat-lovers include the signature Hyde Park beef burger with a 200g patty topped with honey-glazed bacon and melted emmental cheese and the Hyde Park chicken burger with a 200g grilled breast with bacon and a blue cheese sauce. The Banting option promises to be a winner, offering a Carb-free beef or chicken burger with fresh Asian greens, tomato, gherkin, a 200g patty, mozzarella, pineapple chutney, and avocado.

The salad selection showcases Chef Grant’s culinary prowess, and includes Tian of feta with cherry tomatoes, grilled eggplant, arugula lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and toasted bruschetta; and a unique creation titled Beetroot of textures, with grilled baby beetroot, candy stripe beetroot, pickled golden beetroot, beetroot jelly, dried beetroot, and grape & walnut salad and goat’s cheese; and a Greek salad.

Not-to-be-skipped desserts include Chocalatissimo chocolate soufflé with a melted chocolate center, vanilla ice cream, shortbread crumble, and fresh berries; Chocolate torta with passion fruit served with mango sorbet, crumble and berry coulis; and Pistachio & matcha pannacotta.

Tsogo Sun has a portfolio of over 100 hotels and 13 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa, and Seychelles. For more details, visit https://www.tsogosun.com, follow on Twitter @TsogoSun or like on Facebook /TsogoSun.

All the images are clicked by me on Samsung Note 8 which I bought last year in January 2018. 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

6 Years of www.TheLifesWay.com #TheLifesWay #Birthday #Blogpost #6YearsofTheLifesWay #1675thPost

Hi Friends, 

1 Dreamer
6 Years (1 Year in India and 5 Years in South Africa)

1675 Blog Posts
2.1 Million Pageviews
5000+ Instagram Posts on @araijain
10000 followers on Instagram
152000+ Tweets on @thelifesway
Almost 10000 followers on twitter
1000 likes and follows on Facebook Page
Thousand of Likes and Retweets 
#TheLifesWay and #PhotoYatra

Now Starting YOUTUBE Channel! 

Heartiest Congratulations to myself for completing 6 years into a hobby that has become a passion and something I think of every day and night. This feat could not be possible without the help of each and every person working in the PR company, brands I worked with and my family, friends and well wishers. This year 2018 has been extremely good as our family welcomed a new member as my son was born on 29th January 2018 and in some days now, we will celebrate his first birthday.

2018 saw The Life's Way crossing 2.1 Million Pageviews and overall increase in all the social media platforms and the special focus was on Instagram. I really loved sharing the photos and videos on Instagram and in December I thought to clean the same and reduce the count of posts to less than 1000 from more than 4900 posts. The work is still in progress and I am doing it daily till I reach the goal of less than 500 or so.

The biggest gift I earned for myself was from Canon South Africa for their Instagram Meet where I was the Engagement Winner to win myself Canon 77D DSLR camera along with a 32gb SD card. I really am thankful to the brand for all their roadshows and gifts which everyone received to attend those shows. It's much more than you get from any of the biggest brands in the Technology Industry which are these days giving some low quality bluetooth earphones or speakers. 

The very first gift to start the year was from Lenovo in the form of their Mouse and Diary with Pen. I really loved the design of the mouse but I was not invited to their 2nd launch which happened some days back. Xiaomi via Gearbest.com sent me their Mi2 Band and Mi Health Thermometer which are really useful devices and there will be a video on my Youtube channel for those items soon. Samsung launched their Note 9 and during a display in Sandton City, I won myself their U Flex Bluetooth Earphones. MandM and Hasbro continued their support for my blog by sending their Media drops from time to time.

Aashish Rai - Blogger

Huawei invited me to all their launch events and I received some of the goodies for all the attendees but this year I was also the winner of their Huawei Mate 20 Lite smartphones because of my engagement with the brand. I have gifted the smartphone to my wife who was not happy with Android devices and let's see if Mate 20 Lite can keep her happy?

Gammatek was one of the brands which I promoted a lot via my posts and they gifted me some of their items in return. But overall, I participated in a lot of events at MTN where I worked the whole year and got a lot of goodies from popcorns to earphones at their head office in Johannesburg. The another big things I won this year was the MSI Gaming Keyboard at rAge Expo 2018 and I really loved the mechanical keyboard which is a boon for gamers! Adata gifted me their first 3D EMIX i30 earphones which I really loved and use them everyday. My wife too won their 1TB portable hdd in their facebook contest.

This year I gifted a lot of new items (received from events etc) which I was not using to many of my relatives in India and to my friends here in South Africa. The people who received it felt happy and I continue to do so in 2019 too as items I want for myself are still from last year's wish list which remained unfulfilled in 2018 - Apple MacBook Pro (Top Priority) and Bose QC35 Bluetooth headphones, PS4 Pro, and a Full Frame DSLR camera.

The strategy this year is to earn the same by either doing a lot of sponsored posts or by selling the old stuff I have not used till date. Meanwhile, while I was writing this post, I realized that most of the items I received were from the contests I won online or offline at events and not from the blog. The blog may have some influence but nothing much that can't be worked out using Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels only. But running a blog gives you an edge to participate as an influencer in many events and with many brands that the first necessity. I will continue to publish my own content on my blog and also the posts I seem interested in from various brands for mutual benefits. The next step will be to update my media pack from being a long presentation to a 1 page document. 

Life is running fast and I need to read some books, watch some movies and fall in love with myself all over again. I can't be doing stuff which is not earning me income or pleasure of any kind. That's it for 2018! 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Dec 2017 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay

Hi Friends, 

December is the month of festival celebrations and Summer holidays in South Africa and every year I also take some time off to define my goals for the next year. It not only gives you energy to venture into the unknown with full rigor but also relaxes your mind to let go of many of the tensions that gets build up during the year because of unfulfilled promises and expectations of self and others. 

This year in December, I didn't do any of the blog posts as my focus was to clean - junk emails/archiving Instagram posts/old magazines and data from laptop and hard disks along with having a good time with family and friends. Though I didn't felt very happy to part with my blog but it was a necessity and I did it intentionally. This being the 6th anniversary of my blog www.thelifesway.com I felt that I shall no longer post the press releases on my blog as many of the companies just stop responding, if I ask them for sponsored posts or gadgets or media drops etc. Why waste time on someone who doesn't care about you? 

The biggest decision I took was to start my Youtube channel and learn about the process of video making. As I am trying out shooting video's I am finding so many challenges which I need to overcome to finally launch my first video. But sooner than later, the link is coming on all my social media platforms.

1.  A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Dec 2016 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay #1350Post - http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/a-memoir-this-month-last-year-dec-2016.html - It was 1350th post on my blog and now this year I am writing this 1674th post when I publish the same. It's hectic amount of work each year to post around 300+ posts even though most of them will be press releases. But I am thankful to my family for not shouting at me when I was busy doing stuff for free but now it has changed. My wife is constantly nagging to take care of our younger one who will turn 1 at the end of this month and she sees no value coming out of doing all this for free. 

2. The rest of the posts that I did in December was towards the celebration of 5th anniversary of my blog as I started a countdown posts from the 30th day to 27th December. I really loved writing these posts and this year I felt the lack of the same but you can read the ones from last year - 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/18-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/19-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/20-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/21-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/22-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/23-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/24-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/25-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/26-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/11/27-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/11/28-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/11/29-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/11/30-days-to-wwwthelifeswaycom-5th.html 

Aashish Rai in Durban, South Africa

3. Are You #CyberSmart and #CyberSure in Digital World? - http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/are-you-cybersmart-and-cybersure-in.html - This was one of the posts I did for Webfluential clients and got paid. This year I didn't got any assignment from them so my money making capability was very much limited. 

4. Breathe: An Inspiring #LoveStory Of Hope and Determination @BreatheMov @SterEnt #5YearsofTheLifesWay - http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/breathe-inspiring-lovestory-of-hope-and.html - I have not watched the movie still as I completely forgot about the same. This year I have started using many mobile apps to chromecast the same on my smart TV. People have been fans of Netflix and they have produced some great shows and movies. I am waiting for Game of Thrones and Avengers - End Games. In terms from Netflix, I am waiting for Sacred Games Season 2 if that gets released this year. During these summer holidays while I was working but watched a movie every night and saw many of the movies and really laughed a lot while watching Johnny English Strikes Again (2018). 

5. @Jhbproperty Wins Best International Public Services Development Award #GlobalIPA2017 #London - http://www.thelifesway.com/2017/12/jhbproperty-wins-best-international.html - I have done several posts for this property company all for free and I don't think there will be any more such posts going forward. 

Companies makes you fool, you try to make them fool that the way of life but it gives a lot of pain and suffering in the end. Rather than doing that, you should set the expectations in the beginning and whether that goes as planned or not will be fate. I wish the same for myself atleast and let's start the youtube channel! 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!