madewithjoy

Fallin In Love With Big Bear

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I stayed at Cabins4Less and we woke up to snow falling! Growing up in California, I’ve never experienced snow falling so you can probably see how excited I was that I got to dance around with my glitter tutu in the snow. After eating breakfast, we headed to the Alpine Slide Magic Mountain and went tubing! It was sooo fun and probably one of my favorite things that we did in Big Bear.

We then headed to their cute little town village – Big Bear Lake Village. It was filled with cute little shops and restaurants and everything is so close to each other.

For the rest of the night, we decided to to dine in and stay warm with our fire place. The next morning, we attempted to hike the Castle Rock Trail and casually failed. We ended up just having a snow ball fight and finding sliding down the hills.

We had so much fun our Big Bear Weekend Trip that we cannot wait to go to the next one hopefully this year’s winter again later this year or next year. We also loved staying in our cute little cabin and we will probably stay here again.

I could not believe that Big Bear is only 2 hours away from my house! This will definitely one of my winter get aways. Do you have any travel plans any time soon? or even mini road trips?

Xo,

Joy

Christmas Games For Family & Friends

Hi Friends,

Hope y’all had a fun and amazing Christmas. Every year, my family & friends have a get together and celebrate Jesus’ birth – and a huge part of this celebration is playing games & competing with each other. Therefore, I wanted to share a compilation of games that you can play with your own family and friends next year!

Candy Cane Game – Opponents must transfer as much candy canes as they can using one candy candy with their mouths from one bowl to the other. Whoever has the most candy canes in the set time – wins!
Magic Carpet Ride – Two teams compete against each other. They must go from one station to the next only using the carpet to move them. You cannot use your hands and feet outside the carpet. We played this version with my friends and family and it was the party favorite!
Ornament Twerking Competition – Using two empty tissue boxes filled with many christmas ornaments (the same amount on each box), opponents must twerk their butts off until most of the ornaments are out or whoever has the least ornaments inside the box wins. You will also need lots of tape and a rope to tie the tissue box around the competitors waist.
Santa’s Reindeers Sweat Shop – Two teams pick their “reindeer” and must try their best to make their reindeer look like an actual reindeer with antlers. You will need stockings and balloons. Cut the end of the stocking so that the team will be able to insert the balloons inside. You can either time them or they can keep going until whoever finishes first.
Rudolph’s Nose – Each players has the same amount of strings with glued pom pom at the very end of the string. Whoever gets to make their pom pom touch their nose and make it stay there for at least 3 seconds win!
A Penny For Your Thoughts – Each player puts a coin on the top of their forehead – whoever gets the coin into their mouth without using their hands, wins! (this can also be played with oreos; but my family has become an expert with the oreos (we decided to make it tougher)

Hope you had fun watching our Christmas games and we hope that you’ll be able to play these games next year!

December 26, 2018

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How this interior stylist and blogger is juggling her career and “passion project” and shares her do’s and don’ts along the way

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Katherine, I am an interior stylist and blogger. I am from Pittsburgh, but recently moved to Raleigh, NC!

What is your brand about and what made you start it?

My brand, My Eclectic Grace, encompasses a lot of things. I started it because I was struggling with all my creative pursuits; writing, content creation, photography, art, and interior design..I wanted to put it all into one thing and I wanted to reach a lot of people, which is how the blog was created!

Do you have another job outside of being a (blogger/influencer/entrepreneur)?

I work for a start up interior design company, Modsy. I have been a stylist for them for a little over a year.

Is it difficult to balance your work life and passion project(s)?

Because my work and my “passion project” go so hand in hand, it really has been an easy balance and transition! Of course I always wish there were more hours in the day to do more, but i’m lucky that I have the job I do.

What do you love the most about being an influencer?

I love getting to meet so many people! I am quite introverted, so making friends is challenging for me. I’ve made so many amazing friends through blogging and with Instagram, and they are friends that I actually hang out with now on a regular basis!

What do you think is the hardest thing about being an influencer?

I think it’s an untraveled path. There is no guide book. You can’t go to school and learn how to do it..you’d have to take business classes, marketing, photography, communication, journalism..I mean it encompasses it all and most people do not understand that.

That is awesome! Have you taken these classes yourself and how did they help you as an influencer?

I have not taken any classes like that, my degree is in interior architecture, so all of my classes were art based! I have taken a few Instagram strategy classes. I just finished Cynthia Harpers and it was by far the best investment for my influencer platform.

What are three tips you can give to someone who also wants to be an influencer like you?

I would say that it’s going to be challenging at first, but you will learn every day. It’s a lot of trial and error..and most importantly, don’t go it alone. I ask for help all the time, wether it’s someone proof reading my blog, asking for a shoutout on Instagram or having my fiancé help with taking pictures!

LOL. Yes, having a finance that takes pictures is definitely awesome. Can you talk to us more about shout outs on instagram? For readers that don’t know what that means, how does that work? Also, can you share a few things that DID NOT work for you? This might help some upcoming influencers to not make the same mistake!

Shout outs are when you tell your followers about another account. For instance I will share a few photos from an account I admire and why I like them and why my followers should check them out – in turn they do this for me (most of the time!) It’s a prearranged thing – I always reach out to these accounts first to talk it over. It gets you seen in front of a whole new audience – but if it’s in your niche then it’s even more powerful. Things that DID not work for me was copying. And I don’t mean I copy and pasted others, I mean that I used to look at others and how they edited photos, what they talked about, how their bio was set up and would do the same thing. I didn’t carve out an identity for myself and that was not healthy – you have to be authentic and confident in who you are and what you’re promoting or you will get sucked into the rabbit hole of social media!

What are your goals and where do you see yourself a year from now? & where do you hope to be in 3 – 5 years?

My goal is to make this my full time career. I want to start a family in the next 3-5 years, so I want to be established by then. It’s a great career for flexibility and creativity!

Sounds like an amazing goal! What kind of niche are you thinking and what’s your focus going to be?

My niche is DIY and home decor. I through in a little lifestyle and hope to do more of that as I get established.

Who/what inspires you or keeps you motivated to do what you do?

It’s not so much who or what motivates me, it’s more the feeling of being on the other spectrum. I had a 9-5 for years, and I felt like it just leeched creativity from me, and my time was not my own. Doing what i’m doing, I’m able to travel whenever I feel like it, and it’s me who choses how high I rank. The only limit it myself!

What’s your favorite app aside from instagram?

I’ve recently become really interested in photography and editing. I downloaded Lightroom and have been playing around with it a lot!

What’s your next project and how can we support you?

I don’t have anything big coming down the pipeline – this time of year I like to be gracious with my time and take it easy. After the new year however, I will be starting a new business with my fiancé, and we are really excited about that!

That’s so exciting! Can you tell us a little bit more about your business with your fiancé?

I wish I could say more, but it’s a surprise for everyone! All I can say is it has to do with coffee! 😉

How important is it to you to make genuine connections/friendships through social media/in our industry & why?

It’s extremely important. I am a firm believer in being authentic and genuine..I can not relate, nor really communicate with people who are doing this for the wrong reasons. I’m all about supporting others and community over competition.

What does female empowerment and girls supporting girls mean to you?

It’s everything!! Especially in this field, jealousy is real. But when you support other women in their pursuits, you push that positive energy out into the world. It makes a difference.

Where can we find you in social media?(state your social media handles/blog/website)

You can find me on IG at @myeclecticgrace

my blog is www.myeclecticgrace.com

What are you looking forward to the most from Influencer Girl Gang and what do you hope to acquire from joining us?

I look forward to seeing other girl’s journeys and supporting them in their dreams! I hope to acquire an uplifting and empowering community of like minded people!

December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

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Why Networking Is So Important As An Influencer

Hi Friends!

It’s a Thursday morning in the city of Los Angeles and it has been a while since I personally shared influencer tips! For today’s topic, I wanted to share why networking is important. A few months ago, I started Influencer Girl Gang so that girls all over they world can collab, create together and learn from each other. Since it started, we’ve had two meet ups in LA and one in OC. It is my dream to host more meet ups in other locations all over the US or have other megababes join me and host their own meet ups!

As an influencer, it’s kind of expected of us to influence people – and we can do that by networking! Yes, social media may be your first platform of influence but wouldnt it be nice to also do it in person?

Not only does networking bring us out of our comfort zones, but it helps us be confident with ourselves. Like phew! I remember going to my first networking event and I was so nervous but I came out of it alive and to top it all of, I even made new found friends!

Another benefit from networking is we get to learn from each other – are you new to the influencer world? No worries! We got you! You have questions about usual rates? Pitching or how we work with brands? We can give you some tips in person! I dont know about you but sometimes it’s so much more comforting to hear an advice from someone in person, you build a better connection.

It’s also good for projects! Fortunately, I have an amazing circle of girlfriends who also enjoy taking photos that I can sometimes as to shoot with me or work on projects with me. But they’re not always available so if you have more connections – you have other people you can collaborate with and more brains are better than one!

One of our goals next year is to start hosting actual themed photoshoots so we can create content together! We are so excited about this.

Last but not the least – it can lead you to an actual job or opportunity. There’s been countless times that I went to a networking event and I met someone who led me to a job opportunity, which is super cool because if I never went to that networking event – I wouldnt have gotten that offer!

Hope this was helpful to some of you! So if you havent gotten a chance to network yet – hope you get yourself out there or join us – we have a free -> facebook page where we have open discussions, invites to events and boosts each others engagement. Will I see you there?

Xo,

Joy

November 29, 2018

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Splitting From The Crowd With Reebok

I cannot believe it’s Thanksgiving weekend already!! Which means the non stop festivities and gobbling begins. As much as I love food so much, I also realized as I grew older how important it is to take care of your body – as when you reach your late twenties, it no longer bounces back the way it use to on your early twenties. So as Thanksgiving arrives this week, I had to make sure to squeeze in as many work out sessions as I can and prep my body – which involves – stretching, running and squats. Thank you Reebok for these Sole Fury shoes! I love how bold they are and the street wear look goes with any work out outfit that I have. It’s anything but ordinary, from innovative details with Spilt Cushioning technology for light weight comfort and flexible propulsion, I am obsessed! Split from the crowd now, stand out and grab one for yourself!

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018

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Ways You Can Help With California Fires

I ‘ve lived in SoCal for more than half of my life and moved to Los Angeles as I pursued fashion design; however, I grew up in Ventura County. I am fortunate to hear that my family is still okay and weren’t asked to evacuate yet, there are still many people in need. The past few days have been unsettling for me. Three wildfires in California have displaced hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed thousands of homes and so far 44 people have died. I also have family in Nor Cal and as of Tuesday, 125,000 acres had been burned by the fire, called the Camp Fire. It has turned into the most destructive in the state’s history and one the most deadly fires.

Here’s how you can help:

Research before you donate – Charity Navigator is a great source to consult.
Donate money – go directly to Go Fund Me and research Woolsey Fire, Hill Fire, Camp Fire. Spread out your donations between all the families that need it. Even $10 is helpful. Some people think $10 isn’t a lot but when 10 people donate $10, that fire survivor now has $100 and they can now buy new necessities.
Donate your time and volunteer – There’s many volunteer opportunities available and you can find them here —–> California Volunteers
American Red Cross – The Red Cross is providing both shelter and emotional support for evacuees. You can text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make an automatic $10 donation.
Baby2Baby is distributing essential items to children affected by the ongoing fires. Help them supply diapers, wipes, blankets, and other basic baby needs by purchasing from their registry.
Los Angeles Fire Department – You can donate directly and help them save lives.
California Fire Foundation – is a nonprofit that is distributing emergency funds to fire victims, including distributing prepaid credit cards to help victims buy food, clothing, and shelter.
AirBnB – They launched a program that asks people to open their homes to those affected by the fires. Until Nov. 29, the company is allowing residents to mark their homes as a place for evacuees and aid workers to stay for free.
Humane Society Of Ventura County – This nonprofit is accepting donations to help animals displaced by the Woolsey and Hill Fires. It is taking in domestic animals, such as dogs, cats and birds, as well as livestock.
Caring Choices – This nonprofit, which is in Chico, Calif., has turned into a hub for organizing volunteers to help those affected by the Camp Fire. Volunteers are assigned a variety of duties, including caring for displaced animals and, for those who are certified doctors or nurses, offering medical care.

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018

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How Jen Made Her Freelance Bizz Her Full Time Gig Along With Travel Blogging

Hi Babes,

For this week’s Influencer Tips Thursday, we are learning so much from Jen & how she managed to make her freelance bizz now her full time gig along with travel blogging. She has so many insider insights, so let’s get to it!

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Jen, a freelance copywriter, social media manager, and travel blogger. I’m originally
from Michigan (shout out to all my Midwesterners!) and I’ve been living in Los Angeles
for the past 10 years.

What is your brand about and what made you start it?

My brand is a combo of my professional freelance work and my blog, Jen on the Run. I
started my freelance writing business about a year and a half ago, and I’ve been
blogging for about six months. I have been writing for a long time, but never for myself –
it was always for college assignments, former bosses, or clients. Last spring, I attended
the 3-day conference, ALT Summit in Palm Springs, which opened my eyes to the world
of blogging. I realized I could combine my love of writing with my love of travel by
blogging. All the tools were within my reach, so why not go for it?

Do you have another job outside of being a (blogger/influencer/entrepreneur)?

Yes – the work that I do for clients as a freelancer – but I tend to marry these two paths,
since blogging, social media management, and writing all involve complementary skills.
When I was previously working in PR for a firm, I used to say that my freelance
business was my “side hustle.” Now, my freelance biz is my full-time, 9-5 job, and my
blog is how I like to spend my spare time!!

Is it difficult to balance your work life and passion project(s)?

Surprisingly, yes. It might not look like it from the outside though, because I work from home. So many people (myself included) think that they can accomplish ANYTHING if they just didn’t have that commute, long hours at another job, or school assignments… the list goes on. The reality is that it’s just about time management.

What do you love the most about being an influencer?

I love having the opportunity to share, and I love having the opportunity to listen. I like
understanding what people respond to and what people don’t, learning from that and
always growing. I have always sought ways to reflect and achieve personal growth, and
running a blog and being an influencer is a great way to practice that.

What do you think is the hardest thing about being an influencer?

The weight of words. Typing anything and publishing it online means it could be there
indefinitely – as long as the website is still up. I think traditionally, people have put a lot
of weight on having their words in print, but print has a shelf life. A blog or an online
article doesn’t.

What are three tips you can give to someone who also wants to be an influencer like you?
1. Just do it. I spent so many years fixating on what my Instagram feed should look
like or what niche I wanted to be in. Really, just get started. Don’t worry about
being perfect. That’s just the thing – everything evolves. You learn and grow.
Whatever is “perfect” today will be even “more perfect” six months from now.

2. Don’t be shy. This is a tough one for me. Own it, and don’t worry about bragging.
It’s not bragging. It’s you sharing something that someone else might find
genuinely useful or beneficial. I used to think that pitching myself meant I was
stuck up and full of myself. Now I realize pitching is an essential tool in order to
get yourself and your message out there.

3. Sign off. Really, I need to follow this advice myself. Most days I feel like I’m on
my computer or checking my phone from 8am – 11pm. But if you’re already
working from home, why not go for a 30-minute walk? I have to remind myself of
this constantly.

What are your goals and where do you see yourself a year from now? & where do you hope to be in 3 – 5 years?

Right now, most of my business is fueled by the services I offer as a freelancer; writing
and social media, and my blog is my creative outlet. I love working with clients,
understanding their needs and business goals, and working hard to share mission with
their audience. Similarly, I’d like to accomplish that with my blog and learn how to
monetize it better. Ideally in 3-5 years, I’d be in a place where I’m balancing both.

Who/what inspires you or keeps you motivated to do what you do?

Really, it’s my followers. The people who leave comments on my Instagram and blog
posts, open my emails and follow me back. It really makes my day when someone
shares their genuine thoughts on something I’ve written. That’s why I keep going.

What’s your favorite app aside from instagram?
Pinterest, of course!

What’s your next project and how can we support you?

Right now I’m really working on getting my emails up running. I’d love it if you signed up for my email newsletter! I even have a couple freebies right now – an ultimate packing list for anywhere in the world and also 15 inspiring writing prompts.

How important is it to you to make genuine connections/friendships through social media/in our industry & why?

I think the beauty of our modern digital age is that it has opened up a lot of doors. Now, connecting is as simple as sending a DM or leaving a nice comment that might just make someone’s day. I’ve met up with other influencers I’ve met online, and really can’t believe how easy it is to just reach out, message someone, and then there you go – you have a new brunch bud. I believe everyone has something to offer, and the person next to me knows more about something that I do. Why not strike up a conversation and learn from them?

Where can we find you in social media?(state your social media handles/blog/website)

Blog & email freebies: www.jenontherun.com
Insta: www.instagram.com/jp_ontherun/
Pinterest: pinterest.com/jp_ontherun/
Twitter: twitter.com/jp_ontherun

What are you looking forward to the most from Influencer Girl Gang and what do you hope to acquire from joining us? I’m so happy I found the Influencer Girl Gang and I can’t wait to attend one of the meetups soon!

Hope this blogpost was helpful to you and other inspiring entrepreneurs out there to pursue their passion.

Xo,

Joy

November 9, 2018

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Golden Magenta Roccoco Style

Hope everyone had an amazing Halloween this year! For this year’s Halloween I decided to take a fashion editorial shoot using the Roccoco Fashion as an inspiration. I created this headpiece with fall colored flowers and painted the sticks gold. For my outfit, I decided to use a vibrant magenta charmeuse to complete the look and made a blousony dress. I wanted this photoshoot to focus more on the dramatic hair and make up done by my dear friend, Celina

Photography: Eduardo Salazar

I enjoyed doing this photoshoot so much and the process on making this happen. For my fellow creators and my viewers, do you prefer this high fashion content or more of everyday lifestyle?

Xo,

Joy

November 1, 2018

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How This Military Wife Turned Her Personal Blog About LDR Into A Lifestyle Brand

Hi Babes,

For this week’s Influencer Tips Thursday, we are learning so much from Roxci & how she actually started her blog because she had too many feelings about her long distance relationship that she needed to unload. Until a few years later, she now blogs about her military wife lifestyle, travels and all the products she loves. She has so many insider insights, so let’s get to it!

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Roxci, a military spouse lifestyle and travel blogger. I was born in the Philippines, raised in both Singapore and Manila, and now I’m in San Diego because of my husband’s military training. We move to Hawaii soon though!

What is your brand about and what made you start it?

I started my blog as a way to just unload all the emotions I had while I was going through a long distance relationship. Soon, I started receiving messages and emails from both friends and strangers telling me how my posts helped them hold on to their long distance relationships despite all the struggles of being affiliated with the military.

At the heart of it all, I loved getting to know that I was helping people by just being me. I talked about things I was going through, products I loved, and advice for military spouses.

Do you have another job outside of being a (blogger/influencer/entrepreneur)?

Now, I serve as a full time content creator for my blog. In the past, I’ve worked in corporate in the fields of advertising and business development. I also have an extensive experience writing for different publications — been writing since college. Basically, I like to talk a lot. Haha!

Is it difficult to balance your work life and passion project(s)?

Since I am a full time content creator, my work is my passion. I’m constantly driven to think of new ideas, new ways of shooting products, and new collaboration opportunities, because of the fact that I love what I do.

What do you love the most about being an influencer?

Honestly, what I love the most is knowing I have people who trust me enough to follow my advice and try the products I recommend. It’s one way I know I really am making a difference in someone else’s life by being an influencer.

What do you think is the hardest thing about being an influencer?

I’d have to say the hardest thing about being an influencer is… Instagram’s ever changing algorithm! Hahaha!

Another challenging aspect is the fact that sometimes I feel like I can’t completely switch off from working — even when I’m on vacation. I’m always scouting for areas to shoot, taking and editing photos, filming videos, taking down notes — the list goes on. But again, I love what I do, so it’s worth it!

What are three tips you can give to someone who also wants to be an influencer like you?

Have a long term goal. || Goals will give you a sense of direction in the things you’re doing. They’ll keep you focused and help you realize how much you’ve been growing in your career.

Be authentic. || Don’t recommend something you don’t believe in because once your followers know you’re lying, it’s going to be so much harder repairing your relationship with them.

Be kind. || Never ever think you’re better than anybody because you have a bigger following than him/her. There’s a fine line between knowing what your worth and shoving it in everyone else’s face.

What are your goals and where do you see yourself a year from now? & where do you hope to be in 3 – 5 years?

We’re moving to Hawaii soon because of my husband’s orders, so my short term goals are to find a house, get settled, and gain a network of blogger friends based in Oahu. In 3-5 years, I hope I get to connect with more people all around the world, have great relationships with the brands I’ve worked with, and make a few products of my own.

Who/what inspires you or keeps you motivated to do what you do?

I’d have to say my husband is my #1 inspiration because he’s one of my cheerleaders when it comes to blogging. The fact that he lets me shed a lot of light in our relationship, when he’s a private person, is such a big thing — and I love him even more for it.

What’s your favorite app aside from instagram?

Facebook, Lightroom, and Unum.

What’s your next project and how can we support you?

I’ve collaborated with a preset creator recently and now I’m her partner when it comes to selling her Lightroom presets in the US market. It’d be great if you could support by buying a preset or 2. 🙂

https://www.signedbyroxci.com/blog/how-i-edit-my-photos

How important is it to you to make genuine connections/friendships through social media/in our industry & why?

It’s incredibly important because most of the connections start online, and it’s so much better if they’re taken offline as well. I love getting to know the friends I’ve made through social media by actually meeting up with them for coffee. Even just getting to know them by engaging consistently on their posts and stories is a good idea.

Genuine relationships take time and effort to develop but it’s worth a lot, especially when you want to know more about the industry you’re in.

What does female empowerment and girls supporting girls mean to you?

I feel like girls deserve to acknowledge that they are unique and beautiful in their own way. So instead of trying to be someone they’re not, they should just be who they are — as raw and real as it may seem. If girls recognize this, then they’ll feel empowered in their own way, and in turn, they’ll want to spread that self-love with the people they surround themselves with.

Where can we find you in social media?(state your social media handles/blog/website)

https://signedbyroxci.com

https://instagram.com/signedbyroxci

What are you looking forward to the most from Influencer Girl Gang and what do you hope to acquire from joining us?

I’d love to broaden my network with the help of the Influencer Girl Gang. I feel like blogging is such a niche of its own, and the only people who really understand it, are the ones who are go getters and have their eyes on the prize. I’d love to have a group of girlfriends who keep me motivated and inspire me to be better.

Hope this blogpost was helpful to you and other inspiring entrepreneurs out there to pursue their passion.

Xo,

Joy

October 26, 2018October 26, 2018

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Why It’s So Much More Fun To Go To A Pumpkin Patch Than Just Buying A Pumpkin

Soooooo let’s begin with I’m not from here and I wasn’t raised here in the U.S. Maybe that’s why I’ve never been in a pumpkin patch before (so don’t judge me lol) and I might’ve over done it this year as I’ve already gone twice this month! So you can just imagine the look in my face when my boyfriend brought to my first pumpkin patch earlier this month at Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Patch. I was like “Omgggg this is better than a fair!!! There’s dogs everywhere!” I loved it so much that I also hosted the second Influencer Girl Gang Meet Up event at Tanaka Farms. But other than dogs, here’s the main reasons why I personally love going to pumpkin patches rather than just staying at home carving store bought pumpkins.

It’s just a ginormous place of magical pumpkin land. Every corner is pretty much a photo opp and insta worthy.

2. There’s sunflowers!!! (Ok, maybe I just got lucky but both pumpkin patches, I’ve gone to had sunflowers.)

3. UMMMMNNN. CORN MAZZZZEEEE FUN! Need to say more?

4. It’s just a fun place to be with you girl friends or your significant other!

Have you gone to a pumpkin patch near you? Don’t forget to do so this year & enjoy the festivities!

October 22, 2018

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