How to take better Instagram Pics

Hola Todo el Mundo, (I totally googled that)

Have you ever looked at someones perfectly lined, spaced, brightly colored instagram and wondered how the heck they got it so...well...perfect?  Well, to be honest, it's not so difficult after all.  I am here to save the day and your instagram page because I have 10 tips that have your page looking spiffy in no time. 

Instagram has all kinds of tools to help you edit your photos before you post them.  You can crop a photo, adjust the brightness, add a filter on it to make it look professional, I mean, the list goes on.  You just have to play around with the different settings to see which ones you like best. 

Below I am going to list ten different ways to help you get your feed looking like a pro's page. 

1.  Get inspired.  Use pinterest or other instagram pages to help you with inspiration.

2. Stick with a theme.

3.  Have good lighting.

4. Make sure your picture is in focus.

5. follow the rule of thirds for photography. 

6. Take multiple pics so you have a variety to choose from.

7. Practice posing so you get comfy with your camera. 

8. Think about how you want to crop the pics.

9. Shoot straight on.

10. Post often.

Using these tips will help you out tremendously when it comes to making your instagram look amazing.  It takes practice so don't give up.  Just keep in mind that it takes time to get it the way you want it so don't rush and just have fun with it.

-XO,
Danielle

What my blog means to me

Hello Everybody,

Writing is something I have always had a passion for but never thought in a million years I could actually do.  I never thought I had the courage to write and let people read my inner thoughts.  I always felt so insecure with my writing, that I just didn't do it at all.

When I was on maternity leave after having my second son, I realized that I needed a hobby and I needed one fast.  I sat one day and mulled over in my head, things that I could do for fun and only one thing came to mind....BLOGGING.  I had always wanted to start a blog, but never could muster up the courage to actually do it.

Finally, I just went for it.  I didn't have anything to lose, only things to gain.  I have gained a lot of confidence and satisfaction from my blog.  I love it.  It is a way for me to decompress after a long day and get out some of the things that I have on my mind on a daily basis.  It is literally one of the BEST things I have ever done!

My advise for anyone who wants to start a blog or anything, and you feel scared or insecure to do it, just go for it....as long as it makes you happy and you are able to feel good about it, then forget about what the haters are going to say.

Doing something like blogging and putting yourself out there for people to criticize is really a brave thing to do.  It takes a lot of guts and hard work to do so don't focus on the negativity, just do what makes you happy!

-XO
Danielle

Back to School: Week 1 Tips For Getting Used To The New Schedule

Hello Everybody,

If you have children that are of school age, then you know how stressful it can be trying to get everything ready for them to go back to school.  Getting used to the new schedules, making sure the kiddos are up and ready and ON TIME, have had breakfast and are happy when they leave the house.  Once you wrap your mind around all that craziness, think about how you felt when it was your FIRST TIME doing all of these things.   Yeah....all those memories are flooding back all at once....You're welcome for that!!!!! 

Let me just say that I feel for you all because I am going through the same exact experience at this current moment.  My son just started his first year in school this year and don't get me wrong, I am excited for him and glad that he is really liking it, but getting used to everything mentioned in the previous paragraph is complete HELL.  The biggest adjustment in our household, at least for myself, is the whole getting up super early.  When I say super early I mean 6am.  That may not seem so early for some of you, but I work nights at a hospital and for me, that's like graveyard hours. 

In the past few days, I have learned that in order for everything to run smoothly, you have to plan ahead.  By that I mean, get school clothes ready the night before, put the book bag in a place where you won't run out the door and forget it, have multiple alarms set so no one oversleeps, and last but not least, STAY CALM!!!  If you are running a little late, don't freak out, because in my experience, freaking out leads to other mishaps and it just ruins the whole day.  I'm not saying you CAN'T get anxious, but it really doesn't help the situation at all.  If you know you are going to get your child to school a little late, call the office and let them know.  Trust me, they understand.  The first week of school is hard for everyone, so they won't throw the book at you and make you feel like the worst parent in the world.  Remember that the first week is always crazy and hectic and filled with chaos and just because it's like this now, doesn't mean that it will be like this forever.  You will have little morning setbacks, but just hang in there, you will get used to everything in no time at all.


-XO
Danielle

Wordless Post

Spotify Playlist

Hello everybody,

I have been loving the new music that has been coming out lately, so I thought I would put together my current favorite songs from my spotify playlist.  Hope you enjoy!


1. Fly- Maddie & Tay


2. Ghost Town- Adam Lambert


3. Uma Thurman- Fall Out Boy


4. Fun- Pitbull ft. Chris Brown


5. Cool for the Summer- Demi Levato


6. Beautiful Now- Zedd


7. All Eyes on You- Chris Brown ft. Nicki Minaj & Meek Mill


8. Failure- Breaking Benjamin


9. Where are U Now- Skrillex ft. Diplo & Justin Bieber


10. Photograph- Ed Sheeran


11. Thinking Out Loud- Ed Sheeran


12. Kick The Dust Up- Luke Bryan

My Sephora Wishlist

Sephora Wish list

My Current wish list from Sephora....I'm sure a bunch of stuff will get added to it but this is the most current one for now.  

1. Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette

2. Two Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette

3. Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick

4. Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Foundation

5. Dior Star Fluid Foundation

6. Urban Decay Naked Flushed

7. Two Faced Love Flushed Long-Lasting 16 Hour Blush

8. Tarte Cheek Stain

9. Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion Box O' Powder

10. Benefit Cosmetics Coralista Box O' Powder

11. Benefit Cosmetics Watts Up Hilighter

12. Tarte Bronze & Glow Contour Brush

13. Sephora Collection Pro Contour Brush #79

14. Tarte Tartelette Palette

15. Kat Von D Lip Gloss

16. Urban Decay Naked 1, 2, 3 Palettes

To Be Continued.....

Sephora and Victoria's Secret Haul

Sephora 

Hello Everybody, 

Today, I'm posing a haul for you guys, because I bought extremely too much at the mall this weekend.  I don't go shopping for myself much but when I do buy things for me, I like to share them with you guys.  Seeing hauls is one of my favorite kinds of blogs so I thought I would share with you all some of the things I picked up from Sephora and Victoria's Secret.  Hope you all enjoy.

Victoria's Secret

From Sephora.  www.sephora.com

1. Benefit Boi ing concealer

2. Benefit Hoola Bronzer

3. Benefit bad gal lash mascara

4. HD forever lip gloss


From Victoria's Secret.   www.victoriassecret.com

1. Aqua Kiss body spray

2. Aqua Kiss body butter

3. Love Spell body spray

4. Love spell hydrating body lotion

5. Passion Struck body spray

Sephora && Victoria's Secret Haul

Hope you all enjoy this haul...Leave some of your favorite products from these stores in the comments below.

-XO
Danielle

5 Best Teas for Losing Weight

Hello Everybody,

Being a southern girl, I'm no stranger to tea.....The REAL SWEET kind, but we all know where that sugary sweet goodness goes after being consumed....Right to the hips, thighs, belly and butt!!!!! 

I just recently had a baby, so I'm still in the stages of losing "baby weight" as I like to call it, and trust me when I say that I have done my fair share of research on ways to lose the weight.  Obviously, I know diet and exercise are truly the only legit way to actually lose the weight and stay healthy while doing so, but I figure a few lifestyle changes along the way couldn't hurt...Right?

I mostly like to drink my tea sweet and southern (of course) but knowing how unhealthy it really is, I have been drinking hot teas and to be honest, they're not so bad...especially if you have a sore throat or are feeling a bit under the weather. 

Tea is a great way to get antioxidants and is pretty good for you in general.  Tea has a lot of benefits for your body and health and yes....even weight loss.  I have researched and found five teas that are great for losing weight and they are super tasty too.

1.  Rooibos Tea- This tea regulates fat-storage hormones and has Aspalathin in it, which reduces stress hormones that cause hunger.  Basically you can control your hunger with this tea.



2.  White Tea-  This tea prevents fat cells from forming.  It is rich in antioxidants and boosts lipolysis and blocks adipogenesis which forms fat cells.



3.  Mint Tea-  This tea strikes hunger as well.  It suppresses your appetite and helps you control your hunger.  It is really good to have before bed.



4.  Oolong Tea-  This tea boosts your metabolism.  It is packed with catechins which boost your bodys ability to metabolize fat.



5.  Green Tea-  This tea also boosts your metabolism and unlocks fat cells.  It too has catechins to help metabolize lipids.  It is great to have before a workout as it boosts energy levels and burns fat super fast.

 

 

 

Follow me on Bloglovin'  www.bloglovin.com/daniellecoleman2

12 FREE things to do in Cleveland Ohio

Hello Everyone,

If you live in, or are ever visiting the city of Cleveland, Ohio, you know how expensive things can get.

What if I told you there were a lot of things you could do here for FREE?  That's right.....FREE!  I know, I know...You can thank me later.

Cleveland can get a bit overwhelming whether you live here or you are just visiting and sometimes you just need to take it easy and have a little fun, but you don't always want to break the bank to do it.  Not to worry, I have done some research and found a few things that will keep you busy if you are looking to keep the kids busy during the summer, or if you are on vacation and want something entertaining to do while learning about our little nook in Northeast Ohio.

1. Cleveland Museum of Art
        Completely free.  visit their website at www.clevelandart.org

2. Free Mondays at the Cleveland Zoo
        Sorry folks, this one is only free for residents of cleveland.  www.clemetzoo.com

3. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Learning Center and Money Museum
        That's right....The money museum is FREE!  How Ironic.  www.clevelandfed.org

4. Rockefeller Park Greenhouse
        If you like anything having to do with horticulture, this is the place to go.

5. Go to the Beach
        Northeast Ohio is home to a few beautiful beaches along the coast of Lake Erie.  What better way to enjoy your summer than spending it at the beach?

6. International Women's Air and Space Museum, Burke Lakefront Airport
        Visit their website at www.iwasm.org

7.  Preston's H.O.P.E at the Mandel Jewish Community Center
        Located at 26001 S. Woodland Road in Beachwood.  This is a dreamland for kids.  visit the website at www.prestonshope.com

8. Stearns Homestead
        Located in Parma, this farm sits on about 40 acres of land and is home to an abundance of animals and fun.  www.stearnshomestead.com

9. Cleveland Police Museum
        www.clevelandpolicemuseum.org

10. Tremont Art Walk
        www.tremontartwalk.com

11. NASA Glenn Research Center Tour
        Call 216.433.9653.

12. Rocky River Nature Center
        www.clevelandnetroparks.com


Thanks for reading.  Let me know if I left anything out.

-XO
Danielle

Photo of myself (30 day challenge)

Hello Everybody,

 

As part of the 30 day blogging challenge, I wanted to post a photo of myself that I love.  Not to sound conceited or anything, but I really love this picture of me.  I am not dressed up and have on minimal make-up and for some reason, I feel really confident.  I love that I can feel this way about a photograph of myself because I am always criticizing myself whether it be in photos, or in real life.  I am my worst critic and I know that's not always a good thing to be so hard on yourself, but it's just something I have always done. 

 

In this picture, I feel beautiful without even trying.  I think it's important to be able to feel that way about yourself at some point in your life, even if it's not on an everyday basis.  Having self confidence is important and it feels really good when you don't always beat yourself up about everything. 

 

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this post and please follow me on bloglovin.  All you have to do is click the box and follow me and i'll follow you back.

 

-XO

Danielle

 

 







Favorite Quotes

 

Hello Everybody,

I wanted to blog about something a little different today.  I found this 30 day challenge for blogging and I thought it was a pretty cool idea to try.  I'm not going to do it in the order listed, but I am going to do the ones I like most first and then the others will sort of just fall into place. 


Favorite Quotes:

• We were born to be real, not perfect.
• Remember, it's just a bad day, not a bad life.
• Life is a story;  Make yours a best seller.
• Enjoy your OWN life WITHOUT comparing it to another.
• Life is better when you're laughing
• The things I treasure most in life, cannot be taken away
• Sometimes we just have to let things go.
• If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.

These are a few of the things I try to remember so that I can always try to remain positive.  Being positive is sort of a struggle for me, but it is something I will continue to work on everyday for the rest of my life.  I have learned that being negative and being around people who are constantly negative, will cause you to be that same way, and it is toxic.  I try my hardest to find something positive in every situation I am faced with;  I know that there are days where I will just feel blah and not be able to do anything about it...I mean c'mon, I'm not perfect, but trying to stay positive is something I am working really hard at and will continue to do so no matter what challenges I am faced with. 

Anyways,  I hope you all enjoyed this blog and please feel free to leave feedback in the comments about ways you stay positive, or your favorite quotes.  I look forward to reading them.

-XO
Danielle