Danyzell's Blog

I've moved!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0000

I've moved! I am so excited to announce that Danyzell's Blog is now Danyell Bailey's Blog! Moving my blog has been an amazing learning experience all on it's own, but I am very proud to share this moment with all of my family, friends, and followers who have been here along the way. With the past two years of blogging with Danyzell, I've learned so much about who I am, what I can do, and what my future can hold. I think Danyell Bailey's Blog is the next great step on my journey of personal growth.

The reason I moved.

Growing up is hard, but changing is fun. Sometimes you have to look at what you've accomplished and what you've achieved in a new light. And that's what I did with this blog. As I was trying to get myself back into blogging I had to evaluate why I kept falling out of love with it--what was making me not what to create amazing content? The answer: my blog had no theme, no direction, and nothing to keep me motivated. I found that I had outgrown the style of Danyzell and wanted to embark on a whole new journey of blogging.

I'm super enthusiastic about this change!! My new blog better represents who I am today. The minimalistic approach that I decided to take really encompasses the person that I have grown up to be. I decided to keep my new blog simple and sophisticated and chose a couple of broad themes that I would write about--lifestyle, fashion, beauty, home, and technology. While still doing what I loved to do here at Danyzell's Blog, I was able to create a new space that was even better than the old.

What I hope to achieve.

As most of you know, I am an aspiring online marketing professional. I want to work with blogs, social media sites, and all kinds of online content generating platforms in my future career. With this blog move, I have created a whole new online presence for myself that is more mature and more in line with my future goals.

Danyell Bailey's Blog will be an amazing place for networking, communicating, and learning even more about myself and my future. I've created a space that I hope can be even more engaging for my readers--an amazing comment system, prominent share buttons, and a personal feeling that will encourage anyone to stay awhile. I have set many goals for myself, and I'm so pumped for you to be there with me along this journey!

P.S. If you've signed up for my newsletter, I'll be carrying it over to Danyell Bailey's Blog, too!!

An At-Home Workout Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 22:26:00 +0000

Working out can be a real pain if you aren't really into what you're doing. Setting a goal for yourself, creating a solid routine, and making sure you are forcing yourself to be accountable are all key for insuring that you will workout on a regular basis and feel good about what you're doing. A healthy life is a happy life--so, today I am going to share with you my routine, strategies, and favorite music to listen to!

It took my nearly three months to figure out what I needed to do on a regular basis in order to stay moving and feel like my workout wasn't too daunting. The more I get into my daily workout the more steps in my routine I add; however, keeping it simple at first is what really encouraged me to wake up and workout.

Create a routine.

My routine starts with deciding whether I want to go outside or stay inside. I have a really tiny apartment, but making sure my simple workout was able to be done in my small living room was a necessity (because I HATE going the the gym--who's with me?). After the decision has been made I follow my workout routine checklist and just dive right in!

Download the pdf here!

Add it to your schedule.

After you create a routine it's going to do no good if you can't find a time to fit it into your day. Personally, I like working out in the morning--I would prefer to wake up just a bit earlier to get a nice workout in than worry about coming home from a busy day to do even more moving about. But, find what works for YOU and mark it in your planner!

Make yourself accountable.

Setting a goal is the way that I keep myself accountable because when I am not on track towards that goal I start feeling down and work harder the next day. This doesn't always work for everyone so try and find what is best for you. Post pictures, make a workout journal, or inspire your partner or friend to work along side you, just make yourself accountable and force yourself to move a little every day!

Find some rockin' music.

Working out is no fun unless you can drown out the sound of your heavy breathing with some music that keeps you energizing and pumped. My music taste is super eclectic and really can't be categorized into any one genre, but I've gathered all my favorite songs of March into one playlist for you all to check out. Let me know what your favorites are in the comment section below!

Whatever you do, do it because you want to! Working out should be about making yourself feel better. I hope that my tips can help you accomplish that little bit of movement your body desires every day. Tell me about your workout in the comment section below. What music do you listen to?

P.S. Don't forget to join my email list!!

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "How to Google like a Pro"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 12:00:00 +0000

I would assume almost everyone reading this knows how to "Google," but can you use Google to search like a Google pro? Today I'm going to share a few googling tips that will change the way you search, optimize what you find, and maximize the usability you get from the content you searched for. You can thank me later, because I'm totally going to save your day.

Quotation Marks

Use quotes to search for an exact word or set of words that you are looking for. This is useful for searching for direct quotes and song lyrics. For example, if you're wondering who said this quote, "If you can dream it, you can do it," then put it in the search bar just like that (BONUS: That quote is from Walt Disney).

Dashes

Put a dash before a word that you want to exclude in your search. If you're looking for information about the phoenix--a mythical bird--but not the town in Arizona, then you can search for: phoenix -Arizona.

Tilde

A tilde is this: ~ You can use a tilde before a term to include results with its synonyms. If you're searching for desserts to bake for your upcoming Christmas party, then you can search for Christmas ~desserts.

Site:Query

Use site: to search within a specific website. For example, if you want to read about the all of the times that the New York Times talked about pandas then you would search for site:nytimes.com pandas.

Link:Query

Just as before, use link: to search for sites that link to the specified site url. This can be useful for monitoring your own site and seeing who's talking about you. If we want to find all of the sites that have a link to Indiana University, then we would search for link:iub.iu.edu.

Two Periods

Use two periods between two numbers to express range of things like date, measurements, and prices. If you're looking for songs that were released between 1970 and 1980, then you might want to search for song 1970..1980.

Related:Query

You can use related: to find sites that are related to the specified site. Time magazine would relate to a lot of other news sites, but to know specifically you would just type related:time.com. This might be useful if you are researching an organization and want to know who its competitors are.

These are just a couple of the many helpful methods of using Google search to find exactly what you need. You can read more about how the search works and the story behind Google's search engine here. Before you leave, share a comment down below letting me know if you learned anything new today. What's your favorite new way to search?

A Healthy Girl's Shopping List

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 18:10:00 +0000

Let's make shopping easy. Grabbing groceries is something we typically do on a weekly basis, so why does it have to be a daunting task? It doesn't! Is shopping for healthy food a little pricey and a bit too stressful? Some of my tips and tricks that I am going to share with you might make your day at the grocery store a little more productive, healthy, and down right better.

1. Start with a meal plan.

The other day I talked all about how I meal plan every week in order to stay healthy and keep myself prepared. Staying healthy is so much easier when you know what to expect and are thinking about the meal ahead. In the end, it also helps you save money while grocery shopping because you know what you need and you can stick to it.

2. Create a master list.

A master grocery list has everything on it that you will ever need to buy. This really comes in handy before you leave the house to check over your condiments--the things that you might not think of when you're doing the meal planning. A master grocery list won't likely cover the ingredients you need for every meal, but it'll keep tabs on the things that you regularly need even when they aren't directly in your meal plan.

3. Spend most of your money on produce.

Cut back on meat! During the week I like to really try to be vegetarian and that helps me stay healthy and eat fresh. Meat is one of the most expensive items on your shopping list, so instead, spend most of your money on fresh produce. Buy as much fruit and as many vegetables as your budget allows because despite what many people think, produce does keep you full. Here are a few things you can do with a ton of produce:
-fruit salad
-vegetable chili
-vegetable stir fry
-veggies and hummus
-fruit smoothies

4. Keep the junk out of your house.

I understand this can be so hard! But you can't say you want to be healthy and then continue buying things like Little Debbie's and Oreos. If junk food is in your house now--toss it ASAP. If the junk food belongs to your roommates, then try and keep it out of sight. The easier it is for you to eat crappy food then the more likely you are going to do it. But, if you have to work hard to get your hands on it, then you can think about the repercussions before the act.

5. Shop in season.

When it comes to most produce, there is a good time to buy and a bad time to buy. Try to always shop in-season in order to get the best savings. Check out this in-season produce guide to figure out what the best items to buy are each month. Stick to these items only in order to pay as little as you can on your produce purchases.

6. Check out farmers' markets.

Where I live, markets are every where on the streets, especially in the warmer seasons. Buying groceries from farmers' markets is not just a way to support your local farmers, but you can often save a bunch of money on your purchases there, too. However, get comfortable shopping around and finding your "favorite farmer."

I know sometimes I'm not near as healthy as I should be, but using these tips and tricks while shopping really helps me stay on track. Also, I've been looking for some healthy meal ideas--if you know of some you want to share don't forget to comment below!

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "3 uses for your old Flash Drives"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:00:00 +0000

It's the dawn of "The Cloud," and you don't want to be stuck behind in the stone age using crazy things called flash drives! But what do you do with all of those memory sticks you have laying around at home? Today I've got some awesome tips for just that!

1. Run programs

While IUAnyWare and IUWare have some amazing programs that you can use on the go or download directly to your computer, sometimes there's that pesky program that we don't offer on the cloud. If you've got something like Final Cut pro or an advanced music making software that we just don't offer try putting it on a flash drive. This is a great tip if you've got the memory, but some of the little sticks of memory you have might not hold a full blown program.

2. Save the day

Imagine coming in like Superman with that flash drive your friend needs to reboot her computer! If you load up one of your old flash drives with a Linux or Windows operating system you just might be able to salvage a friend of family members' computer that is struggling with software issues. It never hurts to be prepared.

3. Turn it into a key

This is by far my favorite tip of the day. Did you know you can turn your flash drive into a key for your personal computer that only allows access when the drive is plugged in? Amazing, right! There's a software called Predator that allows just this. When you're ready to work, hook up that old memory stick you thought had no use and you're good to go. And when you go to leave, just pop it out and your computer is locked up!

Indiana University offers 100 GB of online storage in the cloud through Box.IU.edu, so you can definitely stop using those flash drives to store your files, but rather do something awesome like run programs, save the day, or lock up your computer when you're away!

If you have any questions don't forget to leave a comment! How do you plan on using your old flash drives?

5 Tips for Better Meal Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 16:08:00 +0000

I have been on a real kick with meal planning lately. It gives me something to look forward to every day and it curves my cravings because I know exactly what's coming. Sky and I are noobs at this cooking and meal planning thing. However, here are a couple of tips that I've learned along the way.

Some people love meal planning while others really hate it. I find that it really helps me focus on my healthy living and diet to know exactly what to expect and when to expect it. Whether you like it or not, it can be really helpful for budgeting, time management, and organizing families. Everyone has their own unique way to go about meal planning--this is how Sky and I go about setting up the perfect meal plan.

1. Know your schedule.

I'll admit, I have been victim to planning out a meal and then winding up not coming home until 8:00 pm when I no longer want to cook. I've learned that I need to be prepared for days when I am going to be out late and have a meal that is easy to cook or already cooked and ready to go. Be flexible and understand yourself first.

2. Understand your cooking skills.

Not everyone enjoys cooking (I'm one of those people), and that's okay! Meal planning doesn't have to mean an elaborate gourmet meal every night. I've come to terms with the fact that every once in awhile I'm just going to want a microwavable meal--so, I put that in my meal plan. The important part is that you've planned ahead.

3. Keep a recipe stash.

Knowing what your possibilities for meals are, based on what you know how to cook, makes the whole planning process so much easier. I user Evernote to keep track of my recipes in labeled notebooks. I also love to snag ideas from Pinterest every now and then, too! Having recipes ready is perfect because that way you don't have to find all knew meal ideas every time you sit down to plan.

4. Start with one meal.

Currently, Sky and I are only planning out our dinners. We know that that is the only time that we are guaranteed to have together because we understand our schedules. I recommend that you start planning only for one meal and make that plan work before you try and overwhelm yourself with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!

5. Give yourself a break.

If it doesn't work out, don't fret!! I've been trying to meal plan for years and have finally figured out a system that works for me. Stepping away from meal planning and looking at why the meal plan failed will help you make a better meal plan in the future.

I hope that this article helps you take home some amazing tips that can help you meal plan with your family. Also, do you have any awesome suggestions that could improve my meal planning process? Let me know in the comment section below.

P.S. Don't forget to join my email list!!

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "How to organize your files"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 13:30:00 +0000

I’m sure this isn't going to be the most advanced tip you have ever came across, but this new way of organization changed the way I manage my files. Today I’m going to show you how you can Photoshop, paint, PowerPoint, or whatever your favorite software is for creating simple block graphics in order to make your very own custom background.

The steps are rather simple.

First, figure out your monitor resolution—this is the size that you will need your background canvas to be.

Next, start making shapes! Literally, it’s that simple. You can get creative in order to follow a theme. Add some quotes, clip art, or even pictures of your own. Remember, this is going to be your new background, so make it pretty!

You’ll also want to label each section in which you plan on placing your files. Something like “work,” “school,” “fun,” or “to organize,” “blog,” “images.”

After your wonderful creation is all done just save it and there you go—a wonderful background to keep you organized. The only trick now is to actually move your files where they go and properly keep them within their borders.

Here are a couple of sample backgrounds that I came up with real quick. Take a look for some inspiration, and comment below which one is your favorite! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

This is my current background on my laptop, and I love it! I never lose anything with my new background and it looks good, too!

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "QR Codes: A guide for beginners"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 19:24:00 +0000

I work for IT Training as a Social Media Marketer. Check out this post I did on their blog at ittrainingtips.iu.edu.

Slowly but surely QR codes are starting to appear everywhere. I've found them on promotional flyers, advertising stickers, business cards, and even in the classroom. But I realize that a lot of my peers still don't understand quite exactly what they are or how to use them. These funky, pixelated graphics can seem a little intimidating, but I am hoping this guide can be an easy transition into the wonderful world of QR codes.

Here's a little background: QR is actually the abbreviation for a Quick Response Code, and it was first designed by an automotive industry in Japan. The reason QR codes are becoming so popular is because of their fast readability and capacity to store more information than standard barcodes. A QR code consists of black square dots, also called modules, arranged on a square grid typically on a white background. So now, how do we use them?

How to scan a QR code:

First off, you need to actually download a QR Reader onto your device. One popular example is Quick Scan-QR Code Reader by: iHandy Inc. Most of these apps are pretty self-explanatory and simple to use. Typically, the application will open straight up onto the main screen which will allow you to use your camera to scan the code that you are trying to use. Sometimes your camera scanner can be pretty finicky so you might need a steady hand, or try putting the QR code on a flat surface while you scan.

src= https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quick-scan-qr-code-reader/id483336864?mt=8

How to create a QR code:

Creating a QR code for your website, company, or store is almost more simple than scanning the QR code itself. You will need to find a good 'QR code generating' website, which can be done just by googling QR generator. I like using QRStuff.com because it is truly basic. All you have to do is choose what data type your link is, insert your link, choose the foreground color, and BOOM you've got yourself a QR code that can be downloaded, printed, emailed, and much more.

And that's basically all there is to know about QR codes. However, feel free to leave a comment if you want to know more, and don't forget to share this post if you learned something new!

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "The best way to save your images"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 18:32:00 +0000

I work for IT Training as a Social Media Marketer. Check out this post I did on their blog at ittrainingtips.iu.edu.

"One of the biggest space fillers on your computer right now is probably images and movies, especially if you're a designer. Digital images take up a lot of space all over the place--in our emails, computer memory, webpages, etc. It's such a pain when you don't have any more space on your devices, and absolutely everyone hates when those pesky large files take FOREVER to load. When working with digital image files there are certain file types that work better depending on what you are doing.

GIF

"Gif stands for "graphics interchange format" and was created by CompuServe in 1987 to transfer images quickly across slow connections. There has long been a public debate over whether it's pronounced "gif" or "jif," but creator Steve Wilhite says call it "JIF!"

"Some quick facts: It uses 256 indexed colors and dithering, a process where two pixel colors combine to make one to reduce the number of colors needed. It can be interlaced, and progressive loading shows a low-quality image first and then better detail is added. It allows for single-bit transparency--one color can be chosen to be transparent. It can be animated. It uses lossless compression, aka few colors means files start even smaller than JPEG and compression does not lose any data.

"Best uses: web graphics with few colors, small icons, animations, simple images.

JPEG

"Pronouced "jay-peg," it stands for "joint photographic experts group" and was designed by this group in 1986. It used a very complex compression algorithm to reduce file size. Sixty percent to 75% compression is usually optimal for website usage. And it is often used when a small file size is more important than maximum quality. The human eye doesn't see color details as well as it does light and dark differences, so some of these color details can be sacrificed to save file space.

"This is the standard file format of most digital cameras because it can display millions of colors and has a 16-bit data format. It lets image detail be "forgotten" and then filled in when displayed, but it also called "lossy" compression for the loss of data. This file type is compatible across many platforms (PC and Mac), and other programs (web browsers and image editors) making it very versatile.

"Best uses: still images only, real-world images like photos, complex coloring, shading of light and dark.

PNG

"Png stands for "portable network graphics" and was designed in the mid-1990s as a way around patent issues with the GIF format, and includes benefits from both GIF and JPEG. It has lossless compression--so, no data loss!

"PNG-8 is very similar to GIF. It uses 256 colors and 1-bit transparency; however, PNG-8 files are even smaller than GIF files. PNG-24 uses 24-bit color which is similar to JPEG. It can include over 186 million colors! These files use alpha-channels and allow transparency to be set on a scale between opaque and completely transparent, which creates a faded, translucent look. Sadly though, some older browsers may have trouble supporting PNG files because of these alpha channels.

"Best uses: web images such as logos that involve transparency and fading, images in the middle of the editing process, complex images like photographs if file size is not an issue.

"There is such a variety of image file formats that I didn't even go over today available to use. Using the right format for your images to save quality and space on your computer and in your emails and websites is crucial. I hope this helped a little bit and inspired you to learn more. Don't forget to comment below and let me know what you think is the optimal way to save your files."

UPDATE: I'm still here

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 17:12:00 +0000

Hello All!!

WOW, long time no see. I think even people who are close to me have been waiting for this post.... an update. I can't say I'm back to my blog for good, but I can fill you in on why my postings are so sporadic.

If you follow me on my other social media channels then you might have a slight idea about where I've been, what I'm doing, and why I haven't been on my blog.

Anyways, where to begin? I haven't blogged since December!!

School
I am taking five classes this semester which means 15 credit hours. Not too bad of a load. Intensive Writing, Intro to Programming Languages, Human-Computer Interaction and Design. One of my classes, Careers in SoIC, is an 8 weeks course that only meets once a week and another class, Big Data, is online and rarely does much of anything. Therefore, I've had a lot of time to focus on other things and have very little stress with school.

Next, pictured above, you can see me and these three other lovely ladies. We all write for WeAreIU as bloggers and connected via that site. These past couple months we teamed up and started a brand new club at Indiana University! We are the leaders of the Marketing Technology club (I'm the VP of Operations and Community Involvement). We started this club as a way to bring together two channels that mean so much in the real world, but often aren't taught together in schools--marketing and technology. Alyssa, Emma, Gillian, and I are hoping that through this club we can teach other individuals, clubs, organizations, and companies how to market themselves effectively in the online world.

I'm super excited for this journey with our new club and can't wait for it to become something really spectacular at IU. We had our first call-out meeting yesterday and are already teaming up with some awesome community organizations!!

Work
At the end of last year I got the opportunity to interview with University Information Technology Services' IT Training Department as a Education Communication Workshop Intern. The interview went great! However, a week or two later they called me and told me that they had picked another candidate who had credentials more suitable for the position, BUT they also told me that they really felt a connection and interest in my personality and wanted me on their team. They hired me to work in the classrooms as a Workshop Assistant, and also, gave me the opportunity to get involved with their social media. I currently assist about two workshops a week (in class and online) and keep their social media networks up to date on a daily basis.

I love what I'm doing for IT Training and have literally poured all of my time and effort into researching, learning, and becoming the best Social Media Marketer that I can for them. If you'd like, please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, take a look at our pictures on Instagram, and read all of the posts on our blog.

As for my old job, Charlotte Russe: Last time you read my blog you probably knew that I was working for Charlotte Russe, a girls clothing store in the Bloomington mall. I was a supervisor there and really enjoyed spending my time with the wonderful girls who worked alongside me, but sadly, when I got the job with IT Training I decided to step away in order to really focus on the job. I want to make my time with IT Training something that can turn into a career, or lead me down the path of becoming a social media guru with another company. Therefore, I need to focus souly on my work their and not try to juggle too many jobs at once. I still love the girls from Charlotte Russe, and some of them are my best friends. So, I stop by all of the time and am keeping really close! Maybe I can still pick up some shifts during the holidays :)

Home
What's going on at home? Not much! Most of my life is spent running around. But, there have still been some big changes that I have never shared with you all.

Meet Zephyr.

With all this running around, Zoey needed a friend. Zephyr is a Jack Russell Terrier just like his big sis, except with short hair instead of Zoey's scruffy long hair. We got him way back in November when he was just over a month old. He's grown a bit since, learned some new tricks, and mastered the art of really irritating his big sister (as the little brother should). When Sky and I are away, Zephyr can keep Zoey company and vise versa! It's been one hell of a ride, but we love this new little Tasmanian devil.

Skylar got a new job.

In spring of 2014 Skylar graduated from college, and he's been on the job hunt ever since. After applying to a couple places and two days before Christmas, Skylar got a call from the Department of Corrections who offered him a job. It was such a great Christmas present! Sky got to start soon after our Christmas break was over and just finished his training last week. It's a bit of a commute for him and has created a tiny obstacle for us, but it's all been a great learning experience and has sent us, as a family, on an entirely new journey!

I can almost guarantee that I'm missing something that I need to tell you all, but you're filled in more now than you were before! If you have any questions or comments about anything don't hesitate to shoot me an email or just use the comment section below.

Life is a journey, and I'm taking it all one step at a time. I love you all!

P.S. Don't forget to join my email list!!

Have you signed up for my newsletter?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 02:38:00 +0000

Hey guys!

I now have another amazing ways to stay in the loop with each and every one of you. Sign up below to get personalized emails right to your account!

Christmas List 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 21:39:00 +0000

Happy Holidays all!

The purpose of this post is mainly meant for my family and really close friends.

I figured that giving a detailed explanation with pictures, websites, and more all attached in one spot would be way easier than writing a list on paper, and then expecting my family to find the stuff that I am talking about. So, for the past couple days I have been compiling images, links and all the deets that I need onto in a folder on my desktop just for this list! I really hope this makes it easier on all of my family and friends.

FYI: This list is in no particular order!

Computer Monitor
Best Buy is a great place to get some monitors. I'll be building a computer this coming January-ish and could really use some help on purchasing the parts. A nice monitor would be wonderful! I want something big with high resolution.

Plain Tees
You can seriously never have enough plain tees. No matter the color--white, black, grey, purple...--I always feel like I need more. Some of my fav one's are from target! This gift idea is super cheap and totally practical.

Dainty Silver Necklaces
Now that I'm a hard working woman I need some cute and little jewelry to wear at the office. Silver is totally my color and I love this one from Kay Jewelers!! Any dainty pieces will do though--rings, necklaces, bracelets, the more the merrier.

A Desk Chair
Skylar got a new office chair, and I'm starting to get a little jealous. With my major and career choices putting me in front of a computer almost all the time that I'm home, something that would nicely support my back is a must!!

Gift cards
For real! Gift cards are one of the best gifts. I've been really into Starbucks lately and a gift card could help me get those stars on my gold card. I also need clothes from The Limited to wear during my internship... or even a Charlotte Russe gift card would do just fine.

Razer BlackWidow Chroma
The ultimate keyboard!! When this keyboard came out a couple months ago I new I wanted it. When I build my computer I'll need all new peripherals. Since I already have headphones and a mouse, this suped-up keyboard would just perfectly complete my Razer set!!

Well, that's all guys! Please feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section below or even shoot me an email (and family: give me a call). I really hope that this will aid in the gift giving process, and I would love to hear what is on all of your guys' lists.

Create a Daily Planner [Time Management Series]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 17:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the first installment of my Time Management Series. I started this series on my blog as a way for me to share what I have learned while organizing my life all the time while at college. I've had some ups and downs during the process of getting my life back together, but this time as I'm on the up swing, I wanted to share my journey with you!

Creating a Daily Planner

Some time last year I wrote a very successful post about how I use my filofax to stay organized, and shortly after that post I fell out of love with my organizational system that I was using. I haven't been able to find my niche again until just recently.

Creating a daily planner that you love looking at every day can be a real task. You want it to be malleable from day to day, fun and entertaining to look at, and easy to use. Currently, I use my outlook calendar and tasks!

My new job requires that I have an outlook exchange account to handle all of my emails and scheduling. Moving all of my information on the online calendar I realized that this was an amazing tool that I could use at anytime and anywhere. That's why this daily planner works so well for me--I can have it anywhere!

Some other daily planners are available online like google calendar, yahoo calendar, etc. I also used to love using printable calendars that I would pop into my binders and physically write what I needed to do each day. This one here is one of my favs.

I'd love to answer any questions that you guys have for me about how I management my time with a daily planner. Let me know in the comment section below!

Thanksgiving Break

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 19:11:00 +0000

Hey there!

Thank you so much for being my amazing friends and followers! I had a wonderful time away with family, and appreciate all of your patience as I took a break from blogging. More posts coming soon!!

As Seen On: WeAreIU-- "How to turn any room into a productive office"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Hey all!
I have another wonderful post for you :) This little something was written over at WeAreIU.com! I hope you like it, and if you do--don't forget to share this article with your friends.

Hey Hoosiers!
Now that we're all off on our own getting ourselves up and in action is sometimes hard to do alone. These next couple steps can hopefully get you back in the grove of being productive without your parents nagging over your shoulder. Whether you are in an apartment or stuck at the dorms, these steps can really help anyone get their rear in gear... just in time for finals!

Define your work space

It can be really hard not to just work in your PJs while lounging in bed 24/7. I know I was on the struggle bus my freshman year especially! Defining your workspace just means treating your desk as an office. Even though no one is holding your accountable try setting time frames in which you must be "at work." This helps me make sure I get the proper studying done every day. And if you become an expert at that, bump it up a notch, try defining how you LOOK at your workspace--this will prepare you mentally for a day in the office.

Hang shelves/utilize them wisely

Getting things off your desk means clutter cannot distract you! Everything needs a home in your new defined workspace so hang shelves, utilize plastic organizers, and put everything where it goes. I've hear of people using shoe racks to hold their printers and papers proving you can't be too creative when it comes to organization.

Create a mood board

This means creating a real life Pinterest board--fill your wall by your desk with pictures of things you like, stuff that inspires you, or motivational quotes. Whatever gets you excited to work and pumped to use your desk is best!

Avoid distractions

Facebook, Twitter, Texting, Email! All of these things can jump in the way of you getting an important project done. What I like to do in order to avoid being distracted by these spiraling time wasters is set a time limit/routine and stick to it. For example, if I know a project is going to take two hours I start by spending 5 minutes checking those distractions and making myself at ease (and not feeling like I need to be on them while I work). Then every half hour I check them again for another 5 minutes. Having a set timer is a perfect way to make sure your actual work still gets done without shutting out all social media!

6 ways to make running actually fun

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:23:00 +0000

Hey!

I was a runner once--back in high school before I discovered the deliciousness of Little Debbies and the comfiness of my own bed. I used to be a lot more active than I am not, but that's going to change! I've got a fire burning and I am ready to get back out there and start again.

I was reading some articles about how to get back into the fitness routine and stumbled across this amazing one by HerCampus.com. I wanted to share it with you all along with my own personality and twist.

1. Run in a race

Scheduling races can really be a true motivator. Sky and I are planning on running some fun runs in the spring and summer when the weather actually starts warming up again and just knowing that I am going to be in those races is giving me motivation to hit up the gym now. Plus, races are fun--running in a huge crowd of people can be a lot more exhilarating than running on the road by yourself.

2. Run for a reward

Whatever you want you can run for it. If you're the type of person who needs a bribe then do it! No one is going to hold you back form telling yourself, "if I finish these three miles I can buy that top I wanted from Charlotte Russe." Candy, clothes, movies, etc. Anything will do as long as it makes running fun and motivating.

3. Run outside

I absolutely HATE treadmills! In the winter when I basically have no other choice I will hunker down and just do it. But running outside is so much better. Outside you have things to look at, places to aspire to, and things happening around you that can become a great running distraction, while in the gym all you have is the same walls, in the same place, with everyone doing the same things.

4. Run with a killer playlist

Music can be your best friend. I know that there's a lot of people out there who say music doesn't work for them, but my suggestions is always to try another song. According to some research, songs with 140-160 BPM (beats per minute) are idea--personally, I like any song with a drop! Having a drop in a song gets your blood pumping and pushes you to pick up those feet.

5. Run with apps

Sky has been loving the myFitnessPal app, I used to be pretty obsessed with my Up Band and it's corresponding app, and I know that RunKeeper is an amazing tool to use, so all of these applications are out there for you to download and use. Sometimes having a person to motivate you just doesn't cut it and I like making myself responsible for my workouts by logging them on an app.

6. Run with something else on your mind

ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES THE SOUND OF YOUR BREATH. That's what I think about every time I go out for a run. Hearing my breath only makes me freak out and realize that running just sucks, but if I have a mental task to complete like planning my day tomorrow or just walking my brain through the steps of how I am going to make dinner will make running that much more fun for me.

I hope that some of these interesting tips can be helpful for you too! I can't wait to really get back into shape and run as much as I want to.

If you liked these tips please don't forget to share this post with all of your friends. And check back in a couple days for more on Danyzell's Blog!

20 Tips for Better Time Management

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Good morning everyone!

Are you excited?? Because you definitely should be. This post is a major kick off to my upcoming Time Management Series! Over the next couple of months we will be delving into every one of these tips in order to get our lives organized and back in order before the new year! If you aren't pumped yet, check out number 9--aka, it's a link to a secret post!

These next 20 tips are wonderful ways in which to get yourself up and running, productive, and even better than ever.

Create a daily plan
Give every task a time limit
Use a monthly calendar
Find a planner/organizer that works for you
Know your deadlines
Learn to say "NO"
Target to be early...always
Box your activities into time incraments
Have a clock visible at all times
Set reminders 15 minutes before anything
FOCUS
Block out distractions
Track your time spent doing new things
Don't fuss about unimportant details
Prioritize
Delegate
Batch similar tasks together
Recognize and eliminate your time wasters
Cut off when you need to
Leave buffer time inbetween

Stick around my blog these next coming months for the best posts yet to come!

And don't forget to share this post with your friends on any social media using my buttons below so they can follow along on this organization journey as well.

As seen on: WeAreIU-- "How to stay safe on campus"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Good afternoon--

Check out what I did over on WeAreIU.com. I have been writing for them a little over a year now, and I absolutely love doing so. I enjoy sharing my experiences about college for all current and prospective students to read. If you like this article, don't forget to check out my profile and read everything else that I've written for WeAreIU.

Hey Hoosiers!

Bloomington is by no means a terrible or scary place to be. It's full of wonderful buildings and too many gorgeous trees. But, everyone should always know how to play it safe and understand what to do in a situation if it goes south. Statistically speaking, 1 out of every 5 women will be sexually assaulted on their campus every year. That's a really scary number to think about. Today I want to talk to you about the Do's and Don'ts to keep you safe on campus.

Do: Always know where you are. IU is a big and winding campus. It's set up beautifully in a way that looks like a park; but often times, if you aren't 100% sure of the campus it can be pretty easy to get lost. Before you head out always know where you are going--bring a map if you aren't absolutely sure and always have your phone charged and in hand in case of an emergency. If there is ever a time that you are lost, scared, or just want a safe and comfortable ride home, contact the IU Safety Escort. This is a service that you have already paid for with your transportation fees, so definitely take advantage of it!

Do: Travel with a friend. Whenever you have the opportunity, go places with someone that you know. What I like to do is check to see if my friends want to come along--if I'm going to the library, maybe they want to come to! Traveling together makes you less of a target and keeps both you and your friend safe! If there is a time when you don't have anyone to walk with take a bus, call a taxi, or walk on well populated and busy streets.

Don't: Be careless. The simplest thing I can ever tell you about being safe on campus is to use common sense. By no means was my intention of the article to scare you, yet these situations happen and everyone needs to be prepared. Always know your surrounds, stay with someone you know, and use you head when out and about on campus. These do's and don'ts can be applied to life anywhere in the world--the only thing you need to remember is don't be careless.

If you want to read even more great tips and tricks about being safe on campus read We're All Consenting Adults Here and Playing it Safe at IU! And don't forget to follow the entire "Protect IU Crew" on Twitter for some more safety tips!

Recent Obsessions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Hello again.

There's always something that I have got to be loving, want to bad in my life, or can't stop using! These are the things that have been keeping all of my attention this past month or so--and I'll admit, I'm pretty obsessed.

My Converse. I got these shoes kind of on a whim when I saw another stylish college girl rocking the edgy look. Thankfully I did because I haven't stopped wearing them. I pair my converse with black skinnys, regular skinnys, or even leggings.

Body Butter. I bought some cheap body cream from CVS a while ago and love spreading on my arms and legs after I hop out of the shower. It is so moisturizing and especially soothing after shaved legs.

My new iPhone 6. You cannot even believe how extactic I was when I found out that I was ready for an upgrade at the time of the iPhone 6 launch. I rushed over to the nearest AT&T store to pick mine up. It truly is an upgrade from my terrible worn in iPhone 5.

My watch. I think I've mentioned my watch before in another favorites post, but I can't help it--I keep bringing it up. I love the way it looks on my arm all big and chunky! And because it's silver AND gold, I can wear it everyday, all the time, with every outfit.

White nail polish. Truthfully, I've always been a black nails girl. I thought that was the only way to look edgy and match whatever outfit you pulled on. But for Halloween I was a skeleton, so I decided to try something new and go white. Boy do it love it! I think this might be my new color, what do you think?

VS Pink Sweater. Now, I actually don't own this item, but I decided to include it anyway because I have been on the hunt nonstop. I saw one at my local mall the other day; however, by the time I was able to get back in there to purchase one they were all sold out! I have literally been obsessing over this sweater.

What have you been thinking about, doing, or loving nonstop? I want to know your current obsession! Let me know in the comment section below.

Fashion in the Office

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:30:00 +0000

Hello again!

As I prepare for an internship I find myself preparing my closet as well. Is this a girl thing? Either way, i am definitely enjoying taking the time to spruce up my wardrobe and give it some much needed grown up additions.

Whenever I need help with outfits and fashion pieces I always look to Pinterest. I have an amazing board called Fashion in the Office that I have been pinning to for the last couple months. These outfits have given me inspiration when I am out and about shopping at Charlotte Russe, H&M, Express, etc.

I am truly excited for this new intenship possibility! And I am just as excited to dress the part, get myself all put together, and become a successful woman in the technology field.

These above two images are probably my favorite outfits that I have found on pinterest. I love both of their basic style--totally me! The outfit on left is amazing because of the neutral toned long blazer. I think that this blazer is the kind that's very hard to find; but, when you do, it's absolutely stunning and totally flattering. The second image on the right just really showcases my style when it comes to sweater weather. I love the mustard color for the fall time, and I definitely could see myself pulling together an outfit like this in the morning before a long day at work.

Follow Danyell Bailey's board Fashion in the Office on Pinterest.

Comment below and let me know what you would/do wear to the office! I'd love to hear about you style.

As Seen On: The New Blak-- "#DanyellsDownload- the Closet+ app"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 18:19:00 +0000

Hey guys!

I've been missing you.

Here's another post I wrote over on The New Blak blog. Feel free to read and go check them out.

I have a wonderful rest of your lovely day. MUAH!

Welcome back to another installment of #DanyellsDownload where I talk about the cool techy things that you need to make your life more healthy, beautiful, and all around great. If you need a refresher on what these posts are about then click here.

If you missed last months post about The Hunt app then you're really missing out. Take a moment and go read it now >>> http://www.thenewblak.com/2014/10/danyellsdownload-hunt.html

Today I am going to be discussing the third app in my 'must have' series, and this one's all about FASHION! If you've been an attentive reader for awhile at The New Blak you will have noticed that us girls realllllyyyy love our fashion. Why not make picking the best super cute outfit just a little more easy... and this app can help.

Closet+ is an amazing app that stores your entire closet online. Take a moment and enter in some clothes, add some super helpful images, and then plan plan plan. I love that you can schedule out your outfits for an entire month if you wanted to! This app is definitely handy.

This app is a perfect companion for someone who is planning to travel as well. Log a suitcase full of your clothes into the app and never have to wonder what you'll wear during your week of vaca again. Closet+ also lets you add different closets like one for summer, fall, and winter--that way you never need to keep your sweaters with your tanks, but at any time you can still know exactly what you have in your plethora of amazing articles.

I can think of a million more reasons why everyone needs this app. Its packed full of so many amazing features that you will always be reaching to open the app on your phone before you even open your closet doors. To read more please check out their site!

Thanks for reading! And tune in next month to hear more from me.

Don't forget to comment, share, and follow me on all of my social media sites.

Don't skip classes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 07:53:00 +0000

Hey guys!

I'm back again for another "What I've learned this week" update!

If you've read any of my most recent posts basically all you will read is, "School is hard" "College is stressful" "I have a lot on my plate." But honestly, as much as I complain, I absolutely love it all. I like staying busy, keeping my mind working, and always having something to do. However, one thing that I've learned through the course of this week... don't skip anything.

The reason this is such a big deal to me now is because I literally have no time to make up any work I've missed if I decide to skip something like a class. Yesterday I accidentally slept through one of my 8am classes and then only had 15 minutes to get ready for my 9:30am class, and guess what I did--I just skipped both. For some people this isn't really a big deal, and normally it wouldn't be for me either. I would normally just take the time to read over the articles, books, and notes materials that I had missed and work harder to understand that material. But now, I just don't have the time. I would rather suffer through a super early one hour class than spend two hours later on trying to reteach myself everything that I missed.

Here are six more reasons why skipping class just isn't a good idea:

1. It's a huge waste of money

2. You're way more likely to get a lower grade

3. You'll have to play catch up

4. It will undoubtedly become habitual

5. It adds some serious anxiety to your life

6. You'll miss out on more than you think

Does this make any sense?! Because this message needs to be clear--please don't skip classes.

Good luck with you midterms,

Why I've been loving Snapchat

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:32:00 +0000

Hey critters!

Life is hard--college is a struggle--and work takes a lot of energy. Blogging is definitely on the back burner for me if you can't tell! I love writing, but since I feel like I'm talking to an empty crowd I don't feel the need to get on here and post like I used to. My blog means so much to me! And I could probably never abandon it completely. I just hope that the few of you who do read this can understand.

Since I don't necessarily have to time that I'd like to devote to making post, creating videos, and just putting out amazing content, I have been really drawn to using the SnapChat app and posting tons to my Snap-story. If you already follow me you'll have seen that I have been pretty into it just in the past couple of days. Posting a diary like slideshow of everything I do in my day is kind of fun! I fill you in on what's going on in my life and slide the time stamp over the image so you can watch my day click away.

If you don't already follow me you definitely should! I can keep you up to date really easily that way--plus, we can snap each other and be social on a whole new platform! It's loads of fun!

Until next time:
Please like, comment, and subscribe!
I love you all!! MUAH

Defining "what is a game"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Hey!

Long time no see.

I am currently in a class called "Theory and Practice of Game Design." It has been really enjoyable so far, and today I wanted to talk to you about something that really got me thinking. We discussed in class just the other day about what makes a game a game. How can we define what is and what is not a game in a way that will be universal in all areas of the world and to all people?

The conclusion that the classes decided on was that the definition does not exist, but for me, this wasn't a good enough answer! I wanted to bring about a discussion with all of you on what you think defines a game.

I think that everything is a game! Life is a game. A game is about the way in which one individual perceives something. And everything is a game, it just isn't always a good one. For example, going to class can be made into a game--you receive points, get awarded with certain achievements, and compete (either against others or just against yourself). Some people might not want to attend class and participate in this game, but at the same time, sometimes you just don't want to play COD either but you still call that a game, right?

Now, I know some of you will not agree with me--and I really want you to not! Respond in the comment section below and give me a run for my money about the beliefs that I have! Do you have a contradiction to my argument? I want to hear it.

I love you all!
Please click the share buttons below so all your friends can contribute to the discussion, as well!

What I've Learned This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:15:00 +0000

Hey guys! I'm BAACCKKK

This new segment is something that I am hoping to publish ever Friday morning for you (since I have gobs of time to do nothing during my midnight shift)! It'll kind of be like a chance to do my weekly recaps again without having to attach a video every time; however, sometimes when I feel like doing another weekly or daily vlog, this will be the post in which you can find links to those videos on youtube.

So, without further ado--here's all the good stuff... everything I learned this week!!

Source

Credit Cards are cool
I finally got accepted to get a Discover card, and I received mine in the mail just the other day. Don't fret, I'm responsible and understand how they work! I will be using mine to build credit--I feel like such an adult.

Agnosia
I am taking a cognitive neuro science class as an credit for my psychology cognate. So far, it's really entertaining and my prof seems to be super understanding. He makes 8am classes fun and eye opening. Yesterday I learned what Agnosia is. It's a disorder whereby people cannot identify objects or see what the meaning of a visual object is. Some really interesting variations include: prosopagnosia-difficulty recognizing faces, alexia-difficulty recognizing words, or even zooagnosia and vegetagnosia! Check out this video we watched in class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aplTvEQ6ew

There are 4 types of gamers
The achiever, socializer, explorer, and killer! Which are you? In my game design class we talked about games that appeal to only a specific type of gamer and others that appeal to multiple. Today's articles go more in depth and talk about eight or so different types of people who play games, but for the most part I like these four categories!

Sleep is not necessary
As most of you know, I have really been MIA for a long time. Every time I come back I have excuses for why I've been gone for so long, but they basically entail all the same things--I've been busy with work and school! I have two jobs now (which equals about 40 hours a week) plus school work on top of all that. My job with UITS TCC consists of one midnight shift from 12a-8a! This means I have really learned how to function on literally no sleep. All nighters are becoming a habit now.

Danyzell's Blog

I've moved!!

The reason I moved.

What I hope to achieve.

An At-Home Workout Routine

Create a routine.

Add it to your schedule.

Make yourself accountable.

Find some rockin' music.

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "How to Google like a Pro"

A Healthy Girl's Shopping List

1. Start with a meal plan.

2. Create a master list.

3. Spend most of your money on produce.

4. Keep the junk out of your house.

5. Shop in season.

6. Check out farmers' markets.

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "3 uses for your old Flash Drives"

5 Tips for Better Meal Planning

1. Know your schedule.

2. Understand your cooking skills.

3. Keep a recipe stash.

4. Start with one meal.

5. Give yourself a break.

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "How to organize your files"

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "QR Codes: A guide for beginners"

As Seen On: IT Training Tips-- "The best way to save your images"

UPDATE: I'm still here

Have you signed up for my newsletter?

Subscribe to Danyzell's Newsletter

Christmas List 2014

Create a Daily Planner [Time Management Series]

Creating a Daily Planner

Thanksgiving Break

As Seen On: WeAreIU-- "How to turn any room into a productive office"

Define your work space

Hang shelves/utilize them wisely

Create a mood board

Avoid distractions

6 ways to make running actually fun

1. Run in a race

2. Run for a reward

3. Run outside

4. Run with a killer playlist

5. Run with apps

6. Run with something else on your mind

20 Tips for Better Time Management

As seen on: WeAreIU-- "How to stay safe on campus"

Recent Obsessions

Fashion in the Office

As Seen On: The New Blak-- "#DanyellsDownload- the Closet+ app"

Don't skip classes

Why I've been loving Snapchat

Defining "what is a game"

What I've Learned This Week