You all remember my first smoothie video with all of the fruit, well here is another recipe for you that only has three ingredients in it.

Also, I have started using my youtube account again and would really appreciate it if you would go and subscribe to my videos over there as well. The youtube account is going to be a vital part of this website in about a month or so you will definitely want to stay up to date over there.

Turn your photo from This …..to…..this using Gimp!!!

Many people have asked how I do color highlighting on my photographs. I have made a video tutorial for you to help you learn how to create those color highlights on your black and white photographs using a free program from Gimp. Many people are under the impression that you have to have some big, fancy program like photoshop to create crazy, beautiful photographs but that simply is not true. All you have to know how to do is work with what you got and all I got is a free program. Please don’t be under the false impression that if you spend a lot of money on a photography program that your photos will automatically become fabulous, the program doesn’t make the photos the artist makes the photos. I hope to create a handful of videos that will help you create fabulous looking photos with a program that is free instead of with some expensive program that none of us will ever own.

Here are the steps to creating color highlights in a black and white photograph.
1. Open image in Gimp.
2. Select layers>new layer>white
3. Select Fill Bucket> Black> click white layer on photograph to fill in white with black.
4. Select Mode on layers drop down list on the left hand side> choose Color which creates the black and white effect.
5. Select eraser> choose brush size by double clicking eraser> start erasing part that you want to stay in color
6. Select Image> Flatten Image
7. Save file.
DONE!

If you would like to see more video tutorials on anything from photography to makeup to household duties, whatever you want a video explanation of all you have to do is either send me an email (thedomesticdiva at gmail dot com) or leave a question in the comment section of this post and I will try to get a video made for you.

If you use this tutorial make sure you come back and leave a link to the photograph that you created color highlights on so that we can all go check out your work. I would love to see how you guys use this tutorial and make it your own.

Hoopnotics is a new wave of working out that is sure to become a huge trend. Hoopnotics takes the simplicity of hoola hooping and kicks it up a notch by turning it into a calorie burning, aerobic dance.

People often think that just because I did gymnastics for ten years and cheerleading for two that I am automatically coordinated. This is simply not true. I have about as much coordination as a blind cat. This little white girl don’t dance and there is a reason for it, I’m not good at it.

When Hoopnotics approached me wanting me to review their product, I was a little hesitant because of my lack of coordination. I gave up my fear and decided to dive in “hips first” into the challenge met before me. Hoopnotics arrived at my door late Friday evening and I couldn’t wait to test my hooping skills. I popped in the first DVD and began learning how to hoola hoop. The first thirty minutes or so was pretty rough. I whacked myself in the head, hit the wall, and couldn’t keep my hoop up to save my life. Once I sat down and studied the “rules of hoola hooping” it began to click inside my mind and my body began to respond. I was doing it in less than a day!

I’m not going to lie, it takes time to learn Hoopnotics but it isn’t as complicated as learning to do a dance video or tai-bo kick boxing for example (neither of which I can do). I can not express to you how much Hoopnotics is and how much of a workout it really is. The following morning after my first “session” my abs were cursing at me and my arms were on strike from working out ever again! You honestly wouldn’t think in a million years that hoola hooping was such a great workout but it really gets you sweating and that heart beat a racing.

Hoopnotic Hoopdance Beginning Level 1 & Hoopnotic Hoopdance Beginning Level 2 are two workout DVD’s that have instantly become my favorite workout, literally over night. It isn’t everyday that you see a grown woman hoola hooping in the yard much less with such a sexy attitude and poise about her.

The DVD’s aren’t ment to be followed directly like most work out videos. They are made to be your guide. You watch a segment on a new “trick” to do then you go out and start doing it. Practicing hoola hooping is what is making your burn calories. I like that I don’t feel like I have to be watching a tape the entire time. I can just go out in the backyard and hoola hoop all I want and if I have a question or want to learn something new then I can use the DVD’s as my guide.

Some of you may be wondering…So can I use just any ol’ hoola hoop? The technical answer would be NO. Hoopnotica has designed a special Hoopnotica TravelHoop (mine is pink/gold) that is designed for an adults body and are slightly heavier to add resistance to your hoola hoop training, unlike the ones at the store that are designed for a childs body and are significantly light weight.

The better I become at this hoola hooping thing the more and more I think about entering the Miss America pageant just so I can show off my special talent of hoopin’. If I keep doing this fun workout everyday, those last twenty pounds of stubborn baby weight should be gone in no time flat! Please visit Hoopnotica’s website to see some amazingly mesmerizing videos and to learn about all the benefits of hooping.

Do you have any questions?
What do you think of this product?
Do you think you could do Hoopnotica?