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By Brigette Danielle



Hey there my lovelies! It is February 28th already!! That's right we are already about to be 3 months deep into 2017... where has the time gone?!

Last week I celebrated my first ever Blogiversary! One year of many ups and downs for bybrigettedanielle.com, but I wouldn't change it! Well actually I would change a few things.

Like I have said before I consider myself a born again blogger. The first time was more for personal tracking and something to help me stay on the straight and narrow during my weight loss. As I would get frustrated with my weight and workouts, I would get stressed about blogging. No one was reading my journey, no one was there to help me or encourage me and I really just felt like what was doing was talking to myself.

But... now that I have decided to start blogging again, I went in with a whole new mind set. I didn't care if anyone would read (but I do care about all of you that do!) I wanted to do this for me and if people respond then that is an added bonus! Even though going in to my new blogging venture, I wish there was someone that would have coached me on platforms, hosts and all the technical terms... I still get confused! And also, I wish there was someone in the beginning to tell me what they learned. It wasn't until after I went live that the blogging world seemed to reveal itself. It seemed like every Pin was related to blogging. What to do when you start/ when you think about starting one and all the things that I have already done.

Well, after finally finding the juicy secrets, I realized that the secrets weren't really secrets! I have learned so much about blogging and getting my voice out there, and I felt it was only right to share it with y'all! So here we go!



1. Plan before you post- Making sure you have everything planned ahead makes blogging so much easier! From creating tons of quality posts all the way down to your color schemes. Organizing your ideas for your blog will same you tons of headaches later.

2. Content- Some bloggers say you need to write lengthy posts and others say you don't. I personally found that somewhere in the middle works best. You don't want your readers trying to plan a day to read your novel of a post and you don't want them to feel like it was a waste of time clicking your link. A great post is informative but yet it gets to the point. But most importantly, it has to be you!

3. Images- Yes images matter! Let's be honest, one of the main reasons you click on a blog post is because of the pictures! Taking great quality pictures will do a lot for your social media. presence! Plus of you don't have time to take great pictures, people actually do it for you and a lot of them are free! Just google stock photos!

4. Social Media/ Promoting- Having a blog is one thing, but social media is everything! These days social media is sometimes the only way to get something out.. FAST! So make sure you use all the majors ones (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc). And don;t be afraid to share your own work! I would always feel a little nervous when I would share my blog Facebook post on my personal. It would always feel like I was self promoting. But hey, now.... it has become one of my best promo tools! Hashtags, liking and commenting on others that are similar to your niche are great ways to get more traffic!

5. Groups- This one was a HUGE game changer!! If you are not in a Facebook group... get in one! Several of the bloggers I follow, recommended tons of groups( over 20) and after checking out each ones, I found ones that I enjoy and are suitable for what I need. So before you start posting, check Facebook for groups, just use keywords like blog, blogging, blog support and other keywords that are similar to your niche! Once you join make sure you read all the rules and get ready to promote you content!


Once I started uping my skills in these areas, my blog seemed to reach more and more people everyday! I hope these little tricks will help you grow your blog or social media presence. And again THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for reading, commenting, liking sharing, pinning you name it! This has been one exciting year, and I can't wait to see what year 2 has in store!

What did you learn your first year in blogging? Let me know in the comments below!






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Hello there lovelies! Can you believe that February is almost OVER?! I mean it will be here literally here next week! I can't believe it. So far this year has been great! Kids are excelling in their school work, things are going great for the blog and my business.. PLUS my husband has been a huge support system for my weight loss journey.. more details on that coming soon!

Today as I was folding what seemed like the same shirt for the 5th time this week, I decided to go through all of the kids clothes (again) to see what we needed to get rid of.  That was until I started realizing some of the super cute clothes I had picked out for the kids over the past moth or so! Thai had so many cute tops and perfect fitting jeans, so naturally a light bulb went off! Let's do a post about the amazing finds from our local thrift store!

I have to admit, growing up I LOATHED the thrift store! The thought of cheap, has been hand me downs turned my stomach! I wanted to buy everything free of previous owners. Then all of a sudden one year while I was in college, I found a thrift store full of vintage dresses, shoes (still kinda iffy on shoes) and accessories that I fell in love with it! Ever since then, I always check the thrift store for certain things. I have learned that not all thrift stores are equal so I do have ones I will go to and ones I pretend don't even exist lol. But if you take the time and look, you will find hidden gems!

So.. back to the reason behind the post! All of these clothes are great quality, stylish clothes and not to mention from some of Thai's favorite stores.. ie, Children's Place, Justice, Crazy 8 etc.
BTW She was so pumped about this post!

So take a look at some of her  our favorite pieces!
-note, everything is from the thrift store except the shoes (told ya i'm a little iffy)

First up, her FAVE, Ever After High! These in both our opinion were a great score. These were brand new with the tags still attached! A little big but she loves them!




Next we have her rock star outfit! Her top is a two piece from Justice and even though you can't tell, the black vest has sparkly sequence on the front! The jeans are just walmart jeans but they were like $1 instead of $9-10.

Next up, this panda shirt is from MUDD and her jeggings from Justice! She loves this top!



This look is really cute! Her white top is from Justice, vest is Tommy and jeans are Jordache.




This one is the same white top with a knit sweater over it. The sweater is from Gap Kids and the skirt (her fave) is from Knit Works.





The shirt that describes her everyday (happy) is from Crazy 8 and her pants are from So.




This cat top that says "music rocks" is from Girlyfied and these are the same pink Jordache pants.



Caught watching Odd Squad here lol. Her top and jeans are from Children's Place!



This top, Which is sooo cute! Is from Jessica Simpson! I love the purse detail because it is actually a functioning purse and check out that back!! Plus the fox is cute too. The pants are from Old Navy!




 This top has something that has been a huge thing for the past several months! Mermaid sequins ( i have a journal with it!) The top is from Bongo Girls and these are the same Old Navy jeans,


 And last but not least this top! Thai loves it so much! She thinks the pattern is awesome lol. There was no tag in it so I'm not sure where it's from!




Also (not pictured) we scored tons of cute girly bras and Calvin Klein undies for her! They were brand new and super cute with girly patterns and springy colors! 

From Thai: I hope you guys like this! These are my favorite outfits ever! 

Do you check out the thrift store? What do you look for? Let me know in the comments below!

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Hey there lovelies! Have you had the chance to catch any of the shows this round of NYFW?! Well unfortunately I was not able to attend due to more pressing issues at Condé Nast( here's hoping lol)

But on a serious note, there were tons of amazing looks from this seasons New York Fashion Week. One that I really enjoyed was Alice + Olivia's spring collection! The colors and patterns remind me of a mix of boho 60's and 70's. The lace and florals not only not only channel the essence of spring time, but they add so much grace and allure. I just love them! 

Check out some of my favorite looks from the Alice + Olivia Spring 17 RTW collection!


The lace on this dress is so whimsical and elgant! Perfect for spring.


I love the cut of these trousers. This shade of blue is so rich and deep it allows the floral print to pop even more.


This is one of my favorites! The red floral print adds a little romance to this look.


I have never been big on stripes, but these stripes are placed perfectly against each other. The loose and semi ruffle cut adds even more movement to this simple pattern.


Again, these florals against a black fabric adds such romance. The baroque styled over coat is so detailed and colorful. It was paired perfectly with these trousers.


One word here, LACE!


This is possibly my favorite look from this collection. The ruffles, the color, the cut... everything about this is perfection! 

Want to see the rest of this collection? Check it out HERE!


Did you have the chance to attend New York Fashion week? What were your favorites? Let me know in the comments below! 

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Hey there my lovelies!

So, it's Sunday morning and as I'm eating my oatmeal, I get a brilliant idea to share with you all my favorite yummy oatmeal recipes!

I was at the farmers market yesterday and per request, I just had to load up on apples! Good thing I did! They had fresh, organic Fuji apples 3 for $2. Compared to $3+ a pound at the grocery store, I couldn't resist! Once I bit into them I knew I probably wouldn't get anything nowhere near as good from the store.

So, as I was making oatmeal this morning, I suddenly had a craving for McDonald's fruit and maple oatmeal. I haven't had it literally in over 3 years, so it was totally random. So in my attempt to recreate my own version, I added some fruit, brown sugar and milk for the kiddos and left out the milk for mine.

As I was enjoying my delicious warm oats, I started to think about all the others that I enjoy and how plain bland oatmeal really is like a canvas! You can do whatever you want to it and the outcome will be spectacular!

So here are some of my favorite variations... of course I may omit certain things here or there with each recipe, but these are great foundations and combinations for your morning oats!

1. Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal from  Iowa Girl Eats is so light and springy! I love eating this when it starts to warm up outside!

Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal | iowagirleats.com

2. Banana Bread Oats from Crock Pot Ladies is so classic! It reminds me of my grandmothers banana bread in oatmeal form!

Crock-Pot Banana Bread Oatmeal - Warm up to a hearty and delicious bowl of hot Crock-Pot Banana Bread Oatmeal. The perfect breakfast for a cold morning! [recipe from CrockPotLadies.com]

3. Strawberries and Cream from Fox Valley Foodie is possibly one of my favorites! I mean who doesn't love strawberries and cream! This is so satisfying for me on those days when I want a little extra sweet in the morning!


Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal Recipe


4. Chocolate Strawberry Oats from Bakerita seem like such an indulgence! The chocolate and strawberries (never can have enough) are in my opinion one of the best combinations EVER!

This Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal tastes like dessert for breakfast! This oatmeal is sweetened with a banana and cocoa powder + chocolate chips make it super chocolatey. It's gluten-free, refined sugar free, and vegan.

5. Peanut Butter Banana Oats from Eating Bird Food feels like such a comfort food! Peanut butter and banana always seemed like an odd combination when I was growing up. When I started my weight loss journey, pbb always seemed like it would pop up in recipes so I thought, Why not! Now... I LOVE IT!


The ultimate healthy breakfast recipe, this peanut butter banana oatmeal is creamy, voluminous and will keep you full all morning long!


6. Chunky Monkey Oats from She Well takes the pbb game up a notch by adding.... CHOCOLATE! That its self is WIN!

Chunky Monkey Morning Oats - She Well // Vegan

7.Apple Cinnamon Oats from Sugar Dish Me hits home! 1, it reminds me of my grandmothers apple pie. 2, it feels like Fall, my favorite!

Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

What kind of oats do you like to eat? Let me know in the comments below!

** ps, these are not my pictures. these belong to the bloggers where I have gotten the recipe from. click their link above for the full details on their dishes**
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When we first talked about home school ( in Texas), I had our whole condo planned out. Every space, how I would organize and how I would theme it. I knew ways that I could make the kids' home school space and living space comfortable and allow them to transition easily.

But as you know life changes and you have to learn to rearrange  on a whim to just go with the flow! I'm not going to lie, when we found our new place here in Kansas City the layout was a tad smaller than our condo in Dallas. So like any crazy person  smart person would do, I spent days thumbing through Pinterest, Google and multiple forums on ideas on how to decorate our new space.

Our layout is a tad unfamiliar for me and hey, I'm no interior decorator, so I struggled... A LOT! I wanted to keep the kids' space open and away from their room so they can easily have two comfortable "kid friendly" spaces. But at the same time, I didn't want it to clash with my style of living. I mean don't get me wrong, I love to show off my kiddos, I just don't really want their stuff to overstep my stuff lol.

Once I got some ideas flowing and some advice from fellow home schoolers, I was able to come up with something that was suitable for both my kids and I!

So here it is! Our home school space!

 Now bare with me as I try to explain to you our front room set up lol.  In this first picture, this is a small "hallway" that leads to our kitchen on the right. The windows overlook the river and N. Kansas City. Along the wall are my posters. They are the map of the US, Short and long vowels, Days of the week and months of the year. Below that is a number line and alphabet line that I made at Kaleidoscope ( our favorite art place in kc). Then we have our punctuation board, parts of speech, planets and layers of the Earth, The scientific method, states of matter, literary devices and styles of writing. I picked all of these posters up from the Dollar Tree and they come 2 in a pack (except the map). We have our project table which is just a lego table from craigslist, a laundry basket FULL of kitchen food, plates and pots and pans. And right along the wall behind the couch is the play kitchen.



 This next picture is in our living room. This window also overlooks the river. We decided to keep it in the front room next to the piano so when my husband is working with an artist or making music he can use both at the same time. Not really sure what it is lol. On top we have our work books, flash cards, globe trotter game and leap frog speller. We also keep a few non library books that focus on beginning to read. In the cabinet with the pictures we keep our headphones and Brain-quest flash cards along with misc. items from the library ie contests and flyers. The blue pencil boxes are our pencils, glue sticks, crayons, colored pencils and markers. I didn't get it in the picture but underneath the glass table on the side, we have our craft bucket which is filled with paint brushes, rulers, glitter glue and other non paper craft items (the papers are in another box).


Next we have our bookshelf! Little miss just had to take a picture in front! lol I just love her lol! btw, I just realized she looks almost identical to her older sister Phe! But on our bookshelf, each shelf is different. The first shelf of books are my husbands and mine. We have our Bibles, personal development books, references, journals and planners. Second shelf is our free time reading books that we have bought and checked out from the library. These books are purely ones that the kids enjoy and don't necessarily have to talk about subject we are learning in school. Last shelf is our family games! I have been wanting to pick up more but when ever I go to the store I stop and think, "hmmm, do I really want to pick up all these games?!" and then I pass lol. But we have fun, easy games  puzzles and cards that everyone likes!



I hope you liked this super short tour of our home school space! If you home school, do oyu have a separate space? Let me know in the comments below!



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By Brigette Danielle 1

                                        


Is anyone else ready for spring yet?! I seriously am over the cold! I mean yes the boots, gloves and coats this season have been pretty epic, but I am ready to shed some of these unwanted layers of clothes and chapped lips!

As you may know, I have been obsessing with rose gold for a while so you should't be surprised when it shows up in this look! One thing that I love about the transition from winter to spring is that while wearing plain or dark colors, you get that awesome pop of a bright color thrown in the mix.

With this look I kept the sleeves long and added a light cardigan. The early days of spring (depending on where you live) can still be quite chilly. A cardigan is perfect to add to your spring wardrobe because they are light enough to wear all day and warm enough to keep the chilly breeze at bay.

Of course heels are always optional but why would you want anything else?! lol Pair some neutrals with a par of dark jeans and you are set!

Are you ready for spring?! What is your favorite thing to wear for spring? Let me know in the comments below!
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About me

About Me

Welcome to By Brigette Danielle!

I'm a full time Texas mom of 4, wife, homeschooler and coffee lover. This blog is dedicated to sharing family topics, beauty, plus size style, mom hacks and more. Welcome to my little world, I'm glad you came to visit.


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