What a good blog looks like?

I was extremely stiff when I first started blogging. I couldn't help myself. Blogging was new to me and I though my writing skills needed to be perfect if I wanted my blog to be good. But the truth is, as long as I write because I want to and not because I have to, blogging suddenly becomes fun. There are plenty of topics that could and should be covered. But before you start blogging, you need to realize that the readers are also human, made of flesh and blood. There will always be someone who hates my blog, but also someone who enjoys reading it for some reason. The truth is, I can't satisfy everyone. So if you are about to start blogging and you have the same issue I did just keep your head up, and blog about whatever you want. Your blog is YOU and should be written in YOUR voice.



What makes a good blog?

Here are my top three blogs from WS13:

http://juliakoelbl957.blogspot.co.at/

http://verenaandthecatssmile.blogspot.co.at/search?updated-max=2014-06-20T14:06:00-07:00&max-results=7&start=4&by-date=false

/http://itsjosephasblog.blogspot.co.at/

For me, it was like I was reading one blog instead of three. They have so much in common! I loved everything about them. First of all, the backgrounds are neutral, soft and they don't hurt my eyes. For me, this is one of the most important things. I mean, who would want to read a blog with a bright red or black background? No, thank you. In my opinion, the background needs to be simple so it doesn't draw too much attention. Second of all, all three blogs were well-written, fun to read and easy to understand. I love how they are just being themselves. I had a fun time reading their posts because they are both interesting and educational. Also, they were covering everyday topics such as cooking.I love how every topic is supported with pictures. Pictures are always a good idea. Without them, blog seems kinda empty and not complete. They showed me how fun blogging actually is and thanks to them, I found myself a new hobby. Even though I am not a perfect writer ( writing is actually the hardest for me), I truly enjoyed writing about stuff that make my happy such as dancing. There is no better feeling than sharing your thoughts with someone, in this case, with the whole world! Blogging is probably the most enjoyable way for improving your writing skills.

So, what makes a good blog?

1) simple but noticeable design

2) pictures

3) interesting topics

4) understandable way of writing

5) your voice




You should give it a try!

Dog- man's best friend

Hello everyone :)

Here's a short riddle for you. They listen to us, they don't roll their eyes at us, they put a smile on our faces... Who are they? Dogs, of course. Wherever I go, there is a dog waiting for me. Both in Croatia and Austria. My family and I, we are the true animal lovers. And since I am a huge animal lover, I decided to dedicate this post to them. So what can I say about dogs? All the best, that's for sure!




Dog is a man's best friend. If you are a dog owner, you already understand what I'm saying here. I have two dogs, one in Croatia and one here in Austria. My family and I literally treat them like family members. I can actually feel my pet's love. And I love them back because hey, what's not to love?

             

First of all, they protect you. If a dog came from an abusive background, he may be extra protective sometimes. All in all, many people feel safer when their dog is near. Both of my dogs are very protective. They start barking as soon as they hear strange noises. If you treat them with love, they stay loyal until the end. In fact, loyalty is their biggest advantage. Some people say that a dog is loyal just because they depend on us for food and warm bed, so they have to be good. This is completely wrong. If you treat them well, they treat you well. Simple as that. Dogs want to love and to be loved, which naturally, all of us want. My dogs have been my most loyal friends for years. They are also incredibly smart. They really are! Especially the dog I'm living with here in Austria, Max. I swear to God, sometimes I do feel like he understands everything I say. If I talk about him, I don't even have to say his name, he knows what's going on. I talk to him the way I talk with my relatives. Funny but true! If you have a dog, I bet you can't remember the last time you ate alone. At least I don't. Max is always around me and he is usually saving me from food I do not like very much. Thank you Max! Dogs can also calm you down. We all experience stress at some time in our life. Maybe it has something to do with our personal life or with our annoying boss or with something else. Stress can cause many health problems including headaches, depression and even hair loss sometimes. To make it stop, some people take medication or exercise. Petting a dog can also help you calm. Simply being around your dog will make you happier and less stressed. Running with your dog can be a great and easy way to relieve stress. Not only will your dog make you feel better, he will keep you company as well. When I feel nervous I usually go for a walk with my dog and it actually helps me a lot. When I play with my dog I forget about all of my problem for a while. And most importantly, your dog could save your life one day. They have the ability to smell cancer in the human body. There are plenty of published stories about dogs saving their owners.

There are so many benefits that pets provide for kids!




If you have both dog and a child, you already know how he increases your quality of life. Dogs are incredible family members and not just because kids can play with them. Teaching kids to care for a puppy can make them more generous. If a child is fearful and insecure, a dog can help change that. It has been proved that children who own dogs have higher self-esteem and are more friendly as well. All in all, dogs are ideal company for a child.



It makes me extremely sad when I see homeless dogs on the streets. It breaks my heart. So if you do want to get a dog, why not visit a few animal shelters. There are so many lost, scared, abandoned dogs who are waiting for someone like you to rescue them. They have feelings just like we do.

Beautiful Ballet

I am about to introduce you with my biggest passion, dancing. There is no official, standard definition of dancing. Each person has their own interpretation, especially if they are dancers themselves. I have been crazy about dance since I was probably 12 years old. Soon after, me and my friend joined local dance school and we started practicing mixture of ballet and hip-hop, which at first was too good to be true. Why? Because I come from a small town which focus is on tourism and not on dance education at all. So that school was a dream come true for me. I trained for about a year, year and a half when I got sick. I had a bad flu which lasted for about 2  or 3 weeks. And we all know what that means. I missed a lot, I needed to focus on my grades and suddenly, my dancing "career" was over. Two years later, I joined the team again. Sadly, hip-hop was abolished so my only choice was ballet. When I saw children only, I realized that I was way to old for ballet. So I quit after some time again. When I was about 16, I joined a newly created hip-hop group with a few of my friends. I trained for about a year and a half, maybe more. We had a few stage performances but that was about it because many people from the team needed to concentrate on school, including me. After all, it was the last and the most important year of high school. Long story short, I 've experienced a lot of other dance styles during the years. ( e.g. jumpstyle, zumba, cheerleading ) Even though I respect every single style the same, ballet will always be, lets say, the best thing I never had. So the question is why, why ballet?

 

Classical ballet is one of the most demanding and difficult forms of dance. It has been taught in ballet schools all around the world since 1581. It requires perfection and perfection only. In ballet, there is no in between. Each move and each emotion need to be flawless. Ballet dancers are both artists and athletes who must work extremely hard if they want to become successful someday. And by hard I mean they need to dedicate their lives to it. Ballet requires sacrifice and a lots of discipline. A dancer's life is full of rehearsal, from minimum 3-4 to 5-6 hours. Dancers  need to be healthy from head to toe, inside and out. They also need to be mentally strong. If the dancer is especially talented, he may be promoted to soloist and then to principal dancer. And if the dancer is incedibly taleted, he may become prima ballerina or premier danseur. Even though most of the people only see the good side of being a dancer such as performances, gorgeous costumes and make up, life of a typical dancer is not easy at all. There is no ballet dancer who doesn't have foot or knee injuries. That means that they are in constant pain, the pain they need to cover with a smile. Every ballet dancer, I believe, wants to be the best, the one on the top. Sadly, most of them end up feeling disappointed, betrayed and lost in the shadow of some better, stronger, prettier dancer. Competition is fierce and they must be prepared for the worst. Most retired dancers, whether injured or rejected, end up being teachers, choreographers or ballet administrators, while some end up being artistic directors or producers.

This is by far the best ballet documentary I ever watched. It confirms everything I previously wrote.

It follows six young and talented dancers on their journey to become noticed, accepted and awarded.

All six of them are preparing, both mentally and physically, to compete on Youth America Grand Prix, largest international student dance competition. Whoever impresses the judges the most, wins a scholarship and many other awards. This competition is held each year, with final competitions taking place in New York. Every ballet dancer between 8-19 years old with ballet and contemporary dance style is more than welcome.



This is one of the dancers that appear in the movie, Miko Fogarty.

There is something special about ballet. Everything around us has changed in some way e.g. people, technology, music, cities, fashion but not ballet. Ballet is still the same and will always be the same.

Fascinating, isn't it?

Say no to bullying

Bullying is epidemic. It always was and, despite what people say, it gets worse day by day. The awful cruelties inflicted on innocent children by other children are disturbing and disgusting and it never really goes away. Every day thousands and thousands kids and teens wake up afraid to go to school. Bullying is a problem that affects millions of kids and even grown ups all around the world. Although parents or teachers don't always see it, they may not understand how extreme bullying can get. Bullying is when a person is picked on over and over again by an individual or group with more power, either in terms of physical strength or social standing. Two of the main reasons people are bullied are because of appearance and social status. Bullies usually pick on the people they think don't fit in, maybe because of their look, how they act, how they talk, their face or religion, or even because they may be gay. Bullies are usually picking on children who are unable or too afraid to defend themselves. To sum up, bullying has been an unfortunate fact of life for too many generations of children. Some teens, and even pre-teens, decide to commit suicide in order to end their pain.




Bullying needs to be treated like the crime itself. Bullies under the age of 18 should be punished by the same laws as adults. This is the only way to prevent this horrible epidemic. Let there be no more childhood scars, visible or emotional.

   

Profile of a bully

Many bullies think highly of themselves and have a lot of confidence. They like being looked up to. and they feel stronger when someone is afraid of them. Children who bully are often not taught to think about how their actions make other people feel. Some bullies are often bullied at home by their parents or siblings and bullying others is their way of making things even. Very wrong way. A child who bullies other and is bullied at the same time needs to learn how to interact with people in a healthy way. Through this process, a counselor can encourage a child to develop empathy, which means being sensitive to and understanding the feelings of others, In some cases, this process may involve the parent. Family counseling has been shown to help reduce anger and improve interpersonal relationships in children who bully.

Cyberbullying



Cyberbullying is type of bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat and websites. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messager or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarassing pictures, videos,websites or fake profiles. Kids who are being cyberbullying are often bullied in person as well. Additionally, kids who are cyberbullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior. The truth is, cyberbullying can happen to anyone ,24 hours a day 7 days a week. To sum up, it can happen any time of the day or night. Cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience. It can be difficult and sometimes even impossible to track the source.

Effects of cyberbullying

Just to make clear, cell phones and computers themselves are not to blame for cyberbullying. Social media sites can be used for positive activities, like connecting kids with friends and family, online learning and for entertainment. Sadly, these tools can also be used to hurt other people, whether done in person or through technology, the effects of bullying are similar.



Bullying can affect everyone, those who are bullied, those who bully and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance and suicide. It is important to talk to kids as soon as possible. Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. They are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating disorders and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. They are more likely to miss, skip or drop out of school. In general, these issues persist into adulthood. Media reports often link bullying with suicide. Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including gay, bisexual and transgender youth. This risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers and schools.



There are many things you can do if you're being bullied. Different strategies can work in different situations. You can try and work it out by yourself. But if the bullying doesn't stop, you might find it helpful to ask someone else for advice. Do not be afraid to let someone know that you are being bullied. If you are being bullied at school, talk to your teachers, school psychologist, counselor, or administrator with whom you can speak. If you are bullied online, ignore all the insults and tell someone immediately. Unfortunately, doing nothing is actually doing something, it is making the situation worse. Please, speak up.



  

I got fat!

Christmas time is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and a special time for family and friends to spend some quality time together and simply relax. It is also a time to enjoy good, tasty food and, if possible, not feel quilty about it. Let's be honest, we are talking about mission impossible here. We all go through this. But the truth is, this is a busy time of the year and it is just a season. When can we give ourselves a break if not during the ideal Christmas break? Just relax and enjoy the food. Life is too short anyways.

Are you one of those people who want to lose weight as soon as possible? If so, simply follow these tips:

1) DRINK MAINLY WATER



First of all, our bodies are composed of about 60 % water. Most of us start our mornings with a cup of coffee or tea to warm up our bodies after getting out of bed, especially during the cold winter days.
When we drink water, we usually prefer it cold, but according to researches, we have it all wrong. Regularly drinking very warm water, especially in the morning, can heal our bodies, providing digestive power and reducing metabolic waste that could have built up in our immune system. Drinking glass of warm water first thing in the morning can help with weight loss. Ewww but fine. I can at least try. Warm water increases body temperature, which increases the metabolic rate. An increase in metabolic rate allows the body to burn more calories throughout the rate.

2) SAY NO TO WHITE BREAD AND PASTA



It has been known for a long time that white bread is our body's biggest enemy. Even though I am allergic to it, I am still eating it quite often. But many respected health professionals now claim that bread and other sources of gluten grains are unnecessary and potentially harmful. Cutting out all white products such as white rice, spaghetti and sandwiches will instantly slim us down because the simple carbs in these foods cause bloating, especially around our belly.

3) DO CARDIO 30 MINUTES A DAY



Any workout that gets your heart rate up will burn calories. Half an hour of each torches 200 to 300 calories while toning up your arms, legs, and core so everything appears sleeker and tighter. Cardiovascular endurance is the most important aspect of fitness. It is basically how strong your heart is, which can potentially add years to your life. The heart is the most important muscle in the human body and if it is kept healthy then we can avoid numerous health problems. Another reason that cardiovascular endurance is important is because our heart controls the oxygen flow to all our muscles. Many people are surprised at how easy it is to improve their cardiovascular endurance. Although this isn't the most effective way out there, it is a quick convenient way to get into better shape and is definitely perfect for a beginner. Depending on the cardiovascular exercise, it may also improve muscular endurance. Also drink coffee an hour before working out.

4) SLEEP 30 MINUTES MORE A NIGHT



What difference could an extra half an hour of sleep make in our life? Well, maybe quite a lot, experts say. Studies show that the gap between getting just enough sleep and getting too little sleep may affect our health, our mood and our weight as well. That extra half an hour, whether we sleep 5 or 8 hours, can refresh us enough that we will make better food choices. In other words, no quick sugar fix for breakfast in search of energy. More restful sleep also boosts your metabolism.

5) MAKE ONE FOOD SACRIFICE



If we decide to cut out only one indulgence, such as the chips, pizza or the chocolate dessert we usually eat after dinner can subtract a few hundred calories from out diet, our body will be thankful.

    

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone!

Out with the old, in with the new, may you be happy the whole year through.

Happy New Year!

 

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking forward to the coming year. It is the last day of the year. It is also a time to reflect on the changes we want. Considering that most people want to spend New Year's Eve with their families, the roads, trains and buses are packed and crowded. New Year is one of the most celebrated days in the world. The day is shaped by different customs and traditions. Each culture celebrated this holiday in its own unique way. Most people start with the preparation and making reservations at least 2 weeks before the celebration. In Croatia, there is always a party you can go to. The party is usually in someone's home where the host invites closest friends. My favorite New Year's Eve moment is when the clock strikes 00:00 and when I start hugging and congratulating to all of my closest friends and the people that mean the world to me.
There is no better way to start a new year than surrounded with the people you truly care about.

So, are you ready for a fresh start? It is never too late. I sure am! And that means no looking back on 2014. What happened, happened.

 Life goes on.

Here are some of the top solutions which people make:

1) TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

2) FIT IN FITNESS

3) QUIT SMOKING 

4) QUIT DRINKING

5) TO ENJOY LIFE MORE

6) TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW

7)  TO HELP OTHERS

8) TO BE OPTIMISTIC

9) TO MEET NEW PEOPLE

10) TO TRAVEL MORE