How to make use of INSTASTORIES

When I first saw the insta stories emoticon on my insta feed I was like what on earth is that! Was bit reluctant on clicking through them! I was honestly clueless as to what they are and what am I supposed to do with them!

Once I plucked the courage to did click through I was like ummm… I was skeptical about the success of that feature. The things that really ticked me off were the rawness of the images! no filter!! no editing!!! I mean its like a home video what is up with that!!

But once I got into clicking!!! there was no turning back! I went on and on and on with it! jumping right off from one insta story to the other! Even looking forward to the stories that were coming every single day!

I have to admit I was wrong about them! And it took me a while to figure them out!! Here are some things that I have learnt about them and how you can use insta stories to relate to your readers as well!

STORY TELLING

Its story telling at its best!!!! We looooooove stories!! We are used to telling them through our well established and polised insta feeds and this time we are practicing with the unedited real ones!

LACK OF SOPHISTICATION

While we are hard at work creating beautiful images and creating gorgeous feeds. Insta stories come as a relief!!!!! We don’t have to painstakingly style anything!!!!!!!! Really!! And we can still gain our followers love out of it!!!! Really! Really!!

REMOVED BARRIERS

Insta stories has REMOOOOOVED barriers!!! I mean I am making design decisions with Emily Henderson!!!!!!!

How COOL IS THAT!!!!

Its something very personal very fun and very creative!! All at the same time!!

TASTE OF THE PLACE

I once saw the insta story of someone, while in my bed at night exhausted and just drifting to sleep! This insta story was of a person who went to a beaaaauuutiful place to hike. And she posted a short video of herself standing in the midst of the daisy field which were bolwing with wind and looking up at the mountain peeks where the rest of the hikers were!

And the experience was unbelieveble

It was as if I was transmitted to the daisy field

And was feeling the wind passing by!!!!!

It was that powerful

Moral of the story: Nature is very powerful and when you share it unfiltered through the lens of your camera it can be mesmerizing!

So never miss out on an opportunity to share nature with your readers!!

SHOUTOUTS

Some brands like ikea have used it like those power point slide shows to promote and to announce promotions! And there are different factors which make them work!! Like the creative use of cute emoticons! The font and styling!!

No matter how you use it! It is a very effective and powerful tool! And it does have the power to suck you in!!!!!!!!!!!

Verdict: I am going to treat my insta stories like my oolllld insta feed where I was shooting as I go! and having fun with it! I love that I dont hve to worry about glamourizing each adn every image. And I love that it is still powerful in that respect!

And the rest we all know our tastes and strategies change as we go, We are constantly figuring out what goes best for us. Its like we are tuned into getting to know where we have to go.

How are you dealing with your insta stories? What is your favourite part about them? Did they ring any bell with you or prefer your insta stroll more over them? Would love to know!!

Follow me on instagram if you arent already! 😉 @deeppurpleandblue and find out how I am using my insta stories!!

Take care!!!

Watermelon and feta salad

Nothing speaks summers better than a sweet juicy chilled watermelon!! And the bestest and freshest of ingredients together in this summer salad for a very refreshing boost. What gets better than fresh mint an cucumbers combined with juicy watermelon chunks and topped with salty gooey feta cheese!!

Whats more its as easy to whip up as its easy to wash down. Just chop all the ingredients set it in plate and let it chill! that is it!!!

The juicy sweetness of the watermelon and the salty creaminess of the feta kicks the need of adding any dressing! In my opinion its complete and whole and delicious on its own!!

An absolute amazing accompaniment to a picnic or a day out at the beach! And its a sure hit with kids and grown up s alike!!

I am in love with it..

watermelon-feta-salad

Two of the freshest ingredients combine in this gorgeous salad which leaves our parched bodies with a big punch of minerals and alkelaine hitting all the right spots . watermelon-feta-salad

watermelon-feta-salad

Ingredients

watermelon 1 cup cubed

cucmber 1 peeled and cubed

mint handful

feta cheese 1/2 cup cubed

Method

Chop all the ingredients to your liking and toss them all together!!!!!!!!!!

nothing more to it!!!

Its the perfect magic you can play with mixing the right ingredients together!

Enjoy!!

New Moms wishlist

This mothers day i will be a mom to three gorgeous kids!!!! Hard to believe but ture!!!

Rewarding yes as much as it sounds its hectic!!!! Loooove every minute of it! But it comes with a price. Its like every second of my day is occupied and I plan on gathering as many stress busters around me as I can. Personal space and me time are some of the precious things compromised along with sleep! But being a veteran at this I have a couple of hacks to ease out this process without losing my entire self to the mommy cap I wear all the time!

So if you are new at this or you know someone who is going to be new at this here are a couple of things I have shortlisted which in my opinion every new mom needs right now!! :

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MOBY WRAP: For any new mom its an absolute must. My kids are always spending a huge amount of time on me or hanging over me. Its easily one of the cleverest way to handle work and a newborn together!!! Baby gets so cozy and comfy and sleeps in peace, while you get to do all the hard work in peace!
NECK PILLOW:For those loooong nights of nursing when you are too tired and sleepy to stay awake or even to sit up, this travel essential becomes a clever way to make life easier. Your neck stays in place and gives you one less pain to endure.
Tummy Belt: This is one essential which is an absolute must must must for every post pregnancy body. All my pregnancies were different. In the first one I bounced back in shape almost instantly. Except for the pooch. At that time i had no idea about the importance of this thing. It just happened to be around and I just wrapped it. Boy am i glad i did. Because it was absolutely amazing. it helped me heal my stitches and also kept my tummy in place. Which made it so much easier to get back into my old self.
Sibling Board: When I saw this concept I immediately fell in love with it!!!! I could only imagine my toddlers lit up eyes on seeing this! i like to keep my independence as a mom. And being a parent has never hampered my active lifestyle. So i was not planning to stop with my third one either. So with one infant one toddler and one preschooler in tow. This seems to me like the prefect crusading the mall device. Can’t wait to take it out for a spin.

Drink lots of water lots of soup and lots of healthy snacks to keep your mommy tummy full and your energy levels up. These are some of the best few moments of your life cherish them as much as you can. What I have learnt is that right planning and stress busters go along way in keeping your head sane. And when you are calm and in control you can obviously take a much better care of tiny people around you.

All the best to all the new mommies out there!!! 😉

Mothers day picnic

mothers day picnic 6 Mothers are such humble easy to please souls. I am not a huge fan of fancy gift shopping. I am more of a time and effort investment person. So instead of running around the block for the perfect pair of rose gold ear rings or those pricey gadgets or rose ceramics I chose to spend time with her in a nice old fashioned picnic!!!

I cannot count how fun it was to sit back on the easy grass again and enjoy the simple delights of life! 🙂 🙂 of course we had flowers and of course we packed some yum snacks. But the mere presence in nature had this amazing spring breezy vibe to it. Which made it sooooo much more remarkable!

Planning a perfect picnic is not stressful at all. you just need to know what you need. Here is my recipe for a perfect mothers day picnic:

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Flowers: yes ofcourse you will be surrounded with nature but there is something so sweet and so feminine about a fresh bouquet to have on hand and to give it to your mom that is sure to bring smiles to her face. Esp if you make the little ones present it to her! sure to melt her heart 🙂

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2. Pretty napkins and blanket: Yes a jute mat will do. Its not like we wont have any place to sit. But to have a nice bright spring arrangement is just too pretty to ignore. Plus it adds the special going out of your way to please mom effect to the whole picnic which is what we want right.

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3. Fresh Fruits: no picnic is comeplete without some grapes and a handful of strawberries to munch on. And it is definitely not an exception for a mothers day treat. Make sure to pack some zesty fruits to entice your taste buds

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4. Guacamole and good whole wheat bread: I am a sucker for good bread. I looooooove bread in every form and this paired with some too easy to whip up guacamole is just amazing. Its a truly humble but soaring taste buds recipe!

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5. Sandwiches: one of the best picnic food. Easy to assemble easy to carry and filling. so ofcourse v had sandwiches for lunch. I chose the simple egg sandwich with some hot sauce for heat. Tip: use your moms secret ingredient to upgrade them. Mine was ofcourse heat. and she loved it!!!

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Chocolate cake: Who can resist a good chunky chocolate cake. Esp with soft whipeed cream and strawberroes and chocolate ganache

6. Pack proper cutlery: This adds refinement which a mother always appreciates in a daughter!

Happy mothers day to all moms out there! coz we know exxxxxactly what it takes to be one! 🙂 ❤ ❤