How to Make Your Video Stand Out on Vine

Have you heard of Vine? If you're a fan of social media, you probably have! Available for iOS and Android devices, this app allows you to create six-second videos of just about anything you want. Users then start to follow you, and you can follow other users to see videos that interest you. How can you make your videos stand out in a sea of other six-second clips? Follow these four tips!

  1. Captivate your audience. The best Vines are re-watchable, fun, and exciting. Do your best to make a video you, yourself, would actually want to watch. If you surprise viewers with something different, they'll be more likely to share your video with their followers.
  2. Make your video look its best. Try to hold your phone as steady as possible to reduce shaking and twitching of the camera. If you're planning on making a lot of Vine videos, it might be a good idea to invest in a tripod for your phone.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings. Ensure that there is not ambient noise overwhelming your video, like wind, traffic noise, or an air conditioning unit.
  4. Plan ahead. To tell a meaningful story in six seconds, you'll need to do some planning. Visualize the end product. Some users even like to storyboard their idea so they know exactly what shots they need before shooting. Note that there is no editing feature in Vine, so if you make a mistake, you have to go back to the beginning and start again!

McAdoo’s Seafood Company: A Stylish Restaurant With a Rich History

Located in the century-old former New Braunfels Post Office building, McAdoo’s Seafood Company is an upscale seafood restaurant with the same community-centered feeling as the building’s former establishment.

Even though the building was closed for 25 years, the new owners worked to preserve just about every bit of its original charm and history, including some of the pieces of equipment. The interior features gleaming hardwood floors, crown molding lining every wall, and comfortable wooden tables that provide a cozy setting for dinner with friends. McAdoo’s Seafood Company also offers a New Orleans-style courtyard for dining al fresco, a private banquet room in the former Postmaster’s office, and an old-fashioned bar filled with wines and spirits. With a large seafood menu featuring a heavy dose of Cajun flair, McAdoo’s Seafood Company is unlike any other restaurant in the New Braunfels area.

McAdoo’s Seafood Company is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

McAdoo’s Seafood Company
196 North Castell Avenue
New Braunfels, TX
(830) 629-3474
www.mcadoos.com
www.yelp.com/biz/mcadoos-seafood-company-new-braunfels

Three Fun Finger Foods for Toddlers

Your toddler is just learning to eat without your assistance, and while it’s an exciting time in any parent’s life, it can also be quite messy. Finger foods are a great way to teach your little one to eat by him or herself, and they’re much easier to clean up than the debris from bowls and utensils. Here are three nutritious finger food recipes perfect for toddlers.

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets [Skinny Taste]
Every child loves chicken nuggets, but the typical fast food variety is anything but healthy. Forgo the greasy drive-through nuggets in favor of something all natural and homemade with this simple recipe. Using whole-wheat breadcrumbs and Panko to add a satisfying crunch, these bite-sized chicken strips are much less fattening and much tastier.

Snake Sandwich [Annabel Karmel]
The name may sound scary, but this nutritious lunch is fun and easy to eat. Simply cut a few different kid-friendly sandwiches into small circles, then arrange them into a slithering snake shape that little ones will be excited to eat.

Prosciutto and Taleggio Panini [Parenting]
Make a protein-packed alternative to the usual grilled cheese with this flavorful sandwich. A hot dog bun is a smaller version of the usual panini bread that’s ideal for tiny toddler hands, while gooey melted cheese and tasty prosciutto are mild enough for even the pickiest child to enjoy.

New Braunfels Public Library: Check Out Reading Materials for All Ages

Few things tie a community together better than a great public library, and that’s exactly what the New Braunfels Public Library does for the residents of New Braunfels. This city-owned library houses more than 107,000 books and other reading materials that range from children’s stories to the latest fiction novels.

There are different sections specifically for children, teens, and adults, as well as 24 computer stations available for public use. Internet is available throughout the library, and guests can use the printers for 50 cents per page. Throughout the year there are also numerous reading programs, job search resources, and children’s story times and play times held at the library.

The New Braunfels Public Library is free for city residents, and those outside of New Braunfels can join for a small fee. For a full list of library hours and other information, visit the convenient website.

New Braunfels Public Library
700 East Common Street
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 221-4300
www.nbtexas.org/index.aspx?NID=114
www.facebook.com/nblibrary

New Facebook Sweepstakes! Enter to Win an iPad Mini!

To enter the Sweepstakes, Like our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends October 31, 2014.

For mobile users ONLY, like our Facebook Page, and then click here to enter!

Simple DIY Centerpieces and Decorations for Your Next Party

Planning a party can be expensive, but all it takes is a bit of time and creativity to make DIY decorations that hardly cost a thing. Here are some festive centerpieces and décor ideas that will spice up your next party on a budget.

Romantic Table Runner
This vintage-inspired table runner is ideal for casual weddings, anniversary parties and any other time that you want to add a look of romance to a celebration. By simply attaching antique lace doilies in a haphazard row, you can create a truly custom table runner.

Pennant Bunting
Long strings of retro pennants are some of this year’s most popular décor crazes because they’re so simple to make. Collect some scrap fabric or bunting in colors that match your party’s theme, and then cut them into pennant shapes for a designer-inspired decoration without spending a dime.

Metallic Flower Vases
Turn some old coffee canisters into luxurious centerpieces with the addition of a bit of metallic spray paint. Simply spray the canisters in alternating shades of gold, silver or bronze and fill them with your favorite flowers.

Floating Balloon Vases
For a truly festive birthday party centerpiece, try filling a clear glass vase with colorful mini balloons. Best of all, there’s absolutely no helium required.

Happy Labor Day!

We hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day!

Oregano’s: Grab a Slice at This Hip Pizza Shop

Just about everyone loves a good slice of pizza, and locals say that Oregano’s offers some of the best pies on the New Braunfels area. This pizzeria is housed in a small brown building with a spacious front porch, and its interior is furnished with a large wooden ordering counter, modern light fixtures, and exposed brick walls to create a stylish, rustic look. Traditional red and white-checkered pizzeria-style tablecloths line every table, and there’s also a casual patio area with more tables and free Wi-Fi throughout.

Oregano’s makes every pizza fresh using high quality ingredients, and the fired stone hearth oven gives them their distinct flavor. The Aloha pizza features sweet pineapple and Canadian bacon, while the Plant Eater is a veggie pizza that vegetarians will love. Oregano’s also offers its beloved Nana’s pies and homemade cupcakes, which are almost as good as its pizzas!

Oregano’s is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Oregano’s
636 S. State Highway 46
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 214-0306
www.oreganostx.com/
www.yelp.com/biz/oreganos-new-braunfels

Where to Buy Stylish Accessories for Your Phone, Tablet and Laptop

Just because your gadgets are functional doesn’t mean that they have to be boring. There are a number of websites that offer stylish accessories to jazz up your electronics, from cell phone cases to iPad chargers. Here are a few of the best.

Kate Spade
The well-known clothing designer offers a line of tech accessories that are just as quirky and feminine as her dresses. Kate Spade creates iPhone cases with silly quotes and cat ears, polka dotted laptop sleeves, and sleek briefcases built to hold all of your electronics.

Paper Source
Paper Source takes electronic necessities and makes them just as fun as they are functional. Printed and patterned phone cases and gold mobile chargers dress up your smartphone, while colorful USB cords make it so that you don’t need to hide your cords from sight.

Jonathan Adler
Jonathan Adler’s home decor items are known for their bright colors and funky patterns, and so are the brand’s tech accessories. Fun Ikat prints and '70s-inspired patterns line the surface of every phone and tablet case, charger, and cord in this bright collection. Jonathan Adler even creates Kindle accessories to make reading more stylish.

Dry Comal Creek Vineyards: A Fun-Filled Winery With Texas Flair

Wine enthusiasts in the New Braunfels area love Dry Comal Creek Vineyards for its expansive wine selection, comfortable tasting room, and its Texas Hill Country backdrop. This unique vineyard is one of the only producers of Black Spanish wine from Texas to California, and it makes its own core wines that include both white and red options, port wines, and sparkling wines in a variety of sweetness levels.

The tasting room is completely unpretentious and often a howling good time, and the knowledgeable tour guides won’t even bat an eyelid if you spill on the floor. Tasting fees vary based on the type of wines that you’d like to try, and there are also complete vineyard tours that enable guests to see how the entire winemaking process works. Best of all, Dry Comal Creek Vineyards offers an annual Grape Stomp where guests can compete in stomping grapes to make their very own wine!

Dry Comal Creek Vineyards
1741 Herbelin Road
New Braunfels, TX 78132
(830) 885-4076
www.drycomalcreek.com
www.yelp.com/biz/dry-comal-creek-vineyards-new-braunfels

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