ALL THE THINGS!

Ah crap, this always happens.  I don't update for like EVER, and then I have so many things to talk about I have no idea where to start.  Need to start organizing my thoughts......

I really have no excuse explaining why I haven't blogged....not that many people read this dang thing anyway! ><

Last time I talked a lot about feeling preemptively overwhelmed by what is to come, and well, let's just say, I didn't get overwhelmed much at all....because I have put stuff aside to go out a lot and have more fun! LOL.  I do need to mellow out on going out.  I need to focus on my future and YouTube stuff.  I have been feeling anxiety lately though...at least I think I have...it's been manifesting itself into difficulty swallowing, which of course just makes me panic and have more anxiety, hooray.

I was watching one of my favorite vlog channels, this guy who calls himself The L.A. Beast (his real name's Kevin), who started out as a competitive eater, but has incredibly entertaining vlogs...but in any case, he said something in one of his videos: Success Never Sleeps.  And that really struck a chord with me.  First of all I completely agree.  Then again, of course you have to sleep SOMEtime.  But it also made me kind of pissed.  Pissed that my body requires sleep at all.  And I thought about it....there are two kinds of people in this world: those who wish they didn't have to sleep so they could accomplish more and more things and work towards what they desire, and then those people who just can't wait to go home and go to bed.

Weirdly enough that same day, I was perusing Instagram and came across a post by ANOTHER one of my favorite YouTuber/vloggers, Rob Dyke, and he was pretty much talking about the same thing I just mentioned.  Thinking back on it, I think it's some kind of a sign or some cosmic shit like that.

I've also been struggling with deciding which direction I want to go with on my channel, but I think today I finally made a decision.  Should I say, or make it a surprise?  Muaha.

I have been somewhat networking a lot though.  Really getting into interacting with fellow YouTubers, big and small, and it's been going swimmingly.  Needless to say, I've been watching more than I have been uploading, but it's honestly all for the greater good in the end.

I have several videos that I've filmed but haven't edited, so I'm going to keep posting random stuff willy-nilly, but will gradually post more of a certain genre and mold my channel into what my vision is.

But if you haven't seen my most recent videos since my last blog, here they are in order:

They're pretty self explanatory.  I make sushi, I open my new monthly subscription to KitNipBox and the last one is a 23 second video of me playing my favorite game at Dave & Busters.  Watch 'em all, or none at all.  Just thanks for stopping by, ha!

I'll leave you with some photos in case you don't see me on Instagram or Facebook :)

CATS AND FOOD!!!  Have a good night ^_^

Thanks, kittens.

Too Much On My Plate?

Today I realized that maybe I'm feeling preemptively burnt out....like I'm anticipating it...I'm trying to make all these changes and try all these new things this year and spend all this money and try to keep everyone else happy and all I can think about is all the stuff that is still just around the corner.  I'm taking one online class, but that usually takes up a pretty good amount of time studying each week.  I am behind on video editing for YouTube and have a bunch of new ones lined up.  There's pressure for me to buy a new bed because I threw my old one out for reasons explained here:

And I've just been working more and this week we have some promotion going on so I have to deal with that, and I'm sick of emailing and calling people already.  These dumbass people who pick up the phone and are like, "Well, I'm busy right now...."  Then don't pick up your phone!  Let it go to voicemail, dumb dumb!  Egh, sorry, just had to rant a minute there.....

I went out a lot last week perhaps because I knew that soon I would be really way too busy to do much after and before work.  We have plans to go out this week as well.  I went shopping for a video (and myself), and subscribed to two monthly unboxing services.  Horror Block and KitNipBox.

Almost everything I spend these days has something to with YouTube videos, or channel improvement, video quality, whatever, you get the idea.  Except for food....and actually, sometimes food too for my sushi video, and my vegan taste test videos....it's amazing how much YT can take over your life in such a short amount of time.

I've been watching a lot of my favorite YouTubers' vlogging channels lately as well.  I should be watching less and doing more, but the vlogging channels, which are independent from their infotainment channels, are quite beneficial for me from a business stand point.  You get to see their behind the scenes stuff, they talk about how they manage their time, how they started, answer questions and give tips, etc.  So it is still like I'm working.  Research work.  Speaking of which, I need to do a lot of research for my future videos and I have not been making the time.  It's simply my own fault.  I'm not making it happen.  I think fear has taken over in some aspects.

Fear of failure, fear of not doing a good enough job, fear of criticism, and what have you.  But that's not the point to this whole thing, this whole year.  YouTube makes me peanuts right now, but it still needs to take precedence and needs to be treated like a second job.  Like I've said before, my only regret is that I didn't start doing it sooner.

But there's no sense in regretting, I just have to continue to make strides.  I need to buy another soft box as well.  As if I thought the one would be enough....

Oh, and I had a request asking how I cook my tofu.....

I don't have a specific technique.  Best thing to do is let the tofu drain overnight in a Tupperware container or a covered bowl.  I didn't have time for that, so I just cubed a whole container of tofu, sprayed a little olive oil in a wok type pan, dumped in the tofu, put heat on medium to high, cover it and just let the sides brown.  Mix up the tofu from time to time so they can brown on all sides, or if you're crafty, you can shake them up and toss them in the air, just make sure you know how to get them back in the pan and not all over the place, haha.

I added soy sauce from the beginning as well so it gives it some extra flavor and saltiness and browns it a little more.  Later I added water here and there so the pan wouldn't burn and to get the other spices to stick to it.  I put in curry and ginger powder and added whole cloves of garlic.  But really anything you like can go in!  Basil would be nice :)

Basically I just keep an eye on it, there are other things you can do like bake it for a little while to make it crispier, if times permits.  I also added green onions and steamed broccoli near the end, but sometimes browning the broccoli is amazing too.

Hope this helps!  I'm not a chef so I'm a little scatter-brained with my explanation :-P

Anyway, I should get back to it.  Lots to do :)

Thanks for stopping by kittens.

299 Days Until Halloween.

Well, I figure it's been a while since I've actually addressed the original reason for starting this blog.  But yeah, less then 300 days away and while I'm not quite freaking out yet, but I might be soon.  I reflected a little bit on the past year and I'm moving forward and thinking about how many things are going to change and are already changing for the new year.  More on that later though.

I'm actually quite sleepy and should be relaxing with a horror movie, but I'm trying to let my hair dry before I fall asleep.  Y'all know how it is.

By now I've usually got some trivia questions finished for my Halloween party, but I haven't even thought about it.  I've been doing other reading and research pertaining to future YouTube videos, which include but are not limited to haunted asylums, the infamous Driskill Hotel here in Austin, TX and other random life vlogging type things.

Speaking of trivia, I've done it three times in the past week.  The last two times I tried it alone, but here I am with my friend Dorothy:

Photo courtesy: Alyssa B.

We didn't do half bad, and when I played alone I did better than I thought I would, ha.

One of the things that I'd like to stick to this year is trying new things as well.  Such as that time I made sushi....on Monday...after work.....lol.....

I am going to try again tomorrow!  I also filmed it and am still working on editing that video for your viewing pleasure.

I feel like trying new things this year won't be hard if I plan to document it for my channel.  Seriously, it's the most motivating thing I've got in my life right now.  Other than paying bills and basic survival.  YT has been a life changer for me, and this year is going to be amazing, I can feel it.

Okay, well if you missed it, here is my New Year's Vlog:

I'll leave you with that.  I mainly just wanted to touch a little bit on the subject of Halloween now that the holidays are over.  Still have a few to get through, and the summer.....ugh, the summer, I am already dreading it.  Here is my blog about reverse seasonal affective disorder....

Goodnight.  (I originally made a typo and said "Goofnight" and almost left it because it is silly.  Maybe next time). :-P

Couch Potato. Happy New Year!

So since I have the worlds smallest room with no space for a desk, I set up camp in my living room to do work on the floor at my coffee table (with coffee of course!) but I quite like it here.  It's wintry and cozy and I have a charming unutilized fireplace with some candles lit, a twinkly Christmas tree still lit up and three cats to keep me company.

Today is a research/reading day.  For business and pleasure.  Here is today's spread:

The Walking Dead Compendium was lent to me by a friend since we both need to catch up on that!  The rest is mostly research papers and a book for future YouTube content.  The pink book I found at a thrift store about a woman with exercise bulimia, which is something that I have "suffered" from off and on in my 20s.  I don't talk about it much, there wasn't much to it, but I enjoy reading other accounts on the subject, and this topic is hard to find literature on.

In any case, I hope everyone had a fantabulous New Year's Eve!  A bunch of us went to the arcade, and it couldn't have been a better, more fun choice!  I got to see so many people I love and we all just had a really exciting time!  I was looking at pictures afterward and just realizing how great I've got it in this life.  I may not have much or do a lot, but I am so fortunate to have such great friends, a boyfriend, family, good health and access to fun experiences, and I just really hope that I am able to succeed in making this year even better.  I've never been a New Year's resolutions type, but I made a video of future plans/goals!

Almost everything reverts back to my YouTube "career," and bettering my YouTube game.  I enjoy it so much, and am learning still, little by little everyday, and I love it.  My only regret is not starting sooner! ><

Since I last blogged I have made a couple more videos if you're interested!  This one is something along the lines of the things I want to do MORE of in the future, hence the research I would like to accomplish today:

Fun, factual, creepy, weird stuff!  It is completely my favorite!

As well, I made another vegan food taste test video, and I'm proud that I made it shorter for people who lack the attention span, lol.  Hopefully that will up my average view duration!

But anyway, as usual, thank you for stopping by!  And yes, if you're wondering, I am starting to miss Halloween already :-P

Until next time, see you soon internet family!! xoxo