My BIG Announcement

Happy Friday YUMMs!  I mentioned last week and yesterday that I had a big announcement I wanted to share with y'all.  To find out what it is, you'll have to check out the video below.

Do you have any big news you want to share?

What I Learned From VEDA/Vlogust

Last month, I decided to try my hands at doing VEDA (Vlog Everyday in August)/Vlogust.  As much as it would give me great joy to say that I did indeed vlog everyday last month, alas that is not the case.  However, my first attempt at VEDA/Vlogust was not in vain.  Here's what I learned to help me improve as a vlogger and to be successful at VEDA/Vlogust next year.

Build A Video Stockpile:

Three days into VEDA/Vlogust, I noticed that it was taking forever for my videos to upload to YouTube.  That was mostly due to the fact that everybody and their mama and their grandmama does VEDA/Vlogust.  So, essentially there's more than double the amount of videos being uploaded to YouTube than normal and that causes the uploader to slow down. 

By Day 4, I was getting an error message saying my files were corrupted.  Eventually, I got my Day 4 video to upload.  Day 8, I hit a wall when after two days of trying to upload my Day 8 video it wouldn't upload.  First, I kept getting the same error message about my files being corrupted.  Then, the video kept getting stuck in processing.  Later I heard from several more seasoned vloggers in my YouTube Mommy Meetup Facebook group that it's best to a pre-film videos several days and even weeks in advance to schedule to post to YouTube.

This way, you will have all the kinks worked out and back up videos already uploaded to YouTube that are ready to go in case you go through what I went through.  So, I'm already working on a list of general vlog prompts that I want to talk about next year and I'll definitely get started filming in June and July 2015 and schedule them out for August.  Of course, I will still do a few same day vlogs here and there so that all my vlogs won't be pre-filmed.

Have A Reliable Computer:

My poor little Dell Inspirion Mini is on it's last leg.  Seriously, I have the charger taped in because the battery no longer charges or holds a charge.  Also, if you move the charger the wrong way the whole thing shuts down in the middle of whatever it is you're doing.  This was so frustrating because I was in the process of uploading videos to YouTube that I couldn't upload to my Windows Movie Maker and my computer cut off.

The bad news doesn't end there.  I had already erased them from my memory card!  Needless to say I quit VEDA/Vlogust all together on Day 12 after that happened.  What I should have done was used the Mr's laptop or went to the library and used one of their desktops.  Don't ask me why I didn't do that.  I live and I learn.  But definitely make sure your computer is somewhat reliable or at the very least make sure you don't have little kids crawling about who will accidentally yank out your charger with their feet.

Also, I've been researching video editing apps for my phone because I've seen some pretty awesome vlogs shot using iPhones and Galaxys!

Collaborate:

Collaborations are a great way to bond with other vloggers.  Also, it's a great way to grow your subscribers because your collaboration video will not only be posted on your channel, but your co-collaborator's channel as well.  So, you're getting double the exposure.  I do wish that I had reached out to some vloggers to maybe do a live Hangout or to a specific topic video.

We would have filmed and edited clips and then we would have put the clips together to make one video and uploaded it to our channels.  I did get to do a live a Hangout for the YouTube Mommy Meetup Anniversary Celebration.   That was fun and it was nice getting my feet wet with that.  Since my computer was acting nuts, I hungout via my phone which was not difficult at all.  

You just download the Google Hangout app and go.  I am currently in the process of making a list of vloggers that I would like to collab with in the future.  And no, all of them are not moms.

Variety Is Key:

So, I don't do daily vlogs because I'm not ready to put my kids on YouTube.  The YouTube crowd can be pretty rough and brutal.  I get very defensive when people talk about my kids.  I don't have time to be going She-Hulk crazy on some cyber bully because they came up out their keyboard wrong about my kids.  Talk about me all you want because I can handle that.

However, I do realize that I need to add a little variety to my videos.  I tried to do that by switching up where I vlog from.  For my shopping haul and beauty videos, I usually film in the bathroom because it makes sense.  For other videos, I'm filming in front of the pantry in my kitchen because I love the lighting in there.  Also, it has glossy white paint on the walls which helps the light to bounce better.  

I would film in the bedroom, but there isn't any ceiling light and our lamps aren't bright enough.  Plus, the wall paint has a matte finish and doesn't reflect the light as well.  I have the same problem for the dining room.  I have been looking at lighting kits though and trying to film during the day (I currently film only at night) to give me more flexibility with my filming locations.  

Also, I'll be trying to film when I'm out and about.  Tons of vloggers film when their shopping trips or even film from their cars or outside.  I'm toying with the idea of doing random street interviews.  Those might be rare at the moment since I'll have to do those on a day the Mr is off.

Promote, Promote & Promote Again:

I suck at self-promotion.  I can promote the heck out of others, but I tend to feel selfish when I promote myself or my work on social media.  Coming off as self-obsessed is a big fear for me because it can turn people off to you.  However, if I don't promote more, I'll never be able to turn people on to me and work.

My goal for the rest of this year is make sure that I promote all of my work, especially my vlogs on a daily basis.  

Although, I failed at VEDA/Vlogust this year, I still had fun and enjoyed the overall experience.  I learned a ton, gained some vlogger friends and subscribers and came out of my introvert shell a little bit more.  Be sure to check out my YouTube channel.  I'm still vlogging and today I finally got that dang Day 8 video to upload!  Better late than never, right?

What kind vlog videos or topics would you enjoy seeing on my channel in the future?

Hello August!

Is it really August already?  Where has this year gone?  Before we know it we'll celebrating Labor Day, then Halloween, Thanksgiving and eventually throwing up the Christmas trees.  For now though, I'm focusing on making it through this month.  My goals for August are:

Finish School Shopping:  We still have to buy uniforms, a handful of supplies from Moo's supply list and a bookbag for JJ.  We might also have to shop for thermos as well to go in their lunchboxes.

Successfully Complete VEDA/Vlogust:  Today was the first day of VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) & Vlogust.  For my first video I did the About Me prompt from YouTube Mommy Meetup. Fingers crossed that by the end of the month, I will have 31 vlogs posted!  Don't forget to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already.

Continue Working Out: I'm on a mission to retone my abs, arms and legs.  So far I've been doing really good with my workouts.  With school starting soon, I'll have more time to feel the burn after I drop the kiddies off.

Try More Hairstyles:  Now that I've pretty much perfected my twistout, I'm ready to start experimenting with more natural hairstyles.  My sisters and I have decided to do a 30-Days No Heat challenge.  I've been giving some thought to doing either flexirods or a straw set next.  I want to try doing a pineapple, but I need a little more length so that my curls will the way I want them to.

Interior Decorating:  We may have everything unpacked, but now it's a matter of making this place flow and shine.  I'd love to get some photos developed to hang on the walls.  I need to designate a vlogging space other than my bathroom. We still have to buy a dining room table set and Moo needs a new bed.  This list goes on, but that'll be a later post.

Blog More:  I've been blogging significantly less this summer and I'm ready to get back to blogging on pretty much a daily basis.

So, there you have it folks.  Nothing too complicated, but I'll check-in on September 1st and evaluate how I did.  

What are your goals for August?

When A Rough Day Turns Great

You always hear people saying perspective is everything.  Well, that has never been more evident than a day like today.  These last few days I have been pretty sleep deprived.  Monday morning, Moo couldn't hold down her breakfast, but otherwise seemed ok.  Then, over the weekend Moo and JJ seemed to have morphed into Tom and Jerry.

Seriously, at one point I sent them to their separate corners on Sunday because I had had enough of the foolishness.  My tolerance level for chaos of any kind is not high.  I'm chalking this hiccup in their sibling relationship to age.  Moo is in adolescence and JJ is still a toddler very much in toddler mode.  Plus, he's becoming such a boyish boy now- rough play and all.

Then yesterday I discovered that Moo has a second row of teeth pushing BEHIND her baby teeth instead of just pushing in regularly and knocking the baby teeth out.  Long story short it's caused a big gap in her bottom teeth that seemed to happen overnight and some crookedness.  So, I had to hunt down a new dentist that takes our insurance.  Around 11 PM, I was just ready to call it night until I heard Moo get up.  

I thought she was just using the bathroom as usual, but then I heard a strange almost muffled noise.  I fast walked to her bathroom and there my poor baby was puking all over the bathroom floor.    Honestly, being grossed out never crossed my mind.  That look of utter helplessness in eyes as she saw me standing there is like forever stuck in my brain.  

We got her cleaned up, but then it started all over again.  I had literally just finished getting her bathed, redressed and cleaned up the bathroom.  So, I moved us all to the living room because the bed in the master bedroom is too high off the ground to set a trash can near it for her to reach.  In the middle of this JJ woke up and thought it was get crunk time.  I literally wanted to pull my hair out because in the back of my mind I was thinking "Gee, this would be a great time to have a husband who works days so that when stuff happens in the middle the of the night, I'm not juggling it alone."

I'm pretty sure when I went to sleep at 7 AM this morning that was the last thought on my mind.  Needless to say when my alarm went off just a few hours later to get up for JJ's therapy session, I was feeling some type of way.  I just knew my rough day wasn't going to be better.  The clouds of negativity had descended and I was content to let them stay.

But then I had to check myself.  Y'all so many people didn't wake up this morning.  If all had going on in my life was a little sleep deprivation, a sick kid, etc then so be it.  At least, I'm alive to experience these moments.  I made up my mind right then and there to change my attitude and adjust my perspective.  Rough days happen. 

This wasn't the first and won't be the last.  I can't control the fact that Moo caught a stomach bug, but I did make sure I did everything to ensure that she was comfortable.  I can't control the fact that JJ's boyish ways are driving her (and me) crazy, but I can give him opportunities to burn off his energy and teach him how to be more gentle his play and distract him when his sister wants her space.  I can't control the hours my husband works (the Gov don't play that).  However, I can be thankful that he has a job and that he works hard.

Want to know what else helped to change my perspective today?  Well, I've finally mastered the art of a rocking twist out! No joke, I got my life even more (Tamar reference) after I saw how fabulous my hair turned out today.  I even got complimented it on it at the library this afternoon.  Speaking of the library, we scored cool prizes for completing the Summer Reading Program!  Y'all we've read over 100 books since June.

Then, I hopped on Facebook and saw that my She Inspires feature was live on The Young Mommy Life!  If you aren't following that blog, you're missing out.  Tara is making moves and knocking down barriers for young moms. I'm not going to be surprised when she gets interviewed by Oprah.  Remember you heard it here first folks. It made me think, I can't be inspiring others today with a funky attitude.

I don't want to write book here on perspective, but to wrap this post up I just want to say that life happens and it doesn't always happen nicely or the way we think it should.  But you either choose to focus on what you can't control and be miserable or change your perspective, get happy and turn a rough day into a great day!

How do you check yourself when you're in a funk?

VEDA/Vlogust Anyone?

Earlier this year, I decided to expand beyond blogging and try my hand at vlogging.  I thought it would be a great way to expand the YUMMommy brand as well as a great way to connect better others.  Another reason, I started vlogging is that it's a great alternative to sponsored post.  Pictures are nice, but for some products like electronics, toys or kitchen appliances, a video works better because viewers can actually see the product in action.

Anyways, I've been connecting with some other vloggers (some mommy vloggers, some lifestyle vloggers) through different Facebook groups.  I saw a few of them talking about VEDA and others talking about Vlogust.  Being the newbie that I am, I totally thought these some kind of conference or meetup.  However, I later found out that VEDA is an acronym for Vlog Every Day in August/April.  Vlogust is a mashup of Vlog and August and the concept is the same.  So, what better way to further immerse myself in the vlogging community than to give VEDA/Vlogust a try?  Can't hurt right?

Now that I've pretty much decided to give this a go, I'm feeling excited and anxious.  What happens if I miss a day vlogging?  Will I feel like a total failure?  Do I even have that much to talk about for 30 days straight?  Does pre-filming and scheduling vlogs still count as vlogging every day?

There are so many questions jumping around in my head now that we're two days out from the start date.  At the end of the day though, I'm going to give VEDA/Vlogust my best shot.  This is going to be a great challenge and an even better way to connect with y'all as well as other vloggers.  Who knows I might even turn this into a BEDA/Blogust challenge as well!  

Do you vlog?  Are you doing VEDA/Vlogust 2014?

Gillette® Venus® Snap with Embrace™

Disclosure: I received the product in this post to test out from Influenster.com.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Summer is officially in full swing.  So, y'all already know it's time for cookouts, pool parties, and trips!  As y'all already know, the YUMMommy family is already scheduled to heading down to NOLA in a little over two weeks for a family vacation/reunion with a little work sprinkled in there.  And since I do plan on hitting up the pools and letting my legs out to catch some sun, I'm packing my new Gillette® Venus® Snap with Embrace™ travel razor.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you already know that I received this in a voxbox from Influenster last month.  I have to say that when I first saw what was in the voxbox, I thought this was one of the cutest razors I'd ever seen.  I don't know of any other brands who make mini or travel size razors.

If you're a fan of the regular Gillette® Venus® razors then you will love the Gillette® Venus® Snap with Embrace™.  It uses the razor or refill.  You still get a smooth, close shave.  The only difference between the two is that the Gillette® Venus® Snap with Embrace™ has a mini grip instead of a long handle and of course, the fact that it comes in a compact/carrying case.

You can check my latest YUMM Beauty video on below and found out what else I liked about the Gillette® Venus® Snap with Embrace™ as well as get an idea of just how small this razor is.

Would you switch out your current razor for the Gillette® Venus® Snap with Embrace™ when traveling or on the go?

3 Family Lifestyle YouTube Vloggers To Watch

Listen y'all, I have a confession to make.  I'm hooked on family lifestyle YouTube vlogs!  Seriously, I've stopped watching reality shows on cable (or well, I've pretty much stopped watching cable period) and I now I watch my favorite YouTube vloggers instead.  I'm just over watching adults act like animals on those shows.  Also, I toyed with the idea of doing like video diaries when I was college and before I had kids, but I chickened out.

Plus, it's just interesting to get a look at the lives of other young families.  I thought that I'd share a few of my favorite family  vloggers with you guys.  Hopefully, you will check them out as well.  So, let's get started.

itsJudyLife

What I like about Judy and Benji is that they both remind me of myself. For example, Judy is really into beauty and fashion. Check out her beauty channel.  And you guys know that I was a fashion major and I like beauty.  Then, there's Benji, who's in to gardening, cooking and healthy living like me as well.  They have an adorable little girl, Juilanna aka JB (Juilanna Bear), and are expecting identical twin girls literally almost any day now.

I really love how family oriented they are.  I also respect the fact that they work hard to teach and expose JB to their different cultures.  You guys know that I come from multi-racial family and I feel more inspired than ever to find a way to teach our children about the different traditions from our culture.  I remember my mom used to take us the Native American expos when they came the Carolinas.  

It was such an awesome experience for me as a child to see first hand some of the foods, dances and authentic garb that my great mother and her ancestors had.  I love that they're both really doting parents.  It's so cute watching them dance and sing with JB. I know Maroon 5 thinks Mick Jagger has the moves, but I don't know.  Benji and Judy, especially Benji, are giving Mr Jagger a run for his money They're funny and they're real.  Like, you'll see them filming in their night clothes, Judy films without makeup and they talk about personal stuff.

Gabe & Babe TV

Gabe And Babe (Chad) are an interracial couple and they have the cutest little man, CJ, and an adorable pooch, Oscar.  Watching how Gabe was killing those P90X3 workouts has motivated me to get my exercise game up.  I haven't been consistent at all with working out and I don't like that.  Working out isn't fun and I don't have a workout partner, but the excuses are out the window and I've gotten my workout videos together, a workout music playlist and some workout clothes.  Mama is getting right, not just for the summer, but because I want to be healthier, more fit before I get pregnant with baby 3 and better able to keep up with Moo and JJ.

Gabe honestly reminds me the most of myself because she's just the right amount of girly.  Like I'm not girly, girly, but I still enjoy makeup, getting my nails done and doing my hair.  And speaking of hair, Gabe is all natural like me.  She has her own hair/beauty channel as well.  Lastly, one of the things that I got me hooked on them was that in a few of their earlier videos, they talked about their love for going to church and their faith.

I'm not a holy rollie or holier than thou as some people say, but I strive to live right or in a way that is pleasing to God.  And, let me tell y'all I was watching some of the older videos I missed from like Thanksgiving/Christmas time when I was down about JJ's whole Autism screening and stuff, and I'm glad I did because Gabe's grandmother Nana is hilarious!  Like I love her.

AprilJustinTV

Omg, April is like a little ray of sunshine!  Like seriously, she's so upbeat, positive and perky about life that it's contagious.  And she has the sweetest husband, Justin, who is also a talented musician.  These two are the cutest!  They have three cats and are expecting their child, Baby Liam, soon.

And April keeps it really real y'all.  Like if she ever decides to write a pregnancy or motherhood book, it would be on my must read list.  She's been honest about her experience with pregnancy and talked about nipple cracking, vaginal discharge and all that stuff that some think is TMI or that pregnancy magazines kind of gloss over.  I've been a first time mom and I wasn't and still not into having motherhood and pregnancy painted or depicted as just being all sunshine and rainbows.

It's not and you'll be really unprepared if you don't at least get some real advice or insight.  They're both foodies like me and about healthy eating for the most part.  April has a great cooking channel, and I'm excited to try out some of her recipes.  I'm doing the banana tempura today.  I just can't get enough these two.  I really love that they share the highlights of their day at the end of each video.  

It reminds me of something that we do in my family.  Each night before we pray, we share one (or for Moo, two, three or ten) things that we are thankful for that day.  This is something I was raised doing, it's where the idea for Thankful Thursday came from and it helps to keep me humble and grateful for all my many blessings.  I think that April and Justin are going to make excellent parents when Liam arrives!

Do you have any favorite YouTube vloggers/channels that you like watch?  Share them below.

Vlogs And Other Saturday Randoms

Happy Saturday!  Yes, to the weekend being here.  The kids and I are looking forward to a trip to either the park to feed the ducks or to the indoor playground at the mall.  We'll just see which I'm feeling like doing after breakfast.  Anyways, I just wanted to share some randoms with y'all.

Vlogs

As of lately, I have been obsessed with daily vlogs on YouTube.  Like seriously, I have been watching one everyday for the last month.  I guess what draws me to them is just the curiosity to see other people's lives.  We always say that we don't what people are going through and in these daily vlogs, you get an inside look at the lives of strangers. 

 It's like reality tv, but unscripted and much more relatable.  I'm sure I'll do a post later on my favorite vloggers.  Also, I feel like I've gotten bit by the vlogging bug.  I recorded two vlogs yesterday but I only had time to edit and upload one of them.  I'm proud of myself because I am definitely a person who'd rather be behind the camera than in front of it.  So, check out my latest vlog here.  Don't forget to subscribe, like and comment!!

Hungry Caterpillars

Moo and JJ certainly remind me of hungry little caterpillars these days.  Like seriously, they want to eat 24/7.  And a snack is no longer enough for them.  Moo, especially, expects me to cook for her all day long.  I can't and I won't do it.  So, I'm thinking that it might be time to get back to making smoothies and fill them up that way in between meals. 

I'm even open to juicing.  I've heard great things the green juices and tried them for a short while!  And then of course, we'll continue with our fruit cups as a snack option.

Sleep Where Art Thou

The kids have both been keeping long hours.  Call me old, but I need my shut eye.  I feel like between Moo's late nights and JJ's early mornings, I feel so tired and sluggish all the time.  I'm going to try put them both in the bed a little bit earlier and see if that helps.  What time you go to sleep makes a big difference.

Books

From romance to suspense, I have been adding a lot of books my Kindle as well as checking them out at the library.  And I've been stressing the importance of reading even more to the kids.  So, y'all already know this means a few more book reviews will be coming to blog.  I'm reading another Rachelle Ayala book called Taming Romeo.  Can't wait to share my thoughts on it.  I've never adult books by Asian authors and I'm glad to be stepping out of my comfort zone and checking her out again.

Weather

OMG. This weather is all over the place.  And last night, or early this morning I should say, I ended up waking up due to the loud thunder we had.  It woke Moo up too, but JJ slept like a baby and was not phased  by it.  I hope this isn't what we have to look forward for Summer.  Oh and our cable box got struck by lighting which jacked up our tv.  The Mr was able to get the tv working again and Time Warner replaced the box.

However, the picture looks a bit fuzzy and out of focus sometimes and all of the HDMI plugs have been shorted out.  So, we had use this cord that splits into like a million different cables to hook up the cable box.  Also, I have the task of resetting all of our shows we were DVRing.  Oh the joy...

Are your kids eating you out of a house and home too?  What books are you reading or plan on reading this year?

My Most Used Beauty Products

So, I took a break last week from Fashion Friday.  I really needed to get my book review for Knowing Vera up.  And if you haven't checked it out yet, please click on the link and do so!  I'm in the process of reading another book by Rachelle Ayala and will be sharing that review soon.  So stay tuned!

Anyways, some of you may remember that I did my first vlog video last year!  I know it was time, right?  I had been talking about wanting to blog for over a year and finally stopped making excuses and took the plunge.  I was very nervous, but felt such a sense of accomplishment once it was done and posted.  

These last few weeks I have been feeling the itch to vlog again.  After all how I am ever going to get comfortable being in front of the camera and get better at editing if I don't vlog or practice?  So, today I'm sharing with you guys my first ever YUMM Beauty vlog!!  I'm really excited.  I hope that you guys will check it out.  If you like it give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel  if you haven't already!  So, just click on the photo or link below and it will take you to the video.

Also, before you check out the video let me know in the comment section here on the blog what kind of vlogs you guys enjoy?  Do you have any favorite vloggers?  And do you vlog yourself?  If so, be sure to leave a link to your YouTube page and I will check you out.  Thanks!

Click on the picture (or here) to see my beauty vlog!

Here's The Thing

Listen y'all.  I'm a very introverted and private person.  Don't laugh.  I know you're probably thinking how can that be?  After all I've been blogging here on this space for three years.  And during these three years I've shared some rather personal and private things about myself and my loved ones.

But here's the thing....  For me writing has always been the easiest way for me to open up and step outside of my introvert comfort zone.  Just something about picking up pen and paper or touching my fingertips to a keyboard that make me want to bare my soul a little bit.  Anyone who truly knows me will tell you that I'm the master of holding things inside for the sake of not having to give up my privacy.  More importantly, I just like to keep things to myself.

And if I do let you in, you'd best believe it's because I've been watching you for a minute out the corner of eyes.  It's 2013.  You've got to listen, watch and observe and then speak or either walk away.  Not everybody is the person they say they are.  I say all to make this point:  I've been struggling with whether or not to get into vlogging.

I've mentioned it a few times here on the blog.  My hesitation is that I've been watching and listening to a lot people on YouTube and other vlogging platforms-both vloggers and commentators.   And honestly, what I've observed is that vlogging can leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.  With this blog I've been able to maintain a certain amount of privacy.

But vlogging is a whole new ball game.  With that comes letting go a little bit more of that privacy because I'm now putting myself on display for thousands of people.  Vlogging requires leaving my comfort zone from behind the camera and stepping front of the camera.  And to be vulnerable for a moment, I have to admit that it scares me.

I can take it when people leave a negative comment on my blog because they've disagreed with something I wrote.  However, as I already said vlogging is different and bullies are way more aggressive there.  People attack more than just your words when it comes to vlogging.  They'll talk about your outfit, your hair, your skin tone and the sound of your voice.  It gets ugly.

However, I'm not about giving in to fear.  As my dear friend and fellow blogger, Alicia from Mommy Delicious said in her recent post (here), "your dreams should scare you a little bit."  And my dream is for the YUMMommy brand to transcend beyond just being a blog.  I've always believed that sharing my journey could be something great and this blog has proven that.  However, I know that it can become greater still.

So, as worried, nervous and slightly scared as I am, I decided yesterday to just film my first vlog.  It's like ripping off a bandage.  I wanted it done and uploaded.  And I have to say that I'm pretty darn proud of the outcome.  It's not super fancy and the Mr's computer mic makes sound monotone and nasally as hell, but I did it!! 

I officially jumped into the vlogger pool folks.  And now that I have, I only see myself going up from here.  So, I give to you, my dear YUMMommy supporters, my very vlog simply entitled "Who Is YUMMommy?"

Vloggers, how did you overcome your fear or worry of vlogging?  And YUMMommy readers, what would you like to see on the future vlogs?