My favourite YouTube channels

As most people nowadays, YouTube is one of my most used websites. I could spend hours just browsing through different videos. I follow a wide variety of people on YouTube, some do beauty, some do baking/cooking, DIY and crafts, and much more.

Rachel Whitehurst

YouTube channel
Instagram
Her blog

One of the main reasons that I love Rachel is because she is so real and has the best sense of humour. I always look forward to watching her videos. She used to do more makeup videos, but lately she has been doing 'word vomits', cooking videos, monthly hits and shits, and hauls. Her cooking videos are totally awesome, shes made lemon macaroons, mocha macaroons, chipotle black bean burgers, and much more. All of the makeup she buys is stuff that I am interested in and most importantly can afford. I can always count on Rachel for a 100% honest review on a product, even if the company sponsored her. She is just an awesome chick and you should definitely check out her videos! Her blog is also amazing!

Gregory Gorgeous

YouTube channel
Instagram
Okay, so first off, who doesn't love GG? I LOVE the fact that he is from Toronto! Gregory Gorgeous is probably one of the sassiest & most glamorous beauty gurus that have ever existed. He does monthly favourites, comedy videos, makeup tutorials, fashion videos, and so much more. He also is the star of the YouTube show The Avenue.

Not only is he drop dead gorgeous, but he is also hilarious. Some of his videos are so hilarious. Like this one.


AsapSCIENCE
YouTube channel

Did you ever wonder, what actually came first, the chicken or the egg? Maybe its just me, but I have a lot of random questions that I think about sometimes. And this channel has some amazing educational videos that answer some of these random questions. For example, some of their videos are: childbirth vs. getting kicked in the balls, the difference between butter and margarine, the science of love, and the science of morning wood.

Kin Community
YouTube channel



Kin Community is a multi-channel women's community that has videos about food, fitness, style, and DIY. I love the recipes and the DIY's that are on this channel!!! Recently they did a video on Avocado Bruschetta (YUM!). Some of the other recipes are for eggnog cupcakes, BBQ recipes, breakfast/brunch recipes, and much more. This channel seriously covers all of my main interests.

U Look Haute: Lauren Conrad's Crafty Creations

YouTube channel

Laguna Beach star Lauren Conrad demonstrates how to create useful fashion, home, and lifestyle goods from scratch. I have actually made so many of these projects! She has videos on how to make floral arrangements, fabric stool, stencilled letter pillow, cake stands, and much more.

Nutella Cupcakes

Author: original recipe from cannella-vita.blogspot.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: cupcakes

Prep time:  30 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  50 mins

Serves: 16

 

Decadent Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coffee granules dissolved in ½ cup warm water or 1 esspresso shot dissolved in warm water (amounting to ½ cup of liquid)

Nutella Buttercream Frosting

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• 1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
• pinch of fine grain sea salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 pounds confectioners’ sugar
• 6-8 tablespoons milk

Additional Ingredients:

• 24 Ferrero Rocher candies
• melted chocolate for drizzling

Instructions

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin wells with paper liners.
2. Beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla and instant coffee mixture until well combined.
3. Distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells. (I like to use an ice cream scoop)
4. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched.
5. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.

Nutella Buttercream Frosting

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening until well combined, thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
3. Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened.
4. Add an additional 3-5 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency.
5. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. Set aside ¼ of the mixture to use as the vanilla buttercream.
7. Add the Nutella to the remaining mixture and beat for another 3 minutes.

Cupcake Assembly:

1. Bake chocolate cupcakes and allow them to cool completely.
2. Pipe Nutella into the center of each cupcake, you can also, hollow out the center with apple corer if you don’t have the appropriate piping tip.
3. Prepare the Nutella Buttercream, reserving ¼ of the vanilla buttercream before adding the Nutella.
4. Prepare a piping bag with a round tip, and fill with Nutella buttercream.
5. Prepare a piping bag with a star tip, and fill with vanilla buttercream.
6. Pipe a swirl of Nutella buttercream on each cupcake, and drizzle with melted chocolate.
7. Top with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and a Ferrero Rocher.

I got this recipe from www.thepreppedchef.com

Printable Mothers Day Card

Hi there,

I quickly made up this cute mothers day card, because in case you didn't know, tomorrow is mothers day!

Click here to download

Weekly To-Do list freebie

Here is a weekly to-do list that you can download and use to help organize your time! 

It comes in two colours, aqua and yellow. Hope you enjoy! :)

Click here to download the aqua file.

Click here to download the yellow file.

How To Survive Exams

I am currently in the midst of finals. Final exams are so stressful, there is so much pressure to do well. The fact that I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) doesn't make studying for my exams any easier! Here are some tips that I have compiled that help me get organized to study.

Before starting this list, it is pertinent to have a study safe place to work. There needs to be adequate light, comfortable seating, minimal distractions, etc. For me, silence is one of the main factors. If there is ANY noise, I can't focus. Because of this, I often use ear plugs, or put in headphones without music playing.

1. Free yourself from distractions.
Everybody has different things that distract them, but there are some basic ones that affect pretty much everyone. I notice that most people I work with get extremely distracted by their cell phones. So:

• Turn off your cell phone
• Go into a study safe area (best place is usually the library) - make sure the room is clean, doesn't have distractions in it, and put a note on the door saying "Do Not Disturb - Studying"
• Create an 'Ignore' list

A great app to help you eliminate distractions is 'SelfControl'. It is a free Mac application that lets you block your own access to distracting website (such as FaceBook), your mail server, or anything else on the internet. You set a period of time to block the specified sites for, add sites to your blacklist, and click "Start." Until the timer goes off, you won't be able to access those websites, even if you re-start your computer.

2. Try out "Timeboxing"
Timeboxing is a method that allocates certain amounts of time for you to do a certain task. Make a list of tasks that need to be completed. Allocate periods of time for each task, it is important to make sure these times are reasonable and realistic. For example, if you need to start writing an essay, maybe the first task on your list would be to brainstorm for 30 mins. Start the timer and commence with the task.

It is ideal to reward yourself with a reward after completing a task. This could be anything from a quick snack break to checking your emails. After your quick reward, move onto the next task.

Concentrate for Mac is a great timeboxing app.

3. Use to-do lists
This one is probably my favourite. I wouldn't be able to get things done without lists. You can either create digital lists or write them our yourself, whatever works for you. Personally, I like writing them out and then crossing them off when I complete them. This gives me a sense of accomplishment.

• White board
• Post it notes
• Digital to-do lists

A popular digital to-do list generator is Wunderlist. Wunderlist is an app that can be downloaded on your Mac, iPad, iPhone, etc. One thing that is great about this app is that you can use it on your Mac and your iPad, and any changes you make to one list will be refreshed when you open the app.

4. Use the S.M.A.R.T. method
When creating your lists, use the S.M.A.R.T. method to make sure you are creating clear and defined lists.

5. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things you have to do, don't worry. Accomplish each task one at a time. If possible, try to eliminate some of the tasks on your list, for example, if one of your tasks is to edit your essay, you could ask a trusted friend in the same class to edit it for you. You will have to edit it after even if someone else looks at it for you, but they may catch a lot of mistakes and save you time. 

Good luck studying!

Kelly's Avocado Bruschetta

LOVE this recipe! Totally going to make this for a summer BBQ!

National Cupcake Day!

You may or may not be aware that Monday Feb. 25th is National Cupcake Day! This event is raising money for local shelters, SPCA's, and Humane Societies in Canada.

For National Cupcake Day, bake cupcakes and give them to people that donate to the cause. The funds will go to animals that are abused, abandoned, neglected, or no longer wanted. Register on the website and you can create your own online bakery where you can track your funds.

There are numerous ways that you can help raise funds for animals in need. You could host a cupcake party, inviting your loved ones, colleagues, classmates, and ask them to donate a small amount of money. Or you could donate money to someone that is already throwing their own cupcake party!

I would normally host my own cupcake party, but since I am really busy with assignments and midterms, I am going to a local veterinary clinic that is hosting a cupcake party and will donate funds there.

$10 provides an enrichment toy for a cat which assists in their behavioural development
$50 subsidizes emergency boarding costs of the animal victims of domestic violence
$100 subsidizes medical treatment for an injured dog or cat
$200 keeps an inspector on the road fighting cruelty

Some of the participating societies include
Ontario SPCA Barrie Branch
Guelph Humane Society
Kingston Humane Society
PEI Humane Society
Sarnia Humane Society

For more information check out the website
http://support.ontariospca.ca/

Their facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/nationalcupcakeday