{The Wednesday Hit List}: Top 5 Beauty YouTubers

This week's Wednesday Hit List post will probably come as a total shocker to everyone! But I am pretty excited to share with you all my 5 most favorite beauty YouTubers. 

If you don't know me and even if you do, you might be will be surprised to know that I have a huge obsession with beauty YouTube videos/channels. It all started one day when I was at work and I randomly noticed how cheap E.L.F. products are. I decided to Google 'best E.L.F. products' and the first thing that popped up was a Kathleen Lights video... and down the rabbit hole I went. The next thing I knew I was 10 videos deep and couldn't stop. Six months later and not much as changed. The reason why this is so shocking to most people (and to myself as well) is because I rarely wear makeup. Besides mascara (that I wear on days I work), I put on makeup about once a month. It's not that I don't need to, because trust me I do, it's just that I don't make it a priority each day and I don't like putting product on my skin ( I have really sensitive and just overall not good skin). I always feel like putting on make-up is going to make my skin even worse and taking it off every night is too much of a process for me. So it is really absurd and totally ironic that I know more about make-up than 90% of the population, but I rarely ever wear it.
Now that you have that little background, let's get to my list. I am counting down from 5 to 1.

5. Tati: Oh my Tati. I have grown to love this woman. Her channel is all about the products. If there is a new product out and you want to know about it, go to Tati. She reviews more products than I ever knew existed, both high-end and drugstore. She does a lot of first impressions where she tries something for the first time, tests it throughout the day, then checks back in at night to give the full review. She also does a fair amount of disappointing products reviews, which many other YouTubers try to stay away from, but I love. In general, her channel is just chalked full of so much information it's incredible. I love her because she is honest, super hardworking (she uploads a new video every weekday), and classy (but not stuck-up)! 

4. Laura Lee: To be honest I wasn't so sure about Laura at first. It took me a while to really get what she was all about. Some people seem to take issue with her voice, but I adore her accent and have no issue with the tone and pitch of her voice. What I had a hard time with, at first, was her humor. In the beginning, I thought she was just trying too hard to be weird and different and her goofiness seemed forced and unnatural. But the more I watched her, the more I started to see that she was honestly just being herself. I think it helped when I started following her on SnapChat and I was able to see her in her natural environment. It's funny now because I enjoy her jokes and humor; she can get a laugh out of me! Laura does your typical tutorials, hauls, first impressions, etc., but she also does some really fun and unique videos as well. I love when she tests out hacks and she has some great dupes videos. And, of course, she is just gorgeous!

3. Manny MUA: Manny! I had a hard time deciding between my 2 and 3! I adore Manny, like please be my best friend for life, type of adore. He is soo funny and definitely not bad to look at, a.k.a. ridiculously handsome! I love his channel because I just love him. He is so personable and every time you watch him, it feels like you are just hanging out, having casual conversations with him. It doesn't even matter what his video is about, I just want to watch it because I love his presence. He always does a little blooper reel at the end of his videos and I laugh every time.
Even if you don't care a bit about make-up, go watch his videos, it will make you a happier person. Speaking of, I am going to go do that right now!

2. Kathleen Lights: These last three are really all tied for number 1. Like I said earlier Kathleen was the one who started it all for me. I'm not sure I would have fell so hard down that rabbit hole had it not been for Kathleen. From the moment I watched that first video, I just loved her. She is a woman crush for sure; funny, sweet, and gorgeous.  But to be honest my favorite part about her is her Cuban accent. I could listen to her talk all day. I never knew how much I loved Cuban accents before I found her. And the way she describes her family and growing up Cuban in Miami makes her even more likable. If you like more soft, subtle looks, Kathleen is the best one to follow. Although she does do more bold looks sometimes, she nails the natural, but flawless look. And she is the only one that doesn't wear false eyelashes regularly. She does tutorials, first impressions, hauls, etc., but she also does more personal videos as well, which I totally love. She doesn't oversell herself on other social medias. She keeps it to a minimum and really seems to balance her life well.

 
1. Nikkie Tutorials: I would be surprised if you didn't know about Miss Nikkie. If you don't she is most famous for her Power of Makeup video. It went viral and now has over 30 million views. Nikkie is funny, genuine, and ridiculously talented. She is always coming up with unique content and never disappoints when a new video comes out. I die for her her SnapChat filter series, in which she has created the panda, strawberry, and lion. She also kills celebrity inspired tutorials: Kendall, Kylie, Rihanna, Beyonce, etc. She does a monthly favorites video and has some fun collabs with other YouTubers. I am always thoroughly impressed  at any challenge video she has ever done: full face highlight, full face liquid lipstick, no mirror makeup challenge, you would never know that it was a challenge. You can tell she is serious about makeup and her job, but is also so humble. And, of course, I just love her accent (she is from the Netherlands). 

YouTube is flooded with beauty channels and the information out there can be very overwhelming, so I hope this was helpful in giving some direction! 

What are your favorite YouTube channels, beauty or otherwise? 

Again, please let me know if you are interested in this becoming a link-up or even better, co-hosting! It would be open for old and new posts alike; the only requirement is that the post contains a list like a ranking or favorites.

{The Wednesday Hit List}: Top 5 Children's Books (Age 4)

In the past, I've been pretty indifferent to Wednesdays. But now that I have started this new weekly series, I have become pretty fond of them. Wednesdays were made for lists, I tell ya! 
This weeks Wednesday Hit List is Our Favorite Children's Books at age 4. 

Favorite Books by julia-crystal on Polyvore

1. Mouse Cookies and More: A Treasury
 I got the original "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" book at my baby shower and fell in love the first time I read it. It is such a cute concept and Myles still loves and asks for it four years later. I recently found this compilation at a sale and had to pick it up. I didn't even know that she made more of the books, so I was stoked. This set includes the original, "If You Give a Moose a Muffin",  "If You Give a Pig a Pancake", and "If You Take a Mouse to School", plus tons of extras like songs, games, and recipes. It is a super deal!

2. Giraffe's Can't Dance

My mom bought this for Myles last year and we just brought it out. Because he already has so many books, I try to save the new ones until he is really bored of the currents. That way we keep a steady rotation of books and I don't lose my mind reading Pete the Cat for the 100th time in a week. This book is a little longer and more wordy than some of our others, but it really keeps Myles engaged. It is a fun story, but the message is what I really love. The giraffe is made fun of  because he can't dance at the jungle party, only to discover that he really is a great dancer when he finds his own special music. Be different, find your own unique way, and march to the beat of your own drum, kids!

3. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
 This is our favorite book in the car right now. It is short, simple, catchy, and fun. I think Myles is getting to be too old for it, but it's been a favorite for so long that we just can't let go yet. Usually when that happens, I just add it to our car book stash and let it ride out (no pun intended!) the rest of its life with us in there.

4. Peanut Butter and Cupcake

Myles got on his third birthday from my mom. I was a little skeptical at first. I didn't think it was something that Myles would be interested in, but boy was I wrong! He thinks this book is so funny and gets super involved when we read it. The story line is cute, but the illustrations make this book a top for me. It does get a bit repetitive, but I can 't deny how much Myles loves it.

5. Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You

If you are an emotional person (i.e. a mom), this book will tear you up. My aunt got this for Myles a couple months back. She gave it to him when we were having a get together at the ice-skating rink/playworld. I thought 'oh cute book, let me read it right now'..... cue bawl fest. This book, being about loving someone no matter where they are, really hits a nerve with me. It is so hard living away from all our family and friends; I am so beyond grateful that they continue to show us so much love, even from 2000+ miles away. I know our situation is very common, especially among many of my fellow bloggers (why many start blogging), and it can really be hard for the little ones to understand. This book is a really good way to teach them about love and distance. 

Again, please let me know if you are interested in this becoming a link-up or even better, co-hosting! It would be open for old and new posts alike; the only requirement is that the post contains a list like a ranking or favorites.

Toddler Boy Favorites: Christmas Wishlist Ideas

A couple days ago, I started writing Myles' Christmas Wishlist post. It made me think of an idea to share with you all a favorites list of items we already know we love. So here are some Christmas ideas straight from the brain of my three year old, Myles.






1. Melissa and Doug Catch and Count Fishing Game: Myles got this for this second birthday. Almost a year and a half later and he still loves playing with it. It's a toy that has a pretty wide age range and many different purposes. At first, he mostly just used the polls to pick up any random fish. Now, we can practice colors by picking up a certain color I say. He hasn't quite gotten to the actually game part (picking up the fish that the arrow lands on), but that just means we will continue to get good use out of it! And because it's wooden (and Melissa and Doug) it has held together wonderfully.

2. Step2 Easel: Myles got this two Christmases ago from my parents. I put it up for a while and brought it out here and there to see if he was ready to try it out. It wasn't until recently that he has really begun to make good use out of it. We practice learning our numbers and letters and he really likes to draw pictures now. I like that it has a chalkboard side and a whiteboard side and also comes with magnetic letters and numbers. It's also easy to clean and folds up nicely. I can see us using this well into the future as Myles learns to write and draw more.

3. Melissa and Doug Alphabet Puzzle: I picked up a Melissa and Doug alphabet puzzle very similar to this one at Goodwill two years ago. We looked at it here and there, but now that Myles is in school and learning his letters, it has become a great teaching tool. He can see what each letter looks like and a picture of something that starts with each letter underneath. I like it because I can just grab a letter and talk about it without him getting too bored. And again it's wood, so the quality is great.

4. Carter's 2 piece pajama set: These are Myles' favorite type of jammies. He often complains about his pajamas being too tight (totally my son), so I have been buying more of these lately. They are loose and comfortable, but still warm and snugly.

5. Imaginext Batcave: Myles got this from Santa last year, and it was by far his favorite gift. It has so many cool features, for a relatively low price (we got a Black Friday deal). I honestly can't say enough about how much it keeps Myles entertained. It comes with Batman (his motorcycle, helmet, and bat flier) and Robin. It has a jail cell, missile launcher, and a command center. It is also interactive with an app for iPhones. For me, the best part about these toys is seeing Myles really develop his imagination with them. We come up with all sorts of fun and goofy scenarios to put Batman and Robin though. This is definitely one of the best toy investments we've made so far.

6. Rolie Polie Olie: My mom sent Myles this book some months ago and it instantly became a favorite. I have read this story a ridiculous amount of times and I still love it. It is probably the only book he has that I don't mind reading every single night before bed. It never gets old to me: Rolie is so cute, the story is fun, and the rhyming is delightfully infectious. I promise that you and your littles will love this book!

7. Peanut Butter and Cupcake: Our second favorite book is one Myles got on his third birthday. My mom found this one, and I was a little skeptical at first. I didn't think it was something that Myles would be interested in. Boy was I wrong! He thinks this book is so funny and gets super involved when we read it. I like the story line, but the illustrations make this book a top for me. It does get a but repetitive reading it, but I can't deny how much Myles loves this story.

8. LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra: This was Myles' big present from my parents last Christmas. I wasn't sure he would be ready for it at that time, but it was such a good deal, I told them to get it anyway. I would say that at 2 he didn't do much on it. He pretty much only listened to some stories I downloaded. He played with it here and there for a couple months, but started really getting into it right before he turned 3. I bought him a preschool pack set of 4 games and he can play them all by himself now. He still listens to his stories and he also really likes the Pet Pad Party game that came already loaded. This is another good investment toy with a wide age range. I think it has games for up to age 8. I love that Myles is learning (a variety of concepts), but stays totally interested because of the 'game' format.

9. Kidoozie X-track: I bought this for Myles for his second birthday. It was set up at local toy store and I knew it would be a total hit with Myles. The fact that these cars race by themselves is pretty amazing to Myles. It comes with a ton of small individual pieces that link together to make the track, so you are able to move and manipulate it however you would like. There is also a bridge/tunnel and a cross piece so both cars can run on two different tracks. Myles loves that at times the cars meet and crash in the middle. This is a super unique race track and keeps up entertained for hours. 

What are some current favorites in your house?

A Boy and His Ball

We are only four days into our Illinois vacation and we have already packed in so much fun and family time that I think it's going to take at least a week to recover! However I have a busy week of crafting and DIYing my way to Myles' dream Toy Story party and Myles has lots of playing and cuddling to be had with all his friends and family still!

Last week I was editing photos for Myles' 18th month update and I found pictures from a day we spent at the park. I decided to bring along my new Canon T3i to get some practice. These were the first pictures I ever took with a real camera. I instantly fell in love with the quality of pictures and ease of use. And how can I go wring with a cutest subject around. 

This was on January 20th, 2014. Myles was still in his ball obsessed phase and had to carry one around with him everywhere he went. 

What is your kid's favorite toy?