7 Youtube videos that have actually made me laugh out loud!

Youtube is home to some of the most creative and entertaining content in this technology crazy world. You can find anything you want on Youtube - from ridiculous wipeouts to the musical stylings of future pop stars. A lot of famous and successful entertainers got their start on Youtube such as Justin Bieber, Bo Burnham, and Grace Helbig just to name a few.

For years Youtube has been a place I have turned to when I am down and want to watch something that will make me smile. Youtuber's never disappoint. I have compiled a list of videos that I have watched many many times and that never fail to make me laugh until I cry. So if you're ever feeling a little blue, turn to one of these silly videos from some of my all-time favorite Youtuber's!

1.    Our List of Awkward Moments - danisnotonfire ft. Sprinkleofglitter

I think everyone can relate to saying things without thinking and then feeling immediate regret. Hearing Dan and Louise's stories made me feel like maybe just maybe I'm not alone in my immense awkwardness. Plus I love Louise and everything she embodies, I think she is a great role model and mother and I just love how silly she can be.

2. I Suck At Video Games - JennaMarbles

Maybe it's because I can relate to being horrendous at video games and just not understanding their purpose, but Jenna being terrible at these widely popular video games absolutely made my day. Unless it's Mario Kart or Wii Sports, I can't play it.

3. The Birds and the Bees - Tyler Oakley ft. Mamrie Hart 

I can barely keep a straight face while watching a sober Tyler Oakley, let alone a drunk Tyler Oakley, let alone a drunk Tyler Oakley WITH a drunk Mamrie Hart. This video is just too much - from the peanut butter and jelly costumes to the banana suit to the two of them "...accidentally drinking a bottle of wine each." While this may not exactly be the best way to teach children about the birds and the bees, it sure is the best way to make someone smile when they're down.

4. Baby Food Challenge - Kory DeSoto

I love Kory DeSoto. I love how I can never predict what he is going to say - it is always ridiculously funny. I have watched a great number of baby food challenge videos on YouTube and still, none of them compare to this one. I have replayed the moment when Kory tries the green beans time and time again! Of all of the videos on this list, this is definitely the video that I've watched the most.

5. Youtuber Whispers 3 - ThatcherJoe (Ft. a lot of people)

All of Joe Sugg's 'YouTuber Whispers' videos are worth watching if you need a laugh. However, I am partial to this one in particular. I love everyone in this video but it is Louise and Tyler that make it for me. They're both just so happy and silly and wonderful. The editing is spot on as well. (I will say that YouTuber Whispers 4 with Louise, Dan, and Phil is a really close second.)

6. Nature is Amazing - SUPERFRUIT 

Honestly, every single video made by these two make me laugh out loud. They are absolutely hysterical and talented beyond belief. I chose this one in particular due to the extreme sass throughout it. I love how much they make each other laugh and all their videos put me in such a great mood! Definitely worth the watch! 

7. Mamrie and Miranda Bloopers! - PsychoSoprano 

(To the 'Say Anything Challenge' - Miranda Sings ft. Mamrie Hart)

My favorite part about Miranda Sings' collaborations is how much Colleen seems to break character. I love seeing her try to keep it together when the person she is making a video with is absolutely hysterical. Especially when the video they're making is so absurd. In this case, the mix between the idiotic challenge, Mamrie Hart, and that weird widow's peak taped onto Miranda's head makes for a video that causes me to laugh out loud in public when I think about it.
(And, without a doubt, the bloopers are the best part of these collaborations!)


Happy Laughing!
--Dana :)

A Beautiful Day Downtown!

On Sunday, I spent the day in downtown Annapolis with my parents. We had a delicious lunch near the water and then walked around and explored areas that I had never seen before. While roaming the streets we came across a few lovely shops and cafes that I couldn't help but snap a few pics of! (Although I must admit that the above picture of the street was actually taken by my dad.) 

While exploring downtown my mom and I came across this art gallery filled with work from local artists. I've always wished I was artistically talented whether it be through drawing, painting, photography or some obscure talent like milk jug decorating. (Okay maybe not that.)

But seriously, almost my entire family has incredible artistic talent. My grandma and my uncle are both professional artists and a good amount of other family members are pretty darn artistic in their downtime. I mean, I've always liked to write but it's not quite the same. Sometimes I like to trick myself into believing I'm artistic by copying DIY projects from Pinterest   step by step then insisting that the creativity was all me.

After looking around the art gallery we found this coffee shop with a sofa in the display window for people. (Those are my parents on the sofa in the picture to the left.) It was a tad strange drinking our iced coffees while being on display but it was also a lot of fun. It was a great spot for people watching, and was also quite comfy!

My favorite discovery of the day was this bookstore/cafe combo! We stumbled upon this used bookstore and I had never been happier. The inside is filled with books from floor to ceiling and there's even a basement filled with more and more books. The backyard is a magical garden of wonder where you can sit and enjoy your coffee while reading. There was a children's area, cute signs all over the place and a bunch of random sitting areas. I would live in this shop if that were a possibility. 

After spending a good hour in this bookstore/coffee shop we walked around a bit more and spent some time in a cool pottery store looking at all of the amazing mugs, trays, vases,  and bowls (you name it, they had it). They had designed so many crab themed items, as we do in Maryland, and in the end my mom bought five crab shaped butter dishes. Yep, butter dishes. 

The lunch was excellent, the weather was beautiful, and the adventure was successful. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and it was made all the better when we ran into this perfect dog. (Don't worry we asked the owners of we could pet him and take pictures!) This picture doesn't do the dog justice - he was so big! Nothing makes a day better like seeing adorable animals out and about.

I hope for many more days like this one filled with books, dogs, and magnificent environments.
Until next time,
Dana :)

10 books on my TBR list for the summer!

So many pages, so little time! I must admit that I am somewhat of a bibliophile- I buy books much faster than I can read them (especially while I am in school). But what with summer coming up, I hope to have a little more time and a few more nights to take a couple of hours to dive into a book. Throughout my pile of books I found 10 (well 9 and one preview) that I really want to enjoy this summer!

And yes- there is somewhat of a YA adventure/fantasy theme to this list, but there are a few that go outside this genre.

1. Confess by Colleen Hoover

Oh Colleen Hoover. Her stores enthrall me, irritate me, and consume my attention until the moment I finish the last page. The characters and relationships are always relatable, and there's always some major twist that turns the story upside down. I don't really know what this story is about yet but odds are I'll read it in one day.
(New Adult story)

2. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

I watched this movie on Netflix and quite enjoyed it. It's about 4 people who have all hit some sort of low in their life. They meet each other and their stories unravel from there. This is one of the few books on this list that isn't in the YA category. 

3. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler's autobiography! Who wouldn't want to read about such a kickass woman? And yes - my copy is signed. I'm not too sure what to expect with this book but I'm pretty sure I can expect laughs and some great advice.

4. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Now, this is the 6th and final book in The Mortal Instruments series, and I have had this book in my TBR pile since it came out about a year ago. I have a lot of trouble reading the last book in a series that I really enjoy because once you're done the story is OVER. It's too much to handle. But I am determined to overcome this struggle this summer. 

5. Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

I don't know much about this book but it kept coming up on my recommended books list whenever I bought a Colleen Hoover book. Also K.A. Tucker is going to be at BookCon which I have tickets to this year! I'm set on reading a few books by authors going to BookCon that I don't know before I get there.

6. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Another book that I don't know much about! My brother's girlfriend gave me this series to read and we typically have very similar taste in books. I wish I could say more but I really am going into this series without knowing anything. 

7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

Fangirl is another book that has been in my TBR pile for a while. I read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and really enjoyed how sweet and real it was. I bought Fangirl because the protagonist's situation seemed quite a bit like mine. As soon as I'm in the mood for a contemporary story this summer this is the first one I'll pick up.

8. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

This is the second book in Richelle Mead's Bloodlines series. Her Bloodline's series is a spinoff of The Vampire Academy series which was one of the most fun, most agonizing (in a good way...?) series I have ever read. I really want to get into this spinoff series but I just haven't had the free time that I want to focus on them.

9. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Again, no idea what this is about - but I've seen a lot of people reading this and enjoying it. Actually I wasn't going to buy it at all but I was at Barnes and Noble one day and the cover was just so lovely and pink. So I bought it. (I wish I could insert an emojii here because I would totally add the one of the girl shrugging with her hand up at her side.)

10. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

And last but not least, An Ember in the Ashes! The promotion for this book was on point because I first saw it in an issue of Cosmopolitan, then throughout booktube, and then I found this free preview featured in Barnes and Noble. Of course I bought it because who doesn't love a love story set in a fantasy world reminiscent of ancient Rome?

I really hope I can stick to this summer goal! Some of these books have been on my TBR list for far too long, especially City of Heavenly Fire. 

(Also, side note, yes I like fish statues.)

-Dana :)

Little Book Haul

1. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

• This book has recently been turned into a movie and every time the trailer plays either on the TV or before Youtube videos it catches my attention. I very rarely pick up books that I know are meant to be sad or books with plots surrounding tragedy and death. However, something about the focus on the state of in-between pulled me to this story. I've been thinking a lot about life after death lately and what happens to people when they're dying, so I'm eager to read about the main character's perspective. The lead, Mia, finds herself on the edge of life and death after a severe car accident; she must make the decision whether to wake up, or to leave the physical world.

     2.  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

• This was somewhat of a spur of the moment purchase. It's not my normal book purchase about fictitious stories and characters, but literally a book about how to succeed in life. It's an old book, on the cover of my copy it says "Over 75 years in print!" So there's that. Ultimately I bought this book because one of my favorite Youtuber's, ShayCarl, recommended it. I've been thinking a lot about college lately and what I'm going to do in life and how I'm going to succeed at whatever I choose. I figured maybe a good way to start making moves and changes would be to figure out some methods that people who have gained a lot of success have practiced in their life.

     3.  Looking for Alaska by John Green

• I've already read Looking for Alaska. I read it a little over a year ago and it is a story that will stick with me for a long time to come. I think the idea of "looking for a great perhaps" like the lead character Miles (or Pudge as he is lovingly nicknamed) does in the story resonates with me something fierce. I loved the idea of Miles struggling to step outside of his comfort zone for the hope of a 'great perhaps,' and learning how to navigate life to find a place for himself. So because I loved the story so much, I bought myself the hard cover copy exclusive collector's edition!

     4.  Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

• After spending my summer laughing and crying over Richelle Mead's comedic and stress-inducing Vampire Academy series, I decided to torture myself some more and bought the first book in her spin-off series, Bloodlines. I was honestly a little weary of buying this book just because I loved the main characters of the Vampire Academy series so much, and the thought of them not being in the Bloodlines series made me sad. After making these worries known to my friend who had already read both series, she convinced me that the Bloodlines series was just as sassy, comedic, and stress-inducing as the Vampire Academy books are. So I am putting my faith in the hands of both my friend, and Richelle Mead, in the hopes that the Bloodlines experience is just as wonderful as the Vampire Academy experience was.

     5.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

• Now I have heard a ton about these Stephanie Perkins books, and even so, I have passed them by in stores time and time again. The title just doesn't do it for me. However, because I always hear such great things about them, I decided to finally give it a chance - and I must say, now that I have the book, I'm pretty excited. I think I'm really in the mood for a cute and fun contemporary book, so this might be the first of all these books that I read. I'm excited to get to know the relationship between Anna and this Etienne St. Clair fellow. Even though that name will definitely be one that I just brush over when I'm reading and never actually learn how to pronounce. Also, side note - I love the pink cover.

     6.  The Maze Runner by James Dashner

• Again, another book that I have passed by in bookstores without much of a second glance. I've read the back before and just haven't been interested - even with the movie coming out starring one of my absolute favorites: Dylan O'Brien. For quite some time I just thought that I'd avoid reading the series, and just see the 2 hour movie and be done with it. That was until both my brother and his girlfriend began raving about the book. His girlfriend and I usually have pretty similar book tastes and she said that she wasn't too interested in the plot either before she decided to read it. Because she was unsure about it before she read it and ended up loving it, I bought the book. Whether it gets read or not - I guess we'll find out. The feel of the book just reminds me a bit too much of Lord of the Flies - which I hate.

One more Jessie J appreciation post

Stunning.

Mamma Knows Best

 

Just some Jessie J lovin'.

Her voice is unreal.