Category: Lifestyle

Posted in Blogging, Lifestyle, Personal Skills, Time Management

My Favorite YouTubers That I Follow: Inspirational Channels to Keep Learning

Posted on by tracydee

Since I recently started my YouTube channel and blog, I thought it would be fun to share some of the channels I watch on a regular basis that have inspired me. There are a lot of wonderful, engaging, and informative channels that can help you learn to grow your channel, build your blog, and create content as well. Or, if you’re just looking for helpful information, I will share some topic areas and suggested YouTubers to follow. I’m not going to rank them in any particular order because it’s not content to necessarily compare since each offers amazing videos and helpful advice.

Productivity and Time Management:

The YouTuber who’s video inspired me to just put myself out there and do it, whether I’m ready or not, was Ali Abdaal. He includes videos on productivity, technology, and tips and strategies for a variety of things, including staying motivated and managing your time. There are tons of other productivity YouTubers, but Ali is my favorite.

Blogging Tips:

I love going to Nakisha Wynn for blogging tips and strategies to stay motivated and make the most of your content and marketing. She releases a video a week that provides useful information about finding a niche and ways to make money as a blogger.

If you’re interested in learning about marketing using Pinterest, my go to resource is Shruti Pangtey If you subscribe to her email list, you get access to a free webinar where she breaks down content strategy for using Pinterest to market your blog.

Interesting Information:

I love to eat good food and a great channel to get healthy and budget friendly recipes is from Fit Men Cook. And the recipes are yummy!

Now, this person is newer to YouTube, but has an amazing blog that I’ve been following for quite some time. Anne-Laure studies neuroscience and provides really interesting articles about how the brain works and how to be productive.

The videos on the next channel never disappoint and no wonder there is a stampede following Kelly Stamps. Whether you want to learn strategies for YouTube, follow interesting vlogs, or get general life advice, this is the channel for you.

Growing on YouTube:

So in order to reach my goal of 1000 subscribers by the end of 2021, I watch videos on strategies to do that. A really helpful channel is Annie Dubé. The videos are to the point, super clear, and provide actionable steps to grow your YouTube channel.

Creative – Etsy and Designing:

The first YouTuber I like to watch videos from is Alissa Rose. If you are looking to sell on Etsy and open up a shop, this creator has tons of helpful tutorial videos guiding you each step of the way. There are videos on social media strategy, designing digital products, and more.

The next YouTuber I like to watch videos from is Kirstin with KDigitalStudio. I recently got an iPad and bought the digital creating program Procreate. It is an amazing program and Kirstin has excellent videos on how to create digital designs on Procreate.

Study Tips:

This channel has over 1 million subscribers and it’s easy to see why. The study tips and note-taking strategies are so helpful and the videos are easy to watch. The channel I go to for study habits and advice is StudyTee by Therese.

Another helpful channel with study information is Estella with Study To Success. One day, I hope to have as beautiful an office set up. I love all the colorful products and it’s fun to see how to making studying not so boring.

Finance:

There are tons of YouTube channels designated for the stocks and Bitcoin, but the ones I follow provide a little bit of everything. The first one I follow is SaraFinance, where you can learn about affiliate marketing, drop shipping, budgeting, and more.

The next one is Charlie Chang, who has a large following on Tik Tok as well as YouTube. This is a great channel to learn about side hustles, investing, and other ways to make passive income and become an entrepreneur.


There are lots more channels that I follow, but I wanted to share some of my favorite ones with you here. Hopefully, you can find some useful information from them like I do. If you have another suggestion, drop it in the comments below!

Posted in Lifestyle, Manifestation, Personal Skills

30 Affirmations to use Throughout the Month

Posted on by tracydee

I’ve been working with my therapist on reducing anxiety and helping to believe in myself. Despite a lot of success, there are still times when I think it’s not deserved or I worry about potential mistakes. I’ll probably do another post on imposter syndrome and it’s impact on my life, but for now, I wanted to share some affirmations with you all.

Why should you use affirmations?

Researchers have found positive benefits of self affirmation theory (Albalooshi et al., 2020). In a study examining the impact of affirmations on two groups – the powerful and the powerless – Abalooshi et al. (2020) found that those in their powerless group had improvements with inhibitory control. This is essentially the ability to control automatic thoughts that might be negative and change it to more positive thoughts of self worth.

By taking the time to change our thought patterns, we can create more positive views of our self. Additionally, we can use those positive thoughts to bring us closer to our goals and dreams.

How I Use Affirmations

Many days I use the “I Am” app to come up with affirmations. I like to do this in the morning when I’m having my coffee. If I don’t get to it in the morning, I choose some throughout the day to repeat to myself in the mirror and write in my journal. I thought I’d use this opportunity to share some affirmations that I’ve created for myself.


30 Affirmations

  1. I choose to be happy and thankful for all that I have.
  2. My life is worthy of love.
  3. I accept who I am.
  4. Abundance is coming to me in all aspects of my life.
  5. I am healthy, blessed, and loved.
  6. Wealth and love are arriving in full bloom.
  7. I am beautiful beyond comparison.
  8. I am whole and complete.
  9. New opportunities are on the horizon for me.
  10. I can achieve anything that my mind envisions for myself.
  11. I am grateful for my friends and family who believe in me no matter what.
  12. No matter the goal, I will be able to reach it with hard work and dedication.
  13. My life is blessed and treasured.
  14. There are so many wonderful things in store for my future.
  15. I am enough.
  16. I am important.
  17. My worth is not determined by material things.
  18. The world is calling me to a life of happiness.
  19. True love and abundance is on its way to me.
  20. Nothing is impossible and I matter.
  21. I am worthy of a successful career.
  22. I deserve to love and be loved unconditionally.
  23. I will protect my thoughts from negative interference.
  24. My goals are attainable and realistic.
  25. I am destined to have an abundant and full life.
  26. I have a thankful heart for the many blessings in my life.
  27. All that I do is for a better future.
  28. My positive attitude will help me achieve great things.
  29. Nothing can stand in my way when I believe in myself.
  30. There is beauty in my surroundings.

Sources:

Albalooshi, S., Moeini-Jazani, M., Fennis, B. M., & Warlop, L. (2020). Reinstating the resourceful self: when and how self-affirmations improve executive performance of the powerless. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(2), 189-203.

Posted in Goal, Lifestyle, Personal Skills

Blocks to Moving Forward: Fear of Failure

Posted on by tracydee

I truly believe one of the biggest things that has held me back from achieving goals, or at least achieving them as quickly as I could have, has been fear or failure. This is human nature to want to succeed and not look stupid or be embarrassed by a less than desirable outcome of something.

But I have to wonder, how many times has fear of failure stopped me from doing something great or finding a new passion or hobby to enjoy? I recently read Hello Fears by Michelle Poler, which I do recommend as a positive self growth opportunity. She documents her 100 days of facing down different fears from dancing in Times Square to speaking at a TedX conference. In her story, she breaks down different emotions and feelings she had to go through to conquer each of her fears.

Fear of failure is also know by the name atychiphobia. This may be an unwillingness to try anything new unless it is guaranteed to be a success. Sometimes this is tied to another psychological phenomenon known as imposter syndrome. It makes it challenging to feel as though you deserve something or that you will be good enough at whatever it is that you need or want to do.

Why are people afraid to fail?

Some people grow up in households where they are not supposed to show imperfections or they are held to super high standards. Everything is expected to be perfect and anything less than that is unacceptable. This could be something an adult has shown them or some internal pressure placed on theirselves.

Other reasons people are afraid to fail include potential shame or embarrassment that may come from not reaching a goal. They may place a lot of emphasis on what others think or have fear of failure accompanied by anxiety.

Perhaps you’ve been knocked down many times in the professional world when you’ve tried to express you ideas. This could be a block to further wanting to share ideas or come up with new innovative ways to do things.

How many successful people have failed?

Lots of successful people failed many, many times on their path to success. It is not always a linear process, but many times filled with ups and downs that teach lessons. One of the most famous examples is the inventor fo the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, who failed 1,000 before making the lightbulb function and work.

Have you ever heard of Harry Potter? Chances are you have because between the books and the movies, JK Rowling has made over $15 billion. It’s an international sensation, but was rejected 12 times at first.

Oprah Winfrey had a television gig that did not go so well where she faced challenges and was ultimately fired from that position. She didn’t give up and went on to have her own talk show and is a billionaire.

I could go on and on. Think of a famous person who you admire and respect. Do some research about their background. Chances are if they started a business, wrote a book, or starred in a movie, somewhere along the way they faced rejection and failure. The key is they did not let that stop them from pursuing their dreams.

Moral of the story? Failure is a step to growth so even if we might fail, we have to try. If we never try, then we’ll never know if we could have run that marathon, finished that degree, or started that new business. It will always be a “what if?”. How many what if’s do you have and what can you change moving forward?

Posted in Home Organization, Lifestyle

Spring Cleaning – Sprucing up my Bathroom

Posted on by tracydee

I find that my mental health and productivity is directly tied to my physical environment. When it’s cleaner and more organized, I am in a better mood and get more done. When I’m down, I’m less likely to clean or put clothes away, and the cycle may perpetuate. I thought it was time to spruce up my bathroom for spring.

I love my floating shelves and toilet paper holder. I used mason jars to hold cotton pads and make-up brushes, some of which I got from Ipsy.

The favorite addition to my bathroom for spring cleaning was my new shower curtain. I got mine at Ollies bargain outlet for about $3.99 so it was a great deal!

I’m loving this new vibe and I’m so excited for spring! Time to move on to the office!

Here is a spring cleaning guide from Amazon – check out all the essentials! (Affiliate link)

Posted in Home Organization, Lifestyle

How I Organize my Closet – Tips for Finding What you Need

Posted on by tracydee

A friend inspired me this weekend to go through my wardrobe and donate the things I no longer needed or that fit the way I wanted them to. She gifted me with about 15 work blazers of various cuts and colors to spruce up my professional wardrobe. This is especially helpful as I look toward transitioning to in person presentations after working from home the last year and spending much of my days in leggings.

I’ve had my closet organized a particular way for many years that makes it easy for me to find the items I need when I’m putting together outfits. I bought skirt hangers for my pencil skirts and maxi skirts that hang on the far side of my closet. Next, I hang my dresses with hangers that have notches in them. This is my preferred style. I used to have a roommate that was super organized and she color coded her hangers based on clothing style.

I hang all my shirts with the same type of hangers using ROYGBIV. I hang my sleeveless tops first by color then move to long sleeves. The patterns are placed with the most prominent color in the row. All my pants are folded in the dresser drawer utilizing the techniques I learned by watching Marie Kondo, one of my favorite organizing experts.

For my socks and panties, I use dividers in the dresser. I use the connecting dividers for my underwear and bins for socks and other miscellaneous items. I fold my workout clothes in outfits of leggings and tops so that I can quickly grab them when it’s time to go for a run or get a Zumba class in.

I have a lot of flats and sandals that I store on the hanging shoe organizer on the closet door. The small ones share a space, but the larger shoes are placed next to each other in two slots. I have a shelf with hooks hanging on my wall by my lightswitch in my room. That is where I hang my purses, scarves, and now my masks. Above the shelf, I keep baskets with my makeup and nail supplies.

I’m always looking for ways to improve my organization, so definitely leave a comment if you have some tips to share!

*Please note links are affiliate links.

Posted in Lifestyle

Why I have subscribed to Ipsy for years

Posted on by tracydee

To save money, I have been trying to cut down on monthly subscription packages. Honestly, I’m quite a fan of these options because I do feel like they save me money in the longer run for the things I use on a regular basis. I did cancel my subscription to Fabletics and Shoedazzle after enjoying them for years. However, I’m not yet willing to part with my subscription to Ipsy.

I used to get the glam bag every month, but now I use the every other month feature. This is helpful because I still get to enjoy the perks without having to spend the money each month. For $12 every other month I get 5 different sample items based on my beauty profile.

I’m not a huge makeup buff, and I think that’s why I love it so much. I get to try new products and see which things I like without having to invest a lot of money on makeup. So, for me, this is enough to keep my supply going for the year.

The makeup also comes in a cute little bag. I have a box of re-gift items where I store things and so I use the bags to give people and put jewelry in them or little candles for birthdays. So, not only am I getting to try out makeup, but I get a little item to gift someone else each time I order.

Another great thing about Ipsy is that you can choose which types of products you’d like to receive. You can add nail polish, perfume, and skin care items.

I will share two of my favorite recent products here. This Illamasqua foundation is one of the best ones that I’ve received in my Ipsy bags. I don’t usually wear foundation, but this was lightweight and blended in really nicely.

I love my Kiss and Smink matte creme lip crayon. I actually ordered a second one. I couldn’t believe the amazing deal I got on this for being a member of Ipsy.

So, no, I’m not a paid sponsor of Ipsy, but I do love the products and the concept and have been a loyal customer for years. So you can check out Ipsy here if you want to learn more!