Interviews With Lizzy & Luke

A few weeks ago I filmed a quick video while the kids played in Lukes room. They are always very curious while I film though and when I was finished, they were excited to have a turn in front of the camera. "YouTube Family" is a true tag for us as I think I am creating little social media butterflies. I love it though, its fun and confidence building. Check out my interview with the kids in the video below.

Grown Your Instagram

Hey guys, I have started writing a series of posts with tips on social media in the areas I create content. I am sharing these posts on my personal website. You can check out the most recent post here with tips on how to grow your Instagram.  Be sure to subscribe to the news letter over there, so you can be the first to receive all the fun content and join the conversation.

Green Eyes Red Lips | Christmas Makeup Tutorial

Time for some red and green makeup, don't worry its not tacky. I think I have taken the classic Christmas colours and combined them to create the perfect holiday style look. The video is below, grab some eggnog and lets get glam together. I have also linked all the products, or similar products to the ones I used to create the look below.

My Favourite YouTube Channels 2017

When I tell my friends how much I love watching YouTube they always ask what my favourite channels are and then ask how I find them. Most of my favourite channels have been discovered through blogs and random searching on the topics I love. Here are my current favourite YouTube channels. YouTube is the new reality TV you guys! I would love to know what your favourite YouTube channels are, please comment below.

Alex and Michael

I fell in love with this couple last Christmas during VLOGMAS. If your new to YouTube lingo, VLOGMAS takes place in December and vloggers post daily. This couple lives in Michigan and film their everydaylife. They are an endearing couple with awesome style and enjoy some pretty cool vacations with their friends Mallory and Kyle. This is a super fun time of year to become a part of their YouTube community and get to know them.

Mallory Ervin 

I found Mallory's channel through Alex and Michael because they all show up in each others videos. This southern girl gets so pumped about everything in life and her over the top personality is so wonderful to watch. Her content includes, fashion beauty and lifestyle. She is a former pageant princess and Amazing Race contestant and always has lots of great stories to tell about her big family.

Allyson Rowe

Allyson's videos are short, to the point and inspirational. She is a woman of great faith and shares biblical truths on modern day topics that matter to me. I love that I can always get a quick message from her videos that fire me up for the day.

Desi Perkins
The Perkins

Desi has a beauty channel and a vlog channel with her husband. I first fell in love with her beauty tutorials over three years ago and now love following the trips she takes with her husband and friends. This LA girl has mad style, her videos always have the best music and she makes me laugh!

I cant wait to discover new YouTube channels with you, share yours in the comments.

Happy Weekend, Happy Chilling!
Audrey

Luke Lately | 3rd Year Video | Better Late Than Never

Its a few months late but I am so glad I still put it together. Here is Luke's 3rd year video, its mostly shots of him running. I love these video compilations of nothing, the everyday, I appreciate the slow days even more now that we have Elizabeth as I find my days are more filled up. I use to have most of our days scheduled but recently I have started to schedule nothing days; we stay home and just go for walks if we leave the house. We move slow and recharge and just imagine. I love it and I think the kids do too, I find they play better when I am not trying to do much or get us out of the house.

Anyways, here is Luke's 3rd year if you would like to check it out. It's always so cool to see how much our children change in such a short period of time.

Truths I Want My Children To Know

1. You are truly unique and you were created for a purpose that only you can fulfill.

Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to nations. 

I was distracted for many years by things that go on around me and wanted to be different but was not sure how to take the road less travelled. I looked around for things and people to mimic, which left me feeling even more lost. I now know to be truly unique, I must only look to God.

2. God is our creator and knowing Him will help you to know yourself and understand your purpose.

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and lead you in the way you should go; I will council you with my loving eye on you.

I have found great comfort in talking to God about my concerns and important decisions. I bring so much to Him through prayer. I hear the responsive and guiding voice of God through The Bible, preachers and through the stories of other Christians. Sometimes a response does not come but spending time with God is always helpful.

God may ask you to do something someday that by the worlds standards of decision making, may not make sense, example: a leap of faith in a career where you don't necessarily have the specific training to do the job. If God is calling you to do something, he will care for you and guide you through the process. I love to think of Noah (Noah's ark) when God is asking me to do something a little crazy. Can you imagine how crazy Noah must have felt when he first turned to his wife and said "honey, we have to build a huge boat and load one of each species on it because God is going to flood the earth and its our job to save Gods creations". What!? I am sure Noah lived through some tough times as he constructed the ark but I bet he was glad he listened to God and not the people around him (maybe making fun of him) when the rain began to fall.

3. It is God's plan that you be successful, happy and blessed. Do not be limited by the worlds definition of success, this does not mean you will be abundantly wealthy, it might but blessings come in many forms.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future. 

I like to remember the verse above when I am going through a challenging time. I have gained most of my greatest pieces of wisdom through challenging times. These pieces of wisdom have equipped me to gracefully move through situations in the future that I could not have foreseen but because Gods plan is perfect, He prepared me for a battle I was unaware I would face.

4. There will be challenging times in your life and no matter how long, you are NEVER alone.

Isiah 41:13
For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.

Talk to God about everything, ask Him for what you need. He will answer your prayers in the best way for you. When I work on being grateful, I can see the many ways that God answers my prayers daily. And, in a time of waiting on a prayer to be answered, it has helped me to remember God's past faithfulness and the many ways he has answered my prayers previously. This helps me to hold onto faith that God is working even when I can not see it.

5. What you do matters! At different phases of your life it may seem that the everyday things like working hard in school, being on time for sports practice and keeping your room clean are insignificant but God cares about everything you do and these small things can often bless those around you in a big way. Do not ever underestimate your impact on your world, by living your life simply to honour God.

Job 8:7
Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous your future will be. 

When I began to put my whole life in Gods hands amazing things started to happen. Only God can take our simple efforts and turn them into extraordinary miracles. I have seen God work through my everyday life to speak into the lives of others which makes all the simple mundane tasks worthwhile. Remember, God needs each and everyone one of us!

6. You do not need to do anything to earn Gods love. He loves you just as much today as He did yesterday and nothing you can do, can change that. Do not allow your missed steps to keep you from growing closer to God.

Hebrews 13:8
Yesterday, he loved you, today he loves you tomorrow he will love you, nothing will change. 

For many years I allowed my mistakes to keep me from getting closer to God. I felt like if I sinned and made a mistake that I needed to stay away from God. This is a lie the devil tells us to keep us from growing closer to our Heavenly Father, do not believe it. Always turn to God.

There are no two people in this world exactly alike. It is amazing and beautiful and only a work God could complete. Get to know your Heavenly Father and you will learn who you are, what you were created for and live a purposeful life.

xoxo
Audrey