Favorite Instagrammers Pt.1

Hey guys,

I have really been more active on my Instagram account than I used to be. I try to post when I have a new blog posted at least. I like watching Instagram stories and I do have some favorites. I'm gonna do a part one and part two because I don't want to make this post long. 

Planningongrace (Account): Kate is someone who wears multiple hats. She's a mom to three adorable girls, a wife, a nurse on the maternal newborn unit and she recently became a YouTuber. You should go subscribe to her channel. She posts grocery hauls, vlogs and holiday videos. She has a question and answer video so you can go learn more about her. If you're a planner, then she's a great person to follow on Instagram and YouTube as she posts videos about planning and also shares pictures on Instagram of her planner. 


Laurmcbrideblog (Account): Lauren is a blogger who's due with her third child in February. Her son and daughter are adorable, and she and her husband are a cute couple!  She also has a YouTube channel, which you can find here. She posts tutorials and other videos.  You should also go subscribe to her blog. She also has additional social medias, Facebook, Twitter,and Pinterest.  


Lynzyandco (Account): Lynzy is also a mom to two cute daughters and a son.  Her blog is located here, which she has a lot of different sections that I'm sure that everyone would enjoy.  She has a section on her blog where she posts pictures of what she's wearing and has links to all of the clothing so if you like a particular shirt, etc. you can just click on the picture of it, and the specific store and item will come up. You can find her on her other social medias accounts,Twitter,Facebook, and Pinterest.   


Courtney_Shields (Account): Courtney is a new mom and her daughter is adorable. You can find her blog here. She also has many sections that  anyone would enjoy reading. Like Kate and Lauren, she also has a YouTube channel. She has a variety of videos ranging from beauty to gift guides to pregnancy. Besides Instagram and YouTube, you can also find her on Facebook, Twitter,and Pinterest.


You should definitely go follow all of these ladies and also their YouTube channels. They are all great at what they do.


<3 Amanda 

Men VS Women in Today's World

Hey guys,

I was debating on writing a post about this or not but felt like I needed to. I know that this is a controversial topic but I feel like this is my blog and I can write my feelings on anything I want to show my own views. Whenever I go onto Facebook, I read posts about more men getting accused of this and this. Yes, in my opinion men should not be abusive, rape women, etc. as I have been abused before by ex-boyfriends. But I feel like there should be a cut-off time period. Yes, I know some women are scared to come forward and wait to see if another will come forward first. But I seriously read that one of these incidents happened in 1991. That was 26 years ago. That was like the incident happened when I was one year old as I'm about to turn 27.

I also feel like women do these types of incidents to men,and think if I start something then the guy will get blamed 100% because he's a guy. I think if the women start some of the incidents then they should be the one getting in trouble, not the guy. I'm not saying that any of these celebrities are not telling the truth, but who knows if someone just want to take it out on a male celebrity and get them in trouble on purpose with false accusations.

What are your thoughts about this? Leave a comment below.

<3 Amanda

"Open When" Letters Topic Ideas

Hey guys,

In one of my recent blog posts called "Gift Ideas For Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend", which you can view here, I wrote about how I did 100 "Open When" Letters for my boyfriend as one of his Christmas gifts. I knew I wanted to do at least 100 letters but getting to 100, I was struggling at the end because I couldn't think of anymore topic ideas. I went on Pinterst and googled topic ideas and found some. I think it's very creative, thoughtful and a gift that I know my boyfriend will love, so if you want to do this for your significant other, friend, sibling, here are my 100 topics if you need more topics.

1. Open First/When You receive these letters
2. Merry Christmas 2017
3. New Years Eve 2017
4. When you're sick (I included cough drops and a pack of Kleenex)
5. You're hungry/ want a snack (I included some coconut chocolate candies)
6. You're missing me (I sprayed some of my perfume on an index card so he could smell it and pretend that I'm there)
7. You need to laugh (I included some jokes)
8. You need to know how much I love you
9. You want to know why I love you (I included a list of reasons)
10. You're sad 
11. You had a long day
12. You're bored (I included some made up puzzles for him to do)
13. You can't sleep
14. You're happy
15. You're feeling lonely
16. It's your birthday (I included some cut up confetti)
17. I've just left after visiting
18. We got in a fight
19. You want to try something new (I included some coca flavored chewy candy)
20. You need a hug and kiss (I put some Pouty Pop Crayon on and kissed the paper all over)
21. You want to know my dreams for the future
22. You want to know how happy you make me
23. 1 year anniversary
24. You feel like no one cares
25. You miss my kisses (Again, I put some Pouty Pop Crayon on and kissed the paper all over)
26. You miss holding my hand (I traced my hand on the paper)
27. New Year Eve 2018
28. Christmas 2018
29. Valentine's Day
30. You're feeling punny (I included some puns)
31. You're feeling lucky (I included a lottery ticket)
32. You're stressed (I included some bubble wrap)
33. You want to know songs that reminds me of you
34. You want to know random things about me
35. 4th of July
36. Halloween 2018
37. You want to know how important you are to me
38. You need to vent (Again, I included bubble wrap)
39. We just talked on the phone
40. You're mad at me
41. I'm mad at you
42. When you wake up
43. Before you go to sleep
44. When you had a bad day
45. When you had a good day
46. You can't stop thinking of me
47. You really want to see me
48. You really don't want to cook lunch or dinner (I included some Ramen noodles, easy to fix)
49. You need to talk to someone and I'm not picking up my phone
50. You go to the casino (I included a $1 for good luck)
51. You need to smile
52. You need motivation/encouragement
53. You're crying (I included a pack of Kleenex)
54. You're craving chocolate (I included some caramel/chocolate small candies)
55. You're craving something sweet and sour (I included sour patch kids)
56. You want to relive the first time we met (Which you can read about here)
57. You need support/ a listening ear
58. You want to read some of my favorite quotes
59. You want a drawing I made for you
60. You have a good dream about us
61. You feel like being a kid again (I included a Star Wars coloring book and some Star Wars crayons)
62. Just because
63. You need me
64. 2 month anniversary
65. 3 month anniversary
66. 4 month anniversary
67. 5 month anniversary
68. 6 month anniversary
69. 7 month anniversary
70. 8 month anniversary
71. 9 month anniversary
72. 10 month anniversary
73. 11 month anniversary
74. I fallen asleep on you
75. You're thinking about the future
76. It's the weekend
77. You need to know I'm in it for the long haul
78. You're having anxiety
79. You need to hear some compliments 
80. You need to hear a friendly voice
81. It's Easter
82. St. Patrick's Day
83. It's Star Wars Day
84. Thanksgiving 2018
85. You want to read a poem 
86. You want to watch funny YouTube videos
87. You need new movies to watch
88. You need new songs to listen to
89. You're cold (I included some hot cocoa)
90. You need a pick-me up (I included a Hershey bar)
91. It's Sweetest day
92. It's boyfriend's day
93. You beat me at Trivia Crack
94. I beat you at Trivia Crack
95. It's popcorn day (I included a pack of popcorn)
96. It's puzzle day (I included a cut up picture of us that he has to put back together)
97. It's best friend day
98.  It's love note day
99. You're about to see me again
100. You read all of the other envelopes

Now,  I used medium and large yellow manila envelopes for the letters that I included things that couldn't fit into a plain white envelope. I hope this list helped you add more topics to your list. Have fun, and I'm sure whoever you give these to will love it. 

<3 Amanda 

Favorite YouTube Channels Pt.4

Hey guys,

I thought it was time to give some shout-outs to 5 of my favorite YouTube Channels. You should definitely go subscribe to their channels because they are all great YouTube Channels.

• Our Wonderland Life (Channel): This is such a cute little family. It consists of the parents Travis and Carah, and their two adorable daughters Alaina and Emery.  They post travel vlogs, about the holidays and much more. She has her own channel called Carah Amelie, which you can check out here.  They are both good artists (Travis and Carah) and Travis has a drawing channel called  Sketchy Trav that you can check out here. They have other social media sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook,  Carah's Twitter, and Travis's Twitter.

• Britneyandbaby (Channel): Britney is a young mom to three cute children; Aria, Nolah and Harlow; and her fiancé is Ean. They are a cute couple. She posts videos of routines, tours, baking videos, grocery hauls, Target hauls and much more. You should definitely go follow them on their other social media sites; Pinterest, Twitter,and Instagram 

• This Is How We Bingham (Channel): This family include Brandon and Mindy (the parents) and children Madi, Ryler, Krew, Brexsen and Hazy. If you like challenges and vlogs, you will enjoy this channel.  They have other social media sites as well, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and they also have a blog where Mindy posts recipes.

• Gardner Quad Squad (Channel): This family consists of parents Tyson and Ashley, and quadruplet girl toddlers;  Indie, Esme, Scarlett and Evangeline. We actually have the same birthday! They struggled with infertility for 8 years and did IVF, and they were blessed with 4 cute little girls. After subscribing to their channel, they have taught me to not give up on things because they didn't. They were strong! You should definitely check out their channel if you want to feel some encouragement. They post holiday vlogs, unboxings, and more. You should check out their other social media sites, Facebook, Instagram( gardnerquadsquad) Instagram  (amiracleunfolding), Twitter and their store.

• The Crazy Middles (Channel): This family includes the parents, Jared and Shelly, and children Kylie (Husband Marc), Destiny, Weston,Jonathan, Cody, Lacey, Elizabeth, Cynthia, Spencer ,Harlan, Jacob ,Aubrey ,Landon, Addison, Mason ,Braxton, Anavaeh, and Paul. The parents are wonderful examples because they have two biological children but wanted to adopt. Something special that they do is adopt siblings so they don't have to separate. They post videos such as holiday vlogs, sport vlogs (football, cheerleading and dance), tours, challenges and more. You should check out their other social media sites, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

You should definitely go subscribe to all of these channels. They are all great and have great videos. 

<3 Amanda 

Elf On The Shelf

Hey guys,

Do you do "Elf on The Shelf" in your family? I am almost 27 and my younger brother is 19 so Elf on The Shelf wasn't a thing back when we, along with my older brothers were younger.  I think it's a good thing to do with children maybe starting at age 3. I say age 3 because they might not fully understand the meaning behind having an elf hiding in your house each day during December. When I have my own children and they are at the age of 3, I think it would be fun to do The Elf on The Shelf. I have seen pictures on Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest that looks like a fun thing to do for kids to make the holiday season more special. I will have to remind myself to move the elf each night before I go to bed though.

If you do The Elf on The Shelf, do you have any favorite places that you left your elf? What were they doing?

<3 Amanda

Gift Ideas For Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend

Hey guys,

Christmas is 18 days away. I thought I would give you guys some ideas if you're last minute Christmas shopping or need some ideas on what to get your boyfriend or girlfriend for Christmas.  I'll tell you what I got for my boyfriend. I told him not to read my blog until after he gets his presents so if you're reading this, close out of this!! 

For the gifts I have for my boyfriend are two that I found on Pinterest. Pinterest is a great site to check out if you're stuck on gifts ideas and much much more.  Pinterest has a ton of different categorizes.  The first idea was "Open When" Letters. I thought this was a great idea because we are kind of long distance and don't get to see one another that much. I should have taken a picture of it before I wrapped the box up. But I can still give you ideas if you want to do this for your significant other or this would also be a great gift for a long distance friend, or a sibling that lives out of state. I did 100 envelopes just so that he has envelopes to open for a long time. Some of the envelopes I did were "Open When You/re____"

• Bored
• Feeling Lonely
• Craving Chocolate (Added some chocolate in the envelope)
• Need To Hear Some Compliments 
• Sick (Added some Kleenex and cough drops)

My second gift is based on the movie series "Star Wars"  because he likes those movies. In the box I included:

• Some Star Wars Cheez-it's
• Some Pokemon Fruit Snacks (He also likes Pokemon)
• Some Takis because he likes spicy foods
• Some Cheese Pringles as "Drone Chips"
• Some Sour Punch Straws as "Light-sabers"
• Some spearmint gum as "Chewbaca"
• A Kraft Mac and Cheese, Star Wars Themed
• Some Star Wars cards

I have also wrapped up the box and everything inside with Star Wars wrapping paper. I haven't done this part yet but on the top of the box, I'm going to write on a piece of paper: "A long time ago in a GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY, I found a box full of goodies".

Here are some other ideas you can get for your boyfriend:

• His favorite candies/snacks
• A DVD. and popcorn gift set
• His favorite cologne
• A gift card to his favorite store
• If he likes sports, maybe a sport ticket for the upcoming year

Here are some gift ideas that you can get your girlfriend for Christmas:

• Chocolate (what girl doesn't like chocolate)
• Perfume
• A gift card to their favorite store
• Clothes
• Her favorite candies/snacks

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I'm still waiting on two more things and then I'll be done!

<3 Amanda 

Winter Tag

Hey guys,

I thought I would create a winter tag and have you guys learn more about me, and possibly others will join along.

1. Are you a winter person? No, I'm not a fan of the cold and snow.
2. What is your favorite Christmas movie? The Family Holiday and Christmas Shoes
3. Are you a fan of hot chocolate? No
4. Anything special on your Christmas list? To be able to spend time with my boyfriend and his family
5. Anything you're looking forward to besides Christmas in general? My birthday- December 28th. The big 27.
6. Do you have any ideas for New Years Resolution's yet? One is to post on here more.
7. Favorite Candy Cane flavor? I'm not a big fan of candy canes and peppermint so probably spearmint.
8.  Favorite winter outfit? Leggings, hoodie and uggs.
9. Favorite outdoor activity? Snowball fight
10. Do you have a fake or real tree? Growing up we had a fake one, if I remember correctly

I like tagging at least 3 people so they can complete this tag if they want to. I like learning more about fellow bloggers. The three people I chose to tag are:

Karlena @CliffordKarlena (http://karlenaclifford.co.uk/) 
Tracy @IAmTracyNicole_ (https://iamtracynicole.com/)
Mallory @MindfulWithMal  (http://www.mindfulwithmal.com/)

<3 Amanda