Hoping to make your house smell wonderful but can't find the scents you want? I know right like really, there are so many candles and sprays out there. Well if you can't find one that fits you, you can always just make your own great smelling air freshener. So here is what you need to get started.
Ingredients:
Gelatin (4 packs, one box of knox gelatin works)
any essential oil fragrance (mix them up if you want 15 to 20 drops)
food coloring
2 tbs of salt (or more depending on concentration)
2 cups of water (divided)
Instructions.
Heat a cup of boiling water on the stove top. Add your food coloring and stir until it boils.
Once it boils take it off the heat and add in your salt and gelatin. Stir to combine (lumps will form in gelatin so make sure it melts)
After everything dissolves add in your fragrance about 15 to 20 drops. stir.
Add the second cup of water, this should be cold, and the gelatin mixture is ready to be poured. (you may use less water in this step for a stronger concentration.)
Fill any container with the gelatin mixture and place it on the counter to solidify (up to 2 days) or in the refrigerator (up to 24 hours)
I am continuing to create my very southern Louisiana Christmas tree. Today, I am making some very important accents for the tree with the help of burlap and moss.
Yes, that is me in the background duh!
Burlap Garland
My first project is the burlap garland. For this project, I used only one roll of burlap ribbon from Michaels.
The art of making these garlands is that they have to pucker in a way that makes them look full and flowing. I used a bit of yarn to create a zig-zag pattern to achieve this effect. The yarn sewing that I did is really simple and works very effectively to get a great look.
This is, however, a time-consuming process but don't worry, It looks great in the end. As a side note, you will need at least two to three rolls of burlap ribbon to create a longer piece
Moss Ornament
For the ornaments, all you are going to need is a big bag of moss, I am using the spanish moss from Michael's and some medium to large sized glass bulbs.
Before stuffing the moss in the bulbs, I cut a few pieces with scissors to make it easier to handle. Moss can get very messy and tangled. Trust me, It goes everywhere. Once everything is ready to handle, just roll up the moss and place it in the bulb. It couldn't be any simpler.
The end result looks great too. We will be spraying ours with a bit of fake snow to give it a winter-like affect. (We almost never get snow in South Louisiana)
The video below will show you exactly what I am talking about:
We are back again, making cool science experiments, or in this case, some kitchen science experiments!! Today we are making fake snot, which is pretty much amazing.
Myself playing with some homemade snot/slime
Now I know you are thinking "what is in this", "what do I have to do", "Is this stuff made with borax"
My answers are "it's fake snot" "I will tell you" and "no not at all".
So while searching the webs, I wanted to find an easy slime recipe when I stumbled upon this very confusing snot recipe. I tried making it as written and found that the ingredient lists were totally off. So after a bit of work (research on the internet) I gathered some correct ingredient amounts and made my own snot/slime recipe.
You can even EAT this science!! Although it tastes really rank. :P
Here is what you will need.
1/2 cup boiling water (put it in the microwave, when it boils take it out)
3 packets of Gelatin (I use Knox unflavored gelatin)
1/2 cup of Corn Syrup (if you use any, light corn syrup is best)
Food coloring (green makes it look like snot/slime)
a mixing bowl
a fork
for instructions on how to put it all together, watch the video below.
Oh yes! It's recipe time. I haven't done one of these in a while, but honestly it is pretty dang delicious. I sort of just threw things together which means, you can too!
The thing to remember here is that you need an actual bar of unsweetened chocolate. If you want to use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe, its 3/4 cup of cocoa powder plus 4 extra tablespoons of butter (butter only).
(dutch processed cocoa is the same except you can use 4 tbsp of either butter, oil, or shortening)
You can bake your brownies in a 9x13 foil lined baking pan. Make sure it is buttered or coated with cooking spray.
These brownies come out gooey and sticky. Serve them hot or wait for them to cool. They are sinfully good!!!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of butter
4 oz of unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
1 cup of flour
1 cup of marshmallows
1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips
5 graham crackers
For instructions on how to make these fantastic s'mores brownies, check out the video below:
So today's science experiment is something so easy, that a cow could have made it itself if it wanted to. We are making plastic from milk.
Now for me, this was a really weird experiment. I thought "there is no way that is possible". Well, it sort of is to an extent. So here is the rundown:
You will need:
1 cup of milk
4 teaspoons of white vinegar (distilled is fine)
a pot for heating the milk (or heat it in the microwave: about 1:30 sec)
a mixing bowl
a strainer
food coloring (if you want some colors)
So first start out heating the milk. You don't want it to boil, just enough to get it hot to the touch. From my research, it seems that doing this helps to start breaking down the whey in the milk before adding the vinegar. The heat also gives the casein protein a chance to form into a solid structure once the vinegar is added.
After heating place the milk into a bowl and add any food coloring you wish. I used red in mine. Put in more than you think, It will take about 6 drops. (liquid color works best)
Mix that together and then add your 4 teaspoons of vinegar. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
The whey and casein will separate and then you are ready to strain.
Put the mixture through a strainer and run some water over the casein protein mixture.
You are now ready to mold it any way you want. Once you have your desired shape. Let it sit for at least 6 hours or more (overnight is better) until it has hardened into a plastic or rock like substance.
And there you go. Milk has now been turned into plastic.
So over the last week, I have kept up with my life by posting it to my YouTube channel, but I noticed that over the week I was becoming more upset over what I was doing. I never quite know what is working sometimes, and for so long I have wanted to create a schedule to help plan my videos. So if you noticed, you can now see a schedule on my channel that will tell you exactly what is happening on my YouTube page every week. Be warned, though, everything is subject to change.
If you are tired of hearing about my qualms in life, I am sorry to say that probably won't stop. I am never one to push my feelings on anyone, but if I can help people with dealing with the problems I have, I am going to do it.
I am a sap, what do you expect!
So if you are working on a YouTube channel, I say follow your heart but also follow a schedule. In life, you will find that events happen unexpectedly but remember, the unexpected is not very welcomed by everyone. I had to learn this, and I am slowly working to make my channel focused and routine. My schedule will now keep my ideas in check and it will also help my viewers understand what I am up to. Hopefully, I don't have to always rely on my schedule but for a budding content maker, I have to make sure that the audience knows what I am all about.
So let's see, if you made it through my words you now know that you need a schedule and that's about it. Honestly, that is all I have for YouTube tips today. It is no secret that if you want a successful youtube, then you need one. You also might want to try keeping your content similar. I know I struggle with this, but it is getting better.
Check out my week of vlogging all rolled into one. These videos are due out every Friday.
So today was a good day, took care of the bonsai, brainstormed for video ideas, and got ready to create two videos today, which were both uploaded. Question is should I have uploaded both videos or maybe waited for another day? I always have trouble trying to figure out YouTube. I know I have said it once before but now that my subscribership is moving forward, I don't know what I am doing wrong. Where are the views and why do I suck?
Okay, I know I don't suck, but I guess I am going to answer my own question. "Where are the views?"
I think the main problem with my low viewership is that I don't have a constant appeal. Videos and channels on YouTube do well if the content is always similar. Subscribers come to appreciate that and watch content creators that have consistent videos. If your videos are like mine and they are scattered all over the spectrum, it's probably best to give your viewers and explanation of what you are doing. Like myself, I constantly tell my viewers that I am trying something new or that the channel is about my life hoping they understand that life is not a one track speeding bullet train.
Another reason and maybe my doubts for today are that I have too many videos for such a short time on YouTube. I feel like maybe my subscribers or potential subscribers have no place to go or they feel like they can't settle into my space. In the coming days, I plan to address this problem with a Channel Trailer. Currently, the trailer space houses one of my many videos, this one on eating things made with Nutella. I have had some success in the past days with more subscribers, but I need something that will solidify my work as a content creator, something that will tether me with the greats of YouTube.
My other qualm with my current situation is that I feel I am not engaging the viewers enough. My audience is very much scattered all across the board. Most are German which is really cool, but I think some people will have trouble relating to me or understanding what I want. If you are German and reading this, please don't take offense. You guys are my one true stronghold in this YouTube world. To remedy the problem, I am going to start focusing on cultural and social topics while still maintaining the same content that I already create. My brand is adapting as more viewers subscribe and I want to make sure that I do this right, for them, and for me. If you struggle with this problem, it's time to start making a niche for yourself and learn what people like. This is the process I am starting.
So I have answered my question but did I answer yours? I don't claim to know the in's and out's of YouTube and I can assure you there are better people out there who have studied this stuff extensively. So continue your search but feel free to take some advice from me.
I will always prevail and I have sworn not to give up on YouTube. So smash that Subscribe button on the side of this page or go to my YouTube Channel for more.
In the end, someone will watch. It might be one or three, but someone will watch. With that I should be satisfied...but I am not.
