Vlogging With Channel Mum and Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons #ButtonsMemoryLane

When Channel Mum first came along, a couple of years ago, I was so so very excited as I saw the potential of it. I waited a month or two and then with a great deal of trepidation submitted a written application which resulted in my being asked to submit a video. I didn't want to submit one from the existing live videos on my channel at the time and plus I wanted to submit one in line with the exciting idea I'd proposed in my application.

Every month I put off filming a video and wasn't at all ready. Whilst I was still considering it a close friend told me not to worry as they only wanted "young mums in their 20s" IHO, which turned out not to be the case. I didn't fully believe this at the time anyway, so it stayed on my mind but each and every month I did not take the plunge and whilst I procrastinated You Tube grew without me. I still kept my toe in the water vaguely, but only because I had to do this video on Vlogging with a Phone Camera for Collective Bias but it gave me hope I could still, possibly, be a Vlogger.

The world unfortunately does not stand still whilst we ponder something. Which was a great shame as twice, in the past, I was at the pinnacle of doing something with my channel (three times if you include when I actually created it in 2012). Once, when I edited my Featherdown Farm video, and was loving i-movie. But then my hubby broke dropped my Apple Macbook soon after. I often wonder where my channel would have been if I carried on with the enthusiasm I had then. I had a second chance last year, when I was uploading a lot of videos, getting in a flow with Windows Live Movie Maker and successfully edited a wonderful well received vlog of our daytrip to Weston Super Mare but then soon after my camera and laptop broke simultaneously (well not in the same month) AND I got pregnant. A pregnancy that found my morning sickness being made worse each and every time I went near the computer. Do they emit waves due to the Wifi? I don't know, but I had dreams of being a pregnancy vlogger and blogger but the morning sickness that would worsen the second I went near my computer really really put me off. Another VERY odd thing, was I could no longer even be a You Tube viewer and commenter late night in bed on my phone as theme tunes would make me feel ill, even my own, like the one on my Folly Farm video. Within 2 bars of that I would want to hurl which is so odd as I watched it again and again and again when making it and can do now too. That problem was just between weeks 6 and 14 of pregnancy whilst I had morning sickness, something I never suffered with Aaron.

When my aunt then so generously sent me my cousin's old computer it wasn't compatible with ANY movie maker, not even a bought CD that I got hubby to buy me for Xmas 2015 so I started to use You Tube editor (it's in the upload section) and oh my God it frustratingly has its limitations and is arduous and time consuming to use. So I'd got used to Windows and Apple and now had neither.

Anyway that laptop then broke too....... I will probably fix my broken laptops one day. I have a total of 3 (one apple and two windows). Well I need to as each of them has thousands of photos on and they are so so so precious and not backed up anywhere oooops.

Precious memories, yes that's what they are, which......... coincidentally is exactly what I got the chance to work on, with Channel Mum in recent weeks. Yep I am finally up to the current day with this preamble.

Even though I'm not an ACTUAL Channel Mum Vlogger, they widened their reach for their recent Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons campaign. I was honoured that I got to work on the campaign and I simultaneously PLUGGED my channel into their site which you can now do.

It has to be said I am rusty at vlogging. Turns out it's not like riding a bike where you never forget. It may or may not be obvious to you dear reader but my Mum said I seem really nervous and dearest Mum you are right I was. After wanting to be a Channel Mum for so long the nerves really DID get the better of me. but when you see the scenes of me, in the video, where I am not alone, but instead with my little Mr Charming, my Aaron, you'll see the nerves are not there and that's the real me.

So have a watch to see what our top 3 little moments of shared joy are:

Did you like it? I hope so. We do really feel joy in those moments. My boy is my everything and somehow my heart has grown to have enough love for two children. This is lil Lottie's first words which I was so very very lucky to manage to capture on camera.

So if I could do that Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons video again what would I do differently?

• I would straighten (and cut) my hair so that I'd feel confident with my appearance.
• I'd pick a higher seat so that you'd see the sunny garden and our lovely wooden blinds as a backdrop instead of just looking at my worktops and the gap where a dishwasher should be.
• I'd pick a better angle so that you can see me down to at least my waist so that it doesn't look like my neckline goes on forever.
• I'd perhaps do the whole video with Aaron as the scenes with him in are by far my favourites.
• I'd practice vlogging more, so that I am a pro instead of a novice. Blimey I have vlogged before I'm just rusty. My first ever vlog in 2012 was done to a stranger, a professional camera man, and yet I spoke for 8 minutes, unscripted, in ONE take! I should have ran with it and done it more often. Yep I often wonder where my channel would be now if I'd done just that.

So now is not the time for regrets. Yes I have got them off my chest above, but now is the time for moving swiftly onwards and upwards without constraint. So despite those 3 broken laptops I do now have another. It is on loan from the hubby but I CAN now edit videos and I have dived right in, whilst the iron is hot. Despite how much people tell you videos should be short I went and uploaded a 36 minute vlog. I'll tell you what happened. I wanted to do justice to our trip on a City Cruises boat down the Thames. It was gifted to me as a blogger with no pressure to review. I uploaded all of my content and it totalled 1 hour 9 minutes. I know that short videos should be 1-3 minutes and the popular slot for long videos seems to be 16 or 22 minutes. But with all of the editing in the WORLD my video came out as 36 minutes and given I was so attached to the content that was remaining it was not going to go any shorter so I hit publish.

Given that my Mum is in Ireland she watched all of our videos as a way to stay in touch. She is my biggest critic and said she loved it. I said "are you sure you watched all 36 minutes" and she laughed and said "yes, I felt like I myself went down the Thames". I was thrilled as that was what I wanted to create. It was a "I'll take you with me" type of vlog. Normally I include something long somewhere, that my Mum says I should have edited out, but no such criticism with this video. If you are a lover of London or a lover of the London Underground and history you may just love it too. I certainly got GREAT feedback from Carolin at Mummy Alarm (thank you).

So that's me. A lil insight into my history with YouTube. But from my main channel homepage you can see some playlists, like what my popular videos are etc... 

Did you work on the #ButtonsMemoryLane campaign? What did you think? I loved creating our memory lane, thinking about our joyful everyday moments and seeing the joy that Aaron and his cousins experienced whilst watching it.

You can make your own Memory Lane and my video above shows you just how easy it is to create from up to 7 of your own photos. Your kids will love watching it it's so easy to do and such great fun. Plus you can share it online with friends and family. Use the hashtag #ButtonsMemoryLane and tag @channelMum when you share it. We'd love to see it. Once you've created your memory lane, you'll be sent a link to your phone if you supplied a phone number or to your inbox if you chose to submit an email address. The link you use to then watch your memory lane is the same link you can share with others as I have done with mine above.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my Cadbury Dairy Milk #ButtonsMemoryLane video which is therefore an #ad.

Vlogging on My Phone and Ten Top Tips for New Vloggers on You Tube

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Vlog #CollectiveBias

Do you ever Vlog with your phone? Mine, my Samsung Galaxy Ace 3, has become invaluable lately for several reasons:

• Memory: My Sony Cybershot camera memory card is often full, and lately my laptop is full too so I am a little buggered. This is where the phone is literally a life saver. I even bought a new memory card recently for the phone, and they've increased in size and come down in price. They are designed to process HD, so they are perfect for the up and coming Vlogger. The phone can cope with a MicroSD up to 64 GB! Memory becomes an issue when you get into Vlogging especially if you have the file size of the individual clips and then also the completed edited video - it's like doubling up!!!
• Battery Charge: Sometimes in the rush to get out, I've forgotten to charge my camera. Or simply I use it SO much on a day out that even a full charge is not enough. Again the phone is invaluable. We always leave home with a fully charged phone right? *coughs* and moves swiftly on...
• Selfie footage: With my Sony Cybershot I can only point outwards. It's as annoying as pushing a newborn in a buggy which has the same limitation. When I do a selfie photo it is hit and miss (but normally spot on to be fair) but I wouldn't risk it with a Vlog. I love that with my phone, I can see myself on screen and therefore self regulate my facial expressions and ensure I am in the frame. In the frame, without too much, say for example, ceiling... like you see in the pic above.
• Quality: The spec of my phone's camera says it is only 5MP and on the selfie option only 0.3MP, yet I am happy with the quality. You can decide for yourself in the Vlog I have done below for this #CollectiveBias post.
• Engaged child: Having the selfie option on the phone's camera, means that Aaron stays interested when we are recording a Vlog together as he can see himself. It often has funny results as with this comedy chat from the two of us or this one where Aaron sabotage my vlog with funny results.
• Inexpensive. Often people get intimidated by the thought of "Vlogging" due to the cost of the equipment that they think is involved. BUT, often a phone will do the job fine (those two linked to above are on the phone too). People say you need microphones, tripods and lighting, BUT on those two above, in one I am holding the phone and in the other it's simply balanced on the dining table. The lighting in both is fully natural, and as we are so close to the phone a microphone is not at all required.
• Accessible: For me, both my phone and my camera fit in my everyday handbag, but I know for you serious photographer/bloggers, that may not be the case, so having the phone to hand, for quick/easy vlogging means you capture fabulous memories you might otherwise miss. Looking back at old footage is heartwarming, so I would highly recommend, dear reader, that you start videoing, even if you don't upload to You Tube.
• Ease of upload: I am writing this post in Ireland as we are here on holiday to see my Mum. It's meant challenges as my Mum's does not have Wifi. But the bigger challenge was that my laptop does not recognise my phone's MP4s (videos). So the plan was that I would upload the below footage offline (with a cable) from phone to laptop and edit it all at my Mum's, simply coming to my Aunt's to upload  to You Tube. I'd have already done the editing on Windows Live Movie Maker. BUT, when I couldn't drag and drop the videos, I came to my Aunt's for the day, and the problem was solved, as I could upload all the videos STRAIGHT from the phone to You Tube (which I could never do with my camera). It didn't even take that long to upload them once I was in a place with Wifi, and You Tube has its own "editor" so I was able to sit here and put all the clips together in a continuous "Vlog". You Tube has a "download MP4" option, so I then delete the footage off my phone/camera as I know it is there should I ever want it. Clearly I pick and choose which videos I am not precious with.

For this post, to showcase my phone's Vlogging ability I have recorded the below video. Anyone who knows me will know I have made a study of You Tube for the past 3 months, in that I have spent hundreds of hours on there as a user. If you follow me on Twitter you will know, as everytime I "like" a You Tube video, it tweets a link to the video I have liked, so that's more or less all my Twitter timeline consists of currently. So I now know what I like and what I don't and have compiled, quite literally on the back of an envelope:

Ten You Tube Musts for the Up and Coming Vlogger

explanations of which are included in my Vlog below.

It just so happens that they all begin with T. I have no idea what the deeper meaning of that is. Judging by the pic above, I need a manicure in addition to the pedicure and Shellac I have just had.

I am blogging/vlogging this post from Ireland, as Aaron and I are here on our hols to see my Mum. Hence I am scrubbed up, as my Mother is a bit of a glamour puss unlike me. Serves me well for this Vlog that my cousin has cut and straightened my hair. My Mum gave me the voucher for the feet. Looking after myself is becoming a bit of a routine. I may even turn over a new leaf in time for BritMums Live. A few more pounds to shift before then though.

So here is my Vlogger's Vlog with the Ten Top Tips I have put together in a brainstorm on the back of an envelope. I hope you enjoy, like, comment and subscribe. Would be great to meet you, and widen my You Tube tribe :-)

I'm adding my post to 

Liska xx

Sorry I have not been blogging much but here I am back...

I kind of lost my blogging mojo...a few things happened... quite a few things happened... every day a different reason to not blog.

However on Friday, I was feeling quite good so I vlogged:

Remember the T-mobile / EE blog post  I wrote... well they said they would recalculate my bill within 72 hours, but the week after that, I called them and they said my recalculation wasn't due till the day after. 8 days from complaint. 5 working days from complaint (their policy)... they called me a day late, i.e. I called them on Tuesday, they said I would hear from them Wednesday, and I actually heard from them on the Thursday.  The bill I complained about was 180 pounds instead of the usual 6 pounds.  In the phonecall they said they have been able to deduct 149 off that, hopefully my 35 pounds GRIEF compensation (what I asked for when they gave me grief) will take care of the rest......... it did, suffice to say, tarnish the joy of upgrading somewhat... but on another level, my phone is still performing incredibly well, and can cope with everything I need it to do unlike its predecessor.  EE take heed though, if you expect people to come over to 4G, then you need to do the recalculating behind the scenes before issuing bills. It's not a way to thank someone for staying with you for another 24 months.

That very same Thursday, AO.com came to my rescue. I had ordered a Zanussi cooker from them, which had various failings, to say the least, and they replaced it, well outside their usual 10 day no quibble exchange.  Upon their advice I went for a Belling which is thus far performing incredibly well (once I get new knobs for it). From this whole process I have decided I would buy every appliance with them as their after sales service is superb, and they live and die by their reputation so they keep their promises. They refunded the 49 pounds (without reminder) as the replacement cooker was cheaper, and they delivered the new cooker at 7 a.m. (I may have met the lovely delivery guys at the door in my nightie *coughs*). They also reimbursed me the 50 pounds it cost me to have a 2nd cooker fitted.  The gas fitter clearly didn't mind repeat business a mere *nearly* month after having been at my house before (original cooker came just before Easter so that I could make an Easter Sunday roast for my cousin and her husband).

So that vlog above was done in the spirit of getting TWO customer complaints resolved. They'd both been sitting on my shoulders, and they were resolved on the same day, both satisfactorily and both with the help of some Tweets. The joy I felt, and the relief, was clear in my vlog, even a day later - it was recorded on the Friday evening.

I hope you clicked through and had a watch, as you'll get to see what me and Aaron look and sound like AND you'll see how funny it got, when he caught me vlogging and kind of took over.  I am glad he did as it might not have been nearly as entertaining if he didn't.  Please watch it on You Tube and like/share/subscribe and comment.

Thanks, love ya!

Liska xx

My NEW beginning and Vlogging

Being the NEW ME, I've decided that in addition to being a mummy blogger, my new start will involve a lot of Vlogging, and they will be stored on my very own You Tube Channel.

Here is my very brief first attempt, in this series, although I have vlogged a couple of times before.
As you can see below it is very off the cuff, and the real me!

Let me know what you think.

Liska x