Why Did I Do This To Myself?! It Also Might Be Blogmas!

   Hey guys, and welcome back to Cook, Create, and Contemplate! The picture may be deceiving, however, it is all related, trust me. So on Friday December fourth, something really crazy happened... I launched my YouTube channel (shown above) The Fully Loaded Backpack! Honestly I started the channel because I hate myself and want to make the most work possible for myself... okay that's not exactly the truth. I started The Fully Loaded Backpack because I have been watching YouTube videos my entire life and whenever I watched them I always had an urge to make some myself. With starting the blog I was really taking a jump and putting myself out there, but YouTube is so much more than that; it's so much more personal! I upload a video and people actually watch me... THAT IS CRAZY! I don't know where the courage came to do it, but as soon as I uploaded my video the feeling was like nothing I have ever felt before. So I know that my channel isn't going to be anything too amazing and it'll never blowup, but that's not what I'm doing it for; I started it for myself. I wanted to create something like a memory collection, so I combined some of my favourite things: video making/editing, and blogging- thus creating vlogs on a YouTube channel. 

   Okay now that we got the introductions out of the way, I thought it would be fun to tell you about how my channel got its name: The Fully Loaded Backpack. My roommates and I were coming back from dinner one night and met a very interesting man on the bus (watch my vlog to hear the story)... long story short we got off a stop early to try and leave the guy on the bus... but he followed us. We were able to ditch him at an LRT station when he got on a train going in the opposite direction. We were waiting inside the LRT stop and written on the wall were the words, A Full Backpack Load. I saw those words and knew instantly the name of my channel and exactly how I would want it to look. Needless to say I was stoked to start it, just like the moment I thought of the name of my blog. I had a strong idea of how I was going to start it, so that night I was up until 2:00 a.m. creating the channel. Designing the look and planning the content I was going to want to put on my channel was the hardest part, but after I made the look I was going for the rest seemed to come pretty easily. I only have one video up on my channel so far, but I am planning on uploading every week on Friday. This will give me some time between the blog and the YouTube channel to create content for both that will leave you content. I'm not going to lie, doing both and also balancing a condensed course load is a lot to do every week, but I really think I can handle it. The YouTube channel will most likely work as a separate entity for the time being. I am not opposed to cross create on the blog and channel because I think that could be fun... but don't think I'm not going to mention it on here, and remind you to watch my videos.

   

   As you may know it is the first blog of December, and that means BLOGMAS! Every week of December the blog will focus on something for you to do during the holiday season. Kicking off Blogmas this week I have compiled a list of some of my most anticipated things to do over my holiday break, so without further ado...

1. Bake Christmas cookies with my family: This is a tradition we have done my entire life; we usually make waaaaaay too many because we always want to try so many new recipes. This year I want to try making those mug topper gingerbread houses. I saw them at William and Sonoma, and for a set of three the price was like $11-$31... what the HECK? I'm not going to pay that price, so I think I will try and make those.

   

   These are the ones at William and Sonoma; granted they are cute, but too expensive so this is my inspiration.

2. Go to West Edmonton Mall and see Let it Snow: So WEM started making it snow back in 2015 and it is pretty cool (no pun intended). Snowfalls occur every hour from 2 to 8 p.m. over the dancing fountains in the phase III part of the mall. This will happen until December 23.

   

   Image provided by http://www.wem.ca

    
3. Go to the Leduc County Lights: Okay so I don't know if any of you have been to the Leduc County Lights, but it is pretty amazing. They are open starting December 1st 4-10 p.m. It is free to get in but donations for the food bank are encouraged.

   

   Photo Credit: Leduc County Christmas Lights 

4.  Zoolights Calgary Zoo: We got our tickets ahead of time and are waiting for good weather to go as a family. I'm really excited because I have always wanted to go, and this is the year! The Zoolights run until January 6, 2018.

   

   Photo Credit: Calgary Zoo

5.  Make Christmas Cards: Every year I make homemade Christmas cards for my family and relatives. I hope to carve out time to make some more this year. Below are some from last year.
   
   
    
   

   Well that about wraps ;) it up for this weeks blog! Thanks for your continuing support of Cook, Create, and Contemplate and come back next Wednesday for the next Blogmas post. Also, just another reminder, check out my YouTube channel The Fully Loaded Backpack. Comment, Subscribe, and I'll see you next week!