Ahhhh, the quarantine. Aside from feeling a vague sense of impending doom, this time has allowed and encouraged me to find uplifting/distracting/inspiring content to keep me entertained and a little bit more optimistic. And I thought I would share them with you!
I’ve written a similar post about blogs before, as well as one about videos to make you smile… except there was no global pandemic then. As much as we are all addicted to our phones, right now it seems like a godsend that we can even have them. Imagine if we didn’t have the internet right now? I’m praising to Jebus that we do, and if used correctly I believe it can be a tool to connect us more than ever. And yes, it can easily be abused and turn us into zombies… but then zombies are kinda cute, really.
Seeing as this is really the introvert’s time to shine, as a self-proclaimed representative of these glorious beings, I thought I’d share a few places and spaces (digital, of course) that are making me smile and forget about the world right now.
Sammi Maria
Samantha Maria is one of my favourite YouTubers, and has been for a while now. What can I say, I love the British bloggers! She’s a tres chic fashion blogger turned lifestyle blogger (I’d say), and just seems like a lovely person. She recently posted the most adorable video with her daughter doing her makeup (below), and it scored top points from me in both distraction and cuteness content.
I always love when she uploads, and she does a mix of fashion/beauty content to home, lifestyle and even personal development (her Girl Talk series & Q&As are some of my faves).
Shallon Lester
I discovered Shallon late last year, say August (not that it matters but I’m a stickler for an internal chronology of events apparently!), and immediately got addicted to her. She does what I’d call a psychological analysis of pop culture and events, and really breaks down (her words) what’s going on behind the glittering facade of Hollywood.
Shallon used to be an editor of Star magazine, so you know she’s got the goods! Plus she’s just really funny and real, and it’s cool to see someone doing what they love and providing great value to a lot of people. I genuinely glean a lot of interesting tidbits from each of her videos, and they’ve kept me going during quarantine (and before!).
Livestreams/Battles
One of the glorious things about Instagram is the live function. I was never really interested in it though, until people started being innovative and popping up doing fun things for all to watch. The thrill of the live is unbeatable, but it’s even better when the people have talent. So fun to watch!
There was the Scott Storch/Mannie Fresh battle (lol, listen to me go), The-Dream vs. Sean Garrett and then the Ryan Tedder/Benny Blanco battle too. So hypnotising! I generally find out about them after the fact, but still can watch the vids on IG that they graciously save, or on Youtube as below:
Scott Storch truly has too many hits! Lol. I’m kinda enthralled by him to be honest. He was such a huge producers in the ’00s, made a heap of money and then blew it on coke and cars and such. Rehab ensued, and now he is on a comeback path… and I’m really rooting for him. The man can play!
Another good battle, as I mentioned, was Ryan Tedder & Benny Blanco. Apart from Ryan being easy on the eyes (even after all these years…), it was fascinating to see how many big songs they had made between them. Huuuge songs, the kinds that made up my early adulthood and thus forever hold a special place in my heart.
I actually love how celebrities/personalities are doing a bunch of Lives to keep us entertained. Thoroughly entertaining even for the comments lol (Diplo was heavily featured trolling throughout).
There’s also the DJ sets that are going on, which I’m not as partial to, but it’s still nice to know you’re not alone! Again, thank the lawd for technology right now.
Horoscope channels
I know, I know. Some people have absolutely zero time for zodiac/astrology/tarot… and that’s okay! But I’ve recently discovered the wonderful world of both astrology & tarot Youtube channels… and I’m kind of hooked. From “Pick a card” videos to monthly forecasts, it’s a fun and distracting way to pass the time — and even better when it rings true!
Some of my faves right now are Shonetta’s Divine Tarot and Vanessa Somuayina.
Shonetta is a real sweetie and just oozes positivity. She makes tarot fun and really explains each series of cards. It’s quite addictive! I also like her weekly predictions, and just enjoy how each video brings me back to the present (even when looking into the future, hehe).
Vanessa is another wholesome channel and she delivers thoughtful and kind messages. Again, this is an entertaining and (I believe) powerful way to take some time for yourself. She explains her readings really clearly and it’s just interesting to me.
Even if you don’t believe tarot/spirit, it still gives you pause to think about your life and become more present. And that can only ever be a good thing!
That’s about it for today. I was going to start adding a bunch of “animal content” links, but that could really warrant its own post, couldn’t it?
Hopefully these vids brightened up your day a bit, or at least provided a bit of entertainment and distraction. I feel a little stir crazy (despite being a homebody), so I’m finding the internet to be a real saviour right now!
What are you watching or listening to or distracting yourself with? Let me know!
Steph x