Happy Blogmas/Vlogmas! For my 5th Day of Blogmas I decided to do a little haul video of the stuff I got at Saks Off 5th and Nordstrom Rack. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for watching and For more of my videos, check out my Youtube channel. Subscribe if you'd like, I'd really appreciate it. Until tomorrow!

The Holidays are a fun and festive time of the year, but for some us, it can be really stressful. Whether it is because of finances or time management or even just because there's a lot of work that needs to be done. The time before the holidays can be quite stressful.

If you're someone who stresses out quite easily, like myself, have no fear! Here are some of my little tricks and tips to managing stress.

The first step for handling your stress is actually realizing you're stressed. Sometimes, I don't even realize that I'm stressing out. It's become such a normal feeling. But that is not a healthy way to live. Think hard, what's stressing you out? Money? Time? A large workload? Once you figure it out, you're on your way to a less stressful holiday.

But Kaitlin, if I don't know why I'm stressing, how can I destress? Well my answer to that is to talk about what's going on in the pretty little head of yours. When I'm stressed but I don't know why, I talk to someone. That someone is always my boyfriend Andrew or my best friend Jorge, because they know me so well and they offer great advice. And when I need to rant they listen. So talk out your problems and feelings, I guarantee it will make you feel better.

After you talk it all out and finally realize the reason for your stress, it's time to take action. When I take action, I like to make lists and plan out everything I need to get done. List making really helps me destress and it's also very relaxing for me. Since I like to plan, this part is easy and enjoyable for me. When you make up a game plan it makes every day a little bit easier.

If money is a big stress for you, plan a budget. Set aside money for presents and shop when things are on sale. There's always a bunch of sales before Christmas. Plus there's always coupons! Or maybe next year try shopping for presents on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. And if you're really strapped for cash, try crafting or doing some sort of DIY gift. A gift from the heart is always better than some flashy expensive thing.

If time is a big concern for you, make lists! I can't say it enough, it really is very helpful. Planning accordingly will help with your time management. Make lists for the gifts you want to give and make a list of what you'd want to serve on Christmas before you go to the grocery store. And if you don't have time to make everything for Christmas, ask for help. If you're making some DIY gifts, host a crafting day with some of your friends or family. That way you get to spend time with your loved ones while being productive. But if you're making gifts for them, it's probably not a good idea. But if you're making gifts for friends, ask your family for help and vice versa. Or even host a baking or cooking day with your friends or family! Also if you don't have time cook every entree, make it a potluck and divide the work up.

If you still have a large workload after you planned and asked for help, well then you might be doing way too much. If you find yourself doing too much STOP. Take a deep breath and take a fifteen minute break. Go for a walk or jog! You'll feel much more energized and a little less stressed. Shoot if you're not getting enough sleep then take a nap, your body needs rest. Do something that makes you feel relaxed; catch up on your favorite TV show, read a book, or watch a movie. You need to do something to take your mind off your stress.

Sometimes we want to be able to do everything on our own, but that's not possible. We're not superheroes or superhuman. We need to be realistic and when you have a lot on your plate and more and more is added just say no if it's too much. You know your limits and no one wants you to be pushed over the edge. I hope my little tips helped and I hope your holidays are stress free! Until tomorrow.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, the excitement is kicking in. Only 22 more days until Santa comes! So I thought today I thought I would share some of the items on my Christmas list.

But before I do that, I just wanted to take a moment to say that Christmas isn't about the presents or gifts. It's about people and spreading good cheer and peace on Earth.

Yesterday, tragedy struck somewhat close by to me. Yes, I'm talking about the shooting in San Bernardino where fourteen people died. And just last week there was a shooting at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado. When will the madness end?! So for my most likely impossible Christmas wish, I'd like to wish for peace. I also hope this makes people realize that the United States needs stricter gun control laws. Two tragedies in two weeks? This is not normal and something MUST be done.

Now for a little bit of selfish time. But in times like these, I feel bad asking for things. For me, I feel like I have so much and that I really don't need anything. And I don't really want anything either. Except maybe financial stability, a career in my field, a place to call my own and to become a fully functioning and independent adult. Fingers crossed it happens in 2016! But anyways, here are some of the few things I actually kind of want but probably don't really need.

FLANNELS! They've made a comeback in the fashion world and I'm obsessed. But unfortunately I have not been able to find a flannel that I like! And the ones that I do like do not fit me. Busty chest problems.

The Flash T-Shirt! The Flash is my favorite superhero and my favorite TV show. I'd love the t-shirt and I've been wanting one for quite some time. Oh or one of those Star Lab t-shirts would be awesome too. What can I say, I'm a Flash fan girl.

WASHI TAPE! As a newbie glam planner, I've been trying to build up my washi tape collection. I realized I have tons of patterned washi but no solid colors! I actually need this really badly for my planner!

EMOJI STICKERS! Because of reasons... All part of the glam planner hobby. How cute would an emoji spread be?! The answer is very. I need this. NEED.

Scarf Camera Strap! I saw one of these on Pinterest and I thought they were so awesome!! The camera strap on my camera can be uncomfortable and unfashionable. But if it was a scarf it would be comfortable and fashion forward. Then again, I probably don't need this, and I could always try to DIY it. There has to be a tutorial on Pinterest right?

Small Waterproof Camera! Blogging has become a big passion of mine, I love it and hopefully I can make a career out of it. I also dabble in vlogging, and I enjoy that as well. So I really want to get a small travel camera just for that. Right now I currently use my Nikon D3100 and when I vlog on the go it doesn't work too well. So I'd like a cheap little vlogging camera for when I'm out and about. And waterproof because I have a tropical trip planned in April which requires a waterproof camera if I want to vlog or blog about it. Plus I have a tendency of dropping electronics in water so waterproof is good, very good.

I Am Malala! I always like to have a new book and Malala's story is truly inspiring. I think she is an amazing person and I'd love to know more about her story. I've heard so many good things about this book and I just want to read it so badly!

And those are a few things that I'd want for Christmas. But what you receive for Christmas is not important at all. It's all about spending time with your loved ones. Of course presents are cool, but if they're not from the heart then what's the point? If we take the emotion away from the holiday then all we've become is consumerism robots. Let's not make Christmas about the presents, let's make it all about spending time with the ones we love. Because truly, that's what I want for Christmas. Until tomorrow!!

There's something about the soap scents for the winter season that makes them much more magical compared to the ones throughout the rest of the year.

Think about it, stores like Bath & Body Works, The Body Shop, Sephora, Ulta, and etc, display their winter themed products and push them out until the end of the month. Remember all those gift baskets already made? I thought so.

Now I don't know if it's just me, but once December hits, I switch out all my normal soaps for these winter scented ones. Now I don't go out and buy all these winter scented products as soon as they come out. I normally get a couple winter scented products for Christmas, and I end up using them the following year. So today, I'm going to share with all you lovely folks my December soaps and smells this year! Now I have a preference when it comes to my soaps, I like Philosophy and Bath & Body Works. As you can see those are the only two brands present this season for my soaps and smells.

For my hair and body, I like to use the Philosophy Shampoo/Shower Gel/Bubble Bath. What a fancy product right? Forget two in one, it's all about those three in ones. I use this product year round, and it makes my hair feel amazing! The scents are really creative and they all smell so good. And when December rolls around, I like to get even fancier. This December's scent is: Sugar Plum Fairy! How is that even possible? I have no idea what a sugar plum or a sugar plum fairy smells like, but this shampoo smells fruity and festive. Plus it's glittery, how can you go wrong with glitter soap?

For my body spray and lotion, I'll be using more Philosophy products. These products are the same scent and that wonderful scent is Snow Angel. I got the Philosophy Snow Angel gift set last year, and I fell in love with it. By the end of the year, I had already used up the shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath and body scrub. I'm so glad I saved the body spray and lotion because it smells so good. Even though I live in Southern California, I have experienced snow and I know it doesn't always smell that good. But this Snow Angel stuff smells literally like magic.

Now even my lips get into the holiday spirit. How's that? Well Philosophy also makes flavored lip glosses! I'll be using the Peppermint Bark lip gloss. Now I have a TON of Philosophy lip glosses, especially when it comes to the holiday scented ones. You want to take a guess why? That's right, gift sets. Now I don't wear lipgloss very often, but I like to on occasion. Hence why it takes me forever to use them. Also I'm not a super big peppermint fan, but I really like how this lipgloss makes my lips tingle just the right amount.

And now we're all done with all of my Philosophy products and up next is the Bath & Body Works goodies. In my bathroom you'll find me washing my hands with my Iced Gingerbread Deep Cleansing Hand Soap. Gingerbread by far is my favorite holiday scent. Nothing makes me happier than the smell of gingerbread, and I wish it was a scent I could experience year round.

Even when I'm on the go, my hands are still going to smell good while being sanitized with the Pocketbac Oh Snap! Jolly Gingerbread Anti-bacterial Hand Gel. That's right even my hand sanitizer is even in the holiday spirit. Whoever created gingerbread scented anything is a genius in my book. I guarantee I'll be out of this one within the next couple weeks.

And those are my December soaps and smells! I don't know about you, but I'm going to smell extremely festive this holiday season. Tell me what you think, do you have a favorite scent during the holiday season? Do you think I'm nuts? Am I going overboard with all the holiday scents? Let me know what you think! Until tomorrow! And yes that is officially my new sign off for Blogmas!

Happy December everyone! This year, I decided that I am going to participate in Blogmas. For those of you that do not know what Blogmas is, it is when you blog (or vlog which is actually Vlogmas) everyday until Christmas Day! So 25 blogs, maybe a vlog or two thrown in there, for 25 days in a row? Challenge accepted.

I know my last 30 day challenge didn't go as plan but I've learned from that and I know what I need to do to and I know how it needs to get done. I will complete the Blogmas challenge, on time... Hopefully... Anyways, I'm rambling now. So for the first day of Blogmas, I thought it would be fun to share my Christmas Playlist.

What's Christmas without holiday music? Now my Christmas Playlist hasn't really changed since I was in high school. And that was about six years ago. So it may or may not be outdated. So here are some of the songs I like to listen to during the holiday season.

Ho Ho Hopefully | The Maine

This song is on repeat all day on December 1, all because of the first line of the song. "December first I'm in a foreign state." Kind of cheesy to play a song that mentions December 1 on repeat on December 1, but hey that's one of my traditions. But besides that, this song is super cute and it is all about how important it is to be with your loved ones during holidays.

Girl of my Dreams | Jonas Brothers

Where my fellow JoBro fans at?! Who remembers this track from the Disney Holiday cd? No one? Just me? Okay. Hey it's still a jam.

Wonderful Christmastime | The Ready Set

The Ready Set is one of my favorite artists and his version of the classic song is funky and fresh.

Mr. Winter | The Maine

The Maine honestly has the best original Christmas music, but the best part is that it's so good you want to listen to it year round. Especially Mr. Winter could just be a really cold guy rather than a season. But this song is on their Christmas EP so it makes it onto my Christmas playlist.

Greatest Time Of Year | Aly & AJ

Another classic from the Disney Holiday CD. So catchy and so true, Christmas time/winter time really is the greatest time of the year.

All I Want For Christmas | Big Time Rush

I chose the Big Time Rush version because, I like Big Time Rush, they're a very underrated boyband. Don't get me wrong, Mariah Carey's is great as well, it's a classic. I just prefer this one.

Santa Stole My Girlfriend | The Maine

The line: Santa, you bitch is possibly the greatest and funniest line ever. I chuckle every time. I'm telling you The Maine has the best original Christmas music.

Forgot It Was Christmas | The Downtown Fiction

This song is catchy and has a great tune. It's also very funny, the boyfriend forgets to buy the girlfriend a Christmas present so he writes her a song saying he forgot it was Christmas. Likely story. No one forgets Christmas.

Last Christmas | Cascada

There are so many covers of this song, but this by far is the best version. Hands down.

Beautiful Christmas | Big Time Rush

A festive and catchy song all about the deeper meaning of Christmas. A beautiful Christmas, is not from the presents, but how you spend it and who you spend it with.

Wishlist | The Ready Set

Another original, and gosh I just love it. "Cause you're number one on my wishlist baby." Tell me that's not adorable.

White Christmas | Honor Society

Another classic Christmas song, done by one of my old favorite bands. I just love this version. Michael Bruno's voice is so soothing and wonderful.

Christmas In Hollywood | Hollywood Undead

It's Christmas in Hollywood, Santa's back up in the hood. I used to have this song on my Myspace page every December, MYSPACE. That's how old this song is. This naughty song is catchy and very funny. There needs to be more funny and adult Christmas music.

Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass | All Time Low

Finishing off the playlist with my favorite snarky Christmas song by one of my favorite bands. Doesn't everyone have someone they want to say Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass to? It's the perfect thing to say to someone you simply cannot stand.

So there's my playlist for this holiday season! Well for every holiday season since I was sixteen, but you get the point. Unfortunately, not every single one of these songs are on Spotify. But a majority are and if you want to give a listen to my playlist check it out here! And here we have it, the first day of Blogmas is complete! One down, twenty four to go. Let's go. Until tomorrow. See what I did there?

Hey everyone, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and an awesome Black Friday full of deals. Personally I wait for Cyber Monday because I can't even with the crowds. If you don't celebrate Thanksgiving or Black Friday, well I hope you're having a super awesome day and life! Here is my latest vlog where I unbox and critique my November Glam Bag! Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for watching and For more of my videos, check out my Youtube channel. Subscribe if you'd like, I'd really appreciate it. And if anyone ever wants to chat, hit me up on Twitter or Instagram @heykaitlinmary, I love to chat! Until next time.

When a tourist thinks of Los Angeles, they think of movies and glamour. Anyone who lives about an hour or so away can only think about the traffic and its lack of cleanliness. But somehow this big city seems to attract lots of people each year. Despite my personal dislike for Los Angeles, I can admit there are some pretty cool things to see and do here.

Gaze at the stars at the Griffith Observatory. Although, most people come for an incredible view of Los Angeles, as well as the best view of the Hollywood sign. But what you may not know, is that inside the observatory there is a museum full of space exhibits, this also includes the pendulum as well as the telescope. The museum (and parking) is free however, you do have to pay for a planetarium show.

As much as I hate to say it, how can you say you've been to Los Angeles and never once seen Hollywood. Hollywood is the Times Square of Los Angeles, bright lights and filled with a bunch of tourists who don't know how to walk. Of course this will be the most annoying place to go to, but sometimes these things need to be done. The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the handprints/footprints at the Chinese Theatre are a must see for tourists. And across the street you'll have the historic El Capitan theatre. On this part of Hollywood Blvd, is theatre and premiere central. Who knows maybe when you're there you'll stumble upon a real Hollywood premiere.

If you want to appreciate art and culture in Los Angeles, then try The Getty Center. The museum itself is free but there is a parking fee. But from the parking lot, you do get to enjoy a fun little tram ride up to the museum! Paintings, gardens, amazing architecture and a spectacular view, The Getty has something to offer everyone.

Also if you're a really big museum lover there is Museum Row. Here you'll find other popular museums such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or as everyone else calls it LACMA, La Brea Tarpits and Museum, Hancock Park, and several other museums!

And what's a trip to LA without a visit to the most famous zip code? That's right, 90210, Beverly Hills. Take a look at the most fake city in the entire world, I say this because it's where all the plastic surgeons are. And why not take a stroll down Rodeo Drive and look at all the things you probably can't afford.

If you want more affordable shopping, check out The Grove, a cute outdoor mall. And right across from the mall, you'll find the Original Farmers Market.

However there are some tourist destinations in Los Angeles that I completely don't understand. Venice Beach, for one, it's dirty and disgusting. Shady people everywhere and a dirty beach. No thank you. If you must go to the beach head down south towards Manhattan Beach or even Orange County, there you'll find cleaner beaches where it is safe to swim and walk along.

The Santa Monica Pier is another one where I don't understand the hype. It's a very crowded amusement park on a pier, big deal. It's not very clean or well taken care of either. The pier is nice to look at from a distance, but I don't recommend going there. Unless you want to be disappointed in an overhyped landmark.

Also don't bother taking a tour of celebrity homes or buying a map of the star's homes. All you're going to see when you pull up to the house is a very large wall and gate.

Los Angeles, it's a big city filled with a bunch of things to do and see. Sometimes it can be a pain to get around. You'll need a car, and to be careful and have tons of patience because driving in LA is the worst. But the delicious Mexican food will make up for it. Until next time.

Once Halloween is over, you know what that means... Christmas is around the corner, because apparently no one really cares about Thanksgiving. Or is Thanksgiving simply just forgotten? Instead, we start playing Christmas music and we break out our ugly sweaters.

And Starbucks is no exception to this rule. 'Tis the season, at least that's what they said on November 1, in a promotional email to celebrate the return of the red cups and holiday beverages.

That's right, the Chestnut Praline, Eggnog, Gingerbread and Caramel Brulée lattes are back!

Of course we know Christmas is on the way, but can we actually get through Thanksgiving first before we start singing Christmas carols and enjoy our favorite holiday beverages. Is that simply too much to ask? Does Halloween not deserve a mourning period? No? We're just going to go straight to Christmas, sorry not sorry Thanksgiving, okay cool.

But the excitement towards the red cups and holiday beverages raises a valid question. Do the actual dates of when the seasons start and finish matter? Or does Starbucks actually determine it? Because I'm pretty sure it wasn't fall yet when the Pumpkin Spice Latte came out, but once it did everyone declared it was fall and headed to their nearest pumpkin patch.

We all throw a fit when the stores put their Christmas decor and items up in advance but no one seems to care that Starbucks holiday beverages were available pretty early this year. Because it is certainly it is not winter yet, but somehow it already feels like it. Is this because of the cooling weather here in Southern California? Or is it all because of the beautiful red cups and the wonderful holiday beverages?

Now assuming that you don't live under a rock, you probably have heard of all the flak that Starbucks is getting because of their red cups. Raise your hand if you are completely sick of this nonsense and could care less about being offended by a red cup. Blah blah war on Christmas. Who cares if your cup doesn't have a snowman or a snowflake on it, move on and enjoy your god damn coffee. This "controversy" does not even matter, especially when there are much more serious things going on in our world today.

What's way more important, is how these cups and drinks have an effect on all of us. For some of us, they show us which season it is and even put us in the holiday spirit. Others love to complain about the cups while others don't see the big deal and hardly care at all.

Personally, I have no idea what makes these red cups so special and such a hot topic but they are. When they first came out, there was a Snapchat Geotag dedicated to the "first red cup." Now there are other Starbucks sponsored Geotags promoting the red cups. Also on Twitter, when the hashtag #RedCup or #RedCups is used a little red cup hashflag appears next to it. Plus we all know that social media is filled with pictures of these cups. And yes, I am guilty of posting a few, but I know most of you have too.

Currently Starbucks has a holiday beverage promotion going on: the Keep The Cheer Going card. If you buy a grande holiday espresso beverage you'll get a sticker for your card. When you get five stickers, you get a grande espresso beverage for free! This promotion started on November 16 and will last until Christmas (December 25). Pretty cool right? I don't know about you, but I plan on taking advantage of this!

Besides all of the promotion and controversy over the red cups, let's not forget the most important part of those cups. The yummy goodness that is inside them. So this season, enjoy a holiday beverage with someone you care about and enjoy the good times. Until next time.

Here's a little vlog from my recent trip to New York City. Here you'll find some places you've already seen and some hidden gems. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for watching and if you want to check out more of my videos check out my Youtube channel! Until next time.

When October strolls around we all have pumpkins and Halloween on the mind. We think about how can we alter ourselves for the one holiday we are allowed to play dress up and be something that we normally are not. But nowadays, clothes aren't the only thing we use to transform our appearance on Halloween. With makeup we can transform ourselves on into anything we want. A mermaid, a superhero, a skull, you name it, it is possible. That was allegedly the idea behind this month's Glam Bag from ipsy.

My alter ego Glam Bag included a gold and black makeup bag which had the following products inside: AURORA Gel Effect Nail Polish in Inky Dinky, theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick, Beauty Without Cruelty Fragrance Free Hand and Body Lotion, Nourish Organic Pure Hydrating Argan Face Serum and pur~lisse BB Tinted Moist Cream SPF30.

The AURORA Gel Effect Nail Polish in Inky Dinky is a nail polish that gives off a gel effect. Now I'm not familiar with gel nails so I have no idea how it differs from regular nail polish. I'm not a nail expert and I never will be. The shade Inky Dinky is a nice navy blue/purple shade, honestly to me it looks like indigo. This nail polish claims that it will last for two weeks but I sincerely doubt that, I put this nail polish on two or three hours ago and it has already started chipping. With this nail polish you have to do at least two coats for it to look somewhat decent. The brush is really thick and when you're painting your nails the polish gets a little clumpy.

The theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick was a complete surprise. Then again I really shouldn't be surprised because theBalm has such amazing products and their puns are always entertaining. The shade I received was called Committed, which is a pink nude shade! Which is a shade I LOVE! Thank you ipsy for finally listening to my critiques. Pink nudes are my go to and I'm in love with this one. Also I'm normally not the biggest fan of liquid lipsticks because they never last long, even if they claim they do. But this lipstick actually does last for a long time. I finished a grande Chestnut Praline latte and my lipstick is still visible. It's everything that I want in a lipstick, and there's no need for constant reapplication.

The Beauty Without Cruelty Fragrance Free Hand and Body Lotion moisturizes and softens your skin. It is supposed to help your skin stay youthful and vibrant while being a vegan, cruelty free and paraben free product. It is scentless which just reminds me of the free lotion you get from hotels. There's nothing super special about this lotion besides that it does its job and makes your skin soft and smooth.

The Nourish Organic Pure Hydrating Argan Face Serum is an oil that hydrates and smooths your skin. The oil itself is very runny and that just seems to be a common thing with Nourish Organic products. But the fact that it was runny didn't bother me because this product has a lot of pros instead of cons. Pro #1, it smells so good and I just loved putting it on my face. Pro #2, it made my face feel so good. After using this product my face felt smoother, softer and it actually evened out my skin tone and texture. I love this stuff and it surprised me, especially since I didn't think I would.

The pur~lisse BB Tinted Moist Cream SPF30 was an exciting find in my Glam Bag. I've never used BB Cream but I've heard so many good things about it so I was excited to give it a try. If you don't keep up with the latest makeup trends (like myself), BB Cream is a moisturizer, primer, foundation and sunblock all in one. It's soothing on your skin while it protects it from UV rays, thank you SPF. It really does help brighten and shine your complexion and improves your skin texture all while it makes your skin soft and smooth.

Overall I was impressed by the products in my Glam Bag, the only thing that disappointed me was how none of these products went with the theme of an alter ego. An alter ego is defined as a second self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. Which I don't think any of these products did and they certainly did not make me feel any different. These products didn't change anything about my appearance. Although these products are amazing and I'm very happy with my Glam Bag, I just wish Michelle Phan and the people at ipsy would work harder on the theme of the Glam Bag and integrate the products in a better way. I've noticed that the themes never go hand in hand with the products and that's something ipsy truly needs to work on. Instead, the Youtubers at ipsy use the themes to promote themselves and their content rather than the actual products which we are paying for. I bet none of the Youtubers actually use any of the products we receive. If this does not change in the future, I bet some consumers (like myself) will switch to other beauty boxes like Sephora's new box Play! or Birchbox.

Rating this Glam Bag is going to be tough because I really enjoyed the products but the theme just did not even belong with any of this products. Most of these products would have done better in last month's bag Face Fashion. If I'm judging this bag solely on the products it would receive 4/5 stars. BUT since the theme and the Glam Bag go hand in hand I'd have to give this bag 2.5/5 stars. This is because there were only three things that were even related to an alter ego, the lipstick and the nail polish, and the glam bag itself.

Did you get a Glam Bag? What did you think? How do you feel about ipsy's themed bags? Am I being too hard on them or do you agree their themes seem pointless and have nothing to do with the actual products? Have you tried any other beauty box subscriptions? Tell me all about them! Until next time.