Reviewing YouCut Video Editor for Android

I have been using YouCut Video Editor on my Android smartphone since late 2020. I hadn't thought about how much I enjoy YouCut until I had received a few comments lately about how much time I must spend editing. I really don't spend any time editing. Living in a remote area it make take hours for a brief video to upload but it often takes less than 5 minutes to create that video because YouCut is so easy to use. And best of all, YouCut is FREE.  

About YouCut

YouCut is a video editing program for Android phones. It can be found in your Play Store app. Once you've download it, the icon can be found on your phone screen. I do not believe that there is a version available for laptop operating systems. The last time I checked in a web search, you can pull up sites with titles such as "YouCut for your PC" but they are offering "alternative" video editing programs - not YouCut.

Why YouCut Has Been an Excellent Option for Me

There are many reasons YouCut has been a fantastic tool for me. I learned about YouCut from Ann's Tiny Life and Homestead youtube channel when she shared this tutorial. I didn't give it any more thought until I wanted to post photos in a slide show on YouTube. But Youtube had eliminated that option at that time. So I went back to Ann's tutorial, learned about YouCut, and successfully posted my first video; which included photos in a slide show.

These are a few of the many reasons I enjoy using YouCut:

Price - It's FREE!

Accessible via my Phone - which means the app, my photos, and my raw video clips are all in the same place. Which also means all of that is portable and with me at all times (except the days I forget my phone and head to work!). Prior to 2020, I took all my blogging photos with my beloved Sony camera. But using a camera meant moving the memory card from the camera to the laptop in order to edit and use those photos. With YouCut and my phone, I eliminate that step when sharing editing and sharing videos. (Unfortunately, my Sony currently needs repaired, so I don't have that option even if I wanted it.)

No Laptop or Desktop required - Taking the photos and videos, editing them, saving them, and uploading them is all done via my phone.  I do manage my Youtube channel from my laptop because it is easier to view than on my phone screen. But I don't have to have anything other than my phone for the videos.

Flexibility - I can use photos or videos in order to make a video. I upload to YouTube but after you save your video, you are given options to upload to a variety of platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, e-mail, WhatsApp, Signal, Twitter, and "other" (which takes me to the options and apps in my phone).  

Easy to Use - I am not going to make a tutorial to show how the program works. I'm not the best person for that job. However, I recommend that you watch Ann's tutorial or one of the many others that can be found. All of the editing tools that I use already seemed familiar. 

Free Effects - YouCut offers many effects and editing tools; many that I don't even use. But I do use adding text, adding transitions between photos or clips, and I have added their free music on occasion. All of those things have been extremely easy to figure out and to use. And the best part is that the "undo" button is available. If I make a mistake, I can immediately put things back the way they were. 

the app is very easy to navigate - beginning with the start screen

adding, moving, and editing text is easy

Why Take Time to Create Videos?

There are many, many reasons to create videos.  I began making videos in order to share my personal journey (preparing to move from an urban apartment to my land, documenting my house build progress, and to keep my friends and family up-to-date on the progress).  I have continued making videos for those reasons (now that I've moved) but also to encourage others to chase their dreams. One woman saw me on social media and said that I motivated her to make the leap. She now is living her dream in a beautiful house, on a gorgeous chunk of rural land. I have made a choice to try to share more about what I'm doing because it might encourage others to act on their dreams and plans. I am a firm believer of "if I can, you can."

Some reasons others may make videos are:

• Keep in touch with family and friends
• A way to journal or document your life
• Teach others what you know - share your skills
• Show your handmade or store items - things you are offering for sale
• Make money - many people are monetized and make money with videos
• Review items - if a photo is worth 1,000 words imagine what videos are worth
• Inspire others 
• Share experiences
• People love to watch videos

I have found only one minor issue with using YouCut and my phone as my video-making and -editing device. Videos save to my phone before they upload to the platform (for me that is YouTube). This is great as you don't lose your videos. However, it quickly fills up storage space on your phone. Most people probably already know how to move their files from their phone to some other storage area but it took me a bit to learn how to do that. It is such a minor issue for people who are technologically savvy... but when my phone stopped working correctly because I couldn't figure out how to do it, I was frustrated. I have since learned how to prevent that problem by transferring the videos to other storage more frequently.

One final thought, posting yourself on social media does come with some risk. So be careful with personal information and be aware that there are some strange folks out there. Otherwise, there can be many benefits from making and sharing videos. And YouCut has been a very quick and easy way for me to do that. 

Related Link:

My YouTube channel is about my puttering around my land (now that I've moved from the apartment to my home). My dream was to get moved to my land, prepare for retirement, and putter around learning how to raise my own food. Do not feel obliged to look - my goal is not to be a "YouTuber". But if you are interested in an older lady who is figuring out how to raise things, build things, and who is looking forward to retirement someday... feel free to visit me at Dawn Rae B. If I am making progress toward my dreams, you can too. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

LED Integrated Outdoor Wall Lights Have Numerous Benefits - Check it Out

Review of an Integrated LED Outdoor Wall Light

We needed a new outdoor wall light for our backyard. 

Like most people, I did my research.

I researched standard outdoor wall lights that use lightbulbs and tripped on integrated LED wall lights.

What is an LED Integrated Wall Light? A Point Form Summary 

• It doesn't use light bulbs.
• The wall light has built-in LEDs.
• The one we purchased says the LEDs will last 15,000 hours, or generally 7 years, based upon having the light on about 3 hours a day. 
• After 7 years is up, I'm honestly not sure what has to be done to replace the LEDs, but we rarely have the light on, so I'm sure it will last much longer.
• It costs next to nothing in terms of electricity usage.
• There are many designs to choose from.
• You can get LED outdoor wall lights from multiple stores, including Amazon.
• We purchased ours from Home Depot - I wanted to see it in person before purchasing.
• And yes, it's bright!

Integrated LED Flush Mount Wall Light

Things to Consider Before Purchasing an LED Integrated Wall Light:

• Check the size of the opening of your existing outdoor wall light. I purchased one from Amazon but had to return it because the base that mounts to the house didn't entirely cover the current opening.
• Our base needed a minimum of 5 inches wide.
• Do you want one that comes out further, or do you need one that's relatively flush to the wall? 
• Ours needed to be fairly flush because it was beside a patio door, and we didn't want the taller people in our family worried about banging into it when turning right outside the patio door.
• Check the distance out from the wall base to the light to ensure it meets your requirements.
• Do you want the light to point upwards or downwards?
• Where does the light shine from? The top? The bottom? The front? Or all of these locations. The one we selected radiates light in all these directions.
• Most LED lights indicate the type of light it emits, from "warm tones" to "cool tones." We selected one that was more on the warm side of brightness.

The Integrated LED Flush Mount Wall Light Lightens the Entire Patio!

As mentioned above, you can get these lights at multiple stores, but I did notice that after purchasing our light from Home Depot, there were less expensive choices on Amazon. Be sure to shop it before buying.

Here's a closer look at the one we selected - We love it; it's bright
The light shines out of the bottom, the top, and the entire front face

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Reviewing Wordy Gifts for your Favorite Bookworms

Bookends are the perfect Wordy gift for all the bookworms in your life.

*Intro photo is of Luxe Crystal Acrylic Bookends A-Z by Vandue on Etsy.

Bookend Gifts

What would be a more appropriate gift for the libraries of readers and writers than word-related bookends? 

READ is the perfect word for bookworms ~ lovers of books of any age.

Paul of Oregon creates beautiful bookend sets that he hand cuts with a scroll saw from 1/2” thick, furniture grade Birch plywood.  His bookends are then sanded and finished with satin interior non-toxic paint.

This heavy duty two-piece set of bookends has a bottom surface protector which will extend under a few books for enhanced book support. This set, and many more designs in words and in intricate shapes of animals and sports activities are available in Paul's Etsy Shop he calls ScrollMaster Designs. 

An appropriate gift for your writer friends would be this set of WRITER bookends. Handmade and designed by Knob Creek Metal Arts of Louisville, KY, the bookends are solid steel and heavy enough to hold up your reading collection. Sold in a set of two pieces, they are finished in a black powder coat.  Dimensions are approx. 6 1/2" t x 6 1/2" w x 4" d. 

A darling set of bookends for a child's book collection is one that is personalized with your child's name. For a little girl's room, this Butterfly Bookends set is so adorable. Or choose from many sets, all with cute designs, from the Etsy Shop of Nelsons Gifts.  Jon and Roseann Nelson specialize in personalized nursery and home décor.

Cooks are bookworms too, with cookbooks being their favorite genre. So a set of bookends with the word COOK is an ideal gift idea for your favorite cook. 

This set from Amazon is made with quality steel and is very durable and able to hold many large and heavy books such as you often find in favorite cookbooks.  These bookends have a powder-coated surface, so it is smooth and anti-rust, with a non-slip base. 

Summary

So, choose a Wordy bookend set as a gift for your bookworm friends and family. 

Related Links:

• For more book accessory gifts, check out Fun & Fab Book Accessories and Gift Ideas by Treasures by Brenda
• For Books for your Bookends, check out ReviewThisBooks.com for excellent reviews in every genre.

*Wordy Gifts for Your Favorite Bookworm was written and compiled by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

It Was Always You Movie Review

The only thing better than a clean, romantic movie is a romantic movie that makes us laugh. 

Erin Krakow shares her geeky side in the movie, "It Was Always You". When she hits the dance floor, she is downright funny as she demonstrates how this attractive, successful woman clearly doesn't know how to dance.  At least, that is true in the movie.  She is awkward, yet adorable because she can laugh at herself. Perhaps, all she really needs is the right partner.

Krakow is probably best known for her long lasting role as the main character in the current Hallmark series, "When Calls the Heart". However, she has proven many times that she is not just a "one hit wonder" in movies. Several movies starring Erin Krakow have already been reviewed and recommended here on Review This Reviews!  

Each time I see her in a new movie, I think "this one is my favorite". As of today, "It Was Always You" is my favorite Erin Krakow movie. I look forward to seeing how Hallmark tops this one. Frankly, I think that is a difficult challenge.

"It Was Always You" Hallmark Movie Synopsis

 It Was Always YouCheck Price & Viewing OptionsDr. Elizabeth Hall has achieved everything she set out to accomplish. She has a successful dental practice that she shares with her long time friend and fiance, George Belling.  But something is still missing. 

As a child, Elizabeth looked upon her neighbors as the perfect family and that is what she wants most. The Belling family welcomed Elizabeth into their home and she shared many happy occasions with them. Her best memories are of times spent in the Belling home and with the Belling children. Just like any close family, she shared their hurts, pains, loses, and love. It seemed only fitting that she should marry George Belling and secure her future with their family.

When Elizabeth and George joined the whole family for a weekend of celebrations, Elizabeth found herself searching for something she had not realized she was missing.  Her own real happiness.

 

More Great Movies Reviewed

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

It Was Always You - Hallmark Movie Review by:

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Father's Day, A Gift That Will Become a Favorite!

 Everyone I know seems to scramble for something interesting for Father's Day.  They are searching for a gift that will keep on giving in some way that "The Dad" in the family will enjoy for a long time to come.  Well I think I have hit on a gift that fits that bill for the Father in our household and everyone can chip in to make it an affordable and lasting gift.

Are you curious?  What could it be?

Well, let me tell you a little more and then maybe you could guess.  We live in an area where we are close to the airport and our balcony faces in a way that we seem to have an arrival highway to the airport.  We enjoy sitting out on our balcony in the evenings and watching the planes.  Sometimes it's easy to see them and then there are other times when they are just too far away.  

We also enjoy watching the hawks that are always circling around our buildings.  These birds are amazing animals and up close and personal is the best way to appreciate their beauty.

Now the other thing we love doing is getting out to baseball games.  For our retired way of life, we usually get some nose-bleed seats and watch the overall game.  But, there are times when your favorite batter is up and you just need to get a closer look.  

What you may ask, could possibly cover all of these different activities?  Well if you guess Binoculars, you would be right on the money. 

                                                            Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay

What we love about the  binoculars featured here, is that they are waterproof, lightweight and yet still give you a really great close up of whatever you happen to focus on.  When your Dad is out and about they hang around his neck without being bulky and cumbersome. For the serious, but practical bird/plane/baseball player watcher (also known as Dad) these are a perfect pair of binoculars.  The best part is that they are so affordable and everyone in the family can still share in the cost and then take Dad out for dinner too!   You can get your Dad a great pair of Binoculars right here:  Bushnell Binoculars:

Of course you are not limited to what I have shown you here.  If your Dad requires a more sophisticated pair of binoculars, you can go all out and break the bank if you want to, but it really isn't necessary.  He will be able to do a lot of watching up close and personal with the ones I have chosen to feature here for you.  

Wishing all of the Dads, Granddads and Dad figures a wonderful and Happy Father's Day on Sunday June 19th!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: