I don’t have cable.
I also don’t want cable. With all the other entertainment options out there, I just don’t feel like I need it. For quite a few years, I’d just watch tv and movies on my laptop, but I recently purchased a Roku Streaming Stick to plug into my little tv and IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. I got it on sale, and it was the best few $10 bills I’ve spent in a long time. (Btw, the tv I have is this little guy and I originally bought it as an external monitor. I really like it if you’re in the market for one.)
So anyway, the Roku. I love it. With it, I am able to search through tons of channels — most are free — and add the ones I want to my home screen. The channels I have and love are:
- Netflix (of course)
- YouTube
- Amazon Video
- ABC: Grey’s Anatomy reruns, holla!
- Yoga Download
- FrightPix: horror movies
- Crackle: gotta keep up with Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
- QVC, HSN, and JTV: don’t ask
- PBS
- Comedy Central
- ID Go: for my crime fix
- Seeso: I saw a preview of Take My Wife on YouTube and got this channel so I could binge watch the rest of the episodes
The Roku channel I use the most is YouTube. Over the past few years I’ve become addicted to YouTube channels and subscribe to lots of different ones in all different genres. I wrote about my favorite YouTubers here once before.
I thought I’d share some new favorite YouTube channels of mine in case anyone else has a short attention span and loves short snippets of video like you can find all over YouTube!
Peter Brown
Peter Brown is definitely the most entertaining YouTuber I’ve come across lately. Peter is a woodworker and craftsman who likes to experiment with interesting materials. Plus, he has incredible dad joke game.
- Making a replica of the mosquito-in-amber walking stick prop from Jurassic Park (above)
- Making a margarita glass out of a solid block of salt: click
Life Where I’m From
On this channel, a dad shows us what it’s like to live in Japan — but from his kids’ perspectives. The (super cute) kids are the focal point of the channel and in each video they tell us about what it’s like to do X, Y, or Z in Japan. Some favorites of mine:
- What a Japanese Family Restaurant is Like (above)
- What a Japanese Apartment is Like: click
Great Depression Cooking with Clara
I can’t remember how I found this channel, but I love it. A grandson films his grandmother Clara as she cooks simple, frugal recipes that she and her family ate during the Great Depression. Clara is so adorable and charming, and these videos really make my day when I watch them.
- Twice Baked Potato (above)
- Cooked Bread: click
Kate Flowers
Kate’s channel played a big part in my decision to dive back into a mostly plant-based diet. Kate and her fianceé Mae are both raw vegans, meaning they only eat raw (uncooked) plant foods. While that’s more extreme than I’m willing to go, I’m inspired by the interesting recipes they create and the things they eat, and I love that they also talk about relationships and LGBT+ issues. Visit Kate’s channel.
Safiya Nygaard
I originally found out about Safiya when she worked at Buzzfeed, producing the miniseries Ladylike. She has since left Buzzfeed and started her own channel where she tests out interesting beauty products and trends and makes a lot of Harry Potter jokes.
- Trying a pair of really weird Ugg/Teva combo boot sandals (above)
- Taking her cat Crusty for a walk on a leash: click
Emmymade in Japan
I love Emmy’s channel! The premise of the channel is trying interesting foods. Emmy samples interesting military MREs (read: 24 hour ration pack), tries snacks sent to her from viewers around the world, and tests out unique recipes like “raindrop cake” and “prison candy”. Her energy is infectiously positive and her videos always put me in a good mood.
- Trying to use cheese in a hot glue gun (above)
- Making a Cheetos cookie: click
Have you watched any of these YouTube channels before? If not, did I convince you to give any a try?
