Your vlog should contain both commentary and content shots, so it's a good idea to get your face in the shot from time to time. Vlogging is personal, so you may wish to keep your vlog free of commentary and face shots. If so, just keep future vlogs consistent with this presentation. One way to keep your audience engaged is by walking up to strangers in the street, asking a question, and filming their responses. This isn't necessary, but it's a good starting point if you don't know what to film. Make sure you have consent to post any responses you receive before filming them. Keep your questions appropriate. You don't want anyone to think you're harassing them. Unless your commentary is interesting enough to keep your audience engaged throughout the entire vlog, you'll need to include shots of funny, pretty, or otherwise stimulating content. For example, if you're filming a hike, take a few minutes of footage of wildlife, scenery, or similar. Including cute animals or dramatic events in your vlog will almost always keep audiences engaged. Wandering around any city while recording for long enough will always yield something interesting. How you edit your finished vlog is up to you; however, the goal should be to cut it down to a reasonable length (e.g., between 8 and 15 minutes) while making some of the longer parts more interesting to look at. Jump cuts, which involve identifying two interesting, back-to-back points in the vlog and then cutting the content between them, are essential when editing vlogs. You'll want to add music to virtually all of your vlogs. Speeding up sections to create a "time-lapse" effect can keep people interested during a lull in the action. Where you upload your vlog is entirely up to you, though YouTube is a popular choice due to its prominence in the video community. Other choices include Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo. If your vlog is over 10 minutes long, you'll need to verify your YouTube account before you can upload the vlog to YouTube.
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One-sentence summary -- Make sure you film yourself in addition to your surroundings. Ask questions. Include interesting or exciting events. Edit your vlog. Upload the edited video.

When you close read, you start with the text itself. While you may already be familiar with the author, close reading requires you to initially view the text in isolation. Try to put anything you already know about the history or background of the text to the side. For at least your first few readings, don't consider anything outside the text. If the text is short, it's best to read it at least 3 or 4 times. Read it through once, as you normally would, for comprehension. Then you're ready to dive into a close reading. After a quick read-through, you should have a general idea what the text you just read is about. You may want to jot down a few words that describe the main idea or theme of what you just read. You might also notice a particular image or idea that recurs throughout the text. A recurring image may have symbolic meaning. Make note of these as well. If the text is short, you can take notes during your second read-through. If it's long, you can take notes as you read the first time. Go slowly and annotate the text as you read, underlining key words and making notes in the margins. If something is confusing to you or doesn't make sense, put a question mark next to the line. You may also want to jot down a thought or question that you have about it. Make notes in the margins (or on a separate sheet of paper if you're reading from a library book) discussing your thoughts and reactions to the text as you read. Think of yourself as in a conversation with the author of the text. Be careful not to highlight or underline too much. If you find yourself thinking that everything is important, stop and read through it again to find the purpose of the work before you start annotating. As you're reading, the text will make you feel a certain way. Keep tabs on how the text is making you feel, and dig into why the text is affecting you that way. You might also make notes if it brings up things in your own life. For example, if you are reading a passage about a young woman attending university for the first time, it might bring up memories of your own first days of school. Depending on how that experience was for you, the passage may make you feel wistful, anxious, or nostalgic. Some passages you read may stir up feelings of anger or resentment based on your religious, political, or ethical beliefs. Note these as well. Later on when you're putting the work in context, you can evaluate the author's intentions or reasons for including those passages in the work. Having to guess at the meaning of a word can destroy your understanding of the text. Particularly if you're reading something written hundreds of years ago, words used may have a different meaning than they do now. Be sure to specify the meaning based on the context of the work. Some words also may have different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. In some disciplines, such as sociology or law, you may encounter common words that are actually terms of art that have a specialized meaning within that field. Keep a list of words you have to look up so you can refer to it later. This can also help you increase your vocabulary. At this point, you'll have a general reaction to the text as a whole. You may like it or dislike it, or you may have a more emotional reaction to the subject matter. In some cases, you may find that you enjoyed reading something that you ordinarily wouldn't have been interested in. You can use deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, or a mixture of both. Take note of your process and the reasons behind your reasoning when considering how to react to the text or parts of it. Dig into your reactions and think about why you had the reaction you did. For example, you may have related to the subject matter personally. It may be something you know a lot about or have strong feelings about. If your reaction is based on something outside the text, such as your personal feelings or beliefs, you may want to put that aside while you analyze the text itself. You can come back to it later when you're putting the work in context.
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One-sentence summary -- Read without any background understanding. Identify the main ideas or themes. Take notes as you read. Monitor your reaction to the text. Look up any words you don't know. Formulate your initial reaction to the text.

Once the time is up, take the bowl out and give the ingredients a quick stir. If the lipstick is still pretty solid, put it in for another 10 seconds. Remember to use your oven mitts when handling the hot bowl. Use a plastic spoon to stir everything until the lipstick completely melts and integrates with the rest of the ingredients. If you want the lipgloss to be a darker shade, add a little more lipstick, microwave it again for 10 more seconds, and continue mixing. Use plastic utensils when you can while making lipgloss. The wax can be really hard to get off of regular utensils, and it'll be easy to just discard the plastic ones when you're done. If you're using chapstick or lipgloss tubes, make sure to leave them upright until they're completely set, otherwise, the gloss could spill out. You could also put the gloss into the fridge to help speed up the setting process. Just like with any other kind of lipgloss, avoid leaving it in direct sunlight, as it could melt back down and make a mess. If you want it to be firmer, keep it in the fridge. If you liked your experience, you could host a lipgloss-making party, or make multiple shades to give away to friends and family during the holiday season. Your lipgloss won't expire, exactly, but if you notice a weird smell or if it changes color at all, it's time to get rid of it. Generally, your lipgloss should last for 2 to 3 years.
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One-sentence summary --
Heat the lipstick, oils, and beeswax for 10 seconds in the microwave. Stir the mixture so everything combines together. Let the mixture set for 10 to 15 minutes before you try to use it. Store your new lipgloss at room temperature, and enjoy!