Author: Sparkle with Sara

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Ta-Done!

How I manage my Anxiety & Depression with Ta-Done Lists

I know you have heard of To-Do Lists, but have you ever heard of a Ta-Done List? You should read that like this, TAA – DONNNNNNEEE!!!! This is a play on words, like when a child proudly presents their handiwork, “Ta-Da!!”. It’s like that, but the adult version, because you’re actually getting shit DONE.

 

What is a Ta-Done List?

It’s like a to-do list but instead of writing things the things to do, you write the things you have ALREADY DONE. You keep adding to the list throughout the day as you complete tasks or you write down everything you accomplished that day at the end. Pay special attention to the little things you do that aren’t on your “official” to-do list. Why is this important? Because there a many small things you do throughout the day that help make your world function, and you have to give credit where credit is due.

 

How does the Ta-Done List help anxiety and depression?

For me, the original to-do list helps me stay focused on the tasks at hand – instead of the tsunami of tasks that await me in the future. The Ta-Done list takes it further by allowing me to give myself credit for ALL the work I do, even those little things that aren’t on my to-do list. This helps my anxiety when I start to obsess with my productivity and I start to ask myself “WHAT DID YOU EVEN DO TODAY!????” I can point to my Ta-Done List and say, “THIS, TAAA-DONNNNE”. Mic Drop. My Brain: Speechless.

This helps me from spiraling into negative thoughts and full blown depression. Sometimes I still get bogged down with anxiety and depression. Somedays I can’t even fight the tsunami of tasks in my mind to do my lists, I just have to do the things. Somedays I keep working on yesterday’s list or maybe I work on one day’s list for the entire week (usually because I add way too many large tasks to one day). And you know what? THAT’S OKAY! This is meant to help me, I’m not going to beat myself up about the exact usage or frequency (or at least I’m trying not to).

 

When it comes to managing my mental health sometimes I have to get creative with solutions. Try different things. It’s important to be your own cheerleader. For me, being positive when your own brain is telling you something else can be really hard at times. I try to treat myself like I would a close friend. If I’m honest, I say things to myself that I would never say to another person, ever. So why the eff would I do that to myself? This was a game changer in managing my mental health. I can comfort myself with encouragement and kind words. I am my own friend. And take joy in the baby steps! Every. Single. Time.

Books & Podcasts

My “Reading” List

Books, Podcasts, & Videos

Here is another update on what I have been reading, watching, and listening to the past few months. As you can see in the lists below, my research on (and for) humanity has continued, with a few interruptions to research and listen to multiple outlets about Covid19. I didn’t include all the content in my lists because there is SO MUCH! Below, I outlined the “other content” and “daily habits” that have me looking up articles and videos on a regular basis so I don’t have to list them all every month. If you want to find a podcast, video, or book I have specifically listed look them up using the title provided, sorry I didn’t included many links on this one.

Other Content

I do my best to stay in the loop everyday by watching and reading news from multiple sources. To get a full picture I’ll tune in to hear what the main media news sources are saying like CNN, FOX, BBC, etc, as well as local news and independent news sources. I show up to events (in-person or online) like town halls, debates, hearings, on a local, national, and global level. I also utilize information from independent content creators on blogs, podcasts, youtube, and more. Another channel for information and expression is news satire comedians and stand up comics.

Staying in tune to what is happening in my local community all the way to the global community is really important to me. Yes, it is a lot of content, but it allows me to see the bigger picture. It’s a more holistic look at what is going on, what is being said, and who is doing what. To get through so much content I multitask so I can be productive while listening, and I also change the playback speed to 2x+ so that everything I’m listening to takes half as long! Amidst it all, there are lots of great people doing great work to discover and share truths about our reality, solve problems, and improve quality of life.

Daily habits:

  • Meditation
  • Stretching
  • Outdoor Exercise
  • Physical Therapy (building the right muscles)
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Vegan-ish

These daily habits equal daily content that I consume. Whether it’s doing a new guided meditation or finding a new physical therapy exercise video to help with my specific issues, or watching a video about proper stretching, or watching a guided yoga video. And being vegan-ish means I’m always looking up good vegan recipes.

There are apps that provide me with content too. I really enjoy the Waking Up App, Daily Guided Meditations by Sam Harris (and some by Annaka Harris too!) I’ve been doing this for a year now! I started by first doing the 50 days consecutively (more or less) to finish the beginner’s “curriculum”. This unlocks the daily meditations within the app. I really enjoy this basic, simple and almost scientific, guided meditation. There are so many flavors to accessing other states of consciousness. It’s been very intriguing researching them all and enjoying the proven health benefits.

Okay, on to the lists! I used numbered lists with no specific order just wanted to count them by month, working backwards from now as I write this on May 16th 2020. So below you will see May, April, March, February, January, and December 2019. Yeah, it’s been awhile seen this has been updated, haha. Thanks for reading! It’s been fun to document the different things that I get into! I probably missed a lot, but it’s fun to look back at the content I consume! I should have started taking note like this so much sooner, for my own benefit! And it helps answer questions like; “How do you know that??? Where did you hear that??” “How do you know so much about stuff?” I’m a life long learner with a passion for discovery and exploration into various topics! Thanks again for joining my journey!

May 2020

As of May 16th 2020 / half of month

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. Lost Connections -Johan Hari (finished it, 2nd time- so good!)
  2. Drawdown by Paul Hawken (in progress)

Podcasts & Videos

  1. Spaceship Earth – Documentary about Biosphere 2
  2. YangSpeaks – with Ian Bremmer
  3. Joe Rogan Experience – with Dr. Rhonda Patrick
  4. YangSpeaks – with Sam Harris
  5. Az Small Business BootCamp Sessions/Videos (Resource made available during Covid 19 thru Az Commerce Authority)
  6. YangSpeaks with Krystal Ball (I LOVED THIS ONE!!)
  7. Bret & Heather Dark Horse Podcast Live Stream – Herd Immunity
  8. Joe Rogan with Elon Musk
  9. Regional Report Pivoting your Business Model – Phx Economic Council
  10. Az Biz BootCamp – CashFlow – Cut Costs
  11. Alex Kack’s Sorry for Rambling with Nomiki Konst
  12. So many videos for physical therapy and meditation
  13. Making Sense with Sam Harris – with Yuval Noah Harari
  14. Mindscape (Sean Carroll) with Liam Kofi Bright on Knowledge, Truth, and Science
  15. 99% Invisible – The Natural Experiment (SO GOOD!)

News & Articles

April 2020

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. Lost Connections by Johan Hari (re-read, in progress)
  2. Lying by Sam Harris (finished)
  3. Epigenetics by Richard C. Francis (in progress)
  4. The Inflamed Mind by Edward Bullmore (in progress)

Podcasts & Videos

  1. RadioLab – Atomic Artifacts
  2. RadioLab – The Cataclysm Sentence
  3. Sam Harris’s Making Sense #200 – Creatures of Habit a conversation with James Clear
  4. Lots of physical therapy and pain management videos
  5. Mindscape 94 Stuart Russell on Making Artifical Intelligence Compatible with Humans
  6. Joe Rogan with Duncan Trussell
  7. Mindscape 93 with Rae Wynn Grant on Bears, Humans, and Other Predators
  8. Breathwork and meditation videos
  9. Sorry for Rambling – Madeleine Roux
  10. Sorry for Rambling – Jason Call
  11. Bret & Heather Dark Horse Podcast – Live Q&A
  12. Sorry for Rambling – Tokyo Sand
  13. Sorry for Rambling – Morgan Freed
  14. Mindscape 92 Kevin Hand on Life Elsewhere in the Solar System
  15. H3 Podcast with Epidemiologist Dr Eric
  16. Mindscape 91 Scott Barry Kaufman on the Psychology of Transcendence
  17. Joe Rogan Experience with Eric Weinstein
  18. Making Sense with Sam Harris – #195 Social Cohesion is Everything
  19. Making Sense with Sam Harris #198 with Paul Bloom
  20. Making Sense with Sam Harris #196 The Science of Happiness with Laurie Santos
  21. Making Sense with Sam Harris #194 The Future of Work with Matt Mullenweg
  22. Joe Rogan Experience with Lex Fridman
  23. Sorry for Rambling Jen Perelman (passionate representative in florida)
  24. Sorry for Rambling Joe Ferguson (local sheriff)
  25. Sorry for Rambling with Majid Padellan / Brooklyn Dad Defiant
  26. Sorry for Rambling with Fred Wellman
  27. Videos from looking up how to use a neti pot correctly LOL SO SICK (march/April)
  28. Bret & Heather Dark Horse on Vaccines and seasonality
  29. Bret & Heather Dark Horse on Bio weapons, bats, and societal response (from an evolutionary biologist standpoint)
  30. Mindscape #37 Edward Watts on the End of the Roman Republic and Lessons…
  31. Mindscape #90 David Kaiser on Science, Money, and Power.
  32. Sorry for Rambling with Fred Karger
  33. Economic Complexity by Dr. Cesar Hidalgo | Centre for Complex Systems Studies
  34. Ted Talk by Cesar Hidalgo: A Bold Idea to Replace Politicians

March 2020

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. Scale by Geoffrey West (finished SO GOOD!)

Podcasts & Videos

  1. The Biggest Ideas in the Universe by Sean Carroll, Conservation
  2. The Biggest Ideas in the Universe by Sean Carroll, Change
  3. YangSpeaks – A Conversation with Andrew Yang
  4. Mindscape #89 with Lera Broditsky on Language, Thought, Space…
  5. Jurassic Art – 99% Invisible
  6. Why Blue Whales Don’t Get Cancer – Peto’s Paradox |Kurzgesagt
  7. City of Tucson Webinars & other resources
  8. Mindscape Bonus with Tara Smith on Coronavirus, Pandemics and What We….
  9. Bret & Heather Dark Horse Live stream 1- tests and masks
  10. Making Sense #192 with Paul Bloom
  11. Joe Rogan with Shannon O’Loughlin
  12. Ancient Structures with Graham Hancock (from joe rogan experience #142)
  13. Cahokia Mounds – multiple videos and lectures
  14. The Myth of the Mound Builders
  15. Mindscape AMA
  16. Mindscape #88 Neil Shubin on Evolution, Genes, and Dramatic Transitions
  17. Italians record messages for “themselves from 10 days ago” goes viral
  18. The Universal Laws of Growth and Pace with Geoffrey B. West
  19. Mindscape #5 Geffrey West on Netwoks, Scaling, and the Pace of Life.
  20. Stoicism How Epictetus Keeps Calm
  21. So many Physcial Therapy & Meditation Videos
  22. Joe Rogan Experience #1439 with Michael Osterholm worked with CIDRAP / CDC etc
  23. Joe Rogan Experience #1437 with Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics
  24. Mindscape #15 David Poeppel on Thought, Language, and How to Understand the Brain
  25. Mindscape #87 Karl Friston on Brains, Predictions, and Free Energy
  26. Joe Rogan Experience #1436- Adam Curry
  27. Mindscape #86 Martin Rees on Threats to Humanity, Prospects for Posthumanity…
  28. Mindscape #84 Suresh Naidu on Capitalism, Monopsony, and Inequality.

February 2020

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan  (Finished)
  2. The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman (Finished)
  3. Scale by Geoffry West (in progress)

Podcasts & Videos

  1. Mindscape #80 Jenann Ismael on Connecting Physics to the….
  2. Mindscape #85 L.A. Paul on Transformative Experiences and Your Future Selves
  3. Joe Rogan Experience with Brian Greene
  4. Mindscape #82 with Robin Carhart-Harris on Psychedelics on the Brain
  5. Lots of meditation videos
  6. Mindscape #38 Alan Lightman on Transcendence , Science, and a Naturalists Sense of…..

Not too much content for this month. Working on lots of projects and I got really sick end of January – into February! And then I took vacation!

January 2020

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan  (in progress)
  2. The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman (in progress)

Podcasts & Videos

  • Infinite I am Love Meditation | Steve Nobel
  • Guided Yoga Nidra Videos | Multiple sources
  • Abraham Hicks Fear is Telling You Something | Abraham Hicks Bliss
  • Super Quick Alignment Meditation | Steve Nobel
  • Abraham Hicks EVERYTHING is ALWAYS working out for me | dewdrop157
  • Hasan Puts #YangGang to the Test | Deep Cuts Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj
  • Sara Imari Walker on Information and the Origin of Life | Sean Carroll’s Mindscape Episode 79
  • #AmericaNeedsYang trends during debate without Yang on Stage | Multiple Videos
  • Why SpaceX is Making Starlink | Real Engineering
  • Abraham Hicks You Can’t Serve Two Masters | dewdrop157
  • Affirmations I am a Starseed Magician | Steve Nobel
  • Mindscape #81 with Ezra Klien on Polarization, Politics, and Identity

December 2019

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch (finished)
  2. DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Straussman (finished)
  3. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan  (in progress)
  4. The Ego Tunnel by Thomas Metzinger  (finished)

Podcasts & Videos

  1. Mental Models with Shane Parrish | Making Sense with Sam Harris Podcast #155
  2. Psychedelic Science with Roland Griffiths | Making Sense with Sam Harris Podcast #177
  3. The Reality Illusion with Donald Hoffman | Making Sense with Sam Harris Podcast #178
  4. Highly Sensitive Entreprenuers | Growth Mindset Podcast Episode 76
  5. Alan Lightman on Transcendence, Sciencce and a Naturalists Sense of Meaning | Mindscape Episode 38 (only got halfway through)
  6. UBI FAQ – How do you pay for Universal Basic Income? | Andrew Yang for President 2020
  7. Andrew Yang Post Debate Full Interview & Other clips
  8. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – Bernie and Rand Paul segments
  9. Abraham Hicks Law of Attraction Guided Vortex Meditation | dewdrop157
  10. Guided Yoga Nidra Videos
Truth Seek Understanding Think CriticallySparkle with Sara Values Books & Podcasts

November List – Books, Podcasts, & Videos

November 2019

Here is my list for November. Numbered in no particular (count purpose only), but I did put ** next to the ones that I really enjoyed. So here are the books, podcasts, and videos that I read/watched/listened to (and remembered to document lol) in the month of November 2019.

Books (Audiobooks)

  1. The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch (in progress)
  2. DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Straussman (in progress)
  3. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (in progress)
  4. The Ego Tunnel by Thomas Metzinger (in progress)

I started all these and got about a quarter of the way through all of them.

Podcasts & Videos

  1. Life & Mind (with Richard Dawkins) | Making Sense with Sam Harris Podcast #174
  2. Philip Goff on Consciousness Everywhere | Sean Carroll’s Mindscape #71
  3. Kate Jeffery on Entropy, Complexity, and Evolution – Sean Carroll’s Mindscape #67
  4. Rick Straussman Md, author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule | GrahamHancockDotCom
  5. Joe Rogan’s DMT Experiences | JRE Clips
  6. Dennis McKenna & Wickerham | Joe Rogan Experience #477
  7. Richard Dawkins | Joe Rogan Experience #1366
  8. **Cesar Hidalgo on Information in Societies, Economies, and the Universe | Mindscape #72
  9. **The Nature of Consciousness with Thomas Metzinger (author of The Ego Tunnel) | Making Sense with Sam Harris #96
  10. Leaving the Faith with Yasmine Mohammed | Making Sense with Sam Harris # 175
  11. **Magicians of the Gods Lecture by Grahm Hancock at Gobekli Tepe in Turkey | MegalithomaniaUK
  12. Paul Stamets | Joe Rogan Experience # 1385
  13. **Malcolm MacIver on Sensing, Consciousness, and Imagination | Mindscape #39
  14. Alan Lightman on Transcendence, Science, and a Naturalist’s Sense of Meaning | Mindscape #38
  15. **Adrienne Mayor on Gods and Robots in Ancient Mythology | Minsdcape # 40
  16. James Ladyman on Reality Metaphysics, and Complexity | Mindscape #33
  17. Save Money House Renovation Secrets | Home RenoVision DIY

Format for podcasts and videos above:   

Podcast or Video Title | Podcast/Video Username and Episode Number if applicable

Truth Seek Understanding Think CriticallySparkle with Sara Values Books & Podcasts

October 2019 – Books & Podcasts List

I keep getting asked, “How do you know this?”, “Where did you learn that?”. So I decided to start documenting all the books, podcasts, articles, videos, research, and other items of knowledge that I devour every month. I wish I had started this sooner, so many great pieces of information that I would love to be reminded of, and therefore improve retention/remembering the information over time.

Another question I get asked a lot is; “How do you go through so many audio books and podcasts every month?”,  or simpler “How do you find time?”.

The answer: Multi-task or bundle this activity. Listen while driving, cleaning, and exercising. I also try to speed up the audio, up to 2x faster (depending on the speaker and the subject matter). You can speed it up in the settings of most audio book and podcast apps, and YouTube videos can be sped up as well, if needed.

I’ll be posting a recap every month with the list of books, podcasts, and other helpful knowledge sources. It’s exciting to see the different topics that I explore, you may see a trend each month or maybe it’s a random assortment of information.  I hope this is interesting or helpful for others, as well as for my own documentation and remembering what I have read! Haha! I wish I had started this sooner. Maybe I can make a list for books and podcasts that stand out from the past few years. It would be great to look back and remember those.

Now here is the list from October 2019. For this month, there is a bit of a theme around exploring consciousness and the universe. And it’s Halloween month so there is a spooky podcast in there too!

October 2019 – Books & Podcasts List

Books (Audio books mostly)

Mind and Cosmos by Thomas Nagel

On Having No Head by D. E. Harding

Conscious: A Brief  Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind by  Annaka Harris

The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch (still in progress)

 

Podcasts & Videos

From Cells to Cities with Geoffrey West | Making Sense with Sam Harris #86

Edward Snowden – Joe Rogan Experience #1368

Katie Mack on How the Universe Will End | Sean Carroll’s Mindscape Podcast #70

And the Call Was Coming From the Basement | This American Life Podcast #319

How to Practice Emotional First Aid | Ted Talk by Guy Winch

Guided Yoga Nidra (20 minutes) | YouTube Video by Lizzy Hill

Super Quick Alignment Meditation | YouTube Video by Steve Nobel

Daily Guided Meditations with Sam Harris | YouTube Videos by Sam Harris (even more are available through his Waking Up app)

 

Articles, Blogs, Maps Satellite and Wikipedia 😉

Too many to name, but I will try to document this in the future.

I read so many articles every day. I also go on tangents on Google Maps Satellite View, which allows me to travel the world and see satellite images of the terrain, the streets, buildings, and people of rural and urban areas all over the world. This in turn gets me curious about so many things so I will read the Wikipedia page and then get launched into additional research. Then the marketing algorithms know what I have been looking at, so they give me ads for more articles on those kinds of subjects so I end up learning even more because BBC or NY Times posted an article about this or that topic I was just researching. It’s kinda cool, but also a bit scary. I am interested to start documenting more in this section, although it will be harder to track because I consume so much content so quickly (all the more reason to track it, if you ask me!).

Dailykos Image Andrew Yang for US President 2020 Election Humanity First Universal Basic Income Freedom Dividend 1000 month for all Blog

Why I joined YANG GANG

Yes, I WAS feeling the BERN in 2016, but now I’m #YangGang.

There are lots of great people, including Bernie, that have been fighting the good fight in their current role in government. Let’s keep those key people in play and add new assets to the team. We need YANG on the team!

 

WHY IS ANDREW YANG THE BEST 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE?

  1. He has solutions that are based on facts, research, and data. He has stated multiple times that he will present a PowerPoint showing the metrics we are tracking around citizen wellness in his first State of the Union. #powerpoint2021
  2. He has 160 policies fully outlined on his website. NO OTHER CANDIDATE has this many solid solutions, let alone in full detail.
  3. It has been proven that stress alone can cause your IQ Score to decrease one full deviation! Scarcity mindset versus abundance mindset has tangible consequences. Yang’s basic income proposal (see below) called the Freedom Dividend, will help to alleviate the chronic stress and sickness in America. This shift in health and wellness alone will have a drastic positive impact on the future and well-being of us all, including the planet.
  4. Trickle UP Economy. Yes, he wants to give every American Citizen one thousand dollars (Yes, $1,000.00 USD) a month. The #freedomdividend #universalbasicincome #ubi This dividend, which is easily achievable, (look up any of Yang’s press videos, podcasts, where he explains this in detail. This Freedom Dividend of one thousand dollars a month will not replace jobs, but will supplement income AND validate a lot of work already being done (like the biggest one: care-taking)! FINALLY, this important work will be represented in the GDP!
  5. Setting these solutions in place and tracking real data on wellness is the best way to help the majority of Americans right now. He will be the first U.S. President to address the nation with a power point presentation to show the data and track the progress of our country.
  6. He has been on the campaign the longest! I first heard he was running for president January 2019 when he was on Freakonomics Podcast talking about everything he is still talking about today. http://freakonomics.com/podcast/andrew-yang/ and more recently in August 2019 Andrew Yang was on H3 Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otEbT0l_Hbg

WHO IS THE FREEDOM DIVIDEND FOR?

Every U.S. citizen 18 years and older will receive a dividend as part of the success of the country totaling $1,000/month ($12,000 total per year), no strings attached.

-The Freedom Dividend is for the parent that wished it wasn’t so stressful to provide for their child, things like quality day care, new shoes, new clothes, and extras like sport participation or music lessons.

– The Freedom Dividend is for the stay at home mom, the caretaker of any dependent whether it be a child, disabled adult, or an elderly parent, they can take the time to care for these people in their life.

– The Freedom Dividend is for the public school teacher that currently has a second job (or side hustle) so they can make ends meet and provide supplies in their classroom.

– The Freedom Dividend is for the 18 year-old so they can focus on their future and their education.

-This is for the artist, writer, singer, musician, YouTube creator, or others that haven’t started yet, so they can invest in their creative skills with plans to monetize their work and create their own jobs and stable income.

-This is for the day dreamer, the innovator, the next Einstein, so they have time to think and explore new solutions to the betterment of humanity and hopefully the planet!!

-This is for the community volunteers, the nonprofit founders, the philanthropic effort that is just as valuable as any “real” job.

-This is for the adult stuck in a dead end town so they can have the ability to easily move to any city in the country!

-This is for the children in the system that get kicked out of their group home at 18 and need stability and support without the luxury of a parent or any family.

-This is for the LGBTQ Community so that they can be empowered to leave an unloving and unaccepting home, again without the luxury of family support.

-This is for the Natives to they can take pride in their country and have leverage to stand up and protect their lands.

-This is for people of color and people who have been marginalized for too long. This will generate more people of color business owners, more consumers, more home ownership, more money in under served communities!

-This is for the incarcerated person that comes out as a convict and is treated poorly. Tempted to criminal activity just to survive and make ends meet. And what if they had this stable income in the first place? Would they succumb to criminal activity at all?

 

IT’S NOT LEFT, IT’S NOT RIGHT.

IT’S FORWARD.

HUMANITY FIRST

Blog

Spiced Apple Cider

Hot Spiced Apple Cider – Crockpot Recipe 

We made a fall season classic, Spiced Apple Cider, to kick off Halloweek 2019! fadpanta and I did a live stream on DLive showing how to make this yummy drink perfect for the autumn season. This crock-pot recipe creates extra delicious cider. Bonus: the smells are amazing and really makes it feel like cozy fall season.

 

Perfect autumn hot drink idea for Fall Festivities, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, etc!

 

What you need:

At least a 2 quart sized crock pot

2 quart jug of apple cider

1 orange

2 Tablespoons Whole Cloves (more for extra spice)

2 Cinnamon Sticks

(if making for a group I suggest doubling this recipe! Also, be sure you have a big enough crockpot for 4 quarts of cider!)

Directions:

Pour apple cider into the crockpot.

Put cinnamon sticks in crockpot.

Stick cloves into the whole orange. Use whole cloves to pierce through the rind of the orange. See picture.

 

Crockpot cook times:

High for minimum 2 hours, or low for minimum 6 hours – can be kept in crockpot longer, flavors will continue to develop.

Sparkle with Sara Kitchen Counter Cutting Board Knife Blog

I’m Vegan-ish. Yes, Veganish.

Yep, you read that right. I am vegan-ish or veganish, however you want to spell it. I would say that I am vegan 60% to 85% vegan (depending on the week). If you are deeply offended by that I’m going to assume that you are either a hardcore vegan, or, you really enjoy your meat (and dairy), a lot. Either way, no need to feel threatened. Being vegan-ish is the easiest way to make the BIGGEST POSITIVE IMPACT without making the BIGGEST FUSS (sorry hardcore vegans, I’m not a part of the cult). Are you vegan-ish? What percentage are you at? Even doing just Meatless Mondays would make you almost 15% Vegan… (or flip it the other way, like I do, and have Meat Mondays (vegan the rest of the time), that would make you 85% Vegan)

Think about it. If all the US consumers ate vegan 85% of the time. Those industries would lose 85% of their profits, effectively shutting down factory farms (for slaughter and for milk) because there is no longer the demand in the market. Now that more people are starting to be vegan the market demand is for VEGAN products that are environment conscious too! A lot of times nondairy and non-gluten foods are marketed together due to allergies, creating vegan options where there wasn’t one before. The phenomena has hit the agriculture and livestock industry hard already, due to this shift in diet and a few other factors outlined in this article: https://www.farmaid.org/issues/farm-economy-in-crisis/looming-crisis-american-farms/

What does being Veganish mean? | What is Vegan-ish?

This means being vegan part of the time. Many participate in Meatless Mondays to help eliminate that 15% of the meat (and possibly dairy) in their diet. Some like having only vegan foods in the home (or as close as possible), while still enjoying the occasional non-vegan meal while dining socially or for a special occasion. Some are vegan MOST of the time. Veganish people will sometimes have Meat Monday, making them 85% vegan. Although, nowadays there are SO MANY MORE delicious vegan options than there were even just a couple years ago (when I started the transition to vegan-ish) and these options continue to grow as the demand continues to grow. Are you ready to be vegan-ish?

 

Do Vegan-ish / Veganish people eat meat?

Yes. And then they regret it, for many reasons. For me, it’s a wild combination of all the things you would probably think of, BUT if I’m being honest, the biggest reason that I want to stay vegan more than the 85% (going into full vegan territory) is because my body is no longer used to the processed foods, the meat, and the dairy. My body HATES it so much. I feel absolutely terrible the next day. Inflammation throughout my entire body, my joints, headaches, you name it. ALSO, my body odor smells waaayyyy worse the next day or so, as I digest it. And the kicker is the fact that your poop smells so much worse, yep I said it. It may be TMI, but the truth is, if your bowel movement (or your kitchen trash) smells like something died… that’s because SOMETHING DID!!! Soooo it makes sense that it smells that way… Having a vegan kitchen is great because the trash doesn’t stink, the dirty dishes don’t stink like death. I don’t have to worry about raw meat cross contamination food poisoning. I can use almost all of my kitchen waste for my garden compost, we barely have to take out the trash or roll out the trashes for the weekly pick-ups. And now I want to grow my own food – which is feasible now that I am mostly plant based. I joined a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) so I get a share of the local farm harvests every week. I can supplement this with my own home grown fruits, veggies, and herbs! Super cool and supports those local farms! Also, many of these local farms are organic and don’t use pesticides. Even if they can’t afford the official certification, you know you aren’t eating all the crazy chemicals and GMO products from the grocery store. By eating local foods you also cut down on your carbon footprint because in a standard grocery store semi-trucks full of food travel across the country (and/or are imported internationally) to get there.
I like to think about the bigger picture and how my choice to be vegan and local even just 85 percent of the time will make a huge positive impact overall. This effect only grows stronger as more people make this shift. Start with Meatless Mondays! Then do Meatless and dairy-less Mondays. And just keep growing that Veganish lifestyle. Meatless Mondays starts you at almost 15% Vegan. It’s easy to do your part and every bit helps! Buying that vegan option at the food truck on a whim or “just to try it”, helps that vendor sell that entree and keep it available for future vegan-ish people. Every bit helps. Thanks for reading!!

I created this shirt design so I can represent lol! Of course it’s a sustainable eco-friendly t-shirt, made with recycled polyester and organic cotton!! Enjoy!

Vegan-ish – Sustainable Unisex T-Shirt

Poetry

Silly Willy

So what, I like to be silly willy
Sometimes life can be hilly
There are ups and downs, but don’t you fret
Yes, sometimes life can make you sweat
But it’s ok, it’s alright
Just remember to hang on tight
Grab life by the handle bars!
Go, Go, Go. Fast as cars
Keep it moving right along
Sometimes you need a different song
To get that pep in your step
Left, Left, Left, Right, Left
March, even when everything is Effed
Keep it up, don’t get furious
All you can do is get a little curious

Poetry

Fire Goddess

Within you there is a fire, a burning desire
A fire so hot, it cannot be fought
With every fiber it burns, insatiable it yearns
A spark you cannot hide, it won’t be denied
This growing flame, unable to tame
Give into the heat, feel the power so sweet
Harness the fire, rise out of the mire
Don’t be modest, you are a Fire Goddess

Poem by SparklewithSara

Fire Goddess

I started creating shirt designs that inspired me. This shirt is one of my favorites because I’m a Goddess and I got this. I’m a Fire Goddess, especially in the red version of this shirt! Check out my shop for more designs 🙂