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How to Read an Informational Blog Article

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Lately I’ve been getting an increase in comments here, and I wanted to say two things:

  1. Hi! Welcome. It’s good to know I’m not just speaking into a void. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and share your opinion with me! I love waking up to see new comment notifications. I don’t want you guys to be shy about leaving comments at all. If my writing made you feel something, or you have any tips/tricks to share about lifestyle things I talk about, feel free to leave them!

The second thing is the reason for this article. Due to the increase in comments, I’ve noticed an increase in comments on older posts and those comments are… let’s just call them non-constructive. And I know, this is the internet! People are going to find old things in newer years and have different opinions about them.

But that’s not what I want to address. I’m talking about receiving comments telling me that certain information in my articles is ‘wrong’, and then delving into what is frankly just very unimaginative hate because I’m ‘spreading misinformation’. Maybe part of that is because I’m a writer, but some of those hate filled comments I see and all I can think is, ‘that is the best insult you could come up with? Really?’

Not that the content of the insults is the point.

Anyway, to help mitigate these kinds of comments, I wanted to write this article, to give you guys a more guided approach to how you should be reading informational articles. These tips should help you not only on this blog, but everywhere!

So, let’s get into it.

And actually before we jump into it, I’m going to add this little disclaimer: I’m talking strictly about regular/every day folks who blog. Not like, scientists or professional information people. They play by different rules than us mere mortals.

 

Step 1. Look At How Long Ago The Article Was Written

If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet (or y’know, the planet Earth), you should know that what is considered ‘correct’ information changes all the time. Very quickly, depending on the subject!

And, I’ll even give you a hint: people who write articles? They are not psychic! (Or at least, not always) They won’t be able to tell at the time their article gets published if the information in it will become disproven in five years, ten or hell, even later that same year!

As with everything else humans do, you gotta do the best you can with the information you have at the time.

So, if after reading an article, you think the information is not correct, scroll back up and look to see what the date of publication is. If it’s an older article, chances are the information was accurate when they wrote it.

Also, many bloggers don’t add updates to articles, because well, speaking from experience, that in itself could become a full-time job and not leave time to write anything new.

Specifically for myself, once I publish an article, I deem that subject ‘done’ and I move on. I don’t want to keep making articles on the same topic, because I would find that boring to write, and I assume you guys would find that boring to read.

Unless it’s something very specific and/or I feel very strongly about it, there’s usually only going to be 1 article about it. That said, if you guys have anything you’d really like to see me update/get a fresh opinion on, let me know!

 

Step 2. Who Wrote The Article?

Are you on a scientific or official government website, or are you reading Joe from the bar’s blog to see if he posted today’s boner joke?

Taking into consideration what type of blog you’re on – and therefor, the kind of person who wrote the article – should help you determine the level of scrutiny you’ll need to read it.

If it’s an official government website, yes, you should expect the information to be as accurate as it can be, and that it was written by someone who is very knowledgeable on the subject.

But if it’s one of those stay-at-home-mom blogs? Well, Sharon is just trying to share her tips from personal experience! She doesn’t have a doctorate in Mothering, she’s just trying to help people in the same boat as her!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: not every single person knows everything about a subject.

Why doesn’t Sharon know about the new Swedish article that was published 5 months after her article about the ‘proper’ way to clean baby bottles? Well, speaking as a blogger, most of our articles are written in advanced – sometimes by months – and I would guess because she’s busy actually y’know, living her life!

Especially when we’re talking about lifestyle bloggers, people engage in different lifestyle in many different ways! You could walk outside and find five vegans (or carnists, activists, etc.) and none of them would be living the exact same way.

So what ‘qualifies’ someone to write an article on a lifestyle subject? Usually, it’s just whether or not they are living that lifestyle, or they are interested in/will be living it soon.

That’s it.

No PhD’s required.

 

Step 3. Where Is The Person Who Wrote The Article Located?

I kind of briefly touched on this in the point above, but another reason Sharon might not have heard about the Swedish article? Because she’s busy living her life in the suburbs of the mid-western USA.

While the internet has made it a lot easier to access information from all over the world, people still need to take the time to search for the information!

And unfortunately, a lot of people are just too busy to take dedicated time out of their day-to-day to research certain things. Especially if it’s a thing they already think they’re knowledgeable on. Why would you spend time looking up tips on something you already think you know how to do well?

You wouldn’t!

Or at least, most people don’t. There are exceptions to this of course, but they are called ‘exceptions’ for a reason!

Speaking specifically for myself, I don’t do nearly as much veganism research (for example) as I did back when I was first transitioning. (Which was all the way back in 2016)

That doesn’t mean I think I know everything there is to know about veganism, but I know enough information to get through the day-to-day stuff, and for the most part, know enough to write articles about it with confidence.

Do I still check vegan-specific news websites? Yes. Am I still following vegans on social media, listening/watching their videos? Yeah!

But I’m not dedicating huge chunks of my day to veganism research anymore. I don’t need to. (Also I don’t have as much time, but that would be a different article)

So the next time you come across an article that you think is inaccurate, I want you to keep these tips in mind before you leave a comment.

If you’ve done the above and still think your comment is warranted, see if you can re-phrase it to not sound so… mean/condescending. People are always much more receptive to listening to others if they aren’t feeling attacked.

Especially if you want the person you’re commenting to to actually listen/take in what you’re trying to tell them, instead of having them just write you off as a ‘hater’.

Good luck!

*The stay-at-home-mom blogger example was just the first example I thought of to use as a ‘regular’ person. It in no way was meant to be an insult or anything. Also the name Sharon was just the first one that came to mind. If your name is Sharon and you run a stay-at-home-mom blog, I wasn’t trying to insult you, I promise! (If you’d like more clarification, feel free to message me!)

I don’t really have other articles in the same vein as this one, but if you’d like to check out more of my blog, a good starting point would be the front page!

Know your way around? Consider signing up for my Patreon to help me keep the lights on around here! Tiers start at just $1 and you’ll get some cool insider perks for signing up!

No. Mad.

Planned Obsolescence: What Is It?

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If you’ve spent any amount of time in zero waste spaces whether online, or in person, you’ve probably heard the term planned obsolescence thrown around, but you might not know what it means.

Don’t worry! Before I started looking into the zero waste lifestyle, I had no idea what it was, either.

Planned obsolescence is when companies create or build a product with the intent of making that product fail within a specific amount of time. (Usually, a number of years) This can be anything from making the product actually stop functioning, or even something as making the product seem so undesirable no one wants it after a certain amount of time.

This means companies are purposefully planning for their products to fail, before they ever even leave the assembly line!

Why would they do this? Well, if companies were to make products that were so amazing you only had to buy them once in your lifetime, they wouldn’t make money. So unfortunately for us, their solution to staying in business is to force consumers (that’s us) to buy replacements.

Have you ever wondered why your phone starts acting funky right around the same time a new one is released? Or why certain colours are considered ‘in’ during a certain time of the year? Or why there seems to be so much societal pressure to have the latest whatever-it-is? Whether it be the latest tech, newest fashion trend, the ‘best’ car, etc.? These are examples of planned obsolescence. Creating that sense of must-have is companies way to not-so-subtly influence consumers into buying more, or buying something specific.

Now obviously, this tactic will work better with some products than others, but that won’t stop companies from doing it.

Unfortunately for everyone though, this planned obsolescence is not only annoying and mean we’re shelling out more money, but it’s also not good for the planet!

Think about it: if say, you have to buy a new phone every 2 years, instead of 4, that’s double the amount of phones that get tossed in the garbage and sitting in a landfill. Now times that by basically every product on earth, and you’ll hopefully start to see why this is a problem!

So, what can we, as consumers, do to help offset this stupid thing? Well for one, if you ditch your clothes and buy a whole new wardrobe every season change, stop. I promise you, no body cares if you’re wearing ‘a blouse from three years ago’, or, if they do, they are not people that you need to listen to.

I’ve been wearing mostly the same clothes since I was in gr. 7 (I’m short, thanks genetics!) and the people in my life who care and love me couldn’t care less. If people are only hanging out with you because you always wear the newest shirt, you need some new friends.

Another big thing is tech. What will really happen if you don’t go out and buy the latest phone the day it comes out? Will the world explode? No. Will you save money? Yes! Will people make fun of you for using an ‘old’ phone? Maybe. Does that actually matter? No.

Keeping up with trends I know is especially hard for people who are in school. But as lame and cliche as this will sound: don’t give in to peer pressure! It’s honestly not worth it.

If you feel it starting to get to you, just ask yourself: would you rather have the newest toy, or a planet to live on?

Because those are the stakes.

And yes, you can argue that that’s too much pressure to put on ourselves as consumers. As said above, this is the companies’/capitalism’s fault. But while we’re lobbying, protesting and writing companies to change their practices, we need to hold ourselves accountable, too.

A company won’t do something unless it makes them money. So if we stop buying the latest thing as soon as it comes out, and start keeping what we have longer, they’ll (eventually) start to make products that last longer.

Remember: Voting with your dollar is real and one of the best almost-passive things you can do to help enact change.

Now, this is all well and good, but as I mentioned above, these products are designed to fail, so if the product is truly no longer working properly, obviously buy a replacement. BUT, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy a brand new one. Check out some second-hand stores or thrift shops, or for tech, look into refurbished products. Those are products that were previously owned, and returned for whatever reason.

Usually, this means you can get a product that’s maybe a couple years behind, but is cheaper and that’s almost like buying everything on sale and really, who wouldn’t love that?

Like this article? Check out more zero waste articles here!

No. Mad.

What To Do With Unwanted Christmas Gifts

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We’ve all been there. Whether it be a butt-ugly Christmas sweater, itchy socks or even just something that’s so far removed from something you’d actually want you begin to question whether or not the gifter knows you at all.

There’s unfortunately many reasons you might’ve received an unwanted Christmas gift this past holiday season, and while the ever polite smile and stash might’ve saved you on the night, stuffing the unwanted present into the back of your closet and then never thinking about it again isn’t actually going to make it go away.

So, what are you to do?

Well thankfully, throwing it in the trash isn’t your only option – and shouldn’t even be on your list of options for a brand new still-wrapped-in-plastic product – but that rant is a whole other article.

For now, let’s just focus on what your other non-polluting-the-planet options are. There might be more than you think!

  1. Re-Gift It

While some may see this as some sort of gift-giving sin, it’s really one of the simplest options you have. Ask your friends and family to see if anyone else in your life would like/use/appreciate the gift you were given more. If  so, give it to them! And just like that, it’s problem solved. You don’t even have to wait until the next holiday season!

In fact, if you plan on having a party or get-together where the original gifter will be attending, I’d recommend not re-gifting in front of them. You can either give it to the person you know privately, for their birthday or even just on a random day of the week. Who wouldn’t love to get a present (they actually want) on a random Tuesday?

 

  1. Donate It

This is sort of a branch out of the first option. If you don’t personally know anybody who would like the gift you received, see if you’re able to donate it to a second-hand store like Value Village or a charity.

This way, somebody out there will get to use/enjoy the item, even if you didn’t get to see it. Do some research into what second-hand stores and charities are around your area and what items they allow to be donated. You might be surprised to learn it isn’t all food and clothes!

 

  1. Up-Cycle It

This will obviously depend on what the gift was, but if you’re able to, see if you can up-cycle it! What I mean by this is see if you’re able to take the less-than-stellar gift and turn it into something you’d actually use.

Whether it just needs a paint job to match your aesthetic or a bit of minor sewing to get it to fit ‘just right’, up-cycling is a great way to breathe new life into any item.

You also don’t have to keep the item as whatever it was when gifted. Again, this depends on what the item is, but for example if it’s some sort of electronic, see if you’re able to save the charging cable for your other ones or the headphones, etc.

Or if it’s something like a dresser, maybe you could reuse the drawers for some other storage you have, or reuse the wood  to create some shelves, or even those spin-y wheels that the drawers use to slide in and out, or the bolts holding all the pieces together or…

Well, hopefully you get the idea. If you can’t up-cycle it as is, pick it apart to see if there’s pieces of it you can use for other objects/projects.

 

  1. Sell It

Obviously you’ll want to decide on this option before you go picking it apart to see if you can up-cycle it, but selling the item is also a very handy and helpful option to remember.

There are over 7 billion people on the planet, so chances are good somebody out there needs/wants what you have and there’s also a good chance they’re willing to pay money to get their hands on it.

If you think you could get an unwanted gift off your hands and make a little profit off of it? That’s about as win-win as things get.

 

  1. Tell The Truth

I know this isn’t a very popular opinion – especially when it comes to the holiday season, for some reason – but just tell the person the truth!

If you found out someone you gifted something to ended up giving it away, or selling it basically immediately after you gave it to them (instead of say, 5 years down the line when they no longer need/use it), wouldn’t you feel… disappointed? Sad? Embarrassed? Possibly even a little bit angry? If they just told you in the first place, you wouldn’t have bought it for them! Now you’re feeling like you wasted some money because they didn’t like the gift. Right?

Right.

So why are you going to do that to somebody else?

If you don’t like something, you are under absolutely zero obligation to keep it to yourself. Tell the gifter! This will not only be a good way to not have to take something you don’t like home with you, but can also open the door for a conversation about things you do like/want, which will (hopefully) lead to better gifts in the future!

Nobody (or at least, nobody I’ve ever met) want to think of themselves as being a bad gifter, but the person will never know their gifts suck if you never tell them!

Sure they might be a little hurt at first, but just be sure you let them know you absolutely appreciate the gesture of the gift, you just don’t particularly like that item. And you know what? Tell them why! If it’s something not very serious, like it’s the wrong colour or size, chances are good you can probably get it exchanged for the right colour/size.

If it’s something more serious like it reminds you of a deceased relative… well you maybe don’t have to tell them that exactly, but you can tell them it reminds you of a personal tragedy, or you associate negative feelings with it, so you’d rather not have it in your house.

Most people who care enough about you to go to the trouble to give you a gift will also care about your well-being, so if you tell them something like that, they’ll most likely get embarrassed and apologize profusely – maybe even swear to ‘make it up to you’ by getting you something else later.

If they’re one of those people who just give a gift for the sake of saying they did – instead of because they want to – you can also politely tell them you don’t want a gift. Or if that would be weird (why did you only tell Aunt Sheila not to get you anything?) see if you can ask them for a gift card or homemade good, instead.

Are they into Christmas baking or crafty? Great! You’d rather have some homemade cookies or a cool, handmade card. They might be relieved to not have to buy for one more person, and it’ll give them a chance to share what they love with their loved ones. (That’ll also give you something to talk to them about next year)

And, if it’s baking, it’ll save you from having to make/buy your own.

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Writing, Writing Tips

WFH: Time Management

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*This article was written 20.04.29, when the corona-virus lock down was beginning to go into full swing in Canada. Please excuse any reference/comment that is no longer applicable.

Now that everyone is pretty much forced to work from home*, you may be scouring the internet trying to find ways to make it work. After all, you’ve always had a physical separation of your work space from your home, so how are you supposed to focus on work while wearing pj’s, and being so close to the dirty laundry?

Maybe you have set work hours from your job, or maybe you’re trying to start a work from home business and the line is a bit blurrier. Either way, you’ll need to know when to close your laptop and switch from Work Mode to Home Mode.

Walking the line between getting work done and having time to relax can be difficult for those who aren’t use to it. Fortunately for you, I’ve been working from home since I started my writing career, which was around 2016, and while I’m not a master, I’ve definitely picked up a few things.

The best thing tip I’ve found is learning how to time manage. Without time management, you’re pretty much lost in the sea of work and relaxing.

But, never fear! Below are the best tips to help you with your time management, so you can take some practical steps into getting things rolling.

 

Tip #1: Have Clear Work Hours

Scheduling your work hours is probably the #1 most important tip for being able to pull this off. If you don’t draw the line in the sand of when Work Mode begins and ends, you’ll constantly be feeling like you could be working when trying to relax, and trust me, feeling guilty for not working 24/7 is not conducive to a good work environment.

Whether you have set hours from your job, or you’re making it up as you go, set yourself work hours. I personally work (about) 10am-8pm. This will help ease your planning of say, knowing when to take a break and do some chores, or when to get dinner ready.

And don’t forget to allow yourself to take breaks within those work hours! You get breaks in the office, and your home office shouldn’t be any different. It’s okay to take a quick coffee/smoke/pee break during your work hours. Or, if you have an unexpected knock at the door? (Which you shouldn’t unless you’re getting stuff delivered) Get up! Don’t feel that just because you’ve set work hours, you need to be glued to your chair.

That’s actually not healthy at all! If you’re able, get up and stretch every few hours, or stand at your desk so you aren’t sitting all day. This will also help you feel less like you’re ‘stuck’ doing work. Just because it’s ‘business hours’ doesn’t mean you can’t take a quick break.

If you worked in an office and used to take regular breaks, do that at home! Try to keep as much of your routine the same, so it’s easier to stick to.

And, once the scheduled Work Hours are up? Get off your computer. I’m serious, especially if you’re starting your own business, I know how tempting it is to keep going. But then the next time you look up it will be 3am. Detaching yourself immediately from your computer once work is done is a big help in mentally keeping those work boundaries straight.

 

Tip #2: Schedule/Make a To-Do List

I know, I know, not everyone is great at scheduling, and not everyone likes to-do lists. But, scheduling stuff is honestly not as hard as some would make it seem. You can schedule literally as much or as little as you want/need to. If your brain will explode at the near thought of having to plan out your whole year (or week), start smaller!

Start with a to-do list for just today. Or, you could break it up even more by making a morning/afternoon (or hour by hour) to-do list. Everyone loves checking/crossing things off a to-do list – it gives you a sense of accomplishment, so go ahead and make one!

Now, again, if you are working a regular job from home, you may have clearly marked things to do, but if you’re a blogger, or similar ‘not real’ job person, this may be more essential to you.

As a blogger (and author!), I’ve found it imperative that I schedule my posts. Back when I started really getting into blogging and making my website functional, I would post 5-10 posts in a few days, and then wouldn’t touch it for a few weeks/months. That’s not exactly a good business model, neither for gaining fans, nor for your sanity.

Having a set schedule will take a lot of pressure off, so you don’t feel like you have to do everything right now, and it will give your fans a dedicated time to check in. It’s hard to see what’s new with someone you like if they post sporadically.

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I’ve found it helpful to list out everything you want to eventually get posted/done, and then organize from there what takes priority. For me, when I’m deciding on what posts to do, it’s actually kind of easy. Since I have a bunch of different interests, I cycle through them.

The way that works the best for me, is to list all the posts I want to (eventually) post, and then fill them in (rotationally) to an editable calendar. This helps keep me organized, since I plan out the entire year, and it takes the edge off my anxiety, because I know it will all get done.

For example, this post is scheduled for publishing August 3rd, but I’m writing it April 29th.  (Hello from the past!) That kind of advanced planning doesn’t happen by accident! Since I have the entire year planned out, it allows me to schedule posts as far in advanced as I need, thus giving me more time to do other things I enjoy. (Like starting the next book, or working on merch, or even just relaxing/having time to spend with family)

Being organized and scheduling my shit actually feeds my lazy side. If I don’t want to do any work at all and take a day off? Sure, I’m scheduled till August, so why not?

The one downside to this method is that you will eventually have to kick your own butt to make sure things are getting done. Which actually leads us into the last tip:

 

Tip #3: Discipline

Not everyone can thrive while working from home. I understand this kind of not-as-structured lifestyle is for everyone. But, I also think one of the main reasons why so many people fail is because they lack the discipline.

Having the ability to kick your own ass is a dying art, but it’s something you’re gonna have to learn to do if you want to succeed.

A lot of people in my life have complained to me about being ‘stuck’ working a job they don’t like, and thus they don’t have the life they thought they would. And, not to sound like a privileged white lady, all I can think is nobody forced you to get that job. Sure, there may have been people who forced you to get a job – but other people can’t force you to make decisions.

They can try to manipulate you either emotionally or some other way, but ultimately, it’s your life, and you just need to find the inner strength and courage to stand up for yourself and say ‘hey, this is my life. I’m going to do whatever I want.’ And if they don’t like it? Well then maybe you need to analyze what it is they’re adding to your life.

If you’re unhappy with your life, take some time and really think about why. Where did things go wrong and what steps can you do to change your life? It’s your life, you have the power to make yourself happy. Do some soul searching and think about what you want your ideal life to look like. What way of life would make you happy?

Once you see the figurative light at the end of the tunnel, start thinking about how to connect yourself from where you’re at now to there. What steps can you take – even if they’re small – to get yourself to your ultimate life? It’s never too late to make yourself happy, you just have to try.

Honestly it is that simple.

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