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We as a society tend to be very wasteful. We finish using an item, and we toss it away as if nothing. But where do those items go? They usually take YEARS to fully decompose, and much of our trash ends up in our water systems. Today, I’m here to give you a few ideas on ways to reuse regular household items that you may otherwise throw away.  1. Old towels -> Soap Saver! Do you never know what to do with that last little piece of soap after you’ve finished the rest of the bar? Use some old towels to create soap savers! Just a few cuts, sewing the ends, and the job is done! As an added bonus, it will even exfoliate for you. 2. Old towels (again) -> Reusable Swiffer Rag Swiffers are great. They’re a super easy way of getting the grime off our kitchen and bathroom floors. But the wipes they come with are really wasteful. Similarly as the soap savers, just a few cuts and a quick sew, and you’ve got yourself a reusable swiffer wipe! Some people add velcro as an added method for it to stay put. 3. Coffee Cans -> Utensil Holders The containers that hold our delicious hot beverage are often made of metal, and can be reused for a variety of things. One of them, is as a utensil holder! A quick paint job will help your favorite new kitchen decoration match the rest of your house! 4. PastaSauce Jar -> Reusable Container! I love tomato jars because they’re made of glass. People use mason jars for a number of things, one of them being just a regular household container. Check out the idea below where someone used it to make themselves a lunch salad! 5. Wine cork -> Mini Planter The cork material is perfect for starting little seedlings. Of course with a green thumb, your plant should grow fast, and therefore you probably won’t use them long. But they’re adorable while they last!! Boiling wine corks allows them to become maleable enough for cutting without breaking. Try this trick out for yourself! 6. Wine cork (again) -> Bath Mat Cork is good for a number of things. Using the same boiling method, wine corks and be cut in half and glued together to make a mat! You can make your mat any size you want, use it for the bathroom, or in the kitchen! 7. Plastic Bags -> Yarn! This one is a super new crazy and intuitive one. I’ve never even heard of this until recently. Below, please find the video link to the person who figured out this neat trick! It basically involves lining up the bag and cutting in the right places. Neat!  
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On January 20th, 2021, we welcomed a new president to the United States government. We finally get to put behind the horrible chapter of the Trump era. It seems like most people are ready to go “back to normal”. But what is normal?  Jacquelyn Martin / AP (The Washington Post) Over the past four years, we’ve had a rise in multiple movements; such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the far right wing movement. On January 6th, the far right wing movement made a statement like no other. Before I unravel the horrific events that happened on that day, I would like to thank The Washington Post, for their visual timeline of events that day; and ABC News, for their documentary “24 Hours: Assault on the Capitol”. It was extremely brave of the reporters who risked their lives to document history, and later produce this project to showcase the truth. If you have not seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it. Streaming in Hulu. On January 6, 2021 supporters of the Trump movement stormed Capitol Hill. Having recently moved to the West Coast, I didn’t hear much other than that. I was under the impression this was a simple protest, where things got slightly out of hand, and some people climbed a fence. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Starting early in the morning, thousands of people flooded the National Mall, disputing the results of the election. These people came angry, and ready for war. Several people spoke at this rally, including Donald Trump.  Win McNamee/Getty Images (The Washington Post) By 1pm the protestors storm the weak barricade meant to protect the Capitol and congressmen inside. Barely thirty minutes later, the protestors had completely breached the grounds and many people were on the Capitol steps. By 2:30pm the (now terrorists) had breached the building and were coming inside for war. Video footage shows flags being burned, statues covered in blood, elected representatives’ belongings destroyed. This was a mockery of democracy. Congress had to evacuate through secret passages, after being alerted that suspicious packages (which we now know we’re pipe bombs) had been placed throughout the bipartisan committee headquarters. While all this is going on, ex president Trump tweets to “Stay Peaceful”. At almost 6pm (terrorists have now been inside the building for over three hours), police fire into the mob and a woman is shot. She was standing close enough to the new police barricade inside the building for this to happen; and the officer wouldn’t have fired if they didn’t feel threatened. The shot alarms the entire mob and people start clearing out. By this time, the national guard has been arrived and they set up the largest red zone perimeter DC has seen. The district has a 6pm curfew, and it is announced over loudspeakers that anyone on the streets after 6pm will be arrested. And just like that, all those terrorists who raped and pillaged the Capitol of its essence, get to walk home Scott free. Of course, after the fact, they’re trying to find all these people based off their social media posts. It’s really a shame the difference of treatment that these horrible people get, in comparison to the peaceful protestors of the Black Lives Matter movement.  Andrew Harnik / AP (The Philadelphia Inquirer) So I leave you with this: what happens now? What is our “normal” without Trump? We allowed society to become this because we have not addressed the issues of systemic racism that have plagued this country for years. People say now is the time for unity, but it seems like there’s only one side who actually wants to do that. Who’s going to get reparations for the emotional pain & suffering the Proud Boys have done to us? Who’s going to pay for those reparations? When will we actually be able to move forward together as a people? It starts with you. Stick up for the little guy. Stand up to the bully. Kindness and positivity are the biggest influences in this world. You are stronger than you think. Act courageously. Be respectful. You have the power to influence the people around you, who will then turn around and say “I would like to be like that as well”. Have faith, and may the force be with you.   This article is a sequel to “Hiking the C&O Canal: #Troupe2Cali pt.1”.  On July 1st, Ziggy and I set out on a wild whirlwind adventure, where we hoped to hike across the United States. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic our dreams were squashed. We hiked the C&O canal for over a week, but could go no farther than Hancock, MD. Adapting to the circumstances, we began our city to city tour towards the west coast. Check out the places we’ve been, where we’ve stayed, and what we’ve done! Morgantown, WVWhere to stay: The Scholar Hotel Where to eat: Gibbie’s Pub & Eatery How to Travel: Mountain Line What to do: Check out WVU! Pittsburgh, PAWhere to stay: The Hilton 4 Seasons (heart of downtown) Where to eat: Beto’s Pizza How to travel: Über What to do: Pittsburgh Zoo Cleveland, OHWhere to stay: La Quinta by Wyndham Where to eat: Melt Bar & Grill How to travel: Local bus lines! What to do: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Detroit, MIWhere to stay: Super 8 Where to eat: Tubby’s How to travel: Scoot around town using the electric scooters! What to do: Check out the Waterfront towards Canada or Downtown! We caught a live performance by a local reggae band in the middle of the day.  Chicago, ILWhere to stay: Super 8 Where to eat: ANYWHERE. The food in Chicago is the best in all U.S. How to travel: Über What to do: Check out the local districts, such as Boystown!  Denver, COWhere to stay: Travelodge by Wyndham in Wheat Ridge Where to eat: The Little Man Ice Cream Factory How to travel: We like to walk, but you might want to Über around this big city! What to do: Check out Rocky Mountain Goat Yoga!! We watched a movie and got to hang out with goats all night. Super cool experience!!  You may also like: The consequences of COVID-19 have been difficult for everyone. In some ways, it can be especially difficult for 20 year olds. With no sort of stability, high expectations, and literally nobody around us, this seems like a recipe for disaster. Today I’d like to share a bit of my story, and how the pandemic has affected my life for the past 6 months.  Like many 20 year olds, I pursued a college degree after high school. Upon graduation in 2018, the market left me with a broken economy and only restaurant jobs hiring. The coronavirus outbreak began in late fall/early winter 2019. Coming into the new year, I said: NO MORE! Tired of accepting less for myself, and I’m going to struggle until I find something worth my time. Come February, I would become employed as Head Teacher of a preschool. It was a dream come true for me!! I was finally given the opportunity to show all the wonderful things I am made of... and I was EXCELLENT. Thus far, that has been my best employment experience yet. Then in March, just as fast, I was laid off from my job due to COVID-19.  Losing the job that finally values you for what you’re worth is a very tough thing. Especially when the circumstances are beyond you. Come to find out, that was just the beginning of my problems. Applying for unemployment. The application is a mess! The original site was ineffective and and it had to be completely revamped. Getting all the information together for unemployment was difficult to say the least. Having started a new job in the new year, it was not recorded on my previous tax record. I had to wait until the site was updated (again) to manually input my information. Due to a delay in filing my taxes, I never received my stimulus check either. The months of April, May, and June were some of the most difficult in terms of surviving. My household was already down to one source of income when I lost my job due to COVID-19. With no real relief package from the government, we were forced to use every last drop of our savings. There were many days we went hungry and told ourselves we weren’t. There were times we had to ask family for help buying us groceries because we were down to just the spices in our cabinets.  Thankfully, things didn’t stay horrible forever. We had help from friends and family who brought us food and supplies simply out of kindness. Ziggy finally started receiving his unemployment in May, and I received mine in late June. We made arrangements and left the house of misery that was weighing us down. While following health & safety protocols, Ziggy and I began backpacking across the country in search of a new home on the west coast. Our trip has taken many detours because life isn’t “normal” to say the least. On the trail, not all water wells have a pump, and not all campgrounds are open. While traveling, there are spaces in between seats and people coming around to check face coverings. When going into a museum we have our temperature read before going inside.  Zoo’s aren’t as enjoyable because it’s a game of avoiding people. There were many animals we didn’t get to see up close. Most cute pictures end up looking the same because of the face coverings. And if you take them off for a pic, you’re judged. Can’t wait inside for my food to go with Ziggy, because there’s only one person at a time allowed. I miss being able to hug and see my parents on a regular basis. The good news is that COVID-19 isn’t inevitable. There are plenty of health and safety precautions people can take for this pandemic to go away. Wearing face coverings and washing your hands are excellent virus defense. Staying home and limiting interactions with others is another great way. While this may seem like the biggest road block into starting our careers, fear not!! Time is a wonderful thing. My time quarantined from March to July was where I did some major self discovery. I decided to go back to school and pursue a graduate degree. I decided that my job does not define me, and I am capable of achieving anything I can dream of. If you’re young and unsure about the future, use this time to find yourself. Namaste! You May Also Like:   Welcome back everyone! This is the first of a new food series for me. On my #Troupe2Cali I’ve gotten the chance to try foods of different places, and I thought it’d be cool to take you guys on the road with me. Today we’re trying Melt’s Bar & Grill of Cleveland, OH. Ziggy and I ordered a house salad, Philly cheesesteak, and appetizer combo to share. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. It’s hard to pick a favorite, because everything was so good. The salad had so many different components (egg, feta cheese, balsamic and Cesar dressing) , the Mac and cheese bites were huge, and the cheesesteak was mouthwatering (the combination of aioli and onions was fantastic). All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend eating here next time you are in Cleveland, OH. Great food, huge portions. #Edited by #ZIGZAG: IG: https://www.instagram.com/zigzagtroupe?igshid=rax7nwsqttz4 🐦: https://www.twitter.com/ZigZagTroupe FB: https://www.facebook.com/ZigZagTroupe/?tsid=0.1022129422322311&source=result 🎤: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rabbit-hole-ep/1469409623 💻: http://www.troupeinc.com/zigzag.html This is an article for anyone who loves the outdoors, and is interested in an amazing way to see the State of Maryland.  Our Troupe2Cali trip began as a thru hike on The American Discovery Trail. The ADT starts in Delaware and ends in California. We jumped on at Point of Rocks, Lock 29 along the C & O Canal for our trip. In seven days, we walked 70 miles with 50lbs on our back. How difficult is the C & O? Not. At. All!! The majority of the trail is flat level, or slightly downhill (if headed west). It only started getting steep towards our last two days trekking. Other than that, it is mostly paved, with plenty of space for two lane hikers/bikers. Where did we sleep? We actually did half and half lodging and camping. However, the C & O had plenty of HBO’s within very close distance for safe sleeping. There were often other campers as well, so we were rarely alone. While camping, we often slept Army style, with one of us facing the others’ feet. This allowed for more space and comfort. We also had a small USB desk fan that we hung from the top of the tent to cool us off. All in all, it wasn’t that bad. How did we eat? In preparation for the trip, we packed a lot of snacks from home. The day of the trip, we were lucky to have some burgers leftover that my cousin Matias gave us. Our first night we stayed at a campground and got hot dogs from the local store. Our second night we made Mac and cheese on the grill with our pot. The third night we walked to a Burger King up the street. The fourth night we had leftover cheeseburgers and granola. The fifth night we had a pizza. The sixth day was a rest day for us so we carb loaded. We went to the local store and got fruit, milk, and pasta for dinner. We also restocked on food for the rest of the trip. The seventh night we bought some eggs from the local store and made scrambled eggs with rice. We had that with toast, and it was delicious. The next morning we had poached eggs for breakfast. The eighth night we boiled hot dogs in water. We made things work with what we had. There were a few times we wished we had more food, but we were always fine. How did we keep our electronics charged? We actually had a numerous amount of power sources. We each carried a BioLite 5 solar panel on our packs. They could each get our phone to about 80% charge. We also had a solar powered radio and camp lantern. Both of those ALSO doubled as power banks. On top of all of these, we each had actual power banks. We usually charged these at campgrounds with bath houses, or when we did lodging. This may seem excessive, but we had a lot of things we needed charged. Two phones, two watches, two AirPods, two headlamps, a GoPro, an iPad, and the USB fan we keep running all night. Yikes! How did we do it? Determination, trust, & a positive attitude. Making jokes, singing to our favorite songs, makes you forget that your body is killing you. We were lucky to share supplies, so we could share the weight as well. For example, one of us carries the tent and the other takes the stove. What did we see? Along the C & O, the possibilities are endless. There are many Locks and Lock Houses. These were often family operated, and an important feature of the canal. We passed by a number of aqueducts as well. It was really cool to see the ones of different towns. The flora and fauna are incredible. From caves, to deer, to groundhogs, to dragonflies. There’s a little bit of everything on the C & O. Why did we stop trekking? As COVID worsened, campgrounds started shutting back down. Our journey along the C & O was coming to a close, and we were no longer going to be in areas near civilization. The cities we could pass through had comments all over Google saying things such as “if you’re not white don’t come to this town”. Not wanting to take risks, we decided to continue our Troupe2Cali through bus tour instead. Luckily, we were already prepared while trekking with plenty of hand sanitizer and face masks.  Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. There is something so special oak about connecting with the forest. You learn to speak the language of the trees, the wildlife acknowledges you and dances around you. The people are kinder then I’ve ever seen. The C & O Canal is the perfect mix of history and natural beauty.    In preparation for our #Troupe2Cali trip, Ziggy and I have been taking mini day hikes as well as local camping trips. We discovered this hidden gem after staying at Cunningham Falls State Park! I was so amazed from the moment we got there. Everyone was so friendly, they took extensive health preventative measures, and they had a wide variety of exotic animals. We had a fantastic time!! Will definitely visit again, and I strongly recommend you check it out as well!! Very nice outdoor activity, safe and socially distanced.  #TroupeInc #COVID19 Statement: http://www.troupeinc.com/musicnews/troupe-incs-commitment-to-safety-during-covid-19 #GoFundMe #Troupe2Cali https://www.gofundme.com/f/troupeinc?sharetype=teams&member=3479998&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=7ecb679d07f245b383d2f7a2667571b7 #Edited by #ZIGZAG: IG: https://www.instagram.com/zigzagtroupe?igshid=rax7nwsqttz4 🐦: https://www.twitter.com/ZigZagTroupe FB: https://www.facebook.com/ZigZagTroupe/?tsid=0.1022129422322311&source=result 🎤: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rabbit-hole-ep/1469409623 💻: http://www.troupeinc.com/zigzag.html    Intersectional Environmentalist Pledge (@greengirlleah): I will stand in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, POC communities and The Planet. I will not ignore the intersections of environmentalism and social justice. I will use my privilege to advocate for black & brown lives in spaces where this message is often silenced. I will proactively do the work to learn about the environmental and social injustices BIPOC communities face without minimizing. I will respect the boundaries of BIPOC friends and activists and not demand they perform emotional labor or do the work for me. I will share my learnings with other environmentalists and my community. I will amplify the messages of BIPOC activists and environmental leaders. I will not remain silent during pivotal political and cultural moments that impact BIPOC communities. It took me about four days to complete, but I completed my poster in time for #FredericksMarchForJustice. And I’m happy to say it held up well in the rain. It’s been an honor participating; I’m proud to be a part of this movement.  #TroupeInc #COVID19 Statement: http://www.troupeinc.com/musicnews/troupe-incs-commitment-to-safety-during-covid-19 #GoFundMe #Troupe2Cali https://www.gofundme.com/f/troupeinc?sharetype=teams&member=3479998&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=7ecb679d07f245b383d2f7a2667571b7 #Cheeba🌸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/cheebatroupe?igshid=1wi317r0vu786 🐦: https://www.twitter.com/cheebatroupe FB: https://www.facebook.com/CheebaTroupe/ 💻: http://www.troupeinc.com/cheeba.html #Edited by #ZIGZAG: IG: https://www.instagram.com/zigzagtroupe?igshid=rax7nwsqttz4 🐦: https://www.twitter.com/ZigZagTroupe FB: https://www.facebook.com/ZigZagTroupe/?tsid=0.1022129422322311&source=result 🎤: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rabbit-hole-ep/1469409623 💻: http://www.troupeinc.com/zigzag.html    #Quarantine has definitely unleashed my #creative side. Baked #ladyfingers for the first time, and they turned out so good, I thought I’d share the #recipe with you!! Let me know if you tried this yourself, and how it turned out!! May the spirit of the universe be with you all 🌸  #Music #VanceJoy #SaturdaySun https://open.spotify.com/track/2RiBogNRfulkNf7fVbPOrJ?si=yLAr_kRkQiK952oYmeLNRA #Brahctopus #TheMothership https://open.spotify.com/track/12qYDFBNnw9ofpsGxeIo0p?si=ueqKamj4SpywtdKAOBy0Ig #Recipe https://pin.it/7zEtZ9J #TroupeInc #COVID19 Statement: http://www.troupeinc.com/musicnews/troupe-incs-commitment-to-safety-during-covid-19 #GoFundMe #Troupe2Cali https://www.gofundme.com/f/troupeinc?sharetype=teams&member=3479998&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=7ecb679d07f245b383d2f7a2667571b7 #Edited by #ZIGZAG: IG: https://www.instagram.com/zigzagtroupe?igshid=rax7nwsqttz4 🐦: https://www.twitter.com/ZigZagTroupe FB: https://www.facebook.com/ZigZagTroupe/?tsid=0.1022129422322311&source=result 🎤: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rabbit-hole-ep/1469409623    This is a message to all recent #graduates, who are #concerned about the #future. I’m sharing my #journey with you today so you can see that no matter how bad things might get, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. I’d love to hear your #stories too!! And if you have any questions for me, I’d love to answer them ♥️ #Music #thexx #intro https://open.spotify.com/track/0DAsxISzun85PbsqAfIzeC?si=6EvkZmFITnGJ6NV_lxp57w #odesza #bloom https://open.spotify.com/track/0vtX8UMG38p7IXpP4lZJ2z?si=rWo8nINlRNqHtqM5-Mckkw #marshmello #silence https://open.spotify.com/track/7vGuf3Y35N4wmASOKLUVVU?si=RSTY6wRqRQCM1TB7GP2wSA #hozier #likerealpeopledo https://open.spotify.com/track/57V4uc2b2diZ4RPHXWecb9?si=nTcdKyn2TUSrMbBv_NN4wQ #florenceandthemachine #dogdaysareover https://open.spotify.com/track/1YLJVmuzeM2YSUkCCaTNUB?si=WPQSiVzUQuazwh_WUy7wNA #TroupeInc #COVID19 Statement: http://www.troupeinc.com/musicnews/troupe-incs-commitment-to-safety-during-covid-19 #GoFundMe #Troupe2Cali https://www.gofundme.com/f/troupeinc?sharetype=teams&member=3479998&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=7ecb679d07f245b383d2f7a2667571b7 #Edited by #ZIGZAG: IG: https://www.instagram.com/zigzagtroupe?igshid=rax7nwsqttz4 🐦: https://www.twitter.com/ZigZagTroupe FB: https://www.facebook.com/ZigZagTroupe/?tsid=0.1022129422322311&source=result 🎤: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rabbit-hole-ep/1469409623 💻: http://www.troupeinc.com/zigzag.html   |
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