I chose to complete my degree online. At first, I was really judged, but this isn’t like those diploma mills where you pay an amount for a fake degree. Doing any work online takes time management, planning, discipline, and proactivity. Your end result is only as good as what you put into it, and if you slack off, you’re only hurting yourself. As what happens with any brick-and-mortar establishment, there are good and bad instructors. Some make sure that you are getting the most out of your course, while others leave it to you or a TA to do the work. The “open door” policy will also vary by professor.
Continue ReadingPhD 101: The Beginning
This will be this first post in a series that will outline my personal experiences in obtaining a PhD. It is something that I wanted to have since I can remember, and in all honesty, I didn’t think it would happen. Anyway, this first post is, as the title states, the beginning of my journey. All other posts in this series will be scheduled for Mondays.
Continue ReadingAchievement Earned!
Happy August!
We are just about one week into August. Now is about the time I start to plan for the holidays. Not that I like to decorate beforehand— I don’t. Let summer be summer, but I do typically begin (and finish) holiday shopping. This year will be significantly different because money is much tighter than it has been before. Hopefully I can get most of the gifts made, which allows me to customize and not spend a fortune. Personally, I love handmade gifts because they take time, even if they aren’t exactly “made with love”.
Continue ReadingPlastic-Free July: Day 31, Fin
We’ve made it! It is the last day of Plastic-Free July. This time it was more difficult than before, at least for us. Bulk bins where I could use jars and a funnel brought from home we live have been filled with pre-packaged bulk goods. Most produce has been wrapped in some form of plastic, and we quickly found that most things are no longer recyclable (i.e. mixed-materials packaging). So many aspects of life have changed, but you learn to adapt.
Continue ReadingPlastic-Free July: Day 30, Acceptance 😌
Tomorrow is the last day of our Plastic-Free July journey for 2020. Thank you so much for sticking with me! We explored plastic-free swaps, how to turn kitchen scraps into a mini garden, the impact of the current pandemic, and more. Now it is time to take stock of what we have accumulated and come to terms with the outcome. Given the current state of things, living plastic-free has not be easy by any means. More and more items, aside from the usual packaged products, are coming wrapped in plastic. Reusable bags and containers brought from home are not allowed in stores, which makes sense given these uncertain times, but can be frustrating.
Continue ReadingPlastic-Free July: Day 29, Practical Gifting 🎁
There are a couple of days left in Plastic-Free July. This post will be more of a discussion on practical gifting versus a clickable gift guide. Fun gifts (i.e. toys for the kids, board games, etc.) are fantastic and will get use. For the adults, if I’m not giving gift cards, then it’s something handmade. Occasionally, when I find something I think someone will really like, and they don’t have it, then I’ll get it. I don’t do this often though. My current financial situation has forced me (in a good way) to be more resourceful and careful in what I give. That also means that I can make practical, zero- or low-waste items tailored to the recipient. Make sure to do your research and know if the recipient has any allergies/sensitivities before starting.
Continue ReadingPlastic-Free July: Day 28, Rationing
I have been watching all of the farm series (check out Wartime Farm here), and can’t help but wonder if we will go back to rationing, or a similar system. For reference I do not live in the UK, but the US, where rationing was implemented during the war as well. In current times, where we live, we saw once-stocked shelves go bare for weeks…in all departments. We also saw in increase in food costs, among others. There was a rumor that rationing would be implemented as the country braced for a food shortage.
Continue ReadingPlastic-Free July: Day 27, Beyond Plastic Purchases 🌊
Plastic-Free July puts a focus on the accumulation of plastic, but it’s not just about the plastic itself. A focus on the material starts at the manufacturer and the companies making the choices to use plastic packaging. It moves from the top down to how the companies deal with their waste, what can happen to the packaging, whether or not the plastic can and, more importantly, is recycled, etc. The trickle-down system can include a lot of information to take in. So, here you have a very narrow part to a bigger picture of plastic. Think of it as a horse with blinders on. You (well, the horse in this example) can see straight ahead, and the blinders keep you from seeing the sides and what is behind you. It’s the same with the focus on plastic consumption. Even among those who live a relatively plastic-free, zero-waste life, there is a focus on not buying plastic, but little else about plastic itself. There is also talk about holding companies accountable, but is that really all there is to it?
Continue ReadingPlastic-Free July: Day 26, Imperfection 😓
With 5 days left of Plastic-Free July, you should know that there is no such thing as perfect when it comes to living plastic-free. Perfection, in general, is an unrealistic, unattainable standard that we either set for ourselves or have set for us by others. Or is it? Perhaps what we should realize is that our best is perfect. The pursuit of perfection, in my experience, can set unrealistic expectations, facilitate upset, and has gotten me down when I couldn’t reach it. Now, there are times when you want something to go perfectly well or be perfect, like surgery and recovery, so of course I’m not talking about things like that in this post. This post is solely centered on plastic-free and zero-waste/low-waste lifestyles.
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Darphynia's Diary 
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