This month’s theme: ADULTING Issue 2
July 2019
Poetry. Photos. Art. Writing. + More!
in this issue ADULTING
Adulting hacks
P.4
P.10
Playlist: Young, Broke & Cynical
P.14
25 and a 1/2 life lessons
P.16
What being an adult means
P.21
Meet the artist
P.22
Cash from the Couch
P.24
Surviving and thriving
P.27
+ poetry + pictures + more 2
welcome! Hello and welcome to the 2nd issue of the BBB zine! This month we’re tackling the theme of adulting….we’re looking at what makes an adult an adult (if we even know!) and digging deep for some hacks to make it all a little easier. We’re also having dance parties, cooking up some tasty grub, and finding joy in the little moments! As this issue explores, being an adult can be TOUGH. Just as being any form of human can be TOUGH. There are days full of tears and curse words and worry and angst and frustration. But there are also days of quiet joy and loud joy and in your face wonderfulness and simple pleasures. Being an adult is all about finding that balance between the hard and the good….and figuring out how to dig up those slivers of joy, because they’re there. When I (Gill) was little my mom’s response to anything tough or hard or scary was icecream. Bad grades. A fight with a friend. Death of a beloved pet. Broken bone. For a while I just reveled in the sweet dessert, but soon I learned it wasn’t about that at all. It was about taking a hard moment and making it a little sweet. It was about taking 20 minutes to find joy, smile, laugh, and breathe. That’s what being an adult is all about….taking the time to pull yourself up, smile, and breathe. We hope you enjoy this issue, and that it gives you time to reflect, laugh, and take some time just for yourself. Happy adulting, burritos! - Gill, Natalie & Helen
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What does it actually mean to be a have life all figured out? What if and go nap-nap occasionally? All issue, and more. Adulting doesn’ although it certainly can be — it to explo
an adult? Are we really supposed to f we still want to hug our blankies questions we try to answer in this ’t have to be a slog, thankfully— t can be wonderful, and we’re here ore how...
© Lauren Meyer
a song for the unfulfilled twenty-something By: Natalie Cooper They told us we were finite Vain and selfish and hard to love But if that is true How have I found infinity in your tired eyes? Let's just stay home and write love songs to ourselves Learning to hurt in new ways Quiet ways That won't bother anybody else Love furiously and wildly Hate equally and silently Over medicated under rested over worked under fed Pull up the skirt that's slipped low on your skinny hips Rip off the half broken false nails and Wipe the blood from your broken glass heels as you pour out a glass Drink it. Then another, and another, another, another Put on your war paint thick and brave To stumble into a bar, any bar Bury your head in the sand Spill your words with a clumsy tongue Give away your love for free though you work so hard for it Tell yourself you're young and free As you dance and touch and sweat As your alarm buzzes at six AM As you're skipping breakfast to catch your bus (so you tell yourself anyway) Cover up that bruise and brush away the taste of vomit on your breath Run from the man who you sleep next to at night Run from your parents, their love and their suffocating heat Run from a world that wants you to grow up, ten years too early, oh, child. Pick up your pieces and pull yourself together my young love It's a whole new day again already It's alright It's all alright It'll all be alright soon
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How to Not Run Away By: Gill F. The summer after I turned 19 was a mess. I quit my hippy college in Vermont after the first semester because I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive if I stayed through the year. On the first day of the spring semester, I went to biology class, watched people chatter about their winter break, and felt the deep crushing pain of loneliness and emptiness settle in. I sobbed in my room and then put on a brave face and called my mom to come pick me up. She showed up at midnight, bought me a milkshake, and helped me escape. I never truly told her why. I went home and started community college, dragged myself through a friendless, cold semester, read a lot of queer books, walked dogs, ate too much junk food, felt that same deep feeling of emptiness. By the summer, I was working a dead end job at a movie theater selling tickets to stupidly happy couples and sweeping sticky popcorn off the floors, and trying again at a biology class at the community college. I had an anxiety attack when the first test was handed out, ran to the bathroom, and never came back. The next day I had bought a bus ticket to Seattle. I quit my job, I quit the class, and I ran 3,000 miles. My sister picked me up at the bus stop, hugged me tightly, stuffed me full of greasy diner eggs and black coffee, and made it all okay. She never asked questions and I never gave answers. I spent two weeks drinking whiskey from plastic bottles and smoking cigarettes and letting the Washington sun burn off some of the emptiness. For the first time in a long time I felt safe and grounded….and the closest thing to okay I could ask for. But it took running away to get there. I didn’t face the problems. I got scared, and I turned my back and ditched out. It’s been a theme in my adult years. The world gets big and scary and the hard feelings settle in and things get a little too dark and I run, or push things away, or retreat so far into myself that the world fades away. It’s always been a coping mechanism, born from a childhood deep rooted in trauma. Kids with trauma grow up to be adults with trauma, and adults with trauma are the best at running and hiding. We grew up doing it. We know the best ways to curl up until the scary goes away. We know the best ways to submit, give in, pretend it doesn’t hurt.
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That summer I ran 3,000 miles into open arms with no questions. My sister let me cry on her cat hair covered bed and she spooned me until I fell asleep while tracing hearts and stars and goodness into my tired back. She gave me enough strength to go home. But as necessary as it was, it wasn’t a solution. Running away never is. The problems are always waiting for you when you return.
This past year has been hard. A break up that shattered a four-year long relationship and a sense of stability. A last minute, desperate house move. Learning how to be on my own. Learning to look to myself for comfort and safety and stability. There have been a lot of nights of sitting on my living room floor, alone. Just me and my cats and wondering - what happened? There have been days where I spend my lunch breaks crying in my car because I’m so scared, or so lonely, or just feeling so lost. But, unlike all the times before, I haven’t run. I haven’t ditched out. I haven’t retreated into myself. For the first time ever I’m learning to face the scary. This is what adulting is. It’s feeling sick and still making yourself dinner. It’s getting sad or angry and taking yourself to the bike path to rollerblade until your head stops spinning and your heart is pounding for only good reasons. It’s 9pm dance parties on your own in your underwear, just to feel that surge of joy you know is there. It’s being alone and being okay. It’s facing the hard days and getting kicked down and going to bed, and then getting up and doing it again. And again. And again. It’s knowing you don’t have a choice some days. Some days will just straight up suck. Some days are dark. Some days you’ll sit on your kitchen floor, shaking, not sure if you’re gonna make it. Some days are ‘my boss yelled at me and that guy on the street looked at me wrong and I lost my breathe for a little too long and I couldn’t go grocery shopping because the world felt like it was crushing out every last bit’ kind of days. But some days are good. Some days are really really good. Some days are playing pool with whiskey breath with that boy who is teaching you to trust again, and laughing so hard you struggle to breathe, and moving your hips to that song you can’t help but smile at, and making a new friend, and taking yourself to a movie, and eating sugary cereal at midnight, and watching the sun set from the side of a highway, and taking solo trips to new places, and feeling ok in the world. Adulting is facing the hard shit so you can be there for the good shit. Because it’s there, whether you believe it or not, and it’s hard to believe some days. And if you run and ditch out you’ll miss out on all those little moments that pile up over time, and help to make adult life the celebration of freedom and joy that it truly can be.
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Adulting hacks Organise your… meals It can often be useful to batch bake on good days and freeze extra portions for those times you just don’t have the spoons. Use a whiteboard maker pen to write on your freezer door what meals you have in there and the quantity to keep track of when you next need to top up the supply.
If meal prep isn’t your thing, plan out your meals the weekend before and write them on a noticeboard. This takes away the anxiety of choosing what to eat each day, and can help you plan what groceries you need to get. Frozen food is your friend. You can even get frozen fruit and vegetables so that if you can’t use fresh fruit quickly enough, you can still fit them into your meals. Put aside a small amount of money each week, or month, to keep for takeaways for those days when cooking is just really not an option, even reheating frozen meals. That way you’ve prepared and won’t feel guilty spending money when you need a break.
Organise your… routine Creating a daily routine can really help manage life with chronic illnesses and help balance time to recharge with any obligations, or even just keeping track of whether you’ve drank enough and taken your meds. You can go low-key, with a whiteboard or a sticker reward chart (yes, even adults love a reward!) or you can take it online and use apps you can have whether you are.
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‘Productive’ is a good example of a low-key app - you set what habits you want to do, how often, and set reminder alerts. If you prefer a gaming vibe, check out Habitica and play with friends.
Organise your… budget School didn’t teach us everything. If only pensions, tax returns and what to do with your bank accounts were on the class list! Set yourself a realistic budget. Look at your income and expenses, and live within your means. However, try and set aside some savings, because everyone needs a treat now and again, or something big comes up. One way to save some money is by looking for better deals on car insurance, phone bills or subscription services. Do some research beforehand then call (or live-chat) with the companies to bargain the price down. Threaten to switch companies, and they will transfer you to the retentions team who can offer the better deals. For food, see whether you really need branded items, and if so, which supermarkets give you the best products for less. Switch bank accounts regularly as you can get better interest rates by moving your money. Plus, some current accounts also round up your purchases and put the extra pennies straight into savings - pretty useful for saving as your spend!
Organise your… tasks Lists are super useful to keep track of everything - from things you need to do, doctors appointments, social plans, packing for trips, or for work. You don’t have to be a pen and paper kind of list person. There’s apps these days that keep your life virtually organised.
Trello is a good example, using ‘boards’ to break each larger theme down into smaller tasks and syncing across phones, laptops and computers. It’s also used in some workplaces to keep teams up-to-date with projects. If you prefer pen and paper, try your hand at making a bullet journal. It can be as decorative or as functional as you prefer, with calendars, habit trackers, lists, contact details, top achievements of the week and even contact numbers and addresses.
Always looking for the free wifi
Finding the quirks in everyday life Š Helen Gerrard
On the perils of shaming illiteracy By: Natalie Cooper I met a man who couldn't read Hands shaking as he handed back the forms to me incomplete He could sign his name he told me But not the rest Couldn't meet my eye as he spoke Hasn't read the prep materials Hasn't read anything at all No settling down with a morning paper Or scrolling through an ebook by a stuffy pool in summer He knows road signs and security signs and warning signs and his alphabet he says Just can't put them all together at once in his head I realise he thinks I will judge him Almost as old as my grandfather and just as kind looking Hands tough and hardened from a lifetime of outdoor work He's the first person all day to ask me how I am and seem to care Wiped his boots before he came in and spoke on the phone to his wife about visiting their grandchildren Whistles when nobody else is talking So uncomfortable in these surroundings yet somehow still here And he thinks I will judge him He braces himself for the bad news That he can't take a test here if he can't understand the letters That he has missed his chance to get any qualifications at all That he is somehow less because he is letterless Years on years on years of inadequacy finally tumbling down To bury him below the pile He stares at me Flighty and ready to bolt
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What he apparently does not expect Is to be led to a booth and handed headphones Shown the switch to flick to have it all read out to him Calm and mechanical and slow in a choice of six different languages To guide him through the test that will guarantee him a promotion and pay rise he should have had a decade ago If I'd known it was as easy as all this he says I'd have done this a long time ago .
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Playlist: Young, Broke and Cynical
A short mix for all the heavy-drinking, apathetic 20-somethings out there with too many bills, dead-end jobs and far off dreams of giving it all up and moving on to greener pastures. Leave the quarter life crisis behind and rejoice in the knowledge that at least you're not alone in your frustration. Listen on Youtube
1. Rent—by RENT Movie Cast
2. Totally Fucked—by Spring Awakening OBC 3. 5 Years Time—By Noah and the Whale 4. Santa Fe—By Rent Movie Cast 5. It’s Time—Imagine Dragons 6. The Middle—Jimmy Eat World 7. For Now—Avenue Q OBC 8. Hand in my Pocket—Alanis Morrisette 9. What’s Up—3 Non-Blondes 10.Hills and Valleys—The Rocket Summer 11.In My Mind—Amanda Palmer 12. Therapy—All Time Low 13. Stay Frosty, Royal Milk Tea—Fall Out Boy 14. Learn to Fly—Foo Fighters
15. The Next Storm—Frank Turner
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© Lauren Meyer
25 and a 1/2 life lessons from a 25 and a 1/2 year old 1. Never turn down free food, toiletries or hugs. 2. Tell your family and friends that you love them. Often. 3. Find work clothes that feel like pyjamas. 4. Never settle for just ‘fine’. Be fearless, pushy, and go after the ideal life that you want—not what anyone else wants for you. 5. If it smells bad, don’t eat it, wear it or fuck it. 6. At some point in your early to mid twenties, you will start to realise that you can’t drink like you used to. Do not take this as a challenge. 7. Go to bed early sometimes—it’s excellent.
8. Say yes to things that truly excite you, and say no to things that bore you. Learn the difference between those two feelings. 9. Understand, deep in your soul, that nobody else has any idea what they are doing either. 10.Pet cats and smile at dogs on the street. 11.Some music really can heal your soul. Listen to it often. 12.Never feel ashamed of something that makes you happy. 13.If you need to cry, cry! Catharsis is a wonderful thing when done right. 14. Walking confidently into situations will get you far in life.
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15. Rice + beans + cheese is a complete meal. 16. Don’t spend too many days alone at home or you’ll start feeling like crap. Go outside, call someone, try to be human. 17. Pee after sex. It’s non-negotiable.
18. Nobody gives a shit what you look like. Honestly. 19. Duct tape can fix most things. Superglue can fix everything else. 20. At some point, your body might start to whisper to you that babies are seeming really cute these days. Listen to the urge or don’t, but feel absolutely no obligation either way. 21. Look after your teeth. 22. Look after your skin. 23. Sugar + Olive Oil + Sea Salt is the best exfoliator you’ll ever use. 24. Spend more time with people who make you feel amazing. 25. Read things that aren’t on your phone sometimes.
1/2. Stop and pay attention. Ferris Bueller got a lot of things very right, but particularly this: ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.’
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Following through with conviction © Helen Gerrard
Family doesn’t have to be good He tells me he doesn’t have much family left, that they left over religious disputes and ignorance-tries to shrug it off as no big deal, but a boy will always miss his mama, no matter how big and strong and hard he gets. I can hear his voice drop a little as he tells me he never celebrates his birthday because he doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with. And all I want is to take him in my arms and whisper into his ear ‘they don’t know what they’re missing,’ just like my own mama used to whisper in mine. When I tried to be big and strong and hard after a missed phone call on a birthday or a missed party or a missed holiday or when I was just plain missing having a dad, she’d bury her head in my soft child hair and whisper ‘he doesn’t know what he’s missing, baby, and oh he’s missing so so much.’ And I’d cry softly and wish it was easier, but the words felt safe, like the blanket I had as a baby that I took everywhere, so I’d always have some comfort. Just because they’re family doesn’t mean they’re good. Doesn’t mean they’ll be there or be safe or be home. When my dad didn’t show up to my brother’s high school graduation I watched his 18 year old baby face, with that scraggly beard he was trying so hard to grow out so he’d look grown, fall. Like someone had pulled the world out from under him. He was so used to disappointment and heartbreak and rejection and it broke my heart to watch him think this time would be different. After the festivities, after he put on a brave face and smiled for the camera, he curled up in his bed that was now too small for his growing legs and drifted into an exhausted sleep. And I snuck in and sat by his head and whispered into his ear ‘he doesn’t know what he’s missing, bud, and god is he missing so so much.’ And I hope the words sunk into his dreamscape. I’m fiercely protective of the ones in my life with the bruised and broken faces. The ones who try to hide the hurt so much that eventually it just spills over. The ones who are big and strong and hard until they’ve had that extra beer and it just comes rushing out how much it hurts. The ones who can’t look you in the eye to say it stings so mutter the pain into pots of mac and cheese while you cook dinner together. The ones who tell you they wish and they hope and they….they hurt. You want to wrap them up and take away the pain. Even though you’re bubbling over with just as much hurt, you wanna take theirs away. I’m not sure how to do that, so I do what so many have never done, I show up. I cook dinners and show up to the events and tell jokes and buy Christmas gifts and hold hands and rub backs and tell them I’m proud, so fuckin’ proud. I offer a tiny slice of home. Maybe it’s because I know the pain. I know the pain when your family isn’t good. When they’re nothing but pain and hurt and fear and worry and anxiety and tears and panic attacks. When they feel like anything but home. And nothing can truly make that go away, but a few spaghetti dinners on the museum steps and cheering at a graduation and baking birthday cakes at midnight and showing up can help to ease it a bit. Family doesn't have to be good, but the good ones show up.
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Things Adults Do Dance in their underwear to Lizzo at 9pm. Eat sugary cereal for dinner. Go to the movies alone, sneak in Twizzlers, and laugh at all the not funny moments. Adopt another cat. And another. Get whiskey drunk on a Tuesday evening and show up to work the next day. Sleep until noon. Or 7am. Or not at all. Call off work to go to the beach. Eat takeout in bed. Sleep with a stranger met at the bar. Make art. Make bread. Give up on making dinner and eat tortilla chips on the couch. Watch too much Netflix. Stay up until 2am reading that new book. Get their heart broken. Break a heart or two. Apologize. Fall in love. Fall in love again. Vow to never fall in love again. Fall in love again. Buy all their furniture at the thrift store. Spill wine on the thrift store couch. Hang pictures with washi tape. Clean the house only when the cute guy is coming over. Buy condoms from the 17 year old check out guy while he blushes and tries to avoid eye contact. Get birth control. Get STI tested. Go to the doctor. Go to the dentist. Try and exercise here and there. Call dancing to Lizzo at 9pm exercise. Call sex exercise. Have a lot of sex. Realize that holding hands and cuddling is better than sex. Have some more sex. Fall asleep splayed across the guy their falling for and cry in the car the next morning because emotions are hard. Let themselves fall for someone new. Let themselves feel and fall and get hurt. Take themselves on solo trips to new places. Get lost. Feel lonely. Feel free. Blast Taylor Swift in the car. Sing along at the top of their lungs. Roll the car windows down and scream into the wind. Smile at strangers. Smile at nothing. Don’t smile when men tell them to smile. Call their mom because they’re feeling sad and small. Feel small. Feel awkward. Feel lost. Feel scared. Feel. Have another dance party at 9pm.
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Being prepared. If I’m not prepared to some degree, then I’m not a good adult and don’t do the things that I was supposed to do.
It’s also congratulating myself when I phoned the water company, it’s eating desert before my main course if I want to and feeling superhuman when I manage to change the bedsheets. ...and realising that no one really knows what they’re doing; we’re all just googling how to change the temperature of our boilers and how to work the washing machine when we move house, so it’s OK! - Kate
Doing the things you gotta do, INCLUDING taking the time you need to recover, without hating yourself for it
CLEANING - Lily
- Noah
what
adult
does
mean
to
being
you?
an
Adulting is being able to make your own decisions, and also making the decision to have a nap when you’re fed up of the decisions!
- Caroline
Finding reasons for the hard stuff — cats, icecream, hugs, wine, laughter, friends, Netflix Learning to be okay when things get weird Learning how to be your own person And ice cream for breakfast and cereal for dinner - Gill
Knowing when to ask for help. Realising your limits and not being afraid to own them. Looking around a room for an adult and realising you’re the adult, and then instead of freaking out that you’re the adult, you accept it and deal. Realising that most other adults have no clue what they’re doing either. Wishing you were 4 years old again without a care in the world. - Helen
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Artist Spotlight Meet the artist — Lauren Meyer Tell us a little bit about yourself ! Hi I’m Lauren. I currently work as a graphic designer. I love creating things, from quilts to paintings, and spending time with my girlfriend and little black cat Ravioli.
How did you get into illustrating postcards? On low spoon days I would write my friends letters. It helped me feel less isolated and I felt good using my energy that would make someone else happy. I have a postcard collection from when I was a kid and decided to practice some cool lettering I saw online and that’s how the idea started! I really enjoy making something that will hopefully brighten someone’s day when they receive it in the mail.
Where's the furthest you've sent a decorated postcard? So far probably England, pretty far from the suburbs of New Jersey!
Where do your ideas come from? Mostly Instagram! I also like to be sustainable with my supplies so I’ll use what I have on hand, like remnants of fabric or types of paper. Once I know what material I want to use I’ll look at my favorite artists or artists on social media and figure out what to make with it.
What does being an adult mean to you? One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from being an adult is that the older you get the less you realize you know. As I get older and interact with the world I realize that I’m not always right or my perspective is just one of a hundred ways of looking at things. Thanks Lauren! We love the postcards. Follow Lauren’s adventures on Instagram @l.e.meyer
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23 © Lauren Meyer
Whether working life just doesn’t agree with your health, or you need a little extra cash to treat yourself, we've compiled some ways to help you earn some cash without leaving the house (or even the sofa) Keep your space tidy and uncluttered whilst earning yourself a quick buck! There’s plenty of websites that will pay for your preloved items. Companies such as Ziffit, Zapper and Music Magpie will take your books, games, CDS, DVDs and even Lego. Clothing sells well on eBay or Facebook marketplace. If you have kept your old gadgets over the years as you’ve upgraded, there’s lots of websites will buy your tech for parts, or go to shops like CeX for a quote. It's weird what you can sell online these days - some people even sell collections of toilet roll inners for those wanting craft supplies. Another person's rubbish is someone else's art project. Pass your spare time being creative and sell your work online. If you have any artistic talents like crochet or papercutting, or want to try your hand at digital drawing, why not make a few items and open up an Etsy or Redbubble shop. Or if you're good with a camera, there's sites out there that will take your images for stock photos and pay you for each time your photo is used, like Shutterstock and Alamy. Profit from your knowledge. Perhaps you kept meticulous notes from school, college or university classes? Upload them to sites like Stuvia or Campus Shift who pay you each time they are downloaded. If you're good at certain subjects, you could set up an online tutoring gig. There are websites where you sign up to be part of their tutoring team, or you can go freelance and offer services through social media channels and adverts. Help others whilst being paid. Lots of university students advertise for paid participants for their research, and sometimes these opportunities are online or from your home. Keep your eyes peeled on local university newsletters. Alternatively, there are companies like Testbirds that pay you to test out client's apps and websites via your phone, tablet or laptop and report back on any bugs you experience.
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Sell your opinions to the interwebs. There are a plethora of sites out there that will pay you to take surveys. Most of them don't send invites for surveys often enough to make it worthwhile or screen you out after a few answers, but digging around for the right companies really can pay off. Swagbucks is one that has been proven to pay out, as does Hiving. If you prefer digital money to buy certain apps or in-app purchases, Google Opinion Awards sends frequent 1-2 question polls that soon add up. Listen to music and get paid! If you love music, sign up to Slice the Pie to hear some of the newest music before anyone else does, whilst helping new artists by rating and reviewing. There are other sites around that pay you to listen to their radio channels, having it on in the background whilst checking in every once in a while can build up your balance. Write the next best-seller! It's getting easier with places like Amazon to self-publish your own book. You could write anything, from the epic romance novel you've been dreaming of, a textbook on English literature, or an insider look at life with chronic illness. Fiction or non-fiction, if you price it right and promote on the right social media channels, you could reap the rewards. Sell your story to the press. A lot of magazines or newspapers will pay for a juicy story or real life experiences. Often they’re not the most reputable so be aware of who you reach out to. If this doesn’t sit right with you, there are magazines and newspapers that host story-writing or photography competitions with cash prizes, and some even pay for the best ‘dear editor’ letters. In for the long haul - turn your YouTube channel into income. Vlogging is a big thing these days, and people love to subscribe and hear from their favourites regularly. But there's other options too if vlogging isn't your style - you could stream yourself playing popular video games or even just create compilations of your pet getting up to mischief. So if you already have a YouTube channel, or ready to set one up, why not monetize it. The snag is, it takes time and set requirements. To get adverts on your videos, you need over 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours worth of views. So this is one for someone dedicated to their channel, building an audience and then profiting from the hard work.
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Realising you ARE the adult in the situation
Taking time out of life to enjoy the little things Š Helen Gerrard
Surviving (and thriving) Write everything working life! down. Via an app or on a piece of paper, make sure to get everything out of your head.
Prepare food the night, or weekend, before. Make sure you know what you can grab on the go for breakfast, bring to lunch for work, and heat up once you get back in for dinner. Keep spare portions in the freezer for those days you promise to yourself you’ll cook once home but don’t have the spare energy after all. Don’t bring work home with you...unless you work from home! In which case, try and keep work in one room and sleep in another. The distinction between work space and rest space is vital. Try and get a good night’s sleep. Count sheep, listen to music, put the fan on, reduce blue light, or burrito in a blanket to keep cosy.
Talk to the HR department, or your linemanager, about accomodations you can get to help. From a special ergonomic chair, to screen colour changes, a trolley to limit heavy lifting to splitting your lunch break into smaller sections throughout the day. Make time for you. Selfcare is so important. Whether that’s watching cat videos on repeat for 3 hours, taking a relaxing bubble bath, or going for a gentle stroll, find something that helps rejuvinate your mind and body. Keep a treat stash near your workstation. You never know when you just need an extra spurt of energy, or munch out your stress. Plus extra water, because hydration is important! Most importantly...be aware of your limits. Don’t push yourself too far. 27
Easy peasy yummy vegan recipes Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich Method: Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place on a paper towel and remove the outer skins. You can leave them on, but some prefer to remove them.
Ingredients: 15 ounce can chickpeas or garbanzo beans 1 large ripe avocado 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped 2 tablespoons chopped green onion Juice from 1 lime Salt and pepper to taste Bread of your choice Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce tomato slices, sprouts, etc.
In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. You might like to add fresh spinach leaves. Note: This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut up veggies, crackers, or pita chips. Also, this salad is best eaten the day it is made because it will turn brown due to the avocado.
Gooey Chocolate Brownies Ingredients: 250g plain flour 350g demerara sugar 65g plain cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 250ml water 250ml vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract Method: Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 23x33cm (9x13 in) baking tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
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Sloppy Joes Ingredients: Lentils: 2 cups water (or half water, half vegetable broth 1 cup green lentils, well rinsed Serving: Gluten-free or whole-wheat hamburger buns Sloppy Joes:
2 Tbsp olive or grape seed oil 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, minced (plus more for serving) 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp) 1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, diced Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
15-ounce can tomato sauce 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (plus more to taste) 1-2 Tbsp vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce 1-2 tsp chili powder (plus more to taste) 1 tsp ground cumin (plus more to taste) 1 pinch smoked or regular paprika (optional)
Method: To a small saucepan, add liquid (I used 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable broth for added flavor // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and rinsed lentils and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 18 minutes, or until tender. The water should have a constant simmer (not boil). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sautè for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the peppers and onions are tender and slightly browned. Next add tomato sauce, coconut sugar, vegan worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika (optional). Stir to combine. Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the skillet as well, and stir to combine. Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally - about 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili powder and/or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or worcestershire for depth of flavor. Serve the mixture on toasted buns with sliced onion. Best when fresh, though leftover sloppy joe mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop, adding water if the mixture has dried out.
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A sneak peak of next month’s issue!
Next month’s theme will be…
We will chat about the people, places, pets, and everything in-between that we believe the concept of home includes (because let’s face it, home can totally be anywhere the wifi connects automatically) 26
With thanks Thank you to the wonderful writers, poets, artists and friends credited throughout who contributed their time, artistry, opinions and skill to this issue. You are all amazing and we’re very grateful indeed. Special thanks also go to you, readers, for supporting this little project! If you enjoyed this issue, please consider sharing these words and pictures with a friend or on your various social media spaces!
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