Looking at this image of this dead elephant brings tears to my eyes. No animal should feel threatened in their own environment. This elephant was killed by an electric fence set up by a farmer in order to protect their crops. The farmers come into the wilderness to set up camp for growing their product(s), not thinking about what harm they can do to the animals in the surrounding area. Elephants love to wander in their environment and having these threats can cause serious danger to the elephants and even the farmers. There are plenty of things we can do to change that.

First off, farmers need to find a better place to plant their crops. An unbothered habitat with no wildlife within the surrounding habitats. The wilderness isn’t the only place farmers can plant their crops. Most farmers try to get rid of the animals by sending them to zoos or other unfamiliar locations, which can cause them to act out violently and potentially hurt themselves or others. Instead of moving the animals and causing a lot of problems, the farmers can move their plantation somewhere else.

How many times a week do you drink coffee? I try to minimize it to about one serving a week, but some days, I feel as though I need it to get through the day. Have you ever thought about where your coffee is from? Some major coffee companies get their coffee from coffee plantations in wilderness habitats. Starbucks, for example, get their coffee beans from these plantations, but they give back by hiring people to go work on the plantations in order to keep the elephants away from damaging the crops without hurting the elephants in any way.

I look at pictures of baby elephants almost every day. They are absolutely adorable and lovable. It would make my life complete if I could pet a baby elephant. While I was reading about elephants, I came across a website that lets you “adopt” an elephant for at least $25. There are other packages you can buy when adopting, but if you just want to adopt an elephant without all the fancy add ins, the $25 package is best.

To me, that is a pretty good deal. Unfortunately, you can’t see the elephant in person, but by adopting them, you protect them from being hunted or killed by people living in the surrounding areas.

We tend to use wood logs to keep warm during the winter time, but not everybody gets their wood locally. Unless you live in the wilderness and have no other option, I would recommend getting your wood logs locally if possible. My grandpa gets out fire wood logs from his hunting clubhouse, away from wilderness areas that have elephants and other wildlife living nearby. Cutting down trees for wood affects elephants because the trees provide shade on hot days and doesn’t let their skin get any more dry than it already is. The elephants also need oxygen coming off the trees in order to survive. Just like humans.

Donating to a wildlife fund, no matter what amount, will make a huge impact. Whether it’s $10 or $100, donating will help keep the elephants from becoming extinct. Donations are always accepted, and personally it makes me feel happy that I could help contribute to something I love which is an amazing feeling.

If the elephants feel unsafe in an environment, sanctuaries can be built to give them the comfort they need. Sanctuaries are like free range zoos. They provide care for the elephants natural habitat so the elephants don’t get uncomfortable and act out violently from being in an unfamiliar place. The elephants will get to roam around as much as they please.

The sanctuary hires workers to stick around in case something bad happens to one of the wildlife animals and they need to take immediate action. People are able to visit sanctuaries, but only during certain periods of time on certain days. Unlike a zoo, the workers can’t bring the animals out to be seen by visitors. Visiting a sanctuary is a bit of a hit or miss situation.

If you know anyone that likes to hunt, ask them about how many animals they take in each year. Do they have a set limit on how many animals they plan on killing each year or do they go for as many as they can find? Elephant hunters, also known as poachers, have no limit on how many elephants they can kill each year. Poaching is illegal across the planet. There is no tolerance for elephant poaching. Elephants tusks, skin, and meat are worth a lot of money, which gives poachers the motivation to kill as many as they can find.

There is a solution for both the poachers and the elephants. Trophy hunters are just like poachers, except they set a limit on how many elephants they can kill each year, which tends to be 2 to 3. The limit gives the elephants time to repopulate and teach other elephants where to get water and food in order to survive in the wilderness.

Elderly elephants are essential to their social groups because they are the leaders. They have the most knowledge about the habitat and elephants tend to travel great distances to get their food, which can be hard for the younger elephants to remember their way back to their shelter space or to their food source. Female elephants tend to be the leaders since the males stay behind and guard their territory to make sure they have a place to stay safe at night.

Do NOT buy ivory at ANY cost! Ivory is made from elephant tusks and the only way the ivory can be retrieved is by killing the elephant and removing the tusks from the dead body. Can you imagine pulling out an elephant tusk just to make a cheap sculpture that will most likely break? It’s completely pointless and very harmful to the elephants.

I know, you are thinking “they are already dead! they would not know this is happening!”, but I think that an elephant should be left alone when it passes at first. Wait till it’s rested for a while before you go crazy and tear them apart. I cannot imagine even pinching an elephant. It hurts my heart to even think about it.

So the next time you are out shopping and you see anything made of ivory, do NOT purchase it. Once companies realize this product is not being purchased, they will stop selling it in stores, which will eventually make the factories go out of business. Sculptures can be made out of other materials instead of animal teeth.

These factors are really tiny adjustments that can be incorporated into your every day lives without making a drastic change. You don’t have to do every single thing on this list, but by simply doing one of these tasks, you will help make a difference in the elephant community. Personally, checking if my coffee is elephant-friendly and getting my fire wood locally makes me feel better knowing that I can enjoy these wonderful things without harming wonderful animals.

I hope this post gives you motivation to make a change!

 

 

The first product I will be talking about is my dog and I’s friendship collars.

FriendshipCollar

Pros

• comes with a matching bracelet for pet owner
• all kinds of design choices
• weather resistant
• multiple sizes for different sized animals (small cats to large dogs)
• made of leather (very strong)
• fast shipping

Cons

• expensive for a collar
• one size fits all bracelet may still be too small or too big for some people
• hard to decide on a design

FriendshipCollar is a business that makes collars for pets and their owners. The owners don’t wear their collar around their neck like the animals do. The owners get a one size fits all bracelet to match their dogs collar print. The idea for the matching collars and bracelets is to have a “friendship” bracelet with your pet like you would with a friend using leather instead of string. I bought this friendship collar for my dog because I thought it would be a cute way for my dog and I to match. The collar and the bracelet look really nice on my dog and I and we’ve gotten plenty of complements. Of course, my dog had no idea what I was doing when I took off her old, worn collar, but so far, she really likes her new collar. It was a pricey purchase, but these collars have been known to last a pretty long time and my bracelet is also in great shape. I would definitely recommend buying one if you consider your pet your best friend and want to have something cute with them.

The next product I will be talking about is my Dell computer.

Dell Computer

Pros

• converts into a tablet
• lightweight/portable
• don’t take up a lot of space
• face ID to unlock (as well as a password if you don’t want to use face ID)
• affordable

Cons

• battery doesn’t last all day
• hard to figure out
• frustrating
• can be dropped easily due to its matte finish

The only reason I have my Dell computer is because it is a requirement for my major. I’m more of an Apple Mac person myself and making the switch is not the easiest transition or very exciting. Luckily, the computer wasn’t too pricey and met the requirements of the laptop needed for interior design software. I’ve become very frustrated with this computer over the course I have had it (about 2 weeks) since it decides to open things if I lightly graze my cursor over them. It absolutely hates Canvas (a way for Eastern Michigan University students to look at the criteria of their assignments and grades for those of you who don’t know what Canvas is) because every time I try to read the requirements of an assignment, it always loads back to the top of the page when I’m in the middle of reading the criteria. I have to slide all the way down and find where I was over and over again and it gets very old very fast. The computer doesn’t do this with any other website, just Canvas. My Dell computer is very lightweight, which makes it easier on my back to take to school and not feel pain as I’m walking to class. I would suggest getting this computer to someone who doesn’t use/like Apple products and needs to have a computer that can run multiple things at once.

 

The last product for my product review is the Hydroflask water bottle.

Hydroflask

Pros

• inexpensive
• can carry up to 40 ounces of water at a time
• keeps water cold
• ice doesn’t melt quickly
• bottle doesn’t sweat
• don’t have to refill as often

Cons

• very big
• heavy when full
• doesn’t fit well in my backpack side pockets
• takes forever to fill completely

I got my Hydroflask as a graduation gift and I absolutely love it. Having it around reminds me to stay hydrated throughout the day and I love the ombre in the colors. I would definitely recommend getting a Hydroflask water bottle because it keeps your water at the temperature you want and it doesn’t sweat, keeping your things around it dry. It can be time-consuming to fill the bottle (depending on what size Hydroflask you pick), but you don’t have to refill it as often if you get a bigger size. Most thermal water bottles cost a LOT of money but Hydroflask has sales all the time! It also helps prevent using plastic water bottles and creating more plastic pollution in the oceans. We don’t need to add any more waste to Trash Island. I got mine as a gift like I said before, so it didn’t cost anything to me, but when I was looking for the one I wanted on the website, it was only $30! $30 for 40 ounces of water? I think that’s a pretty good deal. Hydroflask has become very popular recently and I’ve heard nothing but good things when I ask people about their Hydroflask. If you need to buy a new water bottle, I would suggest buying a Hydroflask!

One significant person who has impacted my life in a big way is my mom’s best friend, Teri. I consider her as my aunt since my real aunt does not come around much. Teri’s birthday is actually the day after mine! I was born on June 20th and she was born on June 21st. She has taught me so many life lessons over the course of my lifetime and I am so grateful for everything she has done for me. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to be where I am today. She’s been my go to person for recommendations on job application and always says good things about me to make sure I have a good chance of landing the job, she helped me with my college applications, and she helped me get out of a very toxic relationship when I didn’t have the strength to get out on my own. She has made me strong and confident. My life hasn’t really gone smoothly, especially in high school, and she has been there every step of the way to help me whether it was school work or problems in my personal life. I wouldn’t be as happy as I am right now if she didn’t help me for the past 18 years. She always tells me I can call her at any time when I need someone to talk to even if it’s 3am. I am so thankful she is in my life and I can’t thank her enough for dropping everything to take care of me. Whenever my mom had to work during the day, Teri would pick my brother and I up from school or the house and watch over us until my dad came home from work. She would make amazing food and keep me company since my brother would play with her son, Lee, who is still his best friend to this day! I’m so glad she is still in my life and supports me no matter what. I’ll always remember what she’s done for me. Thank you so much Aunt Teri. I love you with all my heart!

Demetrius Harmon was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He moved to LA after he graduated high school in 2016. Demetrius is an internet sensation that has become famous from his comedic vine videos (vine was an app that made 6 second videos if you weren’t aware). Once Demetrius became famous, he began to do events all over the country to get his story out there. Demetrius struggled with depression in high school and didn’t reach out for help. He was suicidal throughout high school and didn’t see a purpose in himself. He later found his purpose in life which is to make other people smile. Ever since his realization, Demetrius got help and has spoken at graduation ceremonies and other events to help others know they matter in this world. He has had a clothing brand since 7th grade with the words “You Matter” stitched on the front and on the sleeves for people to wear and spread awareness to others. The statement comes from his own documentary called “You Matter”. The clothing sells out very fast due to the limited amount of product he puts on his website, however, he tends to restock them often. Demetrius does meet and greets at his events to show his supporters he truly cares about them and wants to help them through whatever life throws their way. Demetrius has helped me personally through the speeches he’s given. I listened to the speech he gave at Dearborn’s class of 2018 high school commencement ceremony. He talked about how he always had a plan. Whether it was a plan for the next week or for the next few years, he believed in himself to achieve any goal he had set in his mind. Demetrius inspired me to have a better mindset and not stress about my future before it happens. Everything takes time. I follow Demetrius on social media and looking at his meet and greet photos and seeing the smiles on his supporter’s faces brings a smile to my face to see how he impacts so many people.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. has impacted people everywhere and left a huge mark on history. If you haven’t heard about what Martin Luther King Jr. has done yet, you clearly didn’t pay attention in any history class. Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister who lead the civil rights movement and gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C.. Martin lead people in a march to get jobs for African-Americans and end segregation completely. The march didn’t go as Martin had planned. Police officers and firemen (all white of course) fought the African-Americans with hoses and bats. Most African-Americans were killed because they wouldn’t cooperate with the law. Others were severely injured from the pressure of water from the hose or the amount of times they were hit with the bat. Martin Luther King Jr. has impacted my life by providing diversity everywhere. I’ve listened to and watched his “I Have A Dream” speech many times before and every time I watch and/or listen, I notice something new. I remember seeing some white supporters in the crowd and marching with the African-Americans to show their support in the civil rights movement. If I was alive for the civil rights movement, I would’ve been in the march crowd showing my support. Even if it killed me, I’d be going down for a change. Martin Luther King Jr. has had an impact on so many people worldwide. He made a huge change in America and he will always be remembered for what he has done. His story will go on for generations.

 

 

1. Pet an Elephant. Ive always wanted to be face to face with an elephant. I’ve been to zoos and stuff but they don’t let you interact with most of the animals for safety reasons. Elephants are my favorite animal and being able to physically interact with them would make me really happy. Their skin isn’t the softest thing, but they’re super loving and adorable and I love elephants so much. Petting an elephant will always be the first thing on my bucket list because it is my top life priority to be surrounded by elephants whether if it’s in their natural habitat or at a zoo. I want to pet a baby elephant especially because they look so small but they actually weigh a lot and jump all around. It’s the cutest thing to be seen. If there’s a place where I can pet an elephant, I want to find it as soon as possible.    
2. Skydiving. The most basic bucket list item of all time. However, not everybody goes through with it. I’ve heard other peoples stories about skydiving and how fun it is and i’ve also heard how scary it looks before you’re about to jump and you’re tempted to chicken out. I’ve been raised to be a daredevil and try anything. I’ve gone on every rollercoaster at Cedar Point, I’ve gone tubbing in the ocean, and I’ve climbed a glacier. Skydiving tops everything. I know I’m probably gonna be chicken out when I get down to it, but I plan on going with someone who will motivate me to do it so that I can check it off the list. 
3. Helping a baby sea turtle make it to the water. I’ve seen so many videos of baby sea turtles squirming to return to the ocean and it is super cute. The baby turtles squirm with their little legs across the sand and let the waves carry them from the shore. The babies can do it by themselves, but sometimes birds like to swoop down and pick them up from the shore and eat them. The poor little baby turtles don’t deserve that. In order for the turtles to return safely, volunteers stand around to keep the birds away and give them a little directing to make sure they’re headed in the direction of the ocean. Sea turtles are my second favorite animal and being able to assist them home would be one of the greatest feelings ever.                              
4. Stop procrastinating. I’ve procrastinated for as long as I can remember. It stressed me out all through high school which caused me to come close to not graduating on time. Going into college, I came up with a strategy. If I got my assignments done and turned them in early and on time, I would reward myself with something I wanted to do. For example, I would go to a fall activity like hay rides or cider&donuts. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. So far, this plan has really worked in my favor. Once the assignments are given, I start to work on them. Even if they’re not due until the end of the semester. Also, if I don’t get a good grade on the assignment, I don’t get to reward myself. This system has helped me get over my procrastination and I recommend it to people who need help with getting over theirs.  
5. Scuba diving. Have you ever seen those commercials where people are scuba diving at this super expense looking tropical island resort? That’s exactly what I don’t wanna do. I don’t want to scuba dive somewhere that looks set up. I wanna scuba dive somewhere that isn’t in a tourist spot but is also safe. There’s only one problem. I’m afraid of things touching me in the water. Especially fish. They brush up against you and then swim away so you can’t see them. It’s the scariest thing ever. I love swimming in lakes but I hate it at the same time. I can’t see the bottom or feel it (depending on how far out I am) and my head makes me think that something bad is gonna happen. Scuba diving will hopefully help me get over that fear by actually being able to see what is around me in the water.                             
6. Go on a road trip with my significant other. Road trips are one of my favorite things to do and to be able to do it with the person I love would make it even better. Some trips can be really long and dreadful, but I believe that if you’re traveling with the right person, the time will go by fast. It doesn’t really matter where the destination is, the only thing that matters to me is doing one of my favorite things with my favorite person.  
7. Live in a house by a lake. Like I said previously, I love the water. I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to live in a lake house to be able to wake up and look out on the water every morning. Hearing the waves crash along the shore is one of the most soothing sounds ever. Walking along the sand and feeling the waves crash up on my feet feels amazing and to be able to do that every morning would be absolutely amazing. One of my close friends’ grandparents has a lake house and whenever we used to go and stay the night, I would think about how wonderful it must be to live so close to one of nature’s many wonders.  
8. Volunteer at a dog shelter. I love dogs more than any other pet in the world. Dogs are loving and kind and soft. Some people believe dogs can be vicious and mean but it’s all based on how they’re raised and what kind of environment they live in. Every time I visit a shelter, I want to take all of the dogs home with me. You can just see the joy in their eyes when you walk up to them. It’s the best feeling in the world. If I were able to take them all home, I would in a heartbeat. However, my mom doesn’t want any more dogs in my house. Volunteering at a dog shelter would give me the opportunity to spend time with a bunch of dogs and help them out at the same time! I want to cross this off my list as soon as possible.                              
9. Surfing. My balance is pretty bad but surfing looks super fun. I’ve seen a bunch of movies with surfing in it and I know it’s not always real but it looks amazing. The only things keeping me from surfing is traveling and not being eaten by a shark. I know it’s highly unlikely to happen, but i’ve read enough stories to make me cautious about it. Sharks are very scary and I really don’t want to be face to face with them. Surfing looks really fun, but I need to be cautious about where i’m going to try it.                     
10. Get a tattoo. I’ve thought about getting a tattoo ever since my grandma passed away 5 years ago. She was my best friend and she was always there for me. I miss her every single day. She made an impression on everyone she met. Everybody loved her. I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo and I want to have something I can look at to remind me of her every day. I’m going to get it on my right wrist because my right hand is my dominate hand and I will see it every time I write something (which tends to be a lot). There’s some other tattoos I wanna get with different meanings, but this one is the most important to me. These are two tattoos I also want to get in the future. 

Number 16

16 is how many years old my dog will be before she passes on. My dog is my best friend and I love her very much. She is almost 11 years old which means I don’t have a lot of time with her. I will make every second count. She is the most important “16”.

When I was a little girl, I couldn’t wait for my sweet 16. I wanted a HUGE party with everyone I know to be there and a bunch of decorations all over the house/backyard. I planned it for years. I dreamt of being 16 so bad, everything I had come in quantities of 16. For example, I would eat 16 crackers at lunch or have 16 pencils in my pencil-case. When I eventually turned 16, my party wasn’t my huge dream party, but I invited 15 people so I could be the 16th person there, had 16 birthday balloons, served 16 ice cream sandwiches (I’m not a huge cake person), and put 16 lawn chairs around the fire pit. Plus I got 16 presents in total. Since I was born in 2000, the year was 2016 when I turned 16. It was the best year for my favorite number.

My half-sister is also 16 years older than me. She comes from my dad’s side of the family. We don’t get to see her very often, but it’s a 16 hour round trip to visit her where she lives in Baltimore, and it’s definitely worth long road trip with plenty of scenic stops. 

There were 16 girls on the cheerleading team at my high school including myself. I was one of the 3 captains (all seniors get to be captains as long as they can show they earned the position). I had no control over how many girls were accepted to be on the team, but it made me happy to be a captain of the cheer team with 15 girls by my side on the sideline.

 I turned 16 when I met my best friend. I was at choir camp one year and I didn’t really have any friends at the camp. We had a dance as the night activity one night and I stepped out of my comfort zone. I ran up to her and started having conversation with her. She sat a few chairs down from me in class the school year before, but we never truly talked at all. She was friends with one of my ex close friends which made her not want to speak to me, but once she learned my side of the story, she learned how everything was turned around to make me look bad. I never knew she would become one my biggest support systems and my best friend. I am so grateful to have her in my life. 

I started talking to my boyfriend on August 16th. He has been one of my biggest support systems and has helped me with everything going on in my life whether it’s personal or school related. He makes me the happiest I have ever been. He is my best friend. We both had crushes on each other for over a year and NEVER told each other until recently. He sat behind me in math class and I always turned around and caught him staring at me. I’m very happy we took the time to tell each other how we felt. Everyone in my family really likes him and always include him in our family events. I love him more than anything in the entire world. I hope he stays in my life forever.

Number 4

4 is my family number. Most of the people in my life live in a family of 4. My best friend lives with her mom, dad, and younger sister. My brothers best friend lives with his mom, dad, and older sister. It’s a very common coincidence, but it’s something that has stood out to me. I technically live in a family of 5, but since I didn’t grow up with her, I consider my immediate family as a family of 4. I live with my mom and my dad right now, and my brother just moved into his own apartment near campus. I talk to my brother as much as I can and I go to his apartment sometimes after class. The number 4 has always been known as a family number to me.

My math teacher was my teacher for my 4 years in high school. She always made me laugh or smile no matter what else was going on in my day. I love her with all of my heart and I consider her as a part of my family. I went through a lot in high school and she was there to help me through it all. She was there for college applications, the death of my father’s parents, and a break-up with a verbally abusive boyfriend. I don’t know where I would be without her. I visit her as often as I can to tell her how college is going and just to be around her. She is my favorite person and I’ll always love her.

Number 20

20 is the day I was born in June of 2000. 20 is significant because every time I took a standardized test, the format of the birth day (20) and year (00) came out to be 2000. As a perfectionist, it made me feel better to have the day and the year come out to be the full year of when I was born.

This year, I met a girl named Autumn. I thought we would have nothing in common, but it turns out, we have lived almost the same life. She was a cheerleader in high school, she had a boyfriend who played video games instead of getting a job for 1 year and 4 months, she is 5’4″, she has natural dirty blonde hair, has her nose pierced on the left side, and she was born on June 20th, 2000. Autumn is one of the nicest people i’ve ever met and I’m so glad to be friends with her. Some other strange things with 20 and Autumn is she lives 20 miles away from me and the last time I saw her was on September 20th.

 

Welcome to my blog! Hope you enjoy my posts! 🙂

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!- Dr. Suess