Blog Post Organizer (Printable!) + Genetics 101

In the last few months, I've started getting more organized with my blog. I've been keeping a place in Evernote for post ideas and using Google Calendar to plan posts ahead of time. But what I haven't found a good way to do is organize my ideas for a post ahead of time. Usually when I come up with a post idea, I'll have a couple phrases, bullet points, or pictures in my head that I want to make sure I include. But I tend to write only a proposed title, like "blog planning" in my Evernote. Then, when I go back to write it, I have no idea what I intended to write about.

I made this printable to suit my own needs, but I hope it will help you as well! You can print a bunch of these pages and make a binder of them. Whenever you have an awesome post idea, just pop it on one of these pages with a couple tags to help you organize it and a couple notes on content. When you're ready to write the post, just work through the page and remember to promote it on link-ups and social media. Then you're all done! How about that?!

I also use the tags section to help me organize my post ideas by category. Here on Call Me Sassafras, I blog about design, positivity, productivity, music and science. On every planning sheet, I'll write a broad category along with my other tags. Then I sort them out between those five categories. So when I'm getting ready to crank out a post, I try to look at what I've posted recently. If I've posted a lot about design, I'll look under another category for a post idea. 

That's about it! Feel free to use and share as you please, lovebugs! Just right-click on the image + click 'open in new tab' for the big ol' file. 

I hope that helps y'all organize your blog as much as it has helped me! Now, I get to do my favorite thing everrrrrr--share a science bit! :)

Today, I want to share a little bit about genetics. For every trait that you have (think eye color, blood type, etc), you have two pieces of information called 'alleles'. Each allele is part of a gene. Alleles can be either dominant (shown as R) or recessive (shown as r). In most genes, if you have an R allele and an r allele, you will show the dominant trait--the big R wins out and 'hides' the little r trait. If you have RR or rr, then you will show the respective trait. You get one allele from your mama and one from your dad. This is why you may look more like your mom or your dad but still have the same amount of genetic information from both parents.

So for example, pretend that brown eyes are the dominant trait (remember that's R!) and green eyes are recessive (r!). Pretend that my dad is RR and has brown eyes and my mom is rr and has green eyes. I would have to be Rr because I get one allele from each parent. But, the R allele is dominant. So even though I would be born an Rr, I would have brown eyes like my dad. 

Isn't that cool?! Over the coming days, we'll be talking about genetic disorders like Down syndrome and sickle cell anemia. It's gonna be cool, guys! 

Peace out, nerdballers.

Weekly Goals #27

(Death to the Stock Photo)

What. a. week. Let me tell you, this has been one of those weeks that I'm just ready to be done with + forget about. As someone who occasionally-borderline-obsesses over getting things done, it's hard for me to acknowledge that sometimes there are weeks when things just don't come together. But I'm learning to accept that + it's okay. 

I'm committing myself to making this week the exact opposite. I'm gonna get stuff done + I'm gonna be ready for my trip to Breckenridge, CO (!!) + I'm going to be happy + calm + all sorts of good things.

How did I do last week?

Sucky. I'll just say it. I mean, I could totally get out here and make all sorts of excuses why I basically did nothing all week, but I'm not even going to. I didn't run. Not even once. I think I need to admit to myself that I can choose not to run + still exercise. I have this thing where I don't accept a workout unless it includes running. But I hate running. So I just don't work out at all. But I actually like doing other workout-y things, it's just running that psychs me out. So whatever. I've got that to work on.

BUTTTTTTT I did manage to finish my website for a drunk driving prevention campaign. It's not public but I just needed to tell y'all that I finished it because that's some exciting stuff.

My goals for this week:

Get all ready for my trip to Breckenridge! I think I've all but forgotten to mention my trip but I'm leaving on Saturday for Colorado to get me some mountain air! I'll have posts planned out + I'll be responding to comments + emails (a little more slowly), but I don't plan on writing any posts while I'm there. I've got a few more posts to write and my bag to pack but then I'm ready to go!

Try a few new ways to exercise. Maybe not "new" exactly, but not running. I'm thinking about at-home conditioning, maybe a Jillian Michaels DVD, a bike ride if the ice all melts, and kickboxing if I can get someone to go with me. I'd love your input on this--how do you workout, especially outside of a traditional gym? 

Aaaaand, I've got a science bit for today!! Yay! I don't know how many of you actually read/like this section, but I know I really enjoy sharing the bits with you + hopefully you find yourself learning new things along with me, even if you're not a "science person". This one is totally cool + even you non-science people might find it interesting! 

What does sand look like when you magnify it 250x? This magical picture. 

Isn't that the coolest? Just consider this the next time you're walking on a beach...you're walking on billions of teeny-tiny gems just like these!! Please tell me someone else thinks this is cool. Anyways, if you're interested, you can see the whole collection of images of sand under a microscope. It makes me wonder what other cool things there are in the world that we're totally unaware of!

Alright, that's it. Take care, polar bears!

Playlist #21

The worst thing happened to me the other day. Like, the worst possible thing EVER. So remember how I said my computer just up and died on me last Thursday, only to go all Lazarus + come back the next day? And of course, I was pumped! I still had all my designs, all my schoolwork, all my blog notes. But you know what I lost? MY ITUNES LIBRARY. (Sorry, but caps lock was definitely necessary right there.) I know. I might actually be dying, thankyouverymuch. 

So I tried to reinstall it but I'm a little bit computer-impaired + I still haven't figured it out. Sigh. But I refuse to believe that I won't get my music back. That'd just be too much to handle. 

Anywayyys, here are a few songs that I've been listening to lately, though I confess I'm still very much in my Elvis phase. These songs are just chill + non-distracting kind of songs that would be great for laying outside in a hammock (unless you live in the north, #suckstosuck) or reading.

Today, we're talking about sexual selection (yay). So you've all heard of natural selection right? It's a mechanism of evolution where only the strongest animals (or insects or plants or whatever) survive to mate + have babies + their strength gets passed on. Sexual selection is one kind of natural selection. Sexual selection means that an organism is more likely to survive because of some characteristic that makes it more likely to find a mate. This is why male frigatebirds have that huge icky red pouch under their beaks (hey...the ladies like it) and male peacocks have all their fancy plumage. Somehow, those features help those males out-seduce the other males, meaning they get to have sexy-time and have more red-pouched/plumed babies.

However, I think it's kind of funny what great lengths even animals will go to in order to have sex. With some animals, especially birds, the elaborate features they have to attract a mate can also attract predators, which obviously aren't too helpful in getting the animal to survive.

 

What have you been listening to lately?

How I Use My Daily Checklist

Happy Hump Dayyy! Yeah, I'm never saying that again, ever, in my life. I don't even know why I said that....Allie, you freak.

Anyways, I hope your week has been going swimmingly so far! Since a few of you asked about my new checklist system in the comments, I thought I'd share a bit more about it today and how it works for me. 

I'm the kind of person that is very motivated by lists, checklists, timers, etc. Like I'm kind of incapable of getting anything done unless it's on a list and I can cross it off. So that's both good and bad, because what if I get stranded somewhere without my phone and/or paper and need to get something done? Okay, I'm kidding. But I do really like knowing the way my mind works and how to motivate myself when I need to. 

So I thought I'd capitalize on this little piece of Allie-info and use it to help me accomplish those little goals that are in the back of my head. I created a checklist to help me get done the basics everyday. I'm trying to get in the habit of brushing my teeth three times a day instead of two and flossing and using mouthwash every single day.  Come on, you know you don't either. 

In addition, I like to measure my time in Pomodoros (which, if you're not familiar, are basically 25 minute segments of time). I set a goal number of Pomodoros for cleaning, studying or generally having fun each day. Then, I have space to record my exercise + if I log it on Fitocracy (a sort of workout social media), the points my workout was worth. Lastly, I record what time I go to bed. That's about it! Here you can see mine (click to see it bigger):

I plan on making a 'fill-in-the-blank" style checklist for all your list-motivated people to download in the coming weeks. Maybe it'll help you get stuff done too! 

What kinds of goals would you put on a daily checklist?

And now let's get nerdy with a science bit! Today, we're going to talk about why plants grow towards sunlight. I'll admit, it sounds like a stupid middle school science fair project, but I think plant hormones and stuff like that are pretty interesting!

The official fancy-schmancy scientist name for "plants growing towards light" is phototropism. The very tip of a plant is called a coleoptile [koh-lee-up-tile]. In the coleoptile, plants hold a hormone that makes the shoots plant grow called auxin. So if you have a plant sitting next to the window, sunlight will hit one side of the coleoptile. The auxin on that side will either break down or move to the other side of the plant. If there's no auxin on one side of the coleoptile, that side of the plant won't grow or will grow less. Meanwhile, the other side (the shady side) of the plant has all of its auxin and a little extra. So that side will be growing faster than the sunny side, causing the curvature.

Isn't that cool?! Okay I'm done. Have a great day y'all!

Pacific Coast Tour Inspiration Board

Today's post'll be short and sweet as I'm dedicating most of my day to design work (YAY). I just wanted to check in with y'all and share some of my life lately. I know this isn't a travel blog, but I'm really excited about my trip to California in June and wanted to show you some of my plans, collage-style.

Have any of you ever traveled to (or lived!) along the Pacific coast? If so, please give me recommendations of where to stay and visit!

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine systems of mammals, oftentimes by taking the shape of hormones, which regulare mood and growth, among other things. They can cause huge disruptions to the body, including cancerous tumors, mental retardation, physical deformities and much more. These chemicals almost always come from pollution.

Source. A state researcher measures an alligator to look for stunted growth from endocrine disruptors. 

The alligators in Lake Apopka in Florida are a frequently used example to show the effects of endocrine disruptors. In the late 1970s, it was found that Lake Apopka was heavily polluted with pesticides (including DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls, called PCBs. The presence of the pollutants, which acted as endocrine disruptors, resulted in reproductive failure in female alligators in the mid 1980s. These alligators also exhibit significant reproductive/sexual disorders that impair their ability to have healthy offspring. So that's just a little tidbit about how pollution can affect individual animals!

Have a swell day!

Six Weeks of Wellbeing: Week Two Recap

Some days, rules just need to be broken, even if you made them yourself. I promised to recap my second week in the Six Weeks of Wellbeing project today, but that's just not happening. It's been a really stressful week. I had a big research paper, not to mention exams coming up. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, our own wellbeing becomes overlooked.

But I'm not going to get mad at myself or let it bother me because that would go against the whole point of this project. I want to be good to myself, no matter the circumstances. So on that note, I want to start the next week fresh. 

I've actually pulled out a notebook (like it's actually physically sitting next to me right now) that I will use to document my self-good-doingness (totally a word) (okay, I lied, not a word). I've decided that my "theme" for the week is forgiving myself for my mistakes + learning from them, starting today. That's kind of hard for me to handle. I'm not sure how to differentiate the ideas of forgiving myself and learning from my mistakes. 

So just for starters, today I realized that I can be really rude to H when I'm stressed. It just happens. I say things to him that I don't mean unkindly but in my own preoccupation, I say things that I wouldn't say to anyone else. And part of that inevitable comes from a comfortable relationship, so that's great. But if I'm honest, I subconciously assume that I'm "more stressed" than he is or that my work is more important, even though I know neither of those are always true. And as equals in a relationship, I need to practice more respect for him because I love him. 

In the spirit of being good to myself, I'm publicly saying that I forgive myself. But that doesn't mean I'll forget about it, nor does it mean I'll act the same way (on purpose). 

How do you learn from your mistakes even if you've forgiven yourself? What can you forgive yourself for in the name of being good to yourself?

The corn on the left shows the damage that a Lepidoptera (corn pest) can have on corn. The corn on the right is the genetically modified corn that is resistant to the Lepidoptera larvae.

Bt corn is an example of how biotechnologists can manufacture genetically modified organisms (GMOs or GM foods) that aid mankind's survival. In this case, a gene from a soil bacterium (called Bacillus thuringiensis if you want to impress anyone at a dinner party) was found to produce a protein that can kill Lepidoptera larvae, a type of corn borer that likes to nom on corn. Scientists isolated this gene and inserted it into corn DNA, so then when the larvae try to eat the corn, they get poisoned (poor larvae). Farmers can use this new kind of corn as an alternative to using pesticides that target the corn borer. And less pesticides = less chemical pollutants in our water. Yay! There are risks, of course, but Bt corn is on the safer side of genetically modified organisms. 

And if the idea of eating genetically modified organisms weirds you out, just know that if you've had corn, soybeans or beets (random) today and live in the United States, you've most likely had genetically modified food. 

weekly wishes + being efficient + volcanic lightning

Hello friends! Happy Monday! Unfortunately, today's not too happy of a Monday for me. I've got a big week with papers + tests + prepping for midterms next week. So the blogging may be a little sparse for the next two weeks but I'm here, I promise!

So how did I do on my weekly wishes this past week?

Goal #1: Unpack (on Monday). Okay, that definitely did not happen on Monday, but I did unpack Wednesday night, which is so much faster than I've ever unpacked after a vacation before. So I'm counting that as a success.

Goal #2: Catch up on design. Did I succeed? Sort of! I've finished Kelly's moodboard/plans and am working with Hannah. I definitely will work to be efficient this week to get it all done though!

Goal #3: Update my list of post ideas. Done, done and done! I can't wait for you all to see what I have up my sleeve for the new year! :)

For this next week, I'm making one overarching goal: be efficient. I have more to get done than Martha Stewart does at Christmas (not really) and in order to do it all, I need to be organized and focused! Expect a post about organization later this week ;)

That's really it for this week! Short and sweet.

Science Bit of the Day

Can I just say that it makes me really happy to know that this is actually a thing? Volcanic lightning (aka "dirty thunderstorms") is basically what happens when you mix a volcanic eruption with a lightning storm. And because eruptions are kinda sporadic these days (duh), they're also really difficult to study. Read a cool article about volcanic lightning for more information. And enjoy this photo for a minute please (from the link).

That's all for today, loves! Tell me--what were your weekly wishes this week? How can I be more efficient?

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For Starters: Quality vs. Quantity // It's Your Voice--Take it Back! // 5 Steps to Less Stress and Better Sleep

Six Weeks of Wellbeing: Week 1 Recap

(Source)

Hello nuggets! Happy Wednesday! If you've been having a rough week, know that it's about half way over! And if your week has been fabulous, know that you've still got half of it left! How about that! :) Don't forget that this week sponsor spots are on sale! If you want to order 3 months, get them for the price of 2 with the code 'Imanawesomeperson'. (impossible to read, I know. It says 'I'm an awesome person' without spaces.) If you just want to try it out with one month, use the code 'happyday'!

Today concludes week one of my Six Weeks of Wellbeing project. If you didn't see last week's post, Six Weeks of Wellbeing means doing something everyday to cultivate physical/emotional health, healthy relationships and healthy actions. Find out more about the project here!

How I Did:

This past week, I didn't really bother to track what I did too thoroughly, which I'd like to do in the coming weeks. I have a few little notebooky things that I'll use! But this past week, I did some little things that seemed to add up. I worked out once and went for two long walks, which are so wonderful in this autumnal NC air. On Thanksgiving, I didn't want to limit what I ate per se, but I still wanted to, you know, not totally stuff my face. So I practiced taking lots of bites and chewing my food longer before I swallowed it. It sounds silly but I was the last one finished and I hadn't even had seconds. 

I'm trying to use this project as a way to cultivate wellbeing in little ways too, not just through exercise. On Monday, I had lunch with H and a few of his guy friends. At the end of our meal, I got up to take my dishes to the trash and offered to take H's and his friends' dishes, just as a little bit of nice. To my surprise, they were actually really grateful! I heard them talking as I was walking towards the trash and they were talking so enthusiastically, I thought they were making sexist jokes about me doing the dishes haha. 

But they weren't! They genuinely appreciated even a little act of niceness like that. 

Oh and on Monday night, I wanted to be nice so I made cookies for my family and brought a few to H to cheer him up since he's been pretty stressed lately. Except then I found out that he had made me cookies as a little thank you for being nice! So we enjoyed our cookies haha.

So this week, I have a notebook pulled out that I'm going to use to log my good stuff and I'll recap with you next Wednesday! I'd love if anyone else wants to join me, either on a blog or just mentally. Comment with me + try to make an extra effort to do good!

Science Bit of the Day

Today, I want to talk to you about the peppered moth and how it shows an example of natural selection. Natural selection, to go back to basics, is when a certain trait in an animal helps it survive so it gets passed down to the next generation until just about all of that species has that trait. The peppered moth used to be a light white/greyish kind of thing, which was swell because it could hide among light colored trees and lichens and stuff. 

But when the Industrial Revolution came along, the trees turned black from the smoke + lots of the lichens died (RIP lichens). SO, in order to blend in, the moths gradually all became black! That's called "industrial melanism", when animals change their colors because of pollution. And now that we're polluting less than in the Industrial Revolution (at least in a different way), trees aren't blackened with soot anymore (duh) and the moths are lightening again. How cool?! 

Side note, I'm actually terrified of moths. Totally irrational fear but we once had a moth infestation in our house and I'd hear them in my bedroom as I tried to sleep and UGH it was just terrible. So I'm not gonna show you the pictures of the moths, just in case anyone else has that same hatred of moths (I GET YOU!). If you want to see, here are the light ones and here are the dark ones. Same moth species!