Nico Willis

My dog gets bored of his toys easily so I find myself having to buy them often. I wanted to create some toys for him, but I'm not quite finished yet. Yesterday, I conducted a trade with one of my friends from the dog park, we swapped old toys. It was a success! Even though we didn't have to buy anything, our dogs loved the 'new toys and seemed to be intrigued by the "other" dog smell. 

Every so often I get the indescribable urge to just buy something. Perhaps it's boredom, but I just feel the need to purchase something, usually clothing. In an attempt to consume less I decided to visit places with free clothing and instead make a "transaction". I brought some clothing I was no longer wearing to leave behind, and then picked out the same number of items from the free pile. I am left with the same amount of clothing, but it feels 'new'. I think this is a better alternative to contributing to fast fashion while still getting my clothing fix. 

This week after my usual Starbucks run I decided to clean up the nearby bus stop. There were a few pieces of trash littered around, and various leaves that had been blown onto the seats. It only took me around 5 minutes and felt like such a small action, however, I think if everyone contributed like this we could have a cleaner city. I am going to try and make it a habit to pick up any trash I see outside rather than ignore it. 

It was my goal to meet two of my neighbors this week. Even though this is one of the simplest tasks that can be completed in eco-challenge, it was the most nerve-racking for me. Doing tasks by myself is easy and mostly fun, but I get social anxiety in most situations. I see my neighbors all the time, but mostly put my headphones in instead of engaging. This time, however, I challenged myself to just say "Hi". This simple moment opened up some pleasant conversations between my neighbors and me. 

This week I decided to eat fewer animal products. I am lactose intolerant, so the first step was easy, I already have multiple vegan cheeses in my fridge. However, my first challenge was to figure out how I could get enough protein so I wouldn't remain hungry throughout the day.  I investigated non-processed meat alternatives so I could be eating healthier rather than just eating vegan chicken nuggets (which I already know are amazing). Through my various searches, mostly YouTube videos, I discovered that beans and tofu were great sources of protein. Also, I learned that peanut butter sandwiches have tons of protein, so at least now I know why I got one eveeeeeeeery single day for lunch – thanks mom. In my numerous recipe experimentations, I discovered that rolling tofu in cornstarch before pan-frying is !!!! (There are literally no words to describe how amazing). Most of the recipes were cheaper than buying regular meat protein sources and less of a hassle, no worrying about if something is undercooked. As someone who got salmonella before and almost saw Jesus from a bowl of raw cookie dough, this is invaluable. Overall, the experience was a great success but now my friends hate me because I won’t stop talking about tofu. You can’t win everything, I guess. 

I took my (adorable) dog to the local park with me where I observed the effects of unruly dogs. Although I enjoy taking my dog places and allowing him to sniff things and have fun, I think it's important to control your animal. There were dog poops littered all throughout the grass and I could see many dogs chasing the squirrels and local wildlife. I believe dog-friendly spaces are amazing and I enjoy being in them, I think it's the pet owner's responsibility to make sure their animal isn't impacting the local wildlife. 

Earlier this week I was going through old items that I wanted to throw away (a tote bag and a ripped shirt), but I realized instead of throwing away the items I can combine them and create something new without creating waste. I cut up the old shirt to cover the design on the tote bag, ripped off the neckline to create a heart with the hem, sewed a few buttons, and used bleach to "draw" on it. I saved the rest of the scraps for other projects and essentially revived both items. Now that this project worked out I will feel more comfortable upcycling other items I own.