Category Archives: Posts With Personality

All About Me, Blogging Challenge, Communications, Middle School Musings, Posts With Personality

One Little Word

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Hey Everyone! Ready to hear what my one little word is for the year of 2021 and why I chose it. Maybe you’ll even come up with a word for your 2021.

My whole class and I was assigned a project where we had to pick one specific word that will help us through the year of 2021 and give us something to repeatedly think about. I don’t really see this as a school assignment because it feels like something we all should be doing every year, especially through these tough times. I have thought long and hard about what I want my one little word to be for 2021 and I have found one that I think well give me a good base for a good 2021. Okay, time for the big reveal……my one little word for the year of 2021 is positivity. I have chosen the word positivity because it can mean almost anything I want it to or need it to at a specific moment and one of my overall goals in life is to stay positive. If I am having a bad day I can stay positive or I can just try my best to think positive things about what’s to come. Staying positive is probably something we all need to do more of. Studies have shown that people who are more positive tend to live longer and handle stress and different challenges. Go HERE to learn more cool facts about positive people.

Of course there are many more reasons why I chose the word positivity to be my one little word for the year of 2021 but let’s talk a little but about how this word will inspire me and motivate me to reach some of my goals for 2021, we might even talk about what some of my goals are. My one little word, Positivity will help inspire and motivate me because if I am having a bad day or bad week and I am feeling bad about it I can remember to try and stay positive and it will help me be more productive or even just not be sad. For example, I play on a travel softball team and one of my goals for 2021 is to practice softball more and get better. My word positivity can help me with this goal because one night if I am tired and don’t want to practice softball, I can remember it be positive or think positive thoughts about how I will feel good about my goal if I practice. Another one of my goals is to keep straight A’s in school this year and just like in softball, my word positivity can help encourage and motivate me to study and do my homework so that I am prepared for any tests. One last goal that I have for 2021 is to spend time with my family and to stay safe. One way that positivity will help me with this goal is that I can think about what a positive and happy feeling I get when I spend time with my family and to be able to spend time with my family I have to stay safe and protected from COVID. Hopefully by now you understand all the many ways positivity can help motivate me to reach my goals and just overall help me through 2021. Go HERE to go through the process of making your own goal and think about how positivity can help you achieve this goal.

Like everything else, for something to happen the way you want it to you will most likely need a plan. Therefore, I am going to need a plan to reach my goals for 2021. Like I said before my overall plan is to stay positive but there are many different ways you can do that. One way that  can make my goals into a reality is that I could have a reminder hanging in my room of the word, positivity. I would do this so that when I wake up I see it and it reminds me to stay positive and whenever I see it it will remind me. The more I think of my word, the more it can help encourage me to stay on track with my goals. 

Thank you so much for reading this and I hope you liked it! Feel free to leave a comment answering this comment. What would your one little word be for 2021 and why would you choose it? Also, don’t forget to leave a link to your blog so that I can stop by. -Bella

100 Word Challenge, Creative Writing, Posts With Personality

100 Word Challenge 1/22

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One day after school I was walking my dog, on a trail through the forest and out of my peripheral vision I thought I saw someone. When I turned around there was a tree. Don’t get me wrong it looked like a person but there was more to it. Their arms tired from what looked like years of holding up other trees, patches with no leaves all  dry and slowly chipping away. This was a piece of art except it was different. It wasn’t the work of an underpaid artist spending hours for perfection, it was natural and was beautiful.

This is officially my second post for the 100 word blogging challenge. I hope you liked it. Feel free to leave a comment saying what you thought of this picture, don’t forget to leave a link to your blog so that I can stop by. -Bella

Animals, Posts With Personality

Pangolins

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Hey Everyone! Ready to learn about Pangolins. They need a lot more help than you think.

First things first. Let’s talk about what a pangolin is. Pangolins have been around for over 80 million years. As you see in the picture they kind of look like reptiles, but looks can be deceiving. Pangolins are actually mammals. They are the only mammals that are fully covered in scales. They use their scales to protect themselves from any predators they might encounter in the wild. When under attack, they will tightly roll up into a ball and wait until there is no more danger and the predator has left. Although they don’t look like it, many species of pangolin live in trees, hanging on branches by their giant tails. They can also swim for a long period of time and dig burrows more than 130 feet deep! These animals can almost live anywhere, their many different habitats consist of savannah grasslands, tropical and subtropical areas, flooded areas, and dense woodlands. Pangolins will eat termites, ants and larvae. Pangolins are also sometimes referred to as “the scaled anteater”. Since they have no teeth they use their sticky tongues which are longer than their bodies. The average pangolin consumes up to 70 million insects a year. Now that you know a little more about pangolins let’s get to the real problem. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world. Since their only defense mechanism is to roll up into a ball and wait, they are easy targets for poachers. Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in some areas and their scales are used in some traditional medicines. Even though all 8 species of pangolins are protected under both international and national laws people still continue to illegally kill and trade them. In only three years an estimated 1 million pangolins were poached just for their scales. The rate that these pangolins are traded and sold across the world is continuing to rise. Prices go all the way up to $3,000 dollars per pangolin. The rate that these pangolins are being taken from their habitats and getting killed means the illegal organizations that are poaching and trafficking them are making a fortune from harming these animals. Like I said before pangolin scales are used in some medicines and that is necessary but not all the pangolins that are getting killed illegally are being used in medicines. Especially in China and Vietnam pangolin meat is a delicacy. Sometimes the pangolins are killed on the table right in front of the customers to ensure that what they will be served is pangolin meat. Although there is not a lot of it there is some good news for pangolins. In June of 2020 China increased protection for pangolins to the highest possible level. In addition, the Government is no longer allowing pangolin scales to be used in traditional medicines. This is a huge win for the pangolins considering that over 195,000 pangolins were trafficked in 2019 for just their scales. 

You may be wondering how you can help. Well you can go HERE and make a pledge to help the World Wildlife Federation get to their goal of 80,000 pledges to help save the pangolins. You can also go HERE to symbolically adopt a pangolin which raises money to help save the pangolins and you can get a few goodies. Thank you so much for reading this. I hope you learned something new and want to try to help pangolins. Feel free to leave a comment saying something new you learned or what you are going to do to help save the pangolins. Make sure to leave a link to your blog so that I can stop by. -Bella

Communications, Coronavirus, Middle School Musings, Posts With Personality

Holidays and New Years

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Hey Everyone! Happy New Years and Merry Christmas! I know this is a late post but read a little more and you will find out why. Before you start reading just look at how cute my dog is on Christmas morning.

My family celebrates Christmas on December 25 every year. One of our most important holiday traditions is that the day we get on to winter break we don’t have any electronics. We do this so that we can spend more quality time together while everyone is off of work and school. I thought that I would post my Holiday blog post late to represent that. One more tradition that my family does every year on christmas is have as much family over to our house as we can. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we were not able to have as much family over as we usually do. My grandpa lives with us so we have to stay extra safe. If you want to learn some more cool facts about Christmas go HERE.

Now that I have talked a little bit about some of my family’s traditions over Christmas let me talk about some of the facts about christmas. You probably know the song “Jingle Bells”. That song was actually written for Thanksgiving and not Christmas. My dog that I got for christmas in 2016 is actually named Jingle Bell. One more cool fact about christmas is that the first artificial or fake christmas tree was not even an actual tree. It was made of goose feathers that were dyed green to look like a real tree.

Since christmas has passed and we have recently gone into the New Year let’s talk a little bit about what that means to me. As you all know it is now 2021. 2020 was not a normal year, it had many ups and downs and a lot of new changes. This year I am seeing 2021 as a year where I am really going to have to try hard to grow and make positive changes. A lot of families have New Year resolutions, including mine. Each year about 30 minutes before New Years, we all share our resolutions with each other and ask each other to try and help us keep them as long as we can. A resolution is a goal that you take into the new year, this is something you try to uphold for as long as you can. One of our last traditions for New Years is that we go bowling every year and party for new years. We could not do that this year because we want to stay safe but we still managed to have fun at home playing board games and spending time together.

Thank you so much for reading this and I hope you guys had a great New Years and were able to celebrate safely. Feel free to leave a comment telling me what holiday you celebrate and leave a link to your blog so that I can stop by. -Bella

Communications, Middle School Musings, Posts With Personality

20 Questions

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Hey everyone! Ready to hear some questions and maybe even come up with an answer? Before we start take a look at the picture I took in california last christmas. 

I am going to be listing 20 questions that I think about most often and even questions to get to know you guys a little bit better. I hope that throughout this post you find yourself thinking a little harder about things and even about yourself.

  1. Why are so many people afraid of the ocean? This one actually has an answer go HERE to read more about it.
  2. What is one memory or event that you think of the most?
  3. Why are people so quick to make assumptions? 
  4. Think about the craziest thing you’ve ever done (whether it was fun or not). Would you do it again?
  5. What is one positive that came from 2020?
  6. How can you make the best out of a bad situation?
  7. If everyone says that life is unfair, then does that mean that life is in fact fair?
  8. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
  9. Why are people afraid of the unknown? 
  10. If you could tell your past self something right now what would it be?
  11. Is there a specific activity or place that puts you at ease or calms you?
  12. Have you ever cried tears of joy?
  13. What would happen if everyone in the world jumped at the same time?
  14. If you won the lottery what would change in your life? There are actually cons to winning the lottery, of course with pros too. Read THIS article to learn more.
  15. What are the most beautiful things in the world to you?
  16. Do you consider eyebrows to be facial hair?
  17. Is there something that inspires you the most?
  18. What makes you, you?
  19. If we always learn and get better from our past mistakes, why are we so afraid to make them?
  20. If a cyclops were to close its eye is it winking or blinking?

Wow! These certainly got me thinking about a lot of things.  I know some of these are silly but in the end a question is a question silly or not. Questions are a great way to get your brain running and explore new boundaries. I hoped this got you guys thinking as much as I did. Thank you so much for reading this and feel free to answer some of the questions in the comments if you would like, along with the link to your blog so I can stop by. -Bella

Communications, Middle School Musings, Posts With Personality

My Avatar

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Hey everyone! Ready to learn about my avatar?

An avatar is an icon or figure that represents you in multiple ways and should look similar to you. It is almost always used on the internet and could represent other people as well. In my case, I created my avatar on an app called Bitmoji. This is an app where you have to download it on your phone and sadly is not a link that you can access from here.

In my opinion, my avatar looks somewhat like me but, anyways, let me tell you why this avatar represents me. When I started creating my avatar, the first thing I decided to do was my hair. In person, my hair is a lot longer than it is on the avatar but this was my only option for curly and long. My hair is a lighter brownish or even blondish. If I had to choose one word to describe my hair, it would be beachy. The next thing that I chose to add to my avatar were my eyes. For the longest time, I had no idea what color my eyes were. So my eye doctor recently confirmed that my eyes are grey, which is really rare. The reason I couldn’t tell what colors my eyes were is because they change with my surroundings or what I’m wearing. For example, if I wear blue then my eyes are blue that day, same with most colors including black, brown, green and shades of purple. It does this because there are actually no color pigments in the iris so they just take on the color of what’s around them. I actually really like my eyes.

Other than the physical part of my avatar, the pictures that I used show my personality too. I chose a picture of my avatar holding books because I love school and reading. I chose the outfit because that is kind of how I dress in real life and my overall style. In the end, I think my avatar represents me pretty well. You can go HERE to take a look at a different type of avatar. Leave a comment saying what would make your avatar unique and leave a link to your blog so I can stop by.  -Bella

Environment, Posts With Personality

Coral Reefs

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Hey everyone! Ready to learn about Coral Reefs? They are actually a lot cooler than you think. 

Although coral reefs don’t even take up 1% of the ocean they are considered to be “Biological Hotspots” of the ocean. They are also very diverse considering that they are the homes to ¼ of all marine life. Coral reefs are by far one of the most valuable ecosystems on earth and are key indicators to the ocean’s health. Coral reefs are considered animals and are very similar to jellyfish. 

Did you know that on top of the ¼ of animals living in coral reefs over 4,000 different species of fish depend on coral reefs as their home at some point in their lives?

Now that you know a little bit about coral reefs let’s talk about the sad part and how we can save them.

In the past 30 years we have lost an estimated 50% of coral reefs. This is projected to reach up to a 90% loss by 2050. Over half a billion people depend on coral reefs whether they know it or not for food, income and protection. Coral reefs attract around $36 billion every year. They also help the shoreline to stop eroding and as you already know they are a home for a lot of animals. Even with how important coral reefs are they continue to die from human interactions, overfishing and even global warming. A way that global warming is killing coral reefs is bleaching. Bleaching is when the ocean waters get to hot and the coral releases all of its algae, this causes the coral to turn completely white. When coral bleaches it is not dead, if the temperature stays warm it then causes the coral to not let the algae back in and it dies. Around 30% of coral reefs died in the Great Barrier Reef during the huge amounts of bleaching in 2016. Another thing that hurts coral reefs a lot is sunscreen. Believe it or not 6,000 – 14,000 tons of sunscreen falls off of humans and into the ocean per year. Chemicals that are in the sunscreen are killing coral reefs. 

If you are still not feeling strongly about saving coral reefs then read this. Coral reefs provide sources for medicines that are being developed to treat things like cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and so many more viruses and diseases. Coral reefs are possibly the gateway to finding the cures that once felt impossible. 

Here are some ways you can help protect coral reefs:

  • Buy reef safe sunscreen.
  • Try volunteering at a local beach cleanup if possible.
  • Try to conserve water 
  • Use energy efficient light bulbs- to help the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere and help climate change.
  • Try using environmentally friendly things. For example, use a reusable water bottle or when you are at a store you can look for the environmentally sustainable products (most stores have them)

Lastly, keep informed and spread the word. Below I have attached a video with some more information about coral reefs and make sure you tell your peers about this problem and direct them to my blog or show them some videos.

Thanks for reading this and I hope you now know a little more about coral reefs. We are officially one step closer to saving the world. Please leave a comment saying one reason you plan to help protect coral reefs and share the link to your blog so I can stop by and look around.

All About Me, Communications, Posts With Personality

All About Bella

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Hi! My name is Bella and welcome to my blog. This is a blog where you can find posts about the environment including things like the ocean or air pollution. You can also find ways that you can help save the world (environmentally) one step at a time. Here are some interesting facts about me.

 

  • I play travel softball. I have been playing softball for as long as I can remember and started playing travel softball 5 years ago. I am a pitcher and first baseman. My number is 99 because of Aaron Judge because my families favorite team is the Yankees.  I love playing softball because I get to release my energy and it brings back all of the fun memories of my parents coaching me when I was younger.
  • I love the beach. I have always loved the beach and never thought about surfing until a year ago. I also love the ocean and all of the things in the ocean like coral reefs and all of the animals. I feel like surfing is so different from other things that you do at the beach. It feels like that because surfing is a way to see the ocean from a different perspective. There are also so many things that you can do at the beach. Most people think that there are a bunch of scary things in the ocean, not just sharks but all of the unknown things, when you are deep in the ocean you are one with the ocean and looking at the beautiful things not thinking about all the bad and scary stuff.
  • I love to read. Whether it is a fiction novel or a non-fiction book filled with information. Reading is relaxing and it almost takes you into a different world while your reading. I also love reading books that have a lot of information on different animals or the environment.  Did you know that the ocean is on its way to being 100% fishless by 2048 and Animal Agriculture uses trillions of (clean) water annually that could be going to people who don’t have access to it. 
  • I like to sing. I just like to sing, with my brother or in the car on a road trip. I have always loved to sing even when I was little I would sing for hours on end during a family road trip (probably a little annoying for everyone else). It is just something where you can let go and have fun. I feel like it is a way you can express yourself to the world and other people.
  • I am a dancer/figure skater. For most of my life I competitively figure skated on a national team. We were a theatre on ice team and were nationally ranked four different times. I also completed individually with many different solos. Dancing has really always been a part of me, whether I was ice skating or even on the softball field I would dance (whether it was good or not). 
  • I love to act. I am the type of person who makes a lot of lists and feel like I need to have a schedule or know exactly what will happen next and when. When I am acting, or am playing a character I know what’s going to happen next and I think it is just a feeling of safety. I have wanted to act my whole life and now I am which is crazy if you think about it. 
  • I love all animals. I absolutely love all animals. I think that every single one of thems lives matter just as much as ours do. They all deserved to be loved whether they are a big scary dinosaur or a cute little bunny. All animals have unique qualities and most likely are misunderstood. For example, some people are scared of sharks but there is nothing to be scared about, they are just misunderstood creatures and deserve to be loved, cared for and protected just as much as any other animal.
  • I love to learn cool new facts. Sometimes when I am bored I will go to (reliable) websites and learn new things. I love to share these with my family and I am always open to people sharing them with me. Whether it’s learning that a butterfly doesn’t have a mouth or that penguins mate for life I love to hear it. I try my best to learn something new everyday and share them with my peers.
  • I love the environment. I do everything that I can to help make the world a better place. I read stuff about cleaning the ocean,  cleaning the air, helping endangered animals and helping put a stop to climate change. I use this information to try an do my part and spreading the word so people can do their part as well. A good quote that shows this is “Do more than just exist” I try my hardest to help the world to the best of my ability everyday of my life. 

Thanks for coming by and reading my blog and a little more about me. Please leave a comment and a link to your blog so I can stop by. Make sure to come again!