March 2021 Issue
Issue 9 - Volume 1
Table of Contents
What's the Issue?
Water Issues and Conservation
2.1 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. 785 million people lack access to safe water. And, a staggering 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related diseases. It’s no secret that many people don’t have access to safe water. Without water, the results are disastrous.
Water is Life
Take a moment to consider how much water you use each day. What about your community? What about your country? It’s easy to forget about articles that you’ve read that talk about people who need access to cleaner and safer water. We often view alarming statistics but don’t take action. In honor of World Water Day on March 22nd, play your part in conserving water by making sustainable choices in your everyday lifestyle.
What You Can do to Help
Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth
It takes 2 minutes to brush your teeth and in that time, a lot of water can be wasted. Federal Regulations state that all kitchen and bathroom faucets should have a maximum flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute. This means if you have your sink running on full blast, you could be wasting over 4 gallons of water when brushing your teeth!
Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load
The more loads it takes to wash the same amount of clothing, the more water you waste. So try to wait until you have enough clothes to wash before putting them in the washing machine. Sticking to a consistent weekly schedule can help you avoid having to wash several smaller loads.
Fix leaks in your plumbing system
You may not know it, but leaks in your plumbing system can waste a lot of water. Fixing leaks as soon as possible not only helps your plumbing system but also helps you conserve water!
Install a rain barrel in your yard for outdoor watering
Rain barrels collect water from when it rains, which you can use to water your lawn. By doing this, you are using much less water than the amount you would use with a normal watering system.
Minimize the amount of time spent watering your lawn
A lot of plants may not need as much water as you think. Be sure to look into how much water your lawn/garden plants need and stick to that amount. Over-watering your plants wastes water and is not good for their growth.
Tell others about ways they can conserve water
It is important to spread awareness about water conservation, so your whole community can be mindful of how much water they use. For World Water Day, you could post on social media about conserving water. Feel free to also share this list of ways to conserve water with others!
Empowering Activity
Keep An Empowering Quote By Your Workspace
A great way to stay motivated is to keep a quote that inspires you by your workspace! This can help you focus and inspire you. I chose the quote "The Only Limits in Life Are the Ones You Create", but you can choose whatever quote or message you like. You can either print a quote from the internet or, you can hand-letter a quote and make a beautiful watercolor print!
Color of The Month
The Color of the Month is Red. I Decided to Pair it with Purple.
This color combination is, in my opinion, an underrated one. These colors work together very nicely to create a beautiful and sometimes edgy look. It is easy to drive the appearance of these colors to be warmer and pinky when using a purple that has more of a red tint to it. I prefer using a cooler-toned purple to create more of a contrast between the colors. However, I did try to incorporate both looks into my art below! You can use these colors as inspiration for any of your artistic projects this month!
Craft
Make a Watercolor Print
What you'll need
- Watercolors
- A paintbrush
- A piece of cardstock or thick paper
- Washi tape (You can find the Washi Tape I used here )
- A pen (I used a Tombow Black Brush Pen, but a regular pen works as well)
Step 1
Make a square on your paper with washi tape (This will act as a guide so that you don't paint outside of the square.)
Step 2
Paint inside the interior area of the tape. You can paint whatever you want, but I decided to make a simple design with only a few colors.
Step 3
Wait for the paint to dry and then write a message or a quote that you like. It takes lots of practice to make your hand-lettering look good. (It took me years of practice!) It's okay to make mistakes! If you want, you can print and trace this template for a hand-lettered quote that I made!
On the left is my finished print! We would love to see your craft! Send us a photo of your watercolor print to sandazine@gmail.com
Drawing Prompt
Draw Something Dreamlike
Take some time to draw a picture that looks like something you might find in your most magical dreams. Use soft, pastel colors to really pull off the look. You could also add some sparkles too! For my drawing, I drew a lavender-tinted moon and cloud scene. In my dreams, I would love to fly through the sky and rest in the arch of the moon! Send us your finished drawing to sandazine@gmail.com and with your permission, we’ll feature it in our next issue!
Sustainable Fashion
An Outfit Styled with ABLE
ABLE is a fashion brand based in Nashville, Tennessee that empowers women and employs them. ABLE Makes sure that all their packaging is recyclable and uses all-natural fibers in the clothing that they make. You can learn more about their sustainability here.
Main Article
Quiz: What New Hobby Should you Try?
For this month's issue, we decide to bring back the personality quizzes! You can find our first quiz here. With everyone being quarantine, it is a good idea to branch out and try new things! You can take this fun quiz and we will recommend a new hobby to you based on your answers!
1. Choose a flower.
Yellow Flower (Black-Eyed Susan)
Purple Flower (Cardoon)
Pink Flower (Dahlia)
Orange Flower (Cosmo)
2. Choose a quote that stands out to you.
"Learning is searching. Anything else is just waiting." -Dale Dauten
"Whatever you do, always give 100% unless you are donating blood." -Bill Murray
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have" -Maya Angelou
"It's the little things that matter the most" -Unknown
3. Choose an emoji that stands out to you.
🌎
🎉
📚
🎭
4. Choose a color palette.
Yellow and Blue
Pink, Yellow, and Teal
Orange and Purple
Maroon and Dark Turquoise
5. Choose an animal.
Owl
Penguin
Butterfly
Peacock
6. Choose a fruit.
a. Mango
b. Kiwi
c. Apple
d. Blueberries
7. Choose a season
Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter
8. What trait is most important to you?
Open-minded
Funny
Creative
Inspirational
9. What kind of music do you like?
Foreign songs
Pop
Lofi/Chill
Musical/Movie Soundtracks
10. Where would you like to go on vacation?
Anywhere! I love to travel!
Beach
Mountains
Anywhere beautiful
Mostly A: Education & Culture
You should learn about any random country! You value being knowledgeable and hearing everyone's perspective. So try to learn more about a country that you may not have known much about! Do this by finding a globe and spinning it. While it is spinning, place your finger on a random point. Then, research about the country you landed on! Try to research enough to answer these questions: Where is it located? What language do the citizens speak? What is this country known for? Are there any interesting holidays that the citizens celebrate?
Mostly B: Comedy
You should write out a comedy sketch! You love to laugh and can find the humor in almost any situation. So why not make your friends, family, and even yourself laugh by putting together a hilarious comedy act? You can even perform your sketch in front of your family members at home or through Zoom!
Mostly C: Writing
You should write your own original short (or long) story. You are creative and love to daydream. So put your imagination to good use by writing a story! It can be in first, second, or third person. You could include magical creatures, or fascinating places, or plot twists and turns. It is really up to you!
Mostly D: Film
You should make a short film or video! You are detail-oriented and have an artistic eye. You can experiment with the lighting, angles, pacing, and general mood of your film. You can give it a compelling theme or make it extremely abstract. This is a great new hobby to try if you want to learn more about editing and directing as well. You can also show your film/video to your friends and family and see what they think!
Recipe
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cups
These decadent mousse cups are everything I love in a dessert! The combination of chocolate and raspberry is a favorite among both co-editors of S&A Magazine. The rich chocolate shells and light and creamy mousse make this dessert a must-try! They also look very impressive without being difficult to make. We would love to see your finished chocolate raspberry mousse cups! Send us a photo at sandazine@gmail.com!
Total Time: 3 hours
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (you can use more for garnish)
1 cup raspberries (you can use more for garnish)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
You will also need
Silicone cupcake liners
A muffin tin
Directions
Melt the chocolate chips according to the directions on the bag. If you cannot find them, melt the chocolate in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between. You could also use a double boiler to melt the chocolate.
Coax the melted chocolate along the silicone cupcake liners. Make sure you don't put too much chocolate into the liners.
Put the chocolates in the freezer for an hour.
While the chocolates are setting, heat a pan over medium heat. Add in the raspberries and cook and mash them until they break down into a seedy mixture. Pass this mixture through a sieve and let the syrup cool. (Don't throw away the seeds, you can put them in a smoothie or just eat them over toast!)
Whip up the cream and powdered sugar until they reach stiff peaks. Fold in the raspberry syrup and vanilla extract.
Spoon the raspberry cream into the chocolate shells. I filled mine up all the way and then leveled the top with the back of a butter knife. Let the cups freeze for 2 hours. Peel off the cupcake liners, garnish with extra raspberries and chocolate chips, and enjoy!
Thanks for reading S&A Magazine!
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