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!