if you can spare any money, or have time to spread the word, please can you share this link: https://freethebears.org/

trigger warning:

it's for a charity that find bears locked in cages for sometimes 20+ years (often to take substances from their bodies) and nurture them back to health. it's one of the saddest and most heartbreaking things i've ever heard of. careful when reading or watching about the issue, but if you could spread the word, please do. some may be able to give and support the charity and they do such important work.

thank you ♡

if you are really passionate about saving, helping, and fighting for animals around the world, you can sign up to email updates from PETA. i've been subscribed to them for a while now and have been able to sign countless letters, and have even gotten to write my own at times. it has really helped me to feel that i am making a difference. we often get emails of success stories too.

i will say though, that a lot of the emails contain triggering/ traumatic images, so be aware of this. i always scroll to "take action" as i never need to see the stuff to believe and care, as is the same for many of us.

here's the link to the uk site: https://www.peta.org.uk/

larger stores of major supermarkets:

• all plastic bags, except biodegradable or compostable bags
• bread bags
• breakfast cereal liners
• delivery bags
• dry cleaning bags
• frozen food bags
• magazine and newspaper wrappers
• multi-pack wrapping
• plastic marked as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) - resin ID code 4
• toilet roll wrapping

selected stores of major supermarkets also accept:

• baby, pet food, detergent and cleaning pouches
• biscuits and chocolate wrapping
• cheese, fish and meat wrapping
• cling film

i found some really interesting material on the ethical issues of supermarkets. it's really good to even just be aware of these issues, if you can't yet change the way you shop. i found this website to be very educational:

• https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/retailer...

for those interested:

• tesco is supposedly the best supermarket for vegan options, as they seem to have the most brands (i can vouch for that, as i have been very happy with the amount of choices tesco supplies).

best things about being vegan:

♡ boycotting horrific animal slaughter practices: if you don't eat/ buy meat, fish, or eggs, you are not supporting an industry of horrific animal slaughter. boycotting it gives you peace of mind for the most part - because, of course, you are just one person.

• number of animals slaughtered in the UK: 1,700 per minute, 102,000 per hour, 2.5 million a day, more than a billion per year (source: PETA vegan free starter kit manual).

♡ boycotting horrific animal slavery practices: if you do not buy eggs, butter, or milk, you don't support an industry that justifies animal slavery. this gives you more peace.

• a vegan saves more than 100 animals per year (PETA vegan free starter kit manual)....

who to avoid:

these brands are making "no concrete effort for people, the planet, or animals across the supply chain and are notorious for poor quality clothing that often ends up in the landfill after a few years":

• shein
• missguided
• nasty gal
• boohoo
• pretty little thing
• forever 21
• hot topic
• fashion nova
• zaful
• savage x fenty

these brands lack transparency as they provide "no publicly available information on their production":

• havaianas

plant-based, vegan Fabrics

• organic cotton
• linen
• hemp
• soybeans
• seaweed
• woodpulp (lyocell)
• beech tree fibre

semi-synthetic, vegan fabrics (the problem with these is supposedly that a lot of chemicals are used to treat the bamboo trees)

• viscose
• modal
• rayon

synthetic, vegan fabrics

• polyester
• nylon

guide to vegan fabrics: https://woollygreen.com/vegan-fabrics/

FREE PALESTINE

looking to the past to understand myself in the present is my go-to method of healing and has never failed me.

learning about narcissistic abuse made me feel seen, heard, validated, and understood, and it explained my pain like nothing else i had ever come across. most importantly, it empowered me to stand up to my abusers and get free when there was no other option to save myself. i know there will be others like me who need this, so I share it here:

look below and see if you relate to what is described, esp. if these are constant patterns or trends in your household. i focus on parents, but this can be relevant to any kind of relationship. also political oppressors and systemic abuse !!

(generally...) domestic violence, and physical & emotional abuse:

best things about cloth pads:

• better for the environment, and therefore everything... inc. my state of mind and mental health.
• health: PFAS have been found in disposable pads and tampons. for people with sensitive skin or health issues, cloth pads are likely to be healthier for you. no more diaper rash from disposable pads, and tampons can be very risky, health-wise (toxic shock syndrome). cloth tampons are also risky for the same reason.
• comfort: soft fabric against your sensitive areas instead of cheap, flimsy plastic that feels gross.
• much less anxiety about leaking - they are SO much more reliable than disposables. I would recommend cloth pads to those with heavier periods.
• love your period: look forward to your period! they feel so much better than dispo...

• how childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | nadine burke harris: https://youtu.be/95ovIJ3dsNk

now:

• learn how and where to use bicarbonate soda, vinegar, lemon juice, etc, for cleaning, and avoid any products with synthetic ingredients, like detergents, preservatives, & foaming agents
• use beesewax wrap instead of cling film
• only buy papers that have been recycled (production is bad for the environment because so many trees are cut down)
• avoid buying synthetic fibres (like polyester) in clothes/ items (longer to decompose & fibres can be ingested by animals)
• buy products that biodegrade

later:

• spend locally (supporting individuals rather than corporations)
• switch to eco-friendly toilet paper made from bamboo, or reusable toilet paper
• use an environmentally friendly car, i.e....