S&A Magazine Issue 5 – Volume 2

September 2021 Issue

Issue 5 – Volume 2

Holiday of the Month
Sketchbook Page
Quote of the Month
Craft
Drawing Prompt
Sustainable Fashion
Main Article
Recipe

Holiday of the Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Introduction

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th. The holiday commemorates people who are of latinx descent. During this month, it’s important to learn more about Hispanic culture and Latix people. In this article, we’ll go over the month’s history and different ways you can celebrate this holiday!

History

Congressman George E. Brown first introduced Hispanic Heritage in 1968. Originally, it was only a week long and was recognized in June. President Lyndon B. Johnson later issued this as a National Holiday. The first day of Hispanic History month, September 15th, marks the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Along with these countries, many Hispanic and Spanish countries celebrate their independence in the month of September.

How you can Celebrate

Support Hispanic and Latinx-owned Businesses

A great way to celebrate Hispanic heritage month is to support Hispanic and Latinix-owned businesses, and it’s even better if you’re supporting a local business. Some Hispanic and Latinx businesses you can support include:

Habit – Skincare & Beauty
Casa Brixe – Handmade Wool Rugs
Sunday Energy – Jewelry
Femme Kulture – Clothing
Cafe con Libros – Books

Enjoy a Latin American Dish

What better way to appreciate a culture than try out some of the cuisines? There are over 21 Spanish-speaking countries, each with its own unique dishes. You can try to make a dish or buy one from a Latinx-owned restaurant. Conchas are a great choice from Mexico if you’re craving something sweet. You could also try making some Colombian Arepas stuffed with a delicious savory filling.

Try to Learn Some Spanish

Learning a language is a great practical skill, so why not try learning some Spanish this month? Try learning the basics first. You can learn the alphabet, (which is very similar to the English alphabet) then use the letters to put together some basic words. Try to learn practical words and phrases like time, days of the week, greetings, etc. There are always new phrases you can learn and use!

Visit a Museum

If you’re looking for a place to view art, history, and culture for Latinx people, you’re in luck! There are many different museums

Research Hispanic and Latinx People

Another way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is to research famous Hispanic and Latinx people who have made significant contributions to history. Some people you can research include Frida Kahlo, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, along with many more people.

We hope you found these ways you can celebrate hispanic heritage month helpful. Have a nice day!

Sketchbook Page

Moon and Flowers

For this month’s sketchbook page, I decided to make a simple watercolor illustration of a moon and flowers. I incorporated lots of contrasting colors to make the drawing pop. You may also notice that I didn’t color in the lines completely, and I did that because I wanted this to look like a rough but also whimsical illustration.

Quote of the Month

September Quote

I chose this quote because I think it demonstrates a great mindset. It’s easy to come up with and idea, but actually pursuing that idea and taking a leap of faith doesn’t always happen. In order to achieve your goals and be ambitious, you have to remember to take your dreams seriously.

Craft

Glitter Stationary

This craft is very easy and in the end, you’ll have cool cards that you can send to family or friends! If you try this craft, you can send us a picture of it to sandazine@gmail.com!

Materials

Glue
Blank Cards
Glitter

Steps

Glue in the areas where you want there to be glitter (as seen in the first image)
Cover the area with glitter and then brush off the excess
To do a second color, repeat the first two steps
Continue this until you have your final design!

Drawing Prompt

Design a T-Shirt

For this month’s drawing prompt, try drawing a cool T-Shirt that you would want to wear. For my design, I decided to give it a glitchy marbled look. I used cool colors and cool shade of pink. You can send a picture of your finished drawing prompt to sandazine@gmail.com!

Sustainable Fashion

An Outfit Styled with Vege Threads

Vege Threads is a sustainable clothing brand that makes their clothing using eco-friendly materials and natural dyes. Vege Threads is dedicated to making clothing that will last a long time and is practical.

Hemp Cropped Tee in Celery – $89.00

Main Article

Using Social Media Responsibly

Introduction

According to Pew Research, 7 out of 10 Americans use Social Media. It’s no surprise that social media is everywhere. Most people have probably seen a YouTube video or an Instagram post, even if they don’t use either of those platforms. While social media is a great way to connect with people and share your thoughts and ideas, it’s very easy to be exposed to negativity on these apps. It’s important to make sure that you use social media responsibly and create a balance between what you interact with online and in real life.

Creating a Balance

It’s important to create a balance between social media and real life. Oftentimes, social media can have a negative effect on you, even if you are subconsciously experiencing it. Spending hours upon hours on something that shows you only the best parts of other people’s lives can make you feel bad about your own. If you make sure that you don’t go on different apps for a long time, you are less likely to be influenced by negative posts. You can try setting up screen times on your social media apps so that you know how long you are spending time on social media and that it does not take up most of your day.

Reflect on how you feel before and after

Like we said before, you be negatively impacted by what you see online without giving it a second thought. This is why it is important to ask yourself how you feel before using social media and after. If you notice that your mood has shifted in a bad way, chances are that what you are viewing is not a good influence on you. When you take the time to understand what you are doing, it’s easier to prevent yourself from making the same mistakes.

Use your platform to spread positivity

If you already have a community of followers, why not use your platform to spread positivity? You can do this by telling people to donate to a charity or posting about a topic that you think people should be aware of. You may not realize it, but spreading awareness about important things can go a long way! Even if you don’t have a platform of your own, remember not to spread negativity by commenting mean messages over someone else’s post. Try to acknowledge that whatever you put out into the world is usually permanent, so think about what you are saying before you say it. You never really know what someone else is going through, even if you think you do based on what they post.

Try not to compare yourself to others

You’ve likely heard this piece of advice many times, but know that hearing it being repeated does not take away from its value, rather it shows you that it is even more important. When people only post the best moments of their life, and some even alter those moments to make them seem even more desirable, it’s completely normal to feel like your own life is not as interesting or enjoyable as other people’s lives. However, when you take a step back and realize that you are in control of your own life, you should start to see that any changes you want to make should be to improve your well-being, not to be more “normal.” If you want to start going to more places, trying out new styles of clothing, or generally spending your time in a different way, do it because you want to and not because of other people on social media that you don’t even know. If you want to make a change, (which is not always even necessary) remember at the end of the day the only person you are in control of is yourself.

Conclusion

It’s easy to get distracted with endless feeds of content, but taking simple steps like the ones in this article can make a big impact on improving your mental health. Remember that social media is not real life and there is a whole world outside that you can explore!

Recipe

Easy, Delicious Vegan Pancakes

This recipe is perfect if you want to quickly whip up a warm and comforting breakfast. The vegan butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract help make these pancakes taste wonderfully homemade! It’s also great to try out if you or your family is vegan or allergic to eggs or dairy. You can try this recipe out and send us a picture to sandazine@gmail.com!

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup oat milk (or any other non dairy milk)
2 tbsp softened vegan butter
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
A dash of salt
Optional mix-ins (cinnamon, vegan chocolate, or blueberries)

Directions

In a bowl, add in your flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together
Create a small hole in the center of your dry ingredients and set aside.
In a separate bowl or measuring cup, add in your oat milk, vegan butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Then pour the wet ingredients in the hole of the center the dry ingredients. (This makes the batter easier to whisk.)
Whisk your pancakes very lightly and until the ingredients have just combined. If you over mix, you will end up with denser pancakes.
You can add in any optional mix-ins at this stage.
Melt some vegan butter over your pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter for each pancake onto the pan on medium-high heat. Cook for one to two minutes on each side.
Pour some maple syrup over the pancakes and enjoy!