Gosh, what a month it has been! It started off with my final progress review which really made me realise what a long way I have come over the last three years. I still can’t believe that was my last one and how fast time has flown. I am in my final months of writing up now and it feels like I have been stuck on chapter 1 forever. But I have been told by others that chapter 1 is the most difficult chapter to write but it does get easier as you go on. So, there is hope! For now, I have decided to focus all my energies into writing as it looks like I won’t be starting on the last part of my PhD until early next year.
On a related note, I decided to try out a pair of glasses from Baxter Blue this month. Since I spend a lot of my hours behind the screen, I thought it’d be good to give these glasses a go. These are designed to protect your eyes from the dangers of blue-violet light which can also lead to digital eye strain. These glasses basically help to filter out the harmful blue light while allowing the good blue light in. What is great about the company is that for every pair of Baxter Blue glasses, they donate a pair of reading glasses to someone in need. And they are an Aussie born and designed right here in Sydney. Use the code ‘ANIKA’ for an upgrade to Free Express Shipping if you are ordering in Australia.
In other news, I did a Mental Health First Aid course this month. I came across the opportunity in October which was the Mental Health Month in NSW. This course teaches adults to provide initial support to a friend, family member or a co-worker who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. I’m so glad I was able to take part in this course. It was very empowering and informative. Unfortunately, there is a lot of stigma associated with this topic and many of us don’t realise how common it really is. Given that it affects 1 in 5, it’s so important to promote mental health discussions and invest in developing these first aid skills.
Overall, it has been a pretty mediocre month. There are times when I have struggled to write as I am still learning how to navigate around my thesis. It has felt rather slow at times but I am positive it will get easier. The good news is that we have finished setting up our little home. Honestly, it feels so great to be able to settle down because our weekends had become more hectic than weekdays. We are slowly falling into a routine with things like meal prep and all things adulting.
Here are some of my November eats :)
Sunday pancakes with banana and cacao
Stir-fry with asparagus and carrot
Roasted veggies and leftover salmon pasta
Stir-fry with broccolini, asparagus and capsicum
Salmon and veggie pasta for a meatless Monday
Work lunch with roasted veggies: potato, carrot, asparagus, carrot and tomato
Stir-fry with rainbow veggies and prawn
Sunday pancakes with cacao, blueberries and a sprinkle of The Chia Co
Gourmet pasta with prawn, broccolini and parmesan
Rajma with red kidney beans and tomatoes
Blueberry and almond clafoutis
Roast pumpkin, capsicum and onion
