Ms. Duggan Digs Disability

  Unpacking groceries is my LEAST favorite thing to do especially because I live in an apartment and it takes a lot more effort to get everything in the door. You probably never thought of something this simple as being an Adult Daily Living Skill but it is! Think about the time it takes to organize each item in its correct place while making sure that nothing hits you in the head when you open the fridge. This is definitely a needed independent living skill!   Figure 1: This is a thumbnail of my YouTube video on Adult Daily Living Skills: Unpacking Groceries. I have a photo of groceries and a tired look on my face. I remember watching my mom unpack groceries and thinking thank God she didn’t ask me to help! Now I have to tackle this task all on my own. I utilize a utility cart to get my groceries in the door that I purchased from Sports Academy so I don’t have to make more than one trip and man is it a life saver! Once I get my groceries in the door, I remove everything from the bag

  So we are in week two of summer courses and for my university this past Monday was the official drop day due to nonpayment. As you know during the summer financial scholarships and grants are limited which often stop students from taking summer courses. I remember being in undergrad and taking out a student loan during the summer because my scholarship did not cover everything. This actually got me to thinking on what should students do when there summer financial aid does not cover their summer courses. Check out the tips below if you or someone you know is in this situation! Figure 1: This is a YouTube thumbnail of my latest video on Summer Financial Aid Won’t Cover my Courses what do I Do? Where I have a stressed look on my face   First, set up a meeting via phone or email to speak with your financial aid advisor or the director of financial aid. Keep in mind that depending on your universities size meeting with the director may be a task so meeting with an advisor is just as go

  So the area under my kitchen sink had become overrun by grocery bags. I mean they were everywhere so much so that I dreaded opening the cabinets because they would fall out all over the place and I could never find anything down there. As you know, Saturdays are my cleaning day so I decided to tackle this project after putting it off for so long. To prepare I actually got on Amazon and purchased a three pack of grocery dispense bags so that I could better organize these things. Figure 1: This is a thumbnail of my YouTube video Adult Daily Living Skills: Organizing under Your Kitchen Sink that has a picture of my very unorganized kitchen sink area. I started with clearing everything out and wiping down the insides of the cabinets. After this, I organized my cleaning products neatly in a bucket that I keep under my sink. I also made sure to throw away any old products and other trash that I found. Lastly, I began to tackle the mountain of grocery bags. I did this by placing them togeth

  Summer is here and there is money to be made especially if you are a college student! I’ve spoken with many students who are taking advantage of their summer break by working extra hours since they are either not taking classes or not taking as many. Are you a college student who is looking to make some extra money? If so, keep reading for a few helpful tips! Figure 1: This is a thumbnail for my YouTube video on Summer Jobs for Students where I am smiling next to money emojis.   The first thing I always recommend is using your campuses’ hiring platform. Many campuses have a special platform that they use to post student jobs that are available on campus. You can also take a stop by the place that you would like to work and ask if they are hiring and how you can apply. Career Services is another great place on campus with leads on available jobs. In undergrad, I worked at a store on campus that served hot and cold foods. I actually was hired during the summer at an on campus-hiring

  Summer time is officially here and the humidity is out in Texas! My hair is natural or chemical free so that means that when the temperatures rise my hair shrinks. It’s always good to have a nice go to style that can beat the heat and last for a few days or longer. My go to style during the summer is a bun with Marley hair. Its keep my hair up and out of my face and I don’t have to worry about shrinkage. Figure 1: This is a thumbnail from my latest YouTube video with me smiling in a before and after of me styling my hair into a bun.   Did you know that grooming or fixing your hair is an independent living skill? Well it is and it is not the easiest one to learn if I must say so myself. I have been natural since December 2014 and it has been a journey! When I moved to a new state, I decided to do my hair myself and I have gotten MUCH better over the last two years. If you’re wondering how I do a simple bun check out the steps below. Figure 2: This is a photo of me with a surprised fac

  About a week ago, a colleague forwarded me an article from Disability Scoop regarding an update to President’s Biden budget regarding Special Education and Disability Services. As you know, I thoroughly enjoy talking about disability related concerns so I decided to take a look at the article. I actually recorded a video on this topic in early January as Biden was taking office that focused on his plans for the disability community. I was surprised to find a comprehensive write up that focused on several pertinent issues related to individuals with disabilities. Be sure to check out that video on my YouTube channel! Figure 1: This is a thumbnail from my YouTube video on “Joe Biden’s Doing What for Disability Services and Special Education?”   In the Disability Scoop article, I learned that Biden plans to set aside 400 billion dollars for PWDs to live in the community and not institutionalized settings like nursing homes or other medicalized facilities. This is an important factor

  Typically, on Saturday’s I do a general cleaning of my apartment. This includes the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. This past week I decided to do a deep cleaning when I noticed some dust on my blinds and a few crumbs that were on the couch. It’s always good to do a deep cleaning at least twice per month in those hard to reach areas so dust and dirt don’t accumulate.   Figure 1: This is a thumbnail from my YouTube video on Deep Cleaning where I am dusting and vacuuming. I started my deep clean by dusting the blinds with a duster that I purchased from Dollar Tree. I do this by making sure the blinds are tightly closed before going over the front of them with the duster. Then I open them and get in between each blind before lifting them completely to get any dust that is left on the windowsill. This is pretty tedious and it does take a while but seeing the dust leave was enough to keep me motivated. If you do not have a duster be sure to use a damp cloth instead.   Figur

  Well this is my last week of freedom as my summer courses start on Monday. I am taking two classes that will last until early August yayy me (NOT!).   With classes being right around the corner I plan to enjoy this week to the fullest while making sure that I am prepared for a successful summer semester. The summer can make or break you and I plan to succeed so here is what I am doing to make sure things go as planned! Figure 1: This is a thumbnail of my latest YouTube video “Summer Courses are Here Are You Ready?! As a graduate student, you have to buy your books BEFORE the semester begins as you can expect assignments on the first day. This is also true for the summer as well since most classes will be cut in half. For example, your typical 12 week class will be jammed packed into 6 weeks for most undergraduate courses. So get your books early! Figure 2: This is a photo of a stack books   You also want to review your syllabus to find out more information about the course. Things li

  Did you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend? Holiday weekends call for barbecue and other good food. This time I decided to break out my George Foreman Grill since I was not going to attempt to light up the community grill. As I was preparing my hotdogs, it made me think about how the Foreman is a great tool to make cooking your favorite foods easier and healthier. It is also very affordable as I remember paying around $10 to purchase one! Figure 1: This is a YouTube thumbnail of my video on Adult Daily Living Skills: Using the Foreman Grill   When cooking on your Foreman be sure to lightly spray it with cooking spray so that your item does not stick. Next turn on the grill by plugging it in and closing it. Once the light turns on then it is ready to use. You also want to clear the counter so that you have enough room while your food is cooking. Also, be sure to attach the grease catcher since any grease from your food will drop off making your dish much healthier. Figure 2: This is a