HOW TO: Find The Perfect Christmas Present

Okay guys and gals, its November 1st which means that it is socially acceptable for you to start listening to christmas music, put up the tree, drink some delicious gingerbread lattes, and best of all START YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!  Some of you may think I'm crazy but in all honestly I started mine back in September... I am a HUGE christmas fanatic and I get excited every year about the idea of finding the perfect gifts for my loved ones.  So these are some of my tips for how to find the perfect christmas present:

1. Make Lists- "I'm making a list and checking it twice..." No but seriously, this is in my opinion the most important point.  It is so hard and overwhelming when christmas comes along and all of a sudden you realize that you have 30 people and their pets to buy presents for and you have no idea what to get any of them.  So to remedy this stressful situation, I have started paying attention to my friends and family when they point out something they really like and WRITE IT DOWN. As soon as someone mentions something they like I grab whatever receipt or piece of paper I find in my purse and pretend I'm going to the washroom to write it down. I have lists hidden in nooks and crannies all over my room (sometimes I feel like Santa), but it is important because as much as you think you'll remember what they say, you won't.  Not only does it reduce the stress of christmas shopping, it also helps you find presents that you know people are going to like.  No more ugly sweaters and pyjamas for everyone on my list!

2. Start Early- the closer christmas gets, the fewer items that are left in the stores.  If you're running out a week before christmas with a list of items you want, it is likely that you will only be able to find half of them.  Stock runs out, and especially when hundreds of people are going into stores everyday, the items you want may not be there when you get there... Then you're back to square one with the ugly sweaters or pyjamas.  OR, you do what my dad does and gives us "symbolic gifts" or pictures of the gifts in a card saying that it's currently being shipped.  Although i still love the idea of the present, it is much more effective if it is actually sitting in front of you when you open it up.

3. Look For Deals- This point kind of goes along with my point of starting early.  The earlier you start, with a clear list in mind, the easier it is to keep you christmas costs to a minimum.  Even if you just start Nov 1st you'll be so surprised how often items go on sale.  The closer to christmas you get, the less chance you will have to find these sales because stores know they will make money without sales.  Also, check Christmas Shows, eBay and Amazon and other online websites for great, inexpensive gifts for a fantastic deal. I have purchased many items from these websites at a fraction of the cost of retail stores.  Also I find that you can make some really great things for a much less expensive cost than buying it, AND it will be that much more special to the person you are giving the item to.

4. Wrap it in a fun way- Pinterest has some great wrapping ideas that you can tweak and make your own for whoever you are buying for.  Have fun with it! I usually do 90% of the wrapping for my whole family meaning basically the only items that are wrapped that I don't know about are mine :)

Just remember:  I find that in general it is the little details that make christmas presents really memorable so listen to your loved ones and you'll find great presents at great deals :)

Sincerely,

Alley

How To: Train For A 30km Race

Let's get one thing straight first; I am in no way a professional runner.  However, lately I have really started to get into it and am really enjoying it so far.  At the end of the summer I signed up and ran a 12km race up in Haliburton, ON.  As easy as I thought this would be to complete, it is amazing how wrong I ended up being. First of all, I had never run 12 kilometres before in my life.  Secondly, this race was in pure mountains which came as a "pleasant" shock to me once I got there.  I don't know if anyone reading this has ever run on mountain trails before but it is much,  much harder than running on a flat trail or in the city.  The only thing that kept me going was the exhilarating push to not finish in last place.

After finishing this race, I started feeling really confident about my running abilities.  So even though I knew that I was extremely unprepared for that race in the end, I still felt, in my extremely delusional mind, that it would be a good idea to sign up for a 30 kilometre run in March of 2015.  Smart right?  Anyways, so now I have this run coming up and I am in no way ready for it.  However, here are a few tips that I have been using to help me prepare and hopefully they will help you as well:

First step: don't do what I've done so far, which has been to sign up for a run and not train.... But in all seriousness I do have quite a few months left to get on top of this, so I think I'm okay right now.

2.  Find a running buddy.  Does everyone have their running buddy? Good. Mine is my boyfriend, pretty much because he is the only person I know that will listen to all my complaining and whining and still want to keep running with me.  There will be times when you really don't want to exercise, times when you want to quit half way through, and times when you want to break down and cry for signing up for such a big race when all you really want to do is sit down and eat a pie.  But, your running buddy will help motivate you and keep you on track!

3. Plan ahead.  One of the biggest things I have learned since I've started running is that while pushing yourself is good and motivational, don't push yourself to the point that you hurt yourself.  If you know you have a big race running up, spread out your training.  There is no benefit to pushing yourself until you hurt something like your ankle or pull a muscle which forces you to stop running for a couple days or weeks and you end up loosing all the progress you've made (trust me, I've done this).

4. Take your time.  Unless you're planning to win the race, which is unlikely if you're taking advice from an amateur like me, then take your time when you're training.  It doesn't matter how long you take to run the race (unless there is a time limit). Train and run at your own pace until you get used to running longer distances, and THEN you can start increasing your speed.  I'll just be happy if I make it to the finish line on my own two feet before spring hits...

5. And enjoy yourself! Other than the health benefits of being more active, it's supposed to be fun! So have fun doing it. I have such a competitive personality, that I keep myself having fun by having little races in my head against my running buddy.  I'll think to myself, "first one that gets to that next tree wins!" (but I won't tell him I'm racing him so I always win).  It's super fun.

Sincerely,
Alley

HOW TO: Relieve Stress With Alternative Methods

Do you ever find that you feel so overwhelmed that you just want to explode? It's that overly emotional, eye twitching, don't want to get out of bed kind of stress. Sometimes this stress can be good, and can help to keep you on track of all of your responsibilities.  However, it is important to remember that the stress you experience can become very overwhelming. Although sometimes it can be hard to coordinate "me-time" in your already busy schedule, stress reliever tactics become necessary in order to keep you happy and sane.

There as so many ways to relieve stress, and everyone can find something that interests them that becomes something fun that you look forward to doing. There are obviously a ton of ways to relieve stress, but here are a few alternative ways that I personally enjoy using: 

1. Join a team! There are so many alternative teams that become a great way to let out some your built up energy and stress.  Last year I joined a dodgeball team, and even though I was the worst player on the team, it was a great stress reliever. Nothing kills stress faster than throwing a ball with all your strength at someone who is running away from you :)

2. Go to a yoga or zumba class with a friend.  This is a great way to get exercise and socialize at the same time!  The endorphins you receive from working out really helps relieve stress.  

3. Take a nap! Napping can really reduce stress levels, even if you are just laying down without falling asleep (if you have time for it of course!). 

4. And when all else fails... play with a bunch of kittens!! A friend of mine recently sponsored a pregnant cat from the SPCA so that her kittens could be born in a more nurturing environment.  This was the best decision ever. The picture below is actually myself holding all the kittens (not the most flattering picture of myself, but whatever, I'm stress free and that's the important thing).

 

Sincerely,
Alley