Day 10: Discounted Trip Planning

If you're getting to that point in winter where you'd rather sit in sweats on your couch motionless than go outside for any reason, it might be time for a vacation. With reading week and spring break coming up, many Winnipeggers are looking to get away. The vacations I went on as a kid where booked months in advanced and therefore at full price. Once I was left to my own devices to pay for vacations, I got creative in finding deals.

The website that I've had the most success with is Red Tag. Worst case scenario is that you'll pay full price for your vacation; best case scenario, and more commonly, you'll pay much less.

Many people are weary of buying a vacation off a discount website and I was at first, too. The reason why they can offer vacations for such a reduced price is that they purchase the remaining rooms from a resort or hotel once they have reached a certain cutoff date. The resort then gives those rooms to various sites to sell at a reduced rate. At this point, the resort would rather sell them at a greatly reduced rate than have rooms sit empty. There is also a big incentive to fill planes.

More and more people are becoming comfortable with buying vacations online. Especially for the university crowd, travel agents are a thing of the past for the average reading week vacation.

One word of caution, however, is to read the fine print. Many of the discount vacation sites offer trip cancelation insurance. If you opt not to buy it, and suddenly need to cancel your vacation, you may be out the money. There is also often a chance to buy health insurance for your vacation.

I was able to go to Mazatlan last year at a 4.5 star resort for a 3 star price. The fun comes in when you are sitting next to someone on the beach and you find out how much they paid. It's not uncommon to hear a price as much as twice what you paid, if you went on a discount website and they went through the resort.

Especially if you're someone who has flexibility in their schedule, you can book days before you leave and pay a fraction of the original price.

It's always good to be cautious to some extent; research both the website and the resort you're going to buy from prior to booking.

 Trip Advisor is a great site to check but be aware that no place can be perfect for everyone. The people who need every wine glass to be turned a certain way will be the first to post on the site. Be a good consumer by evaluating each opinion for what it's worth; never take just one as the solid truth.

Finally, make sure to check any travel advisories issued by your government to travel to certain locations. Although traveling to anywhere carries its risks, you should be especially cautious in visiting certain places.           

Day 9: e-Organizing Simplified

Organizing used to mean having an orderly house and desk. Papers needed to be filed, pencils needed to go in their containers, and your rolodex needed alphabetizing. Today, most people's organizing takes place electronically. The trouble is that many people feel more weighed down by all of the options for computer organizing than liberated. Here are a few tips I've found that will keep you organized without fail:

1. Pick an organizing tool you like and stick with it. The number one way to confuse yourself and inevitably get off the organizing bandwagon is by having information in too many different places. My favourite calendar tool is Google Calendar. By using this, I can access my calendar from any computer and sync wirelessly to my phone using the Google Sync app.

2. Once you have a base program for keeping your days organized, have some form of backing up your calendar. This can be done by creating a zip file, which will ensure that your calendar is not totally lost. Your contact list can also be incorporated into your calendar so that you can add a person to a meeting or event.

3. Students should include any homework into their calendars. If you mark assignments as an all day event, they will appear at the beginning of a day on your calendar. Some people prefer to write assignment down in a school agenda but I would caution that if this is what you are going to do for assignments, you may want to stick with the same agenda for day planning in general. Once you begin marking different parts of your life in different places, you increase your chances of forgetting an event or assignment. Simplify your life by keeping one place for all tasks.

4. Another positive of e-organizing? You can sync your Facebook account to your calender. The result? Facebook will take the birthdays of any "friends" that you also have in your contacts and put their birthdays on your calendar.

One of the big reasons I've converted to only using this form of organization is that you can visualize your days, weeks, and months. Rather than flipping pages, at the click of a button you can adjust your view of your  days ahead. Patterns will start jumping out at you in your schedule; you will be able to visualize how you're not making the most of certain time and how you're overextending yourself in other places.

One of the great features of e-Organizing is that it's environmentally friendly. Going paperless reduces your clutter and your footprint on the Earth.

Find out more about Google Sync. It's free!

Day 8: Taking Up a New Sport: My Introduction to Tennis

In an ongoing effort to beat the winter blues, I've taken up a new sport: tennis. It was a natural fit because I've worked at a tennis club for years, but never took the time out of my schedule to play.

It was announced that a beginner staff league was being organized, so I jumped on the bandwagon.

I've now played three times at work and it's a great workout. Here are some of the positives of taking up tennis:

1. Tennis is a complete workout. Much of the game isn't just your arms but a cardio workout instead. Even at the beginner level you'll find yourself running all over the court.

2. You can cater your tennis workout to your needs. If you are hesitant to be running continually, you can organize a group of four to play doubles. You'll cut your workout in half when you start out so that you can build your strength slowly. This is particularly good for people who are starting the game later in life.

3. Following from the last point, you can take up tennis at any point and play with people of any age. Kids can pick up the game as young as 3, and people can play into their 90's.

4. Tennis involves your brain to a greater extent than what you might expect. Although running is a fantastic workout, it is often mindless. Tennis requires full concentration and excellent hand-eye coordination, as well as strategizing.

5. It's a social activity. Tennis is a great way to meet new people. It will also persuade you to not give up on your plans because if you don't show up, your friend doesn't get to play either. If you have given up on an activity in the past, join a league; that way, there's a penalty if you don't show.

Although it is an expensive sport, tennis is something you can do all year round in Winnipeg. It's well worth the cost if you can stay active during the winter months. It's also a sport that functions well with cross-training; spending some time in the gym will help in avoiding common injuries associated with tennis.

A great way to find out if you like tennis is by taking some lessons. Rather than getting into a club membership immediately, find a pro you like and organize some lessons. This is also the best way to find future tennis partners.

Many people will be inconsistent with their exercise if they don't have fun while they're doing it. I don't know if I've ever come across someone who didn't enjoy themselves playing tennis; it's harder than it looks, but that's part of the fun.

Day 7: Recession Decluttering

I somehow find that I am best at budgeting and keeping my finances in order when my living spaces are tidy. Part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is ensuring that finance blues aren't dragging you down. I find the following to be a positive boost to improving my daily life:

1. Do a thorough clean of your home. Go through and make sure that you are only keeping what needs to be in your space. What you remove can usually be given to charity or can be recycled (the goal of this exercise is not to fill up landfills). Be aggressive at this stage; if you haven't used it in the past year, there's a good chance you won't be needing it. There may even be a few things you can sell for money; something that is additionally helpful in the time of a recession.

2. Once you've gotten rid of excess, organize your living spaces. If you have room, try and divide your home into sections; work, entertainment, sleep. This will help to clarify what all you have in your place and where everything fits. I realize that feng shui isn't for everyone, but understanding what you need and where in your living space is important.

3. Once everything has a place, you will no longer want to go out and spend money to clutter your space. When your living areas are cluttered, it's easy to continue to spend money on things you don't need, because as long as there is room you can continue to fill the space. Once you have everything in order, you'll be disinclined to add new things you don't need.

Hopefully by clearing out parts of your home and selling items you don't need, you'll have some extra money and a comfortable living space. This isn't just about making a few dollars and penny pinching for a few weeks; it's about changing your lifestyle. Too often in our society people self-soothe by purchasing small items in the wake of a recession (one reason why movies do so well in a recession). It's time to adjust your mindset that living with what you have can be rewarding and adjusting your mindset now will pay off in the future.

Day 6: Restore Your Home Back to Its Former Glory

Welcome back! Hopefully your holidays were restful and enjoyable.

In continuing on with the lifestyle improvement theme, I thought I'd share a life-altering product I was gifted for Christmas. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic. But seriously, this is a wonderful tool for your home.

My cousins gave my family Bissell's Little Green vacuum/steam cleaner for Christmas. My cousin Erin explained that she had one, as did her sister-in-law, and that she didn't know what she did before she got one. I thanked her and told her I'd give ours a try.  Three hours after I had assembled the Little Green, I was still going strong, searching the house for more stubborn stains. 

What makes this little machine so useful is that it has the ability within minutes to spray a stain (old or new), treat it, vacuum the area, suck up all of the remaining moisture in the carpet, and leave it dry and restored. Especially for pet owners, this machine is a must. 

I had spots on my carpet from when my puppy was not yet house trained that I had decided would never be resolved. Regardless of how much scrubbing followed by vacuuming, there were some places where the carpet could not be reclaimed. After a few minutes with the Little Green, the spots disappeared!

This would all be far less impressive if the Little Green had a big price tag; however, this isn't the case. It can be purchased at Canadian Tire for $99.99. When you consider how much it would cost to rent a carpet cleaning machine yearly, plus the work of going to rent and bringing the machine home, it is easy to justify the cost. 

Bonus tip: The Little Green is fantastic for cleaning the carpeting in your car. These are the stains which tend to never be addressed because it can be nearly impossible to clean, yet they happen often because of beverages routinely spilling in your car. Also, any dog beds or area rugs you'd rather not pay to dry clean are great tasks for the Little Green. You also avoid the harsh chemicals used in the dry cleaning process. 

Having a clean environment to live in is important in keeping a healthy lifestyle. A home with carpets which haven't been cleaned in years will house unwanted dust and potentially mold. A quick wash every now and then will help to keep your house clean, and in better shape for resell. 

Day 5: Keeping on Track During the Holidays

With the arrival of the holidays comes old family traditions. For most people, this will include lots of baking, lazing around, and big meals. The hours in a day get consumed by spending time with family and friends; finding time to exercise is often the last thing on your mind. So how do you avoid getting off track?

Here are some tricks for avoiding the post-holidays weight gain blues:

1. Holiday shopping. Although this may seem like a counter-intuitive concept, holiday shopping can be beneficial to exercising. Park your car in the farthest spot from the door that you feel comfortable with. The environment will thank you for not circling the lot 15 times to get that spot 20 feet closer to the door. Worried about having to carry your purchases? Think of it as weight-lifting! And make sure to bring reusable cloth bags which are more durable and environmentally friendly.

2. This one is going to seem ridiculous but give it a shot. When decorating your tree, try putting your box of ornaments down the hall or in another room. The walking back and forth will burn calories and give you a new vantage point of how your tree is coming along. You laugh now, but seriously, give it a try!

3. Make use of those fantastic outdoor winter sports. Skating, tobogganing, and snowshoeing are all great ways to enjoy yourself in the winter. It's easy to hibernate the winter away indoors under blankets, but once you give these activities a shot, you'll realize how good the fresh air and exercise feel. Getting your kids involved in these activities can be the start of a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives. Living in a climate like Winnipeg's means that you have to be willing to brave the cold to get the most out of your city. You'll soon acclimatize to the cold and find it invigorating rather than immobilizing. The holidays are usually a time when we get some time to spend with our families so spend some of those hours outdoors!

4. Lastly, try to stay calm by staying organized. The holidays often puts extra pressure on us, causing us to absentmindedly grab for whatever is nearest to eat. If you can anticipate some of what will stress you (last minute gift buying, big meal preparation, scouring the city for the toy your child has to have), and prepare early for whatever you can, you will feel more at ease during the holidays and more inclined to stay on track.

Day 4: To Spend or Not to Spend…

Once most people have convinced themselves that they’re going to start a new exercise routine, the obvious place to start is to purchase the necessary apparel. Gone are the days when exercise meant throwing on the rattiest thing you owned and headed outside for a jog. Nowadays, there is specific apparel for every sport. Is this necessary? And if so, how much money should you be spending?

Let’s consider outdoor running. If you’re running in the summer, the one item I’d recommend spending the most significant amount of money on is your shoes. The quality of your shorts and t-shirt matter much less. You can purchase Athletic Works running shorts for under ten dollars from Walmart, and equally inexpensive tops as well. The best shoes I’ve ever owned are the adi-zero running shoes by Adidas. They are among the lightest running shoes on the market. I found that they feel weight wise as though you’re wearing gauze on your feet, yet equal to the competitors in support. They are definitely worth the $150 price tag. Click to Go Directly to the Product's Website

For winter running, the most important equipment to spend the most money on is moisture-wicking clothing. High-end shoes are less important in some respects, because you will likely be running on a snow-covered service which is less jarring, and you will be forced to wear a heavy sock which will dampen the qualities of your shoe.

Good moisture-wicking clothes do not need to be expensive. Mountain Equipment Co-Op has some fantastic winter running gear at a mid-price range. My favourite is their MEC Merino Lightweight 2 Zip-T. This zip-up is the perfect base-layer. In –30 degree conditions, I can wear this with a thick jacket overtop and never feel chilled or overheated. They have a similar product for the legs. If this price ranger is a little steep for your budget (about $65 dollars each), other stores have less expensive alternatives. Walmart, Zellers, Old Navy etc. all carry their own lines of base-layers for a lesser amount. One word of caution, however, is that good moisture wicking clothes will be vital to your running experience. Talk to the people working at the store you choose and find out what they recommend. Although you may not think that you would perspire in the winter, you will be amazed at how quickly your body will heat up. Wearing improper gear will cause that moisture to be locked in your first layer and eventually you will get chilled. Gear for your head and hands should be made of a breathable material (like fleece) which can be layered with a nylon cover for added warmth.

And finally, don't stress about having all the perfect stuff right away. Go out for a jog with the gear you've got and see if there's anything which sticks out as a deterrent to your running. You'll quickly understand what you need to buy in order to turn your running experiment into a success. Good luck!