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.