Living Away From Home for the First Time

Leaves are falling, there's a chill in the air, the lineup at the bookstore is 45 minutes long which means that school is well on it's way for University students.  For first years the beginning of the school year can also mean living away from home for the first time and that can be both intimidating and scary.  I've been living apart from my parents for four years now and these are some things I've learned along the way.

Budget Your Groceries

I didn't realize until I was in charge of my own food just how expensive groceries can be; that paired with the sudden ability to buy whatever you want can be dangerous.  To avoid getting overwhelmed plan what you're going to eat beforehand so you know what you need to buy before you get to the store.  Check what's on special to save money as well especially when it comes to meat!

Don't Be a Hermit

Living on your own for the first time (or even with roommates) can be scary and it can also be lonely especially if you've moved away from your hometown.  As lonely as it can be I've found that loneliness is only amplified by staying inside all the time.  Even if you don't have a lot of people to hang out with just going for a walk outside or to the mall or something can make it all feel a little bit better.  I can't count the number of times that one small outing (even if I was still alone) turned my day around but sitting alone on the couch has almost never made me feel better.

Clean Up After Yourself

You will never appreciate all the work your mom does to keep the house neat and clean until suddenly you have to do it all yourself.  Hard as it is I've found that I do feel better when things are neater.  At the very least do the dishes, do your laundry, and don't forget to wash your sheets every so often.

Most of all I would say enjoy it; it can be fun to figure everything out on your own and to decorate a new place, it's a new adventure that you get to do on your own for the first time and if you need help your parents are only a phone call away (seriously call you parents, they miss you).

Smoothie 101

I know, I know it's been a long time since my last post but in my defence it was exam season but as of yesterday exams are done and "Skates and Stuff" is back in full swing!

Smoothies are one of my favourite quick and easy snacks, you can take one on the run, replace a small meal with one, and they are often a go-to recovery drink for athletes since you can get a lot of benefits from just one cup.

The basics of any smoothie are frozen fruit (or fresh fruit and ice), yogurt, half a banana and some kind of liquid (milk, water, juice or a combination.  The amount of frozen fruit or ice depends on the consistency you want for example more frozen/less liquid will produce a thicker smoothie.  Any kind of yogurt will do but I prefer greek because it has more protein and less carbs and protein helps to keep you full and helps your muscles recover after a workout.

Here's where it can get fun.  You can basically add whatever you want to your smoothie to customize it to your needs.  If you're using the smoothie as a meal replacement some protein powder would be ideal so you don't get hungry again soon after.  If using protein powder I would suggest using juice as your liquid since protein powder often has a strong taste that can overpower some of the fruit.  Cinnamon can also be added for more flavour as it is better for you than adding more sugars.  I often also add ground flaxseed which is high in omega-3 and fibre and for more iron and vitamins I will sometimes add some greens like kale or spinach and when they're all blended up you don't even notice they're there.

The finished product, yum!

How to Study for Exams

1. Get out all your books/notes
2. Do laundry
3. Go on the internet while you wait for your clothes to wash (hey! that tab of research materials is open that's practically studying right?)
4. Clean your room, can't study in clutter 
5. Clean the kitchen ... again, clutter, it's so distracting 
6. Bake cookies (I suggest regular chocolate chip cookies with half Reese chips that's what I made and I'm OBSESSED)
7. Open file containing notes on laptop
8. Watch seven hours of YouTube videos
9. Try to decide if you have enough time to read that book before the exam or if you should read the sparks notes, do neither, take a shower and actually blow-dry your hair for once instead
10. OH SHIT THE EXAM'S TOMORROW WTF HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL WEEK STUDY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN THE NEXT TWELVE HOURS

Happy Finals Week!

P.S.

Some of my favourite studying songs here

A good Christmas studying playlist here

The cookie recipe I used here (minus walnuts with Reese chips for half the chocolate chips)

Only 15 days until Christmas, we can do this!

Someone sent me this and it seemed appropriate

How to Avoid Freezing to Death

It seems that winter in fully upon us now, there's snow on the ground, the Christmas decorations are up, Christmas songs are playing in all the stores, oh, and it's also REALLY EFFING COLD.  I don't know how it is where you are but where I am we've been having temperatures like -28°C and windchills of like -39°C (I really wish I was joking).  So here is my foolproof way to avoid freezing to death:

1. Stay inside. Don't even open the curtains just sit on your couch with blankets and hot chocolate and never leave it.  Don't even go outside for food, that's why deliverymen exist.
2. If you really have to leave the couch to go to school or something (and let's be honest if it's not for an exam is it really worth it?) bundle up and then run directly from the warmth of your house to your car, and I mean RUN, if you don't have time to feel the cold maybe you can pretend that it doesn't exist.
3. Don't have a car? Layers. Wear two pairs of mitts, wear more than one hat.  Wearing jeans to school? Wear sweatpants over top. Wearing leggings? Add some sweatpants. Already wearing sweatpants? Add more sweatpants. -30 is not the time to be cute and stylish it's all just about surviving.

That's all I've got.  I've been trying my very best to use friends for rides and then just staying at the university all day, it doesn't even matter that I've got hours and hours between classes/training.  If it's cold where you are try not to be outside for very long and cover your pretty faces! Frostbite is real and it hurts.

20 days to Christmas!!