Secret Santa Struggles

I am going to be honest with you; I am starting to get a little sour about spending Christmas alone here in the Kootenays. It is my first Christmas away from home this year and I thought I would be able to combat my case of the lonelies on the 25^th with indulgences that include (but definitely are not limited to) Chinese food and Christmas movies. The fact is I started to realize just how bummed I am to be missing out on adult beverages with old friend

s, getting out skated by a bunch of kids that were in elementary school when I played hockey at the Annual MRHS Grad hockey day and watching the kids in my family exhibit all the magic of Christmas with crying (yes, I mean tears) and shrieks of joy.

One of the ways I am combating this lonesome Christmas is by taking part in the World’s largest Secret Santa. Now I am at a loss for picking out my gift. I have no idea what to buy my nerdy/athletic/gamer male match. I want something unique, but I am starting to struggle. John Helm and I have contemplated what to buy for our significant others on Morning Rocks, so it makes sense that I am struggling with buying something for a complete stranger. What the hell am I to buy? Here is a little about 'That Canadian Bacon'

I could go with the listener’s idea from this morning’s show, he suggested picking up a ‘Clapper’ for the person who you don’t know how to shop for. What do you think I should send my Secret Santa buddy? Let me know your thoughts by email at kate@mountainfm.net!

UPDATE: I totally ended up finding the perfect gift for my match, something he can use Sunday afternoons while cooking his girlfriend lunch that compliments his neediness with a great Game of Thrones pun!

I will keep you updated about what I end up getting in exchange!  

For more on my Reddit Secret Santa experience click here.

Learning to Run (Again?)

Please feel free to sing the title of this blog in the style of the Foo Fighters, I sure am. 

Midday host Jenny Fines and I want to start running.

Okay, well Jenny Fines wants to start running. I want to just do a 5k and cross it off my bucket list. Before moving to the Kootenays I was in amazing shape. I went to the gym everyday and worked my butt off. Seriously, I was weight training 5 days a week (with minor cardio) and doing full cardio blasts twice a week. I was in training to get that 5k off my summer to do list.

But then I moved to BC and became a slight work addict, nixing my plans to run a 5k by the end of summer 2013. In the battle between spending half an hour working on my show prep or running, show prep will win every time. 

So, I am looking for you suggestions on getting into running. I am athletic, should I just run it and set the bar for myself that way or should I start a training regiment? To be clear, this is not about weight loss (I love my body) this is about putting one foot in front of the other foot over a distance that has been pre-determined and doing it in a timely fashion.

I have no desire to be a runner; I want to be able to say that I did it and wipe it clear off my bucket list. 

So what are your tips for breaking into the running scene? How much is too much to pay to run your first race? How much water should we bring? What is a good first finishing time? What is the best local 5k to run? Do I load up on carbs or cut them carbs before my first 5k?

I am a pretty healthy individual. I eat well; I live on a low carb diet (20g ish a day). I think I can run this cold without training, but I am still open to all suggestions and would consider giving it a few weeks of practice.

Here are some infographics I fully intend to read for advice: 

by hightable.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Kate's Reading Challenge Book 6: ‘Debt-Free Forever: Take Control of Your Money and Your Life' by Gail Vaz-Oxlade

One of my goals I set for myself on my twenty-fourth birthday was reading a book a week.  I am a little behind, moving twice and finishing school put a damper on my plan. To help motivate myself to finish books on time every week my new plan is to share my latest read with you on my blog. I will read anything and everything and I would love your suggestions, feel free to email them to me at kate@mountainfm.net.

Book 6: ‘Debt-Free Forever: Take Control of Your Money and Your Life' by Gail Vaz-Oxlade

Gail Vaz-Oxlade is the hard-nosed penny-pinching Canadian finance guru that hosts some of the hottest Canadian finance television reality shows. She caught my eye with her shows this spring and her insightful appearances on CBC news advising average Canadians on their finances.

I am not in crazy debt, I am actually in a pretty good place for being a twenty-something new grad working in my first professional job; but I chose this book because I want to be pro-active about my finances and not end up in the situation many Canadians find themselves in with dangerous credit cards.

I really do not think that they spend enough talking about personal finances and credit in school. I think you should have to take a course on using credit before receiving things like credit cards, you have to take driving tests and lessons; why a not financial test to prove you know how to use credit responsibly.

I chose ‘Debt-Free Forever’ because I wanted to learn the basics on personal finance. I wanted to be able to craft a responsible budget, begin an emergency fund, start a big expense savings account and start thinking about the future by saving for retirement (etc.). I ended up getting so much more out of this book than what I originally intended, I will be keeping it around for reference for the rest of my life.

If you are like me and pretty green to the world of finances, this book is for you; it is a pretty easy read but Gail still gets the important details across and manages to take a hard line on important issues. She does not allow excuses or whining, with all her experience it is like she can sense the moments where you want to fight her advise; at these points in the book she kindly reminds you to think of the goal and work hard towards it.

I think this is the perfect book for anyone, if I had a child I would give it to them around their final year of high school. Easy steps to get them started (without knowing it) are getting them to set milestones and goals. If you start your kids with in this process it will not be alien to them when they need to them. Even the smallest steps, like saving for the newest want will put them (or you) in the right direction to getting to the goal.

The biggest thing, once you have gotten past spending every dollar you earn each paycheck is to follow Gail’s mantra, “plan like a pessimist, so you can live like an optimist.”

I like to revert to the wise words of Kanye on this front, “Whether you broke or rich you gotta get this. Havin money's not everything not havin it is.”

A seriously good read. It is not an adventure that whisks you away to another time or place; it is not a lusty romance or a page-turner thriller that will stimulate your fantasies. ‘Debt-Free Forever: Take Control of Your Money and Your Life' is a book that will allow to have the freedom to have adventures of your own, a financially responsible relationship and a live in the moment life rather than a life filled with regretful spending and the stress of bills piling up. 

KATE'S QUERIES: WHICH CELL PHONE IS RIGHT FOR ME?

I have heard a lot about how your cell phone says a lot about you, I am in the market for a new phone and I have no idea what to pick. No cell phone seems to be the perfect pick.

I miss my Blackberry everyday when I am reading emails and attempting to reply. I love how durable they are in comparison with glass phones; if I had a Blackberry it would have survived the car accident that did a number on my iPhone. I miss the stigma that my blackberry had too, it was pure business, I never felt like people would question what I was doing messing around on it.

On the other hand, my iPhone is incredibly efficient with my Ford Focus's SYNC system for music. I love using it for photos for things like my blog and a quick Facebook post. But, I really hate the fact that it does not have a keyboard. It makes me lazier than I used to be replying to my emails, I never missed an email with my Blackberry. I hate using email so much on my iPhone that I wait until I am in front of a computer to reply because it is such a pain (unless it is an emergency). 

I know nothing about Androids, feel free to educate me; kate@mountainfm.net. 

If you have any suggestions or ideas for my phone problem let me know, I will be buying a phone in the next week!