How To Survive Allergy Season | Tips & Tricks

Welcome to spring!

Welcome to allergy season!

I definitely am affected by seasonal allergies a whole heck of a lot! As someone who doesn't like to take medication, I have come up with some tips and tricks to help me get through allergy season alive. 

1. Splurge on the Tissues

I totally understand not wanting to spend a fortune on some luxury tissues. However, a good quality 3-ply tissue maybe with some lotion in them is going to save the skin around your nose. 

2. Make Time for Tea

I'm sure there's some sort of health benefits that go along with this, but just having a warm beverage in your system can go a long way in making you feel a little more like yourself.

3. Keep Moving

It's so easy to crawl into your bed, bury yourself under the covers and stay there until the pollen settles itself down. Don't do that. I really recommend staying active and not avoiding the outdoors. I find that I can build up my tolerance almost as Spring progresses if I spend more time outdoors. I also make sure I'm still working out and doing yoga- work out those body aches and pains!

I hope these tips help anyone who struggles with seasonal allergies. Trust me, I know how crappy it is to deal with the allergies that come along with Spring. Take care of your body as if you had a cold- it helps! We can get through this together!

Do you have seasonal allergies? What helps you get through allergy season? Please do let me know in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back to see what KatieDidd, xo

16. Ribbons & Bows: Wrapping Gifts! | Blogmas

Everything about gift giving at Christmas time gets me so darn excited!! From the planning to buying the gift to watching someone open it and everything in between- gift giving is a christmas favourite for me! Of course to give a gift, you have to wrap a gift... Now some people really dislike gift wrapping as it can be quite tedious and time consuming. However, I really enjoy it! I love the ribbons and bows and paper and boxes and all that jazz! So for todays blogmas post I thought I'd share my gift wrapping process and a few tips and tricks I've learned along the way!

I always begin by buying everything I'll need for everybody's gifts all at once. I hit up DollarTree (they've actually got amazing stuff) and picked up some cute gift boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, and bows. I used all the same wrapping paper just because in my family there's so many people that we all wrap our gifts in the same paper to avoid confusion in case any tags fall off. I also really happened to fall in love with this one particular paper this year so it worked out perfectly!

Once the gift is in the box, it's time for wrapping! A tip I learned to get the perfect piece of wrapping paper size wise is to place the box in the bottom corner, roll it over twice and up once. It's always seemed to work for me! For clean edges, make sure your scissors are sharp and don't use cutting motions- instead slide your scissors straight along the paper. Be sure to hold the paper taught!

Now I know I'm not the only person out there who struggles with the end bits. They're super tricky!! a little tip I learned from my mom is to fold down then tuck in. Once the sides are tucked in to get that triangle shape at the end, tape the middle where the two sides of the wrapping paper meet. This will help to avoid those bubbles that tend to appear upon folding the triangle up. I also recommend using the Scotch gift wrapping tape as it doesn't show at all on the paper!

And voila! I used a matte ribbon and a sparkly ribbon to add some contrast to the gift. I really like the way the white bow looks with the tag against the paper and ribbon colours! I have to say though that I much prefer the gold ribbon against this paper. It feels much more warm and Christmassy. I kept the ends of the ribbon on the gold one and curled them tight to the bow which I really quite like! Wrapped gifts just looks so cute! It's almost a shame we have to open them, don't you think?

I did a few just with the gift boxes because they're too cute not to show case- sorry family, I broke the rules ;) 

I'm really happy with how all the gifts turned out- they look so cute! Here's hoping they fare well in the flight home haha. Do you enjoy wrapping gifts? If you have any tips and tricks for gift wrapping do leave them in a comment!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Tips and Tricks for An Early Start | Morning Routine

Am I the only one who feels like 8am classes just should NOT exist? What purpose do they serve in my life and education when there are so many other hours in the day that aren't 8am.

But alas, 8am classes do exist and they probably always will, so we've got to suck it up and make the most of it! I've put together a list of 5 tips/tricks that help me to sleep a little longer while still getting out the door on time, all without cutting corners!

1. Pack your things the night before

It's a pain in the butt to have to run around looking for all the things you need for your class- it's so easy to get organized the night before an early morning. What I like to do is pack my agenda, folders, notebooks, pens, highlighters, and Macbook into my backpack before going to bed. This ensures that in the morning all I have to do is grab my bag and head out the door.

2. Pre-make your meals

Making and eating breakfast in the morning can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes! I like to hack this by making my breakfast the night before: 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 raw oats, 1 tsp raw cacao powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. I mix it all up in a tupperware container and take it along with me to class. If you're in a lecture hall then you're able to eat whenever you get hungry, there usually aren't rules against food in a lecture hall. If you're in a program like mine, you won't be allowed food in the class room because of the technology. In this case, odds are you professor will provide you with a break half way through (my class is 8am-11am and we usually get a break between 9am and 9:30am) when you can eat, drink, and use the washroom. I also pre-make my lunch the night before so I'm not stuck at school having to buy something over-priced and unhealthy from the cafeteria and it doesn't add any extra time to my morning routine. The easiest way for me to pre-make my lunch is by making enough of my dinner to take along the next day!

3. Lay out clothes in advance

Choosing an outfit in the morning can be an absolute chore! I always find trying to put an outfit together in a rush frazzles me and makes the task harder. I choose 2 outfits the night before; one fancy outfit and one more casual outfit. This gives me options! When I do this I lay out everything including bra, panties, shoes, etc.

4. Perfect a go-to look
The last thing you want to have to worry about in the morning is how to tackle the task that is hair and makeup. Having a quick makeup routine for busy days is a really helpful hack. Mine includes concealer, powder foundation, blush, highlight, mascara, and filling in my brows. Hair takes me the longest to figure out in the morning- it's definitely not my forte. Because of this, I have a few quick goto hair styles for day 1, day 2, and day 3 hair that I shared in this post!

5. Wake up tech-free
Yes, this does sound daunting and impossible, but I can honestly say that avoiding all social media in the morning really helps to speed everything along! I find that I can save myself about half an hour in the mornings just by not checking social media right away! If you think about it, spending just 5 minutes catching up on each major social media platform; FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest  and Snapchat, adds up to 25 minutes. Throw YouTube into the mix and you're looking at a good chunk of time! My best advice is to keep your phone on airplane mode so you're not tempted by notifications. Get through your whole morning routine and then check social media when you're all ready for the day!

My Morning Routine for an 8am Class
5:45am: wake up, stretch in bed
6:00am: get out of bed, get glass of water
6:05am: yoga sun-salutation
6:20am: bathroom/skincare routine
6:35am: go-to hair and makeup
6:45am: get dressed
6:50am: get lunch bag from fridge and pack into school bag
7:00am: head out the door and walk to bus stop
7:20am: catch bus to school, check social media on bus
7:45am: arrive at college and head to class

I hope these 5 tips will be useful to some of you who are stuck in the 8am club! If you have any hacks I could use for my morning routine do let me know! What does your early morning consist of?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn