The Avocado and Me

To those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! Hanukkah ended a bit ago, but  חנוכה שמח! And tomorrow marks the first day of Kwanzaa! If you celebrate nothing this time of year, that's great, too. I envy that you aren't being tempted by cocoa and trays and trays of cookies. Oh, it's been difficult, my friends. Make sure to treat yourself occasionally, though! I know I have! That Eggnog Kringla was definitely worth it. Treats are great, but we don't want to get totally off track during the holidays. Today's post will spotlight one of my favorite things in the whole wide world, even better than Eggnog Kringla; exercise! Exercise used to make me feel like a total idiot. Sure, I liked PE in elementary school. I could run around and play tag in the second grade. No biggie. But when I decided to join my mother in the basement to try out weight training, I felt a little odd. Sort of like I had no idea what I was doing, which I didn't. Or why I was bothering with

Hello again, everyone! Whew, it's been a LONG time since my last post! Things have been a little chaotic: I have All-State Choir rehearsals to attend, and am super busy with my school musical. I have tap dance lessons and workouts to do, and TONS of homework. And then there are the basic things, like eating. And sleeping. And interacting with my family and friends. Plus, the holidays are nearing with each passing day; there is so much to do! You could say that my stress levels have been a little high. Even though demanding schedules can become our puppet masters, it's important that we always have positive coping skills to turn to. We all need a way to relax and let go from the turbulence around us. And so, such coping mechanisms will be the focus of this piece. Let's start for simply - what is a coping mechanism? According to Dictionary.com, a coping mechanism is  " an   adaptation   to   environmental   stress   that   is   based   on   conscious   or  unconsciou