4 Ways I Manage Stress

There has been a lot of things going on for me in the past couple weeks.  Grades just closed last week so of course there were about 5 million finals, tests, quizzes, and projects due.  I was trying to work out doing both the spring musical and the drama guild's show for competition.  It was getting especially stressful when my father kept telling me to narrow down my college choices and I hadn't even started to look.  It was hell.  I had no time to do anything so i kept staying up too late and not eating well enough.  So on top of everything, I got sick.  Like really sick.  Like 100+ degree fevers.  I was out of school for a week.  It was literal hell.  So in light of all this, I decided to make a post about how I manage all this stress.

1. Netflix

Netflix is the best.  Whenever I get stressed out I love to take a step back, relax, and watch a couple episodes of some of my favorite shows (provided I have the time).  I always find myself watching Portlandia or Doctor Who as a get away from normal life.  I really like watching comedic and science fiction-y shows.  I love to laugh.  Laughing is a great way to relax and let go so shows like Portlandia are great to watch.  Sci-fi shows are also great to watch as they let you escape your own problems and worry about other nonexistent problems.  Doctor Who is perfect for a sci-fi get away because there are just SO many interesting episodes.  

2. Naps

I feel like I might have said this before but I really like naps.  Sleeping is so nice and it is probably my favorite thing to do when I get stressed out.  Whenever I finally finish part of an assignment I just lay down for a solid 15 minutes and then I try to get up and tackle the next part.  It's pretty awesome and super relaxing.

3.  Tea 

Whenever I get stressed, I basically replace coffee with tea.  It's a lot more calming and I've found that it helps me focus a lot better.  Coffee is a great energy booster, but sometimes I just need to chill so I can actually focus on what I'm doing.  I always like to have a mug of tea nearby while I work on essays.

4.  Music

Music is a big help for me when I'm trying to relax.  I use music for a lot of things.  I use it to regain my energy after being around people for too long.  I use it to help me fall asleep.  I use it to help me focus better.  I use it for inspiration.  My favorite album to listen to for all of these reasons is Homestuck Volume 8 (pictured above).  It just has a lot of really interesting and relaxing songs.  It's great to listen to when writing creative stories.

So there you have it, I guess.  That's how I relax and de-stress myself.  All of these really help me get through the stress so I figured that maybe whoever reads this blog could use some of these methods too.

- René

How to Manage your Convention Spending Habits

My two favorite rooms at a convention? The Dealer's Center and the Artist's Alley.  Why? BECAUSE YOU CAN BUY REALLY COOL STUFF!

There is always so much you can buy at any anime convention.  There are actual companies selling merchandise and along with local artists selling their own works.  You can probably buy anything at a convention.  

You want a wall clock that lights up and looks like Harley Quinn?  Yep, you can get that at a convention.  

You want a body pillow of Benedict Cumberbatch? I've seen several!

You want a phone charm that looks like a tentacle?  I've already bought three in different colors.

You want a beer stein that says "DeanXCastiel OTP Forever"? Only at a con!

But the problem is that all that stuff costs money.  Like a lot of money.  The light up clocks are priced around $70. Body pillows usually go for at least $30.  The tiny handcrafted phone charms are like $6 a piece.  And you don't even want to know how expensive the beer stein is. Separately, they seem pretty reasonable.  But how could you go to a convention and only buy one thing?

Limiting your purchases at a convention is probably one of the hardest things you can do (especially if you're one of those impulse buyers that buy into every raffle they see).  But unless you want to end up broke at the end of the weekend, you HAVE to do it.  There's a lot of money already being spent on your costume and your ticket into the convention (not to mention possible gas and hotel fees) so you really need to try not to go over budget when buying souvenirs. 

Here's a few helpful steps on how to not overspend at a convention:

1.  Make a list of your desired souvenirs before hand.  This means GET THERE EARLY!

When I first enter a con, the first thing I look for is the Dealer's Center.  There's always SO much stuff in there that you might end up getting lost or not even noticing a vendor's booth!  I like to walk around and just look at everything to see what's there.  I never buy something on the first day (unless its a limited edition/rare item).  There are bound to be vendors with the same merchandise so it's good to make notes on which one's have the lower prices and where they are located.  The Artist's Alley is the next place you want to hit and make sure to really look at everything since every piece there will be different.

2.  Plan out your expenses and only take the money you need for that day.  

Now that you have a bit of an idea of what you want to buy, you can prepare a plan for yourself.  Figure out which items you want the most and which items are the most pricey.  The items that are more pricey should be left until Sunday when many artists hold sales and it is easier to haggle with the dealers (note: do NOT haggle with artists).  If you think an item will run out by Sunday, buy it on Saturday.  Try to divide up your desired souvenirs between the remaining days of the convention and then add up the cost of the souvenirs for those days.  Only take the money necessary for those days and those items.  

3. Set your souvenir money aside from your food/gas money.  (Or: Acquire a very nice, rich friend who will buy you food)

There have been way too many times where I've accidentally used my food money on an impulse purchase.  I like to use separate wallets to hold my souvenir money and food money so I can't "accidentally" use the food money to buy an extra souvenir.  

And there you go! If you follow those steps, you should definitely be able to manage your spending habits!

-René

Future Cosplay Plans

So I made a post called "Cosplay List" a while back and like most cosplay plans, it has changed. Drastically. Okay, maybe not too drastically.  A few things have stayed the same but most things have changed.  I've thought a bit more on stuff and I talked about it with my cosplay buddy.  We decided to completely scrap Trip in favor of the alternate, Asahi.  We also decided to scrap Cecil/Cecilia for QCK in favor of one of our favorite cosplays which we haven't done in awhile (I'll show them later).  Anyways in addition to scrapping a few, my opinion on a few changed.  Let's get into it, shall we?

Queen City Kamikaze - Ivan Braginski or Russia (Hetalia)

So this cutie is actually the personification of Russia.  He was actually one of my first cosplays and definitely one of my favorites.  Ivan has one of my favorite personality types: cute yet scary.  He's intimidating yet really sweet, when he's not in one of his moods that is.  I've had Ivan's cosplay for about 3 years and it is always well received.  I totally own his character and it is so fun to talk in a Russian accent for like 6+ hours without stopping.  Although I am a little let down that I won't be Cecilia but I haven't been Russia in awhile and I am really excited to cosplay him again.

Anime Boston :

Friday - Asahi Azumane

So this big nerd is definitely still on the list.  I got his uniform for Christmas and let me tell you, it is SO comfy.  I just need his wig and I'll be all set.  I'm really excited to be Asahi because he is a lot like me.  He's super shy and unsure of himself but he is actually really good at what he does.  Asahi gets nervous a lot when in front of others so if I start to panic a bit because the con is too crazy, I'll still be able to be in character. Haha... 

Saturday - Clear 

Since it was so well-received at AAC,I decided that I will cosplay him again at this year's AB.  I'm really excited to cosplay him again.  I love his character and I had sooo much fun being him.  However, I do plan to make a few slight changes. I might not wear the gloves this time (they were too hard to text with ;-;).  With the gas mask, I want to tint the lenses a bit so it will be harder to see into.  I don't know how I'll do it but I'll figure something out.

Sunday - Shima Renzou

So yep.  Shima is still on the list.  Although I do love Shima, I'm a little unsure of how I'll be at his character since he is a lot more outgoing than me but I'll just have to try I guess.  Anyway, I got his wig and his weapon for Christmas.  I am hoping to get his uniform for my birthday and then I'll be all set.  I really don't know how to feel about him right now but I am cosplaying him in a group so I can't really back out now.  Sigh, it'll probably be really good and I will probably love it but I honestly am kinda stressing out over him.  Oh well, it'll be fine...

Yep, so that's my updated plan for QCK and AB.  I doubt that it will change but who knows? It probably will.  Oh, the joys of cosplay.

-Rene