Monday Motivation

This made me laugh and then frown, because I realized I do this. WE ALL DO THIS!! There does need to be some sort of reward system. And there will be people that say "Getting healthy is the reward." I say WHATEVER!!! I don't care if it's a gold star on a chart I want a reward.

Ok... I want more than a gold star on a chart. In every book or magazine or program it says get a workout buddy. I have a hard time doing this but I would like the motivation. So I decided to get a friend involved in a different way. I figured how many pounds I wanted to lose and divided them up. I then created a reward for each goal. Or if you have a very trust worthy friend they can create the rewards and keep it a secret. Then you weigh in (with your friend) and when you reach your first goal you get your first reward.  Gift cards are awesome!! Gather all your rewards and give them to your friend. This will keep you honest! Here is my plan:

10lbs:  New Workout Video
20lbs:  New Weights
30lbs:  New Workout Clothes
40lbs:  New Pair of Sneakers
50lbs:  New Pair of Sexy Heels
60lbs:  New Outfit
70lbs:  New Lingerie

Get gift cards to all these places or actually buy the items ahead of time. Label them and write a note to your future skinner self. Then give it all to your friend. And remember... stay away from destructive rewards aka ice cream sundae.

Cancer is a Drag

The Beta Sigma Phi - Sigma Chi (Liberal, KS Chapter) is hosting the 3rd Annual Cancer is a Drag Benefit. All the proceeds from the benefit will go towards a local charity.

Here is what it is:
1. Find Local Guys
2. Dress Guys in Drag (makeup, hair, everything)
3. Have guys strut their stuff for money
4. Crown the guy with the most money by the end of the night.

We also auction off awesome donated items and sell Cancer is a Drag merchandise!

Here is what we need:
1. Fun Guys!
2. Cash and Prize Donations
3. People to show up and make it fun!

Shirts will go on sale soon at Zazzle.

www.zazzle.com/cancerisadrag
www.facebook.com/sigmachi.liberal

GIRL MEETS GRILL

I WON A GRILL!!! I was at a work event and we raffled off a Brinkmann Satinless Steel All-In-One Grill. I never win anything and I won the grand prize! Needless to say I'm pumped. There are so many things I want to grill (fruit, pizza, etc) but it's not only a grill... it's also a smoker and fryer. It's either charcoal or propane. <3 

What do you suggest I grill?

HELL YA I'M AMERICAN!!

Last night I mentioned to my friends that I was craving chocolate covered bacon. It was strange to them because they have never heard of it. It was strange to me because I have never tasted it. BUT I have seen it on TV and online so it must be good! right?! IF DONE RIGHT it is good. I mean it is bacon and chocolate. It is unholy but wonderful.... like most sinful things.

When this odd conversation took place we happened to be in our local coffee/deli/bakery shop. The employees of this particular establishment practically dared me to try this concoction. I won't pass up a dare. Especially if it involves bacon and chocolate. Not much of a dare really. They didn't have hardening chocolate (like you would use for strawberries) so they went to the next best thing. They have a house made mocha syrup. "UNHOLY" Needless to say they were shocked when I did consume it.

Mocha Bacon

I want to make it the way it's suppose to be made and bring it to them. I googled a recipe and this was the search that popped up:

FIRST: I love that bacon is in 3rd. It beat pretzels and fruit.
SECONDLY:  WTF is a chocolate covered katie?!

Well I was reluctant to click so I had my friend find out on her phone. It's actually a baking blog so get your mind out of the gutter!!!

There were a lot of great recipes and pictures but this picture made it look tasty and less dueling banjos on a porch swing.

HELL YA I'M AMERICAN!!

I dare you!

Hard Hitting Journalism!

What in the world is going on? On my lunch break I go to a popular news site and see what is going on in the world. The image above is what they were featuring today…

Tech, Politics, War, Environment, Health, more Tech, cat video?, self help and more self help.
Let me rephrase this:
Duh, Weiner joke?, duh, YES, again?, who cares, omg soooo cute, don’t care, and duh!

Are these really the top topics today? Sigh… By the way, the cat video is quite adorable, but I’ll go to youtube or wait for my grandma to email it to me. Please keep it out of my “hard hitting journalism”

Rant complete.

Yardwork... ugh

My mom and I did a little landscaping this weekend. We trimmed the tree as much as possible…

We went and picked up a few plants for dad to plant. I think they look great!

I went with some pretty purple for my front step. Now I just need some pretty yellow flowers and a new door mat!

Hello My Name is Katie and I Waste Money!

CNN Money did an article on the 10 Biggest Money Wasters and I just had to see how I compared. Well the results are in and yikes. I think I need a support group! CNN used the data reported by Gary Thurbers with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of New York. So here it goes…

ATM Fees: Thurber’s clients spend $40 - $500 a year. This is just to get money that already belongs to them! I bank with a rural town bank and they have one ATM and it is attached to the bank… This makes no sense to me but I guess they can’t be open 24/7. This bank is 30 minutes away. There is no reason for me to burn fuel just to avoid a $2.00 fee. Luckily more places will take debit cards and do cash back.

Lottery Tickets: HA! The only gamble I take is whether or not the outfit I ordered online is going to look good. I have been to Vegas twice and not once did I put a coin in a slot machine or a chip on felt. I feel pretty good about myself. But not everyone can be awesome like me. Last year consumers bought more than $70 billion in lottery tickets!

Gourmet Coffee: ….ok ya. This is an issue. Last month I spent $30 at our local coffee shop. What? I need my Hot Tea Latte!! On Average, American’s spend $8.43 each time they stop at a coffee shop. That is almost $400 a year!

Cigarettes: I can proudly say I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. But again… I’m awesome. Thurber’s clients spend almost $300 a month on cigarettes! Can you imagine writing a check for $3600 to cancer research every year?

Infomercial Impulse Buys: Ok I am a night owl… I PROUDLY own a magic bullet blender and the salad chef. This industry brings in $400 billion every year. Thurber’s clients spend $200 per month on this late night buys. I knew this was going to make the list.

Brand Name Groceries: I have noticed that when I shop during the holidays or a busy time I tend to buy brand name groceries because they are easily recognized and I feel rushed to get in and out. If I shop during slow hours I spend less because I can take the time to compare prices and use coupons! If you stopped with the brand name items you could save $50 – 75 a month if you usually spend $500 – 600 on your bill. Doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.

Eating Out: I am guaranteed to go out one night a week with my friends. We have dinner, drinks and an all around good time. I am not giving this up. On Average Consumers spent $2341 on dining out. If I include my alcohol, last month I spent $200!

The last three are not an issue for me and there really weren’t any startling statistics. Unused gym memberships, daily internet deals, and tv and phone bundle plans. I do bundle but I actually save. I have been wanting to cancel my Directv for awhile because of hulu then sports come on and I remember why I purchased it in the first place.

RECCOMENDATION: Mint.com it really is amazing. It’s your entire financial world on one site and organized. It’s easy on the eye and the brain. It even recommends saving and investment options. It tracks trends, loans, budgets, and savings. If you are saving for a project it keeps track of that too! It will send you email updates and if you are getting close to going over budget it will send you a text. It really is a fantastic tool. Check it out. NOW!