Donald Trumped The Troops

image taken from pixabay.com

Trump really put his foot into it this week, in more ways than one. But, it ceases to surprise me all the different ways he manages to make an embarrassment of himself and my country. In this week’s news and tweets (because for Trump, tweets are the best way to let the country know where things stand, not via a verified well drafted press release) Trump has announced that he plans to ban trans-gendered/transsexual people from the military. This brings up several very important questions.

Can he do this?

No. People assume that the Presidents word is law when it comes to the military, because he is technically the Commander in Chief. But it isn’t! The President can declare war, and send troops to a location, but only for a limited amount of time before the decision has to be approved by Congress. Most other military decisions require more than just the President’s say so. Therefore, what Trump says has no bearing on what will actually happen. It only causes uproar.

Why would Trump want to do this?

I don’t have an answer to this question. I wish I did, but I rarely can understand the logic behind Trump’s political decisions. It appears to me that he follows the shock and scare tactic of media management. Meaning he likes uses shocking statements and policies to surprise his citizens, and maybe even scare some of them into obeying. I truly believe that in Trumps mind, the only way for him to remain President is to continuously Tweet scandalous, ludicrous things to keep attention on him. Without social media, Trump would be nothing.

What will the military do?

image taken from pixabay.com

A quick look at the American military. It allows men and women to fight in active combat. It allows openly gay people to fight. It allows 18 year old’s, fresh out of high school to fight. Basically, the US military will take anyone willing to participate. The American military is what made the USA a super power in the world. It helped win WW2, and has been involved in conflicts on almost every major landmass on earth. Ask any foreigner, America and military might are synonymous with each other. (Although a lot of foreigners don’t view that in a good way, many think that Americans are too violent) 

The American military won’t be able to stay as strong as it currently is if Trump’s decision to oust trans-gendered/transsexuals from the ranks is actually put into law. It won’t only remove that specific group of people, but liberals within the military might leave out of protest. New recruits probably will think twice before signing up to join an group that will remove it’s own members as soon as an overly tan, under qualified Trump says so. To follow Trumps lead on this issue would cost the military dearly. And I don't think the military has the cash or credit to pay that bill. 

Bottom Line

 Like with many of the ridiculous tweets and things Trump says, this to will result in nothing. The scandal this would cause the military isn't worth saving a few penny's on the medical treatment for its trans-gendered/transsexual personnel. Trump is like the mean girl in high school, he needs  headlines and gossip to keep him relevant. 

Friday Freebie: Don't Be Afraid To Get Mean To #doitcheap

I’m sure we are all familiar with the phrase “Nice people finish last”. Now, I don’t think that’s always true, as I made clear in last post. You can get free stuff by being kind and helpful. But sometimes, to get things for free or at a discount, you have to get mean.

image from pixabay.com

Have you ever ordered a meal at a restaurant, and they got things wrong? Your food was undercooked, overcooked, or you got the complete wrong thing? You could just accept that, and eat it anyway. But, if it is at a chain restaurant (like Frankie & Benny’s, Chili’s, etc.), you can probably get something for free out of it. You can have your meal completely paid for, or get the drinks for the table covered. It doesn’t have to be limited to your food being messed up either. I once went to a restaurant, and it took 30 minutes to bring us drinks, and over an hour to take our food order. Needless to say, we  got some stuff for free that night. The biggest issue I believe people (especially Brits) have, is that they are afraid to ask. Don’t be afraid to ask, or even demand, that a restaurant gives you a discount or free stuff if they messed up. Trust me, they would rather give you a free burger and have you come back again, than lose you forever as a customer. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? They say no if you ask for it to be comped?

Other times, it isn’t as easy as saying, you messed up my salad, can you give me a free soda. Sometimes, you should get really angry. This works best when you are dealing with online booking situations. If you book a rental car, and you turn up and they give you a smaller car than you ordered, you can demand a discount. They might try to say no at first, but they will eventually give in. (This rental car situation has happened to me, instead of a discount, I got a free upgrade to an even bigger car!). You can also do this with hotels as well. If your room isn't cleaned, or you got a smoking room when you requested non-smoking, then ask for money back!You just have to stand your ground.

image from pixabay.com

If your flight is late, and you miss a connection, then that is definitely grounds to get something out of the airlines. My plane was late into Las Vegas, and I missed the last flight out to Seattle. I had to spend the night in the Vegas airport. So, the airline gave me free first-class seats, and food vouchers to places in the airport. (In a similar situation, an airline put me up for free in a hotel). Another time, an airline charged me twice for a ticket. After calling them, demanding to speak to a manager, then lodging a formal complaint, I got $150 in gift cards to the airline. Airlines and airports are an ideal place to get seat upgrades, free food, free hotels, and some extra air miles.

The key in all those situations, was not taking no for an answer. Companies will always try to just apologize and then brush you to the side if they mess up. Some people will accept that and just complain quietly to their friends. But, I never accept it. I know that companies have budgets set aside to manage screw ups, and employees have a certain amount of leeway to give upgrades, discounts etc. So, if a company messes up, I make them give me things. If they say no at first, I ask to speak to their boss. If they say no, I threaten to write a bad review for them online. (A bad review can mean a lot of lost business for a company, especially if there is a good human-interest story attached to it). Usually, after I refuse to back down, I get stuff for free. And I never feel guilty or like a bully. The companies messed up, they need to correct their error. Plus, I’m poor so I never feel bad about getting something for free. 

Poor Is Just A Four Letter Word in Britain

photo from pixabay.com

A quick comparison of the USA and the UK. Both countries are a democracy, although have structured their government differently (us Americans learned from the British mistakes). Both countries are considered first world nations. The UK has a monarchy, USA doesn't. The UK has national health care, the USA doesn't. The UK has a lot of government sponsored housing (it's called council housing) that drastically cuts the cost for UK residents. The USA does not, we have some (but not much) Section 8 housing (mostly in city areas). The UK has paid sick leave, the USA does not (you get sick in America, and you can miss work, but you won't get paid for that day unless you count it as part of your holiday). The UK also has a system that can permanently remove people from work, and provide them living expenses if they have a severe illness (even mental illness) that prevents them from working. In America, if you can't work, you are out of luck.

To summarize, if you are a British citizen, you are much better off than if you are American.

Now, there are multiple reasons for this, many of which I will be discussing in later blog posts. But, just to get things started, I would like to make a point. Even the poorest of the poor, the unemployed who have no money for rent, can get free housing and support in the UK. Children in England are entitled to their own child benefits that their parents can use to support them, so children never starve. A single mom will always have a place at a hostel or woman's home if she is kicked out of her house. A man with a broken leg will get funds to help pay his bills until he can walk again.

 In England, the poor aren't really poor. They might not have much in their bank accounts. But in a majority of cases, the UK government will help them. They offer them housing at discounts, free medical care, some free childcare, job training, and money for living expenses. The poor don't need cars because the transportation system in England is outstanding compared to America. It is an extreme statement, but I think that the poorest of the poor in England are much better off than they would be in America. (Obviously I know there are exceptions to this, and there are homeless people in the UK)

photo from pixabay.com

In America, our government doesn't provide us nearly as much support. We don't get paid sick leave. We don't get free childcare so our kids don't fall behind by not attending pre-school. We can't get free housing. In America, you are on your own. It really is the land of the free, free from support.

If you are poor, like I was, you don't have anything to fall back on. If I couldn't pay my rent, I didn't have the safety of knowing that it can take landlords months to evict me like in the UK. In America, the landlords can remove a tenant at a moments notice. Don't pay your water bill? No water, there is no alternative. No car? Well, you probably can't get to work. My vehicle broke down and I lost days of pay because I simply couldn't get there (my town literally didn't have a bus system). No healthcare? Currently, you can get fined under Obamacare for not having health insurance.

People paint America in a multitude of ways. A giant that interfere's in conflicts it shouldn't (Afghanistan and Vietnam). A pioneer in innovation. The monster that made Trump president. America has many faces, especially in the eyes of British people. But one thing people rarely consider, is how bad off the lower income are in America. The poor have no safety net. I had no safety net. My car broke and I had to wait weeks to fix it until I got paid. Miss the bus for school? Sometimes I couldn't go because I had no way to get there. Occasionally, I had to choose between buying my dog food, or myself. I choose my dog because she was my only protection when I lived alone in the ghetto. I severely cut myself and needed stitches, but I had no health insurance, so I had to wrap it as best I could and deal with the pain.

This might sound like a sob story. It isn't meant to be. I merely want to highlight how lucky British people are, and how difficult it can be for Americans. It creates a gulf between our countries. The poor people I know in the UK, are significantly better off financially and socially than I was in the USA. No matter how hard I try to explain that to British people, it is something they can't grasp. In Britain, poor is just a four letter word.

Free Fitness Routine Review: I Try the Stuff Out So You Don't Have To

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSBGp79toaQ

Free Fitness Workout Review: I Do the Hard Work So You Don’t Have To

Host: Fitness Blender (I love these guys!!!)

Video: 50 Minute Cardio Kickboxing & Abs Workout for Stress Relief & Fat Burning Cardio

Exercise Type: This is a boxing workout with ab intervals. You do 2 rounds of boxing and 3 rounds of abs. But don’t let that fool you, the 2 boxing intervals are insanely hard! You do 5 different boxing combinations on both your right and left side, which makes it 10 moves per boxing interval. By the time that part is done, you are dying for an ab interval. But the abs never last long enough, so you are back up on your feet before you are ready.

Review: I loved, loved, loved this workout. But it was totally exhausting, I was bent over, clutching my ribs, I was so out of breath. I completely soaked my clothes, which is disgusting but true. I enjoyed that it was very cardio intensive, but it didn’t involve any running or a whole lot of feet movement (aside from knee up and kicks). I have bad knees so sometimes doing a lot of butt kickers, or lunges can get painful. 

It was also a great way to work out some aggression, I did this workout on the Saturday after a really bad week, so I had a lot of anger ready to explode. By the end of this routine, it was all gone! Don’t underestimate how empowering it feels to punch thin air a 100 times, I felt like Wonder Woman! The ab intervals were a good challenge, they worked all portions of my stomach, obliques, back, top and bottom abs. The routine also include a warm up and cool down, so don’t let the 50 minutes time intimidate you, it was actually very doable. I was panting at the end, but I didn’t feel like my legs were about to give out. If you ever come home from work angry (like I do almost every day), do this routine! One hour of boxing and you feel like a new person.

Favorite Move: It was actually really hard to pick one. I think that I enjoyed the front kick-knee- 2 upper cut combination. It took a few attempts to get the rhythm of the move, but once I had the series down, I was loving it. On the front kicks I would even do an extra little jump, just because it made me feel like a ninja. I was kicking some serious bad guy ass on this combination!

Hardest Move: The hardest move also come from the cardio kickboxing intervals. The ab training was very manageable and were all familiar moves so I didn’t struggle. The hardest move was an upper cut-upper cut-knee-knee combination. I could not get the hang of this combo! I think because it focused entirely on my left side, then my right. It made me feel very off balance in my stance. Furthermore, doing the knee-knee move twice was awkward and challenging. This move wasn’t hard because it was physically exhausting, it was hard because it took a lot of concentration for me to keep doing the moves in the correct order. (the trainers at Fitness Blender always say its the moves that make you think are best, but I disagree) I like to focus more on the sequence of movements rather than my muscles to make sure I was giving it my all.

Rating: 9/10. There isn’t much I would change about this video! I really liked it, and will be doing it again. My only edits would be for the workout to be explained more clearly in the beginning. I had no warning that the boxing interval was 5 moves all on my left side, then the same 5 moves on my right. So, I went all in the first 5 moves thinking it would be done after that, and I had 5 more to do! 

Otherwise, I loved this video. It kept a good pace, and was a nice mixture of arm punching moves and legs. The ab intervals provided a nice rest, and it focused on an area I’m always trying to improve. In terms of difficulty, I would say this video is a 7/10, so only do this on a day when you have a lot of energy because it requires it! I save the longer 50-60 minute workouts for my weekends when I don’t have work to go to or come home from. I just don’t have the energy to do a long workout and my job because I’m always on my feet at work.

Do this video! It is wonderfully tiring and it helps if you picture someone you hate when you punch and kick. I picture some of my colleagues and a rich girl I know who drives me crazy. It really helps you put in more effort to the workout, so you burn more calories and get more strength!

Friday Freebies: How to Get Free Stuff with Kindness

I have another post about getting free things! If I get something for free, I find that down the line I love the thing more than I would if I paid for it. I think that is a result of being poor and knowing the value of items. 

I wrote on myself for my blog readers!

Method 1: Say yes to everything! Store employees are always approaching me to do surveys, fill out a quick form etc. Usually people brush them off because they are in a rush, but I’ve been one of the people who asks customers for surveys and if they do fill them out, I’m happy to make it worth their time! Just the other day, I filled out a survey and I got a free ice slushie at the movie theatre and 2 for 1 popcorn. Many fast food restaurants have surveys at the bottom of receipts to get discounts or free burgers! If you don’t believe me that saying yes to surveys, forms, etc. gets you free stuff, then listen to this. If you are shopping and you buy ten shirts that cost $10 each, your total will be $100. If an employee offers you 10% off for answering a few questions, that will save you $10 off your total bill. That means that by filling out one survey, you would basically get one of your shirts free! I hope you believe me now when I say you need to say yes!

Method 2: You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. It’s an old wife saying that is completely true! If you go out of your way to be nice to employees at a store, they will be more willing to do you favors. Be extra polite in the ice cream line, and you can get more free samples, or a bigger scoop of ice cream. Chat up the barista and they will put whip cream on your hot chocolate at Starbucks for no extra charge. Free samples and extra’s might not seem like much, but when you are broke, the little stuff counts. I promise, if you are nice to people than you will get extra discounts and free stuff thrown your way.

image made at recite.com

Method 3: Don’t be afraid to ask for things. (People often feel uncomfortable asking for free things, but they shouldn't!) Ask for samples at makeup stores. Sephora gives you free samples to try out products before making the commitment of buying them. I don’t recommend you use this for all your makeup needs, but if you want to try something new, or just need a certain shade for one occasion, then it’s a great bet! You can also order a way to try samples of shampoo’s and cleaning products. If you have a baby, signing up for parenting blogs can get you offers on diapers, and some diaper companies will give you one or two free new products to try them out and garner interest. On top of all that, in magazine inserts you can get sample face masks, perfumes, etc. These are luxury items I can’t afford. I don’t buy face masks, but I save the ones from Cosmo and Glamour and use them when I need a little spa day.

Method 4: Lend a helping hand. Doing favors for other people doesn’t only give you good karma (which I am a strong believer in) but usually leads to getting you free items. If you lend someone your soap, they might return it in full, by buying you a whole new bottle. Does someone need help moving? Help, and you can get a free meal, plus you get your exercise! I’ve exchanged car rides from the airport for a box of chocolates. You will find that people give you stuff if they feel like you have put in effort for them (otherwise they will feel guilty for taking advantage of you).

My biggest advice, be extra nice to employees at food places and retail shops. It will always pay off with discounts and free things. Kindness to others is free for you to give. Offer to do favors for people, and they will return it by giving you stuff. But, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want as well.

Doctor Who Takes One Step Forward For Women, and One Giant Leap Forward for Transgendered/Transsexual's

On Sunday it was announced that a female actress will be the new Doctor Who. For most Americans, you might not understand the significance of this. Doctor Who is a decidedly British show. It started in the 1960’s, and has become a British institution. Perhaps this is the reason the British love it so much. It has bonded generation together, over a love for the eccentric Doctor.

If I could give you a summary of Doctor Who, I would. But, I’ve only begun to watch it the last few years and I only view it sporadically. The gist of the show is about an odd Doctor who can travel through time and space, and he helps beings whether they be human or alien or animals. He always has a sidekick who is usually a stereo-typically beautiful woman that keeps him from going crazy from all of his travels. The Doctor can heal from most injuries, and he regenerates into new versions of himself if he is mortally wounded. Those are the main points of Doctor Who that you need to understand to see the implication of the casting alteration.

It’s the regeneration that enables the show to continue production. When the male actor becomes bored, or too old to continue playing Doctor Who, they simply make the doctor regenerate. And after he does, it’s a new actor and a new Doctor Who, and all new story lines can begin! From a marketing and financial point, it’s a brilliant strategy to ensure the show maintains interest and longevity.

credit to images below

The last season of Doctor Who was the most liberal yet. His side kick was completely different from previous ones. The girl (Bill) was poor, black, and gay, with heavy emphasis on being a lesbian in episodes. I think the show producers realized that Doctor Who was a bit dated and needed to be brought into 2017. So, they incorporated the liberal world we now live in, into the story line.

Now, when I saw this change in the apprentice, I knew that Doctor Who was turning a corner. So, early on this season, I predicted that when the Doctor regenerated, it would be into a female form. And as was revealed on Sunday, I was right! The Doctor in season 11 will be a female.

Now the main character will be Doctor Who as a woman. This demonstrates that the show is ready to embrace a more powerful female voice. That is what the media seems to be focusing on. I agree that it is great that a woman is going to be the star, and likely a man will be her assistant (although a female assistant would make an epic statement about feminism). But I think there is a more deeply embedded theme that is worth examining.

Let’s analyze the fact that the doctor can regenerate into a new being, and it can be either male or female. I suggest this hints at the idea that Doctor Who is more liberal than people might have perceived. Some might even view this as a one of the first gender fluid characters in main stream television. A being that can be either male or female at different points in their lifespan. Within the show, there already exists gender fluid being like this, but it has never gotten much attention. Another person from the same planet as the Doctor who regenerated from a male to female and thrived. That character has since died, and now Doctor Who will be the one that has transformed from male to female.

Doctor Who will now normalize the idea that a man can “regenerate” and turn into a woman and vice versa. If people take this at face value, it might seem insignificant, just a plot twist. But it is quite the opposite! Seven years ago, the fact that trans-gendered people existed was not well known or accepted. In fact, many people thought it impossible for a man to be born with male genitalia, but within their brain, feel female. Now, there are genderless bathrooms, and widespread education/support for the trans-gendered and transsexual population.

credit to images below

Doctor Who is more groundbreaking than people might believe. Doctor Who had already suggested that the Doctor could change into a woman, but remain the Doctor, and remain themselves. Now the show has progressed from mere suggestion to physically turning the Doctor from a man to a woman. And this is exactly what the trans-gendered/transsexual movement is. A person born a female, but feeling that they are a man, are not different people when they embrace their masculinity. They still hold the same memories and beliefs, they just show an altered physical form of themselves to the world. That is what the Doctor will be doing in the new season. The Doctor will have morphed from a male, into female. But the Doctor will still help people, still be weird, and still be the same person they were before they became transsexual.

It is commendable that the show’s creators have put a female as the lead role in a previously male dominated show. But when digging deeper into the shows meaning, it shows support to the certainty that the gender/sex you are born doesn’t mean that gender/sex is the one you must remain. Or that by altering gender/sex, you change who a person is within themselves. The Doctor and transgender/transsexual people’s inner essence remains the identical. What is more groundbreaking about Doctor Who is the concept that it demonstrates, explains, publicizes and supports trans-gendered/transsexual people. 

male image taken from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorwhospoilers/15043061762

-image edited and changed using picmonkey.com

female image taken from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Jodie_Whittaker_2014.jpg

-image edited and changed using picmonkey,com

Friday Freebie! A Day Late But Worth The Wait #doitcheap

I know I’m a day late in my Freebie Friday post. I do apologize, but I had a bit of a rough Friday ☹ 

If you are an avid book reader like me, then you are aware of how expensive book buying can be! If you go into a Barnes and Nobles or a Waterstones a full price, hot off the press book, can cost up to $20/£19! That’s a lot of dough! Even if you only buy off the clearance shelf, it will cost you at least $5/£4. 

A cheaper alternative would be to shop in thrift shops, in the used book section. You can find some real treasures there. But, the problem with thrift shops is you aren’t likely to find the newest Dan Brown or James Patterson on the shelves. You could just shop of Amazon. Amazon has both new and used versions of most books, the used versions can cost you less than a $1! But you must factor in the cost of shipping, which can get quite pricey, especially because you can rarely Prime the used books.

So, where does that leave someone who lives the #doitcheap lifestyle?

The library! It’s a magical place that lends you books free! All you need is a library card and an address within the libraries district. All towns have libraries, some even have multiple depending on the size of your city. You can borrow a book for as long as you need, if you make sure to renew it. The important thing to keep it #doitcheap is to never keep a book past the due date or your risk incurring fines (but even those can be minimal). Most libraries have whatever book you desire and they strive to buy at least one copy of the hottest title, sometimes more. If for some reason your local library doesn’t have the book you want, they can inter-library loan it, and get it for you.

 Libraries have put in a lot of effort to stay current with the times. It used to be a solely book based borrowing system, but now they have expanded their offerings. Libraries now carry DVD’s of popular movies and box sets of television shows like Friends or Grey’s Anatomy. Libraries also offer free CD borrowing, and they tend to have subscriptions to the popular newspapers and magazines. So, sometimes just stopping into your local library to read the latest Cosmo can be worth it (that would save $3 a month alone!).

But libraries haven’t stopped at DVD’s, CD’s, magazines and audio books to keep you coming to them. Many libraries now have online catalogs that allows its members to download books to a Kindle, Nook or tablet. It’s a way to go to the library without even leaving your house. And the selection online is as varied as it is in the physical library, crime, sci-fi, autobiographies, if you can think of it, libraries have it. These sites usually offer downloadable audio books as well, so there is something for everyone. Did I mention it’s free?

To find out if you local library offers free book downloading, go to the website, or just ask a librarian. You will need your library card and usually a pin number, which you librarian will be able to help you get. It is totally worth the effort of logging on! The free online library kept me alive when I lived in China and couldn’t get books in English very often.

About five years ago, people thought that print books were going to disappear. Many thought that libraries would fade away as well. But that hasn’t been the case. People will always want a free way to remain cultured and entertained, and libraries will never stop providing that.

So, my (late) Friday Freebie tip is to go to your local library! You will find reading materials galore, meet new people, and most of all save money. Free, unlimited books! That is the best way to #doitcheap. (#doitcheap kid tip, libraries usually offer a free story time on the weekends, so it gives parents time to look around without children, and it gives the kids something fun to do!)

Fitness Review Tuesday! A Resistance Band Workout that Lies! #doitcheap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fgjeJZfeAs

Thank you Youtube for that free #doitcheap big booty!!

Host: Gym Ra

Video Title: 30 min Total Body Resistance Workout 150-200 calories

Exercise Type: Resistance band training. You can buy resitance bands online from Amazon for as cheap as 2.99/$3.50, but a good set costs around 10/ $12. I’ve built up my gym equitment workout slowly overtime, so I did invest in a set that cost around 11. I kinda had to because I broke my partners band, and had to replace it. I’ve looked online and some sites suggest using panty hose (http://everyhomeremedy.com/diy-resistance-bands-and-foam-rollers/) but I don’t think those would be enough resistance. So maybe a pair of tights which are thicker, or multiple pairs of tights. If you are like me, and you are dedicated to following online free Youtube video’s as your only fitness guide, then it will be worth investing in some gym equipment like weights, gliders, etc. I tend to buy one fitness device per paycheck. So I spread the cost out. And then I use that device non stop for a month.

Review: I actually hated this routine. The trainer looked super fit and like she did a lot of exercise, so I trusted that she would give me a good workout that pushed me. I was wrong. The video’s title advertised that it was a full body workout, but honestly it felt mostly like arms. I was hoping to work abs and legs a lot more in the 30 minutes.

 Furthermore, I had to switch bands a lot to try and find one that was a good amount of resistance for me to workout with, some exercises were harder than others and I had to drop to an easier band. That made the whole workout very stop and go. I like to start a workout and power through it then collapse afterwards. But I couldn’t get in a rhythm with this routine. It didn’t feel very challenging, or dynamic. I didn’t like each exercise had enough reps. We were supposed to go through the whole routine twice through, but the second round the trainer forgot a few of the harder exercises!

Favorite Move: The plie squat side bend. As I’ve said before, squats are my happy place in fitness. No matter how many reps, squats are the one thing I never give up on. And lately I’ve been focusing on my oblique’s more, so this combined two important things for me! It was a squat that worked my inner thigh and it worked my sides with the bend. The resistance band was basically useless on this move, but oh well.

Hardest Move: The tricep arm pull. I really enjoy tricep moves, I think that I work my biceps a lot at work and in standard cardio routines. But I feel that my triceps are neglected. So I like that this routine had several triceps moves. However, this one was hard to do with the resistance band. I had to wrap the band around my fist several times to get enough pull on my tricep and it was uncomfortable. Even with that it didn’t feel like enough work. On top of that, the band got caught in my hair and pinched the skin on my back. So it was hard not in a physical effort sense but more in a comfort sense.

Rating: 4/10. This is the lowest rating I’ve given thus far. I tend to find good parts in all fitness routines on Youtube, but I struggled with this one. Overall, I didn’t love this routine. But if you are looking for an easier, arm heavy 30 minute routine, then this would be good. Maybe you could do this as a semi-rest day after a strength training day or something.

Blow Off: "I do not think that means what you think it means"

imgflip.com

(Major awesome points to whoever can correctly identify the movie quote in my blog title. Comment if you know it)

“I can’t believe she blew me off like that!”

A quote from a recent conversation I had with some friends over curry. They reacted to my words with inappropriate giggling. I didn’t get why. I was quite upset that my best gal pal elected to not go to a movie with me and used a lame excuse days later. I didn’t comprehend what was laughable about my situation. Then someone finally asked what “blow me off” meant.

I stared at them blankly. Of course “blow off” means to have someone cancel or ignore you. In my case a friend ignored plans to go to a movie. It is a phrase I frequently say.

Understandable stuff, right? Wrong! The reason my mature, fully grown adult, friends were giggling like teenage boys was because in England, “blow off” means to perform a blow job or oral sex. Naturally, they were confused and amused that I might say my girl friend blew me off. Cue my cheeks turning bright red and me sputtering out the American definition.

American definition

Blow off: To ignore someone or something or to cancel on plans in a abrupt/rude manner

British definition (according to my friends)

Blow off: To perform oral sex on a male

British definition (according to Urban dictionary, this is the fifth most common definition of the phrase, so it isn’t widely used)

Blow off: To fart or pass gas

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blow%20off

(all meme images were made at imgflip.com)

Freebie Fridays: The #doitcheap Method of Getting Free Stuff

As much as I strive to buy stuff on the cheap to maintain my fabulous lifestyle, sometimes certain things are just out of the question. Like new furniture, as cheap as IKEA is, can't nobody pay for that shit! Especially me.

Pre-internet, if you wanted free stuff, you had to be on the ball searching the ads in newspapers. People usually posted them with free stuff and it was first come, first serve. But thank goodness, we live in the 21st century and don't have to sift through pages upon pages of black and white print. Instead all the stuff people want to get rid of is posted in one convenient place, the internet!

There are a few rules to follow when retrieving free stuff off websites. 

1. Be safe when you go to retrieve furniture or items from a stranger's home. Take a buddy, keep your phone on you, make sure someone knows where you are, etc. Basically, don't be an idiot and you will be fine.
2. Be prepared for the free stuff to be in less than perfect condition. After all, most of the stuff will be pre-owned. But with a little TLC you can probably fix any issues your free item may have. Paint is a magic substance that can cover scratch marks, and throw pillows can hide furniture stains. Just get creative with it.
3. Don't assume you will instantly find the free thing you are looking for. It may take you a few day's to find the ideal free couch. So, don't jump on the first free couch you see, in the free game, patience is a virtue.
4. It never hurts to keep your eye on the free sites at all times, in case something cool comes up! Sometime people give away building supplies like wood pallets that you can turn into lawn furniture! Or maybe you will discover a book shelf you didn't know you needed, but you really do!The internet is like digging for buried treasure, you never know what you might unearth.

Gumtree

Craigslist

Facebook Marketplace

Here is a list of website where you can definitely find all sorts of free things

UK: Gumtree Freebies
-you can find all sorts of stuff on here, and you can personalize it to your location. Currently on offer, office chairs, desk chairs, wooden pallets, and a dog.

USA & some international locations: Craigslist
-click on your country, then your local(ish) area. Under the 'For Sale' section, click on 'Free'. In Las Vegas there is currently free paint, televisions, and dirt.

Worldwide: Facebook Marketplace and Buy and Sell Groups
-On Facebook Marketplace you can set criteria to cost $0-$0 and all free items will be listed (you can input your town name to make it more specific). But beware! You will need to weed through the fake free ads! I never said free was easy.
-On the Buy and Sell Groups you can join a group that is more personalized to what you want, ie. Horse Tack, Cars, etc. Again, you will have to go through and find the free stuff!

It takes effort to maintain the #doitcheap lifestyle, but you can all do it, and your bank account will thank you for it.

My Friday Freebie:
No. 7 self tanner. No. 7 is a popular UK beauty brand. This was given to me by a collegue who doesn't tan. I've never tried something like it, so this should be interesting! I'll make sure to share my #doitcheap tan experience!

Fitness Review: 50 Minute Barre Workout #doitcheap

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dvpz2OGkXo

Host: Shauna Kathleen

Video Title: Free Full Length 50 min. Barre Workout You Can Do At Home

Exercise Type: Full body burning barre workout! You start off by working legs, then arms, then abs. You do about 15 mins for each body section.

It was so hard to hold this for the photo!

Review: I loved this routine! I thought I might die in the first 30 minutes, but it was worth it! I was so sore the next day, I felt it in my abs and my legs the most. I did this routine after a 4 day hiatus because of some bowel biopsy’s, so I wasn’t at my best. Which is why I elected to do a barre routine. The previous barre video’s I have done haven’t been super intensive, so I thought it was the perfect exercise to ease myself back in. I was so wrong! This trainer is different. She worked every muscle of my leg, calf to quad. I couldn’t keep up with her in the arm segment, and somehow she made my abs turn to fire with a few simple moves. I actually collapsed to the mat at the end. Ballerina’s are insane athletes for doing this stuff for hours every day! Do this routine if you want something that is intense, but not too fast paced or cardio intense. The trainer makes each move count, so you don’t need to rush through! I recommend this as a routine to break up the monotony of your usual workouts.

Killer lunge series

Hardest Move: The back lunge series! In this routine, you work one leg at a time so it really burns out and you do it twice through! Lunge’s are my enemy, so I struggled to keep pace with the trainer on these moves.

Favorite Move: I love me a plie squat! Squats are my superpower and I like plie squats because they challenge a different muscle group. The trainer does a great inner thigh move by making you pull your knees back in a plie squat, so you really feel the muscles work.

My favorite plie squat

Number of Time’s I Cussed: I don’t recall an exact number. I don’t think I swore at her until the very end, when I was just too exhausted to carry on. But I did say “Seriously?! More?!” frequently, and several “Oh My God, I’m dying”.

Rating: 7/10. I loved this routine, it was a challenge and I never got bored. But the trainer made it seem too easy, she didn’t break much of a sweat and she moved so quickly! I like Youtube trainers who sweat with me, who are panting on the floor by my side. She was like a ballerina drill sergeant, good but hard to relate to. On the fitness side, I like this video, but I’m not sure if I would make it a part of my regular weekly routine. It’s more of a once a month type thing to keep tediousness at bay. Definitely give this workout a try, especially on day when cardio or strength training feels like too much, but you still want a good workout. 

'Merican Made: How to Celebrate the 4th of July in UK

The 4^th of July is a special day to us Americans. It symbolises a celebration of our freedom, our independence from Britain and our birth as a separate country. I love the 4^th of July.

 I have no bad memories of the holiday. I have celebrated it around the world, China, Britain, USA. I have celebrated it multiple different ways. As a child it was always a family + friend holiday, we would spend it BBQ’ing in the backyard or tailgating in a grocery store parking lot. As night fell we would watch the fireworks light up the nights sky and I would fall asleep as the adults talked.

As a teenager, I would go to my friends and light small fireworks, at least until I had an accident. When parents say, ‘don’t blow yourself up’ they mean it! Because I actually did it. I was down the street at a neighbours house, throwing “buffalo bombs” into an empty garbage can full of water. I was so focused on aiming into the can that I didn’t pay attention to how much time I had before the firework went off. So, it exploded in my hand. And the first thought that popped into my head was ‘Oh My God! My mom was right! How did she know?’ My hand was numb for the rest of the night, and I haven’t tried to play with fireworks again. I happily pay for them and let other people do the dangerous part.

As an adult I’ve had to work on the holiday. But that never bothered me because my colleagues and I were always in fantastic moods and acted like comrades because it was our nations holiday! No matter where I worked, I knew my employer would offer us good food and make sure our shift was fun.

4^th of July in China was about educating people about the holiday and enjoying our mutual admiration and love for America. The Chinese embraced it, and even helped us find fireworks for the occasion.

But the same can’t be said for Britain. The more 4^th of July’s I spend in England, the more depressing it is. I never fail to hear people say ‘you are all just a bunch of ungrateful colonials’. And they gripe about how they didn’t try very hard during the American Revolution to keep us as a colony of Britain. The last thing they want to do is celebrate our independence. The 4^th of July is actually quite a sore subject with Brits.

Their history lessons about how America became independent and ours is very different. They didn’t see us as oppressed citizens. The Brits saw themselves as fair, benevolent leaders, charging us tax to raise money for the home nation. They didn’t consider how harmful it was to us. And when we rebelled, it was shocking! How could we not want to be British! The UK still view’s itself in the light of glory. They revel in their history as world conquerors and ignore the parts where they burdened other nations. America wasn’t fight back against injustice, it was being ungrateful to their generosity of giving us lands. So, our winning our independence was almost a betrayal that they have never forgiven us for.

I’ve never been treated as less than another person until I came to England. I feel that I am regularly judged and looked down upon for being an American. I think it is residual resentment for us earning our freedom, and the huge success we have had as our own country. But, people frequently are negative towards me just because I am from the USA.

Well to them I say, I’m American and damn proud of it! I do not try and pronounce things the British way, I don’t strive to use the British slang. I don’t put on a faux British accent to try and assimilate. I respect the British but I’m still a loud, opinionated American, and I will scream that from the roof tops. I know my country isn’t perfect, but I won’t deny it as my own.

Spending Independence Day in the country that my ancestors fought to gain independence from is awkward. In past years, I haven’t gone all out to celebrate. But not this year. I wore red white and blue makeup, painted my nails, had hot dogs and watched Captain America. No one will put me down today for being an ungrateful colonial. If they dare, I’ll just go American on their ass. Today is my 4^th of July and Britain’s don’t get to take that away from me because they are petty.