Katie Jo's Life in Words

I celebrated my valentine’s day with a red velvet cupcake from Crumbs! It was absolutely amazing! (Almost a little sickening though). I received a card in the mail today. It was from my mommy and daddy, brought tears to my eyes! My valentine this year was my Grandmal, whom I sent flowers to wishing her a happy birthday (which is today!). Valentine’s day isn’t just for those with significant others. I believe the day represents love in general, for family and friends. I wished all my closest friends and family a happy valentine’s day! I love each and everyone of them very much. I would not be where I am today without them

1. Valentine’s Day- an excuse to eat chocolate, and maybe get a red velvet cupcake from Crumbs!
2. College basketball games- NYU-Poly’s women’s team is doing quite well this season. I try to support them as much as possible, since I’m friends with almost everyone on the team.
3. President’s day- NO SCHOOL
4. Softball practices- working hard preparing for spring training in Cali in March. Trying extra hard to loose weight before the season starts, so that I can have quicker movements in the field, and faster base-running on offense.
5. HOME- the last weekend of February, I really hope to go home and visit my family and puppy. It will probably be the last time I’m home until summer, or maybe easter.

What do you have to look forward to?

What great food did you have at your party?? What was your favorite commercial? Are you happy with which team won? Don’t you wish the day after the superbowl was a national holiday? Who really wants to go to work/school on Monday?? NOT ME!

This weather is definitely getting old. I was so excited for today, because my parents were coming to visit after my morning softball practice. I was planning on taking them to Union Square and Washington Square, show them around NYU, maybe hit up the bookstore. But they couldn’t even get out of our county at home because I accidents and a lot of ice. So, basically, I’m just sick of this weather. Luckily, my parents are going to try again tomorrow! They won’t be able to spend the day, but at least they can take me for breakfast/brunch after practice! I am so excited to see them

I may have accidentally dropped my phone while texting my friends while walking outside in the cold Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can replace the screen to my Droid? Any help is appreciative! Thanks

What could you spend $500 on? Maybe an Apple iPad, a new wardrobe, a month’s worth of rent, or a trip to San Diego? I know I could use $500 to get a new phone since my current phone’s screen is cracked. When I say cracked, I don’t mean like a single crack you see on the sidewalk; I mean like a spider-web. Literally, my phone’s screen looks like a spider-web. But that’s neither here nor there. Today’s topic of discussion is the price of textbooks, for college students that is.
High school and middle school kids are spoiled, in so many ways, but I will focus on one here. Their teachers provide them with the textbooks they need for each class. Granite the students cannot keep their books, but then again who really wants a middle school geometry textbook? College is a different story. Some students like to keep all their books to use as references in future classes or maybe even future job assignments. So if you’re like me, a girl that buys and keeps all her textbooks; where do you get the money?
Each semester I have to purchase at least four engineering textbooks, which are not cheap! An average college engineering textbook ranges from $150 to $400. Now if you’re a good online shopper, you can knock down that range to $75-$200 for each book. All of this depends on what condition the book you’re buying is in (new, very good, used, fair, or poor) and what website you buy it from. I try really hard to find the cheapest textbooks on the Internet, but sometimes that’s nearly impossible. Most of the time, I tell myself to suck it up and just buy the books, hoping that my future career will repay me somehow. My mentality is that I need these textbooks to study from and earn good grades in order to obtain a good job that pays well, so that the books will just be pennies out of my pocket someday. Hey, a girl can dream!

Have you seen the new hydration stations that have been going up everywhere? They’re awesome, and very useful. I used to buy gallons of water from Gristedes so that I could always stay hydrated. I have a Brita, but it’s kind of hard to fill it up from my sink. So instead, when I get back from school or practice, I take my 32 oz. water bottle and fill it up at the hydration station. Lately, I’ve been drinking about three and half of these a day! Mainly because I have been working out for two hours everyday and drink two full bottles in that time just to catch my breath. I try to drink as much water as possible because it helps me stay full so that I don’t overeat. Another reason I drink a lot of water is because if I don’t, my knuckles crack excessively. My knuckles naturally crack because of the cold weather, but crack even more if I’m dehydrated, it’s true!
So you might be wondering, where’s the hydration station? The hydration station in the Clark St./St. George EHS buildings is in the vending machines room on the first floor. To be exact, it is to the right of the refrigerated food machine and to the left of the coffee station. There is also a hydration station in NYU-Poly’s main building near the back entrance, on the left side of the wall if you’re walking into the school. Although, I do have to warn you, the hydration station in Poly tends to be warm water. So I suggest that you fill your water bottle with ice from the cafeteria and then fill your water bottle from the hydration station, just a suggestion. I hope you utilize the hydration stations to stay hydrated. Remember, it is recommended that you drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day.

Are you ever looking for the sweet tooth kick but don’t want to eat like a pig? I have your answer, finger Jell-o. All you need is three (3oz.) packs of flavored gelatin, four envelopes of Knox gelatin, four cups of boiling water, a bowl, wooden spoon, and 9×13 inch shallow pan. To make this a sugar-free treat, just use sugar-free Jell-o instead of regular gelatin. Using sugar-free gelatin doesn’t mean you loose flavor, it tastes exactly the same, just less calories!
First step is to combine the gelatins in the bowl. Pour the boiling water in the bowl and stir using the wooden spoon. Carefully, and I mean carefully, pour the mixture into the pan. Refrigerate the pan for at least four hours or until the Jell-o hardens. Then cut into squares or use cookie cutters to make awesome shapes, and there you have it, finger Jell-o.
Notice how I said carefully pour the mixture… well from my experience, this is very difficult to do. I tried making finger Jell-o in my room, and I accidentally spilled some of the red mixture on my tan rug It was not a pleasant sight. So once again, I suggest that you carefully pour the mixture into the pan after you’ve stirred it thoroughly. Good luck. Hope no body else has an accidents with their Jell-o making!

Over winter break, I let loose, eating whatever I want, which included homemade candy, pies, soft pretzels, and soda. Stepping on the scale the last day before I came back to school, I was shocked. So now I’m starting fresh, anew if you will. My mother and I are joined Weight Watchers Online, we’re getting healthy and fit, starting now! WW worked for us in the past, this summer I actually lost about 15 pounds. When I came back to school in the fall, I lost sight of that. WW is going to help me learn proper nutrition and eating habits, while continuing my exercise.
Weight Watchers Online works based on the PointsPlus system. Everything you eat has a PointsPlus value. WW does make it easy with numerous foods, such as string cheese, yogurt, and bread. WW makes their own foods and obviously sets the PointsPlus values for you, which can be found in almost all grocery stores. I’ve found WW’s foods in Gristedes, Key Foods, and Pathmark.
I am given 31 points a day and 49 extra points a week. I try to only use my 31 points and not dip into the extra points. I also gain points if I exercise, which once again; I try not to dip into those points either. Let’s go through my typical day.
Breakfast- 1 WW 100% Wheat English Muffin (3 pts), 1 Tbs of JIF Natural Peanut Butter (3 pts), and 1 cup of Skim milk (2 pts) for a total of 6 pts.
Snack- 1 WW Strawberry and Banana Nonfat 6oz. Yogurt (2 pts), 1 Quaker Low Fat Granola Bar Chocolate Chunk (3 pts), 16 oz. of water for a total of 5 pts.
Lunch- 2 cups of Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle Soup (4 pts), 1 medium Apple (0 pts), 16 oz. of water for a total of 4 pts.
Supper- 3 slices of WW Whole Wheat Bread (3 pts), 2 slices of Hillshire Farms Hearty Slices Cooked Ham (2 pts), 2 slices of Kraft Fat Free American Cheese (2 pts), 1 cup of Spinach (0 pts), 1 tsp Yellow Mustard (0 pts), 16 oz. of water for a total of 7 pts.
Snack- 1 cup of grapes (0 pts).
The total for the day is 22 pts, which is way below the amount of points I am allotted, and I am still satisfied. I hope that my mother and I can stick to Weight Watchers Online until we loose the amount of weight that we hope to loose. I’ll check in frequently to let you know how it’s going, hopefully well!

This blog isn’t the happiest of blogs and isn’t the most profound of blogs but it is necessary for my life. One year ago exactly my family put my dog to sleep. Her name was Jelly Bean and she was my best friend for over 12 years. I absolutely loved my JB. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through my entire life. She was the best family dog any kid could ever ask for. My entire family and group of friends adored her. I loved when I came home from school and she would be at the door jumping up and down for me to play with her, it put an enormous smile on my face. I can’t imagine growing up without her. So tonight, my family and I had a moment of silence. To remember all the wonderful times we’ve spent with our late Jelly Bean. JB… if you’re reading this, I hope you’re enjoying puppy heaven. I love you and miss you very much and pray every night that you miss me too. And thanks for bringing me Bella, my current puppy. She doesn’t replace you in anyway, but she has found her way into my heart. I thank you for that!