Life as of Late: March Edition

 "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." ~ Steve Jobs

Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans! Namasté. 🧘🏽‍♀️ I'm not sure if this counts as for anything or if it makes sense, life has been a roller coaster ride as of late and I am making the best of this experience without putting my business out there completely, However, this involves my mother, Shiu and for the past year, she's been mismanaging her own health and I suppose the ancestors and the universe had other plans for her but by  all means, I suppose this is a blessing in disguise. I had plans of doing spiritual work on sending her out to Las Vegas, Nevada and have her spend whatever time she has with my sister, Gwen. With everything going on in my personal life, everything including all relationships/love life, as well as friendships and just know that I'm taking care of things before I focus/shift my attention, time and energy to enjoy the simplest things in life such as photography. I will mention this, I genuinely miss going on photography walks and yeah, I'll have people saying that I need to take care of my son, Stephan who is on the mild autism spectrum but is functional and verbal (thankfully). I'm sure there'll be people who will say that I need to prioritize my son and I feel sooner or later he will be doing for himself. Meaning, he'll have to go out and earn an income; I'm sure he'll want to go out with his peers or even go on dates, simple things as the things I've just mentioned without my presence being known. Essentially become independent in his own birth right and that's what I want for my son but not to sound negative or anything, I'm not always going to be around, but I'll be around spiritually to guide or teach when needed and protect. Let's not get this twisted, where did I say anything about something so negative regarding something natural and sacred. I feel that death should be feared by many since have zero control over what happens to us at the end of our lives!

"If you don't love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won't be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self." ~ Wayne Dyer

I'm hoping to say this once and I'm fully aware that there are guys out there who would want love to be with me, I'm only going to assume one thing that most heterosexual "men" want to get me in bed with them and yeah, sex is normal if you weren't sexually abused by your own stepfather or have any guy approaching you just for having a vagina or getting raped and getting pregnant by the father of your child! With everything that I've experienced in my life, I can live the rest of my life without sex but there'll be natural moments that I need to release that sexual tension as needed when that desire feels natural to me, and I'm not looking to pick a random person off the streets to have sex with. However, I don't have anyone in mind since I have my personal reasons. I'm in no rush for a relationship and I do want to take my time because I don't want to feel like I'm "trying too hard" to enter a relationship and end up unhappy and miserable. I'm taking my time because I want to, I'm doing this for me, and I want to take care of myself first before I consider going on dates, etc. without coming off as selfish. Life is too short to live life with the wrong people, but you live, and you learn, right? I'll let everyone know now, I know I'm not ready to settle down just yet but let's revisit this conversation in about ten years or so, and I want to have my own adventures to put my curiosity at ease or rather quiet down my curiosity of the world. It'll be a bunch of 35mm film to last for about three weeks or so. At this point, I want to view these trips as self-care retreats and think of it this way, it'll feel like a spiritual retreat for the mind, body and soul. Away from people, the hustle and bustle of life here in New York City, it'll be good for the mind and I'm sure life would be a bit more enjoyable for me to be around people. There are moments that I want to enjoy time alone and there are moments I don't mind being around people. There's that balance if you know how to evenly balance each one out and I feel there are people for some reason have an issue with solitude in their own life, it may not make sense to me at the very moment. Maybe it's reason unknown to me as to why people are afraid to be in solitude (especially for both psychological and spiritual reasons) and I may not fully understand their reasons just as much as I enjoy being single! I fully enjoy spending time in solitude and as well as being around people. I enjoy spending time alone because being around people for any long periods of time is and can be draining to me, no questions asked.

Blessed be,

Jennifer

16 Reasons You Should be Talking About Fitness Challenge

"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health." ~ Hipporates

Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans! Namasté. 🧘🏽‍♀️ I've been working out for the last eleven months since I'm looking to lose weight and I'm at that point that I'm becoming discouraged since I feel like I haven't seen anything different. If need be, I'm looking to join Planet Fitness but my intentions are there as to why I want to work out, and I'd say the same for Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts. I have my reasons why I want to take up martial arts, and I feel like I'm getting more for the buck so to speak. Another thing is if I were to take up martial arts but I'm not sure it's not all that necessary to do yoga as well and I figured it'll be the best health investment I can make one can make for themselves. For those who are on a budget and live in the New York City area, there is a Shape Up NYC, a lot of these programs are free to try, especially for the curious. This blog took me a while to write because I wanted to make sure I have what I wanted to say sound interesting and also make mention of what videos worked for me before feeling like I want to take it to the next step up, such as joining a Planet Fitness or a Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts or Renzo Gracie Academy since I have a curiosity towards Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai. My main goal is to make sure my bank account is plentiful should something arise, such as unemployment or whatever the situation may come up. My goal is to go at my own pace, so I'm not so easily discouraged and purely frustrated. Of course, there'll be days where I'll become very discouraged and frustrated, disappointed but I'm determined to get my personal goal because I'm doing this for me, myself, and I since this feels natural. What I mean I want my fitness journey to feel as natural as possible is that this feeling should come from within and nothing else. I have my reasons on why I work out is because I am doing for me; I want to feel good about myself. I'm doing this for me, myself; and I; I want to stop the negative cycle of body image issues and passivity embrace my body so I can be a better version of myself before I become a better version to other people.

-Weight Loss Journey-

"Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them." ~ Lee Haney

As most of you already know, I've been focused on getting in shape and for the first time in over five plus years my weight has gone from 201.4 pounds down to 196.6 pounds since January of this year! I'm currently taking Jardiance for my diabetes and when I'm at my goal weight of 125 pounds, I no longer plan on taking Jardiance since there are side effects involved. However, let's see where life takes me in the upcoming months. As much walking I have done this past year, I'm surprised and a bit disappointed I haven't lost more! I don't eat a whole lot of sweets or carbs; I eat enough carbs, but I don't overdo it and I just eat a small portion of carbs. Very rare I crave sweets, but when I do consume sweets, I eat sweets in a mindful way. Talk of dieting should be for a separate blog and this is more of a fitness bog than anything. I've found several fitness videos that made me feel sore for several days which is what I'm looking for as a result, and I enjoy feeling sore when working out. I'm doing this for me, no one else and I want to feel good. Reasons why I work out is because of sleep (I have mild sleep apnea), I want to improve my self-esteem; reduce risk of surgery (if need be), I hope to increase my metabolic rate; increase my metabolic rate, increase my range of motion, increase functional strength; I'm looking to improve balance and coordination, I've taken notice that exercise helps with my depression, I want to control my weight and since I'm in my early 40's, it's a challenge to drop my pregnancy weight and keep it off, another goal is to reduce aches and pains, lose hidden body fat; I want to improve my energy level and for longer; I'm also looking to strengthen my back and core muscles so I'm not preventing any discomfort of back pain; I want to change my body shape; I want to feel good about myself in my own skin, a.k.a. feeling confident in my own skin; Boost my flexibility through yoga/stretching; and I want to live as long as I can because I want to accomplish more in life. I still have places in the world I so want to visit but let's start with Japan first! If you wish to keep track of your fitness journey, here is a Six-Month Body Measurement Tracking Chart you can print out for your own records! I recently purchased Booty Bands for Working Out, Fabric Resistance Bands for Working Out Women Thigh Bands for Workout Bands Resistance for Women Resistance Bands for Leg Bands for Working Out Woman Glute Bands for Women from Amazon and I love it! I have another resistance band but for upper body fitness routine. My main weight loss goal is to get my weight down to 125 pounds and will go at my own pace, I'm in no rush to lose a lot of weight but only to gain that weight back on! All that effort, for what? I'm doing this for me. Main areas I'd love to focus on are abs (oh my gosh, have you seen Janet Jackson's abs when she did the All for You tour, and Angela Bassett's arms, here's an article from Entertainment Weekly, An ode to Angela Bassett's arms - and the power they possess. As most of you may be unaware, respectfully speaking, I'm a fan of Janet Jackson (and would love. love, love to see Janet Jackson on her next tour) whether or not she's been blacklisted from whatever an event may be since that whole Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show featuring Justin Timberlake. I'm sorry, I've lost all respect for Justin Timberlake more so now than nine years ago. Justin Timberlake [as I feel] should be the one to be blacklisted from music and movies, not Janet Jackson. Not the case, I need to focus on myself, health wise for the most part.

-Information-

"There is a moment when you get older when your metabolism slows down and you don't feel like working out anymore, so you don't want to keep yourself fit anymore, but that's your decision. Why should you be judged for it?" ~ Janet Jackson

If you wish to learn more about yoga and here are five pieces of information you can view at your own leisure. Three of them are YouTube videos in regard to yoga with an article of yoga and the other are articles of yoga. I wish you the best of luck on your fitness journey and be sure to set realistic fitness goals for yourself. Go at your own pace and that's the best way to go about. For those who are on the fence in regards on whether to begin your yoga experience and here are some videos I've watched for you to view or read at your own leisure! From the times I've done yoga [at home], it's very relaxing and I enjoy doing yoga. Here is: What Happens to Your Brain and Body When You Do Yoga Regularly. I want to also include these videos and articles for you to check out at your own time. Yoga and its connection to mental health | Nikolai Blinow | TedxSalveReginaU; The Health Benefits of Yoga - How Yoga Helps You Stay Healthy | Sadhguru; 8 Lesser-Known Benefits of Yoga; 20 Wall Pilates Benefits: You'll Wish You Knew About These Sooner! and Wall Pilates is the new low-impact exercise everyone's trying - but is it worth your time? At the end of the day, your own research is entirely up to you and I'm not going to force anyone to do yoga. Yet, it is very relaxing at the end of the day, and I have my own reasons why I'd want to do more yoga in the evening before bed! It's good to have Ignite by SPRI Resistance Cord and Tone It Up Exercise Sliders N' Sculpt Discs for Toning, Set of 2, Teal. Here are two additional workouts to go with the Resistance band and sliders discs: 12 min RESISTANCE BAND ARM WORKOUT | Upper Body | All Standing and CORE STRENGTH AND BALANCE SLIDER SCULPT WORKOUT. There are additional videos to go with these items on YouTube to view at your own leisure!

-Videos I've Tried Out in 2023-

"Number one, like yourself. Number two, you have to eat healthy. And number three, you've got to squeeze your buns. That's my formula." ~ Richard Simmons

Last but not least! Here are some of these YouTube channels I follow during my free time while my mother is out running her errands: fitbymik; getfitbyivana; MADFit; Mary Braun; and Mr. London. I do what I can while I have the apartment to myself while my mom is running her errands and it's not much time, so I squeeze what I can into a half hour to forty-five minutes, often an hour if I'm fortunate enough without taking breaks!

1. 5 min WARM UP ROUTINE Before Your Workout | Low Impact | Wrist Friendly
2. 25 min STANDING DUMBBELL WORKOUT | Full Body | Lower and Upper Body Routine | No Repeats
3. 5 min COOL DOWN STRETCH ROUTINE | After Workout | Muscle Recovery
4. 10 min TRICEPS WORKOUT with Dumbbells | No Pushups
   
5. 10 min STANDING ARM WORKOUT | With Dumbbells | Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders | Zero Pushups
6. 12 min STANDING ARM WORKOUT | With Dumbbells | No Pushups 
7. 15 min STANDING ARM WORKOUT | With Dumbbells | Upper Body
8. 15 min STANDING ARMS AND ABS WORKOUT | With Dumbbells | Upper Body | No Repeats
9. 20 min STANDING ARM WORKOUT | With Dumbbells | No Pushups
10. STANDING TONED ARMS & BACK In Just 10 Mins/Days ~ Lose Back + Arm Fat Faster (Weights vs. No Weights) 
11. 10 Min ABS + SMALL WAIST | All Standing - No Jumping, No Repeat, Warm Up + Cool Down, At Home
    
12. 10 Minute Flat Abs Workout for Insane Results!
    
13. 10 min BRA BULGE & BACK FAT WORKOUT | Chest, Back & Arms
14. 5 min GROW YOUR BOOTY WORKOUT // No Squats No Equipment
    
15. 10 MIN LEG/BOOTY/THIGH WORKOUT (No Equipment Killer Legs)
16. 30 MIN PILATES FOR WEIGHT LOSS | best calories burn,
17. 20 MIN ABS & BOOTY - on the floor, no squats/lunges, you will feel it in your abs if done properly!
    

Back Fat Blaster!!! // Upper Body Workout with Weights
BACK & BRA BULGE 5 Min. Workout | Lose Back Fat in 2 WEEKS!! (No Equipment / Upper Body Burn).

Best of luck to those achieving your own personal fitness goals! 😘

-Lower Body Workout-

"The clock is ticking. Are you becoming the person you want to be?" ~ Greg Plitt

This is for those who want to focus on lower body as well if you wish to check some of these videos out to further your fitness goals.

1. 10 MIN TONED INNER THIGH WORKOUT - effectively target the inner part of your legs (dumbbell only) This is my go-to inner thigh exercise routine!
   
2. 10 min | 10 Days | 10 Exercises to GROW BUBBLE BUTT - Intense Booty Challenge
3. 10 Min Slim Inner + Outer Thighs | All Standing Workout, No Jumping, No Repeat, No Equipment 
4. 20 min LOWER BODY WORKOUT | With Dumbbells (And without) | Low Impact | Legs and Booty
5. BOOTY & LEG BUILDING KETTLEBELL WORKOUT
6. IF YOU HAVE CELLULITE... (WATCH THIS!)

-Upper Body Workout-

"Setting goals is the first step into turning the invisible into the visible." ~ Tony Robbins

More for your goals! Whatever your personal goals are, continue your hard work and you will see results. Keep in mind, weight loss will not happen overnight but with time and be patient because you will see results. Even if you may not see your desired results right away, I'm sure others will take notice of your weight loss. I'm proud of you for making it this far with your fitness goals and keep pushing forward. Make realistic goals for yourselves.

1. LADIES, STOP DOING ABS !? [DO THIS FIRST]
2. FUPA SHRED In 30 Days | New Year Workout Challenge! (2023)
3. 2 in 1 FLAT STOMACH AND ROUND BOOTY Workout | (30 Min)
4. 7 DAY CHALLENGE - 10 MIN WORKOUT TO LOSE BELLY FAT | AB WORKOUT TO LOSE INCHES!
5. 10 MIN LOVE HANDLES AND LOWER BELLY FAT WORKOUT Standing Only | No Equipment!
6. 10 min STANDING ABS WORKOUT | One Dumbbell | Low Impact | Beginner Friendly 
7. 10 min RESISTANCE BAND ARM WORKOUT | Tone Your Upper Body

 -Full Body Workout-

"Don't wait until you've reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching the goal." ~ Unknown

I'm going to end it here before I end up adding more videos for you to do. If you're looking for a workout challenge, check out fitbymlk since she has some decent workout challenges and feel free to check them out at your own leisure! Keep at it and challenge yourselves because it will pay off in the end, keep pushing yourself. Be mindful on your diet as well.

1. WEEK 1 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
2. WEEK 2 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
3. WEEK 3 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
4. WEEK 4 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
5. WEEK 5 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
6. WEEK 6 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
7. WEEK 7 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE
8. WEEK 8 - WINTER WORKOUT CHALLENGE

Extremely Powerful Fat Burn Frequency || 295.8 Hz || Weight Loss Binaural Beats, Burn Fat Cells.

If you are looking to revitalize your routine, here are 16 reasons why committing to a fitness challenge is a total game-changer:

1. It Shatters Plateaus: Breaking out of your regular routine shocks your body and forces it to adapt, helping you bust through frustrating weight loss or strength plateaus.
2. Built-In Accountability: It is much easier to skip a workout when you only know about it. Challenges keep you on the hook.
3. Strong Community Support: When you join a challenge, you get to connect with like-minded individuals who share tips, struggles, and celebrations.
4. Clear Structure: Say goodbye to guesswork. A challenge tells you exactly what to do, how long to do it, and when to rest.
5. The Power of Friendly Competition: Tapping into your natural competitive edge - especially through leaderboards or group milestones - motivates you to dig a little deeper.
6. Long-Term Habit Formation: Research suggests that it takes a few weeks to form new behaviors; challenges give you the perfect runway to build habits that stick.
7. Boosts Mental Health: Regular physical activity reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression while giving your mood a massive natural lift.
8. Increases Energy Levels: Combatting midday fatigue is easier when you commit to daily movement.
9. Enhanced Self-Confidence: Pushing past doubts and hitting your weekly goals builds a resilient, "can-do" mindset.
10. Speeds Up Results: Challenges often combine nutrition and intense, target training to help you see visible results faster.
11. Forces You Out of Your Comfort Zone: You will be exposed to new exercises and classes you might never have tried otherwise.
12. Teaches Goal Setting: Challenges train you to set reasonable, attainable milestones rather than overwhelming yourself.
13. Better Sleep Quality: Expending physical energy during the day helps you fall asleep faster and achieve deeper, more restorative rest.
14. Develops a Structured Routine: It creates an organized framework that seamlessly fits exercises into your busy daily life.
15. Taps Into the "Finish Line" Effect: There is a definite start and an end point, making tough training block feel incredibly manageable.
16. Builds Physical Capability: You'll be amazed at how much stronger and more capable you feel in your everyday life.

Ready to get moving? Find a program that matches your current fitness level and discover how a little challenge can completely transform your routine. If you're exploring new workouts, you can use fitness tracking tools like Strava to start your own community challenge or log your daily goals!

 

 Blessed be,

Jennifer

Public Assistance Resources

“The biggest and most deadly ‘tax’ rate on the poor comes from a loss of a various welfare state benefits - food stamps, housing subsidies and the like - if their income goes up.” ~ Thomas Sowell

Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans! I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and sane, especially those who are parents [regardless of marital status] with young children but I mean that with endearment (yeah right, *Please note the sarcasm*). All links are provided in this blog for easier access to necessary documents to print out but you can view them at your own leisure time. I wanted to provide New York City residents with some resources that I have on my end but to the best of my knowledge for the moment and one that comes to mind is Single Stop because I’ve utilized their services since early 2015 in regards of public housing; filing for my taxes for free (providing if you earn under $54,000 annually) which is called FREE In-Person TAX Preparation; annual Medicaid and SNAP recertification. Single Stop also assist people with applying for both SNAP and Medicaid or Medicare. However, the only resources I am only able to [currently] provide is Single Stop and as well as participating CUNY colleges such as CUNY - LaGuardia Community College and CUNY - Queensborough Community College. Don’t get me wrong, I am aware that there are other resources similar to Single Stop where you’d be able to get everything or get as much done as possible. To me, it’s worth it because I don’t even earn heck of a lot at Staples and especially during tax season where I don’t get to pay anything since it is after all is free in-person tax preparation. I’m not cut out in doing my own taxes since I become easily frustrated and yet impatient but I will give the tax preparers more credit than I will ever give myself in this life. I’m sure there’s people out there that have more confidence in me than I have from within. And come to think of it, I have one more resource for those with children living in the New York City area. It’s the Child Center of New York and they provide services for counseling or even employment opportunities. It’s best to contact Single Stop at your earliest convenience if you’ve felt that you’ve fallen on hard times with putting food on the table or keeping up with the rent, etc. So far, as far as my knowledge are Single Stop; Child Center of New York; and select CUNY Colleges that are actively participating in Single Stop. The rest I would have to research a little more and update this blog or extend this blog into a Public Assistances Part II. If you’re looking to apply for public assistance online, there is also ACCESS - HRA and Fresh EBT and you can also download both apps on your phone as well. Both apps are available on Android and iPhones. Here are several articles I’ve found: AM NY: Here is a list of resources for those struggling during the coronavirus crisis; Daily News: How to stop NYC from starving: A coronavirus crisis imperative; USDA: SNAP benefits up 40 percent; New York Post: Why NYC grocery stores that cater to the rich are struggling amid coronavirus; Daily News: New social distancing efforts coming to NYC farmers markets, as vendors fears a shutdown; and The New York Times: Why Outdoor Farmers’ Markets Matter More Than Ever. Again, feel free to check it out at you own leisure.

-For Further Resources-

• ACCESS - HRA.
• Alternate High Schools and Internships.
• Child Center of NY: Single Stop.
• Reduced Fare Bike Share.
• Participating CUNY College locations for Single Stop.
• Department of Labor.
• Fresh E.B.T. [Electronic Benefits Transfer]
• Food Bank for New York City.
• Greenmarket Farmers Market.
• New York City 2019 - 2020 Year-Round Farmer Markets.
• Single Stop - USA.
• SNAP Now [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]: (718) 762-7669.
• If you would like to request an in-person interview, call HRA’s info line: (718) 557-1399 to schedule an appointment or go to your local SNAP Center.
• Time Out: The best farmers’ markets in NYC.

-CUNY College-

Participating CUNY [The City University of New York] colleges for Single Stop.

• BMCC: CUNY - Borough of Manhattan Community College.
• Bronx Community College: CUNY - Bronx Community College.
• Guttman Community College: CUNY - Guttman Community College.
• Hostos Community College: CUNY - Hostos Community College.
• Kingsborough Community College: CUNY - Kingsborough Community College.
• LaGuardia Community College: CUNY - LaGuardia Community College.
• Queensborough Community College: CUNY - Queensborough Community College.
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice: John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

-SNAP [Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program] Benefits-

I am going to make an honest suggestion for those who have fallen on hard times in regards of putting food on the table is to apply for SNAP benefits is by making an appointment with Single Stop or through the website ACCESS - HRA, but first, you have two choices of Adorama or B&H: Photo Video Digital Cameras, Photography, Camcorders for flash drives and please do yourself a favor, buy yourself a flash drive such as a Kingston flash drive [in the links provided below] that can stay on your key chain full-time, gather all of your important documents and head to your local Queens Public Library [links are provided below] that have scanners and so far, I only know of four public libraries with scanners. Before you stop by at the library to scan your documents, make sure you have your landlord fill out the Primary Tenant’s Statement Regarding Occupancy of Secondary Tenant and this is when you make your way to the library to scan the documents. There should be considered miscellaneous set of documents but have the last ninety days worth of receipts from when you’ve gone grocery shopping and as well as clothes shopping. I would suggest gather all your receipts from clothes shopping, school supply shopping, if your phone carrier is: Boost Mobile; Total Wireless; T-Mobile; or Verzion [prepaid], visit a Duane Reade, CVS, or a Walgreen’s for a phone card and if you rely on public transportation, save all of your receipts for all three months. Make sure you pay for most or all of your groceries in cash so these people at the food stamp office cannot trace these transactions back to you and every once in a while is acceptable to use a charge card but not too often. On your flash drive, make sure you create a folder titled Public Assistance (all in capital so it’ll be easier to locate for future use); create separate folders to put different documents into each folder for when you’ll need to go into that specific folder for whatever documents you may need. At least have one folder titled Family Documents, meaning within that Public Assistance folder create a folder for yourself, if you’re married then create a separate folder for your spouse, and if you have dependents (children), create individual folders for everyone in your household. Be sure to even include an official transcript from high school, college, and also include at least your high school diploma along with at least two recent report cards from school. Do the same set of documents for you and your spouse and make sure you’ve included everything if in the event that these people at the food stamp office give you a hard time regarding your documents you’ve recently submitted. Let’s hope they’ll have all your documents on file and make sure you’ve scanned every document onto your flash drive as proof in case if your personal information gets lost in the mail. Reason being for individual folders for everyone living with you is because anything could happen within your household, meaning any situation relating to an unexpected death or a divorce then I’m sure you’re not looking to delete all the information you’ve spent time and energy scanning documents then having to start from scratch so to speak. When the time comes to do your annual recertification, make sure you make an appointment with Single Stop so they can properly assist you with your annual recertification for both SNAP and Medicaid. Just follow the guidelines for the documents you’ll need to submit and make sure you’ve scanned any paperwork that you’ve filled out so this way these people at the food stamp office cannot say shit to you that you’ve “never submitted” this document or that document. If you’re receiving SNAP benefits and Medicaid, check out these two articles but I don’t know how legit this is but worth the investigation of it: How To Increase Your Food Stamp Benefits and How to Get Free Government Internet and Laptop. Way I feel about the free laptop and free government internet is for Big Brother to keep tabs on your every move you make but not for your best interest but for themselves.

-SNAP Documents-

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Documentation Guide!
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) Income Guidelines.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - CBPP.
• SNAP Application/Recertification - Office of Temporary and Disability!
• Primary Tenant’s Statement Regarding Occupancy of Secondary Tenant!
• W-532 Letter to Past and Present Employer.
• I know this form is used for in Family Court but I’m sure in its own way is useful for when you are submitting documents to the food stamp office. Income and Expenses NYC Family Court.
• It’s a great investment to have a presentation book from Staples to store your personal documents and a spare SNAP application to keep yourself organized. Staples Letter Clear Cover Presentation Book!

-Queens Library-

Here are some links to the four Queens public libraries with scanners. Be mindful that often times that some of these scanners tend to freeze up on you if you catch the scanner on its menstrual cycle so to speak and I know it sounds cheesy. I’ve had that experience before at both Bayside and Windsor where I was in the middle of scanning, the scanner just quits on me.

• Queens Public Library.
• Bayside Public Library.
• Flushing Public Library.
• Fresh Meadows Public Library.
• Windsor Public Library!

-Flash Drives-

Here are several links for flash drives at Adorama and B&H for your earliest convenience. K&M Camera is a third option for when Adorama and B&H are closed early on Fridays and closed on Saturdays (online shopping is available). Contact Adorama and B&H for upcoming holiday hours for any upcoming Jewish holidays. K&M Camera is open on Saturdays and it’s a great way to go shopping for specific photography items such as 35mm film or any other item you need if you need a specific item that same day. If you ask me, these flash drives are worth the investment for yourself and your children. It’s a headache when you’ve misplaced your flash drive and the option is yours to purchase any of these flash drives. If you’re a photographer or a graphic designer then I would highly suggest the Kingston 128gb flash drive.

1. Kingston Technology DataTraveler SE9 G2 32GB Lightweight USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $9.99
2. Kingston 64GB DataTraveler SE9 G2 USB 3.0 for $12.49
3. Kingston 128GB DataTraveler SE9 G2 USB 3.0 for $25.99

Best of luck to those who are looking to apply for public assistance either for someone you know or yourself and your family. Pass this along to anyone needing assistance with groceries and I hope the information is useful. Be safe out there and be healthy. Don’t let the news media scare you because that’s what they do best!

Blessed be,

Jennifer

*Caution: At the time of this blog, there will be items at Adorama or B&H that will no longer be sold at these location in the future. For flash drives, best to have a flash drive to have on your key chain to prevent from misplacing/or losing flash drive.

From Couch to Confident

"You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits." ~ Michael Phelps

Greetings!

I honestly have been wanting to get in shape for the last several months and didn't know where to begin or who to ask. Now, I feel inspired and grew tired of people asking me when I'm going to lose weight or if I'm pregnant. Keep in mind that I have been a yo-yo dieter for a long time and I would say since junior high school. Yet one of my coworkers was saying several months ago that one of the girls in his high school had done a 30 Day Fitness Challenge of doing a thousand squats/lunges and this hadn't hit me until today because I had been wanting to train with someone for a while in recent months! So I figured I would begin my 90 Day Fitness Challenge until September of 2014 and this is a goal rather than a "deadline" because I don't want to rush through my fitness routines than grow disappointed in the end. I have picked out six DVDs for 90 days each (one DVD per 90 days) and if I had thought of this 90 Day for 18 Month Fitness Challenge shortly just before the start of the New Year, I would have began with the Shape: Ultimate Bikini Body Workout from January through March than go onto the next DVD. For more information, please contact me at scorpionimages@hotmail.com with subject "18 Month Fitness Challenge" and I'll send you the information of what I had in mind for my Fitness Challenge. Feel free to call me up and say: "Jenn - Jenn, I'm dragging your ass to the gym [or park depending on Mother Nature] today and I don't care what you have to say!" I wouldn't be shocked if you put me over your shoulder and dragged me to a gym to work out until I sweat these pounds and calories away! My fitness goal is to gain three things: Confidence, Energy, and Feeling better about my physical appearance (especially how I appear to other people).

As of lately, I have been working out to Shape: Make-Over Your Butt, Hips & Thighs until my 90 Days is over which is Phase One of my workout and I've been doing the Ballet Sculpt segment of the Shape: Make-Over Your Butt, Hips & Thighs DVD. So far, I am slowly beginning to feel the difference in my lower body! Fro the time being, I figured the warmer weather is slowly approaching I would workout for ten minutes per day until autumn and winter arrives which is when I'll focus on Shape: Ultimate Bikini Body Workout and Self: Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast! My plan is to include circuit training, cardio and Pilates within the 90 Day Fitness Challenge. My specific troubled areas of where I would love to focus on are mid-section (love handles and stomach), working those triceps but over all arms, inner thighs, getting rid of those cellulite and my derriere. Most of all, I would love to have arms like Angela Bassett when she starred in 'What's Love Got To Do With It' and 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' and abs of steel like Janet Jackson when she had done her 'All For You' tour on HBO in Hawaii! I think they both look amazing to the point that it's not even funny and I know it'll take a lot of dedication and hard work but I'm willing to put in my hard work. I so want sexy legs as well! Over all, I want to be a MILF (Mothers I would Like to Fuck). Exercising at home by using what I have would save me loads of money instead of joining a gym such as Bally Total Fitness, Lucille Roberts or Planet Fitness because I cannot afford a gym membership at the moment (not until I'm financially stable enough to hold down a gym membership and have someone to go with me). Working out at home is very affordable because you wouldn't have to worry as much when it comes to your membership payments if you were to join a gym and unfortunately if you want a personal trainer, you still have to spend extra money on top of your monthly gym membership which may or may not be worth your wallet (depending on your financial situation). I think having a workout partner would be a life saver because when you're feeling lazy or fall off of the band wagon, and you have that friend calling you up everyday encouraging you to get off of your lazy ass and work out (even if they have to come by to your place of residence to throw you over their shoulder to take you to a park just to work out) for an hour that would be fine by me because I know I will be needing that kind of encouragement from people. I hope to reach my fitness goal by the end of September of 2014 because I figured 18 months would give me time to see and feel the results during this time period and I am hoping this fitness challenge would be much of a distraction from my depression if I continue to stay physically active.

In terms of having a diet plan, truth be told, I have not picked out a diet plan that would work for me and I honestly do not want to concern myself over which diet would be best for me. But if I had to choose which diet to with during my fitness challenge and I would honestly choose a low carb diet. Yet I am curious if I can just exercise without the hustles and bustles of having to sacrifice my favorite junk food or even a slice of pizza. I realize you can't simply just exercise and not diet at the same time to look and feel fabulous. In the end, I want to tell people "Bitch please, I feel fabulous!" and walk away smiling. I don't know of any straight person who uses the word "Fabulous" in a sentence. Would I do calorie counting? For now, I wouldn't even bother with calorie counting because it's way too much work and I can't simply be bothered with calorie counting diet. I also have a diet book: Prevention's 3-2-1 Weight Loss Plan by Joy Bauer and haven't had the chance to finish reading the book. In time I'll pick a calorie diet when I'm ready to begin my diet regimen and hopefully the calorie dieting won't drive me stir crazy because I'm counting calories!

Warm blessings,
Jennifer