LET ME START BY SAYING WHAT WE’RE ALL THINKING…THIS ECONOMY IS IN THE SHITTER!!! PEOPLE ARE OUT OF WORK, LOSING THEIR HOMES, AND THE LAYOFFS CONTINUE. I’M SURE LIKE MOST OTHER PEOPLE UR IN DEBT, MUCH LIKE MYSELF. U TRY AND TRY TO PAY THE MINIMUM ON UR CARDS BUT THE BALANCES NEVER SEEM TO GO DOWN. YOU EVEN TRY TO SPEND LESS, BUT LIFE KINDA SUX WHEN YOU LIMIT URSELF AND ARE BROKE RIGHT? WELL A COUPLE YRS AGO, I HAD AN EPIPHANY, LIKE MOST 28YR OLDS DO…LOL

AND I REALIZED THAT IT’S ONLY MY FAULT AND NO ONE ELSE’S THAT I STILL HAVE A CAR PAYMENT, THAT I GIVE MYSELF THE LUXURY OF LIVING IN STUDIO CITY, THAT I EAT OUT TOO MUCH, THAT I DON’T HAVE AN IRA STARTED, AND THAT I’M IN DEBT. NOT AS HEAVILY AS MOST BUT STILL I OWE SOME MULA! CURSE YOU CREDIT CARDS!!!! IT ALWAYZ SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME YOUR BUYN THAT NEW DRESS, EVEN PERHAPS ALL THE WAY HOME, UP UNTIL YOU GET THAT CREDIT CARD STATEMENT AND THEN REALIZE THAT YOUR OUTSTANDING BALANCE WENT UP, AND SO DID THAT F’N APR!!! AND NOW YOU’LL END UP PAYIN TWICE AS MUCH FOR THAT ONE STINKIN ITEM JUST CUZ U CONVINCED URSELF THAT U COULDN’T DO WITHOUT IT. LIFE KINDA SUX AT THOSE MOMENTS HUH??? I’VE HAD MANY OF THESE, UNTIL I DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. 

ONE DAY WHEN I WAS COUCH POTATO-ING IT, I TURNED ON ONE OF THOSE FINANCE CHANNELS, MSNBC OR CNN SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THERE SHE WAS THE ANSWER TO MY PRAYERS. IT WAS THIS MEDIUM HEIGHT, SPUNKY, WHITE WOMAN WITH SHORT HAIR, DRESSED SHARPLY TALKIN ABOUT HOW SHE WAS BANKRUPT AT ONE POINT AND LIFTED HERSELF FROM THE EMBERS AND TURNED HERSELF INTO A FINANCIAL GURU. I WAS ENTRALLED! I LISTENED INTENTLY AND THEN AS SOON AS THE PROGRAM WAS OVER I WENT AND BOUGHT ONE OF HER BOOKS. “YOUNG, FABULOUS, AND BROKE”, YEP THAT WAS ME N A TINY NUTSHELL. EVEN THOUGH MY DAD IS AN ACCOUNTANT I KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT FINANCE, OWNING A HOME, BUYING A CAR, 401K’S, IRA’S, FICO SCORES…ETC. AND THIS BOOK OPENED A WHOLE NEW WORLD FOR ME. IT’S WRITTEN EXTREMELY WELL, AND IN LAYMENS TERMS SO I COULD EASILY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU READING THIS. ESPECIALLY IF YOUR ANYTHING LIKE ME, IT’LL HELP TONS.

SO NOW SUZE ORMAN (THAT’S THE CLEVER LADY’S NAME) IS ALL OVER THE PLACE, TEACHING WOMEN, YOUNG AND OLD ABOUT MONEY!!! I HEART HER! SHE’S BEEN ON OPRAH PERIODICALLY AND I BORROWED THIS FROM WWW.OPRAH.COM….ENJOY!!!

MISS ROQ

Photo: Marc Royce

1. No Blame, No Shame 

The foundation of a financial fresh start actually has nothing to do with money or specific financial dos and don’ts. The first, and most difficult, step is to absolve yourself and your spouse or partner of any guilt. So you need to make a promise to me. I need you to agree that the past is past, and we are going to focus on the future. Whatever mistakes you feel you have made with money, whatever moves you wish you had or hadn’t made, are irrelevant. We are free to move forward only when we remove the emotional shackles of regret. This cleansing step is especially important for couples. You are in this together, so no finger-pointing or arguing about any past decisions. Do we have a deal? Deep breath, everyone. Exhale. Now you are ready to put your financial house in order. 

2. Take a Snapshot of Your Finances 

It’s impossible to map out a route to your destination if you don’t know where you’re starting from. So let’s take a “before” picture of your finances. You’ve heard me say this a million times, but I want you to open every single financial statement—bank, credit card, mortgage, 401(k), brokerage account—and take a look. Only when you have everything in front of you can you set priorities about what to do next. If you’re vexed by your checking account (you swear you should have more money; you can never figure out why your checks bounce), start fresh by opening a new one. Leave enough in your existing account to cover any checks that haven’t yet been processed, then transfer the rest to the new account and close the old one. Next, sign up for online banking. It should be free, and as long as you use your home computer, it’s also safe. The advantage of online banking is that you can pay bills superfast, and your account is automatically credited or debited for each deposit and payment, making it easier to stay on track. 

3. Adopt a Foolproof Credit Card Strategy 

Make this the year you tackle that credit card debt once and for all. Doing so will make you and your family stronger and happier—forever. What happens to the stock market and the housing market is completely beyond your control. Credit card debt, however, is completely within your control. Every time you pay off a card with a 15 percent interest rate, you get a 15 percent return on your money. 

See if you can qualify for a balance transfer card that offers a low or 0 percent introductory interest rate for the first six to 12 months. If you can get a good deal, move your high-rate debt to that new card. Do not use the card for any new charges, and push yourself hard to pay off the balance as soon as possible. If you don’t qualify, no worries. Always pay the minimum due on each card, on time, every month. Whenever possible, send in some extra money on the card that charges the highest interest rate. Your goal is to get the costliest balance paid off first. When the first card is cleared, direct your payments to the card with the next highest interest rate. Keep doing this until you’ve zeroed out the balances on all your cards.

Ok Missfits,

So I’m coming up with different ideas to keep you guys interested and login on for more. Beginning today, Thurday, and from every Thursday from now on is gonna be “try something new thursday”. i came up with this because I noticed myself becoming complacent and kinda bored with my life the same ol same ol, you kno what I mean. I really put some thought into it. I thought about my past for a minute, cuz I’m really not about dwelling on stuff anymore, and what I’ve learned, and about what my future holds. I thought about how lucky I am to be healthy and fit and able to do anything I want to. Then I also thought about all the places I wanna see and things that I’d like to at least try, and the things I’d like to do again. Last week we started with Bowling, it was so much fun, and now we might start a bowling league, very east coast but still fun. I’m actually not to bad at it. Then this weekend I had an opportunity to go roller skating. Talk about memories. I almost broke my ass, but I’m ok. I had so much fun and I want to do it again, but with less people. There were 5yr olds skating circle around me…lol…

My point is what is life if you don’t live it! and what I mean by that is really live it! Feel it! Whether it’s good or bad, just live it! Life is a fantastic thing to have, we don’t really know if we get another one. So why not live it while we’re here. Break the monotony. Try something that you’ve always wanted to do. Invent creative ways so that it doesn’t affect your pocket book.

Anyways, I was watcing “The View”, and they had this guy on that does this thing called “Anti-Gravity Yoga”
FUN!!!! I’m gonna try it! here’s some more about it….

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by Miss Roq

Ok, I’m really annoyed with all this uproar and shit talking about Jessica Simpsons weight..  She apparently performed last weekend at Kiss Country Chili Cookout in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and everyone friggin flipped out because of this picture below.

Now, besides the shiteous outfit (she could use some help in that dept.), what is wrong? Ok, maybe she has gained a little weight since her Daisy Duke days but so what! Who cares? Her weight is her business and this pic just shows that she’s a normal, healthy woman with curves!  It drives me nutso that websites like Perez Hilton (who shouldn’t talk about people’s weight. If anyone should go on a diet it’s that fucktard) make fun and talk shit about peoples appearances. We don’t know, maybe she has a thyroid problem? Maybe diabetes? Or maybe she’s just friggin’ happy and in love and doesn’t give a shit! What ever the reason, we really shouldn’t make it headline news! I myself am having weight issues at the moment. I’ve gained about 15 pounds with no rhyme or reason. I eat very healthy and workout 4-5 days a week. My job as a performer here in Vegas, calls for me to look a certain way and although my employer has not said anything to me about this sudden weight change (I’m normally about 115lbs) it’s definitely taking a toll on my self esteem. Now, I know my weight gain is due to the fact that I don’t have a thyroid (I had Thyroid cancer and had a Thyroidectomy) which controls metabolism but a lot of people don’t know that is the cause. And they don’t need to know, it’s not their business, it’s mine and I’m doing all I can to lose the weight.  So when I read stories like this about a healthy looking woman it makes me sick.  Her sister, Ashley wrote on her blog in Jessica’s defense the following: 

“I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister’s weight. A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on Fox News. All women come in different shapes, sizes, and forms and just because you’re a celebrity, there shouldn’t be a different standard.  Is this something you would say to your wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, or even a friend? I seriously doubt it. How can we expect teenage girls to love and respect themselves in an environment where we criticize a size 2 figure?”

You tell ‘em girl. I agree with everything she wrote. We need to embrace ourselves and love all of our curves no matter what! I’m working on doing that myself.. Stay healthy and fit all you wonderful Missfits!

xo,

Miss Jaz

Hey Yall,

Ok so as you all know, or if ur new to the site you might not, I’m on a new fitness kick. I wanna decrease some of the extra body fat on my bum and well generally all over. When it comes to losing weight I try to never weigh myself, lean muscle weighs more then fat, so if i’m working out alot and doing the proper weight training regiment I don’t really see a decrease on the scale but I rather see it in the way my clothes fit and the improvements in my over all tone. Most of you don’t know that I used to be a personal trainer, took the test, didn’t pass, then realized that I like training just for the mere love and vanity of it all, and not so much for the money. I worked for an outdoor bootcamp, but hated the early morning hrs, and being such a California girl, the early morning chill also got to me, so I eventually quit.

Now I have a workout partner, my bff from like 11th grade, Lauren. She and I are on a mission for fitness! We’re entering decathlons/marathons and setting goals for ourselves as a whole and also individually. And together we’re gonna teach a class or more like just do one. So if you’re interested and up for an ass kicking come and join us. It’ll take place every Saturday at 10:30am. Please leave your email (@ missfitmafia@gmail.com) and let me know if your coming cuz then if there’s a change i can contact you via email. Come with a water bottle, or electrolyte drink, work out towel, work out bands/ light weights and towel or mat (for abs) if you have them and just yourselves. Lauren and I will take the lead. I’m thinking it’ll probably last about and hour and a half or so (give or take). Allow yourself time to warm up and cool down. There is no cost, it’s just for fun, all levels of fitness are welcome, you can go at your own pace. I just want this to be a class where we can all come together and push ourselves, and support each other on our fitness journey’s. The class will involve bleacher drills, plyometrics, circuit training, reactive drills, and maybe a little bit of soccer stuff, possibly some boxing also. We’ll see, I just want it to be fun! So come one come all to :

Harvard-Westlake: 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave Studio City, CA 91604 

Can’t wait to see you there!!!

xoxo Miss Roq

New Lilly Allen! I still can’t decide who i’m into more..Lilly or Katie P. Both have very similar sounds and topics are obviously familiar and super chick friendly. I guess i’ll have to wait and hear the whole album before I make up my mind. But they both rock in my opinion!!!! Enjoy!

Miss Roq

Definition from the Urban Dictionary:

A form of English characterized by bad translation from Japanese by someone who is decent at translating vocabulary but has a poor grasp of English grammar. Tends to be a word-by-word literal translation with humorous results for native English speakers.  Engrish can be simply defined as the humorous English mistakes that appear in Japanese advertising and product design. 

Check out www.engrish.com to see some fucking hilarious ads & photos people have taken from random places not only in Japan but around the world.. Pretty funny.. Here are a few I thought were great..

xo,

Miss Jaz

Gwen and the boys are going on tour this summer! Since I was in 9th grade I have been in loooooove with No Doubt. I’m so excited that this tour is happening, No Doubt last toured in 2004 so this tour has been a long time coming.. Not to mention their opening act is another of my favs.. Paramore!! Yippie! Dates and locations haven’t been announced yet, but Gwen says of the summer outing, “The whole reason for going on this tour was to have fun, try on all our favorite songs again and to get inspired to make new music. It feels good to be all together again.”

Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams adds, “What a dream tour! We couldn’t be more excited to kick off 2009 by touring with a band like No Doubt.”

Tour dates and on sale information will be announced soon.

xo,

Miss Jaz

Yesterday I woke up at my usual time 6:30am, I rolled over, pushed off my huge cat from off of my chest and searched for the remote to turn on my t.v. Usually I lie there for another 10 minutes trying to shake off the sleepiness, but not this morning. I aimed the remote at the t.v. and it lit up. On every single channel the news was on casting every moment of the pre-inauguration. What an exciting day! I knew I was about to be witness to history, something I could tell my children and grandchildren about. The inauguration of our first black president! And what a president he is!

As I watched the whole thing, all the people, all the past presidents, and all the Americans and some non-Americans, all the different colors, the different races, all united to watch this man, Barack Obama take his oath and make his speech, I teared up. I teared up mainly because I realized I was apart of this history, My vote did matter. I smiled thinking to myself “Wow, this my be the president that MY Children will be governed under.”  There is so much that has changed in this world in my short 30yrs, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 30yrs.

His speech was well…poignant, firm, strong, patriotic, effortless, and beautifully written and spoken. Many of the points he touched on and words he said, literally touched my heart and soul and moved me! The whole nation and I believe the world was moved! I can’t wait for change! We are well over due. And I believe Obama can aide us in doing it. We also need to pitch in, for he is only a man. All of us need to work toward change by first starting with ourselves individually and then our communities. Recycle, Volunteer, Educate yourselves and your friends and family. Let’s do this!!!

By Miss Roq

This one’s for Tineo and all our other inquisitive readers. Diet is the question of the century. For years we’ve been asking what and what not to eat. Don’t look at it as “dieting” that’s when you feel the pressure and have all that temptation and that fear of failure. Look at it as a way of life from now on.We all know that of coarse veggies and fruits are better for you then burgers and fries, unless you’re Micheal Phelps and you need to consume a whopping 12,000 calories a day). We also know that kool aid has more calories then water (water has 0 of course). But what we don’t know is why we have to eat veggies, whole grains and protein (chicken, fish, beef) to maintain or lose weight. Nobody tells us that unless we seek the answer. The truth is our bodies are all built differently so It’ll be different for everyone, but the average female needs to consume 1,200-1,500 calories a day, 1,200 if you’re less active, 1,500 for those of us that are more. In order to lose weight,  mainly body fat, because you don’t want to lose muscle, you have to expend more then you consume. So in other words burn more calories then you are eating. This doesn’t mean eat a big mac and fries and that’s it for the day, cuz trust some people will do that. But in doing that yes they will lose weight, but they will also lose muscle and be feeling pretty rough, and look haggard and flabby (skinny, fat ala Kate Moss). I also imagine one would get stopped up, if you know what i mean…lol. This does mean you have to be cautious of exactly everything you are putting into your body, and controlling your portion sizes and the frequency of your eating habits. Keeping a journal helps me tons and hold me accountable, kind of a pain but you can also keep it in your phone (I put mine in my blackberry, then write it all down when I get home) If you are what you eat, which I believe is true, would you rather look like a huge, greasy, sloppy hamburger oozing cheese off the sides of your pants. Or a tall, lean, crisp looking cucumber, fresh and inviting? I pick the later. So hopefully you’re still following because this is some important stuff I’m about to tell you. IT’S ALL ABOUT CLEAN EATING. That’s no processed, frozen, or canned foods! Nothing with high fructose corn syrup and other shit you n i can’t pronounce. No hydrogenated oils! That’s learning to cook at home more often, buy a cooler to take to work with you with fresh, yummy snacks (plus it’ll save you tons of $$$) and preparing things ahead of time. I tell you this because I know how I am. If I get home and I’m hungry I’ll eat the first thing that’s quick and easy and staring at me in the face. Throw out junk foods (or give to some dude that likes junk food), everything that is high in calories. That’s those potato chips, red vines, and Swanson t.v. dinners sitting in your pantry and fridge. Along this new life adventure you’ll find new healthy treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. Don’t get tempted! Out of sight and out of mind. And plus are you really gonna leave your house at 9pm because you have a hankering for some M&Ms?

 It is putting more protein into your diet. Eating every two-three hrs to ward off starvation. So yes that’s like 5-6xz a day, but small meals. I do 5, three medium and two snacks, that just works for me. At every meal you’ll need a protein even snacks, this helps you keep the muscle you’ll be building at the gym (you are going to the gym right?) At every medium meal you’ll need a protein, fat (good fat) and a good carb. Don’t be scared of that word carbohydrate. We need carbs, life wouldn’t be the same without carbs, I LOVE CARBS….sigh.

if you didn’t eat carbs you probably wouldn’t poop for about a week! O.k. that’s a little dramatic, but you do need them. But you need the good ones, yes i said good one’s. I put them in the category of everything that’s not white is good, or at least better (ie. brown rice, beans, wheat bread, fruit). That means they (good carbs) have fiber!!! YES, the stuff that helps you poop! I’m all about a good poop! And you need fiber to help you do that. Also it helps you feel full. When you digest a carb, it expands in your stomach while it’s getting broken down, that’s where the full feeling comes from. But don’t over indulge remember portion size, Eat until you’re satisfied and not until your full, there is a huge difference! Also drink lot of water! Water keeps you hydrated, helps you feel fuller longer, speeds up your metabolism, gives you great lookin skin!

I realize this sounds like alot so take your time doing this, it is a life style change not a diet! It can be dramatic, and traumatic for some, go your own pace. do one this a week until you got it in full swing. It’s second nature for me now, I don’t even crave those things that I used to before. I can go on and on about diet and exercise, and supplements forever!!!! and I will I am committing to go into detail about all of this stuff “twice” a week, just till I am able to fill you in on it all! Let’s say Monday’s and Thursdays. you’ve got a lot of homework to get you started for now! I hope it all helps!!!

xoxo Miss Roq