Learn how to budget...no really...like for real

I had a dream...

As I typed that, I had a little Martin Luther King Jr. moment in my head.

Okay I am back now.

I had a dream to write a book on personal finance. I am an entrepreneur and my income fluctuates...so those typical budgeting formats and programs didn't work for me the way I wanted them to.

So I did what any good financial nerd would do...I created my own program out of what worked for me for the last few years and then I got this bright light bulb moment of an idea that I needed to share it with the world.

...And then realized that my plan wasn't just good for fluctuating income, but for those folks who received a regular paycheck as well! How cool is that?!?!?

Well, the thought of the paper book lasted for about a month until I realized...a few chapters in...that no one really reads paper books. (Well I do, because it is dangerous to hold the kindle above the bathtub)

So then I thought...what about a kindle version. And then realized that filling out the budget sheet on the kindle may be a bit hard.

I stewed on this for awhile and decided that an online academy would be the best of everything!

So KMP: Life Academy was born. And it's first child...a beautiful 8 pound 7 ounce Budgeting course. Okay, not 8 pounds 7 ounces...but it made you laugh right?

I welcome into the world

Budgeting For Real Life: A Realistic Approach To Money

And since you asked so nicely I am going to give you a coupon code to help with the cost, because well...the goal is to save money in life. 

Use code SAVE50 to save 50% off the course. This will only be available to a select few, so use the code while it is available.

As always, I love to hear from you. Email me anytime at CoachKeliM@Gmail.com

Make today fabulous!

It's Official...Stuck In The Rental

Gah! I hate the idea of renting. Especially when said rental doesn't have a pool.

But, I guess I will have to count our blessings...we have an affordable, safe, kinda cute, small kitchen, tiny bathroom, weird bathtubs, buggy roof over our head.

What?! Sorry, got a bit negative back there.

Really, the house isn't all that bad. I thought we would only be here for one year, two tops. But with the way the housing market has shifted...houses just sky rocketed...again.

So...we weighed our options and made the best choice for our current situation...stay where we are at.

I had mentioned to the landlord (who is awesome BTW) that we wanted to possibly extend our lease. He had told us when we signed the original lease that he didn't want us to stay here forever because he was planning on liquidating his properties. That worked for us. I wasn't going to be staying here. Like how I keep saying "I"? It's like the hubby has a choice or something.

So anyways, we get the call that he is going to be raising our rent because his costs went up. A nail biting two months goes by and after I exhausted the market search for a new possible rental and realized we would be in a way worse house for way more money...he says...I'm sorry, but I need to raise your rent $20 a month. Ummmm, HECK YAZ! Signed for two more years.

 Now I can use the money saved to go by wrinkle cream and meditation music to heal the damage the stress has done to my face. Not really. Its all good.

So this next year is going to be about "Operation: Make the rental feel like a home" so that way at least one of the 4 years we are living here, I can try to enjoy it. Okay, the hubby can come toooooo.

Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you can be kept up to date on "our" shenanigans. :) (Can be done from the desktop view or on the computer)

Make today fabulous!

Camping...I mean REAL camping (tips)

When Eric and I got married we had these grand ideas of exploring the Great Outdoors together. Backpacking, camping, hiking, Grand Canyon...and so on.

But then life got in the way and he took a job out of state that lasted almost an entire year (was supposed to be 5 weeks). 

Kinda put the adventure on the back burner.

Now he is home. Yippee!! I love that I actually WANT to be near him and spend time with him. #HappyMarriage (Yup, I just used a hashtag...you can't hate me...I am so adorable)

We are living this normal married couple wedded bliss life that also includes being on the path to being debt free...meaning...very little disposable income to go towards all the fun gear and adventure trips...cuz if ya didn't know...THEY ARE EXPENSIVE.

Living in Arizona doesn't really afford us much of an opportunity to camp in the pines. We can drive a few hours north but when Summer hits...it really hits and nowhere is safe from the claws of severe heat. (Think melting face)

Having a weekend off together (finally) we decided to Carpe Diem which is spanish for "pack the car full of camping stuff and drive into the woods"....learned somthin didja?

 In an effort to pair down what we were bringing I prepped the food ahead of time. Didn't feel like doing dishes and plus there was not a water source. I would rather drink the water than waste it washing egg off a pan...plus I wanted to be lazy, but shhh don't tell the hubby.

Here are some of the food items I premade. Pretty self explanatory since I have the cooking skills of a 6 year old...

- Instead of smores - I made foil pouches with cinnimon toast crunch, tiny marshmallows and milk chocolate chips - you can still stab this with a stick and roast over fire....just don't stab it in the middle of the packet or marshmallows escape

- Tortillas with olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic, feta, mozzarella and sliced tomatoes in a foil wrapper - cook over the grill or fire

- Scrambled eggs with veggies, precooked sausage, hashbrowns and cheese in plastic freezer bags - boil water and place bags in for a few minutes to cook. Each person gets their own omelet

- Cut up all the turkey burger fixins before leaving the house so you don't have to bring a cutting board. Put in tupperware to keep from getting water logged in the cooler

- ADULT BEVERAGE ALERT: Put cut up strawberries, grapes and oranges in a carafe or 24 oz container...fill a third with vodka and the rest with sweet sweet white wine. Chill at least over night. Longer you wait the better it is

- Look for three trees that form a triangle. Wrap a tarp around them to over privacy for those in the woods squatting moments. Predig your hole and even better if the tree has a branch you can hang toilet paper from...what?!?! We all poop.

- Don't forget the hand sanitizer

- Put a tarp under your tent in the colder months to guard your sleeping quarters from the cold ground...also helps when it is raining and the ground is flooding...ah who am I kiddin...put on your floaties and play out in the rain

Above all...remember that camping is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with God, your loved ones and nature. Use that time wisely and always take time for the important things in life....like margaritas.

Comment a camping tip...sharing is caring!

Day 1: Military Diet (What Was I Thinkin?)

I have been hearing about this Military Diet. Generally I am not one for fad diets or magic pills, BUT I needed to know what people were talking about and if I could lose a few pounds in that time, then score!

What is the Military Diet?

It is 3 days of eating EXACTLY what it says and when. As the days go the calories lesson. Still trying to figure out how I get to eat ice cream at night?? But I am not arguing. I dreamt about the ice cream as the day went on. I was hungry!

Strategy?

Yup, I made sure that two of the three days I was off work. Standing behind the chair doing hair and using chemicals is pretty hard when you are on a calorie depletion. The third day (has the least calories) I am not working...or doing anything that requires the importance of brain cells.

Day 1 and I already can feel my brain eating itself. Swimmin in the head.

So here is the menu that I am following. There is a substitutions list that I had to use because of food allergies and the gross thoughts that I would have to eat TUNA! Blah.

So day 1 my plates looked like this 

Lunch subs: Tuna for chicken lunch meat

Dinner subs: Grapes instead of apple and banana, chicken instead of steak

And I drank tea instead of coffee

What they felt like until dinner came...

I contemplated going to sleep so I could get through the day without thinking about food.

It was very surprising because I don't generally eat enough calories through the day normally. (I know, I know...I am working on that)

But I was and am starving as I write this. I have to set a timer on my phone because I know until that timer goes off, I cannot eat.

Don't forget to drink a ton of water. 

3 more hours until I can eat again. Is it to early to take a nap? (It's 10am)

Well that is all for now... I am going to go sit in the corner and waste away.

Magical Homemade Hair Mask Recipe

If you have had the opportunity to bounce around my blog you have noticed that I am a Health Coach.

But...I am also a kick-ass hair stylist that owns her own Salon biz. Rock on entrepreneurial women!

Not only do we want to be healthy, but we want to look good doing it...right?!?!

I've been doing hair since I was 15...so give me a sec and let me do the math...(taking my shoes off now so I can use my toes) (kidding) (kinda)...That means I have been doing hair for 17 years. Holy cow, time goes by fast!

With all that being said I love what I do and the relationships that I have formed. My clients become family. They were there for me through my divorce, my health scares and so much more. And then I was there for them through their life changes. It's a wonderful circle of love.

Well, now that I have shared all the gooshy stuff...the reason for this post...it's all about the hair.

At least once a day I share this recipe with my client's who have dry, damaged, over processed or newly highlighted hair...

This recipe has only 3 ingredients and most people can find all of them in their kitchen.

I will say that it is kinda gross but so worth it. So if you have that significant other that says they truly love you, then tell them they have to put this on your hair. :)

Keli's Magical Homemade Hair Mask

Recipe is for Medium length hair regular density 

add more or less for your length and thickness

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayo (not flavored please!)
2 egg whites (real not the prepackaged ones)
1 tbs olive oil
Plastic shower cap (Dollar store is good for these)

Directions:
Place mayo in a microwavable safe bowl. Nuke for 10 second increments until warm, not hot.

Remove mayo from microwave and add egg whites. If mayo is to hot it will cook the eggs and we don't want that. Eww scrambled eggs on your head.

Add 1 tbs olive oil and stire all together until mixed.

Slather all over your hair if dry from root to ends.
Slather on dry places if scalp is not dry, or is oily.

Place shower cap on hair and sit for 15 minutes.

Even better if you can sit in a warm place like the sun. But not in 100 degree weather.

Wash hair like normal. Use shampoo and then conditioner.

Do not do this on a day you have something special. Hair may sit a bit differently because it has been nourished.

Do this once every two weeks depending on how damaged your hair is.

Enjoy!

In the Surprise area? Stop by the salon and say hi and make sure to like the Salon Facebook Page.

Best Cake Recipe EVER!

We have decided to celebrate the hubbie's birthday early and tonight are going to be having some fun.

Of course we are going to splurge on a few yummy items, but the birthday cake doesn't have to be a total bomb.

So here is how we do birthday cakes in our house.

If I don't have time to make something from scratch, then I will buy a box mix and a can of pumpkin puree. Mix together. That is it. THOSE ARE THE ONLY 2 INGREDIENTS.

Bake at 350 - starting for 20 minutes and then test to see if toothpick comes out clean. 

It is super dense and moist like almost a fudge brownie had a baby with a cake.

So forget the oil, the eggs, the water, the applesauce replacement...just grab a can of pumpkin puree.

P.S. Even I can make this without messing it up and we all know that is like doing magic.

Soft Pretzels, Yoga, Running and Calypso Drums

I love soft pretzels. Ok, I said it. My inner foody has spoken.

Unfortunately pretzels don't like my tubby regions. They like to make those regions grow larger.

So, I opt for a different kind of pretzel....the yoga kind. Clever right...like how I segwayed into that?

One of the first programs that I did was this high impact, hard on the body, kick my tooshy kind that ended up making my knees so sore I had to get injections in them. I swear it was a 12 foot needle going into my knee. Ok, maybe only 3.

And then I was diagnosed with Compartment syndrome in my legs. (muscles tighten in the calves and don't release. Can cause deadly circulation issues)

I gave up running. A part of my heart was torn from me at this realization.

It's been almost a year and I AM GOING TO RUN AGAIN. 

I see those people running down the sidewalks in my neighborhood and I admire them, even though I want to throw stuff at them...it's pure jealousy. 

Instead of running, I started doing a Yoga/Pilates program at home. It was so much nicer to my joints and I just had a better overall feeling. My muscles weren't as tight and I was able to get a really good workout done without killing my body.

Dah Dah Dah! Cue the confetti and trumpets...or better yet colypso drums...I like them better.

I have decided to put together a small online accountability group of fellow runners or walkers<--that's where I am starting at.

Why did I mention PiYo (i.e. pretzels) earlier? Because I know that having my body limber and stretched will give me more of a chance to be successful in not getting injured.

Back to this group I was talkin bout... 

Starting on April 10th I will be hosting a 4 week 5k training that will use my super easy run/walk plan...It uses the PiYo program for the inbetween days. The same program I did when I ran my last half marathon.

Don't make me do this alone. I would love to have you join me. 

Shoot me a message via email CoachKeliM@gmail.com or use the contact section on my blog.

Hope you can join us. :)

I'm A Disaster In The Kitchen...And Magical Unicorns

I get asked this question (or ones like this) quite a bit and I thought I would post an answer just in case you were wondering....

"Am I really that clumsy in the kitchen. How do I manage to burn water."

I wish I could say that it wasn't true, but I find that my primal need to continually eat some kind of food each day is the only reason I continue to try and get better in the kitchen. 

My clients tell me that with practice I will get better. I really, truly, don't believe them. It's like telling someone there is a magical unicorn that sneezes sprinkles. As much as you would like there to be one, it will never happen.

I told the hubby back when we started to date and marriage was a serious contender in the future plans....I will not be any more domesticated than I am now. If I for some odd reason become more skilled then count it as a blessing. Because it's probably not going to happen. Talk about banishing expectations.

The good news is that I can make really good healthy waffles. The bad news is that we eat healthy waffles a lot...A LOT. And now Tortilla soup has been banned from the house, because, well, I got good at something and that was all we would eat. 

So the question has been answered. 

Please send prepared food to the address below....

Just kiddin...well...maybe

Glasses or no glasses

Let's just start by saying, I feel like I have a big honking foreign object on my face whenever I wear my glasses.

The hubby is amazing and says I always look hot when I wear them... But can I really trust a pretty much blind guy to tell me I'm hot?

It's that amazing time of year when allergies fly around and I sink my last pair of contacts into the toilet... So I really don't have much choice until my new contacts come in.

What are your thoughts? Should I continue the contacts trend or give my glasses a little more love?

That Stupid New Years Resolution Time - Money Edition

Arg! It is the New Year! Just in case you are not already tired of hearing it...

Now that we have that out of the way. I haven't decided if I like to call the goals I make "resolutions". I tend to like to be different then the main stream person, but on the the other hand "resolution" has quite the ring to it.

Well whatever I decide to call it, I have made some goal resolutions...or GR for short...for this year.

The hubsters and I sat down a few days ago and chatted about our financial GR for this next year.

I attended a Rock Solid Finances class at our Church last year and it TOTALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. I am the analytical excel spreadsheet kinda gal, but I was always stressing out if this was the right thing to do. Both of our incomes are not steady and we can't count on a certain number of dolla bills comin into the bank account each week. Some weeks are like we get to hum "we're in the money, we're in the money lalalala" and then other weeks we are on a Ramen Noodle diet...well not really, but ya get the point.

So after I gave up the stress to God and made a budget last year, I was ready to tackle this year with a new zeal for finances.

We loosly follow the rules of the Dave Ramsey plan but have had to adapt it as we swim through this new financial life we are living. I run 2 businesses (Salon and Healthy Coaching) and Eric a.k.a. Hubsters...started a new career that will require on the job training via contract work for the next 3 years. We stay busy. :)

As we were driving around the other day I sat with the notebook and we dreamt outloud about what we wanted to financially accomplish this year and I put a dollar amount to each task.

Some of those things we wanted to do:

• Swing dance lessons for both of us
• Parkour lessons for Eric
• Pay off the car
• Have 3.5% saved for the down payment on a house
• Go on a cruise
• Have enough set aside so Eric wouldn't have to look for temp work between contracts
• Buy another gun and a crossbow
• Contribute more to the retirement
• Setting up a home gym

There were more, but after we put a dollar amount to each item, we realized that some things had to go. I can't stomach the idea of spending $25,000 extra bucks...eeek.

So what made the cut?

• Paying off the car
• Saving for down on a house
• Contributing more to the retirement
• Setting up a home gym

Sadly, swing dancing will have to wait. Until then, I will continue to step on Eric's toes. I'm sure he won't mind.

So I have shared with you our financial GR for the next year. They say if you tell more people about your dreams, then they are more likely to come true. 

Did you make any financial resolutions for this year?