A Day at the Fair

I took a few more pictures this time, I promise!
Friday night I went to my first ever away-game. That's right folks, I follow my team wherever they go! Even if it's just a few miles down the road, but whatever.

After asking a very understanding police officer for a group picture, we realized just how well we had coordinated our outfits. Believe me when I say that this was not planned! Anyways, we continued to cheer on the Rebels as they conquered yet another team that didn't stand a chance against us. 

No one was paying attention during the last quarter, but last time I checked the score we were up 24-0. Like seriously, what else is new? Since we quickly realized that away-games aren't nearly as exciting as home ones, we left early to go to a bonfire. No pictures (sorry!), but the rest of the night basically consisted of Netflix discussions, Instagram catch-ups, and wayyy too many s'mores. But all those calories didn't stop of the next day when...

We went to the State Fair!!

Yes, it's tacky. Yes, it's gross. Yes, it's fattening. But yes, it was a blast.

We rode every rickety, sketchy ride we could manage. These included the Supernova (teacups on steroids), the Extreme, and those infamous swings that spin around a million miles up in the air. Later on we rode a rollercoaster, but I hadn't noticed the bar that we were supposed to have over our laps hadn't been secured! I managed to push it down right before the big drop, otherwise God knows what could have happened! you can never trust those carnival rides...  

Of course, no trip to the fair is complete without a ride on the Ferris wheel!

We were also in that lucky cart that got to stop at the very tippy top, so I had time to snap this snazzy pic:

Not gonna lie, it was pretty sweet.

After we'd had our fill of dizzying, semi-safe rides, we decided to listen to our rumbling stomachs and grab some food. I forgot to get any pictures, but I had a corn dog and...drumroll...six fried Oreos. Six. Where are my fat pants?

Enjoy this last picture of me weighing under 300 pounds. As I'm typing this, I'm coming down with a "fried food" headache. But let me be the first to tell you, it was 100% worth it. I got a batch of Oreos fresh from the deep-fryer, so they were hot, soft, and delicious. Seriously, these could quite possibly be my new favorite food, like ever. The fried dough does something magical to the chocolate cookie, and I swear angels sang when I took my first bite! If we'd had more time I would've tried fried Reese's cups and fried cookie dough (umm, yum!), but the lines were just too long. Next year, they'll be at the top of my list! If your local state fair is in town, I would definitely recommend stopping by for a few hours, it's definitely worth your time!

Beaches and Ballgames (Your Typical High School Weekend)

This past Friday, I went to a football game...
...and not just any football game, my first high school football game. ever.
I apologize for the severe lack of pictures, I promise to have more the next time around!

We started the night off watching our team kick butt against a little rural farm school from the middle of nowhere. They tried to hold their chins high as they watched their team fall into the clutches of the Rebels, but they just didn't stand a chance.
Also, as Freshman, we were confined to the upper rows of the bleachers, packed in tighter than sardines. But eventually the chilly, windy night began to set in, and we started to be pretty grateful for all that body heat.
Plus we won 24-14, so score.
Anyways, I only managed to snap one photo, and it may just win the title "Katie's worst photo of 2013"

I promise, I promise I'm not usually that awkward-looking. Oh wait, yes I am.

Oh, and by the way, a friend I went to middle school with was having a slumber party that night, and I had told her I was going to shoot over to her house the second the game was over.
But there's a frozen yogurt shop five blocks from my school, so of course I just had to stop by, right? I mean everyone was going. I'm a horrible person.

Nevertheless, I did eventually manage to show up at my friend's house. At 11pm. 3 hours late.

But hey, the party don't start 'till I walk in anyways.

The next morning, most people went home, but one other friend and I got to go with the birthday girl to Virginia beach. Not to mention the fact that while it was warm and sunny there, we were going to be skipping town on the coldest, rainiest day of the week, so extra points!

Again sorry for the lack of pictures, but basically we spent the entire day boogie boarding and sun soaking, so eventually we were bound to get hungry, right? We went to grab a slice at a little pizza joint across the street, but we were silly enough to walk their in our bikini tops! Clearly we forgot about the "no shirt no shoes no service" rule. Thankfully a T-shirt shop next door was selling shirts for $2 a piece, plus they had free saltwater taffy! Random right? Funny how things work out. After we decided our pizza wasn't quite filling enough, we decided to pop into the Ben n' Jerry's next door...

Beaches, pizza, and cookie dough ice cream. It just doesn't get any better than this.
Is it bad that an oatmeal cookie was the healthiest thing I ate that day? Nah. Totally worth it.

Eventually we had to get back to reality, since we all had our textbooks to read and quizzes to study for. Leave it to high school to ruin your fun.
We left just in time though, because that was right when all that rain that had been hitting back home finally rolled in!

Another football game this weekend, and more pictures are promised to follow!

Starbucks' Secret Menu

For those of you that live under a rock, there have been several new Starbucks drinks circulating around known as the "Starbucks Secret Menu." They're basically a list of mochas, frappes, and lattes that people have customized to create delicious new flavors. Needless to say, I've gotten obsessed! I've made it my mission to scour the internet and pick out the best drinks. These ones look delicious but are relatively easy to make (I have to feel bad for those poor baristas trying to add a million different syrups to each drinks!)

I know there aren't a ton of drinks at the moment, but know that as soon as I find more I will add them to the list. Also, if you have any suggestions for new combinations, leave them in the comments-I'd love to hear your ideas!!

Also, as a disclaimer, make sure to describe the drink when you order it instead of just ordering an "Oreo Frappuccino," because most likely the baristas won't have any idea what you're talking about, and it will just create a ton of confusion. Nothing is worse than holding up the line during the morning coffee rush! Another disclaimer is I didn't come up with any of these drinks, and full credit goes to their original creators (the vast, vast majority of these come from here.)

And now, without further ado, I give you

Frappuccinos
If you want an Oreo Frappuccino...

...Order a Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino with white mocha syrup instead of the regular syrup.

If you want a Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino...

...Order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with a pump of cinnamon dolce (pronounced DOLE-chay) syrup.

If you want a Peppermint Chocolate Frappuccino...

...Order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with a pump of peppermint syrup and java chips.

If you want a Snickerdoodle Frappuccino...

...Order a Chai Creme Frappuccino with a pump of cinnamon dolce syrup.

If you want a Samoa Cookie Frappuccino...

...Order a Coconut Mocha Frappuccino with a pump of caramel syrup.

If you want a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Frappuccino...

...Order a Strawberries n' Cream Frappuccino with java chips and a mocha drizzle.


Other Drinks
If you want a Pumpkin Chocolate Latte...

...Order a Pumpkin Spice Latte with chocolate syrup.

If you want a Raspberry Cheesecake Mocha...

...Order a White Chocolate Mocha with a pump of raspberry syrup.

If you want a Blackforest Hot Chocolate...

...Order a Signature Hot Chocolate with a pump of raspberry syrup.

Hopefully, we can turn this into the ultimate mega-list of Starbucks drinks! Let me know if you have any suggestions :)

5 Things I Learned after my First Week of High School

It's official...I somehow managed to survive the first week of Freshman year. Just barely. In a sense, it was similar to how I was expecting it to be, but also different in a few ways. Since I'm going to a special program that isn't at my zone high school, I didn't know a single person. Not one. And now that my heart-rate has gone back down to a semi-normal speed, I thought I'd share with you the 5 things I learned after my first weekof high school. For those of you still in middle school, maybe you'll learn a few things; for those of you in high school, maybe you can give me some encouragement that I'll be able to get through the rest of the year unscathed!

(I know the picture says 10...it's 5)

1. You will never feel smaller than you do in 9th grade. You just spent your entire 8th grade year at the top of the food chain, and nothing keeps your ego in check like getting smacked back down to the very bottom again. The seniors are big and scary, and they strut through those halls like they own the place. You're a scrawny 14 year old feeling more out of place than a polar bear in the Sahara. It sucks, but hey, it's all part of the Freshman experience!
2. High school is sketchy. Some people (like myself) went to a sheltered, suburban middle school where texting in class was considered a felony and cough drops were contraband drugs. For those of you who went to a more inner city middle school, just know that the term "sketchy" takes a whole new meaning when you get to high school. My first day I walked into the gym bathroom, only to start feeling a little lightheaded and dizzy. Next thing I know another girl comes in after me and says, "oh gawd, someone was smokin' some pot in here!" I've officially done secondhand marijuana. 
3. Your teachers move five times faster. The thing about high school is you get 2 or 3 days to review what you learned the year before, and then get thrown headfirst into a whole pool of new material. Like seriously, I have to give a 3 minute public speech on Monday. This is the second week of school- don't you usually wait until the second semester for this stuff?? 
4. Not everyone wants to be your friend. Coming from someone who has been the new kid a few times, I can tell you right now that in high school it's a whole lot harder to find your group of people. Why? Because high school is cliquey! It's as simple as that. But just know that if your high school is as big as mine is, your group is bound to be out there somewhere, and it might take a little bit before you find them. I know that in seventh grade it wasn't until the second semester that I found the people I could really identify with, and from then on it was a breeze! 
5. This is it. Take a look around- these are the same people you'll see on your graduation day. These are the same hallways you'll walk down as a senior. These are the same bleachers you'll cheer from when you're 16, 17, 18, maybe even years later when you're watching your kids run down that same field. You'll make more memories in this school than you will anywhere else these next four years. You're still a kid, enjoying your last run before you have to move out and start your adult life. If you're anything like me, this realization will hit you the minute you step into school your first day, and it'll make you want to high-tail it back to your kindergarten teacher and beg her to take you back. 

For those of you who haven't started high school yet, I hope I've scared you enough that you'll want to take full advantage of your last year of middle school. For those of you already in high school, I hope you can relate to these, and if you have any more lessons feel free to share them! But honestly, high school is one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking experiences I've had so far, even though I'm only 5 days in. You'll hate it, but at the same time you'll love it, because for the first time you finally start to feel like you're growing up, and it's great! Enjoy the good and embrace the bad, it's all part of the experience!

DIY Binder Covers

(The monograms on mine messed up when I emailed them to my mom so she could print them, oh well!)

For most of you, school has already started. For the rest, it's rapidly approaching. My school starts on the third, and I've spent the past two weeks in a desperate scramble to get everything done. So far, it's been a flurry of clothes shopping, last-minute summer reading, and, of course, searching for school supplies that are both cute and durable. Believe it or not, that task is a lot easier said than done. Luckily, I've created some adorable covers for the front of my binders, and to kick off the start of my new blog, I thought I'd show you how to make them too!

They're personalized, and can be easily altered to look however you want them too! As an example, I'm going to create a binder cover for my Geometry, Honors Biology, and French II binder (I combine three subjects into one 1.5 inch binder to save space in my backpack, since most of our work is done online anyway).

1. Open up Microsoft Word on your computer (Note: This tutorial is being done on a PC, and unfortunately I'm not sure how differently things are set up on Macs. However, all you Mac-users should be able to figure it out on your own, I believe in you!). 

2. Select the "Shapes" button, and draw a large rectangle. Change the "Shape Fill" and "Shape Outline" to whatever you want- I chose pink. 

3. Create a second rectangle inside the first. 

4. In the "Shape Fill" button, select the same color you used for the first rectangle. 

5. In the "Shape Outline" button, select a second color of your choice- I chose white. 

6. Also in the "Shape Outline" button, mouse over the button labeled "Weight", and select "3 pt."

7. Repeat steps 2-6 towards the bottom of the page, but make it considerably smaller. Alter the colors to your liking- I chose green.

8. Now, go back up to the top rectangle and draw a text box.

9. Alter the "Shape Fill" and "Shape Outline" to match the background color. 

10. Using any font you like (I used Cicle Gordita, off FontSquirrel), Type the name of your binder inside the circle. Make sure it's big enough to be read easily (I used size 42), and centered. 

11. Repeat steps 8 and 9 with the smaller rectangle towards the bottom of the page. 

12. Using the same font you used for the title, type your first and last name. 

13. You're almost done! Now find a monogram font that you like (I used Monogram KK Font, off dafont.com).

14. In the middle of the page, draw a large text box. Using a size 300 font, press "Shift" and type your last initial. Change the color to whatever you would like- I chose orange

15. Create a second text box to the left and slightly above your last initial, and type your first initial in size 300, but without pressing "Shift" (it will still be uppercase, but will be smaller and the perfect size for your monogram!) Change the color to match your last initial

16. Repeat step 15 on the right side, and using your middle initial. 

And there you have it! No more scribbling "English" across your binder in Sharpie. You now have a way to create cute, personalized covers for all of your binders! 

About Me

Hi there!

Welcome to The Kat in the Hat! I'm Katie, Kat, Kathryn (I respond to all three ;)).

Yup...that's me in a nutshell-I also love the beach, as you can see below

I really, really love the beach

I have a passion for food, nutrition, and cooking, and I promise to provide you with recipes that range from completely guilt-free to absolutely sinful!

Sometimes they don't exactly work out... (the product of my 14th birthday party)

Other times they work out quite nicely :)

(Just let the record show that my best friend and I made these in seventh grade, and they are a result of 6 hours of pure torture. And yes, the snowman next to Santa is sleeping on the job. Such a shame.)

Navigating the pages on my blog:

About: You're here! Congrats

Blogroll: Blogs I love, and hope you will too!

Food: Recipes and other food-related goodness

Health: Fitness and nutrition

Home Page: Self-explanatory 

Life: Posts about my (incredibly exciting ;)) daily life

School: Everything you need to survive the worst four years of your life (yay high school!)

Want to get in touch with me?

Comments, questions, concerns, business inquiries, and anything else you want to share with me can be done so by emailing thekatinthehat17@gmail.com

I don't have any sort of mailing address or P.O. box to share with you at the moment, but I'm working on getting that changed as quickly as possible!

Have a great day, and happy reading! xoxo :)

Blogroll

You know that feeling when you find something after you've spent forever looking for it? Well that's the feeling I get when I find a new blog to follow. I'm fairly picky about them, so it takes me a while before I find one that I truly love. So far, these are the blogs that I follow, and I'm obsessed with every one of them!

Lifestyle

The Bloggess. Author of "Let's Pretend This Never Happened," Jenny is absolutely hilarious! I swear this woman is secretly a five year old, because this blog is wonderfully immature. When I first discovered it, I spent the entire day scrolling through page after page of posts. My personal favorites are her conversations with her husband, Victor. Also, make sure to check out her story about Beyonce the chicken-I couldn't stop laughing!

The Londoner. A ridiculously chic blog about a lovely woman living in London, I'm a little obsessed with this one. I haven't yet made her infamous Slutty Brownies, but something tells me I'll be whipping up a batch in the near future ;). Seriously, Rosie is a wonderful person and a great writer!

 Humans of New York. I have a strange fascination with the big apple, meaning this website is a good way to waste away the entire day. Brandon photographs people from all walks of life living in New York City, posting a simple interview with each one. This blog is incredibly moving and inspirational, and I made an entire post on it here. 

DIY/Style

College Prep. I love Carly! She is a classy, preppy college student who describes herself as a "quirky, type A workaholic" which fits her perfectly! Her blog is great for DIY tips, style inspiration, and everything in between

Goldfish Kiss. Style, beauty, DIY, and fitness, Rebekah has a great blog about her life in Hawaii, but has recently moved to Seattle (quite the change!) Even though she doesn't live on the beach anymore, her blog is great for some tropical vacation-inspiration!

Cooking/Food

Eat Yourself Skinny. I have made sooo many of Kelly's recipes. Her blog is devoted to delicious, healthy food you're sure to love! Even though I don't count calories, for those of you that do, she provides not only nutritional information and weight watchers points, but serving sizes. Not just "100 calories for 1/4 of the recipe" but "100 calories for 1/2 cup." So far, I my favorites are chicken piccata, herb crusted pork chops, pork chops with balsamic peppers, and mini pumpkin swirl cheesecakes! 

Skinnytaste. I think Gina is some sort of healthy recipe wizard, because she is just too good at coming up with healthy yet yummy meals! Everyone in my family is absolutely obsessed with her healthy baked chicken nuggets. These things taste exactly like Tyson chicken nuggets, only 50x better for you! Seriously, I can't get enough of this blog. 

Health/Fitness

Fit Personality. This tumblog is awesome-Katy Grace is such a sweet, wonderful person! After going through a weight loss transformation, she created a blog all about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. However, she shows you how to make it really enjoyable! I love how she has said she "doesn't like labels" when it comes to being a vegetarian, vegan, etc, because I totally agree with her! Not to mention she goes to the University of Hawaii, and I'm insanely jealous ;)