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Iusedtowatchalotof television. I'd have it on all the time, rarely watching a full show but just flip- ping from one chan- nel to an- other, wor- ried I might be miss- ing some- thing. Then we pulled the plug on cable TV, and I gave up that habit cold turkey. Mostly I didn't miss it. The experience was freeing, like suddenly I found more hours in my day. But there were shows I missed because I found them motivating and often even inspirational. 1. "Fixer Upper." This HGTV reality show stars husband and wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines. He's a contractor, she's a designer and they live in Waco, Texas. On the show, the Gaineses start by showing the homes to po- tential buyers in central Texas. Every home needs repairs or renovations. Once the buyers choose their home, Joanna de- signs it while Chip is the lead contractor. The buy- ers typically have a total budget of under $200,000 with at least $30,000 in renovations. Why It's a Favor- ite: Unlike most real- ity shows that are mostly fake, "Fixer Upper" comes across as authentic and realistic — not heav- ily scripted where every scene is perfectly lighted, staged and produced. I love Chip and Joanna be- cause they are so real and so much fun. Every epi- sode of "Fixer Upper" mo- tivates me in some way and makes me believe in myself. Joanna's design and decorating tips and tricks are so usable, I can't wait to steal them for my own home. And I won't deny that at the end of ev- ery show, I secretly want to invite Chip and Joanna over for dinner so we can become friends. 2. "The Profit." Mar- cus Lemonis, owner of the multi-billion dollar company Camping World (we've dropped a few bucks there over the years; have you?) doesn't go camping in his spare time — he goes on the hunt for struggling businesses that are desperate for cash and ripe for a deal. So far he's turned around more than 100 businesses by handing over his cash for a piece of each one of those busi- nesses. And now CNBC has created a show around his ability to do this. He's an amazing entrepreneur with the charisma, wis- dom and smarts it takes to be successful. In each ep- isode of "The Profit," Le- monis tackles yet another struggling business — sparing no feelings. Why It's a Favorite: I'm an entrepreneur — I just love business. And I've made my share of bone- head business mistakes over the years. That makes me often identify with the business owners who are on their financial backs. When Lemonis goes in to save the day, he doesn't tread softly. He tears ev- erything apart to reveal why the business is strug- gling and what needs to be done. Then he offers his own cash to buy part of the business with the un- derstanding that he's now the boss, getting every- one to work doing what- ever it takes to turn things around. I get some kind of business lesson in every episode and always leave with something I can put into practice. 3."Chopped." This re- ality-based cooking show pits four chefs against each other as they com- pete for a chance to win $10,000. In each episode the chef must turn a bas- ket of mystery ingredients into a dish that is then judged according to cre- ativity, presentation and taste. Celebrity judges de- termine which chef must be "chopped" until the winner remains. Why It's a Favorite: I am nothing if not a big Food Network fan, but "Chopped" is the only show I never miss. I'm hooked and not because I'm in love with the host or the judges. Each week it challenges me to play "Chopped" in my own kitchen. Most of the time my refrigerator and pan- try are a kind of mystery basket of ingredients. In- stead of finding a recipe that means I'll need to run to the supermarket (which by the way is not as close as it used to be when we lived in the big city), I pic- ture host Ted Allen ask- ing me to open my bas- ket, followed by 30 min- utes to turn its contents into a fabulous meal. Us- ing so many ideas and tricks I've learned watch- ing "Chopped," I really do come out a winner most of the time. 4. "Million Dollar List- ing New York." This real- ity series follows three real estate agents as they rep- resent buyers and sellers throughout the five bor- oughs of New York City. The brokers are as eccen- tric as their clients while viewers get a chance to see inside some of the most palatial, exotic and ex- treme homes in the Big Apple. Why It's a Favorite: You may or may not know that for 18 years, I was an in- dustrial commercial real estate broker in Los Ange- les, so I have a slight con- nection with the subject of this show. "Million Dollar Listing New York" deals in residential real estate, which is another world al- together. But I understand the business behind the drama. And there is a lot of drama! I call this a fake reality show because it is clearly scripted, planned, produced, staged and pol- ished. Still, it's fun — a guilty pleasure that makes me believe that I could do what those agents do. 5. "This Old House." Begun in 1979 as a one- time, 13-part series on PBS, "This Old House" has grown into one of the most popular home im- provement programs on the network. A team of hosts and contractors re- store homes, typically back to their original splen- dor and glory. Sometimes it takes an entire season to get the home done and in the process, viewers get an invaluable education in home restoration and improvement. "This Old House" has initiated lots of spin-off shows, notably "New Yankee Workshop." Why It's a Favorite: "This Old House" has been part of my life for its entire 30-year his- tory. And when Norm Abrams showed up in "The New Yankee Work- shop," my husband Har- old got hooked. It was just so much fun to watch how Norm could turn plain lumber into wonderful furniture. Harold watched religiously for about five years, then one day he stood up and casually said, "I think I could do that." EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE MyfivefavoriteTVshows Mary Hunt The women and children at the PATH Sale House having been working hard the past few weeks getting ready for the biggest yard sale ever. It will be held Friday, July 31 and Saturday Aug. 1, at the corner of Gilmore Ranch Road and Sale Lane. All the proceeds will go to support the house for women and their children, to bet- ter their lives. Please come by and listen to the wonderful success stories and see what PATH has been doing in our community to help keep this house successful. If you don't see anything you need, please consider making a cash donation. We appreciate the communities support. Above: Volunteers promote the PATH Sale House yard sale. FUNDRAISER GIANT YARD SALE COURTESYPHOTO The Sierra Club Yahi Group is hosting the fol- lowing events for August. Unless otherwise noted, trips are free and open to the public and begin at the trailhead. If you have any questions or want further information about specific activities, call Wayland Au- gur at 519-4724 or send an email to wba@acm.org. Saturday,Aug.22— Paradise Meadows and Terrace, Cliff and Shadow lakes day hike A beautiful shuttle hike through the central part of Lassen National Park from the Hat Lake Trail- head to Paradise Mead- ows then on the Terrace, Shadow and Cliff lakes be- fore reaching State Route 89. About 7.5 miles with side trips to Paradise Meadows and Cliff Lake. Includes a long climb of 1,200 after Paradise Mead- ows. Meet at Chico Park & Ride at 8 a.m. or at Lassen Park visitor center at 9:45 a.m.. Bring lunch, water, boots and carpool money. Leader: Barbara, 258-3905 or kitchkin@hotmail.com; Asst. Leader: Alan, 891- 8789 or ajmendoza777@ comcast.net. Saturday, Aug. 30 — Long day/full moon picnic and games at Five Mile, Bidwell Park Bring a pot luck dish to share, lawn chair and your own beverage and plate; relax under the shady trees and full moon; dip your feet in the creek; play some board or grass games. Rain cancels. Meet at 3 p.m. at the south side of Chico Creek, look for signs. Leader: John, 872-8258; Asst. Leader: Jeanne, 321- 7279. SIERRA CLUB August activities planned for Yahi Group BibleBooks,&More,Redding,CA;530.222.2944 FirstChurchofGod,RedBluff,CA;530.527.5717 Family Christian Stores, Chico, CA; 530.894.1650 This event is promoted and managed by Innovative Management, a division of IMC Concerts. FORTICKETINFORMATION CALL 800.965.9324 OR VISIT WWW.IMC CONCERTS.COM All ticket sales by phone or internet may be subject to additional service fees. There will be no refund or exchange of tickets given. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Groups 20 or more - $10 (For group tickets, call 423.218.1926) Advance General Admission - $15 At the Door - $20 Artist Circle - $25 Children 12 & under - FREE LOCAL TICKET OUTLETS: Kristaat602-702-9086orMarcyat1-800-888-9040(TollFree) or e-mail us at info@world-heritage.org BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT PRESENTS Sunday, August 9, 2015 2:00-6:00 pm Red Bluff Community Center 1500 S. Jackson, Red Bluff, CA 96080 • Free haircuts for school-age children provided by licensed hairstylists • Free food donated by Cornerstone Community Bank • Free professional photographs by Studio 530 Photography • Live music • Children's games • Information booths P.O. Box 292, Red Bluff, CA 96080 530.529.4074 • www.backtoschoolproject.com Peking Chinese Restaurant DineIn,CarryOut&Lounge 860MainStreet 530-527-0523 10%Off yourticketwiththisad. Limit 1 coupon per ticket/table. No other discounts apply. Alcohol, taxes or gratuity are not included. Offer expires 8/31/15 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, July 29, 2015 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A7