fat butt friday: 25 pounds gone!

i can't even believe i am able to say that i have lost 25 lbs. i am having such a hard time wrapping my head around it because i have struggled so much for almost 4 years. when i finally got my head in the right spot, the weight just fell off. i have lost that much weight in less than 2 months. i am not trying to lose the weight in an unhealthy way, it is literally just melting off my body. i eat 3 meals and a snack every day, i do sit ups, push ups, and try to run 2 miles 6 days a week, with sunday being my day off.


i am doing a happy dance! 

a few important things i have come to realize in this short time is that you have to be willing and ready to commit to this in order to be successful, you have to eat healthy AND work out, and you can't listen to that evil voice inside your head that tells you to eat that junk and that you are too tired to work out. when i say i have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight for the last few years, i am serious! i don't remember a time that i haven't been trying to lose.

last year, i thought i finally had it when i started running daily. i ran EVERY SINGLE DAY for 4 months and lost 2 lbs. the entire time. the reason was because i didn't change the way i ate. i wasn't necessarily eating unhealthy, but what was killing me were things like breads, rice, pastas, sodas, and artificial sweeteners. even eating small portions of those things were sabotaging me.

in order to lose weight and stay healthy, you have to change your way of life!

so, how do i enjoy food without feeling deprived? simple changes were all it took for me. i love fries, so instead of making potato fries, i make carrot fries. i love mexican food, so instead of having corn or flour tortillas, i eliminate those and make a taco salad with chicken or beef, and pile it high with lettuce tomatoes, black olives, jalapenos, and a little bit of cheese. i love pizza and i found a cauliflower pizza so good that i have it at least once a week now and never feel guilty. there is a plethora of information online so you can find alternatives to almost all of your favorite meals. take some time to learn some new recipes.


what are you going to do to change your way of life and get healthy today? 

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

 

my new obsession with discount shopping online

i have always been an online shopper. i hate nothing more than getting out in traffic to drive to an overcrowded mall and shop for high priced items. kids grow fast, and i just can not justify overpaying for an item my kids are going to get a stain on or grow out of within a few months. recently, i kept hearing a few people talk about how much they love sites like zulily so, i gave them a shot a few months ago when i purchased a pair of look-alike toms for a deeply discounted price of $8.99. everything about these shoes resembled toms in every way except for the price.

for christmas, i purchased phoenix and tyler actual toms and tyler's already have a hole in the toe. she hasn't even worn them that much and phoenix has worn her's maybe 3 times. i cringe thinking about how quickly close to $70 went down the drain. i don't believe in having to have the actual name brand to be happy or feel like the cool kid. to me, the cool kid is the mom who can make their kids look great for next to nothing. that's why i vow to never spend full price on my kids' clothes again, and i am going to do it with online discount sites.

school hasn't even ended yet, but i am already making purchases for the next school year. one of my favorite things to buy are shoes because they are cute, so affordable, and usually the items i can't pass down from child to child because they get worn so quickly. 


what are some other discount shopping sites like zulily and totsy that you love?


not compensated to talk about these sites. i just really love them!

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

things i've been loving lately

i hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day weekend. our next big focus around here is the last few weeks of school for my children. the year is winding down and soon we will transition into summer vacation. i must admit that some days i love having my kids here all day, and then some days, it is nice to have that break. the focus is more on them and less on me... even less on me shall i say. keeping them busy is key!

lately, i have spent a little more time focusing on myself and honestly, i haven't felt guilty about it one bit. i have rewarded myself with little purchases here and there, planned some diy activities just for me, focused more on my health, and surrounded myself with more of the things i love. i love my kids, and they are always #1, but i have to fill my life with a few special things every now and then too, amiright?

here are a few things i am loving lately...


1. a couple weeks ago i won a minted giveaway over at melissa's blog, while it rains, and enjoyed choosing and creating my new business cards, as well as 2 personalized journals. such quality products with a huge variety of templates to choose from, and i received them within a few days of ordering.

2. i am sure you have seen it a thousand times by now, but i am so in love with this painting crystalyn from flavor pink did of my kiddos. you can check out her blog here or her shop here. the girl is so talented. and i couldn't be happier with her work.

3. these 100 anniversary mason jars are all i have been drinking out of lately. they're so pretty!

 

4. i have been moisturizing for weeks with this new vaseline spray & go lotion and loving it. last week, when i got the sunburn of a lifetime, i was sure that even this lotion couldn't do anything for it, but i was wrong. although i just know i am going to peel, this lotion has kept my skin, that would otherwise be like a leather handbag, so soft and smooth. the best part is that it soaks in quickly and isn't greasy.

5. ever since i got my juicer a couple years ago, i have loved fresh homemade juice. i have enjoyed coming up with new concoctions, but i always go back to my favorite, green juice. if you don't have a juicer, you are totally missing out and need to run now and get one and make this juice: 4 green apples, 2 limes, 1 stalk of celery, 1/2 large cucumber, 2 large handfuls of spinach, 2 inch piece of ginger. so good!

6. i wanted to make this desk/table so bad that i immediately started searching for file cabinets the moment i saw it. i called my mom, i posted on facebook, and searched daily on craigslist daily until i found them for a reasonable price. of course, i finally found them, and can't wait to transform them into this amazing piece.

what are you loving lately?

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

rainy days

yep, still raining! but rather than complain about it, lets just enjoy another rainy day! it will all be over soon, right? and if i am looking at it all in a positive light, then here is a list of 5 good things about the rain...

• at least it's not snow!

• i haven't had to remember to water my container garden for a couple weeks now.

• we have gotten out of the chore of doing yard work. 

• all that pollen is completely washed away now. 

• we are saving on electricity because we haven't had to turn on the heat or the AC.

Puddle Jumper by sixcherries featuring h&m shorts

Under My Umbrella by sixcherries featuring a red lipstick

Rainy Day House Hangs by sixcherries featuring tall shirts

on rainy days, i love nothing more than to be as lazy as possible. lately, i have not let myself give in to being a couch potato because i am trying to lose the weight and stay productive, but today i am going to curl up on the couch and watch two movies... a scary one and one that will probably make me cry. since it's almost mother's day, i think i will watch stepmom. a great movie for those mothers who are stepmothers.

(via)

puddle jumping is always fun, but, of course, this rain is supposed to stick around longer than just today, so i found some great indoor activities for my little ones this weekend. give my older kids a tv, an xbox, and a cell phone and they are all set for a rainy day. these rainy day activities from mixblog are perfect for phoenix, tyler, and elijah.
 

how is the weather in your neck of the woods? what are some of your favorite rainy day movies and activities?

(via)

linking up with angry julie monday and the paper mama.

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥