Six Cherries on Top

chopsticks

2012-02-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

we are huge fans of sushi and all types of asian food, so just recently i thought it would be a great idea to get all of us our own chopsticks. here are some of the awesome chopsticks out there that i am considering.

{yuento reusable chopsticks and case, tropsticks flamingo chopsticks, chimpsticks, star wars chop sabers, fred & friends beat it drumstick chopsticks}

my favorite type of sushi? definitely the philly roll. i absolutely love salmon and love the combo of salmon and crea cheese in the philly.

what about you, what is your favorite type of sushi?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

best coast, our deal supervideo

2012-01-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

okay, so i know this is supposed to be about tv, but music came to tv with the invention of mtv.

if you know me, you know that for years i have had a love for drew barrymore for years now (i will go into that little obsession another day).

AND, if you have been following me for awhile, you would know that we took the kids to see miranda cosgrove in concert this past summer. the kids love her, but i have become a bit fond of her myself since that day as well.

okay, so anyways here's the point...

drew barrymore just directed a new supervideo for mtv and it features miranda cosgrove as one of the characters (very different from her character carly on icarly). the production is a romeo and juliet/ west side story style video of the song our deal by best coast.

here it is, so check it out!

MTV Supervideo - Music - Best Coast - Best Coast - Music - More Music Videos

i love best coast, by the way, and i think this video is pretty great. regardless of the fact that we all have seen this story so many times before.

it's been years since i have actually watched mtv because it's just not like it used to be. where did the music videos go? in a day's time, there are only a couple of hours that actually play music videos. shouldn't it be called something other than mtv now?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

a bath can cure it all

2012-01-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

this little boy has definitely hit the terrible two's. everything is pretty much a meltdown if things don't go 100% his way. most days, he wakes up grumpy, but only because he wanted to sleep longer. most days, he throws his cup of milk, but only because he wants chocolate milk. most days, he bangs his fist on his highchair, but only because he wants chips and cookies instead of all veggies, most meats, and some fruits. he also screams, hits, kicks, and runs away for a variety of other reasons.

and there's always one thing that can fix it all, no matter how big or small the tragedy of the moment is...

bath time!

(some days he takes a few of them just so we can have a break from all the grumpiness.)

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

editing photos: "what should i use?"

2012-01-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

with the announcement that picnik is closing up shop in april, many of those who use this site to edit their photos are wondering where they will go next. although picnik is a great place for beginners, i know several great photographers who just preferred to use it because it was easy, not to mention free (for the basic package).

fyi to all picnik users:
picnik will be refunding all premium members a full refund as soon as possible. they have stated that even if you are on your last day of being a premium package member, you will still receive a full refund as a thank you. until april, when picnik will no longer operate, premium use of picnik will be available to everyone who wishes to use it.

so now that you are out to look for a new way to edit your photos, here are a few that i recommend.

google+ creative kit - i chose this one first because picnik is actually working with google and google+ to offer this to you. some of the features it offers are similar, if not the same as picnik. if you are a google+ member, you simply choose one of your photos and click on it to bring up the lightbox view and click on the creative kit icon at the top. that will bring up the google+ creative kit. it is pretty easy to navigate without a bunch of instructions.

fotoflexer - this is also very similar to picnik, however, it just doesn't have that pizazz that picnik has.

picasa - i think i was using this before i was using picnik, and way before i started using photoshop.

gimp - if you want something that is more like photoshop, this is what you should use.

pixlr - another great alternative to photoshop that a lot of people use.

i included free programs so that you can gain experience before moving on to the programs you must pay for. after all of the programs i listed above, you will pretty much be moving into the programs like lightroom, elements, and photoshop, which you must pay for.

as far as advice when choosing between lightroom, elements, and photoshop, all i can really say is that it is based on what you like and what you feel comfortable with. there are always free trials of each program available for you to test before buying. i definitely recommend doing that before making a final decision.

all of these photos were edited in one or more of the free programs and sites i suggested above.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

my week in iphone photos

2012-01-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

it's raining here today and i am actually kind of enjoying it. i love the rainy days where it is so dark outside you can't tell if the day is coming or going. we will probably play the wii and xbox some today and enjoy a movie too.

here is our week in iphone pics:

1. sleeping in mommy's arms 2. homemade chicken noodle soup 3. watching grey's anatomy 4. my growing boy 5. playing in his toy box 6. silly picture of dj lance drawn by mackenzie on the magna doodle.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

fat butt friday: the jack lalanne power juicer express

2012-01-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

last week i talked about juicing and how much i have enjoyed this new found way of incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet. there are so many juicers out there to chose from that i didn't really know where to begin. i had done quite a bit of research that led me to the breville line of juicers, however, i wasn't willing to spend that kind of money right now. i wanted to make sure that i was going to keep up with juicing and that i wouldn't eventually put my juicer in a cabinet to collect dust.

so far we are still going strong. i love juicing!

i had heard great things about the jack lalanne juicers, so i picked one up at target...the jack lalanne power juicer express. there were actually two other juicers to choose from on the shelf but had never heard of them.

i can't really compare the jack lalanne juicer to any other, but i can say that i am pleased with it. i haven't had any issues with any of the fruits or vegetables that i have put into it. this juicer is also very easy to clean. it is dishwasher safe, but i usually just rinse it out with a little soap and water and let dry our dish rack.

the only thing i am a little disappointed in is the spout not being higher. i usually have to use a short glass or jar while i am juicing and then have to pour it into a larger container if i want a large glass of juice.

overall, i enjoy the jack lalanne juicer i chose and i would recommend it to others. as long as it continues to work, i really have no need to purchase one of those more expensive juicers.

__________________________________________________________________________________

once again, i didn't do so well with my weight this week. i am way off track and i really need your help getting back to where i need to be. i have really been feeling run down and tired and not wanting to do much of anything except lay around. along with that, my eating has gotten out of control. what do you recommend for getting my mind in the right spot and getting back on track?

here are my stats:

160 lbs. - start weight

156.0 lbs. - previous weigh in

160.0 lbs. - current weight

________________________________

0 lbs - total loss to date

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

beautiful day

2012-01-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

the weather forecast shows rain in our future so i am enjoying this beautiful day before it fades away! have a wonderful wednesday!

linking up with the paper mama, angry julie monday, and naptime momtog

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

free mustache valentine's day cards for kids

2012-01-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

Pin It

to be honest, i am quite sick of the whole mustache thing now. however, my girls are still in love with this little trend, so i decided to go with this theme one more time for valentine's day. needless to say, they are pretty excited, not to mention, i get cool mom points for providing my kids with one of a kind valentines to share with their friends.

they are pretty simple, but you are welcome to download them for yourself as well and use them however you like. FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY, PLEASE.

click here to download the hi-res version of the pink card.
click here to download the hi-res version of the orange card.
(right click on the image and save to your computer)

i also went hunting around for some of those sticker mustaches that can be worn. below are two places i found really good deals on sticker mustaches if you would like to invest in them to go along with these cards.

whole sale vending products - $25.99 for 250

shindigz - $6.99 for 12

i am thinking just tape them (or staple them) in place over the printed mustache.

i would love to hear if you use these cards for your kids this valentines day. hope you enjoy!

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

my favorite shows

2012-01-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

over the years, i don't recall having too many favorite shows. i was more of a movie watcher, but still watched a few various shows now and then. i think the first time i really remember getting super involved in a show (like where missing an episode was a travesty) was when i started watching dawson's creek.

i don't really watch dawson's creek these days, even though i do occasionally find myself missing dawson, joey, pacey, and jenn. i always dreamed of moving down to southport, NC where majority of the show was filmed, to live out my dawson's creek fantasy.

these days my favorite shows are a bit different. i have talked about some of my favorite shows in the past, and some of them have changed even since then, but these are definitely the shows i find myself eagerly awaiting each week or counting the days until the new season starts.

here are my top favorite shows (as of right now):

1. true blood - i only recently saw this show for the first time and ended up watching the first 4 seasons in about a week. who doesn't love a show that has vampires, fairies, werewolves, witches, maenads, were-panthers and shape shifters? right now, the show is in it's off season, but i can't wait for the new season. i am addicted! (sundays at 9 on hbo)

2. sons of anarchy - when i first started watching this show, it was in it's second season. shortly after the second season was over, i purchased the first season on blu ray to get caught up on the story and have been watching it ever since. (tuesdays at 10 on fx)

3. how i met your mother - this is another show i have never seen from the beginning but have enjoyed for the last few years. my favorite character? barney. but still, as much as i love the show...tell us who the freaking mother is, will you! (mondays at 8/7c on cbs)

4. the walking dead - only in it's second season, i have been watching this show from the very beginning. a show about zombies. oh yeah, that's awesome! (second half of season 2 starts sunday, february 12 at 9/8c on amc)

have you seen any of these shows? who are your favorite characters?
what about you, what are your favorite shows on tv?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry