JOIE de VIVRE

all i can say is that i have been busy! i don't feel like i have done a whole lot but have actually accomplished a great deal. lots of cleaning and rearranging, and a little purging of useless junk. the holidays are coming up and i know we will need the extra space. six kids + christmas = lots of new stuff.

oh, and i also reorganized our important documents safe. i usually try to do it once a year. and if you don't have a safe for your important documents, i suggest you get one! a fire or flood can happen to anyone. 

we like to party hard around here. 

 

be prepared this week for lots of new companies and products i am loving and want to share with you, including a new app. that i use for running. some may even make great gifts for the upcoming holidays! stay tuned!

how was your weekend?

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

JOIE de VIVRE

i have really gotten into my workouts every day, even if the second i wake up, my first thought is "oh damn, i have to work out"! today is 15 days that i have worked out in a row. to some, that may not seem like a lot, but for me, it is a HUGE step. i have gotten so lazy and depressed lately, and just felt like crap in general. and then, suddenly, i woke up, and had this giant change of direction. i guess, i just couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror any more. i was pretty much disgusted with myself. this is a big accomplishment for me and i am so proud of myself for finally sticking with it.

the rest of my weekend was like always...just some family time at home. i am going to have to say that this summer will definitely go down in our record books as the most boring summer EVER. i won't even drag on this paragraph to tell you how boring it has been. haha! I NEED A VACATION!

hope you all had a great weekend. 

linking up with miscellany monday at lowercase letters.

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

JOIE de VIVRE

oh my gosh, you are going to think my life sucks! once again we were stuck home this weekend. we went to walmart to pick up a few things including a brew-your-own coffee attachment for our keurig. i love the ease of popping in one of those little coffee packs but they can be expensive (we don't miss a single day of coffee drinking unless we just don't have any). this is the year our money has definitely been tested and we have been able to see how much money we waste as a family. we are finding so many ways to save money and that little attachment will definitely save us a ton of money in the long run.

i think the most exciting part of our weekend is that elijah has been going out in public with underwear on. last thursday was actually the first time we did it and he didn't have a single accident. he is also continuing to successfully poop in the potty and we have also been putting him in undies at night as well.  he hasn't had a single accident. holy crap he has caught on so quickly! we aren't even really using the sticker chart any more either. he has completely lost interest in that.

the rest of the weekend was spent getting caught up on yardwork and housework and enjoying some delicious foods. 

how was your weekend?  

linking up with miscellany monday at lowercase letters.

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

miscellany monday - whining and complaining

complete and total randomness...

okay, so i am sitting here on an october sunday night watching titanic on abc family, while at the same time i've got my ear buds in and watching hipster kids on youtube rub the fact that they are 15 and have more fame, influence, and electronic devices than i do.

phoenix and tyler are supposed to be asleep now, since it is 10:18 at night and they have school tomorrow. BUT, they aren't! and elijah should be in bed too, but he isn't either. instead, he is begging for one of the fudge filled chocolate chocolate chip cookies that i am shoving into my mouth at record speed. i regret each one as i sit here in my ridiculously tight t-shirt, and in the back of mind i tell myself i am going to make changes starting tomorrow.

 

yeah, i told myself the same thing yesterday.

and the day before that.

and the day before that.
and the day...

i see where this is going.

apparently, i should be running for office because i am an awesome liar!

alright now, let's get real! i seriously need to get myself in check and my priorities straight. I MUST LOSE WEIGHT! 

i've lost weight before but for some reason i am struggling to find motivation to exercise and keeping myself in line when it comes to eating.

i don't like to make excuses, but eating from a box, can or package and slathered with some kind of sauce is so much tastier, more convenient, and less expensive than eating healthy. and dr. pepper tastes oh-so-good! i hate that i am publicly whining about my weight instead of getting out there and actually doing something about it. it's easier to tell someone else to eat a carrot than it is to tell myself. have you tasted one of those things plain?

i am pretty sure i need to start up my fat butt friday series again, but this time make it more about me rather than trying to be a support for everyone else. i think if i really lay it all out there and fully commit to admitting to the world that i am a failure, i will get sick of looking like a loser and make some changes.

thanks for listening to me be a cry baby! i'm going to go eat a twinkie now.

HA! just kidding! or am i?

i guess you will find out friday.

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

miscellany monday

mrs. clean is in the house

i have been totally busy this weekend. i think i am still in a funk, but not nearly as bad now that my house is somewhat clean. my OCD when it comes to my house, especially a messy house puts me in the worst bad mood ever. definitely not easy when you have as many children as i do to destroy it.  i have seriously followed them around the last few days like a nut...

"don't bring that in here!"
"don't sit that there!"
"i hope you don't think you are going to put that there?"
"i hope you plan to pick that up?"
"who left this right here?"


not to mention the lovely mural tyler has so kindly drawn on the wall by the front door for guests to look at as they enter our home. 

so, i may be pestering my kids, but it feels so good to look around and see...CLEAN!




extreme couponing (the show) makes me sick!

have you seen this show? women going into a store with their coupons, spending nearly $1,000 on groceries, and only paying $5 bucks.

SAY WHAT? are you freaking kidding me?

okay, so i do the couponing thing, and i see how this could be possible, but it is seriously like rocket science to me people!

I got excited this morning because i shopped for $60+ and only spent $12 and some change. and i do have a "stock pile" but not nearly as large as what i see on this show. if i could shop like this i would have so much money in my pocket. even with coupons, we spend all of at least $500 or more a month on groceries.

i can't wait for my veggies to start growing!



giveaways galore

i have decided that once a week i am going to TRY to start doing a post on some of the coolest giveaways i find out there. so many of the blogs i read are having some super duper amazing giveaways and i would love to share them with you as i find them.

i would love your help too. if you find a great giveaway that i don't know about, please feel free to shoot me over an email at sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com to let me know. i won't be doing a linky for this because i only want to share with you certain giveaways. 

hope you all have a wonderful week!

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miscellany monday | christmas wishes come true

 

every year we tell ourselves it is going to be a small and simple christmas and every year we totally outdo the year before. eventually we will have nothing left to give our children. they definitely got all that they wished for and more this year.

wish #1

the kids seriously had an electronic wish list a mile long that included cell phones, video cameras, ipods, netbooks, dsi XLs, and an xbox 360 kinect. between us, santa, and family, our kids' wishes were fulfilled.  which ones?  ummm...let's just say my kids were spoiled brats this christmas!

me?  all of my wishes came true simply by seeing the smiles on my kids' faces. 

my christmas this year was also filled with a huge variety of goodies, including several beautiful pieces from one of my favorite companies longaberger. they have totally moved on to making more than just fabulous baskets.

wish #2

as if electronics weren't enough, i guess my children felt that adding a new member to our family would just send christmas into the record books at our house.  no bigger than a golf ball, mistletoe the hampster is now an official member of our family.

she really is cute.

as long as she stays in her cage.

yes SHE.  i have no idea how they check that one!

wish #3

i was unsuccessful at capturing anything with my camera on christmas day since my mom took the initiative of nominating me as santa's little elf to help pass out gifts.  lucky me!  every chance i got to pick up my camera, another round of gifts was thrown into my lap to pass out.

so therefor, when our christmas wish for snow was granted by our dear sweet mother nature, i certainly made no efforts to be the one to hold elijah as he screamed in the snow.

the kids had a blast, i took lots of photos.  guess you know what that means?  lots of photos this week of our christmas snow. i make no apologies because this doesn't happen often.

hope you all had a very merry christmas too!

p.s.

i'll be over at the paper mama as a guest judge for this week's photo challenge. this week's theme is family so be sure to head over and share your best family photo. 

miscellany monday | totally random stuff in my head

just bare with me. there is lots of random going on in my head this morning!
 
1. sweet home from alabama

jason is finally home from working a full week in montgomery.  thank you jeezus! that's it, just thank you!


2. just call me tubby

as i stepped out of the tub after my not so private bath, a little five year old voice questioned where all the water went so fast.  no where. i simply got up and water water level went down.  thank goodness jason is finally home.

i need to lose weight.


3. movie madness

snuggling with sissy on the couch

we sat down to watch a movie and shortly after a little boy and his blankie crept into the lap of his big sissy. i just don't know how he was able to sleep through all the giggles of two little girls watching home alone.

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4. a permanent winter

is it too random that every time i see a snowflake lately, it makes me want one as a tattoo?

and is it just a little too weird that i don't even like winter or snow but think snowflakes are so pretty?

would it even make sense?


5. it's new to me

i have been reading some totally new blogs lately.  i think i will share them with you later this week. it probably won't be an elaborate post. maybe just a few links to some very amazing women. in fact, i may do a top three tuesday sharing my top 3 all time favorite blogs and my top 3 new blogs that i love. maybe! probably.

miscellany monday | a few randoms before tuesday

what a weekend!

to grandma's house we go (and grandpa too!)

for the first time in his little life, elijah stayed away from me overnight! all the kids stayed with their grandparents, in fact.

mackenzie stayed with her dad's mom and the other's stayed with my parent's.

ever since the girls' dad passed away, i have tried to make sure they still have opportunities to see their grandmother marsha and spend time with her. marsha just started her own small business and makes all kinds of bath and body products as well as candles, room sprays, and reed diffusers.  she had promised mackenzie that they would make some items together that she could give to her friends for christmas.

they made the cutest cupcake bath bombs.

the icing on top is bubble bath and the bottom (the cake part) is a bath bomb.  how cute are these?


a great day for football

the reason the kids went to stay with their grandparents was because friends and i had tickets to the carolina panthers game.

the panthers are having a not-so-good season but we weren't going to pass up a chance to head to charlotte and catch our boys play the atlanta falcons. it was cold and at times rainy, but it was so worth it. even if they lost...AGAIN!

 

9th row baby!

we got the chance to meet and get autographs from steve smith and charles johnson.  super nice guys!

and we met the famous catman, the panthers #1 fan.

the best part was we got to go with the greatest people, two of our best friends, rick and amanda. love these guys. you might not recognize them, but you would probably recognize their daughter gracie.


cookies and...water?

or soy milk.

we took phoenix to the dr. and he suspects she is allergic to milk.  not the way you may think of being allergic to something where you break out from it.  the hormones in milk affect your mood and since i have been having some trouble with phoenix's behavior, he thinks that an emotional disorder combined with an allergy to milk may be the reason for her mood swings.

he has taken her off of milk and she can only drink soy milk and can't eat anything with regular milk for two weeks.  it's harder than i thought.  it seems like everything has milk in it.  like m&m's!


jason is out of town in alabama this week so i will be super busy every day.   

wish me luck!

miscellany monday | it was a lovely weekend indeed!

oh, yes it was!
and a busy one too.

1. i hate to admit it, but my gps is a genius!

saturday mackenzie was to be in the christmas parade with her builders club, so we got up early and make sure we got there on time and that i was able to find a good spot for photos. i had never been to the louisburg christmas parade.  we missed the big parade in raleigh and i was a little bummed about that, so i was excited about going to this one.

there were very specific directions to meet at the old tom togs building.

do you know how to get to the old tom togs building?

well, you know about as well as i did at the time.  i had never even heard of it.

i did give myself a little credit because even though i have been to louisburg many times, i still had never really given myself the opportunity to learn the street names or to familiarize myself with unique landmarks.  therefor, i had to rely on my gps to do all the work for me.

long story short, mackenzie never made it to the louisburg parade.

because the old tom togs building isn't in louisburg...IT'S IN YOUNGSVILLE, the neighboring town!

obviously mackenzie missed the most important part of her parade instructions. that being, which parade she was actually going to be in.

funny thing is, i think i cursed that darn gps for a good 10 minutes about why it kept wanting me to turn around and go to youngsville when i clearly knew that louisburg was in the direction i was going.

"stop fooling around! we have a parade to go to you uneducated piece of doodie gps! " (that was the nice version)

we all know who the idiot really is, and i know now to never argue with the one who clearly knows the directions best.

luckily, we made it just in time and even found an awesome spot to sit.



2. zero to snowing in under 10 minutes

mackenzie wore this wiggly jiggly santas-on-a-headband thing in the parade and i wanted to get a few pics of her when we got home. it was cold, she was goofing off, i got irritated (hence the reason for the grumpy look) and we went inside.

less than 10 minutes later, it began snowing.  it never snows this early in the year in NC.  almost never, but definitely closer to never.

what a pleasant surprise. it had to be at least 3+ inches. and it was still there sunday morning.

i am so glad i tucked away all of that homemade chicken noodle soup in the freezer. how funny that i just made it two days ago?

the only time i got out in the snow was to take a few photos.

i didn't even let the kids go out. i know bad mom, how could i not let them?

BECAUSE it would have taken 30 minutes to get them all dressed up, they would have spent 5 minutes out there realizing that the snow sucked because it didn't stick together, which means NO snowman, NO snowballs, NO NOTHING!

which then equals BORING, so they would have wanted to come in. once they were in, i would have had to strip them naked and give them a bath (coming in from snow always constitutes taking a bath to me for some odd reason) and that would have taken another 30-45 minutes.

then, when i was finally ready to sit down and relax, a small voice would have said "i want to go outside, mommy!"

Nope, wasn't doing that! Sorry! 

 How was your weekend?

one last thing please...

I would love for you to hop over to the paper mama and vote for my holiday card. voting ends tonight. click HERE to vote. thanks!

Miscellany Monday - Halloween Weekend With A Few Other Randoms

What an awesome weekend! We were super duper busy every minute!  

Baby Talk

Elijah says "Mama" and "Dada", not consistently, but he says it. 

It appears that Elijah's first real words are "Owww!" (as in ouch) and "Stop!" 

Not only does he say them CONSTANTLY, he says them correctly (sort of).  If I grab something away from him that I don't want him to have or someone else (like his sisters Phoenix and Tyler) try to take his toy he SCREAMS "Owww!" If someone is bugging him (sisters, Phoenix, Tyler) or aggravating him he gets an angry face, yells "Stooop!", and usually hits the person (Phoenix, Tyler).  Can you figure out who drives him crazy?

The Gang Was All There

Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and of course Scooby.

They were on a mission to solve the mystery of one of the "scariest" little monsters in town. 

That was our Halloween.

Trick or Treating was actually on Halloween for us (as opposed to Saturday like some neighborhoods were doing) and word on the streets was that our "little gang" had the most original theme.  

I really think it is just the fact that we have the whole Scooby Doo gang that draws so much attention.  We were even remembered from last years costumes, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Most asked question of the night..."Where is the Mystery Machine?"

I am also entering this photo into this week's photo challenge at The Paper Mama.

and this week's photo challenge over at The Trendy Treehouse.

Party 'Til The Break Of Dawn

Okay, I think the last time I was at a party that late, was over ten years ago.  

Today is Jason's birthday, but we celebrated at home with the kids on Saturday. Nothing over the top, just a pot of homemade vegetable beef soup, homemade Oreo cookie cupcakes, and a couple gifts.  

Jason's laptop bit the dust earlier this year and he has been periodically using Ryan and Mackenzie's computers for work, so we purchased him a new netbook computer with carry case.  He was more than excited that he finally had his very own computer again.

 

The cupcakes were so easy and super tasty and I will definitely be baking them again.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween and will have a wonderful week ahead as well.