save your kids' artwork to artkive

yep, i am the cold hearted mommy who dislikes when her kids bring home artwork. i hate it on my refrigerator, i hate it piled up on my counters, i do not like it here or there, i do not like it anywhere. i will not eat it... umm... oops, wrong story!

so, basically what i am trying to say is that we don't keep our kids artwork. i have a few pieces from over the years, but even with all of my kids i bet there is no more than 20 pieces between the 6 of them that we have saved.

that doesn't mean i don't love each and every thing they do, i totally do. i am amazed at how creative my kids are (me... they totally get it from me)! however, keeping every thing they make is just not my thing.

i have major OCD issues and that stuff flapping away on my refrigerator seriously makes me cringe.

recently, i discovered the app, artkive, and it is the perfect thing for me. just because i throw away my kids artwork doesn't mean i don't feel a bit guilty about it every time i toss it. with artkive, you can snap a photo of your child's artwork and store it in the app.

right now, the artkive allows you to save and share with your friends and family via email. however, soon they will have the option to print your child's artwork as a book. genius, i tell ya! my dad has a box filled with the artwork i did when i was in kindergarten... obviously i didn't get my cold heart from him... and, he has pulled it out a few times to embarrass me (like when i drew a picture at school for santa and wrote that i wanted lots of "toes" for christmas. clearly i meant toys... i think). but for the most part, it stays tucked away somewhere. i am sure it is special to my dad, but i bet if i were to somehow sneak it away and take pictures of all those things i made, he would love it as a book. he would love to have the convenience of grabbing that book off of a shelf to look back at all the silly things i made when i was so young.

i have already started saving some of my kids' work and i don't feel so guilty about tossing it in the trash now. definitely check out the artkive app and start saving your kids' artwork. find it in the app store!


i am not affiliated with artkive, nor was i paid to mention it. i just really like this app.

   

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

karoo app review | #doyoukaroo

let me just say that karoo is really one of the greatest apps ever. seriously! i wish i had this app back when i worked in childcare because it is one of the most genius ways for early childhood educators to keep working parents in the know about their child, while they are apart each day.  from personal experience, it is a difficult decision for parents to make when it comes to putting their little one's in childcare. we worry about missing certain milestones, and wonder if you have made the right decision. this app is sure to ease parent's minds throughout the day, as they are able to stay connected with their child so easily.

karoo is a free iphone app and website from care.com that allows anyone who signs up to keep up to the minute information about a child's day and share it with others. when you sign up, you will be able to view that information in a secure account that can only be viewable by approved members. great for teachers, babysitters, and grandparents.

wouldn't you like the convenience of being able to see how your child's day is going at a quick glance while they are at school, share with distant grandparents, or even while your child or pet is at home with a sitter? one of my favorite ways this app. can be used is by childcare providers. you and your child's teacher can both sign up with karoo and throughout the day your child's teacher will be able to keep record of meals, naps, and even diaper changes or potty breaks. you can also take and post photos and video right there in the app. on your iphone.

do you karoo? 

disclosure: this review was part of a social media promotion with one2one network. i was not compensated for this review and all comments, opinions, and ideas are my own and in no way influenced. six cherries on top disclaimer/terms of use.

 

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

fat butt friday | an update and an app

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i have actually gained 20+ pounds since right before thanksgiving last year. i know that i am at an unhealthy weight, but this dieting thing and i are just not getting along. i do really well for a couple days and then i just give up. 

jason took this photo of ryan and i the other day and i cringed looking at my arm. i realized my arm is as big as ryan's head and i immediately knew enough was enough. i know deep inside that i can do this, i have done it before and been very successful, but for some reason i have struggled to get my mind in the right place since elijah was born. i almost decided not to post this picture, but i knew that in order to keep my mind in the right place, i have to completely put myself out there. in this picture i am at my highest weight ever (aside from while pregnant) at 168.

i started weight watchers on monday and have done so well all week. i have even lost a few pounds already. monday, jason and i are going to start doing the insanity workouts together as well. insanity is probably not the best workout for a beginner to start with, but i am familiar with it (tried to do it last year) and i want to see results quick. a lot of people say that quick results are not the best way to lose weight, but seeing results is the only way i will stay on board with this. i know me, and i get very frustrated and tend to fall off the wagon if i don't have something to keep me motivated.

i could use all of your prayers and words of encouragement to as well. i will keep updating fat butt friday on my progress each week.

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have you seen this?

i have been using the waterlogged app for iphone for about 2 weeks now and it has really helped me keep track of how much water i drink each day. 

it is a very simple app, not a whole lot to it, but i really like that i can take a photo of my own drink container and plug in the number of ounces it holds. as i drink my water throughout the day, i just plug in how much i have drank and i know how much i have left.

i have always struggled with getting enough fluids in my body each day. i just don't get very thirsty and forget that whether i feel thirsty or not, my body needs fluids to function properly. this app has been a great little reminder.

the version i am using is the free version but there is a premium version that allows you to graph your water intake. i personally find the free version to be just enough for me.

check it out in the app store!

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

iphone app: viggle

viggle has to be, hands down, one of my top 5 favorite iphone apps. whether you watch a lot of tv like we do or watch just a few hours a week, why not get rewarded for doing so?

viggle gives you points for watching tv, which you can then redeem for rewards. i just signed up last week and already earned enough points to get a $5 starbucks reward.

there are other great rewards as well, but my personal favorite is the one for starbucks. the best part is that if you have the starbucks app. you can just add your reward straight to your account.

sign up with viggle, watch some tv, get rewards. that easy!

 

 fyi: i was not compensated to mention viggle or starbucks.

 


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

my geek squad will blow best buy away

wanna create your own little squad of geeks? check out geek booth in the app store (i used the free version).


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

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