Smartphone. Free. Yes, I DID That!

BzzAgent Business, once again.

These people, I swear! They just keep giving me COOLEST free stuff, and let me go crazy telling the world about it!

One of the most recent campaigns I joined was the Windows powered HTC HD7 phone. With the largest screen on the market, it's seriously a great phone for a phone junkie like me. It's got netflix, a super amazing 5mp camera, and a video camera that may as well be a hand held camcorder. The Windows 7 operating system is beyond user friendly, and there is a Zune player built in. I'm in HEAVEN!

More dish on the phone that makes me wanna sing? (No, really. I make those videos you see of me singing on it!) Check it out at: http://www.htc.com/us/products/hd7-tmobile

And if you wanna be a part of the BzzAgent team, and get free products of your own, just for telling people about them? Knock yourself out!



Don't say I never did anything for you! :)

Love and Lipgloss!

Sondra Jo

Sweet Escapes.....for LESS!

Ever feel like just getting away?

You just want to get out of town for awhile. Maybe you wanna be alone, or maybe you wanna be with the girls, or the one you love. Either way, I have found a little-known travelers paradise that may interest you!

SniqueAway.com is an EXCLUSIVE, invite-only hotel site that offers only 4 and 5 star hotels at rock bottom prices. Truth is, for most people my age, it's still too expensive...but isn't everything??

The interesting thing about sneak away (aside from lavish accomodations that allow you to vacay like the stars without making the money they do!) is that it's free to join....but you HAVE to be invited.

Never fear! I got your back!

http://www.sniqueaway.com/invite/SondraHo

There's that. Click, and go crazy! You can at least dream about all the wonderful places we can go after I win the lottery. Or after YOU do, for that matter! You can opt in for weekly emails, daily alerts, or even alerts that let you know when spots you've got your eye on are dropping prices and helping you make that one romantic, luxurious night possible. You know you wanna!

Love and Lipgloss!

Sondra Jo

You Know I'm ALL About the Trends!

So.

If you didn't know, I am part of a Word-of-Mouth marketing company panel that allows me to get new, exclusive products from well-known and top-of-the-line brands and services that most of us are all aware of as it is. All I have to do for this? Tell the world about it!

The newest campaign I've joined is the Cosmopolitan magazine campaign. I can subscribe to get Cosmo for $5 a month, and get Marie Claire every month for just $5 more!

Let's recap.

$10= 12 months of two of the best mags ever in my mailbox! LOVE it! The other thing is, if you "like" Cosmo on Facebook, you can upload a pik, and they have the cutest virtual journey to becoming the next "Fun, Fearless Female." It's a pretty great idea, and lots of fun if you have some free time! Plus! There are tons of daily freebies after you're a fan of the page. And let's face it, Cosmo freebies are up there with the best of them!

So, to uphold my BzzAgent promise, I am sharing the Cosmo love with ya'll!



Check it out, and hopefully you love it as much as I do!

So....There is this Guy, Right?

Lol.

It's always so funny to me when girls start with that. It's like, the ultimate trigger for your mind to secretly think "Oh, Lord. She is one of THEM. She is about to present a situation with an obvious solution here, and it's all because of a guy. Shit."

Well, sorry in advance. Because I know this is one of those situations. And what's worse? I know the solution, too! But, unfortunately, I am just a lil too demure for my own good in matters of lust and love. And I mean, considering this is ME we are talking about? I gotta be demure in SOME area, right???

See, this guy....he is one in a million. It's like having a boyfriend! Well, minus the sex, dates, presents, and all that other crap. He calls everyday just to see what you're doing. He is concerned about how you feel, what you are up to, etc. He knows when something is off, and says "I know you're lying. You are NOT ok. I know you too well." He says "I love that I can say whatever I want to you, and you just shoot something back at me."

Problem is, all the things he does NOT say. He doesn't tell you he is interested in words. His actions say a lot, but they aren't what you need and want to HEAR. They are just nagging proof that what you want is out of your reach. That it's not enough for him, and he feels no nagging urge to claim you right then and there, for fear that eventually someone else will be on the other line the next time he calls.

He slowly became one of the closest friends you have, and you confide in him...but it's not enough of an attraction and longing to make you do what it takes to excuse the fact that he has NO huevos, and won't let you know what's up.

So....there is this guy, right? And I can't even like him, because "Assertive" is one of my top five "non-negotiables" in a boyfriend type.

Oh wait....he's calling! Ttyl! [kidding. kinda.] lol.

Love you all!

,,,,Wait Til I'm in Sports Illustrated!!!

So. I have been working my butt off. Literally, almost. I'm really tryna keep the butt and just make it sit a lil higher and make it a lil firmer, because I worked hard to actually have cakes, so I don't really want to LOSE them, you know? But it's like, I don't wanna not work out my butt, because it's gotta get some exercise too....but, this is not all about my butt!

Basically, it's about how GREAT I feel! I have been hitting the gym, eating out RARELY [and when I do, I try to make health conscious decisions. I haven't been to McDonalds or Jack in the Box in two months!] and cooking at home pretty much every single night. Whole wheat pasta, skinless chicken breast, turkey, whole grains...the works!

It is SO nice to walk into work and hear people who have only known me a couple months telling me how great I am looking. It's even nicer to walk into a gym and shock all the skinny people when I pedal to the metal on the bike and run like the wind on the eliptical!! I feel AMAZING. And I feel healthier.

I couldn't feel my legs all weekend after going on a "walk" with Andrea last thursday. "Walk" in her language means running every other block and climbing hils comparable to the streets of San Francisco. And you know what? It was tough, but I DID it! I made it to every landmark she set for me, and I climbed the heck outta those hills! Red-faced, barely breathing, and wheezing like the fat asthma kid that I am!! Try climbing in and out of a Chevy tahoe all weekend after a workout like that, and see how you feel. I finally got the full use of my legs back on SUNDAY! And Monday? BACK ON THE HILLS AGAIN!!

Why, you may ask? Well....like I said. I have goals to achieve. Personally, I see myself losing that 30 lbs before the end of October. Moving forward from there, I plan to have lost 130 lbs altogether by this time next year. I am already down 29 lbs. So I basically have 100 to go, and then? I'll be on the cover of Sports Illustrated on the beach in the bikini with the wet and sexy curls and my arms [NOT JIGGLING] all propped behind my head like I just wake up looking all Victoria's Secret-like. That's the vision. Lol.

Funny thing is, when you start working out...people act crazy. Dudes you haven't spoken to just swarm out of the woodwork. Can't keep up with your texts anymore at work, and you are constantly trying to decide who you will and won't answer the phone for. You gotta make pros and cons lists to decide who to spend your nights or weekends with. People from the old neighborhood hit you up asking when you're coming home to visit. It's shenanigans, I tell you!!

I was at work today, and my coworker who actually THREW his number on my desk and asked me on a date to a brewery asked me how it is that I come to work every day with NO makeup and still look "so bomb." and I simply replied "HA! You're crazy! You think this is good? Wait til I'm in Sports Illustrated!" and of course, true to the way my life goes, EVERYONE in the office heard me. But no one doubted me! :)

Because I'm gonna do it. Or at least, they're gonna ask me to.

Anyways! Just felt like sharing...because I really appreciate how motivating all of you have been, and I hope that some of you are motivated by me and my efforts...because ya'll know I am not necessarily unhappy being big. But if I can do it, anyone can! Seriously! I kill myself doing those 5 miles on that bike...and hitting the eliptical and the San Francisco hills! You're talking about a girl who used to just walk around the North End of San Bernardino with a baseball bat and an ipod...and now I BIKE 5 miles!!!

I love you all. Hope you make it to the bbq, and hope you all are acheiving your goals and making your dreams come true!!
<3

7 Pounds...

....I'm not Will Smith or Rosario Dawson, nor am I the star of a somewhat recent blockbuster hit. BUT...I do, in fact, know a thing or two about recently losing 7 more pounds. Grand total? 29 pounds since February.

I would be a total and terrible liar if I said I am not ridiculously proud of myself. But I can't help but be a little perturbed by the fact that I cannot SEE the difference as I imagined a 29 pound loss. Now, I look at myself everyday. And it's no secret that I have some severely narcissistic tendencies. So I look at myself not just daily, but like, 40,000 times a day! Seriously, I walk past any reflective surface, and check myself out. So vain, I swear!

Gratefully, people I haven't seen in awhile or people who comment on my photos are constantly encouraging me and telling me the differences that they see. That is serious sustenance, because without that, I probably would have accepted hitting a plateau, stayed out of the gym, and been steady chilling eating some potato chips and a cup of noodles for dinner! I've been cooking healthy meals almost every night, ignoring the donuts, bagels and pizza that my job provides on a weekly basis. I joined a very cute new gym where I can tan and workout [I mean, work out and THEN tan!]. I do at LEAST 5 miles every time I am there. I got over my fear and loathing for exercise bikes and started putting the pedal to the metal. I go to the personal training sessions they offer, and deal with things like my trainer saying "Oh, you're pretty quick for a big one aren't ya?!?!" Sigh. Yes sir! I sure am! And you should see me on that eliptical in a room full of skinny people. I go faster and faster, and they look more and more worried. LOL! It's pure comedy. And more than anything? It inspires me to JUST. KEEP. GOING.

Such is life. You just have to KEEP GOING. No matter what happens, who is watching, how many times you fall, or how many people think you CAN'T do it. They have another thing coming...because Sondra Jo is the toughest critic she has!!! Nobody is harder on me than myself!

There are so many reasons to do this. But the most important is proving to myself that all hope isn't gone. I can't accept that just because I've always been this way, that I always have to be.

Thanks and serious love to those who have been so amazingly inspirational and constantly, unwaveringly supportive. It means truly everything to me!
<3

The Biggest Skinny Girl!

Mmmk.

I've been on this quest to lose weight for quite some years now. I've upped my activity, and lowered my calorie intake. I've walked, jogged, ran[in the dark, so folks won't see me jiggle], and taken alli, B12 shots, fat blockers, and on and on it goes.

It's time to take some real action. No quick fixes, but an OVERALL lifestyle change. My inspirational friend Sarah used to weigh 317 lbs. She easily weighs less than 150 now, and she is going to help me achieve my weight goals. Tomorrow, I go for our first weigh in, complete with before photos [a la Biggest Loser], measurements, and her dispensing tons of goodies like a journal, charts, nutritional guidelines, activity plans, etc.

For a girl like me, anything that involves office supplies is considered goodies. Hence, why it is not fair that I have to be the fat girl! Lol. I will be joining the local gym that is RIGHT DOWN THE STREET this weekend[$24 gets you membership to all three locations, and unlimited tanning and massage bed priveleges PLUS group training sessions!]. I am going to start constructing dream boards, and put motivational photos and phrases/words all over my mirror/room. I am also going to post my "Before" pictures here on this blog, and we will track my progress. By obligating myself to share my stats with the world [even if no one really reads this, lol], I am challenging myself to make it HAPPEN!

Starting today, I will post weekly with photos, measurements, journal excerpts, healthy recipes, and gym updates. The first entry to follow this one, will be about my goals, and things I want to do once I reach my goal of 30 pounds. The aim is to lose it by September...but I'll be happy to lose it before the end of the year, period. I've already lost 22 pounds this year....let's make it 52, and be in the game!!

This should be quite a journey. And hopefully, it turns out to be a fun one!!

<3