How I stay motivated to work out

     Hello lovelies,

Happy Sunday! I hope you all are having a great weekend so far! I got a lot done this weekend so I am feeling super accomplished 😉

Today I wanted to talk about how I manage to stay motivated to work out and eat healthy daily. This has been such a huge goal for me this year and believe me when I say I am the laziest person when it comes to working out! 😮

In the past I would just make up excuses to avoid working out because let’s be real now, it is much more fun to sit down, watch T.V. and indulge on some unhealthy snacks at the end of a long work day. So if I can do it you can too!

I am going into my 5th week of working out on a regular basis and it has been such a rewarding feeling.

How I stay motivated:

1. Remember the end goal= fit body + healthy life: this is what has truly kept me going on those days/nights where I am feeling unmotivated.
2. Plan your workout schedule: For me the hardest thing was finding the “right time” to workout since I have a crazy schedule. But after a few trial and error moments I think I’ve finally got it down!
3. Start SLOOOOOOWLY!: I knew that I wasn’t going to get all of the workout routines on the first or second try. I paced myself and gradually started making my workouts more challenging.
4. HIIT it, DON’T quit it: If you are an on-the-go boss babe, it is totally understandable to not have a lot of time to squeeze in workouts. This is when HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) comes in handy! HIIT is intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This has definitely worked for me on days when there is just no time!
5. Make it fun!: I love to make my workouts fun and keep things fresh by adding different challenges to my routine.
6. Follow a fitness program: doing this has really made my at home workouts better. I follow Tone It Up workout routines because I sure wouldn’t know what to do on my own!

The best tip that I can give you is to not give up.

I hope this inspires you!

Love,

***DISCLAIMER: I am not a fitness expert by any means. I am simply sharing what works for me. Xo

 

The perfect rose gold oxfords

Hello lovelies,

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all are off to a great week! I can’t believe it’s February, the first month of the year flew by!

 Welcome back to part 2 of  “the beauty of love” series. We are only 14 days away from Valentine’s day. Woo it’ll be here in no time!  Today I will be focusing on the beauty of love in friendships.

Even though you have your family and often times a significant other to lean on, there are certain relationships that just fill your heart with joy. Friendships are a beautiful part of life. See, family was given to you from birth and that relationship is beautiful in itself but friendships are 100% your choice.

The people that you choose to call friends are handpicked by you! It’s amazing the strong bond you can create with a person that you haven’t known since you were born. Having a friend means having someone you can rely on when you’re away from your family. I think that it’s important to celebrate those friendships that are dear to your heart and take care of them. So let’s celebrate our friends this Valentine’s Day!

Today’s look is perfect for a Galentine’s Day celebration with your BFF’s. It is super casual, chic and it’s easy to recreate!

I am all about the silky top trend! It is so perfect for Valentine’s day! I love the lace detail on this top.  

I decided to pair the pretty pink top with my fave white jeans. This look is so versatile, you could even pair it with regular blue jeans if you wanted. I personally like the way pink and white look together.

I love everything about this look but my absolute favorite item are these rose gold oxfords! They are so chic and super comfy. The moment I saw them on JustFab’s website I knew I had to get my hands on them. They are the perfect color for Valentine’s Day festivities. I’ve already received so many compliments on them.

I added this fun hat to add a chic vibe to the whole look. I decided to layer my choker/bracelet with my fave dainty gold necklace. I love the heart and key detail on the necklace and it’s perfect for the occasion.
I obviously had to add my rose gold watch to match my shoes! My black and off white crossbody just pulls the whole look together.
Fun Fact: My sunnies are from a little stand that I bought inside of New York New York when I went to Vegas last summer and they were ONLY $3!

 This is the perfect look to celebrate love whether it’s with your girlfriends or your boo!

I hope this inspires you!

Love,

A day in the life | Petsmart visit, walking, coffee

Hello lovelies,

Happy Sunday! Wow this weekend sure did fly by! Is it just me or are the days just flying by?! Anyway today I wanted to share a little bit of our weekend with you all and formally introduce our fur baby ❤︎ I hope you all enjoy and have a great week!

 

Love,

Getting out of a funk

Hello lovelies,

Happy Sunday!! I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend. Mine was great, I am back in school so I am getting back in the swing of a busy schedule.

Today I wanted to talk a little about what I have been going through. Over the past few days I’ve been planning and working on creating content for the blog but I kept getting stuck. I felt like I was in a “funk,” it’s not that I was not motivated but I had been feeling uninspired and truly (if I am being 100% RAW with you guys) just going through the motions. I was like, “okay it’s Wednesday or Sunday, gotta get something up on the blog”.

I kept asking myself what is wrong with me? This is my passion why do I keep getting stuck. It was bothering me so much, it was becoming all that I could think of. Until finally I was like you know what I am going to stop thinking about this and let God guide me. I stopped allowing the thought of what I was going to post about next to consume me. Then, as I was sitting here working on homework, it came to me! And here I am sharing (through a blog post) with you guys how I got out of this funk. This was not a planned post, I did not go out and shoot cute pictures for it.

I feel like that’s the beautiful thing about this. The funk that I allowed to stress me and make me feel like I wasn’t doing things right was what actually helped me see things in a different perspective.

That’s just how life is. When we get stuck in a rut it can be so easy to dwell on it and let it consume us, but there’s also another option. You can choose to take what you are going through and allow it to be an inspiration to others.

So today, if you are going through something that you feel like you can’t get out of, I want to encourage you to take a deep breathe, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. There is always a testimony that comes out of a test.

I hope this inspires you!

Love,

Why I started blogging

Hello lovelies,

Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a great first week of 2017! I feel like this week flew by for me. There was just a lot of planning and getting things together that needed to be done and next thing I know it was Friday lol.

Today I wanted to share with you all the story behind MissJoanaXoXo. I have been blogging on and off for many years. I started my fashion blog “Fashion Buzz” over on Blogger in 2013. Prior to that I had a creative writing blog where I would post poems and short stories.

I have always had a strong passion for fashion (cliche, I know) but seriously. I would constantly get asked tips on how to style certain fashion items. I would literally help friends plan weekly outfits and I truly enjoyed it so much. Many people would tell me that I should get involved in the fashion industry because I would come up with the most creative outfits. I knew then, that I loved assisting others with styling tips and

tricks.

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I used to spend a lot of time creating outfits on Polyvore, which lead me to creating my first fashion blog (Fashion Buzz). At that time, I had a lot of things going on in my life which made it hard to stay 100% focused and dedicating to creating content for my blog. I would go months and sometimes years without posting 😦 But in the back of my head it was always something I wanted to go back to.

In October 2015, I started a fashion and lifestyle blog with a friend of mine at the time. Long story short things didn’t work out and I had to start from the bottom on my own. I decided I wasn’t going to let one simple let down stop me from pursuing what I was passionate about.

I wanted to be able to share my fashion tips and life journey with others in hopes of being an inspiration to someone. So, in March 2016 I created MissJoanaXoXo, it was a huge leap of faith. The first few months were hard because it was hard for me to get on a consistent schedule. On July 2016, I went from missjoanaxoxo.wordpress.com to missjoanaxoxo.com. I decided to invest on my blog because I knew that it would make me more accountable.

I started posting more consistently and soon I realized people were actually reading my blog. That made me truly happy. Fast forward to today my blog has come a long way. I have met so many amazing people through blogging and have experienced many great things. Most importantly, I know it has inspired some of you which means I’ve done my job. I hope I can continue to inspire you as I continue to grow.

Thank you for all your support ❤︎

Love,

DIY Christmas Gifts | Quick + Easy

Hello lovelies,

Happy Wednesday! Hope you all are having a great week so far. This one is going by slow for me! I literally woke up thinking today was Thursday 😱

Omg, I can’t believe Christmas is right around the corner. Today I wanted to share another DIY with you all. This one is super quick and easy 🙂 Press play on the video below or click this link to watch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Ci4KRGutk 😉

I hope this inspires you!

 

 

Love,

How I stay positive + Fall OOTD

Hello lovelies,

Happy Sunday!! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine flew by! The good thing is that I am officially on Thanksgiving break! I am using this week to unwind, relax and enjoy time with loved ones <3.

The past few weeks have been very overwhelming for me. With school, work, trying to keep up with my blog and just life in general. Sometimes it gets hard to deal with so many things that life throws at you and it can be hard to stay positive through the process. Unfortunately it is impossible to avoid hardships and struggles in life but it is the process that makes us who God intended us to be. There is a season for everything in life and hard times are bound to come, the important thing is that we remain positive throughout these times.

Today I wanted to share a few tips on how I deal with difficult seasons in my life and remain positive through it all. I hope this inspires you!

1. Surround yourself with positive people. This is highly important to maintain a happy & positive life you have to surround yourself with positive people. Whether it’s your family, friends or partner find your squad and stick to them. They will help you through the hard times.
2. Try to focus on at least one good thing going on in your life. Don’t give your problem the attention it seeks. Instead focus on all the other amazing things going on in your life.
3. Start your day with a positive thought. For me reading a scripture or inspirational quote every morning instantly lightens up my day. My favorite scripture to read when I am going through a tough time is Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 
4. Remember that everything lasts for a moment. I can remember many times where I thought I would never overcome a certain hardship or struggle. Now I look back and realize that if I wouldn’t have gone through that hard season, I wouldn’t be the strong person I am now.
5. Focus on doing things you enjoy. For me hanging out with my family, going for walks with my boyfriend, going out for a cup of coffee, blogging and spending time alone to refocus helps a lot.

Also, I wanted to share this edgy & casual look with you all. It’s so comfy and perfect for Fall!

Love,

V-Neck : Target

Leather Jacket: Forever 21

Boots: JustFab

 

My must-have fall essentials 2016

Hello lovelies,

Happy Wednesday! Hope you all are having a great week so far. I can’t believe we are in NOVEMBER, where has this year gone?!?! Wow time sure is flying by. I thought it would be fun to do a fall essentials video because we are very well into the fall season (even though TEXAS fall weather is slacking 😦 lol) Either way I created a video for you guys about my fall essentials for this fall. I hope you all enjoy! Also, leave a comment telling me what your favorite thing for fall time is :).

Hope this inspires you!

Love,

Tailgating + Football Outfit Ideas

Hello lovelies,

Happy Wednesday! Hope you are all off to a great week. All is well on this end. So this week I want to talk about something fun. As you all know football season is in and we are all about it  (even if I don’t understand what’s going on half the time) lol. I typically watch the games with my boyfriend ->Best Girlfriend Award here 😉 <-

Since we have been watching football every weekend, I thought it would be fun to create three outfit ideas for us girls who are all about football (or supporting your significant other). I have created three outfits for different styles. I hope that this inspires you all and I would love to see your football game day outfits so tag me on Instagram @missjoanaxoxo.

Love,

The perfect fall booties

Hello Lovelies,

Happy Friday! What, am I blogging on a Friday?!?! Yes, yes I am 🙂 I have been thinking long and hard about transitioning to posting twice a week instead of once a week. I feel that by posting twice a week will keep my posts more current and new. I mentioned I thought about it long and hard because I, like most of us, have a very busy life and I wanted to make sure I was 100% committed to posting twice a week before I went for it. So with all of that being said. Let’s jump right to today’s look.

Fall is finally here and for the first time this week it actually felt like fall here in Houston even if just for the morning lol. Anyway, that made me really happy it means that I can finally take out and wear these booties that I have been dying to wear since the day I purchased them. The velvet military green skort is perfect for fall and they are so comfy and chic. I purchased mine from Forever 21 but it is no longer in stock, here you can find some similar velvet skirts. The tops is also from Forever 21 last fall so it is not available anymore, here is a similar one.

I hope this inspires you!

Love,