sattaday

in addition to solids 2 or 3 times a day, Dego is still requesting the breast 3 times (or more) a day as well.  so yep, breastfeeding is still in full swing over here.  my trainer reminded me that nursing is just like mini workout sessions, which is such an awesome analogy.  breastfeeding has become so routine i have to stop and wonder WHY i'm so hungry in between meals sometimes!  eating more food to keep up with his demands and to keep my supply strong has never been a problem though; i certainly don't mind, haha!  s/n: i should make Chiso park his bike in the garage from now on, wow. sometimes you don't see things in the background until after you take (and post) a pic. whoops. anyway,  i trained a 6 Pack USA client of ours after heading out that day, then hit my gym for some HIIT.

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i've done these two moves separately before, but never together. i'm definitely incorporating this one into my TCX (Total Conditioning Extreme) class!

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sooooo, my brother was supposed to hop back on a plane headed to Afghanistan this past saturday (to finish up the last of his contract) but he chose not to. WOO friggin' HOO. it is finished!

we had a small family lunch the day before he was supposed to leave with Sonny's younger brother and wife (who is having her first mini me! it's a girl!)!  i admire his decision to stay and i'm elated he will be around to watch his 2nd nephew take his first steps.

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we had a birthday party to attend saturday evening!  no surprise there!  they have become our new normal.  i sat in the back seat a lot with my first-born for obvious reasons, but i admit, i have bouts of second child syndrome with Dego every now and then.  hadn't been back there in a while, so it was fun hanging out with him on the way to see The Rat.

even did a mini vlog:

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we made eeeeet!

pizza, cake, games, tokens, tickets, kids running around screaming, playing, crying... you know the drill!  Happy 3rd Birthday, Bria!  Sonny went to high school with Bria's father, Mike, and coincidentally, i went to elementary and middle school with his wife, Tashone,  on the opposite side of town. small world. 

City Centre Gap was having a fantabulous 40% off sale this weekend, so i found this cute grey dress on the final sale rack! i know it's too big but i couldn't pass up the 20 buck price.  my IG friend Alisa suggested i belt it. i agree. i suck at accessorizing.  i have been asked about my sandles a lot too- they are like 3 or 4 years old and from Urban Outfitters.  one of my fave pairs!  can't wear them without a fresh pedi though. Dego's fit is from Baby Gap; there's a camera icon on the front that says 'smile' underneath it. 4 bucks! #HammyMcHamster

Chiso doesn't eat the crusts of his pizza slices (did this child really come from me?!) so i took care of them for him lol.  other than that, no pizza and cake for this girl.  i was speaking to a 6 Pack USA client of ours recently about celebrating the small, daily victories during our ongoing fitness journeys.  she said she went to a get together recently that had WINGS (her fave), cake, and all kinds of good ol' party food, but she stuck to her guns and did not deviate from her meal plan.  she said she didn't even drink the water there lol!!!! BRAVO, Reshema! i get it though. i've been there. i usually eat way more than i plan to in social settings cause usually there is such an abundance of food.  but whenever i pass (cause we always have a choice, right?) or at least exercise some moderation instead of going crazy, i walk outta there feeling like a BOSS. a disciplined boss. and my tummy always appreciates it later. no bloating, no sugar cravings.  we stopped by Whole Foods on the way home and i hit up the hot bar for my dinner. lean grilled herbed chicken, roasted bell peppers, artichokes, and lima beans agreed waaaaay more with my tummy than that pizza and cake would have. take it one day at a time, y'all, and those small victories DO count! may they propel you to keep going and making healthier choices.

le

no beastmode + avocado crema dip

concerning the game....

WHAT?!

i'll just keep it classy and congratulate the Pats.  moving on......

being at home to raise my boys has been one of the biggest blessings in my entire life. i am so thankful.  the only time i really hear crying from Dego is when he's uncomfortable (needs to be changed, hungry, the usual). other than that, he's showing that gummy smile off and cackling at Chiso! i thought Chiso smiled a lot but Dego takes the cake in that department.  Chiso is now a threenager. even on our most difficult, trying, exhausting days, the Lord reminds me how hard i prayed and cried for these boys.  that thought alone makes whatever i'm upset or irritated about (toddler temper tantrum, spilled food, disobedience, etc.) just not that big a deal anymore.  i actually dropped a big bowl of pancake batter and it splattered EVERYWHERE recently. everywhere. the ceiling, walls waaaaay across the room, under tables... just a gigantic mess. albeit my fault, instead of getting angry i stared at the chaos on my floor and laughed (not a crazed, hysterical, witch-like laugh or anything lol) then Chiso chimed right in with me.  i cleaned it all up with a smile.

these guys constantly remind me to stop sweating and stressing the small stuff. we just don't have time. or the energy, most days.

 so before the big game started i went outside to get a 1 hour walk/jog/run thing on!  that's all i had planned to do, but i saw new fit mom Ashley Horner on IG outside doing 300 walking lunges with her 12 day old new-born strapped to her chest and that motivated THE heck outta me.  so i did 300 walking lunges too before heading back home to...

mr. P.J.!

i'm finding it harder and harder to post these kinds of pics to IG because i don't want to discourage our 6 Pack USA clients as they work towards their own fitness goals.  i do maintain my current body fat % using my own personalized plan, but i also indulge in moderation as i am able to easily compensate via my diet and/or exercise for those indulgences to keep me where i want to be. so there! yes, i had a few slices of pizza on game day and i was back on track with no guilt or worries the next day.

my brother and sister-in-law came over to watch the game with us so i made a few snacks including this one i'd love to share with ya:

Avocado Crema Dip 

the stuff: (source)

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 - 6 oz container 0% greek yogurt
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• cracked black pepper & sea salt to taste

do this:

1. add all ingredients to your blender or food processor
2. blend until super-duper creamy (keep scraping down the sides if using a blender)
3. get scoop happy! you can dip anything you want, but i chose plantain chips and the bell peppers.

switching to the 8oz baby bottles for parties / get-togethers was a great move.  one of my pet peeves is walking around picking up half-finished water bottles at the end of a party!!!! never again. that dip in the center of the veggie plate is just Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix + 0% greek yogurt. my mom gave me that idea but used to use sour cream. so yummy!!! it really brings veggies to life.

love this stuff!! my Sprouts Farmers Market usually has a great variety of flavors too; there are so many to choose from.  we recently tried the Cheddar Caramel Mix and gave it two thumbs way up.  if you're gonna sneak snacks into the movie theater, bring this stuff!

did you watch the big game? where?

le

all pink everything

my sunday started with the usual breakfast (oat bran pancakes and egg whites) but this was my lunch:

Weber Kick 'N Chicken grilled chicken breast and veggie stir fry using every fresh veggie i could find: mushrooms, yellow squash, asparagus, and red bell pepper.

i skipped church (but listened to the podcast later) and stayed home to finish getting things ready for my sister Michelle's  baby shower! this was a #sisterssquared production; something my other sis Kara and i like to refer to ourselves as!  as of may 17th of this year she officially became my sister-in-law as well as my Soror.  i had so much fun hosting with her.

#skeewee

cake batter rice crispy treats were requested so cake batter rice crispy treats were made! Sonny brought me back the super-duper jumbo size marshmallows from the store which didn't exactly melt aaaall the way down in the cooking process but i was totally OK with that. why? the clumps of ooey gooey marshmallow in the bars was an awesome touch in my opinion! recipeeeee: (fyi, this is definitely a treat that should be eaten in moderation, guys.)

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

the stuff:

• 5 cups rice crispy cereal (can use brown rice puffed cereal too)
• 10 oz marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dry boxed yellow cake batter
• 4 tbsp butter (i haven't tried any dairy-free alternatives in place of regular butter yet)
• 1/4 -1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

do this:

1. coat the sides of  a large pot/saucepan as well as the pan you intend to press the rice crispy batter into
2. melt butter in large pot/saucepan over medium heat
3. add vanilla
4. add marshmallows and cover; let melt for 1-2 minutes
5. add cake batter & sprinkles and stir a few times to incorporate then immediately add cereal and KEEP STIRRING
6. remove from heat and stir until all combined. be sure to scrape the sides of the pot really good
7. pour batter into a rectangular or square pan and press down on the batter until even across the top
8. add more sprinkles
9. once cool (bout 10 min or so), cut in squares, bars, or however you'd like!

who remembers this drink? who still makes this drink lol!? rainbow sherbert and 7 Up (or Sprite, or natural ginger ale). the ugliest, tastiest party drink, ever. it's been a good while since i've had it, whew.

 Kara made the most adorable, pink cupcakes.

 and she also got another idea from Pinterest: mini strawberry shortcakes in a glass. aren't they beautiful(bottom right)!? there are cubes of light angel food cake, sliced strawberries, cool whip, and sprankles in there. SO.GOOD.

per Michelle's request: subway sammiches, shrimp fried rice, egg rolls, chicken meat pies, wings, and chips.

happy shower day, Michelle! eviction notice goes into effect in 4 weeks (or less).  aaaand we can't wait to plan your shower, Kara! HAHAHAHAHA

thanks for reading.

Q: what's your favorite, indulgent party food?!

le

one...two...THREE #may27th

saturday, this boy woke up singing 'because i'm happyyyyyyyyy!' :P  he knew it was finally party day.

we threw a joint birthday pool party with friends of ours, Kristina and Allen; their daughter, Celén, was born on May 28th.  the location was at my gym, Lifetime City Centre! it was special to me because i had part of my 30th birthday celebration there, Chiso was finally able to come gymming with me when he turned 3 months old, and now he has celebrated his 3rd birthday there.

excited and picking up the Mickey and Minnie Mouse cakes the morning of.

the guests of honor! and why do they look like long-lost brother and sister?! LOL

but before their guests arrived, we put them to work stuffing their favor bags. we paid them in food, no worries.

on the menu:

 cheese, pepperoni, & BBQ chicken pizza (provided by the Lifetime Cafe), an assortment of subway sammiches, a variety of chips, cake batter rice crispy treats, strawberry-pecan-spinach salad, juice, water, and cake.

right on time, Papa, thanks.

we played gym games upstairs on the 3rd floor before hitting the pool. 

does that parachute give you a nostalgic feeling too?

they had some parachute fun, bowled, played scooter races, and there was even a real live Angry Birds game... pretty neat.

Chiso had all the pretty girls to himself before his guys friends arrived ;)

my girlfriend, Michelle (bottom L corner), put her super long legs to work and dusted EVERYBODY in the scooter race! her daughter, Lyonna, and Chiso share the same birthday.

now for the part the kiddos had been waiting all day for-

it's time to SWIM!

the party ended at 4, but we were in that pool from about 2:45 to 6:15.  he just didn't want to leave! you know where to find us this Summer.

this picture cracks me up- i was just trying to get their attention for the picture and i have no idea what i even said! but ummm, they look so annoyed. ROTFL.

splish, splash <3

i didn't get pics with everybody, but i'm grateful some of my family and friends were able to come celebrate with us!

my cousins Angie and Gerrilyn and their kiddos,

my sorority sister Trashina took a dip with her adorable boys,

and my friend Krystal was on double duty and held it down! i tell her all the time what a huge inspiration she is to me.  i feel like i'm starting all over balance-wise with Odego on the way and all... heck i feel like i JUST got into a groove with one kiddo (remembering to add an event to my calendar, getting there on time if at all, making sure he has pants on, etc) and she always encourages me that i can. experience is the best teacher and i believe you, girl. alright *clears throat*

let's sing! make a wish, Celén.

your turn, Chi!  he would not put that pizza down.

before & after.

 asleep in the car by 6:30pm and didn't wake up til the next day. party POOPED.

all four of us were! happy, HAPPY, 3rd birthday to our Chiso <3

thanks for reading!

le

red, white, & blueberries

 

happy 4th of July guys! this tower of straight awesomeness was displayed at Sweets in City Centre earlier this week.  isn't it pretty!? pretty and patriotic indeed. hope you had a blast celebrating.

i celebrated by making and eating cliché red, white, and blue themed food all day. :)

breakfast was a big bowl of cinnamon oat bran topped with juicy blueberries, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and Walden Farms pancake syrup, and a cup of scrambled egg whites. i have been eating my oat bran this way for the past several weeks cause it's so addicting! i was up super-duper early this morning cause well,  i didn't sleep. again.

:-?

been dealing with ebook issues all week y'all, my goodness.  the previous post concerning the book (fit foodie lean) will be updated with new info for ya. bear with me.

after my boys woke up later, i made them some banana pancakes topped with fresh berries, sugar-free cool whip, and sprinkles!  we have sprinkles often though, so this was no big deal to Chiso.

holidays always put me in an extra special baking mood, and i went with a light vanilla angel food cake with an american flag fruit design on top.  this is like a cool whip classic dessert that never gets old.  here's my version though:

light vanilla ?angel food cake?:

the stuff:

• ?1 cup stevia for baking (not the packets)
• ?1/2 cup coconut crystals
• ?1 tsp vanilla
• ?1 cup Bob's Red Mill 100% whole wheat pastry flour (or any cake flour)
• ?12 egg whites
• ?1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• ?1/4 tsp salt
• ?1tsp lemon juice

do this:

?mix 3/4 (half) of sugar mixture and flour together, and ?beat egg whites with mixer until foamy?.

add cream of tartar and salt and beat until soft peaks?form.

add remaining 3/4 cup sugar 2 tbsp at a time until soft peaks form.

?beat in lemon juice. sift flour/sugar mixture in 1/4 cup at a time folding until incorporated.

spoon the batter into cupcake pans, round pans, bundt pans, square pans, whatever?.

adjust cooking times for a 325 degree oven.  bake and cool.

         makes: 12 pieces

1 piece per serving:

note:  now, ☝if you don't follow these steps exactly, you might be having angel food brick?for dessert?. not that it wont still taste good though! top with sugar-free cool whip and ?berries?.

i went to get my workout outta the way cause we had a few parties to attend later  that evening.  i came home thinking these two were getting dressed to go but found the opposite...

first stop, Dami's 4th of July party!  you know she lives in NY, so i see her every chance i get when she's in town.  happy belated birthday to her hubby, Niyi.

who else is in town? my big brother!!!! he works overseas and surprised our entire family this weekend and just popped up outta no where.  that's just his style.  spending as much time with this dork as possible before he leaves again. *tear*

so i had cake twice on the 4th- i could NOT pass up this slice of pure heaven from Maureen's Gourmet Bakery in Sugar Land, TX, Dami's fave cake place.  i totally see why!  the icing was not too sweet, creamy, fluffy, and the moist vanilla cake was just....perfect.  i mean really.

was it worth another serving in a cup and eaten with a spoon? :shock: heck yes. i know party food can be tempting, so i made an IG post on how to eat at a social event- check it out for some good tips to help you stay (somewhat) on track!

then we headed to another family graduation event - congrats to the Abadom sisters!!! i do believe this is the most people i've met from IG and Facebook in one day, forreals!  i am no celebrity and i certainly don't feel like one, so when people tell me they are nervous to meet me, i am beyond baffled and humbled.  just know that i will always be the nervous one, no kidding.  i know people always have certain expectations when meeting someone in person after following them online (i know i do!), but i would hope that the two aren't so drastically different with me!  i do love to express my love and giddiness for fitness and food via social media, but i am still lil' ol' shy leah e.  i can't deny how fun it is meeting new people though, and it is truly helping to flourish my social side!  it was a pleasure and an honor to meet  them all :)

*newsflash* - cherries are definitely in season and on sale all over the place- maybe even your local grocery store! you should check for this superfruit next time you're there.

Q: did you pop your own fireworks, or just watch this year?

le