thurtay

img_20150131_22560711.jpg

sup yall!

my workout buddy, Miko, celebrated her 30th birthday this past weekend! so, we made plans to attend her big dinner.  we were all (me, Sonny, the boys) in the car headed home before taking them to their designated sitter when Chiso (3) started vomitting out of nowhere! it was so random and unexpected, and also the first time he's thrown up since he was an infant. Sonny and i looked at each other in disbelief instantly.

20150131_201928_1

parents.com has some of the best 'what to do if your child is sick' info i've come across.  what to NOT do if your child is sick: freak. out.

 after a warm bubble bath he said he was feeling much better... but as a mom you know your child's sick and healthy demeanors right away!  i had already missed Miko's first birthday event the night before (a skate party i really wanted to go to) so i was put between a rock and a hard place.  luckily he really was better, and we were able to go celebrate with her and speed right back home.

happy 30th birthday, Shymika!

20150131_223416_1 i'm usually the one making other people feel short but not that night!  i didn't even bother changing clothes from earlier that day since we were already super late getting there.

IMG_20150131_225607 the food ROCKED.  i work in City Centre and see this place aaaaaall the time but had never been.  it's a churascaria (all you can eat Brazilian style meat) called Texas De Brazil and it's super similar to FoGo De Chao.  i don't like to eat a large meal late at night (past 8pm really), so i skipped all that delicious red meat they kept buzzing around us with.  i LOVE fancy, elaborate salad bars though! i circled it twice three times before calling it quits.  all plates looked identical and were filled with veggies galore and seafood. except for that prosciutto i didn't even eat!

i wrote a post about tips on conquering the buffet my very 2nd month blogging. time is FLEETING! seems like i just started this thing! anyway, there's some useful info in there that i stick by to this day.

do you like churascarias?  well done, medium rare, or medium?

 

le

 

pizza pizza

20130224_163433.jpg

20130222_171227

a doorstep package is so awesome to wake up to!!!! especially when you've been anticipating it's arrival.  what is it? oooh just my next product review.  and it's food this time *pistol fingers*

we had a crazy weekend and hit up three 30th birthday parties for our friends.  30 is a huge milestone and we were honored to have been invited to help celebrate with each of them!

nich30 copy

Friday night party #1 was for Nichola *whistles*

eve30 copy

2nd Friday night party was for Evelyn- that dress was as hot as the woman in it!!

melparty

and finally, we ended our saturday evening with Melanie-  just flawless!

all three of them brought 30 in RIGHT and in their own way-  THAT is how you do it!

20130223_200550

hanging on this guy's arm always makes for a fun night.  i follow @chalenejohnson on IG and she has motivated me tremendously concerning the importance of keeping family in the forefront in the midst of taking care of myself, and i encourage you to do the same!  i don't take our date nights for granted and really cherish and enjoy my toddler-less time with Sonny. felt like we were back in college with all this partying for a sec, oh boy!

but back to saturday morning- it began with maple almond butter banana burgers for Chiso and i.  fun to make, fun to eat.

20130222_092209

he goes crazy for these things!  all flavors of Justin's nut butters work, especially the chocolate hazelnut and chocolate almond butter. yummers.

20130223_103800

we followed up breakfast with a visit to the gym.  i got sweaty on the elliptical with some fat burning cardio, shot some hoops with Chiso, and we got up outta there.

20130223_123302

you should know by now what we did next!!  it's a saturday ritual, come on now.  just a short trip this time though:

  • sara lee 45 calories and delightful whole wheat bread
  • unsweetened apple sauce
  • fresh blackberries (on sale)
  • fresh strawberries (on sale)
  • sweet potatoes
  • grapefruit
  • bananas
  • frozen tilapia
  • wheat bran
  • oat bran
  • red bell peppers (on sale)
  • Walden Farms pancake syrup

Q: how do i get started with cleaner eating?

A: very popular question as of late, but the answer is simple.  in the grocery store!!  buy and keep the right stuff (wholesome, fresh, natural, no-low processed foods)  in your fridge so you'll always be prepared to make nutritious, healthy meals.  check out my 'the right stuff' section for some of the brands and items i purchase and use daily.

we usually do the family thing on Sundays;  Sonny went to a house party recently and would not stop raving about the incredible slice of pizza he had eaten!  i needed to see what all the hype was about, so we made it  a date.

20130224_155530

if you're a Houstonian, i'm sure you've either passed this place or been here yourself several times.  and hey, they are on Instagram too-  they commented on the pic i IG'ed earlier, how cool! check'em out: @starpizza

20130224_162350

we ordered 1 slice of whole wheat cheese pizza for Chi and he went to TOWN on it.

20130224_163351

i was impressed by the super wide range of toppings, and was relieved to see that you could order single slices instead of being forced into buying a whole pizza.  it's the little things.

20130224_163338

i got a slice of whole wheat, thin crust, zucchini, grilled chicken, and pineapple with plenty of hot, melty, gooey, mozzarella cheese.  no words besides insanely delicious.

20130224_163406

and then that monstrosity hit the table.  that is a WORK OF ART.

20130224_163433

half salsa verde, half supreme deep. dish. pizza. :shock:  if you haven't been yet, i bet you're going now.  night!

le

dirty & flirty 30

my husband is an event planner by nature.  im so thankful that he ultimately just wants to make me happy, but i really think he enjoys doing this stuff.  i don't, but i'll do it for him. <3

good friday, april 6th

Sonny surprised me with a lunch time visit- he brought along our little one and together with my coworkers they walked in with *drumroll* sprinkles cupcakes!  well let's start this thang off right then!

 i had not been eating processed sugar for the last two weeks and i was SO READY TO INDULGE, yall aren't hearing me. 

my coworker/sweet friend Monica whipped out another bag which contained a vegan red velvet cupcake just for me! i gave the other red velvets to my team to devour.

 had i not known it was vegan, well, i wouldn't know the difference! it was just as moist and delicious.  i have to 'trick' Sonny like that sometimes...if don't say anything at all, he doesn't even notice he's eating healthier.  anyway, i'm loving vegan desserts right now and i plan to make my own in the near future.

s/n- who eats a cupcake like this??  Sonny turns his upside down first cause icing is equivalent to mac n cheese or oatmeal to him. it's that texture thing again.

however it's still a waste of good sugar, SMH.  moving on!

the big day...saturday, april 7th

the dirty (am):

i was excited to hear the word 'fitness' cause that's what i do every saturday morning- go burn some calories. however, before the fitness part,  we drove to a great brunch at Barnaby's Cafe (nope, didn't know we were going here either but soooo glad we did.)

 

my eyes were immediately drawn to 'green eggs' on the menu.  egg whites, spinach, and fontina cheese. im so predictable, i know.  i switched out my wheat toast for a pancake.  the eggs came with smoked apple sausage, potatoes, and a side of fruit.

 great choice, highly recommended, YES, we will be back.

on to the fun-  rock climbing and basketball at my gym!  i'm aaaaaall about activity- i love this kinda stuff.  i actually joked about a rock climbing party weeks ago via a facebook post and i see he rolled with it.  it really was a desire of my heart, deep down!

once at the gym, i thought it would be just us two and rocks.   little did i know that Sonny had invited some of my friends along who were there waiting just around the corner.  they all walked back to where we were to find me sprawled on the floor looking quite foolish and doing what?  making 'snow angels' in the recycled tires.  i made that waaaaaay too easy for everybody, especially Sonny.

everyone climbed up solo at least once, then we did some relay races.  after that, it was onto the bball courts for some more guys vs girls 'drills'.

after all that hard fun, we dined on some true party food- pizza and cake!

the cake was made to mimic my fav shoes- my nike free run 2s!! very nice touch:) thanks, Din! 

and what's a gym party without some lululemon!? i'm slowly building my lulu wardrobe. it's gonna take a while though, lol.

my friends were sore the next day but they were SUCH good sports and i love them to pieces for doing something different and celebrating with me.

one last shot with my balloons before heading out.

the flirty (pm):

Sonny then took me to get my wig split, finally! my bun needed a lot of love.  afterwards, he told me to get ready to break out the dress that i spent three long weeks looking for.

extreme makeover!  i know i live in gym clothes but i do like to get fancy every now and then when the occasion calls for it!

After being blindfolded in the car (i did my best to figure it out though 'ok, he turned left here, drove for 2 miles, turned left, etc.' but yeah i eventually lost it.  we ended up here though:

my family and a few close friends were waiting in the veranda for us!  i have become an emotional MONSTER ever since i got preggo because crying over something sappy is something i just didn't do.  i guess my hormones are still out of wack cause i shed a few tears of joy upon seeing my family :)  after some hugs, hor devoures, and pictures, our waiter led us to Masraff's wine cellar where we enjoyed an amazing private dinner.

Sonny got the soup, so i got the salad.

Sonny got the pork chop, so i got the swordfish.

i wanted to taste everything!!!! every bite of either entrée was fantastic.

the chilled beet salad on top and the veggies were fresh and crisp, and the polenta was filled will cheesy, savory, yuminess.  one fork full of each element was simply DIVINE.

yep, that good. no shame.

 CHOCOLATE CAKE. then, more dessert! why not!?

you already know which dessert Sonny picked...the chocolate.  once you pierced it with your utensil, chocolate ganache oozed out of the cake.

a halved pear was used to hold the sweet, creamy creme brulee custard- first time i've ever eaten it that way.  they were both delicious, and i definitely appreciate the portion sizes. (especially after that, pizza, shoe cake, and slice of chocolate cake, lol)

the only bad thing about this day is that it had to end :(

i have relived my birthday, every day, for the past two weeks and counting.  i thank God for blessing me to see my 30th.  a gigantic THANK YOU, yet again, to my dear husband, as well as my family and friends for sharing this special day with me.  thank YOU for reading!

le