August 6th - happy birthday, Hubs!

i posted to IG recently that our vacation was postponed cause of the zika virus outbreak running rampant in Florida and other tropical and domestic areas (be safe, mamas) at this time. getting a glimpse of this guy or gal helped me get out of my feelings rather quickly though!  we were just gonna roll Sonny's birthday festivities right on into our trip at that... so unfortunately i was very bummed for a few days after Hubs and i decided to call it off.  i had been looking forward to our very first family vaca all summer long.  it's just not worth the risk at 6 months preggo though.  plan b? #StayCation at one of our fave places in Houston to go!  besides, we've got 1 more year to get Dego into Disney for free before he turns 3 so it's all good, haha.  he will be more aware of what is even going on by then, and i'll also have time to save a bit more so we even can stay and play longer.  just looking for the positives, as usual.  

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 saturday morning, august 6th: happy birthday, papa!!

excitedly running to give Papa his gifts!  i barely captured them in time.the love they have for this guy...it's such an incredible thing to witness. 

we are a fit family, forreals!  Sonny and i could both receive workout shoes and gear for every single birthday and be completely fine with that.headed to birthday breakfast! we don't eat breakfast out much at all; only everything else.  always a treat.originally i planned on going to The Breakfast Klub, but changed it up while en route.  the food is fantastic and worth the wait, but that super long line with two hangry kiddos?  nah, son.   i made a game-time decision and headed to a place i knew would be a family hit,  Barnaby's Cafe! definitely one of our breakfast faves.

hot chocolate :)  we never skimp on the whipped cream round here. steak, eggs, and pancakes for the birthday boy,Chiso requested red velvet pancakes outta nowhere! they were delish. loli ordered the green eggs (egg whites with spinach and cheese, chicken apple sausage, home fries); i just can't order anything else. #iaintsorryafter trying to get Dego to look once i just let him be. that baby was hungry and i understood.we usually need a nap after we eat breakfast out, so  it was the perfect time to check into our room at hotel Sorella.  the last time Sonny and i stayed there, we were celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary in 2011.  i was pregnant with Chiso (5) and surprised Sonny with the news that weekend!  we're back again, 2.5 kiddos later. admiring my huuuur! my sista-friend Ogechi keeps me fly and not looking a mess!when Sonny is on vaca, Sonny is on VACA.  all he wants to do is...nothing!  so i took the boys to the pool while Sonny enjoyed a quiet birthday nap. afterwards, we went back upstairs to freshen up.  i sent Sonny over to the Lifetime Fitness (best gym evaaaaar ;) ) City Centre spa to get a needed back massage that he enjoyed.  it only made him sleepy again though but it worked out because Dego had just began his nap in my arms.  Sonny and Dego went to nap some more while Chiso and i headed to the gym for a pre-dinner workout.i actually got a fantastic workout in cause Chiso was fascinated with the cardio machines and had a blast all by himself lol.  i will post our workout vid and entire workout in my next post!!loved my relaxed, dinner fit that night! those jeans were always a lil' loose in the hips on me, but  they are now the perfect size for my 6 month belly. deets below!

look... between IG stories and Snap Chat i am so done with social media some days!!  every app is basically vying for our attention and i sometimes feel like i have to be active on every single thing... and that just isn't true.  

we walked right across the courtyard to Ruggles Green, another game-time decision made by the birthday boy in the family's best interest.  Texas de Brazil was my first option, but the boys kept asking for pizza so... we found a great people-watching table on the RG patio while a live 1-man-band band played Sunny 99.1 type hits on his saxophone. he was amazing!  there were kids running, playing, and dancing everywhere and the boys couldn't wait to finish their food and join them. what a seriously perfect family night. we skipped across the courtyard from RG to Red Mango for fro-yo! the boys wanted to make Sonny a homemade birthday cake, but we weren't able to whip it up the day before we left.  so, i planned to just buy a mini one or a cupcake from Sweet, which is what i did.we thank God that everything worked right on out. cheeeese!back to the room to sing happy birthday to Papa and his candle-less cupcake!  not even room service had one we could use :(Chiso picked out a yummy s'mores cupcake.we sang and split that thing 4 ways!  we then put our jammies on and watched tv 'til we all fell asleep.next morning, breakfast time again! we headed downstairs to enjoy Sorella's beautiful continental breakfast buffet. afterwards, more pool time for my water babies.   i am so honored and grateful to share and celebrate yet another birthday with Sonny and our 1st family staycation was one to remember.  happiest of birthdays, Hubs!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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this is.... thirty fo'

and another one! 

y'all know by now my hubby puts it down for special occasions!  he revealed to me that he had a weekend getaway planned for my bday (April 7th) buuuut he forgot all about my weekend fitness classes and clients. bummer.  he recovered nicely though and we enjoyed a memorable, kid-free, staycation instead.  instead of IGing the play-by-play of the entire weekend like i planned, i decided to put my phone down and unplug for a lil' bit and truly live in the moment.  the big day! thursday morning i woke up at 4:15am full of energy (enough energy for a douchebag selfie LOL..it's been a good while...allow me this one), threw on my birthday fit, and hightailed it to the gym to teach my Lifetime Fitness class.i could not wait to wear this! both the top and bottoms are on sale right now!i go grab a kiss from my hubby before i leave in the mornings and he had these in his hands, sitting in the dark #creepy.  hurray for no more silent cardio!  i told him to find me a new pair (after snapping my old pair in half over Easter weekend) and he came through for ya girl and even upgraded me to wireless.

 seriously... the gifts and all the extra hoopla... those things are nice and added blessings no doubt. but this is what makes my heart happiest.  being with my lil' family.  

they serenaded me with the cutest munchkin voices and i blew out my candles.  Chiso almost cried he wanted to know my wish so bad, lol!  Chiso also wanted some cake before school so we all enjoyed a lil' bit right then. next, we dropped off the kiddies with family and went straight to check into The Westin Galleria!  i love staycations.  still feels like i'm in another city.  we drove down the road to iPic Theaters after that to catch Batman vs. Superman. we've heard so much about this place!  the movie was already pretty lengthy (2.5 hrs), and we were super comfy, soooo it was basically a nap trap.  i mean they give you a pillow and blanket for crying out loud! i ordered the chicken wrap salad with the dressing on the side, and Sonny ordered the fish tacos. birthday hair transformation!  i never thought i would go from wearing my hair straight ALL the time to only having it straightened a few times a year.  going natural is a TON of work for me but it was definitely worth the switch.  this is the healthiest my hair has ever been!

i actually bought a cute cocktail dress from H&M for my birthday earlier that week but saw this jumper as i was leaving out of the store. i got home and couldn't stop thinking about it!  so i went back and exchanged my items. i love this thing! my sunglasses  and earrings are from there as well.       would you look at the size of this bathroom!? Sonny wasn't telling me to hurry up and stop selfying, haha, he was only saying that a fridge was all somebody needed to live up in there. i agreed!  i'm still getting used to community bathrooms though...... what are your thoughts on them? you could say i was excited about dinner!  because we stayed in town, Sonny asked a few close friends and fam to join us for dinner at Quattro.  also, so much shoe LOVE!  i adore them too and had to have them! unfortunately they are in-store only, but this similar pair is apart of Aldo's current spring sale, and this new arrival is just as cute IMO.

i enjoyed the chilean seabass with baby potatoes, carrots, olives, cooked in an acqua pazza broth, and of course i ate off of Sonny's plate of gulf wild snapper, dried tomato and olive crust, broad bean cream, and asparagus. suuuuper yummy! it was last-minute, so i was extremely grateful for those who came and happy to spend time with my fam.y'all... the next morning i slept till like 10am. haven't slept that late in years. no kidding. no tiny elbows or feet were there to slap me in the face and interrupt my sleep :) .  apparently i needed that! i actually did join Sonny in the gym for about an hour, but i did zero cardio and lifted 'pretty' (basically i barely sweat) so my hair wouldn't frizz up so fast.cleaned up, dressed, and ready for day 2! i've had this springy, Urban Outfitters dress for a while now.  as soon as i sat down in the truck though, my left strap popped right off! i was ready to eat... so we did just that first #FoodOverEverything. i tucked it in and rocked it with 1 shoulder like nobody's business. off to brunch!we all have those nostalgic treats we order that just make us 100% happy.  this is one of mine!  hot cocoa with whipped cream from Le Peep.  it will always make me feel like a big kid no matter how old i get.our protein plates! basically... Sonny has a photo shoot in a few weeks and when he's on his best food behavior, so am i. we headed back over to the Galleria H&M and i found this super similar 17 dollar slip dress in like 3 seconds flat. 

next, my first pedi of 2016. i think! i don't even know, smh

 by recommendation, we went to The Palm for dinner.  Thanks again, Jerry! all he had to say was lobster mac & cheese though.everything was incredible, especially the service!  Sonny ordered their 28oz steak with sautéed spinach, and i got the lobstaaaaaaaa! the waiter explained that the cheesecake was New York style but it wasn't as creamy as i anticipated.  that didn't stop me from take it with me and eating the rest in the hotel bed. good times!  after another night of restful sleep, it was time to check out. we went straight to Lifetime so i could teach my class there (Sonny took it too!), then to my prenatal fitness class so i could put my Preggo Patties through a saturday afternoon cardio workout.

 grateful to God and to Hubs for another wonderful birthday spent with the people i love!

thanks for reading!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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happy birthday, Papa! #August6th + making healthy choices while dining out: IHOP edition

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priorities ;) ! after teaching my early morning Barbell Strength class, i sped over to Whole Foods Market and picked up a birthday cake for Sonny!

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eeeerrrrrmygash! it was a gorgeous, layered vanilla cake on the inside. italian cream icing. almonds. sugar infused strawberries.

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happy birthday, papa!!! from your little minions <3 i found the boy's shirts @ Target.

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i told Sonny to get up and get dressed, pack an overnight bag, and to make it snappy. a kid-free trip is what i had planned, but after my sitters and backup sitters fell through we ended up bringing the boys!

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1st thing on my agenda-- FOOD.  we headed to lunch and i totally did my research on this place beforehand. Sonny wanted to stay as close to his meal plan as possible but enjoy his special day, and boy did we! Jerry Built takes pride in their all natural, organic, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, grass-fed chicken and beef, they don't use trans fat or hydrogenated oils, and the produce is organic and/or local.

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they get brownie points from me for presenting the food just like it's displayed on the menu and online!  Sonny got the super tasty Saint Arnold burger on a baked, toasted, whole wheat bun, and swapped out the french fries for a caesar salad.

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i ordered this beauty-- Jerry's Cobb.  the cashier asked me immediately, 'and would you like to add grilled chicken?' which is what i planned to do. i guess that is a popular menu combo there.  yall, the flavors in this thing were POPPIN'!

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Chiso was very happy with his nitrate-free, angus beef hotdog, fries, and chocolate milk.

there was a giant, kid friendly chalk board towards the front of the room that Chiso wanted to leave his mark on. way cool!

neeeeext, we hit the road.

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 40 minutes later we arrived on Galveston Island, but not before stopping by Kroger to get baby Dego some baby Ambesol!  about halfway to G-town, he let out a cry both Sonny & i had never heard before.  he was in so much pain from teething and i am honestly glad the kids were with us at that point.

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after some Abesol, a diaper change, and some nursing, he did a complete 180. whew.

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this pic is hilarious to me because my face looked like the minion's face on the drive there, haha!

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our view from the San Louis Resort!  i sent Sonny to the spa for his pedicure while the boys and i relaxed and did a Periscope vid.  i've been saving them via katch.me for the past few days so they aren't gone forever anymore. kinda glad the first few vids i did are though lol.

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after he finished, we hit the beach.  but not before grabbing something to eat downstairs at Grotto.  i had plans for a nice dinner later that evening but no way we could have waited that long to eat.  hunger attitudes kill good vibes every time.

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Chiso was beyond excited for his first time at the beach!

i cannot WAIT to see his reaction when we go to Disney World, then!

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he told me his favorite part of the day was this moment right here...making sand castles with papa.

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we took a dip in the hotel pool on the way back to our room.

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afterwards,  we changed and got ready for dinner.  we traveled about 12 minutes away from our hotel to Rudy & Paco. it was an excellent suggestion by my sister-in-law Kara!  birthday boy got steak and spinach, i got the salmon & sautéed sugar-snap peas, and from the 'off the menu' kids menu, Chiso requested a grilled cheese sammich and fries.

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 the owner was extremely warm, welcoming, and stopped by to chat with us and to wish Sonny a happy birthday.

back to z hotel!  12 minutes away and everybody was asleep when i pulled up to the valet.  we're familiar with co-sleeping at home now and then, so 4 in 1 bed was nothing new. we got up the next morning, checked out, and headed to breakfast at IHOP.

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this boy ate good the entire trip, right!?

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sampler platter for Sonny,

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and i stuck to IHOP's Simple & Fit selections which were all under 600 calories.  how can you make healthier choices while dining at IHOP? here are some of my tips:

1. read the entire menu.  there are sometimes specialty diet sections (gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, etc.) or sections with healthier/lighter options. All meals in IHOP's Simple & Fit section are 600 calories or less, and contain lower sodium options as well.
2. peruse the kids menu. the portion sizes are sometimes perfect for adults. at IHOP, all the Just For Kids options are 600 calories or less. they are usually smaller versions of the adult plates, so you still get a bit of everything without going overboard. 
3. switch your syrup. IHOP uses Carey's sugar-free syrup, but you have to ask for it!  most likely the syrups already out on your table are 110 calories (or higher) and 28g sugar per 1/4 cup. and who uses 1/4 cup of syrup on their pancakes!? also, nix the butter.
4. use your swaps.  my meal actually came with potatoes but i swapped them for fruit.  you can also swap turkey bacon for pork bacon. fresh fruit is now the default side for the lunch and dinner meals instead of french fries.
5. Stevia to the rescue. bring your own all natural, zero calorie Stevia to sweeten your coffee and tea with.  the artificial packets already on the table will never compare nor will they do your body any good: Splenda - yellow, Equal - blue, Sweet N' Low - pink.
6. IHOP's nutritional stats are finally listed online and are updated frequently (they were one of the last restaurant chains to release this info), so take a peek ahead of time or while you're waiting to order your food. utilize your resources; the info is right there for you!
7. chiiiiiiiill. don't stress or get apprehensive about dining out. chances are there is something on the menu for you! even if the menu is set, you can simply ask for your dish to be made your way.

best picks: 600 cals or less (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

• Simple & Fit Spinach, Mushroom & Tomato Omelette w/ fresh fruit (330 cals, 12g fat, 690mg sodium)
• Simple & Fit Veggie Omelette w/ fresh fruit (310 cals, 12g fat, 750mg sodium)
• Simple & Fit Banana & Brown Sugar Bowl (260 cals, 5g fat, 35mg sodium, 5g fiber, 20g sugar, 7g protein)
• Simple & Fit Fresh Fruit & Yogurt Bowl (320 cals, 3g fat, 45mg sodium, 73g carbs, 7g fiber, 19g sugar, 25g protein)
• Simple & Fit Fruit Bowl (130 cals, 0g fat)
• Simple & Fit Blueberry Harbest Grain 'N Nut Combo (560 cals, 23g fat, 1040mg sodium, 64g carbs, 8g fiber, 21g sugar, 25g protein)
• Simple & Fit Turkey Bacon Omelette (420 cals, 20g fat, 720mg sodium, 25g carbs, 2g fiber, 17g sugar, 38g protein)
• Simple & Fit Whole Wheat French Toast Combo (490 cals, 15g fat, 930mg sodium, 56 carbs, 5g fiber, 23g sugar, 33g protein)
• Simple & Fit Two-Egg Breakfast (350 cals,  9g fat, 44g carbs, 25g protein)
• Simple & Fit Two X Two X Two (400 cals, 12g fat, 1450mg sodium, 48 carbs, 3g fiber, 10g sugar, 25g protein) 
• Simple & Fit Grilled Balsamic-Glazed Chicken (440 cals, 22g fat, 940mg sodium, 25g carbs, 8g fiber, 13g sugar, 39g protein)
• Simple & Fit Grilled Tilapia (489 cals, 23g fat, 1270mg sodium, 27g carbs, 8g fiber, 14g sugar, 49g protein)
• Simple & Fit Take Two Combo w. Half Turkey Sandwich & Fresh Fruit (290 cals, 18g fat (nix the mayo!!!)
• Simple & Fit Mixed Greens House Salad w/ Reduced Fat Italian (40 cals, 1.5g fat, 120 mg sodium, 6g carbs, 2g fiber)

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if you didn't katch our Periscope vid explaining some of the above info, watch it here.

thanks for reading and HAAAY MONDAY!

Q: have you ever ordered from the Simple & Fit section @ IHOP?

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