July 11, 2016

#OneBigHappy Play Day + 50.00 Gymboree GC GIVEAWAY!

July 11, 2016/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

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this is a sponsored post on behalf of Gymboree's #OneBigHappy campaign. we received complimentary clothing in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my very own, always.

DSC_0824-02 3 words. christmas in july! they were crazy excited when i told them this bright orange box was filled with goodies just for them. receiving mail with my name on it as a child always made me feel so special. even if it was junk mail, haha. DSC_0830-01 is summer vacation not the perfect time for a play day?! my boys know how important getting out from in front of the TV and going outside is to me, and well, they show me daily that they’re listening. they are constantly asking to go 'somewhere fun' and the park is usually their number one choice. it's definitely one of their favorite past times. i hope staying active continues to be something they enjoy doing throughout their lives. DSC_0836-01 Gymboree's activewear collection, Gymgo, is made to keep up with active kids, so they basically need to live in these clothes! by their request, i took them to one of their favorite parks to play and sport their gear. DSC_0858-01 Chiso is such an accessories type of guy. the hat, the shades; he's gotta wear it all at once to complete his look. as hot as the texas summer heat is, i don't blame him! Processed with VSCO the eye-catching, bold, bright colors stood out to me the most. matches their little rambunctious personalities perfectly! the breathable, cool fabric is a plus as these guys sweat a ton when they play. heck, we work up a sweat just getting in and out of the car down in texas.

Processed with VSCO Dego's, "who's about to go run out there in this heat? not me." look. smart man.

PhotoGrid_1468266519001 they kicked the soccer ball around for a while but then we took a much-needed water and snack break. ice cream cookie sandwiches on deck! err, ice cream cookie soupwiches.

that didn't stop them from sopping that ice cream up like biscuits and gravy though, LOL.don't worry Dego, you won't be the youngest for too much longer, bud :) . alright, sugar rush kicking in! time to play some more.

PhotoGrid_1468266479204 i could learn a thing or two from this kid when it comes to posing! i asked Chiso what he loved most about his Gymgo gear:

"i love how soft the fabric is and how cool the colors and patterns are. i love blue so much!!" he also loved the "Jump, Dunk, Score" tee (pictured at the very top) as basketball is one of his favorite sports to play with his Papa right now.

meanwhile, Dego clearly came to play, not pose.

ok, ok, just two pics, mama, that's it!

quality playwear that stands the test of playtime.

it's a pass from us. with flying colors, of course ;)

-----> GIVEAWAY TIME!!! <-----

do your kiddos LOVE to play!? awesome, because you could win a 50.00 gift card to get them some of their own Gymgo Active clothing! back to school is waaay too close for comfort but this will help you prepare no doubt. one lucky reader will win, so make sure you're fully qualified to enter! how? see the no-fuss criteria below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

you must give Gymboree a follow & Like via Instagram, and Facebook! comment below and let me know you're done, then consider yourself qualified. what are your favorite looks?? let me know below and good luck!

K E E P U P W I T H U S !

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, PINTEREST, AND SNAP CHAT (FITFOODIELE).

February 21, 2016

Sassy Shorts Sunday

February 21, 2016/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

tell'em, Bey. admit it, you thought about her super bowl snafu after you read that quote, didn't you ;)

i can't even begin to tell you how good church was this morning. AND we were early! i love that feeling. i want more of that feeling. Feb. is not only black history month, but it's the month of love <3 . our pastor is currently preaching through a series titled Tying The Knot: How To Make A Marriage That Lasts and i've been soaking up all that good info week after week. it applies to unmarried couples as well. i urge you to give it a listen!

anywaaaay, sunday meal prep went down as usual; Sonny always requests these particular items on his meal plan so i went to HEB earlier this week and loaded up. baked salmon, (i used Weber Kick n' Chickn on it) wild rice, grilled gigantic steak house-sized asparagus (aren't they beautiful!?), and a spinach salad with ripe avocado, mushrooms, and tomatoes. then,

i put on my sassy shorts for our walk to the park today. aren't these adorbs!? i had to have them cause they were a whopping 19 bucks, yall. IKR! there are so many patterns and colors to choose from; i listed a few below for ya.

top: Nike Dry-FIT Contour Short-Sleeve ( this is the updated version cause mine is a couple of years old)

sassy shorts: (on sale!)

Nike Pro Mezzo Short,

Nike Pro Three-Inch Short,

Nike Pro Dri-Fit Shorts

sneaks: Free Run 5.0

i've been fighting so hard to try to stay away from wearing so much black! why is it so hard :|

here's dessert! i always use a little organic buttery spread (1 tbsp) + coconut oil (2 tsp) in my pan. make sure your pan is on low-medium heat; they burn cook crazy fast. happiness is..... sitting outside on the porch with a bowl of pan-fried plantains. here's to another great week, fit friends!

WORK HARD AND BE KIND! THAT IS ALL.

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October 20, 2015

20 songs that get me through cardio + Transformation Tues #quickie

October 20, 2015/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

and another one! would you LOOK at this girl!?

4 weeks postpartum and new mommy Kara is looking fantabulous! i am so proud of my sister! she remained active for the bulk of her pregnancy and is now reaping those fit pregnancy benefits. i got to watch my niece, baby Natalie, for the first time last week while Kara tended to some court business with her clients. Baby Natalie is THE sweetest lil' thing! look at that face! what a pleasure and an honor to be able to return the favor and watch baby Natalie for my sis & bro-in-law. if you are a preggo or postpartum mom that needs help getting back on track, email me: le@fitfoodiele.com.

my fave music apps are Spotify and recently the Pandora app. i get my cardio in a couple of times a week and yall know i don't mind it at all! ONLY if i have my Beats headphones. silent cardio is the worst, right?! anyway, here are 20 songs i'm feeling that help speed up my fat burning sesh. no judgement! oh and radio version preferably.

Yoga - Janelle Monae, Jidenna
Love Me Harder - Ariana Grande
Bring It Back - Travis Porter
You Know You Like It - DJ Snake
Hit The Quan - iLoveMemphis
Finna Get Loose - Diddy, Pharrell Williams
Badd - Ying Yang Twins
Wipe Me Down - Boosie Badazz, Webbie
Chandelier - Sia
She Knows - Ne-Yo
Pop That - French Montana
Swimming Pools - Kendrick Lamar
Flashing Lights - Kanye West
Take It Off - UGK
Where Ya At - Future, Drake
Did A Whole Lot - Sosamann, Sauce Walka
Who Do You Love - YG, Drake
She Knows - Ne-Yo, Juicy J
We Dem Boys - Wiz Khalifa
Animals - Maroon 5

check out this morning's motivational Periscope and have a blessed tuesday, friends!

Q: add to my list! what song(s) gets you through your workouts?

July 27, 2015

Day 1...DONE #FFLCleanEatingChallenge

July 27, 2015/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

my grandma had 12 kiddos (6 boys, 6 girls) and there was even a set of twins up in there! they turned 50 this past weekend and we celebrated with an old-fashioned house partaaaaaay!

my contribution? some unpictured vegan chicken taquitos (i bought them from Whole Foods Market) and some homemade guacamole.

my uncle and his fam are vegan so we wanted to make sure there was food there they could enjoy.

vegan cupcakes from sprinkles made an appearance too! do they even look 50 years old!? happy birthday to the twins, Uncle Anthony and Aunt Annette :)

we partied til midnight but had to go pick up the boys afterwards and got home at 1-ish. needless to say, i was NOT ready to get up and drive across town for instructor training the next day. but first..... COFFEE.

it was worth it though cause i got to see my girl and master Lifetime Fitness trainer Abrea again! i've been seeing her at least once a year for various trainings for the past couple years and i never get tired of listening to this woman (she's the one with the cool hair on the left). i also saw my instructor friend and rock star Olga (yellow tank) and NEW instructor Maria(top)!! Maria has taken my early LT classes for a good while. i'm excited she'll be able to sub for me if i never need one lol. congrats to her on teaching her first class recently!

Abrea taught a fan-flippin-tastic Barbell Strength class and we all loved every sweaty second of it. i love working out with other instructors cause the energy in the room is INSANE!! so fun, so educational, and so needed to keep my own BBS class exciting and refresh my love for being an instructor period. see ya next year, Abrea!

this is what i snacked on throughout the day: fresh fruit, veggies, hummus with a few pita chips, BBQ chicken breast chunks, oatmeal, eggs, and water. i slept as long as i could so i didn't have time to make my breakfast at home. thank you, LifeCafe!

after i got home, meal prep time!!!!! have you checked out the hashtag on IG?! --->#FFLCleanEatingChallenge<--- i jumped online and saw everyone else prepping too and got SO inspired all over again!!! yall are DOIN' IT!!! i gave 3 options for protein and made two of'em: Apple Turkey Burgers and the Sticky Spicy Chicken.

then i put my meals together for the next 3 days. preparation is EVERYTHING.

meanwhile.....man i missed these guys. and i missed church that day too! luckily our church adds their sermons online so i still caught it. the next morning i was tired as crap, yall. not even gonna sugar coat it. sunday is usually my rest day so i was beat after that long day of training. i wanted to hop on Periscope super early and motivate yall for this challenge somethin' serious but my body couldn't and wouldn't get out the bed! so i slept in way later than normal and did not feel bad about it. i made breakfast immediately once up though and got going! Chiso wanted in on the challenge too lol so he had what i was having.

ok, i know it's only been ONE day but i am CRAAAAZY proud of yall!!!! seriously!!!! it's one thing to talk about changing... but when you put forth the effort to actually MAKE IT HAPPEN you are well on your way! i told yall i'd be watching via social media and i am ON IT. way to go yall! KEEP IT UP!

meal prep sunday went DOWN.

and now monday has been officially ROCKED!!! if you have not followed me on Periscope yet, what is up with that!? i thought of an idea on the elliptical today i'm gonna introduce very soon and it includes exercise via Periscope. i'll discuss super soon, so hurry up and join! man, these pictures make me smile incredibly big. yall have no idea! if you take and post at least one pic per day concerning this #fflcleaneatingchallenge i have a lil' somethin' for ya... so STICK WITH IT!

what was the toughest part of day 1 for you? (if you're taking the challenge)

when are you most tempted to eat junk? (open for everybody)

July 01, 2015

light, fluffy, healthy Sweet Potato Oat Bran Pancakes + Headband Giveaway!

July 01, 2015/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

halfway to friday, guys!!! Chiso (the 4 yr old) requested pancakes for dinner last night, so i added some roasted sweet potato into my usual recipe and BAM. these were so tasty we devoured another stack his morning for breakfast! you do need a high powered blender for this recipe for optimal cake fluffiness, fyi.

Sweet Potato Oat Bran Pancakes

the stuff:

3/4 cup dry oat bran
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla cashew milk
2 egg whites (from real eggs, not the carton)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup roasted, soft sweet potato
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
2 packets granulated stevia (optional)
dash sea salt

do this:

set griddle to high and coat with no stick cooking spray
add egg whites into high powered blender and 'whip' them for about 30-45 seconds until super fluffy (we received a Ninja Blender from our dear friend Diamond this past Christmas and i have been using it every single week since then!)
add in everything else!
blend oh high speed for at least 1 minute until super smooth
let batter sit for approx. 5 minutes. oat bran is suuuuper absorbent and will need a few moments to do its thing
spoon batter onto griddle (make as many cakes as you'd like; the size is your call)
when you see bubbles start to form on the top of the cake (approx. 3 min), flip! (ensure the color is golden brown and not pale)
cook an additional 2-3 min on this side
top with pecans and powdered sugar and your fave sugar-free syrup! we use Walden Farms.

nutritional facts for the entire stack: 363 cals, 11g fat, 71g carbs, 21g protein, 10g sugar

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neeeext, i get asked about my wide headband often and i finally answered with deets on IG recently. it's a @firstlinebrands Dri Sweat Edge and boy do i wear it often. it absorbs all my awesomeness (sweat) and keeps everything beneath it nice and dry (dem edges).

they now have more color options on their website if you're cool enough to color coordinate your gym gear like that.

so, who NEEDS one!? i'm giving away a free Dri Sweat Flex (see pic above) to someone that needs help preserving their hairdo while they get their sweat on!