Baby Kosi's Sprinkle + Cool Modern Mom Newborn Stuff

my sweet sorority sisters threw Kosi & i a Baby Sprinkle (isn't that adorable?!)unisex decor :)i think i had about 36 of those cheese cubes and even took some to-go for my boys. we looooove us some cheese.yes you are, baby Kosi.heeeey, baby Nat! my niece, Natalie is as obsessed with balloons as Dego.lil' bit of everything, please. hard at work making play-doh babies!  i told my hostesses i'm not really a game person, buuuut this one ALWAYS always turns out hilarious.my mom has been referring to baby Kosi as "she" and "her" since we found out we were expecting, haha.  i dunno, Mommy... we shall see ;) my gorgeous, talented, sisters-in-love. grandma Willie!  at my age she was already 9 kids in, y'all.  she had 12 total and doesn't have to worry about me attempting to break her record :Dopening our unisex gifts.love you ladies dearly!! grateful for your presence and love. #SkeeWeei have been eyeing this Skip Hop diaper bag for weeks and snagged it using the Sprinkle gift cards i received!  also, the Ergo Infant Carrier Insert (center) is a great newborn item until baby is plump enough to fill out the car seat solo.

gimmie all the compartments!!!

love everything about this bag, especially the size and and the cuteness factor.

what i'm bringing to the hospital this time around:

• cozy, comfy, cute postpartum lounging clothes (for pictures! hair is already done, woo hoo)

• nursing camisoles (instead of just nursing bras for visitors, guests, etc.)

• socks with the grips underneath

• my toiletries / ID's 

• portable snacks, games, etc. for my 5 & 2-year-old while they wait with family

• car seat & unisex newborn outfit for heading home

• granny panties

• breast pads / Lasinoh nipple cream

• phone & laptop chargers

• Thank You cards/gifts for the nurses & caregivers 

• Sonny's bag cause he always waits till the very, very last second to pack!

then there's this amazing product taking social media by storm: the Milk Snob 2 in 1 infant car seat / nursing cover. i need it in like 5 more patterns!! this one is Milky Stripe.

share your fave, most useful baby item below.

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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game changers

anybody else used to buy those tiny wheatgrass shots from Jamba juice?  i did it more than a handful of times.  seeing this wheatgrass powder at Sprouts Farmers Market reminded me of my frivolous spending days.

i cracked the bag open for the first time yesterday and made some  maple wheatgrass pancakes with it!  turned out good enough to share. so i will.

maple wheatgrass pancakes:

the stuff: ?

• 1/2 cup oat bran ?
• 2-3 heaping tbsp wheat grass powder ?
• 1 tsp maple extract ?
• 1 tsp vanilla ?
• 2 egg whites ?
• 1/2 tsp baking powder ?
• 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or more if batter is too thick)
• 1-2 packets stevia ?
• 2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

do this:

combine real good and cook up like cakes in your no-stick cooking spray coated, medium heated skillet!  3-4 minutes each side.  top however you like - i chose pecan pieces and Walden Farms zero calorie pancake syrup.

stats:

197 cals, 4g fat, 160mg sodium, 39g carbs, 8g fiber, 5g sugar, 16g protein. ???????????????

i took a FULL rest day yesterday and did some grocery shopping .  Walmart was planned.  Whole Foods was not.

after sacking 43 lbs of sweet potatoes in Wally World, my eyes caught ahold of a big end cap of these One Step French Fry Cutters.  *jaw drops*  and then i saw the price directly below them: $9.88.  *jaw drops lower*.  i threw the cutter as well as all the skepticism 'as seen on tv' products come with in my buggy and kept truckin'.

i'd say it worked pretty well, wouldn't you!? great investment.  i like to chop my veggies by hand, but you can use this thing to chop up a bunch of other stuff too (garlic, shallots, etc).  here's an IMPORTANT TIP though: nuke your potatoes for 1.5 minutes or so (really depending on size) AND cut them in half so it will fit in the gadget (think hamburger style, not hot dog).  and be super careful not to  over cook them! it will create a huge mess.  don't ask me how i know. ugh.

i tried it out on my Spicy Smoky Sweet Potato fries from my ebook!

so about Whole Foods... it never fails. i always come out with extra stuff and a biggER bill. i went to get some Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour which i could not even find (nor could the store associate) so i got some from the bulk bins. and on the way out i found these two gems:

vegan, gluten-free, organic Sprinklez by Let's Do Organic (cause they DO exist apparently), and vegan (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free) Chocolate Chip cookie dough by Eat Pastry.  why did i even bring this up in my house :shock:

 i entered a crazy fluffernutter (marshmallow fluff) challenge on IG last night at the last-minute using what i had and made a big fluffernutter pazookie pie!

since the dough is egg-free i'm definitely eating the rest raw.  go get somma that DOUGH.

 ok back to my cookie dough :)

le

____-free

posing practice, weight training, cardio, grocery shopping, church, and family time.

that was my weekend.  how was yours?

this particular trip to HEB was one to remember!  i have been hearing about Walden Farms this and Walden farms that in cyberspace recently.  Walden Farms products claim to be:

calorie-free

sugar-free

fat-free

carbohydrate-free

gluten-free

cholesterol-free

not ALL products are free of ALL of the things i listed, but just read the label to be sure!

my ears perk up when i hear  '____ - free' regardless, but not once have i heard so many in the same sentence and referring to one product!!!!!  my curiosity got the best of me and i ordered the infamous Walden Farms pancake syrup online.  however, man, sometimes all you have to do is ASK.  'do you carry Walden Farms products?' i asked the store associate.  i just knew she would look at me crazy and reply with 'who!?', but nope, HEB always come through for meeeeeee.

could that be?...no... calorie-free ketchup!? yeah it scares me too...i'll go back for it later though lol

i read A LOT of product reviews (i do hope for the best that they aren't fake or anything) and the Walden Farms dips (chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, etc.) aren't sounding too good.  so, i left them alone for now.

there they are...in all their glory!  bbq sauce too!  WF is on a roll.

and dressings! so for those of you who like to eat salad with your dressing lol, you should give these a try.

this is what i got outta there with in addition to my fresh fruits, veggies, and proteins.  syrup (pancake and chocolate) sesame ginger dressing (which is nothing short of awesome) and more PB2- there was a 50 cents off coupon running and i couldn't pass it up.

saturday morning, i made Chiso a bowl of oatmeal and topped it with fresh blueberries, chia seeds, peanut butter, and almond milk.

then i made some more of those oatmeal pancakes i had last week (i am HOOKED!!).  i made up the batter the night before this time and let it sit in the fridge.

 we had them again this morning. ready to try them?! here's that recipe:

super moist banana oat pancakes

the stuff:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats (***you can use pre-ground oat flower, or ground them yourself in your blender or food processor***)
• 2 egg whites
• couple dashes of cinnamon (be generous)
• splash of  real vanilla extract (OR you can use a couple drops of vanilla creme stevia if you want them sweeter!)
• 1/2 a mashed ripe banana
• 1/8th tsp of baking powder
• 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 heaping tbsp greek yogurt or unsweetened applesauce

do this:

1. mix all the ingredients well in your blender or food processor!  *s/n: if the batter is too thick for you, add some unsweetened vanilla almond milk to stretch it.  i've been adding water to keep my nutritional stats the same for my competition diet though.*
2. pour into a non-stick/sprayed skillet or griddle. you can make 1 big cake like they do at restaurants, or a stack. i like to do 4 mini cakes.
3. 3-4 min on each side.
4. you can add SO many things to your batter- the options are simply endless. top or incorporate your fav fruit or nuts and don't forget that sugar-free syrup.  i also sprayed mine with some 'i can't believe it's not butter'.  this is too easy!!! i don't even need a pancake cheat meal anymore!  tastes so darn good.  i'll be adding some PB2 into my batter when i can have it again.  enjoy and get creative.

 (for the ENTIRE recipe)

   Chiso is a fan.

heck, oatmeal hating Sonny likes them AND the syrup too. jackpot.

About Time sent me some free samples of their whey protein this past week- chocolate and birthday cake flavor.  no carbs, no fat, no aftertaste, and all natural. hmmmmmmmmmm!  as usual, i will be trying, next month.

don't wait til morning, go make some pancakes right now.  have a blessed rest of your sunday.

what is your experience with Walden Farms!? any products by them the world should know about? share!

le

goodies

so thankful for encouraging friends!got this in the mail today from a dear friend of mine and it was RIGHT on time.  today is low carb day :lol:  thanks, BM ;) love you, girl!

july was a BLUR. hey, august.

there are a bazillion products i cannot wait to try next month. next month...NEXT MONTH is my show!!!!  burnout is not even the word these days.  i have been trying to run outside more for my cardio cause even the smell of walking into my gym sometimes makes me sick to my stomach, sad, and a tired, defeated feeling comes over my entire body.  yes, all that happens at once!  nothing a rest day can't fix though...i'm definitely waving my white flag and in need of one.  i am still learning to listen to my body and not overdo it.  over time, i have learned to distinguish the 'crap i don't feel like going to the gym' feeling vs the 'i have absolutely no energy to lift a THING today' feeling.  there is a huge difference.  when the only thing i can take away from my workout is the fact that i can say i went, that's not good enough.  i'm doing more harm than good by forcing my workout rather than just sitting down somewhere, resting, and hitting it hard the next day.i posted this earlier today on IG- another instagrammer mentioned how her abs stay flat even after a satisfying meal and i LOVE that and couldn't agree more.  it's all from simply keeping your diet clean.  before, i'd either be a bloated mess all over or mushy in my midsection from high sodium, sugar, and additives hiding in processed and restaurant foods.  my tummy stays the same all day long- flat.

what's happening this week? finding a SUIT and themewear, that's what.  i have been googling to the high heavens on what colors pop, what shade is best for my skin, etc., aaggggggghhhhhhh!!! my posing coach, Christine, simply said 'go with your first instinct.'  simple as that. so, i will.

i visited a shop by referral from Christine, grabbed a handful of suits and tried them on.  those things are pretty darn tiny.  talk about 'barely there', my goodness!  stepping outside my box, big time.

i am such a BOY with this kind of stuff.  there is so much more to be done. hair, nails, waxing, tanning, etc,.  this is a pretty darn expensive sport.  and i didn't even mention my training yet! (workouts, meal plan, and FOOD).  i discussed with Christine the best portion of the show for me to enter seeing as how i have about 5 weeks left.  she advised me to stick with Bikini.  so, Figure will just have to wait as i don't have enough time to put on THAT much muscle.  so, if there's a next time, i'm comin for ya, Figure!!!

so i have said already how excited i am to get back in my kitchen and make and EAT up some stuff.  i see new products every day on instagram, blogs, and foodie mags,  and i went online and finally ordered a few that sparked my interest and my taste buds!  i was supposed to stop looking at these sites before my comp, i know.  anyway,  i'll pass on bargain shopping for clothes, but not food!  it really is cheaper to order some stuff online.  and there are always coupon codes, free shipping, and other deals that help.

via IG (instagram), @powercakes gave out her coupon code for saving 5 dollars on your first www.IHERB.com purchase. SWEET DEAL!  i just used mine AND got free shipping since my order was over 20 bucks.  now, if September would just get here already i'll be one happy fit foodie.  look what i got:

soups, stir-frys, and spring rolls OH MY!! these are kelp noodles.  i loooove thai crystal noodle soup and pretty much all type of soup.  and noodles.   i have so many ideas for these puppies.  and hello, 12 calories per serving! I KNOW!!  kelp noodles are raw, gluten-free, fat-free, rice-free, low in carbs & calories, full of minerals and ready to eat.  have you tried them?

been hearing SO much about this stuff.  what sold me? 'tastes like cheese'.   well we'll just have to see then, won't see.  after reading reviews, customers raved how great this stuff is sprinkled on air popped popcorn, over soups and stews, and even encrusting proteins in it.  i'll see what i can do.

so splenda's rep has gotten worse and worse over time.  it's been known to cause/increase the risk of cancer, weight gain, bloating- man too many negative things to name.  just red flags everywhere.   i actually swore off the stuff a few months ago (Sonny chunked it. all of it.), but i walked past the above pic in HEB and the mocha part sucked me right back in.  however Sonny threw it right back out.

  then i heard/read about Stevia.

zero cals, non bitter, all natural.  i bought the granules from HEB before i discovered there was a liquid form!  so, i ordered some.

vanilla,

and

chocolate!

no sugar alcohols, bitter after-taste, and calorie free. stay tuuuuuuuned.

3 more things- look, i had a lot to say today.

1.) when i visit food blogs, i look for specific things. fantastic, enticing pics draw me in first and foremost, but what i always end up looking for and totally appreciate is nutritional stats!! people can say they don't count calories all day long...but come on..you have to have SOME kinda ball park figure to make sure you're staying on track, clean diet or not.  SO, one thing i plan to execute after this show is including the nutritional stats to my recipes.  sure, there are a crapload of web apps these days that you can just type the ingredients into yourself, but i dont want you to have to work so hard when you come visit me!

2.) although i have no plans to ever fully commit to a 100% paleo, vegan, vegetarian, or even clean diet (only 85% and i meant that), i can't get enough of their deserts!  there are sooooo many ways you can 'indulge' and satisfy your sweet tooth without eating the full fat and calorie laden stuff.  i am on a mission to create cleaner deserts as well as incorporate more natural, raw ingredients.  working on cleaner pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, breads, and pudding recipes all day every day.

3.) i'd tell ya what i'm having for dinner but you already know. :roll: just got through putting some of my meals together for tomorrow .

i'll tell you anyway.  marinated sirloin steak, french cut green beans, and brown rice.  after i nuke one, i add low sodium worcestershire sauce or my mustard, and some fresh cilantro.  yum!!

 Chiso is keeping busy in the midst of all this madness.

happy friday in advance!  nite.

le