what itch? 7 year anni wkend

 aaaahhh!! so many pictures! well thank God for pic collage apps or this blog post would be 2 miles worth of scrolling.  we had a low-key, relaxing time in Lakeway (right outside of Austin) at the Lakeway Resort & Spa this past weekend for our 7th wedding anni. time for a new mattress.

this sweaty selfie was taken after my last workout before our anni weekend began.  i had only managed to unbraid half of the what seemed like 1 million braids in my head at that point, so i threw on a head scarf and got some upper body and cardio done regardless.

CYMERA_20140912_194709

 not gonna lie, i worked out with the anticipation of some good food in my near future! intensity is everything and i turned it UP. here's my stair slaver workout: (video coming soon)

Screen Shot 2014-09-19 at 10.15.55 AM

after i posted this pic of my go-to traveling snacks on Instagram i remembered it would tip Sonny off about our trip, whoops.  it's my year to plan and i hadn't told him a thing about leaving to go anywhere. oh wells.

IMG_20140911_194404

i hardly ever leave for trips without:

  • fresh fruit (nectarines this time)
  • bottled water
  • turkey jerky (high protein snack)
  • Quest Bars ( i like Double Chocolate Chunk and Sonny likes Cookies & Cream the best)
  • gum to combat mindless munching! that gets me in so much trouble
  • roasted, unsalted nuts
  • granulated stevia (for my coffee, tea, and oatmeal when eating at restaurants still operating in the stone age)
  • Beats headphones + Spotify
  • fitness or foodie mags

CYMERA_20140916_150441

off we went!  breakfast, snacks, and breast pump in tow.  i actually sat in the passenger seat first but soon as my butt hit that seat Sonny reminded me that it was my year to host.  yeah, yeah.  i actually had another stop planned along the way, but the weather ruined it! i did NOT even check nor consider the weather when i was planning everything, seriously. i just knew it would be clear, hot, and sunny as usual. no. so i'll save that stop for a later date.

CYMERA_20140918_124514

we're here!  however, our room wasn't ready since we arrived earlier than expected.  we were hungry again though so we hit up the resort's breakfast buffet per the front desk attendant's suggestion.  boy was he right!  everything, and i mean everything was as delicious as it looked. so.many.options.  we love a good omelette bar and both got egg white omelets loaded with veggies.  no surprise there.  Sonny is prepping for a few upcoming shows and did his best to stick to his meal plan.

CYMERA_20140918_124941

bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, migas, fruit... sensory OVERLOAD.

CYMERA_20140918_131531

next, a couples massage i have been anticipating since i booked the appointment. we were already full and lethargic from breakfast and the massage was the icing on the cake for Sonny. at one point he was over there drooling.

20140913_122650_1

the view overlooking the pool from the spa. the gym was right across from the spa and you knoooow we checked that out next.

CYMERA_20140918_131012

impressive! you can get an excellent full body workout done in there, oh yeah. hotel gyms are high on our amenity list and this one gets 5 stars from us. they had my beloved arc trainer, treadmills, a full rack of dumbbells, and a bunch of machines including a Smith machine. lovely.

CYMERA_20140918_130642

our room was ready by this time so we headed to check it out and take the most incredible, uninterrupted nap, EVER.  boooo to the weather though.

20140914_104246_1

it didn't start clearing up until the day we left, but we will certainly be back with the kiddos so they can have the time of their lives out there on that slide!

20140913_171212_1

 next up, an early dinner before the big Mayweather fight.  so this was my first time seeing my hair straightened (my beautician wrapped it at my appointment friday and i kept it that way) and i was blown away.

CYMERA_20140916_220724

 may not seem like much to anybody else but man my hair has come a long way as far as length and texture! i decided not to get another perm but i knew that as soon as the tiniest drop of moisture hit my head, it would never be the same!  after wearing my braids for a year (shout out to my gorgeous, mobile (yes, she will come to you), braid lady, Ogechi) with 3 short breaks in between, they really are the best fit for my sweaty, on the move lifestyle. they'll be back very soon, but i enjoyed being girly and flipping my hair around town all weekend, lol.

one of my regular Lifetime class members, Sally,  lives in Austin and really hooked me up with the scoop on where to go in ATX.  she suggested we stay downtown close to 6th street with the youngins' but after i told her how Sonny just wants to actually relax on his vacations she said to stick with the hill country, (i.e., Lakeway).  we hit up Oasis and saw a little bit of the sunset.  through the fog.

CYMERA_20140918_125938

after perusing the menu for forever i finally decided on salmon with sweet potato cakes, grilled veggies w/ a side salad, and Sonny went with a grilled shrimp salad. i ate most of those chips. 20140913_192822_1

then, we stopped by the landmark Whole Foods Market in downtown Austin for snacks and gelato! so many nostalgic memories here for me. you can read about one of them in the IG post i made that day <3

CYMERA_20140913_222942

gosh i love this store.

20140913_193228_1

especially this aisle.

CYMERA_20140918_124150

unpictured are the plantain chips and chocolate covered raisins i killed before the fight even started.

CYMERA_20140918_125618

was it just me or was the Mayweather fight...boring?? anyway, the next morning we were both up super early as usual and headed to the gym before breakfast. who forgot their workout shoes? :'(  so unlike me!  i went anyway but i don't advise working out in flip-flops around weights, guys. in addition to the shoe fiasco, i had one of THE dumbest workouts ever.  complete waste of time. i was so worried about my hair puffing up i didn't want to move. and i love to move. i think i did the arc trainer for like 8 minutes super slow, then some dumbbell curls, lunges, and squats holding the dumbbells. didn't sweat a drop. ridiculous. i love my hair like this so much but unless i flat-iron it every single morning (and i definitely won't) then i just can't rock the straight look with my lifestyle. THE struggle.

CYMERA_20140918_125341

we got cleaned up, explored the resort a little more, then headed to hit up the omelette bar again.

20140914_103932_1_3 7 years in the marriage game! hard to believe i've known this dude for almost 14 years. we had plans to go out on the lake that fell through, so we hit the Lakeway Galleria Outlet Mall to look around and get some lunch and fro-yo.

CYMERA_20140916_151110

found a new fave flavor i've never had before-- taro. yum! i discovered it at Red Mango back in houston too.

20140914_144234_1

pistachio & taro fro-yo randomness.  worth every bit of dairy bloat.

PhotoGrid_1410722858187

while walking through the galleria, i did a double-take after seeing the word Chiso!  close enough. what a rare sighting.  from there we went back to the room to pack up because #Texans. yeah, they were apart of last years Miami trip too.  so was the Mayweather fight now that i think about it!

20140914_130814_1

i requested a fridge to our room to freeze and store the milk i was pumping.  gotta get it out, and gotta get it done.  we headed to watch the Texans game at Sally's beautiful home in the hill country before heading home to our boys.

our actual anni this year is on monday, september 15th, and instead of going out to dinner, we went to the gym and sipped on anniversary protein shakes.

20140915_205400_1

wouldn't have had it any other way.

20140915_210827_1

happy 7th anni, Mr. Egwuatu!

thanks for reading:)

le

competition eve

i'm getting used to not doing morning cardio already lol!!! my last cardio workout was wednesday, so thursday i went and got a pedi for the first time since this past April.

i have always been uncomfortable with falling asleep in public places, especially when i'm travelling alone. i don't see how people do it. i just feel so vulnerable and i'm sure people have been taken advantage of in those types of situations.  however, when i tell you that this is the first time i have ever dozed off during a pedicure and plain did not care, you better believe it.  i got the works- massage, wax wrap thing, salt scrub, yeah all that. it felt that darn good and was well worth the wait.

golden toes! they will match my show suit perfectly, you'll see!  i would have gone for the french tip (or whatever it's called) but ummmmmm, i can't get that done on my toes for the very same reason i didn't include my left foot in the shot. HAHAHAHA

this morning's breakfast: 1 egg + 2 whites, banana pancakes, and a bowl of oatmeal that isn't pictured.

this is prolly THE saddest breakfast shot i'll ever take but i don't regret posting it.  every meal isn't a pretty presentation although most times that is what i strive for, even if i don't take a pic.  i remember trying to WOW Sonny when we first got married with my food creations and presentations.  i really do enjoy them. it's all apart of my cooking/kitchen experience lol. ok ANYWAY,   i burned my omelette at that.  i cut it up, added some fresh cilantro and dijon mustard and enjoyed every bite.  i used to put one egg white into my pancakes, but one morning i tried leaving the eggs out entirely to see if it would still cook and hold together ok.  and it did.  i added water to the mix instead.  i just wanted a bigger omelette, that's all.  that way, it seems like im eating more food.  get it? and besides,  after putting 'i can't believe it's not butter'  and Walden Farms pancake syrup over them, the consistency doesn't even matter anymore.   still the yummiest, cleanest pancakes ever!  but if you'd like them to look prettier, add the egg.

  i really thought it would be hard for me to just sit down and do absolutely nothing today, but that feeling passed rather swiftly  :lol:

i also woke up with something extra-

lots of HAIR!!! and a headache as my scalp is super sore:(.  i normally don't get my hair done, done unless there's a huge event happening. aaaand well, this one calls for it.  i'm ready to whip it all across the stage tomorrow!

i picked up a slab of salmon yesterday in prep for Sonny's last meals before our show.

i used some Walden Farms (calorie-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, etc) pancake syrup, Mc Cormick smokehouse maple seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley.

12 min in a 450 deg oven. cooking salmon could not be any easier.

or any tastier.

i paired it with lime brown rice and steamed asparagus just before Sonny drowned everything in sriracha (hot sauce). sweet, salty, and spicy.

only thing left to do for the show is tan. that will be done tonight and again tomorrow (touch ups). oh and my makeup as well- bright and early!

le