ABB 5k 2015 + consistency is your BFF

 go time!  i do believe this is the longest start line i've ever been in.

it took about 9 minutes just to get to the very front and start running! all that body heat kept us warm though.

 i left my house late (unsurprisingly) and with the street closures and all ended up parking pretty far.  i pretty much ran a dang 5k through downtown before the race started!  i don't ever pay for parking downtown if i can avoid it; i'd rather walk and just save a few bucks.  i was tempted this time though cause i didn't want to be late, but i made it, whew.

#atomicphotobomb & #selfiewhilerunning. the reason for that face is because i was contemplating that 24 min PR i set the night before!!!!

so i didn't find the white rabbit to follow but i DID find a black gorrilla. or whatever that was. i had to speed up to get this pic cause he was BOOKIN' IT.

stats were posted tonight and my official time was 26:41!  i did set a PR of 24, but i'm thinking if i actually take the time to train correctly then maybe i'd actually hit it or come close smh! i love the challenge and i'm up for it.

done!  grateful to cross yet another finish line. i just can't get enough of that feeling.

so Sonny has been in Nigeria all week long for work and was supposed to touch down in Houston at 5am this morning. however, his flight was canceled and he had to hop on the next available one.  i sure would have loved to see him at the finish line, but i did find two of my gorgeous Sorors there, Ayesha and Crystal.  they are both doing the full marathon tomorrow; run hard ladies and good luck!!.

last shot before heading to catch the tail end of the boot camp class i teach with Brian every saturday.

adding to my medal and t-shirt collection!

after boot camp? a leg workout with my trainer, @showtimefitness of course!

 'what seems impossible today will one day become your warmup.' yes. i remember running my very first 5k a few years ago and not moving or lifting a finger afterwards for like 3 days straight! i was crazy tired & super sore and could have easily said 'screw running'and never did another race again. one of the hardest decisions we face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder. well, i chose the latter! how do you get better at something? DO IT MORE! no earthly idea how many 5 and 10ks (1 half mar) i've done since then but because i refused to quit, consistency had me up in the gym post-5k yesterday beasting through an intense full body workout with my trainer @showtimefitness. and you better believe there's a full marathon on my to-do list! just keep going. don't quit. consistency is key.

i actually love being trained as much as i love to instruct the trainings with my own clients!  Brian is awesome at what he does and i always learn more than a handful of things from him.

then... i headed to Luby's for dinner to celebrate. i can ALWAYS count on a great, tasty, healthy meal from there.  i don't care that the population is 80% senior-citizen per my husband!  i have so many childhood memories from Luby's. it was a sunday, after church staple for my family growing up.  anyway i got the salmon, steamed cabbage, seasoned carrots, pickled beets & cucumbers, and...... yes. THE BEST EVER. if you don't like mac n cheese we cannot be friends!!!!!!!! i earned it and i enjoyed every single bite.

WHAT big fitness goal have you set for yourself this year?

le

because i do. Chevron Houston Marathon EXPO

we moved right on along to carrots today in the homemade baby food chronicles!

i switch new foods every 4 days or so to give any allergic reactions time to reveal themselves. we'll see what happens. i just eyeballed and simmered raw carrots + cinnamon + water until tender then puree in the Ninja. carrots are naturally sweet like sweet potatoes so they don't need any extra sugar! they also:

• slow down aging
• reduce blood pressure
• reduce risk of stroke
• helps prevent cancer
• facilitates digestion
• boosts immune system
• improve eyesight

my eyesight has been terrible for as long as i can remember.  i've worn glasses since elementary school and only need them to see far distances and to drive.  i pray the boys get Sonny's eyesight cause i am pretty much legally blind!  i hope they get his teeth too cause i went through braces, a head-gear, a retainer...the whole 9.  i'd love to get Invisialign as they are shifting again from not wearing my retainer years ago. i was so happy to be DONE with all that stuff i didn't care. but now i do. that's how it goes!

so far so good!

i've been doing solo dates once a week with Chiso for a while now and today i took him downtown to the GRB for the Chevron Houston Marathon EXPO!  i registered for the 5k while i was there and ran right into my Sorority sister and fitness expert, Crystal!  she was there to do the same thing.

only she was using the 5k for her warmup for the marathon on sunday! superwoman status!  I will be running along side her in a marathon one day, mark my words!  i have yet to do my very first full marathon, but my goal is to do a half mar sometime this year.

i can't wait until this guy can keep up and run alongside me.  i plan to put him in his first 1k this year and i am SO excited to watch him run across his first finish line.

we walked around and visited the booths for a little while,  ate Cliff Bar samples, and eventually made our way to the 'I RUN HOU BECAUSE....' wall.  i gave Chiso the marker and he started drawing shapes :D.  then i asked him, 'why do you like to run, Chiso?' and he simply looked at me and replied 'because i do.'

i didn't even ask him to explain! this time.

pose for the frame! neat idea!

then we went to Whole Foods for lunch.  we discussed his new friends in the child care center at our gym and also sports he would like to try this year.  3 is still tougher than 2 in my opinion but it has its highlights like all ages i'm sure!  i'm loving our discussions these days.  pepperoni pizza for Chi,

spring mix salad with pomegranate vinaigrette,

and a few scoops of the hot bar items for me which included: chicken fajitas w/ peppers & onions, hoke (white fish), cilantro-lime rice, and a scoop of spinach/mushroom enchiladas- they looked too good not to try!  the enchilada pan was pretty much empty and i saw why. YUM.

i got my race stuff ready as soon as i got home!  the ABB 5k shirts matched my shoes this year, how cool is that?  bib #55808 is ready to RUN! that said,

and blogging of course!  have a relaxing friday night, friends!

Q: what special things do you do for one-on-one time with your kiddos?

le

but did you die? + dairy-free banana fudge bomb pops

the first time i saw that meme on IG... instant tears. ooooh, spinning. the class i hate to love and love to hate.  i still remember taking my very first cycle class at 24HF years ago. i was drenched in sweat from head to toe like WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.... *blank stare*.  i looked like i had just taken a dip in the pool, fully clothed.

Miko and i made it through again though!  i do believe the seat is more uncomfy the next few times after the initial time.  the 'it gets worse before it gets better.' phrase applies here.  wheeeeew, God bless spin instructors everywhere. i know you get used to it after a while but because i'm in the adjusting phase again it's definitely the discomfort talking. #seasonalcycler

  broken vajayjay.... but did you die? LOL #almost

colorful plates make my face and tummy HAPPY. i planned on baking meatballs this week but got lazy (hungry) and whipped up my lean apple-chicken  on Nature's Own Whole Wheat bread  with cheddar almond cheese instead. i still have Honey Crisp apples around from making homemade apple sauce, so i subbed one of those for the Red DelicicvVous apple my recipe calls for. i threw some steamed green beans, raw golden bell peppers w/ roasted red pepper hummus, and blackberries on the side.

 after making those chocolate coconut pb cups the other day, i got to thinking about other layered desserts and those classic banana fudge bomb pops came to mind. i used to LOVE getting them from the ice cream truck when i was a kid.  so i went for a healthier, dairy-free version!  Chiso gobbled his up, so i count it as a success!  I'd love them to be a little creamier, so i'm going to add some Skinny Tru Whip to the batters before freezing next time. make and try them with your kiddos!

Dairy-free Banana Fudge Bomb Pops

the stuff:

banana layer

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk

fudge layer

• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mega Chunks
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

do this:

1. blend bananas and milk in blender until smooth
2. add chocolate chips and milk to a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for 15 seconds at a time until chunks are completely melted. incorporate this together until smooth.
3. add banana layer 1 to your popsicle trays filling them only 1/3 of the way full
4. freeze for 15 minutes
5. take out of freezer and add the chocolate layer, leaving room for banana layer 2 near the top
6. freeze for 15 minutes
7. take out of freezer and fill trays to the brim with banana layer 2. insert popsicle tops/sticks and put back into freezer for at least 1 hr or more.

* running hot water over the popsicle trays first helps them to pop out easier when you're ready to eat them by the way*

 feel free to make as many layers as you'd like!  more layers = more prep time though and your little one might keep asking 'is it ready yet!?'

the boys and i finally got to hang out with and take an #usie with this amazingly sweet woman this week!  Adaeze is a long-time blog follower of mine (like she has been there from THE jump), a former 6 Pack USA client, and a newlywed (woo hoo!). it was a true pleasure chatting with her!!! she has such a genuine, gentle spirit a big beautiful smile to go with it.  i'm grateful for all her support over the years <3

Q. what exercise do you HATE doing but feel so dang unstoppable when you finish?  

le

The Egwuatus

happy sunday funday!

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today was a rest day for me so i stayed indoors looking somewhat like this. i bust out laughing every time i look at this pic! give me a pair of fuzzy socks and i'd be set.  an IG follower commented on how her 13 month old would still find her way inside to breastfeed. LOL.

i threw a whole bunch of stuff in my egg whites this morning to make #weggs (waffle iron eggs) and made a huge, delicious mess instead.  no-stick cooking spray wasn't enough to save me cause i loaded that thing ridiculously full!  there's cheddar almond cheese, Applegate organic chicken & apple sausage cilantro, tomatoes, golden bell peppers, liquid aminos, and black pepper in there.  low sugar ketchup on the side!  i also had some oat bran with kiwi and unsweetened coconut flakes.

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 so in addition to it being frosty outside today, it was also raining in my hood at that. staying in was definitely alright with me. i somehow snuck away for a bit to finally break out that Enfusia bath bomb i received in my goodie bag from my WFM Post Oak tour!

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the first thing that came to mind when i saw this pic i snapped was 'Calgon, take me away!'.  aaaaand now i'm showing my age.

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it was like a Sesame Street Fizzy Tub Color Tablet on steroids. the lemon grass aroma filled my bathroom and turned the water a subtle lime green color.  nothing like a steaming, hot bath on a nippy, winter day.

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i got some blogging done (obvi) and i even updated a new page for baby stuff!! i appreciate the Instagram baby food feed back, man!  i wanted to get all my old baby food posts and fit preggo info in general together in one place for you guys and i do hope this serves as a huge resource. i'm also working on that baby food e-book as well! aaand i'm redoing the other pages on my site too, so bear with me.

 my fave IG caption for this pic:

'mama imma let you finish, but first i gotta take this selfie.' HILARIOUS.

we received so many beautiful Christmas cards in the mail from our friends this season.

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gosh, it just seems like we all graduated yesterday! crazy.  well, The Egwuatus didn't get it together in time for Christmas pics (again) this year but we are right on time for New Year's, ha.  so here we are!

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whadaya think?!  Christin is a beast and this a sneak peek from last month's photo shoot!!! my dress is from H & M and i found the stilettos at Aldo during black friday madness for like 50% off. they are definitely the highest pair i own and they keep Sonny on his tippy toes lol.  the boy's fits are from H & M too,  and Chiso's kicks are from Old Navy.  they were THE last pair on the shelf and matched our color theme perfectly!  Sonny doesn't care for H & M (half the stuff doesn't fit his athletic build anyway) so he headed on over to Express for his threads.

Qs: what's your favorite rest day relaxation technique?

 do you send out family holiday cards?

what else would you like to see in the Preggo Powerrr section???

stay warm over there,

le

Chicken-Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps + PWO grocery shopping

 awesome workout early this morniiiiing!  finally. after monday's sugar slump (my sister's baby shower was the day before lol) i feel SO much better.  i was determined to flip this week around cause it sure didn't start off too great physically and my motivation was shot. anyway, my cuz Diane told me she would come try my Lifetime classes and by golly she came!! not everybody is ready for HIIT at 5:30am but she totally was and kept her word!  we did some cardio together after this morning's weight class and i'm so glad she enjoyed herself and the club.

every time i wear this shirt sent to me by my good friend @babyfatboss somebody reads it then looks at me and asks, 'right now????' hahaha! no. not yet.

don't shop for groceries when you're hungry!!! i am good for that and  i'll never learn cause my Sprouts is in the same lot as my gym.

#itsawrap

recent purchases from Sprouts Farmers Market i cannot wait to use at breakfast tomorrow:

yep, you read that right. got my fingers crossed on this one!

making the switch to dairy-free creamer as of today.  this was the only size they had and i need a half-gallon carton or larger for sure.  i've been downing at least one cup of 1/2 caff in the mornings for a while now.

so we are now on week 5 of small group already, my goodness!  i have truly been blessed by meeting with these women to discuss the Word each week and will definitely be open to hosting a small group again in the future. we feasted on these lean ground Chicken-Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps that you have GOT to try. and when ya do, tag me on Instagram and let me know so i can see!

 i know green bell peppers are the cheapest to buy but i LOVE the taste of, well, all the other colors. ha. especially red! and we know that red bell peps are a collagen boosting food great for helping us moms snap back after pregnancy and for keeping our skin looking great in general.

i used 'riced' cauliflower instead of brown rice so these are chock-full of veggies! do the following:

1. if raw, wash large cauli head thoroughly and break up into small florets (if frozen, let thaw first then break into florets)
2. add to food processor and pulse until a rice-like consistency is obtained
3. in a clean cup towel, add riced cauli and squeeze as tightly as you can to get ALL the moisture out
4. in a wok coated with no stick cooking spray over med-high heat, add cauli and sprinkle a little garlic and onion powder over it. that's optional though.  stir constantly for about 5-6 minutes or until slightly crispy/cooked.

Chicken-Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps

the stuff:

• 1 lb extra lean ground chicken
• 1/2 cup red kidney beans
• 1 ear fresh sweet corn (or 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn)
• 1/2 large green bell pep, diced
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes w/ garlic
• 10 oz 'riced' cauliflower (see steps above)
• 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional to put on top only)
• 2 tsp sweet smokey paprika (reg paprika will be fine too)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro (just grab a small bunch and chop it up)
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms of your choice
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
• 5 red bell peppers (discard the seeds but don't you dare throw away those tops after you cut them off! dice them up and eat them later)

do this: 

1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking pan large enough to hold all 5 peppers at once with no stick cooking spray
2. coat a large skillet with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat
3. add garlic, onion, and green bell pepper and saute until translucent (2-3 min)
4. add lean ground chicken breast and continue to break it up with your spoon into smaller bits as it cooks
5. once cooked through, add kidney beans, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and stir until combined
6. add cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes and 2 tsp of the parsley flakes
7. add the cauli-rice and 1 cup of shredded cheese and blend once more and taste!
8. add salt & pepper to your liking and taste again
9. cut the bottoms flat across the peppers and situate them in your pan (see pic below)
10. stuff peppers with your chicken mixture and fill them to the brim
11. add about 3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth to the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes covered with foil
12. remove pan from oven and top peps with remaining cheese; put back in for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts
13. top with remaining tsp of parsley flakes to make it pretty ;)

yummerrrrrrs. enjoy!

Q: what seasonal item have you ever just HAD to try?

le