The Alaroro

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And the Winner is…

December 9, 2015

Hello Everyone,

A big big thank you to @capoeirapanda of Pandamonium Fitness for being our first #FeatureFriday guest! We really enjoyed his FitFood recommendations on a budget. If you missed it, check here!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway! We had our awesome friend @Sirkastiq of @erelevantNG help us pick our winner!

He entered all the names into an online random selector as you can see here…

Apologies, the screen could not capture all the entered names

And the winner is…

@Deaduramilade
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Congratulations! @Deaduramilade, you have won a shake’n’take blender and one month free online health and nutrition coaching from Pandamonium Fitness!

Kindly send an email to sisi@thealaroro.com and panda@meta.fit with your full name and delivery details. We will get your gift across to you and Pandamonium Fitness will kick off your coaching!

Thanks everyone!

There’ll be another giveaway soon. Stay connected.

Cheers,
The Alaroro.

Taking Stock: December

December 7, 2015

The Alaroro

4 Comments

Hello,

I don’t know if I believe in resolutions anymore – I need to know if this is a milestone in life, where you become so cynical – having no faith in your own self.

Anyway, I found this taking stock template here and I’m doing one for the birthday/the month as per, closing out/rounding off.

Reading: Nothing. If Emails count, then I’m reading something. A dear colleague gave me this book as a birthday present – I’ll be reading it when I go on leave, I promise.

Enjoying: Little Escapes. The lover and I have been taking mini-staycations in the past week (maybe because it was our birthday week). Dealdey Local Hotel deals have been a blessing to us. You can actually do weekday Staycations – a few tips to help you. 1) Pick a hotel that’s close to your office or against the flow of traffic. 2) Turn off your work mail. It is just one night. 3) Off 👏ya👏phone 4) Take a shower 5) Sink into that comfy bed and just chill 6) Wake early enough to have breakfast 7) Use Uber to get to work 8) Be happy.

Listening: to Justin Bieber’s Purpose. I can’t believe I’m a Belieber now. 😢 I used to think he was cute now, I think he understands. My top 3 songs are Purpose, What Do You Mean and Every other song on the album!

Watching: YouTube Videos. – Makeup Tutorials, Shirley B. Eniang x Jackie Aina‘s awesomeness, Honest Trailers 😂 (BEST), London Real x TED Talks, Joyce Meyer Podcasts

Anticipating: 10 Work-free days before I collapse. I’m really drained. Honestly. My creativity is not on fleek at the moment.

Holding: on to this promise – He never fails.

Remembering: God’s faithfulness this year. Lol. Have you read my review on Stories.ng? Check it out here.

Loving: the way everything is falling into place.

Preparing: for Christmasssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! Yasss!

Planning: a bomb 2016! After my phone call with Sisi on a Budget, I’m done with resolutions. There’s a better way to set goals and actually work towards achieving them.

Cooking: nothing. I miss cooking soups but we’ve been on a grilled chicken x complex carbs x veggies life. Recommend an ofe for me!

Wishing: I could afford all the things I want. Working on that!

Buying: Christmas presents/deals for my loved ones soon. I’ve been working in the heart of Lagos market so, I’m using this week to gather costs.

Liking: social media less and less. Scary. It’s not an outlet anymore. The world is always there to tell you that you are wrong – with bile and anger!

Building: a community through this blog. Subscribe and join the family!

Looking: at my dad. I hope I can have faith like this man. Unbelievable.

Missing: my phone. It has been hard living with a torchlight phone. Thank God for this iPad.

Playing: Hidden Objects: Mystery Crimes. This game is driving me nuts.

Drinking: a lot of water. It keeps the acid reflux down. 😀

Eating: a lot of chicken. ☺️☺️☺️

Helping: people see new ways to enjoy life.

Giving: you a chance to WIN something as an early Christmas/2016 present. Check here

Thanking: the Almighty for his mercies.
– the fam: for the love x support
– you all: for supporting the blog.

Here’s to a super-duper amazing end and a beautiful beginning.

Blue Sky, White Cloud — *all things will be made beautiful in due time*

Cheers,

The Alaroro.

#WinIt – FitFam Giveaway

December 5, 2015

The Alaroro

8 Comments

Hello Everyone,

Blessed be.

I hope you enjoyed the FitFood recommendations from Pandamonium Fitness – (If you missed it, check here). I did. I did. Hope you try the recipes out and save some cash!

Anywayyyyy, it is time for my 1st giveaway!!!

Whoop! Remember my June Battle and how I wanted the Morphy Richards Easy Blend to aid my flailing Fitfam life? I bought it online – (similar one here) and I have been loving it.

I also got the Shake and Take blender with 2 bottles (I actually prefer this because the bottles are slimmer) but, being TheAlaroro on her minimalist journey… I can’t keep both.

The Shake’n’take Sports Bottle Blender allows you to instantly blend smoothies and protein shakes and go! You get to blend and drink from the same bottle – so, no double-washing! It also crushes ice instantly. In this pack, you get

1 Motor Base.
2 Sports Bottle with attached base/blade assembly
1 Shake ‘N Take Use and Care Manual
1 Warranty Card

Today, I have teamed up with Pandamonium Fitness to help someone achieve their healthy lifestyle goals by offering:

A brand new Shake and Take Blender and
Free month of Online Weight Loss & Nutrition Coaching with Pandamonium Fitness

How cool is that?! Too cool.

So, what do you have to do?!

Send me the 44th heartbeat of a newborn ant…

Kidding… Kidding!

Subscribe to my website – Very Easy – scroll to the bottom of the page
Follow @capoeirapanda on Instagram: here
Comment on his latest IG post: #FromTheAlaroro

That. Is. All!

Kindly note that you have to be in Nigeria to participate.

Can you do it? Absolutely!

Kickstart your fitness journey by participating in this giveaway.

I am very excited about this.

Cheers,

The Alaroro

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#FeatureFriday – FitFood On a Budget

December 4, 2015

The Alaroro

4 Comments

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the Feature Friday series! Our first guest is @CapoeiraPanda of Pandamonium Fitness. *insert applause*

Today, he’ll be taking us through the awesome possibility of having fitfood on a budget.

As a fitness and nutrition lover, I give people (sometimes unsolicited but don’t judge me) advice on how to get in good shape and stay healthy.

Of course, the first thing we establish is that nutrition is the most important piece in the puzzle of healthy living, making up at least 50% of the battle. This is usually followed up by questions like: “So what am I supposed to eat? I’m not ready to be eating leaf upandan like a goat o!” Or “You know say all this una FitFam food no dey belleful. How much am I meant to eat?” And then “But healthy food is so expensive though! How do I eat clean without emptying my pockets?”

It’s true that clean eating can cost more than eating however you feel like. Yeah I know, it sucks. But the thing is, there are ways around it. So by The Alaroro’s request, I’ll be telling you guys, how I prep for a complete 3 meal day, without hurting myself financially.

A photo posted by Adeyemi Fatona (@capoeirapanda) on Jul 4, 2014 at 6:20am PDT

Now first thing to note is that it’s usually better to buy things in bulk. There are different shelf lives for different types of foods (eg Ofada Rice can keep much longer than Chicken can), but scheduling yourself to purchase ahead will give you a good boost in budget cuts. Also, we must admit that power has been better in Nigeria so freezing isn’t as scary as it used to be.

A photo posted by Team MétaFitness (@metafit03) on Jun 20, 2015 at 2:06am PDT

The second thing is that I’ll be ignoring the cost of some basic things such as spices which you need to ensure you’re eating a meal and not a sacrifice to the gods of FitFam. So please bear with me on that.

I’m always amused by people who think you have to starve yourself to be fit/lose weight. I tell my friends and clients; you want to be strong? #EatItLikeYouMeanIt! When you eat in properly controlled portions, with the right variants in your plate, you end up not only eating healthy, but also nice and satisfied. Boiled plantain, eggs, oven roast fish, veg & fresh tomato sauce. *InsertLoudBurb* #FitFam #FitFoodie #NaijaNutrition #9jaFoodie #EatClean #HealthyEating #WeaknessCompelsStrength

A photo posted by Adeyemi Fatona (@capoeirapanda) on Aug 6, 2015 at 5:18am PDT

The Day & The Meals

If your mornings are like mine, you’re probably on the move and you really don’t want to sit to eat. But since eating while driving against the law in Lagos and you don’t need your boss looking at you with judgmental eyes, the easiest thing to go for is a smoothie. So the night before, I get four small bananas, a cup of chopped pineapples, a cup of mashed sweet potatoes, and a cup of cut up Ugwu, and toss it in my blender cup (I use this really cool Morphy Richards Smoothie Blender that simply converts to a cup when I’m done with it (or however this is meant to be framed)), & leave it in the fridge. In the morning I blend it in 60 seconds, & I’ve post workout shake/breakfast ready to go.

Breakfast

Pineapple – One (use 4x) = N100.

Bananas – One Bunch (typically has 12 – 14 bananas, so use 4x) = N200

Ugwu – One Pack (market sold, Use 4x) N50

Sweet Potatoes – 4 Medium Sized (use 4x) = N100

Grapes – 1 Pack (use 3x) = N500

Total cost – N950

Cost of meal – N250 (approx)

This usually keeps me running through the morning. The fruits & veg provide a great source of fiber, vitamins, protein & complex carbs without piling sugar in my body. They also help my body recover post the morning workout when I totally need it.

As with all human engines, I start to need a more substantial top up sometime around noon. 1pm is typical for me (and most people. I think we’re all under some kind of brain control). So lunch is usually more filling. An easy meal to prep for me is boiled plantains, cabbage stir fry, and oven roast chicken. If I can find time during the weekend, I put together a mix of vegetables (carrots, green peppers, peas, spring onions) or if possible, buy a can of mixed veg. I toss in sausages into my stir fry as well. I definitely make sure I prep the stir fry and roast chicken in advance and simply store in small packs till they’re needed. Boiled plantains are easy to boil in the morning so that makes life so much easier.

Lunch

Plantains – One bunch (contains 6 plantains so use x6) = N400

Sausages – One Can = N250

Mixed Veg – One Can = N200

Cabbage – One Medium Sized Bulb = N300

Chicken – One Kilo (Use 3x) = N700

Total Cost = N1750

Cost for meal = N500 (approx)

A lunch like this usually throws in most of my day’s required nutrients, so by the time I get to dinner, I’m in the mood for something a little light. A bit of chicken peppersoup and a light lettuce salad works after a long day. Just pop the peppersoup in the microwave when you get home, toss that salad together (thank God for those canned veggies and men pushing carts with lettuce on the way home), and you’re ready to go.

Dinner

Veg – Canned (Use 2x) = N200

Chicken – 1 Kilo (Use 3x) = N700

Lettuce – 1 Bulb (Use 2x) = N100

Total Cost = N1000

Cost of meal = N500 (approx)

A dinner like this is really light in carbs (which is fine since I got most of my carb needs with the other meals), meaning you’ll feel good after the meal, without the slight discomfort you get in your stomach when you eat a carb dense meal.

So, you’ve got breakfast, lunch and dinner, all made from things you bought in bulk, but when we break them down, your total cost for the day comes up to N1250. That’s a bit less than the price of a meal at your local KFC (and a whole lot healthier).

A photo posted by Adeyemi Fatona (@capoeirapanda) on Mar 23, 2015 at 2:02am PDT

Scaling for Other Meals

Meals like this are pretty simple to put together when you know what to look for. All you need to know is what to eat with every meal, and how much of it you should be eating. Remember to buy things in bulk and freeze things to save costs.

Want help finding the best nutrition and workout plan that you can follow and maintain? Send an email to panda@meta.fit

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Christmas Giving? Easy-Peasy

November 26, 2015

The Alaroro

0 Comments

Ladies and Gentlemen, Prepare your gift list(s)! NOW

If you’re like me and your November-December-January is heavy laden with birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries and more birthdays…

No, really. I am very excited!

In preparation for these birthdays-Christmas-anniversaries, I am all up in my gift zone!

Random: Receiving Gifts is my Number 1 Love Language. NOW YOU KNOW.

Soooo, here’s my step-by-step for the perfect giving this season –

Make a list – Write down all the friends and family members who have been nice this year. The good thing about growing up is that, you reduce the number of gifts you give by labeling each gift THE SOMETHING-SOMETHING FAMILY. Ya, you guys are one now! ONE GIFT. *side-eye*
Make a table – Add a column to your list for possible gift ideas for each person. Don’t limit gift ideas to products – you can pay for someone’s hair, get a massage deal e.t.c… Add another column for your chosen gift idea (this might take a while to arrive at). It might look something like this:

Name	Top 3	Final Choice
Mary	Little Lamb, snow, Fleece	Lamb
Bo Beep	Sheep, Goat, Dog	Sheep
Mama	New Car, Washing Machine, New Shoes	wails in what I can afford

In selecting your main, consider three things:-
a.        How much is it? Affordable?

b.        Where are you going to get it? Available?

c.        Will (s)he like it? Appreciatable? Yes.. I had to keep up with my motivationalspeakervibe.

If you answered yes to all 3, let’s get it. Yes, I said GET. You don’t have to “buy” every gift. Use your skills to bake a cake for that awesome friend who loves cake. Or, design and print an awesome card for your other friend. Do you have a friend that likes trad? Can you sew? Use your skills to cut cost.
If you are buying, WHERE and WHEN are you buying?
a.        Black Friday is hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Who are you buying from? -_-

b.        You have your list. Are you a walk-in shopper? Are you an online-shopper? Find your comfort zone! I recommend combining both. The heartache of a cancelled online order can be mended via a walk-in.

c.       Don’t just search for the cheapest things to buy (~~not all the time, Price: Low To High~~), read the descriptions, fine prints etc… If possible, take screenshots (you might need ’em).
Let me drop a few in-country links for you, as per kind and generous Alaroro Shopaholic…

-> Your regular stores… DealDey – here, The Famous Yakata Sale on Konga – here, Jumia – here

-> Your beauty stores Beauty Boon – here, BeautyRevNG – here

TIPS

If you’re buying online, get the app! Apps send notifications before the mailing system does. I shopped a 90% off sale on one online store because, I got the app notification.
Track the social media accounts of these stores – sale links also pop up there.
Subscribe to the mailing lists of these stores – if possible, have a dedicated e-mail address for all your store subscriptions. This just helps you manage the info you receive.
Know the average price of the product, before you jump on any jagajaga % OFF… Google is our friend, If you find a product you like, search for the current cost across the world, do your conversions and settle on a possible price range for purchase.
Final Tip… Remember to get gifts that are Affordable, Available and Appreciatable – motivationalspeakervibes on FLEEK!

Trust meeeee, I will be buyingggggggggg! I love to buy.

Let’s make this holiday season special for our loved ones.

Love,

Something To Give Yourself? A BoonBox

November 23, 2015

The Alaroro

10 Comments

New Website, Who This?

It is payday soon (sorrrrraaaay if yours has passed…), and these days it has been harder for me to buy stuff for myself without feeling guilty. If you’re like me, here’s a quick solution for you. Keep reading…

Money Money Money

August 20, 2015

The Alaroro

1 Comment

Hello Everyone,

How has the week been?

On to pressing, painful matters…

I was not raised to worry. Everything was always going to be alright. No matter the situation.
As I entered the 7-7 (why do we keep saying 9-5? 9-5 is a scam, UGH!) environment, anxiety found its way into my heart and head too…

I am tired of living from paycheck to paycheck. Ugh. Saving in fear… Justin Case behaviour…

Anyway, let’s not press matter too much…

What are your recommendations for a young woman trying to balance her desire to spend and the need to save for the rainy day?
What if it never rains?

Also, is it okay to be anxious?
Is it okay to be anxious all the time?
Here’s the AMP translation for 1 Peter 5:7… I’m still holding on to it.

⁷Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Cheers,
The Alaroro

Destination: Lagos

July 8, 2015

The Alaroro

6 Comments

So, hi.

My name is Vivian and I live in Lagos.
Born in Yaba.
Grew up in Railway Compound, Ebute Metta.
My schooling took me from St. Agnes, Yaba to Onike, Yaba (well, that’s where back gate was).
Then, Ota.
Then, service year in Ekiti and back to Lagos.
I’ve worked in GRA, Ikeja, Town Planning Way, Ilupeju, MM2 Road and now, I’m somewhere in Victoria Island.

So, what is the problem?
I don’t know Lagos.

No, really. Seriously. There are places I’ve never passed, seen, been to in this tiny tiny state.

How is that even possible?
😥

I’m sorry. This apology is to myself and I’m sad that I put myself in a place like this.

I had high hopes for my 2015 vacation but, in my current state… Lol. LOL.
😢😢😢😢

I still want a vacation. –
va·ca·tion
vāˈkāSH(ə)n,vəˈkāSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: vacation; plural noun: vacations

North American
an extended period of recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling.

To getaway, to explore, to see new things and experience new things.

Well, Hello Lagos. I’ll be vacationing here.
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

I’ll draw up a list of places (I welcome recommendations) that I have never been to. Places that hold great meaning for the History of Lagos, for the Spirit of Lagos and I’ll plan to visit these places from July to September.

Every Saturday, someplace new. Someplace different.

I look forward to vacationing in Lagos.
Please, drop your recommendations in the comments. I’ll definitely look into visiting these places.

I look forward to #LearningLagos.

Where in Lagos have you had the most fun? Pleeeeeeeeeeease, recommend!

Cheers,

Randoms

Weekend Finds – TVCs/Ads

June 28, 2015

The Alaroro

1 Comment

Hello Webiverse,

How’s it going?

If there is one thing I am still struggling with on this Alaroro journey, it is DATA. My goodness, data subscription is expensive. I, however, am at the mercy of the ISPs we have in Nigeria and until I can find a way to get internet from Solar Panels, I will continue to lament.

This weekend, I was YouTubing (Ya, it is a thing), and I found a few Television Commercials (TVCs) that I have loved, still love and even new ones that I am falling in love in with.

1. Pomo Rice TVC

My go-to ad on YouTube… This one brings out the Nigerian Mother in me. LMAO. That scene where he goes “Mummy, Mummy, why is her stomach so big?”. My inner Naija Mother screams “alakoba omo” which is closely followed by a pinch at the child’s waist.

2. Leadway Assurance Teardrop TVC

All the feels I was getting from this ad ehn? O dikwa much. The entire idea is allowed to form in the observer’s mind. All you are given is a teardrop, do with it what you will.

Now, here’s a throwback for you

3. Bagco TVC

*huge grin* If you don’t know this ad. I don’t know. I don’t know.

4. Papilloooooooooooooooooooo (Peak Milk TVC with Kanu Nwankwo)

This Peak Milk ad was really cool too.

anddddddddd, my new favourite…

5. The #FoundOnKonga campaign TVC

OMG! I was so emosh by the time I was done watching this ad. I fell in love at the I #Found Joy part with yummy mummy-to-be Tiwa Savage and the I #Found Opportunity scene SLAYED me. It was not just emotional connection, there was a connection with my need for success via the I #Found Opportunity scene. (I know, I know… My own is too much). I am in love with this ad! Konga gets 10/10 for this ad.

Tell me.
What’s your fav ad, right now?
Do you have any throwback faves?

Cheers,
SisiSingele.