Subway & Bookieboo BFFs Forever PLUS Giveaway

July 21, 2010 By 382 Comments

UPDATE: The winner is…#34

purplelover04 said…

i tweeted http://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/19444571511
purple_lover_04 at msn dot com
Jul 24, 2010 2:14:00 PM

I was honored to be a special guest of Subway for an exclusive blogger event a couple of weeks ago. I learned a great deal about some new initiatives from Subway, learned some great tips for buys moms on how to fit in exercise WITH the family throughout the day, met some celebrities and had a blast! First off, let me say that Subway is one of my favorite brands in social media. Our relationship together is special cause they “get” me. They understand what I’m doing–encouraging families to live healthy lifestyles. And we are both doing it through the same audience–moms. So it’s like a match made in heaven. Subway and I are like BFFs forever.  With that being said, you know that this post is going to be about unicorns and rainbows. If you can come along for the ride with me, I’ll share some photos of Captain Chaos and I, but at the end will give you an opportunity to win a $10 gift card from Subway. I’ll I’m asking for is some comment love BABY! ;)

Day started off meeting some of the other bloggers and their family: @busymom, @MindiCherry, @MyDFWMommy. I’m telling you it was very brave of me to venture out like this with Captain Chaos. You see he has Sensory Integration Disorder, and we are just starting to take him out in situations like this to push the envelope, so to speak with his therapy. I was very happy to meet some of these other bloggers cause some of them also had special needs children and totally understood where I was coming from. *Tear of love*…sometimes it’s only in social media where you can find this type of love and support from other women.  Here is a picture of my little monster as we were taking off for the day.


First off we all went to breakfast at Subway. Breakfast is a new thing for Subway, but I think they are doing it right. They have soooo many healthy options for kids anyways. We got the ham & cheese on whole wheat english muffins. They were fab. Kids sat at the kiddy table. Moms were at the adult table. Captain Chaos enjoyed his breakfast sandwich, apple slices, & apple juice with the other kids. (BTW, he was an angel.) One new thing they have at Subway is the Kids Meal with disposable bag. It’s great for moms on the run.

After breakfast, we were off to a special Little League game that was sponsored by Subway. They call it their Little League Urban Initiative. Baseball celebrities Orel Hershiser and Fred Lynn were coaching the kids. And Subway is having a special auction to benefit Little League. They have had several baseballs signed by some Hall of Famers and are putting them up for auction on eBay. The baseballs were displayed at the game.

Then Jared arrived and we all got to talk to him and he signed some autographs for us. This is the second time I’ve talked to Jared, but the first time I’ve met in IRL. I like him. He’s very easy going and has a very “there is no such thing as perfection” kinda attitude. You HAVE to have that type of attitude to lose a grip of weight because you end up falling down so many times. Losing weight is about getting really good at picking yourself back up. So I finally got my picture taken with him.

And then he offered to give all of my Mamavation Sistas a special shout-out. This is for you guys!!

Before we sat down to watch the game, we were visited by THE Subway Sandwich Man. I didn’t even know he existed. So please don’t tell anyone cause his existence is really top secret. In fact, I’m writing this post knowing that I could be in a lot of trouble. After I took this picture, I was tackled by Jared and THE Subway Sandwich Man and they took my iPhone. No, I’m only kidding…I just ran out of iPhone juice. It was @busymom to the rescue with her batter extender thingie wingie.

After I brushed off my bruises from Jared & THE Subway Sandwich Man. Okay, I have to admit, It was me that kicked their ass with my Tae Bo. They never saw it coming. I might look all sweet and innocent, but I’m really a lean mean killing machine. I spared their lives, so they gave me more Subway sandwiches for lunch. I got a 6-inch turkey on whole wheat. No mayo or cheese. Extra veggies. This is what I usually get.

Then after the game was over, I got to met one of my favorite baseball players, Orel Hershiser. Yes, I remember watching the World Series in 1988 when he threw that last pitch. I’ll never forget it cause I was a hardcore softball player back in the day. I had a total crush. And I still do. ;)

Afterwards, we took a trip to Will Rogers Park and met with Kathy Kaehler. Kathy worked for thirteen years on the Today Show as a fitness corespondent and is also the personal trainer to numerous celebrities like Julia Roberts, Cindy Crawford, Michelle Pfeiffier, Jennifer Aniston, Denise Richards, Claudia Schiffer, & Kim Bassinger.  Okay, she doesn’t have anything to brag about. (*I’m being sarcastic*) As we were sitting there basking in her weight loss Yoda wisdom, she taught us how to make a family exercise chart. I had never heard of this concept before. Yes, you heard it. She taught ME something new. I love when that happens. She had the kids create a bunch of “exercises” that they enjoyed doing. Things like leapfrog, running, spinning, jumping jacks….my son’s contribution was “playing transformers.” We put them on the chart and everyone in the family is supposed to participate with these activities throughout the day. As they are done they are checked off, so it becomes a family challenge.

You can totally do this yourself and Subway has helped you. 

Subway Kids Calendar

I wish we would have had time for our workout, but we didn’t. I can’t fault Kathy, we were SUPER late getting there and had to take off. But before we got to the Dukes for dinner, we stopped off at the beach. This was my son’s first time at the beach. Yes, I know what you are thinking. I’m from California. I live 40 minutes from the beach we were at and we had never took him there before. Okay, it’s cause we are pale faced people who are afraid of the sun. There, I’ve said it. I should have grown up in Forks. ;)  

The rest of the evening was spent at Dukes right on the beach. We all enjoyed some wine, the atmosphere and each other. Then as it was almost time to go, a surprise was waiting for me outside. Yes, a BIG surprise. One that is black…very sexy…and stretches very long across the road. Okay, get your mind out of the gutter! It was a black limo that was waiting for me and Captain Chaos outside to take us home. OMG, I haven’t ridden in a limo since I was married, so this was so much fun.
Now I know I’ve spoiled my son because he got to ride in a limo and he’s only four. Dear Lord, my first limo ride was when I was 26 and getting married. But he was so happy in there with his little booster seat. :)
Thank you so much for reading about my exciting day with Subway. Just as I promised, below is a giveaway.

Giveaway: Subway would like to giveaway (2) $10 gift cards to Subway for you to try out their new breakfast sandwich OR just get whatever you want.

To Enter (unlimited entries, but please come back and comment EVERY time you enter and include your twitter ID so I know who you are): 
1. Comment on my lovely day (1 entry)
2. Tweet this message:
 ”Read about @Bookieboo’s day out with @Subwayfreshbuzz and enter to win a $10 gift card, http://bit.ly/abliDM” (1 entry for every tweet, unlimited entries)

I’m going to pick a winner using random.org on next Wednesday. Stay tuned. :)

**Disclosure: I was not paid any cash to say anything in this post. My trip was paid for by Subway, but my thoughts and feelings are my own. So there! FTC.


Filed Under: Giveaways, Leah's Posts, sponsors Tagged With:

Mamavation Monday: @ShayBL from Biggest Loser & Application Week

June 19, 2010 By 1,154 Comments

Shay Sorrells AKA @ShayBL is going to be on Mamavation TV this Monday night. She is one of my favorite contestants EVER on the Biggest Loser. Her story is inspirational. She is a wife and mother of two small children. As a child, she was in foster care from age 5 to 18 and from that became an emotional eater. When she started, she weighed in at 467 lbs. and was the biggest girl to ever enter the Biggest Loser program. She had a tough road ahead of her and almost gave up the very first day, but hope kept her there. She fought to say on campus and create a healthier lifestyle. Becoming healthier was very important to her. While she was on campus, she shed 172 lbs. like a butterfly shedding it’s cocoon. (But with a little more blood, sweat & tears.) And today I would consider her a perfect example of how the human spirit can triumph against all odds.

Shay Sorrells aka @ShayBL didn’t win the Biggest Loser. The grand prize was not in her reach, but no one in America seemed to care. She didn’t need to win, because she had done something far greater. She inspired the country. At the end of the season, Subway offered her a very special challenge. For every pound Shay loses in between Season #8 Finale and Season #9 Finale, Subway will match that pound with $1,000. When she weighed in she lost an additional 52 lb.s and received $52,000 from Subway. Then afterward they gave her another challenge. Run the NYC Marathon with Jared in November and she’s going to do it. Can you imagine? What an awesome way to keep her focused, driven and continuing to inspire us all. Props to Subway!

It’s also Mamavation application week. If you are interested in becoming a Mamavation Mom for campaign #5, make sure to read this and click through to the application. I’m accepting applications from June 21st to June 30th.  Make sure to get your videos in early, cause I like early birds. They have more time to show me how serious they are about their application. I’ll take some time at the end of the show for any questions you have about the Mamavation campaign or the Sistahood. 

MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV.

SISTA OF THE WEEK: And a BIG congratulations to Rachel Lacy @Rachel_L for being the Sista of the Week! Give her props on twitter girls!!!!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by @Subwayfreshbuzz. They are offering two (2) $25 gift certificates. So for those of you who want some Subway love, make sure to mention Subway in your Mamavation Monday post with a link back to their site and you will be entered to win.

Click here to add your post to the Mamavation Monday blogging carnival.

SISTAHOOD: If you are interested in pledging to the Mamavation Sistahood, Monday is the time to do it. Please go here for instructions. Invitations are done on Wednesdays over twitter.

GIVEAWAYS (You must attend Mamavation TV show to win):
1. A $25 Subway Gift Card from @Subwayfreshbuzz (2 winners)

(Yes, that is 4 gift certificates total. 2 for the blogging carnival and 2 for Mamavation TV.)

To Enter (leave a comment for entry):
1. Hit the Linky
2. Tweet out this Message “Giveaways LIVE on #Mamavation TV win a @Subwayfreshbuzz $25 gift card and be inspired by @ShayBL, http://bit.ly/d9tEWu”

Extra Entries (leave a comment for EVERY entry):
1. Download the Alexa tool bar, http://www.alexa.com/toolbar (this will help your Alexa rating go up and will help Mamavation too!) (1 entry)
2. Apply to open an Open Sky shop (2 entries)
3. Comment on a Mamavation Monday post. (1 entry for each blog you visit)

Free shipping to the continental US only.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Mamavation Mondays Tagged With: ,

GO SHAY GO: Biggest Loser Finale & Subway Twitter Party

May 25, 2010 By 1,787 Comments

Shay Sorrells is one of my favorite contestants EVER on the Biggest Loser. Her story is inspirational. She is a wife and mother of two small children. As a child, she was in foster care from age 5 to 18 and from that became an emotional eater. When she started, she weighed in at 467 lbs. and was the biggest girl to ever enter the Biggest Loser program. She had a tough road ahead of her and almost gave up the very first day, but hope kept her there. She fought to say on campus and create a healthier lifestyle. Becoming healthier was very important to her. While she was on campus, she shed 172 lbs. like a butterfly shedding it’s cocoon. (But with a little more blood, sweat & tears.) And today I would consider her a perfect example of how the human spirit can triumph against all odds.

Shay Sorrells aka @ShayBL didn’t win the Biggest Loser. The grand prize was not in her reach, but no one in America seemed to care. She didn’t need to win, because she had done something far greater. She inspired the country.

At the end of the season, Subway offered her a very special challenge. For every pound Shay loses in between Season #8 Finale and Season #9 Finale, Subway will match that pound with $1,000. So if she loses another 100 lbs, she gets $100,000. Can you imagine? What an awesome way to keep her focused, driven and continuing to inspire us all. Props to Subway!


During the Biggest Loser Season #9 finale on May 25th, Shay will weigh in for the first time since Season #8 and Subway would like to throw a BIG twitter party in celebration. Shay will step on the scale and we will all find out how much she weight she has lost and how much cash Subway is going to reward her with. How much do you think she can lose?

Celebrate with us LIVE during the Biggest Loser Finale #GOSHAY Twitter Party sponsored by Subway on Tuesday, May 25th from 8pm to 10pm EST. We are going to watch the finale together LIVE and chat about healthy living and Subway sandwiches. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!


GIVEAWAYS:

  • GRAND PRIZE: Interview with Shay & $50 Subway gift certificate (1 winner)
  • GRAND PRIZE: Interview with Jared & $50 Subway gift certificate (1 winner)
  • Gaiam Metro Gym Bag (1 winner)
  • iPod Shuffle w/ $10 iTunes gift card (1 winner)
  • Dicks Sporting Goods $50 gift card (1 winner)
  • $25 Subway gift certificate (4 winners)


How to enter (Must be present to win!):

Please tweet the following message

“Join Biggest Loser Finale Party TODAY w/ @SUBWAYfreshbuzz & support @ShayBL’s weigh-in @ 8pm EST, http://bit.ly/cwj5Kh #GOSHAY”

Extra Entries: TWEET LIKE MAD LADIES! Every time you tweet this message you get an extra entry. So tweet as many times as you want. There are no limits on how many entries you can have. Just make sure to come back and comment every time you tweet and include your twitter ID with each comment.

Make sure to RSVP!

Filed Under: Twitter Parties Tagged With: , , ,

Subway Sponsors Mamavation Monday

April 8, 2010 By 644 Comments

As a follow up to last week’s interview with Jared Fogle, Subway has decided to sponsor this week’s Mamavation Monday blogging carnival. For everyone who includes a mention of Subway with a linkback will be entered into the giveaway. Three winners will be announced during Mamavation TV.

Giveaway: $10 coupon to Subway to try their breakfast sandwich. The Western Egg White Muffin Melt with only 4 grams of fat and under 200 calories. (3 winners)

How to write a Mamavation Monday post:
1. Title the post “Mamavation Monday”
2. Tell us about your healthy living challenges and successes for the week.
3. If you have lost weight, let us know.
4. Link yourself up to Bookieboo.com in the Mamavation Group so I know you entered. Look for the most recent “follow-along” discussion.
5. Tweet out “Can’t wait to try your Egg White Muffin Melt @SUBWAYFreshBuzz. I included you in my #Mamavation Monday post.“

Good luck ladies!

Filed Under: Giveaways, sistahood Tagged With: , , ,

Jared Fogle from Subway Talks To Mamavation

March 30, 2010 By 449 Comments

I had the opportunity to interview Jared Fogle today. (If you have no idea who he is you have been living under a rock.) Jared is a spokesperson for Subway and is famous for losing over 245 lbs. by eating their 6 inch sandwiches twice a day. I was a little skeptical that ALL he did was eat Subway, but when I started talking to him his story made a lot of sense to me. I’m also a “Big Loser” and what he described sounded like something I would have done if in similar circumstances. Not that I’m as cool as him, but you know what I mean.

His healthy living journey started when he was in college and weighing a total of 425 lbs. He was morbidly obese and just really fed up being overweight. Jared was ready for a change. He lived off campus and there was a Subway right next to his apartment building. At that time they were marketing their subs under 6 grams of fat and a light bulb went off in Jared’s head as he was walking by one day. He went inside to check out the nutritional materials and it just made sense to him. Think about it. He’s a college student. Not a big cooker. And this was quick and easy. It was fast food that was healthy for you. It’s a no-brainer. That made sense to him so he just started eating 6-inch subs twice a day. And when the weight started coming off, he continued doing what he knew was working. Wouldn’t you? Originally, I thought Jared was this brilliant marketing guy. In my mind before I talked to him he lost the weight with Subway and then pitched the idea to them, but alas, I was wrong. He’s just a guy with a story. And a nice guy at that.

His local college paper starting doing stories on his weight loss and his story started to take on a life of it’s own. It was picked up by national papers and eventually got the attention of Subway and their marketing team and the rest is history. Jared now spends 200 days per year traveling for Subway doing events, public speaking, and whatever else they need. He’s spreading the good news about about health and fitness and Subway sandwiches.

Now there has been several pictures taken from 2009 of him having gained some weight back. For the bloggers out there that like to spend their time tearing people like him down, I’d like to say “shove it!” This guy used to be 425 lbs! Do you have ANY idea what that is like? Hmmm, lemme think. Probably not! Maintenance is waaaaaay harder than losing weight. I know that from experience with my own weight loss. Yes, Jared gained some weight, but now he is back. And really? I mean how can you belittle an enormous feat like losing 245 lbs! You can’t. He’ll have street cred till the day he dies.

Here are some of Jared’s maintenance tips:
1. Make it about quality versus quantity. Eat good food.
2. Exercise on a regular basis.
3. Have a mental game plan in mind before you eat. Like only finishing half the meal, etc.
4. Limit your alcohol.
5. Space your calories out throughout the day, so you are never starving.

Jared is also a big fan of tennis, but has been doing more running lately to train for the ING Marathon in New York City in November. He’s not nervous like I would be. He’s planning on running the entire thing, but if he gets injured, he’s not going to stress about it. He may have to walk some of it. It is only 26.2 miles and historically the first “marathon” in Greece killed the guy that did it. So if he isn’t able to run the entire thing, give him a break, okay? But he is training hard for it. He’s working out 5 days per week. 3 of those days are running and 2 days cross training. That is quite a schedule. No wonder he’s back in tip top shape.

I also talked to Jared a bit about being an overweight child. And yes, he was overweight as a child. He attributes it to video games and just living a sedentary lifestyle. Something he wants to change when he eventually has kids. (And yes, ladies, he wants kids and is single.) His weight problem started when he was in 4th grade and it was a vicious cycle. He was mostly bored and very sedentary and just addicted to video games and food. Flash forward to college, he was 425 lbs. Take note moms. We have to be diligent about modeling activity and getting our kids outside playing. Jared’s story is NOT unique. Children all over the United States have a similar patterns of inactivity. And Jared loves kids, which is why he started his non-profit foundation. And very similar to what Jamie Oliver is doing with Food Revolution, he is educating children on healthy living. What he really wants to do is empower them to make their own healthy decisions and educate them on what a healthy choice is. Because he is recognizable from television, it’s very easy for him to inspire children and get them excited about healthy choices.

Overall I would say that Jared is a nice guy. He’s very easy to talk to, has a sense of humor, and likes to say “it is what it is” a lot. With the economy taking a nose dive, Subway has moved on to the “5 Dollar Foot Long” message, but I’m sure it won’t be long for Jared to become front and center again. He’s just a normal guy with an incredible story. And I like to see normal people succeed the way he has.

Filed Under: healthy living Tagged With: , , , , ,