Nostril personalities and Peanut Butter Popcorn Nuggets {giveaway}

Wow! I’m totally honored to have been selected to represent POPSUGAR’s fitness blogger team!

In case you can’t find me in the crowd (it took me awhile to pick out my own face), the feature page looks kinda like this…

Not sure about the humor thing, but I do try to show how un-seriously I take myself.

Speaking of humor, I was pretty proud of myself for keeping a straight face during yoga last night. The instructor was talking about our nostrils, and how the right nostril is the "sun" nostril and the left is the "moon." I’ve never even thought to give my nostrils individualized attention, based on their distinct personalities–shows you how much I know about life.

So yes, it was a little quirky and New Age yoga for me, but I researched it when I got home, and there are actually some cold, hard facts to back up what she was saying.

Apparently, 85% of people only breathe out of one nostril at a time, subconsciously switching back and forth all day long (and night, for that matter). When we get stressed, we favor our right nostril (the energy, aka "sun" side), and when we’re relaxed, we go for the left (the calm, aka "moon" side).

Part of our practice last night was to do some left-nostril breathing, the idea being that we could nudge our bodies into relaxation mode (moon mode?). I’m not sure what it meant that my left nostril was way more plugged than my right and I had to keep sneaking in air from the sun side. I’m sure it’s not good.

I mean, thought I was pretty relaxed, but my nostrils don’t lie.

In other news, we’ve submitted Mason’s photo for the next GQ cover:

Heeey, ladies, just lounging on the floor with my snack cup. How you doin?

(P.S. Photo shoots with this kid are a nightmare these days. All I wanted was one nice picture of him smiling, but the reality is that not-blurry and looking vaguely at the camera is the best I can hope for.)

In weather news, we’re getting hit by more ugly sub-zero temps (there’s even talk of "another polar vortex"–GAG).

This is the time of year when I try to cope by rebelling in small ways. I under-dress (we’re talking NO HAT OR SCARF) to show the weather that I’m not going to adjust to this crap. I fantasize about moving to far away places and sometimes–shamefully–even research houses for sale in those places (So-Cal…). If that doesn’t make the weather feel guilty, I don’t know what will.

I also make super summery caprese salads:

Rice pasta, spinach, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella pearls, basil, S&P, oil, and balsamic vinegar. Definitely a bring-floss-to-work kind of meal.

I was hoping this batch would get me through 2-3 work lunches, but instead, it got me through lunch and dinner on Day 1 that it existed. Oops. Starved for summer much?

Speaking of FOOD!

The kind folks at Smart Balance recently asked if I’d like to try their new product, Peanut Butter Popcorn Nuggets.

My brain: Umm…did I hear you just include peanut butter and popcorn in the same product name…

I literally couldn’t type out my reply fast enough. YES OF COURSE PLEASE SEND NOW GAHHH.

As anticipated, they were INSANEly good. That bag was actually pretty big (and not 80% air like so many products in the world), and I think it survived one night in our home.

Brent loved them even more than I did. He started calling them "peanut butter Cracker Jacks"–a pretty apt description–and talked about craving them a week later.

I thought the best part was actually the PB-coated peanuts at the bottom.

Stats:

–Gluten-free, non-GMO, 0g trans fat

–Made with peanut butter, peanuts, oats, flaxseed, and popcorn

–In 1 oz: 130 calories, 6g fat, 80mg sodium, 3g protein

These are hitting shelves in March. Sadly, for many of you: they’re only going out to Costcos in the Midwest (at least at first).

BUT here’s the good news!! The nice Smart Balance people agreed to let me give away a bag of Peanut Butter Popcorn Nuggets to one of you lovely readers!

Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Contest ends Monday the 27th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The fine print: Smart Balance sent me a free bag of nuggets to try in exchange for a review. Opinions are my own.