Get Popped! (PopChips Review & Giveaway)

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Coco

I might have a few blog readers who have not tried PopChips™ yet, but PopChips™ certainly have taken the #fitblog community by storm, especially after they were a sponsor at the Fitbloggin’ conference in May.

I first heard about PopChips™ a while ago, when Jillian Michaels was Tweeting and Facebook-ing about them. That intrigued me because, while I know you can’t believe celebrity hype, she seems to be pretty straight-up about her food choices. I looked for them in grocery stores, but never saw them. After hearing so much about them, I was excited when PopChips sent me a case to try out.

I shared the love at work, and instantly created some new PopChips™ fans.  Now it seems like every Monday another friend tells me that they just found them at their local grocery store.  Luckily, I did too–finally!

I am not over-zealous about my food choices, but I do have some standards. I was pleased to read the very short ingredient list on the “original” (plain) flavor, although my favorite flavor, “salt & pepper,” has more going on. The other flavors are barbecue, sour cream & onion, cheddar, sea salt & vinegar, and parmesan garlic.

I was psyched when I saw single serving bags at a deli when I was getting take-out lunch after a work meeting. Those have only 100 calories, and I always appreciate the built-in portion control, especially with foods like chips that are so easy to eat too much of. It really is hard to believe that the single serving bags have only 100 calories–it is a very satisfying portion.

For comparison, here is the nutrition label for Lay’s® potato chips. A 1 ounce serving has only 15 chips compared to the 22 in the PopChips serving, but still has 33% more calories (160 vs. 120) and more than twice as much fat (10 g vs. 4 g).

The only downside of discovering PopChips™ is that they have me eating chips again, although they’ve saved me from a run-in with my son’s Tostito’s® a few times already. As I get ready for a summer of weekend lacrosse tournaments, I am glad to add PopChips™ to my menu of healthy snacks to pack in the cooler.

This giveaway has ended!

***Giveaway***

The generous folks at PopChips have offered to give “a month’s supply” to one of my lucky readers resident in the continental United States (with a non-P.O. Box address) whom I shall select at random from the entries* received by midnight eastern time on Friday, July 8, 2011. This giveaway is void where prohibited and if not redeemed by Friday, July 15, 2011.

Entry is simple:

  • Like PopChips on Facebook and leave a comment here saying that you did.
  • Follow @PopChips on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway:
    Check out the @PopChips giveaway by @Got2Run4Me at http://wp.me/p131gw-vF
    and leave a comment here saying that you did.

*one comment = one entry, maximum two entries per person
(one each for Facebook and Twitter).

**FTC Notice: PopChips sent me a free sample case of PopChips™ to review. The review provided here is my honest opinion of the product. Since I liked PopChips™ so much, I reached out to PopChips about a giveaway.

Have you been Popped?

What is your favorite flavor?

Posted in Food, Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 47 Comments

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: The Ukelele Edition

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Coco

When my friend Maiyah comes to visit, she often brings things to play with.

Kristin wanted to learn how to play “Redemption Song.”

“Won’t you help to sing ….”

 

***Don’t Forget To Enter My ZippEarz Giveaway***

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Terrible Tuesday: Two Things We Don’t Need

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Coco

A true breakthrough in convenience foods! Why did it take so long for someone to figure out how to package a potato into a single serving size?  Brilliant!

 

 That’s right. Champion thinks we need to have “smooth tummy, hips, and thighs” and “smooth curves” when we are working out. And you thought Spanx® was just for special occasions! I permanently un-liked them on Facebook after I saw this ad in my July issue of Self Magazine.

What’s the worst new product you’ve seen lately?

Posted in Fitness, Food, Product Reviews, Venting | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Happy Father’s Day!

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Coco

Today I will be spending the day with this wonderful Dad, at our son’s lacrosse tournament.

Afterwards, we will all go out to dinner, although probably not at this fancy place.
(You can’t make a Dad wear a tie on Father’s Day!)

I’m sure I’ll spend lots of time thinking of my Dad, and wishing I had one more chance for a hug and an “I love you.”

I miss you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day.

Posted in Life | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

How To Become A Morning Person

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Coco

Sometime between my college days and today, I became a morning person. I used to be like my daughter, hanging around the house until it was time to go out with friends at 10 or 11 p.m. I used to sleep until noon on the weekends and not think I was being particularly lazy. But that’s not my life anymore. So, how did I become a morning person?

The birth of my daughter brought the first major change in my sleep schedule. No matter how late we stayed up, she always was up early the next morning. A 6:00 am wake-up call from the baby-monitor was a blessing. If it got to be 7:00 am, I’d bolt out of bed in a panic, and rush into her room to make sure she was still breathing. Back then, though, I never chose to be a morning person.

I started getting up earlier than my kids and/or work schedule required about 10 years ago, when I made exercise a part of my daily routine. I preferred to keep my evenings free for family time, and knew that my workout was much more likely to happen if I did it first thing, before anything else could interfere. At first I set my alarm reluctantly, but eventually I started to look forward to my early morning “me” time.

Still, there are times when I would like to laze in bed, especially when my husband is in a snuggly mood. There is something decadent about relaxing in bed and getting up at a leisurely pace.Daydreaming about my ideal morning made me realize that I would enjoy a “Groundhog Day” of just mornings.

  • On one morning, I could get up early and go out for a glorious sunrise run.
  • On another morning, I could stay in bed until the sun made it too bright to doze any longer.
  • On another morning, I could go for a walk with my husband, come back for coffee, and then go out for brunch with friends.
  • On another morning, I could sit on my patio in my PJs, sipping coffee and listening to the songbirds.

I think I am longing for these mornings because my morning routine is about to be interrupted. Between my son’s weekend lacrosse tournaments and a few business trips, I am not going to have much say in how I spend my mornings for a while, and I’m missing “my” time already.

Are you a morning person?

What is your favorite way to spend a morning?

Posted in Fitness, Life | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments