Want Pep? Get a Papasan

By Lighter Portions (Visit website)

I?ve been intending to blog for the past, oh I don?t know, at least 5 hours now?

But I?m feeling lonely, puffy and cranky and an inspired individual those emotions do not make. So I?ve been humming, hawing, sighing and puzzling over what the heck I feel like doing to perk up and occupy myself.

And I arrived right back here. Not because I suddenly know what to babble about or because I?m in any perkier of a mood, but just because I?ve been meaning to and I have nothing better to do.

And I want to show off my cool new Papasan. Whatuuuuup.

There was a time during this day today when I was peppy and giddy and giggling like a child. That time was when I first placed this beauty of a chair beast into its new home in my bedroom.

I may sleep in it.

In with the new means out with the old. Adios cheapass squeaky uncomfortable black papasan wannabe. You are no longer welcome here.

But then it all went downhill when I got bored and lonely and unwillingly antisocial. It just happened. Out of control. Does anyone understand mood swings? Because I sure don?t.

The culprit clearly wasn?t my gigantic green monster of a breakfast smoothie since I was just fine and dandy in the morn after drinking it ALL down.

2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup water
1 scoop (15g) vanilla protein powder
1 scoop (8g) Amazing Grass Chocolate
1/2 large frozen banana
1 packet Stevia
1/2 tsp guar and 1/3 tsp xanthan gum
HUGE amount spinach (it was going raunchy so I shoved all of the remainders, maybe 2 cups of slimy wilted greens, into the mix)
HUGE amount ice

Glass #1 was consumed with Shreddies, my favourite cereal to throw in smoothies.

While Glass #1 was being consumed, Glass #2 (The Big Kahuna) was waiting patiently in the freezer for its turn, which came shortly after.

Everything was still fine and dandy after working out, after consuming lunch (which was a lovely loaded salad that gets no picture play since my camera batteries died), after buying le papasan and some health food store goodies.

It was good even up until dinnertime, when the freezer delivered me a slightly tough but still tasty spelt veggie burger dressed up with goat cheese, dijonnaise, lettuce and a sandwich thin jacket.

Maybe it was the fact that the veggie burger was a little freezer burnt, but I have higher suspicions towards my first attempt at a?

Chocolate Cherry Bomb Wannabe.

I started off with 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen cherries (which I did not pit pre-freeze? not smart), 1/2 frozen banana, 2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder and a splash of vanilla.

Blech! This was NOT good. I blame the cherries, which were very firm and tart before I froze them. A delicious smoothie they did not make.

So only with the addition of frozen strawberries, a splash of POM, ICE and the GUMS was this finally drinkable.

I eventually liked it.

Despite the sunny smoothies and the peppy papasans, my sunshine and pep is MIA for today. To be honest, it?s been wavering all week. Isolation does not do a soul well and I?ve had a pretty antisocial week. So my soul has been doing a lot of sighs.

That being said, at least food highlights bring temporary pep.

For example, I felt pretty peppy while making Gracie?s Coconut Banana Cookies.

I had no coconut oil so I subbed 1 heaping tsp coconut butter and 2 tbsp applesauce. Otherwise I kept everything the same, throwing in a small handful of swirly chocolate chips and some dried cranberries.

I ate a few of them?

And breakfasts are always cause for pep, this week being no different.

Overnight oats anyone?

Or perhaps a Deep Chocolate Vitatop with Greek yogurt, cantaloupe, banana and flax?

We?ve got sweet, but pep can also be found in the savoury.

I think it was the Frank?s Hot Sauce that really brought the pep to my egg white wrap stuffed with goat cheese, salsa and spinach.

Pasta has pep?especially when in casserole form loaded with cheese, chicken and cream of whateverisinthecupboard soup?

?though that pep dies fast when you feel lethargic from eating such a dish.

And a Crack Wrap with roasted red pepper hummus, Allegro cheese and spinach is pep in itself.

Cleaning out hummus containers is a pretty peppy practice.

And making sweet potatoes slices using the Low and Slow Method is pep in each pillowy bite.

Even new products bring on the pep.

Chocolate Brownie in bar form anyone? We don?t get Clif Z Bars in Canada but after a super iHerb win a little while back, I made sure to order some and finally got to experience the greatness of these bars. If we can get Clifs, why can?t we get Clif Kids?! There are kids in Canada too!

We DO get Quaker Chewy Granola bars in Apple Fruit Crumble flavour, one of my favourite granola bars ever and have been forever, unnatural ingredient list and all. Sorry but they?re darn delicious.

Keeping up with the junk food trend, check out the Kraft WHIPPED Peanut Butter I discovered yesterday.

It was consumed with nearly every vegetable I was chopping up today. Who says you can?t dip broccoli or zucchini into peanut butter, especially of the whipped variety? It?s already weird enough, might as well double the strange factor and throw some veggies into the mix.

And if all else fails in the search for pep, buy stuff.

Especially beauty product stuff. Most especially if you need it, and most definitely if it?s on sale and/or you have a coupon.

L?Oreal Elnett Hair Spray - $12 normal price.
Got2B flat iron heat protector spray – $4 on sale.
L?Oreal Skin Genesis facial moisturizer – $13 on sale from $20 + $4 off coupon = $9
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish – $2ish each? normal price.
CoverGirl Clean Pressed Powder - $7
CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara ? $9
but with coupon for $3 off any 2 CoverGirl products?nice.

Sometimes a little retail therapy (especially when it involves deals and steals?and primping and priming)? all that ripping open new packages, placing those new products in their designated spaces?is perhaps not a perfect pick me up but a peppy process nonetheless.

And sometimes you just need a refreshed mindset and a new day. I?m thinking a little cozy up in the papasan might be in order before sleep time. Because I?m thinking this will practically guarantee pep for tomorrow. That and the fact that tomorrow is Friday which just demands positivity.

And to end it all ? Visual Pep.