Yoplait Frozen Smoothie Review and Giveaway!

I'm on a roll lately, people.  Here's another review and giveaway for you.  Consider it an early Christmas present. 

This time up, Yoplait's new frozen smoothies.  These are bags with different varieties of frozen fruit and frozen yogurt chips.  Pop them in the blender with some milk, almond milk, or whatever your preference, and you have a snack that's far better than that candy you were looking at.  (What, that's just me?) 

The smoothies come in the following varieties: Blueberry Pomegranate, Triple Triple Berry, Strawberry Banana, and Mango Pineapple.  We did the Strawberry Banana, (my favorite flavor in any smoothie), and Triple Triple Berry, (which still cracks me up... shouldn't it be Triple Triple Triple Berry?)

I popped the strawberry banana flavor into the blender as soon as Shaun brought it in and divvyed it up between the three kids with a taste for Shaun and I.  Everyone was a fan, of course.  It's fruit and yogurt... what not to love?  I think the biggest fan was Caly, actually, which was fun since she's the pickiest. 

So as with the last, here's my list of pros and cons:

Pros:  Love the ease of being able to toss the ingredients into the blender with minimal prep.  Also, I loved the probiotics added.  I have yogurt on hand most days, but for some reason, when we get a hankerin' for a smoothie, I'm often out.  I like that it can blend with most any liquid.  I suspect using orange juice would be fantastic. 

Cons:  They use sucralose, (i.e. Splenda).  I didn't notice this til I had made and handed out the second bag.  Huge deal in this household.  For one, I think the fruit and yogurt would be sweet enough to stand on their own.  Second, I just don't use artificial sweeteners, especially for my kids.  I wish they would have used sugar, (well, I wish for nothing at all, but I do understand making it sweet).  So for us, it's probably not ideal, but if you're not sucralose opposed or if you're looking for a way to add more fruit and probiotics in your diet without too many added calories, I think this would be a great solution. 

Anyway, I love the concept and hope that there's an unsweetened version on the horizon soon!

For you lovely readers of mine:  Comment on this blog post with your favorite fruit in a smoothie.  One commenter will win a VIP coupon to try the smoothies for free and a pretty dang awesome KitchenAid smoothie blender to whip it up!  (The blender is awesome, dude).  Giveaway will close on Saturday, December 11th at 10am!  Good luck!

*For purpose of this review and giveaway, I was provided with coupons to try the Yoplait frozen smoothies by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark and a new KitchenAid blender courtesy of KitchenAid through MyBlogSpark

Sparklehearts Girls' Natural Beauty Products Review and Giveaway!

Ecomom generously provided me another product to review and the means for a great giveaway on their site!  This time around, we received Sparklehearts Sweet Hearts Sparkly Body Lotion.  Do you even need to read further than the product name to know it was a hit with my uber-girly 4 year old?  Nope.  But I'll elaborate anyway!

As soon as I opened the package, Lex spotted the lotion and made a grab for it.  Seems the packaging did exactly what it intended to do and grabbed our girl's eye immediately.  I read her the label and she asked if she could use it right away.  Why not?

So I spread some on her arms and was delighted by the faint shimmer and the fruity smell.  (What little girl doesn't like glimmer?)  I was delighted in knowing that the product was natural and didn't have a bunch of questionable ingredients like many other products on the market.  No artificial anything, no parabens, sulfates, or phlatelets.  And made here in the USA! 

The scent is a little cloying for me to use it personally, but it's a great, kid-friendly scent and my daughters both say it smells like candy.  I love how the scent doesn't remain strong on the skin after it's applied, much like the faint shimmer.  I don't exactly want my daughter going out to play every day looking like she's headed to a Lady Gaga show, so this was a perfect, subtle amount. 

I loved the lotion so much that I purchased the Sparklehearts Soft Conditioner and my expectations have been easily met.  I'm totally in love with the packaging and what's inside doesn't disappoint.  My oldest has long, thick hair and this softens and conditions it enough that I can comb out tangles without  tears.  Like their other products, it's packaged in a pump bottle, which makes doling out the right amount easy for me and my daughter alike. 

We're obviously Sparkleheart fans and look forward to trying their whole gamut of products.  And since we've had such great experiences, we'll definitely be purchasing through the EcoMom site.  Specializing in Eco-Friendly Baby Products, EcoMom offers products that run from food, toys, baby care products, clothing and more.  The site is certainly more than just a retail site.

Ecomom is still running their EcoPass program.  For $99, you can purchase an annual membership which gives you 15% off of every order and free shipping with no minimum order requirement.  If you're going to purchase frequently, I can imagine this would pay for itself quickly.

And now, the part you've been waiting for... the giveaway!  EcoMom has graciously offered to give away $20 towards any product in the Ecomom store!

To enter, comment on this post by September 12, 2010 at 10pm EST.

For additional entries, you can do the following.  Please comment separately for each additional thing you do. 

• Like EcoMom on Facebook. 
• Follow EcoMom on Twitter. 
• Subscribe to their Newsletter.
• Visit the EcoMom page and pick out one non-food product that you'd be interested in buying.
• Visit my page on Twitter and retweet this giveaway.  (Post link of your retweet).

Good luck everyone!  This was totally a review and giveaway that I loved doing.  Thanks for the opportunity, EcoMom!

**The Nitty Gritty:  The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.  The sample of the Sparklehearts Lotion mentioned above was provided by EcoMom. The Sparklehearts Conditioner was purchased by me, soley because the product is so darn awesome. 

Winner!

The winner of the $20 Giant giftcard is Genelle!

Thanks for entering everyone!  Stay tuned for another good one sometime next week :)

Happy Earth Day! Want 20 Bucks to Go Grocery Shopping?

Until April 29th, if you buy 5 participating General Mills items and use a re-usable shopping bag, you'll be automatically entered to win a 2010 Hybrid Car.  

Dude, that's a piece of cake.  And who wouldn't love a new car?  

 

But I'm going to make it easier...  Leave a comment below for your chance to win a $20 gift card* to Giant (or other participating stores such as Stop & Shop, Giant, Super G, Giant Food Stores, and Martin's Food Markets) gift card!  

 

Bonus entries for tweeting the giveaway,  (I'm @monsterchew on twitter)  or for blogging about it.  Also, you can head to General Mills and tell me your favorite item.  And if you're really keen to win?  Head to Flexible Dreams and enter her giveaway for the same item for double the chances to win!  (Then come back and comment that you did so to get entered again here).  Please comment again for each additional entry. 

 

So, head on to Giant and buy 5 General Mills items from the list below and bring your reusable bag and you'll have a chance to win a 2010 Hybrid. 

 Participating Brands Include:

Cascadian Farms Cereal
Green Giant Vegetables
Nature Valley Crunchy or Sweet & Salty Granola Bars
Green Giant Boxed Vegetables or Prepared Vegetables, Simple Steam Seasoned Vegetables or Rices
Green Giant Wanchai Ferry Entrees
Yoplait Frozen Smoothies
Totino's Pizza Rolls
Pillsbury Savorings
Fiber One Muffins
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls
Yoplait Greek Style Yogurt
Yoplait Kid Multi Pack
Cheerios 14 Oz
Cocoa Puffs 16.5 Oz
Honey Nut Cheerios 17 Oz
Lucky Charms 16 oz
Multigrain Cheerios 12.8 Oz
Reeses Peanut Butter Puffs 18 Oz

Make sure to leave your comment(s) and I will choose a winner on Saturday, April  24th at 10pm.

*The gift card is a promotional item being given out by Giant and MyBlogSpark.

You can also enter without making a purchase by completing an official entry form at your local Stop & Shop store.
 
This promotion is open to residents of MA, RI, CT, NH, NJ, NY, MD, DE, VA or DC and individuals at least 18 years old. For details about the sweepstakes, see in-store for complete rules.

Giveaway! General Mills Movie Cash!

Well, it's been awhile, friends, but alas, a giveaway is afoot.

General Mills is currently giving away movie tickets!  If you buy two specially marked packages of General Mills' cereals, you can get one free movie ticket through moviecash by using the codes inside each box.

And bonus (or curse, depending on how you look at it), the participating brands are all delightfully sweet...  Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Trix and Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs.

If your house is like our house, those are the "Mommy and Daddy" cereals for consumption when the kids aren't around.

Comment on this post for a chance to win four e-movie cash certificates, (worth $12 each) and a coupon for a free General Mills cereal.  If you'd like, include a good movie recommendation!  My husband likes to remind me that it's been ages since we've last seen a movie and I'm thinking it's time to catch one.  (But it better be good!)

Contest ends midnight on Sunday, December 13th.  Get a second entry if you tweet about this contest.  (Must post a separate comment with your twitter name :)

The must knows:  I was provided with 2 Movie gift packs of four e-tickets, product information and 2 coupons for free cereal from General Mills through MyBlogSpark in order to write this review.  (One to keep and one to give away).

Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts (and GIVEAWAY!)

When was your last physical?  This year?  Two years ago?  Five years ago?  So many years ago that you need your fingers and your toes to calculate?

When you had that physical, did they check your cholesterol?  Most people know that high cholesterol is a bad thing, but most people don't pay enough attention to their numbers until it becomes an obvious problem, often requiring medicine or stronger interventions. 

With heart disease being the number one cause of death for women today, it would benefit all of us if we paid attention to that little number more closely than perhaps we have in the past. 

Sadly, there are many without the means to provide themselves with adequate health care, and thus, necessary tests pass by the wayside and the opportunity for early prevention is lost, particularly in the area of cholesterol screenings.

Cheerios has stepped up to the plate to raise awareness for heart disease prevention and to provide free cholesterol screenings for women in need.  For every code from a specially marked Cheerio box entered at http://www.cheerioshelpinghearts.com/, Cheerios will donate a dollar to these causes, through their partnership with WomenHeart. 

What can you do?  Encourage women (and men!) you know to get regular screenings.  Eat a healthy diet.  Look for specially marked boxes of Cheerios and enter your code at the website!  What costs but a minute or two of time for you could potentially save someone else's life. 

Also, you can enter to win a beautiful freshwater pearl bracelet from Charity Charms.  Each bracelet has a pretty little silver heart charm near the clasp.  Wear yours to spread the word of heart health awareness! 

Comment on this post and if you wish, tell me what you do to take care of your ticker!  I will randomly choose THREE winners from the comments and send a bracelet to each of them!

(These things are SUPER cute and definitely high quality... I wear mine all the time and get tons of comments on it)

Giveaway closes next Tuesday at midnight.  One entry per person UNLESS you post about the giveaway on your own blog.  In that case, comment again with a link to your post and you'll be entered again.

Good luck and happy heart health!

Last Day for Giveaway

By the way, today's the last day to enter my Fruit Roll Ups giveaway.

Ok, people... you all KNOW you want them.  Imagine putting your head on a chewy fruit snack.

(OK, that sounds a bit weird, I admit... but still!)

Comment away!

WFMW: Myself Belts - Teaching Toddler Independence and a GIVEAWAY!

When Bean potty trained and started wearing normal underoos, her pants went from fitting normally to perpetually falling off of her non-existant hips.  Elastic waisted pants were easier and didn't droop.  But the jeans and khaki pants?  She'd either run around with one hand constantly yanking her drawers up, or the pants would fall down around her knees by the time she'd slow down enough for me to hike them back up.

It was driving me INSANE.

So I bought a few regular belts and those did the job quite nicely.

Except the poor kid could not for the life of her figure out how to undo the belt and get herself to the bathroom when necessary.  When she'd try, half the time, she'd end up having an accident because it'd take so long.  It actually set us back as she started to be extremely reluctant to go to the bathroom on her own.

So a solution needed to be found.

Enter Myself Belts.  Created by enterprising moms who not only saw the same problem I saw, but put their efforts into finding a solution.

Myself Belts are made with a snap on one end that fastens onto a belt loop and a piece of velcro on the outer side of the snap.


 The other end has a corresponding piece of velcro so that when the belt is threaded through the loops, the loose end can be fasted onto the stationary piece with one hand.


 (Much clearer instructions here). 

This belt is absolutely awesome.  Bean loves being able to do it one handed and by herself.  I love not having to correct her plumbers crack every time she wears a pair of jeans.

The belts come in leather, patterned webbing, and metallic patterns.  From fancy to casual, there's a belt for every occasion for every kid.

We're on our second belt here, having grown out of the first one.  I can easily say that we'll continue to purchase these for our kids as long as they need them.  I would suggest ordering a size bigger than what you'd think you'd need as it's easy to cinch the belt tightly, but not so easy to cinch it at all when it gets too small.

Myself Belts also make larger sized belts for special needs adults and teens with dexterity problems.  I love that.

For one of you lucky readers, the generous creators of Myself Belts have agreed to give away a belt!  Comment on this post by February 4th with your favorite item or way to help you kid gain a little independence and I'll randomly chose a winner on the eve of February 4th.  The winner will get a girls belt or a boys belt in the size of their choosing!  Best wishes!



Things that teach my kiddos independence work for me!  For more WFMW tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer

BumWear Cloth Diaper Giveaway Winners!

First off, thanks so SO much to everyone who entered!  Trust me, I wish everyone could win something.  Without further ado, here is the list of winners with two alternates:

 Jasmine, who said:

I've bought a few fuzzi bunz to use with my daughter (due in a few months), and I'd love to add a few BumWears to the stash. It was a relief to see that the diapers I already had got pretty great marks, too. :) 

Pregnantly Plump, who said:

 That's the most thorough write up I've seen of cloth diapers! Thank you for that.
Hope we win!

and Erin who said:

 Thanks for all of the great info.  I can't wait to get started using cloth... Anyone have any tips for using cloth on a newborn?

 The alternates are:

Schrodinger, who said,

 we bought all bum genius hoping they will last through to potty training, now I'm concerned that they won't make it now :( Thanks for a great review of the other options out there.

and kara, who said,

have found that the diapers you'll love are a matter of fit - Bum Genius one size fit my daughter perfectly and are very economical since they snap open and come with two inserts. I'm very dedicated to the upkeep of the velcro, and pick lint out on a regular basis. Never had any problems. Fuzzi Bunz are cute and have the nicer snaps, but are more expensive and you'll probably buy additional inserts for them. Also, they never quite hugged up around my daughters slimmer thighs, and came up way high in the rise. We love the Bum Genius AIO's for the non bulky fit, and I dry them once in the dryer and then overnight on a rack in the house. I experimented with hemp inserts, but have come to love and respect the cottonbabies inserts. I have about 40 diapers in my stash, and wash twice a week. I'm interested in the BumWear, now! 

Thanks again to everyone!  It's my hope to get another cloth diaper review up and running sometime soon.  Keep posted!

I'll contact the winners by email.  If I don't hear back from them by Thursday at noon, I'll contact the alternates. 

Cloth Diaper Showdown and GIVEAWAY!

***  Edited to add - If you have any questions or comments regarding cloth diapering, email me at rollingthroughlooneyville@gmail.com and I'd be glad to answer them for you.

Also, here's another comprehensive review that involves several other diapers.  So if you're interested in learning more, this is a great place for more comparisons.

And due to the overwhelming amount of comments from those who are considering cloth diapers but finding the choices and methods unclear or unreliable, I'll be posting a Cloth Diapering 101 post in the next week

One more thing:  If you're interested in purchasing any of these diapers, click on their name in the review and it'll take you to a retailer

Keep commenting and good luck!  ***

__________________________________________

Before I had kids, I chalked cloth diapers up to be complicated, messy, and gross.  Surprisingly, I've come to find that none of the above is true.  We've been cloth diapering C since she was about 3 months old.  Initially, on recommendation from a friend, we bought a few to try and found that they were remarkably easy.  So we decided to get some more to round out our cloth diaper stash.

And woah, there are some serious varieties out there.

Cloth diapers run the gamut from basic prefold diapers with waterproof pants, to one piece numbers that are as easy as disposables.   Most of the ones we tested are pocket diapers.  The outer layer is a waterproof material and the inner layer is most often fleece which wicks away moisture.  The two layers are open on one end to form a pocket where an insert can be placed.  The insert is what holds the liquid.  I also reviewed one cotton diaper with a liner, and two all-in-ones where the insert is sewn into the diaper.


Some diapers are sized and some are one-sized with snaps to fit to your baby's needs.

A lot to consider, no?

So, in order to find out which we liked the best, we acquired about 6 additional brands to test.  Our month long review consisted of repeated wears by our little one as well as many, MANY washings.

I rated each diaper on an A-D scale on the basis of five categories:  performance, ease of use, appearance, ease of care and durability.  (A is obviously the best and D is the worst). 


BumGenius All-In-One - $15.95   

Performance - B+
Ease of Use - A
Appearance - A
Ease of Care - C
Durability - B- 

These diapers are super cute.  They are almost as trim as a disposable, which is a major boon in our book.  The velcro closures are always a hit with my husband, but I don't like them as much.  Despite having wash tabs, where the sticky sides can go during a wash load, I did find that the velcro began to lose its stick a bit.  A fact that I can imagine will get worse with time.  This diaper didn't leak, though I always felt that I had to adjust it to be sure that C was completely comfortable.  Perhaps this had to do with sizing, though the medium was far too big, so I can't assume that.  I hated drying these diapers as they took FOR-EVER.  Even in the dryer, I often had to run the cycle twice to get the dampness out of the diaper.  In the sun, they by far took the longest of all diapers.  Left at all damp, as with any clothing, they would start to give off a musty odor.
Overall Rating :  B- 
_____________________________________________

Q Diapers Pocket Diaper - $8.99 (included insert)

Performance - D
Ease of Use - C
Appearance -B
Ease of Care - B+
Durability - D

I can't even find a link for this diaper anymore.  I bought it on Ebay while searching for new, lesser known diaper brands to try.  Well, apparently there's a good reason for that.  Superficially, they're cute.  However, upon closer examination, the stitches appear hastily done and crooked and the workmanship is overall sub par.   This diaper leaked constantly.  I couldn't seem to get a good fit with the small pieces of velcro, and even when I got it snug, it still leaked.  Despite the velcro, I felt that this diaper took a significant amount of wiggling to fit onto the baby. It was relatively easy to wash and dry, though an absence of wash tabs generally made this diaper stick to whatever it ended up next to in the dryer.  I stopped using it altogether.   
Overall rating:  D
____________________________________________

 Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper Sized Medium $17.95 (with insert)

Performance - A
Ease of Use -B+
Appearance -B
Ease of Care - A-
Durability - A

 These were the first cloth diapers I owned and used on both of my kids, so they have a little bit of a soft spot for me.  They're very cute to see the baby wearing, though they do tend to be quite bulky despite being sized.  My daughter was well within the weight range for the diaper but it came up really high which seemed to make sitting uncomfortable. This remedied with time as she grew taller, but it was still a pain while it lasted.  I also had some problems with the insert hanging out of the back of the diaper.  This wasn't necessarily a problem now, but as she grows and wets heavier, I expect that some wicking will occur when this happens.  They're as easy as any other pocket diaper to clean:  remove insert, wash, dry according to instructions.  No velcro means no sticking to other diapers.  The snaps are easy to figure out, though I often found that it was tough to get a good fit when she seemed to be in between snap positions.  They're super durable and one actually survived a dog chewing.  Not too shabby.   
Overall rating:  B+/A-
____________________________________________ 

Tiny Tush Elite One Size Pocket Diaper - $18.95 (with insert)

Performance - A
Ease of Use -B+
Appearance -B+
Ease of Care - A
Durability - A

This is one of my two favorites from doing this review.  I loved the one size aspect.  The snaps allowed for multiple sizes to wear the diaper, ensuring that it could go from a newborn to a toddler with no trouble. I did find the snaps mildly confusing as there are a ton of them.  However, you can leave the diaper snapped to the size that you use it while washing, cutting down on time spent figuring out the snaps.   There was ample room within the diaper for a thick insert, though a smaller insert stayed put quite nicely.  They're cute, though they can be a bit bulky with a larger insert.  I found that this diaper, when snapped correctly, always gave a snug fit and never leaked.  They have an overlapping piece of microfleece in the back to ensure that the insert remains snugly in the diaper, a feature I found to be valuable considering the FuzziBunz problems with this.   
Overall rating:  A-
_____________________________________________ 

Tiny Tush Trim Organic Cotton One Size Fitted Cloth Diaper $16.95

With a Tiny Tush Diaper Cover $11.95  

Performance - A
Ease of Use -B+
Appearance -B+
Ease of Care - A
Durability - A





I was rather shocked to find out how much I really liked this diaper.  It's made of organic cotton which allows for a natural fiber to be next to the baby's skin.  This is a must for many people, though I found that this was one of the main reasons I wouldn't necessarily chose this type as my main diaper.  I change my daughter as often as I feel she is wet, though I don't   always get to her right away.  Thus, she's often with a wet diaper next to her skin as cotton doesn't wick away moisture.  Maybe not such a big deal during the day, but for naps and bedtime, I put the baby in a diaper with a microfleece layer.  The other reason that I would be hesitant to use this diaper is the cost.  Although I imagine that you can reuse a wrap more than once, you would need to purchase a few in addition to your stash of diapers which makes for a rather expensive venture.  However, the diapers are GOOD, and excellent quality, so if it's natural fibers you're looking for, these are the diapers for you.  Each diaper is one-sized to fit from newborn to toddler.  In addition to the diaper, each has a snap in layer for extra absorption.  (And they are massively absorpant to begin with).  The site suggests that you can even use this snap in layer alone inside a liner for small babies and newborns.  This diaper NEVER leaked and always held a ton.  I liked the reinforced side gussets on the cover.  I totally felt like any blowout would be easily contained.   
Overall rating:  B+
_____________________________________________ 

Kushies Ultra All-In-One Medium $11.95 single or $45.00 for a five pack

Performance - B-
Ease of Use -C
Appearance - B-
Ease of Care - A
Durability - B

These diapers are made with a waterproof outer layer, several layers of absorbant cotton, and a cotton flap inside the diaper (which you can double up in certain areas for different genders).  The outside fastens with velcro.  There are laundry tabs which helps with the care factor.  In fact, these are the easiest diapers to take care of as they clean easily and dry quickly.  I am not a huge fan of the cotton inside layer as it allows moisture to sit against my daughter's skin.  These diapers are also extremely awkward in how big they are in some areas.  The velcro allows for a significant amount of adjusting; however, I was never able to adjust well enough to really close the leg holes snugly.  And I have a chunky legged little one.  They've leaked a few times, which I'm chalking up to a bad fit rather than poor absorption.  The outer layer is extremely durable and looks brand new but the inner layer is starting to pill badly.  Not a huge deal, but not as comfortable as the initial wearings.  They're super cheap for all-in-one cloth diapers, so if you're looking for a few to have on hand for baby sitters or for a relative who isn't familiar with cloth diapering, these are a steal.   
Overall rating:  B-
_____________________________________________ 



BumWear One Sized Pocket Diaper $17.95 (insert not included)

Performance - A
Ease of Use -A-
Appearance - A+
Ease of Care - A
Durability - A

Definitely my favorite diaper of the bunch.  First of all, this diaper is CUTE!  There is absolutely no denying that fact.  The gorgeous printed outer layer is accented by a pretty fleece layer in a contrasting color.  I love putting this on my daughter.  In warmer weather, this is a cute bottom all on its own.  But aside from the cute factor, this diaper preforms fabulously.  After many wearings and washings, this diaper has yet to leak or to pill.  The outside looks as new as the day it arrived.  The snaps took a bit of getting used to, but there are less than on other one-sized diapers which lessened the confusion considerably.  I loved the fact that this diaper had elastic on both the back top and the FRONT top.  This is highly unusual, but something I craved in a cloth diaper.  I found that on many diapers, the rise made it slightly difficult to sit upright when the diaper was snugly fastened.  I learned to loosen the tops of most diapers for a more comfortable upright fit, but with these, I didn't have to.  The elastic allows the diaper to stretch against my daughter's baby belly without causing discomfort.  The diaper itself allows for small inserts or large inserts depending on your needs.  This diaper also folds to be the smallest one sized diaper I tried.  If you fold down the top of the diaper, the inner layer of the fleece has an additional row of snaps for the tiny baby.  I thought that these snaps might bother my daughter, but she never complains when wearing this diaper.  I will gladly buy more of these.   
Overall Rating:  A
_____________________________________________


Now, for the fun news!  A GIVEAWAY!  Actually, three!  For three lucky readers, BumWear has graciously offered to give away one of their fabulous pocket diapers reviewed above AND an insert!  Woot!


If you're new to cloth diapering or you're looking to change brands, I can't recommend these highly enough, so enter for a chance to win!


In order to enter, please comment on this post with a valid email address.  If your email address is not included, I will have no way of contacting you and will have to move on to another winner. 
Winners will be RANDOMLY chosen using a random number generator. 

Close of the contest will be December 12, 2008 at 11:59pm.
One entry per person.

If you would like additional entries, please do one or both of the following:


Blog about and link to this giveaway and comment with a link back to your blog entry
or
Subscribe to this blog via RSS and comment that you have done so.  


Thanks everyone and good luck!

Cloth diapers!  They work for me!  For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer

Review and GIVEAWAY - Chex Mix Bars

Welcome to what's becoming a weekly feature!  This week I'm reviewing the new Chex Mix bars.  (We actually had the Turtle flavor).  I had been eying these up every single time I went into the grocery store but hadn't gotten around to getting them.  When given the opportunity to review them, I totally jumped at the chance.  

The bars have pretzels, Chex (obviously), peanuts, chocolate, and caramel.  For only 140 calories, they're pretty stinkin' sweet.  Far better than a pan sized brownie or a large bowl of ice cream when it comes to your waistline.  They also have 8g of whole grains.  And really, who couldn't use more whole grains?

Overall verdict in this house was good.  Bean liked them though she couldn't quite finish one.  Shaun LOVES them.  And I think they're pretty good, though they're certainly sweet.  (I'm the type who would rather have a pickle than a cookie, so it makes sense that I'd find them a little too sweet for anything more than, well... an indulgence).  


And speaking of indulgences, three of you lovely readers will have the opportunity to win a "Basket of Indulgence."  Each basket contains a pack of the bars, a loofa, massager, nail brush, spa towel, candles, and caramel lotion.  (It smells like caramel, but it's not made of caramel... that could be messy).  (Also, do you say "cara-mel" or "car-mel"?  Only one way is right, obviously :)

Anyway, comment on this post with something you do to indulge yourself when you have some free time and as per usual, I'll use a random number generator to chose a winner at the end of the week.  This giveaway will end on Friday evening at 11:59pm.  If you'd like another chance to win, post about this on your blog and comment again.  


And if you want ANOTHER chance to win, visit my funny friend Amy's blog and enter there :) 

Pillsbury Savorings Review and Giveaway

Oh man, I had an adventure trying to prepare this one.

Took my sister to the store with me.  Walked all over the place looking for said Pillsbury Savorings.

She chased me around while brandishing random items of produce.

Had to decide between Mozarella and Pepperoni, Cheese and Spinach, and Buffalo Chicken.

Decided that I couldn't decide and got Cheese and Spinach AND Buffalo Chicken. 

Brought the frozen snacks home.

While preparing the first batch, somehow managed to burn the living daylights out of both the snack and my fingers.  (Only I can simultaneously ruin a dish and injure myself). 

Finally got a chance to test them out on Shaun, my sister and myself.

Verdict?

We thought they were all rather tasty.  They're little puff pastries filled with either buffalo chicken, spinach and cheese, or, the one we didn't try, the pepperoni and mozzarella. 

Hands down, our favorite was the buffalo chicken.  According to Shaun, they tasted like buffalo chicken.  That's what you get when you ask the guy who tends to be light on the details.

My sister and I agreed that they were a good level of spice while maintaining a good flavor. 

We all liked the spinach and cheese as well, though they weren't the favorites.

Shaun actually made a perfect comment when comparing the two, "The buffalo ones are good for a pre-dinner snack...  the spinach ones taste like something I'd eat for breakfast... like a mini quiche!"

There you have it.  Tasty, and really a nice thing to have on hand for those times when you're supposed to bring an appetizer somewhere and you know you can't cook.  Go ahead, claim you made them... we won't tell.

Anyway, I have a great prize pack to offer to one lucky reader!  A coupon for a free box of Pillsbury Savorings and some pretty wine accessories (and if you don't drink wine, use it for your sparkling cider :)

 

 Comment on this post with your favorite appetizer by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 29th and I'll use the handy dandy random number generator to pick a winner and contact you sometime on Thursday.  One comment per person, please.  But, if you post about this giveaway on your blog, comment again with a link to your blog and I'll add another entry for you to win.

Please be sure to leave your email address either in the comment or have it accessible so that I can contact you if you win.  Good luck!

Yoplait Kids Review and GIVEAWAY!

We're fans of yogurt in this house.  (Ok, Bean and I are...  Shaun doesn't care much for it and C doesn't know what the heck it is).  Anyway, we were given the opportunity to try out and review Yoplait Kids Yogurt.  We chose the Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drinks in the mixed berry flavor.

Bean's verdict?  "Mommy...  my yogurt drink is gone.  I want another one!  Please?"

I think that's a positive review if I've ever heard one.

Granted, not everything that's a hit with the kid is necessarily a hit with me.  We're trying to cut down on artificial colors and flavors and I approached this review with some reservation, knowing that the vast majority of kids' food out there is hyper-colored for visual appeal.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I read the ingredients.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  The yogurts are colored with grape juice and beet juice.  No artificial flavors.  In fact, the yogurt even has sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (which, despite recent ad campaigns trying to convince me that HFCS is the exact same as sugar, is incredibly important to me).

Bonus:  In addition to plenty of healthy probiotics, the yogurts also have 16mg of DHA (10% of the Daily Value), a healthy fatty acid that helps the brain to develop.

Bean's not a picky eater at all and I have little problem getting her to eat a well rounded diet.  We also try to limit the sugar in our household, so the majority of Bean's yogurt consumption is of the plain variety.   However, these are great for after dinner treats or occassional snacks.  If your kid is a picky eater, this is a great way to get some calcium, probiotics, and DHA into your kid.  (Who I can imagine will be more than willing to oblige).

My one misgiving with the product is the absolute flagrant branding with television characters.  We have the box with Diego on it.  I just don't understand why everything has to be associated with television and movie characters when it comes to kids?

No, wait, I do understand.  I just wish it was different.

Aside from that, I do love the product and I'm sure I'll occasionally buy them for Bean in the future.

Now, for sticking with me through that, here's your chance to try them on your own!

I have three prize packs to give away.  Each pack contains a coupon for a free pack of Yoplait yogurt, a nicely insulated lunch cooler, and a pack of Brain Quest cards for the 2-3 year old set.

(We love the Brain Quest cards and they totally passed the time on the airplane on our recent trip)

Comment on this post with your kids' (or YOUR!) favorite snack food by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 23rd and I'll pick three winners and contact you sometime on Thursday.  One comment per person, please.  But, if you post about this giveaway on your blog, comment again with a link to your blog and I'll add another entry for you to win.

Please be sure to leave your email address either in the comment or have it accessible so that I can contact you if you win.  Good luck!