Winners! Rubbermaid & Yoplait

Congratulations to Kerri69 the winner of the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop!



and it's a Yoplait day for Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug} who has won the Yoplait Splitz prize package from My Blog Spark.

Congratulations winners and thank everyone for entering!

**CLOSED**GIVEAWAY: Yoplait Splitz Prize Package

Growing up my mother never purchased snacks for my sister and I. Rarely did cookies find their way into our cupboards and forget candy; one time my sister ate an entire package of chocolate Ex-Lax she found in the bathroom cupboard because she thought it was candy and my mother was hiding it. The only splurge my mother would buy was yogurt; she was a huge yogurt fan. I think if yogurt had a street team, my mother would have been Ambassador of Yogurt. Of course, when I was younger, yogurt didn't come in all those great flavors. We were lucky if vanilla made it into our Amana after my mother went shopping.

So my love of all things yogurt followed me to adulthood and I've passed that yogurt-yearning on to my children. My 14 year old daughter isn't happy unless she has a yogurt in her lunchbox. Thank to the folks at MyBlogSpark, we had the opportunity to sample the new Yoplait Splitz yogurt for free. Yoplait Splitz comes in three flavors: Rainbow Sherbet, Strawberry Banana Split, and Strawberry Sundae.

I picked up the 4-pack of Rainbow Sherbet. Yoplait Splitz claims it is the "yogurt that tastes like a sundae" and you know what? It does! Both my daughter and I loved the creamy taste and the Rainbow Sherbet reminded me of real sherbet. My daughter said tasted like pudding. According to Yoplait you can even freeze it, but we didn't make it that far..my daughter and I consumed all 4 in two days. I was glad that it was only 90 calories per cup since I've been trying to watch my weight. For my daughter, I was glad it's a good source of Calcium and Vitamin D since she rarely drinks milk from a glass.


Yoplait wants one of you to try it free too! I have a Yoplait Splitz prize package to giveaway to one of you. You'll get a coupon good for a free 4-pack of Yoplait Splitz in your choice of flavor, a roll-up fleece picnic blanket, and a awesome insulated tote bag. I really love that tote bag...it's large enough to pack my Pyrex bowl when I'm transporting my famous pasta salad to parties and keep it cool and help protect it from breaking.

Mandatory Entry:

1) Just tell me which of the three flavors of Yoplait Splitz you and your family would like to try. (1 entry, mandatory before any extra credit)

Extra Credit:

2) Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar) or take credit if you already do. (worth 1 entry)

3) Follow Yoplait on Twitter and tell me your twitter name. (worth 1 entry)

4) Like Yoplait on Facebook and tell me your Facebook name. (worth 1 entry)

5) Tweet the giveaway and leave me the link. (worth 2 entries-leave 2 comments each time. You can tweet daily).

Easy tweet you can use:

Get your yogurt on; win a Yoplait Splitz Picnic Prize Package http://bit.ly/bOYBB7 #myblogspark #giveaway Ends 9/12.

Rules:
US residents only. Giveaway ends on September 12, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Please leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond with shipping information before there's a do-over.

Many thanks to MyBlogSpark for providing me with a free coupon and picnic prize pack for my review and one to give away to my readers.

***CLOSED***Giveaway: Yoplait YoPlus

We're not big fans of milk in our house; normally a gallon lasts us an entire week for the four of us. Unless that milk is spiked with chocolate, of course! In order to receive the health benefits of milk, we substitute with cheese, ice cream, puddings and yogurt. Yogurt happens to be one of my daughter's favorite snacks for after school and also a frequent visitor to her lunch bag.

MyBlogSpark recently sent me a coupon to try their new Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt. YoPlus is available in six delicious flavors including Strawberry, Vanilla, Cherry, Peach, Blackberry Pomegranate and Blueberry Acai.

YoPlus now provides three important health benefits in each four-oz. cup:

1) Antioxidant vitamins A and E (now with 20% of your recommended daily value)

2) A blend of probiotic cultures & fiber (three grams of fiber per 4-ounce serving) for digestive health

3) Calcium and vitamin D for bone health

If you are looking for all the great health benefits of YoPlus with even fewer calories, YoPlus Light is the perfect solution, with one third fewer calories than the original. YoPlus Light is available in three delicious flavors - Honey Vanilla, Strawberry Banana, and Key Lime - all with just 70 calories per cup.



My local grocery store didn't carry all the varieties of Yoplait YoPlus when I was there, so I chose Strawberry. My daughter was thrilled when I came home with yogurt because she's usually my reminder to buy some when she shops with me. Both my daughter and I tried it and we agree, the taste is great and the yogurt very rich and creamy. The cup size was just enough and perfect to fit in her lunch bag. I had hoped to try the Peach flavor, but that was one of the varieties not available at our grocery store. I'm planning to look for it the next time I shop.

If you're interested in trying YoPlait Yoplus today, there's a printable coupon for $1.00 off available here. You can save $1.00 on any flavor of Yoplait YoPlus, YoPlus Light or Yogurt Multipacks and it expires 5/11/2010. The coupon is restricted in LA, NV, ND and the Giant Eagle on Snow Road in my city who has a case of the red ass with internet coupons.

In addition, one of you will win a Yoplait YoPlus "Better for You" gift pack like I received from MyBlogSpark:



This cute gift pack comes with a coupon to try Yoplait YoPlus for free, an insulated lunch sack, pedometer, and an on-the-go lunch container with utensils.
*This coupon offer for a free 4-pack of Yoplait YoPlus yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Tennessee.


Mandatory Entry

Super simple..just tell me what flavor of Yoplait you'd love to try with your new coupon!

Extra Credit:

1) Follow my blog or take credit if you already do (left sidebar: 1 entry, leave one comment).

2) Tweet the giveaway, daily if you'd like. (1 entry, leave one daily comment with your tweet url).

Easy tweet you can use:
Yoplait YoPlus gift pack giveaway; win free yogurt and goodies. Ends 4/19. http://tiny.cc/yoyum

3) Follow me on Twitter (1 entry, leave one comment with your Twitter name).

US residents only. Giveaway ends on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be drawn using the almighty Randomizer and notified by email. Please leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile. Winners will have 48 hours to respond with mailing information before I pull a do-over and draw a new winner.



Disclosure: I received free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark and Yoplait for my review as well as the opportunity for one of my readers to win the same. The opinions expressed as solely my own and were not influenced by the sponsors.

Review: General Mills Cereal

My husband and I will be married for 15 years this April 29. When we first got together, he's frequently stop at my house on his way home from work. Every day, he'd have a bowl of cereal for a "snack". We joke now that my husband fell in love with me for my cereal because I always had at least three different boxes...cereal is something I always have on hand and a lot of.

When my oldest sons were in school, cereal was a mandatory breakfast item before they left the house. I never felt good unless they left the house with something in their stomach before school and cereal was filling, quick and simple. Studies also say that children who eat breakfast before school perform better on tests, are less likely to be tardy or miss class, make less trips to the school office, and have fewer discipline problems than children who skip breakfast. Now I only have to police my 13 year-old daughter in the morning but it's an easy job. She loves her cereal and usually has a bowl before she even gets herself dressed for school. Sometimes she's so sleepy when she pours a bowl, I've found the cereal box in the refrigerator after she's left for school!

Cereal also provides important vitamins, minerals and fiber. Cereal is the #1 source of whole grains in a child's diet. Cereal eaters also tend to consume less fat than their counterparts. Studies have shown that people who eat cereal in the morning for breakfast tend to weigh far less than those who don't eat cereal or even skip breakfast entirely.

And heck, it just tastes good! It's one of my favorite after-work snacks before I go to bed. I work second shift and if I tend to eat dinner earlier or eat a light dinner, I need something to eat before I go to bed and cereal always fits the bill. It's filling without causing tummy-trouble when I lay down; the last thing I need when I go to bed is heartburn.

General Mills and MyBlogSpark sent me coupons to buy try four General Mills Cereals for free. There are four of us in the house now: me, my husband, my 22 year-old son and my 13 year-old daughter. I let each of use pick our favorite cereal using our free coupons. My daughter chose Lucky Charms which is one of her favorite cereals. My son loves Cinnamon Toast Crunch, one of the cereals I almost always have in my cart when I grocery shop. My son is a large boy: 6'1" and 280 pounds. He doesn't just eat a bowl of cereal, my son has a trough. I've actually seen my son walked by a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, grab a fistful and eat it straight without any milk.

My husband wanted to try something different so he picked Strawberry Chex and declared it a keeper. Strawberry Chex isn't a frosted cereal and it had a nice, light strawberry flavor to it. I picked the Banana Nut Cheerios since I'd never had them before. Another winner from General Mills; while I always add a teaspoon of sugar to my cereal, I could have easily gone without and still enjoyed the Banana Nut Cheerios. It reminded me of my Nana's banana nut bread. My daughter also gave the Banana Nut Cheerios a try and said she'd like me to buy it again. Two thumbs up for Banana Nut Cheerios.

General Mills is committed to further reducing sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain. Less sugar and more nutrients means far healthier kids..and adults.

You can print a coupon good for $1.00 of one box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms or Trix General Mills Cereals by clicking here. The coupon is good until 02/23/2010. Take advantage of the countless benefits cereal has to offer courtesy of General Mills.

My thanks to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for providing me with the free coupons to try their cereal and the information on their commitment to better health for children.

**CLOSED**GIVEAWAY: BJ'S Wholesale Club

I recently had the opportunity to check out BJ's Wholesale Club. I was given a $25 gift card from My BlogSpark and I was able to print out the free two-month free trial membership from the BJ's website. My husband and I decided to stop there last Tuesday and see what BJ's had to offer.

I'd never shopped at one of those "club" stores before and I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived. After being greeted at the door, I was shown to the Customer Service counter where the clerk signed me up for my free two-month trial membership. It literally took 3 minutes including him taking my photo and printing out my membership card. There was no hard-sell to purchase a full membership ($45 for a year). Right now BJ's is running a special new-member paid offer for $45, which includes a $10 couponB and an extra two months of membership. If you sign up for the offer, you also will receive:

~A Member Savings Book with more than $1,000 in coupons and instant rebates
~“Sign up and Save” coupons worth $117 in savings
~2 cards (one for you and someone else in your household)
~A no risk 100% money back guarantee on the fee if you are not satisfied

Vast is the first thing that came to mind. My husband lost himself in the electronics section as soon as we came in the store. You know how some grocery stores have babysitting areas for children where the parents can leave the child there while they shop? That must be why BJ's puts the electronics at the front of the store...so I would know where to find my husband when I was done shopping. I'll admit, I was looking too since I'm coveting a GPS for Christmas and BJ's had a display of all the models they carry at the end of one of their aisles.

I wanted to get a feel for all that BJ's had to offer so my husband and I walked down almost every aisle in the store. BJ's has just about everything: clothing, gift wrap and cards, books, office supplies, and toys.

We spent most of our time in the grocery section. Next time I have a party planned, BJ's is where I'm going to head. They had a wide variety of appetizers in the freezer section that would be perfect when you're planning a party. I loved all the goodies in their bakery section and ended up taking home a tray of danish very reasonably priced at $5.99 for 10 large iced danishes.

All in all, I felt their prices were more than reasonable. While you're buying most things in bulk sizes, the prices are still cheaper than what I've paid at the grocery store. My local grocer sells Chef Boyardee cans 10 for $10 and I found a package of 10 cans at BJ's to be priced at $9.27. A gallon of milk at BJ's was only $1.50, a big savings from what I usually pay at the grocery store. In addition, BJ's accepts all manufacturer's coupons alongside of any coupons BJ's also provides for products. When I came in the store there was a large display of coupons available for the taking.



I did get a huge box of Hershey's Brownie Mix that makes 4 batches of brownies for my holiday baking for $6.99. You just can't find sizes like that in any grocery store.

MyBlogSpark, BJ's and General Mills are offering one of my readers the chance to experience BJ's too. You'll get a $25 gift card to BJ's Wholesale Club so you can pick up some great bargains yourself.

Mandatory Entry:

1) Click over to the BJ's Wholesale Club website and tell me something you'd love to stock up on.

Extra Credit:

2) Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect, or take credit if you already do. (top left sidebar: 1 entry, leave 1 comment)

3) Tweet the giveaway, can be done daily (1 entry, leave 1 daily comment with your tweet url).

Easy tweet you can use:

BJ's Wholesale Club giveaway: win a $25 gift card & experience big savings. Ends 12/23. http://tiny.cc/TfhrB

4) Use the BJ's Store Locator and tell me the address of the BJ's Wholesale Club nearest to you (1 entry, leave 1 comment).


Giveaway ends on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. US residents only. Please leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile. Winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing information before there's a do-over.

Disclosure: I was provided a $25 BJ's Wholesale Club gift card, BJ's Journal with coupons and a free two-month trial membership courtesy of MyBlogSpark and General Mills for my review.

**CLOSED**Fiber One Yogurt - Review & Giveaway

I'm a heavy snacker. It's my huge downfall with any diet I've ever tried. I get a craving for something sweet and sure enough I'm foraging in the kitchen for something to squash my sweet tooth. I was recently given the opportunity to try the new Fiber One Yogurt courtesy of My Blog Spark. Now yogurt isn't usually high on my list of snacks to grab when I've got a craving. You can usually find me dipping my hand into the cookie jar rather than opening the refrigerator and grabbing a yogurt. But I'm really trying to stick to my Weight Watchers guidelines and chocolate chip cookies aren't big on the program.

I sampled the Fiber One Key Lime Pie Yogurt. I have to say, I really liked the taste. With only 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and zero fat in each 4 ounce container you won't feel guilty grabbing one for a snack. I'm lucky to have even gotten one; my 13 year old daughter Danielle is a yogurt fan and she proclaimed the Fiber One Key Lime Pie "snack-a-licious".



Fiber One Yogurt is even Hungry Girl approved. It also sports a whopping zero in Points value for the Weight Watchers program; for me that means that when I come home from work at midnight and I've exhausted my Points for the day, I don't have to head to bed so I don't stuff my face.

Besides the Key Lime Pie, Fiber One Yogurt also comes in Strawberry, Peach and Vanilla flavors. And thanks to My Blog Spark, you may get to try Fiber One Yogurt too. My Blog Spark and Fiber One Yogurt are letting me give three lucky readers a Fiber One gift pack shown here:



Mandatory Entry:

Tell me your snacking vice; what do you reach for when you're in search of a snack? (1 entry, leave 1 comment)

Extra Credit:

1) Follow my blog or take credit if you already do. (left sidebar: 1 entry, leave 1 comment)

2) Tweet the giveaway, can be done daily. (1 entry, leave 1 comment with your tweet url or twitter id).

Easy tweet you can use:

Enter the Fiber One Yogurt Gift Bag giveaway; 3 winners get some creamy, yummy, guilt-free goodness. http://454.me/c6ce1/


US residents only. Giveaway ends on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. Three winners will be drawn via randomizer and notified via email so make sure you leave contact information or your email address is visible in your blogger profile. Winners have 48 hours to respond with shipping information before there's a do-over and a new winner will be drawn. Prizes will be shipped to winners from My Blog Spark; I'm just a middle-man.

Review: Nature Valley Nut Clusters

I was recently given the opportunity by My Blog Spark to sample the new line of snacks by Nature Valley: Nature Valley Nut Clusters.

Let me start by staying my husband is one of those guys that doesn't appreciate change. In any restaurant we visit, I can tell you what my husband will order, with no variations. It will either be a patty melt or a cheeseburger, no onions or mayo. Every so often he throws me a curve and will order ribs.

But he loves nuts and snacks. His routine is to come home from work and grab a bag of chips and a pop and unwind on the couch. He usually keeps a canister of nuts on his end table for snacking. Imagine my surprise to see an empty bag of Nature Valley Nut Clusters laying on the end table last week.

I assumed the kids and I would be sampling all four varieties: Roasted Cashew, Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, and Honey Roasted Peanut. We got to try all except the Roasted Cashew...we got to sniff the empty bag, though. My husband said they were great and to buy them again. All of us agree: they're a great, crunchy snack that will satisfy your sweet & salty side all at once. My daughter asked me to pack her a sandwich bag of them for her lunch last week instead of cookies & chips.

I'm not a huge nut fan. I like nuts in brownies or cookies but, except cashews, I rarely eat nuts plain. I really enjoyed the Nature Valley Nut Lovers Nut Clusters, though. They had just the right amount of sweetness without making your teeth ache and just enough crunch that eating them wasn't a workout for your mouth.

I have to thank My Blog Spark for making them available to my family and introducing us to a great new snack we all enjoy.

Winners- Chex Mix Bars

v4ever said... 52
I love yogurt, especially Yoplait Whipped ones, I would indulge myself in these.

Mishia said... 76
I take a long hot bath.

ktgonyea said... 58
My 07/24 entry : ) TGIF !!

Congratulations winners. I've sent emails to Mishia and ktgonyea for their mailing information. v4ever, I sent you a message via your livejournal account since you didn't include your email address. You have 48 hours to respond before I pull a do-over..email me at shel704 at aol dot com.

**CLOSED**GIVEAWAY: Chex Mix Bars-3 Winners

We’re a snack-loving family. All three of my sons, my daughter and my husband descend on my kitchen after grocery-shopping day like a swarm of locusts, leaving empty boxes and chip bags in their wake. Everyone has their favorites which is why my grocery shopping bill runs about $250 weekly. It’s tough to find one snack that everyone in the house enjoys. We go through a gross ton of cereal in our house. Not only do we eat it for breakfast, but everyone loves a bowl in the evening after dinner, before bed. Snack bars are also a big hit; they’re portable for those on-the-go breakfasts when I hit the snooze button one too many times…again..and they’re great for lunches. But what about a combination of both, with a little extra sweetness mixed in?

MyBlogSpark.com sent me three boxes of the new Chex Mix Bars to try, Turtle flavored. With my daughter home from school and two sons home from college, we flew through three boxes in a week flat. I came home one day to find a my daughter and son playing Xbox with a pile of Turtle Chex Mix wrappers on the living room table, they claimed “the dogs” ate them but we all know better. I sincerely doubt the dogs even got a whiff.

Chex mix bars combine Chex cereal, pretzels, and peanuts with ingredients like caramel and chocolate. I like the fact that a bar is only 130 calories and 8 grams of whole grains, making it the perfect Weight Watchers snack when I come home from work and I‘m looking to unwind. One Turtle Chex Mix Bar is only 2 Weight Watchers points. The Turtle Chex Mix Bars were a little sticky; I recommend keeping it in the wrapper while you snack.

MyBlogSpark has offered three lucky readers the chance to each win two boxes of new Chex Mix Bars, so you can try them yourself.

Mandatory Entry:

Tell me how you like to unwind after a rough day or what you like to do to indulge yourself. Is there a certain food you reserve just for those times when you need a pick-me-up (everyone needs a chocolate hug once in a while). (1 entry, leave 1 comment).

Extra Credit:

1) Follow my blog, or take credit if you already do (left sidebar: 1 entry, leave 1 comment).

2) Tweet the giveaway, can be done once daily. (1 entry, leave 1 daily comment with your Twitter ID or tweet url).

Easy tweet you can use:

Chex Mix Bars giveaway; 3 winners get some scrumptious snacks http://tinyurl.com/lmter8

US residents only. This giveaway will end on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. I'll draw three winners via random.org and notify them via email. Winners have 48 hours to respond before I pull a do-over. Please leave me a way to contact you if your email address is not visible in your Blogger profile.