Obol: The Original Crispy Cereal Bowl Offer #obolco

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information and offer to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Cereal Never Gets Soggy!

"It's the champion of breakfast bowls" - ABC News

Obol "The Original Crispy Bowl" made in the USA is the favorite for cereal lovers around the world. Inspired by a playground slide, its Spiral Slide Design changed the mundane cereal bowl into an everyday kitchen sensation. The pleasure of eating cereal at the table, while watching TV or even is bed is easy, just Swoop n Scoop Crispy cereal...your way, your pace.

Watch the Obol on ABC's The Chew...

Save 10% at obol.co Signup for instant discount code.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Obol Offer I am getting 2 Obols (1 large & 1 Medium with free shipping) Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo. 

Dark Chocolate Multigrain #Cheerios Cereal Review #PlatefullCoOp #spon

The information and product have been provided free by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. to facilitate this review.

Introducing new Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios®! With a touch of rich dark chocolate taste in every bite, new Dark Chocolate Multigrain Cheerios® cereal offers a perfect balance of multigrain goodness and a delicious touch of chocolate taste in every bite.

These are naturally flavored with real cocoa. It is packed with 5 whole grains (whole grain corn, whole wheat, whole grain oats, whole grain barley, whole grain rice). It has 110 Calories, 1.5g Fat, 9g Sugar, and 15g Whole Grain per Serving (All Cheerios cereal varieties have at least 14 grams of whole grain per serving. At least 48 grams recommended daily.)

My kids and I loved this new Multigrain Cheerios! It is perfect for the chocolate lover and Cheerio lover in all of us. I loved the combination of the Cheerios with chocolate clusters that crunch with every bite.

I am not sure if these, like regular Cheerios, are becoming GMO free, but I would love it if General Mills products all became healthier for all of us. I applause General Mills for making regular Cheerios GMO free and I hope that they do not stop there.

Cheerios.com | Like Cheerios on Facebook

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: The information and prize pack have been provided free by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. I received products and information for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and promo.

Target Breakfast Twist #PlatefullCoOp #spon

The information and prize pack have been provided free by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. to facilitate this post.

Breakfast is an important start to your family's day, but all too often, it's rushed, hectic, and…monotonous. Target has brought some family favorites together and made some interesting yummy combinations for quick and easy throw together breakfasts. These are simple twists on traditional breakfasts and there isn't anything complex about these recipes. These are great to help fuel your day.

Platefull Co-Op has sent me a selection of favorite items so that I could create my own unique spins on breakfast and share them with you:

• 1 pouch Nature Valley® Protein Granola (Crunchy Oats 'n Honey)
• 1 box Nature Valley® Granola Bars (Crunchy Oats 'n Honey)
• 1 box Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch™ cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios, crispy flakes, and clusters made with real almond slices)
• 1 box Trix® (Wildberry Red Swirls) cereal
• 1 package Quaker® Oats (old fashioned)
• 1 jar Jif® peanut butter (creamy)
• 1 package Nutella® (Hazelnut spread) mini cups
• 1 pouch Grandma Hoerner’s® Big Slice™ apples snack (kettle cooked apples: slices, chunks, and sauce)

I decided to only combine the ingredients in the kit together and see what I could come up with. In my first recipe I emptied the pouch of Grandma Hoerner’s® Big Slice™ apples snack in a small glass ramekin and sprinkled some Nature Valley® Protein Granola and some Quaker® Oats over the top. The second recipe I took one Nature Valley® Granola Bar out of the box and since it was already divided into two bars inside the packaging I spread Jif® peanut butter on one and one Nutella® mini cup on the other. The one with peanut butter I also sprinkled Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch™ cereal on top and the one with Nutella® I placed some Trix® cereal on top. The kids and I enjoyed our easy breakfast twists.

Big Slice Apples, Granola & Oats

I especially loved the Grandma Hoerner’s® Big Slice™ apples snack. This particular one that I received was Cherry Vanilla flavored and had luscious cherries, chunky apples, and real Madagascar vanilla. It was so delicious, especially with the little bit of crunch that the granola and oats gave!

Granola Bar Cereal Treats

These granola bar treats that I made were good, but too sweet for me. My kids loved them though. I love the Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch™ cereal by itself and with milk in a bowl just fine for breakfast. I am not too much of a peanut butter fan, but the Nutella® I love!

Target Breakfast Twist Event
You also find special savings on these products at Target – and even more inspiration by visiting Target.com/BreakfastTwist



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: The information and prize pack have been provided free by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. I received products and information for free to facilitate this post. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this post and promo.

Tropical Trio Sweepstakes - Purex, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts

Tropical Trio Sweepstakes: Purex, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts are joining forces to send one lucky winner on a tropical paradise vacation to Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach!

Five (5) 1st place winners will receive one-year's supply of Purex Tropical Splash Detergent & Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends Cereal. One hundred (100) 2nd place winners will receive coupons for FREE Purex Tropical Splash Detergent & Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends Cereal.

Enter to win here: http://insiders.purex.com/tropical-trio?id=1254

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Purex for providing me this promotion information. By posting about this sweepstakes I will be entered to win a Purex Insiders-only grand prize of $1000 and 100 first place winners will receive a $25 Amazon gift card! My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for posting this promo.

Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends Cereal Review and Giveaway

Post has a new cereal in the Honey Bunches of Oats lineup. Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends has crispy mango flavored flakes, real coconut shavings and crunchy coconut flavored granola clusters with just a touch of honey.

Good Points:

• 10g Whole Grain (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 120 Calories (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 6g Sugar (No high fructose corn syrup) (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 9 Essential Vitamins & Minerals including 60% Daily Value of Iron (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 4 Wholesome Grains
• Heart Healthy: 0g Trans Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol (per 3/4 cup serving)
• No Artificial Food Dyes (contains Annatto extract for color)
• No Unpronounceable Ingredients: All of the Ingredients in the Cereal were things I had heard of.
• WIC Eligible
• Labels For Education

Bad Points:

• Corn (first ingredient) and other Corn products are present. Most likely this cereal contains GMOs. It doesn't say otherwise.
• Contains: Natural Flavor. Who really knows what this term actually means??
• BHT  (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) added to packaging material to preserve product freshness (I had to look this one up and I also ended up calling Post about it. This chemical has a MSDS, Material Safety Data Sheet, that states: ingestion causes abdominal pain, confusion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting. BHT may have effects on the liver and be linked to cancer. The lady on the phone for Post informed me that the BHT, a chemical added to many foods to prevent fats from going rancid, is in the bag with which the cereal touches, but it is only trace amounts so I am told that there is no need to worry.)
• Contains: Wheat and Milk. This is only a bad point if you are allergic to these items. (I'll award good points also since this is clearly labeled in bold on the box).

My Thoughts:

I am one of those people that always looks at the ingredients labels, especially on food products. This label was pretty mild from some of the ones I've seen. Honestly, I eat so many things with corn products I guess I shouldn't complain, but I do wish (like most) that GMOs were labeled right on the packaging so it wouldn't be such a mystery to try and figure out. The BHT scared me at first, but I was a little reassured that it is only trace amounts and I guess it shouldn't matter, or so I am told. No one in my immediate family is allergic to wheat or milk, but I know many others that are.

So, what does the cereal taste like? It has a very unique flavor. My favorite part of all Honey Bunches of Oats cereals are the granola clusters (and dried fruit when there is any)! The clusters have just enough crunch and sweetness to make the cereal so tasty. I love coconut too so making the clusters coconut flavored in this cereal was brilliant IMO. The mango taste is OK. It doesn't taste weird, but I wish it had real dried mango instead of just "mango flavor"...at least it has real coconut flakes. My kids loved the cereal and ate it up.

My semi-related rant: Honey Bunches of Oats doesn't have their yummy Honey Bunches of Oats with Real Peaches anymore...it has been discontinued and it was one of my favorites of the flavors.

You can find out all you want to know about Honey Bunches of Oats on their Facebook page. www.facebook.com/honeybunchesofoats

WIN IT
Prize: 1 winner will win 2 coupons for a FREE box of Honey Bunches of Oats.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Post for sending me product for free and promotion information to facilitate my review and free coupons for this giveaway. This opportunity was provided to me because I am a Purex Insider. By posting I will be entered to win prizes. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Free Sample Box and my Review of Quaker Oatmeal Squares

I love Quaker Oatmeal Squares! They are some of my favorite cereal. I love that they are good for you and packed with wholesome whole grain, fiber, and calcium. I love the crunch with the milk. They are available in 4 delicious flavors: Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Golden Maple, and now Honey Nut.

I was sent the new Honey Nut to try for free from BzzAgent. It was fantastic! I loved the sweet taste in every bite. My kids devoured it too. They love it just as much as I do. When I gave my diabetic son a small sample box to have for his breakfast he was so excited he hugged me and said thank you! I rarely ever get hugs from him any more as he is 11 and says he has grown out of them, so this was quite a surprise.

Right now you can get a free box of Quaker Oatmeal Squares from Facebook. Just go to Quaker Oatmeal Squares fan page and like them. Then click on the Free Sample Box picture or tab and fill out your information.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am a member of BzzAgent I received word of a BzzCampaign for the Quaker Oatmeal Sqaures products. All information about the products I received from the media kit, the products and the Quaker Oats website. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Penguins of Madagascar Review and Giveaway

General Mills has teamed up with Nickelodeon's The Penguins of Madagascar to bring the action-packed adventures to your very own breakfast table. Inside specially marked boxes of General Mills cereals, you'll initiate operations with one of five characters from The Penguins of Madagascar; Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, Private or King Julien. Each participating cereal contains one character launcher with mission details outlined on the back of the box including:

* Dive In, Soldier - Set an empty plastic cereal bowl on the table and try to send your launcher into it.
* Longest Propulsion Launcher - Challenge your troops to see who can propel their character the farthest.
* Target Practice - Create a landing zone with a spoon and try to strategically drop your character into the target.
* Clear the Wall - Can you catapult your launcher over the top of the box? Earn those wings!

The characters are all unique and have their own specific functions and when they are brought together they're a team with lots of character. You can collect all 5 character launchers and try to successfully complete all of their missions.

The Penguins of Madagascar Operation: DVD Premier is really fun. My family enjoyed watching it. This DVD is an episode compilation of a Nick television series. Each episode is about 20 minutes long. They focus on the Penguins, their spy missions, and some of their interesting...and sometimes annoying neighbors/nemesis.

Episode List:
1) Dr. Blowhole's Revenge
2) Truth Ache
3) Command Crisis
4) Go Fish
5) Roomies
6) Needle Point
7) Lunchtime
8) All Chocked Up
9) The Hidden
10 Tangled In The Web

WIN IT:
Chris from MyBlogSpark has generously offered another one of The Penguins of Madagascar Prize Packs (includes one box of Trix cereal, a Penguins of Madagascar launcher and the new Penguins of Madagascar movie, The Penguins of Madagascar Operation: DVD Premier) to one of my readers to win.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the The Penguins of Madagascar webpage and tell me by commenting on this post which character from Penguins of Madagascar is your or, if you haven't seen this, would be your, child's favorite?

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (2 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Penguins of Madagascar in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

6. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

7. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog giveaway linky and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

8. Post this on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, and/or StumbleUpon. (2 extra entries for each)

9. Comment on one of my regular (not giveaway) posts. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

10. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

11. Tweet this: @finamoon WIN Penguins of Madagascar Prize Pack #giveaway http://bit.ly/9ptxZR (Daily Extras are Available)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. If you subscribed, blogged about this, listed it, commented on another post, or faved me on Momfaves leave 2 entries saying you did. This contest ends on Wednesday September 29, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. Only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Penguins of Madagascar prize pack, information and the prize package for giveaway were all provided free by General Mills and Nickelodeon through MyBlogSpark. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

General Mills Cereals‏ Review

It is so important to start the day with a wholesome healthy breakfast. I feel lousy when I don't. A good breakfast can help you feel good and gives you the boost of energy needed to start your day well.

Cereal is a quick and easy breakfast and I have great news for cereal lovers... General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce 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.

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets.

Other cereal benefits:

* Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.

* Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.

* More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

MY THOUGHTS:
My favorite General Mills Cereals are: Fiber One Honey Clusters (6 grams of sugar), Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters (13 grams), Basic 4 (14 grams), Honey Nut Clusters (16 grams), Oatmeal Crisp Crunchy Almond (16 grams), Oatmeal Crisp Hearty Raisin (20 grams), Total Cranberry Crunch (16 grams), Total Honey Clusters (13 grams), Raisin Nut Bran (14 grams), Cheerios (1 gram), Apple Cinnamon Cheerios (12 grams), Honey Nut Cheerios (9 grams), Multi Grain Cheerios (6 grams), Golden Grahams (11 grams), Kix (3 grams) and Reese's Puffs (11 grams).

Wow! I didn't think that my Oatmeal Crisp Hearty Raisin had 20 grams of sugar! I guess you can't tell a box of cereal by its looks. I guess I will be buying more Cheerios and Kix...although I figure you do have to factor in other things besides the sugar. So, make sure you look at the nutrition labels on the box before you buy.

Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for a box of Trix cereal and if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals listed on the coupon.

DISCLAIMER: By participating in this Spark, I received 4 free cereal coupons for 4 free General Mills boxes of cereal. All information about the campaign I received from MyBlogSpark, Pssst General Mills Network and the General Mills: Cereal and Health website. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Bear Naked Review

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS:
Their 100% Pure & Natural Grain-ola Bars:
* Made with 15-17g whole grains per serving
* All-Natural, Bearly Processed and Utterly Naked Ingredients... that you can actually pronounce!
* NO Artificial Flavors, NO Cholesterol, NO Hydrogenated Oils, NO High Fructose Corn Syrup, NO Preservatives, 0g Trans Fat
* Vegetarian friendly
* Kosher certified

Their 100% Pure & Natural Cereal:
* Made with hearty whole grain flakes
* All-Natural, Bearly Processed and Utterly Naked Ingredients... that you can actually pronounce!
* NO Artificial Flavors, NO Cholesterol, NO Hydrogenated Oils, NO High Fructose Corn Syrup, NO Artificial Preservatives, 0g Trans Fat
* Vegetarian friendly
* Kosher certified

MY THOUGHTS:
I received a free sample from Bear Naked the other day in the mail. It was so scrumptious I had to tell you all about it! I chose the tropical fruit grain-ola bar and I am sure glad I did! It has yummy pieces of mango, papaya, coconut and pineapple mixed in with the delicious granola. I can say this was one of the best granola bars I have ever tasted!

They have their new 100% pure & natural cereals and grain-ola bars and you can also choose one to try free (check back I hear they will have more in stock soon): fruit & nut grain-ola bar, chocolaty cherry grain-ola bar, tropical fruit grain-ola bar, cranberry raisin cereal, and banana nut cereal.

Update...
They unfortunately don't have any free samples in stock right now, but make sure to check back often on their website as they have said they will replenish their supply and then you can try them out on your own. Or alternatively you can go buy some at your local store or online!

Read the story about Bear Naked. Save your Bear Naked bags and get some gear. Fan them on Facebook! Follow them on Twitter.