• Participating Big G cereals include: 
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.),
• Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), 
• Cheerios® (18 oz.) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz.)

A free download for “Atari 80 Classic Games In 1” 

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HOSTED BY PLANET WEIDKNECHT AND GOING CRAZY!! WANNA GO??!! 

February 18-21
 

Each participating blogger is hosting their own giveaway, with prizes worth at least $20. Be sure to hop through the list below and visit them all to enter to win! 

 

Welcome to my little corner of the hop here! I have a yummy giveaway that hopefully will make life a bit easier and more delicious. Please enter (via Rafflecopter) to win a $40 gift card to Papa John’s pizza and a $5 card to Quizno’s.

                                         Good luck everyone! 

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     One of my promises to myself this year was to be more organized, and I find that compartmentalizing really helps! I’ve used binders before but wasn’t a big fan, as they seemed bulky and cumbersome. Somehow, the paper never quite stayed aligned and they all looked the same.

However, I really like the Avery Heavy Duty Ring Reference Binder. I love that it is very user-friendly and that I can customize it to fit me. I am using this one for Blogging and Writing. I’m able to label it with the Avery Custom Binder Spine Inserts to fit my style. I wrote on my binder label and added a design, but  you can also, for a more professional look, have them customized at Avery.com or print them out with what you choose, as they fit in all laser and inkjet printers.

   I really like that I can easily add art, photos, or whatever you like by simply slipping it in the plastic on the front cover for a great look. If you’re the artsy type like me, you can make a collage, and switch it whenever the mood strikes.

This particular Avery binder is durable but also sleek and stylish. It has One Touch EZD locking rings that open and close really simply and help keep your pages firmly in place. The Gap-Free ring feature prevents any misalignments which can really make your binder difficult to work with and messy. In fact, the rings hold up to 50% more than the same-size round rings so that you can keep adding to the binder without needing a new one as fast. Inside you have four stacked pockets unlike others which have just two so that you can put in note pads, papers, pictures, or whatever strikes your fancy. There’s no print transfer and they are PVC free.

As far as the Avery Custom Binder spine inserts, they are printed on a nice thin but sturdy paper and they are perforated to separate easily. You can change them in and out easily should you want to change the binder or should it evolve into something else organically over time.

 The Avery Note Tabs come in packs of 10 and are a flexible organizing tool that I find works better than classic notes, binder tabs and flags, yet combines the best elements of all. They are made of a durable film material and have a paper tab overlay. You can write on both the tab and body surfaces. I used a magic marker and it worked great. They are see-through for easy reading and you can also reposition them. You can use them like a divider to turn pages for easy reference.

All in all, I think this is a great binder for school, home or work. You can customize it to fit your needs. It’s non-toxic and can hold a great deal while keeping it all in alignment. With the note tabs, you can easily section off partitions. And, so, my opinion on binders has changed to positive. Good work, Avery for making such an enjoyable, usable and very helpful product.

And yes, I am an office supply junkie. I admit it.  The smell of new paper, the feel of the pens and discovering all their colors, the new notebooks before the first word is written. I really love checking out Shoplet.com because of their great selection and they have so many of my favorites.

You can find all the above-mentioned Avery products, as well as other office supplies at Shoplet.com. You can also follow Shoplet on Twitter and Facebook for news and fun, promotions and products. They also have a great Shoplet blog with new products, giveways, reviews and creative challenges!

Disclosure: The above-mentioned office supplies were sent for review by Shoplet.com but all the opinions herein are my own.

 

     I just recently found out about Brothers All-Natural fruit crisps. The brothers Matt and Travis Betters, looking to make tasty food that’s good for you, took into account portion size, calorie count and healthy choices when making their snacks. They source fresh fruit from around the globe and freeze-dry it into thin and tasty chip-like “crisps”. And since many today have food allergies, these crisps are processed at a facility that does not manufacture any products with nuts, dairy, soy or wheat. Freeze-dried fruit retains virtually all of the nutrition of the fresh fruit, including the natural enzymes so they are great for any time of year.

I’m quite impressed with the stats:

Brothers-All-Natural Fruit Crisps are 100 percent real fruit, peeled, sliced and gently freeze-dried into a light, flavorful chip-like “crisp” – all made with no added sugar or preservatives. Fruit Crisps contain zero grams of fat and sodium plus only 30-80 calories per serving (depending upon the fruit).
Their products are also peanut/tree nut free, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, wheat free, non-GMO, vegan and kosher.

But, how do they taste? They had different textures, but all were quite tasty. The peaches and apples were softer and had good fruit flavor, and, my personal favorite, the strawberry-banana were crispier and really delicious. I also really like the pineapple. Each bag contains approximately 25% of a whole pineapple and are super-convenient.

Brothers All-Natural Fruit Crisps are available in eleven flavors, including:

Fuji Apple, Apple-Cinnamon, Banana, Strawberry-Banana, Asian Pear, White and/or Yellow Peach, Pineapple, Strawberry, Organic Strawberry, Mixed Berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry) and, the latest addition, Mandarin Orange.

These are great for toddlers, kids, teens, and adults – really for any age – and you can easily take them in the car or on the go. They even have a selection of Disney packaged products for kids. They also make potato crisps. 

February’s Fruit of the Month is Pineapple which means all pineapple is 15% off this month!

You can check out the Website here.
You can also follow them and find special offers on their Facebook page and on Twitter.

Right now you can SAVE $11 on Two 24-Packs (which contain 48 servings of fruit). This is their “BUY ONE, GET ONE 50% OFF” Sale on all 24-Packs.

Check out http://www.brothersallnatural.com/healthy-heart-month/

Coupon code: HeartHealth
(good thru the end of Feb 2012)

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

 My New Year’s resolution to eat healthier got much easier after I discovered Simply 7 Snacks. I have to admit that’s one area where it’s not been that easy — finding healthy snacks that taste really good as well.

These are pretty addictive though! Super crispy and flavorful, it’s hard to put them down ;).

Simply 7 Snacks are made in Houston, Texas, located close to a port to easily get authentic ingredients from around the world.

At Simply 7, they’re committed to making great-tasting, wholesome snacks, wanting chips that are both delicious and nutritious. All of their snacks are made according to their “7 Core Standards“ :

1. 0 Grams Trans Fat
2. No Artificial Colors or Flavors
3. No Preservatives
4. Gluten Free Ingredients
5. All Natural Recipes
6. Simple Ingredients
7. Simpy Delicious

So, what do they taste like you ask? Well, when I first heard that Simply 7 made Hummus Chips and Lentil Chips, I wasn’t sure. But, they far surpassed my wildest expectations. Light, fluffy, crisp and satisfying, they are full of flavor and natural goodness. And they taste amazing! For some reason, I thought they might have a heavier taste, but not at all. Instead, they are really light and something I feel good after eating.

Check out the flavors they come in:

Lentil Bruschetta
Lentil Sea Salt
Lentil Creamy Dill

Hummus Tomato Basil
Hummus Spicy Chili Pepper

Hummus Sea Salt

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but mine is the Lentil Creamy Dill. It’s like taking a delicious light chip and dipping it in tzatziki, a taste I remember well from Greece. Tzatziki is yogurt-based with cucumber and dill and I’ve never found a chip that captured the taste so well. They just melt in your mouth. All the chips are Non-GMO and the Lentil Chips have 40% less fat than potato chips.

But, that’s not to say the others aren’t delicious, because the Lentil Bruschetta is quite amazing as well. These chips really remind me of bruschetta itself with tomato, basil and veggies. How do they get so much flavor in there and be so natural? It’s a delicious mystery to me. This flavor is also Vegan.

The Lentil Sea Salt is Vegan as well and you get more of the delicious lentil taste shining through with just a pinch of sea salt. These are really good with Hummus dip, Spinach and Avocado Dip or straight from the bag.

My favorite of the Hummus chips is the Hummus Spicy Chili Pepper. The Hummus chips have 50% less fat than potato chips and the Chili has a nice smoky flavor. They are spicy but not too spicy. They really satisfy!

The Hummus Tomato Basil and Hummus Sea Salt are delightful as well.

I was really thrilled to receive this cornucopia of savoriness to review and the wonderful folks at Simply 7 are offering one of my readers a case full as well so you can snack to your heart’s delight. Each flavor of chip has a specific dip recipe on the back of the package that would pair great with that chip. You can see other recipes on their website and mix-and-match to find out what combination you really like.

You will get:

You can find Simply 7 at Amazon or check out the store locator on their website to see where they are sold.

Connect with them here!

Simply7 Snacks Website   (You can also grab a $1 off coupon there)
Facebook
Twitter

Just follow the Rafflecopter and best of luck!

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Disclosure: I was provided samples by the sponsor for review but the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

  On my travels online, one of the best places I’ve found is Bella Viva Orchards.  And, for those who haven’t heard of them yet, I’d love to introduce them to you.

Located in Northern California, you can find the Martino family’s sustainable orchards. They produce amazingly delicious fresh and dried fruit, nuts and chocolate. From there, they are sold at local farmer’s markets, select restaurants and, luckily for us, online to customers across the country. Bella Viva takes extreme care to produce the highest quality and they supervise everything themselves, from growing to packaging and delivery.

Bella Viva means beautiful long life in Italian and the orchards were named for the Martino daughters, Vivian and Belle.

Martha Stewart featured Bella Viva as her “secret source” for holiday host gifts after discovering them at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market in San Francisco and it’s clear to me why. You can check out her video and see some of their delicious and beautiful dried fruit here .

Bella Viva is incredibly kind and generous and sent me some of their dried fruits to taste.

I received:

organic dried white nectarines
organic dried pears
organic dried persimmons
and fabulous dried orange slices

They were all gorgeously packaged and beautiful to look at, like little works of art, but the best part was looking at the ingredients and seeing simply: Persimmons, pears, or nectarines — no preservatives, no sugar added. And, let me just say that the taste was utterly amazing, so sweet, so delicious, better than any candy I’ve ever had. While some women may want jewelry or flowers for Valentine’s Day, I’d be thrilled with Bella Viva dried fruit or their chocolate covered fruit! It’s really that good and I love the fresh healthy taste. It’s like no other dried fruit I’ve ever found. They make an amazing snack at any time and can also be used in recipes. The orange slices are my favorite so far. I really love oranges and these bring all the flavor. I put them in my tea also. Fabulous!

And, now that Valentine’s Day is almost here, Bella Viva kindly sent me a special treat:

Simply irresistable Organic Dark Chocolate Cherries

Now, these are not those treacly sweet liquidy things from the drugstore.
These are premium Organic Dried Bing Cherries grown on the Bella Viva Orchards dipped in rich luscious organic dark chocolate. They are good sized cherries, moist with a bit of tartness. The sweet chocolate mixed with the tart cherries created an explosion of joy for my tastebuds. 

If you’re searching around for an interesting Valentine’s Day present, Bella Viva Organic Dark Chocolate Cherries make great gifts as they are beautifully packaged in 8 oz. gift bags. 

And, because they are so cool and so generous, Bella Viva has offered one of my readers the chance to win a bag of these delicious Organic Dark Chocolate Cherries as well.


Also, they are going to give my readers a 15% discount on anything at Bella Viva Orchards online. Just use the coupon code strangedaze which is good until March 10, 2012. How awesome is that? Check out these fruits – strawberries, apricots, mango, pineapple, apples, plums. I already have my next order in mind! 


You can also order wonderful gift baskets, chocolates, trail mix and nuts.

And check out the, just added, Valentine’s Day specials.


So, to enter, just follow the Rafflecopter and good luck to all!

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Disclosure: I was provided product from the sponsor in order to do this review but all opinions are strictly mine.

As I’ve mentioned before, my family loves 8th Continent Soymilk. We use it in cereal, in coffee and tea and for cooking.  I think it is one of the best tasting soymilks out there and I’ve tried the original, the Vanilla and chocolate flavors. The chocolate is especially yummy.

8th Continent soymilk is low in saturated fat and an alternative for those wishing to avoid lactose and gluten. Also, you can maintain a healthy heart and have a good source of protein and calcium. 8th Continent soymilk also contains vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12. Very healthy and delicious too.

I also wanted to share that they have a new sweepstakes out that is all about “Lookin’ Good and Feelin’ Good”. They are hoping to promote the happiness and healthiness of  their consumers by offering tips and challenges on how to not only be physically healthy, but mentally as well. And, as far as I’m concerned the two go hand in hand.

Until April 17, 2012, you can visit their Facebook Fan Page or website and enter to win the grand prize of a five star luxury resort and spa getaway! How awesome is that! You can also vote on responses in the forums, share feedback and tips and encourage one another. You’ll also receive a $1.00 off 8th Continent Soymilk coupon simply for entering!

In addition to the Grand Prize of an all-expenses paid trip, 10 first prize winners will receive a $2,500 physical education program donation to a school of their choice. Twenty second prize winners will receive a $1,000 physical education program donation and 50 third prize winners will receive a $500 physical education program donation to the school of their choice. Nearly 100 schools will benefit from the participation of Lookin’ Good Feelin’ Good entrants. I think that’s really incredible. My Mom is a teacher and I so respect 8th Continent for giving back to our schools.

Also, you can follow 8th Continent on Twitter and like them on Facebook to get great recipes, craft ideas, coupons, and to keep up to date with the contest! They’re extremely friendly!

And, because they’re so cool, they’ve offered 6 lucky readers of Strange Daze Indeed the chance to win 2 coupons each for free cartons in any flavor they would like.

So, just follow the Rafflecopter and best of luck! There will be 6 winners.

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Disclosure: I received free 8th Continent Soymilk Coupons from the sponsor. The opinions expressed are my own.

Mark Twain once said: “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.”
Here I am in New England and though we have sun some days, others it has been downright chilly. But, one food that is both delicious and warming is Progresso soup! Though I do enjoy them throughout the year, they are also wonderful to help keep my New Year’s resolutions to stay in shape and eat healthy through the colder months.

With 40 delicious soups with 100 calories or less per serving, Progresso Soup has a variety of offerings that help you beat diet boredom and satisfy your taste cravings, while helping you stick to your weight management calorie goals. Progresso soups are packed with hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, rice, meat and vegetables that suit your taste buds and make you feel good about including it in your meal choices. I’m a big fan of the Light Chicken Vegetable Rotini and the Homestyle Vegetable and Rice, and you’ll also find  Zesty! Southestern-Style Vegetable and New England Clam Chowder along with Beef Pot Roast – all at 100 calories or less per serving. Super easy to make for a meal, you can just heat it up in a pot or the microwave. Although I do love to cook, lately it’s harder and harder to fit in meals from scratch and Progresso is a great choice and one my family enjoys.

Are you ready for a new look this New Year?  Progresso is excited to announce the return of their Souper You Contest giving you the chance to win an incredible makeover! By telling Progresso why you deserve a makeover and what you love about their soup, you could have the chance to win an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood this Spring!

• This year, the Souper You Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season´s live finale of NBC´s The Biggest Loser.
• Progresso is asking fans to visit www.SouperYou.com and submit their photo with a brief essay about why they love Progresso soups and why they deserve a makeover, by no later than February 22nd
• Fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th

Also, tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c!

For inspiration, check out this video of the 2011 winner’s experience:

And now for the blog giveaway. You will have a chance to win a Biggest Loser and Progresso Prize pack. One Strange Daze Indeed reader will win (2) VIP coupons for Progresso soup and a Biggest Loser exercise DVD so you can rock your New Year.

So, just follow the simple Rafflecopter form and best of luck!

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Disclosure: The Progresso® Souper You® prize pack, information, coupon, and giveaway have been provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark as well as soup and a dvd for my review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to find an exercise program I can stick with in Winter. Luckily, I met Kristin McGee online, where she is @thebendigirl on Twitter, and she was kind enough to send me four of her outstanding dvds to check out. I’ve been doing yoga for years and more recently got into Pilates, so these are perfect to warm up the New England chill and get me moving!

Since she sent me the dvds, I’ve been working out with them and it’s not hard at all to stick with the routines since I enjoy them. I do feel more limber and especially feel stronger in my core. They give me a great workout and I love Kristin’s friendly and encouraging manner.

Kristin has been a Yoga and Pilates instructor since 1996, and has provided special Yoga classes for athletes who participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah.  Kristin also choreographed and starred in MTV’s first Yoga video as well as MTV’s Power Yoga and MTV’s Pilates videos. Her warm and fresh approach has made her a favorite for celebrity clients and she has been featured as a fitness expert on the CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, NBC’s Today Show, CNN Headline News and Fox News. She is currently a Contributing Editor for Health Magazine and also Fila’s Yoga Ambassador.

So, let’s get to the DVD’s. First of all is BENDIGIRL YOGA. Kristin developed this method to help everyone feel stronger and more alive and it’s based on the belief that exercise can be fun and enjoyable when integrated into our lives.

 From the website: Bendigirl is a unique fusion approach to exercise, as well as a philosophy that embraces change, growth and positivity. Using several methods including yoga, pilates, and strength training, it offers greater benefits and a more efficient workout. It also acknowledges that your needs are different depending on your fitness level, phase in life, or even the day.

The Bendigirl Yoga dvd is yoga for kids done by kids with Kristin and is great if you want to get your children involved. It’s also a workout that anyone can do. Boys, girls, adults…

Frome the website: Bendigirl Yoga is designed not only to get girls in shape, but also to build their confidence and create positive habits that will last a lifetime. With a modern, pop soundtrack featuring all original music, Bendigirl Yoga brings energy and fun to an exercise form that kids (and their mothers) might otherwise consider too boring to take up. McGee’s ability to instruct without condescending helps make this a workout that young women can embrace as their own. 

My take: This is a fun and not too difficult yoga dvd that is very upbeat. It has routines that are easy to learn and there are fun partner poses. Get your kids involved or do it yourself!

The second dvd is POWER YOGA. This is more advanced and for those who perhaps already have been practicing yoga and want to take it to another level. I feel Kristin gives you an accessible workout that will strengthen and challenge you while uniting mind, breath and body. This one will hopefully help me get in bikini shape by next season ;). Kristin’s flexibility, positivity and uplifiting encouragement is inspiring. The dvd has a really nice floor routine as well.

Next up is one of my favorites – YOGATONE presented by Kristin McGee and FILA. I find the direction, photography, and production values somewhat more interesting in this one and really like the background music by Tom Rossi. Kristin uses 5 lb weights in this workout, but what you decide to use is really up to you and the level you are at. The combination of yoga postures and strength training seems to work really well for me. It keeps me intrigued: calming my mind, working my core, challenging my balance, providing cardio and helping my body to become stronger and leaner. Yoga classes wouldn’t work out for me right now and I love that I can do these at home and even increase the challenge over time.

And, my favorite of all is WEIGHT LOSS PILATES. I think it’s because Pilates is my latest passion. It’s funny how so many of the Pilates moves seem completely natural to me and some I’ve even done before I ever knew they were Pilates exercises.

I love this video for the great routines which provide amazing core work, cardio and strengthening. I’m not doing it for the weight loss, but if that is a side benefit, that’s fine too! Kristin has some wonderful warm-ups and cool-downs as well to ease you in and out of the workouts. There are exercises you can do on the go and I often find myself doing some of them when waiting for something to cook on the stove, or waiting in line at the grocery store. I can feel my abs and my core getting stronger and it feels really good. Also, as a bonus with this DVD, you will get a booklet from Cooking Light with tips and recipes for a healthy lifestyle. 

So, my New Year is off to a great start because when I work out and do exercise I enjoy,  I find I feel much better in mind, body and spirit. As I do the Pilates, Yoga and tone, somehow it’s easier to rebound from life’s little curve balls and stay flexible. And Kristin is the epitome of flexible. I’m so glad to have met her.

Kristin is also very generous and has offered a reader of Strange Daze Indeed the same set of videos I received. You will get a set of 4 dvds:

1) Bendigirl Yoga
2) Power Yoga
3) Yoga Tone and
4) Weight Loss Pilates

so that you also can stay fit no matter what the season! The videos are also all available at Kristin’s online shop and at Amazon.com.

Just use the friendly Rafflecopter to enter.

Some helpful links to connect with Kristin:

Her website
Her blog
Kristin’s Facebook
Kristin’s Twitter

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