Tag: General Mills

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Curvy Straws in Big G Cereals – Drink Your Cereal

Parents want to make sure that their children start their mornings off right, nutritionally and mentally. One way to get their day going is with breakfast; and with breakfast being THE MOST important meal of the day why not give them a bit of fun and tastiness.

The fun part of breakfast can now be found with select boxes of Big G cereals containing Big G Curvy Straws that are a fun way to slurp down your morning milk or the leftover goodness of the milk from their cereal! Some of our favorite Big G cereals range from Cheerios, Chex, Kix, and in our prize pack that we received Lucky Charms. Big G cereals can be found on the General Mills site where you can seek out all the various, tasty offerings of Big G cereals. Participating Big G cereals with Curvy Straws include Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese’s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz)  and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz)

Our family loves Big G cereals for the fact that they are made with whole grain as well. So as a parent I know that even though my kids are having a sweet treat with their breakfast they are getting in some whole grain goodness. You can read all about the Whole Grain Nation and how they are playing a role in your children’s cereal and breakfast, or just snag your Big G cereal box while eating and read all about it right on the box like my kids do and they tell me the nutritional values and content.

But rather than me ramble on about the awesomeness of Big G cereals to you, why not enter to win your own Big G cereal prize pack with Curvy Straws, the perfect cereal bowl and more!

In order to enter to win all you need to do is tell me your kids favorite breakfast meal, whether it be cereal, oatmeal, or a full king or queens breakfast.

Earn extra entries by doing the following:

  • Subscribe to my feed
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet daily for an entry: Win a Big G cereal prize pack from @Kariewithak & The Five Fish http://bit.ly/I328Ry
  • Fan The Five Fish, and for each fan you refer you get (2) extra entries

Contest ends May 4th @ 11:59pm Arizona Time (2:59am EST)

The Giveaway, information and Prize pack provided on behalf by General Mills through MyBlogSpark results in the following items, all of which do not influence my opinion:
  • 1 box of a participating Big G cereal
  • 1 Curvy Straw
  • 1 ‘spilt’ milk bowl
  • 2 glow cups
  • 2 tangle toys
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General Mills Grains of Goodness

CLOSED

Every year the weight loss resolutions begin and you hear some odd diet tips, tricks, and suggestions. But the diet science and studies suggest that diets rich in whole grain help maintain a healthy heart, help manage weight, reduce the risk for diabetes and other health issues.

In a national survey, 91 percent of Americans said they want to incorporate more whole grain foods into their diets. In fact, nine out of 10 people in the U.S. still do not eat the minimum recommended daily amount of whole grain (at least three servings, or 48 grams). General Mills is the only leading cereal company to guarantee whole grain in every box, 8 grams of whole grain per serving to be exact. Every day, General Mills´ Big G Cereals – which include Cheerios, Fiber One, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex, Total and Lucky Charms – deliver 35 million servings of whole grain to Americans. Additionally General Mills is reducing the amount of sugar in all of their cereals to provide the same great taste without all the unnecessary extras.
My house is a HUGE fan of Cheerios and most recently Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We love these two because you can eat them as a breakfast cereal or you can snack on them dry which makes for great snacks for the kids anytime during the day. When our house was provided with the General Mills Grains of Goodness prize pack we went and bought a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (since we already had LOTS of Cheerios on hand) and we wanted to try a new flavor of Total from General Mills. We got the Total Blueberry Pomegranate and can I just say, DEE LISH! Absolutely yummy.
So to promote General Mills promise to bring you whole grain in every box of cereal and reduced sugar, The Five Fish and General Mills on behalf of My Blog Spark are giving away this great prize pack for you!
TWO (2) VIP Coupons for Big G cereal products, a breakfast chiller, large cereal mug, & tote bag
Here is how you can win. Tell me how you are adding more whole grain to your diet? Do you know how much whole grain you need daily? Or tell me your favorite General Mills cereal.
(Please leave me your email address if your blogger profile is not public, no email, no winnings.)
Extra Entries:
  • Follow my blog  (3 extra entries for GFC until the contest ends!)
  • Fan The Fish (please re-fan as the previous fan page was all wonky)
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway, unlimited tweet option as long as you do not double comment on this blog for your unlimited tweets: Win General Mills cereal prize pack with @KariewithaK #giveaway http://goo.gl/zM5h Ends 3/6
  • Subscribe to my feed
  • Blog this Giveaway with a link back (Worth 5 entries)
  • Grab my button
  • Add my blog to your text blog roll
CONTEST ENDS MARCH 6TH @ 11:59PM
 
Best of Luck!
*The Five Fish received the above pictured prize pack and in no way are we making any health claims regarding whole grain, in no way was our opinion influenced by the product and we make no claims regarding the product other than the facts stated on the Nutritional Values chart on the product.
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Reward Your School Box Tops for Education & Giveaway

Confession: I am one of THOSE moms. I save all the tabs off of pop cans to send with my son to school. I send in everything the PTO requests for fundraisers (otherwise they might fire me from my Board position) and of course I am a HUGE proponent for effortlessly snipping each and every box top from each and every participating product that prints box tops on the packaging.

Did you know that you can help your local school by sending in those box tops? While the cash amount may seem so menial the numbers slowly begin to add up and build and multiply exponentially. Just since the beginning of the school year my son’s school has been able to generate $500 in box tops for education. $500!! The number is truly huge considering that those funds, went right back into the school for the kids to help pay for field trips and extracurricular’s for the kids. The number makes me beam as a parent to know I am helping to make a difference in my child’s life and education by participating. Plus, what kind of PTO board member would I be if I wasn’t participating.

So when I received notice from MyBlogSpark that they, Kroger brand stores (which I only shop there….because I love my local Fry’s Food…they have AWESOME options) and Box Tops had a campaign to share about Reward Your School I had to share! I first went and shared all the information with the PTO to make sure the parents got the info as well and now, I want to share with you my faithful readers the way you and your child’s school can automatically receive FIVE free box tops just for registering, plus additional offers for MORE box tops on participating purchases. Just visit www.RewardYourSchool.com register and select your personalized offers for additional box tops. Those box tops will automatically go to your school so no worries about clipping additional packages either.

In addition to this great campaign to promote monies for schools I get to share with you a great giveaway on behalf of MyBlogSpark and General Mills for a $25 gift card to Kroger brand stores! Here’s how you can enter to win:  What do you do to help raise monies for your child’s school? Or tell me if you are a closet clipper too for box tops and pop can tabs? (answer this first to be entered)

Extra Entries:

  • Follow my blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway daily: Win $25 GC to Kroger Brand stores and Reward Your School giveaway from @KariewithaK http://bit.ly/aJfIWw
  • Subscribe to my feed
  • Fan The Fish
  • Email a friend this giveaway (2 entries)
  • Blog this giveaway (Worth 5 entries)
  • Leave me a substantial (not a load of horse minutiae) on a NON giveaway and NON review post (Worth 3 entries for each comment on a different post)
CONTEST ENDS FEBRUARY 12TH @ 11:59PM
Best of Luck!
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Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Prize Pack

Over the past eight years, Cheerios has given away more than 40 million children’s books by distributing them free inside cereal boxes and has donated $3.2 million to First Book, their non-profit partner, which provides books to children from low-income families. The program is part of Cheerios’ ongoing commitment to helping parents provide their children with a healthy, nutritional and educational foundation.

Beginning this month, Cheerios is again bringing books to the breakfast table, by providing six million children’s books free inside Cheerios boxes. The books are for children ages 3 to 8 years old, and include a brand new book in the popular “Trucktown” series, available only inside Cheerios boxes. And for the first time, all five books have been specially printed in both English and Spanish. This year’s book offerings from Cheerios – all by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing – are:

Junkyard Fort, written by Jon Scieszka, and illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long and Dave Gordon: Join Gabriella, Jack, Melvin, Ted, Lucy and the other Trucktown characters as they make their own fort, using things found in the junkyard. Ages 4-8.

Tea for Ruby, written by The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser: Wherever Ruby goes, a bit of disaster seems to follow. But one sunny morning, things change when the postman brings Ruby an amazing invitation: would she like to have tea with the Queen? Ruby needs to polish her manners, and quickly. Ages 4-8.

Sleepyhead, written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by John Segal: In this rhythmic bedtime story, a cat is the parent and a teddy bear is the child who doesn’t want to go to bed. All ready for bed with teeth brushed and story read, Sleepyhead teddy tries anything to prolong his bedtime; books and his quilt provide ample fodder for his imagination. Ages 3-7.

Ballyhoo Bay, written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Derek Anderson: Mira Bella, an artist who teaches painting and sculpture, loves Ballyhoo Bay and what it offers: sun, sea, sand, and sky. But one gray day a billboard arrives, announcing an impending development that would take all the fun out of the place. Read along to see if Mira Bella and her art can save the day and Ballyhoo Bay! Ages 4–8.

What’s Under the Bed?, written and illustrated by Joe Fenton: Young Fred cannot stop worrying about the scary creature that might be hiding beneath his bed. Finally summoning the courage to peer under his bed, Fred, with his cumbersome glasses, sees that the only thing there is Ted, his friendly Teddy Bear! Ages 3–7.
[Courtesy of MyBlogSpark and Cheerios (a General Mills Brand)]

We here at The Five Fish LURVE Cheerios. My kids had Cheerios as their first finger foods, my son eats Cheerios for breakfast because of the low sugar content, and who doesn’t just love a handful as a snack on a road trip. In no way did this program affect us, other than the additional reading material we received as part of this wonderful promotion.

DH and I strive to read and sing to our kids all the time. We think reading helps to foster imagination, improve educational strengths, and reading is a fabulous hobby. I mean I blew through the Twilight series in like four days flat. Non stop reading. We want our children to enjoy reading as much as we do and we also encourage Big G to read as much as he can on his own. Especially since he is doing the Harcourt reading program at school!

The Spoonfuls of Stories books we think fit into his Harcourt reading program. The books are great short stories that engage a child and their imagination, not to mention the cool activities at the back of the books. Grant is a HUGE fan of reading on his own now and as a parent the most wonderful feeling is seeing the lights click and the bulb light up when your child begins to read on their own, without the phonetic and parental attempts and assistance. Truly an indescribable feeling. Since he is such a new reader he has lots of fun books to read from educational to story-time books, so no specific favorite just yet. My favorite books as a child were Ramona, The Box Car Children, Charlotte’s Web, and as I got older I became a fan of novels, poetry, prose, and comedies. (Yeah I am a bit of a literary snob at times)

So in an effort to promote a strong educational foundation with reading and healthy eating with Cheerios, The Five Fish are bringing you a Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Prize Pack which also includes a $25 Gift Card to Barnes and Noble!

PRIMARY ENTRY:  Tell me your reading story ritual with your children or maybe the importance of reading in your children’s lives or maybe tell me your favortite character from your favorite book (childhood or otherwise)
(Please make sure you have an email address or your Blogger account is public, I like Sherlock Holmes, but I don’t like to play detective.)


EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Follow my blog (or tell me you do)
  • Follow me on Twitter (or come tell me you do)
  • Tweet this Giveaway “Promoting healthy habits and reading for life with @CheeriosBrand and @KariewithaK, Win a Cheerios Prize Pack http://tinyurl.com/yzy5n3h” (once per day)
  • Technorati fave this blog
  • Enter one of my other giveaways (3 extra entries)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Blog about this giveaway (minimum of 100 words) (worth 5 entries)
 CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 8TH 2009@ MIDNIGHT
Best of luck to you all!
*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE! 
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Honey Kix Giveaway

As I said before school is nearing…..did I mention school starts soon?! Man am I ready for school to start! I can tell you the one thing that really helps Big G is a good breakfast in the morning. A tasty breakfast that I know will fill him up and keep him satisfied until lunch is a great start to any day and helps the little guy focus and stay on task at school. Otherwise…the kid is all over the place mentally, I mean he already is as a kindergartener….but seriously….I need not torture his teachers more. Plus breakfast is the most important meal of the day and helps to regulate your daily and overall blood sugar and well being.

Well the folks over at My Blog Spark must know that we love food in this house, and breakfast is a biggie!

I am not a big cereal fan, I eat Honey Bunches of Oats and Cheerios….es todo (that’s all). But I have to say that Honey Kix is a new favorite! I love a sweet cereal without seeming like a kids cereal that has a TON of sugar and I feel all amped. I mean the last thing we need in this house….is sugar! So a bowl of Honey Kix, a banana or an apple and milk….
Good. To. Go.
Everyone is fed and the day is off to a great start.


So a lucky reader gets to enjoy a box of Honey Kix, just in time for school mornings!!

Breakfast can be a hassle, so take the hassle out of the morning with cereal and a cereal kids, and adults alike will enjoy. Not to mention all the cool stuff that comes with the Honey Kix, courtesy again of the folks @ My Blog Spark and General Mills.

Here are the winning items of this giveaway, and my Big G….LOVES IT!!

  • Free Box of Honey Kix
  • Honey Kix breakfast bowl
  • Travel bowl with freezer safe insulated bottom, 2 pieces (breakfast on the go!)
  • Honey Kix storage container, so your breakfast is stashed in a fashionable tupperware container (and not the gawdy box!)
  • Honey Pot (DH was loving this! We looked everywhere to find one…low and behold…one comes in the mail….prayers answered about honey problem)
So seriously who wouldn’t want to enter this totally cool giveaway! I mean I was absolutely stoked when these items arrived…..I ran over and got the box of cereal to munch on while blogging…..I know shame on me.

Here are the deets:

  • Leave me a comment and tell me how much of a PAIN breakfast (or sometimes a lack thereof) and mornings are before school and your email address for the winnings.
Additional entries:
  • Follow this blog (or tell me you do)
  • Technorati fave me (or tell me you have)
  • Stumble my blog (or tell me you have)
  • Follow me on Twitter (or tell me you do)
  • Tweet this giveaway
  • Fan the Fish on Facebook!
  • Blog about this giveaway, come and tell me you did
Good luck!
CONTEST ENDS AUGUST 5TH 2009 @ 10AM ARIZONA TIME

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Chex Mix Bars Giveaway & Review

Okay, you have seen how I am a professed food junkie. I love food. I love to cook food, eat food, hate food. You saw my post on snacks, everyday you need a snack. Some days though, you want something deep fat fried and smothered in chocolate. You know you do! You, just like me want that sweet, salty, tang, ooey, gooey, crunchy goodness.

Well by golly General Mills made a snack especially for people like me, who want something deep fat fried and smothered in chocolate but you do not want all the guilt, I mean calories associated with a snack that is perfectly delicious.

Here is some great info about Chex Mix and Chex Mix Bars:

Low in fat and cholesterol free, moms love Rice Chex and Corn Chex cereal because they are low in sugar. For more than 60 years, Chex has offered calcium, vitamins and an enjoyable crunch.

Each bar is less than 200 calories and less than 4 grams of fat per serving! (Talk about guiltless snacking right?) Chex Mix Bars come in two flavors Turtle and Chocolate Chunk.

This delicious snack combines crunchy Chex pieces, pretzels and peanuts with chewy and indulgent ingredients like caramel and chocolate. And if that“s not enough, they have less than 150 calories per bar and provide at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving (48 grams recommended daily)! A great combination of the ingredients you love, Chex Mix Bars are a tasty treat that will leave you feeling satisfied and guilt-free!

Now our house was able to test (HA! You mean demolish) two boxes of Chex Mix Bars in Turtle. The ladies and gents over at My Blog Spark must have known that I absolutely LOVE anything with caramel and chocolate. Seriously, my favorite ice cream (next to Mint Chocolate chip) is Baskin Robbins Gold Medal Ribbon, which is vanilla with chocolate and caramel. YUM.

So seriously we receive the boxes like a few days after we demolish the Nature Valley Nut Clusters. Yeah, like I said, we are addicts. But we receive the boxes and that day and for some reason or another I am annoyed about something. I am driving my mad blond self around the house directionally cleaning. So I am like a street sweeper right, picking up stuff that will only get tossed around again by the gnomes. Pointless. But nonetheless cleaning. DH is snacking on one of these bars. The annoyed level goes to an all time as he is smacking on those things, just oozing how fabulous they are. Right, I pass on trying one. STUBBORN! ASS! I should have ripped it out of his hot little hands and munched on it!

Chex Mix Bars Turtle are my slice of heaven. I for one am not a fan of bars of anything. I rarely eat granola bars again for the mess, or candy bars for the guilt. Again, H-E-A-V-E-N!! So here is the skinny:

Me: They are crunchy without being too crunchy and not too squishy or sticky like some candy bars are and not too crunchy like granola where you have crumbs everywhere making you look like that Rock eating monster from The Neverending Story. (You know which one right?) I feel satisfied without feeling guilty or like I need to spend an extra hour RUNNING my tail down to work off those extra chocolate calories. Plus, LOW IN FAT! They have a few grams of protein, not a massive amount of sugar, and fiber. We all need fiber.

DH: “OMG have you tried these? Seriously take a bite? THOSE ARE FREAKING SO DAMN GOOD! They have to be illegal. Do they have them in the store, can you go buy some more?”

Yeah he is super easy. I think he said the same thing about the nuts too. Anyway, I love them, Big G loves them the Squids even had some nibbles and walked off lip smacking too which is a sign that The Fish family enjoyed the Chex Mix Bars.

Now all the cool and fabulous deets about this tasty giveaway. I am pleased to announce that I will be giving away SIX (6) boxes total of these Chex Mix Bars to three of my readers. So each of the three winners will receive TWO (2) lip smacking goodness boxes to enjoy in your home.

Here is my question to you and the fun part of the giveaway:
How do you indulge? What is your guilty pleasure?

 

Leave me a comment tell me your guilty pleasure, along with your email addy.

 

NO EMAIL ADDY, NO CHANCE TO WIN! NO SNACKS FOR YOU!

 

So please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I have a way to tell you “Hey, you won! I get to send you some really awesome swag!”

Okay, the rules:

  • Tell me “How do you indulge? What is your Guilty pleasure!?”

Now these are all extra credit: (Thank you Eileen for pointing out the error of my ways)

  • Follow my blog, or tell me you already do
  • Follow me on Twitter, or tell me you already do
  • Tweet this giveaway, come back and tell me you did
  • Subscribe to my blog, (I check so no cheats! Or tell me you already do)
  • Grab my button
  • Fave my blog on Technorati, or tell me you already have
  • Stumble this blog, or tell me you already have (Many thanks to Leslie on the new found info about SU TOS….which we think is LAME!)
  • Blog about this giveaway and tell me you did (Worth 5 entries, leave a comment for each)
  • Become a Fan of The Fish on Facebook!
GOOD LUCK!!

 

~~~~~~CONTEST ENDS JULY 16TH @ MIDNIGHT AZ TIME~~~~~~~
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Nature Valley Nut Clusters Snack Review

The folks at My Blog Spark sent me these snacks. Now I am a huge food lover! I do. I love food, I hate what food does to me sometimes (the waistline), but I love my food. What I hate are snacks. Snacks are evil. Snacks are hard to find that are healthy without being completely bland, make you want to gag, blah! I received the box and when I opened the shipping package I knew I was in trouble.

DH was standing right there. He has eyes like a hawk for food.The packages were swooped up like a newborn being carried off by the stork.

Before I get into too much detail about how we Fish snacked on these packages, lets present the facts, some information on My Blog Spark and Nature Valley:

My Blog Spark
MyBlogSparkâ„¢ is a fun and exciting program that gives you access to exclusive offers, sampling opportunities, prizes to give away to your readers, surveys, and events where you can meet up with fellow bloggers.

Nature Valley
A General Mills brand. Nature Valley created the granola bar category in 1975. Today’s lineup includes great-tasting Sweet & Salty Nut, Chewy Trail Mix and Heart Healthy chewy granola bars that are a good source of fiber. Nature Valley also provides consumers with cereal that is bursting with crunchy chunks of granola bars.

General Mills also enriches people’s lives around the world with programs such as Eat Better America and Nourishing Lives, by innovating a way to make people’s lives healthier, easier, and richer.

So now that you have all the fabulous deets on these folks here is the skinny on the snacks:


Nature Valley Nut Clusters come in four different nut cluster flavors for each type of nut and granola lover you may be. Right did I not mention that? These are great little nut and GRANOLA clusters, so the protein of the nut without all the extra calories that you get from eating a handful of nuts! Fantastic right?!

So the four flavors that did not survive a week in my home are: Nature Valley Honey Roasted Peanut Nut Cluster, Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond (one of my favorites….fights PMS too ladies!) and finally Roasted Cashew.

My take: I love that they are these bite size, and I truly mean perfect bite sized snacks that you just pop in your mouth. Some granola snacks get to be messy and fall apart or you have those nasty, salty, sugary, greasy feel from handling nuts (no pun intended there!) leaving you feeling yucky and regretful for eating all those calories. Plus the kids….LOVE THEM. They are perfect for their little hands and very little to no mess and no worries about choking on nut pieces, the nut pieces are small enough their little mouths can handle them. Score! No Heimlich in my house.

The DH’s Review: “You gonna get any more of these? How about you buy some when you get to the store next time? I mean these things are just sinful!” As he stands in the middle of the pantry popping them in his mouth like they are about to disintegrate. in his hot little hands.

Now everything else is up to you whether you are a fan of granola. Are you a fan of nuts? How about both? Have you ever wanted to incorporate both say into a snack, or a dish, these would be great with vanilla ice cream, maybe some yogurt, a salad maybe. What would you do with your Nature Valley Nut Cluster Snacks? Would you devour them like we did or get creative?