Chobani Review & Giveaway Ends 7/9/11 at 7 PM EST

Review:

I received a case of Chobani yogurt to review.  This yogurt is amazing.  It tastes great and it's got a lot of protein to keep you feeling full longer.  My favorite part about the yogurt is the size of the cup.  It's larger than the yogurt cup size that I am used to.  I really enjoyed the lemon, mango, strawberry banana and the pineapple flavors.  Honey was my brother's favorite.  Everyone really enjoyed these yogurts.  I put low fat granola in the plain yogurt and it tasted great.  It was perfect for a filling breakfast.  It held me over until lunch.  I was not hungry until I ate lunch, which is amazing.  I often get hungry around 10 in the morning.

From their website:
We make Chobani Greek Yogurt deep in the rolling hills of Central New York. Our expert team is committed to bringing you products made with only natural ingredients that are not just the highest quality but taste great too.  Here at Chobani, our secret isn't an ingredient but a passion and love for what we do…and a man who goes by the name of Mustafa.  Mustafa Dogan is Chobani’s Master Yogurt Maker. He’s an artisan armed with years of yogurt-making experience and is responsible for crafting the rich, deliciousness that is Chobani.
Mustafa custom blends special yogurt cultures just for Chobani. These special cultures are added to our milk which is then strained  with care to create yogurt that's outrageously creamy, and ridiculously high in protein.
This unique straining process is what makes Chobani Greek Yogurt “Greek” and full of flavor and health benefits:
·      Only natural ingredients. Free of preservatives and artificial flavors.
·      Free of synthetic growth hormones. (Milk from cows not treated with rBST)
·      Includes 5 live & active cultures, including 3 probiotics.
·      Made with real fruit.
·      Twice the protein of regular yogurts.
·      A good source of bone-building calcium.
·      Gluten-Free and Kosher-Certified.
·      Safe for people with corn, nut and soy allergies.
Did you know it takes three pounds of milk to make just one pound of Chobani? Click here to visit our FAQ section where you can learn more about our delicious ingredients.
If we've intrigued you, give it a spoon! Click here for money-saving offers.

Giveaway - Chobani has offered a case of assorted flavors to a winner on my blog.

In order to enter you must be a follower of my blog on gfc.

Entry Options (You can do one or as many as you like, leave a comment for each one you do)  Leave your email address if it's not visible in your blogger profile.

1 - Like Chobani on Facebook, put your facebook name in your comment.

2 - Follow Chobani on twitter, put your twitter name in your comment.

3 - Email subscribers to my blog get another entry, new subscribers or old, just leave a comment saying you subscribe via email.

4 - Like Let's Eat 2 Day on facebook, leave your facebook name in the comment.

5  - Follow me on twitter, leave your twitter name in your comment.

6 - Go to Chobani's website and come back with a flavor you want to try or a fact you learned while on their website.

So you can enter up to six times.  Leave a separate comment for each entry you complete.  Winner will be selected using random.org.  I will email the winner and they will have 72 hours to respond with shipping information.  Contiguous US only.  Giveaway ends 7/9/11 at 7 PM EST.

lilyk said... 192

I follow you on Facebook under the username likwan.

July 9, 2011 12:15 PM  

Tortuga Rum Cake Company Review & Giveaway Ends 7/8/11 at 7 PM EST

Tortuga Rum Cake Company sent me two 4 oz cakes to try.  I received the Original and the Chocolate rum cakes to review.

Chocolate 16oz Rum Cake 
Our Famous Tortuga "Chocolate" Rum Cakes are baked fresh daily in the Cayman Islands. We use only the finest ingredients in our famous rum cakes The only preservative used is our specially blended "5 year old", oak barrel aged Tortuga Gold Rum. Each cake is individually hand glazed then vacuum packed, ensuring a shelf life of 6 months, or indefinitely if refrigerated or frozen.

Original Golden Rum Cake with walnuts 16oz
Our most popular flavor! Tortuga "Original Golden" Rum Cakes with walnuts are baked fresh daily in the Cayman Islands. We use only the finest ingredients in our famous rum cakes The only preservative used is our specially blended "5 year old", oak barrel aged Tortuga Gold Rum. Each cake is individually hand glazed then vacuum packed, ensuring a shelf life of 6 months, or indefinitely if refrigerated or frozen.
We had the chocolate rum cake first.  It was amazing.  I haven't had a chocolate rum cake before.  I shared with my parents and we all enjoyed the run cake.  It was moist and sweet and tasted like chocolatey goodness.  I am very impressed with the Tortuga Rum Cake Company.  They are a wonderful company.  We had the original rum cake next.  This was our favorite.  We really loved the walnuts and the taste of rum and the texture of the rum cake.

Giveaway - One person will win a 16 oz Tortuga Rum Cake! 

You must be a follower on gfc to enter.
Mandatory Entry:
Go to Tortuga Rum Cake Company's website and come back and tell me what kind of cake you would like to try.  Leave a comment with your email if it' snot visible in your blogger profile.

Extra Entries:
You can connect with Tortuga on Facebook.  Leave a comment with your facebook name and that you like them on facebook.

You can follow them on twitter.  Leave a comment with your twitter name and that you like them on twitter.

Email subscribers for my blog get an additional entry.  Just leave a comment that you are an email subscriber.

Like me on facebook for an additional entry, leave a comment with your facebook name.

Follow me on twitter for an additional entry, leave a comment with your twitter name.

You can enter up to six times.  Only the mandatory entry is required.  I will select a winner using random.org.  I will email the winner and they will have 72 hours to respond to my email.  The prize will come directly from the sponsor.  Giveaway Ends 7/8/11 at 7 PM EST.

Pat said... 44

I'd love to try the Coconut Rum Cake pbabcock2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

July 1, 2011 4:51 PM

 Pat is the winner.  I just sent an email and I need a response within 72 hours.  Thanks for reading and participating.  Enjoy your rum cake.

GourmetGiftbaskets.com Review & Giveaway Ends 7/7/11 at 7 PM EST

GourmetGiftBaskets.com sent me a Classic Snack Gift Basket to review and they have offered the same gift basket to a winner from my blog.

From their website:
"Our best-selling snack gift basket comes with a host of award-winning gourmet snack foods that are sure to satisfy any taste bud! Designed to be perfect for one but enough for a group, all the items inside are share-friendly and utterly delicious! They'll love the raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip, gourmet dipping pretzels, key lime white chocolate chip cookies, almond pecan crunch, peanuts, trail mix, buttered pecan crunch, peanut roll, organic coconut bar and cheese biscuits! Our snack gift baskets are the perfect gift for any occasion and are the safest bet for when you are not sure what to send! Don't take a chance, send this snack gift basket from GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Your snacks basket will arrive on time and we guarantee they'll love it! "

This gift basket includes the following items:
· Dipping Pretzels by East Shore Specialty Foods - 6 oz. - East shore is known for their plump and salts pretzel sticks which are meant for dipping.
· Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip by Robert Rothschild Farm - 7.8 oz. - This Robert Rothschild pretzel dip is a delicious blend of juicy raspberries, clover honey and tangy mustard. Not only does it have a distinctive flavor, but it's also all natural. Kosher and gluten free.
· Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Brent & Sam's - 7 oz. - Made from scratch, these cookies have a crunchy style and are tangy yet sweet to the taste. The key lime flavor is perfectly balanced out by the sweetness of the white chocolate chips.
· Almond Pecan-dy Crunch by Morley Candy Makers - 9.25 oz. - This gourmet popcorn by Morley Candy Makers is renowned for being one of the best. With whole almonds and pecans, the irresistible buttery toffee evenly coats every bite.
· Salted Peanuts in Box by Feridie's - 7 oz. - Feridie's uses only the best of Virginia's peanuts, the top 2% of the crop each year. Once picked, they are roasted in pure peanut oil and salted to perfection.
· Petite Cheese Biscuits by Salem Baking Co. - 1.5 oz. - This beautiful tin is filled with savory, bite-sized biscuits that are baked with finely milled wheat flour and extra-sharp aged cheddar cheese. They are accented with the delicate crunch of toasted rice and a hint of cayenne and paprika.
· Metropolitan Trail Mix by GourmetGiftBaskets.com - 4 oz. - Our metropolitan mix is all natural and contains exotic fruit like papaya and pineapples as well as raisins, cranberries and bananas. It also has whole peanuts, almonds and pepitas.  It's a natural and delicious snack!
· Buttered Peanut Crunch by Old Dominion Peanut Company - 10 oz. - These peanut squares by Old Dominion can be found in all of our snack gift basket made with a bit of brown sugar and only the freshest grade AA butter. These ingredients combined with lightly salted peanuts makes for a scrumptious and crunchy treat.
· Peanut Roll by Dillon Candy Co. - 3 oz. - Dillion Candy starts their roll with a fluffy nougat center which is covered by a distinct layer of caramel and is then rolled in lightly salted peanuts. This amalgam of texture and flavors makes for the most delectable of peanut rolls.
· Coconut Bar by Oskri Organics - 2.2 oz. - This bar is 100% organic made of only fresh coconut and rice syrup. It has a delicious crunch and is sure to satisfy any coconut lover; that's why you'll find it in our gourmet snack foods baskets.

The basket arrived in a nice box and it was packaged nicely.  It arrived safe and looking great with a ribbon around it and plastic wrap on it.  We immediately opened it up and tried the peanut roll.  I haven't ever had a peanut roll like this before.  The fluffy nougat center is amazing.  I really enjoyed this peanut roll.  The almond pecan-dy crunch was what we had as an afternoon snack the next day.  We all really enjoyed this.  It was fresh and sweet and crunchy goodness.  We enjoyed each and every item in this gift basket.  They were all fresh and great tasting.  I know that any recipient would be happy to get this gift basket for any occasion.

Giveaway:


You must follow my blog via GFC to enter.  Put your email in your comment if it's not visible on your blogger profile.

Mandatory Entry - 
Like the sponsor on Facebook and post on their wall the link to another item they sell that you want to try.  Come back here and leave a link to your comment on facebook.

Extra Entries -

Follow the sponsor on twitter, come back here and post a comment with your twitter name.

Email subscribers to my blog get an additional entry, just post that you are an email subscriber in a comment.

Follow me on twitter, leave a comment with your twitter name and that you follow me on twitter.

Like my blog on facebook, leave a comment here that you like my blog on facebook with your facebook name.

Tweet about this giveaway, you can only do this once, leave the link to your tweet in your comment.


You can enter up to six times.  Only the first entry is mandatory.  You must complete that entry in order for any of the others to count.  I will use random.org to select the winner and email them.  Winner will receive the same gift basket I reviewed directly from the sponsor.  Continental US only.  I will need shipping information within 72 hours after I send the winner the winning notification email.  Giveaway ends 7/7/11 at 7 PM EST.

Thank you for reading and entering giveaway if you choose to.
\

Katharina said... 23

I am already an email subscriber. Katharina angelsandmusic[at]gmail[dot]com

July 4, 2011 11:21 AM  

 

Congratulations!  Winner selected and emailed.  

Protein Bakery Review & Giveaway - Ends 7/6/11 at 7 PM EST

The Protein Bakery sent me a wonderful selection to try and review.  I have really enjoyed each and every product that I had the pleasure of trying.  They are fresh and great tasting.  They are also very filling which is great for a sweet treat.

First I tried the Black and White Brownie.

We took an old-fashioned brownie and gave it a lot of character. Decadent? Yes! This smooth and rich chocolatey brownie is sprinkled with loads of milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. Indulge your palate with this whey protein-filled, wheat-free treat.

This brownie is wonderful.  I enjoyed every bite.  I felt really full after eating it.   I even let my Mom have a bite and she loved it as well.

Next I tried the Peanut Butter Brownie.

I have always loved peanut butter and chocolate, there is no better combination to me.  I love everything peanut butter and I love everything chocolate, when you put the two together you have the best combination.  This was not exception to that rule, I loved this brownie.

A truly delectable combination, we've added creamy layers of the richest peanut butter to our best dressed whey protein brownie. Before baking we swirl just enough peanut butter into our low in gluten, wheat free brownie batter which creates a bounty of heavenly flavor. So happy together.

The Coconut Walnut Dark Chocolate Chip Blondie was my next treat.

Think of our classic, chocolate chip brownie, sprinkled with the snow of the season…the snow of flaky, fresh coconuts, drizzled in toasty flakes on top of our rich, classic brownie. Here by popular demand this new brownie is flying off the shelves…try one and experience the gooey goodness for yourself.

I had this with a cup of coffee this morning for breakfast.  This is a great treat.  I enjoyed it and I feel really full.  I know this will hold me over until lunch.

The Chocolate Chip Blondie was great. 

Its light, fluffy texture and rich taste make it our founder's favorite. Probably it's the soothing taste of butterscotch or maybe it's the scrumptious chocolate chips sitting on top, taste it for yourself and see. An undeniably gourmet low gluten, wheat free blondie!
I received two colossal cookies to try.  These cookies really are colossal, they are enough to share!

The Colossal Trail Mix Cookie was the one I tried first. 

A hearty blend of whey protein, rolled oats, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut, and fresh cinnamon. This abundant all natural cookie is perfect for your next outdoor hike. This scrumptious creation will give you the quick boost you need with sustained energy to keep you moving. Treat yourself to nature’s candy!
I let my Mom try the Colossal Chocolate Cherry Cookie because I do not like cherry.  She loved it.  She shared with my Dad because it's so huge and he enjoyed it as well.  My Dad is not a huge fan of sweets, but he really did enjoy this cookie.

Sometimes bigger is better! These delicious whey protein filled, wheat free cookies are made with the finest baker's chocolate, top-quality dried cherries and semisweet chocolate chips. All with a BIG kick of home-style bakery cherry goodness. Nothing but HUGE flavor! Big, Balanced and Better!

Then I tried the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie 2 Pack.  These were delicious.  One is a nice treat.  Two is almost a meal.  These cookies are so filling and great tasting.  I love the oatmeal chocolate chip combination.

A delectable twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. A hearty whey protein cookie packed with that homemade chocolate chip taste complimented with just the right touch of cinnamon. The perfect way to fill the void between a workout and your next meal. An all natural, low gluten, wheat free cookie...good to the last crumb.

The Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie is so good.  I haven't ever had an oatmeal cranberry cookie before. 

An original old blend of whey protein, rolled oats, dried cranberries and fresh cinnamon make these cookies perfect any time of the day. Try them with your favorite cup of gourmet coffee, tea or chai. Low gluten, wheat free cookies with whey protein and the tart kick of real cranberries. A guiltless pleasure.

The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies were delicious.  I love peanut butter and chocolate.  These cookies are my favorite new treat!

This whey protein filled and wheat free cookie as the perfect balance of peanut butter and chocolate in a cookie. The first recipe created by the Protein Bakery and still one of our most popular. This whey protein cookie has captured top honors from celebrity bites that include David Letterman, Rosie O'Donnell...

The Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie was the last one that I tried.  I enjoyed these as well.  They are so chocolatey and good. The quality of these sweet treats is amazing, off the charts!

These delicious, all natural chocolate chocolate chip cookies are made with the finest baker's chocolate, top-quality whey protein and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Decadent by chocolate —more taste, more chocolate, more protein. Wheat and guilt free!

As you can tell these are all great tasting treats that you can feel good about eating.  I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to try these out.  I am in love with The Protein Bakery!

They are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Giveaway

The Protein Bakery has offered to send a sampler (ARV $45) to a winner from my blog.  To enter you must follow my blog on gfc.

There is no mandatory entry, you can do as many of the following as you choose to enter, just leave a seperate comment for each entry you do.  Put your email address in your entry if it's not visible on your blogger profile.

Like them on facebook, leave a comment with your facebook name.

Follow them on twitter. leave a comment with your twitter name.

Subscriber to their channel on youtube leave a comment with your youtube username.

Go to their site and find something that I haven't reviewed that you want to try, leave a comment with the name of the product you want to try.

Subscribers to my blog get an additional entry, just tell me that you are an email subscriber and the email address you subscribe with.

Like my blog on facebook, leave a comment with your facebook name.

Follow me on twitter, leave a comment with your twitter name.

There are a total of six ways to enter, you can do one or all or some number in between, it's up to you.

The giveaway will end on 7/6/11 at 7:00 PM EST.  I will use random.org to select a winner and email them.  Winner will have 72 hours to respond to my email with their shipping information.  Sponsor will mail the prize to the winner, USA only please, NO PO BOXES.

Thank you for reading my blog and entering.

cdziuba said... 33

Wicked Mint Brownie That;s the one I like. I LOVE the site, the Colossal cookies rule!

June 28, 2011 4:03 PM

The winner has been selected and emailed, they have 72 hours to respond with shipping information.  Thank you for reading and participating.  Congrats to the winner!

Michael Bolton Gems The Duet Collection Album Review & Giveaway Ends 7/5/11 at 7PM EST

GRAMMY AWARD WINNING AND MULTI PLATINUM RECORDING
ARTIST MICHAEL BOLTON
SET TO RELEASE A BRAND NEW ALBUM

GEMS – THE DUETS COLLECTION

IN STORES JUNE 21, 2011

San Diego, CA -- Michael Bolton, one of the music industry’s most successful and
accomplished recording artists, announced today he will release his 21st studio album titled
Gems – The Duets Collection on June 21, 2011. The new album, to be released on Sony
Music/Legacy Recordings, will feature productions by acclaimed songwriters, producers and
musicians including David Foster, Dann Huff, Rudy Peréz and A.R. Rahman. The album will be
available for pre-purchase on www.michaelbolton.com.

Gems – The Duets Collection includes exciting musical collaborations with Grammy Award®-
Winning Country Super Group, Rascal Flatts, Oscar Award®-Winning Composer\Producer,
A.R. Rahman, International Pop Superstar, Seal, Australian singing sensation, Delta Goodrem,
and the famed late vocalist Eva Cassidy.

“It was an incredibly rewarding experience recording this album,” says Bolton. “The opportunity
to work with legendary talent like David Foster, Dan Huff, AR Rahman and some of the absolute
greatest singers and recording artists in the entire world was inspiring. I can’t wait to share the
special music we all created with the world.”

"We heard that Michael wanted to write something with us. We all kept telling ourselves, ‘It's
like, Michael Bolton! Come on - he's one of the greatest singers on the planet," say Rascal
Flatts. “He wanted to get the whole band involved and make this thing really fresh and new. It
was just so cool that we had a chance to get together and write this killer song called ‘Love is
Everything.’”

David Foster cooked up a duet featuring Michael singing "When a Man Loves a Woman" and
Seal joining in with James Brown's "It's a Man's, Man’s, Man’s World." Foster says, "I woke up
at 6 AM one morning with the idea that these two songs could go together, with these two great
voices from different genres, and they embraced it. This is a powerful, powerful moment. It's a
real shootout, and it's impossible to say who wins, because they're both so amazing."

“When I first met Michael, we got to talking about music, philosophy, the universe, and many
things that we had in common,” shares A.R. Rahman. “I wanted Michael to do a bit of singing
that he’s never done before, without compromising on his musicality.”
“He’s a very great human being and we had a lot of fun,” Chris Botti says. “There aren’t singers
like Michael anymore. He can sing anything from classical music to jazz to something like [“You
Are So Beautiful”], it’s so unbelievably soulful.”

A full track listing for Gems - The Duets Collection is below.

“Love Is Everything” feat. Rascal Flatts
“Fields of Gold” feat. Eva Cassidy
“Sajna” feat. A.R. Rahman
“Pride (In The Name Of Love)” feat. Anne Akiko Meyers
“I’m Not Ready” feat Delta Goodrem
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” feat. Paula Fernandes
“When A Man Loves a Woman\It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” medley feat. Seal
“The Prayer” feat. Lara Fabian
“You Are So Beautiful” feat. Chris Botti
“Make You Feel My Love” feat. Helene Fischer
“Hallelujah” feat. The Michael Bolton Children’s Choir
“Steel Bars” feat. Orianthi

Michael Bolton has been touring extensively for the past year and performed to capacity crowds
in countries around the world including China, France, England, Germany, Romania, Canada,
Portugal, Spain and several dozen dates in the United States. After a hugely successful
Valentine’s Day concert with fellow Grammy Award®-Winner, Kenny G, the two performers
announced additional tour dates together including a show at the Beacon Theater in New York
City.

Review
I received this album in the mail to review.  I listened to it on the way to work today.  I have a long commute so I had time to review the whole album on the way to work.  I thoroughly enjoyed each and every song on the album.  My favorite track was "Fields of Gold".  I will listen to this again on the way home to get a better feel for it, but it's going to remain in my car for now.  I really enjoy Michael Bolton and this album is one of my favorites from him so far.

Giveaway

Sony Music provided me with the album to review and they are also providing a copy for a giveaway.

Mandatory Entry:
You must be a follower of my blog to enter.

Tell me which track you think will be your favorite in a comment, include your email address if it's not visible in your blogger profile.

Giveaway will end 7/5/11 at 7:00 PM EST.  Sony will mail the album directly to the winner.  I will use random.org to select a winner from the eligible entries.  I will email the winner and they will have 72 hours to respond to that email with their mailing information so that I can get it to the sponsor.

Thank you for reading and participating.

The album was sent to me to review by Sony, the opinions are my own.

Atreau said... 24

GFC follower: Atreau. I would love Fields of Gold.

July 5, 2011 1:39 PM

 Congratulations to the winner!  I have emailed the winner and need a response within 72 hours so that I can get the prize to them.

Thank you for reading and participating.

Smiley Sugar Cookies from Eat'n Park Review

I received a box with Smiley Sugar Cookies from Eat'n Park in the mail on Monday.  I couldn't wait to try these cookies.  I love sugar cookies and these are peanut free cookies.  These sugar cookies are amazing.  I wasn't expecting them to be so big.  One is a perfect snack.  They are large sugar cookies with an icing on top.  I loved every bite.  The sugar cookie is soft and tastes great.  They do not fall apart though.  These would be great holiday cookies.  They are super fresh and wonderful tasting sugar cookies.  You can even have gift baskets delivered. 

The Original Smiley Cookie (from their website)

Made fresh daily by our devoted bakers, who rise with the sun (that’s the way they roll), to measure, mix, cut and bake batch after batch, our Smiley Sugar Cookies are carefully fashioned to reach their deliciously sweet potential with only the best sugar, flour and butter, plus a touch of elbow grease (not really) and a lot of love. Once the baking and cooling is done, the artistry has just begun (there’s a certain poetry to baking, you know). With a flourish that never fails to delight, our bakers then brandish their finest decorative demeanor and set about hand icing each cookie with our signature smile … go ahead, take a moment here.

The Famous Smiley Cookie Face

Like masters who never tire of the defining stoke, they deftly apply the famous face to our Sugar Smiley Cookies, which transcends language to express undying love, true friendship, charity, team spirit, congratulations, good will, good taste and a host of other ridiculously lovely sentiments we can’t go into right now because we get all emotional, which flies in the face of the smile we honor — and that whole gushy tear thing tends to mess up the icing, too. But have no fear. We are pillars of self-control. We have to be. Then our fresh-baked Smiley Face Cookies are delicately packaged and shipped right to you, in a variety of face colors — red, green and blue - which can even be customized if you got something in mind, just click here to tell us what kind. Its never been easier to order birthday cookies online!

We will certainly order from them again.  The whole family enjoyed these awesome cookies.  I love cookies and sugar cookies are my favorite.  These smiley cookies are a home run for our family!

Ten Time-Saving Tips To Make Your Life As A Busy Mom Easier

It's hard to find time for yourself.  I know that it's for me to find the time I need to get what I need to get done finished.  I have spent some time thinking of ways to save time today and I would like to share with you what I have come up with.


Get Organized - You can save a lot of time by figuring out the quickest way to do something and then doing it that way every time.  If you don't have to spend a lot of time finding things then you have already saved time.


Designate Days - Choose a day to do your laundry, shopping, grocery shopping, and cleaning.  Stick to your schedule and then you won't have to think about those things the other days of the week.

Figure Out Where You Are Wasting Time -  For one whole week write down how you spend every minute of every day.  Then you can look over that log and figure out where you are wasting time and eliminate the time wasters.

Write Things Down -  Keep a note pad handy.  Write down what you are planning to do.  Write down what you need to get.  Write down everything.  Having that note pad will eliminate spending time trying to figure out what it was that you were going to do or what you needed to get.

Buy Things In Bulk -  Buy groceries and household supplies in bulk.  That way you won't have to make a lot of trips to the store.  I always have a stock of drugstore items and groceries to eliminate quick trips to the store that always end up taking time out of my already busy day.

Make A File System -  Designate a place for everything and put everything in it's place.  Make folders for bills, receipts, insurance information, credit card information, and anything else you have and may need later.  You can use a cardboard box and file folders.

Finish What Your Start - When you start a project, work on it until it is finished. Starting projects without finishing them doesn't do you any good.

Maximize Your Trips - I do all my shopping on the way to work or on the way home from work.  Once we are home for the evening we do not go back out for anything.

Have A Reading Pile - Keep everything you want to read, including mail and magazines, in a pile by the couch or bed so you can read it all at once when you get time.

Review Your Priorities - You may enjoy watching tv and find joy in it but don't over do it. If you are watching upwards of three or four hours of television a day, that time is probably better spent doing something else.

I'm sure you all can come up with some tips to save time in our busy lives.  I would love to hear from you. What do you do to save time? 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com. Download the Starbucks Card Mobile App Today!

More info on Starbucks: http://www.starbucks.com/

Starbucks on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Starbucks

Follow @starbucks on Twitter

PopCorners Review & Giveaway Ends July 4th, 2011 at 7 PM EST

PopCorners sent me a large novelty box of their product to review.  I tried them all and loved all the flavors.  I had not had PopCorners before and didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.  PopCorners is delicious.  I love them as a replacement for potato chips.  They are chip shaped popcorn.  This is a great new way to snack.

They have several flavors to choose from:

BUTTER

CLASSIC FLAVOR

If we were any more like buttered popcorn we'd leave a yucky, oily film on your fingers and mouth. Instead, our light, buttery, grease-free taste will leave you wanting more.

The butter is amazing.  It has a great taste and I really enjoyed the butter flavor.

CHEESY JALAPEÑO

ADD SOME HEAT

Further confirmation that the new shape of popcorn is a hot new idea. We're spicing up the snack aisle as we pepper in the cheddar and let great popcorn taste meet the heat.

This is my favorite flavor.  I love the spicy jalapeno flavor with cheese.  

KETTLE

SWEET MEETS SALTY

It's sweet, it's salty, it's salty sweet. Which is it? If you dig "sweet n' salty" snacking, dig into our Kettle flavored chips to enjoy the best of both worlds.

I am not a big fan of the salty sweet kettle flavor.  I did like these but they are not my favorite.  My husband who loves kettle, loved this one, it was his favorite.

SEA SALT

PURE + SIMPLE

Let's face it, popcorn and salt go together like, well, popcorn and salt and all it takes is one nibble of our amazing Sea Salt chips to understand why.

Sea Salt is another one of my favorites.  I love a salty snack and this hits the spot.  I crave the sea salt PopCorners.

WHITE CHEDDAR

CREAMY SMOOTH

Smooth and creamy with subtle tangy notes of that signature cheddar "bite" to make your taste-buds tango. You're tasting artisanal cheddar crafted to complement - not clobber, our signature popcorn taste.

The white cheddar is really good.  I loved it almost as much as the sea salt or the jalapeno.  I have always liked white cheddar popcorn. This is a new way to snack.

They even have some great recipes to try.

Giveaway:  PopCorners has offered the same large novelty box of product for a giveaway prize.

You must be a follower of my blog to enter.  Winner must be in the Continental USA.

Mandatory Entry:
Go to their website and tell me something that you learned.  Leave a comment with your email if it's not visible in your profile.

Extra Entries:

Like PopCorners on Facebook.  Leave a comment that you did with your facebook name and email if it is not visible in your blogger profile.

Like Let's Eat 2 Day on Facebook.  Leave a comment that you did with your facebook name and email if it is not visible in your blogger profile.

Subscribers to my blog via email get another entry.  Just leave a comment that you subscribe.

There are a total of 4 possible entries.  I will use random.org to select a winner after the giveaway ends at 7 PM EST on July 4th, 2011.  I will send an email to the winner and they will have 72 hours to respond with their shipping information.  The sponsor will mail the prize to the winner directly.

If you can't wait to try these, you can purchase them online. 

Yona Williams said... 17

Im a Facebook friend (Priceless Writers)of PopCorners. Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

June 22, 2011 8:36 PM

winner selected and emailed, she have 72 hours to respond to my email.

Thanks for participating and reading.

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies Review & Giveaway - Ends 7/2/11 at 7PM EST

Rather than focusing on the foods you can’t have - Fiber One® is giving you the opportunity to eat what you love without the guilt. New Fiber One® 90 Calorie Brownies are moist, chewy treats that let you have what you crave while helping you stay on track with your balanced diet. With 5 grams of fiber, which is 20 percent of the Daily Value of Fiber, the new brownies are a smart snacking choice.

With new Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies, you can have an unbelievably satisfying and wholesome treat in two delicious flavors. The Chocolate Fudge brownies are made with chocolate-flavored chips and topped with a dark chocolate-flavored drizzle, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter variety contains peanut butter chips topped with a peanut butter drizzle.

 
I was given the opportunity to try these and sent a really nice gift pack.  I really enjoyed the Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies.  They have 20% of the recommended fiber for the day, which is awesome.  They taste great and they really satisfied my craving for sweets.  My favorite was the peanut butter, but I really enjoyed them both.


Giveaway:

You can enter to win the same prize pack I received by following my blog and answering the following question:

When do you plan to enjoy your Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownie?

I will select a winner using random.org.  I will email the winner and they will have 72 hours to respond with their mailing address.  USA entries only please.  Giveaway ends 7/2/11 at 7:00 PM EST.

 

The Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies and gift pack were all given to me from Fiber One and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway Ends 7/1/11 at 7:00 PM EST

Recently I received a box from Tropical Traditions.  It contained a Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Certified Organic 1 Quart (32 FL. oz.) glass jar.

Characteristics of Our Gold Label^TM Virgin Coconut Oil

This Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is a truly unrefined coconut oil. This coconut oil is made on Mt. Banahaw and surrounding areas from organic coconuts. Coconuts are used fresh (within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms on Mt. Banahaw and other rural places in Quezon Province, the coconut capital of the Philippines. Only the highest quality coconuts are hand-picked from each harvest. The volcanic soil of Mt. Banahaw makes these organic coconuts some of the most nutritionally rich coconuts in the world! Testing done in independent laboratories reveals higher levels of phenolic antioxidants than other coconut oils. The fresh coconut meat is shredded (wet milled), and then cold-pressed using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk. The milk is then allowed to sit for about half a day, while the oil naturally separates from the heavier water. The oil is then filtered from the curds (coconut solids). No chemical or high-heat treatment is used, and this oil contains no trans fatty acids. We do NOT mass produce this oil. It is made by families who are coconut farmers using old-fashioned traditional methods that have been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. Our coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards. The families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards and re-certified each year. This high-grade Virgin Coconut Oil has a long shelf life due to the high antioxidant properties. The Gold Label Standard is our highest standard for Virgin Coconut Oil. Read more.

I used the Virgin Coconut Oil to make a chicken stir fry.  This Virgin Coconut Oil is amazing.  It smells great.  I love how it heats up and cooks.  I  really never even knew about coconut oil before.  I will use this from now on, it is much more stable than other vegetable oils.  I am very impressed with the quality of customer service that I received from Tropical Traditions.  They have sponsored a giveaway for the same quart of virgin coconut oil that I received.

If you can't wait to try it out, you can buy it here:

<a href="http://tinyurl.com/63zu6cj"><img src="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/image/products/thumb-gold_32oz.jpg" align="right" border="0" style="float: left;margin: 4px;">32-oz. - Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 quart</a>

Giveaway

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower on my blog to enter.  Go to Tropical Traditions and choose another item that you would like to try.  Come back here and post a comment with that product and your email if it's not visible on your blogger profile.

Extra Entries:

Sign up for their newsletter, come back and leave a comment that you subscribe to their newsletter and the email that you subscribe with.

Check out their coconut recipes section and tell me a recipe that you want to try.  Leave a comment with the link to the recipe.

Like my facebook fan page for another entry, leave a comment with your facebook name.

There is a total of four possible entries.  The mandatory entry must be completed in order to enter.

Giveaways ends on July 1st, 2011 at 7:00 PM EST.  I will use random.org to select the winner from all eligible entries.  I will email the winner and give them 72 hours to get back to me with their mailing address.  If I do not hear back in time I will have to choose another winner.  The prize will only be shipped within the USA. 

Thank you for reading and thank you for participating.

Tropical Traditions sent me the product to review and will provide the same product to the winner.  The opinions expressed are mine.

BethElderton said... 11

I get the Tropical Traditions newsletter bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

June 24, 2011 12:25 AM  

 

winner selected and emailed! 

 

Thanks for participating!

Soda Stream Review

I was lucky enough to receive a Soda Stream system to review.  I got it about three days ago and we have been using it daily ever since.  It's a lot of fun to make your own soda.  We do drink about one can of soda a day per person in our household.  So by using the soda stream we are able to eliminate that waste of bottles or cans.  Soda Stream provides a way to make your own soda or sparkling water.  They have a lot of different flavors to choose from.  They have the Regular Flavors, Diet Flavors, Energy Drink, Sparkling Naturals, Sparkling Tea, Sodamix Variety Packs and MyWater Essence Flavors. 

I received the Fountain Jet in black/silver.  The fountain jet home soda maker looks good on my kitchen counter and it turns water into my beverage of choice in literally under a minute. 
The Fountain Jet package includes everything you need to make fresh sparkling water in your own home.

This package includes:

• Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker
• 1 60 liter Carbonator
• 1 Carbonating Bottle

We received several flavors to try. 

SodaMix flavors are all available in economy sized bottles. Each bottle makes 12 liters (about 33 cans) of soda.

Sodamix shelf life

When ordering sodamix, we recommend ordering an amount that you will comfortably consume within 3-4 months.

Sodamix bottles feature a "best before" date which relates to optimal taste. Rest assured that sodamix can safely be consumed well beyond this “best before” date, however peak taste is ensured by consuming prior to this date. Sodamix will typically arrive at your home with about 3-4 months remaining prior to the “best before” date, therefore please order no more than a 3-4 month supply of sodamix.

For longest shelf life, please keep tightly closed and store in a cool, dry place.

So far we have tried the following:

The root beer is great.  We all really enjoyed this.  Not only is it easy to make, it tastes great.  We like our soda really carbonated so we just put a little extra pump in and voila we have soda just the way we like it.  We made root beer floats, they were so good.

I wasn't sure that we were going to like the Black Currant & Pear, but boy was I wrong.  This is a flavor that we really enjoyed.  The whole family was pleasantly surprised by this one. 

Made from cane sugar and other all-natural ingredients, new SodaStream Sparkling Naturals make great-tasting `better for you’ sodas. Sparkling Naturals contain no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no artificial sweeteners, and do not contain any preservatives, making them a perfect, sparkling, natural soda alternative for the entire family.

Each 750ml bottle of Sparkling Natural concentrate will make 6 liters (approximately 25 8-oz servings) of all-natural soda.

A note about shelf life: When ordering Sparkling Natural, SodaStream recommends ordering an amount that you will comfortably consume within 3-4 months. Sparkling Naturals feature a "best before" date which relates to optimal taste. Rest assured that Sparkling Naturals can safely be consumed well beyond this “best before” date, however peak taste is ensured by consuming prior to this date. Sparkling Naturals will typically arrive at your home with about 3-4 months remaining prior to the “best before” date, therefore please order no more than a 3-4 month supply.

Sparkling Naturals should be refrigerated after opening.

We really enjoyed the Sparkling Naturals Cola flavor as well.  We knew we probably would love it because we love cola flavor.  We pretty much only bought cola flavor before getting the soda stream.  Now that we have the soda stream, we will never buy cans or 2 liter bottles again.  I am so thankful that Soda Stream sent me a nice package to get started with this wonderful system.

I hope to hold a Soda Stream giveaway soon.  My blog is still too new for them to sponsor a giveaway at this time, but I look forward to a giveaway in the near future.