Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends Review

I do not eat cereal very often as I cannot drink milk, but one of my favorite cereals to eat is Honey Bunches of Oats. I have tried several different kinds in the past and recently had the opportunity to try out their new Tropical Blends variety.

This new variety has a blend of mango-flavored flakes, coconut-flavored granola clusters and coconut shavings. A healthy breakfast option, Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends has the following per serving:

• 10g Whole Grain
• 120 Calories
• 6g of Sugar (Honey Nut Cheerios Has 9g!)
• 9 Essential Vitamins and Minerals with 60% DV of Iron
• 4 Wholesome Grains
• Heart Healthy (0g Trans Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat and 0mg Cholesterol)

In addition, Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends is WIC eligible!

With this being said, I will give my take on this exotic new cereal. Personally, I have to be honest and say I didn't really like it. I think you have to either really like tropical fruits or be in the mood for it. I do enjoy mango (fresh) and coconut from time to time, but I cannot always handle the dried versions. I had my husband try this cereal as well (with milk) and he felt the same way. Some day when I am in the mood for something tropical and fruity, this will be a great cereal to grab, but in an every day scenario, this would not be my first choice. In no way does my lack of a taste for the Tropical Blends change my view of Honey Bunches of Oats. They have so many amazing products and highly encourage giving it a try if you like mango and coconut. Truly though, the flavors do combine very well and it brings you to a tropical paradise while you eat it. The texture too is great as it is delightfully crunchy--the most important thing you could ask for in cereal texture. The cereal also has a delightful sweetness to it which makes you feel like you are eating an unhealthy cereal when you are actually being healthy! I think I would have personally enjoyed this more without the shredded coconut and maybe with banana or something in it to calm down the taste of the mango. Either way, I do recommend you give this a shot and here is your chance! Enter to win a FREE box below!
Visit Honey Bunches of Oats on Facebook! Be sure to enter the Escape to the Tropics giveaway for your chance to win a grand prize of a four-night stay at Outrigger Waikiki on the beach for two, first prize (5 winners) of a year supply of Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash Detergent and HBOats Tropical Blends or second prize (100 winners) of a free detergent and HBOats cereal!

**THE GIVEAWAY BELOW IS ONLY OPEN TO THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES AS THE PRIZE IS A COUPON THAT CAN ONLY BE REDEEMED IN THE US. Thanks!

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Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider and received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.

TruMoo Review

Have you heard of TruMoo? You have probably seen the commercials saying how this sweet, delicious chocolate milk is healthy. Well, we had the opportunity to try out TruMoo with our son and have nothing but good reports.

TruMoo may be tasty, but it also contains several important nutrients and is low fat with low calories. How healthy is one 8-oz cup of TruMoo? One cup contains vitamins A, D and B12, calcium, protein, phosphorous, riboflavin and potassium. Eight essential nutrients for eight ounces of milk. Try this on for size--one cup of TruMoo chocolate milk equals:

• Calcium of 7 cups of broccoli
• Potassium of a small banana
• Vitamin A of 2 baby carrots
• Vitamin D  of 3.5 ounces cooked salmon

In addition, TruMoo chocolate milk has 35% less sugar than the leading chocolate milk! There is no high fructose corn syrup and only 140 calories per serving! TruMoo chocolate milk is fresh from your local dairy and they do not use artificial growth hormones. My son is a chocolate milk-aholic and asks for it all day long and now I do not feel so bad giving him a couple small cups a day! My son can be a picky eater at times so I can count on TruMoo to fill in the empty spots when he barely touches his fruits or veggies. We are now on our fourth gallon since the review (my husband asks for it too!) and I do not think I will go back to any other brand of chocolate milk. With less sugar and so many key nutrients, my son has plenty of energy during the day to learn and explore and is growing big and tall. Being able to serve my son his favorite drink and trust that it is healthy makes this mommy feel great!

Why is it important for your little one to get the calcium needed? Calcium promotes stong bones and growth. Sadly, only 1 in 10 girls and 1 in 4 boys ages 9-13 get enough calcium and 70% of kids do not get the necessary amount of vitamin D which is essential for calcium absorption. Because chocolate milk (and other flavors) taste so great, kids that drink these drink more which means they get more of the necessary key nutrients and calcium than kids that don't. They drink fewer sodas and do not consume any more added sugars or fat than non-milk drinkers.

So go ahead, dump out the sodas, put away the juice for later and give your children the vitamins and minerals they need in a tasty cup of TruMoo chocolate milk. I have found that retail on TruMoo is not much more than regular milk so it is totally worth it! Don't forget to sign up for coupons!

For a quick comparison, here is how TruMoo 1% chocolate milk stands up against Vitamin D white milk:

	Vitamin D Milk	TruMoo
Calories	150	140
Total Fat	8g	2.5g
Cholesterol	35mg	15mg
Sodium	115mg	180mg
Total Carbs	11g	20g
Protein	8g	8g
Vitamin A	6%	10%
Vitamin C	4%	2%
Calcium	30%	25%
Vitamin D	25%	25%
Riboflavin		20%
Folate		2%
Vitamin B12		20%
Phosphorus		20%

Where to buy

Visit TruMoo on Facebook

Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.

20 Mule Team Borax Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of Borax? I had heard of it from friends who used it to make homemade laundry detergent, but I had never tried it until recently when I was given a box of 20 Mule Team Borax to review.

I have to say, I am pretty impressed with the flexibility of Borax. There are so many different things that can be done with it from using it as a laundry booster, using it to make your own detergent, pest control, arts and crafts...there is even a large list of ideas for Borax use on the box! Here is a list of a few uses for Borax:

• Laundry Boosing
• Bathroom Cleaning & Deodorizing
• Kitchen Cleaning & Deodorizing
• Carpet & Rug Stain Removal
• Cleaning Tile/group
• Get Out Mattress Odors
• Sprinkle to Get Rid of Roaches, Ants, Other Pests and Mold
• Make Your Own Laundry Detergent or here
• Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent
• Make Slime (fun for kids)
• See more uses here

So what is Borax? Also called sodium tetraborate, Borax is a 100% natural mineral produced by the constant evaporations of seasonal lakes. This mineral will be washed, dried and boxed for consumers and has nothing added to it so, in other words, no phosphates, no chlorine and no other additive chemicals. Borax is a multi-purpose household cleaner and works great in the wash because it can soften hard water(water that contains calciumand magnesium ions.) 20 Mule Team Borax maximizes cleaning by preventing the hard water's calcium and magnesium granules from attaching to the detergent, taking it down the drain before your clothes have actually been washed! You may have heard some bad things about Borax in the past, but rest assured, that was when it contained other chemicals. 20 Mule Team Borax is 100% natural and can be used in high efficiency washing machines. Use with Purex detergent to keep stains from sticking back to your clothes! 20 Mule Team Borax comes in a box and you open it like a box of macaroni and cheese. This can get a bit messy and inacurate when pouring, so my suggestion is to store your Borax in a tupperware container to maintain the freshness, keep things neat and for easy measuring. Enter to win $1500 or one of 171 free boxes of Borax (ends February 22, 2013.)

Where to buy

I have found that, since we started using 20 Mule Team Borax, our laundry is much softer, fresher and cleaner. I love it! Because I can't handle all the full chemical detergents to achieve this, I love that Borax is so powerful and gentle to make up for that! I have also spread Borax aroud our attic where we have had a lot of roaches (oh, North Carolina climate) and we have not had any issues since. I plan to put this further to the test as the weather gets warmer and more humid and the bugs start flowing again. Have you ever tried 20 Mule Team Borax? What would you like to use it for?

If you are entering the giveaway, the prize is a coupon so be sure to check the "Where to buy" above to make sure this product is sold in your area.

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Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider and received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.