NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends Giveaway

Purex has a theme going on right now and as a Purex Insider I get the early word on these things.  This box of the NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends gives you a hint!

It seems Purex and Post have summer on their minds already.

First I'll share the newest arrival at my house, with you.

With 50 million smiles and counting, Honey Bunches of Oats is introducing a new way to smile. Crispy mango flavored flakes combine with real coconut shavings and coconut flavored granola clusters in NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends.  Sounds like a vacation in a box, doesn't it?

From the time I laid eyes on the this cheery box with the exotic name I was excited and couldn't wait to try it.  As soon as I tried the first bit I was telling everyone in the house I've found my new cereal!  For real, Neil, Zach and Ki'a can back me up on that.  I then insisted they all take a bit right out of the box.  Now first I should tell you my two grand kids are two of the pickiest eaters you will find (so I secretly had my doubts as to whether they would really like it). These two loved it.  They looked shocked too!  Both ask if they could have a little bit to snack on in a bowl.  That's a good thing and here are a few reasons why:


Key Points:

• 10g Whole Grain*
• 120 Calories
• 6g of Sugar**
• 9 Essential Vitamins & Minerals including 60% Daily Value of Iron
• 4 Wholesome Grains
• Heart Healthy***
• WIC eligible

*Nutritionists recommend 3 or more servings of whole grain foods per day ( about 16g whole grain per serving or at least 48g per day)
**per serving
***Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and as low as possible in trans fat, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

To learn more about Tropical Blend or any of the other flavors of Honey Bunches of Oats you can visit their website HERE.


As for me I really like the flavors.  They're like a burst of summer.  They're so different from any cereal I've ever eaten. Now in all honesty I have to give you my full opinion.  I wasn't as crazy about it as a cereal once I poured milk over it.  It lost some of the flavor and I like a little more crunch in my cereal.  It was a little mushy for me.  The coconut granola clusters are fantastic and I love the real coconut shavings.  Even the flakes that are flavored with mango are deli. 

Will I buy the NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends with my own money?

Absolutely, because I'm sitting here with a little bag of it now.  I love putting it in a ziplock bag and snacking on it.  And I know I'll be taking it with me to the beach this summer to snack on.

Just like I'm a grits girl who likes the texture of grits but I don't like oatmeal because of the mushy-ness, I'm guessing your tastes could be different than mine.  In other words "Try it - you'll probably like it". 

Thanks to Post you'll get the chance to try it for FREE right here.  Two (2) Cotton Pickin Cute winners will each receive a coupon for a FREE box of  NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends!  You can enter my giveaway at the bottom of this post.  But I have more news before we get to that.  The Purex® brand is teaming up with Honey Bunches of Oats and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts to launch a monumental prize giveaway:

The 2013 Tropical Trio Sweepstakes!

One lucky winner will be sent on a tropical paradise vacation to Outrigger Waikki on the Beach, courtesy of Purex® brand, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts!

• Grand Prize: 1 winner - Four-night stay at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach for two people
• 1st Prize: 5 winners - One-year's supply of Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash Detergent & Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends
• 2nd Place: 100 winners - Coupons for free Purex® Troplical Splash Detergent & Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends 

 Enter to win a chance to spend your days relaxing underneath the warm, Hawaiian sun and your nights exploring Waikiki’s never-ending nightlife.

For your chance to try a free box simply enter the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

Would you and your family like to try Post Honey Bunches of Oats, Tropical Blends?  I have 2 coupons to give away to 2 lucky readers that are each good for a free box of cereal.  Simply enter the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Post provided a box of cereal so that I could review it.  Also provided was information on the Tropical Trio Sweepstake and I may qualify for a prize.  However my opinion, as always, are my own.  

Welcome To The World - Purex Crystals For Baby

Last month I shared Purex's new baby detergent with you.  Now it's time to share it's companion - Purex Crystals for baby.

I may not have little babies and baby clothes in my house but I know a number of you do and I like to share things that are of interest to all my readers. Plus you can use Purex Crystals for baby for your laundry too. It's especially helpful if you have family members with sensitive skin because it's:

• Hypoallergenic
• Dye Free
• Natural Formula* 87% Natural
• Safe for children's sleepwear, towels and activewear

You may know by now that I think Purex Crystals is the greatest laundry development in years.  Here is why I think it's so special:

• It goes in at the start of the wash.  No more balls or trying to remember to add it.
• Because it goes in at the start it spends more time with the laundry and infuses it with freshness that lasts for weeks, not days.
• You can use it on towels without worrying that your towels won't absorb water when you dry off with them.  That's a problem with liquid fabric softners.
• You can't forget about the wonderful fresh scents.

If you like a gentle soft scent you'll enjoy Purex Crystals for baby.  When I open my drawers, I get a whiff of the scent and love it.
 
Enter the Welcome to the World Sweepstakes
Purex is proud to introduce the "Welcome to the World" Sweepstakes featuring Purex Crystals for Baby.
One lucky grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and 250 2nd place winners will receive a coupon for a free bottle of Purex Crystals for Baby!  To enter the sweepstakes just go here.

How would you like a chance to win your own bottle right here on Cotton Pickin Cute?
Because I'm a Purex Insider I get to share a few FREE bottles with you, as in  

3 FREE BOTTLES!!!

Well it's easy to win.  Just use the rafflecopter below to enter my giveaway. You can enter with one entry, the first is mandatory or you can up your chances by entering after completing any or all of the other options.      Good Luck Ya'll!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natural Skin with L'Oréal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream Review

Lets talk beauty tonight.  When She Speaks presented me with the opportunity to try L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream I accepted with the thought "Great I finally get to find out what all this BB talk is about".  I've been hearing it in passing on T.V.  talk shows, in magazine ads and on the blogs.  But I never stopped to listen.  I'm not much on daytime T.V.

What the heck is this?  That was my first thought when I took the cap off and applied a dot  my L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream on my finger.

It's putty white!  What?  Can this really be a foundation?  You can see where I put a dot on my arm in the photo below.

In the next photo you can see the change as I begin to rub it in.

It's amazing how it starts to blend with the color of your skin for a natural bare skin finish.

But you don't just get coverage, it's also delivering built-in skincare benefits.  With four beautitying actions, this all-in-one innovation primes and smoothes, perfects to hide flaws, hydrates all day, and corrects and evens skin.  The product is infused with skincare ingredients like Panthenol, Vitamin E and Glycerin for 24-hour moisturization.

Are you ready to get real?  Well here goes.  The photo below is a picture of my skin before using BB.  This is as real as it gets (no mean comments ya'll).

Now let's take a look at the after.

Don't ask me why the color of the photography looks so different.  They were taken just moments apart.  You can see that it does fill in enough to give my skin a smoother look.  It also evened out the color from my age beauty spots.  It's not enough coverage to cover blemishes but then again that's not what the lightweight natural foundation is all about. It also gives my skin a little luster.  There you have it, my wrinkles and all.  I thought I'd save you the shock of seeing my dark circles.  You're welcome!

But how does it work?  The Magic all-in-one skin BB cream has Beautifying Beads; encapsulated pigments infused in an ultra-light lotion with antioxidants Vitamins C&E. This mullti-tasking skin beautifier delivers 4 beautifying actions in 1: hydrates, corrects, evens and perfects.

To apply, simply dot on and blend with fingertips. Self-adjusting beads will instantly transform and blend to your skin tone.

L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream comes in 4 shades:
  Fair, Light, Medium and Deep

L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream retails for $10.95 for 1 fl oz. It is sold at mass food and drug retailers nationwide. Click here to find out more.

My Thoughts:

On a day to day basis I don't want a full blown makeup feeling.  You know, the same one you might wear to work, a big deal function or for a night out.  I also don't like running errands in with no makeup on at all.  L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream is perfect for those days.

It gives me a finished look without that heavy makeup feel.  It covers the flaws but leaves me looking natural and not over done.  I thought this might even be a good product to wear to the beach.  But after researching further I realized that it doesn't have SPF.  So I would skip using it at the pool or beach.  I don't want to look made up at the beach but hey when you're in your fifties like moi, you would like to even out your skin tone.  Right?

After wearing the BB Cream for the last couple of weeks, I'm happy with the results.  It evens out my skintone and leaves it with a luminous look.  It's not sticky or greasy and has a lite almost not there feel.  I really like that.  While this will not be my only makeup foundation, I will continue to use it for an everyday product when I don't need that full makeup look.

So I'm giving this a 2 thumbs up!!

If you'd like to learn more about  L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream click here.


Disclaimer - I received a full size tube of L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
to review from She Speaks. All opinions are my own.

Italian Days At Publix Giveaway

Italian food is always a huge crowd pleaser. Whether you’re feeding your hungry family or hosting a household of friends, everybody loves the taste of al dente pasta, a rich sauce or a delicious pizza. At the Italian Days – Taste the Tradition event at Publix® from February 11th through March 1st, you can get great prices and coupon savings* on some of your favorite General Mills brands like Green Giant and Progresso. Plus, get great savings on many ingredients for great Italian recipes like Alfredo pizza and stuffed chicken manicotti. And that’s not all! During the event shoppers will be able to enter for a chance to be 1 of the 500 shoppers that will win a $100 Publix® gift card! To enter for a chance to win and to download great coupon savings and delicious recipes, look in-store or visit www.clickcallmail.com.**

With my $25 Publix gift card I loaded up on everything I needed to make meatballs!  Right now, my favorite recipe is Crock Pot Meatballs and is enjoyed by the entire family.  Who wouldn't want to come home to a big pot of meatballs at the end of the day?  Easy!

You have a chance to win a $25 Publix Gift Card as well.  Just enter with the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: "The information, products and General Mills gift pack were provided by General Mills and Publix® through MyBlogSpark."

Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh

When I became a Purex Insider, who knew that I would get to review products like deodorant, clothes and food?  But with Purex Insiders I never know what opportunity might come next. Which brings me today’s review of Dry Idea AdvancedDry Antiperspirant and Deoderant.

Dry Idea isn’t a new product but what I’m sharing with you sure is.  The NEW Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh brand antiperspirant and deodorant offers enduring odor protection for up to 72 hours and Pulse Activated Wetness Protection to keep you dry all day long.

How does it possibly keep you dry and fresh for up to 72 hours?  Dry Idea AdvancedDry is pulse activated which means it will protect against wetness and odor up to 72 hours.

Another big plus is the scent.  I usually always choose a powder scent but I received the Fresh scent which I love.  It  has such a summery, tropical smell, while still being subtle and unassuming.  Here's a little more about Dry Idea Advanced Dry:

Dry Idea^® AdvancedDry^™
Antiperspirant & Deodorant

• Up to 72 hour protection
• Hypo-allergenic
• Contains vitamin E for glide on smooth application

A couple of Tips:

• Check the label on your deodorant product.
  You’re in a hurry at the store (and aren’t you always?).  But don’t just grab the first bottle you see. Make sure you always purchase an antiperspirant or antiperspirant/deodorant and not just a deodorant.  Deodorants contain nothing to help stop sweat.

• Wear cotton
  Just like you can breathe to reduce perspiration -- cotton breathes as well. It allows for more airflow, therefore less perspiration and odor. Silk or artificial fibers can cling to your skin and restrict airflow.

Okay now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty with the what and whys of sweating oops I’m mean glistening as we call it here in the South, because of course we ladies don’t sweat in this 100 degree heat we have.  I think being here gives me a distinct advantage in reviewing antiperspirant.

Actually as I matured, very nice wording, don’t you think, I’ve been noticing that I do “glisten” more and even, gasp, have an occasional odor.  So finding an antiperspirant that can meet my needs is more important than ever.  Hey, just being real.  I’ve been using a solid antiperspirant for several years and actually I found that I like the smooth roll-on Dry Idea AdvancedDry.  It goes on wet but dries very quickly and doesn’t leave that tacky feeling that I remember from past roll ons.  It kept me dry and fresh feeling all day.  Sorry, but I didn’t do a 72 test, I have my limit’s ya’ll. I would give Dry Idea AdvancedDry roll-on 5 stars.  I say that because I know it’s going to be the next one I purchase when spending my own money.  Man I love that scent!!

Dry Idea is giving lucky readers a chance to win big. Purex is proud to introduce the Never Let Them See You Sweat® Sweepstakes featuring Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh!  One lucky grand prize winner will receive $500, while 10 2nd place winners will receive a $50 prize!  Open to U.S only. The Dry Idea^® Never Let Them See You Sweat^® Sweepstakes will begin at 10:00:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) on February 11, 2013 and end at 3:00:00 p.m. PST on March 29, 2013. 

And of course Dry Idea wouldn’t want you to leave here without a chance to win a FREE coupon so you can try it yourself.  I have 4 FREE Coupons which means 4 Cotton Pickin Cute Winners.  Enter on the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win. US only. Ends 2/28/13.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Pep Talk from Kid President to You from Soul Pan Cake

I love this kid!!!

 

I wish this kid was my next door neighbor!.  What a mentor and best buddy he would be.  How UP would you feel after talking too him?

I think schools should show a weekly video of this kid to students young and old.  He could rally Kings and Presidents.  He sure lit a fire in my soul.  What about you?  Did he motivate you?  Do find yourself just trudging along day to day?  I've been thinking a LOT about what I can do to make tomorrow different than today.  I know it has to start with me.  I can't make anything else better unless I learn to find joy in each day.  I wonder how I can do that and not run out of steam.  I'm responsible for me.  My mood directly effects others but doesn't necessarily have to be effected by negative people.  I should carefully chose to be influence by happiness and learn how to not be effected by other peoples personalities, moods or things I can't change.  I need to put energy into things I can change.  Do you want to be a positive person or a negative person?  Sometimes (okay often) that negative person is me telling me negative things.  I'm my own worst critic.  I'm pretty good at not letting anyone but those closest to me know how I feel.  

The world may be a mess but there is always something that you can find that is a miracle.  Something to just look at in awe.  I'd also like to know who's going to write the perfect sitcom for this adorable precocious kid..

I think we'd all love to do something huge but who's to say that the simple smile we share with a stranger didn't just brighten a day that seemed horrible up until then.  Are you being a part of the solution or the problem?

Have a blessed day ya'll.

Hugs...Tracy ♥

P.S.  I just found Kid President & learned about Soul Pancake tonight.  I have a feeling you'll be seeing me post more of them.

Lets Get This Weekend Started with Giveaways - $25 Visa and More

A giveaway alert for all you happy Friday people out there. Well even for you not so happy people, but I can't imagine why you wouldn't be...it's the weekend Peeps!!!  Yea, I'm kinda out of the loop on the hippest lingo out there, but you know what I'm sayin'.

Julie over at Mamawj's Moment Away is giving away a bottle of  Alpha Hydrox SilkWrap Body Lotion.  Just click here to enter.

With all the cold weather going on I bet your body to use a little moisturizing love.

While you're there don't forget to enter her Touch of Scent Giveaway.  Since you'll be busy in the house moisturizing your skin and trying to stay warm you might as well enjoy a beautiful scent.  You can click here to enter the Touch of Scent giveaway.

While you're in the giveaway entering mood, make sure you enter my Del Monte Southwestern Kick-Off Giveaway.  You could be the lucky winner of  the $25 Visa gift card and 2 cans of Del Monte Petite Chopped Tomatoes Prize Pack!  Just click here to enter. But you have to hurry before it's too late.  It ends tonight 2/8 at midnight.

More good news.  I have a couple of  new giveaways starting this weekend, so keep watching for them.  I'd love it if you could give my blog some bloggy love by simply clicking the any of the buttons like google+, facebook & twitter below the post.  It only takes a second and means so much to me.

Have a fun weekend ya'll.....Tracy ♥

Announcing Winners of Winn Dixie & Purex Giveaways

It's time to announce the winners of  2 giveaways.  

First up is the Winn Dixie Box Tops For Education Giveaway.

The winner chosen by Rafflecopter is:

• Wanda McHenry

 Second is the 20 Mule Team Borax Giveaway are.  

The winners chosen by Rafflecopter are:

•   Mary Beth Elderton
•  Margot Core

Congratulations ladies!!  I have already sent you each an email.  You have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.
Thanks to everyone who enter these giveaways.  Your support of "Cotton Pickin Cute" means so much to me.  Each time you comment you don't only make me smile and bring me joy but you ensure that sponsors continue to support this blog too.  I love having the opportunity to review the newest products and share them with all of you.

Be sure to come back because I have some new giveaways in the works this week.

Thank you Winn-Dixie and Purex for being a valued contributor of this blog! 
 

♥ Tracy