Camelbak Bottle: A Review and Giveaway

I love drinking water. My favorite drink is ice cold water and I always bring a bottle of water to work. I have that huge 32 oz Nalgene Brita bottle from when it was advertised on The Biggest Loser. As much as I love that bottle, I think I'm gonna switch loyalties to the Camelbak.

Available at HeartRate Monitors USA, the Camelbak is 500 mL which is equivalent to 16 oz. I like the fact that it's smaller. It's a more manageable and lighter. It's not as bulky as my Nalgene. My absolute favorite thing about this bottle is the built in straw and the bottle bite valve at the top. With my other bottle, I had to get my own straw and put it in the bottle. (I really like drinking with straws!) When I got the bottle to review, I was super excited and thinking about riding my bike and being able to drink my water at the same time because now all I had to do was flip the valve on the top and drink. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try that out. 

My kids on the other hand LOVE the bottle. They constantly ask for it since it's so much easier for them to drink from it. My three year old can flip it easily and drink. My one year old can drink, leave it on the ground and if it gets knocked over, no worries, the water won't spill since the valve is only opened when you drink from it. AMAZING! 

The one thing that I didn't like was the short straw...I still had some water left and I couldn't get it! I had to take my cap off. But I guess it's a sign that I need to refill! This spill proof, BPA free bottle, makes it easy to stay hydrated on the go.  You can check out all of the great reviews on this bottle HERE.

I think I drink more water with this water bottle! I'm even considering getting my family their own bottles, especially for my kids so they won't keep stealing and drinking from my bottle!

SHOP: You can shop online on at Heart Rate Monitors USA to get the Camelbak bottle as well as other products to help you get and stay healthy. There's also a coupon code for you to use: Use "CLBK" at the checkout for 5% off all Camelbak products. Be sure to check out their blog as well for great lifestyle tips and previews of upcoming products.

WIN:

You can win a Camelbak bottle of your very own from Heart Rate Monitors USA!  For your mandatory entry, become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).  This is the mandatory entry for this giveaway and must be done before all of the additional entries.   

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.  

3. Follow Heart Rate Monitors USA on Twitter.   

4. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win a Camelbak water bottle from @HRM_USA and @moanasaves ends 6/1 http://bit.ly/ks9Wrp
5. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar). 
6. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

7.  Like the Heart Rate Monitors USA Facebook page.

   
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on 6/1 at 11:59 PM PST (Pacific Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.
 
I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a product sample to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Sunny Beadz Review and Giveaway

Sun + Skin = Tan...or Sunburn depending on skin type and hours in the sun. If your kids ever disagree with you about whether or not to wear sunscreen, get them the Sunny Beadz. Sunny Beadz are made by the makers of Sunny SleeveZ. I had a chance to test out this super neat color changing jewelry. The sol beads change color in the sun! It's so cool! I chose this cute little octopus necklace to test out.

I wore it as I biked to work and as I biked, I realized that since it was a necklace, I couldn't see it change color which defeated the whole purpose! As the day went on and the sun got hotter, students and colleagues noticed that the beads on my necklace had changed colors when going from inside the classroom to outside. This gave me a chance to tell them about how the necklace works.

The ultraviolet light detection beads change color instantly in the sun to alert the user of harmful UV rays. The stronger the UV rays, the deeper the beads color. The beads turn off-white when there is no UV light to shine on them. This is a really neat product to help teach kids about wearing sunscreen and as well as remind them to wear it. You don't even have to wear it, you could attach it to a baby stroller, surfboard, golf bag, lunch box or purse! As you do your daily routine out in the sun, it's a cool color-changing signal to protect your skin!

I don't usually wear sunscreen but after wearing this necklace, I will definitely (attempt) to put sunscreen on more often. Even when I thought the sun wasn't that "hot" or "bright", the beads still changed color which shows me that there is a need to protect my skin.

If I had a chance to do this again, I'd change my choice of jewelery, I think I would choose a bracelet instead, this way I get to SEE the cool color change (and go put sunscreen on) and I can also put it on my family's wrists when they go outside. The necklace itself was difficult for me to determine if the beads had changed color but it was a good visual for others around me to see the color change.

Did you know that just ONE blistering sunburn doubles the risk of skin cancer in later life?

FACT: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the USA today

FACT: UV rays cannot be felt and are present whether or not it is hot outside.

FACT: It takes less than 11 minutes for the sun to irreparably damage your skin

I'm assuming we all love our skin and wouldn't want to develop skin cancer so let's all minimize our risk and get some Sunny Beadz to help remind us, especially our little ones, to wear sunscreen to protect ourselves.

SHOP: Since May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, all Sunny Beadz necklaces have been discounted (from $14.99 to just $12.99), come with a free bracelet and FREE SHIPPING. 

View the selection HERE.

WIN:  You can win a Sunny Beadz necklace of your choice by liking Sunny Sleevz (the makers of Sunny Beadz) on Facebook and then leaving a comment below telling us you've done so.  This is the mandatory entry for this giveaway and must be done before all of the additional entries.
   
To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow Sunny Sleevz on Twitter. 
5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win a Sunny Beadz necklace of your choice from @sunnysleevez and @moanasaves ends 6/1 http://bit.ly/ipTx1b

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on 6/1 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Glee Encore on DVD: A Review

My family is a big fan of Glee and, when the opportunity came up to review Glee Encore, I knew I had to snatch it up! Glee Encore was released on April 19, 2011 for retail price at $26.98 and runs for 142 minutes - which is about 2 and a half hours of JUST Glee music! Just the amazing music styling of the cast, one right after the other! IF you want to know what songs are featured on the DVD, check it out here. 

This is the product description from Amazon.com -

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to Gleek Out! This full-length DVD features a set list of Season One’s most sensational musical numbers – back to back so the party never has to end! All your favorites are here, including Queen’s “Somebody To Love, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and Madonna’s “Express Yourself!”

Once I pressed play and the DVD began, I couldn't stop singing. I may not have the best voice but I love to sing along with the Glee cast! I loved watching the musical numbers and tried to remember the reasons why they were singing that particular song.It makes me want to watch Season 1 all over again! I really enjoyed how it made me feel like I was watching the music videos for the songs. I loved it!

Glee did a really good job picking the songs to feature in the DVD.

My kids danced along to the more upbeat songs like "Don't Stop Believing" and "Lean on Me".

My husband and I sang along to most of the songs together. I pretty much don't know all the words to the songs but I will sing along nonetheless! Husband knows all the words to the songs and sings along perfectly!

 

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a free DVD to facilitate this review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Chuao Chocolatier Review and Giveaway

CHOCOLATE! I love that I had the chance to try these out! Before I tell you what I thought, here's some background information about the company so you can see how awesome they are.

Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the USA and Southern California's premier artisan chocolatier. Founded in 2002 by Master Chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother, CEO Richard Antonorsi, Chuao Chocolatier has pioneered “fusion chocolate” through a commitment to creating uniquely delicious chocolate experiences. Michael wanted to open a unique chocolate boutique that blended modern-day innovations with his Venezuelan family traditions.

Their signature flavor is Spicy Maya, a modern twist on the Mayan's ancient hot chocolate recipe made with pasilla chile and cayenne pepper. (Isn't your mouth just waiting to try some?)

Unusual flavor combinations, the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s unique experience, include: Pan con Chocolate: a dark chocolate bonbon filled with toasted panko breadcrumbs, olive oil ganache and a touch of sea salt and Firecracker: caramel fudge with chipotle chile and salt, rolled in popping candy and enrobed in dark chocolate. (You know you want to try it!)

I was given four samples to try out. The first two I tried were the Choco Pods, Spicy Maya and Firecracker. Choco Pods are .39 oz (11g) and shaped like a chocolate bean pod (at least that's what I'm getting - the picture is not the actual Choco Pod I tasted).

I tried Spicy Maya first, it's dark chocolate with pasilla chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. When I first took a bite, I thought to myself, it's not spicy at all and it tasted like a regular chocolate bar. But as I passed around the pod to my family, the spiciness crept up on me and it hit me! The spice is subtle and doesn't kick you in the face with its flavor. It sneaks up on you and when it shows up, you're pleasantly surprised. You can definitely taste the cinnamon which doesn't overpower the other flavors. 

The next Choco Pod was the Firecracker - (dark chocolate chipotle, salt and popping candy) The wrapper described it as unusual, unexpected and delicious, which is a perfect description. I was excited to try this one because I wanted to see what the popping candy would do to the chocolate. My first bite and the popping candy did it's job. I love the popping candy! The little tingles of the candy with the taste of chocolate and chipotle is amazing! The chipotle spice is a lot more prominent, not an "in-your-face" kind of way but it's definitely more powerful and more flavorful. Since I like spicy food, chocolate and candy, the Firecracker is the winner. However if you're more into subtle spice and chocolate, the Spicy Maya is for you! 

Next up on the list were two bars, MORE chocolate! I was excited and unsure of what to expect. The bars are 60% cacao (yum! I love me some dark chocolate!) and 2.8 oz (80g). First up the Panko (dark chocolate bar with toasted panko breadcrumbs and sea salt). When I first read panko breadcrumbs, I pictured the chocolate covered in panko crumbs like tempura batter. Silly me! The panko is mixed in with the chocolate! I took a bite and I could definitely taste the panko breadcrumbs, not in a bad way. It reminded me of a Crunch bar but with much better tasting chocolate and less rice crispiness. My husband liked how the salt brought out the chocolate flavor and I have to agree with him. It is really chocolatey and yummy. 

 

I was quite sad when I ate the last bar because that would mean that the review was over. The Honeycomb bar is dark chocolate with caramelized honey. I thought it tasted just like a chocolate bar and wondered what those little bits were doing in the bar and then I realized it was the honey! It reminds me of little toffee bits but better! They don't get stuck in your teeth! It melts in your mouth along with the chocolate like one smooth chocolate ride! 

These chocolate bars are amazing! 

Oh and did I tell you? These guys are so awesome! They are so committed to their roots and strive to sustain and revitalize the cacao industry in Venezuela that their company has an initiative called Aguasanta Growth Initiative. It provides needed funding to the Venezuelan cacao farmers for plant seedlings as well as training to increase growth of their cacao crops. 

If you are unsure of what to get your mom/wife/sister/girlfriend/female for fill-in-the-blank Day, ahem, Mother's Day and you know they like/love/obsess/crave chocolate, you need to walk, no, sprint to the closest computer (or store) and get some of these chocolates! It's unusual, unique, one-of-a-kind and (did I mention) delicious chocolate! They have fun flavors for all kinds of tastes! When you go check out their website, you'll see that there are so many different options besides chocolate, there are brownie mixes - for the moms who love to bake (which would most likely be your mom), hot chocolate, gift boxes and more!

Right now, there's even a page of goodies dedicated to making your mom/wife happy! 

BUY: You can go online at www.chuaochocolatier.com. While you're there, can you get me some Firecracker? Thanks.  If you'd rather go to a physical store, you can find Chuao Chocolatier creations at fine specialty retailers including Whole Foods Market, Pier 1 Imports, Wegman's and Crate and Barrel, as well as premier restaurants, select hotels and resorts including Omni Hotels, La Costa Resort & Spa, Four Seasons, Hard Rock Hotel and more.  

WIN: One lucky Moana Saves reader will win the ChocoPod 8 piece Assorted Gift Box! Experience all 8 ChocoPods in one cute box- Coco, Coffee & Anise, Firecracker, Honeycomb, Leche, Oscuro, Panko and Spicy Maya!  All natural & just 50 calories each! For your mandatory entry in this giveaway, go to Chuao's homepage and sign up for their newsletter (lower right hand side).

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

4. Follow Chuao Chocolatier on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win the chocopod 8 piece gift box from @chuaochocoholic and @moanasaves ends 5/11 http://bit.ly/eapQwg

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

8. Like the Chuao Chocolatier Facebook page. 

 

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends on 5/11/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

 *I was not paid, but did recieve products to facilitate this review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Peeled Snacks Organic Fruit Snacks: A Review

I am a fan of fruit, fresh and dried. I was given some dried fruit from Peeled Snacks.

Here's a little info about Peeled Snacks before we go on. 10% of sales will benefit the American Farmland Trust, their fruit is grown on farms in North America and their snacks are a natural source of fiber. Peeled Snacks contains 12 single serving snacks, 6 each of: Apple-2-the-core and Cherry-go-round (which I got to try!). Their snacks are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber! All the things we need to be healthy and to raise healthy kids!

There were two little packages, apples and cherries and a bigger bag of a mixture of apple, raisin and cherry. You can find them all here. The apples and cherries were a part of a sampler and the deal of the month.

I opened up the package and shared with the family. My kids don't usually eat fruit so they didn't really care for it. My son did not like it, he usually eats apples so I think the fact that they were dried was a different concept for him and he didn't want to try it. My younger daughter loved to hold the fruit on its own and feed herself; she just munches on it and eats it right up. My husband and I don't usually eat a lot of fruit since it is so expensive in Hawaii. Since eating these, I think I might substitute these for my fruit fix.

I liked the dried apples;, they weren't too soft and not too dried or hard. It was the perfect balance and it was delicious. I usually don't like cherries but the sampler I had made me change my mind, well at least for dried cherries. The sampler, Farmer's Market Trio, had a good mix with the different dried fruit. Like I said before, I don't usually eat cherries but yummy, I was eating from the bag so much that I forgot how much I had actually eaten and the bag was almost empty when I remembered to share with family.

You can buy these yummy organic snacks at a Starbucks in the US and Canada... or just go online to their website! You can also check out their Facebook page and Twitter!

Happy Earth Day everyone!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Sunny Beadz Review coming your way

Hello! Coming soon is a review of this cute piece of jewelry from SunnySleevez.com! I chose the octopus necklace because it would be a fun way for me to test the product and see how hot it can get when I bike to work or play outside with the kids.

I was not compensated for this post although I will soon review a SunnyBeadz piece of jewelry.  Any and all opinions here are my own.


Anna's note: Carol, our newest reviewer on Moana Saves, wrote this.  Stay tuned for her bio and fun reviews!