a blog for women… I'm just sayin'

Do you remember this commercial? For all you youngsters [wink wink] Peter Brady is the middle son from the 1970s hit show The Brady Bunch.

The promo jingle back in the day was that “Go Go power” of Cheerios. Today Cheerios promotions focus on Oats, know as the Heart Superfood. My boys ate Cheerios for breakfast and mom gave them to us too. It’s amazing how far we have come with food and ads yet the old standards remain. According to the Cheerios website “Three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods, like Cheerios® cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cheerios cereal provides 1 gram per serving.” As a fan of Cheerios® for many years now, I am elated to announce two fabulous “Do What You Love” contest giveaways!

The first contest is huge and oh so exciting! Cheerios is collaborating with country music superstar Martina McBride and professional athlete Cal Ripken, Jr. for the “Do What You Love” Contest.

Now through July 23, 2010, submit a 150-250 word original story and photo, highlighting what you love to do for a chance to win an experience of a lifetime! http://www.cheerios.com/love

1. One music lover (and a guest) will tour the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum with McBride; hang out with her in her recording studio – the world famous Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tenn. – and even get VIP tickets to one of her upcoming concerts.
2. Another lucky baseball enthusiast (and a guest) will have the chance to hang out and play catch with Ripken and to tour the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy in Aberdeen, Md., with the “Iron Man” of baseball himself. Additionally, the winner will throw out the first pitch at the Cal Ripken World Series as well as attend a Baltimore baseball game seated in Ripken’s reserved seats.

The second “Do What You Love” giveaway is being sponsored right here – ya!

Thanks to Cheerios and MyBlogSpark for providing me with a “Do What You Love” prize pack, the contest information, and a prize pack to share with you all!  The “Do What You Love” prize pack includes one box of Cheerios and a $25 American Express^® Gift Card that you can use towards doing what you love.

How to Enter

Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment telling us what you love to do!

For two more chances to win the prize pack:

Second Entry – Follow me on twitter and leave a comment with your twitter name.

Third Entry – Copy and tweet to your followers:

Cheerios “Do What You Love” Contest & Prize Pack  http://bit.ly/dd0zVL #mbsspark @WomanMomFriend

One Winner will be chosen Sunday July 25 via Random.org – Giveaway is open to US residents only per sponsor rules. Good Luck!

Eat more of these foods and weigh less, sounds somewhat crazy. According to Self magazine, the right foods aid in dropping pounds by accelerating calorie burning and curbing cravings.

The top twenty weight loss super foods listed include steak, eggs, kale, oats, lentils, Goji berries, wild salmon, apples, buckwheat pasta, blueberries, almond butter, pomegranates, chilies, yogurt, quinoa, sardines, tarragon, Parmesan, avocado, and olive oil. Plenty of high fiber and high protein foods included however, the list is rather surprising to me.  A first glance the list appeared to be foods that supported weight gain not loss.

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A rambling foodie post:

I have a great adaptation of Kellogg’s original recipe for Marmalade Coffee Cake. Before I get into that recipe, I want to let you in on an exciting little secret.  Betty Crocker has a new product, Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars. These new bars are scheduled for release sometime this summer however, I received an invitation to participate in a product review in the near future. I’m so excited, Mississippi Mud with all the sweetness and yummy chocolate, now that is heavenly! Did I mention that bars are my favorite style of cookie? Double heaven! So be on the lookout for my review of the new Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars. read more »

Just last month General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single-digit grams of sugar per serving. Additionally, the company has been increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain. Having survived early morning dilemmas as a working mother, I was excited to share the news about General Mills. To understand my excitement, let me give you a little family history.  My mother was a stay at home mom. Her children ate a home cooked breakfast every morning… except for Saturday. Cartoons and sweet cereal; a treat for us kids and a break for mom. I am thankful that my mother taught us the importance of a good breakfast.   While I may not have cooked a meal in the morning, I did insist the boys ate a good breakfast. Of course, the breakfast tradition of cartoons and sweet cereal on Saturday morning continued in my house too! My boys, both grown men now, still enjoy cereal with breakfast and as a snack too.  Breakfast, Baking, & Saving was inspired in part, by that very news. And now General Mills has me really excited!! I received an opportunity to share the Big G Whole Grain Awareness Challenge and a “Grains of Goodness” gift pack here. Why all the whole grain hype? Read on to learn more about whole grains and how you can win a “Grains of Goodness” Gift Pack. read more »