Tyson Any’tizers: Review and Giveaway

hypothesis The new Tyson Any’tizers with the Sauce and Stir packs will be a great snack for football Sundays in my home!

materials

One pack of Tyson Any’tizers in the General Tso variety, a Saints football game and one football-lovin’ husband. About Tyson Any’tizers:

tyson

Available in your grocer’s frozen food section, the new Tyson® Any’tizers varieties include Chicken Breast Chunks with General Tso Sauce, Chicken Breast Chunks with Spicy Sweet & Sour Sauce, Crispy Breaded Wings with Citrus Fire Sauce and Crispy Breaded Wings with General Tso Sauce. Made with the highest quality chicken, these bold new flavors offer protein-packed options that can be customized with the two included sauce packets to satisfy any snacking occasion.

results

As die hard New Orleans Saints fans and part of the Who Dat Nation, the television is religiously tuned into football on Sundays.  As we watch the Saints make their journey to the Superbowl, it is nearly impossible for us to sit still through the whole game!  We generally get rid of nervous energy by pacing, yelling, cheering and EATING!  So, when I was asked to check out the new varieties of Tyson’s Any’tizers, I knew they would be perfect for football snacking!

Breaded Wings_TsoWing

My family loved the General Tso’s variety!  Extremely easy and fast, these crispy breaded chicken wings contain no MSG and can be served to your liking with as much or as little sauce as you desire (two packs of sauce are included in each bag).  I like the fact that the package is resealable for those rare occasions where you don’t eat the entire bag!

The Tyson Any’tizers was the perfect snack for football snacking and was well received by my husband and my family.  We can’t wait to try another variety during the next game….maybe the Citrus Fire Sauce (we like it spicy around here!).

hypothesis

The ease and convenience of the Tyson Any’tizers make them the perfect party, after-school, tailgating or just-because snack!  We loved the General Tso’s variety and would definitely purchase this product again for future football parties.

Is your mouth watering now?  Need some football food for the upcoming playoff games?  Tyson has generously offered THREE Not-So-Blog readers their own FREE pack of Tyson Any’tizers and a cooler to carry drinks!

How to enter:

1. Visit Tyson’s product page and tell me which variety of Any’tizers you are craving!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on January 25th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to Tyson who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.

Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Nuggets: Giveaway

Down here in the South, we like our food SPICY!  If my lips aren’t burning by the end of a crawfish boil, it just wasn’t any good! So, when I was asked to review the new Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Nuggets, I was totally on board!

wendysMany of you know that I currently trying to lose weight on the Weight Watcher’s Momentum Plan.  I have been a huge fan  of the Wendy’s Super Value Menu because there are several items that work with my diet!  The chili is low fat and high in fiber making it an ideal food for lunch, and the chicken nuggets curb my craving for something crunchy without going totally off plan.  Since I am already a big fan of Wendy’s chicken nuggets, I wasn’t sure they could improve on the already successful recipe.

The new Spicy Chicken Nuggets are made from real, all white breast meat chicken, coated with Japanese style breadcrumbs and packed with a potent array of spices like red pepper, chili pepper, turmeric, paprika and ground mustard seed. YUM!  These nuggets definitely had a kick to them, but they were not overly seasoned.  Not only were they tasty,  I was happy to learn that the spicy nuggets are only 99 cents for 5 pieces!

If you’re craving something spicy, head over to Wendy’s and try out the new nuggets today!  To help you treat your family to the new Wendy’s products, Wendy’s is generously offering on Not-So-Blog reader a $25 Wendy’s gift card!

How to enter:

1. Visit Wendy’s site and tell me which menu item is a hit in your home!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Halls on Facebook.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on January 25th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to Wendy’s who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary $5 gift card.

Get Inspired by FEDEX’s Out of Office Blog!

Now that the holiday season is winding down, many people take a moment to relish in the fact that their social calendar is clear for next few weekends.  NOT ME!  January begins the birthday season in my home as we have 3 birthdays to celebrate in the next 60  days, not to mention that Mardi Gras in packed in there as well!  Holiday gift giving and shopping have sucked every ounce of creativity from my brain, so I am in desperate need of party planning tips and ideas!

fedex

Fortunately, FEDEX Office has created the Out of Office blog which will get you started with projects for everything from invitations and place cards to tips on how to turn your child’s artwork into thank you notes. In the future, Out of Office will feature contests and giveaways, themed series, how-to videos, and the creative insights of guest bloggers and customers.

After searching the blog, I found some great templates for invitations and a great idea to make personalized photo calendars!  If you need a little creative inspiration, think out of the box and visit the FEDEX Office Out of Office Blog!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

V.Smile Motion Active Learning System by VTech: Review

hypothesisThe V.Smile Motion will be a fun and educational way to introduce video games to my 4 year old while engaging not only her mind, but her body and creativity, too!

materials

One V.Smile Motion Active Learning System by VTech (which comes with one controller and an Active Mania Smartridge), one very excited four year old little girl. About VTech:

vtechlogoVTech, the creator of the Electronic Learning Products (ELP) category, is a world leader of age-appropriate learning toys.  Since 1976, VTech has been developing high-quality, innovative, educational products for children from birth to preteen that deliver “smart play” through the combination of entertaining electronic formats and engaging, age-suitable content that help children learn while having fun.

VTech Electronics North America, which is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, is the sales and marketing office of VTech’s ELP business in the United States. With headquarters in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, VTech designs, manufactures and sells its products via a strong brand platform that is supported by a well-established distribution network all around the world.”

results

Even though the holidays are behind us, if your family is like mine, the gift giving season is far from over!  This month, my oldest daughter will turn five and she is just starting to show an interest in video games.  She has had other educational handheld gaming devices, but never a gaming console of her very own.  so, when I was contacted about reviewing VTech’s V.Smile Motion, I had a feeling Lily would be on board!

vsmileSetting up the V.Smile Motion was very easy.  Beware that is does take 4AA batteries which were hard to find in my home after Christmas.  The console plugs directly into your television and includes one wireless controller (which can be configured for a child who is right or left handed).  I loved the fact that the controller was wireless because it allowed Lily to easily play the games without getting tangled in the wires.  The system also included an “Action Mania” smartridge which includes a few starter games.  Lily really enjoyed tennis and I was surprised at how fast she picked up on how to use the controller.  I also like that the games allow you to choose whether or not you want to play the game in “motion mode” or “joystick mode.”  I found that while Lily liked playing the games in motion mode, she preferred the joystick mode for certain games like the designer section on her new Disney Fairies game (not included).

Photobucket

hypothesis

The V.Smile Motion Active Learning System was a hit in my home!  Lily enjoyed jumping, swinging and dancing as she played the smartridge games.  I love that while it is a video game, Lily was learning math and reading skills while still being active.  The V.Smile Motion is a great way to get out some energy on rainy or snowy days.

The V.Smile Motion is recommended for children ages 3-7 and can be purchased for only $59.99 (but I found the pink one on sale at Toys R Us for only $49.99!)!  There are games for just about any interest including Dora, Disney Fairies, Wonder Pets and Little Einstein which average between $20-$25.  I will definitely be on the look out for more Smartridges for Lily’s birthday!  Anybody have the Princess and the Frog?

This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to VTech who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product and all opinions are my own.

A Look Back at 2009

Happy New Year!  At midnight on January 1st, I always seem to get quite reflective on the past year.  The year 2009 was a great one for The Not-So-Blog, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite posts, fun events and accomplishments over the last year.

December 2008 brought over 7,000 unique visitors to The Not-So-Blog. One short year later, and the readership has grown to nearly 25,000 unique visitors a month!

In February of 2009, I came to my senses, bought my own domain name and hosting, and made the switch to WordPress.  My blog grew up!  I also won a full ride scholarship from Label Daddy to attend BlogHer ’09 in Chicago.

My baby turned one in March, I discussed my obsession with sweet tea, and had my ninth wedding anniversary in April.  May brought one of my favorite reviews to date and a brand new blog design by Cat at 3 Kids and Us!  The Experimental Mommy was born!

meandjen-300x225Ironically, in June came the addition of The Not-So-June, one of my best friends to the blog.  Jennifer began writing product reviews and hysterical posts that certainly helped me keep my sanity as the blog began to grow and  reached a milestone in July….my one year blogiversary!

I attended BlogHer ’09 in July which was held in Chicago, IL.  This was my very first blogging conference and I couldn’t have been more excited to be there!  My roommate Renee and I, tried to learn as much as we could, meet new friends, and fulfill our responsibilities to our sponsors.  The schedule was hectic, but totally worth every minute!  Coincidentally, if your company would like to sponsor my next blogging conference, feel free to email me to find out how you can benefit!

August is generally a reflective month for me with the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, but this year it was full of new possibilities with the introduction of the Double Duty Divas, a network that I co-founded to help bring mom blogs and companies together.

nestleThe highlight of my year was being selected to attend the Nestle Happy, Healthy Family Gathering in Pasadena, CA this September.  I had the opportunity to learn about this company, provide my feedback as a consumer and Mom, and meet some incredible bloggers and new friends.  Shortly after the trip, I was asked to make my very first blogging television appearance on the “Good Morning, New Orleans” show to review some child safety products.  It was much less nerve wracking than I imagined and I actually enjoyed it!

November began the hunt for the infamous Zhu Zhu Pet and led to a collaborative post between Jennifer and myself.  As we talked on the phone, we laughed about how crazy we were for hunting down these little $8 fake hamsters for our daughters and we began to formulate what would be the most popular post to date on The Not-So-Blog.  The Top Ten Ways to Score a Zhu Zhu Pet this Holiday Season was picked up by the LA Times and doubled the traffic to the site instantly!

Now that the holidays are winding down, I am hard at work ramping up the giveaways for my loyal readers!  I have loved developing a relationship with you and the many wonderful PR reps and companies I have had the privilege to work with in 2009.  Thank you for your readership, your help promoting my contests on Twitter and Facebook, and most of all, your friendship!

Wishing you all the best in 2010!  Stay Tuned for BIG THINGS from The Not-So-Blog!