Your invited to the Nestle Summer Block Party!

One of the things I love about Summer is relaxing and enjoying time with friends.  Who doesn’t love a good Summer Block Party, right…. food, friends, sun and did I mention food?!?  It’s the perfect way to unwind, meet your neighbors and catch up with the people you love!  For this entire week, I cordially invite you to join me (and four of my blogging neighbors) at the Nestle Family Summer Block Party!

Each week, all five blogs including 24/7 Moms, Classy Chaos, Cutie Booty Cakes, Momma Findings and myself will be featuring some great summer tips and hosting some incredible Nestle Giveaways (you do NOT want to miss what I have in store for you on Friday!).  Here at Experimental Mommy (aka The Not-So-Blog), I will be writing about fun backyard science projects you can do with your kids this Summer (very appropriate, right!?).  Today’s tip courtesy of the “Science is Fun” website:

While searching the internet for some fun projects, I found a neat way to teach your kids about Carbon Dioxide.  I know, I know, you are thinking, “How can carbon dioxide be fun?”  But what if I told you that carbon dioxide can make raisins dance?!?  Now, we have the kids attention!

A can of colorless soda (e.g., 7-Up or Sprite), a tall, clear glass or plastic cup and several fresh raisins.

Pour the can of soda into the tall glass. Notice the bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas released from the liquid.  Next, drop 6 or 7 raisins into the glass and watch the raisins for a few seconds. Describe what is happening to the raisins. Do they sink or float? Keep watching; what happens in the next several minutes?

Raisins are denser than the liquid in the soda, so initially they sink to the bottom of the glass. The carbonated soft drink releases carbon dioxide bubbles. When these bubbles stick to the rough surface of a raisin, the raisin is lifted because of the increase in buoyancy. When the raisin reaches the surface, the bubbles pop, and the carbon dioxide gas escapes into the air. This causes the raisin to lose buoyancy and sink. This rising and sinking of the raisins continues until most of the carbon dioxide has escaped, and the soda goes flat. Furthermore, with time the raisin gets soggy and becomes too heavy to rise to the surface.

GIVEAWAY

Let me know if you try this one in your own backyard!  In the meantime, are you ready for our first Nestle Family giveaway?  Today’s prize pack includes:

1 NESTLÉ^® Drumstick^® Heroes Summer Celebration Package (valued at approx. $300).  This fun-filled, NESTLÉ^® DRUMSTICK^® Heroes summer celebration package comes complete with enough NESTLÉ^® DRUMSTICK^® Sundae Cones for a party of 50 pals! Plus, an assortment of coupons for the following FREE NESTLE PRODUCTS:

JUICY JUICE^®, OVALTINE^®, EDY’S^®/DREYER’S^®, CARNATION^® Breakfast Essentials, WONKA^®, STOUFFER’S^®, NESQUIK^®, TOLL HOUSE^® Refrigerated Cookie Dough, and TOLL HOUSE^® Morsels.

How to enter:

1. Tell me which NESTLE product in this prize pack you would bring to a Block Party!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and NESTLE FAMILY (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.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

7.  Follow the other Block Party Hosts on Twitter and get 4 extra entries! (@OHMommy, @sarann, @ReneeJRoss, @247Moms)

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on July 21st. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

The Block Party is sponsored by Nestle Family.  I was compensated for participating in this series, but all opinions remain 100% mine.