Yoplait Splitz is the new yogurt that tastes like a sundae. Providing all of the goodness of 100% real yogurt, Yoplait Splitz is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. With no artificial flavors or sweeteners and no high fructose corn syrup, this 90 calorie dessert is the treat your family craves.

We received a coupon to try out Yoplait Splitz for ourselves thanks to MyBlogSpark. We have always been big fans of Yoplait and my girls love to eat their yogurts so I had a pretty good feeling that we would enjoy Splitz as well. I was correct. It’s available in three flavors -  Strawberry Sundae, Strawberry Banana Split, & Rainbow Sherbert. We tried the Rainbow Sherbet and loved it! It was rich, creamy, and full of taste.

The girls really liked that we could freeze these snacks and enjoy them during the hot summer days. It gave this yogurt a whole new appeal to them and they were constantly asking for more. And for once I didn’t mind since I knew it was providing them with essential nutrients. Yoplait Splitz also makes great school time snacks. I put a frozen cup into Kacie’s insulated lunch bag and it stayed cold all the way until lunch time. I’m also thinking that Yoplait Splitz would be a great alternative to cupcakes or brownies for school birthday parties. I know the kids would love something different.

So if you’re looking for more healthy options when trying to satisfy a sweet tooth, consider Yoplait Splitz. It’s like having a healthy ice cream sundae! Who would have thought that was possible?

For more information on this and other Yoplait products, stop by their website, Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

WIN IT!

How would you like to win a Yoplait Prize Pack for yourself? It includes a coupon* for a free sample of new Yoplait Splitz, an insulated carry tote and a roll up fleece picnic blanket. To enter:

• Just mention in comments before midnight, Sept 12th which flavor you’d like to try. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified via email shortly thereafter.
• The winner will then have 2 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to An Island Life’s feed.
• Follow Island Life on Twitter.
• Tweet this giveaway.
• Place our button in your sidebar.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Yoplait.

This giveaway is open to US addresses. Good luck!

This post was written for MyBlogSpark &  Yoplait who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest review.

*This coupon offer for a free pack of Yoplait Splitz is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.

I was very excited to get this business card holder because I had just had some cards made for an event I was going to attend. As you can imagine, this card holder was an eye catcher, and I had so many compliments about it. I am sure it made a memorable impression on those who saw it. And that is what we all want when we are choosing items for our offices and personal use. Executive Gift Shoppe has so many great choices to express your own personal style.

I was also very impressed at how quickly they shipped, and how nicely packaged the card holder was. If I had been giving it as a gift, all I would have needed to do was wrap it. It came in a great box, and I imagine that all of their items would ship with the same care.

They have such a wide variety of choices for both men and women. If you have someone in your life that works in an office, or is just an office supply junkie like me, you really should check out the Executive Gift Shoppe website for your upcoming holiday shopping.

This post was written for Executive Gift Shoppe who provided the complimentary item in exchange for my honest review.

I was fortunate to receive several bags of Cinnamon Churros.

The cinnamon churros were crispy and light, with just the right amount of sweetness.

I gave some to both my boys, and they were both hesitant to try the churros since they didn’t see anything like it before, but once Little Music Man got a taste, he asked for more.  Smiley Boy, on the other hand, was too afraid to even try it (he’s VERY picky), but I know once he gets brave enough to take a bite, I’m sure he’ll enjoy the sweetness of the cinnamon churros!

Although the churros can be a bit messy, they are really tasty and I can only imagine how good it will be crushed up atop some vanilla ice cream.  YUM!

Maybe one day I’ll get to try a “real” churro, but until then, I’m happy eating Rudolph’s Cinnamon Churros, and I’m saving a bag for when I pick up some vanilla ice cream!

Thank you to the sponsor for providing the products for review free of charge.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own.

Twelve photographers from across the country have just been named Category Finalists in the 2010 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest with National Geographic. They are now one step closer to their “shot” at greatness—the Grand Prize Winner will receive a trip of a lifetime to the Greek Isles and will see his or her photo appear in the pages of National Geographic magazine in an ad for Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries.

The 2010 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest, which launched in April, has named two Finalists in each of its six thematic categories: animals/wildlife, nature, travel, people/cultures, weather and action/energy. Now it’s up to the public to pick the Category Winners. From now through Sept. 15, people can go to www.nationalgeographic.com/lithium to view the gallery of Category Finalist photos and to select their favorite in each category.

From more than 14,000 entries, 12 photos stood out as the best in their respective categories, according to Jim Richardson, National Geographic photographer and judge for the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.

The Finalist who receives the most votes in his or her category will advance to becoming a Category Winner. The six Category Winners will enter a second round of judging by Richardson, who will determine the Grand Prize Winner, to be announced on or about Nov. 4, 2010.

In 2008, Energizer and National Geographic teamed up on the first Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest, bringing together the world’s premier resource for photojournalism with the company that makes the world’s longest-lasting AA and AAA batteries for digital cameras and other high-tech devices. Three years later, the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest is enjoying its best year yet – with a record-breaking number of entries.

“We continue to be amazed at the quality of work that pours in through submissions to the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest,” said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for Energizer North America. “Our goal is to encourage everyone to enjoy the experience of capturing moments through photography, and we hope the long-lasting power and reliability of our Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries make it a little easier to do just that.”

Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries are proven to last up to 8x longer* in digital cameras and up to 2x longer** in flash units, as well as offering more power* for GPS devices, LED flashlights and handheld games. In addition to delivering long-lasting power, the batteries are 33 percent lighter than alkaline batteries, have a 15-year storage life and perform well in extreme temperatures from -40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-40o to 60o Celsius), making them ideal for both professional and amateur photographers on the go.

Each of the 2010 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest Category Winners will receive an assortment of Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries as part of a prize pack that also includes an EPIC Action Video Cam, Nikon COOLPIX L110 digital camera, Litepanels Micro® camera light, Energizer® Ultimate® Lithium 1AA Handheld flashlight, Energizer® Ultimate® Lithium Headlight and two books from the National Geographic Collection: “Journeys of a Lifetime” and “National Geographic: The Image Collection.”

The Grand Prize Winner will receive all of the items listed above as well as a National Geographic Expedition for two to the Greek Isles, accompanied by a National Geographic expert.

For additional information on the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest and to vote on the Category Finalist photos, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/lithium. For more information on Energizer and its products, visit www.facebook.com/energizer.

*Versus Energizer® MAX®. Results vary by device.
**Versus Energizer® MAX®. AA only. Results vary by device.

About Energizer:

Energizer Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: ENR], headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of primary batteries, portable battery-powered devices, and portable flashlights and lanterns. Energizer is a global leader in the dynamic business of providing power solutions with a full portfolio of products including Energizer® brand battery products Energizer® MAX® premium alkaline; Energizer® Ultimate Lithium; Energizer® Advanced Lithium; Rechargeable batteries and charging systems; and portable flashlights and lanterns.

Energizer continues to fulfill its role as a technology innovator by redefining portable power solutions to meet people’s active lifestyle needs for today and tomorrow with Energizer® Energi To Go® chargers for rechargeable portable devices; charging systems for wireless video game controllers; and specialty batteries for hearing aids, health and fitness devices, as well as for keyless remote entry systems, toys and watches. Energizer is redefining where energy, technology and freedom meet to bring to market consumer-focused products that power the essential devices that help people stay connected and on the go at work and at play. Visit www.energizer.com, www.facebook.com/energizerbunny and www.facebook.com/energizer.

About The National Geographic Society:

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, published in English and 32 local-language editions, is read by more than 38 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 330 million households in 34 languages in 166 countries. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 15 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 9,400 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

Information courtesy of Energizer

My kids love creative play especially when they can create their own pieces. So when we had the opportunity to review Moon Dough Barnyard Playset, I was very interested in learning more about it. Up until then, I’ve never heard of the product but the idea of a “dough” that doesn’t dry out sounded very appealing to me.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Moon Dough Barnyard Playset allows you to magically mold your own animals! Mold your hay bale, put it in the barn silo and turn the crank – full 3D animal slides out to do and play with! It’s amazing magic molding ability is it’s key feature. The magic molding dough that never dries out.

OUR REVIEW

Our set came with the barn, grassy area, silo, molds for hay bales & wooden fence, play mat, & 3 packages of Moon Dough. Putting the set together was so easy that even Kiana could assemble it by herself. Once that was done, we just removed the Moon Dough from it’s plastic pouch, squished it in our hands for about a minute, and presto! we had moldable Moon Dough.

The playset is very easy to use. Just fill the animal mold on the top of the barn, turn the crank, and a farm animal comes tumbling out of the door. Just make sure that the dough fills every mold detail so that your animal will come out looking like an animal.

The good thing is that if you put too much dough into the mold, the excess will be scraped off and stored in the silo for easy clean-up. Gotta love that! And just look at the details on the completed molds! Amazing!

The Moon Dough has a dry powdery feel and can make a mess so make sure you have newspaper covering your play area. However, it’s also very easy to clean-up since it doesn’t stick to anything. You also don’t have to worry about it getting hard when your kids forget to close the container lid properly. Moon Dough does not dry out! We store ours in plastic re-sealable bags which makes it easy for the kids to get to. In addition, the Moon Dough hypo-allergenic and wheat-free so you know it’s safe for your family.

Our set retails for $19.99 on Amazon.com with additional dough pouches for $5.00. With the holidays coming up, this would make the perfect Christmas gift! Kids will love the cool Moon Dough and parents will love how easy and safe it is to use.  Get your set today!

This post was written for Team Mom & Moon Dough who provided the complimentary item in exchange for my honest review.

Did you know the average American consumes over twice the recommended amount of salt on a daily basis? That’s equivalent to nearly 7.6 pounds of salt per year! While sodium intake is essential for the body to function, high amounts of sodium can cause many health issues including high blood pressure. Mrs. Dash has created a wonderful line of flavorful salt-free and MSG-free seasoning blends that will leave your meals tasting delicious and without the high amount of salt that many other seasoning blends contain!

There are 15 creative Mrs. Dash salt-free and MSG-free Seasoning Blends to meet all of your cooking needs. Each seasoning blend contains 14 all-natural spices and herbs adding a unique flavor to each dish you prepare! The two newest varieties added to the salt-free line of seasonings are: Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus Seasoning Blend and Mrs. Dash Citrus Lime Seasoning Blend. Give them each a try for a delicious healthy meal!

My Thoughts

I was so excited to receive my box of Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Seasoning Blends. My husband was recently diagnosed with hypertension and has been put on a special diet. He’s done very well with watching his salt intake, but I, on the other hand, have been suffering! As a southern gal, I love my salt and butter, ala’ Paula Deen. I add it to everything… or, I used to, anyways. I needed a healthy alternative that spiced up our recipes and satisfied my need for flavor!

We received 5 seasonings: Tomato Basil Garlic, Hamburger, Onion & Herb, and the newest blends, Fiesta Lime and Caribbean Citrus! My husband actually opened the box and tried several while I was out of town. Every night he tried a different recipe he found online at Mrs. Dash. They have some great recipe ideas! He was very happy with his new-found seasonings so, I couldn’t wait to give them a try.

First, I made Beef Stroganoff and instead of seasoning the beef with salt, I used Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Onion & Herb. I didn’t tell my son or husband what I’d used and they both commented on how good it was and both had seconds! The Onion & Herb seasoning really added something to the flavor that salt just couldn’t do.  Since then we’ve grilled chicken and added the Caribbean Citrus seasoning, grilled hamburgers with the Hamburger seasoning and, my favorite so far has been spaghetti with Tomato Basil Garlic  and Onion & Herb seasonings. Every dinner we’ve tried has tasted delicious and, I’m happy to report, my husband’s blood pressure has been much lower! Watching his sodium intake and using Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Seasoning Blends has really helped him… and me!!!

I highly recommend giving Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Seasoning Blends a try! Look for Mrs. Dash products at your local supermarket!

This post was written for Mrs. Dash who provided the complimentary seasoning blends in exchange for my honest review.

Working for the airlines allows our family to take various vacations throughout the year. However, with the rising costs of hotels and rental cars plus having to tote around a 10-month old baby, going out of state is not very feasible for us right now. Thankfully, Coleman provided us with another option . . . a Stay-cation right in our own backyard.

We received a variety of camping and outdoor equipment and my family had a blast trying them out.

Coleman Sundome 6 Tent

This 12′ x 10′ tent is the perfect size for a small family. When it first arrived, I asked DH to assemble it in the backyard because I figured it would be a little too difficult for me since I’m not much of a camping gal. However, after watching him put it together I realized that it’s so simple that I could have probably done it myself. What really impressed me was how the instructions were sewn into the inside of the carrying bag. This is such a great idea since I can’t tell you how many times we probably would have had to chase down the flying papers.

Basically, you just put the 2 metal poles through the nylon openings on the top and then use the attached clips that goes down the four seams of the tent. That’s it! I couldn’t believe that we had it up and standing in a matter of minutes! There’s also a nylon rain shield that is just as easy to attach which allows you to keep your vents open without the rain coming in. It does this by making sure the rain shield is sticking out at an angle away from the tent.

Some of the things I really liked about this tent is that the center height is 72″ which means I could stand straight up in it! This makes it so much easy to tidy up and just move around in general. I also liked that it had 2 doors which made getting in and out of the tent a lot easier. There are also interior gear pockets sewn into the side of the tent which was very handy for storing things we didn’t want to place on the ground like Kaila’s bottle.

However, the best part is that it was very cool! We had it set up in the backyard which is usually very hot in the afternoon when the sun hits it directly. Once I went into the tent, I noticed how much cooler I felt. The side meshed windows really allow for a nice breeze through the open area while the tent’s Polyester taffeta material kept the sun’s heat out.

The Sundome 6 Tent can fit up to 6 people and retails for approximately $149.99.

Quad Lantern

This is the one item that my husband was so excited to try out. He’s been eyeing it up in Costco and was actually thinking of purchasing it . . . until we received one to review. I have to say that after trying out the Quad Lantern, I can see what all the excitement was about. This has got to be one of the coolest lanterns I’ve ever seen. It runs on (8) D cell batteries which is placed in the bottom of the unit and lasts up to 75 hours.

What I really liked about the Quad Latern is that it has 4 separate panels that can be used individually or all together. You can turn the entire lantern on with a touch of a button or you can separate the panals and turn on each one individually. The lighted beam reaches out to 26 feet and is very bright.

I have to say that 8 batteries did seem like a lot and I had some trouble getting the battery cover back on once the batteries were in. However, it was so cool to have 4 individual lights in one. This way, if one of us needed to go back to the house we didn’t have to take the entire group’s light away. We just detached a lighted panel and we were on our way.

The Quad Lantern is a definite must-have and retails for $69.99.

Extra High Quickbed Airbed

This airbed was the only reason I agreed to camp outside. I just couldn’t see lying on the grass so close to any creepy crawlies out there. We received a Queen sized airbed which measured 78″ x 60″ x 10″. All we had to do was place it in the tent, turn the pump on and in less than 2 minutes, we had a fully inflatable bed. The installed pump is such a great idea because there’s nothing to detach and seal. You just turn it off and the airbed stays fully inflated.

What I liked about the Quickbed Airbed is that you can place a standard Queen sized sheet on it and it fit perfectly. It’s also about 6″ higher than a normal air mattress which made me feel a lot safer from the ground. But best of all, it was super comfortable! In fact, I actually fell asleep on it the other night when we had it set up in the living room for the kids.

The Extra High Quickbed Airbed retails for $77.99.

Willow Creek Sleeping Bag

What would camping be without a sleeping bag? Coleman has wide variety of sleeping bags for every outdoor temperature – warm, cool, cold, extreme. We received the Warm Sleeping Bag (40 – 60 degrees) which is rolled up and secured with an attached cord. I like that you can’t misplace the cord because it’s so hard to roll up and store a sleeping bag without it. However, what really impressed me was how soft and comfortable it was. I swear it felt like a down comforter! We actually unzipped it and used it as a blanket which kept us nice and snuggly warm.

Our Willow Creek Sleeping Bag measures 33” x 78” and fits up to 5’11” tall person. The unique contoured headrest shape keeps head on bag and bag off face. I remember those older sleeping bags we used to use as kids where because the ends were the same length, you would have to unzip a portion of it in order to breath properly. It was not very comfortable.

The Willow Creek Sleeping Bags keeps you safe and comfortable and retails for $34.99.

Overall, we were very impressed with quality and usefulness of all the Coleman products we received. I can see why they’re the first name in outdoor gear. If your kids love to camp whether it’s in the woods, in your backyard, or just in the living room, check out Coleman for a complete line of their innovative products.

This post was written for Coleman who provided the complimentary items in exchange for my honest review.

Stop by Coleman’s Facebook page for great deals and a chance to win their Backyard Escape Sweepstakes (deadline to enter is Sept 8th)

Hawaii Bloggers: Interested in attending an advanced screening of SECRETARIAT?
Show dates: Sept 15th (7pm) @ Koolau 10, Sept 22 (7pm) @ Kahala 8, & Oct 7 (7pm) @ Ward 16
Space is limited so contact me asap!

About The Movie:

Based on the remarkable true story, “Secretariat” chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner.  Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge.  Against all odds, Chenery—with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)—manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

While in NYC, I had the opportunity to attend an advanced screening of Secretariat and let me tell you, it was a truly inspiring and touching film. I’m not allowed to say much about it right now but believe me, this is one movie you don’t want to miss.

After the screening, we had the opportunity to meet one of the producers, Mark Ciardi, and talk to him about his reasons for bringing  this particular story to the big screen. We could tell just how passionate he is about this film and how excited he is to share it with the public. I don’t blame him, it was such an awesome movie that I can’t wait to see it again. The funny thing is that I knew how the real story ended but it didn’t prevent me from being on the edge of my seat during that last final race.

This great family movie opens in theaters nationwide on October 8th.

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question is . . .

What kind of cell phone do you use? What do you like/don’t like about it?

I’ve had an iPhone for years but got tired of the screen freezing up and the many dropped calls. Today my new Verizon Droid X arrived and I can’t wait to try it out!

My Purple Toes is a new children’s board book with a purpose.

Written for children under eight-years-old this is a story about a father’s experience navigating life with purple painted toenails. From mom to the kids to their dog, everyone reacts differently to dad’s purple toes showing their surprise, embarrassment, and even laughter.

Throughout the book, children can look for dad’s toes in various environments and also find a friendly frog with purple toes that hides on each page. In addition to entertaining, “My Purple Toes” teaches a simple, yet relevant lesson about the importance of acceptance, enjoying life and being different.

My Review:

This is a fun book, perfect for reading with your child.  Have fun talking about the different places that toes go and finding that cute frog hiding on each page!  My son always wants to have his toes painted when I do and it’s nice to have a book showing that it doesn’t matter so much what you look like on the outside, it’s who you are on the inside that matters!

Backing up that lesson… another cool thing about this book is that a large part of the proceeds will go to Soles4Souls, an organization dedicated to bringing shoes to those in need.  I was excited to see this partnership because I’ve been involved with Soles4Souls for a few years now.

My Purple Toes is a fun read and a great addition to our library!

This post was written for My Purple Toes who provided the complimentary book in exchange for my honest review.