The Art of Random Willy-Nillyness: January 2012
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips Review and Giveaway!


The tag line for the Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips is Lolo Ono which in Hawaiian means Crazy Delicious! This is the perfect description of these chips because let me tell you that these chips are crazy delicious!

I have to say that I was not sure about these chips at first because they are kettle chips and I prefer regular chips. But I decided to review them because the flavors sounded very intriguing to me. Here is a run down of the chips I sampled:

Original - To capture the freshness and authenticity of the islands, this chip is slow cooked in the old Hawaiian tradition in a select blend of oils for a crispy, crunchy potato chip, finished with the just perfect pinch of salt to enhance the natural potato flavor.

Sweet Maui Onion - Crispy, golden chips cooked to perfection, then seasoned with just the right amount of Sweet Maui onion flavor.

Luau BBQ - Although the front of the bag boasts Sweet and Spicy, consumers say it’s sweet and sassy and full of detectable flavor. Try putting these chips inside your next burger for a yummy twist.

Wasabi - Discover a new world of flavor when you try these unique tasting chips which combine the zest of wasabi root with a kick of horseradish and thick sliced potato chips to create this ultimate island delight.


While all the flavors were tasty, my favorite were the Sweet Onion and Luau BBQ flavors. The BBQ flavor were sweet and spicy. There was a nice BBQ taste to them. The Sweet Onion were sweet and spicy as well. The onion flavor came through and they were very tasty with onion dip as well! It was a great double onion flavor! The Original are good and the Wasabi was really good as well but it had a lot of spice.

These chips are definitely unique and make a perfect snack for anytime or a perfect side dish. They are very very Lolo Ono.

Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips are available in a range of sizes including 2 oz. bags (SRP $.99-$1.29), 8 oz. bags (SRP $2.99-$3.49) and 16 oz. bags (SRP $4.79 -$5.29).

I have an assortment of Hawaiian Kettle Style Chips to giveaway! YAY! Just enter on the Rafflecopter widget below!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Bosch ICON Storm Chasers Prize Pack Giveaway!!


I love watching StormChasers on Discovery Channel. While I think they are a little crazy to be chasing monster storms and then filming them, I appreciate what they do. Plus, I love watching the show to see what kind of mayhem will happen.

So you are asking what does StormChasers have to do with BOSCH, right? Well, to celebrate the release of the new BOSCH Icon Wiper Blades, Bosch is holding a Facebook contest. One lucky Facebook fan will win an all-expense paid, five (5) night VIP Storm Chasing trip for two (2) with Reed Timmer of Discovery Channel’s STORMCHASERS.

Facebook fans will also have the chance to win an exciting prize package that includes an iPad 2, iTunes gift card, weather-protective iPad case, signed copy of Reed Timmer’s book “Into The Storm”, Storm Chasers Season 4 + “Greatest Storms” DVD, and a set of Bosch ICON wiper blades. Wow what a great prize pack!

Just head over to the Bosch ICON Chasing The Storm Chasers Facebook Contest like the Facebook Page, watch the webisode, answer the question and enter to win.

Reed Timmer from StormChasers is documenting his experience with the Bosch ICON wiper blades in a series of webisodes, the first two are available to view right now at the FB contest app:

• “Why I Chase”
• “The Dominator”
• “In The Lab vs. In The Field”

For a sneak peek at what you can expect on the Bosch Auto Parts Facebook App, check out Reed’s In The Lab vs. In The Field Webisode.



BOSCH Icon Wiper Blades are available at the following retailers: Auto Zone, CarQuest, Napa, O’Reilly Auto Parts,and Advanced Auto Parts

You can also win a super duper Bosch Icon Wiper Blade/Stormchasers prize pack here on my blog. The prize pack includes:
* A set of Bosch ICON wiper blades
* A Bosch C3 6V/12V Fully Automatic 4-Mode Battery Charger
* Storm Chasers - Season 4 DVD
* A signed copy of Reed Timmer’s book "Into The Storm"

Just enter through the RaffleCopter widget!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

BistroMD Giveaway!



I recently reviewed the BistroMD meal program. BistroMD is a meal program that offers meals for weight loss. The meals are doctor designed and prepared by BistroMD expert chefs. BistroMD offers several meal plans to aid you in your weight loss journey. They have 5 and 7 day plans and the plans can be purchased with or without snacks.

The meals are nutritionally balanced and created to allow for healthy weight loss. You won’t find powered or freeze-dried entrees, just gourmet, chef-prepared meals that are healthy and perfectly portioned. The good thing about this program is that you have all the meals you need delivered. You don't have to count points or calories. You just follow the plan, eat the food and lose weight.

Thanks to the great peeps at BistroMD, I have 5 days of breakfast, lunch and dinner for one lucky reader. I really liked the meals and this is a good way to jump start your weight loss! If you want to win, then enter on the Rafflecopter widget below! YAY!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Bistro MD Home Diet Meal Delivery Review!


I recently had the opportunity to review a couple of the BistroMD meals. BistroMD is a meal program that offers meals for weight loss. The meals are doctor designed and prepared by BistroMD expert chefs.

BistroMD offers several meal plans to aid you in your weight loss journey. They have 5 and 7 day plans and the plans can be purchased with or without snacks. You go on the site, choose your plan, choose the meals you want and then they will deliver them to your house. It can be a little expensive but you do get all your meals for the day.

The meals are nutritionally balanced and created to allow for healthy weight loss. You won’t find powered or freeze-dried entrees, just gourmet, chef-prepared meals that are healthy and perfectly portioned. The good thing about this program is that you have all the meals you need delivered. You don't have to count points or calories. You just follow the plan, eat the food and lose weight. I have tried other similar plans and they work too but usually the food is not that great. After a while, it gets old.

I liked the BistroMD meals because they were a little more tasty. The Berry Crepe with Turkey sausage was good. I actually liked the sausage a lot. The crepes were tasty and offered a different choice. I never make crepes at home so I liked it was something unique. I loved the Cheese Ravioli. It did not taste like a frozen meal. The sauce was delicious. I don't eat fish so I had hubby try the Salmon entree and he gave it a thumbs up.

BistroMD offers a wide variety of meals ans snacks. You can go on the site and check them out. Based on the meals I had, I would love try more and really try the program since I totally need to lose weight. I would have liked to try more because some of the meals they have on the site look amazing.

But if you find it hard to lose weight, this might be something to investigate. They’ll put together a menu based on your preferences. You can let them know if you have any allergies, medical issues, religious preferences or your personal likes and dislikes.

It can't get any easier than that. All you have to do is follow the plan and be on the road to better health!

You can follow BistroMD on Facebook, Google +,YouTube and Twitter.


Disclosure: I received a sample product for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Happy Chinese New Year from P.F. Chang's!


One of the most important holidays in China is the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is a time to clean out the of the bad fortune and make room for the new fortune that might come in the New Year. The celebration lasts 15 days. People decorate their homes with the color red which symbolizes luck. They also have a grand feast, shoot off firecrackers and give out red envelopes with money. This year Chinese New Year falls on January 23rd.

This is the “Year of the Dragon.” This is great news for me because I was born in the Year of Dragon oh so many years ago! I am hoping that means that this Chinese New Year will be prosperous and happy for me. I always try to celebrate the Chinese New Year because I love the holiday. I love the idea of cleaning out the bad and making room for the good. I also love that it gives me one more day to celebrate in a unique and fun way.

I received Red Envelope Celebration Kit from P.F. Chang's that I will be using to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The kit included a cool t-shirt, red paper lanterns, a Chinese calendar, and two of the new P. F. Chang’s Home Menu noodle entrees, which I love. I also received a gift card to P.F. Chang's and was lucky enough to be able to use this weekend when we went into Asheville to watch a movie. Let me tell you that my meal at P.F. Chang's was delicious!!

The P.F. Chang’s Home Menu noodles: Grilled Chicken Teriyaki with Lo Mein Noodles and Firecracker Shrimp with Yakisoba Noodles are delicious as well. But I am already a fan of these entrees. I have reviewed them before and also put them on my 2011 Top Ten list of favorite products. You have to try them.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, beginning January 23rd P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu are giving you a chance to have some good fortune by giving you a special gift. If you visit a P.F. Chang's restaurant from January 23rd to February 6th, you will receive a red envelope with a surprise inside. The surprise can be a discount on the meal (10%-50%) or a free appetizer or dessert.

If you can't visit a P.F. Chang's restaurant, then you can try your luck on P.F. Chang's Facebook page. Go to the P.F. Chang's page and open a virtual red envelope from January 23rd to February 13th. You could win a coupon for a P.F. Chang’s Home Menu frozen meal and t-shirt, or a $25 P.F. Chang’s restaurant gift card.

I hope you’ll join P.F. Chang’s and grab your own red envelope by visiting one of the restaurants or visiting the Facebook for a chance to win! You know I will be trying my luck!! Remember to follow P.F. Chang's on Twitter as well.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Disclosure: I received sample products and the Celebration Kit from P.F. Chang’s Bistro and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Yum Yum Dishes Review and Giveaway!


It's a new year and I am on a journey to get healthy. This time I am going it alone instead of trying diets. I figure if I exercise and eat better, I should lose weight. Slowly, but at least doing it the right way.

When I received the opportunity to review Yum Yum Dishes and Bowls, I thought this was the perfect product for me right now.

The founder of Yum Yum Dishes actually created these to show kids what portions sizes are acceptable. I think it is a wonderful idea to start teaching kids about portion control. I also think it is always a good time to start teaching adults as well. I think we have gotten used to supersizing meals and that is not a good thing.

We have big plates at my house and we fill them up at dinner. I was a little worried that this smaller 9 inch Yum Yum Dish would not be enough when I have meals. What I love about the dish is that it also portions out your veggies, carbs and proteins. Basically half the plate is for veggies and the other half is for carbs and proteins. It doesn't get much simpler than that.

The little Yum Yum snack bowl is small but it is the perfect portion for a snack. I could fit 4 cookies. I could fit a handful of Fritos. I could have a scoop if ice cream. It also has a convenient plastic lid so you can take it anywhere.

The bowls and plates are really cute and good quality. Why this is a good start to losing weight is that it is easy to follow the portion sizing on the plate. The best thing is that you can eat anything you want as long as it fits on the plate. It is not brain surgery folks! And it is easy for me.

I took some pictures of our dinners. One picture is on our regular plate and one is on the Yum Yum Plate. The pictures aren't great but, trust me, I had about half as much steak and noodles as were on our regular plate. I ate my plateful and I was full. It was enough food. Usually I eat the full plate that my husband had. I thought for sure it would not be enough food but I was satisfied.

I am going to continue using my Yum Yum Plate and bowl as I try to lose weight this year. I figure if I can stick to the portion control, exercise and watch what I eat, I might lose weight without depriving myself of the yummy food I like.

Yum Yum Dishes are available in pre-boxed sets of four fun colors: cherry red, sunshine yellow, pistachio green and bold blue. The set of four 4oz Yum Yum bowls are available on their website for $24.00 in addition to their Set of 9 9" plates are available for $29.00

Thanks to the wonderful peeps at Yum Yum, I have a set of dishes and bowls for one lucky reader!! YAY!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

BenGay Review and Giveaway!

I recently had the opportunity to review BENGAY Cold Therapy and BENGAY Pain Relief + Massage. Let me tell you that this review opportunity came at the perfect time.

I started an exercise class at work and after a few workouts my old body is stiff and sore. After the second day, I came home and grabbed up my BenGay products and used them!

The first product I tried was the BenGay Pain Relief + Massage. My back was sore and I needed some relief. I have used BenGay before and know that it will relieve the pain. What I liked about this new product is that it has a massage applicator. So I was able to put it on the sore spot and rub it in. It also allows you to control the amount of BenGay that comes out so it doesn't go all over the place. The massage applicator was great because I was able to rub it into my skin and it relieved the pain. It was easy to apply and it dried up quickly.

I used the BenGay Cold Therapy on my shoulders. The BenGay Cold Therapy is a gel. It is also the only brand that uses the PRO-COOL™ Technology. The formula combines the pain relieving power of menthol, an OTC topical pain relieving ingredient, with the cooling benefits to alleviate the minor aches and pains. It was cool when I applied it. It was easy to apply and left my shoulders feeling good.

Both BenGay products had the BenGay smell but the Pain Relief + Massage
has a vanishing scent that makes it great to use any time. The smell went away rather quickly so I didn't smell like BenGay for hours. The Cold Therapy scent was not as strong. Both did not leave my hands greasy at all. Plus, my soreness was relived!

Like I said, I have always used BenGay for minor aches and pains and these two new products are certainly ones I would purchase in the future. If I continue exercising the way I am, I know I will be needing them for a few months!!

I have 2 prize packs that include one each of the BENGAY Cold Therapy and BENGAY Pain Relief + Massage for two lucky readers!! Just enter on the RaffleCopter widget below.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Purex Fabric Softener Crystals and Jockey Sports Bra Giveaway

As a Purex Insider, I get to review Purex products. One of my favorite Purex products recently has been Purex Crystals. I love them. You take the crystals and put them into your washer. The you do the laundry like you normally would do it.

The crystals make your clothes smell delicious. Not only when they come out of the washer and dryer but days later. Because it is also a fabric softener, it softens your clothes and leaves them feeling good.

Purex has partnered with Jockey. Why you ask? Well I had no idea but most fabric softeners have oils that can harm garments but Purex Crystals are 92% natural crystals that infuse long-lasting freshness into the fabric fibers of clothing without harming garments.

Because of this, liquid softeners can harm the moisture wicking fabric used in many active wear products. Purex Crystals are safer for active wear. Plus, let me tell you that I love the fact that I can keep my sports wear smelling fresher and we all know that is super duper important when it comes to our exercise clothes.

I received a Jockey®’s terry sports bra and a bottle of the Tropical Splash Purex Crystals. The sports bra came at a perfect time since I am starting an exercise program. I love the Jockey sports bra. My girls need a lot of support and this sports bra gives it to me. The bra is 93% polyester and 7% spandex. It is comfortable and moves well when I do my aerobics. It has breathable mesh panels and a wonderful key pocket so you don't have to carry around your whole key ring.

I washed it in the Purex Crystals and it came out looking, feeling and smelling great. I will have to wash it a few more times to see how it really holds up. But I wash everything including my delicates with the Purex Crystals and they hold up well.

Visit the Purex/Jockey page and you can print out a 20% off coupon via email. Trust me, you want to try the Purex Crystals. Once you do, you will love them.

The best part of being a Purex Insider and Jockey Insider is not only do I get to review products, I get to give some out. I have a prize pack that includes a Jockey Sports Bra and a full-sized bottle of Purex Crystals!! You know the drill my friends. Just enter on the Rafflecopter widget below!


Sunday, January 8, 2012

My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software Review and Giveaway!


I used to scrapbook a long time ago. It has been years since I have done it. One of the reasons I gave up was that it was time-consuming. It was also very expensive. I often miss it because it is one thing to have pictures on my blog but it is a whole other thing creating unique pages and making a physical scrapbook to hold those memories.


But now I can actually make scrapbook pictures on my computer with the new My Memories digital scrapbook software. The My Memories Suite v3 has several designs options. You can make scrapbooks, cards, calendars and much more especially if you are a creative type of person.

Once you download the software, it is easy to use. If I can use it, anyone can. The interface is easy to follow and it basically walks you through everything. If you need a tutorial, you can go the My Memories website and get some very handy tips and ideas. You can also join the Design Club for a fee and get tons of benefits!

The My Memories software comes with ready made templates so you can easily add any picture you want. I went on and found the "Out of the Box" template and added some of our Jamaica vacation photos. It was so easy and my page came out really nice. I was also given the option of having the software add the pictures. I decided to do it manually because all my pictures are saved willy-nilly in my computer. But it is nice to have the option of the software adding them.


The templates are also easily changed. They are not static. So I was able to move around the blocks on my page and change the colors and add text. Most of the templates that I played with were the same way. They also have seasonal templates which is a nice feature.

I love that the templates are easy to use. If you are a hardcore scrapbooker (not sure if that is a word) you can create your designs from scratch which is a nice option because you can do your own thing. You can even add audio and music to your creation.

If you want more templates, you can go to the My Memories website and download more. There are several free kits available and other kits can be purchased at reasonable prices. The good thing is once you download a template, you can use it multiple times.


I love my new software. I truly wish I had more time to play with it. It is easy to use and fun to use as well. It is such a great new way to scrapbook. I love it!

If you would like to purchase the My Memories Suite go to the site and use code STMMMS69742 to receive $10 off the software and a $10 coupon for the My Memories Store. If you can wait a little longer, then enter my giveaway for your own copy of My Memories.

This is really cool software. This is a Rafflecopter giveaway so please wait until the widget loads!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Cheerios Dulce de Leche Cereal Review!

I love Cheerios. I always buy regular Cheerios to have for breakfast because I believe they are tasty and good for me. I also love Honey Nut Cheerios and I buy them when I need a little extra sweetness and as a special treat for me. But now I have a new treat: Dulce de Leche Cheerios.


When I was a little girl, my abuelita and mami used to make Dulce de Leche. Basically Dulce de Leche literally translated means "Sweet of Milk". It can be made with regular milk and sugar but my family made it with sweetened condensed milk. It was so tasty.

My abuela used to make solid candy from it. Often we would go to her house and she would have balls of dulce de leche for us. I would pop those babies into my mouth and be in heaven.

My mami used to use it as a cake topping. She would make a plain yellow cake then drizzle the dulce de leche over the top. I loved that. I would also fight with my sister to see who would lick the spoon and the pot! I always won!

When I heard Cheerios was making Dulce de Leche cereal, I was excited because I am a fan of Cheerios so this would just be icing on the cake. I was also a little worried that the final product would not remind me of the dulce de leche I had when I was a little girl.

The Dulce de Leche Cheerios are like regular Cheerios except they have a very subtle taste of caramel. While not quite exactly like the dulce de leche I had growing up, these are pretty darn tasty. I was a little worried they would be too sweet because, in general, dulce de leche is wickedly sweet. These Cheerios are not that sweet but that is a good thing. I could not imagine having a bowl of overly sweet cereal because it would make me sick. These had just the right amount of sweetness for me. They also only have 6 grams of sugar per serving so that is a huge plus because I can eat these without feeling guilty.

The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios also provides 39 percent of the recommended daily amount of whole grain* (* According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the daily recommended amount of whole grain for most people is at least 3 ounce equivalents, which is equal to 48 grams. Dulce de Leche Cheerios has 19 grams of whole grain per serving.)

Would I buy these? Yes, of course. I think they going to replace the Honey Nut Cheerios from now on. I will still buy regular Cheerios but for that little bit of sugar I crave, these are perfect. In the end, you cannot go wrong with any flavor of Cheerios.

Dulce de Leche Cheerios will be available in the grocery aisle of stores nationwide this month. Also remember you can find Cheerios on Facebook.



Disclosure: The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios information and product have been provided free of charge by Cheerios and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark. I received a sample product for review purposes. No other compensation was given and the opinions in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the product.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Quickie Giveaway!! $15 coupon for Ruby Tuesday!

When we travel, we always have to drive to Atlanta and spend the night. There is a Ruby Tuesday close to the hotel we stay at so we always have dinner there.

This trip when we went to Jamaica, they gave us a $15 coupon for our next meal. Problem is that it is only valid from January 2 to February 28, 2012. The other problem is that in our teeny tiny town there is no Ruby Tuesday.

So I am giving it away! It's not much but enough to eat something tasty. Since this is my giveaway, I am making it easy! Just enter on the Rafflecopter widget!