I was thrilled! Add to it some penguin launchers and a big bowl of Trix cereal and I was a very, very happy Mama. After we all grabbed a bowl of cereal we all gathered around to watch the movie and then had a game of “Who can launch their penguin the furtherest”. GO ME!!! I won.

SUMMER IS IN SESSION! Along with family vacations and trips to the zoo, General Mills is teaming up with Nickelodeon´s The Penguins of Madagascar to bring the action-packed adventures of summer to your very own breakfast table.

Inside specially marked boxes of General Mills cereals, you´ll “commence operations” with one of five characters from The Penguins of Madagascar; Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, Private or King Julien. Each participating cereal contains one character launcher with mission details outlined on the back of the box including:

Dive In, Soldier – Set an empty plastic cereal bowl on the table and try to pop your launcher into it. Wear a helmet or you´ll be squid bait.

Longest Propulsion Launcher – Challenge your troops to see who can launch their character the furthest. Go long or go back to the zoo.

Target Practice – Create a landing zone with a spoon and try to strategically drop your character into the sweet spot. Hit the target or go back to the drawing board.

Clear the Wall – Do you have enough projectile pop to push your launcher over the top of the box? Proceed launchin´ troops, earn those wings!

Each character is unique and has their own specific role, and together, they´re a team with lots of character. With five character launchers to collect, make a splash this summer and try to successfully complete all of their missions. And let me tell you , these babies will fly. We have had more fun with these guys than you can ever imagine.

If you win the giveaway you´ll receive a Penguins of Madagascar prize pack which includes one box of Trix cereal, a Penguins of Madagascar launcher and the new Penguins of Madagascar movie, The Penguins of Madagascar Operation: DVD Premier thanks to general Mills and Nickelodeon through My Blog Spark.

To Enter: Leave a comment on which character from Penguins of Madagascar is your child´s favorite. If you haven’t seen the movie, just leave a comment saying you haven’t seen it.

All entries must be received by August 5th at Midnight. All entries must have a valid US mailing address. Winner will be selected via random drawing and will have 3 days to respond to the verification e-mail or another winner will be selected.

Want Extra Entries:

Blog about this contest with a link back to here (leave link where the post can be found).

Subscribe to The Post-It Place (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list for contests and giveaways).

Follow me – Its_Jyl or Jillybean01 (or both, just leave in separate comments) on Twitter and Tweet this contest making sure to use the @Its_Jyl or @Jillybean01 (leave ID in a comment and I will follow you back).

Friend Me on Facebook.

Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post.

General Mills and Nickelodeon provided products and information  to help facilitate this post and is also providing the products for giveaway through My Blog Spark. I was in no other way compensated, all opinions stated are those of my own and were in no way influenced by receipt of product or by any outside source.

Chocolate Cheerios is low in fat, heart healthy*, has 100 calories per serving, contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams recommended daily), and is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Made with real cocoa, Chocolate Cheerios can help your family start the day off right with a delicious and nutritious breakfast that is sure to make you smile!They also make a great snack to throw in a baggie and take along with you!

They have even came up with some great recipes using Chocolate Cheerios for you! Here are a few for you to check out:

Chocolate Cheerios® Marshmallow Hearts

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Start to Finish: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Crust
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup Chocolate Cheerios® cereal, crushed
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups miniature marshmallows
Topping
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag (11.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips
4 cups Chocolate Cheerios® cereal
Candy sprinkles, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 13×9-inch pan with foil. In large bowl, mix all crust ingredients except marshmallows with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press firmly into bottom of pan.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven; bake an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows just begin to puff. Cool while preparing topping.

In large saucepan, place all topping ingredients except cereal and sprinkles. Heat over medium-low heat just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 4 cups cereal. Immediately spoon warm topping over marshmallows; spread to cover. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles. Cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Using foil to lift, remove mixture from pan; remove foil. With deep 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 18 hearts. Store loosely covered.

Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallow Balls

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Start to Finish: 15 Minutes

1/2 cup hazelnut spread with cocoa
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
14 large marshmallows
Toothpicks
3 cups Chocolate Cheerios® cereal
Round wooden sticks with one pointed end or craft sticks
(flat wooden sticks with round ends)

In medium microwavable bowl, microwave hazelnut spread and chocolate chips on high 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Place cereal in shallow dish.
Insert toothpick into marshmallow; dip in chocolate mixture. Roll in cereal to coat completely. Place on large plate; remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining marshmallows. If desired, insert round wooden sticks into each for pops.
Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
14 servings

Strawberry-Chocolate Cheerios® Parfaits

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Start to Finish: 15 Minutes

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
4 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Light Fat Free strawberry yogurt
2 cups Chocolate Cheerios® cereal

In 4 parfait glasses or clear drinking glasses, layer half of the strawberries, half of the yogurt and half of the cereal. Repeat layers.

Serve immediately

And now, you can enter to win a Chocolate Cheerios gift pack that includes a box of Chocolate Cheerios for you to try as well as a chocolate scented spa kit and a ceramic cereal bowl.

To ENTER:  leave a comment stating how your family starts out their day and what part of it always brings a smile to your face.  All entries must be received by Feb. 12th at 5 PM EST. All entrants must have a valid US mailing address. Winner will be selected by random drawing and will have 3 days to respond to the verification e-mail before another winner will be selected.

Want Extra Entries:

Blog about this contest with a link back to here (leave link where the post can be found).

Subscribe to The Post-It Place (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list for contests and giveaways).

Place my button on your blog (leave link it can be found at).

Follow me – Its_Jyl and Cheerios on Twitter and Tweet this contest making sure to use the @Its_Jyl (leave ID in a comment and I will follow you back).

Follow Me on Facebook.

Some of the Information and the Chocolate Cheerios gift packs were all given to me from Cheerios through MyBlogSpark. All opinions happen to be my own.

Anyway, the point is, mealtimes are very important for families. Breakfast being the MOST important meal of the day. In honor of that, General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets.

Other cereal benefits:
Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.

Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.

More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

Wow, did you know all of that? I sure as heck didn’t. Yay for General Mills and their commitment to families health! The best part about it is that you can’t even tell that the sugar content has been reduced. Great flavor still abounds! Right now if you visit HERE you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals. Yummm, Lucky Charms!

Thanks to General Mills and MyBlogSpark for making this post possible and for providing me with coupons to help facilitate this post.

General Mills has outdone themselves with the new Trix Swirls®. Or, was it all due to that Silly Rabbit? Trix Swirls combines two mouthwatering fruity colors into every fun puff that will satisfy kids´ taste buds and spark their creativity! A good source of calcium and vitamin D, the Trix Rabbit won´t be the only one who can´t resist these fruity combos, which include lemony green, berry berry blue, and rasporangey orange!

We LOVE this cereal. We have always loved Trix anyway but we like the swirls even better. The rasporangey orange is awesome. And they aren’t just for breakfast as far as we are concerned. They make a great snack for in the car…or anywhere else. But you will frequently find them being snacked on while we are on the road to Karate or any other activity we have going on that day. They need to make a MUCH bigger box though because the box only lasts 2 days in my house. Or maybe it is because that Silly Rabbit keeps invading them and eating them all. We need gargantuous box either way.

Thanks to  MyBlogSpark you have the opportunity to win a Trix Gift Set. 2 winners will be selected to receive a gift set that includes:

* Trix Swirls Cereal
* Colorful Children’s Art Apron
* Set of Watercolor Pencils
* Set of Watercolor Paints
* Set of Watercolor Paint Brushes
* Sketchbook
* Art Supply Box

To Enter leave your suggestion of how you think Trix Swirls were created. EX: Did they collide and run together? Be creative but family friendly, this should get interesting.

All entries must be received by July 31st at 5PM EST. Entrants must have a valid US mailing address. Winners will be selected randomly and will have 3 days to respond to the verification e-mail before another winner will be chosen.

Want Extra Entries:

Blog about this contest, with a link back to here (leave link where the post can be found).

Subscribe (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list only for contests and giveaways).

Place my button on your blog (leave link it can be found at).

Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest (leave ID in a comment, mine is @Jillybean01). You can tweet once a day for even more entries.

Technorati it (leave your ID in comment).

…with Mom’s Best! Mom’s Best Naturals only makes cereals. I would say breakfast cereal, but here we eat cereal at all different times, not just for breakfast. They are healthy, all natural, wholesome and delicious. We have tried 5 different kinds and have loved everyone of them.

My personal favorite as well as Tate’s is the Mallow Oats®, Sweetened Whole Grain Oat Cereal with Natural Marshmallow Pieces. Made from toasted whole grain oats for a healthy and delicious breakfast cereal.

Erin’s personal favorite is the Toasted Cinnamon Squares®, Sweetened Whole Wheat and Rice Cereal with Cinnamon. Made with whole grain wheat and rice for a delicious breakfast cereal.

And Bric, he likes the Oats and Honey Blend® , Lightly Sweetened Corn & Whole Wheat Flake Cereal with Granola. Made from toasted whole grain oats for a healthy and delicious breakfast cereal.

With Mom’s Best you can be assured that you are providing your family with only the best in breakfast cereals. Not cereal that has been loaded down with artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Just great wholesome ingredients.

As you can see, we like variety. But you can choose your favorite from a whole selection that they have available. Grab yourself a coupon or  find a store near you. Don’t fret, even though Mom’s Best is not available in every city yet, you can still grab a few boxes by ordering online.