general mills

That Meaningful Connection with Somebody Special…It’s the Cheerios Effect-Giveaway

October 24, 2014 by Kathryn 80 Comments

Have you heard of the Cheerios Effect? It’s not exactly a celebration of cereal; it’s actually a real scientific principle that you can test out at home. Drop two Cheerios into a bowl of milk and eventually they will float together and connect. And just like Cheerios, we humans are hard-wired to be drawn to one another and seek out our own connections in a similar way.

I’ve had a few especially meaningful connections in my lifetime, but one of my most memorable was with my best blogging friend Jen. We first started just casually chatting online. I’d actually been a little shy about reaching out to other bloggers and she helped me realize that there was an entire supportive community that I could join. Similarly, I helped her with some of the finicky back-end things involved in running a website.

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Power Up at Breakfast with Multi-Grain Cheerios + Ancient Grains-Giveaway

July 2, 2014 by Kathryn 241 Comments

I love mixed grain products for the added nutritional benefits they provide, and Ancient Grain products tend to be a special favourite. I generally enjoy Ancient Grain blends in things like bread and tortillas, but now General Mills is bringing the blend of grains to breakfast with brand new Multi-Grain Cheerios + Ancient Grains! This combination of Multi-Grain Cheerios with puffed and toasted kamut, spelt and corn is a fun new addition to breakfast and one I couldn’t wait to try.

I have to admit, I had expected the cereal to incorporate the grains into the Cheerios themselves, so it was interesting to experience the blend of puffed kamut, spelt and corn combined with Cheerios when I poured a bowl each for my boys. Zackary and Benjamin liked the new flavour and texture the different grains added to the cereal as well as the slightly sweet cinnamon and spice flavour! [Read more…]

Take the Never Say Dieting Oath with Multi-Grain Cheerios and Create a #WorldWithoutDieting-Giveaway

February 24, 2014 by Kathryn 154 Comments

At 33 years old, I am outgoing, self-confident and comfortable with my appearance. But I wasn’t always that way. The high school years are a hard time for many girls and I was no exception. I obsessed over my body, convinced myself I was too fat dozens of times and tried pretty much every fad diet I came across. It was mainly a manifestation of low self-esteem that had nothing to do with my body at all, but it took me many years and a lot of mistakes to grow into the woman I am today.

While I know that raising my two boys will have its own challenges, I also know that they won’t be exposed to the pressures of dieting as badly as the average teenage girl is, and so any low self-esteem issues they have likely won’t manifest in that manner. But I also have three beautiful little nieces and the idea that they might one day go through something similar is so scary to me. After all, a recent study by Multi-Grain Cheerios of young women between 10-17 years of age found that three in five women have been on a diet, 52% of girls get their information about dieting and nutrition from family members and one in five girls under 18 is currently dieting.

teenager kathryn lavallee — Me in Grade 12, with my naturally chubby cheeks and far too little self-confidence.

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Add New Fun to Old Favourites with New Honey Nut Cheerios Hearty Oat Crunch #HNCHeartyOatCrunch

June 9, 2013 by Kathryn 2 Comments

I tend to be quite frugal and so I’m never too quick to throw anything away. Often something that I don’t use anymore can be used in another way to add new function or style to my home. Whether it’s a fresh coat of paint on an old piece of furniture or converting an old pair of jeans into a cute new skirt, there’s all kinds of ways to freshen up something in a new way.

One of my absolute favourite ways to quickly upcycle my décor is to take some of my older, mismatched wine glasses, flip them over and use them as candleholders for votives. A collection of mismatched glasses look gorgeous when grouped together with the candles lit!

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Make Memories this Summer with Dairy Queen Coupons from General Mills #LMDConnector

April 19, 2013 by Kathryn 7 Comments

Dairy Queen is one of those restaurants that tends to make me feel instantly nostalgic. I think it’s because, as a child, I knew as soon as I entered a Dairy Queen I was going to get to enjoy a delicious ice cream treat. Even if my family had stopped there for lunch, going to Dairy Queen and not getting ice cream simply wasn’t an option! As a result, walking into Dairy Queen results in a flood of memories for me. I used to love ordering a Kids Meal, which came with my choice of DQ treat for dessert. (I always chose the ice cream sandwich.) And when I was in high school, every band trip involved at least one stop at Dairy Queen. My all-time favourite indulgence on those occasions was a hot fudge sundae made with mint chip ice cream.

general mills and dairy queen

Of course, one of the most memorable items on the Dairy Queen menu is the DQ Ice Cream Cake! With a birthday in January, I didn’t really get to enjoy these for my birthday, unlike my brother, with a birthday in October and my sister, who was born in June. So as an adult, I have to admit that I sometimes buy DQ Ice Cream Cake for my birthday just because I can! [Read more…]