3 Reasons Why You Should Save Cereal Boxes

 

If you’re a parent, you probably buy your fair share of cold breakfast cereal. There is a huge market for this stuff that comes in the bright colored boxes with the fun shapes and flavors that keep kids begging for more. So, since you probably already spend an arm and a leg on this product, why not get more bang for your buck? If you save these boxes, we are going to share a few ideas of how to make it worth your while.

  

Book Report 

This fun idea not only uses the cereal box itself, but is also made to look like a cereal box but with informative content about a book. The name of the cereal would be the name of the book. Replace the side panels with a personalized summary of the book, setting and character descriptions. Obviously, this is a great way to get your child excited about doing a book report. You could even go to the store to pick out the cereal that they want and then save the box specifically for that purpose. This could also make a very thoughtful gift and include the book inside the box as a present. Cereal box book reports should be next on your list to try, and you can find more detailed information by following the link.  

Gift Tags 

Between holidays, birthdays, get well soon or “thinking of you” gifts, there is always a use for a homemade gift tag. When you are in a pinch, cut up cereal boxes make a great start for a gift tag. Cut rectangles, clip the corners and you have yourself a sturdy gift tag. You could also trace a template to use for the future so gift tags are all uniform or print a stencil to use on your cereal boxes to make your tags consistent. However, if you would prefer a variety winging it is the way to go. The idea is that the cereal box is the base, and you can tape or draw anything on top and make a fancy tag.  

Night Light 

Night lights are great for kids who are scared of the dark, or to prevent falls when getting up in the night. To make a cereal box into a night light you just need a hole punch or something sharp. Punch holes in old cereal boxes for a unique, one-of-a kind, personalized night light or lamp for your child’s bedroom. Once the design is finished, place a battery powered, non-flammable light source inside of the box and watch the design come to life. This is a great activity for a sleepover, a birthday party, or a classroom assignment. 

 

Recycling Cereal Boxes is Beneficial 

Not only does reusing cereal boxes benefit the environment by recycling a large amount of cardboard, but it also can be beneficial in saving you money on things you could easily make yourself from materials you already have. Not to mention, you and your kids can have a lot of fun doing it.  

Nature's Hand Granola Review And Giveaway

Founded in 1971 by Hans Sadlak, a German born immigrant in Burnsville, Minnesota, Nature's Hand granola has become a regular tradition here in America for it's well known taste.   What's great about Nature's Hand granola is not only the fact that it's good for you, but also because Nature's Hand granola uses all natural, premium ingredients with never any artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, sodium, or trans fat!

You can experience the taste of Nature's Hand granola in six different unique blends that include Vanilla Almond, Cranberry Delight, Wild Blueberry, Raisin Hazelnut, Cinnamon Apple, and Maple Pecan.  Each 13 oz. bag retails for $4.99 and can be found at supermarkets, specialty grocery stores, and online across the country.

Different Ways To Eat And Experience Granola:

* Find A Recipe To Make Some Tasty Granola Bars

* Use Granola As An Addition To Your Cereal

* Add Granola To Your Yogurt

* Use Granola As An Ice Cream Topping

* Use Granola To Add A Yummy Topping To Your Muffins Or Baked Desserts

* Try It Plain!

{ Granola With Vanilla Yogurt...So Good! )

I had the great opportunity to review two of Nature's Hand tasty granolas.  I received the Vanilla Almond and the Cinnamon Apple varieties.  One of my favorite things to snack on is yogurt, particularly vanilla coconut flavored yogurt.  I tried the Vanilla Almond flavor by Nature's Hand on my vanilla coconut yogurt and it was so good!  The Cinnamon Apple flavor goes great sprinkled on my breakfast cereal.  I'm actually looking forward to going out and purchasing the Raisin Hazelnut and Wild Blueberry to try.  I think these two would taste great sprinkled on top of muffins!  Not only was the taste good, I like that eating granola goes hand in hand with my healthy eating choices.  Each serving of the two varieties I reviewed contained just over 100 calories and were low in fat.  Guilt free snacking at it's best!

Connect With Nature's Hand:

* Website

* Facebook

* Twitter

Want To Win Some Nature's Hand Granola?

(1) lucky reader of Textbook Mommy is going to win two packages of granola in the two flavors of their choosing!

Details:  One person entering per household please.  Open to U.S. residents, 18 years of age and older.  Giveaway ends:  May 17, 2012 at Midnight EST.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Disclosure:  This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received. 

Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal Review

Introducing Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal!  The taste you love from Quaker Oatmeal just got even better with their new cereal that I find has just the right amount of sweetness, while still providing a healthy start to your morning - or anytime really!  Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal comes in four delicious flavors:

* Brown Sugar

* Cinnamon

* Golden Maple

* Honey Nut 

Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal also provides 96% of the daily minimum recommendation for whole grains consumption!  That's 46 grams of heart healthy whole grain this cereal packs!  You also get 6 grams of protein per serving.

This cereal is available at grocers everywhere, with the Golden Maple available exclusively at WalMart.  

Want a free sample?  Just head on over to the Quaker Oatmeal Squares Facebook page to request one!

Thanks to the fine folks at BzzAgent and Quaker, I had the opportunity to sample the Honey Nut flavor of Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal!  I've been on a healthy diet kick for awhile now, so when I heard that this cereal provided 96% of the daily minimum recommended amount of whole grains, I was on board.  I personally think this cereal had just the right amount of sweetness and provides a satisfying meal that keeps you full and tides you over in between meals.  Whole grains are an important part of my diet and this cereal fits perfectly into my lifestyle and dietary choices.  My kids even tried this cereal and loved it!  I would recommend this cereal because it tastes great and it packs so much more of a healthy punch than some other sugary cereals.  Give it a try!

* Disclosure:  I was provided a sample from BzzAgent in partnership with Quaker in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and are not a result of any outside influence.