Kellogg's All-Bran Chocolate Wheats giveaway (c/d 7 August 2014)

If you love chocolate, you will enjoy new Kellogg's All-Bran Chocolate Wheats.
I have recently reviewed this cereal, and now I am pleased to offer a tasty prize for my blog readers.
One lucky winner will receive two cases (that's ten boxes) of this delicious chocolate-filled cereal. It is low fat, low calorie and high fibre. Read my full review Kellogg's All-Bran Chocolate Wheats.

To be in with a chance of winning this lovely prize, all you need to do is enter, using a Rafflecopter form below. As usual, you have a choice of options to enter: by leaving a comment (this is the only mandatory step), following the brand on Twitter or Facebook etc.

T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is answer my question by leaving a comment 
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave you Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.

The giveaway will close on 7 August 2014

And the last thing I wanted to say is I have just picked the winner of the last giveaway, and it really saddens me to discover that people try to cheat. There were 142 comments left (the only mandatory step), yet 178 people claimed they did so. Please don't think I don't look first at the entries on a Rafflecopter entry sheet when I pick the winner. If I asked you to leave a comment, I will make sure the winner did it. If you click that you tweeted or repinned, I will check the url of your tweet or pin to check that you have done it. If not, you are basically disqualifying yourself and wasting my time as well as your own.

For more information about All-Bran visit their page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kellogg's All-Bran Chocolate Wheats and The #RealMumsAllBran Challenge

Shredded wheat is a healthy choice of breakfast for many families, it comes in different sizes and flavours. Despite all the health benefits it offers, I confess that I don't often have cereals myself. If it's a plain shredded wheat or bran flakes, I tend to add some dried fruit or honey to it. Kellogg's have recently added a new product to their range of All-Bran cereals, and as soon as I heard the magic word "chocolate", I knew I must try it. Kellogg's All-Bran Chocolate Wheats is the same low calorie, low fat and high fibre cereal, only chocolate-flavoured.

Kellogg's All-Bran Chocolate Wheats look like mini cushions of shredded wheat.
They are not as sweet as some of the cereals for children (which is a big bonus). The chocolate filling is lovely. My guys liked them as snacks (I mentioned a few times on my blog that my children don't like milk in cereals, and prefer to have a snack and a glass of milk separately).

Just this morning I saw my older son sneaking in the kitchen and picking a few sweet cushions. He's 12 now, and is growing fast, and boys do tend to graze through the day.
I'm all in favour of him snacking on All-bran rather than munching on the cookies from a cookie jar.
I like the fact that All-Bran is a high fibre cereal (it provides 6g of fibre per 100g) and is made with wholegrain (it contains all 3 parts of the grain). Each 45g serving contains 179 calories, 9g of sugar and 4g of fat. 9g of sugar is 10% of the guideline daily amount. Ideally I'd prefer if it were even lower, so that if my guys get sugar, it should mostly come from fruit and vegetables.Yet comparatively to some other cereals catering for the children's market, they are relatively low in sugar.

Kellogg's box of All-Bran comes with a Take our 5 day Challenge, inviting the consumers to eat the cereal for 5 days in a row for breakfast and see if it makes a difference to feeling bloated and sluggish. I cannot say that I have been feeling bloated recently, as I keep taking a prebiotic powered drink for that, so it is difficult for me to say if All-Bran made a difference. But knowing that high fibre is good for my digestive health is enough of an incentive for me. And making it in chocolate flavour makes it even more appealing.

BritMums asked blogging Mums to join in the challenge and chirruped: "Our latest Challenge is all about getting a good feeling in your tummy as well as about your tummy. The Real Mums of All-Bran 5-Day Challenge is all about embracing our tummies and the way they look."

It is easy enough to get rid of the tummy niggles on the inside, and much harder to accept the outside. This year I have been on a yo-yo diet since January, I tried the 5:2 diet, the fast metabolism and slimming pills and drinks. Whatever I lost, I gained back.
Perhaps I should really stop and just accept the fact that, yes, my tummy is wobbly and soft, that I am not as slim as I was in my 20s, but this tummy did a super job, carrying two big babies (both of my sons were ten-pounders at birth). Maybe instead of being embarrassed about my midriff, I should be proud of its achievements! I joked today with my Mum, saying that my goal now is to look like this Russian beauty painted by Kustodiev.

And while I will not subject you to the sight of my own naked tummy, I will sing aloud the words from The Older Ladies Anthem:
"My thighs kinda jiggle when I giggle and wiggle
And if that’s the reason that you don’t love me,
Maybe that’s not love
My tummy ain’t tucked or liposucked.
It’s a little poochy, but I still Hoochy Koochy..."


Looking at my two beautiful boys, I am grateful to my body for doing a great job. I am a Mum, a real Mum, and I'm celebrating my tummy.

My little man snacking

For more information visit Allbran.

Disclosure: I was too late to apply for BritMums RealMumsAllBran challenge but I received a box of All-Bran Chocolate Wheats for the purposes of reviewing separately.

This post is an entry for the “Real Mums of All-Bran” Linky Challenge, sponsored by Kelloggs

Win a 3-months' supply of Special K multi-grain porridge (c/d 22 November 2013)

Are you looking at your waistline with a slight frown and wonder if it might be a good idea to drop a size before all the Christmas festivities start? I am forever jumping on the scales in the morning to check if by some miracle I have lost some weight. It didn't help recently that my husband brought 1kg of my favourite Leonidas chocolate from one of his recent trips.
With the coming colder times, I do find myself craving a bowl of porridge in the mornings. Being a fan of multi-grain cereals and porridges, I am pleased to offer a prize of 3 months' supply of Kellogg's Special K porridge for slimmers for one of my lucky blog readers. The prize has been kindly offered by Kellogg's.

I have recently reviewed Kellogg's Special K porridge. As I mentioned in my post, you don't have to be on a diet to enjoy the porridge, in fact all the family might have it for breakfast.


If you would like to win this prize, please fill in the Rafflecopter form.
T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is to answer the question by leaving a comment (there is no right or wrong answer)
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave your Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflcopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within a week, the prize will be allocated to another person.

If you haven't used the Rafflecopter before, you might want to watch this simple video.
The giveaway will close on 22 November 2013 at midnight (the night from the 21st to the 22nd)

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kellogg's Special K porridge

Most of us have been on a diet at some point of our lives, and I am sure you are all familiar with Kellogg's Special K brand. The Special K diet is well known, and though I could never stick to it for two meals a day, I usually have a box or two of Special K cereals in the kitchen, with the Red Berries being my total favourite. That's why I was very curious to try a new range of multi-grain porridge from Kellogg's Special K.
For the last week I have being trying several new flavours of porridge for slimmers. As they promised, "Special K is turning up the heat this winter as it introduces its first ever porridge for slimmers!"
The new range comes in three varieties: Simply Original, Red Berries and Almond & Honey.

Each box of porridge contains 6-7 sachets. I don't have a microwave, but it takes minutes to cook the porridge on the standard hob. The sachet comes with an inside line which shows you how much milk you need for a portion.
Each 27g serving contains 104 calories and 1.5g of fat. It is 30% less fat than other porridges (in comparison with the main brands).

Like all the porridges in the range Kellogg's Special K Multi-Grain porridge/Simply Original (see photo below) is made with oats, rye and barley. It is naturally high in fibre and is fortified with 7 vitamins and minerals.
I served it with the good old maple syrup, and it was a very satisfying meal.
The original porridge is a versatile product, to which you can add whatever you fancy, making it as healthy (or not so healthy) as you like: top it up with the fresh berries, nuts, seeds, pour a golden syrup or honey, maple syrup or cream. I have recently discovered vanilla pumpkin seeds in M&S, and that is a super topping for any porridge. Or be a bit naughty and sprinkle it with the cinnamon or lavender sugar (if you don't count calories).

If I have to choose my favourite, then I would opt for Kellogg's Special K multi-grain porridge/Almond & honey (6 sachets). It appeals to an inner child in me with its honeyed sweetness and a nice crunch of almonds. It is sweet but not overpowering-sweet. Very enjoyable combination of flavours and textures.

Kellogg's Special K multi-grain porridge/Red Berries (6 sachets) is packed full of freeze dried fruit (strawberry and raspberry). As you can see from the photo below, the porridge is speckled with the red berries. What's the difference from the Red Berries cereal? The berries here come in smaller pieces. And there is no cherry (I like the sour note it adds to the cereal).

You don't have to be on a diet to enjoy the porridge from Special K.

To find more information about the new range, visit My Special K.

Disclosure: I received three boxes of the new Special K porridge range for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Back to 1983

This year Kellogg's Special K is celebrating its 30th anniversary. So much has happened in these 30 years.

Sometimes when I look back at those times, it feels like a different era, as if that life happened to someone else, as if it wasn't me. I don't mean just the fashions or music, though shoulder pads do make me feel a bit nostalgic, and I still love Sweet Dreams and Uptown Girl.
And now for the first time since 1983, Kellogg’s is changing Special K with a new, more wholesome recipe.

Going back to 1983 would take me to the Soviet Union. Brezhnev was dead but it was still a very depressive-stagnation period. The high school was a bit of a nightmare for me, as I found it difficult to conform. It would be another three years till perestroika started, by then I will be a University student. I remember my uni days as completely different from school. With all the political changes, we felt that it was time to say Farewell to the dim past and embrace the new world. Everything seemed possible. I felt happy and ready to conquer the world.

Reader, I tried but I could not find a photo of myself taken exactly 30 years ago, I am not even sure my Mum has any. At 15, I wasn't happy about my looks (as probably most teenagers), and tried to avoid having my photos taken. Actually, that's not entirely true, I posed for a professional photographer who came to our art school, he wanted me to look really sad, and did the photo shoot outside some old dilapidated building (my brother was present). I'm sure they would have made a good image for a mis-lit book cover or a ghost story.

At that time Kellogg's didn't mean much to me. It wasn't available in Russia, at least not in my home town, and I can't remember eating cereals in my childhood at all (we had lots of different kinds of porridge and kasha).
Kellogg's was something the American kids ate in the movies and books.

How old was I in this photo? I tried to figure the date out, and can't quite pinpoint the year, maybe 19.
Shoulder pads. I loved them. They made me feel stronger, like wearing an armour. I was quite insecure and naive. I am certainly a lot wiser now and much-much stronger. Well, I have to, being a mother of two wonderful boys who are the centre of my Universe.

Music? In 1983 and later, Russia was crazy about the Italian music. Among many others: Loredana Berte, Ricchi e Poveri, Riccardo Fogli, Pupo, Al Bano-Romina Power and of course, Toto Cutugno.
L'Italiano just swept us all away in 1983, and I fell in love, head over heels.
Later, when I met my future husband, he laughed at my tastes in Italian music and introduced me to the beautiful lyrics of Fabrizio De Andre and Roberto Vecchioni. And while I love their songs, my heart still goes a bit aflutter whenever I hear Toto Cutugno's velvet voice.

In those faraway 1980s I was dreaming that one day I would marry an Italian, and he will be an aristocrat as well. Thirty years later, I have been married to my Italian for almost 17 years, and he comes from a prominent family whose history goes centuries back. One day I will tell you the story of how we met. An irony of fate, as I am more of a socialist than I have ever been before, and don't have much respect for the empty titles and crowns. So, that has definitely changed for me. Thankfully, my husband shares my views.

And while 30 years ago, I haven't had Kellogg's Special K for breakfast, now there is always a pack of Special K on the kitchen counter. I have been eating it for the last couple of weeks every morning, as I am testing it for a month to see whether I'll really be able to go one size down. So far I haven't noticed any difference but the night is young.

What did I think of the new Special K?
"The new recipe contains three grains — rice, wheat and barley (previously there were two) — and is made with wholegrain, for a source of fibre as well as 8 vitamins and minerals. It gives health-conscious, weight-watching women a tastier breakfast".
It definitely is more wholesome and it tastes healthier, but I do miss the sour note of Red berries, which is my favourite variety of Kellogg's Special K. And don't even mention the naughty Strawberry and chocolate. So, I found myself adding bits and pieces to the new flavour.

Have I changed much? Yes and No. I am stronger, wiser, almost unbreakable, a fierce tigress ready to fight for her cubs, especially for my older boy who has autism. Looking at me, you might presume I am armoured against any eventuality, but scratch the surface, and deep beneath you might still find that vulnerable young girl who was hurting at the unkind remark.
But just like the Special K, I will always be special to my family, whether I have wrinkles or carry extra weight.

If you enjoyed reading about my trip down the memory lane, you might like to read the other bloggers' posts on the theme of what has changed in 30 years of our lives. This post is my entry to BritMums/Special K How I've changed Linky Challenge (link removed as expired).

True colours

Arts and crafts are forever present in our lives. My Mum is an artist, and I grew up surrounded with art supplies.
Being a Mum myself now, I teach my sons the pleasure of working with pencils and crayons.
It is still early days with Eddie, he is happy to draw on the walls or any surface where he is not supposed to draw.
When I saw a post on BritMums asking parent bloggers to join in the Colour Me In Linky, I knew my guys would enjoy taking part.
You might have noticed a limited edition of Kellogg's Rice Krispies in the shops with a blank box that you can colour in.

For the challenge we received a very generous box of art supplies with all sorts of pencils, crayons and glitter glue.

Eddie was absolutely delighted with a huge box of Rice Krispies as well, he knows we can make fab little nests with the Rice Krispies.

He was very enthusiastic in his colouring efforts, and for a 2-year-old it was a decent effort. But not for his older 10-year-old brother who is a severe art critic. He saw Eddie's artfwork, frowned, took over and coloured over Eddie's scribbles. So here you see a combined effort of the brothers.

Thank you, BritMums and Kellogg's, for a beautiful box of art supplies. My guys enjoyed the challenge.
This post is my entry to the Colour Me In Linky.