Month: November 2012

PRIZE DRAWING: Because Some of You Would Love To Have 50 Matches of Double XP for Halo 4

Marvo 88 Comments

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Do you plan to play Halo 4? Or are you right now giving your hands a break after hours of playing Halo 4? If so, do you know what would be helpful?

Fifty matches of Double XP.

To be honest, I have no idea what that means. But one lucky Impulsive Buy reader can acquire those 50 matches of Double XP, if they’re randomly selected in our Halo 4 Mtn Dew/Doritos Prize Pack drawing.

This prize pack, courtesy of Mountain Dew and Doritos, is made up of a Limited Edition Halo 4 Doritos and Limited Edition Halo 4 Mountain Dew. The Doritos bag and Mountain Dew can each have a special code for 25 matches of Double XP. The Doritos bag is also signed by folks from 343 Industries, the developers of Halo. Inside the Doritos bag is regular Doritos and inside the can is regular Mountain Dew.

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To enter The Impulsive Buy’s Halo 4 Mtn Dew/Doritos Prize Pack drawing, leave a comment with THIS post. You can say whatever you want in your comment, but it would be nice if it included a poem about Master Chief or Halo fan fiction you wrote.

Please don’t forget to fill out the email field because we’ll be emailing the randomly selected winner for his or her mailing addresses. The Impulsive Buy will stop accepting entries on Sunday, November 11, 2012 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one comment allowed per person, and it’s only open to U.S. residents 18 years old or older.

For those of you who have a Twitter account, you can get an additional entry by tweeting the following by Sunday, November 11, 2012 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time:

@theimpulsivebuy Master Chief hit his head on the reef. But he’s all right because his helmet is on tight. #HALO4

So just copy, paste, and tweet. Only one tweet per Twitter account.

Good luck!

Fine Print: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you pictures of the sunny weather here in Hawaii. Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you postcards of Hawaii landmarks. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail, or lack of sleep due to Halo 4.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (HOLIDAY EDITION) – 11/5/2012

Marvo 3 Comments

Here are some new and limited edition holiday products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up.

White Fudge Oreo

Limited Edition White Fudge Oreo cookies are back! And now that they’re back, I’d like someone to open a package on a snowy day, blindly throw all the cookies out into the snow, and then try to find them. Junk Food Guy reviewed them last year. (Spotted at Walmart. Spotted by Mike)

Winter Oreo

Winter Oreo cookies with red creme are back for the umpteenth straight year! I haven’t picked up these seasonal Oreo cookies in a while because they freak me out. The red and black combination is kind of ominous. Also, because the creme is red and my tongue is almost as red, when I lick it, it looks like I’m French kissing the cookie. (Spotted at Target)

Holiday Colored Goldfish

Speaking of snacks we enjoy that are available in holiday colors, but taste exactly like their regular versions, Pepperidge Farms has Goldfish crackers that come in “Fun Holiday Flavors.” Those colors are red and green, which make the Goldfish look like red snappers and green-blue snappers. (Spotted at Target)

Limited Edition Peppermint Milano Slices

Oh, peppermint. Throughout most of the year your presence is isolated within the gum/mints section. But during November and December you break free from that and you’re like a monkey that’s escaped from its cage at a zoo. (Spotted at Target)

Glade Fall Collection 2012

Febreze Limited Edition Fall

Glade Limited Edition Fall Collection on clearance? Wait a minute! Fall isn’t even over. Well, I guess if I want to make my bathroom smell like fall throughout the rest of fall, I should stock up. (Spotted at Target)

If you’re out shopping and see a new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel

Margaret 6 Comments

Limited Edition Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel

“Limited Edition.”

The mere phrase has the power to transform, taking common fare and turning it into a full-on, hands-down life experience so that, 50-or-so years from now, you can sit on your porch and bang a cane on the ground as you tell some young band of whipper-snappers, “I remember, when I was your age, we used to have good ol’ fashioned Limited Edition French Vanilla Milky Ways!” Oh, the fulfillment that will come from such a pronouncement.

And, indeed, this was the thought that graced my mind as I perused the aisles of my friendly 24-hour pharmacy, searching in vain for those Halloween white chocolate M&M’s only to find the shelves empty as the Arizona duck ponds in the middle of July. As I felt myself drowning in a candy-induced crisis, a single wrapper reached out its hand. It was my rock. My salvation. And it came in the form of a 1.72-ounce bar.

Limited Edition Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel Pre-Consumption

(Cue the angelic chorus from above!)

The wrapper is nothing short of mind-controlling genius. Did you see that caramel curl? The swirly background? The thick design of chocolate enveloped by vanilla flora? That’s how you do mind control, people.

The Milky Way and I have had a fond affair over the past years, spending many-a-summer’s day in its various deliciously sweet forms (half-melted, frozen, in ice cream, in cookies, and so forth), thus made it the perfect companion for my pillow-fort-and-mid-90s-movie marathon this past weekend.

In many ways, this Milky Way harkens back to the classic. The milk chocolate coating is still the thick shell it’s always been and caramel is still that welcoming stretchy goo of sweetness. The marked difference in this limited fare is in the vanilla nougat.

Just upon opening the bar, the smell of vanilla poofs into the air. After taking a bite, I wouldn’t describe it so much as a “French Vanilla” as I would a “Vanilla Flavoring” (think along the lines of vanilla pudding or Vanilla Coffee-mate Creamer), and is it just me or is the texture fluffier than usual? Yes, yes indeed. Pleasantly reminiscent of a marshmallow, too.

This sweet-on-sweet-on-sweet is something I happen to enjoy. However, I have a certain resilience that transcends the average sweet tooth, so this may be too sweet for some. If you need a little bitter to accompany your sweet, I could see this making for a stellar coffee stirrer (or, in honor of its francophone title, perhaps dip it in a little espresso cup while dining at a petite café). Of course, you could also whip out some graham crackers, toss the bar in the microwave for a few seconds, and boom! You have insta-s’more.

Glancing over the ingredients, I would recommend suppressing the whole “hydrogenated oils” and “30 percent of your recommended intake of saturated fat” jibber jabber. What really matters is hidden…

Limited Edition Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel Ingredients

Do you see it?

Indeed! That’s skim milk! And egg whites! And more skim milk! These are the essential ingredients in a balanced breakfast! Watch out Wheaties. Milky Way is on your tail.

Limited Edition Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel Goo

(The perfect way to start the day)

This Milky Way may not have sparks and whistles and buzzes. Heck, it doesn’t even have sea salt, but it does have yumminess, and maybe that’s why this Limited Edition Milky Way was put on this Earth: to remind us that it’s okay to not be revolutionary. Yummy is just fine.

(Nutrition Facts – 220 calories, 80 calories from fat, 8 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 30 grams of sugars, and 2 grams of protein.)

Item: Limited Edition Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel
Purchased Price: $1.49
Size: 1.72 ounces
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Marshmallow-like nougat. Sweet. Mixing of old and new. Milky Way for breakfast. Pillow forts. S’more-related experiments.
Cons: Sweetness may be too much for some. Not very good for you. The unknown origins of “Vanilla Flavoring.” Mind control. Dried up duck ponds.

NEWS: I’m Dreaming of a White Chocolate Peppermint M&M’s Christmas

Marvo 4 Comments

Update: Click here for our White Chocolate Peppermint M&M’s review

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M's

Update: Click here for our White Chocolate Peppermint M&M’s review

Mars puts out minty milk chocolate M&M’s and minty dark chocolate M&M’s, so by the power of deduction they had to make these minty white chocolate M&M’s. Yes, the minty M&M’s trilogy is complete. Although, if George Lucas has taught us anything it’s that trilogies can always be extended.

Just like last year’s Cinnamon M&M’s, I found the White Chocolate Peppermint M&M’s at Target. And just like last year’s Cinnamon M&M’s, they’ll most definitely be 30-50 percent cheaper if you buy them the day after Christmas.

A 1.5 ounce serving size has 220 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of fiber.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 11/2/2012

Marvo 5 Comments

Here are some new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up. We’ll also occasionally throw in an unusual product.

Limited Edition Football Oreo

Do you play paper football? Well, you should try playing Football Oreo Football since they’re back again for a limited time. Instead of flicking a folded piece of paper around, you flick these football-shaped cookies. If you kick a field goal, you get a point. But if you kick a field goal and your opponent catches it in their mouth, they get a point. But if that happens and you’re one of those people who doesn’t like to wash their hands after using the restroom, you both lose. (Spotted at Super Stop & Shop. Spotted by Jaitlyn.)

Hungry Jack Easy Pack Pancakes

To make these Hungry Jack Easy Pack Pancakes, all I need to do is just add water. Ugh. Adding water is so hard. And I probably have to stir the water and pancake mix. Ugh. Stirring is so hard. Then I have to wait for them to cook on a griddle. Ugh. Waiting is so hard. (Spotted at Target. Spotted by Robert.)

Arizona Lime Rickey

I would like to point out that the guy who designed this can is from this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Yeah, rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean represent! Yay! Yay! Here’s a Thirsty Dudes review of the drink. Spotted at 7-Eleven. Spotted by Lydia.)

Tyson Stuffed Mini Bread Bowls

I wonder how many Tyson Stuffed Mini Bread Bowls I can stuff into my mouth at one time. (Spotted at Safeway. Spotted by Richard.)

Limited Edition Ocean Spray Craisins

I like Craisins. I like chocolate covered stuff. And the two together must be pretty awesome. So I’m a bit disappointing these chocolate covered Craisins are only a limited edition. That’s craisin-zy! I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. (Spotted at Tom Thumb. Spotted by Justine.)

If you’re out shopping and see a new or limited edition product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.