UPDATE: This contest is now over. Betty C. won – check your email, Betty!

Anabelle ran into the house, arms out, eyes wide, backpack still hanging from her shoulders. “Mom! July is National Ice Cream Month! Keep watch and stock up, Mom!” She gave me a hug. “I knew you’d want to know.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Yes, we take having a blast as a family seriously (though we’re not having ice cream every single day in July).

We make a concentrated effort to have frugal family fun, and often the inspiration for that fun is based on a theme or bizarre holiday. During the summer months, we try to visit a different park or outdoor location each weekend.

We’ve discovered a love for hobby rockets, kiting, soccer, geocaching, hiking, and . . . taking dramatic pictures of it all.

Because once we get home we put them all together for a silly slideshow.

Which is the perfect time to have a refreshing snack.

Cue Anabelle: “I’m craving something cold and creamy.”
“So, like yogurt?” I say.
“No, I’m thinking something cold, and creamy, and sweet.”
“Oh, like a fruit smoothie,” I suggest.
She frowns. “I’m craving something with a little more chocolate in it. That maybe goes in a cone.”
My daughter is subtle, isn’t she?
Other times we get our cue for a snack by having movie theme nights. In this case, a scene in a movie we’re watching involves ice cream. Sam pauses the movie. “Can we please?” he says.

This was the moment I’d been waiting for. Since we were having a blast already, I got to sweeten the deal! I smiled. “Breyers has asked us to try a couple of their new flavors: 

Breyers Blasts!® OREO® Birthday Blast! and Breyers Blasts!® Chocolate REESE’S®.

And the response?

We were all a tad excited.
“You know how adults have wine tastings?” my daughter asked. “Well, they should have dessert tastings!”
So that’s exactly how we treated it. First, they smelled the OREO Birthday Blast! “It smells like vanilla with sprinkle goodness!”
Taste: “It tastes like grandma’s cake batter but it has Oreos to make it absolutely perfect.” Texture: “Yummmm.” We moved onto the Chocolate REESE’S. At this point, all I got out of the family was “Awesome!”

And you know what else is awesome? We’re hosting a sweepstakes to give one of you a $100 Visa gift card! Just tell us how you and your family would have a blast with Breyers Blasts!

Rules: No purchase necessary.

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion with hashtag #sweeps and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate free form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 6/28 to 7/26.

Be sure to visit the Breyers Blasts! brand page on BlogHer.com, where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!