SodaStream USA Penguin Starter Kit Review and Giveaway!

NOTE: This Giveaway is now CLOSED. The Winner has been notified. Once the winner has confirmed, this page and the homepage will both include a full winner's announcement. Ascending Butterfly would like to thank our sponsor Soda Stream USA for this amazing giveaway. The penguin has become an integral part of our family game night, I'm quite sure the winner of this giveaway will feel the same way! We would also like to thank our readers for the tremendous response. Remember, there are three other current giveaways! Look to the upper right hand of the page where it reads 'WIN HERE' and enter to win our Select Comfort Mattress Topper Giveaway, an autographed copy of our book club of the month title America Libre (please note this is an English Title!, and a copy of Harry Connick Jr's newest CD release 'Your Songs'! And if you thought the summer was good, and this month was great, just wait until you see what November has in store!

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My Favorite Penguin is not from Antartica Anymore!

Yes that's right I have a new favorite Penguin! 'The Penguin' is the first and only soda maker with a glass carafe. Its eye catching design will turn heads in any kitchen, dining room or bar (it most certainly attracts attention in my kitchen!). The stylish Penguin combines form and functionality to prepare and serve your sparkling beverages in elegant, dishwasher-safe glass carafes. Turn water into sparkling water in seconds!

When my penguin arrived earlier this summer, I will admit I tore into the box pretty much like a kid at Christmas. I've always loved all things 'gadget' and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I had used it at least once. I wanted to get the hang of using it before Family Game Night. (A night that involves the Wii, playing games, eating snacks and definitely enjoying the carbonated beverage or two!)

Once I followed the very easy set up instructions, the moment of truth arrived, and I pressed down on the penguin's beak. The sound of the carbonation was a bit intimidating at first and then I will admit I forgot about the pressure release and almost freaked out! Once I hit the pressure relase the unit opened easily and I was able to check whether or not the carbonation was to my satisfaction. It took several attempts to get the level of carbonation and flavor mixed to my complete soda satisfaction. Everyone's taste buds are different so you'll have to play with it to get the balance of carbonation and flavor that works for you and your family.

Flavors

There are an amazing variety of mixes to choose from including: Cola (customer’s favorite - mine too!) , Energy (Compare to Red Bull®), Ginger Ale (Crisp, light ginger flavor) , Lemon-Lime (Compare to Sprite® & Seven Up), Orange (Great taste for the whole family) , Pete’s Choice (Compare to Dr Pepper - I also like this one a lot!), Root Beer, Tonic Soda Mix (Contains Quinine. Great for cocktails), Cranberry-Raspberry (Fresh fruity flavor - I really enjoyed this one as well!), Cream Soda (I love Cream Soda!), Fountain Mist (Compare to Mountain Dew®) and you can of course get these selections in Diet if you prefer. SodaStream also offers 'MyWater' in Berry, Lemon-Lime, Orange, and a very smart variety pack!

Enjoy a wide range of over 25 regular, diet, energy and caffeine-free flavors. Each 500ml soda mix bottle makes the equivalent of 12 liters (about 33 cans!) of soda. Regular soda mix contains no high fructose corn syrup and diet soda mix contains no aspartame. All-natural MyWater flavor essences are unsweetened and calorie-free.

I find it easier to make both carafes at a time and I like to give them a chance to get really cold, so I tend to make them while I'm prepping dinner so by the time dinner is done, the soda has had a chance to get really, really cold before serving.

And yes you can 'over carbonate', so please be careful! Let the carbonation settle down just a bit before you begin mixing in the flavoring, and remember mix it in very SLOWLY so you don't end up covered in soda!

I couldn't possibly be happier with my SodaStream Penguin! And I could go on and on about how amazing the crew at SodaStream are. The Penguin would make an amazing Family Christmas Gift and an awesome gift to a newly married couple. I am sure they will find it to be the gift they end up reaching for again and again, and will think of you each and every time!

Environment

Did you know that SodaStream is eco-friendly? No more bottles or cans to recycle or dispose of, thanks to reusable BPA-free carbonating bottles.

 
Nutrition
 

View SodaStream nutritional information HERE and compare to national brands. Regular SodaStream sodamix flavors contain 2/3 less sugar and calories than national soft drink brands.

RV & Boating

No batteries, no electricity, SodaStream is the perfect accessory for your home-away-from-home.

 

WIN IT! - We like to save the best for last! Thanks to our friends at SodaStream, you have the opportunity to win a Penguin Starter Kit of your own! (This is a $199 value!!!!)

How to Win: You must be a follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (this will be checked if you are selected as a winner) and please visit SodaStream and tell me something you learned about the product and which mix you'd like to try first. Please leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com), or if your blogger profile has your email you can just indicate this in your entry.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away. You have from Saturday, September 12, 2009 until Monday, October 12, 2009 at 11:59 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. Winner will be announced shortly after Wednesday, October 14th!

EXTRA CREDIT:

* Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

* Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

* Tweet about this giveaway and leave the URL in a comment.

* Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

* Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

* Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

* Follow SodaStream USA on Facebook HERE

* Follow SodaStream USA on MySpace HERE

* Follow SodaStream USA on Twitter HERE

* Please vote for Ascending Butterfly on Divine Caroline's Love This Site Award '09 for the Body and Soul category, you can press into the badge on the upper right hand site of the page or click through here, there is a Vote button right under the description.

SodaStream USA is also on Flickr HERE

**Use the promo code TWEETS for $5 off orders of $50+ at sodastream.com!**

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