Review and Giveaway: WAT-AAH! CLOSED

It's a sad fact that water is often the black sheep of the beverage family. If we could all flash back to middle-school gym class, water would've likely been the last one chosen for a game of dodgeball. It's bland straightforwardness is often rejected in favor of the popular crowd - juice, punch, soda and tea. Sure, the trendy kids draw you in with their sugary sweetness. They taste so good and they're so fun that you just can't resist hanging out with them regularly. But you soon discover it's all artificial. Your new BFFs are two-faced. Behind your back, they are eroding your teeth, contributing to your pesky new poundage, and zapping your energy, among a litany of other offenses. Even knowing how bad they are for us, we still find it hard to cut them off cold turkey. We know it's a bad habit but we are still allured by the short-term indulgence and ignore the long-term effects on our health. Meanwhile, water sits with quiet confidence on the sidelines, waiting for us to see the light.

Children are exposed to these sugary culprits earlier and earlier these days. You can't watch five minutes of television without a zany commercial splashed across the screen, promoting some brand of sugar-in-a-can. It's no wonder childhood obesity is such an epidemic. If it's hard for us to resist the temptation, how can we expect our children to make better nutritional choices? If only there was a way to make water their preferred selection. Oh, wait...

Now, there's WAT-AAH! Not water. But WAT-AAH! (How do you pronounce WAT-AAH? I yell it in my best NY accent.) You see, water has had a makeover. No longer is it boring, lacking personality. A group of moms have banded together - with their kids, of course - to give water a new image. A fabulous one, I might add. It has the style of the popular, overly sweet drinks with not one gram of sugar. No artificial colors or flavors. Just water.

WAT-AAH! is the first premium water brand by kids for kids. It is pure, clean and healthy hydration at a time when chronic obesity is a serious issue among children.

There are 4 varieties of WAT-AAH!, each infused with vitamins and minerals formulated especially for kiddos:

Brain - contains kid-friendly electrolytes. Sports drinks are complex and often include lots of sugar and salt that kids simply don't need. They aren't Olympians after all (at least, not yet). WAT-AAH! Brain is perfectly portioned for little ones aged 4-13.

Bones - contains magnesium. Magnesium works in conjunction with calcium to build strong bones. However, it is also the most overlooked nutrient. It can be found in vegetables such as spinach, black beans and broccoli - but c'mon, do you know one kid who actually eats these regularly? WAT-AAH! Bones can also be used as an alternative to Pedialyte, which contains sugar and coloring.

Body - 100% pure Alpine spring water. WAT-AAH! Body is purified using a 5-step process and is completely sodium and chlorine free. It has a natural PH-level and a superior rating for nitrates so it is extremely safe for children.

Energy - with additional oxygen. A safe energy drink for kids with no caffeine, sugar or herbs like guarana, often found in adult energy drinks.

And if you are like me and concerned about plastics, WAT-AAH! containers are 100% recyclable and BPA-free. Yeah!

Christine from WAT-AAH! was kind enough to send me four bottles (one of each kind) to review.

The first things I noticed upon opening the box were the design and logo. The bottles are sleek with clean lines, easy for a little one to hold. I was happy they weren't oddly shaped and could easily fit in the narrow cupholders of my jogging stroller. The bright, neon colors and "big mouth" logo are simple yet appealing. They literally scream kid-friendly. As soon as I opened one of the bottles from the box to sample, my curious son came right over to snatch it and shake it.

Once I retrieved it from his grasp, I took a swig. Clean. Crisp. No funky aftertaste. Just cool, refreshing water. It even got a thumbs up from Daddy. I put the rest of the bottles in the fridge so we could taste them chilled the next day. And as I expected, they tasted even better.

I am fortunate that Nate actually likes water more than juice. Milk is still his number one pick but water is a close second. So, I had a feeling he would be an easy sell for this product. And I was right. As soon as he took a sip, he wanted more and more.

I love that there is an alternative to tap water that I can feel good about giving to my child. No more worries about contaminants or toxins that can be found in our unfiltered water. And how cute is it that he can have his own little water beside Mommy's on our mid-morning walks?

I took the remaining bottles of WAT-AAH! on our trip to the beach so I could try them out with my 3-year old niece and 10-year old nephew. Because the bottles are a little taller and more narrow than most bottles, they were easy to travel with and fit perfectly in the tiny cupholders of my jogging stroller. We had assorted bottles of Dasani and Aquafina in the cooler with two bottles of WAT-AAH! My niece, who loves orange juice so much that my sister-in-law has to dilute it with water, went straight for the WAT-AAH! Body, intrigued by the neon pink label. She drank the entire bottle while we were playing in the sand. I don't think she even realized it was plain water.

My 10-year old nephew - who plays football and drinks Gatorade almost daily - was wise enough to know it was plain water but he admitted the concept and name were pretty cool. He drank the bottle of WAT-AAH! Bones while we were out and about with nary a complaint. Granted, he was hot and sweaty from running on the beach and probably desperate for any sort of hydration but he seemed to enjoy it.

The only disadvantage I can think of with this product is the price. At $18/12 pk., it may not be in the budget for those pinching their pennies. For comparison, we bought a 24-pk. of Dasani water at our local grocery store for $4. But if your family consumes a lot of water and you want to ensure your young ones are getting the best (not to mention the added vitamins and minerals), look no further than WAT-AAH!

Bottom line: I would highly recommend WAT-AAH! to any parent looking for a healthy, tasty drink for their child(ren) of any age. It is the perfect size to pack with school lunches or to throw in a gym bag for sports practice. When their classmates ask what they're drinking, they'll proudly say water. No, they'll scream WAT-AAH!

This very well may be the solution to changing the perception of water as we now know it. They've managed to create the perfect blend of healthy and cool.

BUY IT: You can find WAT-AAH! on Amazon.com or check out their amazing, animated website for vendor locations.

WIN IT: WAT-AAH! has graciously offered one lucky reader a Back-to-School prize pack including backpack, pencils, erasers, temporary tattoos, stickers and samples (pictured below)!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Follow @WATAAH on Twitter and comment with your Twitter ID. It's that simple! Be sure to leave your email address in your comment or have it visible in your profile so I can contact you if you win!

SUGAR ON TOP (BONUS ENTRIES): To maximize your chances of winning, you may do any or all of the following. Be sure you complete the above mandatory entry or else your bonus entries will be deleted!

1.) Follow my blog or subscribe via reader or email. Comment telling me which method you chose. (2 entries!)

2.) Follow WAT-AAH's blog and leave me a comment telling me you follow. (2 entries!)

3.) Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Comment with your tweet link. (1 entry)

4.) Visit the WAT-AAH! website and tell me what you like most about this product. (1 entry)

5.) Add my button to your site and comment with a link where I can find it. (1 entry)

Giveaway will end on September 15, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. Open to US only. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to congratulatory email or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: As I mentioned above, I was sent four samples of WAT-AAH, along with some stickers and temporary tattoos, to facilitate my candid review. I was in no other way compensated for this review.