Celebrate Easter and Spring with The Swiss Colony {Zoo Chocolates Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, sandy1955!}

With hints of spring appearing outside and Easter not too far around the corner, that means there are little suits and dresses to pick out, plastic eggs to fill and hide, and baskets that need to be stocked with goodies. Maybe it is because the date changes every year, but Easter always seems to jump out of nowhere for me and arrive without warning.

So when it comes to celebrating spring and the upcoming holiday, I have yet to find a site that knows how to combine deliciousness with cuteness better than the experts over at The Swiss Colony.

A family-owned company, The Swiss Colony originated the tradition of sending food gifts by mail in 1926 and has never looked back. Over 80 years later they now offer hundreds of festively packaged gifts, ranging from cheeses, cheese spreads, and specialty meats to chocolates, butter toffee, and a ton of decadent desserts.

When it comes to spring and Easter, The Swiss Colony has everything from traditional baskets to unique treats that are perfect to send to friends or family at home or across the country to brighten the season. Is there anyone out there that wouldn't be thrilled to find a beautifully decorated, mouthwatering surprise at their door?

With that in mind, when a box of The Swiss Colony's new Zoo Chocolates arrived, I knew that my kids would be amazed and delighted.

Sure enough, one look at the cute pandas, smiling monkeys and gentle lions and the oohing and ahhing was nearly deafening. Who could resist?

I've seen hand-decorated treats before, but can't remember ever seeing anything nearly as adorable as these. It was as if each individual animal had its own personality and disposition and was just sitting there waiting for us to pull it right out of the box.

I do have to admit that the detail and cuteness of these chocolates did give me reason to pause when it came time to take a bite. After all, there they were. Just looking at me so sweetly.

Unfortunately for these guys, that pause didn't actually stop me. And, after biting in to a panda's milk chocolate shell to discover just how luscious the whipped chocolate center was, the rest of the zoo was definitely in trouble.

Of course, I wasn't the only one doing the testing around here and, after one taste, my young fans of The Swiss Colony were ready to devour the entire box, cuteness and all.

Mmmm, panda.

Who knew lions could taste so good?

Retailing for $19.95 for 12 delectable animal friends, the Zoo Chocolates from The Swiss Colony are a delightfully yummy way to celebrate Easter as well as the arrival of spring. They're just the right combination of scrumptious and adorable!

With everything from cute to practical, the selection at The Swiss Colony is sure to make any lucky recipient's mouth water from the moment they open the box. With a flavor and style to meet any budget (there are quite a few affordable options that are less than $20), it is easy to know that you aren't breaking the bank while still celebrating the holiday in a tasty way.

And, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to enjoy a delicious spring or Easter treat as well, because...

One lucky person will win a box of Zoo Chocolates from The Swiss Colony!

To enter to win: Visit The Swiss Colony and leave a comment on this post telling me which delicious treat you would like to send or receive this spring.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow The Swiss Colony on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a box of Zoo Chocolates from The Swiss Colony - adorable as well as delicious! http://bit.ly/zyb457 @thxmailcarrier #giveaway #win

1 Extra Entry (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
2 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 28th at 11:59pm CST. By entering this sweepstakes, you are agreeing to these official rules. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited by law. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and must be 18 years of age or older.

A big thank you to The Swiss Colony for providing a Zoo Chocolates for me free of charge as well as for the giveaway prize. No monetary compensation was received or offered, nor was I under any obligation to write about this product. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.