The breast/bottle debate continues...

I read this post over at Penny Pinching Parent in response to a question that was put out there - is Bottlefeeding the new taboo for motherhood?

Before I had kids I definitely missed the beauty of a breastfeeding mom. Nursing in public didn't weird me out, but I never saw what the big whoop was. Then I nursed my older boy, and it made sense :) There is definintely something uniquely magical about the process of breastfeeding, and I applaud every woman that makes the choice to nurse and is able.

I actually posted about my adventure in babyfeeding after the birth of our youngest son. The long and short? I would have loved to breastfeed, but it simply wasn't in the cards this time.

I never really thought about whether I'd be viewed differently for formula feeding until I got "the look" from women who knew I had nursed my older boy - that look that either says "oh, I'm so sorry", or "wow, I'd never have expected that from YOU..." It was a little strange to feel the need to EXPLAIN myself when it came to feeding my baby - you want your kids to grow and be healthy, and as a good mom you do that by any means possible, 'nuff said. But it did strike me that because I nursed my older boy, it might seem weird that my next child would be fed out of a can.

The post at PPP also got me thinking about the relationship I was building with my child in each feeding situation. I ABSOLUTELY loved the process of breastfeeding, the closeness with my child, the admitted pride I took in knowing his healthy baby body was directly due to what my body was making for him. And I know breastmilk is the best of all options for most babies. It's why I fought so hard through so many issues with both kids, one with a successful outcome, the other with an alternate plan (notice I don't say failure here?). But is my bond with my formula baby any different?

Every time his face lights up when he hears my voice, I'd say no. Each time he's inconsolable until he is in my arms and buries his face in my shoulder to get my scent and then falls asleep, I say no. Each time his little contented feeding sighs make my heart skip, I'd say no! Having kids close together affords me a good memory of the great bond I had with my now 2 1/2 year old...and it's the same bond I feel with my new baby boy. Formula feeding has a few added benefits too - he has great bonds with his dad and other family members that help with childcare, who he trusts at mealtime as much as he trusts me! Not that my breastfed baby wasn't bonded with others early on too, but it definitely took him a little longer before he'd really take a bottle from other family members. And knowing that I don't have to shoulder the ENTIRE load of feeding, either because of nursing or pumping, has been liberating in the midst of balancing a newly expanded family.

So yes, I applaud moms who choose to nurse their kids - but in the same way that I cheer on every mom who carries her bottle bag and formula can with pride...if healthy babies are the end result, does it really matter which road you take?









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Winner - Vaseline Sheer Infusions

Just a quick thanks to those who entered my Vaseline Sheer Infusions giveaway - welcome to my new readers, and I hope you all picked up the $1.50 coupon for the lotion while you were here!

The winner of the 3 full-sized bottles of Sheer Infusion is Tamara B! She's been emailed and will have 72 hours to claim her prize.

Congrats Tamara!




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Menu Plan Monday - Nov 16th, '09

I am SO not ready for the holiday season...I know retailers are trying to get a jump on holiday spending, but sheesh folks, can you at least let the turkey get cold first??? :)

We did *moderately* well sticking to the menu plan last week - I haven't been fantastic with night-before prep so we had to switch a few meals around, and one night I had to pull out a freezer meal instead of cooking because we ran really late getting home. But that's the nice thing about menu plans, it's a PLAN, not a law :)

This week my husband is home more nights than usual but we've got a lot of running around to do so I'm working off a lot of crockpot and freezer meals. I was going to try jumping back on the OAMC bandwagon this month, but I think it'll just have to wait till after the holiday madness has passed.

Here's what's on our table, and pay a visit to Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menus and recipes!

monday - Homemade pizza, sliced veggies ($3.97 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Obama's Chili, homemade cornbread ($8.40 for 8-10 servings)

wednesday - Corndog Muffins, mixed veggie ($2.00 for 4 servings plus extra for the freezer!)

thursday - Italian Chicken Skillet ($4.35 for 6 servings)

friday - Pineapple Pork Roast, mashed sweet potatoes, veggie ($6.75 for 6 servings)

saturday - Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes and scrambled eggs with fruit ($3.39 for 4 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in-law's (free!)




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Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats, why do you torment me?

I don't normally like to complain, but Frosted Mini Wheats, you have let me down once again.

I love your crunchy sweetness, and the way you hold just enough milk to whet my whistle during breakfast...but EVERY time I open one of your big yellow boxes, I know what's waiting for me at the end of the journey:

That's almost 3/4 of an inch worth of Mini Wheat dust at the bottom of the bag...bound for the trash bin instead of my cereal bowl. Now, I completely understand that shipping and man-handling will cause SOME cereal to get damaged. But I also know that I can go to my local Price Rite, Stop & Shop, or even Wal-Mart and buy the generic store brand (for at least half the price) and get more ACTUAL CEREAL in the box.

I actually decided to take out ye olde food scale and see just how badly I was getting gypped:



Do you see the dial? FOUR OUNCES. That was from a 24-oz box of cereal. One-sixth of my cereal was totally unable to be eaten - and at full retail price (about $3.75 per box), that means $0.62 of my hard earned dollar is flushed down the toilet. And we all know every penny counts!



Dear Kellogg's, take a cue from your generic competitors - SAVE THE CEREAL!!!




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TOT Thursday - Weights and measures

A few weeks ago I mentioned how changing your portion size can not only reduce your food budget (by eating closer to correct portions your food will go further) but also reduce your waistline, especially if you're in the habit of filling up that giant dinner plate! But it's hard to eyeball a correct meat portion until you've seen the actual accurate size many times.

How can you make your meat purchase go further this week?

Invest in a food scale!

According to the USDA's food pyramid guidelines, women should consume about 5 1/2 oz of meat/protein daily, while men should consume about 6 1/2 oz. Consider that most restaurants serve up between 3/4 and a full pound of meat, and even at home we're making one full chicken breast (8 oz) for a meal..it's a reality check! If you're serving protein twice a day, your meat portion should be three ounces at each meal. THREE OUNCES! The eyeball measurements I've heard are a deck of cards or a woman's palm...but I've been guilty of "cheating" that size estimate, because it's easy when you're not dealing with hard numbers.

Using a food scale will keep you on track with your portion sizes, and will also allow you to buy meats and other foods in bulk and separate into useful portions more quickly and easily! I picked up this food scale at Ikea (hubby works there!) for six bucks, and I use it constantly - not just for meat, but bulk shredded cheese, veggies, even flour for baking (many really good bread recipes use flour measurements by weight and not cups).

So the next time you pick up that 3-lb package of chicken breast at the store, remember that it should serve up eight daily portions - then get yourself a scale and be sure you're making the most of that purchase!



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CLOSED Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 - Review and Giveaway!

Winter is approaching, and (at least in the Northeast) so is the dry skin that comes along with the cold weather. If the outside cold air doesn't get you, the dry heat inside will! So it was very timely that I received Vaseline Smooth Infusion with Stratys-3 to try out and review for you!


I'm pretty picky about my lotions because I have my hands in everything during the day and can't deal with sticky or greasy feelings that linger. The first time I tried the lotion, it went on SO smooth and soaked in almost immediately. I noticed that the LOOK of my hands had changed, even after a few hours - the skin looked smoother and healthier, and I didn't feel like I needed to re-apply every hour to keep that hydrated feeling.

Vaseline Sheer Infusion delivers two times more moisture than leading body lotions and is the only lotion that can infuse and suspend moisture into each layer of the stratum corneum (surface skin) – the top, the core and deep down. This results in unprecedented hydration leading to better, more healthy moisturized skin and an unmatched silky skin feel. Clinical studies show that more hydration leads to improved skin softness, smoothness and quicker elimination of dry skin.

The real test for me was a lingering dry spot on my ankle - the one that in my wedding pics looks like someone colored my anklebone greyish white and wouldn't go away with pumice stones, creams, scrubs or anything else. I used it in that particular spot for a week and there was a NOTICEABLE difference in the skin - it was less scaly, more skin-colored and started to feel softer. That alone makes this lotion a necessity in my beauty arsenal!

One lucky reader will win THREE full sized bottles, one each of Botanical Blend, Mineral Renewal and Vitamin Burst. For your first (mandatory) entry, visit the Vaseline website and comment with something you learned about Vaseline Sheer Infusion, or another Vaseline product that helps you fight dry skin in the winter! (and don't forget to pick up this $1.50 coupon so you don't have to wait for the contest to try it out!)

For additional entries (be sure to leave a comment for each!):
- Become a subscriber to my blog via email
- Follow me on Google Reader or subscribe in a feed
- Follow me on Twitter (@scorbett) and tweet this contest! (One entry per tweet, one tweet per day) You can use the Tweet link at the top of this post, or just copy and paste the following: Stay smooth all winter! Vaseline Sheer Infusion giveaway at The $200 Mission http://bit.ly/2d0Do @scorbett ends 11/18

Contest ends at 10pm on November 18th, when the winner will be chosen via Random.org. Winner will be notified via email and will have 72 hrs to claim their prize!

This is a sponsored post and giveaway, and I did receive compensation in the form of free product for this review. The sponsor also provided free product to be awarded in a giveaway. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. This review reflects my honest opinion based on my experience in using the product, and this post was not edited or reviewed by anyone.




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80% off at Restaurant.com - 3 days only!

Restaurant.com is offering gift certificates at 80% off again! That means $25 GC for just $2! This is only good for 3 days (thru 11/13) and GC's will sell out fast.

Just visit Restaurant.com, choose the GC's you want, and enter the code ENTREE at checkout - the discount will apply to everything in your shopping cart.

Be sure to read the fine print, as most restaurants place some restrictions on GC use. This is a great way to get early gift shopping done, or to try out new restaurants without breaking the bank!






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