Baby Formula - FYI

True or False: Store-brand infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent to, and confer the same developmental benefits as, more expensive national brands.

TRUE!!!

If you are interested in reading up on the details of the landmark court case that confirmed this fact, check out these links:

Official Press Release

Another Press Release

Consumer Reports Press Release

One Last Press Release

I actually did use store-brand formula with both of my children and they are both very healthy! No allergies, no ear infections, no problems so far!

Seems the brand-name-is-better-than-store-brand argument is heard with many products. My mom is a very brand-specific consumer. She would never dream of buying store brand. I buy store brand all the time and usually cannot tell any difference. Sometimes I wonder if it's a generational thing, like folks in my mom's generation are convinced they are getting a higher quality product if it's name brand. Do women of my generation think differently? Maybe it's just the individual? Not sure, but I just know I gotta stretch my dollar!

What say you, Peeps? I am not debating whether bottle is better than breast or vice-versa, but what do you make of name-brand manufacturers claiming their products are superior to store-brand products? Do you disagree that store-brand formula is nutritionally equivalent to name-brand formula? Leave a comment!

Disclaimer: I received a $25 gift card in exchange for my time in discussing this info with you in this post.

Triaminic Giveaway!

Triaminic wants everyone to know about two online tools (see below) they have developed to help families this cold and flu season.

• Sick Day Guidelines, created in partnership with the National Association of School Nurses: Parents know when their kids aren’t feeling 100%. These guidelines are aimed at helping parents decide when to keep them at home or send them off to school.
  
  
• National Cold & Flu Tracker: This resource provides a weekly data feed of cold & flu symptom trends by region, based on data from SDI Fan® (a source used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Being aware of the activity in your area (or an area that you are traveling) can help you prepare for when cold and flu symptoms appear.

I am holding a 48-hour Triaminic giveaway! The winner will receive a prize pack which includes 4 boxes of Triaminic Thin Strips, with 14 strips in each package. Leave a comment below and tell me how cold and flu season has been so far this year for your family!

Giveaway ends at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday January 31, 2010. Winner will chosen at random and will be notified by email. You have 24 hours to reply. If I don't hear from your, I'll have to choose another winner!

Get extra entries by: (Leave a separate comment for each extra entry!)

• Becoming a follower of BusyJulie
• Following BusyJulie on Twitter
• Tweeting about this giveaway
• Blogging about this giveaway (3 extra entries - Be sure to leave a link in your comment!)

Disclaimer: This information was provided to me by Triaminic. I will be receiving samples of Thin Strips as a thank-you for my time in creating this post and hosting this giveaway. No other forms of compensation were offered or accepted.

BREAKFAST!!!

We have all heard the saying "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Guess what, cereal lovers? General Mills recently announced they are lowering the amount of sugar in their cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. They have already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

Here are some other things I just learned about cereal:

• Ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters?
  
• Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets.
  
• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.
  
• Ready-to-eat cereal is the #1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.
  
• More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
  
• 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Go here for a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals. Now go enjoy a happy, healthy breakfast with your family!

Disclaimer: I was provided this information, as well as coupons for 4 boxes of General Mills cereal through MyBlogSpark to help my family come together at the breakfast table every morning! I was not paid for a blog on this topic.

Book Review - The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"One moment, Carrie Weaver is planning to elope with Lancaster Barnstormer Solomon Riehl, leaving their Amish community behind. The next, she is staring into a future as broken as her heart. Now Carrie faces a choice. An opportunity. But will this decision, this moment in time, change her life forever? "

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Suzanne is a wife and mom, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and an author of Christian books, both non-fiction and fiction.

Her relatives on my mother's side are Old Order German Baptist Brethren, also known as Dunkards. That's where her interest in Anabaptist traditions began. Suzanne's grandfather was born into a family of 13 children, started his career as a teacher in a one-room school house in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and ended it as one of the very first publishers of Christianity Today. "We called him "Deardad" even though he was a very stern fellow. Still, Deardad's life inspired me to write."

After college, Suzanne was a freelance writer for magazines and became a contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today. Her work has been featured in Today's Christian Woman, Marriage Partnership, Worldwide Challenge, among others. She took the plunge into books a few years ago and now she's hooked. To learn more about Suzanne, visit her website at http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com/

BUSYJULIE'S REVIEW:

I am generally not a huge fan of Christian fiction. I like it okay, I buy it and I read it, but I usually find it to be terribly predictable: happy life, trouble, crisis of faith, finding faith again, we all live happily ever after. Not that this is a bad plan of action, but do I really want to read that same book over and over? Not really. The Choice is not that book. It's filled with twists that the reader does not anticipate (at least this one didn't!), making for a very enjoyable read. This book also gave me some insight to the Amish faith, which I enjoyed learning about. The Choice is the first book in the Lancaster County Secrets series. I was very impressed and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

Grab this button

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write a review of this book, positive or negative. I did receive a copy of the book free to review.

Guest Post from Totsy

Here is a guest post from Totsy...Where savvy moms shop!

Looking for a just-right birthday gift for a little girl? Maybe you the special auntie wanting to spoil your niece with a fantastic gift, or your a busy mom with a jam-packed birthday party schedule that runs from January to December. Either way we've got you covered. We've put together a list of inspired gifts based on interests and hobbies (we all know no two kids enjoy the same types of toys) with a wide range of prices. With these ideas you'll be sure to deliver big smiles.


Who she is: A sporty girl who loves to play kickball, swim or join a soccer league.

Go!Go! Sports Dolls--these active girls play tennis, basketball and more. Nothing wimpy about these plush pals. ($22.99)
SwimOutlet.com--Has an incredible assortment of fun swim caps (fish, kitties, sharks) makes splash time more fun ($4.99 and up) ad a cool mesh swim bag, and you're set ($10).
Kickboard Usa-Girls can start scooting at age 2! The Mini Kick Micro scooter is outfitted with three wheels and incredibly easy to steer. ($79.99)

Who she is: A Preppy girl who loves to match and has an interest in fashion.

A.Tierney headbands-perfect for the girl who likes to be coordinated we love this dragonfly print. ($18)
Charm it!--this cupcake bracelet will be a 100% hit--a charm bracelet can be added to every year. ($16)
Vineyard Vines Flannel Lounge pant-so cozy for after school or a pj party. 2T and up who can resist this hot cocoa print! ($32)



Who she is: An Environmentalist that loves to experiment and play in nature.

Sand Sac--this two-in-one gift is a canvas tote and an art project. Perfect for exploring beaches and collecting shells. 2 and up. ($11.95)
Paper Recycling Studio-this kit allows you to recycle old paper into a new craft project. 5 and up this is part craft part science experiment. ($17.99)
Green Toys Cookware set--She'll love knowing that her yogurt containers went into the creation of this gorgeous tea set. 3 and up. ($30.99)

Who she is: An artist that loves to draw and create.

Pollopo Tees--turn your daughter's art into fashion. These kits are offered as DIY or you can scan and send an image. Either way, you'll get a one-of-a-kind tee. Perfect for any age.($21.99 and up)
Kids Busy Box-15 complete crafts in one kit. Ideal for ages 3 and up this box offers a month's worth of entertainment. ($21.99)
Crayon Apron--we found this adorable personalized crayon apron on Etsy.com where handmade artists can share their wares. ($25)


Who she is: A performer that loves the stage, singing and being a star!

Belle Ame pettiskirts-twirl and bounce in these incredibly full skirts--ideal for ballet and dramatic play. Newborn and up. ($42 and up)
Disney Karoke-Have your daughter sing along to all her favorite Disney tunes. The songs come with music only and with lyrics. 3 and up. ($8.99 and up)
Sound Shapes-little rockers will adore experimenting with these Remo sound shapes. Newborn and up. ($69.99)

Menu Plan Monday

Monday, Monday! You may remember from last week's post that I have decided to participate in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge this month. I love this challenge because it's a "make your own rules" kinda thing...nothing too strict or unattainable!

Here are my goals:

• Clean out pantry. (DONE!)
• Inventory freezer. (DONE!)
• Set a grocery budget of $50 per week for January.
• Limit eating out to twice in January.

So far I have cleaned out the pantry and inventoried the freezer. I have not been to the grocery store yet this month. It just made me sick when I cleaned out the pantry because I had several expired items to throw away. Talk about throwing money right in the trash can. But, when I inventoried the freezer, I found many items I did not remember I had. Last summer my father-in-law gave us part of a cow he had butched (he has a farm), so I found steaks buried at the bottom of the freezer! Woo-hoo! We will have our own steakhouse night! Now that everything is organized in the pantry and the freezer, I am loving it!

Here's what we had so far for January:

January 1 (Friday) - Pork roast, black-eyed peas, cabbage, greens, rolls, strawberry shortcake.

January 2 (Saturday) - Hamburger steaks, mashed potatoes, corn casserole

January 3 (Sunday) - We at at my in-laws for lunch and had leftovers for dinner. Gotta love a no-cook day!!!

I made a list of all the meals we can eat from what's in the pantry and freezer now.

• Tuna Casserole
• Chicken Piccata (boxed meal)
• Spaghetti
• Hot dogs and chili
• Chicken and rice casserole
• 15-bean soup with sausage
• BBQ chicken and yellow rice
• Baked spaghetti
• Marinated steak and sweet potatoes
• Fried chicken
• Liver and onions
• Cubed steak and mashed potatoes
• Ritz chicken
• Sausage and peppers
• Taco soup (freezer, leftovers from a batch made last month)
• Chuck roast and potatoes
• Baked ham, sweet potato casserole
• Macaroni and cheese with ham

That's quite a few meals, huh?!! I am not assigning meals to specific days because what we want to eat or what I have time to prepare always seems to vary and change with the activities we have going on and with our schedules. Also, if I get to behind with work or kids' activities, a big meal seems too overwhelming to prepare and we just end up going out to eat or getting a pizza, and that's what I am trying to change this month. I will post what we had for dinner after we have it. I am sure I will have to plan a few more dinner menus and/or buy for a few more meals, but hopefully we will have some "leftover" days as well and that will stretch our meals out for the month!

I hope everyone participating in the challenge will have fun! If you are participating, leave a comment!

Saturday 9

I decided I wanted to find a Saturday meme and this is one I found. It's really cute! Here goes! And if you want to participate, blog your answers and leave a comment with your link!

Saturday 9: You Shook Me

1. What celebrity would you just want to shake some sense into? Jon Gosselin!

2. What do you think comes after death? Jesus!!!

3. What is the first book that you can remember reading by yourself as a child? I have no idea!

4. What was the first rock concert that you attended? Metallica...Go figure :)

5. If you were to suddenly become famous, would you choose a stage name? If yes, what would it be? I would probably choose a stage name but I have no idea what it would be!

6. What is the one thing that you wish the media would stop talking about? Jon Gosselin!!!

7. If you could be part of any band, which one would it be and who would you be and why? The drummer...keeps everyone on the beat!

8. Do you live close to your immediate family members? If not, how far away are they? Not mine, but my husband's. My family lives several states away.

9. Last seasonal question (promise): What did you do on New Year's Eve? Snuggled on the couch with my family and watched the ball drop!

Sunday Coupon Preview!

Go here to preview the coupons that will be in the paper this Sunday, January 3, 2010. We should see a Smart Source insert and a Red Plum insert! Start your shopping list now!