Baby Formula: What's Your Choice?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine. 

Ever heard of the recent Similac baby formulas recall? I actually wrote about it on my blog. If you feed your baby with this brand and haven't heard the news, you can check my blog post about it. Most of Similac's powdered baby formula are affected by the recall. But for Moms using this brand, there's nothing to panic about on what to feed your baby now that a recall is implemented. There's another option that takes away your worries—store brand formula. 

Speaking of baby formulas, most of us parents tend to go with name brands. My husband and I were one. Because the hospital introduced Similac to our daughter, we ended up using it when we took our baby home. Besides, I had this notion that it should be the best formula of all formulas because it's what the hospital gives to every baby born there. But after we ran out of free baby formulas, the reality of how it impacted on our budget was surprising. Something had to be done. That's when the store brand formula came in. We spent enough time to compare the nutrients of the store brand formula to the previous one we used. Of course, our baby's nutritional needs were always the priority. Surprisingly, both products have the same nutritional values, but, differ so much in price. So what do you think we did? Without a doubt, we switch to generic formula. With prices so much cheaper than the name brand, we didn't only save big. Most importantly, we gave our daughter the nourishment she needed.

My advice to parents-to-be or parents who are stuck on the dilemma of the high prices of name-brand formulas, consider to use store brand formulas like Walmart's Parent's Choice, Babies 'R' Us, Fry's, and more. Parent's Choice baby formulas for example meet the nutritional standards set by the FDA. Examine the nutritional substance of each other by yourself and assess the difference. Comparing is so easy since you can always find big-name baby formulas on the same shelves.

Meanwhile, good news to parents who use Parent's Choice baby formulas. You can already order the product online. Your order will be delivered straight to your home without additional charges. It comes in can sizes of 4 to 6 units. If you're too busy to drop by at your local Walmart store to pick up food for your infant, ordering online is the best option.

We've got a lot of choices when it comes to what brand name of baby formula we should give our infants. Don't limit yourself in just one product because it's popular. Don't forget to consider the price and what's in it. I have made my choice, what's yours?

White Powdery Bath

Taking a white powdery bath is one of Evie's silliest moments. She was so quiet in her room, so I didn't care to bother. Minutes later while I was busy browsing the internet, she ran past me with traces of white powder on the carpet. When I turned around, I saw such an amusing image—my daughter bathed herself with baby powder! She got the baby powder bottle on her hand, upside down and was dumping powders on the floor! To satisfy her delight, she also dumped powder on the media center.

I love silly moments of her like this. I couldn't help but laughed at her goofiness. And yes of course, I had to clean up the mess. What are mothers for? :)

 She may look innocent, but she can turn little things into a BIG mess.

 

Running away from the trouble she made.

Weekend Dinners with the Family

Guest post written by Gladys Stevens

About every other weekend or so, my son and his wife come have dinner at my house with my husband and I. Sometimes we cook ourselves, other times we order in from our favorite Italian restaurant up the road. Afterwards, we always watch a movie together—something my son picks up on the way. Well, recently, I’ve been having a difficult time hearing all the dialogue in the movies we watch. I’ve had my husband turn the closed-captioning on, but that’s only a temporary fix—it’s no fun when you have to read everything they’re saying because you can’t watch the screen itself! That’s why last week I went to get my hearing tested. I told the specialist what I’d been experiencing, and he was able to fit me into the right hearing aid for me—and he even went over miracle ear pricing with me. I’ve had them for almost a week now and they’re working great. In fact, we had our bi-weekly dinner with my son last night. We watched the entire movie—The Longest Yard—with no closed captioning at all. It felt great, and I know my family was glad to be rid of those annoying black text boxes!

First Bug Bite

No, she was not bitten by a bug. It's the opposite—she bit and chewed a bug! As far as I know it's her first time to taste a bug. I think it's a beetle—correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't ask her what it tasted like. If she can talk and answer the question, she'd probably say "Mama, it's good!" :) Good not ewwwww? Well, as I saw her chewing on that bug, there was no indication in her face that it tasted gross. She's enjoying it.

So, where did she get the beetle from? I have a theory that our cat Crichton saw it creeping somewhere on the glass door and caught it with his sharp claws. Then, probably convinced Evie to eat it. Huh? Just kidding. I didn't have any idea what the two were up to as they were sitting beside each other by the glass door. I didn't know that they were doing something creepy—bug tasting!

Thankfully for my love of taking pictures of my daughter with her moments with our cat. As I was clicking the camera and snap pictures of them, I discovered that she's playing something in her mouth. I couldn't remember I ever gave her Cheerios, what could she be feasting in her mouth? Motherly instinct, I jumped off the chair and checked her mouth. Well, I was stunned to find out that it's not a piece of Cheerio, but a whole piece of bug! I was just so glad that she had not yet crunch the beetle into tiny pieces and slurp it down her tummy. But as you can see on the picture, the insect's back is almost ripped-open. I came to the rescue just the right time. On the other hand, what a bad day for the beetle.

Oh my little bug-eater! :)

My Families Favorite Teen Drama TV Show

Author: Dorsey Velasquez

My families favorite teen drama TV show is Gossip Girl. I am probably one of the only adults around I know that love watching the show as much as the teenagers. I love all the characters but my favorite actress is Blair Waldorf, played by Leighton Meester. She is a truly gifted actress and fit's the snobby teen role perfectly. There is also another good actress, Serena van der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively. I like her role but she falls second to Leighton Meester. I enjoy watching the show with my teen daughter, we usually enjoy popping popcorn and curling up in front of our satellite tv for a great episode of Gossip Girl. This show was a real motivation for our direct tv installation in our new house!

Of course my daughter was the first one to get me interested in the show. We were looking for an idea for a family night idea and this is what she came up with doing. I have to admit I look forward to our family nights. I do find myself frequently asking my daughter do the girls at school act like that these days. I am truly relieved each time her answer has been no. I plan to spend a lot of time with my teen daughter making sure she does not turn into a snobby Blair Waldorf or young woman of the world Blake Lively.

Similac Infant Formula Recall

Abbott, maker of infant formulas has volunteered to recall millions of cans of Similac powder infant formula due to a suspicion that the products may be contaminated with parts of beetles or larvae. Last week the company discovered these bugs in one of their manufacturing plant sections. Accordingly, powdered infant formulas polluted by these insects could cause digestion problems and stomach aches in babies consuming the contaminated product. Similac brand products affected by this recall are those distributed in the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico, and some countries in the Carribean.

If your are using Similac powder infant formula for your baby, you are advised to find out immediately if the baby formula your child eats is one of the recalled Similac formulas. To do it, click this link: Similac Infant Formula Recall. Enter the lot number of the product (found on the can itself) and hit "search." If the baby formula you have in hand is affected by the recall, you are advised not to give it to your baby for feeding ASAP. You can return the formula and will get a full refund. For complete information on how to return the product, you can call Abbott's consumer hotline at (800) 986-8850.

Banana for Diarrhea

Evie has been suffering from loose bowel movements a few days now. We suspect that the culprit is her teething. She's been drooling a lot and is working on with few teeth coming in so soon. I just realized that bananas are good for treating diarrhea. I do not know the medical explanation. I only heard it from my relatives before. So we tried giving her banana more than she consumes everyday. Thankfully, I no longer have to worry feeding her banana because when she was younger, she refused eating it.

Bananas actually helped treat her diarrhea. After she ate a lot last Saturday, her stool the next morning was still soft, but already solid. So much better compared to the past days where it was more wet and watery. According to Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D., "Bananas are a good choice to settle an upset digestive system. The high level of potassium in bananas helps to replace electrolytes that may be lost by severe bouts of diarrhea. Bananas are also rich in pectin, a soluble fiber  that helps to absorb liquid in the intestines and thus move stool along smoothly. Bananas also contain a good amount of inulin, another soluble fiber. Inulin is a  prebiotic - a substance that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the intestinal system."

Sadly, Evie has still loose bowel movement at present. We took her to the doctor this morning to make sure that there's no serious thing that we should be concern about regarding her bowel movement. Aside from her teething, we have another theory what caused her upset stomach and is already taking action on it. We still give her bananas and I made her rice porridge for her meals. Hopefully, the probiotic powder that we mixed in her food, the bananas, and starch she gets from rice will help bring back her happy tummy.

Getting Ready for Fall TV Show Premieres

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TiVo. All opinions are 100% mine.

My favorite Fall TV shows are premiering so soon: Glee, Kitchen Nightmare, Hell's Kitchen, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss, and more. That makes me excited! I've been waiting patiently for this season. Week nights with my husband with be packed of TV-watching.

Of all the shows coming so soon this Fall, I am most looking forward to watch Glee because of Charice, a fellow Filipino who will be in the cast this season. Quite proud of her. However, as much as I get so excited for the Fall TV premieres, I am also a little bit disappointed that some of my most awaited shows air at the same time. I do not want to miss any of them. I wish we have the TiVo Premiere. It will definitely solve my problem. With TiVo Premiere I'd be able to record the shows that I missed and watch it anytime I want to. The TiVo Slide remote that comes with it is awesome! It's got a cute QWERTY keyboard hidden inside the remote itself. Watching the video of the Slide Remote features was cool. The keyboard allows me to easily and quickly search TV shows, YouTube videos, entertainment stuff, and anything I could search on the web. Here's one more cool thing about the TiVo Slide remote...it lights up in the dark room! Absolutely a BIG plus. I do not have to worry waking up my asleep daughter because of the bright lights.

I couldn't help but become a Facebook Fan of TiVo. Following it on Facebook helps me catch up the product's latest version and features. Seems like every newest version of TiVo gets neater.

Yes, I don't have a TiVo. But, I still don't lose hope of owning a TiVo Premiere. It's on my wishlist and it remains there until I have it. And to make me get closer to realize my wish, I am grabbing the opportunity to Enter to Win a new TiVo Slide in the "30 Slides in 30 Days" Sweepstakes! Yehaaaaaaaaawww!!! How about you? Do you also wish for  a TiVo?  It's not too late for you to enter the sweepstakes. So hurry and fill up the form before September 22, 2010. I am wishing you luck. Don't forget to wish me luck too! :)

Family Time with PlayStation®Move

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PlayStation(R) Move. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes I'd wonder, what if my daughter is already 7 years old at the present time, what kind of family bonding affairs can we share during weekend nights? Perhaps some board games, movie-watching, baking, karaoke. How about video games? Why not? I enjoy some video games. I was even hooked to one game, so determined to finish it with flying colors. And I did. Well, if someone asks me what video game package I'd want, without a doubt I will choose the PlayStation(R)MOVE. I heard that it's kind of cool, built with superior quality, features, and enhancement which other motion gaming products available today don't have.

If the generous genie would give me PlayStation(R)MOVE now, it would be my first time to use it. But I am not actually intimidated of being a first-timer for this system because users said it's simple and easy-to-use. I should be able to catch up with the games. There are tons of games that I would want to play with my daughter and husband in our game nights. I couldn't wait to try and play the Brunswick Pro Bowling, Sports Champions, Start the Party, FIFA Soccer, and more. They are too many to mention. I am more excited to play sports games because it does not only allow us to bond us a family but also keep us physically fit. Now, that's cooler than I thought.

For Moms like me who want to spend time with kids on weekend nights but do not have any idea how to do it, I'd suggest to add the fun of playing video game using the PlayStation(R)MOVE. And by the way, if you happen to have the PlayStation®3, you can actually take the motion gaming in your PS system with the MOVE bundle package for only $99. You no longer have to spend hundred of bucks to buy the newest PS system—that's a bonus!

Evie Goes Dirty

One of the favorite things that my daughter and I loves to share in our afternoons is going out in the backyard. Well, she loves it more than I do because she can explore things that she can't while inside. She gets excited everytime I water the plants for two reasons: playing the sprinkling water with her hands, and the mud the water creates when the ground gets damp. The latter is what she's more delighted about. She loves DIRT... she loves MUD!!!

I let her play with it. She likes scooping the mud with her hands or uses a tool to spread it. I just make sure that she doesn't put it in her mouth. Another thing she discovers is the fun of stomping on it. Obviously, her shoes gets so dirty too. But each smile that flashes on her face makes me forget the torment of cleaning filthy shoes. 

My heart is gratified each time my own eyes witness my daughter is enjoying her childhood. Would I be able to let her relish her childhood to the fullest? It's what I want. But I do not know the answer to my question.

 However, the joy of playing in the mud is one of the things I do not want her to miss while she is still a child. I had the share of bliss back when I was a little one myself. Mud could be dirty, but it helps me appreciate the beauty and innocence of childhood.

Giving Kids Quality Education: Getting Involved

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Woodrow Wilson. All opinions are 100% mine.


I want to address this post to Moms or anyone who have a passion for teaching. The shortage for qualified teachers specifically science and mathematics has been a big concern that the government wants to address. It's sad to think that when it's time for our children to explore the world with the help of learning in school, there's not enough great teachers to help them discover the world beyond their imaginations. But, I am quite thankful that the government acknowledges this problem by doing something to fix it in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships (WWTF) or www.wwteachingfellowship.org.

If teaching is in your heart and you know that you can do something to help educate our young children in various schools, the WWTF offers $30,000 stipend in able for you to complete a masters degree in teaching, in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). College graduates who hurdled their degrees recently are good candidates for this program. Individuals with undergraduate degree in the STEM field can also apply. All that the program requires is that you finished the degree with a standard grade of 3.0 GPA or higher by June 2011. Most of all, the commitment to work with the program's goal must be in your heart.

Becoming a Woodrow Wilson fellow gives you the chance to accomplish a master's degree in education for a specific STEM field. Then, you will be given the opportunity to teach, share your wide knowledge and expertise to the youngs studying in high-need schools for at least 3 years. Imparting what you know and passing it on to the next generation is a privilege that cannot be compensated with money. The future of our children is in the hands of our educators today and the quality of education they receive. WWTF is a great way to start the goal of giving our kids education that focuses on excellence. 

You can fill out an application at www.wwteachingfellowship.org. It's time to get involved.

Evie's "New Things"

My 1 year old daughter had been showing new tricks lately which are kind of silly, amusing, and impressive. Her "new things" on the list are:

Spinning - She's been doing this even before she turned 1. Sometimes she'd spin too much that it makes her fall down. Most probably, she gets dizzy. My husband and I do not know where she got this idea. I wonder if most kids go through this stage.

Stacking - Blocks, cups, or a mixture of her toys, she stacks them up. I noticed that wood blocks (with ABC letters on it) are better than the plastic ones because they're not slippery. So far, she can stack up to 3 blocks and 2 for cups. It's funny to see her one day stacking up a cup, a plastic penguin, and a ball. She experiments with piling things up.

Handing things over - Sometimes my husband and I thinks she's bargaining for something she wants everytime she hands over things (mostly toys) to us. One morning, I was eating Cheerios with milk and she was in front of me opening her mouth waiting to be fed. But since she's allergic to cow's milk, I can't give her what I ate. What she did was, she gave me a ball and then waited. When I threw away the ball, she handed me her toy cell phone and waited, as if, expecting me to feed her. We don't really know what this thing means to her, but, she's handing us things most of the time.

Climbing on and off - She can already climb on and off the couch and the big totes we used to block the kitchen. She can climb off the bed quite well too right now. She actually knows how to do it right without falling.

Playing ghost - She loves cloths, specially big ones enough to cover her whole head. She'd put it on her head where her eyes are covered and then walk to nowhere since she can't really see where she's going. It's a funny "new thing" actually.


Reading books more often - I can tell that she loves books. I usually find her talking while holding a book. I presume she's saying (reading) something whatever she sees on it. Her favorite book is the Baby Einstein book of which most of the pages are gone. I have a theory that the reason why she likes that book is because she sees the same puppets when she watches the Baby Einstein DVDs.