Store Brand vs Name Brand

So I've never considered myself a "Name Brand Snob"..you know..people who refuse to buy anything other than name brand products. Now forgive me if this is you. There's nothing wrong with name brand. I buy name brand products too. But it just drives me crazy when someone refuses to buy store brand (even if they haven't tried it) JUST because it IS store brand. I always give something a chance. Hey, if it's going to save me money..why not? If I don't like it..then I just will keep buying the name brand. Simple enough.

I remember before having Kylee..I asked my MOM group about the big difference between name brand and store brand diapers. I was thinking to myself..why not save some cash and just buy the cheap diapers. They all hold poo right? Name brand diapers aren't lined in gold or anything..so why pay more? Well shortly after Kylee was born I found out that store brand (at least WalMarts) diapers are about as useful as a parka in the summer. They were horrible. She leaked all day, every day. That was the end of store brand diapers.

Then the other day I sent Tim (bless his heart) to pick up a wipe refill pack (Pampers Sensitive all the way)..he came back with some Kroger-ish brand. Hmm..I figured..why not. give it a try. I might has well been wiping her butt with my own hand..slightly damp. These were the driest, thinnest wipes I've ever used. We went through them much faster than our usual brand because you had to triple them up just to avoid getting her lovely teething/eating solids poo on your hands. I was so happy today to pick up a refill at the store. And an added bonus..Pampers is making Sensitives Thick now! Sweet days!

So diapers and wipes MUST be name brand. Papmers to be specific. But there are things I will buy store brand. Milk is almost guaranteed to be store brand (unless there's an out-of-this-world sale on Roberts) because milk is milk. I can't taste the difference so it doesn't matter to me. I also buy Kylee's cereal puffs store brand but usually Gerber food (believe it or not..it's cheaper than the store brand at Bakers). I have Tim buying cheaper beer and smokes these days (yes..he's back to smoking..........) because Budweiser wants your soul and first born these days for a 12 pack and Marlboro is only accepting kidneys and small intestines these days in payment. Screw that! You wanna poison your body baby...you're going to do it cheaply. Right?

Papers towels and toilet paper are a name brand must. My backside demands it..and I'd rather use 1 towel on a spill than 8 plus the mop. Tissues too...my nose is sensitive and I HATE having the uber red and flaked up nose during allergy time because I'm wiping my nose with a brillo pad disguised as a store brand tissue.

But anyways..this whole post came about because this older lady whining in line at Bakers this morning at the price of her cans of diet drink (SlimFast)..well...there is another brand..a cheaper one you could..*gasp*..try! I swear..Kroger doesn't put rat poison in their products anymore it's okay to try them. Who knows..you may actually like them (since most things don't taste any different then a name brand) and your wallet may be thanking you.

Thanks for listening to my rant. Next time you're hitting the store..try the store brand of something you usually buy name brand. I dare you.

Never Pleased

sat⋅is⋅fac⋅tion [sat-is-fak-shuhn]

–noun
1.
an act of satisfying; fulfillment; gratification.
2.
the state of being satisfied; contentment.
3.
the cause or means of being satisfied.

Blah, blah, blah, etc, etc...

Basically I have found that I'm having a hard time finding this lately. Satisfaction, that is. I've decided that I may be somewhat greedy needy particular in how I like things.

I did quite the research looking up and asking about different banana bread recipes. Finally picked one that looked promising..and made it. Now, it's not HORRIBLE. It's not even bad to be honest. It's just not the slice of perfection that I had envisioned in my head. I was satisfied..but I know there could have been improvement.

The weather. I hate the rain and clouds but I love the cooler temperatures that usually come with said weather. I hate the rain and clouds but I also hate when it's flesh-frying hot outside and I burn off breakfast and half of lunch just going to check the mail. Again..not satisfied with this summer weather business. (I think my daughter is taking after me as well..uh oh)

My appearance..it's high time that I start burning off this baby weight that I've been holding onto like Octomom to her "celebrity status"...Yes..I've been holding onto it THAT tight! I've finished mechanically breastfeeding (aka pumping) so I don't need to eat as much as I was trying to keep up my supply..so I just need to get to it so I can start wearing some of my old clothes that have been taken hostage by spider webs and dust bunnies on the top shelf of the closet. Body = not satisfied.

Along with my appearance..I am most definitely not pleased with my diet. As much as I wish Hershey w/ almond bars were equivalent in calories to say.. a carrot stick.. it's never going to happen. So I actually need to pick up that carrot stick and say goodbye to Hershey, amatuer-baked banana bread, and all the other less than good-for-me foods I've been shoving into my mouth the last few months. Diet = not satisfied (but it sure is yummy)

My housekeeping/motherly/wifely duties have also been getting neglected lately (I have been blaming this on an awful work schedule..but it's time I take responsibility for my lack of ambitions.) It's time to stop piling and hiding laundry and actually.. *gasp* get it downstairs to the laundry room. Dusting needs to happen before those dust bunnies which I mentioned earlier start carrying away my chunky princess. Ugh! Just thinking about tackling the neglected things in my house make me want to toss my cookies. You can say with absolute certainty that I am less than satisfied in this department.

So I guess in order to acquire this desired satisfaction ... I should probably remove myself from this comfy, welcoming computer chair and find my way to a broom, mop, and hazmat suit. Right? Okay then...

OH, and here's my chunky princess!!

She's not satisfied either..

Ignorance is Breeding

So this whole post is going to be one giant rant. So if you're not into listening to me bitch about how tired I am of ignorant people...you may want to direct your browser elsewhere.

I think of myself as a pretty easy going person. I tend to educate the uniformed rather than jump down their throats. I said I tend to..it doesn't ALWAYS happen. But..I realize..not everyone knows everything about all things. Myself included, of course. But give me a freakin break..are you going to tell me you weren't raised learning respect, common courtesy, and learning how to ...keep-your-damn-mouth-shut-if-what-you're-going-to-say-could-be-offensive?? I mean..it seems pretty simple to me. It's something I plan on teaching my own children. But apparently...not every family thinks the same way.

The purpose of this post is that I am SO tired of informing people of how I am related to Kylee..my daughter...the life that was conceived and GREW INSIDE OF MY BODY!! Not that it's any of their business. I could be her hired nanny or her kidnapper...but NO, I am her mother. Yes..I am biracial...yes she has her father's skin tone..which believe it or not..happens to be WHITE (most of the year anyway..unless I force him out into the evils known as ..sunshine). Now, just because you see me composed of olive skin and black hair...and a beautiful baby girl with light brown/blonde hair and pale skin...this does NOT mean I am:
A> Her babysitter
B> Her ADOPTED mother
C> An extended family member (i.e. her aunt)

So please...to save your face from meeting a fist...NEVER..I repeat NEVER..question a relationship status of someone based solely on their skin color. It's tacky and disrespectful. So when I'm at Wal-hell please don't look at my daughter and say.."Look at all the yummy food your babysitter is getting you..you're a lucky girl!" ...because I will jump over the damned register and beat your face into the dirty, mucked up floor you stand on day in and day out. I mean..seriously..who says that?!?! Also..never ask me if I adopted her. You look like trash and you sound like trash and I will pass my baby to the person standing nearest to me and I will repeat the attack I blessed the Wal-hell cashier with. No joke.

I would never in my LIFE ever ask anyone some of the questions I've been asked about how I'm related to my daughter. Never. Yes. I am a BI-RACIAL mother who had a baby with a WHITE man..and believe it the f$#@ not..my baby did get BOTH of our DNA's...and she did come out with my eye shape..but her father's color. My lips but her father's chin. My face shape..but her father's skin tone!! Holy shit balls! Can you believe it? Now crawl back in the whole you manifested from..and leave me and my "complicated" family alone. Thanks!