What A Load

Tell me if this is not so hypocritical...

For daycare, I am sponsored by a food program.  They reimburse a portion of my grocery expenses.  I went to the annual training this past weekend where we are informed about new changes, paperwork, etc.  To be reimbursed, they have STATE REGULATED guidelines I have to follow.  I like the guidelines.  They insure the kids get balanced, healthy meals.  There are certain foods the care providers are prohibited from serving the kids...chicken nuggets, Ramen noodles (This one is newly added and people couldn't believe it.  Really?  You think Ramen is healthy?  Of course it's a junk food!), french fries, pop tarts, sausage, corn dogs, hot dogs, flavored milk, muffins, brownies, etc.  I agree that those are not healthy foods.

But, then why in the heck does the STATE serve those foods in public school lunches???!!!

That is what makes me mad.  I am totally all for prohibiting feeding kids garbage.  I don't want my kids eating that junk.  Occasionally, yes, but not often.  So, why isn't the state prohibited from serving those foods as well?!  They are the ones who made the guidelines I have to follow, yet they serve kids in public school the worst foods every day!  They should not be serving junk either!  You should hear what Devin says about the school lunches he sees...it's no wonder so many Americans are so unhealthy!  They start young!

Ug, it makes me dread the day my kids are in school and don't want to take a lunch from home anymore.  I won't be giving them lunch money for that garbage though!

Did anyone watch the Jaime Oliver Food Revolution?  I loved it and hope it happens in all of the US.

Cheap Diapers

This is a total rant about cheap diapers.

I am not against using the generic brand for most products, but there are a few exceptions.  One of those exceptions is diapers.  The generic ones are NOT the same quality of the name brand ones.

If you know me, you know that I watch kids during the week.  Well, one of the girls is 7 months old.  Usually, her parents bring the generic brand diapers for me to use.  Once, they did bring actual Pampers.  Out of that package of name brand diapers she had 2 blowouts--out of the whole package.  With the generic diapers, typically she has 2 a DAY!  It is so frustrating!  I change her diaper frequently to avoid the diaper getting too full to hold up.  For example, this morning, I put a new diaper on her before putting her down for her nap.  When she woke up, 30 minutes later, she had poop all up her back!  In 30 minutes that diaper did not fill up, it just does not hold what it needs to!

I guess the reason for buying name brand diapers is for the parents to not have to deal with the mess of a generic brand.  The baby doesn't care one way or another.  I just wish her parents would be kind enough to splurge on the name brand diapers so I wouldn't have to deal with this problem every day!  (Not to mention having to wash her poopie clothes too!)

Utla

Okay, so the other day I stopped in the San Tan JoAnn's Fabric store. I got what I needed and saw that a few stores down was Ulta Cosmetics. They have a special right now where if you spend $30 on a fragrance you get a free "weekend bag." I am one of those girls who feel like I can never have enough bags/purses, and this one is totally cute so I wanted to get it. I figured Devin's birthday is coming up and it's always nice to get a new cologne for him, so I'd go pick one and get myself this beautiful bag!

So...you know the small little craft carts at like Michael's and, of course, JoAnn's? They're like mini carts. Well, that's where I had Jaxon (in the cart) to keep him from running all over the store. I, being nine months pregnant, didn't really feel like having to chase after him, or worse CARRY him, so I figured I'd just leave him in it and head to Utla.

I walked in Ulta and went over to the fragrances. I found one I really like: Happy To Be:) It's yummy! Anyway, I was trying to find a men's one I liked while also trying to keep Jaxon occupied and included by allowing him to smell everything I did.

We were in the store for about five minutes when one of the employees (I'd guess she was about 18) came up to me and said, "Ma'am, we can't allow carts in the store. Sorry."

It took everything I had not to make some smart mouth comment about how I'm NINE months pregnant with a toddler and it's much better and EASIER for EVERYONE involved to have him IN a cart so he wasn't running around the store breaking all the glass bottles on the shelves and getting into everything else he felt like while I tried to waddle after him to make him stop. Okay, Jaxon doesn't really act like that in stores, but he would want to touch and smell all the pretty colored perfume bottles and chances of him dropping one are pretty high. I would bet that any mother would agree that I would just be torturing myself taking him in there without some form of help. The best place for him was in the cart.

I couldn't believe that they were having a fit about this shopping cart! It really takes a lot to offend me. I'm one of those people who when I ask if these pants make my butt look big, I wanna know the truth! Even if the answer is yes! But...I was so offended! I just thought, "You have got to be kidding me! Do you really want to upset me? I'm nine months pregnant and I am shopping with my toddler! You're nuts and you've obviously never done it before or you'd totally understand!" And "Fine. I won't spend my money at your store! Even though I really wanted that bag!!!"

I can understand if it's a rule, but I think the employees need to have a little more common sense when dealing with customers. We weren't running into the isles and leaving skid marks on the floor! I was using it to watch my kid. What is wrong with a shopping cart anyway? Do the wheels hurt the floor or something? I wonder if strollers are allowed in the store because if they're not, how is anyone with a kid, or KIDS, supposed to shop there!? AND...we weren't even in there very long. It's not like we had been in there for an hour and were ruining the floor with the cart...or whatever they were afraid was going to happen!

Of course I couldn't say all that and make a big scene like I felt like doing inside. Instead, I said to her, "Okay." Then I said to Jaxon, "Let's go."

So, I really wanted that bag but I was so mad I didn't spend the $30 to get it!

Okay, got it out of my system! That's enough ranting for one night...

Moms, do you agree with me? Would that make your upset? Or is it just my pregnancy hormones going crazy?

Rant

This is a post from my friend's blog. I was with her at that lunch and I have been in that situation (one time I changed Jaxon in the back of a sushi place on an extra table they had sitting there b/c there was no where else to do it) and I totally agree...ALL restaurants should be required to have a baby changing platform in the restroom. In both men and women's would be nice, but I doubt that will happen. (Dads can change diapers too!) So for now, we'll just petition in women's restrooms.

Hello???????!!!!!

Okay, seriously, call me crazy, but something little (and I mean little) happened today and it's been bugging me ever since. Hopefully by writing about it I will get it out of my system!

I went to lunch today a place called "Cravings"- it's Mexican food over by Dippin Dots and the new Target (in case you want to check it out).... so during lunch I had to stop to feed Landon a bottle.... okay, this is totally normal considering it takes quite a bit of time to get anywhere if you live in Queen Creek and your kiddos will be hungry no matter what. After feeding him I figured I probably needed to change him so I didn't have a mess on my hands when I got home. As I proceeded to the bathroom I stopped in horror as I entered---THERE WAS NO CHANGING TABLE! What restaurant doesn't have a changing table pull-out thing in the women's bathroom? Isn't that like a code violation or something? Not really, but it is just as serious! Do they not realize that more than 50% of Queen Creek is LDS--which means we have KIDS----HELLO!!!!! Which means, in turn, it's totally bad business if they don't have a changing table-because who's gonna eat there? Okay, maybe that's a little overboard-people will still eat there-but honestly! So, out of spite (mind you the restaurant wasn't that full) I full on changed Landon's diaper on the bench of one of the booths. What other choices did I have? Sure, I could have walked all they way across the parking lot to my car, but no. I did it right there. I'm not normally this riled up about a topic I guess it just left me in a bad mood.

So, if you're planning to hit the town ladies- feel free to check out Cravings---but of course plan ahead on your creative diaper changing methods....or not....then maybe they'll get the point.

Swiffer Wet Jet!

I just have to say I LOVE this thing!

For Christmas my sweet mother-in-law bought me what I asked for, a Bissell Flip Eaze. It's a combination vacuum/mop with washable pads for the mop function. I thought I would love it, but for vacuuming it clogs with like the smallest amount of dog hair. And for mopping, it's heavy and the handle isn't very long, so it's very hard on my back (and I'm not even tall!)

So, today I finally broke down and bought a Wet Jet. I just got done with my floor and it was a wonderful moping experience! (Of course I had to sweep first since this doesn't have a vacuume, but it was totally worth it.) It took 2 pads to mop with the Bissell and the Wet Jet only took 1. Also, the Wet Jet doesn't leave streaks like the Bissell.

Okay, anyway, I guess when you are a stay-at-home-mom the smallest things are exciting! Haha...

So, if you are in the business of finding a mop...go with the Swiffer Wet Jet!

Taxes!

I attempted to do them myself this year with TurboTax...Let's just say it wasn't my favorite. By the time we purchased the software ($35) and the additional state we needed (Utah) ($35) and the cost for e-filing ($18 x 2) it totaled $106...PLUS my whole day of frustration and no time to play with Jaxon AND the worry of wondering whether I did them correctly, I would rather have paid the $218 we paid last year at TaxQue! I heard it was the easy, cheap way to go. I don't know; maybe it's my pregnant brain that's making it worse than it really is, but I don't think I wanna do that again next year! And the worst part is...we owe! We aren't even getting a return!

At least it's over! :)