Neglecting my poor personal blog.. It goes in waves… Lots of thoughts… and then none.. well, not that I can publish anyway.. oh wait.. this is my personal blog. I can say whatever the hellI want! WOOHOO!!! ok.. calm down now..

So I started off with my post about the Food Revolution early last week. I totally missed the second show, so I had to get back to ABC.com and watch it online.. Thank GOD for the internet these days! Anyway… I have to say.. This guy is amazing… It’s no wonder this town was voted the unhealthiest in the country. The kids are not eating the food that Jaime makes for them. They spit out their salads. The thing that got me the most was that when Jaime showed the kids some veggies, they had NO idea what they were… BUT they knew exactly what chicken nuggets, french fries and a hamburger was.

Jamie also checked in with the family that he had tried to help in the first episode. When he showed up, the family told him that they had been following the recipes he left them with… but he saw fast food drink cups everywhere and there were so many veggies still in the refrigerator. He was so disappointed, that he took the family to the hospital to shock them into reality. They got blood tests done, and were told their son was nearing diabetes… Yep, that worked. The parents felt bad, and promised him that they’d work very hard with him to get healthy.

I’m so upset that Jamie is still meeting so much opposition with Alice and the DJ guy from the radio station. I really don’t get why they can’t see that the people need help, and to help, they need to change their eating habits.

I was seriously on edge the entire show, just listening to people grumbling, and seeing the kids not eating the food that’s good for them.. I think we are very lucky. We started our girls out eating veggies from a very young age. They ASK for broccoli and cauliflower. They eat salad with just about every meal, and love fresh cooked chicken and fish. Sure, they get chicken nuggets and fries occasionally, but it’s not every day… or every week… We have made it a point to cook meals from scratch more often than we go out to eat. We’ve even planned meals ahead of time, and frozen them to make it easier for those days when we are running late and in a hurry.

I have to admit, I peeked ahead on abc.com, and I saw a few videos that I’m sure are coming up on TV… I can’t wait to see the shows that they are attached to… Next Jamie is going to the high school… so stay tuned…

So, last night, I deviated from our regularly scheduled programming (Undercover Boss) and instead tuned in to Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution… OhMyGAWD… I was sickened, angry, and inspired all at once. I think this is one of the best things ever to come from Ryan Seacrest… He totally hit the nail on the head with this show..

Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution takes place in Huntington, WV… a town in the USA that has been deemed as the UNHEALTHIEST CITY IN AMERICA. He takes on the town, and what seems to be some very closed minded people. He starts with a school lunch program at an elementary school. First off, he is “greeted” with sneers as he meets with the Lunch Ladies… who take offense to that title, and prefer to be called “cooks”… Really? They weren’t cooking anything.. they were reheating processed foods… and when I saw the ingredients lists.. I was appalled. It was even worse when the ladies said they had no problem with them. They served PIZZA for BREAKFAST!!! Really???? Their attitudes were just ICK! Jaime even went to one of the top radio stations out there, and was basically blasted by the DJ that interviewed him.

At one point of the show, Jaime went to a church to listen to what the pastor had to say. He was very supportive and even hopeful, saying that God must’ve sent him to help the town so he didn’t have to watch more of his congregation die before their time. I was thinking… Finally! Someone who GETS IT! I just wish the rest of the town got it.

There’s so much more to this show. I was crying with Jaime (yes, WITH Jaime) when he was talking about his feelings about this project he’s undertaken… Yesterday’s show was only a sneak peek into what’s coming up on Friday. Honestly, I can’t wait to see it. If you didn’t get to see it on Sunday, you can watch it here.

Once you see the show, you’ll understand why I’m posting this… Jaime Oliver has a petition up, and it needs to be signed. He wants to take our signatures to the White House after the TV Series to show The President and First Lady how many people across the country really care about the school food programs, and want change! Please… watch the show and then sign the petition… Don’t you care about what the school is feeding your children?

**Before anyone asks… no I was not paid to write about this show. My girls are about to start school in the Fall, and I am very scared to think what the school would be feeding them. They are going to take lunches from home with them, every day… and if they forget it, I’ll take it to them. I want to know what’s going into their bodies… I’m their mom… I owe it to them to take good care of them… and I will.

I was searching the blogosphere over the last few days for money saving tips to pass on, and one thing kept coming up… WIC changing their allowances on infant formula because they’re promoting more breastfeeding… Yes, breast milk is the best, we all know that. There is no questions about that… but what about other moms like me… I couldn’t breastfeed. There was no other option for me but formula feeding. I was formula fed and I think I turned out just fine

We chose to feed our girls the Parent’s Choice formula. We but store brand items for us, why couldn’t we do the same for the girls… Honestly, the store brand infant formula is nutritionally equal to the major name brands, so why waste the money? By using the Parent’s Choice formula, we saved around $1200… Amazing.

It’s been a few years since we’ve had to purchase formula, and I’m always talking about how much money you could save by switching to store brand… I’ve blogged about the Parent’s Choice Savings Calculator… Which puts cost savings there in black and white on your computer screen… and that is surprising itself.. but I wanted to see what it’s really like, right now at the stores.

We were at Sam’s Club the other day and while Daddy and the girls were enjoying a hot dog at the cafe… I wandered over to the baby section. I snapped a few photos with my handy dandy iPhone and just had to share what I found.

The Enfamil Gentlease Lipil is $34.28 for a 36 ounce can of powder. That’s about 95.2 cents per ounce. Imagine you need two cans per week, $68.56 per week or  $274.24 in a month (4 weeks) and lastly …. $3565.12 in a year… One year is typically how long a baby is on infant formula…

Next on the list is the Similac Advance formula. This is a 34 ounce canister priced at $28.98 per can. This is 85.2 cents per ounce. We’ll still say you need 2 cans per week, which is $57.96 per week. $231.84 in a month ( 4 weeks ) and $3013.92 in a year… That’s a little bit better than the Enfamil, provided your baby doesn’t need the Gentle formula.

Now, let’s compare the Sam’s Club Store Brand, Member’s Mark. This is their Lipids Infant Formula with DHA & ARA. A 51.4 ounce can is $19.38 (37.7 cents per ounce). That’s 15.4 more ounces than the Enfamil and 17.4 more ounces than the Similac. So let’s say you only need one and a half cans of formula per week. You can’t buy just a 1/2 can, but your formula will hold over so you don’t have to buy a can as often. For this article’s sake, we’ll just split the cost of a can in 1/2 for the costs. So we get $29.07 per week, $116.28 per month $1511.64 per year. That’s 1/2 the  cost of the name brands!

This formula is similar to the regular Enfamil, Similac, and other brands… Let’s take a look at the Gentle formula for a better comparison to the Gentlease from Enfamil..

The Member’s Mark Gentle Infant Formula is $24.28 for a 48 ounce can (50.5 cents per ounce). You’re already getting 12 ounces more than the Enfamil Gentlease… To make it a little bit easier, let’s just work this out with 2 can’s per week. $48.56 per week, $194.24 per month and $2525.12 per year. That’s a savings of $1040 per year. That’s a whole lot of diapers & wipes!  It really makes you think, doesn’t it!?!?!

“Is the Generic Formula as good as the more expensive name brands?”

First of all… I can’t tell you how much I dislike the word “generic”. Not just in the mention of infant formula, but all around. It’s a word that’s been around for ages. My mom used it… Heck she probably still does. I just think that you’re calling something *cheap* or *ordinary*, and I don’t think it’s a nice word. Sure if you’re talking little plastic toys that cost you a quarter or something.. That might work… but in the case of food, not so much.

A lot of the store brands now are using excellent ingredients, and some even have celebrity chefs backing their products. One that I know of for sure is Walmart’s Great Value line and their backing by Dave Leiberman from the Food Network. Stores are trying to help consumers eat well, and save money in the process, which is great considering the state of the economy right now.

The store brand infant formula is very much like that. The FDA has very strict regulations and requirements on products for infant nutrition, namely infant formula. Many people aren’t aware that all of the formula manufacturers have to include the same ingredients and nutritional values. Compare the product labels for yourself, and you’ll see what I mean. There is no such thing as generic formula!

So, how do they sell their products for nearly 1/2 the price? It’s simple. Marketing.

How many times have you seen a magazine, or television ad for the name brand formulas, or received a free sample at the hospital or in the mail. Some parents have even received cases of free samples delivered to their doors… Wish I was on that list … These companies have HUGE marketing budgets… and they pass many of those costs on to you.. the consumers. The store brands however, don’t have such a large budget. They rely mostly on word of mouth. You know, a friend telling a friend, blogging about their product, review websites and the like. They save their money and in turn, save you money. Every once in a while, when those store brand formulas go on sale, you save even more. You can’t go wrong!

Coupons on many of the name brand items only go so far. Save 25 cents here, 75 cents there, but if you’re willing to look just a little further to the store brand product, you just might save $1, $2 or more.. and that’s every day, no coupon needed. It’s a great way to save money for just about anything.. even a family vacation!

**Disclaimer: Although I work with PBM as a Social Media Consultant, this post is sponsored by PBM, this post was not solicited.

Last night was our 3rd date night since the girls were born and let me tell you.. it was amazing! We were given some money as an anniversary present last year to go to Il Fornaio, and we just never made the time to go out. Finally, we decided to just go. I made reservations online, and that was it. Meemaw & Peepaw came over to watch the girls for us, and they even brought pizza for them… well, among other treats. We knew the girls were just going to have a blast, so we didn’t worry about anything. We got all dressed up for dinner, and off we went.

The reservation was for 530pm. We got there a little early, but they seated us right away. We were actually very lucky and were seated in the Piazza. The sun was still up, so we got to see the sunset through dinner. We were greeted by our server, Christopher, and given some freshly baked bread… and I mean fresh! It was still steaming! He asked if we knew what we wanted to drink. I wasn’t sure since I knew I wanted wine, but had no clue what I wanted for dinner.. and you know the wine you pick really depends on what you eat for dinner. So, we picked an appetizer and thought about the meal a little bit longer. When he came back, he answered our questions, and ended up basically picking our meals, and then my wine for us. I’m always so indecisive when it comes to a menu with so many good choices.

For an appetizer we got Rustichella ~Housemade flat bread topped with goat cheese, mozzarella, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, basil, oregano; baked in the wood-fired oven, and it was so good. I did get wine early on, a Chardonnay that was so good. Not too long after, our entrees came, and they just looked and smelled delicious. When I first tasted my chicken, I was in heaven. I ordered the Pollo Toscano ~Rotisserie chicken seasoned with rosemary; served with saute´ed vegetables and mashed potatoes. It was so good, I can not even begin to describe it. Daddy got the Tagliata Chianina ~ Beef tenderloin grilled rare and sliced, balsamic vinegar and green peppercorn sauce; served with organic saute´ed spinach, roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and uccelletta cannellini beans. I tried his meal too and it was outstanding. The staff there didn’t hover over us, but rather came to check on us a few times, and they were always the right times. They made sure everything was good, and asked us if we needed anything. They offered more bread, tea, wine, etc. We were just in awe at how well they took care of us. When we were finished with our meal, Christopher offered dessert. We were curious as to what they had, so we accepted. He brought out this table with 8 different desserts on it. We ended up getting a plate that had a mix of the Crespelle con Vaniglia ~Crepes filled with apples and grappa infused pastry cream; vanilla gelato and caramel sauce, Tiramisu ~Lady fingers, rum, zabaione, Galbani mascarpone cheese, espresso, cocoa powder and the Rosina al Cioccolato ~ Chocolate mousse, fresh raspberries and sponge cake soaked with Triple Sec; served with orange crème anglaise. We thought we had ordered it just for the taste, but we ended up eating the whole plate.. We received our check after our dessert plate was cleared, and we were pleasantly surprised! We had thought we were going to go over our gift, but we actually didn’t. The service and the food was beyond exceptional, and the price was very reasonable. We left our payment and tip and left the restaurant. On the way out, Daddy stopped one of the Dining Room Managers and told him how much we enjoyed our experience, and he promised he’d pass the word on to Christopher.

As we walked out to the front, we noticed how busy the restaurant was. There were so many people waiting to be seated, the dining room was full, and noisy now. It was so different from when we arrived. The reason I note this is because we never noticed. We didn’t hear anything where we were seated. The outstanding service and attention to detail was not hindered. We really felt like we were the only people there. It was the best dinner we’ve had in a very long time. We will most definitely return to the Il Fornaio in Sacramento for another date night. We hope to be able to bring more of our family there as well!

After Dinner, we decided to walk around Old Sacramento for a little bit. We walked in and out of a few stores, had a good time talking and just enjoying the atmosphere. We stopped in at Sacramento Sweets to pick up some Caramel Corn, English Toffee, and Chocolate Dipped Red Vines for my parents as a small token of our thanks for gifting us the opportunity to go out, just the two of us.