Generic vs. Brand, or when to be cheap

What's your preference, generic or brand? Does it matter on the product? Here's my lists.

Baby products
Baby powder: Brand. Johnson's Baby powder smells better, enough said.
Baby shampoo: Generic. Parent's Choice or the Target generic works just as well.
Baby bottom ointment: This one is a brand vs. brand for me, and Desitin is just plain stinky and hard to get off your fingers, and Boudreaux's Baby Butt Paste (click the link and laugh at the site address!) doesn't reek and wipes off easier. Winner!
Diapers: I can't really argue here because I've had M in Huggies since I ran out of baby shower gift diapers and the hospital Pampers. They've been the same price as Costco generics, and I like them. No contest here.
Lotion: I'm totally undecided here. Johnson's smells nice but generic lotion isn't bad either.
Wipes: Generic. I buy them in bulk and they're big enough that I can rip them in half to use less of them. (Yes, I actually do that.)
Baby lotion: Generic. Unless you're attached to the smell of Johnson's, it's all the same. Plus, the hubby won't whine that he smells like a girl after putting lotion on baby.
Baby formula (if necessary): Generic. We bought Similac at first but when Costco's Kirkland brand is a full $12 less, it made more sense. I dare you to find one difference between M and a kid on Enfamil or Similac (or breast milk). I will add: I tried Gerber's formula and was incredibly displeased with it, so that's a "don't buy" for me.
Baby food: This one's tough; all I ever bought as far as stage foods was Gerber or Beechnut, and M didn't display any preferences or dislikes. So save the money and buy what's cheap.

Groceries
Peanut butter: JIF! Every time and for always. Does anyone actually consider any alternatives?!
Jelly: Generic. Smuckers is good and all, but Walmart's generic is decent. Caveat: Target's generic sucks!
Bread: I wish I could buy generic, but I go brand. It's just better.
Pasta: Generic. I really like Walmart's wheat noodles.
Spaghetti sauce:  I buy Hunt's, which is cheaper than the the store brand most of the time. It's also not too bad to eat.
Cheese: Generic. I think it'd be tough to find a difference between brand and generic here!
Butter: Stick butter—generic. Fake butter—Country Crock!
Flour/sugar: Generic! Another one that's hard to tell the difference.
Soup: If it's a cooking soup, generic. If it's for lunch, I like Progresso.

Mmm, banana bread. The only way I eat bananas.

So what's your list? Share it with me! What can't you live without and what gets put in the cheap list? 

An open letter to pregnancy heartburn

Dear pregnancy-induced heartburn,
You've made your appearance much sooner than I expected. In fact, most definitely would find your arrival at around three months pregnant as far too soon in advance; could you have at least sent a notice? I needed time to clean the house, or in this case, stock my cabinet with antacids.
I thought I'd have more time to enjoy the spicy foods that I love at all other stages of life (mainly, the not-pregnant ones) because you didn't show up with Baby No. 1 until seven months. Might I remind you I'm only barely four months along?
And who do you think you are, to show up even if I eat small, frequent meals with plenty of water and snacking? Do you regularly defy medical wisdom or is this just a "pregnant girl" thing?
Since I'm resigned to your arrival and it seems you'll be sticking around, I guess the only thing I'd like to make clear is that you are not welcome to stay post Baby No. 2. No offense.
Without love,
Tafra

I have these by my bed, in my purse, upstairs, downstairs, anywhere I go...

We made it through the night!

It's funny to write that title after M has been sleeping through the night since six months old, but of course I mean I made it through the night without her!
What was quite a revelation was how enjoyable a night out at a fancy restaurant without a baby could be (wow, did I ever take that for granted before the baby came along!). I've never been to the Melting Pot, so it was a fun new experience to sit down and eat a meal over the course of several hours.
I didn't call, I didn't stress. I knew M would be fine with her Grandma, I knew Grandma would call if something was terribly wrong. Hubby and I didn't even get home until almost 11, so it would've been absurd to go get her.
Plus, I think once I got a taste of that sans-child feeling, I enjoyed it. I love my baby, of course. There's no question! But an evening of being an adult was enjoyable.
Hubby told me to enjoy the night, to sleep in and not worry about the baby, but once the evening out was over, I was ready to have my baby back.
Sleeping in is almost a cruel joke to me—our male (neutered!) cat yowls at random during the night if he's not outside, and I threw a pillow at him last night. Hubby left for work sometime around 6, which is decidedly late for him but was still terribly early, and after that, sleep was sketchy. I was up by 7:30, cleaning a bit, before I was in Stella (my Jeep, yes I name my cars!) and on my way to my girl.
Baby girl, of course, had done as fine as I expected. Fought her bedtime, as per the norm, but slept well and woke up well. When I arrived she wasn't even that excited to see me (Ms. Independent is always ready to kill Mommy's sense of appreciation) but she did shower me with kisses a few minutes later (redemption! Little bugger.)
So we made it through the night, we made it through our first night of separation. What's next? Maybe Mommy and Daddy will have to take a few days away before Baby No. 2 arrives...

Is she ready?

Is she ready for a sleepover? And by "she", I mean me. Am I ready for my daughter to do a full night away from me? My knee-jerk reaction is "NO!"
The hubby and I are being taken out to dinner by his boss, which for us is doubling as an anniversary dinner since we celebrated our fifth on September 1 ("celebrated" is a misnomer... I actually worked the entire day, we had breakfast together and that was that). The dinner is also a fundraising event so there's no telling exactly how long it's going to take.
Next dilemma: I don't exactly have a long list of sitters. In fact, thus far, we've only had to pay one person to watch M—all other times, she's been in the care of family. Honestly, I really like it that way because I have a deep mistrust of people. That mistrust is fed by news reports of the evil human beings out there who abuse children and the fact that I worked at a prison for a year; I know what kind of horrible humans are out there!
So M is again going to be in the care of her Grandma this evening, but she's going to be at Grandma's house. We don't know how late we'll be out, so the option was presented of letting M stay overnight.
Ah, the dilemma. While I have no doubt that M is independent enough to be okay with it, I'm not sure if I can keep myself from worrying all night.
What if she wakes up and is scared by her environment? (She's spent a lot of time at Grandma's house.)
What if she gets sick? (Grandma raised three children of her own, I'll be she could handle it.)
What if something happens? (What exactly is "something", anyway?)
So should I leave my baby there overnight? I probably won't know until tonight, when we're driving home and I'm trying to decide if waking my baby up from sleep, putting her in a car, then removing her and replacing her in the crib is worth the several sleep interruptions and the possibility of a meltdown, or if leaving her with her grandparents overnight is better so she'll get a full night of sleep.
I never imagined I could be this torn!

How hard would it be to not see that face as the last thing before I go to sleep?

Parenting TOTD:
You know you're a parent when the thought of college tuition sends you into a minor panic (and your child is 17 years away from going to college.

A compilation of parenting thoughts

Oh no it hasn't been two weeks since my last post?! Oh, but it has. Yikes, to think I had wanted to post every day. Just like I wanted to complete that 30 day photo challenge...

So here's a random compilation of the things that have occurred to me lately:

• You're definitely parents when conversations (without the baby in the room) between your spouse and yourself include terms like "potty," "kisses," "kitty" and "shoesies" and are spoken in baby talk.
• I'd really love it if someone three times my size could pick me up and pop every. single. bone. in my back.
• Those commercials that show people supposedly talking to themselves then revealing a baby at the end are totally me at the grocery store with my baby. Goofy references and all.
• No matter how many times I tell M that she can quit wearing diapers if she learns to go potty in the toilet, she still isn't quite ready to do it, and it's still cathartic for me to say it while she's screaming bloody murder and trying to fall off the changing pad.
• My child is Ms. Independent, and sometimes, that makes me sad. Like when she leans away from me and laughs when I'm trying to kiss her goodbye. Or even worse, runs away.
• Sometimes when I'd really like the pregnancy hormones to take over and turn me into a bawling mush of tears, just to cause a guilt trip, I'm reminded that I'm a fighter, not a cryer, and that lets me know I'm still me.
• Having a house that looks like a toddler lives in it might cause me to develop a split personality. If I suddenly start cleaning your house, take away all sharp objects and just let me clean until the OCD personality calms down.

 Until next time, LOL {click the link!} and kiss your babies. <3