The Annual Power of Pink
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 3:48 PM
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Unless you've been under a rock, you're fully aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I typically avoid duplicating posts because I want diversity on SahmReviews.com. However, for an annual campaign, I need to bend the rules a little and make sure that I do my part to get the word out.

This one, particularly, hits closer to home than the last time I posted about it. You see, shortly after my post went live last year talking about the Pink Together site as well as General Mills donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, I found out that my mom's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. I packaged up some of the unopened items I had received as part of that promotion and sent them her way. I also forwarded her daughter links to PinkTogether.com, Look Good...Feel Better and other resources I had acquired as part of my involvement with blogging. If I had not participated in those blog tours (Pink Together via MyBlogSpark and LookGoodFeelBetter via MomCentral) then I would not have been able to provide that helping hand to my cousin at a time when researching and learning was imperative to her on behalf of my aunt.

So when the campaign opened up again this year, I was there... ready to spread the word again for people who are new to SahmReviews.com. PinkTogether.com is a constantly growing community of real-life survivors and supporters. Once again, General Mills has committed to donate to Komen for each inspirational story, encouraging comment or flower sent via the PinkTogether community. $1 for each of those activities until $20,000 has been reached. In addition, through October, General Mills is pledging $1 for each shared message of hope (up to $5,000) posted on the Pink Together Facebook page.

Pink Together has a group of Ambassadors who have been sharing their stories more publicly. Check them out on the Pink Together YouTube channel as well as on the Facebook Pink Together page.

To raise awareness about the General Mills "Connecting for a Cure" campaign, MyBlogSpark sent me a gift package that included full-value coupons for some General Mills products, a Pink Ribbon car magnet and key chain, travel mug, and drawstring backpack. In addition, one lucky reader will win a "Connecting for a Cure" gift pack just like the one I received.

The Prize: Connecting for a Cure gift package (includes a travel mug, keychain, draw-string bag, cling sticker and 5 full-value product coupons)

Participants -
...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.
Sometime on November 10, 2010, a winner will be chosen at random from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the next random selection.

How to enter:
For the first entry (required) -
(1) Subscribe to the SAHM Reviews feed via RSS or email
(2) Visit Pink Together and leave a comment.
(3) Leave a comment on this post at SahmReviews.com letting me know how you showed your support at Pink Together or their Facebook page.

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries. Leave a comment for each additional entry -
-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)
-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.
-- One Entry (Daily): Follow SahmReviews on Twitter and Tweet this contest by clicking here or copying the following text:
"Showing pink support with @SahmReviews! How about you? http://bit.ly/9SEyKB #myblogspark" Comment with a link to your tweet.
-- One Entry: "Like" SAHM Reviews on Facebook.
-- One Entry each: "Like" Pink Together on Facebook or subscribe on YouTube. Please tell them SahmReviews.com sent you!
-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews using Google's Friend Connect feature.
-- One Entry (Each): Be the first to post about this giveaway on an active (current) giveaway link-up or carnival. Leave a link to where I can find it. Mr. Linky-style submissions should read "SAHM Reviews - Pink Ribbon Pkg (Ends 10/10)"
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any non-giveaway review here at SahmReviews.com and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Disclosure:  MyBlogSpark sent a gift pack of Pink Ribbon products as well as coupons to purchase General Mills pink ribbon products. All pictures, statements and comments are honest.  No additional compensation was received for this post.

How Many Watches is too Many? ∞
POSTED BY Max Power on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 5:16 PM
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I love watches. There, I said it. For as far back as I can recall, I have always enjoyed wearing some type of watch on my wrist.

I grew up in the multiple-watches-on-one-arm Swatch era, and while I don't recall sporting more than one at a time, I did have my favorite blue Alexander Julian 'Colors' plastic watch. To this day, I still possess it, tucking it away in the original plastic sliding case it originally came in. Probably time to change the battery though.

Before that, I pined for a calculator watch (this was in the late 70's). Not because they were dressy-cool, they were just COOL! You could have a calculator on your arm! I mean, who wouldn't want that?! Santa never brought me one, but he did bring me my first (and only) digital watch, a sleek black plastic LCD job with bright red numbering. The brand escapes me, but it served me very well throughout grade school.

Fast-forward to today, over 30 years later. My taste in watches has changed, but the love for them just grows stronger. I have seen many digital watches over the years, but always reverted to some type of mechanical or quartz watch. Even today, when most people just check their cell phones for the time, I always check my wrist first. Now, with my new watch, I have more reason to look at it.

Thanks to SahmReviews.com, I was selected to try out a new Casio Pathfinder watch on a long-term basis. I have been wearing this watch almost daily for the past 6+ months and can honestly say it has become one of my favorite sport-type watches to date.

Like any typical male, I threw it on my wrist, completely ignoring any documentation that accompanied it. Look, "I don't need no stinkin' manual". Yep, I was wrong. Look at this thing! The manual is nearly 3/4" thick! If I were 10 years older, I'd probably need reading glasses to read the small type. Lest you think that this is an oversight on Casio's part, rest assured, this watch does so much that all the instructions packed into the book are needed!
Just look at all these features:

  • Tells the time and date (duh)
  • Solar-powered w/battery indicator
  • Lighted display
  • Alarm
  • Keeps time via Radio Controlled Atomic Timekeeping
  • Digital Compass
  • Barometer/Thermometer
  • Altimeter
  • Sunrise/Sunset Times
  • Check times in multiple timezones
  • Stopwatch
  • Does your dishes and laundry (not - just seeing if you're still paying attention)
Now you see why I ended up pulling out the instruction manual - there's just so much it can do - and it does them all very well.

My only concern was the size of the watch - it is a staggering 50mm diameter (edge-to-edge) and is right at about 1cm thick! But, thanks to a great design, it is extremely comfortable, even for those with smaller wrists (not me, I'm Max Power!).

This Pathfinder is now my go-to watch for everyday wear. After over six months of use, it has held up extraordinarily well - much better than some of my other watches that were double the price. And while it doesn't have a calculator, I finally have a digital watch that is COOL to wear!

Pathfinder watches are available on Amazon or at a store near you.

The Gift of Pencils
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 5:23 PM
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I have many fond memories of the school I attended from Kindergarten through 5th grade.

I remember the really cool giant cube we had in Kindergarten that had different things to learn on each side. A zipper, some buttons, the shoe laces.

I remember doing SRAs in 2nd grade and collecting Boxtops when it was actually the entire box TOP and not the little square we all know now.

I remember being accepted into the TAG program and realizing that the harder we work, the more we learn.

But there's one thing that I remember that had nothing to do with learning. It was a gift I received each year. A box of pencils with my name on it. Whether it was from the school or our teachers or the parents, I don't know... guess I should ask my folks. What I do know is that each student received an identical box personalized with our names.

It was so cool that I never wanted to use mine.

Now, things are entirely different.

- We have a brand-spanking new school in our district that sits empty because there aren't enough funds to staff it.
- Each school year starts out with all the parents buying supplies but not just notebooks, pencils, folders and glue. We're asked to purchase things like facial tissue, dry erase markers and erasers, anti-bacterial wipes, hand sanitizer and even post-its. We're also asked to donate items for awards - in the younger grades, they're called treasure box items. The teachers put together wish lists of games, books and other supplies and parents can pick from the wish list what they want to donate.
- I've heard of schools in our area who are facing shut down because the state is behind on tax distributions to the school districts.
- Websites like DonorsChoose.org and Adopt-a-Classroom have sprung up to help teachers deal with budget shortfalls.

And why is it that NBC is doing a reality show to "makeover" a bunch of schools?

The reason basically comes down to money - or in this case, the lack thereof.

That's exactly why companies have stepped up their efforts to help out. The latest is "Our School Needs" by Bing. From now until October 22nd, students and teachers can upload their entry about why their school needs help. There will be a $50,000 prize to the winner of each of three categories. Yes, $50,000 for each of these groups: K-6, 7-9 and 10-12. To top it off, the grand prize winning entry will take away $100,000 for their school.

There's a rating process so putting together an inspiring, creative and informative entry is essential, as is spreading the word about your entry!  The first goal is making it to the next step where the field is narrowed down to a group of finalist. The entry deadline is October 22nd and voting for the finalist will begin on October 27th!

If your school has a need for whatever, consider entering.  It doesn't hurt to try.  For questions, check out their FAQ or if you need help with how to enter, watch this video. So get cracking to try to win something for YOUR school!

Disclosure: As a thank you for participating in spreading the word about this contest, I'll personally receive a gift card from Mom Central on behalf of Bing. In addition, in the spirit of the contest, I'll receive a gift card to apply to a project on DonorsChoose.org.

Like a Subway but with Jello
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Monday, October 18, 2010 at 11:06 PM
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I'm starting to realize that we have one of two problems.

Either my kids watch too much television or they are just too impressionable.

Since I know how much television they watch, I choose the latter... they're too impressionable.

It is kind of fun and interesting to be at a store and have my 6 year old daughter tell me about a product and how well it works - We bought a new OxiClean product that she recommended. Fortunately, I already had preconceived notions about how well it worked so I didn't mind buying it when she insisted we go find it at the store.

Yes, we hear all about the latest toys... Squinkies and Zhu Zhu Pets.  Or how good Sunny D is even though we've never bought it for the kids.  They hear it on the commercials and are able to quote it word for word. 

I get it... that's the point of directing commercials at kids and I understand why some channels broadcast commercial-free children's shows.

Sometimes, I figure there is no harm in buying something if it makes them happy and has a useful purpose for us. I think it is great to give kids the opportunity to let their voice be heard.  That's exactly how Lunchables entered the lunchbox rotation at our house. After relentless requests by the kids and my consistent "Let's watch for it to go on sale" response, Lunchables finally went on sale for a dollar each and they spotted the signs at the store. "Mom! Lunchables are on sale!" We purchased a handful of the small Lunchable packs to include as an alternative for school lunch. I didn't feel they were a complete meal so I made sure to include a drink and sometimes a little something extra depending on whether the kids had gym that day or not.

Then the other day, Miss M and Miss K got into a heated debate.

"They're like Subways with mayonnaise and stuff in them."
"No, they're pizzas."
"They have Jello!"
"And a drink."

What started as a debate quickly evolved into the revelation that they could join forces and bug mom.

Miss K advises: "Mom, they're like Subways with Jello."
Then Miss M chimes in with: "And they already have a drink inside so you don't have to put one in."

I started shaking my head and said "I know, girls. Mom Central asked if we wanted to review them. We need to buy some at the store and see what we think."

Like I didn't already know that my kids were 100% on board with that idea.

Miss M happened to be at the store with me recently and we checked out the variety. There are few types of Lunchables with varying price ranges. There's the basic type that includes a kit of crackers and luncheon meat, a kit for pizza or a kit for a sub along with a small dessert such as cookies of some type. Then there's the next step up that includes a little more including a Capri Sun. Finally, there's the latest Lunchable kit which was designed with a little healthier base - it includes fixings similar to the other kits but include bread made with whole grain, a Jello, fruit or applesauce and a bottle of water with a single-serve Kool-Aid packet for turning the water into instant Kool-Aid.
 
My husband and I think it is okay to provide diversity to the kids as well as some treats along the way but we also factor in the cost of a typical school lunch. The entry level Lunchables are ideal for packing in our kids lunches but the latest round are probably something more suited for when we're traveling or have an all-day outing planned. Our main reason for feeling this way is the cost of the larger kits are around $3.00 while the entry level go on sale for $1.00 each. Considering the size of my girls (my 2nd grader finally broke 40 lbs on the scale), I don't know that they'll be able to devour an entire Lunchables meal at this age, anyhow.

My girls, on the other hand, are extremely excited about the latest Lunchables creations and couldn't wait to get their hands on them!

Whether Lunchables fit into the lunch schedule for your family is something only you can decide... for us, these will be a nice alternative to put into the rotation on occasion.

If you would like more information on Lunchables, visit their website. And if your school is looking to earn a little extra cash, they can collect Lunchables through one of Terracycle's recycling/fundraising programs.

Disclosure:  Mom Central sent us two coupons to purchase the new Lunchables meals to facilitate this review.  In addition, we'll receive a gift card as a thank you for participating in this blog tour.  All the photos and comments included are my own and those of my daughters.  No additional compensation was received. 

A Little Less Unbearable Flu
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Friday, October 15, 2010 at 10:34 PM
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I hate getting sick and trying to take care of the kids at the same time. Worse, I'm miserable when they are sick because all I do is worry, worry, worry. We're planning ahead this year and already got our flu shots. DH and I took care of it while at Walmart last week.The kids received theirs this past week at school.

So let's hope that we'll make it through the season unscathed. Unfortunately, that's pretty difficult. DH recently stocked up on Theraflu products for adults and various ibuprofen and Tylenol for the kids. He's always the one that I send out for stuff when midnight rolls around and we've run out of whatever.

The one thing we don't usually stock up on is the liquid replacement that is a must during the flu spell. We try to keep fluids replenished but it's just so hard. Especially when you have trouble keeping it down.

We encourage water and even give them small amounts of hot tea.  Often, it comes down to what sounds good to the little sickie.  Sometimes we give them small amounts of juice, sports drinks or pop like Squirt (my personal favorite) but those aren't the best option because they contain sugars. Yes, sports drinks replenish electrolytes, blah blah blah... but they weren't designed to replenish all fluids when you're sick. They're designed for when you've been sweating like during exercise. (At least that's my understanding.)  Ideally, the best thing to get for the kids is a pediatric fluid replacement product. Yeah, I hate those huge wasteful bottles, too. Open it, use it, pitch it. What a waste of money, I say to myself, every single time I throw some away. 

So when Collective Bias asked for our thoughts on how we handle this kind of situation, I made sure to share with them.  As part of the discussion, they talked about a new product launch.  I was thrilled to hear that Abbott Nutrition, the makers of Pedialyte, came out with a new product that is individually wrapped thus causing less waste. They look like drink boxes and because the kids don't know what is inside, it is just another drink box to them.  It doesn't look like medicine.

As part of a request from Collective Bias, I set out to Walgreens to pick some up. Check out my Whrrl story telling all about the experience.

What I discovered is that there ends up being less waste while at the same time having a longer shelf life.  We haven't needed to use these yet (knock on wood) so we stashed them in the medicine cabinet for when we DO need them.  I wouldn't have even considered that with the old packages. 

When a child has the flu, it is a pain when they vomit at night.  Juggling the cleanup of the child, the bedding and the floor on the way to the bathroom.  If they've been drinking juice or a sports drink, that adds the problem of treating the stain on the carpet.  As a bonus with the new Pedialyte Singles, the liquid is clear so if (read: when) it doesn't stay down, there isn't the additional concern for staining.

I'm glad we have these in the cabinet just in case but I'm seriously hoping we won't need them this year.  Alas, I'm sure it is just a matter of time.  Are you planning ahead?

Just a note - We're familiar with Pedialyte products and know our kids don't have any kind of issues with it. If you're new to this type of product, be sure to talk to your doctor first.  But if you ARE planning on picking some Pedialyte to battle the flu in your house, be sure to print out the coupon before heading to the store. Just click the banner and print it out!

For more information on Pedialyte products, visit their website.

Disclosure: Collective Bias compensated me for purchasing this product and preparing the Whrrl story and this review. All thoughts, photos and comments are my own.

Sandwiches with a Treasure Inside
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at 7:27 PM
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Years ago, in my pre-kid days, I was a consultant for Pampered Chef. I have this thing about kitchen gadgets and selling the products was actually an opportunity for me to buy them for myself at a discount. When products rolled out, we could earn them for free or purchase a new product kit at a discount for use in our demos.

For the longest time, I never used the Cut and Seal tool for making pocket sandwiches. Regularly said to myself that I would use them to make appetizers for a get-together. But I never did. I didn't start using mine until a few years ago when the kids and I were at a standoff with what to eat for lunch. I wanted to make them a sandwich and they wanted nothing of it.

So I made them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich using the Cut and Seal and promptly said "They're like little treasure sandwiches! You don't know what is inside until you bite into it."

They ate it up. Both literally and figuratively. Ever since, when they want a sandwich, they put their orders in for "Peanut Butter and Jelly Treasure Sandwich, please." Actually, my 7 year old prefers it sans jelly so she asks "PBT, please."

But sometimes the tool is dirty, sometimes the bread is too soft and it gets stuck in the crimper. Sometimes, I just don't feel like going to the trouble. For times like that, I can call on Smucker's Uncrustables.  As part of a blog tour by Mom Central, we were sent a certificate to purchase a box of Smucker's Uncrustable sandwiches.  Miss K, my 6 year old, takes after her dad and loves grape jelly.  So we hit the store and picked up a package of Smucker's Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Uncrustables as opposed to the Strawberry flavor that didn't go over well the last time I bought it.  Nothing against Smucker's, it just seems that I'm the only one in the family who likes non-grape flavored jelly.  Both Strawberry and Grape are also available on Whole Wheat bread, in addition to Peanut Butter and Honey on Wheat Bread.  I only saw one of the Wheat options at our store but we opted for the regular white bread this time around.
The interesting thing is that prior to this campaign, my 7 year old insisted on Peanut Butter ONLY sandwiches. Because it was for a blog tour, I wanted to push the envelope for opinions from the kids. So I snuck a grape jelly Uncrustable sandwich into her lunchbox and she came home raving. Apparently, it made her a believer in the concept of jelly on a sandwich. I'm not sure if it was the novelty of having something new or the fact that I didn't give her an option and she HAD to try it.  Either way, she's a fan of Smucker's Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Uncrustables.

My 6 year old, on the other hand, hoped her sister wouldn't like them because that usually means she gets the entire box to herself when we buy it.  She's more open to trying new things and often ends up with an entire box of (whatever) to herself before her sister caves in and finally tries it... and usually likes it.  Miss K gets tons more variety in her lunch box than Miss M.

And when it comes to school lunches, we try to give the girls a lot of variety.  First, we ask whether they want the school lunch or a sack lunch.  The agreement is that they have to agree to eat the MAIN part of the school lunch and the decision cannot revolve around the side dishes.  Period.  Once they decide that they like the main part, then we look at the sides/dessert.

If the final result is sack lunch, then we try to mix things up even more.  We try to have a good mix of stuff.  Sometimes we let the girls pack a Lunchable but more often than not, it is a traditional lunch: Sandwich, with cheese stick, cottage cheese, hard-boiled egg, gummy snacks, GoGurt, fruit, chips, cucumbers or any other variety of things we drum up.  But the main part of the meal is still the sandwich.  We alternate between various lunch meats like turkey, pastrami, ham, roast beef and bologna as well as peanut butter and jelly.  Adding Smucker's Uncrustables to the list was quite a popular choice!  Miss K came home explaining that one of her classmates wanted her mom to buy some too.  

I think what I liked most about Smucker's Uncrustables is that  (like GoGurt) you put them into the lunchbox frozen and by lunchtime, they are thawed to a good temperature for enjoying.

The only thing that I didn't like was the box only contained four and it was $2.50 at our store.  When you buy a larger box, the price per unit gets a little better and of course, with a coupon it's even better than that.  At least I know that when I put one in their lunchbox, they'll eat it.  Doesn't matter how inexpensive something is if they end up throwing it in the garbage.

As a bonus part of the campaign, we received a coupon for Smucker's Snack'n Waffles.  We couldn't find them at Walmart but did locate them on a later trip to HyVee.  Miss M was on that shopping trip with me and we delightfully chose the Chocolate Chip variety!   Other choices were Blueberry, Cinnamon and Maple but it took no thought at all to grab the Chocolate Chip.  They had originally thought it would be perfect for breakfast but I showed them the size and explained tha they are better as a snack.  Those became a surprise treat inside the girls' lunchbox on a day when they had a deli meat sandwich!

To my dismay, both the girls came home excited.  "Those were YUMMY!" Part of me really hoped they wouldn't LOVE these so that I could personally consume the remainder of the box.  Alas, the children and their lunchboxes prevail.

Overall, we were really excited about how well the girls liked both the Smucker's Uncrustables and the Smucker's Snack'n Waffles.  When you're constantly eating the same thing, it's nice to have something around to spice things up.

Disclosure:  We recevied coupons from Mom Central on behalf of Smucker's to purchase one package of each of the products mentioned (One 4-pack of Smucker's Uncrustables and one 4-pack of Smucker's Snack'n Waffles.)  In addition, Mom Central will provide a gift certificate as a thank you for participating in this blog tour.  No additional compensation was received.  All thoughts, photos and opinions are mine along with those of my daughters!

Dreaming of the Giggles and Squeals
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:28 PM
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Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

***We interrupt this post for an important announcement... Bloggers need to abide by FTC regulations disclosing whether compensation was received for a particular post.  While every post notes a disclosure at the bottom explaining whether I received monetary or non-monetary compensation, the clients for this particular campaign required the disclosure at the beginning.  With that being said, it's out of the way.  Sorry for any confusion! We can now return to our regularly scheduled programming.***

Before the kids were born, DH and I spent a lot of time traveling. He regularly attended trade shows across the country. I, on the other hand, held the job of an accountant for the city that we lived in. Ah... poor devoted public servant. Thanks to tremendous hours required for the annual audit, I always had plenty of time banked in addition to regular vacation days. Couple that with a 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off), I was able to regularly head out with him to places like Miami, Vegas, Washington DC, Vegas, San Francisco, Vegas, Minneapolis and oh, did I say Vegas yet?   He would travel early in the week for the trade show; I would catch up with him on Friday and we would spend the weekend seeing the sites. It was wonderful.

Then the kids came along and virtually all travel other than to see family in the Midwest and down south came to a screeching halt. There were a few exceptions that were totally noteworthy - We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Acapulco with our first born... she was 6 months old. Everyone there thought we were on our honeymoon and even with a 6 month old, it was a fantastic trip!

We managed to take a non-work related trip to Hawaii but having the kids with us made it difficult to experience everything we wanted to.  We had to take turns snorkeling while the other watched the kids and any thought of doing a helicopter tour was quickly nixed because the kids were too young.  Regardless, it was a fabulous trip and it's on our must-do list of places to return.  We attempted a few of the trade-show trips but packing all the baby accessories (especially for such a short duration) was very cumbersome. After a few of those, we pretty much threw in the towel.

I miss the days of carefree traveling. But the trade-off of finally having children makes it all worth it. We're finally at a stage where the kids are easier to travel with and take on some of the travel responsibilities, like helping walk the dogs if we bring them along. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As the girls get older, traveling will once again be reasonable (in terms of ease) and we'll be able to start planning vacations that involve the whole family going someplace that doesn't include a house owned by a relative.

As part of the campaign for Clever Girls Collective, I was asked to think about what an Ultimate Family Vacation would be. That's a tough one because we're so diverse in our interests that so many things sound wonderful. The girls are in 2nd and 1st grade so obviously, we would love to finally take them to Disney. I love the idea of going somewhere that lets me feel like a kid myself and giggle and squeal as I ride a roller coaster. Unfortunately, the girls are small for their age and we fear arriving only to find that they'll be stuck hanging out with teacups. We're close - maybe next year we'll all be tall enough. Our next best option is a Disney Cruise or even a trip to Atlantis. Both have their pluses and minuses but I've looked into both and wonder if we can make something like that work.

On a totally different level, I want to see the world and want my kids to experience different cultures. DH spent some years in Germany as a kid and often tells me about what life was like over there. It is my hope to someday travel with him to see his old stomping grounds, where he went to school and maybe even some of the friends he made who still live there. Alas, that's something I think needs to wait until the kids are older and can appreciate the full value of. Whether foreign or domestic, I want my kids to experience a variety of places and things like skiing and white water rafting.

Alas, there are so many things to choose from and so little time to do them. So we carve out what we can and hope that someday our dream vacation will fall into our laps.

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Disclosure:  Clever Girls Collective provided compensation for providing details of my Ultimate Family Vacation along with their links to the Cheerios "Do What You Love" Sweepstakes.  Aside from the noted text, all ideas, thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Does Cola Cause Intoxication?
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 11:09 PM
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I'm guessing that the title of this post raised a very resounding "Duh. NO" response from everyone that read it.  I'm not an idiot so I totally know the answer.  Then why on earth would I pose the question "Does Cola Cause Intoxication?"

Let me take you back a few (cough, 20, cough) years to my college days.

LOL.  Yes, I was kind of green in college, but I wasn't that naive.  I'm talking about something my statistics professor said during one of our first days of class.  Probability and Statistics are a tricky subject.  There's more to probability and statistics than just the raw data and what you see on the charts.  A lot of it boils down to knowledge outside of what you see on a graph - to an evaluation of what is presented on the graph.  He provided an overly simple explanation:

Drink too much Rum and cola and you'll probably get drunk.
Drink too much Whiskey and cola and you'll probably get drunk.
So... if you were to chart that information out, you might be able to hypothesize that cola can get you drunk since it's the ingredient common to both.

That's absurd, isn't it.  We all know better than that.  But the concept all came rushing back to me while I was listening to a webcast presented by Mom Central on behalf of the Corn Refiners Association.  The general point behind the presentation, which included a whole...bunch...of...statistical...information, was that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has gotten a bad rap. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm as guilty as the next.  I heard the claims and bought into them without even thinking about researching it.  I groaned when I realized that tons of things in my pantry - condiments like ketchup, salad dressing and pickles to pasta sauce to PopTarts contained high fructose corn syrup.  Until recently, even the bread we purchased contained it.  So I want to take a few steps back and explain why I applied to participate in this informational campaign.

I'm proud to say that I'm from Iowa where corn (and soy) are major crops.  Among my friends are farmers who make a livelihood in the fields.  

When Mom Central proposed a campaign offering more information on how High Fructose Corn Syrup is misunderstood, I totally was on board for hearing more.  After all, here in Iowa, even our gasoline is made of corn.

In order to get all the information to us (participants in the blog tour), Mom Central coordinated a webcast where specialists in the field were invited to present a broader picture of High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Dr. John White and Dr. James Rippe provided a great deal of insight into HFCS - as well as other sugar types, including sucrose (table sugar) - why they are used, their chemical make-up, how our bodies absorb them and much more. 

This could very well be a post about statistics but, well, eww.  I'm an accountant by trade but even accountants aren't necessarily excited about reading and hearing a bunch of statistics and graphs. So let me tell you a little about it. 

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucrose (table sugar) are more similar than what people realize.  Our bodies metabolize them the same way, crave them the same, contain the same calories, react the same.  I could go into a large, detailed post on the experiments, the chemical compounds and all the other statistics but it is very long.  The main thing I want to point out is that High Fructose Corn Syrup is being pointed at and blamed for obesity.  You see, when the original reports were presented by Dr. Bray in 2004 (based on research from 1970 to 2000), he graphed the increase usage of HFCS over time as well as the increase in obesity.  He could have just as easily charted the usage of video games or individualized technology over the same time frame.  Just because a chart shows that two things follow the same path doesn't mean that one is the cause of the other. 

I'm not going to claim that High Fructose Corn Syrup is healthy... I just want to point out that it isn't any less-healthy than sugar.  High Fructose Corn Syrup didn't cause obesity - people did.  We eat more than we used to.  We eat out more than we used to.  We eat more processed foods than we used to.  We also spend more time watching TV than our parents did.  Video games and computers, anyone? 

Rather than listen to me go on and on, I want to direct you to a few websites that has more information for you - Sweet Surprise and Corn Sugar provide facts, not hype, about high fructose corn syrup.  Reading about it and learning the truth about high fructose corn syrup may help you refocus your shopping and label reading from the High Fructose Corn Syrup witch hunt back to "What is healthiest?" 

While some people will prefer to stick to the belief that High Fructose Corn Syrup is the cause of obesity, I just want to encourage them to look at the bigger picture and factor other data into that equation... because we all know that cola doesn't cause intoxication.

Disclosure:  Mom Central provided a gift card as a thank you for participating in this campaign.  Additional compensation was provided to those who attended the webinar live which I did not.  I received a link to listen to the recording and was not provided compensation for that.  All pictures, thoughts and opinions are my own.