Store Brand Formula Unique Baby Sweepstakes ~ Giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with compensation in exchange for my honest opinions.

From the moment you meet your precious little baby you know that that little person is special and unique in their very own way.  Every single baby is unique with their smiles, laughs, crazy faces, and those wacky baby hair-dos.  

I love seeing how my son gets so excited by the smallest things.  when he was little you could blow in his face and he would just laugh hysterically. I have always wanted to show him the world and provide him with the best life possible.  

While raising children is expensive, formula doesn't have to be which is why a majority of the time I chose Store brand formula.  Sometimes it would be Up & Up from Target.  Other days it would be Well Beginnings from Walgreens.  No matter which brand of store formula I chose I still had one happy, smiley, little baby.  

So dig through your computer and swipe through your phone to find your unique photos showcasing your baby for the chance to win some awesome prizes!!

                               

Store Brand Formula’s Unique Baby Sweepstakes

When it comes to infant formula, many factors will help make the decision of what’s best for your baby, but the name on the container should not be one of them! 

What most moms don’t know is that the FDA strictly regulates infant formula to keep little ones safe, so store brand infant formulas, like Walmart’s Parent’s Choice and Target’s Up and Up, are nutritionally comparable to national brands like Enfamil® and Similac® and meet FDA standards, at a much lower cost to your family.

So essentially, the brand of formula you use is not unique, but of course your baby is unique.

To shine the spotlight on the most important part of the formula equation: your baby, Store Brand Formula is launching a “Unique Baby” Photo Sweepstakes in which the winner will receive $5,000 AND a year supply of Store Brand Formula.

Every baby is unique. Show us how YOUR baby is unique.  We’re looking for funny, silly, odd, crazy unique baby photos.

Is your baby making a really bizarre expression?

Perhaps your baby is making an angry face?

Or maybe your baby’s hair is sticking up in a funny way.

Whatever it is, we’d love to see it.

How to Enter

To enter the Store Brand Formula Unique Baby Sweepstakes, simply visit http://bit.ly/1Fd2i6y and follow the photo submission guidelines and the on-screen instructions to complete the online entry form. All entries must be submitted between September 28, 2015 – November 5, 2015.

Limit one (1) entry per person, per day for the duration of the Sweepstakes

  

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000 and a one (1) year supply of the winner’s choice of Store Brand Baby Formula. Five (5) First Prize winners will receive $200 and a one (1) year supply of the winner’s c choice of Store Brand Baby Formula.

For official rules click here!  

I also have the chance for you to win a $30 Visa gift card for taking the time to come and read about this awesome sweepstakes, (which I hope you entered!).Just remember while every baby is unique, baby formulas are not!

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Minbie - Nuturing Baby's Instincts ~ Review

Disclosure: I was provided with the products mentioned to facilitate my review but all opinions are my own.

When it comes to feeding baby it is not always an easy task.  I remember one of the most overwhelming tasks when setting up my baby registry was choosing a bottle.  You have no idea what the differences are and there is an overwhelming amount of bottles and nipples to choose from.  

Nursing is another task that that can be complicated at first but once you and your baby get into a feeding groove it can be the most wonderful experience ever.  The idea of introducing a bottle can sometimes be scary.  Will my baby accept it?  Will they still want to nurse?  All questions I asked myself.  But with going back to work only 5 weeks after giving birth I knew a bottle was inevitable.  

Minbie's significant breakthroughs:

Minbie nurtures a newborns ability to breastfeed by allowing newborns to bottle-feed with the instinctive feeding technique that they are born with.
Minbie supports a newborns digestion by helping to release natural digestive enzymes. This supports a baby's sleep too.

Minbie matches breast and bottle feeding techniques.

We passionately believe that you should be able to breastfeed and bottle-feed your baby.

To help you, we have created Minbie which is a teat designed to support your newborn's instinctive breastfeeding technique. This means that when newborns feed from Minbie they practice the instinctive latch and feeding-action for nurturing breastfeeding. This is a significant breakthrough in matching breast and bottle-feeding techniques and preventing feeding-confusion*.

For newborns who can not be breastfed, we created Minbie to allow them to bottle-feed with the instinctive breastfeeding technique that they are born with because why shouldn't they be able to feed intuitively with the technique that is developmentally right for them and that helps release digestive enzymes for proper digestion of the milk.

How is Minbie different than other teats?

Our research has found that generic and orthodontic bottle-teats can quickly teach newborns a different latch and feeding-action to the newborns natural instinctive breastfeeding technique. This may be sufficient for bottle feeding, but it can cause feeding confusion and problems such as a 'weak latch' and 'lazy feeding' when the baby is breastfeeding.

If your newborn has become used to other bottle-teats, he or she may have difficulty feeding from a Minbie teat. This may be an indication that your baby's instinctive feeding technique has been damaged.
Every feed counts ...

My friends baby was set to review this item for me but due to a family emergency you are just going to have to take my word!  I love that this is a simple bottle no extra parts.  Even though it is simple the nipples innovative design looks phenomenal.  This is a product I wish I had with my boys because it may have helped with the difficultly I had getting my boys to nurse. 

Use Minbie as the first and only bottle teat for your baby to help maintain and strengthen your baby's instinctive breastfeeding technique, the way nature intended. Minbie products are from Australia but they subsidise shipping to the US only charging $7.95AUD ($6.20USD) 

Mommy Greenest E-Book & Naturepedic

With so much information out there about what is safe and what is not it can be confusing what is actually healthy for you and your family.  Mommy Greenest has a fabulous new E-book that helps sort out that confusion and it looks like a great read!  Check it out and you can order a limited editon copy of The Mommy Greenest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond for only $22. 

She has teamed up with Naturepedic to focus on one topic in particular #SafeHealthySleep for the whole family.

I can't wait to check it out myself and hope to make small changes throughout the year to make my family a little healthier and get rid of toxins.

Dial Baby Body + Hair Wash & Dial Kids Foaming Hand Soap ~ Giveaway

Disclosure:  The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Baby Body + Hair Wash and Dial Kids Foaming Hand Soap in exchange for a product review.  However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

Dial has launched two brand new products that I am really excited about.  The first is a Baby body + hair wash.  It is for children from birth to age two but I love using it on my 3 & 5 year old because of the gentle formula.  It is tear-free, hypoallergenic, pH balanced and best of all it has no parabens.  Basically everything you want and nothing you don't want which is perfect for a babies delicate skin.  Nickie was loving his new Dial Body + Hair Wash and I loved only using one product the entire bath!

The second new product is Dial Kids Foaming Hand Wash.  I absolutely love this product especially since it foams.  The foaming action helps a younger child wash their hands more thoroughly and my boys seem to find it more fun overall.  When the boys use grownup soap I find globs of it stuck in the sink so the foam also keeps my sink cleaner, with less waste.  It has a light watermelon scent which is also fun.  Chris was super excited to try out his cool new soap.

Both my boys and I enjoyed both the Dial Baby Body + Hair Wash and Dial Kids Foaming Hand Soap.  They are fun practical products that I can see myself purchasing in the future.  Out of the two products I have to say the Foaming Hand Soap was my favorite and I love having a soap the is fun and easy for my boys to use.

Let me know which product you would like to try the most by leaving a comment and enter in the rafflecopter below to win a coupon to try one of the products mentioned for free!

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Collage.com One-Click Photo Book ~ Review

If you are like me then I am assuming you have a ton of pictures-not printed but sitting in your phone, camera, or computer.  You always say you will do something with them but they are probably accumulating, by the hundreds.  If you have kids you know I am not even joking.

With my first child I think I printed 200 photos or more and put them in albums that first year and I love them.  By the second child I wanted to do this but it is definitely not a priority, just a wish.  I am very, very good though about uploading them to Facebook and putting them into albums on a regular basis.  This came in super handy when given the opportunity to make a couple of photo books at collage.com.

I loved how easy it was to just upload directly from Facebook.  I was able to select an album and then upload all the pics from that album.  I chose the easy route and had it place them all and then sorted from there.  Within 20 minutes I had my perfect photo book of our most recent vacation.

I love how they take all of the photos and make a collage on the cover.  I added a background to all the pages, a title, and voila!  My kids LOVE looking at it and it is perfect to take and show family.

I love how easily it fits on our bookshelf and they make even better gifts.  Grandma lives out of state and doesn't have a Facebook so sending her picture books of the kids is the perfect gift.

Right now you can make a large hardcover 20 page photo book for only $25 which is a steal.  Think about it.  By the time you pay to print photos, purchase a photo album and actually put those pictures in the album you have spent as much or more.  This is simple and you have a book that lasts forever.  I love the quality and had my book in my hands in about a week!

Create a professional photo book with a single click using Collage.com's One-Click Photo Book. Select photos of any size from Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or your computer and they will instantly suggest a clean, professional layout that you can further customize.

Deal: Use this link for 51% off a 20-page 11.5"x8" Hardcover Photo Book From Collage.com: http://bit.ly/collagepbdeal

Summer Fun in Chicago!

With the summer winding down and everyone heading back to school I just wanted to reflect on all the great activities my boys and I had this summer.  It was honestly one of the best summers ever and I had so much fun exploring our great city with awesome friends.  Here is a list of all the great places we visited and I plan on visiting all of them again!

• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• The Morton Arboretum
• Pirates Cove
• The Water Works
• Santa's Village
• John Hancock Observatory
• Navy Pier
• Oasis Fun Center
• Blackberry Farm

These were our 10 main activities this summer and it was a blast!  I hope to highlight one place each week during the fall with tons of pics.  I hope that wherever you live whether it is Chicago or a small town you take the time to explore your city.  I never took the time before and realized these are only a few of the many awesome places this city has to offer.

Have fun and explore!

Walgreens Well Beginnings Diapers & Baby Products ~ Review

Disclosure:  I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetsSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinon on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Walgreens has revamped their baby line and I have to say that I am pretty impressed. I am very hesitant to purchase a new brand of diapers but from the instant I opened the package of Well Beginnings diapers I could tell the quality was there.  They felt super soft and flexible while still hugging my toddler and doing its job!  I have a very active 2.5 year old so his diaper has to keep up with him.

My son is also a very heavy night wetter.  Well Beginnings diapers seemed to even withstand his heavy night wetting keeping his PJ's dry.  We both give these diapers a huge thumbs up and will continue to purchase them until I decide to potty train this little dude.  Here are some facts.  One of my favorite features is the wetness indicator on the smaller sizes.  Great, especially with a newborn that sleeps a lot.  You do not want to wake a sleeping baby!!!! 

•The entire Well Beginnings product line is exclusive to Walgreens, your friendly neighborhood drugstore known for its health and wellness expertise.

•Well Beginnings Size 4 Jumbo Diapers (31 count) offer a soft stretchable waist and side panels that wrap your baby in softness, offering leakage protection for day and night. The amazingly soft inner liner features natural botanicals, vitamin E, and aloe to soothe your baby’s bottom.

•These quality baby diapers are available in Newborn to Size 6 and are 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

•Well Beginnings Newborn, Size 1 and Size 2 diapers have a wetness indicator feature and turn blue when wet.

•Well Beginnings is all made in the U.S.A. and is made up of high-quality products at a great value.

•The retail price for Well Beginnings Size 4 Jumbo Diapers (31 count) is $8.99.

Well Beginnings has a whole entire line of baby and toddler products.  I tried their wipes and their baby wash which were both products I loved and would purchase in the future.  The wipes were very soft and the quilting got the job done.  I use wipes on little faces as much as I do their bottoms so softness and effectiveness are two of my priorities.  I was also sent their electrolyte drink which I am sure will be great to have on hand since school is starting soon!  I love to give this to my kids that first week along with extra vitamin C just to give them an extra boost.  Seems that if they do get sick it is not as bad.  #MomHack

Thank you Moms Meet for the chance to review the Well Beginnings line of products.  Do you have a #MomHack?  Tweet or post to Walgreens facebook page sharing your tip for all those mommas out there. Make sure to use the hashtag #MomHack. These items also make great baby shower gifts!  

Perrigo Nutritionals Toddler Food & Formula ~ Review and Giveaway

Disclosure:  “The Perrigo Nutritionals product, information and two gift packs have been provided by Perrigo Nutritionals.”

Having two toddler boys we go through tons of food.  Sometimes it seems like I go grocery shopping and within a day tons of items are already gone.  Toddler snacks are one of those items..mainly crunchies, puffs, and yogurt bites.  They will eat their entire dinner and then want a snack and the entire package will be gone.  Going through so many toddler snacks I see myself turning to store brands because they are normally the cheaper option.  It is actually one of the categories where I regularly buy store brands.  You save a great deal of money no coupons required!

You have probably seen many of these store brands in stores already.  Here are the brands I received:

• Up and Up at Target
• Parent's Choice at Walmart
• Cottontails at Giant
• Comforts for Baby at Kroger
• Meijer Baby at Meijer

I was actually surprised to learn that they are all made by the same company, Perrigo Nutrionals. Here is some fun information about them:

 About Perrigo Nutritionals

·         Many moms are not aware that they can save up to 50 percent on infant formula by choosing a store brand over a national brand

·         Store Brand Formula is nutritionally comparable to the national brands, yet are typically up to half the price, and can save you about $600 a year

·         Perrigo Nutritionals is the largest supplier of Store Brand Infant Formula and nutrition products in the world and one of only four companies recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for meeting the strict FDA requirements for safety, nutrition and quality for infant formula-manufacturing in the United States

·         Same standards and expertise used to develop infant formula applied to toddler foods

·         Toddler foods are appropriately developed for variety of stages of growth and motor skills with quality, nutritional ingredients to create foundation of good nutrition

Even though I am already a fan of store brands it makes me feel more confident purchasing store brands knowing they are all made by the same company.  When I went to the grocery store this week I compared what I would have spent on toddler food and snacks had I bought national brands instead of store brands and my savings was around $16 for a weeks worth of toddler snacks.  In a year that is over $800 in savings for me.  So what do my boys think of the brands we tried?

No complaints at all as these boys chowed down!  I actually had to hide everything from them so I could take a pic before they ate it all.  My older son Chris reached for the Comforts Baby strawberry flavored puffs.  My younger one, Nick, grabbed the Comforts Baby berry flavored yogurt bites.  

While the boys were chowing down I glanced through this awesome book I received with everything.  If you know me I don't read anything aside from children's books but I was hooked!  The book is called, "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode," by Crystal Paine.  If you are reading my blog then you just might of heard of her as she hosts the popular blog MoneySavingMom.com.  I pretty much can't stop reading it.  I love all of her ideas a lot of which I already do.  I try to keep life simple so there is less stress and her book focuses on a lot of ways to do just that.  Here are just a few of her money saving tips!

Crystal Paine’s 5 Money Saving Tips for Families

Create a Budget
A budget gives you parameters and purpose, it gives you boundaries, and it gives you freedom to live creatively within those boundaries.

Shop With Cash
When you shop with a credit card (or even a debit card, for that matter!) you can have your budget in your head and you can do the best to stick with it when you check out, but it’s so much easier to go just a little bit over here and there when you’re swiping!

Plan a Menu
When you have a plan in place for what you’re supposed to be eating each meal and you’ve already purchased the ingredients for those recipes, it’s a lot harder to justify chucking the plan for takeout.

Use Coupons
Coupons are a great way to save a lot of money on your grocery bill, but they can be hard to keep up with. Clipping, sorting, and organizing coupons takes time — so enter a coupon database! You’ll have access to printable and other coupons currently available and it’s one of the most effective and efficient ways to save money on groceries.

Buy Store Brands
One way to save a great deal of money on your grocery budget is to learn to like and use a variety of brands. The sooner you can get over being a brand-snob, the more your pocketbook will thank you.
For example, while I breast fed my children, moms who choose to formula feed can save up to 50 percent by switching to store brand formula, which meets the same FDA quality standards as expensive name brands. There are also coupons available at a website - StoreBrandFormula.com.  This one simple change can save moms about $600 a year. 

Get a copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode:  9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion For Life.

I also have the wonderful opportunity to awesome a package filled with all the goodies I received above to one of my readers.  Just enter in the Rafflecopter below!  And remember don't forget the store brands :)

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ModParent Giveaways!

Head over to ModParent where they have three, yes three, awesome giveaways going on right now!  You can enter to win the following:

1. Jane Nanuq Stroller
2. KidsEmbrace Batman Booster (I REALLY WANT TO WIN THIS!!)
3. A Britax Frontier 90

Make sure you put my name Katie Klein in the vote for me box and good luck :)

Why I Chose NOT to Breastfeed

I see a lot of blog posts and comments that seem to make women feel less of a woman if they choose not to breastfeed and it made me think a lot about why I chose not to.  In a day in age when Time magazine publishes a mother breastfeeding her 3 year old on the cover it seems as though the world is obsessed with the topic.  I am not against it all and in fact I praise you for doing it, sticking to it, and reaching your personal breastfeeding goals.  What I hate is the fact that many women feel that they are failures as a mom for not doing so. 

With my first son I was very strong willed...I WOULD breastfeed.  I honestly thought he would just come out, latch on, and we would bond through our breastfeeding experiences until he got teeth or turned one.  It turned out to be one of the worst experiences ever.  I am not trying to turn anyone off from breastfeeding as yes, breast is best, so STOP READING NOW if you do not want to here my horrible experience.

1. He would not latch on we tried every way and every device possible and this kid was not having it. I remember the lactation nurses being stumped and telling me don't worry he will eventually get it. Nope.

2. Since he would not latch on I was forced to use a hospital pump.  I have never experienced a more horrible pain then pumping dry boobs (and yes I had just given birth and there was NO comparison).  My milk had not come in yet so pumping every couple hours was excruciating!  I would bite my tongue and whisper curse words to myself as I turned on the machine.

3. I was determined to give this kid breast milk though so I pumped and pumped.  I was so proud of myself my freezer and fridge filled with milk.  I was like a dairy cow pumping away.  I had so much I could donate it I thought to myself.  ~ I did have one happy memory :)

4. Then it happened I woke up in the middle of the night and my boob was a rock.  I am not even exaggeratting it was so hard and hurt so bad I wanted to chop it off.  I pumped to find no relief.  I googled "boob hard as rock" and realized I had a clogged milk duct and it should go away within a day.  Fine I thought I could handle a day, hot shower maybe that will help.

5. I woke up that morning feeling like death.  It had now become infected.  I was not moving from that bed at all. It felt like I had bubonic plague.  Thankfully my husband was home to take care of our newborn son all day.

6. 24 hours later it did go away I felt fine and I went to pump and nothing.  I pumped the next day, every 3 hours, and got maybe an ounce total.  I tried the next day and it was the same.  Seriously I thought, where did  it all go I was a freaking cow with bottles overflowing I had to stop pumping just to put more bottles on the pump I had so much milk.

I was DONE!! I just couldn't take it anymore and was pleased I at least had enough milk to get through the first month. 

When I became pregnant again I made the decision not to even try.  Mainly because of me.  Some people may think I am selfish and maybe I am but it was my choice to make.  I would have been home alone with a 2 year old and a newborn and didn't want to have to worry about pumping.  Being attached to a pump every 3 hours for 15-20 minutes is time consuming and draining and then add keeping track of a curious two year old while your boobs are attached to a pump.  Washing all the parts after you pump every single time, sterilizing them, is draining too.  I didn't get that cute little sign in his bassinet at the hospital that says "I am a breast fed baby".  Was it the best choice?  Who knows, but I do know I was stress free (as a mother can be with a newborn and a 2 year old), my baby was happy, and isn't that what truly matters. 

I just want all those mothers out there to know whether you tried and stopped or decided to use formula you are not a failure.  You are just as much of a mama to the little baby as a mama who breastfeeds.  Do what you think is best for you and your situation and don't feel the pressure of what society has defined as the perfect mommy. 

Ten tips for preparing your home for your new baby's arrival

Already well into my third trimester and 29th week of pregnancy their starts to be an urgency to prepare for the new baby's arrival. With my first I was well prepared in advance but with a demanding toddler this time around I don't nearly feel as prepared. To help I have put together a list of my top ten ways to prepare for your little ones arrival.

First - Supplies! Every baby no matter what needs to have diapers, whether cloth or disposable, wipes, diaper cream, baby wash, baby lotion, and a good baby detergent. One of my personal favorites is Seventh Generations line of wipes, diapers, and laundry detergent which I already use on my 21 month olds highly sensitive skin. Their great line of natural and chlorine free products can be found here!

Second - Prepare the nursery. You first have to decide if you want to use a crib or a bassinet. I personally use the pack and play for the first 3 months so the baby can be close to me me for those long sleepless nights. Once we get to 3 months we are usually in a pretty good routine so I can switch to the nursery which is upstairs. Other nursery necessities might be a glider, changing table, and of course picking out a theme.

Third - Another big decision is deciding whether or not you are going to breastfeed. If you decide to go the formula route make sure you have some on hand so you don't have to run out to the store. The ready to feed nursers are great the first couple of weeks. If you are going to be breastfeeding then make sure to invest in a good pump.

Fourth - My fourth tip stems from my third with sterilization! No matter which route you go you have to make sure everything is cleaned and sterilized for the baby. Wash pump parts, bottles and pacifiers. When you get home baby is going to be hungry so make sure to have this ready.

Fifth - Pets! Besides already having a toddler running around I also have a dog. He is a very jealous dog at that and does not like having his attention spent on someone else. We like to prepare the dog for the babies arrival by having someone bring an article of clothing from the hospital home early for him to sniff and get used to the scent. Its also a good idea to have a baby gate to keep him separated at first or for times when you just don't want him jumping on the baby.

Sixth - All that baby equipment is very overwhelming. The most important piece is the car seat and do not wait until you are in labor to try and figure out how to install it in the car. This weekend is actually car seat awareness weekend with many locations offering free safety inspections of car seat installation. Most fire and police stations offer free help as well. My advice is have them check it. It doesn't hurt and puts your mind at ease.

Seventh - Prepare the siblings. If you have other children at home I think it is important that they are aware. I have constantly been telling my son that his brother is in my tummy and to give him kisses. I also try to have him around other babies so he knows to be gentle around his new little brother. If you have older children ages 3 and up ten a hospital offered class is a great option as well.

Eighth - Clean, clean, and more cleaning. I have a constant urge to clean and once I start its hard for me to stop when I am pregnant lol. I tend to clean weird things too such as walls and ceilings. I guess its nesting but I fell that its important to get all the cleaning out of the way because I know that will be the last thing I will want to do when the baby is here. (Seventh Generation makes great natural cleaning products too!)

Ninth - Clothes would be next for me. Make sure you cut off the million little tags that are on all the clothes and wash them once before baby comes. My advice with clothes is less is better. Avoid anything that has lots of snaps or multiple pieces. Zippers are great and gowns are even better. When it is 4am and you are changing a diaper the last thing you want is to have to figure out how to snap the outfit back together.

Tenth - Relax! Make sure in all of this getting prepared for baby that you take some time for yourself and also some special time with your significant other. You life is about to change in a wonderful but hectic way make sure you share and enjoy some moments of me time.

After writing this all out I actually feel more prepared then I thought. Baby Nicholas is going to be joining our family in 10 weeks and I know we all can't wait to meet him. Nothing is more exciting then the miracle of life and meeting your baby for the first time and nothing can prepare you for the happiness felt holding your baby for the first time.

Also don't forget to check out Seventh Generation's line of products for you home and baby here.

Disclosure: "I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here."

Babies 'R Us Sweepstakes Sponsored by Baby Brezza

How would you like a chance to win your entire baby registry? I know that would be the ultimate gift to any expectant mom and Babies R Us and Baby Brezza have teamed up to make someones dream come true! To be entered all you have to do is add the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker to your Babies R Us registry. You can check out all the details of the contest here.


Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card and Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.