Purple coleslaw (and formula advertising breaking the law)

I actually did my befriending! And I didn't cry. The walk home also did me a world of good, as it always does, alone with my thoughts. I love to walk, to feel the strength in my body and the sun on my skin (oh yes, the sun IS back lol). This is the weather that drags me out of the house and makes me want to explore everywhere! It doesn't have to be hot, in fact I don't really like the heat, but I do need just that restful summer breeze with a little warmth behind it. Even the grey days aren't so bad once it is dry and the air isn't biting. I want to be outside all day.

On my way to my bus I popped into a couple of charity shops (couldn't resist looking at baby clothes for a friend) and finally into Boots to look for spa-tone water for my iron levels, and on to Soundbites to look for washing powder. Something in Boots stopped me dead a little though - a stand advertising SMA gold! OK it was an "advice stand" but how useful can the advice be if they are promoting only one brand? I was a bit horrified but didn't dare to say anything, I thought I might be rude and shout or cry or both.

There is such a lot of this borderline law breaking going on at the moment. It really makes me worry. It's not that I think women who are formula feeding (or making their minds up) are stupid, but it's really insiduous stuff that makes itself out to be medical advice. When I started breastfeeding Jenna I didn't have internet access, and I did give her formula top-ups because I did actually buy what those adverts were telling me. I thought that SMA was better than the others, and I thought that formula would give me a break, I was too trusting and I forgot (as they obviously hope people will) that what I was seeing was advertising.

It's just too easy! It's too easy to be brainwashed and not easy enough to find actual useful advice (like about how to stop the pain or how to find a comfortable sitting position or whether you can use regular bras when breastfeeding or how to make up formula following the new guidelines or how to be certain the bottles are sterile or what ingredients went into the formula or which companies own each other!!).

Anyhow in the end I was a coward and didn't say a word. I walked right into Lush and unburdened myself on my peer-supporter friend who promised that on her break she would go and check it out and remind them that putting SMA gold on any kind of promotional display was against the law!

I came home quickly after I'd found the washing powder I wanted, dying to inspect my veggie box and see what goodies I had to make myself some lunch with. In the end it turned into a big salad and some purple coleslaw (normal ingredients but with purple cabbage added too). It's lilac, and asides from being very tasty, I love the thought of it so much I keep grinning. I'm baking again until the children come home anyway, and I really ought to get on with that. :)