New Year's Eve Confetti Recall

I wanted to get your attention because I'm sure some of you out there have this product ready to go for New Year's Eve or an upcoming party. This is the type of product that small children would pick up and put into their mouths, as well. This latest recall came out 11/29/07.

DesignWare® Confetti Bursts

Distributor: American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio

The surface paint on the individual bags of confetti contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

No injuries reported.

The recalled products contain confetti in plastic bags. When the bags are inflated, consumers squeeze the bag and confetti bursts out. Each package contains six confetti bursts.
Sold at: Discount, toy, drug, grocery, party, and specialty/gift stores nationwide from December 2003 through September 2007 for about $3.
Manufactured in: China

Consumers should immediately take the recalled confetti bursts away from children and contact American Greetings for instructions on returning the confetti bursts to American Greetings to receive a coupon redeemable wherever American Greetings’ products are sold.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact American Greetings Corp. at (800) 777-4891 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.ag.com/

Photo Above

Reeves Breyer Horse Ornaments Recall

You may have purchased these horse ornaments for your tree or to give out as gifts for horse lovers. Be sure to check with your Breyer Horse collecting friends and family and get these out of your home. Do note that these cover 2006 and 2007 Christmas ornaments.

2006 Snow Princess Stirrup Ornaments, 2007 Holiday Stirrup Ornaments, 2007 Photo Frame Horse Shoe Ornaments
Distributor: Reeves International Inc., of Pequannock, N.J.

Surface paints on the ornaments contain high levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standards.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

The 2006 Snow Princess Stirrup Ornament is a stirrup-shaped ornament with a white prancing horse and blue ribbons. “2006” is stamped on the rim of the ornament. The 2007 Wintersong Stirrup Ornament is a stirrup-shaped ornament with a grey horse with saddle bags with a horn and a violin. “2007” is stamped on the rim of the ornament. The 2007 Photo Frame Horse Shoe Ornament is a horse shoe shaped ornament with a brown horse with rider jumping over a gate. “Happy Holiday 2007” is printed on the back of the ornament.

Sold at: Various retailers nationwide, including JC Penney catalog and Web site, from July 2006 through October 2007 for between $15 and $18.

Manufactured in: China

Consumers should immediately stop using these ornaments and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund or contact Reeves International Inc. for a refund or exchange.
Consumer Contact: Contact Reeves International Inc. at (800) 444-4775 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their Web site at http://www.breyerhorses.com/about/press.php#pressreleases to receive instructions for returning the ornaments.

The photo here is just one of the recalled models. Please see the http://www.cpsc.gov/ website for more information.

Another Reason to Make Sure Your Kids Wash Their Hands....

Apparently, researchers continue to confirm what Moms and most doctors have been saying for a long time - that hand washing is the number one defense against most viruses and influenza. This is truly the worst season for illnesses in our family. Right now we've got two down and one more coming down with the Fall upper respiratory infections that seem to strike us about every 4 to 6 months. The two kids are on medicines and seem better, but my husband is looking bad and says he's feeling it coming on. Hand washing, hand washing! I tell them all the time, but they don't do it enough.

Maybe if they learn to sing the The Happy Little Working Song from Enchanted - The Movie, they'll be motivated to be much cleaner ;) Don't you parents just LOVE this Movie! Enjoy!

First Recall This Week - Boys Drawstring Jacket

The recalls are definitely less frequent this week...so far. Jackets with drawstrings are a hazard for children. They can get caught on playground equipment, in bike parts, or in car doors, for just a few examples. There have been prior cases of strangulation reported due to this hazard. My own child was hanging on the slide earlier this year due to a hood itself getting caught - good thing I looked out the window! The strings are even more dangerous. You can remove drawstrings and the hoods work just fine. Please visit Consumer Product Safety Commission for a list of all recalls.

Today this recall was announced:

Children's Full Zip Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled for
Strangulation Hazard By Bon-Ton

Children's fleece hooded zip-up jackets with neck drawstrings

Distributor: The Bon-Ton Department Stores Inc., of York, Pa.

The garments have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets
and sweatshirts.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

The recalled hooded zip-up sweatshirts are for Boys 8-20 and were made under the "Burnside" brand. The sweatshirts came in boys' sizes small, medium, large and X-large and have various designs on the front. The recalled models have "RN # 39209" printed on the tag.

Sold at: Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers stores nationwide and Parisian stores in the Detroit area from August 2007 through October 2007 for between $18 and $30.

Manufactured in: Bangladesh, India and Pakistan

Consumers should immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweatshirts to eliminate the hazard or return the garment for a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information contact Bon-Ton toll-free at (866) 798-2875 anytime or visit Bonton.com.

I'm Doing Only Online Christmas Shopping This Year

As I've written before, I really hate going to the malls to shop for Christmas presents. I totally avoided Black Friday by shopping exclusively online. I've never had any trouble returning items and I'm saving gas too. I've been shopping for tech bargains this year, as we are looking at getting a new computer for our online business soon. We've had our current one for over five years and I'm kind of worried about it failing unexpectedly - which has happened with a prior computer! We're like to look for the best deals and I really like techbargains.com because they do the searching for us. We've signed up for the email newsletter which will send us alerts for the items we want to buy. I liked that I can choose what deals

I'm also in need of a new digital camera and was pleased to use this service and the site to compare deals. They have a wonderful database with reviews and comparisons, so it has been really easy to choose between the models. They keep the site updated 24 hours per day, and they add new deals several times per day. I love finding coupons and they have tons of them, so check it out, save some gas and find what you need online this year!

Test for Lead Paint at Home - Check Toys and Household

You can test your toys at home with a home lead testing kit. I found these home lead tests online and have ordered them myself to try out. They can also be used to test all kinds of surfaces in your home, such as painted surfaces, ceramic tubs and sinks, and mini blinds. I found their website very informative. Since we currently live in a pre-1978 built home, I am definitely going to test the old fixtures and the blinds as well.

Dancing Pooh

Funny Video! DD2 Thinks this is her own daddy, check out the daddy-moves! Cool Dancing!

Updated List of Hot Toys for Christmas 2007

I posted my Santa's toy list a few days back, but here's another list of hot toys for Christmas 2007 : They are predicted to be very difficult to find this year for your children. I'm already keeping an eye out for some of them now. We already have a few, and unfortunately, we have several November and December birthdays to buy for as well. We are trying to keep the China factor limited though.

American Idol Talent Challenge

Aqua Dots Super Studio (Update - This is Now a Recalled Toy! - No Longer should anyone have these!)

Barbie Girls

Eye-Clops (Update - we got this one)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (we will be asking for more Wii games)

Hannah Montana Singing Dolls and Pop Star Stage (We got these)

Nerf N-Strike Disc Shot

Rubik’s Revolution

Fisher-Price Smart Cycle

Spotz

SwypeOut Online Battle Racing

Transformers Arm Blasters & Transformers Movie Ultimate Bumblebee

Happy Black Friday to You...

I am happy to say I won't be out there with you mega-shoppers and your walkie-talkie carrying shop buds. I will be tucked away, snug in my little bed, with visions of comfy blankies in my head. It is simply not worth it to me to lose sleep and have slugfests with old women over the one "whatever" that Walmart decided to put on special at 5 a.m. Yes, I know, some of you live for this day, to feel like you get a chance to beat "the man" and take some of his retailing profit away, but you are deceived. You are playing into their hands....

In your sleep deprived state, you'll buy more, you'll eat more and you'll blow your credit limit faster than you can say (fill in with funny line here...I'm too full to think of a good one yet). You'll probably end up spending more than you ever planned and 6 weeks later as Christmas approaches, you'll forget what you bought (since it will be hidden in the closet) and you'll buy even more! So I won't be out feedin' the man, I'll be sleepin' in and doing internet shopping when appropriate sales are out and enjoying myself. Have fun, shoppers!

First Friday Weekend Artwalk in St. Augustine

America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida, is home to many artists and art-lovers. On Friday and Saturday, December 7th and 8th, along with the first Weekend of each month thereafter, the city comes alive with music and art exhibits. Grab a date and head out to enjoy your own First Friday Weekend Art Walk. We live very nearby, so we've had the opportunity to enjoy the St. Augustine Artwalk several times. It's really a fun way to spend a Friday evening, especially now that the weather is cooler and the holiday lights are out all over the city.

The art galleries of St. Augustine sponsor FREE, self guided monthly Artwalks, featuring the finest collection of eclectic art in North Florida. You can wander at your leisure, enjoy free appetizers and wine at a lot of the galleries, and get a little exercise. It's sometimes difficult to find parking, so it's really nice that they offer free parking and free Sightseeing Train and Trolley tours.

There's a little bit of everything available to see, painting, sculpture, pottery, photography...you'll find a treasure to take home to remember your special night out. I love the little watercolors of the historic homes and also photographs of the fort. So, maybe we'll see you there in a few weeks to enjoy the arts!

The Weirdest Toys in the World

I stumbled upon this today and had to share. This is just partly because of my bad sense of humor and maybe seeing too many toy recalls. Please check out the very bizarre and funny link to The Weirdest Toys in the World. At least that is what I call them all - I guess the USA is not the only country in need of toy recalls.

Send Your Children Letters From Santa Claus

I always enjoyed writing letters to Santa Claus each year until I was about eight years old. It was that year I found the Santa present stash stored in my parents' garage. They didn't make up some happy story when I confronted them about it. I kind of wish they had......

Christmas is about magic! My oldest is a questioner and she has her doubts, that's okay. But I won't confirm her suspicions about the reality of Santa. Because I do think Santa is real! Also, Santa's elves will be arriving today bearing notes, mayhem, and tiny gifts until Christmas. We all help make Santa real through our thoughts and actions! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! You can help keep the Christmas magic going yourself by using Santa Letters! Your child will get a Personalized Letter from Santa I think this is really cool. You help create special memories your kids will treasure forever!

Ho Ho Ho Ho....No No No! More Recalls Kickoff the Holidays!

I wish I didn't have to write about the newest recalls out today. I'm trying to stay hopeful and merry and bright this season. I wanted to hope that all the recalls were done....I was wrong.

There is an unfortunate array of products in today's recalls, from children's toys and jewelry, to baby Boppy covers, to ELMO teacher's visual aid equipment to school supplies. So get ready to take a look, again, at what you and your children own and get ready to toss out and return some more. As always, you can check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for details, photos, and contact information for all of the products I've highlighted today.

Flashing Pacifiers or 2-in-1 Flashing Pacifiers with Whistle Necklaces
Sailing (U.S.) International Corp
The nipple can detach from the base, posing a choking hazard to young children.
Pacifier necklace has a 28-inch multicolored cord with a 3- inch plastic pacifier that comes in assorted colors. A hole at the tip of the nipple is used as a blow hole for the whistle. The pacifier handle operates as the on-off button for the flashing light on both pacifiers. “Flashing Pacifier” or “2-in-1 Flashing Pacifier with Whistle Necklace” is printed on the packaging of the pacifiers.
Sold by Various retail stores nationwide during the month of June 2007 for about $5 per dozen.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately stop using the pacifiers and return them to the store where purchased to receive a full refund or discard the pacifiers.

Children’s Pencil Pouches
by Raymond Geddes & Co., of Baltimore, Md.
The paint on the pencil pouches’ zipper pulls contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recall includes “Stuff Keepers” pencil pouches and “Bear Pencil Pouches.” The “Stuff Keepers” pencil pouches are clear vinyl, measure 9 inches by 6 inches, and have a green, orange, pink or blue-colored zipper. Style number 63525 is printed on the packaging. The “Bear Pencil Pouches” have soft fabric with a stuffed bear face, and measure 9 inches by 3 inches. Style number 67221 is printed on the packaging.
Sold by School supply distributors in schools nationwide from September 1997 through October 2007 for between 50 cents and $2.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately take the recalled pencil pouches away from children and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. If unable to return to the store where purchased, contact Raymond Geddes & Co. directly.

Sparkle City Charm Bracelets and Tack Pin Sets/Sold in Big Lots Stores
By Buy-Rite Designs Inc.
The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The recalled charm bracelets have silver-colored star and butterfly charms, and clear and pink beads that hang from a silver-colored chain. The tack pins are silver butterflies or stars with clear and pink beads.
Sold in Big Lots stores nationwide from August 2005 through April 2007 for about $1.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately take the recalled jewelry away from children and return it to the store where purchased for a full refund. If unable to return it to the stores, contact Buy-Rite for information on how to receive a refund.

Decorative Stretchable Aqua Bracelets Sold by Cherrydale Fundraising
By Cherrydale Fundraising, of Allentown, Pa.
The bracelets contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The recalled bracelets are stretchable, with silver-colored square links and aqua-colored beads. SKU#5384706813 is printed on the packaging.
Sold by Various dollar stores, liquidators, and schools as part of fundraising, nationwide from September 2003 through April 2007 for between $1 and $12.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bracelets and take them away from young children. Return them to the store where purchased or contact the firm to receive a full refund.

Children’s Metal Necklaces and Bracelets
By Colossal Jewelry & Accessories Inc., of Maywood, N.J.
The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The recalled metal necklaces and bracelets have silver-colored charms. Some also have colored beads. “Awesome Boutique” or “Share the Love” is printed on some of the jewelry’s packaging. The jewelry includes a necklace with a metal flower-shaped charm that hangs from a pink cord, a metal heart charm bracelet, a metal heart angel charm bracelet with colored beads, a metal bracelet with four heart charms and ruby-colored beads, necklaces with painted hearts that hang from a cord, and necklaces with tiny purses in various colors.
Sold in Various discount and dollar stores nationwide from January 2005 through June 2007 for about $1.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately take the recalled jewelry away from children and return it to the store where purchased for a full refund.

La Femme NY Children’s Necklace and Earring Sets
By La Femme NY 2 Inc., of Brooklyn, N.Y.
The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The recalled necklace and earring sets have a silver metal chain and a round pendant with a light blue jewel and three jeweled dangling charms.
Sold By Various dollar stores nationwide from October 2005 to April 2007 for about $1.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should stop using this product immediately and return it to the store where it was purchased to receive a full refund.

Crystal Innovations Jewelry Sold by Michaels
Distributor: Pure Allure, of Oceanside, Calif.
The recalled metal jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The recalled products are metal jewelry components. The SKU numbers can be located on the products’ packaging above the barcode. The following Crystal Innovations products are included in the recall:
See CPSC website for SKU numbers and descriptions, as there are many in this recall.
Sold by Michaels Stores nationwide from April 2006 to September 2007 for about $5.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately take these jewelry pieces away from young children and return it to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Shaving Paint Brushes
by Discount School Supply
Surface paint on the brush handles can contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recall involves a set of six “shaving-style” brushes, which are about 4-inches long. The brushes’ handles are painted blue, purple, orange, yellow, lime green, and pink. The item number #SHVBRSH is printed on the product’s packaging. Brush sets with handles in brown, dark blue, red, green, blue, and black are not included in this recall. The recalled brushes were also included with the “BioColor® Foam Paint Starter Kit” and “Colorations® Foam Paint Starter Kit.”
Sold by: Discount School Supply’s catalog and Web site from May 2004 through August 2007 for about $5. The BioColor® kits were sold from May 2004 through June 2006 for about $60. The Colorations® kits were sold from July 2006 through August 2007 for about $60.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the brushes immediately and contact Discount School Supply to receive a free replacement brush set.

Rachel Rose and Distinctly Basics Assorted Metal Jewelry
By Family Dollar Stores, of Charlotte, N.C.
The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The recalled jewelry was sold under the Rachel Rose and Distinctly Basics brands and includes key rings and pins with religious themes (crosses and fish symbols), key rings with "Mom" and cheerleader charms; bracelets with charms like handbags, flip flops, hearts, dresses, and flowers; silver-colored rings with designs or stones in a variety of colors; clutchless hoop earrings with decorations such as butterflies; and filigree and long drop earrings with stones in a variety of colors.
Sold at: Family Dollar stores nationwide from January 2003 through August 2007 for between $.50 and $2. A complete list of the recalled jewelry can be found at www.familydollar.com
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should immediately take the recalled jewelry away from children and return it to a Family Dollar store for a full refund.

Boppy® Slipcovers
The Boppy Company, of Golden, Colo.
The zipper pull on the slipcovers can break, posing a choking hazard to young children. In addition, paint on the zippers contains excess levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard.
This recall involves velvet and boa slipcovers intended for use with the Boppy® Bare Naked nursing and support pillow.

Slipcovers recalled due to a choking hazard were sold in three color combinations and have the following UPC and date codes found on the California Flammability Law tag. Slipcovers sold in clear vinyl packages are labeled Boppy® Luxe.
See CPSC for colors/fabrics as they are numerous.

Slipcovers recalled due excessive levels of lead paint were sold in four colors and have the following UPC and date codes found on the care instructions label and on the exterior of the packaging. Slipcovers sold in display boxes are labeled Boppy® Soothing.
Sold by: Slipcovers recalled due to choking hazard were sold at discount department stores nationwide from July 2006 through September 2007 for about $16. Slipcovers recalled due to lead paint were sold at discount department stores nationwide from February 2007 through September 2007 for between $15 and $17.
Manufactured in: China
Consumers should stop using these products immediately and contact The Boppy Company for a free replacement product.

Visual Presenters (sold as Image Presentation Cameras by Epson) by ELMO
Distributor: ELMO USA Corp. of Plainview, NY
Manufacturer: ELMO Co. Ltd., of Japan
Improperly installed fluorescent top lights in the presenter can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
Visual presenters capture images to LCD panels, LCD projectors and TV monitors. The recall includes presenters sold under the ELMO, Epson, Doar Communications, Vtel and Tandberg brand names. The presenters were manufactured between December 1993 and December 2003. The manufacturer information is located on the side, rear and bottom of the main body of the following ELMO model numbers, EV-500AF, EV-400AF, EV-6000AF, EV-8000AF, HV-5000XG, HV-7000SX, HV-8000SX, EV-4400AF, HV-5100XG and Epson model ELPDC02.
Sold by: Elmo dealers, office supply stores and other retailers nationwide from December 1993 to June 2006 for between $2,600 and $9,000.
Manufactured in: Japan
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled visual presenters immediately and contact Elmo USA for all models except Epson. All Epson owners should contact Epson. Consumers with recalled units will receive a free inspection and repair.

Another Christmas in Iraq - Making it Brighter!

This will be another Christmas in Iraq for the hardworking men and women of the armed forces. Recognizing that this is a real hardship for their families and to show support for them all, Gallery Collection has made a fantastic donation in conjunction with the support/aide group Soldiers Angels. They just donated a greeting card to be mailed to each soldier that wishes them Happy Holidays and Happy New year and tells them Thank You! Each serviceman or woman will also receive a blank card and envelope for them to write back home. They'll all receive these cards along with wonderful care packages sent by Soldiers Angels.

Gallery Collection is a Corporate Christmas Cards Company specializing in truly beautiful greeting cards. These days it's so easy to find cheapo cards with basic messages, but harder to find works of art to inspire those who will be recipients of your holiday joy.

You'll find some of the prettiest choices at their site, so go take a look and support them for supporting our troops

Thanksgiving - Giving Thanks!

It's really easy to get caught up in the downside of the holidays. The preparations, the family squabbles, the lack of money, etc. Remember the really reason that Thanksgiving was created...to give thanks...for anything in your family lives that you are grateful for.

Oprah did a good thing (sorry, Martha!) when she helped promote the idea of keeping a daily journal highlighting the parts and people of your life that you are grateful for. People forget the good things in their lives when they are only worrying about the bad. Life is full of the good and bad...that's life. Take a moment to remember the good and be thankful.

We like to take a moment before the big feast and write down one thing or moment that we are thankful for...then we draw them out and read them. We didn't always do this, it's a more recent addition to our holiday. But it always makes you think. Babies are born, people die, hardships happen, joyful reunions occur....what will you put on your list?

What are the Worst Working Conditions You've Endured?

When I was a new babe in the working office world, I started working at a bank. They started everyone out in the Collections Department...basically calling deadbeats for past due bills. They claimed that this would build your character, if you were going to be giving out loans later. I don't know about that, but the situation sure made for a cast of characters that rivaled "The Office".

I had a pregnant coworker threatened by a man holding an iron, when she went to his door to collect his past due payment (that's right.....our employer sent pregnant women out to collect door-to-door, but that's another story), I had to drive a hooker home after they repossessed her car, because none of the men would be alone with her. I also had a woman count me out $500 in cash in the worst crime-ridden neighborhood in the city to pay for her past due account. I fully expected to be jumped as I walked to my car, but thankfully was not.

We had no less than 4 different couples in the department having affairs, some married some, not. We had a gruff, biker repo man working for us that no one wanted to talk to, we were all scared of him...but we had to talk to him and pay him. That's just the tip of the iceberg...oh, and ALL the men in the department thought it was their right to go to strip clubs during working hours for lunch, often more than once per week....yes, it wasn't a women-friendly workplace. This was over 20 years ago.

But things haven't changed that much, have they? Tell me all about it.....

3 Fun and Unique Gifts for Anyone!

Christmas is a time to have fun and enjoy your family! It's a great time to bring smiles to their faces. It's really fun to find a few quirky items for those hard-to-buy-for family on your Christmas list. I've found three fun unique gifts that would make anyone happy! We got a chance to sample these with our family and all of them were hits! We live with my parents and our elementary aged children, so we have three generations of people with divergent tastes to please.

The first big hit was the Video Fireplace DVD. We live in Florida, where in the winter, we rarely have cold weather. It can be really hard to get the mood for the holidays without a fire. That's taken care of with this great DVD which gives you lots of options of fireplace fires to enjoy on your TV. We'll crank this baby up on the 80 degree Christmas Eve we almost always have! Can Santa come down the DVD this year? Does that even make sense?

The second fun little item is called the Smencils Gourmet Scented Pencil. They are really strongly-scented usable pencils with the smells of gourmet foods. We tried out Rootbeer flavor. The kids thought it was cool, it smelled exactly like a freshly-opened can of rootbeer. Smencils are made from recycled newspapers and bathed in cool scents that last! Even the shavings smell good. This would be a really great stocking stuffer for kids of all ages, especially people who love scents. Or teachers!

The third fun gift is called Insta Snow Fake Snow Powder. We looked at this tiny bag of white powder with some trepidation. The simple instructions say to add 10 ounces of water and get instant snow! Well, that sounded good too, since we rarely see a flake in north Florida. Here's what happened...we added water to our little packet in a bowl and instantly it exploded into a giant bowl of snow! It feels soft and cool and really looks like snow! The instructions on the website said we could actually make a snowman so we tried this by freezing it for an hour, but the kids couldn't wait that long and hauled it outside to start playing! The photo shows my little one enjoying the Insta Snow in Florida! You could use this stuff to make snow for your little fake Christmas scenes, surround your model train sets, or just play with it. It is also non-toxic, so you could, theoretically, eat some (bleh). They actually sell a size that would make 8 gallons of fake snow - I think it would be funny to dump into someones hot tub! This makes the Fake Snow Powder a great little stocking stuffer for people who can't find the real stuff!

Protect Yourself from MRSA Super Bug

I found this article to be very interesting and informative. Please be on the lookout for any signs and symptoms of a virulent MRSA infection of the skin, as described below.

According to the November 2007 Baptist Health Life in the Circle Newsletter, about one-third of healthy people carry staph—as it’s called for short—on their skin or in their nose without getting sick. However, staph can cause pneumonia or infections of the skin, joints, or blood. "Staph is the most common germ you have on your skin and body," explains Mobeen Rathore, MD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Wolfson Children's Hospital and the University of Florida/Jacksonville. "Only a small percent of people get sick with it." These infections are usually treated with antibiotics called beta-lactams.

Staph can mutate and change from a benign organism to a deadly one. About one percent of the population carry this type of staph, known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Not all people carrying MRSA get sick, but patients with MRSA infections are likelier than those with regular staph infections to have a serious illness, stay in the hospital for a long time or die. Serious bloodstream infections, pneumonia or surgical wound infections can result.

Early symptoms include:

• Boils or pimples on the skin that may feel warm or drain pus
• Fever
• Rash

In the community, the following people are at risk of catching MRSA:

. People who have had surgery or been in a hospital during the past year
· Those with weak immune systems
· Athletes who share personal items such as towels
· Children in daycare
· Large groups of people living together

Prevention Is Key

Hand washing with soap and warm water is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against MRSA. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers work, too.

The following steps can help prevent community-associated MRSA:
· Wash your hands with soap and water. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer containing at least 62 percent alcohol for times you don't have access to soap and water.

· Cover cuts and scrapes with clean bandages. Avoid touching other people’s used bandages.
· Don’t share razors, towels, clothing, athletic gear or other personal care items.
· Clean any rented or shared sporting equipment with an antiseptic solution before use.
· If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens in hot water with added bleach and dry them in a hot dryer. Wash gym and athletic clothes after each wearing.
· Shower immediately following athletic activity.
· If you have a skin infection that requires treatment, ask your doctor if you should be tested for MRSA. Always inform health care personnel if you have a wound or lesion that does not respond to initial therapy such as antibiotic ointment.

Walmart Children's Storage Rack and Hobby Lobby Halloween Baskets Recall

Two new children's products were put under recall this week by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. All details and color photos of the products may be found at their website. The products are listed below for your information - I am posting products that may affect children on my blog in hopes of helping parents prevent deaths and/or accidents with their precious children.

Jetmax International Ltd - 36,000 Boy’s and Girl’s Storage Racks with Canvas Totes
Hazard: The storage rack can tip over, posing an entrapment and suffocation hazard to young children. CPSC has received one report of a death involving an 8-month-old boy who was asphyxiated after he pulled on the storage rack and it fell over on him. The top rail landed on the infant’s neck. No other incidents have been reported.

Description: The storage rack is wooden with three levels and nine removable canvas totes. There are wooden handles on each side of the rack. The boy’s storage rack has natural color wood with red, yellow, green, and navy canvas totes. The girl’s storage rack has white colored wood with pink, yellow, lime, and purple canvas totes.

Manufactured in China

Sold at: Wal-Mart sold the storage rack under the brand “Home Trend Kids 9 Canvas Bin Boy’s and Girl’s Organizers.” Sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from August 2004 through July 2005 and Ollie’s stores nationwide from July 2006 through June 2007 for about $40.

Parent Action: Consumers should immediately stop children from using the recalled storage racks and contact Jetmax International to receive a free repair kit that adds stability to the base. For additional information, contact Jetmax at (800) 689-2168 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT, visit the firm’s Web site at www.jlwoodenmfg.com, or email info@jlwoodenmfg.com

Hobby Lobby Halloween-Themed Baskets
Units: About 10,000
By Hobby Lobby Stores Inc

Hazard: Surface paint on the bat, pumpkin and witch emblems attached to the baskets contain excess levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint ban.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

This recall involves all 2007 Halloween-themed baskets with item number 5464201. The item number is located next to the price on the paper hangtag on the handle. The plastic baskets are either black or orange with two carrying handles. An emblem of a witch, bat or pumpkin is attached to each side of the handle. The baskets measure 3 inches wide by 6 inches long by 4 ½ inches deep.

Sold at: Hobby Lobby stores nationwide from August 2007 through November 2007 for about $1.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should take the baskets away from children immediately and return them to Hobby Lobby for a $2 exchange card.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Hobby Lobby at (800) 326-7931 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hobbylobby.com

Amazing Ways to Tie Your Sneakers

I stumbled upon this blog post today, Amazing Ways to Tie Your Sneakers. There must be 50 ways to lace and tie your funky shoes. Who knew? I've got to tell you I've never done any other way except the way I learned when I was five years old. I think I will re-lace my Reeboks and see if I can be way cool at age 44. Check it out!

Parents Call for Recall of Mattel Hot Wheel Maniacs Car

Parents in Australia are calling for another Mattel toy to be pulled from the shelves. Hot Wheels Maniac is a car

"with a digital driver who according to the
literature, "begs, pleads and asks for more pain. Kids can over-feed, electro
shock and torture these digital drivers"."

Mothers groups are outraged there and are calling for the toys' removal due to its abhorrent messages for children and adults about torture and violence.

I did a quick search for them and found them at EToys. The description says "Meet the Maniacs, digital drivers ready for some out-of-control action. Spin 'em, flick 'em or press their buttons for hilarious reactions, cool games and crazy interactive fun. But best of all, you're calling the shots as you take these gassy goofballs on a drive to remember."

I'll bet they'd remember your children torturing them until they scream.....who designs this crap, anyway! I'm behind the Australians all the way with this one.

Santa Banned from Saying Ho Ho Ho

I laughed when I read this story. In Australia, recently hired Santas said they were told not to say "ho, ho, ho". Instead they are to say, "ha, ha, ha", because it was said that "ho" can be offensive to women. Give me a break! The Santas are appropriately outraged! Tell any "ho" that is offended by "ho, ho, ho" to go back where they came from!

Let's all get with the Christmas spirit and say "ho, ho, ho" to everyone we meet this year. And, by the way, head over to Santa's blog to keep the spirit going all this holiday season!

Bumbo Safety Video

Enjoy the latest video from Ready Set Bumbo - Bumbo Safety Instruction Video. Awesome! If only all safety videos were this cute and interesting. And if you have little ones, please be safe! Never use a Bumbo on an elevated surface!

I'm Sending My Gynocologist a Present!

It's been a while since I've updated anyone who is interested in my post-op hysterectomy progress. I had my laproscopic supracervical hysterectomy in mid June of this year. Things have never been better. I kept waiting for the monthly restarting of "trouble" that the forums warned me about, recurring pain, or some other "trouble"...and there's been....nothing! No trouble at all! No pain, no flows, nothing at all! I could not be happier! I truly plan on a sending some sort of gift to the doctor this year to thank them all. I was really worried about doing surgery and had lived for years with nightmarish bleeding and pain. I had anemia and little energy - well things are happy! Please feel free to email me if you need my doctor's name or information.

Today is my Nephew's Birthday

Today is my nephew's birthday. He's turning 8 today. Happy Birthday! November is the annual birthday month extravaganza. We also have one in March. November's extravaganza is:

Nov 4 - My grandmother (now deceased)
Nov 10 - My dad
Nov 11 - My nephew
Nov 16 - me
Nov 20 - my husband
Nov 25 - my cousin

We usually have had the big birthday month combined in with Thanksgiving and I'm sure we'll do that for me and my husband, since we had the big dad 70 yesterday. I still feel bad from drinking too much wine, so we're mellowing out.

My Dad's 70th Birthday

Nov 10th is my dad's 70th birthday. My sister and her husband are hosting a party for friends and family at their new St. Augustine Beach home. Friends and family are coming from all over the state. This is a big deal, cause he retired at age 50 and said he'd never live out of his 50's. He'll out live us all for sure.

New Toy Safety Website

Hello Readers! I received this e-mail today about a new toy safety website and decided it was good information indeed to share with everyone here at Parent Traps.

Here's the information I received:

"I wanted to get in touch with you today on behalf of The Toy Industry Association (TIA) which recently launched the new toy safety website http://www.toyinfo.org/.

I know toy recalls have been an issue followed closely by your Parent Traps readers, so I wanted to share this new resource. Aiming to both reassure and educate consumers on the industry’s rigorous safety standards and testing processes, the site contains answers to tough questions on what the industry is doing to ensure safety and how parents can help. Concerned parents and consumers can also have questions answered at TIA’s new toll free call center at 888-88-4TOYS (operating hours are 9 AM to 9 PM ET). Additional content at http://www.toyinfo.org/ includes:

The state of toy safety
Independent expert perspectives on toy safety from the medical and child safety communities
News updates
Behind-the-scenes toy testing and design videos
Recall notifications

Toy buying tips from Safe Kids Worldwide

Below this note I’ve also included a brief Q&A with Joan Lawrence, Vice President of Toy Safety. A mom of three, Joan has been with TIA for 15 years and oversees its Toy Safety Assurance Program. In addition to the Q&A below, I hope you’ll let your readers know about Joan’s brief video on the http://www.toysafety.org/ homepage.

I also have two additional Q&A’s on toy safety to share (if you’d like to share with your readers, let me know and I’ll forward to you) from:

Dr. Carl R. Baum, director of the Center for Children’s Environmental Toxicology at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. An expert on lead in toys, Dr. Baum is also a children’s health consultant for the Emmy Award-winning children’s program SeeMore’s Playhouse.
Chrissy Cianflone, program manager for Safe Kids Worldwide. In her role at SKW, Chrissy focuses on preventing unintentional childhood injury and encourages consumers to be selective when choosing toys for children.

Please feel free to share any or all of the content in this note with your readers. I’m happy to help with any additional assistance you might need – feel free to get in touch. Thanks, Stacey.

Best,

Rachelle

Rachelle Lacroix
For http://www.toyinfo.org/
202-857-2203

Q&A with Joan Lawrence, Vice President of Toy Safety at the Toy Industry Association
Joan Lawrence is the Vice President of Toy Safety at the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and also the mother of three young children. In the following Q&A, Joan discusses the most important toy safety information parents need to know, TIA’s new toy safety site http://www.toyinfo.org/, yesterday’s well-publicized recall of Aqua Dot toys, and some of the top toy trends this holiday season.

1.) You're a mom and the Vice President of Toy Safety for the Toy Industry Association. What do you say to reassure parents who are concerned about toy safety in light of recent recalls?

As a mom of three young children, I understand how the recent toy recalls can seem overwhelming and frightening. I always recommend to parents that they first check the recall reports and then their own homes to see whether the products they own are affected. If you have recalled products in your home, it is important to follow the instructions in the recall notice. (Recall notices for all products can be found at http://www.recalls.gov/).

But once you’ve done that, how can you be sure that toys in general – in your own home and on store shelves – are safe?

There are widespread efforts underway in the toy industry right now; retailers and manufacturers are retesting products for this fall and the upcoming holiday season to be sure that the products on shelves are safe and comply with our tough U.S. standards. If an issue emerges, the company moves quickly to recall the product and take it off the shelves. We are pushing for a federal law to make toy safety testing mandatory, and we’re working overtime to implement initiatives to strengthen the overall toy safety process going forward.

Finally, I always like to offer some perspective on the issue for parents like me. While the recalls may seem overwhelming, in fact, toys in the U.S. are very safe. Recalls account for a minute percentage of the 3 billion toys that are sold in the U.S. annually. Nonetheless, as an industry, we are working hard to strengthen the toy safety process and ensure consistent testing and inspection. For families with additional questions, I recommend they check out our toy safety information website http://www.toyinfo.org/ or call our toll-free helpline 1-888-88-4TOYS.

2.) Everyone knows about the recalls of toys with lead paint. How big is the problem and should parents be worried about toys made in China?

The toy industry is very concerned that lead has been found in the paint in some toys. This is absolutely unacceptable. We have a new initiative to ensure consistent testing and inspection of products so that this does not happen again. For now, two facts can help parents assess the relative risks of toys. First, parents should know that toys are statistically among the safest products in a household. Toy recalls account for less than one percent of the 3 billion toys sold in the U.S. annually. Also, all toys sold in the U.S. must conform to U.S. safety standards, regardless of where they are made. Secondly, medical experts and toxicologists say that a child’s exposure to lead from a recalled toy would likely be minute under normal use. They encourage parents to focus instead on the primary sources of lead in a child’s environment – from paint in old homes, lead in old plumbing, and other environmental sources. For more information about these issues from leading health experts, click here.

3.) Why are Aqua Dots toys being recalled?

Aqua Dot toys have been recalled after a finding that the colored beads may contain an ingredient that converts into a hazardous chemical when ingested. Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures. Parents should immediately remove the toys and can contact Spin Master for a credit or replacement.
We’re extremely concerned that a potentially hazardous substance may have been substituted for the manufacturer’s specified materials without authorization, resulting in the safety hazard posed by the recalled Aqua Dots toys. TIA is working closely with Spin Master and others involved to learn how this occurred, and how our new testing protocols can address the issue.

4.) What are the safety tips that every parent should know?

First and foremost, it is important to read the labels on toys. Many toys have a recommended age on the package, and parents and caregivers should make sure that children are playing with age-appropriate toys. Appropriate adult supervision is also critical and helps to ensure that children are safe at play. It is always important to keep small parts away from young children. For families with very young children as well as older children, it is critical to keep the older children’s toys away from the younger ones. With my own kids, I’ve found that it helps to enlist the help of the older children in this effort – by storing their toys away from their younger sibling and helping you monitor the younger one's play. Big kids will love the responsibility and the chance to call some toys all their own.

5.) What do you like most about working with toy companies, and how do you see your role?

I like that this is a competitive, creative industry – but all of that competitiveness is set aside when it comes to working on children’s safety. It is the one area where there is no competition, just cooperation for the common mission of ensuring kids are safe.
My core focus is overseeing our Toy Safety Assurance Program. We help develop the highest U.S. safety standards which are widely emulated around the world. We also educate the industry on what the standards are and how to comply, and we initiate improvements in the process to address emerging issues and concerns. In addition, we partner with other organizations to help educate parents and caregivers on safe play, providing information online and with printed materials. "

Recalls - Curious George, Kids Sunglasses, Cribs, Cars, Wagons and More

I'm updating this week's list of child and kid-related recalled items from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. I already profiled the Aqua Dots recall in an earlier post. Here is the list as of Friday, November 9, 2007 for this prior week. You can click on the toy name to go to the recall website for that item.

Parents and other concerned adults should take a vigilant look at your children's toys. Don't wait for a recall to remove old or damaged toys with loose or small parts. If you have older kids, please don't let smaller siblings near the toys with small and loose parts. I used to tell my older daughter every day that she had to keep the little toys away from her baby sister or I would take all of them away. She was very good about it. Know what is on the floor at all times! Be safe and careful this year! I will post news as it breaks.

Children’s Fashion Sunglasses
By Dolgencorp Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
The yellow surface paint on the sunglasses may contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recall involves yellow children’s sunglasses. No other colors of sunglasses are included in this recall. The word "CHINA" is printed on the left side of the frame. The UPC #400007860896 and words "Fashion Sunglasses" and "Time to Play Every Day" are printed on the product’s red hangtag.
Sold at: Dollar General stores nationwide from March 2005 through October 2007 for $1.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at http://www.dollargeneral.com/merchandise/recall.aspx for refund information.

Curious George Plush Dolls
By Marvel Toys, of New York, N.Y.
Surface paint on the toy’s plastic face and construction hat contain excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard.
This recall involves Curious George 12-inch plush dolls with a plastic face. The dolls are dressed to represent five various themes: birthday, fireman, sweet dreams, tool time and tool time with a soft face. The plush dolls were sold with a Curious George storybook or activity book. The following product and SKU numbers are printed on the packaging.
Birthday 90253/ 8-83199-90253-5, Fireman 90246/ 8-83199-90246-7; Sweet Dreams 90247/ 8-83199-90247-4; Tool Time 90251/ 8-83199-90251-1; Tool Time (soft face)
90251/ 8-83199-90251-1
In Toy and discount department stores nationwide from December 2005 through August 2007 for about $15.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Marvel Toys to receive a full refund.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Marvel Toys at (800) 352-2064 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.regcen.com/curiousgeorge

Wendy Bellissimo Collection Convertible Cribs
By Bassettbaby, of Bassett, Va.
Manufacturer: Goodbaby Child Products Company Ltd., of China
The bolts connecting the top corners of the crib can come loose, creating a gap and posing a serious entrapment and strangulation hazard.
Bassettbaby has 85 reports of bolts loosening, including one report of a 13 month-old child’s hand becoming entrapped between the railings.
This recall involves Wendy Bellissimo Collection convertible cribs, model numbers 5945-0521 and 5545-0521, sold in honey and cherry finishes. The full size cribs have a sleigh design and one of the following purchase order numbers at the bottom rail of the headboard: 272903, 272904, 273904, 276728, 276729, 291081, 323975, 324472, 320318, 323976, 332883 365620, 368466 in honey, and 338535, 338537 and 332884 in cherry. All other Wendy Bellissimo Collection cribs are not involved in this recall.
In Babies R Us stores nationwide from July 2005 through October 2007 for about $500.
Consumers should stop using these cribs immediately and contact Bassettbaby for a free repair kit.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Bassettbaby at (888) 897-4689 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET daily, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.bassettbaby.com/

“Robot 2000” Collectible Tin Robot
By Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Mass.
Surface paints on the robot contain excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard.
The “Robot 2000” is a battery-operated, tin robot standing 12” tall. It has a red light on the head and chest panels that open.
In Specialty toy stores and gift shops nationwide from October 2006 through September 2007 for about $25.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Schylling to receive a refund or free replacement toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Schylling at (800) 767-8697 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.schylling.com/

Dizzy Ducks Music Box
By Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Mass.
Surface paints on the wooden base of the music box contain excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard.
The Dizzy Ducks Music Box is a wind-up music box with ducks that spin as music plays.
In Specialty toy stores and gift shops nationwide from March 2007 through October 2007 for about $12.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Schylling to receive a refund or free replacement toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Schylling at (800) 767-8697 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.schylling.com/

Winnie-the-Pooh Spinning Top
By Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Mass.
Surface paint on the wooden handle of the top contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recalled spinning top is primarily metal and has wooden handles. The top is printed with Winnie-the-Pooh characters. Tops with plastic handles are not included in this recall.
In Specialty toy stores and gift shops nationwide from April 2003 through November 2003 for about $12.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Schylling to receive a refund or free replacement toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Schylling at (800) 767-8697 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.schylling.com/

Duck Family Collectable Wind-Up Toy
By Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Mass.
Surface paints on the ducks contain excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard.
The recalled Duck Family consists of a large wind-up duck, which pulls three little ducks. They are made of tin and are primarily yellow in color.
In Specialty toy stores and gift shops nationwide from January 2007 through August 2007 for about $8.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Schylling to receive a refund or free replacement toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Schylling at (800) 767-8697 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.schylling.com/

Pull-Back Action Toy Cars Dollar General
By Dollar General Merchandising Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Surface paint on the cars contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recall involves two styles of “pull and release” toy cars, including a four pack of Super Wheels (UPC #400016576344) and a two pack of Super Racer cars (UPC # 883788965002).
In Dollar General stores nationwide from April 2007 through October 2007 for about $1 per pack.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy cars away from children and return them to any Dollar General store for a full refund.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.dollargeneral.com/

Dragster and Funny Car toy - Schumacher Racing Matco Tools
By International Sourcing Ltd (ISL), of Springfield, Mo.
Surface paint on the wheels and engine of the toys contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recall includes plastic models of a dragster and funny car. The dragster is approximately 22 inches long, black in color with various sponsor decals on the toys. The funny car is approximately 14 inches long and is also black in color. Both models have the ISL logo imprinted on the underside.
In National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events through Schumacher Racing, and Matco Tools through door to door sales by its representatives from March 2007 through September 2007.
Consumers should immediately take the toy away from children, and return it to International Sourcing Ltd. for a full refund or replacement product.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact International Sourcing Ltd at (877) 404-1584 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.islpromotions.com/

“Big Red” Wagons Northern Tool & Equipment
By Northern Tool & Equipment Co., of Burnsville, Minn.
Surface paints on the wagon and handle contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recalled wagon has a red painted, steel deck with removable wooden sides. The wheels have ball bearings and air-filled tires.
In Northern Tool & Equipment catalog, Web site, and retail stores nationwide from July 2007 through September 2007 for about $60.
Customers should immediately take the recalled wagon away from children and return it to any Northern Tool store for a free replacement.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Northern Tool & Equipment Co. at (800) 222-5381 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.northerntool.com/

“Skippy” Pool Toys
By Swimways Corp., of Virginia Beach, Va.
The elastic tongue of the fish can break and forcefully come out and cut the users’ hands during launching of the toy.
Incidents/Injuries: Swimways has received 24 reports of the pool toy breaking during use. There were five reports of injuries to children including one requiring stitches to a child’s hand. Another child’s thumb nail was ripped back from the nail bed.
This recall involves a rubber pool toy shaped like a fish. The fish are blue, purple or green colored and measure 8 ½ inches long by 5 inches wide. A loop of elastic tubing shaped like a tongue comes out of the mouth of the fish and is used for launching the fish across the water like a slingshot. “WARNING. Do not aim at another person. Made in China” is printed on the bottom of the fish.
In Mass merchandisers and independent pool supply stores nationwide from February 2007 through September 2007 for about $10.
Consumers should take the toy away from children immediately and contact Swimways for a free replacement toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Swimways toll-free at (888) 559-4653 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.swimways.com/

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn™ Learning Kitchen™ Toys
By Fisher-Price Inc., of East Aurora, N.Y.
Pieces of the faucet or the clock hands can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.
Incidents/Injuries: There have been 48 reports of small parts separating from the toys, including two reports of children gagging on pieces, one report of a child who started choking on a piece and one report of a child who choked on a piece.
The recall involves a play kitchen learning toy with a pretend refrigerator, range and sink. The product’s item number L5067 is stamped in several locations on the toy and printed on the product’s packaging above the UPC.
In Various retail and toy specialty stores nationwide from May 2007 through October 2007 for about $70.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Fisher-Price for a free repair kit.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Fisher-Price toll-free at (888) 812-7187 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Saturday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp

Have Greener Christmas by Using LED Holiday Lights

LED Christmas lights are a great way to save electricity this Christmas holiday. They use 80 to 99% less electricity than traditional incandescent holiday lights. LED Christmas tree lights will also last over 50,000 hours versus about 2000 hours for regular lights. You can save money and extend the life of bulbs. How many of you have spent hours trying to find that one burned out bulb any way! A lot of lives are also lost around Christmas when Christmas trees and homes burn due to hot or badly wired lights. Since LED holiday lights operation at only 1 degree above ambient temperature, they don't heat up, so there's less overall fire risk.

I still have video of my then baby girl trying to grab and bite our first year Christmas tree mini-lights. Those of you with kids will appreciate that LED mini light are encased in nearly indestructible plastic bulb which can take lots of abuse, unlike the glass bulbs. So help save some money, electricity and fuel in a time when we need to change the direction our Earth is headed. Oil prices are going through the roof, so make a very easy change to be greener and try LED holiday lights this year!

Aqua Dots Equal Date Rape Drug? Now I Have Heard it All!

My littlest one begged me for months to buy her Aqua Dots. Thanks goodness, I didn't give in to the endless commercials for them. They looked kind of cool as an art project, but I resisted. Now they are recalled for becoming the equivalent of the date rape drug when ingested. I have heard it all now. I had hopes for the American toy market. Now - I give up. I might as well throw everything in the trash.

How could this happen people! HOW! Everyone better get off their booties and call your people in Washington and make sure they put an end to this. What can we really count on getting our children that is safe?

Hey, I missed some time the past two days due to my "procedure" but I will be catching you all up in a few posts on all the millions of recalled toys - I will post more later! Gotta get the kids at school!

Updated - check out the story of the mother whose baby went to a coma after eating Aquadots. How many other kids did this happen to that we all don't know about?

I'm back from the Colonoscopy!

Thanks for caring, but I'm back from the colonoscopy and actually sitting on my derriere as we speak. I feel okay now. But here's how it all went down:

I spent yesterday evening do what they call the "prep". It is an awful way to spend any time, but it had to be done. I will never drink Gatorade again.

All night long, some dog was running around the neighborhood barking its fool head off. It sounded lost and locked out. If it weren't so dark, 3am and such, I would have gone to see what was happening. This went on for hours. So add to my mix - total sleep deprivation.

I also had a headache from Hell! This may be due to low blood sugar, no coffee, I don't know. But after "the prep", even the headache wasn't as bad in perspective.

My mom and I headed off the clinic for my early appt. I was so happy to be there to end my hunger and fast! Maybe that's why they prep you too - the procedure seems like a cake walk after all that you do for two days. Basically after the IV was in, it was a piece of cake. They give you that dreamy twilite sleep med and you are out. I did wake up just before they were done, but didn't feel anything - really! I guess I spent about an hour drifting in recovery and then they sent me home.

Why did I get a colonoscopy at age 43? My dad has a history of polyps - lots of them. And these are what can turn to cancer if left alone. I saw that teary farewell to Joel Siegel earlier this year and vowed I would get a test. My sister-in-law's dad died of colon cancer because he never saw a doctor until it was way too late. It turns out I made the right decision when I asked my doctor if I should go. She basically said Hell, yeah - in doctor jargon of course, when I reminded her this summer about my dad's history.

My results - 3 polyps were found and removed. Now I await the pathology to make sure they are benign (noncancerous). I will unfortunately now have to get this procedure more often. They say it takes 5-10 years for polyps to grow, but once they know you get them, they check you a lot more. It's certainly better than getting colon cancer.

I'll take this final moment, before I go back to bed, to say - get yourself checked if you need to - don't wait til age 50 if your family has had any polyps or cancer - my doctor says it is imperative to do this sooner! - now I'm off to bed!

When the cat is away, the mice will guest post

Stacey wanted me to post for her today. She's miserable and isn't in the mood for it. She had to stop her medications over the weekend, so she's a walking mass of aches and pains. She wasn't allowed to eat today, and she had to take some pretty potent laxative because the docs like clean pipes for their expensive instruments.

So, I'll be doing the single-dad thing tomorrow - getting the kids up, dressed, fed, and off to school while still getting myself off to work. I'm spoiled, I don't have to do that stuff on normal days. Still better than getting a 'scope crammed up my butt, ya know?

(Man, I'm going to be in soooo much trouble for giving out too. much. info.)

Other things better than getting a 'scope crammed up my butt:

1. Pretty much everything non-lethal and non-forcible-assault.

Yes, I'm a walking case of colon cancer just waiting to happen.

Anyway, it's a routine thing, but good thoughts are always appreciated. Stacey loves comments, so I'd like to see everyone reading this leave her some special thoughts. Feel free to relate them to butts and things that aren't supposed to be in them. Here, I'll go first:

"Honey, hope everything comes out ok tomorrow."

The Dreaded Colonoscopy This Week

On Wednesday I will have my very first colonoscopy. This isn't like the first time I voted, or drank beer, or drove a car, but it's definitely a first. Everyone tells me that it will be fine, you don't know what is happening, blah, blah blah. That sounds all well and good until you are only a few days prior to the dreaded colonoscopy for yourself! It really is creating more worry for me than my hysterectomy surgery did for some reason. Maybe its the great unknown...because I had had surgery before. Does this make sense?

Anyway my diet Tuesday will consist of water, broth, Popsicles and apple juice...maybe some ginger ale. Yum-oh! So count on my posting having a little bid of edge - hunger will do that to me. Yes, half glass full people, I know I'll lose some weight!

Why I'll Never Shop At WalMart Again

I bundled my kids off to WalMart yesterday for two main reasons: 1) to shop for cheap new shoes for them both and 2) purchase a cheap but useful DVD player for my father's 70th birthday this coming week.

As we wound our way through the cavernous cheapness that is Wally World, the children started misbehaving. I don't call this blog Parent Traps because I'm an expert and this day showed I'm far from it. They were bickering and battling noisily, like siblings often do. We searched the kid's shoes and found them to be quite picked over with nothing in their sizes. (note: why can't anyone seem to keep shoes stocked?)

So we went over to the electronics to search for the DVD player, bickering kids continuing. Immediately, I was tailed by the overtly-dressed female security officer. I ignored her as she stayed somewhat away at first. Then she got into my face - I mean as I was looking at blank DVD's, she stood in my personal space. I knew what she was doing - she was profiling me as a shoplifter. My husband later said it was because I had a big purse and noisy kids - that's the typical WalMart thief. Yeah right, me, Vera Bradley-toting, mother-of-two, who was about to spend a fairly decent amount of dough on a gift there. Once again, I pretended she was not there (because with the kids already ticking me off, I wasn't in the mood to complain) and kept on doing what I was doing. As we walked out of the section, near the movies, she still followed me. I responded to her intimidation tactics by merely asking my daughter to name all the movies she wanted for Christmas and stepped into the security guards space. I wasn't going to be pressured. So we kept on doing our shopping and finally, as we moved out of that section, she left us alone. I was livid.

We finally found all our items from our list and we went to check out. We had the slowest, chattiest cashier on the face of the earth. She took 25 minutes to check out the person in front of us. Then she slowly checked us out as well. I made sure to keep my receipt in hand as we left.

As soon as we got the door, the buzzer rang. The greeter-slash-old geezer ran over to me and pointed excitedly "VCR, VCR". I, very angrily, handed him the receipt and said, "I just checked out". He didn't apologize and sent me on my way.

I know what happened. They rang the bell on me in security. The bastards! I will never, never, never, never, never set foot on any WalMart property again. I have cancelled my Sams Club membership today and my credit card. I have never been treated so shabbily by any retailer in my entire life. I have spent countless thousands funding WalMart's business expansion during my shopping life. No more - I will strictly fund Target and other retailers in the future where they don't treat you like a criminal for merely shopping with children.

We did shop at Target later in the day and were treated properly, with respect and courtesy. The way you should be. And they actually HAD shoes in my daughters' sizes.

With their endless China-made products, who needs WalMart anyway. I am boycotting WalMart forever! And you can bet I'm telling everyone I know this story. I can pay a few extra dollars to be treated like an honest citizen, not the thief that WalMart apparently thinks its customers all are.

Now My Kids Like to Clean Their Room

Whoa, I bet you think I'm lying, don't you? Well, anything can be done with the proper motivation. Our Chore Chart motivator is toys. Without motivation my children are basically slugs when it comes to cleaning. That's why we are starting to use the PAYjr allowance system.

PAYjr, the leading online allowance and chore program for kids, has launched a new partnership with Target. Now, allowances can be loaded directly, electronically, and automatically to a free and reloadable Target Gift Card. The perfect program to teach kids 12 and under how to manage money.

We have set up an online Chore Chart for each child, which was easy to do. When each kid completes an assigned chore, we review it and approve payment which will be allocated to that child's Target Card. We have always found it difficult to keep a regular chore chart going and slipped up with tracking - this solves all the problems and makes rewarding them easier.

The children love Target, and they are looking forward to earning more to pay for their toy purchases.

Six Months Since Madeleine McCann Disappeared

Madeleine McCann disappeared six months ago from her parent's villa in Portugal. I am posting this in the remote hope that some day someone will find her. I say remote, because very few kids get found or turn up when they've been missing this long. I have kept a blog vigil since this story broke earlier in the year and have posted her photo periodically.

I say to all, please still keep an eye out for Madeleine. And beyond her - keep an eye out for any child who might be in need of a saviour. That child with a black eye who explains it away....a child who needs more attention than his family can give at the time...step in and help. And always report any situation or child you feel in endangered in any way. We must remain a village, world-wide in keeping children safe.

When It's Time to Fall Back - Check Your Alarm Batteries

Next Saturday we finally get to "Fall Back" and have that extra blissful hour of sleep as we reset the clocks back one hour. The experts always say to take this twice per year clock change as an opportunity to do some safety updates.

1) Check the batteries in your smoke or other alarms. Face it you don't do this if you don't have a reason to and you don't want that reason to be a fire! Our brother-in-law had this really happen earlier this year and he almost had the house burn. He had taken the batteries out when it was beeping too much in the kitchen. The wiring in the attic caught fire one night and luckily he was awake, otherwise the home, their dogs and he might be up in smoke too. Lesson learned the hard way!

2) Update your alarms - there are newer and better models out than the 15 year old ones that might be on your ceiling. Take a look and see what you've got.

3) Consider adding a carbon monoxide alarm. Cars in the garage, fireplaces, and gas appliances are just some of the ways this often odorless gas can seep into your home and silently kill you. Don't mess around - get this one done.

Latest Toy Recall News

I've gotten good feedback from prior readers who like my recall news. There's been a lot to cover this week, so I am catching up on the last few days important kid-related recalls. I'm sorry I wasn't at the computer to put out the news immediately on the ugly teeth recall (see below). And if you child has anything that looks like these, just throw them out right away. At 100 times the allowable lead paint level, why even take a chance? Ironically, my child's kindergarten teacher handed them out on Halloween as a favor. We all dumped them right away. She didn't know. So take a look! And get more details at Consumer Product Safety Commission. And yes, it is already affecting pre-holiday sales - please shop responsibly!

“Ugly Teeth” Party Favors
The surface paint on the teeth contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The fake Halloween teeth are painted white, black and orange with brown gums. They were sold as party favors in packages of eight. “Ugly Teeth,” “Amscan,” “Party Favors,” “Value Pack Party Favors,” UPC 0-48419-65002-7 and UPC 0-48419-61663-4 are printed on the packaging.
Sold at: Various retailers nationwide from January 2006 through October 2007 for about $2.

“Galaxy Warriors” Toy Figures
Surface paints on the recalled toys contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The posable spaceman figures are about 4½-inches tall and come with two accessories. They were sold in various colors including yellow, grey, silver, blue, green, gold, black, and red.
Sold at: Family Dollar Stores nationwide from January 2006 through October 2007 for about $1.

Decorative Packaging Pearl-like Bead Attachments sold with Girl’s Gift Sets
Surface coating on a plastic bead decorative packaging attachment contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recalled item is a pearl-like pink bead attachment on the outside packaging of the gift sets and a zipper pull/wrist band on a cosmetic lip gloss set. The gift sets were sold under the “Sparkle by Too” line, as follows: 3-Pack Lip Gloss Wristlet (Style No. 2014), 4-Pack Body Spray (Style No. 2017), and 3-Piece Bath Set (Style No. 2018).
Sold at: Limited Too retail stores nationwide, catalog and Web site from April 2007 through September 2007 for between $11 and $13.

Elite Operations Toys
Toys “R” Us Inc., of Wayne, N.J.
Surface coatings on the toys contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
The recall involves four military-style Elite Operations toys, including Super Rigs (#1004), Command Patrol Center (#1020), Barracuda Helicopter (#1023), and 3 Pack 8-inch Figures (#1024). The product number is located on the toy’s packaging.
Sold at: Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and toysrus.com from July 2007 through October 2007 for between $10 and $30. No other Elite Operations brand military play sets are included in this recall.

Ribbit Board Games
Surface paint on the five frog-shaped wooden pieces contain excess levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
This recall involves SimplyFun Ribbit board games. The games are sold with five frog-shaped wooden pieces that act as pawns for movement. The wooden pieces are blue, red, green, yellow and lavender in color.
Sold by: SimplyFun independent consultants nationwide from March 2007 through October 2007 for about $18.

Thank You, Readers!

Hello Dear Readers,

If you are reading this, thank you! I want to thank all of you for joining me in my blogging journey this year! I'd really like a few moments of your time to get some feedback from y'all! What do you like reading about here? What would you like to see more of? Less of? Tell me and I promise to incorporate your thoughts going forward.

Your Writer, Stacey

Seasons - A Poem

I thought I'd share a poem my daughter wrote this week while sitting in class. Her teacher was so impressed with it, she called me to tell me. This wasn't an assignment, she just did it for fun:

Seasons

A summer breeze turns to fall wind,
Which will soon turn to winter.
And soon to Spring when the frost melts,
And then right back to summer.
The seasons change throughout the year,
Summer fun turns to holiday cheer.
It seems like magic in the air,
When the seasons change everywhere!

It really is this way isn't it? And now we're already getting ready for winter!

Did You Survive Halloween?

We managed to only be out treat or treating for less than one hour. Our oldest got amazingly tired really, really fast. We did visit the scary house of robot costumes again this year and they were running around with chainsaws after the children. The kids said they never want to go there again, and I believe I concur. After all, I'm not sure the chain saws weren't real! They did get a lot of candy in just one block though, enough to last a long long time. Older one went as "the devil" and younger one as "Hannah Montana". I won't miss the end of Halloween this year. After one party, two class parties and trick or treating - I'm done....and done in.