Holy Recall Batman!

More recalls for ya. As if there haven't been enough, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled more toys for possible lead paint contamination. There are too many to list, but it does include Thomas the Train and a few really cute rakes and shovels from Target. Read the full list on the cpsc home page. As for me, I think I'll be getting my son some 2 x4's and a saw* for Christmas so he can make some wooden toys himself. It will probably be safer that way.


*(ok, i would never really do that, so don't worry!)

I'm Going Pink!

As I'm sure you are aware of, October is breast cancer awareness month. I know many many people have been touched by this disease, me being one of them. My mother in law is almost a year survivor and my aunt has just found a lump in her breast. Raising awareness for the disease is very close to my heart. Therefore I am going pink!! You can read more about the going pink movement here and here.

My Friday Randomness

Goodyblog is one of my usual daily stops and I had to post about a story I just read on there. It addresses the very serious problem in schools today of bullying. I remember getting picked on once or twice in middle school and just those few times were horrible. I can't imagine getting picked on all the time. It's a horrible problem that I think has definitely gotten worse since I've been in school (I won't tell you how long that has been!) and it's nice to see there are still people out there that are willing to stand up for others. That's how I came across my best friend in middle school - she was getting picked on by the "in" girls over her boy haircut and I stood up for her saying I thought the cut was cute. I'm still pretty proud of myself over that seeing as it was my 2nd day in a brand new school and I was only 9. It's pretty insignificant considering what these boys did in the Goodyblog story but every little bit counts right!

I wrote a post about Whymommy and her fight with Inflammatory Breast Cancer back in August. I'm just posting again about TeamWhymommy for all the bloggers out there on how to join the team. Join the team and post the button on your site with pride!!

Educate Yourself on Meningitis

I recently found out that one of my son's friends had been diagnosed with meningitis and realized after hearing this that I knew zero about the disease except that it was a pretty bad thing to have. I myself was thought to have had meningitis when I was 9 months old but after a spinal tap it was diagnosed as septicemia which nearly killed me. So after hearing the news, I took it upon myself to read up on something that I as a parent should probably know more about. I also decided to post about my findings on here to hopefully educate others on this getting rare, but very dangerous illness. In my research, I discovered that there are basically 2 forms of meningitis; bacterial and viral. Bacterial is the big daddy, almost always killing the victim within the first 48 hours if it is not diagnosed and treated in time. Viral is the more common of the two and while less fatal, is still just as dangerous if not caught in time. 90% of people diagnosed with meningitis have the viral form of it and are treated with antibiotics and cured usually about 2 days after diagnosis.
I also learned the meningitis is not necessarily something that you catch from someone else. While it is a very contagious illness, some unlucky people are just predestined to have it. It can start out as a very common sinus or ear infection but if the bacteria manage to pass over into the brain membrane, it causes meningitis. Another interesting fact is that some people are exposed to the illness and never even get meningitis. The immune system successfully fights the germ off and gets stronger because of that fight.
The most important thing is to learn what the symptoms are and spot them as quickly as possible. Some of the more common symptoms are fever and/or vomiting, severe headache, rash (anywhere on the body), stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, very sleepy/vacant/difficult to wake, confused/delirious, and seizures.
As with most things, the best prevention is to wash your hands. Vaccinating your children is also a great preventative measure although I know some people choose not to vaccinate which is totally their decision. These include shots for measles, chickenpox, Hib disease, and pneumococcal infection. There is also a vaccine for kids 11-18 years of age that can last up to 10 years which the CDC strongly recommends.
So I hope I've passed on some needed info to parents and others. Check out the links for more in depth information. Thanks for reading!

Green is the New Black

So all of this talk lately on plastics leaching nasty chemicals into your food and drink has tossed me right up on the new living green/screw plastic bandwagon. I went on a freak out cleaning spree yesterday, throwing out half of my son's sippy cups and tiny plates and plastic-ware. Now I'm trying to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to replace the trashed stuff with and even though going green is getting to be a big thing right now, I'm having a really hard time finding anything. So anyone that happens to stop by and read this, could you pass on some tips if you have any? So far, this is what I have found:
I'm having no problem finding cleaning products for my home. One brand that I have heard great things about is Seventh Generation. These products seem to be very readily available as I have found them at Publix, Target and my local health food store. After my trashing rampage the other day, I made a visit to my local health food store and scored a few of these products. I purchased the Free and Clear Fabric Softener and have used it a few times and so far, have no problems with it. This is coming from someone who breaks out if I even smell the laundry detergent Gain. So I have to be very careful what I put in my washing machine. I also purchased the Free and Clear Dishwashing Liquid since what plastic did survive the trash out day, is now being handwashed in cooler water instead of fried in the dishwasher. Think I'm a fanatic yet? My last purchase of this product line was the Free and Clear Automatic Dishwashing Powder. I'm a little hesitant about this one since I've tried other dishwasher detergents and none clean as well as my Cascade Complete with Bleach. So I'll let ya know about this one.
Ok, so after that shopping spree, I moved on to baby products since I read that most of the stuff we use on our little people are very harsh and made by companies that conduct animal testing. (bad bad stuff) If you want to read up on what stuff goes into the things we put on our bodies, check out Skin Deep's database. Very very informative. Anyway, I found that while the wipies I have been using (huggies extra sensitive, no fragrance wipes) on my son had a very low hazard, the diaper rash ointment, soap and lotion I was using (all Aveeno) had a moderate hazard. I picked up the Tushies unscented with Aloe wipies and went with Nature's Gate Organics for the lotion, diaper rash ointment and soap/shampoo.
So as far as the whole living green thing, I don't think I've hardly made a drop in the bucket. But trust me, if I could afford a hybrid car, I would totally do it.

Road Tested: Dyson

Yes I did it. I finally broke down and bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner. I've been fighting the urge ever since I first saw the Dyson commercial who knows how long ago. My main problem was trying to figure out how to justify forking out $400 for a vacuum. What makes this one so special that it's $150 more than the top of the line Bissell? So I held out and kept looking. I finally decided on the Bissell Healthy Home and was all set to buy it until the Target ad came out this past Sunday. A pink Dyson. Not only does Dyson donate $40 from the sale of every one of these pink lovelies to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, but Target was giving away $100 giftcards to everyone that bought one. And it was pink. That was it for me. I came home 2 days later $400 poorer with a pink Dyson vacuum cleaner. I let it sit in the box for 3 hours, almost scared to open it and dirty it up with the job of sucking up dirt off my floor. How could I do that to such a lovely piece of machinery? I finally broke down and opened it to try it out. I vacuumed the area rug in front of my couch that had previously been vacuumed only the day before and I was shocked at all of the dirt this thing sucked out. Dirt that I was glad to see go but also grossed out that all of this was coming out of a rug we practically lived on. So to sum up this story, the price tag on a Dyson Vacuum is well worth it. There are more expensive models than the one I bought, but I think it's safe to assume that they are worth it as well.

Here we go again people!

Another recall has just been issued by Mattel. Wanna take a guess where the toys are coming from? I'm terrified now everytime I buy my son a toy. When is Walgreen's going to start carrying the diaper bag lead tester kit? Because everyone sure as hell better invest in one - it doesn't look like this is going to end anytime soon. You can read about the latest recall on Mattel's website or check out CPSC's site for this and the other many many recalls. Also, check out this blog for tons more info on the whole lead/recall thing. Very interesting read!

Things I Want

This too cute lunchbox for my son.
Any of these cute beanbags, just because they're so flippin' adorable!
This cool backpack for my son so he can carry all of his random things with him instead of sticking them in my purse. Too bad it's sold out. :(
The new ipod nano. I have the old ipod mini, but this new nano plays video, has longer battery life, which is my main complaint for the old ipods, and is very affordable.
The Flip Video. It doesn't get much easier than this people and you can use your cd burner on your laptop to create custom dvds. I have to have this one!

Germaphobes Unite!

I am a self professed germaphobe. I open doors with paper towels, have purell all over my house and freak out when someone sneezes in an elevator. I have been known to hold my breath when someone coughs near me and I wash my hands in scalding water after touching raw meat. So I am always on the search for germ killers and sanitizing products. I wanted to share a few for fellow germaphobes.
I really really want the personal germ eliminator. It says it kills 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and molds in seconds, including influenza, salmonella, staph and E. coli. using UVC lights. But I have to wonder, does it really truly work? I'm sure I'll end up buying it and trying it out.

Ok, this next little thing is called the Handler. It's some little strange contraption that opens door handles instead of you touching the handle or using paper towels to do it for you. Personally, I think I'll skip this one, but maybe it's for you. I dunno. Check her out:

And for all of the moms and dads out there who have heard of the whole alcohol in hand sanitizers making kids drunk, may I introduce Cleanwell. No alcohol, easy spray hand sanitizer safe for kids. Order some up!
These are actually some cute cuddly germs. Cozy up with one tonight!
Ew! Here is a list to freak some of you guys out so you never touch anything again!
So have I freaked you out enough? I'll keep updating with more cool germ killing stuff as it comes along. Stay clean!