Friday, December 07, 2007

More Lead....

I have too much time on my hands lately. All The Princess wants to do is nurse Alllllll freaking day, so here I sit.

Anyhow this article depressed me, here's part of it:

The red blood pressure cuff is part of the Fisher-Price Medical Kit, a classic toy that has been sold for several years. We found high lead levels embedded in the red plastic arm band as well as on the surface of the arm band, which we determined could easily rub off on the hands of a child playing with the toy. Based on the levels of accessible surface lead we measured, we estimated that a child could potentially receive a dose of more than 15 micrograms of lead per day through foreseeable hand-to-mouth contact while playing with the toy. That amount could potentially increase a child's risk of accumulating a blood lead level that exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter—the threshold established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that generally triggers some form of intervention by doctors or public health officials.

Although we discussed our test results with Fisher-Price and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), neither took immediate action. Fisher-Price contends that the toy "is fully compliant" with all federal regulations, which CPSC confirms. But the federal regulation for lead in toys places limits on only paint and surface coatings. There are no federal limits on lead in plastics such as PVC. That’s a huge gap in the regulations that can leave children at risk for lead exposure. Congress is currently working on federal legislation that will close the gap and, if passed, will regulate lead in all children's products. Consumers Union has been supporting this effort, (ok, you gotta click on the words "supporting this effort" and go laugh at their video!) which promises to reduce children's risk of lead exposure.

Rest of Article

So some of my children's plastic toys, (besides whatever freaking Bisphenol A (BPA), might be in them, don't get me started on that), now have unregulated lead levels. Are you kidding me? Please tell me that we have better standards in Canada, actually, don't bother, cause all these toys are coming here anyways.

This site is interesting Public Interest Research Group .

I need to get The Princess watching TV or something, I am THIS close to retreating to my own commune with angora goats and sheep for clothes, a couple packets of organic seeds, dig a well and build a big effing compound fence.

I will not read anymore today...I will not look anymore today.....I am going to watch Dora in her lead-paint empire of splendor.

What Was That You Lead? I Mean Said???

Yah, another lead recall. Which we have in the house and used with Mr K to potty train him. I take some consolation in the fact that he hated it LOL and we used it as a step stool with the lead part hidden. Still. I mean, its a POTTY. I can't even have a potty without lead in it?

I'll send away for my stupid permanent clear protective cover and see what it is. I am curious what *CHEAP* measure they have come up with. A cover to cover it and not a recall of the whole item....let's see how that pans out.....

Recall info here



Edited to add: Alright so I ordered my plastic piece. Shipping time is 8-10 weeks. EIGHT TO TEN WEEKS!! Do they even comprehend what that is to a potty training mom? That's not the usual 4-6 mailing weeks, thats almost DOUBLE! How many moms are going to have to go and buy another potty, because odds are that if you are serious about that plastic piece (not me, I just wanna get a look at this shitty plastic solution so I can be even more disgusted at the company) you are in the middle of USING the damn thing!! Right....cause ANY mom who is in the middle of successful training is just going to stop dead and wait 10 weeks.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Paper Globe Ornaments

I saw a picture of these on someone's blog, but not a tutorial. I have searched, found that OF COURSE they are a Martha craft, but they aren't in her archives, they are from December of last year darn it. So, I attempted them anyways, and I am hoping that once Amanda looks at these, there is a tutorial in her book, because they just didn't work out exactly how I wanted.

You can tell how its put together from this pic. I used scrapbook paper and brats left over from all the wonderful stuff Cori gave me last year. (LAST year Cori ,sheesh!!)

But they don't hang like I want them too, too oval.
Then we made another one, and Miss I decided to grab it and squish it, during which I shrieked, then SHE shrieked:

"Mommmy! Its a beeee-ooo-tiful bucket!!"

And so it is my girl....they make very nice, adorable baskets as well!



I think I need to try stock paper, more firm, colored on both sides and I might get the right sphere shape out of them....but here's the concept anyways, great concept, just need to fine tune it! Hopefully someone has a tutorial somewhere!!

If Your Ovaries Aren't Tingling, You're Lying

Auntie just had to steal a picture of her girls from their blog....


I'd nag Mom about not updating more,but I think I will cut her some slack LOL. Which, by the way, leads me to my congrats to Kandice for breastfeeding TWINS for the last 9 weeks and still plugging away. I know how much damn hard work this has been for you, and you have had persistance that amazes me, the patience of a saint, a thankfully amazingly supportive husband and I am SO proud of you and what you have accomplished. You're my hero!

(insert Wind Beneath My Wings Music)

Oh crap there go those tears welling up again. I think I cry all of December....its a yearly thing. Mike reminded me yesterday that I cry when I hear my favorite Christmas songs. Emotional basketcase.

Hahahaah I added the blurb about Wind Beneath my Wings and now I am laughing again.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Kids Stress Too

While watching our trash tv (America's Next Top Model) we saw this ad for the first time. The little blonde girl at the end brought tears to my eyes. Everything is bringing tears to my eyes. I need some freakin' sleep before I cry myself dry. (this is where you say, Karlynn, STOP BLOGGING and go to BED!) and I shall.



An exerpt from the Youtube explanation:

As one of their major assignments, each of three groups of students selected a target age group and a relevant health topic for that group. The students then translated the latest research on that health topic into an appropriate visual medium for their audience.One group selected children and stress. They realized that they needed to target parents and decided that a public service television announcement would be the best medium for disseminating information about stress among kids. Working with KidshaveStressToo.org, a program of the Psychology Foundation of Canada, a local filmmaker and child actors, the group produced a 30 second public service announcement that is currently airing on City TV Edmonton and Calgary."There are so many pressures on kids that we thought it would be good just to raise awareness of it," said Emily Handford who, along with Karen Ross and StephanieYan, produced the dramatic commercial that puts children in adult situations, to communicate the fact that children suffer from stress as much as adults do. "It already had a well-developed website around it so we decided to make a commercial around it, to hopefully send people to the website and raise awareness about it."With a budget of $500 and the help of local filmmakers Tyler MacIntyre and Ian Ketehu, the threesome went about begging and borrowing their way to a television commercial."Karen had the idea of having kids dressed up in actual office attire," said Handford, whose team borrowed kids from their own families and a local theatre group. "The idea was these are some things that cause stress in adults, and although that doesn't cause stress in kids it kind of grabs people's attention." The group consulted with U of A sociology professor Lisa Strohschein, who conducts research into the effects of divorce and different stressors on children, to help develop the commercial's theme, and then put it into script form on the advice of Silvana Babchishin, a television commercial writing instructor. From there it was a day of lights, camera, action.

Website here

Silver Bells....

Another Pagan tradition that has shifted over to the commerce of Christmas, the bell.

Originally, bells were rung loud and clear in the hope of chasing away the dark and evil spirits that roamed the long winter nights. Bells were also thought to chase away darkness itself, so when one awoke, you would ring bells to hasten the return of longer days.

Not only that, bells were used in ancient dances to "ring out the old, and ring in the new" Gee, why does that sound so familiar? Solstice isn't the "beginning of the new year" in fact. The whole year is a circle with no start, but funny how this tradition was adopted to New Years.



I have no bell craft to make, dammit. Oh well, off to make more snowflakes LOL. My house looks like a winter wonderland....

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

For All You Star Wars Fans.....

Oh god, well, Mike and I are having a blast going through the Robot Chicken clips on Youtube. This one made my stomach hurt from laughing and I literally was crying..

What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon!!!???

For My Mac Girl Brandy

Tho I am sure she's watched it, perhaps many of you haven't...and Mike and I just laughed our asses off.

Growing Food Security For Alberta

I found this link on the Edmonton Foodbank website and thought it very interesting....


What is Food Security?

Food security is widely described as the condition in which all people at all times can acquire safe, nutritionally adequate, and personally acceptable foods in a manner that maintains human dignity.

Food Security is everyone's business.

Food Security includes the circle of:

  • Planting
  • Growing
  • Harvesting
  • Transporting
  • Shopping
  • Preparing
  • Eating, and
  • Preserving our environment.

Food Security means Equity and Choice at every point.

Growing Food Security in Alberta (GFSA) has come to understand food security as the satisfaction of five elements:

  • Availability - sufficient supplies of food for all people at all times
  • Accessibility - physical and economic access to food for all at all times
  • Acceptability - culturally acceptable and appropriate food and distribution systems
  • Adequacy - nutritional quality, safety, sustainability of available sources/methods of food supply
  • Action - ensuring the social and economic infrastructures are in place to enable action that will ensure the previous four elements of food security.

You can visit the site here .

Monday, December 03, 2007

Monday Morning Coffee and Cry

Nothing like a good cry to start your week. I found this blog thru Parentdish, about a girl who in memory of her grandfather, is making the world a better place, one day at a time, for the next 25 days.

http://twentyfivedays.wordpress.com/about/


Yeeesh I am going to go dry my eyes after that. She is making a "button" that you can place on your site to show that you are participating, if anyone wants to add it.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

The Sunday Night Non-Aggravating Craft

Contrary to what I usually spout, I DO like being crafty. However (in my ripe old age) I don't have the inclination for big projects (unless its curtains or something to beautify the house, then I plug away) and its definitely not something I enjoy taking up my evenings. Given the choice between a great book and a craft, the book wins every time.

I do enjoy, a quick, fun craft, and this 3D snowflake is exactly that. I whipped up 2 tonight, one by myself, then one with K. Very fun and absolutely beautiful when you're done! Its hard to believe it's made with paper.

Tutorial below:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

I would like to find some silver paper next and try it, the possibilties are endless! We will be making quite a few more to hang from the ceiling in the house, I just love' em. Mr K helped out, but this is a great one for an older child to attempt by themselves.