Thursday, December 20, 2007

Soldier Bear Toys

To be honest I ignored these in my email yesterday, that and the Christmas candles that were recalled due to fire hazard this morning ( um DUH?) but I looked at the "Soldier Bear" toys name, thought they were literally soldiers and thought oh, no one I know would have soldiers, nevermind. Then I went and looked over all the recalls this evening, and well, crap, someone might have these.

Toy DescriptionStyleUPC
Wooden Pull-Along Learning Blocks Wagon (alphabet blocks in a wooden wagon) 6320834162002158
Time Teacher (magnetic shapes & clock in pull cart) 6231834162002646
Wooden Riding Horse 6349834162003698
Vehicle Playset (blue military vehicle with action figures 10074895130810072





Come on, I KNOW you all have the Military/Guerilla warfare playset above, you just don't want to admit it. Better return it.

Fisher Price _ _ _ _ S My Angora Goat

You can fill in the blank, go on, be creative! I can think of 2 words that fit...

(Told you I was going to blog this Erin!)

So this morning, whilst having my second or third cup of coffee, my friend Erin pings me on Messenger asking about the Fisher Price Medical Set that Consumers Reports tested and declared lead infested, cause she had picked one up for Christmas. Good enough, I go back thru my archives (remind me to start tagging posts so they can be found), send her the link to the page.

She pings me later while on the phone with Fisher Price. She is asking about the recall that was done in ONLY Illinois. The woman on the phone said:

" it's ok because it was an independant study done in Illinois and it's only unacceptable to them "

Then Erin proceeds to tell them that its um, unacceptable to HER as well! So Fisher Price is now sending her a lead free medical kit. Which, for future information and I didn't know this, only just happens to be a different color. Its obviously the one color they are having issues with.

I guess too, the woman just sounded incredibly unconcerned about it, so this obviously is the line that they are feeding people when they call about this. That was your best PR attempt Fisher Price? Its OK because our standards are LOWER?

Um. Yah. I think I just wholeheartedly added them to my boycott list. The amount of lead in that toy set is ONLY unacceptable to Illinois, who have actually, for children's safety, PULLED it off their shelves.

So for all of us who don't live in Illinois, we have to live with lower standards. Oh, unless you CALL Fisher Price and tell them that you find it otherwise. Then you get a replacement.

Un-fucking-believable.

Link to the original article HERE

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Boxing Day Blues

Argh. I was complaining to Mike this past weekend that by the time Boxing Day rolls around, there' isn't going to be anything worth shopping for. I have been scoping out stores trying to find my Christmas moose (yes, my obsession, I *try* to buy a new one yearly) and there is NOTHING out there. Walmart is almost stripped bare, there are no outside decorations left, perhaps one row of tree decorations and that's it. Superstore I walked into today, and EVERYTHING is 50% off! Since when does everything go on sale a WEEK before Christmas? And we aren't talking the usual Zellers 30% before Christmas that they have done for years, these be Boxing Day prices!

BAH Humbug. Ok, I was really glad to buy the train decoration that Mr K has wanted for 2 years now, the one that has the steam and wheels moving by way of flashing lights, I picked it up for 25 bucks today at Superstore, and he was SO excited. This train is on the roof of a house on Candy Cane Lane, and he has loved it since he saw it two years ago, man, maybe even 3 years now, and then we just saw it again on our lights tour. I'll give you one guess where he wanted to put it! (wanted being the key word, its in the house actually, it won't make it outside, never mind the roof this year!)

I digressed, I really did. Whoops. I was ranting. But seriously, I used to look forward to going and getting my decorations every year on Boxing Day. The year we were building this house, I went to Zellers, picked up a tree, ALL the decorations I now have on it (or did since the Princess has smashed so many), my two large moose , and I am sure more, I went a little nuts knowing we were moving in here. That was only 4 Boxing Days ago, and now I can't even find anything a week before. Sigh.

I know its all about the Almighty dollar, they just get in enough stock to make a killing in November and then there's nothing else brought in. But I am just not into electronics and crap on Boxing day, the point is to go and pick over the Christmas remnants (which used to be vast and plenty) and get some good deals.

Blah. I usually love Boxing Day, and look forward to it every year, but I don't know what this year will be like. I will be shopping anyways, but..sigh. I feel grinchy for the first time this year.

SO! Nothing like some good ol' un-edited Christmas Vacation to cheer me up!


Sunday, December 16, 2007

Sunday Night Non-Aggravating Craft #3

This one is a hard one, but not aggravating.

1) Walk over to freezer.
2) Remove chocolate truffle that took almost 2 hours to dip and decorate with teeny stars.
3) Stuff in mouth.
4) Relish the fact that my only craft tonight is perfecting my truffle savoring experience.
5) Follow with well earned glass of wine.
6)Repeat

Bakefest '07

Wow, I spent the entire day Saturday baking, and I was still baking (in theory, I DID cook the fingerpaint lol) that night. But it was the whole damn day, either something was cooling, or setting or in the oven.....crazy!

I attempted 3 new recipes, Mint Chocolate Covered Ritz, Chocolate truffles and Chocolate Oreo Fudge, all from my Kraft magazine. And for us at least, they all score a 5/5, and I would make them all again. That's a miracle around here.

Mike keeps trying the Ritz and saying " I just expect that the NEXT time, they are going to be gross, because mint chocolate covered Ritz are SO WRONG!" (insert lip-smacking and crunching noises here). " I don't understand why they taste so good!" Yah, about 15 later, he still hasn't found that "wrong" one. They are so incredibly tasty tho, hard to believe its Ritz crackers. Also an incredible pain in the ass to make, one at a time, dipped in chocolate. Speaking of pain in the ass, the recipe for the truffles fools you into thinking they are easy because they are two ingredients. NOT! After spending an hour and a half rolling them, then dipping them in chocolate, I disagree. But oh, they are fantastic tasting and will be a Christmas staple in the house from now on.

Some of the treats....this one is all purtied up for Mike's boss, from left : chocolate truffles, Mint Chocolate covered Ritz (I know, but they are fantastic!trust me! They are good enough to send to the big boss!) and shortbread. Under the truffles is a layer of chocolate Oreo fudge. Drooling yet?

The another tin for one of my friends...
And this picture is cute, Mr K took it, and its so funny, cause its HIS view of the island....makes me laugh because this is exactly what he is seeing when he looks up there, my little short stuff. See that Halloween muffin wrapper on the left peeking out from behind the sprinkles? Everyone's truffles are in them this year, so have a good laugh at it! I bought them and forgot to use them for cupcakes, and voila! I needed something to put my truffles in! I was too lazy to go to the store for Christmas ones.

Because we are going for dinner tomorrow night for Melissa's birthday, I wanted to get everyone baking and kid's presents wrapped and ready to deliver while almost everyone is there. Nothing like leaving it for the last minute, but really, I hate stale baking and do it fresh every year. I never freeze my Christmas baking, its always done right the day before. ( I am insane.) I hate frozen stuff, I am weird, I can taste the difference. That said tho, the baking I took on this year have to be frozen because they won't last long, and so far the fudge and truffles taste great frozen! Not that I am eating it out of my freezer, nuh-uh, not me. I wouldn't be eating truffles like they are chocolate ice cream bites...

I hope everyone had a more restful weekend than I did, cause I am ready to freaking DROP. I am so excited to go out for dinner tomorrow night with everyone, I can't wait.