Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I am Woman
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Mercury is Good, Right?
Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
Monday, January 26, 2009; 12:00 AM
MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of
commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which
was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and
beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled
ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.
HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods
such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups
and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per
day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent
more HFCS than average.
"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn
syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional
source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for
immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug
Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of
the food supply," said the Institute for Agriculture and Trade
Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies.
In the first study, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in
nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. The study was published in
current issue of Environmental Health.
In the second study, the agriculture group found that nearly one in
three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was most
common in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.
The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS
is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to
produce caustic soda.
"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack
food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda
contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS
ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use
those ingredients," Wallinga said.
More information
The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has more about
mercury and health.
SOURCE: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, news release, Jan. 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Cinnamon Rolls
Unfortunate Timing
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Gus
Customer Service
Monday, January 19, 2009
Maternity Clothes
Forward Facing Only Seats/Boosters
Information again taken from babycenter.com
Britax Frontier For children over 2 years of age and harnesses to 80 lbs. Top slots are 18 inches. Tether not required, but recommended. Harness height is adjusted on back of seat, but there’s no rethreading of harness required. Has a flexible LATCH strap with typical Britax push-on connectors. LATCH may be used when seat is in booster mode. Has 3 crotch strap positions. Nice padding. A 9 year expiration. Deep cupholders that can disappear into the side of the seat when not used. Can be installed with the seat belt using the short belt path or long belt path. FAA approved when used with harness. Converts to a good booster with no weight limit. Replaces the Parkway and Monarch. Retails for $279.
Cosco/Safety 1st Apex Harnesses to 65 lbs, then becomes a booster to 100 lbs. Top slots are 17 inches high. Requires adjustable headrest or a very tall vehicle seatback behind it for support. Then becomes a very nice BUT VERY WIDE booster that doesn’t fit small children well. This seat is outgrown totally when the tips of the child’s ears reach the top of the vehicle seatback. (Fully extended it has a back height of 32.5” tall) FAA approved when used with harness. The new blue/black and all the brown ones have EPP foam in the headrest. Retails for $99-150.
Graco Nautilus 20-65 lbs for harness, then becomes a booster to 100 lbs. Top slots are 18” high. Converts to a high back booster similar to the TurboBooster, and can also convert to a backless booster. 30-100 lbs weight limits in booster mode. Booster shoulder belt guide is at about 20"; might be slightly taller than the regular Turbo. 19 inches at the widest point (the base) and 13 inches deep. FAA approved when used with harness. Built-in cupholder and side pockets in the armrests. The base has two settings and can be slightly reclined. LATCH limit of 48lbs, does not allow for LATCH or top tether use in booster mode. Life span of 6yrs. Priced around $150.
Britax Regent (used to be Husky) KING of car seats is right! Harnesses to 80 lbs. Top slots are 20 inches. Requires a top tether after child is 40 lbs. (unless using a lap-only belt, then it’s required at 50 lbs.), but a tether should really be used all the time. Retails for $220-$260. Not good for children under 2yo.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Convertible Car Seats
Britax Marathon, Decathlon, or Boulevard: 17” top slots, rear facing 5-33lbs (newer models rf to 35 lbs.), forward facing up to 65lbs in 5 point harness. Great seats, allow for rear facing tethering, have lockoffs to replace locking clips, very easy to install, last most kids to age 5-6y/o. $220+
Evenflo Triumph Advance: rear facing to 35lbs, forward facing to 50 lbs. Max harness height of 17”. The Triumph Advance has the infinite-like harness adjuster to which means no re-threading the harness. Probably small enough for newborns. Harness not removable. $129
Sunshine Kids Radian 65/80: 18” top slots, RF 5-33lbs, FF up to 65lbs in 5 point harness. Great seat, only second to Britax because it has some compatibility issues in some vehicles when installed with seat belt. Harness not removable. Really good seat otherwise, allows for RF tethering, lasts most kids to 6-7y/o. 8yr lifespan (most have a 6yr) $175+
Recaro Como & Signo: RF to 35lbs, FF to 70lbs. Bottom slots of 9", so not ideal for newborns. The outside width of the seat at its widest point is approx. 19 ½” to 20”. The Como & the Signo are basically the same shell the biggest difference is that the Signo has an infinitely adjustable harness (whereas the Como has to be re-threaded) and the Signo's latch straps are on a bar--similar to Britax (on the Marathon and Boulevard)--so you don't have to re-thread the latch belt if you're going from rear facing to forward facing. Como is $249; Signo is $289 and has 17.75” top slot.
First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat : RF 5-35 lbs, FF to 65lbs, 10” bottom slots, 17” top slots. 3 crotch positions, designed to fit smaller cars—headrest removes to allow rf seat to recline to 45°, put headrest back on after older child is 22 lbs. and adjust seat to be more upright when rf. Cover removable without unhooking the harness, lockoffs for rf & ff, harness adjusted with a knob, everything adjusts by sliding something. Covered in EPP Foam. $179.
Cosco Scenera: 5pt harness version. Very basic no-frills seat. 35lbs RF limit with a taller shell. 40lbs FF limit however most kids outgrow it in torso height at about 3-3.5yo due to the low 15” top slots. It just doesn’t offer enough torso grow room to get most kids to 40lbs. Usually requires 1-3 chunks of pool noodle to get a good recline. $40
Safety 1st Uptown: 35 lbs RF, 40 lbs FF, tall 16.5” top slots. EPP foam, velvety plush cover, super cushy. Very easy to use & install. 8 yr lifespan (Most have a 6 yr.). Around $100 or less at albeebaby.com and walmart.com.
The Graco ComfortSport, Evenflo seats, and the Alpha Omega 3-in-1 types are very small seats that are usually outgrown the same time as the $40 Scenera. You don’t get much for your money. While they are safe there are just other options that offer more for less cost.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Benefits of Extending Rear Facing
Why should my child rear-face past 1 year and 20 lbs?
Every milestone in a child's life is exciting! First steps, first word, first day of school. Even car seat milestones seem exciting. The truth is, they should be looked at with a certain sense of dread, not longing. Every step in car seat "advancement" is actually a step down in your child's protection.
Rear-facing is much, much safer than forward-facing. Child safety seats: Rear-face until at least one year discusses the reasons why children should remain rear-facing for a FULL year and 20 lbs. In it, Kathleen Weber states, "In the research and accident review that I did a few years ago, the data seemed to break at about 12 months between severe consequences and more moderate consequences..." This does not mean that there are NO consequences. The consequences may no longer be death from a completely severed spinal cord, but simply life-long injury, including complete paralysis. Research studies suggest that until children are at least four, they are incapable of withstanding crash forces as well as adults - and should remain rear-facing.
In a crash, life-threatening or fatal injuries are generally limited to the head and neck, assuming a child is in a harnessed seat.
When a child is in a forward-facing seat, there is tremendous stress put on the child's neck, which must hold the large head back. The mass of the head of a small child is about 25% of the body mass whereas the mass of the adult head is only 6%! A small child's neck sustains massive amounts of force in a crash. The body is held back by the straps while the head is thrown forward - stressing, stretching or even breaking the spinal cord. The child's head is at greater risk in a forward-facing seat as well. In a crash, the head is thrown outside the confines of the seat and can make dangerous contact with other occupants, vehicle structures, and even intruding objects, like trees or other vehicles.
Rear-facing seats do a phenomenal job of protecting children because there is little or no force applied to the head, neck and spine. When a child is in a rear-facing seat, the head, neck and spine are all kept fully aligned and the child is allowed to "ride down" the crash while the back of the child restraint absorbs the bulk of the crash force. The head is contained within the restraint, and the child is much less likely to come into contact with anything that might cause head injury.
Won't my child be uncomfortable? Where do his legs go?
Many parents have the misconception that children are uncomfortable or at risk for leg injury by having their legs up on the vehicle seat or bent when kept rear-facing. These concepts are completely incorrect. First, children are more flexible than adults so what we perceive as uncomfortable is not for children. Think about how your child sits in everyday play. Do they sit with their legs straight out in front of them? When they sit on the couch, do they purposely sit so their legs dangle out over the edge? No. In real, everyday life, toddlers and preschoolers CHOSE to sit with their legs folded up - that IS comfort to them.
Second, there is not a single documented case of children's legs, hips, etc. breaking or being injured in a crash due to longer rear-facing. There are plenty of cases of head and neck injury in forward-facing children that could have been prevented if the child had remained rear-facing. However, even if a leg or hip were broken or injured, it can be fixed. A damaged spinal cord (from forward-facing too soon) cannot be repaired and subjects the child to lifelong disability or death.
What if I am hit from behind? Won't my child be safer facing forward?
Frontal and side impacts are the most common type of crashes. They account for 96% of all crashes. They are also the most deadly type of crashes (especially side impacts) and rear-facing children have MUCH more protection in both types of crashes than forward-facing. In the 4% of rear impact crashes that a rear-facing child would be in, they have at least the same amount of protection that a FF child would have in a frontal impact, with the added benefit of less crash energy being transferred to them, and the fact that the rear impact is usually not as severe.
The forces in a rear impact crash are much different from the forces in a frontal impact crash. In a frontal impact, the forces are much greater because the vehicles are usually traveling in opposite directions. Experts suggest that a frontal crash is the same as hitting a concrete barrier � the vehicle and all occupants come to a dead stop within less than 1 second.
When you are struck in a rear impact, the vehicles involved are traveling in the same direction, and the vehicle that is hit in the back has room to move forward. The crash force on the occupants is much less than in a frontal impact. The movement of the impacted vehicle, in addition to the crush zone, absorbs a lot of the crash energy, so it is not transferred to the child. Additionally, the majority of rear impacts are at low speeds.
In short, if your child is rear-facing, he has optimal protection in the types of crashes you are most likely to be in. If he is forward-facing, he may have optimal protection in a rear-end crash, but statistically, that is the least likely to happen and he is 60% more likely to be injured or killed in the types of crashes (frontal, side impact) you are most likely to be in.
You can learn more about the physics of rear-facing at http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
This website contains several links and videos.
Infant Car Seats
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Moderation My Ass
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Cravings
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A Boy and His Gun
Mathew bought Finn a shooting cans thing for Christmas and he loves it. And by "he" I'm talking about both Mathew and Finnegan.
Workers Girls
Prior to Christmas, my mom bought Finnegan a singing Charlie Brown.