Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Allura Imports Due to Strangulation Hazard

Name of Product: Girl’s Hooded Sweatshirts
Units: About 3,700
Manufacturer: Allura Imports Inc., of New York, N.Y.
Hazard: The sweatshirts have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets or sweatshirts.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves girl’s velour hooded sweatshirts with a zip front. The sweatshirts were sold as a part of a 2-piece set. “Major Diva” is printed on the front of the sweatshirts. The tag on the inside of the sweatshirts reads, “2b REAL.” The sweatshirts were sold in hot pink, light pink, ivory and khaki, and in sizes 4, 5/6 and 6X.
Sold exclusively at: Burlington Coat Factory stores nationwide from October 2008 through July 2009 for about $11.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweatshirts to eliminate the hazard, or return the garments to either the place of purchase or to Allura Imports for a full refund.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Allura Imports at (800) 695-4510 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Consumers can also visit the firm’s Web site at www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com

Link for more information and pictures:  http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10050.html

Team Work Trading Expands Recall of Children’s Metal Pendants Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

Name of Product: Children’s Metal Pendants
Units: About 1,500 (an additional 1,500 pendants were previously recalled in September 2009)
Importer/Distributor/Retailer: Team Work Trading, of Los Angeles, Calif.

Hazard: The recalled children’s pendants contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves eleven types of metal pendants sold with silver-colored chains. The pendants feature symbols from the following animations/cartoons: “Bleach,” “Death Note,” “Naruto” and “One Piece.”
Sold at: The Teamwork Trading Store in Los Angeles, Calif. and other toys stores and gift shops nationwide from November 2008 through March 2009 for between $3 and $4.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumer should immediately take the recalled pendants away from children and contact Team Work Trading to receive a full refund or replacement product.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Team Work Trading collect at (213) 680-4489 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Link for more information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10049.html



The link also provides pictures of said products.

Boy’s Warm-up Sets Recalled by Fashion Options Due to Strangulation Hazard

"WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed."


 This reminds me of an incident yesterday I had with Hansel regarding a draw string in his hooded PJs. I was playing with him and turned around for about a minute and when I looked back, he had the draw string criss-crossed around his neck. Now he wasn't pulling on it, so it was not tight. If he had though and I had not been paying attention, it's possible I could have been giving him CPR. I felt really bad about it because I'm normally careful about what clothes he has on and such. Sadly though, This particular item was made by his grandmother and I'm sure she wasn't even thinking  about that possible hazard would happen when she made it.


 I must caution use of any draw strings on very small children's clothing and I would recommend companies, parents etc. do not even put them on such clothing. I'm glad I caught the possible hazard in time and learned something new. Children can get themselves in the worst situations that you would never think they could in a very, very short time.


The link below provides more info for the recall just in case you happen to have this product in your home.


http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10047.html


I will be automatically posting this site on my blog from now on to keep @homes informed on future recalls.

Stork Craft Recalls More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

 I woke up yesterday morning to find this warning splattered all over the internet like an APB on a police scanner. "Possible entrapment and suffocation prompts Stork Craft to recall more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs". Just an important side note, these particular cribs have a fisher-price logo on them.

 Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me. We do not have one of these cribs but if you do you should check the link out below as it contains the info you need to know in how to handle this situation. I will be posting alot of recalls for now so that you @home dads can be informed about what is not safe for your children. Hopefully by posting these recalls, we can stop a lot of accidents from happening in the first place.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10046.html

Free birthday fun @ Nickelodeon Universe

 My wife works at the Mall of America and learned from another associate that Nickelodeon Universe was having a birthday promotion for teens and small children 18 and under. We didn't believe it at first, however Hansel's birthday was coming up soon so we decided to check it out. Sure enough, it is true!
 I went online to the Nickelodeon Universe website listed below to check out some of the requirements and finer details.  You click on the registration link and fill out the details for the child. An email is sent you with a printable coupon that you print out and give to one of the clerks at the customer service desk for Nickelodeon Universe on the child's birthday along with a drivers license and proof of child's age (Ex. Birth Certificate).  You will also need a parent or legal guardian to accompany the child if they are under 13 years of age.

 If all goes well, you child will receive an all-day wristband worth $29.95 plus a coupon book full of discounts and in some cases free goodies. A couple of free things to note are a free DipnDots and a free nestle toll house cookie. Keep in mind that the special is only good on the child's birthday and not before or after it. I have enclosed a direct link to the site for your convenience.

Say hello to Sponge Bob for me if you see him and have fun!

http://www.nickelodeonuniverse.com/birthday-details.html

About a million Maclaren strollers recalled for finger amputation

 I don't know if any of you @home dads are aware of this, so I thought I'd post the link to the article I found while scanning the Pioneer Press website. I will be posting again soon with the review I promised a while ago and free things for you @home dads to do with your kids.


http://www.twincities.com/watchdog/ci_1374772

Where in the world is my paycheck?

 I'm curious as to how many stay@home dad's there are in Minnesota due to being laid off. I have been unemployed since around March of 2009 and still have not had any luck landing a job which is rather depressing. Do not get me wrong, I love spending all this time with my son and I believe its good for parent/child relationships. I did however grow up with the mindset that a "Man" should be the bread winner and its frustrating to say the least being unemployed. Sometimes I feel like I have failed my family and failed my associates by not having a job to support my family with.
 My wife enjoys working but I do think she would rather be at home with Hansel. Come to think of it, my dream job would be to stay at home with my family and write blogs, reviews, technical documentation for a living. I am currently seeking a journalism or creative writing degree to supplement my current experience and education. I do work part time for my church as an IT contractor but paychecks are few and far between.


 One of our local papers the Pioneer Press, has been currently working on a new segment called "Watchdog: Your Next Job" and I was recently selected as one of the five panel members who will be periodically commenting on our job searches, experiences, let downs and overall anything we can think of relating to getting a job in the current market. I am really excited about this for several reasons.
 The first and more obvious reason being, exposure. To have a news paper following my every job search experience for thousands of readers to see, is what I consider nothing less but an honor. Another reason why I'm excited to be a part of this is, I have been wanting to change career fields for a long time. The IT field has really boomed over the years and there is allot of competition in the job markets pertaining to IT.

 I have been officially working in the IT field since I was 17 and to be honest I'm getting burned out. I have always wanted to write about various topics but mostly IT since that is what I'm most knowledgeable about. I used to write short stories in grade school when I was a kid and was very good at it. Over the years however   I have lost that ability due to focusing so much on strictly IT related fields.
 The ultimate goal of the Watchdog is to get the panel of five employed but also to share with readers common ground to which they can relate with and hopefully educate themselves on what to do and not do in the hairy art of job searching. The goals I wish to obtain from this blog and the Watchdog are: Experience and Employment in a somewhat different career field.

 If there are any stay at home dads who share the same experiences, please feel free to comment, as I would love to hear from you on the topics of being a stay@home dad and job searching.

The link below will give you more information about Watchdog and it's resources to help you on your way to becoming  employed again. Thanks.
http://www.twincities.com/watchdog - Pioneer Press

Disney offers Baby Einstein video refunds

 It has come to my attention that Disney is offering refunds for Baby Einstein videos. I personally have a few of these videos for our son and I'm a glad that I did not spend more money on these products. I have posted the article below for all to view and learn more about the recall.
 I think it's really sad to see what was once touted as a good product for baby development, falling short of its promise to educate. In the article it makes the statement that the videos could even hamper your child's learning ability. Please check out the link to the article below and educate yourself on another example of a good product gone wrong.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/6425271/Disney-offers-millions-of-parents-Baby-Einstein-video-refunds.html

New Review!!

I will be posting a new review today about an excellent product called "Your Baby Can Read".  I will also be posting info about the Baby Einstein recall and various places you can go to entertain your child.

No rest for dad

  Well, I would like to apologize for not posting lately. It has been very hectic at home lately and I've been sick so I have not been on much. I have a bunch of new things to write about within the next few days, so please check back often!