Salmonella and Veggi Booty Recall!

June 28, 2007: Veggie Booty Snack Food Recalled After 51 Reported Cases of
Salmonella. All Veggie Booty snack foods are being recalled nationwide after 51 cases of
Salmonella food poisoning were reported in 17 states. The illness has mainly
struck children under the age of 3, according to the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).

The recall was initiated by Robert's American Gourmet Food Inc.,
manufacturer of Veggie Booty, after the company was informed by the FDA of
possible Salmonella contamination of their product. According to the FDA,
many of those taken ill had consumed Veggie Booty.

Georgine Hertzwig of Robert's American Gourmet, based in Sea Cliff, NY, said
that the product had not tested positive for Salmonella, but that the recall
had been undertaken as a precaution given the FDA findings.

Veggie Booty is sold in many grocery outlets, including supermarkets and
health food stores, throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is also available
on-line and by mail order. All bag sizes, codes and expiration dates are
subject to the recall.

Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include diarrhea (sometimes bloody),
abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain,
and joint pain.

The Village Preschool!

So I’ve done it now!

After mulling over the idea for several months, I have decided to open a preschool in my home. At the first of last month my family and I moved to a huge house in the SW neighborhood of Bend. Not quite sure of what to do with all our extra space and on the brink of starting a new job (which would require even more child care for my two daughters); it occurred to me that I have the education, experience, motivation, AND space required to start a preschool.

With the belief that the community must come together to support our families in order for children learn and grow in a healthy, happy, and socially responsible way, my husband and I have started The Village Preschool. After having a long talk with the State Certifier I have also decided to become certified as opposed to registered which means my facilities and my program will be held to higher standards.

I am excited to have this opportunity to create a program that will help fill a huge need in our community. For more information on my preschool program, mission, and philosophy you can check out our Web site at http://thevillagepreschool.org.

We have 3 immediate fulltime openings available (or multiple part-time openings). Once we are fully certified (at the end of July) we will have additional openings. We are currently setting up tours for next week.

Keepin the Love Alive.

For the last two weeks my life has been turned upside-down. Due to unforeseen circumstances we had to make a quick move to a new home and a huge project came up at the last minute and had to be completed during the week of our move. The truth is, shortly after finding out that we had to move, I realized that there was no way I could balance working, moving, and giving my children the attention that they needed. So for the first time since I have had children, I waved goodbye to them and sent them off to their Nanna and Poppy’s house.

A week apart from my babies was a real eye opener for me and my husband. The first two days alone together were nearly awkward. We barely knew how to function without our children distracting and making demands of us. In fact it wasn’t until the last couple of days that we were really able to get into each other and just enjoy being a childless couple.

The last three or four days were great. I was able to look at my husband much like I had the first time I met him. We were able to be playful and lighthearted with each other and reflect openly on some of the things that had put a damper on our excitement for one and other, and the four hour drive to pick up the kids was the best drive I can remember having with James. We talked and laughed and told and retold stories all the way up to my parent’s driveway. Once there we made a commitment to pay more attention to each other and keep the fire, at the very least, smoldering.

So how has it been since the children have been back? Well, to be honest, it has been pretty challenging to keep to our commitment, but we ARE working on it. I’d love to know what other moms are doing to either improve or keep their relationships with their partners healthy. Do you take personal time away from the children? Is one night out a month enough to keep the spark alive?

Thomas the Train and Lead Poisoning.

FYI, I have this train set.

Dear MomsRising member,

We heard from outraged young moms, grandmas, pre-schools, and our own team members about one thing yesterday: Toxic lead in a popular line of children's toys. It's a scary thing. Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends toys are now the subject of a major recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using these toys. Here's the link to their recall notice so you can find out exactly which toys are trouble:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07212.html#http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07212.html

*Pass this email along to friends with kids so they can make sure their kids don't have these toys, or put them in their mouths! Sadly, more and more imported toys are being recalled due to toxics. So after you tell your friends about the Thomas recall, then please take action to stop this toxic trend by signing our petition (the link is below).

TELL CONGRESS & THE CPSC TO GET THE LEAD OUT: Sign the petition to let Congress and the CPSC know that, "Testing children's products for toxic chemicals must be a priority. No more toxic toys and children's products!"

*Just click here to sign the petition for children's safety now:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/signUp.jsp?key=2362&t=petition.dwt

We'll deliver these petition signatures to key members of Congress, and the Executive Director of the CPSC, Patsy Semple, to let them know we demand safety and higher standards for our children. And, we'll also let those leaders know the amount of petition signatures that come in on a daily basis so they know a movement for change is building. When leaders are backed by large numbers of people, then they can more quickly and effectively make important changes. So the more people that sign on the petition, the faster we'll get on top of this issue. Please forward this email and petition link to your friends and family so we can push these changes through quickly.

STOP THIS TOXIC TREND: Sadly recent exposure to lead isn't limited to Thomas the Tank Engine toys. Unhealthy levels of lead are being found in many children's products, from bibs to vinyl lunchboxes to candy. This is particularly dangerous because children under six years old are more likely to put things in their mouths, and because children's developing bodies and brains are more vulnerable to heavy metal exposures than adults.

The Centers for Disease Control notes: Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death. Joining together, we can stop these unsafe toys and children's products. Let's stand up as parents and demand oversight from the agency that's supposed to protect us?the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

*Don't forget to sign the petition for children's safety at:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/signUp.jsp?key=2362&t=petition.dwt

Thanks for taking time to make a difference! - The MomsRising Team

p.s. For more information about the Thomas the Tank Engine product recalls, as well as about the increase in imported children's products with lead, read this ABC News story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3275264&page=1

p.p.s. Here's a Center for Disease Control web site which is very informative about lead poisoning: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/about.htm

p.p.s.s. Find out about other recalled children's products at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/child.html