Turning 40 today – how I survived the big 40…

40 and fabulous T-shirt

Wow, I turned 40 today and I made it through the day without flipping out! Maybe it will hit me hard when I wake up tomorrow, but it doesn’t seem like a big deal at this moment. I remember when my own mother was 40. I was 15 myself and back then, I thought she was sooooo old… Today, I’m the one reaching that milestone and my perspective is obviously different. I was 36 when I had my first child and 38 for the second, so to my 15-year-old self, I’d look quite ancient!

Growing up (and eventually growing older) has quite a few advantages in my opinion. When I turned 20, I didn’t know anything about life and I didn’t care. The world was completely open and out there for me to discover. Over the next 10 years I figured things out and found myself, including by moving to another continent and sticking to a job I would enjoy long-term. By the time I turned 30, I felt like I finally graduated to adulthood, and it was a cool place to be. Another 10 years have gone by and at 40, I feel like I have proven myself to other people (I have a career and I can handle two kids, well, most of the time) and now I’d like to prove to myself that I can develop some other talents and interests. Which talents, I’m not sure yet, but that’s what makes life interesting every day.

And yes, my “40 and fabulous” T-shirt from Cafe Press is in the mail, and I can’t wait to wear it! To all moms out there 40 and over, carpe diem! As KebMo says it so well, “life is beautiful, life is wondrous…”

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Did you know they have cows at SeaWorld?

Cow sighting at SeaWorld

For those of you who doubt that my theory about daily cow sightings is true, and for those who haven’t read my post on why ”every day I see a cow“, I have the ultimate proof for you. At no other place than SeaWorld San Diego, where you go to discover and marvel about the wonders of the ocean, you’ll see a cow. Don’t believe me? I had to take a picture of it as a proof, so here it is! You’ll find the lovely sun-baskin’ bovine at the entrance of the Mango Joe’s Beach Cafe.

Now, I have to say that I can’t think of any other explanation for this cow statue standing there than to guarantee that hundreds, maybe even thousands of SeaWorld visitors will fulfill their daily quota of cows this way. However, if you’re looking for the beautiful Clydesdale horses so often featured in the Budweiser commercials during the Superbowl, don’t waste your time. Since InBev bought Budweiser, the horses have moved out. Quite a bummer…

Killer whales kiss at SeaWorld

 I’d like to add that during this morning’s visit, we also witnessed amazing behavior from a group of killer whales (orcas), consisting of one adult and two younger whales. They were kissing, yes, KISSING! Take a look at this photo for a close-up of what we got lucky enough to observe. The youngsters would kiss each other, then move on to the adult female and kiss her too. This went on for the 10 minutes we stood there and it generated quite a lot of photos from passers-by like us. So if you read anywhere else on the web that someone saw orcas kissing, you’ll know that’s true, just like the fact that you do get to see a cow every day.

DECEMBER 31, 2010 UPDATE – The brand new “Every day I see a cow” blog is up and running, just in time to document daily cow sightings in 2011! Take a look and let me know what you think. “Every day I see a cow” is also on Facebook, so feel free to visit the page, like it, and share your own cow sightings with everyone. The more, the merrier!

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Kellogg’s® Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Froot Loops and Apple Jacks cereals – select packages recalled

Kellogg is issuing a voluntarily recall of 28 million boxes of select packages of Kellogg’s® Corn Pops®, Honey Smacks®, Froot Loops® and Apple Jacks® cereals because of an “uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell” coming from packaging. Consumers should not eat the recalled products because they do not meet quality standards. Kellogg has identified a substance in the package liners that can produce an uncharacteristic waxy-like off taste and smell and cause physical symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea. 

Kellogg's froot loops recalled

Here’s a list of recalled cereals with their UPC numbers, according to Kellogg’s web site:

Kellogg’s Apple Jacks

• UPC 3800039136 1: 17 ounce package with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 10 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039132 3: 8.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between JUN 03 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg’s Corn Pops

• UPC 3800039109 5: 12.5 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039111 8: 17.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039116 3: 9.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 05 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg’s Froot Loops

• UPC 3800039118 7: 12.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039120 0: 17 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039125 5: 8.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg’s Honey Smacks

• UPC 3800039103 3: 15.3 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011

I just checked our two boxes of Froot Loops and they’re OK! Yeah, we have cereal for breakfast tomorrow!

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Over 2 million drop-side cribs recalled by seven manufacturers

Gee, another drop-side crib recall… I previously commented on drop-side cribs not being safe in my post on Baby gear: don’t waste your money on these items, and it seems that recalls just keep coming in. Nine million drop-side cribs have been recalled over the past five years. CPSC staff has determined drop-side cribs generally have a tendency to be less structurally sound than cribs with four fixed sides. CPSC is considering making drop-side cribs illegal in the future, and at this point, it seems like a good idea.

Drop-side crib recall

June 23, 2010, Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing voluntary recalls of more than two million cribs to address drop-side hazards and other hazards that affect the safety of young children. The recalling firms are providing consumers with free repair kits to immobilize the drop sides or other remedies. Do not attempt to fix these cribs with homemade remedies.

The drop-side and fixed-side crib recalls announced today are of units manufactured between 2000 and 2009 by the companies listed below. Consumers should contact these firms directly for the appropriate remedy:

• Child Craft, (this firm is out of business): Fixed-Side | Drop-Side
• Delta Enterprise Corp., of New York, N.Y.
• Evenflo, of Miamisburg, Ohio
• Jardine Enterprises, of Taipei, Taiwan
• LaJobi, of Cranbury, N.J.
• Million Dollar Baby, of Montebello, Calif.
• Simmons Juvenile Products Inc. (SJP), of New London, Wis.

Visit CPSC’s Crib Information Center for more information on Crib Safety and Recalls.

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Baby Walkers Recalled by Suntech Enterprises Due to Fall Hazard

Another baby walker recall… Honestly, I don’t understand why those are still being manufactured. The US CPSC issued a new mandatory rule on baby walkers that is effective on December 21, 2010. The walkers will be required to either: 1) be too wide to fit through a standard doorway, or 2) have features, such as a gripping mechanism, to stop the walker at the edge of a step. 

What is the point of putting your baby in a walker if he can’t follow you from one room to the next? Therefore, this new rule makes walkers obsolete, in my opinion. Get an exersaucer, a jumper, or just put your baby directly on the floor to help with motor development. Safety first. 

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10269.html 

Suntech Baby Walker Recalled

June 22, 2010, Release #10-269 

Name of Product: Baby Walkers
Units: About 8,400
Importer: Suntech Enterprises Inc., of Commerce, Calif. 

Hazard: The recalled walkers can fit through a standard doorway and fail to have sufficient stair-fall protection to prevent falls down stairs. Babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed if they fall down stairs. Incidents/Injuries: None reported. 

Description: The baby walkers have a plastic frame supported by four wheels and eight brake pads. The walkers were sold in blue, pink, and green with a white activity tray and patterned, vinyl seat. Sold at small juvenile product stores in California, Illinois, New York and Texas from January 2007 through December 2009 for between $25 and $30. 

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Suntech Enterprises toll-free at (888) 268-8139 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. 

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