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Better Sex, Better Mom

With kids, life, and lack of sleep, sex can end up on the very back burner. But a happy mom can be a better mom, and good sex can make you very happy! Kristen Chase, mom of 4 and author of “The Mominatrix’s Guide to Sex” will discuss how to make good sex a reality in your busy lives, and how being sexually fulfilled might actually make you a better parent.

At this year’s Mommybites Summit, Chase will discuss the myriad reasons why moms put their sex lives last on their list and help your identify your own barriers. Then she’ll provide simple tips and tricks for recharging your batteries, suggest and demo sexy products that are perfect for moms, and offer suggestions on how to bring out your own innner Mominatrix. Whether your sex life is hot and you want to make it hotter, or you’re starting from the very beginning, get ready to take your bedroom from bore to score!
Sign up early as space is limited and we sold out last year!

Who: Expectant moms, moms, and dads of babies, toddlers, & school-aged children
Where: Columbia Faculty House, 64 Morningside Dr, NY, NY 10027
When: May 19, 6 – 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $40

Click here to register

Delta Enterprise “Safety Peg” Drop-Side Crib Recall

Read the official press release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Delta Enterprise Corp., of New York, N.Y. are re-announcing the 2008 recall of more than 985,000 drop-side cribs with “Crib Trigger Lock and Safety Peg” hardware. In January 2011, CPSC and Delta learned of a 2009 death in which 7-month-old girl from Colorado Springs, Colo. became entrapped and suffocated between the detached drop-side and mattress of her recalled crib. The crib was purchased secondhand and re-assembled without safety pegs in the bottom tracks.

Missing safety pegs can create a situation where the crib’s drop-side rail disengages from the track. This can create a hazardous space in which an infant can become entrapped and suffocate.

At the time of the October 2008 recall, CPSC notified consumers about the death of an 8-month-old girl who became entrapped and suffocated when the drop side of the crib detached. The crib involved in this incident also was re-assembled without safety pegs. At the time of the October 2008 recall announcement, there were reports of two entrapments and nine detachments in cribs without safety pegs.

“Buying or accepting cribs second hand can be risky,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Second hand cribs may not come with all of the necessary parts that are needed to make sure your baby is safe. We urge parents and caregivers to use caution and to be aware that new rules established by CPSC will bring safer cribs to the market this summer.”

This re-announcement involves cribs that were made in Taiwan and Indonesia. The cribs were sold at major retail stores including Kmart, Target and Walmart between January 1995 and December 2005 (through September 2007 for model 4624) for about $100.

Delta’s name and address is printed on the mattress support boards and the Delta logo is on the crib’s top teether rail. Model numbers are located on the top of the mattress support board. This announcement includes the following 49 crib models with “Crib Trigger Lock with Safety Peg” drop-side hardware:

* 4320, 4340;
* 4500, 4520, 4530, 4532, 4540, 4542, 4550, 4551, 4580;
* 4600, 4620, 4624 – production dates 01/06 thru 11/07, 4640, 4660, 4720, 4735, 4742, 4750 – production dates 01/95 thru 12/00;
* 4760, 4770, 4780, 4790;
* 4820, 4840, 4850, 4860, 4880, 4890, 4892; and
* 4900, 4910, 4920, 4925-2, 4925-6, 4930, 4940, 4943, 4944, 4947, 4948, 4949, 4950, 4958, 4963, 4968, 4969, 4980.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using cribs that are missing a safety peg on either leg of the drop side and contact Delta to receive a free, easy-to-install repair kit. Call Delta toll-free at (800) 816-5304 anytime or visit the firm’s website at www.cribrecallcenter.com to order the free repair kit.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to find a safe, alternative sleep environment for their child until the repair kit, with new safety pegs, is safely installed on the recalled cribs.

Important Message from CPSC: CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for parts separating that can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib. Babies have died in cribs where repairs were attempted by caregivers. Crib age is a factor in safety. At a minimum, CPSC staff recommends that you do not use a crib that is older than 10 years old. New, mandatory federal crib rules take effect on June 28, 2011. All cribs manufactured and sold after that date must meet new and improved safety requirements. Older cribs do not meet the new standard and can have a variety of safety problems. Check if your crib has been recalled at www.cpsc.gov

Land of Nod Recalls Status Furniture “Rosebud” Drop-Side Cribs

The Land of Nod Recalls Status Furniture “Rosebud” Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards

View the official press release

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. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Rosebud drop-side cribs

Units: About 300

Manufacturer: Status Furniture, of Quebec, Canada (out of business)

Distributor/Retailer: The Land of Nod, of Northbrook, Ill.

Hazard: The drop-side rail hardware on the cribs can break or fail, allowing the drop side to detach from the crib. When the drop side detaches, a hazardous gap is created between the drop-side rail and the crib mattress in which infants and toddlers can become wedged or entrapped, posing risks of suffocation and strangulation. In addition, children can fall out of the crib when the drop-side rail falls unexpectedly or detaches from the crib. Drop-side rail failures can also occur due to incorrect assembly or with age-related wear and tear.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and The Land of Nod have received 13 reports involving drop-side hardware that has malfunctioned or failed. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall includes “Rosebud” cribs manufactured by Status Furniture. The cribs are white or antique white and have plastic drop-side hardware. “Status Furniture” appears on crib labeling on the lower portion of the headboard. Model number “910” appears on the assembly instructions.

Sold at: The Land of Nod retail stores and online at www.landofnod.com from January 2003 through September 2004 for about $600.

Manufactured in: Canada

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these cribs immediately and contact The Land of Nod to receive instructions on how to receive a merchandise credit for the full purchase price of the crib ($599). The Land of Nod is undertaking this recall for its customers because Status Furniture is out of business. In the meantime, parents are urged to find an alternate, safe sleeping environment for the child, such as a bassinet, play yard or toddler bed depending on the child’s age.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact The Land of Nod at (800) 933-9904 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or email at recall@landofnod.com, or visit the firm’s website at www.landofnod.com

Important Message from CPSC: CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for parts separating. Disengagements can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib. Babies have died in cribs where repairs were attempted by caregivers. Crib age is a factor in safety. At a minimum, CPSC staff recommends that you not use a crib that is older than 10 years. Many older cribs may not meet current voluntary standards and can have numerous safety problems.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.saferproducts.gov/CPSRMSPublic/Incidents/ReportIncident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Before and after pictures of a dog in snow

I know a lot of you are curious what kind of Photoshop retouching goes into my pictures. Here is an example.

All images were shot with the Canon 5D Mark II with a 50mm, 1.8 prime lens. ISO was set at 400 and I had auto color balance set.

Before:
dog in snow in New York City for maternitybykoren.com website
This was shot at f8.0 at 1/197 of a second.

Here is the post-production image:
dog in snow in New York City for maternitybykoren.com website
I added a curve where I dropped the blue/yellow curve down just a tad, slid the Color Balance yellow/blue down 6 points, 100 up on the contrast slider, and added a brightening curve masked out except for a rounded ball on the dog.

Harvard Business Review article on Maclaren recall story

In the January/February issue of Harvard Business Review, Farzad Rastegar discusses how his company handled a disastrous leak of a pre-planned announcement about a design issue problem.

Highly recommended strategy read.
Maclaren stroller company recall nightmare

Pregnant New Yorker Event Jan 18, 2011

Need some practical advice with a holistic bent? Attend this delightful evening of informative speakers. This is my third appearance at one of these and they are a blast! Plus, the gift bags are filled with both beautiful and useful things.
January 18, 2011
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Yummy Mummy
1201 Lexington Avenue (btwn 81st & 82nd St)

Register at the the Pregnant New Yorker

Luxury is: A Vermont Woods Studio Fainting Couch

Look at this beautiful piece! For just $23,000, this gorgeous piece can be yours. I love its grace, the color and the craftsmanship.
luxury lifestyle fainting couch

Update from Keeping Babies Safe

CPSC bans drop-side cribs

Ban will go into effect in June 2011
After the deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers in the past decade and millions of recalls, the government is banning the manufacture and sale of drop-side cribs.
The new standard requiring cribs to have fixed sides will take effect in June 2011.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also is banning the use of drop-side cribs in hotels and child care centers, although those facilities would have a year to buy new cribs.

Drop-side cribs have been used for generations because the movable side makes it easier for a parent to lift a baby into the crib. They have come under scrutiny because models with malfunctioning hardware, cheap plastics or assembly problems can lead to the side rail partially detaching, creating a gap where a baby can get caught and suffocate or strangle.

Drop-side cribs have been blamed in the deaths of at least 32 infants and toddlers since 2000 and are suspected in another 14 fatalities. In the past five years, more than 9 million drop-side cribs have been recalled.

For more information, please visit their website.

Luxury is: my son, myself

A Parental Ode to My Son, Aged Three Years and Five Months
by Thomas Hood

luxury is father and son

Thou happy, happy elf!
(But stop, – first let me kiss away that tear) –
Thou tiny image of myself!
(My love, he’s poking peas into his ear!)
Thou merry, laughing sprite!
With spirits feather-light,
Untouch’d by sorrow and unsoil’d by sin –
(Good heavens! The child is swallowing a pin!)

Thou little, tricksy Puck!
With antic toys so funnily bestuck,
Light as the singing bird that wings the air –
(The door! The door! He’ll tumble down the stair!)
Thou darling of thy sire!
(Why, Jane, he’ll set his pinafore a-fire!)
Thou imp of mirth and joy!
In love’s dear chain so strong and bright a link,
Thou idol of thy parents – (Drat the boy!
There goes my ink!)

Thou cherub – but of earth;
Fit playfellow for Fays, by moonlight pale,
In harmless sport and mirth,
(That dog will bite him if he pulls its tail!)
Thou human humming-bee, extracting honey
From ev’ry blossom in the world the blows,
Singing in Youth’s Elysium, ever sunny –
(Another tumble! – that’s his precious nose!)

Thy father’s pride and hope!
(He’ll break the mirror with that skipping rope!)
With pure heart newly stamp’d from Nature’s mint –
(Where did he learn that squint?)
Thou young domestic dove!
(He’ll have that jug off, with another shove!)
Dear nursling of the hymeneal nest!
(Are those torn clothes his best?)
Little epitome of man!
(He’ll climb upon the table, that’s his plan!)
Touched with the beauteous tints of dawning life –
(He’s got a knife!)

Thou enviable being
No storms, no clouds, in thy blue sky foreseeing,
Play on, play on,
My elfin John!
Toss the light ball – bestride the stick –
(I knew so many cakes would make him sick!)
With fancies buoyant as the thistle-down,
Prompting the face grotesque and antic brisk,
With many a lamb-like frisk –
(He’s got the scissors, snipping at your gown!)

Thou pretty opening rose!
(Go to your mother, child, and wipe your nose!)
Balmy, and breathing music like the South,
(He really brings my heart into my mouth!)
Fresh as the morn, and brilliant as its star, -
(I wish that window had an iron bar!)
Bold as the hawk, yet gentle as the dove –
(I’ll tell you what, my love,
I cannot write, unless he’s sent above!)

What is luxury? A pair of Cavallo riding boots

Many in the equestrienne world agree that this luxurious brand produces the best riding boots in the world. Still almost made entirely by hand, the beautifully crafted, elegant design graces the leg line like no other boot.

Hard to find, expensive, long-lasting, highly functional…what more could you want?

Cavallo riding boot