Health & Safety Watch displaying the area affected by a recent Roots childrens pajamas recall.
Most of us know that if there’s a recall we want to learn more about, we can probably find the info on the Health Canada website. But
Dr. Jeff Aramini, a former Health Canada senior public health epidemiologist, recognized that health alerts, product recalls and food recalls aren’t always getting to the public in a timely or efficient manner.
So, he created Health & Safety Watch, a public resource fueled with health and safety information from over 200 Canadian sources at the regional, municipal and national level, in real time. An interactive map highlights areas affected (so you can quickly determine if you should worry or not) and you can also register to receive alerts specific to your location and needs.
The site is currently in beta, and they’d love to hear your feedback. We think this could be a really helpful tool for families. What do you think?
Imagine you’re on mat leave, and your baby likes to take naps. Imagine you’re also really creative and inventive. What do you do?
You turn your daughter’s naps into art and photograph her inside her dreams.
This is what Adele Enersen is doing on her site Mila’s Daydreams. She’s an advertising copywriter and concept designer from Helinski and developed this little project as her mat-leave hobby. When her baby sleeps, she quickly set up little scenes—Mila as a pearl inside a clamshell, Mila juggling in a circus tent, Mila flying over a pink landscape with a pink cape—and takes a snapshot.
Besides having a wicked name, Smories is a great place to go when you need a smile. The site was originally created as a place for kids to go to have stories read to them by other kids. Which we think is great, especially for kids just learning to read (they may be inspired to see kids their own age reading to them) and because kids just love being with, watching and listening to other kids.
But as nice of a thing as it is for kids, we think parents will get a kick out of it too. Using a handheld Flip camera (no visible tripod) in a home-y environment (aka not a studio), we love how real and unedited the story-telling feels, and, accents aside, these kids could be any one of the rugrats on our street telling us one of their crazy stories, of which they do quite frequently.
So where do the Smories come from? Basically, aspiring or recreational authors can send in their stories. Accepted stories are filmed for the world to view, meaning lots of promotion, including an author’s bio and they get to keep the rights. People can film a child reading their story, too.
What if we told you that undergarments, shoes, accessories, work uniforms, work-out gear and jackets don’t count towards your total?
A group of folks from around the world have decided to give it a try, launching a project they’re calling Six Items Or Less on June 21st. It’s not necessarily intended to be a comment on consumerism, say the organizers, but rather a social experiment. That said, many participants are doing it for just that reason: to find out if they can do with less.
One SAHM named Shannon is participating with her three daughters and husband, and seems to be enjoying the experiment so far:
I was folding laundry last night and mentioned to the kids—yet again—how much less we have to do and was pointing out how nice it is for all of us. My husband suggested that we continue with the six items theme but for every month we pick a different six. Not sure if this is on par with our ‘simpler way of life’ goal, but it’s an idea for us to consider.
And be sure to read the illuminating post about the experiment from Shannon’s 11-year-old.
A closet becomes an amazing kids' bedroom? It does on Oh Happy Day!
While stumbling around the Internet, we discovered Jordan Ferney’s site, Oh Happy Day. She’s a party planner, letterpress printer and generally creative person based in San Francisco along with her artist husband. She is mom to a couple of adorable wee ones (one who recently underwent surgery to correct a cleft palate and lip) and she has a wonderful eye for all things beautiful.
TeamBuy is one of those sites you come across and think “what a cool idea!”
Here’s how it works: each day, a new “buy” is posted. A recent example was a starter shaving kit from Bread and Butter Skincare. It was offered at $29, which is 55% off the retail value of $65. If at least 30 people have all joined the buy by midnight, everyone gets the discount. If there aren’t 30 buyers by midnight, the buy dies.
And it’s not just beauty products: event tickets, spa certificates, meal deals, yoga classes are all put on offer. By promising retailers a good number of customers, TeamBuy ensures great deals. The site boasts that it’s saved shoppers almost $930,000 to date.
We’ve just discovered it, and have yet to participate in our own team buys, but we’ll be watching for the right one! Check it out and let us know if you’ve ever tried TeamBuy (or plan to).
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you had a friend who knew about every single deal on every single thing* you’ve ever wanted to buy online? And could say to you: “I’ve compared prices across the country, and that is an AMAZING deal. You’re getting that for about 20% less than the fair market value.” Or: “You know what? You should really buy that from RetailerX in the States, because even with brokerage, shipping and duties, it’s still a better deal than anywhere in Canada.” Or: “I think you should wait: it’s likely you can find a better deal in the next few months.” Or: “If you want, I can tell you when the price drops to a certain amount. Just tell me how much you want to spend, and I’ll let you know if there’s ever a matching deal.”
Guess what? That friend exists! And her name is Wishabi.ca.
The products showcased on this online shopping analysis site range from toys and games to instruments to appliances to shoes. Plus, it analyzes all the baby gear you could ever want: strollers, high chairs, clothes, potties… the list goes on.
And, best of all: it’s a site just for us Canucks!
We count this as reason #999,997 to love to the Internet.
*Every single thing is a bit of a stretch. But it has a lot of stuff.
If you haven’t discovered My Milk Toof yet, you should get on it now, so that you can say “Oh yeah, I knew about My Milk Toof before the book even came out.”
It’s the brainchild of California-based artist Inhae, who started the blog as a fun little side project, and it has since evolved into a book deal with Chronicle Books (the book is scheduled for publication in Spring 2011).
The blog chronicles the adorable adventures of two little teeth, Ickle and Lardee. The stories are sweet enough for kids and witty enough for adults, and are all told through gorgeous photo sequences.
Give yourself some time the first time you visit: you’re going to fall madly in love and you won’t want to leave.
Couches. Windows. Vases. Their own hair. The family pet’s hair. The car.
These are just some of the things you can witness on a brand new discovery: S*@t My Kids Ruined. It’s a great Tumblr blog filled with submitted photos from parents across the world sharing the various things their kids have ruined.
They call it the strongest visual birth control on the market, and we can’t help but agree!
Warning: Do NOT visit this site while eating lunch. Some of these things are not just ruined, they’re absolutely foul.
It can be hard to foster cherished memories between your child and her out-of-town grandparents. This is why Coby Nuenschwander from Chicago created Readeo’s BookChat.
Readeo is a web application that allows people to connect from everywhere there is a internet connection. The partnership between Readeo and ooVoo, a New York-based company that provides high-quality video communication services, allows families to have video chats while reading story books searchable by age, gender and subject mater.
It costs $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year to be a member of Readeo. But if a grandparent becomes a member, grandchildren can connect to their grandparent for free by signing up for a guest account.
More information about how Readeo works is available online.
What if we told you that undergarments, shoes, accessories, work uniforms, work-out gear and jackets don’t count towards your total?
