Unnecessary Hysteria - Mom Claims Glass Shards Found in Huggies Wipes

The hysteria is flooding the Huggies Facebook page, their Twitter feed and their phone lines. The news is spreading through social media networks and over the Internet like wildfire.

A mother found glass in her Huggies wipes!

It all started with a video that a Palm Coast mom posted on Facebook. It has now been viewed over 16 million times. And here is the video, for your viewing pleasure:

And then the outrage ensued.

Huggies phone lines and Facebook page is currently being bombarded by parents who are outraged that their could be glass shards in the baby wipes that they use on their precious baby's bums.

And, I, for one, know how sensitive baby product companies are to complaints about their products, after working with them for many, many years now. They have to be very careful to handle all complaints about their products seriously. After all, we are talking about babies here.

But, let's stop and think for just a moment...

If there were glass shards on the wipes that these people were obviously wiping across their arms during the video, there would be blood. Have you ever had even one itty-bitty glass shard in your foot or hand?

It hurts. And it bleeds. And the glass shards will get lodged in your skin.

If she used baby wipes with glass shards incorporated into them on her baby's bum, the baby would be bleeding. 

There was no blood. And glass shards were not lodged in the skin of the baby's bum.

Come on, parents!

Can we not see a ridiculous mother with an urge to get her 15 minutes of fame here? Couldn't she have come up with something a little more real to complain about? (Notice I have not mentioned her name, because she does not deserve to have her name mentioned!?)

People just post anything on social media nowadays!

At first, I thought it was a hoax, but now I see that this mom truly is sticking to her allegation that she thinks there are painless, no blood causing pieces of glass on her baby wipes! Glass shards that do not cause blood, but rather cause diaper rash and skin irritation.

A company spokesperson from Kimberly-Clark, Huggies parent company, claims: "We believe that what has been reported as glass shards are, most likely, melted fiber particles of our wipe material used in the manufacturing process of the product."

They also claim this on their website: "To confirm, no glass is used during the manufacturing process. Generally speaking, we make our product by combining a blend of fibers. Rarely, but on occasion, when those fibers combine together while being formed, they creating a shiny particle similar to what was found by this consumer."

They did ask the mom to send back some of the wipes so that they could conduct testing and promised to release the test results publicly once they were completed. (I won't hold my breath on the glass shards theory.)

The California mom says that she does not want coupons, free products, or even her money back. She wants the wipes recalled.

But Huggies says that their wipes do not pose a risk to babies, so they do not plan to recall them.

And, I don't blame them!

There are not glass shards in the baby wipes!

Is it possible that these "glass shards" could be teeny shiny crystalline fibers that formed after the wipes were exposed to extreme temperatures during the manufacturing, as suggested?

I happen to believe that to be closer to the truth than the whole glass theory.

What do you think?


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This is not a silly scam. This is actually what I learned through the blood, sweat and tears of blogging, and I wanted to share it with anyone who has yearned about where to start. 

I'm not one to brag about my skills and abilities or boast about things that I have accomplished. As a matter of fact, most people who know me will tell you that I am a pretty down-to-earth, humble mama who doesn't really say a whole lot about her accomplishments.

I don't know why I'm like that, but I've found that, in the long run, it kind of hurts me, because I find it difficult to market my own books. Most of my friends are taken aback when I tell them that I have two published books (and working on more!), and that's if they even know that I have a website.

About the Book

I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible. If you are new to blogging, you will want to read Review Bloggers. If you have been blogging for a while already and you would love to jump into reviewing and giving away products on your blog, this is the book for you!

I outlined everything that you need to know about blogging, from statistics to social media to building your readership. Then, I also included some of my tips and tricks and organizational strategies to help you keep it all on track. Established bloggers who want to review products can check and see if they are on the right track, and then quickly move onto the "getting flooded" with products" part.

Bloggers are getting PAID to review products, now, too. Your time is WORTH MONEY, my hardworking blogging friends! If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?

Look, it's only $2.99. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get it for FREE. But, just think as that little $2.99 that Amazon takes 30% of as a small token donation (I have 9 children, after all!) to my family.

And, it's a pretty good read, from what I've heard in the reviews. (I promise, none of those reviews are PAID, either.) I was bummed someone left a 4 star review, but it was still honestly positive and only said that you couldn't get from here to there overnight, but as I said in my response to the review, I took everything I learned through blood, sweat and tears for years and condensed it so that people can achieve it in a fraction of the time. 

Happy reading! Let me know what you think!

Putting An End to Bullying - My Way

I HATE bullies! I also hate the word "hate", so when you hear me say it, you know I'm really at the end of my rope.

Here's the thing about bullying: we, as parents, have to figure out whether to step in or to step back. And, that's not an easy thing to do.

Because, the truth is, if our child is getting bullied, what we really want to do is punch the bully in the face! Or, at least throw the brat over our knees and spank the crap out of them.

Okay, so we can't do that. (Darn!)

Which brings us back to the first two options...teach our kids how to handle bullies or step in some other way.

Ever tried going to the bully's parents? Often, they're worse than the kids! So, with that option out, what's a parent to do?

If we step in, we could embarrass our kids even more...but, surely we can't sit back and let someone bully our child?

We have to teach them how not to let a bully "take their power". Ultimately, each and every one of us has the ability to give someone the power to upset us or not.

I'm not saying that this is an easy thing to teach. Even as adults, we often allow people to upset us, get on our nerves, get the best of us.

I've learned several ways how to not let people get the best of me that I have tried to teach my kids, but the best "technique" so far is one that I'm not proud of.

But it works!

When someone is truly pissing me off with their high-up-on-a-pedestal, I'm-better-than-thou attitude and trying to say demeaning things to me...

I simply ignore...

And think "What an asshole!"

The fact that *asshole* is a bad word has a distraction factor in the whole bullying theme. It's the truth - the bully is an asshole!

"Can we say that, Mom?" my kids ask.

"Of course not!" I tell them. "But, you can think it! And, nobody will even know."

"God will know," one of my little smarty pants reminded me.

"Yes, God will know..." I thought quickly..."But God also knows everything and he realizes that the bully is an asshole, too."

Okay, I'll say it again - I'm not a perfect mom, my parenting ways are not perfect, even the things I teach my kids are not perfect.

But they work!

The ignore part of the "technique" is the hardest part to teach.

Words hurt.

It doesn't matter if the words aren't even remotely relevant, they still hurt.

"You're ugly." "You're slow." "Your mom is fat." Some of the stuff that comes out of kids mouths today is just rotten. "You should kill yourself."

Words are ugly.

So, focusing on building up our children's self-esteem and self-pride is vital to battling the bullies. Bullies tend to pick on children with self-esteem issues.

We need to teach our kids that what other people say about us does not make who were are. What other people think about us does not make who were are.

We have the power to decide who and what we are and who and what we become, and ultimately, it's not whether we are fat or ugly or even stupid that leads to our success - or lack of it.

In the end, success is the key word.

Those big meanies might become successful, but they can't stop my children from becoming successful unless my children give them that power!

And that's what I drill into my kids' heads.

You have the power to allow people - or disallow them - to hurt your feelings or upset you. If you don't allow people to hurt your feelings, because you have a good sense of self-esteem and faith that you will be a successful person, then you take that power away from the bully.

So, teach your children that they own their power (self-esteem, success, faith) and they can keep it or give it away. Bullies cannot take their power unless they allow it.

So, remind them to ignore a bully, and, in their mind, remind themselves that the bully is an *asshole*. (That even brings a smile to my children's faces.)

A powerless bully can no longer be a bully.

Back to School Sleep (Infographic)

While our southern friends have already made the transition back to school, those of us in the north are still enjoying the last days of our summer vacation. What is your biggest back-to-school challenge?

For my house, no doubt, it's the sleep schedules. I admit, I have let my kids run til they have run out of steam this summer. I hate to say it, but there have been several nights I have laid down with the baby and fallen asleep, only to wake at 1 a.m. and find toddlers passed out on couches and teens still up on computers and tablets.

"Sleep schedules" don't exist here during the summer. Run 'em 'til they drop.

But, with the first day of school fast approaching, I guess {sigh} it's time to buckle down. And, while I've been thinking about it, I really haven't done much to change things around here yet...

Then, this morning, I opened an email that included this interesting infographic:

Yes, I am one of the parents who do all of the no-no's and bribery. :) Whatever works, right?

And, the list of tips that came in the email that I probably won't follow (hey, they'll learn soon enough that they need sleep):

Back-to-School: Tips For Transiting The Family’s Sleep Schedule From Summer to Fall

· Night Owls No More: No Late Bedtimes

“Set your child’s bedtime and stick to all week,” says Dr. Mary Ellen Wells, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Science at UNC Chapel Hill. The recommended number of hours of sleep differs for each age group, but according to the National Sleep Foundation, school age (5-10 years) children should get 10-11 hours of sleep per night while teens (11-17 years) should plan on 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep each night.

· Shift Bedtime To Accommodate A Schedule For School

Starting a week or two before school starts, determine the number of hours your child’s bedtime needs to shift and gradually advance the bedtime and wake time to the appropriate time (by no more than 30 minutes per day).

· Turn Off Electronics Two To Three Hours Before Bedtime

Any type of electronic that emits blue light or revs up brain activity counteracts the body’s natural transition to sleep. “The sleep environment should be restful – meaning dark, quiet, comfortable and not distracting. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and associating your child’s bed with sleep can also help, which means keeping ‘sleep stealers’ out of the bedroom, such as computers, smart phones, TV, etc.,” Dr. Wells said.

· Invest In A Comfortable Mattress

Thirteen percent of parents say the quality of the mattress has the biggest impact on quality sleep. Younger parents, millennials, aged 18-29 are the most likely to say mattress quality impacts sleep quality (20%).To help ensure a comfortable night’s sleep, invest in a mattress that is engineered to fully support the back and align the body. “A good mattress can the difference of a transformative sleep and one leaving your child tossing and turning at night,” said Kevin Leatherwood, Senior Director of Global Product Development at Sealy. “Investing in a quality mattress for your child can be one of the most important items in transitioning your child back to school.”

· Soak Up Sunshine After You Wake Up

There are external cues called zeitgebers that help synchronize our sleep/wake rhythm. The sun is by far the most powerful zeitgeber, which can be used to help us orient to our desired routine. “If possible, have your child get outside for some sunshine in the morning soon after waking,” Dr. Wells says. “15 minutes will do the trick.”

Thank you to Sealy (yes, the mattress company) and UNC School of Medicine's Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Science for teaming up and creating the infographic and tips! 

Uniforms vs. Dress Codes at School? Why Parents Are All Fired Up

I'm glad my kids have been wearing uniforms for the past few years now. But, even still, I read Facebook, and it makes me mad when I read about friends' daughters who are sent home because of what they are wearing.

The worst part is some of the outfits in question weren't even an issue, in my opinion. From what I saw, they covered all of the parts that should be kept to ourselves. Yet, for some reason, whether it was a tank top or leggings or...whatever the school administration didn't approve of, the outfit was deemed inappropriate and the student was sent home, either for the day or to just change.

And completely interrupting the learning environment, as well as making fashion (or lack of it) issues more important than education.

Understandably, there has to be a dress code and it needs to be adhered to. Sure, we would wreck the whole back-to-school season for fashion designers if our schools all decided to do the right thing - uniforms.

And, believe me, about six years ago, I would have disagreed with the uniform side of the debate. I didn't like the idea of uniforms at all. But, it works. There is no fine line between whether something fits into the dress code or not with uniforms. Students are either wearing the uniforms or they aren't.

And, that means that there's no interruption of their education and learning. There's no chit-chat in the hallway "Did you see what she was wearing?" And that means there is no sending kids home, which essentially means that what you are wearing is more important than your education.

Now, I'm going to get to the "distraction" part here. The main reason school admin are using for why they are sending girls home to change into "appropriate" attire is because their clothing is "distracting" other students.

So, we should probably ditch the pajama days and the other dress up days that many schools participate in for spirit weeks and other "fun" weeks. Because I would think pajamas and crazy socks would be distracting.

And we should probably also get rid of neon colored clothing and maybe even oranges and purples, because those colors might be distracting to certain school aged children, as well.

Stripes, polka dots and plaids probably need to be ruled out, too, because patterns can distract the mind.

All black attire could distract people, too.

Are we getting the point? What is "distracting" for one child may not be for another. On the other hand, one person's fashion sense isn't going to be the same as another's.

So, school admin are singling out which outfits they think are inappropriate and making an example out of these children so that other children will not wear the same thing to school. How sad they are treating our children this way.

No wonder parents are in an uproar! This has been going on for too long now.

Either draft up a uniform code for the school or leave the children alone. And, I also understand that these schools have "dress codes" that include length of skirts and shorts, but wouldn't a uniform be the end-all fix to this problem?

Sure, the kids wouldn't like it at first. They wouldn't be able to express their personal style and fashion at school, but that's not what school is about. They should be focusing on their education. (Unless, of course, they're gearing toward a career in fashion, but that's an entirely different story.)

My children didn't once have a problem with the uniform at their school. As a matter of fact, they seemed to like it better because they didn't really have to pick out clothes each day. What they were going to wear tomorrow was obvious. All we had to worry about is if their uniforms were clean (and still fit).

And the worst part is how schools are stating that the way girls are dressing is distracting to the boys. I said it in a Facebook comment, and I'll say it again. "As long as we are raising classy girls and gentlemen, we don't have to worry about whether our boys are being distracted by girls clothing."

Boil it down to the bottom line, and this whole controversy could be null and void if schools just adopted a uniform. Not everyone is going to agree with the decision in the beginning, but everyone would quickly find out how much easier life is without all of the dress code hassles and debates.