Mega Brands has recalled around 2.4 million Chinese-made toys.  They are recalling 1.1 million Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. preschool toys and around 1.3 million MagnaMan magnetic action figures. Some of the stores where the toys were sold are Wal-Mart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Kmart between January 2005 and December 2007.  Tiny magnets could fall out and be swallowed by children and possibly kill them.  For details on how to return the toys and receive a free replacement, call 800-779-7122. Information is also available at http://www.megabrands.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Kids II Inc. have recalled Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks.  Models 30726 and 30881 with only the date codes of GE7, GF7, and GG7 are affected. This affects about 35,000 products that were sold from June 2007 through September 2007 for between $10 and $13. The blocks, made in China, are made of soft textures and come in different colors. The surface paint on the blue block contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

For more info, contact Kids II toll-free at (866) 203-6788 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.kidsii.com. Contact them to receive a free replacement of the blue block.

On Feb. 1, Evenflo recalled one million Discovery infant car seats, specifically the Discovery Infant Car Seat Models 390, 391, 534 and 552, made between April 2005 and Jan. 29, 2008. This was a voluntary safety recall, and they said it’s not necessary for owners of the car seats to stop using them or return them. Instead, they are offering a free supplemental dual-hook fastener to make sure that the seat remains attached in high-impact side collisions. To order, call Evenflo at 1-800-356-2229 between 8-5 EST or go to Evenflo online.

Reeves International Inc. has recalled 36,000 ornaments due to excessive amounts of lead in the surface paint, amounts that exceed the federal lead paint standards. These ornaments were manufactured in China and have been sold at retailers across the country, including the JC Penney catalog and Web site, from July 2006 through October 2007 for between $15 and $18. Below is a description of the ornaments:

• 2006 Snow Princess Stirrup Ornament is a stirrup-shaped ornament with a white prancing horse and blue ribbons. “2006” is stamped on the rim of the ornament.
• The 2007 Wintersong Stirrup Ornament is a stirrup-shaped ornament with a grey horse with saddle bags with a horn and a violin. “2007” is stamped on the rim of the ornament.
• The 2007 Photo Frame Horse Shoe Ornament is a horse shoe shaped ornament with a brown horse with rider jumping over a gate. “Happy Holiday 2007” is printed on the back of the ornament.

If you have purchased one of these ornaments, just return it to the store where purchased for a full refund, or you can contact Reeves International Inc. at (800) 444-4775 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their Web site at www.breyerhorses.com to receive instructions for returning the ornaments.

I am especially concerned with lead amounts in paints now that we have a new grandbaby who will soon be putting everything in his mouth, and I’m so glad that people are being made aware of products that don’t meet safety standards.

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Old Navy has recalled over 17,000 boys’ fleece-lined, hooded jackets. The drawstring at the waist creates a potential entrapment hazard. The jackets come in blue or black, have the number 507907 on a white label in the seam of the jacket, and sold for around $30 from August-November 2007.

Customers can return the jacket to the store for a full refund plus a $5 appreciation card if they return the jacket before March 2008, or they can remove the drawstring if they choose to keep the jacket. Go to Old Navy’s website for instructions on how to remove the drawstring. Also, if you need more information, you can go to the website or contact Old Navy at (866) 580-9930 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, Saturday between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, and Sunday between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Nike has recalled around 235,000 football helmet chin straps with any one of these four style numbers printed on the inside of the strap: FA0016 046, FA0016 130, FA0021 046, or FA0021 130. The chin strap’s plastic cup has broken in several instances as a result of contact during play which exposes the player to facial and head injuries. So far, Nike has received 18 reports of the chin strap breaking: two reports of concussions, two reports of facial injuries requiring stitches, and a report of a broken nose. These helmets were sold April 2006 - October 2007 for about $20, came in black/gray and white/gray color combinations, and were made in China. You can contact Nike directly at their toll-free number (888) 583-6453 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT during the week, or you can go to their website at

http://www.nikebiz.com.

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Target is recalling baby rattles for the second time this year. The first recall of 460,000 plush baby rattles was January 18. These rattles had small pieces that could break off and become a choking hazzard. Yesterday they recalled 82,000 plush rattles with sports themes also because of a choking hazzard. These rattles were made in China. (recalls from China are beginning to sound like a broken record) There have been no reported injuries, but these rattles are filled with beads and can break open. In both recalls, there were no reports of choking occuring. I’m glad Target and other companies stay on top of things and recall items before an injury occurs.

One million cribs have been recalled after three infant deaths caused by a faulty drop-rail side. The brands “Simplicity for Children” and “Graco” are sold by large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. The cribs affected were sold from January 1998 to May 2007 for $100-$300. This is the fourth recall for Simplicity in two years.

Dole has once again recalled bagged salad. This time it’s “Dole’s Hearts Delight.” The recall affects these nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. It also affects parts of Canada: Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The date of the recall is on bags starting around Sept. 8.

Many people eat bagged salad regularly, over 50% or more. I know we eat bagged salad when I find it on sale or when I’m in a time crunch. It’s so important for people to eat dark leafy greens that it’s worth a little extra cost to make sure we’re eating them. But I definitely don’t want to risk getting sick! I won’t be buying Dole anytime soon, I know that for sure.

Toys “R” Us removed all of Hamco Inc.’s vinyl baby bibs, which were made in China. Click here to read about this warning. These bibs have not been recalled but should be thrown away if torn.