About 132,000 Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection enameled steel tea kettles are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Distributed by Copco, a division of Wilton Industries Inc., of Woodridge, Ill., the tea kettle handle can come loose, posing a burn... Read more →
Which consumer happenings cheered you recently and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Several dozen bright, beautiful photos from Ritz CameraI’m working on selling greeting cards locally featuring my photos. I had a great time... Read more →
Cauliflower, a member of the cabbage family, is nutritious. It’s a rich source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium. Mixing cauliflower with other vegetables increases its antioxidant value. One way to enjoy this great vegetable more often is to cook it whole rather than cutting it in... Read more →
It was heartbreaking to watch parents describe on a TV news program how their child died because he choked on a hot dog. Any food that has a cylindrical or round shape poses a risk of choking a child. Hot dogs are high on the list of foods that should... Read more →
Manufacturers of household cleaners often don’t label products so consumers know what’s in them. But an overlooked law that authorizes the commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to require household cleaning product manufacturers to disclose their chemical ingredients and information about the health risks they pose... Read more →
The Credit CARD Act of 2009, which went into effect Feb. 22, will save American consumers billions of dollars by banning unfair or deceptive practices. Two of these practices – retroactive rate increases and “hair-trigger” penalty interest rates – were costing U.S. consumers a minimum of $10 billion per year,... Read more →
Photo: City of Vancouver I admit it. Instead of blogging, I’ve been sneaking into the rec room to watch the Olympics. I’ve enjoyed the figure skating, alpine skiing, snow boarding, and the short track, ice-skating races. I enjoyed curling, too, a sport I haven’t watched very often. Are these your... Read more →
About 13,000 Kikkerland easy-fold and easy-store step stools distributed by Kikkerland Design Inc., of New York, N.Y., are being recalled due to fall hazard.The step stools can crack or break, causing consumers to fall, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The firm has received nine reports of the stools... Read more →
Which consumer happenings cheered you recently and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: A great workshop for baby boomers “Change,” a workshop to help boomers get through the changes they’re experiencing and figure out what... Read more →
During a story on King 5-TV about retailers replacing brand name products with house brands, it was reported that the price of name brands had dropped 4 percent while the price of store brands went up 8 percent.I thought I’d check to see if store brands are still a good... Read more →