Protect Me From My Own Stupidity: Put the Tylenol Down

Research, facts, and information are all tools of empowerment. But there’s nothing like negligence to take that power away. So when I read that the FDA issued a warning that the active ingredient in Tylenol (acetaminophen) can cause long term liver damage when taken in excess of 325 mg, and that it is the leading cause of acute liver damage, I immediately checked Dylan’s infant Tylenol, which contains 160 mg per serving (and can be taken up to 5 times in one day, totaling 800 mg). Please press pause. 

As a society, we are constantly learning that things we once thought were harmless are actually harmful. Some classic examples are: radioactive water in the 1900’s, cocaine in Coca-Cola, asbestos, Fen-Phen, etc. I like to think we’re all doing our best to protect each other but when the FDA speaks up on something as common as Tylenol, the proof is not in the pudding. 

Simply because something is packaged and on a shelf, doesn’t mean it’s safe. I’m sure the FDA does their best (okay I’m not sure), but their best isn’t good enough. Products can hit the market before the FDA has a chance to review and approve them, and even if they are approved, they can later be found to be dangerous and then recalled. It’s a complex and imperfect world out there and we’re bound to make mistakes that jeopardize our health from time to time. And though the best way to protect ourselves is through information, what are we supposed to do when that information is neglected? 

Think of seat belts. If you’re not wearing a seat belt, you will be cited and fined. It’s a law designed to protect us from our own stupidity. So when acetaminophen is discovered to be the leading cause of acute liver damage, why is it still available for consumption? Shouldn’t we be protected? Instead of a law that would ban the profit giant from poisoning our livers, Tylenol is taking the liberty to smack warning labels on their products. You know, because we should be smart enough to adhere to a warning label or at least gamble our liver at our own risk. 

In sum, you can’t trust anyone, anything, or any claim. Stick to what you know until you know better. And as for Dylan, he hates the grape flavored Tylenol anyway.

List: Must Have Apps for Android or iPhone

Up until recently, I had been an android user for years. I resisted the switch from Android to iPhone because I was comfortable with what I knew. I mean, what could possibly be better than setting up your entire phone by entering an email address and password? But still, my Apple enthused husband was determined to orchestrate an iCult conversion and bestowed a 5S upon me for Christmas. And…..I love it! The only downside to abandoning my cute little green droid friend was replacing the apps I had come to love. But it can be done! Here’s a list of apps every blogger/mom/social media user should have regardless of which side of the tracks you’re on. 

BOTH ANDROID AND iPHONE:
	PicsArt Photo Studio: If you take pictures with your phone, this is a must. This is my go to app for watermarking photos, applying filters, drawing, collages, or whatever. If you can think of something to do to a photo, this app can make it happen
	InstaSize: Assuming you have Instagram (it’s so mandatory it’s not even going on this list because you better have it), there are times your photo is too big to post. InstaSize is the solution! It will size your photo to fit Instagram crop free!
	Flickr: Yahoo is giving everyone a free terabyte of space (you’ll never use it all) and you can sign up by using your gmail address. Flickr has an “auto upload” tool that backs-up every photo you take by uploading it to your Flickr account. If you like to safely hoard pictures like me, your welcome.
	Dropbox: Much like Flickr, this is a “backup your stuff before shit happens you didn’t see coming” app. I am a super paranoid data hoarder and hence why I use two apps to make sure I don’t lose anything. I like Dropbox better than Flickr because it’s uploads photos in the background (Flickr requires the app to be open in order to backup photos), but you don’t get a free terabyte. Still, there are ways to get additional storage (refer a friend, share an album, etc.).
ANDROID ONLY
	GIF Camera: You may have seen some of the gif’s I’ve posted on my blog in the past. I love gifs! Here is a free and basic app that you can use to create them, either by using pictures already in your gallery or by shooting a gif within the app.
	Feed Baby: This is the ultimate baby tracking app. You can input height, weight, and/or head circumference data and it will generate percentiles and growth charts. I primarily used the app for sleep tracking and was able to monitor Dylan’s sleep patterns without giving it much thought. I used the free trial for months before ultimately buying the pro app, which I hardly ever do…but it was THAT good!
iPHONE ONLY
	VSCO: If you are looking for a sophisticated photo editing app, this is it. The options, the filters, the effects, oh my! You can’t watermark but you can do so many other things that it’s totally okay.
	Sprout: This is a baby tracking app. I like to stalk my son’s sleep so I use it for that, but you can stalk anything with Sprout. Feeding, growth, diapers, whatever! This app even has a section for medication and immunization tracking, as well as a Memories section where milestones are inputted and can be exported into a pdf
	QuizUp: This is a just for fun app because we all need a little fun, fun is good! It’s a trivia based game that involves answering 7 questions in 20 seconds against an opponent on a topic of your choice (logos, general knowledge, celebrities, etc.). Beware though, it’s highly addicting and you will lose track of time.