If you'll be shopping this Friday or weekend, watch out for some of those toys which could be choking hazards to those small children. Although toy recalls have made headlines this year, there are sure to be plenty of dangerous toys still lurking on shelves.

The most obvious culprits are small toys, since everything and anything that can go into a child's mouth actually does go there. Keep an eye out on sizes and remember this quote: "Consumers looking for toys still face an industry full of safety loopholes." Comforting, yes?

It's always been wise to scrutinize, but this year an extra effort should be made.

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Although the Chinese-made toy recall is pretty much a second-tier issue in the media at this time, kids that have a lower exposure to the lead amount deemed safe by the U.S. government may still have lower IQs and other problems, according to a new report from the CDC in Atlanta.

The standard for lead poisoning exposure is not a new one, and it confounds me on why newer times don't dictate newer exposure guidelines for certain substances based on new rounds of evidence and research.

As more toys are "consumed" by parents for their kids, they'll still be made, by and large, in China. Are lead concerns going to vanish tomorrow? No -- and the questions and concerns should escalate from parents. Maybe change will happen.

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More bad news from China, as another round of recalls related to lead-based paint on toys has been announced.

This time, more children's jewelry and cake decorations were recalled from shelves late this past week due to -- you guessed it -- excessive lead amounts.

About 665.000 products were announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday, including 38,000 Go Diego Go products from Mattel. On the list as well were roughly 142,000 Halloween pails sold at Family Dollar Stores from August through October.

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With all the recent hubbub on lead paint-containing toys being recalled and pulled from the marketplace, there is one expert who thinks that lead levels deemed safe for exposure to kids still is too high for comfort.

Dr. Bruce Lanphear believes that the current safe lead exposure guidelines need to be cut in half to really ensure kids remain safe around items which contain the element.

Right now, the limit of 10 micrograms of deciliter is considered "safe" by environmental and medical experts at the Centers for Disease Control, but Dr. Lanphear wants that level cut to 5 micrograms. Is lead-based paint the absolute cheapest way to make paint for children's toys or something?

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Oh now, here we go again. More toys are being recalled due to lead paint scares, and national retailer J.C. Penney has joined the fray now by recalling thousands of Winnie-the-Pooh doll play sets, wooden art boxes and horse-themed holiday ornaments.

In perfect holiday season timing, all of these products were recalled due to unsafe levels of lead paint, including over 49,000 Winnie-the-Pooh playsets. These products, quite naturally, were made in China.

Now, as a parent, here is the scary part: these products were not new ones, as they had been sold for a two-year period that just ended this last August. The Winnie-the-Pooh art boxes do give China a break, as they were made in Vietnam and Taiwan.

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Living in a old home has its perks -- lofty ceilings and plenty of charm. But since becoming a parent, and since my children are still so young, I've learned that living in an older home means being diligent about lead exposure.

Homes built before the 1970s are likely to have been painted with lead paint, and window wells are a notorious place for toddlers to find paint chips and dust to stick in their mouths. Children who live in older homes often have a blood test done at age one to screen for lead exposure. Gary at DIY Life has an excellent post about ways to keep your toddler safe from lead in your home, including keeping window wells and doorways clean and washing hands before eating.

If you live in an older home, or if you child frequent visits or stays in a home built before 1970, learn more about lead poisoning and how to prevent it here.

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Living in a home that's nearly 100 years old has its perks -- high ceilings, amazing woodwork, and plenty of character. There are also some drawbacks: a spooky cistern in the basement, the constant hum of renovation, and lead paint.

When we moved into our house, I researched lead paint pretty thoroughly, knowing we'd eventually have a family. We couldn't afford abatement, so it seemed our best bet was to cover it (mostly with drywall) or replace parts of our home altogether. Our children had their lead levels monitored at age 1, and so far, we seem to be ok.

Though we've taken pains to protect our children from the lead paint we know exists in our home, many children live in homes where families are unaware of the lead danger, don't know what to do about it, or can't afford repairs. Experts now say that children should not just be monitored for lead poisoning in their toddler years, when lead levels typically peak, but throughout their childhood. Lead exposure is known to cause learning and behavior problems, and no one really knows how lead exposure affects the older child.

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