This month has been unprecedented, incredible actually. In the past 30 days 524,307 readers from 187 countries have read the #LeadSafeMama blog. Last night LeadSafeMama.com broke yet another record, passing the milestone of 700,000 unique views in one month - a goal I didn't even know I had! (link). I'm just floored by that really. [See the Google Analytics summary here.]
I guess the increased traffic got Snopes' attention (yet again) and they decided to write an entire piece about my work - which they published Tuesday (3/19/19).
How many other friends do you have who have been written up on Snopes FOUR times!? Previously they have written pieces about a specific thing I have reported on (vintage Pyrex, Walmart jelly shoes, fidget spinners), but this piece is entirely written to answer the questions "Who is Tamara Rubin?" and "Is the testing reported on LeadSafeMama.com legitimate?"... and while I plan to write a follow up piece in response to their article soon (refuting all of the false assertions and yellow journalism they peppered throughout what is otherwise a positive and well researched piece) my readers have felt that overall the piece was good and included some terrific highlights about childhood Lead exposure (and the prevalence of Lead in consumer goods and the potential impact on children) - in the end validating this work to the public (and especially to the naysayers who have doubted the relevance of XRF testing of consumer goods.)
The piece starts with the following quote (which is frankly quite remarkable all by itself - LOL!):
“A frequently recurring item in Snopes’ inbox is the question “is this true?” combined with a link to a post by Tamara Rubin, the self-described “Lead Safe Mama.” Rubin has made a career out of testing household items for lead with the aim of raising awareness that lead exists in a variety of products which children, who are more prone to the effects of lead poisoning, could potentially come into contact with. Such items often include vintage cookware or toys created before the implementation of stronger lead regulations, as well as other household products.”
And my favorite quote of the article (buried somewhere near the end) is the one below (click the image below to read more!) It's not every day that one's work is featured on Snopes, so I wanted to be sure to share that with you!
While the impact this [Tupperware + Snopes] is making is huge, blog post views don't pay the bills in the short run. I am still currently working towards raising at least $3,000 to pay the legal team defending my advocacy work, and any contributions would be greatly appreciated. I wouldn't be making the impact I am making without you, my readers - and I am eternally thankful for your engagement in this work protecting children everywhere from exposure to toxicants in their environment. (GoFundMe Link & Chip-In Link for PayPal).
As always, thank you for reading and for sharing my posts! Don't forget to click the image below to read some more highlights from the Snopes article.
Tamara
P.S. I'm doing my best to answer everyone's questions and e-mails. Please excuse any delays. On top of the increased blog traffic, Charlie (my youngest) broke his arm (again!) on Sunday, so things have been a little chaotic over here at Chez Rubin! [Did you know that kiddos who were exposed to Lead as babies have a greater likelihood of breaking bones? Their bones absorb lead in the place of calcium as they grow, and that combined with an increase in violent and aggressive behavior leads to... many trips to the hospital! #Sigh ]
